Quick Gifts From the Kitchen--No Cooking Required

This cookbook includes more than 50 recipes for mixes—no cooking required. Help cut your gift-giving budget with these inexpensive, handmade gifts. With tasty recipes like Orange Spice Cappuccino Mix, Cranberry Cornbread Muffin Mix, Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix and Chocolate-Cinnamon Popcorn Spice, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. The book also includes a helpful guide for assembling gift baskets, plus directions for making fabric gift bags and decorating paper gift sacks to hold your mixes, creative ideas for packaging and cooking instruction tags to photocopy and cut out. Size: 5.5” X 8.5”, paperback, 72 pages. ISBN 978-0-9802244-6-7. $6.95
E-Book: $2.99

Try a few of the sample recipes posted on this blog.
See the list at right.

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Introduction to Quick Gifts From the Kitchen--No Cooking Required

In today’s hectic, commercially driven world, making your own gifts is a way to return to a simpler time when most gifts were homemade treasures. Not only are handmade gifts unique, they are also easier on your gift-giving budget than the mass-produced items found in stores.

This book includes more than fifty mix recipes that you can stir up in a jiffy—no cooking required—to make inexpensive, one-of-a-kind gifts that your family and friends will enjoy. With tasty recipes like Orange Spice Cappuccino Mix, Cranberry Cornbread Muffin Mix, Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix and Chocolate-Cinnamon Popcorn Spice, you’ll find something for everyone on your list.

Also included is a helpful, step-by-step guide for assembling beautiful gift baskets, plus instructions for making fabric gift bags and decorating paper gift sacks to hold your mixes, creative ideas for packaging, and gift tags to photocopy and cut out.

Making your own gifts is not only rewarding for yourself, but a special treat for your lucky recipient. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and pride, while the person receiving the gift will feel honored that you used your time and talent to create a “one-of-a-kind” gift just for them.

Whether you need a last minute gift for a co-worker or a carload of inexpensive gifts for those on your Christmas list, you’ll never need to be stressed over giving again. You’ll have the perfect solution to solve those pesky gift-giving dilemmas. These mix recipes are not only fun, quick and easy to make, they are proven crowd pleasers. When you’re puzzled about what to give to someone you don’t know well or someone who seems to have everything, food is always a good choice.

Quick Gifts from the Kitchen will help make your gift-giving a joyful experience. Instead of wasting time on futile shopping trips and over-spending on mass produced store-bought items, create your own special gifts from the heart. Everyone on your gift list will be glad you did!

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Orange Spice Cappuccino Mix From: Quick Gifts From the Kitchen--No Cooking Required

1/2 cup non-dairy powdered coffee creamer
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons dried, ground orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Recipe makes about 2-1/4 cups of mix. Divide mix evenly into two separate small zipper-type plastic bags.

Place each bag in the center of a 14” square of homespun or print fabric, or use a fabric napkin. Gather the fabric around the mix and tie with ribbon, jute or raffia. Attach cooking instruction tag. Place mix inside a mug. Or place mix in a decorative tin or canister with an airtight lid.

To Serve: Place 2 teaspoons mix into a mug. Add 2/3 cup of boiling water. Stir until well blended.

For a gift basket idea: Place the mug and the fabric bundle of drink mix inside a basket along with a fabric gift bag filled with scone mix (recipe in the book).

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Herb Garden Beer Bread Mix Gift Basket From: Quick Gifts From the Kitchen

Make this fun gift basket by placing a bag of Beer Bread Mix (recipe below) and a bag of Garden Bread Seasoning Blend (recipe below) in a terracotta pot that is filled with paper shred. Tie a strip of fabric or ribbon around the edge of the pot into a bow.

To make a fabric bag for the bread mix, cut 2 pieces of fabric 6-1/2” wide X 11-1/2” high, using pinking shears. Pin the two pieces of fabric together, right sides facing each other. Sew (either by hand or machine) around the sides and bottom of the bag using a 1/4” seam allowance. Turn bag right side out.

Bread Mix

3 cups self-rising flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar

In a large bowl, combine ingredients until well blended. Place mix in a plastic zipper-type bag. Place plastic bag inside a fabric gift bag and tie closed with jute or raffia (see instructions above for making a fabric bag). Attach cooking instruction tag. For a gift basket idea, place the bag in a terracotta flower pot with a bag of Garden Herb Bread Seasoning (recipe below). Or place bag of mix in a loaf pan with a can of beer.

To Prepare: Preheat oven to 350º.  Place mix in large bowl and add one 12 oz. can of beer (at room temperature) and 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine. Blend just until ingredients are moistened.  Pour into a greased and floured 9” X 5” loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until done.  Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Garden Herb Bread Seasoning

1/3 cup dried parsley flakes
1/3 cup dried minced onion
2-1/2 tablespoons dried basil leaves, crushed

In a small bowl, blend all ingredients together. Recipe makes about 1 cup of seasoning. Place about 1/4 cup of mix into each of four small zipper-type bags. Bundle each plastic bag inside a 10” square of fabric and tie closed with raffia or jute as shown at left. Attach cooking instruction tag. Place bundle inside a small terracotta flower pot filled with paper shred. Tie a strip of fabric or ribbon around edge of pot into a bow. Or place in a large terracotta pot along with a bag of Beer Bread Mix as described above.

To Use Mix: Add one tablespoon seasoning blend to a package of hot roll mix or your favorite quick bread recipe. Prepare and bake bread as directed on package or recipe.


More than 50 recipes for mixes, no cooking required. Help cut your gift-giving budget with these inexpensive, handmade gifts. With tasty recipes like Orange Spice Cappuccino Mix, Cranberry Cornbread Muffin Mix, Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix and Chocolate-Cinnamon Popcorn Spice, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. Also includes a helpful guide for assembling gift baskets, plus directions for making fabric gift bags & decorating paper gift sacks to hold your mixes, creative ideas for packaging & cooking instruction tags to photocopy and cut out. Size: 5.5” X 8.5”, paperback, 72 pages.  $6.95  

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Forget-Me-Not Tea Mix From: Quick Gifts From the Kitchen--No Cooking Required

1 (15 oz.) jar instant orange breakfast drink mix
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened instant tea powder
1/2 cup presweetened lemonade mix
1 (0.14 oz.) package unsweetened cherry-flavored soft drink mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Recipe makes about 4 cups of tea mix. Place 2 cups of mix in a one-pint canning jar and decorate lid with a fabric circle (instructions on page 59). Or place 2 cups of mix in a plastic zipper-type bag. Place plastic bag inside a fabric bag (instructions on page 56). Tie closed with ribbon, jute or raffia tied into a bow. Attach cooking instruction tag.

To Serve: Place 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of mix into a mug. Add 8 ounces of hot water. Stir until blended.

Gift basket idea: Place fabric bag of mix in a basket with a mug and a mug mat.

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Cowboy Cookie Mix From: Quick Gifts From the Kitchen--No Cooking Required

1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Place mix in a plastic zipper-type bag. Place bag in the center of a red bandana. Draw corners together and tie closed with jute or raffia. Attach cooking instruction tag.

To Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°. Empty mix into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted; 1 egg, slightly beaten; and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir to blend thoroughly. Shape into walnut-size balls and place on a greased baking sheet about 2” apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet then remove to racks to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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Snowman Soup Mix From: Quick Gifts From the Kitchen

 

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup white chocolate baking chips
3 tablespoons vanilla flavor powdered coffee creamer

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. Recipe makes about 1-1/2 cups mix (about 4 servings). 

Place 1/3 cup mix (1 serving) in a small plastic zipper-type bag. Place the plastic bag in a cellophane bag.

Tie the top closed with ribbon and attach instruction tag. Place cellophane bag of mix inside a mug.

To Serve: Place 1/3 cup mix into a mug. Add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until well blended.

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