Goodies to Gift: Festive & Edible

Give the sweetest present this year; yummy treats wrapped in pretty packages!

:: Sweet ::

Peppermint Bark : 2 pounds (4 small tins) at $1.96 each

Chocolate-Peppermint Cake Pops : 48 pops at $.23 each

Layered Chocolate Cookie Mix : 1 jar at $7.33 each; 3 1/2 dozen baked cookies

Marbled Walnut Fudge : 4 dozen pieces at $4.01/dozen

Mixed Berry Granola : About 6 cups at $1.98 per cup

Cranberry-Poppyseed Biscuits : three 2 3/4 cup bags at $1.55 each

:: Salty ::

Chunky Salsa : Makes 10 cups at $1.53

Trio of Rubs : 1 jar (11 teaspoons) at $1.50 each

:: Fast and Easy Gift Packaging Ideas :: Raid your pantry and drawers for these items to repurpose on the fly...

Mason or other lidded glass jars: These are ideal for holding homemade candies, nuts and other small bites. Just sterilize with a quick boiling water bath first. A ribbon around the top makes it extra special.

Brown paper bags: Use lunch sacks or cut apart large bags to make wrapping paper. Add a gingerbread "icing" border around the top of the package with a white pen or white out. If you gift wrap, you can use yarn or stamps to do something other than ribbon.

Shoe, jewelry or other boxes: Pick a box based on the size or amount of your to-be-gifted treats. Wrap in paper and line with tissue or wax paper. No one will notice what the box originally held.

Dish towels or cloth napkins: If you have spares - or one in set that's not stained - bundle it around your sealed backed goods especially breadas and tie with twine or burlap ribbon. An old recipe card makes a perfect gift tag.

Oatmeal canisters: Cylinders are great for small items and easy to wrap. Roll in paper, cut it and tape it. Or create "candy wrapper" ends by gathering excess paper on either side of the tube with ribbon.

Decorative tin cans: If you don't have anything lying around the house, hit up the $1 store and pick yourself up a holiday tin can. Line with tissue paper or wax paper and you have an inexpensive,

Take-out boxes or favor boxes: Available at any craft store, with a lid or just the scalloped top ($20 for 50 at partycity.com) Line with food safe cellophane, tie with a stitched grosgrain ribbon and wah-la!

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