Category: Food gifts
Saint Patrick’s Day Inspiration
Omg… How awesome is this Free Printable by anna and blue peperie? See some more Saint Patrick’s Day Inspirational finds from some of my favorite sites. Here’s to a happy Saint Patty’s Day and wonderful weekend ahead!
Irish Car Bomb Brownies via A Spicy Perspective
Thin Mint Cupcakes by 6 Bittersweet’s
Leprechaun Cookies by Sweet Sugarbelle
Lucky Spinach Quiche Diamonds for Dessert
Favorite Valentine Finds: Valentine’s Day Recipes and Crafts
Since Valentine’s Day is next week, I thought I would share a few of my favorite finds (and splurge recipes) from around blogosphere. What are some of your favorites? I will start with my Cookie Dough Truffles (above).
Sweet Sugar Cookie Bracelets from Food Plus Words
Chocolate Malt Cake from Dessert First
Valentine Fruit Kabob Dessert from Best Friends for Frosting
Valentine’s Day Trail Mix from Ingredients, Inc.
How To Pipe Lace on Cookies
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies from Created by Diane
Valentine Printable Treat Bag Toppers from Love from the Oven
Homemade Valentine Cards from Thirty Handmade Days
Valentine’s Day Heart Topiary from Tiny Prints
Rosemary-Chipotle Spiced Nuts
Every year, I try to come up with a new roasted, spiced nut recipe for holiday food gifts to give to friends, teachers and loved ones. Rosemary-Chipotle Spiced Nuts has to go to the top of the list as one of my favorites. They are so easy to prepare, and I love the combination of using fresh rosemary and dried chipotle seasoning to give a hint of earthiness and spiciness to the nuts. These nuts are great on their own as a snack, but also wonderful tossed in a salad or on top of roasted vegetables, sautéed spinach and even stirred in yogurt. They make a healthy, homemade food gift just in time of the holidays.
Snowmen Cookies by Callye of Sweet Sugarbelle
When I first saw Callye’s incredible blog, The Adventures of Sweet Sugarbelle, I was in awe. My daughter, Leigh, and I couldnt decide which cookie to make first. Every time she posts, it’s the first thing I post on Pinterest. I look forward to her incredible inspirations weekly, and I truly believe she is one of the sweetest, most humble and most talented cookie decorators out there. I’m so honored to know her, and I’m so excited that she was willing to show a new creation for Snowmen Cookies to my readers at Ingredients, Inc. She will be on the Martha Stewart show on December 12th on the Hallmark Channel so check her out. Take it away Callye, and thank you so much!
Hi, I’m Callye, and I love to decorate cookies. I am here today to show you how to make snowmen Cookies with an easy to find Christmas ornament cutter. These cookies are simple enough for even a beginner.
To make these cookies you will need:
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White piping icing with a #2 and #13 or #16 tip
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White flood icing
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Blue piping icing with a #2 tip
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Blue flood icing
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Black sugar pearls
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Orange twenty-second icing
If you need help with coloring and preparing icing, click HERE.
If you need help with outlining and flooding cookies, click HERE.
Begin by outlining and filling the snowman’s face.
Then, quickly use tweezers to make a face with candy pearls. Work one cookie at a time so that the beads will stick in the wet icing. Let the faces dry for about thirty minutes. Next outline and fill the blue portion of the hat.
At this point, let the cookie dry for four to five hours. When the base is dry, use a #13 tip to add accents to the hat and orange twenty-second icing for a nose.
Let the cookies dry completely, preferably overnight.
Show up to your next Christmas party with a plate of these. You will be amazed at the reaction you get. It’s one of the most rewarding feelings.
This is the perfect time of year to try a little cookie decorating. If you’d like to know more, please come visit my blog, The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, where I write about my cookie decorating fun. See you soon!
Healthy Food Gift Idea: All Natural Granola Bars
I’m always looking for new granola bars recipes to try since it’s one of mine and my 3 kid’s favorite snacks. I saw a version of this bar recipe on The Whole Kitchen by my friend Jenn which was adapted from a talented Cookbook Author (who I also know) Camilla’s Enlightened Cooking. These Homemade, All-Natural Granola Bars were a huge hit with the kids. I was so excited to share this recipe for a healthy homemade holiday food gift option. These make a great breakfast, afternoon snack or pre-workout offering. I even break them up and stir them into nonfat Greek Yogurt for a wonderful high protein breakfast. You can see me making these on Monday on NBC 13 “Daytime Alabama” at 11:30 CST on my food television segment on featuring healthy homemade food gift ideas.
Peppermint Dark Hot Chocolate Mix
Okay…my kids are obsessed with Peppermint Hot Chocolate. The past few weeks we have been visiting Starbucks more than often to savor their craving. Since I have been working on my Christmas list, I decided to create my own homemade version of Peppermint Dark Hot Chocolate Mix that will make the perfect holiday food gift. I used dark chocolate instead of milk or semisweet chocolate, but feel free to use your favorite. It has been said to lower blood pressure, work as a powerful antioxidant and even help release endorphins to boost your mood. It’s super easy and inexpensive to make, and everyone loves it.
Pumpkin Galore
Every day I spend so much time looking at recipes and food blogs. I often get asked, “Don’t I ever get tired of looking at food all day, every day?” Honestly, no. As a Professional Recipe Developer, I am always looking for new, creative ideas for inspiration. I have seen so many incredible pumpkin recipes and ideas lately that I had to share them with you, starting with a recipe from Lisa for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pistachio Bread from her blog, With Style & Grace. Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse, and I hope you”ll enjoy some of these incredible ideas and recipes.
Here are some of my other favorites:
Maple Pumpkin Fudge from Sugarcrafter
Pumpkin Granola from Chocolate and Carrots
Studded Pumpkins from Gordon Gossip and Horchow
Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Cooking on the Side
Stacked Monogram Pumpkins from Better Homes and Gardens
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes by Annie Eats
Pumpkin Vegetable Tray from Taste of Home
Fun and Creative Halloween Ideas
My kids started school earlier this year (in mid August), and I was amazed while driving carpool the first week that one of the children in my car asked my son, “What are you going to be for Halloween this year.” Halloween seemed so far away, but as the weeks have been going by, I have started seeing pumpkins on doorsteps and even decorations going up. The other day, I had a friend ask me to suggest some Halloween recipe ideas for her Halloween party she’s planning. I offered a few ideas that I saw online, and I thought I would share them. Fall is honestly my favorite time of year, so I hope these creations will get you fired up about Halloween this year. These Spider Petit Fours (above) are from the talented, Amanda, from “I am Baker”. I can’t wait to make them!
Halloween Candy from One Charming Party
Cinnamon Caramel Apple Pumpkins by Bakingdom
Halloween Snack Mix by Munchkin Munchies
Wicked Witch Cupcakes by Martha Stewart Chocolate
Candy Corn Truffles from My Recipes and Sunset Magazine
Spider Cupcakes from Bakerella
Pumpkin Beverage Cooler idea from Southern Living
Healthy Fruit Punch Recipe for Surprise Baby Shower
Welcome to Virtual Shower for Maria and Josh from Two Peas & Their Pod. I have never been a part of a virtual baby shower, but when Marla from Family Fresh Cooking and Lisa from With Style & Grace, invited me to be a part, I was so excited! Maria is expecting a baby boy in a few weeks, and a group of blogger friends have come together to celebrate this surprise virtual shower for Maria. The secret is finally out, so I hope you will enjoy my Fruity Punch which is super healthy and filled with some of my favorite fruit juices. (Feel free to add vodka if you wish.) I hope you will check out the following other fabulous bloggers involved in this great day for Maria. We are so looking forward to your first child and baby boy! Check out:
