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.

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:

• White piping icing with a #2 and #13 or #16 tip

• White flood icing

• Blue piping icing with a #2 tip

• Blue flood icing

• Black sugar pearls

• 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!

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.

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.

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

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

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:

Savory Bites

Truffle Popcorn With Style Grace

Baby Peas & Cheese Frittata  Family Fresh Cooking

Nutella Berry Bruschetta Reluctant Entertainer

Drinks

Lemon Balm Infused Lemonade Simple Bites

Mini Pistachio Smoothies She Wears Many Hats

Lemongrass Soda Food for My Family

Homemade Real Fruit Punch Heather’s Dish Watermelon

Agua Fresca Georgia Pellegrini

Salad  

Pasta Salad with Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Aggie’s Kitchen

Desserts

Fresh Lemon Cream Tart Dorie Greenspan

Blue and Chocolate Cake Balls Tidy Mom

Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing What’s Gaby Cooking

Lavender Shortbread Cookies Mountain Mama Cooks

Oven Baked Cinnamon Apples Dine and Dish

Decorated Sugar Cookies Sweetapolita

Orange Fruit Dip Barbara Bakes

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches Picky Palate

Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Brownies Cookin’ Canuck

Blackberry Tartlets Add a Pinch

Baby Blue Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Cups Kevin and Amanda

Petit Fours with Fondant Pea Pods Bake at 350

Baby Button Cookies Recipe Girl

Mud Cups with Gummy Worms Recipe Boy

Baby Pea Shower Cake I Am Baker

Craft

How to Make a Diaper Cake Centerpiece Our Best Bites

Handmade Sweet Pea Cards Wenderly

When my cookbook Publisher, Robert Rose Books, said that my book will be here on “March 29th,” they meant it. It arrived exactly on that date, and I am so excited to announce the release of “400 Best Sandwich Recipes from Classics & Burgers to Wraps and Condiments”. This is the go-to book on sandwiches with something for everyone. It includes 400 recipes. Yes, I really said, “400″! You will enjoy sandwich recipes for every meal and occasion including appetizers, breakfast, lunch as well as burgers, wraps, international, regional U.S, grilled cheese, condiments and more. I call it the “bible” of sandwiches, and it’s been well received so far. When I spoke at a conference a few months ago, I realized that I have been developing recipes professionally for over 17 years (wow, now that shows my age), so I am so excited about my first internationally published cookbook. Thanks to my wonderful subscribers, followers, family and friends for your awesome and incredible support. I hope you will check out my book, and let me know what you think.

Every December I try to find new ways to make spiced nuts. They are the perfect snack during the holidays (that my kids like too), and they make wonderful homemade holiday gifts. My friend, Caroline, gave passed me a version of this recipe earlier this summer when I was working on a recipe development project for a client. What I love about this newly created recipe for Spiced and Sugary Nuts is that there is no butter or oil needed. The pecans are tossed in the egg and water mixture and then drained. Next, you sprinkle with the sugar mixture. I have tried this recipe using cayenne and smoked paprika, and both are wonderful.

It has been so cold outside lately, so my kids have been requesting hot chocolate. Since I had some peppermint sticks on hand, I crushed them up and made this really simple Peppermint Hot Chocolate mixture. They were ecstatic, and this has been a weekly beverage. I used skim milk in my recipe because that is what we drink at my house to reduce the calories and fat a bit. Enjoy this cozy beverage just in time for the holidays.