Food Gift Recipes

Easy Fermented (or Fresh) Garden Salsa

Who knew how easy it is to make flavorful homemade salsa that’s full of gut-healthy probiotics? No special skills or equipment are needed, and unlike other fermented foods, salsa takes only a few days to ferment.🍅   Does the idea of fermenting food sound daunting? Did you ever think to ferment salsa? (And why would…

Zucchini Banana or Applesauce Bread (grain-free & naturally sweetened)

This grain-free, naturally sweetened zucchini bread puts a healthy spin on the ultimate summer quick bread. As an added bonus, it’s easy to customize and tastes great!  This bread is all about choices. In the big picture, this recipe illustrates how we can have our proverbial cake and eat it, too. Cake-or quick bread in this…

Candied Jalapeños (a.k.a Cowboy Candy)

Spicy-sweet pickled jalapeños add flavor to burgers, sandwiches, tacos, rice, and more. Bake them into cornbread or use whenever you don’t have fresh jalapeños on hand. I’ve included lots of delicious ways to make use of these zippy bites, and over time you’ll discover countless more ways to enjoy them!   This is one of those whisper-down-the-lane…

PB&J Breakfast Bars

Healthy, filling and easy to make, Rachael Ray herself thinks these tasty bars are a total win! Convenient for grab-and-go breakfasts and anytime snacking.   As if a compliment by Rachael Ray isn’t cool enough, the following recipe comes from a cookbook I recently reviewed call The Teen Kitchen -and Amazon just named it one of the best cookbooks…

Healthier Spreadable Butter

Soft, spreadable butter is easy to make and contains a dose of heart healthy Omega-3s!   Why pay a premium for soft, spreadable butter when you can make it healthier and tastier at home? Even if you think ahead and soften butter before using (or simply manage with firm butter-yes, there are bigger challenges in life!)…

Lolita’s Low Sugar Granola

Granola is supposed to be healthy, right? Yet too often a small serving is surprisingly high in sugar and calories. Happily, Lolita figured out a way to do it differently. Lucky for us, she shared her trade secrets!   Granola is supposed to be healthy, but so often the first or second ingredient is sugar. All…

Emma’s Favorite Cupcakes (dairy- and gluten-free optional)

What happens when a dear friend requests a spot-on replica of the utterly perfect cupcakes her mom used to make-minus the dairy and gluten? You figure out a way, of course! This cupcake recipe, however, is bigger than any one birthday or Valentine’s Day. It represents love and loss and how we can form everlasting…

Healing Ginger Tea

Simmer a potful of this delicious elixir at the first sign of a sore throat or stomach woes, or simply enjoy as an alternative to your favorite herbal tea. The warmly spiced tea is soothing, therapeutic, and caffeine-free and can be easily adjusted for those who enjoy a little extra zing. Once a week, I…

Immunity Boosting Green Soup

Whether it’s something in the broth, the greens, the spices, or simply the hydrating nature of soup, this soul-warming recipe has been a go-to in our house when fighting off fatigue, achiness, and the telltale scratchy throat we all dread. The flexible recipe is also a great way to reset from the holidays - and…

Spiced Glazed Nuts & Pretzel Mix

Sweet and spicy mingle with salty and crunchy in this crowd-pleasing cocktail snack that doubles as a convenient hostess or holiday gift.   Want to add a gourmet touch to your next batch of chocolate chip cookies – or brownies or caramels for that matter? Dust the surface with the faintest bit of flaky sea…

Fruitcake Quick Bread

Finally…a fruitcake you’ll want to eat! This quick and easy batter bread is packed with fruit and nuts but unlike traditional fruitcake is lighter, less sweet, and more mildly spiced.       A name isn’t just a name. It’s an identity, and with that, it conjures up feelings and memories.  In some cases, it also carries baggage. …

Salty Sweet Gourmet Sprinkles

Sprinkles are all grown up thanks to this stellar 3-ingredient combination that’s perfect for holiday gift giving! 🎁   The season of gift giving is upon us, and so often we need just a little something to give to a teacher, a co-worker or party host. But it’s fun when that “little something” has a…

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