We were just sitting around writing away in the office this week, lamenting the End of the Holiday Treats. Doesn't it feel like there should be cake, say, around 2:00? What happened to after-dinner dessert? Where are the cookies?!? Well, I have good news for you all. For unto you on this day ... there shall be King Cake!

Today is Three Kings Day, the holiday celebrated throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. And guess what? We can haz cake! The cake is also known as Rosca de Reyes, and it's kind of more like bread. But-but-but! There's sugar and icing and candied fruit -- and also a little plastic baby Jesus hidden inside. Check out these Dia de Reyes recipes and ideas.  

Can you believe that Christmas is only a night away? No doubt your days have been filled up with the hustle and bustle of getting presents wrapped, sending out those holiday cards (they'll get there late, but it's the thought that counts, right?), last-minute decorating, planning out the menu, and making sure you don't hide in your room the entire time your in-laws come for a visit.

So it's easy to lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas, and what better way to remind ourselves than to look at the holidays through the eyes of children. You can't help but be infected by the joy and magic the season brings when you're around little kids at this time of year.

Take some time out of your busy schedule to read through 15 of our favorite Christmas quotes to get into the spirit and remember that feeling you got when you woke up on Christmas morning and still believed.

If you're still searching for the perfect Christmas cookies, search no more. These amazing chocolate mint surprise cookies I found over at Like Mother, Like Daughter - Food, are just what Santa Claus wants to see on the plate you leave out for him tonight -- trust me.

Fudgy and chocolaty on the outside, there's a creamy, cool mint treat in the middle. Not too much, but rather just the perfect hint of mint amidst all of the chocolate. They're also incredibly easy to make as they start with a cake mix. Just make sure you make enough for Santa AND you.

Are you super burned out on the holidays, already? Tired of baking, cooking, cleaning, and entertaining? Are you dreading the day-long event of preparing food that some people may not even appreciate? Or, perhaps, you aren't even celebrating Christmas and don't want to be forced to stay home. You're in luck! Because tons of chain restaurants are actually open on that holy day for Christians, ready to cater to everyone who doesn't celebrate, or simply wants a great reason to escape from their homes on December 25th.

You know what? You should totally do this -- reveler or not.

For many families, especially Italian-Americans, Christmas Eve is the Night of 7 Fishes. That's 7 different fish dishes for dinner, if you follow tradition strictly! Or maybe just one as the main course. Either way, the idea is you celebrate the night Jesus was born by refraining from eating meat. But that doesn't mean the dinner can't be extra special!

So many fishes in the sea, so many different ways to cook them. You've probably had the baked cod and the pasta in clam sauce, the fried calamari, and the anchovies. Maybe you're even brave enough for the octopus salad. But why not try something unique this year? I've found 5 festive fish dishes to spice up your Christmas Eve dinner.

Don't you just love whoopie pies? They're like the love child of a sandwich cookie and a cupcake. Not to mention the name -- whoopie! And this recipe has a sweet holiday touch -- a frosty peppermint filling.

Even better, it's a recipe by Dawn Casale of Brooklyn's own One Girl Cookies -- from her new book, titled One Girl Cookies Cookbook. I've been biking over to that bakery for years for Dawn's delectable little cookies. She's known for her whoopie pies, so I know this recipe is going to be a knock-out. This month's Country Living has more of Dawn's recipes if you love this one.

"You know what would be great?" said my husband last summer. "One of those heavy grill press things that keeps meat and bacon from curling up when you're cooking it." You know what he's getting for Christmas? A heavy grill press thing that keeps bacon from curling up when you cook it. He never bothered to put it on his wish list, I just made a mental note and bought one, and I plan to pat myself on the back every time he uses it.

This, I like to think, exemplifies a crucial aspect of skillful gift-giving: listening. Another crucial aspect: remembering. Also crucial: time, money, and feeling some affection for the person you're buying for.

But what if it's December 22 and none of those aspects are in place, and suddenly you need to pick up a little something for the person in your office who invited you to cocktails Friday night? Or your husband's step-sister who suddenly decided to fly in from Norway? Or the sitter who's coming. over. right. now?

A few years ago I went to visit my sister around Christmas and her kids told me that they had to be very good because "the elf on the shelf is watching us." It sounded like the beginning of a bad Stephen King novel, but turns out it was just a tiny stuffed elf that parents hide around the house so that the elf can report back to Santa. Because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like intentionally bringing in a spy to hide in your house, eavesdrop on your family, and then report all questionable activity back to the authorities. 

I told my sister that I thought the whole thing smacked of McCarthyism and she pointed out that it was more accurately a manifestation of Freud’s Super-ego in elf form.