Busy Brunette Bakerista

Mason jar DIY craftiness is the biggest thing right now. Why buy jars when you can “up-cycle” and use your old ones for free? I save all my jars from my pantry including jars from: salsa, jelly, jam, pasta sauce, salad dressing, pickles, maple syrup, and more. Cleaning the Jars: Simply rinse out the jar. Soak jar and lid in a small bowl with hot, soapy water for a couple hours or overnight. Using a scraper, peel off the label and scrape off as much of the adhesive, or glue.   Scrub with a sponge. Place jar and lid in dishwasher and clean as usual. Dry jar and store in a cool place. Note: place lid next to jar or on loosely. If you screw it back on too tight it might smell like the original contents. (e.g. pickles!) DIY Crafting the Jars: For a more modern look, you can buy finials (knobs that can be used at the end of curtains or drawer pulls) to top off your jars. You can find them at your local craft or hardware store. Before paintin

Yes, cheesecake recipes take a while and a little extra love. I held on to this pumpkin cheesecake recipe from Southern Living magazine  since the November 2014 issue to bake before the holidays. It was totally worth the wait. I urge you to go out and buy all the cream cheese and make this for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Crust: ¾ cup cinnamon-flavored graham cracker crumbs ¾ cup chocolate-flavored graham cracker crumbs 5 T. butter, melted 3 T. granulated white sugar Cooking spray Filling: 4 (8oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. vanilla extract 4 large eggs 1 (15oz.) canned pumpkin 1 T. fresh lemon juice Topping: {although I didn’t use the entire topping} 1 (16oz.) container sour cream  3 T. granulated white sugar pinch of pumpkin pie spice Some tips on what worked for me from the magazine... Start with room-temperature cream cheese. Let the

Californians are known for eating healthy, exercising, and always on the go. I found a simple recipe for homemade granola in an old magazine and adapted it to just the right ratio of spice, crunch, and dried fruit. My friend and neighbors love this and I often make it for teacher gifts. Enjoy! Crunchy California Granola 4 cups of rolled oats  1 cup of wheat germ or wheat bran 1 cup of slivered almonds 1/2 cup of sesame seeds  1/4 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon  (or even pumpkin pie spice) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil 1/3 cup honey 1/6 cup maple syrup 1/6 cup water 8 oz. dried cranberries 8 oz. raisins Pre-eat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, wheat germ, nuts, sesame seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice), and salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the oil, honey, maple syrup

Throwback to my very first recipe post ever!! My very good friend in college, Tori, gave me this recipe when we were roommates in college. Apparently it was passed down from her grandmother and she made it all the time. It’s simple, moist, buttery, and yummy! I have great memories of baking this with her while in Seattle on rainy days. Tori, this is for you! English Matrimonial Oat Bars 1 ½ cup flour 1 c. brown sugar 1 ¼ c. rolled oats ¾ c. butter (room temperature, cut into cubes) ¾ boysenberry or raspberry seedless jam (or any other seedless Knott's Berry Farm jam) Preheat oven to 325 ° F.  Mix together flour, sugar, and rolled oats in a bowl. Work in butter using a fork or pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly.  Press ½ of mixture evenly into a greased 8”x 8”x 2” greased pan.  Spread jam over top. Press remaining half of crumb mixture over jam layer.  Bake for 40 – 45 minutes. Cool and cut into squares .

It's amazing how a few ingredients can turn a regular sugar cookie into a new favorite dessert. Our family celebrates birthdays all summer long but these cookies are great throughout the entire year! Of course Ms. Paula Deen added her creative touch to this one which explains why it's so good. These didn't last long in the cookie jar. Enjoy! Friends & Family Birthday Cake Cookies** 1 cup butter (softened) 2 cups sugar (divided) 2 large eggs 1 1 / 2  teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream 1 cup rainbow sprinkles 1. In a large bowl, beat butter and   1 1 / 3  cups sugar with a mixer at medium-high speed, until fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Beat in extracts. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk