Is it too early to start planning our holiday gift goodies?

[wildeyed]

I was thinking about it today. I may do Cranberry and Port Sauce with Lemon Thyme instead of baking. Put it in pretty jars and ties some raffia around the top. It is festive, seasonal and delicious with roast meats.

Anyone else thinking about the holidays yet? I used to work in retail, so I got in the habit of shopping and planning early. When the season was upon us, I was too busy to cope. Now it is just habit.

[Shakespeare]

1. I'm another early bird.

I do a lot of fancy preserves and jellies for gifts every year, and usually get started making them in June (while everything's fresh and in season). I keep a jar or two aside for us to have for ourselves, and everything else goes into the cabinet for storage until Christmas time draws near.

So far this year I've made lavendar & white nectarine preserves, blueberry preserves, plum-orange jam (made with grand marnier and orange zest; this just beats the heck out of marmalade), and on the savory side, I've done tomato relish, chow-chow and kosher dills.

Still on my to-do list for this fall are champagne jelly, pomegranate jelly (an unlikely sounding but absolutely fabulous jelly), and mango preserves.

I have a blast doing this stuff, and the recipients are usually happy with the results. :-)

[wildeyed]

3. I remember you posted about the lavender/white nectar preserves.

Did you enter the state fair with them?

Do you do the pomegranate jelly with regular pomegranate juice?

I wanna be on your xmas list!!!! That sounds great.

[Shakespeare]

4. Nah, I missed the deadline (and was SO mad at myself)

I was in the middle of changing jobs and forgot all about the fair deadline. :-( They'll have to wait 'till next year, but I am going to make these again, because they turned out so beautifully.

The pomegranate jelly recipe I have uses regular pomegranate juice; I used to get mine from the farmer's market in LA (haven't looked for it up here in northern CA yet), but I'd imagine the store-bought kind would work just fine, too. It balances sweetness with a wonderful light astringency, so it's great for people (like my husband) who find most jellies too cloyingly sweet. It also makes a dandy glaze or marinade for pork and duck.

[wildeyed]

6. I love pom juice.

Maybe I will give it a try.

[NMDemDist2]

2. I do (big shock) Coffee Goodies. Baskets of beans and fancy teas

Biscotti, Choco-covered espresso beans, Frappacino Mixes and Cute Xmas cups I pick up at the thrift store for next to nothing. I get the baskets there too.

hehehehehee Xmas on the cheap, that looks and tastes like a million bucks.

I get several pounds of different beans and boxes of tea, then break them up into gift baskets. Everybody loves em. Sometimes my supplier has little "mini" bottles of Torani Syrups too (like airline bottles) in seasonal flavors. Ginger Spice syrup.... YUM

[wildeyed]

5. Great idea.

I could probably buy really nice coffee somewhere bulk, then do the packaging myself. I wish I got out more to thrift shop. But shopping with two little kids is almost as much fun as root canal, so I only do it when starvation threatens.

I was thinking of doing homemade cold and flu cures in honor of bird flu- you know, elderberry tincture, immune enhancing essential oils, peppermint and eucalyptus tea, stuff like that. But then everyone would think I had gone completely 'round the bend. Plus it is not very festive.

:crazy:

[NMDemDist2]

7. i have connections, and it can be at your door in 3 days

let me know if you want some.

[wildeyed]

9. Thanks you!

I will let you know :loveya:

[Stinky The Clown]

8. I hate early birds .....

..... and for damned good reason. They show one of my personal failings:

Procrastination.

Seriously, I wish I could get a jump on things.

There **is** one thing I already bought for Christmas. My partner designed the new kitchens for one the East Coast's 'grande dame' hotels. One of those great old art deco palaces built in the 1920's. We really love doing them when they work hard to retain the old style and old details.

Anyway, I found an original dress plate (the plate they set at the table or very formal dining rooms but never use to actually put food on) from the hotel's opening.

It cost me dearly, but it was quite a find.

Of course, at the time ..... I was procrastinating .... not Christmas shopping! :)

[eleny]

12. I would love to find an affordable dome from a hotel

Every once in a while I check Ebay for a nice old hotel silver soldered dome. I've seen them but they're always off notch for one reason or another. Too big or too small or bid up very high before I get in on it. It's really fun to look at old hotel shiny stuff!

[Lefty48197]

10. Nope. I like cookies AND cake

for those of you who are interested. :evilgrin:

[BamaGirl]

11. It's never too early lol

I made fudge and tried a different sugar cookie recipe this weekend. For some reason the fudge didn't harden. I've never had that happen to me before. And the sugar cookies last about 3 hours with the kids (mine and half the neighborhood apparently). I didn't like them. They had a funky aftertaste.

I'm thinking about the holidays cause unless I find a job real soon, it's gonna be a very tight one for us. :P We're doing fudge/cookies for almost everyone, and I'm making quilts for my parents and brother. That's as far as I've gone with plans so far.