Time is income, and at this time you do not have either the time or the funds to answer the call of the shopping mall at Christmas. The only way you may show your buddies enjoy, peace on earth, goodwill towards men is by shopping at Macy’s, so you feel.
It is a secure bet that the 3 Kings didn’t obtain the gold, frankincense and myrrh given to Jesus Christ inside the manger from Macy’s or Pottery Barn.
This year you, too, can give frankincense and myrrh of the tasty type. The most effective component is, the ingredients come from your neighborhood grocery store or even your personal kitchen. The 3 Kings applied ornate containers, but you’ll be able to make do with an affordable 1-quart mason jar to hold your “sand art” cookies, or “Gifts in a Jar.”
What do you’ll need to create “Gifts in a Jar”? Let’s take, by way of example, the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies: flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oatmeal and raisins. All of these are readily available for under $5 at your nearby grocery store. In case you purchase in bulk, you will save additional time and money—just be sure to make your “Gifts in a Jar” as soon as probable just before you strategy on giving them. The ingredients have a shelf life of three months in most instances, so use fresh ingredients.
Layer the dry ingredients within the order listed above, alternating light and dark-colored ingredients for that “art” impact. Your recipient supplies the moist ingredients, and it is possible to attach your preferred recipe or the Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar recipe, printed on fancy paper (for example the type you’d discover inexpensively at Kinko’s) having a decorative font from your laptop or computer, and tied to the jar with fairly ribbon or raffia (affordable at craft and sewing shops). Cover the best of the jar having a circle of fairly fabric—maybe from a tablecloth, curtains or perhaps a dress that is headed for the rag bag.
To turn your preferred cookie recipe into “Gifts in a Jar,” just make certain the total of dry ingredients is 1 quart (1 l) or much less. You could need to cut your present recipe by half or 1 third to obtain the right quantity of dry ingredients however it will function. Bear in mind to adjust the amounts of wet ingredients necessary when writing out your directions to location on the jar. Or, as opposed to cutting your recipe, it is possible to use the bigger 2-quart (two l) mason jars, and if there’s any space left in the leading of the jar, pack it tightly with tissue paper or add several additional raisins along with a sprinkle of oatmeal–this adds pizzazz!
Your thoughtful, individual gift will delight every person on your list and save you cash whenever you make “Gifts in a Jar.” Besides, you will no doubt get invited to eat the cookies—when was the last time a sweater from Macy’s gave you that type of sweet rewards?
Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies in a Jar
1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (five ml) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (two ml) ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon (five ml) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (two ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175 ml) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
two cups (500 ml) speedy cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup (175 ml) raisins
Sift together flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, baking soda and salt, then spot within the bottom of a 1-quart (1 l) glass mason jar. Tamp down the flour mixture so it really is packed in firmly. Add the rest of the ingredients within the order given, generating certain to pack down every layer firmly just before adding the next. Screw the lid on the jar. Attach the following directions:Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies
Note: Store this jar in a cool, dark spot for as much as three months prior to working with.
contents of this jar
3/4 cup (175 ml) butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon (five ml) vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350?F (175?C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Empty the jar of cookie mix into a massive mixing bowl, blend the mixture thoroughly. Stir in butter or margarine, egg, and vanilla. Mix until absolutely blended. Shape into balls the size of walnuts. Spot two inches (five cm) apart on ready baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool for five minutes after which transfer to a wire rack to cool absolutely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for as much as three weeks. Makes 36 cookies.