Vintage placemat --> Clothespin bag

Kellie is a crafty momma who blogs regularly at Greenhab and the Green Phone Booth.

I love picking up kitchy vintage linens, napkins and place mats whenever I see them at second hand stores. I have a big collection of them in my sewing stash just waiting for the right projects. Now that the weather is finally starting to get nice again, I've begun line drying our clothes out on the porch. For the past two years, I've gotten by with a plastic bag for my clothes pins, but this week I found some time to turn a cute sunshine yellow place mat into a clothes pin bag.

For this project, all you'll need is an old place mat and some velcro. You can make the bag any size you'd like, so there's really no need for precise measurements. If you were making one as a gift, you might want to line the bag. In my house, I'm Laundry Queen and am guaranteed to be the only one who will ever see this, so I left it unlined.

First, cut a few inches off one end of the place mat. Turn the larger side (which will be the bag) inside out and square off the corners to create a boxed bottom.

Turn the bag right side out. Fold the top in twice, iron, and stitch. Set this piece aside.

With the small scrap piece, fold the ends in, iron, and top stitch all around. This piece will be the strap for the bag.

Before attaching the strap to the bag, you'll want to attach the velcro pieces. One will go on the end of the strap. The other goes on the back of the bag (outside, top) as seen below.

Now we'll attach the strap to the back side (inside) of the bag like this...

Make sure you attach it so that the velcro pieces will match up when you fold the strap over.

Now that I'm looking at it, you could probably leave the strap off altogether and just use clothes pins to hold it up. I like it this way though, because you can sort of slide it down the clothes line as you go.

Enjoy!

Carnival #165

Welcome to the Make it from Scratch Carnival! This is the very last MIFS in April. (Where has this month gone?) Remember, that from now on, we will not be using the Blog Carnival format. Come here next Thursday to share your recipes and projects by adding your link to the MckLinky.

YUM!

Lori presents Garlic Cheddar Rolls posted at Two Southern Girls.

Dana presents Capture the fragrance of spring with lilac jelly! posted at Roscommon Acres.

Kate Rothwell presents 80 Easy Ways You Can Join the Food Revolution posted at MRI Technician Schools.

Katie Kimball presents How to Make a Sourdough Starter posted at Kitchen Stewardship.

PRETTY!

Tara presents It's A Girl Thing!!: "SPRING" Blocks!! posted at It's A Girl Thing!!.

RecycleCindy presents Recycling Plastic Six Pack Rings posted at My Recycled Bags.com.

Batya presents The "Scrap Hat" posted at me-ander.

Kristin Gagliardi presents Craft Room Organization - Cricut Cartridges and Stamps posted at Attempt Creativity.

GET OUTSIDE!
Wallet Blogger presents Growing Carrots In My Garden posted at The Smarter Wallet.

Tammy presents What We're Up To (Garden Update) posted at Simply Beck's Bounty.

Sandra de Charo presents 10 Great Blogs To Check Before You Build a Swing Set posted at Outdoor Swing Sets.


LINK UP YOUR PROJECTS!
Carnival Guidelines:

Link up your recipes, crafts, garden projects, yarn creations, home improvement, or other d-i-y posts. Posts about making something, or helpful resources and tips for making things is what we are all about.

Please link directly to the post, not to home page of your blog.  Kindly link back to the carnival with twitter, stumble and/or from your blog.

Sweet and Flaky Nectarine Tartlets

Spring and summer always makes me think of fruit. These little tartlets are the perfect ending to a lovely, light summer meal. Although the recipe includes making your own pastry, you can make these even quicker by using a store-bought pie crust.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup ice water

1 large egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 nectarines (1 1/4 pounds), pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the ice water, egg yolk and vinegar. In a food processor, pulse the 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour with the cornstarch and salt. Add the butter and pulse until it is the size of peas. Sprinkle on the egg mixture and pulse just until a soft dough forms. Turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and roll it into an 8-inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a saucepan, bring the sugar, water and vanilla bean and seeds to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice and nectarines; let cool.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, cut the pastry log into sixteen 1/2-inch slices. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out each slice to a 3-inch round and transfer to the baking sheets. Drain the nectarines and arrange on the pastry rounds, leaving a border all around. Fold the border up and over the nectarines, pleating the edges; the tartlets should be about 2 inches wide.

4. Bake the tartlets for about 25 minutes, until they are golden and bubbling; shift the pans halfway through baking. Let cool and serve

Quick Kitchen Tip: The Pizza Cutter

Isn't it interesting how when you get married you're exposed to all these new ideas and ways to do things? You realize that not everyone accomplishes tasks in ways that you've always known. To me, a pizza cutter was just that, a tool to cut pizza with. To my husband it was so much more.

It is great for cutting up pancakes, quesadillas, French toast, sandwiches, and more. It is a huge time saver for those of us who need to cut food into bite sized pieces for multiple children. A couple quick passes with the pizza cutter and you're ready to go.

So, pull that pizza cutter out of the drawer a little more often. Give it a quick spin through your pancakes. I think you'll find to be a more useful gadget than you ever thought. You can thank my mother in law.



Photo Credit: MarcPinter

Parmesean Crusted Stuffed Chicken

Spring has officially sprung in Hallock Minnesota so I'll keep today's post short and to the point so we all can get back to enjoying the beautiful weather Mother Nature has finally given us!
Today's recipe is simple and healthy. My family really enjoyed this dish last week and I hope you do too! It's even easy enough your husband can cook this for Mother's Day! hint! hint! ;D

Ingredients

• 3 boneless chicken breast
• extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, crushed crackers or other coarse crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 over sized Tb cottage cheese
• 1 Tb sour cream
• 1 Tb crushed basil
• salt & pepper
• finely diced fully cooked pepperoni, bacon, or prosciutto
• finely diced bell pepper - green, red, yellow
• finely diced onion - optional
• about a dozen toothpicks

Directions
Mix cottage cheese, sour cream, basil and a pinch of salt in a blender till smooth. Set aside.

Mix flour, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and a dash of salt and pepper in a seperate bowl. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tb EVOO in a skillet over medium high heat and preheat oven to 350. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound the chicken to about 1/4" thickness. Spread a thin layer of cheese mixture over the surface of the chicken leaving approximately 1/4" around the edges. Sprinkle diced bell pepper, onion and pepperoni over the cheese mixture. You can also add some additional Parmesan cheese on top of the veg for an extra cheesy kick. Roll chicken jelly-roll style tucking in the sides as you go. Secure with toothpicks.

Dredge chicken roll in egg then in flour mixture. Place seam side down in heated EVOO. Cook approximately 3 minutes on all sides until a nice crust forms. Place crusted chicken in a greased baking dish. Finish cooking chicken in the oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Jenn cooks and crafts her way to a better bottom line at the Frugal Front Porch. She blogs about gardening, crafts, recipes and raising a family on a budget without sacrificing the finer things in life. Make sure you stop by the new blog meme Strut Your Stuff where you can link up your favorite posts from around the blogosphere!

How To Make Thousand Islands Dressing

Has there ever been a time where you actually smacked yourself upside the head? This was my *doh* moment.

Thousand islands salad dressing: ubiquitous, popular, familiar, and most purchased. I'm not embarrassed to admit that it's my first choice to dress a garden salad. I've always loved it, ever since I was a kid.

Over at my regular blog, Gotta Little Space, I have a 100 Things To Make list, and on that list is thousand islands dressing. So a few days ago I decided there's no time like the present and I just did it. And that was my *doh* moment. Because in less than five minutes I'd whipped up a homemade version of thousand islands dressing that was just as familiar as Kraft.

Except...except I made it with ingredients everyone has in their kitchen, and without the unpronounceable mystery ingredients listed on the product page of Kraft's website, for example:

SOYBEAN OIL, TOMATO PUREE (WATER, TOMATO PASTE), VINEGAR, SUGAR, CHOPPED PICKLES, SALT, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF XANTHAN GUM, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, LACTIC ACID, DRIED ONIONS, CITRIC ACID, POLYSORBATE 60, PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE, SPICE, MUSTARD FLOUR, VITAMIN E, NATURAL FLAVOR, OLEORESIN TURMERIC.

I took the liberty of researching a few of the strange phrases for you - if you click on the links it will take you to a description of what they really are. My question is this: if it's this easy to make my own, minus those wonky ingredients, why the heck have I been buying it for so long??

What about you, what's your best *doh* moment?

Thousand Islands Salad Dressing
Recipezaar
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish or chopped pickles
1 teaspoon finely minced white onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
few grindings black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well to combine and refrigerate several hours, stirring occasionally, to allow sugar to dissolve and flavors to marry.

Carnival #164

Welcome to the Make it from Scratch Carnival! Remember April is a transition month. Blog Carnival submissions are still accepted, but now Mcklinky links are available. You'll find those at the bottom of the page.
Now onto the carnival.


Good Eating
Heather Solos presents Shrimp Étouffée posted at Home Ec 101.

David Cox presents Awesome Corn Casserole Recipe posted at Cook on a Shoestring.

SimplyForties presents Vegetable Stuffed Pork Tenderloin en Croute with Creole Mustard Cream Sauce posted at SimplyForties.

Lori Vaughn presents Broccoli Parmigiano posted at Two Southern Girls.

Zhu presents What's for Lunch? | Correr Es Mi Destino posted at Correr Es Mi Destino.

Rachel presents Fun Learning Activities for Preschoolers and Kids » Blog Archive » Alphabet Soft Pretzels: Yummy Preschool Snack & Activity posted at Fun Learning Activities for Preschoolers and Kids.

Kris presents Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus and Turkey Sausage: A Recipe for Baseball Season posted at Cheap Healthy Good.


Kitchen Helps
Digerati Life presents 3 Disadvantages of Ready Made Meals & TV Dinners posted at The Digerati Life. 

Penny presents My Refrigerator Solar Cooker posted at Penniless Parenting. 


Other Household Helps

Wallet Blogger presents 7 Frugal Tips To Clean and Care For Your Clothes posted at The Smarter Wallet.

RecycleCindy presents Recycled Plastic Fat Bottom Bag posted at My Recycled Bags.com.

Linda@NHE presents Make Your Own Cat Repellent posted at Natural Health Ezine.


Ana Paula presents Top 100 Gardening Blogs posted at Construction Management Degrees.

Wil Procter presents How to make English vocabulary index cards posted at Wil's World of Words.

Florine Church presents 100 Best Blogs for Fashion Students posted at Online Degree Programs.org: Top Online Degrees.


Alex presents Printable Mothers Day Cards posted at Home Life Weekly.


Carnival Guidelines:

Link up your recipes, crafts, garden projects, yarn creations, home improvement, or other d-i-y posts. Posts about making something, or helpful resources and tips for making things is what we are all about.

Please link directly to the post, not to home page of your blog.  Kindly link back to the carnival with twitter, stumble and/or from your blog.

Granny Smith Apple and Brown Butter Custard Tart

Beautiful and easy. What more could you want?!

Tart Shell -
Vegetable oil spray
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Filling -
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
5 large Granny Smith apples (6 to 8 ounces each)—peeled, cored and cut into 6 wedges each
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions -

1. MAKE THE TART SHELL: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and egg yolk mixture and process just until the pastry comes together. Turn the pastry out onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Press the pastry evenly into the tart pan and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

2. Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill loosely with pie weights. (Dried beans work perfectly as pie weights.) Bake for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set. Remove the parchment and pie weights and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the tart shell is lightly browned all over.

3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING: In a very large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar; cook over high heat until just brown. Add the apples, season lightly with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until lightly caramelized, 12 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan, cook the remaining stick of butter over moderate heat until the milk solids brown and the butter is fragrant, about 7 minutes. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until thick and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then beat in the browned butter, scraping the milk solids into the custard mixture.

5. Pour the custard into the shell; arrange the apples in a single layer of slightly overlapping circles. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is puffed and richly browned. Transfer to a rack and cool before serving.

Enjoy!!

3 Extremely Handy Cooking-From-Scratch Tips

This guest article is written by Teresa Jackson, she writes on the subject of online nurse practitioner school . She invites your questions, comments at her email address :  teresa.jackson19@gmail.com.


In this day and age where we are accustomed to doing things at lightning speed and moving at the speed of light, it’s no wonder that instant or fast food is the one thing that seems to give us instant gratification. But on the downside, this kind of food, that’s easy to put together also causes instant illness and instant weight gain – it’s loaded with calories and not healthy at all because of all the processing that has gone into the ingredients and the artificial preservatives that have been added. So if it’s health you’re looking for, you need to know how to cook from scratch, using ingredients that are healthy and safe for your family in a hygienic and clean environment. And to aid your efforts as you cook up a storm, here are a few tips that will come in handy:

• Get up to speed: Cooking from scratch need not be a time consuming procedure if you’re well prepared and know what you’re doing. In general, when you know what you want to cook, have all the ingredients ready on the counter in the right proportions, and know the recipe by heart, you’re done in no time at all. It may seem like a dreary chore getting all the ingredients ready before you start to make the dish, but when you’re prepared in advance, you not only save time but also minimize the chances of burning or ruining a meal by leaving the pan untended on the stove or adding an ingredient well after the right time.
• Your workspace is your haven: I hate a messy countertop when I cook; for me, it’s essential that I clear away each ingredient or utensil as soon as I’m done using it so that I don’t have a cluttered cooking area. It’s also easier to minimize spills and accidents when your countertop is not covered with random odds and ends that make it hard for you to pick out the right ingredients. Clear away what you don’t need and keep breakable jars and pots away from harm’s way (so that you don’t push them to the floor by accident with your elbows or dish towels).
• Haste makes waste: And finally, every aspiring cook must learn that it’s not good to hurry up the process. When you try to speed things up, you end up ruining the flavor of the dish and you also risk adding more or less of each ingredient than you’re supposed to. So go slowly, take time to experiment with the ingredients (use wholegrain substitutes instead of processed flour and other healthier alternatives) and find ways to make the recipe healthier without compromising on taste (reduce salt and enhance the flavor with herbs and lime). It’s easy to make your own healthier and tastier variations to recipes when you cook from scratch.

When you cook from scratch, you not only save yourself a ton of money, you also know you’re giving your family the best gift possible – good health.

Fabulous Fried Green Beans

Fabulous Fried Green Beans

I have been under the weather for a week so there's been zero cooking, crafting or cleaning at my house other than what the hubby and kids have done! I shared this wonderful recipe with my Frugal Front Porch readers last year so I thought I would share it with you all today. Fried green beans are a fast and versatile dish. Serve it as a side dish to compliment a roast or grilled chicken or serve as an appetizer during your next dinner party. Either way you can take them from frozen to plate in under 15 minutes.

Here's my easy method to prepare Fried Green Beans. 

Ingredients

Frozen Green Beans
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Corn Meal
Spices

Directions

Preheat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat. Mix flour, corn meal, and any spice combo you like in an oversized bowl. Toss the frozen green beans in a bowl of water or milk to partially thaw them while helping the flour mixture stick to the green beans. Place a few wet green beans in the flour mixture and coat well. Fry in small batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towel lined dish and enjoy!

Jenn's Tips: The wetter the beans the better your flour coating will turn out. Soak the beans in milk or water while you mix your flour coating for a crunchy coating. You can also try an egg wash before you flour your beans.

Spice Ideas: Include 2 tbs of chili powder or taco seasoning in flour mixture for some heat. Mix in parmesean cheese, garlic powder, oregano powder for an Italian version. Add nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon for an nutty earthy flavor.

Fried foods are a southern tradition! We fry EVERYTHING! If there's a doubt about how to prepare a dish, we proud southerners have a few guaranteed cooking methods that'll make anyone's mouth water with anticipation: add sugar and/or butter or simply fry it! That's right, southern cooking is THAT easy and it's a method pleasing the masses for generations! What's your favorite fried dish?

 

Jenn also blogs at Frugal Front Porch where she writes about food, crafts, gardening and raising a family on a budget. Visit the community and stop by the new Strut Your Stuff blog meme where you can link up your favorite blog posts, new and old.

To-Do List...

Kellie blogs regularly at Greenhab and the Green Phone Booth.

What a whirlwind the last two weeks have been - activities and birthdays and running from here to there. I've sewn tooth fairy pillows for our first lost tooth and birthday party favor bags for Macy's 6th birthday party. It's been lots of fun, but hasn't left me much time to create anything new. Oh - and did I mention that I got a food mill for my birthday (which isn't actually until June)? So I may have spent some time making and canning jam this week when I could have been sewing.

So instead of a tutorial today, I thought I'd share with you some of the things on my to-do list. These are a few projects I can't wait to work on once life settles down.

First up is this water bottle sling from Betz White on Petite Purls. I love pretty much everything that Betz White does! 

In the summer time, like anyone else, we spend a lot of time outside, at the park, the zoo, hiking, etc. and, quite frankly, carrying water bottles for every kid gets old - and heavy. This summer each of my kids will be getting one of these slings so that they can be responsible for their own water.

I'll also be employing the puzzle solution I found on Sutton Grace last week. Our puzzle area looks much like hers. The boxes seem to get broken so easily and pieces end up everywhere. This idea is so cute!

Sonia at Cozy Homemaking has also inspired me to make some new coasters for our dining room table. I think it's finally spring here, so I'm feeling the need to redecorate a bit. I have more sets of coasters than anyone could possibly need but that doesn't seem to matter when I see the adorable "Tea Time" coasters she made.

What projects are you working on? Anything I need to add to my list?

Carnival #163

Welcome to the Make it from Scratch Carnival! Remember April is a transition month. Blog Carnival submissions are still accepted, but now Mcklinky links are available. You'll find those at the bottom of the page. This week we are trying a new linking format that allows a thumbnail picture from your post. I'm so excited to "see" what you will link up! Now onto the carnival:

From the Kitchen

Casey Markee presents 20 Party Cakes Gone Horribly Wrong posted at Party 911 Blog - Tips, Tricks And Helpful Hints For Hosting A Great Party.


Dora Renee' Wilkerson presents Chicken and Dumplings posted at Y-2K Hippie.

NerdMom presents How I Made 5 Trays of Enchiladas in 2 Hours posted at Nerd Family Food.

Bobbie Whitehead presents Cool Collards posted at The Backyard Grower.

Phelan presents Like a Spark Dropped From the Sun posted at A Homesteading Neophyte.


Making Useful Things
RecycleCindy presents Recycled Denim Baby Bibs posted at My Recycled Bags.com.

Abigail Bailey presents Make a DIY rigid heddle loom « abigailscraftshowto.com posted at abigailscraftshowto.com.

Tara V presents Upcycled Egg Carton Craft Project posted at Go Green Street.

Jennifer Saksa presents Make A Customized Ringtone for Your New Phone posted at NCH Software Blog.


Making Beautiful Things

NerdMom presents And We Have a Bow! posted at NerdFamily Blog.

Daniel Jones presents 52 Useful Firefox Add-Ons for Photographers posted at Photography Colleges.

Carnival Guidelines:

Link up your recipes, crafts, garden projects, yarn creations, home improvement, or other d-i-y posts. Posts about making something, or helpful resources and tips for making things is what we are all about.


Please link directly to the post, not to home page of your blog.  Kindly link back to the carnival from your blog.

Links not meeting the above guidelines will be deleted.


Thank you!

Pasta with Herbed Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

I'm at my brother's house in Georgia this week and my sister-in-law made this very delicious and versatile pasta dish for dinner last night and I wanted to share it. The trick is in the goat cheese. If you love goat cheese like I do, you'll love this dish. If you don't, you might want to skip this one.

Put some water on for pasta. Capellini (angel hair) works best for this dish. While the water is heating, fine dice and saute some onions and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add a couple of cups of halved cherry tomatoes and anything else you think would be wonderful and heat through. Cook the pasta and drain it. Now for the magic part, put a 3 oz block of herbed goat cheese in the bottom of your pasta bowl and add the hot pasta and vegetables on top. The heat of the pasta will melt the goat cheese into the most wonderful light sauce. Toss thoroughly until the goat cheese is completely melted. Add some chopped fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately!

You won't believe how delicious this goat cheese pasta dish is. Make a lot because you'll want to go back for seconds and even thirds!

Enjoy!

My Obsession & Homemade Finger Paint

I have a secret to tell.

I have an insane obsession with old cookbooks. The older the cookbook, the better. I snatch them up at yard sales, thrift stores, book sales; anywhere I can get my grubby little hands on one. 

Photo courtesy of Tour Kittson County

A few weeks ago I discovered a secret treasure in my small sleepy town of 1,000. We have a thrift store. Granted it’s in a small (very small) room located in our Senior Center and it’s supplied mostly from the older people in our community. The seniors turn over what possessions their family’s don’t want and what left after the rummage sales before moving into the nursing home. The thrift store keeps what they believe will sell and donate the remainder to Goodwill.

Needless to say there are tons of antique and classic items in the store. The clothing and shoe fashions aren’t necessarily to my style but they have old records, books, cookbooks, dishes, trinkets, knick knacks, cookware and a myriad of other things I love to look and run my fingers over. Old things not only have a distinctive look, the feel different too. I love to to browse. Taking in all the history. Imagining the treasure's long and colorful journey. Even if I don’t buy anything, the fun is in the looking, touching and day dreaming.

Flikr photo fo Lefse by Litherland

During this visit I discovered a 280 page 1983 church cookbook. It’s full of all sorts of fabulous recipes. There are so many, I haven’t had the chance to give them all a thorough examination. But I will! I live in Scandinavian country so being a native southern gal, I’m not too familiar with dishes like Swedish Rusk, Potato Korv, and Lefse. A sweet toasted cookie, potato sausage, and a potato bread respectively. I’m looking forward to trying some of these dishes. I suspect the ingredients will be easier to locate since this is the type of food folks in this area prepare quite often.

I was quite surprised to discover a “This n That” section of the book listing recipes for play dough, finger Jello, plant fertilizer, finger paint. Today I’ll share the “Rainy Day Finger Paint” courtesy of Becky R. from the Evangelical Mission Covenant Church Centennial Cookbook of 1983.

Flikr Photo by Little Silver

Ingredients

1/2 cup cornstarch 1 envelope Knox gelatin 1/2 cup soap flakes

1 cup cold water 2 cups hot water food coloring (as desired)

Directions
Combine cornstarch and 3/4 cup cold water. Soak gelatin in remaining 1/4 cup cold water. Stir hot water slowly into starch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils and is clear. Remove from heat and blend in softened gelatin. Stir in soap flakes until dissolved. Cool mixture. Then divide into a jar for each color. Cover jars to store.

Jenn is a SAHM of two energetic and imaginative boys, one sport lovin' tweenie girl, and wife to a fantastically devoted husband. She writes about family, good food, fun crafts, saving money and her adventures in gardening and sewing at the Frugal Front Porch. Stop by for a visit.