Fruit Infused Popsicles

Today in the Sunshine State, it reached 101 degrees, so I decided to make a batch of popsicles to help beat the heat! 

Here is what you will need to make these delicious ice cold treats:

• strawberries
• limes
• Hawaiian Punch-Fruit Juicy Red
• popsicle mold or paper cups
• popsicle sticks

First, you have to cut up the fruit and lay it on the sides of the mold or cup. Once the molds are stocked up with fruit you begin to pour the juice into the mold. Place a popsicle stick in the center of the mold/cup (it may displace itself but you can use tape like I did to hold it in place).

Let them sit in the freezer for at least four hours or until no liquid is runny.

Use hot water on the sides of the mold to help release the popsicle neatly or just peel the paper cup away from your popsicle, and voila you have an icy cold treat at your fingertips! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Summer,

Lizzie

Turn Trash Into Treasure

Turn plastic bags into jewelry!

I had a really cute bag from Wold Market that had the message "please reuse or recycle this bag," so I immediately knew what I would do when I pulled this activity from my jar. Make a bracelet from this plastic bag!

Here's what you'll need:

• Plastic bags
• Scissors
• Parchment paper
• Iron
• Needle and thread
• Toggles (charms and beads, optional)

First I cut up the bags and laid the pieces in a collage on to of a sheet of parchment paper.  

A few plastic bags cut into a collage on parchment paper

I took another sheet of parchment paper and placed it on top of the collage.  Then I took the iron on a medium high heat and gently fused the layers of plastic together.  

My plastic "fabric."

Next I cut out bracelets (make sure they have tails) and added toggles to the ends. Sew the ends underneath.

.

Pull the plastic tails  through the toggles and sew down to adhere.

Have fun creating.  You can get really fancy by sewing the edges with a sewing machine, sewing on extra layers of plastic fabric and adding beads. 

This project took me a few hours to make, but I had enough "fabric" to make five bracelets!

Let me know if you try it.  I want to see your bracelets (and any other type of jewelry you make from plastic "fabric" too!)

Happy summer,

Lizzie

My First Activity: Make Donuts

I’ve been gluten free for a year and a half!  This has given me a lot of time to experiment with different gluten free recipes. This a favorite concoctions to whip up:

Summertime Gluten Free Nectarine & Ricotta Donut Holes

• 1 cup Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk (add a little bit more if the batter is too dry; it should be sticky and not too wet)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1 diced nectarine or peach
• 1 tbs ricotta cheese (optional)
• Cinnamon and sugar mixture

Ingredients

Mix these ingredients together, and bake in a Cake Pop Maker.  Remove when done, and while there still hot, roll and coat in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Babycake Cake Pop Maker

These are so fun to eat while there still hot!  Enjoy!

Happy summer,

Lizzie

My Summer Revolution

Summer's here, and I am officially done with school! Yay!  I survived middle school (imagine me happy dancing)! While I am super excited to be moving on to high school, the reality of a long summer looms before me. What to do?  I am too old for camp, and too young for a summer job. So last week, I wrote a list of activities to tackle while I'm on my break. Now when I am bored, I will just pull an activity out of a jar, and no matter what, I will do what's written on the piece of paper, and write about it.  It's just a few ideas (like 187...so far)!, Here's a random sample

1. Make an activity jar  (Done!)
2. Swim with a dolphin or beluga whale (So doable ~ lol!)
3. Go buy random sodas and have a taste testing party
4. Go to Epcot 
5. Have a Harry Potter (or other movie series) marathon
6. Go to the beach
7. Have a shaving cream fight
8. Invent something new with two random items
9. Write a modern day Declaration of Independence (Yes, I just finished US History, school is still on the brain)!
10. Write a coded note
11. Write a rant
12. Make hand pulled cotton candy
13. Try to make an old fashioned recipe (hand churned butter, homemade ice cream, etc.)
14. Write a long letter, rant, or story in the sand at the beach
15. Rewrite a Greek Mythology
16. Write a note then leave it on a park bench
17. Create my own language (I'm such a geek!)
18. Watch a foreign TV series (Totally in love with Korean Dramas)
19. Have a movie or book sob-a-thon (Just a crying fest for when you need a good cry).
20. Create a wacky invention
21. Make up a random set of rules to follow for one day
22. Pretend to have a career for the day
23. Look through old school papers
24. Upcycle a piece of clothing into something new
25. Imagine where you will be in 10-100 years, and write it down
26. Star in your own 5-10 minute Disney film
27. Make sushi (candy or regular)
28. Have a campfire party
29. Apply makeup to someone while blindfolded
30. Critique songs you like and don't like
31. Be a spy for the day 
32. Make paper flowers ( yeah I know it's kind of a girly craft)
33. Make a piñata
34. Make invisible ink
35. Paint a canvas with water guns or balloons filled with paint
36. Make a candy village
37. Make art using common household items (pencil shavings, a ruler, etc.)
38. Make a surprise ball
39. Build a fort
40. Watch a movie outside at night

Maybe you would like to do some of these ideas with me?  Have your own summer revolution, and tell me about it!

Happy summer,

Lizzie