Pancakes and Syrup:

Well, here it is 9:25 p.m., and past my bedtime.  I was just going to curl up with my good book, Evergreen, and go to sleep.  Then I remembered that my best friend husband would be up at the crack of dawn pouring over our grandson Tyler's stats (the McPherson Bullpups won AGAIN!!!),  therefore needing the computer, and I thought it would be better to just post this now.

WARNING:  If you are a relative and are likely to receive this for Christmas ... STOP!  Please read NO FURTHER.  Thank you.   Love you lots!

This is a very easy and inexpensive gift.  First, wash out your old wine bottles thoroughly.  Then, stencil on some M.E. squares with pink acrylic paint.  Second, go to Costco and buy a big bag of Krusteaz Pancake Mix (it costs around $10.00 for 10 lbs.) and some quart sized Ziplock freezer bags.  Then, go to Walmart and pay a lot for some new corks (I am still working on that part, on how to get them cheaper.)  Third, sew up some cute bags (I will show you how to do that very soon).  Fourth, find the recipe from 18 years ago on how to make awesome syrup out of frozen orange juice and apple juice, when the book from the Eugene Public Library is no longer available.  And you no longer live in Eugene.  (I am still working on that part too.  If you have a great syrup recipe, please let me know.)

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Okay, as you can see, everything is rounded up.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Place four scoops (cups) of Krusteaz Pancake Mix into the quart Ziplock bag.  I am not reinventing the wheel here; I am just repackaging.  That is because the cool book that told me how to make my own rock candy and clove oranges left out a lot of details, and I do not want to fuss with bad pancake mix.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

After the Ziplock bags are filled, stuff them into the pretty bags that you made.  Envision the pretty bottles filled with homemade syrup, after you find the recipe (or I find the recipe...whichever comes first).

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oh, they are so pretty!  A 10 lb. bag of pancake mix will give you 8 quart sized Ziplocks of 4 cups each, FYI.  You can also get larger boxes of 25 lbs. for around $25.00 at the store restaurants go to get their supplies.  That is cheaper if you are going to make a lot of these.

 Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Oh, and these wine/syrup bottles are useful after breakfast is over.  IF the paint doesn't wash off.  I was informed after I hand painted a lot of bottles (it took me YEARS to save them up, mind you), that you can buy glass paint and put these things in the oven to make the paint permanent.   You can read more about that project here.

Best of luck on this.  I know that there is a lot to be desired on the details here, but I am tired and am going to bed.

See you when I can get back on here!

~ Kathy 

At Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy, if you miss a day, you miss a lot!  All material on this post is copyrighted and not for use without my permission ...Please click here to go to my home page and see what is happening in Mayberry today.