Play-Dough for the Family

Homemade Play-dough

Looking for an easy (and economical) project to do with the kids? Why not make some homemade play-dough - it's easy, quick to make, and will show young kids how combining a few ingredients can turn into one of their favorite toys! Plus, it's always great to get the hands a little messy all in the name of creativity. To start, you will need: 2 cups of flour 2 cups warm water 1 cup of salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon cream of tartar (optional, but adds better elasticity) Containers with tight lids (for storage) Food coloring (or you can substitute jello mix, or a Kool-Aid packet) Parchment paper (or anything to protect your surface from food dyes) Mix everything together in a pan, and stir/cook on low heat. After a bit of cooking, you will see the mixture starting to resemble mashed potatoes - once it looks like that, and is no longer sticky, it is time to turn the heat off and let the dough cool.

Beginning of dough

After its cooked through

After the dough has cooled (takes about 5 minutes), choose the colors you would like for the dough, and begin to mix. The instructions I read said to wear gloves to avoid staining skin, but since I'm constantly messing with colors for baking, I free handed it. Simply place some color on the dough, and kneed until the color has thoroughly mixed through.

Colors the kids chose

Adding color

Kneed until color is just right

Can stain hands - comes out in a few days

Once you have mixed in the colors, it is time to play! Once playtime is over, place dough in an airtight container for the next playtime session.

Disney Junior Treats

One of my wonderful, long time friends (Holly) came into town for a much needed girls day, and also planned a cooking activity for my two kids. It was found on the Disney Junior site, and so cute that I felt I must share it with all you.

The first part of the meal Holly found was a veggie skateboard. According to the website is meant to be made with mini cucumbers, carrots, and Swiss cheese. We couldn't find mini cucumbers and switched things around a bit. So, to make these delightful creations simply clean and cut the largest part of a few carrots (the number of carrots depends on how many skateboards you would

like to make. One carrot can make up to two skateboards), these are the wheels. Then, lengthwise cut a cucumber to make the board. Place the cucumber on top of the carrots, and then cut designs in the Swiss cheese, and place it on top of the board for some extra style. Both of my kids loved these, and they were completely eaten within the first few minutes of them being placed on the table.

Next, we made adorable Mickey Mouses April Fool's Cupcakes. Below are the ingredients:

• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
• 1/4 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and lining a cupcake pan with 8 liners (we were actually able to get 9 cupcakes out of this recipe).

Next, place the potatoes in a pan of cool water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium high heat and continue cooking until potatoes are soft. Then drain and set aside.

Now it is time to mix the turkey (we used beef), egg whites, bread crumbs, cheese (instead of asiago I used cheddar), tomato sauce, and carrots. Use hands for mixing :)

After everything is mixed, place the meat mixture into the cupcake liners, make sure it mounds over the top so that it is taller than the muffin tin. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until completely cooked.

For the potatoes, use a mixer and add the milk, salt, and pepper until light and fluffy. Once the meat is done cooking (and cooled), scoop mashed potatoes on top for a frosted look, and enjoy!

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