Friday, December 12, 2008

Spice Up Someone's Holiday

Thank you to those who checked in with me yesterday. I stayed home sick from work with a variety of issues so I did nothing but rest, watch my shows, nap & finally watch Sex & the City. Awesome movie although I have never & will never understand the fashion trends they started. Anyway, I can't even label what's wrong with me at the moment. Neck pain, sore throat, headache. Just fun stuff.


Anyway, here is one of my first homemade goodies I wanted to share with you. While I've given the recipe for this Tuscan Spice Rub to a few who have requested it, I also wanted to share how I am presenting it. It's so simple & hardly takes a crafty person to pull it together yet I am so happy with how it came out. In under 25 minutes this became a gift that will put a smile on someone's face!


I sterilized a small empty wine bottle, filled it with a variety of spices & herbs. The reindeer came from an old Christmas card I had & just pulled off, so it already had a square sticker that gives it a little dimension. The square frame & tag came from a package of self-adhesive glitter clears from Target. Brand name is Falala. Some have holes for tagging & others just stick on for decorations. They were perfect for this.

TUSCAN SPICE RUB

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons dried oregano

Grind fennel seeds in a spice grinder (such as a clean coffee grinder) or a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Combine with basil, garlic powder, salt, rosemary and oregano in a small bowl. Place in a nice jar. Makes approximately 1 cup. Use on chicken, salmon or lamb. Keep for up to 6 months.


Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I will see you around today but I also plan to stay home & rest more!

36 comments:

Kameron said...

I hope you feel better. It seems everyone is sick right now! Thanks, once again, for the cute idea. I have a lot to do this weekend with all of my craft plans!!

Coco said...

Great idea! Lord knows I can easily empty a wine bottle.

Hope you get good rest.

FROGGITY! said...

what a great idea! i have been looking for something for my inlaws, etc...

this would be perfect!

also, hope you FEEL BETTER! i hate that you don't feel good! :(

Lula! said...

AMAZING, Stephanie...love this.

OK...a few things...
Missed you yesterday.
Ordered the Isagenix.
Loved SATC, but it was a bit draggy inthe middle...and I hate that Samantha had to get all "empowered" and dump Smith...dude is smoking' beautiful.

And now I need to get crafy and make this Tuscan Spice Rub...and that toffee fudge. It will be a Stephanie-Centric weekend around here.

Rachael Schirano \\ Rachael Schirano Photography said...

that is a great gift, i am always looking for something homemade to give!

Erin said...

Sooo do you need my address to send me this, or do you already have it ; )

Claremont First Ward said...

What a lovely presentation. Do you still need my address? j/k. Hope you feel better this weekend!

Mrs. Potts said...

Would you mind sharing your recipe with me? That sounds wonderful & I'd love to give this to a few friends as gifts!

Mrs. Potts said...

Ok, please ignore my comment. I got too excited & didn't see the recipe. :)

Melissa said...

Wow...what a great gift idea!! you are just too creative!!
Hope yo uget feeling better soon... I had that yucky stuff last weekend and felt terrible for 2 days!!

Pam said...

Oh, I hope you feel better soon. It's no fun being sick.

The tuscan spice rub sound great and I love the packaging. It will make a lovely gift.

Jen said...

what an absolutely wonderful idea. I would love to have one of those in my stocking. ;)

And I so wish that I could have taken the day off yesterday.

Anonymous said...

Hope you're feeling better soon..
Thanks for the recipe and neat way of presenting it. I bet a beer bottle with a screw on lid would work too.

Carrie said...

CUTE! Love the idea!

Hope you feel better soon. Being sick stinks!

Unknown said...

I hope you feel better soon! That sounds bad! I know you will make lots of people feel special with this gift. You are such a nice person : ).

Erin said...

Lol- I used to teach at a charter school in Ocoee/winter garden......weird place sometimes!

FROGGITY! said...

hey- just read your comment about legs itching when jogging in the cold! i know what you mean!! hubby told me once that it's circulation. interesting, eh?

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND AND FEEL BETTER!

Lump said...

ugh I hope you start to feel better! sounds like everyone is getting ill these past few weeks.

this is such a cute idea for a gift!

Kristina P. said...

Love this idea, Steph. Hope you're feeling better!

Brenda said...

Any good substitutions for fennel? I can't get it where I am?

Mrs. Buck said...

I'm trying to do as many homemade gifts as I can this year - and I know a few people this would be PERFECT for! Thanks so much for posting!! I take it you used a mini wine bottle?

Tabitha Blue said...

Hope you feel better soon!!!!!

What a cute gift idea! I think homemade and personalized presents are such a sweet gift... and it's definitely the 'in' thing right now anyway, so this gift is spot on!!! Great job on the decor too!!!!!

:)
~Tabitha~

www.freshmommyblog.com

Rebecca said...

It came out great and what a fantactis mix of spices! I think you have an inner crafty side ;)

Deanna said...

Was just at my best friend's house and she had empty wine bottles on her counter. I am going to send her this recipe. Love it!

Mommy2Twinkies-Deb said...

I hope you're feeling better, and thanks for the recipe. That sounds like a nice one. Who do you give it to? (types of people? like teachers?)

So, just want to let you know that I'm doing my first giveaway this week! Not sure if it's something you'd be interested in (foodie! :-) but check it out if you have time!

Pumpkin Delight (Kimberly) said...

Very, very cute plus you get the bonus of drinking the wine to get the empty small bottle of wine. It's a win/win situation.

Baby Favorite said...

GREAT idea! I love it!

Now get some rest! I hope you feel better very soon.

Oh, and yes, that's a new picture of me. I got tired of the old one, but this one isn't so hot, either. I look about 80. LOL

The Blonde Duck said...

I hope you feel better!

Life, Love And Lola said...

Great idea! My neighbor and I made homemade Kaluha.

Angela said...

I love this idea! Do you use it on any kind of meat? I will definitely try it. Love and hugs and hope you are feeling MUCH better soon!

Anonymous said...

I have been waiting for this one, sounds wonderful and a perfect gift for a basket I have in mind!! Thanks!! Hope you feel better soon! Will hubby be making you some chicken soup?

Yellow Beads said...

when do you find the time lady!?!

mommaof4wife2r said...

sooo stinking cute!

Melanie said...

Hi!
Thanks for stopping by my blog last week.
I see Giada's cookbook in your sidebar. I like her show and have wondered if her recipes are do-able?
I enjoy cooking but need to find some different types of meals to prepare.

tiarastantrums said...

that is so pretty - you are super creative!!

Rachel said...

What an awesome idea!

I do hope you feel better it's definately going around; I am still coughing from my cold at Thanksgiving and my hubby is now sick. The kids dr said this cold is lasting about 3-4 weeks!