Playdough
7 cups flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup dishwashing liquid
1/2 cup oil
2 cups water
Use powder or liquid paint for desired color. Add 2 cups water to the dry ingredients and knead. Store in a plastic bag. Lasts for about 2-3 weeks. Variation: Add glitter or scent (e.g., peppermint oil).
Playdough
2 cups flour
2 T. alum
2 T. cooking oil
1 cup plus 2T. boiling water. Mix and knead.
Cooked Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 T. vegetable oil
2 t. cream of tartar
Heat until ingredients form ball. Add food coloring.
Peanut Butter Playdough
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 T. honey
1 cup powdered milk
Mix honey and peanut butter. Gradually add powdered milk until dough is soft and pliable. Use like playdough (and eat).
Baker’s Clay
4 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
Mix. Shape as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and paint.
Cornstarch Clay
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups salt
1 1/3 cups water
Put salt and 2/3 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch with remaining water and stir. Blend these 2 mixtures together and knead into clay. Mold into various shapes or objects and let dry (takes several hours). Paint them when they are dry. Unused clay must be refrigerated.
Fingerpaint
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup Ivory Snow
2 T. talcum powder
food coloring
Add cornstarch to cold water to make paste. Put in saucepan with hot water. Cook until translucent, stirring constantly. When thickened, remove from heat. Add Ivory Snow and talcum powder. Add food coloring. Keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator. Freezer paper makes a good painting surface.
Ooblik
1/2 cup cornstarch
water (enough to hold cornstarch together)
Mix cornstarch with enough water to hold it together. It should be firm to the touch when in a bowl and turn into a liquid when held in the hand. Experiment until the consistency is right.
Variation: add food coloring.
Silly Putty
1/4 cup glue
1/4 cup liquid starch
These are not exact amounts. Add small amounts at a time and mix to get proper consistency.
Bubbles
3/4 cup Joy liquid soap (other brands aren’t as effective)
a few drops glycerine
2 quarts warm water
Soap Sculpture
Add small amount of water to soap flakes and beat with mixer. Sculpt on paper or other surface.
Goop
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup salt
2 cups water
food coloring
Makes enough for 4 colors. Fill squeeze bottles (like ketchup and mustard bottles). Squeeze designs onto cardboard or heavy paper.
Pretzels
Dissolve in bowl:
2 T. yeast
1 cup warm water
Add:
2 t. honey
2 t. salt
Add:
2 2/3 cup flour
Knead. Roll and shape. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
Pizza Dough
2 cups lukewarm water
4 t. or 2 packages yeast
1 t. salt
4 T. oil
5 cups flour
Place water in a large bowl, sprinkle in the yeast and let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt, oil and 1 cup flour. Beat for several minutes with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be a bit softer than bread dough, but it should not be sticky. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Put it in an oiled bowl and let it rise, until doubled in bulk.
Pumpkin Muffins
(1 dozen muffins)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 t. pumpkin pie spice (or combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
Beat eggs. Stir in milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fill greased muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately.
Blueberry Muffins
(1 dozen muffins)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
3/4 cup blueberries (if frozen, thaw and dry)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms of muffin cups. Beat eggs, stir in milk, oil and blueberries. Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.
Fruity Mash
1 ripe banana, 2/3 cup sliced strawberries
or 1 small peach or apricot, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/8 t. nutmeg
In a small mixing bowl, mash fruit. Stir in yogurt and nutmeg.
(c) 2007 by Joan Spoerl. All rights reserved