Wednesday 9 October 2019

Making Gifts From The Pantry

The countdown to Christmas has already begun in our home ( or at least in my mind ).  I love to be super organised and never leave present shopping or making to the last minute.

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.

Making vanilla extract.

Moccona coffee jars make great gifts

Making bath bombs

Home baked biscuits for presents

What gifts do you make from pantry ingredients ?


4 comments:

  1. I have a recipe for oatmeal cookie mix that is beyond fantastic. I give it as a gift very often.

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  2. Wendy 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

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just doing some planning myself. I give food gifts so need to plan early.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some great ideas here Wendy, thank you for sharing.

    Homemade 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

    ReplyDelete

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