Goodie Bags & Teacher Gifts

I got the crazy notion a few days ago that I wanted
to make up little goodie bags for H's preschool class.
30 bags in all.
Mmmm, Hmmm.
It sounded reasonable at the time.
Ghads.
What a real pain in the keester.
An awful lot of work - for such a measly little bounty.
But...

those adorable stinkin' labels made them all worth while...right? :)

Of course, this was on top of making our Teacher Gifts.

Maybe next time I'll try to spread it out a bit.

Instead of trying to do it all in one evening.

Geesh... ya think?

H-Man's got 2 teachers... Ms. Dianne and Miss Lauren. I put a gift bag together for each that included: One of these cool Gum Tins, a sweet Teacher ornament and a Cookies in a Jar Kit. The tins were uber cute and bigger than they look here. Like 6.5" x 2. I loved 'em. But my favorite additions were the Cookie Kits... of course! I hadn't made them in ages and had forgotten how much fun they are to put together.


Interested in making some of your own? They're a really terrific project to do with your little ones and make wonderful gifts for any occasion. Think: Teachers, Friends, Neighbors, Thank-Yous. There are tons of "In a Jar" recipes out there... so hunt around if you'd like. Just be sure you bake up a Test Batch before you use it. Because, while they all look handsome IN the jars. Some recipes can taste less than desirable once they're baked.

It's easy to get started. You most likely already have all the ingredients in your pantry. So all you need is: a recipe, a 1 quart jar and a canning funnel. Here's one of my favorites to get you going...

Turtle Cookies
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Layer ingredients into jar in the above order. Firmly pack each layer down before adding the next. I also recommend doing only one jar to begin with... to ensure that you can get everything to fit snugly inside. Sometimes you have to get a little creative. Once you've mastered the first jar... set them up assembly line style and get to work.

You can decorate the lid/jar however you'd like... I like to top it off with a square of fabric and a ribbon or fabric tie. Labels can easily be attached to the jar front with double sided tape. Don't forget to include the following instructions with each jar. I like to circle punch mine and affix it to the top of the lid.

Preheat Oven
to 350 degrees.
Stir dry ingredients in
a large bowl and add:
1/2 cup butter, (almost melted)
1 slightly beaten egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine Thoroughly.
Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls &
Bake for 10 minutes.

You can replace the chips & caramel combination to coordinate them for specific holidays/occasions. Think M&Ms, Red Hots, White Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chips, Mint Chips, Etcetera... Etcetera. Play around with it and have fun.