Preparation for the holiday seasons

Henry Maier

We are approaching the holiday seasons and aside from receiving gifts the highlight of this time of year can be to surprise others with personally handmade presents. You may want to refer to an earlier column of mine from our CYC-Online issue in December 2000, which reflects on the same topic (Reflections on carework). Here are some similar gift making ideas for the youngsters making them for their family, friends, care staff or others:

They could easily pop some popcorn kernels to make the traditional popcorn chains for decoration purposes. These chains could be enriched by a handful of cranberries with each berry cut in half to make a decorative chain.

Or, as I suggested in the 2000 column, cut slices of orange or grapefruit peels and fry them in oil and then dip these peels into a plateful of sugar. They will dry on a paper towel or a napkin into attractive and tasty goodies.

Another welcome gift might be a bag full of trail mix, also known as muesli. To make this, set a bowl aside where you add popcorn kernels, and a good handful of raisins. For later use in the trail mix peel an apple and banana and cut them into thin flakes “like slices for drying on a piece of thin string. This chain needs to be hung up in a safe dry place, possibly the attic. To add color, take a slice or two of dried green pepper and cut small pieces of the pepper slices into the mixture. Another valuable addition would be if you were to add some almonds. After you crack the almond shells place the nuts in hot water and the brown outer skin can easily be slipped off and when dried, slice into the trail mix. Then add a generous handful of white oatmeal flakes that can be enriched with some thin shavings of a chocolate bar. Stir this whole mixture with a wooden or a plastic spoon. Slice salted peanuts into the mixture (of course you will want to remove the shells and skin). Then add the slices of dried apple and banana when fully dry. Give the whole trail mix a good dusting with a shaker blend of cinnamon and sugar. Now the mixture can be placed into some clear plastic bags and tied up with a red ribbon.

Another pleasant surprise gift could be some homemade tasty cookies. Roll out a sheet of homemade or ready-made sugar cookie dough; use a water glass to cut round circles. For half of the circles cut a hole into the center of the cookie with the clean top of a ketchup bottle. With a soft pastry brush touch up the undamaged circle with butter and place a doughnut shaped cookie on top. Fill the hole with half a teaspoon of jelly or cranberry sauce. Place all of those unbaked cookies on a greased sheet. I am sure that you can think of other treats of your creation.

Another version of handmade gifts would be to produce some wrapping paper made with finger-paint. Youngsters enjoy making their own gift-wrappings. One method is made from glossy white shelf paper using finger painting “not for therapy but for gift making. Finger paint can be made with cornstarch boiled in water with some poster paint. Then let the kids create their own design for colorful wrappings.

In connection to my former message to the directors, board members and consultants I would like to emphasize that what we need most is cash to enable the care workers who are the children's closest associates, to purchase personally chosen gifts that they know would most surprise and delight the kids. However, if generous supporters of our program prefer to do the shopping, we are always in need of useful gifts, such as new wire baskets for their bikes, colorful shirts, soccer or footballs, wind jackets, or pretty wooden boxes for them to keep their treasures in. But please, no more candy canes, stuffed animals or jigsaw puzzles.

Hearty greetings of the season.