Jeff, my son, grew tomato seedlings that I planted in my new raised organic garden beds. I had an enormous crop of tomatoes this year and decided to can some stewed tomatoes. This was my first experience canning and with the help of my neighbor, Anne Marie, we successfully put up 17 jars. Canning is a lot of work and not easy, I spent about 10 hours in the kitchen! My daughter-in-law, Stephanie, suggested I give the stewed tomatoes as Christmas gifts. I thought that was a fabulous idea and suddenly there was a garden theme going on for Christmas gifts this year. I printed out some free labels by Paper Crave and tied with raffia to finish off the look.
On a spring day trip to Lancaster with the Maple Glen Garden Club, I purchased the most beautiful Purple Heart Plant in a hanging basket. I took some cuttings from the plant and rooted them to add a small plant to my garden-themed Christmas gifts. This plant was once known as a Wandering Jew, however the term has fallen out of favor due to its negative connotation. Though, in this case, the term Wandering Jew may seem appropriate for the holiday season since there was a young Jewish couple traveling, looking for a place to birth their baby because there was no room at the inn.
I'm packaging everything into baskets to present to family and friends.
In keeping with the homemade theme, I decided to make up a few more batches of the lip balm that I wrote about back in July. In case you missed it, here is the recipe:Healing and Cooling Lip Balm and Gloss by Organic Body Care Recipes
4-5 tablespoons almond, jojoba, soybean, or castor base oil (castor oil is preferred if you want a super-shiny gloss)
1 tablespoon beeswax
2 teaspoons honey
20 drops of spearmint essential oil (or your favorite scent)
1/4 teaspoon of your favorite colored lipstick
In a small saucepan over low heat or double boiler, warm oil, beeswax, and honey until the wax is just melted. Use 5 tablespoons of oil for a softer consistency; use 4 tablespoons for a firmer balm.
Remove from heat. Add the essential oil and colored lipstick (if desired), and stir until the lipstick if melted. Set the pan in a shallow ice-water bath. Using a whisk or spoon, stir rapidly for 30 to 60 seconds until the honey is completely incorporated and the formula is like thick frosting. 
Pour the mixture into the containers and cap. Let the mixture set for 2 hours before use. No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and taste, please use within 1 year.My notes: This stuff is messy so I suggest going to a thrift store and buying a bowl, knife and spatula specifically for making these body care items. Otherwise you are going to use a lot of hot water and elbow grease to get the beeswax and oil off. I also suggest pouring the mixture into the containers just after the honey is completely incorporated during the ice bath. There is a fine line where the mixture starts to harden and becomes too difficult to pour into the containers - this is important for a smooth look. Also, be careful not to fill too close to the top and don't cap until they have cooled completely.
In addition to the lip balm, I made sugar scrub. I did some research on the Internet for a good recipe but they all seemed very simple and adjustable so I decided to use avocado oil. 
Sugar Scrub Recipe for a 8 oz. container 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
I purchased bourbon vanilla beans online through Beanilla and bottles through Specialty Bottle Company. Cut the beans in half and down the center and placed a few in the glass jars. 
Using a small glass liquid measuring cup, I carefully poured the vodka into each jar. 
I let the beans steep for about 6 weeks in the vodka and then last night printed some labels and tied them on with some twine.
Picture via Motorino
