Play Dough

The food allergy thing makes being a kid pretty tough.

Bryce can't play with the Play-Doh as it contains wheat. At least the Play-Doh folks are kind enough to clearly label this fact on the side of the can.

Oddball brands of play clay don't list their ingrediants and are made in China. I pass on those.

My search for a decent (decent-not great) replacement for Play-Doh is this recipe. It's fast, easy and works pretty well. The downside is that it practically mumifies your hands while using it because of the high salt content and it dries out quickly if you leave it sit for too long. Store it in a sealed container with a piece of wet paper towel and it will stay workable for a good month or so. Another thing to remember is that it doesn't have the longevity of name-brand Play-Doh. In winter it dries out quickly, and in summer's high humidity, it gets sticky.

1 C salt
1/3 C water
1/2 C cornstarch
1/3 C cold water
food coloring

-mix the salt & 1/3 C water in saucepan on stovetop for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should look slushy. Remove from heat.

-Add conrstarch and 1/4C col water, stir. It should look like mashed potatoes.

-Stir until it thickens, cool. Knead on a cutting board or countertop dusted w/cornstarch. Add food coloring, if desired.