A LITTLE VALENTINE FUN

For my grandchildren's Valentine's Day this year, I decided to make them a variety of things. I saw so many cute ideas on Pinterest. I couldn't make up my mind. Last year I gave them a "HUG".  It was my original idea.    

This year I copied ideas except for "making" the animal crackers.  I have the recipe below.  Thanks to split coast stampers for the pencil dog idea, crazy little projects provided the free printable for the color my world crayon idea, and bless this mess please for the "wild" about you animal cracker idea.



DOGGIE PENCIL VALENTINE

What you need:

Valentine pencils
scrapbook paper or card stock
moveable eyes

Cut a strip 1 inch wide and 12 inches long for the body of the dog from the paper.

Mark off the strip on the wrong side: 1/2 inch for head, and then at 1 inch intervals until the last 1/2 inch for the tail.

To start folding, fold the 1/2 inch from one end on the right side and then fold the next time on the wrong side and continue in this accordion fashion.

With a hole punch, punch through the "inch" intervals leaving the head and tail free.

Make the head using a contrasting piece of paper 1 inch wide and 1-1/2 inch long.  For the ears, make ovals from a piece 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long.  The nose can easily be made using the punch out from the hole punch.  Position and glue on.

Add pencil and you have a Doggie Pencil.



COLOR MY WORLD CRAYONS

This was the easiest to make.  Print out the free printable from crazy little projects.  She printed them on sticker paper and stuck them to a box of crayons.  I didn't have the sticker paper, so just printed them on regular paper, but them apart, and wrapped them around the box of crayons.  I glued the paper in the back to the box and itself.


I'M "WILD" ABOUT YOU, VALENTINE

I actually saw this idea and planned to buy some animal crackers as she did.  Then last week when I was volunteering at Hillcrest Thrift Shop, during a slow spell, I saw this recipe for animal crackers in Traditional Christmas Two - Cooking, Crafts, & Gifts.  I immediately remembered the wild about you idea I wanted to do for the grandkids and decided I would MAKE my own animal crackers for the valentine.

All I had to do was find the little animal cookie cutters.  Friday when Janice and I went out I checked at the one estate sale we went to for them, but they didn't have any.  They had cookie cutters but not the small animal cookie cutters I needed.  After lunch, we went by Michael's to get the scrapbook paper for the Doggie Pencils and I found the set for Noah's Ark by Wilton.  (Janice couldn't believe I found some....I never had a doubt. ha)

I have to say these were so much fun to make.  And they taste good too...not sweet but animal crackers aren't sweet.  I did use the whole wheat pastry flour and not the graham flour.  I am sure the latter will produce a different taste.

After they cooled, I bagged them using a ziplock sandwich bag.  I made the sign using some of the scrapbook paper I left over from the doggie ears and nose, and overlapping the top of the bag, stapled it on.

ANIMAL CRACKERS

1-1/2     cup whole wheat (pastry) flour or graham flour
1/2        cup all-purpose flour
1/4        cup sugar
2           tablespoons cinnamon
1/2        teaspoon baking powder
1/2        teaspoon baking soda
1/4        teaspoon salt
1/3        cup light corn syrup
1/3        cup plain nonfat or low fat yogurt (I used vanilla Greek yogurt 0% fat)
3           tablespoons canola oil
1/2        teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray  cookie sheet with cooking spray. (I used cookie sheets lined with parchment paper...so easy to clean up and cookie won't stick.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a 1 - cup measure, measure corn syrup, yogurt, oil and vanilla.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Beat at low speed just til the dry ingredients are moistened. (I just used a wooden spoon and stirred them in the bowl.)

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3 - 5 minutes or til smooth, adding more flour as necessary to reduce stickiness.  (I just had to spread a little more on the surface several times.)

Divide the dough in half and wrap one half in plastic wrap while you work with the other half.

Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

Cut the shapes and rework the excess dough til smooth and roll it out.  Continue until you have used all the dough.

Place shapes on cookie sheet 1 - inch apart.

Bake for 7 -9 minutes or til the edges begin to brown.

I made 75 cookies.

Remove and cool on wire rack.