Editor’s note: This is a recurring Wednesday segment on SillySimple where we can ground ourselves in the simple solution to everyday life.
In the name of keeping it simple for the first Wednesday in February…
“Better late than never” ~anonymous
Photo Credit: swruler9284
I have been obsessed interested craft projects using recycled newspaper in recent months and somehow managed to leave out the entire classic craft medium of paper mache. Paper mache is an incredibly versatile and fun craft medium because it is virtually free to make. It is typically made from scrap paper, and one of a variety of different paste options. For my foray into paper mache I used an old fashioned flour and water recipe.
To make your own paper mache bowl you will need only basic items. I used a bowl from my kitchen wrapped in plastic as my mold and an old newspaper cut into 1” strips (~30 strips of newspaper for this project). To make my paste I used the following paper mache recipe:
Ingredients:
Steps:
1) Mix flour, water and salt together in a sauce pan.
2) Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Mixture will thicken and become slightly translucent but not clear.
3) Allow paste to cool to room temperature (or a temperature that is comfortable to handle with bare hands).
Creating a paper mache bowl:
Once the paper mache glue has cooled the rest of this project is messy, goey and fun!
1) Pull out your 1” strips of newspaper and dip each one in the paper mache paste until it has softened but is not soggy. Remove from paste and push the excess paste off with your fingers (this is my favorite part!).
2) Drape the strips over the mold you have selected.
3) Keep doing this until you have about 3 layers of paper covering the entire mold. Don’t make the layers too thick, but also be sure not to miss any spots.
4) Allow to dry completely. It took my project about 3 days to completely dry. Once projects dry you can carefully remove them from the mold. If your project happens to tear don’t cry, just use a little school glue to hold it together. You can also trim the edges to create a smooth edge for the rim of the bowl.
This is a great project to make some interesting forms at home using supplies you already have on hand. I would not expect this project to replace your fine china, but it would be great to use these paper mache bowls as favor dishes, or candy containers for a party.
Parting tips:
Check us out over at: Tater Tots & Jello, Too Much Time, The Southern Institute
Whew! Another month down, on wards into March. Here is just a handful of the content that we covered here on Silly Simple Living during February. Stay tuned, we have more great stuff coming in March!
For the month of March I am participating in the Romance on a Dime Green Pinterest Challenge. I have developed a pin board over on Pinterest that will showcase my favorite ‘green’ projects.
by the way are you following me on Pinterest yet?
Editor’s note: This is a recurring Wednesday segment on SillySimple where we can ground ourselves in the simple solution to everyday life.
In the name of keeping it simple for the fifth Wednesday in February…
“A simple answer may not always be the best answer, but it’ll do in a pinch. ” ~ anonymous
So on that note… what answers are you searching for this week?
Here in the DC area we have had a delightfully mild winter so far (insert superstitious ramblings about knocking on wood in hopes that this trend continues). Even with the mild winter I am still eagerly awaiting spring; and to prepare, Mr. Silly Simple and I have started growing some seeds indoors. Last year we embarked on an ambitious and creative seed starting campaign (more on that below).
Last year I loved the idea of having all these plants ready to go in the ground at the first sign of spring. It was frugal, it was green, it was great. What I didn’t realize is that you are actually only supposed to plant a few types of seeds indoors before the season begins. In my agricultural zone, plants like squash, lettuce, beans and carrots can be planted right into the ground in spring (who knew?).
Now that we are in year two of the frugal garden adventure we have much less glamorous plans in terms of seed starting. Our goals are a few tomato plants, and a few pepper plants. We are focusing on varieties that aren’t readily available as fully formed plants at the local garden center. By keeping the total number of seedlings low (~10 total) we hope to be able to focus more on keeping them watered in a window, and help them to adjust to the outdoors better in preparation for spring planting.
Want to find out more about great ways to start seeds indoors? I discussed this at length last spring, check out these great posts:
Recycled Newspaper Seed Containers:
I LOVED this project, these are addictive pots to make, I sat down to create just one of these to take photographs of and ended up making half a dozen just because it was so much fun I didn’t want to stop. (more)
Repurpose Ice Cube Trays into planters:
The first seed starter attempt is a repurposed ice cube tray. Ice Cube trays are one of those throw backs to the days before automated ice makers, lots of people have them gather dust around their home (or maybe this is just my home?). (more)
Recycled Egg Carton Seed Containers:
I had so much fun with the ice cube tray seed starters that I started to wonder what else I had hanging around the house that I could use. When these sorts of “use what you have on hand crafting” moods strike the recycling bin is the perfect starting point 
One of the items that I found in the recycling bin was a card board egg carton….(more)
Have you started planning your garden this year? What new things are you thinking about trying?
Editor’s note: This is a recurring Wednesday segment on SillySimple where we can ground ourselves in the simple solution to everyday life.
In the name of keeping it simple for the fourth Wednesday in February…
“Sometimes if you don’t have anything to say, it’s best not to say anything at all.” ~ anonymous
I have been reminded again lately that how you listen is often more important than what you say.
So on that note… How have you been?
Sometimes I just crave something sweet and cold for a treat. I don’t typically keep ice cream on hand for a few different reasons (mostly because if I have it, I eat it, and then I don’t have it anymore). This tasty cold treat, however, is both homemade and delicious.
I was especially excited because I had a chance to use my Valentine’s day gift from Mr. Silly Simple. Yeah he got me a set of popsicle molds, I like to think it is because I am low maintenance 
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Mix the ingredients together
2. Pour into popsicle molds
3. Freeze for at least 2 hours
Do you love poppy seeds? Looking for a good deal on them? Amazon has a great deal on poppy seeds available right now.
Check us out over at: Someday Crafts, Every Creative Endeavor, Tater Tots and Jello, Romance on a Dime, Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy
Editor’s note: This is a recurring Wednesday segment on SillySimple where we can ground ourselves in the simple solution to everyday life.
In the name of keeping it simple for the third Wednesday in February…
Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging ~ Joseph Campbell
I was just having a conversation with a friend this week about the difference between taking the easy route that we know and actually accepting the challenge to move beyond the comfortable and known.
A note from SillySimple: This post is written by Mr. Silly Simple who is awesome at breaking down complicated recipes into not so complicated ones. I can attest that these are very delicious treats.
Somewhere between cookies and confections lies the ethereal decadence that is meringue. They’re relatively simple to make with just a few key ingredients (egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and sugar), and are simply perfect with a good quality cup of coffee (or hot chocolate, if that’s your thing).
Meringues also allow me to indulge in flavors that would otherwise be downright embarrassing if I were caught sampling straight out of a jar or bottle… like orange blossom honey or pure maple syrup. Mmm…. maple syrup.
My personal favorite is the pure light syrup from Berkshire Sweet Gold, which isn’t overpoweringly sweet, and has subtle notes of vanilla. My wife and I first picked up a bottle at a local craft fair after talking with the absolute best sales person ever (if you want me to buy your wares, be ready to nerd it up and explain the science behind your products). We have no regrets, it is absolutely delicious maple syrup.
Here’s a modified basic meringue recipe that satisfies my sweet tooth without resorting to chugging liquid gold straight from a bottle. Alternatively, you can substitute your favorite honey or syrup for the maple syrup if you so prefer.
Ingredients:
2 large fresh egg whites*
1/8 tsp salt (yes, that’s the same salt cellar that Alton Brown uses on Good Eats, he’s my idol)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar**
9 Tbsp maple syrup
* – A note on eggs. When making meringues, it’s best to have the freshest eggs you can get. Eggs typically start their their shelf life as grade AA (though there are exceptions), and go down to grade A, then B over time. As they age, the albumen thins, and yolk membranes weaken. Because we’ll be adding quite a bit of moisture to this recipe in the form of maple syrup, a stronger albumen is needed to maintain stiff peaks. If you don’t have super-fresh eggs, don’t worry, you can still make meringues; they’ll just be a bit softer, so you probably won’t be able to use a pastry bag with them.
** – On cream and copper. If you’ve splurged on a large copper bowl, you can actually skip the cream of tartar altogether, as the copper will stabilize and promote creamier foams that are more difficult to over-beat. I prefer the cheaper and easier-to-store option of cream of tartar to achieve the same effect, primarily because I can’t justify spending the money on a copper bowl since there are very few things for which it is appropriate to use.
1. Preheat the oven to 250F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a very clean, large, NON-PLASTIC bowl (fat molecules bond easily with plastic, and can bring all kinds of unpleasant flavors to your meringue), beat the egg whites until they’re foamy.
3. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and continue whisking until soft peaks form. Slowly add your maple syrup. Once it’s integrated, turn up the speed on your mixer and beat until the meringue is thick and glossy, and forms stiff peaks (or as stiff as they’ll get… see “note on eggs,” above).
4. Drop heaping spoonfuls of meringue onto the prepared baking sheets, flattening them out a bit if they’re too ball-like.
5. Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and let the meringues sit in the unopened oven for 2 hours, or until they’re dry and crisp throughout. Remove from the oven and store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen meringues.
Check us out over at: The Southern Institute, The Tip Junkie
When the temperature drops, and the roads get icy it is easy to start feeling down about the season. Especially that stretch after Christmas when there doesn’t seem to be anything to look forward to. Never fear, there are more than a few reasons to love winter. Here are a few of my favorite winter moments:
1) Hot Cocoa: because that delicious chocolatey drink is best served hot while you are comfortably snuggled under blankets
2) Long underwear
3) Waking up to a bright flower in the bathroom waiting for you: For some reason having flowers indoors just makes more sense for me in the winter. I have already commented on my thing for rea flowers in the bathroom…
4) Soft warm comforters that let you snuggle under them and hide from the cold air just a little bit longer.
5) There is this one moment right in the middle of winter, when everything is gray maybe there is even snow on the ground and all of a sudden bright colors just seem more bright. Sure maybe that pillow has been there all year, but right this instant it is the brightest thing you have seen all day.
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