12.17.2008

Do You Smell What I Smell?

It's really a shame this blog isn't scratch and sniff, because I'd love you all to smell what's in my kitchen right now.

scratch and sniff

The kids and I cooked up a batch of chocolate play dough over the weekend. And let me just tell you, it smells so much better than it looks. Here's the recipe:

Chocolate Play Dough

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup salt
1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoon oil
1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size pot. Add wet ingredients and stir together over low heat until a ball of dough forms. Remove play dough from pot and knead by hand until dough is smooth and evenly colored. Store in airtight container.

We also made some gingerbread play dough, which doesn't smell quite as good as the chocolate, but is still nice and spicy. To make gingerbread play dough, use the same recipe as above but omit the cocoa powder and add 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1 teaspoon ginger.

chocolate and gingerbread play dough

Our little friend Luke turned three the other day, and he is rather keen on play dough right now, so we packed a half pint of each play dough for him.

While we were having fun in the kitchen, we also made a batch of stamp glue, inspired by a recipe I found over at Salt and Chocolate several months back. We added almond extract and we can't stop sniffing it.

Stamp Glue

1 (1/4 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1 T cold water
3 T boiling water
1/2 t. corn syrup
1/2 t. lemon or other flavored extract

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the cold water. Let it sit 5 minutes to soften. Add the boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Add corn syrup and extract. Store in a small jar (I used a clean spice jar).

Cut out pictures. Brush the picture on the back side with the glue. Let it dry, then moisten the gum with water or by licking and stick it to paper.

Our stamp glue was clumpy at first, so I popped it in the microwave for about ten seconds to dissolve the clumps. The glue eventually set up and became solid, so each time we use it we just microwave it for a few seconds (you will see the solid become liquid pretty fast) and shake it up before using.

homemade stickers

Avery and I collaborated on some little designs to turn into stamps. We cut out our drawings and brushed the back with our stamp glue, let the stamps dry, then gave them a quick iron to release the wrinkles. Now we just have to lick em and stick em. I think a jar of stamp glue, a paint brush and some directions would make Avery's girlfriends very happy.

stickers for me

I printed out a sheet of Inside a Black Apple's gift tags to make some stickers for myself.

There is a wonderful abundance of free gift tags out there. Here are a few lists some friendly bloggers have compiled for our perusal:

Bella Dia's Huge List of Free Gift Tags
One Pretty Thing
Tipnut.com's DIY Wrap Up: 101 Gift Tags

Who knew the ingredients for sweet smelling, crafty goodness were stocked in the pantry? Go play in the kitchen - your kids will love it!

29 comments:

  1. I am ashamed to admit just how much play dough I ate as a child. These tantalizing flavors would have been even more of a temptation! Yum!

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  2. Wow. These are great. How old are your kids? Trying to determine if these would be good gifs for some neices and nephews...

    And also? I love the smell of regular play doh. I'm sure these fancy ones smell fantastic too~

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  3. What a great idea! I'd make some for my niece, but she's just discovered chocolate as an object of passion, and if it smells that good, I'm sure she's eat the whole thing! haha.

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  4. Ohhhhh...I love the recipe for edible play dough! I will have to remember this is here for when my son gets a little bigger.

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  5. Sounds dangerous to me...something you are SUPPOSED to play with, but really smells so good I just want to eat it??? Dangerous.....

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  6. I just might have to do the chocolate play dough. I did pumpkin pie play dough for Thanksgiving, but I think chocolate would win for me. Wonder if I could put peppermint in it????

    Anyways, awesome ideas.

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  7. My kids would love for me to flavor their play-doh for them! It was their afternoon snack while I was sewing. :)

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  8. What a great post - thank you!

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  9. Recently my son put play-doh in his ear! It had to be removed! He also put a chunk of crayon up his nose not too long ago!! :) He is only 2 1/2 though! :)

    Nice thoughtful gifts!

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  10. I've never thought of making stamp glue before! My kids and I are going have fun with that! Thanks for the chocolate play dough recipe too!

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  11. I think my preschoolers will love that play doh when we get back to school!

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  12. hee, hee... love your "pile" of play doh. And that just happens to be the best gift of the night ;)
    Those tags are cute!

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  13. You are most certainly the smartest cookie in town.

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  14. oh yeah and if i made that playdough casey would eat the whole lot!

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  15. My boys and I are looking at this together and just discussing what it would be like to eat the playdough. :) Lovely idea.

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  16. We just made playdough today, and now I want to make chocolate playdough. I'm sure my toddler will try to eat it, ha ha :)

    Thanks so much for sharing!

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  17. in a weird way our posts vibed each other today. - smells, etc.
    now way in the world could I keep B from eating that playdough. he eats raw wheat bread like it's going out of style.

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  18. Okay, I'm copying you. That whole impressionable thing we talked about. But Lake would just LOVE that playdough & I swear I'm allergic to the smell of the other stuff. Your blog looks so clean & consistent! Trying to find my own expression of streamlined. It's possible that I'm just not...miss your crew! xoxo

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  19. oohh.. thanks for the recipe.. i'll be making this for mary for christmas!

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  20. I've not added cocoa to play dough yet. I'll have to try that with the next batch. Thanks!

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  21. Such a yummy project. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  22. Your play-doh recipes sound terrific. I think with my almost-2 year old and my 3 year old... I may just wait to flavor it. It's hard enough to keep them from eating it!
    ;)

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  23. Thank you for the recipes and links!

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  24. I've enjoyed looking at your blog and had to laugh when I read in your blurb about yourself that you like to make something every day even if it is a mess! I can so relate to that, often in the process of making that one thing a day I also create a mess or completely ignore one that should have been attended to!

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  25. Yummy! My daughter will LOVE this since she is obsessed with chocolate and playdough :) Thanks!

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  26. Thanks for the great recipes!

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  27. Hello! I saved this post in my Bloglines and made the cocoa dough today. It is a hit! The kids love playing with it when it was warm and are now busy making cookies and all manner of baked goods. It feels great and is a better recipe than the last homemade dough I tried. Thanks so much!

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  28. Just wanted to say how much I love the chocolate play dough idea! I added it to our list of activities this week on Queen of the Castle.

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