Not Christmas-ey...but awesome! Introducing....Banoffee Pie!

My sister and I love to get together for a weekend and try new recipes. This one we tried recently and I had to spread the word...it was AWESOME! (and so easy to do!)

Banoffee Pie

Total Time: 4 hr 15 min

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch salt
• 4 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a saucepan, cover an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk with water. Let it simmer for 3 hours, adding water as needed to keep the can submerged in the water.

Set your oven to 375 F.
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, then cool completely and refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie.
Remove the condensed milk from heat and let cool enough to be able to remove the can from the water. Let cool another 10 to 15 minutes before opening the now dark and creamy toffee.
Thinly slice the bananas (1/4-inch) on the bias. Evenly arrange 1 layer of bananas over the cooled crust. Pour the toffee over the top and spread evenly. Put another layer of bananas on top of the toffee. Whip 2 cups of cream, in a large bowl, until soft peaks form and spoon it on top of the bananas, spreading it out to make an even layer.
Refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour before serving.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Teacher Gifts

I don't know if you're like me at all; but I have the toughest time coming up with a (half-way) deceent gift for my boys teacher's at school every holiday season.
So....since I had to figure out a post for the Betties, I thought that I would get prepared
(and hopefully get your creative juices flowing)
for a great holiday gift for a teacher, friend or neighbor.
(b/c if I'm not thinking ahead, it usually doesn't happen!)

AND the great thing about all this is that it is extremely affordable.
Practically everything I got was for about $1.00 (with a few exceptions, of course)

*When it gets closer to the end of the school, I will post a picture of the completed teacher gift, I just didn't want some of this stuff sitting around for another three weeks getting stale and yucky. But I think that you'll get the general idea*
Let's get started!
Here'a what I'm starting with:

The cute little box to put everything in I found at Target in the $$ bins.

Gloves: 2/$1 @ Dollar Tree

Candy cane sticks @ Hobby Lobby for.....well you can see it: $2.49 --- but this will make you more than one little box.

boxes to put the candy cane sticks in at Hobby Lobby for $1.99 -- 4 to a package.

Little jar @ Hobby Lobby for $1.99

NOW, here is the inspiration for all of my goodies for my boys teachers:

Aren't these adorable?!?!

Microwaved Popcorn wrapped with gloves for the hat! So clever

(and functional at the same time!)

You can find the cute sowman wrapper printable at Sherelle Christensen

LOVE this one.....dipped candy cane sticks for a hot chocolate stirrer

--- super-easy to make and pretty to give.

Found @ countryliving.com in their 14 homemade food gifts.

And finally some homemade lemon sugar hand scrub found at Stephanie Lynn

(I've made this for the girls that I visit teach and they have LOVED this stuff

--- I think I need to make some for myself!)

You must know, that the inspiration for all these little goodies, I found at Pinterest.

I love the people that are creative enough to even think this stuff up so that

I have something great to give as gifts.

I will aslo be throwing in a handmade card from my child and

 an ornament to complete my little box for the teachers.

I can't wait until they are actually all done so that I can show it off.

It's gonna be super-cute!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well, it's officially December 1st, which, in OUR house, means we decorate! (Yes, we are THOSE people, who ban Christmas decorating and music until we're officially in the month. It's only a teeny bit Scroogey of us...right??)

And in honour of Christmas decorating (or whatever other holiday you're decorating for - I think the signs downtown say "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah," "Happy Diwali," "Happy Eid" - if there are others then our fair city has overlooked something and I apologize on our ignorant behalf) I thought I show you this really cool little decoration that one of my best friends taught ME how to make last year! She did up a bunch as parts of Christmas presents for her friends at work, and I'm not going to lie, I did a bunch because they look so FABULOUS on my Christmas tree!

So, here we go!

You need:

• 18 gauge [jewellery] wire (any colour) - I used approximately 12 inches for this one
• beads - use as many as you can fit or as few as you like! Here I used 5 fabulously sparkly Chinese crystals - these beads look FABULOUS on the Christmas tree next to all those lights!
• round-nosed pliers
• wire cutters

Step 1: Measure and cut your wire.

Step 2: Grasp the very end of the wire with the pliers and turn the pliers so that you make a loop in the wire.

Step 3: Now, keep your pliers in that loop, grasp the other end of the wire with your opposite hand, and gently keep the twisting motion going, as though to make a loose circle. Just don't come all the way back around - you're making the hook that you're going to hang on your tree.

Step 4: Thread your beads on the unfinished end.

Step 5: Grasp the wire again with your pliers below where you want the beads to sit, and bend the wire around the pliers so that it's at least about 90 degrees from the beaded portion.

Step 6: Let go and then grasp the wire 1/2 to 1 inch from the bend, and wrap the wire around the pliers so that it's going back the other way.

Step 7: Let go and grasp the wire again, a little further than you did last time, so it's a bit off-kilter. Then wrap the wire back around the pliers so it's going the other way again. Kinda' like a loopy-zig-zag.  Do this back and forth a few times, until you're either sick of it or you've just got enough wire left to finish off. I did mine so there are uh, I dunno, 4 zigs. Yes, that's for SURE the technical term. ;-)

Step 8: Use your fingers or your pliers, whichever is easiest for you, shape your zig-zag by squishing the middles...

Step 9: Once you've got them shaped how you like it, grab the very tail of your wire with the pliers and make another loop just like you did in step 2 above.  Then, just like step 3 keep your loop going around, more loosely to make a wee spiral. It should be tighter than your hook was, but still a bit loose, yes?

Step 10: Step back and admire your awesome work!!

It's fanTASTICALLY simple, just a few bends and twists in your wire, with some sparkling beads and voila you have a decorative masterpiece to hang on your tree! The sparkly-er the beads the better it looks next to a mini lightbulb on the tree!! When ours goes up tomorrow night I can't wait to hang mine!

Give them out as gifts, add them to your gift-wrapping bows, whatever you please! They're simple, inexpensive yet classy, and add that handmade specialness to the gift-giving season.

Happy Crafting!