Homey Holidays by Scott Emmons

Found this slghtly humorous poem and I thought you might enjoy it.

Homey Holidays by Scott Emmons

I'll be home for Christmas

(I go there every year),

A place that's plain and peaceful

with a cheery atmosphere,

Where winter skies are silvery

and days are cold and sleety.

I'll be home for Christmas

'cause I can't afford Tahiti.

Homemade Gifts: Split Pea Soup in a Jar

borrowed from Grace Sandvigen

Split Pea Soup In A Jar

1 (2.75 ounce) package country gravy mix
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons imitation bacon bits
...2 teaspoons celery flakes
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 1/4 cups dried split green peas
1 bay leaf

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar.

In small bowl stir together bouillon granules, bacon bits, celery flakes, onion and parsley flakes. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add peas; place bay leaf on top. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Attach the following instructions to a gift tag:

Holiday Split Pea Soup:

Empty contents of jar into large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water; heat to boiling, stirring often. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender, stirring frequently to prevent peas from sticking. Remove bay leaf. Serve soup with dollop of sour cream and bacon bits, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Homemade Gifts: Tortilla Soup in a Jar mix

Ingredients for Jar:

1 cup converted long grain rice (like Uncle Ben's)
...2 to 2 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 (5-oz.) can chicken

Seasonings: Mix the following and place in a thin zipper sandwich bag:

2 tbsp. chicken bouillon granules
2 tsp. lemonade powder with sugar
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1 tsp. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dried minced onion

Size of Jar: Quart

Place ingredients in jar in this order:

Place rice in jar first.

Place seasoning packet into jar next. Gently flatten bag so it is visible from all sides of jar.

Fill jar with tortilla chips.

Put lid on jar.

Attach can of chicken to top of jar. (Tape can to top of jar using clear tape. Cut a larger than normal circle of fabric so it will cover the can as well as the top part of the jar.)

Decorate jar with fabric.

Attach this recipe to jar.

Tortilla Soup:

Carefully empty tortilla chips from jar into a dish. Set aside.

Remove seasoning packet. Set aside.

Place rice in large pan. Add 10 cups water and 1 (10-oz.) can Rotel or other brans diced tomatoes with green chilies and seasonings from packet.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add tortilla chips. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 cups soup.See More

Homemade Gift ideas: Texas Two step Soup Mix

Texas Two-Step Soup Mix in a Jar
1 (1.61 ounce) package brown gravy mix (regular or no-fat)
2 tablespoons mild red chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
10 to 12 regular-size tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
1 to 1 1/4 cups uncooked small to medium-size pasta (such as wheels, shells, macaroni)

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together chili powder, oregano, cumin, onion and garlic salt. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add layers of tortilla chips and pasta to fill jar. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Attach a gift tag with the following instructions:

Texas Two-Step Soup

Brown 1/2 pound ground beef in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add contents of jar and 7 cups water; heat to boiling. Stir in 1 (15 ounce) can corn with red and green bell peppers and 1 (16 ounce) can chopped tomatoes. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.

Serve with crushed tortilla chips and shredded Monterey jack cheese, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Homemade Gift ideas: French Market Soup in a Jar

French Market Soup Mix in a Jar

1 lb Dried navy beans
1 lb Dried pinto beans
1 lb Dried great northern beans
1 lb Dried green split peas
1 lb Dried yellow split peas
1 lb Dried black-eyed peas
1 lb Dried lentils
1 lb Dried baby lima beans
1 lb Dried large lima beans
1 lb Dried black beans
1 lb Dried red beans
1 lb Dried soybeans
1 lb Barley pearls

Combine all beans. Dived into 14 (2-cup)gift packages; present with the following recipe for French Market Soup.

FRENCH MARKET SOUP RECIPE: 2 cups French Market
Soup mix 2 quarts water 1 ham hock 1 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 ( 16-oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsley chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 chili pepper, coarsely chopped 1/4 c. lemon juice

Sort and wash 2 cups bean mix; place in a Dutch oven. Cover
with water 2 inches above beans, and soak overnight. Drain beans; add 2
quarts water, ham hock, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil' reduce heat,
and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. Add remaining
ingredients; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hock from
soup. Remove meat from bone, chop meat and return to soup. Yield 2
1/2 quarts.

Homemade Gift ideas: Curried Lentil Soup in a Jar

Yields: 2 jars soup mix

Total Time: 5 min
Ingredients
U.S. Metric Conversion chart
2 ( 1 quart) jars with tight-fitting lids
1 pound(s) red lentils
Salt
6 tablespoon(s) minced dried onion
2 tablespoon(s) curry powder
1 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
1 pound(s) green lentils
1/2 package(s) (5-ounce) dried apple rings, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoon(s) dried parsley leaves

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Directions

1.In bottom of each glass jar, place 8 ounces red lentils; top with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons dried onion, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 8 ounces green lentils, 1/2 cup apple pieces, and 1 tablespoon parsley, in that order. Seal jars and store at room temperature up to 1 month.
2.Prepare labels with cooking instructions; attach to jars. Add these cooking directions to each label before giving as a gift: Place lentil soup mix in 3-quart saucepan with 7 cups water. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 8 cups soup.