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!
If you are looking for some ideas for food and decorations for the holidays, one of these ideas may interest you.
These are some more of my favorite Fourth of July recipes. They are sure to add a patriotic flair to any gathering with friends. July is a month for foodies. Lots of national days are devoted to celebrating the 4th of July with food. From delicious cakes to decadent cocktails, these recipes all use the…
I know. Everyone says they have the perfect BBQ chicken recipe. But when you try it out , you often end up with a dry piece of chicken that tastes pretty good but is not in the slightest bit tender. I have tried putting the chicken on the grill for a long time, for a…
We love chili at our house. It does not matter if it is warm or cold outside, a big helping bowl of this hearty white bean chili always hits the spot. It is my latest addition to my crock pot recipes collection and my family just loved it. This chili recipe can be made with…
I’m in the mood for Mexican tonight. Well, I am in the mood for Mexican every night, but tonight I am doing something about the yen. Mexican food is so rich and delicious. I love cooking it because I can adjust the spice exactly the way I want it, instead of letting a cook in…
Years ago, I went out for lunch with some teaching friends of mine. One of the items on the menu was a taco salad. Believe it or not, I had never heard of this delightful concoction. Ever since then, when I eat Mexican, I often choose this as my order. I love the taste of…
These taco recipes are perfect for an easy weekday meal and the obvious choice for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Tacos are a popular Mexican recipe. Who can resist the traditional hard taco shell filled with ground beef and your favorite toppings? It is one of my favorites and my family’s too. Here are a…
These cookie recipes are perfect for an afternoon snack, or easy dessert. There is nothing quite like dunking a cookie into a glass of milk. This round up of delicious cookies features everything from a basic shortbread to a decadent peanut butter cream filled whoopie pie. You are sure to find one that will tempt…
Every party needs great appetizers to start it off well. If you are looking for tasty appetizer recipes, check out this group. Nothing starts a party off on the right foot like a line up for both hot and cold appetizers. Many of these take just a few minutes to prepare but all are delicious….
This recipe for beer brined grilled pork chops uses Killian’s Irish Red beer plus brown sugar and agave syrup which compliments the natural sweetness of the pork and add some complexity as well. Using sage in this rub gives the pork chops an nice earthy flavor. See my tips for growing sage here. We grill…
This Lush Berry Bellini has a pretty red color and lots of fizz for entertaining fun. Christmas (and Valentine’s day) are great times to bring out the red cocktail recipes. They are very festive and inviting during the holiday season. Summer is also a great time for red cocktails, like my frozen strawberry daiquiri. It’s…
This turkey and potato hash is the perfect way to use the leftovers from our Thanksgiving meal. Turkey & Potato Hash One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the seemingly nonending turkey leftovers. I always feel like the father in A Christmas Story drooling over the cooked turkey before the neighborhood dogs got to…
Check out these 10 pumpkin carving ideas. They are sure to give you some inspiration when you get ready to carve your pumpkin this year. Each year at this time, we seem to discover new and unusual ways to carve a pumpkin. And there are so many pumpkin types to choose from. Pumpkins that have…
It’s time for my hydrangea wreath make over. The blooms have changed colors and they are perfect for a fall look. A couple of weeks ago, I did a tutorial on how to make a wreath from Hydrangea blossoms. When I made the wreath, it had color (sort of a green a burgundy color) with…
Have you looked at the ingredients in a package of store bought taco seasoning mix? Ugh…all those chemicals! Why not make your own with a similar mix of spices and none of the bad stuff? Printable Recipe – DIY Taco Seasoning This recipe is so easy. Just measure out the spices, combine them in a…
This recipe for Halloween Rice Krispie bars takes the traditional sweet treat recipe and dresses it up for Halloween. Halloween is such a fun time of the year. We love to decorate our homes and try new and fun recipes. Orange and black are everywhere – why not in a Rice Krispie treat? Halloween Rice Krispie…
One of my favorite meal choices when we go to our favorite Mexican restaurant is Chori Pollo. The delicious dish has layers of cooked chicken with chorizo sausage and caramelized onions, all topped with cheese for one tasty meal. This is the prefect dish to serve for Cinco de Mayo! Chorizo is a Spanish pork…
Red Cocktails are the perfect choice for both Valentine’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Christmas. But don’t stop there. I enjoy them all year long! Bloody Mary – Sangria – Strawberry Daiquiri…What do these drinks have in common? They are all cocktail recipes, all red, dramatic, and all so delicious. Razzmatazz Red – These Red…
This recipe for barbecue pork spare ribs is an easy as them come. Just cook the ribs in the oven, then marinate with the sauce and barbecue on the grill. You can even cook them the day before and then quickly grill the next evening for a fast and easy meal. It’s Grilling Time! Try…
These Pestiños pastries are flavored with citrus, wine and cinnamon. If you are looking for something special to take to a cookie swap, this recipe will delight the party guests with their delicate texture. Pestiños are a Spanish cookie from Andalusia and other regions of Southern Spain. They are often served at Christmas time, but…
This black bean salsa is a nice change from the regular bottled salsa and is much more hearty. We have tacos and burritos a lot at my house. Most of the time, we use traditional toppings and sides. Today I decided to make a special salsa to go along with the tacos. They pair together…
Even though Labor day has come and gone, you can still grill. We do it most weekends here in NC, all year long. These Margarita steaks will be perfect for the barbecue. My husband is the grill master at our house, but he counts on me to come up with something to season or marinate…