Category: In the kitchen

Giant Ice Marbles

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How cool are these GIANT ICE MARBLES!? I’d seen pictures of something similar before, but never a “how-to” on making them. Figuring it couldn’t be too hard to do, we gave it a try! There is definitely a list of things not to do we quickly found out. Haha! Hopefully I can help you avoid such mistakes! These GIANT ICE MARBLES are just beautiful in the snow!

 

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Materials needed:

  • regular sized balloons
  • food coloring
  • warm water
  • below freezing temps

First, put 5-10 drops of food coloring in a balloon. Next, fill with warm water and tie off with a knot. Do not try putting food coloring in last…your hands may become dyed blue for a day or two if you do. Make sure to use warm water instead of cold…it helps the coloring spread evenly around the entire balloon. If you fill the balloon to only mid-capacity it will help make the marble round as a ball. Before tying the knot, very carefully let any air residing just above the water line out of the balloon…simply do this by loosening your grip on the mouth of the balloon until a bit of water starts to leak out.

 

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Now, it’s time to put the balloon outside. Placing the balloon partially on its side (like the balloon pictured on the far right) and in snow is best…helps it keep a nice round shape rather than flattening out.

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Leave the water-filled balloon outside in below freezing temps for 36 to 48 hours. Even if the temperature is in the single digits, one night is not enough for the entire balloon to freeze. As you can see with this one, the water in the center will flow right out.

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Finally, after the water is completely frozen, cut and remove the balloon from your GIANT ICE MARBLE. Beautiful!!!

 

 

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Magical Fantastical Christmas Fudge

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This MAGICAL FANTASTICAL CHRISTMAS FUDGE is always a favorite among my friends and family…I make it every year! It’s quick and easy to make, looks beautiful, tastes divine, and the kids love to help with this one! The recipe is adapted from the “Sweet Dreams Chocolate Fudge” recipe by Max Brenner…we like to leave out the nuts and add some candy cane dust instead!

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream (clouds)
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar (princess diamonds)
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk (mountain snow)
  • 1/4 cup butter (candy bricks)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (the lost sea)
  • 3 cups milk chocolate chips (from the milky way)
  • 1-2 crushed candy canes (from Candy Cane Forest at the North Pole)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (from a magical island)

 

Line an 8x8in pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

 

In a large saucepan over med-low heat (on a scale of 10, put the stove on 4), combine the CLOUDS, PRINCESS DIAMONDS, MOUNTAIN SNOW, CANDY BRICKS and the LOST SEA. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes. You don’t want the mixture to burn, but you do want the sugar to be good and melted so the fudge isn’t gritty…that’s why I turn the heat down to just below medium and stir, stir, stir!!!

 

Turn the heat off and pour in the CHOCOLATE CHIPS FROM THE MILKY WAY. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the VANILLA FROM THE MAGICAL ISLAND and 1-2 tsp of crushed CANDY CANES FROM THE CANDY FOREST.

 

Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining CANDY CANE DUST on top. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm. Lift the fudge out of the pan, holding onto the foil and place on a cutting board. Peal the foil down and cut into small squares. Store, layered in wax or parchment paper, in the refrigerator. Devour and enjoy!!!

 

 

DIY Peppermint Play Dough

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While you escape to the bathtub to enjoy your Candy Cane Sugar Scrub you need something to occupy the kids, right? So, here’s my recipe for PEPPERMINT PLAY DOUGH!

This play dough takes only a few minutes to make, but stored in a gallon-sized bag or an air-tight container, it’ll keep for nearly a year! Whenever L has friends or cousins over I love whipping up a batch of play dough…it keeps them happy and busy for at least an hour and I can split the dough in half and send the other kid home with some. This recipe makes plenty for 2 or 3 kids to play with!

A tip to keep your kids entertained playing with play dough for longer: Start off with plain play dough. Let them play 15 or 20 minutes, then throw some glitter into the mix. Once their attention starts to drift, add some colorful beads or buttons. Add some measuring cups and kitchen utensils, some lil plastic dinosaurs or army men. Just don’t give them everything at once, instead add to the play dough in intervals…works every time!

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups + 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1.5 cups boiling water
  • food coloring
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp peppermint oil

First, put the water on to boil. Add about 10 drops of red food coloring to the water. As the water is heating up, mix 2 cups of flour, salt and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Then add and mix the vegetable oil into the flour mixture. Once the water is boiling, add it to the bowl and mix with a spatula. The dough will be a sticky mess while warm. Mix it as best you can, then let it cool off. After a few minutes cooling off, sprinkle your working surface with some of the remaining flour. Dump the play dough onto the flour, adding more flour to the top, and knead the dough. Continue working with the dough, adding a bit of flour as needed, til the dough is not sticky anymore and you’ve reached the desired consistency. Once the play dough is made, fold in the peppermint oil to make a fun smelling PEPPERMINT PLAY DOUGH! Enjoy!

 

 

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

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As I was brainstorming the other day, thinking about switching out the honeysuckle oil in my Semisoft Honeysuckle Soap with peppermint oil, it occurred to me that I could try making something new altogether…a sugar scrub! Even better, a peppermint CANDY CANE SUGAR SCRUB! I had never made a sugar scrub before, but I figured it couldn’t be too hard and I was right…this one is easy peasy! What a beautiful, fun, tasty-smelling gift to give to friends this holiday season!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil (you could also use coconut or almond oil)
  • 1 tsp peppermint oil
  • red food coloring
  • candy cane (optional)

Materials needed:

  • 2 jars
  • spoons
  • fork
  • rolling pin
  • freezer bag
  • mixing bowls
  • thin cardboard (old cereal box…optional)
  • scissors

First, put the 2 cups of sugar in a large bowl and slowing add the olive oil while mixing with a fork. The texture of the sugar scrub should be similar to wet sand.

Next, add the peppermint oil and mix thoroughly.

Once the sugar scrub smells like a delicious candy cane, divide the sugar scrub and put half of the mixture into a separate bowl. Add about 10 drops of red food coloring to one of the bowls and mix thoroughly.

Place your candy cane into a freezer bag (either the gallon or quart-size). Crush it finely with a rolling pin. Add the candy cane dust to the red sugar scrub mixture.

 

Now you have to decide how you’d like your sugar scrub to look in the jar…either a layered, candy cane effect or a peppermint candy swirl.

To make the layered jar, it’s pretty self-explanatory…just spoon some white sugar scrub in the jar, pat it down and spoon some of the red sugar scrub on top. Pat that layer down and repeat until the jar is full!

To maker a peppermint swirl, it takes a little more time, but is still rather easy. First, cut the cereal box-cardboard into three equally sized strips. Make sure they all fit across, inside the jar.

 

Next, cut about half an inch off the top of one strip. Cut a full inch off another strip. The shortest strip should be the height of the jar, not any shorter.

Now, with the middle sized strip and the tallest strip, make a vertical cut up the middle of the cardboard, leaving the top half-inch uncut. Place the shortest strip of cardboard inside the jar. Next, slide the mid-sized strip down on top of the shortest one. Follow with the tallest strip. Arrange the cardboard, so the jar is equally divided.

Next, carefully fill each section using a small spoon. Baby spoons work great, but if you don’t have one you could always roll some paper into a funnel-shape and use that.

Once the jar is filled and you’ve gently pressed down on the sugar scrub, very carefully removed the cardboard pieces one at a time. Voila! A peppermint swirl!

L and I took a shower together this morning to try out our new CANDY CANE SUGAR SCRUB creation…amazing! And fun! The sugar gently exfoliates the skin, leaving it nice and smooth. This sugar scrub smells good enough to eat!

Enjoy some pampering amidst all the craziness this holiday season!

DIY Soap Crayons

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Here’s another fun craft for your kids to help make and to play with…L had a ball with her DIY SOAP CRAYONS! They’re a little different than the bath crayons you’ll find at the store…these ones wash off the bath and shower walls easily with water. L likes to color with these ones in the shower before I turn the water on, then she makes a nice soapy, colorful mess once the water is on. They’re fun for coloring on your skin too…just add warm water and it washes right off!

Materials needed:

  • bar of white soap
  • cheese grater
  • food coloring
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons hot water
  • fork and spoon
  • ice cube tray, muffin tin, paper cups or candy mold

First, grate the bar of soap into a large bowl. Grate the entire bar, making about 2 cups of soap shavings.

 

Add 2-4 tablespoons of hot tap water to the soap and mix-mash with a fork or spoon. Continue mixing until the soap has formed a semi-liquid consistency without any big lumps.

 

Spoon the soap into your molds. Add about 5 drops of food coloring to each one and mix carefully with a spoon. We found that a baby spoon worked great for this step!

 

Once your soap crayons are all mixed and colorful, carefully push the soap down evenly into the molds. Set them aside to dry for a full week.

After a week has passed and the crayons have hardened, carefully turn the molds over and pop the crayons out. If their underside is still a little soft, let them finish drying for a few more hours.

 

(We saved all the little colorful crumbs too…added to a bubble bath or some shaving cream, they will make a beautiful rainbow mess!)

 

Now for the fun part…time to color and play with your own homemade soap crayons!!! Enjoy!!!

 

DIY Semisoft Honeysuckle Soap

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I have to start by telling you that I’m not a fan of smelly soaps, smelly candles. I don’t even own perfume. This honeysuckle soap is perfect though…its mild smell reminds me of childhood summers, playing outside in the woods, drinking the lil drops of honeysuckle nectar pretending it was a real treat. Just about everyone I give this soap to has asked for the recipe. It’s just that good!

Ingredients:

  • 1 bar of unscented, white soap (my favorite to use is Dove for sensitive skin)
  • 1 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp honeysuckle oil (I buy mine at the Handworks Gallery in Winchester, Va.)
  • 4 drops red food coloring
  • 10 drops yellow food coloring

Tools needed:

  • blender
  • cutting board and knife
  • cooking spray
  • paper towel
  • 12 little jars and lids
  • hot glue gun and glue (optional, to secure lids)

First, put the water on to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, cut your bar of soap up into small pieces.

Place the soap into your blender. (Have the lil kids help with that step!) Pour in the boiling (or nearly boiling) water. Add the honeysuckle oil and food coloring.

 

 

Blend for 15-30 seconds. Your blender will fill to the top with foamy, lotion-like soap.

 

Prepare your jars with a quick spray of cooking oil. Follow by wiping the spray around the inside of the jar briefly with a paper towel.

Carefully pour the soap concoction into each little jar. Set the jars aside for a few hours before putting the lids on. The soap will firm up a bit, but will continue to have a creamy, semi-soft texture. (Most canning jars come with the lids in two pieces. Just use a hot glue gun to secure the lids together if you like. Don’t use super-glue or crazy glue!!! I made that mistake once and all the soap ended up smelling like toxic glue! Ick!)

Stick a little label on the lid; tie a ribbon or string around the jar and you have the perfect “anytime gift.” Enjoy!

 

No-Bake Acorn Treats

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I’ve been making these ACORN TREATS for Thanksgiving for a few years now. I wish I remembered the source where I originally saw them to give the right person credit…somewhere on this big internet universe! I usually pack my ACORN TREATS into little jars and give them away to family and friends on Thanksgiving day. They are so simple to make and everyone always gobbles them up immediately…I think I’d be in trouble if I came to Thanksgiving dinner without them anymore!

 

Ingredients:

  • Hershey Kisses (dark and original)
  • Nutter Butter Bites
  • mini-chocolate chips
  • chocolate frosting (in a pouch or in a can)

 

 

First, to make things go quicker, prepare your work station by taking the Kisses out of their wrappers, putting the mini-chocolate chips in a lil bowl and spreading out some Nutter Butter Bites nearby.

Put a little dab of chocolate frosting on one side of the Nutter Butter Bites and push a Hershey Kiss into place. (This is the perfect time for little hands to help!)

 

Put a teeny, tiny dab of chocolate frosting on the opposite side and push a mini-chocolate chip in place.

 

Presto! Too easy, right?

Place them in a little mason jar, tie a string or ribbon around the top and you have a sweet little gift to share! Enjoy!

Low Fat Nutella-Banana Bread (Gluten Free)

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Today I decided to incorporate Nutella into my favorite low fat banana bread recipe that I came up with years ago…and the results were amazing! Chocolatey, gooey Nutella mixed with sweet banana bread and the fat content works out to be only 2.5-3 grams per serving! This recipe made 12 muffins and one large loaf of bread.

Most people would probably mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine, but I usually mix the wet ingredients then add the dry on top…mix the dry together a bit with a fork and then mix deeper, incorporating the wet ingredients.

 

Ingredients:

  • 5 ripe bananas
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour (I use all purpose Gluten Free flour)
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1-2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4-1/2 cup water
  • 3/4 cup – 1 cup Nutella

**If you want to “half” the recipe, you can use 2 bananas, 1 egg and 1 eggwhite.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, mash the bananas in a large bowl (L’s favorite part!). Add the applesauce, eggs and vanilla and mix together.

On top of the wet ingredients, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. With a fork, mix the dry ingredients a bit. Add water. Mix deeper with a fork, hand-held beater, or electric mixer…beat until all is combined.

Spoon Nutella into an oven-safe bowl and melt in the oven for a few minutes. Carefully remove the bowl from the oven and stir with a fork. Spoon in about 1/3 of the banana bread batter into the bowl with the Nutella and mix gently with the fork.

For muffins, I like to use silicone muffin cups…been using the same ones for years. No spraying or buttering necessary. Fill each muffin cup about halfway with the banana batter. Then add a spoonful of the Nutella mixture on each muffin. Top each one off with another spoonful of banana batter. Swirl each muffin gently with a toothpick.

 

 

Bake for 23-25 min. The “clean knife” testing method doesn’t work too well with this recipe because the Nutella will always be a little gooey. I knew ours were done when the tops of each muffin had turned golden brown.

To bake in a loaf pan, grease first with butter. Again fill about halfway with banana bread batter, then add Nutella mixture and finish off with more banana batter. Swirl with a knife. Bake for 40-50 min.

 

 

Yummmm!!! Enjoy!!!

 

Homemade Granola (Gluten Free)

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Is there anything better this time of year than HOMEMADE GRANOLA, fresh out of the oven? It’s warm, a little chewy, and crunchy too. This granola is sweet and a bit salty, with a just a hint of cinnamon. Oh, how I love homemade granola!

I came up with this granola recipe years ago (a combination of Alton Brown’s, my mom’s, plus a few of my own additions) and I’ll warn you, it’s highly-addictive. The great thing about granola is that you can add or substitute some ingredients to make it your own. You could switch out some of the nuts with walnuts or peanuts, add a pinch of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice. I like to use Pure Maple Syrup with this recipe, but if I have Apple Syrup from the farmer’s market on hand, it’s a delicious substitution! Granola is a wonderful gift for family and friends and this recipe makes plenty enough for two families. After it’s cooled completely just put half of the granola in a large mason jar with a ribbon tied around the lid and it’s ready to share! Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups of oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill, Gluten-Free, Rolled Oats)
  • 1 cup almonds, sliced
  • 1 cup pecan pieces
  • 1 cup cashews, raw
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • cinnamon
  • honey
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

 

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, coconut, and brown sugar.

 

In a smaller bowl (or in a measuring cup!) mix together the maple syrup, vegetable oil and salt. If you have kids in the kitchen, they’ll enjoy seeing how the syrup and oil separate in the glass measuring cup before you mix it all up!

 

Pour the syrup-oil-salt mixture overtop the oats and nuts. Mix until everything is evenly and thorough coated. Spread the granola out into a large baking pan, or what I prefer…a large, non-stick roasting pan used usually for cooking turkeys or hams. Place in the oven. The total cooking time will be about 2.5 hours for such a large amount of granola, mixing every 15-30 minutes with a large spoon or spatula. Here is the schedule I tend to follow:

 

Cook 30 min. Mix.

Cook 30 min. Mix again.

Cook 30 min. Mix. Add HONEY in a zigzag, all over pattern.

Cook 15 min. Mix. Add more HONEY and sprinkle CINNAMON on top too.

Cook 15 min. Mix.

Cook 15 min. Mix.

Cook 15 min. Mix. Enjoy some hot and fresh!

Allow to cool for 15 min. Mix in RAISINS and DRIED CRANBERRIES.

 

 

Enjoy!!! And share!!!

 

 

The Best Pumpkin Seed Recipe Ever!

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Store-bought pumpkin seeds don’t even compare to freshly roasted ones made right in your own home! This year I think I made ours too good…they barely lasted a weekend, most didn’t even make it out of the pan and into a serving bowl before they were devoured! I know Halloween is over, but you may have some un-carved pumpkins sitting on your front porch still full of seeds… Those seeds are calling your name…

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • salt

Plus any or all of the following:

  • garlic powder
  • chili powder
  • paprika
  • roasted cumin
  • cayenne

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

First, rinse the seeds under water washing away any pumpkin guts.

Pour the seeds out on a towel and gently pat them dry. (They don’t have to be perfectly dry.)

In a small bowl, toss the seeds with the olive oil and salt. Add your spices and toss some more to thoroughly coat the seeds. Make them to suit your preferences…if you like really spicy snacks, add more cayenne. Paprika is one of my favorite spices…kinda sweet, kinda smoky and a little spicy.

For little or no mess, line a baking pan with tinfoil. Spread the seeds out in a single layer.

Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Delish!!! (This handful of seeds was all that was left by the time I got my camera out to take a picture! They are just too good!) Enjoy!!!