Sometimes...

...I manage to make something that is crafty, cool and a lovely gift. Usually I steal the idea from someone else. Although if you blog or pin your creations, I consider that fair game for copying!

This Christmas I wanted to come up with a gift that I could give to friends that I love and appreciate, without breaking the bank. I love giving gifts, but with a lot of family to buy for it can get a bit overwhelming for the budget. Most of our friends have a mutual understanding that Christmas gifts aren't necessary, time is often what we like to exchange (or more aptly, enjoy together) in this hectic season. And sometimes that time occurs in January, February, March....

Anywho, back to the point. I came across this idea from the Weelicious website (great meal ideas for the littles, and maybe picky hubbies too!). It is "winter chili" in a jar - all that's needed is a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes and water - voila, instant chili :)  Oh, and you could totally add meat to this too (ham, ground turkey, bacon....mmmm, bacon).

So, here is my version of "Easy Winter Chili".

And since I am such a risk taker, I handed these out as gifts before trying them myself! (Gasp!) BUT, I did end up making a batch, just to make sure it was decent, and I quite liked it! We added some bacon, after cooking it to super crisp and crumbling it, which was delicious. Yum!