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Apple Cider & Spice Potpourri:
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Materials:
- 1 small, firm apple per guest
- 1 cup of pink and red rose petals (found in craft store)
- Cinnamon sticks, broken into small pieces
- 3 teaspoons of nutmeg per guest
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves per guest
- 1-1/2 tablespoon grated orange peel per guest
- 3 drops of vanilla fragrance oil (found in craft store) per guest
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Instructions:
To Dry Apples:
- Preheat oven to 150 Degrees.
- Wash and dry apple thoroughly.
- Cut apples in half along the core. Next, slice apple halves into thin sections. Remove core if desired.
- Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place apple slices on cookie sheet in a single layer.
- Bake apple slices for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The apples should appear shriveled and slightly brown, but not burned.
- Remove dried apples from the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Cool apples for 30 minutes.
Assembling Jars:
- Gather several empty mason jars (one for each guest). You can recycle old spaghetti jars for this craft as well.
- Combine all ingredients of the potpourri. Gently mix the ingredients in each mason jar. Cover tightly.
- This mixture will preserve for months.
- Decorate the jar lids with ribbons and/or colorful bits of cloth applied with glue.
- To use: Place about 1-1/2 tablespoons of your potpourri into 2 cups of boiling water. Turn down the heat. Let the mixture simmer gently to release all of the aroma.
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Materials:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
- Candy thermometer
- Small basting brush
- Candy sprinkles, and gum drops
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Instructions:
- Combine sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium sauce pot.
- Adjust the heat to medium, stirring constantly as the mixture begins to heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- After boiling the candy mixture, push the sugar crystal down from the walls of the po. Push sugar crystals back down into the boiling mixture with a small basting brush dipped in cold water.
- Once the mixture has begun to boil and sugar crystals are pushed down from the walls of the pot, then put a candy thermometer into the pot.
- Cook the candy without stirring until the mixture reaches 290 degrees F (or 143 degrees C).
- Once the peak temperature is reached remove the pot from the stove.
- Stir 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice into the hot candy mixture.
- Prepare the lolly sticks in advance. Space the sticks evenly on a greased baking sheet.
- Immediately after adding lemon juice, use a teaspoon to drop small bits of hot candy mixture onto one end of each lolly stick.
- Use gum drops and candy sprinkles to decorate the lollipops into smiling lemon happy-faces!
- Decorate while the lollipops are slightly cooler but still soft.
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Decorative Macaroni Wreaths:
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Materials:
- Macaroni pasta - have many different shapes available
- White glue
- Spray paints
- Colorful ribbon
- Sturdy paper plates
- Yarn
- Pencil
- Crafting knife
- Newspaper
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Instructions:
- Draw a small diameter hole in the center of the paper plates.
- Cut out the paper plate holes using the crafting knife. Place a cutting board under the paper plates as you are working with the crafting knife.
- Punch a single hole near the outer rim of each paper plate.
- Thread a short length of yarn through each hole. Loop and tie-off the yarn for hanging later on.
- Artfully glue pasta onto the rim of the paper plate. Cover the surface of the paper plate completely.
- Let glue dry completely 1 to 2 hours. Aim a rotating fan at the wreaths for faster drying.
- Spread newspaper outside and place dried wreaths on top.
- Spray paint wreaths.
- Make several bows with the ribbon and glue one on each wreath to accentuate.
Note: Choose ribbon and paint colors to emphasize the season, or an upcoming holiday!
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