Tasteful gifts come from the kitchen

Even before the economy headed south, Michelle Miller turned to her kitchen, not the store, for holiday gifts.

Teachers got a batch of ready-to-bake sugar cookie dough; open-house hosts received a basket of muffins; neighbors, a quart of sauce and a package of pasta.

"Candles aren't for everyone," the Bartlett woman says, "but everyone loves food."

This year as people find less cash in their wallets, they're turning to homemade gifts instead of crossing people off their lists.

For the cost of the piano teacher's musical picture frame, you can purchase ingredients for half a dozen quarts of sauce or cookie mix or a couple pints of spiced liqueur.

Miller, a formerly single mother to Kennedy, 13, and Jackson, 11, says she started making homemade treats about six years ago when her budget was tighter. Today it's a tradition her family, which now includes husband Nick, looks forward to.

"It's fun for me, it's a good family activity," she says. "I like doing this because my family can help."

This year she plans to make a big batch of spicy pasta sauce. In past years she's created champagne sauce ("something different, that's not expensive"), cranberry, white chocolate and macadamia cookie logs, and a "sinful" granola.

If you want to follow Miller's lead, make sure fresh sauces and doughs are put into food-safe containers, and don't forget to include instructions for additional prep and serving.

"I have friends who do a blowout New Year's Eve party, and I bring them muffins or homemade bread," Miller says.

Another option would be pancake mix or a ready-to-bake egg casserole gift so holiday party hosts can relax the morning after.

If you don't want to do the cooking yourself, consider a one-pot dinner. Mix rice with a variety of seasonings and other dry ingredients, then package them in cellophane gift bags.

"The lucky person to receive the kit simply adds liquid and protein, such as chicken, and lets it simmer," says Associated Press Food Editor J.M. Hirsch.

Jenny Harper, a culinary specialist with Nestle Test Kitchens, has taken kit assembly from a family activity to a classroom activity that could be adapted for scout troops or neighborhood groups.

"When my daughter Caty was in first grade, I organized her class in making Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix in a Jar as holiday gifts. Each of her classmates then had a sweet gift for a family member," Harper says. "What I remember most is the fun and laughter of that afternoon. - Kids, especially, enjoy the measuring, bagging and assembling."

Look for canning jars in grocery stores. Craft and baking supply stores are your best bet for inexpensive gift bags, Hirsch suggests. Miller says she looks for coupons to hobby stores and buys yards of fabric that can be cut to top jars or line baskets or boxes.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Recipes</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=256864">Spiced Liqueur </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256868">Hazelnut Liqueur </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256863">Kid-Friendly Focaccia </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256862">Creamy Italian Chicken With Porcini Mushrooms Kit </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256867">Hot Cocoa Mix in a Jar </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256866">Pasta Puttanesca </a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=256865">Sinful but Fabulous Granola </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>