Home made Christmas gifts

[MillCreek]

Due to the economy, my wife and I decided to do home made Christmas gifts this year.  Since we are both foodies, we wanted to come up with something edible that everyone does not do.

So we did some research and settled on flavored vinegars.  We are giving out 40 bottles: 24 of a Provencal herb vinegar, 8 of raspberry-mint and 8 of cranberry-orange.  We will see how they are received and plan to use these for family and friends.

I had pondered flavored oils, but decided against that due to food-safety issues.  We are already thinking about next year, perhaps a liqueur.  Everyone does home made Kahlua and Bailey's, so I want to think of something different that people would like.  I wonder if a good limoncello would be popular.....

[lee n. field]

Due to the economy, my wife and I decided to do home made Christmas gifts this year.

You too?

Dearest Wife is making bunches of Christmas cookies, for most.

[SADShooter]

Fruitcake tradition here.

[never_retreat]

How about wine?

[Terpsichore]

My daughter and I made gifts last year.  It was fun watching her color pictures and letting her pick out the color paints I would use on glass.  She wants to make gifts again this year, makes a nice tradition.

[Jim147]

Due to the economy, my wife and I decided to do home made Christmas gifts this year.  Since we are both foodies, we wanted to come up with something edible that everyone does not do.

We have a much reduced family to give to after the last few years. My wife is doing some kind of known treat for each family member.

Homemade marshmellows for one a jar of hot chocolate powder for another things like that.

Let us know how the vinegar turns out.

jim

[Monkeyleg]

I've made my wife a few Christmas presents over the last 10 or so years, but not food. I welded rusty metal sculptures of birds and a dog for her gardens. She loved them.

[charby]

I do canned deer and pepper jellies.

If I can perfect a breakfast sausage recipe I'm going to do a fully cooked brown and serve natural casing sausage next year.

[vaskidmark]

Fruitcake tradition here.

Mom used to start the Christmas fruitcakes on Dec 26th.  Unwrapped the commercial abomination in the tin cans received as gifts, rewrapped them in 2 layers of cheesecloth and forced them back into the tins.  Then poured the intended recipent's favorite booze over the cheescloth to fill the tin.  Cover and store in a cool dry place.  Every 30 days open and pour more booze in to fill the tin.  Lather, rinse repeat for at least 10 months and use the last 60 days to allow most of the liquid to evaporate.  Wrap in festive paper with directions to the nearest AA meeting.

Usually had some portion of a fifth of several boozes left over so she made a punch that was served on New Year's Eve.  House rule was everybody either walked to our place or arrived in a taxi.  Most folks were poured into a taxi afterwards.

For those that are curious, mom was East End Londoner who survived the Depression, the Blitz, but not the American invasion.

stay safe.

[SADShooter]

I use the Alton Brown Free Range Fruitcake recipe, with Mount Gay rum to start and then aging with calvados. Real fruit, fresh spices, and decent booze. Usially giftable in 4-6 weeks. NB: long-term storage in aluminum bakeware not recommended.