A SPOONFUL OF CHRISTMAS - Round up

Merry Christmas to everybody :-) Ok, I know I am screaming a bit too early, but ...
if you knew what I know you would be running around like your butt is on fire, too ;-)

All this months, you have been sending me presents, one by one, all beautifully wrapped. I am in great awe and still cannot recover (Tompa is getting jealous ;-).

This event has been a great inspirational quest for me for various reasons:

1. I love food and I love presents.
2. (Analogically) I love cooking and I love giving presents.
3. I love blogging about all that.

Combining all these passions, I couldn't have done anything else. So...

I guess it is the highest time to admit: The Xmas hasn't even started yet and I already received 58 presents. It is now my turn to share them with you.

1. SPICYYYYYYY :-)

The very first guest that showed up at our pre-Christmas party table was Bindiya of In Love With Food. She decided to surprise me with her Mom´s Garlic Chili Pickle. Bringing a jar of super spicy pickle to a super spicy spice lover... What can I say, darling, you have read my mind with this one. I have been drooling so much, I am saliva-less ;-)

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I know I asked for one event entries only, but when I saw Maybahay´s Atsara (Green Papaya Pickle) not only delicious sounding, but also this festively decorated, I just begged Desie over and over again to send it to me. Even though she already made her Zimsterne (read way below) just for me, I couldn't stop wanting more. Greedy as I was, I finally got it (triumph on my face :-)... Have a peek for yourself and you will understand what I was getting at.

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A slightly different savory relish comes as a complete surprise from Eva of The Golden Shrimp. She pickles pearl onions with traditional European whole spices such as bay leaves, juniper berries, black peppercorns, etc. Must look great in a clear jar topped with a nice cloth "hat". Note: This gift needs at least 3 weeks to "ripen", so hurry up cooking :-)

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More savory pickles came fresh, straight from My French Kitchen. A perfect Christmas treat for your eyes and taste buds. Pickled in a tall glass jar, neatly placed one on top of other, whole or chopped, Sweet And Sour Preserved Lemons - unforgettable with crispy poultry, ragout or spiced rice dishes... Give an extra tang to your friends for Christmas.

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... and here is another Lime Pickle gift, this one with a bit of Indian tang... Lissie of Salt and Spice definitely knows what hot means. She takes a "jarfull", wraps it this beautifully just to send it over to her sister. don't you wish you had a sister in Kerala, too? Lissie, just out of curiosity, you did not draw those cute flowers on the jar, did you ? I am absolutely in love with that one.

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Still craving pickles? How about a fruit chutney? I have one for you. Very unusual one, combines pears, cranberries, even rosemary. Interesting, isnt it? This is exactly what my curious me said after reading Johanna´s entry. With a hint of England, home-cooked together with her mum, Spicy Pear Chutney from The Passionate Cook beats any store bought imitation. I am totally making a jar and giving it to myself :-)

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More pear Chutney? Sure... How about one soaked in Vermut, flavored with Thyme and cloves? Sounds divine. Ulrike von Genial Lecker has a real special treat for you. With her Birnen Chutney (birnen means pears) - fantastic with game or poultry, she adds a little spicy kick to your Christmas butt :-) She apologized for a non-English entry, but I must say - Worth dusting off your German...

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A slightly different fruit relish (for me personally completely unheard of) comes from Meera of Enjoy Indian Food. Now seriously, how many of you have ever eaten Cranberry Methambu ? A spicy relish looking this good, I cannot refuse... Thank you Meera for such a creative entry! And I apologise again for noting adding it earlier.

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Giving away pleasure of food means a lot to Meryl of My Bit of Earth. Each time she goes back home, her little sister asks: "Will you pretty-please bring some of those really good olives?" This Thanksgiving, she brings a funny looking jarful of Feta Cheese Stuffed Olives, a common present for her little olive-addict. Wondering how they taste like? I think the picture says it all :-)

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Talking snacks ? What would you say to a handful of Spicy Pan Fried Cashew Nuts with your party beer? Coated with red chili, amchoor powder and black pepper, Kalva of Curry in Kadai knows what´s good. I will never go out to buy those ever again. Stays fresh for 10 days ? Hehe, not in here. Gimme 2 minutes and I ll show you my empty bowl ;-)

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For all you spicy Thai food lovers, here is something completely inevitable - Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi say it all in the very beginning... "This is an essential condiment in Thai cooking - like Dijon mustard in European cooking or coconut-cumin-green chilli paste in the Kerala kitchen"...." You guessed it: Thai Chilli Paste! Their vegetarian approach to Nam Prik Pow looks just like the one in the store. Jai and Bee, all my hats off to you! You guys just made my Christmas. I was buying Nam Prik Pow paste all this time wondering how to make my own at home... (muah)

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I was very touched to read all the wonderful words Bharathy of Spicy Chilli has written about me. She submitted more than a gift, she combined our mutual passions - deep love for our sisters, craving for chilies and pleasure of sharing presents. She decided to wrap and give away a jar of her most favorite (and most famous) Sambhar Masala. Thank you so much!

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Another spice blend I received comes from Glamah16 of Coco Cooks, her second entry for Spoonful of Christmas (scroll down for the first one). She made Berbere powder, an African spice mix that works well as a rub or marinade. With its more than month shelf life, this makes a wonderful gift for all exotic spice lovers.

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Hey everybody, we got a recipe for a true genuine home-made Garam Masala. I am stunned. I have been looking for something like this. I am soooo throwing away my store-bought one. Thank you Aswini of Food For Thought! What a handy spice blend.

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More powdered ideas? Sure! Check out Madhu of Ruchii. She has posted a wonderful Spicy Powder (Khara Pudi) that add some extra kick and crunch to your veggies. It sounds like not a lot of work, but I am sure that just imagining all the grinding of the roasted ingredients into a fine powder would make every gift receiver warm at heart.

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A really beautiful, Christmas looking spice blend idea comes from Anita of A Mad Tea Party, who reveals a truly authentic recipe for Punjabi Garam Masala, passed on to her by her mother-in-law. In great details, she explains the preparation, as well as usage of this "warm" spice mixture.

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What else can we expect from The Well-Seasoned Cook rather than a wonderful mix of spices? Susan has prepared Panch Phoron (an Indian Five-Spice), a marriage of fragrance. "Tantalizingly textured, powerfully perfumed, flagrantly flavored"... yes, I can smell it all the way over here.

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Now let us have a look at something less fancy. In the spirit of food give-aways, is there anything else as dear as salt? Cynthia of Tastes Like Home suggests Flavored Salts as this year´s gift. She presents (beautifully as always) a colorful trio of rosemary, chili and cumin salt! Aah, if it was me, I would think of dear Cynthia each time seasoning my meals... and I guess THAT was the point!

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So far, we have given away recipes for spice blends, pickles, sauces and other condiments, but now, it is time for a real food. Asha of Aroma Hope presents a real nice microwave-friendly Rice And Spice Jar Mix. Instant lunch, busy ladies... All you need is (love) water and a few chopped up veggies. I am giving myself a jar or two tomorrow to take to work with me.

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The last spicy gift idea comes straight to the Christmas table. Mallika of Quick Indian Cooking treats us generously with Modern Prawns For Christmas Snacking. She serves beautifully curved shrimps spiced up with tamarind glaze, a true feast for eyes... Mallika, you re welcome to our dinner table any time ;-)
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2. SWEEEEEET ;-)

A universal relish complimenting either sweet or savory dishes has arrived all the way from England. Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar decided to contribute a jarful of Apricots in Amaretto to A Spoonful of Christmas. Preceding the actual recipe, she gives half a dozen suggestions on different usages of the "boozy apricots". With owing more than 150 cookbooks, she definitely knows what she´s talking about. Inside delightfully flavored with vanilla, outside originally wrapped, one would want to write their name on the hanging tag.

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Caroline of A Consuming Passion brought a beautiful Cookie Christmas Tree to our holiday table. I was really impressed by her creativity. I mean, just look at that scrumptious tree! She made me miss Slovakia for a while. Back home, we make the same looking (slightly different dough, though :-) "pumpernickel" cookies, wrap them individually in cellophane, tighten up with a ribbon and give away as presents, or hang them up on a Christmas tree.....

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.... and talking about Christmas tree decorations, here they are. Scrumptious Christmas Tree Cookies beautifully decorated with red ribbons straight from the oven of Coffee & Vanilla. Margot confessed to me earlier that she has never ever baked cookies before... Now, after seeing these goodies, I had to re-consider my baking abilities. If a first-timer bakes like this,... no wonder they were all gone shortly after the pic was taken.

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.. more gingerbread men arrived just in time all the way from Manilla. Manguera of Manggy has sent his Thick And Chewy Gingerbread Cookies with big happy smiles on their faces, just to cheer up our Christmas table. In great depth he guides us through the recipe, including one for Royal Icing with which he decorates his "gingerbread crew".

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Pepparkakor time, everybody. My favorite Swedish Christmas treat, very very close to the ones mentioned above. Well spiced, fun to play with when making a few, here are two suggestions from my newly discovered Swedish co-blogger. Chris of Bums went crazy with his Gingerbread Biscuit Recipe twice in last month, resulting into these cute looking variously shaped goodies. That red can he stored them in is a very traditional one, I myself have one just like that...

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Some cookies are simply way to beautiful or unique to be eaten. Deeba of Passionate About Baking has proven this right. Her Stained Glass Cookies are simply a must of your Christmas Tree. Turn the lights on and look at the world through the "glassed candy". Where do you get all these ideas from, Deeba? Adorable!

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How about decorating your Christmas table instead? Come to Sunita´s World for inspiration. How beautiful and fragile do her Crumbly Stars look? Decorated with colored ribbons, one can just star(e) speechless.

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Next time when baking cookies, try this FUNtastic idea from Deeba of Passionate About Baking. She makes a box of lovely Lime Shortbread Cookies that have a hole in the middle, so she can collect a handful on a string! I suggested we tight them around our wrists and nibble on them on our way to work. Deeba I wouldn't give those away as a gift ;-)

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A perfect giving away friendly no-cooking involved Indian dessert could be Kadalai Urundai (Ground Nut Balls), as Lathama of The Yum Blog suggests. Simply wrapped in a transparent to-go-box, decorated with china silk roses, one peek says it all ;-)

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When thinking of traditional sweet gifts, the first thing that pops into my mind is a box of chocolate. Hence this time, I would never in my dream expect anyone to actually MAKE one on their own. Surprisingly enough, Shella of Kitchen Art didn't think of it as being anything difficult. She claims that these perfect looking chocolate cuties are a result of her first attempt (raising my eyebrows)... Whatever the magic was, I am simply amazed. And guess what. Hers are red wine flavored.... aaahhh :-)

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When thinking of presents, packaging is a must. But how many times, there is no wrapping paper around, no ribbon, no time or simply you just cannot be bothered. How delighted would you be to avoid all this by making something self-wrapped. And this something came all the way from Argentina. Sylvia of La Vida En Buenos Aires Y Afines... prepared these absolutely gorgeous Spicy Chocolate Cakes In Little Sweet Boxes. How practical!

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JAMMING TIME! A perfect winter morning meal cannot be started without a toast topped with a nice gobble of a fruit jam. Unleashing the flavor of summer, in Dhanggit´s own words, one cannot resist a spoonful of her home-made Watermelon & Lime Jam, her own version of the traditional Provence one...

And even if you could resist (which I would find utterly impossible and almost self-torturing - I mean just look at that picture AGAIN), I am sure her well-spiced exotic Pineapple-Mango Jam will literally nail your butt down to the kitchen chair. This gift is simply "Unleavable!", Dhanggit!

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Craving for more choices? All the way from Simply Spicy, dear Pravs has prepared this delicious looking Strawberry Raspberry Jam. This "double-berry" combo is simply irresistible on a slice of warm freshly baked bread. So ask yourself seriously: How else can you make your loved ones that early in the morning?

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... And so how about using this great Raspberry Jam to bake some delicious coconut cookies ? This is how Rahin of Lazzat decorated her Coconut Raspberry Jam Cookies for our event. Tempting, eh? Now hands-off! That box was just for me ;-)

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Another sweet treat comes from lovely Madhulka of My Foodcourt. Her two little nieces got to enjoy a whole box of her Crunchy Cookies mixed with a bunch of colorful decorative paper stars. The best thing about her recipe is that it is super simple, quick and easy. Perfect for unexpected celebrating friends.

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A complete surprise came from Deeba of Passionate About Baking. Due to her entry, I discovered her lovely blog. She showed up with a plateful of home-baked Pretzels a la Chocolate. How cute, sprinkled with colored little pearls, Deeba brings a spoonful of happiness to our virtual Christmas table.

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I barely finished admiring this happy plate when Deeba came with a different, even bigger one. This one was full of Iced Sugar Cookies instead. Please check out her post, she has some real funny ones over there. My absolute favorite are the snails, yet here are all kinds of them, temptingly wrapped in a cellophane...

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Slightly different taste, yet similar in terms of beauty are Deeba´s Christmas Cookies (recipe, though, comes from here). Decorated with the colors of the season, Deeba does anything to cheer up the Christmas table. Fully agreed on that one, I would only add that seeing them like this, it is simply irresistable to try a few.

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Another sugar-coated cookie idea come from Maybahay. Desie Santos, together with her lovely daughter, had a lot of fun making these gorgeous looking Zimsterne (Cinnamon Stars), which brought back some sweet memories from her past life in Zurich (and mine in Germany)....

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Mansi Desai of Fun and Food suggests Healthy Cranberry and Pistachio Biscottis. Smart choice for two gift-friendly reasons: 1. They last for a long time, so you can enjoy them longer and 2. They are healthy (as the name indicates), which allows you to enjoy such a nice guilt-free bite especially during Christmas... Great choice Mansi! (and sorry I didn't get a chance to participate yours AFAM-Peaches :-(

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Another, very similar ones were baked by Deeba of Passionate About Baking. Her Biscotti are enriched with black currants, which create lovely dark dots in the cookies. What I found the most impressive was the history and today´s world equivalents to this wonderful Italian sweet treat. A must read for all!

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Nupur of One Hot Stove sent in one of those too, which only proves that biscottis are a great gift idea. Double-baked, traditional dry Italian cookies with a decadent twist, her fabulous looking Chocolate Walnut Biscotti got me drooling all over... Cannot decide which ones to make? Try them all. They sure look fabulous mixed up in a glass bowl.

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Biscotti, biscotti, more biscotti. Now one REALLY has to consider baking some very soon. One lovelier than another, all perfect as a gift. The last one to confirm this is Laavanya of Cookery Corner. Her Biscotti are full of almonds, chocolate chips and craisins (not a typo, they do exist, google and see). I love the expression "dunkable biscotti"... Just bake a couple of these, get a cup of coffee and you get what I mean... aah ...

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Right when I thought that biscotti were the ones you should go for when baking a gift (considering their shelf-life) Saju of Chachi´s Kitchen surprised me with something I have never heard of: Ma´amoul Cookies. The name sounds so pretty, it makes her already cute cookies look even sweeter. But what´s the most gift-friendly factor is that they hold for 2 months. 2 months? They could barely make it through the day in my house ;-)

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A slightly different cookie idea comes from Shilpa of Aayi´s Recipes. After the "Diwali overdose", she just couldn't think of any more deep-fried stuff. I am glad she did, otherwise, I would never discover these crunchy, yet melting Orange Flavored Cashew Cookies. An unusual combo, eh? I am totally up for giving them a shot.

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Like the chunky type? How about Chunky Chocolate Cookies from Rachel of Tangerine´s Kitchen? Seem quite easy to make, hold for 2 weeks and freeze well. As for the packaging, she comes with a real nice idea: "I always pick up mud pots from the local potter and either use them naturally or decorate them when I gift them." I like that a lot.

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I must admit it is a wonderful feeling to see that somebody cooks for my event. It is a wonderful feeling to see that somebody cooks two dishes for my event. But it is truly a wonderful feeling to see that the same person makes 8 different gifts for my event. Deeba, it is you, dear, that I have to thank (again ;-) for an absolutely gorgeous Italian Chocolate Truffles. You are a real passionate gift maker.

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Here is something utterly surprising. Karen of Veggie In My Cake makes her own Candy Cane meringues (Peppermint sticks), can you believe that? I have to admit I had no idea one can make these home alone... And especially not THIS pink. I remember these from my childhood while roaming around the Tivoli. Do they still sell em? Great contribution girl....

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Baking with no fuss! Which one of us would not welcome such gift idea ? Asha of Aroma Hope has a perfect solution in form of Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. All you need is a jar of this magic combo, some butter and 2 eggs, oven and 35 minutes of your precious time. Instant gift, instantly wanted!

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Now here is another gift idea. After baking a good amount of various cookies, Deeba of Passionate About Baking shows up again, this time with a whole loaf of Lemon Cake. Instead of wrapping the presents neatly and placing under the Christmas tree, she brings a real sweet treat straight to the Christmas table.

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Bindiya also hasn't stayed behind. After making those wonderful chili pickles (have I mentioned that they are a must in my kitchen ?), my favorite queen from In Love With Food comes back with whole Fresh Orangey Fruit Cake... low-fat! she exclaims... Can you now resist having a tiny little piece of this guilt-free giant ?

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The last sweet gift idea this time comes in a lovely box layered with jolly snowmen. Susan over at Food Blogga has surprised me with her freshly baked Hello Dolly Cookies. She herself is hosting Eat Christmas Cookies event (which I plan on participating in no time), so she´s da kookee masta! :-) Trust me, she s been baking 2000 cookies every year for Christmas all her childhood. Here is just a few....

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3. DRINKSSSS :-)

The very first one I want to share is my (and Tompa´s) personal favorite. Each time we get a chance, we get all comfy on our (new!) couch and thirstily sip a nice hot cup of Chai... aaah, what a cosiness... This little picture glimpsed through my mind the second I opened a lovely Christmas present from Happy Cook of My Kitchen Treasures. There it was, a big jar of home-made Indian Chai Mix. I am just wondering how long can this one last at our house... A week? Max! ;-)

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Now let´s start celebrating with some "real stuff"! One really elaborate came to me all the way from Chicago! Glamah16 of Coco Cooks surprised me with two beautiful bottles of Home-Made Fruit Vodka that needs three more months to ripe. Nevertheless, it makes a wonderful present even when freshly made. Glamah, please get back to me once the stuff is ready, so we can toast to your creativity. I am particularly interested in the Cactus Pear one...

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Enjoyed the fruit shot? Well, how about a spice shot? Have a little peak into Andrea´s Recipes. She gives very detailed instructions on How To Make Vanilla Extract. Whole vanilla beans neatly organised in a tall glass bottle, makes a wonderful Christmas gift for all your friends. They take 8 weeks to "ripen" though, so you better hurry up!

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After all these shots, it is time to chill. My Christmas feast is over and therefore I would suggest that we all crawl up in our cosy sofas, grab our loved ones and unwrap the last present. It has been a long day, which gives us a unique excuse to open up a bottle of home-made Walnut Wine, an ultimate gift from Dhanggit´s Kitchen. I am stunned. Cheers everybody!

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Before we all go our ways, I would like to present a gift that is very special to me. It comes with a recipe, too, however the most charming part of it is actually the visual part of it. Some time ago, I stumbled upon The Artful Cook and stood there speechless. There are some truly beautiful pictures of various food items that I would do anything to have one of them hanging in my kitchen. I half- jokingly asked Sandra, if she could spare a minute (or couple of hours?) to draw me one for my event. And almost when I forgot all about it, an e-mail surprised me again. Guess what. A wonderful jar of sticky pickled orange zest was awaiting there, just for me... A real picture can be easily drawn in everyone´s mind after reading Sandra´s post. For me, it was the actual ingredients that I want to share with you here...

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This has been an event that I really enjoyed. It brought tons (ok, 56) amazing inspirations that I definitely use in the future, regardless of the occasion. So it took me a while to decide what MY entry would be...
I have always wanted to thank all of you for all your wonderful comments, suggestions and support. Therefore, I wanted to come up with something entirely symbolic.

So here, I would love to share a present that I made especially for you:

It is truly a simple one, but unifies what I have to say to all 45 of YOU :

Thank you for all these FRUITFUL ideas. You guys are NUTS and I LOVE YOU for that.

NUTS IN HONEY and EMBROIDERED FRUITS:

• 45 nuts (all kinds of nut(-cases): walnuts, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts...)
  
• honey (sweeter than ever :-)

Take a biiig jar, fill with nuts and pour honey all over. Close tightly.
For a "fancy hat", take a piece of embroidery cloth, cut out a big square and cross-stitch the following fruit pattern:

Adjust on the lid and tighten with a rubber band.

Merry Christmas, everybody again and thanx for participating!