Need a gift for a person who appreciates the provenance of presents? Here are eleven fun, unique ideas from central Ohio: 1) Little Alouette makes the most beautiful baby gifts, period. This holiday they offer personalized teethers, rocking horses, and a stunning nativity set. 2) I picked up a Zeroz Wallet for myself this fall and I am totally in love with the ultra-simple, sleek, handmade-in-Columbus design. It seems unreasonable that someone could improve on [...]

It is list making season, no? No matter your place on the HanuSolMas spectrum, there is some holiday that calls for presents. In my family, gifts are made of love and time. Much of what we give and receive is handmade. We flip the consumerism coin and come up with heads and hearts – my family makes some awesome gifts. And yet, we give and receive indulgences that cannot be made by hand. Our wish [...]

Alex has asked me several times if I have any desires for Mother’s Day. Like so many moms, I think it would be great to have a day with all the benefits of motherhood (children’s hugs, “You’re the greatest”, etc.) and none of the work. Let me complete a project, phone call, night’s rest, or a simple thought without interruption. Let the world be at peace. Let it be quiet most of the time. Let [...]

Our Xmas was truly lovely.  The Goose Dinner went off without a hitch, Lillian was patient during the many family gatherings, and we loved the wintery weather.  We received some fantastic handmade gifts during the festivities. Click pictures to enlarge. My sister sewed me a lower half apron with purple fabrics from my 30th birthday quilt, Lillian’s gift, a handmade purse, and gifts from years past. She also was the crafty person behind Devie and [...]

This post concludes my series on handmade holiday gifts.  Previous weeks included instructions for making hand-rolled beeswax candles, hot cocoa mix, and spice rub.  A list of other possible gifts in jars is at the bottom of the post. I believe that giving a homemade or home canned gift in a mason jar is a true expression of love.  A homemade jam contains peak of the season flavors and the gift of time spent preserving.  [...]

Homemade flavored liqueur is one of the simplest ways to preserve the flavor of fresh fruit.  I posted a recipe for cranberry liqueur last year, but one can make liqueur with any fruit with the following simple method. Local, in season fruits make the best liqueurs because they have the strongest fresh flavor.  Choose clean washed fruit.  Smash berries, chop stone fruits, or juice citrus and place in a clean large glass container, like a [...]

I have made it no secret that I love cranberries.  Raw cranberries, snowy sugared cranberries, cranberry bread…  Transformed into an alcoholic additive is another delicious way to enjoy these little pearls of antioxidant goodness! The cranberry liqueur recipe I use is adapted from Cooking Light, December 2003.  It makes a lovely gift packaged in a decorative bottle.  The Container Store has a wide selection of bottles.  Be sure to keep some for yourself! 2 cups [...]