This is one of my favorite times of the year. I have a binder that is loaded with the last 30 years of who I gifted what to, what boxes I used, how I wrapped them and of course – all the fabulous recipes!
This year, gathering with others and walking into someone’s home with a box or vessel of goodies is not happening. But that won’t stop me from baking way to much stuff that my freezer can’t handle – because the reality is – having a freezer loaded with dough is the gift that keeps on giving (and not just in December).
Today I am giving you great ideas for holiday giving (which can translate to all year around), but I also have a handy, free, PDF guide on where you can grab some of these cute things that you see in this post. My 2020 Holiday Resource Guide can be downloaded here. And if there is something you are still looking for – leave a comment or email me or DM me on Instagram – I am 98% sure that I can point you in the right direction and get your what you need.
I am sure you have a family favorite cake recipe. We have several but this is one has to be under the dome when my son comes home for holiday visits from college. Don’t just put it in a foil pan (ugh – sorry). Look for sales through out the year and this square cast iron skillet was found at a local store closing and I grabbed a few! It came in handy this holiday season and if you like this idea, you can find something like this here
I can almost bet that you pretty much have all of these items in your pantry, except maybe the dates. But – that shouldn’t stop you. If you’ve got a food processor, these are whipped up in about 10 minutes. This recipe makes about 40 truffles and I can easily get about 4-5 gifts out of it. I have put these in small tins, specialty boxes and even cute little bags with a great label.
We have all made loads of banana bread using yucky bananas. But here’s a new option for those brown bananas that you just can’t get yourself to throw away. Banana Jam is the Bomb! It’s so easy and with a few cute glass jars you probably already have on hand – you can gift this to anyone who loves bread (that is probably everyone you know)! I save glass jars from mustard, jelly and pretty much any condiment (free vessel) that we use on a monthly basis. Boil off the original label, make a cute new label, slap on some cute ribbon and voila! If this cost you more than a dollar – I would be surprised!
You all know that my freezer is my best friend. And giving slice and bake dough – as a gift – is one of the easiest gifts to give. Using pantry staples, parchment and a little bit of ribbon – you can easily make 3-4 logs from one Sable recipe. And…this particular sable recipe makes multiple flavors. Give a 3 – pack – it makes such an impression!
Trader Joes has the best price on nuts – anywhere! Hands Down! For about 5.99 and some pantry staples – you can make this gift in like an hour. I love to do toffee pecans and candied walnuts as well and sometimes I mix the nuts. And I bet you have some mason or ball jars laying around (right along side those condiment glass jars, I mentioned above) which are great vessels for this sort of thing!
I mean…come on…seriously!!! I bet you have sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and some dark chocoloate in your pantry right now. You can make this mix for about a buck a gift and the thank you’s you will just keep on coming! I like to make homemade marshmallows to go with it, but I am an over achiever. Those mini marshmallows we all know and love, look just as good!Rocky Road Fudge
It took years to master a good fudge recipe. Being the sugaraholic that I am and devoted “Sees Candies” afficianado – my bar was set high. This recipe is a good one and again, fudge is one of those things that goes along way. One batch of fudge can gift multiple people and how you package it is not a one size fits all thing. It’s great in brown coffee bags, jars, boxes – you can be creative here! And just have fun with it!Homemade Flavored Vinegars
Vinegar is the cheapest ingredient and resource we have on hand. A huge gallon of vinegar is like 3 bucks and making homemade, flavored vinegar is best using seasonal ingredients (when they are the most economical). I just saw some jars like the ones on this post at Ikea for a few dollars and again – vinegar is one of those things you can make in a huge batch and get some big bang for your buck. I like to give stuff like this to the bank tellers, crossing guards, parking lot attendants, etc. It doesn’t have a shelf life and they get a cute vessel when the substance is used up!
Finding cute cookie vessels (on sale) is one of my favorite past times. Again – I am not a slap some cookies on a paper plate and wrap them in foil kind of gal. If someone is moving into a new home or has been caring for a loved one – who wouldn’t want to get a jar full of something you made. I have a few cute ideas in the 2020 Holiday Resource Guide with clickable links – making it easy for you to check stuff out.
Whether you make one kind of cookie or 20, homemade jams and condiments or some vegan granola – it really doesn’t matter as long as you share it. And if you can go the extra mile and put your special touch on it – I promis you – that goes along way.
So, from my kitchen to yours – Happy Holidays!!
P.S. If you have questions or need a little help – I am always here to answer questions! I love talking all things food, creating, crafting, branding and more! And be sure to follow me on Instagram! I am always cooking stuff up over there!
