Soma Cube Tutorial
Have anyone at your place that loves a challenge? Here’s a fun little puzzle–called a Soma Cube that’s SIMPLE to make and not all that easy to solve. Luckily there are over 200 ways to form these blocks into a square cube, so it just may not ever go together the same way twice!
I’m thinking–perfect gift for all the wise guys in your world…think Christmas.
First step: Grab some unpainted wooden blocks–any size, you’ll need 27 of them. I used 1 inch, but you could go even smaller…or bigger.
Using wood glue– or regular white glue–start sticking your blocks together. I’ll show you the combinations below.
Be sure to wipe off any glue that squishes out–and work really hard to keep the squares even with each other.
There are seven groups of blocks that make up the puzzle. Are you ready?
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
You are positively welcome to leave your blocks their lovely natural wood color. It makes putting the puzzle together a bit more challenging, but if that’s your goal–then by all means leave them.
Otherwise, paint each set a different color and allow to dry completely.
Cover each set of blocks with a coat of Mod Podge and again, let them dry completely.
Check back tomorrow and I’ll show you how to solve the puzzle…
one of the ways.
:}
Silk Tie Easter Eggs
Well, we’ve found our absolute favorite Easter egg dyes…
of all time.
No tablets, no food colors, no cups, no drips, no stained fingers or clothes, no spilling—
I could go on and on. But seriously, the best part about this method is that everything you need is right in your kitchen and closet…or worst case—the thrift store. Who would have thought that an old ratty, out of date silk tie could be the gorgeous answer to the annual Easter egg dying ordeal?
Your whole family is going to love this.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Eggs
Silk ties–look for a tiny tag at the small end of the tie. It needs to say 100% silk. Seriously, this doesn’t have to cost a mint. We picked all these up at the local thrift store–for just a few bucks. The thinner the fabric the better the transfer. If you’re raiding the closet, please be sure to get your man’s permission before you start cutting things up. ;}
An old, white T-shirt–cut it into squares big enough to wrap around the eggs
String
3 Tablespoons of white vinegar
Pot of water
Vegetable oil
Now then…
Cut open the tie at the back and take out the facing fabric. All you will be working with is the actual colored silk.
Cut the silk into pieces big enough to cover the egg…
Wrap it around your egg. Don’t get to0 nutty about this step, just do the best you can.
Now, roll the egg up with the T-shirt fabric.
The idea is to press the colored silk right up against the egg.
The bald kid and I had a competition to see who could wrap their eggs the purtiest. I totally won.
He’s such a silly boy.
Anyway…
set the wrapped eggs in a pan of cold water with the vinegar mixed in. Make sure the water completely covers the eggs.
Boil for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the eggs…
and allow them to completely cool.
Now the fun part—unwrapping the eggs to see what you’ve got.
Rub a tiny bit of vegetable on your masterpieces and see how pretty they look.
Even the subtle ones are beautiful.
If you’re like us–you’ll want to make a million more–because it’s so easy and there’s just no mess. You can use the fabric more than once–if you’re so inclined.
Think of the possibilities.
\/\/\/\/\/\/
And remember to check out the sweet Bunny Wrappers right here!
Happy Birthday Jesse!
Happy Birthday Susette!
Cinnamon Roll Wickedness
Heard the prophetic statement, “Wickedness never was happiness?” Of course it’s true, and I’m no heretic. However…
I’m afraid I’ve found one teensy, weensy exception.
Oh yeahhhhh. I just bet I’ve got your attention now. heh heh heh
One of my cute little moms in my cute little class brought a couple pans of these amazing…no, no…FABULOUS cinnamon rolls–and seriously, it was all I could do not to hang on her leg as she went out the door. Lucky for me, and now you–she is a very good recipe sharing girl (thanks *Megan!).
Before we start here, let me just make one gigantic disclaimer. This recipe makes a busload of cinnamon rolls–enough to pass around the neighborhood, maybe even the world. That’s not the disclaimer part.
This is…
If you make these unbelievable little babies–and I’m thinkin’ you will–and decide to eat the entire batch all by yourself, and the kids find you later that evening sitting on the floor of the pantry with frosting on your chin in a sticky cinnamon stupor—mumbling something about a cruise to Cozumel and Johnny Depp, well now, my friends, I’m just not going to take responsibility for that.
Any more than I took when it happened…
to…
me.
Go on–make them.
I dare you.
The Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
4 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 pkgs. or 2 Tbsp. Dry Active Yeast
9 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups melted butter
1 cup sugar
Cinnamon
Directions:
Mix milk, oil, and sugar in a large saucepan and heat to “scalding.” That means—just before it starts to boil. You don’t have to stir it the whole time but I would advise you not to wander off. It will boil over in a foamy-frothy-messy surge the second you do. Don’t ask me how I know this.
Turn off the heat and let it cool for about an hour. NOW you are free to explore the universe…for only an hour. Set a timer.
Once it rings, and you make sure it is lukewarm, sprinkle the yeast over the top. Leave it a few minutes to soften and do it’s thing.
When you come back, add 8 cups of flour to the mixture and stir it in. Cover with a warm, wet towel and let it sit for one hour. Now you are free to go again–until the timer rings.
Stir in the final cup of flour with the baking powder, soda and salt. Mix well, right there in the pan.
Flour the counter generously. Take half the dough at a time and pat it out into a rectangle.
Now start rolling it into a bigger and more glorious rectangle.
Gently smush up the edges a bit so that the next step works better. Pour the butter over the dough.
Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly over the dough.
Next, sprinkle cinnamon generously over the sugar. I thought I was going way over board, but seriously, we could have put even more and been good.
Starting from the far side, start rolling the dough as tightly as you can towards you.
When you get nearly to the end, stop rolling and carefully pull the dough edge up and pinch it to the roll. That will help keep all that sugary goodness inside the roll.
Butter four 9×15 pans and have them ready. You can cut the rolls in 1 inch slices with a knife or use the thread method (remember the pumpkin roll?).
Place them in the pans and let them sit and get to know each other for about 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and cook these lovelies for 15-18 minutes–depending on your oven and how it behaves. You want them to be a light golden brown.
While that is happening–scurry on ahead and make this:
Evil Maple Frosting
Ingredients:
1-32 oz. bag powdered sugar
2 tsp. maple flavoring
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 tsp. salt
Stir all the ingredients together in a mixer or by hand–whatever floats your boat.
When the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven and cooling safely away from any creature with a working sniffer–you can begin pouring the icing over the cinnamon rolls.
Spread it around generously and don’t lick the spoon until you are completely finished…then you’re on your own.
Try to give the darlings their space for about 20-30 minutes to settle into their new sweet life—
before…
wolfing them down with shameless abandon…
taking to the neighbors.
All is well in Zion.
Dude.
—————–
*Original “untweeked” recipe from Pioneer Woman
Oh, do come enter our EASY “Melissa & Doug Summer Toys” giveaway! We need 200 entriesse, please–spread the word!
| Cinnamon Roll Wickedness |
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 pkgs. or 2 Tbsp. Dry Active Yeast
- 9 cups flour
- 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1-1/2 tsp. salt
- 1-1/2 cups melted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix milk, oil, and sugar in a large saucepan and heat to “scalding.”
- Turn off the heat and let it cool for about an hour.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the top and leave it a few minutes to soften.
- Add 8 cups of flour to the mixture and stir it in.
- Cover with a warm, wet towel and let it sit for one hour.
- Stir in the final cup of flour with the baking powder, soda and salt.
- Mix well, right there in the pan.
- Flour the counter generously.
- Take half the dough at a time and pat it out into a rectangle.
- Now start rolling it into a bigger and more glorious rectangle.
- Gently smush up the edges a bit so that the next step works better.
- Pour the butter over the dough.
- Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly over the dough.
- Next, sprinkle cinnamon generously over the sugar.
- Starting from the far side, start rolling the dough as tightly as you can towards you.
- When you get nearly to the end, stop rolling and carefully pull the dough edge up and pinch it to the roll.
- Butter four 9×15 pans and have them ready.
- You can cut the rolls in 1 inch slices with a knife.
- Place them in the pans and let them sit and get to know each other for about 20 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees and cook these lovelies for 15-18 minutes.
- You want them to be a light golden brown.
- Allow them to cool completely then frost.
Notes
Evil Maple Frosting
Ingredients:
1-32 oz. bag powdered sugar
2 tsp. maple flavoring
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/8 tsp. salt
Stir all the ingredients together in a mixer. Spread it around generously on cooled cinnamon rolls.
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Gum Wrapper Chains
Did you know that the world’s most amazing gum wrapper chain is 11 miles long? Yeah, it’s true. It would actually take you several hours to walk the length of that thing. That’s just nuts!
Do you remember making gum wrapper chains as a kid? Dang they were cool. Kids used them for bookmarks or wall hangings or even belts, bracelets and rings.
We’ve made them out of regular gum wrappers, Starburst, Life Saver and Mamba wrappers. Obviously, a lot of different things work. If you don’t already know how to make them–I’ll show you step by step.
Everyone needs “mad skills” like this.
Heh…
Cut the wrapper in half, long ways.
Fold up each edge about half way…
then fold in half again to form a long, skinny strip.
Now fold the long strip in half.
Now fold each end in half, to meet in the middle.
It should look about like this.
Now fold a million little “prongs” just like this.
Fit the two prongs of one piece into the slots of the other piece.
Push it all the way through until it can’t go any more. It should look about like this.
Now take another “V” and slide it through the one you just fit in place…
and on…
and on and on…
Now try one yourself.
If you have any trouble–email me.
I’ll help you.
:]
Happy National Crochet Week!
March 8-14
Poinsettia Pilates…
Is that what it takes to keep these darn things alive? I used to think so, but in honor of National Poinsettia Day–today–I’ve been doing a bit of research. Apparently, it’s not as hard as I thought. In fact, it is positively possible to keep this little baby alive clear until next Christmas. No lie.
What? You’re a non-believer? Well from what I’ve read–it’s not a bit hard. You just have to know what you’re doing.
In the November/December 2003 issue of Country Woman Magazine a reader writes:
Q. “I have the most beautiful poinsettia. Is there a way I can keep it alive and thriving for next Christmas?”
A. “You certainly can! And you’re not alone in wanting to do so. We and many others like to keep the plants blooming as long as possible, too.
To be honest, it really isn’t all that difficult to take care of a poinsettia. Place the plant near a bright window but out of direct sunlight and make sure the temperature indoors isn’t too high. The flowers prefer cool conditions.
Most importantly, never let your poinsettia dry out. Water it daily–but don’t let the soil get too soggy or leaves will turn yellow and fall off.
Around the beginning of January, add some all purpose houseplant fertilizer. if you notice that it’s starting to look a bit leggy by the middle of February, cut it back to about 5 inches high.
When spring arrives, remove leaves and branches as they start to fade of dry out. You can add more soil if the level looks low in the pot and continue to keep it in a bright location.
In early summer, trim off 2-3 inches to promote a fuller look and repot the poinsettia in a larger container. Once the weather is consistently warm, move it outside where it will get lots of sun, then water and fertilize regularly.
Starting on or near the first day of fall, you’ll want to bring the plant inside and put it in a closet or in the basement at night to ensure it gets 13 hours of uninterrupted darkness. During the day, it should receive about 11 hours of light.
By the end of November, you can stop the short day/long night routine, place the poinsettia in a sunny spot…and watch it turn colorful once again!”
I’m up for the challenge–I’ll let you know how it goes.
Click HERE for all the Gracious Rain Holiday ideas in one convenient place!
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Happy Birthday my sweet April!
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