Cat Cora Shares Her Holiday Decorating & Cooking Tips

Cat Cora probably doesn’t need a whole lot of help in the kitchen.

But when it comes to the holidays, the Iron Chef star gets a hand from a few of her favorite helpers: her four sons, Zoran, 7, Caje, 4, Thatcher, 2½, and Nash, 2.

“Kids make holidays fantastic,” Cora, 43, tells PEOPLE.

Among their favorite activities: helping Mom season the food with salt and pepper, making cookies and helping pour the filling into the pies.

Cora says she also makes Christmas-decorating a family affair.

“I love to get my kids involved,” she says. “To me, there’s nothing better than that – just being with the kids.”