BlogHer - Ten Great Homemade Food Gifts, and No Cooking Required for Some! - Comments

I agree!

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:47:01 -0600

I agree, those meal-in-a-jar gifts would be good for so many different people!

Fantastic list, Kalyn. I

swirlingnotions — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:28:45 -0600

Fantastic list, Kalyn. I especially like the bean soup mix idea -- it looks gorgeous, it's healthy, and you don't have to do any complex canning!

Happy holidays,
Lia

Lia Huber
{ www.swirlingnotions.com : experiential wine education and real conversation }

Thanks!

Kalyn Denny — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:32:18 -0600

Janelle, thanks, especially for the Sangria recipe!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

janelle

talkoftomatoes — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:21:32 -0600

oh, I almost forgot! (It has been awhile): my sangria! Here: http://www.talkoftomatoes.com/2006/09/14/brandied-berried-sangria/

Cheers Kalyn!

janelle

talkoftomatoes — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:18:53 -0600

Kalyn: I adore sending gifts from my kitchen. Just today I handed out a new one: spoons. Those fancy spoons with a ribbon on top and chocolate melted-then-hardened on the spoon. GREAT for stirring in coffee or hot chocolate. (I will have to post on it! Thanks for the reminder!).

MY all time favorite gifts to give: my limoncella, peppermint bark and blueberry chutney. BUT I am always looking for new, great ideas and this is a great resource... time to go peek at a few...

You're welcome

Kalyn Denny — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:59:41 -0600

HI Susan,
Glad you like the list! I have to admit a tropical island sounds great about now!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Thanks!

Susan Wolfe Bittle — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:58:12 -0600

Dear Kalyn,

Thanks for the panch phoron mention and this great collection of clever gifts. Next year I want to run away to a deserted tropical island and feed people from afar w/ treats like these. Oh, I am soooo tempted!

Warm Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas!

Susan

Glad you like it!

Kalyn Denny — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:59:15 -0600

And you are very welcome. Your chutney sounds great!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Great list, Kalyn!

Christine Cooks — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:41:30 -0600

This is a very helpful list for holiday gifts.
And thanks so much for the link!
Cheers,

Christine

Hope it helps

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:11:55 -0600

Sounds like a fun holiday tradition!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

great resource!

steamykitchen — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:05:59 -0600

My dear friend K,

You've just made my day. Every year my friends and I exchange home made gifts- easy for me but not for some of my friends. But now they have no excuse! Theyve got a treasure trove of recipes to explore.

yippee! i might be getting more than just a box of cake mix this year from my friends!!! hee hee!

xoxo,j

Thanks Bee and Mimi!

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:25:27 -0600

I can't take credit for the idea, since Blogher gave me a homework assignment to write about homemade food gifts, but it was fun deciding what the categories should be and finding the links!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Great idea, great list!

Mimi — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:22:38 -0600

Kalyn, you have once again come up with a graat idea for a post here, and I can appreciate how much work it was to collect and set up all those links.

I will find a way to link to this over the weekend. And thank you for the link to my site.

Mimi

this is useful

jugalbandi — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:54:10 -0600

thanks, kalyn, for compiling this wonderful list. it has been bookmarked.

http://jugalbandi.info

Something for everyone . . .

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:11:01 -0600

that was definitely my goal!

You're welcome!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Ten Great Homemade Food Gifts, and No Cooking Required for Some!

Kalyn Denny — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 09:07:05 -0600

It's that time again when you need to get your kitchen into full production line mode if you're planning to turn out loads of holiday goodies to give away. Most people know someone who loves to make elaborate holiday sweets for family, friends, and co-workers. If that sounds like you, I've got a few recipes for cookies, candy, and fruitcake that might make make you smile.

But what if you're not really into holiday sweets that much, or perhaps a bit baking-impaired (like me!) Not to worry because my list of ten holiday food gifts has a few other interesting ideas such as gifts that don't need cooking or holiday treats for pets. Read on and see if there's something that sounds right for a few of the folks on your list, and if you have your own ideas for gifts from the kitchen, let us know in the comments.

1. Cookies must be the most universal holiday treat, so now wonder there are recipes galore for tasty variations. Here are a few places to find some cookie recipes which are really special.

Christmas Cookies Around the World (food blog event which might have literally hundreds of cookie recipes before it ends) at Food Blogga
A Cookie for Every Country (entire blog of Cookies from around the world)
Anna's Personal Favorite Cookies List for Giving from Cookie Madness
12 Days of Christmas Cookies from Nook and Pantry
Holiday Baking Ideas from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen
Holiday Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Porcini Chronicles
Hazelnut Crescent Cookies from Bake or Break
Angel Fingers from The Blog that Ate Manhattan
Vaniliekranse (family recipe) from Food and Thoughts
Matcha Cookies from Nami Nami
Buckwheat Butter Cookies with Cocoa Nibs from Orangette

2. Fruitcake is the holiday tradition people love to hate, but when you see some of these recipes (and photos!) you'll may be inspired to try making some, even if you think you're not a fan.

My Family's Traditional Fruit Cake at What's for Lunch Honey
Patricia's Holiday Fruitcake from Simply Recipes
Bishops Bread, which she says is NOT fruitcake, from Tasting Spoons
Fresh Orangey Fruitcake (low fat) from In Love with Food
Chocolate Cherry Fruitcake from David Lebovitz
Mum's Fruit Loaf from Tinned Tomatoes
Figgy Christmas Fruit Roll from Under the Highchair

3. Candy is always popular for holiday gifts. Here are some classics, and a few new ideas.

Almond Roca Recipe from Simply Recipes
Chunky Turtle Monkey Love Bars from Not Eating Out in New York
Espresso Caramels from 101 Cookbooks
Honey Nut Caramels from Dessert Candy
Fabulous Five Minute Fudge from Technicolor Kitchen
Cinnamon White Chocolate Fudge from Sugarlaws
Pistachio Black Currant Truffles from A Mingling of Tastes

4. Bread. Biscotti, or Crackers are a good option if you'd like something more unusual than cookies or candy.

Homemade Beer Bread Mix with Baking Pan from Farmgirl Fare
Chocolate Chestnut Biscotti with Candied Clementine from Vegan Visitor
Cinnamon Hazelnut Biscotti from Smita Serves You Right
Cherry Garcia Biscotti from Baking Bites
Homemade Whole Wheat Pita Bread (no oven needed) from Just Hungry
Challah Loaves from Mele Cotte
Gluten-Free Chickpea Crackers from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

5. Chutney or Relish is something that can be made year round and it makes a great gift. Many of these can be frozen so you can make them in advance.

Hot Mango Chutney from Tinned Tomatoes
Green Raisin Chutney from Food and Thoughts
Beetroot Chutney from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Cranberry Apricot Ginger Chutney from Christine Cooks
Cranberry Apple Ginger Relish from Jugalbandi

6. Herb and Spice Blends or Pastes will be a big hit with serious foodies on your list. These range from simple-to-make to a bit more complicated.

Vegetarian Thai Chili Paste in Soybean Oil from Jugalbandi
Nam Prik Pao (Chili Paste) from Chez Pim
Berbere (Ethiopian Spice Paste) from Brownie Points
Herbs de Provence from French Kitchen in America
Carrabbas Italian Grill Bread Dip Mix from Sidewalk Shoes
Panch Phoron (Bengali spice mix) from The Well Seasoned Cook
Dukkah (Egyptian Spice blend) from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

7. Meal-in-a-Jar Gifts are fun and easy to assemble even for people who don't know how to cook. Dianne's Dishes is doing a series of these, so there may be more by the time you read this. That's Dianne's Chili-in-a-Jar in the photo above.

Veggie Soup Gift Jar from Dianne's Dishes
Three Bean Chili Gift Jar from Dianne's Dishes
Hot Chocolate Gift Jar from Dianne's Dishes
Chocolate Chip Brownies Gift Jar from Dianne's Dishes
Bean and Pea soup Gift Jar from Dianne's Dishes.

8. Sea Salt or Pepper with Herbs and/or Spices makes a great gift, and it's incredibly easy to make. Last year I gave this rosemary salt to everyone on my list!

Cracked Pepper Seasoning Blend for Fish from 28 Cooks
Rosemary Salt from Kalyn's Kitchen
Herb Salt from Lucullian Delights
Make Your Own Flavored Salts from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen

9. Liqueurs or Extracts are fantastic for gifts, and many of them are remarkably simple to make. If you can find a fancy bottle, this gift becomes even more special.

Vin d' Oranges from Like to Cook
Vanilla Extract from Andrea's Recipes
Chocolate Liqueur from 18th Century Cuisine
Limoncello from Lucullian Delights

10. Gifts for Pets will be a big hit if you have animal lovers on your list. You can also make these treats for your own faithful companions!
Peanut Butter Dog Treats from Use Real Butter
Holiday Doggie Bagels from Culinary in the Country

Blogher Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen. This year she's planning to give away Sweet Potato Fries Seasoning Mix to friends and co-workers for Christmas gifts.