Three on Thursday: Hostess Gifts!

Happy Thursday! Some thoughtful traditions and gestures seem to slip through the cracks as time goes on, so lets talk hostess gifts today! Up until a couple of years ago, I have to admit, I was NOT always the best at remembering to bring a little something to a holiday get-together. Here are some of my favorite simple (read: cheap) things to give and receive as the holiday party season comes into full swing!

Family Gathering!

My mother in law bought me two sets of these gorgeous Queen's China Thanksgiving mugs last year and I couldn't have loved them more! As a matter of fact, I'm drinking some chamomile tea out of one right now! Everybody drinks SOMETHING, so you can never go wrong with a mug! I usually tuck in a single serve pouch of cocoa, or a small bag of coffee, also. The best part of a mug gift is that, when you really know someone like you know your own family, it's not difficult to find the PERFECT mug for their personality!

Girls Night In This is my #1 go to gift for girls nights, birthdays, etc, and I think it would be the PERFECT hostess gift for your holiday events! Xo, G wine is a tube of four individual glasses of wine. It's packaged to gift on it's own, and...bonus - it's inexpensive, and available at Walmart! 

Neighborhood Gatherings Neighbors are like extended family around here, and I LOVE them all. The problem? There are a lot of them, and we all like to get together now and again, which means that hostess gifts could add up FAST. You just can't go wrong with some baked goods! I love this recipe, because cranberries are appropriate for the entire Thanksgiving and Christmas season, AND this recipe can be baked in small loaf pans, popped in the freezer, and gift-giving ready as the need arises! There just isn't anything better than a made-from-scratch gift, is there? 

What is your go-to hostess gift? See you on Monday!

Real Holiday Treats

Before I start, I reference "real food" quite often. For those of you who don't know what that is, click HERE.

I have a couple of Christmas treat recipes that follow these guidelines, and the best part is that the bold flavors in the recipes totally mask what children would consider "icky" (i.e. almond milk or whole grain flour). I took these gingerbread to a party last week and all of the kids gobbled them down. Literally. I had to stick one in my purse to save for my husband. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups King Arthur white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients, including spices
2. In another bowl, beat honey, butter, and egg at medium speed
3. Add molasses and vanilla and continue to mix on medium
4. Slowly add in dry ingredients until well blended
5. Divide dough in 2 sections and wrap in plastic (one lump of dough will be too hard to roll out, you have to separate it!)
6. Let dough sit for at least an hour at room temp
7. Roll out carefully on floured surface, this dough is rather crumbly and requires some muscle to keep in tact. 
8. Cut with cookie cutter and bake at 375 for about ten minutes!

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk (this would work with whole milk as well, just bump up the cocoa powder)
• 1 cinnamon stick, split in half
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• Just under 1/4 cup maple syrup (or sugar)
• pinch of salt

Directions

1. bring almond milk to a boil with cinnamon stick, and lower to simmer for ten minutes
2. remove cinnamon and whisk in cocoa, salt, and maple syrup (or sugar) vigorously
3. when mixture starts to "foam" pour into cup and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon - YUM!

And for anyone interested, this is our current baking jam-out song! Such a fun one to dance around to with little ones!