12 Ideas for Christmas

  • By Daphne Ross
  • November 22, 2011
  • 259
                        
Column Summary Running out of good ideas for gift giving, need simple creative suggestions; Daphne Ross has 12 ideas to get you started or to get you going, again. 1) Fresh fruit is an excellent gift when remembering folks at Christmas. Choose a large bowl or basket (new or secondhand), line with a pretty dish towel, and fill with colorful fruit; red, green and yellow apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, pears, and clusters of grapes. 2) Shopping for gifts at a local orchard shop is a great way to give the bounty of the season; give bags of fresh apples, wrap a bottle of maple syrup in a bottle gift bag, top jars of preserves, pickles and salsas with bright red bows. 3) Soup’s on! Purchase a small soup pot and fill with recipes (or a soup cookbook) and the ingredients for homemade soup, or fill the pot with canned condensed soups; include saltines, oyster crackers, a ladle, soup spoons, and soup bowls or mugs. 4) Last year I gave my sister-in-law Teresa a “Dove” themed gift bag. I purchased the “theme” brand name beauty products and added bags of rich chocolate candies, also of the same brand name. I chose a dove design gift bag and tied a dove ornament to the bag handle. 5) Electric coffee pots come in all cup sizes. When giving any size coffee maker fill a side bag with ground coffee, filters, powdered creamers, stir sticks, home mugs and a travel mug. 6) Electric teapots are perfect for hot beverage sippers; hot water ready in a minute. In addition, add a gift bag with an assortment of tea bags, instant coffees, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, cider packets, and instant cup of soup envelopes. 7) Chocolate lovers unite! Give your chocolate lover an overdose of chocolate; fill gift bag with boxed chocolates, jar of hot fudge, bottle of chocolate syrup, instant hot cocoa, fudge dipped cookies, chocolate covered nuts, raisins, or pretzels, brownie mix, chocolate chip muffin mix, and a chocolate scented candle. Decorate a chocolate brown gift bag with gold garland and other sparkly gold embellishments. 8) When giving bathroom towel sets, roll a bath towel around a shampoo bottle, a conditioner bottle, a body wash, and a bubble bath. Wrap a washcloth around a bar of soap, a facial cleanser, and a moisturizer. Tie each roll with pretty ribbon and tuck all rolls into a large basket. 9) Freelancers, poets, and journal writers love fresh clean paper and smooth writing pens. Create a colorful stack of journals and notebooks starting large on the bottom, adding the next smaller size, ending with a notepad on top. Tie with wired ribbon, bow on top. Curl craft wire around gel pens and attach to the paper pack. 10) Pick out a great DVD, place in a big red & white striped popcorn bowl (found at most dollar stores); add microwave popcorn, boxed candies like in the theaters, popcorn seasoning shakers, and a couple bottles of soda. 11) For the family flower gardener, pick out a straw hat, flip it over and fill with small garden tools, gloves, sunscreen, Chap Stick, plant food, seeds, bulbs, and a gift certificate to their favorite garden shop; to buy next year’s spring flowers. 12) Create a kitchen gadget bouquet; choose a variety of cooking and food prep utensils. Wrap woven dish cloths around the handles of each one, tie each with string or ribbon, and tuck into an old or new crock that goes with the recipient’s kitchen. Send your favorite holiday treat recipes to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Rd., Wooster, OH, 44691. Emails are always welcome. Baconized Corn Bread 1 cup cornmeal 1 cup white flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 egg 1 cup milk 1/2 cup bacon, fried and cut small Sift dry ingredients together. Beat egg; add milk, then dry ingredients. Put in greased pan and sprinkle bits of bacon over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cocktail Sauce 1 bottle catsup Juice of 3 lemons 2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce Salt to taste 4 drops tabasco sauce 4 tablespoons horseradish Put on ice half hour before serving. Frying Pan Cake 1 can pineapple, diced 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour Put first 3 ingredients in frying pan and let cook slowly. Mix the batter and pour over the fruit. Put pan in oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes. Turn out on plate so fruit will be on top. Serve with whipped cream. Spice Cake 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon soda 1 cup sour milk 2 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Add spices. Add soda to milk and add alternately with sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into greased pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Good with caramel icing. Caramel Icing 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 3 to 4 cups milk 1 tablespoon butter Cook sugar and milk until when a little is dropped in cold water it will hold together or form a soft ball Add butter. Cool and beat until spreading consistency. Raspberry Puffs 1/4 cup shortening 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 cups canned raspberries, well-drained Cream together the sugar, shortening and egg. Add milk alternately with sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the berries. Fill greased muffin cups partly full and bake about 15 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Hot Cocoa For 6 cups; 5 level teaspoons cocoa, 5 level teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, pinch salt. Mixed well together, over this pour 1 cup boiling water, let cook well until it thickens, gradually pour over this 1 quart whole milk and let boil up good. Serve with whipped cream, a marshmallow or plain, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Cranberry Salad 1 1/2 cups cranberries 1 orange 1 package lemon gelatin 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups hot water 1 cup sugar Put cranberries and whole orange through food chopper. Cover with the sugar, dissolve gelatin with water, when it begins to thicken, add fruit. Mold in individual molds and serve on crisp lettuce with dollop of mayo or Miracle Whip. Tomato Cupcakes 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup vinegar 1 cup tomato soup 1 teaspoon soda 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup chopped nut meats 1/2 cup raisins Blend shortening and sugar. Add tomato soup with soda stirred in. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add nuts and raisins. Bake in paper lined muffin pans for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Icing: The grated rind and juice of one orange. Combine with 1 box powdered sugar. (Add a little water if needed.)


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