This Post is in Partnership with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove.
Thank You for Supporting the Brands that Support Lavin Label.

Let’s be honest. Sometimes the things we enjoy, like taking the time to cook dinner for the family, can become daunting and cumbersome after a long day of work and tackling chores.

It can even be more tiresome during the holiday season because we’re tasked with so many things, like decorating the house, watering the tree, constantly cleaning up pine needles and shopping for everyone on our Christmas list!

With the hustle and bustle this season brings, it’s hard to remember the holidays aren’t just about checking items off a to-do list. They’re about creating quality moments with loved ones. So this holiday season, my goal is to create more meaningful and intimate memories with family and friends. And the kitchen makes for an easy start! You don’t have to create a fancy tablescape with your finest dishes and linens. It just requires a bit of your time and I encourage you to try it too!

Cooking together with your loved ones is a key ingredient for creating quality moments.

Since we renovated our kitchen earlier this year, I haven’t had the opportunity to cook with friends in the space just yet. So I invited one of my closest friends, Stacy Paulk, and her daughter Whitney to my home in Savannah to whip up a seasonal favorite, Apple Crisp Pie. Food is a centerpiece in meaningful memories, so cooking with friends and family is a great way to reconnect with one another. And for me, this special time was way overdue.

When they arrived, I pre-heated my oven to 375 degrees and got to work. We found an easy recipe on Pinterest, laid out all of the ingredients and started cooking. We were pleased when Whitney (a fiercely independent, one month shy of a six year old) started taking the reins. It was gratifying to see her interest in measuring, mixing, rolling the dough and ultimately putting the whole pie together!

I did make the pie filling the night before so that it had time to thicken, but my Sub-Zero refrigerator kept it fresh. I also appreciate how adjustable and sturdy the refrigerator racks are considering I have it jam-packed with almost everything that you can imagine this time of year.

We popped the pie into our new Wolf dual fuel range to let it bake. In roughly 20-25 minutes, we had a bubbling hot apple pie filling with a perfectly flaky crust! For something like this, I’d recommend using the convection bake mode, which uses both the back convection elements and heat from the bottom-heating Bake element. The two fans alternate on and off, circulating heat and maintaining the temperature throughout for faster and more even baking.

Since Whitney was eagerly anticipating the pie to finish baking we turned on the oven light so she could watch. Her passion for cooking the best Apple Pie Crisp definitely made the dessert much more delicious and enjoyable! 

When the pie was finished baking, we put our phones and cameras away, sat down and enjoyed the pie together as a family. Whitney was even lucky enough to bring a few slices home to her father to spread the joy! I think that this may become a new annual tradition.

This is actually my third pie that I baked this season, as my new kitchen has inspired me to cook more. I decided to make homemade pumpkin and chocolate chess pies for my family at Thanksgiving so they could share in the experience. It was my first time baking a pie but I was really impressed with how easy it was thanks to the precision cooking of my Wolf range. All of my pies have come out golden brown and perfectly flaky, even if the recipes were a bit tricky.

Whether the meal you’re cooking is a special occasion or a simple breakfast, each embraces the idea of a moment worth savoring when spent with those you love. As we head into the new year, I encourage you to share a moment with those special to you over wholesome, home-cooked food.

Tamara Gibson Photography