Delta County Gift Guide by Delta County Independent

Christmas

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2 • 2015 Christmas Gift Guide • Delta County Independent

Spice Up Your Holidays

(Family Features) When the house is filled with the sweet smell of cinnamon, it’s a sure sign the holidays have arrived. This signature flavor of the season can add warmth and nostalgia to everything from traditional baked goods to vegetable sides and cocktails. “Everyone loves cinnamon in classic desserts like apple pie, but this spice is so versatile, it can be used in countless sweet and savory dishes,” said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. “For the perfect seasonal side dish, you can toss carrots cooked in a slow cooker with a cinnamon-sugar glaze. Or, add cinnamon sticks to a festive drink, like holiday sangria.” Try these recipes to showcase that pure cinnamon flavor from cocktail hour to dessert. For more recipes and tips, check out McCormick.com and visit McCormick Spice on Facebook and Pinterest.

Caramel Apple Slab Pie 2 packages (14.1 ounces each) refrigerated pie crusts (4 crusts) 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 tablespoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon 8 cups thinly sliced and peeled Honey Crisp apples (about 8) 1 cup caramel topping, divided

2 pounds baby carrots 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 cup ﬁrmly packed brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Spray inside of 4-quart slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray. Add carrots and melted butter; toss to coat. Cover. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours or until tender. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt in small bowl until well blended. Toss cooked carrots with brown sugar mixture in slow cooker just before serving. Tip: Keep cooked carrots in slow cooker when transporting to a party. Bring brown sugar mixture in small resealable plastic bag. For best results, toss carrots with brown sugar mixture just before serving. Serves 8.

Spiced Cranberry Sangria 1 orange 16 McCormick Gourmet Whole Cloves 1 bottle (750 milliliters) sweet white wine, such as Riesling 3 cups cranberry juice 1 cup fresh cranberries 1/4 cup orange-ﬂavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier 2 McCormick Cinnamon Sticks 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Mix wine, cranberry juice, cranberries, liqueur, cinnamon sticks and vanilla in large pitcher until well blended. Add orange wedges. Refrigerate 3 hours or until ready to serve. Serve in ice-ﬁlled glasses, if desired. Tip: If transporting Spiced Cranberry Sangria to a party, prepare recipe without adding the wine. Take the spiced cranberry juice in a clean, portable tightly covered beverage container leaving enough room for the wine. Then pour the bottle of wine into the container at the party. Serve and enjoy! Serves 6.

Finding the Best Cinnamon Before you stock up this holiday season, make sure you’re buying the highest quality cinnamon to bring pure ﬂavor to your dishes. Look for clump-free ground cinnamon that’s a deep brown, mahogany color. It should have a warm aroma and taste with a little “red hot” cinnamon heat.

Cut orange into 8 wedges. Press 2 cloves into each wedge. Set aside.

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directions. Unroll pie crusts. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch glass baking dish with 2 pie crusts. Press seams of overlapping crusts in middle of baking dish together to seal. Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in large bowl. Add apples; toss to coat well. Spoon into pie crust. Drizzle with 3/4 cup caramel topping. Top with remaining 2 crusts. Pinch edges of top and bottom crusts together to seal. Cut small slits in top crust. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and ﬁlling is bubbly. Cool on wire rack. Drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup caramel topping to serve. Serves 16.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Sugar Glazed Carrots

Preheat oven to 400° F. Bring crusts to room temperature according to package

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1/2 teaspoon salt

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Sweet Treats The following recipe for “ChocolateCovered Salt-Sopped Cherries” from Mark Betterman’s “Salt Block Cooking” (Andrews McMeel) combines the potent ﬂavor of cherries with the beloved taste of salt.

Chocolate-Covered Salt-Sopped Cherries Two 4x8 2-inch salt blocks 12 large sweet cherries, pitted 1/4 cup sugar 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, ﬁnely chopped

Bill Heddles Recreation Center

Stocking Stuffer Special

Purchase a 20-Punch Pass

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Chill the salt blocks in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to several days. Remove the blocks from the refrigerator and put one of them on a baking sheet that will catch any drips from the cherries. Space the cherries evenly in a single layer on the block. Carefully place the other block squarely on top so that it balances evenly on all of the cherries. Set aside until the cherries are lightly compressed, 3 to 6 hours, depending on ripeness. As the fruit cures, it will lose about 50 percent of its water, concentrating the cherry ﬂavor. Remove the cherries from the blocks, wipe the blocks clean and return to the refrigerator. Remove any lingering moisture from the cherries with paper towels, and then toss in a bowl with the sugar. Set aside for 1 hour. Put half of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave-safe bowl. If using the double boiler, put over gently simmering water and stir until melted. If using the microwave, cover the bowl and microwave at full power 90 seconds. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir the remaining half of the chocolate into the melted chocolate until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove the salt blocks from the refrigerator. Lift the cherries from the sugar

and pat dry. Dip the cherries, one at a time, in the chocolate and remove with a fork, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Put the dipped cherry on the chilled salt block; repeat with the remaining cherries and chocolate. Set aside until the chocolate is completely hard. Serve within 24 hours.

Sugar Cookie Candy Spoons Wilton Sugar Cookie Candy Melts Candy (12-ounce bag) Wilton Christmas Candy Spoon Mold Wilton 12-inch Disposable Decorating Bags Break 12 candy wafers in half and place in cavities of mold. Place mold in microwave and microwave at half power or defrost setting for 1 minute. Gently jiggle and lightly tap mold to smooth melted candy. Continue to microwave and tap at 30-second intervals until smooth and completely melted. Alternate melting method: Melt candy in disposable decorating bag according to candy package directions. Snip a small tip off end of bag and gently squeeze bag to fill cavities with melted candy. Chill filled mold until candy spoons have hardened, about 10-15 minutes. Place mold on flat surface and gently push on bottom of cavities to release candy. Makes 24 spoons.

Tube Snowmen Posted Jan. 14, 2015 By Christine Meyer http://www.srm-stickers.blogspot.com/ Don’t you just love versatile packaging? SRM has you covered in that department and today I am going to show you how I used the clear tubes to create some fun packaging! I used the mini tubes and original tubes in combination with punched pieces to create snowmen! I created these little snowmen to be treats for my kids. I ﬁrst curled the punched pieces and slid them into the tubes. The original tubes (for my big kids) got three pieces and the mini tubes (for my little kids) got two pieces. I used the following sticker sets to create these snowmen: Eyes: We’ve Got Your Border Wedding Nose: We’ve Got Your Border Halloween Mouth: Sticker Stitches - Black Buttons: Sticker Stitches - Black

And then I used the following for their bodies: Bodies: White medium punched pieces and white small punched pieces. Each snowman got a scarf in their favorite color using Striped Bakers Twine in maraschino, midnight blue, peapod and lilac. ~Submitted by Clubb’s

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Sheila’s Emporium

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Drost’s Chocolates

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Festive Feast (Family Features) Nothing brings family and friends together quite like a full holiday meal menu. Whether creating an entire festive feast from scratch or looking for a tasty dish to take and share, these dishes aim to ﬁll up the table and keep the seats around it full as well.

Pork Crown Roast with Garlic Herb Rub Pork crown roast 1/4 cup kosher salt 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper 1/3 cup fresh garlic, peeled and ﬁnely diced 1/4 cup thyme, leaves removed from stem and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup rosemary, leaves removed from stem and coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons sage, leaves removed from stem and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds baby red potatoes, halved 1 pound fresh pearl onions, peeled and halved Thaw roast completely and remove plastic packaging. Heat oven to 350° F. Prepare rub by combining salt, pepper, garlic, herbs and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Mix 2 tablespoons of rub with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss with potatoes and onions. Liberally rub all sides of roast with remaining rub, including in between bones. Put any excess rub on top.

Place roast on foil-lined sheet pan and spread potatoes and onions around sides of roast. Cook on center rack of oven for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes to 2 hours and 35 minutes for a 9-pound roast, or until internal temperature reaches 145° F in the middle. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting away string and slicing between bones for 16 even portions. Serve with roasted red potatoes and pearl onions in natural au jus. Serves 12 to 16. Find more recipes at OmahaSteaks. com, canolainfo.org.

Roasted Winter Veggies and Tri-Colored Potatoes 1 1/2 pounds tri-color potatoes, quartered 1 pound Brussels sprouts, cut in half 1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped 2 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced 2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 cup chopped rosemary 1/3 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder Heat oven to 400° F. In large roasting pan, place vegetables. Add rosemary, canola oil, salt and garlic powder, and stir to combine. Cook about 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serves 10.

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Let Delta Hardware Help You

Get Ready for the Holidays ��

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Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is... � Original Black Hills Gold ��Citizen Watches ��Gemstones ��Pearls ��Diamonds ��Engraved Gifts ��Gifts For All Ages

I know where you can ﬁnd it.

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Great assortment of Christmas Decorations, Ornaments, Trees, and Indoor and Outdoor Lights.

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Sweet Endings (Family Features) End your holiday celebration with a crowd-pleasing dessert, such as pumpkin pie squares, cheesecake or a fresh fruit pizza tart.

Pumpkin Pie Squares with Cinnamon Sugar Yogurt Topping Crust: 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 tablespoons low-fat milk Cooking spray Filling: 2 cups canned pumpkin 2 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup low-fat milk 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup pecans, chopped Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt Heat oven to 350° F. In large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, oats, brown sugar, butter and milk. Press into thin layer in a 9x13inch pan greased with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. While crust is baking, in another bowl beat together pumpkin through salt. Pour over crust and bake for 40 minutes

or until set. Sprinkle pecans over ﬁlling and bake another 10-15 minutes or until center is set. Cool slightly in pan. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Mix in yogurt. Top each square with 1 tablespoon yogurt topping. Serves 16.

Vanilla-Orange Cheesecake with Cranberry Swirl and Gingersnap Crust 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/2 cup orange juice, plus 1 tablespoon 1/2 cup water 24-32 purchased gingersnap cookies (to make 1 cup crumbs) 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 4 tablespoons butter, melted 3 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature 2 eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Heat oven to 300° F. Simmer cranberries, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice and water in saucepan over medium-high heat until berries burst and begin to break down, about 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then in blender or food processor puree until

smooth. Set sauce aside. Coat 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Process gingersnaps in food processor until ﬁne; add graham cracker crumbs. With machine running, drizzle in melted butter. Press crumb mixture ﬁrmly into bottom of prepared springform pan and about 1 inch up sides of pan. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, blend cream cheese and remaining sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Scrape sides of bowl, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla and 1 tablespoon orange juice, then pour into prepared pan. Drizzle top of cheesecake with 1/4 cup of prepared cranberry sauce, then drag skewer, toothpick or knife tip through sauce to create marbled swirl pattern on top. Place cheesecake on baking sheet and bake on center rack until edges are set and puffed but center is slightly jiggly, about 45 minutes. Do not overbake. Turn oven off, crack door open slightly and allow cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature, then cover cheesecake with tea towel and refrigerate overnight. Run knife around sides of cheesecake,

then release and remove side of pan. To cut, dip blade of thin, sharp knife into hot water (do not wipe dry) and slice into wedges, cleaning blade between each cut to prevent smearing. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.

Fresh Fruit Pizza Tart 16.5 ounces sugar cookie dough, prepared 4 ounces nonfat cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups black California grapes 1/2 cup red California grapes 2 kiwifruit, pared and sliced Heat oven to 350° F. Pat cookie dough into bottom of greased 10-inch tart pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. In electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream. Gradually add sugar; beat until completely mixed and ﬂuffy. Spread mixture over entire surface of each pan of baked cookie dough. Arrange grapes and other fruit as desired, covering entire surface with fruit; press gently. Refrigerate until chilled. Serves 10.

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meet downtown

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Homemade Gifts for the Holidays 1/4 cup water 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

(Family Features) Instead of ﬁghting crowds at the store, head to the kitchen and whip up Pinterest-worthy treats and crafts. Whether you’re gifting a gracious host or just want a few extra presents on hand for unexpected holiday guests, ﬂavorful and aromatic kitchen creations are a delicious way to show you care this holiday season. “Christmas cookies are always a popular gift but they’re not the only homemade option for the cookie lovers on your list,” said Chef Kevan Vetter of the McCormick Kitchens. “A small jar of spreadable Gingerbread Cookie Butter brings the taste of a classic holiday treat to unexpected places like toast and pancakes.” Need more gift-giving inspiration? Discover new ideas and recipes for every-

thing from homemade seasonal butters to fragrance jars by visiting McCormick Spice on Pinterest and Facebook.

Gingerbread Cookie Butter 8 ounces gingerbread cookies, about 8 (3 1/2-inch long) cookies 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup coconut oil

Pulse cookies in food processor until resembling ﬁne crumbs. Add sugar; pulse until just blended. Heat oil and water in small saucepan on low heat until coconut oil is melted. Slowly add oil mixture to processor while pulsing. Add vanilla and spices; pulse until just blended.

Place pine, cinnamon and allspice inside 8-ounce jar. Pour water to ﬁll jar, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; seal. To add a lovely fragrance around the house, pour all contents of jar into small saucepan. Simmer on medium heat 10-15 minutes or until fragrant, adding additional water as needed.

Cinnamon and Pine Fragrance Jar 2-3 pine branches (4 inches long) 2 McCormick Cinnamon Sticks 1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Whole Jamaican Allspice Water

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Cookies and Cocoa (Family Features) Treat your holiday guests to something special this Christmas.

Metallic Spritz Cookies 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon Wilton Pure Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon Wilton Imitation Almond Extract Silver Color Mist Food Color Spray Gold Color Mist Food Color Spray Buttercream icing Wilton Silver Sugar Pearls Wilton Gold Sugar Pearls Heat oven to 350° F. In medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and extracts; mix well. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, mixing to make smooth dough. Do not chill. Place dough into cookie press using an 8-petal flower disk and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12

minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool cookies on pan on cooling grid 2 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid. You will need two cookies per treat. Use silver or gold Color Mist food color spray to spray cookies. Let dry, about 3-5 minutes. Turn cookies over and spray underside. Let dry, about 3-5 minutes. Prepare buttercream icing or use premade buttercream icing. Use tip 12, a cut disposable decorating bag and icing to pipe elongated beads on bottom of one cookie, following cookie shape. Sandwich two cookies together. Use tip 4, a cut disposable decorating bag and icing to pipe a dot in center of sandwich cookie. Top dot with either silver or gold sugar pearls. Makes 10 dozen cookies.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate 4 cups milk 1 cup Dark Cocoa Candy Melts Candy 1/4 teaspoon Wilton Treatology Salted Caramel Flavor Concentrate In large saucepan, cook milk on medium heat until hot; remove from heat. Whisk in candy and ﬂavor concentrate. Continue whisking until candy is melted and mixture is smooth. Serve immediately.

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�� Uplifting Inspirational Books and Cards... Fair Trade merchandise... New and Vintage Jewelry... Consignments from local artists... Candles...Incense...Prayer ﬂags... Gently used and “Up” cycled items... Inspirational Music...local musicians Original Artwork & Handicrafts Homemade “goodies”

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Things that make you “feel” good! ��

(Family Features) As you set out to make this a holiday to remember, your creativity doesn’t have to be limited to your craft room. Let your imagination loose in other areas, such as the kitchen, for delicious treats that taste as good as they look. These simple pretzel candies, created by the crafting experts at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, are sure to be a hit, whether you let them brighten up the dessert table at a holiday party or package them in clear cellophane with a bold bow for a sweet gift.

Easy Christmas Ornament Pretzel Treats ��

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Needlerock

Mountain Realty & Land, LLC

Liz Heidrick

Broker/Owner

Office: 970.921.5331 Cell: 970.234.5344 Email:liz.realty@tds.net

380 Hwy 92 Crawford, CO 81415 www.needlerockrealty.com

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Ornament Treats

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4 ounces Red Candy Melts Candy 4 ounces Dark Green Candy Melts Candy 2 ounces Bright White Candy Melts Candy Christmas nonpareils Gold sugar pearls Pretzel rings Granulated sugar Mini marshmallows Wilton food-crafting supplies: Parchment paper Cookie sheet 12-inch disposable decorating bags Food-safe scissors

Place pretzels on parchment paper-covered cookie sheet. Melt red and green candy, separately, in disposable decorating bags according to package directions. Cut small point off tip of disposable decorating bag. Use melted candy to ﬁll hole in pretzels. Allow to cool in refrigerator, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve remaining melted red and green candy. Dip food-safe scissors in granulated sugar. Cut 1/8-inch off top and back of marshmallows. Melt white candy in disposable decorating bag according to package directions. Use candy to attach marshmallows to top of pretzel ornaments. Allow to cool in refrigerator, about 3-5 minutes. Reserve remaining melted white candy. Use reserved melted white candy to pipe line across top and bottom of pretzels. Add nonpareils. Use melted red or green candy to pipe line across the center of ornaments. Allow to cool in refrigerator, about 3-5 minutes. Use melted green or red candy to pipe lines across top and bottom of pretzels. Use melted white candy to pipe line across the center. Add gold sugar pearls. Allow to cool in refrigerator, about 3-5 minutes.

GREAT GIFT IDEAS AT 4B’S!

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Crunchy Christmas Candy Bark Here’s a sweet Christmas treat you can make at home in minutes! You’ve got to love the seasonal sparkle and festive colors that red and green Wilton Sugar Gems bring to classic candy bark made with Wilton Candy Melts candy.

Ingredients: Wilton White Candy Melts® Candy Wilton Red Sugar Gems Wilton Green Sugar Gems Prepare candy. Melt white Candy Melts candy according to package directions. Mix in 1 1⁄2 ounces each red and

green Sugar Gems. Make candy bark. Pour melted candy mixture into cookie pan, spreading out using spatula. Tap to settle. Sprinkle top with 3/4 ounce each additional red and green Sugar Gems. Chill until ﬁrm, about 10 to 15 minutes. Use knife to cut into pieces for serving.

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�� LEDs use up to 75% less electricity than traditional strands and last for approximately 40 holiday seasons. They stay cool to the touch, reducing the risk of fire and come in a variety of colors, shapes, and lengths. Set apart your house without setting your budget back. Bring this ad to our booth at the Holiday Gift Expo for your free LED bulb and to be entered to win tickets to the 2015 Garden of Lights.

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Origami Ornaments Christmas Origami Ornament Supplies: � � � �

Ultra Thin Glue Dots® Paper (the thinner the better) Paper cutter Bone folder

Instructions: 1. Cut all of your paper into squares. 2. Score your paper from corner A to corner B and fold. 3. Now fold in corners B and C so that they meet at corner A. 4. Fold in the inner corners out so that they create wings. 5. Unfold the both sides and flatten them. 6. Fold down the points along the dotted lines and fold in the ��  �� sides so that you have a square once again. �� 7. Apply Craft Glue Dots to one of the side flaps and press both of them together. ��  �� 8. Repeat these steps until you have 5 petals. ��  9. Use Ultra Thin Glue Dots to adhere them all together to create a flower. �� 

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Smiles are important! They are meant to last a lifetime.

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Wood Burned Curly Tree

Inspiration Use this photo as a guide for your own version of Santa hat door decor.

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Walnut Hollow® products: # 1838 Basswood Oval Plaque # 38283 Creative Versa-Tool® # 26162 HotStamps Alphabet Set Other Supplies: Curly Tree Stencil (or any stencil) Ceramic dish or mug Fine sandpaper Masking tape Pencil Pliers Ruler Varnish (spray or brush-on) Instructions: After reading all manufacturer’s instructions found inside the Creative VersaTool, use pliers to attach Flow Point on Tool. Secure Tool Stand to work surface

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Come one.. Come all Shop for Christmas with tape. Place Tool on Stand. Plug into electric outlet, turn Versa-Temp control dial to Red Zone and heat for 4-5 minutes. Position stencil on Oval Plaque, leaving room to personalize under tree. Tape in place. Use pencil to trace stencil design onto Plaque. Use Flow Point to wood burn trunk and curly branches. Use pliers to remove Flow Point, dropping it into the ceramic dish. Attach Universal Point with pliers. Wood burn small bird on branch and all leaves. Use pliers to remove Flow Point, dropping it into the ceramic dish. Attach Shading Point with pliers. Wood burn entire edge of Plaque. Use pliers to remove Shading Point, dropping it into the ceramic dish. Attach appropriate letter from Alphabet Set with pliers. Place Tool on Stand. Use ruler and pencil to draw line under tree for personalization. Carefully burn each letter, removing and attaching each letter with pliers. Erase any remaining pencil lines. For a protective ﬁnish, apply 2-3 coats of varnish. Designed by Chris Wallace for Walnut Hollow®. ~Submitted by Clubb’s

HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Bill Heddles Recreation Center Delta

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LOTS

CHRISTMAS

ITEMS TOO!

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Bags & Tags

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NEW HOTEL in Cedaredge! �

Posted July 31, 2015 By Christine Meyer http://www.srm-stickers.blogspot.com/ I’m not gonna lie, I kind of love thinking about Christmas in July! Christmas is my favorite time of year, so given the chance I will craft it in the off season too! Today I am going to show you how I took some new products from SRM to make some Christmas goodies! First up some Christmas tags on the new canvas tags. I love the “To” and “From” on this stamp. They are perfect for gift tags and bags! And love all the little hearts, candy canes and holly too. They give a nice ﬁnishing touch to any project. This was super simple to make! I used regular black ink and my stamps. The new ‘Tis the Season stamps were perfect for this! I then colored it in with a permanent marker (nothing fancy).

I also added Stamped Stitches to the tag just to add a little something extra. Could not be any more simple and will add a great personalized touch to my gifts! ~Submitted by Clubb’s

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Personalized Cork Coasters Posted Oct. 26, 2015 By Ann Tatum Duct Tape and Denim http://www.ducttapeanddenim.com/blog/ I always love getting a personalized gift and since getting together for coffee and/or tea is one of my friends’ favorite things to do I thought I’d make them some personalized coasters as part of a gift basket this Christmas. Supplies: Creative Versa-Tool (http://www.walnuthollow.com/items/ creative-versa-tool-/38283/) Hot Stamps Alphabet Set (http://www.walnuthollow.com/store/ tools-and-accessories/hot-toolaccessories/) 4 cork circles

Instructions: I started off by practicing on one of the extra cork circles. Cork is softer than wood and took a little time for me to get used to. At ﬁrst I had trouble with the centers of some of the letters burning, too. I found that if I increased the heat

(into the orange) and used a lighter touch the letters were clearer. I started with the letters and did all the same letters at one time. One really nice thing I discovered was that the Hot Stamp Alphabet Set (http://www.walnuthollow.com/store/ wood-burning/accessories/hot-stampsalphabet-set/) also ﬁts the Creative Woodburner Value Tool (http://www. walnuthollow.com/store/wood-burning/ tools/creative-woodburner-value-tool/), which I already had. I was able to use one tool while the other was cooling off so I could switch the letters out. I do most of my stamping freehand, too, so it’s never perfectly straight. After ﬁnishing the letters I used the different stamping points to make borders, overlapping each just a bit. ~Submitted by Clubb’s

Deco Mesh

Deco mesh comes in a variety of widths and materials, making it an extremely versatile material for trendy Christmas decor including wreaths, swags and ornaments.

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18 • 2015 Christmas Gift Guide • Delta County Independent

Simple Starters (Family Features) Creating a delicious holiday spread is easy with these simple starters. Cheese and crackers or vegetable trays are reliable starters that can serve as a precursor to any meal. For an easy and eye-appealing appetizer, serve a handcrafted cheese inside a wreath of fresh rosemary and pomegranate seeds, along with honey and premium deli crackers. For a delicious twist on a veggie tray, round out traditional favorites such as broccoli and carrots with unexpected delights, such as endive leaves and blanched green beans. Then round out your menu with a diverse offering of other crowd-pleasing, quick-prep items, from pinwheels to shrimp cocktail.

feta cheese, basil and just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat. Place heaping spoon of mixture on each baguette slice and drizzle with more vinaigrette, to taste.

Holiday Bruschetta

Give a gift they can open 52 times a year! Stop in or call the Delta County Independent to order a

GIFT SUBSCRIPTION ��

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1 baguette Olive oil 1 tomato, diced 1/2 cup red pepper, diced 1 container (6 ounces) Simply Artisan Reserve Feta Cheese 1 teaspoon Litehouse Instantly Fresh Basil 1/2 cup Litehouse Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette Cut baguette into 1/2-inch slices. Brush with olive oil and grill lightly. In bowl, combine tomato, red pepper,

Blue Cheese, Pomegranate and Quinoa Caviar 2 ounces Simply Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese (Crumbles or Center Cut) 1/3 cup pre-cooked red quinoa 1/3 cup pomegranate arils (seeds), 1 tablespoon reserved 1 teaspoon Litehouse Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 teaspoon Litehouse Instantly Fresh Thyme 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts Assorted crackers In small bowl, add blue cheese crumbles, quinoa, pomegranate arils and vinaigrette. Stir gently to combine. Transfer to 6-ounce ramekin dish and use back of spoon to tightly pack down. Place serving plate on top of ramekin and quickly invert. Carefully lift ramekin, leaving mixture in mold form. Sprinkle top with thyme, walnuts and reserved pomegranate arils. Serve with crackers.

Delta County Independent • 2015 Christmas Gift Guide • 19

Snowman Luminary You will need: 1 Ball® Jar Art™ regular smooth quart jar Frosted glass spray paint One 2-ounce package orange oven-bake clay (we used Sculpey Sweet Potato) Black glass paint Small craft paintbrush Super glue adhesive Wire craft mesh 1 yard holiday ribbon Votive candle and holder Getting started: Read all instructions for Merry Snowman Luminary before starting. Assemble supplies. Additional craft supplies to have on hand: Scissors, pencil, paper towels, rubber gloves, newspaper, baking sheet, oven mitt, paper plate and a cup of water.

Preparing luminary: Lay jar on newspaper in a well-ventilated area. Put on rubber gloves. Spray entire jar with two coats of frosted glass paint. Allow to dry between coats. (Paint will appear clear at ﬁrst but will dry to a frosted ﬁnish.) Form a “carrot nose” out of orange clay; bake according to manufacturer’s directions. While clay is cooling, use black glass paint to paint two large “coal” eyes and a mouth onto front of jar. Use super glue to glue carrot nose to front of jar. Snowman hat: Place votive candle in holder and place in bottom of jar. Using a small canister (like a can of vegetables) as a mold, form a hat with wire mesh. Cut excess off as needed to form brim. Place on jar and complete by wrapping hat with holiday ribbon.

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Happy Holidays We invite our community to come and tour our facility and visit our residents. Check out our calendar of events and join us in these community activities!!!

Bulb Forcing Gift Kit You will need: 1 Ball® quart regular or wide mouth jar 1 Ball regular or wide mouth lid and band One 9-yard garland red plastic beads One 9-yard garland green plastic beads 1 narcissus ﬂower bulb 1/2 yard red and green ribbon Gift card Scissors Paper hole punch Getting started: Read instructions for bulb forcing gift kit before starting. Assemble all supplies. Using a paper hole punch, punch one hole in the lid about 1/4-inch from the inside edge of the sealing compound. This will

allow for airflow if the bulb forcing kit is given as a gift. Assembling base: Cut garland of red beads in half. Cut garland of green beads in half. Fill jar with bead garlands, alternating colors. Place the flower on top of the beads, root side down, pushing it slightly into the beads so the bulb will remain upright. Finishing touches: Place lid on jar being certain it does not touch the flower bulb. Adjust band. Tie ribbon in a bow around the neck of the jar. Attach a gift card with instruction for forcing the bloom. Follow bulb supplier’s instructions for growing and watering.

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Have a Happy & Safe Holiday Season

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20 • 2015 Christmas Gift Guide • Delta County Independent