Wild Violet Jelly

Did you know you could make jelly from wild violets,  the pretty little purple "weeds" that grow in your yard every spring?  You can!  And let me tell you, it's good!  It has a very unique taste that is hard to describe.  It doesn't have a floral taste like you might think.

Wild violets also have numerous health benefits! They are high in vitamins A, C, bioflavonoids, calcium, and magnesium.  The leaves can be used for skin rashes, sore and swollen joints, eczema, digestive problems, bruises, made into a cough syrup, used as a laxative, sore throats, arthritis, and they are a natural diuretic with cleansing properties!  You can read more about that HERE. I'm going to post an old recipe from my great grandmother on how to make a salve from the leaves sometime later next week, so be sure to check back!

In addition to the health benefits of wild violets, you can also use the flowers to be visually appealing in different food dishes.  Toss a few flowers into a green leafy salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing for a pop of color.  You can also put the flowers in ice cube trays, fill with water, and freeze to have ice cubes with little violets inside every cube.  Or, fill the trays with white wine and freeze to enjoy in a glass of wine!  Put a few of the flowers on top of a cake to add a touch of elegance.  The possibilities are just endless!!

To make the jelly, you only use the purple flowers.  Look how pretty they all look in a bowl!

Violet Jelly
3 cups violet flowers
3 cups water
approx 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 box pectin
6 half pint jars

1. Collect and rinse violet flowers
2. Bring water to a boil and add violets.
3. Allow violets to steep overnight in water.
4. Strain liquid through a sieve, discard flowers.  It will be a blueish liquid like this:

5. Add enough apple cider to bring the liquid back up to 3 cups.  It will turn from the blueish color to a pretty purple color:

6. In a medium sized pot, add liquid and stir in pectin
7. Bring the liquid to a boil.
8. Add the sugar.
9. Return to a full boil and boil for 2 minutes.  Make sure to continuously be stirring to prevent scorching.
10. Ladle hot jelly into half pint jars.
11. Process in a water canner for 10 minutes.
12. Allow jelly to sit so it will set up, do not move or disturb.
Yield 6 half pint jars

Turkey Guest Blogger

Be sure to stop over at Sun Flowers at Home today! Ginny is running a series called 10 Days of Turkey and I am the guest blogger today! I posted the instructions over there to make this super cute turkey with your kids.
Thanks Ginny!!!

Boring Cupcakes, or are They??

Want a way to "WOW" anyone that eats your cupcakes? If so, you have to make these cupcakes!!

I got the idea from Omnomicon, where she made a beautiful rainbow cake. (side note: there is some language on her site that some people might find offensive.) I thought this would be so neat to make for Jaiden's school for St. Patrick's Day, you know, the rainbow with the gold at the end. My thought was to get some chocolate gold coins to decorate the top of the cake. Then, I thought, cupcakes would be so much easier for the kids to eat. So, I experimented today to see if it would work. I am so very pleased with the results! I am going to try to find some of those coins or some sort of Paddy's Day pick to put into each one.

Rainbow Cupcakes

1 box white cake mix
(egg, water, oil, or whatever the box calls for)
1 box food color gels (not liquid food coloring)
homemade or store bought icing/frosting
24 paper cupcake cups

1. Make your batter according to the instructions on the box.
2. Divide your batter into 6 bowls by putting approx. 1/2 cup of batter into each bowl.
3. Squeeze the appropriate color into each bowl and stir well. (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) You will have to mix colors to get orange and purple.
4. Place the papers into the pan and lightly spray each paper with non-stick spray.
5. Decide what look you want for the cupcakes. I did one set starting with red, one set starting with purple, and one set in no particular order.
6. Place one teaspoon of 1st color in the bottom.
7. Place a teaspoon of 2nd color on top of 1st color in the middle. This will make the 1st color spread.
8. Continue placing the colors on top of each other.
9. Bake according to box directions.
10. Ice/frost you cupcakes.
11. Stand back and admire your results.

This is all the colors in the separate bowls


Before the cupcakes went into the oven


After the cupcakes came out of the oven


This cupcake is made with the purple on bottom and the red on top






This cupcake was made with the red on bottom and purple on top






This cupcake was made by just putting the colors in together




Here are the 3 different types all together

What I've Been Up To

Now that I've had more time, I have reopened my etsy shop. I have been working on several different items to try to get some more money coming into this house to pay bills.

Ryan has even gotten on board and has found beading bookmarks to be very addictive! Just don't tell the "man club" on him for making beaded bookmarks!




Here's the link to my shop if anyone would like to check it. I am very open to comments, opinions, and suggestions about the store items!!
Etsy Shop Link

Young at Heart Chorus

These were not able to be embedded. They are great, so be sure to check them out.
Staying Alive

Road to Nowhere

I'll Fix You

I'm in Love!!!

Simplicity Bias Tape Maker ($79-$99)


Simplicity Rotary Cutter ($55-$70)

Track Santa

Don't forget to track Santa to see where he has been and where he will be! As of 8:30 this morning, he has already delivered gifts in Russia and is now currently in Australia. You can track him HERE.

Homemade Holidays #6

Here's post #6 in the Homemade Series.

1. M&M Christmas Recipes

2. Hershey's Christmas Recipes

3. Pillsbury Christmas Recipes

4. Duncan Hines Christmas Recipes

5. Toll House Christmas Recipes

6. Melting Snowman Cookie Pt 1
Pt 2
Pt 3
Pt 4

7. Red Mommy Snickerdoodles

8. Red Mommy Chocolate Chip Cookies

9. Red Mommy Chocolate Chip Brownies

10. Red Mommy Buckeyes

11. Red Mommy Base Fudge

12. Red mommy Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Homemade Holidays #5

This is post #5 for the Homemade Holiday Series

1. Toddler Belt

2. Clay Pot Bird Bath

3. Wind Chimes

4. Rose Ear Rings

5. Neck Tie Onesies

6. Colored Pencil Roll

7. Beach Glass Necklace

8. Covered Headbands

9. Grill Buddy

10. Princess Pavilion

11. Women's Underwear

12. 6 Pocket Bag

13. Toddler Girl Underwear

14. Bath Toiletry Recipes

15. Christmas Tree Hair Bow

16. Sayings to go with Gifts

17. Quick & Cheap Gifts

18. Stethoscope Cover

Homemade Holidays #4

Here's installment #4 in the Homemade Holiday Series.

1. Snack Bag

2. Shirt Stencils

3. Edible Crayons

4. Fabric Covered Night Lights

5. Red Cordial

6. 2 Hour Tote

7. Tepee

8. Cupcake Bath Bomb

9. Memory Game

10. Headache Band

11. Momma Doll

12. Superhero Cape

13. Mermaid Tail

14. Cloak

15. No Sew Cloak

16. Fabric Doll

17.Bath Mat

Handmade Holidays #3

Here is installment #3 in the Handmade Holidays Series.

1. 52 Apron Patterns

2. Seat belt Sleeves

3. Ribbon Jeans

4. Herringbone Bracelet

5. Basic Baby Bib

6. Trendy Diaper Bag

7. Handmade Napkins

8. Casserole Tote

9. Cat & Dog Toy

10.Grocery Bag Lunch Sack

Handmade Holidays #2

This is the second installment of Handmade Holidays, helping those of you that aren't able to make gifts from Christmas but still want handmade items.

This week's focus is on the hard to buy for male.

No more boring, plain tasting steaks with this Ultimate Steak Blend created by Kitchen Stories. This blend even comes with a recipe for the perfect steak! Yum!

Looking for a special, one-of-a-kind gift? Check out this custom made Necktie Wallet by Prix Prix. Send her your special, sentimental, or just plain awesome necktie and she will make a custom wallet for you! Makes an unique gift.

What male doesn't love chicken wings? No more "store bought" flavored sauce when you get this Wing Sauce by Game Day Eats. This is a sauce perfected over a 9 year period, finally achieving Wing Sauce Greatness!

No more boring ties if you get this Tie Tack created by Cuff Links. These make a great gift for any Star Wars fanatic! And, don't forget to get the matching cuff links!

Can you get more manly than this commando soap made by Swan Mountain Soaps? Perfect for the tough guy (with the soft heart) on your list ... this soap will battle dirt and dry skin while assaulting your senses with the awesomely superior Commando fragrance oil.

If you're looking for a super and practical gift, try a shaving gift set made by Shop Red Leaf.The Coconut oil formulation in the soap gives a clean shave and leaves even the most sensitive skin soft and smooth!

Got a grandpa wanting to show the world he's a grandpa? What a better way to let everyone know than this grandpa shirt from Branded. Don't worry mom and dad, they also have shirts for you too!

A BIG THANKS to the following ETSY shops for allowing me to post their items:-
Kitchen Stories
Prix Prix
Game Day Eats
Cuff Links
Swan Mountain Soaps
Shop Red Leaf
Branded

(I have no affiliations with these sellers)

Homemade Holidays #2

This is installment #2 to help you make your holiday a homemade one!

1. Lip Balm

2. Draft Stopper

3. Marble Magnets

4. Dish Soap Apron

5. Oven Door Dress

6. Miracle Hand Lotion

7. Dog Visors & Bandannas

8. Kitchen Towel Purse

9. Doll Wardrobe Closet

10. T-Shirt Dresses

Handmade Holidays #1

I thought in addition to doing Homemade Holidays, I would also do a series of posts called Handmade Holidays. I thought this would be nice for all of you that are not able to make gifts for the holidays but still want the gifts to be handmade. So, every Thursday, I will be featuring at least 5 different handmade items that you can purchase for gifts.

This week's theme is handmade gifts for baby and the new mom.


First is this adorable personalized baby set by Sweet Stitches Shop This set comes with a Lovie Blanket, Bib and Burp Cloth; all color coordinated to match!

Next is this very handy diaper and wipe case to carry instead of a big diaper bag by Boogaboo Babies. In addition to their handmade items, they also sell their own original sewing patterns on Etsy and on their website www.boogaboobabies.com. Boogaboo Babies also has a blog: http://blog.boogaboobabies.com.

Be sure to check out these festive diaper covers by Rethink Crafts. These covers have a waterproof layer of PUL (polyurethane laminate) to minimize leaking with extra strong Velcro to keep the diaper secure.

Next up is a soft and cuddly baby blankie by Nibord. The blankie is 36"x36" and is made with 100% cotton flannel and 100% cotton batting.

Check out these super soft washcloths from The Posh Tots. These washcloths are backed with luxuriously soft french terry cloth and are perfect for cleaning baby's sensitive skin.

I think this is so neat! It is a wet bag that allows you to put wet clothes or diapers in made by Monkey Foot Designs. The bag features include a strap with a snap at the end that is perfect for hanging on your stroller or attaching to another bag and it is machine washable. Right now, Monkey Foot Designs is offering FREE shipping until November 15th!

These nursing pads from Sandistitches are a must have for any breastfeeding mother. They are made from a soft flannel and are machine washable.

And finally, be sure to take a peek at these super handy Belly Bassinets by Generations In Style. These slings have gotten so popular to carry your baby around hands free. They are machine washable and also reversible. Generations in Style also does custom crib and toddler bedding.

A BIG THANKS to the following ESTY shop owners for allowing me to post their items:

Sweet Stitches Shop

Rethink Crafts

Boogaboo Babies

Nibord

The Posh Tots

Monkey Foot Designs

Sandistitches

Generations In Style

(I have no affiliation with these sellers)

Homemade Holidays #1

If a lot of you are like me and trying do homemade gifts for the holidays this year, here are several links to give you some gift ideas:

1. Fish in a Bag Soap

2. Cookie Tin Purses

3. Crib Sheet Pattern

4. Lip Balm Cozy

5. Fabric Headband

6. Toddler Art Smock

7. Felt Doughnuts

8. Link to Felt Food Tutorials

9. Jewelry Mirror

10. Custom Calendar Using Your Photos

11. More Felt Foods

This is a new series of posts I plan on posting every week until December 21st. So, check back every Tuesday for new links so you can have a Homemade Holiday. Also be sure check out Thursdays for "Handmade Holidays".

Pot Holder Extravaganza

I am making pot holders for some of the women in my family for Christmas and I thought I would share them with you.

Some tips:

1. Always be sure to use 2 layers (or more) of Insul-Bright no matter what the pattern calls for.

2. Always use a 100% cotton batting like Warm and Natural.

3. Always use 100% cotton fabric.

My grandmother bought some "puffy" pot holders at a craft show because she thought they were "nice and thick". When she tried to use them, they were worthless! The lady used a high loft poly blend batting with no Insul-Bright. The might have looked thick, but they did not protect her hands against the hot pan at all! "Puffy" and "thick" doesn't mean they'll hold up to the heat.

Here are some different links for making/using pot holders:

To make the finger oven mitt:The Idea Room

Pot Holder Purse: Sewabration

Vintage Pot Holders: Tip Nut

Pot Holder Pouch: All Free Crafts

Kitten Pot Holder: Craft Town

Crochet Christmas Tree: Craft Bits

Make Up Bag: Craft Blips

Quiet Book: Obsessively Stitching

Denim Pot Holder: My Recycled Bags

Christmas pot Holder: Crafts and Fabrics

Pot Holder w/ Binding: Imagine Fabric

Oven Mitts: Savvy Seams

Another Oven Mitt: Design Sponge Shop

Pot Handle Cover: Blair Peter

Hanging Pot Holder: Fire Flies & Jelly Beans

Crochet Pot Handle Cover: Dish Cloth Diaries

But Mommy, It's a Blanket with Sleeves!!!

Shh, don't tell, Jaiden is getting a snuggie for Christmas this year! (Click Here to discover what a snuggie is...) Jaiden is a fiend for infomercials! She wants everything! Just yesterday, we "had" to watch one for the new and improved snack master. Of course, she wanted it!

Jaiden has been wanting a snuggie since they first came out. Now since Christmas is getting closer, the commercials are on every 15 minutes. She really, really wants one. She told me that you can even read and watch TV with a snuggie!

Oh, it gets better! I was telling my cousin, Lindsay, what Jaiden had said about the snuggie. Lindsay told me that if I find a pattern to let her know because her daughter, Olivia (7) wants one really, really bad. Olivia told Lindsay, "But Mommy, it's a blanket with sleeves!!" Well, I was telling mt friend this whole story and it turns out her son also is in desperate "need" of a snuggie. In total, I am making about 5 child size snuggies and 2 or more adult sized ones for Christmas.

I recently did a search for a child size snuggie and found a really good site with detailed instructions on how to make a child snuggie. I thought it would be too big for the kids, so I used the same directions, but I changed the measurements to fit the kids I am making for.

Here is the original site with the instructions: Child's Snuggie

These are the following measurements I made:
For the 2 younger ones (2&3 year olds) You'll need 1 1/8 yd of of 60" wide fleece
Cut 15" of the 60" width to now make the fleece piece 45"Wx40.5"L The cut the strip into 2- 15"x20" pieces. Fold in half vertically and sew to make a sleeve that is 15"x10". The arm holes are 8" from the top of the body of the blanket and 8" away from the fold (instead of the suggested 10"x12" measurement in figure 3) The size of the oval hole is 7"x4" (instead of the 8"x5" as suggested).

For the 3 older ones (5,6,&7 year olds) You'll need 2 yards of 60" wide fleece. Cut the fleece to make a 50"x50" square. Cut the leftover fleece into 2- 18"x20" pieces for the sleeves. The arm holes are 9" from the top of the body of the blanket and 9" away from the fold (instead of the suggested 10"x12" measurement in figure 3) The size of the oval hole is 7"x4" (instead of the 8"x5" as suggested).

The snuggies are really easy to make, they take less than an hour to complete one! I got my fleece at Walmart and paid $4.44 yard. These make an inexpensive. but very nice gift!

Halloween Fun

I was thinking back on past Halloweens for me and the family this morning. Jaiden has dressed up as a University of Cincinnati cheerleader, witch, and a pirate. Arya has gone as a chicken and a pirate. As for myself, I can remember dressing up as a scarecrow, green M&M, snowman, punk rocker (hey, it was the 80's!), dog, a prisoner, a 1920's flapper, and a pirate last year. It's fun to think back!

I was trying to think back as a child, what movies scared me the most. I thought of the Tom & Jerry cartoon. I know you're thinking, "Tom & Jerry?" Yes, it the one where Jerry goes in a bus up to heaven and the dog is dressed up like the devil and takes Tom down the escalator to Hell. It is called "Heavenly Puss."
!

The movie that scared me the most was Disney's 1980 "Watcher in the Woods." I was like 5 the first time I saw this movie and can remember how much it scared me! I would love to be able to find the movie and watch it as an adult!


The book that scared me was Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright. I don't remember what is is about, I just remember leaving the lights on in my room after I read the book.

As an adult, I don't care for scary movies. I have never been a horror movie fan. The only horror movie I watch is Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp. Ryan and I watch that movie every Halloween.


Now, I do like the horror books. I have read lots of Stephen King and enjoyed them very much. I think the scariest book I ever read wasn't King, it was instead The Enity by Frank De Felitta. It is a true story about a woman tormented by demons in her own home. They physically attack her and everyone thinks she is crazy. It was a very good book.

And last but not least, we do watch Charlie Brown "The Great Pumpkin".


I hope you enjoyed reading about a small portion of our Halloween past! I will now leave you with a very addicting game:Trick or Treat. Your goal is to find the fastest way back home after trick or treating at the houses. I haven't made it past level 18. Good Luck!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Horseshoe; Red Mommy Style

I have a confession: Ryan and I are addicted to the show Man Versus Food on the Travel Channel. If you have never seen the show, this is how the Travel Channel describes the show, "In the new series, Travel Channel's Man v. Food, host Adam Richman sets out to travel the country in search of the best places to do some serious indulging. Adam begins his quest to find the best traditional food the nation can serve up." The host, Adam, participates in local food challenges like eating 5 bowls of habanero chili, eating a 15 pound burger, or even eating 13" pancakes. It is just a neat show because of the food challenges and showing the smaller, local restaurants a particular area is famous for.

Well last night, we were watching the show up in bed, slightly hungry, and they featured Springfield, Illinois. One the the local foods caught Ryan's total attention. It was an open faced sandwich called the Horseshoe made by restaurant called D’Arcy’s Pint
This sandwich had Ryan drooling before it was even described. It starts with a piece of Texas toast, then a hamburger patty, fries scattered on top, all topped off with their famous cheese sauce. Our stomachs immediately started growling. It looked so good!

We talked after the show, and even though we have never been there, I thought I could come up with something similar from the description. I did, and it tastes wonderful!!! We are adding it to our "possibles menu" for lunch.

Red Mommy Version of the D’Arcy’s Pint Horseshoe
Texas Toast Garlic Bread
hamburger patties (I fried ours)
crispy french fries
Velveeta cheese (melted)

Toast garlic bread in the oven. Place hamburger patty on top. Scatter fries over the sandwich. Pour melted cheese over entire sandwich.

I put some chopped green onion on mine, while Ryan left his plain. The possibilities are really endless!

A Fun Game

If you're like me, and have nothing else to do with your day (note the heavy use of sarcasm here), then check out this game: Sandy's Shrubbery Shakedown. It is a frustrating and aggravating game, but we cannot stop playing! I have got to level 14 and Ryan has gotten to level 15. Surprisingly, Jaiden has made it to level 9!!