Foodstuff as gifts.

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#21

It depends on how good a cook you are, I guess, and to some extent what it is. Things like fudge and buckeyes will mostly get regifted. I like those things, but one or two pieces is plenty to do me for the next year or two, really. And some people’s cooking is just…bad. It’s sweet that they thought of me and spent their time and energy and money making something for me, and I appreciate the thought and effort. But I still ain’t gonna eat it. And we’re typically not home from Christmas Eve till after New Years, so large amounts of stuff that isn’t shelf-stable or freezer-friendly is going to work. (Grandma, I’m looking at you and your jam cake. It is not physically possible for 2 people to eat a two-layer 8x8 cake that sends diabetics into a coma when they’re in the same room with it.)

Things like the fresh yeast bread and flavored butters we got one year are fantastic. We inhaled the bread that night and froze most of the leftover butter. I also like getting jellies and stuff, whether it’s homemade or bought. Sadly, since we cook so much, people very rarely give us food. But they seem tickled to snork down what we give them. I tend to make a lot of marshmallows, truffles, infused oils and vinegars, flavored syrups, that sort of thing that can be kept with minimal fuss for months if need be.

#22

I like the idea and will always appreciate the thoughtfulness. But for some reason, a bottle of homemade blackberry liquor lasts me foreeeeeeever! People who give that kind of gifts taking into account what food do I like are the greatest.

I only drink alcohol about once very three years and it’s got to be for reasons like “being in the Czech Republic and not having half a half-pint of the local lager is grounds for getting kicked into orbit.”

#23

IME, people who do not like fruitcake (by and large) are people who’ve never had good fruitcake. What they’ve had is that doorstop-that-will-eventually-get-moldy that Aunt Mabel bought them because it was on clearance sale at the local discount store.

No matter what the package says, that ain’t real fruit cake, any more than the two-pounds-for-a-buck oatmeal cookies are real oatmeal cookies!:wink: Or any more than Bud Light is real beer!

#24

My guess is you mean Russian Tea Cakes.

#25

Yeah. Real fruitcake doesn’t ever go moldy, because it’s about 30 proof.

#26

I like when someone makes something for me. I’m not too impressed with Hickory Farms Box o’Food and such stuff. Fortunately, no one’s ever given me truly weird food - I don’t know if I could fake appreciation for pickled eel lips…

#27

Thank you all so much for your opinions you have convinced me to move forward with my plan.

I will be giving a couple home made (frozen) lasagnes to my very, very busy friends. Others will be getting a couple of servings of homemade spaghetti sauce, (frozen and portioned), accompanied by yummy garlic butter for making garlic bread to go with!

And I will be giving pita chips too. (That’s a no brainer though, I know my friends love them, if I failed to deliver on this one there would be words, I’m sure!)

There will be cookies, of course, but I don’t count those! Also this year I am going to try making chocolate covered peanutbutter/rice crispy balls! (I can’t really count on these as gifts, as I’ve no idea what they’ll come out like!)

I have a friend who absolutely swears she makes the best real fruit cake evah! Unfortunately she lives 10,000 miles away. But I still get to hear about it and it truly does sound a far cry from what I know as traditional fruitcake.

Again, thanks!

#28

The older I get, the more I think consumables are the way to go for gifts for adults. I have enough “stuff” and if I need more, I know what I like and can buy it myself. But I heartily appreciate gifts of wine, cheese and cheese products, jam, cookies, and the like.