Christmas Countdown Follow-up

Just wanted to follow-up on three things from my Christmas Countdown posts on blogdrive...

1. I've heard from a couple of you, both this year and last year, that the Christmas Countdown posts can be a bit overwhelming. I didn't start them to guilt trip anyone, I promise, so knock that off! :-) Maybe next year I'll do Christmas in July so we all feel like we have more time to actually accomplish one or two of the ideas. Or maybe I'll pick a couple of projects and post step-by-step pictures/instructions and we can do a craft-along. Hmmmm... Is there anything you would like to see in the Christmas Countdown?

2. Here are the instructions to the Advent Blocks I posted. (I know it might be a bit late for this project this year. Sorry about that!)

For the wood, you will need...

• 2  3.75" square blocks (You could use any size block, but we bought a 4x4 post and Brendon cut it into squares--3.75" because a 4x4 post is actually 3.75x3.75)



• 1  7.5" long base (Again, you could use any size, as long as your base matches up to your block size. But for the size blocks we used, a 2x4 cut to 7.5" lengths works perfectly and will fit the blocks exactly--again because 2x4 actually means 1.75x3.75)

You can see that it is most economical to do several sets of this project at once. And if you don't have someone to cut the wood for you, I know that Home Depot will cut their wood for you to your specifications. (Or see below about purchasing an individual kit from Karisa's website.)

Once you have your wood cut, sand down any rough edges. The paper will adhere best to smooth wood. For the paper, you will need...

• 12  3.5”x 3.5” squares for the block sides



• 1  7.25”x3.5” piece for the top of the base



• 1  7.25”x1.5” piece for the front and back of the base



• 2  3.5x”x1.5” pieces for the side of the base

You can work it to make sure that you never have the same two papers facing forward at the same time by either using 12 different pieces of paper on your block sides or just playing with your papers to work up the right combinations. (Of course, you can skip all of this measuring and cutting by just painting the blocks instead.)

Now, for the numbers and letters...

• We used a vinyl set Karisa made up for the project. You can order it from her website at Quotations from the Heart. (She sells the pre-cut wood as well if you don't want the quantity or hassle that comes from getting your own wood.)



• Jenny made them last year using letter stickers for the front and stamps for the numbers. (At the block sizes I suggested, you need the numbers to be about 2 inches. I know there are also some number/letter stickers that large out there you could use for the numbers.)

To assemble, first adhere vinyl, stickers and/or stamps on papers. If you use a font for your numbers where the 6 and 9 can be used interchangeably (flipped upside down), then you put a 0,1,2,3,4,5 on one block and 0,1,2,6,7,8 on the other. If your font/stamp does not have an interchangeable 6/9, then put 1,2,3,4,5,6 on one block, and then 0,1,2,7,8,9 on the second. Just bear in mind that if you do it this way, on three days you will have to have just one block on the base (instead of 07, 08, and 09, it will just be 7, 8, and 9).

Adhere the paper to the wood using mod podge. (For each side/piece, paint a coat of glue on the wood, stick down paper, smoothing out any bubbles. Let dry. When completely dry, paint another layer of mod podge over the top. Let dry again.) If you like, you could seal with a top coat of clear acrylic spray.

3. Here are two "Cake in a Jar" recipes from Paula Deen that Shannon sent me. I'm so intrigued by these. Can store up to one year...? Really?! What I really wonder is what they look like when they come out of the jar for eating. Do they slide out and look a litle gellatinous like cranberries from a can that are sliced up? Are you even supposed to take them out of the jar? Or is it a single serving, eat from the jar kind of thing? Shannon, do you know these answers? I will have to try myself sometime and report back.

Spice Cake in a Jar (Makes 5 jars)

1 tablespoon shortening, melted

2 ¼ cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground mace

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup golden raisins

¾ cups milk

½ cup butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush five (12 ounce) sterilized wide-mouth canning jars with melted shortening. Place jars on baking sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, mace, and salt. Stir in pecans and raisins. In a separate bowl, combine milk, butter, honey, sour cream, egg, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Combine milk mixture with flour mixture, stirring to combine well. Evenly divide batter between jars, filling each jar approximately half full. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Using kitchen towels, remove jar one at a time from oven, and carefully place lid and ring on each; screw lids on tightly. Cool jars on rack. Once jars have sealed, store in cool place for up to 1 year.

Chocolate Cake in a Jar (Makes 5 jars)

1 tablespoon shortening, melted

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter, melted

½ cup water

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush five (12 ounce) sterilized wide-mouth canning jars with melted shortening. Place jars on a baking sheet; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine butter, water, and cocoa powder; whisk until smooth. Add butter mixture to flour mixture, whisking to combine well. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla; whisk until smooth. Evenly divide batter between jars, filling each jar approximately half full. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Using kitchen towels, remove one jar at a time from oven, and carefully place lid and ring on each; screw lids on tightly. Cool jars on cooling rack. Once jars have sealed, store them in a cool place for up to a year.