I am a most of the time single mom living on an extremely tight budget and I have a love hate relationship with Christmas and giftgiving. I have never really been able to afford gifts for my kids let alone gifts for friends and family. I always feel like I am quantified by the gift or lack thereof I give. I hate secret Santa at work because it is like this godawful competition so you know what. I am not going to go in debt or buy some well intentioned gift to rack up brownie points with my friends or coworkers. I am going to give gifts from the heart this year. Those my dear are the best kind to give.

One of my passions is cooking and that is how I show my love. I enjoy watching my family or friends eat the food I cook for them and love every bite of it. I am going to make some great loaves of bread for some friends, this has become a ritual in my house as of late. Baking bread on Sunday. And I am going to make the requisite cookies and holiday candies of course and yes, yes I am going to make tamales. My kids are already begging for some.  I am even going to make my secret rib sauce for a coworker who keeps begging me to sell my ribs on one of my friday payday lunches I occassionally make to have some extra cash. I cannot wait to get started in the next couple of weeks and I know this will surely put a smile on my friends’  and families’ faces.

Another inexpensive gift, basically  the cost of a recipe card, (you can upgrade it and put it in a frame even)  is giving a handwritten recipe card of that fabulous dish everyone loved. Except my secret rib sauce that is. I am always asked how to make eggplant parmigiana and chile rellenos my specialties.

Well that is my plan for giving a gift from the heart. What other creative things do you do to lighten the spending load during the holiday season?

I am excited about giving gifts this year, I cannot wait for next year because I am planting a garden this summer in my lil houses yard and everyone will get pickled jalapenos and whatever else I can can. Hope you stop and put the giftcard down and make a gift sure to put a smile on someones face.