Homemade Playdough

Here at our house, we still have our arts and crafts on.  Last week, Caitlyn got to try out watercolor paints for the first time.  She had a little trouble with the order - water...paint...paper...water...paint...paper...and consequently had some vibrantly colored water and some very wet, not very colored paper, but she loved it anyway.  She now asks to paint almost every day.  I really need to get some watercolor paper for her, because I'm still looking for my regular brushes and those teeny tiny little brushes that come with the paint sets will rip through a piece of regular paper in no time flat.

Yesterday, we made homemade playdough!  That's a brand new thing for Caitlyn - she's had bread dough to play with before, but never really figured out what to do with it, other than copying whatever I was doing.  But yesterday I was able to show her a few things.  We used a recipe from First Art, roughly equivalent to the "Nature's Playdough" recipe found here (I used food coloring but I like their ideas for natural dye!).  Caitlyn loved dumping the ingredients in the pan (helping me cook is one of her favorite activities), and then went off to play while I cooked it.  We made two batches, one green, and one blue, and cooking it took roughly 20 minutes from start to kneading.  It smelled pretty bad, so I kneaded in some lavender essential oil, which helped some.  Then we let it cool off for half an hour or so.

They were, in a word. vibrant.  I didn't measure the food coloring - I just dumped.  Wowza!

I gave her just a few tools to start out with - a rolling pin (aka a leftover piece of dowel from one of her daddy's projects), my garlic press, and a little spoon/knife combination (got it free when I bought kiwis one time - it's a nifty little tool).  She pretty much just stabbed it with the knife, until I showed her how to make "hair" with the garlic press.  Then it was on!

She happily made blue-green hair for about 45 minutes, which is something just short of a miracle for my busy girl.  The only other thing that holds her attention that long is the WonderPets...

I have a hunch this will become a regular plaything in my kitchen.  And I am perfectly fine with that!  Safe, fun, and easily replaced once it dries out.

My next acquisition will be a few yards of PUL to use as a drop cloth/table cover for messier projects, and I'm also on the hunt for a local source of powdered tempera paint.  I have a couple of art supply stores to call today.

Experimental Alphabet

Caitlyn is really starting to explore letters and numbers, so I decided it was time to get a magnetic alphabet set.  Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that meets my requirements yet (no batteries required, and good reviews on Amazon).  So, while I keep looking, I came up with a temporary solution.  And hey, if it's successful, it may just be a permanent solution!

Armed with my usual plethora of coupons, I headed to the fabric/craft store to see what I could find that might work.  In the art foam aisle, I found a huge box of letters and numbers of all different colors.  Then, I found a roll of self-adhesive magnet material, and I was good to go.

I simply picked out the letters and numbers I wanted, cut the magnet strip to fit on the back, stuck it all together, and it was done!  Easy as pie. 

Pardon my dirty door!

The whole thing cost me less than $10, and I have enough material to make several more sets as letters get lost.

Note:  This is not a good project if your little one likes to put things in their mouths.  The magnet pieces are very small and, while they have a good sticky back, they could still be peeled off.  We're fortunate that Caitlyn is very good about that. 

Kiddee Krafts #1

Ok, ok, I'm not really going to title this series "Kiddee Krafts".  Sheesh.  How cheesy is that???

My daughter and I did our first project today.  It didn't exactly turn out the way I planned.  See, I thought we were going to have pretty much the whole morning at our leisure, and we could hang out and make cotton ball collages.  Instead, we had to make a quick trip to the grocery store because we were out of milk.  Then, I realized it was almost 10:00, and that it was Friday, and that Preschool Storytime at the library (three blocks away) was about to start.  Normally, that's no big deal, because we usually go to Baby Storytime (Caitlyn is seriously not ready to actually sit through a book with the preschoolers), but Baby Storytime has been canceled since Thanksgiving, and won't start up again till February, and we hadn't been in the library since mid-November.  So I gave Caitlyn the choice - library or art project - and she enthusiastically picked the library.  Mainly because she loves the library and has made friends with all the staff (I swear she thinks she owns the place), and because she had NO idea what an art project is! 

So I figured, no problem, we'd just do the project tomorrow.  After all, it's a whole weekend with no plans, so we'll have lots of time.  But as soon as we got home, Caitlyn started asking about the project.  "Project Mommy, Project!  Do project!"  I looked at my watch.  11:00.  Hour till lunch time.  No problem.  Except...I still had to make dinner (I make dinner in the mornings and my husband puts it in the oven while I'm at work).  So, here we go again, together time that isn't "together". Ah, well, best laid plans, right?

I set her up next to me at the kitchen counter, with a paper bowl of glue, some cotton balls, and some paper.  I showed her how to dip the cotton in the glue and she took it from there - a natural. 

(Note to the concerned - don't freak out - she can't reach those knives.  I'm not sure what I'll do when she can, but we're all safe for the time being!) 

I was making tuna casserole for dinner, so I had to open the cupboard in front of her to get the noodles out.  I have lots of jars of noodles up there, all different shapes and colors.  She started reaching for the macaroni, so I got it down and let her have some of that, too.  Voila - mixed media!

She ended up just basically laying the macaroni out without any glue, so I glued it all down for her when she was done.  I wasn't sure how much she enjoyed it, but when I got home from work, she grabbed the cotton balls and begged me to do another one with her.  We had a little time before dinner, so I obliged.  She wanted me to do this one, though, so I dipped everything in the glue and let her show me where to put it.  Finally, the "together" time I intended!  

When we were done, we took this morning's creation into her room, and I let her pick out a place of honor on her wall.  She wanted to put it right under her bookshelves, where she can see it from wherever she is in the room.  I think it's the perfect place.

Activities for the toddler set

Now that my daughter is two, she's definitely showing signs that she's ready to start taking on some new activities.  In the house, she's frequently coloring, or "cooking dinner" (which is cheese crackers, 99% of the time) in her play kitchen.  Outside, she's constantly playing in our gravel pathway, picking out specific rocks and excitedly bringing them to me to show me how beautiful they are.

At the same time that she's making new discoveries, I'm feeling like the time we spend together isn't "together" enough.  So often she's playing while I'm making dinner, checking email, folding laundry, and doing countless other tasks that keep the household running.  It's really starting to bug me, so I've decided that, starting this week, I'm going to do something about it. 

I recently bought a couple of great books full of ideas for activities - The Toddler Busy Book has a TON of great ideas for all different kinds of activities - crafts, songs, things to do in the car, it's a real gem.  First Art:  Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos has a wonderful array of art projects, most of which use simple items easily found at home or in grocery or craft stores.  I've been spending my evenings reading through them, picking out some things that I think we'll enjoy doing together.

So, starting tomorrow, my daughter and I are going to take time out at least twice a week and do some kind of activity together.  If it's on a weekend, I'll do everything in my power to get my husband to join in (not always easy - he's not really a joiner).  It may be an art project.  We may cook something together.  Maybe we'll discover a new song.  If it's not raining, we can go on a walk in our neighborhood.  If I can figure out how to adjust her tricycle to fit her, she can go on a ride.  Simple stuff.  We'll just do it together.

Tomorrow, we're going to make cotton ball collages.  I picked up some scrapbook paper at the craft store today - I'm planning to hang it on her wall when we're done, so I wanted something a little more decorative than the traditional construction paper.  I think she'll really enjoy playing with the glue - especially when she discovers you can peel it off your hands once it dries!

I already told her we'd make cheese crackers from scratch this weekend.  She's been talking about it all day!

I'll be posting here about our activities from time to time, so I have a record for my memory, which certainly isn't what it used to be.  I'm looking forward to fun and adventures!

Six things

Just saw a great idea on Nailing Jello to a Tree's facebook page:  make a list of six things to do today.  Just six.  Then do them.  Sounds simple enough to me!  Here are mine:

1.  Take the cat to the vet for his checkup - done!
2.  Scan recipes from three cookbooks
3.  Take the "giveaway" boxes to Goodwill - done!
4.  Put gas in the car - done!
5.  Fold at least two basket's worth of laundry - done AND put away!
6.  Update my daughter's blog - I'm woefully behind. - done!

I'll check back and let you know how I did!

Resolutions

And so another year has come and gone...Happy New Year!

I looked back at last year's resolutions - in a nutshell, I resolved to read the entire Bible, menu plan each week, and get my compost pile in operational order.  I finished the first, made a good effort at the second, and gave up on the third - we ended up dumping the whole pile out at my father-in-law's property and started over. 

This year, instead of a resolution, I've decided on a theme - USE IT UP. 

I spent a good chunk of my afternoon today cleaning out my bathroom closet.  The closet holds a series of small storage boxes, each with a different type of item.  Things like medication, first aid supplies. tooth care, lotions, soap and bath gel, etc.  Well, these boxes are FULL.  I threw out all the old, expired, nasty stuff, and we are starting over fresh (and yes, even after that, the boxes are still full). 

I also did a lot of laundry today, and noticed how much detergent, soap, and general cleaning supplies I have out there. 

My pantry is in a similar state - lots of odd little ingredients that sounded good at the time, but I never used. 

Basically, I get bored easily and like to try new stuff.  Lots of times I get things for free or at an ultra discount, so I figure "what the heck?  It's not costing me much/anything."  And then the stuff sits around and never gets used. 

So this year, I will be making a concerted effort to use that stuff.  All those little sample packages/hotel bottles of shampoo and hand lotion.  The seven different kinds of laundry detergent that is currently living in my laundry room.  All that shaving gel.

Also, this year, when I go shopping, I will ask myself three questions:

1.  Do I need it?
2.  Will I use it soon?
3.  Can I make it at home for less money?

Hopefully if I am honest with myself, I will be bringing home a lot less STUFF in 2011.  This will help with both the clutter and the budget, as we're looking ahead to major financial upheaval. 

Happy 2011, everyone - hope it's a good one!

Pumpkin muffins

I was looking in my freezer the other day, and realized that I'd better use up some of last year's pumpkin crop to make room for this year's!  Every year I plant sugar pumpkins, then stew and puree the flesh and freeze it in two-cup portions for baking.  Nothing says fall like the smell of something pumpkin baking in the oven!  So, tonight I whipped up a batch of these and they're in the oven as I type this.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose flour works, too)
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground cloves
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1 t. salt
2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1 small can)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 24 muffin tins, or line them with paper liners.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and spices.  Make a well in the center and add the pumpkin, oil, and eggs.  Stir until smooth.  Scoop into prepared muffin tins.

Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack and wrap airtight for storage.

Excellent spread with cream cheese!

Sticking to the Grocery Budget

Hi, my name's Karen, and I'm a compulsive grocery shopper.  Seriously.  The only time I ever stick to my list is when my husband is with me, and that's just because he hates grocery shopping so much it's quick in, quick out.  I, on the other hand, consider grocery shopping a recreational activity.  In fact, it's the only kind of shopping that I enjoy.  So it should come as no surprise that I have a heck of a time staying within the budget. 

We budget $300 a month, which, in writing, I've broken into two amounts - $175 for the first half of the month, and $175 for the second.  That way I don't spend $250 up front and have no money left for milk and bananas at the end of the month.  Not that I haven't spent $250 up front and gone on to spend another $175, don't get me wrong!

Last month my husband and I took a good hard look at our spending, and decided something needed to be done.  So we dropped cable, got a VOIP phone service, and made a commitment to getting our spending back on track.  Not only did I recommit to sticking to my grocery budget, but we also (at that point) completely eliminated our eating out budget.  We've since seen the folly of our ways, and have added a small amount back in for restaurants, but nothing at all like we have been. 

So here I am, trying to stick to my grocery budget.  It seems like no matter what I go into the store to buy, I end up spending $110+.  I will admit that I go to one of the more expensive grocery stores in town, but I buy a lot of organic, natural, and/or local foods, which they have there, and that all costs more.  But really, after visiting a couple of the cheaper grocery stores in town, they aren't really that much cheaper, and the quality is a lot lower.  I also buy local, natural pork and grass-fed beef from a local butcher, which costs a little more (but, again, not that much more considering the difference in quality). 

This weekend, when I went on my regular shopping trip, I had a little over $21 left to spend until the 15th.  Fortunately, all we really needed was milk, fruit, and yogurt (my daughter eats Cheerios, yogurt, and fruit for breakfast almost every day).  I could have made yogurt, but I had a coupon for a free pack of YoBaby and found some organic on manager's special (orange tag) for $1.49.  I also got a gallon of organic whole milk (that's what my daughter drinks) on manager's special for $2.49.  Those combined were less than I was planning to spend on her milk alone, so I was ahead of the game.  I usually buy a gallon of organic milk and a gallon of regular for hubby and me, but got two gallons of regular instead - they're half the price of organic.

Knowing we have plenty of canned fruit in the cupboard, blueberries in the freezer, and apples in the crisper drawer, I skimped a bit on the fruit.  Hubby said he could do without his usual daily orange as long as there are honeycrisp apples in the house (I buy them from a local farmstand for about $1 a pound less than at the grocery store), so I just picked up a few bananas.  That left enough for a pint of heavy cream for a dessert I was making to take to the neighbor's last night, and a carton of ice cream to go with the apple crisp I knew I'd be making today (with the last of our backyard apples, which are only good for cooking!).  We buy the store brand version of premium ice cream - at $2.99 a carton, it's less than half the price and tastes exactly the same. 

At the last minute, I ran back to the produce aisle to pick up a bag of organic grapes - they're from California and SO GOOD right now!  That was my real splurge - two pounds cost $4.20.  My total came to $20.53.  After all that, if I stay out of the store, I have $1.13 left to carry over to the second half of the month! 

Today's safety tip

You know how you can make water explode in the microwave just by bringing it to a boil in a smooth glass cup?  Turns out you can do the same thing on the stovetop by bringing the water to a boil, turning off the heat without uncovering it, and then bringing it back to a boil 15 minutes later.  Ask me how I know.  Now ask me how glad I am that no one was in the kitchen when half the water in the spaghetti pot exploded all over the place! 

Grilled chard

I planted two "experimental" veggies in the garden this year - fennel and chard.  Experimental because I have no experience with them, but I'm interested in trying them and if it turns out that I like them, it's cheaper to grow than to buy at the store! 

I tried out the fennel in a salad a few weeks ago, and tonight it was time to try some chard.  I heard someone on the radio the other day talking about grilling it.  I've never thought of grilling greens, but I'm up for grilling just about anything, so I thought I'd give it a shot. 

Sometimes the simplest preparations can really make a vegetable sing.  Grilled chard is no different.  I accidentally oversalted it, but the pieces that weren't too salty were really wonderful!  I'll definitely be making this again - it was so simple and so good.  I used golden chard, since that's what I have growing this year.

1 bunch chard
olive oil
kosher salt, to taste

Clean chard and chop into large pieces (I just cut it cross-wise with scissors).  Put in a bowl, drizzle olive oil over, and sprinkle with salt.  Place in a grill basket and grill over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, or until wilty and slightly charred.  Serve hot. 

Two thumbs up!