It’s Time to get Festive
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, with Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to start planning. And that means coming up with presents for everyone!
But let’s be honest, are you tired of gifting (or receiving) gimmicks and toys that either get shelved or taken to the op shop a week or two later? We are 🤦🏽
We’ve had enough of online shopping too. And with postage and deliveries as unpredictable as ever at the moment, there’s a pretty good chance that come the 24th of December, the gifts you ordered online will still be sitting in a crate at some mail sorting centre!
So, let’s get creative this season with some handmade food goodies! You’ll love it, and so will your friends.
Why You Should make your own Gifts
Wondering whether your handmade gift might look a bit ‘cheap’? Worried that your friend might think you didn’t want to spend the money to go out and buy him/her something?
Honestly, you can afford to forget those worries. Let’s have a look at a few of the reasons why you should make your own gifts:
- It’s Personal
Everyone has to agree that the best presents are ones that come from the heart. And that means taking the time to think about what your special person loves, then going to the trouble of making that just for them. In short, you’re spending your own time and effort to come up with that perfect gift – one that really makes them smile.
- It’s Unique
If you want a gift that really stands out from the pack, you’ll have to make it. You know yourself that receiving a handmade gift is one of those unique, one-of-a-kind experiences that you treasure, so why not gift someone else this way?
- It’s Fun
Gifting others isn’t meant to be a chore. So, swap out the hours spent traipsing around the shops for a bit of fun in your own kitchen!
And why not involve the kids too? Cooking is a great parent-and-child activity and cooking for others is the perfect opportunity to teach your little one that friends are worth going the extra mile for.
- A Great Way to Relax
We get it: the lead-up to Christmas can be really stressful. There are work stresses, holidays to plan for (yay finally!), EOY parties, family gatherings to arrange and kids on school holidays…
Baking some delicious Christmas gifts is a great way to unwind and get those creative juices flowing. Be a bit original and make something other than the traditional white Christmas and fruitcake…
At Love & Co we can’t resist delectable Christmas indulgences. Our teams have been getting together and organising Christmas themed morning and afternoon teas to celebrate the festive season together. Sweet, salty, crunchy, decadent…we’ve decided to share a few of our favourite recipes right here. We hope you enjoy making (and tasting) these incredible edibles…
Of course, chocolate has to be first on the list! And what’s better than the combination of peppermint and chocolate?
For the ultimate festive chocolate slice, check out this recipe from Delicious!
How super cute are these little gingerbread gift boxes?!
Fun to make, even better fun to decorate, and simply amazing to receive!
We found this gorgeous recipe on Taste.com.au, but if you have your own good-old-faithful recipe for gingerbread, get creative and try your hand at crafting these little treasures!
- Pickles and Preserves
Tangy, sweet, salty, spicy… who doesn’t love homemade pickles and preserves?
We picked out this recipe for preserved lemons, because it’s a welcome change to the regular fruit jams and tomato chutney – not that there’s anything wrong with fruit jam and chutney, and if you know your friend loves that, well go for it!
But lemons are in season at the moment and many Melbournians either have a tree of their own or know someone who has one. Preserved lemon is often served with Moroccan chicken, added to salads, or paired with cheeses on an antipasto platter.
- Spiced Nut Mix
Sweet and spicy nuts are a Christmas must-have. And they make the perfect gift too!
Looking for something with a bit of tongue-tingling yumminess? Check out this mouth-watering recipe from garlicandzest.com.
Or if you’d rather gift a sweeter treat, try this candied nut recipe.
Both recipes are amazing, and your friends will find them totally irresistible (and so will everyone else, so don’t let your family devour them all before you get time to wrap them up!)
- The Drinks are on Me
Treat your friends to some sensational infused vodka (or gin)!
These exquisite little bottles are the perfect addition to any garden party or formal dinner, and you can flavour them to suit your special person’s taste.
We saw this idea on Delicious.com.au and decided we had to share it!
Presentation Counts
Go the extra mile with the presentation. Handcrafted gift tags and beautiful gift-wrapping will make your handmade gift look a million dollars!
Happy baking/crafting! And best wishes this festive season from the team at Love & Co!