Gifts – Page 4 – Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts

appetizers/snacks, Baked goods, Baking, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Gifts, holidays, lunch box

Mini Brownie Bites

Posted on December 15, 2013December 15, 2013 by lmc

It’s that time of year…holiday parties, friendly gift giving, festive decorations and enjoying time with family. One of our favorite ways to spend time together seems to revolve around preparing and sharing cherished family recipes.
We have a few favorite cookie and quick bread recipes that we always bake when the holidays roll around…some are time consuming recipes while others can be whipped up in a jiffy.
This recipe for Mini Brownie Bites is a quickie. These flavorful gems are a mouthful of rich, chocolatey goodness and they only take minutes to prepare. Be warned that the recipe yields only a dozen or so bites. You can bake them along with your favorite cookie selection to be added to the holiday dessert tray. I often pack them in colorful tins to give as teacher gifts. They travel well and seem to get more moist and delicious a day or two after baking. Be sure to store them in an air-tight container until just before serving.

Mini Brownie Bites

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

In a microwave, melt 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth.
Cool slightly. In a small bowl, beat egg and sugar. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Gradually add flour; fold in remaining chocolate chips and optional walnuts.
Use a small ice cream scoop to fill mini paper or silicone-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes (depending on how dry or moist you prefer the brownie center) or until tops begin to crack. Cool completely before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Baked goods, Baking, Desserts, Food, Gardening, Gifts, lunch box

Sunflower Lollipop Cookies

Posted on October 25, 2013October 27, 2013 by lmc

This recipe is from an old cookbook that I have used for years. When my children were little, we lived one block away from their grade school. For school parties, I always made a basket of lollipop cookies reflecting whichever festive holiday season the classroom may be celebrating…sunflowers for the early fall, ghosts and goblins for Halloween, colorful leaves and turkeys for Thanksgiving, Christmas trees and snow people for the winter parties. I’d pack a festive bucket or basket with floral foam, push the lollipop sticks into the foam, wrap the whole thing in cellophane wrap and tie a pretty bow to the outside of the package. Everyone’s eyes would light up as I entered the classroom with my package of goodies.
What I like most about this recipe is that the cookie dough is simple to make with just a few ingredients and that the dough doesn’t have to be chilled before rolling it out. (When I start a project, I want to get it done quick… I have no patience waiting for the dough to chill and harden for an hour.)
Adding food coloring to the dough is also a time-saver…no need for icing. This recipe has always been a holiday favorite in my house!

Sunflower Lollipop Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

(Extra Supplies)
Flower cookie cutter
Yellow icing color
1 pkg. 8″ lollipop sticks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and flour. Tint cookie dough with icing color. Pinch off a small amount of dough, make twelve to eighteen 1/4″ balls. Place balls, 3″ apart on cookie sheets. This will serve as the cookie base. Press lollipop stick into each ball; flatten slightly. Roll remaining dough out at 1/4″ thick. Cut dough, dipping cookie cutters in flour before use. Place cutout cookie on each stick, press lightly to attached cutout to cookie base. Add chocolate chips to each cutout center. Bake for 8-12 minutes until slightly golden around the edges. Cool completely before carefully removing from cookie sheet.

(Adapted from Wilton Gifts from the Kitchen Cookbook)

Crafts, Gifts, Quilting, Sewing

Upcycled Travel Tote

Posted on June 27, 2013 by lmc

Upcycled Travel Tote
When I have time, I love to visit resale shops and garage sales to find objects that I can incorporate in my sewing projects. I often buy old backpacks and purses just to cut out the closures and fasteners for other projects. I sometimes buy resale clothes with great looking buttons, only to cut them off and use the buttons to make some of my less expensive clothes look more expensive.
For this tote, I made the actual bag out of pre-quilted fabric that I found at Good Will. I filled the inside of the tote with fasteners and pockets to hide trinkets and valuables that M might need during her travels. Around the top edge of the bag, I stitched a trim that was originally found at the hem of a pair of capri pants that I bought at a garage sale. After all that, I used my embroidery machine to personalize the tote. M seems to love this colorful bag and she smiles when others ask her where she bought it. She proudly replies, “My mom made it especially for me”!

Crafts, Gifts, Sewing

Denim Purse Upcycle

Posted on June 3, 2013 by lmc

I must admit, this is not a newly completed project. I was cleaning out my closets yesterday and I stumbled across this denim bag that I had made months ago. I looked it over and was pleased that I was able to use a junior-sized pair of jeans to make such a darling purse. Like most of you, I am always looking to repurpose things that are past their usefulness in their current state.
About a year ago, while packing up clothes to send to the local resale shop, I found these jeans in my daughter’s drawer. She hadn’t worn them in a while for she had grown and their length was halfway up her ankles. That afternoon, I snipped the legs off at the crotch and rummaged through my trims and sewing notions to try to find the best pieces to adorn my new bag. I had purchased a few clear handbag handles on clearance at JoAnn Fabrics and was thrilled to tack them on to the waistband with a few quick stitches. I really only had one seam to sew across the bottom of the bag. All that was left was to string glittery coordinating ribbon through the belt loops at the waist, glue and stitch on a few embellishments, and voila, a cute-as-a-button handbag was born!

Crafts, Gifts

DIY – Plant Markers

Posted on May 28, 2013 by lmc

Every spring, when I plant seeds in my garden, I buy unique (often expensive) plant markers to identify my herbs and vegetables. It’s not that I can’t identify my plants without the markers…its just that I like the way the markers look in my garden.
Well, it never fails…by late August, the markers have faded, rusted, or have gone missing. I usually end up throwing the silly things out in November and buying a whole new batch for the next growing season. This year, visiting the paint department at our local hardware store, I got the idea of using paint stirring sticks (that are free) to make my own plant markers. While they may only last one or two seasons, at least they are reasonably priced! The girls and I had fun making them together. This is also a great gift idea for Mother’s or Father’s Day.

DIY – Plant Markers

Visit your local hardware store and ask for a few paint stirring sticks. ( We are painting our bathroom and laundry room so they gave us plenty of sticks with our paint purchase).

Supplies

Paint Stirring Sticks
Craft Paint
Permanent Black Sharpie Marker or Paint Markers
Satin Clear Spray Paint or Spray Sealer

Paint both sides of the sticks with craft paint; letting them dry thoroughly between coats. Use the permanent marker to write various plant names on the paint sticks. Spray several coats of clear spray paint or sealer over entire stick. Let dry completely before putting them outdoors.

Crafts, Gifts

Summer Herb Gift Basket

Posted on May 22, 2013 by lmc

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. – Mohandas K Gandhi.

A couple of years ago, Jim built several raised beds so that we could grow our own produce to can, freeze, and serve throughout the summer months. Last week, I took a trip to my local garden center to pick out this year’s vegetable plants. I chose Roma tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, celery, peppers, eggplant, and cauliflower. I also grabbed some of my most often used herbs to plant in colorful patio containers.
Here’s a clever gift idea to give to a friend that appreciates the taste of fresh herbs and loves home cooking. For the past couple of years, I have made this for my mother-in-law so that she can grow fresh herbs on her condominium deck.

Summer Herb Gift Basket

Group a few of your favorite herb plants together, arrange them in an attractive basket, bucket, or patio pot. You can add seed packets and gardening tools if you’d like. Wrap the whole thing with cellophane*, secure with twine or raffia and gift it to a friend or relative. Attach a great recipe and you have a winning gift that is sure to please.

* Stock up on clear or colored gift wrapping cellophane right after the Easter and Christmas holidays when prices are reduced to as much as 75% off. Store and use for basket and food gifts throughout the year.

Baked goods, Desserts, Food, Gifts, lunch box

Melt In Your Mouth Christmas Cut-Outs

Posted on December 30, 2012May 23, 2013 by lmc

Throughout the month of December, we love to turn up the Christmas music, drag out the baking supplies and bake cookies to celebrate the holiday season. My children love to search through the box of cookie cutters to find the perfect shape for their individual cut-outs. They delight in combing through the baking cabinet for all of the colorful sprinkles and sugars as our tasty treats bake in the oven. These moments create the memories for a lifetime. I hope you enjoy the holiday baking season while making wonderful memories with your family.

Melt In Your Mouth Christmas Cut-Outs

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup canola oil
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp almond extract
4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream butter, oil, and sugars
Add eggs and extract; beat well
Mix in remaining dry ingredients
Form into a disk and chill for 1 hour
Roll out on floured surface and cut into shapes with cookie cutters
Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.
Cool completely and glaze cookies with powdered sugar glaze

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