Every year I try and do something homemade for gifts. I have yet to have a completely homemade holiday, but I’m getting there, more and more each year.
Remember my vanilla extract? Well, later on that August I made about a gallon of it! I use large Mason jars for my gluten free flours and other grains. I had a couple extra and thought, “Why not!!!” I made half with Vodka and half with some good old Kentucky Bourbon. It takes about 60 days and a whole lot of vanilla beans. I found a good deal on beans through a comment on my blog and I ordered the bottles I needed and bottled it here at my father’s house. I filtered the extract into a clean soda bottle with a large funnel and coffee filters. These will make fabulous Christmas gifts!
After seeing mason jars of lentil soup mix, I had the idea to give jars of cookie mix with our vanilla extract. TJ helped me figure out the exact amounts in order to fit it perfectly into the jar. He’s a math genius! The kids did all the work on the dozen jars and ended up having a lot of fun playing in all the extra flour as well. I just need to print the baking directions and they will make a lovely compliment to our vanilla!
We layered: flour, chocolate chips, sugar, brown sugar, flour chocolate chips. If we did it again I might put the sugar on bottom as it seemed to cover the first layer of chocolate chips.
Those cookie kits are very very cool!
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They turned out great!! I have no idea what I'm doing for the holidays but I really want it to be handmade. A couple years ago I crocheted dishcloths. Last year everyone got squat. This year, I may do photos since we're moving. We'll see!
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Awesome idea!
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