Announcing All Things Christmas Linky — Link any and all Christmas related posts you’d like to share. Old or new, it doesn’t matter. . Link now until December 25! Enjoy!!
Opening the door to new ideas — one link at a time!
Eat Healthy, Do it Yourself, Live Well, Have Fun.
Rich, buttery streusel surrounding flavorful apple slices –mmmm. Apple Butter Crumb Cake is delicious as a coffee cake for brunch. It is heavenly as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. Your friends will love this mix! Add the can of apple pie filling to the gift bag and they will love you, too.
To make the mix: Measure the ingredients in the order given. Pour each one into a quart jar and tamp gently to keep them from shifting. Tie gift instructions for Apple Butter Crumb Cake to the jar and decorate as you wish. If you don’t have a funnel, see this post Potato Soup Mix for directions on how to make one with a disposable cup and for other hints on filling the jar.
Making the butter crumb crust is simple. Melt ¾ cup butter. Pour the contents of the jar into a medium mixing bowl and stir several times to mix the layers together. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and stir. As the butter is incorporated into the flour, the mixture begins to pull away from the sides to form a crumbly ball. Scoop out about half of the mixture into 7×11 greased baking pan. Press it firmly with the tips of your fingers or a heavy glass. Spread the apple pie filling over the crust and sprinkle remaining butter crumbs evenly over the filling. Baking time is between 22-25 minutes. Overbaking will make the crust hard so check at 22 minutes and keep a close eye on it until it is done. The crust should just begin to turn golden around the edges.
Gifts in a Jar and free printables: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoole Pancake Mix
For no-bake recipes in a 12 Days of Christmas series: Christmas Wreath Potato Chip Clusters Cherry Mash Bars Pistachio Fudge Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints Classic Oreo Truffles Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark Ritz Turtles Gooey Golden Chex Mix Fabulous Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
If you want cookies check these out — 1. Fruitcake cookies 2. Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies 3. Pineapple Walnut Cookies 4. Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies 5. Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints 6. Cherry Almond Chews 7. Polka Dot Macaroons 8. Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts 9. Butterscotch Pecan Softies 10. Toffee Crisps 11. Crescent Mini Chip Cookies 12. Minty Christmas Cookies
no bake and no stress treats in small batches. For when you want to have a variety of treats without a lot of leftovers.
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
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Rich, buttery Toffee Blondies are a great gift for any occasion. The gift jars are so easy to make. Just layer the ingredients in the order given, packing each down tightly. So easy but they look spectacular! If you want to add to your gift, tie a small whisk or rubber spatula to the jar. Perhaps the recipient will be a new cook and would appreciate an 8×8 baking pan or a can of cooking spray. Don’t forget to add a copy of instructions: Tags for Toffee Blondies
You can use a canning funnel if you have one. If you don’t have a funnel, see this post Potato Soup Mix for directions on how to make one with a disposable cup and for other hints. You can find more ideas on my pinterest Gifts in a Jar board.
Gifts in a Jar and free printables: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoole Pancake Mix
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
Shared with these awesome link parties here
This is a basic hot chocolate mix. I always make the first batch of the season as soon as the temperature drops so we are ready for the cold weather. Hot chocolate is also Christmas Eve tradition at our house. An early supper – a lighter meal than dinner – is always planned. Afterwards there is a Christmas Eve play or service to attend. Then back home, still in our finery, we light the tree and some candles in the living room. Bytes and his brother used to beg to open “just one present tonight” and then got to choose which one. They don’t do that anymore. (Although secretly, I think, they still want to!) Mostly we just relax and talk with Christmas music in the background. With hot chocolate in the Christmas mugs, of course. It’s a ritual all ages can appreciate!
If the hot chocolate drinkers in your house are adventurous, make this hot chocolate mix with different flavors of creamer. Try cinnamon or hazelnut, or whatever your current favorite may be. If your store doesn’t have the small containers of creamer, use about 1 ¾ cups. Use only powdered (confectioner’s) sugar because it mixes more quickly and smoothly with the mix to begin with and then with the hot water. Running the powdered milk through the food processor is an optional step, but worth it especially if you are giving it as a gift. It looks “prettier” and mixes a little more nicely. Depending on the size of the mug, use 3 or 4 tablespoons of mix per mug of hot water.
This is a good warm up from cold outdoors. Come in from a cold sledding expedition or scraping ice off the car windows and 90 seconds later you can have a cup of satisfying warmth in your hand. It’s a great breakfast drink, a source of inspiration for your work day and or chocolate comfort whenever and just because. There’s a cup on the corner of my desk right now!
Gifting the mix is so easy. Mix and distribute amongst four quart jars. Or find a gallon jar and gift someone the whole thing! Bytes was the recipient of the giant container of hot chocolate mix last year. He’s hinted he’ll be ready for another one this year! You can add a tablespoon measure to each jar. You could also add mini marshmallows in a sandwich bag. Or you could include crushed peppermint candies in a snack sized zipper bag. Add a personalized mug, too, as I did last year. (Didn’t you know Bytes starts with a J? 🙂
Hot Chocolate Mix labels can be downloaded by clicking on the link.
Gifts in a Jar and free printables: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoole Pancake Mix
12 Day of Christmas Cookies: Fruitcake cookies Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies Pineapple Walnut Cookies Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints Cherry Almond Chews Polka Dot Macaroons Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts Butterscotch Pecan Softies – no bake Toffee Crisps Crescent Mini Chip Cookies Minty Christmas Cookies
12 Days of Christmas candy and no-bake recipes: Christmas Wreath Potato Chip Clusters Cherry Mash Bars Pistachio Fudge Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints Classic Oreo Truffles Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark Ritz Turtles Gooey Golden Chex Mix Fabulous Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
no bake and no stress treats in small batches. For when you want to have a variety of treats without a lot of leftovers.
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Bonus!!
Super Delicious Big Batch Cookies A unique, crispy shortbread type cookie textured with oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chips.
Macaroons and Chocolate — Chewy Coconut macaroons dipped in smooth chocolate
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars — tastes just like the peanut butter cups in the bright orange wrapper
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
Shared with these awesome link parties here
Savory chicken noodle soup mix is not your grandma’s chicken soup even though it tastes just like it! And just like grandma’s soup, this makes a healthy, comforting gift — but so much easier to make. Pair a jar of mix with a can of chicken and it is perfect for a sick friend. A minute or two of measuring water and waiting for the soup to cook is all the effort needed to make four servings of healthy comfort. Chicken noodle soup mix is great for the pantry shelf as well. A healthy no preservative quick lunch or dinner for those really busy days – just add crusty bread and/or a salad. A single college student or young professional would also appreciate this (along with a couple of other mixes!) as a stock the shelf gift. Minimal prep time and there will be 2-4 meals depending on the size of the servings you choose.
Making the mix is very simple. Measure the seasonings shown above directly into a small plastic zipper bag – a snack size bag – and shake to mix. If you can’t find chicken flavor powder or granules, you can substitute one wrapped bullion cube. Technically two cups of dried noodles could fit into a pint jar. If you use the short, wide egg noodles, they will fit with little crushing. But I like the kluski noodles because they are thicker and a more stick to the ribs kind of food. They are also narrow and long and fit better in a quart jar. Add a few more noodles to the top of the jar after you’ve rolled and tucked the bag of seasonings in the jar. Or add a small bag of mini crackers to fill the empty space. This is the link to Printable Directions for Savory Chicken Soup Mix
To make the soup you will need 1 jar of mix and 1 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken (1 12 ounce can) , a stalk of celery and a carrot. The carrot and celery is an option, if someone is really under the weather, by the way, and doesn’t feel like dicing. For busy people — take the time anyway. It’s good for you. Grandma said so. 🙂
Gifts in a Jar: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Pancake Mix
For no-bake recipes in a 12 Days of Christmas series: Christmas Wreath Potato Chip Clusters Cherry Mash Bars Pistachio Fudge Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints Classic Oreo Truffles Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark Ritz Turtles Gooey Golden Chex Mix Fabulous Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
If you want cookies check these out — 1. Fruitcake cookies 2. Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies 3. Pineapple Walnut Cookies 4. Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies 5. Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints 6. Cherry Almond Chews 7. Polka Dot Macaroons 8. Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts 9. Butterscotch Pecan Softies 10. Toffee Crisps 11. Crescent Mini Chip Cookies 12. Minty Christmas Cookies
no bake and no stress treats in small batches. For when you want to have a variety of treats without a lot of leftovers.
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
Shared with these awesome link parties here
Potato Soup Mix is great for your own pantry shelf. You can make a mug for lunch or as a warm up after a chilly afternoon raking leaves. It’s convenient, quick and very easy to make a tasty mug full! For the same reasons, this Potato Soup Mix also makes a great gift for the person who often eats lunch at their desk. It’s perfect for the backpacker who needs something lightweight and filling as a meal or quick snack. Create your own uses.
Begin by mixing all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Buy the instant potato flakes in a box or pouch. I use 1 package of buttery instant potato mix in the pouch because it gives a flavor boost. You’ll have to use a full pouch and a part of a second. I usually use one pouch and complete the full amount by using the plain potatoes from the box, especially when making a number of jars. This is entirely optional, but you can also add one fourth cup of dehydrated hash brown potatoes from the breakfast aisle. Crush the dried hash browns by pressing down firmly in the measuring cup. This gives a bit of “texture” to the soup. The chicken flavor granules are usually next to the bullion cubes — sometimes on a top shelf in the soup aisle. (I always have to ask!)
Use a wide mouth quart jar for storage as they are so much easier to fill. If you need a funnel just remove the bottom from a disposable cup — the big red cups fit perfectly into a wide mouth jar. If you want to make individual servings for backpacking, a snack sized plastic zipper bag is the right size for one half cup of mix, enough for one serving. I placed five single serving bags in a quart zipper bag for extra protection against spills or breaking.
Pack the mix into the jar by pressing firmly. This removes air which helps keep the mix fresh longer. A long handled ladle works perfectly because it allows you to reach into the bottom of the jar. A tall slender glass or bottle can also work.
Add label with directions for use. You can download a copy here:
Directions for Potato Soup Mix
Gifts in a Jar and free printables: Savory Chicken Noodle Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies Apple Butter Crumb Cake Mix Potato Soup Mix Hot Chocolate Mix Toffee Blondies Mix Chocolate Andes Mint Cookie Mix Chai Tea Mix Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Pancake Mix
12 Day of Christmas Cookies: Fruitcake cookies Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies Pineapple Walnut Cookies Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints Cherry Almond Chews Polka Dot Macaroons Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts Butterscotch Pecan Softies – no bake Toffee Crisps Crescent Mini Chip Cookies Minty Christmas Cookies
12 Days of Christmas candy and no-bake recipes: Christmas Wreath Potato Chip Clusters Cherry Mash Bars Pistachio Fudge Cinnamon Swirl Cream Cheese Mints Classic Oreo Truffles Cranberry Pistachio Chocolate Bark Ritz Turtles Gooey Golden Chex Mix Fabulous Fudge No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
no bake and no stress treats in small batches. For when you want to have a variety of treats without a lot of leftovers.
A Dozen Awesome Appetizer and Delicious Dips from a Pinch of Joy
Bonus!!
Super Delicious Big Batch Cookies A unique, crispy shortbread type cookie textured with oatmeal, coconut and chocolate chips.
Macaroons and Chocolate — Chewy Coconut macaroons dipped in smooth chocolate
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars — tastes just like the peanut butter cups in the bright orange wrapper
Welcome to A Pinch of Joy! I’m so glad you stopped by today! Follow A Pinch of Joy using the icons on the teal bar at the top of the page so you don’t miss a thing! I’d love to have your company on this venture!! Share: if you found this helpful or inspiring please click one of the buttons below! Your support of A Pinch of Joy is appreciated!
Shared with these awesome link parties here