For me it's really a mixture of the two. I love to cook and bake so I'm always making edible gifts for people, but sometimes if I know someone loves a certain brand or certain type of food and they don't have it often I'll buy it as well. If I make an edible gift I always try to do so with the recipient in mind as well rather than just making a huge batch of something and giving it to everyone. Which do you prefer? Giving/receiving handmade food gifts or shop bought?
For friends and family who trust you then making food which you'll give them as a gift would be less expensive. However if you want to surprise a neighbor who you think doesn't trust you that much then buying the food would be the better option. It [the food] won't be thrown out which in a way ensures that your money spent buying the food isn't wasted.
I used to have a neighbor who would always bake and it'd nice to receive and to give depending on the ability of the cook. I do think home made is better as it shows a person has made an effort as one can easily buy a food hamper. However if you aren't good at cooking, that is the better choice. I had a friend who made friends by baking cookies and muffins for everyone and would give them out to people that she wanted to get to know.
I'd agree that it's good to buy foods if you're not good at making them yourself, definitely. I think if you're able to do something well then using it to gift is a nice way of making use of the skills you have. It certainly is a nice way to get to know someone better if you can provide them with some food as a gift. It's something of an icebreaker in that you immediately have something to talk about. If you're not too sure on how the gift will go down though I'd definitely agree that shop bought might be better. It's more likely to be eaten I suppose. Although the handmade touch is always more special in my opinion.
It depends entirely on the situation that I am in at the time. If it somebody's birthday, I always like to make them a cake, because then I am able to decorate it in a way that I know they will love, and as such it is always going to be something that is completely personal to them as an individual. If I am going to a party, though, and have been asked to provide food, then I will admit that more often than not I am more likely to buy it from a store, because if there are a lot of people going to a party, I don't have enough time to make that amount of food for them really.
I like to make birthday cakes, or cakes for any occasion for that matter, as well. I find that it's a great way to be able to personalise the cake, and it's more of a thoughtful gift that way too. I do love to cook though so I suppose it's just natural for me to make someone a birthday cake!
I like to make it myself. I made wonderful personalized chocolates as a present to my friend. The best part is that you can customize them however you wish. I made some with caramel, some with nuts, and some with cold dried raspberries.
Those sound like good chocolates! Do you make the caramel and cold dried raspberries yourself? I've never heard of cold dried raspberries before that I know of. How do you make them? Or where do you get them, alternatively? They sound interesting! I'd never even thought of making chocolates before but maybe this is something I should consider! Thanks for the idea.
I think it's a great way to save a bit of expense but also it's nice in a way that it lets the recipient know you cared enough to spend time on their gift rather than just buying it from a store and being done with it. Unfortunately I don't bake so it's tough for me to figure out something I could make but there are some specialties that some members in our family likes to give out that don't require baking such as pickled products or jams.
I usually buy gift food, but that's because I like to give specialty things that would be very difficult for me to make, or that I don't have the equipment to make. Chocolates are one thing I like to give, or Harry and David Moose Munch or Oregon Trail Sauce. These are not things I can make. I do not have candy making skills for one thing, nor to I have the know-how to make fancy caramel corn.
I have in the past. I don't usually do it for individual birthdays, but I find it a great way to create a bunch of Christmas gifts at once by baking a whole bunch of cookies, brownies, etc. Then I split them up and package them nicely to give them away.
I often bake items I know people like and give it to them as a gift. I like to bake and I like to hear people say how good the item I gave them taste. For my son-in law I add hot chocolate or tea to his gift to make it special.
I don't usually give food as a gift so I neither make it or buy it but I do like to receive it as a gift. I love when people give me homemade food gifts. One of my sisters gives me homemade pickles, beets, jams and salsa, I really enjoy it and it's a special treat. One year another sister gave me this tin filled with homemade chocolates and treats. It was one of the best gifts I got. I enjoyed every bite because generally I don't make those things myself. I think homemade food gifts are the best.
I too would agree that receiving and giving home.made gifts is so much better than store bought ones - especially as they're generally way healthier too - speaking of which - I have to say that there are some wonderful ideas here on this thread - that I might just have to try too. As for me - I think that I'd probably be right is saying that I also do a mixture of the two - as although I don't normally bake cakes and such - well apart from occasionally chocolate dipped fruits which many people tell me they love so much they wish I would make them more often - I instead - as I grow all my own produce - gift fruit, vegetable or nut baskets, dried herbs, herb infused oils, shelled nuts or depending on the time of year - make little hampers with a combination of everything - either way - all are packaged in attractive but inexpensive containers - along with ribbons or bows that compliment the packaging as well as the contents. I also gift various plants and herbs that I have grown from cuttings - as well as - at least once year make up hampers with a mixture of bought goods and home-made items to give to the elderly or those less fortunate than me - as they always enjoy having little treats that they can't otherwise afford.
It depends on the person and the situation. Most of the time I’ll opt to bake treats for people, and they’ve always been super well received. But since I have overseas friends, buying is the only option there. I’ll purchase little goodies from local companies, like macadamia nuts, li hing mui powdered gummy candies, and biscotti, then put them in care packages with other things they’d like.
I think both? As for receiving, if a person who wants to give me something they've made their own, I believe they put a lot of effort doing so and I must appreciate it no matter what. But well, not everyone knows how to bake I guess, so they end up buying something that they think it's worth! A gift is a gift! I myself don't know how to bake much but I know exactly what my friends like, so I give them that - and they are overall happy. As a sidenote, I only know how to make chocolate doughnuts!
It's not something I've tried, and I wouldn't make food as a gift as my culinary skills may not be appreciated LOL But I have certainly put together food hampers for my mum and dad. They don't always have the money to buy the finer foods that they really enjoy. So sometimes I'll go to Woolworths and get all sorts of treats for them and they really appreciate it.
I don't know how to cook, so I have no choice but to buy food to be given as gifts. As for receiving food, I don't mind if it's bought or given as long as I like the food and it tastes good, lol.
I generally buy. It saves me money on the whole. When I start to cook things myself for others, I decide that I need the best ingredients, so I end up spending far too much. Logically, it should cost less to make them myself, but I always go overboard, so it's best to buy them instead. Sometimes though, if I have time and I'm willing to spend a lot, I do cook something myself. It's nice to show someone that you took out the time to make something yourself for them.
