Holiday Gifts From a Jar

Missy has a great gift idea for those last minute fitness buff. Holiday gift jars filled to the brim with ingredients for baking healthy snakes.Homemade gifts are always the most meaningful. 

You can create a gift of ingredients to make muffins, breads, brownies, bars, cookies, soups and even bath products and skin scrubs. You can find lots of great recipes online.

Be sure to use an appropriately sized food-safe jar (1-quart or 1-pint jars) or container with an airtight lid or seal. Wide-mouth jars are easier to use because they're easier to fill. Measure all ingredients accurately. Pack down each layer before adding the next. Place fine grains and powdery layers such as flour or sugar at the bottom of the jar. Otherwise, they will sift down through the other ingredients. Place more loosely packed ingredients, such as nuts, cereal, or dried fruit, near the top of the jar. Seal the jar tightly (Mason Jar works best). An easy way to decorate the jar is to cover the lid with a circle of fabric. Pull the fabric down tightly over the lid and use a colorful ribbon to hold it in place by tying it around the lid area. Write the recipe out on a card so the person you give it to knows how to prepare your gift. Use that recipe card as your gift tag. If it's a cookie recipe, you can also include a cookie cutter tied around the jar with ribbon. Or, present a brownie or bar mix with a new baking pan, or a soup mix with 2 new soup bowls. Be creative!

Here's a way to make someone's holiday a little sweeter.

Decadent Blonde Brownie Mix - Ingredients that you'll use to fill jar.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (10oz) semisweet chocolate chunks
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

1. Layer ingredients attractively in any order into 1 1/2 quart jar with tight-fitting lid. Pack ingredients down lightly before adding next layer.
2. Cover top of jar with fabric; attach gift tag/recipe card with raffia or ribbon. 

Full recipe to write out and use as your gift tag:

1 stick butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Jar of Decadent Blonde Brownie Mix

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended (mixture may appear curdled). Add contents of jar to butter mixture; stir until well blended. 
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack

Til next time 
The 4x Crew