Tuesday, October 28, 2008

This morning I'm making 'Rice Krispie Treats' without the Rice Krispies. I'm using MaltoMeal's DinoBites instead. I thought they would be a good choice for making nice cheerful Day of the Dead -type skulls. Lots of fruity flavor, too. I don't have enough molds to do a whole batch at once, so I'm doing half at a time.
DinoBite Treat Skulls
16 ounce bag of marshmallows
a big bag of Dino Bites
about 3 Tablespoons of butter

Melted a little over half of the marshmallows, and 2 Tablespoons butter in the microwave on 30 power for 3 minutes. Stir, then dump in a pan with about 5 cups cereal, mix well. Pushed tightly, with buttered hands into the buttered molds, and now I'm waiting for them to cool so I can make the other half.
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For face molds I have a large skull, large demon, large witch, and 2 small skulls. There was enough mixture for one of each.
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I found the skull molds at http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/
Good prices, and the folks there are very nice.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Good evening!
Three of the contestants were installed in the yard today. Above is Miss Lascaux from France, and Sonja from Iceland. Below is Sadie The Swamp Lady, from Swampland.
I put the ladies out without their sashes, but started making them today.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Bess, the English witch. She has a broom and a cat with a large round head.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Here's Heidi, Miss Switzerland.
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She's a 5 foot plastic skeleton. Her hair is a piece of yellow material braided on the ends, and duct taped to the head. Her eyes are blue plastic gemstones glued into the sockets. The sockets and mouth areas were colored in with black permanent marker.
The red sweater is stuffed with plastic grocery bags; the vest is 2 yellow bags, clipped and tied into shape. There is a kerchief on the back of the head that doesn't show from this side.
The bottom is just a dance petticoat with a fleece-like skirt over the top,
It still needs the trim on the vest, but she is basically finished.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

S'mores on a stick Easy, but kids just love them...

barbecue skewers
marshmallows
chocolate (or Candy Melts)
graham crackers, crushed

Put three marshmallows on each skewer.
Melt chocolate on shallow plate in microwave.
Roll marshmallow skewers in chocolate, spooning to cover any bare spots.
Roll in graham cracker crumbs.
Let cool until set. Be prepared for a sugar shock.
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I'm going to use these (with 4 marshmallows) to make cattails for a duckpond on a birthday cake.

Friday, September 5, 2008

I have started my Halloween display, a Halloween Beauty Pageant.
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This lady is the beauty contestant from the North Pole.

To create her, I started with a stuffed snowman. Then made a garland of silk poinsettias, and sewed them to her head as 'hair' (at this point her hair is not complete). Her skating outfit is made from about 2-inch wide shiny green fabric strips, braided to create the bodice, and left to dangle down to form the skirt.

I will tweak her further as I have more of the contestants made. (The fellow in the background is "The Baron", he's holding some of the trims for me while I work.)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I realized I never posted the Directions for ...
Crystallized Sugar Eggs
, you just mix sugar with enough water until it gets like sand for sandcastles.
(If you want a fine crystal, use superfine sugar; if a larger sparkle, just use regular. For a stronger egg, you can add egg white. I don't because too many people are avoiding eggs, and kids like to eat them. )
Pack your mold, and level off. Turn over onto a cookie sheet, remove mold. After you remove them from the molds, cut an equal amount from each end for the 'peep' hole, and butt the 2 together. That keeps the area from drying out like the outside shell.

Here you have 2 options: let dry naturally, or use a very low oven.

When you have a dry shell, pick it up and carefully spoon out the still damp sugar mix, leaving an equal width shell all around. Be careful with the edges of the peep hole. Set back down and let it dry the rest of the way.
When both sides are thoroughly dry, add your designs to the inside, and put together with royal icing.
Pipe along the seam, and add any decorations. Let dry, package, and give away.
That's it.
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The Molds you use are just the plastic eggs. They come in 2 parts. You can buy them at Michael's or JoAnne Fabric or just at the dollar store.
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Exactly the same technique is used for Christmas ornaments; or to make sugar cubes and decorate them for fancy tea parties or weddings, as well. It's much cheaper than buying them, and you can choose your own size. My daughter's friends used to love those, when she was little.
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Found you some directions with pictures.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf334674.tip.html