Make Your Own High Gloss Milk Paint...

Do you love the old fashioned milk paint look? You can make your own and save some pennies!

Milk paint is a material that gives surfaces a distinctive color washed finish. It is most commonly associated with colonial-era furniture, though it has even been found on artifacts dating to ancient Egypt.

You will need:
3/4 cup canned condensed milk
1 1/4 tablespoon tempura paint (liquid)

(Note: You can use food coloring instead but the paint will not be as glossy)

Place the ingredients into a container and blend well. This produces a very shiny and reflective color when dry.

Did You Know...

That if you wipe down your kitchen walls with a mild solution of white vinegar and water occasionally the walls will not attract grease?

Fun With Eggs...

Have a bit of fun with your eggs and fry them in a metal cookie cutter! They come in various shapes and you can choose one to fit any occasion... birthdays, holidays, or just one to amuse your children.

Spray the cookie cutter with non-stick cooking spray after placing it in the pan so the egg will be easy to remove, then break the egg right into it!

Are You Longing For Spring?

Let this beautiful cross stitch, hand stitched with love by "Handmade By Julie", bring spring into your home even while there is still snow on the ground. It is the perfect gift for you or the bird/hummingbird lover in your life! Drop in to our shoppe and have a peek! She is a true artist and I am proud to feature some of her work.

Some cultures regard hummingbirds as sacred and bringers of joy, life and love. Items featuring the symbol are often given as a token of love and to show appreciation, both to friends and partners. When depicted in pairs, the meaning is further enhanced, symbolizing devotion, the continuing cycle of life and eternity. A feather from the hummingbird is particularly treasured, as it's said to open the heart. If you are a lover of hummingbirds don't pass this one by.

If you are a bird lover, gardener, lover of home and handmade items, please visit the handmade section of Our Scented Cottage Online Shoppe. CLICK ON TITLE OF THIS POST AND VISIT OUR HANDMADE SECTION.

Merry Christmas From Our Scented Cottage

Let Christmas not become a thing
Merely of merchant's trafficking,
Of tinsel, bell and holly wreath
And surface pleasure, but beneath
The childish glamour, let us find
Nourishment for soul and mind.
Let us follow kinder ways
Through our teeming human maze,
And help the age of peace to come
From a Dreamer's martyrdom.
~Madeline Morse

Wishing You All A Wonderful Holiday Season!!

Party Pizza Appetizers

If you're having a holiday party and have not yet decided on all of your appetizers, give this one a try. These tasty morsels are sure to be a hit!

Ingredients:
1 lb. hot sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled (or pepperoni if you prefer)
1 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. sharp cheese, grated
1/2 c. grated Parmesan Cheese(from wedge)
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
3 cans flaky biscuits (Hungry Jack brand or the like)

Combine all ingredients, except biscuits. Separate each can of biscuits into small pizza rounds and place on cookie sheet. Spread each with mixture. Put cookie sheet in freezer and freeze. Remove from cookie sheet and store in plastic bags. Bake frozen pizzas at 425 for 10 min. Great for a cocktail party.

Make Your Own Colored Pasta For Crafts...

This time of year many children are out of school for winter vacation and it's easy to run out of ideas on how to keep them occupied. Here is an easy way to make colored pasta to keep children busy making bracelets, necklaces, even gluing them on paper or cardboard to make special pictures.

The following ingredients will be needed:

8 oz. bag of pasta (elbow macaroni, penne etc)
8 drops of food coloring
1 Tablespoon of rubbing alcohol

Place all of the ingredients into a plastic bag and shake well. Place the pasta on a cookie sheet and allow it to dry for about 15 minutes. DO NOT EAT THE PASTA!

Pizza Dough Mix...Jar Mix Recipe

Here is another jar mix recipe to add to your collection! After seeing how easy it is, doesn't it make you want to have pizza for lunch or dinner today? This is a gift for friends of all ages, whether a starving college student or a senior citizen-everyone loves pizza!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 package (1 Tbsp.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Place the mix in an airtight jar or other container.

Attach these instructions to the Jar:
Pizza
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas

1 package Pizza Dough Mix
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup warm water
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 tsp. crushed oregano

Place the Pizza Dough Mix in a large bowl & add the oil and water. Beat with a wooden spoon or dough hook until mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and let the dough rise for 90 minutes. Divide the dough in half and pat into two 12-inch circles. For thin crust, fill and bake the pizzas now. For thicker crust, let pizzas rise 30 to 45 minutes. Top the pizza dough with tomato sauce, cheeses of your choice, crushed oregano, and olive oil drizzled over the pizzas. Preheat the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

Frugal Tip...

There is no reason to spend extra money on dishwashing detergent. You can use the cheapest brand available, just add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dishwater. The vinegar will cut the grease and leave your dishes sparkling clean.

Make Your Own Gourmet Mustard Mixes

Making your own gourmet mustards mixes can be fun and interesting!
The combinations are endless, delicious, aromatic and rewarding. These make great gifts for mustard lovers and are very inexpensive to make. Enjoy!

The basic recipe is:
3 ozs. of brown or yellow mustard seeds
1/4 c. of brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. black cracked pepper
1 tsp. of turmeric
7/8 cup of malt vinegar OR wine OR white vinegar

Put the mustard seeds, sugar, salt, pepper, and turmeric into a blender and whirl. Gradually add the liquid one tablespoon at a time.
You should have a coarse paste, let this stand or rest for 20 minutes.
Spoon into a clean jar, cap tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: A little more than a cup
To make different gourmet mustards:
Clove Spice Mustard...add one teaspoon of cloves
Mustard Herbes De Provence...add two tablespoon of Herbs de Provence mixture
Hot Garlic Mustard...add 1 dried chili pepper and 1 clove of garlic
Horseradish Mustard...add 1/2-1 tablespoon of grated horseradish
Tarragon Mustard...add a pinch of cloves and 1 teaspoon of tarragon
Beer Mustard...use 1/2 cup of beer and 1/4 of malt vinegar instead of the 7/8 cup of malt vinegar, a pinch of ginger, cinnamon and caraway seeds
Honey Mustard...add 1/4 honey instead of brown sugar

Did You Know...

That you can use rubbing alcohol to clean stubborn water spots off a stainless steel sink or counter? After the water spots are gone, shine with a sponge dipped in vinegar! You will have a clean and shiny sink with no chemicals used.

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup Mix in a Jar

This is a wonderful soup mix you can put together quickly. All items can be easily purchased in your local market and it's great to keep a few on hand for those last minute gifts. This mix is also wonderful to tuck into a basket if you are making a little get well present for someone feeling under the weather and they don't feel much like cooking. In no time they can create a wonderful homemade soup that is sure to set them back on track.

Ingredients:
1 (2.75 ounce) package country gravy mix (regular or no-fat)
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons dried celery flakes
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped dried mushrooms
(shiitake, chanterelle or oyster)*

Pour gravy mix into wide-mouth pint jar. In small bowl, stir together bouillon granules, onion, celery and parsley. Pour into jar to make second layer. Add layers of wild rice, white rice and mushrooms. Seal with lid. Attach gift tag (below) and decorate jar as desired.

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup:
Empty contents of jar into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 7 cups water; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Make Your Own Brown Sugar Body Scrub

This body scrub makes a wonderful gift but make enough for yourself or you won't want to part with it!


Ingredients:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of almond oil
1/4 cup of liquid Ivory hand soap
1/4 tsp of vanilla

Guinness Brownies

The malt in the Guinness beer intensifies the flavor of the chocolate in these delicious brownies. The texture is a combination of fudge and traditional brownies. Although decadently chocolate, they are surprisingly light. Not to worry, there is no guinness taste to these brownies so even if you are not a guinness fan, you will love them.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup superfine or granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups (10 ounces) Guinness Extra Stout beer (The Guinness should be at room temperature. This recipe uses a little less than a standard 12-ounce bottle of Guinness stout beer. Do not include foam in the measurement.)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/8 cup (about) confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with Pam or other nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate, and white chocolate chips over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.

Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in Guinness stout beer. The batter will seem a bit thin. Drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter (they will sink in).

Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Yield: 36 brownies, depending on cut size

Sugar Free Fudge..Diabetic Recipe

I was browsing the Taste Of Home magazine and found a great recipe for sugar free fudge! Ok...so it's not really fudge but close enough to feel like you're having some without the sugar issues for a pre-diabetic like myself. I thought I'd share it since I know there are others out there who have to watch their sugar. Enjoy!

The photo by Taste Of Home.

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened (I buy the fat free or low fat)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup Splenda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, chocolate, sweetener and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour into an 8-in. square dish lined with foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled. Yield: 16 servings.

One serving equals 147 calories, 14 g fat (0 saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 84 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 fat.