‘Tis the season for spending. But you don’t have to spend a lot to give thoughtful, personal gifts. That’s why I’m here to show you some of my favorite gifts to give the foodies in your life. Here is my full pinterest board with recipe links and step by step instructions on how to make the items below!! Some of the recipes you will see include Patio Daddio’s Onion-Bacon Marmalade and Lea Ann’s (HighlandRanchfoodie) blackberry merlot jam recipe.

Homemade BBQ rub and sauce make great gifts for friends and family.

Homemade BBQ Sauce:

If you are a BBQ/Grilling person (and if you are reading this then you most likely are), why not share your secret sauce? Show your friends and neighbors what they’ve been missing and put your mojo in a pretty ball jar with a nice ribbon and your friends and family will be talking about your for months, long after the Christmas tree has become a fire hazard.

Here are some of my go-to sauce bbq sauce recipes: Mango BBQ Sauce, Chris Lilly’s White BBQ Sauce recipe, Eastern NC Vinegar BBQ Sauce

Homemade BBQ Rub:

If you’ve got a kick ass rub, it’s worth enlightening those around you. I am using bourbon barrel smoked paprika, sea salt, pepper and other spices to make a smoky rub that will add depth of flavor to just about anything you grill/smoke. These small tins are great for relatives/friends that live far away because they are small and light so they are cheap to ship!! Here’s my bourbon barrel smoked paprika rub recipe, & my Chipotle rub to try out.

Smoked Nuts:

Add your favorite seasoning to your nuts and smoke over your favorite wood at 225 for 2 hours. Here’s a good recipe: http://www.bbqbug.com/forums/other-recipes/712-smoked-almonds-pecans.html

Homemade Hot Sauce:

Hotsauce makes everything better. Here are my 2 favorite hotsauce recipes: Habanero Hot Sauce Recipe & Caribbean Hot Sauce Recipe

Homemade Marinara Sauce: Got a good sauce recipe? Why not share it with your friends. Chances are, they’ve been buying it at the store and yours will be soooooo much better!

Vintage Cookbooks:

Vintage cookbooks are super fun to get as a gift because they are like taking a time machine back to a different era. I recently bought a 1950’s era Grilling Cookbook that cracks me up with its funny photos, plus, the recipes are very good. You can buy vintage cookbooks on etsy.com starting at $4!

Exotic Wood Chips:

Woods such as avocado, citrus or guava can add an exotic touch to smoked meats, and are perfect stocking stuffers.

Infused Vodka:

Vodka is the utilitarian liquor, it mixes well with just about anything. Why not make homemade vodka infused with citrus, vanilla or even chipotle peppers? Put it in a cool bottle and you have an inexpensive gift that makes you look like a creative gifting genius.

Check out my accompanying gift guide for Foodies on clean plate charlie: includes magic thermometers and beer opening sunglasses.