Thank you for your patience

Time just zooms by when your old. Well, Im not old old, just feeling old sometimes. I do appreciate your patience and sticking with me. So many things are going on. New job, new schedule, new ideas.
I am working on redoing my web site. I think I was over extended.So now Im cutting down per se.
I hope to have a new look by summer with only the best of the best on the site.
More to come soon!

Happy New Year!

We want to wish you and yours a Safe and Happy New Year.

New Gift Wrapping Ideas

I love Christmas! And I love wrapping presents. But Im so busy all the time, I have a hard time thinking up new and creative ways to wrap my gifts. So I did a little web surfing and found some excellent ideas.

Here are the links to some very creative and easy ideas!

Zakka Life- Creative Gift Wrap
This blog also has some cute and easy Christmas crafts including a Dollhouse Christmas tree


Then jump over to the Childrens Nest for some really unique,easy ideas



Need a Gift Tag in a hurry? Grab two business cards, glue them together, back sides out.
Then you can write a message, glue a cutout to it or even a small picture of the recipient on it. Be creative. Then punch a hole in it, tie with a ribbon and your done!

Merry Christmas !
Enjoy yur holidays.

How to Make Pomanders



I love the smells of Pomanders! And they are so easy to make.


Though their origin dates to medieval Europe, they were part of most Colonial American households. Pomanders are easy to make by studding oranges, tangerines or lemons with whole cloves and dusting with spices.

First~ decide upon a design. You do not have to cover the whole fruit with cloves. Be creative!

Then poke a hole first with a skewer, nail or knitting needle in your desired design. Make the holes approx. 1/4" apart. Then fill the holes with cloves.

Next, take some dried spices like ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg or coriander and put in a baggie. Add your pomander creations, one at a time and shake. (You can also drip or spray essential oils on them instead)

Then let dry. You could put in the fridge or even over a radiator.

Then you can hang on your tree ( you will need to add a ribbon) , around your house, give as gifts or even display them in a bowl on your table.

For more ideas see Martha Stewart or Garden Home & Party

Enjoy and Merry Christmas

Soldier Care Box

This month we are sending the soldiers a box of Candy and Chips. I did a search for an Army group, from Georgia who wanted candy and found a few. We are sending this box to Chad , via Anysoldier.com, who is in Iraq. Its a unit of 17 men. ( its 17 men, not 8 as originally posted)



This box contains:
Lay’s Chips – Sour Cream and Onion
                   - Original Chips

Twizzlers Red Licorice

Jaw Breakers

A Cookie Tin

Dark Chocolate Rolled Wafers

Chamomile Tea

Honey

Vienna Sausages

Sunflower seeds

Carmel Cream Candy

Peppermint puffs

Sugar Free Single Drink Mixes

Wisp mini disposable toothbrushes with plastic baggies to put them in.



Last month we sent the soldiers a box of magazines. They were used and collected from family and friends. We didnt post because there was no real cost involved except shipping and we had received no donations via the site. We did not receive any donations this month either, but we had set aside some funds for this project from our profits.

Next month we would like to mail 2-4 boxes off. A box for men, a box just for woman and a least one box for a group that has dogs in the unit. We can not do this without your help. So, please donate when you order. One dollar will help if your budget is as tight as ours. And if you are not ordering, but still want to help , we do have a "donate only" button on the Soldier page.

You can also send your own box of goodies if you choose. Please go to anysoldier.com , go to "where to send", pick an address, see what they need or want. Then go to the post office, get a flat rate APO/FPO box, fill it up, and ship.

They also state, they would like letters, as not many of them get them. They need encouragement and support.

This is a great project for a group to do too!

Happy Holidays !

Homemade Liquor Gift Ideas

Every year about this time, I make a batch of Homemade Kahlua to give as gifts as its a great liquor and can be used in many ways. It's great on the rock, mixed with milk or cream and also good with orange juice just to name a few.

But this year I am looking to expand my knowledge of making homemade liquors and will share my new recipes with you too!


First, my tried and true Kahlua.

3 cups of unflavored vodka (any kind will do, but I suggest a medium priced one)
2 cups of water
2 cups of white sugar
2 cups of packed brown sugar
2/3 cups of freeze dried instant coffee
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Mix all in a 2 quart jar. Cover lightly with saran wrap or a lid and let stand at room temperatures for two weeks minimum, stirring daily.

Pour into chosen bottles for gift giving, add a bow and gift card and you are done.
( Old wine bottles will work just fine – make sure to sterilize them by rinsing them out in boiling water first)
No refrigeration is needed.


And now onto some new recipe I want to try .


Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream

1 Cup Cream
14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Cups Whiskey
1 tsp Instant Coffee
2 TBS Chocolate Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Almond extract

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate overnight.
Keep refrigerated & use within 3 weeks.

Amaretto

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups unflavored vodka
2 tablespoons almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine water, white sugar and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until boiling and all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Pour in vodka, almond extract and vanilla. Mix well and store in a sealed bottle.


Have you ever made homemade liquors or cordials?

Do you have a favorite tried and true liquor recipe that you can share?

Share :)

Halloween Drinks

Have some goulish fun at your Halloween party this year with two of my favorite drinks.

The Brain Hemorrhage

The Brain Hemorrhage Shot looks absolutely disgusting but is really tasty! It makes a perfect Halloween drink or just use it to gross your friends out any time of the year

The trick to this drink is to be patient with preparing it. You may even want to practice making it before your big Halloween party

Ingredients

1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps

¼ oz Baileys Irish Cream

Splash of grenadine syrup

SLOWLY pour the Baileys into the schnapps so that a "brain" forms in "formaldehyde". Dribble grenadine onto a spoon then into the glass into the center of the Baileys. It will eventually come through the Baileys and create the brain hemorrhage

The Bloody Mary

A Bloody Mary is a tradition at most Halloween parties and it is so easy.



Ingredients:

4 oz of Bloody Mary Mix

1 ½ oz of your choice of vodka


To make the eyeball garnish:

Peel the radishes with a potato peeler, being careful to keep some of the veins and red skin.

Carve out a small hole on one of the radish, deep enough to stuff the olive inside.

Dry off a pimento stuffed olive. Keeping the pimento side out, push olive inside the carved hole.

Happy Halloween to All!

We Have Three Winners

@DFApothecary @AgateShadow and a Mark G are the winners of the Bloody Soap Giveaway.
I have sent emails or tweets to all the winners. They have 24 hours to get back to me to claim their prize.

We are thinking about doing some more contests soon.

Thank you all for playing

Bloody Halloween Giveaway



This is our new "Dexter" inspired soaps. We offer it in a full size bath bar and now guest soaps because of its fast popularity. This month we are going to give away one guest soap to three different followers. So you have three chances to win!


It is homemade soap made with pure vegetable glycerine that is embedded with blood splatter stickers. It is perfect for a fun gift or your Halloween party. And we scented it with a brand new scent called Celestial Waters.

Please follow the entry instructions below and good luck!

First, You Must Enter By:


Joining this blog and leaving a comment about your favorite soap or other product on Hailey’s Dragonfly Garden

Extra Entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter (unless you already are) and comment here that you did so.

2. Tweet about this giveaway and include “@haileysgarden” in the tweet. Make sure your comment here including your twitter user name that you did so . (Please don’t over do it, as I don’t want you to appear spammy to your followers)

3. Comment on any post here at Hailey’s Dragonfly Garden Blog and comment here the link of where you commented. (this is a daily option)

Giveaway Info:

Open to US residents only (shipping purposes). This giveaway will end Saturday, Oct 16,2010 at 9:00 PM EST. The winners will be picked by Random.org and will be announced Sunday, Oct 17,2010. The winner will need to claim their prize within 24 hrs or I will need to pick another giveaway winner.



Good Luck to All and Welcome!