NO-COOK HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA: SWEET

As promised here is the much anticipated follow up to our previous "savory" post!  As we said last week you can give homemade culinary gifts to your friends, loved ones, or even that office secret Santa that require little to no effort to assemble.  In today's post we will feature several no-cook savory ideas for those on your gift giving list!

Peppermint Bark (Not really "No Cook" but damn easy)

2 -12 oz. bags of of white chocolate chips
1 cup peppermint candies or candy canes

Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.  Next, place chips in a large glass bowl and microwave at 60% power for 1 minute, stir.  Repeat, stirring until smooth.  Place candies in a large releasable bag and crush with a meat mallet or heavy sauce pan.  Fold half the crushed candy into the melted chocolate.  Pour onto prepared pan spreading to approximately 1/4 inch thickness.  Sprinkle the remaining candy on top and refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).  Break into pieces.

Flavored Butters

Honey Butter

1/4 cup honey
1 cup butter
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Blend together and package in an airtight container or canning jar. Refrigerate.

Maple Butter

1 cup butter
1/2 cup REAL maple syrup

Blend together and package in an airtight container or canning jar. Refrigerate.

Orange Butter

1/2 cup of soft butter
1 1/2 sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed.

Cream butter and sugar together.  Slowly add concentrate.  Package in an airtight container or canning jar. Refrigerate.

Homemade Coffee Liqueur

4 cups of fine sugar
2 cups of boiling water
1 cup good instant coffee
1 bottle (750ml) vodka
3 Tbs vanilla extract

Mix sugar and coffee together and then stir in 2 cups of boiling water. Stir until it all dissolves and then let cool.  Pour through cheese cloth into a large pitcher and add 750 ml of vodka (about 3 cups) and 3 tbs good vanilla.  Stir and then pour through cheesecloth again into bottles. (An extra bottle is needed as the resulting drink is more than enough for the vodka bottle).

Hot Buttered Drink Mix

2 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted, softened butter
3 tbsp REAL maple syrup
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg


In a medium bowl combine all ingredients with an electric mixer until well blended. Package in an airtight container or canning jar. Refrigerate. Give with following serving instructions.

"Stir 1 1/2 tsp drink mix into 6 oz. of hot cider or juice.   For hot buttered rum, add 1 oz rum to cider mixture."

Mocha Sugar

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1-2 packet(s) of instant hot cocoa mix, to your taste
3 tbsp coffee-flavored liqueur such as Kahlua
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a small bowl stir all ingredients together until well blended.  Package in an airtight container or canning jar. Give with following serving instructions.

"Stir desired amount of sugar into coffee"

NO-COOK HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA: SAVORY

Everybody bakes cookies, but who has time for that this time of year?!  Now you can give homemade culinary gifts to your friends, loved ones, or even that office secret Santa that require little to no effort to assemble.  In today's post we will feature several no-cook savory ideas for those on your gift giving list!

RUBS

Steak

1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1.5 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix ingredients together.  Spoon into a small jar.  Attach the following instructions:

Rub one teaspoon on each side of steak.  Grill or broil as desired.

Pork

1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp crumbed dried rosemary
1 tsp dried fennel side
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1/2 tsp dried orange peel


Mix ingredients together.  Spoon into a small jar.  Attach the following instructions:

Rub one teaspoon on each side of pork.  Grill or broil as desired.

Chicken and Fish

1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp dried minced garlic
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp coarse black pepper


Mix ingredients together.  Spoon into a small jar.  Attach the following instructions:

Rub one or two teaspoon(s) on each side of chicken or fish.  Grill or broil as desired.



BUTTERS

Horseradish Chive Compound Butter
(Great on steak or steak accompaniments)

3/4 cup of unsalted butter
2 tbsp bottled horseradish
2 tbsp minced fresh chives

Blend ingredients and let stand for one hour in a cool place to set up.  Place into small, wide mouthed jars.


Dill Compound Butter
(Great on fish or fish accompaniments)

1/4 lb of unsalted butter
1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
Salt to taste

Blend ingredients and let stand for one hour in a cool place to set up.  Place into small, wide mouthed jars.

SEASONING

Special Seasoning Salt

1 cup salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano, ground
1/2 tsp dried thyme, ground
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp celery seed

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and spoon into airtight containers for gift giving!

SPREADS

Savory Herb Bagel Mix

1 cup dried parsley flakes
1/3 cup dried dill
2 1/2 tbsp dried oregano leaves
2 1/2 tbsp dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp salt
4 tsp dried rosemary leaves
4 tsp dried marjoram leaves
2 tsp paprika

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and spoon into airtight containers for gift giving!  Add the following instructions:

Process 2 tsp of mix with 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese.  Combine using food processor, blender, hand mixer, etc.  Transfer to an airtight container.  Chill for two hours to let the flavors blend.

::LAST MINUTE THANKSGIVING TIPS::

Hello Loyal Readers!

We've missed you over the last couple of weeks!  We have been super busy at the lab with the holidays approaching.  Look for some great December content coming soon!  Below we have included some super handy "last minute" tips from some of our favorite sources!  May you all have a safe and joyful holiday!


BURLINGTON FREE PRESS

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20121121/LIVING06/311210008/Vermonters-offer-last-minute-tips-recipes-those-cooking-Thanksgiving?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp&nclick_check=1

REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE:

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/how-to-fix-10-common-thanksgiving-problems-10000001549093/index.html?xid=rs-weeklynews-11-21-2012&nlwt

Cheers!
The CELEBRATE Staff!!!

MEAL OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

Our new intern, Timothy's first task was to provide the recipe for this month's "Meal of The Month" feature.  Little did we remember how pitifully community college students eat.  Timothy's suggestion was a Dinty Moore Beef Stew with a Nacho Cheese Doritos crust.  Needless to say, we vetoed Timothy's selection and he is now in the corner eating it.  In its place is the following recipe, fit for normal human consumption!

Bakery Lane Soup Bowl's Famous Corn Chowder

Makes 10 Cups

1/2 cup or 2 oz diced salt pork or bacon
2 tbs butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 chopped celery
1 qt chicken stock
2 cups diced potatoes
6 cups fresh corn kernels (or three 10 oz packages of frozen kernel corn, thawed)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the pork/bacon in the butter until crisp and browned.  Add onion and celery.  Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender.  Meanwhile, measure stock in soup pot.  Add potatoes and cook until just tender.

Puree two packages of frozen (or 4 cups if using fresh) corn, using a little of the hot stock while blending.  Add blended corn, remaining whole kernels, sauteed vegetables, and cream to soup pot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat to serving temperature.  Yum, yum!

A NEW FACE AROUND THE OFFICE

Hello Readers,

We wanted to take a moment to introduce the latest addition to our staff,  TIMOTHY!!!  He is our new bright-eyed (not jaded) community college intern!  His mother is particularly proud of his head shot! Welcome aboard Timothy!!!

"Heyyyyyyyyyy, I'm Timothy!!!"

Wonderful Last Minute Costume Ideas!

• "French Kiss" Paint your face like your favorite member of the rock band KISS and pop on a beret.
• "Fantasy Football" Dress up in a wizard gown or clock.  Attach a long gray beard if you have one and throw on a helmet.  Feel free to carry a wand!
• "Buccaneer"  Tape a dollar bill to each ear lobe.
• "Iron Chef" Carry around a clothes iron and wear a chef hat and apron.
• "Gold Digger" Spray paint a plastic shovel gold and carry it around.
• "Sugar Daddy/Mama" Throw on front facing baby carrier and add a bag of sugar.  Tip:  Empty the bag of sugar into a container at home to use later, and stuff to the sugar bag with fiber fill or crumpled paper to reduce the weight.
• "Fork In The Road"  Buy a black t-shirt and add 3 lengths of yellow duct tape.  Add a plastic fork under one of the strips of tape.
• "Pumpkin Pie"  Create a t-shirt with a picture of a pumpkin pie with the Greek letter "pi" on it.  This can be done using an iron-on transfer and the computer, fabric markers/paint, or even construction paper!
• "Bottle Neck"  String some empty bottles around your neck.
• "Cloudy with A Chance of Rain" Glue clusters of cotton balls to a blue t-shirt to represent clouds and carry a spray bottle.  For a literary take, carry a plate of meatballs instead of a squirt gun then you'll be  "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"!
• "Time Flies"  Wear a pair of angel wings (store bought or homemade) and hang a wall clock around your neck!
• "Smartie Pants" Tape or glue candy "Smarties" all over your pants!
• "Q-Tip"  Wrap your head and feet in cotton batting/fiber fill/KAPOK around your head and feet then wear a white t-shirt and pants.

And here is what Connie and Wendell plan on wearing to your 2012 Halloween Hoe Down (sponsored by Martha Stewart Glitter):   Connie will secure herself in a large box faux-finished to look like a brick while Wendell will wear  a workman's cap, apron, gloves, and carry a trowel because we will be a brick "layer"!  What a pair!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM "CELEBRATE"!!!

The Best Little Sun Glass Holder In Texas (or Anywhere Else)

We had a sunny spell a few days ago and suddenly the office was cluttered with sunglasses of every size and shape!  Wendell's fetching cat-eyed number with rhinestones, Connie's tinted monocle (the woman can't loose the damn eye patch. Why would she wear conventional sunglasses!), Kathleen's vintage limited edition Amelia Earhart goggles, and Michael's designer "lemon grass" Wayfarers  to name a few!  A company meeting was held to discuss the dilemma of how to safely store the abundance of shaded eye wear we had accumulated.  We decided to throw it out to our design department as a challenge, telling them the winner would receive six pounds of organic raffia (in their choice of color mind you)!  They were off like hounds on the hunt!  Here is what they came up with!

1.) Go to your local hardware store and pick up a paint roller screen!

2.) Next flatten the angled portion (the right side in the photo above).

3.) Draw a level line on your wall with a level (hold applause).

4.) Eye balling (a technical term) or measuring (if your as anal as Martha Stewart) the distance of the farthest holes in the mesh  of the flattened section, place 2 cup hooks in the wall.

5.)  Hang the roller mesh "feet" (left end in the picture above) against the wall.

6.) Slide your sunglasses through the empty holes or empty spaces in the mesh!

Our Sunglasses, clockwise from lower left: Connie's Sun-ocle, Michael's over-sized shades, Wendell's dapper shades, and Kathleen's goggles!