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Homemade Play Dough

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Homemade Play Dough

 

When the supply list came home for back to school and it said Play Doh (homemade is preferred) I had a moment of panic.  Homemade Play Dough? Really, that doesn’t sound like something I should attempt.  Well, after scouring the internet and reading blogs and reviews, I put on my Pinterest Mom Pants and went for it! … and guess what?  IT’S EASY, turns out PERFECT, and uses pantry staple ingredients!

What you need:

  • 1 c. flour
  • 1/2 c. salt
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil (canola or vegetable)
  • 1 cup cold water
  • Food coloring as desired
  • Latex gloves (if you don’t want food colored finger nails!)

 

 

Now, lets make some play dough

In a medium sauce pan, mix everything except food coloring.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes or until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Once it starts to thicken, you will want to switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon.  It will be MUCH easier to move around the pan!  The dough will have the consistency of mashed potatoes and become very hard to stir.  Make sure it is stiff and set.

Remove from the heat and turn out to a clean, dry surface.  Allow to cool for 1 minute.  At this point, I would recommend throwing the gloves on to keep those hands clean and dye free!  Add food coloring to tint as desired.  To attain a rich deep color I suggest a good quality gel food color.  Don’t be afraid to add a lot.  It will take more than you think to get a vibrant color.  Knead the coloring into the dough for several minutes to distribute color and cool dough.

Allow dough to completely cool, uncovered, for an hour.  Knead occasionally to keep it from drying out on the surface.  Store in an air tight container.

While the ingredients are non-toxic, given the high salt content, please do not eat the dough!

📌 Pin HERE for later!

 

 

Lumber Jack Birthday Party

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Lumber Jack Birthday Party

When your son asks for a ‘sawmill’ birthday party you stop and ponder how does one make that happen? I knew there was no way to make a physical ‘sawmill’ cake for him!  So after a little searching around we settled for a more streamlined Lumber Jack Theme!  A few easy treats and toys we had already made for an adorable tablescape!

The CAKE – a Tree Stump!

I baked 2 round cakes and stacked them on a cake tray.  For the frosting you can use a store bought or homemade buttercream.  For this, I made a classic buttercream.  Once mixed, I removed a few cups and added a sprinkle of cocoa powder to tint it slightly tan.  Then added more cocoa powder to the rest and some brown food color to get deep brown bark color.

For decorating:

Fill a piping bag or ziptop bag with the dark brown frosting and snip a small opening.  Making straight lines up and down cover the entire cake.  Neatness doesn’t matter and it doesn’t have to be exact. Just get that tree stump covered in bark! Then make a circle around the top, outer edge of the cake.  Let frosting set and slightly dry for about 20 minutes.  Using a flat edge (knife, narrow spatula or flat pastry spreader) press the frosting upwards to give a pattern of bark, slightly overlapping each pass. Again, neatness isn’t required and there is no exact science! You cannot mess this up.  For the top, simply fill another piping bag with the lighter frosting.  Swirl in circles and create a ‘growth ring’ like pattern.

The SNACKS!

Birch Logs: 

Dip pretzel rods in white melting chocolate.  Drizzle with dark chocolate or black melting wafers to create the ‘birch tree’ look.

Acorns:

Using the melting chocolate from the logs above put a small dab on Hershey’s Kisses & press onto Vanilla Wafers. Top with a butterscotch or peanut butter chip using the same melted chocolate.

Evergreen Trees:

Melt green melting wafers and put in a piping bag or ziptop bag.  Lay pretzel sticks on parchment paper and carefully drizzle the chocolate side to side into a free form tree shape over the sticks.

Fire Wood For Sale:

Pretzel Nuggets in a bowl

Wood Chips:

Mini Marshmallows, Mini Chocolate Chips, and Granola in bowl

To finish out the table, I added a log hauling truck we had, plus a few chain saw toys, logs, and photo props to add to the fun.  Plus we used red balloons, bowls and plates over a black table cloth bringing the lumber jack ‘flannel’ into the party.

 

📍 Pin HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Melt ‘Ice Cream’ Cones

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My challenge was to make “Ice Cream Cone Treats” for a bake sale. I wanted to do the cupcake ones in the cones, but they tend to get soggy.  Plus, I would have had to make them the night before, so it would have been worse.  Instead, we did a spin on them with things I had in the cupboard! After making these with my son and seeing how much fun we had, I think it would be a GREAT idea to make at a birthday or slumber party. 📌 Pin it HERE for use later!

No Melt ‘Ice Cream’ Cones

Ingredients:

  • Sugar Cones
  • Camp size marshmallows (the big ones)
  • Melting Chocolate Wafers (any colors) or chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, almond bark, butterscotch chips)
  • Sprinkles
  • Red Candy – we used bite size Twizzlers, but could use a red gum drop, red M&M’s, red Sixlets, etc.
  • Disposable aluminum cake or lasagna sized pan

Directions:

  • Cut the top & bottom of the marshmallow around the edge so it will fit in the cone, but tight enough so that you still have to stuff it just a bit that is will stay stuck in the cone. This will be your ice cream! We also cut around the top with a kitchen sheers so it had more of an ice cream scoop look! If it requires too much stuffing, cut off a little bit more so it doesn’t break your cone (we lost 2 cones from over stuffing, but no complaints, they were a nice snack ).
  • Carefully melt your chocolate over a double boiler  or in the microwave.  Dunk your ice cream (marshmallow) in the melted chocolate of your choice! We used what we had on hand, but any color chocolate would be fun!

  • Roll in sprinkles! (hey, NOT YOU, the “ice cream” scoop. Though rolling around in sprinkles I may have to add to my bucket list, that just sounds like fun!)
  • Put a spoonful chocolate melted chips on top of the cone (milk, semi-sweet, dark – as long as it’s brown). This is your hot fudge!
  • Top with your red candy to look like a cherry!

  • To set, I put holes in an aluminum foil pan to hold them (and also used some of our water bottles that had small top openings and some wine glasses, I have plenty of those in the kitchen).
  • I picked up the clear treat bags at the Dollar Tree and individually wrapped each cone!

Here is our final product. Simple to do and they taste OH SO YUMMY!

This fun little project was written by a dear friend and Midwest Coupon Clippers follower Brooke. A huge thanks to her and cute little Tucker for their continued help thru the years.

📌 Pin it HERE for use later!

 

Ramen Noodle Broccoli Slaw Salad

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Ramen Noodle Broccoli Slaw Salad

Turn ordinary Ramen Noodle Soup Packets into a tasty salad no one will be able to resist.  Trust me, take this to a potluck and everyone will want the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 (3 oz) bags Oriental Flavor ramen noodle soup + seasoning packets
  • 2 (12 oz) bags broccoli coleslaw mix
  • 3/4 cup Canola, Peanut OR Vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

 

 

 

Preparation:

Empty the ramen into a zip-top bag (set aside seasoning packets for use in the dressing).  Crush with a rolling pin.  Melt the butter over low heat in a large skillet.  Toss the Ramen noodles and almonds in butter and carefully brown over low heat.  Keep stirring or it will get away from you and burns quickly! Once browned, remove from heat and allow to cool.

While noodles and almonds cool prepare dressing.  Mix oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning packets thoroughly.  Mix slaw, noodles, almonds, and dressing all together.  Allow to set overnight in the refrigerator for best flavor.  It is best to mix once or twice while it sits.  I like to store it in a large plastic container so I can just give it a good shake a few times! Toss in sunflower seeds before serving.

📍 Pin it HERE

John Deere Tractor Farm Birthday Party

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John Deere Tractor Farm Birthday Party

 

My son is John Deere Tractor OBSESSED and refers to himself as a John Deere Farmer Kid. He lives for those green and yellow tractors and spots them everywhere we go.  When he said he wanted a John Deere Birthday party, I knew that we had to go all in! Taking inspiration from the tractors and farm equipment toys we had around the house, I put together a simple spread of treats and snacks representing all things John Deere!

For the cake, using a flat cardboard sheet and mini cupcakes, I arranged them into a rough tractor shape.  Using tinted frosting and piping gel, the tractor came to life.

 

Our guests were treated to sugar cookies (with green and yellow sprinkles) in a tractor loader bucket, ‘hay bale’ rice crispy treats loaded onto a semi flatbed, and corn nuts in the grain hauler wagon right from the combine!  Of course we had to include a farm fresh veggie tray and being from the Midwest every good dairy farmer puts out a cheese tray!

 

Check out these simple cups we made ourselves.  Using dollar store colored cups and stickers, we made our own themed cups for a just a few bucks!  It was a fun project to keep small hands occupied and easily included him in the party prep!

 

With few toys and a bit of prep, my not so little anymore ‘farmer kid’ had a fun birthday party.  Everyone had a great time and loved the personal touches!

 

 

📌 Pin it HERE

 

Hobo Hamburger Stew

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Hobo Hamburger Stew

This easy hearty soup is a hint spicy, but a little sweet. It comes together in a few minutes and you can mix and match veggies to what you prefer or have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 46-48 oz bottle of original or spicy V-8 juice
• 2 cups of diced carrots (about 2 large)
• 2 cups of corn
• 2 cups of cut green beans
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 10 dashes of hot sauce (I always use Frank’s & doesn’t make it spicy, just
rounds the flavor out)
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 c. small cut pasta – cooked just until tender

Instructions

In the bottom of a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and celery; cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ground beef, cook and stir until meat is browned and cooked through. Drain off excess fat. Sprinkle meat with flour; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the V-8 juice. Stir in the carrots, corn and green beans. Add hot sauce, sugar and seasonings to taste. Stir, cover and simmer over medium to medium low (low bubble) for about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Feel free to add more sugar or hot sauce depending on your preferences!  Just before serving, add cooked pasta.

You can add diced potatoes, but I prefer to add the pasta. Toss in whatever veggies you have on hand. I have used diced tomatoes, peas, and even canned or frozen veggies to get it done quickly! You can skip the flour part, too if you want a runnier soup. The flour makes it rich & thick.

Idea: Serve with Homemade Beer Bread or Soft Pretzels!

 

📍 Pin HERE

Easy Easter Carrot Snack Bags

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Easy Easter Carrot Snack Bags

What you Need:

If you are looking for a fun yet fast Craft/Treat project for you and your little one to do, this is it!

My son’s attention span does not last long on projects, so this was perfect for his age. I ordered THESE snack bags that came with a variety of colored twist ties, and worked perfect! Of course you could also use ribbon, a pipe cleaner, or whatever you like. We filled our favor bags with some Goldfish Crackers we had recently purchased, but you could also use Cheese Balls if you have them and either will give you the same fun carrot look!

If you want to avoid the orange cheesy fingers, I would suggest going the Goldfish route. Candy Corn would also be an option, but seeing as my son will be taking these as a treat to his classmates, I am pretty sure his teacher would not appreciate a classroom full of sugar enhanced preschoolers.

And there you have it, Easy Easter Treats to share.

Disclaimer:

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Chocolate Lasagna

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Chocolate Lasagna

What you need:

  • 1 package of Oreos (appx. 16 oz)
  • 4 T. butter (melted)
  • 2 boxes Chocolate Instant Pudding
  • 2 – 8 oz. Cool Whip – thawed
  • 1 – 8 oz. Cream Cheese (room temperature)
  • 1/4 c. Powdered Sugar
  • 3 c. milk
  • 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Crush Oreos into fine crumbs using blender or food processor
  2. Reserve 1/4 c. of the Oreo crumbs for garnish
  3. Mix remaining Oreos and Butter and press firmly into a 9 x 13 pan
  4. Beat Cream Cheese and Powdered Sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy
  5. Fold in 1 carton of Cool Whip into Cream Cheese mixture
  6. Spread evenly over Oreo crust
  7. Sprinkle Chocolate Chips over Cream Cheese Layer
  8. Wisk Milk and Pudding Mix together until combined and starting to thicken
  9. Carefully add Pudding to pan.
  10. Allow to chill for 30 minutes in refrigerator
  11. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle reserved Oreo Crumbs for garnish
  12. Refrigerate 4 hours before serving

Super Simple Soft Pretzels

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I promise, you will be the talk of the party at any get together when you take these along with a container of cheese spread! They are SO SIMPLE but always a HUGE HIT. My mom started making these a long time ago and now they are a MUST HAVE at every holiday. If you think they will taste like a bread stick…. THANK AGAIN… Nothing even close!

Here is a coupon to save: Save $1.00 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Baked Goods Products 

Ingredients:

  • 2 Refrigerated Pillsbury Bread Stick Packs
  • 2 Eggs
  • Tbsp. Water
  • Coarse Salt
  • Parchment Paper & Pastry Brush

Directions:

Are you ready? You truly are not going to believe how SIMPLE these are!

  • Pre-heat your oven to 375F.
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together two eggs and 1 Tbsp. of water
  • Unroll dough; separate into 12 strips. Gently roll the strips between your hands to round them.
  • Form a pretzel shape on the parchment paper on a cookie sheet

  • Brush your egg wash liberally on each pretzel
  • Bake your pretzels for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown

  • IMMEDIATELY when you pull your pretzels from the oven, brush liberally again with the egg wash and sprinkle with salt (this is very important to do this fast so your egg wash bakes on the HOT pretzel)
  • Let your pretzels cool for at 2 hours before putting them in a bowl or a cute lined basket to serve to your guests.

It is VERY TEMPTING to try one right away…. but wait… if you try them right away without letting them sit for a few hours, they will taste more like a bread stick. Once they cool, you will have a yummy, gorgeous, glossy, soft pretzel that tastes just as good as they look! Do not forget to put some cheese spread on before you eat!

 

Cinnamon Roll Chex Mix

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Cinnamon Roll Chex Mix

Preheat Oven to 250° F

Ingredients:

  • 2 – 12 oz. Boxes Rice Chex Cereal
  • 3 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 3 sticks real butter (no substitutions)
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 2 c. mixed nuts (optional)
  • 2 c. white chocolate
  • 2 large roasting pans
    (I use disposable aluminum roasters, they are large enough and easy to mix in)

Directions:

  • Pour cereal & nuts into roasting pans
  • Bring brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg to boil over medium-low heat in large pot stirring regularly.
  • Boil for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla; stir vigorously (it will become foamy and expand)
  • Pour caramel over cereal and stir to coat.
  • Bake in a 250° F oven for 1 hour stirring every 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and cool completely.
  • Stir regularly to keep the cooling pieces from sticking together.
  • Melt and white chocolate over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave*
  • Drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled cereal.
  • Allow to set and break into pieces.
  • Store in an air tight container.

IMPORTANT: This will not stay crisp if made in humid weather or if left uncovered for long periods.

*TIP: If your white chocolate seizes or isn’t smooth add a teaspoon of coconut oil to loosen it up and make it spreadable

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