Gifts in a Jar links

Lots of fun sites to get ideas/recipes for gifts in a jar. Thanks mom!


http://breadinabag.blogspot.com/
Yummy breads and soups to store in bags or jars. Great for convenience and gifts!


http://busycooks.about.com/library/weekly/aa102300.htm

General make your own mixes but we all know that they can be made for giving

http://www.dmoz.org/Home/Cooking/Gifts_in_a_Jar/

Jar websites

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/giftsinajar/a/122099a.htm

Cookies but includes printable gift tags

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blmisc39.htm

Miscellaneous Recipes

http://www.recipebox.net/holiday/kitchengifts.htm

Recipes for jar mixes

http://www.make-stuff.com/cooking/

Great recipes and information

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/holiday-recipes/holiday-food-gift-mix-recipes.html

Gift food mixes

http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/archive/category.cgi?category=MIXES

Gourmet Baking Mixes

http://www.dominosugar.com/recipes/recipe_detail.asp?ID=264

1001 Cookie Mixes

http://www.hugs.org/makemixdex.shtml

Gift Mixes

http://www.recipelink.com/holiday/merrygifts.html

The Kitchen Link Jar Cakes, More of them

http://www.ezcampingrecipes.com/index.html

Camping Recipes

http://www.realfood4realpeople.com/cookies.html

Gift cookie recipes

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980923a.cfm

Jar, Mixes, Soups, and then many sites for Kitchen Gifts

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/mixes/mixes.html

Mixes A-Z

Recipes from Scratch

http://mixes.cdkitchen.com/

Jar Recipes, Mix Recipes and Canning Recipes

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/general/index.htm

Christmas - Gifts - Jar Mixes

http://www.thriftyfun.com/Christmas_Gifts_Jar%20Mixes_246_265_273.html

Jar Mix Recipes

http://whatscookin.proboards4.com/index.cgi?board=Jar

Gifts In A Jar

http://www.geocities.com/giftsinajar/

Jar Recipes - Gifts In A Jar

http://www.creativeladiesministry.com/jarrecipes.html

Blonde Brownies In A  Jar

http://southernfood.about.com/od/christmasfood/r/bl51112b.htm

Free Gift in a Jar Recipes and Jar Mixes

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

Dog Biscuit Mix in a Jar

http://home.ivillage.com/decorating/crafts/0,,n90t,00.html

Food Gifts From Your Kitchen

http://www.recipe-recipes.net/

Homemade Mixes: A Unique Gift

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/99/991025m.cfm

18 Uses For Canning Jars

http://www.wisebread.com/sanity-saving-ideas-for-canning-jars

Free Gifts In A Jar Recipes + More

http://tipnut.com/free-gifts-in-a-jar-recipes/

How to Make a Journal Jar

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/mo_journaljar.html

Jar Gift Recipes: Holiday Ideas for Gifts In A Jar

http://organizedchristmas.com/index-gifts-in-a-jar

Jar Mixes

http://www.heart4home.net/giftsinajar.htm

Gifts In A Jar

http://www.craftbits.com/viewCategory.do?categoryID=REC

Nikibone Gifts In A Jar

http://www.nikibone.com/recipe/gifts_in_a_jar.html

Mixes In Jars

http://www.cookingcache.com/cat/gifts_in_a_jar/default.aspx

Gifts in a Jar - Irish Soda Bread

http://www.betterbudgeting.com/homemadegifts/irishsodabread.htm

Decorating Tips For Gifts in a Jar

http://www.homemade-gift-basket-ideas.com/gifts-in-a-jar.html

Canning Jar Lamp Craft Project

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-gifts/canning-jar-lamp.shtml

How to Make Canning Jar Potpourri

http://www.ehow.com/how_2098660_make-canning-jar-potpourri.html

Jar Decorations

http://crafts.kaboose.com/jar-decorations.html

Canning Jar Pumpkin Lites

http://www.geocities.com/kraftproject/Instructional/canningpumpkinlight.html

Canning Jar Projects

http://www.homecrafting.com/collection_elite/projects_enewsletter.html

Canning Jar Labels

http://www.alottalabels.com/

Candle Jars

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10289

Mason Jar Craft Ideas

http://www.auntmarysebooks.com/mason_jar_craft_ideas.htm

Jar Crafts

http://www.familycorner.com/forums/archive/index.php3/f-214.html

Replace your blender carafe with a mason jar

http://www.diylife.com/2008/03/07/replace-your-blender-carafe-with-a-mason-jar/

Ball Idea Book - Crafts and Gifts

http://www.canningpantry.com/bk-idea.html

Pizza Bites

So my camera is acting up... I think it is finally giving the ol' Heave-Ho and saying it's done being abused by me. The lens isn't focusing. So I couldn't take pictures to show you my yummy, delicious dinner that we just ate. I had made them before but the recipe I tried before I didn't like, so I improvised my own and thought I would share.


I make my pizza dough from scratch but if you don't want to you can just grab Rhodes or some brand of bread dough to use. 


My dough recipe is:
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons yeast 
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
A dash of garlic salt
3 cups flour


Add yeast to water, let stand for a min. Then add all ingredients but flour. Do a quick stir up. (I do my mixing in my KitchenAid.) Then add the flour. You may need to add a little more water if the dough is not wet enough. I don't change my mixing attachment to the kneading hook, it mixes just fine. Let mix for about 4 min. This is not a sticky dough. The olive oil gives it the perfect texture. (Remove from mixer and put in a greased bowl. Cover with towel and let rise about an hour or till doubled in size. 


Preheat oven 375. Now, I get out my ingredients for the pizza part. I put in two pepperoni's when I make the balls. And grated mozzerella cheese. When the dough is ready, have a Bundt pan out and spray with oil. Start grabbing little amounts of dough and spread it a little smaller than the palm of your hand. Add the two pepperoni and some cheese. Fold into ball shape and put in Bundt pan. Keep doing this until all the dough is gone. Mince a clove of garlic and sprinkle on top of the balls. Drizzle olive oil on top of that, a decent coating. (I wish I could pictures up of this). You definitely do not want too much oil, but you don't want too little either. Sprinkle garlic salt over the balls and then some parsley flakes. Bake in oven 18- 20 minutes, but check to make sure they are slightly golden brown on top. Even a little light is okay, because you don't want the bites in the bottom of the pan to get too crisp because of the olive oil. As I am writing this I am wondering if this sounds too complicated. It's hard for me to write because I just go with the flow and love to cook so I feel kind of in-tune to it. ha! Making these are definitely not a big deal, but I was so disappointed last time that I really baby-sat these this time.


And obviously you can add anything in the middle you want. 


Remove from oven. Heat up in a little bowl some marinara/tomato sauce for dipping. And ENJOY! Our family loves them. These were fun to do for a little change-up because we have Family Pizza Night Fridays. (It makes planning the menu for the week so easy when I get to Friday!)  


PS. This dough recipe makes for a medium size dough. I actually use a little bit different recipe for a pizza crust that turns out great. If you want that recipe, just ask!

Crochet Girls

Rachael with BFFs, Leia & Ali, and Gabi

Rachael's new do, the messy bun

My 7-grain bread from OurBestBites.com! Love

Gabi and stitches on her cheek

I guess I should say from the picture of Gabi on the previous post, that Gabi had to get 2 stitches on her cheek last Monday. The kids were outside doing crafts with a friend and Rachael started cleaning up. She was swinging the outdoor push broom around and it struck Gabi, with the screw ripping a little hole in her cheek. So when I looked at it, I knew it would need stitches.

Gabi was such a trooper. They numbed her cheek with a topical for 20 min, and then gave her a shot still, which it didn't seem like it helped much, because when the Doc did the stitches, she still squinted her eyes and let out a couple of tears. And even after that, she wasn't saying that her face was numb or felt weird or talking different (like if part of her cheek/mouth wouldn't life in a smile). And that is only just now making me realize.... hmmm. And he put in a decent amount, like, it took him more than a few seconds to put the full syringe of numbing fluid in. Maybe it was water but they bill it as meds? LOL. Anyway, she was a strong girl and said she wanted cotton candy ice cream when we left. I said I hoped to find it. And we did, at HEB. Love that place.

I got mint chocolate chip for the rest of us.

It was a little adventure and now both Rachael and Gabi have had stitches. (Rach had one on the top of her head when she was in Kindergarten from bumping the top of her head under a bench on the playground). Wonder what it will be for Jake? Ha!

Thoughtful, creative daughter

Rachael has become my crocheting buddy. I got her a little yarn and needle basket for Christmas when she was 6 and tried to teach her how to chain, but we decided to wait a little bit. Throughout the past 5 years, we have gone over it with the last couple of years showing much improvement, but she couldn't settle down for very long to keep at it. Now she has friends (Plus they recently had an Activity Day lesson about crocheting), that inspires her to keep at it. She told me that she doesn't have time to do it, but I told her, that if we sat down together and gave it just 10 minutes, that she would be able to start completing projects she had started. So now, we have been sitting on the couch crocheting, and she finished her first project. By default, it became a shawl. Rachael said, It kind of ruffles at the bottom from not doing it too great. (First project, I think it is great!) and what did my sweetie do?? She turned lemons into lemonade and said, I could make it a shawl for Gabi. I just need a button to go right here (and she pointed to the top of it). I thought, mmmhmmm. And then she went to our sewing box in the closet and came out with a button and then got some pink thread and the needle and brought it to me. She was trying to sew the button into the yarn of the shawl but couldn't get it to work. I ended up getting the button where she wanted, and then, voila! She had a completed project. Kudos to her for finding inspiration on what to do. (Because she needed to finish because she was nearing the end of her yarn). And so now Gabi has a new shawl, which she pranced around in last night at our ward Family Game Night, and then wore to church this afternoon. So cute! I love that Gabi is excited about it too. Today Gabi saw us crocheting and wanted to join and so I was trying to teach her. We'll see how that ends up... I still think she may need maybe one more year. She may get it sooner, especially if she sees Rachael and I doing it a lot, and she is determined. Dad calls us his "little grannies". I think of us a pioneer women club. :)

Valentine's

So it is SUCH fun having a preschooler for special occasions, like Valentine's! We made play dough hearts for Gabi to give to her Busy Bee preschool friends. I found the cute printable labels here...http://the-wilson-world.blogspot.com/2012/01/play-doh-valentines-with-printable.html

As we were rolling the dough and cutting out the hearts, Gabi said to me that she was having a great time doing this with me. AW! She's my sweetie-pie! She always knows what to say and do to melt my heart! We had great mommy-me time as her older sister was at school and little brother was napping. 

This is the best recipe for home made play dough....

2 pkgs. Kool Aid (sugar free)

2 1/2 cups flour (sifted)

1/2 cup salt
3 t. cream of tartar
2 T. oil
2 c water

Mix first four ingredients in a bowl. In a saucepan, bring oil and water to a boil. Mix together by pouring the hot liquid on top of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Let it cool till you can handle it. Knead until smooth. Store in Ziploc bag.

Can't wait for the preschool valentine party in a few min! Gabi's older sister made origami boxes and put candy inside and decorated the outside to give out to her classmates. Very creative. We thought of other projects, but she has been learning origami (heart, flower, box) in art at school and she decided she wanted to make everyone a box. I got to spend time with her and make a few with her, and that was our fun Mommy-me time, but the other two siblings were there "paper crafting", cutting with scissors and taping things.

Last night we also made and decorated sugar cookie hearts. Fun!

This morning I woke up early and decorated the table (as my annual tradition) and put rose petals on the table, our cards and boxes of chocolates, and red streamers from the light fixture over the table. We were going to make heart-shaped pancakes, but we decided not to and made double-cheese bacon biscuits that we love from Picky-palate.com.

Rach brought juice boxes for her class party and we have the guess how much candy jar, so she brought Valentine M&Ms in a jar for the game. I can't wait to hear how her party goes!

Okay, I'm off to take the preschooler to her party!

Hubby and I have Valentine's EVERYDAY. He is so romantic and sweet and loving. He compliments me everyday, slow dances with me in the kitchen, helps around the house, and is just absolutely wonderful. I love him so very much and feel so blessed to have him. We have a wonderful family.

Happy Valentine's Day friends and family! Hugs to all!