Care Package: Valentine's Day Edition

I realize it's way past Valentine's day now, but I wanted to start documenting some of my care packages that I have sent over to KC. I absolutely LOVE making care packages for him. It's my way of showing him that I'm thinking about him and that he is loved. I always ask KC before I send a package if there is anything he wants me to put in it. He never gives any suggestions so I end up stocking it full of junk food/baked goods for the most part. At least he works out all the time so it balances itself out ;-)

My favorite care package that I have sent to him thus far is his Valentine's Day package so I figure that would be a good one to start with on my blog.

I used scrapbook sheets to line the bottom and the flaps of the box. I then glued foam convo hearts onto the scrapbook page that lined the bottom of the box. I printed out pictures of myself and KC to add to the flaps. That way when he got the package he could take the pictures off and keep them with him. Michael's Craft Store had the cutest decorations and that's where all these came from. Michael's even has a military pack of stickers which I purchased along with the Valentine's decor. The box was so shiny when you opened it, that I was hoping for a wow factor on his end when he received it :-)

Instead of using kisses, use dove hearts! Too bad when I vacuumed packed them the hearts turned into blobs. Wahh wahh

I filled his package with the following things:
-Shortbread cookies
-PB dove heart cookies
-Pretzel kiss M&M melts
-Coffee beans
-A long sleeve henley shirt from the gap
-Paper Soaps from Pier1 (compact tiny sheets of soap that you work up a lather using water..BRILLIANT for deployed soldiers)
-Love coupons for when he returns ;-)

 I had that box so crammed full of stuff that it hardly shut! 

The Pinspiration Project: CAKE IN A JAR

Hello! How about this new blog design?! What do you think? I am really digging it! It is more appealing and put together than that whole "blog design" (I use quotes because let's face it, that wasn't a blog design) I attempted to use a few months back. Like I said previously, Fortune Favors the Brave has a slammin good deal on blog design. She did this whole thing, along with some buttons, for $20! I told her what I wanted and she created it. Even when I complained that the title font color wasn't "minty" enough, she said no problem and fixed it until it was juuuust right. Check her out!

Moving along..





I started thinking about KC's birthday a couple of weeks ago, because I needed to figure out what to send him for his birthday in Afghanistan. KC hates when you mention his birthday. I haven't been able to figure out why, but it's just something he's not stoked on. Doesn't mean I'm not going to be stoked on it :-) Last year we went to this wonderful restaurant in Seattle called The Purple Cafe . They have a great atmosphere. Dark and modern with an amazing spiral staircase that wraps around a circular wine cellar. We had a great bottle of red wine, and yummy food. I made KC a cake and we had that when we got home from dinner. He never had a birthday cake baked for him. I couldn't even believe it. He was so excited for the one I baked up. We even turned down free birthday dessert at Purple so that we could enjoy my Martha Stewart cake.
When I got to thinking about what to send him this year, I knew I wanted it to be cake. For his whole team. I had NO idea how I would even accomplish this though. You can't just send a cake to Afghanistan and expect it to be edible by the time it arrives two weeks later. I scoured the internet and of course Pinterest saved the day. CAKE IN A JAR.

After the cakes were baked and cooled

 

This is a SUPER easy baking project to take on. No complicated cake recipe. 
1.You literally take a box cake (of your choosing) preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2.Whip it up according to the instructions (a few eggs, some oil),
3.Pour the batter into your mason jars to fill them up about half full.
4.Slide your jars into the oven and leave them there for 30-35 minutes until a tooth pick (you may want to use a wood skewer stick like I did) comes out clean.
When your cakes are almost done boil up some water and throw your mason jar lids in the boiling water. As the cakes are completed, take one jar out at a time and place a lid on it, then screw the outer ring on.When the cakes are all cooled off the lid shouldn't flex when you put pressure on it with your finger. That's when you know it's sealed and good to go!

This is the cake in a jar 1.5 weeks after it was baked and sealed. I wanted to do a test run before I sent a dozen or so jars to Afghanistan. I would feel horrible if they were all gross and moldy when they opened them! I taste tested them and they were pretty good. A little dry at first, but when you get in deeper it gets better. Especially when you put frosting on them. Definitely military care package approved. I'll get the official seal of approval in a couple weeks (fingers crossed) when they reach the soldiers.