Festive Food!

I like to try to make the food I make fit with the holiday or season. I made heart shaped muffins on Valentine's Day, Jack-o-lantern shaped pancakes around Halloween, and recently snowman shaped Rice Krispy treats. My latest attempt at being festive...the snowman pizza!

Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cans of large biscuits (you can use more or less depending on the size you want your pizza to be)
A few tablespoons pizza  sauce (to taste)
Cheese (We used cheddar cheese, an Italian blend, and Kraft's new mozzarella cheese with Philadelphia cream cheese in it, and some feta on top)
Other toppings: pepperoni, olives, pineapple, etc.

1. Knead the biscuit dough into a large ball of dough. Roll it out onto you pan in the shape you want. I spread mine into two circles and then added a hat on top.
2. Spoon sauce onto the dough and spread it around, making sure to cover the entire pizza.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce, once again making sure that you don't miss any spots.
4. Top with any additional toppings you want. We put pepperoni on the hat and feta all over.
5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 F.
6. Eat!

It didn't turn out perfect, (I probably could have been better at making it look like a snowman) but it sure did taste good!

Second Advent Calendar

Here is my second advent calendar. I started by making small ornaments out of felt for each day of December (I forgot to take pictures of those).
We had collected 24 cans over the last few months. I cleaned out each one and then wrapped it in white paper. I also covered all sharp edges with a thin layer of hot glue to prevent any cuts.

Then, I placed a felt shape in each one, along with a small piece of candy. Next I wrote a number from 1-24 on each one.
I had had some tissue paper left over from a previous project. I cut several colors into squares about 6 in by 6 in and glued a square onto the top of each can.

Can Advent calendar

Finally, I tied a piece of black ribbon around the top of every can to further secure the tissue paper. This was the hardest part of the project. When I was done, I stacked the cans in several small pyramids. Every day of the month we punch through the tissue paper on a can to get the candy and ornament out. We hang each ornament on a small tree that I got from Target a few years ago.

It is a cheap yet fun and colorful advent calendar to have on display in our house!
By the way, I got the inspiration for this project from http://www.sheilazellerinteriors.com/articles/advent-calendars-its-almost-time

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Sale

I will be taking advantage of this sale. I still need to get quite a few supplies for my homemade gifts that I am making for Christmas. I suggest you check it out too!

Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores

https://plus.google.com/113887494655418587758/posts/UZno7dkVQVQ

The Countdown to Christmas Begins

Every year, my family counts down to Christmas using an advent calendar. Usually we use a store bought one that is made up of little flaps that you fold back to reveal a quote about the holidays. This year, though, I decided to get creative and make my own countdown calendars. They ended up taking more time to create than I had thought they would, but I think they are turning out well. So far, I have finished one calendar and am finishing up the second.

For the first one, I collected 24 bottle caps from my friends and family.
Next, I cut out circles from various colors of scrapbook paper to fit inside of the caps.
I painted a holiday-themed picture on each circle, such as a snowman or Christmas cookies, and then wrote a number from 1-24 on each circle.
Finally, I popped each circle into a bottle cap.

Bottle Cap Advent Calendar

I found a cheap wooden frame at Michael's for only $1. I painted it white with red trim and put a picture of our family inside of it. I will be sticking the bottle caps around the edge of the frame each day until it is Christmas (I'm not sure how to stick them on yet, though).

I remembered that I had purchased a beautiful mirrored countdown calendar on clearance last January from Target, so I decided to combine the two by placing a bottle cap and small piece of candy in each of the doors.

For my other advent calendar, I sewed 24 Christmas-themed ornaments from felt. I will be placing them, along with more candy, inside of 24 decorated cans that I have collected over the last several months from my family's meals. Each day we will hang the ornaments on a small silver tree that was also purchased from Target on clearance a few years ago. Pictures of this calendar will be posted soon!

The Holidays are Coming!

Thanksgiving is now over, and the holidays are quickly coming! December can be an expensive month, regardless of which holiday you celebrate. The costs of gifts, meals, travel expenses, and holiday parties can quickly add up. This year, to stay on my budget of pretty much nothing, I, as well as my family, have planned to cut costs by doing things like making homemade gifts, shopping at dollar stores, and finding other alternatives to spending money.
My current money-saving holiday project is making gifts for most of my relatives this year. I am also making several holiday decorations to decorate my house for a low price. Pictures to come, so stay tuned!

What are you doing to save money this season?