NOTE: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all of you who entered! The winners have been notified, and they are #464 (Natalie), #1151 (Wendy), and #1307 (Gloria). Y’all have 48 hours to respond before we pick new winners! 🙂
I have a confession for you all and I hope it’s not too shocking: I am not a fan of jam. Not a jam fan. I like homemade freezer jam because it basically tastes like sweetened fruit, but most jam is just too sweet and sickly and cooked fruit-ish for me. If you’re dying to know what I put on toast or peanut butter sandwiches, I like butter on toast and honey on my sandwiches. Am I weird?
Well, I thought I hated all regular jam until I went to Smucker’s last month and I got to try their Orchard’s Finest preserves (and then discovered, in a cruel twist of fate, that they don’t sell it where I live). Even the names are pretty–Pacific Mountain Strawberry and Coastal Valley Peach Apricot and North Woods Blueberry and Fall Harvest Cinnamon Apple. And the jars? 
Don’t even get me started on the jars. Y’all know how I feel about adorable jars and bottles.
I love this jam because not only does it taste fabulous, but it’s fancier than your average jar of jam, so it’s great for holiday entertaining or gift-giving. Instead of just handing someone a jar of jam (anyone remember the Gilmore Girls where Rory and Lorelai forgot to get Luke a present in Europe, so they brought him a jar of jam and he found it lame?), you could fill line a basket with a festive tea towel and then fill it fresh croissants or homemade rolls and then add a jar of jam with a ribbon on it.
Or you could make a plate of these cookies and deliver them with a jar of jam and a copy of the recipe.
If you’re having a party, you could serve up a plate of crackers and slices of crusty bread with some of your favorite cheeses and a few jars of jam. It’s elegant and easy and requires zero to little prep (which is totally what I need right now!)
Because it’s getting close to Christmas and because it’s Thursday (which has always been my favorite day…don’t ask…), we’re giving away 3, count ’em, three of the following gift baskets:
-6 jars of Smucker’s Orchard’s Finest preserves in a cute little crate
-A set of spreading tools (or something similar)
-$100 gift card to Cooking.com
To enter, leave us a comment telling us how you’re getting into the holiday spirit right now! You need to respond here on this post in the comments section, not through email or on Facebook or Twitter. The giveaway is a short one! It will end next Tuesday, December 13 and the winners will be announced on Wednesday morning.
**Thank you to all who entered! This giveaway is now closed!**
I’m making lots of cookies. Even some star shaped cookies with preserves to sandwich them together! I bet this smuckers preserves would taste great on them!
My favorite way to get into the holidays is make some yummy hot chocolate and turn off all the lights except the Christmas tree and listen to Christmas music!!
Yipee! What a fun giveaway! We are playing lots of Christmas music around here, put the tree and decorations up last week, and are having a fun baking day with my kids’ grandma tomorrow (to make Christmas cookies).
Christmas cookies this weekend! Super excited! This is me and my husbands first Christmas together and it is fun to mix our two families traditions!
I’m making lots of cookies. I made two batches of your cookies yesterday and they were delicious!
I’m home at my parents house for the holidays this year. I am looking forward to some time off to buy presents, decorate their tree, and bake christmas cookies with my mom! I absolutely love holiday spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves) so I plan on lighting a bunch of candles all month and letting the warm scents fill the house!
We’ve been slowly introducing our 2 toddlers to some of the classic children’s Christmas movies and I feel a little more festive with each one.
I’m getting into the holiday spirit by *starting* to think about holiday food gifts 🙂
I have been making lots of sweets- cookies, cake, and brownies…. plus shopping, tree decorating, and lots of sweet pics of my baby boy.
I’ve had the Christmas music blaring since before Thanksgiving. Neighbor gifts are up and going! I even put a Christmas tree up in my classroom, and draped lights over my chalkboard:)
I’m listening to Christmas music while doing some online shopping!
We’ve been listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas specials everyday!
We have our decorations up, listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, and wrapping presents!!!
just finished up getting the 12 days of Christmas ready for someone special!
Party planning!!! My son was born on Christmas eve and he’s turning four this year 🙂 He love, love, loves baked brie with jelly wrapped in puff pastry! We serve it every year for his Christmas eve/birthday party/dinner. Always a big hit. Can’t wait to try it with the Orchard’s Finest this year!
I am unpacking my apartment and hoping I find my Christmas tree and decorations soon… I KNOW i put them here somewhere!
An advent calendar (German style, with a little chocolate for each day) – and yes, I have one too, not just my teenagers! Slowly getting the house decorated. Reading scriptures which prophesy of the coming of Jesus. Planning what to bake this weekend. Wondering when I’m going to get my cards mailed!!
I’ve already decorated my tree and turn on the lights every minute I’m home. I’m also looking forward to a Christmas baking/treats marathon with my mom and sister soon!
Getting into the spirit by visiting Temple Square and listening to Christmas music 24/7…literally!
Decorating usually gets me in the Christmas mood, but we have also made it a tradition to visit the ‘Festival of Trees’, where all trees are decorated and donated and sold, then all the proceeds go to the Primary Childrens Hospital.
I’m getting in the Christmas spirit by making all new stockings for our family. We had a new little baby a few months ago, so I decided to just start over so we’d all have matching stockings. They are turning out adorable and making me feel very festive.
I’m busy finishing sewing doll clothes, decorating, and baking. One of the cookies I make are my Husbands favorite, a thumb print butter cookie with jam in the indentation. Doing little thing’s that only I do, for my family and friends is what put me in the Christmas spirit!
My kids and I have been baking baking and you guessed it, baking! they are loving passing out treats to their friends and neigbors.
Working on sugar cookies!
Singing Christmas Carols and planning my holiday baking – but after my concerts are over!
I am busy making cookies and candies to sell and hot cocoa mixes and pancake mixes to give as gifts! And I really wish I had that new jam right now for one of my cupcake orders! (I use berry jam mixed with stuff as a filling) Thank You for this fun opportunity! :o)
We’re getting our tree this weekend.
By baking cookies, of course 🙂
I have been baking up a storm! I love Holiday baking! Nothing else helps me get into the mood better than being in a warm kitchen listening to Christmas music and whipping up a fresh batch of cookies! Tis the season!
the list is really never ending…. Christmas music, chocolate turtles, wraping presents, preparing 12 days of Christmas for the love of my life, baking a million CTWM cookies to give away to neighbors in those adorable tin can treats idea that I got from YOU, and making a list of all of the candies and good yummy things I want to make and gobble right up out of the pan, and getting Christmas cards ready for those we love.