What makes holiday cooking so special? Fresh herbs! What makes holiday cooking so expensive? All those fresh herbs. You have to buy the whole bunch even if you just need two leaves, so why not spread the wintry wealth with friends and make sweet little herb bundles as party favors or host(ess) gifts?
When you stop by a friend's house for a cookie-swap or a mug of spiked cider, bring a bouquet of fresh bay, oregano, rosemary, thyme, &/or sage (any I'm forgetting?). Plonked in a bud vase of water, it will keep your friend's kitchen & food smelling delicious!
I simply spread all the herbs out on my table, and put 2 or 3 sprigs of each type of herb in each bundle. I tied them with rustic twine with the ends dipped in festive red Plasti-dip (see Plasti-dip tips on my snow bottles tutorial here), but simple yarn or luxurious ribbon would be nice, too. The bouquets will keep well in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, ready to be shared with friends that might drop by.
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query "tussie mussie" on the internet and you can find the language and meanings of herbs and flowers and create a bouquet specific to the recipient.
You guys sure are getting plenty of mileage from that red Plasti-Dip!
Ditto bodicegoddess. Red Plasti-Dip is the new Keep Calm Carry On.
I would laugh out loud at someone who brought me herbs as a hostess gift. Herbs cost about $1-$2 a bunch and you're suggesting picking & mixing just a few stems? I'm sorry but it's better to show up empty handed with only a charming personality than with a clump of weeds worth $3.
I couldn't disagree more with sfgirl, but then neither my friends nor I decide whether to appreciate gifts based on their dollar value. I've given and received actual "weeds" -- wildflowers from the side of the road -- arranged with love and tied with sweet ribbons and they've always been appreciated and brought happiness to know someone was thinking of me. Herbs from someone's own garden would be special and I would never dream of being so tacky as to look at them with dollar signs in my eyes and compare them to the herbs at the market. Who does that?!
Yeah, I totally disagree with sfgirl, but I generally dislike getting hostess gifts anyway, so that may be why (yay! A cheap candle in the shape of a pine cone! A bar of expensive olive oil soap that feels slimy! Paper napkins with ART!). This is one of the few I'd be delighted to have (my other favorite are tea/dish towels), whether from grocery store herbs or the garden. Cute on my kitchen window shelf, tasty in tomorrow night's dinner.
I think its a personal preference. I'd sure enjoy receiving it as a hostess gift, but I'd feel embarrassed to give a bouquet as one. It has that "I couldn't think of anything quick so I yanked these out my garden/ grocery store" vibe to me. I stick with a nice bottle of wine usually. For most of my friends it's always much appreciated!
I think it would really depend upon the friends one keeps. Apparently sfgirl's friends are snobs rather than foodies. Personally, if friends turned up with a useful, thoughtful food gift - I would be happy because it means they know me well. Also, so many times people expect you to serve the wine they bring - making it a contribution to dinner rather than a gift really. At least as far as herbs go, I couldn't use most of them right away so they would be an actual gift...and a thoughtful one at that as long as it's delivered with an explanation/tagline so I'm not left wondering why they brought herbs to a party.