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Winning Baskets


Sharon Strine of Simply Northwest holds a gift basket she's just finished. The company makes themed baskets for retail and corporate customers. 
 (Christopher Anderson photos/ / The Spokesman-Review)

Few acts speak to the season as much as does giving a homemade gift.

All the better, if that homemade gift is something to be sipped, dunked, drizzled, tossed, baked or simply chomped. After all, food is one way to show friendship and love.

Spokane’s Suzi Havey, a recently retired elementary school office manager who now calls herself a “stay-at-home grandmother,” has been making food gifts and gourmet gift baskets for family and friends for years.

“When we were first married we were real poor, so I had to think of creative gifts,” Havey said. Then, when she began working at the school, she wanted a way to give a little something to the many people she worked with, so she started bagging homemade treats.

What started as an economical way to show someone she cared has grown into a passion about the value of gift giving. “I personally think people really prefer homemade gifts,” she said.

A new book, “The Perfect Basket: How to Make a Fabulous Gift Basket for Any Occasion,” (Harvard Common Press, $17.95) echoes Havey’s belief.

“Putting together themed baskets to give to loved ones as a personal expression of your affection and gratitude will give you a feeling of joy and satisfaction that handing them a gift card to the local department store could never replicate,” writes the book’s author, Diane Phillips.

For some people, of course, the time and challenge of creating the perfect gift basket creates more stress than feelings of joy. And that’s where the multibillion dollar gift basket industry comes to the rescue.

De Scott, owner of Simply Northwest, knows gift baskets as well as anyone in the Inland Northwest. Her company is entering its 17th holiday season.

Scott’s advice to folks looking to create their own gift baskets or order them is, “Always try to think about who is the recipient. The gift should reflect the relationship you have with the person.”

The trick with food baskets, Scott said, is quality. “Even if it’s just a loaf of bread, it should be a great loaf of bread.

“If the person likes good chocolate, then a single piece of good chocolate is more exciting than a basket filled with junk.”

And it doesn’t have to be a basket at all. Havey and Scott both said making the container part of the gift adds to the charm.

Havey said one of the simplest gifts she’s given is a homemade tea mix placed in a pretty teacup or teapot.

One suggestion featured in Phillips’ gift basket book is a “Loaf of Bread Basket” made from a set of three nesting mixing bowls with a bag of homemade bread mix in the top bowl, all tied with a pretty ribbon and a set of mixing spoons.

Havey said she hangs out at kitchen stores looking for cool little gadgets to add to her gift baskets, such as avocado slicers, silicone spatulas or individual tea strainers.

She added that thrift stores are great places to find Christmas tins and bread baskets or that perfect little accent such as a single pretty teaspoon to tie on a teacup or an antique butter knife to add to a cheese and cracker platter. Sometimes, Havey said, she’ll find a small ornament, such as a teacup or fruit or vegetable, that fits a basket’s theme.

And while for avid cooks, gifts that give them goodies to work magic with in their own kitchen may be just the right thing, Scott said her experience has proven one thing: “The most popular gifts are the open-up-and-eat kind of gifts. We call it instant gratification.”

Here are few more food gift basket ideas culled from Havey and “The Perfect Basket” book:

For gourmet cooks, consider a basket of homemade pestos, pastes, herb blends, spice mixes and/or vinegars. Havey said she sometimes takes rice wine vinegar, adds sliced fresh ginger and lets it sit for about six weeks. “It makes a terrific sherried ginger vinegar for salads and stir fries,” she said.

Bread baskets can be created with actual loaves or bread mixes. Havey said she makes small loaves of cranberry bread around Christmas. “Those are really nice for older people,” she said.

Salad baskets offer a nice alternative to the sweet, rich treats of the holiday. Havey suggested combining herbs for homemade vinaigrette and some homemade croutons. “The Perfect Basket” suggests packaging salad fixings in a pretty salad bowl or even a salad spinner. Add a pepper mill for a special touch.

Soup jars and baskets can be made with any combination of dried mixes. Havey said she uses clear, empty wine bottles that have been cleaned and dried to layer several kinds of beans for bean soup. She’ll often attach a miniature jar of Tabasco sauce to it for an added touch.

Snack attack baskets can include any kind of munchies your recipient craves. Havey said she makes “Merry Mix” – a variation of the popular Chex Party Mix – and bags it in holiday-themed cellophane bags. “I give that to just about everyone.” Phillips’ books features an idea for a “night at the movies” basket that includes, popcorn, special toppings, videos and even dental floss.

Mulling spices attached to a bottle of red wine and placed in a basket or bucket with a couple of wine glasses can make a nice gift. Phillips recommends a martini basket in her book.

Mix up a homemade tea blend and fill a fancy jar, or wrap it in a nice cup or tea pot. You can find a little individual tea pots and cup sets at most coffee and gift shops. Add a simple tea strainer or tie some honey sticks up in the ribbon.

Cranberry Apple Tea Mix

From “The Perfect Basket”

1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

½ cup chamomile tea leaves

¼ cup chopped dried apples

In a small bowl, combine ingredients. Store in an airtight container and label with a 3-month expiration date.

Yield: About 1 ½ cups

Spiced Teas

From Dorothy Dean Homemakers Service

For the perfect holiday gift, fill a fancy jar or pot with a special homemade spiced tea blend. Attach a tag with the name of the tea and brewing instructions (below). Directions for drying orange and lemon peel follow.

Orange-Clove Tea: Measure 1 1/2 cups black tea leaves ( 1/4 pound) into container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in 2 tablespoons whole cloves and peel of 1 orange, dried.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Lemon-Mint Tea: Measure 1 1/2 cups black tea leaves ( 1/4 pound) into container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in 4 tablespoons dried mint and peel of 1 lemon, dried.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Cardamom-Clove Tea: Measure 1 1/2 cups black tea leaves ( 1/4 pound) into container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in 1 tablespoon cardamom seed (remove outer shells before measuring), 1 tablespoon whole cloves and peel of 1 lemon, dried.

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Anise-Cinnamon Tea: Measure 1 1/2 cups black tea leaves ( 1/4 pound) into container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in 1 tablespoon anise seed and 1 (4-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up.

Yield: 1 1/2

To dry lemon or orange peel: Cut peel from fruit in long spiral, taking care not to take too much white pulp. Dry on a baking sheet in oven at 200 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool, break into small pieces.

Attach the following brewing instructions to the tea:

Brewing instructions: Place one teaspoon spiced tea for each cup water in warmed teapot. Pour boiling water over tea; cover and steep 3 to 5 minutes. Stir and strain. Serve plain or with sugar to taste.

Simply Sensational Beer Bread Mix

From “The Perfect Basket”

This is an economical bread mix to give to friends. Try adding a couple of tablespoons of your favorite herbs for herbed beer bread, or a teaspoon of chipotle chili powder for some smoky heat.

3 cups self-rising flour

3 tablespoons sugar

In a medium-size bowl, combine the ingredients. Store in an airtight container and label with a 3-month expiration date.

Attach the following instructions to the gift:

Simple Sensational Beer Bread

1 package Simply Sensational Beer Bread Mix

1 (12-ounce) can or bottle beer

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, divided

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the Simply Sensation Beer Bread Mix, beer and ¼ cup of the butter, stirring well with a wooden spoon. Transfer the batter to a loaf pan and pour 2 tablespoons of the remaining button over the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and cooked through. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and let cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. The break will keep wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Yield: 1 loaf

White Christmas Bar Mix

From “Gifts in a Jar: Bars

& Brownies”

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted and cooled completely

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup buttermilk biscuit and baking mix

Layer the ingredients in the order given into a wide-mouth 1-quar canning jar. Pack each layer in place before adding the next ingredient. Attach a gift tag with the mixing and baking directions as follows:

White Christmas Bars

1 jar White Christmas Bar mix

½ cup butter or margarine, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream the butter, egg and almond extract. Add the White Christmas Bar Mix and stir until the mixture is well blended. Spread the batter into a lightly greased or sprayed 8-by-8-inch pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into 2-inch squares.