Hello again!  I wanted to take a break from the kitchen this week and suggest a homemade gift that is just too adorable to ignore.  And if you're like me, a knitted or crocheted gift will need to be started now for it to be finished by Christmas.  :) 

According to Squidoo.com "Amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small animals or toys."  Being more of a knitter myself, I am including knitted softies in this post as well. 

There are lots of patterns for sale on Etsy for amigurumi.

LuvlyGurumi'sShop

AmyGaines

 

AmyGaines

 

You can also find free patterns on the web by searching for 'amigurumi'.  One website that has lots is http://www.squidoo.com/crocheteddolls.

I can't remember how I found this pattern for Little Red Riding Hood dolls but probably a link from a link from a link, surfing the web kind of day.  The knit pattern includes Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf, and Grandma and uses scraps of DK weight yarn. 

There are so many cute ones to choose from!  Deciding which to make first may be the hardest part. 

An easy and fun gift to make is a collection of different spice mixes, flavored oils, or even homemade ice cream toppings.  I've been saving recipes for spice mixes to make and give my dad who loves to BBQ.  Putting each one in a pretty tin or jar with a label saying what is recommended to use it on is a simple and practical gift.

If you have some bigger glass bottles you can fill them with flavored oils and vinegars.  I've seen directions for making rosemary, lemon and dill, basil and garlic, and many more oils.  Different vinegars could be flavored with lavender, oregano rosemary and thyme, or tarragon and lemon.

 

If you wanted to put together some food related gift for my husband, ice cream toppings would do the trick!  I've seen recipes for hot fudge and caramel toppings.  A nice raspberry sauce would be great in this gift too!

A quick search on google will bring up countless recipes for any of these items but here is the one that started it all for me. 

Quick and Easy Spice Rub (from the December 2007 issue of Cooking Light):

2 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS onion powder

2 TBS garlic powder

2 TBS paprika

3 TBS cumin

1 TBS coriander

2 TBS chili powder

1 TBS salt

Combine all ingredients.

Good for everything from fish, to tenderloin, to chicken rub about 1 TBS of mix on each cut of meat.  Cover, and let stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Mixture will keep for 6 months when stored in a cool, dark place.

Have you ever tried making anything like this?  How did it turn out?

I'm keeping with my kitchen theme again this week.  Have you ever made homemade bread?  Not bread machine bread but real, kneaded by hand, bread?  If you have then you know how special and absolutely delicious it it!  And also how much time it takes.  If you aren't up for making a loaf every month even just a one time gift of homemade bread would be appreciated. 

Besides the fact that it is delicious, homemade bread also makes a great gift because it is "waste-free."  I'm a big fan of waste-free holiday gifts.  I hate the thought of all that wrapping paper and packaging going into the trash.  And then all that new stuff to fill up your house?  I am on a constant mission to keep toys and stuff in general from taking over my house.  Bread is a practical gift and once it has been eaten and enjoyed, is gone.  No more cluttering up your counters or bookshelves.  Very little packaging, and no wrapping paper required (at least after the initial loaf). 

Bread isn't very difficult to make, just time consuming.  After the mixing and kneading, it needs to rise, then be shaped and rise again before baking.  Depending on your recipe the rise time will be from 45 minutes to 2 1/2 hours.  Of course you can be doing other things during the rising but I find it best to stay home so I know I will be there when the dough is ready for the next step. 

In addition to plain white bread you can make french bread, hamburger buns, whole wheat bread, cinnamon rolls, and the list goes on.  Peter Reinhardt has some great cookbooks on bread baking.  Nothing needs to take fancy ingredients.  French bread for example is only water, yeast, flour, and salt.  Hamburger buns are the same recipe as bread but shaped different.  You could make something different each month depending on how you feel.

Have you ever made bread before?  What kind?  I just tried a new whole wheat recipe this week and it is delicious!!  I'm happy to share if anyone wants it. 

Here are my girls enjoying some homemade bread.  Everyone prefers it over store bought.

This weeks homemade with love gift suggestion is a cookbook.  Gather all your favorite recipes and share them with someone you know who enjoys cooking. 

 

There are lots of ways to make your own cookbook.  You could gather all different kinds of recipes or choose a theme like kid friendly, desserts, or vegetarian.  There are also different ways to combine your recipes.  You could write (or print) them on recipe cards and put them all in a pretty box like this one from Cut the Cake Designs.

 

You could type all of your recipes, print them on some cute paper, and then either bind them or put them in a 3-ring notebook.  Websites like cookbookpeople.com can print your book for you after you enter your recipes. 

 

If you like to make scrapbooks, why not make a scrapbook of your recipes?  I don't enjoy scrapbooking but think this would be awesome to receive.

 

Have you ever made a cookbook?  Did you follow a theme?  How did the recipient like it?