The Reader and Movie Watcher

First up a Father’s Day gift for the dad who loves to spend his weekend with a good movie or book. These gifts will be sure to inspire and entertain him.

The Gamer

This Father’s Day gift is for the dad who enjoys gaming he’ll love these gifts from Nintendo. While your buying these grab a couple extra controllers. Mario Party is a fun game for the whole family so everyone can join in on dads fun.

For the Handyman

This Father’s Day if you have a handyman in your family how about a gift of some new tools, gloves and a great tool bag to put them in. He’ll enjoy these gifts for years to come.

The Traveler

For all those fathers who want to travel the world and see new places these gifts will help him on his mission! Be sure to pick up some for the whole family so everyone can join him.

The Cook

Ready for pizza night! These gifts will be great for the dad ready to cook up dinner.

The Star Wars Fan

My husband isn’t a big fan but our teenage son is so I threw this one in for him. Here’s some great gifts for the Star Wars loving dad.

For the dad on-the-go

If the dad your buying for is always on-the-go these gifts will help him get there. Keep him hydrated and safe.

For Dad at Home

These gifts are for dad when he gets back home. Help him to settle back in and get comfortable. Be sure to fill his mug with something good to drink!

I hope this list was helpful in your hunt for the perfect gift this Father’s Day. Dad’s really do deserve some special attention!

For all my Friday Finds you can go here.

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This weeks Friday Finds includes a great jar for your Fourth of July events. I know it’s only June but what better time to get ready for next month. I also threw in something blue. One because it’s my favorite color second because it also goes along with the Fourth of July theme. Lastly I picked out these great ball jars with lids and straws. So great for all those summer drinks.

First up these 16 oz regular mouth Ball Stars & Stripes Jar. Their made in America, BPA free and a keepsake collectible. Secondly I love all the possibilities of using these jars for Fourth of July and all summer long. For example I can picture red, white and blue flowers in them sitting on top of my picnic table. Yay Fourth of July!

Next up your new favorite drinking glass! This 24oz Ball wide mouth drinking jar with lid and straw is a fun and convenient way to enjoy your favorite summer beverage. It comes with a silicone sleeve bamboo lid and stainless steel straw. If you don’t like the straw color it comes in a variety of different color options. I will definitely be drinking my iced chai tea in this!

My last Friday Find is this 8oz collector’s edition aqua vintage Ball canning jar. One reason I love it is it’s blue! I also love the shape and size. Great for crafts (I’m thinking candles), decorating, and storing spices. Fun for so many uses.

In conclusion here’s to summer! I’m ready for warmer days, lots of sunshine, picnic tables, and getting all my mason jars out. Therefore I can’t wait to fill my jars with beautiful flowers, yummy food and iced cold drinks. Maybe even filling them with ice cream. Have a great weekend.

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Ball 16oz Stars & Stripes keepsake and collectible jar go here.

Ball 24oz drinking jar with lid and straw go here.

Ball 8oz collectors addition aqua vintage jar go here.

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What you’ll need

Your gonna want some warm spices to make this chai tea spice mix but feel free to adjust the amounts to taste. I use ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and a pinch a fresh ground black pepper. To make your cup of tea you’ll also need black tea bags. I prefer English Breakfast. Last you’ll need sweetener. I like to use maple syrup but honey or white sugar work just as well.

How to make homemade chai tea spice

I gathered up all my spices and measured them out and poured them into my mason jar. Give it a good shake to mix up the spices. This can store in your mason jar for up to 6 months. If it last that long!

Tips:

• You can adjust the seasonings to fit your taste. I like mine with a little extra black pepper.
• Chai tea can be served hot or over ice for a cold chai tea.
• Spices won’t dissolve so be sure to stir well.
• Chai tea spice is good in your baked goods, ice cream or even chia pudding. The options are endless.

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How about blueberry cobbler in a mason jar for a wonderful way to serve dessert at your next picnic! Mason jars are so versatile you can even bake in them and this recipe is a fun way to cook up something sweet and fruity for summer (or spring, fall, or winter).

What you’ll need

I have kiddos with food allergies so I always leave out dairy, eggs and nuts. I used frozen blueberries for this recipe but I’ve also used fresh and they both work great. For this recipe your gonna need oats, oat flour, butter (I use earth balance), sugar, salt, cinnamon, and blueberries. If your avoiding white sugar you can substitute with maple syrup or honey.

Tips for making blueberry cobbler:

• I use oat flour in this recipe to stay away from flour but either is fine.
• If you want to use oat flour I just blend my oats in my high speed blender until their a fine flour.
• If you like your blueberry liquid less runny you can add 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder to the blueberries before baking to thicken up the juices.
• Lemon juice and lemon zest add a nice flavor to the blueberries. You can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the blueberries before baking. One of my kiddos is allergic so we leave it out.
• I put the cookie sheet with the mason jar cobbler into a cold oven and then turn it on to prevent jars from baking.
• This cobbler is delicious hot and served with ice cream or cold for breakfast the next day.

How to make blueberry cobbler in a mason jar

I start with the frozen blueberries in a bowl. To the blueberries I add my sugar and give them a quick stir. In a separate bowl I mix my oats with the oat flour adding the sugar, cinnamon and salt. Next I add my earth balance melted and stir until everything is combined. I put the blueberries into the mason jars filling them about 1/3 full. On top of that I add the oat mixture. Here you can put as little or as much as you like. I put the mason jars on top of a cookie sheet and place it in a cold oven. I bake at 350 degrees for 35 -40 minutes or until blueberries are juicy and bubbly.

How to store

The great thing about using mason jars is that if there’s any left you can just pop a lid on the jar and put it into the fridge. It should last up to 3 days. I notice the oats soak up some of those blueberry juices making them quite delicious!

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. It makes such an easy, delicious and quick dessert for a picnic for your family or even for a potluck.

To see my favorite mason jars go here.

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First up Steal Like An Artist! by Austin Kleon. I love this book and have read through it three times! It encouraged me to get back to my creative side as a result I started a blog! For example in the book he gives ways to apply what he teaches to your own life. Austin may never read my blog or see my instagram but reading his book inspired me to start both. Thank you Austin!

Secondly Fridge Love by Kristen Hong. I have loved my fridge for a long time. Not as much as my husband of course. I really love to have it clean, organized and filled with healthy food. What a thrill to find this book. Also so glad someone else loved their fridge enough to write a book. Thank you Kristen! In the book she discusses how to clean and care for your fridge, her health journey becoming a nutritarian, and gives you some delicious recipes to fill your fridge with. To sum up read this book your fridge will love you for it!

Last up the book I can’t wait to get my hands on. Should I say cookbook I can’t wait to get my hands on. The Fiber Fueled Cookbook by Will Bulsiewicz, MD, MSCI. It gives you the tools to turbocharge your health by eating a plant based diet. The book gives details on the importance of adding fiber to your diet. How to grow past some food intolerances and heal. He also includes a step by step plan to help you find the root of your gut issues. Thank you Dr. Will Bulsiewicz!

If you love books and cookbooks as much as I do your gonna love these finds. Let me know in the comments below what your reading.

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Show Your Work by Austin Kleon here

The Fiber Fueled Cookbook here

Fridge Love by Kristen Hong here

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Grab your supplies

To plant basil in a mason jar your going to need to grab a few supplies. A mason jar that is at least four inches deep to give your roots plenty of space to grow. Small rocks or grit to put at the bottom of your jar for drainage. A good well draining organic compost. Also basil seeds or a small basil plant. You can grow basil from seed in your mason jar just be sure to keep it warm and in a sunny spot or under grow lights when its starting out.

Plant your basil

Here’s how to plant your basil. Cover the bottom two inches of your mason jar with the rock or grit you chose to use. Next pour your soil into the jar leaving space at the top for your plant to grow. Be sure not to pack down the soil leaving it loose. Next sprinkle a few of your seeds on top of the soil. Pour a little more soil on top of your seeds. Then give them a drink. I used a spray bottle to moisten the top of the soil so I wouldn’t disturb the seeds. Put in a warm, sunny spot or under a grow light. Watch them grow and enjoy!

Care and keeping of your basil plant

This lovely little herb is super easy to grow. Here’s what you need to know for the care and keeping of your basil plant. You’ll want to keep it warm it likes the average temperature to be about 70 degrees. Also give it plenty of sunshine about 6 hours a day of direct light. Keep the soil moist but well-drained. To prune you’ll want to wait until the plant is 6-8 inches tall. Then use your thumb and forefinger to pinch off leaves from the top down.

Planting basil in a mason jars is easy and enjoyable. To see my favorite mason jars go here.

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First up these gorgeous acacia wood lids from Ball. Such a nice look! Their perfect for dry foods and pantry storage. They have an air tight silicone seal in wide mouth and regular mouth sizes. Not to mention one of my favorites when it comes to jars. Their stackable! Thank you Ball.

Next up blue half pint mason jars. Blue happens to be my favorite color. So when I can get my favorite jars in my favorite color I’m in! The possibilities for this adorable jar seem endless. Individual servings of a summer salad. Sparkling water with strawberries and a cute straw. Maybe serving up some blueberry cobbler with a dollop of ice cream. Ah summer!

Last up but certainly not least Ball nesting mason jar pint size wide mouth. How fun is this jar! Yes, you can use it for canning but also how great would it be to use for drinks, smoothies, fruit parfaits, ice cream sundaes. Did I mention ice cream again? Also this jar is stackable. A great space saver in your cupboard if your storing as many jars as I am.

I hope you enjoy all these finds as much as I did. To see a list of my favorite jars go here.

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Nesting Ball Mason Jar Set, Wide Mouth, Pint Size go here

Ball Regular Mouth Elite Collection Half Pint Mason Jars with Lids and Bands go here

Ball Jar Wooden Storage Lids, 5-Pack, wide, Brown go here

The post Friday Finds appeared first on My Jar Full.

The Ingredients

Here’s the ingredients I like to use when making homemade taco seasoning.

• chili powder (if you pick up from the bulk section at your grocery store you can pick one from mild to spicy)
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• dried oregano
• paprika (the bulk section has sweet or smoked I use smoked)
• ground cumin
• salt
• ground black pepper (I buy peppercorns and grind my own)
• red pepper flakes (optional)

The Jar

I like to use the Kerr 8oz regular mouth jelly jar. This is the jar I store all my spices in. It keeps your spices fresh for up to 6 months. I also like that this jar stacks so well in my cupboard. You could double this homemade taco seasoning recipe so that you have it ready to use for a few recipes. Keep in mind any jar works as long as it has a secure lid.

How to use taco seasoning

Taco seasonings not just for tacos. We also like to use it on fajita’s, grilled onions and peppers, black beans, chili mac. You can also tweak the seasonings to fit any of your own recipes.

Yield: 2

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Print

A deliciously sweet and spicy homemade taco seasoning mix. Great for all your recipes.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix each ingredient into a mason jar or air tight container. Shake to mix. Enjoy!

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Happy Spring everyone! I love spring cleaning when the sun is shining and I can open up my windows and air out our house. Therefore I’m going to clean and organize the refrigerator first. I try to wipe it down every week before going to the grocery store then it stays clean and tidy. But seasonally I like to do a deep clean and get in all the nooks and crannies.

Firstly getting all the food out of the fridge. Perishables go in a cooler to keep safe. Everything else goes on the counter top. It helps to see everything so expired food can be thrown out along with any left overs that never got eaten. I try to label our leftovers so we can remember how long they have been in the fridge but sometimes we forget and no one can remember when we had that meal.

Next pull out any shelves, drawers and bins. If it can come out go ahead and take it out! I’m amazed at how much of the inside of my fridge pulls out. Thank goodness because it’s crazy where crumbs hide. Wash everything with warm soapy water. Shelves, drawers, and the bin in the sink. The inside of the fridge with a wash cloth. This will help get rid of unwanted bacteria, yeast or molds. Yuck! If there’s any unpleasant smells you can also clean the fridge with baking soda. Let everything dry before putting it back in.

Now that your refrigerator is clean and organized you can finally put your food back into the refrigerator using zones. I place items that can handle more cold temperatures on the right side of the fridge. Every refrigerator has its own colder and warmer zones. If your not sure where yours are you can check your owners manual.

Lastly if your trying to use less plastic you can store food in mason jars and glass containers. You can get one of my favorite mason jars here. I love this jar because it’s perfect to store my favorite super foods in or leftover soups and salads. How nice it is to open the refrigerator when it’s clean and organized. Here the music! If you want a to see all my favorite mason jars you can go here.

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I just love mason jars. My first jars came from my mother in law who passed hers down to me. At first I thought these are cute maybe I can can something or put some flowers in them. Fast forward a few years and I have found many more things to do with these jars than just canning and putting flowers in them. Don’t get me wrong I love those things too. But then I wanted to know what makes a mason jar a “mason jar”. What about all the great jars my jam and spaghetti sauce comes in. Apparently the answer is pretty simple.

If the jar has a lid with a rubber gasket and is fastened on with a threaded screw top lid it’s a mason jar. The name mason comes from the tinsmith John Landis Mason who improved on the original mason jar. He gave it a much improved threaded mouth, rubber seal and a reusable screw on zinc cover. You can read more about John Landis Mason here at the official mason jar website.

Even if the jar doesn’t have the mason name on it. Or maybe if it doesn’t have any name on it at all. It’s still a mason jar if it has a lid with a rubber gasket and is fastened on with a threaded screw top.

The parts of the mason jar include the mouth. That’s the opening at the top. The lip, that’s at the edge of the opening. The bead, this runs around the jar just under the screw top. The neck, it’s under the bead and comes before the shoulder. Then the body, the heel and finally the base. Simple yet amazing!

Whats not to love about this perfect little (sometimes quite big) jar. I find new ways to use it in my home everyday. I love how it works well for modern uses yet has a vintage look. It keeps things preserved, organized and beautiful all at the same time. I hope you’ll enjoy the mason jars as much as I do. If you’d like to read more about the history of mason jars you can go here.

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