A Homemade Christmas Gift: Peppermint Brownie Jar

Nov 14 | Holidays, Holiday Recipes, Homemade Christmas Gifts

Peppermint Brownie Jar. Those three words bring joy to my ears. 🙂

There’s no chocolate that I love more than After Eight wafers around Christmas time.  And well, a brownie will do just about any time of the year. So, in my eyes, there’s nothing quite like this homemade Christmas gift idea: peppermint brownie jar!  It makes the most wonderful hostess gift or it’s perfect for that person on your list that likes consumable (no clutter) gifts.

Here is how to create a Peppermint Brownie jar:

Peppermint Brownie Jar Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 package of mint flavoured chocolate chips
  • 6 crushed candy canes
  • 1 32oz wide mouth mason jar with lid

Peppermint Brownie Jar Instructions:

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Mix well and pour into the mason jar.
  2. Tap the jar on the counter a few times for the mix to settle. Then pour the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces on top.
  3. Close the jar. Decorate with ribbon or twine, if you wish.

Enclose these directions for baking:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Pour the contents of the jar into a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
  4. Grease a 9×13 pan and pour the batter in.
  5. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
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Peppermint Brownie Jar
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ package of mint flavoured chocolate chips
  • 6 crushed up candy canes
  • 1 32 oz. wide mouth mason jar with lid
Instructions

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Mix well and pour into the mason jar.

  2. Tap the jar on the counter a few times for the mix to settle.Then pour the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces on top.

  3. Close the jar. Decorate with ribbon or twine, if you wish.

Enclose these directions for baking:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°

  2. Pour the contents of the jar into a large mixing bowl. Add 2 eggs and ½ a cup of vegetable oil.

  3. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour the batter in.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

This Peppermint Brownie Jar is the perfect Homemade Christmas Gift idea for party hosts or those that love consumable gifts.

Related recipes for gift giving:

6 Ways to Save Money on Family Holiday Photos

Nov 9 | Money Saving Tips, Holidays

6 ways to save money on family holiday photos so you can be sure you get gorgeous photos at a great price.

Can you believe it is time to start thinking about holiday family photos already? The holidays are the perfect time to get family photos done, especially if you are considering photo greeting cards or other photo gifts. But how can you get amazing pictures without going broke? The great news is there are plenty of ways to save money on family holiday photos while still putting your best foot forward. Take a look below at 6 ways to save money on family holiday photos so you can be sure you get gorgeous photos at a great price.

1. Scour for coupons.

Chances are, you won’t have to scour at all! Newspapers are filled with photo studio coupons around the holiday season since studios know this is when customers are most active. Chances are you can find packages for as low as $20 with coupon for some of your favorite local studios.

2. Look for mini sessions.

If you want to use a private photographer, look for mini session deals. Many photographers offer mini sessions around the holidays which include a 30 minute session and 8-10 images. This is perfect for snagging a few shots that you can use in greeting cards and photo gifts! Ask local photographers in your area if they offer any mini sessions.

3. Head to Old Navy.

Why? Because they offer all sorts of color coordinated pieces for the whole family! Plus, during the holidays you can score these items for as much as 50% off. Choose a color theme of 3-4 colors and mix and match Old Navy clothing pieces for a picture perfect wardrobe.

4. Skip the extras.

Do you really need that photo keychain? Mousepad? Or fancy editing? Probably not. Skip all of these extras no matter how cute they are. Instead, stick to the basic prints and packages you are offered and bypass any additional photo perks which can hike up your price.

5. Ask a friend to take the photos.

Do you have a friend with a creative eye? Ask them to help you out. See if they will take a few family shots for you in exchange for a small fee or favor. Find a nice field or fireplace to gather around and take a beautiful shot. Use online photo editing (a program like PicMonkey is great) to make your photos pop! Then, just save and send them to your nearest photo lab for printing.

6. Check out Groupon.

Groupon is where I find a deal every year on portraits from Walmart. While Walmart definitely isn’t fancy, I’m still very happy with how our photos turn out! We also get a ton of photos with the package! Win!

As you can see there are many simple ways to get holiday family photos for less. Give these tips for getting holiday family photos for less a try and see what amazing results you can achieve.

I’d love to know how you save on family holiday photos each year. Let me know in the comments!