A Day for Mom

Here’s a personalized gift you can make for your mother. Place one hand with fingers spread apart on a piece of heavy cardboard. Trace outline of hand. Now do the same with the other hand. Cut out, color, and glue to the sides of a block of wood. This makes a good holder for napkins, envelopes, or mail.

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 cup water.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Add water gradually, stirring constantly. Form dough into ball and knead for seven minutes so dough has smooth, firm texture. Keep dough pliable in plastic bag.

Turn a small, deep oven-proof bowl upside down and cover with foil. Roll out dough to 3/8″ thickness on waxed paper or floured board. Cut a 10″ circle, using larger bowl for a pattern. Place dough circle over upside down bowl and press to sides.

For scalloped edge, roll small pieces of dough into marble-size balls and attach to edge of dough bowl with water, flattening each ball against bowl. To make design around bowl, alternate marks with eraser and pointed end of pencil (see illustration). (For variety, turn a bread pan upside down, cover with foil, and weave strips of dough to make a basket.)

Bake bowl upright on a foil-covered cookie sheet at 325°–350° for about an hour or until surface turns light brown. Cool and then varnish. Finished bowl may be filled with candy or a dried flower arrangement.

Follow the dough recipe. To mold, use cardboard tube wrapped in foil. Roll out two pieces of dough 1/4″–1/2″ in diameter and 12″ long. Twist rolls of dough together and wrap around cardboard tube, connecting ends with water. Do the same for as many napkin rings as desired. Lay cardboard tube on cookie sheet covered with foil and bake about 1 hour. Cool and then varnish.

Try making different ring designs such as bows or flowers.

Roll out dough and cut circle for head with edge of drinking glass. Make eyes, hair, and cheeks like yours with small pieces of dough or pencil. Make a hole at top for a ribbon to go through (before baking to a light brown), or mount on a block of wood as illustrated.

By Nina Coombs Pykare

Can you match the mothers with the given statements?

1. This mother had twin sons. (a) Rachel (b) Rebekah (c) Naomi

2. She promised her son to God’s service. (a) Hannah (b) Ruth (c) Sarah

3. This woman was quite old before becoming a mother. (a) Sarah (b) Naomi (c) Hagar

4. The mother of Nephi. (a) Abish (b) Sariah (c) Isabel

5. An ancestress of Jesus. (a) Ruth (b) Naomi (c) Hannah

6. The first earthly mother. (a) Mary (b) Eve (c) Esther

7. Mother of a very wise king. (a) Bathsheba (b) Esther (c) Martha

8. Her son was sold as a slave. (a) Ruth (b) Rebekah (c) Rachel

9. Though she lost her sons this mother gained a loving daughter. (a) Naomi (b) Eve (c) Rahab

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By Barbara Bambiger

Change one letter in each word to spell something you can do to help at home this summer.

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