Over the weekend I spent some time with a childhood favorite of mine: Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book. When I was a little girl, I pour over the pages, dreaming of the cookie goodness that could be made from its recipes. The wonderful thing about Betty’s book is how simple everything is written — all the mystery is taken out of baking techniques. And the photos, pre-re-touching, are honest. That’s what your cookies actually look like when they come out of the oven, not some kind of soft-focused, over styled production that you can never recreate in a real home.

Here’s the batch I made the other day, including chocolate crinkles, Russian teacakes and peanut butter.

But what I’m wondering is: When did a cooky become a cookie? Or does Betty just have a weird way of spelling things?

Pick up your own copy of Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book on eBay.

I like campy and I like rich, so I tried my hand at buche de noel (or “yule log”) this year not once, but twice. What you see here is the result of my first attempt, and both times I was very pleased with how it turned out — and so were my friends. I found my Buche de Noel recipe at All Recipes, although there are lots online including a slightly more complicated version from Martha, of course. The All Recipes version is unfortunately lacking details on how to ice and decorate the log, and luckily the comments fill them in:

- Be sure to grease the parchment paper well or the cake will stick to it.
- Definitely let the rolled-up cake cool for a full 30 minutes.
- Cut off a slice from the end of the log and use the chocolate whipped cream to “glue” it to the log as a stump.
- Draw the tines of a fork through the whipped cream to simulate tree bark.

And here’s a tip of my own: Martha wanted me to make meringue mushrooms, but I wanted to keep things as easy as possible. So instead I used a bit of the cake as a stem, topped it with a dollop of mousse, and then topped that off with a packaged pfeffernusse cookie. Instant mushroom cap! I finished the whole thing off with cranberries, mint leaves, and confectioner’s sugar “snow.” (And yes, it was delicious.) — Mary T.

Greetings everyone! Just a quick post to say Happy Holidays to all. Chad and I are camped out in our little cottage. Now that the leaves have fallen from the trees we have an amazing view of the river. We brought the cat with us for the week — his first non-city trip — and he seems pleased as punch, purring up a storm. (We never did get that Ikea litter box, but rather, the smallest one we saw at PetCo.) I’m baking cookies to share with our helpful neighbors who kindly plowed our driveway. I just made the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ever, and oh my God! The hype is true. With swollen feet and achy hands (I think I’m having pregnancy carpal tunnel), I am so thankful to be taking it easy this week. We’re gonna have some friends over on Saturday for an After-Mas party. I’ll be sure to sure to share any bright tips that come up between now and then. (Which reminds me — does anyone know how to make a solid block of brown sugar soft again?).

I hope you’re all having a wonderful, stress-free holiday. See you in couple of days! — Angela M.

P.S. On our mantle: Birch tubes left over from our wedding, updated for the holidays. The sweet woodcarving Chad commissioned of the two of us. Vases from my grandmother’s house, and yes, a couple of stocking holders from Target.

Here’s our last installment in this year’s Christmas gift giving guide. This one comes from Angela M. who is thinking like a nesting, soon-to-be-new mom these days. Click here to see all our of guides — and remember, online shops are open 24 hours!

Limited edition Diptyque candles, $72. At that price, I would never buy for myself, but I love them.

Gnome table by Philippe Starck, $321. I’m not sure where he would go, but I really think this guy belongs in our upstate house.

Vera Cashmere wrap, $310. Simply gorgeous. I’d treasure forever.

Cashmere silk knit Icon Paper dolls blanket, $144 from Dwell shop. This is the kind of pink baby’s blanket I can support!

Home Hero fire extinquisher, $30. I spotted this on Happy Mundane a while back, and have been craving ever since.

A garland rug, $75, for our entryway. It’s chic, eco-friendly and easy to clean.

Caldera’s Sweet Pea children’s laundry detergent, $16. Our Seventh Generation suds are half the price, but I love the smell of this.

Nigella Express, $22. I heard her talking about this new book on NPR last weekend, and am dying to try some of the recipes myself.

Mammoth Crocs, $44. Yes, I think they are ugly. But ya know what? I would love something cozy like this to slip into for quick errands up at our country house.

Storksak Emily Pewter diaper bag, $168. I’ve been holding off buying a new purse all fall. This bag (also used by Angelina Jolie) is chic enough to tote to work and yet it’s practical and will get the job done.

It’s a sad fact that holidays usually come complete with stress. If you need a break, head over to Jezebel for a hilarious take on the venerable SkyMall catalog. Like she says, it’s not that the products are useless. It’s just that so many of them are so…funny. I confess I do want a Margarator, though. So perfect for those holiday parties! — Mary T.

This may be hard to believe, but I don’t know what to cook for Christmas. It’s going to be a small dinner, just a few people, so we want to keep it simple. Last year, it was just Chad and me on the 25th — I cooked a simple lemon roast chicken (from Jamie’s Dinners) and we went out the movies. It was lovely! This year, we’ll be up at our country house, hoping to lure others to join us. Strangely, I don’t think my turkey craving was completely satisfied at Thanksgiving, so I may just roast a small bird. Ideally what ever we make will yield lots of leftovers that we can freeze and enjoy when the baby comes (six weeks!). When I was growing up, my Italian grandparents would often make lasagna. And when I lived in London a couple holiday seasons, I thoroughly enjoyed a pot roast with Yorkshire pudding (there’s a a menu and recipes in Domino for this I may try). I want to start a tradition, one that our growing family will be able to look forward to year after year. Tell me what your traditions are — Do you still go to relatives or do the cooking yourself? What’s on the menu? Links to recipes you love would be appreciated! — Angela M.

If you’re like us, there are still a few names on your gift buying lists to cross off. Here’s Kim B’s wish list to give you some last minute ideas. And you can always see more of her finds at her blog, All That and A.

Vilac’s Piggy Bank (I know it’s for kids, I still like it), $30.

Tea cups at Charles and Marie, $20.

Enzo Mari’s Timor perpetual desk calendar, $170.

Crispin and Basilio’s gorgeous hooded blazer, $500.

Present and Correct’s alphabet poster, $36.

Canon Pixma MP530 Office All-In-One Inkjet Photo Printer, $178.

A Le Crueset 6-piece set, $420

Stone Bath Mat at Viva Terra, $59.

See all of our contributors’ wish lists by clicking here on our giving category!

Never mind Christmas — are you ready for your New Year’s Eve festivities? Just think how great those cocktail nuts will look in this midcentury silver-and-enamel bowl, made by MEKA of Denmark. Current bid: $10 (hurry — the auction ends Wednesday evening).

See more of Leah’s great finds on her blog, More Ways to Waste Time.

Contributor Leah H. had so many things on her wish list, we had to break it into two. Here’s the second half. Click here to see round one, and remember, you can always see more great finds at her blog More Ways To Waste Time

Bento Boxes, $38 each from Plastica. Because using one of these is just so much cooler than packing your lunch in leftover grocery-store bag.

En Gry og Sif Felted-Wool Floor Cushions, $113 each from Danish Bohemia. Because these look like a lot more fun than the beige ottoman we have now.

Koko Birds Plastic Floor Mat, $46 from 2Modern. Because we need something indestructible for the kitchen floor, and this just makes me happy.

Tivoli Model One, $120 at Canoe. Because we’ve been without music in the living room for too long, and this table radio/iPod dock is as great-looking as it is great-sounding.

Leaves Signe Vase by Karin Eriksson, $155 from Lille. Because white pottery with delicate hand-drawn illustration makes me weak at the knees.

Small Ita Blue Agate Trays, $55 for two from Lille. Because they’re gorgeous, and we could serve sushi on them or slip them under a trio of pillar candles.

Tepper Jackson Capri Overnighter, $109, from Flight 001. Because it’s high time I upgraded from mesh beach bags for overnight trips.

Ikebana Turquoise Throw, $200 from Designers Guild. Because it’s yummy.

iRobot 530 Roomba, $299 from Amazon. Because with two kids, two cats, and a dog that sheds like crazy, we need this.

A custom pooch portrait by Jessie Mott, $400 and up from JessieMott.com. Because our dog, Bonnie, is a beloved member of the family.

Looking for more gift ideas? of our contributors’ wish lists, including Allison, Megan, Erica and more!

Our friends over at White Elephant have offered up a special discount for you, Shelterrific readers. From now until December 20th, you can get 10% off their goods by using the code SHELTERRIFIC-BLOG-FAN at checkout! Just enter the code in the “message to seller” section during checkout, and make sure to wait for a revised invoice from them. Among the vintage treasures up you’ll find there: joyous Wooden Blocks, $13.50.