Playdough Recipes

I have tried and tested a few playdough recipes over the years, and these are the ones I liked the most:-

Homemade Playdough 3 cups flour
1/4 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
food colouring

1. Mix flour with salt.
2. In a jug, mix water with oil and food colouring.
3. Add liquid to flour slowly and mix with hands until it feels like 'playdough'.
4. Store in an airtight container.

Koolaid Playdough (smells sooooo good and feels great to play with) 1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 packets koolaid
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups boiling water

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add oil.
3. Add water and knead (careful, I usually let this cool a bit first before handling).
4. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Cooked Playdough 1/2 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food colouring
1 teaspoon Orange/strawberry/vanilla essence

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan, stirring all the time.
2. Take off heat and allow to cool.
3. Knead.

Finger paint (not playdough, but still fun on a rainy day)
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups water
food colouring of choice.

1. Add all ingredients together.
2. Paper down and off you go!

Stocked up on bacon? no problems

I always find if I am low on meat in my freezer, there is always bacon left in there. Bacon is cheap, really easy to buy in bulk, separate and throw in freezer bags. So just what do you do with all that bacon?

Here are a few ideas:-

Bacon Family Chowder
1 tablespoon oil
3 rashers bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, diced
any other veggies you want (Celery, capsicum, sweet potato etc)
2 1/2 cups hot veggie stock (I use one cup veggie stock, one cup bacon stock)
440g tin creamed corn
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 1/2 cups milk

1. Heat oil in pan. Cook bacon and onion until cooked through.
2. Add other veggies until half cooked.
3. Put into a big oven proof pot along with stock and cook covered for 5 mins. Stir in creamed corn.
4. Blend flour with milk to make a smooth paste. Stir into soup. Cook for 10 - 15 mins.
5. Stir in dried parsley or seasonings if required, or add grated parmesan cheese or swirl in a little cream to make it creamier. (Note: I only add the parsley, because it's usually salty enough with the bacon and bacon stock in mine).

Bacon Wrapped Potato Gems
Bacon (whether you leave the rind on or off is up to you)
Frozen Potato Gems

Soooooo easy. Just wrap the potato gems with the bacon and bake for 15-20 mins until bacon outside is crispy. Fantastic entree, just not that great if you're on a diet!

Hawaiian muffin pizzas
1 rasher bacon
1 English Muffin cut in halves
2 Ring of pineapple, drained
2 slices of cheese

1. Lightly toast the muffin halves until only just golden.
2. Put slice of cheese, pineapple and bacon on top
3. Pop under grill until the bacon is crispy and cheese is melting.

Bacon Caesar Salad
Lettuce
Chopped, cooked bacon (dried on paper towel)
Croutons (cubed bread under the grill, lightly sprayed with cooking oil if you like)
Parmesan cheese

Add all ingredients together, drizzle with Caesar dressing (1 teaspoon white vinegar, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise)

We had the Bacon Family Chowder for dinner tonight, and my kids are already on their second bowls. A really fantastic family recipe!