If you think of limoncello as a Lysol-scented, saccharine-sweet liqueur, think again. While many store-bought bottles are suspect, homemade is a whole other story.

Smooth and bright with zesty lemon notes, a bottle of limoncello makes for an excellent edible gift for cocktail lovers, particularly when paired with a bottle of sparkling wine for a limoncello-Champagne cocktail.

Granted, it takes a bit of advance planning, but aside from the wait time necessary for the lemon peels to infuse their essential oils in the liquor, it's a very low-fuss process, and it is easy to make in large batches to be divvied up in multiple gifts. Just whatever you do, tuck away a bottle for yourself as well — your cocktails will thank you . . .

Keep reading for the low-fuss recipe.

For a new spin on hummus, take note of Food Orleans's blog and swap out butter beans for standard chickpeas.

I started making hummus from scratch last year, when I discovered the organic dried chickpeas in bulk at the neighborhood Rouse's. I love to make it, but let's be honest: chickpeas take forever to cook, especially when you want them really soft, for hummus. But you can make a serviceable hummus out of just about any dried bean or pea: black-eyed peas, lima beans, black beans . . . and butter beans! While all of these might be tasty, the prettiest ones are going to be made from white or very light-colored beans. I've made black bean hummus before, and it turns out kind of blue-gray. Not untasty but not winning any beauty contests.

Butter beans, a.k.a. large limas, are perfect for making a from-scratch hummus, because they cook very quickly — just about 45 minutes in gently boiling water. You can also use canned, of course, just as you would use canned chickpeas for hummus. I like the fact that butter beans are a Southern cooking staple, too. Try some! 

Use your own favorite hummus recipe, or if you don't have one, here are some amounts to get you started.

Keep reading for the easy yet enticing recipe.

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In an ideal world, one would rely exclusively on homemade stock, but let's face it, unless you're an expert planner with a well-stocked freezer, store-bought stock is often the way to go. The problem is that most stock is sold in large four-cup packages, which perishes in less than five days. Recently, I noticed that my local supermarket started stocking a one-cup package from Kitchen Basics (my go-to store-bought stock brand). At the discovery, I had an excited (although embarrassing) vocal outburst while standing in the aisle. A simple but life-changing solution, I'll be stocking up on these mini-packs as well as their chubbier four-cup containers from now on. I urge you to do the same and avoid dumping out unused stock.

We love warm salads for a healthy Winter dinner like this beautiful salad from yupitsmabel.

Healthy warm salads for winter nights!

For the recipe, check out her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos through our Savory Sights community group or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.