There is still more than enough time to make some really fantastic holiday gifts. These spicy spiced cocktail nuts cook up in no time, are a cinch to make, and require very few ingredients.
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7-8 cups or 40oz mixed nuts (I used mainly almonds, but also included peanuts, pepitas, and cashews)
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a jelly roll pan with parchment or a silpat.
Pick the leaves from the thyme and rosemary, then coarsely chop. Mix together the herbs, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and the corn syrup in a large bowl. Mix in the nuts with your hands. The mixture will distribute more evenly once it's heated.
Put the mixture on the jelly roll pan and into the oven. Make sure to mix your nuts and turn your pan several times during cooking. They should be roasted and toasty brown in about 15-20 minutes. Cool the nuts completely. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
I plan to package them up simliary to this, though I'd do them in small ziplocks inside the brown back to help with freshness.
I have many a cocktail lover in my life. Relatives, friends, neighbors... we can be a boozy bunch. This homemade cranberry liqueur is a perfect gift. Make it look pretty and it can be a cost effective solution for the gift for the bulk of your Christmas List, as well as nice to have on hand for unexpected holiday drop-ins.
2-12oz bags cranberries
4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 handle (1.75L) vodka*
*kitchen notes: I use 2 half full handles of vodka so I can simply add the cranberry syrup on top to let it sit for a week before gifts go out. Regarding the type of vodka, I like to use Smirnoff because it's pretty cost effective with minimal flavor. This time, I used the cheap Costco brand and like the results so far.
Boil the frozen cranberries in a saucepan with sugar and water until the berries POP. Puree the mixture in a food processor. Wait for the mixture to cool, then funnel the cranberry syrup equally into each half full handle of vodka. Adding the zest of a couple of oranges would be great, or you could also add some cinnamon sticks, if that's your thing.
Let the concoction sit in a cool, dark place - fridge space is a hot commodity during the holidays and cool and dark is sufficient - for at least a week or two. When you are ready to decant into pretty gift bottles, pour through a strainer lined with cheesecloth to get rid of the cloudiness. Since I did not have forethought to make this ahead of time this year to take pictures, go directly to Pinterest for bottling ideas (or hopefully Natty will show us her stuff next week!).
This liqueur is an awesome addition to a liquor cabinet, but I personally love it over ice with fizzy water and a squeeze of lime.
It's such a little thing, but when I was a child, this little tree was an important part of my Christmas. My Grandma Ruby lived in a tiny house in San Diego and this was her Christmas tree. When she passed away, I was given her tree. Even though Georgia will never know her, it makes me happy to know that she'll know her a little though her little tree.
2. Books.
Growing up, my mother had a stash of books that only came out at Christmas and I spent the weeks leading up to the big day, absorbed in their worlds. I liked The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for its raucous storyline but loved the tender ending more. Books with toys and dolls that came to life, like The Story of Holly and Ivy, occupied me for hours, all the while making me give the side-eye to the playthings in my bedroom. I read these books every year, even though some of them were "baby" books and I'm building a collection of my own now.
I started making this 5 years ago and it wouldn't feel like Christmas without it. I can't wait until Georgia can make this with me. The boiling of beer and molasses makes this cake seem even more special and rare.
4. Obnoxious, Constant Singing.
Georgia is under the impression that I am a grand, grand singer, so I've really been belting it out this year. Patrick tolerates KOST 103.5 when were driving around town and the Sirius holiday channels play almost non-stop when we're home. I sing along if I know 30% or more of the words. We'll see if Georgia grows up to chime in or crumble and cringe.
5. Not Getting Dressed on Christmas Day.
To me, this is the height of celebration. Sure, you can get dressed if you want, but if you want to spend the entire day, cozy in your new jammies, eating gingerbread and playing with toys... wait, why would anyone want to get dressed?
Cori
1. Tree Cookies
This, our first year as a fam of 3, will be the first year we do this. I got this fun idea from an Internet friend who takes a 1 inch or so "slice" (or cookie) off the bottom of the christmas tree every year. If I remember correctly, her family names the tree, writes that and the year on the cookie, and files it away as a reminder of Christmas Past. I haven't decided how we'll utilize the cookie, but likely in a similar way.
2. Christmas Eve PJ's
As a kid, we were allowed to open one gift every year on Christmas eve, and that gift was always pajamas. There is something about wearing new PJ's to bed on Christmas eve that makes it even just a touch more special.
3. Jingle Cats
Music to our ears! Every year whilst trimming the tree, we must listen to the album at least once. Can you handle it?
4. Poppyseed Danish
My big grandma made it, my mom makes it, and we shall eat it.
5. Dad's Christmas Tree Cutouts
I wish I had a picture of this, but we haven't put up the outdoor decor as of yet. My dad hand made sparkly, white, lighted plywood christmas trees for each of my siblings that sit near each of our front doors. No matter where we are, we are all connected and think of my dad and each other whenever we see them. I love it.
This is my Christmas list. Finances have been tight, so I haven't bought myself much of anything recently, ergo the list is particularly plentiful. Though it may seem a heavy handed hint to my darling husband,, hopefully it will give you an idea or two for a woman in your own life or even a few ideas about what to wish for this year.
Kitchen Wall Calendar
My iPhone calendar ap is great, but there is something really nice about having a hard copy family calendar up in the kitchen. This one is nice, but I'd love any of an assortment of pretty botanical or native California plants calendars.
Fabric/tea towels from Spoonflower
Spoonflower is one of my all time favorite sources for unique and beautiful prints. These tea towels are awesome and I love the way a pretty tea towel makes the kitchen a little happier.
Voluspa candles
I have never met a candle I love more than Voluspa. They are pricey but you can find them on sale if you are open to new scents. Several different retailers sell them, but I often find them in the clearance section at Anthropologie.
Police Scanner
This is completely superfluous and idiotic. It just goes to show what a busybody I am now that I'm at home all day, but it would be super interesting to know what's going on in my hood when I hear the sirens a-howling.
Modernist Cuisine at Home
This cookbook, put together by a super techie ex-Microsoft big wig, is supposed to be absolutely amazing. I would love to have it in my cookbookcase, but it's expensive!
Tocca Perfumes
There is nothing better when you smell questionable (small children and too many animals can do that to you) than to spritz on a little of this stuff. A little goes a long way and these scents really are divine.
Big Purse
I'm a woman in between a purse and a diaper bag. I don't want to take the diaper bag to the grocery store or dentist when I'm flying solo, and I dislike having a purse that makes toting along a few wipes and diapers inconvenient. I'm hoping a larger, organized purse will help bridge the gap.
Prints for Kitchen
I love prints as gifts for the house. I know artwork is very personal, but for me... I have so many bare walls, I think it's such a nice reminder of the person who gave it to you and the sentiment rather than the print itself. I can always find a place for it somewhere. My kitchen could use a few new prints to spruce it up. There is not much in the world that is happier to me than bread and food and cheese and cookies and, well, warmth and love.
Etsy is a great source for prints, though searching can be a pain
FitBit
Bran has one of these nifty little pedometers that tracks your daily steps and uploads them to a website that tracks your progress. If you buy the scale, it will automatically sync and tell you how you're faring. It's great motivation to keep moving and is an easy way to make sure you're getting all the moving you need.
Clothes
I plan to do a post soon on my ideas for sprucing up my wardrobe on a shoestring, because it needs it desperately. I'm in a very weird spot, with not having bought any clothes since before I was pregnant (over a year!). Significant changes in my needs and wants in clothes have occurred over that time period, and I want to invest in some new items that are comfortable but nice. My goal is also to feel good enough that I don't fear leaving the house just in case I unexpectedly run into someone I haven't seen in years, all without breaking the bank. Possible? Or am I destined for mom-jean-dom?
