MAKE HOME MADE GIFTS THIS YEAR AND SAVE MONEY

MAKE EASY HOME MADE GIFTS AND SAVE MONEY

   Pretty Home Made Gifts

Home made gifts don't have to look cheap and they don't have to cost an arm and a leg either.

                                                 

Make Great Low Cost Valentines

Hi, thank you for stopping by today. If you're new to Smart Moms Saving Money, you may want to subscribe to receive free updates through RSS feedYou can also follow all updates on my Twitter account.Thank you for visiting please come back soon! ~Make Great Low Cost Valentines~ These teatime sandwich cookies look super fancy, but you won’t believe how easy they are to make.

Raspberry Linzer Heart Cookies

Have The Kids Make These Lollipop Flowers These cheerful paper blooms contain a delicious surprise in the center.  These great idea came from All You, "but of course"Yes, I LOVE that magazine!Well there are a lot more great recipes and ideasso CLICK HERE and check them all out. Happy Valentines Day! 

Easy Homemade Treats for Giving as Gifts Large on Love Not Price

 Stir! Mix! Bake! Give! Easy, Homemade Holiday Treats 

CLICK HERE

 If the idea of producing a batch of homemade gifts sounds intimidating, consider this: We have a plan for crossing your entire shopping list off at once. All you need is one afternoon, a clear kitchen countertop, a few basic ingredients—and you're done.
Holiday gift giving doesn't get any easier than when you whip up these edible homemade presents—zero cooking required.    1.)  Cashew, Coconut, Peanut Butter Chip, and Raisin Trail Mix:  In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups salted roasted cashews, 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips, 1 bag (10 ounces) peanut butter chips, and 2 cups raisins. Portion the snack mix into cellophane gift bags tied with a ribbon.
Makes about 8 cups 

2.) Latin Grill Spice Rub:  In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar and 2 tablespoons each of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground ginger, and ground cumin. Add 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper. Stir until completely blended. Pack into small glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Attach a ribbon and gift tag with suggested serving ideas, such as "Delicious as a rub for pork, chicken, and flank steak."  Makes about 1 cut

 3.)  Hot Chocolate Mocha Mix:  Combine 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder with 1/2 cup sugar, then add 3/4 cup premium unsweetened cacao. Blend well to combine. Spoon into small decorative tins or small glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Attach a ribbon and a tag that says, "Mix 3 Tbsp. hot chocolate mocha mix with 1 cup steamed or simmered milk. Top with miniature marshmallows."

4.)  Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix:  Chop 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate into small chunks and layer on the bottom of a standard quart-size mason jar, or an equivalent-size jar. Tap the jar to level it and settle the chips. In a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Layer the mixture on top of the chocolate. Add 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans. Layer 3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar on top.

Seal the jar, tie it with a ribbon, and attach a gift card with this simple recipe: "Preheat oven to 350°. Have ready 2 nonstick baking sheets. Using a mixer or wooden spoon, cream together 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter with the brown sugar in the jar. Add 2 eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and blend. Add the remaining ingredients from the jar and mix just until all the flour is absorbed. Use 2 tablespoon cookie dough for each cookie, and space them an inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 24 cookies."

5.)   Mixed Seasoned Olives:  Drain 2 cups of picholine or other brine-cured olives, rinse in cold water, and pat dry. Combine olives with zest from 1 lemon, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and about 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add a chopped dried red chili, if desired. Marinate at least 4 hours or up to 5 days. Pack into decorative jars with tight-fitting lids. Tie each with a ribbon and attach a gift card.

These great gift and ideas came off of Oprah's site  Click HERE to get the rest of the directions and see more great offers,

Thank you Oprah and crew!

 

Homemade Gifts from the Heart I LOVE this type of stuff!

 

~Homemade Gifts from the Heart~

I LOVE BAKING!  

It's been one of my guilty pleasure for as long as I can remember, I LOVE making up recipes and trying new cookies and cakes.  It relaxes me when I bake, I guess it's the smells or the taste, heck I think it's a little of both.  I've been baking a mixture of all kinds of 

goodies every since my kids were very little and I always gave a big mixture to their teachers, our friends, family, my church family and I've even been know to bring goodies to my doctors.  

"Hey it can't hurt to be nice to the person who is cutting you up, ya know, right." lol  

It's funny how many people start asking when are we getting our goodies, when the holidays get close.  

I read some where how making gifts make some people feel cheap and they end up spending even more money because they give the gift they made and go buy one too.  

I just wanted to let you know that, that's crazy! 

 I've never felt guilty about giving home-made gifts, I mean I feel I am putting much more time, love and more of myself in my gift then if I would of ran and just grabbed something that they probably wouldn't care for anyway.

Most of the time I try to put my baked goods in a cute reuseable container something that they can use again

Speaking of cute, I just ordered the cutest cookie jars off QVC a few minutes ago. This cookie jar is a purse! 

The cookie jar is a little more then I would normally pay for a container that I am filling with my cookies, but I have a couple of people that I will give to as a family/couple gift then just give the kids some little toy too. 

I plan on filling it with a mixture of some of my best cookies and giving it as gifts. The only bad thing I think I want to keep one of the jars.  lol I know, I always want everything I buy, it's like oh, I like that, and that and that.  One for you, and one for me and one for you and two for me...and so on. lol  

Just kidding I want it, but I don't think I'll keep it.

"I bought a Green one and a Red one."  Oh, course I went through Upromise I'll get 3% back and by buying 2 I got 1/2 off on shipping.  They may of sold out, by now but if your interested Click HERE 

The brand is Temtations which is a GREAT brand for making ceramics.  It will keep it color and look new forever.

Okay back to filling the jar! 

Homemade Gifts from the Heart

This holiday season, give your friends and family gifts that come from your heart—and kitchen! From sweet-and-tart cranberry chutney to exquisitely gooey maple-caramel sauce, start a new gift-giving tradition that's as simple as it is delicious.

• 8 easy homemade treats to give

Dark Chocolate Bark

CLICK HERE

 This chocolate bark studded with red cherries and green pistachios is vibrant, delicious, and takes less than an hour to make. We've put it in a red wooden box covered with a sheet of wrapping paper (glue down the edges), which you can cut open to reveal the treats inside. 

Diane's Christmas Pecans

"THIS IS MY KIND OF SNACK, YUM!"

Cranberry Chutney

"This one is a very pretty color"

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Balls

"Oh, wow, I think I would LOVE this one"

 Maple Caramel Sauce

"Very nice old fashion type of gift"

 Blood Orange Vodka

"wow, I never made anything like this."

Apricot, Ginger, and Walnut Tea Bread  

"This would be a great one to type of the recipe and add it with it"

Lemon-Pepper-Rosemary Salt

"Oh, man I have to make this one for myself!"

These great ideas and recipe came from O'Magazine!

 Thank you Oprah and Staff, this is a great list of homemade gifts. :)

Gift Ideas Made Easy.... With Crisco

  Gift ideas made easy.... with Crisco{It's not to early to start thinking about gift giving.}  

Crisco has made giving homemade gifts a lot easier. The homemade gift ideas below are simple to make... and scrumptious to receive. So give something unique to your family and friends! Simply follow our directions and package the pre-mixed ingredients in a jar labeled with its contents and tagged with preparation instructions and a personal note from you.

Crisco has all the labels, preparation instructions and gift tags you need to make your homemade gift package complete! Just print and go!

CLICK HERE TO PRINT TAGS




Homemade Crisco Cookie Mix
There are dozens of great reasons people love cookies. Choose your receiver's favorite recipe!

Homemade Crisco Fudge Brownie Mix
Got a chocolate lover in your life? This mix is sure to make a tasty impression with them!

Homemade Crisco Quick Bread Mix
Butter up someone special with a quick bread mix perfect for a variety of yummy recipes.

Homemade Crisco Pie Crust Mix
A homemade pie is even better with a homemade crust, which makes this a gift the bakers in your life are sure to appreciate.

Homemade Crisco Whole Wheat Pancake Mix
Get somebody's day off to a great start with a delicious breakfast that can be made in just minutes.