So for Valentine's this year, I decided to skip the gift-giving of sugary, non-vegan, and expensive artificially flavored candy hearts and junk, and give useful and interesting if not pretty, gifts instead. So with my Sprouts' help and advice (!) we assembled some pretty cool-looking "Cookie-Mix-In-A-Jar" and "Soup-in-a-Jar" mixes. They looked so pretty I had to share a picture.
The soup mix (on the left) is one I found online and sadly, I don't remember where, but it's got layers of barley, red lentils, split peas, tiny star pastas, vegetarian 'chicken' bullion powder, herbs, a bay leaf, dehydrated onion and oatmeal! We did a test batch and the soup turns out really yummy! Hopefully even though the jars look pretty, people will use them!
The cookie recipe on the right is one we've had in our family forever (I think my Grandma copied it from an oatmeal carton years ago...) but I now use vegan ingredients. I simply layered the ingredients and included instructions on a cutesy card, for adding the liquid ingredients and making cookies...
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (some Guittard and Ghirardelli, Safeway brand and even Wal-Mart semi-sweet chips are vegan)
1 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts
1/2 cup raisins or (my choice) dried cranberries
A large canning funnel helps here, as well as something to firmly tamp down the ingredients.
Put white sugar in 1 quart wide-mouth jar. Press brown sugar down firmly in a layer over white sugar.
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Place flour mixture on top of brown sugar.
Layer remaining ingredients in order listed above, pressing firmly after each layer. Seal with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon.
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RECIPE TO ATTACH (I used vegan instructions for my vegan friends of course):
Beat 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened margarine (I prefer Earth Balance) 1 large egg (or vegan option: 4 Tbsp. silken tofu blended until liquidy or equiv. Egg Replacer), and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until blended. Add cookie mix; mix well, breaking up any clumps. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated 375° F. oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
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