Making Christmas gift baskets for neighbors, teachers, hard to buy for family members and others on your Christmas gift giving list turns an overwhelming shopping chore into a fun, appreciated holiday experience full of the spirit of the season. Boutique Christmas gift baskets can be expensive; it is much more economical to make your own gift baskets. However, the Christmas season is a busy time of year, and often you are looking for a quick, economical Christmas gift choice for a few special people you may have overlooked. Couple that with the fact that you may not have a clue as to what a certain person might want or need, and finding a gift that meets your budget and quality criteria may be nearly impossible.The following Christmas gift basket combinations can easily solve last minute Christmas gift giving dilemmas. Basket contents can all be found with just one or two local stops. The cost of Christmas gift basket contents can vary depending on your budget. For an inexpensive gift, shop local grocery stores and buy common items. For a more high-end Christmas gift basket, purchase Christmas gift basket fillers at a local gourmet or specialty shop. Of course, you could always find a middle ground by mixing the two.Bread BasketAny local grocery store and bakery will have all you need to make an attractive and delicious Christmas gift basket filled with soft, crusty breads and accompaniments.
Start with a loaf or two of fresh bread. Something simple and popular, like an Italian or French loaf, maybe a few baguettes, is a good bet. Bread sticks or fresh dinner rolls also make good Christmas gift basket fillers for bread based gift baskets. When time is tight, omit accompaniments and fill the gift basket with a few varieties of bread. If you have a little extra time to contribute to the effort, purchase frozen bread doughs and bake the loaves for Christmas gift baskets fresh at home before distributing your gifts. Add one or more toppings or spreads to the Christmas gift basket to go along with the breads. Whipped butter, garlic butter, herbed or flavored cream cheese, and fruit spreads are all quick and easy options. Cheeses or flavored dipping oils pair well with breads in a Christmas gift basket as well.Another topping option to pair with delicious breads is to add the ingredients for a favorite recipe, along with preparation instructions. Your Christmas gift basket's recipient can prepare the topping when the time is right for them. A recipe for roasted red peppers in a garlic and olive oil marinade is an excellent choice. Add a jar of roasted red peppers, head of garlic, small jar of olive oil, and a block of cheddar cheese (sharp is better) to the Christmas gift basket. Preparation consists simply of draining peppers and placing them in a bowl with enough olive oil to cover and three or four cloves of crushed garlic. Marinate in the refrigerator for five hours or overnight. Serve at room temperature on toasted French bread slices with cheddar cheese.Cocoa BasketAnother Christmas gift basket that is easy to prepare and enjoyed in nearly every household during the winter months is a basket full of hot chocolate and accessories.Into the Christmas gift basket, place a can of good quality hot chocolate mix. An extra decorative touch can be achieved by pouring the cocoa into a mason jar and tying a piece of raffia or holiday ribbon around the lid. A pair of fun or decorative mugs are a good basket filler to pair with the cocoa.Add some flair and round out a cocoa themed Christmas gift basket by adding the little extras like peppermint sticks or candy canes, a bag of miniature marshmallows, and maybe a nice bag of cookies to snack along with the hot chocolate. An active family that enjoys outdoor winter activities might enjoy a Christmas cocoa basket given in a picnic basket ready for fun in the snow or on the ice. A thermos, disposable spoons or stirring sticks, and Styrofoam cups with covers with the cocoa and snacks gives all a family might need for a winter outing (for this option, cocoa packets stacked and tied with ribbon will travel better).Cheese and Cracker BasketIt's not trite, it's traditional, and the reason a cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket is so is because cheese and crackers are well loved by most, and are handy hors d'oeuvres to serve to unexpected guests.Start the cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket with a box or two of good quality snack crackers. Wheat, sesame, and veggie crackers, even purchased inexpensively in grocery stores, are all good choices. When making multiple cheese and cracker Christmas gift baskets, boxes containing pre-wrapped sleeves of crackers can be split, to be mixed and matched and offer a variety of cracker flavors.Purchase blocks of cheese, cream cheese or cheese spreads, a cheese ball, or any combination of these items as accompaniments. A nice cheese cutter or cheese knife is a good additional accessory for the cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket. A bottle of good wine will be appreciated by wine lovers to enjoy with the cheese and crackers.Mulled Cider BasketAnyone who enjoys a warm, mulled apple cider will enjoy a Christmas gift basket filled with all the necessary ingredients to prepare.The basket begins, obviously, with apple cider. To that, add the spices necessary to prepare your favorite mulled apple cider and a copy of your recipe. Alternatively, you may prepare a packet of mulling spices yourself and save on the cost of the spices; this is especially useful if you will be giving several apple cider Christmas gift baskets. If you have no reliable recipe to add to the apple cider Christmas gift basket, don't despair. Prepared packages of mulling spices are sold in most grocery stores and certainly will be sold at an orchard store.To round out an apple cider Christmas gift basket, include packages of cinnamon sticks for stirring. Again, a pair of mugs is appropriate here, and perhaps some apple muffins, cinnamon coffee cakes, or fresh apples to go with the cider.These are a few Christmas gift basket ideas that are easy to purchase and prepare. Choose a basket, line it with a holiday kitchen towel, and fill with the ingredients for a great snack, fabulous holiday hors d'oeuvre, or warm winter drink. Family, friends, and neighbors will appreciate the Christmas gift basket you bring, and think fondly of you while enjoying their gift. By Mary Ward
Start with a loaf or two of fresh bread. Something simple and popular, like an Italian or French loaf, maybe a few baguettes, is a good bet. Bread sticks or fresh dinner rolls also make good Christmas gift basket fillers for bread based gift baskets. When time is tight, omit accompaniments and fill the gift basket with a few varieties of bread. If you have a little extra time to contribute to the effort, purchase frozen bread doughs and bake the loaves for Christmas gift baskets fresh at home before distributing your gifts. Add one or more toppings or spreads to the Christmas gift basket to go along with the breads. Whipped butter, garlic butter, herbed or flavored cream cheese, and fruit spreads are all quick and easy options. Cheeses or flavored dipping oils pair well with breads in a Christmas gift basket as well.Another topping option to pair with delicious breads is to add the ingredients for a favorite recipe, along with preparation instructions. Your Christmas gift basket's recipient can prepare the topping when the time is right for them. A recipe for roasted red peppers in a garlic and olive oil marinade is an excellent choice. Add a jar of roasted red peppers, head of garlic, small jar of olive oil, and a block of cheddar cheese (sharp is better) to the Christmas gift basket. Preparation consists simply of draining peppers and placing them in a bowl with enough olive oil to cover and three or four cloves of crushed garlic. Marinate in the refrigerator for five hours or overnight. Serve at room temperature on toasted French bread slices with cheddar cheese.Cocoa BasketAnother Christmas gift basket that is easy to prepare and enjoyed in nearly every household during the winter months is a basket full of hot chocolate and accessories.Into the Christmas gift basket, place a can of good quality hot chocolate mix. An extra decorative touch can be achieved by pouring the cocoa into a mason jar and tying a piece of raffia or holiday ribbon around the lid. A pair of fun or decorative mugs are a good basket filler to pair with the cocoa.Add some flair and round out a cocoa themed Christmas gift basket by adding the little extras like peppermint sticks or candy canes, a bag of miniature marshmallows, and maybe a nice bag of cookies to snack along with the hot chocolate. An active family that enjoys outdoor winter activities might enjoy a Christmas cocoa basket given in a picnic basket ready for fun in the snow or on the ice. A thermos, disposable spoons or stirring sticks, and Styrofoam cups with covers with the cocoa and snacks gives all a family might need for a winter outing (for this option, cocoa packets stacked and tied with ribbon will travel better).Cheese and Cracker BasketIt's not trite, it's traditional, and the reason a cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket is so is because cheese and crackers are well loved by most, and are handy hors d'oeuvres to serve to unexpected guests.Start the cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket with a box or two of good quality snack crackers. Wheat, sesame, and veggie crackers, even purchased inexpensively in grocery stores, are all good choices. When making multiple cheese and cracker Christmas gift baskets, boxes containing pre-wrapped sleeves of crackers can be split, to be mixed and matched and offer a variety of cracker flavors.Purchase blocks of cheese, cream cheese or cheese spreads, a cheese ball, or any combination of these items as accompaniments. A nice cheese cutter or cheese knife is a good additional accessory for the cheese and cracker Christmas gift basket. A bottle of good wine will be appreciated by wine lovers to enjoy with the cheese and crackers.Mulled Cider BasketAnyone who enjoys a warm, mulled apple cider will enjoy a Christmas gift basket filled with all the necessary ingredients to prepare.The basket begins, obviously, with apple cider. To that, add the spices necessary to prepare your favorite mulled apple cider and a copy of your recipe. Alternatively, you may prepare a packet of mulling spices yourself and save on the cost of the spices; this is especially useful if you will be giving several apple cider Christmas gift baskets. If you have no reliable recipe to add to the apple cider Christmas gift basket, don't despair. Prepared packages of mulling spices are sold in most grocery stores and certainly will be sold at an orchard store.To round out an apple cider Christmas gift basket, include packages of cinnamon sticks for stirring. Again, a pair of mugs is appropriate here, and perhaps some apple muffins, cinnamon coffee cakes, or fresh apples to go with the cider.These are a few Christmas gift basket ideas that are easy to purchase and prepare. Choose a basket, line it with a holiday kitchen towel, and fill with the ingredients for a great snack, fabulous holiday hors d'oeuvre, or warm winter drink. Family, friends, and neighbors will appreciate the Christmas gift basket you bring, and think fondly of you while enjoying their gift. By Mary Ward
1 comment:
Thank you for the great gift basket suggestions!!
Jenn
http://www.LearnHowToMakeHolidayBows.com
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