The gift that keeps giving

I receive the iVillage Stuff We Love e-newsletter, and today they had a really amazing find! Plates With Purpose™ are beautiful, handcrafted, recycled glass plates and platters made by Riverside Design Group. These plates come in various designs of natural beauty: Forget-me-not, heart, ladybug, wheat, stars, and trees. 15% of the proceeds of these plates go to local (Pennsylvania) chapters of various non-profit organizations: Alzheimer’s Association, Habitat for Humanity, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, Community Food Bank, and the AIDS Task Force, for example. What a great gift idea! It's not even like giving twice, it's like giving over and over again!

I can just picture this great appetizer on the red ladybug plate. Bring it to a party, leave the plate as a gift, and feel good all over.Marinated goat cheese with peppercorns

8 oz. goat cheese, formed into 4 rounds
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
3 T multi-colored peppercorns
1 T pink peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 t thyme, crushed

Combine oil, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, and thyme in saucepan and heat over low heat, just until oil "pops", but do not let garlic brown. Let oil cool some, then pour over goat cheese rounds . Let sit at room temperature for several hours, or refrigerate over night.

Before serving, bring to room temperature. Plate on a decorative plate with upturned sides (to keep the oil in place). Serve with crostini.

If there are any leftovers, this goat cheese is perfect on fresh bagels the next morning!