Homemade Gifts in a Jar

Homemade Holiday Gifts can come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and textures...

I am forever astounded by how delicious caramel sauce is.  Every time I make it, I taste a spoonful of this liquid gold and my knees nearly buckle.  Yes, it's that good.  Here's the method:

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 TBSP butter

In medium-sized saucepan, pour sugar and water.  Do not stir.  Heat to medium, swirl pan to blend and boil for  8-10 minutes, or until mixture caramelizes into a golden brown color.  Watch it carefully, it goes from sugar water to golden lusciousness to tar in seconds flat.  Remove pan from heat and pour in cream.  It will bubble up and become a sticky goo.  Keep stirring, and place back on low heat if necessary to remelt the sugar.  When completely smooth and golden, add butter and salt.

When cooled slightly, pour into jar and adorn with festive ribbon.  Store in fridge up to 1 week.  (We bet it won't last that long.)  This is glorious served as a fondue with apples, pretzels, graham crackers, cashews, and cubes of pound or angel cake, or used to top vanilla ice cream.


More of a savory sort?  Give a jar of pesto  or ginger miso dressing

And while technically it would be more likely to come in a bottle than a jar, we think chili vinegar is a good gift option as well.  

Either way, a homemade jar of something yummy is sure to please your loved ones.

How Do You Like Them Apples?

We love stocking up at our beloved Market, but sometimes we City Gals like to get even closer to the source. I'm heading out for an apple picking excursion with my family on Sunday.   I expect the inevitable groans from my teen and preteen, but I shall ignore them and persist with my plans. I have scouted the following locales, and all seem quite promising:

Linvilla Orchards
Johnson's Farm
Highland Orchards

Highland will likely get my custom because it is in striking distance of Victory, my favorite microbrew, and I will undoubtedly need refreshment after my efforts.  Golden Monkey Tripel Ale is quite special.

And finally, my favorite twist on an oldie but a goodie.  Remember the caramel apples we loved as kids around Halloween?  Well, here's a grown up version with links to ingredient sources:


Caramel Apple Fondue

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 sliced apples

Pour sugar and water into heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, allowing mixture to bubble for about 8 minutes.  Do not stir.  When sugar begins to caramelize watch it carefully.  Really carefully.  It will go from delicious to tar in nothing flat.  As the sugar browns to the color slightly darker than a camel coat, remove from heat.  Pour in cream; caramel will bubble up noisily.  Stir, and return to very low heat if necessary to remelt sugar.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Serve with sliced apples in front of a fire with the apple of your eye.

I promise, he/she will like them apples.