It's that time of year again -- you're scouring the web for last-minute gift ideas that don't feel like a last-minute gift. And maybe this year more than ever, you're looking to give gifts that are meaningful. Gifts that will have an impact beyond Christmas morning. Look no further! I've curated some gift ideas for anyone on your list that is a) impossible to shop for, b) has everything he/she could possibly want and c) cares about giving back as much as you do.

1. Cookie of the Month Club - Give the cookie-lover a three-, six- or 12-month subscription of delicious cookies. Best part? 100% proceeds fund pediatric cancer research. It's this truly the gift that keeps giving.

2. Box of Chocolates - This is no ordinary box of chocolates. Gather Chocolates are hand-crafted, small-batch gourmet chocolates. A portion of each sale is donated to the Pollinator Partnership to protect and preserve pollinators.

3. Red Wine Gift Box - A sophisticated party in a box: bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir, plus crackers, fig spread, dipping spice, salami and cheese. Every box helps fund ABA therapy for a child with autism.

4. A Goat - Yes, a goat! You can gift a goat to a rural community with Oxfam. A goat is a gift of sustainability: fertilizer and food for families. Or choose from other animal, water, education and green gifts.

5. Narwhal Tee - Fun, inspiring, sophisticated tees by Brave New World Designs will light up any closet. Plus 20% of profits will be directed to different charities. This awesome narwhal tee helps the Ocean Conservancy. Or give a gift certificate and let your giftee pick their own spirit animal.

6. ChopChop Magazine Subscription - Know a kid who likes to cook? Get them a subscription to the award-winning kids cooking magazine. Plus with every subscription, you'll help get ChopChop to families that need it most. (full disclosure - I work for ChopChop. But love giving subscriptions to everyone on my list!)

7. Tickets to a Culinary Event - Have a Top Chef super fan on your list? Why not get them tickets to a Share our Strength culinary event? Not only do these events feature mouth-watering food from top chefs, but proceeds help fight childhood hunger.

Happy Giving!

Ever since I started blogging, my family has been subject to trying a new recipe several times a week in my quest to raise adventurous eaters (and to push myself as a home cook). There have been some duds, but more often than not, successful dishes that my kids will scoff up happily. Some recipes included lots of prep, multiple pans, and hours on the stove, causing me to shoo the boys in another room.

Then there are days that the boys beg to help. And while there are days that I think it would be so much faster (and cleaner) if I just cooked it myself, I invite them to be my helpers. And can honestly say, it's paid off in spades. Here's some proof!

Kids love to help bake.

Little fingers are perfect for making baked pita chips.

Fish in Parchment lets kids design their own "presents"

Kids love to tear things up. Have them rip up some basil!

When kids help, they will likely eat it!

Cooking with kids can seem daunting to most parents (let's face it, just plain cooking on a busy school night is daunting). But I've found (as so many others have discovered), that when you involve your kids, they learn so many essential life skills -- including the love for cooking! And when you cook real food, you're establishing a lifetime of healthy habits.

In recognition of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, ChopChop Magazine is hosting the Big Picnic this Sunday, 9/22/13. It's a virtual community picnic in which families will cook with their kids and share photos using hashtag #bigpicnic as a fun way to learn and inspire each other. Everyone loves showing off what they made (or about to eat) on social media. So why not show off what your kids made and inspire other kids to do the same?

To learn more, check out ChopChop's Big Picnic web pages. Hope to see you there!

(Full disclosure - I work for ChopChop, but as always, all my opinions are all my own.)

So we supposedly had an extra weekend this year to prepare for Christmas since Thanksgiving was earlier than usual. But why is it that I'm still frantically searching for last-minute gift items, baking and wrapping like there's no tomorrow (Mayans calendar #epicfail)?  

(Image credit: America's Test Kitchen)

There's only four days until Christmas. Or six days left of Hanukkah. Gulp. And there's one or two people (or more if you're really behind) you still need to shop for. Here are my top last-minute holiday gifts for the foodie family on your list:



Subscription to ChopChop Magazine: My boys and I are huge fans of ChopChop Magazine - a quarterly food magazine for kids. It is full of great kid-tested recipes, tips for parents, colorful photos and fun games. Both kids and parents will be inspired to cook as a family.



Subscription to Cooks Illustrated: A must-have for any serious foodie. Each recipe is tested to perfection. Line drawings, scientific rationale and exhaustive testing tells you they're not fooling around when it comes to food.




How to Cook Everything App: From New York Times Food Journalist and legend Mark Bittman, this app is the first full cookbook adapted for an app. Besides the ginormous recipe collection, you get recipe timers, shopping lists, Bittman's voiceover and ability to make notes (for iPad). How cool is that?



CSA share: For the green-minded foodie family, a membership to a Community Supported Agriculture program is a gift that keeps on giving. Members receive anywhere between a few pounds to 15-20 pounds of local produce on a regular basis. It's all about Farm-to-Table.

The greatest gift of all... a gift certificate to a couples' favorite restaurant and free babysitting for the night. Need I say more?

Off to check my list twice and figure out some last-minute gifts of my own. Wishing you the happiest of holidays!

We have had about two months of school and school lunches under our belt at our house. Here is what a typical week looks like:
Thankfully, my oldest almost always polishes whatever I pack in his lunchbox. It's 50/50 with my 3-year-old. Okay, who am I trying to kid? It's 25/75 with the little bugger. So we're already in a rut and it's only November. *Gulp*

So when I heard about a "Lunch Boot Camp: How to pack a lunch that will be eaten" with ChopChop Magazine held at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and hosted by Mommy Niri, I was giddy with excitement... like the day I got my first Hello Kitty Lunch box.

ChopChop Magazine
ChopChop is a quarterly food magazine and website for kids. ChopChop's mission is to educate kids to cook and empower them to make healthy choices. Think Cook's Illustrated meets Highlights Magazine. It is awesome. Here are some reasons why:

Recipes - simple and healthy recipes that are easy to follow with fun photos of kids making the dish. I love how, at a glance, you know how much adult help is suggested, kitchen gear, ingredients and prep time is needed.

The Sally Challenge - Kids challenge Sally to come up with a recipe that will get them to enjoy an ingredient they typically dislike. If Sally can turn Cate into an eggplant fan with her Roasted Eggplant Ratatouille, then maybe my boys will love it too.

Fun & Games - (my son's favorite part of ChopChop) mazes, word finds, puzzles and other games are peppered (pun intended) throughout each issue. It keeps kids engaged about nutrition and exercise while having fun.

Kids love it too! My boys get excited to try the recipes in a given issue. And they love having a magazine geared to them.

Lunch Boot Camp
I had the good fortune of joining a handful of other local bloggers at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts to hear Sally Sampson, Founder and President of ChopChop, bestow pearls of wisdom on how to pack a lunch that will get eaten. We got more tips from Chef Instructor Dot Jacobson as she gave us a cooking demo on how to make a carrot & apple soup and pasta salad. And lunch boot camp could not be complete without a luncheon.

Founder and President of ChopChop sharing lunch-packing strategies

CSCA Instructor Dot Jacobson giving a cooking demo with Laura Reid, Kim Grenon, Julia Magnusson, Sheri Gurock, and Sally Sampson looking on.

Sandwich and yogurt bar = perfect lunch!

Delicious penne and roasted veggies

Check out the recipes for the Penne and Vegetables with Lemon Dressing and Carrot Apple Soup - perfect for your kids or your own lunch box.

How to pack a lunch that will get eaten

• Involve your kids: Not only should you ask your kids to choose what they want for lunch, but have them help shop, prepare and pack it. The more you involve your kids, the more invested they will be and likely to try new foods.
• Pair new ingredients with favorites: Does your kid hate peas but love tomato sauce? Try adding peas to tomato sauce. Even if they don't gobble up every pea for example, there's a good chance they are trying a few and will slowly realize peas aren't so bad. 
• Texture is key: Kids' palates are not as mature as adults, and textures can make or break a dish in their mind. My boys will gag if you try to give them anything mushy like overcooked vegetables. Dice or puree and combine with other ingredients. My knife skills have never been better!
  
• Make it personal: Most kids love to make it about them. A personal-sized pizza, mini pot pies, kebabs. It's the right size and they get to control what goes in it. 
• Don't give up: Experts say it could take up to 15 tries for a child to get used to and even like a new ingredient. I try to expose my kids to one new ingredient or dish a week. They might not like bitter melon right now, but at least they can pick one out now and remind you it's not their favorite.

Thanks Mommy Niri for organizing Lunch Boot Camp!

Thanks to ChopChop, Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and Mommy Niri for hosting a great event. Packing lunch has never looked so appealing!