If your planning on a homemade Christmas or thinking of making a couple of presents to save a little money, now is the time to start.
Here are some great ideas using ingredients from your pantry to turn into stunning gifts -
* Vanilla extract can easily be made from Vodka and vanilla beans. Buy the cheapest bottle of Vodka you can find and decant it into smaller sterilised glass bottles with a lid. Split two vanilla beans in half, and place into the smaller bottle. Replace the lid and store out of direct sunlight. Shake every week. Alternatively, put 5 - 6 vanilla beans into the large vodka bottle and decant after a few months. The vanilla extract can be used in as little as 8 weeks but some people wait for up to a year for a stronger flavour.
* Chocolate brownie dry mixes in a jar make a wonderful baking treat for those who might not usually bake or are time poor. Carefully layer all the dry ingredients in the jar, place the lid on, tie on a wooden spoon and the recipe with a luscious ribbon
* Bath bombs require some ingredients that most pantries stock. Here's the recipe I use. Pack the mixture into moulds or spoon it loose into a jar and tie a fancy spoon on.
* As I've mentioned in many blog posts over the years, a jar of home baked biscuits makes a great present.
* Face and body scrubs can be made from basic pantry items. Here's a link to some great simple recipes Face and Body Scrubs
* Nuts and Bolts savoury snack is so simple to make using Nutri-Grain cereal, peanuts and seasonings. Store in a large glass jar and makes a great men's gift. Here's a link to the recipe Nuts and Bolts.
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| Making vanilla extract. |
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| Moccona coffee jars make great gifts |
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| Making bath bombs |
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| Home baked biscuits for presents |
I have a recipe for oatmeal cookie mix that is beyond fantastic. I give it as a gift very often.
ReplyDeleteWendy I am making Coffee Liqueur. I have made Bailies Irish Cream some years. I always make Christmas cakes. The ingredients add up so I make smaller ones and decorate them nicely. If you save tuna tins all year they make good little cake pans. Just the right size. (the bigger size tuna tins) I love to make Nuts and Bolts! Delicious. Good boys present. I always do shortbread. This year I am giving packages of dried herbs from my garden too.xxx
ReplyDeleteJust doing some planning myself. I give food gifts so need to plan early.
ReplyDeleteSome great ideas here Wendy, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHomemade anything makes for a lovely gift and when I have made them in the past, they have always been appreciated. I noticed that men seem to love the sweet things a lot, like chocolate balls etc.
Your bath bombs look delicious!
xTania