This year we all seem to be feeling or at least dreading the crunch on our wallets more than ever. Whether its fear of job security, more payments than usual, or a simple lack of money, one thing is clear : This is not what Christmas is supposed to be about.

Christmas is about family, love, a giving spirit, and that special holiday magic. Generosity of heart is the time honored tradition which outweighs generosity of wallet by far. Lets go back to an old fashioned Christmas and give gifts from our heart, rather than gifts from our credit cards.

This time of year, everyone looks forward to holiday baked goods, but some of us simply don’t have the time to bake 20 loaves of banana bread or umpteen dozen cookies. Why not streamline that by giving home made gift mixes? These mixes can be made now and last for several months (or longer), cutting out the last minute gift rush completely by allowing you to finish your homemade goodies before December even arrives!

Whats more, by giving a homemade mix, you are giving your friends and loved ones an opportunity to share something special with their family, even when they might not have otherwise had time to do so.

Today I am bringing you an all purpose (and totally delicious) fruit crisp mix. I am including links to printer ready labels which you can include with this mix that have the directions on one side and the entire recipe on the back.

This is a very versatile mix in that it goes with pretty much any type of fruit you have on hand to bake with! I generally stick to apples and peaches because you can get them canned all year long and they are relatively inexpensive.

Who doesn’t love a good fruit crisp? Served piping hot with vanilla ice cream slowly melting into the yumminess, fruit crisp makes the ideal dessert. You can often this mix for sale on the shelves of specialty shops, with an astonishing price tag! I have seen a single recipe of a crisp mix selling anywhere from $5.99-$7.99. If you want to add in an additional bonus (for around a dollar more), you can include a can of peaches or fried apples along with your gift mix.

This is the same recipe we have used for our fruit crisp for as long as I can remember. When I was a girl, this was the special dish that Mama always let me make. I remember being as young as five and stirring the oats, flour, and brown sugar together. I would carefully cut in the margarine (making a mess, I’m sure!) and then Mama would place an 8×8 dish with peaches spread over the bottom so I could begin sprinkling the topping over it to complete the dish. I loved the evenings Mama decided to have peach crisp for dessert because I always got such praise for my cooking skills at supper that night!

Fruit Crisp Mix

• 1/2 Cup flour (plain or self rising)
• 3/4 Cup brown sugar (dark or light)
• 1/2 Cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in bowl until well blended. Place into zipper bags and seal. Package for gift giving and include a tag with instructions and recipe.

For the front of the tag, go here.
For the backside of the tag, go here.
(the tags include instructions on how to make the Fruit Crisp!)