Photo: seelensturm/Flickr

It’s always a rude awakening. Last week we were thinking about how much pie we want to eat on Thanksgiving; now, we’re pepper spraying innocent shoppers to get an XBox game.

Me, I like making Christmas gifts for people. Not only does it help save a bit of money (though I usually end up going wildly over budget anyway), it’s a little bit more meaningful than most anything you’re going to get at the mall. Especially for an edible gift, a good handmade present takes time and thought. You have to consider favorite tastes, potential allergies, and even whether or not the gift is going to invoke food-related guilt (don’t give a dieter your famous double-chocolate fudge, for instance).

Need some ideas? The Kitchn, as always, is a great resource. Here, they have a round-up of gifts to start making right now; for the procrastinators, however, they also have some good last-minute gifts.