Mason Jar Monday Arizona Ice Tea Mimic

Welcome to Mason Jar Monday!

Today’s Mason Jar Monday is a great mimic recipe. The weather is turning. More of us are out working in the gardens, doing yard work, and having BBQ’s and gatherings. Today I offer you a great recipe to mimic Arizona Ice Tea. I love Arizona Ice Tea, but the cost is a little high for my budget. This is a budget-friendly way to make a very close ice tea that you would be hard-pressed to identify as a mimic in a taste test.

Let’s start with the ingredients. Gather together:

• 8 cups of boiling hot water
• 1 Lipton Green Tea Bag
• ½ cup of Sugar (more or less to taste)
• 2 Tablespoons of local honey
• 2 ½ Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (again, to taste. I like a little more)
• ¼ Tablespoon of Ginseng extract 

How to: Steep the tea bag in the hot water for about an hour. During this time the liquid will cool. After an hour, remove the tea bag and add the remaining ingredients. I make it in a bottle with a lid (I reuse an old Arizona Ice Tea jug). Give the ingredients a good shake (or stir) and then serve over ice.

Store: Store in the refrigerator. It will keep in the fridge for a week or so, but it never lasts that long in my house.

Serve: I prefer to serve my Arizona Ice Tea in Mason Jars with a Slice of Lemon on the rim and sprig of fresh mint.

Cool and refreshing for just pennies, this mimic of Arizona Ice Tea is super easy to make so you never run out at home! 

Mason Jar Monday Summer Barbecue Dreaming

It is 19 degrees and snowing today, but that won't stop me from dreaming about summer gardens, swimming, and barbecues. Here is a Mason Jar Monday idea to get you thinking of warmer times to come. These clever barbecue favors save on time and energy running in and out of the house fetching supplies, allowing you a chance to enjoy your barbecue and your guests too. Make one set for the kiddos and another for the adults. Add in napkins, flatware, and a tag for a name to be sure everyone has a drinking glass and utensils. I was thinking of adding salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayo packets, hand sanitizer, and a wet wipe as well. Easy peasy way to make sure all your guests have what they need to enjoy their barbecue without you making a million trips into the house. Chin up, summer is just around the corner!

Mason Jar BBQ Favors by Country Chic Cottage. 

DIY Baking Powder

Have you ever started a baking project to find you are out of baking powder? It is easy to make your own and save that last minute trip to the market. Follow the recipe below to make a bulk container  or follow the ratio adjusted one just to get by until you buy a fresh container. Either way, making your own baking powder is simple and easy. 

You will need: 

1/4 cup Banking Soda

1/2 cup of Cream of Tartar

1/4 cup of Cornstarch

Need to just make a teaspoon or two? Use this ratio:

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1/4 teaspoon of Cornstarch

Mix together well and store in a small mason jar sealed tight for freshness. I like to reuse cheese shaker lids because they are a convenient when added to a small, wide mouth jar and I can measure out just what I need through the convenient lid. 

We have gotten so used to buying commercially produced baking items that it is easy to forget we used to make our own. Happy Baking!!

Mason Jar Nightlight for Mason Jar Monday

Happy Mason Jar Monday. Welcome to the first Mason Jar Monday of 2015! Whoot! I had a fantastic holiday this year despite having pneumonia. I got to fly home and spend four days with my family. It was the best family holiday in many years. I hope you had a safe New Year and wish you the best 2015 possible!

I thought I would start us off right this new year with a quaint and practical gift I received from my mother this holiday. 

This adorable vintage Ball Mason Jar-Style Nightlight is a wonderful addition to my rustic country style kitchen.  

It puts of a soft but bright glow which is much appreciated when I need to get a drink of water late at night. It uses a minimum of electricity but puts of enough light that I don't need to turn on the kitchen light for simpler tasks. 

The plastic canning jar is a nod to the classic vintage blue Ball brand canning jar of yesteryear. The lid even mimics the zinc lid adding to its charm. I love that it has all that charm, but is made of lightweight plastic making it safe in a kitchen, bath, or even a child's room. The plug portion also swivels to help it fit in almost any electrical outlet configuration. This nightlight just keeps getting that much better. 

Want one of these for you own? My mom purchased this treasure at Cracker Barrel. Don't go to Cracker Barrel or have one near you?  I visited their website and found they have them online too! Here is the link to Cracker Barrel so you can  get your very own. 

Oh, how much you might wonder? Just $9.99! That makes this Mason Jar Monday treasure that much more exciting. 

Thanks Mom! 

Happy New Year!  

Heritage Blue Mason Jar Bird Feeder

I love all things Mason Jar and I love all things galvanized. I combined my two favorites when I made this simple bird feeder. I actually planned to fill it with candy corn and leave it on the table for a fall decoration, but then I found these great instant handles for jars and decided I liked it better hanging.

This Mason Jar bird feeder was super easy to assemble. Total cost for this project is under $5.





Here is what you will need:

1 Mason Jar (quart size)
1 Galvanized Chicken Feeder (local feed store or Tractor Supply)
1 Mason Jar Bale Handle.
Clear tape (cellophane or packing)

How to assemble:

Attach the bail handle to the mouth of the jar. The handle needs to be taped to the side of the jar with a couple pieces of clear tape to prevent it from allowing the jar to tip over. Next, fill the jar with bird seed. Finally, screw on the chicken feeder base.

I chose to hang mine in the window as a little country touch, but this would look great on a porch or hanging from a tree. Because the base that holds the birdseed is so wide, you will want to keep it out of the path of lots of rain.

To clean just take the base off the jar and wash. Refill and rehang. That's it! Like I said, super easy!

Happy Mason Jar Monday!

Frankenstein Heritage Green Ball Jar

Credit to #MasonJarMomma

I found this on Pinterest. I fell in love with it and its simplicity. Using the same green Ball Heritage jars that I used in last weeks Mason Jar Monday, you can easily create a Frankenstein Mason jar Halloween decoration. 

You will need: 

• 1 Green Ball Heritage Jar
• 2 Large Google Eyes
• Glue Gun
• Black Permanent Marker
• Black Spray Paint

Here's how you make it: 

1. Spray paint the lid and ring with the black spray paint. Allow overnight to dry.
2. Using the glue gun, glue the google eyes on the jar. 
3. Using the permanent marker, draw on scrars and smile. 
4. Fill if you so desire.
5. Screw on lid and band. 

That's it! How fun and easy. I love this idea. I also know that when the season is over I can pop off the google eyes, wash the jar, and it is good to go for my next project. 

Happy Crafting! 

Mason Jar Monday: Heritage Lantern Jars for Halloween, Fall, and Thanksgiving

Ball Heritage Green Jars for 2014

Ball has released new jars this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the "Perfection" mason jar. Last year they released blue jars, however this year they released green. The green jars hearken back to popular colors of the 1930's. I love these limited edition jars and have been finding clever ways to integrate them into my decor.

Shaker Jars by Ball - Mason Jar Monday

While perusing my local big box store the other day I came across this box of Shaker Jars. I have never seen them in the store before and I was very excited to lay out my $5 to take a set of four home for my very own. I also saw that just the lids were sold for $1.47 for 2. I snatched up a box of those as well. I really like them so I thought I would share them with you here.

The box labels them as herb jars, but I saw all kinds of potential. For example, different kinds of finely shredded cheeses would store quite well in these airtight containers. Homemade seasoning salt is another thing I think these jars would work well for. I like that the lids can transfer to any wide-mouth canning jar because the small jars that come with them would just not be large enough to store larger quantities of shredded cheese. The holes in the lid are not very large, but not too small. Soft cheeses such as Velveeta shredded would not do well in this type of jar, but then Velveeta is not made to be sprinkled like a cheese such as cheddar or Parmesan.


I love that the jar makers are expanding the possibilities for the uses of the simple jar. They continue to be the most important staple in my kitchen and the opportunities to utilize them are endless.

What do you think? Useful or useless?

Mason Jar Monday - Tabbouleh to Go

 Easy meals in Mason Jars are one of my staples. I love being able to grab one from the fridge on the way out the door in the morning. It makes life so much easier when the recipe is quick and easy too. Tabbouleh is a salad of Arabic origins. The ingredients are simple and healthy and the salad is fantastic on hot summer days when cooking something hot is the last thing you want. Prepare a weeks worth in advance for easy lunches or for side dishes at dinner. Enjoy!

Mason Jar Monday: Butterfly In A Jar

I love the detail.

I found this the other day and could not resist purchasing it. What is it? It is a butterfly in a jar. I cannot get over how realistic the butterfly is. Here is how it works:

Under the lid that mimics a mason jar lid, you insert 3 AAA batteries. There is a fine wire that is not perceptible from a normal viewing distance that is attached to a Monarch butterfly. You tap the jar once to wake up your butterfly. This causes it to flutter its wings. Two taps on the jar has the butterfly fly around the jar once and then flutter its wings. Three taps and the butterfly flies all around the jar opening and closing its wings. I placed my butterfly in a jar on a shelf over my sink next to my kitchen radio. The sound vibrations from the radio cause it to flutter periodically. It is just lovely. It automatically shuts on and off preserving the battery life.

My radio activates it.

No, this is not an item that is mandatory or particularly useful, but it is beautiful to look at and prevents the desire to capture a real butterfly. I think keeping a butterfly in a jar would be cruel for any lengthy period of time, but this one suits my sensibilities. I think it will give my granddaughter a thrill.

Would you like your very own butterfly in a jar? You can find them here. There is also a Yellow Swallowtail version here. They range in price from $17.99 to $19.99.

So there you have a fun and cute Mason Jar idea for both decor and delight.

Happy Monday!

Mason Jar Monday - A Little Bit of Change

Mason Jar Bank Round Up! 

Here are some clever ways to use Mason Jars to collect all that loose change floating around your house!

My Kind Of Crafty Etsy Store

Paige Knudsen

 ACasarella.net

Credit: Unknown

Keeping Lemons Longer - Store Them In Water

Will Lemons Keep Longer in the Fridge?

Happy Mason Jar Monday everyone. Today I have an experiment to share with you. I have heard tell that lemons will last 4 to 6 months if stored in the refrigerator in a jar filled with water. I have decided to try it out seeing as how lemons never last long in my house. Typically I store them in a bowl with other fruits and veggies. I rarely have them for longer than a week, maybe two, before they need to be tossed. While at the store the other day I found the most decadently smelling lemons I have found in a long time and decided to buy a bag. Knowing I won't use them before they spoil, I decided that we will use them to find out if the old wives tale is true or not.

5 Ways to Use Mason Jars for Valentines Day

Valentines day is rapidly approaching. It is hard to believe that we are already in the third week of January! With Valentines Day in just three weeks, I promised my procrastinating self that I would get things done in advance. Poking around the web, I found some very creative and fun ways to dress up my Valentine's gifts. Perhaps these might inspire some home-spun "Be My Valentine" goodness for you too.

1. Pucker Up: Keri over at Shaken Together Life, fills pint size jars with Lemon Drops and adds an adorable tag reading, "Pucker Up." Simple, yet adorable. I can taste the lemony goodness as I type this.

2. Hearts Wrapped Up: Beth at Beth-A-Palooza used her Cricut machine to make mini Mason tags to mimic the jar, added some shredded paper and valentine fabric to create a unique jar gift. Some candy or a trinket and, ta-da, you have a sweet Valentine gift for sure.

3.You're The Bomb: Mara of Joyful Mara came up with this clever way to blow-up Valentine's Day. Cute!

4. S'More Than You: Teacher's appreciate Valentines just like kids do. Here is a sweet gift for that favorite teacher from Kimberly at A Night Owl Blog. Kimberly even included the printable tags!

5. I Am A Sucker For You: Share and Remember has a great adaptation of the Valentine Card. Using a printable Mason Jar, a lolipop, and some Washi Tape, these cards are quick and easy, but oh so cute. Printed on bright card stock, these are sure to be a hit.

Valentines + Mason Jars = Can't go wrong.

Mason Jar Monday Give Away - Insulated Mason-Look Mugs and Cups

Mason jar cups that hold the charm of glass jars but are durable plastic, double-walled, and safe from breaking if dropped? Ooooh, yes! Look what I found! These Mason Jar-look cups are fantastic and were a bargain at only $1.98 each (they were on after-holiday clearance)! I was lucky enough to have found two of the handle-style mugs with screw on lids and reusable straws. Each included extra tops for hot liquids making them twice as useful. Then I scored three that don't have handles that included just half-moon lids. I tried to buy a color variety so that each would be easily identifiable in a sea of similar cups.

Because these are double-walled (a jar within a jar, so to speak) I can safely hold hot liquids without burning my hands and cold liquids won't sweat all over. These are made of BPA free plastic with silicon seals on the easy to pop in and out lids. I have used them for both hot and cold liquids at this point and am very pleased. Conveniently they are dishwasher safe too!

I am hoping there will be more left, as I would like to have 6 of each style, but I am doubtful at this point as I think lots of folks would love to have these as well. I was successful in hunting them down on Amazon. If worse comes to worse, I can order them that way. You can go here to purchase them at their full retail price (sorry, wish I could find them all for the clearance price). The ones sold on Amazon have a clear lid and straw too in case you would like them for a wedding or baby shower or are just not a fan of the color options.

I look forward to using these out on the deck and patio as well as for enjoying my morning cup of Java on my commute to work. I like that these are safe for my granddaughter since they are not glass. I adore the reusable straws and how a flange on them prevents them from being pulled out of the cup. Lightweight, easy to clean, and a comfortable size, these will be well loved in my home.

Best yet? I have two for a give away!!! Yay!! So, interested in winning two for yourself? Enter here by following the link.

Mason Jar Cup Giveaway

Good luck!

Mason Jar Monday - Mini Light Covers

Yule was wonderful this year. I hope that everyone has had as wonderful a holiday season as I have. This past week has been spent with good family and friends, exchanging gifts, sharing meals, and visiting.

I was gifted with a great Mason Jar Monday idea: Mini Mason Jar Light Covers. Each vintage-style glass jar has a "ring" at the top where the jar seal should be on a real jar, there is a rubber piece that has an X cut in it. You just push a mini light into the jar.

The glass has a slight green tinge with bubbles in the glass, just like the vintage ones. They even read, "Mason Nov 30th 1858" on the glass. These are just adorable and the way the lights shine through them is beautiful. Each one measures about 3" tall and 1" in diameter.

I plan to hang these over my kitchen sink for a little additional lighting in a sweet country style. These are not inexpensive by any means, coming in at around $4 a jar, but I think they are well worth the investment. I was lucky enough to be gifted with two dozen! I am going to use them in the kitchen and in the living room. They provide lovely ambient light. I use LED lights that are battery operated so I can put them just about anywhere I want them.

Interested in buying some? You can find them here on Amazon.

Best wishes for a safe and Happy New Year from Rancho No Dinero!

Mason Jar Monday - Cross Stitch Jar Covers and Inserts

Plastic Canvas Insert

Mason Jar Monday would be remiss if it didn't include showing how to label jars in some decorative way.

I stitched up this jar lid insert over the weekend. This jar's purpose will be storing all the nails, screws, bolts, picture hangers, etc. that end up in a junk drawer in the kitchen. By storing them in a jar such as this, I can easily see what I have and pour out the contents when I am ready to sort them. This particular insert is made from 14 count plastic canvas (sold for 99 cents at my local craft store) and was stitched using a pattern leaflet I purchased on Ebay. I chose to make the insert out of plastic canvas because it is less likely to become soiled and, if it does get dirty or dusty, can be washed gently in soapy water and laid out to dry. I prefer plastic canvas to aida cloth for any application which 1) I want to reuse and 2) which has the potential to get soiled. It is sold in colors, a clear look, and plain old white.

Slip on Jar Cover

There are many ways to decorate/label your jars to use them for more than just jelly or jam storage. I purchased a dozen slip-on style jar covers for just $5 on Ebay. I stitch one up whenever I need a nice presentation for a jar gift. The chicken cover was a gift for my "Secret Santa" exchange at work and was a big hit. I also discovered a co-worker who enjoys cross stitch, which was an added bonus.

Rachel over at Paper Doily has posted this easy first-try cross stitch pattern for those of you looking for a quick something to whip up as a gift. Although Rachel stitched this up as an easy ornament, this would make a great topper for a small jelly jar to store ornament hooks. If you like it and/or use it, please stop by her blog, Paper Doily, and give her a howdy and a shout out!

Not someone who enjoys needle crafting? You can print out labels you design. Avery (www.Avery.com) sells print-to-the-edge round labels that can be used to label the lids of canning jars. There are also ones that go directly onto the glass. With free templates found on the Avery site, you can jazz up any plain old jar.

Happy Crafting!

Mason Jar Monday - Easy Pasta Salad for a Quick Meal

Happy Mason Jar Monday! Today's Mason jar idea is actually a quick, easy, and economical meal option that you cook up and store in a Mason jar. You can make enough to have a quick lunch for a week or you can serve it as a side dish.

This dish most likely can be made from items you already have on hand. Servings cost less than a dollar! Also, this is quick. Cooking time is around 9 minutes (follow the box for the pasta you choose) and it just needs to chill for a bit in the fridge. So simple!



You will need:

Elbow Macaroni or Mini Penne Pasta
Salad Dressing of Your Choice (I like to use Ranch or Balsamic Vinaigrette)
Shredded Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Yum! 

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta following the directions on the package
2. Drain it well and rinse with cold running water. While macaroni is still in the colander, use a spoon to stir the pasta to allow water caught up in the hollow part of the macaroni to drain.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of dressing for every 1 cup of pasta. You can add more or less to taste, but I found this ratio to work pretty well. 
4. Shake a little cheese on there and add salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Stir it up well. 
6. Spoon into jars, put on a lid, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Store up to one week in the refrigerator.

Do you have an easy recipe you would like to share? Share it in the comments below!

Mason Jar Monday - Color Coded Cheese Shaker Hack

Today's Mason Jar Monday is just a tweak on an old favorite: Using cheese shaker lids from store brand cheese on mason jars. Now anyone who enjoys canning jars or uses Pinterest has probably seen this idea before, but while I was pouring my new container of cheese into a new jar because it was 3 Cheese Blend instead of Parmesan, which I already had, I noticed the lid colors were different:

I decided to take this discovery a step further and choose different jar shapes. 

The great thing about this old trick is that the lids have a shaker side and a spoon/pour side. 

I planned to use canning labels to identify them still, but since I will almost always have these in my refrigerator, I decided to make labels that are permanent and can be washed when I wash the jar. Since I like to cross stitch (easy projects, not big fancy pictures, ugh!), I purchased plastic cross stitch plastic canvas and stitched labels for both. I sewed them to a circle of elastic I can easily slide on and off. I think they turned out rather nice: 

So there you have it, Mason Jar Monday's Cheese Shaker hack. Have a great week!

Mason Jar Monday - Mason Jar Safe - Protect Your Valuables

No one likes to come home to find their house has been robbed. No one. Recently a good friend had hour house robbed three times in a two month period. Yes, she needs to move. However, the police are fairly certain it is the same robber(s) and, with any luck, they will be arrested. This has gotten  me thinking about just how I can protect the things that insurance just cannot replace. Small valuables and heirlooms that, if stolen, would break my heart. TV's and such can be replaced, but my Mother's Ring and my pearls are precious to me. Short of wearing them all the time or carrying them with me, there will always be the risk that some nefarious intruder will help him/herself to them while I am away. This got me thinking about security of a rural property and just how to prevent my most precious of things from being taken even if my TV and such are.

Frequently in catalogs and online stores you will find everyday product packaging converted into small safes. These are known as diversion safes. The idea is that you hide small valuables inside the replicas of everyday household objects and then place the can in among other every-day items. Thieves typically don't like to spend more then 5 - 10 minutes in a place and, hopefully, will skim by your valuables without even noticing them. The cans and containers are weighted so if you pick them up they feel like the real product. I found shaving cream cans, cleaning product cans, fruits and vegetable cans, a hairspray can, and even a hairbrush that opens up to reveal a hollow hidy-hole. All of those are great, but here is one that really caught my eye!

Yes! That is a canning jar safe! It is described as looking like preserves. You unscrew the lid to find a cavity inside where you can hide small valuables. If you are like me, you have a large pantry for "putting by" and this would blend right in. This is just $14.95 on Amazon (click here if you would like to buy one. Yes, this is a shameless plug for my Amazon store so I can make a few pennies for the holidays). 

So what would you put in such a limited space? Well, I keep copies of important documents scanned and saved in digital form on a flash drive. I would drop a few flash drives that hold important files in there as a backup plan. I would keep jewelry that I don't wear normally such as grandma's wedding ring and my good pearls. You get the picture. With the amount of "puttin' by" I do, I know this jar would disappear into the crowd. I challenge a thief to go through all my canned goods on the hopes of finding a secret stash. 

What do you think? Do you think these diversion safes work or are they just a waste of money?