Meijer: “Holiday Gift Ideas from Your Kitchen”

Kid’s Baking Basket

Arrange a gingerbread
pan, gingerbread cookie mix, cookie liner, sprinkles and Wilton
ready-to-decorate icing in a holiday owl bin.

3 cups
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour or Whole White Wheat Flour

1/4
teaspoon salt

3/4
teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2
teaspoons McCormick ground ginger

1 1/2
teaspoons McCormick ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon
McCormick ground nutmeg

1/4
teaspoon McCormick ground cloves

1/2 cup
Meijer unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup
Meijer granulated white sugar

1 large
egg

2/3 cup
dark molasses (spray measuring cup with non-stick pan spray prior to measuring
to prevent        molasses from sticking
to the measuring cup).

Confectioners
Frosting:

2 cups Meijer confectioner’s
sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup Meijer unsalted butter,
room temperature

1 teaspoon McCormick pure vanilla
extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light
cream

Directions:

1.   
Gingerbread: In a large bowl,
stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.   In
a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
egg and molasses and then beat until well combined. Gradually add the
flour mixture beating until incorporated. Divide the dough in half, and wrap
each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or
overnight. 

2.   
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center
of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with
parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the dough.

3.   
On a lightly floured surface,
roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread
cookie cutter or other shapes to cut out cookies.  Using a spatula lift
the cut out cookies onto the baking sheet, placing the cookies about 1 inch
apart.  Note: If you are hanging the
cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a
straw or end of a wooden skewer.

4.   
Bake 8 - 12 minutes. 
Cookies are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown. 
Remove the cookies from the oven and let stand about one minute. When they are
firm enough to move, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.   
If desired, you can press raisins
or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still
warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the
cookies.  Icing can also be used to
attach candies, raisins, and sprinkles.

Confectioners Frosting: 

1.    In a medium to large bowl, cream the butter until smooth and well
blended.  Add vanilla extract, mix.  
Gradually beat in sugar until well blended.  Add milk and beat on high speed until light
and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  

2.    Add a little more milk if too dry. Place the frosting in a pastry
bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as
desired.  Alternately, make a small cut
on the corner of a quart size zip-lock bag. 
Fill bag with frosting and squeeze to decorate cookies. Makes 3 dozen
cookies.

Crockpot Fun Basket

Fill a large basket with
a 1.5 quart Crockpot, a package of dried figs, apples, and cinnamon, attached
with a homemade recipe card (Kristen’s Crockpot oats with figs &
apples). 

Kristen’s Crockpot Oats with Figs & Apples

Serves 4

1 cup Meijer steel cut
oats

1 apple or pear, peeled
and chopped

4 dried figs, chopped

1 tsp. McCormick ground
cinnamon

Rinse oats and soak in
cold water for 1 hour.  Drain oats and
add to small (1.5 quart Crockpot).  Add 2
cups of water, apple, figs, and cinnamon. 
Stir to mix.  Turn on Crockpot and
cook for 7-8 hours.  Serve hot with
almond milk (optional).

Holiday Entertaining Basket

Fill a basket with appetizer
tasting plates, cookbook, sweet and sour sauce, and low sodium soy sauce with recipe
card.

Demo:

Asian Turkey
Bites

Serves 12

1      tbsp. Meijer
canola oil

½     cup red bell
pepper, chopped

½     cup green onion,
chopped

2      cups Markets of Meijer deli low sodium oven
roasted turkey breast,
cubed

½     cup sweet and
sour sauce

2      tbsp. Meijer
reduced sodium soy sauce

½     cup sliced
almonds

12   mini fillo shells
(in refrigerated section)

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot.  Add bell pepper and onion.  Cook and stir 3 minutes or until
crisp-tender.  Add turkey, sweet and sour
sauce, and soy sauce; mix well.  Cook
until heated through.  Remove from
heat.  Stir in almonds.  Fill each fillo shell with turkey
mixture.