No-sew fleece blankets
The following instructions are for a blanket made with two pieces of fleece (you know, the kind that's really soft and cozy that feels like the inside of a sweatshirt and is all over the sewing aisles in stores), each a yard and a half in size. This is perfect for the average sized person to use as a cuddly blanket when curled up on the couch, or even to throw over a bed. For a really tall or large person, you may want to consider using more fleece. You can also cut the size down for a child, and even smaller for a baby blanket. You can also use just one piece of fleece for a less heavy blanket. Very small pieces can be used to make pillows. I like to make blankets with two different styles/colors of fleece that look good with each other so the blankets can be reversible.
Lay your fleece back to back (it's usually fairly easy to tell the side that should be facing outward because it's more colorful and/or clear images) on a large flat surface such as a clean floor or large table. Make sure the fleece is lined up identically as well as possible. If there are glaring differences in the edges (several inches difference), you may want to trim it a little. But remember that you will be tying the edges so it's not as noticeable if it's just a small difference. You may want to pin the fleece together in a few places to keep it from slipping, but it's really not necessary.
With a marker and pencil or pen that won't be too noticeable, make little marks at the corners that are four inches from the edges (you'll be cutting a 4-inch long, 4-inch wide square out of each corner, so make little marks so you can see where to start cutting and where to stop). Then go along the rest of the fleece edges with a ruler and make little marks every inch.
Using your marks as a guide, trim a 4-inch square indent out of each corner (make sure you're getting both pieces of fleece cut at the same time). Then move on to the 1-inch marks and cut up until you reach the end of the inside of the 4-inch square. You'll be cutting fringes up every inch mark that will be four inches long so that you have fringes 1-inch wide and 4-inches long down every side of the fleece.
Beginning one corner, tie the fringes of the two pieces of fleece together into a knot. Tie several fringes on one side of the corner and several fringes on the other side so the two pieces stay together well, then move on down one side and keep tying all the fringes together until you've got the blanket. You're done!
Note: If you're using just one piece of fleece, follow the instructions for cutting but then you'll just tie all the fringes into themselves to where you've got a little knot at the bottom of each fringe where the fringe meets the uncut fabric.
Make your own lotion, bath salts, gels, soaps and more!
I did this for several women in my family, as well as friends, for Christmas this year. I made lotion and bath salts. It was fairly simple because I just bought the unscented lotion base and plain Dead Sea salts, as well as some fragrance, and then mixed it together. I bought bottles and tops for the lotion, and tubes for the salts. I also put some of the salts in ziploc baggies. Then I just created labels on the computer and stuck them onto the bottles, tubes and bags. To mix the lotion, I mixed each batch in my Kitchen Aid mixer for five minutes (the lotion base and fragrance). For the salts, I just put the salts and fragrance into a bowl and mixed it up for a few minutes with a spoon. I did make sure to sterilize all bottles and tops for the lotion, as well as mixing utensils, with rubbing alcohol before I began.
Here's where I bought the lotion base and salts, as well as a helpful heavy-duty gallon pump (I was able to pump the lotion from the bowl into the bottles after mixing:
Essentials by Catalina
Here's where I bought the fragrance and bottles and tubes:
Bath and Body Supply
Here's some other sites I've found that sell similar products:
A Patchwork Place
Almost Heaven
Herbal Accents
Wholesale Bath Supplies
MoonGlow
Excellent hot chocolate mix
I did this along with some cookies and candies one year for Christmas and it was a big hit. This hot chocolate is very good, especially rich when prepared with half-and-half instead of milk. I just put the mix into glass jars and made large stickers with a holiday theme, our daughter's picture and the instructions on them then stuck them onto the jars (I also put squares of holiday fabric on the jar tops).
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chunks or pieces; 2/3 cup sugar; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
For mix, in a large bowl combine all ingredients and spoon into a container or jar, or self-sealing plastic bag. Cover or seal. Include the following recipe directions:
To make 4 servings of hot chocolate, in a medium saucepan combine 2/3 cup cocoa mix and 1/4 cup water. Stir over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Whisk in 4 cups milk, half-and-half or light cream (you'll get a richer result with half-and-half or light cream; heat through, whisking occasionally. Pour into mugs. Total mix makes 12 servings.
Cinnamon candied pecans (some people refer to them as my pralined pecans)
These goodies have been a favorite of my family and friends for years now. They are delicious!
1/4 cup evaporated milk; 1 cup sugar; 1/4 tsp. cinnamon (I usually use a heaping though); 2 tbsp. water; 1/4 tsp. vanilla (I usually use at least a 1/2 tsp. though); 3 cups pecan halves
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Dissolve sugar over medium heat. Add pecans and continue to cook, stirring frequently. Cook until pecans are completely coated and no syrup is left in pot. Spread on wax paper in single layer and let cool. (Note: The key to this is not to undercook, where you may end up with sticky pecans, or overcook, where they may burn and/or the coating is crumbling -- if the coating is just crumbling and not burned, it doesn't taste bad though. Once you begin to notice the mixture looks done, you need to remove quickly because it can cook very fast at that point. They usually take a couple of tries to get them just the way you want them. I like mine to perfectly coated with a praline-like coating but not at all sticky or crumbling.)
Another note: You can vary the taste on these a little. I've added small to large amounts of cayenne pepper to the ingredients with varying results of heat intensity on top of the sweetness. It tastes pretty good if you like hot stuff.
Cookies are a great gift. Here's my favorite recipe for cookie giving because it keeps so well, and you can cut it to fit any occasion (just use cookie cutters for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, birthday, whatever the occasion is!)
Rolled Cookies
Cream: 1/2 cup white sugar with 1/2 cup real butter. Beat in: 1 teaspoon vanilla (I usually use more), 2 eggs, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Chill the dough 3 to 4 hours before rolling. (This is really important! And I usually separate it into smaller balls to roll so just a small amount at a time is rolled and therefore the rest stays cold.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out (not too thick, but not too thin) and cut with cookie cutters. Roll scraps into another ball and let chill and roll and cut again. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake 7 to 12 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may want to bake on the top shelf to prevent over-browning or burning on the bottom. They are done when you can tell they are beginning to brown at edges, maybe even sooner. You need to check them pretty carefully, but once you bake a few of them you get the hang of it. This recipe may be a little more than the regular sugar cookies, and it's not as sweet (until you put the glaze on them and then they're just right!), but they keep really well and are very good.
Milk Glaze
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar and add to that: 2 teaspoons of hot milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla. Add coloring to your liking. Sometimes I just have to play with it a little to get a "runny" consistency that I like for the cookies. Basically, you should be able to spoon the stuff over the cookies and spread it over the cookies with a spoon very easily. It will probably even run over the cookies a little. I put wax paper under them usually when I'm doing them. I usually use this amount per color, then I can always make more if I need to.
And here's one from a friend:
Friendship Tea or Russian Tea
1 1/3 cups Tang or Orange drink
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup instant tea
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground cloves
Mix and store in tightly covered jar. Put in approximately 2 Tbs per cup of hot water or to taste. (Put this last sentence with the mixture so they'll know how to use it!)
Best Rock Candy
2 cups sugar; 2/3 cups water; 2/3 cup white corn syrup; 1/2 dram or tsp. oil flavoring (I use a bit more); 1/2 tsp. food coloring
Make sure you use a large saucepan because it bubbles up once you add the flavoring and coloring. Make sure to use a candy thermometer. Stir together sugar, water & syrup. Cook on high heat to 260 degrees, then reduce heat to medium and cook until 310 degrees. Remove from heat and add (stir in) flavoring and coloring (be careful, it will bubble a lot) and pour on board with a thick coat of powdered sugar and cut around edges as soon as it starts to harden. You'll probably want to start breaking it with your hands into bite-sized pieces as it gets harder.
Coloring suggestions for some popular flavors:
Cinnamon -- 14 drops red; Peppermint -- 6 drops red; Orange -- 4 drops red, 8 yellow; Clove -- 6 yellow, 2 red; Wintergreen -- 6 green; Anise -- 6 blue; Lemon -- 6 yellow; Sassafras -- 6 yellow, 6 red, 2 blue; Strawberry -- 8 drops red
