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For our last day of the 30 day Holiday Countdown we thought we'd share something that doesn't need to be wrapped or shipped, something that could serve as a perfect last minute gift: society memberships. Through these memberships, your loved ones gain access to information and events from a variety of incredibly epic fields, from astronomy to gravestone studies. We're sharing a few organizations that we love but feel free to use this idea as inspiration to discover societies that are relevant to the people on your holiday gift list! First we have the Association for Gravestone Studies in Massachusetts. The Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) was founded in 1977 for the purpose of furthering the study and preservation of gravestones. AGS is an international organization with an interest in gravemarkers of all periods and styles. Through its publications, conferences, workshops and exhibits, AGS promotes the study of gravestones from historical and artistic perspectives, expands public awareness of the significance of historic gravemarkers, and encourages individuals and groups to record and preserve gravestones. (1) Membership to the AGS offers you access to the AGS quarterly magazine, monthly newsletter, and annual journal, as well as other publications that collectively include "feature articles and regular columns on conservation, epitaphs, and international gravestone studies. Usually there are also book reviews,...definitive illustrated articles on cemeteries and gravemarkers, as well as an extensive annual international bibliography of recent scholarship" so you can discover the magnificent artistry and history of gravemarkers (2). For those who are lovers of history or those who adored gravestone rubbings as children, this is an exceptional membership that we're confident no one will expect! Succulents have become a crushingly popular home decor item in recent years and, with quarantine underway, it seems even more people have embraced the uniqueness and boldness of these fantastical plants. While it is now a bit cliche to gift succulents, a membership to the Cactus and Succulent Society of America is an excellent way to embrace the popularity of plants in an unexpected way! Founded in 1929, The Cactus And Succulent Society Of America (CSSA) is a worldwide community of avid gardeners, hobby and commercial horticulturists, nurserymen, and professional scientists who all share an appreciation for cacti and other types of succulent plants. (3) Members of the CSSA get access to the Cactus and Succulent Society Journal (published four times annually), the To The Pointe newsletter, the CSSA Biennial International Convention, members-only field trips, and reduced prices on seeds from the CSSA Seed Depot. For the plant-lovers in your life, a CSSA membership makes an incredible gift! Our flagship publication, Cactus and Succulent Journal, has been the leading publication of its kind since 1929. It features popular and scientific articles about cacti and other succulent plants...Each full color, quarterly volume features horticultural instruction, new plants, research and conservation reports, travelogues, biographical and historical material and book-reviews. Numerous photographs of plants in habitat or in cultivation and fine botanical paintings...enrich the text. Lively travelogues give a sense of discovery, while (friendly) instructions on cultivation, propagation and pest control encourage a safe immersion in the world of succulents. (3) Next on our list we have the Explorers Club in New York City. Maintaining a beautiful Jacobean townhouse headquarters on E 70th Street in Manhattan, the Explorers Club is a love letter to curiosity and adventure that we imagine everyone wants to be a part of! In May 1904, a group of men active in exploration met at the request of Henry Collins Walsh, to form an organization to unite explorers in the bonds of good fellowship and to promote the work of exploration by every means in its power...For more than a century, members of the Club have traversed the earth, the seas, the skies, and even the moon, on expeditions of exploration. First to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all accomplished by our members. (4) It shouldn't come as much surprise that, given the tremendous accomplishments of its members, not just anyone can declare themselves an explorer and gain membership. However, there is a Friends of the Club membership level for "individuals who wish to associate with The Explorers Club and support its mission" that is available to those of us who haven't "made documented contributions to scientific knowledge through field expeditions" as evidenced by publication (5). By submitting an application supplemented by a letter of sponsorship from a current Club member or fellow, one can begin the review process for Friends of the Club membership. If that seems like too much of a commitment or too lengthy a process, we completely understand and recommend gifting a one, two, or three year subscription to The Explorers Journal, the official quarterly publication of the Explorers Club since 1921. It's nothing short of epic and the perfect introduction to the Club for your intrepid loved ones! Finally, we have the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Founded in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, WHOI is "dedicated to advancing knowledge of the ocean and its connection with the Earth system through a sustained commitment to excellence in science, engineering, and education, and to the application of this knowledge to problems facing society" (6). WHOI’s leadership in ocean science and engineering has resulted in a long line of notable discoveries and advancements in knowledge of the ocean. These range from the distribution and role of microbes in the marine environment to development of revolutionary new tools and techniques to study the ocean to the discovery of life in the deep ocean near hydrothermal vents to a deeper understanding of the nature and impacts of hydrocarbons in the ocean. (7) Membership to WHOI "provides priceless support to the researchers and engineers at WHOI who are applying novel ideas and technologies to understanding the ocean for our planet and our future" but also gives you or your loved ones access to a weekly e-newsletter, invitations to special tours, talks, and events, and depending on the membership tier, a subscription to the Oceanus magazine, an Atlantis poster, or a truly phenomenal t-shirt featuring a whale and the message 'Extinction is FOREVER'. We think the t-shirt alone makes the WHOI membership an easy sell! All of the above memberships offer the people on your holiday gift list an opportunity to feed their curiosities and develop passions so we are confident they are well worth the dues. In closing out this feature, we want to take this moment to thank you all so much for joining us on this 30 Day Holiday Countdown! Hopefully you found gift-giving inspiration!

We saved this recipe for the last day of our Holiday Countdown because it's truly one of our favorites. Growing up, one of our team members knew these 'puppy chow' or 'muddy buddy' treats as "Reindeer Food', as every year their grandfather would gift them a canister of Mark Avenue Reindeer Food. If you aren't in the mood to cook this year, the Mark Avenue version of these sugary tidbits are pretty fantastic but if you are looking for a fun and easy recipe the whole family will love, continue reading! The base of these small square bites are rice cereal (we use Chex). Salty peanut butter, rich creamy chocolate, butter, and vanilla are melted together to create a decadent sauce that is used to coat the cereal. The chunky glazed cereal is then tossed in powdered sugar to create independent stick-free bites that are the ideal combination of salty and sweet (although we warn you, these are certainly at the far end of the saccharine). To tame the sweetness we recommend semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and as much as you may want to use natural peanut or nut butters, the processed artificiality of creamy Jiff or Skippy really works best for this job. The holidays are a time to indulge so why not go all out with these tiny but outstandingly good treats! Maybe leave a few out with your plate of cookies so the reindeer get some chow along with Santa! By Jennifer Debth of Show Me the Yummy Whether you call it puppy chow or muddy buddies, I promise you, this is the best recipe! Why? More chocolate, more peanut butter, and more powdered sugar! This childhood classic snack mix just got better. 🙂 With only six ingredients, puppy chow (muddy buddies) is extremely quick and easy to whip up, making it the perfect recipe for the busy holiday season. Because it’s so simple I love making it for big parties or even giving it away as gifts! PUPPY CHOW INGREDIENTS This sweet snack mix is made of six super simple ingredients! The best part? You probably have all of the ingredients on hand already. If you don’t typically have these ingredients on hand, I’d recommend changing that. All of the ingredients are staple pantry and fridge items that all have a long shelf life. Rice chex cereal makes the base of this recipe and makes this snack mix super crunchy and addicting. You don’t want to use a sweetened cereal or it will end up too sweet. Semi-sweet chocolate chips. As with the unsweetened cereal, using semi-sweet ensures that this snack mix isn’t overly sweet. Peanut butter gets melted together with the chocolate chips and creates an amazingly creamy mixture that coats the cereal. Use smooth peanut butter – instead of chunky – to ensure even melting. Unsalted butter. This helps the chocolate and peanut butter melt together and create a rich, smooth chocolate-y “sauce”. Vanilla extract. I love using vanilla for additional flavor and “cozy” factor. Powdered sugar. After the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture, you’ll add in the powdered sugar. This adds additional sweetness to the recipe and makes it socially acceptable to lick your fingers 😉 HOW TO MAKE PUPPY CHOW Place chex cereal into a large bowl. Set aside. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter into a large microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Melt until smooth, then stir in vanilla extract. Pour chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently stir together. Stir in the powdered sugar. Enjoy! It’s sweet, peanut buttery, extra chocolatey, and slightly crunchy, so you know you can’t put it down! TIPS FOR MAKING PUPPY CHOW (MUDDY BUDDIES) There are SO many recipes for puppy chow, but I promise you, my recipe is the best, because of these tips and tricks. Use the whole box of cereal. Most recipes call for 9 cups of cereal, leaving 2 cups left in the box. What the heck are you supposed to do with 2 cups of chex?! Don’t do that. Use the whole box of cereal. Use the whole bag of chocolate chips. More is more in this recipe. Just throw the whole bag in. Use more powdered sugar than you think necessary. The cereal should be COMPLETELY coated in white. Don’t over mix. Chunks are the best part. Just trust me on this one. HOW TO STORE PUPPY CHOW Puppy chow can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. It does not need to be refrigerated, but some people prefer it chilled. That’s up to you! PUPPY CHOW RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS If you can, I highly recommend making the recipe as is. It truly is the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, chocolate-y, peanut buttery goodness. That being said, if you MUST make substitutions, here’s what I suggest: Can I use a different kind of cereal? If you don’t like/can’t find rice chex, corn chex is a great substitute. Do I have to use semi-sweet chocolate? You can use dark chocolate or even milk chocolate, but semi-sweet is really gives you that perfect sweet, but not too sweet balance. I’m allergic to peanuts, can I use a different kind of nut butter? Processed peanut butter – think Jiff or Skippy – works best, but sunflower seed butter should work as well. I don’t recommend using all natural nut butters, because they’re too runny and may not set as well at room temperature. I’m vegan, is the butter necessary? Butter is essential, but try using a vegan buttery spread instead. Results not guaranteed, because it hasn’t been tested. Do I need to use vanilla extract? No, you can omit it, but you will loose some of that cozy depth of flavor. There really isn’t a substitute for the powdered sugar, so just leave that one alone. 😉 IS IT CALLED PUPPY CHOW OR MUDDY BUDDIES? It’s the same thing either way. I grew up calling it puppy chow but plenty of people call it muddy buddies. It depends on where you live. Other names: Monkey munch Muddy munch Reindeer chow Monster munch WHAT IS PUPPY CHOW (MUDDY BUDDIES)? Puppy chow is a snack mix made of crunchy chex cereal coated in a mixture of chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla which is covered in powered sugar. WHY IS IT CALLED PUPPY CHOW? The shape of the pieces coated in chocolate resembles dog food. Purina, the dog food company, created the original Chex cereal back in 1937 and people started calling it “human chow”, due to the Purina connection. Who would’ve thought that a dog food company also created cereal for humans! WHO INVENTED MUDDY BUDDIES? If you’re in the muddy buddies camp, you can thank General Mills. They developed and packaged their recipe for sale in 2009. How they came up with the name is beyond me, but if YOU know, let me know in the comments below! Whatever the name is, puppy chow and muddy buddies are made of the same basic ingredients of cereal, peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar. CAN YOU MAKE PUPPY CHOW AHEAD? This is an extremely popular holiday recipe, and luckily this is a great recipe to make ahead during this busy season! It stays fresh for up to a week if stored properly. Crunchy, sweet, peanut buttery, and loaded with chocolate . . . What’s not to love?! HOW MUCH SHOULD I FEED MY DOG? NONE! This is for humans only, please and thank you. 🙂 PSST – if you’re looking for a real dog treat, check out my homemade dog treat recipe! – Jennifer Best Puppy Chow Recipe This is the best puppy chow recipe! Why? More chocolate, more peanut butter, more powdered sugar! This childhood classic aka muddy buddies just got better. 🙂 Plus, it uses the WHOLE box of cereal and the WHOLE bag of chocolate chips, so less measuring required! Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 1 minute 1 (12 oz) box rice chex cereal could also use corn 1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips could also use dark choco, milk choco, etc. 3/4 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (2 lb) bag powdered sugar or less to taste - I honestly just eye ball it Instructions Place cereal into a large bowl. Set aside. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir until smooth. If the chocolate chips haven't melted enough, microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted. Stir in vanilla extract. Pour the chocolate mixture over the chex cereal and stir together gently with a spatula. DO NOT OVER MIX. The chunks are the best part! The cereal pieces should be completely coated in chocolate, but it's ok for a few to clump together. Pour the powdered sugar over the mixture. Use as much or as little as you like, but I think this is best when no chocolate shows through. Gently stir to combine. Again, don't over mix. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container!

Nothing says luxury like delicate Italian velvet slippers. Friulane slippers are a must have staple and an epic gender neutral replacement for stale ballet flats. Thin rubber soles are the foundation of these lightweight and deliciously comfortable shoes that are covered with luscious velvet or supple suede. Friulane became popular in 19th century Italy when, during the post-war shortages, Italians constructed their slippers from old rubber tires and recycled fabrics. During the 19th century, fruilane represented fashion born from necessity but these shoes hold an even more impressive history, finding favour with Italians from all generations and all walks of life. Friulane officially made their debut in the 18th century, but Friuli Venezia Giulia region will tell you that the rubber-soled scarpets had long been walking the walk in the Friuli mountains where contadine, farmer and peasant women, were piecing together leftover strips of fabric and string to create shoes...And eventually, the pretty papusse arrived in the calli and campi of Venice where Friulian women would sell their handmade wares. And the rest is, well, history. The sultry slip-on became a sought-after favourite of la Serenissima’s citizens. The gondoliers loved the slipper because the sole left no scuff marks on the hand-painted gondola while protecting feet from getting soaked. And by virtue of the secretive Venetian nature, the elite adored the slippers for its facility to stylish stealth, making it evening easier to silently sneak away from meetings and to lovers. (1) Who doesn't want accessories reminiscent of Venetian gondoliers? Not surprisingly, contemporary shoe brands around the world have adopted the stylish finesse of this Italian footwear and added a variety of personalized monograms, logos, embroidered designs, and embellishments that transform these minimalist flats into memorable statement slippers. We're partial to the more traditional simplistic designs; we find the elegant form, complete with a subtle central peak, to so flattering and sumptuous that no added detailing is necessary. Walking through bustling city streets in friulane leaves us feeling modelesque on an urban runway while wearing them in our apartments makes us feel magisterial and our homes palatial. Friulane are seasonless, timeless, and genderless making them the ideal gift for anyone on your list!

We are completely smitten with this cheesecake by Marta Rivera of Sense & Edibility! A smooth creamy cheesecake is fragranced with honey and lemon and is framed by crisp flaky phyllo pastry and sweet nuts spiced with warming cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. The combination of textures is fantastic; the phyllo and nuts in the baklava layer provide just enough textural interest to complement the decadently silky cheesecake. We love to use traditional walnuts in the baklava or add pistachios for a subtle green hue. The cheesecake is finished with a gorgeously abstract bouquet of phyllo waves that get generously glazed with honey lemon syrup that is simply to die for! Rivera writes that this cheesecake "is a recipe with genius-level status" and we couldn't agree more! By Marta Rivera of Sense & Edibility Let’s face it, these days we all have some extra time on our hands. Even I, a work from home, homeschool (not quarantine school) mom of teenage twins, have a bit more time on my hands. So, while we’re confined to the four walls of our homes, why not explore new recipes? This week, go out and try to procure the ingredients to make this Honey Cheesecake with Baklava Crust. WHAT IS BAKLAVA? Baklava is a sweet pastry made with phyllo dough and nuts, which is later doused in a honey-lemon syrup. Most popular in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, it became my daughter’s obsession when she took her first bite at the age of 6. You can find one of my versions of Baklava here. Phyllo, baklava’s base, is a very thin sheet of dough that requires patience and skill to make. One of my assignments in culinary school was to make phyllo without breaking the dough. For each hole you punctured into the sheet, you were docked points. I ended up with a B-. As a result, I have never again attempted to make phyllo dough. Buying it is the only way it will show up in my home. Nuts are another prominent part of baklava. No one in my family loves walnuts, which is the most common nut used in traditional baklava. Because of their ambivalence to walnuts, I mix them with pistachios, pecans, and cashews in equal amounts. Finally, the honey-lemon syrup. This simple syrup is poured over the pastry right after it comes out of the oven. Because the mission is to keep the baklava as crisp as possible, the pastry has to be hot when the syrup is poured over it. That way the dessert absorbs the syrup while still maintaining its crispness. HONEY CHEESECAKE WITH BAKLAVA CRUST SHOPPING LIST To prepare the baklava crust, you’ll need a package of Athens Phyllo Dough. You will only use half of the box for this recipe, but who’s going to be upset that you’ll have enough dough leftover to make a second cheesecake? No one. That’s who. For the rest of the baklava crust, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of crushed nuts. Again, this can be your favorite nut or a combination of whatever nuts you have in the pantry. Just crush them in a food processor or chop them with your knife. Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom- the latter two being optional- will be used to season the nuts. Melted unsalted butter will be brushed between each layer of phyllo dough to produce its characteristically flaky texture. The honey-lemon syrup is made with, yes, you’ve guessed it: honey and lemon juice. You’ll also need sugar, water, and vanilla. The Honey Cheesecake part of this dessert is simple: room temperature cream cheese, eggs, more honey, lemon zest, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch. So, let’s get to our baking project! COMBINE THE NUT MIXTURE Although there are a few stages in the preparation of this dessert, they’re all pretty quick and easy to accomplish. Starting with the nut mixture that you’ll sprinkle over every fifth layer of phyllo. In a small bowl, mix together the crushed nuts, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom- just use your hand. Set this bowl aside. LAYER THE BAKLAVA CRUST One thing that’s very important to know about working with phyllo dough is this: work fast and keep it covered. Phyllo dough is suuuuuper thin and dries out quickly. Because of this, you should keep the dough covered with a piece of plastic wrap. Covering it will keep it from drying out too fast. Also, try to work fast because when phyllo dries out it turns to something akin to dried parchment. It’ll crumble and disintegrate. To cut the phyllo use the sharpest knife you own, or, better yet, a lame. A dull knife will tear the phyllo instead of cutting it. Remove one roll of phyllo from the box and unroll the dough on your cutting surface. Use the bottom insert of a 9″ springform pan as your cutting guide to cut the dough out into a circle. The leftover scraps will be used later (if you want). Just wrap the scraps in plastic wrap and store in them in the fridge for now. Brush a thin layer of melted butter onto the bottom of the cheesecake pan using your pastry brush. Place a circle of phyllo dough onto the buttered insert. Brush another thin layer of butter onto this circle of phyllo dough. Place a second layer of dough onto the first and brush again. Repeat this process with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th layers of dough. NUTS! AND A NOTE ABOUT BUTTERING THE LAYERS Brush the 5th layer of phyllo with another light layer of butter. Sprinkle a handful of nuts (about a 1/2 cup) onto this 5th layer. Use your fingers to spread the nuts over the surface of the phyllo disc. Because phyllo won’t stick together without some help, be sure to butter the top of each top layer. Repeat the process of layering and buttering the phyllo dough until you have three layers of nuts. So, you should have 5 layers of dough, 1/2 cups of nuts, 5 layers of dough, 1/2 cup of nuts, 5 layers of dough, the last of the nuts, and the remaining dough. Just use up however many layers of dough remain in the roll. Brush the top layer of dough with butter. SCORE, THEN BAKE THE BAKLAVA After assembling the baklava, carefully place the pan’s insert inside the collar. Don’t forget to clamp the collar shut! Why, yes, I have made this mistake before. Thanks for asking. Press the dough down to make sure it’s sits in the bottom of the pan. Use your lame (or sharp knife) to score the dough in a diamond pattern. This will help the baklava soak up the honey lemon syrup we’re going to drizzle over it. Bake the baklava in a 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. PREPARE THE BAKLAVA HONEY SYRUP While your baklava is baking, prepare the honey-lemon syrup. It’s best to get it going shortly after you begin baking the pastry since you need to pour it over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. In a small saucepan stir together the granulated sugar and the water. Bring the mixture up to a boil, stirring constantly to encourage the sugar to dissolve. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low and stir in the honey, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Allow the syrup to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The syrup will thicken slightly and no granules of sugar should remain. Set the syrup to the side for now. FLAVOR THE BAKLAVA Once the crust has finished baking, pour half of the syrup over the hot baklava. Save the rest of the syrup for pouring over the finished Honey Cheesecake later. Set the crust aside to cool for 10 minutes. Once the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Set the pan aside while you mix the cheesecake batter. BEGIN THE HONEY CHEESECAKE BATTER In a large mixing bowl, use your electric hand mixer or stand mixer to blend the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt on medium speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the bowl and beaters after each egg has been mixed in. USE FLUID HONEY IN YOUR CHEESECAKE BATTER Add the honey to the batter and mix until it is fully incorporated. You need fluid (or runny honey). If you’re a raw honey user, just warm and stir it until it’s fluid before adding it to the batter. Scrape the bowl and beaters once again, then add the cornstarch to the batter. Blend the cornstarch into the batter- this time on low speed- just until it’s mixed in. Over-mixing the batter once the cornstarch has been added will result in a gummy cheesecake. BAKE, THEN “SAUCE” THE HONEY CHEESECAKE Pour the prepared Honey Cheesecake batter onto the baklava crust. Set the foil-wrapped pan into a larger pan, then pour boiling water into the outer (larger) pan to create a water bath (read about bain maries here). This technique makes over-baking the cheesecake virtually impossible as it creates a temperature-regulated environment in which to bake the cheesecake. Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. If you’d like to add a little flair to your Honey Cheesecake, decorate the top with those leftover scraps of phyllo dough. After an hour of baking, carefully furl the phyllo dough scraps into waves and set them on top of the cheesecake. Continue to bake the cheesecake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is golden brown. Once the topping has browned, pour the rest of the honey lemon syrup on top of the baking cheesecake. Just pull the rack out and douse the cheesecake in that syrup. If you’re not into decorating, just pull the oven rack out and douse the cheesecake in that remaining honey-lemon syrup. Return the rack to the oven, turn the oven off, and prop the oven door open to allow the cheesecake to cool gradually for 1 hour. CHILL OVERNIGHT After the cheesecake has gradually cooled in the oven, remove it from the oven. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the water-filled pan, then remove and discard the protective layer of foil. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on the countertop, then transfer it to the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours. I like to cool my cheesecake overnight so it’s completely set when I cut it. ENJOY YOUR HONEY CHEESECAKE IN ITS BAKLAVA CRUST! Once chilled throughout, use a very sharp knife to cut through the decorative layer of phyllo dough and down through that baklava crust. This Honey Cheesecake dessert is a recipe with genius-level status. It is always a hit whenever and wherever I serve it. My daughter has declared it her, “Most favorite dessert of all time!” I’m sure, that is, until I create the next dessert. Store your Honey Cheesecake with Baklava Crust in the refrigerator. Cover any exposed parts of its interior with a piece of wax paper pressed up against the exposed cheesecake. This will keep it from becoming crusty and hard. Honey Cheesecake with Baklava Crust Begin this recipe a day ahead or early in the day. Prep Time40 minutes Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes chill time6 hours Total Time8 hours Servings8 servings Equipment 9" springform pan sharp knife Ingredients Baklava Crust 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger optional 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom optional 16 ounce package phyllo dough, thawed (you'll only use half of the package or 1 roll) 1 stick unsalted butter melted Honey-Lemon Syrup 1 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice (save the peel for zesting later) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Honey Cheesecake 4 8 ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 large eggs 1 cup honey fluid 1/3 cup cornstarch Instructions: Assemble the Baklava Crust Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, use your hand to combine the chopped nuts, cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Set the nuts aside. Unroll one roll of the phyllo dough from the box. Place the insert of your cheesecake pan on top of the stack of phyllo sheets and use a very sharp knife to cut the phyllo into a circle. Wrap the scraps in plastic wrap and store in them in the fridge to use later. Using a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of melted butter onto the bottom of the cheesecake pan. Place a circle of phyllo dough onto the buttered insert. Brush the phyllo with another thin layer of butter, then place a second layer of dough onto the first. Brush this layer of dough with butter. Repeat this process with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th layers of dough. After brushing the 5th layer of phyllo with butter, sprinkle this layer with a 1/2 cup of nuts. Spread the nuts into an even layer over the surface of the phyllo disc. Repeat the process of layering and buttering the phyllo dough until you have three layers of nuts. You should have: 5 layers of dough, 1/2 cups of nuts, 5 layers of dough, 1/2 cup of nuts, 5 layers of dough, the last of the nuts, and the remaining dough. Use up all the dough that's left for the top of the baklava. Brush the top layer of dough with butter. Bake the Baklava After the baklava has been assembled, carefully place the pan's insert inside the collar. Make sure to shut the collar's clamp. Press the dough down to make sure it's sits in the bottom of the pan. Use a sharp knife to score the dough in a diamond pattern. Bake the baklava in the preheated oven 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Prepare the Honey Syrup While the baklava is baking, stir together the granulated sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture up to a boil, stirring constantly to encourage the sugar to dissolve. Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low and stir in the honey, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Allow the syrup to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. The syrup will thicken slightly and no granules of sugar should remain. Set the syrup to the side for now. Finish the Baklava Crust Once the crust has finished baking, remove it from the oven and immediately pour half of the syrup over the hot baklava. Save the rest of the syrup for pouring over the finished Honey Cheesecake later. Allow the pan to cool, then wrap the bottom and sides in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Set the pan aside while you mix the cheesecake batter. Mix the Honey Cheesecake Batter Bring a pot of water to a boil for the water bath which you'll bake the cheesecake in. Set out a pan that is large enough to hold the cheesecake pan with at least a 1 1/2" space between the two pans. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt on medium speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mixture, scraping down the bowl and beaters after each egg has been mixed in. Blend the batter for 3 minutes on medium-low speed. Pour the honey into the batter and mix until it is fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beaters once again, then add the cornstarch to the batter. Blend the cornstarch into the batter, on low speed, just until it's mixed in. Don't over-mix the batter once the cornstarch has been added. Bake and Glaze the Honey Cheesecake Pour the prepared Honey Cheesecake batter onto the baklava crust. Set the foil-wrapped pan into the larger pan, then pour the boiling water into the outer (larger) pan. Carefully place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. Optional Decoration: After an hour of baking, carefully furl the reserved phyllo dough scraps into waves and arrange them on top of the cheesecake. Continue to bake the cheesecake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the phyllo dough is golden brown. Once the topping has browned, pull the oven rack out and pour the remaining honey syrup over the surface of the cheesecake. If you chose not to decorate the surface, just pull the oven rack out and douse the cheesecake in that remaining honey-lemon syrup. Push the rack with the cheesecake on it back into the oven, then turn the oven off and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to cool gradually for 1 hour. Chill the Cheesecake Thoroughly Remove the pan from the oven after the cheesecake has cooled for an hour. Carefully remove the cheesecake from the water-filled pan, then remove and discard the foil. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on the countertop, then transfer it to the refrigerator to cool for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Once completely chilled, serve using a very sharp knife to cut through the decorative layer of phyllo dough and down through the baklava crust. Store any leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator. Press wax or parchment paper against any exposed sections of cheesecake to keep it from growing crusty or dried out. Nutrition Calories: 771kcal | Carbohydrates: 116g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 468mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 513IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg

We really debated about sharing this product. Our main concern was kitchen appliances are relatively standard gifts that you may have already considered gifting this year. Ultimately, we concluded that this Breville Milk Cafe is just too wonderful to leave off our gift guide! We were gifted one years ago and we use it so often and adore it so much that we purchased two more just for ourselves (let alone the countless ones we've gifted)! This simple countertop appliance heats and froths milk to absolute perfection. Unlike steam frothing machines, the Milk Cafe is impossibly quiet and produces a thick dense foam with no mess. It's large enough to accommodate milk for a few cups or, if you're like us, one very large mug! Naturally, this Milk Cafe is an ideal gift for any coffee-lover looking for the perfect cappuccino or latte but you'd be shocked at how versatile this tool is. Froth some milk and add a swirl of local honey for a comforting medicinal treat, add your favorite chocolate or cocoa powder for a life-changingly foamy hot chocolate, or whip up a flawless hot buttered rum drink. Even mulled wine can be made in this compact machine! And don't get us started on the epic London fogs or Iced Tea Lattes the Milk Cafe creates! Simply add your milk to the pitcher, set the dial to the desired temperature, and press start. Once the milk reaches temperature, toss in any additions and set to cold stir to incorporate the ingredients and finalize your frothy beverage. While counter space is always limited, we are confident that the Breville Milk Cafe is well worth the real estate. We use ours on a daily basis and our kids are completely smitten with the spiced milks and decadent hot chocolates we can quickly and easily create with this seemingly perfect machine. Plus, the Milk Cafe is available through Amazon Prime so while it won't make it before the final day of Hanukah you can still get it in time to share it for Christmas and Kwanzaa!

The gorgeous orange color of these kabocha squash muffins by Dave Bakes is just spellbinding! Smooth sweet squash is roasted and caramelized before being incorporated into a delicate buttermilk-based muffin batter speckled with spicy bits of candied ginger. The resulting muffins are soft and tender and offer the perfect balance of spice and sweetness. Enjoy warm with a pad of butter and you'll quickly make them a staple on your holiday breakfast table! By Dave Bakes Aaarrrghh!!!! Anyone else feel burned out and dejected? About…you know, right? I am still quite exhausted from this week. I cannot get over how most in my company assumed things would go a certain way. This has been creating so much stress and anxiety. I imagine it is very similar to Brexit. Oh well. I don’t know how much I’ll be posting about politics, because after all, this is a baking blog, but I did have to acknowledge what was going on. Life goes on, I guess, food blogging-wise. BTW, though the vibrant orange of this squash matches something, this is in no way indicating that I’ve reached any level of acceptance. I’m still going through the Kübler-Ross model for the 5 stages of grief. Bear with me. In the meantime, I will still bake, as it is what sometimes keeps me sane. Kabocha Ginger Muffins. Kabocha is a type of squash that is naturally sweeter than most other squash. It is often used in savory stews, soups, side dishes, but also of desserts. This is a sort of international squash, as the name comes from Japan, but it wasn’t originally from Japan. The Portuguese introduced it to parts of Asia, but it was already available in various other parts of the world. In the grocery store, it is often bunched together with sugar pumpkins. I confess that I’ve not heard of these until this year, but just looking at the vibrant color of it, I knew that I would soon be posting about it! Despite recent U.S. events, I still like this color very much. I think the best part of making this is the smell of it when you roast the squash in your kitchen! That, and it’s also relatively easy to prepare this recipe. I decided to make it simple with all emphasis on ginger, rather than using pumpkin spice mix, or any of the other spices, but this is a versatile recipe that of course one can adapt, so feel free to use the more traditional mix of spices often associated with autumn. I hope you enjoy it! Kabocha Squash Ginger Muffins (makes about 20 muffins) INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 and 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 Tablespoon crystallized ginger, chopped finely 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp. 1 cup roasted kabocha squash flesh 2 eggs, room temp. 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup buttermilk demerara or turbinado sugar, optional, for sprinkling over PREPARATION: Roast the squash by cutting it in half, horizontally with the skin sides down, on a baking sheet lined with foil, seeds removed first, rubbed with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Roast in preheated oven to 375 degrees F. for roughly an hour, until flesh is soft ith some browning on the edges. Strain, or mash, after it has cooled completely. You should be able to get a few cups of flesh out of a medium sized kabocha squash, but you only need one cup. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 20 muffin tin molds. Set aside. Add the first five ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly with a whisk several times to ensue ingredients are well combined and integrated. Set aside. Add the butter milk and kabocha in a bowl and mix well until incorporated. Set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat with a hand held electric mixer until incorporated. Add the vanilla and do the same. Alternate adding a little flour mixture, mixing and scraping down sides of the bowl and then adding a portion of the buttermilk/kabocha mixture. So, you should start with a third of the flour mixture, mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, adding half the buttermilk/kabocha mixture, repeating this process, finally ending with the last third of the flour mixture. Portion out evenly for each muffin tin mold. I added three tablespoons, a little less than 1/4 cup for each muffin, coming up with 20 muffins. Sprinkle tops with demerara or turbinado sugar, before baking, if desired. This gives it a slight crunch and a little browning. Bake for about 20-24 minutes, or until tops are slightly browned on the edges, and no longer wet in the middle. Do a toothpick test to see if the muffins in the middle of the muffin tin are done. Take out of oven and let cool in tin for a few minutes if not using liners. Enjoy!

As our New England-based team members prepare for the upcoming nor'easter, we felt inspired to share a warm comforting gift today and the velvet cherry pit pillow from Koya Naturals epitomizes comfort. Cherry pit filled pillows have been used for centuries in Europe to soothe muscle and stomach aches. It is said that the heat retaining properties of the cherry pit was discovered by Swiss distillery workers who would tie them in small bags, place them on the factory stoves, and use them at the end of the day to treat stiff shoulders, backs, and the general aches and paints of their toil. (1) A luscious velvet cover in rich jewel tones holds 28 ounces of cherry pits from Michigan. While we never expected a pillow to be filled with cherry pits, we can assure you it's absolute magic. The pits not only perform beautifully at cool and warm temperatures, but they offer an incredibly soothing weight that acts like a gentle embrace, helping to melt away tension. But the two things we love most about the pillow are the sound and the smell. The cherry pits within the pillow clatter against each other for a twinkling rain-like sound that is outstandingly relaxing. And, when heated, the seeds produce a soft delicate steam that smells deliciously of cherry. It's such an unexpected treat that always makes us feel pampered. The pillow can be cooled in the freezer or heated in a microwave or conventional oven depending on your needs and all the Koya Naturals cherry pit pillows are machine washable. We love how easy this pillow is to use and how complete the sensory comfort is. The sweet smell of cherries, the calming sound of rain, and the warmth and gentle compression make for a truly luxurious experience! You can't go wrong sharing a cherry pit pillow this holiday!

Peppermint is a classic winter holiday flavour. Added to candy canes or frosted cakes, the crisp cool flavour is reminiscent of the chilling weather but with some much needed sweetness! Today's recipe embraces the chill of peppermint but with a contemporary twist from sichuan pepper. Fragrant floral and citrus notes of the pepper add a bouquet of notes to the mints but the real treasure is the sensation. The cooling menthol-like mouthfeel from the peppermint oil is enhanced by the tingling numbing sensation of the sichuan pepper. It's an oddly medicinal combination in the best way! The recipe by Tessa of Cooking With Gifs, adapted from famous Dutch restaurant De Librije, is a simple but fantastic and the resulting mints will certainly wow your holiday guests! By Tessa of Cooking With Gifs Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper or Szechuan pepper, however you spell it, is a spice often used in Asian and specifically Chinese cooking. It is an essential component of five spice powder and is a well known pairing with incredible amounts of scorching hot chillis. The combination of Sichuan pepper and chilli is almost symbiotic, the Sichuan pepper numbs your mouth allowing for even more chilli heat. But the Sichuan pepper is not related to either black pepper or chilli peppers. The 'peppercorns' are the seed husks of the Prickly Ash, a relative of the citrus tree. You can taste this relation by taking a husk and placing it on your tongue. It has an intensely floral and citrus taste followed by that famous numbing sensation. The numbing sensation reminded me a bit of the cooling sensation from a strong mint, which is why I decided to make some peppermints flavoured with a touch of Sichuan pepper. I wanted a mint you could suck on without it disintegrating immediately and nibble on without breaking your teeth. I ended up adapting a recipe by famous Dutch restaurant De Librije, which appeared in an edition of the Culinaire Saisonnier. Ingredients 580 grams of sugar 16.5 grams of glucose syrup (I made my own by boiling dextrose with water until it made a thick syrup) 200 ml water 200 grams of confectioner sugar 6 drops of peppermint oil 1 teaspoon of finely ground Sichuan pepper Sichuan pepper Start by dry roasting some Sichuan pepper, making sure you remove any twigs and seeds. It only takes a minute or two but it releases all those fantastic aromas. Now pulverize the pepper in a pestle or food processor. Don't worry if you can't get it extremely fine, just sieve it to get some of the finely ground powder. Sugar Put the sugar (not the confectioners), glucose syrup and water in a pan with a thick bottom. Now boil it until it reaches 123 degrees celcius (a sugar thermometer is very handy). You are at the low end of hardball stage. So if you drop a bit of the syrup in cold water and take it out it will form a ball without flattening but you can still easily squish it with your fingers. Now take it off the heat and add the confectioners sugar. it will form an opaque paste. Now it is flavouring time, start with a couple of drops of peppermint and taste (take a bit out and cool it for a second). The Librije recipe added 2 drops for this amount but my peppermint oil really needed at least 6 drops to get the flavour right. Now add the Sichuan pepper, I used about a teaspoon to get the flavour effect without it being overwhelming. Shape The original recipe is for peppermint shards, which you get by simply spreading the paste on a stone surface (in my case a diligently cleaned segment of the floor) dusted with some more confectioners sugar. Now shards are not my preferred peppermint shape so I also tried out a couple of different shapes. One is a traditional round shape made by spreading the paste over a fondant shape mould. I still had some left after the shard and mould methods, so I just broke off some of the hot paste (asphalt hands are an asset here) and shaped them into roundish very handmade but mouth friendly rocks. After about 10 minutes drying time you can pop out the round peppermints from the mould and you can lift the big slab of the ground. This slap breaks easily into the shards you want. The mints I made ended up with a sophisticated peppermint flavour with just the right amount of floral and citrus notes. The numbing and cooling effect is subtle but noticeable especially after you finished the mint. Especially if you suck on the mint for an extended time you will notice the roof of your mouth feeling a bit numb. They would probably also make very good soothing mints if you have a sore throat . They will store for weeks (and quite frankly probably months) if you keep them dry. Though I don't think they will make it that long. You will probably also end up with some smaller peppermint grit, don't throw this away as it is an excellent addition to some chocolate ice cream.

Although we have shared 25 recipes so far in this Holiday Countdown, we haven't shared a salad—until now! This coconut kaniwa winter salad from Elenore Bendel Zahn of Earth Sprout is both astonishingly delicious and impossibly beautiful. Kaniwa, an ancient grain, is infused with rich fragrant coconut and is combined with vibrant purple cabbage, carrots, and parsnips for a jeweled tone winter dish. Crunchy walnuts add fantastic texture, as do bright bursting pomegranate arils. Finally, a simple dressing of oil, maple syrup, lime, garlic, and tamari offers the balancing, but flawlessly delicate, salt component and helps bind this magnificent salad together. The dish is an easy and truly wonderful addition to any holiday table! By Elenore Bendel Zahn of Earth Sprout Holy Moly, it’s 2014! I guess you already knew that but anyways – Happy New Year darling dearest sensationally fantastic YOU! If your holidays looked somewhat like our did you’ve been hopping around town / country to various parts of the family + extended family to celebrate Christmas. The digital clock on your phone have been showing numbers of ”too late” more times then not and wherever you look you wish you’d see a huge fresh salad loaded with super greens and healing goodstuff (sometimes even a bowl of plain ol’ hummus would make you jump with euphoria). Now. I’m not saying this to sound like some holiday food hater because I’m not (hello swedish sweet rice porridge with cinnamon and a little too much chocolate). I am simply recognizing the fact that without proper planning and may I say food interfering it can easily happen that a plant powered or even health conscious person starts a new year without being able to spell the word alkaline OR being really hungry. This is where this Ka-pow Kaniwa Winter Salad came in and believe me, it can save lives (or put us on the right track now – better late then never). I should also mention that I have awesome relatives and family whom many of them reaches outside of their own food comfort zones when we visit. Fabians mom made an incredible vegan savory sweet potato tart, my grandmother had arranged a warm lemony brussel sprout and bean salad, my dad and his wife had ordered beautiful vegan food from our favorite local café and my mom.. well, I don’t know where to begin. She is just the most amazing soul I know (no, not only for making insanely tasty veggie holiday dishes). In the spirit of holiday time-pressure I made and shot this purple luscious winter salad before rushing off to Fabians family and into a couple of days of Christmas magic/insanity.. and luckily the bowl fit into our packed car which was already filled with stuff (blaming Caspian here;). The salad proved to be quite a hit even though none had ever heard of Kaniwa – the super seed star actor of this dish (have you?) Fun & Fabulous Facts For today’s section of ”Fun & Fabulous Facts” I debated with myself weather I should write about the amazing Kaniwa seed or if I should praise the walnuts in this recipe (which by the way were collected by my aunt in her garden an given to me just after Caspian was born). Even though I love the walnut story I opted for Kaniwa (or Canihua) because if you two have not already been introduced, it’s time! I mean, it’s a new year after all. So. Kaniwa may be a rather new acquaintance for us all but it’s actually one of the precious ancient ”grains” like quinoa, teff and amaranth. These nutritional powerhouses has more then one thing in common but worth remembering is that they are all gluten-free. Meaning, we can enjoy them in various delicious meals just as we would with gluten grains but this time without the heaviness and health issues that can follow the trail of for example cous cous, bulgur or pasta (which are all wheat in different shapes). At first glance Kaniwa looks like as if an amaranth seed dressed up in a reddish-brown gown but if you look closer it’s pretty much an exact copy of a red quinoa seed, though much smaller. The taste and texture is also very much similar to the red quinoa as it does not get as soft and fluffy as the white quinoa does and is, once it’s been cooked rather crunchy. By now we all know quinoa is something rather spectacular nutrition-wise, well, this ancient newcomer plays in the same division. Hidden in these teeny tiny little seeds we find plenty of essential fatty acids but not only the much discussed omega 3’s, no here’s a good load of omega 6 and 9! And then there is the iron (four times more then in quinoa) and the (complete!) protein. Needless to say, it’s time to bring this baby home to your kitchen. Try cooked or sprouted Kaniwa in your pancakes, breakfast cereals, soups, cookies and of course, salads! Let’s make 2014 the modern year with a touch of ancient (grains) to it. Coconutty Kaniwa Winter Salad Sometimes the winter months seem hopeless when it comes to finding fresh produce but if we dig a bit deeper there is actually and overload goodness available to us. The gratitude I feel when preparing beautiful carrots, parsnips, red cabbage – all a tad sweeter from the cold – is beyond words. Mama Earth sure do take care of us. Sturdy winter veggies combined with delicate and Kaniwa seeds cooked in coconut milk makes for a winning winter salad. Coconutty Kaniwa 2/3 cup kaniwa seeds 1 can coconut milk (2 cups) 1/2 tsp good quality salt 1. Add Kaniwa seeds and coconut milk to a saucepan. Bring to a boil then let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Add salt after 10 minutes. Set aside until you are done preparing vegetables and dressing. Vegetables 2 parsnips 4 carrots (preferably purple) 1/2 head purple cabbage 1/2 pomegranate, the seeds 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts 1 handful fresh rosemary leaves 1. Peel off the outer skin of the parsnips and carrots using a potato peeler then continue peeling to make the tagliatelle- like veggie strands and add to a large bowl 2. Halve the cabbage head and shred one half very thinly using a sharp knife, rinse. Add the shredded cabbage to the bowl of parsnip and carrot ”tagliatelle”. 3. Toast walnuts until golden in a dry frying pan on medium heat, de-seed the pomegranate and add these two ingredients along with the rosemary leaves and coconutty Kaniwa to the bowl. Note: It’s nice to save some walnuts, pomegranates and rosemary as final salad decoration. Dressing 1 clove garlic 2 tbsp virgin olive oil 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 lime, the juice 1/2 tsp good quality salt 1 tbsp water 1 tsp tamari 1. Mince the clove of garlic and add to a little jar or glass. 2. Add all other dressing ingredients and whisk it all together with a fork. Pour dressing over the Kaniwa and veggies and combine until all is coated in it’s deliciousness. Enjoy! Let’s all vow to let 2014 explode with goodness, exciting adventures, big and bigger dreams, miraculous manifestations and lots of ecstatic barefoot dancing. So.. which ancient grains will you have dancing in your kitchen creations? °°Elenore°°

Bells appear in abundance during the winter holiday season. With songs from Carol of the Bells to Jingle Bells hailing the chiming sounds and holiday sweaters everywhere featuring these jingling beads, bells are synonymous with celebration. But this year, we encourage you to expand the auditory experience this holiday and gift instruments and noise makers that will spread magnificent sound into the lives of those on your holiday gift list. We begin with seed and pod instruments. Dried pods clatter against each other creating a twinkling soundscape that reminds us of the patter of rain. Without prolonged resonance, these percussive instruments cast a delicate but multitudinous rattling sound that's truly stunning. Tiny pods create a sparkling light sound while larger pods cast deep almost thunderous vibrations. We are especially fond of these togo seed shakers and kenari seed bunches, although there is an expansive world of seed and pod based instruments that you can explore! For a more resonant sound, one can't go wrong with a singing bowl. This meditative metal instrument produces a deep pervasive sound and reverberates in encompassing waves that will blanket you. The experience is profound and physical. The bowls themselves create a range of pitches depending on the contours of the bowl so test a few to ensure you find the one that best suits your preferences. Transporting us back to our childhoods, rainsticks are gorgeous Chilean instruments that are far too absent in our adult lives. Hollow dried cacti are pierced with cacti needles and filled with pebbles, beans, or other small objects. When the rainstick is inverted, the objects within it fall and bounce between the needles, producing a sound that's eerily reminiscent of rain. It's a soothing transportive sound that we can't get enough of! Another meditative instrument is the chime woodstock. A simple metal chime is suspended with string over a block of wood. When struck, the chime creates a crisp metallic ring followed by a prolonged reverberation for a mellow aural aura. Because of its compact size and beautiful bell-like ring, a meditation chime is an outstanding tabletop instrument and a perfect gift choice. Unlike the meditation chimes that need simply be struck once, casabas and shekeres requires a bit more energy to generate sound. The rows of metal beads on a cabasa produce a sandy almost scraping sound as they brush against the rippled metallic frame—like a rattling, gritty hushing. The West African shekere—the inspiration behind the contemporary cabasa—is a highly recognizable instrument featuring a hollow dried gourd surrounded by a beaded net that brushes and clatters against it. The sound produced is a gorgeous full bodied rattle as the vibration from the beads striking the gourd is allowed to resonate within the body of the instrument. Almost everyone can appreciate a beautiful sound so why not broaden the auditory horizons of your loved ones by sharing instruments this holiday!