Ginger Jam (Toast Topper #52) - Gifts from the #SundaySupper Kitchen

It's a well-established tradition with me to make boxes of assorted canned, candied and baked treats for my friends and family at Christmas. While it started as purely a cost-saving measure, over the years I've turned it more into an excuse to avoid the insanity of the malls while bringing a little taste of "gourmet" to my giftees. Homemade gifts also allow me to really customize the things I give to people, meaning that my grandma would be more touched by Strawberry Preserves with Grandpa's Sherry than a jar of the most expensive marmalade you could buy, and I could jack up the flavour of this ginger preserve to 100 for my rhizome-loving coworker and friend.

If you love the spicy snap of ginger in any form, you'll adore this jam too - I found the original recipe in my copy of the Best of Bridge Home Preserving cookbook and jacked up the ginger a touch more to really liven up the apple juice base. When Winter is promising to be cold, blustery and full of germs (I've already had a sinus infection and am still fighting the flu), the maximum amount of warming, sinus-clearing anti-nauseants are definitely a welcome addition to any toast, stir fry or (according to my mom) baked salmon! I even mixed a spoonful into sliced apples for pie and wow, was that a hit!

But I'm not the only one making homemade gifts this year - our #SundaySupper gang is breaking out the jars, bags, boxes and tags to create something special (and spectacular) from the kitchen this week. With the array we have to choose from today, even the longest gift card wall can't hold a candle to our gifts! Whether your intended craves sweet or savory, a warm drink or a spicy dinner mix, you're sure to find simply perfect inspiration here.

Beverages:

• Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate by Supper for a Steal
• Cranberry Infused Vodka by The Redhead Baker
• Cranberry Pomegrante Vodka by Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Creamy Coconut Liqueur by Manu’s Menu
• German Egg Liqueur (Eierlikör) by Magnolia Days
• Holiday Sangria Surprise by Momma’s Meals
• Homemade Kahlua by Country Girl in the Village
• Homemade Organic Lavender Honey by An Appealing Plan

Bread:

• Homemade Pumpernickel Bread by The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Beer Bread Gift Basket by The Girl in The Little Red Kitchen

Appetizers and Snacks:

• Boozy Olives by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Cookie Butter Puppy Chow by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Reindeer Snack Mix by MealDiva

Condiments and Sauces:

• Butterscotch Sauce {Low Carb} by Nosh My Way
• Cranberry Hatch Chile Salsa by The Texan New Yorker
• Ginger Jam by What Smells So Good?
• Lemon Ginger Marmalade by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Microwave Caramel Sauce by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Slow Cooker Apple Butter by Shockingly Delicious
• Sweet-Hot Red Pepper Jam by Delaware Girl Eats

Savory and Sweet Mixes:

• Creole Jambalaya Mix by Nik Snacks
• Gingerbread Hot Chocolate Mix by Feed Me, Seymour
• Homemade Brownie Mix in a Jar by The Perfect Brownie
• Homemade Sazon Seasoning by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Skinny Mocha Latte Mix by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Desserts and Sweets:

• Assorted Macaroons by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Bacon & Mixed Nuts Caramel Corn by Brunch with Joy
• Brandy Truffles by Food Lust People Love
• Carob Peanut Butter Cups by Pies and Plots
• Chocolate Cranberry Nut Candy by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Cinnamon Candied Pecans by Noshing With The Nolands
• Coconut Oil White Chocolate + Chocolate Chip Cookies by Wallflour Girl
• Ho Ho Oreo Bark by Seduction in the Kitchen
• Homemade Marshmallows by Curious Cuisiniere
• Maple Chocolates by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
• Matcha Green Tea Holiday Wreath Cookies by NinjaBaker
• White Chocolate Lollipops by The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• White Christmas Fudge by Rhubarb and Honey

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Pumpkin Brownie Cookies

What if I told you that you could have two bite brownies, with chocolate, on your holiday table for under 50 calories a pop? Yeah... I thought I was crazy too, but I think I actually managed to crack the code, and use real food while doing it!

My secret for these chewy, rich and super-chocolatey bites was three-fold: pure pumpkin puree made for a luxuriously dense base only added to with a mixture of two cocoa powders and chocolate chips. Extra density and a touch of chew came from the merest touch of sweet rice flour, and the whole works had a lot less sugar thanks to the Truvia Baking Blend I had on hand (the same stuff I made my Triple Berry - Carrot Bran Muffins with). Small drops of dough transformed into snackable wonders perfect for the morning break and lunch rush with a cup of coffee, or frozen and crumbled into ice cream with dessert.

You know what else would pair nicely with these? Why not some Coconut Whipped Cream? If you haven't already, check out the giveaway and enter today!

Shared with 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats

Dinner and Dessert with @GayLeaFoodsCoop Coconut Whipped Cream #giveaway

Whenever the holidays rolled around at home, you could count on my mom, grandma or I baking up grandpa's favourite pumpkin pie, to be served with lashings of just sweetened whipped cream. Now, I was not a pumpkin lover by any stretch of the imagination, so the more cream I could pile on the better (sorry mom).

As the years went by, I made my peace with the squash, but developed an allergy to dairy products - leaving me "whip-less" when all I really wanted was a tiny dollop on my coffee or hot cocoa. Thankfully, those sad days are long behind me, and dairy substitutes are getting better than ever - even our go-to "butter and sour cream guys" Gay Lea have come out with a fabulous brand new topping option for vegan, cholesterol-free, lactose-intolerant or otherwise milk-avoiding folk - Coconut Whipped Cream.

Gay Lea's Coconut Whipped Cream is made from pure coconut cream, which makes it a delectably flavourful topping for fresh fruit, shortcake, bread pudding, pancakes, drinks and (of course) pumpkin pie! Not only is it a fantastic (and easy to use aerosol) topping for your sweet treats, but it's even great in savoury recipes too - just check out the Island Coconut Sweet Potato Mash featured below! Dollops frozen on a baking sheet make to-die-for "sneak treats" that melt in your mouth better than any ice cream (tip: freeze "topper" sized dollops and add them to a mug of cocoa or coffee - it's a heavenly burst of creaminess that cools the drink to the perfect temperature!). With all that creamy texture and decadent flavour, you would never believe that is healthier than regular whipped cream, being cholesterol free, low in sugar and only 13% fat.

Think you'd like to try this twist on conventional whip yourself? Well all my Canadian readers (sorry US), can enter TODAY through Friday, December 5th for a chance to win a Gay Lea dessert prize pack! You'll get 4 gorgeous dessert plates, 4 dessert forks, 4 napkins, 4 napkin rings, a pie lifter, and two vouchers for Gay Lea Coconut Whipped Cream! The RaffleCopter widget is below the recipe - enjoy, and good luck!

Moroccan Turkey Stew - Thanksgiving #SundaySupper leftovers

My favourite part of the holidays was always the leftovers. After the dishes are done and put away, stuffing, potatoes, veggies and turkey tucked away into containers for weeks of minute-ready dinners, I relished the late night, taboo ventures into the fridge for a scoop of my Gramma's potatoes, the next-day open-faced turkey and gravy sandwiches on thick slabs of French bread (or Challah at Christmas), and of course the stews, pastas and soup that filled the rest of the year with comfort food on a dime. 

While our Thanksgiving is long past, the rest of the holiday season is only ramping up! Looking in the freezer, I discovered that we still had frozen turkey meat to use before cooking up another bird in a month or so! Needing to clear freezer (and fridge) space, I turned to my love of all things Moroccan to cobble together a hearty, healthy and exotic pot of warming stew. Tons of veggies bulked up the turkey meat and made a rich, savoury dish over yellow rice - the traditional serving style would be over couscous, but we had none and I didn't fancy running out mid-cook! I gave some of the batch to a coworker of mine, who enjoyed it with her husband and kids (granted, it's a harder sell to the young ones, but adventurous eaters will love it), and the rest we were more than willing to "gobble" up!

 
This week, our #SundaySupper group is re-inventing holiday (specifically Thanksgiving) leftovers. We have the whole gamut of goodies on tap - check out our selection below!

Breakfast:
Cranberry Sauce Muffins by The Foodie Army Wife
Leftover Stuffing Breakfast Strata by Ruffles & Truffles
Sweet Potato Casserole Muffins by Magnolia Days
Turkey & Chorizo Breakfast Hash by Brunch with Joy
Cranberry Sauce’d Corn Bread Muffins by Rhubarb and Honey

Main Dish:
Leftover Pie by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Thanksgiving Leftover Waffles by Foxes Love Lemons
Stuffing Hash by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Turkey Pizza by Meal Diva
Turkey & Caramelized Onion Risotto by kimchi MOM
Turkey with Creamy Mushroom Marsala Sauce by Casa de Crews
Moroccan Turkey Stew by What Smells So Good?
Peruvian Cilantro & Turkey Soup by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Turkey & Butternut Squash Stew by Cooking Chat
Turkey Kreplach Soup by Panning the Globe
Turkey & Stuffing Crepes by Peaceful Cooking
Cranberry Apple Pecan Chicken Salad by NeighborFood
Herbed Turkey over Cornbread Waffles with Cranberry Sauce by girlichef
Creamy Peanut Gochujang Pasta by Wallflour Girl
Cranberry Sweet Potato Soup by Take A Bite Out of Boca
Turkey Enchilada Pasta Bake by Curious Cuisiniere
Turkey Orzo Risotto by Family Foodie
Turkey Croquettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Side Dishes:
Cheesy Mashed Potato Croquettes by Noshing with the Nolands
Whipped Carrots with Sriracha Butter by Healthy Delicious
Cranberry-Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower Wings by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Parmesan Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes by Momma’s Meals
Cheesy Jalapeño Potato Cakes by Bobbi’s Cozy Kitchen
Italian Mashed Potato Pancakes by The Weekend Gourmet

Sandwiches:
Cranberry & Turkey Sandwich by The Redhead Baker
Monte Cristo Sandwich by Nik Snacks
Hot Brown Turkey Sandwiches by The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch
Sprouted Grain Turkey, Cranberry & Brie Panini by Amee’s Savory Dish
Turkey Cranberry Flatbread by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Condiments & Sauces:
Cranberry Vinaigrette by Nosh My Way
Leftover White Wine Syrup by Food Lust People Love
DIY Yellow Mustard by The Texan New Yorker

Dessert:
Banana Cheesecake with Pecan Graham Cracker Crust by Desserts Required
Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Spiced Cranberry Sauce Buckle by The Wimpy Vegetarian


Cocktails & Drinks:
Cranberry Orange Crush by The Messy Baker
Cranberry Bellini by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 p.m. ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtagand remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Gluten / Soy / Nut / Dairy Free Pie Crust #RecipeRedux

I apologize for the horribly long title, but for something as all inclusively allergy-friendly as this pie crust had to be, nothing else would do!

You see, a friend of mine has a son with Celiac disease. This is hard enough for a family to deal with on it's own, but he's also allergic to soy, milk and tree nuts as well as avoiding any pork products. As you can imagine, holiday treats can be a bit of a Russian roulette, if not an outright forced Scrooge-fest. Over the years, I've done brownies and cookies for their gift basket, but I knew one thing they missed sharing as a family was a good old fashioned apple pie.

I have such fond memories of helping my mom make and eat apple pies over the years - from picking bags and bags of Northern Spies to peeling them, spicing them just right with cinnamon (no sugar or anything else!), rolling out and crimping the pie crust and finally digging in with a fork - that it is unthinkable that anyone should have to go without the experience of enjoying a real, homemade apple pie at least once in their lives. A little scouting on the web and cobbling of recipes later, I had it - a rollable, flaky pastry safe for the whole family and perfect for a no-frills apple pie, as well as any other sweet or savoury treat you need!

This month the #RecipeRedux group is sharing food memories - many of us are especially thankful for food memories we have shared with friends or relatives throughout our lives, whether it was a special meal eaten as a child or a cooking tradition passed down the generations. Please enjoy the shares below and make sure to say hi!