Nicholas brings us a memorable Italian fruitcake variant.

Five smart tips for keeping picky kids and their loved ones from stressing at the holiday table.

Today's glimpse into the twins' lunch is making us jealous, yet again. Here's Amanda:

Sandwiches made from the best sandwich bread ever created, Balthazar brioche bread, homemade aioli (made the night before for some roasted fish and potatoes), sweet lettuce leaves, and smoked ham. And by the way, yes, my kids complain about their lunches just like every other kid in the world does.

But when a lunch like this is topped off with a chocolate cookie (also from Balthazar), who could find room to complain?

Amanda fixes a perfectly balanced lunch this week -- one that we might actually be eyeing as a midweek dinner. Twins, if you'd like Frittata Round Two, consider yourselves invited. We'll let Amanda describe the details: 

"Leftover frittata threaded with turnip greens, tiny diced potatoes, and onion. Greek yogurt with apple raspberry sauce and concord grape coulis."

A humble stew for the holiday season that will be loved by your children and, especially, by you.

Put time into dinner now, and you can make it last forever -- or at least the whole week. Welcome to Halfway to Dinner, where we show you how to stretch your staples every which way. 

Today: Why use a gremolata just once? Phyllis from Dash and Bella raises the bar, times six. 

Today's lunch most likely mirrors that of every other American child's lunch this week. We'll let Amanda explain:

Leftover turkey sandwiches! The turkey is topped with shaved brussels sprouts, pancetta salad, and pickled garlic scapes. They also had the added treats of chocolate cookies and vanilla rooibos tea cookies, winner ofYour Best Recipe with Vanilla. 

Nicholas gives us a noble use for leftover sweet potatoes, a kid-friendly baking project, and a better turkey sandwich.

It's a lunchbox cocktail party for Walker and Addie this week, with crudités, cheese, and olives all ready for the snacking. Here's Amanda with the specifics:

I believe in the occasional snacky lunch. For this one I packed soppressata, Castelvetrano olives, Red Leicester cheese, ricotta salata, and purple carrots. To go with, whole wheat bread, a British cheese cracker, and roasted pumpkin seeds.

(No Grüner Veltliner for this set, but we wouldn't pass on a glass to accompany this meal!)