The Fourth Day of Catmas

 

Boo 

No cats were harmed in the making of this project.

A few were mildly annoyed.

One took it out on a lizard.

 

  Ready? We're going to make 108 gifts for $200 in 2 hours flat.

That's right. You can have a gift for everyone on your list from teachers to coworkers to the mail carrier to the Sunday School Director, all in two hours. 

And this little kit makes a seriously delicious, hearty pot of soup.

(Always taste test the finished product of any gift in a jar that you commit to. You don't want to give something that turns out lackluster, no matter how pretty!)

 

 For this melee in the kitchen, you will need (per case of 1 dozen. The 9 case, or 108 jar number is in {brackets}. No math for you today!):

12 {108}wide-mouth pint (2-cup) canning jars with lid and rings 14 {126}pounds of assorted dried peas, beans and lentils(at least 8 different varieties) such as:  pink beans   black beans   lentils   red lentils   black-eyed peas   red kidney beans   pinto beans   split peas   navy beans {14 pounds of each}  12 beef or vegetable (in case of vegetarians!) bouillon cubes {5 twenty-four count jars} 12 bay leaves {108} Twine Recipe cards Sprigs of fresh rosemary As many Minions as you can wrangle. Even smaller people can do this.
Choose beans with cool textures and patterns for a really stunning presentation.
Fresh rosemary from the garden. Mine is about waist high and needed a serious trim!
Cut the herb into 2 inch sprigs.

 Take your clean jars...

...and remove the lids...

 

 ...setting them aside.

 

 Fill one jar as a prototype. Tweak the combinations a bit, then write the 

color of the beans down on a list in order of first in, or bottom layer, up.

 

Pour your beans in bowls, arm each family member with a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and start filling! Just follow each other in order around the table. Sam, Sammy, Thommy and I did this, while Savannah kept an eye on the bowls and refilled our beans as they got low.

 

 

 

 Top the full jars with a boullion cube and a bay leaf.

 

 Seal them back up!

 

 Now, print out the RECIPE TAGS, punch a hole in each one, 

and tie them onto the jars with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

 

 And you have a sweet little gift for under $2 each!

 

Set them back in the cases for transport and off you go!

Easy, inexpensive, colorful, and a perfect little meal for your friends on a cold winter night!

And I'll bet they already got dessert jar mixes to go with it.