Thread by @Cajsa

For me, Thanksgiving is time to start making Christmas presents. This year I am thinking of making homemade Hot Chocolate mix.

Sift together 2 cups of powdered milk, 1 cup of powdered sugar, & 2 cups of cocoa powder. I use Ghiradelli's Sweet Ground Dark Chocolate & Cocoa Powder

I am enjoying a cup right this minute. Yum!

Other things I have made. Mom's shelf-stable pie crust mix. 5 lbs flour (minus 2 cups), 1 lg can of Crisco, 2 TBSP salt. Mix, store in a sealed container. Just add water when you want to make the pie. Lasts without refrigeration for at least 1 year.

And of course, vanilla sugar. Get a pretty jar. Fill with sugar. Add a vanilla bean. Perfect for tea and baking. The recipient can add more sugar again and again until the vanilla bean is completely dried out. Do it now so it's rich and redolent with vanilla by Christmas.

I have made both lemon sugar and lime sugar. Also great, especially in an iced tea. I used Martha's recipe.

marthastewart.com/337233/lemon-s…

And lastly, lavender sugar. A great choice for tea and for making shortbread cookies. Take 1-2 tbsp of dried lavender & pulse with sugar in a blender. You need just enough sugar to give something for the lavender to blend into. Add 2 cups sugar and stir in.

Ginger sugar, 1 tsp grated ginger per cup of sugar.

Pictures from past Christmas gift projects

I want to add that these are relatively inexpensive gifts and fancy jars to put them in can be found at Goodwill or other thrift stores or garage sales post-pandemic. You also don't have to be a great cook to make them. Sticking a bean in sugar is not Food Network cooking.