The Citizen, 2010-12-23, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2010.MS –If the best gifts come fromthe heart, certainly the next-bestgifts come from the kitchen.Culinary treats can be perfect
presents for your friends or just
about anyone on your list. Food gifts
are especially perfect for friends,
neighbours, teachers, and others for
whom more elaborate gifts are
neither expected nor required.
What’s more, the possibilities are
endless and can be adjusted for
varying palates, allergies and
preferences. Here are several
suggestions for serving up delicious
holiday gifts this season.
Sugar
Just about everyone looks forward
to seasonal sweets, from Christmas
cookies to jelly doughnuts for
Chanukah to benne cakes or sweet
potato pie for the final feast of
Kwanzaa.
• Rethink your cookies. When it
comes to culinary delights, there’s
nothing wrong with sticking to the
basics. But if you want to put a twist
on tradition, consider some
alternatives to the holiday cookie
sampler, such as decorating
greeting-card-sized cookies with
personalized messages, filling
decorative jars with all of the dry
ingredients needed for your favorite
cookie recipe or giving the gift of
dough – three different kinds of
cookie dough rolled into logs,
wrapped in wax paper and tied at the
ends with festive ribbons.
• Take a dip. Dipping store-bought
confections such as peppermint
sticks, candy canes, candied orange
peel, shortbread cookies, or even
fresh figs in good-quality chocolate
(a mix of dark, milk and white
chocolate is even better) will
transform these everyday items into
holiday-worthy gifts.
• Think drinks. Nothing takes the
chill out of a cold December
morning like hot chocolate –
especially when it’s homemade.
Make your own mix with ground
chocolate and sugar or package a
high-quality store brand in a
festively decorated jar, then add
some peppermint sticks, chocolate-
coated spoons or homemade
marshmallows to the mix.
• Have a jam session. Handmade
jams, preserves and fruit compotes
are always appreciated. Your
creation can be accompanied by the
recipe, some scones or great toasting
bread, or even a decorative serving
jam jar.• Bark that’s as good as its bite.Chocolate bark is a delicious no-bake gift that’s so easy to make
you’ll wonder why you’ve waited so
long to try it. Recipes are
everywhere and you can customize
the bark with your recipients’
favourite nuts, dried fruits and other
tasty tidbits
Spice
For people who love to cook, great
ingredients make exquisite gifts.
Think about giving the gift of
flavour in the form of spices, either
from the bulk aisle at your favourite
upscale grocery chain or a well-
loved specialty retailer. Since spices
don’t stay fresh forever, your
culinary connoisseur is sure to
appreciate a new assortment. For the
more adventurous cooks on your
list, consider purchasing a few
special spices, such as saffron or
vanilla – either the bean or a high-
quality extract. Spices can be
purchased in small amounts and
then presented in decorative airtight
jars with handwritten labels. Other
options include making and giving
your own spice blends and
purchasing whole spices, such asnutmeg or allspice, and presentingthem along with the appropriate toolfor grinding or grating them.
Everything Nice
Themed baskets of food will
generate big smiles from everyone
on your holiday list. Putting together
an assortment of items for a
particular meal or kind of cooking is
as much fun for the giver as it is for
the receiver. Here are some ideas
that are both simple and special.
• Breakfast basket. Fill a basket
with homemade pancake and waffle
mix and a bottle of real maple syrup,
or go continental with a batch of
freshly-baked scones and a jar of
lemon curd. For the caffeine lover,
two mugs, one filled with a favourite
gourmet coffee or tea and the other
packed with some homemade
pastries or a jar of jam.
• Pasta basket. The centrepiece of
this gift could be a jar of your
famous spaghetti sauce, which is
surrounded by a package of fresh
pasta, a bulb of garlic and a wedge
of Parmesan cheese.
• Pizza basket. Start with a
Creative Christmas gifts from the kitchen
35 years and counting
Sixteen life-long friends from the Brussels area held their
annual Christmas get-together in late November. The girls
have been taking turns hosting the event since 1975. This
year’s party was hosted by Joan Bordash (Mair) at a
cottage in Grand Bend. Back row, from left: Michelle Blake,
Julie McCall, Julie Stratton, Carol Raymond, Bordash and
Brenda Keffer. Middle row, from left: Gloria Coulter, Peggy
Aitchison, Joyce King, Bonnie Richmond and Linda
McDonald. Front row, Susan Meyers. Absent were Gail
Semple, Joan Ritchie, Joan Cloakey and Gwen Doherty.
(Photo submitted)
With a Round of Best Wishes
from all of us
Country Store
519-887-8429
Feed Mill
Dungannon
519-529-7951
Walton 519-887-6023
1-800-665-5675
May you enjoy the blessings of the season with the
ones you love and may the New Year bring you
much happiness, success and good fortune.
Thank you for your patronage.
~ Winter Store Hours ~
Mon. - Fri. 6:30 am - 7 pm, Sat. 8 am - 7 pm, Sun. Closed
OLDFIELD’S
At thi s special t i m e of year,
w e ’d l i k e to tha nk yo u for stoppi ng h e r e !
Wishing you and your families
much joy and happiness.
Merry Christmas from Jim and Darlene
Brussels 519-887-6851
HAIR SALON
• total family haircare • gift certificates available
Merry Christmas
and Happy New Year
687 Elizabeth St., Brussels
519-887-8989
Holly Dauphin
Thank you for your ongoing
support and patronage
over the years
from
Beuermann
Construction
Brussels 519-887-8246
To all our valued
customers, we thank you
for your business and
look forward to serving
you again next year.
Best wishes to everyone
for a safe and happy
holiday season.
South Easthope
Mutual Insurance
Company
1-800-263-9987
www.seins.on.ca
Farm & Urban Property
Auto Insurance
Working Together
For Insurance That Works.
E-mail: sales@watsonshomehardware.com
www.watsonshomehardware.com
HOME HARDWARE
BUILDING CENTRE
Gorrie, ON N0G 1X0
Phone: 519-335-3551
Fax: 519-335-3427
Toll Free 1-877-335-3551
Watson’s
At this special
time of year
we’d like to take
the opportunity to thank
you for your patronage.
We look forward to
serving you again soon.
Continued on page 28