For me -- and for many Southerners, I presume -- Easter is the first real mark of spring. We dress our houses and tables (and even ourselves) to impress, pulling out all the stops from the freshest flowers to the fanciest flatware. We join together to celebrate a time of joy, renewal, and life. And then we eat! Here's a look back at my own Easter weekend celebration, with a recipe for a classic Southern ham, warm and glossy with a mustard glaze.

I've never in my life come across bad mashed potatoes. (I take that back. Potato flakes and a blender are coming to mind.) But usually my taste buds do not discriminate: cream, buttermilk, garlic, and Parmesan are all welcome additions to my favorite spuds, and I will never turn my nose up at cream cheese, truffle oil, even powdered ranch. I can assure you that I will eat any mashed potatoes — all mashed potatoes — with joyful glee. However after devouring these gouda smashed potatoes for the second time, my standards may have just changed. More

Most punch recipes cater to a single crowd: drinkers or non-drinkers. This one is delicious either way. Whether you fizz it up with champagne or mineral water, hibiscus ginger punch will put a colorful sparkle in your celebrations. More

This holiday breakfast is warm, cheerful, and tasty. Everything on the menu is easier than it looks, so you won't wind up stranded in the kitchen all morning. Imagine actually sitting down to enjoy the meal along with your family and friends. With only a little planning, the pace can be as leisurely as you like. You can start some things the night before, giving you a jump on things come morning. More

This year's holiday card, designed by the fabulous Paulina Reyes.

Here at Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, we want to wish you a very happy holidays. Because we're always trying to help and inspire people to do it for themselves, we sent out over a thousand holiday cards last week with the delicious Fox & Sparkler Cocktail Recipe (above and below). To an additional three hundred of our closest friends and contributors, we sent out a box filled with the recipe, a bottle of our own handmade simple syrup, sparkling candles, and fresh rosemary to kickstart their own party. This is the way we roll. More

My kitchen has been churning out brownies, baked goods, and layer cakes in mass quantity over the past two weeks, and boy have I been hankering for a savory reprieve. (You know it's bad when one more finger-lick of chocolate, even in the name of hot fudge sauce perfection, just might end in a sugar-induced coma.) Thank goodness white chicken chili seems to be the perfect baking overdose cure. More

One blessing in having such an early Thanksgiving this year is that it gets us into the holiday spirit with a little more time to spare for planning and making gifts. Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's a good time to look ahead to those warm little gifts from the kitchen that are so appreciated by friends, coworkers, teachers, and party hosts. If you're looking for some inspiration for these edible gifts, then we've got you covered. Here are 15 of our all-time most popular homemade gifts, from the best chai mix, to homemade doggie treats, to granola, to beer and pretzel marshmallows. (Yes!) There's a simple, delicious liqueur, and homemade flavored salts. Read on for these and more — each a tasty, simple gift from the kitchen. More

When you cook a 22-pound turkey for Thanksgiving, leftovers are inevitable. The first round is devoured in a midnight dash to the fridge (straight from the Tupperware, no silverware required.) And then there's Friday's long-awaited turkey-cranberry panino, with a pile of green bean casserole on the side. Heaven. But my favorite meal of all—besides the main event, of course—is turkey noodle casserole. More

Happy post-Thanksgiving, friends! We hope you all had a festive, food-filled day yesterday, Now the topic turns to leftovers, doesn't it? There's no reason you can't have a mini Thanksgiving meal all over again, but if you want to branch out, consider one of these recipes. From turkey pot pie to sweet potato hash, from pie filling jam to mashed potato puffs, here are 10 ways to make the most of your holiday leftovers: More

The turkey has been roasted and carved, the stuffing baked, and the pies devoured (well, all but the piece you saved for breakfast, presumably!). How did your Thanksgiving dinner go? Did you attempt something new this year? What did you cook? We'd love to hear about it! In my family, something new happened... More