If you've talked about food, she's probably mentioned what kind of food she likes, right? Even if she hasn't, it'd be an easy conversation since you've already had a really good discussion about it. If chocolate's out of the question, find out her favorite food, or something she can eat, at least, and get it for her.

Some people just cook really compulsively, maybe she's just like that. My brother's girlfriend's like that. She walks into the room and all of a sudden, everyone has pecan pie! Like magic!

What are the seminars about? Not sure I noticed you saying. That might be a source of ideas.

Also, why not tell her how much you appreciated the gift AND how you hardly ever get any and therefore were so surprised and unsure how to react. Then say something like you hope you weren't awkward? How she reacts to being told that may help you understand if something is expected. Mention it normally, and don't insist, but maybe you'll get some lucky insight.

A painting of her made with your own bodily fluids.
A homemade gift deserves a homemade gift.

That's interesting, on the West Coast people are quite laid back about it and always say "don't worry about it" plus in places like SF or Berkeley there's a lot of spiritual people who do it for the karma. I even met people who refused to get anything in return if it was offered too soon, I got the impression return gifting is considered uncool if it's too soon.

I'm those people's favorite "victim". They create food out of nothing and get all insulted because no one wants to eat it, I however don't refuse free food especially not if it's home made. I respect and honor the free food, give me the cookies!

Roses are cool? And they tend to lead towards getting to know the other person better. And... You know, actual gift.

How about a good book? Perhaps the writings of R. Waldo Emerson or Walt Whitman?

Great idea! The candle one! Wow, i forgot about them, like totally! Especially the scented ones! And i can couple it with incense sticks, too, for a completely exotic gift to change drastically the atmosphere of a room!

Also, the idea about chocolate without sugar sounds good. But i doubt i can find such refined and innovative products round my parts. Stevia, much like other sugar replacements, here, are: very expensive, not regularly in demand, and they water/mix them down a lot (not very pure).

Could work, but i do not seek to convey *that* meaning, which a bunch of roses, actually would...

Certainly! Why not?? I have quite the collection of digital goodies!

:O

Not *that* kind of "homemade"! Geez...

Thanks you all for your suggestions, ideas, and participation! I decided!!

Life is short. If you like her, ask her out.

The gift she's probably looking for is a nice date to the theater or a good walk near a river.

I like many things. But i also stay the hell out/away of many things, too (especially if i am recently poisoned, that is...). Life is cruel, too, and if you are in a hurry or careless, you fall hard. For the time being, i am avoiding ALL possibilities for such a type of a relationship, such as a date. Even if i was asked out, i would politely refuse, making up some idiotic excuse, most probably. The shock from my latest experience was something otherworldly, entirely, and even worse, objectively.

Hospitality drives me. And the spirits of Christmas.

OP said he isn't looking for romance at the moment. Now if you were to pursue this person romantically, maybe a good gift would be the following, it would be quite effective for her warding off other potential suitors:

EDIT: ninja'd by OP :)

Yeah I'm living in that general area now and that's one of the things I've noticed as well. I'll be honest and say that I still feel a small pang of guilt when somebody gifts me something and I don't get them anything back, it's a bit hard to do away with 20 years of built in tradition haha.

If you can't find candles, buy her some fancy coffee or tea and pair it with a nice cup/mug. It's always considered a nice co-worker type of gift (i.e., thoughtful, but not "I'm interested"), and fits into diets.

I hear you, it was kinda the same for me because I always thought in a linear way as in gifting back the same person who gifted you, and the concept of paying forward is rather new to me.
One time, I ran out of drinking water on Hawaii out in the boondocks and I had to ask strangers for water. I wouldn't have died but I would have had to abort my solo camping excursion and get back to civilization asap. It was a very humbling experience having to rely on other people for transport (hitchhiking) and water. You can only carry so and so much water at a time, in the jungle areas resupplying is no problem but in the dry areas it's more difficult.
When I asked a local fisherman if I could buy some water from him, he just laughed and said "buy water???". He then filled all my plastic bottles with water and gave me an extra two gallons. He then said maybe I'll travel to your country one day and you'll return the favor.
It is a bit frustrating when people expect nothing in return and all you have to offer is money which they don't accept. But one quickly adapts to the environment. The last thing I would want is for people to consider me a freeloader so having to ask strangers for anything has never been easy for me. In some occasions one can do a trade though: I made a quick drawing of a local guy's dog so he could gift the picture to his mom and got freshly hunted roasted wild pig with cooked rice in return. Even though I have been introduced to the whole pay it forward mentality (widely practiced here on GOG) I still feel much better if I can do a fair trade instead of just getting something for free. The feeling of guilt is lessening but still there. Giving spare change to street musicians etc helps to reduce that guilt and helps to change the attitude from linear to non linear gifting.

Gee, my idea was great after all to ask for assistance! Not only i solved my dilemma (actually complete cluelessness) about what i should get for her, but i got extra ideas, concerning other possible gifts, for other possible receivers! Thank you!