A Gift of Food and Time

Do you know anyone who is confined to their home due to age or illness?

These people are sometimes referred to as shut-ins and most neighborhoods probably have one or two at least. There may even be one on your street maybe right next door. 

I can't imagine not being able to jump in my car to go shopping or to visit friends. I can't imagine what it would be like to live the life of a shut in. To rely on others to bring me the daily necessities of life or the need to turn on the TV to hear a friendly voice. 

Do you know anyone like this? 

This is the perfect opportunity to practice a little hospitality...

Practice hospitality by sharing your time.

There's a elderly widow who lives near me and I try and drop by once a week for a little visit. She gets her meals from a program called "Meals on Wheels" and although they bring nutritious meals they aren't very inspiring.  I usually bring her a few pieces of fruit and a treat to give her a little something extra. 

Today I gathered bananas and apples, a few of the Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Scones that I made yesterday and a jar of honey. The honey is a special treat. The last time I visited her she talked about how her dad was a beekeeper and he'd let her eat a piece of the honeycomb if she got all her chores done. She said she'd chew it like gum. I knew when I came across this jar of honey with the comb that I had to pick it up for her. 

It doesn't take much to brighten someone's day. Less than $10 in treats and 30 minutes of my time.


Go here to see another time I visited with this same lady.

What can you do to brighten someone's day this week?

Celebrating National Chocolate Chip Day with Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Scones

Did you know that May 15th is National Chocolate Chip day?

I didn't until I saw it online but it sounds like a good excuse to do a little baking! (and eating:-) 

I love to make scones because they're just so easy to mix up and bake and not too terribly sweet. Like a glorified biscuit...

The Easiest Ever Chocolate Chip Hazelnut Scones

I submitted this recipe to my church cook book a few years ago. We serve it every year at the Mother's Tea our Women's group hosts. 

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

2 tsp. Baking powder

1/8 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

1/3-cup cold unsalted butter 

1 large egg, slightly beaten

½ cup Hazelnut liquid coffee creamer* (or you can use half and half)

1 and 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven 375 degrees F

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend in to the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl combine the creamer and beaten egg. Add this mixture to the dry mixture. Stir to just combine. Add the chocolate chips. 

Knead the dough gently on a floured surface. Roll or pat the dough into a circle that is about 7 inch round and about 1½ inches thick. Cut this circle into 8 triangles or use a round cookie cutter and cut out like biscuits.

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

*Variations: I used Nestles Hazelnut flavored Coffee Mate. You can use any flavor of  liquid creamer. It's especially fun to try the seasonal flavors. Pumpkin Pie Spice in the Fall or how about Eggnog or Peppermint Mocha for a Christmas treat? If you'd rather not use the flavored creamer plain half and half would work.

Will you make something special for National Chocolate 

Chip Day?

Brandied Fruit for Christmas and Hostess Gifts

I remember years ago my aunt made up a batch of brandied fruit and passed some starter to my mom. Together they kept that fruit going for what seemed like forever.

Brandied fruit is delicious spooned over ice cream or pound cake or as a filling in a crepe topped with whipped cream. I had forgotten about it until I ran across a recipe online and did it ever bring back sweet memories. 

So much so that I had to ask my mom if she still had the recipe. She did, yeah! So I'm starting a batch that  will be ready in a few weeks. A small jar of brandied fruit and a pound cake baked up in a mini loaf pan will make a perfect hostess gift for the many parties during the holidays as well as last minute Christmas gifts. 

Beware this does contain alcohol and fermentation doesn't change that fact so it's not appropriate for children and of course anyone who is opposed to the use of alcohol. Use your best judgement.

It's super easy. Canned fruits mixed with sugar and brandy left to gently ferment on the counter. By replenishing the starter every 3 weeks you can keep this going just about forever...

There are tons of variations on this recipe all over the Internet but this is my method.

Layer pineapple, peaches, apricots and maraschino cherries in a clean jar. Add the sugar and brandy.

Gently stir the mixture. 

Cover and allow to sit on the counter for 3 weeks. Stir a few times a week. 

Ingredients:

2 - 15 ounce cans peaches

2 - 15.25 ounce cans apricots

2 - 20 ounce cans pineapple chunks

1 - 16 ounce jar maraschino cherries

2 1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 cup brandy

Method:

Drain all the fruit and place in a clean glass jar.

Add the sugar and brandy and stir to combine.

Cover the jar and place in a dark place. In a cabinet or covered with a towel. (Do not refrigerate) 

During the next three weeks stir the fruit several times a week. 

At the end of the three weeks the fruit is ready. You can spoon the fruit and juice over ice cream or pound cake. 

Always keep at least one cup of the fruit as a starter. To replenish starter add 1 cup of sugar and 1 can of pineapple, peaches, apricots or cherries every 3 weeks. Alternate fruit each time. You won't have to add any additional brandy to the starter. 

To give as a gift package up 2 cups of the fruit with instructions to eat one cup now and to use the other cup as a starter if desired. (or they can just eat it all!)

I'll be posting nearer to Christmas how I'm packaging my gifts. 

Have you ever had brandied fruit? 

Do you keep small gifts on hand for hostess gifts or for Christmas?