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!**
It would be a pleasure to receive the jams for the holidays..
We have up our tree and I’m a baking machine for various parties 🙂
I am baking cookies and making different varieties of nuts to give as gifts for Christmas!
Baking for family and friends and making homemade gifts.
I’m playing Christmas songs on the piano, and making lots of caramel corn, and drinking egg nog like crazy!
Lots of stuff….
Getting the house all decorated
Lots of Christmas carols
Going to The Nutcracker with my daughter
Holiday baking and cookie exchanges
Holiday parties
Menu planning for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Sending out and receiving holiday cards
Hearing the Hanukkah story every year on speakerphone with Grammy
Eggnog
I’m making some decorations. All of these blogs have motivated me. Currently working on a burlap wreath. 🙂
I getting ready by trying out recipes I want to use during the Holidays. That way if I run across any missing information or things I don’t absolutely love, I know not to use them!
Yesterday I made stained glass cookies to use for ornaments on our Christmas tree. So cute!
There is nothing like being with young children to help you find & then increase your holiday spirit. All of my children have grown & left the nest so it now falls to my 20 second-graders give me the boost I need. They are so joy-filled…it’s contagious!
I went Caroling with my kids today to a nursing home. There were (good) tears, laughter, and singing. It was great!
Yum – what great ideas for the jam. I am getting ready tonight by doing really easy goodies. Pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate and then in crushed candy canes. I am also making Oreo cookies dipped in melted mint chips and vanilla chips. Easiest baking I have ever done!! These are great tucked into gift baskets, or simply wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon for office gifts. Yummy too.
Unfortunately, I’ve only gotten as far as bringing up the boxes of ornaments and decorations from the basement because my husband just had hip replacement surgery and between playing the loving nurse for him, driving him to his therapy sessions and doing all of his daily chores in addition to mine, that’s as far as it has gone. “My plan” is to have the house looking festive by the end of the weekend. I say “my plan” because he’s got cabin fever and has mentioned a “field trip” for Saturday to get “us” out of the house…. ahhh my dear one, he still doesn’t know the elves aren’t the ones who make our house look all Christmas-sy.
I just put out my most prized possession (besides my children, of course)~My nativity from Bethlehem.
I am getting into the holiday spirit by eating everything sugary and bad for me possible. Which is why I need this jam, like stat. Thanks a bunch! 🙂
Christmas music, cards, baking edible gifts and decorating! TY for the giveaway.
Starting my Christmas baking for our first Christmas party next week and watching “It’s a Wonderful Life,” my very favorite Christmas movie.
HAPPY holidays everyone…My grandchildren 8 of them have made bags and filled them with cookies nuts crackers, fruit drinks,coupons for McDonalds,wash cloths, toothpaste, mints, candys,gum. and some with dog food. When we drive around town we hand them out to the homeless. This is such a great time with all of them and they feel so happy to be able to help others out.
I’m doing alot of baking and listening to christmas music while I bake.
Saturday is my day to go stocking-stuffer shopping – for my grown children! So much fun.
Listening to my favorite Christmas songs…The Forgotten Carols, Mary Did You Know and so many others.
Today we made snowflake ornaments for the Christmas tree. My parents always saved the cute/cheesy ornaments I made, so I plan to return the favor. 🙂 (My boy is almost two, so this is the first of many…)
We’ve been listening to Christmas music all day & I made a Christmas countdown chain today with my 4-year-old!
Decorating my home with vintage items that were once my grandmothers.
My cousin got me started on the advent calendar activity thing last year, and although mine is not anything close to as cute or creative as the adorable one here on OBB, my kids love opening a window up each morning to find a piece of paper telling them what Christmas-y thing we get to do that day.
Listening to lots of Christmas music and baking with my 7 year old granddaughter.
Now that is fun.
Deciding on a cookie recipe for a cookie exchange next week…and the winner is…Mint Brownies from Our Best Bites!!!
Wrapping presents!
I am getting into the christmas spirit by listening to christmas music. I also enjoy this time of year because I get to bake for others. I am getting some great ideas from your blog! Thanks!
I’ve gotten into the spirit by decorating the house! Today I bought fresh garland for our front porch (a first) and also found some WAY cool gifts for my honey. Can’t wait to wrap them!