Even a glass of water can be special on Thanksgiving.
Here’s a tip inspired by Ceylon Vogue tea, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week (and itself a great party favor or host/hostess gift). Depending on the size of your pitcher, multiply the quantity of the ingredients below.
If you plan to bring the pitcher to the table, any extra cranberries tossed in will add festive color.
RECIPE: CINNAMON ORANGE WATER
Ingredients
12 ounces of water
1 cinnamon stick
1 slice orange
1/2 apple, sliced (a red skin is more colorful)
Optional: whole rosemary sprig
Optional: 3-4 cloves
Optional: whole raw cranberries
It’s easy to make Thanksgiving-flavored water. Photo courtesy Cinnamon Vogue.
Preparation
1. BOIL water and add to a pitcher with cinnamon and orange. Let cool. Add optional cranberries.
2. REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.
BONUS
Cinnamon boosts your metabolism, among many health benefits.
Make your own pumpkin yogurt at home. Photo courtesy Pinkberry.
We’ve been dropping by Pinkberry for an occasional pumpkin frozen yogurt. But you can make your own, either frozen or conventional yogurt, with this recipe adapted from Chobani.
It’s great for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, try this pumpkin sundae.
RECIPE: PUMPKIN YOGURT SUNDAE
Ingredients For 1 Serving
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt of frozen yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1.5 tablespoons pumpkin pie purée*
1.5 teaspoons maple syrup
1.5 teaspoons dried cranberries
1 teaspoon crushed ginger snaps
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
*If using vanilla frozen yogurt, use pumpkin purée (unsweetened) instead of pumpkin pie filling.
Optional garnishes: 1 teaspoon toasted pecan pieces, crushed crystallized ginger, whipped cream, gingersnaps or graham crackers
Preparation
1. BLEND all ingredients.
2. CHILL (or reharden, for frozen yogurt) for 15 minutes or longer.
Last week we picked up a 12-pack box of peeled chestnuts at a club store. We’ve been snacking on them from the pack as well as hot from the microwave—it’s like chestnuts roasting on the open fire without the need to peel the chestnuts!
Today, we received this stuffing recipe from Swanson. Thanks, Swanson: We’re going to enhance our regular chestnut stuffing with figs.
We personally don’t like sweetness in our savory foods, so we’re substituting the two tablespoons of honey for two tablespoons of fresh sage.
RECIPE: CHESTNUT, FIG & HONEY STUFFING
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
What’s better than chestnut stuffing? Chestnut stuffing with figs! Photo courtesy Swanson.
1 package (12 ounces) Pepperidge Farm Herb Cube Stuffing
*If there are vegetarians in your crowd, use Swanson Vegetable Broth.
Preparation
1. HEAT oven to 350°F.
2. HEAT the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, chestnuts, figs and celery and cook until the celery is tender, stirring occasionally.
3. STIR the honey and broth in the saucepan and heat to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the parsley and stuffing cubes and mix lightly. Spoon the stuffing mixture into a greased 3-quart casserole. Cover the casserole.
4. BAKE for 30 minutes or until the stuffing mixture is hot.
Taste great, feel good chocolates. Photo courtesy Compartes.
Here’s a feel-good holiday gift that’s beautiful, delicious and sure to be appreciated.
Jonathan Grahm, owner and chocolatier at top chocolatier Compartes in Los Angeles, has created this five-piece set, Chocolates for a Cause: African Chocolate Collection.
The chocolate-covered caramels are adorned with a rainbow progression of the African continent, and are packaged with a Relief Beads bracelet for a three-in-one gift: chocolates, bracelet and the gift of a donation to Darfur. The set is $20.00.
Proceeds benefit Relief International’s efforts in Darfur. They directly help feed malnourished children and fund a women’s help center.
What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding, for starters (here’s the official video on YouTube.
Sing the song as you enjoy these foxy pancakes, designed by Angie Ramirez for NatureBox, an e-tailer of healthy snacks. Angie shares yummy food, easy DIY crafts, adventures of motherhood, and everything in between on her blog, Little Inspiration. She intended this pancake to be a bear. Bear, fox: take your pick.
Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time 5 minutes per pancake.
RECIPE: FOXY PANCAKES
Ingredients For 8 Pancakes
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1-1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
16 strawberries
24 blueberries
16 saspberries
The fox says: “Make these pancakes!” Photo courtesy NatureBox.com.
Preparation
1. COMBINE all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk, egg and melted butter.
2. PREHEAT griddle or non-stick pan. Scoop a small amount of pancake mix (about 3 tablespoons) in the middle of the griddle to form a circle. Cook until bubbles start to form, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully, flip pancake to the other side and cook until lightly brown, about 2 minutes.
3. ASSEMBLE.
For the head: use a round pancake.
For the ears and body: slice the strawberries into thirds, and use the middle section for the ears and body.
For the tail: slice a sliver of a rounded edge of strawberry.
For the eyes: use blueberries, sliced in half.
For the legs: use raspberries, sliced in half.
For the arms: cut a small piece of pancake to create an arm shape.
Get more healthy ideas and delicious snacks by joining NatureBox. Enter coupon code NATURE for 25% off your first month subscription!
