Updated: Giving Homemade Food for Christmas

Christmas is around the corner, and finding just the right gift for a friend, neighbor, or coworker isn�t always an easy task. So I thought I�d share a few Christmas gift ideas in the event that you�d like to give a gift of homemade food this year, which I think many people appreciate. And given the state of our economy right now, if you�re like me, you may be looking for ways to show that you care without spending a lot of money.

The items below can all be made from recipes on my blog. I�ve chosen these because they are all delicious and can be made with relative ease. Also, once you�ve made one of these items, all you need to do to make it festive is to wrap it in a cellophane bag and tie it with a beautiful holiday ribbon. You can also include a copy of the recipes along with a personal card.

Candy/Snacks
Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds
Caramel Popcorn
Uncle Antone and Aunt Gretta�s Easy Candy Popcorn
White Chocolate Popcorn
Lion House Taffy

Cookies/Cookie Dough
French Swiss Cookies
Aunt Joan�s Toffee Squares
Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Cut-Out Cookies
Frosted Lemon Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ginger Snaps
Date-Filled Cookies
Caramel Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

With many of the recipes above, you could give a roll of cookie dough, along with the baking directions, so that the recipient could make these cookies at their leisure, perhaps after the flurry of holiday treats has passed.

Breads
Banana Bread
Applesauce Nut Bread
Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread
Corn Bread
Dill Bread
No-Knead Bread (you could include a small jar of honey or jam with a loaf of this bread)

Or how about a bag of homemade oatmeal pancake mix?
Oatmeal Pancakes

Salad Dressing
I think many people would love a jar of homemade salad dressing for the holidays. It would certainly be a more unusual gift. Also, you could turn these into a larger gift by combining them with other items. For example, you could give the bleu cheese dressing with some beautiful pears. Or you could give a �salad basket� to a friend, including salad dressing, greens, fruit, pine nuts, etc)
Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing
Homespun German Salad Dressing

Soups
Granted, you can�t put soup in a cellophane bag very well, but a jar or other decorative container might work. It doesn�t have to be an entire pot of soup. Just enough for a serving or two. The idea is simply to show someone that you are thinking of them. And why not give something that isn�t sweet during the holidays, something that could help make a meal during the sometimes hectic Christmas season?
Butternut Squash Soup
Taco Soup
Carrot Chowder
Easy White Bean Soup
Chicken Chili

Happy Holiday Giving!

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