This Wilderness Our Home

Simple, useful, and beautifully thoughtful.

Every year, I find myself feeling the same mix of excitement and stress about Christmas gifts. The financial pressure, the guessing game, the hoping people will actually like what you got them — it can start to feel heavier than it should.

I’m not the person who spots the perfect gift while walking through a store. I’m the overthinker who hates clutter — the one who’s been on the receiving end of that polite “thank you” face when someone’s trying to seem excited but clearly has no idea what to do with what they just got.

That’s why I love gifts that show intention. The kind that get used, not just kept.

This year, I’m going back to what feels most like me: simple, homemade, and useful gifts. The kind that say “I thought about what you’d really enjoy.”

And if there’s a little extra, I’ll happily tuck it away to use in my own kitchen — a small reward for all the blending and labeling.

Why Spice Blends Make the Perfect Gift

Everyone eats.

Even people who don’t love cooking appreciate something that makes a quick meal taste better.

Spice blends are practical luxuries — small, beautiful, and easy to make in batches.

They check every box:

✅ Thoughtful

✅ Affordable

✅ Customizable

✅ Easy to package beautifully

The Six Artisan Blends

These savory blends strike a balance — familiar enough that everyone will use them, elevated enough to feel special.

Each one links to a printable recipe card you can save, print, or gift alongside your jars.

Elevated Taco Seasoning

Smoky, citrusy, and perfectly balanced — not your average packet mix.

Use: Tacos, fajitas, roasted vegetables, chili.

Pairs beautifully with:

🌮 Ground beef or chicken tacos

🥗 Roasted corn and black bean salad

🍲 Chili, fajita bowls, or tortilla soup

Sun-Dried Tomato Italian

Rich, umami-forward, and cozy.

Use: Pasta sauces, soups, roasted veggies.

Pairs beautifully with:

🍝 Creamy tomato pasta or baked ziti

🍅 Roasted vegetables or bruschetta topping

🥣 Tuscan-style white bean soup

Savory Herb & Shallot

Comfort in a jar — clean, classic, and always right.

Use: Chicken, potatoes, soups, casseroles.

Pairs beautifully with:

🥔 Roast chicken and potatoes

🥖 Homemade bread with herbed butter

🥣 Creamy casseroles or chicken noodle soup

Woodland Spice Rub

Deep, woodsy, and a little wild — my signature blend.

Use: Meats, root vegetables, mushrooms, winter stews.

Pairs beautifully with:

🥩 Grilled steak or roasted pork tenderloin

🍄 Mushroom stew or wild-rice pilaf

🥕 Root vegetables — carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes

Golden Turmeric Curry Dust

Warm and earthy with gentle spice.

Use: Rice, chickpeas, roasted vegetables.

Pairs beautifully with:

🍛 Chickpea curry or coconut rice

🥬 Roasted cauliflower or lentil bowls

🍲 Butternut squash soup

Citrus Dill Salt

Bright, briny, and refreshing — perfect for seafood and veggies.

Use: Seafood, eggs, roasted potatoes, salad dressings.

Pairs beautifully with:

🐟 Salmon, shrimp, or any seafood

🥗 Potato salad or deviled eggs

🥒 Cucumber salad or spring vegetables

✨ Packaging & Presentation

Small glass jars or test tubes with cork or clamp lids Kraft or linen labels. Tie with twine and add a small herb sprig or cinnamon stick Gift individually or bundle all six in a rustic box or basket

These 2oz jars would be perfect → Check them out here

Or

These 60ml test tubes with rack for easy filling → Get them here

🪶 Line your basket or box with a linen tea towel or dish cloth. → Like these

It keeps everything neatly arranged, completely useable, and prevents waste — every piece serves a purpose and feels intentional.

🪶 Pro tip: Add a handwritten tag describing a favorite way to use each blend.

🧂 Learn the Difference: The Artisan Salt Quick Guide

If you love understanding how flavor works, you’ll love this.

The printable quick guide walks you through ten artisan salts — how they look, taste, and pair with your favorite dishes.

Perfect for learning, gifting, or just slowing down in your kitchen.

I’ve also put together a list of salts on Amazon to save you a little time finding them → find it here.

The Savory Basket — Dressing or Bread-Dip Edition

If you love the idea of giving something homemade but don’t have time to measure, mix, and label, this basket is a perfect middle ground.

It’s simple, sensory, and feels far more thoughtful than anything store-bought — especially when you curate a few good ingredients and present them beautifully.

Option 1: The Dressing Box

✅ Herb-salt blend

✅ Extra-virgin olive oil

✅ Aged balsamic vinegar

✅ Real Dijon mustard

✅ Optional: local honey for balance

Tuck everything into a low basket or box lined with a linen tea towel or dish cloth — something that can be reused long after the gift is gone.

Whisk together, drizzle, and enjoy. Homemade flavor — no measuring required.

Option 2: The Bread-Dip Box

✅ Herb-salt blend

✅ Olive oil (plain or herb-infused)

✅ Black garlic cloves or purée

✅ Optional: crushed red pepper or roasted garlic

✅ Low-sided dipping dish or small handmade bowl

For slow evenings and good bread.

Pro Tip

If you’re gifting multiple baskets, mix up the arrangement — half dressing kits, half bread-dip kits — using the same core ingredients.

✨ Upgrade — For Different Tastes & Budgets

If you’re feeling a little fancy — or simply love a good kitchen indulgence — either basket becomes unforgettable with one elevated ingredient.

A drizzle of truffle oil or a pinch of truffle salt adds instant depth and that cozy-luxury aroma that makes food feel special.

But not everyone loves truffle — or the price tag.

For a just-as-luxurious swap, try a Black Garlic Olive Oil or a Smoked Sea Salt.

They give that same depth and sophistication but with a warmer, more familiar flavor.

🪶 From My Favorites — The Olive Groove (Grass Valley, CA)

Available online at theolivegroove.com

White Truffle Oil → Rich, aromatic finishing oil made from extra-virgin olive oil infused with real truffle essence. Perfect for dressings, risotto, or warm bread.

Black Truffle Sea Salt → Mineral-rich sea salt blended with black truffles — just a pinch transforms eggs, pasta, or roasted potatoes.

Smoked Olive Oil → Earthy, mellow, and beautifully aromatic — an affordable, versatile option that feels just as special.

I have no affiliation with The Olive Groove, I just love their products and have been shopping and cooking with them since the kids were little and loved going to the tasting room to try samples.

Accessible Alternatives (Amazon)

Urbani Black Truffle Oil → A classic Italian truffle oil, widely available and beautifully aromatic.

Sabatino Tartufi Truffle Sea Salt → A well-balanced Italian truffle salt perfect for finishing.

Black Garlic Infused Oil → Deep, rich, and savory — an incredible non-truffle option that instantly elevates anything it touches.

For the finishing touch — drizzle or sprinkle before serving and enjoy the small luxuries of good food.

Why I Love These Gifts

Because they’re made with care, not pressure.

Because they’re useful.

Because they say, “Here’s something to make life taste a little better.”

This year, I’m choosing intention over impulse and usefulness over overwhelm.

Whether you’re gifting them to family, friends, or teachers — or keeping a few for yourself — these jars are small gestures of thoughtfulness that make everyday meals a little more special.

Related Posts

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Caramel Sauce

• Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Gifts → coming soon

• Tea Blends for Winter Wellness → coming soon

Homemade gifts don’t have to be elaborate to feel meaningful. Sometimes the most memorable things are the small, useful ones — the jar someone reaches for on an ordinary Tuesday night, the blend they sprinkle over potatoes without thinking, the salt they keep on the counter because it’s beautiful and it works.

These spice blends aren’t showy. They’re simple, practical, and meant to be used. And maybe that’s the point: a quiet kind of generosity that fits into real life.
If they end up in your own kitchen, too — that’s a win.

Author’s Note

I always come back to gifts like these because they feel true to how I move through the world: thoughtful, a little practical, and rooted in the everyday rhythms of home. I’m not the person who finds the perfect item wandering through stores. I’m the one who overthinks, who wants things to be useful, who loves the beauty of small details — the handwritten label, the sprig of herb, the feeling of giving something made with intention.

If you make any of these blends, or adapt them in your own way, I’d genuinely love to hear how they turned out and what you paired them with. We all cook differently, and I think that’s where the real magic is — the way these small ingredients become part of someone else’s story.