Homemade grape jelly

Ok so I tried my first attempt at making jelly tonight. I haven't tasted it yet & as you can see below, they are still setting up so hopefully it turns out!:)

This being my first try, the process goes so quickly & you have to move quickly that I wasn't able to take step-by-step pictures. But, I plan on making strawberry jam next (my absolute fav!) so I'll make sure I take pictures of everything I used. On this go around I used 'Sure Jelly' brand pectin for jams & jellies, Welch's 100% grape juice & good ol' sugar. As my confidence booster & educational tool I used www.heart-hands-home.blogspot.com. This blog is a plethora of information!! This blog explains the basics of canning & how to get started simply. Just make sure you have 2 BIG pots...one for making the jelly & the other for using to boil the jars if you don't have a canner. I personally do not have a canner so I just put a towel in the bottom of a big pot & made sure that there was 1-2 inches of water over the jars when they were ready to be sealed. That's important. Thankfully my wonderful husband is home today & took the kids outside to play while I did this because it requires uninterrupted attention for about an hour & 'uninterrupted' doesn't happen very often around here:) I'm actually super excited about making my own jelly! I think it would be a great idea as a gift to put together a basket of 'homemades': bisquick (pancake mix), brownie mix, jelly, homemade bread (which I'm going to attempt tomorrow maybe)! If you do this please let me know! I'd love to see & hear what you put together:)

New Mommy Survival Kit

New Mommy Survival Kit. I saw this idea on Pinterest & have so many friends expecting so had to make a couple to keep on hand! Great gift to grab & take to the hospital! All Mommies, even of multiples, need to remember these:) I  bought almost all the supplies at the Dollar Store, used a gift bag, got coordinating scrapbook paper, typed this up & glued it to the front. Any Mommy would appreciate you putting this together for her.:)

KISSES: For both Mommy & baby
MIRROR: To remind you that you're important too
MARBLES: To replace the ones you lose
HAIR TIES: To remind you to stay flexible
LIFESAVERS: To save you from 'one of those days'
TISSUES: To wipe your tears & baby's tears too
ERASER: To remind you that everyone makes mistakes
STARBURST: To give you an extra 'burst' of energy
SOUR PATCH KIDS: To remind you that every baby is different
TYLENOL: For when all else fails
COZY SOCKS: To remind you to take time & relax:)
Congratulations!!

Homemade Brownie Mix

Yes, it exists!:) Brownie mix probably shouldn't be a necessity in a home but it is definitely in our home!! I cut this recipe in half since I was low on ingredients but it ended up working out beautifully because it fit in the biggest bowl I had nicely without making a mess. I got this recipe from www.heart-hands-home.blogspot.com. This gal has a plethora of awesome stuff on her blog so you should check it out!! It says this mix costs less than $.50 per batch so totally worth it! You can keep it on hand for those last minute potlucks, cookouts or late night cravings!:)
Beneath the mix recipe I posted her Texas Sheetcake recipe because it looks to-die-for:)

(I like to make a couple bags to make brownies so I can just grab one & make them up quickly then put the rest in a big bag in case I wanna make Texas Sheet Cake)


Brownie Mix

8 cups of sugar
6 cups of unbleached flour (I used bleached cuz that's all the Dollar Store had:)
2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt

Mix together and store in air tight container. **Note: when you go to her website you'll see she keeps her mixes in these very stylish glass jars that are fabulous. I found those big jars at Hobby Lobby for $11.99. They were 50% off last week & I was tempted to get one to store mine in because they do look absolutely fabulous but I have a tiny kitchen & unfortunately no space to store all those big jars. I also read on the comments that the jars can be found at Walmart for about $4! Oh golly! Now I might just have to get some! You could use them for gifts too for that price!

To make:
2 1/4 cup brownie mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup canola oil (or melted butter or margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square pan. Combine ingredients and mix until smooth. Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool, cut, serve.

Texas Sheet Cake

4 cup brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10" x 15" jelly roll or sheet cake pan. Put brownie mix in bowl. In small saucepan bring oil, water, and sour cream to a boil. Add to the brownie mix. Stir in eggs, vanilla, & baking soda. Pour into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Prepare frosting and frost while cake is still hot.

Sheet Cake Frosting

1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Homemade Makeup Remover

Mother's Day is just a few days away so I'll tell you what I did for gifts..I made the homemade laundry detergent for my mom & mother-in-law....I already gave it to them so no worries of them finding out. But it would be a great idea to put together like a 'homemade basket' of things you've made as a gift: laundry detergent (nothing better than a years supply!), makeup remover, wipes, bread, jam. I'm going to try my hand at jam next & I found a recipe for homemade candles but I don't have all the supplies for that yet:) I have searched for makeup remover that isn't greasy but effective. This is it! And the beauty of it all, it's the exact same ingredients as the baby wipes!:) I got this recipe from www.kristanlynn.com

Supplies:
1 C water
1 1/2 Tbsp. baby shampoo (tear free)
1/8 tsp. baby oil

Combine all ingredients & try!:) I got the colored bottles on the left at Walmart for like almost $2 in the travel section, then I went to Hobby Lobby & in their 'sand art' section for kids they had the clear bottles on the right for $.77! The colored bottles do have a flip open lid though so that is one benefit but for that price difference I don't care to take the lid off each use. I also had the Cucumber Melon baby unopened from my baby shower with Ava!:) It smells great! With this recipe, I filled up the two colored bottles & half of a clear one.