Make Your Own "Smelly Jelly"

I love to burn candles, but I can't always have them lit  because of Emmy and 2 horrible little kitties that could cause accidents.  This is especially true in our bathroom.  We keep the bathroom door closed at all times (to keep children and animals from unrolling the TP), and burning candles in a closed room is a huge no-no.  So, to freshen the air in those rooms, I use "smelly jelly."  Some people call these "flameless candles," but no matter what you call it, it serves the same purpose.

What you'll need:

1 jelly jar (8 oz)

1/2 cup boiling water

1 envelope non-flavored gelatin

1/2 cup cool water

1/8 teaspoon vodka

1/2 teaspoon essential oil (your choice of fragrance, see notes below)

food coloring, optional

Directions:

1. Empty gelatin mix into jelly jar, add boiling water and stir to dissolve.
2. Add cool water and stir thoroughly.
3. Add vodka and sitr thoroughly.
4. Add essential oil and stir thoroughly.
5. If desired, add food coloring for tint; stir thoroughly.
6. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
7. Screw lid on jar (tightly) and shake very well.
8. Place in freezer for about 15-20 minutes, or until set.
9. To use, remove lid.

Notes:

• Replace lid when not in use.  This will ensure that your smelly jelly lasts for several weeks.
• Keep away from heat or direct sunlight.
• When choosing a scent, try to choose scents in their purest form (for longer life and stronger smell).  If you choose a scent that is a mixture of scents, it will not work nearly as well.
• When adding color, add only one drop at a time (this will ensure that no food coloring gets wasted).  To achieve the bright blue color you see above, I used only 3 drops of blue food coloring.

Spiced Pretzels

2 cups pretzel sticks
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
3. In a small bowl, combine honey, butter, chili powder, and onion powder.
4. Place pretzels in a large bowl and drizzle honey mixture over pretzels.
5. Toss to coat and spread onto cookie sheet.
6. Cook for 4 minutes, stir, cook for 3 more minutes.
7. Cool on a wire rack.
8. Store in an airtight container.

1/2 cup serving = 115 calories

Most Versatile Playpen EVER!

     

For Emmy's first birthday, we bought her this playpen with 1 extension kit.  Since then, I have found a cornucopia of ways in which to use this awesome little enclosure.

As a Standard Playpen:

As a Play Area (enables play on couch):

As a Gate (blocks doors and entry ways):

As a Guard (for furniture and cabinets):

As a Toy (a tent/tunnel/fort):

As you can see, this playpen has really grown with her.  It has been the best purchase I have made thus far.  It's a great enclosure, and it folds fairly flat for storage.  Though, I did not take a picture of the folded state.  It also comes with a nice removable handle that you can use when transporting it.