Month: September 2011

Bleached T-shirts

“I put newspaper and on top of that wax paper under each shirt, well, inside each shirt. The wax paper was right under the top layer of the shirt, so the bleach would not bleed through. I grabbed a piece of chalk and tried to draw a design. But stretched out shirts and chalk do not go well together, so I had to abandon that idea. Instead, I decided to be bold (or impatient) and draw freehand with the bleach pen!

I let the bleach sit for about 10-15 minutes on each shirt, watching as the colors were changing and when I liked what I saw, I washed the bleach off under running water. When all the shirts were done, I put them in the washer, and that’s it. They have a bit of a hippie look, because they look washed out and shapeless, but it looks like it is on purpose.”

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Space Mud

1. In one bowl mix 1 cup of hot water, and 2 ½ T. Borax

2. In another bowl mix 2 cups glue, ½ cup room temperature water, and food coloring (optional)

3. Mix together both bowls until all liquid is gone. Store in a zip lock bag.

PLAY!!!!

How to make your own American cheese

American cheese2What exactly is American cheese? I suppose it’s that exact question that gives it such a bad rap. The American cheese that you find on supermarket shelves isn’t cheese made in the traditional way (milk that’s formed into curds and pressed). Instead, it’s either a blend of cheese and additives, or it’s a highly processed mixture of ingredients such as water, milk, milkfat, milk protein, whey, food coloring, flavorings, and emulsifiers.  

By making your own American cheese, not only will you know exactly what went into it, but also you can add in flavorings such as black pepper, roasted red peppers… you name it.

Here’s how you make it:

1 tablespoon water
1½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
12 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon whole milk powder Available here if you can’t find it locally
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

1. Line 5-by 4-inch disposable aluminum loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing excess to hang over sides.

2. Place water in small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over top, and let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Pulse cheese, milk powder, salt, and cream of tartar in food processor until combined, about 3 pulses.

3. Meanwhile, bring milk to boil in small saucepan. Off heat, stir in softened gelatin until dissolved, and transfer mixture to 1-cup liquid measuring cup. With processor running, slowly add hot milk mixture to cheese mixture until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed.

4. Immediately transfer cheese mixture to prepared pan, pressing to compact. Wrap tightly and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight.

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Here’s how to make it with only a food processor

Oil Jar Photo Display

An interesting way to use mason jars is to make it into a one-of-a-kind picture frame. The clear jars would be best for this, and by pouring olive oil (try to avoid the garlic kind — could get stinky!) in the jar with an upright picture, you can get a sepia effect and a new way to display your pics.”

Great instructions HERE