Homemade Food Gift BasketsGreat Birthday Gifts and Holiday GiftsLearn how to create homemade food gift baskets with many different food themes. Generally, food or gourmet baskets are filled with treats and goodies you don't eat everyday, but you can personalize it for the person receiving the gift or the occasion. They make great birthday gifts, holiday gifts, or for other special events. 
Fruit baskets are one of my favorite homemade food gift baskets; they are easy to make and fruit is readily available everywhere. 
Use a wicker basket or wooden crate as the gift container and fill it with fresh fruit, nuts, cheeses, cookies, and candy. They are great as business gifts, holiday gifts, or birthday gifts.The produce person at your local supermarket may have small wooden crates or fruit baskets he will give you (some grapes and other delicated fruits ship in these oval baskets). If the basket is deep you might need to place some crumpled newspaper in the bottom so the fruit and other items show. (Remember that homemade food gift baskets will look best when they appear to be overflowing.) Place shredded or crumpled tissue paper on top of the newspaper so it looks prettier. Then simply place the gift items in the basket. 
If you are the type who plans ahead, you may want to make
vinegars
to place in your gourmet gift baskets. A bottle of homemade vinegar decorated in a pretty jar is a nice gift by itself.Themes For Homemade Food Gift Baskets
AppetizersWicker, wire, or chrome baskets work well as containers; also, wooden crates and unbreakable trays. After preparing your container (see assembly directions link above), add some of these gift items: dipping oil, small bottle of olive oil, roasted peppers, eggplant spread, olive spread, marinated artichoke hearts, smoked oysters, smoken salmon, liver pate, cheese spread or Brie, green or black olives, herbed crackers, or breaksticks. Placing a decorative kitchen towel in the bottom looks nice and is a nice addition to the gifts. You might want to include small serving utensils or a small cookbook also. Appetizer homemade food gift baskets are wonderful holiday gifts for anyone who likes to entertains. 
SaladSalad themes are unique ideas for a gourmet food gift basket; great idea for those who are health conscious. Any kind of basket, a large salad bowl, or a colander would be a nice container. Include items such as a kitchen towel, cloth napkins, oil & vinegar cruets, peppermill with peppercorns, salad mixing spoons, cheese grater, garlic press, egg slicer, lemon juicer, whisk, dried spices (oregano, basil, parsley, etc.), small bottle of olive oil, gourmet vinegar, gourmet mustard, croutons, melba toast, or bread sticks. A salad gift basket is a nice holiday gift idea for those who eat healthy. Seafood Use any kind of basket or a wooden crate as the container for these good gifts. After you have prepared the container (see assembly directions link above), add canned seafood items (shrimp, sardines, anchovies, clams, crabmeat, etc.). You can also include dry dip mixes which need seafood mixed in. Other items are seafood forks, drawn butter dishes, lobster crackers, a clam knife, shrimp peeler/cleaner, cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, lemon juicer, and a small seafood cookbook. Soup A soup tureen would be a unique container, but a basket would be just fine. Add soup dry mixes, dry beans, packages of bouillon, a soup ladle, and saltines or oyster crackers. A terry cloth or tea towel and a cookbook are nice, too. Since this theme is not readily available, they are very unique. A nice homemade gift to include in a soup or many other homemade food gift baskets is a homemade bouquet garni. 
Tex MexTex Mex homemade food gift baskets make great housewarming gifts. Fill the basket with a taco making kit, taco holder, flour tortilla shells, nacho chips, cheese dip, bean dip, salsa, jalapeno peppers, hot pepper sauce, small bottle of tequila, margarita mix, margarita salt, a Tex Mex Cookbook, or a package of paper napkins with a Tex Mex design such as hot peppers. Cooking with Wine Nice idea for anyone who is or aspires to be a gourmet cook; also makes a nice bridal shower, wedding, or housewarming gift basket. A wicker basket with a handle or a deeper wooden crate would be a good container so you have the depth needed for a bottle of wine. (Make sure you read through the assembly information page for helpful information.) Include small bottles of wine, a corkscrew, wine bottle stoppers, dry spices (thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon, etc.), olive oil, wine scented candles, cheese, herb crackers, roasted cashews, white cheddar popcorn, chocolate candy, chocolate covered mints, biscotti, or shortbread cookies. Add a tea towel or spoon rest with a wine theme; or a cooking with wine cookbook. Pasta 
In addition to wicker baskets and wooden crates, a large pasta bowl or colander would make a useful and attractive container for pasta homemade food gift baskets.After reading through the assembly directions, fill the container with dry pasta, jars or pasta sauce, Alfredo or other sauce packaged mixes, pesto sauce, a pasta fork, wooden spoon, spoon holder with an Italian theme, pepper mill with peppercorns, cheese grater, garlic press, garlic keeper, garlic roaster, kitchen or tea towel, herb garden kit, dry spices (oregano, basil, or Italian seasoning), jar of crushed garlic, small bottle of olive oil or dipping oil, cloth napkins, apron, tea towels, a bottle of wine, garlic bread mix, break sticks, cappuccino mix, biscotti, pasta cookbook, or wine scented candles. Great suggestions for homemade homemade food gift baskets
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