baking

Summer Giftable Idea

Published on May 30, 2025 by Amanda LeggetteLeave a comment

With strawberry season in full swing, I wanted to put together a thoughtful, seasonal gift to say thank you to the incredible teachers who’ve poured into my kids all year long. There’s something extra special about a homemade gift, and I loved the idea of celebrating the sweetness of spring with a “berry sweet” theme!

This little bundle includes a few of my favorite things—simple, homemade touches and a few seasonal finds that pair beautifully together. Whether you’re making something similar for teachers, neighbors, or friends, this combo is sweet, personal, and easy to pull together!

What’s Inside:

Homemade Strawberry Jam – I’m sharing my go-to recipe below. It’s quick, delicious, and the perfect way to make the most of fresh strawberries.
Mini Sourdough Loaf – Made with love. There’s nothing better than fresh jam on warm bread, so I included a small loaf of my homemade sourdough. You can support a local bakery and buy scones or fresh baked bread.
Strawberry Soda – This adds a little fun and sparkle to the gift. I picked up mine from Target – Mini Olipop Cans
Mini Berry Colander – I tucked everything inside this adorable berry strainer that they can reuse all season long. It adds charm and makes the whole gift feel like a curated farmers market basket. I found these at TJ Maxx but have sourced similar options for you here.

The Presentation:

I used some pink kraft paper shreds in the bottom of the colander to nestle everything inside, then wrapped it up in a clear cellophane bag and tied it with pretty ribbon and a card. I’ve included a printable of the tags I designed which you can customize and add your name.

Print these on cardstock, punch a hole and tie the ribbon.

Homemade Strawberry Jam Recipe:

This is a small batch jam with no pectin—just a few ingredients and lots of flavor. Perfect for gifting!

You can double or triple the batch if you’re making these gifts for multiple teachers. I used 4 oz. jars, which are the perfect size for gifting.

For a smaller themed gift idea, you can pair a small jam jar with a mini Olipop Soda, tie it in a small clear bag and include a plant or giftcard.

Linked Favorites:

If you’d like to recreate this gift, I’ve rounded up a few similar or exact items for easy shopping:

Berry colander mulit pack/White Colander Mug/3 Pack White Berry Basket/4 Pack Red Colander/Mini Wooden Spoons/Mini Olipop/Mini Jam Jars/Strawberry Napkins/Strawberry Napkins 2/Strawberry Cards/Clear Gift Bags/Gingham Ribbon

Whether you’re wrapping up the school year or just want to share a little springtime joy, this is a sweet, simple way to show someone they’re appreciated and loved.

Have you ever made a seasonal-themed gift? I’d love to hear your ideas—and if you try this one, tag me so I can see your berry sweet creations!

Pumpkin Lovers Rejoice

Published on November 4, 2024 by Amanda LeggetteLeave a comment

As the air turns crisp and the world shifts to shades of amber and gold, there’s something undeniably special about autumn. It’s a season where our senses seem to heighten — the smell of spiced lattes, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, and, of course, the warm, comforting flavors that bring us together. This time of year, there’s nothing better than a dash of pumpkin in our favorite treats.

Today, I’m sharing some of my go-to pumpkin recipes that are perfect for savoring the best of fall. From a creamy pumpkin cold foam to sip on, to sweet pumpkin muffins and doughnuts, and even a hearty pumpkin chili to cozy up with, these recipes are a little bit of autumn bliss for every tastebud. Whether you’re a seasoned pumpkin lover or just diving into these flavors, I hope these recipes make it into your home and become a repeat tradition.

Click on the recipe doc to download and print.

These recipes are easy to make at the same time as they all require some of the canned pumpkin puree.

Happy Fall!

Double the Delight

Published on January 29, 2024January 29, 2024 by Amanda Leggette1 Comment

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by creating a memorable mess in the kitchen with your little ones, by baking delicious themed treats that are sweeter because they helped.

These two kid-friendly treats are both interactive, delicious, and semi-healthy? Can a cookie be healthy? One of these cookies is topped with fresh fruit of your choice so let’s call it, healthy-ish.

First up we have mini fruit pizzas.

My memories of fruit pizzas go WAY back. I vividly remember my aunt and uncle bringing ingredients and the activity for fruit pizzas to one of our family gatherings at my grandparents home.

All you have to do is make a classic sugar cookie, following any recipe of your choosing, and use heart shaped cookie cutters to make them Valentine themed.

Wash and prep fresh fruit for toppings and make this simple cream cheese frosting that you will use as the glue that holds the fruit on the cookie.

After the cookies have cooled, fill a jar with icing and provide a small spatula or butter knife for the kids to spread the icing on their cookies. You may have to assist with this part.

On a platter, arrange the fruit options that will serve as the toppings for their individual cookie pizzas and let them create.

The next Valentine themed cookie is a play on a classic thumbprint cookie. This recipe is vegan and gluten free too.

Instead of pressing a thumb into the center of the dough balls as you normally would for the classic version, you will help your little one use the side of thumb to press into the dough ball twice to form a heart.

No two hearts are equal but that is the beauty of these personalized heart prints.

You can fill the hearts with a jam flavor of your choice. We usually have the organic strawberry preserves from Costco on hand. It has basic ingredients and is free from high fructose corn syrup.

Baking with kids can be an opportunity to bond and laugh with your little one. It isn’t just about the final product; it’s about the shared moments, the laughter, and the love that goes into making the special treats.

So, gather your ingredients, embrace the joyous mess, and enjoy creating sweet memories that will last far beyond the heart shaped bites.

Take HEART & bake, for Haven’s Sake.

Delicious + Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

Published on January 19, 2024January 22, 2024 by Amanda Leggette3 Comments

I recently saw Jennifer Gardner share a recipe for pumpkin muffins on her pretend cooking show, which I love, and had to give them a go.

After reading over the ingredient list, I knew I could make simple modifications to make them gluten free.

Let me tell you, they are delicious and were loved by everyone in the family.

In the past when I’ve made pumpkin muffins, I’ve topped them with either unsweetened dried cranberries and/or butterscotch or chocolate chips. Our boys requested butterscotch on them this time. They add just a tiny bit of sweetness without being too much.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.

Fall Apple Picking + Hearty Muffins

Published on October 14, 2023November 19, 2023 by Amanda LeggetteLeave a comment

The crispness in the air that comes with Fall will always bring me the most joy.

It may be the nostalgia that comes to the forefront of my thoughts reminiscing of the annual trips my family took to the mountains of NC while visiting my grandparents cottage.

The aroma of soups and chilis filling the home, hikes and soaking up the changing of the leaves, the vibrant colors the season brings, sitting my a fire with friends and family, sipping on cider and warm teas, and baking seasonal favorites are just some of my favorite things about Fall.

Last year we visited The Orchard at Altapass for apple picking. The scenery was beautiful and apples plentiful. It was a sweet ending to our mountain trip and exactly what we needed after living through the experience of our oldest being stung by a yellow jacket and having a severe reaction. You may notice in the picture his sweet face was still swollen. We’re grateful for the swift action of the staff at the urgent care in Blackmountain.

We’ve started new traditions with our three sons which still include an annual trip to the mountains. Be sure to read about our favorite mountain town in this post.

Whether you’re picking apples fresh from an orchard in the NC mountains or you snag some from the local farmers market, you have to give my grandmother’s apple muffin recipe a try.