Comments on Greenish Thumb: homemade holiday gift idea

I had thought about making a Thai chili sauce, and...

2009-12-14T19:42:38.917-05:00

I had thought about making a Thai chili sauce, and giving it along with some tom yum cashews I saw at Trader Joe's, and some rice noodles. My husband was saying that a lot of people don't like spice though. I guess it's a balance of what you want to make, but considering somewhat what people would want. I know I would LOVE a mango killer sauce!!!

I had a very short card making phase. One year my sister and I were literally up all night making holiday cards to send. Each card took like an hour to make!

All this aside, I feel that if you're going to give me a gift, and you don't really know me or what I like, I'd always prefer something simple and homemade. Especially if it's food!

For the past couple years I've been making card se...

2009-12-14T15:07:02.558-05:00

For the past couple years I've been making card sets for some special family members. Last year, they each got 4 complimenting Thank You note cards. This year, I'm trying to make a mixed set. So far I've only got one card made for each person, so there is still a lot to do. Hope I get them done.

I bake for some gifts and also give out forced bul...

2009-12-13T11:17:31.544-05:00

I bake for some gifts and also give out forced bulbs - not sure if the latter is "home made" really, but in my head I consider it to be so.

Lucky recipient, Wendy! Homemade gifts are the be...

2009-12-12T18:04:17.806-05:00

Lucky recipient, Wendy! Homemade gifts are the best, I think. I have to make time to bake 8 dozen cookies for bookclub on Tuesday...work but worth it ;)

Beautiful gift! I do hope you'll give canning anot...

2009-12-12T09:57:01.993-05:00

Beautiful gift! I do hope you'll give canning another go, maybe with something less complicated than bruschetta. I promise it's not that bad!

I come from a family where something homemade is not considered a gift - especially in the form of food. :o\ It took awhile to realize other people still like that stuff.

Many friends and neighbors will be receiving big boxes of cookies, homemade ornaments, and jars of peach salsa, tomato salsa, and plum jam.

I hope the recipients of your gift know how much work and thought you put into them! Great job, and lovely gift. :-)

I wonder whether the recipients will appreciate th...

2009-12-12T07:39:09.903-05:00

I wonder whether the recipients will appreciate the tremendous effort that went into this gift. I hope so!

I love this kind of gift. I admire your ambition a...

2009-12-12T01:17:49.816-05:00

I love this kind of gift. I admire your ambition and industry. We do a lot of things like Jalapeno jelly, and Bobby loves to make his Mango Killer sauce. It is a hot sauce that smells so fantastic, so wonderful, and fruity and sweet, and you just MUST have a taste of it, and then you damned near die because it is sooooooooo hot! I don't allow him to give it to any of my friends, and I could probably mention to him that he is liable to not have any friends if he keeps giving them this stuff. LOL, IT IS HOT!

Now, you have me thinking about what I can come up with for gifts. Sounds like work.

mmmm, deep fried cookies... Deborah - true about ...

2009-12-11T19:30:09.184-05:00

mmmm, deep fried cookies...

Deborah - true about people not realizing how much time goes into this! I guess canning just the fruit/veg without following a recipe might make it easier...

Stephanie - the bulb of garlic is a great idea! I can envision the bulb with a little ribbon or something. Next year...

Wendy, you just made the world a better place with...

2009-12-11T17:23:44.717-05:00

Wendy, you just made the world a better place with these thoughful homemade eco-friendly gifts. The recipients will be very delighted. I thought home canning was a dying industry until I joined blotanical. I am so guilty of all the extra rotted chillies and tomatoes I had to throw away.

Wendy, I feel your pain on the canning issue. I ma...

2009-12-11T06:19:09.313-05:00

Wendy, I feel your pain on the canning issue. I made chutney one year and like you spent hours on it. My husband was giving it away to all and sundry, and hardly left any for ourselves. I do not think that anyone appreciated how much blood, sweat and tears(not for real of course)went into it.
Yours looks delicious. No homemade gifts from me this year, we are down three designers, so work is crazy.

This is the kind of gift that I like to receive ;-...

2009-12-11T03:24:34.566-05:00

This is the kind of gift that I like to receive ;-) A very thoughtful and unique one indeed! Toasted bread with evoo and bruschetta... yum yum! Btw, are you also giving fresh garlic to rub on the bread? I think some people may like it :-D

Hi Wendy~~ Hats off to you. My best friend does a ...

2009-12-10T23:31:56.446-05:00

Hi Wendy~~ Hats off to you. My best friend does a lot of canning and I admire her for her energy. Boy is it a lot of work. For me, it's all I can do to get my blueberries in the freezer!

Your loved ones are very lucky.

wow, its nice to receive homemade stuff. Here in m...

2009-12-10T23:16:28.857-05:00

wow, its nice to receive homemade stuff. Here in my place the most I get to receive among Indians are those deep fried cookies - like murukku. And among friends if someone bakes - it would be cookies or cakes.
But never like what you mentioned here in your post.
Very interesting.