Recycled Crayons

While brain storming fun party favor ideas for my son's construction truck themed birthday party I ran across these adorable construction truck shaped crayons at the following website:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/43616549/construction-trucks-crayon-set

I LOVED the idea but HATED the price. I decided to make my own. I found some chocolate molds shaped like cement trucks at ebay for $5 (including shipping). You can get almost ANY shape you like.

Materials:
Plastic chocolate mold

Crayons
Large pot with water
Metal bowl that will fit on top of the pot
Wax paper
Tooth pick or other utensil you don't mind getting wax on

Instructions:

-Sort crayons by similar shade, strip off the paper, and break into smaller pieces

-Bring pot of water to a boil, then turn heat to medium low and place the metal pot over it.


-Fold the wax paper so it creates a centered crease. Place a shade of crayons in the center and place in the metal bowl. Allow the crayon to melt completely. If crayon starts to separate into a clear and colored portion, stir with a tooth pick. By folding the paper before you melt the crayons, it creates a clean line for the crayon to flow down.

- Once the crayon is completely melted, quickly pour into the mold. This must be done as quickly as possible because the wax cools rapidly. If a significant amount of crayon cools onto the paper you can set it in the freezer for a few seconds. After it hardens, break the wax and place it back into the center of the paper. Melt again and pour into a mold.

-Let the crayons sit until they cool completely. You can put the mold in the fridge/freezer to speed up the process if you want. Once cool, the crayons should pop right out. Enjoy your awesome recycled crayons!

Summer Strawberry Pie

One of my favorite summer foods is fresh strawberry pie. I used to make strawberry pie with store bought glaze but it always had a bit of a plastic taste to me. I love this recipe because it is incredibly easy, fast and tastes so fresh.

Serves 6-8 (in theory; in reality I could eat the whole thing all by myself)

Ingredients:

-1 9-inch graham cracker crust (store bought or home made)
-2 pints fresh strawberries (2 lbs)

-3/4 cup sugar

-4 1/2 tbsp ultra-gel or cornstarch
 (recipe varies depending on which you use)
-1/3 cup water

-1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green leafy tops.
 Cut berries into halves or fourths depending on your preference. Put in a bowl and set aside.

2. Take 1 cups of the berries and puree them in a food processor.

-If using ultra gel: Combine puree with sugar, ultra-gel, water and vanilla. Stir and set aside.

-If using corn starch: Combine puree with sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture steadily (doesn’t need to be fast, just to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan) while it cools down for about 5 minutes.


3. Pour the sauce over the sliced berries and stir until the berries are coated evenly. Pour berries into the crust and smooth over using a spatula. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve plain or with whipped cream.

Gram Cracker Crust

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cup crushed gram cracker
-1/3 cup white sugar
-6 tbsp butter, melted


Directions:

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 9 inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes, or until crust starts to brown just slightly. Cool.