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Everybody promises themselves to do something homey and fun and
traditional for the holidays. Something that makes memories, like friends
in the kitchen baking pies or parents and kids and cocoa in front of a
fireplace making a wish list.
 I’ve
been watching too many Hallmark ads on TV. But there is a tradition
everyone enjoys where memories are made and fun is frequently had despite
the cleanup necessary afterward. That tradition is making your own tree
and house decorations right in your own kitchen.
The easiest of the traditions is
popcorn garlands, which can be made in front of that fireplace and while
sipping that cocoa mentioned above. The most engrossing tradition is
home-cooked decorations.
These baked ornaments are a great craft to do with your kids during the
days before Christmas. They get to do some baking, and can exercise their
creativity to decorate the dough shapes once they're baked. Each ornament
can be unique to each family member – you might even write names on the
cookies with frosting, or paste on a photo of yourself, child, pet… Set
aside an afternoon for making them.
Use your ornaments on the tree, to decorate packages,
gingerbread houses, stockings, or hang from your car mirror for the look
of the holidays. Packaged gaily in twos and threes, they become a seasonal
and homemade party favor or teacher gift.
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FLOUR DOUGH ORNAMENTS |
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2 C flour
1 C salt
2 Tbsp.
vegetable oil
1 C water
Cookie cutters,
paint, ribbon, glitter, glue, etc.
Mix together flour, salt, and
vegetable oil. In a large bowl, slowly add the dry mix to the water
and stir until you get a nice dough consistency. When completely
mixed, sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out the dough to
about a quarter-inch thick. Using the cookie cutters, cut out the
shapes you want. Make a hole at the center top of the shape so after
they're baked you can thread through string or ribbon. Use toothpicks
or kabab sticks or even a pencil.
Bake your Christmas decorations in
the oven at 250 degrees for approximately 1 hour, depending on how
thick your decorations are. Cool. Decorate. Once the paint has dried,
you can thread through with ribbon or string and admire! |
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CINNAMON-APPLESAUCE ORNAMENTS |
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These cinnamon crafted ornaments
smell great during - and for days after - baking
1
C cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground cloves
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp. allspice
1 Tbsp ginger
3/4 C applesauce
Flour, as needed
In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger and
nutmeg. Add applesauce and stir to combine. Work this mixture with
your hands for two to three minutes or until the dough is smooth and
all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. (Add flour a tablespoon at a
time if dough is too moist, working flour into mix with your hands.)
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters into desired
shapes. Using a straw, kabob sticks or a pencil, make a hole in the
top of each ornament.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet
at 150 degrees for one hour. Remove from the cookie sheet and bake on
the oven racks for another hour and a half.
When cool, use glue to decorate
with ribbon, buttons, sequins, photos – whatever your imagination
comes up with. Finish with ribbon or raffia or string to hang. |
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POPCORN CRANBERRY GARLAND |
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This is a basic garland that always looks homey and
festive! Put one or more on a Christmas tree, drape over mantel
greenery, or anywhere else! After the holidays, put it on bushes
outside to treat the birds and squirrels.
1 day old, fat free popcorn – one
or two large bowls worth
Fresh cranberries
Waxed dental floss
1 medium needle
String the cranberries and popcorn
on the waxed dental floss, using the needle threaded with the floss.
You can use any combination you like, one cranberry, one popcorn, two
and one, one and two, or etc. A good length for one garland is four to
six feet, so make sure you have enough floss. Or, to save costs, use
regular, narrow gauge, string. It is tougher to thread through the
popcorn but if you lay out sections of string on tinfoil and spray
with pan spray, the threading will go easier.
NOTE: For more pizzazz, divide
your popcorn into smaller bowls and use food coloring mixed with water
in a spray bottle to color the popcorn in each bowl. |
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DRIED FRUIT GARLAND |
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Follow the threading instructions above, but use dried
fruit such as cherries, banana slices, chunks of apricot or pineapple
– any colorful dried fruit you can get your needle through. Just make
sure the pieces are small enough or light enough to match the popcorn
in size. Dried fruit weighs more so don’t bunch it around the popcorn.
Or, for a truly seasonal look, string the fruit with small pinecones
instead of popcorn. You can find real pinecones at craft stores, some
departments in larger supermarkets, or on the ground, under pine
trees. (You may have to cut large cones into smaller pieces.)
To use the cones, wrap the floss or string once around the top
flanges, close to the stem so it is not visible, and continue as usual
with a piece of fruit.
Experiment for some creative holiday fun. |
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Share your favorite recipes with
everyone!!
If you send a recipe, please include a phone number should there be any
questions about it. We might use the recipes in a future column or post them
on our website.
Email your creations to:
cookscorner@newtownpress.com
or newtownpress@comcast.net
Send recipes by mail to:
Cooks Corner
The New Town Press
421 Stone Meeting House Rd.,
Woolwich Twp., NJ 08085
Send recipes by fax to: 856-467-3364
THANKS for SHARING!
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