I confess I didn’t make up that title myself.  The homemade treats I received when I was working full-time were very much appreciated and a nice change from the standard “Pot of Gold” chocolate box.  The following are easy recipes for goodies you can give to your neighbour, child’s teacher, school bus driver or friendly banker.  Just put in a decorative box or bag and tie with a big bow or add to a gift basket.

Candied Cashew Popcorn

Pop 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn to make about 16 cups.  Set aside.
Heat and stir 3 cups granulated sugar, 2/3 cup water, 1/3 cup butter or hard margarine and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a heavy saucepan on medium heat for about 10 minutes until boiling and sugar is dissolved.  Boil gently, uncovered for 25 – 35 minutes, without stirring, brushing side of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve any sugar crystals, until golden brown. Remove from heat.

Add ¼ teaspoon salt.  Stir well.  Pour over popped corn.
Add 2 ½ cups cashews.  Stir with a wooden spoon until all the popcorn is coated.  Divide and spread evenly on 2 greased baking sheets with sides.  Cool.  Break into bite-size pieces.  Store at room temperature in airtight container for up to one month.  Makes about 20 cups.

This is good to snack on while watching your favourite holiday movie.

Cranberry Gumdrops

In a saucepan, sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over ½ cup water; let stand for 2 minutes to soften.  Add 1 can (350ml) jellied cranberry sauce and 1 cup sugar; cook over low heat until sauce is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.  Whisk until smooth.

Remove from heat and add 3 packages (85g) raspberry Jell-O; stir until completely dissolved.  Pour into an 8-inch square dish coated with cooking spray.  Cover and let stand at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.

Cut into 1-inch squares; roll in sugar (about 1 cup).  Place on baking sheets; let stand at room temperature for 3 hours.  Turn pieces over and let stand 3 hours longer.  Roll in additional sugar if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Makes about 5 dozen.

This sounds fiddly but they are worth the time spent.

Layered Mint Fudge

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil; grease the foil with about 1 ½ teaspoons butter and set aside.  In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth.  Remove from heat.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.  Spread half of the mixture into prepared pan.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm.  Set remaining chocolate mixture aside.

In a heavy saucepan, melt 1 cup vanilla chips and remaining sweetened condensed milk from can over low heat; cook and stir for 5-6 minutes or until smooth (mixture will be thick).  Remove from heat.  Add 3 teaspoons peppermint extract and 1 to 2 drops green food colouring; stir 3-4 minutes until creamy.  Spread evenly over chocolate layer.  Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until firm.

Heat reserved chocolate mixture over low heat until mixture achieves spreading consistency; spread over mint layer.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or until firm.

Using foil, lift fudge out of pan.  Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-inch squares.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes 1-¾ pounds.

If you try these recipes, I hope you and your family and friends enjoy them.  Maybe they’ll become a Christmas tradition.

Last year my wife and I bought a new living room furniture set, and we finally succumbed to temptation and purchased a new television.  We were pleased with ourselves, thinking that we got a terrific deal on the entire set.  As we sat down to finalize the pricing and payment, there came the inevitable extended warranty pitch.

Luckily I was prepared, and after half-heartedly listening to the sales pitch I kindly rejected their offer for me to buy a $300 extended warranty for my brand new $800 television.  But for anyone who has ever been in this situation before, it didn’t end there.  They actually sent the Store Manager over to try more high pressure tactics to get me to buy the extended warranty on my television.

The real purpose of an extended warranty is to add to the store’s profits at your expense.  The extended warranty will pay the cost of repairing the item you purchased after the manufacturer’s warranty expires.  It is a product created and sold by the retailer, not the manufacturer.

Why You Shouldn’t Buy An Extended Warranty:

1. If you finance the amount of the extended warranty, you will be paying interest on the cost of an agreement that won’t be in effect for one to three years.
2. You pay for the warranty itself in advance even though it won’t be in effect for one to three years.
3. By the time the warranty becomes effective you may have lost, sold, or replaced the item on which you bought the warranty.
4. The warranty does not typically cover normal wear and tear, rough handling, or in the case of some electronics – actually dropping the equipment – which in reality are the major causes of defects.
5. The cost of the warranty is astronomical compared to the amount of money the retailer actually pays for the real repairs.  Some experts suggest that less than 20 percent of all extended warranty monies collected by the retailer are paid out in repairs.  The rest is profit.
6. Sales people are normally paid a huge commission for intimidating you into saying yes to extended warranties.

Many people fall for the extended warranty pitch because of the high pressure nature of the sale.  They have a feeling of satisfaction and relief after making their decision to buy an expensive item, and they are just about to close the deal when the sales associate mentions the extended warranty.

Some people just nod and agree to add it onto the bill because they just want the process to be over.  And most people will buy anything that seems to contribute to peace of mind or a sense of security, with no idea of how to calculate value.  I’ve actually heard of extended warranties being sold on batteries!

Back to my experience, last week I received a phone call from the same retailer advising me that my manufacturer’s warranty was set to expire in a few weeks and they wanted to let me know that they could still offer to take my $300 to extend the warranty another 2 years.

I’m no television expert, but the moment I set it down on the TV stand and plugged it in, it’s staying put and is not likely to break down on me.

Again, I kindly told the retailer that I wasn’t interested in their generous offer.  What are your thoughts on extended warranties?