Is it just me or have the holidays become more and more expensive over the years? Whatever your particular brand of holiday celebration (Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus?), this time of year creates a hefty amount of financial stress with the pressure to be buying more and more gifts for all the people in our lives. Sure, the thought of my empty wallet makes me yelp, but I truly think this monetary obsession sidesteps the greater meaning behind these gifts. The holidays should be a time to show our loved ones that we care, not to dazzle them with big, flashy electronics. Instead of exhausting your bank account, why not surprise loves ones with homemade gifts from the heart? Over the years, Recipe4Living has collected a variety of great gift recipes, and hand-picked a couple favorites just for you. Whether it’s homemade soup mix for the cooking-challenged or beautiful bath salts for the diva, your gift is sure to be touching.

Beauty Gifts

Desert Sands Bath Salts

Creating three colored layers of pretty bath salt, this recipe makes a wonderful gift.

Ingredients

5 drops yellow food coloring

2 drops red food coloring

4 drops musk fragrant or essential oil

3 drops Jasmine fragrant or essential oil

3 C. epsom salts

1 C. baking soda

2 tsp. liquid glycerin (skin moisturizer) (optional)

Directions

Combine baking soda, epsom salt and glycerin until well blended. Add scents stirring until there is no clumps left. It will be a fine powder. Divide the mixture evenly into 3 separate bowls. In the first bowl add 3 drops yellow food coloring, in the second add 3 drops red food coloring and in the third bowl add 2 drops yellow with 1 drop red food coloring. Stir each bowl until the color is well mixed. Allow the air to dry it for a few hours before placing in a bottle. Once dried, layer the colors in an airtight glass jar starting with red first, then orange then lastly yellow. To use, add 2-3 tsp. of the mixture to running bath water. Soak as desired.

Note: Liquid glycerin used as a skin moisturizer, is a by-product of soap making. Glycerin can be found at health food stores, some drug stores, or major department stores depending on where you live. It’s also readily available on the internet as well.

Oatmeal Soap Balls

These soothing and exfoliating soap balls also make great gifts.

Ingredients

1 C. instant Quaker oatmeal

1 bar mild soap, such as Ivory

1/4 C. water

Food coloring (optional)

Directions

Grate oatmeal or use a mini-processor oatmeal. Put into a bowl. Do the same with the soap. Add the water and blend well. If adding food coloring, add it to the water for even consistency. Shape into balls and put on wax paper to dry. Balls can be put into containers or wrapped with plastic wrap and tied with raffia. A gift tag can be attached to the raffia.

Other Beauty Recipes

Oatmeal Soap

Chamomile Lip Balm

Candy Cane Bath Salts

Bath Bags

Lilac Bubble Bath

Foaming Vanilla Honey Bath

Vanilla Rose Bubble Bath Gel

Orange Blossom Soap

Gingerbread Bath Salts

Velvet Apple Bubble Bath

Bath Salts

Lotion Sticks

Apricot-Orange Lip Gloss

Gardenia Dusting Powder

Breakfast Anyone?

All-in-One Pancake Mix

Ditch the box and get inspired. This homemade pancake mix keeps in an airtight container so you can make pancakes whenever you want.

Ingredients

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/3 C. dry milk powder

1/3 C. shortening

1 Tbs. sugar

2 Tbs. soy flour

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together flour, soy flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and dry milk. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. To use, measure 1 C. pancake mix and combine with 1/2 C. water. This makes a thick pancake. Add more water 1 Tbs. at a time if you prefer a thinner pancake.

Note: With the addition of soy flour you do not need to add an egg.

Drinks

Fruit Extracts/Flavored Vodka

Making your own citrus extracts to use in recipes will give you a much purer fruit flavor. You can do this with lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, or tangerine. Peel the fruit in strips, leaving the pith behind. Place the strips in a jar, and cover them with good-quality vodka. Cover the jar tightly and let it stand at room temperature for two weeks, shaking the jar daily. Discard the peel, replace it with fresh peel, and let it stand for two more weeks. Remove the flavor, and use the flavored vodka in recipes calling for extract. It will keep indefinitely.

Instant Chai Tea Mix

For a great, super-cheap gift idea this holiday season, give this delicious chai tea mix in a decorated jar.

Ingredients

1 C. pwdr. dry milk

1 C. non dairy creamer-dry

1 C. Fr. Vanilla pwdr. creamer

1 1/2 C. sugar

1 1/2 C. instant tea

2 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cardomon

Directions

In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 C. at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder. Store in your favorite jar or decorative bottle. To serve: Stir 2 heaping Tbs. Chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water.

Makes about 4 C. mix

Other Drink Mix Recipes

Citrus Spice Tea Mix

Hot Russian Tea Mix

Sugar-Free/Caffeine-Free Hot Spiced Tea Mix

Irish Cr