"*Saved For Posterity*" : 2013

Friday, November 1, 2013

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 19 ~ White Chocolate Popcorn

Are you ready to make a crazy easy and super yummy treat for your family and friends,,,,,and maybe a neighbor or two?

Todays gift is just that.

You will need:

popcorn

vegetable oil

butter

12 oz bag of white chocolate chip

M&M’s

clear bags

ribbon

Pour in enough popcorn to cover the bottom of your pan.

Then cover the corn with vegetable oil.

Turn your eye onto high and if you have a popcorn pot swirl it under all of the popcorn is done. If you do not have a popcorn pot you can gently shake the pot under the popcorn is done.

Pour popcorn out of pot and into two large bowl

Melt your bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave

*tip* add 1/2 a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the chocolate to get a smoother melt.

Once melted, my microwave took about 1 minute, pour over the popcorn in the bowls and stir until well blended.

Spread out over wax paper and sprinkle in M&M’s.

Allow to cool completely.

Then bag it up and pass it out.

Charity

Day 1 ~ Salt Dough Ornaments
Day 2 ~ Silent Night, Holy Night Pillow
Day 3 ~ Sentimental Penny Keychain
Day 4 ~ Cookie Sheet Chalkboard
Day 5 ~ Duct Tape Composition Notebook
Day 6 ~ Bible Bookmark
Day 7 ~ Bible Notebook
Day 8 ~ Embellished Mittens
Day 9 ~ Bike Wheel Memo Board
Day 10 ~ Recipe Art
Day 11 ~ Chalkboard Coasters
Day 12 ~ Peppermint Bark
Day 13 ~ Pennant Banner Clipboard
Day 14 ~ Christmas Art
Day 15 ~ Snow Globes
Day 16 ~ Bible Verse Scarf
Day 17 ~ Jones Soda Label
Day 18 ~ Silhouettes

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

19 Days of Handmade Gifts ~ Day 18 ~ Silhouettes

Today’s gift is guaranteed to make all grandparents squeal.

I mean what grandparent doesn’t want pictures of their grandkids anyway they can get them.

You Will Need:

side view picture of your child

hardback canvas

scrapbook paper

black cardstock

ribbon, if you have a girl

Mod Podge

paint brush

hot glue

Take pictures of your children from the side. I knew I wanted the ribbon detail so I put their up.

Print the pictures and cut around the outline of your children’s head, face and neck. Pay close attention to detail and take your time, it will pay off in the end.

Use your printer to then print the outline to the size you want it for your final product.

Cut it out, again take your time.

Use this as an outline to cut the final silhouette onto the black cardstock.

Mod Podge Scrapbook paper onto canvas and allow to dry.

Mod Podge silhouette onto the scrapbook paper.

Hot glue the ribbon detail and you are finished.

Wrap it up and brace yourself for the grandparents to squeal.

Charity

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Lord of The Harvest Print

Today, I wanted share a free printable I made as a gift to you. I hope I will be a great addition to your fall décor and an excellent reminder of our great purpose.

Download your free copy HERE

I printed mine on a cream colored cardstock and placed it into an 8x10 frame.

Charity

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Spicy Sweet Potato Stew

Today, I am sharing a recipe I tried for the first time this week and we loved it.

I have been reluctant to share many recipes here because I tend to cook in large batches and stock my freezer with it.

I have decided I can’t be the only person who cooks this way so I am just going to start sharing.

I love to cook this way because it allows me to cook several meals at one time and also saves money ( this comes in at around $5 per meal, that’s $1.25 per serving). If I am going to have the kitchen a mess I might as well make more than one meal and if I am buying the ingredients to make it once there will normally be some leftovers but cooking in large batches allows me to go ahead and use up all the ingredients purchased.

This batch cooking recipe made four meals for my family of four.

Ingredients List:

4 Large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 in cubes

1 Rotisserie chicken, make your own or purchase one

olive oil

1 jalapeño (seeds removed)

8 Cloves of garlic

4 t. Cumin

4t. Chili powder

4 t. Oregano

2 Cans black beans (or better yet, make your own)

2 Cans corn (I use corn from the garden)

1 (16oz) jar of salsa verde

chicken broth

8 cups brown rice cooked

corn chips crumbled

lime

sour cream

1. Sauté jalapeño and garlic in the olive oil for 3 minutes and then add sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, and oregano and continue to sauté until potatoes are tender.

2. Remove chicken meat from the whole chicken and chop in bite size pieces.

3. Put the leftover chicken bones, skin and etc… into a pot and fill will water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 30 minutes, this is to make chicken broth.

4. Put sweet potato mixture, chopped chicken, cooked rice, beans, corn, and jar of salsa into a 7 quart crock pot

5. Add enough chicken broth to fill crock pot, use store bought or make your own like I did. Pour chicken broth through a strainer into a bowl. Pour the chicken broth into the crock pot. Pour hot water over the chicken in the strainer and into the bowl and you will get more broth, pour into the crock pot. At this point your crock pot should be full to the top. If not add more water.

6. Cook in the crock pot for 4 hours.

7. Separate into 4 equal parts, cool three of them and put them in the freezer, serve the fourth.

8. Add corn chips crumbles, sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime to each serving.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

I would love to hear if you batch cook?

Charity

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Salvation ~ That’s What it is All About!

¹⁶“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

Romans 10:9

Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

Romans 10:1

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),⁶and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:4-6

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;⁹not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹²He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

1 John 5:11-12

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 17 ~ Jones Soda Label

Okay, today’s gift is stretching the word HOMEMADE, please be kind and play along. The part that you make at home is the picture to upload for the label.

Simply go to Jones Soda and upload any picture you would like and in a few short weeks you will have personalized soda bottles waiting for you to wrap up and give to your special someone.

This is a bottle we made for my husband 6 or 7 years ago. He is standing in front of his 1972 Blazer that he restored. It was a great gift and he has held on to this unopened bottled since then….he must have liked it Winking smile

Here is the great news, Jones Soda has given me a 20% discount code for you. Enter Joneslove2013 into the promo code when you order. I would love to see any bottles you design.

Charity

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 16 ~ Bible Verse Scarf

Today’s gift is a great gift for our girlfriends.

You will need to find out each of your friends favorite Bible verses. This was the most fun part for me because now I know something new about all of my friends.

You Will Need:

1 thin scarf

Sharpie or fabric pen

Bible verse

cardboard

This is NOT a hard project but it does take a good bit of time, so don’t plan to start it when you are limited on time.

I laid the scarf across my dinning room table with cardboard underneath to protect the table and just freehanded the verse.

You will need to hold the scarf tight where you are writing because it will slip but that is the hardest part.

Take your time, have fun and then enjoy giving your friend a very personal gift.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:33:3

Charity

Monday, October 14, 2013

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 15 ~ Snow Globes

Homemade Snow Globes

Here is what you will need:

clean jars

spray paint

glitter

small decorations

Spray paint the lids.

Hot glue the decorations to the insides of the lids.

Sprinkle glitter into the jar.

Screw the top back on and there you have it.

Charity

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 14 ~ Wise Men Still Seek Him

Today’s gift is perfect for a teacher, friend, or family member and simple enough to make that your kiddos can do it.

You will need:

Hard Canvas (Wal-Mart sells them in 3 packs)

Mod Podge

Paint Brush

Wrapping Paper or Scrapbook Paper

Ribbon

Die cut letters/design or stickers to write your Christmas message

Cut paper, I used wrapping paper, 1/2 an inch larger than your canvas on all sides.

Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the entire from of the canvas.

Lay paper on top and smooth out any wrinkles.

Flip the canvas over and cut into the overhanging paper at each corner.

Fold the overhanging paper down and apply Mod Podge.

Place your Christmas message and Mod Podge it down.

Apply several Coats of Mod Podge allowing each to dry in-between.

Hot glue ribbon to the back top corners and it is ready to be hung.

Charity

Sunday, October 13, 2013

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 13~ Pennant Banner Clipboard

Let’s have some fun today making a great gift.

You will need:

1 clipboard

paint

paint brush

Sharpie

Mod Podge

scrapbook paper

You will start by painting the entire clipboard, front and back.

Once the paint is dry cut your scrapbook paper into triangles and a kite shape.

Lay the triangles across the clipboard and paint over them with Mod Podge.

Apply the kite in the same way.

Paint several coats of Mod Podge over the entire clipboard, front and back.

Use the Sharpie to add details.

Now it is ready to give to the scholar in your life!

Charity

Saturday, October 12, 2013

19 Days of Homemade Gifts ~ Day 12~ Peppermint Bark

Today’s gift is not only a great gift but it is very YUMMY. You will want to make extra for your family!

Here is what you will need:

Pan lined with foil

1 pound semi sweet chocolate

1 pound white chocolate

1 bag peppermint candy

double boiler or pot and glass bowl

cute dish

Line your pan with foil.

Grab a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pour Chocolate into your double boiler or glass bowl over boiling water in a pot.

melt and stir

when the chocolate is completely melted pour onto foil lined pan smooth out and place in freezer

unwrap peppermint candies and place in zip top bag

then have some fun crushing them

this part is a frustration reducer

Ahhh, I feel better already

Grab your white chocolate,

put it into your double broiler

stir and melt

stir and melt.

But here is the HARD part

WAIT

YOU MUST WAIT!!!

See if you pour the melted white chocolate onto the frozen dark chocolate then you will have a big mess, because the white chocolate will melt the dark chocolate and they will mix together and lets just say it is not pretty