Christmas is right around the corner

[Gunslinger]

My family does a lottery type gift exchange for Christmas. The rules are pretty simple. The gift has to be homemade by the gift giver. And we usually choose a theme and this year the theme is food.
I drew my sister-in-law that lives here in SW Missouri and I'm building her a UDS and throwing in a brisket, some rubs, and other related items.
My wife drew my other SIL that lives in Atlantic Iowa. She decided to give her a bunch of homemade food. Corn cob jelly, apple butter, pumpkin butter, honey, different relishes and pickles, are among some of the items she has in mind. Anyway, she wanted a nice basket for all this stuff, and I suggested a bread basket. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.
Here's what I spent the morning doing. Good news is I get to work tomorrow.

Started with a basic white bread recipe, a stainless bowl, and a pizza pan. I can bake a mean loaf of bread, but a basket weaver I ain't.


Fresh out of the oven.


I'll let this stale and get hard. It won't last forever, but she should be able to serve her dinner rolls out of it for a couple years, if the mice don't get to it.

[Walking Dude]

POINTS ! ! ! !

dude, varnish or laquer it, should last till someone drops summin heavy on it........lolol

[Slanted88]

That is cool....I like it!

[douglaslizard]

I drew my sister-in-law that lives here in SW Missouri and I'm building her a UDS and throwing in a brisket, some rubs, and other related items.

how i wish i was iyour sister in law.

[Uncle-Honky]

That's a real nice basket Gunny. Your weave looks good to me bud!

[SmokinLee]

Your basket looks purty durned good to me.

[Bassman]

That's about the prettiest bread basket I've ever seen! Nice, Gunny.

[Richtee]

I'll be damned... how friggin' cool is THAT?!?

SOMEONE'S gonna be getting some salad leafs added to their header...

[ALX]

Thanks for sharing this.Nice idea your family does on the gifts...

[thepoolguy]

Too fricking cool there Gunny, great job with that weave.

[Walking Dude]

hey gunny, how bout a video of you doing this, for us ametures(sp)

[Walking Dude]

heres a link on shellacing bread for ornaments

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,164,1...229206,00.html

[Fishawn]

You are amazing Tom!

[Gunslinger]

hey gunny, how bout a video of you doing this, for us ametures(sp)

Well, if we're talking amateurs, how can I possibly do a video? I only do this stuff for fun. Besides, that sucker took me 3 hours. I'll post the link that got me going tho.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4591283_real...ng-dinner.html And this basket makes mine look pretty crappy.
The difference is, I didn't use frozen bread (talk about sacrilege). I didn't use cardboard in the rim, and because of how tight she wove hers, the strips blended so well it doesn't even look woven. But it still looks good.
If you do one of these, I would suggest covering the bottom of the bowl with foil about half way through baking. I noticed mine getting very brown, and I used the convection oven for this one.

[DDave]

Now THAT is cool!!



Dave