Gift Giving Mixes : Chocolate Gravy
This is the first of many gift giving mixes I plan on bringing to you this holiday season. In the age of outlandish holidays with ever growing price tags, just about everyone appreciates a heartfelt gift personally made for them. Gift mixes are an excellent way of doing this.
Baked goods are always well liked, but mixes offer even more time saving convenience on the part of the giver and give the receiver an opportunity to have some special time in their kitchen. Even people who work full time can squeeze in time to prepare a special treat if they have a mix!
Now, before you start doubting the value of your gift of a mix, check the price tags of some ready made mixes in specialty gift shops and such. My grandmother once bought an apple crisp mix in a bag for $8.00! It was enough to make an 8×8 dish and tasted exactly like my apple crisp! I like to mentally place a monetary value on the gifts I give, in order to make sure I am giving gifts of equal value to my child’s teachers and such. I consider this to be at least a five dollar value, in case you needed a guide!
Chocolate gravy makes an ideal mix to give. Those familiar with it instantly respond with widened eyes and “ooh’s” and “aah’s”. Those unfamiliar with it are intrigued and anxious to taste this chocolatey concoction. Another plus? When was the last time you saw chocolate gravy mix for sale anywhere? You’ve got the added bonus of rarity on your side as well!
My original post on Chocolate Gravy, including step by step photos of how to make it, can be found here.
Each time I bring you a mix, I am going to show you several inexpensive wrapping options as well as providing you with printer ready gift tags(note that these are two sided)! At the end of my gift mixes series, I am going to draw one name at random from among those who commented on the mixes posts and send them a box filled with one of my finished mixes from each tutorial! Wrapped and ready to give! Someone is going to get an entire box of those, woot! <contest has ended, thank you!>
(Well, it excites me! LOL)
Now, on to chocolate gravy….
Do you see these party bags? I get them in the party section at wal mart and try to ALWAYS have them on hand. Their uses are limitless. They make great packaging for small loaves of banana bread or a few cookies if you are sending them as gifts. You can use the enclosed twist ties or curling ribbon to seal them, your choice. They are also ideal for party favors or any other baked goods or small gift items. I buy them in a bag of twenty for a dollar and some change. I highly recommend you look for and purchase them now as they run low often.
Plain old zipper seal sandwich bags are a must have as well. I like to place my mix in them to seal it and then package.
Or you can simply place your jar inside a small gift bag and attach some curling ribbon or raffia to it.
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 T flour
- 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Seal and package for gift giving, including a tag with the following instructions (or print out my free tags here):
Directions:
Pour contents into heavy saucepan. Add 1 1/4 Cups Milk Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Once boiling, turn heat down to lowest setting and stir for one minute more, until thickened.
Take off heat and stir in 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine.
Pour over hot biscuits.
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Very nice! I love that you’re posting these gift mixes. It really helps out people like me who are far away from family and need ideas for inexpensive yet thoughtful Christmas gifts that can be mailed across the country. Just gotta make sure I pack them well!
That is brilliant! I’ve seen cookie mixes and bean soup mixes and snack mixes, but this is truly unique – what a wonderful gift to give! You know, you could give this with a biscuit mix as well for the complete breakfast!
By the way, I tried the dump cake from your cookbook, and posted it on my blog. I did use peaches instead of cherries. It turned out so delicious! I love your cookbook.
my great aunt used to make this everytime she would come to visit, which wasn’t often enought. i always thought she was the only one in the world who could make it. thanks for sharing.
Woot is right!! I’m so excited about this series I can hardly stand it. YAY!!
Oh My, I LOVE Chocolate Gravy! Never thought about making it into a gift mix, you are brilliant!
Great idea, Christy. Thanks!
As Homer Simpson would say.. “mmmmmmmmm… Chocolate Gravy…”
ya know, A lady I used to work with mentioned that she made Chocolate gravy years ago.. I thought she was just kidding, then I tried it..mmmmmm, Chocolate gravy..
You’ve been tagged!
What a wonderful site. My Mother in Law made chocolate gravy all of the time and the recipe has been handed down to her children and grandchildren. She always made biscuits with her chocolate gravy. I had never heard of chocolate gravy until I came into the family 35 years ago. My family has to have biscuits with it also. I just love this site and what great ideas.
Christy you know how I love the chocolate gravy OHMY!!!!! This is awesome i would of never thought to make it into a gift bag mix. My Mother in Law can you believe it never had chocolate gravy, I have been bragging about it. Guess what is going into her Harvest Basket for Thanksgiving. LOve Love The Tags.
What a great idea, I can’t wait to see what else you make!
Thank you SO MUCH! My husband still speaks of how his mother used to make chocolate gravy and I’d never heard of it…. This is going to be a great surprise for him. I’m a newbie to your site and enjoy so much!
Lisa in TN
my step mom always makes chocolate gravy. maybe i should do this for her.
thanks.
Christy,
Let me start by saying how much I love your site and newsletters! I belong to several sites but I can truly say yours is my favorite because you could live next door to me ( I was transplanted here in East Tennessee 20+ years ago. Alabama sounds so much like here. Anyway, I’m rambling on so…the gift mix idea is really going to save my life for this Christmas…$$$ is tight ya know so bless you for all your help. Much Light and Many Blessings, Cher in TN
I too never thought about turning this into a gift mix. My family also loves Chocolate gravy with biscuits. Chocolate Gravy has been in my family for generations. We also love to eat this as a pudding. Love your recipes and ideas.
Dee from Ohio
I am so excited that you will be posting gift mixes for the holidays. I have made some in the past and am always looking for something different. Thank you so much!
Love this idea!! You are giving me such great gift ideas
Since I am recently unemployed, these ideas sure help! LOVE the tutorial!!
Thanks so much!
Hey! I just wanted to say thank you so much for the compliments and smiles!!
Note On Tags/Labels
I’ve had a few people email and ask if I could change the size or format of these labels. Due to time constraints (and the fact that I have a lot more I want to bring you this holiday season!) I am only able to offer you the labels in one format, as they are now.
If you’d like to print them out on sticky labels, I recommend getting the sheets of uncut labels from wal mart and printing them, then cutting them to size. This won’t allow for double sided printing, of course, so you will have to decide if offering the recipe along with your gift is important to you.
I prefer to use cardstock and print on both sides, then cut down to size.
If you prefer a special format or size to fit a particular label, you can make your own labels using my directions and recipe.
I’m glad y’all like this one! I plan on giving out a few of these, at least!
Here’s hoping we all have a WONDERFUL Holiday season without extravagant spending!
Gratefully,
Christy
I have a friend who goes on and on about chocolate gravy.
I can’t wait to show her this!
Mmmm…
What a great idea….it’s perfect for all the chocolate lovers in my family up North! Thank You!
The chocolate gravy looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it and give the mixes as gifts. I am fixing your Taco Soup recipe today.
Thanks for what you do!
Cindy in FL
Great recipe! Also tks for the cute gift wrapping ideas! Looking forward to more gift giving recipes!
~Lisa
My sister-in-law loves chocolate gravy! What a great gift idea for her! Thanks!
Beverly
YUM! Chocolate Gravy. My grandma use to make it. What a cute idea to package it up for giving. Thanks
I’ve been making Chocolate Gravy for 35 yrs. I rec’d my recipe from my husband’s Grandmother which has been handed down thru her family for over 100 yrs. Never once have I thought of giving it as a mix for a gift and I like Stephanie’s idea of giving a biscuit mix for a complete breakfast meal.
So happy to see you doing a segment on gift mixes – Thanks for a wonderful blog and site.
Christy you just saved My Christmas!!
I have been heavily heavily racking my brain for what to do for Christmas this year. I have been thinking of Making ornaments but I wasn’t so sure this year with the Tot being into everything THANK YOU!
Brittainy S
How Many does this little Pack Serve? I’ve never made my own gravy.
This was perfect timing. I’m so glad you started with Chocolate Gravy. My sister used to live in Arkansas and learned about it there. She loved it. But she has now moved on to Colorado. I am so excited to be able to send this to her for Christmas.
YUMMO! I am so excited for this series. I was going to bake for the hoildays, but now I think I will instead give these awesome mixes.
Wow…. I havent had chocolate gravy in years, and with my inlaws living almost 2000 miles away, this will be another gift I can add to their box….. Thanks girl.
I just love your site..
Cee
What a great way to give at Christmas. I love putting mixes together and look forward to adding yours to my lists. Thanks for the chance to enjoy yours from your kitchen. Happy Hols!!!
Hi Christy!! Well, I was thinking about coming to your blog and let you know that I had been here and your blog had much to be talked about, but I was waiting for an opportunity and now it turns out that you found it out before I could even mention it to you… Well, hugs right back at you and thank you so much for your welcomed visit!! You were so kind!! I sure am glad I stumbled upon your site! Your recipes are great, the way you write them are even better (it conveys all that family/homemade/heart warming feeling) and I can’t wait to try more of your recipes! It sure was great to try that cake out (and the best thing is: it actually worked for me). Now my next plan is to buy the Country Bob’s sauce so I can make the stew that had me craving for some great hearty meal this weekend while reading your blog!!
Anyways, keep up the good work, you are doing a great job and I appreciate all the time and work you’ve put into making this website so great and helpful to all of us – including me, the cooking novice.
Have a wonderful week, Christy!!
Pinch me, I have grown up in the south and my Mom was born and raised in Lutts, TN and I have never heard of Chocolate Gravy. My sister-in-law makes Chocolate toast and keeps the ingredients all mixed up and ready to use. My relatives in TN mainly liked the red eye gravy on their “cat heads” . I do remember everyone in the family liked my Grandma’s biscuits the best and it was all in her head as to the amounts of everything to mix together. And I do think that baking in her oven, it was a large cast iron wood stove, had something to do with it also. I was too young to have cooked on it, but wish I could have. I remember Mom having troubles with just how much wood to actually use to get a good fire going and enough to have the hot coals to bank back and learning to adjust for the temperature and the warming compartments up top got used alot. Ok I rambled abit but thanks Christy for bringing us your blog and site and sharing your stories and my how it brings back memories of my own. I will have to try the Chocolate Gravy and maybe it will help me to give up my love of canned biscuits. Still learning my way around your sites and posting
and I am so looking forward to seeing your other post for gift ideas.
Oh wow… EXCELLENT!!! I am so excited and can’t wait to see what all you post. Yeaaaaa! I was wondering what on earth I was gonna do for some gifts with a tight, tight budget and was thinking of doing some homemade goodies, so this is perfect timing! And what a great start too. Thanks sooooo much… you are the BEST!
Mary
Hi Christy,
I can remember when I was little and my grandma would make this stuff. I loved it!! I plan on using these for my two younger daughters teachers for Christmas. Thanks for such a great idea.
Becky
Hey Christy,
I have been eating chocolate gravy since I was a kid. This is a great idea. Thanks! Now I can send it to my nieces so they can fix chocolate gravy. I really enjoy your blogs, keep up the good work.
Never heard of chocolate gravy, but sounds awesome. I love giving and receiving mixes for gifts
Definitely making some of these to give out this holiday season… way more affordable than my spiced pecans of years past!
Thank you for the memories. I just came across you site. My Mom shared with me recently how her mother made this for her when she was young. I wasnt sure I would ever know how to make it.My mother has beging stages of alzhemiers ,and her mother passed away with .so thanks to your site We have created a new memory!!Ann Corbett,corbett@aol.com
I LOVE chocolate gravy but wasn’t sure how to make it. Thanks for the recipe and thanks for the gift tags! You are so thoughtful! Its my first Christmas as a wife and so my list of those I need to buy Christmas presents for has doubled! I am going to make several gift baskets and I’ve just added this mix to my list. Thank you!!
Mmmmmm chocolate gravy is awesome! This is a great gift idea. I love the idea of giving the biscuit mix along with it too. When we give gift jars, we do the same thing with the circle of fabric, but also stick a couple of cotton balls between the seal and the material to make it look a little poofy on top. I know – it’s silly – but hey, I fit right in during the 80’s big hair days too. lol Anyway, that was random. Thanks Christy!
I’m not quite sure how I came across your website however, I’m glad I did. Thank you so much for taking the time to share such wonderful gift giving ideas. I need to order the cookbook now!
Happy Holidays,
Cherrill
Yummy! My girlfriends and I were just talking about how we need to find some good ideas for homemade gifts, and voila! I love this site! Keep up the good work!
I’ve never heard of chocolate gravy. This sounds really interesting.
Such cute ideas! Thanks for sharing!
I have never heard of Choc gravy! Man looks like I am missing out!!
These are all such good ideas, I love to make gifts at Christmas of baked things and homemade candies, but this will be a nice change, and they may be less expensive without having to buy all ingredients myself, and people can save them and make them when all their goodies are gone!! It is always nice to get food gifts, but if you have cooked yourself, then things go to waste sometimes.
This is so good. People cannot believe this is chocolate gravy and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing. I love the tutorial to make great gift packages.
I’m going to make each one of my children a basket full of good southern mixes…courtesy of of Christy Jordan. You’ve made it so simple. I can’t wait to start shopping for the supplies. That will be the fun part. I am such a fan of you and your blog. Thank you so very much for sharing your recipes and your family with us. You are truly a ray of sunshine even if you don’t know how to say pee-can;)
This is yet another wonderfully easy but oh so wonderful mix to give – and your ideas for presentation make it even better!
Thank you!
I am an original Southern girl (born in SC) but drifted off in
various directions after I married and my husband was transferred a
lot. I had completely forgotten about Chocolate Gravy (my grandmother use to make a big pot of this as a special treat on Christmas morning and served over her homemade biscuits.) YUM!
After reading Angie’s blog this evening and going to your site and reading of your recipes, it brought back a lot of fond memories.
Now I am going to make some of my own this Christmas morning.
Thank you so much for bringing this memory back to me. And I hope to visit your site again real soon for more recipes. I also signed up for your newsletter.
Thank you and Angie both.
Sue Chumley
Blairsville, Ga.
I just love your site! I am so gald i found you.I can’t wait to try your chocolate gravy.
I have received this mix before and it is so good!
I just had to tell my sister about this when I ran across it. It is so very close to what my grandmother made and my mom and dad made for us also. I think I am going to to up a mix and surprise my brother with it for Christmas
He is so going to love it too! Thanks for sharing another super southern sensational recipe with as all.
YOU GO GIRLY! you are surely rocking! I knew my readers would just LOVE YOU and OMG this is to DIE FOR! CHOCOLATE GRAVY, who would’ve thought! love your blog, love your book and stay tuned for my review on your ebook! Going to draw a winner for your cookbook TOMORROW!
XOXOXO
I have never heard of chocolate gravy, I love chocolate though, so this is a must try.
We have never had Chocolate gravey so had to try it. Very good and from now on it will be a part of our potatoes and gravey,
My girls love Chocolate Gravy. They always turn to their grandma to fix it cause I always mess it up.
I have to admit I was a bit thrown off by Chocolate Gravy… but I’m going to try it as well, then give it as gifts, since I’m positive it will be a big hit.
Chocolate gravy? How interesting!
Love that you give us the cards to print out too.
I had never heard of chocolate gravy before but anything chocolate has got to be good. Looking forward to making this for the family. Then will make up some got gift-giving. Great idea for the holidays.
I have a large family that lives in Illinois, and going back home for the holidays, this was the perfect gift for everyone on my list. I am married to a southerner now and live in Alabama, so this was a way to give a touch of the south for Christmas. The gift tags were great, I printed them and put them on my Christmas bags which I put the mix in! Thanks for a great, simple, inexpensive gift idea!
OK – I have to admit I’ve *never* heard of Chocolate Gravy…. but since chocolate makes ~everything~ better, I know it’ll be wonderful. We’ll make this over the weekend and think of you.
My aunt use to make this for us. I always wanted to go and spend the night so I could have homemade biscuits and chocolate gravy. I made some for my five year old and he loved it. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Yes, another one I can’t wait to try!