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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 7, 1983)
Page 6 Portland Observer, December 7, 1963 LIKING SECTION Homemade Christmas spirit by M onine Stebbins W orking on your Chrixtmax »piril yet? There’s kind o f a delicate bal ance between too much pressure at Christmas and wanting to do nice things for your fam ily and friends. I f you’ re having trouble getting into a holiday mood, you may need to re-evaluate how much gift giving you can do. I know that I lend to add a few new people to my list and seldom drop anyone, so some years I end up with more than I can do easily. This has been known to give me the "bah-hum bugs" which are no fun at all. The other thing I ’ve been tempted to do is to spend money o r dering packages sent from fancy catalogs. You may not be the only one feeling the pressure. Talk it over with family members— maybe you can come up with a solution that will help everyone. M y family started a rotation system years ago. When you have five sisters it helps to be sensible. None o f us wanted to completely neglect the family, but we couldn’t keep up with remember ing everyone either. W e tried draw ing names for a while, but that was difficult and we never got around to all the family members. Now we ro tate, working from the youngest to the oldest. You can often save money by do ing gifts yourself— but you’ re trad ing time for money and you’re the only one who can deccd which is best for you. There are things from the store that can be put together easily. I f you're mailing the items, try to keep the weight down to save on postage costs. Various flavored teas and unbreakable Christmas tree ornaments are easy to send. I per sonally feel that the battle is nearly won when I get my out-of-town packages ready. I like to make homemade gifts from the kitchen, too, especially ones that use Oregon products. The all-time favorite is chocolate coated hazelnuts which are quite reason able since we have a lot of nuts on hand. They're easy. too. Eight ounces of milk chocolate melted in a double boiler will coal about 2 cups o f roasted hazelnuts. Drop the clus ters of J or 4 nuts onto waxed paper and let them cool until set. They don’t need to be refrigerated or fro zen; in fact the chocolate will bloom (get white on the surface) if you do. They probably do need to be out of sight, though, because they're a real temptation. I also put walnut halves into dried prunes, which is easy and nutritious. Since my time to do these home made treats is usually limited. I've found that it helps to choose just one or two items that I make for ev eryone. I get all the ingredients and then double the batch or make one right after the other. Quick breads, yeast breads or cookies can be done this way. I f you’re avoiding sweets you might make cereal nibbles, cheese spread or even flavored vine gars. Last summer I made dill green beans and if 1 can bear to part with them, I may give some of those as I Vi cups candied fruit, if desired Cream shortening and sugar to gether Add applesauce. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then add to the applesauce mix ture. M ix together just until moistened. Add nuts and/or candied fruit by stirring with a spoon, if desired. Put in well- greased bread pans, filling them Vi full. Regular loaf pans take I hour and 20 minutes at 350”. Smaller pans take a shorter time. Test by in serting a toothpick in center. I f it comes out clean, the cake is done. H O L ID A r C H E E S E S P R E A D In a large mixer bowl, blend I cup softened butter or margarine with about Vi to Vi envelope o f dry onion soup mix. I f you use the whole package, the spread will be salty. You can add more later if you want a stronger flavor. Add 2 tablespoons milk and 2 cups Ched dar and 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, but any favorite cheese may be used. Continue to mix with mixer untill well blended. Then add about two tablespoons pimento stirred by hand. You can form this mixture on lit tle circles of cardboard, making them into the shape of a Christmas tree, then sprinkle with parsley and decorate with pimento bits. Chill to make firm . It can also be put in pretty jars or plastic containers and given as gifts. Makes about $ cups cheese spread. Store in refrigerator. brought to you every week by AMERICAN STATE BANK MEMBtR FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION The average American man is five feet, eight inches tall. The average American woman, five feet, four inches tall. The blue whale can go up to half a year without eating - it’s maintained by its blubber. • Because their eyes are on the sides of their heads, most birds have excellent fields of vision. • A "Santa Claus School" was opened in 1937 in Al- bion, N .Y. to train men to play the part of Santa Claus. Six students enrolled for the one week course. W e do .io t d o business w ith S o uth A fric a American State I . T k J D I Bank f t b J »J AN INDEPENDENT BANK H e ld Office 2737 N. E Union Portend. Oregon 97212 gifts. A jar o f Russian Tea or other punch fixins* that are dry can be a nice gift, too. I ’ve even made a big batch o f buttered rum batter and put it in nice jars to give as gifts. I f you have something that needs spe cial care, like refrigeration, be sure to mention that when you deliver the gift. Include the recipe, too. Get friends and family into the act. Last year we had great fun decorating the gingerbread cookies. We baked them one day and decor ated them the next so we has a re laxed time together. Here are a couple o f recipes that make big batches and can be given as special homemade gifts. The ap plesauce cake can be simple or have lots of fruits and nuts added. I t ’s been a family favorite for years. The cheese spread is great for gift giving or entertaining. M O M S A P P l ESA U C E C A K E Vt cup shortening 2 cups sugar 3 cups applesauce 4 cups flour 2 teaspoons soda I teaspoon salt Spices can be varied. I use: I teaspoon cinnamon Vi teaspoon cloves Vi teaspoon allspice I cup raisins or cut-up dried prunes I cup nuts, if desired To G ive to project help . GROUND TURKEY Louis RRh't Brand CREAM CHEESE Froshio BAKING CHIPS Froshio, Bool Giocolato B r U h ... 79* DRINK M IX ■----L l. 69 lb. $ | 19 12-01. 2-lb. PROJECT H E L P raised oyer $275,000. A L L ol that went rig h t hack in to the c o m m u n ity to help people w ho needed Financial assistance to w eal her a lu el em ergency. Look For PROJECT H E L P d o n a tio n envelopes enclosed w ith y o u r next u tility statem ent. Y o u r generosity w ill help those in o u r c o m m u n ity w h o m ight be left out in the cold ibis w in te r. And ilia , should m ake vou Feel y e n ’ w a rm indeed. GRANULATED SUGAR Sno-Ouoon Choe Flavor $059 Once again this w in te r we w ant io help make sure no one goes w ith o u t heat. Last sear, thousands ol Folks co m b in e d th e ir e llo rls th ro u g h PROJECT HELP, the energy lu el assistance hind, Io help 1600 people keep w a rm in Oregon alone. ,1 Because donations Iro m y Paeilie Power custom ers and out ow n em ployees were m atched w ith d o lla rs Iro m stockholders, ,0 -lb «10 PROJECT HELP ‘3 " SfSS J-lb Fount 2329 PACIFIC SE 20th b D IVISIO N Oiogon City 878 M O I A ll A SE 72nd b FLAVEL Canby 1051 SW 1st NE 15th b FREMONT W BURNSIDE • ! 2 ,si lLOVDCFNTFR SAN RAFAEL 1»’O NE 1Z2nd 14410 SE DIVISIO N J9M SE POWELL ryE 74th b OLISAN HILLSBORO 980 SE OAK I— IDDDDQDOI L L I « iko rw,«M*a MBI •»•««»♦« MM m Mill »—» roMflMtlBRI M FtwK«i HI I F THE PEOPLE AT PACIFIC POWER
