Holiday Ideas

It's nearly December and gift-giving as well as holiday cooking is on my mind.  I updated a post I wrote a couple years ago with homemade holiday gifts from the kitchen.  I added a few new items to the list.
I also have a Pinterest Board with some additional ideas.

Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas

And don't forget- if you are local to me, I am available to do baking for you.
Holiday Pies and Cheesecakes

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Meals for the Week of December 5, 2011

Well, I survived Thanksgiving.  It was a wonderful day of family, friends and food.  I actually did a lot of cooking on Wednesday in order to eat early on Thursday and I liked how that worked out.  I may do that again.  I managed to bake 19 pies and cheesecakes for people.  I was happy with how they turned out and my process for getting them all completed worked out pretty good too.

So, now it's December and more holiday madness.  I'm gearing up for more baking and I plan to do a lot of make ahead meals because I have found that between holiday functions, shopping and my heavy baking workload, it's best to have meals ready to go in the freezer.  Our budget is always tight and I'd rather spend the money on gifts or the supplies I need for my homemade gifts than eating out.  So this week I've got some recipes that are good for making ahead.

Speaking of homemade gifts- I have a little list with just a few ideas for easy homemade gifts from your kitchen.  They are perfect for teacher gifts or for friends and neighbors.  Get children involved and have it be their gift to grandparents or their classmates.
Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

Meals for the Week of December 5, 2011

Easy Shepherd’s Pie- This is a great dish for using leftover mashed potatoes or make the parts of this dish separately in advance.  You can cook the beef part in advance and then just assemble the casserole and bake.  You can also easily swap out the ground beef and broth for ground turkey and chicken or vegetable broth.  A different flavor profile, but it’s leaner and just as filling.

Vegetable Fried Rice- Quick, easy, inexpensive and you can throw in leftovers like chopped turkey or green beans.

Turkey Cobb Salad- All the parts of this salad except the avocado could be prepped in advance.  Makes it so easy to just assemble and eat.

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake- Vegetarian and low calorie dish.  Inexpensive ingredients and you can make variations to suit your tastes. 

Veggie Tacos- This recipe is so adaptable.  Use whatever fresh vegetables you like then just follow the instructions for seasoning and preparing the tortillas. 

Cheesy Fish Sticks- A healthy fish stick that kids will love.  Tilapia can work well for this as well as cod.  You can also use these with the veggie tacos to have your own crispy fish tacos. 

Baked Polenta Pie- Assemble this in advance in a disposable foil pan, put in the freezer and save it for a busy night, just bake and eat.  Feel free to change up the sausages/meats to use whatever you prefer. YUM! 

Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Chicken- If you just take  an hour one weekend or even just multi-task while making dinner one night, cook up a bunch of chicken breasts and then shred the meat and freeze it.  Then dishes like this are easy on a weeknight.

Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake- Substitute with ground turkey and use whole grain elbow macaroni to lower the fat and increase the healthy carbs.

Ravioli and Vegetable Soup- Very easy soup, low calorie, but I like that it's not just a noodle, but a more filling ravioli.  Great for making a big batch ahead of time and then having it for a couple meals throughout the month.

Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas

If you find you need a hostess gift or have a tight budget, take a look at this list as there are some great homemade gift ideas.  You can have your children involved in helping you make these; it can be a special tradition to make your gifts at the holidays.

A homemade gift is a perfect solution for those people on your list that you want to give a little something to and you want it to be special instead of just a gift card.  Gifts likes these are perfect for a teacher, your hair stylist, a hostess gift, or even a little party favor for your own holiday party.

We think homemade gifts like these are easy projects to do with kids, they can help with measuring and pouring, tie ribbons or even decorate the tags.


Chai Tea Mix- Portion it into a jar with a holiday ribbon and a printed tag with mixing instructions.

Hot Cocoa Mix- Like the tea, you can put it in a glass jar with a ribbon, or even use a zipper bag that you then wrap with colored cellophane tied with a ribbon and the mixing instructions.  Stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are carrying artisan marshmallows, you can split up a package of those between your baggies for a little something extra.

Truffle Hot Chocolate Balls- Just another option for giving hot chocolate, these rich truffles are mixed with hot milk.  Wrap a few, place in a mug with marshmallows and a candy cane and then wrap the mug with cellophane and a ribbon.

Cinnamon Pancake Mix- We love this idea.  You can create a cute printed label to go with it with the cooking instructions for their Christmas morning breakfast.  Tie a spatula to it with a ribbon to make it a little more special.

5 Grain Pancake Mix- This link has a little instruction card to print and give with the mix and shows a cute way to present it in a jar.  The recipe for the pancake mix yields a lot; you could probably make up 8 jars to give that would provide 2 batches of the pancakes in each one.

Candied Lemon Peel- These look so pretty in a jar or wrapped in food-safe cellophane bag.  If you have a lemon tree bearing fruit right now this is a great way to use them.  You could also makes these to add to your cookie and candy platter as a pretty and edible garnish.

Soup Mix in a Jar- Something different instead of sweets.  The ingredients can easily be purchased in bulk and be very inexpensive.  There are great suggestions for modifications from the reviewers of this recipe.  The recipe is for 1 jar, but when it’s made into soup it yields 12 servings.  You just have to use the calculator to get the amount of ingredients for however many jars you want to make.

Cajun Spice Seasoning Mix in a Jar-  Large quantities of the spices for this mix can be purchased at a warehouse store, or a supermarket with a bulk spice section to make it economical.  It makes quite a bit and you can stretch it even more if you portion it into small containers.  Include a tag with ideas for using the mix.

Hot Fudge Topping-  Rich and delicious, portion into a jar, tie a ribbon and attach an ice cream scoop.  Or use it in a movie gift basket with a package of microwave popcorn, other ice cream toppings and a DVD or movie rental certificate.

Homemade Caramel Sauce- Do the same with the fudge topping or create a gift basket with a jar of each.

Cranberry Orange Marmalade- Very inexpensive to make, can yield 4, 8 oz jars.  Two flavors that go so well together and are perfect in the winter season.

Lemon Salt Scrub- Not edible, but made with sea salt, olive oil and lemon juice.  Buy those in bulk for an inexpensive gift.

Here are several easy to make candies that yield quite of bit which is ideal when you need quite a few gifts.


Chocolate Cookie Bark- White chocolate, dark chocolate, a little peanut butter and crushed Oreo cookies.  Plus, the basic recipe is adaptable to change up the flavors, such as using peppermint flavored Oreos and omitting the peanut butter.

Mint Thins- Buttery round crackers, dipped in peppermint flavored chocolate.  Sounds crazy, but it’s a great combination.  A unique and tasty treat.

Peppermint Bark- Creamy and crunchy, super easy to make.  It looks pretty too!

Peppermint Patties- You will be a hit when you bring these to a party!

If you want any help or recommendations for holiday candy and cookie recipes, please add a comment and I'll be happy to help!