holiday gift for a teacher who keeps kosher

[melissafitz]

i'm making hot cocoa mix/marshmallows for the kids' teachers, but one of them keeps kosher, and -- since i don't -- i don't think that will work for her. do you guys have any suggestions or should i just avoid homemade food items altogether?

[DanM]

You can do the same... Just buy a can of Ghirardellihot chocolate (a kosher brand) and a bag of kosher marshmallows and leave them sealed. You should be able to find kosher marshmallows at Whole Foods or national grocery chains in large Jewish communities. It may not be as nicely packaged, but I am sure she would appreciate the thought.

[judiu]

Is she just Kosher or Kosher-vegan, etc.? If just Kosher, try Jaz's spiced nuts from our recipe section, marshmallows, or other candy. Most candies are Kosher, unless they have butter or milk as an ingredient; even then, you can explain on a label that they are

dairy. Use my Idiot's Delight Fudge recipe (so named by my Mom, because any idiot can make it) 18 oz. Nestle dark chocolate bits, 1 can of (Kosher) condensed milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla (again Kosher; check the label) and a large pinch of Kosher salt. Mix morsels into canned milk, heat in a double boiler over simmering water until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, stir in salt and vanilla and refrigerate until set. Slice while still slightly warm. If she's Glatt Kosher,(i.e. super observant) get flowers. She won't eat anything not produced in a totally Kosher kitchen.

[snowangel]

You could also get a gift card to a place like Target or Office Depot -- teachers often spend a lot out of pocket for school supplies for the class.

[nibor]

I go with DanM re: sealed food items. Then there is no need for the teacher to answer questions about her personal life. As for the school supplies - maybe some teachers could pipe up? We hear that they need money for such items. But do they need them more than chocolate? Might be a tough call!

[baroness]

A gift card for Target or the like could be used for chocolate, a fuzzy scarf, or anything else the teacher desires for herself, or her class.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I agree that sealed food items are your best bet, if you're giving food. There is a range of kosher standards and practices out there, but if something is prepared in a non-kosher kitchen, then it isn't kosher.

[DanM]

Is she just Kosher or Kosher-vegan, etc.? If just Kosher, try Jaz's spiced nuts from our recipe section, marshmallows, or other candy. Most candies are Kosher, unless they have butter or milk as an ingredient; even then, you can explain on a label that they are

dairy. Use my Idiot's Delight Fudge recipe (so named by my Mom, because any idiot can make it) 18 oz. Nestle dark chocolate bits, 1 can of (Kosher) condensed milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla (again Kosher; check the label) and a large pinch of Kosher salt. Mix morsels into canned milk, heat in a double boiler over simmering water until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, stir in salt and vanilla and refrigerate until set. Slice while still slightly warm. If she's Glatt Kosher,(i.e. super observant) get flowers. She won't eat anything not produced in a totally Kosher kitchen.

If something is make in a non-kosher kitchen, even if it is made with kosher ingredients, would not be kosher. While some may accept it, you probably don't want to take a chance. Having dairy ingredients in a candy does not necessarily prohibit it from being kosher either. Dairy is often substituted with pareve, or neutral, ingredients so it can be served with either diary or meat meals. Glatt Kosher is a whole other story. It deals with the rigorous inspection of an animal to make sure it was healthy before being slaughtered. It would have no reflection at all on this subject.

[judiu]

oops... Thanks for the correction!

[Kayakado]

Having a friend who has been a school teacher for 20 years. I'd say give a gift card or nothing. The teachers get so sick of all this junk year after year, especially food items. Most of this stuff gets thrown away or dropped off at a thrift shop out of the local school district. Many try to diet over the holiday break.

[Marmish]

I always loved and appreciated the things students brought me. I found uses for most things. Not being Jewish myself, my favorite gift was a small Christmas ornament with the student's name and year. I have a large container of these and like to look at them each year and remember them. I always appreciated food items that were of average to good quality. I'd rather have a 2 pack of good turtles than a huge box of waxy chocolate. Mugs and trinkets are, I agree, hard to deal with the build up after awhile. A card with a note is always most appreciated by everyone. Teachers do spend a good bit of money on classroom items, so the gift card advice is good as well. If nothing else, teachers are often office supply whores who covet the "good pens" and the fancy paper clips or a good electric pencil sharpener or good stapler. Those chalk markers are really cool and I lament that they weren't on the market when I was in the classroom.