Gift Giving Mixes : Chocolate Gravy
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)!
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.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 T flour
- 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Seal and package for gift giving, including a tag with the above instructions.
The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:
the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.~Burton Hillis
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Help me fill my kettle for the Salvation Army!
Christmas is just around the corner and many cities still have hundreds of angels left on their trees this year. I started an online Salvation Army Red Kettle in hopes that the Southern Plate family can join together and help donate enough money to see to it that several kids have the Christmas they deserve. Join with me and donate if you can by clicking on the banner below. Even $5.00 can make a difference if enough of us donate it!
Thank you!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Dec 12 2008. Filed under Breakfast, Chocolate, Gift Mixes, Holiday Favorites!.
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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!
Oh the memories this brings back. My grandma used to make this on the weekends. I’ve tried to get the receipe for YEARS. Thank you. My husbands family thinks I’m crazy but this one is up there with Tomato Gravy. Goodness makes me hungry just thinking about them. LOL
This post brings to mind an old story about how I used to ask for ‘white gravy on white bread’. Seems my grandma, Nanny, used to serve me slices of angle food cake with cool whip on top! Sure wish that she had made some of the chocolate gravy mentioned in your article…
When Nanny passed away, the family favorite recipe passed with her. We still long for her hot dinner rolls. They were tender pillows of yeasty goodness. Any good suggestions for these? I have searched high and low for something comparable and haven’t even really come close. She also made the best crabapple jelly you ever put on a biscuit!
I love chocolate gravy and we used to beg momma to make it for us! Those were the good times! As kids we put chocolate gravy over our fried potatoes ( sounds icky now but we thought it was so good back then!) Thanks for sharing all of homemade goodie ideas and how to wrap them. I really appreciate that, since I didn’t get the gift wrapping gene that most ladies have!
Christy, You don’t know how right you are about Happy Family’s. My husband is 65 yrs. old and I am 62 yrs. old. He has Asbetosis from working on concrete trucks for 30 years (breaks mainly), COPD, Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetis,along with other health problems. As for me, I have Diabetis, Congestive Heart Failure,COPD, enphysemia, I can’t stand over two minutes, I can’t walk to my bathroom and back and breathe.
We can’t either one of us cook anymore, I have to be in an electric chair, I have fallen 4 times in the past 3 or 4 months. Blacked my eye twice, cut my left arm from my shoulder to my elbow and bleed on everything. David couldn’t get me up by himself and called the lady that helps us so very much to come down (at 2:30am) and help him to dress my arm. The sad part; we have 4 healthy, grown children, 2 of each, all grown and married, 3 live in our state, in driving distance for something for Christmas. We raised our oldest grand daughter from the time she was 3 days old. In June of this year, she decided she wanted to live with her mother and was tired of helping us. We asked each family for a family picture of each. I can tell you right now we won’t get it. There was not one called and told us Happy Thanksgiving. The grand daughter did call.
We always looked forward to when we had grand kids and every one would all pile in here and have a wonderful time together. It will never happen. Christy I know this is not what your comments section, when I read the saying, I just had to write and let everyone know, it doesn’t matter how many pile in, 1 or 10, enjoy it. Thanks for letting me say this and I hope everyone that reads this has the most wonderful time of their lives.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
Warddean
Warddean,
I was so touched by your note. Thank you for reaching out. I am so sorry you’re experiencing this. I will be praying that He heals your bodies and fills your heart with HIS love and peace. I thank the Lord you have your friend that helps you. Take care this Christmas and know that you have someone praying for you.
This is a great idea and will help me check off a few more people from my gift list!
[...] headline » Gift Giving Mixes : Chocolate Gravy Fri, 12/12/08 – 2:19 AM | 70 Comments [...]
Will u publish a recipe for red-eye gravy? My husband loves it but I don’t know how to make it. Thank u for all the recipes and wonderful ideas, they’re great.
[...] Chocolate Gravy Mix [...]
[...] two graham squares into a bag. I am using those party favor bags I told you about in my first gift mix post. I think it helps if you stick out your tongue like Katy is doing here. I tried doing it both ways [...]
I laugh when I hear a northern transplant ask me in a most peculiar way what chocolate gravy is. I have to tell them it’s the most wonderfully (southern) sweet treat you’ll ever have – and I like to do so in my most southern voice – LOL!!
My grandmother made this, and so did my mom so naturally I make it too. My “Yankee” husband thinks it’s the craziest thing for me to make – it’s a bit too sweet for his palate. But oh how yummy to pour chocolate gravy over biscuits, pancakes, ice cream, or just plain ‘ol loaf bread with a dollop of butter!!
I just use cocoa, sugar, and milk. I’ll certainly give your recipe a try though and add the flour; it will be interesting to see the difference.
Made these for my kids choir and mission friends teachers @ church for Christmas! They were a hit!! Thank you for sharing!
I am so happy to hear they went over well! I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
[...] Click here for Chocolate Gravy Mix instructions and free printable tags [...]
[...] Reindeer Mix • Sugar Cookies • even more Hot Chocolate Mix, Gourmet • and gift making with mixes from Southern Plate*all Hodgepodge meals prepared with care due to our Trials and Triumphs with allergies Comments [...]
[...] Reindeer Mix • Sugar Cookies • even more Hot Chocolate Mix, Gourmet • and gift making with mixes from Southern Plate*all Hodgepodge meals prepared with care due to our Trials and Triumphs with allergies Posted by [...]
We always had Chocolate gravy as children. My mom made it. She got the recipe in Tennessee from a girlfriend. Only ran into a few people who knew about chocolate gravy and thought it was restricted to TN or to those who moved from TN to perhaps AR or other states. Mom always did it by memory though and every so often hers didn’t turn out and we had no recipe. My sister one year went to Mom’s and measured everything before she put it into the bowl or pan and came out with a recipe for one that works every time. It is similar to this one but am not sure it is exactly the same. We love it. All the kids love love and the grandkids all but about one love it too. My son and daughter make it often. I don’t make it very often but should do it more often even though I am dieting. We have that precious recipe which is from my Mom who has since passed away. Wish I had her goulash recipe. Why wasn’t I more interested in cooking when I was home with her? Her kitchen was always small and she did it all herself. We might cook when she was away from what we learned in 7th and 8th grade cooking classes. If I had to no longer have that recipe and someone would buy it for a lot of money, I’d not sell it as it is a heritage from my mom. I was both shocked and excited to see a chocolate gravy recipe on here and was surprised at the thought of making it as a gift, but how delightful. We have all shared Mom’s recipe around now in our family to preserve it. My stepson has a recipe that he adds vanilla to and which he got from a step -grandma in AR (probably originally TN family). I prefer mine without the vanilla. Mom always added vanilla when it didn’t turn out and then was supposed to be pudding but was not sweet enough for pudding. It made great gravy when she got her portions right and now we get it right every time with a recipe. I should thank my sister for preserving this recipe for our family. Isn’t it funny that her daughter is the one who least likes it. But her kids do. So we are now starting to look at great grandkdis not just grandkids and soon great great grandkids – just around a short bend in the road.
[...] Chocolate Gravy Mix [...]
I was just looking at your cookbook for gift ideas and noticed that the recipe printed in the book on page 179 shows “2 teaspoons flour” instead of 2 tablespoons. You may already be aware of this. If not, thought you should know. LOVE your book!
[...] Chocolate Gravy Mix [...]
Just a question (LOVE the idea) but is there a biscuit recipe to go with this or a suggestion or a recipe that might be used for this?
chocolate gravy and angel biscuits are a match made in heaven mmmmmmm good
Your gift ideas are so good!! I love the thought of doing something with
food and yet personal to give to friends. I love Monkey Bread and the light
clouds of confection, that we in the North (although I’m transplanted now)
call “Angel Wings.” I’m glad to see the mixer, it just reminded me that we
have to get a new one…..after many years they do go to mixer heaven!
Merry Christmas, Christy!!
If I’m not mistaken your 1st post for Chocolate gravy was what caught my attention and got me hooked forever to Southern Plate. The lady I call “Mama Dit” used to keep me when I was little and made this for me with buttered biscuits. Never could figure how to make it like her until I tried yours. Love ,love,love it!
I can’t wait to try this chocolate gravy, sounds yummy! Going to have to make some of your monkey bread to for Christmas Brunch. I just love your recipes and I enjoyed your show in Florence. Have a wonderful Christmas from our house to ours.
Thanks so much for your recipes and stories, they remind me of my childhood. Merry Christmas.
going to have to try it sounds so good.
Takes me back to my childhood. YUM! Great gift for family members and friends.
Chocolate gravy sounds interesting. I love chocolate.
I have read all of the comments and they are great stories. When I was a child my mother and grandmothers would make this when we would go for an over night visit. They would make homemade biscuits and chocolate syrup, better known as chocolate gravy now. These were great times for all of us children. Thank you for all of you wonderful recipes and stories of your family.
Have a Merry Christmas.
Yummy—I will do this
We stayed at the Montrose Bay Hideaway one year for our anniversary. The next morning they served a huge breakfast including chocolate gravy, which we had never had before. It was AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe and the gift idea!
[...] Chocolate Gravy Mix [...]
You made a big ol’ trucker guy choke up, you did! My husband is a short-haul trucker and a coworker of his asked me if I knew how to make chocolate gravy because he remembered his grandma making it for him many years ago. I knew you would have the right recipe. I made a batch of the mix and left it in his inbox along with the directions. He was thrilled, to say the least! He made some of it up as soon as he got home that night and was happy as a clam. Thank you, Christy!
I never thought about doing this. I love the gravy and share my recipe however this is even better.
Been wanting to try this for brunch on the weekends.
I remember having this as a child. Think I will make some for the grandkids.