It's the Thought That Counts....

 

 

It is Year Two of being broke at Christmas....

I have a couple of choices;  

I can whine and moan that there will be little under the tree, or I can do something creative.  

Even when the coffers were a little more full, it was fun to put together some homemade gifts.  

As a kid, all my presents were made by me, since I had no money.  I painted plaques for my mom, made the usual pottery ashtray for Dad and embroidered a hankie for my grandma.  

It was so fun and exciting to make things for gifts and everyone at least acted as if they liked them.  

Good enough for me....  

So what to make that is easy and economical you ask?  

Here are the gifts I have made this year....

1.  Cherry Garcia Biscotti:  

I made these last year to rave reviews, so I thought I'd make them again.  They are great hostess gifts, crossing guard gifts or to whomever,  wrapped in clear bags or in a tall tin, garnished with a ribbon.  

Biscotti is shamefully easy to make:  

Cherry Garcia Biscotti
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried bing cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks/chocolate chips

(I add 1/4c chopped pistachio nuts, too)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, adding sugar gradually, at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. At low speed or by hand, stir in flour mixture followed by cherries and chocolate.
Drop spoonfuls of batter into long lines on prepared baking sheet and, with well floured hands, shape the irregular lines into rectangular logs about 1/2 inch high. Length and width are your prerogative, and you can use more than one baking sheet, if necessary. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, until logs are a light gold color and are fully set (they will spring back slightly when touched with a finger).
Slice logs into 1/3-1/2 inch thick slices (1-1.5 cm) and lay flat (on their sides) on baking sheet.
Lower oven temperature to 300F. Bake sliced cookies for 15 minutes, flip them and bake for an additional 15 minutes. If cookies are not firm, depending on how thickly they were sliced, turn again and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 4 dozen.

2.  Glimmer Sugar Scrub:  

I found this recipe in  a recent magazine ad.  This makes great teacher gifts.  

I have been told they are a little tired of the chalkboard/apple ornaments or the mugs of hot chocolate mix... 

The scrub is a nice indulgence and I topped it off with a silver crystal  Lucky Bracelet I found at Whole Foods for only $9.00 each.  You can find most of the ingredients at the grocery store.  

The essential oil can be found at Whole foods or health food stores.  

Here is the recipe for the scrub:

1 cup Organic Cane Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil

1 capsule of Vitamin E (broken open, oil used)

2 or 3 drops Essential Oil (I used tangerine)

Mix all ingredients well and pour into small container.

3. Stoli Doli:  

Okay, so this last homemade gift is on the selfish side, since I plan to enjoy it with the recipient.  

Let's hope she doesn't read my blog...I don't think she does.  

Anyway, Capital Grille has this enormous vat of pineapple vodka on their esteemed bar and it looks cool.  How great is it to have pineapples steeping away in vodka, just waiting to be part & parcel to a fabulous cocktail?  I have to believe a few of those constitute a serving of fruit...right?

I found the container at Marshall's for $20 bucks, used two and a half liter bottles of Costco vodka and four juicy pineapples.  

That's it!  

After about two weeks of mingling, there will be some serious vodka tasting going on.  I think my sister in law will enjoy having this eye catching conversation piece in her brand new kitchen.  

If not, we would welcome it in ours........

So this is Homemade at the Herlihy's for 2010.  Even if the economic picture for 2011 is rosier, 

you can count on a few homespun goodies anyway.....