Serving Up {Gifts}: Holiday Neighbor Goodies

Goodness, this year has flown by.  How is it that we have reached December already?  I feel like I just mailed off my taxes and now it is time to mail off Christmas cards.  I think that as kids we ought to have been warned about the adult time warp that takes over your life as you age - you know the one....where the days and weeks and months no longer drag on with endless questions of "what can I do?".  Instead the days (and weeks and months) come so quickly that it is difficult to recall where we are in the calendar and I can't remember the last time I have said, "I'm bored".  

I was recently sorting photos and came across two that I wanted to post as ideas for holiday gifts.  I love to get creative and treats are a fun way to get creative in gift giving.  These are fun starting points but the options to make them your own are infinite - so, go ahead, get creative, but report back to me your great ideas!

Hot Cocoa Kit     

This was a gift we made for some friends and family just last Christmas.  I have made/distributed homemade cocoa mix in the past but this go-around I opted for using Stephen's Hot Chocolate (if it can't be homemade, it has to be Stephen's!).  The kit included: 

* miniature marshmallows 

* candy cane stirrers that had been dipped in white chocolate 

 * large marshmallows that had been dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in crushed peppermint

* plastic spoons dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with crushed peppermint 

The kits were so fun to assemble that my own kids wanted their own hot cocoa bar to try all the cocoa accompaniments.  A tradition was born and we have a hot cocoa bar already on the calendar two weeks out.

S'more Kit     

S'mores are a favorite of mine and this was a fun gift that we gave to neighbors three years ago.  I opted for the basic s'more recipe, but with all the s'more variations out there you could get pretty creative.  I know we have enjoyed a summer S'more Smorgasbord in the past and have created some pretty good s'more variations that could be capitalized on for the holiday.

What goodie gifts are you giving out this year?

One Year Ago: Oreo Truffles and Cake Balls

Serving Up {Drink}: Hot Russian Punch (Hootch)

Posting a beverage photo is tricky, especially when it isn't something that can be topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings with drips running over the sides.... obviously I am over thinking my photos but really, what can you do with a liquid?  The only answer I have is that you can talk it up enough that anyone reading will believe you when you say, "THIS IS MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY BEVERAGE OF ALL TIME!!!"  Did you see the three exclamation marks?

This recipe is an old family recipe, although I don't know the true origins of it.  Grandma Wright's recipe card reads "Hot Russian Punch" but in our family we affectionately refer to it as "Hootch" and have as long as I can remember - unless you are my four year old who calls it "Pootch" and can't seem to get over his cute error.  Growing up we would always make gallons and gallons of this (not exaggerating  because it was what we gave to our neighbors at Christmastime as a gift.  It quickly became something that many of our friends not only looked forward to receiving but they had their own family traditions surrounding it.

This hot punch IS Christmas in my book.  From the time I make it, and it fills my kitchen with the delicious scent of cinnamon and cloves, until I am cuddled under a blanket with a steaming cup warming my hands as well as my insides.  Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without Hootch making it's appearance.  Even if the appearance in the above photo appears somewhat benign...

One Year Ago: Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie

HOT RUSSIAN PUNCH (HOOTCH)     
(recipe from grandma Wright)
printable version    

4 quarts water
4 sticks cinnamon
30 whole cloves
1 cup lemon juice
6-ounce frozen orange juice concentrate
46-ounce can pineapple juice
4 cups sugar

Place water, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.  Allow to boil for 10 minutes.  Strain spices.***
Add the lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, pineapple juice and sugar.  Allow to remain on the heat until punch has returned to a near boil and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool before placing in containers.  Store in the refrigerator.  Warm before serving.

***I follow my mom's lead and don't strain the spices.  I like them to remain in the container after I make the punch, which allows the flavors to intensify (if it lasts that long).  I just strain the spices as I serve it.