Christmas: Gifts from the Kitchen
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
Recipe Introduction
12 Days of Christmas Baking Tips/2002 . . . Day 11: A Gift from the Kitchen is a Gift from the Heart
Recipe Link: messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-fdcooking&msg=3952.1
Are you racking your brain yet again for the perfect gift to give to everyone on your shopping list? Look no further -- the answer is right at your fingertips! When we give gifts to our friends and families, we all love to be creative. A homemade present shows love and care, and adds a personal touch to every gift, telling each recipient that he or she is extra-special. Give the gift of a contented tummy and a warm heart by presenting everyone with a homemade gift they can eat!
The Gift of Good Fortune:
One gift that will delight kids and adults alike is homemade fortune cookies with personalized fortunes. For children, the fortunes can be a mixture of silly riddles, words of encouragement and promises for a trip to the park, to the movies or out for ice cream -- or anything else you think a kid would enjoy. If it's your own children you're giving the fortune cookies to, extend the fun by letting them open one fortune cookie every day, rather than tearing through all of them in one sitting.
For adults, the same basic guidelines apply (After all, who DOESN'T like silly riddles, words of encouragement and going to the movies?), but you can also add customized fortunes for your sweetheart: a backrub, a promise to meet them at the office for lunch, or to cook their favorite meal. Use your imagination to make each fortune fun and special.
To make the cookies, cut out strips of colorful paper and write the fortunes on them before you begin baking. Once the cookies come out of the oven, you'll have to work fast and fold them while they're still warm. If you'd like to get extra-fancy, dip the ends of the fortune cookies in chocolate after they have cooled. You can buy Chinese take-out containers at craft stores or party supply stores. Decorated with markers or paint, these make perfect gift boxes for your sweet treasures.
The Gift of a Thousand Flavorful Meals:
Everybody likes cooking with fresh herbs, but these fragrant little branches can be expensive and they may not always be on hand when you want them. That is, unless you have your very own window herb garden! This is a wonderful and inexpensive gift to make for anyone who likes to cook. Choose a narrow wooden crate that will fit on a windowsill and decorate it with paint, ribbons or fabric. Fill it with several small pots of herbs. A good starter kit might include rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, Italian parsley and cilantro. To add an extra-special personal touch, include cards with your favorite recipes that feature the herbs in the recipient's brand new herb garden.
The Gift of Wagging Tails and Contented Purrs
When it comes time to unwrap presents, don't forget about your faithful four-legged companions. Homemade treats are a wonderful way to show Fido and Fluffy that they are important members of your family, too! Pet treats also make great hostess gifts for anyone who has a furry friend in their home. Cut the biscuits with cookie cutters to make them more festive -- bones, fire hydrants, fish, birds or holiday-themed shapes like candy canes, hearts, clovers or stars. Use miniature cookie cutters for cats and small dogs, and bigger cutters for bigger dogs. You can present the biscuits in a fancy jar, a decorative tin with animals on it or in a cute pet food dish. Wrap with colored cellophane and tie a pet toy to it with a ribbon. Tail-wagging and contented purring guaranteed!
The Gift of an Easy and Elegant Meal:
We all know someone who would love to unwind and enjoy the casual elegance of a gourmet meal at home without having to worry about shopping, cooking or doing the dishes! You provide the ingredients in a beautiful and functional container, and all they have to do is open a few packages, settle in and enjoy a leisurely feast or a relaxing snack.
Picnic for All Seasons:
In a picnic basket or canvas tote bag, arrange crackers, cheese, pate, salami, smoked salmon, mustard apples, mixed nuts and brownies.
In a decorative chip-and-dip bowl or tortilla keeper, place a bag of tortilla chips alongside some salsa, olives, cheese sauce, bean dip, olives, green chiles, margarita mix, tequila and limes. Don't forget the Mexican cookies for dessert! Olé!
Breakfast Worth Getting Up For:
On a serving tray or in a newspaper basket, arrange packages of tea and coffee, scone mix or breakfast cookies, jam, honey, granola or muesli, dried fruit and fresh oranges.
That's Amore!
In a pasta bowl, salad bowl or colander, pile up a package of gourmet flavored pasta, a jar of good tomato sauce or pesto, parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes, a head of garlic, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bottle of wine and some homemade biscotti for dessert.
A Cozy Night by the Fireplace:
You can choose sparkling wine and glasses accompanied by chocolate truffles OR hot cocoa mix and mugs plus cookies for dipping. Tuck these items into a sturdy decorative box along with some quick- lighting fireplace logs.
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