Fresh Fridays 
December 14, 2012
Vol. IV, No. 25     


Holiday Gifts
from Your Kitchen

As you head out to complete your holiday shopping, don't forget that Mediterranean Diet foods make fabulous gifts. There are so many great possibilities: Bottles of wine, jars of fancy olive oil or olives, flavored vinegars, mustards, dates and other dried or fresh fruit, assortments of nuts, nice cheeses, capers, smoked salmon, herbs and spices, beans, whole grains,  ....the list goes on and on.

 Buy a selection of your favorites and package them in gift baskets or boxes. You'll find that these delicious foods make the perfect present for a neighbor, a child's teacher, or a special  friend. And one or several items put together in a pretty gift bag makes an ideal hostess gift, too. Best of all, you can find everything you need at your local grocery store!
fig jam
And while you may still have a free night or two during this busy season, think about some simple yet delicious gifts you can make for friends and neighbors.  The three recipes below will get you started on the many possibilities that can come from your own kitchen.

Click on the titles or photos below to link to the recipe. 

Web links

Just in time
for the holidays!
Our newest publication, The Oldways 4-Week Mediterranean Diet
Menu Plan, makes a great gift. Click here to order!

 
December buckwheat
Get up to Speed with Buckwheat, the WGC's
Grain of the Month.   
Medjool Date Trail Mix
You can easily substitute different dried fruits and nuts for this tasty snack, but be sure to try it with creamy Medjool dates. Increase the quantities as you wish. If tightly sealed, the mix will keep for several weeks. For a festive gift, pack it into a decorative tin. Or, make small bags containing � cup servings for an on-the-go snack for a gym goer.  
Photo: Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association                
This healthy breakfast treat is loaded with flavor and makes a fabulous gift for people of all ages.  It also travels well and is a welcome present for people who pack up food to take to ski houses. A batch will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 months.  
Photo courtesy of Pompeian      
Simple and delicious, candied walnuts make great snacks and appetizers. You can prepare a batch of these treats in less than 30 minutes.  Pack them into holiday tins or take them to a party in a festive dish.
Photo: California Walnut Board &Commission     
Fresh Fridays is a bi-weekly celebration of Mediterranean eating and living. We hope our Friday recipes will remind you just how easy and delicious eating the Mediterranean way can be.   
To find even more delicious Mediterranean recipes please visit:    

 Mediterranean Foods Alliance (MFA)        

   

         

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Let the old ways be your guide to  good health and well-being.

 www.oldwayspt.org      

 

       

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12 ways to use beans
Med Diet USA
Oldways bookstore
by Natasha Edwards
Discover tasty ways to use
this Mediterranean diet
staple for good cooking
and for good health.