This pumpkin seed granola recipe is simple to make, and significantly cheaper than those "gourmet" varieties sold at the grocery store. This would also make a great edible gift for the health nuts on your holiday shopping list.

Besides rolled oats and some type of sweetener, there are no rules for granola ingredients. Here I've use a combination of almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut for a nice combination of taste and texture.

Dried fruit is also a common ingredient, with raisins being the most common, but I love currants (it's a borderline fetish), so I used those. This recipe is kind of light in regards to the sugar, so if you want your granola recipe a bit sweeter and stickier, simply double the maple syrup called for. Enjoy!

Photo (c) John Mitzewich

While the urge to spend like 30 frustrating hours making a pretty, yet virtually inedible house with this delicious dough was very hard to resist (now that's sarcasm!), I decided to make a slightly more practical (and much tastier) gingerbread cake instead.

Cake-style gingerbread has been an American Christmas tradition since colonial times. In fact, Martha Washington is reported to have made quite a delicious version. This traditional gingerbread recipe features molasses for a deep, dark color, and rich flavor that are the signatures of this old fashion holiday dessert.

It's wonderful with vanilla ice cream, or as I served it, with the customary whipped cream you see pictured here. It's also sometimes served with lemon curd, which is a very nice pairing. However you decide to serve it, it's an extremely easy recipe to make, and sure to please your guests no matter what the occasion or time of the year.

Gingerbread Photo (c) John Mitzewich

I posted this alternative method for cooking perfectly medium-rare prime rib last year, and the feedback was so positive I decided to re-post it in case you're planning on serving one for Christmas. Since then I've published a detailed step-by-step photo recipe illustrating this amazing prime rib method.

This method is said to work for any size prime rib. The meat is brought to room temperature (this is critical), and seasoned anyway you like. Then you multiply the exact weight times 5 minutes. For me it was 3.75 x 5 = 18.75 minutes. The roast is cooked at 500 degrees F. for exactly that many minutes. The heat is turned off, and you wait 2 hours without opening the oven door.

Once you remove the prime rib, you'll be slicing into the juiciest, tenderest, most perfectly medium-rare meat you've ever seen. If you are looking for a traditional prime rib of beef method, check this link.

Prime Rib Photo (c) John Mitzewich

As far as leftover turkey goes, the day after Thanksgiving is easy. You probably did soup, sandwiches, or maybe just a re-heated repeat of the actual meal. Now, it's day two and you just have a little turkey left, and nothing sounds good. What do you do? Make a healthy, crisp, and delicious Waldorf salad. This classic salad was invented at the famous Waldorf Hotel, New York City, where it's been a lunch classic for over a century.

The perfectly balanced combination of sweet, crisp fruit and crunchy walnuts makes this the perfect salad base for the last of that roast turkey. By the way, this healthy Waldorf should be part of your salad rotation all year, as it's equally delicious with leftover chicken. So, stop starring blankly at the last of that holiday bird, and make this quick and easy, classic American salad.

Waldorf Salad Photo © Flickr user Sashertootie