subject: Holiday Gift Baskets - Gifts That Will Be Remembered [print this page] My favorite Christmas gift of all time was a soup holiday gift basket. My aunt and uncle gave my family a basket with a recipe and all the ingredients to make it. It became one of our favorite meals, and I cook it often. Other times, my mom would give what she called care packages. It was the same idea, except that each 'package' was specific to the person who received it. In considering my family, I have come up with some ideas for creating gift baskets or care packages. In one, there might be art pencils, watercolors, brushes, acrylic paints, and a small easel. In another, there might be a cookbook, some blank decorated recipe cards, dish towels, pot holders, and a homemade apron. For the guys, there might be a tackle box with an assortment of lures, a cap, a pocketknife, and some beef jerky.
A friend of mine loves to make baskets as gifts. Her favorite thing to do is shop for multiple small items that will fit in the basket, usually based on a theme. For one of the kids, she might make a Dora the Explorer basket or a Transformers basket. For the babies on her list, she finds unique, embroidered clothes, small toys, and a small stuffed animal.
These are just a few of the ideas one can come up with for holiday gift baskets. With enough time and effort, you can make one gift seem like an enormously special gift.
If you want to make the soup gift basket mentioned above, create a recipe card with this recipe. Tie the recipe to the basket or bag using curling ribbon. Decorate the basket or gift bag with tissue paper or red and green cellophane. Add the ingredients below, and you have a special gift.
French Market Soup
1 lb. mixed beans
1 lb. ham, diced
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes with chilies
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp. salt
Rinse the beans and put into a soup pot. Add the ham, the tomatoes, the tomatoes and chilies, and the onion. Cover with water, then add enough to have two to three inches of water above the beans. Bring to a boil. Cover, and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook four hours, checking occasionally and adding more water as needed. Serve with cheddar crackers or cornbread.
Holiday Gift Baskets - Gifts That Will Be Remembered
By: Linda Pogue
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