Good quality chocolate or something easily made at home is always a great last minute gift.
The Festive Season is a time of year when many of us - Christian or not - need a few little gifts on hand or items easy to prepare.
What do you like to give? In the past I have made up gifts from mixed fruit, nut and chocolate; fruit baskets; home made items or even recycling something I have previously been given but cannot use.
In Australia, the "Silly Season" is during late spring-early summer and you do not always feel like baking/cooking. You can make some lovely, from the heart gifts with simple pantry items.
When in a real hurry, making up your own mix of bought fruit, nuts, and chocolate is lovely. Choosing a nice box or other re-usable container makes it sustainable too.
If you want to make something without having to cook then you could do things like a fruit-nut log; fruit-nut balls; nut free balls; chocolate coated fruit and nuts; nut butters. You can add variety to all these item ideas by adding something from your favourite superfood powder option [examples - cacao of course!; maqui, acai, lucuma, camu camu; mesquite, carob, spirulina, etc etc]
There really is no shortage of free recipes on the internet. A couple of key words into your browser and you will probably be overloaded with ideas.
A few tips:
Set up a good clear space to work in;
Clean up utensils as you go [especially if you do not have a dishwasher];
Food hygiene;
Use a scale & measuring spoons as a guide - it's ok if it isn't exact expecially with non baked goods;
Use fresh as possible ingredients;
Soak dried fruits for at least 1-2 hours to assist blending;
Sieve powders to avoid lumps;
If you want to use activated nuts or seeds you need to prepare them a few days in advance;
For a better tasting vegan nut cheese, use a probiotic & let the flavour develop for a couple of days.
One important point - be mindful of allergies that the recipient may have and modify your recipe idea accordingly.
There is a bountiful choice of options.
Enjoy the process of making something for people rather than getting hung up on the process itself - i.e. being true to a recipe is not important with regards to quantities in many instances and many ingredients are interchangeable.
Enjoy the process of making something for people rather than getting hung up on the process itself - i.e. being true to a recipe is not important with regards to quantities in many instances and many ingredients are interchangeable.
Have fun, enjoy the the sharing.
Miriam.
