Showing posts with label gift-giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift-giving. Show all posts
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Little Two's Christmas with Nonna and Pappy
It felt like at least three Christmases around here...not that I am complaining, because I loved every moment of it all. There is nothing better in my book than having family come, and come, and come again. This is the year that Little Two and her parents travel to Birmingham to be with her other set of grandparents, Big and Mimi, who love her every bit as much as we do, I might add. Before she left town, Little Two came over one afternoon to decorate her Gingerbread House with Nonna, and then the evening before they headed South her parents joined us for a stromboli supper followed by a gift exchange. Little Two's main present (her Momma helped me select this!) was an incredible pink teepee! It was a HUGE hit!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Favorite Things....Yet Again!
The Ish Girls Bible Study got together for our annual Christmas dinner, and in lieu of an ornament exchange or something of a similar ilk, we decided once again to have our "Favorite Things Party." After seeing this idea on Pinterest a couple of years ago, we have come to totally embrace the idea, and have opted to do the party, not once, but twice each year. It seems as though we might never run out of favorite things!
Seeing someone else (whom you have come to love and appreciate) share her idea of a "favorite thing" is both enjoyable and revealing. You learn about the way a person gives gifts, what they like to do in their spare time, and what intrigues or engages them.
We ate dinner together and then gathered in the family room to share our little gifts with one another. As an aside, we set an $8 limit for each gift. I ended up with some wonderful gifts that included a pair of comfy socks, an exciting new book to read, a craft, delectable treats from Trader Joe's, lovely little muslim bags filled with a lavender and oatmeal bath soak from Thistle Farms, a bottle of red wine, and a tiny little bundt cake in an adorable little box! It was so much fun! If you've not done this with your friends, I encourage you to give it a try! We always have a ball!
Seeing someone else (whom you have come to love and appreciate) share her idea of a "favorite thing" is both enjoyable and revealing. You learn about the way a person gives gifts, what they like to do in their spare time, and what intrigues or engages them.
We ate dinner together and then gathered in the family room to share our little gifts with one another. As an aside, we set an $8 limit for each gift. I ended up with some wonderful gifts that included a pair of comfy socks, an exciting new book to read, a craft, delectable treats from Trader Joe's, lovely little muslim bags filled with a lavender and oatmeal bath soak from Thistle Farms, a bottle of red wine, and a tiny little bundt cake in an adorable little box! It was so much fun! If you've not done this with your friends, I encourage you to give it a try! We always have a ball!
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| We always celebrate birthdays when we gather, hence the cupcakes... except these are little bundtinis from Nothing Bundt Cakes! |
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| The Red Velvet is my favorite! |
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| Snowflakes sparkle in the candlelight. Sometimes an all-white winter table is just the thing to serve as a counterpoint to all the red and green! |
Love the Ish Girls!
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Easy Christmas Foods to Make and Give
The older I get the less time I want to spend laboring over a hot stove, so I have reduced my holiday cooking to a few good things that I can prepare very quickly, sometimes even while I am doing something else. Here are five favorite go-to gifts that are not too labor intensive!
Spicy Pecans
There are endless variations of this dish and most are oh so easy. Thankfully, we no longer live in a day and time when we must shell and pick out the pecans ourselves. I grew up living in a pecan grove so I have certainly picked my share of pecans, and trust me, it is tedious work. Now I just hop over to the grocery store and find the freshest nuts available. To pick a good pecan, look for those that have not darkened in color (the oils in the pecan darken the flesh as it ages), are not brittle or shriveled and are still fragrant. If you follow these tips, you will pick good pecans every time!
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup sugar (I cut it back slightly)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 egg whites
2 cups pecan halves
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large ziplock bag. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. I sometimes add a shake or two of Tabasco sauce at this point, but this is my own variation of the recipe. Dump the 2 cups of pecans into the egg white and stir to make sure they are coated, then empty the pecans into the ziplock bag, seal and shake well! Your granddaughter can help you with the shaking part!
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat lightly with cooking spray. Spread the pecans out on the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Wrap in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon!
Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Pretzel Treats
Three easy variations for this.
Number One Tip: Go ahead and buy the waffle shaped pretzels which are called snaps. They seem to disappear quickly around the holidays so I pick up a bag or two whenever I can find them!
Ingredients:
1 pkg of waffle shaped pretzels
1 pkg of Hershey Hugs or Hershey Kisses (I buy the mixed bag)
Option 2: Red and Green M&M's
Option 3: Rolo's
Unwrap the Hugs and/or Kisses. I do this one evening, and then store the unwrapped candy in a ziplock bag. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (who wants to clean up?!). Preheat oven to 350. Line your cookie sheet with the pretzels and then place a Hug or a Kiss on top of each one. Set your timer for TWO minutes. No longer. Cook the pretzels with the Hugs and Kisses for the requisite two minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press another waffle pretzel on top to make a little pretzel cookie sandwich. Let cool and then store in a ziplock bag.
Option 2: You may also choose to press a red or green M&M into the top instead of the pretzel. Then you have an open-face treat as opposed to a little sandwich! It's also a bit sweeter and less salty than the other version.
Option 3: The decadent version. Buy Rolo's. Upwrap them. Try not to eat too many. Place the Rolo on top of the waffle pretzel. Heat. Press an M&M or another pretzel on top. Gooey. Caramelly. (That's not a word, I know.) Yummy. Also more expensive, but definitely worth the extra cost.
Nuts and Bolts
This is an old recipe that I received nearly 40 years ago by way of The Husband's grandmother Mimi. I still have the original recipe in her lovely handwriting. There are many variations to this recipe, but I love the slow cooked buttery goodness of this one. It's the slow roasting and stirring that let the flavors penetrate the nuts and bolts and make it delicious. Try it, you'll like it.
Ingredients
4 cups of Cheerios (may use whole wheat, if preferred)
3 cups of Wheat Chex
3 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Corn Chex
2 1/2 cups of unsalted mixed nuts (preferably with cashews)
4 cups of skinny little pretzel sticks
4-6 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (no substitute)
1 Tbsp celery salt
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp onion powder
Melt butter, Worcestershire Sauce and spices together in a large roasting pan. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well coated. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
Cool and package into airtight containers.
At my house, each person likes a different component and will dig through to pick it out. You won't find any cashews left after my husband has been around, while I prefer the Cheerios!
Fire 'n Ice Pickles
You don't really "pickle" these because they have already been pickled, but you are "dressing" them up in a little holiday finery that is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon of dill pickles (you don't need to buy the expensive name brand)
1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
2 lbs of white sugar
1 (2 ounce) bottle of Tabasco (must be this brand!)
Red pepper flakes
1 gallon jar
Drain your pickles and discard the juice. Slice your pickles into substantial rounds (not too thin). Layer in the larger jar in following order: a layer of pickle slices, a layer of garlic, a couple of shakes of hot sauce, a blanket of sugar, flakes. Repeat until all used up.
Put the jar into the refrigerator and turn it over every day. Upside down. Then right side up. In about 5 days your amazing pickles will be crisp and ready to eat!
Reindeer Nutter Butters
Haven't made these yet, but I picked up a couple of packages of Nutter Butters at the grocery store this week, and I have the rest of the ingredients on hand so I think I am good to go! I am hoping you just use the icing (royal from Wilton is my easy choice) to get the pretzel ears to adhere. Then pipe the eyes and put a bit where you will stick the red nose (for Rudolph, of course!) I am betting that is black licorice for the mouth but I am going to use a bit of chocolate instead.
Happy Cooking, Happy Eating, and Happy Gifting. 'Tis the Season to do all three!
Spicy Pecans
There are endless variations of this dish and most are oh so easy. Thankfully, we no longer live in a day and time when we must shell and pick out the pecans ourselves. I grew up living in a pecan grove so I have certainly picked my share of pecans, and trust me, it is tedious work. Now I just hop over to the grocery store and find the freshest nuts available. To pick a good pecan, look for those that have not darkened in color (the oils in the pecan darken the flesh as it ages), are not brittle or shriveled and are still fragrant. If you follow these tips, you will pick good pecans every time!
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup sugar (I cut it back slightly)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 egg whites
2 cups pecan halves
Mix the dry ingredients together in a large ziplock bag. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. I sometimes add a shake or two of Tabasco sauce at this point, but this is my own variation of the recipe. Dump the 2 cups of pecans into the egg white and stir to make sure they are coated, then empty the pecans into the ziplock bag, seal and shake well! Your granddaughter can help you with the shaking part!
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Coat lightly with cooking spray. Spread the pecans out on the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Wrap in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon!
Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Three easy variations for this.
Number One Tip: Go ahead and buy the waffle shaped pretzels which are called snaps. They seem to disappear quickly around the holidays so I pick up a bag or two whenever I can find them!
Ingredients:
1 pkg of waffle shaped pretzels
1 pkg of Hershey Hugs or Hershey Kisses (I buy the mixed bag)
Option 2: Red and Green M&M's
Option 3: Rolo's
Unwrap the Hugs and/or Kisses. I do this one evening, and then store the unwrapped candy in a ziplock bag. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (who wants to clean up?!). Preheat oven to 350. Line your cookie sheet with the pretzels and then place a Hug or a Kiss on top of each one. Set your timer for TWO minutes. No longer. Cook the pretzels with the Hugs and Kisses for the requisite two minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press another waffle pretzel on top to make a little pretzel cookie sandwich. Let cool and then store in a ziplock bag.
Nuts and Bolts
This is an old recipe that I received nearly 40 years ago by way of The Husband's grandmother Mimi. I still have the original recipe in her lovely handwriting. There are many variations to this recipe, but I love the slow cooked buttery goodness of this one. It's the slow roasting and stirring that let the flavors penetrate the nuts and bolts and make it delicious. Try it, you'll like it.
Ingredients
4 cups of Cheerios (may use whole wheat, if preferred)
3 cups of Wheat Chex
3 cups of Rice Chex
3 cups of Corn Chex
2 1/2 cups of unsalted mixed nuts (preferably with cashews)
4 cups of skinny little pretzel sticks
4-6 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (no substitute)
1 Tbsp celery salt
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp onion powder
Melt butter, Worcestershire Sauce and spices together in a large roasting pan. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well coated. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.
Cool and package into airtight containers.
At my house, each person likes a different component and will dig through to pick it out. You won't find any cashews left after my husband has been around, while I prefer the Cheerios!
Fire 'n Ice Pickles
You don't really "pickle" these because they have already been pickled, but you are "dressing" them up in a little holiday finery that is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.
Ingredients:
1/2 gallon of dill pickles (you don't need to buy the expensive name brand)
1 head of garlic, peeled and minced
2 lbs of white sugar
1 (2 ounce) bottle of Tabasco (must be this brand!)
Red pepper flakes
1 gallon jar
Drain your pickles and discard the juice. Slice your pickles into substantial rounds (not too thin). Layer in the larger jar in following order: a layer of pickle slices, a layer of garlic, a couple of shakes of hot sauce, a blanket of sugar, flakes. Repeat until all used up.
Put the jar into the refrigerator and turn it over every day. Upside down. Then right side up. In about 5 days your amazing pickles will be crisp and ready to eat!
Reindeer Nutter Butters
Haven't made these yet, but I picked up a couple of packages of Nutter Butters at the grocery store this week, and I have the rest of the ingredients on hand so I think I am good to go! I am hoping you just use the icing (royal from Wilton is my easy choice) to get the pretzel ears to adhere. Then pipe the eyes and put a bit where you will stick the red nose (for Rudolph, of course!) I am betting that is black licorice for the mouth but I am going to use a bit of chocolate instead.
Happy Cooking, Happy Eating, and Happy Gifting. 'Tis the Season to do all three!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Little Boy Love from Etsy
I was shocked when I recently shopped for a boy baby doll. There were scores of baby dolls (all girls) in all shapes and sizes, but I scrambled hard to find ONE boy baby doll. It was a revelation of sorts. That's one reason why I wanted to share some suggestions for you for gifts to give the little man in your life!
Who wouldn't love a pair of these darling dinosaur booties?
They remind me of Max in Maurice Sendak's classic story,
"Where the Wild Things Are."
I don't know about you, but I could find the perfect spot in a nursery or toddler's room
to hang this adorable poster that can be personalized!
Tuck your sweet little one into his bed at night with this rag quilt
featuring lighthouses and tall ships. He'll dream sweet dreams for sure!
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| It's available here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/112315687/lighthouse-and-ships |
This inspired creation turns a balloon into a great safe toy.
An added bonus is that it can be used over and over again.
...And the price is just right!
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| Find it at the Etsy shop: Kids Love Letters |
I'm all for this adorable reusable eco-friendly chalkboard mat
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| You can buy it HERE |
And everyone knows that a boy and his horse are an inseparable duo
Bring Old MacDonald's farm to life with these finger puppets designed to foster imaginative play
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| Buy the horse and the finger puppets HERE |
Every boy needs a superhero cape.
This Etsy store has some great options that are reasonably priced.
When your little boy gives up his naps (do men ever give up their naps?!),
this "quiet book"will keep him busy for a bit.
Finally, here is a toy to charm boys of all ages
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| Buy this collectible toy HERE |
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Little Girl Love from Etsy
Take a look at some of these treasures sure to tug at your heartstrings (if not your pocketbook!) They just might be great additions to a Christmas list for someone you know and love!
And what little girl wouldn't want to curl up in a warm and cozy corner with one of these quilts or find it folded over the bottom of her very own bed?
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| This is the Fly A Kite Cape by the British duo Belle and Boo. |
The cape would look lovely with this cute peasant dress in an
Amy Butler fabric from Blake and Bailey's!
And what little girl wouldn't want to curl up in a warm and cozy corner with one of these quilts or find it folded over the bottom of her very own bed?
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| From From Now and Then Quilts |
Think about adding a few vintage books to your special little one's collection.
I am always drawn to books with lovely illustrations such as this one from Moss Mountain.
Tuck one or two of these little dolls into a stocking. Aren't they adorable?!
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| Find them at Etsy's Two Stray Cats |
Tired of plastic toys? These felted goodies would be perfect in a make-believe
kitchen and as an added bonus, they are safe for children of all ages!
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| Find these and other great eco friendly goodies at The Felt Playground |
It was love at first sight with this adorable sock piglet by the name of Piggi Longstocking.
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| You can buy Piggi here |
And if Piggi didn't do it for you, just look at this precious bear!
She's ready and waiting for some little girl love!
Happy Shopping and Merry Early Christmas!
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