One word about today’s gift from the kitchen. Bacon!

Almond, Chocolate, and Bacon Toffee to be exact. Yes, BACON in toffee!

It’s not something new. I didn’t dream it up. In fact, I’ve spoken of it before. I even made bacon peanut brittle just over a year ago. This year, I’ve decided to give the toffee a go at it.

You and your very lucky, and soon to be grateful, gift recipients will love it! Just be certain to chop your crispy cooked bacon fine … into little bitty pieces. I left mine a bit to big and although I still love that batch of toffee, it is better chopped more fine, as I discovered on my second batch.

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:

Tins of Bacon Toffee
Rum Glazed Eggnog Bread
Fennel Cured Salmon
Spicy Guinness Mustard
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

Silvered almonds are used in the recipe. You can find untoasted silvered almond and toasted slivered almonds at Trader Joe’s. You will need toasted almonds.

To toast the untoasted almonds; place nuts on a dry baking sheet and into a 350 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times until nicely browned. That’s it, now you have toasted slivered almonds and you are ready to make your delicious toffee.

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Today, it’s another of the recipes from Saturday’s Christmas Craft Party, stuffed mushrooms. What’s not to like? Bacon. Cheese. Mushrooms. Pepper Jelly. It’s all good! This would be perfect to bring to a holiday party.

But, before I get to it, I have to share with you just how clever my friend, Sheila is and how she “constructed” a second long table for our crowd in her craft room.

See this table? It’s really drywall set atop two sawhorses. Next, she cut up two twin bed-skirts and used them as the table skirt. Finally, Sheila used her Kitchen Papers Flourish Paper Table Wrap to cover the top. So resourceful and so darn pretty!

OK, on to the recipe!

Bacon Wrapped Cheesy Mushrooms

15 to 18 slices bacon, cut in half
12-ounces (1  1/2 packages) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup diced green onions
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup pepper jelly
30 to 36 fresh medium to large crimini or white mushrooms, stems removed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with foil. Place a rack atop one of the baking sheets.

Place the bacon pieces, in a single layer, on the prepared baking sheet without the rack. Partially cook the bacon in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the mushrooms.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, green onions, cheddar cheese, and jelly.

Use a small spoon to stuff the mushroom caps with the cheese mixture, really pack it in there.

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You didn’t really think I would do the “12 Kitchen Gifts of Christmas” without adding at least one sweet baked treat, did you?

I didn’t think you would think that! Today is the day … Rum Glazed Eggnog Bread… it’s a keeper!

If you want to get a jump on your Christmas baking, these loaves freeze beautifully. Just don’t make or add the glaze until you’ve taken them out of the freezer and allowed them to thaw overnight in your refrigerator.

Although the amount of rum is minimal, if you want or need to avoid alcohol, substitute orange juice in its place.

I found the adorable German paper baking pans at Home Goods and I also saw them at T. J. Max. Undoubtedly, they are at Marshall’s as well. They are half the size of standard mini loaf pans, so I am calling these  *ultra-mini loaves. It’s all good – this way, there are twice as many loaves for giving.

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:

Rum Glazed Eggnog Bread
Fennel Cured Salmon
Spicy Guinness Mustard
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

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This gift from the kitchen would be perfect to give my best friend, Jennifer. Coincidentally, today is Jen’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Jenny Jen, I love you and I’m thinking of you today! xoxo

This would be perfect gift because Jen loves smoked salmon and this fennel cured salmon would make her so very happy.

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Fennel Cured Salmon
Spicy Guinness Mustard
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

Gravlax is similar to lox, which is cured salmon that has been cold smoked. You want to make this food gift within a few days of giving it away. Home cured salmon has a shelf life of 7 days after the cure is removed. It can also be frozen and will keep for about 90 days before it begins to deteriorate in the freezer. So if you finish curing on Christmas Eve and you give you gift on Christmas day your gift tag should say something like:

Homemade Fennel Cured Salmon
Please enjoy by New Year’s Eve
or
Place in the freezer and use
by Valentine’s Day

I learned to make this recipe back in 1993 after attending the Sonoma County Wine Auction. Dave and I attended the Sonoma and Napa County wine auctions several times. This recipe and the memory of those events makes me want to go again in the coming year.

BTW – You may substitute the same amount of dill for the fennel fronds… if that is easier for you to find… of course, then it would be Dill Cured Salmon. 

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Yesterday, Sheila and I hosted a Christmas Crafts Party for our friends. Most of the participants from my Burlap Pumpkin Class were there and we had a great time, up in Sheila fabulous craft room, creating away!

The gorgeous paper cone wreath you see above was made by the very talented and patient Christa. Only four of us tackled the wreath and Christa’s won the blue ribbon!

Or maybe we’ll call it the Red Ribbon since it’s a Christmas wreath… with a red ribbon! Congratulations, Christa, your “best in show” is well deserved.

Here you see Sheila giving instruction on two of the other crafts; a rag ornament and snow balls.

There were 15 of us and along with crafting, we of course had lunch! The recipes will follow in the coming days.

Today, we’ll start with the cocktail. I used some of my Cranberry Vodka to make Cranberry Mojitos. That recipe and more craft photos follow.

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On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Spicy Guinness Mustard
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

Yep, the seventh day is kinda like the sixth day, more mustard. I can’t help myself! I actually had five different styles of mustard I wanted to share with you, but I’ll save the other two for next year.

This style uses whole mustard seeds and makes a fabulous grainy mustard that is just as at home on a sandwich as it is coating a pork tenderloin that is about to be grilled to perfection.

You’ll be using a mix of yellow and brown mustard seeds. The yellow seeds are easily found in any grocery spice aisle. The brown seeds take a little more effort to acquire. I’ve found them at Cost Plus World Market and you can always find them at Penzey’s Spices, either online HERE or in a  store near you. If you are local, there is a Penzey’s on the NW corner of Tatum and Shea and another at Tempe Marketplace on the Rio Salado Parkway. If you’re not local, don’t fret, there are Penzy’s in 29 states, maybe there is one near you. Check HERE to see.

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Out of all the gifts from the kitchen I’ve made so far, if someone gave me today’s gift, homemade mustard, it is the one that I would be over the moon about.

I love mustard, especially gourmet flavored mustard and especially if someone makes it for me. This isn’t meant as a hint, but to let you know that mustard is a great gift!

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

The first mustard takes a couple weeks for the flavors to soften and meld. The second only takes a couple of days to do the same.

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Today I am reluctantly tossing out my pumpkins from Halloween and Thanksgiving, all two dozen dozen plus, to make room for Christmas decorations.

Before I do, I’m going to cut them open and take out some of the seeds to try and save them for planting next year. Then I’ll roast the pulp of those that are still fresh enough and use it in my holiday baking. It’s going to be a busy day!

Before I destroyed the beauties, I used them as photo props for my homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice. It will make a sweet addition for any baking themed basket gift or the perfect little stocking stuffer for the chef in your life.

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

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Homemade Kahlua Liqueur used to be one of my go-to gifts from the kitchen. For some reason it’s been years, maybe even a decade, since I’ve made it. I don’t know why, because it is good stuff!

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

If you want to make this gift to give for Christmas, you need to get on the stick, as in make it today or tomorrow! Sorry for not giving you more notice, but it should sit for 4 weeks before drinking and Christmas is exactly four weeks from tomorrow.

If you can’t get to it until the weekend, just be sure to write on your gift tag something along the lines of, “Homemade Kahlua Liqueur. Wait to enjoy until New Year’s Eve or after.”

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Thanksgiving is over. It is time to get serious about my Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen!

With only 29 days till Christmas, I’m going to have double or triple my efforts to get you all the “days” in time for you to make them. So be prepared for an onslaught in the next couple weeks! Here is the third installment.

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

I love lemon! The aroma, the color, and above all, the flavor. So it’s no surprise that the dish soap, the hand soap, and the counter spray that I use in my kitchen is the Williams-Sonoma Meyer Lemon Collection. The large refill bottles are the annual gift I ask for every Christmas from my family.

Another favorite is this lemon scented sugar hand scrub. I use Queen Creek Meyer Lemon Olive Oil to make it.

If you don’t have lemon olive oil on hand or don’t want to go to the trouble or expense to purchase it – regular olive oil is fine and dandy.

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