gingerbread house

The Gingerbread House Frame

Take a cardboard box and cut off the top flaps. Using cardboard pieces from other boxes, make a slanted roof and tape it together with masking tape. Don’t worry about what the box frame looks like – it will be covered with graham crackers and cereal and all the flaws will be hidden.

If you’re going to include a yard with your gingerbread house, set the frame on a large sheet of cardboard or foam board.

The Icing Mortar

You’ll need a thick icing to hold everything onto your house frame. Here’s a recipe for icing that’s easy to spread, but that dries quickly as hard as cement.

Gingerbread House Icing Recipe

This recipe can be doubled for a larger gingerbread house.

• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 3 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• Dash of salt
• 7 tablespoons water

Sift together powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer for about 8 minutes at high speed. Keep the bowl covered with a damp dishtowel while you’re working with it, to keep the icing from hardening in the bowl.

The Siding

Buy two boxes of generic or store brand graham crackers and carefully pull out the unbroken crackers.
Spread some icing on the house frame and press a graham cracker onto it. Don’t push too hard or the graham cracker will break. The more icing you use, the easier the construction will be. Cover the entire frame.

The Roof

Cover the roof with Frosted Mini Wheat cereal for the look of a thatched roof with a dusting of snow. Starting at the bottom of the roof line, spread on a line of icing and place the cereal squares in a line across the bottom. Repeat with a line above, overlapping slightly the row below it, so each layer hangs down over the top of the row below.

The Decorations

Decorate your gingerbread house with candy from the bulk candy section of your grocery store, cake decorations and anything else that’s edible and pretty.
Use your imagination: What foods look like things on your house? You can stack up caramels for a chimney, use a Hershey bar for a door, line up M&M’s for a string of Christmas lights, use a Lifesaver for a door wreath, and post candy canes for lampposts. Other candies perfect for gingerbread house decorations are Skittles, peppermints, gum drops, Tootsie Rolls and Hershey kisses.

handprint/footprint canvas gift

What you'll need:

• Cheap plain canvas
• pots of kiddies paints
• newspaper
• fabric paint pens
• tray
• wipes
• child/children

What to do:

Step 1: set out all the newspaper and pour small amount of paint into trays.
Step 2: get kids to wash hands/feet (which ever your using)
Step 3: place canvas on floor and place childs/childrens hands/feet into paint
step 4: placehands/feet onto the canvas.
Step 5: waiting for paint to dry and add a lovely poem or childs information and age at time of print.
Step 6: if you want to brighting it up add both hands and foot prints and maybe glue some lovely ribbon onto the cavas

wrap and ready to go any parent/grandparent will love this

How To Make a Secret Hollow Book:

The first step into making the hollow book is to select a book. Make sure this is a book your own, and not one belonging to the library, or your family. I suggest rummaging through books at yard/garage sales.


Make sure it is a hardback; otherwise you will cut all the way through the other side when you are cutting out the insides.
You'll also need:

1. Elmer's white glue
2. a container to hold glue solution (I've chosen a film canister)
3. X-acto knife, and/or box cutter. Both if you have them
4. brush to apply glue solution
5. pencil/pen
6. ruler, or other rigid straight edge

Select a page that you want to be the first one cut out, and save that page to be cut out at the end. (I'll explain later) Even if you don't want to save any pages at the beginning of the book, you must set one aside for a later step.

Mix a solution of white glue and water. Just enough for the glue to be runny, and absorbed by the edge of the book's pages. 50% to 70% glue (30% to 50% water) worked well for me. - Half a film canister full was enough for this book.

Holding the remaining pages together, brush the edges with the glue solution - enough to soak in pretty well, but not too drippy.


Allow this to dry, but use a spacer so the first couple pages, and the front cover don't get stuck. I spaced mine with post-it notes, and used some old hard disk platters to apply pressure. It dries quickly- about 15 to 30 min


When dry, open the book to the first glued page.

Draw out a half-inch boarder around the edge on all four sides. (Don't forget along the spine too.)


Using a strait edge and knife, cut out along the inside of the line. Try to make the cut as vertical as possible, or else try to tilt so the hole will narrow as you go down.


Continue cutting down through the layers. I found that a box cutter was easier to keep straight. This part takes a long time. I recommend listening to music while you work. Watching TV though could be distracting, and you could also cut a page out of your finger. (no, I didn't.)


The longer you spend on it, the smoother and straighter the inside edges of your book will be. My first attempts at this yielded rough edges, but the fuzz flattens down a little when glued (later).

After a while, you can store some of your tools in it while you take breaks. I did this book in 2 evenings.


When you get to the back of the book, and through the last page, stop. Dump out all the little paper fuzz that inevitably comes from the cutting.

Next, brush the glue solution on the inside edges of the pages. Give it a bit to soak in. A little bit of drippiness is okay, as the glue dries clear. This is also a good time to apply a second coat to the outside of the pages with the excess glue.


Brush the rim of the book with a light coat of glue. This will affix it to that one page we saved earlier (and will cut through later).


Close the book again, this time without any spacers. Give it another 15-30 minutes to dry. Clean up any glue that drips on your desk, like it did mine.


Remember that first page we saved? It’s now glued to the rest of the book. Lets all turn there now.

Cut through this first page with your knife to open it. The insides of the book may still be a little gooey since there was no air inside to let it dry. -So let it dry now.


When it’s dry, you're done!

Fill it with whatever treasured items (or contraband) you choose.


Happy hiding.

Chocolate snowballs recipe

Ingredients

1. 60g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
2. 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
3. 370g soft brown sugar
4. 2 medium free-range eggs
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 80ml milk
7. 340g plain flour
8. 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
9. 2 tsp baking powder
10. ¼ tsp ground allspice
11. 85g chopped pecans
12. Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. 1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
2. 2. Using an electric hand whisk, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the vanilla, melted chocolate and milk.
3. 3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, allspice and a pinch of salt into the bowl and mix well. Stir in the pecans. Chill, covered, for 3 hours, or overnight.
4. 4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift some icing sugar onto a plate. Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls, then roll in the icing sugar to coat. Place on the baking trays, spaced to allow for spreading.
5. 5. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly browned and still a little soft in the centre. Leave to cool on the trays for 3-4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutritional info

Per snowball: 94kcals, 4.2g fat (1.9g saturated), 1.4g protein, 14g carbs, 8.2g sugar, 0.1g salt

Tropical Sugar Scrub

Sugar granules gently remove dead skin cells, which are in turn nourished by the combined power of coconut, mango, and orange.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh mango puree
• 1 cup coconut oil

Instructions

Mix sugar into coconut oil until evenly distributed before stirring in lemon juice and mango puree. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to use, scoop out a generous amount of sugar scrub and rub with open palms into skin. Rinse well.

Lemon Salt Glow

Sea salts bring a healthy glow to dull, dry skin,.which may then benefit as much from the antioxidant properties of lemon as the rich nutrition of almond oil.

Ingredients

• ½ cup sea salt
• ½ cup sweet almond oil
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, taking extra care not to let any water touch the ingredients, as it will dissolve the salts. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Before showering, swirl ingredients together with fingertips to reintegrate, then apply to body in firm scrubbing motion with hand or soft washcloth. Step into the shower and let power of the water stream rinse off the mixture. (Particularly effective as an exfoliant and moisturizer for a smooth, nick-free shave.)

Almond-Oatmeal Scrub

Almond meal and oatmeal slough off dead skin cells, as sage tones. Whole-milk yogurt reinforces with the oil naturally released from the almonds during scrubbing to replenish the skin's natural moisture.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup coarse ground almonds
• 1/3 cup dry fine oatmeal
• ½ tsp dried sage
• plain full-fat yogurt as needed

Instructions

Add almonds, oatmeal, and sage to food processor or blender and grind on pulse until they reach the consistency of course meal. Keep covered and cool in an airtight container until ready for use. Upon each use, take medium-sized handful (around 1/4 cup) of the mixture and combine with enough yogurt to form a thick paste. Rub gently over skin with a washcloth or loofah sponge and rinse with cool water. Follow with gentle moisturizer.

Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee Body Scrub

Coffee tightens and rejuvenates skin, while raw sugar exfoliates, and olive oil seals in moisturize.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of coarse ground coffee
• 1/2 cup Turbinado raw sugar
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Take a warm bath or hot shower to open your pores and hydrate your skin. Rub the coffee mixture into your skin in large circles with even, firm pressure. Shower to rinse, pat dry, and follow with unscented body lotion or light vegetable oil.

Tea cup candle

You Will Need

- Teacup or similar container (ready-made moulds can be bought in craft shops or online, or use the ones that come with your candle-making kit)
- Wax (paraffin wax beads and beeswax, or old candles; beeswax acts as a hardening agent to give you a long, clean burn – use 5% beeswax to 95% paraffin)
- Double-boiler (or one saucepan on top of another)
- Wick sustainer (the metal washer that is found at the base of a tea-light)
- Dye discs or liquid candle dye (optional)
- Container wick (paper- or metal-cored)
- Pair of pliers (for crimping)
- Essential oils (if you want to make scented candles)

Instructions

1. First work out how much wax you will need: fill your teacup with water and measure the amount. Say it's 150 ml (5 fl oz), you will need the corresponding amount of wax, so 150 g (5 oz).
2. Put your wax ingredient(s) into the top pan of a double-boiler, and pour water into the bottom pan. (All wax has a flash point, so a double-boiler is essential to prevent it bursting into flames.)
3. If you want a coloured candle, add the dye now and melt it with the wax over a gentle heat. One dye disc will colour 2 kg (41/2 lb) of wax, so you will need about one-tenth of a disc to colour a teacup candle, depending on how deep a shade you want.
4. Now prepare the wick. (A paper- or metal-cored container wick is essential as these have the rigidity to prevent them slumping into the molten wax and extinguishing themselves.) Cut the wick to a length 2 cm (3/4 inch) longer than the teacup's depth. Crimp the wick sustainer to one end of the cut wick and dip this ensemble into the prepared molten wax to prime it. Set aside.
5. If you want scented candles, choose an essential oil and do the following test to make sure it still smells pleasant when heated. Pour some oil into a teaspoon or incense burner, heat until it vaporises, then take a sniff. If you like it, melt 1 tablespoon wax and add a few drops of the oil to it. Stir well, then pour the mixture into an eggcup or similar small container and leave to set. Flip out the wax. If there is any oil left in the eggcup, or it has collected in a blister at the bottom of the wax, it is not suitable for your candle. You must use an oil that stays in suspension within the wax. If your oil passes this test, add 1 teaspoon oil to 100 g (4 oz) of molten wax and stir well. (Kirstie uses pine essential oil).
6. Pour the wax into your teacup all in one go. Once a fine skin has developed on the surface of the wax, gently push your primed wick through it in the centre of the teacup so that the wick sustainer sits at the bottom of the cup.
7. After approximately 30 minutes, you will notice a well forming in the top of the wax as it cools and contracts. Break the skin of the well, taking care to keep the wick in the centre of the cup. Do this every 20 minutes until the wax has fully congealed. Now reheat your remaining wax and fill the waxwell. For larger containers, you might have to repeat this topping-up process a few times.
8. After one day your candle will be ready to burn.

Homemade Bath Salts

Supplies:
1 cup Epsom salts
Measuring cup
2 jars with lids
2 colored of liquid food color
1 pretty 8 oz. jar
A few drops of your favorite perfume
1/2 yard of ribbon, 1/2" to 1" wide

Directions:
1. To make these good smelling bath salts, first measure 1/2 cup of Epsom salt into each jar with a lid.
2. Add 15 drops of food color to each jar, one color per jar and put on the lids. Shake the jars until the Epsom salts are dyed evenly.
3.If you want your colors to be darker, add more food color and shake again. Take off the lids and let the salts dry overnight.
4. Now, make sure your pretty jar is all clean and dry. Then pour the dyed bath salts into the jar, alternating colors (you may want to get colors that go together well).
5. Add a couple of drops of perfume to the bath salts, put on the lid and tie the jar with your pretty ribbon.

Chocolate Milk Bath BonBons

Ingredients:
8 Tablespoons powdered milk
1 Tablespoon cocoa butter
2 Tablespoons powdered cocoa
Essential oil
Directions:
Melt cocoa butter, add sifted powdered milk & cocoa. Pack into candy molds of 1 Tablespoon size or bigger & flash freeze for 10 minutes.
To make a chocolate orange scent add 2-4 drops of orange or neroli essential oil.
For Minted Chocolate add 2-4 drops peppermint essential oil.
To use: 2 per bath (about 2 T.)
Crumble under warm running water as the tub fills.

Make a Mom's Relaxation Basket

Line a pretty basket with pastel tissue paper and fill with:
Gourmet Coffee Mix
Coffee Mug
Paperback book
Chocolates
Decorative bookmark
Scented candle

Clay Wall Ornaments or Letters for Personalized Wall Decor

Ingredients:
4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 1/2 cup cold water
sharp knife for freehand designs, stencils, or cookie cutters
Shellac
Ribbons for hangers
Directions:
Mix flour and salt together. Slowly add water while stirring with a fork until soft dough forms.
Turn out on lightly floured to 45 minutes. Baking time will vary with size of ornaments.
When completely cool, you may paint ornaments with Tempra paints or leave natural. Coat with shellac.
Note: Dough will keep indefinately if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Winter Warmth Gift Basket

Fill a white basket with the following:
*Homemade Peppermint Cocoa Mix
Ingredients:
3 (4 1/2-inch) peppermint sticks
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
Measure all ingredients into a blender, grind until powdery and well blended.
Vacuum seal mix or store covered.
Per Mug: 1/4 cup mix, boiling water to fill.
*Snow themed mug
*Paperback book
*Decorative bookmark
*Fuzzy socks

Candy Cane Bath Salts

Ingredients:
3 cups of Epsom salts
3 Teaspoons of Sweet Almond Oil
9 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil
1 drop of red food coloring ( more if you like)
1 drop of green food coloring
To Decorate:
several jars with turn lids or cork seals
red, green and white Christmas ribbon
several gift tags shaped like candy canes or several candy canes (small ones)

Directions:
To make the salts separate each of the three cups of salts into three bowls.
Separate each teaspoon of almond oil into three bowls.
Into one bowl of almond oil add the drop of red food coloring, into the second add the green.
Into each of the three bowls of oil add three drops of peppermint oil. Mix each bowl well.
After mixing pour each of the bowls of oils and coloring into one of the bowls of salt. This will leave you with a bowl of green a bowl of red and a bowl of white scented salts. Let sit for a few hours covered.
To create the candy cane effect layer layers of each color, a layer of red, a layer of green , a layer of white, over and over until you fill the jar.

Bath Bombs / Bath Fizzies (suitable for pre-teens/teenagers)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons citric acid (you can get this at a pharmacy)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup baking soda
3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or any other emollient oil like almond, avocado or
apricot kernel oil)
1/4 teaspoon fragrance oil
3-6 drops of food coloring (if desired)
Paper candy cups
Directions:
Place all of the dry ingredients (first 3) into a bowl and mix well.
Place coconut oil into a small glass bowl and add fragrance and food coloring.
Slowly add oil mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Scoop up small amounts of the mixture and shape into 1" balls.
Let the balls rest on a sheet of waxed paper for about 2 to 3 hours, then place each ball into a candy cup to let dry and harden for 24 to 48 hours.
Store bombs in a closed, air-tight container. To use, drop 1 to 3 bombs into warm bath water.

Movie Gift Basket (suitable for pre-teens)

Place the following in a popcorn tub or dollar store colorful bowl :
Microwave popcorn
A couple boxes of movie theater candy
A bottle of their favorite soft drink
A classic DVD or a movie rental gift card
Other gift ideas: Home made beauty aids, bath salts or a Rubber band airplane.

Make a Kids Craft Basket (suitable for kids 3-5)

Fill a plastic crate or box with:
colored paper
crayons
stickers
pipe cleaners
buttons
pom-poms
white glue or glue stick
safety scissors
wooden shapes
wobbly eyes
kid sized craft apron (recycle one of dads shirts)
sparkles

Farmhand Puppets (suitable for kids 3-5)

Supplies:
Felt
Old glove
Glue
Directions:
Cut 5 felt circles. Place an old glove palm side up.
Glue felt circle to each finger tip. Cut felt pieces to make animals faces.
Glue them to felt circles. Let glue dry. Then put your hand inside glove and make your own puppet play.

Homemade Playdough (suitable for kids 3-5)

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops
Directions:
Place contents in a pan and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms.
Add food coloring and mix thoroughly until desired color. Cool on foil. Store in covered container.

Soap Crayons (suitable for kids 3-5)

Supplies:
One ice cube tray
Liquid food color
2 Tablespoon hot water for each crayon
1 cup soap flakes
Small bowl
Spoon
Directions:
For each color, put two tablespoons of hot water and one cup of soap flakes into a bowl.
Add as many drops of food color to the mixture as you wish. Stir the soap mixture until it thickens. This takes time, so be patient!
Press spoonfuls of the first color of soap into the sections of the ice tray.
Mix enough soap in other colors to fill the ice tray, following the above directions again.
Let the soap crayons dry for one or two days. Gently bang the ice tray to loosen the crayons.
Pack them in a box for gift-giving.

Cranberry and orange vodka recipe

The cranberries give this vodka a brilliant ruby colour that looks so Christmassy. It needs 2 weeks before it can be bottled, and 3-4 weeks before it can be drunk. It will keep in the freezer almost indefinitely. Give as a home-made gift.

 Ingredients

1. 250g fresh or frozen cranberries
2. Pared zest of 2 oranges
3. 175-200g caster sugar, to taste
4. 1 litre unbranded vodka

Method

1. 1. Put the cranberries into a shallow dish and stab them with a fork, but don’t reduce to a mush. Put them into 2 sterilised, wide-necked jars with lids, with the strips of orange zest and the sugar. Pour over the vodka, seal and leave somewhere dark for 2 weeks, shaking the jar now and then (about once a week), until the sugar has dissolved.
2. 2. Strain the liquid through a muslin- lined sieve into a jug, decant into sterilised bottles, seal and label.

Nutritional info

Per 50ml serving: 140kcals, no fat, no protein, 9.6g carbs, 9.2g sugar, trace salt

Chef's tip

PRESENTATION IDEA: Decorate the bottles with a ribbon, some wrapping ties or a Christmas decoration. This would make a great present with some nice shot glasses

Winter bark recipe

Ingredients

1. 225g white chocolate, chopped
2. 350g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
3. 200g salted peanuts

Method

1. 1. Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring now and then, until melted. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, in a separate heatproof bowl, melt the dark chocolate over another pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally in the same way.
2. 2. Stir the peanuts into the dark chocolate.
3. Spread out on a baking paper-lined baking sheet, so that the peanuts form a single layer.
4. Drop spoonfuls of white chocolate on top, and swirl both chocolates together using a skewer or the end of a spoon (so that it looks like tree bark). Allow to cool.
5. 3. Set in the fridge for about 1 hour. Break the bark into large pieces.

Nutritional info

Per 100g: 539kcals, 35.3g fat (15.4g saturated), 11g protein, 47.4g carbs, 44g sugar, 0.4g salt

Chef's tip

These chocolates will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

make your own handwarmer

Step 1:  Start with your own fabric scraps, or search through the remnant bins at fabric stores to find suitable material. Any sort of closely woven fabric will do. To make 10 beanbags 4 inches square, you'll need approximately 1/2 yard of 45-inch-wide fabric.

Step 2:  Buy enough filling material for the desired number of bags. Use fiberfill or plastic pellets sold especially for beanbags. These items can be found at most fabric and craft stores.

filling on ebay

 

Step 3: Use a yardstick or ruler to draw a 4 1/2-inch square on heavy paper or cardboard (the extra 1/4 inch on each side is for stitching together the edges of the fabric). Cut out this square to use as your template

Step 4: Iron your fabric, if necessary, and lay it down on a flat surface, wrong side up.


Step 5: Place your template on the fabric and use a fabric-marking pen or chalk to trace 20 squares. Use scissors to cut out the squares.
Step 6:  Pin two pieces of fabric together to make one beanbag, right sides together (inside out).


Step 7:  Use a sewing machine to stitch a 1/4-inch seam (i.e., 1/4 inch from the edge) around the edges of the fabric square, starting 1 inch from any corner. When you reach a corner, keep the needle inserted in the fabric, lift the presser foot of your sewing machine and swivel the fabric 90 degrees. Then release the presser foot and sew the next side. Stop sewing 2 inches short of where you began to allow an opening that will let you turn the bag right side out.

Step 8: Turn your bag right side out at the 2-inch seam opening, and fill your bag with the fiberfill or pellets.

Step 9: Use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to stitch up the opening.

Step 10:  Repeat step 6 through 9 to make the remaining beanbags.

information got from ehow.com