Honestly, the holidays stress me out, but I have always loved Christmas.  Growing up in a “nuclear family”, and living apart, my friends have always been my family.

While I was living in NYC, @Whole Foods was in the building where I worked in Columbus Circle, they’re everywhere but it felt like home when I moved to Texas.  Also, I have become mostly organic in my diet; generally, I'm a pescatarian but usually, once a month I crave @ShakeShack or pizza from @IFratelli's.  On the daily, I love juices from @Pressed. I always start my morning with a Celery Juice and then I'll have either the Greens #1 or #4 for a vitamin boost.   I have a juicer but it's a pain in the ass to clean...

I love to cook. Depending on the dish and how long it takes, I like to match a cocktail for the journey and to match the dish.  Trying new recipes is such an adventure.  Lately, I have perused @Questlove's Mix-Tape Pot-Luck Cookbook, and @JessSeinfeld ‘s Roasted Cauliflower is legit!

My mother is a wonderful home chef in a lasagna/homestyle food/apple crisp kind of way.  She has the magic touch. My mom has always made an apple crisp for as long as I can remember. I have adapted her version, as I always do with everything.  However, her recipe is the foundation. You should try my adaptation, it’s a crowd pleaser and perfect to make ahead of time…

E’s Holiday Apple Crisp

• 1 ½ c salted, butter cold but soft
• 1 c organic oats
• 1 c light brown sugar, packed
• 1 c all-purpose flour 
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 4-5 lbs. organic Honeycrisp apples can be substituted for green or pears interspersed) 
• Lots of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. Maldon, or kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. Madagascar vanilla 
• 1/3 c fresh cranberries
• 2 Freshly pressed lemons for juice, zest lemons
• Gelatin pack
• 1 c pure, unsweetened cranberry juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an oval baking dish. 

Peel/ don’t peel, core and cut the apples into large wedges. * Combine the apples with fresh lemons juice, and cinnamon. Pour into the dish. 

Mix cranberry juice with one packet of gelatin, with one cup of boiling water and pour into the apple base. 

To make the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl. Mix until crumbly. Scatter evenly over the apples and bake for one hour at 350 degrees (covered with foil) and an additional 10 minutes, uncovered to crisp.

This dish can be made one day before, because the flavors will combine, and then the final bake will brown the crust perfectly. 

*I like to mix apples peeled and unpeeled.

At my very core, I am a homebody, I dress for comfort. For years the @AGjeans have the best fit. This year I am thrilled to have received my jewelry collection in time for the holidays. My jewelry makes me feel glam even though I am wearing a cotton sweater because the temperature is so unpredictable in Texas.

Intrinsically, it’s so much better giving than receiving. The joy is to seal in the moments with family and friends. I enjoy watching children’s faces open presents...  The main reason I love working with @OneSocietyglobal is because we work with clusters of truly skilled artisans and designers, that are currently not receiving fair wages for their products…  Bridging the gap brings tremendous joy to those that are undeserved.  Sometimes, it just takes a lot of baby steps to make a milestone.

XXOO, 

EA