Magic Reindeer Food

One of my favorite holiday traditions is one we've been doing ever since Matthew was in Kindergarten. That year, he brought home a bag of oats and glitter from his class Christmas party labeled "Magic Reindeer Food." Each year since, we've made a big batch of it using our own recipe and we pass it out to our friends.

I also hold an annual party for the kids I babysit and their parents. We mix up our batch of Magic Reindeer Food for everyone to take home and Santa visits us while we all snack on chips, dip and desserts.

I know that Stephanie usually passes on the recipes here, but since this is pretty much inedible to everyone but reindeer and elves, I am calling it a quick and easy holiday craft.

MAGIC REINDEER FOOD

old fashioned oats

red and green sprinkles or colored sugar

glitter

anything else you can think of

Mix all ingredients together in whatever quantity you need.

Sprinkle it over your driveway on Christmas eve to attract reindeer pulling sleighs.You can make up a large batch and put about 1/4 cup in Ziploc bags for classroom parties, too. Attach a tag with the following poem on it:

Sprinkle on your lawn at night,

The moon will make it sparkle bright.

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,

This will guide them to your home.

A HUGE WARNING:Do not leave ANY of the magic reindeer food in your pantry or refrigerator. I did not know this tip the first time we made it and the reindeer came in the house, spilled things from the fridge and pantry and knocked chairs over. Santa left a nice note to apologize, but every year, the reindeer seem to remember that we had it inside one year and they have made a habit of coming in and leaving a mess behind every year since.

Heather is a wife, mom,

school cafeteria worker,

councilwoman and babysitter from Ohio.

She also blogs at Its All for the Best

and The Fat Bottomed Girl.

Christmas Cookie Favorites

The holidays just don't quite seem complete with out Christmas cookies. During the rest of the year I normally opt for sweets that do not take quite as much time, like bar cookies, brownies or cakes. At Christmas though, I thoroughly enjoy a day (or more) of cookie baking.

Cookies can make great gifts too. A few cookies in a small bag can be a perfect small gift for teachers, co-workers, or others. Included in a larger tray or basket they make a great gift for families or for the hard to shop for loved ones on your list. The tray pictured above is headed to the office with my husband. A few more like it will be made over the next few days or so for various gatherings and dinners we are attending. On that tray you can see mini loaves of Amish Friendship Bread along with some of my favorite cookies. The cookie recipes are below.

After spending a day baking cookies, I want to make sure those cookies stay soft and fresh. Placing a slice of bread or apple in the container helps. I lay wax paper over the top of the container before placing the lid on, and if the cookies will be stacked in a container I always put a piece of wax paper between the layers. All of these will freeze well too, except for the Peanut Butter  Blossoms. The chocolate looks a little funny after it has been frozen.

Do you enjoy baking cookies at Christmas? What are some of your favorites?

Carnival #93

Mary at Simply Forties is our hostess for today's carnival. Thanks to her for hosting, and thanks to all of you who participated too. Here are some entries that looked particularly interesting to me this morning. 

Egg-less Eggnog

My oldest son has been asking me to buy eggnog since it first hit the dairy shelves before Thanksgiving. I've been dragging my feet because of the price. The thought of making it at home with all the raw eggs makes my stomach turn a little. This may be the perfect alternative. 

Chickpea and Corn Patties

I'm not sure what it is, but I just love chickpeas. I love them in a salad. I love them made into a hummus. I love them sweet and sour. I'm not sure I've ever met a chickpea I didn't like. This recipe looks like another good one. 

Horseshoe

Cheesy! YUM!

Thanks for checking out the carnival this week. 

Help Wanted

I want to extend a thank you to everyone who participates in the carnival, and especially to those of you who host it. Of course, we all greatly appreciate those of you who simply enjoy reading the carnival. Thanks to all of you. But we could use some more help in the hosting department. 

Hosting the carnival takes a little time, but is easy. You get to preview all the fantastic entries. You also get a nice spike in the traffic to your blog while introducing new readers to your space. Check the hosting schedule at the Blog Carnival page for available dates. Click the link for more information on hosting. Please email me to get on the schedule. 

And while I'm asking for help. . .

A huge thank you to Heather who has shared so many wonderful and easy craft ideas with all of us! We would love to have more bloggers participate here. Guest posts are welcome. Simply email an idea or article for consideration. 

If you would like to host a carnival or contribute a guest post, please email me at makeitfromscratch at yahoo.com

Thanks so much to all of you! 

photo credit: e50e

5 Simple Christmas Crafts for Kids

My kids love to make and give gifts for Christmas. We always try to do something fairly simple since they usually want to make them for family, friends, classmates and teachers. We have been known to make 100 or more of the craft of the year. While you don't have to make that many, you may want to once you see how cute and easy these examples are to make!

My first bit of advice is to choose ONE PROJECT. This will make shopping or searching for supplies much easier. It will also be easier for the kids to complete several once they get the hang of it. You can make a few each night or take a weekend and knock them all out at once (the crafts, not the kids. LOL!).

Dough Ornaments
You can use any kind of dough that dries hard for this craft. Our dough is made out of a mixture of tacky glue and cornstarch. To make: Measure out about 1/4 cup of cornstarch on a disposable plastic plate (it will make a mess at first that is easier to throw away than clean up). Make a well in the center of the cornstarch with your fingers and add about 2 Tablespoons of tacky glue. Knead together until a dough forms.
You will need to work with the dough quickly keeping any extra dough covered with plastic as it dries fast! Only make as much dough as you can work with at one time because it does not store well.
Now you can shape your dough or roll it out and cut it cutting small holes for hangers with a straw if desired. Let air dry face-up on wax paper for 24 to 36 hours (depending on thickness). Paint pieces with craft paint and coat with a clear sealer. Attach ribbons and embellishments with tacky glue.

Paint Brush Santa Ornament
Using a small throw-away brush (sometimes called a chip brush), glue a small ball of dough (see above) on just above the bristles for the nose; paint the handle red, the metal ferrule a flesh tone and the bristles white (I used snow medium to give some texture). Allow to dry completely. Glue on some cotton or poly-fill to make the ball on his hat (at the top of the handle), the base of the hat, and his mustache. Add two googly eyes and a spot of red for his lips. Allow to dry and add a string or ribbon through the hole in the handle for a hanger.

Ribbon-Stitched Foam Stocking
Cut out two pieces of red craft foam in the shape of a stocking. Place the two pieces on top of each other and punch holes with a hole puncher around the sides and bottom. Lace the pieces together with white ribbon. Place a candy cane in the top for an extra treat! These could also be made in the shape of Santa's bag, a boot, a tree or any other holiday shape.

Chenille Stem Candy Canes
These are the easiest of the crafts featured today and can be made by even the youngest crafters! Using one white and one red chenille stem (sometimes called pipe cleaners) for each candy cane, fold each chenille stem in half. Put the two bent pieces together and hold them at one end with one hand while you twist them together with the other hand. Bend the top 1.5 inches over to make the cane shape. No need to add a hanger as the cane hangs right over a tree branch.

Foam Christmas Tree
Cut a triangle out of green craft foam in any size you wish. Using a hole puncher, punch out several different colored dots (this is a great way to use those scraps of foam we keep for no reason). Glue dots to the tree with tacky glue. Cut out a small star for the tree top from yellow or from glitter foam and glue to the top of your tree. Punch a hole in the tree to add a ribbon hanger or attach a magnet to the back as we have done!


There you have 5 simple Christmas crafts for the kids to make. I'm sure you'll get hooked on the fun of making these crafts as well. Don't forget to have the kids add their names and the year whenever possible to make a lasting keepsake!

Heather is a wife, mom,
school cafeteria worker,
councilwoman and babysitter from Ohio.
She also blogs at Its All for the Best
and The Fat Bottomed Girl.

Chocolate Covered Gifts

I trust that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that if you were hosting the meal that all went smoothly. If it didn't, that is alright. Chalk it up to a memorable holiday and learning experience. This is is the third year we have hosted Thanksgiving. I think this is the first time I can truly say that it all went right (even the gravy!) and I wasn't completely stressed by the time the food hit the table. 

With Thanksgiving past, we are full swing into the Christmas season. It is time to pick back up on the series begun well before Thanksgiving, edible Christmas presents. In case you missed the previous posts, they were This Season's Bounty, Next Season's Gifts, Quick Breads, and For Coffee Lovers. This week I am sharing one of my favorite holiday projects, making chocolate candy. 

Making chocolate covered candy can be extremely simple or a little more involved depending on what you are making. If you are new to this, start simple with items like pretzels, nuts, or coffee beans. First, start with good chocolate. Chocolate chips do not work as well as chocolate specifically for candy making. Coating chocolate is sometimes available in large blocks, but more commonly sold in wafers. You can find it in bulk food stores, craft stores, and party stores. This is one of the few times that I recommend a specific brand. Merckens is the best.

 

Coating chocolate comes in a wide variety of colors and flavors. I mainly stick with dark, milk chocolate and white chocolate. The other varieties are good to add color, but tend to taste waxy. 

It is best to use a double boiler to melt the chocolate. If you use a microwave to melt chocolate be careful. Chocolate burns very easily. Microwave in 30-45 second increments, and stir between each heating. Avoid getting any water in the chocolate. 

Once the chocolate is melted it is time for the fun part, dipping. Do all your dipping first. Dip items like pretzels, animal crackers, marshmallows, peanut butter balls (18 oz peanut butter mixed with 1 pound powdered sugar,) or other favorites. Forks, tongs, and chopsticks make great dipping tools, but you can buy tools specially made for the job. Dip the item into the chocolate, tap off any excess chocolate, and lay the item on wax paper to dry. 

Once the item is dry drizzle melted colored chocolate over it to add decoration. Another favorite here it to dip pretzel rod about 3/4 in chocolate, tap off the excess, allow to cool slightly and the roll in sprinkles before the chocolate is set. 

After you have dipped all you can, there will still be quite a bit of chocolate left. Make clusters with the remaining chocolate. Into your bowl or double boiler put nuts, rice crisps, raisins, or a mixture of items. Stir until everything is coated and drop by the spoonful onto wax paper. 

Chocolate covered candies make a great small gift by themselves. Simply place in a pretty bag and tie a bow on. They are a great addition to goody trays or gift baskets of homemade goods. The possibilities are endless, and delicious. 

For more chocolate covered ideas: Easy Chocolate Christmas Candy

Photo credit: Hilary 74

Carnival #92

This week's edition of Make it from Scratch is hosted at I've Got a Little Space to Fill. Mama Bear did a wonderful job, and the pictures she has included are making me want to go do some cooking, even at this early hour of the morning. Thanks Mama Bear!

It is a big carnival this week, full of foods, crafts and gift ideas. I only have a few minutes this morning, so be sure to go check the entire carnival, but here are some posts that caught my eye.

Have yourself a Homemade Christmas

A great variety of ideas and recipes to use for homemade gifts this year. The biscotti recipes are on my to do list!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I make my own powdered laundry soap, but I always love to see the different recipes others use. This is a liquid version of the detergent.

Making your own bird seed treats (or, how to avoid catalog price shocks) 

I love feeding the birds and watching them outside my kitchen window. This is a great idea for making your own, pretty bird feed with out spending a fortune. Plus, for those of you who live in warm places,  the recipe will hold up in warmer weather.

Thanks for joining us for this week's carnival. We would love to include your post next week! Simply submit it using the blogcarnival form. If you would like to host an edition, please email me at makeitfromscratch at ymail.com

Enjoy the Carnival!