Saturday, December 5, 2009

$5 Gift Baskets: Part IIII


Ok, what you've all been waiting for ;) The last "project" that goes in the $5 Gift Baskets! After this, I just have to show you how to put them all together! We are awful close my dears. So...the last project. It will warm any soul. Well any soul that likes apple cider, red wine or practically any type of juice!
Mulling Spice Packets


If the smell of cider mulling doesn't get you in the holiday mood, I don't know what will! These, again, are really easy to put together, and it's VERY likely that you will have most of the necessary items in your house already. Let's see what you need though.

1-2 Oranges: $1
10 tsp Cinnamon
5 tsp Allspice
5 tsp Nutmeg
5 tsp Ground Cloves
(I accounted for $4 for the spices)
10 Spice Bags: $7
Clear Bags- you already have them!
Ribbon- you already have it!

Total Cost for Mulling Spice Bags: $12

These are the spice bags. You can get 4 for $3 at Bed Bath & Beyond- and again, to keep it cost conscious, use the 20% off coupons! You'll get 12 for about $7.


Directions:
1. Peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler- only peel the orange part, not the white part. Place it on a paper towel and allow it to dry for 3 days. (Yes, just fold over the paper towel to cover it and let it sit. I promise.)
2. Once the peel is dried, grind it in a coffee grinder, small food processor, etc. Whatever you happen to have!
3. Mix together all your spices and the ground orange peel.
4. Scoop approximately 3 tsp of the mixture into each spice bag. Pull the strings tight, and gently place it in a clear plastic bag. Twist the plastic bag and tie with a ribbon.

Just be a bit cautious as some of the spice may come out of the spice bag. It's ok if it does, but it can make a mess! You will then instruct your recipients to place the bag in a saucepan with 4 cups of cider (or wine or juice) and simmer for at least 15 minutes. You do not want to let it boil. Then, enjoy! If you've never had this before, definitely try it! If you have, then you already know how tasty it is!




Now, here comes my small piece of bad news. I failed. Just a little bit. My overall cost, per basket, was roughly $5.80. I went over. :( I hope you aren't too terribly disappointed in me. However, I did account for the extra supplies that came with certain packaging, so you could easily squeeze out a couple more baskets, and then I'd be right back on track! Can we still be friends? I hope you say yes :) If we are...then keep reading.

Let's Recap:

Hot Chocolate Packets:
$14.50
Chocolate Covered Oreos: $9.20
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Almonds: $11
Mulling Spice Packets: $11
Packaging Materials $12 (I'll show you these later, and you could definitely spend less here!!)

Total Cost $57.90, Divided by 10 Baskets: $5.79

Still not bad in my opinion! I hope they suit your needs and you enjoy making them and giving them as gifts. I know I'm looking forward to it! I'll be back to show you how I'm packaging mine up, but for now, I need to tackle my weekend to do list and make us a super lovely dinner!


5 comments:

  1. Can't wait to see how you assembled the baskets! I may have to steal the cider recipe to make for my cookie exchange on Saturday!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, it looks like you're getting a lot of bang for your buck with this basket! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can already smell it - such a great idea.

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are great! Thanks so much for the how-to, I'll be linking.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm making my baskets now and couldn't find the spice bags at our BB&B. They said they didn't sell them. I bought some cheesecloth - but what kind of string/thread do you recommend I use to tie it all together? Or do you have other suggestions of where I might find spice bags? Thanks for all of the great ideas!

    ReplyDelete

Molly gets just a touch happier when you comment!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin