Peppermint Stick Cocoa

It's no secret by now that I'm a huge fan of Peppermint Mocha Lattes. And when it comes to hot chocolate (which is the next best thing), I've found that I like Peppermint Stick Cocoa. (FYI: It's very chocolaty and yummy!)

It makes up into a lovely little gift with a ribbon, tag made from a slice of a thick branch, and a peppermint stick...

From the back, you can see all the pretty layers. I changed the order because in the original recipe it had the mini-chocolate chips and the peppermint at the top, but it was hidden by the ribbon. If you used a larger jar and didn't fill it up to the top, you wouldn't have that problem.

On top, I added some kraft paper stamped with a "To/From" tag to hide the metal lid.

• Peppermint Stick Cocoa
• Recipe from : Sunset, December 2004
• 
  
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
• 
  
• Layer powdered milk, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and peppermint candy.
• 
  
• *Note: This mix will fill a 1-quart jar (12 servings), but if your containers are different sizes, just keep the ratio of ingredients constant. On the back of the tag, write: "Mix contents in a large bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup boiling water. Store remaining mix in airtight container."
• 
  
• Don't forget to make some for yourself!
• 

• 
  
• 
  

Button Bracelet Tutorial

Once upon a time, I use to craft a lot. Then child number 2 arrived.

The End.

Okay, not entirely. But my crafting now is far and few between. I only really make something if I really like it, I am sure I can make it look professional, it's not too time consuming, and I can actually save money by making it. Too often I find that it would have been cheaper if I just purchased the item from someone who already has invested in the tools and has purchased the supplies in bulk at wholesale prices. (Plus, I often support a stay-at-home mom this way.)

So, I was at this flea market last year and I came across a gal selling some unusual buttons and vintage lace. And she was making the buttons into darling bracelets. Immediately, I was in love with these and had to give them a try!

I bought several cards of buttons and set them aside never to make them into jewelry. {Sigh... }

BUT, I finally got them out this week and whipped up these darlings. Now I wish I had done it last year and made more! I'm very pleased with how they turned out and it was a very quick project. My major purchase was the glue (at Michael's for under $7 if I remember correctly) and the buttons (price varies - could be free if you have some of your own!) with the bracelet blanks (around $2).

Bracelet Blanks

I actually made 3 of these and by the time I got to the third one, I had figured out a few tricks that made it much easier. Perhaps my trial and error will be of help to some of you who are looking to make some cute gifts for Christmas or a birthday.

Button Bracelet Tutorial

Supplies
1 bracelet blank
1 tube of Glass, Metal, & More Glue
selection of buttons

Optional Supplies
tweezers
straw
wax paper
rubber gloves

Begin by covering your work area with wax paper or some other protective covering. This glue is potent and you'll want to work with it in a well ventilated area such as outdoors. Lay out your buttons like you want them to appear on your bracelet. I stacked mine for a layered effect.

If you're going to layer them, spread them out before beginning in an order that is easy to work with and so that you'll remember how you want them on the bracelet.

Squeeze out some glue onto your prepared surface so that you can work with it using the straw or similar item. It's much easier to place the glue onto the bracelet blank because if you do it directly on the back of the button, too much glue will hang over the edge on the underneath side and make a mess.

Do the same on the larger buttons. I found that the glue tends to be stringy, like hot glue. If you twist your straw and wipe off a bit of excess on the prepared surface, you can break it off and it's much cleaner. However, don't worry about this too much as most of this dries clear and can be rubbed off afterward.


I used the clean end of the straw to press the buttons down firmly; even with rubber gloves, it's easy to get the glue everywhere and eventually onto your buttons if you're not careful.

And don't hurry! You have about an hour or so before this glue even begins to set well enough to move the bracelet easily. As you can see in the photo below, I did not spend a lot of time centering the buttons until AFTER I had all three layers applied to the bracelet blank. THEN I went back and made sure everything was centered and how I liked it. (It takes 24 hours for a firm set.)

When you get to the smaller buttons, it's easier to start applying the glue directly to the back of the button. This is where tweezers are also a big help. One of my buttons was teeny tiny!

Set aside where the bracelets won't be disturbed for 24 hours. Then you're ready to wrap them up or wear them!

And I crafted button bracelets happily ever after!

North Pole Cupcakes

I hope you don't fall out of your chair on the floor when you read this post. Just warning everyone... it's not a whole food, nor is it healthy in any way. It's totally processed and loaded with sugar. But it IS practically Christmas after all. (I promise... I didn't eat a single one!)

My girls and a couple of their friends whipped these up in no time on Sunday afternoon to take to Advent Services at church. I don't do a lot (or really any) Santa Claus stuff because I like to focus on Christ as the reason for all the celebrating at Christmas, but I'm not legalistic about it and I thought these were just so cute! (We handle Santa at our house by reading accounts of the 3rd Century Saint who helped the needy and the modern Santa more like he's a Disney Character; make believe.) That said, we had a bit of fun with these cupcakes!

I started with a standard box of cake mix. Try using a very white variety such as the one below, but when you bake it, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then when you put the cupcakes in, reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. They'll poof nicely and not be flat.

And most importantly, you need a very, very white icing...

I tried the vanilla flavored icing and it was a bit yellow, so try this whipped cream flavor (it was mighty good! I know 'cause I licked my fingers).

After icing the cupcakes, dust them with a bit of sugar to make them glisten, like snow in real life!

Add a small candy cane (just break off the hook), add a dab of icing to the end, and stick a cinnamon imperial on top. Print up a few tags on your computer and use icing to stick them on as well. The more the better... it makes it look like snow got on your sign!

I originally got the idea from Jenny's Cookies via Pinterest (I love that site!). Her's look much more professional... but then again, I believe she IS a professional!

Ours... well, I like the rustic look of snow drifts and clumps of snow on the little poles.  Next time I might take just a wee bit more time getting the right red for my little signs and use card stock, but other than that, I was pleased as punch at how they turned out!

In fact, this cupcake decorating project seems almost designed for the younger crowd or those just starting their cupcake decorating career, because any mistakes just look like a bit more snow blown around! Totally in keeping with my philosophy of a simple Christmas!

Hope you have lots of fun with this in the kitchen!

Barn Hop #40 ~ The Great Holiday Event!

Welcome everyone! It's finally here... The Great Holiday Barn Hop Event! Woo hoo!! We have an exciting week in store with lots of fabulous give-aways from some amazing sponsors. AND we have two special drawings: one for the best dressed homestead and the other for those of you who do not have a blog and want to get in the drawing for the Tara Frey book Blogging For Bliss! Let's get started, shall we?

Give-Away Sponsors

A huge THANK YOU is in order to some wonderful people who helped make this week happen... our lovely sponsors and a list of prizes they've donated (and be sure to note the discounts being offered as well!):

MONDAY

Rick & Kimberlee of Anderson Family Farms – 8 oz. Goat Milk Lotion (Scent of winner’s choice)

Brad Stieg of Tattler Canning Lids – 2 dozen lids

TUESDAY
Jill Wright of Lilla Rose - $15 gift certificate
Kate Tjete of Modern Alternative Mama – 4 ebooks


WEDNESDAY

Joan Strohn of Momo's Retro Fashions – apron of winner’s choice
Wardeh Harmon of GNOWFGLINS – eBook or free month’s subscription

THURSDAY

Daniel & Abby Jo of Forgotten Way Farms – washer plunger
     * Daniel & Abby Jo are offering a $5-20 discount on their drying racks for orders placed before January 1 (and shipping is included!). All orders placed by then will be in a drawing for an $25 gift certificate on future merchandise from Forgotten Way Farms.
Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship – Everything Beans eBook
     *Katie is offering a 25% discount to Homestead Barn Hop readers through Dec. 19th for all her eBooks! Just use code HOMESTEAD25!


FRIDAY
Anne Voskamp's book - One Thousand Gifts
Chaya & Wilson of Pantry Paratus – counter top composter
     *Chaya is offering $10 off any $60 order through Dec. 30th to Homestead Revival readers! Just use code HR10!

SATURDAY
Ashlyn Perkins of Print Candee – $15 gift certificate
Karen of Hometown Seeds – Emergency Suvivial Seeds Packet

SUNDAY

Lauren of Emergency Essentials – Three Day Lite-Emergency Kit
UPDATE: Back Yard Food Production - To be announced!

• For the Best Dressed Homestead...

Rod Carpenter of Franklin Springs - Homestead Blessing "Household Skills Collection" DVDs

• For the No Blog Drawing...

Tara Frey's Blogging For Bliss!

I'd like to encourage you to visit our gracious sponsors who have donated these wonderful prizes! Each of them has a great selection of quality items that would make awesome gifts for family or friends. We have gotten to know these individuals throughout the year and they are quality people who are working very hard in a very tough economy. This is another way we can support the homesteading community!

Rules of the Event

With so much going on this week, I want to make sure everyone understands the rules so there isn't a misunderstanding (which would put a damper on the party - and we don't want that!).

• To enter the Daily Drawings, you must link up your blog (one time, please) on the Great Holiday Barn Hop between Dec. 12th and midnight Dec. 18th using the linky below. Blog posts should be holiday related. We encourage you to be festive and talk about something pertaining to the holidays. The limit is only your imagination! Family traditions, hunting the perfect Christmas tree, favorite holiday foods, animal care while on holiday vacations, etc. Please keep all photos and posts "Rated G" for all audiences. (Thank you very much! If in doubt,  please don't post it.)

• A drawing will be held each day at 5:00 p.m. PST for one to two items. You can view the daily winner(s) on one of our facebook pages. A complete list of winners will be published on Monday, Dec. 19th on the regular Homestead Barn Hop. The sooner you link up, the more chances you have to win an item! 

• To enter the Best Dressed Homestead, link up a post and include a * or • before the title. For example:

• Lighting Up the Coop!

* Deck the Barn with Boughs of Holly

• House Tour - A Christmas Wonderland

• Best Dressed Homestead entries will be judged by the Homestead Hostesses and a winner will be selected. (This entry is separate from the Daily Drawings, so you could actually link up once for the daily drawings and another for the Best Dressed Homestead. So to further clarify... You may link up a total of two times- one random drawing entry, and an extra entry for best dressed homestead. Any non-holiday related posts will not be accepted this week. Let's keep it festive!)

• To enter the No Blog Drawing, please leave a comment below with your email address. Any entries without contact information will not be included in the drawing. You only need to enter on one of the four blogs (not all four, please!). When leaving your email address, you may leave it in the following format: homesteadrevival at sbcglobal dot net. Participants who have a blog will not be counted.

Add A Button To Your Blog

Don't forget to share this event with others!  We want to enjoy some great homesteads this week! For those participating, we've included a special button for your post or sidebar...

For those who need the html code for this button:

<a href="http://s838.photobucket.com/albums/zz307/amywalker63/?action=view&amp;current=I-Participated--Holiday-Barn-Hop.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i838.photobucket.com/albums/zz307/amywalker63/I-Participated--Holiday-Barn-Hop.jpg" border="0" alt="Great Holiday Barn Hop"></a>

Join The Barn Hop!

As you're hostesses, we're very excited to have you join us for this fun event! Thank you to all who have made this year so memorable through your comments, blog link ups, emails, and support! So many of you have added our buttons to your blog, mentioned us in your posts, and spread the word through various social media. We're feeling very blessed this Christmas season and we want you to know how grateful we are!

Now let's BARN HOP!

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead

Megan @ A Blossoming Homestead

and...

This post was updated on Dec. 12, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. PST.

Winner: Pantry Paratus

Just a quick update before The Great Holiday Barn Hop event that will be starting in just a few hours!! At 12:00 p.m. PST you can start uploading your holiday posts! All the information you need will be available right here at that time.

In the meantime, let's congratulate our Pantry Paratus Butter Keeper winner...

April of I Think I Can, I Think I Can!

Congratulations, April! Send me your address via email and Chaya will get that Butter Keeper on it's way to you.

Don't forget that Pantry Paratus is offering Homestead Revival readers a discount on all orders over $60 through December 30th. (Click HERE for more details). 

Sunday Blessing

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders; 

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,

On the throne of David and over his kingdom,

To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this."

~ Isaiah 9:6-8

Photo Credit

Today, over 2000 years since the birth of the Prince of Peace, we still need the peace that only He can give.

I heard the Bells on Christmas Day

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

"The wolf will live with the lamb,

The leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling together;

and a little child will lead them.

The cow will feed the bear,

their young will lie down together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,

and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.

They will neither harm not destroy 

on all my holy mountain,

for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

In that day, the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; 

the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious."

~ Isaiah 11:6-10

No peace? Know Jesus.

Pantry Paratus Discount!

Friends... Chaya at Pantry Paratus is offering Homestead Revival readers a special discount! 

$10 off any purchase of $60 or more!  

Update: Valid through Dec. 30th!

Code: HR10

Place your order before the close of today and you can take advantage of their free shipping offer as well, if your order is over $100! (See Pantry Paratus for more details). You know how shipping can add up. This would be a great way to finish off some of those gifts on your list!

And don't forget to enter the give-away for the butter keeper!

Happy shopping,