This month we’re talking about Eatable Gifts because no matter what holiday you celebrate—and even if you don’t celebrate any—it's a great time of year to share food with your family, friends, and neighbors.

Receiving is great, but giving is even better; neuroscientists have taken images of people’s brains that show that when they are generous, the pleasure and reward centers light up. These are the same parts of the brain that light up when you do well on a test. So whether you’re making a gift or sharing one of our books, you're not only delighting the recipient, you’re also getting a little jolt of pleasure yourself.

Besides hearing from listeners like YOU, this episode features chef Ana Sortun and sixteen-year-old entrepreneur Te’Lario Watkins.

Try out this Month's recipe: Cinnamon Toast Granola.

Follow us on Instagram for your chance to win whole library’s worth of books: The ChopChop Family Cookbook, I Made This: Snacks, Eatable Alphabet Kitchen Activity Cards, a 1-Year Subscription to ChopChop Magazine, 1 back issue of ChopChop Magazine, and 1 issue of Benjamin: The Smart Money Magazine for Kids, AND Ana Sortun’s book Spice, and Te’Lario Watkins book Te’Lario’s Amazing Mushroom Farm. Wow, that’s a lot of books.

To hear your voice on the show please email questions, recipes, jokes and thoughts to podcast@chopchopfamily.org

Find more at Chopchopfamily.org and follow us @chopchopkids

Squash is an incredible vegetable (fruit)! They come in a dizzying array of colors, shapes, sizes and types. They have been grown for thousands of years and are grown on every continent except Antarctica. In this episode we find out the origins of the word “Squash,” learn from Chef and Author Abra Berens, and take a trip to visit Dawn and Cassius Spears on Ashawaug Farm. Listen in for some great tips on growing, cooking, and eating this fantastic food.

To hear your voice on the show please email questions, recipes, jokes and thoughts to podcast@chopchopfamily.org

Find more at Chopchopfamily.org and follow us @chopchopkids

Want to learn even more about apples? In this BONUS episode we share the whole interview with Amy Traverso, the author of the Apple Lover’s Cookbook. Sally and Amy cover a whole bushel of extra info about Apple varieties, how to choose an apple and some fun apple history!

To hear your voice on the show please email questions, recipes, jokes and thoughts to podcast@chopchopfamily.org

Find more at Chopchopfamily.org and follow us @chopchopkids