Christmas is only a couple of days away.  I have mostly everything done, since we had an early Christmas on Saturday with Bob’s parents.  All of the cleaning and decorating is out of the way, except for the basic daily cleaning.
Today, I am making gingerbread houses and cookies.  I found an awesome PDF from King [...]

Consider this a grown-up pumpkin pie.  It is unbelievably delicious.

Maple Pumpkin Tart with Cinnamon Shortbread Crust
Crust

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted) butter, softened
6 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

Filling

2 large eggs
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. ground [...]

This year, we gave money to our niece and nephew.  I hate giving money because it seems like a cop out, but they are at the ages, and we see them so infrequently, that we just had no idea what to get them.  So, money it is.
I did want to at least make a money [...]

Yesterday, we Bob’s parents came up for an early Christmas celebration.  It was wonderful.  I made a roast beef and it came out very tender and delicious.  That was, I think, the first time I ever made a beef roast that did not come out tough and dry.
This year, we got them a nice basket [...]

I finally finished the gift basket of homemade bath and beauty products for my aunt-in-law (is that a real title?).

Contents: six bars of plumeria soap, plumeria lotion, a plumeria candle, and plumeria bath fizzies.
I changed the label on the bath fizzies from the hand-drawn one I showed you before to a printed one.  (Sorry, it’s [...]

One of my favorite homemade gifts to make is the jar mix.  You know, those jars layered with the ingredients to make a soup or some baked dessert, like cookies?
I have three books filled with recipes and ideas, but one of my favorites comes from right here on my trusty old internet - Confetti Bean [...]

The past few days, I have been working on making bath fizzies to give for Christmas, along with other homemade bath and body products - soap, lotion, and lip balm.
The Soap Queen has a great tutorial (part one, part two).  Here is another method from Martha Stewart.
I used the Soap Queen method, except I used [...]

We have been keeping busy around here with holiday preparations and general excitement.
For some of my relatives this Christmas I am making gift sets of homemade bath and body products.  For Bob’s aunt (don’t read this, Katie), who loves my soaps, I am making a set using her favorite fragrance, plumeria, in each product.
I already [...]

What do you get when you combine the Christmas Tree Soaps from yesterday, the Snowflake Soaps from a couple of weeks ago, and carved eraser stamps in cute Christmas designs with gift bags, cardstock, and some markers?
Adorable Christmas soap gift bags.

I gave these out to relatives at Thanksgiving because who wants Christmas soap after Christmas?