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May Day is already tommorow!  Want to have a fun project with your kids?  Here’s some great ideas that will help you put a smile on your friends and family members’ faces.  We have a mini-apple pie basket recipe that is perfect for those who want to bake something fun and special for their baskets.  I love making these cute little pies; they are easy to make and they are packed with fresh apples!  YUM!      

We also have a great plant basket idea that is perfect for those who want to give flowers etc.  I love to garden, which is why I really enjoy creating baskets with plants.  For this project all you have to do is buy some plants and make a pipe cleaner handle for each basket.  Another creative way to make your plant baskets extra special is to buy vegetable, fruit, or herb plants and include a recipe that uses the plant you are giving in your May Day baskets.  For example, if you are making a strawberry plant May basket, you could include a printout of a Strawberry Pie recipe and tie it to the basket with a ribbon.

Below are steps to making these great May Day baskets: a mini-apple pie basket and a creative plant basket. 

Mini-Apple Pie Baskets

Apple Pie BasketsThese cute heart covered handleless baskets are sure to brighten anyone’s May Day.  Fill up a basket and take them to work or to a neighbor; I’m sure your day will be filled with smiles.

First you start by chopping six apples into bite size pieces.chopped-apples-wNow mix your apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

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Now mix all of the ingredients together until combined.

apples-and-spoon-wNow set the apple mixture aside.  Then get out your ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (a box with two crusts in it).  Unroll one of the crusts and cut out 12 small hearts.  I know what your thinking… you don’t have a small heart cookie cutter.  You can get a 3 heart set at Hobby Lobby or just cut out each heart with a knife.

heart cookie cutter wNow with the remaining apple pie crust cut out 12 circles to fit into your muffin tin pan.  I use a cup to punch out the circles.
cup-cutting-dough-wNow put the 12 circles of dough in your greased muffin pan and divide out the apple mixture between the 12 cups.

putting-apples-in-cups-wNow put a heart on each cup.  Then brush each heart with a little milk and sprinkle each heart with brown sugar.

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In a 375 degree preheated oven bake the baskets for 25-30 minutes.  Cool them on a wire rack.  Now you are ready to share for May Day.

Mini-Apple Pie Baskets
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 14.1 oz ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (2 pie crusts per package)
  2. 6 apples chopped into bite size pieces
  3. 3/4 cups sugar
  4. 2 tablespoons of flour
  5. 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  7. 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  8. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  9. 1 tablespoon milk (to brush on hearts)
  10. 1 tablespoon brown sugar (to sprinkle on hearts)
Instructions
  1. First you start by chopping six apples into bite size pieces. Now mix your apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Now set the apple mixture aside. Then get out your ready-made refrigerated pie crusts (a box with two crusts in it). Unroll one of the crusts and cut out 12 small hearts. I know what your thinking... you don't have a small heart cookie cutter. You can get a 3 heart set at Hobby Lobby or just cut out each heart with a knife. Now with the remaining apple pie crust cut out 12 circles to fit into your muffin tin pan. I use a cup to punch out the circles. Now put the 12 circles of dough in your greased muffin pan and divide out the apple mixture between the 12 cups. Now put a heart on each cup. Then brush each heart with a little milk and sprinkle each heart with brown sugar. In a 375 degree preheated oven bake the baskets for 25-30 minutes. Cool them on a wire rack.
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Plant Baskets

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Another easy idea for a May Basket is place a few flowering plants or vegetables (that you bought at a store) in a cup and add a pipe cleaner handle.

First you punch two holes in your paper cup.putting-holes-in-cups-w

Now place 2 plants from a 6 cell plant container in each cup. You don’t need to get any extra dirt, because they wedge down in the small cup nicely.  Now put two pipe cleaners together and bend them through the holes in the cups.  And there you have it!  You have a basket worthy of handing out on May Day.

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The next plant basket that you can make is also made with a plant purchased at the store. You just add a pipe cleaner handle to it and tape a piece of black construction paper to the plant.punching-hole-in-strawberry-plant-w

Then decorate the construction paper with chalk or stickers.  You could go even one step further by including a print out of a Strawberry Pie recipe and tie it to the handle of the basket.  

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You can also use herbs and add a recipe that uses that herb in it.  This is a great project to do with kids.  They love creating the baskets and handing them out.  Have a great May Day!