Easy Gift Idea

Okay, so there's always a story behind

each of my projects.  Here's

the story behind this particular gift idea:

One day, I cooked for the teachers.

All of them.

Just to let them know how much I appreciate

them.  And if they know me at all,

they know if I've actually cooked for them,

they have a truly special place in my heart.

Because I don't like to cook.

Remember??

So to make a long story short,

one morning at precisely 10:30 am

(actually, I was running late,

because I underestimated the cooking

time for the Tetrazzini)

So ... at precisely 10:57 am,

I deliver the following items to the

school's teacher's lounge:

One crock pot full of spaghetti noodles,

(I added olive oil to keep them from

sticking together and becoming one giant,

oval-shaped four-pound blob of pasta)

One crock pot full of pasta sauce and

meatballs (more on that another day)

one giant double-batch of my

homemade Chicken Tetrazzini

(recipe to come soon ... I promise)

one extra-large pan of mixed greens,

several containers of salad extras

like cherry tomatoes, chopped green onions,

black olives, banana peppers, bacon bits,

and croutons,

one cruet of freshly-mixed salad dressing,

one double-batch of Hershey's

amazing brownies, and one batch of

fresh, homemade Lemon Bars.

(mmm ... wish I had one right now!)

So anyway, after the lunch I got

several recipe requests.  One teacher in

particular, wanted my salad dressing recipe.

Well, guess what, that was just

an envelope of seasonings that I added

a few extra ingredients to.

Her birthday is this weekend,

so I decided to gather a few salad dressing

fixings together for her and give

her the gift in a big red (salad) bowl.

 

 Just to be clever,

and also because I always have to paint

something, I decided to add a little

Italian guy hanger to her basket.  I used

the kitchen towels that I'd purchased

as a pattern for my hanger.

 Isn't he cute??
Such a happy guy.  I'll bet my family

wishes I was this happy

when I was in the kitchen cooking.

Since with a family of six, it seems like

I am, literally, always in the kitchen cooking.

Not that I'm cranky, mind you.

Well, okay.  Maybe cooking makes me cranky.

Sometimes I make a little drinky

to make me less cranky while I play cook.y.?

First, I made a pattern from the kitchen

towel that I'd purchased.

I just wanted to stick with a "theme"

and apparently, my "theme" is "happy cook"

Please enjoy the following

photos without commentary:

I purchased the olive oil and the vinegar

that I use for this dressing,

and I added a cruet and about ten packets

of dressing.  Two kitchen towels,

one big salad bowl, and a little hanger with

a happy chef ... and "Happy Birthday"

stamped on the back.

Peace.  And Happy Birthday, Mrs. Lee!!