It is obvious from what we receive on
Purim that many families devote a lot of time, effort, and expense to
producing a drop-dead killer basket. We tend, however, to favor
the workman-like and useful offerings. We think like the Plains
Indians and the buffalo...nothing should be wasted.
You can start with the
container or the contents, but don't fall in love with either and
commit yourself to a package that cannot be economically
completed. Check the dollar store for containers for availability
in the quantities you require. Keep in mind storage and
handling: this model stacks compactly in any attitude or
direction, and can be tossed around without spoiling the
contents. We selected a "two-sandwich"
container with compartments. Then, with sample in hand we went to
Sam's to find the appropriate fillings loosely organized around the
theme of a continental breakfast or light morning snack.
Here is how it breaks down in terms
of dollars and cents. We set a $2.00 limit for the whole package
before we started. We ended up with the following: plastic
sandwich container = $1.00, cheese danish = $0.40, (one) chocolate
cupcake = $0.20, cocoa = $0.14, coffee = $0.19, creamer = $0.02.
Total = $1.95.
The cover's decoration may be as
plain or fancy as you and/or your children's skill and patience
permits. We threw together something with construction paper,
deckle-edged scissors, and a Hebrew word processing program.
