Believe it or not, there is a good environmental reason to buy a few cans of Pringles : You can easily turn them into solar cookers.
All you need is a wire hanger, some strong cutters to cut the hanger and maybe some black paper, tape and glad wrap and an empty Pringles container.
First untwist the wire hanger and cut it to a length about 4 inches longer than the Pringles can. Poke a hole in the top and bottom of the can. Remove lid and slide hanger through the can with bent end of hanger at the bottom end of can. Place hot dog pieces or alternate hot dogs and tater tots down the coat hanger wire and replace top.
Place your cooker in the hot sun for about45 minutes to and hour.
You can also take that a step further and wrap your can in black construction paper and cut a vent slit down the center and then cover that slit with plastic wrap.
Repeat the same steps with the coat hanger wire and place in a sunny spot.
We have also “cooked” pizza rolls in our cooker. Anything you could skewer would work.
Enjoy!
From this…
To this…
In several easy steps!!
CHOCOLATE COVERED FROZEN BANANAS
First peel your bananas and compost the peels (or throw them out if you must)
Next cut all your bananas in half and place on a try/cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper
Grab a bunch of your kids craft sticks
Very carefully insert sticks into bananas about 1/2 -3/4 of the way, taking care not to split bananas.
Melt some chocolate of your choice-I used semi sweet choc chips. You can melt in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave but be careful not to burn it. Use 1/2 the power and stir often.
Dip or frost bananas with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts, coconut, sprinkles, wheat germ…..
Place decorated bananas back on trays and put in the freezer.
Once bananas are frozen they can be placed into a tubby or zip lock for easier storage in the freezer.
And on a different note-Meet Grizzly the 1, 118 lb Blue Ribbon Winner of The Ohio State Fair.
He really does not look comfortable. Grizzly along with a mama pig nursing her 9 piglets and a closer look at all the Art in the Fine Arts Building were the highlights of my return visit to Theee Fair this evening.
Just found out we may be visiting Portland, Maine in early September. Any must sees or good tips? What about Scottsdale, Arizona with out kids? We will have a car for both places.
It’s hot here and we are all sleepy for the second day in a row. Papers to stuff and deliver, laundry to hang out, vacuuming that has been calling for days, flyers for a benefit concert to hang, a haircut that I really want to make time for and visit to the pool-all before 4:00, so that I can go back to the fair with out kids to see the things I want to see!! So I am guessing there will be no crafty project to post about today. So I thought I would pass along some link love to some blogs that I have been enjoying lately!
That Damn Pioneer Woman What can I say-love the way her blog looks, love her photos, and all those dirty, sweaty cowboys-need I say more!
What are your favorites? I am always looking for reasons to spend even more more time with this needy 4th child, umm I mean computer!
My sensory loving kids love the mess that shaving cream can become! We started off with cookie trays turned upside down for trays and a squirt of shaving cream. Then I added a bit of tempra for color.
Then we placed a piece of finger paint paper over the top to make a print. Freezer paper works well too.
Then it the shaving cream started covering feet and legs..
At this point I went in to finish dinner and took the camera with me. I could hear them squealing with delight through the kitchen window and when I came back out they were completely white! All except for eye balls. I didn’t get a final shot but I am sure you can imagine the sight. A quick dip in the baby pool and it was all gone! Before bed tonight Ginger told me next time she wants me to put grubby clothes on and have a shaving cream fight with them.
Tonight Joe and I attended the Opening Reception for the Fine Arts Exhibit of The Ohio State Fair. One of my photographs was accepted in the show. I felt so proud to be brushing elbows and guzzling all the free local wine we could with the other artists! If you are local and are planning on attending the Fair-check out all the great art in the Fine Arts building. My photo is on the back wall in the case. You can even purchase it!
The unplugged project theme for this week is “old.” Well this may be a stretch but I have lots of “old” buttons.
I saw these button and bead posies at a garage sale recently and I was really excited to try to replicate them.
You will need buttons, beads and fun wire (coated copper wire 24-26 gauge wire). I found the wire at Michael’s Crafts (used my Sunday paper 40% off coupon).
This is tricky to explain so stay with me. Each posie wire will end up being twisted and folded in half with a button at the half way point and posies on each end of that folded and twisted wire. So cut a piece of wire about 12 inches long and fold in half. String whatever you want for the first posie.
Twist the wire together and string a button to the middle (this is where you will fold your posie)
Twist the two end pieces together leaving space at the end to string the beads and buttons.
Curl the ends of the wire-we used a toothpick.
I love these! The kids liked making these and sorting the beads and buttons so much that my dinning room table is still covered with supplies begging to be made into an everlasting bouquet.
This is a messy activity with easy clean up. If you can’t do this outside be prepared for a bit of mess.
I have been thinking a lot about a post on messy activities. When I first started this blog several people thought maybe I would have some good ideas for Moms that can’t deal with “the mess.” Or those that shall go un-named that just aren’t very crafty or who just don’t enjoy doing crafty things. I guess my best advise is do what you can handle-do it outside, spread lots of newspaper round, set ground rules. But find a way to do it. These explorations and experiences are not just fun but hands on learning. But that doesn’t mean they can just dump the mixture on the floor. Let them explore with a few boundaries; keep it on the table, keep it in the bowl, only in the kitchen. But keep it realistic and fun too. Try not to nag so much to squash creativity. Have them help clean up too! And if you still can’t handle it, send them to a friends house where they can play in wet sand, mud, and cornstarch and water. And you don’t have to do messy things everyday. Maybe you can only handle it weekly or so. That’ s better than nothing!
Pour a good amount of cornstarch into a pan, bowl or tubbie.
Put a small amount of water into a small pitcher kids can pour by themselves. Let them add a little at a time, touching after each addition of water.
Now poke it, squish it, squeeze it….
Notice how it is wet and dry at the same time…solid and liquid at the same time. Add more water if you want, just add it in small quantities. If too wet add more cornstarch.
For easier clean up, let it dry on tabletops and floor. Then scrape up. Vacume or wash off. You can leave it in the bowl or tubbie and let dry then you can use it again. Give kids little hammers to break up the dry pieces into dust and add water and start it all over again!
Look its Mulberry time!!!
I usually like them a it more ripe but Ginger will eat anything!
Maybe that’s where all her color went!
Do you notice a big new something in my hand? A new camera! And not just any camera..She’s a Nikon D300. WoW!
Whenever I get money for a holiday I put it away. Whenever I clean my husbands office, I put it away. Whenever I sell anything I put it away. I have been saving for awhile, years actually, so I had a good bit of stash. She is AMAZING! Look at what she can do…
And even this with NO FLASH or tripod….(Wasn’t happening with my XTi)
I haven’t had much time to get to know her but I have been admiring her from afar. I had her picture taped up on my kitchen cupboard for a while. And it was love at first sight. As I said in my previous post (Where there is a chance to win a party favor!) I am obsessed with taking pictures and photography in general lately. Lucky for me, my husband believes in me and supports my creative endeavors or else I would have been short a little bit of dough. Thanks honey!! Now on to the unplugged project.
We cut a piece of contact paper, pulled the backing off and taped it down to the table. OUTSIDE for those that are mess-phobic! Now let them shake the glitter all over the contact paper.
Cut a second piece of contact paper the same size or a bit bigger to stick over the top.
Trim the edges if you want…
Hang in a window…
