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Winter Warm-Up Baskets with
Homemade Marshmallows and Hot Chocolate
You can purchase hand-crafted marshmallows in a gourmet
store like Williams Sonoma, for $15-$18 or simply make your
own. The recipe can be found at http://www.gifts-babies-love.com/homemade-christmas-gifts.html
Place 4-6 marshmallows into a clear plastic bag and tie
with a decorative ribbon. Put the marshmallows in
decorative fortune cookie boxes (found at your local craft
store) or put them in a decorative basket with gourmet hot
chocolate and holiday mugs.
Voila! You have gorgeous homemade Christmas gifts that
look like they came from an expensive gourmet shop.
Homemade Picture Frame
Buy an inexpensive plastic picture frame from your local
craft store. Gather or buy plastic Barbie doll
accessories, beads, jigsaw puzzle pieces, scrapbooking
embellishments and other doo-dads that represent the
interests of the recipient.
For example, for the gourmet cook, you could use plastic
doll cookie sheets and rolling pins. And get some cookbook
and baking-themed scrapbooking or card-making accessories
from the craft store.
Using hot glue or glue dots, glue the items around the
border of the frame.
Then put a special poem or message in the frame. Now
you've got a show-stopping homemade Christmas gift without
the extravagant price tag.
Soup in a Jar
Get several clear mason jars and fill them with this
layered soup recipe:
Minestrone Soup in a Jar
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup green split peas
1/4 cup barley
1/3 cup boullion powder
2 TBSP parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1/4 cup small pasta (macaroni, alphabet pasta or orzo)
Layer the ingredients in the order given (lentils on the
bottom). Put a decorative ribbon around the jar.
Attach this card with directions for making the soup:
Combine soup mix and 8-10 cups of water plus 1 28 oz can
crushed tomatoes in a large pot. Add 1 cup diced carrots
and 1/2 cup celery. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and
let simmer for an hour or until vegetables are tender.
For more easy homemade Christmas gift ideas, see The
Shopping Mom's Guide to Baby Gifts at http://www.gifts-babies-love.com/homemade-christmas-gifts.html
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