Check Out Padma's Enormous Christmas Tree!

With Christmas just over a week away, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi is getting into the holiday spirit in the nick of time.

The stylish star posted a snapshot of her massive Christmas tree to her Instagram account. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…" she added about climbing that ladder for her holiday decorating session.

If fans are looking at Padma's tree for some decorating inspiration, some other Top Chef viewers might be on the prowl for a perfect holiday recipe or two. Last month, Padma revealed her recipe for Thanksgiving turkey, which would work perfectly for Christmas, too. Her recipe includes a buttermilk soak, stuffing that includes apples and oranges and plenty of prep time.

"It's exciting, getting up early in the morning and making sure that turkey is beautiful," she said. "And that way, the hard part is done. I never understand when people are cooking turkey after everyone gets there, and it’s like a nail-biting experience."

There's one other crucial step: "Don’t be afraid of the juice when you’re done. Take that juice, add some butter and flour to it and that’s your natural homemade gravy."

Not only does she have great advice for cooking a tasty holiday turkey, she has tips for the perfect guest list. "It's nice to have a varied guest list so there are strangers that your family would maybe be embarrassed about arguing in front of," she noted. "So they'd be on good behavior!"

[Source: Instagram]