It’s time to go holiday shopping.  I’m a little late with this, but Spoonies tend to be late with a lot of things. I’m going to make up for it by offering a ton of great ideas for you to give — and some you may want to keep for yourself.   By kids, for charity… I love things created by children and this one is extra special because the kids are using their talent and ability to help others. They even have special socks for illnesses and organizations, such as autism and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. The kids in charge are Brandon and Sebastian Martinez. They are now 15 and 13 respectively, but they first started their company in 2014! It was first done for local fundraising and then they took it national. The socks are adorable and well made. They are also quite comfortable. As of now, Are You Kidding Socks has raised $350,000 for charity. Pick up some pairs for gifts and help them out at the same time. You can purchase on their website .   Gentle scents for th...

I have never received as much coffee before as I have in the past two months. The interesting thing is that there is a spirited theme to all of it. I also had a bit of wine in the mix, as well as a few tasty surprises. Fruity deliciousness… Maison Ferrand makes Mathilde fruit liqueurs that are handcrafted with ripe fruit and French spirits. I received two bottles to try out and they were exceptional. The Mathilde Raspberry reminded me of Chambord, but it’s not quite as thick and is even more filled with raspberry flavor. I enjoyed sipping it over ice. It would be a wonderful addition to any cocktail (definitely a martini), hot chocolate, or coffee. The Mathilde Peach is delicious and reminded me more of a summer day with a lighter cocktail or mixed with club soda . I’d also love this in a frozen drink, such as a daiquiri or margarita. French wine launch… I wasn’t able to make the official tasting, but I still got to sample the launch of LGV wines . These French wines are ...

I have lots of healthy and plant-based selections for this month, but I couldn’t not mention tequila. After all, July 24 th  is National Tequila Day – a.k.a. my birthday! A tastier gluten-free option... I love sweet potatoes so I was more than happy to receive some Let’s Do Organic Sweet Potato Flour made from the vegetables from my friends at Edward & Sons. This flour is full of flavor and fiber. It also holds moisture better than a lot of other flours. I was excited to put this together with chocolate. My  Loaded Sweet Potato Brownies  were a big hit. Tip: sweet potato flour can burn at lower temperatures than other flours, so avoid it (or mix it) in recipes that cook at high temperatures.  Then there’s Casava… I didn’t know much about casava before the flour bag came along. It’s made from the cassava root so it is gluten and grain-free.  It’s also high in Vitamin C.  Casava flour can easily substitute 1:1 for regular flour. I haven’t h...

It’s all about March Madness around here as the Fighting Illini are not only back in the NCAA Championship, but they are the No. 2 team in the country. Whether or not you are cheering a specific team, it is nice to know that sporting events are coming back. Celebrate your hometown… I got to celebrate the first round of the tournament with some special glassware from Well Told College Town . They decided to do something a little different with their university memorabilia. Instead of logos, these have maps of the actual cities on them. I loved the two (one orange, one blue) glasses of the downtowns of Champaign and Urbana. Light wine… The games will be going on for two weeks, so you don’t want to overdo on the drinks. I love Ros é Water , which conveniently comes in cans. It reminds me of a wine spritzer (the kind you got in the bar, not the bottle). It tastes like wine and club soda, but since it’s rose from Boudreaux, it’s a little more flavorful than a white wine spritzer. Each can i...