Local Giving

The incessant assault of Christmas music. The arrival of quickly-signed cards from people I barely know. The fountain of catalogs flying through my mail slot: oh yeah, the holidays are coming.

I have to say, I'm not in the mood. The current state of the economy clashes with the rampant consumerism of December. And I grow weary of the fussy entitlement reflected in many of the wish lists I encounter. Shouldn't we all be canning, knitting and otherwise hunkering down for a cold winter with a chance of Depression?

This year, to cheer myself up, I've decided to give as many local gifts as I can. I started my shopping with Pangea Organics, whose lovely soaps and lotions are made in Boulder Colorado at their wind-powered plant. Their packaging is not only biodegradable, it's infused with plant seeds, so you can wet it, place it under about an inch of soil, and grow edible sweet basil, flowering amaranth, or even a spruce tree.

What's more, for a limited time you can e-mail holiday@pangeaorganics.com with the subject line "Trees Please" and they'll send you an order form that takes 50% off every product. This is a spectacular deal. I'm imagining wrapped stacks of three soaps each for certain lucky friends.

Next, I bought some Smartwool Socks designed by Boulder artist and friend Julie Maren. I love these socks. My favorite design is Bombay, a cozy crew that comes in four gorgeous colors and features a lotus flower.

Unfortunately, though Smartwool is based in Steamboat Springs, I wasn't able to find the best deal on these socks locally. But the deal I did find was from a very socially responsible company aiming toward carbon neutraility and very engaged in corporate socail responsibility: Timberland. The $20 socks were marked down to under $13 -- plus I found plenty of online coupons to get 20-40% off. A shopping victory!

Then there's the knitting. I've made a bunny beanie, surely the cutest baby hat ever designed. I'm working on fingerless gloves for one of my sisters, and I've got a couple of scarves wrapped and ready.

Finally, I made truffles. I'll confess, the chocolate isn't local, but there's not much I can do about that. Local cream and local butter soothed my conscience. These make a great gift for freinds and hostesses. And they're easy to make. Here's the recipe I use:

Tasty Chocolate Truffles
(makes 50)

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (60% or more cacao works well)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
A capful (or two) of a tasty liqueur (I've used frangelico, grand mariner, and kahlua, among others)
Unsweetened dutch cocoa to cover

Melt chocolate & butter in microwave-safe mixing bowl, stirring every 30 seconds.
Heat cream to simmer and pour into chocolate mixture.
Gently stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed.
Add Grand Mariner and stir until blended.
Chill in refrigerator for two hours.
When firm, remove from fridge.
Form small spoonfuls into truffle-sized balls & roll in cocoa to coat.
Keep in fridge.
Take one or more daily to relieve stress or celebrate life.

Maybe it's just the truffles, but I'm feeling better about the holidays...