Here we are in mid-December, and if you’re like me, you’ve still got quite a list of folks to gift! One of my favorite ways to show appreciation for the many people in my life who I’m grateful for–including my mechanic, mail carrier, staff in my kids’ doctors offices, the admin folks at their schools, George’s therapists, June’s dance teacher–is to make them something delicious from my kitchen. I have a big list and a limited budget, so I always look for something that serves a big bang for a small buck! This year, I’ve been working on my spiced nut recipes and am really excited to share it with you! Most recipes for spiced nuts have tons of butter and refined sugar, but these are super tasty with just a bit of honey.

Because I believe that cooking is a great way to create connection and communication with my kids, I like to get them involved in the process of making the gifts we’re going to share. Last year, my son George, who is 8 and has autism, had a blast making these nuts and we’re planning to get started again this week.

By the way, on Friday, December 9th, I’ll be doing a free, live webinar on gluten-free, casein-free cooking for Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. It’ll be just 30 minutes or so starting at 11:30am EST. Please join me!

I’ll show you the recipe with some pictures of our process below:

Spiced Nuts

Ingredients:

• 3 cups nuts of your choice (try walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. cardamom
• 1/2 t. sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Help your child unroll some foil over a baking sheet.

3. Look at the nut selections and measure out three cups of your favorite nuts.

4. Your child can dump them out onto the baking sheet.

5. Show your child how to spread the nuts evenly over the baking sheet.

6. Mix the egg white and honey in a small bowl. Help your child measure the spices and salt and add to the egg-honey mixture.

7. Slowly pour over the nuts.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes until nuts are crisp but not burned!

When the nuts cool down, your kids can help put them into small jars and wrap with pretty ribbons. Be sure to save some for your family to enjoy. Beware: These nuts are addictive!

Ingredients:

• Fresh cherries
• Strawberry slices or whole
• Apple slices
• Kiwi, cut in half or star shaped halves
• Honeydew, sliced into spears or cubes
• Green grapes
• Dark seedless grapes
• Small plums, sliced

Directions:

1. If you have a three-tiered tray, top each level with a doily. Cut a hole in the middle if it is the correct size or cut a few pieces to fit each level accordingly.

2. Place your fruit in “clumps” of their own category. Arrange the fruit so no two colors are close to each other – it adds contrast and excitement to the arrangement.

3. If you do not have a three-tiered tray, then various platters of shapes and sizes on a table will also look beautiful. You can even add cheeses if you are indoors or have air-conditioning available.

4. Occasionally refresh your platter (and even the doilies) to add new fruit as people munch away.

Stay cool and enjoy your summer!