Food Gifts - 8 Food Items that Work Well as Gifts

Whether you are looking for a gift to give that is unique, personal, frugal, or inexpensive, giving a food gift you make in your own kitchen fills the bill!

There are several food gifts that are particularly easy and useful. Here are 8 of them:

1) Home Made Cookie Dough - Who wouldn't like a few batches of cookie dough rolls in their freezer that they can slice and bake any time they want fresh baked cookies? The best part is that every time they slide a cookie sheet in the oven they will be thinking of you and how thoughtful your gift was!

2) Home made Spa Items - There are many sites on the Internet that can walk you through making your own home made spa items to give as gifts. Common food items found in your kitchen like oils, fruits, vegetables, and even spices can make wonderful food based spa items to give as gifts. Package them in pretty jars and tie ribbons around them for a special presentation!

3) Home Made Flavored Coffee or Hot Chocolate Mix - An Internet search for "making your own flavored coffee or hot chocolate mix" will bring up a slew of make-it-yourself recipes. One of my favorites is from Alton Brown from the food network for hot chocolate. It is very easy to make and takes only 5 minutes to prepare. Place it in a nice container with a fancy label and include a card with the recipe. That way the recipient can make another batch for themselves when they use it up.

4) Home Made Chocolate Covered Spoons - I love mochas but rarely have the time, or the cash, to stop for one. The next best thing is having a spoon that has been dipped in a rich melting chocolate to use to stir my regular coffee with. You can get as fancy as you like by flavoring the chocolate with mint or anise or you can leave them plain.

5) Home Made Marshmallows - I can not drink hot chocolate without marshmallows! One year for my birthday I received a food gift from a friend who had made me a dozen chocolate covered marshmallows. It turns out they are not that difficult to make, they are just a bit time consuming, but they made an impressive food gift! You can find a wonderful recipe at smitten kitchen for springy, fluffy marshmallows that includes step by step pictures and easy to read instructions.

6) Home Made Spice Mixes - If you walk down the spice aisle at any local grocery store you will see many spice mixes. These mixes take the fuss out of preparing meals like beef or hamburgers. Some spice mixes are for specific meats while some get as specific as chili, stew or even pork chops! A good place to find spice mix recipes is at Budget101.com where they have a list of almost 80 spice mixes and rubs for you to try.

7) Home Made Gluten Free Flour Mix - As more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, Gluten free eating is becoming a very hot topic. Being gluten sensitive myself I can tell you that one of the most difficult things to adjust to is not being able to eat baked products. A tasty gluten free flour mix is one of the most valuable things you can gift a person who has to eat gluten free. One of my favorite site for gluten free recipes, and especially the gluten free flour mix recipe, is the Gluten Free Cooking School. It is s great resource for recipes as well as support.

8) Home Made Flavored Popcorn Seasoning - Another food gift that will have them thinking about you and thanking you for a long time is home made flavored popcorn seasoning. I found a wonderful list of four tasty popcorn seasonings at food.com.