Patriotic Placecards for the 4th
June 29, 2009
Happy 4th of July from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
PATRIOTIC PLACECARDS
To make festive placecards for your July 4th party, just glue a dried starfish and a scrap of red ribbon to a blue card. I used a glue gun, but in a pinch craft glue like Aleene’s Tacky Glue will work. Just be sure to give it a little time to dry. Write each dinner guest’s name on a card and stand it in the center of each plate. How easy was that!
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Picadillo
June 26, 2009
Happy entertaining from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
I use this picadillo as a filling for baked empanaditas (mini empanadas) to serve with cocktails. Simply cut rounds of pastry dough with a biscuit cutter, place a tablespoon of picadillo on one side, fold in half, and crimp with a fork to seal. Prick the top and bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. I like to keep a batch of unbaked empanadas in the freezer so I have a tasty appetizer ready to pop into the oven when unexpected guests drop by.
PICADILLO
My version of this Cuban classic, which is adapted from an old Food & Wine recipe, combines ground beef with raisins and olives in a thick, highly seasoned sauce. Picadillo is extremely versatile. Use it to stuff tacos or burritos, serve it on warm corn muffins, spoon it over pasta, stuff baked potatoes with it, or use it as a hearty dip with tortilla chips.
INGREDIENTS
1¼ pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup beer
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained (1-1/3 cups)
¼ cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1¼ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon hot sauce (or more, to taste)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup raisins
¼ cup each green olives and black olives, pitted and quartered
DIRECTIONS
- In a large frying pan, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a fork, until it is no longer pink. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the beer, tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the raisins and olives to the meat mixture and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick and only slightly saucy.
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Super Easy Stuffed Breadsticks
June 18, 2009
Happy Father’s Day from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
News Flash: World renowned Epicurious.com just posted a lovely review of my gift baskets! Check it out here.
I’ll admit it. I’m a snob when it comes to canned bread dough. You know, those paper tubes filled with stuff like biscuits that pop open when you whack them on the counter. So it was with some trepidation that I took on a project a few years ago to develop serving ideas using canned breadsticks. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
There are endless ways to jazz up these little strips of dough once you get them out of the can. Make them savory for cocktail hour and sweet for brunch. Do they taste like homemade? No, but when you factor in the convenience, they’re not bad in a pinch.
Use the following suggestions as a springboard for your own creations. Let me know what combinations you come up with.
STUFFED BREADSTICKS
(For testing purposes, I used Pillsbury brand breadsticks. Each can yields 12 soft, chewy breadsticks)
BASIC DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven according to package directions. Remove dough from can and separate into strips. Spread with filling of choice. (See suggestions below.)
- Twist the dough around the fillings to form loosely spiraled sticks. Don’t worry if some of the filling falls out or if the shapes aren’t perfect. These sticks are meant to have a rustic, home baked look.
- Place breadsticks on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between sticks. Brush and/or sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or as package directs. Serve immediately.
SAVORY FILLING SUGGESTIONS
Black & Whites – Spread dough stick with black olive tapenade. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and twist.
Pesto Presto – Spread dough stick with pesto sauce. Sprinkle with pine nuts and twist.
Pizza Twists – Spread dough stick with marinara sauce. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Press in bits of chopped pepperoni, if desired. Twist, then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano or basil.
Green Meanies – (pictured above) Brush breadstick with olive oil. Sprinkle with snipped fresh herbs of your choice. Twist, then brush with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Salsa Sticks – (pictured above) Mix together equal amounts of drained salsa and Monterey Jack cheese. Spread on dough sticks. Twist, then sprinkle lightly with cayenne pepper.
Olive-Rosemary – Press coarsely chopped black olives into dough stick. Twist, then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped fresh rosemary.
Sesame Seed-Parmesan – Brush dough stick lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Twist, then brush with more oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Mexican Bean – Spread dough stick with canned refried beans. Sprinkle with one of those pre-shredded Mexican cheese blends. Twist, then brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with cumin or chili powder.
Prosciutto & Parm – Spread dough stick with Dijon or honey mustard. Add a layer of thinly sliced, snipped Prosciutto. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
SWEET FILLING SUGGESTIONS
Stick-y Buns – Brush stick with maple syrup. Press in currants and chopped pecans. Twist, then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Cheese Danish – Spread dough stick with ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with freshly grated lemon zest. Twist, bake, and then brush with honey while still warm.
Strawberry-Chocolate – Spread dough stick with strawberry jam. Press mini chocolate chips into the jam. Twist and bake.
Apple Pie – Spread dough stick with applesauce. Twist, then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
Apricot-Almond – Spread dough stick with softened mild goat cheese or cream cheese. Press sliced almonds into the cheese. Twist, bake and then slather with apricot jam while still warm. (To make jam more spreadable, microwave for a few seconds until it liquefies.)
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS
10 Cool Father’s Day Gifts You Can Make Yourself
June 8, 2009
And not a necktie or playlist among them…
not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Happy Father’s Day from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
News Flash: World renowned Epicurious.com just posted a lovely review of my gift baskets! Check it out here.
- Animal Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches – Kids will love helping make these bite-size beauties. Sandwich ice cream or sherbet between two animal crackers using a melon baller to make mini-scoops. Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap and freeze. Decorate a plain round tin with circus animal stickers and layer the wrapped sandwiches inside. Since the filled tin will need to be stored in the freezer, you may wish to present Dad with a card listing mysterious clues that eventually lead him to his present in the freezer.
- Tree of Promises – Purchase a ready-to-plant potted tree, such as a Dogwood, from a nursery or home supply store. Buy fancy tags from a craft supply store (or, make your own on the computer.) Have each family member think of two or three chores or favors they are willing to promise to do for Dad. Younger kids might promise to shine his shoes or read him a story, while teenagers could commit to washing the car or babysitting their young siblings while Mom & Dad have a night on the town. Write each promise on a tag and hang it on the tree for Dad to pluck when he needs a special treat. When all the tags are gone, Dad can plant the tree outside and use it to hold tags for family celebrations for years to come.
- Daddy Dossier – You Tube has turned us all into amateur cinematographers. Gather your siblings and make a movie of memories for Dad. Visit spots around your area where Dad earned his reputation for being the best Dad in the world… The local baseball field where he, fearlessly and without the aid of controlled substances, taught you how to drive… The row of 40-foot walnut trees that you and Dad planted as seedlings for a school 4-H project… The Wishnik troll doll (am I dating myself?) that Dad gallantly rescued after it accidentally flew out the car window on I-95. Film each other on location documenting the events in your lives that shaped treasured memories of Dad.
- King for a Day – Plan a full day of activities that Dad loves and type up a fancy itinerary on your computer. Entries might include breakfast in bed, followed by a round of golf, followed by a picnic in the park, followed by his choice of movies and so on. Put the itinerary in a box and wrap with pretty paper and ribbon. Present it on a tray along with the breakfast in bed.
- Thrill of the Grill – Mix up a couple of barbeque spice rubs for grilling. Check out my previous post for two good recipes. Put the rubs in airtight bottles or jars and add pretty labels. Buy a large washtub (that can later be filled with ice for chilling drinks), a bag of charcoal, grilling tools, an apron and perhaps a 6-pack of beer. Arrange all the items in the washtub and add a big bow.
- Storytime – This is a great gift for grandfathers. Choose one day a week, or one day a month, depending on your availability, to read aloud to your recipient. Pick a book you both like and read a chapter each visit. Sure, you could just buy a couple of books on CD, but that’s not the point. This is actually nothing more than a commitment to spend time with a loved one. Besides, with a book on CD you can’t stop and discuss the plot with the reader, or share a cup of tea, or a hug.
- Cookie Emergency Kit – Nothing tastes better than freshly baked cookies, still warm from the oven. Mix up cookie doughs in three or four flavors you know Dad will like. An assortment of chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter and sugar cookies makes a good combo. Shape the doughs into logs and wrap each in parchment paper. Attach a tag with baking instructions to each log of dough. Buy a nonstick cookie sheet, an oven mitt, and a metal spatula. Arrange the logs of dough, mitt and spatula on the cookie sheet and tie with a pretty ribbon. Dad can store the doughs in the freezer and lop off a chunk whenever he is craving homemade cookies. He can bake a whole plateful or just slice off enough dough to make one or two cookies at a time. (Like anybody just eats one or two cookies at a time!)
- Young Wine - This is a great gift for a young Dad-to-be. Ask the folks at your local wine shop to help you pick out a wine that needs to age for several years before it becomes truly spectacular. Give it to the Dad with a note that says, “Drink this wine to celebrate your baby’s 13th birthday,” or “Do not open until the day you write your first school tuition check.”
- Tub-o-Treats - Maybe Dallas Cowboys season tickets are not in your budget, but you can still surprise Dad with an impressive gift that keeps on giving. Collect lots of little things that Dad can use while he watches his favorite sports events on TV. Wrap each one in pretty paper and ribbons and put them in a large bucket or canvas tote. Let Dad open one gift every time he sits down to watch a sports event. Items might include a large tin of gourmet nuts, a baseball cap with his team’s logo, a Rubik’s Cube, a beverage can cozy, a case of microwave popcorn, a stadium blanket, a TV remote holder and a book about his favorite sport.
- Cook the Book - If you like to cook and your Dad lives nearby, this is for you. Buy a cookbook with recipes for foods Dad likes. Wrap it in fancy paper and include a special handmade coupon with the card. The coupon entitles the bearer to one recipe of his choice per month, prepared and delivered by you. For example, if Dad has a sweet tooth, you might give him a dessert cookbook. The card could say something like, “Real men eat dessert first. Here’s a coupon for one sweet treat a month for the next year. You pick it and I’ll make it.”
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS
Barbeque Spice Rubs
June 1, 2009
Amp Up Your Father’s Day Barbeque with Spice Rubs
from Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!
News Flash: World renowned Epicurious.com just posted a lovely review of my gift baskets! Check it out here.
BARBEQUE SPICE RUBS
Spice rubs give meats an intense flavor that cannot be matched by barbeque sauce alone. For the greatest intensity, apply the rub a couple of days before you grill. Figure on about 1 tablespoon of rub per pound of meat – more or less to suit your taste. Add barbeque sauce during the last few moments of grilling, if you like, so it doesn’t burn, but adds another layer of flavor.
CURRY-CAYENNE RUB
A curry-based rub for chicken, beef or pork
In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup curry powder, 3 tablespoons each sugar, freshly ground black pepper, onion salt, and dried leaf thyme, crumbled, 2 tablespoons garlic salt, and 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper. Mix well and store in airtight container.
SWEET & SASSY RUB
A sweet-spicy rub for fish, poultry and meat
In a large bowl, combine ½ cup paprika, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Mix well and store in airtight container.
FIND A GIFT FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST AT ELIZABETH W. GIFT BASKETS
