Whip up Christmas Gifts in the Kitchen

Vera N. White

It's only three days until Christmas, and if you're like me, you have only just begun to think about your gift list.

As I start to panic about what to give, my thoughts turn to what I can whip up in the kitchen, especially for those people on my list who ``have everything.''

Most of my friends and relatives are busy folks, a situation that worsens as the hectic holiday season arrives.

So I've found through the years that those on my list who receive gifts made in my kitchen consider the offering a special one.

When I hit on something good, I tend to stick with it.

For instance, the first few years after I married, it was a deviled ham-based sandwich spread/dip.

Not only did I serve it, or take it to every holiday function I attended, I ladled that stuff into every decorative container I could find, cellophaned it, taped on a box of snack crackers and thought I was rivaling Julia Child.

Next came the no-cook divinity stage.

I could never make candy fit to eat (which was probably a blessing), so I always suggested to friends who could that it would be nice if they stirred up extra batches to share with me.

As I think about it, I even traded my famous ham dip for the confections.

Then I came across a recipe on a package of Betty Crocker frosting for the no-cook divinity.

The varieties were endless. I made batches of divinity in every flavor and color of the rainbow.

To me, it tasted as good as the cooked kind, and if people knew the difference, they were too polite to mention it.

By that time, I had acquired a great little cookbook by Jane Green and Judith Choate titled The Gift-Givers Cookbook, the publication of which legends are made.

Mine happened to be their salad-seasoning recipe I started bottling and taking to the Christmas bazaar at Lewiston's Church of the Nativity.

I first tried the recipe because I had waited until the last minute to make something and I knew my mother would kill me if I didn't bring a sale item to the bazaar. Quickly thumbing through the book, I found the salad-seasoning recipe, which took only minutes to throw together.

It went over so well that I expanded the following year by buying fancier containers and attaching at least one recipe to each bottle for use of the pungent mixture.

That's probably been 20 years ago, but to this day, I occasionally have people who still mention the salad seasoning.

For the past few years, it's been my version of Bailey's Irish Cream.

My Irish Cream, as well as homemade Kahlua and other liqueurs, is readily available.

As Green and Choate point out in their book, there is no better gift than a home-decorated jar or tin that conceals a savory and delectable surprise from your kitchen.

Whether it's jelly, flavored syrups, fruitcakes or cookies, the gifts can be as colorful, varied and individual as the numerous happy moments they will complement.

``Particularly now that gift giving has become such a frenzied and commercialized activity, homemade gifts are unmistakably personal and convey to your friends that you have really given of yourself,'' the women write.

``Throughout the year -- and especially at Christmas-time, while others are struggling with long shopping lists in overcrowded stores -- you can remain in the warmth and friendliness of your own kitchen preparing gifts to please each recipient.''
This is also an activity the entire family can join in -- children love to make and decorate cutout cookies, and spouses always can be counted on to taste.

And with a little planning, homemade gifts cost little.

Start saving jars from instant coffee, baby food, mustard, pickles and such and eliminate the need to purchase jars made especially for such things as jams or jellies.

Baskets also make marvelous gift containers when covered with foil or gift wrap and ribbon-tied.

The recipes contained in The Gift-Giver's Cookbook can be most easily made ahead of time, in fairly large quantities, stored or frozen and shipped without damage.

Just make sure you label each container of homemade food so people will know what they're eating.

The possibilities of food gifts are endless -- favorite casseroles, soups or salads that can be transported in plastic containers make wonderful and much-appreciated gifts.

Vera N. White is a staff writer for the Moscow-Pullman (Idaho) Daily News, a Salt Lake Tribune group newspaper.