Gifts | The Recipe Mom

White Chocolate Almond Nibblers

February 23, 2010 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

What You Need:

1/2 C of flour
1/4 t of baking powder
1/8 t of salt
1/2 C of light brown sugar, packed firm
3 T of egg, well beaten
1 T unsalted butter, melted
1/2 t of vanilla extract
1/3 C of white chocolate chips
1/3 C of almonds, toasted and chopped coarse

How to Make It:

Preset the oven temperature to 350 degrees and preheat.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.
Line a loaf pan with foil allowing it to hang over the short ends of the pan.
Spray the foil with a non stick cooking spray.
Place the flour, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl.
Toss with a fork to combine.
Dump the brown sugar into a separate bowl.
Add the egg, butter and vanilla and whisk until blended together well.
Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well blended.
Fold in the white chocolate chips and the almonds.
Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 22 minutes or until the top is golden brown and dry.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Remove from the pan using the foil handles.
Cut into bite size squares.

Makes 24 bites

These are perfect for gift giving. Place a few in a foiled lined box for friends and family. Be sure to keep a few for you to grab when the chocolate craving strikes.

Filed Under: Chocolate, Kid Friendly, Recipe Cards, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: almonds, Brown sugar, Chocolate, gifts, snack, unsalted butter, Vanilla extract, White chocolate

Christmas Food Gifts from the Heart

December 8, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

The best Christmas gifts to give or receive are the ones that come from the heart. Food gifts are gifts that take time, care and preparation and the best gifts to show someone just how much they mean to you.

There are a few rules when it comes to giving a food gift. Safety tops the list. Most food gifts are desserts such as cookies, candy and cakes. Dry mixes also have found their way into our heartfelt gifts. It is not often that we give meats as a gift but there have been times when a ham or turkey cooked to perfection is the perfect gift. Condiments such as herbed vinegars and delectable sauces can also make great food gifts.

If you are baking be sure that your goodies have cooled completely. They also need to be dry before being wrapped. This will help keep bacteria from growing and making anyone sick. Also remember to let them know if the food needs to be refrigerated.

Meats need to be thawed at the proper temperature. Be sure to use a thermometer when cooking to ensure the meat is fully cooked. Allow the meat to cool completely before wrapping it. This will keep down condensation and running your gift of love.

Dry mixes in decorative jars have always been a hit for Christmas gift giving. Cookies, cakes, brownies and even soups make great ideas for the perfect gift.

When putting together mixes for those delicious baked treats be sure the jar is very dry before adding the ingredients. Measure the dry ingredients in layers. Place labels on the jar with the name of recipe, what ingredients are included in the jar, ingredients that still need to be added, baking times and serving sizes.

Dried soups also make great Christmas gifts. When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing better than making a hot bowl of delicious soup. Dry soup mixes prepared with your own hands make it even more special.

Layer the ingredients into jars. Freeze dried vegetables are great when making dried soup mixes. Label the jar with the name of the soup, ingredients in the jar, ingredients that still need to be added, cooking times and serving sizes.

If the person loves soup, give them a gift basket filled with delicious dry soup mixes that you prepared yourself. Since it is winter, no soup gift basket would be complete without chicken noodle. Include some of their favorites like potato soup, vegetable soup or bean soup.

Condiments are gifts that can be used all year long. Herbed vinegars, seasoning mixes and dry rubs make great holiday gifts. Canned vegetables, fruits and juices make tasty gifts keep well when placed in vacuum sealed jars. Homemade jellies and jams are also great for gift giving. If you grow your own herbs, dry them and package them in pretty containers to give to all those cooks on your Christmas list.

When it comes to giving a gift from the heart food really does top the list. This year take the time to make a few gifts of food for those special people on your Christmas list.

Filed Under: Today's Kitchen Tagged With: brownies, cakes, Christmas, Condiments, cookies, decrative jars, dry mixes, dry rubs, Food, food gifts, gifts, herbed vinegars, seasoning mixes, soups

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

May 5, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

Mother’s Day was created to honor the job of being a Mother. It’s not just about giving gifts and eating good food. The tradition of honoring Mother’s dates back to the time of gods and goddesses. The United States, Mexico and Canada did not recognize and celebrate Mother’s Day until 1908. Over 40 countries were recognizing and celebrating Mother’s Day by the year 1948, but it was not observed on the same day.

In 1948 the United States Congress officially approved Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has been celebrated on the second Sunday in May ever since then. Do you need some ideas for what you will be doing this Mother’s Day to honor your mother? Below is a short list of things you can do for your mother to show her how much she is appreciated.

Give Mom Flowers

Two popular flower choices are roses, of course, and carnations. Florists actually see more sales on Mother’s Day than on Valentine’s Day. Not only are there flowers but another idea is plants. This works great if your Mother has a green thumb and likes to work in the garden.

Treat Mom to a Daily Outing

Who knows your Mom better than you do? Take her somewhere she would enjoy for her special day. Does she like the museum or the zoo? Maybe she would prefer a trip to a nearby city or maybe even a long weekend away. Maybe she would prefer to just stay near home and have a picnic or go out to her favorite restaurant for a special Mother’s Day meal.

Take Mom Out To Eat

Food will most likely be taking a starring role in the honoring of your Mother this Mother’s Day. Take her out for brunch or even an elaborate dinner. Finding out what your Mother prefers in advance will help you to make those Mother’s Day plans.

Give a Mother’s Day Gift

The gift that you give your Mother on Mother’s Day will represent your love and appreciation for her. This will require some careful thought to giving her something she will enjoy. If you’re Mother loves to read why not buy her books? Maybe she has had her eye on one in particular. If she rarely gets the time to read you can give her a few hours or maybe even the whole day to do just that. Whatever gifts you choose to give your Mom make sure that you put careful consideration into what she desires.

Honoring your Mother on Mother’s Day will be about the memories that you make this day and throughout the years. Almost every Mother keeps every card, letter and poem that their children have ever written and cherishes every for the treasure it is. This year make sure to spend quality time with your Mother and let her know how much you appreciate and love her. This, my friend, is priceless and will last a lifetime.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: flowers, gifts, mom, Mothers Day, outings, restaurant

Thoughtful Mother’s Day Ideas

April 30, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

Everyone’s Mother is special. Many of us tell our Mother’s everyday all year long that we love them. Mother’s Day can actually be the perfect day to show our Mother’s just how much we appreciate them. By careful planning ahead of time these thoughtful ideas can be a way to show her just how much you care.

Include your Mother in your vacation plans. Of course, not everyone will be able to afford to pay for an entire vacation. It would be great if you already have a vacation planned and you can invite your Mother along. A lot of memories can be captured by taking your Mom on a “girlfriend’s getaway”. If the vacation involves your entire family, then invite grandma along to share the fun.

Have a family BBQ. This can be as simple or elaborate as you would like. You can make Mom’s favorite main course, side dishes and desserts. This will allow you to enjoy your time together. Want something bigger? Make it into a family reunion type of invite. Invite everyone, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters. Everyone can pitch in by bringing a side dish or dessert while you can provide the meat and paper goods.

Make Mom something by hand. Your mother is sure to love anything you have created. A handmade gift is anything made by your own hands. These gifts whether it be her favorite dessert or a new sweater or quilt this is sure to put a smile on her face. If you’re not too good at this type of thing, keep in mind that “hand made” may not even have to be “made by your hand”. If your Mother is into hand crafted items or frequently visits craft fairs maybe there is something that has caught her attention. This can be purchased for her as a surprise.

What Mom wouldn’t like a hand with the chores? There are a lot of chores that your Mom might appreciate help with. One idea is gardening. Help her out by mowing the yard, weeding the garden or even help planting flowers and shrubs. Houses can mean high maintenance. Maybe you can stop by Mom’s house and take inventory of everything that needs to be done from painting to helping with remodeling.

Why not give Mom a hand at washing the windows. This is everyone’s least favorite job. You can bring the cleaning solution, buckets, rags and squeegee and get those windows spotless. Wash and vacuum out Mom’s car, too.

Give Mom the gift of pampering. Call for an appointment to her favorite hair stylist for a cut and style. Why not include a manicure, pedicure and facial as well? You can be your Moms chauffeur for the day and even treat her to lunch, too.

These thoughtful ideas will take little effort and planning. These ideas will really show your Mother just how special she is to you. Make this Mother’s Day a day to remember.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: BBQ, gardening, gifts, handmade, house chores, mom, Mothers Day

Mom’s Ideas for Mother’s Day

April 28, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

If you’re a Mom, this is your day to shine. This day is the day for loved ones to show you how much they appreciate you. The perfect Mother’s Day gift can sometimes be a challenge because they want to show you just how much they care.

Mother’s always appreciate the efforts of their loved ones. Mother’s are always happy with the gifts they receive no matter what it is. On the other hand there are a few certain gifts that will blow Mom away. The gift is especially great if it is exactly what she wants. Many of us have a difficult time finding the perfect gift. Maybe you would like to just spend time with family at home. Why not let them know this. It will eliminate the chances of them having an all out party to celebrate your day, when it is not what you really want.

How can you make sure that you get the one gift you prefer? Talk with your family. If there is a particular gift you would like to have let them know. Maybe there is a particular book you would like to read or a kitchen gadget you have had your eye on. If you prefer a few hours of alone time go ahead and tell them. Maybe a hot soak in the tub sounds good to you or a romance movie you’ve wanted to see, just discuss this with them.

Share your ideas about dinner on that special day also. Let them know if you are interested in eating at a particular restaurant. Perhaps you prefer a day of quiet at home with a good home cooked meal, cooked by someone else of course. If dining out is your option drop your hints early. For restaurants Mother’s Day is a busy time. Reservations will have to be made early to ensure that you will get a table.

Don’t be afraid to let them know that you would like a hair cut and style. If a manicure and facial sound good mention it to them. Drop the hint that you have found the perfect blouse or sweater set. Your family won’t mind a few hints about that special place you would like to visit. The more ideas you come up with will surely please your family.

The perfect Mother’s Day is all your family wants for you. Your family loves and respects you and would like nothing more than to give you that one special gift that you will really enjoy. Don’t hesitate to let them know your ideas and remember your dreams are their dreams. Their goal is for their Mother to have special memories of this day that will last a lifetime.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: books, gifts, Kitchen, mom, Mothers Day, restaurant

Great Culinary Ideas for Mother’s Day

April 25, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

Showing your Mother love and appreciation is what Mother’s Day is all about. Presenting your Mother with a thoughtful gift is one way to do that. Does your Mother like to cook and enjoy her kitchen? Take a few of her ideas and make them a culinary reality.

Perhaps your Mother is a gourmet cook. Pick her up an item that she has been wanting. I’m sure Mom has told you about this item over and over. Maybe you don’t have any idea where to begin looking for this particular item? Rest assured that there are many options to be found for the cooking enthusiast. Just a few ideas are a new set of pots and pans, a gourmet knife, or even some new spices she would like to try. Many places like Pampered Chef and Taste of Home allow you to purchase gift certificates. This will let Mom choose exactly what she wants.

Maybe Mom doesn’t cook or she has wanted to try her hand at something new? Cooking lessons just might be the perfect gift for her. This would be something that you and Mom could do together. There are many types of cooking lessons, from learning the most basic to the more advanced. They even have classes on specific culinary techniques. Make sure to choose something your Mom will love. This will make your Mom happy this Mother’s Day.

Does your Mom love Italian, German or French food? Why not get her a cookbook with her favorite cuisine? A cookbook by her favorite chef would be another idea. Why not do an evening of Mother-daughter cooking? Gather the ingredients for your Mother’s favorite meal, and spend quality time together making the meal and memories.

A useful idea for any Mom would be a basket filled with kitchen gadgets. Think of the things that your Mom does in the kitchen that is routine. Is there a specific utensil that would save Mom some time when preparing a meal? Maybe there is a tool that she might only use a few times a year but she would love to have for those special recipes.

You can’t go wrong with Mom’s favorite dessert. After you have made her favorite dessert, deliver it in a nicely decorated box. If making yourself is not on the agenda there is always the local bakery. Have the bakery make her favorite confection and surprise her.

There is a key to finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift for the cooking enthusiast. Keep your eye on her when you are shopping together and listen when she speaks. Take this information and use it to create the perfect gift for your mother this year.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: Cooking, gifts, gourmet, mom, Mothers Day

Give Mom Gourmet Food Gifts

April 23, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

Does your Mother like gourmet food? If she does, then give her a gift of food for Mothers Day. This will warm her heart and fill her stomach with yummy goodness. Here are some great gourmet food gift ideas to get you started.

Does your Mom love chocolate? If the answer is yes, then a basket full of her favorite chocolates will hit the spot. One great idea is a chocolate from around the world basket. These baskets can be filled with bars of chocolate, hot chocolate or other chocolate goodies from different regions or places famous for their chocolate

Does your Mother enjoy the taste of wine? A nice gift for the Mom who enjoys wine might be a gift of wine tasting at a local winery. Why not take a trip to a local wine shop and purchase a selection of wines? Then Mom could have a private wine tasting in her own home. Artisan cheeses and an assortment of crackers will go along well with any wines you have chosen. You will have a lovely gift if you package this entire selection up in a basket with appropriate accoutrements.

Is your Mom a lover of a specific cuisine? Does she like Italian, French or Mexican? Whatever Mom prefers, go to the store and put together the ingredients for a delicious meal. This includes appetizers and desserts. Remember to include the recipes for each item. Just for example we will use Italian. Your menu could include a breakfast salad, her favorite pasta and sauce, complimentary wine and tiramisu for dessert. To complete the gift use some Italian themed items.

Perhaps your Mother loves the different tastes of coffee and tea. A pretty tea cup and saucer or even a coffee mug with meaningful images or inspirational words would be a thoughtful gift. You can include an assortment of tea bags or one pot coffee bags of different varieties in these cups. Add flavored creamers or special sugars to the assortment. Even a new tea of coffee pot can be added to this arrangement. Don’t forget to add a tea strainer for loose leaves or a special coffee scoop.

How about fresh fruit? Does Mom love Georgia peaches but she lives where Washington apples grow? Maybe Mom craves Florida or California citrus but lives in Michigan where cherries are plentiful but no citrus grows. It may be too expensive for you to send Mom where her favorite fruit grows so how about “ordering in”. Mom’s favorite fruit can be shipped to her (depending on agricultural guidelines). You can even give Mom the gift of fruit trees or plants for her ongoing pleasure.

Maybe your Mom is a food lover in general. One great gift for her would be a membership to a food of the month club. There are a number of these clubs. A few of the monthly choices offered at these clubs are, desserts, soups, steaks, cheese, pasta and pizza. You can even get a membership for a dinner of the month club, too.

The gift of gourmet food is as easy as that. On Mother’s Day find just the perfect gift to show mom just how much you love and appreciate her.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: Chocolate, coffee, Fruit, gifts, gourmet foods, mom, Mothers Day, tea

Advanced Planning For Mother’s Day

April 21, 2009 By The Recipe Mom 1 Comment

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching us. Instead of a well planned day some of us hastily throw something together, right? This includes grabbing the last card on the shelf and giving her toast with peanut butter for breakfast. This can be avoided this year with a little planning in advance. Below are just a few tips to get things going.

Buy your Mother’s Day card early. You can even make her a card with your own special poem in it. Make sure you do this early. You will want the card to sound sincere, not just thrown together at the last minute. Make sure that everyone that needs to signs the card.

If you are going with flowers you will want to pick them out early. This will also help if you plan to have them delivered. If this isn’t done in advance the florist may not have time at the last minute to get them there on the appropriate day.

Purchase the perfect gift. Allow enough time for shipping and delivery if you are ordering online or over the phone. Next you will want to pick out pretty wrapping paper or a pretty gift box. This will get your package ready to give to your Mother.

If you plan to cook your Mother a meal, get the ingredients from the grocery store ahead of time. This will ensure that you won’t get caught without a key ingredient at the last minute.

Are you planning to make Mom a coupon book that she can redeem throughout the year? If so, make sure that you get it done and printed early.

Thinking of taking Mom to a movie, play or concert? These tickets need to be purchased in advance. On special occasions it will be hard to get tickets at the door.

Notify all of the people that you have invited to share this Mother’s Day with you. This will give them advance notice and you will know how many people to expect. Make sure that your camera has extra batteries, for keeping these memories.

Are you treating your Mom to a day at the salon or spa? Make these appointments ahead of time. Will you be going out for the evening? Plan ahead for a babysitter, you are probably not the only ones who will need a babysitter for the night. If you wait until the last minute you might just be out of luck.

Make sure to make any reservations early. This includes restaurants, if you will be eating out, airline and hotel reservations if you plan to travel. If you will need a car be sure to make this reservation ahead of time as well.

The most important thing to remember is to always plan ahead. If this means putting reminders on your calendar, your cell phone or anywhere that will trigger your mind to remember that you need to do some important planning. Planning these things in advance will allow you to have the best planned, less stressful Mother’s Day ever.

Filed Under: Mothers Day, Today's Kitchen Tagged With: flowers, gifts, mom, Mothers Day, plan ahead, planning

Make it a Healthy Easter Basket

April 4, 2009 By The Recipe Mom Leave a Comment

When it comes to the kids Easter basket many of us cringe to think of all that unhealthy candy they will find. Easter baskets are full of chocolate, sugar and treats that are bad for their health all the way around. Try a healthier approach from the Easter bunny with a few of these ideas.

Instead of those solid chocolate eggs, those bags of M&M’s and all those jelly beans why not use healthier additions. Granola bars, pure juice boxes, string cheese, fresh fruit, sugar free gum and peanuts make a great choice. Give them just a little chocolate by adding chocolate covered raisins to the mix. A little chocolate can be a healthy addition if kept in moderation.

Instead of adding that solid chocolate bunny to the basket this year hide small chocolate eggs at their Easter egg hunt. Not only will the kids get exercise running around looking for the eggs but by the time they find them all only about a quarter of them will be worth eating.

Candy isn’t the only thing that can be found in an Easter basket. The Easter bunny loves to give away toys and other such types of presents. This year think about sinking the money into something that keeps them active or educates them. There might be something they have really been wanting and just haven’t saved the money to buy yet. The possibilities are endless.

Seasonal gifts are always a hit. With Spring just around the corner things such as gardening items, outside toys or even a summer pass to the local pool are great basket fillers. Add some bubbles or side walk chalk for the younger children to enjoy.

Small toys that promote activity are a great choice for an Easter basket. Jump ropes, outside games, balls and bats or a hula hoop can fill an Easter basket and give your children hours of enjoyment and exercise.

Craft items are wonderful Easter basket filler if you have a child that is into the arts. Scrapbooks have become very popular with girls. Boys might like a sketch book and some colored pencils. Choose items that fit your child’s needs or ones that they have been asking for over and over again.

Educational items are also a good idea. Storybooks, activity books or even hand held games such as Scrabble or Wheel of Fortune can be fun along with being educational. Keep them age appropriate and add things you know will peak their interest.

When it comes to the babies in the family they must be included but it can be a little hard to find healthy things to place in their baskets. Educational toys, stuffed animals, a new blanket, teething rings and teething cookies are always a good bet when it comes to our tiny ones.

Last but not least, if they want something special include that in their basket. Girls enjoy toiletries and may not have the extra money to buy something new. Boys enjoy movies, music and sporting items that may be just a little more than their wallet can afford.

Keeping the Easter basket healthy isn’t really that hard of a chore. Just remember that a little chocolate is a welcome sight and as long as it’s in moderation it can be a healthy addition to any Easter basket.

Filed Under: Today's Kitchen Tagged With: crafts, Easter, Easter Basket, gifts, Healthy Eating, toys