Homemade Christmas Gifts from the kitchen

[bayoutider]

For many years I have made gifts for the neighbors in my kitchen. Thought I would share some ideas with you and would love some fresh ideas as well.

Flavored vinegars and oils - all you need are some nice sterilized bottles, a cork , some vinegar and herbs.

Homemade Vanilla extract - you need alcohol, water and fresh vanilla beans.

Homemade Kahlua - do search for my recipe.

Homemade Lemoncello - do search for my recipe.

Homemade hot sauce - peppers, salt, vinegar, bit of sugar, garlic and onion.

Pickled peppers - pretty easy to do.

Fancy tin filled with mixed fudge, candy or cookies.

Texas Trash - Rice, Corn & wheat chex, pretzels, goldfish crackers, mixed nuts, butter, seasoned salt, worchestershire sauce. Put in gallon zip lock bags then in nice gift bag.

Cherry bombs - Maraschino cherries soaked in vodka

A good friend might get 1 each flavored oil, vinegar and either hot sauce or vanilla

Another might get 1 each Kahlua, Lemoncello & cherry bombs

Spicy food lovers might get 1 each hot sauce & pickled peppers

Someone who bakes a lot might get 2 homemade vanilla made with different alcohols

Sweet lovers get tins of sweets, Savory get the chex mix. I always leave one of these for the mail carrier.

 

[BamaLuver]

Excellent idea's Bayou -- I love those "gifts from the kitchen"!

 

[ROLLTRIBE]

Last christmas I gave a good friend a big jar of my pickled eggs along with the recipe. He raved about it. Just the other day he told me that he's made at least ten baches this year!

Gifts from the kitchen are special and mean much more that a store-bought gift.

 

[BamaLuver]

I've always though the jars & jars of fig preserves my sister puts up each year would be a great Christmas gift. However, after all that hard work, think she keeps them for their own use!!

 

[bayoutider]

Anyone wanting to make their own Kahlua or vanilla extract look on ebay for your vanilla beans. I bought 1/2 lb of Madagascar Bourbon beans and 20 Tahitian beans for about $30. Beans at the store are 2 for about $6 and at the internet spice stores 3 for about $7 so do the math. If making either use a mix of 2 to 1 Madagascar / Tahiti or even 3 to 1. If you can get them at a decent price the Mexican beans are high quality again this year.