Food on Friday: Favorite homemade Christmas food gifts

First of all, happy Friday!  I for one am SO glad it is the weekend, even though I have enough work to drown in this weekend.   By Monday, I hope to have everything done so that Peter and I can go to the Christmas market in Erfurt for the day.  Oh, and I need to get a tree.  I wish this time was more quiet!

As you can probably tell, one of my favorite things to do is to make gifts for people for the holidays.  It is always hard work, but it feels rewarding, usually costs less and means a lot to the person receiving the gift.  Here is a list of my favorite food-related handmade gifts and links to recipes or instructions.  Enjoy!

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1. Chocolate covered spoons or swizzle sticks

Adorable spoons (and photography) from Wenderly.

Almost everyone drinks coffee or hot cocoa and most people like a little flavor in it. These are adorable and can made with all kinds of flavors and looks.  You need disposable spoons (I like these, which are not too expensive and are better for the environment), chocolate and fun extras like colored sugar crystals and smashed candy canes.  Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and dip the tips of the spoons (or swizzle sticks that you steal from Starbucks if you are really low on cash this year) in the chocolate. Sprinkle with crushed candy cane (for a minty latte), sugar crystals or drizzle with a pretty pattern of melted white chocolate.  

I would give these in a cute mug or coffee cup with some delicious ground coffee or hot chocolate packs nestled inside.  I would wrap it in cellophane to show off your pretty culinary art.  It would be great for a teacher (because she probably needs coffee ALL the time) or as a hostess gift. 

There is a recipe here or here.

2.  Peppermint Bark

 

Recipe and picture from Tomato Tango

I love peppermint bark.  I LOVE it.  It is one of my favorite Christmas treats and it is SO, SO easy.  Place it in a clear cellophane bag, tie it with a cute ribbon and give it to everyone you know.  Providing that I can find candy canes (so far, my search has failed) this is what I plan on giving to all the people in my life who deserve a little something special.  I like mine super thin, with dark chocolate and lots of peppermint!  

Here is a recipe.  And another.

3.  Fudge

From Martha Stewart.

Because it is my other favorite thing in the whole world.  Mmmmm....Fudge.  You can't argue with creamy, rich, melt-in-your-mouth fudge.  

Although it looks pretty in the picture...please reserve the peppermint pieces for your peppermint bark.  Don't mess with something as already perfect as fudge.  

Martha has a recipe here.  

4.  Homemade hot cocoa mix 

From My Recipes, photo by David Prince.

There is nothing better than hot cocoa on a cold winter evening.  Everyone drinks it but no one really wants to sit around too long and make it.  Give your friends a wonderful homemade treat with this hot cocoa mix.  It is easy and can simply be mixed with hot milk or water.  If you put it in a pretty enough jar, the person can turn around and use the jar for candles or for storing other things like coffee. 

Here are two recipes. 

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I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of joy and love leading up to the holidays!  And do something special for yourself:  curl up for an hour and read a book, take a bath, watch that movie you have been dying to see.  As the holidays near, it is important to remember to treat everyone around you with love but also to treat yourself with love.  You deserve it!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

image courtesy of Amazon

I have a little holiday album recommendation for you...

Since Thanksgiving, I have been listening to one album on repeat...and I can't get enough of it.  It is currently my favorite Christmas album and promises to be my favorite Christmas album for years, probably even decades, to come. 

Both timeless and modern, She & Him's new Christmas album (released this year) is a perfectly smooth, cozy and festive treat.  Ever since I saw the movie Elf years and years ago, I have loved Zooey Deschanel's voice--it is so smokey and cool--and have listened to the rendition of "Baby It's Cold Outside" from the soundtrack as one of my favorite Christmas songs.  I was so excited when I read that (her band with M. Ward) She & Him released an entire Christmas album this year. 

Although I grew up listening to many different types of Christmas Albums, as I have gotten older, classic Christmas albums have become my favorite.  I love the nostalgic feeling of Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Judy Garland's melancholy Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.  They remind me of a time when Christmas was simpler, more joyful. 

The She & Him album wonderfully captures that nostalgic sound, but in a very modern way.  On A Very She & Him Christmas, the style and sound is old, but there are new versions of old classics.  My favorite little twist?  A "Baby It's Cold Outside" lyric switch!  On this album, it is the girl bidding the guy to stay.  Oh, how modern ;-)! 

Anyway, it is a great album in my opinion and it's really set the whole atmosphere around my house this Christmas!  It's happy and light, cozy and sentimental.  Just how I want my holidays to be! 

P.S. Here's what Amazon says: "2011 holiday release. A Very She & Him Christmas is a wonderful collection of holiday tunes from two of music's most impressive artists Zooey Deschanel (She) & M. Ward (Him). Inspired by seminal holiday albums by the likes of The Carpenters, Vince Guaraldi, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley and more, She & Him have set out to create an intimate holiday recording of Christmas classics that helps bring new emotions out of old songs."

Teacup candles

Picture courtesy of MarthaStewart.com. 

Here's another great handmade gift idea for you.  I have made these candles several times (sometimes for gifts and sometimes for myself) and have always had success with them.  They are super easy to make and everyone who gets one loves it!

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the candles I have made before to post for you, but I promise, mine turned out to be almost exactly the same.  The only challenge I had was to find teacups as cute as the ones in the picture.  But, once you find your teacups, making the candles is super easy.  All you need are wicks, wax and a double boiler.  These would make excellent hostess gifts or little gifts for a big group of friends.  They are very heartfelt and you can customize the cups to the decor of the people you give them to. 

courtesy of MarthaStewart.com. 

You can find cups at any flea market, second hand store, salvage store, or charity store.   (As much as I have always been a big huge fan of the Salvation Army, I am currently boycotting them a bit due to a disturbing and prejudiced policy of theirs that I recently saw online.)  There are also always teacups at garage sales and in grandma's attic. Finding a pretty one can often feel like finding treasure!

The candles are a Martha Stewart craft from her website.  She had a great Christmas gift page here if you are interested.   I think handmade gifts for Christmas are just SO special.  And this project realy is a crowd pleaser, 

First giveaway winner!

A really random camel from a manger scene in the middle of the Nuremberg shopping district yesterday.

Congratulations to Dani, the winner of the first ever Gemütlichkeit giveaway.  Although I got only three entries, it really made me happy to know that the person who won would appreciate and enjoy the gift tags very much!  I also was really touched to read the "favorite traditions."  Anyone who didn't want to enter but would still like to leave a "favorite tradition" is more than welcome.  They really touched me!  (A post on my favorite tradition coming up soon.)

Recipe for a rainy weekend at home

So, as promised I am back today and feeling a little bit better after last night's fiasco.  I still need to get some good quality sleep tonight before I will feel back to normal but I am on my way.  It may come as no surprise that I slept terribly last night; I kept waking up in terror from nightmares where I missed my train!

This past weekend was dreary here in northern Bavaria.  It rained all weekend and prevented us from going to the Christmas market.  It kind of prevented us from doing anything that required leaving our apartment, actually.   It flew by way too quickly, but it was a really wonderful weekend.  Here are a few tips for creating a cozy weekend at home this winter.  It is the perfect way to take a chill day during the busy holiday season or to get some one-on-one time with your love or your family during a hectic time at work. 

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Here are my suggestions for creating special moments indoors:

1.  Decorate with lots of fairy lights, candles and blankets (no problem around Christmas).  Fairy lights and candles up the coziness factor and also give off a soft, warm light.  They make you look better even if you are just in your sweats and also give you the feeling of a time before electricity and overhead lighting and all the complications of today.  They create a slower-paced atmosphere.

Of course, be sure to stock up on blankets because, well, let's face it, it's cold and they're just so soft and warm. 

2.  Have a special "chill outfit" that is NOT what you wear to bed.  Yes, it can be fun to stay in your PJ's all day, but it can also make you feel lazy and gross.  I find that if I stay in my pajamas I feel much more guilty about the time I am taking to relax--like I am being lazy and ignoring "real life" and should therefore be guilty.  When I change into my still comfy but slightly cuter (and cleaner) "chill outfit" I feel like I am relaxing with a purpose.  (For me, washing and moisturizing my face and brushing my eyebrows help, too.)  My go-to outfit right now is a pair of black leggings with a super cute white, baggy knit sweater (seen above) that I recently purchased.  I top it off with a pair of super warm socks and sometimes a scarf.

3.  Pour warm drinks.  My favorites are tea, hot chocolate and, of course, Glühwein.  If it is a special or romantic evening, I would go for Glühwein (or hot chocolate for a non-alcoholic choice).  Tea is great for reading.  I like coffee but, unless I am drinking it with breakfast, I associate it with a "gotta get stuff done" attitude that doesn't work for me on days of relaxation. 

We had Glühwein this past weekend.  Honestly, I wanted to do a Foodie Friday Glühwein recipe.  But, when I actually made my Glühwein, it tasted pretty bad.  A huge fail on that one.  According to one person I talked to, it all depends on the wine and you have to choose a good one.  I guess a 2 EURO bottle of wine from the discount market doesn't count, huh?

 

The basic recipe is a bottle of wine, 1 lemon (and sometimes orange, which I think I would prefer and try next time), 2 cinnamon sticks, 3 cloves, 3 tablespoons of sugar and a bit of cardamon.  You can find some actual recipes online by searching Glühwein.  I suggest the German recipes if you can read them. 

4.  Have a non-TV activity.  I find that I enjoy my relaxation more when I do something other than watch TV.  I always enjoy reading when I am alone, but a great tip for reconnecting with loved ones or families is a board game.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated.  In fact, I prefer my games simple.  It is amazing what a good, simple game can bring out in people or in a group.  We are hooked on Mancala lately, but Janga is also great.  Card games can be fun.  And Trivial Pursuit is always a blast.  What I love about board games is that they get you talking--something you can't do while watching TV.

A little Glühwein and Mancala.

5.  Make it special with a blanket bed or a fort.  This may sound ridiculous, especially because I am also suggesting this for the adults, but I find that it makes hanging around home on the weekend so much more fun and special.  Everyday after work, I plop myself on the couch and check my emails, Skype with my mom or plan the next day's lessons.  I am so used to it; it is so mundane.  My special Sunday of relaxation feels just like a Tuesday night after a stressful day at work when I sit on my couch.  :-( 

So, one night, wanting to give a bit of a "special" feeling to our relaxation, I took all the blankets in our house (even the ones from the bed) and layered them on the floor in front of the couch.  Suddenly we had a little blanket bed that made watching a movie SO much more fun.  Plus, we felt like we were having a little party down there with our cookies and glasses of wine.  It's hard to explain why, but I am sure you will understand if you try it.  Something about switching up the routine just a bit and making a bit of an effort to make a luxurious space to relax in makes all the difference.  You could also make a little fort or canopy.  It would be so fun, childlike and special.  And, come on, admit it, you LOVE forts!

Peter has since become a HUGE fan of the blanket bed and often begs for it when we just want to hang out and watch TV.  I made this one as a surprise for him one night after he had been really busy at work.  I left a nice little note, too.  ;-)

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Now is a great time to hunker down and get a little "me" or "us" time after a busy spring, summer and fall.  You may be tempted to spend all winter just hanging around. 

Crazy Monday and last chance to enter giveaway

I wasn't able to capture our first snow but I did manage to get a festive picture in Nuremberg before all hell broke loose. 

I know it's been a while and I am a little behind at the moment, but it has been a crazy few days...which culminated in me getting on a train going in the wrong direction at 10 pm this evening and almost ending up stranded at a shelter-less train stop over night during our first snow of the year. 

Thank GOD for in-laws! I am home 2 hours too late and am dying to get some shut eye so please excuse the brevity of this post.  I am just here to remind you that you only have another 12 hours or so to send me your comments and enter to win beautiful Christmas gift tags.  I will announce the winner tomorrow.  Kendall, Danielle and Rachel, as of right now, you each have a 33% chance of winning, LOL.  Come on, everyone!  Let's give them a little competition!

Bis morgen!

DIY stocking stuffer grocery tote

K is for Kelly, my beautiful sister.

Happy Thursday everyone!  Only one more day until you are free for the weekend.  I am excited already. 

As Christmas draws near, I hope to post a couple of easy projects that make for fun, creative, handmade gifts.  The first one is so simple, you could make a hundred of them in one evening if you wanted to.  It makes a really cute stocking stuffer or could be a cute gift bag.  Just tie the top with a festive ribbon and you have a gift bag that is also a gift!  And, as you know, we should all be taking our reusable bags to the grocery stores these days.  How pretty and fun would these be to whip out?!? 

I love peacocks!

You need: 
a computer with internet access (which you probably have if you are reading this ;-) 
a printer
an iron
high quality iron-on transfer paper (I suggest high quality paper because I had problems with my bags scorching!)
a canvas tote or a tea towel (I also suggest something durable, perhaps of cotton, because of above problem).

Everything ready to go.

Steps: 

1) Use the computer/internet to find an image you like.  My favorite website for free downloadable images is Graphics Fairy, which is so much fun.  Martha Stewart also has quite a few.  I chose this and this. 

2) Print it on the transfer paper in desired size according to directions that come with the paper.

3) Heat the iron and iron the image onto the bag or tea towel according to directions that come with the paper.

4) Let cool and enjoy.  Don't forget to make one for yourself.

This is so easy.  Especially since I found the great Graphics Fairy site, it is so much easier to create cute iron-on looks.  (Next I am looking to make a dachshund throw pillow!)

Now get crafting and enjoy!  

(P.S.  I love Martha's crafts.  Another one I am dying to try...ha ha get it?!)