Teacher Christmas

I know this post is a little late for this year, but honestly you could easily pull this off still if you want!  Once you buy the very few supplies these come together in minutes!  I try to find or do things for the teachers that are practical yet show that we are thinking of them.  I found TONS of cool ideas on Pinterest this year and this one has been so well received!

Here's the poem you could print or simply write inside of a card:
Since November you’ve been shopping, barely sleeping, hardly stopping.
Now it’s late, you’re in a scrape, out of paper or out of tape. Hope this wrap helps save the day!
Have a Happy Holiday!

**Side note, I did find this poem and the idea in a few different places.  I do not know who the original clever person is who came up with it though to give credit where it belongs.  I'm simply sharing with you all my interpretation =)

Supplies- Wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, hole punch, and a card (or print the poem)

The original post looked so cute and I could not figure out how to get the note and tape attached.  The wrapping paper I bought as a 4 pack, so each roll had plastic bands keeping the paper rolled up.  I used a paint brush to gently push between the paper and the plastic to give enough room to fish through a piece of ribbon.

 Added the poem and tape and pulled the ribbon nice and snug.  I was able to transport these to the school, juggle them alongside of a stroller and there were no casualties to report!! 

 Don't forget others around the school that you may want to show appreciation to such as the librarian, PE Teacher, Art, Music, Custodial staff, etc.  This year I whipped up a few batches of peanut butter cookies RECIPE and put them into ziptop bags with a printed tag that said "We are NUTS about you!  Merry Christmas!" 

It truly doesn't take tons of money to show those around you appreciation!  All told with supplies and ingredients this was all under $6!

Mailing a can of goodies!

Since school has started, the kids haven't been sending as many pen pal letters as they were before.  Hopefully this activity will spark the interest again now that the excitement for the first bit of school has worn off.  This works on so many crucial skills for the kids, as well as friendship!  We don't exactly have a lot to give this year but trying our best to teach the kids that it is better to give than receive.  They've had fun coming up with ideas of things that we could stuff in to a can!  I won't give away the contents, the recipient's mother *may* read this LOL 


Before opening your can using the pop top, grab a side cutting (no sharp edge) can opener.  (This one is Pampered Chef but I have seen them in stores)

 Wash with warm soapy water and let it dry.

 Stuff in your items.  I put them into a zip-top bag just in case the glue runs.

 Use E600 glue (craft stores) or gorilla glue may work.  Put a bead of glue all the way around the lid.

 Press the lid on to the can and wipe away excess glue.

 Place a heavy object on top and let it dry for a few hours.

 Decorate with duct tape!!  Names and addresses have been blurred for privacy.

 TA DA! Here they are front and back.  I have realized that I need to expand my tape collection and add some Christmas.  I know if this was for our kids they would be so excited just by the can that they probably wouldn't even care what's inside!  I will update once I get these mailed with their weight and the cost! 

Crazy Cake & icing (all dairy free!)

This recipe has many names: Crazy cake, wacky cake, depression cake...... we just call it Yummy!  This is one of those timeless recipes that just happens to be dairy free (it is also egg free for those who are looking for a great recipe)! I also love the fact that is only dirties up one bowl!  Less dishes and a homemade cake equals win-win!

As is, this recipe makes 12 cup cakes or 1 8x8 cake & VERY easily doubled!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1 cup cold water

Gather all of your ingredients and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

 I sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

 Add in the wet ingredients & mix until incorporated but don't over mix!

 Place into greased pans or muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.

 Some people why ask why sift?  This is why ;o)

 Bake 15-30 minutes depending on your vessel until toothpick comes out clean.

Now here's a great icing recipe from Wilton. Wilton Recipe This is the class butter cream recipe that is also dairy free! This is vegan (dairy & egg free) if you do not use the meringue powder (which is basically a dried egg product).  The powder gives the icing the ability to crust which is necessary when making certain decorations, but for everyday use it is not needed. For this particular cake I was making it vegan so I omitted the meringue powder from the original recipe.

Also, the Wilton flavors are clear so that your icing will stay bright white.  If you use regular vanilla it will slightly tint your icing.  Also note, to color this icing use wilton colors instead of regular food dye.

• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon Wilton Flavor (vanilla, almond or butter)
• 7-8 teaspoons milk or water
• 1 lb. confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon Meringue Powder
• pinch of salt (optional)

 Cream shortening, water, & vanilla

 Slowly incorporate sugar & meringue powder

 This will be stiff consistency (see the standing spatula)  this is normal.  To thin, just add small amounts of water as needed. 

Dairy Free Mac n Cheese- Take 1

I'm experimenting with different techniques & alternative cheeses for macaroni and cheese, so here is Take 1.  There are so many different recipes for mac 'n cheese out there and everyone likes it a little different.  Let me start by saying that my personal preference will affect my opinion of each recipe that we try.  I will try to list the pros and cons of each one as unbiased as possible to help you find the best one for your family!  My personal favorite (and my hopeful goal of finding a dairy free alternative) is good ole, southern style, baked mac n cheese...... golden brown bits of cheese on the top and smooth under the crust.

This particular recipe I would personally rate a 7.  The kids had no issues and gobbled up every bite on their plates!  You will see at the very bottom an adaptation that raises it to an 8/9 for me though.

PROS
Easy recipe (no roux required)
Fast
Smooth texture

CONS
No 'crust' on top
Lacked richness
Lacked color (slight adjustment to recipe helped)

I have recently found that the Go Veggie brand is making a Vegan version of shreds and cream cheese which is dairy free!  Their regular green packages do contain dairy!  I was able to get these at our Commissary in the produce section at only $2.50 for the shreds and $2.65 for the cream cheese!  Hence the reason I tried this recipe, I have NEVER found dairy free alternatives so cheap!  I first tried the shreds for lunch on a mini pizza and I have never seen DF cheese melt this well and taste this close to real cheese.

Here are the ingredients:  Noodles, almond milk (unsweetened), shreds, cream cheese, earth balance, salt, pepper, ground mustard, & turmeric (not pictured)  

 The sauce is so quick that you can start the sauce and the noodles at the same time.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get started!  I didn't picture the noodles, just follow package directions.  For the sauce put 2 cups of almond milk, 1/2 container of cream cheese, 1 TB of earth balance, and all of the shreds (minus 1-2 handfuls for the top).  Wisk until smooth, bring to a bubble, and reduce heat.  Taste the sauce and season accordingly with salt and pepper & 1 tsp of ground mustard.  At this point the sauce was quite white.  The kids enjoy the more yellowish mac 'n cheese, so I added a dash of turmeric. **Don't forget as with any sauce, add a spoon or two of the pasta liquid to your sauce.

 Drain noodles, combine with sauce into a casserole, and top with remaining cheese. 

 Here we go after 25-30 minutes in the oven.

 The following day I wanted to heat some up for lunch and I added a bag of California blend veggies (steamed in the microwave)  This boosted the mac n cheese to a new level!  For me personally there just seemed to be something missing, maybe I was just seeking the richness that I grew up with when it came to mac 'n cheese.  The veggies seemed to take away that it was JUST mac 'n cheese and transformed the dish.  If/when I use this particular recipe again, I will add the steamed veggies before I bake the dish!  Hope this helps you!  Leave me comments or questions!

Baking instead of Boiling Eggs!

Here is a super easy way to 'boil' your eggs without boiling them! I never perfected the art of perfectly timing boiled eggs, but since I have learned this trick they are always cooked perfect and fewer cracks in the shells!  Place eggs on a mini-muffin pan and let come up to room temperature.  I have seen others use regular muffin pan, I just use the mini so that I can cook more at a time (usually I cook 2 dozen).  This method works the same for 1 egg or dozens.  If you have the space in your oven for 4 pans and you happen to be feeding a small army a bunch of deviled eggs, this will work at the same temperature and same time. =)  When your eggs are no longer chilly, preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cook the eggs for 30 minutes, carefully remove eggs from pan into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and you are done!  To peel, or not to peel..... that depends on your next recipe!

 

 Before baking

                            After baking: notice the spots?  Most will come off during ice bath.





All clean, only a few spots remain.  Occasionally a few eggs will have a brown spot inside of the shell.

Quick & Cheap update to outlets

SUPER cheap & quick update to electrical outlets and/or light switches.  Both of these cans of spray paint were under $10 and I could probably paint every outlet in our house!  That's a big savings if you have ever looked at updating your house with pretty covers. 

Here's the paint that I used.  I wanted the covers to be textured to look like stone and the screws to blend.

 I poked holes in an egg carton to hold the screws while painting and drying.

 And crumpled foil under the covers to hold them off of the bottom of the box.  Then in a well ventilated area, spray away!

 Here's an idea of what it looks like when it is finished.

 I did have to spray multiple times to make sure everything was covered without being drippy.  The picture at the bottom looks a bit strange with shadows, not a lot of natural light in the house today.

Duct Tape Bag

Here is the easy peasy version of a duct tape bag.  This one is definitely kid friendly!  There are so many different ways to make bags and I will show you some others later.  For this one though you basically just cover an old party or shopping bag with duct tape.  Like I said, so easy anyone can do it!  These happen to be bags for Halloween but the possibilities are endless!! 

Here are the steps I used to cover the bags.  It isn't even necessary to cut the bag if you don't want, but I have found it makes the whole project go much faster and easier!

 Supplies: Old bag & various tape (the white is glow in the dark!)

 I cut the bag down the side and across the bottom so it will lay flat.

 Then cover the bag either horizontal or vertical, makes no difference.

 I used glow in the dark on the bottom because I was running out of candy corn.

 I use little strips to hold everything in place.

 Then tape the sides together.

 I forgot a picture of making the edge at the top for a clean look.   Then make 2 handles the same length and fold in half.

 Then tape the handles to the inside.

 Finished product. 

 Here's bag #2 with tape in different direction.  Honestly it would probably be cheaper to buy a bag at the store, but if I get the chance to play with tape, I'm going to do it!!  =o)

Cabbage Patch Box Stroller Costume

I've got a few tips on making a stroller costume for your little one.  I made this one for last year so there aren't step-by-step instructions, but it would be different for each stroller anyways so here is the basic idea.

I can't get over how tiny she was!!  <sniff, sniff> Anyways, here is the completed project so that you can see the basic size.  This stroller is one of the travel system strollers so there is a tray across the front.

Supplies: Box, blanket, scissors, tape, wrapping paper, zip ties, & printer.  Oh, and I used an actual birth certificate from one of the dolls that the girls have.

We had this green blanket that I pinned to the stroller to keep in from sliding and I also cut some off to cover the tray.  Remember to cut holes for the safety straps!!  The picture above I had just popped her in for a quick picture (in the kitchen actually) but on Halloween night she was properly secured.

 Basically I held the box up to the stroller and made pencil marks where I thought I wanted it trimmed.  I trimmed small amounts at a time to make adjustments rather than trying to add back to the box.

 Here is the bottom, I wanted her feet to have room, but still appear to have a bottom.

 Behind the semi-circle/logo area, I taped on a support piece that held on to the tray of the stroller so that all of the weight was not on the zip ties (see below)  Then came the painstaking process of wrapping this bad boy in paper.  It is patched and pieced together using LOTS of packing & colored duct tape.  It is far from perfect but every single person knew exactly what it was supposed to be ;o)

Here's the best picture I could get of the zip ties.  I poked a hole through the top and also on the back to thread one through, then chained together more to make it the correct length for the stroller.  One final zip tie to the handle of the stroller completed the process.

I am a HUGE believer in use what you've got.  Look around and see what can be re-purposed!!  Halloween should be FUN and not bank account draining!  And if you need any help or suggestions just comment below!

 Cabbage patch, stroller costume, doll box, baby doll costume