Christmas JOY in a JAR

Have you ever wished you could hold on to the essence of Christmas or 

bottled the joy of holiday spirit? Well, now you can! I'm proud to present
to you my crafting creation, "Christmas in a Jar" a.k.a. "Joy in a Jar".

Christmas "JOY in a JAR"

created by Kelsey at Snacking Squirrel

Materials

• clear glass jar (mason jars work quite well)

• assortment of handpicked seasonal foliage
  (leaves, bark, twigs, seedlings, berries, moss, etc.)

• any additional decorations or potpourri to accent
  (glitter, ribbon, trinkets or ornaments, faux snow, tissue paper, candies etc.)

• creativity

Directions

• check to see that your jar is clean and dry to ensure the foliage will be visible

• start by loosely adding the larger, flexible pieces (pine leaves, evergreen, ferns,

  plyable twigs etc.) along with pine cones, potpourri and anything prickly, like holly
  -be careful: this is where gloves can come in handy!

• habitually stop to check how the pieces are looking together in your jar so as
   to avoid clumping too many similar plants together or noticing when there's
   negative space that requires filling

• use remaining branches to move the greenery around when adding different
   textures and to open up spaces for bright-colored berries to adorn the exteriors

• follow your own instincts and judgement on where everything should go
  and how dense (jam packed) you want your jars to be 

• your foliage is unique to you and your own interpretation of Christmastime, so
  if the desire to add candy canes and confetti strikes you, then please go to town!

These inexpensive but classy glass jars instantly
transform any room or space with festive cheer

By using simple materials freely given by mama nature herself, and a little 

creativity on your part, you'll feel proud displaying this enviro-friendly decor

The benefits of using a cork lid allows for custom control over the aroma; 

the somewhat porous nature of cork will let the scent of the foliage to slowly 

disperse, lightly fragrancing the air without being muted. For an even bolder

Christmastime scent, you can open or remove the lid and bask in the aromatics

Tip: want a quick, calming and uplifting energy boost?
Inhale directly from the jar for an "X-mas Buzz" hehe!!!

Happy holiday crafting my little elfin friends xx

Stay tuned to indulge in the many arts/crafts and delicious themed 

treats that are snowballing their way onto Snacking Squirrel Online

Cheezy Kale Chips

"Cheezy" Kale chips

recipe created by Snacking Squirrel

Ingredients

5-8 leaves kale greens

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

2-3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

a pinch stevia (optional)

Directions

A. Wash kale and strain, placing in a large bowl

B. Squeeze/add lemon juice and apple cider vinegar

C. Marinate with your hands to evenly coat kale leaves

D. Sprinkle on spices and yeast and massage again

E. Dehydrate at 120 Fahrenheit for 7-8 hours

I also chopped up some zuchinni, bell pepper, and

 tomatoes from my garden, in a greek seasoning rub

Oh and HOW CAN I FORGET! I failed to announce I am hiking the 

West Coast Trail with my Dad tomorrow!!! So these dehydrated veggie 

snacks will be an awesome addition to soups and meals, or enjoyed just as is :)

The finished product bagged in Ziploc and ready to travel

"Cheezy" goodness, these kale chips are low calorie, vegan, gluten free,

sugar free, low fat, dairy free, pretty much raw, delicious and healthy!

Stir Fry and Apple Crumble

When it's me and my man cooking, dessert always follows dinner

We started with an Asian Stir Fry

We cooked the vegetables in Sweet and Sour 

Sauce with Chicken on a bed of Jasmine Rice

We both ate a couple bowls each, fighting over who gets the most veggies

Then came dessert, Homemade Apple Crumble

It's the easiest thing to make. You just slice an apple and stick it in a 

baking dish, and throw it in the oven at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes

Then add a crumble of oats, brown sugar, a little margarine
 and cinnamon, placing back in the oven for 15-20 minutes

Serves 2 hungry people

Banana Rice Sugar Cookies

There's no holding back my love of bananas

And I've got a super easy cookie recipe to share with you

Banana Rice Sugar Cookies

created by Snacking Squirrel

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup potato flour

1 large mashed banana

1 whole beaten egg

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted margarine

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

A. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit

B. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl

C. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl

D. Mix wet ingredients slowly into dry

E. Combine and scoop onto a cookie sheet

F. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned

They are sort of a mixture between a soft banana muffin 

and a soft/chewy sugar cookie. Like a Banana Snickerdoodle

Yields: 6-8 cookies

Question: What's one of your
favorite baking recipes with banana?

Peanut Butter Oat Flax Balls

Peanut Butter Oat Flax Balls

created by Snacking Squirrel

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free oats

1/4 cup quinoa flakes

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/8 cup flax seeds

2 tsp maca powder

a pinch cinnamon

a pinch sea salt

Directions

A. Mix all the ingredients besides the honey and peanut butter in a bowl

B. Stir in the peanut butter and honey, using your hands for best results

C. Roll a couple teaspoons of the mixture into balls with your palms

D. Place on a plate and serve or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator

Between my family and I we gobbled these up as quick as they were made

They're a refreshing and energizing afternoon treat

Yields: 5-6 decent sized energy bites/balls

Low Calorie Hot Chocolate Mocha

Here's a low calorie Hot Chocolate Mocha thats simple to make with few ingredients

All you need is hot water, stevia (or sweetener), instant 

coffee, and cocoa powder, and unsweetened almond milk

There's about 30-40 calories in a large cup

I mixed 250ml of boiling water in a thermos with 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened 

almond milk, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 2 tsp instant coffee, and 2 packets of stevia 

Then I shook* shook* shook* it up before pouring

This basic recipe makes 1.5 large cups of delicious

A light morning drink to go along with your breakfast, without the guilt

Jumbo Strawberry Jam Muffins

created by Snacking Squirrel

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour

1.5 cups crushed strawberries

3/4 cup sugar + 1/4 cup honey

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1 large beaten egg

1/4 cup jam (strawberry or other)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 360 Fahrenheit

2. Line muffin tin with muffin cups or butter

3. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl

4. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl

5. Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients

6. Fold together just until well combined

7. Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes

Let them cool for 10 minutes before eating

Yields: 6-8 large/jumbo muffins

These are very dense and very hearty, yet soft and fluffy

Goes perfectly in the afternoon or mid-morning with a cup of tea :)

Update: I forgot to add the butter/margarine

to these. So they work as being fat free too!!!