Need a bridal shower gift? Make it personal

Need a bridal shower gift? Make it personal

(ARA) – Looking for an affordable bridal shower gift with a personal touch? A spice gift basket can fit any budget and makes an ideal personal gift for every cook. With just a little thought and a few supplies, you can assemble a personalized basket. With Internet and mail-order shopping, it’s possible to buy everything you need without leaving the house.

Begin with a basket or any other useful kitchen container, such as a mixing bowl, cake pan, serving dish or colander. Vintage items you pick up at a second-hand store or garage sale can be charming. Line the container with a pretty cloth napkin, a colorful dishtowel or even a piece of fabric cut with pinking shears, or use tissue paper if you prefer. Add bottles or packets of spices, herbs, seasonings and other ingredients. For a special touch, include a favorite recipe, a cookbook, a wooden spoon, a potholder, or any related accessory.

With a little imagination, you can personalize a basket for any bride. Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Frontier Natural Products Co-op, has a few ideas to get you started.

* Mexican fiesta – Tuck a brightly colored potholder in with chili powder, cumin, dried peppers, taco seasoning or other Mexican spices. Add a jar of salsa, some tortilla chips and margarita mix if you like. For your “basket,” use an inexpensive sombrero, available at card and party stores.

* Mama mia – Line a colander or pasta serving dish with a red checkered tablecloth or cloth or paper napkins. Add seasonings such as garlic, basil, oregano and Italian blend and include a package of pasta. Supply a packet of spaghetti sauce or fettuccine alfredo seasoning mix or a favorite pasta recipe. A candle and bottle of Chianti add a special romantic touch.

* Beginner’s basket – Create a very basic basket for a new cook or a bride just starting out on her own with a handful of popular and common spices – such as salt, pepper, cinnamon, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and turmeric. Include a cookbook, a recipe box or a file with copies of some favorite family recipes.

* Spice of life – Even the most experienced cooks need some variety. Try assembling some unusual or new flavor combinations or savory spice blends. Frontier Natural Products has just introduced a line of Pepper Fusion spice grinders that combine organic peppercorns with garlic, chipotle, cayenne and lemon. Add an unusual or interesting kitchen gadget to intrigue the seasoned cook, such as a set of garnishing spoons.

* Grill master – Place a variety of grilling spices and marinade mixes with a mitt and tongs or other grilling tools in a grilling basket. Add an apron, a roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil or a grill cleaning brush for an extra touch.

Small containers of spices are especially handy for gift baskets, because you can provide a variety of spices at a lower cost. Simply Organic brand offers attractively packaged organic mini-spices and other seasonings and mixes for those who want to add a natural touch to their baskets.

With the wide variety of seasonings and accessories available, the possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination and you can spice up your gift-giving with personal and original gifts for the bride. For more tips and suggestions for specific gift baskets made with spices, seasonings, mixes and cooking accessories go to www.frontiercoop.com/giftbaskets.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Confirm Dates for Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties

6 Months Before your Wedding

This is the fun part because it’s all about you! You get to take center stage and get some wonderful gifts at the bridal showers and bachelorette parties. Both very different events, but there will likely need to be some major planning involved. You may have just one big bridal shower which may be a lot of work for the people throwing it, but can be much easier on you from a timing standpoint. Be sure as these events are planned to consider any bridesmaids or special guests that may be coming in from out of town, so that they can be included in the planning of the dates selected.

Bridal showers usually happen a couple of months before your big day. This doesn’t interfere with any of the last minute planning you will likely be doing and allows guests plenty of time to get you some amazing gifts. As you have already considered registering for your gifts before this, you are in good shape from that timing perspective. Showers usually happen on a weekend afternoon to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules but be sure to allow people enough time to plan accordingly. Put some potential dates out to the group planning as a whole so you can come up with something that works best for you and the group. There will surely be a few people that can’t make the shower, but you have to work with dates that are good for the group as a whole. It’s important to send out invitations in plenty of time for people to mark the date on their calendar.

The bachelorette party is usually with a smaller group of women, so planning isn’t quite as difficult. This party often takes place within a month or a few weeks prior to the big day. If there are out of town guests planning on being a part of your bachelorette party, you may need to have it closer to the big day to accommodate their schedules. This is often on a weekend evening and the trend lately is to hold it the same day as the bachelor party. If you will be going out of town for your bachelorette party, the date will likely need to be a bit further out and much more planning will have to go into the event. Depending on how you plan on spending your bachelorette party, it can be like any other weekend evening or can be a once in a lifetime event that you are sure to never forget!

Secrets to Stress-free Bridal Shower Planning

Secrets to Stress-free Bridal Shower Planning

(ARA) – When your best friend or sister announces she’s engaged and wants you to be her maid of honor, of course you jump up and down with excitement – for her. But inside, you’re starting to cringe. Dresses, presents and planning at least one bridal shower – you can feel the pressure building up.

If the thought of the bridal shower creates more stress than satisfaction, there’s help. Culinary expert and newlywed, Kendall McFarland, research and development manager at Simply Organic, suggests cutting down on hassles with these five timesaving tips for simple but sensational shower refreshments.

* Take smart shortcuts. For enticing flavor without fuss, keep a supply of natural dressing and dip mixes on hand for fresh, homemade appetizers and snacks. Add a dip or dressing mix, such as creamy dill, French onion, guacamole, or ranch to equal parts of low-fat cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt and mix in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with fresh veggies you can buy already cleaned and cut up at the store.

* Dress up everyday favorites. Special dishes don’t require hours in the kitchen. Make your easy-to-prepare favorites and dress them up with special, wedding seasonings. Try distinctive seasoning blends like red pepper and curry, apple and basil, pineapple and cilantro, or orange and ginger for a gourmet touch. For example, simply add a liberal dose of a spice (like oregano, basil, or cayenne) or seasoning blend along with some garlic and Parmesan cheese to your usual mashed potatoes, and you’ll instantly serve something outside everyday fare.

* Plan and shop wisely. Forget about shopping ’til you drop. Develop your menu, including impromptu snacks, ahead of time. Then pick up everything non-perishable at the same time, eliminating those last-minute treks to the grocery store. To save even more time, order ingredients online. For example, Simply Organic carries culinary items like organic spices, seasoning blends, baking extracts and flavors, gluten-free baking mixes and other cooking ingredients and supplies which they will ship to you within a few days of your order.

* Accept help. When the bride’s mother or other guests ask if they can bring anything, say yes! Ask them to bring something you don’t especially enjoy preparing or something you know is that person’s specialty which the bride really loves. Or have each guest bring a dessert or appetizer, so you can focus solely on the rest of the party and fun. Offers to help are gifts, so allow other bridesmaids or friends to assist if they offer. Working together can add to the shower fun, and give you stories to share as you continue down the wedding planning road.

* Make it healthy – the bride, her bridesmaids and the mother of the bride all want to fit into their dresses when the big day finally arrives. The best meal you can offer your guests is a delicious and healthful one. Provide great-tasting, nutritious snacks that go easy on salt, fat, sugar, and other potentially unhealthy ingredients and your guests will fondly remember your hospitality.

Here are two great examples of healthy bridal shower dishes from the Simply Organic recipe Web site that are easy to prepare:

Fruit Chutney
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup peeled and diced mixed fruit
1 package Apple Basil Dressing Mix
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mash fruit or use a food processor and blend. Add Apple Basil Dressing Mix and vinegar and mix. Chill and serve as a relish.

Italian Egg Bake
Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 package Italian Dressing Mix
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced vegetables (tomatoes and mushrooms are good choices)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk and Italian Dressing Mix and whisk well. Add cheese and vegetables. Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until center is firm. Top with diced tomatoes and shredded Parmesan cheese for an extra special flavor.

For more delicious, healthy and easy recipes, visit www.simplyorganicfoods.com and click on the recipe drop-down menu.

Courtesy of ARAcontent