Putting Together A Whole Lot of Recipes!

I'm back! We've survived Christmas and are gearing up for New Year's, so it's time for a blog post. Today seems to be one of those days when I'm putting together parts of past blog posts and having an easy day. The kids had a platter of dippers for lunch with three dips: peanut butter, whipped honey, and peanut butter pumpkin dip. A and I had sausage sandwiches and chips. All of us rounded out our diet with one truffle each, of course - I've only made about 150 of them this holiday season for goody boxes and ourselves! I've made hummus for A and I to snack on this afternoon. Tonight's dinner is a meatloaf I pulled from the freezer and will serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted carrots, and corn with herb butter (if you are counting calories, make your meatloaf with lean meats, serve mashed cauliflower or mashed sweet potatoes instead of white sweet potatoes, and skip the butter on the corn!). Dessert is still a debate, possibly shoofly pie but most likely chocolate truffle pie (forget trying to count your calories!). And to wash it all down this evening, a gorgeous cup of almond biscotti tea, a black tea gently flavored with almonds and cinnamon, one that is one of our favorites from Teavana. Just for fun, I'll try my hand at a new sweets recipe this afternoon, probably blondies. Watch tomorrow's post for whatever new thing I make today!

Using Up the Problem Jam

I've had a cold for the last couple of days, which has resulted in lots of fast-to-fix, no fuss meals like spaghetti and garlic bread, hamburger barbeque from the freezer, and take out Chinese (which we ate and decided we could make it better). Tonight is going to be pork chops and various vegetables with ginger lime glaze and jasmine rice. My inspiration for this meal: a jam that never did set like it was supposed to. I made this great tasting ginger lime jam, but it never got thicker than a sauce. I even reprocessed it to no avail. Solution: give in and call it what it is, a glaze. I will brown boneless, thick cut pork chops in a skillet (olive oil, medium heat, about four minutes on each side), remove the pork chops, then add to the pan a dash of olive oil and some vegetables like julienned water chestnuts, carrots, and ginger and thin wedges of onions, some steamed broccoli florets. Stir fry, add the pork chops back in, and pour some of the ginger lime sauce over everything, cooking for another minute to let the flavors meld. Serve over hot jasmine rice, and voila, dinner in 15 minutes.

So what do you do if haven't made a jam that refuses to become a jam? Exactly what I do with the last of my jam in the jar - add a little juice to the jar, put the lid back on, and shake to combine the jam and the juice. You can add some herbs to it if you want. I like to use citrus juices for the bite, and I especially like pairings like apricot preserves and orange juice, raspberry jam and orange juice or lime juice, blueberry preserves and lime juice, orange marmalade and lemon or orange juice. Use as a glaze on poultry or pork, stir fry or baked meats. Spoon the sauce over steaming mounds of fragrant rice or sop up with feathery light rolls. What a delightful way to use up the last spoonful or two of jam in the bottom of the jar or in my case, the problem jam that refused to become a jam!

Finally, a Versatile Chocolate Muffin!

I used to buy occasionally those little cookbooks that you find at supermarket checkouts, back before I really got hooked on websites like http://www.foodnetwork.com/, http://www.recipezaar.com/, and all of the specialty recipe sites out there. Some of those little books looked good but I rarely used. Others have been used heavily. One of those heavily used is a Betty Crocker holiday cookbook. In it is a recipe I've been meaning to try for several years and just never got around to doing it: chocolate pistachio bread. Now I've been searching for chocolate muffin recipes, and I remembered that recipe and gave it a try. The longest part of preparation was the shelling of the pistachios, and little C helped with that which made it more fun (not necessarily faster but definitely more fun). These - or a variation - would be a great addition to a Christmas gift basket, holiday brunch, or snack tray. Tender, moist, rich chocolate flavor, the light flavor and crunch of the pistachio pieces, the crunch of the crusty top on the muffin all make this one to repeat. Don't like pistachios? Don't fret! Substitute chopped dried cherries, dried blueberries, chopped walnuts, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or whatever else you like to combine with chocolate and is no larger than a chocolate chip!

2/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted (I used Blue Bonnet margarine)
3/4 c. milk (I used Silk plain soy milk)
1 egg (I used 1/4 c. Eggbeaters)
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. chopped pistachio nuts (I cheated and did 1 c. of pistachio nuts then chopped them)
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. baking cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
coarse sugar crystals (decorating sugar), if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease bottom and sides of loaf pan, 9x5x3 inches, with shortening (I used 12 muffin liners in a muffin tin.)
2. Mix sugar, butter, milk, and egg in a large bowl until well blended.
3. Stir in remaining ingredients except decorating sugar. (I stirred in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, then gently stirred in the chopped pistachio nuts and chocolate chips.)
4. Spread into prepared pan (or scoop into muffin tin - the wells of the muffin tin were 3/4 full, about 1/3 c. batter per muffin). Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
5. Bake 50-55 minutes (for muffins, mine came out at 22 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (really look at the toothpick - it won't come out clean if you ran through a melted chocolate chip!). Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

You Don't Need a Special Pig to Find Chocolate Truffles

With my dairy allergy, certain treats are forbidden unless I make them myself. Chocolate truffles is one of those things. They always look incredible, and I've always wanted them, but I've never been sure about trying to make them. This year I threw caution to the wind and tried it out, using the Alton Brown recipe from Food Network. I don't even know how to begin to describe them. Let's start with the texture. The one I ate was rolled in toasted coconut. First on the tongue is the crunchy coconut, then as you fully bite into the truffle, you have the snap, the sharp give of the chocolate shell, then you are falling into the creamy smooth but firm ganache center. It's like cream cheese only smoother, fuller. And the flavor! The coconut adds less coconut taste than you would think and more of an almost warm flavor, a light caramel flavor from being toasted. The outside layer of chocolate is semi-sweet chocolate, smooth and slightly sweet but still richly chocolate. Then the ganache is like falling onto a velvet pillow of dense chocolate flavor, not really sweet but not quite bitter, perfectly balanced with all the other flavors and feeling sinfully rich in both flavor and texture.  Wow. Feet. Socks. Knocked off.

Okay, okay, now that I've whetted your appetite, here's the "how" part of the truffles. Like I said, I got the recipe from Alton Brown (www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-truffles-recipe/index.html) but I've made so many changes and want to show you exactly how I did this, so you can find the original recipe at the above link, and I'll give the recipe as I did it (complete with photos) below.

10 oz Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao premium baking chips)

3 T. Blue Bonnet margarine

1/2 c. Silk soy creamer

1 T. light corn syrup

1/2 c. Hershey's special dark cocoa powder

1/2 c. toasted sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 c. toasted finely chopped pecans

8 oz. Hershey's semisweet chocolate chips

parchment paper

mini muffin papers

1. Place the bittersweet chocolate and margarine in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir.

Microwave for 30 seconds again. Remove and stir. Set aside.

2. Heat the soy creamer and the corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let it stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of the bowl and working in concentric circles until all the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.

3. Spread  the mixture (ganache, pronounced guh-nosh) into an 8x8 glass baking dish, spreading it fairly evenly, and refrigerate for 1 hour. It will be very smooth and very shiny.

4. Using a 1 tablespoon scoop (like a mini ice cream scooper, one of my absolute favorite kitchen tools and one I found at Target), scoop the ganache into level scoops and place them on a parchment paper lined board or cookie sheet. When all of the ganache has been scooped (I got 24 balls), refrigerate them for 30  minutes. (In this picture, you can see that two balls in the lower left have already been re-rolled to become smooth balls.)

 

5. While the balls are chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate using the following method. Put the chips in a medium glass bowl. Warm up a heating pad. We don't have a traditional heating pad, so I warmed both a buckwheat heating pad and my stone dish warmer. Alton Brown recommends the heating pad for melting the chocolate. One reviewer belittled this idea and got out the classic double boiler. My problem with the double boiler is that it often gets the chocolate above the 94 degrees Alton says is the upper limit for when you no longer get the snap of the chocolate when it cools. That's fine for when I'm doing chocolate covered pretzels, but I wanted the snap for the truffles. So I warmed the heating pad and sat the bowl of chocolate on it. I then got some pie plates out and put the coating materials in each pan: 1 for toasted coconut, 1 for toasted finely chopped pecans, 1 for cocoa powder. In about five minutes, the chocolate had really begun to melt. I stirred it a bit, then got the ganache scoops out of the refrigerator.

6. Roll the ganache scoops in between your palms to roll them into tight, smooth balls. The ganache will have the consistency of Play-Doh. Roll three balls, then wash your hands with cold water. Keep repeating until all 24 balls are done. If you do not wash your hands, your hands magically get sticky on the fourth ball. Washing with cold water keeps your skin cool to minimize stickiness too. The hand washing is a bit tedious (and boy is our well water cold in December!), but it works really well.

7. Stir the melting chocolate again until it is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as you stir.

8. Now for coating. I had gotten out a soup ladle (Alton recommends an ice cream scoop) which then looked too big, so I switched to a gravy ladle. I double checked the temperature of my melted chocolate with a candy thermometer - 90 degrees. I sat the ladle in the bowl of chocolate (leaving the bowl of chocolate on the heating pad), scooping some chocolate onto the ladle. I rolled the balls in the chocolate on the ladle, first trying to roll with my fingers, then trying a fork, finally going back to my fingers and just dealing with the chocolate build up (my hands were still cool, so the chocolate was actually cooling and hardening on my fingers). One of the recipe's reviewers asked what Alton had been thinking, as she was burning her fingers doing the chocolate coating. I have no idea what in the world she was doing. The chocolate should be less than body temperature, so it should not hurt to touch it! Because it is so barely melted, it's sticky and thick, so watch out. I had chocolate fingers to say the least, and I never did get a silky smooth coating on any of the balls. As each ball is coated in chocolate, roll it in the coating of choice. I found it worked very well to drop it into the coating, then use a fork or spoon to pour coating over the ball, then roll to really coat. This is not a race, but you can't dawdle. The cool ganache balls will harden the barely melted chocolate fairly quickly. If you want the truffles to have an extra coating besides the chocolate, you have to do it right after you cover it in chocolate. From start of rolling the scoops into balls until finishing the last coating on the last truffle, it took me 50 minutes, and this was my first time doing this recipe.

9. As each truffle was coated, I placed it in a mini muffin paper, the perfect sized "cup" for each truffle. This should help to keep coatings separate, should make serving easy, and just look nice. They are also very, very inexpensive! Alton Brown says to leave each truffle in the coating for 10-15 seconds, but I didn't see the need for this. It might be to keep from distorting the shape of the truffle, but to be honest, my first attempt has produced slightly bumpy truffles, so I wasn't particularly concerned about that aspect.

10. Allow the truffles to set in a cool, dry place for at least 1 hour, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, truffles should be served at room temperature; serving cold will result in a more firm ganache, and honestly, the velvety texture of room temperature ganache is not to be missed!

 

*A note on toasting: I toasted both the coconut and the chopped pecans in my oven at 450 degrees (although I've toasted at 350 degrees in the past, this is flexible, I happened to be making tater tots for C's lunch). I spread each in separate baking dishes, then placed in the oven. The coconut takes longer, maybe 15 minutes while the pecans took 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring them every few minutes. Keep an eye on them, as they look like nothing is happening and then suddenly start to brown. When each are golden and fragrant, they are toasted. You can under-toast, but don't over-toast!

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies Really Are Easy!

Tonight I baked peanut butter chip brownies. The brownies were an experimental twist on a tried and true recipe. So many people are daunted by the idea of making brownies without a box mix, but they aren't any more difficult and can be so much better than the box! The brownie recipe I *always* use is the one from the inside of the Baker's unsweetened chocolate box: Baker's One Bowl Brownies. This time I did my usual but when it came to pouring the batter into the pan, I only poured in half, topped with the chips, then spread the remaining batter over the chips. Having had them, I can now say that I'll just stir in the chips and pour in the pan like usual. I will also be making these again - they were wonderful! Don't doubt the need for the vanilla - vanilla enhances chocolate!

4 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate (4 oz)
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine (I've always used Blue Bonnet margarine)
2 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten lightly (or 3/4 c. egg substitute)
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
1/3 c. peanut butter chips (I used Reese's)
1/3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan (1/2" thick brownies) or an 8x8 pan (1"+ thick brownies).
2. Microwave the chocolate and the butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. (This will take a couple of minutes. Keep stirring until you have a thick, creamy chocolate spread that looks a lot like icing.)
3. Stir in sugar.
4. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
5. Stir in flour.
6. Stir in chips.
7. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes (may need to bake for 38 minutes if using an 8x8 pan) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs clinging.

Going Classic: Gingerbread Boys for Christmas!

Today was a snow day, so the kids and I made gingerbread boys. I tried them once a couple years ago with disastrous results, but C found a recipe while perusing Food Network (she's not quite 5, so this involved clicking on a picture of a gingerbread boy on a recipe page I was already on). It's a Paula Deen and looked quite decent, so we gave it a try. Success! The cookies are quite firm but not crunchy except the edges. The flavor is good, although our family would like a bit of a stronger flavor. The overall process was one of the easiest cookies I've ever done, actually. Proceed carefully, and I think a baker with only basic-moderate skills could do this one. Get good at them, and they would look fantastic in cellophane bags and tucked into goody boxes too!

Gingerbread Boys and Girls
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 stick salted butter, softened (I used 1 stick - 1/2 cup - Blue Bonnet margarine)
2 large eggs (I used 1/2 cup Eggbeaters)
1/4 c. molasses
3 3/4 c. all purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface (I used less than 1/3 c. on my butcher block countertop)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (no, I did not grate my own but did use ground nutmeg bought in the last month)
1/2 tsp salt
for the icing:
1 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted (yeah, I skipped the sifting and just made sure that there weren't any lumps)
1-2 T. milk (I used soy milk)

1. Using a mixer on low speed, cream the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Mix in the eggs and molasses.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small-medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix with a spoon (I used the "stir" setting on my KitchenAid). Wrap the dough in plastic wrap (I used a Rubbermaid container rather than waste plastic wrap); place in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour. **Note that this is a firm dough, so just chill it for an hour and trust it! This picture is the dough right after mixing.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes until pliable (I didn't need to do this step). Line cooke sheets with parchment paper (I *love* parchment paper!).
4. Take about 1/2 cup dough at a time and roll on a flour surface to 1/4" thick. (I did this, and I got about three gingerbread boys! After that I took a couple of fistfuls and rolled the dough out. I also measured with a ruler to make sure that I was 1/4" thick all the way around. Cookies that vary in thickness won't bake evenly!)
5. Cut out shapes with gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters, rerolling the scraps to make more. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, leaving space between them.

6. Refrigerate the cookies for 20 minutes, then bake until they just begin to brown at the edges, 18-20 minutes. (Okay, what parent with small kids has room in the fridge for this?! I skipped the refrigeration and baked for 16 minutes. I could probably have baked for 14 minutes for a softer cookie.)
7. Cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, make the icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl (I added 1 T of milk, stirred well, then dripped in milk from the second tablespoon until it was the right consistency, using about 1/2 the second tablespoon.) Leave white or divide among bowls and add food coloring. Decorate cookies with icing: use a pastry bag to pipe eyes, mouths, buttons, and bow ties. (In a pinch, spoon the icing into a zipper sandwich bag, remove air, zip, and then snip a small amount off one bottom corner to make a piping bag.)

Recipe from Paula Deen, courtesy of Food Network.

My First Foray into the World of Lemon Bars

I'll admit it: I am pretty limited in my repertoire of bar cookies. Part of that is my food allergies. Seven layer bars just aren't in the cards. Part of it was A's reaction to blondies: brownies are great so why do a chocolate-less version? I'm intent, though, that I'm going to do more bars this year. Tonight's experiment: lemon bars. Due to my allergies, I haven't ever had lemon meringue pie or lemon bars, so this was pure shot in the dark. I like how they turned out, although I'll probably drag a sample to a friend tomorrow to see if they are what lemon bars are supposed to be like. They are a soft but firm, mild kind of bar cookie base with a creamy lemon custard type topping. The top browned (I thought they were supposed to be yellow, although how they wouldn't brown I don't know!), but they look nice and they taste very good. About the only thing I would change is to add a teaspoon or two of lemon zest to really up the lemon element and make these bars just taste like sunshine.

Delicate Lemon Squares
For the crust:
1 c. flour
1/4 c. confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 c. butter (I used Blue Bonnet margarine)

For the filling:
2 large eggs (I used 1/2 c. Eggbeaters)
3/4 c. sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice (I totally cheated and used bottled since I had no lemons on hand)
2 T flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

about a tablespoon additional powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Stir together the flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture clings together (I used my pastry blender and cut in the margarine until the mixture resembled coarse crumbs.).
3. Press the mixture into an ungreased 8"x8" square pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
4. While the crust is baking, beat eggs in a mixing bowl, then add sugar and lemon juice and beat until thick and smooth, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Stir together flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture, blending until all ingredients are moistened.
6. Pour the filling gently over the crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes (still at 350 degrees F).
7. Cool slightly. Sift the additional powdered sugar over the top for a light snow look. Cool completely, then cut and serve.

Recipe from http://www.christmas-cookies.com/.

Food Gifts You Can Make Yourself

Yes, I do lots of canning. Yes, I do lots of baking. Yes, I also understand that not everyone else does! I am trying two new flavored vinegars for this year's goody boxes: spiced vinegar and cranberry orange vinegar. The spiced vinegar is the more expensive one to try since it uses some spices I don't routinely use, such as mace and whole cardamom. The cranberry orange vinegar is very easy and less expensive. No, I don't know exactly how either one will turn out. I have made both this evening and will let them sit in a cool, dark spot for 2-3 weeks to let the flavors meld and strengthen, then strain them and put them into cruets for the goody boxes (since I do so many boxes, I'll be purchasing a few cases of basic 6 oz cruets from Sam's Club later this week, nothing fancy). I'll include recipe suggestions beyond a basic oil and vinegar salad dressing, although I have to say wow! oil and flavored vinegar can be great on fresh greens, steamed green beans with candied nuts, wilted greens with some crumbled bacon and sauteed red onion slices, mmmmmm. So here's the recipe for cranberry orange vinegar. I adapted the recipe from the Los Angeles Cooperative Extensive of UC Davis. Anyone want to try it with me?

12 oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and sorted to get rid of any fruit that has bad spots
the peel of 2 large oranges - no pith (white part)! A vegetable peeler is very good at peeling the zest off.
1/4 cup honey or 2 T white sugar (I used honey)
1 quart distilled white vinegar

Heat all ingredients together in a large pot (preferrably with a lid to keep splatter from getting on your stove) until simmering, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to soften and pop the cranberries, releasing their juices.
Allow the mixture to cool, then pour into a clean 1/2 gallon container with a lid. Cover with the lid. Store in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks to allow the flavors to blend.
After 2 weeks, strain the mixture through a sieve, 2-3 layers of cheesecloth, or a dampened jelly bag. Discard the solids.
Pour into sanitized bottles and add lids.
May be stored at room temperature for 3-4 months, but refrigeration is preferred to retain the bright color and the best flavor.
For more great fruit vinegar ideas: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/Common_Ground_Garden_Program/Fruit_Flavored_Vinegars.htm

Helping People to Use the Gift You Give

Gourmet goody boxes are wonderful presents to give, but it all hinges on a) knowing what the person will be willing to try and use and b) helping them to use what you gave them. I am giving goody boxes to people I know and love, so my boxes are tailored to those people's preferences. One friend isn't crazy about cranberries, but her husband is a chocaholic, so their box has no cranberry items but plenty of chocolate items. Another friend absolutely adores cranberries and so does her husband, so their box will have a few different cranberry items in it. A vegetarian friend will have a box that is carefully checked for animal products. Yet another friend is diabetic, so that box will feature sugar free spreads, condiments, and sweets.

All of my goody boxes have off-the-wall treats in them. It's my hallmark! I rarely repeat goody box items from one year to the next; only a couple of requested items will show up again while everything else is fresh and new. Savory jams, flavored vinegars, gourmet mustards, and more are in the boxes. Some things are obvious on how to enjoy; chocolate dipped pretzel rods are easy to figure out. Some things aren't so obvious, or some things are better if eaten in an unusual way. Every goody box I create has a stack of cards inside that give recipes or ideas for using the treats in the box. I print mine off on my computer printer using postcard sized cards. Handwriting them, stamping them, or decorating them would add a special touch. Here is an example of one suggestion list I'll tuck in a box that has an assortment of jam, jelly, fruit butter, and preserves:

stir into oatmeal instead of sugar
use as a sweetener in tea or coffee
stir into frosting and then spread on cakes
use in between cake layers instead of frosting
serve as an ice cream topping or add to milkshakes
make surprise muffins (recipe included)
make treats such thumbprint cookies
especially for savory spreads, serve with cream cheese and whole grain crackers or spread on brie and bake, then serving the warm brie with whole grain crackers

Helping people to explore ways to use that gourmet treat you gave them will help to ensure that they get to enjoy your present! Another idea is to do themed goody boxes. Mine include a variety of treats; this year will likely feature a mustard, a couple fruit jams, a savory jam, a fruit jelly, flavored vinager, a sweet snack, a candy, a chocolate snack/treat, a baked good. Doing a theme is just as fun. Make some simple muffins and add an assortment of jams. Put together a basket of coffees and custom flavored stirring spoons along with some homemade cookies or biscotti. How about a couple flavored vinegars, a couple good oils, and some little pots of herb plants that you've already started to grow? Even if you don't make a lot of your own home canned goods or bake luscious confections, there are still lots of ideas for great goody boxes. Just be sure to tailor it for the recipient and then nudge them along with creative ways to use it!

Back from Vacation and Back on Track!

We returned home on Sunday from our wonderful and exhausting trip, and now we're back into the daily routine. That's good, because it's time to start preparing goody boxes for Christmas!

Several years ago when we were young, starting our family, buying a house, and had just moved halfway across the country, we were strapped for cash to say the least. I started to let my creative juices flow, and we started doing goody boxes for Christmas presents. Now we're not rolling in the money but not counting loose change to buy milk, either, but the goody boxes have become a classic, something eagerly anticipated by friends and family and now I've been hearing "how do I get on the goody box list?" from a few people. We will do (I think) fourteen goody boxes this year, although the list inevitably grows slightly as we get closer to Christmas. I think this is something anyone and everyone can and should do (the goody box part, not the growing list part!), and I'm going to fill the next few weeks with how I do my goody boxes as well as favorite holiday dishes and make ahead tips. The holidays are a great time of year to be with friends and family and to remember the joy of good company. Get ready for some excitement!

Here are some tips for the base of your goody box - the box! If you can, keep the boxes the jars come in. You can also ask at area stores for boxes in the size that you think you'll need, or look at buying some boxes. Baskets work, too, but you can rack up a large bill very quickly if you are doing multiple goody boxes! I've used the small dish pans with good results, too. I take boxes, usually ones I've saved from canning jars, and cover them in festive wrapping paper, effectively and inexpensively hiding the prosaic nature of a cardboard box. A couple sheets of tissue paper in the bottom make a nice liner; lay the sheets in so that the edges come up at various points to add some visual texture. Last year I also began wrapping the whole thing in cellophane wrap and tying off with curling ribbon, too. Wow, did they look nice! I bought a dozen rolls of holiday cellophane wrap just after New Year's for 25 cents each, so if this is something you're going to do, definitely use the after holidays clearance wraps to your advantage!

Next up.... the gourmet treats to put in the boxes!