Delightful and Easy Holiday Gift Crates!





During the holidays Trader Joes carries delicious seasonal chocolates, nuts, and wines. Its so easy to use these gourmet foods to put together a beautiful and thoughtful gift, without spending a lot of time or money. 

I put together three fabulous gifts that are great for a variety of occasions:

1. Holiday Delicacies Gift Crate -



This is perfect for teachers, family friends, or someone else you want to do something nice for but dont want to spend a ton of money! I picked some of my Trader Joes favorites for this fantastic gift. Everything Ive chosen is delicious, but you can choose more or less expensive things depending on your budget.


To make this beautiful gift, start with a medium-sized crate from Michaels (or use a wide, flat basket from home). Line the bottom of your crate with clear plastic wrap, newspaper, or recycled grocery bags. This prevents little pieces of straw from falling out of the bottom.



Fill the crate with straw and arrange your items as you see fit. Larger items in the back, smaller in the front. A few tips: I took the dark chocolate orange out of the box for a better visual and I shook the pecan bag because they had settled. I also took the Cookie Butter Cups (yum!) out of the plastic container and sprinkled them around for a more festive look!

Add whatever ribbon you have on hand and this gift basket looks like you spend a lot more than $40!
 

Items used:
-Milk Chocolate Belgium Crisps ($2.49)
-Dark Chocolate Orange Break ($2.99)  - these are divine and so much to break open!
-Holiday Peppermint Cremes ($2.99)
-Dark Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups ($4.99)
-Holiday Chocolate Minty Mallows ($2.99)
-Pecan Halves ($4.49)
-Holiday Sea Salt Caramel Candy ($1.99)
-Sparkling Apple Cider ($2.49)
-3 Christmas Tree in a Gold Pot ($4.49)
-medium-sized crate from Michaels (reg. $9.99 but with a 40% off coupon it is $5.99).
-straw filling ($4.99) from Michaels (this is enough for multiple gift crates).
-ribbon (Optional or use what you have on hand; mine is from The Container Store)
Total = $40.89 + tax

2. Beautiful Assorted Fruit and Pinecone Crate



A basket of fresh fruits is always a welcome gift! This one mixed with pine cones smells absolutely divine. And its so pretty that it can be left out on the kitchen counter for everyone to enjoy. I love this gift for neighbors, bosses, and teachers; its a little more personal than a gift card.

To get this color blocking look, put the pinecones in first, then the fruit.



You can even wrap it with burlap ribbon to give it a more earthy feel:



Items used:
-Bag of DAnjou Organic Pears ($2.69)
-Bag Jazz Apples ($2.69)
-Bag of Tangerines ($2.99)
-Bag of Pinecones ($2.99 from Michaels)
-Medium Crate ($5.99 from Michaels after 40% off coupon)
-Straw (used leftover from first gift)
-Ribbon (Optional or use what you have on hand; mine is from The Container Store)
Total = $14.36 + tax

3. The Perfect Hostess Gift


It is always gracious to arrive at a holiday party with a gift in hand. This hostess gift brings a little more thoughtfulness to the standard bottle of wine often brought to parties.

Grab your favorite Trader Joes spread or tapenade and a mini baguette and add your favorite bottle of wine to create a hostess gifts that really pops! (I used the small crate from Michaels for this gift).




Items used:
-Laurent Dublanc Cotes du Rhone ($6.99)
-12 oz. Bruschetta Sauce ($2.49)
-Demi Baguette ($1.19)
-Small crate from Michaels ($4.80 with 40% off coupon - reg. $7.99)
-Straw from Michaels (used leftovers from previous gifts)
-Plastic wrapping paper from Michaels (Optional - I always keep a roll of this because I use it all the time! See link below.)
-Ribbon/Card - I used what I had on hand (mine are from The Container Store)
Total = $15.47 + tax
The great thing about gift baskets/crates is that once you have the standard materials (straw, ribbon, plastic wrap) they are so easy to pull together in a just a few minutes.

What seasonal items do you love at Trader Joes? Comment below and consider packaging them together for a great gift. Post on Instagram if you do and tag @traderjoeslist and @dosaygive!

Happy Giving!

Lee @dosaygive
@dosaygive on Instagram and Twitter

Turkey Cranberry Apple Sausages with Brussels Sprouts and Squash

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I went into Trader Joe’s looking for the perfect fall recipe. I usually follow my father’s golden rule “from Labor Day on, no turkey until Thanksgiving,” but when I saw that the Trader Joe’s employee handing out free samples of turkey sausage, I had to give in early (shh… don’t tell him!)

At first bite, I knew that Trader Joe’s Uncured Turkey Cranberry Apple Sausages would be the perfect staple in the fall recipe I was craving. I grabbed a stalk of TJ’s Brussels Sprouts and a package of Peeled & Cubed Butternut Squash, and ran toward the register, suddenly hungry for dinner.

The end result was a fantastic fall recipe, a perfect combination of roasted goodness with a hint of sweet from the brown sugar and cranberries. Here’s my recipe for Turkey Cranberry Apple Sausages with Brussels Sprouts and Squash. I typically cook for two, and this recipe was just enough for dinner and leftovers for lunch the following day:

Ingredients

·      1 package of TJ’s Uncured Turkey Cranberry Apple Sausages
·      1 stalk of TJ’s Brussels sprouts
·      1 package of TJ’s Cut Butternut Squash
·      2 teaspoons of TJ’s Organic Grade A Maple Syrup
·      4 tablespoons of butter
·      TJ’s Organic Brown Sugar to taste

images from traderjoes.com


Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and heat a pan over medium heat.
2. Once the pan is heated, add the butter and sausage to the pan and cook until brown.
3. Once it’s cooked all the way through, cut the sausage into bite sized pieces.
4. Slice the brussels sprouts into bite sized pieces.
5. Put the browned sausage, brussels sprouts, and cubed squash into a bowl and toss with Organic Grade A Maple Syrup. Add more syrup to taste, if needed.
6. Place everything on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with Organic Brown Sugar and place into the oven.
7. Roast for about an hour until the vegetables are fully cooked.
8. Enjoy! 

Recipe thanks to Keri Ann O'Riordan 




Glazed Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts

By Mary Shirley
I've been making Cookie Butter and Cocoa Swirl Cookies and Cookie Butter Pound Cake, but I wanted to get away from Cookie Butter for a while and try some other things Trader Joe's has to offer! So, Trader Joe's Glazed Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts were born. Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake DoughnutsThese were delicious and so easy to make! I wasn't sure how a boxed cake mix would work, but these doughnuts didn't taste or feel like a doughnuts shaped cake. The glazed helped give the doughnuts a bite and more of a doughnut feels. And, I think the cinnamon crumb also added a dimension. I will just say, I ate four immediately after taking these photos, which means my husband only got two. He's lucky even even got two! I will definitely be making these again. Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts-5

Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts

(Makes 6 Doughnuts) Ingredients: Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts-7
  • 1 box Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Mix
    • 1 1/2 cup cake mix
    • 1/2 cup crumb mix
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (can substitute Soy milk or regular milk)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Doughnut Glaze

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk (can substitute Soy milk or regular milk)
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. In a medium bowl mix the cake mix (not the crumb mix), milk, vegetable oil, and egg until combined.
  3. In a small bowl, melt the butter. Using a fork, mix the crumb mix and butter. This will be lumpy, that's okay.
  4. Grease a doughnut pan. I used Trader Joe's coconut oil spray.
  5. Pour the cake mixture into a ziplock bag and cut the corner of the bag to make a homemade pastry bag.
  6. Pipe a thin layer of cake batter into each section of the doughnut pan. Then add a layer of the crumb mixture followed by another layer of cake batter. Do not fill to the brim or overfill because these will rise like cake.
  7. Place in oven and bake for about 18 minutes. Doughnuts will not brown, but do the toothpick test to ensure they are done.
  8. While doughnuts are in the oven, mix the confectioner's sugar and milk in a medium sized bowl.
  9. After removing doughnuts from the oven, place on cooling rack.
  10. When doughnuts are cooled enough to handle, but not completely cool dip each each side of the doughnut in the glaze mixture. I coated each doughnut twice. Place on cooling rack to cool and excess glaze to drip off.
  11. Enjoy.
Trader Joe's Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Doughnuts-3

Soft-baked Snickerdoodles- Gluten Free

My plan was to write about these delicious cookies while eating a few and unfortunately I am unable to do so because someone (I will find you) ate all the my cookies. I was told about these soft, chewy cookies one afternoon by a fan of Trader Joe's. I immediately jotted them down in my mental Trader Joe's List and 2 days later I totally understood what the hype was about. Their name on the box is a mouthful, but describes the cookies to a tee with the exception of not mentioning they are extremely addicting and extremely at risk of getting eaten by those around you; so be careful and choose a good hiding spot.

Trader Joe's Soft-baked Snickerdoodles Chewy Sugar Cookies Dusted with Cinnamon Free of the 8 Common Allergens Vegan Option No Gluten Ingredients Used


Picture from: http://injohnnaskitchen.com

The last time I bought these ( I'm still steaming over the fact I only had 2 from the entire box of 12) the guy working the register provided me with a fantastic tip- heat them in the microwave for a few seconds, put them on top of a scoop of ice cream with Cookie Butter on top. How was that mental picture? I about died imaging how the whole ménage à trois would go down and how it would be repeated until every last cookie was delivered into the pit of my stomach. So naturally, I paid and jolted out of Trader Joe's before I took his advice and packed on a delicious 10 pounds. (But seriously, I am going to try this sometime soon.) If you beat me to it, leave a comment about your euphoric experience.
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