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{This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill! I used their Organic All Purpose Flour, Organic Rolled Oats and other goodies to make these EASY and fun holiday gifts!! Everyone and anyone is guaranteed to love them. I know I do!}
Sooo, are we all still recovering from Thursday??
Cause I know I sure am. The last three days have been basically non-stop. All fun things, but non-stop. Obviously, Thursday was spent cooking…cooking all day long. It was so much fun though. I had tons of help from my mom (she made the pies), my cousin Abby and her roommate Sarah (they where on tater duty). My brother Kai…ahhh well, he made chocolate martinis, but just his presence made everything all that much better (I love when he is home!). There were also appearances by all the other brothers. Redmond rode around the kitchen on a skateboard and I yelled at him a good five times before he stopped…typical. Brendan brought his girlfriend, Lyndsie, whom I had never meet before. I can be pretty tough when it comes to liking the brother’s girlfriends, but I think she’s awesome. She’s really cool and fits right in with family. Let’s see, who else. Creighton, my oldest brother, did a lot of football watching and of course my dad did a whole lot of dish washing. It was a long day that ended with Kai getting a new laptop for his birthday (he was PUMPED and very surprised!) Mom also surprising me with the CUTEST Christmas duvet and shams, because apparently I am eight years old still. Love it!
And that was basically Thursday. Friday and Saturday were spent with Kai, working on new videos for you guys. We’ve put in some serious time together these last couple days. Get ready, videos are coming!
Not sure what today holds, but I’m sure it will be packed. It’s everyone’s last day here but they will be back for Christmas in about three weeks.
Geez, I am kind of tired just writing all that out.
OH, and I totally forgot to tell you that the whole family hiked up the trail (minus me because someone had to tend to the birds) and cut down the Christmas tree on Thanksgiving Day…yes, we are crazy.
OKAY. But enough about all the holiday stuff. Let’s talk about these gifts! As you can see, I’ve fully entered into Christmas mode and I am SO excited to start sharing with you all the cool things I have planned for this month. It’s going to be so much fun!
I know that edible gifts in jars aren’t really a new concept, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite versions. These gifts are so fun and so easy, AND everyone always appreciates a homemade gift that can simply be prepared and eaten. Like you really can’t go wrong with these. They’re perfect for everything from hostess gifts, to gifts for the in-laws, to gifts for your best girlfriends.
So here’s the break down for you. I have seven edible gifts for you guys.
…first – homemade fudge brownie mix with um, Reese’s. YES!
…second – Christmas oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Everything is better with holiday M&M’s.
…third – Christmas chocolate chip granola. Cause chocolate for breakfast is TOTALLY acceptable at Christmas time.
…fourth – homemade salted Nutella. Can I just have a spoon please? thanks!
…fifth – espresso glazed nuts. One word: addicting.
…sixth – salted pomegranate sugar. Festive, sweet and perfect for topping pretty much any cookie, brownie or truffle.
…seventh – gingerbread spice mix. Think pancakes, waffles, lattes and hot cocoa. <–DO IT ALL.
I was so excited to team up with Bob’s Red Mill for this post. Their flours, oats and nuts obviously are the PERFECT match for these Christmas gifts.
Also…I am so excited to share that Bob’s will be giving one of you a Holiday Gift Basket full of many of the ingredients needed to make these jars. I know, I know, yes!!
The gift basket will include:
*3 lbs Organic All Purpose Flour
*3 lbs Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
*Almond Meal
*Hazelnut Meal
*Sparkling Sugar
*Cane Sugar (or the turbinado sugar)
*Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (or quick oats if you prefer)
*Bob’s Red Mill Flour Sack Towel
To enter the giveaway: Tell me, tell me, what is your favorite Christmas gift to give, and what’s your favorite Christmas gift to receive???
Just leave you answer in the comments below and I will email the winner ONE week from today!!
Speaking of giving, one of my goals for December is to really try to give back to people who are less fortunate and struggling, so with each Sunday post through December, I want to talk about a charity I am giving to. Today I wanted to talk a bit about SmileTrain. Every day children in need of cleft palate surgery struggle with the basic abilities most of us take for granted. Think eating a meal, speaking, breathing or even something as simple as sharing a smile. Cleft palate can be fixed with surgery and this is what I wanted to bring awareness to today. Even donating just a few dollars can make a difference in one child’s life. I feel so lucky to have a family full of health, so I felt this was a great charity to put my money into. I would be so thankful if you guys took a little time today to read a little about cleft palate and donate if you can.
Let me know if you do in the comments, I would love to hear your stories about giving back this Christmas!!
Finally, I have to say that I LOVE these jars. I was so happy with how they turned out that I basically jumped for joy as I was shooting the photos. Oh and um, the brownies + cookies + Nutella… LIFE CHANGING… so dang good.
Also, I think I maybe had way too much fun decorating these jars. Crafts are so my thing. Just sayin.
Fudge Brownie Mix.
Ingredients
- 1 liter glass jar, one
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee, optional
- 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup Mini Christmas Reese Cups
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
Ingredients To Add
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 2 sticks
- 2 tablespoons kahlua, optional
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
Instructions
To Assemble the Jars
- Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl.
- In the following order, layer the sugar, cocoa powder, flour/salt mix and instant coffee in your jar as cleanly as possible.
- In the following order, layer the milk chocolate, Reese's and dark chocolate. Seal the jar.
- Attach a notecard with the ingredients in the jar listed, plus the extra ingredients needed, and the directions on how to make the brownies. Decorate the jars as desired.
To Bake the Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.
- Dump the contents of the jar out into a mixing bowl. Remove the Reese's, unwrap and chop into pieces. Add them back to mixing bowl.
- Add 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) melted butter, 2 tablespoons Kahlua (optional), 1 tablespoon vanilla and 4 eggs. Mix with a spatula until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Allow to cool completely before cutting, about 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Christmas Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 liter glass jar, 1.5
- 2 cups Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats
- 3/4 cup Christmas M&M's
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Ingredients To Add
- 1 cup canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To Assemble the Jars
- Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- In the following order, layer the flour mix, oatmeals, Christmas M&M's, turbinado sugar, granulated sugar and chocolate chips. Seal the jar.
- Attach a notecard with the ingredients in the jar listed, plus the extra ingredients needed, and directions on how to make the cookies. Decorate the jars as desired.
To Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
- Dump the contents of the jar out into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand held mixer). Add 1 cup canola oil, 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Mix until the dough is moist and combined.
- Using your hands clump together a tablespoon of dough at a time. Use your hands to really squeeze the dough into a ball. If the mixture is not holding add another tablespoon more of oil. Place on the prepared baking sheet. If your balls are a little crumbly don't worry, they will come together while baking. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until set and golden. These are best right out of the oven, so eat up!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Christmas Chocolate Chip Granola.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1/2 cup pistachios
- 1 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or 1 more tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1/2-1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the oats, coconut, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans and cranberries. Toss well.
- In a skillet or small sauce pot melt the butter over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Once the butter is browned quickly remove from the heat and slowly stir in the maple syrup and coconut oil. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the warm maple mixture over the dry oat mixture and stir to fully combine. I normally stir for a good 3 to 5 minutes.
- Spread the granola out on a parchment lined baking sheet with sides and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes stirring every 15 minutes so the granola will get evenly toasted. The last time you stir the granola, drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons honey. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes. After 5 minutes spray the bottom of a flat 1 cup measuring cup or a flat bottomed glass with cooking spray. Press the granola into the pan using the bottom of the measuring cup so that you have a flat slab of granola that looks like it could be cut into bars. Let the granola sit for one hour to cool and harden. After an hour break the granola up into clusters. Stir in the chocolate chip and add to your glass jars.
- Decorate the jars as desired. The granola will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Homemade Salted Nutella.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw hazelnuts
- 12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Add the hazelnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the hazelnuts form a paste, scraping down the sides if needed. This should take around 3-5 minutes. To the food processor, add all the remaining ingredients. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides 2-3 times for about 10 minutes. The Nutella will seem runny, but it will firm up as it cools. Divide the Nutella between your two jars. Decorate the jars as desired. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the fridge for longer.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Espresso Glazed Nuts.
Ingredients
- 1 cups raw almonds
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup raw pepitas
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup, warmed
- 2 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 liter glass jar, 1.5
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Heat the maple syrup, coconut oil, espresso powder and salt together until the espresso is mostly dissolved and the coconut oil has melted.
- Spread the nuts and pepitas on the lined baking sheet and toss well with the maple syrup mixture.
- Bake for 10 minutes, toss with a spatula and bake for another 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break apart and place in jars, then seal. Decorate as desired. Nuts will keep for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Salted Pomegranate Sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pomegranate juice
- 1-2 drops red gel food coloring, optional
- 1 ounce jar, 6
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pomegranate juice and food coloring. Use your hands to mix everything together until all is combined and red (or pink if you did not use the food coloring). Spread the mixture out evenly on the cookie sheet and let dry at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Once dry mix in the remaining tablespoon of salt. Pour mixture into jar and seal. Decorate as desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Gingerbread Spice Mix.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Divide the spice mix between the 2 jars. Seal and decorate as desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
And can we all eat all the cookies…and brownies??? please?!? who said anything about sharing. 🙂
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Definitely going to give these recipes a try this year. I always have a rough time finding the funds (and sometimes ideas!) to get everyone I love gifts. I think these recipes are lovely and definitely gifts from the heart.
As far as giving and receiving….
I just enjoy giving people things. The finding of gifts, the wrapping, the anticipation, the surprise and thanks make my heart so joyful. There’s nothing like it. This year, my mom and I are planning to make small packs for the homeless with things like hot hands (we live in Northern Illinois so the temps can get extreme), coupons, snacks, warm knitwear (I knit so it’s the least I can do), and a bit of cash. It’s something small we can do to make the lives of others easier and hopefully more filled with love.
I enjoy receiving things that are homemade. Food, crafts, anything. Also, books and candles!! I LOVE to read so anything to help me relax and be cozy is great. Merry Christmas, Tieghan! Thanks for all the wonderful posts! Truly enjoy reading your blog <3
Gabby
Tieghan, thanks for the great gift ideas!! These look charming, as well as tasty.
My favorite gifts to give are things I have made; Something I have put time and myself into–jewelry, a collage, a handmade card, a poem…or a baking mix!!! 🙂
My favorite gift to receive is time with someone I love…especially if it’s a visit from a friend who I rarely get to see.
Hope your holidays are filled with love and laughter.
I like to give a gift of a monthly box subscription for something the recipient enjoys. It lasts all year instead of just December. I would enjoy getting a housecleaning service or at least a quiet weekend alone where no one messes up anything. Ha ha on that one! 🙂
During the holidays, we always exchange homemade cookies and candy with our neighbors. It’s a fun tradition, and you end up with a counter full of different kinds of cookies. I like trying a few new types each year. My favorite gifts to give are definitely cookbooks. I love cooking, but I also think it’s an important life skill and I feel like there’s a cookbook for every personality! I guess I just want others to love cooking as much as I do.
Thanks for the gravy help! I have another turkey to make later on this month and I’ll give your suggestions a try and see if they work out better for me. I never post so I just want to thank you for all the wonderful recipes (the peanut butter cup fudge with bourbon sugar was a huge hit this year at an early gift exchange I had!) I love giving away all the canned goods I make over the summer along with anything cozy (blankets, fluffy pillows, robes, ect). I have a 3 year old daughter and I love anything that she has made for me and something pretty from the husband never hurts either! Thank you again!
My favorite gift to receive is something that I want but would never buy myself because I don’t NEED it (i.e. an immersion blender, a mani-pedi gift card, an electric wine opener). My favorite gift to GIVE is a Kiva gift card. People can pick a person in need overseas to loan money to for different reasons–support businesses, help pay for education etc. It’s great!!
I love Gifts in a Jar both to give and receive…one year I gave Soups in a Jar and everyone loved them!
Beautiful post, thank you for the reminder and thoughts around giving back 🙂 Living in Chicago has me focusing on homelessness since it’s outrageously cold here in winter!
And what a fun giveaway! I love giving gifts that bring people together. Last year I got my mom and mother in law a tea advent calendar so they could bond over their favorite flavors all month long 🙂 On the receiving side, any fun specialty foods or spices! Always a good excuse to get creative in the kitchen.
These are so cute! I’m planning on making tons of these for Christmas now 🙂
I love Christmas because I love snow (the mountains look gorgeous), the Christmas lights, and I also love giving presents. Honestly, one of my favorite presents to give is a donation in the name of the recipient. For example, my mom loves animals, so I always donate to an animal cause, usually her local Humane Society, for her Christmas present. Why does the recipient have to be the only one who benefits from the present? When it comes to receiving, my husband has a “rule” where he will give me one thing I want and one thing I need and it has become a tradition that I deeply enjoy. One year I got a new electronic toothbrush, which isn’t romantic but is nice because then I don’t have to worry about buying one for myself 🙂
I cannot wait to see what other Christmas goodies you have in store for us this season!
We make up calendars each year full of photos we’ve taken throughout the year. We’re not professional photographers or anything, but they always turn out nice and our friends and family say they look forward to receiving them each Christmas. As for my favorite gifts to receive, I enjoy things for my kitchen and cookbooks. And my husband picks out a puzzle each year to give me that I usually start on New Year’s Eve. Dorky? Yes. But I love it all the same.
What a beautiful article. I loved reading the readers comments too. Every year the churches in my area team up to buy gifts for families in need but it’s done in such a way that the parents actually pick from all the donated gifts to give to their children, and the same is true for the children to give to their parents. They have an allotted dollar amount and then they “buy” the gifts. It is done with such dignity for all family members. So my favorite gifts to give are these gifts to the families in this program.
My favorite gift to get is when my whole family (about 30 of us) all come to my house to share a whole weekend of cooking and being together. It’s a wonderful tradition that we’ve been doing for many years and to me it’s priceless!!
My husband and I bake up HUGE batches of seasoned oyster crackers to give to everyone we know! We usually fill up little tins and boxes. We always have friends and family ask for them, and we try to make enough to last them a few months.
As for gift-getting, I’m fairly easy to please. I love spending time with friends and family, and I love getting anything that adds to my kitchen. My favorite thing is the reaction that I get when friends enjoy whatever I happen to have brought for foods, usually butterscotch pie!
I like to give something that people dream about but they rather buy something for others. For exmaple, my boyfriend, he always gives me chocolates, flowers or stuffs like that but he never buys something for himself. I will buy him his favorite books this winter, stylish shirts and maybe something sweet. And what I like to receive? Anything that is vegan – food, cosmetics or clothes with this theme 🙂
I love receiving new kitchen items & my mom always sends me 2 or 3 magazine subscriptions that come all year. And I love giving gift cards that way I know there getting something they need or want.
My favorite gift for the holidays is anything I can make myself — it’s fun and relaxing to do and the results are always very appreciated. One year I had foot surgery several months before Channukah and Christmas so while I was laid up, I crocheted neck warmers for all my friends. Another year I made my own curry spice mix. This year I was considering soup mixes, but now that I’ve seen the granola recipe, I think I’ll be taking that route.