Hodge Podge Day

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action. ~W.J. Cameron

Today I have readers tips and a question that was sent in recently. Perfect for the holiday week!

The pistachio quick bread sounds wonderful, but I'm wondering if the pudding is the cooking type or the instant. Thank-you.
Linda E.

Sorry I left that out Linda, it's instant pudding. You can use brand name or store brand. I noticed there are some cool new Jell-o flavors I'm going to have to try this year with the breads:)

Wanita shares two neat ornament ideas and a bread tip!

Crush a large shredded wheat biscuit. Add 1/4 cup white glue and coat the shredded wheat. Color with food coloring as desired and shape ornaments on plastic to dry. Paper clips may be inserted while wet for hangers. Let air dry, peel off plastic and decorate as desired. A small plastic lid from a margarine tub is great for wreath. The food coloring can stain hands so one might want to use gloves.

One year we had a "sweet" Christmas tree. I purchased miniature ice cream cones from McDonald's (like they use for their kiddie sample cones) and little satin ball ornaments. I hot glued the balls on the cones. After they were dry, I sprayed them with clear acrylic spray paint. We used candy canes, bows and gingerbread people with them. The ice cream cones lasted several years!

Adding some chopped marchino cherries to the pistachio bread makes it very Christmas-y and festive. ~Wanita

A reader also sent in this dishwasher tip:
I also have a front loading washer... The idea of running vinegar and bleach (on different cycles) is great, but she might also want to pick up a product in the dishwashing isle called Limi Shine..(this is also great for using in your dish washer for build up). I have had a problem in the past with smells on not only towels~used some Limi Shine (I used the delayed wash cycle) and it cleared right up...

Thanks everyone! ~Brenda

Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids

We can only be said to be alive in those
moments when our hearts are conscious
of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Today I have more ornament and easy craft ideas for family fun this Christmas season.

This is the easiest thing. My 7 year old made a ton of these last year for gifts for her friends and to decorate the tree in her bedroom. ~MaddeesMom

Ice Cream Ornaments: Take a plain white glass ball ornament (we just used the generic ones from Wal-Mart) and glue it (with the hanger straight up) into an ice cream cone. Paint the top of the ornament with glue (we just used Elmer's School Glue) and then sprinkle the top with tiny beads to look like sprinkles! They look really cute on a tree and they are an easy fast thing to do for Girl Scout meetings or for church bazaars.

I was just thinking back to different crafts I've done with the kids at Christmas and remembered some edible ones that were great fun. ~Lizzy, OFL Community Moderator

Edible Baubles: You'll need a foam ball, some ribbon or cord to make a hanger, toothpicks, soft sugar coated jellies/jubes (little ones are cute like Jelly Tots). Start by making a loop with the cord or ribbon knotting it. Use half a toothpick to secure it in the top of the foam ball. Break the toothpicks in half and push the broken end into a jelly then push the sharp end into the ball. Continue doing this until you've completely covered the foam ball. Hang on the Christmas tree (if it lasts that long).

Gingerbread puzzles: Make your favorite sugar cookie or gingerbread mix. Roll into a large rectangle then cut into rectangles about 4 x 6 inches big. Use a small Christmas cookie cutter to score a shape in the centre (stars work well). Score the rest of the cookie to look like a puzzle. Bake and once it's cooked remove from the oven and while it's still warm rescore right through. Leave to cool then decorate with piped icing and silver cachous. Place your cookie puzzle onto a piece of cardboard and wrap in clear cellophane. This is a cute gift for kids.

Cookie Houses: You need a pack of 100's and 1000's cookies (they are square shaped cookies covered in pink icing and 100's & 1000's sprinkles). If you can't get them any plain square shaped cookies will do. You'll also need some liquorice all sorts (cut in half diagonally so they are triangular shaped) and M&M's (or Smarties)and white royal icing.

Use 8 cookies per house- glue 6 cookies together with icing to form a box (the icing on outside if using 100's & 1000's cookies). Then glue (with icing) 2 together for the roof (use the liquorice at either end to help hold up the roof). Glue some M&M's to the roof. You can wrap these in clear cellophane to gift when they are set.

Cookie Pops: You'll need one paddle pop stick and 2 plain round cookies per pop, white royal icing, small candies to decorate. Sandwich the cookies together with a paddle pop stick between using the royal icing. Cover the outside of the cookies completely with icing. Decorate with coloured icing and little pieces of candy. We stuck red and green M&M's around the edges of the cookie pop. Leave cookie pops to set then package them in clear cellophane with a ribbon bow.

On OFL we have some great Advent crafts:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/advent1.html.

~Brenda

Family Christmas Ornaments to Craft

Today I have some neat family Christmas ornaments from two of our visitors.

BORAX CRYSTAL CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
You can make beautiful ornaments using pipe cleaners and Borax for just about any holiday. These make great gifts, tree ornaments, kitchen magnets, or package decorations! ~Jeanie

You will need:
20 Mule Team Borax Laundry Booster
Chenille (pipe cleaners)
A wide mouth container
String or yarn and a pencil

Shape the pipe cleaners any way you want. you can make any shape you want... angels, stars, flowers, etc. In a wide mouth container (wide enough to hang your ornament in so it doesn't touch the bottom or sides), pour boiling water. Add about a cup of borax, less or more depending on the size of your container and the amount of water. A thick glass container works well, because you can see the Borax dissolving. Add enough Borax so the water is quite cloudy.

Suspend the Christmas ornament in the solution: tie a piece of string or yarn to it, tie the other end of the string to a pencil, and then lay the pencil across the top of your container. Make sure the pipe cleaner is completely immersed in the solution and isn't touching the sides or bottom of the container. As the solution cools, the crystals will begin to form on your pipe cleaner. Leave overnight. Remove from the solution and allow to dry.

Note: Overnight soaking will give you very thickly crystallized ornaments. If you want some of the color of the pipe cleaner to show through, leave in the solution for less time. If you want, you can spray your finished ornament with acrylic sealer or clear spray paint to keep the crystals from falling off too quickly.

Some ideas on using these ornaments:
-Tie several together to make a crystal mobile
-Hang on your Christmas tree
-Attach to gift packages
-Glue to cardboard backing to make a photo frame.
-Attach a strong magnet to the back.

These are just a few ideas. Use your imagination!

Birdseed Ornaments and Wreaths
I have done this every winter for the past 15 years. ~Lina

Mix together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Add 4 cups birdseed and mix well.

Cover a try with waxed paper and make stars,(and other ornaments), place cookie cutters on tray and spoon bird seed mixture into cookie cutters. To make wreaths, shape birdseed mixture into wreaths and place on tray: (I make a circle pat to size I want and make sure there is a small hole in middle, should look like a small wreath) if desired, decorate wreaths with holly berries, cranberries, or raisins. Let dry for 4 to 6 hours, Remove ornaments from cookie cutters. Turn ornaments and wreaths over to dry for another 4 to 6 hours. wrap string of raffia around each wreath, and
also around ornaments...I just put a hole in before drying the ornaments. I use red and green raffia for the holidays. Then I hang on trees outside.

Birdseed Bell

For edible glue, mix together 3/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup water, and 3 tablespoons corn syrup. Using an old paintbrush,coat 2 1/4" diameter peat pots with edible glue; then roll pots in birdseed to cover. Place bells on waxed paper and let dry for 4 to 6 hours. ( I put them over something so the seed also stays on bottom of bell) To make clappers for each bell, use a needle and thread a string with 4 to 5 cranberries, go from inside bell and tie off on top (bow of raffia will hide it). Fold a piece of raffia in half (the length you want) Tie knot on end that is not cut then put the two pieces through drainage hole and tie in knot so it stays in place, add bow of raffia on top between the two strands and tie with string of some kind to keep bow in place, tie top of two strands in knot, hang on tree.

On OFL we have instructions to make these adorable clay pot snowmen!
http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/snowman4.html.