Homemade Gummy Bears (or what ever shape you want)

I LOVE gummy bears. I think I might be addicted to them. My mother in-law gave me a 6 pound bag of them for Christmas and they were gone weeks ago. I did share ( a little bit). The only way I can choke down vitamins is if I buy them in gummy bear form. And then I really have to use will power not to eat the whole jar and die of vitamin toxicity.

Did you know that you can buy a 5 Lb. gummy bear that is 9 inches tall? I want it.

Did you know that gummy bears were originally named Dancing Bears?

Did you know that you can also make home made gummy bears!!!

Well, now you know. And I am going to teach you how:

Ingredients:

• 1 box (3 oz.) of Jello, any flavor (I did apricot)
• 2 (1/4 oz.) packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 C. water
• candy molds

Directions:

1. Put water into a small pot. Sprinkle Jello and gelatin over the top. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

2. Turn the heat on to medium and stir until it becomes liquid and the gelatin dissolves.

3. Let cool for 1 minute and pour into molds. If you need to, transfer into a more pourable container first.

4. Let cool for about 20 minutes, or cool in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

5. I have heard that it is good to sprinkle the backs with powdered sugar or corn starch to prevent from sticking to the plate or together, but I didn’t feel like it was necessary. Mine did not stick together.

6. Peel from the molds and enjoy!

Make all kinds of flavors and colors and shapes. Let your kids help make them.

IDEAS FOR MOLDS:

• Silicone ice cube trays (you can buy all kinds of shapes)

• The the guts of one of those chincy Christmas advent calendars

This is what the inside looks like. I just happened to have an old advent calendar hanging around.

 

• Candy molds (about $2.00 online)

Recipe from Skip to my Lou

Homemade Clay and Volcanoes

I made homemade clay with my nephews the other day. This is a really easy recipe that you can make with ingredients that you probably have at home already. After letting them play with it for a while, we turned it into a volcano with baking soda and vinegar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup water
• food coloring (gel food coloring will give you the most vivid colors)

For Volcano:

• empty medicine bottle
• baking soda
• vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Mix together the water and food coloring until combined. Add the colored water to the dry ingredients and mix together. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it starts to come together, about 3-5 minutes.

2. The dough will start to clump and become difficult to stir. At this point remove it from the pan and knead it for about 5 minutes. (Have your kids help with this). Store in an air tight container or a Ziploc baggie in the fridge.

To Make the Volcano:

1. Mold the clay into a volcano shape. Create an opening and squish in an empty medicine bottle or small container.

2. Pour some baking soda into the medicine bottle. Pour some vinegar into the opening after the baking powder and watch it foam and bubble up. If you want to, add red or orange food coloring to the vinegar to make it look more like lava.

Note: I am not sure at what temperature or for how long, but you could probably bake it to make a more sturdy volcano. I rinsed the dough off with water and kneaded in a little bit more flour and let the kids keep playing with it. It kind of smelled like vinegar, but it was still usable.