Baked Goods

• Cookies, cupcakes, brownies and other goods make excellent holiday and birthday gifts. Get in the holiday spirit by decorating cookies or cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles in holiday colors, such as pink for Valentine's Day and red and green for Christmas. Make gifts more special by packaging them in special tins or in boxes tied with pretty ribbon.
  
  

Dry Mixes

• Dry mixes of ingredients make delicious food gifts, and they're easy to prepare, too. For example, make instant hot chocolate powder from sugar and cocoa powder and package it in a plastic sandwich bag with some marshmallows. Tie the bag with a ribbon and place in a mug. Alternatively, mix beans and lentils to make a veggie soup mix or mix nuts, granola, chocolate chips and sunflower seeds to make trail mix.
  
  

Canned Goods

• Homemade canned goods, such as jellies and salsas, can be enjoyed long after the Christmas cookies are devoured. However, make sure that you carefully follow safe canning practices and that you label your canned goods with the ingredients, the source of the recipe and the processing information. Indicate whether the food needs to be refrigerated after opening. Do not can breads, cakes or homemade chocolate sauce as they can develop mold or other toxins