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26 May 2012

27

May 2012 27

By Julie Kendrick

In some teachers’ closets, there are boxes

of perfume and body lotion with strange

and aromatic combinations (prickly pear

and guava, really?). In some, there are

heaps of “World’s Best Teacher” coffee

mugs—enough to keep every teacher in

America on an endless java jag. “I drink

one cup of tea a day,” one exasperated

educator told me. “What could I possibly

do with all of these?”

Gift cards are great, but … Several area schools, aware of this

dilemma, are instituting a more orderly

system of giving, with every family

pitching in for a group present, usually a

gift card. But some families find this

system too costly, or too impersonal. And

while they certainly appreciate a generous

gift card, many teachers will also confess

that the presents they remember best are

those that were homemade.

A+ teacher giftsLow cost, low fuss—we promise!

I still have the quilted wreath that a

girl in freshman English sewed my first

year of teaching, and I vividly remember

the platter of authentic Italian cookies

that another student’s granny made that

year (it killed me to flunk that kid; her

granny’s cookies were that good). A friend

of mine who teaches at the college level

told me that she rarely receives gifts. “But

I do have one favorite that a student from

Zimbabwe gave me. Her name was

Memory, and to commemorate her

graduation, her mother made me a blue

batik cloth with images of leopards and

other animals. I keep it in my office at

school, and I love to look at it,” she says.

If the prospect of making homemade

teacher gifts with your kids seems

impossible, never fear. These two recipes

offer a chance to make a gift they can

proudly take into the classroom, with a

minimum of headaches for you. And

because these presents don’t take up

much space (they are intended to be

consumed), they’ll never spend any time

in the Closet of Awful Gifts.

This is the ultimate “green” gift, since it starts with something that’s usually thrown away or composted. You can gather the peels bit by bit, and toss them into a sealable bag in the freezer, or go all-out and buy a five-pound sack of fruit when it’s on sale. Keep the peels for this recipe and put the sliced fruit in the refrigerator. You’ll have a week’s worth of healthful breakfast-on-the-run options, and a great start on those teacher gifts.

Ingredients• Six thick-skinned oranges or three grapefruits• 4½ cups sugar, plus extra for rolling• 1½ cups water

Directions

These steps need to be completed ahead of time by an adult:

Wash whole fruits and peel, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Reserve fruit for another use. Blanch the peels to remove any bitter flavor by placing them in a large saucepan, filling with water to cover and bringing them to a boil. As soon as water boils, drain peels and repeat the process two more times, for a total of three boil cycles. Remove peels from pan, set aside to cool, and dry inside of pan with a clean towel.

Next, make the syrup: Whisk sugar into water in the pan and bring to boil; simmer for about 10 minutes. (It helps to have a candy thermometer for this part; syrup should reach soft thread stage, 230 to 240 degrees F.) While the syrup is cooking, cut cooled peels into strips about .25 inches wide and four inches long. When the syrup

is clear and golden, add the peels and reduce heat. Simmer gently for about an hour, until peels are tender and translucent.

At this point, you can drain the peels or let the whole pan sit overnight in the refrigerator to get some extra flavor. Either way, when you’re ready to drain, reserve the syrup in a container for use in hot or iced tea, or with cocktails that call for simple syrup.

Place the drained peels on a wire rack set over a baking sheet covered in wax paper, and let them dry.

This is the part where kids can help!

Fill a big bowl with sugar and ask the kids to take the peels for a swim in the pool. Roll them, wiggle them, and pretend they’re crazy orange outlaw worms, running from the sheriff. Shake off excess sugar and place the peels on a wire rack to dry.

At this point, the peels are ready. If you’d like to make them even fancier, melt some chocolate flavored almond bark or candy according to package directions, dipping half of each sugared peel into the melted mixture, and placing them on a wax paper-covered sheet for drying. For an even fancier touch, flick the chocolate-covered peels with a bit of melted white chocolate. Let dry.

Place peels in decorative gift boxes or cellophane bags, and add gift labels.

Makes five to 10 containers, depending on how many you put in each gift bag.

Two gReAT gifT ideAs

What teacher doesn’t deserve a relaxing soak in a hot tub? This gift is easy to make with even the smallest or most rambunctious kids involved. No hot ovens or precise measurements are required—just a large container, a big spoon, and some kid-powered stirring energy.

Ingredients• 4 cups Epsom salts (first aid section of drug and grocery stores)• 2 cups sea salt (in bulk section of co-op or natural foods section of grocery store)• 1 box baking powder (16 oz.)

Optional:• Blue or green food coloring in powder form (craft or cooking supply stores), or a few drops liquid food coloring

• Scent or essential oils (soap making section of craft stores, or cosmetics section of health food stores)

Directions

Find a big mixing container and a place where you won’t mind a few spills, such as the back porch or kitchen.

Allow your child to toss in all the ingredients. Provide a big spoon and let everyone mix, mix, mix. Pretend you’re a witch with a cauldron.

Draw a design in the mixture and let the kids erase it. Add some food color and/or scent, if desired.

Pour finished tub soak into decorative jars or cellophane bags and add gift labels.

Makes about five containers.

CANDIED CItrUS PEElS tErrIfIC tEAChEr tUB SoAk

Note: The two types of fruit end up tasting about the same when you’re done, but the grapefruits, being larger, might be easier to peel. Also, no matter what color your fruit is to start, it will look beautifully orange-colored when you are finished.

At this step in the process, the

kids take over to decorate—and hopefully not

make too big of a mess!

Photo by Julie KendricK