Hostess Gifts From The Heart
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
Stymied about what to give as
hostess gifts?
Today’s collection of ideas are
from Fay Strickler, Ruth Arm
buster, and Barbara Mills. They
recently presented the ideas dur
ing the holiday workshop con
ducted at the Berks County Ex
tension.
Clip these pages. The ideas are
sure to spark your creativity and
warm the hearts of the receivers.
Homemade Gift Ideas
• Fuse a fabric applique to a
paper bag to package a gift.
• Napkin holders Glue or
stitch items such as buttons, holi
day ornaments, and silk flowers
to napkin holders.
• Rosemary or sage basting
brushes Tie three long sprigs
rosemary together with red and
gold cord. Give to the one who
roasts the Christmas goose or
turkey. You can also tie together
a set of wooden spoons and add
a tiny jar of dried sage, thyme,
and rosemary.
• Flavored vinegars Basil,
bay leaves, marjoram, oregano,
rosemary, sage, tarragon, and
thyme are excellent choices for
flavoring vinegar and oil. Use
them singularly or in any combi
nation desired. Add a bit of mint
to other herbs for flavor.
• Flavored coffee To unfla
vored ground coffee, add %-‘A
teaspoon ground cardamom and
'A-'A teaspoon ground cinnamon
per pot. Brew the coffee as usual.
(Add a coffee mug and cookies
or biscotti for a special touch).
• Stencil aprons with Christ
mas motifs.
HOT AND SWEET MUS
TARD
I cup sugar
-h cup dry mustard
3 eggs, well beaten
’/ cup vinegar
In a medium saucepan, whisk
together sugar and mustard. Add
eggs and vinegar, blend well.
Cook over low heat (stirring con
stantly), until thickened (approx
imately 8-10 minutes).
Pour into two 1-cup canning
jars and cap with lid and screw
band. Refrigerate for up to one
month.
For an evening get-together
with friends, take a decorated
jar of homemade hot and sweet
mustard, ring bologna, and
hard pretzels for dipping.
LEMON BUTTER OR
LEMON CURD
Blend:
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, well beaten
Add:
2 lemons (grate rind first, then
juice the fruit)
3 tablespoons butter
Cook in the top pan of double
boiler, over low heat, stirring
constantly. Keep the water in the
bottom half of the double boiler
at just under boiling tempera
ture. Cook until it thickens,
about 25 minutes.
Pour into half pint canning
jars and cover with lid and band.
Cool. Refrigerate for up to one
month. Can be frozen. Tastes
great on blueberry muffins, fruit
breads, warm bagels, rolls, or as
a fruit dip.
RASPBERRY VINEGAR
Bruise one cup fresh raspber
ries lightly and place in sterilized
pint jar. Heat distilled white or
wine vinegar to just below boiling
point. Fill jar with vinegar and
cap tightly. Allow to stand 2-3
Ideas for hostess and holiday gifts abound according to these workshop instructors
at the Berks County Holiday Program. From left are Fay Strickler, Ruth Armbuster, and
Barbara Mills.
weeks. Strain vinegar, discarding
fruit. Pour vinegar into a clean
sterilized jar. Seal tightly. Use in
dressings for mixed green or fruit
salads or marinades for children.
LEMON THYME
VINEGAR
Remove peel (colored portion
only) from one lemon in a thin
spiral and place in a sterilized
pint jar with 4-5 sprigs thyme or
lemon thyme. Heat distilled
white vinegar to just below the
boiling point. Fill jar with vine
gar and cap tightly. Allow to
stand 3-4 weeks. Strain vinegar,
discarding peel and thyme. Pour
vinegar into a clean sterilized jar,
adding fresh thyme sprig and
peel for garnish. Seal tightly. Use
in dressings for tossed green sal
ads or marinades for vegetables.
BLACK BEAN
FIESTA SALSA
Vegetables:
2 (15.5 ounces) cans black
beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
under warm water until
thawed
'/> pound jicama, peeled, diced
in small pieces
1 sweet red pepper, remove
seeds, dice
5 whole green onions, cleaned,
chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic (re
frigerated or fresh)
'/: or whole bunch fresh cilan
tro, finely chopped
Dressing:
‘/; cup lemon juice (fresh or
bottled)
'A cup lime juice (fresh or bot
tled)
'/’ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
Combine vegetables in 2-quart
bowl. Measure dressing ingredi
ents into pint jar, cover and
shake until sugar is dissolved.
Add dressing to vegetables and
stir thoroughly. Marinate in re
frigerator overnight or at least 2
hours to blend flavors.
Serve with slotted spoon as a
condiment with chips, tacos, faji
tas or as a salad. Salsa may be re
frigerated up to two weeks.
Jicama is a root vegetable sim
ilar to potatoes. It can be found
in large supermarkets. If desired,
water chestnuts may be substi-
tuted for jicama. Yields approxi
mately 7-8 cups.
This is a prize-winning reci
pe.
JELLY JAR SCENT
1 cup simmering potpourri
2 packages unflavored gelatin
1 jelly jar with screw lid
1 piece of lace or ribbon
Take 1 cup liquid potpourri
and warm on range. Add gelatin
and stir until it dissolves. Don’t
let it get too hot or let boil. Pour
into jar, put lid on and refriger
ate for at least two hours. When
set, decorate with lace and rib
bon. To use, take off disc from
lid and put lace over top of jar
and tighten the lid to keep lace
in place.
WIDOW FINNEY’S
SWEET AND TANGY NUTS
1 pound pecans
3 egg whites
Dash salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
Splash soy sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Toast pecans in oven until light
ly browned. Beat egg whites in a
medium bowl until foamy. Add
salt, and then gradually add
sugar, continuing to beat until
stiff peaks form. Fold in nuts.
Melt butter in bottom of sheet
cake pan, add soy sauce, and
spread nut mixture over top.
Bake about 20 minutes, stirring
nuts every 10 minutes. Cool nuts
and break into pieces before
serving.
BEAN SOUP JAR
2 cups mixed dried beans
Place beans in different layers
in pint canning jar. Seal with lid.
On a recipe card, include the
following information for pre
paring soup;
2 quarts water
1-2 pounds ham hock
'h teaspoon salt
28-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
Seasoning to taste
Rinse beans; soak in two quar
ts water overnight. Do not drain.
Add remaining ingredients.
Cover and bring to a boil. Re
duce heat and cook slowly, un
covered, until beans are tender
and soup thickens. Makes 8
cups.
To make diet cocoa, delete
sugar and add eight packages
Equal. For mocha, add Vi cup in
stant coffee crystals.
PUPPY CHOW
(For humans)
1 cup peanut butter
1 stick butter
2 cups chocolate chips
Combine peanut butter, but
ter, and chocolate chips. Melt in
microwave. Toss mixture until
covered with
18 cups Chex cereal
Then toss with
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
SCISSORS HOLDER
7- square potholder
2'/>inch fabric yo-yo
Large button
8- scissors
With hanging loop at top, fold
two side comers of potholders to
ward center, forming a cornuco
pia. Stitch or glue in place.
Give A Themed Gift Basket
Here’s a perfect idea for
those hard-to-shop for friends
and family: a gift basket filled
with items customized to the
recipient’s needs and interests.
A Breakfast Basket might
contain cranberry bread or as
sorted muffins, gourmet pre
serves, a special coffee or tea,
and book of short stories. For
heartier appetites, consider
pancake mix, and speciality
syrups.
A Soup Supper with dried
soup and bean mixes, fancy
crackers, cornbread mix, a
wooden ladle, and soup cups.
For a Pasta Basket, replace
the basket with a large pasta
For yo-yo, cut 5%-inch circle
from fabric. Press raw edge of
circle '/4-inch to the wrong side.
Using heavy thread, work loose
running stitches along pressed
edge. Pull ends of thread to tight
ly gather the circle, knot thread
to secure. Flatten circle with
gathers at top center. Glue flat
side of yo-yo to potholder cornu
copia; glue a button to center of
gathers on yo-yo. Insert scissors.
SEASONING FOR SOUPS,
STEWS, SALADS
Vi teaspoon dry mint
1 teaspoon dry basil
V* teaspoon dry dill weed
Vi teaspoon garlic powder
V* teaspoon black pepper
Mix all together. Add 1 tea
spoon (or to your taste) to your
favorite soup.
CREOLE SEASONING MIX
‘A teaspoon lemon peel
'A teaspoon garlic powder
Vi teaspoon celery salt
'A teaspoon dry mustard
Vs teaspoon ground cloves
'A teaspoon ground ginger
VA teaspoons paprika
'A teaspoon onion powder
A teaspoon red pepper
Mix together all ingredients.
Package in a clear cellophane
bag and tie with ribbon or in
small tin. Add as a seasoning to
meats, poultry or soup mix. This
is a spicy seasoning so start with
a small amount and adjust taste.
SNACK MIX GIFT
11-14-ounce box flat oyster
crackers
1 scant cup salad oil
1 package ranch salad dress
ing mix
Dash lemon pepper seasoning
(without salt)
Dash garlic powder
!A teaspoon dill weed
Mix oil and seasonings in large
bowl. Stir in crackers. Stir occa
sionally during the day. Let set
overnight. Next day store in air
tight containers. Tall plastic con
tainers are right for storing this
appetizer.
bowl filled with a cheese grat
er, a garlic press, fresh Par
mesan cheese, checkered nap
kins, and, of course, gourmet
pastas.
Other gift ideas include
baskets customized for tea
drinkers, coffee lovers, choc
a-holics, gourmet cooks or
late night snackers.
If the recipient is moving
to a new home or apartment,
a cleaning basket stocked
with sponges, rubber gloves,
and assorted cleaning prod
ucts would be welcome. To
make it extra-special, tuck in
a gift certificate for a cleaning
service.