The Tiny Funnel: October 2016

Yummy Mummy Apple Pie

This pastry is ridiculously easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (in the freezer section of the grocery store)
1 Apple

Sugar

Corn starch

Cinnamon

Salt
2 Candy eyes

Let one sheet of puff pastry sit on the counter for 15 minutes and go do something else.

When the timer goes off set it a second time for 15 minutes and start working:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 tsp. corn starch, 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Peel, core and slice one apple.

4. Add the apple to the sugar mix and coat all the slices.

5. Crack an egg and separate the white (cook up the yolk for your dog if you have one).
6. When the timer goes off, unfold the puff pastry on a sheet of parchment paper.

7. Lay the apples slices in the middle of the PP sheet starting an inch below the top edge and ending an inch above the bottom edge.

8. Make slanted slices on other sides of the PP. Fold them over - alternating strips. Trim the top and bottom sides free of excess dough.

9. Transfer the parchment paper with the mummy to a baking pan.

10. Brush the top with the egg white.

11. Bake for 15 min. then lower the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 15 min. more or until the top is golden brown.

12. Remove and allow to cool before inserting 2 candy eyes.

Contact Paper Skeleton Hands

These skeleton hands are easy to make and you can put them almost anywhere. I made toilet tentacles for work this year- sometimes it’s hard to find black contact paper; this craft uses white contact paper which is easier to find.

Materials:

Contact paper
Glue stick
Scissors

Some kind of template- you can do a search on the internet for "skeleton hand templates" and find all kinds or draw one yourself.

Lightly use glue-stick to attach the template to the back of the contact paper and cut the shape out.

Gently peel the template paper off and re-glue it FRONT SIDE DOWN to the back of a second piece of contact paper (so you have opposite hands).

Peel the paper backing off the contact paper and stick it to a clean dry surface.

Of course! Use common sense- don’t stick it a priceless heirloom but the fridge, a mirror or a door all work well.

Halloween Eye Can!

As we get closer to Halloween I'm making fast, easy projects in the 10 minute craft theme...but my secret theme is "eyes". Did you notice?

This monster fur container with googly eyes can hold silverware, straws, or even art supplies-pencils, brushes and markers. It's made from a (28 ounce tomato or any size) can or tea tin; cleaned and dried with the edges flattened down along the rim.

It's easy to get colored fur at Joann Fabrics at Halloween (not year round) but I usually buy swatches from Michael's (our local store had fuschia!).

Cut the fake fur fabric to fit the outside of the can then hot glue the fabric in place (the can gets hot so be careful).

Add the eyes with little dabs of hot glue (not enough to melt the plastic or burn yourself).

Graham cracker BATS!

Bats! You can cut chocolate wafer cookies in half and stick them into anything and they will look like bats. This is a super fast treat that requires no cooking- a 10 minute snack.

I used the chocolate wafers as wings with last years doughnuts bats. I tested this current set up with chocolate graham crackers but then saw the Keebler Deluxe Fudge covered graham crackers hanging out in the grocery aisle nearby- a less “healthy” option but delicious.

Ingredients:
Nabisco Chocolate wafer cookies
Keebler Deluxe Fudge covered graham cracker cookies or Chocolate graham crackers
Nut butter (I used peanut butter)
Red gel
Sprinkles

Candy googly eyes- I found large and tiny (Wilton brand) googly eyes at Michael's - in white and RED! and multi colored ones at Joanne Fabrics.
Optional:

I bought a crinkle cutter at a yard sale and it makes a fun cut but really a serrated knife will do the job.

Tweezers- it’s hard to position the fangs without them if you don’t have tiny coordinated fingers.

Cut the chocolate cookie wafer in half with the serrated knife (saw across).
Use any broken bits to make 2 tiny triangle bat ears.
Spread peanut butter on one side of the graham cracker.
Position the wings and ears and then sandwich them in place with a second graham cracker.
Add 2 gel dots for the eyes and a gel smile.
Put the googly eyes on the gel dots, then add the sprinkles “fangs" with the tweezers.
Set up a production line and you’ll have a plate of bats in no time!

Halloween Paper Plate and Cupcake Wrapper Eye Balls

Yes! It's another 10 minute craft! Fast, cheap and easy - these eye ball plates are quick to put together and use things you (probably) have on hand.

Materials:
9" Paper plates
Cupcake wrappers- iron them flat for easy gluing (adults job)
Black card stock
Glue stick
Red marker
3m removable foam squares or painters tape
Optional- circle punch (2") from craft store (use your coupon!)

Use glue stick to add a cupcake wrapper to each plate.
Cut or punch out a black pupil and add to the center of the cupcake wrapper.
Add bloodshot lines with a red sharpie marker.
Add a foam square (or painters tape) to the back and add to the wall.

Cheesy Googly Eyes

You can see (no pun intended) that you can add little mozzarella string cheese disks and olive googly eyes to anything.

I made this rigatoni pie for work (recipe here) but added the eyes to nachos, mini pizzas, regular pizza or even crackers.

Cut the olive in half and then push the straw through the skin side.

You can cut the extra olive off the back.

Different diameter straws will yield different sized pupils.

(yes, I punched out the pupils while I was talking to my mother-in-law on the phone. #multitasking).

Cut the cheese disks from the string cheese.

Set everything up so it's ready to go.
Make whatever you’re going to make (pizza, nachos etc.) then add the cheese disks at the end for the last couple of minutes. Remove from the oven and push in the olive pupils.

If you're making the crackers- put the Triscuits in the oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes- it doesn’t take long for the cheese to get just melted enough to add the olive pupils.

Magnetic Eyes

I admit it, I really love googly eyes. This craft is so easy- the trick is to use a glue that doesn't pull away from the plastic and so it's trusty E6000 for the job!

Put them on a door- if you have metal one, lockers, a refrigerator or a metal bulletin board.

Materials:

Google eyes

Magnets

E6000 glue
Wax paper

Work on a piece of wax paper.
Glue the eyes to the magnets.
Allow the glue to dry completely.
That's it!

Halloween Marshmallow Monster Eyes

These brownie bite eyes are fast and easy to make- in keeping with my 10 minute Halloween crafts. You can make them with cookies or cupcakes but brownies are the best because each brownie is warmed and there is nothing better than gooey warm brownies.

Materials:

Brownie bites (you can bake your own but if your short on time like me- just buy them at the store).
Regular size marshmallows
Gummies Life Savers
String licorice or Pull and Peel Twizzlers
Mini chocolate chips

Additional equipment:
A microwave
Scissors
Oil (spray is the fastest)

Cutting marshmallows is sticky business- spray a little oil (or wipe it) onto the scissors before you start cutting and they will release longer. When the scissors get really sticky just wash them and start again.

Lay out the Gummies Life savers on a plate and add a mini chocolate chip to each center hole, set aside.

Separate lengthens of the licorice (or Twizzlers) and cut into 1" sections for the lashes; set aside.

Put up to 4 brownie bites on a microwaveable plate.

Cut marshmallows in half and add one half, cut side up, to the top of each brownie bite.

Microwave the brownie bites with marshmallows for 7 to 21 seconds until they puff up. I push stop and start after 7 seconds because my microwave reverses direction which I think makes them puff up more evenly. But micowaves vary in strength and speed...

Carefully remove the plate and squish the Gummies Lifesaver in the center then add the eye lashes.