Christmas Hampers

CoD_2

TerminallyShortOfCash wrote:

OMG this all sounds fantastic!!! I've 'warned' alll my family and friends that it;s going to be a homemade and thoughtful Christmas this year and I was really surprised when they all said that it was a really good idea (although I haven't quite had the nerve to tell my Grandma yet - I think if she asks it's all going to have come from 'a lovely little craft fair I went to'!!) I would be sooo grateful if someone could pm me links to all these fabulous ideas and recipes (I don't want anyone to have to spend ages typing things )

many many thanks for all inspiring ideas

jen
xxxx

my parents and I did a hamper for my grandmother for her birthday... she really loved it. nice preserves, cheese biscuits etc. nice snacky bits as she doesn't eat full meals so much now. she loved that we had spent so much time on it, i believe it was better as it was from the heart and not just spending money. (nothing wrong with either but just to say she appreciated the thought!

ViksB

Gluwein (again either in single glass wine bottles if I can get enough or large bottles for giving to family units)
The recipe I use calls for chateaux de migraine chapest of the cheap and orange juice so with the cheap boxes of red for christmas it should work out really cheap, they'll have a tag on with heating instructions. I'll post recipes for any thing I mention if folk want them,

Please be really careful about doing the mulled wine. Basically you are diluting the nice "safe" wine with orange juice which goes off.
If the product is not sterile then you could actually serious hurt (poison) people. Make sure you use a recipe which is meant to be stored for a few months and then it will be OK.

I have the advantage of working for a food company so I always get stuff analysed before sending it to friends. I know most people can't do that, but if you stick to recipes which are designed to be stored then you should be fine.
Sorry - don't want to put a dampener on it.

I'm making hampers this year too. Lots of Plum jam and elderberry cordial!!

Vikki

samcantcope

Does anyone know where to get the hamper baskets from or an ideas of using something else. me and my sister are doing hampers for parents etc,

Sallys_Savings

I have picked them up from Tescos before.....but I pick most of mine up from car boots.

Good luck

lillydrip

orange pomanders are easy to make Surfsister (but very time consuming), just get an orange and tie some ribbon round in a 'criss cross' shape, knot, and then make a loop to hang it from. Then pierce holes in the orange and push cloves in to the holes, position them as closely as possible. When you have finished either hang in an airing cupboard or place in a paper bag in the airing cupboard, leave to dry out for about 3 1/2 weeks (keep checking though because sometimes they go mouldy and you have to throw them away - no idea why this happens sometimes and not others though). Some people sprinkle the orange with sandalwod oil as well (apparently its a natural preservative). They are lovely when finished though, and we have pomanders that are over 5 years old (we pack them away with the chrissy decs) and they still smell gorgeous!:T

purpleimp

Hello peeps,

I've found making the pomanders very theraputic so far, a big bowl of cloves on my lap and parking myself infront of the TV seems to be working really well!

Use bys like I said was something that was concerning me, it will be fine for all the folks locally who I can phone and say "right your hamper's ready come pick it up and use it quick" the posting stuff is what I was concerned about.

In honesty I thought the baileys would pose more of an issue than the mulled wine(because of the eggs and other dairy products involved, the last thing I want to do is kill off the family and friends!!!

I suppose I could just make up gluwein hampers for some of the hard core that would just appreciate the alcohol,bottle of red, OJ, all the herbs spices, sugar cones, and a rum minature to people to make up themselves with directions but it's not so much fun when you don't see the flames your self (

That's not too bad an idea though, if I added them in to the proper hampers, it would bulk out the box no end and doing it that way I suppose I could completely leave out the baileys, hmm you got me thinking now, oh the decisions the decisions!!!!!

Its deciding on what to include and what to leave out that's going to be the biggest problem I think!

I'll go to bed and mull it over.*;o)xxx

MrsTinks

I've just totted up all the pressies we need to sort out this year and I have worked out I'll need to put together 7 hampers! EEEEEEEKK!!!!

Well this should be a fun (and busy) few weeks by the looks of things then lol!!!

TerminallyShortOfCash

it's worth looking on the bright side tho - even if you get it a bit wrong and some rellies don't make it through Christmas, it'll make the shopping cheaper next year!!!

mrs_mug_2

Great ideas, I love the idea of peppermint and chocolate spoons.

I made the first installment in my hampers for this year today - blackberry and apple jam. I'm doing mincemeat tomorrow and mini christmas cakes next week. Nearer the time I'll do some shortbread, ginger biscuits, truffles and turkish delight. I'll add some nice tea for my inlaws, some bottles of beer for my brothers in law and something lavender smelling (soap?) for my Nan. I do wonder if this is going to work out to be quite expensive in the long run though?

Already got next year's theme sorted - I'm going to stick to smellies, home made of course.

I just need to find some cheapy wicker baskets now.

CAFCGirl

I've been making up some flavour vodkas for my hampers.

Just a cheap bottle of vodka will do. So far I've made:

Cherry Drop Vodka
Skittle Vodka (Both perfect for younger hampers but obv' over 18's!)
Toffee Vodka (Use Werthers Originals!)

Am also going to attempt liquoirice (sp?) vodka for my Grandad as he loves liquoirice allsorts and every year I get him a large box, so this time, something a little bit different!