Last Minute DIY Christmas Gifts

Ugh, I've been sick for weeks!! You know what that means? A lot less time to prepare gifts for friends and family! Also, lots less blogging. Luckily, the doc gave me some great drugs and I'm starting to feel better, whew.

Over the past several years especially, I've been leaning toward homemade Christmas gifts rather than purchased items. In my family, we always called it 'Make It or Bake It'. Some of the best gifts I've ever received have been handmade. They really come from the heart, and it shows.

I love giving out gifts to everyone, my neighbors and friends and family. Here are a couple suggestions if you're struggling with homemade gift ideas this year, and if you're as behind as me!

1. Homemade Taco Seasoning - This is one of my newest passions, mixing my own seasonings. Those packets in the grocery store? They can contain all kinds of weird stuff that I don't want in my body. Make a batch for your neighbors, and attach a set of directions, they'll love it!

2. We Whisk You A Merry Christmas - This is fantastic for teachers and neighbors. And I admit I totally got this idea from Pinterest. Fill a kitchen whisk with goodies, seal with plastic wrap and a bow, then attach a cute little card. Done!

3. Brown Sugar Scrub - Boy, do I love a homemade sugar scrub! This one smells like cookies, totally irresistible.

4. Naughty to Nice Chocolate Chip Cookies - Speaking of cookies, these are fab-u-lous! Despite being ill the past few weeks, I still made a double batch of these cookies, sick or not. They are that good peeps. In fact, this is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. Make a batch, wrap up those cookies, and start distributing to your neighbors and friends! I gave a bag out just this morning.

5. The Happy Jar! - This is, by far, the most popular post I've ever written. It might not be so good as a last minute gift, but it's still worth mentioning. You could always make mani version of this if you're short on time. Who doesn't love happy thoughts and inspiration right at their fingertips??

6. Homemade Caramel Sauce - You probably have all the ingredients for this easy sauce right in your fridge already! This takes no time to come together, and makes a great gift. And yes, I totally gave out a bunch of these this year too! Include a gift tag with my Quickie Apple Pie recipe, and you've got a hit. 

That's it for now folks! I'm planning to create more fun gifts throughout the year, so we'll add to this list next next Christmas. One last idea for you....

Attach a simple ornament to your gift bag for a little extra fun! You can find small packages of basic ornaments at the Dollar Tree that are perfect for this. Or, if you're in Europe and visiting the Christmas markets, seek out the small wooden ornaments that are so popular here.

Until next time, my friends.... Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Quickie Apple Pie

A friend of mine introduced me to a fun blog (The A to B of Cooking) that had the most awesome looking apple pie on it. The recipe was simple, and easy to adjust to your own tastes. So naturally, I did just that...

Mmmmm..... you want one now, don't you? Confession: So do I!

Why do I call this the Quickie Apple Pie? This cooka in the oven anywhere from 30-40 minutes, so you won't have instant results. But, putting it together is a snap, hence the 'quickie' part of this recipe. I personally love apple pie, but I don't like all the effort I have to put into it. This dish solved that problem for me. Plus, you can make one of these at a time or you can make a dozen. That means I won't make a whole pie and then feel obligated to eat it!

Ready to make your own? I thought so.

Ingredients

Let's start this with the most important ingredient, the apples. Not all apples are good for cooking, so choose well. I prefer the Granny Smith variety. They may be tart when raw, but they cook down to yummy, sweet goodness.

Peel and core your apples (two of them), then slice into thin wedges.

Set the apple wedges aside for now. In a small ramekin, combine 2 tablespoons of white sugar with 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg.

Next, prepare your baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper, because you don't want these babies to stick! No one wants to waste all the apple goodness. Divide a sheet of puff pastry into 6 rectangles and lay them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

It's pretty easy to evenly cut your puff pastry, because of the way it is folded in the box. See:

Simply unfold your sheet of pastry and cut where the natural lines are, then cut each piece in half. Viola!

Now all you have to do is layer your apple slices down the center of each piece, sprinkle with your sugar mixture, and dot with a bit of butter (4 tablespoons). Like so:

Make sure you leave enough gap around your apples so the puff pastry can rise around them. I needed a bit more room on my edges, so don't be like me!

Pop these into a 350 degree oven for about 30 - 40 minutes. Pull them out when the pastry is puffy and a light, golden brown. Drizzle immediately with a bit of homemade caramel, then top with vanilla ice cream and some whipped cream.

Go ahead... sit back, enjoy, and make those yummy noises. You've earned it!

I especially like these on holidays when it's me and the Hubs on our own. Or, you know, on Wednesdays. That's an apple pie kind of day, right?

As always my friends, the standard recipe is below. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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or on Instagram @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Quickie Apple Pie

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry, cut into 6 pieces

2 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced into thin wedges

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Dash cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

6 tablespoons caramel sauce, more or less to taste

Ice cream, for serving

Whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the pieces of puff pastry on the parchment-lined baking sheet, about an inch apart. Fan the apple slice in the center of the puff pastry, making sure to leave a border around the edges.

Mix together the sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle each ‘pie’ with the sugar mix, then dot evenly with the butter.

Bake 30-40 minutes, or until the edges of the pastry are lightly brown and golden. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle the pies with caramel sauce. Top with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream if desired.