The winner for my November Giveaway is...

... Clara of Clara's Crochet Room! Congratulations, Clara, and as soon as you send me your address, I'll mail you the Cross Stitch book with my compliments and best wishes.

If you want to visit Clara, you can also see that she has been a very busy gal crocheting all sorts of cute Christmas ornaments.Again, congratulations and enjoy your book!

I also want to share some honey recipes perfect for gift giving from the National Honey Board that I subscribe to. As you know I'm a big bee fan and love honey bee products.  

Honey Spice Oatmeal Cookie Mix

(Makes 6 dozen)

• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1-1/2 cups Quaker© oats (quick-cooking or old fashioned), uncooked

To make mix In large bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves and nutmeg; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Transfer to resealable plastic bag, an unbreakable decorative jar with lid or other airtight container. Store in cool dry place. Ingredients Needed to Complete Cookies 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter softened (no substitutions) 3/4 cup honey 1 large egg To prepare cookies In a large bowl, beat butter and honey with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg; beat well. Add half of cookie mix; beat well. Add remaining cookie mix; beat well. Divide dough into thirds; place each on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap tightly; chill at least 4 hours. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove one portion of dough from refrigerator. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/8-inch thickness with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, just until centers are set. (Cookies will feel soft. Do not overbake.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Tip: Variations Decorated Cookies - Decorate cooled cookies with melted dark or white chocolate, ready-to-spread frosting, decorator frosting in tubes, assorted small candies or candy sprinkles. Thumbprint Cookies - Use thumb to make a deep indentation in center of each cookie dough ball. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove cookies from oven; press small dark or white chocolate candy into indentation or fill with 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Cool and store as directed.

Rosemary-infused Honey
(makes 1 gift)

• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves

Place honey in a double boiler with water in bottom. Squeeze rosemary leaves to release flavor and place in honey. Bring water to a boil, and bring honey to 185°F and keep at 185°F for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Strain while still warm. Place in sterilized jars and cap.

Holiday Honey Caramels
(makes 30 caramels)

Makes 30 caramels

• 1 cup butter (no substitutions)
• 2 cups honey
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• finely chopped almonds, optional

Line bottom and sides of 9-inch square pan with plastic wrap; set aside. Melt butter in medium-sized heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add honey, cream and brown sugar; mix well. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling, stirring frequently, until candy thermometer registers 250°F to 255°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely in refrigerator before cutting into individual caramels with very sharp knife. Roll in chopped nuts or coconut, if desired, and wrap each individually in clear plastic wrap. Store, tightly wrapped in refrigerator up to 1 month. Caramels will be soft at room temperature and firm if kept chilled.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 50 minutes

Serving Suggestion: Drop one into a cup of hot coffee or tea or enjoy this delicious treat on its own.

Honey Dessert Sauces


(delicious over ice cream, fruit, bread pudding, pound cake, pie, decorate your dessert plates with it or give a jar or two to a friend)

Honey Turtle Sauce

Makes 12 servings

• 2 cups Honey Caramel Sauce, see recipe
• 1 cup Honey Chocolate Sauce, see recipe
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into sterilized gift jars.

Nutrition: 139 Calories * 6.4 g Fat Total * 1.6 g Protein * 13 mg Cholesterol * 21.7 g Carbohydrates * 73 mg Sodium * 0.82 g Dietary Fiber * 38% Calories from Fat *

Honey Caramel Sauce

Makes 6 servings

• 1-1/2 cups honey
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine honey and cream in heavy saucepan; cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture reaches 238°F. Stir in butter, vanilla and salt. Cool.

Serving Suggestion: Serve warm over ice cream, custard or pudding.

Honey Chocolate Sauce

Makes 2-1/2 cups

• 1-1/2 cups honey
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Cover with waxed paper and microwave at HIGH (100%) 2 to 2-1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Pour into sterilized gift jars. Keep refrigerated.

Serving Size: 1/4 cup

Nutrition: 336 Calories * 80 g Carbohydrates * 10 mg Cholesterol * 6 g Fat Total * 56 mg Sodium * 4 g Protein * <1 g Dietary Fiber * 4% Calories from Fat *

Fruit-infused Honey Vinegars

(makes 2-2/3 cup)

• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup honey

Combine vinegar and honey in medium saucepan, then stir in one of the flavor additions below: Apricot: 2/3 cup apricot jam (Makes 2-1/2 cups) Pear: 2 (15 oz.) cans pears, drained and diced (Makes 2 cups) Raspberry: 1 (6 oz.) basket fresh raspberries, mashed (Makes 1-3/4 cups) Fig: 2 cups quartered, dried Mission figs (Makes 1 cup) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool, then pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any solids. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Serving Suggestion: Whether served with French bread for dipping or drizzled over mixed greens, these sweet vinegars are sure to be a hit, especially as gifts during the holiday season.

For more delectable honey recipes (such as the featured recipe below) go to the National Honey Board's website and be amazed at the power of honey!

Honey Garlic Focaccia with Rosemary and Roasted Peppers