Ever since I moved here in 2010, I've made gift bags for the holidays for my neighbors. The content has changed over the years. Since I'm gluten and soy free, this year it had to change a lot. I didn't make fudge for the first time. Cookies didn't dominate the contents either.
I was thinking I could put in a butternut squash if I needed to fill up the space. But it turned out I had a lot of extras in the pantry to give away. Most of the items in the basket have something from the garden in them.
I did end up making some gluten free oatmeal cookies and some cinnamon almonds, but I really like that most of it came from the garden. Not everyone got the same things as I didn't have six of everything. But I had dill relish, peach rum sauce, rhubarb syrup, tarragon and basil vinegar, and gooseberry jam. I also had some dried herbs. I dry a lot of herbs through the year and I went through my spice rack first and took what I needed (especially the sage, which I always seem to run out of no matter how much I dry) and all the extras got put in small jars to give away. This year I had extra of thyme, oregano, and tarragon.
This was my idea as well. We have so much extra strawberry and Peach jam, and squash relish that I am considering gifting it away. Half tempted leaving it on the hoods of cars in parking lots!
ReplyDeleteLucky neighbors :) I didn't preserves as much as usual this year so my gift baskets are pretty cookie heavy.
ReplyDeleteMy OCD nature says "Daphne has put those bags in the wrong order"! (ROYGBIV). How nice to give home-grown / home-made goodies as gifts. Lucky neighbours!
ReplyDeleteAnd the extra bag needed to complete the rainbow could have been mine :)
DeleteEven one of those treats would be wonderful, but 8...lucky neighbours indeed! And beautiful packaging job to boot.
ReplyDeleteLovely gifts - what a great neighbour you are
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have been busy. And those are some lucky neighbors to get those goodies you made!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful homemade presents. My gift preserves don't look half as good! I have this week off work so I'm going to cycle round to friends' houses tomorrow and drop off presents. Jars of preserves are always heavier than you think, I'd better get my strength up today :)
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