Rainbow Crayons

Our crayon box has started to overflow - which was just in time for this little craft.  I've been waiting for months to try it out and I can happily report it worked like a charm!  Making your own rainbow crayons are the perfect solution to a box filled with broken crayons.  And, this craft buys mom a little time while her little one is slowly peeling away all of the paper from each broken crayon.

They almost look good enough to eat.

Age: 2+

Time: 45 minutes

Mess:  Not too bad, just a bunch of little paper scraps.

I think the mess is almost kind of pretty.

What You Need:

• A bunch of broken crayons
• Silicon baking cups

What I Like This Craft:
I always like to make something that has another use, other than filling of space on my refrigerator.  This is a great way to reuse what you have and make something a little special.

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.  Start digging through your crayon box and find all the broken pieces.  This was a great sorting activity for both of my kids.

Step 2:
Peel off all of the paper surrounding the pieces. 

Step 3:  If you have any large broken pieces, break them into smaller sizes.  This was my son's favorite part. 

Step 4:

Separate your pieces into silicon cups.  We categorized our's by groups of colors.

Step 5:

Put silicon cups on baking tray or baking stone and put into the oven for about 30 minutes.  When wax is completely melted pull them out of the oven and let cool.  I stuck our's in the freezer to firm them up quicker. 

Step 6:

Pop your new rainbow crayons out of the molds and color a masterpiece.

~Rose @-}---

 

Easy and Delicious (Mock) Toffee

Last year I went to a Boy Scout dinner and had this super yummy treat.  As soon as I got home I was googling to find the recipe.  This is a very easy, almost no-bake, version of toffee.  It's called mock toffe because it's not true toffee, but it is simply delicious.  It's a great goodie to give as a thank you treat, bring to PTA meetings, or handout over the holidays.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Age: 2+.  My little one likes to sprinkle the toppings on top.

Time: 10 minutes to prep, ready to eat in about an hour.
Mess: For a kitchen activity, this is relatively clean with an easy clean-up.  Hardly any dishes to wash - one pan, spatula, and a cookie sheet.
What I Like this "craft":  I know this really isn't  craft, but it is an easy activity that results in a yummy treat.  Enough said :)
What You Need (recipe):

• 1 sleeve of Saltine crackers or Graham Crackers (both versions come out very good!)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• Toppings (pecans, peanuts, almonds, dried sweet cheeries, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, toffee bits, etc.  Make you own combo!), about 1/4 cup each.

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the crackers into the pan as close together as possible without overlapping. 

Step 2:

Bring the butter and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove sugar from heat and pour evenly over crackers.

Step 3:
Bake the crackers and sugar in the oven for 5 - 7 minutes, until very bubbly. Don't let the crackers get too browned! Remove pan from oven and let sit for 1 minute to set the sugar up slightly.  

Step 4:
Sprinkle chocolate chips over crackers and let sit for 5 minutes to melt, then spread the chocolate evenly over the top when melted.  Sprinkle nuts over the top (optional).  I also like to press the toppings into the chocolate.

Note: On one variation, I used white chocolate chips for this step.  The white chocolate did not melt with a smooth finish.  I would only use what chocolate chips for the final topping or melted for a drizzle on top.

Step 5:
You can also make this extra pretty by melting some white chocolate, transferring to a plastic baggie, and drizzle the white chocolate all over the top.

Step 6:
Sprinkle a little salt (this makes it extra yummy) over the entire pan.
Cool at room temperature and then refrigerate. When the chocolate is set, cut or break into into pieces.
Yum! Yum!
~Rose @-}---