Jar Gift Recipe...Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix

Here is another wonderful jar mix recipe to add to your holiday gift giving list! Remember to keep one for yourself so on those cold, dreary days, you can make a quick batch of warm muffins!

Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins and/or nuts

In a bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients. Place in a jar or an air tight container. Package raisins and nuts separately and place on top of ingredients.

Topping
3 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Mix topping ingredients in a bowl. Package in a small cellophane or plastic bag and place on top of nuts/raisins.

Attach this note to the jar:

Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix

To prepare, preheat oven to 350°.

Mix together:
Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix

raisins and/or nuts

1 cup apple juice

2 Tbsp. oil

1/2 cup applesauce

margarine, melted (to dip in after baked)

Stir just until combined. Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. While still warm, dip in melted margarine and then topping. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Happy Thanksgiving From Our Scented Cottage

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family. It has been a trying year, to say the least, but we've all made it through and have much to be thankful for. Here's to a year of happiness and health to us all, and if for some reason one of us falls, may the others pick us up and carry us on.

Blessings in love and light,

Laura

Mix N Match Quick Breads

If you love baking quick breads you will love this post. You can mix and match numerous ingredients and have fun creating new bread recipes for gifts and tea. Happy Baking!


You can also make muffins with this recipe. (Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups Mix-n-Match (see below)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds (your choice)
Mix-n-Match (one or more of the following to equal 2 cups)
Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots, chopped
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries, pitted and chopped
Coconut, grated
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit 1 cup sugar)
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped
Pineapple, crushed and well-drained
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well-drained
Sweet Potatoes or Yams, cooked and mashed, or grated
Zucchini, grated and well-drained
Directions:
Sift together dry ingredients.
In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together.
Stir in vanilla and your choice of Mix-n-Match.
Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts.
Spoon into 2 well-greased loaf pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
For Muffins:
Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
Tasty MIX-N-MATCH combinations:
Carrot-Raisin-Walnut
Pumpkin-Raisin-Sunflower seeds
Apple-Cranberry-Walnut
Cranberry-Orange-Walnut

No Cook Food Gifts From Your Kitchen...

Nothing makes a gift more personal than taking the time to choose something suited specifically for the recipient. What could be more pleasing to show your sentiment than a gift from the kitchen? Your kitchen gift doesn't have to be a huge time investment. Small touches will make a big difference. These ideas are suitable not just for the holidays, but for gift-giving on any special occasion.

Gather up treasured family recipes and copy them into a colorful purchased journal. Or, print them on pretty recipe cards fitted into a categorized recipe box.

Purchase candy canes or any interesting-flavored candy sticks. Dip them in melted semi-sweet chocolate and let harden. Wrap in cellophane with bows to be used as coffee or tea stirrers. These are nice tucked into a pretty coffee mug.

Purchase several small herb plants and nestle them together in a pretty basket with a favorite recipe card for using each herb.

A bottle of wine with an IOU for a home-cooked meal makes a terrific gift for that person constantly on the go.

For a nice hostess gift, purchase a small styrofoam cone. Using toothpicks to attach, cover with fresh cranberries. Use whole clove studs interspersed and leftover pine clippings or fresh herbs as a decorative base.

Purchase a salt mill or pepper grinder and package with gourmet salt or peppercorns.

Line a large, heavy oven mitt with colored cellophane, fill with gourmet jellybeans or nuts, and tie with a bright ribbon.

For families with children, fill a cookie jar with cookie decorating accessories such as small bottles of neon food coloring, colored sugars, candy sprinkles, and jimmies. Don't forget to include your favorite cookie recipe.

Purchase a bundt cake with the hole in the center. Make a small nosegay of silk flowers in an inexpensive miniature bud vase and place in the center. Wrap with colored cellophane and a bow.

Enjoy the holidays! They are only stressful if we allow them to be!

Did You Know...

That your sponges will last longer if you soak them in cold salt water occasionally and boil them or place them into the dishwasher once a week?

Is Your Favorite Color...

Brown? Our reaction to color is almost instantaneous and has a profound impact on the choices we make everyday. If your favorite color is brown, what does it say about your personality? It says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the color of our earth and is associated with all things natural and organic. The color brown gives a feeling of wholesomeness, stability, and a connection with the earth.

A person who loves and wears alot of brown has stamina and patience, tending to be very solid and substantial, conscientious, dependable, steady and conservative. Browns are not impulsive, and may be inarticulate and tactless but they love responsibility and are reliable and kindly. If you chose brown, watch out for a tendency to be obstinate and inflexible.

Need To Remove A Decal?

I'm not sure about you, but nothing annoys me more (ok some things do annoy me more but today this is it!) than purchasing something and having the decal attached to the plastic outer wrap as though it was one with the product! With gift giving season upon us, here is a way to get those price stickers off before you wrap the gift.

Apply warm vinegar on a sponge and allow it to stand for a few minutes. It should wipe off with a soft dry cloth!

Don't worry about odor. It will not remain after a minute or so.

Storewide 20% Off Sale!

Our Scented Cottage is having our 20% off holiday sale! We have many items to choose from so relax, peruse our goods, and get some of your gift shopping out of the way!

Happy Holidays From Our Scented Cottage!