Rachael Ray's Blog, page 70

A Post Valentine’s Day Craft: Plush Toy Secret Box!

It’s sweet that your main squeeze bought you that plush toy for Valentine’s Day, but, as an adult, what do you do with it once the holiday is over? It’s possible it will become one of those things that gets kicked around for a while until it eventually ends up at the local thrift store, or as your dog’s toy.

However, with a few easy steps you could turn that cute little toy into a secret hiding place that no one will ever suspect. You just have to be able to stomach chopping its head off temporarily.

Materials:

Medium sized plush toy

Small container

Scissors

Hot glue gun

Start by selecting a container that will fit inside the toy’s belly. In order to really conceal the container, make sure there’s enough room for the container and some stuffing to fill in around it. This spice jar is the perfect fit for this cute monkey.

Remove the head with a pair of sharp scissors. Take out enough stuffing from the belly to fit the container, and enough stuffing from the head to accommodate the lid.

Place the container in the body just enough so the top of the jar that attaches to the lid is above the cut line. Fill in with stuffing around the container. Place the lid all the way inside the head, so the bottom is just at the cut line. Fill in with stuffing.

To secure, hot glue around the opening in the body and the head. This will prevent the fabric from fraying, and keep the container in place when opening and closing it.

Fill with money, jewelry, or any other item you wish to conceal, and place the head onto the jar top.

No one will ever know what’s hidden behind that innocent smiling face—not even your sweetheart.

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Ten Desserts for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and in my house this romantic holiday has turned into a family event - and I couldn’t be happier. We make a nice dinner, eat together, and I always make a special dessert. I have to say this is a far more enjoyable way to spend the day, or evening (which I have always considered a non-event), than pre-children when my husband and I would feel obligated to brave the masses and try to get a reservation at an overcrowded restaurant.

Dessert on Valentine’s Day doesn’t necessarily mean chocolate (of course it usually does to me), but definitely something special. Here are a few recipes from our website that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day:

Hot Fudge Sundae Cupcakes

Triple Layer Oreo Cake (time consuming but worth it)

Brownie Pie (don’t forget the ice cream or whipped cream topper)

Dark Chocolate Brownies (dressed up with ice cream and hot fudge)

New York-Style Cheesecake with Berries

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Glaze

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Crazy No-Bowl Chocolate Cake (also known as “Wacky Cake” - kids can make this it’s so easy)

Famous Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake (no cooking required)

Chocolate Cheesecake with Hints of Orange

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I [Heart] Pink Drinks

Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day is all about drinking—whether you’re in a couple, or single. Who doesn’t love a glass of pink champagne on this day some argue is made up by the greeting card, chocolate and jewelry industries? This got me to thinking, what else can I drink that can be made pink?

Grenadine

Let grenadine be your friend on Valentine’s day. It can turn just about anything clear to almost clear into a pink or red drink—from the Shirley Temple to the Hurricane. I thought, if it can make those drinks rosy, how about beer? Hard cider? I did a little experiment, and two tablespoons of grenadine did in fact turn my ordinary beer into a festive Valentine’s Day brew.

The Cosmopolitan

Talk about the ultimate pink drink: the cosmopolitan. This doesn’t need grenadine to give it it’s pretty pink hue; just cranberry juice. For a double, in a cocktail shaker filled half way with ice add:

2 oz vodka

1 oz triple sec

1 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz cranberry juice

Top with a lime wedge and skewered cranberries. To sweeten this drink add sugar to the rim of the glass.

Heart-shaped, Strawberry Drink Topper

No matter how you drown your sorrows, or celebrate your romance this Valentine’s Day, top your drink with love. Remove the stem from a strawberry. Cut a notch in the top, and slice for heart-shaped strawberries.

Skewer the slices onto a bamboo skewer.

Top any cocktail with this strawberry treat.

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Chicago Under the Radar

Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!

From: Kappy

To: RR

Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 5:14pm

Subject: Chicago Under the Radar

Hey RR -

I’ve got a few places to share with you that I think you (and your readers/viewers) will dig. First up is Edzo’s Burger Shop is in Evanston, a suburb just north of Chicago. Eddie is a culinary school grad and a proper chef, but was sick of the long restaurant hours. So, he decided to make his own hours in order to be able to spend more time with his family. The result is burger success. Fresh ground burgers, hand-cut fries, hand-dipped ice cream shakes…they all benefit from the simple menu yet great attention to details that Eddie has. I mean, the guy grinds his meat fresh every morning - that’s dedication. You have the option of a griddled burger that is thinner and crispy, or a char burger, which is thicker and juicier. Choose from Buffalo Fries, Garlic Fries, Old Fries, Angry Fries and more. I ordered a griddled burger, Buffalo fries and a Nutella shake. I promise you’ll enjoy your experience at Edzo’s. Just do me a favor and don’t grab a table before you get your food (and don’t say I didn’t warn you!). P.S. Edzo’s Lincoln Park recently opened.

My gosh, I can’t wait to tell you about Rootstock. I’ve had a number of great experiences at this casual and small semi-out-of-the-way wine bar with delicious food (and beer). In truth, I hadn’t been in awhile, but I actually recently went back and was blown away. In the past I’ve had their flatbreads, their perfectly cooked French fries, their burger and tried their unique salads, such as faro and duck confit… all more than satisfying. This last time I went with a hand-cut pasta dish with brown butter, butternut squash, ricotta and pea shoots. Now, I like brown butter, but I don’t like how a pasta is usually swimming in it - this was perfectly coating the pasta and it was one of the better pasta dishes I’ve had in a long time. We of course got the fries again and the burger, but we also added what turned out to be a mind-blowing Squash Salad with butternut squash puree, a hen egg, kale and oat crumble (pictured above). If you’re on the lookout for a low-key dinner with unique flavors in a relaxed wine bar atmosphere, Rootstock is the place for you.

Now, Katy and I are always up for a casual and delicious Mexican adventure. In New York City, like you, we both love Mexicana Mama. We had heard about this place on the north side of Chicago called Mixteco Grill and decided to give it a try. Picture a Mexican diner of sorts. Upon entering, I noticed a woman making homemade tortillas and I was sold. We had some chips and salsa and guac, of course. We’re also queso fundido fans, so we ordered that. It was really good, but could have used a little more browning. However, the chicken enchiladas with homemade black mole more than made up for it. Also popular at our table were the tamales, a steak with a Mexican pepper sauce, and the cochinita pibil. This place is super affordable and very casual.

Lastly, I have a friend whose go-to is Bistro Campagne in the Lakeview area of Chicago. It’s really a pretty straightforward French bistro, which done right, I love. They unfortunately had a loss in the family of their chef/owner just a few weeks before I went in, but the restaurant has remained open for business. I started with a wonderful asparagus salad and followed that with the neighborhood favorite, roasted chicken with crispy onions and mushroom gravy. [image error] And it was just that… a great roasted chicken with crispy skin and a rich mushroom gravy draped over the top. What more can you ask for?

And that’s what’s on my plate!

~ Kappy

Edzo’s

1571 Sherman Avenue

Evanston, IL 60201

(847) 864-3396

www.edzos.com

Rootstock

954 North California Avenue

Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 292-1616

www.rootstockbar.com

Mixteco Grill

1601 West Montrose Avenue

Chicago, IL 60613

(773) 868-1601

www.mixtecogrill.com

Bistro Campagne

4518 North Lincoln Avenue

Chicago, IL 60625

(773) 271-6100

www.bistrocampagne.com

Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan loves food. A professionally trained chef, by day he runs Yum-o!, Rachael Ray’s charity focused on kids and cooking, and keeps special projects running smoothly for her. By night he hops course to course, place to place, all across the country. He’s Rach’s own personal dining guide! You can also follow Kappy on Twitter to see what’s On Kappy’s Plate in real-time!

Vegan Passion Fruit Cheesecake – Oh So Passionate!!

2 days to V-Day so start priming. Be different this Thursday. Trackie bum loyalists - give those contours a little exposure! And for those of you who dress to the nines everyday, loosen-up - perhaps an over-sized sweater to curl up by the fireplace might be nice. Dare and declare to be different this valentines day – the results will be smoldering.

John.Karakatsanis

Another place to add some jazz for the night is in your valentines day spread. I don’t know about you, but this is where I get really predictable. There is always some kind of overtly gooey chocolate cake. Whilst it tastes great, where is the element of surprise? How about a valentines day filled with the unexpected layer after layer, bite after bite and sip after sip?

Since dessert isn’t my forte, I went to hang out with my friend Fernanda Capobianca, owner of bakery ‘Vegan Diva’ in Manhattan. As we sat giggling away, exchanging notes on how to spike-up the evening, she recommended I make a passion fruit vegan cheesecake. This has to be it! There’s even passion in the name. Fernanda assured me that it wasn’t too complicated (such reassurances are mission critical to me). We headed down to the kitchen to do a trial run. What fun!

Me and Fernanda

Not only will the desert taste great as it is given a finishing touch of raspberry jam, gated by shards of white chocolate, but it also tastes ‘clean’ as it swaps out heavy dairy for vegan ingredients. The cheesecake shuns its back on the traditionally lethargic desert and the sweetness is towed in line with a burst of passion fruit excitement.  It will set the tone to what lies ahead.

Thanks for the great recipe Fernanda along with the other tips and tricks you shared!!

Recipe for Passion Fruit Cheesecake

1 container Tofutti brand cream cheese alternative

12 oz. or one package silken tofu

1/3 cup soymilk

1/3 cup corn starch

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. maple syrup (optional)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup passion fruit puree (frozen section of the supermarket)

3 tsp. egg replacer

2 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 pre-made vegan piecrust (http://whollywholesome.com/products/pie-shells.phphttp://whollywholesome.com/products/pie-shells.php and available at many health food stores)*also available at WholeFoods

1cup organic raspberry jam

½ cup of white chocolate shavings (picture has thin broken white chocolate sheets but shavings work just as well)

Method

1) Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the egg replacer with the water in a small bowl until smooth and add to blender. Blend together all ingredients, except for oil and crust at medium speed until smooth. Mixture should be thick and creamy. Slowly incorporate oil by pouring in at low speed.

2) Pour into piecrust and bake 45-50 minutes or until just barely firm. The cheesecake will not change color or rise up, but don’t be afraid to take it out of the oven!

3) Allow to cool and refrigerate or freeze slightly before serving and it will firm up to the proper texture.

4) Enjoy your tofu cheesecake! Garnish with organic raspberry jam and .

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

Behold! My New Knife, and the Changed Life That Came With It

Just like that, your life changes. Sometimes it’s a baby; sometimes it’s a tumor; sometimes it’s a knife. The first one isn’t coming anytime soon, and I can’t speak to the second. But the knife is here and it’s staying here. I now have the only knife I’m going to use for the rest of my life.

The knife is an  Bob Kramer all-carbon 8″ chef’s knife, manufactured by Henckels Zwillig. Bob Kramer is the greatest knifesmith in America. (Here’s a video of him doing unnatural things with a chef’s knife.) I should say here that I didn’t buy it; I was badgering my friend at Henckels to use his employee discount on my behalf, and he got sick of hearing it and just had one sent to me. (That’s the Ozersky family motto: nothing but the best, and never pay retail.) The fact is that I would willingly have paid the full price for the knife, because, as I say, I’m never going to buy another one. It’s available from Sur La Table. And now I find myself actively looking to cut things up.

I’m not saying that everyone who reads this should run out and get the same knife. The reason the Bob Kramer knife works for me is because, among other things, it fits my hand so perfectly. I have a marvelous Japanese knife, a 10″ Ittosai chef’s knife from Korin, that is unimaginably beautiful and has an edge capable of beheading a man in one stroke. But it doesnt’ fit my hand like this one, and it doesn’t speak to me in quite the same way. The full-carbon tool-steel knife is ugly; it’s not stainless, it doesn’t have damascus cladding. It picks up stains and patinas as you use it, and even when brand new a single thumbprint was enough to mar its mirror sheen permanently. But that’s one reason I feel it; it ages with me and gains a unique character that runs deep. I even put a thumbprint patina on it as soon as I got it; I wanted it to be mine and mine alone. It doesn’t look like any other knife.

It is also preturnaturally sharp. Stainless knives can sharp; but you have to give up something to get a knife that beautfiul that never rusts or discolors. And what you give is is that extra level of sharpness. And you have to believe me: it makes such a difference! My knife fits in my hand as if I were holding no knife at all; and its edge cuts through carrots and onions as if they weren’t there. I mean this in a very literal sense: there is almost no resistance, and I can mince as fast as my wrist can move. It’s an exhilerating feeling; you rarely, if ever, see your will imposed so quickly and absolutely. It’s intoxicating, and the psychological pleasure, combined with the physical feeling of holding the knife, creates an adrenaline surge when you use it; it’s basically culinary adderall.

Having a knife this special requires more of me than I would have thought. I have to clean it religously, at least until its dark patina forms, protecting it from rust and other forms of earthly corruption. I hone it regularly with a Kramer steel. When its edge becomes less than lethal, I sharpen it by hand on a Japanese whetstone, which is fun, but also hard, since I’m bad at it. I have to keep the knife in a special sheath. I can’t look at it the wrong way, or I will be a triple amputee within months. But I don’t care. I love my knife. And now I love cooking more than I ever have before.

Valentines Day Rice Krispie Treat Pops

When I heard we were getting hit with a big snowstorm I decided to take advantage of the time stuck inside and do a little edible Valentine’s Day craft with my four year old. Cooking is something we always do together and it’s always a great way to keep us both occupied.

My son has been cooking with me in the kitchen since he was a few weeks old, strapped to my chest in a Baby Bjorn, but the older he gets, the more fun it is to have him by my side. Four years old is a great age to get more in depth in the kitchen. Measuring is something he can really understand now and has successfully mastered to the point where I can give him the instructions and trust him to carry out the task unassisted. It’s really exciting and I love to get him involved every chance I get.

Like I said, my son is four which means he’s super into desserts and even more so if they are presented on a stick (who isn’t right?). He’s also a huge fan of marshmallows so I decided to teach him how to make Rice Krispie treats. They are easy enough to make and I knew he’d never had them before so he’d be excited to try a new recipe. I wanted our recipe to be a something that felt crafty too so I decided to make these Rice Krispie treats festive by cutting them into heart shapes, dipping them in melted pink chocolate and sprinkling them with hearts. We even decided to use red and white colored straws as our lollipop sticks and I think they came out so cute.

Wrap each pop in a small cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon and you have yourself one adorable, edible Valentine. They also make excellent bake sale items and will definitely sell like fast so be sure to make a double batch.

Valentines Day Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Makes 12-14 Pops

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 (10 ounce) bag of  regular sized marshmallows

1 cup pink candy melts (you can buy these at the craft stores)

1/3 cup sprinkles

12 lollipop sticks or straws, cut in half

Instructions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Using a 2-inch heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts.

4. Melt candy melts using a double boiler. Remove from heat. Using a small offset spatula, coat half of each heart with melted candy and sprinkle with sprinkles. Place onto a wire rack until the candy coating hardens.

5. Gently skewer each heart with a straw or lollipop stick and serve.

VALENTINE’S DAY 2013 5 Quick and Easy Tips to Get Rid of the Stains We “Love”

Love is in the air! So whether it’s your first date, love of your life, or you are amongst the six million who will get engaged according to this Huffington Post article (and believe it or not that’s up two million from 2012!) Valentine’s Day is upon us! And, with it comes its own group of stains that unlike love are not what we want to last.  Here are a few simple ways to deal with Cupid’s most common stains!

◦                LIPSTICK: With all that lip locking, there is bound to be some lipstick ending up on your man’s collar. Don’t regret those kisses, put a dollop of non-gel shaving cream on those hot lip marks, dab and rinse with club soda or water. Feel free to continue but consider going with clear gloss or ‘au natural’!

◦                CHOCOLATE: As Forest Gump said so eloquently, “I’m not a smart man . . . but I know what love is.” He also said that his momma believed “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” So now that your sweetie’s satisfied your sweet tooth and you’ve consumed a whole heart shaped box of love i.e. chocolates, you also got what you didn’t expect: a glob on that sexy white silk blouse.  Grab a bottle of clear hand sanitizer, squeeze some on and dab out the stain with a towel or micro-fiber cloth.

◦                STRAWBERRIES: Nothing says “I Love You” like chocolate covered strawberries but no one likes a strawberry stain. Remove any access strawberry from the article of clothing with a spoon or knife, then as your touching up your doo, take aim with your aerosol can of hairspray and spritz the stain to remove.

◦                RED WINE: If you spill some red wine switch to champagne pronto which is a bit more romantic and easy to clean! Meanwhile, run some cool water through the stain, sprinkle salt on it to help lift it and finish with white wine.

◦                SWEAT STAINS: As I shared, Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to ‘pop’ the big question as in ‘will you marry me’ (which if you click on those words you’ll see some fun ways to propose!). But, alas, your nerves from popping the big question or being the one being proposed to can cause one to sweat and cause that lovely yellow staining. Here’s an easy RX! Just get out a big bowl, pour in enough warm water to cover the stain, and hand crush 2-6 aspirin tablets into the bowl. Once dissolved, put your white machine washable dress or tee shirt into it and let sit 2-4 hours. Then launder par usual. No problem if you get distracted calling all your loved ones to announce the big news and leave it overnight!

For more tips from The Accidental Housewife visit Julie’s tips

How to order at an Indian restaurant - And A Recipe for Eggplant Saute

Too heavy, too rich, way too spicy. These are just some of the comments you hear when people talk of Indian food. In all fairness, the assessment isn’t completely way off base. We order our favorite dishes on the menu but don’t think through how they work together in terms of  ‘balance of flavors, textures and fat’. I for one am certainly guilty. Greedily picking dishes with three stars next to them (ratings for chili levels), my ‘snap’ seeking palate is very quickly put in its place with more than I can handle.

As I headed over to New Yorks latest Indian culinary find ‘Moti-Mahal Deluxe’, I was given a re-education.  Gaurav Anand, restaurateur of NYC’s three leading Indian restaurants, one of which includes Moti-Mahal Deluxe, is as ‘straight-talking’ as his dishes. His ingredients are sourced locally and for the most part, organic. His kitchens have no tolerance for short-cuts and short-changing and each dish is executed with the precision that is being upheld at Moti Mahals original restaurant in Dariyaganj, New Delhi. In a word, he is a perfectionist.

Restaurateur Gaurav Anand

Yet, he recognizes that pulling out the stops is not sufficient. The overall experience is a partnership between the patron and restaurant. The question one poses the server at the time of ordering a meal is often ‘what are your most popular dishes?’ when it should be ‘what dishes do you recommend? ‘, ‘How do these dishes inter-play with each other?’. Indian cuisines is built around steaming, grilling, sautéing and of course like most other cuisines, it has it’s mother sauces (base sauces). Gaurav recommends selecting a dish from each category and opting for dishes made with different base sauces. Planning to order butter chicken, paneer makhani and makhani daal ? the experience may induce a little heartburn as butter and cream is a defining component in all three. Deciding on which bread with your chicken curry?  A naan will serve to mop-up flavors whilst the choice of a whole-wheat roti might block them. Gaurav shares how to approach an Indian menu:

Selecting from the following categories

1) Clay oven/ Grill: Kebabs/ tikkas and a house salad with chutneys – typically eaten as an appetizer

2) Entrees:

a. If choosing a cream based dish, such as chicken makhani, select a sautéed vegetable like okra or eggplant and a light yellow lentil curry, such as, tadka daal

b. If choosing a sautéed protein, such as mutton or chicken curry, you can open your vegetarian choices to include dishes like paneer makhani or black buttered lentils – daal makani  and dum aloo Kashmiri (potatoes cooked in steam)

An Assortment of balanced dishes

Gaurav shared his recipe for Eggplant Saute- Baingan Jaitpuri, as it’s versatility makes it work well with both choices. The dish is vibrant as baby eggplants are coated in a warm and tangy tomato-like relish.

Recipe for Egpplant sauté - Baingan Jaitpuri

Ingredients

1 lb. baby eggplants

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp. chaat masala (seasoning mix available at Indian specialty stores)

3 red onions

1 white onion

2 large tomatoes

1 tsp. cumin powder

3 tbsp. olive oil for sautéing

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

1 tbsp. dried mango or amchoor powder (mango powder available at Indian specialty stores)

Method

Make a spice mixture of: cayenne pepper, salt and chaat masala
Slit the eggplant across but only up to the stem. Stuff each eggplant with a pinch of the spice mixture
Finely chop the onions and tomatoes, and saute them with olive oil until they are brown
Add  cumin powders and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Let the sauce cool
Fry the eggplant for about 8-10 minutes over medium heat in a large skillet or in two batches. Add to the sauce, gently mix and sprinkle with amchoor powder
Serve with red onions soaked in lime juice and naans (Stonefire make great naans and are available at most supermarkets)

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

A Book Safe & Candy Dish with Goodwill Finds

A Sweet Storybook Romance

Here are two really great gifts you can make from Goodwill finds. The candy dish is a sweet and easy project that can be assembled in a few minutes. The book gift is a little more involved, but is a nice, romantic surprise for a special sweetheart—the inside is hollowed out, so a secret gift can be placed inside!

Either way, that special someone will love these thoughtful Valentine’s presents, and you’ll be supporting Goodwill which by selling donated goods in its outlet and retail stores and online creates thousands of jobs and millions in revenues that fund job training programs across the United States and Canada, contributing sound investments in the economic health of local communities.



Book with Secret Compartment

Materials

Hardcover book

White glue, decoupage glue, or acrylic gel medium

Water

Plastic wrap

Masking tape (or any low tack tape)

Utility knife

Ribbon

Goodwill always has tons of used books, so you’re bound to find the perfect one for this project. Maybe you’ll find one that has your sweetheart’s name in the title, or something with a romantic or personally relevant title. I chose my book because it was red without a title on the front cover. It also was a lonely volume from an encyclopedia set—somehow it had been separated from all the other volumes in the set. Plus, the letter of the volume is the initial of the person I wanted to give it to.

I have to admit, choosing a book for this project was tough for me. I have always been taught to respect books, so the idea of cutting one up was a little painful. However, because it came from a set that was missing, I felt this was the perfect book to repurpose since it had sort of lost its usefulness. Plus, it had some water damage, and dirt that needed to be cleaned off, so it was no longer in pristine condition.

To make the compartment in the book really secret, start the hollowing out process a few pages in. Choose the page you want to be on top of the hollowed out section, and turn it, so it’s bunched with the other pages that won’t be cut.

Wrap those first few pages in plastic wrap and secure with some low tack tape like masking tape.

Mix some white glue with water (about 70% glue, 30% percent water), so it has a runny consistency. This will help the glue seep into the pages, so they stick together.

Paint the inside back cover with the glue-water mixture.

Close the book. Paint the exposed page edges with the glue-water mixture. Don’t worry if the glue drips; it dries clear.

Place something heavy on the book and let the glue dry.

Mark the stack of pages that will be cut at least an inch inside the edge.

Cut the pages with a utility knife. To make really straight cuts, it helps to use a straight edge for the first cut. Also, make sure the blade is really sharp. Cut the pages a few at a time, and change the blade throughout the process when cutting becomes more difficult.

Once the desired depth is reached, paint the inside edge with the glue-water solution. Re-coat the outside edge, and seal up any openings that may have been made during the cutting process. Then paint the top edge of the opening.

Remove the plastic wrap. Carefully place the reserved top page onto the glue. Shut the book and let dry about an hour.

Neatly cut the top page to expose the opening.

Cut a nice ribbon for a bookmark, and place a Valentine’s gift inside.

Candy Dish

Materials

Bowl, mug or goblet

Candy

Lollypop

Clear cellophane

Twist tie

Gift tag

Ribbon

This is a great project to do while you’re waiting for the glue to dry on your hollow book. I was lucky enough to find a Valentine-themed bowl at my local Goodwill. However, don’t despair if you can’t find one with hearts or Cupid. Look for something red or pink, or just use a plain white bowl and dress up with a red ribbon. If you can’t find the right bowl, use a mug, goblet, or glass for the same effect. The one thing I love about Goodwill is you never know what you will find, and that helps to get the imaginative juices flowing.

Fill the bowl with your sweetheart’s favorite candy and chocolates.

Wrap with cellophane and secure with a twist tie.

If needed, trim the excess cellophane.

Push the lollypop stem into the cellophane, add a gift tag, and cover the twist tie with a ribbon tied into a bow.

Goodwill is the perfect place to shop for Valentine’s Day. You’ll always find something you can’t find anywhere else, and Goodwill’s employment programs promote independence and dignity for people who need support to provide for themselves and their families.

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