Homemade Spice Mix and Ground Chilies

Since Daddy and the Little Man were sick with a fever today, I decided to shake the boredom and craft with food, as Sissy would say.

I started out with something quite simple. I ground some dried cayenne chilies, from last years garden, into flakes and packaged them in a cellophane bag (part of a gift package I am sending to my folks).

Then I proceeded to make some spicy salt. I found the recipe on Pinterest. It uses kosher salt and sriracha sauce mixed together then baked at a low oven. I found that two hours at 200 was just too long. My salt dried in half that time at 200. Ovens vary so watch your salt.

The recipe for the salt can be found at Babble.

It is actually a bit spicy and would be really yummy on popcorn.

Overall a pretty easy project that helped pass the time while taking care of the boys. I packaged the salt in a 4 oz Mason jar and added a label. This too will be added to the folks package, I know they will enjoy this spicy treat.

Stay tuned for a very cute Valentine card. They are so darling and easy to make.

Have a great night!
Heather

Gift Baskets

UPDATE: Since Hubs thought I sounded bitter and hating the world when I wrote the post I decided to get rid of the negative stuff 

I really love making gifts baskets.

I love giving gifts to friends and family. The look on there face when they receive a gift is priceless to me and makes my heart happy.

Does anyone out there like gift baskets? What is your favorite, making them or receiving them?

I like receiving them just as much. A basket full of little bits and bobbles...what fun!

this one is filled with soap, scrub, bath soak, and body spray that I made. 

I made these for our neighbors at Christmas time. A tray with hot chocolate and cookies. Perfect for a cold winter night.

Have a wonderful evening,

Heather

Handmade Christmas Gifts 2012

In the spirit of Christmas and St. Nicholas I decided to get started on my favorite thing. Making Presents!!! I love making gifts and giving them away.

These gift baskets are stuffed with my home made bath soak, body spray, salt scrub and soap. My deluxe basket! I finished it off with a basket and filler from the Dollar Tree and wrapped in in a clear basket bag and tied it up with simple blue ribbon.

This is another basket I filled with some home made bath soak and salt scrub. I finished it off the same way as the deluxe basket. I also do the little baskets with a scrub/body spray combo and a large scrub/small scrub combo. These are always well received around the holidays. After all the holiday shopping and traveling who isn't in the mood for some relaxing down time? These baskets provide just that!

These cute snowmen are chocolate candy bars we hand out to the kids in the neighborhood, the mail carrier or a delivery person dropping off Christmas packages. They are easy to make and affordable. Just take an 8 1/2x11 sheet of white paper and cut in half. Take a half of the paper and wrap it around the chocolate bar. Tape the back, add a cute little face to the front, tie on some ribbon and you have snowman candy bars! 

This I haven't started yet, but can you guess what I am going to make? You guessed it! Chocolate bars and truffles. These are for a cookie exchange party we are going to in mid December. Can't wait to taste test!

 Here are the soaps that I made this year. Rose scented for the ladies and Drakkar cologne for the men. They turned out quite fragrant. All I have to do is wrap them up and stuff them in a basket with other goodies.

These are the cards and matching box I made for my Mom's birthday. I chose a snowflake theme since she will most likely use them all before Winter ends and by Spring I will have a new boxed set for her!

Last I have these great gift bags for our neighbors. I bought a charger from the Dollar Tree and added a box of cookies and some hot chocolate. I finished it with a basket bag and festive bow. I think project cost me around $6. It's cute, festive and you really can't go wrong with cookies and hot chocolate on a cold winter night.

Do you make gifts for the holidays? What are they? Leave me a link to your blog in the comments and I will add you in an up coming blog post about more homemade gifts!