Frannie will demonstrate how to melt chocolate using a microwave and will dip spoons. Frannie Weinrob will have finished chocolate-covered spoons in small plastic bags and finished but unpackaged white chocolate dipped candy canes. Idea: Anje Omstead can give ideas on how to package spoons and canes. Thrift store mugs with sleeve of instant cocoa? Santa stockings?

.....The How To Show November 2014 – Food Gifts

Chocolate-dipped spoons

12 polished/decorated silver spoons

1 cup chocolate chips, divided

2 tablespoons butter flavored shortening

Cookie sheet or tray

Parchment paper

12 gift “pretzel” bags

Find spoons in antique stores and thrift shops. They don’t have to be silver, of course. You can duplicate this recipe with plastic spoons, too!

Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt ½ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals. Stir the chips after each 30 second interval and stop when chips are hot and melted. Be careful! Your bowl will become quite hot. Immediately add the other ½ cup of chocolate chips and the shortening and stir until all the chips are melted.

Dip the spoons into the chocolate, covering the bowl of the spoon, and place on parchment paper-lined tray to harden. Set tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to completely cool and harden. Place one spoon in one pretzel bag and tie closed with a twist-tie.

Stir your chocolate-dipped spoon into coffee, cocoa or warmed milk for an extra chocolaty treat.

Frannie will prepare “Apple Pie Spiced Hot Tea Mix” by piling crystallized ginger, whole allspice and cloves onto 8” square double-thick 100% cotton cheesecloth, tying closed with a bit of kitchen twine. She will place apple chips and cinnamon sticks in a teapot and attach four teabags and serving directions to the pot.

Recipe makes four teapots’ worth of gifts. Idea: Anje can give decorating ideas for the teapot and other ideas of wrapping the gift (say without a teapot…thrift store tea cups?)

...The How To Show November 2014 – Food Gifts

Apple Pie Spiced Hot Tea Mix This recipe will make four gifts…

1/3 cup crystallized ginger

1 tablespoon whole allspice

1 tablespoon whole cloves

2 cups dried apple chips (no added oils or sugar)

12 cinnamon sticks

16 green tea bags

Four 7 to 8-inch squares of double-thick 100% cotton cheesecloth

Kitchen twine

4 clear plastic gift bags

Divide ginger, allspice, and cloves among the four cheesecloth squares. Tie closed with kitchen twine. Into the bottoms of four clear gift bags divide apple chips and cinnamon. In each gift bag place four tea bags and one spice bag. Close gift bag with kitchen twine and include directions for making tea.

To Make Tea: In a medium saucepan, combine spice bag, cinnamon sticks, and 4 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat. Add apple chips and tea bags to spiced water mixture. Let tea steep for 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags, spice bags, and cinnamon sticks.

Frannie will make “Christmas Macaroon Mix” by filling a quart-size jar with ingredients, using a wide-mouth funnel and premeasured ingredients. Recipe card will be included.

Anje will decorate quart-size jar and present other ideas for decorating jars for gifts. Idea: Frannie can bring 1/4 pint pepper jelly, pint tomato sauce jar, and pint pickle jar for Anje to decorate.

....Christmas Macaroon Mix Recipe – Cookie Mix in a Jar!

7 oz package of flaked coconut (2-2/3 cups)

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup chopped almonds, toasted

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup chopped dried cherries

2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange peel

Note: Using a wide mouth funnel will make layering inside the jar a snap!

In a quart jar, layer the coconut, sugar, almonds, flour, salt, dried cherries, and candied orange peel; fasten lid. Include directions for making macaroons. Makes 1 jar (enough for 30 cookies).

Info for Card to include with gift:

Kam and Monique Let you know who is on this AMador Live Show

Lynn Smart and Sharon Murphy Talk about the Wreaths Across America National Project.Sponsorship $15 for Wreath at Veteran grave site for ceremony at Sunset View Cemetery in Jackson on Sat, Dec. 13 arrive by 8:30. Gates closes at 8:45am

www.wreathsacrossamerica.org

Mell Welsh talks about the Thanksgiving Day Trot at Lake Tabeaud Walk/Run (6.4 or 2.7 miles) Thurs, Nov, 27  8am. A Benefit for Amador Interfaith Food Bank.

David Camerdo Author/Artist/ Illustrator Talks about the Re-Printing of his Book, The Adventures of Ma Chee & Pa Chee not far from Sutter Creek.

Claypool’s Gift & Home Co. Claypool’s Gift & Home Co. Christmas shopping for gifts and home decor

Interfaith Community of Choirs and Orchestra presents the15th Annual Festival of Carols Sat, Nov 22 at 7pm and Sun, Nov 23 at  3pm Call (209)223-2834

AMLive's Guests meet in the final Group Hug