My Mom's Holiday Sweet Dough

Every Christmas my Mom makes this bread for us to have for breakfast Christmas morning. This is a tradition that I have loved carrying over to my own family. My kids always look forward to Christmas tree and candy cane bread. So here is the recipe for the bread and I will post pictures of how to shape yours in to a tree and a candy cane tomorrow!

2 cups scalded milk - cooled
3 Tbsp yeast in 3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup mashed potatoes (can use instant)
1 cup sugar
3 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
8-10 cups flour

scald milk, add butter. Let this cool. Add potatoes, sugar, eggs, and salt. Add 3 cups of flour & beat, then add yeast mixture. Add rest of flour. (9 cups total seems to be about right for me.) This is a SOFT dough. You do not want to add too much flour or else when it is baked it will not be soft and yummalicious! (And yes yummalicious is most definitely a word if you are talking about baked goods!) Let rise until double. Use for braided breads with fillings or cinnamon rolls. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Glaze
1/4 c hot butter
1/4 c hot milk
3 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix and Frost while both are still warm for glaze effect! YUMMALICIOUS!!

Baby it's COLD outside!

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
And the kids are not being so delightful!
Since they've no place to go,
Make some dough! Make some dough! Make some dough!

So I don't know about your kids but mine don't seem to want to be outside for very long. Sure the snow is super amounts of fun but it is COLD!! The only problem with them not wanting to be outside is that this usually means that they are inside. Now your children are probably different but sometimes, just sometimes my children are slightly, well maybe just a little. . . obnoxious. Seriously though I can only take so much when I have fudge cooking on the stove, cookie dough truffles in the mixer, some telemarketer in my ear telling me all about the advantages of owning a time share and three children running through my kitchen all toting Nerf guns and screaming "Lets kill him!" at the top of their lungs while pulling a stuffed toy Elmo behind them at the end of a jump rope. Yeah this really is just not bringing on the Christmas spirit for me, go figure. So here is my solution for cooped up kids and the never ending question of what Christmas treat do I give to my neighbors this year! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Clay dough
This is super quick and easy to make and is guaranteed to keep your kids busy for DAYS!
In a large bowl combine 1 cup smooth peanut butter, 1 1/4 cups powdered dry milk, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 1 cup white corn syrup. Mix all the ingredients and knead until it's all incorporated. Put this in the fridge just till it's chilled. You don't want to leave it in there for too long or else it gets too hard and you wont be able to use it. I love this dough because it is edible so clean up is a breeze. It tastes just like peanut butter fudge. mmmm. I usually give my kids some raisins and celery to play with this and when they are tired of playing they just eat it all for snacks. Any left over dough that is not used just put in an airtight container or bag. Do not store in the fridge! This is shelf stable and should be stored in your cupboard just chill before bringing it out to play with.


Cookie Dough truffles
1/2 c butter softened
3/4 c brown sugar
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar. Add the flour, milk and vanilla.
Stir in 1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts
Shape into 1" calls and freeze until firm.
melt 1 1/2 lb semi sweet candy coating.
dip balls in chocolate
Store in refrigerator

December Stitches and Staples

I don't know about all of you but this time of year I'm usually looking at my calander thinking "It is not humanly possible to do EVERYTHING on here." How ever much to my dissapointment my husband being the super human that he is always seems to arrange our schedule in such a way that it turns out that is is humanly possible to attend something every night of the week some times three or four things on the weekend and still survive to see January. *sigh* For anyone who truly knows me that will tell you that all I really want to do for the holidays is to stay at home and bake to my little hearts content for everyone I know! So seeing as how I'm putting my foot down this year and doing the baking and all of the family partys and company activities I'm sad to say that I will have to cancel our classes for December. I will however post some things online that I'm sure that you will all be able to do on your own. Including my Mom's super yummy christmas bread! Check back for some card making teaches. And some awesome holiday cooking gift ideas! Happy Crafting!

Crayon Caddys

Materials needed.
2 5 x 16 1/2 pieces of fabric. This is for the outside and inside. I used flannel.
1 6 x 16 1/2 piece of fabric folded in half lengthwise and pressed (for the pocket)
1 5 x 16 1/2 piece of lightweight fusible interfacing or lightweight batting (Use the batting if you want a "puffy" look.
30 inches of ribbon
1 16 count pkg of crayons
Thread to coordinate with fabric
scissors
pins
sewing machine
Optional
pkg of ric rac trim
If you would like to make these to hold a 24 count box change all the 16 1/2's to 24 1/2. You basically need 1 inch per crayon and a 1/4 inch seam allowance per side.

Instructions:
1. Iron on interfacing to the wrong side of the 5 x 16 1/2 piece of fabric that you want to be on the inside. If you are using batting just pin it on the back.

2. Line up the bottom edges of the folded piece and the piece with the interfacing (or batting), pin together. Starting over from the edge 1 1/4 inches sew lined parallel with the the edge starting for the top of the crayon pocket, back-stitching at the top to reinforce. Sew the lines one inch apart across the pocket. You will have 1 1/4 inches on each side with 14 1 inch pockets between. (If you are doing a 24 count you will have the same but with 22 -1 inch pockets in between.

3.If you want to use ric rac, pin it around the edge of the piece that you just sewed the pockets on. Fold the ribbon in half and pin it on the right edge with the folded end facing out and the loose ends on the inside.

4. Pin remaining piece of 5 x 16 1/2 inch fabric right sides together with the pocket piece. Sew around edges with 1/4 inch seam allowance. Leave about 3 inches across bottom for turning.

5. Trim corners, turn, press and top stitch being careful to catch all layers of the opening to close.

6. Slip crayons inside, roll up and tie shut.

Super simple but oh so very cute!!

Quiet Books

This is a very easy project it takes only minutes for you to complete. You will need the following materials.


1 4x6 photo album. (I bought mine at Walmart for $1 you will find them by the scrap booking materials. You can also find these at most craft stores or dollar stores for around the same price.) If you would like to do your quiet book in a full size with the 8 1/2 x 11 pages you can purchase your binders at Walmart for $1-$3 or the D.I always has some for around $1





2. 1 12x12 piece of card stock (this will cost you at most .50 if you buy a single sheet at Joann's or Michaels. For the larger binders you will need 2 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of card stock these are around .35 to .50 a sheet at the scrapbook and craft stores.





3. a print out of the alphabet pages. You will need to go to this link to print it out. http://www.theideadoor.com/PDF%20Files/Quiet%20Book/GospelQuietBook.pdf


The link will have it as an 8 1/2 x 11. You can print it this way if you would like your quiet book to go into a larger binder. To get it to print to fit the 4x6 book all you will need to do is select the print button. in the left corner of your screen. When it pulls up the printer box select page scaling. From the drop down box select multiple pages per sheet and you should see in the preview screen that you now have 4 pages printing on one sheet. You will be able to print your whole book in 7 pages rather then 27 pages.



4. you will also need a pictures of the mom and dad and grandparents of the child that you are giving the to. These go on the "D", "M", and "G" pages.



To assemble you book all you will need to do is cut out 2 4x6 pieces from your card stock. You can decorate these however you wish and then slip them into the front and back of your book. These become your cover pages. Then cut out all of the alphabet pages into 4x6 pieces and slide them in. Put pictures on the pages

Classes Postponed

Hello all. So this is just a heads up to let you know that we are changing the classes a little bit. We are moving the apron class to October 15th and doing the Quiet Book class in November I'm looking at doing this on either the 12th or 19th. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you have any questions just let me know. Thanks!

October class

Of all the months in the year October is my FAVORITE!! Why you may ask, well for several reasons. First of all things start to cool down, the leaves are falling and I get to rake them all up in a pile and jump into them (yes I still do this!) My birthday is this month and absolutely best of all HALLOWEEN!! I love this holiday! Seriously, how often is it perfectly acceptable to dress up like a freak and act like a clown? OK so I know that some of you are thinking "Doesn't she do that every day?" And my answer would be yes, but the key word here is "acceptable"!! So I think that since this is my favorite holiday it is only fitting that we combine it with some of my other favorite things. Crafting being one of them and quiet kids being the other! Of course there are other things that are my favorite but I was thinking that a Halloween craft night with no kids, Jane Austin books, brownies, slippers and a hockey game playing in the back ground was maybe a little much. So pull out your calenders ladies cause on October 15th is our next Staples and Stitches class. We will be doing quiet book kits for the kids and for those of you who have no need for quiet books I'm doing a separate craft for you that is super simple. I will get you a list of supplies to pick up here in a week or so. I just have some fine tuning to do to make sure that we stay under the $5's! I can't wait to see you all there.

September Project

OK so this month we are doing the No sew simple aprons! I love doing these because not only are they super easy to make but they are something that I use all the time. Some people have purse or shoe addictions. . . I have and apron addiction. I kid you not I have one in every color and for every possible mood that I may be in! I mean come on if you are going to be spending all your time in the kitchen you had better do it with style! OK so back to business.

Materials needed:
1 yard of washable material. I love duck cloth or a poly cotton blend. These are thick and wash great!! I usually get it at walmart for $1.50 a yard. Also a note. 1 yard will make 1 adult size apron. 1 yard at 60" wide will make 4 child size aprons. you should be able to make between 2-4 child sized aprons out of 1 yard. It will just depend on your width.

Ribbon for ties. 80 inches for adult size 40 inches for child size. (2-9) Older children (10 or older) may need a few extra inches.

2 buttons (these are for decoration only and are optional)

1 roll of heat-n-bond (walmart $1.97) one roll goes a long way! You can use any type of no sew product you like this is just the one a prefer cause it is super easy and mess free! Not to mention that is washes extremely well!!

1 snap (This is for the child size only)

needle and thread to sew on buttons and snap

and of course an iron and ironing board

1.pin your pattern on fabric putting long edge on center fold. Unfold and iron out crease in center

this is what you should have.

2.Cut out 1 piece of ribbon 25" long (neck piece) Cut 2 pieces of ribbon at 22" long(ties)

Child apron(not pictured) cut 2 pieces of ribbon at 8" long (neck pieces) cut 2 pieces of ribbon at 12" long (ties)

3.In curved sides of apron press under 1/4" with your iron. This will help to keep material from fraying in wash.

4. Fold and press under again putting the heat-n-bond in between as pictured. Press with Iron making sure that entire edge is sealed.

Your apron should now look like this

Repeat steps 3 and 4 on bottom of apron.

5.Now we are attaching the neck strap. With the right side of your apron facing you place the edges of your ribbon in the corners securing them with small pieces of heat-n-bond. It should look like this. It is important that you let the heat-n-bond cool before trying to pick the ties up. If you don't they will not adhere properly and you will have slipping ties!

6. follow steps 3 and 4 again for seam. Remember to allow time to cool before picking up.

7. Now we will add the side ties. You will follow the same steps as you did for the neck strap. Put your apron right side facing you. (As shown in the picture below) Put ribbon in the corners securing with small pieces of heat-n-bond. Hem as before following steps 3 & 4 (and yes that is my foot in the picture. I just didn't notice it until I was writing the sentence just before this one!)

Finish up by adding buttons at the neck. If you are doing the child size add your snaps to each end of your neck ties.

All right you are all done! See I told you these would be simple. Of course this is a very basic pattern you could add pockets and all sort of cute things on these to personalize them! Have fun making tons of these. I'm warning you they are addicting!

Reciepe Card holder

Materials needed:



1 Wooden frame. 5x7 for recipe card size. (I purchased mine from the dollar store)

piece of chicken wire to fit opening. (Lowes 10'x 24" was $3-4 you can purchase some from me for 1penny an inch)

wire cutters

Staple gun

hammer

decorative paper, wrapping paper, wall paper . . . I think that you get the idea. Cut to fit in your frame

buttons or other type of embellishments if wanted and glue to adhere them

mod-podge and paint brush



OK so lets get started.

1. So to start off you will want to remove the back and glass from your frame. You can throw the glass out but keep the backing you will need this later!

2. Cut a piece of chicken wire to fit the inside of your frame. Staple and hammer into place one side at a time pulling tight and shaping the wire as you go. Make sure that you staple all "loose ends" you don't want your wire to unravel when you trim it. Use your wire cutters to curl in your ends so that you have no sharp edges. The back of your frame should look something like this at this point. (Just a note -make sure that your chicken wire is going in the same direction pictured. If not your reciepe card may not fit.)

3. Use the back of your hammer to push the wire into the grooves on your frame so that you can fit your backing into it later.

4. Take your decorative paper and mod-podge on to the backing of your frame and also on the back of your paper. This will help to maker sure that your edges do not curl up as it dries. Place paper on the frame backing and apply pressure to make sure that you have no bubbles. When dry Mod-podge over the front of your paper. This is an Important step. This seals your paper so that if you should spill or get splatters you can wipe it off without messing things up.

5. Glue on any embellishments that you want to add.

6. Put backing into the frame

And you are done! See that was painless wasn't it! This is a project that you could put into many different sizes to organize may different things. This is great for little girl hair accessories. If you add alligator clips this is a very easy way to organize your mail and keys. The options are endless!