Happy Friday Reader!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are starting to shake off the last remnants of the annual turkey coma. Just in case you have some of the big bird leftovers still hanging around, I'll share some of our favorite ways to use them up.

But, in reality, Christmas season kicks in for me this morning, and I want to talk about cookies — the best of the best. Whether you make cookie boxes to share with friends and neighbors, participate in cookie exchanges or share them on a dessert table at holiday get-togethers, these are some of our favorites, and I think you're going to love them!

​Drop Sugar Cookies, All-Time Family Favorite​

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In my family, this is THE Christmas cookie. Move over sugar plums, these drop sugar cookies are what's dancing in our heads and holiday dreams.

No chilling or fuss, no rolling or cutting, just simple, delicious, confectionery bliss. Our favorite sugar cookies are soft and chewy perfection. AND we still frost and decorate them for the holidays.

If we baked no other cookies at Christmastime, these are the ones we simply cannot skip. They are the perfect sugar cookie when you want buttery, delicious, quick and fuss-free.

It's become our tradition to have a decorating night with our daughters and grandkids, and it's one of my favorite parts of the holiday season! These cookies, friends and family, and a LOT of buttercream icing make irreplaceably sweet holiday memories!

Put Drop Sugar Cookies on your Christmas baking list and start early. They will disappear as fast as you make them! So, you'll definitely need extra!

Get the Easy Recipe: Drop Sugar Cookies​

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​Orange Shortbread Cookies | Easy & Delicious​

My favorite shortbread cookies would not be considered traditional, but they are, without question, the best I have ever eaten!

These are not the hard, crunchy shortbread cookies that you get in Christmas tins. These buttery delights have a melt-in-your-mouth, tender-crisp quality that is so satisfying.

These craveably delicious cookies are lightly scented and flavored with fresh orange juice and zest. They're my personal favorite holiday treat.

You won't go wrong with an afternoon break that includes a cup of hot tea, a mug of cocoa or a glass of eggnog and these scrumptious Orange Shortbread Cookies.

Get the Easy Recipe: Orange Shortbread Cookies​

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​Date Pinwheel Cookies​

A vintage cookie that is a Christmas classic, Date Pinwheels are tender, pillows of caramel‑y cookie. These tasty cookies are moist and loaded with delicious, homemade date nut jam.

The soft, tender cookie dough for Date Pinwheels is simple and basic. And, it has the deep, rich caramel flavor we expect from dark brown sugar.

The date nut jam filling for these luscious date pinwheel cookies will rock your world! So good! (P.S. You can make the jam (with or without nuts) to eat on toast, biscuits or bagels, too!)

Get the Easy Recipe: Date Pinwheel Cookies​

• ​Costco Raspberry Crumble Cookies {COPYCAT}​
• ​White Chocolate No-Bake Cookies​
• ​Chai Spiced Pumpkin Snickerdoodles​
• ​Double Chocolate Chip Cookies with Mint (Mint Chocolate Cookies)​
• ​Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies​
• ​Chocolate Waffle Cookies (Turtle Cookies)​
• ​Cranberry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies (Filled Cookies)​
• ​Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies​
• ​Peanut Butter Blossoms​
• ​Snickerdoodles, Soft and Chewy​
• ​Chocolate Crinkle Cookies​

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Ideas for Thanksgiving Leftovers

Now that we have the baking out of the way, I haven't forgotten that I promised some leftover makeover ideas for your Thanksgiving dinner dishes.

​Thanksgiving Casserole - an Embree Thanksgiving favorite, this is always offered for supper on Thanksgiving after the big meal is complete. I've been eating it since my grandma made it for me as a kid and the tradition has carried through the four generations. Leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy combine to make a savory satisfying meal everybody will love!

• Substitute leftover turkey for chicken, and use homemade turkey bone broth instead of chicken broth to make amazing Creamy Turkey and Noodles. Serve them over leftover mashed potatoes for a meal your family won't be able to get enough of!
• ​Turkey Avocado Sandwich Recipe - a dressed up classic with an easy, homemade cilantro lime aioli. Delish!
• Leftover whole berry cranberry sauce can be frozen and used to make a scrumptious holiday ham for Christmas. Check out the easy recipe: Baked Ham with Cranberry Glaze.
• Make my ham and cheese sliders into Turkey and Cheese Sliders to use leftover turkey in a way that everyone will be clamoring to get another bite of. These are sooooo good!
• Make Turkey Salad Sandwiches instead of chicken or tuna. Or sub leftover turkey for the tuna to make a delectable Open Face Turkey Melt.​
• ​Turkey Pot Pie Soup: You know the drill by now! lol Substitute leftover turkey for chicken, turkey broth (and gravy) for chicken broth to warm up and satisfy the whole family with nourishing and comforting bowls of creamy pot pie soup.
• ​Hot Turkey Sandwich: You'll be able to use up turkey, potatoes and gravy in a delectable comfort-food dish that is traditionally made with beef. But it's a mouthwatering delight made with turkey, too!

Cheering you on as you head into the holiday season with Black Friday shopping [affiliate link] and lots and lots of baking! Wishing you some comfy shoes and lots of yummy cookies.

Enjoy your week, share great food with the people you love most, and I hope someone else does your dishes! Hugs!

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What's For Dinner?

This is the part of the newsletter where I share recipe ideas from some of my best blogging friends and myself to inspire you with what's for dinner at our houses this week. That gives you seven days' worth of new recipes to inspire you for your own delicious meal plan. Enjoy!

• ​Cranberry Turkey Sliders from Laura at Little House Big Alaska
• ​Harvest Sheet Pan Dinner from Gen at Two Cloves Kitchen
• ​Chicken Casserole (made with turkey instead of chicken) from Glenda​
• ​Instant Pot Lamb Roast from Rupali at Caramel and Spice
• ​Turkey and Stuffing Rollups from Sue at Sula and Spice
• ​Thanksgiving Leftover Sliders from Lori at A Reinvented Mom
• ​Creamy Turkey Soup from Kristin at Dizzy Busy and Hungry

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Tools for Holiday Cooking and Baking

These are Amazon and Walmart affiliate links to some of my tools for holiday cooking and baking season. I may earn commissions on qualifying purchases. You can read my affiliate disclosures here.

• ​Crock Pot - This is one of three slow cookers I use on a regular basis. Yes, three. lol I mean what does a girl do when she is making Crock Pot Potato Soup, delectable Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts and Slow Cooker Beef Stew all at the same time? lol This beauty is an 8-qt. giant that can handle anything I throw at her. And she was cheap, as crock pots go.

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• Pyrex Mixing Bowls I use these daily. Of course, they're great for stirring together the ingredients for a recipe. But they're also perfect for storing leftovers and serving dishes like this scrumptious Broccoli Cauliflower Salad. Another great feature is that they come with lids, so leftovers can easily go straight to the fridge. For potlucks, I can toss together a quick salad, snap on the lid and go.

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• My Deep Dish 9x13 Ceramic Baking Pan is perfect for casseroles, Tuna Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup, cakes and more.​

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• ​12 qt. Stainless Steel Stock Pot with Lid - This is my soup, stew and chili go-to pot. And it's the one I reach for when making mashed potatoes for a gathering. Plenty of room for making large batches.

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• ​18x13 Half-Sheet Rimmed Baking Sheets: I have six of these cookie sheets and I bought them 13 years ago. I LOVE them! They are stainless steel professional grade sheets that are warp resistant. I use them for cookies, brownies, sheet pan dinners and baking bacon. They're an essential tool in my kitchen.​

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• I absolutely love these Oven-Safe Cooling Racks. Obviously they're great for cooling hot things on the counter. But these also fit inside the baking sheets I listed, above. I love being able to roast things in the oven with that little bit of hot air being able to circulate even to the bottom of what I'm cooking.

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Visit my Amazon Storefront to explore more of the tools and ingredients I love cooking with at home.