Hostess Gifts: How Your Garden Can Help You Pretend to Be an Adult

A couple of weeks ago, my coworkers and I were invited to dine with a couple who affectionately call themselves “the Nixons.” The Nixons are not only supporters of Open Door, and happy hour friends of ours, they are also two of the most thoroughly lovely people in Columbus and Big Time Art Collectors. (Did I mention that we love them?)

As the dinner date approached the six of us grew more and more excited, recalling just how awesome they are and just how big their collection is and talking about what we might eat, what we might drink (did I mention also that they’re also wine connoisseurs? Did I mention that we love them?), what were going to wear, what we were bringing for a host gift-

Uh, wait- what??

My normal ‘dinner party’ experience usually consists pizza, something cooked over a fire (usually on a stick), or, if it’s really special, making some crockpot lasagna AND garlic bread. My usual ‘host gift’ is cheap wine, a baked good or a six pack of craft beer…that I may or may not share. I decided in my moment of crises to turn to the expansive, comforting bosom of the internet.

Google ‘host gifts’ and you’ll find any number of helpful websites pointing you towards beautifully made cutting boards, nice bottles of wine and freetradeorganicrecycled tea towels designed by independent Scandinavian artists along with helpful links to websites where, with a bit of forethought and planning, you can have said thoughtful gift ordered, mailed, wrapped, ribboned and ready to go.

But what if your idea of ‘nice wine’ is a 2011 Charles Shiraz*? What if your budgeted time and money for this gathering is roughly twenty minutes? What if you yourself have never actually been to a Fancy Gathering of Adults in an Adult House where a hostess gift is appropriate, and are yourself barely functioning as a real grown up?

Bam.

Answer: fresh cut herbs! Because who doesn’t like herbs?

Here’s what I did:

Cut a couple of sprigs from each herb you have, roughly the same length.
Divide them into two bundles: sweet and savory. I used flowers to designate which was which (yellow for savory, purple for sweet.) If doing this, make sure to tell your host that the marker flowers aren’t edible. That could be embarrassing.
I put my mini-bouquets into small jelly jars in part because they’re what I had, and in part because they’re adorable. Putting the herbs in water will keep them un-wilty, and the whole thing, jar and all, can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. If you had a bit more time you could dry the herbs first, leaving dried bouquets that last fo’ever. AND if you were really good, you could cut and dry several bouquets now while things are growing to use has host/ess gifts for winter Grown Up Parties as well. Though at that point I think you qualify as a Real Grown Up Person. And also crazy.