Gifts from the Kitchen?
 

As there is already a Christmas gifts thread, I was wondering who is giving gifts made in their kitchen? And if so, what do you make?

I usually give everybody something from my kitchen ('cause it's edible and even if they don't like it, it's gone quickly and it's not going to crowd up your place), e.g. hand-made pasta or chili salt.

I usually include some things I've already made like caramel corn and caramels but also send a mix that I've put together usually for a quick bread, cookies, chai tea etc. All mine are mailed so I'm keeping weight and how perishable and breakable things are in mind.

O.K. Cathy you have me stumped! Please fill me in - just what is chili salt?? I am almost 70 yrs old and I have never heard of that before. Of course there are a lot of things I have never heard of before lol.

I make Bread in a Jar & give it as gifts . The recipe makes 8 jars at a time & it keeps up to a year so it is something they do not have to eat right away. I also make homemade laundry soap & this is can be put in a container & given as a gift along with the recipe & how to use it. Snack mix is another idea to make & give.

I love to get the homemade jars of jam/jelly. A piece of fabric cut with pinking shears tied to the top make a great gift for someone that sews.

One year I made cookie mixes...however the postage cost more than the mixes were worth...so off to something else this year.

I usually make fudge, lots and lots of fudge. I too did the cookie mixes one year but will not do that again the cost of mailing it was crazy.

Since you have done the flavored salt what about vanilla sugar with a recipe or two how to use it.

I have a "house blend" of seasoning that I use on most everything it's a salt, pepper, garlic, onion mix we like the ratio of I keep it on my counter you could mix your own put it in small crocks for a gift.

You can make infused vinegars or olive oil too.

I used to do the matched sets of infused oil and vinegar. I grow my own herbs so I try to use those. It's fun trying to think of interesting combinations. I add other items such as garlic, orange rind, clove, hot pepper, onion ... whatever I can think of.

The hardest part was finding nice bottles with good stoppers.

I make microwave peanut brittle. Everybody loves it and it's easy.

It's basically just chilis and coarse salt blended together, then dried (if you are in a hurry you can use your oven for that). I mainly use it for sauces (tomato, bolognese, etc.) or anything else that needs salt with a kick! ;)

I've seen the jar recipes around and I do think they might get costly (I usually get stumped on the cost of nice mason jars around here). Also, I think they look really nice with all the layers, but I'm pretty sure it will just look like mud once it's carried around for more than 5 min. :p

@Billi:
Any chance you'd post your recipe for the fudge? *prettyplease*

I like the idea of the mixed seasoning, I might do that (it's also something you can do quite a few weeks in advance, that's always helpful! :D).
I made two different infused oils (one chili oil, the other herbs) three, four years ago. They were a hit!