DIY Christmas Gifts #5: Munchies

This one goes out to all you last-minute shoppers who wait until December 21 or later to buy gifts. The lines in the stores are going to be insane from now on, so running to the local big box retailer for a light-up reindeer Christmas sweater is not a viable option. What to do? What to do?

Here's a solution that is both easy and cheap: make baked goodies! Package them in cellophane bags (available at Hobby Lobby, my go-to store, in the party section), close them with metallic twist ties (in the cake decorating section of Hobby Lobby) and use curling ribbon to finish it off. Attach some homemade labels and you have a super cute, super simple, super cheap gift that you can make in mass batches for last-minute hostess gifts or stocking stuffers.

Here are a few of my favorites that I have made in the past for friends:

Source: Betty Crocker

Puppy Chow: always a hit. Perhaps it should be called Reindeer Chow in light of the holiday season...

Source: Allrecipes.com

Gingerbread that you can actually chew! These cookies were a big hit with my coworker who claims not to like gingerbread. That's because he's used to the thin, hard, crispy cookies that people normally make, and these are actually soft.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Hot chocolate mix. Customize with crushed candy canes or different kinds of chocolate. You can also add the same spices used in the gingerbread cookie recipe and substitute brown sugar for white sugar. 

Source: Bakerella

Red velvet cake balls. I once made 2 batches for a small get-together and left with empty serving platters!

Source: Allrecipes.com

Tiger butter. This is actually something my old high school friend would make every year. Watch out: it's addicting!

DIY Christmas Gifts #2: Marinade Mix

My uncle loves Asian food and cooking almost as much as I do. In fact, he runs the kitchen for the family restaurant and makes the most wonderful steak I've ever eaten in my whole life! So this Christmas I thought he would really enjoy all the ingredients to make a delicious Korean beef bulgogi marinade.

Beef bulgogi is like a salty-sweet BBQ made with flank steak. It's so deliciously wonderful and not at all spicy. Unless, of course, you put Sriracha on it. Mmm...

Taken from: The Oatmeal web comic

And that is totally how I feel about it.

Anyways, since there were several dry ingredients and only a few wet ingredients, I decided to put together all the dry ingredients in a small Pyrex bowl that my uncle could use to make custard or brule or whatever his culinary heart desires and leave the wet ingredients in their original packaging. Then I wrote down a modified recipe and wrapped everything separately. *Insert evil laugh here.* Oh, the look on his face will be priceless as he opens each part of the gift and tries to figure out what it all means! (I put the instructions on the bottom, by the way.)

Here's the complete recipe:

Beef Bulgogi
Taken from an Allrecipes.com recipe

• 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

OK, now I need to go find delicious Asian fare in my part of the city. So far I have found a worthy Thai restaurant, but only Pei Wei and several icky Asian buffets serve other kinds of Asian dishes. Soon, I shall make the trek up to H Mart, and then I can stock my pantry with boba tea bubbles, lemongrass puree, mochi, lychee, ginger candies, rice sticks, and curry pastes! Oh, and Naan bread!! 

And then my tummy will be happy again.