If you are anything like me, you will surely have forgotten one or two close friends over the holidays.  Or you might have forgotten that you promised to bring something to the New Year’s potluck celebration at your brother’s house.  If this is so, then here are some ideas that I’ve used this year and over the past few years, when this happens to me.

Last Minute Gift Ideas:

First you have to look at the recipient of this gift.  Is this person a close friend, a recently-made friend, or a colleague?  This matters as this will dictate the theme of the gift you will be giving.

If this is for a close friend- this is the easiest person to give a gift to. The best last minute gift is something they can use, something that is still unique, and something that is easy to make or find.  I’ve discovered that men and women alike really appreciate something for the home.  Here is a short list of home gifts:

1. A really nice, big serving dish- good for parties and the like

2. A charming oil burner- wonderful for the room or the living room

3.  A basket with potpourri- a rustic air freshener

4. A set of organic soap

If your friend is a colleague- this is the person that is not so easy to gift because there is that professional barrier that can hold you back.  Here are some presents that my colleagues liked.

1. a compact desktop- to hold pens, clips, pins, post its and the like

2. a personalized pen- this is great to have when signing those checks, papers, contracts. It’s very professional-looking

3. a bottle of good wine in a beautiful pouch- after the wine is consumed, the bottle and the pouch can be reused

4. a stylish and compact laptop bag- this is a must have for the workers of this day and, thankfully, you can find really nice ones for a bargain price.

What are some of your gift ideas?  I’ll bet I can use these next year.

Now, if you forgot that you committed a dish to this year’s potluck, try something sweet and simple like a Leche Flan.  This is milk custard in English, and before you knock it, try it first.  It is delicious, sweet, and very easy to make.

You will need:

a double boiler
aluminum foil
a dozen eggs
a can of evaporated milk
a teaspoon of lemon essence
a cup of sugar, brown or white
a cup of water
a Llanera (flan mould)- one big one or a few smaller ones

How to Make This Dish:

1. In a saucepan, mix the sugar and the water in equal amounts over medium heat.  You have to use medium heat or you will burn the syrup. Mix this until it gets drippy, not thick.

2. Transfer equal amounts of this syrup to the Llanera(s) and leave it to sit for a while to cool.

3. Separate the yolks from the whites. You need only the yolks.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the yolks and evaporated milk slowly, mixing in the lemon essence at the end.  It should be light yellow and liquid at the end.

5. Pour this mixture into the Llaneras in equal amounts.

6. Cover the Llaneras with the foil and steam in the dopuble boiler for an hour or until cooked. You will know this is cooked when a knife comes out clean after insertion. make sure this is a smooth and not a serrated knife.

7. Run a smooth kinfe along the edges of the pan and then turn over slowly into your serving dish.

Viola!  You have Leche Flan. Trust me, this is a simnple and delicious dish that everyone will surely love.

Here is how it should look in the boiler. You can use differently-shaped Llanera’s.

Here is how it should look after cooking:

And to know you have a good flan, the consistency should look like this:

Let me know if you’ve tried this and how you liked it.

Happy Holidays!

Vicki