AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for the ‘Gifts’ Category

Girls may be sugar, spice, and everything nice, but they are also tremendously active, energetic, and curious.  Next time you need to get a gift for the special little girl in your life, consider an activity gift basket made just for her.  Not only is it a thoughtful gift, it will keep her entertained and stimulated for hours.  Whether for a birthday, Christmas, or even just a long car trip, this basket full of goodies is sure to be well received.  Here are some tips for making a great activity basket.

Two important aspects to consider when making your activity basket is the age of the child, as well as her interests.  You don’t have to center the basket around a particular theme, but the age is important because you can add books or games that are geared towards her developmental stage.

If you were going to make an activity basket for a young toddler, for instance, you may go with a baby book gift theme and include board books, books with different textures (such as cloth books), teethers, rattles, musical toys or those with lights and songs.  A child at this age is still very much fascinated by lights and sounds and is entertained by trying to work them.  Books, plush toys, and bath squirters are all great additions.  If you want to drive her parents crazy, also include a variety of small instruments, such as maracas.

An older child will benefit from activities that engage her artistic and intellectual sides.  Say you are assembling a basket for a four, five, six, seven, or eight year old (plus or minus a few years, depending on the child).

Here are some activities to include:

• Coloring and drawing.  Children love to express themselves through art, so supply them with a drawing pad or coloring book.  Crayons and markers are great for coloring, and they can also be used in the car if the child is taking a long trip.
• Paint, brushes, paper, stamps, ink, and other art materials.  You could create an art activity basket by including pipe cleaners, glue sticks, glitter, sparkles, pom-poms, googly eyes, and other goodies.
• Books.  While they may have graduated from board books, children of this age still find a lot of entertainment and stimulation in books.  Try pop-up books, picture search books, sticker book, and activity books with puzzles, mazes, and other interesting, challenging tasks.  You can use the opportunity to get them “school books” too, or workbooks suited for their particular grade.
• Friendship bracelet kits.  You can find kits that include instructions and the embroidery thread needed.
• An inexpensive mp3 player loaded with favorite songs.  Mp3 players can cost as little as $20, so to make a birthday or Christmas present even more special, this could be an excellent addition to an activity basket.  They are especially wonderful for long car trips.
• Card games, such as easy addition War, Old Maid, and Go Fish or board games like Disney Yahtzee or checkers.
• Sports or physical activity equipment.  You could include a jump rope, playground ball, Velcro catcher’s mitts and ball, badminton set, and other fun activity-inducing treats.
• Bath supplies, including bath crayons, bath stickers, a special kids’ shampoo and conditioner, fun shaped soaps, and squirters.

You can design your activity kids gift basket around a theme, such as princesses, Dora, sports, or friendship, or you could just include items you know your little girl will love.

Related Articles:

1. Personalized Rocking Chairs for Kids - A Great Gift
2. Kids Crafts: Fun and Easy Crafts for Kids
3. Craft Ideas For Toddlers

Making a Christmas candy wreath is a fun way to create a holiday décor item or a holiday gift. You only need a few supplies and your imagination. Let’s get started making a Christmas candy wreath that you’ll be proud to display.

First, you’ll need a wire wreath form. You can select from several different sizes. They are available at craft stores. You may want to start out with a smaller, rather than larger form as your first wreath may take a bit longer to make.

You’ll need a supply of candies. Hard candies are the best to work with for this project as they don’t melt or smash. Keep all the candies wrapped. That’s very important as the wrappers are what’s are going to secure the candy to the wreath. Using peppermint pinwheel type candies is ideal. They are round, the right size, and easy to handle. Plus, they are not too expensive.  You’re going to need several bags of candy, so buy a bit more than you think you need so you don’t run out. For a small wreath, two bags of pinwheels might cover it, but get three to be sure.

When you have your wreath form and your candy laid out, you’re ready to start. You’ll need a hot glue gun to do this quickly. The wreath form will usually have a center wire that is meant for wrapping things over and under. While you can’t exactly thread hard candy like ribbon, you can layer it. So lay down the first candy on the center bar of the wreath form and glue it down. Now, the next candy that’s going to go down on the wreath should be layered on top and to the side of the first candy. Glue it down. As you begin to add candies, move the design outward towards the edges of the wreath. You’re starting to build layers. If you stack candies on top of each other, you’ll have a flat finished piece. You want it to look dimensional, so stagger and layer.

Continue going all around the wreath until you have added all the candy. You should make sure that there are no bald spots. If you find that you have awkward gaps, just add another candy.

Now comes the embellishment. You can add a big red bow made of flocked velvet or sprigs of mistletoe or any other little items you have around. A small bird ornament or even a Christmas ornament will work well. The fun is trying to make it a little bit more appealing.

You can wrap one of these edible candy arrangements up as a gift, give it as is, or keep it for yourself. You can enjoy it for a season and then actually eat the candy. The reason for keeping each piece of candy in its wrapper is so that when it comes time to eat the candy, it’s still intact. If you’ve used a hot glue gun, you can easily remove the wrapper and eat the candy. Don’t try it with glue that may run into the candy and cause it to be inedible.

Have fun with your Christmas candy wreath making activity. Kids can help, but be sure that if there are small candies involved that could pose choking hazards that an adult supervises.

Related Articles:

• Edible Candy Craft Ideas
• Candy Cane Cupcakes
• Candy Inventions

If you’ve ever bitten into a decadent, molten, sweet and gooey truffle, you know how rich this favorite gourmet chocolate treat is. You may have thought you could only get them in specialty shops or at a fancy restaurant. But the truth is that you can make truffles at home very easily. In fact, it’s even simpler than some cookie recipes. You’ll start making them all the time and experimenting with flavors. You’ll give them as gifts and start dreaming about different toppings and versions.

Consider packing your truffles into Chinese takeout-type boxes that you can get in a craft store. They stand up straight and the sides will be stiff enough to ensure that they don’t get smashed on the way to the recipient. Anyone would love to receive these delicious dessert gifts!

Here are some recipes to try. You will laugh at how easy it is to make a treat that looks and tastes over-the-top gourmet.

Ghirardelli® Dark Chocolate Truffles (from allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ready In: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

Servings: 30

"These impressive candies are so easy to make, and are a stunning addition to a dessert tray."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 cups Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.

2. Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

3. Using a melon baller or small spoon, roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa or nuts. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Truffle Recipe (from famousfrenchdesserts.com)

Truffes au Chocolat… Divine Pleasure Source!!! This is the basic recipe; you will find all variations at the end of the recipe.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for about 1.5 pounds):

1 cup Crème Fraîche (or heavy cream)

14 oz. Dark Chocolate (use very high quality, 70% cocoa, chocolate - or very high quality unsweetened baking chocolate)

8 oz. Additional Dark Chocolate

1 1/2 cups Cocoa Powder (the highest quality you can find)

3 tbsp. Butter (optional)

How to Make It:

Batter (Ganache):

1. Break chocolate into small pieces and put in a large bowl.

2. Bring cream slowly to a light boil.

3. Pour boiling cream over chocolate and keep stirring until all the chocolate has melted and the batter is homogenous.

4. If you want to add butter, do so now, before the batter cools, and thickens.

This batter is called ganache and is the base for all French truffle recipes!

When the ganache is warm, it is very creamy. You can thicken it

1. by whisking it (the oxygen causes it to thicken) or

2. by putting it in the refrigerator.

You want the ganache to be just thick enough to easily form the truffle balls…

Forming Truffles:

1. Using two spoons (or a baking sac) form even and round balls. Place them on parchment or wax paper.

2. Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bain-marie (double-boiler).

3. Dip each ball in the melted chocolate and then roll it in the cocoa powder.

Voilà!

Do you know the difference between spaghetti and vermicelli? How about ziti and penne? Fettuccini and fettucelli? They do have one thing in common; they are simply delicious. But often, the type of pasta you choose has a big impact on the quality of the dish you serve. It is important to complement the shape of the pasta and the texture and taste of the sauce. This can be hard because there are hundreds of different choices! You don’t have to stick to the old favorites – macaroni and cheese or spaghetti and marinara sauce. Try something new! Here are some of the most popular pasta shapes defined.

There are more than five hundred different pasta shapes. Some, like spaghetti, are much more common than others, but if you have wanted to try something different, do it. There are no strict rules regarding pasta, and experimentation can do wonders for your palette. One of the things to consider, though, is the size and shape of your pasta compared to the type of sauce you will be using.

For instance, if you have a very thick, hearty meat sauce, you want a noodle that can hold its own! Thicker pastas like fettuccine (which is broad and flat) and tagliatelle (which is a bit thinner than fettuccine) will hold up nicely. If you are making a sauce with meat or chunky vegetables, also consider:

• Fusilli. This is “corkscrew” pasta. All those twists and turns are perfect for catching chunky sauces.

• Farfalle. This bowtie pasta is perfect for thick sauces. It is a small but sturdy noodle.

• Penne. These are cylindrical and hollow in the center.

• Rigatoni. This is like penne’s big brother. This tubular pasta is too small to be stuffed, but it makes a hearty addition to meals, especially baked dishes.

• Rotini. The spiral shapes make these perfect for holding bits of sauce, veggies, meats, and cheeses.

• Pipe rigate. This is hollow and curved, resembling a snail shell. A smaller version, pipette rigate, is also good for chunky sauces.

• Stuffed shells, like manicotti. These make a terrific complement to any thick sauce.

Look for a noodle that is thick enough to be used with your chunky sauce without being overwhelmed. Textures and shapes, like twists and spirals, are great for scooping up the delicious sauce. Take a look through the pasta aisle at the grocery store and see what fits the bill, or the sauce.

Some pastas are better suited to oil-based sauces, rather than tomato-based sauces. Linguine, spaghetti, and tagliatelle work very well with olive-oil sauces that coat the pasta without drowning and creating a greasy mess. These types of pastas – especially when fresh – are wonderful served with a simple olive oil and herb sauce or pesto. Stuffed pastas, like ravioli or tortellini, are also delicious with an oil or butter based sauce.

Finer, more delicate pastas call for an equally delicate sauce. Angel hair, for instance, which is much thinner than spaghetti, is perfectly paired with simple sauce made with diced tomatoes, olive oil, and basil. This type of pasta also works well with seafood. For instance, use sea scallops, lemon juice, butter, parsley, and fresh basil for a terrific and very easy to prepare meal.

In general, use a thicker pasta when you have a thicker sauce, and a thinner pasta when you have a lighter sauce. When you are making things like soups or salads, find the shape and size that appeals to you and will help you capture the perfect flavor with each bite. There is no possible way to do pasta wrong; experiment with different shapes. You’ll be glad you did, and you will undoubtedly come upon a fabulous combination that becomes your new favorite.

When you put together an italian gift basket, be sure to put in different types of pasta and sauces. You could even put in a recipe or two with suggestions for the types of pastas and sauces you chose.

Homemade gifts are the best, and there can be nothing more delicious for a variety of occasions than popcorn balls. These crunchy treats can be made to satisfy a sweet or savory craving, and they are popular with kids and adults alike. Who can resist popcorn? Not Americans, it seems. We eat billions of quarts of popcorn a year, and assembling our favorite treat into another form just adds to the fun. Popcorn balls aren’t hard to make, are perfect for snack baskets and they are always crowd-pleasers: that is a recipe for success!

Traditional Popcorn Balls, courtesy of AllRecipes.com

You need:

• 2 cups unpopped popcorn

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup molasses

• ½ teaspoon salt

Put one tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, and heat. When the oil is hot, add ½ cup of popcorn kernels. Keep the saucepan moving – just like you would if you were popping Jiffy Pop. When the kernels stop popping, remove from heat. This recipe calls for you to continue doing this ½ cup at a time until all the popcorn is popped; if you want to do it all at once, go for it. If you have never popped in a saucepan before, you may want to go at the gradual pace to avoid burning.

Butter a bowl, and put the popped corn in it. Put this to the side, and melt your butter in a saucepan. Stir in the sugar, molasses, and salt. Boil this mixture on medium heat, and insert a candy thermometer. When it reads 260^o, you’re done. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, just wait for the mixture to boil. Pour the syrup over the popcorn, and make sure all of the corn is coated. Butter your hands, and shape the popcorn into balls.

There are other variations, which call for corn syrup that you may want to try.

Caramel Popcorn Balls, from Cooks.com

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 3 cups unpopped popcorn kernels

• ¾ cup white Karo syrup

• ½ cup butter

Start by popping the kernels and picking out those “old maids,” or unpopped kernels. Put the popped corn into a bowl and set aside.

Mix all the ingredients, save the popcorn, in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil this for about five minutes. Pour the syrupy mixture over the popcorn, making sure to coat it evenly. This mixture will be hot, so be careful. This recipe calls for you to dip your hands in cold water now and then to prevent burning and sticking. Other recipes, such as the one above, recommend buttering your hands. Experiment and see which works best for you. Shape the popcorn into balls, and enjoy!

Rocky Road Popcorn Balls, from AllRecipes.com

This variation adds a touch of sweet to these excellent treats.

• 3 cups mini marshmallows

• ¼ cup butter

• 8 cups of popped popcorn

• ½ dry roasted unsalted peanuts (but if you use salted, we won’t tell)

• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Start by putting the marshmallows and butter in a saucepan on medium-low meat. Keep stirring them to keep them from burning. When they are melted and smooth, which should take about five minutes, remove from the heat. Working quickly, stir in the popcorn and peanuts. Stir them gently and make sure the popcorn is as evenly coated as possible. Stir in the chocolate chips. Butter your hands or grease them with a bit of oil, and shape the mixture into balls.

If you’re not going to eat or serve these immediately, wrap them in plastic. They make wonderful treats around Halloween or Christmas, and you can always customize the ingredients to add a little holiday flair: try red and green M&Ms instead of chocolate chips for the Rocky Road recipe, for instance. Whatever the flavor, these are a perfect item for gift baskets for kids of any age.

There are many different types of nuts available for snacking. They are all delicious and come in many different forms. Here are some of the most common forms of nuts that people eat. Try your hand at a recipe or two for yummy nut snacks after you discover which class your favorite gourmet nuts belongs to.

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet can be good for your heart. Nuts, which contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food, too. They're inexpensive, easy to store and easy to take with you to work or school.

The type of nut you eat isn't that important, although some nuts have more heart-healthy nutrients and fats than do others. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts — you name it — almost every type of nut has a lot of nutrition packed into a tiny package. If you have heart disease, eating nuts instead of a less healthy snack can help you more easily follow a heart-healthy diet.

The Drupe

Almonds are from a class of one seeded plants. They are called hard-shelled endocarps. After the outer shell is removed, the inside nut meat contains one nut. That nut is called a drupe. Other types of drupes include pistachio nuts and date palm nuts. Still other drupes are the walnut and macadamia nuts.

Bacca, or Berry-Like

Berry-like nuts include a seed inside a more fleshy outer portion. Seeds in this family are many and include Brazil nuts and cashew nuts. It’s easy to see why cashews and other berry-like nuts cost so much. Each one grows on a single stem and has to be removed from its casing. The outer shell of many nuts like the cashew is actually poisonous and can cause skin reactions. So only experts should venture out to pick this sort of nut.

Cones

The pine nut is a nut that grows inside the spiny cone of a pine cone. The soft meat is the portion that is eaten when removed.

Seed Coat

Nuts with seed coats include the ever popular peanut. When shelling a peanut, you can see the red papery seed coat inside. Remove it before you eat the peanut.

Want to try a new way to enjoy a nutty snack? Read on.

Almond Coffee Walnuts

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup Almond paste -- room temp

2 tablespoons Coffee liqueur

1 teaspoon Instant coffee powder (not granules)

72 Walnut halves

8 ounces Semisweet chocolate -- melted

PREPARATION:

Mix the almond paste, coffee liqueur, and coffee powder until smooth.

Spread 1/2 tsp of the mixture on the flat side of a walnut half and top with another walnut half, forming a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining almond paste and walnuts.

Line a large baking sheet with wax paper. Dip one end of the walnut in the melted chocolate and set on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filled walnuts walnuts and chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigeration.

Avery Island Hot Nuts

Serves/Makes: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups assorted unsalted nuts*

*such as pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, whole unblanched almonds, macadamia nuts

PREPARATION:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees with the rack in the center position. Melt the butter and garlic together in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and salt to the butter and cook for 1 minute, stirring gently. Spread the nuts over the bottom of a roasting pan and pour the butter mixture over them. Stir well to coat the nuts, then respread them in a single layer.

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

To freeze: Place cooled nuts in a heavy-duty plastic freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Defrost, covered, and refresh on a baking sheet in a 250-degree oven for 10 minutes.

With either recipe, package them in decorative bags and create a healthy gift basket around them, the recipient will love the thought and effort!