Not gonna lie, only one of these things is likely to ever make it as a hostess gift from me. I live 3 blocks away from the Hot Cakes brick and mortar location, and while I am cheap and generally tempted to just make the same thing on my own, they are pretty amazing.

i host a big dinner twice a year, and very rarely do my guests bring a host gift other than an occasional bottle of wine. can someone forward this post to them please?! i don't to seem greedy by doing it myself ... :)

If the host cooks, a good quality olive oil is appreciated. I LOVE Ravida but it is almost priced out of my range as a decent sized bottle is now around $35.00!!

I'd love to receive any of these! If I have time, though, I'd usually rather give something homemade. This year I'm planning to give away this homemade flaky celery salt: http://emmycooks.com/2012/10/11/homemade-celery-salt/. It's easy to make and WAY under $15. :)

I second the olive oil suggestion, I would LOVE to receive a really great bottle of extra virgin. I was recently given a set of infused honeys, which were adorable and delicious:
http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/10/29/hello-world/

Or on the homemade theme, how about a whisky-bottle-turned-dish soap? It doesn't make any pretences so would be perfect for good friends. Scroll to second pic on this page- http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/03/im-on-the-lamb/

And finally, how about a home made infused vodka? Shove some sweets into a bottle of vodka, and shake it up every day for a week. Pear drops, skittles and worther's originals toffees all work really well. What a fun gift! You could even repackage the vodka to match its flavour.

The corrected link, for the whisky dish soap- http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/03/im-on-the-lamb/

Aaaand, third time lucky. Let's hope it's worth it after all that!!! Whisky dish soap bottle - great host gift: http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/02/im-on-the-lamb/

This link WORKS!!

Wow, not one thing on that list would I be happy to get -- it would all be re-gifted or given to my favorite thrift shop. One size does NOT fit all! ;^)

I really hope my friends don't always feel pressured to bring something when I host parties. Many of them usually ask what they can bring; if there is something I really need that I haven't already arranged for, I usually say so or make a suggestion about what might work (a salad, a dessert). But in general, I want people to just come and have a good time and not feel pressured to bring something. It's lovely and appreciated when they do, but not necessary!

I, for one, would love to receive any of the above. It's true that hostess gifts are kind of rare to see these days, but are super lovely and all-the-more surprising when received (which to me, is the best part of it. Seems less compulsory now). That said, when I'm going over to a friends house, it's probably a bottle of wine I have in tow. But when I'm a guest at the home of my parents friends (or my boyfriends parents/relatives), I do feel a bit more inclined to give a nice token like a pretty soap or such-- like maybe it's a generational thing?

It depends on the crowd/party, but I usually bring stuff like sweet wine or fruit butter. Those always seem to be a hit.