5 Places To Find Last Minute Gifts AT HOME

We're giving entirely handmade gifts this year, with the exception of a couple things on Lil's list that can't be made from scratch. (Pokemon cards don't trade well if mom makes them.) Some of our gifts have been in the making for several months and they'll be accessorized with items we will make from things we already have. Here are some of the places we've shopped in our own home for gifts and gift making supplies this year:

1) The Pantry - This is an obvious one. If you put up jam, sauce, or stock, chances are there are people on your list who would love them. I decorate my jars with paper or cloth tops and package up sets of jams or sauces. I like to group jars with a baked accessory like a loaf of crusty bread with marinara or homemade tortillas with homemade salsa.

2) The Garage - We're savaging the garage for wood scraps to make a few gifts this year. We've made gift crates from fence boards and Alex pieced together a wooden step stool for Lil from scrap lumber when she was younger. I can't share what we're making from scrap lumber this year but I will soon!

3) The Kitchen - Another obvious one. Your kitchen likely has the ingredients for flavored sugar and salt, cranberry liqueur, and homemade bitters. With a special trip to the grocery, you can get ingredients to make edible gifts for anyone on your list - there are lots of good recipes in this list of 40 homemade gifts from The Kitchn.

4) The Craft Room - Maybe your craft room is different, but mine is chock-full of fabric, roving, yarn, embroidery floss and more. Craft a simple pair of earrings, scarf, fabric scrap table runner or coasters, or set of magnets for a quick handmade gift.

5) Outside - We use natural materials for all sorts of crafts. Lil and I collected perfectly large and stemmed acorn caps earlier in the fall which we filled with felted faces for ornaments to include in wrapping. Earlier this season we made candle holders from scrap lumber and crafted a cat-and-puppy-proof twig tree to display our collection of miniature ornaments.

Here's to a happy holiday season for you and yours! What are you making by hand this year?

5 Places To Find Last Minute Gifts AT HOME

We're giving entirely handmade gifts this year, with the exception of a couple things on Lil's list that can't be made from scratch. (Pokemon cards don't trade well if mom makes them.) Some of our gifts have been in the making for several months and they'll be accessorized with items we will make from things we already have. Here are some of the places we've shopped in our own home for gifts and gift making supplies this year:

1) The Pantry - This is an obvious one. If you put up jam, sauce, or stock, chances are there are people on your list who would love them. I decorate my jars with paper or cloth tops and package up sets of jams or sauces. I like to group jars with a baked accessory like a loaf of crusty bread with marinara or homemade tortillas with homemade salsa.

2) The Garage - We're savaging the garage for wood scraps to make a few gifts this year. We've made gift crates from fence boards and Alex pieced together a wooden step stool for Lil from scrap lumber when she was younger. I can't share what we're making from scrap lumber this year but I will soon!

3) The Kitchen - Another obvious one. Your kitchen likely has the ingredients for flavored sugar and salt, cranberry liqueur, and homemade bitters. With a special trip to the grocery, you can get ingredients to make edible gifts for anyone on your list - there are lots of good recipes in this list of 40 homemade gifts from The Kitchn.

4) The Craft Room - Maybe your craft room is different, but mine is chock-full of fabric, roving, yarn, embroidery floss and more. Craft a simple pair of earrings, scarf, fabric scrap table runner or coasters, or set of magnets for a quick handmade gift.

5) Outside - We use natural materials for all sorts of crafts. Lil and I collected perfectly large and stemmed acorn caps earlier in the fall which we filled with felted faces for ornaments to include in wrapping. Earlier this season we made candle holders from scrap lumber and crafted a cat-and-puppy-proof twig tree to display our collection of miniature ornaments.

Here's to a happy holiday season for you and yours! What are you making by hand this year?

Handmade Gifts On A Snow Day

Our Christmas wasn't white but the sky dumped a fine layer of sleet and five inches of snow on the homestead today. We decided not to take the travel risk and drive seventy miles to my aunt's house for a handmade gift exchange and dinner. Instead, we took a snow day.

We let the chickens out to exercise before the heaviest snow fell. They don't seem to mind the cold stuff on the ground but when visibility lessens they run for the coop.

Alex and I shoveled the ice from part of the driveway. Our lengthy drive allows us some privacy but we're realizing that our responsibility to clear it is a bit of a downside. And we're wishing that just one of the three garage bays was organized enough so the car wouldn't be out in this weather. Soon we will get around to unpacking the garage.

Inside, we are enjoying generous gifts from our family. Alex received this clever army guy bowl from one of my sisters and the handmade leather bolas from another. I unwrapped this painstakingly painted birdhouse by Lil.

We also received a dedicated meat grinder, Le Crueset (our first!), books, toys, earrings, food, drinks, and more. Lil's big present was a trip to Disneyland in early January! We'll be accompanying Alex on a business trip and make a trip to the mouse while we're there.

We're discussing where to hang our new handmade artwork. I crafted the bacon and eggs piece from remnant wood in our garage and egg tempra from the yolk of a backyard chicken egg and Alex's home made charcoal. My sister made the Ohio nail art - she says it's not nearly as time consuming as it looks.

While we miss extended family, this day to decompress and enjoy each other was most welcome. How were your holidays?

P.S. I just realized that my comment spam filter was marking all comments as spam. I approved about a week's worth of real comments this afternoon. There could be more that the filter deleted before I could approve them and if this happened to your comment I sincerely apologize. I do appreciate discussion and will be more attentive to the spam filter from here on out!

Gingerbread: House for the Kids,Crisp Cookies for Adults {Recipe}

A few days ago, I shared some of our holiday crafts. I told you that my pastry-chef sister Heather baked gingerbread house pieces for Lil to decorate. Our kitchen remains sticky from the amount of frosting and candy used on that house. What I didn't reveal are the ridiculously good spoils from the house-making: Heather gave us all the trimmings from the gingerbread walls. Rough in shape, but generally slender, these perfectly crisp cookies beg to be dunked in coffee or tea. I eat a few pieces a day for a mildly sweet, spicy, crispy snack.

Sugar-coated house for kids and refined cookies for the adults - what a sweet holiday tradition!

Crisp Gingerbread

Yield: 1 # 12 oz (enough for a good-sized gingerbread house or approximately 4 dozen cookies)

4 oz (1 stick or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4 oz (~ 1/2 cup) brown sugar

6 fl oz ( 1/2 cup) molasses

1 whole egg

12 oz (~2 2/3 cup) all purpose flour

1 teaspon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

parchment paper

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add molasses and egg, beat to combine well
3. Stir together remaining ingredients in a separate bowl
4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, beating until just blended (Dough will be very wet.  If making for a gingerbread house, you may want to add extra flour to enable an easier roll out)
5. Gather into a disk, wrap with plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour (for easier rolling, freeze dough and then roll out as soon as pulling from the freezer. It will still be a wet dough, but easier to roll out)
6. Roll out to ¼ inch, using as much flour as necessary for easier rolling
7. Cut with floured cutter, or bake for gingerbread house **see note
8. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet at 350 until lightly browned and feels barely firm when touched

**To get clean lines for gingerbread houses:

•  First make a template out of cardboard or firm paper.  After freezing and rolling, bake before cutting out the pieces (this will work well if you roll the dough between pieces of parchment.  You can then just pick up the parchment paper, rather than trying to move the fragile dough).
• Bake partially, until the gingerbread is golden, but still slightly soft to the tough.  Pull from the oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes, or until you can cut the dough without tearing it.  Place the template on top of the dough and deeply score the desired shape with a very sharp knife (I like using an exacto knife).
• Let the dough cool entirely, then remove the excess gingerbread from the shape you cut out (wall, roof, etc.), you may have to cut the lines again, but it should be fairly easy to remove the excess gingerbread.
• After removing any excess, return the shape to the oven to dry out one more time.  You will want the gingerbread to be very firm before taking out of the oven.
• Let cool entirely and then assemble the house with a very thick royal icing (1 egg white whipped with enough powdered sugar to make a thick spread; add a splash of vinegar, or lemon juice, to help it to harden easier).  Decorate as desired.

PS. If you want to see some professional creations, I recommend the gingerbread house display at Easton Center on the second story of the mall near the AMC theater. Heather worked on The Pearl recreation with the Cameron Mitchell Catering group, pictured above.

PPS. I finally have a new laptop! After two months of scavenging time on shared computers, I have one of my own! It's taking a little time to set up all my preferences, but my first impressions of the Lenovo Twist are excellent.

Holiday Books & Videos {Friday Five}

The homestead is bustling like an elf shop these days with gift wrapping, cooking, hosting gatherings and attending others. We like to read holiday books and watch videos during the down time to get excited for the big day coming. Here are five we like this year: 1) Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephen Krensky is based on the true story of George Washington learning about the holiday from a Jewish soldier in the Revolutionary war. I like the retelling of the Hanukkah story in this book as well as the connection to a historical character Lil already knows. Beautifully painted illustrations by Greg Harlin complete the book.

2) Every year during Hanukkah we listen to Matisyaku's Miracle. The youtube video linked is full of fun but funky imagery and the tune is remarkably catchy.

3) Did you know that The Killers produce a holiday song and video each year? 2011's The Cowboy' Christmas Ball is our favorite with a music video full of wild west characters.

4) Olive the Other Reindeer is a remake of the classic Rudolph tale by Vivian Walsh. The story of a dog finding her place in the world is illustrated by J. Otto Seibold's computer-created cartoons. When I can stomach Drew Barrymore's voice, we also enjoy the 45 minute video version.

5) The Muppet Family Christmas is a perennial favorite of our family. The 40 minute movie includes Muppet characters from Kermit to Fraggles to Sesame Street in a story about friendship. At various points in the show, they sing holiday carols and original Muppet songs.

What are your favorites?

Thanks for Handmade Gifts Received

Our Xmas was truly lovely.  The Goose Dinner went off without a hitch, Lillian was patient during the many family gatherings, and we loved the wintery weather.  We received some fantastic handmade gifts during the festivities.

Click pictures to enlarge. My sister sewed me a lower half apron with purple fabrics from my 30th birthday quilt, Lillian's gift, a handmade purse, and gifts from years past.

She also was the crafty person behind Devie and Hawise's gift - an eye patch for the one eyed dog and parrot shirt for the little one.  Hawise is frozen in hatred in that picture.

My mom made Lil a beautiful dress and matching satchel.  They fit so well and even include sparkly adornments as Lil requested in her wish list.

Sisters Megan and Heather made hand-stamped stationary, fancy chocolates, a snack pack of homemade ricotta, mozzarella, and crackers, and flavored vinegar.

Grandma sewed a top apron and my cousin Naomi made me a skirt from old men's dress shirts.

Alex's mom gave me a very cool earring holder made by a local artist from fine gauge copper wire wrapped evenly around large gauge wire.  This seems simple enough that anyone with some patience could make it.  The earrings on the display are made by my sister-in-law-to-be Kim.

Uncle Mike made Alex a home-cut and hand-sharpened titanium hand scraper/bottle opener with a hand-sanded wooden handle.  As if that wasn't enough, he cast some tiki shaped chocolate molds too.

One topic of conversation during the handmade gift exchanges is that the giving became more meaningful and fun. I am so thankful for family members that not only appreciate making presents by hand but are talented enough to produce some really creative things. 

We feel perfectly present-ed this year.  Did you receive any handmade goodies?

Happy Holidays from Santa Chicken

Precious few family and friends will receive a Santa Chicken in the mail this week.  As is our family tradition, Lil's illustration was printed on a postcard.  She later painstakingly water colored each chicken.

Lil offers you, dear readers, her chicken christmas joke.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"

"To eat the Christmas worm."

Ho ho!

HanuSolMas

What do we believe?

What do we celebrate?

Why?

This are important questions, and ones that contribute to winter holiday stress for many.  Some find strife when family members disagree on the reasons for the season.  Others lament a general lack of meaning, or the transfer of moral significance to commercial gain.

Our Winter Holiday History

For the first few years of our marriage, Alex and I celebrated whatever we wanted to, picking and choosing mostly based on which holidays had the most yummy food and drink traditions.  As committed atheists, we were disconcerted with religious meaning but we threw some great parties.

At the time I taught at the Orthodox Jewish school and bought a beautiful hand made menorah.  Better observe Hanukkah to make use of the menorah, right?

In 2005, Lil came along.  It struck us that a string of meaningless dinners and decorations might confuse the child.  More importantly, we could mold her young self with moral lessons dictated through holiday stories.

Given our rejection of diety, miracles, and the like, just what might those moral lessons be?

Hanukkah

The Hanukkah story of the Macabees is our chance to share the value that everyone can believe what they want and stand up for that right.  We also share the story as an example that a dedicated group of individuals can indeed make change or even defeat a king.

We celebrate Hanukkah by lighting candles at sundown as is the Jewish tradition.  We give Lil one piece of gelt per evening and play dreidel.  At least once during the eight nights, we cook up latkes and dough nuts in a fry feast.

Winter Solstice

Lil helped us discover a Solstice tradition earlier this year.  She picked up the book Sun Bread from the library shelves.  It doesn't mention Winter Solstice but does tell a sweet story of an animal city welcoming the sunshine back in midwinter with a rich yellow sun-shaped bread.

In a few days we will share the sun bread recipe.  We're making it again on the shortest day of the year.  On Solstice we share all the things we look forward to enjoying on sunny days.  The sun is, after all, the currency that allows us to grow our garden and feed our family.

Christmas

Honestly, Christmas is the most difficult celebration within which to find non-religious morality for me.  I can almost make myself believe that while Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, I honor the unique birth and life path of all my friends and relatives.  Alex is satisfied to just carry on family traditions on December 25th without applying any lessons or reasons why.

Christmas is the holiday with the most secular traditions in our extended families.  We exchange gifts, we bake cookies, and host a semi-formal Xmas Eve English goose dinner.  We joyfully sing carols and watch classic Christmas movies.

The Holiday Mash

So far, Lil has shown extreme flexibility in understanding our traditions.  This should not be surprising, considering the plethora of stories that swarm through a kid's mind.  It's part of preschooler development to define what is fact and fiction.  They do this best in a community of family and fun, just what we intend to cultivate around the holiday.

How do your holiday celebrations relate to your beliefs?  How to do share these with your family?