Happy Holidays!

Well, I’m a little late with the holiday greetings, but I had a busy Christmas. Partially because I decided to make food gift baskets for a large chunk of my family this year.

I thought I’d share my ideas here in case anyone else likes the idea of making homemade, personalized gifts for next year. It requires a bit of work, but the end result is worth it.

So, what all did I put in there? For starters, the two types of chutney that I canned a few weeks ago. It’s a good idea to include foods that won’t go bad right away. Canning definitely helps to accomplish that.

I also made three spice blends — Herbs de Provence, a Moroccan blend, and a Southwestern blend. This one is easy enough, just choose whatever combos of spices you desire, mix up enough to fill all your individual spice tins, and you’re all set. You can find little tins like this where you might find wedding favors.

For some munchies, I made Rosemary Crackers and Orange-Hazelnut Olive Oil Cookies. Place them in clear, cellophane-type bags and tie them off with a ribbon. Makes a nice presentation (you want people to see the lovely munchies you made!).

Finally, the best part is soup in a bag! Well, stew in a bag, I suppose. I called it “Steph’s Bean & Barley Stew.” Everything needed to make the soup was contained within the basket (none of that “just add ____” crap).

I created a recipe that I thought would be tasty and easy to throw in a crockpot. I tested it out, adjusted a few things, and then put it all together. Here’s the recipe, in case anyone wants to try this next year.

Bean & Barley Stew

For the bag of beans:
½ cup black beans
½ cup red kidney beans
½ cup blackeye peas
½ cup green split peas
½ cup yellow split peas
½ cup barley
Layer all the beans in a clear bag.

For the spice pack:
2 tsp salt
15 grinds black pepper
1 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp dried chives
4 chicken bullion cubes
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dried red onion
2 tbsp dried Portobello, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried shiitake, finely chopped
Combine all ingredients in a small Ziploc, place on top of the beans in the bag, then tie it off with a ribbon.

Also to include in the basket:
15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 carrots
3 red potatoes

I included the following directions in each gift basket.

Steph’s Bean & Barley Stew
This thick, hearty, earthy stew will warm you even on the coldest winter night! Serve with crackers or a loaf of crusty bread.

What you’ll need:
Assorted bean pack
Spice pack
15 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 red potatoes, chopped

Directions:
Rinse the beans thoroughly and place them in a large bowl. Cover with 8 cups of water and let them soak overnight (or for at least 4 hours).

Drain the beans and place them in a crockpot. Add tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and the spice pack.

Cover with 8 cups of water (use more water if you like a thinner soup). Set the crockpot to cook on low for 10 hours, or until the beans are tender. Season with salt to taste.

Enjoy!

And that’s it! Arrange it all pretty in a little basket, and you’ve got yourself a lovely, homemade gift to give. Sounds simple, though I’ll admit, it did take a good amount of work to put this all together. I think the recipients appreciated it though.

Still, I think we’ll just brew a lot of beer for everyone next year…