DIY
By Lindsay Ponta
Chalkboard Hall Pass
Your child’s teacher will appreciate
this handmade hall pass when
they’re back in their classroom again.

We all know that back-to-school season is going to look different this year.

Maybe your kids will be in the classroom on an adjusted schedule. Or maybe
they’ll be home for distance learning or home schooling.

Either way, I’m a big fan of anything we can do to make things feel as
familiar as possible for our kids and their teachers. This DIY chalkboard hall
pass is a thoughtful yet practical back-to-school gift for whenever in-person
learning begins again. And in the meantime, you can let your little students
use it when they need to step away from Zoom!
1 2
3 4
INSTRUCTIONS 1 Lightly smooth both sides and the edges
of your door hanger with sandpaper to
make it easier to paint. Wipe off any dust
with a clean, dry cloth.

2 Cover one side of the door hanger with
a few coats of chalkboard acrylic or spray
paint, and set it aside to dry. Don’t worry if
a printed design on the door hanger shows
through a little bit. It will be less obvious
once there’s writing on it.

3 When the chalkboard paint dries, make
a straight line with a piece of washi or
painter’s tape and write “I’m on my way to
the:” above it using white acrylic paint and
a thin paintbrush. Tip: Practice on scrap
paper to get the size and spacing correct.

4 Tape off 1” stripes on the other side of
the hanger, and paint them in a rainbow
5 6
pattern using a couple coats of
acrylic paint.

5 Using tape as a guide, spell your
teacher’s name by gluing wooden letters
over the rainbow stripes. Tip: Make sure
the paint is very dry before you tape over
it or it can peel off.

6 Wrap tape around the middle of two
differently sized wooden beads. Paint half
of each bead in one of the colors from the
rainbow side of the door hanger.

7 Wrap black yarn or twine around the
handle a few times, then thread the beads.

(Tip: Wrap a bit of tape around the ends of
the twine to thread it through the beads.)
Tie a double knot near the end to keep the
beads from falling off. You can tie a tassel at
the end for some extra fullness and flair. T
8 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2020
SUPPLIES Everything you need to make
this project should be readily
available at your nearest craft
store or online. I had good
luck recently with curbside
pickup from Michaels.

• Wooden door hanger
• Sandpaper
• Cloth
• Chalkboard acrylic or
spray paint
• Washi or painter’s tape
• Acrylic paint in white
and an assortment of
rainbow colors
• Paint brushes
• 3/4” wood block letters
• Glue
• Yarn or twine
• Wooden beads in two sizes
Lindsay Ponta created the DIY and lifestyle website Shrimp
Salad Circus in 2009 to inspire busy women to live perfectly-
imperfect creative lives. She lives in Silver Spring, MD. Find
easy DIYs and recipes at shrimpsaladcircus.com.




Gooey & Good
RECIPES 3 New Ways to Make S’mores
t’s hard to beat s’mores for the tactile sweet pleasure they
bring to a summer meal. A picnic just isn’t a picnic without
that melt-in-your-mouth, sticky, chocolate treat. Summer nights
+ s’mores are right up there with baseball + hot dogs, beach + snow cone,
wave + boogie board.

It’s a tradition, for sure, but not one that can’t be reimagined. We’ve got
three fresh takes on this classic that come to us courtesy of Nourish Culinary
in Washington, D.C. Many thanks to owner Dara Lyubinsky for sharing these
recipes with our readers. You can find out more about Nourish Culinary at
nourishculinary.com or on Instagram at @nourishculinary.

Now, get that fire pit ready!
By Jessica Gregg
Serves 8
Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup Nutella or similar hazelnut spread
(optional) 1-2 bags large jet-puffed marshmallows
Original graham crackers, for serving
(We like Nabisco)
Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425.

2. Over medium heat on the stove, melt the
butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Tilt the pan
so that the melted butter coats the bottom.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and add both
kinds of chocolate chips.

4. Drizzle with Nutella if using.

5. Top with marshmallows, making sure to
leave no space between them.

6. Bake for 10 minutes until the tops of the
marshmallows are golden brown. If they
don’t brown, carefully heat
them under the broiler until
they get a touch of color.

7. Transfer the skillet to
a trivet and cover
the handle with
a heat-proof
cover or towel.

Serve with graham
crackers. S’MINTS
Serves 8
Ingredients 8 rectangles chocolate graham crackers
1 bag large jet-puffed marshmallows
16 Andes mints
Directions 1. Prepare your fire. These marshmallows
are best when toasted over a wood-burning
fireplace or in a fire pit, but you can also
toast them over a grill or under a broiler.

Be sure to take extra precaution to keep
everyone safe around any kind of fire.

2. P lace three marshmallows on the end of a
wooden or metal skewer and roast lightly
until the marshmallows have turned to your
preferred level of toasted. We like golden
brown with a touch of char.

3. P lace two Andes mints on one square of
chocolate graham cracker and use another
square to help the marshmallows off of the
skewer to make a sandwich.

4. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

CAMPFIRE BANANAS
FOSTER S’MORES
Serves 8
Ingredients 4 medium-ripe bananas
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
8 rectangles cinnamon sugar graham
crackers 24 large jet-puffed marshmallows
4 square sheets of aluminum foil,
approximately 12 inches by 12 inches
Directions 1. Prepare your fire. A wood-burning fireplace,
gas fireplace or a fire pit work best, but you
can also use a grill or your oven’s broiler.

2. Slice bananas lengthwise, so just the tip of
your knife cuts through the top peel and
scores the flesh. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of
brown sugar along slice of each banana.

Wrap bananas securely in the foil and
place them in an even-heat spot of your
fire, on your grill or under a pre-heated
broiler. Cook bananas for approximately
seven minutes, or until they give when you
squeeze them with tongs.

3. While you allow the bananas to cool slightly,
roast three marshmallows on a skewer until
they have reached your preferred level of
toasted. We like golden brown with a slight
char. Scoop melted banana onto one square
of graham cracker and use another square to
help the marshmallows off of the skewer to
make a sandwich.

4. Repeat with remaining ingredients. n
WashingtonFAMILY.com 9
SMORES TRAYVICTORIYA89 / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS; PAMELA_D_MCADAMS / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
CAST IRON S’MORES
FOR A CROWD