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Today is National Giving Day!

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On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give.

As you think about giving back to your community today, I thought it the perfect time to talk about gifts for the holidays.

Handmade gifts are the best kind, particularly when they're edible and prettily packaged. Some of the season's best recipes are the ones that make delicious gifts. Offering them to friends is much more than a small gesture -- it's a personal one, showing the best sentiments of the season.

Here are some simple ideas to help you put a smile on someone’s face this Holiday season.

Peppermint Bark is the gift I make every year. Starting the weekend of Thanksgiving, production begins. My family has even nicknamed our kitchen “The Peppermint Bark Factory”!

My friend Gay makes these mini Almond Pound Cakes that are to die for!

My neighbor Kaye drops off a platter of assorted homemade cookies every year the week of Christmas. My kids (and us grown-ups) devour them!

And speaking of cookies, my friend Andrea told me she gets together for a cookie swap with her friends every December. That way she only has to bake one type of cookie but gets to have an assortment on her table. What a great idea.

My mom’s good friend Jill makes her a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls that I am grateful mom brings to our house Christmas morning.

Simple to make but super yummy, spiced nuts, preserves, pickles, snack mixes, and seasoned crackers are some more favorites to give … and receive.

This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Happy Holidays!

Jennifer Chandler graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris at the top of her class. She is a freelance food writer, restaurant consultant, and author of four cookbooks.