Our Favorite Homemade Playdough

We have been making this recipe at least six times a year for the past five years and we love it! 2 cups flour 1/2 cup salt 2 cups water 2 tsp vegetable oil 2 tsp cream of tarter 2 packages of kool-aide Our favorites are cherry or grape for both color and smell. We bought a lovely el-cheapo non-stick pot that is dedicated to this venture. All the ingredients are in and now Max is giving it a good mix before it hits the stove top. This is what the dough looks like after being over medium heat for one minute. The dough is "cooked" on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, but it is really all about the way it looks. Stirring after the mixture goes from straight cake mix looking form to the photo above is key. This shows the dough almost ready to come out. Perhaps a minute or so more. We then scoop it out and place it on wax paper to set a moment or two (usually Max can't wait to get goey, so he dives right in after it cools enough to hold) The reason why a cheap non-stick pot is critical. A good soak and a little scrub and it is good to go for next time. Max prefers to knead his play dough with his shirt off so he can really show off his muscles . . . The real story is he got dough on a favorite Red Sox shirt a couple of years ago and is careful now. We usually let it cool off more before putting in either a plastic bag or airtight container. Max couldn't wait to get his tutorial on-line and finish the project, so we rushed a bit. The cream of tartar in this really makes the play dough last- if you keep it refrigerated it usually lasts us at least 3 months. We often pitch it, just so we can make more. At 7 Max doesn't admit he loves to actually play with the dough. He claims to be making it for Ellie and Sam. Today he let them play for a half-hour, before he took control and made the awesome Short Track Oval with Apollo Ohno skating to victory for the USA, with two Korean competitors crashing just before the finish line. Max showing off his latest play dough art . . . he is working on a downhill course with a Bode Miller!