Fennel Fronds = Dill Substitute

I don't eat fennel all that often. It's delicious roasted, but honestly it's not a "go to" except when I roast a chicken. I love slivered fennel added to whatever veggies wind up under the bird. My problem is not taste; it's that I never knew what to do with those fronds and I hated relegating them to the compost when they're actually quite tasty. It really grinds my gears to throw away such a substantial (and edible and tasty) portion of any food, so instead of subjecting myself to gear-grinding, I just don't buy it that often.

Now, I do add a heaping helping of fronds in with my other herbs when I stuff the interior, but typically I'm roasting a 2-pound bird, so we're not talking about a massive cavity here. In addition to the herbs, I must have garlic and some citrus that limited space, so I always have quite a lot of fennel bits left over. Some can go in my stock bag, but I don't want the fennel taste to overwhelm, so I'm judicious there. 

To my delight, I've recently learned fennel makes a terrific substitute for dill! We use dill fairly regularly around here in everything from scrambled eggs to my husbands killer tuna salad, so if for some reason you never know what to do with your own fennel fronds, just pretend you found some gorgeous fresh dill in your vegetable drawer. According to the intertubes you can also dry it just like dill as well, but I haven't tried that yet. 

Grow ginger root yourself

Several years ago, I found out you can grow whole new green onions from the bit of root that would otherwise be compost. I stick them into pots on my back porch all winter long and then move them to the garden in the spring. Whilst googling a link to share since I don't seem to have a picture, I see that I could also stick the roots in water and leave them in my kitchen window. I will give this a try!

At any rate, there is little that gives me such pleasure as finding a beautiful use for something that I once discarded. I said as much to my Aunt Terri who told me I could do the same thing with ginger root. She said to just stick it in a pot and it would grow and the root would also grow and I could just cut some off if I was in need of ginger. Terrific!

1" of ginger root, freshly cut

So I tried this and it really does work! I put about two inches of ginger root into one of my pots and promptly forgot about it until I noticed some plant I didn't recognize growing in with my petunias. Lo and behold: Ginger! The root had grown about an inch over the summer, so I suppose it would take a while to get enough to count on this plant to be our sole supply of ginger, but it sure saved the day when the kids requested noodles with Peanut Butter Sauce and I had no ginger in the house.

The green part of the plant died back when I brought the pot in for the winter, but my aunt assures me it will spring back to life in the spring. Try growing your own next time you buy ginger root!

Is homemade worth the trouble?

I've been trying to make more gifts for those I love and appreciate. I dipped my foot in the water last year by making some stocking stuffers with my (then) four-year-old. We cut bookmarks out of the previous year's calendar, with quotes on the back for each person. I loved using them through the year and decided to try a few more projects to give as gifts or as part of a gift.

You'll have to forgive the lighting in these. I realized the night before going out of town for the holidays (in the midst of packing, no less) that I needed some snapshots, so we have to be happy with what I got.

Flax Seed Pillows

I saw these flax pillows at An Oregon Cottage and thought they seemed like a terrific idea! I bought fleece on Etsy and found them very easy to make, even for a novice seamster like myself. The one pictured is for the Kindergartener's teacher (he picked the fabric). Other variations on a theme: flax seed hand warmers or foot warmers for your cold-footed friends to take to bed. 

Time: < 30

Cost: < $5

Recommended: yes!

Girl's Catchall

This Girls' Catchall from Martha Stewart took quite a bit of time, but I think it was worth it. The bulk of the time was spent painting the frame/dowels and waiting for them to dry (I applied three coats over the course of a few days). I made one for my daughter and one for my niece. It should surprise no one that I chose bright colors instead of Martha's tastefully cool tones. Mine is larger (12X12) and I secured the ribbon to the back with tacks since we don't own a staple gun. I also used superglue to affix the dowels vs. wood glue.

Time: 1-3 days for painting; ~ 1 hour for the rest

Cost: I'm approximating, but this was relatively expensive when all was said and done...between $30-35.

Recommended: Sure. Attractive and functional; also a good project for other children to help with.

Sweater Pillow

This is a down pillow covered with a sweater that my grandfather used to wear. It was a gift for his daughter, my mother. The down was upcycled from a pillow I already owned, which mom appreciates. I got the idea from my cousin, who made one for my aunt. It does look a little lumpy in the picture, but it's very comfortable and my mother loves it. I used a storebought pillow case as the underlayer and then cut/handsewed the sweater to fit in a relatively square shape. I don't know that I'd necessarily give it as a gift unless the sweater had some meaning to recipient, but this was my favorite homemade gift this year.

Not pictured is the kitchen towel I embroidered for my mother-in-law (Eiffel Tower!), but you can see a sample of my needlework in the first picture with the flax pillows. The green/yellow design on the towel is my second embroidery project and I am excited to be developing this new crafty skill, so I did make sure to at least get it in the shot.

Did you make gifts this year? Are they well-received? Worth the trouble? If you have pictures, link and share what is worth the time and what was a bit of a flop.