Easy DIY Gifts for Your Family and Friends

Lists and Round Ups
An assortment of ideas for DIY gifts from infused oils to vinegars from mjskitchen.com @mjskitchen

Who doesn’t want to receive a little love in a homemade gift? I know I do!

Here are some of my favorite DIY gifts to share my love with family and friends. They are all easy to make and versatile in their use. No kitchen should be without them!

A spice blend of New Mexico red chile powder and other spices and herbs | mjskitchen.com

New Mexico Red Chile Spice Mix – Sprinkle on top of fried or boiled eggs, salads or sauteed vegetables. Whisk into scrambled eggs or use to season potato salads and coleslaw. Use as a rub for poultry, beef, or pork, sprinkle on popcorn, and add to soups and stews.

A spice blend of New Mexico green chile powder and other spices and herbs | mjskitchen.com

New Mexio Green Chile Spice Mix – Sprinkle on top of fried or boiled eggs, salads or sauteed vegetables, whisk into scrambled eggs or grits/polenta, add to quiche and mashed potatoes. Add to salad dressings, tortilla and tamale masa, and guacamole.

A spice mix of toasted cumin and coriander

Toasted Cumin Coriander Spice Mix – The possibilities are endless! Add to soups, stews, and salsas, guacamole, sauces, and chile pastes. Knead into breads, meatloaf, and hamburgers – just to name a few.

Hickory smoked chickens with two types of dry rubs | mjskitchen.com

Herb Dry Rub – Use as a rub for smoked, roasted or grilled poultry. Add to rice dishes, vegetable casseroles, and herb roasted root vegetables. Knead into yeast breads for a delightful herb bread.

One Process - Two outcomes: infused garlic olive oil and roasted garlic @mjskitchen |mjskitchen.com

Garlic Infused Olive Oil and Roasted Garlic – My kitchen is NEVER without these! By completing one process, you end up with a beautiful bottle of garlic infused olive oil and a jar of roasted garlic. Use in anything and everything that is better with garlic.

Coriander, Cumin, Oregano for Chile Infused Oil

Red Chile Infused Oil – Use as the oil for sauteing anything for which you want to infuse a bit of spice. Drizzle on vegetables, salads, and sandwiches. Add to yeast bread dough and rolls.

How to Make Preserved Lemons |mjskitchen.com

Preserved Lemons – Preserved lemons are not just for Moroccan dishes. There are so many ways to use them in everyday dishes that your families and friends will be asking you for more!

A quick and easy sweet and spicy chile sauce | mjskitchen.com

Asian Style Sweet Chile Sauce – Be sure to triple the recipe because you’ll want to keep some for yourself. Use in marinades or as a marinade, and as a dipping sauce for shrimp, springs roll or tofu bites. Add it to salad dressings, breads, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Spice up hummus or pour on grilled corn, asparagus or eggplant.

Jar of garlic ginger paste | mjskitchen.com

Ginger Garlic Paste – Use in any dish that calls for both garlic and ginger, Asian dishes, Indian dishes, soups and stews, curries, marinades, and braises. Great in dips and hummus.

A raspberry vinegar recipe from 1900

Raspberry Vinegar made from a 1900 recipe – Add to sparkling water, vodka cocktails, vinaigrettes, floats, tarts, pour over ice cream, and use as a syrup for pancakes and crepes.

A simple syrup made with dried hibiscus flowers, mint, sugar and water mjskitchen.com @MJsKitchen

Hibiscus Simple SyrupDried hibiscus flowers make a delicious simple syrup that is both sweet and tart. Add the syrup to sparkling water for a refreshing soda, make a hibiscus cocktail, or pour over vanilla ice cream.

Other ideas for easy DIY gifts:

Happy Giving!!!!

Wishing everyone a very Wonderful Holiday Season and Happy New Year!

See you next year!

43 Comments

  1. Homemade gifts from the kitchen are always so meaningful! I always think of the person who gave them to me when I’m using them. You’ve shared such a lovely collection of recipes here, MJ. I’m particularly taken with the raspberry vinegar and the hibiscus simple syrup – and those spice rubs would be so lovely for warming family meals. I’ll be featuring this post at the Hearth and Soul Link Party later today. Hope you are enjoying the run up to the holidays!

  2. i love food gifts – especially homemade ones. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and happy new year!

  3. Such wonderful edible gift ideas… and as always, so different from what I was able to find on my blog! If one day you come to my house during Christmas… all these items have just been added to my wish list šŸ˜‰
    I hope you have spent wonderful Christmas and I wish you a very happy New Year!
    Big hugs, my dear friend!

    • Hey Sissi!!! How are your holidays going? Thanks for dropping by because I know how busy you are. Yes, this is a completely different list than yours but I do love how much chile one finds in each lists. šŸ™‚ I promise, if I ever make it over to your place, I will make some of these for you. Happy New Year!!! Lots of hugs to you as well!

  4. What a fantastic gift idea list!! I would love to get all of them. šŸ™‚ Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, my friend!!

  5. These are great and very innovative ideas for Christmas gifts! I am sure whoever received them would appreciate them dearly! Happy Christmas and Joy in your hearts!

  6. Each one of these is amazing. I am definitely going to try the sweet chili sauce. Thanks for the round up.

  7. Lucky are those that gets one of your gifts, they must certainly be appreciated by those that do.

  8. Oh my gosh, I want to make every one of these delicious food gifts….I’d have a hard time giving them away. First to try: the preserved lemons, the garlic, and the raspberry vinegar. Oh and the Asian chili sauce too. Where to begin? Love this post, M.J.!
    Merry Christmas!

    • Thanks so much Roz! Hope you do give a few of them a try. You WILL be keeping them for yourself. šŸ™‚ A very Merry Christmas to you as well!

  9. MJ, you have gathered quite an impressive collection over the years… (btw, your spice jars with those chunky wood tops… so cuuute). I don’t know how I missed your ginger garlic paste but I’m making it! (omg on the ginger garlic feta dip… right up my alley). I always have a dip out during the holidays (as in pretty much every day) a house full of men = always looking for food = need easy snack ideas šŸ™‚ love being able to add something new and delicious — so easy too – yay! Wishing you & Bobby a brilliant holiday season MJ. Enjoy it to the fullest, x.

    • Thanks so much Kelly! I’m not surprised you miss the ginger paste. It was one of my first year’s posts. Putting this list together showed me how many years I’ve been making many of these condiments. My fridge and pantry are full of homemade condiments. šŸ™‚ I’m glad you like the ginger-garlic paste. That feta dip is addicting! I hope the boys like it!
      Hope you and your family have a enjoyable and relaxing holiday season as well. See you next year! XOXO

  10. I’ve always wanted to try preserved lemons, they look so tasty. The raspberry vinegar looks so pretty!

    • Thanks Ali! I always have a jar of preserved lemons in the fridge. They are so good and so versatile as well. Sometimes I just toss some into pasta for lunch.

  11. Mj, This list is marvelous! So many wonderful, delicious ideas here… Your family and friends are so lucky. Thank you for the inspiration. Here’s wishing you and yours a festive holiday season!

  12. Pingback: Easy DIY Gift Ideas for the Kitchen - Yum Goggle

  13. Such a nice list! I have already had the pleasure of eating your chili sauce and I would love to try some of the other ideas. I especially like the coriander and cumin mix and of course the garlic paste, anything containing large amounts of garlic is high on any of my lists. šŸ™‚

    • You’ve made the chile sauce?! YAY! So glad you liked it. I’m with you on the high degree of garlic. šŸ™‚ Hope you give one of them a try.

  14. Oh I would love to receive chiles from you! specially in those little cute spice jars.

  15. These edible DIY’s are the BEST–so easy to put together! I’m a mess when it comes to most DIY projects otherwise šŸ™‚ thanks for sharing–happy holidays!!

  16. I would love these gifts. I actually have to make a homemade gift for one exchange, maybe the Toasted Cumin Coriander Spice Mix of hibiscus syrup šŸ™‚

  17. Fabulous ideas MJ! Just pinned as I know many DIY’ers will love these ideas.

  18. My last minute gifts tend to be sweets. I’m enjoying your ideas for something savory! The preserved lemons have my undivided attention!

  19. We have way too much “stuff” so we always appreciate food gifts. And you’re the chile queen — who wouldn’t want your red or green spice chile mix? Or anything else that comes out of your kitchen, for that matter. šŸ™‚ Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

    • Oh how I know what you mean! I need to get rid of “stuff”, not add to it. Thanks so much for your nice comments John! Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season as well.

  20. Oh that ginger-garlic paste! I love that combo and it would be such a unique gift. Homemade is always the BEST! Great ideas, MJ. Merry Christmas!

  21. What great ideas! I love all of them, MJ.

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