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Here at the Gardening Cook , we love to celebrate with holiday decor and food! Each of the holidays is special here on the blog.

Our site has loads of decor ideas, recipes and gardening tips for each season and holiday of the year.

From special cocktails for New Year’s Eve, through to patriotic recipes, spooky Halloween projects and pretty Christmas decor projects, every holiday is so much fun.

These easy projects will dress up your home for the holidays and give your friends some special food treats in no time flat!

Check out these holiday ideas

If you are looking for some ideas for food and decorations for the holidays, one of these ideas may interest you.

Knucklehead pumpkins stand out because of their unusual, bumpy skin. This makes them a favorite for fall displays and Halloween decorating. Many people wonder why some pumpkins grow with warts while others stay smooth. The answer depends on both genetics and growing conditions. Some pumpkins, like the knucklehead variety, are bred to develop those wart-like …

Read More about Knucklehead Pumpkins – Why do Pumpkins Have Warts?

This Crow’s Blood drink is a spooky Halloween cocktail made with champagne, cranberry juice, and a chilling lychee eyeball cocktail garnish. This creepy party drink is simple to make and delivers both great flavor and frightful presentation. With its deep red color and eerie garnish, it’s the perfect addition to a Halloween party table or …

Read More about Crow’s Blood Halloween Cocktail with Lychee Eyeball Garnish

These Halloween pumpkin face cookies are the perfect Halloween recipe for your family or neighborhood friends. They have a cute Jack O Lantern pumpkin face and are filled with rich chocolate frosting. Imagine the delight at your Halloween party or when you surprise your trick-or-treaters with some pumpkin Halloween cookies. Just wait for the squeals! …

Read More about Spooky Halloween Pumpkin Face Cookies – Double the Fun!

Halloween is right around the corner, and that means that it is time for some spooky cocktail recipes. This Halloween witches’ brew cocktail is the perfect way to get your holiday party started. The drink is made from pineapple juice, cranberry juice, Sprite, and coconut rum. It’s fruity and sweet and can be garnished for …

Read More about Halloween Witches Brew Cocktail – Fruity and Tart Halloween Drink

Natural foliage is perfect to use when decorating with greenery for fall.  It’s bold in color, rustic in texture, and gives a calming look to any home decor project. It may appear that there is nothing of interest out there in the garden right now, but to someone looking for items to use for decorating, …

Read More about Decorating with Greenery for Fall- Natural Autumn Decorating Ideas

This patriotic small porch decor will greet your guests for the 4th of July in a cheery red white and blue way. It’s easy to put together, cost just $20 and is very cheerful and natural looking. Decorating a small front porch for the 4th of July can be a challenge.  If you add too …

Read More about Colorful Patriotic Small Porch Decor Idea for the 4th of July

I have put together a group of patriotic table decor ideas that can be done on a budget and in no time at all. They are perfect for both Memorial Day and the upcoming Fourth of July! We’ve all had that moment when our friends or parents decide to visit with no notice for an important …

Read More about Patriotic Table Decor – Red White Blue Party Decorations

Want an easy weeknight meal you can make in one pot? If so, you will love this pollo a la crema recipe. This dish features chunks of white meat chicken with mushrooms, onions, and green peppers in a Mexican cream sauce. The recipe is also known as “pollo con crema” and “pollo en crema”. There …

Read More about Pollo a la Crema Recipe – Mexican Inspired Creamy Chicken

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.  This easy DIY kitchen gift basket makes the perfect personalized gift for anyone’s mother who loves to cook. It is filled with fun, whimsical, and useful kitchen items made even more special because it includes items geared to your mother’s tastes. This easy cooking gift basket makes the …

Read More about DIY Gift Basket for Mother’s Day – 10 Tips for Kitchen Themed Basket ideas

This Easter grapevine door swag welcomes in spring with the arrangement of dogwood flowers, bunnies, butterflies and Easter eggs. It also welcomes in my guests in a pretty pastel spring way. My front door is one of the few places that always gets a holiday make over.   When Jess was younger, I used to …

Read More about Easter Grapevine Door Swag – Butterflies Bunnies and Eggs!

These Rope Wrapped Eggs have a pretty farmhouse, rustic look that is perfect for both spring and Easter. I love pretty home decor projects that can be used for an upcoming holiday but aren’t TOO seasonal.  This project came after a trip to my local Dollar Store to pick a package of their over sized plastic Easter …

Read More about Rope Wrapped Eggs – Farmhouse Easter Decor Project

As Easter approaches, many families are looking for fun and creative ways to celebrate the holiday. One popular activity is an Easter egg hunt, but why not add a twist to the traditional hunt with some Easter egg hunt clues and riddles? In our blog post, we’ll be sharing ideas and tips for an Easter …

Read More about Easter Egg Hunt Clues for Teens – Easter Basket Scavenger Hunt

These sirloin steaks have a lovely sauce made from Baileys Irish cream, Irish whiskey, butter and parsley.  They are very easy to make and taste amazing. We barbecue at our house every Saturday. My husband is the grill master and I come up with the recipes.  Tonight I gave him the night off and made …

Read More about Sirloin Steaks with Baileys Irish Cream and Whiskey Sauce

These best of luck wishes and good luck quotes are fun to share with friends or on social media to send good luck wishes to all. St. Patrick’s Day will soon be here, and that brings with it thoughts of luck. Motivational quotations on photos of nature are a favorite with the readers of The …

Read More about Good Luck Quotes – Best of Luck Wishes – Irish Quotes – Lucky Sayings

This cute St. Patrick’s Day Door Wreath is whimsical and welcomes both my guests and spring with the pretty yellow and purple flowers. The door decoration features a leprechaun hat to give it a whimsical look. It is the perfect way to welcome guests for St. Patrick’s Day. My front door is one place that …

Read More about St. Patrick’s Day Door Wreath – Leprechaun Hat Door Decoration

This Leprechaun Hat Centerpiece gives me a chance to celebrate both St. Patrick’s Day and spring in one pretty project. The centerpiece can be made with either silk flowers or fresh flowers for two different looks. I love to make craft projects out common household items. In this case, my project started with something that …

Read More about Leprechaun Hat Centerpiece – St. Patrick’s Day DIY Table Decoration

These creative St. Patrick’s Day recipes will help you celebrate in style this year. St. Patrick’s day is a day steeped in tradition.  This year, on March 17, millions of people will wear green and celebrate the luck of the Irish at parades, with good cheer and even drinking a pint of green beer.  Cooking up …

Read More about St. Patrick’s Day Recipes – For Good Luck and Cheer

Your kids will love to make this sweet snowman Christmas cake.  The cake will be the hit of your Christmas buffet.   He is made of a chocolate base and covered in butter cream frosting and then decorated. The cake is easy to make and kids will love to help you decorate it with their favorite …

Read More about Snowman Christmas Cake – Fun Dessert Idea

These cute M & M&M gingerbread Christmas tree cookies will make a great addition to your Christmas buffet table.  They would also be great for your annual cookie exchange. Gingerbread is a common taste during the holidays.  From cookies and houses made of gingerbread, there are lots of options. See my tips for the perfect …

Read More about M & M Gingerbread Christmas Tree Cookies

Two holiday plants that I love are cyclamens and Christmas cactus. Both of these make fabulous indoor plantsand give a lot of color to your decor during the cold winter months. During the festive season, there are many different seasonal plants on offer at most garden centers. They add a lovely touch to your seasonal …

Read More about Cyclamens and Christmas Cactus – 2 Favorite Seasonal Plants

These are 10 of the Best Family Christmas Movies that we watch in our home year after year. Are you a fan of watching Xmas movies over the holidays with family? At our house, the tradition starts on Thanksgiving and continues right up to New Year’s Eve! These are some of my favorite Christmas movies. …

Read More about Best Family Christmas Movies – Must See Xmas Films to Enjoy

These Funfetti peppermint chocolate truffles are my latest addition to a growing batch of truffle recipes. Truffles are as much a part of my holiday traditions as decorating a tree is.  I love to make all kinds of these bite sized Christmas treats.  They are fun to make, and look so great on a holiday …

Read More about Funfetti Peppermint Chocolate Truffles – New Christmas Sweet Treat