Inexpensive Baby Gift- Pocket Bib Pattern and Tutorial to Sew for an Infant or Toddler with a Bonus Pattern for a Matching Doll Bib! Easy to make!

Handmade gifts are a tradition in our family. My grandmother knitted, crocheted and sewed things for my mom, me and my kids, my mom sews and knits for me, my kids and now my grandkids. There’s something very special about using an item that was made with so much love, especially when it’s from your great-grandma or your grandma! For each baby I usually make a couple of flannel receiving blankets. I always use plaid flannel shirting, it looks the same on both sides and is so very soft. (Our family isn’t really into baby fabrics. We all like fabrics that can be used well into childhood.) I crochet a simple edge onto one of them. I also sew burp clothes and bibs. When my daughter became pregnant 4 years ago, I went into full grandma mode. I started sewing up a storm. I designed this pattern because I just couldn't find a bib pattern that I really liked. The other patterns made bibs that were either too small, too big, no pocket or didn’t provide enough coverage. so I designed my own. I took me 3 years and sewing dozens of bib to develop this pattern. Everyone who has used it calls it the perfect bib! This is a very easy pattern to make and feel free to adjust it to suit your baby or grand baby. This bib can be made without the pocket as well. There are some bibs that have different sizes. We’ve found that this size works from infant through ages 3-4. For an infant it gives total coverage which is good since they make the biggest messes. 

These make a wonderful inexpensive baby gift. The pattern is $2.99 and the fabric ends up being around $3.00 for each bib. At that price you can make a few and give a handmade gift that is unique and made with love. 

Pattern 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PATTERN WITH FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Print the bib pattern out. Make sure when printing not to click Fit to Page! You want it to print at 100% size to be correct. There will be 3 pages- A- Bib Top, B- bottom and C-pocket. The Doll bib pattern is on the last page. If you buy 3/4 of a yard of fabric you won’t need to print the C Pocket pattern page.
Cut the extra paper off of the bottom of the Top-A pattern piece and lining up the bottom line with the top line of piece B- Bottom. Tape the 2 parts together to make the full bib pattern.

Fabrics
Prewash and dry before cutting and sewing the bibs!
I like to use a cotton print for the front, a layer of white cotton flannel for the lining and a layer of a colored or print flannel for the back. I like a flannel backing because it’s soft against their skin. You can easily use 2 cotton prints one on the front and one for the back. I add a layer of cotton flannel in-between my front and back fabrics. It adds some absorbency to the bib. You can skip that if you want but I highly recommend it! You can also use a waterproof layer in the middle if you want to. Do NOT use cotton gauze in the middle. Even after pre-washing the cotton gauze in hot water and drying in a hot dryer, it continues to shrink wash after wash and distorts and ruins the bib! 

Amount of Fabric
For 3 bibs with pockets buy:                                         For 3 bibs without pockets buy: 
3/4 of a yard of front fabric                                            1/2 of a yard of front fabric 
1/2 yard of lining flannel                                                1/2 yard of lining flannel
1/2 yard of backing fabric                                              1/2 yard of backing fabric

3/4 yard (27”) will make 3 bib fronts with pockets.
1/2 a yard will make 3 Bib fronts without pockets OR 3 Bib Liners OR 3 Bib Backs- You don’t cut pockets out of these just the Bibs.
If you want to use scraps here are the measurements of the full bib cut out.
The bib front with a pocket needs a piece of fabric 12” wide by 26 3/4” long
The bib front without a pocket, the bib back and the lining EACH need a piece of fabric 12” wide by 15 3/4 long.

Using coupons at Joann’s or looking for sales I usually can make 3 bibs for $3.00 each. Less if there’s a great sale! 

Notions  

• Thread to match fabric for inside sewing and topstitching.
• Pins to pin the layers together before sewing. (If I am using flannel for the lining and the backing, I don't pin! The fabrics "stick together" enough to not need pins. 
• A chopstick or knitting needle to use to smooth seams when turning bib right side out.
• An Iron- to press bib flat before top stitching.

The pattern includes step by step photo illustrated instructions that are very detailed with tips on things I do to make it easier. I also included 2 different sized doll bib patterns so your child and their favorite doll can match. 

It is an easy sewing project that makes a great gift! 

There are 2 of each bib in this photo below. That why it looks like there is solid fabric under the turned down corner! 

     

           

Perfect, Chewy Maple Cookies with Maple Glaze

My husband has been working in Canada for the last couple of weeks and has been bringing me home all sorts of maple treats. I've been in such a maple mood that I decided to try my hand at some maple cookies.

If you like crispy cookies, these are not for you! These are chewy, moist cookies that make your mouth sing!  They have just the perfect hint of maple from real maple syrup. I'm not talking about pancake syrup, that has the same amount of real maple sugar in it that an oak tree has. I'm talking about the real kind that comes from boiling the spring maple sap down into it's golden deliciousness. 

If you like more maple flavor you can add in some maple extract! You can decide how much maple you'd like!

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE COPY OF THIS RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 

COOKIE DOUGH

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup real maple syrup
• 1-2 tsp maple extract (optional) This is for more maple flavor- if you prefer.
• 4 cups of all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

GLAZE

• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 3 TBS melted butter
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

COOKIES

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, maple syrup and (optional- maple extract) until fluffy.
5. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder and with mixer off, add to the creamed ingredients. Turn mixer on low and mix until just combined.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the greased or lined cookie sheets.
7. Bake in the 375° oven for 10-12 minutes until cookies are lightly golden browned. the tops will be cracked.
8. Remove from pans to cool.

GLAZE

1. Mix 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, 3 TBS melted butter and 1/3 cup real maple syrup together until well blended. If the glaze is too thick you can add a couple of drops more of maple syrup or water to thin out.

PUTTING THEM TOGETHER

1. When cookies are completely cooled, drizzle glaze over the tops. I use the whisk or fork that I mix the glaze with. I dip into the glaze and then go back and forth over the cookies.

These freeze really well if you don't eat them all first!

Peanut Butter Blossom or Kiss Cookies

These cookies are chewy and peanut buttery and delicious. You can use a Hershey's chocolate kiss in the middle or a Brach's Chocolate Stars. I like the stars because they come in milk or DARK chocolate and as far as I'm concerned, the darker the better when it comes to chocolate plus they look so pretty. We love these not only at  Christmas but any time of the year.

 Click here for a printable/ downloadable version of this recipe!

Ingredients
• 48 Hersheys' Kisses or Brach's Chocolate Stars
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar to roll dough balls into before baking
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 
2. Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. 
3. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. 
4. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. 
5. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Do NOT put the chocolate on the cookie yet.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. 
8. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie, the cookie will crack around edges. 
9. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. 
10. Cool completely. 

Makes About 4 dozen cookies

DIY- Life Hack- Quickly and Easily Clean your Garage Floor with Snow

I don't know about you but my garage floor gets so dirty during the winter. The dried dirt and crud from the roads just covers it. 

During the summer, I use the hose to rinse it all out but, during the winter, I don't want a skating rink in my garage. I've used this method to clean my garage floors during the winter for years and thought I would share it with you. 

How do I do it- I use snow!!!! Think of a snowcone. A snowcone just sucks up that syrup and that's what snow does to all the dirt and dirty water on the garage floor.  Plus snow crystals are slightly abrasive so it scrubs off that dried on dirt as you sweep it all out the door.

Here's the before!  Obviously my garage floor needs to be repainted this spring but you can see how the dried on dirt is all over where the car parks. 

Here's how to do it:

First:  Sprinkle fresh clean snow all over the floor with a shovel making sure to cover any dirty spots.  Second: Let it sit for 5-10 mins.

Third: Using a wide broom, sweep the snow out of the garage. Usually the dried dirt comes right up with the snow, but occasionally you might have to move the snow back and forth over a stubborn spot to get it up.

The snow just sucks up the dirt and any water on the floor. It's like magic!!!

All the dirt is gone! Boy, do I ever need to paint this floor!

Here you can see how the snow absorbed the dirt and muck?!!  Sweep all the dirty snow into a pile and  shovel it off to the side so it doesn't get tracked back into the garage.  You now have a clean garage floor in minutes!

 
















I hope you find this method as useful as I do!

Brandy Snaps with Cinnamon Eggnog Cream or Brandy Cream

I love brandy snaps.  They are light lacy crisp tubes that you can fill, leave unfilled and dip one end into melted chocolate or leave plain. They take a bit of practice but after one or two you'll find them very easy to make!

You really have to find some Golden syrup to make this recipe. Karo just doesn't work as well. I get mine at Cost Plus but Amazon has it as well.

This recipe makes 24 cookies.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• Preheat oven to 350º 
• Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment and then grease the handle of a wooden spoon well and set aside. 
• Into a small bowl stir together the flour and the dried, ground ginger
• Add the butter, sugar and golden syrup to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Don't stir too much or allow the mixture to boil or the sugar can crystalize.  This will take about 10-15 minutes
• Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the flour and the lemon juice. 
• Using a tablespoon, scoop 1 TBS  onto the cookie sheet.  Place 3-4 scoops 4" apart onto a cookie sheet. 
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are golden brown, spread out and bubbling. 
• Remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes. The cookie needs to be just firm enough to remove, but pliable enough to shape. I use a thin knife or very thin spatula to carefully peel up an edge. If the edge doesn't stretch out it's time to shape!   
• Roll the cookie around the greased spoon handle and set on a cooling rack. 
• You have to move fast to get them all done before they harden up too much. 

Let the cookies cool completely before dipping one end into melted chocolate or filling with the Brandy cream or the Eggnog cream. 

Brandy Cream

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

2 TBS Brandy

1/3 cup sugar

Combine cream, brandy and sugar and whip until stiff peaks. 

Cinnamon Eggnog Cream

1 1/2 cups of whipping cream

2 TBS Brandy

3 TBS Eggnog

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

Combine all the ingredients and whip to stiff peaks. 

Homemade Plain or Peppermint Marshmallows and Cocoa Mix for Teacher Gifts or Neighbors

Here is an easy gift to make for teachers, neighbors or friends. Marshmallows and cocoa mix. If you've never made marshmallows, I hate to be the one to tell you that they are super simple and very impressive. I love making peppermint marshmallows to put in cocoa but you can make plain if you prefer. You can also try rolling them in toasted coconut or even chopped nuts to eat them like candy.

Homemade Marshmallows:

For a printable version of this marshmallow recipe click here! 

* 3 packages unflavored gelatin
* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Sprinkle powdered sugar into 2 8"x8" pans or one 9"x13" until bottom is completely coated.
Pour the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with your whisk attachment and allow this mixture to sit while you make the syrup.

In a large saucepan, preferably one that has a spout, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Place the lid on the pan for 1 minute to wash down the sides of the pan. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. If you live at higher altitudes, reduce the final temp by 2 degrees for every 1000 feet in altitude. I live at 6000 feet so I only cook my mixture to 228 degrees. Remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer onto low speed, while mixer is going, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. The gelatin will be all chunky when you turn on the mixer. Once all of the syrup is poured in turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Pour the marshmallow batter into the prepared pans and smooth the top of the mixture with damp hands. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or whatever topping you are using.

For the peppermint, I removed half the marshmallows for the plain pan and then stirred in 2 drops of red food coloring and 1/2 tsp of peppermint flavoring into the remaining half. After placing this into the second pan I sprinkled crushed peppermints over the top.

Allow to dry uncovered at room temperature overnight.

Remove the marshmallows from the pan and cut into squares. I dip a knife into very hot water before each cut then roll each strip in powdered sugar before cutting into squares. Roll the sides of each square carefully in confectioners' sugar.

 

Once they have dried for a few hours and aren't sticky, they  can be bagged up for gifts or stored in a  sealed container or sealed baggies.

Creamy Cocoa Mix

     For a printable version of this cocoa mix, click here! 

This makes 20 cups of mix or about 60 servings. I make a big batch at the beginning or the winter and we use it all season. 

• 13 cups dry milk powder
• 6 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer (1- 15oz jar of powdered creamer) 

Sift together all these ingredients into a large bowl.
For extra chocolaty goodness I  add-

• 2- 12 oz package of mini chocolate chips 

Stir to combine the scoop into jars for gifts or store sealed in a container for storage.

Variations- You can use flavored creamer if you want flavored cocoa or try adding some cayenne pepper to the mix for a bit of spicy heat.

To use this cocoa mix; Scoop 1/3 cup of mixture into mug and add boiling water. Stir and enjoy.

Alton Brown has a Recipe for Cocoa mix that I haven't tried just because I love the creaminess of my recipe but for those who don't want to use powdered creamer here is his recipe.

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
• 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix all ingredients together and store in airtight container.

Fluffy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie with a Chocolate lined crust!

Fluffy No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

We love to go to a very small town cafe about a half an hour away for their pan fried chicken, cooked to order, and their homemade pies. 

The Castle Cafe always has a killer banana cream pie but every few months the chef will get in a mood to make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie that is one of the best things I've ever had and I'm not even a big peanut butter person. Note the "only every few months" part of that- it's not nearly often enough so, I had to play with some recipes to come up with one that tastes just like his!!! We all agree that this is a perfect copy!


One of the secrets to his great pies is his chocolate coated graham cracker crusts. He uses it for his Banana Cream Pie and his Peanut Butter Pie. Brilliant! The crust never get's soggy!!I hope you enjoy this pie as much as we do!

For a Printable Version of this recipe- Click Here! 

Ingredients

Pie Crust- Makes one 9" pie crust- You can also just buy one!!! 

• 1 package from a box of graham crackers- about 10 sheets of crackers
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of melted butter
• 3/4 of a cup of chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Filling

• 1 1/2  8oz packages of low fat cream cheese at room temperature(12 oz)
• 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter- store bought not the fresh kind. I like Jif
• 3 TBS of water or milk
• 1 1/2  cup of powdered sugar- divided into 1 cup and 1/2 cup
• 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips- Optional- you can mix some into the filling or you can just top the pie with some or both. 

Topping

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips- Optional

Instructions 

Pie Crust

1. Preheat your oven to 375º
2. While the crackers are still wrapped, press of the sides, top and bottom to start to break them up. 
3. Place the crackers into a food processor. You can also put everything into a large zip lock bag and crush and mix the ingredients in the bag. 
4. Add the sugar
5. Pulse until the crackers are a fine crumb
6. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse until all combined. 
7. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9" pie plate. I use a measuring cup to press it in nice and tightly. 
8. Bake for 7 minutes
9. As soon as you take the crust out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the bottom of the crust. 
10. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the chocolate chips are melted. 
11. With the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate over the bottom and up the sides of the crust. 
12. Place in the refrigerator until cool 

Peanut Butter Filling

1. In a  mixing bowl, beat the whipped cream with 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks. That means when the beaters are pulled up out of the whipped cream, the points stand up straight. 
2. In another mixing bowl, place your 12 oz of softened cream cheese, the 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar and 3 TBS of water. Beat until well combined and slightly fluffy. 
3. 
   
4. Take 1/3 of the whipped cream and stir it into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it. 
5. Take the remaining whipped cream and fold it into the peanut butter mixture and fold until all combined. 
6. Spoon the peanut butter filling into the chilled crust and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 

Topping:

1. In a  mixing bowl, beat the whipped cream with 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks. That means when the beaters are pulled up out of the whipped cream, the points stand up straight. 
2. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the pie and sprinkle on the  mini chocolate chips. 

  Note: You can beat all 2 cups of whipped cream and the 3/4 cup of powdered sugar together- just remember to pull out a quarter of it to top the pie with before mixing the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. It's up to you! I tend to forget the pull out the topping so I beat the cream in separate batches!