Homemade Play Dough

I'm really excited to share my new play dough recipe with all of you! After several play dough recipes, and much tweeking, I'm finally satisfied with the final product! This version is non toxic, and won't harm your child if consumed. However, I don't recommend eating it. Lol! This play dough will keep for several weeks, even months, in the refrigerator. I do recommend putting it in an air tight container, and placing it in the fridge after each use. We use old PlayDoh containers to store ours! 

• What you'll need:

Small Bowls for "Each Color"

Fork for "Each Color"

Measuring Spoons

Measuring Cups

Pastry Board

Air Tight Containers

• Dough Recipe for "Each Bowl (Color)":

1/2 TBSP Vegetable Oil

Food Coloring Gel

1/2 C Hot Water

1 C Flour

1/4 C Table Salt

1 TBSP Cream of Tartar

Additional Flour for kneading

Directions:

If you would like to go with standard colors, as shown above, place 4 small bowls onto a flat surface. Warm up 2 Cups of Water in the microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Put 1/2 TBSP of vegetable oil into each bowl. Squirt approximately 6-10 drops of gel food coloring into each bowl. You may use liquid food coloring if that's all you have. We used colors Green, Yellow, Red, & Blue. Refer to the back of your food coloring box on how to mix food coloring for more colors. The more food coloring, the brighter your colors will be. Pour 1/2 C of the hot water into each bowl. Wisk with a fork until color dissolves. I use a different fork for each color, so our colors don't mix. Pour 1/2 C Flour, 1/4 C Table Salt, & 1 TBSP of Cream of Tartar into each bowl. Mix with fork until smooth. Add an additional 1/2 C Flour to each bowl, and mix until smooth. Sprinkle flour onto Pastry Board or flat surface. Get ready to knead your dough! This is the fun part. Start with one color at a time. Smother your dough ball with flour. *Knead your dough, adding more flour until your dough ball is to your liking. The dough should not be sticky, and not too dry. Slam your dough ball onto your pastry board a few times until it's just right. My kid loves this part. Throwing dough is lots of fun! Set your perfectly perfect dough ball aside. Scrape off your pastry board each time as to not mix the colors. Repeat kneading process with each dough ball. 

*Tip: Add more flour if your dough ball is too moist. If your dough ball is too dry, wet your hand with water, and knead the dough until it's smooth again. 

Enjoy!! 

Cream Cheese Baked Ziti

What you'll need:

9x13 Casserole Dish

Large Skillet

Large Pot

Strainer

Spoon

Spatula

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Ziti (Barilla)

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1/4 tsp minced Garlic or 1 Clove Fresh Garlic

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/2 tsp dried chopped Onion

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Pepper

4 oz Cream Cheese (Neufchâtel)

24 oz Red Sauce (Bertolli Five Cheese)

4 oz Italian Five Cheese Shredded Cheese -or- Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Follow directions on Ziti pasta box. Cook, drain, and rinse. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish. Meanwhile, brown lean ground beef with garlic, oregano, onion, salt, and pepper. Drain and Rinse. Throw back into skillet. Add cream cheese. Melt. Add red sauce. Stir. Pour over Ziti pasta. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Top with shredded cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, and sauce is bubbling. Roughly about 20 minutes. 

This dish feeds 4 people. Enjoy!

Christine's Healthy Banana Pancakes

Christine's Healthy Banana Pancakes 

• high in protein, fiber, potassium •

Healthy option to start off your morning, eat pre or post workout, as a snack, etc. 

Great way to load up on ENERGY! Serve up plain, with maple syrup (or your favorite syrup), or local honey!

I had a lot of fun playing around with these pancakes! And they were so good! I did have to experiment! So, it did take a little time. I wanted something high in protein, fiber, and potassium. I think I got exactly what I intended! 

What you'll need:

A bowl

Measuring cups & spoons

A potato masher (or just the fork with do)

A fork

A Magic Bullet (or some type of grinder or food processor)

A griddle

A turner (or as I call it in Texas, a spatula)

Christine's Healthy Banana Pancakes Recipe

• makes 6 medium sized pancakes •

1/3 C Mashed Bananas (1 ripe banana)

1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

1/3 C whole grain Oats (grind into a fine powder)

1/3 C whole almonds (grind into a fine powder)

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 tsp local honey

1 tsp vanilla

*optional: 1-2 tsp baking powder

In a bowl, mash bananas. Stir in Apple Sauce (with fork, or you can grab a spoon). In a separate bowl, slightly beat the eggs with a fork, then pour them into your banana and apple sauce mixture. Set aside. Grind up oats. Pour into mixture. Grind up almonds. Pour into mixture. Add cinnamon, local honey, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. You can test out this concoction without baking powder for a more wholesome wet pancake, or go ahead and stir in the baking powder. You're more than welcome to experiment by adding a little baking powder at a time, testing how you like your pancake. Or just go wild, and throw the whole amount in for a fuller pancake. 

 

* healthy whole pancakes are more wet, so if you want a drier pancake, add baking powder

** cook on medium to low temp depending for an even cook (these healthy pancakes do seem to take longer to cook than traditional pancakes

*** I'm constantly perfecting my concoctions, so if I think of a better way to make this pancake, I'll share!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tbsp Chili Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Paprika

1-1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients. Store in air tight container.

Use as much as you like to season your favorite dishes.