Gluten Free Christmas Gifts #5: Homemade Granola in a Paper Cone

I have another favorite blog that I like to run through for ideas sometimes. It's called Real Mom Kitchen and I tried some of their Pumpkin Granola the other day. Mmm, mmm good. It's a mixture of oats (I used gluten-free oats just to be safe), cranberries, pumpkin puree, pumpkin seeds, and maple syrup. It was a good time. This recipe makes quite a bit of granola, so I had a brainstorm. A Christmas-gifting kind of brainstorm. This recipe makes about four cups of granole, so I took some over to my friend JoLayna, who introduced me to the site, to say thanks, and I made one of these super easy little scrapbook paper cones to put it in.
First, you take a piece of 12"x12" scrapbook paper and twirl it into a cone. Tape it together down at the bottom of the cone and in the middle, to keep it together. Snip the top so that it's an even circle all the way around. Then snip about six slits down around the top of the cone.

Put about a cup of the granola into a ziploc bag and form it into a cone shape before you zip it up. I have it open inside the cone here so you can tell that it's granola in there. Then fold down all the tabs you made with your snips and make an "X" of tape across the top to hold it together. Attach a cute nametag from Hobby Lobby and you're ready to make someone's day! Granola is a little expensive to make, and this particular granola was a little more expensive because the pumpkin seeds are not cheap. Even with that though, a gift like this still comes in at under $4. Now this recipe might not seem Christmasy enough for some of you. A little too much harvest on the palate? Here's another great recipe for granola from the site Amateur Gourmet that he found in the pages of a cookbook called, "Baked." I might have to try it next...It's a very basic recipe that sounds good for every season. And, I'm here to tell you, all you have to do is give something a clever name and it will seem like whatever you want it to be. Like, Christmas Cranberry Granola or Christmas Tree-Hugger Chow would do.

What I love about this idea is that you could fill these little cones with just about anything you have on hand that's gluten free, like candy, gluten free pretzels (I have a great idea coming for those next week), Kinnikinnick oreos (a great idea for those, as well), chocolate covered nuts, pistachios, mini chocolate bars, whatever your loved one's favorite treat is. And you can get such a varied look with the different papers nowadays: grown-up looking ones, kid's favorites, vintage, whatever you love you can create here. I should have figured out a way to get some ribbon in there! Darn. There's always next week. Tune in on Monday for more great ideas!

Happy giving!