SamanthaCarter Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Piggybacking on the gifts for relatives thread, I've been trying to move toward making/buying food gifts for DH's and my siblings and parents over the last few years. It's not too hard for my side of the family, but DH's side is very gifty so I wonder/second guess what is "nice" enough. I don't really think that we need to be getting ANY grown siblings Christmas gifts, but it still seems to be at least somewhat expected. Ideas? I'm pretty good in the kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Last year I did pints of mango chutney, peach butter, strawberry jam and black raspberry jam. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewber Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 https://www.google.com/amp/www.food.com Hopefully this is the link to honey chipotle pecans. They are really yummy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I think it's amazing to get homemade gifts. Fewer people know how to make things or can set aside the time to do so. Homemade gifts are rare and special especially in a world where people shop amazon from their couch. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 One year I made mini-loaves of pumpkin bread (with chocolate chips in it), one for each person, including the kids. It went over quite well. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) I think gifts from the kitchen are amazing. And they are certainly "nice" enough, because it is not just money, but your time and effort that is put into them, which makes it much more special. Honestly, most people have houses full of stuff and don't need a single more thing. Special foods (homemade is super special) are a perfect gift - they can be enjoyed, consumed, and don't have to be stored or dusted. I wish I could give my folks homemade food gifts (they're all overseas) Edited October 31, 2016 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I make and freeze soups for my parents. They like them. Yes, they know how to cook. However they do not like to cook for themselves, do if I give them stuff for their freezer that's a few meals they don't have to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 The last few years our grandparents were still alive I made them pumpkin bread because they didn't really need stuff. My grandmother really liked getting it and sharing it with caregivers and visiting family. If it's something that can be frozen or is shelf-stable like the items you made, all the better as many people are over-stuffed from holiday eating well before Christmas arrives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) Don't follow my example. I made homemade (like Hostess) snowballs & these old-fashioned cookies for my in-laws. I did both recipes at the last minute & they were complete flops. Thankfully, both MIL and FIL were gracious & actually tasted them?!? I'll practice first, next time. :) But I think that homemade treats are a good alternative gift for people who don't really need anything. That, and old photos displayed in some keepsake way. Edited October 31, 2016 by Beth S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 The reason horn cookies are special for my dad is that they are complicated and even mom doesn't make them but once a year. what are horn cookies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I checked a couple websites I am not finding a recipe similar. My great grandmother was off the boat polish, that's who the recipe is from. The dough is almost like a pie crust dough but it uses sour cream. It needs to be refridgerated before you work it. It's then rolled out, and cut into squares, but the squares are filled "diagonally" so that once you bring the corners together, they look very much like cresent rolls. The filling is a mix of pineapple preserves and finely chopped walnuts. Our recipe says either homemade or store bought pineapple preserves, but there's no recipe for making the pineapple preserves. I think though that the recipe was changed to pineapple preserves from some other preserve because the recipe is old and has lots of cross outs and can be hard to read. Great Grandma was in her 90s when she passed, she was 18 when she came to the US. I have a hard time imagining pineapple preserves were available in Poland before she came but I suppose they could of been. Thanks for explaining. Never heard of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) It's fairly easy to make truffles, at least the non-dipped kind. We don't drink alcohol for religious reasons so I have no experience with them, but a friend of mine makes rum balls and those are a big hit with her everyone she sends them to. If your recipients drink tea or coffee, biscotti is not very hard to make. It's a basic baking job follwed by slicing and re-baking the slices. You can package items in kraft paper boxes with some tissue inside and tie a bow with baker's twine. Edited October 31, 2016 by idnib Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) I checked a couple websites I am not finding a recipe similar. My great grandmother was off the boat polish, that's who the recipe is from. The dough is almost like a pie crust dough but it uses sour cream. It needs to be refridgerated before you work it. It's then rolled out, and cut into squares, but the squares are filled "diagonally" so that once you bring the corners together, they look very much like cresent rolls. The filling is a mix of pineapple preserves and finely chopped walnuts. Our recipe says either homemade or store bought pineapple preserves, but there's no recipe for making the pineapple preserves. I think though that the recipe was changed to pineapple preserves from some other preserve because the recipe is old and has lots of cross outs and can be hard to read. Great Grandma was in her 90s when she passed, she was 18 when she came to the US. I have a hard time imagining pineapple preserves were available in Poland before she came but I suppose they could of been. ETA-they are complicated because of the dough. It doesn't take a lot of ingredients, but they have to be mixed just right, and refridgerated just right. ETA again...most of the recipes I find involve cream cheese, but grandmas for sure uses sour cream. My dad specifically loves THOSE cookies. Neither his mother nor grandmother cooked very well, he fell in love with my grandmas horn cookies the first Christmas he spent with my mom. Drooling. I grew up with those, I'm fairly sure. My mom used apricot preserves, but I seem to remember that sometimes pineapple was used. That part is fuzzy because I preferred apricot. We used sour cream, too. :) Man, I wish I could make them. I have a passed down recipe, too, but alas - allergies. We have a similar recipe with an almost identical dough, like a more complicated thumb print cookie, too. That calls for pineapple or strawberry. Mentioning it only because the dough is very similar. Have you ever thought of making your copy of the recipe into a dish towel or a framed piece? You could do the dish towel, put your kids' handprints on it, and give the cookies... Random fun thought. For homemade stuff, I prefer these types of gifts. The people in our circle vary in their appreciation. There are some family members who clearly prefer something purchased. Last year we made kahlua. It's not exactly a budget item, between bottles and alcohol, but it tasted yummy. We put the bottles in stenciled buckets with coffee, hand painted coffee cups (personalized for each person) those fake snowballs, and some other edible goodies. I could tell some liked it more than others. This year, I'm still looking for ideas. Edited October 31, 2016 by Spryte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Our neighbor used to do containers of homemade caramel corn. It was always very much appreciated. It's an item that is much better homemade and that we all like, but something that's time consuming enough to make that I very rarely do it. A student gave me homemade caramels once. That was wonderful too. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn in FL Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Last year I did pints of mango chutney, peach butter, strawberry jam and black raspberry jam. WOW! I would love to suddenly become related to you! :tongue_smilie: Seriously, what a lovely gift idea. That sounds delicious! :001_wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 (edited) Apricot! That was the other one bouncing around in my head! (The recipe is buried in the recipe box in the kitchen, I don't want to leave the tv room, watching the Cubbies!) I can't say for sure that apricot was really the other one, mostly because, my dad just really really loves the specific ones with the pineapple preserves. Oh, also, they have to be dusted with powdered sugar. I love the idea of printing it on a dishtowel. My mom would likely love to have that, from the copy in great grandma's handwriting. Yes! Powdered sugar! I almost asked that. I really want one, now. Mmmmmm... We have a great grandmother's pumpkin pie recipe on a dish towel, and it's loved. :) Edited October 31, 2016 by Spryte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I like food gifts. I don't give many because I just run out of time - I can never plan ahead. But I have also received food gifts that were not to my taste, only to have the person give it again and again. I've never found a way to let some friends know that the box of pears they send every year leaves my house the next Sunday to be put out at church for people to take. (No one in my house likes pears.) Or how to tell the friend who gave me "Russian tea" (instant tea, Tang orange drink, and some other stuff) for 3 years running that I couldn't stand the taste of it. When I receive a food gift I like, I am sure to tell the person at least twice how much I enjoyed it. (When the people who send pears every year once deviated and sent grapefruit, we enthusiastically thanked them and then mentioned again how much we liked it, in the hopes they'd switch to that. Nope, it was back to pears the next year and every year since, I think going on 10 years now.) All the food mentioned in this thread sound wonderful to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 For my family food gifts are always welcomed. We even considered a food gift Christmas last year as an entire family. So basically everyone would make something for each family. We ended up not done ng simply because of time. Dh's family is not a food gift family. They just would never appreciate it. They wouldn't say anything negative but I know they'd be a bit bummed. And I can appreciate that so I don't do food gifts for them. So I'd say it depends on the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I've done pickles, preserves, spice rubs, and breads/goodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caraway Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Truffles, chocolate covered cherries, caramels, caramel corn. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I am thinking of doing caramels this year. I love caramel myself... wrapping them seems tricky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I checked a couple websites I am not finding a recipe similar. My great grandmother was off the boat polish, that's who the recipe is from. The dough is almost like a pie crust dough but it uses sour cream. It needs to be refridgerated before you work it. It's then rolled out, and cut into squares, but the squares are filled "diagonally" so that once you bring the corners together, they look very much like cresent rolls. The filling is a mix of pineapple preserves and finely chopped walnuts. Our recipe says either homemade or store bought pineapple preserves, but there's no recipe for making the pineapple preserves. I think though that the recipe was changed to pineapple preserves from some other preserve because the recipe is old and has lots of cross outs and can be hard to read. Great Grandma was in her 90s when she passed, she was 18 when she came to the US. I have a hard time imagining pineapple preserves were available in Poland before she came but I suppose they could of been. ETA-they are complicated because of the dough. It doesn't take a lot of ingredients, but they have to be mixed just right, and refridgerated just right. ETA again...most of the recipes I find involve cream cheese, but grandmas for sure uses sour cream. My dad specifically loves THOSE cookies. Neither his mother nor grandmother cooked very well, he fell in love with my grandmas horn cookies the first Christmas he spent with my mom. This sounds amazing. Would you be willing to share the recipe you have at some point? (My dad's family is Polish, but I've never had these.) I agree with pp that the key to food gifts is making sure it's something the recipient will like. My mom recently gave me some coconut filled chocolates. Which is fine, except I am the kid who does not like coconut. I do not eat it. So...to the chickens it went. She'd be so hurt if she knew. But, I've told her repeatedly that I am not a coconut person. So I don't feel badly at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loowit Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I made cheesecakes one year and that seemed very popular. I am considering do something like this again this year, but I am not sure. One of my SILs is diabetic and I am not sure if she would appreciate a sugar free cheesecake or not. I have gotten good at making them because I have a friend with diabetes and make them for her. One of my favorite memories growing up was getting a big bag of homemade cookies from one of our neighbors. She was an elderly lady who was a first generation American from Germany and she used to make the cookies she grew up with. We only had them once a year when she would bring us a big bag with an assortment of cookies. And I always loved the cookies and desserts my aunt made every year. She always made up a plate of them to send home with us on Christmas Eve. But due to food allergies in our home, I don't really want food gifts because most of the time it is not something I feel safe feeding to my food allergic child. And I have a couple relatives that have given food gifts in the past that were not good. One relative went on a canning binge one year and gave the food as gifts, but she didn't know how to can and I noticed one the jars of canned corn wasn't sealed properly and had started to mold. I threw all of the food out because I didn't want to take a chance of getting sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 my friend also wondered if it was "nice enough". her brother is a very successful lawyer. they do well - but she feels economically inferior to her brother. she used to send him homemade divinity. one year I guess she thought he just put up with it, and tried to do something else. he wanted to know where the divinity was. he looked forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 But I have also received food gifts that were not to my taste... Oh, you mean like the jarred elk meat that my sister-in-law gave us? It was in a glass jar and disconcertingly pink. Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 maybe figure out what sorts of things they really enjoy eating I like homemade gifts in general. I feel very touched when someone goes through the trouble to make something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 But I have also received food gifts that were not to my taste, only to have the person give it again and again. Yeah that is why I said figure out, if possible, what they like to eat. I don't eat sweets much so that leaves a lot of stuff out. And some stuff I flat out would not eat and nobody here would eat it (anything involving olives, for example). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Homemade vanilla and vanilla infused bags of sugar tied up in pretty cloth bags. Mariannova who used to be on the boards used to do that for Christmas and frienda and relatives loved it. It is easy too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RioSamba Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 In addition to cookies I've made cranberry liqueur, limoncello, jarred peppermint chocolate sauce, various scented sugars (rose, lemon, etc.), and I tried mustard, but that was a spectacular fail! I send beautiful fruit to out of state family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 Lots of neat ideas. :) I'm very angsty about relative Christmas presents, especially for DH's family. When we were first married, I just let DH deal with that, but he bought expensive gifts individually for his mom, dad, brothers and SIL. That was okay the first few years when we were double income no kids, but we can't (shouldn't try) to swing that now. Even as I've tried to push back and as my DH wants to push back in theory, he seems to sort of panic and buy extras for them at the last minute every year. So while I made all those jams packed in pretty Christmas boxes, my family got those while we added beeswax candles and several other bought things for DH's family. I really wish I could figure out what the expectations were. They are all foodies. Two gluten free. No serious dislikes that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamanthaCarter Posted October 31, 2016 Author Share Posted October 31, 2016 My mil took the vanilla idea last year. I've made marshmallows, caramel corn, granola, jam, spice mix for my favorite roast chicken. One year I bought everyone several King Arthur Flour scone mixes and those went over well. I've bought olives for BIL/SIL as a host gift once - they loved those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 horn cookies---those sound like kolaczki? Usually cream cheese is used instead of sour cream, but the shape, filling, etc. all sound spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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