10th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Homemade Cookies

Homemade Christmas cookies are everyone's favorite gift. Every year my family makes a TON of different Christmas cookies, literally! They make different kinds of Christmas cookies from recipes that have been passed down for generations from my Italian relatives. Most package an assortment of different cookies and give as gifts. If you aren't into the week long baking marathon, then just whip up your favorite cookie recipe and package them up for giving. I used this recipe from my blog.

Instructions

Bake cookies and package in a cute jar and decorate!

Want to know how I organize and store all my recipes on my computer and share on all my devices? I use the Cookin' software! I can import recipes from the web, add my personal ones, add pictures, print pdfs, and then view them from my iPad, iPhone, etc!

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

9th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - No Bake Engery Bites

No-Bake energy bites are not only fast and easy to make, but you can customize them however you'd like. The only downside is that they need to be refrigerated. I used this recipe which also gives you ideas for how and what to sub out for other items.

You will need:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal (not quick cook)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter or any nut butter
• 1/3 cup Honey or Agave Nectar
• 2/3 cup Coconut Flakes
• 1/2 cup Ground Flaxseed
• 1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds {optional}
• Medium Cookie Scoop

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands or spoon.

Cover and put into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, form into balls. I found it easiest to use my Medium Cookie Scoop to scoop out a scoopful and then form into a ball from there. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

8th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Homemade Granola

Who know that plain oatmeal and a few other simple ingredients equals homemade granola! For some reason I just figured this out! All natural granola can be very expensive to buy. You can find a ton of recipes online for every type of granola you can think of. Or you can start with your basic granola recipe and then add any of the goodies that you'd like. You can really use any recipe you want. Homemade gifts are always well received.

You will need:

• Homemade granola
• jar

Instructions

Put granola in a jar and decorate!

Want to know how I organize and store all my recipes on my computer and share on all my devices? I use the Cookin' software! I can import recipes from the web, add my personal ones, add pictures, print pdfs, and then view them from my iPad, iPhone, etc!

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

7th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Homemade Caramel Sauce

There are tons of caramel sauce recipes on the internet. This was my first attempt to making caramel sauce. I used this recipe. It came out wonderful and made one 8oz jar, but you could use two 4oz jars! You can really use any recipe you want. Homemade gifts are always well received.

You will need:

• caramel sauce
• jar

Instructions

Put sauce in a jar and decorate!

Want to know how I organize and store all my recipes on my computer and share on all my devices? I use the Cookin' software! I can import recipes from the web, add my personal ones, add pictures, print pdfs, and then view them from my iPad, iPhone, etc!

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

6th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Flavored nuts

Flavored nuts are expensive to buy, but super easy to make! You can google thousands of recipes or search my blog for recipes. Flavored nuts can be put into a jar or gift bag. Perfect for a small gift or add it to a gift basket.

You will need:

• Flavored nuts
• jar

Instructions

Fill jar and decorate!

Here is some links to my favorite ones:

Slow cooker Cinnamon Pecans
Chipotle and Rosemary Roasted Pecans

Want to know how I organize and store all my recipes on my computer and share on all my devices? I use the Cookin' software! I can import recipes from the web, add my personal ones, add pictures, print pdfs, and then view them from my iPad, iPhone, etc!

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

5th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Peppermint Brownie Mix

For the 5th day of Christmas in a jar, we have peppermint chocolate brownies. I started with my double chocolate brownies recipe and used peppermint baking chips instead of the chocolate chips.

You will need:

• 1 Quart size jar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips (approx.)
• Canning funnel
• Ribbon, Tags, Labels, Etc. (Optional)

Instructions

Homemade brownies are the best! Make sure you make a batch for yourself while making your gift mixes!

Step 1

Using the canning funnel (purchase for $1.25 at Walmart in the canning jar section), layer flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, brown sugar, white sugar, then peppermint chips. Pack the layers down just a bit after each layer. You can do any order you'd like, but put the peppermint chips on the top. If you put the other ingredients on top of them, they will fall through the chips... which could be a cool effect if that is what you are trying to achieve. Play around with the batch you'll bake for yourself {wink}.

Step 2

On your tag or sticker, put these directions: "Pour the contents of the jar in a mixing bowl and whisk with one teaspoon vanilla extract, 2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil and four eggs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes in a 9x13 inch greased baking dish. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving" Decorate the jars however you'd like. Feel free to use the free printables below or order your custom personalized stickers (or personalized digital downloads for you to print) from Davet Designs.

Free Printable Downloads:

Copyright for free downloads and printables is owned by Davet Designs and is for personal, non-commercial use only.

Feel free to link to the download on your site, but please link to the original post for the download (DO NOT use the original files on your site).

Peppermint Brownie Mix Label
Peppermint Brownie Mix Instruction Label

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!

4th Day of Christmas in a Jar 2014 - Christmas Simmering Potpourri

Certain smells remind me of Christmastime, and this combination of scents is one of them. While searching Christmas ideas, this blog post caught my eye. What a fun and unique gift. You can put the contents of the jar into a pot or slow cooker with some water and simmer on low. Remember to check your water often and refill as needed. You should be able to use the same pot over and over for a couple of weeks.

You will need:

• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 orange {small (like a cutie) or regular sized}
• 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks
• 1 tablespoon Cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 16oz Wide-Mouth Mason Jars or 32oz Quart wide-mouth jar
• plastic bag
• Sisal Twine

Instructions

Cut off a corner of a plastic (zip-loc type) bag in a semi-circle. Fill with ground nutmeg and cloves and then tie with twine. This will keep the spices from spreading all in the jar {just really for presentation purposes the little baggie looks nice}.

Place an orange in the bottom of the jar. If you are using the small "cutie" type oranges, then use the 16oz jar. If you are using a regular sized orange, you will have to use a quart wide-mouth jar. I would suggest you actually bring a jar with you to the store when picking out your oranges.

Place the cranberries then cinnamon sticks and spice bag in the jar.

Print out a pdf download of the large, medium or small tag and decorate your jar however you'd like. This would make a great hostess gift or teachers gift. I suggest purchasing the items in bulk if you plan to make a few of them.

Here are the instructions if you'd like to make your own tags:
Slice orange. Combine 3 cups of water plus jar contents in a pot or slow cooker. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer uncovered to make your house smell amazing. Add more water as needed. Can reuse over and over for a couple of weeks.

Using the affiliate links in this blog to make purchases helps support my site. Thank you in advance!