Gifts
you Can Make In the Kitchen
- Each recipe is placed on it's own page for easy printing,
and to speed load time. All are easy, and most are very cheap to make.
There are many other great recipes on the Main Christmas Cooking page that can also be used as gifts.
Spice Mixes
- Jerked
Spice Blend
- Spiced
Coffee Mix
- Cheese
Straws
- Brandied
Fruit
Homemade bread - For being there when you were "kneaded", for "rising" to the occasion, large or small. Merry Christmas"
Fruit basket: "If we could choose our family, and we searched the whole world through, we'd go "bananas" trying to find a better "bunch" than you! Merry Christmas!"
Caramel Popcorn with a bottle of 7-up: "Pop, pop, fizz, fizz, oh what a good friend you is."
Drink mix with cup: "To our special friends so dear, wishing you a cup of cheer"
Cookies: "Wishing you Happy Holidays from your "crummy" Mom"
Jam: "Hoping your Christmas is "jam" packed with cheer"
Seasoning mix: "Seasoned with love - Happy Holidays"
Candy: "Wishing you a season full of sweetness"
How to ship cookies
The Postal Service has a long standing reputation for smashing any package, that contains breakables. From personal experience I can tell you that UPS can and does exceed the Post Office with this unique skill! With this fact of life, the responsibility of shipping your fruits of labor and love falls on your shoulders. So here are some tips to ease the pain.
First bar cookies and drop cookies travel best. Frosted and filled cookies may soften and stick together.
If you must send rolled cookies, use shapes that are rounded and bold in shape. Shapes like stars that have small points are subject to break off.
Packing: First you will need a clean heavy box.
Line it with foil or plastic wrap. (for larger boxes
you may wish to use a trash bag)
Lay a thick layer of padding, such as bubble wrap, or
peanuts. If you don't have any of these commercial items crumpled wax paper,
tissue paper or popped popcorn will work.
Lay a sheet of wax paper over padding
Place a single layer of cookies on wax paper
If sending several different types of cookies, start
with the heaviest ones first.
Cover with sheet of wax paper, then another layer of padding, and a second sheet of wax paper.
Now the second layer of cookies.
Continue this until the box is full.
Fill any empty gaps with packing. Is gap is on the side near cookies, you may place packing material in plastic wrap or plastic sandwich bags, and tuck into the gap.
There should be NO ROOM for cookies to shift!
Now seal up your box, write "Perishable" on the out side,
cross your fingers, and ship.
OK "Homemade" isn't your cup of tea? The following sites,
are well known established companies who specialize in gifts.
A couple of clicks of the mouse and a credit card can
make your worries go away. :-)
