Thanksgiving Gift Ideas - Start The Season Right

By Susan Ye

2013-11-21 00:00:00

Thanksgiving gifts are a great way to set the mood and get the holiday season off to a great start. In the spirit of giving and giving thanks here are three great Thanksgiving gift ideas for all those people you are really thankful for.

Home baked cookies are always a favorite and when I used to work in an office it was almost an ultimatum that I bring several batches for Thanksgiving. I had my old favorite recipes that I would bring every year and I would always collect a couple of new recipes I had found while flipping through magazines in line at the grocery store. One year I came upon the perfect easy Thanksgiving recipe that is so easy even those who consider themselves culinarily challenged can pull it off.

You make aut-yum leaves with a leaf shaped cookie cutter and store bought pie dough. Put chocolate and peanut butter chips on a leaf and then put another leaf on top to seal in the filling. Bake it for 12 minutes and you are done. They are super yummy and your home baked cookies are a great Thanksgiving gift. You can Google the name “aut-yum leaves” to get a detailed recipe .

Try a useful seasonal gift basket. The holidays are a joyous time that we get to share with our friends and family but yeah, it’s also busy and there is still a lot of work to be done. Thanksgiving is a great time to show you care by giving a collection of handy items in a gift basket.

For an office, school, or other group of friends think about using Chinese takeout boxes filled with some inexpensive but useful item. Are people always borrowing your eraser, staple puller or asking for change for the coffee machine? It’s time everybody had their own. You can buy inexpensive gadgets like a squeeze coin holder for a couple bucks at the dollar store and decorate your takeout box for the season.

Give a grape gift to your friends and family that enjoy wine. For wine lovers the holidays are a great excuse to bring out a bottle of their favorite or try something new. If you know a lot of wine lovers and maybe you are a wine lover yourself consider making some of your own and having a Thanksgiving party to give it away.

Many wine making companies provide everything you need to create a barrel of your own wine that will produce 28-30 bottles. You’ll need to plan ahead and get your wine started about 2 months before you plan to bottle it. The company stores your wine in their climate controlled facility while it ferments and many provide their store as a venue for your bottling party. Design your own Thanksgiving themed label and give everybody a gift they will remember.