Home Made Gift Ideas?

quote:

Originally posted by hefried

Does anyone remember pomander balls that were oranges with cloves stuck in it all over and tied with a ribbon?
i could've sworn that was a pommander?????
and HEY , cool, that is something you can make for christmas or holiday gifts too!!!

I remember doing this with apples. This could be something that would keep my 8 year old busy! Well, for a few minutes anyway. What about these as gifts for teachers? How long the fruit would old out though?

Found this website while internet searching.....its links to different websites for gifts in a jar. check out "Decorating Jars and Jar Lids"

http://www.creativeladiesministry.com/jarrecipes.html

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty246

quote:

Originally posted by hefried

Does anyone remember pomander balls that were oranges with cloves stuck in it all over and tied with a ribbon?
i could've sworn that was a pommander?????
and HEY , cool, that is something you can make for christmas or holiday gifts too!!!

I remember doing this with apples. This could be something that would keep my 8 year old busy! Well, for a few minutes anyway. What about these as gifts for teachers? How long the fruit would old out though?

Here's a set of directions:
http://www.make-stuff.com/kids/pomander.html

This website
http://www.sierracanyon.pvt.k12.ca.us/school/medieval/pomander.html
indicates that the rolling of the clove-encrusted fruit in spices acts as a preservative. It also says, "A pomander's scent usually lasts for several years, but can be refreshed by dipping the pomander in warm water, then rolling it in fresh spices to which a drop or two of cinnamon or clove oil has been added. Leave the pomander in the mixture for a few days then use as before." and "Blend the spices [and] the orrisroot in a small bowl. One at a time, roll each piece of fruit in the mixture, coating it generously to keep air out. (Any pomander you start should be completed to this point within twenty-four hours to eliminate the possibility of mold forming.)"

quote:

Originally posted by aleswench

Yes, please do post that recipe - by God - every recipe I have ever made that you've given is wonderful! Sue

Thank you Sue! I will get the recipe at home and post.

Neat! Thanks for all the pommander info! I feel like making those orange pommanders with my kids this year!
Happy Season everyone!!!

I have always made my mother's fudge to give as gifts. It always got raves, so every year I'd make 3 kinds: dark chocolate walnut, peanut butter, and dark chocolate mint. Then I found my recipe for chocolate chip meltaways (a shortbread-type cookie with milk chocolate chips)and added those.

These all evolved into what I make several of each year for gifts: My "tea baskets." I use big green or red plastic bowls (The first year I found some really nice Christmas-themed ones, but haven't been able to find them again so now I use plain red or green) and some Christmas "tea-for-one" sets. I put the tea-for-one in the bowl (with a Christmas tea towel wrapped around the bottom for cushioning), add some flavored hot cocoa mixes, some flavored tea, and a few small containers each of fudge and cookies. Sometimes I add a few extra touches to personalize them - like those trial-size body lotions, or hand sanitizer (teachers love that), or ornaments.

Then wrap it all in one of those clear bags they sell for gift baskets and tie it at the top with curling ribbon. They come out looking pretty elaborate, but they're really not. My kids love giving them to the teachers.

Angeltx and Heatherb, my 5 year old daughter and I made the Pomander Balls last evening -- thanks for the recipe! Now that they're made, I'm wondering if I should have used powdered sugar instead of granulated. I assumed granulated since powdered wasn't specified -- did I go wrong? I'm just very, very curious to try them in a few days!

Cindy

Here is the recipe - sorry it took me so long to post .

VIVIAN'S SUGARED PECANS

Beat one egg white until stiff.

Add and continue beating until very stiff:
One cup of brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Fold in:
11/2 cups pecan halves

Drop the pecan halves, one at a time onto a buttered cookie sheet. Bake at 225 for one hour and fifteen minutes.

put in little baskets or boxes with tissue paper, jars or bags and decorate with ribbons. Makes a very nice gift.

Originally posted by cindyloo

Angeltx and Heatherb, my 5 year old daughter and I made the Pomander Balls last evening -- thanks for the recipe! Now that they're made, I'm wondering if I should have used powdered sugar instead of granulated. I assumed granulated since powdered wasn't specified -- did I go wrong? I'm just very, very curious to try them in a few days!

Cindy


sorry, it is granulated sugar

Cindy,
please let me know how they turned out. I am going to make them for Christmas gifts for my co-workers. I was thinking of rolling then in different color sugar.
Thanks
Mary

Here's a google link for lots of sites that have gift in a jar recipes. But there are some fantastic recipes here. I have a recipe at home that is an exact dupe of Sanders Hot Fudge sauce which is famous in the Detroit area. It is by far the best hot fudge sauce I have ever tasted. I'll copy the recipe to this thread later.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=gifts+in+a+jar