STRETCHING your budget to cover holiday gifts and deciding what to give are common problems at this time of year. Inexpensive ingredients from your local grocery store can solve both your budget and gift-giving dilemmas. Gifts from the kitchen provide a way to give from the heart. Being fancy or elaborate isn’t important –being  thoughtful is.

Here are some tips for giving food as a gift:
Avoid adding nuts or coconut to recipes for very young children or the elderly, as these ingredients could potentially create a choking hazard.

If you know your recipient has diabetes or is working hard to maintain a healthy weight, don’t tempt them with high-calorie treats. Opt for soup mixes or low-fat, whole-grain fruit breads.

Consider the household. A single person or couple may really enjoy a small fruit basket, but would find a case of grapefruit overwhelming. Give items in proportion to household size.

There often is an abundance of foods during the holidays, so think about a gift for the weeks ahead. Coordinate a festive basket complete with the recipe and ingredients needed to prepare a special meal. Use a theme like Mexican, Italian or German.

For friends or family members who have limited cooking skills, give a Meal of the Month certificate. Pledge to prepare them a meal once per month. This would be a special gift for those who live alone or someone who finds cooking a challenge. Plan to share the gift of your time and enjoy the meal with them as well.

This recipe for Hearty Confetti Bean Soup Mix is an economical and nutritious gift from the kitchen. Place the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and place a festive ribbon on top or use holiday stamps or stickers to decorate a resealable plastic bag. Print a copy of the recipe on a card (you can write or print out a copy, cut it out and paste it on the back of an old Christmas card or a note card) and attach the recipe below with a ribbon. The delicious seasoning mix included with the bean mixture ensures that the soup will be both tasty and easy to make. The following recipe yields four gift jars or plastic bags of soup mix. This recipe will yield 8 to 12 servings of bean soup (a 1 cup serving contains 160 calories).

Remember, with a little imagination, your grocery store can provide you with numerous gift-giving solutions on a budget. Happy holidays!

1. On each square of plastic wrap or in each sandwich bag, place 3 beef-flavor bouillon cubes, 3 tablespoons dried chopped chives, 1 teaspoon dried savory, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 ground black pepper and 1 bay leaf. Gather plastic wrap up to form a pouch, and tie with string or ribbon or seal plastic bag.

2. Place one seasoning bag in each container of bean mix.

Provide the following recipe to gift recipients.
Prepare the Hearty Confetti Bean Soup at least three hours before serving to allow the flavors to combine:

1. Rinse beans from one container of Hearty Confetti Bean Soup mix with cold water and discard any stones, debris or shriveled beans. In 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat, heat beans and 9 cups water to boiling and for cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

2. Return beans to Dutch oven. Add contents of seasoning bag from mix and 5 cups water. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low.

3. Cover and simmer 90 minutes or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Add 16 ounces stewed tomatoes with its liquid. Over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered 15 minutes longer, stirring to break up tomatoes.

4. Alternately to use a slow cooker, follow steps 1 and 2. Then, place beans and 16 ounces of stewed tomatoes in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or until beans are tender. Stir the beans and discard bay leaf before serving. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

(Additional information provided by Lynda Johnson, Missouri Extension Service.)

* * *

Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, a culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her website is www.divapro.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.