Home-made Xmas presents

[Wookey]

Alright, shut up, I apologise for the early Xmas thread - but many homemade pressies need much time and love to be made, so I have to post early.

I've decided to give everyone homemade pressies this year - I was thinking of a little hamper each with some homemade ginger beer and elderflower champagne, some jams maybe, perhaps a mini-Xmas cake.

But then I run out of ideas.

Can you think of any nice, home-makeable pressies that would go in a goody bag?

I have all the requisite skills, just fire away.

(As long as it ain't macrame, I can't do that...)

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

gingerbread tree decoratons? im going to try make some for my tree this year but it would much nicer if someone just gave them to me

 

[Mogden]

Home made pickled shallots. Did them last year in balsamic vinegar. They went down a treat. Lemon or passion fruit curd would be nice too. Christmas cookies or biscuits? Nice and sugary and spicy in the shape of holly or a Christmas tree or Santa. Cheesy biscuits to go with the shallots and all those cheese boards.

 

[crustychick]

oh my, that's what I'm going to do too - hoorah!!!

(how do you make home-made ginger beer??? I'd love to try that )

 

[Wookey]

Marvellous, I hadn't thought of biscuits!

 

[Wookey]

oh my, that's what I'm going to do too - hoorah!!!

(how do you make home-made ginger beer??? I'd love to try that )

My other half makes it, he puts water, lemons, sugar and ginger in a big tub, and waits 48 hours, then bottles it and when it comes out a few weeks later it's all fizzy and gingery! (There might be another special ingredient in, I can't recall. )

We made elderflower in the summer, which was just amazing. I think he got the recipes off the web....

 

[Callie]

spiced nuts

jewellery - this means you get to look at lovely shiny things liek beads

knit something easy/small - scarf, mobile phone cover, possibly a hat!

you could make truffles - ask aqua she'll be good at that!

 

[Wookey]

Are pickled shallots very different to pickling onions?

 

[Callie]

Are pickled shallots very different to pickling onions?

I doubt it - they just sounds posher

 

[Wookey]

spiced nuts

jewellery - this means you get to look at lovely shiny things liek beads

knit something easy/small - scarf, mobile phone cover, possibly a hat!

you could make truffles - ask aqua she'll be good at that!

Spiced nuts sounds intriguing - any recipe?

I can't knit for toffee either. I couldn't do an egg cozy without flipping out.

 

[Wookey]

I doubt it - they just sounds posher

Well, it is Xmas after all. If you can't treat yourself to preserve of shallots au royale at Xmas, when can you?

 

[crustychick]

truffles!!! genius

 

[Mogden]

Are pickled shallots very different to pickling onions?

Nope not for me they're not but you need to do them now to give the balsamic a chance to permeate them. I used cheap dark balsamic stuff from Lidl last year and that worked well. I seem to recall aqua, or was it soj, had a bit of an issue with her white balsamic pickling last year so she might be the bod to ask if you're planning on using that. I stuffed them in La Parfait jars to make them look extra fancy but I couldn't find the exact brown card parcel tags I wanted to label them with.

 

[Wookey]

truffles!!! genius

But I don't got no pig.

 

[Wookey]

Nope not for me they're not but you need to do them now to give the balsamic a chance to permeate them. I used cheap dark balsamic stuff from Lidl last year and that worked well. I seem to recall aqua, or was it soj, had a bit of an issue with her white balsamic pickling last year so she might be the bod to ask if you're planning on using that. I stuffed them in La Parfait jars to make them look extra fancy but I couldn't find the exact brown card parcel tags I wanted to label them with.

Right, that's all great. I'll do some of those, we even have a Lidl.

 

[Mogden]

Right, that's all great. I'll do some of those, we even have a Lidl.

Cool man The large ones tend to be harder and sharper and the smaller ones softer and sweeter so depending what you want, try and keep a uniform size or vary as desired. V good with a strong Stilton.

 

[cesare]

Mincemeat and miniature Christmas puddings

 

[Wookey]

Mincemeat and miniature Christmas puddings

My friends have told me to fuck off on the mini-Xmas puds.


Can't think why.

 

[cesare]

My friends have told me to fuck off on the mini-Xmas puds.


Can't think why.

Ahhhhhh

Spiced pears in brandy. Spiced apples in Calvados. etc. I'd mention herb infused olive oil but there's a current botulism scare about that on the boards atm

 

[*Miss*Sparkle*]

ooh I'd never thought of giving homemade foody bits for christmas - what a lovely idea

I'm knitting some cushion covers for my friend - they're coming along nicely (although I'm kinda slow at knitting so it's a good job I started them in July!)

 

[Herbsman.]

I've decided to give everyone homemade pressies this year

Lol... men, making stuff. Pansies

 

[Space Girl]

sloe gin, the sloes are plentiful this year and you only need to give a small bottle as a present

 

[Wookey]

sloe gin, the sloes are plentiful this year and you only need to give a small bottle as a present

Oooh, nice one. I got sloe gin off me mate's mum a couple of years back, bright pink it was....

 

[Wookey]

Lol... men, making stuff. Pansies

*strikes herby off the hamper list*

 

[Herbsman.]

*strikes herby off the hamper list*

I don't care, it would have had meat in anyway

 

[moomoo]

I quite fancy making little Christmas cakes for the family. I suppose I could just use a normal recipe and divide the mixture into smaller tins?

 

[Wookey]

I quite fancy making little Christmas cakes for the family. I suppose I could just use a normal recipe and divide the mixture into smaller tins?

That's what I'm gonna do. Imagine them, all iced and with holly on.

 

[moomoo]

That's what I'm gonna do. Imagine them, all iced and with holly on.

Got a recipe? I've got a holly tree in the garden.

 

[felixthecat]

I was broke last year so I painted everybody pictures.

Best response I've ever had from Christmas pressies!

 

[moomoo]

I was broke last year so I painted everybody pictures.

Best response I've ever had from Christmas pressies!

I'll bet!

Well, I can't paint but I can sort of cook so cakes it is. But I'll need to get them started soon won't I!