Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with the ones you love, but there are always cherished friends and family that we won’t have the chance to visit. What better way to let them know that you’re thinking of them at holiday time than with a delicious gift of food. While it’s always nice to send a homemade gift, sometimes it’s just not convenient. So here’s my Thanksgiving gift guide for some great treats to send.
Need a nibble for your guests while the turkey is in the oven? Serve a little salami and cheese and your loved ones will be happy…and quietFor a healthy treat before dinner send a basket of fresh fruit, nuts and cheese. Save some fruit for dessert, too.Last Thanksgiving we sent half a smoked turkey to my in laws. They enjoy spending the holiday together and half a small turkey is the perfect size for the two of them, with a bit left over.Smoked turkey tenderloin makes a great addition to the Thanksgiving dinner table.For a sweet ending to a great Thanksgiving meal what would be better than a pumpkin cake?So you say you don’t like pumpkin? Send an apple pie for Thanksgiving dessert.11 Comments
UncategorizedMae’s Bakery Birthday cake. Happy first birthday
Dieting sucks lets face it, but if it must be done then it must be done. I’m on a low carb diet now but diets be damned because it’s the 1st anniversary celebration for Mae’s Bakery (2772 Lenox Road, Suite B4, Atlanta, GA).
Beth Castro fulfilled her lifelong dream of owning her own bakery with the opening of Mae’s Bakery last year. Self taught, Beth’s passion for delicious treats shows in the high quality of her work. The bakery is named after Beth’s daughter.Dessert tableYes sugar cookie, I will do as you sayOne of my favorite desserts, creampuffs have a light, crispy shell and a rich creamy vanilla fillingEclairs, perfectly shiny with chocolate glazeCupcakes and Layer cake and cake pops. Macarons by Xanna Kidd of XK Macarons. Xanna is also a barista at Mae’s. The beautifully colored French Macarons are a meringue cookie make with almond flour. They are so deliciously delicate; the outer shell cracks between your teeth and the lightly chewy inside melts in your mouth.
Counter Culture Coffee was in the house for a very informative discussion of all things coffee.
Counter Culture Chemex Coffee. The by-the-cup, certified organic, Counter Culture coffees at Mae’s Bakery change seasonallyWe had a wonderful tasting of Counter Culture Coffees. The folks at Counter Culture have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything coffee that they pass on the the shop owners that carry their brand.
Most items on Mae’s menu (except croissants) can be made gluten free, just ask. I hear their whoopie pies are to DIE for. I’ll return to Mae’s soon to give a report on that.
Raw cookie dough in nearly irresistible. Many people (mostly teen aged girls) buy pre-made cookie dough just to eat it raw. But that’s a bad idea. Salmonella we all know about, but recently the CDC has reported that a pathogen in raw flour may make you sick as well. So don’t eat raw cookie dough, instead eat this egg-less, flour-less delicious snack.
Oatmeal cookie dough bites
4 ounces of softened fat free cream cheese
2 teaspoons of honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oats
optional mix ins
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 dried cranberries
Mix it all together (the more stuff you add in the more cream cheese you have to add to make the mix mixable) roll into balls about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Roll in cinnamon sugar, shredded coconut or sweetened cocoa powder. Store in the refrigerator for about a week.