Archive for the ‘make it’ Category

While working in the yard on Saturday, I met with a rather sassy visitor… who told me I was invading her space!  It was a bold little hummingbird, who dive bombed me a few times, to let me know I was too near her lunch.  Had she known I was the one providing her sweet little meal, she might have been more gracious… but as it was, I retreated and let her eat in peace.  As a reward for giving ground, I was treated with a wonderful display of aerial acrobatics.

Our family loves hummingbirds.  We have two hummingbird feeders and I keep them clean and full all Summer.

After the kids spotted one a few weeks ago, we hurried in to make the nectar and get our feeders out.

My kids will sometimes set up their chairs a short distance from the feeders, sit very still and watch the show.  They think it’s funny when one hummingbird chases another away from the feeder.  “That one is greedy,” or “The one with the black head is really tough,” they say.

Ben learned about hummingbirds in school today and here are a few facts according to him:

• Hummingbirds can flap their wings 200 times a second.  “A second, mom… not a minute… a second!”
• They can dive up to 60 miles an hour.
• Ben says their wings move faster than a speeding bullet.  (I’m not sure if that’s true!  Sounds like he might be mixing them up with Superman…)
• Hummingbirds visit up to a 1000 flowers a day for food… and they also eat bugs and spiders (“Yuck,” said the girls.)
• They can fly upside down!
• The have the biggest brain of any bird (according to weight I assume!)

It is easy and really cheap to attract hummingbirds to your yard, and there is no need to buy hummingbird food.  “Make it Do” your own nectar.  Here’s how:

4 parts water / 1 part sugar (there is no need to add red food coloring)

1. Boil 4 cups water.
2. Remove from heat and add 1 cup sugar.
3. Stir to dissolve.
4. Allow water to cool and fill your feeders.
5. Save any unused water in the refrigerator.

Be sure to change your water out often, especially during hot weather.  During the hottest days of the year, I change out my water every other day.

About once a week clean your feeders using 4 parts warm water to 1 part white vinegar.  Since I don’t have a brush for scrubbing inside my little bottles, I “Make it Do” by pouring a teaspoon of rice in the jar with the vinegar solution, cover the opening with my hand and shake.  The rice is abrasive and cleans good as new.

Make sure to plant hummingbird friendly plants in your yard as well.  They love my bee balm (monarda), delphinium, trumpet vine, and red columbine.

If you are feeling really crafty today, here’s a great article on making your own hummingbird feeder from Birds and Blooms.

Giving gifts on a budget can bring out the best in your creativity.  This year I have have been the hospitality chairperson for my local elementary school PTA.  The job included giving birthday gifts once a month to the staff and teachers.  Our budget was $100 for about 75 people.  But what thoughtful gift can you give that costs $1.33?

The idea came from my sister, Cam.  She took me to this wonderful bakery called Nothing Bundt Cake.  Their adorable little bundtlet cakes were so delicious.  I loved the red velvet, white chocolate raspberry and the lemon cake.  Oh yum… but at 3.99 plus tax per bundtlet, they were way out of our budget.

A few days later, I was at Micheal’s with a 50% coupon, when I ran across the Wilton Mini Fluted Pans.   We could make the mini bundts for a fraction of the price of a store bought cake!

I found simple gift boxes, patterned paper, flowers and ribbon for the cakes and we were in business.  The recipe came from my neighbor, Erin.  The cakes are so easy and delicious.  And now that I own the pans, I can make these mini bundts for gifts or parties anytime.

Here is the very easy recipe:

Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 box Devil’s Food Cake (I prefer Betty Crocker)
1 1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 small box chocolate pudding
½ cup warm water
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all together, adding the chocolate chips last.  Pour into greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.  Recipe will make 12 mini bundt cakes.  For mini bundt cakes bake about 18 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool completely before frosting.

Click here for a printable recipe.

I use and love Pam for Baking for bundt pans.  It has the flour right in the spray.  Pam for Baking doesn’t look dusty on a chocolate cake (like flour does) when you take the cake out of the pan.  It is also fast and easy to get in all the crevices of a bundt pan.  And the cakes just fall right out of the pan.

My sister Brooke has also made this recipe using a Red Velvet cake mix and vanilla pudding.  It was so yummy.

Decorating them is really easy.  Use a large round decorator tip and fill a pastry bag with butter frosting.  Practice on one that you can eat yourself…  If you haven’t used a pastry bag before, be sure to twist the top of the bag tightly shut and hold on firmly to the twisted part.  Pipe the frosting back and forth making loops.  You will be amazed at how easy it is.  Here’s my recipe for frosting:

Natalie’s Butter Frosting

1/3 cup softened butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. milk to reach desired consistency (For the bundt cakes I use 2 Tbsp. of milk as you want stiffer frosting.)

Mix until smooth.  Add food coloring as desired.

We used a piece of patterned paper at the bottom of the box to dress it up.  Place each bundt on a flattened cupcake paper.  Then into the box.

And not too be too cheesy… a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding… we put a silk flower on top.  I think they looked darling.  You could use real flowers as well.

Giving the bundts in a dressed-up box really make the gifts special.  Pick up a few of boxes at your local paper supply or craft store and you are ready when that special occasion comes around.  I really love the line of Martha Stewart gift packages… even though they were out of budget for our PTA gifts.   They are great for a making a baked gift special.

And since no gift would be complete with out a tag.  I’ve created a sweet little printable just for you.

Click here for the downloadable PDF.