Today's 4 crafts are on a video and I thought it would be both a handy way to see the instructions without having to click to another site. I also thought that the four crafts would give you a couple of good ideas for the weekend, so that you can use the crafts on the video to have fun all weekend (or go back to the days you might have missed and do them on the weekend).
As someone with an interest in our environment, I truly was attempting to look for crafts to RE-use stuff we have cluttering our houses, and not just a project that requires running out to the local dollar store to bring in more junk.
I am also not keen on the use of glitter and the toxic chemicals in certain crafting supplies. Microplastic glitter often ends up in our water ways and is ingested by the animals. Because of the findings of a study by University of British Columbia, the Art Centre in Richmond, BC, has banned all glitter and microplastic materials in their art programs. I am sorry that there were both plastics and glitter showing up in these particular crafts. If you can do them without either, please do! Be very careful, also, when spray-painting the Christmas tree with gold paint-- go outside, if possible, or at the very least, wear a mask and do the painting in a room with windows open or in a well-ventilated art space.
4 MINI-CHRISTMAS TREES MADE
WITH RECYCLED
MATERIALS
A messy stack of Raw Nanaimo Bars-- luscious!
Nanaimo Bars are claimed as the unique sweet of the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia-- on the same Vancouver Island that I call home.
Layer One:
1 1/2 c walnuts
1/3 c shredded coconut
6-8 dates, pitted
1 T raw honey
1 T raw cacao powder (optional)
Process the nuts into crumbs and add the coconut, dates, honey (and raw cacao) until dough starts sticking together. Press it into a 8 inch square pan.
Layer Two:
1 c Cashew butter (approx. 1 1/2 C. cashew pieces- soak 8 hours ahead of time)
3 T Extra Virgin Coconut oil (NOT melted, just soft)
3 T raw honey
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds) or organic vanilla extract to taste
Process cashews in a food processor with s-blade until turning into butter. If butter is too thick, add some water (about 1/4 c) until it is nice and smooth. Add honey, vanilla (or seeds) and coconut oil last. Pour the mixture over the crust and place it in the fridge or the freezer to set.
Layer Three:
1/2 c Extra Virgin coconut oil (melted on low heat in a jar that sits in a pot of water)
1/2 c raw cacao powder
3 T raw Honey
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds) or organic vanilla extract to taste
Mix everything in a bowl and stir until smooth with a wooden whisk (do not stir too much). Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then pour over the crust and cream layer. Place in the fridge or freezer to set again.
History of the Nanaimo Bar
In the 1950s, that Golden Era for all North American stay-at-home-moms, Mabel Jenkins from Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C., submitted a recipe for squares to a fundraising cookery book. The recipe was celebrated throughout the province. Eventually, the 3-layer bar made its way to some coffee shops up and down Commercial Street in Nanaimo. Americans eating them dubbed them "Nanaimo Bars". (Nuh- Nī'-Mow) Recipes for very similar desserts have surfaced from all over North America and Europe, but thanks to the coffee chains of Tim Horton's and Starbucks, the Nanaimo bar lives on.
1 1/2 c walnuts
1/3 c shredded coconut
6-8 dates, pitted
1 T raw honey
1 T raw cacao powder (optional)
Process the nuts into crumbs and add the coconut, dates, honey (and raw cacao) until dough starts sticking together. Press it into a 8 inch square pan.
Layer Two:
1 c Cashew butter (approx. 1 1/2 C. cashew pieces- soak 8 hours ahead of time)
3 T Extra Virgin Coconut oil (NOT melted, just soft)
3 T raw honey
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds) or organic vanilla extract to taste
Process cashews in a food processor with s-blade until turning into butter. If butter is too thick, add some water (about 1/4 c) until it is nice and smooth. Add honey, vanilla (or seeds) and coconut oil last. Pour the mixture over the crust and place it in the fridge or the freezer to set.
Layer Three:
1/2 c Extra Virgin coconut oil (melted on low heat in a jar that sits in a pot of water)
1/2 c raw cacao powder
3 T raw Honey
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds) or organic vanilla extract to taste
Mix everything in a bowl and stir until smooth with a wooden whisk (do not stir too much). Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then pour over the crust and cream layer. Place in the fridge or freezer to set again.
History of the Nanaimo Bar
In the 1950s, that Golden Era for all North American stay-at-home-moms, Mabel Jenkins from Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island, B.C., submitted a recipe for squares to a fundraising cookery book. The recipe was celebrated throughout the province. Eventually, the 3-layer bar made its way to some coffee shops up and down Commercial Street in Nanaimo. Americans eating them dubbed them "Nanaimo Bars". (Nuh- Nī'-Mow) Recipes for very similar desserts have surfaced from all over North America and Europe, but thanks to the coffee chains of Tim Horton's and Starbucks, the Nanaimo bar lives on.
All crafts and cookie recipes are found listed HERE
🥤 Article and photos © 2025 Cynthia Zirkwitz | Organic Granny
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