Bake a Turkey-Shaped Cake
By Cathy Callahan

How about cake instead of pie this Thanksgiving? I don't mind pie but am really more of a cake person. This turkey-shaped cake is a fun way to introduce a cake to the dessert table and is also fun for kids to make for Thanksgiving. And if the "pie people" turn their noses up at it? At least it can also double as decoration for the table.

With the big holiday just around the corner I'm sure many of you are starting to pour over your favorite cookbooks in search of recipes. I really don't own many cookbooks and am an advocate for just having a few really good ones on hand. There's been a lot of talk about classic cookbooks lately. Of course we all love Julia Child's The Way to Cook. The Joy of Cooking has been a staple in kitchens for many generations. On many people's lists of "must haves" are The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, How to Cook Everything, Beard on Food and the list goes on.

But to me an overlooked classic is Baker's Coconut Cut-Up Cakes (1956 edition). Why not have a little fun in the kitchen? It was updated in 1959 and retitled Baker's Coconut Animal Cut-Up Cakes. It was published by Baker's to promote their "Angel Flake Coconut" product. At any given time there are usually a few listed on eBay and there is oftentimes a bidding war to get the older ones. You can sample some pages of the book in charm and poise's Flickr set.

Cut-up cakes are all about the reconfiguration of the standard layer or sheet cake. Following the illustrations, the cake is cut into shapes and arranged to resemble things like boats, bunnies, witches, etc. and then iced, sprinkled with coconut, and decorated with candy; the boat eveb gets Lifesavers for the portholes. And they all have cute names.
I have made the "Ella Elephant," "Fanny the Fish," and "Dear Santa."

I just made the "Gobble-Gobble Gobbler" as a dry run for this Thanksgiving. I tried to follow the recipe as best I could but I have to be honest that a little more explanation would have been helpful. I did have a couple of mishaps and had to approach this project like a small scale construction project. So here I've adapted the original directions in hopes that it will make it a little easier for you. Make sure you wear an apron because it's a very messy, but fun, undertaking.

Cathe Holden has put together a super useful gift making guide, complete with more than 40 of her DIY projects that are perfect for your holiday gift list.

I'm a big fan of homemade food gifts, which in my mind include alcoholic items, condiments, spices, etc. In fact, my mom recently told me that one of her favorite gifts in years past was a jar of Bronzed Chicken Spices that I mixed together in a big batch and doled out to family members along with the recipe. Mom said it took the hard part out of making a yummy dinner, and it was a thoughtful and helpful gift. Bonus!

That conversation greatly influenced my selections when I sat down to choose the items in this year's Foodie Gift Guide. It can take just pennies to make a gift that's likely to end up as someone's favorites list this year, so why pick products that cost a fortune, no matter how cool they are? Sure, we'd all like to have a fancy mixer or espresso machine, but in today's economy, a nice whisk or a pound of good coffee are just as welcome.

So here's a baker's dozen of food and kitchen items that you can either make as gifts this holiday season, or pick up without emptying your larder, er, pocketbook. (Puns definitely intended!) I'd love to hear about other gifts you plan on making or buying for the foodie in your life. Please tell us about them in the Comments! Merry merry, happy happy!

Homemade Coffee Liqueur
A few years ago we made two different versions of coffee liqueur, dutifully marking them brew #1 and brew #2. Some recipes call for instant coffee and some call for a pot of brewed java. The bad news was that we forgot which recipe went with which number. The good news was that both batches were tasty, and our friends and family really appreciated the gift, especially when certain name brands can be quite pricey. This also needs to sit for a month, so factor in the time this needs to sit on the shelf aging to perfection.

This fun idea for a winter party from The Finer Things is making me yearn to live in a part of the country that actually gets snow!

Christy at Instructables shares with us her recipe for delicious homemade eggnog. I can't wait to try it out!

Thanksgiving Feast: Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Pecan Topping
By Katie Goodman

I have had so many failures with pie crust — too sticky, too dry, full of cracks — that for a while I just resigned myself to buying either frozen crusts or those ones you roll out and shape yourself. But that's really not my style. I love homemade, not store-bought. When I found this recipe from Simply Recipes, it seemed so easy and straightforward that I thought it was worth another go. With such great results on my first try, I felt the confidence I needed to never look back at those store-bought crusts again.

If you're trying to save time on Thanksgiving, you can make the recipe up to Step 5 and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the pie. Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes before you roll it out.

Calli of Make it Do shares how to make this sweet felt poinsettia hair clip that can also be made into a pin or even used as a gift topper.

Leigh Ann of The Object Project shares how she created this special family book for holding thanksgiving memories and keepsakes from year to year.

The folks at Wee Folk Art have just published their tutorial for making these sweet felt trees and a bush, perfect for creating a winter scene for your holiday decor.

I've been planning to make some fun, inexpensive holiday decorations this year, and I'm definitely going to try these retro felt Christmas trees from Felt-O-Rama. [via True Up]

Thanksgiving Feast: Side Dishes
By Katie Goodman

Some might argue that the Thanksgiving sides are really the stars of the show. There are so many good recipes to choose from and every family has that special dish that better be on the table — or else! For me, it's hard to decide. I like so many side dishes for different reasons, but I've picked a few of my favorites to share here.

How cute! These adorable deer would be perfect for just about any holiday craft, right?

With the gift-giving holidays right around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to offer up this classic DIY from the pages of CRAFT Volume 04. Leah Peterson teaches you the fundamentals of candle-making, whether you want to reuse old candles to make new or make new ones from scratch. Who doesn't love candles?

Candles from Scratch
Gather old cans, containers, and half-used candles to make brilliant, new light.
By Leah Peterson

You don't need expensive equipment to make your own candles at home. You can use a variety of containers with smooth sides for molds, including thick plastic or metal measuring cups and muffin tins. An old pancake hot plate and cleaned food cans make a great double boiler. Just remember that whatever you use will most likely be covered in wax and not a good candidate for food use afterwards. Paraffin wax can be purchased at craft stores in large blocks, but you can also use old candle leftovers.

Hot chocolate is a childhood classic. One of my fondest memories as a child was slurping half-melted whipped cream off the top of a warm mug of cocoa. I'd beg to have it right off the stove, but it was always too hot for gulping. Instead I'd have to sip it and then savor the cool whipped cream against my tongue. We all remember this moment as kids, right? As I have grown, however, my tastes have changed. What I like now is freshly beaten whipped cream, extra-rich chocolate, and, of course, amaretto. Adding a shot of liquor to this decadent treat pushes the experience over the top. It updates my warm childhood memories in a wonderfully grown-up way. I recommend making a double batch of this hot chocolate, and serving the kids first! Send them off to bed, then relax with your own unadulterated cup.

.

Sarah London has just announced her mystery Christmas crochet project, which runs through the end of November. I'm in love with the idea of jumping in to a project without knowing what the end result will be!

As I said, it is our Mystery Project for November, so no reveals til the end, plunge in if you have faith, plunge in if you love to crochet and plunge in if you're looking to decorate with crochet this Holiday Season!

I love this idea of using brooches as gift toppers from Laura of Bugs and Fishes. It's a fun way to add a little extra gift to your gift and include something that won't be thrown away. I also love how she's used yarn in place of ribbon - so lovely!

Sarah James at Instructables is a tireless force when it comes to holiday eats (and food photography, holy delicious!). Behold her candy apple tutorial!

More than a step-by-step tutorial, I like to hear about a crafter's process in creating a new project. I love to hear the stories of how they brainstormed, sketched, scavenged and came up with solutions to their crafty dilemmas. Such is the case with Pam's post over at Gingerbread Snowflakes as she shares her large scale advent calendar. She talks about tackling this project that has been in her head for almost a decade, and walks us through how she slowly took that idea and executed it, using mostly supplies she had on hand. She even shares some tips on a new favorite craft supply that you get at the hardware store! I love following her process, and she's done a beautiful job of sharing not only the technical steps she went through to create the calendar, but also her loving story of how she was finally able to bring this back burner idea to fruition.

You'll be surprised to see how simply this decorative felt ornament starts out when you check out the tutorial for making it on Zakka Life. A few circles of felt are transformed into this intricate-looking design.

Now that Halloween is over, I feel like the holiday season is ready to begin. I love all the cooking and baking that happens this time of year, but most of all I love how the family gatherings always end up in the kitchen. I'm going to help you get ready for the first big one — Thanksgiving — by providing you with recipes and tips throughout the whole month of November.

I'm lucky that as a young bride, my mother-in-law gave me some excellent tips when it was time for me to host my first Thanksgiving. I especially appreciated her tips on how to roast a turkey. She introduced me to brining, something I had never before heard of, but I knew that the turkey I had eaten at her home was the best I'd ever had, so I followed her advice. Here is my twist on the brine recipe she first gave me as well some great tips for roasting a flavorful turkey. Anyone who's ever eaten my turkey says it's the best they've ever had. And it's all thanks to my mother-in-law. I'm lucky to have such a sweet one!

The leftover turkey carcass from this recipe makes the best homemade turkey broth, but you'll have to stay tuned throughout the month for that recipe, along with ideas for your side dishes and our family's favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

Looking to add a personal and crafty touch to your holiday table? Be sure to check out this tutorial from the folks at ReproDepot. I love the effect of the trim around the edges. See how they create it here.

The folks at Nice Package have a new tutorial showing how to turn plain metal-rimmed gift tags into stylish, more personalized tags with simple supplies you likely have on hand. They've even provided a free download of vintage images and prints in case you want to save time or don't have images of your own you'd like to use.

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is watching A Christmas Story and laughing hysterically (even after all these years!) This embroidery from Flickr user glazedangel101 immediately caught my attention. I love all the details from the movie, like the soap, the bunny costume and - of course - the very awesome leg lamp.

Diane Gilleland's latest e-book venture is Crafty Tree Trimmings, a collaboration with a group of top crafters who have created a collection of ornaments that reflect each of their strengths and unique styles. Included in the collaboration are Susan Beal, Linda Permann, Kayte Terry, Betz White and Patricia Zapata. A portion of each book sale is being donated to Project Linus, a "nationwide charity that collects handmade blankets for children who are suffering from serious illness, trauma or are otherwise in need."