kyburg | Advent

How to make a gift with something around the house. (Version 5.0)

I just finished shelling ten pounds of walnuts - the proceeds from that exercise are formiddable. A WHOLE lot more than I could have gotten from the market, already bagged and shelled -

Heh. Used to live across the street from a walnut orchard. Shelling them with a hammer on the floor? Good times - and lots of memories. I also got most of them out whole or in halves, go me.

This time, mine came from the farmer's market - straight off the trees, and a lot of them were buggy (EEK - but, hey. Across the street from walnut orchard. Knew the job was dangerous when I took it, etc.)

I'm looking forward to shelling macadamia nuts - I've got some, I'm hoping for more. But it made me think - what could you make, with stuff around the house - that has three ingredients or less, and is something most folks have on hand all the time?

(Just in passing, here is a recipe for making your own laundry soap - cheaper, just as good and so on.)

My favorite cookie recipe, of course, is the peanut butter cookie one - which needs a careful touch to work well, but has only three ingredients:

1 cup of your favorite peanut butter - go natural, crunchy if you can. Texture is better.
1 cup granulated sugar.
1 egg

Mix. Roll into walnut-sized balls (what IS it with the freaking walnuts....), roll in some more granuated sugar, place on WELL greased cookie sheets, cross-tine with a fork.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven, about ten minutes - watch carefully. About ten minutes -

Bring out, allow to cool slightly, take off sheets with sharp spatula onto waxed paper to cool completely.

BEST with cold milk. NOM NOM.

Anyone doesn't have these things around all the time? You have a peanut allergy. Okay - I need something for you.

Well, there is the 'favorite zippy meatballs' - which is meatballs (your pick), with a sauce made of equal parts grape jelly and your favorite pepper sauce (Tabasco, yes - EQUAL PARTS - Dave's Insanity Sauce? Sure. Crystal? Yeah, that'll work.) Cook the meatballs first, mix the other two ingredients and heat to meet the temp of the cooked meatballs - mix together and hold in a crockpot to serve - provide toothpicks.

Pie good for you? Try this one.

1 prepared graham cracker crust.
1 container of cool whip
1 container of frozen lemonade - or orange juice - concentrate. (Size depends on how big or how many pies you wish to make.

Set out the pie crusts (heck, make 'em if you got 'em), mix the cool whip with the frozen concentrate (let it defrost to get slushy) - then mound into pie crusts and refreeze. Instant chiffon pies - and they're actually pretty good for all that. Fast, too.

You also know what makes really good wrapping paper? In a pinch, the Sunday comics make really good wrapping paper, and don't hesistate to mate it up with kite string or packaging twine for the full effect.

You can also make candelarias with lunch bags, dirt and cheap-ass tea lights from IKEA.

I'm still looking at tofu tubs and the tubs the shortening sticks come in as resources. Remember the firestarters? If you use paper egg cartons instead of muffin papers - you can make bricks at a time, then break them down after they cool. (Would NOT recommend doing that with the styrofoam ones, mind.)

See you tomorrow!