Remember those times you’ve had a bad day, only to walk in the door to the aroma of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Today’s bad episodes seem like distant memories as Mom is waiting for you with a smile and a plate of freshly made cookies. Moms just know how to make everything better!
That’s why Moms deserve a few homemade Mother’s Day gifts especially from the heart. Moms have been there through scraped knees, school plays, soccer games, first dates, and broken hearts. They even know when you’ve had a bad day at school. So why not return the favor by showing mom how much you appreciate her by making her a homemade Mother's Day gift.
Make Mother’s Day Special with Homemade Gifts
Homemade gifts for Mother’s Day are quick and easy to make, and they’ll score a lot of points with mom for the time and effort put into them. Mom’s are like that. They love those special gifts that their kids make for them, as they show how they touched their children’s hearts as they were growing up.
- Homemade Infused Body Oil with Lavender-Simply get a decorative glass bottle from a craft store with a cork in it. Pour in mom’s favorite body oil, and a few sprigs of lavender. Seal tightly with a cork, and wrap in tissue paper and ribbon.
- Homemade Coupons-Get some decorative scissors and different sized pieces of construction paper. Cut out into heart shapes, and then write out your coupons. The coupons could be good for “one free game of cards with mom,” or “one special lunch with mom,” or “one foot rub,” or “one day of free house cleaning.” The coupons should be for things your mom would like, that she doesn’t usually get, so be creative!
Homemade Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies for Mother's Day
Mom will be amazed when you surprise her with homemade Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies for Mother’s Day, just like she has done for you so many times. Let mom enjoy the splendor of eating freshly baked cookies without having to do all the work herself. Here's what you'll need:
- 2¼ c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. butter (2 sticks of butter softened)
- ¾ c. sugar
- ¾ c. brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. good vanilla extract
- 11.5 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips
- 1 c. chopped pecans
Easy Cookie Baking Directions
- Pour flour into a sifter and add baking soda, and salt.
- Sift into large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, cream sugars and butter by mixing together with a whisk.
- Add slightly beaten eggs, and vanilla.
- Slowly add in flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, scraping side of bowl.
- Pour in pecans and chocolate chips, and mix well.
Easy Baking Instructions
Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Use a 1 inch cookie scooper to place rounded cookie dough onto an insulated cookie sheet as they circulate the heat within the baking sheet and bake the cookies more evenly. Bake Cookies for about eleven minutes each, then remove from oven and let cool. Recipe will make about five dozen cookies
Gourmet Ham Panini Recipe for a Mother's Day Picnic
Wrap Mom’s Day up with a family picnic. Make homemade Gourmet Ham and Cheese Paninis. Pack everything up in a picnic basket and head for the beach or park. Pack in some homemade Chocolate Chip and Pecan cookies for desert, and get out of the house to make the day special for mom. Here's how to get started:
- 8 slices of sour dough bread
- 16 slices of ham, grilled
- 16 slices of cheese (gouda, fontina, swiss, or gruyere, or white cheddar)
- 1 onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive Oil
Directions
- Sauté onions, bell pepper and garlic with salt and pepper in two tbsp. of olive oil in a shallow skillet over medium/high heat.
- Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil.
- Build paninis by placing one piece of bread (Olive oiled side down), one slice of cheese,ham, onions, bell pepper, cheese, and second slice of bread (Olive oiled side up).
- Place on heated Panini grill, making sure to adjust Panini press to the appropriate height of the sandwich.
- Sandwiches may also be grilled in the same shallow skillet that onions, bell peppers and garlic were sautéed in.
- Grill until both sides of the sandwich are browned, and serve.
- Recipe makes four sandwiches.
Fun Gifts Make Mother's Day Special
Remember, it’s Mom’s Day. Show her you love her by giving her terrific homemade gifts, and top off the day with a delicious picnic with her favorite treats. Best of all, she’ll know that all of her gifts were made with love, and she won’t have to do any dishes! Now that’s a perfect Mother’s Day!
Donna Kehl - Educator, researcher, culinary artist and wine enthusiast writing about food, wine, travel, family, and educational issues.
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