Homemade Food Gifts

Whether it is a birthday, anniversary, wedding or a festival like Christmas, offering a beautiful gift is a unique way to celebrate the special occasion in a great way. But, you might be a bit confused, while selecting the gift for your family and friends. Not to worry! With a variety of unique gift ideas, you can select from various attractive gift articles, jewelry, personalized gifts, gift certificates and food gifts.

It is said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. So, food gifts always make a perfect gift for any occasion. There is a wide variety of gourmet gifts available in the market; or you can make excellent food gifts on your own. Homemade gifts that are made with great care and love, are always unique and special.

Homemade Food Gifts

Homemade food gifts pamper the taste buds of the receiver. If you have a bit of knowledge and interest in cooking, then you can easily prepare a variety of food gifts such as cookies, cakes and chocolates, all by yourself. You can pack the homemade food gifts in attractive containers, trays, jars or baskets. You can also use flowers or colorful ribbons for a more decorative look. A few examples of popular food gifts are spiced nuts, homemade granola mix, jams, dried soup mix, pickles, homemade barbeque rub, homemade wine, chocolate truffles, fudge and biscuits.

You can also make some delightful gift baskets with your creativity. Select a decorative basket and load it with a variety of foods such as candies, cookies, toffees, chocolates and fruits. You can make healthy food gift baskets with the addition of fruits like oranges and apples, dried fruits, herbal or green tea and low-fat granola.

Take a look at a few food recipes for sumptuous homemade food gifts:

Bean Soup Mix

Ingredients
¼ cup dried garbanzo beans
¼ cup dried red kidney beans, soy beans or pinto beans
¼ cup dried navy beans, black beans or Lima beans
¼ cup dried whole or split peas
2 tbsp whole wheat berries
2 tbsp dried celery flakes
3 tbsp minced dried onion
2 tsp instant beef bouillon granules
2 tbsp pearl barley
½ tsp dried basil, crushed
1 bay leaf

Directions
In an attractive glass jar, place each ingredient in a separate layer. Or, you can mix all the ingredients together and then pack the bean soup mix into the jar. Wrap the jar with a decorative fabric.

Candy Turtles

Ingredients
½ lb soft caramel candy
1 cup pecan halves
1 tbsp whipping cream
8 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Directions
In a bowl, mix together caramel candy and cream and microwave the mixture for about 30 seconds. Stir it well and again microwave. Repeat the procedure, until cream and caramel are mixed well. Arrange the pecans on the wax paper in groups of three or four. Spread a tablespoon of caramel mixture over the nuts. Allow it to set for about half an hour. Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Dip the candies into the melted chocolate. Fill the candy turtles into a beautiful bottle or arrange in a tray in a decorative manner.

With these exceptional ideas for homemade food gifts, you can devise delightful presents for your near and dear ones. It is also a good opportunity to show your cooking skills and get appreciated by your family members and friends.