16 Foodie Perfect Holiday Hostess Gifts

Tis that time of the year, folks!

Soon we will all be ringing door bells and knocking on doors, attending various holiday dinners & parties that we have received invites to.  

While a hostess gift is not always necessary or expected, it just feels good to show up at someone's home with a nice homemade gift in hand.  

Sure... wine is nice.  But every other guest in attendance will probably be showing up with a bottle of vino.

You can be that guest.  The one that showed up with that little special something that your gracious hostesses will still be thinking about next year when they send you another dinner or party invite in the hopes that you will show up with some more of those goodies you brought last time. ;)

As a seasoned hostess for family dinners & holiday parties over the years, I can attest that I would be more than thrilled to receive any of the homemade foodie gifts included in this round-up....

12 DIY Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen

These 12 DIY Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen (& the heart!) are the perfect last minute teacher, neighbor, hostess, or coworker gifts...

Wowzers, you all. I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is next weekend! Luckily, we have most of the gifts already bought, save a few for our neighbors and my daughter's teachers. 

It is definitely getting down to the wire to order gifts online and still be able to get them shipped in time for Christmas. And forget about the stores right now- most of them are an absolute madhouse at this point! 

That is why I love having a few gift ideas on hand that I can make at home with pantry staples I probably already have on hand like these 12 DIY Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen that I am sharing with you all today. ;)

Okay, so let's go over your game plan for this weekend- 1. Browse through this list of homemade & tasty DIY gift ideas, & pick out 1 or 2 that you would like to make. 2. Gather the kids in the kitchen, and then knock out a few of those last-minute gifts you need for your kids' teachers, a next-door neighbor, coworkers, or as a heartfelt hostess gift. 

I also like to whip up a couple of extras just to have on hand for when unexpected guests show up at the door or when we get that last-minute invite to a holiday party (or for when my husband forgets that his coworker invited us over for cocktails)...

Toasted Pecan Pie Crust Mix Gift with Free Printable

Get a head start on those holiday hostess and teacher gifts now with this easy to make Toasted Pecan Pie Crust Mix Gift...

I am sort of a sucker for fun foodie gifts for the holidays.  I love making and giving them. And I love receiving them.  

I mean first of all, food is universal. We all eat it, right? ;)

So you can whip up cookie mixes or make fudge (or this Toasted Pecan Pie Crust Mix), and they make the perfect gifts for anyone on your holiday list. 

Everyone has seen the layered cookie mixes in jars by now, right? I mean, you really can't even open Pinterest these days without at least seeing one or two on that first page. Baking cookies is always synonymous with the holidays.  

But pie baking is too! Except that it usually takes a little more effort to make pies. But gifting this Toasted Pecan Pie Crust Mix takes a little of the work out of that holiday pie making for those favorite hostesses, teacher, and foodies in your life... :)

Easy Homemade Mint Extract

Have potted or garden mint you would like to preserve before the cold weather sets in? Try this Easy Homemade Mint Extract...

Those of you who have been following me on Instagram may remember when I came back from our vacation to Savannah and Hilton Head over the summer to discover that my potted mint plant was pretty sickly.  I posted a photo hoping for advice or a diagnosis, and then made the bold decision to transplant the darn thing.... right into my garden.

Granted, I had heard the horror stories of mint aggressively taken over entire gardens, but I was willing to risk it. I mean, there were over 2 months of summertime mojito sipping at stake then, folks! ;)

Luckily, the risk I took paid off. The mint bounced back, thrived, did not take over my entire garden, and now I have an abundance of it at my fingertips daily.

But now that summer has ended and colder nights are on the horizon, I am busily trying to harvest and preserve my beautiful, fragrant garden mint before the frost sets in.

My first mint preservation project? Homemade Mint Extract! After doing a little peeking around on Google, I discovered that making your own mint extract at home is ridiculously easy- basically all you need is two ingredients and some glass jars...

15 Foodie Gifts for the Star Wars Fan (Updated for 2023)

Whether you are a huge Star Wars fan yourself or you happen to have one on your holiday gift list this year, you are going to love this collection of 15 Foodie Gifts for the Star Wars Fan...

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Who else is excited as I am for the release of The Last Jedi next month?

Having been born in the late 70's, I grew up watching the Star Wars trilogy. The heroic tales of Princess Leia, Luke, Han Solo, & Chewbacca were intertwined throughout my childhood. 

In the late 90's, the Star Wars trilogy was revisited & remastered and I anxiously awaited the release of each one at the movie theaters. Then in the mid-2000's came the prequels. 

We finally had the back story of Luke & Leia's parents. We found out how Darth Vader came to be. It was revealed just why Obi-Wan & Yoda went into seclusion. And we also got a few things that we didn't bargain for or ask for (ahem.. Jar Jar Binks, lol). 

Fast forward to 2015, and we now have a whole new generation being introduced to the magic of Star Wars. I took my daughter to the theater to see both The Force Awakens & Rogue One, and we are already making plans to see The Last Jedi in a few weeks. 

Whether you are a huge Star Wars fan like myself or you happen to have one on your holiday gift list this year, you are going to love this collection of 15 foodie gifts for the Star Wars fan! 

I mean, what hardcore Star Wars fan & foodie isn't going to love a pair of light saber chopsticks or Death Star shaped waffles?? ;)

Mud Pie MoJoe Fudge

Rich chocolate, peanut butter, Oreos, toasted almonds, & a little Kahlua come together to make this Mud Pie MoJoe Fudge. It is sure to become a new holiday fudge favorite...

Fudge is just one of those goodies that is always associated with the holidays, right?  It is a staple on the holiday treat platters at family gatherings and office parties.  It is a sinful indulgence that we seem to let slide when the Christmas Carols start playing and the holiday lights begin twinkling. 

But fudge is also one of those very temperamental kinds of recipes.  Boil it too long and you get dry, flaky fudge.  Don't boil it long enough and it just never sets up quite right.

Fudge is one of my culinary nemeses.  

You may (or may not have) noticed that until this very day I have never posted a homemade fudge recipe to this blog. 

Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two

Brimming with chunks of fresh apple & warm chai spices, these Apple Chai Mug Cakes for Two are ready in less than 10 minutes...

Have I ever mentioned to you all that fall happens to be my favorite season of the year? (I am pretty sure you guys have probably heard about my love of all things autumn at least a hundred times since I started this blog, but humor me, okay? ;) ) 

One of my favorite fall family traditions is our annual pilgrimage to a farm/apple orchard/pumpkin patch in Pennsylvania to go apple & pumpkin picking. We have been going to this very same farm each October for 6 years now. In fact, my daughter's first visit there is while she was still in utero. 

Flash forward 6 years later to the weekend before last when we once again visited our favorite farm to go apple picking. Except this time my sweet daughter happens to be smack dab in the middle of the Ferocious Fives. 

I am not even sure that the ferocious fives is technically a thing, but let me tell you all that my husband & I experienced the full brunt of it's wrath a couple of Sundays ago. And if it isn't already a thing, it totally should be. 

I won't get into all of the sordid details, but let's just say that we ended up leaving after only being there for an hour with my daughter screaming bloody murder the whole way back to the car. Did I mention that this farm is an hour & a half drive away? Yep.

Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter {A Recipe Makeover}

No need to stand over a pot stirring for hours to make perfectly spiced homemade apple butter. Let your slow cooker do all the work with this Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

I originally published my recipe for this Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter in October of last year.  But I decided that it was time to give this recipe a makeover.  

I didn't really change anything about my original recipe, but I knew the photos desperately needed a makeover.  

I have learned so much in the past year about food styling, lighting, angles, and I knew I could do so much better for this tasty apple butter.  In fact, it deserved better. ;)

And because everyone loves to see before and after shots when we are talking about makeovers, here is one from my post almost a year ago...

Cinnamon Spiced Apple-Cranberry Jam

I purchased the book Food In Jars before I even knew that it was based on a blog by Marissa  McClellan.  I just started to learn to can this past summer, and I am hooked.  So when I happened upon this book at Sam's Club while I was there shopping with my mom one day, I had to pick it up.

Later that afternoon when I was on Twitter gloating about my new cookbook find, a friend of mine said, "You know Food In Jars is a blog, right?"  What?!?  Stop the presses!  So, I am now a faithful follower of Food In Jars. :)

I immediately spent the evening after I bought the book happily earmarking everything I wanted to make (yeah, a lot of this book is dog-eared at this point ;) ).  One recipe that I knew I had to make for the holidays is her Apple-Cranberry Jam.  I added my own little spin on it with the cinnamon to make it a little more festive. 

What you will need:

11-12 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used a mix of Cameo, Suncrisp, & Fuji.)

4 cups of fresh cranberries

6 cups of sugar

Zest & juice of 2 lemons

3 small cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches long each)

I am not going to get into all of the canning basics with this recipe.  If you need a few tips or are a beginner, check out my post of A Few Tips From a Canning Novice to the Canning Newbies or take some time to peruse the Resources Page on Food In Jars.

Be sure to sterilize your jars and lids.  I like to do this in the dishwasher.  Just leave the jars in your dishwasher to keep them warm until you are ready to fill them.  This recipe made four 16 oz jars for me.  

Combine the apples, cranberries, sugar, & 1 cup of water in a large pot or dutch oven.  Over high heat, bring it to a boil.  Add the cinnamon sticks.  Allow it to boil for 15-20 minutes.  The apples will become soft and the cranberries will pop open.

Mix in the lemon juice and zest.  Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.  I let mine simmer for about 20 minutes because I was aiming for a thicker consistency, more like a cranberry sauce than a jam.  (I actually used some of this instead of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone loved it. ;) )

Ladle your jam into your hot jars and add your lids and rims just until finger tight.  Process in boiling water for about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the pot and allow it to set up on a counter overnight before moving them.  You should hear the reassuring little pings as your jars cool letting you know that your jars' lids have sealed. 

Add a festive bow or some twine and you have a perfect hostess gift or a fabulous jar of homemade jam to add to a gift basket for your favorite foodie! :)

What are some of your favorite gifts to can for the holidays?

Peppermint Bark Mocha Mug Cake Gift {+ Free Printables!}

Need a quick, budget friendly, & delicious last minute holiday gift idea?  Look no further! This easy Peppermint Bark Mocha Mug Cake Gift is just what you are looking for...

It's that time of December.... time for that scramble for last minute holiday gifts!  

This Peppermint Bark Mocha Mug Cake Gift is the perfect teacher or hostess gift.  It is also wonderful to have a few made up and on hand for those unexpected gift givers (you all know who I am talking about- those friends & family who pop over & bring you a little something that you were not expecting and then you feel sort of like a jerk because you happen to be empty-handed. ;) )