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Posts tagged under Gifts. Show all posts.
It’s always ‘sweet’ when you find a well-priced candy or chocolate that is also delicious, so we were pleasantly surprised with the sample of Tim Hortons Old-Fashioned Maple Fudge that was recently delivered to SavvyHQ. It’s made in Quebec with real butter and maple syrup and its old-fashioned flavour and crumbly texture makes it seem much more expensive than the $4.95 it is. Combine it with a gift card, and you’ve got a perfect gift for the teacher, the paperboy or the babysitter. We recommend stocking up next time you’re getting your double-double, and if you end up with a few extra at the end of the festive season, well…that probably would not be the end of the world as a little fudge might just be what we all need to get through January, February and March.
Over the next few days we will be stopping in at friends, visiting family, and entertaining at home. Each of these occasions will require gifts of some description. One simple and cost-effective gift idea is a Mason jar or pretty bowl filled with Holiday Snack Mix. It is one of my favourite hostess gift or snack ideas to have on hand during the holiday season. Gifts from the kitchen are always a big hit with everyone, no matter where you are.
Homemade snack mix (otherwise known as bits-and-bites or nuts-and-bolts) is insanely easy to make and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover cereal.
There are many different versions of snack mix recipes—on cereal boxes, food websites, and in family cookbooks, but this particular recipe was passed on to me by one of my closest friends. Add or omit ingredients to create your own family holiday snack mix.
Holiday Snack Mix
You’ll Need
- ½ cup butter
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp seasoning salt
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp onion salt
- 6 – 8 cups assorted cereals (Crispix, Shreddies, Cheerios, Life)
- 2 cups thin pretzel sticks, alphabet pretzels
- 1 – 2 cups unsalted peanuts
Prep
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Melt butter in the oven in 9” x 13” pan.
- Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.
- Stir in cereals, pretzels, and peanuts and mix well.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Once cooled, fill up Mason jars, jam jars, boxes lined with wax paper, cookie tins from the dollar store, and tie them with ribbon or raffia.
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Last year I made a s’mores kit for Jackson’s teacher. It was her very first year teaching, and while she received one large class gift that all the kids contributed to, he wanted to put together a little something just from him. Since then, we have made this gift box several more times; it’s been a summer party favour, part of a birthday present, and even a thank you gift.
To make the kit, I picked up a small (approx. 5” x 7”) wooden box at my local dollar store, and painted it with a light acrylic green paint. We filled the box with a package of homemade marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate squares. Because we weren’t sure of the teacher’s summer plans, we included the directions for making s’mores in the microwave, oven and over a fire so she would be able to assemble them wherever she would be. I downloaded a cute campfire font and used that for the recipe card, as well as the front cover of the gift box.
Any plans to visit friends at their cottage this year? I would definitely take up a few of these boxes to leave behind as a thank you for hosting you and your noisy kids!
DIY S’mores Gift Box
You’ll Need:
- Wooden box (or basket)
- Marshmallows (homemade or store bought)
- Graham crackers
- Chocolate squares
- Cooking instructions
- Decorative label and ribbon
How to Make:
- Paint the box if desired.
- Make packages of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate (package everything separately).
- Type up the instructions (for microwave, oven and over a campfire) and package it all together with a decorative label and pretty ribbon.
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