Red Recipe & Idea Box

Puff Paint

Puff paint is so fun! It will dry fluffy. It is perfect to paint cookie shapes and look like frosting (sprinkles will stick on it), paint circles to look like snow, or to just paint!

1 part Elmer's glue
1 part shaving cream
(food coloring)
Hair spray

Mix glue, shaving cream, and coloring together. After it is dry a little hair spray will help it not flake off if bumped.

My new Aunt Indy is a fabulous cook! She made dinner for the whole family and the thing everyone kept raving about was the zucchini in a creamy sauce. When we asked how she made it I found out the secret was the type of cheese. She used a mexican cheese called " Cotija". (Some stores have it with the specialty cheeses and others have it by the cream cheese. )

To make the sauce she just sautéed onions and peppers then added Sour cream and shredded Cotija cheese. She poured it over cooked zucchini but said it is great on anything. And it really is so good on ANYTHING! I like to dip garlic bread in it. I like it with pasta, I like it with vegetables. I like it with meat. ...I think it would even be great on a pizza. Above I have it with asparagus, sausage and pasta and it is soooo yummy!!!

Thank you Indy! I feel like such a good cook now that I know about Cotija cheese.

The Best Teether!

Labels: Baby, Fun for Kids

We have been dealing with a lot of teething pain around here. After I gave the last dose of Tylenol I let my baby chew on the top of the bottle. She was able to hold this and chew on it better than any of her other teethers... So I decided to keep the bottle. I washed it out, added some craft paper, and put a few popcorn kernels inside so it was a rattle too. My girl loves this!

Infant Sensory

Labels: Baby, Fun for Kids

After we had so much fun with the bubble foam blowers,
I decided to make an effort to have discovery time. I found a list of 107 things to put in a sensory table from The Crafty Teacher here.

Here are just a few that caught my eye:

4. Rice - which can be colored with food coloring if desired
5. Pasta - one kind or a mix; can also be colored
6. Snow
10. Sod
11. Homemade silly putty
12. Jello - make a few large pans of it and dump it in
13. Cereal
14. Sugar or salt
16. Easter grass
18. Ice cubes or crushed ice, or a large block of ice
19. Shredded documents - from a regular or cross-cut shredder
31. Feathers
32. Applesauce
33. Cotton balls
34. Strips of bubble wrap - you can buy it in large rolls
37. Cooked spaghetti - add a little oil to keep it from sticking
38. Curling ribbon
41. Confetti
44. "Oobleck" - equal parts cornstarch and water
49. Potato flakes (dehydrated)

(Not all of them are safe for young children. I tend to let my child play with things that are "choking hazards" if I am right there guiding her to play with her hands only. You decide what is safe for your child.)

You really should check out the link! We have had so much fun. :)

Infant Hair Accessories

Labels: Baby, Crafts

I love making bows that match my baby's outfit perfectly.

A little hint is to keep the ribbon that is tied around blankets or outfits you buy. I was so excited when my mom gave me this outfit with gray and white stripes because I had the ribbon that matched exactly.

I think most people have seen how to make Lace flowers. If not, here is a good tutorial from

I {Heart} Nap Time.

{Wire} Ribbon Flowers: It is very easy to make them with wire edge ribbon. Just pull on the wire to cinch up one end. Pay close attention to make sure the wire doesn't pull out the other side. Then you wrap it around just like the lace flowers.

If the ribbon doesn't have wire just use a needle and thread to weave in and out of one side. Then pull to cinch it up and create that wavy affect.

I made Fabric Flowers from an old sheet using this method from Homemade Gifts Made Easy

I was playing with ribbon one day and realized I could make {Knot} Ribbon Flowers. I started by making one tight knot at the end and then about 12 loose knots. Then I just wrap it around the tight knot and work my way out using hot glue as I go.

My mom recently bought us some bows that were on baby snap clips and I love them because they are flat against baby's head and someday when her hair comes back in we can use them right in her hair. So I ordered some on Amazon that work out to be less than $0.10 a piece... then when I counted to make sure they sent me enough they had sent extra (about 155 instead of 144). I bought a lot thinking it will make a good baby shower gift.

I also love these headbands because there is enough room to clip a few for a flowers and make the perfect color cluster. And you can get the set of 16 for less than $9.00 on Amazon. :)