by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: November 03, 2009

There is nothing as warm, welcoming and full of wonderful memories for the future than a homemade Christmas. You don't have do do everything yourself, but adding homemade elements to your holidays is not only a way to bring back the real spirit of Christmas, it also makes good sense in tough economic times.

Start with the menu. This year, plan to include more home made food, much of which can be prepared at least a month ahead of time and left to mature in the freezer, such as Christmas cakes and puddings. Perhaps you have an old family recipe you haven't tried yet, or are tempted by the wonderful cake and pudding recipes that appear in magazines this time of year. Making your own festive food will be a revelation - you will not believe how good it can taste!

The best food to make yourself are baked goods. A home made Christmas cake can be tailored to suit the wishes of you family - for example, if you have family members who hate raisins and sultanas, these can actually be omitted and other dried fruits used instead. dates and figs are wonderful additions to cake and pudding recipes, or you can try a stained glass cake, which combines glace fruits like pineapple, apricot and cherries with Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds in a light spicy cake batter. If heavy dark cakes are not your thing, you can create a Christmas cake you love - such as chocolate mud cake! - and top it with traditional festive icing and decorating.

Cookies and mince pies are another Christmas treat that can be made at home, and this is something the whole family can join in. Master a very simple cookie recipe, such as sugar cookies or shortbread, and add spices like cinnamon and ginger for Christmas flavor. The fun is in the decorating - use red or green icing to cover the cookies and add shiny silver dragees to make them sparkle. Custom Christmas cookie cutters also give your cookies a festive look.

Traditional mince pies are easy to make with ready made pastry and jars of fruit mince from your supermarket. You will rediscover the taste and flavor of a real mince pie - not the dried out packaged variety, but a real taste treat bursting with sweetness, spices and flavor. Other treats you can make at home include toffee apples, dips and sauces, and a good old fashioned English trifle. You will find recipes for all these treats and many more on the web.

But don't just stop at the food. A good homemade Christmas also includes the trappings. Homemade Christmas tree ornaments can become family

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