My daily meditations fell off a cliff when the pandemic happened. In a time where meditaiton was most needed I was looking for comfort and grounding in other things like food and Netflix binges, but now that a new season is upon us it’s a perfect time to start a new...
Edible Gifts for Minimalists Who Don’t Want More “Stuff”
No, not those kinds of edibles, but rather homemade consumable gifts straight from your kitchen, made with love. It can be hard to shop for the minimalist in your life. You want to give them a lovely gift, but you know they don’t want more stuff. Edible gifts for minimalists are intentionally made to be used, they will be functional, enjoyable, and most importantly they won’t collect dust on a shelf. Also, edible gifts are a great opportunity to put your chef skills on full display, or just to pretend you have chef skills, because some of these are so easy!
Edible Gifts for Minimalists:
Homemade Granola
Homemade granola is super easy to make and can be made into a lovely presentation when put in a glass jar with a simple robbon and tag saying what it is. If you are looking for a simple granola recipe check out my Banana Walnut Granola recipe.
Homemade Jam
Jams, jellys, and marmalades require a little more effort but they can be so special, especially if you are using fruits you grew yourself. The easiest jam recipe I’ve ever done is this strawberry jam that uses chia seeds to create the jelly like consistency. It’s super healthy, but becuase of that it doesn’t keep for long (the downside of not using preservatives). I also heard that Kate Middleton herself gifted the Queen some homemade jam for Christmas one year, so you are in great company.
Infused Olive Oil
Infused olive oils are great becuase of how personalized you can make them. Get a large Costco size of olive oil and a few jars and add herbs and spices depending on the recipeint. You can make a bunch at once so they are great to have for last minute on the go gifts for a hostess, your kids teacher, a hairdresser, dog walker, etc. I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t appreciate this gift.
Here are a few ideas of things you can add to a jar of olive oil:
- roasted garlic cloves
- rosemary sprigs
- basil leaves
- crushed chillis
- sliced lemon, orange, or blood orange
- jalapenos
- sun dried tomatoes
- truffles (if you’re feeling fancy!)
Seasoned Salt
This is the gift that nobody realized they needed until they recieved it. Specialty salt is a unique treat that we don’t usually buy for ourselves, but it can absolutely transform a dish. Introduce this to your friends and you will be forever known as a culinary genious.
Here’s how to make it:
- Buy good quality sea salt. My favorite is Malodon.
- Add in whatever combination of dried herbs you like. Some ideas are: paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried basil, onion powder, the list is as endless as your spice cabinet.
- Put your salt mixture in a nice jar with a bow and a little tag that says what is in it.
Soup-in-a-Jar Kit
I love recieving these types of gifts becuase a soup-in-a-jar kit is a great thing to have on hand on a cold winter evening when you don’t feel like cooking. I consider it a luxury to not have to think about what I am making or go to the store and prepare dinner. These gifts are especially great for busy parents who would welcome a night off from making dinner, especially during the holiday season where days can be a bit hectic.
Here’s is a very general and flexible blueprint so you can make it unique to the recipeient.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cup of a small pasta
- 2-3 cups of some type of dried beans (go for 2-3 types so the layers look nice and colorful)
- ¼ cup dried parsley flakes
- 1/3 cup dried diced onion
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried rosemary
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Directions: First layer is the pasta, then put all the spices in a plastic baggie and layer that on top of the pasta, next layer the different types of dried beans in the jar one on top of another. Remember to include some directions which should say to add the beans and spices to water or broth and boil until the beans are cooked through, then add the pasta at the very end for 5-10 minutes.
