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gift guideDecember 2015

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PAGE 2 | GIFT GUIDE #2 | DECEMBER 2015

Traditions behind holiday giftsThe holiday season is a time to cele-

brate with friends and family. Severalholidays are celebrated in this rela-

tively short time period, making this one of themost festive times of the year.

Many holiday celebrations focus on the ex-change of presents, which may be exchangedwith relatives, friends and even coworkers. But are you familiar with the origins of ex-changing gifts?

Gift exchanges trace their origins to both re-ligious and secular traditions, each of whichhas helped shape the holidays into what theyare today.

CHRISTMASPeople exchange gifts on Christmas Eve or

Christmas Day all over the world. For Chris-tians, Christmas celebrates the birth of JesusChrist, who Christians believe was a gift fromthe Creator.

From a religious standpoint, gifting othersaround Christmastime can be traced back tothe stories of the Three Kings (also referred to

as the “Three Wise Men”) who visited Jesusafter his birth. Frankincense, a fragrance in-volved in worship; gold; and myrrh, an incenseassociated with funerals, was presented. Thesegifts symbolized worship in Christ, that Hewould be the King of Kings, and that sufferingand death would come to Him.

Another giver of gifts is part of many Christ-mas celebrations. St. Nicholas, a fourth centurysaint, is a beloved figure across the globe whohas a reputation for giving gifts in secret andhelping the needy. The figure of “Santa Claus” isbased on St. Nicholas, and the blending of thetwo has evolved as history has mixed with folk-lore and personal traditions.

HANUKKAHHanukkah is an eight-day Jewish celebra-

tion that commemorates the rededication of theTemple in Jerusalem. The word “hanukkah” ac-tually means “dedication” in Hebrew.

The Jewish, including Judah Maccabee,

see GIFTS pg. 5STORY AND PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE SERVICES

A baby’s first holiday season isanother special time to cherish.Shoppers seeking gifts to make ababy’s first holiday special havemany clever, cute and functionalitems to choose from. Several ofthese gifts can become keepsakesto be tucked into memory boxesfor growing kids to look at laterin life.• Christmas pajamas:What

better way to await for the ar-rival of Christmas than in a pairof snuggly pajamas? Send paja-mas ahead of Christmas Day sothat new parents will haveplenty of adorable photo opportu-nities as their baby boy or girltears open the gifts. Stores stockseveral different fun and festiveprints, or look into pajamas thatcan be personalized.• Photo print package:

Photography packages can in-volve the entire expanding fam-ily and will catalog specialmoments in time. Purchase stu-dio or on-location time with aprivate photographer, or use one

of the popular photographychains found in malls and de-partment stores.• Personalized framed

print: Commemorate the firstholiday season with your child bygetting a print made with his orher name and age. Leave a spaceon the print so that the child’sparents can customize it evenfurther with their son or daugh-ter’s footprints. Include a mattedframe and child-safe ink or paintto complete the gift.• Keepsake ornament:

Some families embrace the tradi-tion of adding a new ornament totheir Christmas trees each year.Purchase an ornament for thenew baby with the year so he orshe can join in the tradition. • Crochet or knit blanket:

Crafty individuals can make ablanket that the newest additionto the family can enjoy duringthe chilly days of winter. Theseblankets often become treasuredkeepsakes that may be passeddown throughout the family or

kept tucked away for kids so theycan give them to their own chil-dren once they start their ownfamilies.• Rocking horse: Babies

don’t wait long before they startto run around and climb. A clas-sic rocking horse makes for a funbaby gift, and rocking horsescome in many different styles. Ifyou are the family carpenter, youcan even purchase some unfin-ished wood from a craft store andthen make this into a homemadegift your favorite little guy or galwill always cherish. • Piggy bank: Foster good

saving habits by gifting a person-alized piggy bank. Get kids off onthe right foot by depositing a fewdollars into the bank before giv-ing the gift.A new baby brings many

changes and fun experiences.Gift-givers can make a baby’sfirst holiday season one filledwith joy and whimsy with cre-ative gift ideas.

GIFT GUIDE #2 | DECEMBER 2015 | PAGE 3

Baby’s first holiday MAKE IT SPECIAL A baby’s life is filled with milestones.

First smiles, first steps and first words are just a few of the momentsparents will treasure.

STORY AND PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE SERVICES

| GIFT GUIDE #2 | DECEMBER 2015


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Hanging stockings

‘Christmas Cookie’ adult drink METRO CREATIVE CONTENT

Holiday celebrations include big family gatherings and maybe even some impromptu vis-its from close friends. During this season of merrymaking, having a few quick snacks

and drinks up your sleeve can make it easier to entertain guests.Christmas cookies are a popular treat, but for those who want toskip the baking, that holiday cookie flavor can still be enjoyed in adelicious mixed cocktail. Try “Christmas Cookie,” courtesy of MixThat Drink, for a sweet and minty take on the holiday season.

1 ounce peppermint schnapps, 1 ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce IrishCream liqueur

Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain thedrink into a martini glass. Garnish with a peppermint stick.

antles adorned with garland and other holidaytrinkets make fireplaces come alive for Christ-mas. That magic is only enhanced by hangingChristmas stockings, which are just waiting tobe filled with goodies for good girls and boys.Those without a fireplace often hang stockings

from windowsills and stairway banisters.No written record exists to explain the origin of hanging stock-

ings on fireplace mantles. Despite this, many people link the tradi-tion to a tale about St. Nicholas. As that story goes, St. Nicholas wastraveling through a village when he overheard the plight of threewomen. They were poor, and their father could not afford an ampledowry to marry them off. Rather than have them end up spinsters,St. Nicholas secretly tossed bags of coins through a window (or downthe chimney, depending on which version of the story you read orhear), and they were captured in the girls’ stockings hanging to dryby the fire. The family was overjoyed to have received such riches.

Soon news traveled about the mysterious money in stockings,and other children left out stockings for St. Nicholas to capture theirown gifts.

The tradition has transformed over the years, and now manychildren hang stockings by the chimney with the expectation thatthe stockings will be filled with gifts from Santa. Traditions oncesuggested that only gifts from Santa were left in stockings, whilegifts placed beneath the tree were from family, but that has sincechanged. Stockings are now meant to hold small gifts while largeritems are placed under the tree.

Stockings should be hung away from the flames of the fire as asafety precaution. Some children even like to hang individual stock-ings on their bedposts instead of on a fireplace mantle.

M

GIFTSContinued from pg. 2

helped drive the Syrians out ofJerusalem. In one of Judaism’smost central texts, Maccabeeand others witnessed a miracleat the temple. Even thoughthere was only enough oil tokeep a menorah’s candles burn-ing for one day, the flames con-tinued for eight nights.

Traditionally, gelt, or money,was given as a Hanukkah gift.Many Hanukkah gift givers aimto give gifts that are thoughtfuland sweet. Money is not ex-changed as much today, withother gifts taking its place.

KWANZAAKwanzaa is an American hol-

iday that pays homage to tradi-tions and cultural influencesfrom Africa. The holiday was de-veloped in 1966 by MaulanaNdabezitha Karenga. The focusof Kwanzaa is on family and theharvest as well as certain prin-ciples, such as unity and faith.

Gifts make up one of theseven symbols of Kwanzaa cele-brations. However, gift-sharingis not the central part of thisspecial holiday. Gifts are sym-bolic of the labor and love ofparents and the commitmentsmade and kept by their children.

Gifts are exchanged in abun-dance this time of year. The tra-ditions behind the giving ofpresents is far-reaching andbased in religious, secular andcultural traditions.

with care

METRO CREATIVE SERVICESCONTENT


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Exchanging gifts with loved ones is one of the joys of the holiday season. But it can be challeng-ing to reign in holiday spending when your shopping list is especially lengthy. Fortunately, thereare many ways for holiday shoppers to cut costs this season.• Create a limited gift exchange. Speak with other family members who also may be feeling

the pinch of holiday spending to establish a gift exchange system. Rather than purchasing a giftfor everyone in the family, split the list accordingly. Maybe everyone will only be expected to pur-chase gifts for the children, instead of buying for kids and adults. Propose that you only exchangegifts with immediate family members and not your extended family, such as your cousins, auntsand uncles. Develop a system that works for everyone so no one feels like they need to break thebank this holiday season.• Host a holiday grab bag. Grab bags are great ways to exchange gifts without going broke. In

a traditional grab bag, everyone brings a gift that does not exceed a predetermined value and putsit in the bag. Each family member then pulls a gift out of the bag. Allow everyone the option toswap with one another if one gift is more fitting for a particular person.• Set a price limit. Decide in advance that gifts should not exceed a certain price. This way if

you are budgeting for the holidays you will have a better understanding of what you can expect tospend if every gift should be around $30. • Pool your resources. Rather than giving many little gifts, pool your resources with some rel-

atives and give a single big-ticket gift. Each person can contribute the same amount, or familymembers can contribute as much as they can afford.• Give an experience. Sometimes the gift of an experience, such as tickets to a sporting event

or a night at the theater, can make a thoughtful and impressive gift. Again, other family memberscan contribute, and collectively you can enjoy a night on the town or another adventure.

A few cost-saving measures to takeLARGE FAMILY?

STORY AND PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE SERVICES


Yield: 12 servingsPrep: 15 minsCook: 40 minsTip: Prepare the lasagna a day ahead andbake just before serving.For the tomato sauce:• 3 T olive oil• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped• 2 cloves garlic, crushed• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, un-drained• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes,undrained• 1 T tomato paste• 1 t sugar• 1 t coarse salt• 1 T dried oregano• 1 T dried basil• 1/2 t crushed red pepper• 1/2 t coarsely ground black pepperFor the lasagna:• 2 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach,thawed, drained and squeezed dry• 1 egg• 9 no-cook lasagna noodles• 1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese,thinly sliced• 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggianocheese

To prepare sauce, heat olive oil in a largesaucepan. Add onion and garlic; cook untilsoft and translucent, but not brown.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt,oregano, basil, crushed red pepper andblack pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; sim-mer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Let coolslightly.

Preheat oven to 375 F.To prepare lasagna, combine ricotta

cheese, spinach and egg in a large bowl;mix well.

Coat the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch bakingpan with a third of the tomato sauce. Coversauce with 3 noodles without overlapping(break noodles to fit), half the ricotta mixtureand half the mozzarella slices. Add half theremaining sauce, 3 noodles, remaining ri-cotta mixture and remaining mozzarella.Top with remaining 3 noodles, remainingsauce and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.To make ahead of time, cover with foil andrefrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Place pan on baking sheet. Bake, uncov-ered, 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Let standabout 15 minutes before cutting intosquares.

HEARTY&HOMEMADE

By Lisa BertagnoliRelish.com

In 1970, my mother found herself in a holiday pickle. Single withfour young children, she couldn’t find a place for spiral-cut hamin her budget. What other dish could feed the 20 relatives who

descended on our home on over the holidays?Her easy, delicious, economical solution? Pans of hearty lasagna, served

with baskets of hot garlic bread, a gigantic antipasti platter and plenty ofChianti.

That first year, a few of the “menfolk” groused. Now, four decades later,there’d be a revolution if my mom went back to ham and scalloped potatoes.Her holiday lasagna has become a tradition that spans from Christmas toNew Year’s Eve.

To be sure, the lasagna has evolved over the years: She now makes spinachlasagna, and since our ranks have thinned a bit, she makes one pan, not two.

SPINACH LASAGNA


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Give the gift of

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Season


Story and photo byMetro Creative

oliday decorating is a big part of the holiday season. Bins are takenout of the attic or garage, and decorations are once again given theiropportunity to shine for several weeks before being packed awayagain.

Among the many decorations families use to deck the halls areornaments that were made by hand. This year creating homemade ornaments can bea crafty project that helps families make new holiday memories.

Christmas tree ornaments come in all shapes and sizes and often tell the stories ofholiday traditions. There are several different ways to create personalized, do-it-your-self ornaments and leave the cheap, easily broken ornaments from the dollar storesbehind.

Make-your-own ornaments

Photo ornamentsFun photo ornaments showcase how a family has changed and grown over the years.

Experiment with different ways to create these ornaments. You can glue a photo to a ce-ramic ornament and cover it with decoupage glaze to set it permanently. Try purchasingclear, glass ornaments, then remove the top of the ornament, which is usually spring-loaded, before slipping a photo inside and replacing the top. You also can laminate aphoto, punch a hole in the top and affix a ribbon.

Ceramic ornamentsThe popularity of paint-it-yourself pottery has led to an increase in ceramic and crafts

shops across the country. During the holiday season such shops offer many holiday itemsthat can be painted. Often the store will then fire the pieces after they are painted so thatthey are shiny and hardened for display.

Those who want to do their painting at home can visit their local craft or hobby shop,where typically there are unfinished ceramic ornaments that can be painted with acrylicpaints found right in the next aisle. A finishing coat of clear glaze will help protect the or-naments from year to year.

Wood craftsMany of today’s craft centers have expanded to include sections devoted to unfinished

wood items. Everything from letters to animal cutouts to boxes and rocking horses canbe purchased and finished. Turn keepsake boxes into painted and ribbon-adorned giftboxes. Stain a treasure chest that can be used to store reindeer snacks for Santa’s crew.Turn small decorative pieces into ornaments for the tree. Paint and affix wood initials ontostocking holders to identify to whom each stocking belongs. Crafty individuals also canturn plain wood plaques into signs with clever sayings, such as “Park your sleigh here.”

Scavenge around the houseYoung children can use any medium for making ornaments. Garlands made of macaroni

or popcorn are traditional. Fabric scraps can be sewn and stuffed with potpourri for home-made scent satchels. Hand-drawn pictures can be made and laminated and hung on the tree.

The only obstacle with regard to DIY ornaments is a limited imagination. Homemadeitems can add whimsy and a personal touch to the holiday season.

H


Food plays a big role come theholiday season, when friendsand family tend to gather

around the dinner table to share goodmeals and catch up on the year’s hap-penings. But while food plays an inte-gral role at holiday gatherings, foodalso makes a great gift for that friendor family member on your holiday listwho loves to savor a good meal no mat-ter the time of year.

Thanks in part to celebrity chefs andtelevision shows that teach viewershow to make gourmet meals at home,it’s now easier than ever before for foodlovers to expand their culinary hori-zons. Gifting such food fanatics can befun and may even inspire a love ofunique cuisine in holiday shoppers, es-pecially those who consider the follow-ing gift ideas.

• Cooking kit: Ingredients andother essential elements of good mealswere once taken for granted. But moreand more foodies are now creating theirown foods from scratch. Bacon fans

may fall in love with a kit that helpsthem cure and smoke their own bacon,while those who love fresh, homemadebread may appreciate a bread-makingkit that includes flour, a pan, somerecipes, and other items necessary tomake the perfect homemade loaf ofbread. Cooking kit options are vast, sofind a food your loved one can’t go with-out and purchase the appropriate kit.

• Gardening tools: While the holi-day season might not seem like theideal time to buy your favorite foodiesome gardening tools, such items makethe perfect gift for your loved one whowants to grow his or her own fruits andvegetables. Locally grown produce hasbecome increasingly popular amongfoodies focused on eco-conscious cook-ing practices, and it does not get muchmore local than home cooks’ own back-yards.

• Cutlery set: Though it’s easy tooverlook, cutlery goes a long way to-ward making home cooks’ jobs easier.The right cutlery set, which may in-

clude one or two chef ’s knives, a veg-etable knife, a santoku knife, a breadknife, and other knives home cooks willappreciate, can make preparing a mealeasier and more efficient than cookingwithout a set. High-end cutlery sets cancost several hundred dollars, but shop-pers on more limited budgets can stillfind quality cutlery sets for less money.

• Food getaway: Many foodies loveto travel so they can experiencecuisines popular overseas or in differ-ent regions of the country. Men andwomen whose spouses love food canplan a food-themed getaway weekendto a locale that specializes in a type offood their significant others enjoy orhave always wanted to try. For exam-ple, men and women who love lobstermay enjoy a trip to Maine’s annual Lob-ster Festival, while those who can’t getenough barbecue may appreciate a tripto one of the country’s more notablebarbecue spots, such as Memphis,Kansas City, North Carolina or Texas.

Gifts no FOOD FANATIC should go withoutStory and photo byMetro Creative


My Wish ListMerchant Gift Certificate total

Total Price: ______________ (Not to exceed $200)

Shop through the ads of this special publication formerchants you would like to buy your gifts from (to-taling $200). Make your wish list and fill out the entryform at right. Drop it off at The Steuben Courier Ad-vocate office. All entries must be received byDec. 14, 2015. One winner will be chosen to receive$200 worth of gift certificates to their selected mer-chants. A photo of the reader, along with their wishlist will appear in the Dec. 20, 2015 edition of TheCourier.

Name____________________________________________________________Address___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Phone__________________________________

Drop off or mail to: The Steuben Courier Advocate • 10 W. Steuben St., Bath, NY 14810

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A $200 SHOPPING SPREE!


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Along with the fragrant evergreens and twin-kling lights synonymous with the holidayseason, poinsettias make up a key compo-

nent of holiday decorating. Unlike holly and some of the other greenery that is

commonly associated with the holidays, poinsettias donot naturally thrive in the colder temperatures. Theseplants originate in southern Mexico and were consid-ered an exotic plant when first introduced to the UnitedStates by Joel Robert Poinsett, the first American am-bassador to Mexico.

Poinsettias can be fickle plants and ones that gar-dening novices may find challenging to maintain. Theplants are comprised of green foliage, colorful (often red)flower bracts, and the actual flowers of the plants,which are the red or green buttonlike parts nestled inthe center of the bracts.

Because they are a tropical plant, poinsettias can bedamaged by exposure to low temperatures, even if theyare only exposed for short periods of time. They shouldbe wrapped and protected against the elements whenbrought home. For maximum plant life, poinsettias needto be placed near a warm, sunny window, or anotherarea that has ample amounts of light. They thrive intemperatures between 60 and 75 F and should be kept

away from warm or cold drafts. Water the plant whenever the surface feels dry to the

touch. Water until it drains out the bottom, but don’t letthe plant sit in water. Over- or under-watering cancause leaves to drop prematurely and wilt. If your homelacks in humidity, you may need to water the plant morefrequently. Poinsettias do not need to be fertilized whilethe plant is in bloom.

The Ohio State University Extension says poinset-tias can be reflowered the following Christmas, but un-less a yearlong schedule of care is observed, the results

usually are not good. You can speak with a gardeningexpert or consult online resources for the proper careschedule. Caring for a poinsettia year-round involvesgradually drying out the plant and storing it in a coollocation. The plant later will be moved outdoors andthen back inside and pruned to keep a full shape.

Poinsettias are short-day plants, which means theyflower about 10 weeks after the daylight shortens toabout 12 hours or less. Therefore, to have the plant infull flower by Christmas, it will have to be kept in com-plete darkness between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. from the firstpart of October until Thanksgiving. Many people findthe affordability of poinsettias makes it more conven-ient to buy new ones each year than try to foster re-growth.

Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not poi-sonous to humans or animals, but they should not beingested due to the potential for allergic reactions. Poin-settias can help remove pollutants from indoor air,which is advantageous during the winter months whendoors and windows are typically kept closed.

Select plants that have dark green foliage and no lowor damaged leaves. This ensures the best success forkeeping poinsettias looking healthy and vibrantthroughout the holiday season. – Metro content

Keep poinsettias looking great


All letters must be received by Monday, Dec. 7 to be published in our special section.DROP YOUR LETTER OFF AT The Courier, 10 W. Steuben St., Bath, NY 14810 (Attn: Letters to Santa)

Don’t forget to include your name and age in the letter!

Hey, kids!Send in your letters

to Santa!

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