Home-Grown Goodies From Gail!

17 years ago

Well it was a rainy day here yesterday, and the day sure was brightened by the ring of the doorbell and delivery of a mysterious and wonderful box! DS, who was home from school b/c he was sick earlier in the week, could not wait to see what was in the box that came all the way from Indiana! I let him help open the box, but he couldn't understand why i wouldn't let him open the gifts until i took photos, lol...

Here are the goodies, wrapped up, and you can see that Gail's wrapping beautifully reflected the fall theme:

Then, we opened everything, one at a time, as we read Gail's lovely letter describing each. I was so touched that she sent us preserves that she made herself from fruits from her own father's farm!! I feel so lucky to get a taste of something so special. There's strawberry-cranberry (which Gail uses for the holidays), cherry (which Gail said is her favorite), and apple...

Next, the enticing looking bag yielded a wide selection of a local sweet treat, known as "DipSticks"--pretzel rods surrounded by caramel or marshmallow and some with nuts or dried cranberries, or candy corn, then dipped in dark or milk chocolate! OMG, that's about when DS lost it... Both DS's put a claim in on the ones called "Trick or Treat" (which also of course reflects the fall theme!)--chocolate-covered caramel w/peanuts and candy corn, and DH gobbled up one w/dried cranberries and caramel! Yummy, and Gail said these are made and sold locally by a relative of hers, and that her 12-yo DD helped choose them--Kudos to your DD, Gail! Here they are:

Finally, we came to the cookbook, a wonderful volume by Marcia Adams, called "Heirloom Recipes: Yesterday's Favorites, Tomorrow's Treasures." Gail said Marcia Adams hosts a PBS cooking show in her area, and is from Indiana. The book is divided by seasons, and within each season there are categories containing recipes from different regions of the country, for instance, the 'autumn' section contains chapters called 'tailgate parties,'satisfying soups,' and 'an embarrassment of pies!' And, Gail marked a recipe for raspberry-cream cheese coffee cake, which she says she really likes when made with her own homemade apple preserves. I can't wait to try it! Another one that caught my eye when i was looking through it was a Cheddar Bundt--a cheese bread made in a bundt pan, yum!

Thank you for a wonderful swap box, Gail! I can't wait to taste those preserves and make some of these wonderful recipes!

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Comments (36)

sheshebop
17 years ago
Ooooh! That is a lovely box! Those homemade candies sound scrumptious, and homemade jams and jellies are fantastic, aren't they? The cookbook sounds cool, also. Lucky you!
robinkateb
17 years ago
I am seriously drooling over those candies, I love chocolate covered pretzels. Salty and sweet is such a great combo and those sounds incredible. That cookbook sounds like a real winner as well. Please share those recipes on the thread over on discussions. What a great job Gail did!! I also agree that homemade jams and such are the best, the only kind we eat in my house. Maybe eating these will cause you to get the cooking forum canning illness that is going around.

-Robin
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goldgirl
17 years ago
I hav an old Christmas cookbook but that author and it's wonderful - know you'll enjoy that one. After looking at all the food, I'm hungry ;)

Great box Gail. Yum.
User
17 years ago
Oh what a marvelous array of gifts. The chocolate candies sound wonderful and I'm sure that that the jams are delicious, but that cookbook is what I'm drooling over. And I love the cover with those wonderful wooden spoons. Msrevise, please, when you get a chance will you post the recipe for the Cheese Bundt Bread?

Nicely done Gail.

Ann
lori316
17 years ago
That wrapping is so pretty, but I be what's inside is delicious!

MMMMM...chocolate!

And I'm with Ann...that Cheese Bundt bread sounds yummy.
doucanoe
17 years ago
That cookbook sounds like a great one! How sweet that Gail's daughter got in on the action by helping choose the pretzel flavors!

Homemade jams are the icing on the cake! Great package, Gail!

Linda
Bizzo
17 years ago
oh how wonderful! What a nice sense of Gail, with the preserves made from familial fruit! And wow! that cookbook is fantastic. Gail did a great job!
maggie2094
17 years ago
What a truly special package! I look forward to that bread recipe, too.

I wish I had a dip stick right now.

Great job, Gail. The preserves look and sound amazing.
Lars
17 years ago
Great gifts - what a wonderful selection of jams! I would probably try the strawberry-cranberry first, but I'm sure I would like all of them. I'm particularly fond of the turtle candy - too bad I can't eat milk chocolate:(, but I'm sure you'll love them.

I always watched Marcia Adams PBS show because I thought she was hysterically funny. I'll bet the cookbook is very entertaining as well. I particularly remember the end of each show where she would put on white gloves to hold up an heirloom quilt. Her obsession with cleanliness and avoiding any dirt was what made her show funny to me - she wiped up all spills instantly, as if her countertops might stain if something touched them. Anyway, it was very amusing to me, although I don't really remember any of the recipes, except that she cooks like my sister. I'll look forward to hearing what you make from her book. Are they Amish recipes? I think the quilts were.

Beautiful wrapping!

Enjoy!!

Lars
ziporion
17 years ago
What a score! Those jams are enough to get my mouth watering! And the cookbook I've not heard of but some of the items you mention in it sound yummy, especially the cheddar bundt bread.

Nice swap package Gail!

Catherine
wizardnm
17 years ago
The jams sound yummy and the pretzels seem to have hit the spot with the whole family! Good job Gail.

I'll bet the cookbook will be a good read, please share anything interesting you try.

Nancy
riverrat1
17 years ago
O man o man! Wow! This is a great box. I love the look and sound of the cookbook. The pretzel candy would certainly satisfy my sweet and salty tooth! I would probably dive right into the cherry preserves. Fabulous!

Please post that cheedar bundt bread recipe when you get a chance.
finally
17 years ago
Oh yeah, sweet and salty baby! What a treat for you msrevise! The homemade jams look/sound terrific too. Homemade is always sooo much better.

That cookbook sounds like fun too. I like Lars' description of the show. Is it still on? I'll have to check the schedule.

Please do post that bread recipe over on the discussions side. It sounds like a winner. Great package Gail!
shaun
17 years ago
What a sweet swap box! Chocolate, you can never go wrong in giving that.

Enjoy~
Virginia7074
17 years ago
Marcia Adams is still on PBS?? I used to watch her show years ago and loved her. I think I must have that same Christmas book, too, and once made some kind of green apple sorbet from it, which called for Calvados, which cannot be sold in Virginia. Used Captain Applejack instead.

The jams look scrumptious too - even more special that they're made with fruits from her father's farm.

Those are some yummy-sounding dip sticks, too.
craftyrn
17 years ago
What a great assortment of tastes in that box ! Nothing better(IMHO)than homemade preserves & that's a nice assortment with the extra personal touch of sharing her family's fruit.

Pretzel sticks sound like fun for your whole family -- and lots of new recipes to try .

Way to go Gail.
momto4kids
17 years ago
How lucky you are to have received homemade preserves!! I'd have those pretzels gone in no time flat! They sound great. I love the cookbook!

Great job Gail!
teresa_nc7
17 years ago
What a yummy box of treats! I could also go for a DipStick about now - love that name. Ummmmmm.....homemade jam.....umm! I've made some of Marcia Adams recipes from other books and they were wonderful. Can't wait to see what you find in this book.

Well done, Gail!
trixietx
17 years ago
What a wonderful package, we love cherry jelly and the strawberry/cranberry sounds really good!

I can't resist chocolate covered pretzels and seeing the Turtle packages, chocolate and caramel. Oh my, I would have to try and hide those from myself.

Great package, Gail.
jessyf
17 years ago
(um, who is Gail? I missed that - whats her username?)

I've never heard of Marcia Adams, now I get to learn about her. Sounds like great cooking to me.
sally2_gw
17 years ago
What nice gifts. I've really gotten interested in seasonal foods and eating, so that cookbook sounds very nice, and those 2 dishes you mentioned sound scrumptious.

What a special treat to receive preserves from a personal garden. There's nothing better than home grown goodies!

Sally
Carol Schmertzler Siegel
17 years ago
Great package, Gail! Those dipsticks look delicious! So do the preserves! What great treats! The cookbook looks terrific. Nice going! Enjoy it all, Msrevise!
andi_2006
17 years ago
Gail, your preserves look delish! And from your family farm--special! Cherry is a favorite here as well. The dipsticks (I'm lusting after the caramel!) and cookbook complete a great package! MsR, please post recipes and enjoy!
Terri_PacNW
17 years ago
WOW...homemade goodies times alot!

I love dipped pretzels... I bet there's not a single crumb left! LOL
lynnalexandra
17 years ago
That package looks so scrumptious. I was not a big jam person before this swap (largely bc. breakfast is something I usually eat quickly in the car - if at all) - but seeing these lovely homemade jams makes me want some.

And that cookbook looks interesting.

Enjoy it all, MsRevise.

Lynn.
traceys
17 years ago
Those jams sound delicious. I make a cranberry jam but the cranberry/strawberry sounds even better. I definitely want some of those Dip Sticks they sound fantastic. I've never heard of Marcia Adams either but that bread recipe sounds like a winner.

Tracey
arandygail
17 years ago
I am so pleased that the whole family is enjoying the Dipsticks. We love them!
I have all of the Marcia Adams cookbooks EXCEPT for the Christmas one that all of you are talking about. I will have to look for that one now.
I love Lars's description of the show. The quilts and pottery that she has at the end of the show are always quite interesting. I have not seen the show in awhile. I know that it is no longer in production because Marcia Adams had some heart problems a couple years ago. However, the show was still running for awhile after that. Not sure about now though.
Anyway, I am really happy that you are enjoying the items that I sent, and I hope you save a little of the apple jam to try out that coffee cake.

Gail
lowspark
17 years ago
Preserves and candy dipsticks! Sweet Tooth heaven!! Cookbook looks really cool, looking forward to seeing the Cheddar Bundt recipe! Great package!
dedtired
17 years ago
Gail, what a lovely and thoughtful gift. I would go straight for the jams -- would have to sample each and every one. The dipsticks look yummy.

I have never heard of Marcia Adams but will watch for reruns of that show, perhaps on the Food Network. I checked out her cookbooks on Amazon and they look wonderful.

Enjoy, Maureen.

Pam
alison
17 years ago
What great sounding recipes! I know I've heard the author's name, but don't think I've ever caught the show. Still; raspberry cream cheese coffee cake sounds just right to me....

And what a bounty of snacks to go with it! The jams sound lovely and the dipsticks (that name is priceless) sound like a great, over-the-top, sort of snack.

Nice package; great job Gail!
dgkritch
17 years ago
Hey! I think that was MY box! I love all that stuff!
Just wrap it right back up and send it to me!!!

Actually, just enjoy it!

Good job Gail.

Looks like we'll be needing that Cheddar Bundt Bread recipe soon! We can have a Bundt baking weekend!!!
Deanna
annie1992
17 years ago
Oh yum, homemade preserves and chocolate dipped pretzels, I don't think it could get better than that.

I've never seen Marcia Adams but after Lars' description I'm going to have to watch for her name.

Annie
blueiris24
17 years ago
Those candies must be gone by now? . . . they sound mmmarvelous. Very nice box -- also love the cookbook. Enjoy!
lakeguy35
17 years ago
Pass the jams and the candy my way please. YUM! What a great box of treats you have there! I too love the cover of that cookbook, can't wait to see what recipe you share with us. Way to go Gail!!
stacy3
17 years ago
WOW! That cookbook looks so wonderful - can't wait to hear more of what's in it.

And dipsticks - boy, oh boy, do they sound good!

Gail, what a thoughtful and wonderful box - the preserves sound super, too.

Stacy
User
17 years ago
Another who is coveting that cookbook, it looks like a real keeper. As for the preserves...yum yum! I'm loving this "homemade/handmade" component, sure gives us all something special in each box.

Great job Gail.

Home-Grown Goodies From Gail!

Comments (36)

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