Creative Mom Cafe

Yesterday my sons and I celebrated the coming Spring by making some Spring creatures of our own. We used salt dough to squish and squash little insects and flowers into shape. It was a lot of fun, and not just because we got to get out hards dirty. Though, I do think that was a major selling point for them.

Most of the morning was spent making our little critters and flowers. I used a simple recipe and just a small batch of the dough. The recipe I had originally made a huge bowl full, but for us it would have been too much. As it was we filled an entire pan with things to bake and still had half the ball left over. Here is the recipe, cut down:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup salt
• 1/3 cup water (though that was a bit crumbly so I added a little extra water while I mixed)

Once we were done creating I laid the items on a greased cookie sheet and baked them for 1 hour at 300*F. Once they were baked I set them on a wire rack to cool for a little over an hour. Then it was time to paint. I laid out newspaper on the table and let them have at it. Since we used safe, edible clay to create the creatures I decided to use safe and edible paint as well. Here is a recipe that makes a thick and shiny paint that is safe for little ones to “accidentally” eat. You can also use store bought gelatin mixes and add water to finger paint onto fun projects.  Though no one would want to eat the salt dough, it will be safe if they decide to try a taste behind your back.

crafts, salt dough, clay, painting

We are down to the weekend before the big holiday. Are you ready? How about the cookies?

One of my favorite memories as a little girl was having cookies every year. I thikn that every older woman in my grandmother’s church would make piles of cookies to pass out to anyone. Every day there would be some sweet holiday treats coming my way. So you can tell I am feeling the holiday spirit when Home Ec 101 is sharing a cookie a day recipe. Especially these oh so yummy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies. However I’m making these no bake oatmeal cookies instead. Mama don’t share her white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Never. If you have special dietary needs to consider here is a great recipes for Gluten Free and Casein Free Holiday Cookies that you can make instead. My trick: run to your local thrift shop and pick up cute holiday tins. You can usually find them for a dime a piece, sometimes less. Wrap the cookies up nice, place into the tins, and give as last minute gifts.

And just in case you are down to the wire but can’t bake they also have some simple last minute gift ideas you can crochet this weekend. You can also find a lot of easy knit patterns here for some last minute gift ideas. Like this 1 hour scarf.

No matter what you are doing, or not doing, this weekend before to take some time to relax and breath deep. Don’t let the stress of the holidays burn you out before the big day even gets here. Happy Holidays!

cookies, gifts, crochet, knitting

I hope everyone is having a happy Thanksgiving Day! Eat lots of food, laugh with family you don’t get to see often enough, and take a nap in the afternoon. Oh, and don’t forget to say thanks for all the things you have in your life.

Today’s gift idea is a simple one, inspired by the holiday. Find a nice, large plate. Fill it with lots of yummy food. Wrap the whole thing up and top with a bow. Now take it ovr to someone’s house who isn’t getting out this holiday season, someone who could use a little company. That’s the best gift you could give, and it’s handmade too.

Thanksgiving

We all have those special recipes, the ones passed down through the generations and the ones we created ourselves. The dishes we always make to bring along because we know someone will be asking for them. Why not compile all of those favorite dishes into a personal recipe book?

There are many blank recipe books available today that you can fill in with your own special dishes. Some come complete with dividers, stickers, and page protectors to fish the recipe book a finished and professional appeal. Of course you can always create your own book. Put togethr your recipes on your computer and print them off. You can decorate and style them however you want using your computer programs. Microsoft even offers a tutorial on making a family cookbook on your computer.

To begin you will need to decide what recipes you are going to offer. If the recipent has special dietary needs you will need to consider that. For instance you wouldn’t give a pot roast ecipe to a vegan or a fudge recipe to a diabetic. Be sure that the recipes you are giving will suit the receiver. Once you have you recipes ready you should sort them into categories. This will make it easier to put the cookbook together later. You can use traditional categoris such as deserts, coups, breads, etc… Or you can get creative and group them by ease or difficulty, by expense, or for a multi-cultural book by area the recipes are from. The choice is up to you.

Once you have your recipes compiled and sorted then you can decide how you will make the cookbook. Are you printing pages off the computer, writing them by hand, or using a precreated blank book. Have fun, be original, and remember who you are making this for.

gifts, cookbook, recipes, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

After my craft the other day of making purses from recycled plastic shopping bags I wanted to share another recycling gift idea. Using up items you already have on hand is a great way to recycle and bring someone a smile.

Most parents have a small collection of those small, baby food jars. The tiny glass jars with tin lids can be reused in a though sand different ways. These are perfect for storing tihngs, for decorations, and for fun gifts. Here are a few ideas you can use to crate holiday gifts this year and clear out your old jars.

• Use the small jars as decorative candle holders. Tie ribbon or string around the jars. I have used small, clear glass rocks and glued them around the jars. Add a small tea light candle in the center and you have a perfect decorative gift.
• Create a storage unit with them. If you know someone who has a lot of small pieces, such as nails or beads, you can create a simple storage unit for them. All you need is a large board, a hammer, and nails. Nail the lids of the jars onto the board. Use strong nails so that they will stay in place. You can then fill the jars with what ever pieces and screw them into the lids. Use paint to decorate the board however you wish.
• Turn the jars into mini snowglobes. This is one project that my oldst loved doing last year. Use small figures, beads, or whatevr you want to create a personal snowglobe. Fill with water and screw the lid on tight. Add a few drops of superglue to make sure that the lid stays on.

baby food jars, recycled gifts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

Sometimes you have that one family member that you just do not know what to get them for the holidays. This can be especially hard if you are trying to make your own gifts. They don’t want a quilt, or a scarf, or anything crafty. So what can you make them? That’s when I whip up a bath of cookies! Place them on a decorative plate, wrap them in cellophane and tie with a bow. It is an instant hit! Here are a few of my favorite treat recipes that you can give as a homemade gift this year.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and butter. With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough in tablespoon sized balls on an ungreased cookie pan. Bake chocolate chip cookies at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned.

This recipe makes 6 dozen cookies, so you will have plenty to go around.

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I’ve mostly been posting gifts that adults can make and give this holiday season. But that’s not really fair. Kids can make some great gifts too, ones that many people would love to get. I know my mother would likely hang up anything my sons made and consider it artwork better than anything made before. Doing crafts with your kids is a fun way to gt some presents taken care of and sharing all the fun of creatiing with them.

A favorite craft project around here is making salt dough. It is simple, inexpensive, and you can make whatever your heart desires. Plus there is painting involved, which automatically makes my oldest son happy.

All you need is salt, flour, and water to make the dough. The recipe varies depending on where you look for it. There are several different recipes to choose from, I suggest experimenting and finding which one works best for you.

The dough tends to be a bit like Play Doh, which makes it perfect for shaping and molding. Create whatever you and your children want. Animals, people, designs, the possibilities are endless. Once you have what you want you then bake the pieces in your oven. Here are some tips on baking your salt dough pieces. You have to be careful as you don’t want to burn the figures or over cook them so that they crack or break. Once you have you baked (and cooled) dough pieces them you can lt your kids go wild with the paints. It sometimes takes several coats to get the colors to look right, but painting and repainting can be a lot of fun. Once the paint is dry you should add two or three coats of a clear varnish to protect the piece.

You can make Christmas tree ornaments by shaping a small loop to the top of the pieces and threading ribbons through once they are dry and painted. Or create a wall plaque by adding wire to the back of the clay before drying it. Instant holiday present!

Books you should find:

• Salt Dough
• Dough Folk Art: How To Make Beautiful & Lasting Objects From Flour, Salt & Water
• The Magic of Salt Dough

salt dough, kids crafts, 30 Gifts in 30 Days

For many people baking and cooking is their art. Don’t believe me? Check out the food entwork on tv sometime and see how many creative types there are. Painting with spices, sculpting with dough, and creating poetry with fire and a pan. I’m hungry just thinking about it.

One of my good friends has put together what she calls wheat bread for complete morons. It’s a homemade bred recipe so simple even morons can make it, which works perfectly for me. I love homemade bread. I love the smell of it, the feel of it warm in my hands, the taste. It’s one of the perfect foods out there.

I made two loaves the other day. For me getting in there with the flour and kneading the dough by hand is relaxing and energizing. There is just somethign about it that gets me smiling and laughing and ready to dance through the house as the bread bakes. A little yeast, a little honey, a little time, and a lot of excitement.

It is also fun to experiment when baking, get creative and let out your inner chef. I love to throw together a few things that I have and see how they taste. Especially when I have a big audience to try them out. Like at Thanksgiving dinner. Sally at Living Without Meat has one of my favorite recipes up that I made last Thanksgiving. It sounds unusual, I know. But it was a huge hit. Even with the “I don’t eat vegetables” people in my family. They know who they are.

Anyone else get creative in the kitchen? I would love to hear how some others like to spill their artistic thoughts into the oven.

bread, homemade bread, baking