Bought too much in bulk? Here’s how to share in style!

Do you have the tendency of going to a website to buy 1 or 2 items and then end up with an on-line shopping cart that is overflowing?  Well I do!  (But I also have a solution…)  Last week I visited www.MountainRoseHerbs.com to buy comfrey root powder for our Herb Garden goat milk soap, witch hazel for our Clear Complexion goat milk soap, and a few new ingredients to test like vanilla bean powder, hazelnut extract and chlorella powder.

But then I remembered that Mountain Rose Herbs (which specializes in organic, fair trade, and sustainable herbs, spices and teas) also sells bulk Maca Root & Lecithin powders which I like to use in my morning goat milk-based shakes.  So “click, click” those got added to my cart.  Soon followed by…

• vanilla bean (because I had just gone to Cafe Flourish where I had an amazing vegan shake made with coconut water, dates, and vanilla beans)
• kelp and dulse powder (because a friend and I had recently taken  a cooking class, which focused on macrobiotic & vegan Japanese recipes, many of which include kelp, dulse and other seaweeds)
• psyllium husk (because a friend told me it would help my brother’s irritable bowel syndrome)
• club moss, also known as Lycopodium clavatum  (because someone at Whole Foods told me it would help my Dad’s high cholesterol)
• hibiscus flowers (because I had tried citrus rose tea and loved it)
• cacao nib powder (just because it can be hard to find in powder form at a reasonable price)

… see at least I had really good reasons!  HAH!  Well, needless to say it felt like Christmas when the shipment arrived! And not just because I was receiving but also because I would be giving.  I had a plan to divvy up a number of the bulk items into smaller jars and bags to share with friends.   Here’s how I did it…

1. Grab your supplies: Mason canning jars (so cheap and easy to find at your local supermarket), labeler (a nerdy must in my book), and any other cutesy decorations like cards, stamps and ribbons. You can find resealable bags, for example, from www.PaperMart.com and specialty jars from www.uline.com.

2. Separate each bulk item into smaller jars or bags (depending on the size of the product and/or how much you like the person)

Above is the lecithin powder in a small Mason jar.  This one I’m actually taking home to my apartment for myself and leaving the big bag at my parent’s home (my Mom loves when I make her shakes with it!)

Above is the Vanilla Bean Powder that I poured into three little bags, which I’m just sending in an envelope with a note to my friends Amy and Tracy who shared that yummy shake with me at Cafe Flourish made with Vanilla Bean.   Now they can try their own re-creation at home.

3.  Decorate the jar or bag per your energy level: Hand-write on cap with Sharpie if you’re in a rush, print a label if you’re feeling organized, or stamp a tag and tie on with a ribbon if you’re feeling super-Martha!

4. Print up the product descriptions for each item and put in a gift bag for your friends and family.

Ta Dah!  You get a good deal on bulk items and you get to show your friends you care with a small gift.  Everyone is happy   In fact, the Chivas Skin Care team was particularly happy this evening when I tried my hand at a new smoothie recipe made with many of the ingredients above.