ENTERTAINMENT – Page 26 – Whole Heartily

Homemade Teething Cookies Recipe

Homemade Teething Cookies Recipe Last week, we brought some of the beach to Zoey with edible “sand” made out of graham crackers and oatmeal. After she was done playing, I could not let good food go to waste so I made her some teething cookies with the remaining “sand”.

Not too sweet, but sweet enough to be called cookies instead of crackers, these treats are a hit! They are springy, yet firm enough to soothe her teething gums and she likes them!…Although so does my husband so I’m going to have to convince him not to eat all of them before she can knaw on a few.

Homemade Teething Cookies Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Edible “sand” (1 box of graham crackers & 2 cups of old-fashioned oats, blended)
3 bananas (the riper the better)
6 tablespoons of coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons of water (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 325 F.
Combine the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir them with a mixing spoon until a thick dough has formed. You may need to adjust the amount of water or coconut oil you add depending on how juicy your bananas are.
Section the dough into smaller portions and (using a flat surface and a rolling pin) roll out your dough to 1/4 of an inch thick. You will need to use flour to keep the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and surfaces.
With a circular cookie cutter or a drinking glass (I used a drinking glass), cut cookies out of the dough and place them onto the greased baking sheet.
Cook each sheet of cookies for 12 to 15 minutes. Be careful they are hot! Use the spatula or a spoon to test their springiness. They should be firm yet springy when pressed as they are brought out of the oven.
Allow the cookies to cool before serving. These can be stored in the refrigerator for a little more firmness.
Serve and enjoy, but please watch your baby as they eat this to make sure they handle the texture well!

The Night of the Rabbit – Dewdrop Location Guide

If there’s one thing I do when I play a game (besides trying to relax and enjoy myself), it’s look up information. I get curious or stuck, and I find myself turning to the internet for answers. There are a lot of good guides out there that are super helpful, but what I don’t see are an abundance of simple and clean visual guides that lay out all the information in one place.

The Night of the Rabbit is a beautiful game, with peaceful music and relaxingly-paced puzzle solving. There are four types of collectibles in the game; cards, dewdrops, stickers and stories. This week we are focusing on a guide for the dewdrops, next week we’ll be focusing on a guide for the stickers!

There are two sorts of collectibles in the game, stickers and dewdrops. This week we’ll be focusing on the dewdrops, but check out my guide to the sticker locations!

Dewdrops can only be found in the world of Mousewood and only during daylight hours.This infographic will let you know how many dewdrops are in each scene and where to look for them. Once all the dewdrops are collected, travel back to the passage to the magicians house and click on the stone stele to reveal the portrait of the Marquis de Hoto’s apprentice, prior to Jeremiah.

Please let me know if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!

DIY Edible “Sand” for Sensory Playtime

DIY Edible Sand for Sensory Play It’s the middle of Summer and I would love to take Zoey to the beach for the first time, but just about everything she picks up is quickly introduced to her mouth! I understand she’s figuring things out (and more power to her), but I’m not super enthusiastic about her ingesting beach sand. So, until she gets a little less eager to put everything in her mouth, why not bring a little beach experience to her?

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. We can make edible “sand” that’s fun to play in and safe to eat out of graham crackers and oatmeal; let’s make it!

Check back next week for the homemade teething cookies I made with the remaining edible “sand”.

DIY Edible Sand for Sensory Play

SUPPLIES

1 box of graham crackers.
2 cups of oatmeal (I used whole grain old-fashioned oats)
A food processor
A mixing bowl
A mixing spoon
A container for playing in the “sand” (I used a heavy casserole dish)
Beach or ocean themed toys (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Open the graham crackers and blend them in the food processor until they are a fine sand-like texture.
Remove the graham crackers from the food processor and pour them into a mixing bowl.
Measure the oatmeal into the food processor and blend it until it is also a fine sand-like texture.
Remove the oatmeal from the food processor and add it to the mixing bowl with the graham crackers.
Using a mixing spoon, stir the graham crackers and oatmeal together until well combined.
Pour the edible “sand” into the container you’ve chosen for your baby to play in. I used a heavy casserole dish since Zoey’s not strong enough to flip it yet. You can always double or triple the graham cracker and oatmeal ratio if you want to fill a larger container.
Arrange beach and/or ocean themed toys in the sand for your little one to play with (optional).
Introduce the edible “sand” to your baby and enjoy!

Randall’s Be My Pal Cupcake Recipe (Monster’s University)

Be My Pal Cupcake Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Monster's University

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be baking the cupcakes Randall bakes in the hope of making new friends at Monster’s University in Disney and Pixar’s Monster’s University. Be My Pal Cupcake Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Monster's University

These “Be My Pal” cupcakes are featured right before Randall leaves for a campus party. He’s baked them to impress members of the fraternity he’s trying to join and asks Mike to join him, but Mike declines to study instead.

Be My Pal Cupcake Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Monster's University

In all honesty, I feel a little guilty for not making the cupcake portion of this recipe from scratch. I am rationalizing it by an idea that a college student probably wouldn’t want to take the time to bake everything from scratch, but on the flip-side this is Randall we’re talking about; it could go either way! I look forward to revisiting this recipe in the future and re-creating it completely from scratch, but in the meantime, enjoy and substitute butter for a more homemade flavor!

Be My Pal Cupcake Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Monster's University

CUPCAKES

1 box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1/3 cup butter (or vegetable oil)
3 large eggs
1 cup water
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS (CUPCAKES)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set it aside to cool.
Line a muffin/cupcake pan with cupcake liners and spray them lightly with cooking spray.
Place the dry cake mix in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs and water.
Slowly add the combined wet ingredients to the dry cake mix a little at a time, mixing until smooth.
Distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each liner about about 2/3 full (you can use an ice cream scoop or I used a small measuring cup).
Bake the cupcakes for 18 to 21 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center of each cupcake comes out clean.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
1 1/2 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS (FROSTING)

Refrigerate or freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment(s) for 10-15 minutes before using, then whip the heavy whipping cream on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until it’s thick, fluffy and spreadable.
In a second mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar slowly until well incorporated, then add the vanilla extract.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Separate out about a third of the frosting out into a small bowl and add red food coloring until it reaches the desired hue for the “Be My Pal” letters.
Spread the white frosting on each cupcake using a butter knife.
Place the red frosting into a piping bag and spell out “Be My Pal” onto 7 (or more) of the cupcakes.
Enjoy!

Chrono Trigger – Sealed Chest and Door Guide

Earlier this year, I participated in playing Chrono Trigger with The MinnMax Show’s Deepest Dive. I had heard so many good things about this game over the years. I’d started it, but never finished, until now!

Everything I’d heard about it was true, it’s a wonderful nostalgic game! My only mistake was opening all the sealed chests in the wrong order and missing out on better and/or extra loot. To counter that, I made this infographic to help players figure out where and when all the sealed chests and doors are located, if they’re upgradeable, and what’s in them. There’s a note at the top with instructions on what to do to receive the upgraded loot.

Please let me know if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds During these Summer months, and even into Fall, we get some pretty warm and sometimes uncomfortably hot days. To cool Zoey off and soothe her teething gums, I thought it would be fun and refreshing to make some frozen treats using the food she already eats and candy molds!

DIY Frozen Mickey and Minnie Baby Treats using Candy Molds

SUPPLIES

Candy mold of your choice (I used Mickey and Minnie)
Baby food
Yogurt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash and dry the candy mold.
Choose the flavor of baby food and/or yogurt you would like to freeze and spoon it into the candy molds until it’s even with the top of the mold. I wiped the top of my mold down to make it look better, but you do not need to do this.
Place the mold in the freezer for an hour or more until the contents are frozen.
Remove the mold from the freezer and pop out one or two frozen treats at a time for baby to enjoy!

Tabletop Game – Let’s Play Blokus!

Tabletop Game Blokus by Mattel Games I’m always on the look out for a fun, entertaining way to pass the time like a good tabletop game! Blokus was introduced to us by my husband’s parents and we enjoyed playing it so much we purchased it straightaway!

Tabletop Game Blokus by Mattel Games Blokus is a two to four player strategy game that can be played with reckless abandon, or the studied care one would reserve for Chess or Checkers.

Players each choose a color and a corner, then decide who goes first; turns proceed clockwise around the board. To begin, each player must use their first turn to lay down a piece that covers their base corner’s square. Play then continues with each player placing one piece each turn that must touch the corner of one of their colored pieces, but only the corners! Full sides of the same color may not touch one another.

Tabletop Game Blokus by Mattel Games When a player reaches a point where they cannot place another piece, they are done. The game ends when no player can place anymore pieces. Once the game ends the players count the number of squares in their unplayed pieces, the player with the lowest number of squares left, wins!

Tabletop Game Blokus by Mattel Games My only complaint is based on the packaging or storage. The version we purchased has no storage for the 84 colored pieces which is surprising and disappointing. I use four sandwich bags, one for each color to store them. This cuts down on the amount of time spent sifting through the pieces before starting each game!

Tabletop Game Blokus by Mattel Games If you’re looking for a fun, fresh take on a timeless strategy game that feels like a spiritual successor to Checkers and/or Chess, check out Blokus!

DIY Stacking Felt Doughnuts with Sprinkles!

DIY Felt Stacking or Stackable Doughnuts with Sprinkles Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. I’ve seen the stacking toy done in so many fun and creative ways, but I don’t believe I’ve seen a felt doughnut stacking toy yet, so let’s make one!

My Dad, Zoey’s Grandpa Kev, made the base of this toy. If you do not have access to a competent woodworker/carpenter to make a base, I would recommend using the base of another stacking toy. You can switch out between the rings that came with the toy and felt doughnuts!

DIY Felt Stacking or Stackable Doughnuts with Sprinkles I have provided the patterns I used to make the four different sizes of donuts for my stacking toy. You’re welcome to use them if the base of your toy closely resembles mine, or you can make them as play food without the base. Another option would be to create your own patterns using the measurements of your base and a compass.

SUPPLIES

Doughnut and frosting patterns
Scissors
4 sheets (9” x 12”) of a doughnut colored felt of your choice
A skein of closely matching doughnut colored embroidery thread
4 sheets (9” x 12”) of frosting colored colored felt of your choice
4 skeins of closely matching frosting colored embroidery thread
Embroidery needle
Fiber filling (stuffing)

INSTRUCTIONS

Print 3 copies each of the two supplied pattern pages.
Use the first two copies to cut out a pair of each size of circle, one for either side of the doughnut.
Create your own wavy frosting pattern within each of the circles on the third pages, and cut those patterns out for your frosting.
Lay the circular patterns on the felt you’ve chosen for you doughnuts and pin them in place.
Lay the frosting patterns on the felt you’ve chosen for the frosting; these can be all the same color, or different colors.
Cut around the patterns. You can do this directly or trace around the edges of the patterns with a pen, then remove the patterns and cut out each shape.
Place the frosting for each doughnut on one of the doughnut halves, aligning the center holes, and pin them to keep them secure.
Cut a length each of three different colored embroidery threads for the sprinkles; there are 6 strands in each embroidery thread, split them in half three by three and peel them apart.
Thread the needle with your first sprinkle color, and poke the threaded needle up from the bottom of the top of the doughnut, emerging through the top of the frosting, and pull it through. Create a sprinkle size length in any direction you choose and poke the needle back down through the frosting to underneath the doughnut. Repeat this process all around the doughnut in a pattern you prefer and tie it off underneath.
Remove the pins, repeat this process and create sprinkles in two more colors.
Thread the needle with thread that matches the color of your frosting. Begin using neat whip stitches around the outside edges of the frosting starting with your knot underneath the top half of the doughnut.
Using the same thread color as your frosting, align the bottom half of the doughnut to the top, frosted half and use neat whip stitches around the center hole. To hide your thread, knot it and pull it up through the bottom of the frosted layer to begin. When finished, poke the needle through the bottom doughnut layer, but only come through the middle in between the top and bottom of the doughnut to tie off your knot.
Thread the needle with embroidery thread the color of your doughnut. Once again, use neat whip stitching along the outside edge of your doughnut, concealing the knot inside. About two thirds around, stop stitching and begin adding stuffing. Keep stitching and stuffing as space allows until you’ve made your doughnut whole.
To conceal the knot, tie a knot at the base of your string still attached to the doughnut and pull it within the edges of the doughnut, going through the stuffing and coming out somewhere near he center hole, then trim this piece off.
Repeat steps 7 through 10 to complete each size doughnut.
Enjoy!

Concrete Genie – Genie Guide

I finished playing Concrete Genie by Pixelopus as game number one of twenty for the year 2020. Before I began playing I knew I wanted to create a visual guide to help players, but once I started I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of collectibles! I decided to narrow my focus to a guide for finding all of 18 types of Genies in the game.

This infographic is organized by the Genie’s number in Ash’s sketchbook; I’ve provided each Genie’s number, name, chapter and location found.

Please let me know if you would like me to work on a guide for the other collectibles within Concrete Genie or if there are any games you would like to see visual information or guides for in the future! I love helping people, discussing games and organizing information!

“Try Everything” Lyric Page from Disney’s Zootopia

I love singing to Baby Zoey and she loves being sung to! This is also a song Zoey loves moving to or dare I say, dance to. She’s still learning to walk, so we do the dancing for her with her in our arms, but she laughs and squeals the whole time!

I used to know all the songs from Disney movies by heart, but I’m a little rusty. I’ve started making lyric pages to refresh my memory or teach me new songs I’ve never known! Feel free to save them to your phone for a quick reference, and please let me know if there are any songs you would like to see lyric pages for!