Today on DelmarvaLife:

If you want to treat yourself, you might head to a spa for a day of relaxation. But remember, the holiday season is a time to treat others. So that makes it the perfect time to check out About Faces Day Spa and Salon to see how they can help you check some friends and family members off your gift list.

If you’re a parent, you already know – those little ones grow like weeds. All that money spent on clothes – it can really add up. Not just clothes, but toys, too. That’s where Growth Spurts in Salisbury can help. It’s a consignment shop for kids’ items. Sean recently swung by to find out how it works and how you can unload a few old items while searching for some new ones.

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As winter nears and temperatures drop, it often leaves us wondering about the animals that do not have homes. Leaving them fresh food and water is one way, but you can also provide them warm shelter, without even opening your doors. Kate Hungerford, director of “Partners for Paws Delaware,” shows us how to build an inexpensive and simple cat house.

Joy Quinn-Whalen, store owner of The Spice and Tea Exchange, brings a whole spread of tea, sweet treats, dips, and more to the DelmarvaLife kitchen, and we get to taste it all!

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Compound Butters:

Add flair and sophistication easily by blending in our spices for some delicious and tasty butters for: breakfast muffins/pancakes, breads, seafood, steamed vegetables, meats and more! All compound butters use 1 stick of softened, unsalted butter. Blend, transfer to wax paper, roll into a log, chill for at least 3 hours.

  • Garlic Pesto: Mix 1T Italian Herb Blend + 1 tsp Vik’s Garlic Fix
  • Mushroom Paradise: 1T Mushroom Paradise + 1T Red Bell Pepper + ½ tsp Black Truffle Sea Salt
  • Jalapeno Lime: 1 tsp Jalapeno Pepper Powder + ½ tsp Lime Frost Sea Salt + 1T Cilantro
  • Hibiscus Ginger: 1T Hibiscus Flowers (crushed in mortar & pestle then hydrated in 1T warm water for 15 minutes, strain) + 1.5 tsp Ground Ginger +1.5 tsp Lime Sugar
  • Mustard & Beer: 2 tsp Ground Yellow Mustard + 1T Chives + 2tsp Beer Powder
  • Raspberry Lavender: 1T Raspberry Sugar + 2tsp Honey Granules + 1T Lavender Flowers (crushed in mortar & pestle)
  • Sriracha Citrus: 2 tsp Sriracha Powder + 1/2T Lemon Verbena + 1tsp Lemon Sugar

Dips & Hors D’oeuvres:

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Tomato Bruschetta:

  •  2T TSTE Vik’s Garlic Blend
  • Optional: a few sprinkles of Kahuna Garlic Salt and also of Steakhouse Blend; sliced mozzarella cheese
  • From the Grocer: 2.5 cups chopped grape or cherry tomatoes, French baguette or crackers.
  • Toss tomatoes with olive oil and Vik’s garlic (qty to your taste) and a little salt/pepper and bake for 20 minutes. Spoon onto bread hot (or chilled) for tasty appetizer. Can also top with a piece of mozzarella cheese.

Backwoods Beer Dip:

  • 2T TSTE Backwoods Hicory Rub
  • 2 tsp TSTE Beer Powder
  • 1.5 tsp TSTE Chives
  • From Grocer: 1cup whole Milk; 2T unsalted butter, 2T all-purpose flower, 1cup Cheddar cheese OR melt 16oz of processed cheese block as directed on packaging.
  • Prepare cheese sauce, whisking constantly adding milk for desired consistency. Stir in spice ingredients, serve in a crock pot or on top of nachos, wings, hot dogs, veggies and more.

Savoire Fare Dip:

  • 1 1/4T Dried Green Pepper
  • 1 ¼ Dried Red Pepper
  • 1/2T Sweet Onion Sugar
  • 1/2T Habanero Sugar
  • From Grocer: 8oz Whipped Cream Cheese, softened; 8oz sour cream
  • Prep:
  • Rehydrate the dried peppers in warm water for 5-7 minutes and strain.
  • Thoroughly blend cream cheese and sour cream
  • Combine strained peppers with remaining TSTE ingredients
  • Serve with crackers or pita chips – It’s Sweet! It’s Savory! It’s got kick!

Pumpkin Spice Dip:

  • 2T Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend
  • Optional – candied ginger
  • From Grocer: 1 can pumpkin, 1 50z box instant vanilla pudding, 1 16oz cool whip. Blend all together; Top with candied ginger sprinkles if desired.
  • Serve with apples, graham crackers, nilla wafers, or to top off a slice of pie.

Sweet Treats:

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Dark Chocolate Bark:

  • 16oz Dark Chocolate chips  OR 8oz semisweet with 8oz bittersweet
  • TSTE Sugar of Choice – Suggest: Salted Caramel, Peppermint Patty  OR Bacon Salt
  • Melt 12 oz of the chips in the microwave or double boiler; stir in remaining 4 oz until smooth. Spread to your desired thickness on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle bag of sugar on top. Chill until hard. Break up into bark.

White Chocolate Match Holiday Bark – sweet, salty, with beautiful green color provided by Matcha tea.

  • TSTE Ingredients:  2 tsp Matcha,  1T Cocoa Nibs, 1.5 T Cyprus White Sea Salt
  • From Grocer: 24 oz white chocolate chips and ½ cup dried cranberries
  • Prep:
  • Gather 16oz white chocolate; Melt 12oz in Microwave for 1 min, stirring hallway through. Add remaining 4 oz chocolate and stir until smooth; set aside.
  • Gather 8 oz white chocolate. Melt 6oz in Microwave for 1 min, stirring halfway through. Add remaining 2 oz, stir until. SIFT the Matcha into bowl until fully incorporated.
  • Pour 16 oz white chocolate on parchment lined baking sheet to desired thickness. Dot about 12 spoonfuls of Matcha chocolate on top; swirl together in circular motion (with toothpick) for marbling effect
  • Sprinkle with Cocoa Nibs, Cyprus Salt and cranberries. Chill until chocolate sets. Chop into pieces.

Emperor’s Chai Ice Cream:

  • 1 oz Emperor’s chai tea
  • 1 container Vanilla Ice-cream
  • Steep 1 oz tea in 4 oz water @ temperature for time indicated on bag.
  • Allow ice-cream to soften. Mix 2-4 oz concentrated tea mix in ice-cream; refreeze.

Holiday Cheer:

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Seasonal Teas: Serve hot, pair w/ spirit, or chill as base for cocktail:

  • Limited-Time-Offer (LTO) Teas: Chocolate Orange Decadence, Pomegranate Frost Herbal, Pumpkin Caramel Cream, Pumpkin Chai Latte
  • Cinnamon Plum, Mint-Chilla Chai Nilla, Cranberry Apple Tart

Mulled Apple Cider:

  • 1 Bag TSTE Mulling Spice Blend
  • TSTE Cinnamon or Apple Cinnamon Sugar
  • 1 Quart Apple Coder
  • Steep mulling bag in apple cider in crock pot or stovetop for 15-30 minutes
  • Consider rimming your mug with Cinnamon or Apple sugar; Add dark rum (1oz rum per oz cider) for additional cheer.

Mulled Wine:

  • 1 Bag TSTE Mulling Spice Blend
  • 1 bottle fruity red wine (not too sweet as sweetness will concentrate) – Merlot, Cabernet, Burgundy are good choices.
  • Simmer (don’t boil) wine in crock pot or stovetop for 15-30 minutes with mulling spices. Serve w cinnamon stick.

 

Be sure to tune in today at 5 pm!

Our annual holiday giveaway is back! Every weekday throughout November and December, we’ll be giving out prizes. This year you could win a $1,500 Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines shopping spree at FurnitureLand and over 40 more great prizes to local businesses across Delmarva. Don’t forget to enter daily for additional chances to win! Enter here.

Not every child on Delmarva is fortunate enough to get Christmas gifts. That’s where WBOC’s Bless Our Children Campaign makes a difference. Our goal is to get enough money to local charities so they can buy a present for every child in need here on Delmarva. If you would like to donate and help, send your card and donation to Bless Our Children in Care of WBOC, 1729 N. Salisbury Blvd. 21801 or you can donate online at wboc.com.