Your Inner Kitchen Santa

‘Tis the season for gift giving and I, for one, love to give edible gifts. Homemade gifts are so heartfelt and are really quite simple to make. For example, you can easily whip up delicious herb infused dipping oil in one afternoon, or make a few bags of chocolate bark for your friends. Here are some of my favorite homemade gifts to make. What are yours? —

Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce – The perfect ratio of chocolate, butter, cream and sugars.

Meyer Lemon-Ginger Loaves – For dessert or breakfast.

Easy Italian Herb Infused Dipping Oil
12 leaves fresh basil, completely dried
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
4 sprigs oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
3 cups good quality olive oil

DIRECTIONS: Divide the sprigs up between 2 12-ounces bottles. Add the kosher salt and pepper to the olive oil and pour it into the glass jars until they are each nearly full.

Kelsey Banfield, the Naptime Chef, will be releasing her first cookbook in March 2012. Titled The Naptime Chef: Fitting Great Food Into Family Life, the book will feature full-color photographs and plenty of mouth-watering naptime recipes. Stay tuned!

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

The Little Gym of Bay Ridge- Bensonhurst

At The Little Gym of Bay Ridge-Bensonhurt, we specialize in unique, educational classes that revolve around active play. We give children a safe and inspiring space to direct their energy, build confidence, and develop key skills. Explore the range of classes we offer at The Little Gym of Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst to find the one that&rsquo;s just right for your child.&nbsp;

British Swim School - Manhattan

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!