The Finished Treat Tower

This is the finished treat tower. It turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself.  I had most of the ingredients and all of the decorative items on hand, needing to buy just a few items to complete some of the contents. And it is heavy! At least 5 pounds, maybe more. It should be a real pleaser for the recipient.

At the top of the tower, I attached an ornament that was in the free box that I picked up near the end of summer or beginning of fall.

My daughter helped me make the popcorn this afternoon (so it would be fresh, as the tower will be given tomorrow), and I wanted to show you how it looks. It's very delicious! She emphasized that the popcorn flavorings are about half the price at Walmart and WinCo, in comparison to other grocery stores, and she says that Walmart has more flavors. So, definitely do check around, if you're ever looking to buy the popcorn flavorings.

I also wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas.  May you feel the blessings and joy of this special day.

Filling the Tins: Cookies and Candy

The last tin

This last tin is medium-sized and holds cookies, foil-wrapped chocolate candies, and candy canes. I only have half of the cookies ready -- the Nutty Caramel Bars, but I will finish the other cookies tomorrow -- Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, and Peppermint Drop Cookies. One daughter wanted to help with the baking, so I'm waiting until she can be home.

For the cookies, I put each one in a mini muffin paper. With the caramel bars, this keeps them from sticking together, but also improves the presentation, I think. I'll do the same with the drop cookies.

Here's how the Spiced Nuts turned out. I lined this tin with plastic wrap, then rolled the excess so that it fits neatly inside the tin.

I topped the nuts with a circle of waxed paper, to hold in freshness.

Those are the filled tins. There are 5 tins altogether, holding Nacho Cheese Popcorn, White Chocolate and Peppermint Pretzels, Drinking Chocolate, assortment of cookies and candies, and Spiced Nuts. When I get them stacked and held tight with a ribbon, I'll post the final picture. I think this is a very nice gift. I know that I would be very pleased to receive it, so I am hoping the recipient will feel the same. I took a couple of shortcuts, but by and large, the tin contents are homemade. My total cost was about $11 or $12, not including the leftovers which will become the holiday treats for my own family. A typical snack and treat tower of similar size and variety costs about $35 to $45, retail, if purchased through a company such as Harry & David.