Four Christmases Movie Trailer

Check out the trailer for the upcoming holiday comedy "Four Christmases" starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. It is in theaters now.

How To Make a Snow Globe

Building a snow globe is a fun indoor project for a cold winter day.

Last Minute Gifts

Still need that last minute holiday gift. Let Better TV's Nicolle Camarata help you with gift that range from $10 through $30.

White Christmas Musical

Better takes you backstage of the new musical version of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" at the Marquis Theater in New York City.

Gifts and Gadgets

What's your favorite gift or gadget? Here are some unusual present ideas.

Shopping For Him

Here are some great ideas for whoever "he" may be.

How To Make Eggnog

What's the holiday season without a glass of creamy eggnog?

Best Gadgets of 2008

The "Gadget Guru" reveals the best electronics and gadgets from 2008 -- in time for holiday gift ideas.

Vanilla Spices Up Holiday Dishes

Pro chefs and casual cooks alike will soon create confections for the holiday season. The best-loved delicacies will have one of the world's most popular flavors in common -- vanilla, with its heady, aromatic taste combined with sweet, fruity and floral scents.

Americans consume about 1,200 tons of vanilla beans a year. Vanilla is exciting and comforting, sexy and simple all at the same time. But not all vanilla is the same, and it pays to know the different kinds before you begin your seasonal baking.

The flavor is extracted from vanilla beans which are grown in four locations around the world -- Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico and Tahiti.

Madagascar beans are creamy, sweet, smooth and mellow and work well in rich foods and in recipes that call for high heat, like cookies. Madagascar vanilla also works in ice cream and blends well with coffee and in chocolate recipes. Indonesian vanilla is typically a lower quality vanilla which has smoky, woody flavor notes and is often sold in supermarkets and warehouse clubs as just "Pure Vanilla Extract."

Vanilla was discovered in Mexico, and Mexican beans are spicier and complement chocolate, cinnamon, cloves and other warm spices. Surprisingly, Mexican pure vanilla extract also smoothes out the heat and acidity of tomatoes and chili peppers, which are used in salsas and barbecue sauces. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers to purchase only Mexican pure vanilla that is produced in the United States. Mexican-produced vanilla is often made with coumarin, a toxic substance banned in the U.S.

The fourth kind of bean, Tahitian vanilla, is more delicate and works best in cooler cooked foods like refrigerated and frozen desserts, fruit pies and sauces, smoothies and shakes. Tahitian pure vanilla is known for its aromatic, cherry-like flavor and decorates fruit recipes splendidly.

Confectioners, bakers, chefs of fine restaurants and home cooks make sure they have vanilla like Nielsen-Massey Vanillas on hand to perfect their holiday baking. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Inc. is known as the producer of the finest vanilla because it uses an exclusive cold extraction process, which slowly draws out the delicate and distinctive flavors of the vanilla beans.

One way to expand your holiday recipe list this year is to use vanilla in savory dishes like Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, in addition to cakes and cookies. Vanilla helps to enhance the inherent flavors of sweet potatoes, rather than concealing their flavor in sweeteners.

Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes
Serves six

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes

canola oil

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter softened

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

5 strips bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and lightly coat skins with canola oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork, place the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for one hour or until fork-tender.

Cut the hot potatoes into halves. Scoop the pulp into a mixing bowl, discarding the skins. Beat at medium speed for one minute using an electric mixer. Add cream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla extract, salt and pepper. Whip until creamy.

Spoon whipped potatoes into six ramekins coated with nonstick cooking spray and top with the bacon. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for five to eight minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, they may be reheated in a microwave.

Courtesy of ARA content

Gift Ideas For Kids

Shopping made easy. Better has the latest toys, games and gadgets for kids this holiday season.

Primula Flowering Tea Gift Set

Place a Primula Flowering Tea into a Glass Tea Pot and fill with boiling water. The green tea expands and a beautiful flower is slowly revealed. The tea is blended with jasmine fives times and when the flower begins to open you will enjoy the pleasant aroma.

Primula 15-c. Flowering Tea Gift Set is available at Cooking.com.

Candy Cane Vase

Fast and fun, this simple project from BHG.com uses peppermint sticks to transform a vase into a sweet treat for your holiday table!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Martha's niece Sophie joins her in the kitchen to craft a traditional pumpkin pie.

Holiday Gift Ideas

Stumped on what to buy friends and family this holiday season? TLC's Stacy London has a few ideas.

If you've ever watched a professional sushi chef at work, the idea of making sushi yourself might seem somewhat daunting. But more and more of us have been putting aside this apprehension in an urge to create some favorite sushi combinations at home. This well-equipped Sushi Making Kit provides the essentials for satisfying that sushi craving.

10-pc. Sushi Chef Sushi-Making Kit is available at Cooking.com.

Stuffing 101

Learn how to make the best stuffing for your next special meal.

Turkey Roast Giblet Stuffing Wild Turkey Gravy Recipe

Roast Turkey with all the fixin's don't get any better than this. Try this easy to do BBQ Pit Boys Turkey Roast recipe with Giblet Stuffing and Wild Turkey Gravy on the grill for your next holiday.

Cranberry Glaze Recipe

Learn how to make a mouth-watering cranberry glaze.

Creative Gift Ideas

It's time to focus on your holiday shopping list. Better has some creative gift-giving tips.

Cornbread Stuffing Recipe

Chris Schlesinger shows Martha a flavorful take on traditional stuffing, using a dark cornbread

Holiday Cocktails

Stir up some good times with these signature cocktails from Food networks Sandra Lee.

Pinecone Placecards

Learn this fun craft that's great for kids!

Cranberry Butter Recipe

Learn how to create a flavorful addition to fall recipes the Martha way.

Alexis' Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Martha shows us how to craft your very own version of her daughter's favorite sweet potato pie.

Turkey Gravey Recipe

Elizabeth Garner helps Martha and learns the tips and techniques to create the perfect turkey gravy.

How to Make Christmas Ornaments From Pine Cones

Make a Christmas ornament from a pine cone by wrapping the top with wire, applying hot glue to the edges and sprinkling glitter over the entire thing for a winter effect. Add holly to the top of a pine cone ornament with instructions from an experienced craftswoman in this free video on Christmas crafts.

Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Learn how to make traditional sweet potatoes for your favorite special occasion.

Songs of Joy and Peace

'Tis the season! Better talks with legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his famous friends about their new holiday CD.

Swirled Snowflake Cookies Recipe

Snowflakes are amazing winter wonders. Each one has a unique and lovely pattern. Create joy and delight by making your own swirled snowflake cookies.

Sugar-Dusted Garnishes

Use a simple berry to give a holiday dish some extra sparkle and pizzazz. Watch this simple garnish idea to see what ideas inspire you!

Redo Old Ornaments

Learn how to use shimmering tiny seed beads to give old ornaments a much-needed facelift. Watch these easy techniques for the best results.

Stained-Glass Cookies Recipe

Stained-glass cookies are simple to make yet have a definite "wow" effect on all who see them. Learn this easy technique to make your holiday cookies sparkle.

Quick-Gilded Ornaments

Watch how easy it is to 'glam up' even plain balls with easy stars, swirls, and dots. The supplies are just ordinary ornaments and metallic paint pens but the results can be extraordinary.

Engraved Wreath Christmas Ornament

This textured, double-sided pewter ornament adds a timeless touch to your Christmas tree. Bells, presents, drums, pinecones, holly berries, and all of the meaningful symbols of the season are nestled within the boughs of the wreath, taking second stage only to your elegant engraving on the wreath's banner.

Arrives gift wrapped and measures 3.5" in diameter. Makes a beautiful Christmas present for a family or as a lasting way to commemorate a special year.

Engraved Wreath Christmas Ornament is available at GiftTree.com.

Minty Trees

What a 'sweet' idea! Get creative and glue up a forest of Christmas candy trees. Choose a trio of craft foam shapes and glue on a variety of mints in red or green. Then, top off your creations with tiny bow toppers.

Tea Forte Holiday Gift Set

The perfect solution to those cold winter days! This year, warm their body and soul with the gift of fine tea.

An elegant holiday gift box holds everything they will need for a calming cup of tea. A crimson red Tea Forte Cafe Cup is perfect for steeping the tea pyramids. The custom cover keeps tea hot while steeping and reveals the signature leaf.

The tea trays offer a dramatic and festive presentation for serving the Silken Tea Infusers. Return infusers to the tray after brewing to catch the drips.

Finally, the gift set also includes two silken tea pyramids in the delicious holiday flavors of Crimson Nectar and Sweet Orange Spice.

A great gift for the tea drinker. Measures 6" x 6" x 5".

Tea Forte Holiday Gift Set is available at GiftTree.com.

Wine is Still a Winning Holiday Gift

Looking for that holiday gift that is both personal and universal, sophisticated and fun? Smart holiday shoppers are turning to wine clubs and wine-related accessories to round out their seasonal shopping this year.

Wine is moving beyond just a bottle brought to a holiday soiree as a thoughtful gift for the host or hostess. It’s now possible to find wine related gifts for friends, family members, fellow workers, clients – virtually every adult on your holiday gift list.

And there are so many great ideas to choose from. Take for instance a top-of-the line Rabbit corkscrew that will make opening wine bottles a simple and speedy experience for those hard-to-open bottles. Or how about a Riedel wine glass set? Do you know someone who can never put her hands on a matched set of wine glasses when she needs it? Consider giving a set of four, or even eight, glasses to make entertaining a style statement. And, mix it up with a set of glasses shaped for each type of wine.

If the wine lover on your list is really after those collectable, award-winning bottles – give him a wine club membership. That way he’ll have something to look forward to not just this holiday season, but throughout the year.

Wine makes a great gift because it’s not something that will be put away and forgotten after the season is over. It will be savored and enjoyed by both the wine novice and wine aficionado from the time the bottle is opened until the last drop is gone. And membership comes with rewards.

Take for example the benefits offered by Gold Medal Wine Club (www.GoldMedalWine.com), which specializes in delivering hard-to-find wines from small, family-owned California wineries to people all across the country. Buy a one-month Gold Series Membership for $34 (one to 12 month gifts are available), and your giftee will get two highly-rated bottles of wine (one red, one white) neatly gift-wrapped in tissue and perfectly tied bows around each bottleneck. They’ll also receive a fun and informative color publication called “The Wine Press” that features information about the wines, the fascinating backgrounds of the winery owners, a behind-the-scenes tour of the vineyards and great food pairing ideas from the winemakers themselves.


If the wine enthusiast on your list has always dreamed of expanding his horizons with a trip overseas but just couldn’t find the time or resources to do it, a great surprise would be a Gold Medal Wine Club International Series membership. Imagine his delight when a box arrives containing three bottles of rare and wonderful international wines packaged with a unique collection of delicious gourmet food items direct from the featured country. The full color “Taste the Adventure” publication includes information on the wines, winery and country. Each shipment is around $100 and annual gifts (four deliveries per year) receive a 10 percent discount.

All of the wines offered by Gold Medal Wine Club are hard-to-find, small production wines from boutique family wineries. The wines have won multiple medals and awards from major wine competitions and have high ratings from the major wine publications. Some wines are even pre-releases and exclusives that are only offered at the winery itself and through the Club.

Take care of your gift orders early by logging on to www.GoldMedalWine.com or calling (800) 266-8888 and your gift will surely arrive in time for the holiday.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Gourmet Stocking

There's nothing quite as fun as reaching down into a stocking to discover delicious treasures. Make someone's Christmas extra special this year by sending them a beautiful stocking filled with the finest gourmet treats and confections.

We fill a classic, appliqued stocking with universal favorites, including Brown & Haley Almond Roca, Cassil & Klein Italian Biscotti, Macadams' Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Cocoa, Petit Soleil Bonbons au Chocolate, and more.

Arrives ready to hang on the mantle and with plenty to share with Santa Claus. Gift measures 8" x 8" x 14".

Gourmet Stocking is available at GiftTree.com.

Holiday Napkin Ideas

Make your holiday dinnertable more special with pretty placesettings. Here are some terrific ideas that are really easy and different.

Ornament Candy Jar

Graceful swirls of red felt accented with sparkling red gemstones decorate the surface of this beautiful candy container. A delicious and colorful assortment of Key Lime Truffles, Peppermint Candies, and Gloria's Lemon Caramel Cookies fill the unique ceramic jar to its brim.

This lovely gift is a certain delight for teachers, office mates, holiday keepsake collectors, and anyone with a sweet tooth.

Ornament Candy Jar is available at GiftTree.com.

Easy Glittered Ornaments

Here is an easy holiday decoration idea.

Holiday Appetizers 101

When holiday entertaining has you scrambling for new ideas to make your guests feel jolly, think appetizers. A traditional menu like baked ham or smoked turkey, served with classic favorites, can be made into a more festive experience by easily selecting a variety of mouthwatering appetizers to complement the meal.

When deciding what appetizers to serve, consider the flow and arrangement of the party.  Where will guests be eating? If there’s limited seating, reconsider appetizers that require a knife and fork. Hand-held, bite-size appetizers are usually easier for guests if they’ll be standing and mingling.

Variety is also important. Select appetizer recipes that have different flavors, textures and temperatures. A combination of hot and cold food items will please any palate. Offering different styles like bread or cracker options, toothpick or skewer bites and hand-held finger foods is a simple way to add variety.

Traditional recipes, such as rumaki, meatballs and deviled eggs, are still party favorites too. However, it’s easy to give them a new flare. Try this new Pesto Deviled Eggs recipe when you’re entertaining this holiday season.

For even more appetizing additions visit www.incredibleegg.org.

Pesto Deviled Eggs
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

6 hard-cooked eggs

3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt

1 tsp. basil leaves, crushed

1/2 tsp. garlic powder


Directions:

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. Mash yolks with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Refill whites, using about one tablespoon yolk mixture for each egg half. Chill to blend flavors.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Santa's Candy Sleigh

A classic silver sleigh delivers the sweetest holiday treats, including Spearmint Rounds, Root Beer Barrels, Cinnamon Discs, and two boxes of premium Long Grove Chocolate Truffles. The sleigh is sure to be a part of their holiday collection long after the treats have been enjoyed. Measures 10'' x 7'' x 5''.

Santa's Candy Sleigh is available at GiftTree.com.

Outside the Snow is Falling and Friends are Calling

It is that time of year when holiday parties and celebrations abound. If you are looking for ways to enjoy the festivities, but avoid the hectic holiday scheduling, why not serve brunch. A breakfast or brunch celebration is a perfect solution for families that have more than one stop to make for the holidays.  

Hosting a holiday brunch that works for everyone is easy. Decide if a buffet or sit-down meal works better for guests. If guests are coming at different times or if limited space is available, a buffet usually works best. When planning a buffet menu, include savory dishes by using recipes that guests can serve themselves, such as an egg casserole. Home-made dishes are usually healthier and make guests feel right at home.  

When planning the party, allow for time to enjoy the company of family and friends that are visiting -- do not spend the entire party in the kitchen. Think ahead and select dishes that can be prepared the night before, like an egg strata that you can pop in the oven the next morning. Set the table and organize necessary serving pieces to avoid last-minute scrambling. If you are serving homemade bread and rolls, bake them the day before so the oven is available for the main dishes.  

Family and friends are what make the holidays bright. Do not miss the joy of the season stuck in the kitchen. When hosting a holiday gathering, plan ahead and choose easy and delicious recipes, so everyone can enjoy the spirit of the season.  For holiday breakfast and brunch recipes visit www.incredibleegg.org.

Here’s a tasty recipe you may want to try:

Benedict Strata
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz.) English muffins
6 slices (4 oz.) Canadian bacon, chopped
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup skim milk
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Chives, optional
Halved lemon slices, optional

Directions: Split muffins and cut into cubes. Alternate even layers of muffin cubes and ham in lightly greased 8x8x2 inch baking dish.  

In medium bowl, beat together remaining ingredients (except chives) until well blended. Pour evenly over muffin-ham mixture. Cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Uncover. Bake in preheated 350 F oven until golden brown and knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Garnish with chives and lemon slices, if desired.

Courtesy of ARAcontent