Thread: Gift Ideas

Hello everyone, I am looking for ideas/recipes for items that I can make for christmas. I am trying to buy my first house and am on a very tight budget. Some of the ideas I have are cookies, cakes/breads baked in a jar (still need recipes) and that is about as far as I have gotten. I would like some things that would not go bad in a few days. This has turned into something more challenging then I thought it would be, so any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Try this site. There are recipes for cookies, soup, bath salts. I did a bean soup one awhile ago that was a hit. If you want those instructions/recipe let me know.

Here is a few I use. I don't know who originated these recipes but I thank them anyway. They are very good!

Caramel Pecan Pretzel Candy:
1 Pkg Snyder's mini pretzels or use the small square pretzels in a bag
13 oz Pkg Rolo candies
1 Pkg pecan halves

Preheat over to 250 degrees. Cover cookie sheet with foil. Place pretzels individually on foil to make one layer. Place one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel. Bake for 4 minutes or until softened. Immediately remove from oven and place a pecan half on top of candy and push down to squish the chocolate into the pretzel and flatten out. Cool 20 minutes. Then set in refrigerator for 20 minutes to set.

Oreo Cream Cheese Balls:

1 - 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
4 cups crushed oreo cookies
2 cups chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vegetable shortening

On high speed of an electic mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add cookies and beat till well combined. Refrigerate 2 hours then roll into 1 inch balls. Melt chips and shortening until smooth. Dip balls into mixture to coat. Place on wax paper to harden. Store in refergerator.

Salted Nut Roll:
1 can sweetened condensed mil
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
12 oz. package peanut butter chips
1 cup miniature marshmellows
1- 16 oz. jar dry roasted peanuts

Melt the first 4 ingredients. Put 1/2 jar of the peanuts in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour melted ingredients over the peanuts. Top with the rest of the peanuts from the jar. Let set 2 - 3 hours. Cut into 1 inch squares.

White Trash:
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 pounds white chocolate ( use white discs from bulk section of supermarket)
2 1/2 cups rice chex cereal
2 1/2 cups pretzels (crush before measuring. Pieces should be about 1/2 inch or so - not a powdery crush)

Melt white chocolate over low heat. Add oil. Add crushed pretzels and rice chex. Stir. You can add more chex or pretzels if mixture is too soupy (and I do). Spread on wax paper and cool. Break into pieces.

Chow Mein Noodle Cookie:
3 cups butterscotch chip
1 - 5 oz. can chow mein nodles
1 cup peanuts

In a medium saucepan, melt butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in chow mein noodles and peanuts. Drop by teaspoons onto foil. Let stand till cool.

Makes 36 drop cookies

Variation # 1 - Use 1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
Variation # 2 - Instead of butterscotch chips use chocolate chips and instead of peanuts use mini marshmellows.

As I said credit goes to others as I got these recipes so long ago I don't remember who they were from.

Perfect. Those sound amazing. Thank you everyone for your help with this. I will keep searching this site. It is so information filled!!! :-)

I would love to get these homemade treats. To me it seemed the person cared enough to make it. I am the gift card person and it does lack effort. Most people live out of state and that is the best option for me. Buying gifts and mailing them would cost more.

I have made this every year for family and friends for the last 20 years at least. It is easy, requires no baking and is loved by all.

Puppy Chow

1 pkg. (12-oz) chocolate chips
1 stick margarine
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 box Rice Chex
1 box Powdered Sugar
1 grocery store paper bag

In microwave, melt ½ pkg chocolate chips, ½ stick margarine, ½ cup peanut butter for 1 minute. Stir, then cook for 20-30 seconds. Stir. In a large bowl, pour ½ box Rice Chex. Pour chocolate mixture on top and stir until well coated. Pour ½ box powdered sugar in bottom of paper bag. Dump chex mix on top. Shake and shake until well coated. As you can see I halved the recipe because mixing all once is a pain.

I make up pumpkin rolls and give them as gifts at Christmas. I can make them up a few weeks ahead of time, and they freeze well. After they cool I wrap them in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil and put them in the freezer until Christmas.

Oh these comments are helping me out so much. My family always loves when I make a try of something for any of our get togethers and being able to give them each their own will just thrill them. I have found some ideas that I am going to use (the turtles are always a fav!!!) and I am thinking of making some homemade jelly or jam. (that will be a first! LOL
Thank you again everyone for all of your wonderful ideas and help!

I love to give "snowman soup' everyone thinks it is so cute, and it is. not sure where I got the recipe so if you posted it I thank you
go to dollar store & get snowman mugs for $1
In a sheet of plastic wrap put 1 pkg. hot choc mix, 3 hershey kisses, 15 or so mini marshmallows, 1 candy cane. put package in mug. Attach this poem:
I was told you've been very good this year
Always glad to hear it.
With freezing weather drawing near
You'll need to warm the spirit.

So here's alittle snowman soup
complete with stirring stick.
Just add hot water, sip it slow
It's sure to do the trick.

Soups-homemade chili- small baskets of fruit- fudge also goes a long way n loved by all.
Make scented candles not large ones
Packages of different brought sauces (these can be be purchase all through the year n stored for Xmas gifts with ribbon
Think about Whom U are wanting to give the gift n go accordingly
like kids- fill with gum n little $1.00 gifts buy all year long n store those items
Elderly like just even a home cooked meal or the soups or chili or fruit

Go to the dollar stores lots of items to mix n match
It is not how much the gift or size - it is the thought n caring of giving.. Christmas is way over blown in place of the true meaning of Xmas
Cards or cheap games
Chicken soup or vegetalbe soup is cheap n easy to make
cabbage n ham soup from left over Hams
Cereal cookies
Cheesecake balls large or small
If a member of Ur family likes something U cook - fix that as a meal for them
If U knit make slippers
Sew up some cloth napkins with their initals on them
Homemade salsa if U need recipe please request
Brownies

Snow Balls in a Jar

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and flour. Place into a 1-quart canning jar. Put the chopped pecans on top. Seal well.

Attach the following instructions to a gift tag:

Snow Balls

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup shortening and 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add the entire contents of the jar and mix well. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool, and roll in confectioners' sugar.

Makes 4 dozen.



Make mini cheesecakes n freeze


Make up different Spice blends with a card as to what n how to use on different food.

Spice Blend for Meat or Poultry

Spice Blend
2 ounces salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
4 ounces paprika
1 ounce dried oregano crumbled
2 ounces dried thyme crumbled
2 tablespoons ground cumin

Maranide for 20 lbs. Meat
4 ounces Spice Blend (see ingredients above- 1 cup
1 pound onion very finely chopped
2 ounces garlic cloves minced
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup lemon juice

Mix spices. Store in sealed glass jar. Use as needed for marinade (follows).

Mix spices with onion, garlic, oil, and lemon juice. May be prepared in food processor.

Rub over meat or poultry. Marinate several hours or over night in the refrigerator.

Grill or roast meat or poultry as per recipe instructions.

10 oz dry spice


Mac n Cheese with all the indgredients in a jar with card or note on how to fix it .

Hope some of these help

Chocolate Balls Rum

3 1/4 c. crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. cocoa unsweetened
1 1/2 c. nuts any chopped not to coarse

3 T. light corn syrup
1/2 c. rum

Combine 1st group together. Blend in corn syrup with rum. Shape into 1 inch balls roll in additional powdered sugar-set on wax paper till all made-than store in an airtight container several days to develop flavor. Roll again in confectioners' sugar before serving.



Lemon Cheesecake Balls these go quickly so make double recipes

8 ozs. cream cheese softened
1) 6 oz. can frozen lemonade thawed
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
1) 13 ½ oz. box graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts or any nuts of choice

Cream lemonade- cream cheese - sugar by hand. Add crumbs with nuts. Shape into small balls. Chill.

Makes about 50 cheesecake balls.