No Bake recipes bar cookie recipes are some of my favorite cookie/bar types of desserts, especially this time of year when I’m so busy. I quickly mixed up these up  one afternoon, and my kids told me these were a “home run” (well that was what the boys said). My daughter loved them even though she isn’t a coconut fan. These No Bake Chocolate Peanut Bars call for ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. These make a great afternoon snack, dessert (with milk) and an easy homemade gift for Christmas or Hanukkah.

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.

It’s the time of year when my kids get hooked on any type of hot chocolate desserts. My 3 kids especially love “molten” and “lava” cakes. So, I thought, “Why not change a recipe around a bit to create another tasty treat for them.” Instead of using ramekins, I tried some fun stoneware mugs. These Molten Cakes in a Mug came out absolutely wonderful. They make a simple, inexpensive holiday gift. Just purchase a stoneware or ovenproof mug, and tie a recipe card with this recipe to go along with it. It may just be what my neighbors are getting . I hope they aren’t reading this…

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!

Homemade Caramel Corn anyone? This child (and adult) favorite is a great snack, dessert or even fun tailgating recipe. It also makes a great fall or Christmas food gift. I love this homemade Caramel Corn because it’s simple to prepare and uses a variety of almonds, pecans and walnuts, adding more protein. Make this even healthier by using my Saucepan Popcorn recipe to pop your popcorn. It’s so easy and uses no microwave. Be careful, this can get very addicting

Since school just started back, I am trying to start the year off right. I try to be creative and point my kids in the right direction when it comes to packing healthy lunches and providing after-school snacks that are good for them. My three children love this recipe for Saucepan Popcorn which is so easy and healthier than the other popcorn alternatives. Here are some other quick ideas for when you are in a hurry that have a nice balance of protein, fiber and carbohydrates:

Healthy Snacks Ideas for Kids:

Trail Mix

Homemade Smoothies

Homemade Granola

Healthier Banana Bread

Other Ideas:

Reduced Sodium Cottage Cheese with fruit

Whole grain crackers with cheese

Greek yogurt with honey and fruit

Apple and Skim Milk

Almond or Peanut Butter and Banana

Hummus with carrots and celery Nut Butter on graham crackers

Hard boiled eggs

I love twitter for so many reasons. To start, I have made so many fabulous friends. I truly make new friends daily, but I always come across the latest and great information on news, health, fitness, recipes, social media and more. I was so excited when Regan Jones from The Professional Palate posted a recipe for Blueberry Cobbler Bars inspired by her grandfather. I know Regan from her days at Cooking Light and Weight Watchers magazines when I was working at Southern Living.  When I saw her tweet about her recipe, I told her I must try it with peaches. Well, it worked beautifully. These Peach Cobbler Bars are not only so easy, but out of this world.

My daughter, Leigh, and her friend Eloise have been at it again in the kitchen decorating Christmas Cupcakes. They did an amazing job, once again. They started by researching what cupcake designs they wanted to do with a few bottles of icing and some holiday candies and sprinkles. They created these fabulous cupcakes below completely on their own. This is great holiday craft idea to do with the kids and kids’ friends, and it’s so easy and inexpensive to do. Enjoy their talented creations below:

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.

I love working on homemade holiday food gift recipes this time of year, and my 3 kids love helping me create them too. This creative idea for Homemade Cracker Jacks is a simple recipe that adults and the kids can enjoy. Just pick up a small one dollar item to put in the box as a toy. I will be making this recipe this Tuesday on NBC “Daytime Alabama” as well as two others, and this recipe will also be featured in the December issue of Birmingham Magazine.