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Holiday Cooking Games

Holiday cooking calls to mind convivial gatherings around the table, interspersed with the anxieties and annoyances that can arise at any get-together. Take some of the stress out of the occasion by indulging in a game or two. Holiday cooking games can serve as icebreakers if there's a newcomer to the group and as effective mood-lighteners.

Appy Holidays
- Apps, or application software, make holiday cooking games mobile.
  
  If you're iPhone-prone, iTunes offers several apps to keep holiday doldrums at bay. In its Turkey Hunt Thanksgiving Dinner, the intended entrees walk out an open kitchen door just prior to the arrival of 53 dinner guests. The arcade-style game calls for players to assume the role of chef and capture the escaped turkeys and prepare them—and the rest of the meal—before guests arrive. PC and Mac users looking for a bit of holiday cooking amusement can download Diner Dash Seasonal Snack Pack at iTunes. The game follows Diner Dash protagonist Flo and her grandmother as they stop at five restaurants—each with its own holiday adventure.
Apple Paring
- The traditional apple paring game suits any holiday cooking occasion.
  
  Play this game while preparing an apple-centric side dish or dessert for Christmas, Independence Day, Thanksgiving or other holiday feast. You'll need vegetable peelers and apples. The person who creates the lengthiest continuous segment of apple peel wins—consider giving him or her first dibs on the treat you're making. Try Celebrations' Sour Cream Apple Almond Pie recipe for a fitting holiday meal finale—and a place to put all those freshly-peeled apples.
Carrot Scavenger Hunt
- Kids can trade these in for the real thing in the Carrot Scavenger Hunt.
  
  Prep for this children's Easter game by cutting orange and green construction paper into carrot shapes—make four or five per child. Hide the carrots around the house. As you’re preparing to cook an Easter meal or dessert, set aside some of the ingredients that can double as healthy snacks—raisins, walnuts, grated carrots, pineapple pieces and the like. Try Allrecipe’s Best Ever Carrot Cake for a recipe that includes those ingredients. As you’re cooking, assign children the task of finding the paper carrots. They can then exchange them for some of the snacks you’ve set aside to tide them over while you put the finishing touches on your holiday meal.
Christmas Biscuits
- Online holiday cooking games are widely available.
  
  Ecooking Games makes available a variety of free, online cooking games for kids, including Christmas Biscuits. “Winter Wonderland” plays in the background as players move through levels by combining and stirring ingredients, rolling dough, using cookie cutters and baking and decorating cookies. The Christmas cooking game offers onscreen instructions and hints for each level of play.

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