T-14 and Counting Until Tomorrow's Homemade Holiday Link Party

I am ssssssooooooo pumped!  I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight!  Why? Tomorrow starts the Homemade Holiday (Link) Party at Noon Eastern Time!  I've been sharing holiday inspiration with you for the past few weeks and now I get a chance to see what you've been up to!

However, it's not just a link party ..... no way!  You will link up your projects from Noon December 1 through 11:59 pm December 3.  Then, you will be voting for your favorites!  The voting will continue until December 9 at 11:59 pm.  Then, December 10 at noon, the party features and the winning post will be announced.   Come back tomorrow to link up your projects and see the awesome prize package!

In the meantime, grab a button and put it on your blog!

<a href="4you-withlove.blogspot.com" target="”_blank”"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ixNmGaq0e3w/ULloYoKdYWI/AAAAAAAAFEo/Sl7rQuLSj38/s320/homemade%2Bholiday%2Blink%2Bparty%2Bbutton.png"/></a>

See you tomorrow!

Oh, and I'll be posting Day 20's inspiration tomorrow as well!

4 You

Get your Chef On Cranberries: Cranberry Crescent Rolls and Other Recipes

Jen of Four Marrs One Venus and Julie of White Lights on Wednesday host an amazing cooking competition bi-monthly called "Get Your Chef On".  It's really fun how they do it.  They pick an ingredient that each "contestant" is required to incorporate into their submission.  In November, the ingredient was Cranberries.



I signed up and was inspired by this awesome recipe from The Food Network:  Cranberry Pie.  However, I had technical issues and wasn't able to link up my recipe.  I'd like to share my creation with you today!

Cranberry Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 Tbsp water

3 Tbsp butter

4 tubes crescent rolls

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except for the crescent rolls) in a sauce pan. Cook on medium until the cranberries "pop".  Continue to cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens up.  Let it cool.

Preheat your oven following the directions on the tube of crescent rolls.

Open your crescent roll tube and separate the dough into the scored triangles.  At the large base of the triangle, place 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of the cranberry filling.  Then roll up the dough like you normally would for crescent rolls.

Place your completed rolls onto a baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven following the instructions on the crescent roll tube.

Remove the rolls from the oven when lightly browned.  Allow to cool a couple of minutes and enjoy!

Notes:
1.  The filling tastes like "craisins" to give you an idea of the sourness
2.  If you decide to make fewer rolls or you have leftover filling, it is wonderful spread on toast.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  It really is easy.  If you like cranberries and want to see other recipes, check out the Get Your Chef On Cranberry Features & Winner along with all the cranberry recipes that were linked up.  I'm off to the store to get some more cranberries!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 19 - Pledge Glitter Ornaments

Don't you just love the sparkly-ness of glitter?  I sure do....but I don't like the mess.  It seems like no matter how hard you try to clean it up, you will find glittery pieces around for a while.  So, I was so intrigued by the many posts I found floating around Pinterest for creating ornaments with the glitter inside the ornament using Pledge.  I was skeptical and wanted to give this a try.  Well, it worked!

Glitter Ornament with Pledge

Starting from the top left and moving clockwise.

1.  All you need to complete this project is:  clear glass bulb ornament, Pledge Floor Care, Glitter, Funnel and (optional) stickers.

 2.  Remove the ornament hanger from the ornament and pour in about a teaspoon of Pledge.  Using your finger, cover the ornament opening and gently shake so Pledge coats the entire interior surface.  Pour any excess Pledge back into the bottle.

3.  Using a funnel, pour some glitter into the ornament.  Like you did with the Pledge, cover the ornament opening and gently shake to coat the interior with glitter (add more glitter if necessary and if you have excess, you can pour it out and use for your next ornament)

4.  Replace your ornament hanger and you have a beautiful, glittery, no-mess ornament.  

5.  I decided to add a bit more interest to my ornament so placed some of the leftover stickers from my washi tape and sticker coasters on the exterior of the ornament.  LOVE it!

This project took minutes.  The Pledge was a bit pricey (almost $7.00) but it would make TONS of ornaments (or I could use it on my floor....NOT!).  If you decide to add stickers to the outside of your ornament, make sure they are not too large or you will get creases in them since you are working on a rounded surface.

Just one more day of inspiration.  Boy this has gone fast!  Also, don't forget that tomorrow begins our link party and "competition" for a host of prizes.  Check back for details!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 18 - Pop Bottle Penguin

I was looking around on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago and found these cute penguins from Craftberry Bush.

Aren't they super cute? Each of these penguins take two pop bottles to complete.  However, when I was readying my family for our trip to Kentucky for Thanksgiving last week, I picked up two 8-packs of 12 ounce bottles of Dr. Pepper/Diet Dr. Pepper.  Look at the shape?  I'm seeing a penguin.  Are you?

Here's how mine turned out.  It just took some paint, some Mod Podge, and some fake snow.

After I cleaned and peeled my bottle, I spray painted it white using this Krylon fusion for plastic.  I wanted to make sure my other paints adhered to the bottle, but this step may not be necessary.

I then painted the area where the penguin face would be with an additional coat of acrylic paint.

Once the white paint was dry, I painted the hat area with green acrylic paint.

I continued using acrylic paint to complete the penguin.  Although the lid and the painted band between the hat and the penguin looked fine, I felt like it needed some dimension and texture.

I painted on some Mod Podge onto the lid (where the pom pom would be) and along the white area where the brim of the hat is.  I then sprinkled some of the fake snow (Frosty Snow) on the Mod Podged areas.

Here it is.  Easy Peasy and it just takes an empty bottle, paint, Mod Podge and some fake snow!  I wonder if I should add a scarf?

I can't wait to show you tomorrow's inspiration!  It's super easy and sparkly! 

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 17 - Cinnamon Ornaments

OMG, I just saw that this post did not go live last night like I had planned.  I had it put together and saved it but I forgot to "publish" it and alas, you didn't see it!  So, about 12 hours late, here's Day 17's inspiration.

Cinnamon Ornaments

Supplies:

Cinnamon

Applesauce

Rolling Pin

Cookie Cutters

Straw

Cooling Rack

Cookie Sheet

Bowl

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup apple sauce and 1 cup cinnamon.  (To save money, purchase your cinnamon in a 1 pound container.)

Sprinkle your surface with cinnamon along with your rolling pin (like you would use flour when rolling out sugar cookies).  Roll out your dough so that it is about 1/4" thick.  Don't worry if your dough looks uneven:  areas of dry cinnamon on top and areas that  are darker.  These will disappear as your ornament dries.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out various ornament shapes (I chose to use my gingerbread man cutter).  You will then use your straw to cut out ornament hanging holes.  Move your cutouts onto a cooling rack that you can place on a cookie sheet.

You can either leave these out to dry for a couple of days or place them in a LOW oven (150 Degrees F), turning them every hour or so  (the oven method will take 2-4 hours).

Once they are dry, cut a ribbon or piece or baker's twine to make a hanging loop.

These are super simple and smell wonderful.  The only difficult part is waiting for them to dry!

Notes:

1.  I have also made these with pumpkin pie spice.  I would think you could also use ground cloves, ginger, or allspice but this is just a guess.

2.  There are other recipes out there that include some glue and other ingredients.  I like this one because it is 100% non-toxic for kids (my youngest used to love to eat cinnamon sticks and these ornaments).

Come back tonight to see Day 18's inspiration.  It was inspired by this project.

(source)

4 You

Holiday Time is Duck Tape (R) Time - Review

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Duck Brand® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's amazing how Duck® Brand Duct Tape was a grey utilitarian product for so many years.  However, today it comes in so many amazing colors, prints, sheets, and more!  You can even get it in glow-in-the-dark!  

The versatility of  Duck® Brand Duct Tape is not limited to colors, it's now becoming a staple this holiday season.  Two of their holiday prints are.....

Reindeer Print (my pesonal favorite) and 

 

Candy Cane Print.

Aren't these awesome?  My family all live out-of-state and I'll be mailing the majority of my packages.  Wouldn't my packages look festive if I used either the candy cane or reindeer tapes when sealing my boxes?   I also found a great  great tutorial from DIY Network on how to make gift bags using Duck® Brand Duct Tape.   If I make these gift bags using the amazing reindeer tape, not only would they look awesome, these bags would be reusable!

For the crafters on your holiday gift list, you could create a wonderful gift by including a roll of tape along with some instructions for some fun Duck® Brand Duct Tape projects.  Where can you find projects?  There's an awesome page called Ductivities that has TONS of projects for you to choose from.

 What would you make with Duck® Brand Duct Tape this holiday season?  I think I'll be making some polka dot ornaments, duct tape poinsettias, triangle Christmas tree, and decorative bows.   Your projects are only limited to your imagination when you create with Duck® Brand Duct Tape.

I just stopped by Duck® Brand Facebook page and saw that they just ran a contest for a new printed duct tape and a super cool owl print won.  I "like" Duck® Brand on Facebook and I suggest you do as well.  This way, we won't miss anything new in the workd of Duck® Brand Duct Tape.

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 16 - Recycled Snowman

Have you ever looked at an empty container and envisioned something else?  I have.  Yup!  Look what I'm sharing with you today!

Recycled "Mini Toppers" Container Snowman

Supplies:

Empty Mini-Toppers container

Felt sheet

Piece of string/baker's twine/yarn

E-6000 glue

Sharpie Paint Pens in Orange and Black

Step 1:  Remove the label from your Mini-Topper container

Step 2:  Cut your sheet of felt in half shortwise.

Step 3:  Get your E-6000 glue (tip, put some vaseline on the tip of your E-6000 container before you close it to keep it from gluing shut)

Step 4:  Glue your felt onto the top of your Mini-Topper container, folding the bottom over to make a "cuff". It will take a few minutes for the glue to set so you will need to hold onto the felt until it sets up.

Step 5:  Cut the top of your felt down in strips approximately 1/2 the length.

Step 6:  Using bakers twine/string/yarn, tie the hat at the base of your cut strips....this will make a "pom pom" on the top of your hat.  Trim the strips down if needed to create a nice "pom pom" shape.  I trimmed mine down about an inch.

Step 7:  You will use sharpie PAINT pens to draw details onto your snowman.

Step 8:  Draw on coals eyes, mouth and buttons with the black paint pen.  Draw on your carrot nose with the orange paint pen.

Here's the finished snowman.  

I can't believe how fast these 20 days of inspiration are going.  I hope you have found some inspiration.  I'll see you tomorrow with Day 17's project!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 15 - Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix

Some of my favorite childhood memories revolve around snow days.  I loved building snowmen, sledding and attempting to ice skate.  However, the best part of the day was coming inside and finding that my mom had made me a cup of hot cocoa:  liquid love!

I still have a soft spot for hot cocoa today and although I enjoy the convenience of "store bought" hot chocolate mix, it doesn't compare to what you can make at home.  Let me tell you a little secret.  Making some hot cocoa mix at home is super simple and makes a fantastic gift.  The recipe I'm going to share with you is inspired by Alton Brown's Hot Cocoa Mix.

Gourmet Hot Cocoa Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup dutch processed cocoa

1 1/2 cup instant dry milk

1 cup coffee creamer

1 tsp salt

1 pinch ground chipotle pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the large blade.   Mix until thoroughly incorporated and the instant dry milk is completely "powderized".  

To Enjoy:

Place 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug.  Fill the mug with hot water (or for a richer cup use hot milk).  Stir and enjoy.

Package for gift giving.  I placed the mix into a zip lock bag and then placed this bag into a kraft goodie bag I purchased from Pick Your Plum.  You could also package your mix in mason jars.

The dutch cocoa makes this a very rich and full bodied cocoa that everyone on your gift giving list will love.  Once you gather your ingredients this gift can be ready in minutes.  You'll never buy Starbucks again!

See you tomorrow for Day 16's inspiration!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 14 - Jr Mint Brownies

Do you know anyone who doesn't like brownies?  I can't think of anyone.  In fact, whenever I've attended a potluck, the brownie plate never has leftovers.

Aside from brownies being liked to virtually everyone, they are also super easy to make.  So, if you are not a master chef in the kitchen, how can you turn regular brownies into a special gift from the kitchen?  Add Junior Mints!  Your brownies will have a subtle minty taste, one I'm sure everyone will enjoy.  Here's how you can make them (in less that 30 minutes from start to finish!).

Junior Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix

Eggs

Oil

Junior Mints

(You will also need 2 mini muffin pans and mini muffin cupcake liners).

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.  Prepare the brownie batter according to the directions on the box.

2.  Place cupcake liners in your muffin pans (my recipe made 36)

3.  Using a mellon baller or teaspoon, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full and place 1 Junior Mint  on top of each filled liner.

4.  Bake  for 13-16 minutes (you do not want to over bake them).

5.  When you take your brownies out of the oven, you will see that the Junior Mint is not longer on top...it has sunk to the middle of the brownie.  All the brownies to cool before removing them from your muffin pan.

Notes:  You can make these brownies festive by using holiday liners.  I used green foil liners.

See you tomorrow for day 15's inspiration.

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 13 - Curling Ribbon and Bow Ornaments

Did you find any great Black Friday bargains?  My daughter and I did.  Our first stop was at Michael's where we purchased every crafter's "must have" when making Christmas ornaments:  the clear glass ball ornament.  Look what I made in less than 20 minutes (10 minutes each).

Curling Ribbon and Bow Ornaments

Instructions for the ornament on the left:

Remove the hanger from your ornament.  Then, insert curling ribbon you curled using scissors.  Once your ornament is filled to your liking, attach the ornament hanger.

Instructions for the ornament on the right:

Remove the hanger from your ornament.  Take 7-10 of the very small "package" bows (the ones that are approximate 1.5" in diameter) and remove the adhesive base (all that should remain is the bow and the staple that holds it together).  Push your bow into the ornament..it will be tight but it will go in.  Using an unsharpened pencil, move your bow around so that the pretty side faces the outside of the ornament.  Continue adding bows until your ornament is as full as you'd like.  Replace your ornament hanger.

Super easy, quick and very beautiful!  You'll definitely like how these look!  I can't wait to share tomorrow's inspiration with you!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 12 - Spice Advent Box Part 1

Before I share today's inspiration (part 1), I want to say "thank you" to all of you.  I have made so many wonderful friends since I started blogging.  You are always in my corner and I am truly blessed to know each of you.  All of you have inspired today's post.  Why? Because it is a project for loved ones that live far away.

What is one of the most challenging things you face over the holidays? Mine is that all of my family is far away.  "How far?" you ask. Well I'm in Ohio and the closest relatives are my parents in Kentucky.  My siblings and in-laws all live in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Alabama, Oregon and Washington (state).  So the challenges are (a) we don't see them often so I have no idea what kind of presents that they would like and (b) the cost of shipping is crazy!  So, I'm going to share with you what I am sending them this year.

Late last week I received this package from My Spice Sage.  

Yup, tons of spices.  So what am I going to do with this?  I am creating a spice "advent" box for everyone.  I  purchased 24 different spices.  "What about the 25th day?" you ask.  I am creating a cookbook which has 24 recipes!  Here are the 24 spices that I purchased along with links to the recipes that I am using.

Dried Oregano:  Easy No Roll, No Stretch Sicilian Style Square Pizza

Ground Ginger:  Spiced Candied Cashews

Hot Chili Powder:  Cornmeal Waffles with Spicy Chili

Ground Cardamom:  Indian Rice Pudding

Bay Leaves:  Pasta Bolognese

Ground Cayenne Pepper:  Pesto With A Mexican Twist

Habanero Powder:  Habanero Hot Sauce

Powdered Garlic: Seafood Salad/Dip

Granulated Garlic:  Spiced Popcorn

Cinnamon Sticks:  Indian Style Basmati Rice

Chipotle Sea Salt:  Spicy Smokey Smores Bars

Dried Basil:  Minestrone Soup

Ground Cumin:  Cumin Turkey Burgers

Whole Cumin Seeds:  Curried Potato Salad with Toasted Cumin Seeds

Fennel Seeds:  Spinach Artichoke Dip

Poppy Seeds:  Poppy Seed Bread

Chipotle Powder:  Spicy Hummus

Ground Cinnamon:  Sweet Hummus

Blackening Seasoning:  Blackened Shrimp

Creole Seasoning:  Black Eyed Peas

Ground Cloves:  Chai Latte Mix

Sesame Seeds:  Sesame Green Beans

Onion Powder:   Teriyaki Meatballs

Chinese 5 Spice Powder:  Chinese 5 Spice Cookies

A lot of these recipes come from cooking websites which give you an option to print off recipes in different ways (recipe card size, 8 1/2 x 11, etc). 

My Spice Sage is a great website for purchasing spices and they are having a great sale for Black Friday and Cyber Monday:  10% or 15% off all orders!  You can purchase spices in 1 oz packages all the way up to 5 lb packages!  What I have done is purchase spices in 1 pound packages and herbs (oregano, basil, bay leaves) in 4 oz packages.  I will be dividing these up into smaller portions to give out to everyone. 

I'll be posting  how I am packaging these items next week!

I won't be posting tomorrow as I will be busing "Black Friday" shopping.  I'll be back Saturday sharing Day 13's inspiration.

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 11 - Instant Snowman Ornament

All of my children have been, or currently are, involved in Scouting/Venturing.   We've spent many summers  at either day camp or resident camp.  Tons of good times!  Anyway, one of the things my daughter did in Girl Scouts was to participate in Swaps:  A small handmade item that you pin on a hat that is a remembrance of an event or activity.  Today's homemade inspiration came from this Instant Snowman Girl Scout Swap.  

Instant Snowman Ornament

Supplies:

clear glass bulb ornament

felt

black fun foam

2 black pony beads

orange pipe cleaner

2 small sticks

white glitter or white craft snow

scrapbook paper

string/bakers twine

Directions:

Remove the hanger from the glass bulb

Cut/prepare the following pieces and then place inside of your ornament:  1. from the felt, cut out a "scarf" and "mittens",  2.  from the black fun foam cut out a "top hat", and  3.  cut a piece of the orange pipe cleaner for your nose.   Add the pony beads (eyes), the 2 small sticks (arms), and the glitter/craft snow (snow) to your ornament.  Place the hanger back onto your ornament.

Create an "instruction" label with scrapbook paper and write, "Instant Snowman. Just add water and freeze".  Tie this label onto the ornament hanger.

The ornament on the top left used glitter for snow while the ornament on the top right used craft snow.  You can see my instruction labels in the bottom left and the bottom right shows 6 ornaments ready for gift giving.

I hope you enjoyed this fun and simple ornament.  Tomorrow I'm going to share with you what I am preparing for my family who live far away.  I think you'll like it!

4 You

Brownie Mix + Black Beans = YUMMO!

Recently, I've seen a lot of recipes for Black Bean Brownies that are made from scratch.  This really intrigues me because it's a great way to increase the fiber and protein content of my favorite bar cookie.  What would happen if you started with a box mix instead of making them from scratch?   Let's find out!

I started with a brownie mix that is made for a 9 x 13 pan and one 15 oz can of black beans.  (Preheat your oven based on the directions on your box of brownie mix)

I dumped the entire contents of the can of beans (liquid included) into my food processor.  I blended it until it was smooth.  

I then added the dry brownie mix to the food processor and "pulsed" it just a few times to mix it.  

I then poured the batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan and cooked for the time indicated on the brownie mix instructions.

When the brownies were done, I pulled them out of the oven and allowed them to cool. Then I sliced them and look how they turned out!  Nice and fudgy!

They turned out great and I actually made them a few more times.  Here's some notes for you.

• These brownies will be very fudgy and dense.  If you prefer a lighter brownie, add one egg.
• I found that using the bean liquid can cause some people to become quite gassy.  I tried this again and drained and rinse the beans.  I then placed them back in the can and then filled the can with water (just replaced the bean liquid with water).  
• Do not over mix your batter when you incorporate the dry mix into the bean mix.  Remember that most brownie recipes say to mix with 50 strokes.

Give it a try....I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

4 You

Marilyn

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 10 - Cupcake Ornament

My daughter has two loves:  ice cream and cupcakes.  So in honor of her, I decided to make some cupcake ornaments.  I am glad to report that she gave them her stamp of approval. I hope you like them too....and they're calorie free!  ;)  Here's how!

Cupcake Ornaments

Supplies:

Glass ornaments

White paint

Glitter

Holly Berry Sprigs (from the silk flower dept)

Foil cupcake liners

Hot Glue

Using a paint brush, paint the top 1/3-1/2 of your glass ornament.

While the paint is still wet, sprinkle glitter on the painted area (you can use one color, many colors, and as much as you'd like)

While your paint is drying, you want to cut off the berries leaving a bit of the stem so that they look like cherries.

Once your paint is dry, glue your ornament to the foil cupcake liner and your "cherry" on top using a hot glue gun.  I glued the ornament in the liner at a slight angle so that the cherry would sit on top of the cupcake.  Isn't it cute?

Here's a bunch of ornaments.  They almost look good enough to eat! 

We're half way through the 20 days of Homemade Holiday Inspiration.  I've been having a blast and I hope you have been as well.  Come back tomorrow to see what else I have in store for you!

4 You

Homemade Holiday Inspiration Day 9 - Marbled Glass Ornament with Alcohol Inks

Have you used alcohol inks yet?  If not, you're definitely missing out.  They come in a rainbow of colors and dry super quick.  These inks work on any non-porous surface:  glass, plastic, metal, etc.  So, today I'm going to show you how to create a beautiful marbled ornament using these amazing inks.

Marbled Glass Bulb Ornaments With Alcohol Ink

Here's what you need:

Alcohol Inks

Glass bulb ornament

Air in a can (used to clean computer key board, etc).

Note:  The bottle of ink below is metallic gold.  See how it separated.  Always shake up your metallic inks before you use them.  There is a ball inside the bottle to help in the mixing process so you should hear it move around freely if your metallic ink is thoroughly mixed.

Remove the hanger top from your glass ornament.  Then, drop a little bit of your first color of ink INSIDE your ornament.  (It doesn't take a lot of ink.)

Then, pointing the ornament opening away from your face, insert the air tube inside.  Then using short bursts of air, spray the inside of your ornament.  You will see the ink spread.

Now add a second color ink into your ornament and spray air inside again.  (sorry this picture came out so blurry.)  

Continue adding inks/spraying air until you are pleased with your results.  Then, replace the hanging loop/top to your ornament.

This ornament used green, red, and gold alcohol inks.

This ornament was created with magenta, blue, and silver alcohol inks.

So, give alcohol inks a try.  You'll have a blast creating one of a kind marbled ornaments in no time.

Come back tomorrow for another bulb ornament project!

4 You