Today, I decided to let bygones be bygones. My boys have been begging me to play with play dough for weeks now. Today, I decided to allow it. One problem - I had thrown all the commercial Play-Doh out months ago, due to an incident where I found hot pink Play-Doh smeared all over my new carpet. After lots of time, work, and elbow grease, my husband I and were able to get it out of the carpet (It does not come easily). Play-Doh was then outlawed in this house.
Since I decided to give my children another chance today, and I did not want to run to the store for Play-Doh, I dug up an old recipe that my 4-H leader had given me years ago for Cooked Play Dough. It has a nice texture and stays good for weeks, if stored properly. You can probably find this recipe all over the internet, but I decided to share my particular variation. I highly recommend it.
Cooked Play Dough
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Cup water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 cup salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Food coloring
In a medium sized saucepan, mix all the ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The dough will begin to look very lumpy and then it will come together into somewhat of a ball. Remove from heat and dump onto waxed paper or a plate. Cool until it is easy to handle and knead for several minutes until smooth. Give it to the kids and let them have fun - with strict instructions to keep it off the carpet!!! Store in a sealed container.
