Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Simple {Practical} Homemade Gift Ideas for Teachers, Co-Workers, Ministry Staff, Neighbors, and Friends (For Less Than $2 Each)

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Simple and practical homemade gifts…the only kind I can handle!

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My mom was a super crafter. She had entire “craft room” with big shelves of totes filled with fabric, plus two of every craft supply found at Hobby Lobby. I loved looking through all her supplies, and I loved admiring all the detailed crafts she was making for people. She made everything from hand-pieced quilts to elaborate counted cross-stitch. Everything she made was gorgeous.

You’d think I would have the same crafty genes as my talented mother. You’d think. 

Laura only got the cooking genes. These are also good genes to have, but they don’t have the patience or the skill to turn out beautiful crafts. I’ve come to terms with it. I will forever admire the handiwork of others while I set out plates of homemade muffins. It’s a win-win.

Still. Every single Thanksgiving I get an intense hankering to craft something. I absolutely know that this hankering comes from the tradition ingrained in me from all my Thanksgivings with my mom when I was younger. We’d make it through the holiday feast, then she’d pull out the latest craft she had in mind for us to make for Christmas. She did all the tedious parts. I did all the no-brainer parts. (Laura: Place pine-cones in a basket. Mom: Make the pine-cone basket look like it came out of a magazine.)

Once again, this year I found myself needing to make crafts during Thanksgiving break. I even thought ahead and ordered supplies. The ideas I’m about to share truly are “if I can do it, anyone can” crafts. They are so easy, I actually had fun and didn’t want to scream, pout, or throw something while I was making them. (I might have crafting-anger issues. It stems from trying to follow counted cross-stitch patterns. I can’t talk about it.)

So my friends, here are three of the easiest crafts on the planet. As an added bonus, these crafts make great gifts, they all cost less than $2, and they are all practical and fun. Sorry. I just can’t not be practical. (I mean fun. I can’t not be fun. I am always so much fun. Except for when I’m following a counted cross-stitch pattern. Please, let’s not talk about it.)

3 Simple and Practical Homemade Gifts

3 Easy Homemade Gifts for $1.75 or Less

First I made the most adorable Lavender Oatmeal Bath Tea Bags (adapted from The Humbled Homemaker). This craft consists of mixing three simple ingredients, funneling the mixture into tea bags, ironing the tea bags closed, and then tying a ribbon around a few bags for a gift.

Do not the let ironing step throw you off!! This is actually the step I loved the most, and I hate ironing. It’s just that ironing the tea bag closed made me feel like an actual crafter. Plus it was fun to see that the little flap on the tea bag sealed when ironed for 8 seconds. I am now a professional tea bag ironer! I want to make more of these just so I can iron tea bags.

Lavender Oatmeal Bath

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup Lavender (use the code HOME for a 20% discount)
1/2 cup Epsom salts (purchased at Wal-Mart)

Pulse ingredients together in a blender until they are well combined and in small pieces. Use a funnel to transfer 1- 1 1/2 Tablespoon mixture to small tea bags. Fold down tea-bag flap and press to seal with a hot iron (like a boss). Tie a few tea bags together along with the free printable gift tag below.

This recipe makes about 20 Lavender Oatmeal Bath Bags, which is enough for 5 groups of 4 tea bags. I realize you could have done the math on that yourself, but it is holiday time. We all have enough to think about right now. Today I shall make crafts and do short division. I am on fire!

Make Lavender Oatmeal Bath Gift Packs for Less Than $1.00 Per Gift

Download FREE Lavender Oatmeal Bath Tags Here.

lavender gift tags

After my bath pouches were complete, I spent about five minutes pretending that putting cranberries and oranges into cellophane bags is actually a craft. The “star anise” in this recipe is optional (for those who think anise smells like a jelly bean gone wrong). But if you ask me, the anise stars triple the cuteness value of these pouches.

Christmas Potpourri Pouch

1/2 cup cranberries
1 small orange
3 Cinnamon Sticks (use the code “HOME” for a 20% discount!)
1 Tablespoon Mulling Spice (use the code “HOME” for a 20% discount!)
2 Tablespoons Star Anise

Place all ingredients in a bag. (I used these Clear Cellophane Bags.) Tie up with a ribbon and a free printable gift tag below.

Make a Christmas Potpourri Pouch for $1.75 Per Gift
Download FREE Christmas Potpourri Pouch Gift Tags Here.

Christmas Potpourri Gift Tags

Finally, I found a way to iron more tea bags (be very happy for me). I had a lovely pack of Chai Tea from Olive Nation. I researched how to make the awesome Chai Tea Drink people rave about, then put together some Chai Tea Kits. Total cost per gift set: 98¢. Getting to once again experience the ironing of the tea bags: Priceless.

Chai Tea Kit

Funnel 1 -1 1/2 Tablespoons Chai Tea into a tea bag. Iron flap down to seal(!!!). Place a few prepared tea bags along with 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks (<—use the code HOME for a 20% discount) into a small gift bag. Tie with a ribbon and a free printable gift tag below.

Make Chai Tea Gift Kits for Less Than $1.00

Download FREE Chai Tea Kit Gift Tags Here.
Chai Tea Kit Gift Tags

Supplies List for these Gifts

I had plenty of ribbon on hand, as well as a big bag of Epsom Salt from Walmart. I got most of the remaining (really cool) supplies for these crafts through Amazon or Olive Nation.

From Amazon:

  • Pack of 100 Disposable Tea Bags
  • Pack of 100 Clear Cellophane Bags

From Olive Nation:

As an extra special treat, Olive Nation is giving us all 10% off any size order! Use the code CINNAMONGIFTS for the discount. Plus, if your order reaches $50, you’ll receive free shipping. AND!!! Your order of $50 or more entitles you to a free gift at check-out!! You can choose from any that they offer, but you should know that for this special promotion, they put together an extra big package of free cinnamon sticks – just for us! (It’s a pack of 10!) For all the fun gift-making purposes mentioned in this post, I’d pick that freebie if I were you.

I shall now continue to find more excuses to iron tea bags. I got Oolong Orange Blossom Tea in my Olive Nation order last week, so I’ll probably need to play with that. Beyond tea and tea bags, I made homemade Apple Cider in the Crock Pot last week with my cinnamon sticks and will be sharing the recipe soon. This time of year smells so good!!!

Are you making gifts this year? Are you a crafter?

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Thank Goodness I Got Ahead for Thanksgiving!

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Thanks to the Getting Ahead for the Holidays series, I was super motivated and had all the food cooked for Thanksgiving by Tuesday night. I did this so I could enjoy the holiday. As it turned out, I appreciated it even more because I came down with a cold on Tuesday night. Booooooo. I was so frustrated!!!

All day Wednesday I sat in my recliner blowing my nose, trying not to talk, watching Netflix, and being thankful I did not have to cook. I prayed that I’d be able to enjoy Thanksgiving. I took a bath with Epsom salt and essential oils. I drank hot tea by the gallon. I rested.

Thank you, Lord, for make-ahead meals – especially a make-ahead Thanksgiving meal.

Come Thursday morning, I was slightly better, though quite stuffy and low on energy. Matt and the boys cleared out the living room and set up tables and chairs. Brittany worked her magic to decorate. I worked on warming up the prepared food.

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My mashed potatoes (which had been prepared and frozen) turned into soup on my crock pot. Now that wasn’t supposed to happen.

I transferred them to a pot on the stove to steam off some of the liquid. It took about 30 minutes, but it worked great! Below, you’ll see that while I was sick, I wasn’t too sick to take an ugly picture of mashed potatoes steaming in a pot for you. Now that is blogger dedication.

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Meanwhile, all the other dishes sat warming in the oven. It took longer than I had planned. The more you load your oven, the longer food takes to heat up. Imagine that.

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I helped myself to another cup of hot tea while the food heated and we waited for our guests to arrive. We had super icy weather that day (still do, actually), so a few of our guests weren’t able to make it. :(

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When it was all said and done the tables were beautiful, the food was delicious, and we had a wonderful time with all our guests. If you look closely, you’ll see that I cheated and used rolls I had bought from Bountiful Baskets.

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What you see there in that 9×13 pan is my friend Maureen’s famous Pumpkin Bars. I need the recipe. We all need the recipe. Maureen? We need the recipe. ;)

Since Thanksgiving day, we’ve eaten more delicious food, watched a couple of movies, and played a 6-hour game of Settlers of Catan. Only the Coppinger family can make Catan last 6-hours. In our defense, we had added several variables, which always adds time – even if you aren’t a Coppinger. But let’s just say that some of the people in this family are verrrry thorrrrrough with their turns. (Don’t look at me. I am a short turn-taker.)

Kleenexes and sore throat aside, this has been an awesome week of Thanksgiving break. Tonight we’re having Lasagna, tomorrow we’re having a new soup recipe Brittany and I came up with, and tomorrow night Asa and Brittany move back to the dorms. School commences, along with all the normal real-life stuff like work and chores. Ooh, but it’s Christmas season, so there is much to look forward to!

Tell me about your Thanksgiving! Was it a good one?!

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20 Ways to Use Leftover Turkey and Super Sales on My Favorite Things

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Hello, Dear Ones. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today I want to share some of my favorite ways to use up leftover turkey.

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20 Ways to Use Leftover Turkey

You’ll notice that these are many of my chicken recipes. How nice of turkeys and chickens to be interchangeable. Any time a recipe calls for chicken, just use turkey instead. See how easy this is?

  1. Turkey Sandwiches
  2. Turkey and Rice Casserole
  3. Turkey and Noodles
  4. Turkey Salad
  5. Turkey Roll Ups (Spread mayo and/or mustard on a soft flour tortilla, sprinkle on small bits of turkey, cheese, pickle, whatever…and roll it up.)
  6. Turkey Chef Salad  (Greens, turkey, cheddar cheese, boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, peas…yum!)
  7. Turkey and Biscuits
  8. Turkey Pot Pie
  9. Turkey Tortilla Melts (Make these just like a quesadilla, just add turkey pieces)
  10. Turkey Tacos  (Simmer turkey in a little water with salt and chili powder…serve on flour tortillas with taco fixings.)
  11. Turkey Tortilla Soup
  12. Turkey Stir Fry
  13. Three Cheese Garlic Turkey Pasta
  14. Turkey Enchiladas
  15. Turkey with Spanish Rice
  16. Turkey Alfredo
  17. Turkey Quiche
  18. Turkey-n-Veggie Scramble
  19. Turkey Tostadas (Make like turkey tacos above, just fry your tortillas in olive oil to make them crisp.)
  20. Black Bean Taco Salad

I would have to say that my favorite way to use leftover turkey is in Turkey Salad. To make the most delicious Turkey Salad sandwiches, I make this easy Whole Wheat Stir-and-Pour Sandwich bread. Oh my goodness, that makes for an amazing meal when you add fruits and veggies on the side.

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Turkey and Rice Casserole is also amazing because it is a great way to use the turkey broth you’ve made while baking your turkey. And Turkey and Noodles? Well, this is what the family always requests after the holidays. It’s as much of a tradition as the holiday turkey itself.

What are your favorite ways to use up leftovers after a holiday meal?

 

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How You Can Get a Completely Free $15 Gift (No Catch! You Could Actually Make Money on This.)

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What if you could get a fleece throw, a pajama set, a new top, a fun toy, jewelry, or another awesome gift of your choosing completely free? Man, I love coming across deals like this. It’s not just a deal. It’s a freebie. And if you work it right, you could even make extra cash on this.
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Here’s the scoop: TopCashBack is a rebate site that offers a percentage value back on any purchase you make through their site. Sometimes they partner with other companies like Wal-Mart or K-Mart to give start-up freebies to new sign-ups. I’ve used TopCashBack for about 2 1/2 years now and have found them to always pay what they promise. You can trust this site.

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This time, new members can pick anything from the K-Mart website ranging from $1-$20. TopCashBack will refund $15 to you, which will turn “payable” within 30 days. At that time, you can transfer that $15 from your TopCashBack account directly back to your bank account. If it were me, I’d be grabbing something for less than $10 so that I don’t have to pay shipping and so that I get a completely free item. On the other hand, if you get something closer to $20, you’re still getting $15 back so you’re still getting a great deal. (Just don’t get something for over $20 or less than $1 or the deal won’t go through properly!)

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In addition to this – if you have a K-Mart close to you, you can select Free Store Pickup so you can get a free $15 item and avoid dealing with shipping costs altogether.

Are you ready for the specifics of how do get this deal?

How to Get a FREE $15 Gift

  1. Click this link to sign up for a TopCashBack account and to get all the details. (This offer is good for new sign-ups only, and that is my referral link.)
  2. You will be redirected to Kmart.com where you can select any item you like between $1 and $20.
  3. Add to your cart one item ranging from $1-$20. You may purchase anything you like, but in order for this deal to go through, you must not add any other items to your cart or transaction!
  4. If it is an option for you, click on “Free Store Pick-up” so that you won’t have to pay shipping. If that is not an option for you, I recommend selecting an item for less than $9 so that the $15 rebate will cover your shipping cost. No matter what you purchase, you’ll get $15 back. So if you spend less than $15, you’ll be making money on this deal!
  5. Don’t put anything else in your cart!! Proceed to check out and complete the purchase.
  6. Within 7 days, TopCashBack will refund $15.00 to your account.
  7. Within 30 days the $15.00 will become payable and you can transfer it to your checking account, your paypal account, or turn it into an Amazon gift card.

This offer ends Friday, November 27, 2015 at 11:59 pm PT. Do this now before you forget and enjoy your fun freebie!!

Let me know if you have any questions!

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Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

In preparation for Thanksgiving Day, I made a big Turkey, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Stuffing Muffins, Green Bean Casseroles, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce, Pineapple Fluff Salad , Pumpkin Pies, Pecan Pie Bites, Whipped Cream, and Apple Pies. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking the same thing I’m thinking. There may not be enough food! What will we do if we run out of food?

So I made more food. Just in case, you know?

Actually, I’m not worried about having enough food. But looking over that list, there is a definite shortage of cheesecake. It also occurred to me that I might enjoy a low sugar dessert on Thanksgiving day. That is why I took my Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe and adapted it to make fun these Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups.

We can all sleep better now knowing that along with the other 26 dishes on the Thanksgiving buffet, there will also be low sugar cheesecake. I’m not sure the day would have been complete otherwise.

Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

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Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • Shortbread Crust:
  • 3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat for this)
  • ½ cup sucanat (or brown sugar if you prefer)
  • 1½ cups melted butter
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
  • 2 8-ounce packages softened cream cheese
  • 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups pureed pumpkin
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Real maple syrup or liquid stevia to taste (I used 4 droppers full of stevia)
Instructions
  1. Make crust by stirring flour and sucanat together in a bowl.
  2. Add melted butter, combining well.
  3. Press mixture into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.
  4. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  5. Allow crust to cool completely.
  6. Blend all pumpkin cheesecake filling ingredients together until smooth.
  7. Scoop into prepared shortbread crust cups.
  8. Spread until smooth.
  9. Chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

I found it fun to use fall-colored muffin cup liners for the occasion. Come Christmastime, I’ll use red and green. :)

Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

I made the filling with stevia and was concerned that others might not like them as a result. But since the shortbread crust has a little sucanat and is so buttery and yummy, that balances the taste out for others. As for me, I think they are perfectly sweetened. In fact, I’m having to hold back to save the majority of these for Thanksgiving day. After all, there would be a definite void on the table if there were only 26 food choices and no cheesecake whatsoever.

Here’s to a wonderful holiday weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Deborah and Co. Cream Lace Cardigan Giveaway

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Deborah and Co. just sent me a new Cream Lace Cardigan to review for you. I think we all know how much I like cream. So am I weird to like a sweater just because it is the color of cream? I think not. After all, I painted my kitchen the color of butter and the trim on my house the color of fudge – so why not wear a cream colored cardigan, right? Of course. (Does everything always have to be about food? Yes, I think it does.)

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Isn’t this sweater pretty? In person, I think the color is a bit darker than shown in the picture. Still, it is a very pretty color. I love the lace – which makes it a little dressier while still being casual. The sweater is very soft and comfy. It’s not bulky, but just right to add a nice layer. I plan to wear mine with a layering t-shirt and a scarf.

Deborah and Co. works to provide clothing that is:

  • modest
  • high quality
  • reasonably priced
  • comfortable
  • trendy
  • practical
  • attractive

I love this about Deborah and Co. You might also want to check out their Maternity section and their Little Deborah items (from princess dresses to paper dolls to books). There are some great Christmas gifts in there!

Through December 4, you’ll receive free shipping in the USA on orders of $50 or more. Take advantage of this and use the code HHSHIPFREE for free shipping to apply.

And now for the giveaway! One of you will win a Cream Lace Cardigan, which you can keep for yourself or give as a gift. Who wants to win?! Leave a comment on this post for a chance.

deborah and co

I’ll draw one random winner on Monday, November 30. Be watching for a post stating the winner as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

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Our Thanksgiving Week Menu Plan

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This week will be a mixture of working double-time and taking time off, if that even makes sense. I want to “go to the trouble” to make some of our favorites since we’re on Thanksgiving break this week and not traveling. But I also want to have brainless meals so that I can relax while we have game days and movie nights. It’s the best of both worlds!

Just for fun, I thought it would be fun to share some of what we’re eating this week. As I’ve already shared, we’ll be feasting on Thanksgiving day with all the traditional food. Here’s a breakdown of my plans for that day.

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The rest of the week, here’s some of the food we’re planning to eat:

Spicy Mac and Cheese

I’ve got a fridge full of fruits and veggies to go with our meals:

  • Green beans
  • Peas
  • Mixed greens and fresh spinach
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
  • Applesauce
  • Apples
  • Clementines
  • Oranges
  • Bananas
  • Red Pears
  • Pineapple
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers

We’ll also be enjoying Hot Cocoa, Coffee, and Homemade Apple Cider (recipe on the way!). What is it about sipping hot drinks this time of year? They taste good all the time, but they are extra good during the holiday season!

Chocolate Whipped Cream - Perfect For Your Coffee

Need some Chocolate Whipped Cream for your coffee??

Are you making/eating any special food this week?

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Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls ~ Freezer Edition

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Guess what? 

One of my darling readers, Vicki, experimented with the Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls to see if we could make them even more convenient by making them ahead and freezing the dough. I won’t keep you in suspense!!! —–>

Okay, maybe just for a little bit.

I’m wearing a new sweater today. I got it on sale, of course. I got it the same day I got all the butter on sale. That was a great day for sales, no doubt. I sure do love good sales. And butter.

So how about those dinner rolls? Does it work to make and freeze the dough, just like we make and freeze muffin batter? Vicki tried it. She reported back. Drum roll please…

It worked!! This is great news, and much more relevant than pointless talk about my new sweater. Although the sweater led me back to talking about butter; and butter and rolls go together. Therefore everything I’m writing today makes sense and is on topic.

You must be wondering, is there even a way to make this very easy recipe even more convenient? I mean, how can it get easier than the Stir-and-Pour Bread and Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls recipes? But actually, it does. It gets easier. Vicki proved it.

Make and Freeze Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls

1. Mix the ingredients as normal.
2. Scoop batter into muffin pans. I super love my new silicone baking cups. I use them alllll the time.
3. Freeze dough immediately.
4. Remove frozen dough from muffin cups and transfer them to a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to three months.
5. To bake: Place frozen dough into muffin cups. Cover with a cloth. Thaw on the countertop for 4-6 hours.
6. Bake as directed.

Vicki said that these taste just as good prepared this way as they do when prepared fresh. I mean, these are still fresh. They’re just frozen first before baking them. I love this time-saving tip!

This is especially helpful for days such as…I don’t know…Thanksgiving maybe? That day we’re putting forty-seven ~ give or take ~ other dishes on the table all at the same time? If there is a way to dirty up fewer dishes and execute fewer food preparation steps, by all means, let us do it!
Yum

5.0 from 1 reviews
Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls ~ Freezer Edition
 
Save Print
Author:
Ingredients
  • 4 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
  • 2 teaspoons active rise yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons sucanat or sugar or honey
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 egg (optional)
  • ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
  • 2 cups warm water
Instructions
  1. Stir all ingredients together.
  2. Cover and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
  3. Pour contents into buttered muffin tins or silicone muffin cups.
  4. Place filled muffin cups in freezer immediately.
  5. Once frozen, transfer frozen dough to freezer bags, storing for up to three months.
  6. To Bake:
  7. Place frozen dough back in prepared muffin cups.
  8. Cover and allow dough to thaw 4-6 hours on the counter-top.
  9. Bake in a 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
  10. Serve right away.

Make and Freeze Stir-and-Pour Dinner Rolls

Vicki said she used the leftover rolls to make Stuffing Muffins. I did the exact same thing a few days ago!

Let’s hear it for another great make-ahead tip!

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Thanksgiving Break Fun ~ and My Butter Famine is Over

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My butter famine is over! But first:

Now I know how my mom felt when my brother and I came home from college for holiday breaks. Never mind that Asa has only been five minutes down the road in the dorm since August. Looking forward to and preparing for him to be home for a week has made me so excited! Brittany is joining us this week too because she has to work all week. Yay for me! Another girl in the house! (We have made plans to do our nails, make crafts, and watch some girly Christmas movies. Yes!!!)

In preparation for Thanksgiving break week and Thanksgiving day itself, I think I have bought out all the grocery stores from here to Lincoln. I have two full refrigerators, a full pantry, many full freezers – there is food everywhere. After standing on my head to find places for the last of my (many) grocery purchases yesterday and completely filling every space in both refrigerators, I realized we’d be getting our Bountiful Basket order today.

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Thankfully, most of the order didn’t have to be refrigerated. And of course, we’re already doing a great job of beginning to eat our way through all the food, thus creating more refrigerator space. It doesn’t take long for food to disappear around here.

How blessed are we? Plenty to eat, plenty to share.

Do you want to hear about the end of my butter famine now?

Remember how we talked about the high cost of butter and how my supply was running low? Many of you shared the same situation occurring where you live. So have you been able to find some good butter deals now that it’s holiday season? I hadn’t until this week. Wednesday when I was in Lincoln, I made a stop at Aldi and bought 12 pounds for $2.49 each since that’s the best I’d seen it in a very long time. Back home two days later, I found a $2.49 price match for Challenge Butter (a great brand which is normally $5 a pound!). Plus I had a couple of 50¢ off coupons. I bought another dozen pounds, and then I saw that there are 55¢ off coupons inside each box!

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I’m pretty sure I am going to be weird and open every single box, cut out all the coupons, then go back before the sale ends to get another dozen with the coupons. It’s Challenge Butter that I can get for $1.94!! So what if I’ll have 48 loose sticks of butter in my freezer? There’s nothing weird about that. Nothing at all.

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Those pictures don’t do my butter-filled freezers justice. They only show part of my madness. Basically, I’ve just stuffed butter boxes in every nook and cranny of any space in my freezers that I can find. It feels so good to have an abundance of butter again. The holidays can now commence.

We started off our Thanksgiving break with little gifts. I couldn’t help it. Our boys are into crazy socks, and Elias and I found some fun Christmas socks in Lincoln after a follow-up doctor appointment for him Wednesday. (You can guess that those cat socks are for Malachi.) I found a free printable Thanksgiving candy wrapper which I prepped to go with the socks. Here’s the link if you want to make some (candy wrappers, not socks).

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The boys have their first homeschool basketball game tonight. I can’t wait to see them play, but I’m almost more excited to see all the moms I rarely get to see except for during basketball season. I love how God has provided these families and the friendships that come with them. 

The rest of the week, we have plans to watch movies, play Settlers of Catan, eat loads of food, kick back, and unfortunately, do a few math lessons that we’re behind in. With tiny bit of school work and a big bit of fun, hopefully the math won’t seem too bad! I even bought take-and-bake pizzas to make my load easier.

Are you taking a break during Thanksgiving week? Traveling? Staying home? Buying lots of butter?

Have a great weekend!

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Easy Pecan Pie Bites

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It’s my turn to be a part of the Thanksgiving Recipe Swap! Others have shared appetizers, main dishes, and side dishes. Now it’s dessert time! (I’m sharing Pecan Pie Bites below. You will love these!)

Click over here to find all of the recipes included in the swap. Just to temp you, I’ll tell you what recipes you’ll find there:

  • Goat Cheese Artichoke Dip
  • Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Brussels Sprouts
  • Pumpkin Spice Fruit Dip
  • Perfect Roast Turkey Breast
  • Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
  • Gluten Free Stuffing
  • Roasted Garlic Green Beans
  • Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts
  • Cranberry Orange Bars
  • Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
  • Protein Packed Pumpkin Rolls

Don’t those all sound awesome?! Go help yourselves to any or all of the recipes!

Now for the Easy Pecan Pie Bites recipe. These will just take you a few minutes to whip up. What a great addition to your holiday table!

pecan pie bites4

Let us all take a moment to notice something about these Pecan Pie Bites that doesn’t even matter a little bit but that absolutely really does matter:

These Pecan Pie Bites are adorable and cute.

Cute food matters. Food tastes better when it’s cute. I’ve tried to convince my sons of this truth. I see cute food and think, oh look how cute this food is. They see cute food and they are like, why are these Pecan Pie Bites so tiny? These teenage sons of mine proceed to eat the treats in large quantity which almost, but not quite, negates the cuteness.

I suppose I should also let you  know that these Pecan Pie Bites are very easy to make. They are made with only five ingredients, which are of course, all real food ingredients. They are naturally gluten and dairy free, which is a lovely bonus if that is a need for you. You can put these together in just a few minutes – my favorite kind of recipe. And above all, they are cute. Cute, cute, cute.

They are also magic, so prepare to be amazed. See, you put a pecan at the bottom of each muffin liner. Then you pour in the pie mixture. The pecan rises and bakes at the top, making magical cuteness.

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Easy Pecan Pie Bites

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Easy Pecan Pie Bites
 
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Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • ½ cup honey
  • 3 eggs
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 24 pecans (about ½ cup)
Instructions
  1. Fill 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
  2. Place a pecan at the bottom of each liner.
  3. Whisk together honey, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla.
  4. Scoop mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling about ¾ full.
  5. Bake in a 350° oven for 15-25 minutes or until evenly browned.

Easy Pecan Pie Bites ~ Naturally Gluten and Dairy Free

See? I told you they were easy. These will be wonderful to have on your holiday table so that when there are pumpkin pies and apple pies and cheesecakes and all the other desserts – people can take one (or five) of these cute little Pecan Pie Bites which have portion control already built in. How very practical of them.

Enjoy, and I’ll see you over at the Thanksgiving Recipe Swap!

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