Gift for friendly neighbour (who's a lovely hippy kind of person)

Okay, so we're having problems getting our internet set up, and they can't do it until the 6th April, so our neighbour overheard and said that we were welcome to use her wireless and gave us her password, she wouldn't take any money for it and was just super lovely about the whole thing  (to be honest everyone in this building is super nice! It's a lovely house).

I don't know much about her, except that she has some sort of chanting/throat singing/meditation meeting at her home on Mondays, with incense and bells, and generally seems a bit of a new-age person (in a good way, that's not me being judgemental, she's hella cool!) oh, she does tai chi in our back garden at ridiculous o clock as well.

So I want to bake her a gift, but I'm quite a cheesy, chocolatey, buttery person, and believe she might be more of a flax seed and hemp kind of person.

Does anyone have any good recipes that would be suitable  for someone of unknown food allergies, and who may very well be a vegan (there was a "natural life" magazine in our hall for her this morning)?

I was thinking I make a nice multiseeded loaf with sundried tomatoes and I'd sub parmesan for veg parmesan just in case, but I also do a killer raspberry tart with dark chocolate ganache which I thought was a bit more "gifty" but it has butter in the pastry (luckily I have organic and fair trade couverture)

Is a loaf a good thing to give someone? Or is it a bit stupid saying "here's a loaf, thanks for being neighbourly" She lives alone, so ideally I'd like to give her something she'd eat and not just have to throw away.

help! 

Thanks

Maybe Andee will peek in here!  I'd be useless - I'm into cheese, chocolate, butter, and meat myself.    (and booze)

Maybe Andee will peek in here!  I'd be useless - I'm into cheese, chocolate, butter, and meat myself.    (and booze)

I know, right?

I ran through my baking repertoire quite quickly -  quiche, chocolate cupcakes, brownies, a rumbaba, a cherry clafouti, a cheesecake,  home made pork pie....before realising that if I'm baking it basically contains shed loads of butter, chocolate, meat, cheese or booze

I did see an olive/rosemary foccacia recipe that was olive oil based. I've never made one before though.

Maybe Andee will peek in here!  I'd be useless - I'm into cheese, chocolate, butter, and meat myself.    (and booze)

Love it!   

Anyway, she sounds supercool!  The multi-seed loaf sounds awesome and yummy.  The only thing is th possibility that she's not doing wheat.  Can you make it with spelt?  I think she'll think you are so thoughtful if you bake her anything, especially taking the time to consider her possible alternative needs!  Even if she's cool with wheat and real parm, I'll bet she'll still really like it!  She can also share it with her Monday night chanting group!  Maybe some no-sugar all fruit jam to go with or a nice savoury spread like a mustard?  Even with out jam or spread, it's a heckova nice gesture. 

What about some cornbread muffins? You could jazz them up a bit with some chopped red pepper or even chilis if you think she likes spicey food.

My first thought was to give some nice homemade pampering stuff rather than edible. Like sugar scrubs are really easy to make up with demerara sugar, almond oil, and nice smelly essential oils. Or I make up long rectangular pouches with scrap fabric, half fill them with short-grain rice (or beans or whatever you've got lots of) and some lavender buds, seal it up, and give with instructions to heat in the microwave with a mug of water for a muscle soother (these always go down really well!). Or put the dry parts of an oatmeal mask in a bag with instructions and "just add warm water", that sort of stuff...

Ooohhh when I get home, I'll check my "Hippie Handbook" for you- there's a whole section on gifts to give hippies    Hehehe, I love my handbook... 

Anyway, she sounds supercool!  

Yes she does!!!  Andee, you're supercool too!!!  

Ooohhh when I get home, I'll check my "Hippie Handbook" for you- there's a whole section on gifts to give hippies    Hehehe, I love my handbook... 
Yes she does!!!  Andee, you're supercool too!!!  

Is there really a hippie handbook?    I love it!  And thanks! 

Agree with squirrelypoo that some nice homemade spa gift might be quite nice! There are loads of recipes online for making homemade face masks and things like that or body scrubs, bath salts, etc. then you don't have to worry so much about what she likes to eat! But, I think anything you make would be lovely and appreciated. I'd stay away from nuts just in case she is allergic. You could always make your pastry using vegetable fat instead of butter (I use Trex anyway because it's easier to use) and do some sort of nice vegetable tart. Or make some homemade granola or flapjacks with dried fruit and oats and flax seed.

Cheesebiscuit I think it's a lovely thought to do something nice for someone. I wish you were my neighbour! 

Homemade paper, homemade soaps. I have loads of vegan cookbooks. A loaf would be nice as well. A world music CD?

Anything is actually really lovely. What a way to greet a new neighbour! 

How about some zucchini bread?  It is made with vegetable oil rather than butter.  I made some for a church function a little bit ago, and people are still coming up to me and raving about it.

i have a suggestion.....how about a subscription to a vegetarian magazine of some sort or even a book with vegan recipes........i was on a no wheat, dairy, or sugar eating program a while back so to have a cookbook that would be packed full of things i could cook would have been fantastic

I kind of think it's funny you're assuming she's veggie or vegan because she's hippie! I am not really hippie and I'm vegetarian. However, my brother and his wife are super hippie (minus the pot smoking!)- I mean she knits her own pads (yes, THOSE kind of pads!)- and they are definitely meat eaters.

 It might be easier to go with something like the zucchini loaf (or banana bread- I make that with shortening, too) or avoid the food thing altogether and just do some simple spa thing. Good luck and let us know how it goes! You are a very nice neighbor indeed.

Why not just simplify and take her a basket of fruit? Most everyone likes fruit!