Advent Activities: Gifts in a Jar

Mixing up the beans for Beanbag Soup Jars

Tomorrow is one of our last days for Advent Activities, and we'll be making Elf Gifts to give to some special people who are having a difficult time now.  There will be mixes in jars for Cowgirl Cookies, Hot Chocolate, Beanbag Soup, Granola, and/or Pancake Mix (meaning each family gets one jar.)  

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Cowgirl Cookies

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans (Nope)

Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.

Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. I got about 26-28 cookies out of these.

Bakerella



Hot Chocolate Mix

1  cup  sugar
1  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder
2  cups  nonfat dry milk powder
1 1/2  cups  semisweet chocolate pieces
1  cup  crushed peppermint sticks

1. In a 1 1/2-quart canning jar, other glass jar, or plastic canister layer ingredients in the following order: sugar, cocoa powder, milk powder, chocolate pieces, and crushed peppermint sticks.* Seal jar. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.
2. To make Decadent Hot Chocolate: In a large saucepan combine 2 cups of the hot chocolate mix and 1 2/3 cups water. Cook and stir over medium heat until chocolate pieces are melted and mixture is heated through. If desired, top each serving with marshmallows. Makes 4 servings.
from the test kitchen
*Use a funnel or a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper that has been rolled into a funnel when layering ingredients into the jar or canister.

Better Homes and Gardens

Jamie’s Beanbag Soup Recipe

1 1/2- 2 cups mixed dried beans

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

Soak dried beans in 6 cups lightly salted water overnight OR boil beans in 6 cups water for 2 minutes and simmer on low for an hour. DO NOT DRAIN.  In olive oil, sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.  Add beans with their liquid to pot with sauteed vegetables and also bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 ½-2 hours. 

Optional:  To bulk up the bean soup, you can: 

•                    add spinach or kale (or other greens), fresh or frozen, along with carrots, celery, and onions

•                    add ¾ cup dried macaroni (or orzo) when beans are almost done

•                    make the soup with ½ the beans (1 cup or so) and add a variety of vegetables like green beans, corn, and potatoes for a vegetable soup

Italian version:  Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning with the salt and pepper.  Later, when beans are almost done, add 1 can diced tomatoes.   

French version:  Use Herbes de Provence with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker directions:  Place presoaked beans and soaking liquid in 6-quart slow cooker.  Sauté  onions, carrots, celery, seasonings, and garlic in olive oil.  Add these, plus bay leaf and optional vegetables except tomatoes, to slow cooker.  Cook on LOW 6-8 hours, adding tomatoes or other acids and/or pasta in last hour.

Homemade Granola

6 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut (my adaptation:  use almonds or other chopped nuts instead or in addition or leave both out completely when I make it for the kids)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup maple syrup (honey works, too)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F

In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, flour, spices, salt, mix well. 
In a saucepan heat the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla until warm. Pour this over the oat mixture and mix well.

Spread evenly on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 300°F for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan(s). As it cools it becomes harder, more granola like. Store in airtight glass container. 

Beauty that Moves

Nigella Lawson's Pancake Mix

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

For the pancake mix:

Mix the above dry ingredients together and store in a jar.

Pancake batter:
1 egg
1 cup milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

For the pancake batter:

For each 1 cup pancake mix add 1 egg, 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Do not overmix.

Heat a flat griddle or pan over medium-high heat.

Spoon drops of 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter onto the hot griddle and when bubbles appear on the surface of the little pancakes, flip them over to make them golden brown on both sides. A minute or so a side should do it.

Nigella Lawson