PRETTY HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH

April 19, 2021

Why do I like making my own play dough? I like to make mine to smell good and to be pretty colors. Also I like to buy cute clear jars to put them in. (I have done big and small, I kind of like big better – easier to get the dough out and multiple colors can be stored together.) Also with homemade I can just make bigger batches for lots of kids rather than buying the little storebought yellow cups. I will say however that I like to sometimes alternate with store bought and homemade because they have kind of different experiences and each their own pros and cons. And I think children enjoy the variety too.

The way I make my homemade play dough that is a little special is I use 1) jello powder for the colors and 2) coconut oil. Both make a really pretty scent and the coconut oil helps make a great texture too.

If you don’t use coconut oil it’s a bit of a missed opportunity to kind of feel like you’re at a spa during play dough but vegetable oil is a fine substitute too. Lastly here are some play dough tools on amazon that are cute and fun – mini patterned wood rolling pins and wood stamp set.

PRETTY, SUBTLE COLOR HOMEMADE PLAY DOUGH
Makes a batch for one color

3 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1/3 cup coconut oil (vegetable oil works too)
3 tablespoons cream of tartar
1/4-1/2 cup jello powder in different colors (depending how saturated you like your colors)
1 cup boiling water
Storage container (bigs or smalls)
Optional: play dough toys like mini patterned wood rolling pins and wood stamp set

Combine all ingredients except boiling water together in a mixer. Mix in boiling water.

You can mix jello powders to make new ones. For example, if you can’t find purple you can do some red and some blue and it makes a pretty lavender!

PRETTY, SUBTLE COLOR HOMEMADE PLAYDOUGH

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

3 cups flour
½ cup salt
⅓ cup coconut oil (vegetable oil works too)
3 tablespoons cream of tartar
¼-1/2 cup jello powder in different colors (depending how saturated you like your colors)
1 cup boiling water
Storage container (bigs or smalls)
Optional: play dough toys like mini patterned wood rolling pins and wood stamp set

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except boiling water together in a mixer. Mix in boiling water.
You can mix jello powders to make new ones. For example, if you can't find purple you can do some red and some blue and it makes a pretty lavender!

Easy Homemade Vanilla Extract (Enormous Money Saved)

February 15, 2021

Rachel Schultz

Long on my to-do list was to start making my own vanilla extract because it pained me how expensive it was and I knew there would be savings if I could get my act together and do it. Let me warn you, IT IS EASY. So the delay wasn’t even necessary. It’s just vodka and vanilla beans and it’s much higher quality than many vanilla extracts and, as previously explained, much less expensive. Storebought from an average brand, this amount would be about $250 and this was $45.

I’m not really like, a canning type person if you know what I mean. This was a very low maintenance venture.

Also better flavor, better flavor. Below are pictures from day 1 and day 68! I like the vanilla beans at costco, but I linked to some on amazon as well.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT
Makes about 60 ounces, or 1.75 liters

1.75 liters vodka
40 vanilla beans
Additional smaller bottles, if you’d like to bottle or give away your vanilla in smaller quantities

First I used a razor blade to scratch of the ugly vodka logo printing off the bottle. Then slice into your vanilla beans and gently open them, not cutting all the way through.

Place beans into vodka. I had to pour a little out because the volume got too full. Then just let it sit in a cool, dark place! Allegedly turning it daily or weekly helps, but I don’t know how important it was. Six weeks is the lower end, but eight weeks is even better. The longer you wait, the better the depth of flavor.

After the first batch is finished, you can remove vanilla beans and place them into a new bottle to make another batch. The vanilla can be kept in the big original vodka container or dispersed into smaller bottles.

EASY HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT (ENORMOUS MONEY SAVED)

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

1.75 liters vodka
40 vanilla beans
Additional smaller bottles, if you'd like to bottle or give away your vanilla in smaller quantities

Instructions

First I used a razor blade to scratch of the ugly vodka logo printing off the bottle. Then slice into your vanilla beans and gently open them, not cutting all the way through.
Place beans into vodka. I had to pour a little out because the volume got too full. Then just let it sit in a cool, dark place! Allegedly turning it daily or weekly helps, but I don't know how important it was. Six weeks is the lower end, but eight weeks is even better. The longer you wait, the better the depth of flavor.
After the first batch is finished, you can remove vanilla beans and place them into a new bottle to make another batch. The vanilla can be kept in the big original vodka container or dispersed into smaller bottles.

A couple fun places to use your new vanilla is these blueberry muffins or these carrot cake pancakes with cream cheese syrup. And like, every other baked good ever.

Homemade Pasta (A Realistic Way)

December 30, 2020

Rachel Schultz

One thing I love about homemaking is there are so many disciplines or crafts to work through learning and whichever one you pick will bless your family. A while ago I chose homemade pasta and it has been really yummy and fun. I like foods my family can make as a group together for special occasions, like this or when we do homemade tortillas. For homemade pasta, I only ever do spaghetti or a rustic bow tie because they are fast to do by hand. Oh well and lasagna noodles too.

I have to keep it simple if I’m going to do this on a weeknight, and the way I do it at least, it’s really easy. 6 and 2/3 cup flour and 11 eggs. More flour if it seems sticky, another egg if it seems dry. Mix, roll out, make a shape. Boil for 2 minutes. From my experience anything beyond this is more complicated than it has to be but I guess it depends what your goals are!

Do what you want with it. We love it as goat cheese and red pepper pasta.

Homemade Pasta
Serves six to eight

6 and 2/3 cup flour
11 eggs

Mix together by hand or with a dough hook on a stand mixer. Roll out as thin as you can with a rolling pin. (I divide it into two batches or it’s too big to manage). Make shapes. I use a pizza cutter to do spaghetti. Or you can make rectangles and then do a simple twist and pinch for bow ties.

Boil in salted water for 2 minutes.

HOMEMADE PASTA (A REALISTIC WAY)

Author: Rachel Schultz

Ingredients

6 and ⅔ cup flour
11 eggs

Instructions

Mix together by hand or with a dough hook on a stand mixer. Roll out as thin as you can with a rolling pin. (I divide it into two batches or it's too big to manage).
Make shapes. I use a pizza cutter to do spaghetti. Or you can make rectangles and then do a simple twist and pinch for bow ties.
Boil in salted water for 2 minutes.