Archive for Holiday Help
Start Making Homemade Vanilla for Christmas!
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About a year ago, I told you about my vodka buying adventures. Fun times. It’s always neat to be carded when you’re in your 30’s. I was so honored. And also embarrassed. Hey, I was buying an entire gallon of vodka at one time. I looked like I was going a little overboard. Like a crazy lady who took her four children to the store with her at nine o’clock in the morning to buy a gallon of booze.
Well anyway, it was well worth it as I handed out nice bottles of homemade vanilla for Christmas last year. And as I continue to pull out bottles of homemade vanilla for our own use. Mmmmmm…it’s so delicious!
I know it’s a little bit early to be thinking about Christmas. Never mind – it’s never to early to be thinking about Christmas gifts. Starting now and planning ahead can save a lot of money. That’s why I’m writing this little post.
It takes six months to make good, strong homemade vanilla. If you’d like to give homemade vanilla to family and friends this Christmas…you’ll need to purchase vanilla beans and start making your vanilla soon! If you get all of your supplies in order now and get the vanilla started in June, you’ll be all set for Christmas!
Here’s what you need to do:
- Read this post about how to make homemade vanilla. (By the way, making vanilla is so completely easy!)
- Order Vanilla Beans (You’ll find details on the amount of beans you need here.) If you order vanilla beans through Olive Nation you will receive free shipping, PLUS if you use the code hhm2010 you will receive 10% off your order! I’ve been very pleased with the beans I ordered through Olive Nation!
- Buy some cheap vodka. (You’re on your own with this one. Best wishes.)
- Get ahold of a big jar to make your vanilla.
- Get your vanilla beans and put into your vodka (as directed here) to start extracting.
Then…in the next few months, you can
- Start thinking about purchasing small bottles for your vanilla gifts.
- Look into these fun Vanilla Recipe Cards to add to your gifts.
My Random Christmas Food Post
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve had several posts lately about gifts of food. Obviously I have more of a fondness for food than I have for Snuggies. Although…we could always give the gift of food…with a Snuggie. Hmm, I might be on to something there.
This week my father-in-law is here…Adam is hanging out while he gets in a few more days of work in before heading home for Christmas…plus my friend Shannen is here for a couple of days! I feel like making my food festive.
Out come the cookie cutters.
I just put them in a basket and left them on the counter so that they’re easy to grab (and so that I don’t have to sort through the Easter bunny and pumpkin cookie cutters every time I want to make a stocking shaped biscuit).
I’ll be making some of the same this week…plus I experimented cutting out star shaped Peanut Butter Honey Fudge.
It worked great. Except for the fact that Malachi was helping me cut out the stars. Then he went to go play and came back with hives all over his neck. We’ve been suspicious, but this confirmed to us that yes…he has an allergy to peanuts. Poor guy.
So, I experimented with Lindsey’s coconut oil/cocoa/honey fudge for Malachi. I’d been wanting to try it for a while and…YUM! It’s super good!
This fudge was a little gooey and therefore harder to cut into stars…so I left most of it as little squares. I love how healthy this fudge is!
Now…talking about fudge always makes me think about salad dressing.
Okay, not really. Talking about fudge always makes me think about fudge.
But now I’m going to talk about salad dressing.
Hey, I didn’t call this a random post for nothin’.
Anyway, I was putting together Anne’s stocking stuff which surprise, surprise consists largely this year of food. I made a jar of Ranch Dressing Mix and a jar of Italian Dressing Mix for her, which I know she will adore and appreciate.
I’ll attach a little card explaining how to make each of the dressings.
Okay, last but certainly not least because I am VERY excited to tell you this next piece of foody news! I finally took the time to create lists on each of my Recipe Pages containing each recipe in that particular category. This will make it SO MUCH EASIER for all of us to navigate and find the recipes on my site.
To understand what I’m talking about…go up to the menu bar across the top of my site. Put your cursor over the RECIPES link. See the drop down menu? Click on any one of those links…Main Dishes, Desserts, whatever. Scroll down on the page you click on and you’ll see a section called “Recipe Quick Click“. Under that you’ll see an entire list complete with links to EVERY RECIPE in that particular category. And it’s alphabetized.
I’ve been wanting to do that forever…but knew it would take forever to do. It did. It took me about four and a half hours to create those lists with links. But…WOW…is it easy to find Swiss Steak and Homemade Soft Pretzels and ANY recipe you want on my site. Hoorah!
So…have any random food news you’d like to share? Does talking about fudge also make you think of salad dressing?
Make a Simple Homemade Christmas Angel Ornament
Posted by: | CommentsThe boys and I saw this fun idea hanging on a Christmas tree at the library last week. I couldn’t believe how simple…yet how sweet these ornaments are. Check it out…they’re angels made from a funky paper clip.
Standing at the library Christmas tree examining the ornaments, I kept going on and on about how sweet the angels were. My boys were interested for about two seconds, then they just stood there nodding politely with a look in their eyes that told me that they’d rather make a pea shooter from a paper clip than an angel.
Fine, fine…but I like the angel. And so I made some. All by myself because my manly boys weren’t interested.
I thought they were interested at one point because they came into the kitchen while I was making them and said, “Ooh, what are ya makin’?”
“Those sweet little angels we saw at the library,” I told them eagerly, handing them a piece of ribbon and a bead.
Nah, it would seem that they really were just hoping I was making some kind of food.
Oh well…maybe for those of you with girl children…or kids littler than mine…you can enjoy the wonderful activity of making these ornaments together with your family. If not, bring over your beads, ribbon and funky paper clips so you and I can ooh and aah over our pretty little creations! (To their credit, my boys did think my finished results were nice.) (And then they asked for food again.)
Because I already had ribbon and beads hanging around…my only purchase was the paper clips (which I found at Wal-mart). I was then able to make these Angel Ornaments for just a few cents each!
You will need: Thin ribbon, beads, funky paper clips, needle and thread
As you take a look at the following tutorial, pay no attention to the fact that some of the pictures show green ribbon with clear beads and some show red ribbon with green beads. I had to take the pictures in stages…in between feeding snacks to boys.
Cut a piece of ribbon about 10 inches long.
Fold the ribbon in half.
Push the folded part of the ribbon through a bead.
Pull ribbon through…
…then fold it around the “neck” of the paper clip.
With your needle and thread, stitch the ribbon together.
(This was the best way I found to hide the excess ribbon behind the angel’s head.)
To see exactly where you stitch the ribbon, scroll back up to the picture right above this one. See where my thumb is? Stitch there…removing your thumb first.
Ooh. Aah. So pretty. So simple.
Much cuter than a pea shooter…don’t you think so?
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays and Finer Things Friday.
Christmas Gifts of Food
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I love giving gifts of food!
Here’s my biggest tip and reason for giving food gifts!!! Let’s say you need to take something to a generic gift exchange. All gifts are expected to be around $20. But you don’t want to spend $20 on a gift exchange because…well…you don’t. $20 is a lot of money.
My solution? Make a gift of food. You can make it inexpensively…but a homemade food item is WORTH more than you spend on the ingredients. People pay big bucks for a homemade pie or loaf of bread or platter of cookies. Therefore, they are happy to receive a homemade food gift and will not feel slighted because you didn’t spend $20. Your gift costs less…but is WORTH $20, right?
So, if you:
- Have no idea what to give someone as a gift…
- Have someone on your gift list that has everything and needs nothing…
- Need a gender generic gift for a gift exchange…
- Want to do something nice for your friends and neighbors and coworkers…
Bake up something yummy. You can hardly go wrong with a homemade gift of food.
Here are a few food gift ideas with recipe links:
Orange Cream Cheese Cut Out Cookies
For friends who can’t have wheat or gluten (or even if they can!):
Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Check out this post for additional food gift ideas of Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce, Kettle Corn, Applesauce Bread, Pretzel Wreaths, and Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Year Candy Cane Card!!
What are your favorite food gifts to package up and share?
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This post is linked to Frugal Fridays .
A New Way To Multi-Task During Christmas Time: Swap Baking
Posted by: | CommentsYay for me. I have some really smart friends. Smart friends who have great ideas about ways to share.
Well, I have another smart friend named Rhonda who shared an idea with me regarding holiday baking.
She said that she and a friend of hers make plans as to what they will be baking during the weekend. They coordinate so that they aren’t both baking the same things. Then they double up what they bake…because if you’re already baking two loaves of pumpkin bread, you might as well make four loaves of pumpkin bread, right?
THEN, they swap baked goods.
For example:
If Rhonda bakes 4 loaves of Pumpkin Bread and 4 loaves of Applesauce Bread and 2 batches of Cinnamon Rolls…
And Rhonda’s friend bakes a double batch of Soft Pretzels and a double batch of Breakfast Cookies and a double batch of Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins…
And then they divide the portions in half and TRADE….
Then both Rhonda and her friend have: 2 loaves of Pumpkin Bread, 2 loaves of Applesauce Bread, a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, a batch of Soft Pretzels, a batch of Breakfast Cookies and a batch of Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins to put into the freezer and pull out as needed during the holidays.
Twice the variety of food…half the mess. I LOVE this idea.
Of course, I’d want to make sure my friend and I agreed on some of the ingredients used (like real butter and whole wheat flour, etc.)…or if you eat gluten free or have food allergies in your household…you’d need to work out all of those specifics.
But I’m thinking I may just try this idea sometime. And I’m thinking I’ll pick someone who’s good at making fudge.
Oh wait, maybe I’d better not.
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This post is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.
How I (the mom) Have a Stuffed Stocking
Posted by: | CommentsI actually can’t take complete credit for this idea. It was sort of mutually figured out by my friend Anne and me. And she’s really the smart one.
One year we were laughing about what our husbands have stuffed into our stockings last minute discussing that our husbands really don’t do a great job of filling our Christmas stockings for us. It’s not because our husbands are not thoughtful…or that they don’t care about us…or that they don’t like to give us gifts.
It just seems that in the big picture of working 50+ hour work weeks to provide for their family and chopping wood for their fireplaces and spending time with their children and helping out with different needs at church…filling our Christmas stockings isn’t very high on our husbands’ radar.
And that’s 100% completely okay with us.
But we both still think it’s fun to have stuff in our stockings on Christmas morning. Plus, our kids might notice if all the stockings are fat and ours is hanging there all limp and skinny.
So…Anne and I fill each other’s stockings. We’ve been doing this now for about five years.
It is a blast.
I know what Anne likes and needs for her kitchen or for her cold feet or for her school time with her girls. She knows what I like and need for my kitchen or for my dry hands or for my “I love jars” obsession.
It completely takes the pressure off of our husbands and they LOVE IT.
We make things or find things for each other inexpensively. We’ve never set a price limit on our stocking filling project…because we both think alike when it comes to money and neither of us spends very much. A few dollars at most.
Then we wrap each item individually and hand each other a bag full of goodies sometime before Christmas. Christmas Eve…we each dump our stuff into our stockings to be opened Christmas morning.
I’m telling you…this is always SO much fun!!!
And did I mention that our husbands love it?
I know that some husbands like filling a stocking for their wives.
But if yours is one that doesn’t…forward this post to one of your friends and let the fun begin!!!
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This post is linked to Works for me Wednesday.
Holiday Help: What to Do With Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
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I seem to almost always over-shoot when I estimate how many potatoes to make for a holiday meal. Just in case you also have a few leftover mashed potatoes…here are some ideas for ways to use them up:
Mashed Potato Pancakes
Leftover mashed potatoes
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (for every 2 cups of mashed potatoes)
Butter
Mix mashed potatoes and flour together. Melt a little butter in the bottom of a skillet. Spoon scoops of mashed potato mixture into hot butter and flatten a bit. Flip potato cake several times to ensure than you don’t burn the sides…but so that the cake is heated through and through.
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Leftover mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream (for every 3 cups of mashed potatoes)
Shredded cheddar cheese (I use raw white cheddar)
Re-warm mashed potatoes. Remove potatoes from heat and stir in sour cream. Spread into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and heat in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Shepherd’s Pie
You’ll find the recipe for Shepherd’s Pie here. Just mix it up and spread the leftover mashed potatoes over the top. So easy!
Have leftover sweet potatoes?
Stir them into these Sweet Potato Streusel Muffins!
These muffins taste as good as they look and smell!
Both mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes can also be frozen to save for another time. It’s wonderful to have frozen mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes ready to add to one of the above recipes!
Share how you use up your mashed potato and sweet potato leftovers!
Holiday Help: How to Make Turkey Gravy
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I think gravy is my family’s favorite part of the holiday meal. “You want any potatoes with that gravy?!”
I know some people are intimidated by making gravy…afraid to make it lumpy and all that. (And then there are people who like lumps in their gravy. “What are these delicious lumps you put in your gravy?”)
Here’s the easiest way I’ve found to make turkey (or chicken or beef) broth gravy:
Easy Turkey Gravy
You will need:
- Turkey broth (Hopefully you saved your broth after you made your turkey.)
- Arrowroot powder, cornstarch or flour (about 3 teaspoons for every 2 cups of broth)
- Water (about 1/3 cup for each of your 3 teaspoons of arrowroot powder)
- Salt
Step One: Pour broth into a medium saucepan.
Step Two: Spoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch or flour) into a small jar or glass.
(Surprise, surprise…I use a jar.)
Step Three: Add water to arrowroot powder and whisk smooth with a fork.
Step Four: Bring broth to a boil (Try saying ”bring broth to a boil” five times fast.)
Step Five: Slowly pour arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, or flour)/water mixture into boiling broth, stirring while you pour. (I usually make gravy with a whisk. On picture taking day, I used a wooden spoon. Either one works, but a whisk usually helps in case lumps want to form.
Step Six: Stir at medium to high heat until gravy thickens.
Turn down the heat and allow the gravy to simmer for a minute or two.
Salt to taste and serve your gravy.
Trouble Shooting:
- If gravy refuses to thicken, stir in tiny bits of arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, or flour)/water mixture until it is thick enough for your liking.
- If gravy is too thick, stir tiny bits of water or milk to thin it out.
- If gravy doesn’t have enough lumps for your liking, add sprinkles of arrowroot powder or flour and just try to stir them in. They won’t stir in no matter what you try, thus causing lumps.
- If conversation around the Thanksgiving Table is lagging…challenge your guests to say “Bring Broth to a Boil” five times fast. That’s sure to liven up any party.
This post is linked to Frugal Fridays.
Free and Inexpensive Christmas Cards **UPDATED!!**
Posted by: | CommentsI love receiving photo Christmas cards from my friends and family every year. It’s so much fun to see how families grow and change each year.
The past couple of years I’ve been a little bit stingy when it comes to spending money on photo cards and postage. Instead, I just wrote a nice Christmas letter…attached a picture of the boys and sent it to family and friends in the form of an email.
Cost? Zero.
A nice way to send a Christmas card/letter? Eh…it was okay…just a little bit boring.
This year I think I’m going to do something a little bit nicer. You may remember that I told you about Smilebox here, which is a super fun and FREE source to embellish your photos to create scrapbooks, cards, recipe cards and etc.
I’m thinking…why shouldn’t I use Smilebox to easily create a cute photocard…then email that to friends and family? I could make it animated…I could put music with it…I could add all kinds of fun features…for FREE!
If you want to learn more about creating a free ecard using your personal photos, videos and music, click on the button below:
OR…
You can spend just a little bit and get some nice photocards from Vistaprint. Right now they are running a 50% off sale. All you have to do is upload your photos into their pre-designed cards. Very nice!
OR…
You can have a specially designed card made any way you like with any colors you like and any design you like for a very reasonable price at Delight Design:
I’ve seen the Christmas photo cards Char (owner of DelightDesign) creates each year and they are AMAZING. Incredible. And so reasonably priced.
**UPDATE!!** Char just contacted me and said that if you email her (char at delight-designs dot com,) for photocard details and mention Heavenly Homemakers…and you’ll receive 50% off your order! WooHoo!! That is an awesome deal!
So…what do you usually send out for Christmas each year? Do you write a Christmas letter? Do you send a photo card? Neither? Both? Share your ideas!
Holiday Help: The Easiest Way (in My Opinion) to Cook a Turkey
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Clearly the easiest way to cook a turkey is to let someone else cook the turkey. ;)
But, if you’re the one in charge of preparing the meal this year…let me share the easiest way I’ve found to cook a turkey.
I remember being so intimidated to cook a turkey the first time I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner. I called my mom a million times to ask questions.
Could it really be that cooking a turkey is as simple as taking out the innards, putting it in a pan, covering it, and baking it? Yes, it is that easy.
My holiday turkeys are not fancy. I don’t stuff them. I don’t slather them with anything. I just put them into the oven and cook them. They create their own broth…smart little birds that they are.
Here is an excerpt from Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Holiday Homemaking ebook on How to Cook a Turkey:
Pick your turkey: You will need about 1 ½ pounds of turkey per person you are serving. Buy your turkey accordingly. Or, buy a larger one if you want to have lots of turkey leftovers. (Here are all kinds of ideas for what to do with leftover turkey!)
Thaw your turkey: Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 3-4 days until thawed.
Prepare your turkey: Once the turkey is thawed, reach in and grab out the bag of giblets. (This is by far every one’s favorite step, right?!) Empty the giblets into your roasting pan as they help make a good, rich broth. Place the turkey, breast side up, into a large baking pan or roaster.
Cook your turkey: Cover with foil or with your roaster lid. Cook at 325° for 15-20 minutes per pound. (For instance, a 20 pound turkey would need to bake for three to four hours.) You know your turkey is done cooking when the little red thingy pops up…or when the legs start to pull away from the body. Your turkey should be golden brown and slightly crisp looking. (Light brown and slick looking? Mr. Turkey is not done yet.)
To Cook your Turkey ahead of time (I highly, HIGHLY recommend doing this!!):
You can cook your Thanksgiving turkey as many days ahead of time as you want. I know most of you like turkey fresh out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. But, here’s what I learned from my mom, and it really saves a lot of trouble on the big day when I’d really enjoy visiting instead of messing with a big bird.
Cook and cool your turkey any day before Thursday. De-bone and put meat in baggies. Pour broth into jars (3/4 full). Freeze or refrigerate, depending on how far in advance you cooked the turkey. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day before serving.
To reheat turkey, put as much light and dark meat as you think you will need for the Thanksgiving meal in a 9×13 pan. Drizzle a liberal amount of broth over turkey, cover and warm in 300° oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is hot and steamy.
No one will ever know that you prepared your turkey ahead of time (except for the fact that you won’t be carving the turkey in front of them). It is always juicy and moist. I do it this way every year, and I’m always so thankful that the messy part is over before Thanksgiving day!
Are you in charge of cooking a turkey this year?! Do you stuff your turkey? Have any more helpful turkey cooking tips to share?
Up next in this Holiday Help series…How to Make Turkey Gravy!
Let me know what other questions you might like answered in this Holiday Help series!
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This post is linked to the Happy Housewife and Frugal Fridays .
