Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar | Little Natural Cottage€¦ · Ideas for Creating Holiday Goodie...

Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar | Little Natural Cottage.com 1

{the Cottage Mama's} Holiday Mixes

& Gifts in a Jar

By Kristy Howard

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Thank you for purchasing this compilation of some of my favorite homemade holiday goodies!

This eBook was meant to help you give gifts that are

-fun and simple to prepare-inexpensive to make-healthy AND yummy to eat

The pages ahead contain a few of my money-saving, healthy and tasty favorites.

The recipes are meant to be prepared in advance and tucked into a cute basket or gift bag... so be creative and have fun!

Most of the recipes can be doubled or tripled, according to how many batches you need to give (or keep!).

You can make your own labels and tags, or you can use the ones I created for each of the recipes. Just take a peek at the back of this ebook and print off however

many you need.

Enjoy this beautiful season of giving!

Love,

Kristy

LittleNaturalCottage.com

Contents

Ideas for Creating Holiday Goodie Baskets

Quick Mix Recipes• Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

• Cinnamon-Banana Muffin Mix

• Spiced Pumpkin Muffin Mix

• Fudge Brownie Mix

• Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix

• Easy Fruit Cobbler Crust Mix

• Southern Biscuit Mix

• Homemade Pizza Dough Mix

Gifts in a Jar • Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

• Calico Chili

• Homemade Breakfast Cereal

• Winter Morning Mocha

• Candy Cane Cocoa Mix

• Apple Pie in a Jar


Holiday Treats • Homemade Peanut Brittle (without corn syrup)

• Can't-Believe-it's-Healthy-Fudge

• Popcorn Balls (without corn syrup)

• Spiced Pecans

• Candied Peanuts

Printable Gift Tags

About the Author

Become an Affiliate


Ideas for Creating Holiday Goodie Baskets


~tuck a few tea bags, or a bag of homemade cocoaor mocha, into a pretty tea cup

~ add a bag of soup mix or granola cereal into afestive bowl and wrap with cellophane

~ give peanut brittle, spiced peanuts, or homemadefudge in reusable air-tight containers

~ muffin, pancake and biscuit mixes in Tupperwarecontainers make great gifts too!

~ attach a cute cookie cutter to your jars of cookie dough mixes

~ add a jar of fruit f illing (store bought orhomemade) with your fruit cobbler crust mix

or, add a jar of pizza sauce (store bought orhomemade) with your pizza dough mix

Quick Mix Recipes


Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancake Mix

In a bowl, combine:

3 C whole wheat pastry flour2 C quick cooking oats2 TBSP baking powder2 TBSP sugar4 tsp cinnamon1 tsp sea salt

Place mix in a quart jar and seal with a lid. Print label on card stock and attach to jar. Recipe yields 2 batches, enough mix to fill one quart-size bag.

Instructions for label:

In a large bowl, mix together:

2 ½ cups Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancake Mix2 eggs2 cups of water (or milk)6 TBSP applesauce (or oil)2 TBSP sweetener of choice.

Stir well and pour onto heated, buttered skillet!


Cinnamon-Banana Muffin Mix

In a bowl, combine:

2 C whole wheat pastry flour1 C wheat germ4 TBSP ground cinnamon2 tsp baking powder1 tsp baking soda1 tsp sea salt

Place mix in a jar or bag and seal. Print a label on card stock and attach. Recipe yields 2 batches (1 dozen muffins each batch), enough mix to fill one container.


In a large bowl, mix together:

¾ C honey 1 C oil 3 ripe, mashed bananas ½ C chopped pecans 1 tsp vanilla 2 eggs

Add 1 ½ C Muffin Mix and stir just until blended. Pour into greased muffin cups. Bake at 350-degrees for 20-22 minutes.


Spiced Pumpkin Muffin Mix

In a bowl combine:

½ C sugar cane crystals or Sucanat1 ¾ C whole wheat pastry flour1 tsp baking soda1 tsp cinnamon½ tsp sea salt½ tsp nutmeg

Place mix in a quart-size bag and add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips at the top. Seal and attach a label. Recipe yields a single batch (2 dozen muffins), enough mix to fill one bag.


In a large bowl, cream together:

1 C butter (softened)4 eggs1 C pumpkin puree2 tsp vanilla

Add all Pumpkin Muffin Mix; stir until just combined. Fill greased muffin cups with batter. Bake at 350-degrees for 20-23 minutes. Yields 2 dozen muffins.


Fudge Brownie Mix

In a bowl, combine:

4 C whole wheat pastry flour2 C cocoa1 tsp sea salt

Place mix in a quart-size bag and seal. Print a label on card stock andattach. Recipe yields 2 batches, enough mix to fill one bag.


Cream together:1 1/3 C butter2 C sugar4 eggs (1 at a time)1 TBSP vanilla

Add 3 C Fudge Brownie Mix; stir until batter is moist.Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350-degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Do not over bake.


Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix

In a bowl, combine:

5 ½ C whole wheat pastry flour4 tsp cream of tartar2 tsp baking soda½ tsp sea salt1 tsp cinnamon

Place mix in a quart-size bag and seal with a lid. Print a label on card stock and attach. Recipe yields 2 batches, enough mix to fill one bag.


In a bowl beat:1 C softened butter1 C sugar1 tsp vanilla2 eggs

Add 2 ¾ C Snicker Doodle Cookie mix and stir until combined. Place dough and cookie sheet in fridge and chill for 15 minutes. While dough chills, heat oven to 350-degrees, and in a small bowl combine:

3 TBSP sugar1 TBSP cinnamon

Once dough has chilled, shape 1 TBSP of dough into a ball. Dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass cup. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven immediately and place on wax paper to cool.


“Easy Fruit Cobbler” Crust Mix

In a bowl combine:

2 C sugar cane crystals or Sucanat2 C whole wheat pastry flour4 tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt

Place mix in a quart jar and seal with a lid. Print a label on card stock and attach to jar. Recipe yields 2 batches, enough mix to fill one jar.


Place 1 stick of butter in an 8x8-inch baking dish. Heat in 350-degree oven until butter melts. While butter is melting, place 2 C Fruit Cobbler Crust Mix in a glass bowl. Stir in 1 C milk (or water). Pour batter over melted butter; add fruit of your choice on top (strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, etc). DO NOT STIR. Crust will rise during baking. Bake until crust is golden brown and puffy, about 30 minutes.


Southern Biscuit Mix

recipe by Brenda Smith

In a bowl combine:

4 C whole wheat pastry flour4 tsp sugar cane crystals 4 tsp baking powder1 tsp sea salt1 tsp baking soda



Place 2 C Southern Biscuit Mix in a bowl. Cut in 1/3 C cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Pour 2/3 C buttermilk into mixture and stir just until combined. Knead with hands until a soft, moist dough is formed. Roll out dough on a floured surface. Cut out biscuits with a round cookie cutter and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Yields about 10 thick, flaky biscuits.


Quick Pizza Dough Mixrecipe from Bernice Ingram

In a bowl combine:

4 C whole wheat pastry flour2 tsp sea salt2 tsp baking powder



Place 2 C Pizza Dough Mix in a large bowl. Stir in 2/3 C milk (or water) and ¼ C plus 2 TBSP oil. Mix until well blended, then knead until smooth. Roll dough onto pizza pan; sprinkle with corn meal, and add desired ingredients. Bake at 350-degrees for 15 to 20 minutes


Gifts in a Jar

I've found that 2 cups of a flour mix will fit nicely into a pint-size jar; a quart-size jar will hold approximately 4 cups of a flour-based mix. For mixes measuring more than 4 cups, I recommend using

quart-size zip-lock bags, or air-tight containers.


Chicken Noodle Soup Mix

In a quart-size canning jar, layeringredients in the order given:

2 TBSP dried minced onion1 TBSP celery flakes2 tsp poultry seasoning1 tsp black pepper1 tsp garlic salt4 cups wide egg noodles (whole wheat or brown rice)

Shake jar slightly to settle ingredients; seal with a lid. Print label on card stock and attach to jar. Recipe yields 1 batch, enough mix to fill one jar.


In a large soup pot, bring 10 C of water (or chicken broth) to a boil. Pour in contents of jar and stir. Add 2 C cooked chicken. Lower heat and simmer until noodles are tender, at least 15 minutes.


Calico Chili

In a pint-size canning jar, layeringredients in the order given:

½ C garbanzo (or red) beans½ C black beans½ C white great northern beans½ C pinto beans

*Be sure to rinse and dry the beansbefore placing them in the jar.

Settle each layer before adding the next. Seal jar with a lid. Print labelon card stock and attach. Recipe yields enough beans for a single batch of chili.


Add contents of jar to a crock pot filled with 2 quarts of water. Cover and let soak over night. Turn crock pot on “high” and add water as needed. Add the following ingredients:

2 C hominy1 ½ C diced tomatoes½ lb. cooked ground beef½ C minced onion2 cloves garlic (sauted)

Stir in seasonings: salt and pepper to taste¼ C cilantro1 tsp cumin1 tsp chili powder

Cook 4 to 6 hours.


Homemade Breakfast Cerealrecipe from Monica Cooper at Natural Mothering

In a large casserole dish, mix thefollowing ingredients:

5 C oats (Old Fashioned or quick cooking)½ C Sucanat or brown sugar (optional)1 C dried fruit, chopped nuts, coconut, etc1 C flax seeds¼ tsp cinnamon½ tsp sea salt

Stir to combine, then drizzle over oats:

2 tsp vanilla½ C honey

Stir until oats are covered with honey. Toast in oven at 200-degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. (Add dried fruit AFTER baking or it will dry out!)Cool completely and fill jars or bags with cereal and add a gift tag.


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Winter Morning Mocha

Add the following ingredients to a blender:

½ C instant coffee½ C coffee creamer½ C sugar cane/raw sugar ½ C powdered milk¼ C vanilla pudding mix

Process mix until ingredients are smooth and well blended, about one minute. Pour or spoon into a pint-size canning jar and seal with a lid. Add gift tag.


Add 2 to 3 TBSP mocha mix to 8 oz hot water or milk.


Candy Cane Cocoa Mix

1 C sugar cane/raw sugar6 candy canes1 C cocoa powder½ C powdered milk (optional)

Place sugar in a food processor or blender; process on high for oneminute. Add candy canes (broken into pieces, if needed) and process for another minute. Last of all, add cocoa powder (and powdered milk if you want a creamier taste) and process at least one more minute, or until all ingredients are completely powdery and smooth. Place in a jar or container, seal, and label for gift giving.


Add 3 TBSP mix to 8 oz hot water or milk.


Apple Pie in a Jarrecipe by Krystle Smith

4 1/2 C sugar cane/raw sugar (part sugar cane and part Sucanat works well)

1 C organic corn starch2 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg2 tsp sea salt10 cups water3 TBSP lemon juice6 lbs apples

In a large pan mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.Add salt and water and mix well.Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Sterilize canning jars and lids by boiling them. Peel, core and slice apples. Pack the sliced apples into jars leaving 1 inch head space. Fill jars with hot syrup. Leave 1/2 inch head space, and gently remove air bubbles with a plastic spatula. Put on lids and process in water bath for 20 minutes for quarts...15 minutes for pints. Allow jars to completely cool before attaching gift tags!


Holiday Treats


Homemade Peanut Brittle

2 C raw sugar or Sucanat 1/2 C water1/2 tsp cream of tartar2 C peanuts (raw or roasted both work equally well)

Coat a baking sheet with oil; set aside. In a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat, cook sugar, water and cream of tartar until mixture reaches a medium caramel color. Brush down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in warm water 2 times, to prevent the sugar from crystallizing. Add peanuts and stir with a wooden spoon to coat completely with caramel.Remove pan from heat and quickly pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly, spread mixture thinly with the back of a wooden spoon. Let peanut brittle cool completely (about 30 minutes), then break into pieces. Store in an air tight container for gift giving and attach tag.


Can't-believe-it's-healthy! Homemade Fudge

½ C (1 stick) butter½ C extra virgin coconut oil½ C all natural peanut butter1/3 C cocoa powder½ C raw honey or agave nectar

Heat butter, coconut oil and peanut butter over low-medium heat. Stir and cook until ingredients are melted and smooth. Add cocoa powder and honey; stir until mixture is well blended with no lumps. Pour into a shallow dish lined with wax paper. Chill in refrigerator until set (for best results, chill over night). Once fudge has completely chilled, remove on wax paper and cut into squares. Place in an airtight container for gift giving and attach gift tag. Keep fudge refrigerated until ready to give or eat.


Popcorn Balls

approx 6 cups popped corn (organic, if possible)

1 C nuts (pecans or peanuts)

¾ C raw honey

1 C sugar cane/raw sugar

1 TBSP molasses

½ cup water

¼ C salted butter

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Place popped corn and nuts in a large bowl; stir and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine honey, sugar, molasses, water, and salt. Place over low heat, stirring until mixture begins to boil. Add butter and stir until melted. Add vanilla just as the mixture begins to thicken and foam. Continue to cook until candy thermometer reaches firm ball stage (248 degrees). (Stir frequently to prevent scorching!) Remove pan from heat and pour mixture over popcorn and nuts; stir with a wooden spoon until completely coated with “caramel” mixture.


To shape into balls: With an ice cream scoop, spoon hot popped corn into greased muffin cups (it's WAY too hot to candle with your hands). Press into a ball. Repeat until all muffin cups are full. Recipe should yield enough mixture to make one dozen balls. Let popcorn balls cool until set, about 10 to 15 minutes. To remove, slide the flat side of a butter knife around the edges of the balls and gently lift. Wrap popcorn balls in saran wrap and secure with a ribbon at top. Arrange in a basket or bag and attach tag for gift giving.


Spiced Pecans

1½ TBSP butter1 tsp sea salt1 ½ TBSP Worcestershire sauce½ tsp cinnamon1/8 tsp cayenne pepper2 to 3 C shelled pecans

Melt butter; add dry ingredients and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well then add pecans. Spread out on an un-greased baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely roasted. Remove from oven and cool. Place in an airtight container for gift giving.


Candied Peanuts

2 C raw peanuts¾ C sugar cane/raw sugar ½ C water

Mix sugar and water in pan; bring to hard boil. Add peanuts and stir; cook over medium heat until moisture is gone. Pour onto buttered cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Place in an airtight container for gift giving.


Printable Gift Tags

For best results, print the labels on cardstock paper. Attach to your jars, bags, or containers of mixes and treats.


About the Author

Kristy Howard is a believer in Jesus Christ, a pastor's wife, and

homeschooling mother of five.

She is passionate about living simply, naturally, and Biblically for the glory of

God.

Kristy is the owner of LittleNaturalCottage.com, where she furiously writes about her loves during nap time. Her most recent

writing projects include Homeschooling Day by Day, The Cottage Mama Plans Her Menu

ebook series , and a collaborative work and best-selling title, Trust Your

Intuition.


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Holiday Mixes & Gifts in a Jar | Little Natural Cottage€¦ · Ideas for Creating Holiday Goodie...

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