What about picture frames? They come in an assortment of styles and prices. I got one for my husband's aunt. The inlaws drew names this year for the first time, thank goodness! I know how difficult it is finding something for each person in DH's entire family. Last year we did charitable contributions in each family's name. Many charities (we used Christian Children's Fund) send out Christmas cards to the family members informing them of the gift. Of course the neices still got gifts, gift certificates to Old Navy.

I cook the sausage in a very old, very seasoned cast iron skillet, using a slotted potato masher to squish it down, then scrape it with a wooden flat beveled spoon - spatula. I continue doing this while it cooks over med high heat. It breaks up nicely and you can easily get it to the size crumbles you want quickly with very little clean up. This is a recipe I have cooked for years and adapted it to our ever changing tastes. It came from a magazine that adapted it from "The New Chili Cuisine" by Nancy S. Hughes. I am cooking this for dinner tonite as the rain, chill and gloom just won't seem to leave. ~* My changes (almost the entire recipe, but I do not want to take credit for the original ~ which I have included) SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND PASTA CHILI 1 lb mild Italian sausages, casings removed ~* Hot Italian 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained ~* Del Monte Petite diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos ~* Onion - coarsely chopped 14 oz chicken broth ~*32 oz homemade chicken or turkey broth 4 oz chopped green chilis, rinsed & grained ~* 1/2 c(?) chopped sliced jalenpoes from jar I always have - amt - to taste so not to spicy 2 tsp paprika ~*omit 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ~* Chipotle red pepper (McCormicks) 2 T ground cumin ~* Chipotle Tabasco sauce to taste 15 oz can Cannellie beans, rinsed & drained 2/3 cup tiny pasta, cooked - makes 1 1/3 cups ~* omit often Cook sausage breaking it into small chunks until lightly brown. * Remove sausage and blot excess grease Saute the chopped onion and chopped jalapenos in the same skillet until tender. In a small dutch oven or heavy saucepan, add the tomatoes and their liquid, chicken broth, green chilis, and spices. Add the sausage & onion. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in beans & pasta ~ * I add the pasta to the individual bowls. Reheat & serve. ~ Top with fresh Parmesan. Serve with cornbread and or tortilla chips. This is very quick and easy. I hope all my changes don't intimate you. You can make this as spicy as you want - or not! It also freezes very well!

Cherry Republic (Glen Arbor, MI) has wonderful food gifts. They have all products containing Traverse City cherries .... and everything is absolutely delicious!!! Their Cherry Salsa is EXCELLENT. I have bought it by the case and have seen others do that also. They have cherry chocolates, pretzels, granola, peanut butter, etc., etc., etc. AND, if, you visit one of their stores, they are very generous with their samples ... oh, and they have fun clothes too. jody Here is a link that might be useful: Cherry Republic

I have three soups hand written at the top of my shopping list. (it's a simple spread sheet that has room top and bottom for notes) I just jot down what i'm thinking of making over the next weekend. Beef Barley - probably use a mix of grains, maybe some lentils. It is hearty but not quite a stew. Lots of broth for bread, biscuits or croutons. I add extra stock usually. It will thicken overnight. Freezes great. Make a killer top crust/or biscuit pot pie. Thai Coconut Chicken Curry - Also nice and rich but still brothy. I add a bit of tumeric and sweet paprika for color. Very much like a chowder. Not really a bread companion but we like it with thin rounds of toasted baguette. Potato Leek w/garlic and fennel - I use so much roasted garlic it should be called Garlic Soup. (less garlic for gifting). The fennel is some stalks i have frozen i just add while cooking and remove. I have leeks left over from T-day and lots of garlic. I like to use a few whole baby potatoes removed with some of the leeks/onions before stick blending some of the broth. One regular potato diced and half a sweet potato that get blended for some creaminess. Or i could use some squash/pumpkin from the freezer that i roasted a few weeks ago. I made versions of these with a chili and filled a friends freezer after she had her baby. It's a nice gift. If you google any suggestions, you will find many variations of the recipes. For example i just googled the curry to give me a quick reminder of the ingredients... i've never used fish sauce. I might add some shelled edamame. This Beef Barley is similar... Here is a link that might be useful: holiday soups