Getting Creative with Gifts this Christmas

If you have a dog lover in your life or you want to treat your own fur babies, these homemade dog biscuits will be sure to please. Combine the biscuits with a cute cookie jar and you have a great gift that will be a hit with your four-legged friends and their owners.

This is a healthy recipe for dog treats that's easy to do. I make the dough a day ahead oftime so it will be easier to work with. I also grind my wheat fresh so that the nutrients will be the best possible.

If you use store bought whole wheat, I would recommend using King Authur brand because it doesn't contain bromide which is a chemical with possible negative long term effects.

They will keep about a month in a sealed container placed in a cool, dry space. They will love their Christmas morning treat!

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cup oats

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

2 Tbsp. peanut butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp. honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Form into ball and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick and use a cutter to stamp out the shapes. Place them onto the parchment paper(can spray the paper with nonstick spray). Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned and very hard. Allow to cool completely and store extras in a cool, dry sealed container. This recipe will make many biscuits depending on the size of your cookie cutter. 

It's so easy to please a coffee lover with a unique and creative gift. I had to get Alan to teach me how to use his roaster so he wouldn't be making part of his own gift. But it's easy to find freshly roasted coffee beans now form Bowdon Coffee Roasters, only a short ride over the Georgia state line. Pick out something different to try and include this neat hand grinder which I discovered from LTD commodities online. Now the coffee can be ground fresh even if the electricity is out, or if you're camping. Fill some small containers with special flavoring to place in your gift box.

I met any concerns of leaving out dairy and sugar with these great tasting alternatives. Monk fruit can be ordered online. It comes in single serving packets like sugar if desired. It tastes so close to sugar but has zero calories and no carbs. Great for diabetics and keto followers. For creamer, I chose a coconut milk powdered creamer that's convenient for travel as well. Then, to appeal to the chocolate lover, I found a spicy cocoa powder that's different from any I've tried. It's called rawcholatl and sold at Amie's Bohemian Market in Wedowee (no longer open). I dipped cinnamon sticks in dipping chocolate to use a stirrers and add extra flavors to the coffee. And lastly, a milk frothier if you have a latte lover. It can be found online from Williams Sonoma. Include some Christmas mugs in your gift box and you're set.

Your gift will be well received and remembered every time hey use their unique flavorings and gadgets!

Not everyone likes sushi but all ages are sure to like this Christmas candy sushi! Wrapped in a decorated box that resembles Asian take-out, you have the perfect creative and unique gift. This would be great for parties and family gatherings during the holidays that travels well. Add some unused chop sticks to the package for extra flair.

Ingredients

Little Debbie Strawberry cake rolls cut into about 5-6 slices depending on desired thickness

Fruit leathers for the "seaweed" wrapper

Straw fruit rings

Sprinkles for "caviar" usually found in the cake decorating section of the store

Green licorice for the "wasabi"

Orange candy slices cut into thin strips for the "ginger"

Directions

Place a strawberry ring on top of the Little Debbie cake slice. Carefully wrap and seal the fruit leather around the outside edge to hold your sushi bite together. Fill the hole in the middle with sprinkles. If you want to serve them on a platter, minic the wasabi and ginger on the side as it served at the sushi bar. THis should make plenty of sushi candies to fill up 4 to 5 gift boxes if you buy plenty of strawberry rings.

These could be made for any time of the year using different colors and different types of candies. Be creative!