6 Inspiring Homemade Host/Hostess Gift Ideas

The Thanksgiving dinner preparation freak outs and nuttiness officially began yesterday when the turkeys came out of the freezer to begin thawing. Understandably, everyone has been talking about holiday dinner prep, sharing recipes, and it seems that everyone is just a little on edge; but that’s just how the holidays go, right? I have also been very fortunate to talk to a few people on Twitter about how they’re keeping their stress levels low, just two days before Thanksgiving, and it got me thinking about holiday dinners and our traditions.

Admittedly, I do not cook for the holidays. In fact, I do not cook very much at all. I am one of those special people who just didn’t come equipped with the cooking or baking genes. I have no idea what I am doing in the kitchen and my partner’s (not so irrational) fear of me burning something, and that something being the entire house down to the ground, has landed him solidly in the role of cooking most meals. Meals that do not involve a microwave or toaster. So for holiday dinners we go to our family’s houses. We spend the very early afternoons at my grandmother’s house with my family and then the later afternoons are spent at his brother’s house with his family. It’s a nice arrangement, not having to cook holiday dinners or deal with all the stress and preparation that comes with it, but it does leave us with the role of finding some really great but simple host/hostess gifts.

Because mostly everyone is on a tight budget this year, I tracked down some really awesome, inspiring host/hostess gifts that are all homemade and cost relatively little. All of these ideas would make the ideal gift, or feel free to take these ideas and put your own spin on them. Get creative!

Packaged Quick Breads

Homemade bread is always a very thoughtful, personal, and well-received gift, but not everyone has time to knead away at their bread or hover at the oven to make sure it rises. Quick breads take all of the work out of making your own delicious, decadent breads. They are yeast-free so all you have to do is mix the batter and put it straight into the oven with baking soda, baking powder, or eggs to give it lift.

Packaging your quick breads is also very easy to do and the presentation will really put this gift over the top. If you bake muffins, present them in the tin they were baked in, just be sure to wipe off any drips. Wrap it in cellophane and then in linen with frayed edges; tie on a tag and you can also include a tag with your recipe included so the person receiving this gift can recreate your baked goods at home. Bake cornbread in wooden molds, which then serve as gift boxes since they cannot be reused for baking. Cover your bread in cellophane, then put in a loaf box from a baking supply store and wrap with loose-weave cotton fabric and sewing thread. Bake bread in a can and cover with rounds of waxed paper, then a round of tissue paper or striped cotton; then neatly tie the whole of the can with waxed-linen thread.

Looking for recipes?

Ginger Carrot Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

You will need:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup carrot juice
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-by-4-inch (1 quart) loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and carrot juice. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, whisking just to combine. Fold in the walnuts.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert loaf onto rack to cool completely. Slice just before serving.

(Source)

Mini Cherry Pecan Streusel Loaves

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

You will need:
For the streusel:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup packaged light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the batter:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour six mini loaf pans (each 5 3/4 by 3 inches, with a 2-cup capacity). Make streusel topping: In a bowl, mix streusel ingredients with fingertips until moist clumps form. Place in freezer.

2. Make cherry-pecan batter: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk butter, sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in dried cherries and pecans.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans; spread to fill corners. Place pans on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then remove from oven, and quickly sprinkle loaves with streusel topping.

4. Return loaves to oven; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool loaves 10 minutes in pans; turn out of pans, and cool completely, streusel side up, on a rack.

(Source)

Cocktail Mixers and Bottle Wrap

When everyone is stuffed full of turkey, wind down your holiday festivities with a nice cocktail. Luckily for your host/hostess, if you present them with some homemade holiday drink mixers, all they will have to do is add the desired amount of alcohol.

Decant your mixers into decorative bottles you can pick up at most home stores, and add a label with the drink recipe and storage instructions with festive thread or ribbon. These mixers will keep for up to a week and must be refrigerated.

For bottle wraps, begin with soft, flexible materials that conform to a bottle’s contour. Begin with several sheets of tissue paper and lay the bottle so that the paper extends 2 inches beyond bottom and at least 1 inch beyond top. Before wrapping the bottle, fold paper edges in to create neat out seams. Roll the bottle, and secure with double-sided tape beneath the seam. Fold the bottom as described above, and tape it closed. Fold the top over, or cinch it with waxed thread or twine. Finish the wrapping with twine, adding details such as pine cones or maple leaves.

For more bottle wrap ideas, go here.

Looking for recipes?

Bloody Mary Mixer

For each drink, combine 3 ounces of mixer with 1 ounce of vodka. Pour into a glass filled with ice.
Download and print Bloody Mary Mixer tag!

You will need:

• 3 cups store-bought tomato juice
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:
1. Stir ingredients; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Cranberry Cocktail Mixer

For each drink, combine 4 ounces of mixer with 2 ounces of vodka in a cocktail shaker with ice; strain into a chilled martini glass.
Download and print Cranberry Cocktail Mixer tag!

You will need:

• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice

Directions:
1. Bring zests, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put juice into a large container; stir in zest mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or overnight. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Apricot Ginger Fizz Mixer

For each drink, pour three ounces of mixer into a glass; add three ounces of sparkling wine.
Download and print Apricot Ginger Fizz Mixer tag!

You will need:

• 1 peeled (1 inch) fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups apricot nectar

Directions:
1. Bring ginger, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat; stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Put apricot nectar into a large container; stir in ginger mixture. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. Strain; pour into an airtight bottle. Mixer can be refrigerated up to 1 week.

(Source)

Mug of Cocoa Mix

This has got to be the simplest host/hostess gift of them all, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make your host/hostesses face light up when you present it to them as some of the other gifts that take a little more work. This gift idea is perfect particularly for someone you may not know that well, if you’re attending a holiday dinner at a partner’s family’s house or attending a holiday party with a friend hosted by someone you’re not friends with.

Pick up a plain colored mug at a home store and download and print out festive holiday ‘warm wishes’ stickers to place in the center of the mug. Place a mug’s-worth of cocoa mix in a small baggie and place the baggie inside cellophane. Wrap the cellophane around the baggie and tie at the top with a decorative ribbon and place the cocoa mix inside the mug.

Homemade Bread Pudding with Clip Art Tags

Give your host/hostess a tasty treat to enjoy after everyone has left, the mess has been cleaned up, and all they want to do is put their feet up and relax! Present them with a fabulously delicious bread pudding presented in a small bowl wrapped in cellophane and adorned with a holiday clip art tag.

The bread pudding recipe follows below. To wrap your bread pudding, wrap each pudding in a piece of cellophane. Place the bowl on top, draw up the sides, cinch with ribbon, attach tags with waxed twine, and tie a bow.

Print out all three tag templates using thick paper stock. Cut out pudding tags by layering them, punch a hole through, and thread with twine. Secure the sauce labels under rings of jar lids.

Kris Kringle Bread Pudding

Recipe makes 2 servings.

You will need:

• 1 1/3 cups Armagnac
• 7 ounces pitted prunes
• 7 ounces assorted dried fruits, such as peaches, apricots, and pears
• 5 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3/4 cup vanilla or granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and scraped
• Zest of 1 orange
• 12 large egg yolks
• 2 large loaves day-old brioche, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes (18 cups)
• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for parchment paper

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine Armagnac and dried fruits. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. The fruit should absorb all of the Armagnac. Remove from heat. Coarsely chop; set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream, half-and-half, sugar, cinnamon sticks, vanilla pod and seed scrapings, and orange zest. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks. While whisking constantly, gradually ladle half the hot cream mixture into the yolks. Return to saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, and scraping the sides and edges of the pan until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a large sieve into large bowl, discarding the cinnamon sticks, vanilla pods, and orange zest.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brioche cubes in a large bowl. Add dried fruit, reserving 1/2 cup. Pour custard over brioche cubes; toss to combine. Divide brioche cubes evenly between two 2-quart ovenproof bowls; the cubes will mound on top. Sprinkle reserved fruit over the top of each pudding. Sprinkle tops of puddings with sugar. Let stand until bread is saturated, about 20 minutes.

5. Brush two 12-by-12-inch pieces of parchment paper with butter. Place parchment paper, butter side down, over bread. Cover parchment with aluminum foil to seal. Place puddings in a large, deep roasting pan. Place in oven, and add enough boiling water to roasting pan to come 3 inches up sides of bowls. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until set, 30 to 45 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep refrigerated 3 days.

6. To reheat; preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place puddings in a deep roasting pan. Place in oven, and add enough water to roasting pan to come 3 inches up sides of bowls. Reheat until warm through, about 20 minutes.

(Source)

Fresh Baked Pie and Pie Carrier

I am a huge fan of taking items, even non-conventional items, and putting a creative twist on them and using them for something maybe no one else has thought of before. So when I saw this idea of using a bamboo steamer as a pie carrier, I immediately fell in love with it.

You can pick up a bamboo steamer at a local home store and it’s the ideal size to transport a pie to your hostess’s door and it can hold two pies at once. After placing the lid on the steamer, secure it with a piece of twill tape tied in a bow.

Looking for recipes?

Easy Pumpkin Pie with Press-In Shortbread Crust

Recipe makes one 9-inch pie.

You will need:

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Press-In Shortbread Pie Crust
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together pumpkin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.

2. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set and slightly puffed but still a bit wobbly, 65 to 70 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours. (Pie can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.) Serve chilled, topped with whipped cream if desired.

(Source)

Spiced Apple Pie

Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie.

You will need:

• Pate Brisee
• 5 pounds Granny Smith apples
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:
1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges flush with rim. Refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Roll remaining disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch fluted round cutter, cut out about 70 rounds, re-rolling scraps if necessary. Place rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Peel and core apples. Thinly slice half the apples, and cut remaining apples into 1-inch pieces.

4. Toss together apples, lemon zest and juice, sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Place filling in pie crust, mounding it in the center. Dot with butter. To make egg wash, whisk together egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Lightly brush edge of pie crust with egg wash. Arrange dough rounds over filling, working in a spiral from the outside in to the center, overlapping them slightly. Lightly brush top of each round with egg wash as you work to help them adhere to one another. Once the filling has been covered with rounds, lightly brush entire top of pie with egg wash. Sprinkle top with sanding sugar. Refrigerate pie for 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with racks in the middle and lower positions. Place a foil lined baking sheet on lower rack to catch any juices. Place pie on middle rack and bake until crust begins to turn golden brown, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Tent with foil if crust browns too quickly. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

(Source)

Good Morning Breakfast Basket

This is a gift that I think would be just absolutely perfect as a host/hostess gift if you attend a New Year’s Eve party and they will surely be super appreciative they have a good morning basket full of breakfast goodies when they’re nursing their hangovers.

Get a basket of appropriate size and line the inside with vintage tea towels or holiday-themed dish towels. Fill it with everything they will need to start the day off right. Include a half pound of ground coffee, tea, sugar, milk, orange juice (just make sure they’re refrigerated before and after you present the gift), scones, butter, marmalade, bagels, and anything else you know they would love!

Holly Ord

In addition to being the founder of Woman Tribune, Holly is a sporadic web designer and developer, enthusiastic lover of gaming, and wannabe baker. She lives in Northeast, PA with her fiance and two cats. She has been blogging on her progressive personal opinion blog, Menstrual Poetry, since 2007.

More posts by Holly | Homepage | Twitter

Related Posts:

• Fun Cinco de Mayo Party Activities and Recipe from Chef Ingrid Hoffman @SimplyIngrid #CokeFiesta
• Jones Soda Celebrates the Holidays with One Peculiar Flavor
• “Frankenweenie” Halloween Masks and Spooky Recipes

Zemanta

Connect With Us:

Enter your email below to have blog updates sent to your inbox, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Hot Stories From Around the Web

Loading...

4 Comments on 6 Inspiring Homemade Host/Hostess Gift Ideas

Linda says:

November 23, 2010 at 8:23 pm

Great ideas! I had not thought of cocktail mixers.

Reply

houston spine and rehab says:

November 24, 2010 at 6:07 am

Hey I loved Mini Cherry Pecan Streusel Loaves and the fizz mixer is a great idea..

Reply

Lee@Unique Gift Baskets says:

December 4, 2010 at 3:20 am

excellent gift ideas, especially the cocktail mixers and the pudding. Yum. Thanks for sharing.

Reply

Rose says:

February 25, 2013 at 6:51 am

Awesome gift idea’s!

Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Name *

Email *

Website

Comment

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>