7 Healthy Homemade Food Gifts For Christmas

Christmas is a time for giving, and there is nothing more special than receiving a gift that has been lovingly handcrafted. Take a break from gifting the usual homemade fudge, caramels, candy canes, biscotti, cookies, stollen et al, and instead try something uncommon that’s guaranteed to delight family and friends. These ideas for gifts are simple, fast, and inexpensive. And just need a wee bit of advance planning.

Soup Jars

So, so easy! Get some pretty wide-mouth glass jars and layer the ingredients – what goes first into the soup pot should be on top! Then stick-on labels, and tag the recipe. Next, get creative – decorate your bottles with sprigs of dried herbs, cheerful Christmassy fabric, small buntings, joyful stickers, or tinsel – whatever you have lying around from your Christmas decorations, and you’re ready to gift!  I’ve put together a few recipes to start you off but once you get the idea, just go for it!

Tomato Barley Soup  – layers starting from the bottom
1 cup pearl barley
½ cup sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp dried onions
1 tbsp dried garlic
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 vegetable stock cube
Add all ingredients to 4 cups of water, add 4 large tomatoes diced. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes till the barley is cooked. Season with celery salt and pepper. Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. Meat lovers can throw in some smoked ham for added flavor!

Spicy Bean Soup
1/2 cup black beans
1 tbsp dried onion
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp celery seeds
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1 vegetable stock cube
2 dried red chilies

Add all ingredients to four cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the soup is cooked. Discard the red chilies and bay leaves before serving. Season to taste.

Spice Rubs

Spice rubs are so handy and last a long time. Just rub them into your meats or veggies and throw them into the frying pan or oven. Don’t even need to think. And here’s the thing – not everyone is as good as you in the kitchen, right? So be generous and share some of your own special spice rubs – and people will be thanking you eternally for an amazing dish!
All you need are some air-tight glass bottles, labels, and tags with what all the rubs can be used for. And of course, some decorative elements for festive cheer! And just to get you started:

Fajita Spice Rub
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper powder
Just mix it all and put it into a jar. Seriously, could it be more effortless? To convert this into a marinade, just mix in olive oil or lemon juice. This mix could be used for fish, meats, veggies, and even paneer. 

Moroccan Spice Rub
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp paprika
4 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp clove powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Mix, bottle, and enjoy with fish, meats, and veggies on the stovetop, the grill, or in the oven. It’s
delicious!

Also Read: Gluten Free Sugar Free Chritsmas Cookies

Dessert Sauces

Yes, so yummy! There’s a bit of cooking involved here, but think of the immense pleasure you’re giving family and friends of all age groups, and do it with love! Try the recipes below, or just do your own thing with berries, chocolate, peanut butter, honey – the possibilities are many! Don’t forget to use air-tight bottles and embellish generously with Christmas trinkets gift.

Caramel Sauce With No Refined Sugar
1 cup of coconut sugar or 1 cup of maple syrup
6 tbsp nut butter (almond butter or peanut butter)
½ cup+1 tbsp of heavy cream (for a healthier alternative, Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 cup of milk until thick. Substitute for 1 cup heavy cream.)
Pinch of sea salt
Keep all the ingredients on hand, as the timing is very important here. Put coconut sugar in a non-stick saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly till it starts melting. Keep stirring till it becomes a copper caramel color and all the sugar has dissolved. Add the butter, and reduce the heat. Whisk till melted and combined. Remove from heat, add heavy cream or the substitute for heavy cream, whisking continuously, then put it back on the stove to thicken for a bit. Mix in salt. Cool and bottle. This must be stored in the fridge and heated in the microwave before serving. Lasts about 2 weeks. 

Lemon Sauce With No Refined Sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup coconut sugar or maple syrup
1 tbsp corn starch
1 teaspoon orange juice
Bring lemon rind, lemon juice, coconut sugar/maple syrup, and corn starch to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Then reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce is thick. Remove from heat and stir in the orange juice. Serve warm. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Lemon Sauce is great with vanilla ice cream, cakes, pancakes, and waffles.

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