Recipe: Vanilla Ice Cream Made With Real Snow!
Many of us in the United States are dealing with insane winter weather, including blizzards and more snow than we’ve seen in years. Take advantage of the piles of white stuff by making it into ice cream! Big hit with kids and adults and only takes 20 minutes. A big bonus – It’s Gluten-Free! Here’s how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon CLEAN snow
- 2 cups of whole milk or half and half
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
- Combine milk or half and half with the sugar and vanilla.
- Stir until the sugar is dissolved and add it to the fresh snow, then eat!
OR
- One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 quarts fresh snow
- Combine together and eat!
Thanks to Polka Dot Poplars for the recipes and picture!
Recipe: Valentine’s Day Trail Mix
Easy to make and can easily be modified for food allergies, Valentine’s Day trail mix is a healthier alternative to bagged candy for handing out to friends or to have at a party.
All you need is Valentine’s M&Ms, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, pretzels, raisins, caramel corn, and peanuts (if allowed). Other options include marshmallows, Chex Mix, and Cheerios.You can substitute for Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free versions of these foods instead and this snack will still be a hit. Mix all together, fill in bags of your choice, and VOILA! Done! :)
Recipe: Valentine’s Day Marshmallow Pops
Change up the regular Valentine’s hearts lollipops or cake pops, and make these super simple Valentine’s Day Marshmallow Pops in just a few minutes. Would be great for a child’s school party, too!
Just stick a lollipop stick through a marshmallow, then dip it into melted chocolate (add food coloring to white chocolate for different colors). Before it hardens, dip the marshmallow with the chocolate into different sprinkles, then put it into a glass, stick down. Do this over and over again, and when you put it into a glass, be sure they don’t touch each other (like in the picture). That’s it, it’s that simple! Kids would love to decorate their own marshmallow pops. Do this for birthdays, Easter, Christmas, any holiday!
Recipe: Natural, Organic Dog Treats
My dogs love their treats, but they’re so filled with “junk”! Instead of giving them boxed treats for their Christmas present (or every day!), try this yummy treat recipe. It’s so natural that we humans can eat it!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of 100% organic whole wheat flour (or wheat germ, spelt, rolled oats, or a mixture of these)
- Fido’s K9 Yogurt Icing (add water and food coloring according to directions on package)
- 2x 4oz jars of pureed organic baby food (beef, blueberry, sweet potato, chicken, etc. Whatever sounds good)
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure there are no onions/onion powder in it. Also, avoid any with artificial preservatives (should be easy, most are just pureed veggies and water).
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix together to form a stiff dough. Add extra flour or water as needed.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about a 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into fun shapes or a pizza cutter to make cubes.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place treats about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely then add Fido’s K9 Yogurt Icing and allow to harden before storing in a paper bag (storing in an air-tight container will make them soft, but they’re still edible).
Consider adding grated carrots or sweet potatoes, a little bit of parsley (which helps with bad breath), blueberries, or some peanut butter to your next batch!
Thank you to Curbly for the treat recipe
“Melted Snowman” Ornament
This very inexpensive gift and decorating idea is so funny! Make a “melted” snowman ornament for your kids’ teachers, neighbors, whoever else you can think of for just a couple of dollars and a few minutes of your time. Here’s how:
What You’ll Need:
- Table salt (for the “snow”)
- Peppercorns (for the “eyes” and “mouths”)
- Orange fimo molding clay (for the carrot nose – can be purchased at craft stores)
- Plastic or glass clear ornament bulbs
- Plaid fabric (optional – for a “scarf”)
- String, yarn, or anything you’d like to use to hang the ornament
- Funnel
- Drinking cup the same width as your ornaments
- Baking sheet
Directions:
- Roll out the fimo clay (you can also use playdoh or salt dough) and make carrot shapes. Cut the thicker end with a knife to make it look like a carrot (less rounded). Bake the fimo at 230 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool.
- While waiting for the clay to harden, prop the ornaments into a drinking cup (so they can sit up on top without rolling). Poor in 1/4 cup of salt (approximately).
- Toss in 7 or so peppercorns on top of the salt.
- Cut a small piece of scarf-shaped fabric and throw into the ornament (optional).
- Once cooled, put a “carrot” into the ornament, then tie the ornament on a string.
That’s it! SO SIMPLE and so cute. The snowman parts should stay on top of the salt. Thanks to Eyeballs by Day, Crafts by Night for the tutorial!