Food Gift Recipes
M&M Cookies (in a jar!)
A popular holiday gift (for any holiday) and a great project for kids to make for friends, M&M Cookies in a Jar are fun to bake, give, and enjoy. Printable tags included! When I first started working with Ann, I cooked my way through many of her delicious recipes, from sweet to savory and everything…
Spanish-Style Marinated Olives
An impressive appetizer recipe that takes five minutes to prep and adds something special to any cocktail hour, cheese board, or antipasto platter. Irresistibly snack-worthy and giftable too! For many of us, olives plucked straight from the jar are incredibly satisfying. They are salty, meaty, and even deliver a dose of monounsaturated fats, fiber,…
Mamie’s Million Dollar Fudge
Ultra-creamy with a delightful chocolate flavor, this foolproof fudge sets up beautifully without the need for a candy thermometer. Perfect for holiday cookie platter and sharing with family and friends. Aunt Peggy came over for an afternoon of cooking yesterday. She wanted to make Party Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Dill Sauce for a holiday potluck…
Cinnamon Honey Butter
This copycat version of Texas Roadhouse restaurant’s popular cinnamon honey butter recipe is a delightful spread for rolls, bagels, toast, muffins, cornbread, and sweet potatoes. Makes a lovely addition to a food gift too. Every year, Cindy, a former coworker of my husband, experiments with a variety of new recipes for her annual holiday…
Our Favorite Things for the Holidays!
We can all use fresh ideas in the gift giving department, right? In that spirit, we’ve been keeping a list and have assembled a collection of our favorite things to give and receive, and it’s loaded with practical and thoughtful ideas for kids and adults alike! Home is where the ❤️ is… The first…
Mix & Match Protein Bites
Customize these protein-filled treats with a list of tasty add-ins, and then keep a stash on hand for lunch boxes, speedy breakfasts, and anytime snacking. In the latest installment of Fountain Avenue Kids, a fabulous group of kids from my Boys & Girls Club cooking classes took over my kitchen to demonstrate one of their favorite snacks. These…
Vanilla and Caramel Iced Coffee (or caramel vanilla!)
A café-worthy drink comes together in minutes – faster than a Starbucks drive-thru and more economical too. You can use this recipe as a guide, choosing an easy-to-make syrup, and adjusting the coffee strength, sweetness, and creaminess to taste. A recent New York Times article asked the following question: Does anyone drink hot coffee…
7-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce
With just five basic ingredients, foolproof caramel sauce is easy to make and is perfect for last minute desserts and holiday gifts. Delicious in coffee too! You’re entertaining and dinner alone feels like a sufficient task. Or maybe you need a last-minute hostess or teacher gift. Or perhaps you’d like to elevate your cup of…
Cajun Seasoning
This classic spice blend mixes up quickly with common herbs and spices and adds a savory kick to a wide variety of recipes, from simple grilled chicken and shrimp to eggs, rice and beans, and popcorn. A good spice blend offers one of the easiest ways to inject nuanced flavor into your cooking with…
Beer Bread (whole wheat or white)
Tender and lightly chewy, this fuss-free, one-bowl bread has the yeasty flavor of a risen loaf – and takes just 5 minutes to prep. Every summer growing up, I went to camp in Maine. I made wonderful friends there, and several of those friendships are still going strong. One winter, I got to visit…
Cranberry Simple Syrup (and bonus cocktail recipe)
This easy-to-make syrup adds festive color and seasonal flavor to a variety of cocktails and mocktails. Makes a lovely gift too! Taking a few minutes to prepare an infused simple syrup is an easy way to create the type of cocktail that garners big bucks at trendy restaurants. And while I most often use…
A Few of Our Favorite Things －Holiday Gift Edition
Ready or not, it’s that time of year again, and we’ve got you covered with a list of holiday gifts for all your favorite people! 🎁 Holiday shopping is easy. Coming up with the perfect gift ideas for all the special people in our lives is often the tricky part. With that in mind, we’ve…
