The BEST Play-Dough Recipe

Have you ever made play dough and it just fell apart?? Well… not this time. This recipe will make play dough that is seriously the closest thing to store-bought  you’ll ever make. No falling apart or drying out (as long as stored in a sealed container). It will last up to 6 months.
The secret to this recipe??  
Two things: First, Cream of Tarter… it’s what helps the dough stay together. and Second, not a lot of salt… all that salt dries out your dough!


Ready to make it? Here we go:

Ingredients:
1 C Flour
1 C Water
1/4 C Salt
1 TBSP Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Cream of Tarter
Food Coloring (actual coloring or a kool-aid packet will do)
Sparkles (If you wanna be a fun mom!)
Sauce Pan and Wooden Spoon
Little helping hands.

Pour in all ingredients. (No particular order… each time is different for us.. and it always turns out the same.)
(I used the NEON food coloring… cause everything is better neon… but feel free to use a koolaid packet sitting in your cupboard.)

Stir until everything is mixed well.


Once the mixture is (mostly) clump free. Heat over MEDIUM heat.


Stir. Don’t stop stirring. After a few minutes it will start to clump up. (I’m magic! Purple to Green. hah. Different dough.. same step!)

Stir, Stir Stir.Just keep stirring until the Play Dough is formed. It will  form one big clump.


Remove from heat, and knead by hand. (This is my favorite part! It’s so warm and squishy! hah) Note: I forgot to add sparkles in the mix at the beginning, so I just kneaded the sparkles in and it turned out just fine.

Once cooled it’s ready to go. Package it up for some party favors or stocking stuffers. (Baby food containers work GREAT! The rectangle ones are Gerber and the round ones are Parents Choice)


Or grab your cookie cutters, plastic scissors, rolling pin, etc.. and let your toddler go to town.





What a fun thing to do on a rainy day! Adelyn loves making it. She always thinks she’s baking a cake. hah. The dough is non toxic and edible (it has a bitter taste… you could always add some extract to give it a nice smell and taste… but I didn’t want to give her more incentive to eat the dough. hah)
It’s super fast and easy to make. And I promise… once you make it, you will never buy store bought Play Dough again!

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

I’ve linked up here, here, here and here

UPDATE- answering your questions: 

This recipe yields about a cup and half of dough. 

I use this recipe for each color I make. 

As far as how long it lasts, as long as it is stored right, it should last at leas up to 6 months. I'd suggest wrapping it in plastic wrap (or a Ziploc bag) and then putting it inside your sealed container... and it could last even longer. Every sealed container has air, and air can dry out and/or mold your dough, which is why I suggest wrapping in plastic wrap first.

 I do not store ours in the fridge, but I guess you could if you'd like.


** for those that have inquired, my handmade dolls are available @ stitchedvintage.com

DIY: Post Card Journal

Ever wonder what to do with all those Post Cards you purchase while on vacation and never send? Or maybe you have a friend that travels a lot who is always sending them? Whether it’s one of those, or the fact that you just like to collect vintage postcards, here is a great way to put them to good use.

This table top journal is a super easy way to document your daily life and find joy in the simplest of things. Whether you needed an extra shot of espresso in your morning latte or your little nugget took his/her first step. All your memories will be at your fingertips.

I don’t imagine the first year or two would be as exciting as, say, 10 years of doing it. But you have to start some where.

What you need:

1 McDonalds Happy Meal box.
2-3 pckgs 5 x 8 Index cards
12 Post Cards
Date Stamp and Ink Pad
Cardstock
Embellishments

How I did it:

1. Carefully peel apart the seem of the McDonalds box. Cut off the top of the box (handles and what not).

2. Lay the now flat McDonalds box onto your cardstock and trace. After cutting out your traced image, adhere (I used hot glue) to the outside of the box (which will become the inside of your box).

3. When your cardstock is completely dry, fold the box the same as it was before, only inside out. (Cardstock on the inside.) Adhere the flap that you peeled apart in Step 1.

3.  Take your 5 x 8 index cards and cut them all in half. If you have a scoring board, I’d use it for this step.

5. Go through and stamp the date on top of each index card (remember not to stamp the year). This is a bit time consuming, but I promise, it’s worth it.

6. Add whatever embellishments you want to the outside. I added some lace, twine, a few buttons and a clothespin to hold a photo.

7. Put the index cards in the box. Separate the months with your post cards. and VOILA.

You could also staple little mementos to the index card for added “awe” factor. Maybe a movie stub from your first date or  a picture that highlights your day.

It will make an fun conversational piece on the coffee table or end table. What a great way to reflect on your days and  remember to enjoy life’s little moments.

The possibilities really are endless. Have fun with it.

 

# kristanlynn
xoxo   

This post is sponsored by MyPostcardPrinting.com, a company that provides affordable postcard printing services.

I love me some yarn.

Yarn is not just for knitting and crocheting anymore. We’ve all seen the yarn balls, wreaths and letters that are to die for.  (Especially when they’re made by the lovely Heather Leigh, check out the ones she made for a recent Craft Show)

Photo: Heather Leigh Designs

I bought some storage holders on sale, but have yet to use them since they didn’t really match anything. So I decided to wrap them in yarn to match my “office” area.

Check it out:

I love them now.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Chicken Chili Recipe

Ok. I’m not the greatest cook in the world. And while I love to bake AND cook. I don’t really know what compliments what. I tend to just throw garlic powder into everything and call it goo.d. HAH.

Photo Credit

I promise, this recipe will NOT disappoint. Every single time I’ve served this, I get a message in the days following, asking for my recipe.

Ingredients:
◦ 4 Chicken breasts
◦ 1 can of Newmans Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa
◦ 2 cans Northern Beans
◦ 1 Can Black Beans (This is optional, mom doesn’t use it in ◦ hers. I like the added color/flavor it adds)
◦ 1 carton Chicken Broth
◦ 1 bag of shredded cheese
◦ Tortilla Chips of your choice

Let’s cook it:
1.  Cook the chicken. I pan fry it. My mom buys a roasted chicken. Others have broiled it. Any way you choose, just make sure it’s cooked and then shred it.
2. Combine chicken, salsa, un-drained beans and 3/4 bag of cheese in crockpot.
3. Stir it up a bit then slowly add chicken broth. Only add about 3/4 C to start with.
4. Simmer on low until the cheese is melted, adding splashes of the broth till you get the consistency you like.
5. Serve with shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream. (I HAD to say dollop… LOL) and tortilla chips. Garnish with some fresh cilantro.

Tips:
◦ I like mine to be on the thicker side, so I barely use a carton of broth, other’s like it soupy and use almost the whole carton.
◦You don’t need a crockpot to cook this, a friend of mine doesn’t have one and cooks hers on the stove.
◦ If you do have a crockpot, I suggest letting it simmer for as long as possible. SERIOUSLY. The longer it sits simmering, the better it tastes. I’ve put mine on the night before.
◦ You MUST use Newmans Own Black Bean and Corn Salsa. This is what gives the dish it’s distinguished flavor. (I’ve tried other brands of the black bean and corn salsa, they all suck)

How much does it make??
WAYYYY TOO MUCH. hah. It will feed ATLEAST 4 people., but more likely 6 people. We usually have it for lunch and dinner the following day if it’s just the two of us eating.

Special THANKS to my Mommy, who passed this recipe onto me.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

I would love to try some of your favorite recipe’s. Link them up here. Old and New welcome.

DIY Homemade Ice Cream

Photo Credit

 

I was gonna wait to post this tomorrow, but with the Heat Index hovering somewhere around 115 today. What the hell….

Let us cool off with some homemade ice cream.

It would be much easier if I had a ice cream machine (which I reallyyyyy want) but ice cream in a bag works just as well.

You probably don’t even have to go buy anything for it either. Which makes it a major PLUS in my book.

What you’ll need:

◦ 2 TBLSP sugar
◦ 1 Cup half & half (or light cream)
◦ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
◦ 1/2 cup salt 
◦ ice
◦ gallon-sized Ziploc bag
◦ sandwich size Ziploc bag

Lets get started:

1) Mix the sugar, half & half and vanilla together. Pour into a sandwich baggy. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal tightly.

2) Now fill the gallon Ziploc bag halfway with ice and pour the salt over the ice; add the bag of half and half.

3) Make sure it’s sealed tightly and start shaking.
Shake, Shake, Shake for 5 minutes. (Your hands will get COLDDDDD use gloves or a dish towel)

4) It should only take 5-6 minutes of shaking. Open the gallon sized bag and check to see if the ice cream is finished.
Once finished, rinse the salt off the sandwich bag.

5) Scoop into a bowl OR pop a spoon straight into the bag (like Craig)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So, is it good?
Well, we made quite a few bags of it, and it was devoured in the matter of minutes. So you tell me.

What’s your favorite way to cool off when it’s too hot to bear outside?

# kristanlynn
xoxo