I am really enjoying reading various blog posts about family traditions, recipes, gift giving ideas and decorating for the holidays. Everyone is so inspiring and really creative. So, what I decided to do is have a link on my sidebar, just below this jolly vintage Santa, of recipes or ideas for homemade and handmade gifts to give. There is something so personal and sweet in receiving a gift that a dear friend took the time to create. Wouldn't you agree?If you would like to share your favorite recipe or handmade gift giving idea, just leave me a comment on this post with a link to your post - or somebody else's post. If it is ok, I will add the link to my sidebar list. Won't this be fun? It can even be a traditional decorating idea! Personally, my mind is always spinning with ideas and sometimes I just need a nudge to get me going and motivated.
Two years ago I found Sharon's homemade caramel recipe and have made it for gifts - and they were a hit!! They are melt in your mouth good!
My first link is to sweet Maryjane's Chocolate Popcorn recipe in a paint can! Now isn't that just a SWEET idea! She even shared the image of the vintage Santa above, so you can copy and paste it to your file to use.
Can't wait to get this list going!
I know that there is a lot of talent out there in this big world of ours!
xoxoxo
26 comments:
Well..ok. :) You are doing well?
I make potato candy. I take a small piece of potato and put it in a bowl and mash it with a fork. A good time to do this is when you are making mashed potoato's for dinner. :)
I put powdered sugar in a sifter and sift it into the potato stirring it and in moments it becomes liquid. I then add a bit of vanilla and continue adding the powdered sugar until it becomes like pie dough. I then gather it up, kneed it on a board lightly dusted in powdered sugar.
Then I roll it out into a rectangle, not to thin, not too thick.
I spread it with peanut butter, either chunky, or plain and begin to roll it like a jelly roll. It should not be any bigger around then 1 1/2" at the most.
I then wrap it in plastic wrap or whatever and refrigerate for a bit.
When nice and firm I slice it. It looks like pretty little pinwheels, and place it in a candy dish. My family loves it. I only make it at Christmas. It is very rich..so smaller pieces are best.
I think of you often, my friend.
Mona
well I don't have any to add but just wanted to say that I'm loving this idea of yours !
Oh, what a great idea! Hope you're having a happy day! You've been on my heart!
Blessings,
Shelia ;)
I made these a couple of years ago for my prayer buddies...icicle angels...they're easy to make if you crochet...it was one of the first projects I made as a beginner :D
http://crochetpatternsonly.blogspot.com/2006/11/icicle-angels.html
Hi Sweet Becky,
Ooohhh this will be so fun to share and read !! I too, get so inspired by soo many of you ~~ I have met the most beautiful, talented women in this amazing world of "bloggy friends".. I think you need to share the beautiful things you make, like my pink, sweet, hearts !! I LoVe these, and I'm so excited to put them on my tree .. they are waiting patiently amongst all my pink rosey pillows ... Thanks soo much again Becky !! You are truly amazing, and did I say sooo Sweet! Have a happy day ~~
big hugs ~tea~xo
meant to add my site address too...
added this activity to today's post...
http://skirkman.blogspot.com/2009/11/random-dozen-12.html
I love this idea! I'm not quite on board yet...but I will be soon!
It's so funny you're doing this -- just this morning I was thinking similar thoughts related to memories, traditions, etc. I'll have to give this some thought!
Last year my sister passed along this birdseed wreath recipe. My grandchildren LOVED making these as gifts for their parents. They were so proud on Christmas morning to show off what they had made. I made them for myself and my mother-in-law. They are pretty. They are easy to make. They are inexpensive and the birds LOVE them.
Homemade Birdseed Wreaths (for our feathered friends to enjoy!)
Ingredients:
8 T cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water
4 - 1/4 oz packs (1 box) Knox unflavored gelatin
8 cups birdseed
raffia
Boil 1 1/2 cups water. Empty the 4 packs of gelatin into the 8 T cold water in a large bowl. Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute. Add the boiling water and stir for 2 -3 minutes or until gelatin has dissolved. Stir 8 cups of birdseed into gelatin, mixing thoroughly. Let the mixture sit for several minutes, then stir again. Repeat this process a few times allowing the seed to absorb the liquid. Spoon the mixture into a greased Bundt pan. Cover with plastic wrap and using the wrap, press down on mixture making it well formed to the pan. Put pan in refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Remove the pan and carefully run very hot water over the sides of the pan for a few seconds. Invert birdseed wreath onto a cooling rack that is sitting on top of a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, foil or paper towels to help catch any seeds. Allow wreath to dry for about 24 - 48 hours on the cooling rack. Use several strands of raffia to form a loop to hang the wreath.
NOTE:
I added a pint of fresh cranberries and two snack sized boxes of raisins to the mixture I just made this morning. Since it added to the volume of mixture I was able to make two wreaths instead of one. They will both be a little smaller than the original that goes into one pan. They look beautiful with the red cranberries!
Hi Becky, as you know I have been doing a McLinky on Tuesdays for Handmade Holidays. So far I have shown tutorial on how to make vintage screw back earrings into pierced dangles, a cute wreath, a stamped butter knife and some ideas on gifting thrifted silverplate. http://kathyscottage.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-holidays_16.html
Our favorite family tradition is our Advent dinners. Candlelight, soft Christmas music and lights and all kinds of little treats and appetizers. Time to decompress and enjy each other's company:>) It starts the weeks before Christmas in a relaxed and happy way:>) Love you!
Kathy
Great idea! I hope I can come up with something. laurie
I can't think of any one thing to share right this minute...just now reading your post. But I have "listened" to so many people complaining about decorating a tree this year. I can remember when my mother said the same thing! I refuse to let that feeling attack me. It's just myself and my husband for most of the holidays...but while decorating the tree, I feel as though I'm connecting with "old friends". I have all glass ornaments and some were from my childhood tree as well as my son's who turns 41 soon. I find the lit tree gives me a peaceful, warm, loving feeling and I don't plan on "not putting up a tree"! Thank you for your creative self...I will be adding my tradition soon.
You are sooooo stinkin' smart! :)
I will have a post after T-day for apple butter...Will I still be able to link in then??????
~Liz
Hi,I don't have a blog but anyone
who crochets can make this hat.
Chain 50,first row sc crochet,ch
1 in every other ch.Then every
row is sc,ch 1 in every ch 1
space,until you have it wide
enough to fit your head,then
crochet the sides together and
make a running stitch in one
end for the top,draw it up and
end off. You have a nice stocking
hat with a cuff. You can add a
tassel on top if you wish. I hope
I have made this clear,not sure
if I did. I can't wait to get the
tree up,even if it is now a fake
tree. I will put real branches
in the house for the smell. You
gota do what you gota do.LOL.:O)
Elsie
I have so many Christmas Idea books here and one of the sweetest things I've made is a Warm Thoughts Jar. I think the idea is from a Gooseberry Patch Christmas Idea book.
Make a label to glue on a clear jar that you have a lid for (recycle)! Decorate the label and title it "Warm Thoughts." Try framing the title with a checkerboard of red and white rectangles outlined in black ink.
Cover the lid with a circle of Christmas fabric cut with pinking shears and use an elastic ponytail band to hold the fabric on the lid. Tie a miniature ornament to the elastic band, letting it dangle.
Use some decorative edge scissors to cut out 24 1" x 1 1/2" pieces of paper. Fold each piece in half and punch a 1/8-inch diameter hole through one corner of the folded edge. Write your warm Christmas thoughts on the papers and tie them to tissue-wrapped candies. Fill the jar with these warm thoughts.
You can just place Hershey's kisses or peppermints in the jar along with your warm thoughts rolled up scroll-like and tied with metallic thread as another idea.
Ideas for warm thoughts:
*a crackling fire*
*warm apple cider*
*caroling the 3rd verse of O Little Town of Bethlehem*
*a hug from a child*
*reading Isaiah 9:6*
*memories*
*start a new tradition! now!*
*lying UNDER the Christmas tree*
Open one each day until Christmas!
Praying Isaiah 9:2 for you Becky. And sending you warm thoughts for the holidays. The spirit of your son is with you always. Love your family and make every day count as a blessing.
You are loved, blessed and prayed for.
Deborah
That Mary Jane is one smart cookie! I'll put my thinking cap on for this!
Brenda
I remember your caramels. Yum. I had to hide mine ;-)
Here is my Scottie tree from last year, which sports your sweet tree skirt. I love seeing people's theme trees.
http://lalleescottage.blogspot.com/2008/12/scottie-tree.html
XO,
Lallee
Did you say homemade caramel...gasp! I have to go check that out now :) What a great idea for a post Becky! I'll be back to share and read more!
Hugs,
Dena
thanks for sharing the picture and if I come across or come up with something myself I will send it your way!! If you don't mind I will put a link to your blog on mine!
I stopped in to visit your blog yesterday. Your idea of sharing recipes/traditions reminded me that after Thanksgiving I need to bake the Sugar Cookies for Christmas. These cut-out cookies are stored in my freezer. I bake them for many holidays. Nutmeg and Sour Cream give them a yummy taste.
Here is the recipe:
http://www.longmeadowbiz.com/atastythought/sugarcookies.pdf
I am giving you the link to the Sugar Cookies, again. It did not show up properly.
JG
http://www.longmeadowbiz.com/atastythought/
sugarcookies.pdf
Hi Becky,
I'd like to share our "bacon & eggs" with you. It's a favorite we've made every year since 1985. It's a cute little gift that everyone has always gotten a chuckle out of. I hope they make you smile too!
http://spunbyme.blogspot.com/2009/11/id-like-to-share-my-bacon-eggs.html
PS. Your dining room looks so beautiful!
well, its not a recipe but I have been making these Christmas bird nest decoration which I think are so lovely. Anyone can make them or a variation on them but I am having a give away right now so you could win one! Stop by for look. http://vintagelifestyle.blogspot.com/
bye for now, kelly
Just beau-ti-ful! So peaceful and calming....I am not a shabby cottagey girl but I do love your posts and pictures! I am a a farmhouse country style kinda gal, for homemade gifts this year I am working on a few projects that I will be blogging about in the coming days, I also make the ol' cookies in jars to add to gift baskets, and I am a sign maker as well, so family members get a sign that they really like too. You can see them on my blog if you like..... farmhousecountrystyle.blogspot.com
thank you for sharing, your beautiful home. I do love your posts!
Oh Becky, you sweet thing, you! Thanks for my Santa can lead! I really enjoy making them and the chocolate popcorn is so yummy! I am so excited that I just bought your dArLiNg vintage tablecloth garland!!!!!! Can you hear me screaming from down south? Love this Christmas idea post to!
Love you to pieces!
Maryjane
xox
Mini Pie Tarts
Any flavor Pie Filling
Pastry:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
cream butter and cream cheese (room temperature) together, add flour 1 cup at a time, shape into 1" balls and place in mini tart pans (ungreased) shaping into little pie shells. Fill 1/2 full with pie filling. Bake at 375 degrees until crust is golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.
Happy Holidays to you and Yours...Jennifer
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