my pinterest summer adventure collage

My Pinterest Summer Adventure

These are a few of my favorite things! Yesterday was the last day of my Pinterest Summer Adventure.

Boy, where did the summer go to?  In the next couple of days, I thought I would share some of the insights I received from doing this blog for 90-something straight days. Plus, talk about my plans for going forward.

Thanks for listening all these days. Stick around, there is more to come!

Happy pinning!

chili and cornbread in a jar

Here is the direct link for: Chili and Cornbread in a Jar.

So many uses for the old Mason jar, so little time. This pin comes from the blog, GiversLog. The blog's author, AmberLee, makes Chili and Cornbread in a Jar look easy and very doable. Her readers all rave about her photos and the cleverness of her idea!

Many of GiversLog's readers liked the idea of chili in a jar for a back yard party or celebration. One reader even wanted to send it overseas to her husband in the army. Wow!

I started it all off making AmberLee's favorite turkey chili recipe. She lists it later in her comments section. Then I topped it off with my favorite cornbread recipe: Ina Gerton's Raspberry Cornbread Muffins (minus the raspberry jam, of course). AmberLee does give her favorite cornbread recipe as part of her post.

AmberLee says to use quart-size Mason jars for this. I didn't happen to notice whether the jar was a regular or wide-mouth opening. I only had regular-mouth quart-size jars on hand. It is filled a third to half full with chili then topped off with a hearty scoop of cornbread dough. It bakes in the jar for about 25 minutes. Caution: in the end the jars are mighty hot and really should be eaten with a hot pad.

Overall, what did I think? I laugh thinking of the reader's comments wanting to make this for a crowd: good luck with that one! In the end, this pin had three strikes against it:

#1. A quart-size jar is WAY TOO BIG! I hope I made that clear: WAY TOO BIG! A pint-size jar is plenty big enough.

#2. AmberLee really should of emphasized the importance of using a wide-mouth jar in bold and capital letters for all far and wide to see. Eating it out of a regular-mouth was hard to eat. Too bad I couldn't find my long handled ice cream sundae spoons.

#3. Because I used a regular-mouth jar (the smaller opening), all we tasted for the first 15 minutes, literally, was cornbread. By the time we reached the chili we were full.

Once we did reach the chili we really liked it and I would definitely make that again. And if you're going to eat all that cornbread it might as well be Ina's recipe.

If I ever try this stunt again, I would definitely use a half-pint wide-mouth jar and call it a 'chili & cornbread sampler'.

The red pin award, yes, the red pin award for the new chili recipe. Points taken away though for presentation and practicality.

I realize now that if I used a canning funnel it would of been easier to scoop in the chili and cornbread. Plus the jar would of been cleaner-looking.



Happy pinning!

brown sugar banana jam

Here is the direct link for: Brown Sugar Banana Jam.

This recipe intrigued me. Banana Jam, huh? I had to try it. It looked easy enough and only called for one very ripe banana. It only makes a small amount, enough to fill a one 4 ounce Mason jar. So not a lot of leftovers if it doesn't agree with us.

This recipe comes from the blog, Neo-Homesteading. The blog's author, Cat, says this about her Banana Jam, "This is a jam and a butter all-in-one. Buttery, creamy, sweet and salty." When I read that all these ideas started swimming in my head on what I could use it on: pancakes, muffins, toast, corn bread, etc. She even suggests using it as am ice cream topping.

Brown Sugar Banana Jam is out of this world! I could eat the whole jar myself. Who needs the toast or pancakes? They are simply a conduit for Banana Jam anyway. Yummy! I would definitely make this again.

FYI. Next time don't add the extra salt if using salted butter. And next time, double the batch so there is some left overs!

The red pin award for unique and delicious new recipe. This recipe would make for great Christmas gifts.

Start saving up those ripe bananas!





Happy pinning!

easy baking soda air freshener

Here is the direct link: Easy Baking Soda Air Freshener.

This pin comes from the blog, Smashed Peas and Carrots. The blog's author, Maggie, loves the use of natural home products like this freshener using baking soda and a favorite essential oil. My house needs a little freshening up what with this oppressive heat wave we're having. Our house is so shut up and stuffy!

Maggie says this home-made air freshener is "sooo simple, sooo easy . . . and way better for you than those icky glade sprays and chemically-laden plug-ins!" The decorative lid makes the jar attractive at least. Why not try it?

All I had on hand for essential oil was 'cinnamon' left over from the holidays. Christmas in July? Better than stale and stuffy. I didn't have scrapbook paper either, so instead I used fun wrapping paper. I'm not wowed by the smell yet, but I'm giving it some time to work its magic.

Stay tuned . . . .

The red pin award for easy, as well as, for another great use for all my many mason jars sitting empty in the basement! 

I want to go to Whole Foods and see what other essential oils are out there. I would love to try a lemon one!




Happy pinning!

muffin cups stored in a mason jar

Here is the direct link for: Cupcake/muffin Cups Stored in a Mason Jar.

I was jumping around a fellow pinner's 'handy idea' board and found this simple and 'why didn't I think of that' pin.

It comes from the blog, Life is Crazy Beautiful. The blog's author, Lisa, is organizing her spice cabinet. She ended up storing her muffin cups in a mason jar as part of her cabinet overhaul. Nice touch! I usually throw away most of my old cupcake liners because after awhile they're either smashed, dusty or I totally forgot I have any. Out of sight, out of mind!

For this project you definitely need a wide-mouth Mason jar. I used a quart-size jar for mine. The regular-mouth jar opening is too small, but it works great for the mini-cupcake liners. For a fun detail, I used one of my muffin cups as a decorative liner for the top.

In the process of searching my cupboards for all my lost-and-now-found muffin cups, I found these unique liners (above): Wilton Blue Pleated Baking Cups. I had bought them from JoAnn's a while back with the idea of using them in turning any ordinary muffin into a special little cake. What a perfect excuse to try out a new muffin recipe from Pinterest!

The red pin award for clever! Now I can see what I have on hand.






Happy pinning!