'Just for fun' Recipes These recipes can't be eaten but they can be enjoyed in many other ways. Salt Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup salt 3/4 cup water Mix the flour and the salt together. Slowly add the water, stirring until the particles have been moistened. Press mixture together and remove from the bowl. Knead on a counter 10-15 times until dough is of a uniform consistency. It should be firm and not crumbly or sticky. If the dough is dry, work in small amounts of water. If it is sticky, add flour and salt. Tips on using salt dough: 1. It should be stored in a plastic bag while you are using it because it dries out rapidly. Do not store it overnight because it builds up moisture even in the refrigerator. 2. Cookie cutters work well with salt dough or you can try to mold it into dimensional figures. when attaching pieces of dough to each other, moisten the areas to be attached. 3. To shape salt dough into figures, place the dough on a lightly greased piece of foil that can be lifted easily from the table and placed on a cookie sheet. Ornaments look best when they are "cooked" (dried out) slowly. Place them in a warm oven at 250 degrees. Let them bake for several hours. Wait about two hours and then check them and turn them over for at least another hour. Almost any acrylic, tempera, oil, or water color product works well on salt dough. Kitchen Clay (A homade version of Play Dough) 1 cup baking soda (1 pound package) 1 cup corn starch 1 1/4 cups cold water Thoroughly blend soda and cornstarch and add water. Stir until smooth. cook to boiling point over medium heat, stirring constantly. cook about 1 minute longer or until the mixture resembles moist mashed potatoes. Do not overcook. Transfer the mixture to a plate and cover with a damp cloth and cool in the refrigerator about 1/2 hour. Knead and use. If too dry, add a little water. This can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. This clay can be hardened and it is ceramic-like and sturdy. It may be sanded when dry and it can be painted in the same manner as Salt Dough. Finger Paints 3 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 cup cornstarch 2 cups cold water vegetable coloring Mix sugar and cornstarch and water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until well blended. Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 portions and add a different color to each portion. This should be used up rapidly because it dries out cuickly. Children like to make creative projects, pictures, designs, etc. from finger paints. Perhaps they can design your family Christmas cards. Stained Glass Hard Candy 2 cups sugar 1/3 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup water 2 Tbsp. viengar Few drops oil of pwppermint or other oil-based flavoring Food Coloring Combine sugar, syrup, water, and vinegar in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved; then cook with out stirring to the hard crack stage (300 degrees). Remove from heat, stir in the flavoring and the color; cool slightly. Pour candy into commercial molds or into molds you have made from heav aluminum foil cut into shapes. whe candy begins to harden, use a skewer to make holes for hanging. If candy becomes too firm or there is a problem with the holes or shapes, it can be remelted over a lot of heat. Swirls can be added by placing food coloring into the uncolored candy with a toothpick just before pouring into the molds. It is wise to wrap the candies with clear plastic wrap so they can be eaten later.