2004 Year in Review

Food gifts you don’t have to bake

Hectic family schedules may mean that there’s just not enough time to bake or cook some of those special food gifts. But, simple and unique gifts may be as close as your nearest grocery store.

Consider these ideas for food gifts:
- cocoa mix, cider mulling spices or flavored coffees and teas
- snack packs of hard sausage, fancy cheese and Dijon mustard
- a collection of herbs, spices, and-or seasoning blends
- a collection of salt-free seasonings
- jars of ice cream toppings, chopped nuts and containers of sprinkles
- any flavored oils, vinegars, honeys or mustards
- salsa or anything related to salsa and hot peppers
- pancake mix with bottles of different flavored pancake syrups
- assorted types of bagels with one or more containers of flavored cream cheese
- a pizza crust with all the fixings
- English muffins, scones or crackers with jars of fancy fruit preserves or spreads
- any mixture of fruits and-or vegetables from the produce department
- mixed nuts and dried fruits

Consider the likes and interests of the gift recipient, and the grocery store food gift will be even more special.

Use bags, boxes or baskets to hold the gifts and decorate them for the season. Even brown paper bags, glass and plastic jars, and boxes such as cereal boxes can be recycled with decorations into colorful food gift containers. Thrift shops are often good sources for inexpensive baskets.

And don’t forget the very popular gift coupon. Even adults can provide a coupon for shopping services or a special food, dish or meal for later on in the year. And with any of these food gifts, the recipient will know that care and thoughtfulness went into preparing these special gifts.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 23, 2004