It's also a great alternative to the overdone bottle of wine as a party/housewarming gift!
Great idea. We've given away a loaf or two as a holiday gift along with some homemade apple butter (hooray for slow cookers and pressure cookers), but we haven't thought of giving some as a party gift.
My wife makes bread the old-fashioned way-- with a KitchenAid mixer :). I suggested a bread machine, but she's not convinced that it would save much effort. If it was just me, I might pick one up.
She does buy bread from time to time. This week, she bought some Portuguese sweet bread. She will probably learn how to make it herself soon.
In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, make some Irish soda bread. It's really easy!