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This book saved my life--and my reputation!
In the late fall of 1998, I naively decided that I was going to pull off an impossible feat.
No, I wasn't going to learn how to walk on water (I can’t swim). I wasn't going to scale Mount Everest
(I'm afraid of heights). I wasn't going to run a 25 mile marathon
(I'm not THAT athletic.) And most definitely, I was NOT going to deep clean my house!
(I've got better things to do with my time!)
That year, I decided that I was going to make each and every one of my Christmas gifts. All
50 of them.
Big deal, you say? Well, my task wouldn't have been so daunting if I made this decision in June or July. However, in a burst of spontaneous enthusiasm, I made this commitment on December
1---a scant 24 days before the big holiday.
I toiled for seven arduous days, piecing together colorful quilts, sewing red and green plaid pajamas, painting delicate glass ornaments and cross-stitching elaborate wall hangings.
At the end of one week, I had completed a grand total of… (drum roll, please) … FOUR gifts. Yep, that’s right—only
FOUR gifts.
Obviously, this was NOT going to work. I needed a new plan--fast!
In a panic, I dashed over to the bookshelf and took out my copy of Quick and Tasty Christmas
Gifts. Skimming through it, I breathed a long sigh of relief. Using the ideas in this imaginative book, I could easily create 46 additional gifts in the remaining 16 days before Christmas.
Quick and Tasty Christmas Gifts was written for overly-ambitious individuals like me who occasionally overestimate their gift-making abilities. It’s also written for people who love to give one-of-a-kind gifts, but don’t have much time to create those treasures. Published by Leisure Arts, this 128-page book shows you how to whip up mouthwatering foods and then cleverly package those homemade treats. The end result will thrill anyone--and everyone--on your gift list. Best of all, they will never guess that these gifts were made in a few hours instead of a few weeks!
Each recipe relies on simple ingredients and pre-packaged mixes. In other words, you won’t have to run around town looking for peculiarities like foie gras, walnut mustard, sassafras root or dried lemongrass! You will find the ingredients in your pantry or at your local grocery store.
Unique packaging takes these delicious foodstuffs and turns them into extraordinary gifts. The designers at Leisure Arts took generic gift bags, baskets and boxes and embellished them with paint, fabric, hand-drawn labels, silk flowers and more. You won’t find imaginative wrappings like this at your neighborhood card shop, gift boutique or discount store!
To help you visualize the finished gift, each project includes a large, vibrant color photo. Simple, traceable patterns are also included with many of the projects.
The book is divided into five sections:
1) Table of Contents
2) Gift Ideas
3) General Instructions
4) Kitchen Tips
5) Recipe Index
1) Table of Contents
More than just a requisite list, this valuable tool will help you quickly determine which items would make appropriate gifts for your friends and family. Simply scan the list until a title catches your eye, then flip to the assigned page.
2) Gift Ideas
This chapter contains 87 marvelous food and presentation ideas. You will find recipes for beverages like Amaretto Cocoa; breads like Almond Cinnamon Rolls; cakes like Chocolate Raspberry Decadence; cookies like Peanutty S’mores; candies like Microwave Gumdrop Fudge, and entrees like Busy Day Chicken and Dumplings.
These four recipes saved my sanity--and reputation--on that frenzied December day:
1. Lemon Sweeties
My friends couldn’t stop raving about these delicious cookies! They were super easy to make, requiring only three ingredients: Ritz crackers, lemon-flavored frosting and candy coating wafers. In the book they are packaged in a purchased gift bag adorned with a handmade gift tag that can later be used as a tree ornament.
2. Candied Tea Stirrers
I whipped up this gift in 20 minutes for my tea-loving grandmother, using only fruit flavored hard candies and heavyweight plastic spoons. She adored them and asked me to make them every Christmas!
3. Quick Candied Christmas Popcorn
Our neighbors loved this delectable treat, which took only 15 minutes to make in the microwave. As recommended in the book, I tinted the popcorn red and green to give it a festive look. The packaging is elegant, yet deceptively easy to create--red or green tins embellished with a gold cord and silk poinsettia.
4. Baskets with Bourbon-Orange Pecans
Make a double batch of these Bourbon-Orange Pecans--you’ll want some for yourself! Simply stir pecans in a mixture of bourbon, orange extract, brown sugar and egg white, then bake them in the oven until brown. When they have cooled, package them in squat little baskets that you have fashioned out of empty soup cans, holiday fabric and gold trim. They make great little gifts for teachers, Sunday School instructors, coaches, your mail carrier or anyone you want to remember.
These are just a few of the many wonderful ideas packed into this book.
3) General Instructions
This section includes basic crafting information to help you create the gift packaging. It gives hints on making appliques, stenciling, creating a multi-loop bow, finishing jar lids, wax-sealing bottles and more.
4) Kitchen Tips
If you cook or bake frequently, you can probably skip this section. It includes some elementary cooking tips, such as how to measure ingredients, soften butter, melt candy coating and toast nuts.
5) Recipe Index
After you’ve tried a few of these recipes, you will find that you crave them during non-holiday times, too. If so, you can easily look up your favorites in this section, which lists all of the book’s recipes in alphabetical order.
Final thoughts:
If you like cooking and enjoy making gifts for family and friends, this wonderful book deserves a space on your bookshelf. It will inspire you for many, many holidays!
For
more information or to purchase this book, type Quick and Tasty
Christmas Gifts in the search engine below:
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Other
books you might like:
Gooseberry Patch Christmas-Book 3
One-Hour Christmas Crafts
Christmas Gifts of Good Taste: Festive Recipes
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