Posts Tagged: "food"

No Bake Cookie Dough Inside Cookie Jar

Queen Darlene - November 12, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Food & Drinks, Going Away, Host, Housewarming, Money

Both of my grandmothers used their cookie jars regularly to store homemade cookies. Here’s an idea! Use a cookie jar not only for cookies but to surprise someone with some “dough!”

The “No Bake Cookie Dough” Cookie Jar is a yummy gift!

Just Google “cookie jars” and oh my… the selection is endless that you may have difficulty in choosing which one to give.

There are cookies jars that look like cupcakes, flowers, animals, houses, cartoon characters, superheroes, TV and even movie characters.

Also available are decorative, colorful and abstract design cookie jars. It’s amazing! My favorite are collectible or vintage cookie jars. I still have my grandmother’s jars on display in my kitchen.
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Money Talks, Chocolates Sing! Perfect Women’s Gift

Queen Darlene - November 4, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Graduation, Kids, Money, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day

Want to give the perfect women’s gift? You can’t go wrong with chocolates and money!

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I love this saying – Money Talks, Chocolate Sings!

Give the special woman in your life what she loves – mouth-watering chocolates and a little extra money.

What you will need for this money gift idea:

Box of chocolates
Ziploc bag
Ribbon or bow
Money

The Giving Plate | A Heartwarming Tradition

Princess Diana - November 3, 2015 - Christmas, Family, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming, Mother's Day, Teacher Gifts, Thank You

No one likes to show up to a social gathering empty handed. After all, the more food the merrier!

Make a lasting impression by giving the host or hostess a gift called “The Giving Plate.”

The heartwarming tradition of The Giving Plate is that you bake a treat and present it to someone on the plate. The recipient could be a friend, family member, church member, neighbor, teacher or co-worker. Once the treat is gone, it’s time for the gift recipient to pay it forward by passing The Giving Plate to someone new.

The Giving Plate makes for an especially touching gift during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

You can find a variety of styles of The Giving Plate on Amazon.com or you can find other designs on Etsy.com. If you’re artsy, you can make your own using food-safe porcelain markers or paint pens on a blank plate or platter.

The Giving Plate I like contains this special message that explains the tradition in a beautiful poem.

The Giving Plate

This plate belongs to everyone
wherever it may go… with each new sharing
of its gift, the love and blessings grow,
So fill it up and pass it on to
family and to friends… to start
the circle one more time,
love’s journey never ends.

Bird Feeder & People Feeder | Unique Gift

Queen Darlene - September 10, 2015 - Birthday, Food & Drinks, Host, Housewarming

For a birthday gift, I received a beautiful mosiac glass bird feeder. It was too pretty to let the birds poop on it so I made a decision to turn it into something else – a people feeder!

We love having celebrations at our house for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Christmas, and all the holidays in between. Food and games are the center of our family celebrations.

On the kitchen table, I placed my decorative bird feeder filled with peanut and plain M&Ms. My family and friends loved the idea of nibbling from the “people feeder.”

Because the bird feeder aka people feeder was such a hit, I decided to give something similar as a gift.

I purchased a beautiful bird feeder and a giant bag of M&Ms and called my gift “Birds of a Feather Flock Together” since it’s perfect to use for get-togethers with family and friends.

It’s also a thoughtful twist for a unique housewarming gift. It can be used immediately for a delicious snack and a fun conversation piece!

Back-to-School 3D Food Pencil Cases

Queen Darlene - August 6, 2015 - $20 or Less, Birthday, Christmas, Kids, Party Favors

I remember as kids the excitement of getting new Back-to-School clothes and school supplies.

Mom enjoyed taking us shopping. Looking back I think she was like every parent, happy and ready for school to start!

Some of you may remember buying shoes at Payless where you could purchase two pairs for $5. That was their big campaign slogan a long long time ago.

Purchasing three-ring binders, notebook paper, spiral notebooks, #2 pencils, Bic pens and folders with pictures of a popular TV show were the main school supply staples of the baby boom era during which I grew up.

I’ve gotta tell you, there’s a lot more fun things to choose from now! I found a back-to-school item that will keep things organized AND that kids will think is cool – a 3D Food Pencil Case!

You can buy pencil cases that look like pizzas, ice cream sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream cones, bagels, bananas, pita breads, and cookies to mention a few. Sorry these items are no longer available. You can still get cute food pencil cases through Amazon.com

Dropping Off Meals for New Parents | Easy Chicken Tacos Recipe

Princess Diana - July 21, 2015 - $20 or Less, Baby Shower, Congratulations, Food & Drinks

After having my first child, I felt so thankful to friends and family who came and visited bearing gifts of prepared meals. Between breastfeeding and let’s see… more breastfeeding, there was no time for anything else!

Drop off this ready-to-eat meal for family and friends with new babies. It’s easy to make and it will provide them with several hot meals!

Just by popping the food dishes we received straight into the oven or microwave, my husband and I could eat lots of hot meals with very little work. It was a blessing I tell you!

Our favorite dish came from one of our family members, Terri, who dropped off shredded chicken tacos and everything we needed to go with it.

Not only was it delicious, but we were able to get two dinners and two lunches out of it which was awesome because those were four meals we didn’t have to worry about at all.

I asked Terri for her chicken tacos recipe, and she happily shared it with me. Thanks Terri!

EASY PEASY CHICKEN TACOS

Beef Jerky Gift Baskets & Samplers | Gift for Him

Princess Diana - June 9, 2015 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gift Baskets, Gifts for Him, Teacher Gifts, Valentine's Day

This gift idea men will literally eat right up.

Give him his favorite flavors or some new flavors sure to awaken his taste buds!

When it’s hard to pick out a gift for him, you can’t go wrong with edible gifts. Beef jerky and meat sticks make awesome presents because they’re such a tasty “manly man” food snack.

You can get him a jerky gift basket or jerky sampler that fits every budget, taste preference and meat preference. In addition to beef jerky, there’s venison (deer) jerky, chicken jerky, turkey jerky, pork jerky, bacon jerky and even pineapple jerky for the vegetarian.

You can also buy gourmet jerky and exotic jerky made from elk, wild boar, alligator, alpaca, kangaroo, ostrich and even fish! Now that would make a memorable gift!

When it comes to flavors, it seems like they’ve come up with 101 varieties. You can buy jerky in flavors like teriyaki, barbecue, jalapeno, Cajun, bacon, maple bacon, lemon pepper, sweet and spicy, chili pepper, pepperoni, and so much more.

Cheer Someone Up With a Box of Sunshine

Princess Diana - February 24, 2015 - $20 or Less, Condolence, Get Well, Gift Baskets

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Do you know those people who are naturally crafty? They can do things like sew, cook, bake, decorate, paint (probably spin straw into gold too) and everything they create looks like it came straight off the page of a Martha Stewart magazine. They drive me crazy jealous!

Well, my co-worker Kelly is one of those people. Mucho talented. And she’s always using her talents to bring joy to others – like when she bakes her famous cinnamon rolls and brings them to the office.

Kelly shared with me that when she has friends or family who are sick, hospitalized, homebound, in physical rehab or dealing with chemotherapy, she makes them a Box of Sunshine. Then she fills it with everything YELLOW!

Automatic Snack & Treat Dispenser

Queen Darlene - December 18, 2014 - Birthday, Business, Christmas, Father's Day, Food & Drinks, Gifts for Him, Host, Housewarming

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I love magic! Who doesn’t? With a wave of the hand – out pops a snack!

When I saw the SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser that makes healthy munching easy-peasy, I knew it would be the right gift for my husband’s sister and her spouse for Christmas.

They always try to eat healthy and this fun gadget creates a smart way to have portion control. The SnackMan Motion-Activated Dispenser features three settings: Small Handful, Large Handful or Bowlful. Once set, the same perfect portion is dispensed every time.

It looks like magic because with a simple wave of the hand, out pours your tasty snack treat. Continue Reading

Herbs, Spices, Rubs, Sauces | Gift Sets

Princess Diana - December 9, 2014 - Family, Food & Drinks

Selecting an appropriate gift for a Dirty Santa gift exchange can be tricky since you want something that will be popular with the majority of the people playing. There’s always a sense of pride when it’s your gift everyone keeps “stealing.”

You don’t want to be that person who brings a super lame gift like one-size-fits-all Dust Mop Slippers that supposedly clean your floors as you walk around your house. Trust me. It has happened.

Let me set the stage for this thoughtful gift idea. Everyone needs to eat food so most people cook whether they like to or not, which is why this gift idea works for pretty much everyone!

When it comes to cooking, the right herbs, spices, rubs, sauces, and extracts can easily turn ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones!

Herbs, spices, rubs, sauces and extracts come in so many flavors and varieties that you can find Gift Sets for all taste buds! I’ve come up with a list to get you started on selecting the right edible gift set to bring to your next Christmas party or family gift exchange.