Warm Memories...

I have this memory as a child of my mother standing in the kitchen in our first house...I couldn't have been more than 4 (I know this because we moved on my 5th birthday exactly...and I ate all the peppermint candies on the cake my grandma made me...as we drove to our new home 2 hours away...might as well have been 4,000 miles to a 5 year old.) Any-who... I was reflecting on this memory of my mother today. She was standing in front of the hot kitchen stove making something magical. NO, it wasn't my favorite meal...it was homemade playdough. I remember storing it in an old bread bag. I guess there wasn't ziploc bags back then. I loved the feel of it, and actually though I believe playdough to be very messy...playing with it always brings back these warm memories of my mother, standing there in front of the kitchen stove...doing what every WONDERFUL mother does...take the ORDINARY...some flour, water, salt, etc...and making the EXTRAORDINARY! That was what she did for us our whole lives...she took the ordinary and made it extraordinary. Our friends loved to come over to the house because mom made warm memories...whether it was freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, my Big Brother's Favorite Blue Berry Muffins, or popcorn in the cast iron skillet...or in this case, warm, right off the stove, playdough.

I tried to recreate a little of that "magic" my mother seemed to stir up with such little effort (from my vantage point anyway). The kitchen was hot, my hands burned a little as I kneeded the dough and got it ready for the children. BUT OH THE JOY! For a moment I wasn't mom ordinary...I was mom EXTRAordinaire. And that is a wonderful feeling I hope each of you have experienced. The simple became superb. I was watching my friends little darlings too and the nine of them all around the table playing with playdough was such a beautiful sight. The world goes too fast these days. Video games, online streaming, Xbox, Wii...I am not dissing them...but there is something to be said for a pile of playdough and a little imagination. Maybe I will raise some children that can generate a new thought, and in 25 years instead of seeing the third or four remake of Footloose, or Dirty Dancing we can watch something new.

Regardless of that, my greatest wish is that in 25 years my children will look back on today with warm memories and remember their mother in front of the stove throwing together some flour, water, salt, etc...and making magic. I hope I will be here to do it with them, I wish my mother had been here today. Maybe God let her have a little glimpse of the magic of it all. I certainly know that would have made her happy.

Life is short and precious. Make it a great day! ONLY YOU CAN!!!

2 cups Water (start boiling it)

1/2 cup salt (I only had sea salt so I added it to water and stirred until it was dissolved but if you have regular salt you can add it to the flour I guess...mine turned out great though)

1tsp Alum (I had this from the last time I made it, it is in spice section at grocery store...if you don't have it, but you do have cream of tartar scroll to next recipe)

2Tbsp cooking oil

2 & 1/2 cups flour

Food coloring of choice

I boiled water with my sea salt added. I then took a mug and put a little water, the alum and the food coloring. I mixed with a fork, dipped it in boiling water and scooped some out and swirled it around. Then I poured this back in a repeated a couple times to get all the alum and food coloring out. Finally I added the oil.

In a large mixing boil (if you have metal it won't stain like plastic can) I put the flour and spread it around the bottom of the boil. Set it on the table if it is metal...it will get hot. Carefully pour the contents of the pan that has been boiling evening over the flour. Then start mixing with a wooden spoon like crazy. Get it as mixed up as you can. When you can stand to pick it up (IT'S HOT!) star roll/kneeding fist fulls of it. Set aside once you get it smooth and grab another handful. I made three batches (3 colors of course). HAVE FUN! If you have cookie cutters they work great and will keep children entertained for quite awhile. Enjoy your WARM memories!

Haven't made this one because I didn't have cream of tartar so I made the alternate one.

1cflour,1cwater,1/4c salt,2tsp cream tartar 1 Tbsp veg oil, food coloring