Make your own Christmas Gifts

Christmas can be a financially draining time. To save money you should make gifts yourself and give yourself as much time as possible to make them. That’s why we have this article in the July issue of the Scrooge Guide. You really can make interesting and useful Christmas gifts and save a lot of money doing it. Some of the best gifts are homemade food mixes in a jar. Glass canning jars are perfect for this and you can usually buy them new for less than a dollar each at grocery stores or some large chain stores like Wal-Mart. Just fill them with the mix, and attach a ribbon and a label that gives preparation instructions. Some ideas on food mixes follow.

Brownies
Fill a one-quart jar by attractively layering the following ingredients.
¾ tsp salt
5/8 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
½ cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup chopped nuts – Walnut or Almond
Put these instructions on the label:
Grease a 9" x 9" baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the contents of the jar into a bowl and mix well. Stir in 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 eggs and 2/3 cup vegetable oil. Mix until combined. Pour in pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Grandmother’s Soup
Fill a one-quart jar by attractively layering the following ingredients.
½ cup dry lentils
½ cup dry rice
½ cup split peas
½ cup barley
2 Tbsp each of dried onion flakes, dried parsley and beef bouillon granules
2 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1-½ cup pasta, such as twist macaroni
Put these instructions on the label:
Put the contents of this jar into a pot with 3 quarts of water. Add 2 sliced carrots, 2 stocks of sliced celery, and two cups of chopped tomatoes. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender.

Scrooge