The holiday season will be in full swing with the start of Hanukkah, and I have already started celebrating by participating in my favorite holiday activity—baking.

After researching traditional Jewish recipes and deciding that doughnuts seemed way too challenging for me to start with, I found a challah recipe that seemed slightly more appropriate for my skill level. I'll admit that even though I have mad skillz when preparing certain types of food, Jewish cuisine is unfortunately not one of them, because of a lack of experience.

I found that the challenge of making challah, an often cake-like bread, is not in the mixing or in the rising—which are fairly straightforward and only require time and patience. It's all in the braiding. I couldn't quite master the technique—and can only hope that truth, peace, and justice haven't been compromised.

From certain angles, the loaf still looked lovely, and more importantly, it still tasted delicious. To me, warm, homemade bread is the perfect way to start any holiday celebration, regardless of how it looks.

The joy of the holiday season is partially found in the gifts you give, and that I receive—I kid. Finding the perfect gift for a loved one can bring just as much joy to both parties, but finding the right gift is not always an easy task. I stress endlessly over even the smallest presents I give, and I always tell my friends they can return them before they've even been opened.

If you're shopping for a food-obsessed loved one this year, the gift-giving options are practically endless. There are cookbooks, gadgets, tools, ingredients, experiences, and tastes—any of which could be the perfect gift. I've rounded up a few of the highlights of foodie gifts (aka, gifts I'd like to receive), and whether the person you're shopping for dreams of being the next Rachael Ray, is an at-home gourmet, or just happens to be your favorite food blogger, one of the gifts below will surely please.

•Veganomicon: The most recent cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero can pretty much be considered the bible of vegan cuisine. This is the perfect gift for the vegan at-home chefs out there.

•Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens for Canon SLR Cameras: For aspiring food bloggers and photographers out there, I consider this to be the mother of all lenses. I don't actually have one, but it's the lens used on SmittenKitchen.com, and just look at the pictures!

•Cooking Gift Set: For the new vegetarians out there, a four-piece cooking set—including books and a DVD—is the perfect sampler pack to get them started with their new diet. This gift set includes an Everyday Dish DVD and three cookbooks: Quick-Fix Vegetarian, Cooking With PETA, and The Compassionate Cook.

•Restaurant Gift Certificates: I'm pretty sure that most people out there would be thrilled to receive a restaurant gift certificate. They're a little cooler than their cousins—the store gift certificate or Visa gift card—and people can't resist free food. With vegetarian restaurants all over the country, it should be easy to find one near your food-lovin' loved one.

•'Olive Oil of the Month' Club: igourmet.com offers an "Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Month" club, which features oils from all over the world. The cost to you is only $29.99 per month, with shipping included. This gift will certainly please even the snobbiest foodies.

•Vegetarian Cooking Classes: If you have the time and money to go all out, sign your foodie friend up for a vegan cooking class at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. Throw in airfare, accommodations, and gift certificates to vegan eateries such as Blossom and Candle 79, and you'll have a gift that's the ultimate food-focused getaway.

•Vita-Mix: Devotees of Vita-Mix would be horrified if you referred to this super machine as simply a blender—it's so much more. Vita-Mix can cook soups in just minutes, and it makes the creamiest sauces around. It's the perfect kitchen tool for health-conscious vegetarians or vegan gourmets.

Life often delivers pleasant little surprises, and for me they often come in the form of food. I recently found a vegan breakfast bar at a local grocery store, complete with biscuits, gravy, and tofu scramble—I had to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. Other times, it happens when I find unexpectedly vegan items, such as the Trader Joe's candy cane Oreo-type cookies.

You can experience this "Oh my god, I can't believe that's vegan" joy—over and over again—by checking out the list of accidentally vegan foods. These are brands you recognize and items you see in almost every grocery store, and you probably just assumed that they had eggs, dairy, or something else in them.

One of the highlights for me was finding Bisquick on that list, because vegan pancakes can be kinda hard to come by in restaurants, and for some reason I can't seem to master making them from scratch.

My friend Joel, who happens to be obsessed with SMILES fries, says that I am "against processed foods," but it's more accurate to say that I don't like to eat them all the time. In moderation, they're just fine. And if you want foolproof pancakes, just like those from a local diner, then this is the perfect time.

Potato pancakes, or latkes in Yiddish, are a Hanukkah tradition. And like many foods consumed during the holiday, they are fried or baked in oil—some say a little too much oil. But that's exactly what helps achieve the crunchy golden crust, so I say bring it on.

Traditional latkes are made with white potatoes and onions, but I wanted to spice it up a bit and try my hand at sweet potato latkes flavored with brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon. Other latke recipes I've seen include apple-cinnamon, chickpea, carrot, or even Jerusalem artichoke.

I must warn you that while these latkes taste fantastic (I credit that to the cloves, cinnamon, and oil), they probably won't look too pretty—and the proof is in the pictures. But taste is all that really matters anyway, right?

With Hanukkah soon coming to an end, I thought that one last post to celebrate the holiday would be appropriate. Here are some of the best, or most interesting, vegan Hanukkah recipes the Web has to offer—or at least that I could find. If you know of more, please share!

•Broccoli Trees With Creamy White-Bean Dip: This hummus-like dip is made primarily from silken tofu and puréed white beans and was featured in Gourmet's December 2007 issue (see picture).

•Gefilte "Fish": This one takes the cake for most intriguing recipe on the list, and I found it thanks to Jewish Veg's comprehensive collection of holiday recipes.

• Doughnuts: This recipe is available right here on VegCooking.com. Even though the thought of creating homemade doughnuts frightens me just a tad, I think I might finally have to give this one a try.

•Gingerbread Dreidels: Come on, who can resist a holiday cookie? This cute recipe from Bryanna Clark Grogan's site just had to make the list.

•Broccoli Latkes: I found this recipe on PCRM's site and thought I would include it for those of you who are looking for low-fat, healthy holiday recipes.

•Potato and Carrot Kugel: Jolinda at Vegetarian.About.com offers up this tasty egg-free kugel recipe.

Again, this is just a glimpse at the vegan Hanukkah recipes out there, and if you have vegan Hanukkah recipes of your own, please share them here.

Happy holidays!

By playing it cool over the last couple of weeks, I've been able to hide my obsession with all things Christmas. Christmas music? Love it. Christmas tree? Already decorated. Singing Rudolph doll with a light-up nose? Already in my living room.

Like many adults, the holiday items I love most are those I remember from my childhood, especially the songs and desserts. So, to kick off my holiday baking this year, I blasted the Chipmunks' Christmas song and got out the cookie cutters to make classic sugar cookies.

Of course, I loved making Christmas sugar cookies as a child—it's a canvas you can then eat—but I still love making them as an adult, too, because they're nostalgic and easy. Decorating can be made practically stress-free by buying icing, gels, sprinkles, and candies from your local grocery store instead of trying to make them on your own.

With these reliable recipes that I found for perfect sugar cookies and icing as your base, and with your store-bought decorations, you'll have time just to have fun decorating cookies, not worrying about how they'll taste.

P.S. If you have time, enter one of these (American Apparel or Almost Vegetarian) great contests. And if you are like me and haven't even begun to think about shopping for Christmas presents yet, you can just give the prize as a gift!

My friend Corey shared this story and recipe with me recently, and I've decided to print it here for you, because many of us, myself included, can relate. Enjoy!

The holidays bring sugar cookies, roasted Tofurky, Silk Nog, and relatives. This year, my place will be the epicenter for all holiday festivities. Both families are coming in—and staying with us for more than a week. Sometimes you need a little extra cheer to help them—and you—survive this oh-so-festive season.

My favorite way to add a little "cheer" is to serve them a gorgeous cranberry-ginger martini before dinner with a few very light appetizers. My father-in-law is a little shy of vegan food and sometimes needs coaxing. This cocktail helps ease him into the glorious dinner that will be prepared and ensures everyone finds some common ground: great meal, great cocktail, and enjoyable company.

Warning! Warning! This is definitely not your typical chili recipe. If you're dead-set in your chili-making ways—and they don't include the use of cocoa or cinnamon—this may not be the recipe for you.

I've been hearing praises about this sauce-like chili from certain friends and family, but I was understandably skeptical because it's served on top of spaghetti and includes a variety of spices more commonly found in desserts. And the fun doesn't stop there. You also have to choose which "way" you like your chili by adding one or more of the classic toppings: onion, cheese, oyster crackers, or kidney beans.

I decided that my way is four-way chili, topped with onions and vegan soy cheese (the chili and spaghetti count as the other two ways). Stick with me here, because much to my surprise, the first bite did not leave me gagging. It left me craving more because of the richness and depth of flavor in this unique chili recipe.

My leftovers are destined to become part of a vegan "Coney"—the veggie dog, Cincinnati chili, and soy cheese wonder that's served on sliced bread instead of your traditional hot dog bun. I guess the choice of bread really isn't that surprising, since there's not much about Cincinnati chili that is traditional.

Just because I'm vegan doesn't mean I'm not mildly obsessed with the Food Network, like many of you out there. Now if only they'd hold a vegan Iron Chef competition, I think my life would be complete.

In the meantime, I can pick and choose which recipes I want to veganize, and today's winner is a rice pudding created by Giada De Laurentiis and featured on the Food Network's vegetarian Christmas menu. (Psst…I'm also featuring another item from the menu in a guest post on Almost Vegetarian sometime before Christmas. I can't tell you which one, but be sure to check it out.)

Rice pudding has long been a traditional holiday dish worldwide. Wikipedia's rice pudding page describes variations of the dish that can be found in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas and gives the history of the dessert. Some of the recipes are already vegan, like the Puerto Rican version, which is made with coconut milk, and the others can be easily veganized.

Giada's recipe is one that fell into the "easily veganized" category, because I only had to substitute the soy milk. Once this creamy pudding started simmering on the stove and the smell of vanilla and orange zest filled the air, I knew that Christmas is almost here—and that I had found the perfect dessert to finish off my holiday meal.

For those of you who loved "The Vegetarian and the Meat-Eater," the guest blog by Almost Vegetarian, I have a special treat in store today. She has agreed to do another guest blog for us! Today's post is part one of her "how to survive the holidays as a new vegetarian" guide, and part two will be featured tomorrow. Enjoy!

The Five Holiday Landmines for the Vegetarian, Part One
By Almost Vegetarian

So, you, vegetarian that you are, have been invited to holiday dinner at the home of a beloved but, alas, meat-eating friend. No worries, right? You can just skip the main dish and load up on all those yummy side vegetable dishes and desserts.

Well, that was my plan. At first. Until it dawned on me that, oh heavens!, there is meat gravy all over the mashed potatoes and the beans were sautéed in chicken stock and that pie is just stuffed with gelatin and…

Okay. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. No worries. We can manage this. And to help us do so, I have come up with the five worst food landmines waiting for every vegetarian this holiday season and ways to avoid them.

This isn't everything that can sabotage you, but this is the worst of it. But if you are still worried, remember, you can never go wrong with a nice refreshing glass of water!

1. Pass the gravy boat.

Odds are, the holiday gravy is made with meat. Giblets, pan drippings, whatever—unless someone says otherwise, I'd just assume there is meat in there. Which means, if it is poured all over those lovely mashed potatoes, you are out of luck.

So what can you do? Well, you have two options.

First, you can ask your host, in advance, that if they are going to serve a meat-based gravy to please serve it on the side. And just a thought: A gravy boat makes such a lovely holiday present (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) to, erm, encourage your host to keep that nasty meat gravy away from those lovely potatoes.

Second, you can offer to bring the gravy. Personally, I go for a nice mushroom gravy. This is so easy—all you have to do is sauté a pound or two of sliced mushrooms with a handful of diced shallots and some fresh thyme for four or five minutes over medium-high heat, stir in a spoonful or two of cornstarch or flour (to thicken your gravy), and then add a good handful of minced dried porcini (for richness) and a cup or two of a good vegetarian red wine and simmer until it thickens. You can make this a day or two in advance.

(Of course, this isn't an issue if you are invited to a Chanukah meal. There, the potatoes are normally served as latkes. If you've never had a latke, then you are in for quite the treat! Latkes are incredibly delicious fried potato pancakes that are never served with gravy. But even at a Chanukah meal, you still have to watch out for the main course, which is likely roast chicken!)

2. Stop the stock!

Those lovely beans your host simmered in turkey stock or tossed with beef stock or sautéed in chicken stock or somehow or other prepared with meat stock are going to be a problem. So ask how they were cooked. And if the beans, or any vegetables, were made with meat stock, then, next year, suggest an alternative, such as vegetable stock, cider, or vegetarian wine.

Of course, if you want to be incredibly elegant, you can always send your host a bottle of vegetarian wine a week or two in advance to help them make dishes you can enjoy too. Personally, I've never known anyone who wasn't delighted, hic, delighted with a good bottle of wine.

To be continued…

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the three remaining tips. In the meantime, check out VegCooking's vegetarian holiday guide for great appetizer, entrée, and dessert recipes!

Yesterday, Almost Vegetarian treated us to part one of her guest post "The Five Holiday Landmines for the Vegetarian," and as promised, now for part two. Enjoy!

The Five Holiday Landmines for the Vegetarian, Part Two
By Almost Vegetarian

3. Stuff this.

Ah, stuffing…how we love you, and what a treacherous little dish you can be.

Treacherous because minced meat can easily hide among the other ingredients. So your only choice is to ask what's in there, as in "That looks gorgeous! What's in it?" If it has meat, then you don't have it.

And treacherous because even if the stuffing is vegetarian, it can be cooked inside the bird. In this case, go for the stuffing cooked outside the bird (you can usually tell the difference—the stuffing cooked outside tends to be drier, with a crispy topping).

4. Goodbye gravity.

If your host serves a Jell-O mold, obviously you are in trouble. Jell-O is, of course, the classic home of gelatin. But what you might not know is that gelatin shows up in all sorts of less predictable places. Like that elegant panna cotta (an Italian pudding). And the blancmange. And the gelee. In fact, odds are that any dessert that seems to defy gravity does so with the help of gelatin.

But it is the desserts that are not so readily identified as a home to gelatin that are a real problem. Because what you might not know is that gelatin can be slipped into everything from flans to tarts.

Once again, ask. "Is it gelatin that gives that its wonderful shape?" If the answer is "yes," then, of course, pass. And reach, instead, for something safe. Like fruit salad. But if you eat dairy and you were thinking of putting a good dollop of whipped cream on top, make sure it is made with pure cream, because the store-bought stuff likely has gelatin too.

5. Lurking lard.

Look at that apple pie! Thank goodness! You know that one does not commonly put gelatin in an apple pie. So you are safe. And you are all ready to dig in when—wait! Here comes super me, and I am about to say the one word you do not want to hear: lard.

Lurking, hidden and unsuspected, in that pie crust may be a big helping of lard. And you do not want to eat that. But here's the tricky part. Unless your host made that pie from scratch, he or she might not even know it's in there.

If it is a store-bought pie, you can probably assume it has lard, so I'd pass. Even if just the pie crust is store bought, it, too, probably has lard and should be avoided.

But even a homemade pie crust could have lard. It depends on the recipe your host used. So you'll just have to ask.

Of course, to be perfectly safe, you might want to reach, instead, for a nice piece of fruit. Your waistline will thank you. Your heart will thank you. And your animal friends will thank you, making this a lovely holiday for all.

Can you smell the cookies and cakes baking in your oven? If not, then get baking! For me, the holidays are synonymous with baking, but if you don't have the time or don't know where to start, don't worry. There are vegan baking mixes to help you, and they're available at most grocery stores nationwide—you just have to know what you're looking for. Here's a quick rundown of some of my favorites:

• Cherrybrook Kitchen: This company offers a variety of all-natural baking mixes that are peanut-, egg-, dairy-, and nut-free, including mixes for making chocolate or vanilla frosting, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies, cakes, and pancakes. Yum! In addition to the tasty results from the mixes, Cherrybrook Kitchen provides adorable packaging and sells its products in major grocery stores. Or you can just enter to win a Cherrybrook Kitchen variety pack here!

•Duncan Hines Wild Maine Blueberry Muffin Mix: Start Christmas morning off right with fresh blueberry muffins. I've been told that these muffins couldn't be easier—just add egg replacer and soy milk and you're left with surprisingly delicious muffins. Tracy, known to only make "hamburger" pizza bagels, said, "If I can make them, anyone can!"

•Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Gingerbread Mix: This mix is an easy way to sneak a little whole wheat goodness into your holiday baking, especially when it's in the form of an adorable gingerbread man. Or you could make them into any shape you'd like with the "Make Your Own Cookie Cutters Kit."

This is just a very short list of products I like. For more ideas, check out "I Can't Believe It's Vegan," or maybe some kind, holiday-spirit-filled readers will share their favorites here!

A little tinge of jealousy arises when I see how easy it is for many people to go out and pick up a quick, made-for-you breakfast at a fast-food restaurant—but I can't say I feel the same about the artery-clogging grease that goes with it.

My response is to treat myself to the distant relative of the oh-so-popular McMuffin—the Eggless MacMuffin. This breakfast sandwich is easy to make, undeniably delicious, and healthier.

Slice up the tofu as thick as you like—thinner pieces result in a texture and appearance closer to a fried egg. Place it on your favorite sandwich bread—toast, English muffin, biscuit, or bagel—and top with your favorite condiments and spreads. I must admit that I sometimes take away the "healthier for you" angle this sandwich has going for it by slathering on an almost coma-inducing amount of Vegenaise. Other times I do opt for guacamole—kind of high in fat but much better for you. You could try one of these or both or get really crazy and throw on some hot sauce too!

Is anyone else in shock that both Christmas and Hanukkah have come and gone, Kwanzaa is here, and the new year is just days away? To save time during the busy—and food-focused—holiday season, I decided to go for a multitasking recipe for today's entry.

Collard greens are a Kwanzaa and New Year's Day staple in many households, especially in the South, and definitely fit the "will work for more than one holiday" requirement. You could make these for Kwanzaa and serve the leftovers on New Year's Day—if there are any.

Serving the soft greens over fried polenta cakes makes the usual side dish more of a main course. And by adding a large helping of vegan Hoppin' John on the side, you'll have a multitasking meal, not just one recipe.

To ring in the new year, I will most likely be on a dance floor surrounded by friends and screaming out my countdown to midnight. But that will only be after I have an early evening cocktail party that focuses on finger foods. I have to do something somewhat sophisticated and adult-like before getting crazy later in the night.

A New Year's Eve party is the perfect time to put out a spread of indulgent appetizers, mini entrées, and desserts all at once. There are no hard rules on the rights and wrongs of what to serve on this holiday, so get crazy with it!

Chow.com offers up ideas on creating a Japanese spread focused on mochi or starters such as curried carrot soup served in cute shot glasses. This is also the time to splurge on the bubbly and on specialty cocktails, such as Food Network's champagne punch. You can try the Triple Threat Twinkies or Mushrooms Rockefeller below, or be creative and create your own finger foods.

The point is to be creative and celebrate the way you want. After an often stressful holiday season jammed full of traditions, it's necessary to let your hair down, celebrate, eat, and drink your way.

After feasting on stuffing, green bean casserole, pies, cookies, and more over the last month and a half, I'm finally in the mood for something a little healthier, and I hear a salad calling my name. I decided to try this mock tuna salad—made mostly from chickpeas, veggies, and a small amount of vegan mayonnaise—over a bed of greens, but you could try it on a sandwich too.

Now, I have no clue if this salad actually tastes like the one it's named after—it's been way too long for me to remember—but regardless, it was yummy and satisfying. You can find this recipe and other easy, healthy salads in VegCooking.com's recipe database.

Happy New Year!