Food Gift Recipes
Homemade French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
Make your own coffee creamer to rival any store-bought alternative. The taste is more pure, and it’s economical too! When I first tried coffee my senior year in high school, I decided I would only drink it if I liked it black. I “learned” to drink tea when I was younger, and from the…
Peanut Butter Pinecone Bird Feeders
A fun project to make with kids, these backyard-friendly bird treats double as a thoughtful, practical gift for them to give over the holidays This is a fun project that my kids and I have been making for years. Not only is it a thoughtful holiday gift and perfect for a winter birthday, it’s…
Old Fashioned Gingerbread with Citrus Glaze
This is one of those recipes that I have made over and over again, tweaking many times until I arrived at an end result that my family loves. It is moist and full of flavor, and I get requests for it often. The citrus glaze is a delightful addition. When I first made a glaze…
Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar
A popular hostess and holiday gift and a great project for kids to make for friends, Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar are fun to bake, give, and eat. Printable tags included! A delicious cookie-in-a-jar recipe was harder to devise than I expected. Not only did the cookie have to taste great, the mix…
Fried Garlic
Whole cloves of garlic become golden and buttery and create a flavor-infused oil that can be used in so many ways. In recent months, I have posted several recipes that mention avocado oil as an option to olive oil. I have received many questions about where to buy and comments indicating an interest about…
Homemade Play Dough
Homemade Play Dough is easy with these simple instructions. As an added bonus, the texture is so much smoother than store-bought and there’s less crumby mess! The start of the new school year brought much change to our house. My older son made the leap to high school, and my younger son stepped up to…
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Basic ingredients come together with ease in this family favorite muffin alternative to the much-loved cookie. Before my older son, John, went to camp last year, I asked him if there was anything special he wanted to have to eat…or better yet, help me cook in the kitchen. To my surprise, he said “Dilly…
Classic Strawberry Jam
The quintessential flavor of homemade strawberry jam is easy to achieve thanks to these simple instructions! This is the recipe my grandmother always used for her strawberry jam. It’s traditional strawberry jam at its best. The taste and color when freshly made can’t be beat. Opening a jar in the cold winter months provides the…
Ginger Almond Rhubarb Bars with Coconut Crust
Happy Mother’s Day! Not only is the following dessert a favorite of my mother, the timing is ideal, as rhubarb’s short season is upon us. If you haven’t baked with rhubarb before, this recipe is a very good starting point. I am not sure how many people would offer up rhubarb bars when asked their…
Homemade Cashew Milk — an easy option to almond or soy milk
A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with my friend Daina after a yoga class and, as it often does, the conversation turned to food. Daina is a master gardener and a talented cook who crafts healthy and delicious recipes with ease. When she mentioned her favorite go-to dinner which incorporated her homemade cashew…
Big Batch Peanut Butter Congo Bars
I wasn’t going to cook today. I really wasn’t. But then, my kids and their friends wanted to have a lemonade stand. After a cooler than usual spring, the weather has been sunny and warm. It was a perfect idea and, somehow, every time there is a lemonade stand in our driveway, I make cookies…
Gluten-Free Bread
With crusty edges, soft insides, and an appealing taste, this loaf is hands-down the best gluten-free bread that has come out of my kitchen. Over time, I have found there are so many excellent ways to navigate easily around gluten and not feel deprived. Through trial and error, I have found worthy substitutes for items…
