Karen, when is her birthday? Is Fall her time of year? Related to the pumpkin thread, I gave an uncle some pumpkin strudle muffins (with cream cheese) that he's still talking about. What are her favorite flavors?

Clair de luna, Her birthday is October 8. She loves lemon and I do believe she loves pumpkin. She loves bundt pans also.

That is a good idea, I need to look at the pumpkin thread.

Last year for my birthday my husband bought me an Advantium 240. I love this thing. Didn't think I could love an appliance but I do.

If she likes candy, toffee is very easy to make, but I think you really need a candy thermometer. I also like to make chocolate turtles when I have pecans from my parents' orchard, but you can make them with almonds as well.

As for something homemade, I think aprons are nice, and they are also easy to make. However, I do have fabric to make at least three or four aprons that I haven't gotten around to. The apron I got from Lee that has my portrait painted on it (by Max) is one of the nicest presents I've ever received. I'm wearing my zebra hat in that portrait.

Lars

lakemayor - NordicWare has a fall themed bread pan. It's great for a pumpkin bread loaf pan. I've attached a link. I just bought one at Michael's Crafts Store. I had a coupon for 50% off so it was around $15.

Perhaps you could bake some pumpkin bread and the pan can be the gift box!

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Pumpkin Loaf Pan

If she likes to cook and you don't then don't go for food or cooking--. That's her thing not yours. There are so many other ways you can give her something home made.You just have to be creative.

Instead give her something to pamper herself. Look up recipes for homemade bath salts. They are quite easy to make. Put it in a fancy jar. Include a bar of the same scent soap a couple of candles a wine glass and a bottle of wine-- or forget the wine and include some homemade fudge. Put it all in a basket and wrap with clear film.

Or

Make a snuggly fleece blanket. You need 2 pieces of fleece the same size--one patterned and one plain. With a pencil on the wrong side draw a line 2 inches in. Then measure 1/2 inch all the way around Slit the fabric to make a fringe. Put the wrong sides together so the good sides are facing out and tie the fringes of both pieces together in an overhand knot. You now have a reversible throw with a knotted fringe all around it.

Put your thinking cap on and do some reading and searching and I'm sure you will come up with something special and original. Maybe others can give you other ideas.

Thanks everyone your ideas are great.

Oilpainter, I do love to cook, but I hated to do the same thing that she did. Didn't want to cook something as a gift back to her.

Keep the ideas coming. I love the apron and snuggly fleece blanket. However, she made me one of those a few years ago.

Aprile421, What is a Advantium 240?

My husband paid for a cooking class for me once as a present. It was held at a local popular restaurant and was for one night. We learned how to make the owners famous sourdough bread and got starter and loaves to bake (that we made) to take home with us.
It was something I never would have done myself and I was so excited to go. And, it was not expensive at all.

Cooking related gifts that I have received and really enjoy would include pottery that is handmade from art shows, galleries or studios. This is also one of my favorite items to give.
I also like to receive nice cookbooks, if she is into baking, take a look at "Baking" by James Peterson.
A friend got me two different sets of dessert dishes a couple of years ago. There's four coordinating plates in each set.

Here is a link to one of my favorite places...

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Sur la table

I got a lot of wonderful gifts the year I turned 50, I was kind of depressed (really, really depressed, actually) and my friends here threw me the first birthday party I'd ever had. It was great and I got things from an Emile Henry pie pan to saffron to olive oil to the iron Dachshund which now serves as a marker for the WonderWeiner's grave. I loved it all...

Anyway, one of the things I got was an assortment of olive oils from Sciabica's in California and it's lovely stuff. nancy has access to very unique local pottery, you might take a trip to Saugatuck and check out the shops there. I really like the idea of a bundt cake, though, with the pan as the gift wrap...

Annie

Here is some info on the Advantium

Here is a link that might be useful: Advantium

Without a doubt the best cooking related present was a 5 1/2 qt Le Cruset oven in butter cup yellow.
she gave it to me because she loves my home made mushroom soup....and knew it would make great mushroom soup!
And she was right!!
Linda C

Well, my two favorite food related gifts I've gotten probably wouldn't be good suggestions for your situation. My Dh gave me a KA mixer, which I've loved, and my friend and co-worker gives me fig preserves from her fig tree every year for my birthday. I've never really liked preserves or jellies and such before, but her fig preserves are not overly sweet, and are delicious, even to me.

All that being said, I love Bumblebeez's idea. My SIL's husband treated her to a surprise date around valentine's day. He wouldn't tell her where they were going. It turned out they went to a cooking class together. She was thrilled, and they had a great time together Maybe that would be fun to do for you and your friend to do together - not as a romantic date, of course, but as a fun thing to do together.

I give baked goods to my co-workers for occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. I wouldn't at all be offended if they decided to give me something they baked also. Of course, I'm the only one there that likes to bake, but if they did, and made me something, I'd love it.

I suggest you think about who you are, and what your friendship is, and give her something that represents that. It looks like your are a sweet friend to her.

Sally

Great ideas, everyone of them. Annie, she does like bundt pans and that would make a nice gift bag (so to speak). I have some ideas going now, but if anyone has others, please send them my way.

Karen

Why not start off with that pan Annie suggested and then make some home made pumpkin bread or beer bread mix and wrap it all up in a gorgeous new tea towel with a wooden mixing spoon tying it all together.

Quick Pumpkin Bread Mix
Mix-in-a-jar
2 C all-purpose flour
1 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt.

Layer ingredients attractively in any order in 1-quart food storage jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down slightly before adding another layer.

Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag with raffia or ribbon.

Quick Pumpkin Bread

1/3 C butter, softened
2 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1 jar Quick Pumpkin Bread Mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin until well blended. Add contents of jar; stir until just blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 50 - 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf.

loves2cook4six, What a wonderful idea. I think I have it now.

Teresamn, I will buy the pumpkin pan and make loves2cook4six pumpkin bread mix.

I also may look at some flavored olive oil and a nice piece of pottery.

So many ideas I want to do all of them. That could get a little expensive.

Thanks - Karen

A perfect gift for me would be a piece of pottery, or an unusual baking pan, or a special cooking tool and some ingredients to make it all work. They last, food goes.....

Examples,

Pottery pie plate, some lovely cinnamon, an apple "corer" .

Lasagna pan, fabulous cheese and some specialty pasta or pasta sauce.

French Onion soup bowls, Gruyere cheese and a bottle of French wine

Chase, your ideas are awesome! Now I'm not sure what to do but I have plenty of ideas.

Thanks - everyone, but you don't have to stop, it will help for when I need others gift ideas, i.e. Christmas!

After the glowing testimonials in the recent thread, I think every cook's gift I give will be a Thermapen. Starting with myself, of course.

Here is a link that might be useful: The GW Thermapen Fan Club Thread

Teresa mn, I bought the pumpkin pan today at Michaels. I had a 40 percent off coupon so it cost $18.00. It's so cute. Have you used yours? Does the bread come out well with all the designs intact and everything?

I'm going to make loves2cook4six pumpkin bread in a jar and I am still thinking of a little something else that would go along with the whole theme. Any ideas? Maybe some really nice cinnamon like Chase suggested.

All the ideas are great. Maybe I will treat her to a cooking class at Christmas.

Karen

I did use mine and the designs came out intact. Did you happen to see the pumpkin bread mix at Michael's also? It makes 2 loaves and the price was $11.99. And you still needed to buy the canned pumpkin. What a racket! LOL

The cinnamon from Penzeys would be a nice addition.

Teresa, I did see the pumpkin bread mix and almost died at the price. Yours will be so much more personal.

I wanted to buy a pan for myself but didn't. I think I will go back and buy one when I can find a 50 percent off coupon.

Karen

Karen - sign up at Michaels.com and they will email you a coupon every week.

That way if you don't get one in the Sunday paper you will get one via email.

Here's a 40% coupon good through tomorrow

http://i55.tinypic.com/10dz2xe.jpg

otherwise google printable michaels coupons

Thanks loves2cook4six. I think I will have to make another trip tomorrow. It's such a darn cute pan.

Karen

This is a totally different idea, but I wanted to mention it because I recently rediscovered my immersion blender. I wanted something I could take out of town with me that was small and easy to pack, and...I know this would sound odd to some...offered a little bit of ''help'' in case I decided I wanted to bake. (A readily-available kitchen is a good thing.) Anyway, I realized my immersion blender (Kitchen Aid) had a whip attachment (like a miniature hand-mixer) that I'd never used. Eureka! Of course I had to try it out, and it works beautifully. If your friend doesn't have one, she would probably love it for blending soups, making smoothies or chopping things. The best part is they're not terrible expensive. (FYI; maybe not for now, but for the future.)