Whether you're trying to find your babysitter a Christmas gift, or your sister a little Valentine's Day gift, or your child's teacher a Thank You gift, there are times when you have to come up with an idea that won't break your budget. If your family is like most, your finances are bleak and gift giving is one luxury you can't afford anymore.
When the budget starts to suffer, we start to rethink giving gifts. Yes, we want to show our appreciation to the people who support us and love us, but we just don't have the money anymore. The answer goes back to the old days: giving gifts from your heart, using the talents you have, and you will never go wrong.
One of the most enjoyable gifts I've ever given is a gift of chocolate. Whether it's homemade peanut clusters or fancy chocolate covered cherries, everyone seems to be enamored with their little boxes or bags of beautiful, and delicious chocolate goodies.
Most chocolate treats are relatively easy to make once you get the hang of it. You'll find out which pans work best, which spoons you like, and how long to melt the chocolate on the first or second try. I especially like this chocolate treat because it's something that most people would never dream of making for themselves.
Coffee Spoons For The Chocolate Fanatic
If your gift recipient likes a nice, hot cup of coffee, then they'll like it even better with a little spoon of chocolate. This is a gift that both men and women love.
Get ready with these items:
You can either purchase some nice silver spoons from your friendly local thrift shop, or just buy some heavy plastic spoons. I like the silver ones because you can find fancy spoons and sometimes some pretty unusual ones, too. Just wash and dry them before using.
Purchase milk chocolate coating, not Real Chocolate. You'll find blocks of the coating in the baking aisle at the grocery store. The reason you don't want to use Real Chocolate is because it tends to be a little more difficult to get just right. You don't want to bother with it, and the chocolate coating is delicious.
Candy sprinkles or crushed peppermint candies may be a nice addition if you want to make your spoons even fancier. You may consider flavor additives like peppermint oil if you think your gift recipient would like the flavored chocolate.
Parchment paper is a must for covering the cookie sheets. Do not use waxed paper. Warm chocolate has a tendency to stick to waxed paper. The parchment paper will make your finished product a lot easier to handle, and your clean-up a bit nicer, too.
You'll need some clear candy bags to wrap your spoons. You can find these in the craft store with the candy making things. While you are there, look for some ribbon, raffia, and anything else you may want to dress up the packaging.
Follow these simple steps:
Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Carefully chop up your big chunk of chocolate into little chunks and put in a small pot that will fit in the big pot. When the water in the big pot comes to a boil, shut it off, and very carefully place the small pot in the hot water. Don't let your water run over into the small pot with the chocolate. After the small pot sits for a few minutes and you see the chocolate start to melt on the edges, take the pot out of the water and begin stirring the chocolate with a big rubber spatula until it's all melted.
When you are done stirring the chocolate, dip one spoon at a time in the melted chocolate and lay each one on the parchment paper you have on your cookie sheets. If you plan to decorate the spoons with other candy, do it while the spoon is still wet. Otherwise the candy won't stick. Then move on to the next spoon, dip, decorate, and so on. Once all of your spoons are done, take your cookie sheet to a cold, preferably dry place. A refrigerator or freezer is okay to just get them set up a little, but don't leave them in that moist environment for more than a few minutes.
Once the chocolate has set up, you can put each spoon in a candy bag, and tie a piece of ribbon, raffia, or what have you around the handle of the spoon to close the bag. Now you can add a little extra ribbon, a candy cane, or any other decoration you'd like. If you are giving more than one spoon to someone, be sure to put them in a candy bag first, then place all of them together in a pretty bag or box.
You have now completed a gift that anyone would be thrilled to receive. Don't you feel good knowing that you used your creativity and time to make a personal gift for someone you care about? This is not just any gift... it's a gift you gave from your heart. - 16004
When the budget starts to suffer, we start to rethink giving gifts. Yes, we want to show our appreciation to the people who support us and love us, but we just don't have the money anymore. The answer goes back to the old days: giving gifts from your heart, using the talents you have, and you will never go wrong.
One of the most enjoyable gifts I've ever given is a gift of chocolate. Whether it's homemade peanut clusters or fancy chocolate covered cherries, everyone seems to be enamored with their little boxes or bags of beautiful, and delicious chocolate goodies.
Most chocolate treats are relatively easy to make once you get the hang of it. You'll find out which pans work best, which spoons you like, and how long to melt the chocolate on the first or second try. I especially like this chocolate treat because it's something that most people would never dream of making for themselves.
Coffee Spoons For The Chocolate Fanatic
If your gift recipient likes a nice, hot cup of coffee, then they'll like it even better with a little spoon of chocolate. This is a gift that both men and women love.
Get ready with these items:
You can either purchase some nice silver spoons from your friendly local thrift shop, or just buy some heavy plastic spoons. I like the silver ones because you can find fancy spoons and sometimes some pretty unusual ones, too. Just wash and dry them before using.
Purchase milk chocolate coating, not Real Chocolate. You'll find blocks of the coating in the baking aisle at the grocery store. The reason you don't want to use Real Chocolate is because it tends to be a little more difficult to get just right. You don't want to bother with it, and the chocolate coating is delicious.
Candy sprinkles or crushed peppermint candies may be a nice addition if you want to make your spoons even fancier. You may consider flavor additives like peppermint oil if you think your gift recipient would like the flavored chocolate.
Parchment paper is a must for covering the cookie sheets. Do not use waxed paper. Warm chocolate has a tendency to stick to waxed paper. The parchment paper will make your finished product a lot easier to handle, and your clean-up a bit nicer, too.
You'll need some clear candy bags to wrap your spoons. You can find these in the craft store with the candy making things. While you are there, look for some ribbon, raffia, and anything else you may want to dress up the packaging.
Follow these simple steps:
Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Carefully chop up your big chunk of chocolate into little chunks and put in a small pot that will fit in the big pot. When the water in the big pot comes to a boil, shut it off, and very carefully place the small pot in the hot water. Don't let your water run over into the small pot with the chocolate. After the small pot sits for a few minutes and you see the chocolate start to melt on the edges, take the pot out of the water and begin stirring the chocolate with a big rubber spatula until it's all melted.
When you are done stirring the chocolate, dip one spoon at a time in the melted chocolate and lay each one on the parchment paper you have on your cookie sheets. If you plan to decorate the spoons with other candy, do it while the spoon is still wet. Otherwise the candy won't stick. Then move on to the next spoon, dip, decorate, and so on. Once all of your spoons are done, take your cookie sheet to a cold, preferably dry place. A refrigerator or freezer is okay to just get them set up a little, but don't leave them in that moist environment for more than a few minutes.
Once the chocolate has set up, you can put each spoon in a candy bag, and tie a piece of ribbon, raffia, or what have you around the handle of the spoon to close the bag. Now you can add a little extra ribbon, a candy cane, or any other decoration you'd like. If you are giving more than one spoon to someone, be sure to put them in a candy bag first, then place all of them together in a pretty bag or box.
You have now completed a gift that anyone would be thrilled to receive. Don't you feel good knowing that you used your creativity and time to make a personal gift for someone you care about? This is not just any gift... it's a gift you gave from your heart. - 16004
About the Author:
Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom behind ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative website to help moms achieve success working from home. She welcomes you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Meal Ideas section. Be sure to sign up for her free tutorial for work at home moms.
