| Are you worried about spending too much on | | | | You can create your own gift baskets by |
| Christmas presents? Don't be. Great gifts don't | | | | assembling some choice fruits and cheeses. If you |
| have to cost much at all. Read on for some easy | | | | pick well, you can get a great assortment for less |
| and dollar-stretching edible Christmas gift ideas. | | | | than $10. And for a few dollars more, you can |
| We all need to eat. But sometimes, especially | | | | create a veritable gourmet feast. Read on for a |
| during tough times, we deprive ourselves. And | | | | variation on that concept... |
| that's when edible gifts can be especially welcome | | | | 3) Home-made edibles |
| -- cool treats that your gifts' recipients wouldn't | | | | Of course, you can also bake cakes or cookies, |
| have made for themselves. | | | | or create other fancy edibles, wrap them nicely, |
| Of course, the traditional way to approach edible | | | | and send them on their way. |
| gifts was to go to a gourmet store and order a | | | | 4) Home-made do-it-yourself edibles |
| very expensive gift basket. Or order it from a | | | | This last one is my favorite: Home-made |
| catalogue. I'm sure you know which ones I'm | | | | do-it-yourself edible Christmas gifts! Just assemble |
| talking about. | | | | the ingredients, pack them up nicely, attach a |
| But it doesn't have to be that expensive. In fact, | | | | recipe card, and send them to the lucky recipient. |
| there are some downright cheap Christmas gifts | | | | Of course, as a nice bonus, you can use the |
| that can bring a lot of joy and pleasure. Here are | | | | same recipes to make some treats for yourself. |
| a few ideas of varying degrees of thriftiness: | | | | In fact, I would highly recommend that you try |
| 1) Store bought goods | | | | out everything you plan to make to ensure the |
| One of our most treasured edible gifts when I | | | | result is what you were hoping for. You might |
| grew up in Germany was a Stollen, a German | | | | even try out several recipes to find the ones you |
| Christmas cake that keeps well, ships well, and | | | | like best. |
| tastes utterly delicious (especially the kind filled | | | | Another big advantage to the do-it-yourself edible |
| with marzipan -- or the ones that are spiked with | | | | Christmas gifts is that they will usually keep for |
| rum). And it's not very expensive either. Neither | | | | quite a long time. This means, they will keep until |
| are a lot of other ready-made Holiday cookies or | | | | all the perishable holiday goodies are long gone -- |
| cakes you can buy at the store. | | | | and can bring back the glow of Christmas even |
| 2) Store bought ingredients, assembled at home | | | | when the snow is but a distant memory! |