- Gift
Ideas To Keep You From Becoming A Basket Case!
- BY TAWRA KELLAM
Need Gift Ideas
for Christmas but don’t want to spend a lot? Here are some
tips from Tawra Kellam, author of Not Just Beans: Fifty Years
of Frugal Family Favorites.
- Buy items
in sets and divide among the baskets. Buy a four pack of nail
polish for four ladies baskets or buy packs of whistles or other
party favors for the kids. Take individual popcorn, coffee or
cocoa packets out of their boxes. They will fill the basket better.
- Shop garage
sales and thrift stores for baskets and other containers
-Dollar stores
have lots of great inexpensive gift ideas. Browse!
- Use cellophane
bags to package your mixes. They are inexpensive when purchased
at party stores or florists.
- A gift can
be as simple as tea bags in a tea cup tied with a pretty ribbon.
A large soup mug and saucer with soup mix or a small glass bowl
with some potpourri might also make a simple but nice gift.
Try making
these specialty gift baskets:
Football Fan - (teenage boys, brothers,
fathers and brothers-in-law!) Fill a large bowl purchased at
the dollar store with candy bars, bags of microwave popcorn,
sodas, chips, dips, a favorite football flag or hat, and a calendar
of game days.
Fisherman - In a tackle box or
fish bowl put hooks, bait, line, hot chocolate or sodas, trail
mix, gloves, fishing magazines and a fish pillow.
Dog - In a dog bowl, place
a ball, old sock with a knot tied in it, dog bones, rawhides,
a leash, a name tag and a brush. You might include a picture
of a mailman with "the enemy" written on it.
Cat - In a cat litter box,
place a catnip toy, cat food, a poop scoop, a leash, a name tag
and a little rubber mouse.
Car - In a large bucket,
place fuzzy dice, air freshener, wax, car wash, chamois ("Shammy"),
tire cleaner, a car trash can, a key ring, ice melter for cars
and an ice scraper.
Baby Basket - Spray paint a basket
white and line it with a baby blanket or use a diaper bag. Fill
with bibs, baby oil, baby lotion, baby powder, diaper ointment,
a teething ring, burp cloths, wipes and a rattle.
Relaxing Basket - Line a basket with
a hand towel. Add a lavender candle, bath oil or bubble bath,
bath salts, a favorite magazine or book, a poof and scented soap,
and a do not disturb sign (Make one out of a piece of cardboard.).
Coffee Lover - In a basket, include
flavored coffee packets, cinnamon sticks dipped in chocolate,
wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon, cookie mix or cookies,
flavored powdered creamer and a coffee cup.
Baker’s Delight - Line a large mixing
bowl with a dish towel. Add cookie mixes, hot chocolate mixes,
brownie mix, muffin mix, a package of walnuts, measuring cups
and pot holders.
Ice Cream Lover - Place tissue paper
on the bottom of a basket. Add sundae dishes, an ice cream scoop,
nuts, hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, chocolate syrup, Maraschino
cherries and a gift certificate for 2 ½ gallons of ice
cream.
Soup Basket - In a basket, stock
pot or bean crock, add large soup mugs, 7 bean soup, cornbread
mix, cookie mix and oyster crackers wrapped in cellophane bags
and tied with a ribbon.
Nail Polish Basket - In a pretty bucket
or basket, add a variety of nail polish, emery boards, nail clippers,
polish remover, cotton balls, hand cream, cuticle cream and a
nail buffer.
Family Night - In a large bowl,
add a puzzle or game, popcorn, candy bars, soda, hot chocolate
mix and mugs.
Fruit Basket - Line a basket with
tissue paper. Add apples, oranges, hot chocolate mix, various
teas and dried fruits (like figs or raisins). Sprinkle nuts on
top of everything.
Cookie Delight -In a basket lined
with tissue paper, add two cookie mixes in cellophane bags or
jars tied with ribbons, Russian Tea (also in a cellophane bag
or small jar tied with ribbon), cookie cutters, a teacup and
two pot holders.
Chocolate Lover - In a basket, add
Hot Chocolate Mix, Brownie Mix , Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie
Mix, Party Mints, Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix and a small package
of marshmallows.
Hot Chocolate
Mix
- 8 cups dry
milk
- 4 3/4 cups
powdered sugar
- 1 3/4 cups
cocoa 1 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
- 1 sm. pkg.
instant chocolate pudding mix
Sift the ingredients
into a large bowl. Place the mix into an airtight containers.
Attach
this to the jar:
Hot Chocolate
- 5 Tbsp. (1/3
cup) Hot Chocolate Mix
- 1 cup hot
water (not boiling)
- marshmallows
or whipped cream
Place the Hot
Chocolate Mix into a mug. Add boiling water. Stir until Hot Chocolate
mix is dissolved. Garnish as desired with marshmallows or whipped
cream. Serves 1.
Apple Cinnamon
Muffin Mix
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking
soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking
powder
- 1 tsp. ground
cinnamon
- 1/2 cup raisins
and/or nuts
In a bowl,
mix together first 5 ingredients. Place in an air tight container.
Package raisins and nuts separately.
Topping
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Mix topping
ingredients in a bowl. Package in a small cellophane bag.
Attach
this to the jar:
Apple Cinnamon
Muffin Mix
To prepare,
preheat oven to 350<.
Mix together:
- Apple Cinnamon
Muffin Mix
- raisins and/or
nuts
- 1 cup apple
juice
- 2 Tbsp. oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- margarine,
melted
Stir just until
combined. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins and bake for
20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. While still warm, dip in melted margarine and then topping.
Makes 12-15 muffins.
© Copyright
Tawra Kellam
_______________________________________
Author:
Tawra Kellam is the author of the frugal cookbook
Not Just Beans: 50 Years of Frugal Family Favorites. Not Just
Beans is a frugal cookbook which has over 540 recipes and 400
tips. For more free tips and recipes visit our website at www.notjustbeans.com
|
WHAT'S NEW?