Earthly Eating

• Orilio Organic Common Ale: A golden organic beer that offer more complexity and bitterness than pale ale. ($8.99)

• Butte Creek Brewing Organic Porter: Is a rich dark brown beer with a sweet malty flavor. ($8.99)

• Pop Soda Mint Lime: Is an all-natural, handcrafted and microbrewed soda that bursts with flavor. ($5.99)

• Dry Soda Kumquat: An all-natural gourmet soda that features the tart citrus flavor of kumquat and just a bit of sweetness. ($25/12 pack)

• Otter Creek Brewing Wolaver’s Pale Ale: A light beer for everyone plus it’s certified organic. ($24.34/24 pack)

• Medlock Ames 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon: A deep and spicy organic red with dark fruit flavor. ($50)

• Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut: A crisp sparkling wine made from sustainably-grown grapes. ($18)

• TY KU: An all natural, sake-based liqueur that has been infused with ingredients like pomegranate, oolong and green teas, plum, and ginseng. ($30)

• Merchant du Vin Pinkus Hefe-Weizen: A very light organic beer, made from wheat. ($3.79)

• Orange Jasmine Mango AperiTea: A black tea mixer that includes that gragrant flavors of vanilla, jasmine, citrus and mango. Mix with sparkling water, juice, or spirits. ($26.95)

• Alma Rosa 2005 Chardonnay: Made from a certified-organic vineyard, is a white wine with a bright citrus and tropical fruit flavor. ($15.99)

• ModMix French Martini: A throwback to the 1920s, is an organic drink made with pineapple juice, raspberry, and a hint of lemon. ($11.99)

• Whole Foods Old Plowshare Stout: An organic dark berr, perfect for a black and tan. ($6.49/4 pack)

• Stirrings Egg Nog: An all-natural egg nog base made with real cream, vanilla bean, cinnamon and nutmeg. ($10.95)

• VeeV: An all-natural distilled spirit made from acai blended with prickly pear and acerola cherry. One dollar from each bottle sold is fdonated to the Amazon rainforest Charities. ($34.99) (Source: KIWI 2007)

**Looking for a place to showcase you art work? Over at Artists Passion, Wendy Withers shows ways to go about doing that. Read how by clicking here.**
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Earthly Eating-Count Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets

Sugarplum Fairy Treats
Serves: Makes 2 dozen

1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup shreadded wheat cereal
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups dried fruit (use one or use a combination of dried fruits like: apricots, plums, cranberries)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.

2. Lightly oil or coat an 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

3. Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruits, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and pulse until mixture is finely chopped (each fruit should be the size of a dried pea).

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, and vanilla. Add the oatmeal mixture and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

5. Transfer mixture to the baking pan and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon or spatula.

6. Bake about 18 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Cool completely in a pan before slicing.

Happy Eating!

Cookie swaps bring many people together, start traditions, and create strong friendships that last a lifetime. Men, women, children, families, churches, neighborhoods, etc. It is a great way to sample other baker’s cookies, as well as get to know people that share the same passion as you. But, no matter where you live, the bottom line is, you can start the same tradition. Here’s how:

• Ask each guest to bring at least six dozen of their favorite holiday cookies, along with copies of the recipe to share with everyone at the party and a few empty containers to carry home other cookies at the party as well.

• Have a large table cleared so that you can display all the special treats that arrive from the other guests. This is where decorating the table comes into play. If it is close to Christmas, incorporate that theme into your table decorations. If it is a more laid-back swap then, whatever the season is, say summer, use sunshine themed dish-ware. Or if it is cold outside, use snowflakes and tea pots to serve tea, to name a few ideas.

• Break out your calculator and figure out how manu of each type of cookie everyone gets to take home for themselves. (72 divided by how many guests have arrived and brought cookies). Each guest still goes home with six dozen cookies, this time in many different varieties of flavors, shapes and colors.

• Incorporate this idea with a kids birthday party or just a Christmas “kiddie” party, and so on. Kids love to make messes and what better way to have them make a mess than with cookies.

**The United States Botanical Gardens Christmas Display at Washington, DC that Kjersti Wasiak attended looks to be amazing. Click here to see the photos she took while viewing the display.**
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Earthly Eating Recipe - Count-Down To Christmas Recipe Of Sweets:

Gluten-Free Peppermint Meringue Snowballs
Serves: Makes 3 dozen

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract, optional (use imitation peppermint oil so that the meringues won’t deflate.)
1/4 cup finely crushed gluten-free candy canes or peppermint candy

1. Prehat oven to 200°F degrees.

2. Line two large cookie sheets with aluminum foil and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy.

4. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until whites stand in stiff, glossy peaks. This will take about 10 minutes. Beat in the peppermint extract as desired.

5. Drop rounded tablespoons of mixture onto baking sheets, leaving a 1″ space in between; Sprinlkle tops with crushed candy.

6. Bake 1 1/2 hours.

7. Turn oen off and leave meringues in oven for 30 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing from the foil. Store meringues in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Happy Eating!