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’ve started my Christmas baking for coworkers. (COOOOOKIES!)
My kids and I just delivered cookies to 8 of our closest neighbors!
I am making my kids quilts for Christmas- I love being warm by the fabric being on my lap and in my arms and on my hands…you get the picture. The jars remind me of Bonne Maman jam in France- so delicious!
I am going to a cookie exchange tomorrow night and counting down the days till I get to go home for Christmas!
Decorating and baking to get ready for the holiday party I’m hosting this weekend!
I’ve been busy decorating my house to get in the Christmas spirit.
I’ve been singing Christmas songs to the kids at bedtime, listening to Christmas music, put the tree up last week, and got my nativities up today! I’m hoping to get my snowman collection up this weekend!
Buying a new package of cinnamon pine cones. They make my house smell like winter!
Getting ready for an all day baking day on Saturday. Aprons ready!
This Christmas has been the best one in a while. My family is getting into the spirit by making the most of Christmas. We are spending each day doing something in the spirit of Christmas-from watching Christmas movies, making OBB fudge and Peppermint Marshmallow Rice Krispie Treats. So far, my favorite thing has been shopping with my toddler for a student at my school who needs a little extra tlc this Christmas. I want to instill a sense of giving and joy in his heart!! Merry Christmas everyone!
I work at the library. You should see the Christmas books fly off the shelves! Of course we have to look at all the cute ones as they come back.
I’m getting in the Christmas spirit right now by getting ready for our church Christmas party and helping organize the Angel Tree for needy families. I’m hoping to get to the baking next week.
Today I actually finished all of my handmade wrapping paper & gift tags and wrapped all of our Christmas gifts. I don’t think I’ve ever been so well prepared until this year. Now getting ready to work on all 25 goody baskets that we’re donating to 25 different families in need. I love this time of year and I love making sure people are well taken care of!
Hoping that everyone is have a wonderful Holiday Season!
I’m getting ready for our Annual Holiday open house, lots of baking, making snacks and decorating.
baking bite size cinnamon rolls then on to the candies. this jam sounds terrific
Well, I must say that the holidays just “snuck” up on me this year. Our daughter is recuperating from surgery and my husband & I have been helping out her family for the past two weeks. It’s been great though, because every day we are able to see our 4 grandchildren who are SO EXCITED about Christmas. I love to see the expression in their eyes when they talk about the magic of the holidays. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year.
Happy Holidays to you and yours and thank you so much for your wonderful recipes, cookbook and website. I thoroughly enjoy each one!
Nettie
I’m starting to plan all of my Christmas baking and just added the peppermint bark rice krispie treats to the line-up! 😉 I’m completely enjoying watching my almost 5 year old triplet boys actually SING (and request) their favorite Christmas songs! Oh and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than to buy a SIMPEL watch for my sister for Christmas…with the 25% discount from OBB! Thanks!
Christmas music and candles.
We are putting up our tree today and will be making a new holiday treat tomorrow—cute little Santa hats made with Bugles snacks!
I listen to Christmas music and wear my coat in the house!
The stockings are hung by the chimney with care.
Hello, thanks for the fab. giveaway. I just bought some Smuckers actually yesterday…my fav. jams! Well, I have been loving watching the snow come gentley down and sipping on delicious hot chocolate…perfect! Thanks, sincerely, Valerie.
Listening to Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, baking, and buying small stocking stuffers with others in mind is putting me in the holiday spirit.
I’ve been baking cookies with the help of my sons! They are 4 and 20 months, so the “help” is messy and unpredictable, but it’s so worth it to share my love of baking with them and, of course, they love tasting the results!
Just got done setting up our Christmas tree and are going to drive around to look at all the lights and our hot cocoa..:) my girls fave.
I’m listening to Christmas music and heading to the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Nutcracker tomorrow!
We’re getting in the holiday spirit by decorating! This is the first Christmas in our new home and we’re loving it! I am also making a conscious effort to be extra helpful to strangers while I am out! 🙂
I’m baking this weekend since that always gets me in the holiday spirit. And I’ve been sewing some gifts for family and friends.
The thing that really made it Christmas was putting up the tree. Course, now my son is trying to take all the ornaments off the tree.
We have put up decorations with the German nutcrackers watching over on a shelf high up. We have also put up the lights in the house and outside. I have brought my nephew to go see Santa and also to go see the Live “Santa” reindeer at a local nursery.