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Janell Oakes

Janell Oakes

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Thursday, 29 October 2009 16:30

Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets - Three Steps to Worry Free Holiday Gift Giving

Wine and cheese gift baskets make elegant holiday gifts, and you don't have to be a wine expert to give them.  Use the tips I offer below to create perfect wine and cheese gift baskets for any occasion, made more personal by tailoring the type of wine to the individual or group receiving it.  Whether giving wine and cheese gift baskets to clients, neighbors, or that special someone, they are personal and versatile gifts that can accommodate just about any budget.
 
The Basics of Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets - Step One: Style Alert
 
The first thing you want to do when putting together personalized wine and cheese baskets is think about who you're giving to and choose wines that fit their style and are appropriate to the occasion.  Then consider which cheese pairs best with your wine choice (don't panic - this is easier than it sounds!).  The gold standard for pairing wine with cheese is simple: Serve red wine with hard cheese (such as an Aged Cheddar, Vintage Gouda, or Parmesan) and white wine with soft (think Brie, Muenster, or Goat Cheese). You can follow this guideline and never go wrong but for some stand-out combinations, consider these suggestions:
 
When invited by friends or family to a traditional holiday meal, I like to thank my hosts with wine and cheese baskets that compliment the classic turkey dinner.  Two wines that never fail to please are Gewurztraminer and Bordeaux.  These pair well with Havarti, which is a relatively mild cheese with broad appeal.  Most people think of corporate gifts as stale and generic so, to create memorable wine and cheese baskets for clients, I like to go beyond the typical (without going too far out on a limb).  Rather than the typical Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay with Cheddar, try regional combinations such as Spanish Tempranillo and Albarino with Manchego.  For friends with a sweet tooth, send them wine and cheese gift baskets with a nice Muscato, which stands up beautifully to the salty flavor of Gorgonzola.  There are also those occasions that call for all out decadence.  Celebrate those moments with Champagne and something rich and creamy like Triple Creme Brie or Chevre. 
 
Personalized Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets - Step Two: Location, Location, Location
 
Personalizing a wine and cheese gift basket by highlighting a location is another easy way to make your gift special.  Evoke memories of a romantic get away by giving your significant other a bottle from the same region as a favorite vacation, or welcome newcomers to the neighborhood with wine and cheese baskets featuring local wares.  Even if your area isn't known for wine, you may be surprised by what's available.  In inhospitable climates, people have been making fruit wines for years. More recently, winemakers across the country have begun sourcing their grapes from better growing regions and producing amazing local products.
 
Creative Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets - Step Three: The Label Link
 
Perhaps the easiest way to take wine and cheese gift baskets out of the generic gift category is to look for a label that has meaning to you or the people on your list.  Winemakers have gotten increasingly creative with their labels in recent years.  Look for bottles with a splashy image or catchy name. For instance, my brother works for a company who's logo includes an image of a griffin.  In the wine and cheese gift baskets he put together for his clients, he included a bottle of Grifone Sangiovese to reinforce that image.  For the wine and cheese gift baskets I gave to my favorite group of girlfriends, I chose a sassy label picturing a 1950's era femme fatale and included an invitation to a much needed girls-night-out. 
 
Take these ideas and run with them.  No matter what the occasion, wine and cheese gift baskets make fantastic gifts as long as you get a little creative and keep it personal.
 
 
Published in Gift Baskets
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Thursday, 22 October 2009 14:26

Letters from Santa

Receiving Letters From Santa

 

Receiving letters from Santa is one of my family’s most enduring Christmas traditions. My daughter’s first letter from Santa was delivered to her bassinet, just days after her birth. Written on pale pink parchment, Santa welcomed her to the world and promised a future full of holiday magic.  As she dreamed her first dream of sugar plum fairies, I slipped her premiere letter from Santa into a scrapbook made just for the occasion.

 

A year later, Virginia’s second letter from Santa arrived just in time for her birthday. After helping her blow out the candle on her birthday cake, her father did his best Saint Nicholas impression, ending the letter from Santa in a hearty Ho!Ho!Ho! Each year, her letters from Santa marked milestones in her life: he congratulated her on learning to walk, starting pre-school, and reading her first book. Another letter from Santa consoled Virginia when her best friend moved away. And every December, I diligently added her letters from Santa to her special scrapbook.

 

The Origins of Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas

 

In fifth grade, after a particularly skeptical young “tween” announced she wasn't interested in writing Santa, she received her longest letter from Santa yet. In it, he told her all about the origin of Santa Claus and how the tradition of celebrating St. Nicholas, and the spirit of giving around the world, actually gave him his magical powers.

 

St. Nicholas was a bishop in 343 A.D. who was revered for the importance he put on giving care to those in need and was rumored to place gold and food on the doorsteps of the poor at Christmastime. In the 1100’s, French Nuns began to give candy and gifts to needy children in the spirit of Saint Nicholas. As time went on, the tradition spread throughout the world and began to include young children everywhere. And almost everywhere, children made writing letters to Santa a big part of their Christmas tradition.

Published in Christmas Planner
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Tuesday, 13 October 2009 12:48

Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe

Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe
This gingerbread house recipe has been perfected over many Christmases spent with my children and their cousins. It's become a tradition in our family for the kids to make the gingerbread house recipe and assemble it on December 23rd, decorate it on Christmas Eve, then wait an agonizing 24 hours until they're finally allowed to demolish it for dessert Christmas night. On the occasions when we aren’t able to spend Christmas together, my sister and I always send each other gingerbread house kits, or pre-made gingerbread houses for our kids to decorate. It’s been an enduring tradition that's linked our family through many years and thousands of miles. On this page, you'll find our Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe, instructions on making your own gingerbread house pattern, and a fool-proof royal icing recipe. Enjoy!

Gingerbread House Pattern
A gingerbread house pattern can be the classic, Hansel & Gretel-style house or you can create your own unique design. For a classic gingerbread house, follow these simple steps: You will need 3 (8" X 11") pieces of cardboard or sturdy card stock and scissors. On the bottom of the first piece of cardboard, draw a square with 5" sides and top it with a 3" tall triangle (for the front and back walls). Next, on another piece of cardboard, draw a rectangle that is 5" tall by 6" long (for the side walls). Finally, on a third sheet of cardboard, draw a rectangle 5" tall by 7" long (for the roof). Cut out the shapes and use them as templates for your house. This process for making a gingerbread house pattern will work no matter how fanciful your design. Get creative! Make a replica of your own house, a miniature of your child’s school (a great teacher’s gift), or the house of your dreams. Find a detailed description of how to put your house together in our Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe and Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe Instructions, found below:

Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe Ingredients
½ cup shortening
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup dark molasses
¼ cup water
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt

Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe Instructions
-Cream together shortening and sugar in a large bowl, then add molasses and water
-Sift in the dry ingredients, mix well and divide dough into 3 equal balls
-On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8" thickness. Use each of you templates twice to cut out a front and 
  back wall, 2 side walls, and 2 roof pieces. Have fun personalizing your house by designing and cutting out your own
  windows and doors (don’t get too carried away, for stability there should be more wall than windows).
-Transfer your shapes to a greased baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
-Bake 8-10 minutes
-Cool completely on the baking sheet

Royal Icing Recipe
Royal Icing is the “glue” that holds the house together. Once you've completed the steps in the Ultimate Gingerbread House Recipe, making sure that the gingerbread has cooled completely, make a fresh batch of this royal icing recipe. For best success, this should be the consistency of toothpaste.

4 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 egg whites (pasteurized or powdered egg white equivalent for safety)
1 tablespoon cream of tartar

-Simply mix all ingredients together and use this royal icing recipe as the glue for your gingerbread walls and roof
-Use whatever you can find to hold the walls in place overnight, or until the icing dries (soup cans work great for this)
-Once the icing is completely dry it’s time to put the finishing touches on you house with gumdrops, peppermints, or whatever Christmas candy tickles your fancy.
 
 
Published in Christmas Candy
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