How about designing and printing off some IOUs Pirate?

 

You could promise some babysitting, dog walking, car washing, lawn mowing etc

 

i do that anyway lol

and i do dinner

Ah well ... I tried

theres gotta be something i can do

i cant think

i dont do needlework

woodwork

painting

colouring in

etc...

gotta be something easy

Make some homemade sweets, truffles, fudge etc. You can buy inexpensive, nicely decorated sellophane bags and tie them with a little bit of ribbon.

are they easy to make?

i do a great roast but not tried sweets

you got a good website yogi please?

i might have a go at that ta

im baking the cake with you on it

 

 

please dont tell me youre gonna pull out a plumb...

 

i meant plum

anyway dont pull either out!

 

 

See what you think of these.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/homepage/sid/5932

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/sweets-recipes.aspx

 ta yogi

im having a look

Bloody Mary Chutney.  It's epic.  And the taste testing is wonderful.

I was going to say edible gifts too. I always make my own truffles/ sweets etc.usually an assortment of fresh cream choc truffles with different liquers/spirits; chocolate dipped peppermint creams; chocolate and marzipan brazils; chocolate gingers and coconut ice, then bag/box them up as pressies Also, often make my favourite shortbread recipe http://www.nigella.com/recipes...nilla-shortbread-234 and just wrap them in brown paper, tie with string, add a bit of holly and use an ivy leaf as a gift tag

Have a look here: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/rec...llection/edible-gift

And what about:

making CDs of 'meaningful' songs that say something about you and the other person

getting favourite/old/family photo's enlarged and putting them in a simple glass frame

And of course, the thing that you are v v good at: writing a poem about the person on nice paper/card then framing it 

You would probably need a few empty jam jars collected before Christmas, but from my accumulated knowledge of making confitures.............
An easy start is to buy a can of orange Mamade from Tesco or somewhere. Then visit Lidl and buy some (6-8 maybe) wax free lemons. Someone must know where the cheapest sugar is available.
First juice the lemons minus the pips into a pint glass.
After putting the contents, 4lb of sugar and the water into your large pan, add the lemon juice and grate the skins using a cheese grater, over the top.
Follow the instructions on the can.
During the rolling boil you need to take a teaspoon and take a sample onto a saucer, not only for the setting test as described but also to see how much more sugar you need to add to achieve the required taste. We prefer ours rather bitter!
Whilst the mix is boiling I put a couple of cc of water in each jar and microwave for a minute. The lids go in the washing up bowl and I pour boiling water from the kettle over them. Once the boiling mixture is at setting point you fill the jars with a ladle.
You can then get an old blouse from a charity shop or whatever, wash it, and cut it into bits to cover the lids. Wool can be used to tie round the top with maybe an attached label. You can call it anything from the "oranges and lemons" rhyme. (My last batch was called "Shoreditch")

Just a suggestion! It all comes with practice.
I'll check on the capacity of my jam pan tomorrow.
When you get the confidence you'll find that you can make any jam from any fruit, and as we say in our household. "When you make confitures you always have something to give!"

I've been making this for the last 3 years, it's very easy and flippin lovely.

 

http://www.goodhousekeeping.co...ipes/turkish-delight

 

Also at the moment I have black cherries (stones removed) soaking in Kirsch, which I will eventually cover in chocolate.  Plus I've found a salted fudge recipe that I'm going to make.

Regardless of how large or small your budget is for Christmas, there are some good ideas in this thread for lovely, personal presents.

I rather like the look of Cinds Turkish Delight.

If I can get some time I may give it a go. I'm trying to mend the Hoover!

*hopes to be on Cinds Christmas list*

 

I was going to say cookies and fudge, etc.

 

I think my daughter is going to give my husband a little homemade coupon book for one pie per month.

What sort of pies does she make, Lori?

 I'm sure the boss will love it.

Last year, when she was asked what she wanted for Christmas, my mum asked for photos of my sons and Dils and my granddaughter. I think as you get older, there is less material stuff that you need or want, and the personal gifts are more special.

 Sounds perfect.

She doesn't think she's very good at pies, but that's what he really wants, so this is her chance to get better. I think he's hoping for an assortment of different pies...

 

  My Mum and Dad especially, used to love talking about the town and how it looked back when they were young etc.     For their Golden Wedding I got a hold of one of those 'Old  "wherever" books that you can pick up in local bookshops and libraries etc (I expect all towns have them) that are full of black and white photos from years gone by.  Got a pair of scissors and cut out the pics that were special to them - the dance hall they met in, the street my Dad grew up in, the park they played in as kids and took us to when we were kids etc - and just stuck them in a set of frames.    Dad's still got them on the wall now.  So easy and they were so chuffed with them.

I know the books you mean. What a lovely gift for your mum and dad.

My eldest did a photo of him and his daughter (as a toddler) last Christmas and gave it to me.  I was thrilled with it (understatement!) 

There's going to be some very happy people this Christmas

 

One of my favourite Christmas presents ever was a framed black and white pic of my mum and dad on their first date, roller skating 

That's a brilliant idea Kaffs

Brilliant!

Oh and I've just been given a recipe for Christmas Pudding vodka. Although if it turns out really well, not much of it might get given away. 

Standards require that one test these things before giving as gifts. 

some nice ideas

thank you

Me too, and what an inexpensive pressie, particularly compared to what the bought stuff costs here. And I guess it would be easy enough to make different flavours, add nuts, coconut etc. Here's some suggestions http://www.gulluoglu.co.uk/build-box.html

Although where I'm going for Christmas, I won't need to make my own this year!

Stoke Newington?





*runs*
Etc.

Assuming that GJ is joking...

 

where are you going, Supes?

Out to my sister's for two weeks Lori, although this year a gang of us are going away to stay in a hotel nr Antalya 23rd-27th Dec

Supes, have you bought from that website?

I'm rather partial to pistachios in Turkish Delight.

 

Lori, Stoke Newington is very exotic