RECIPES – Page 2 – Whole Heartily

Homemade Halloween Cookies with Reese’s Pieces

Welcome back friends

I have some chocolatey, peanut buttery halloween cookies for you!

You may have heard that you can make cookies with boxed cake mix and this recipe does just that, but with a boost of unsweetened cocoa powder and Reeses Pieces! They are delicious; rich and not too sweet. If you’re looking for something tasty to bake for yourself or someone(s) you love, please try these and enjoy!

HALLOWEEN COOKIES

1 box of devil’s food chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup of butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups of Reeses Pieces candy

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Open the cake mix and pour it into a large mixing bowl.
Measure 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa into the dry cake mix and stir gently to incorporate.
Add the softened butter and eggs into the dry ingredients and mix until a thick dough forms.
Divide the Reeses Pieces: stir one cup into the cookie dough and place the other cup into a separate small bowl.
Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls, then dip the top of each dough ball into the small bowl of Reeses Pieces. Lightly press the Reeses Pieces on top a little more firmly into the dough if needed but don’t squash the dough ball and place it onto the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes depending on the power of your oven.
Bring the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool on a rack for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Homemade Ghostly Brownie Recipe

Welcome back friends!

Who wants some fresh from scratch, oven baked ghostly brownies to enjoy on one (or more) of these beautiful autumn evenings? Maybe at a movie night, or a game night?

I know I do, so let’s bake some!

GHOSTLY BROWNIES

1/2 cup of butter, melted
2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar (for dusting)

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 350F and coat a baking pan with cooking spray (I used a 13×9 pan).
Combine the melted butter, oil, sugar and cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
Add the eggs, vanilla and salt.
Slowly stir in the flour a little at a time until a thick batter forms, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into a prepared pan and bake for 21 to 25 minutes or until they become glossy around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.
Place a little powdered sugar into a sifter and lightly sift the tops of the brownies until white.
Using a ghost shape cookie cutter, cut ghost shapes into the brownies (leave them where they are) and add 3 chocolate chips for the eyes and the mouth of each ghost.
Allow the brownies to completely cool and solidify, then carefully remove the ghosts from the pan. I peeled away the edges and extra spaces first, then used a flat metal spatula to lift the ghosts out.
Enjoy!

Homemade Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Recipe

Welcome back friends!

Who wants some fresh, oven-baked, cinnamon and sugar coated pumpkin doughnuts to enjoy on one (or more) of these beautiful Autumn mornings? Maybe at a table with some coffee or tea and a good book?

I know I do, so let’s bake some!

PUMPKIN DOUGHNUTS

2 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/3 cup of vegetable oil

TOPPING

3/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl.
Beat the pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and vegetable oil together in a large bowl.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat until well combined.
Fill 3, six cup nonstick doughnut pans with batter so each mold is almost full, then smooth the tops with a small spoon.
Bake the doughnuts for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, then remove them from the oven and invert them onto a cooling rack.
While the doughnuts are baking and/or cooling, stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a shallow bowl and melt the topping butter in another bowl.
Once the doughnuts have cooled to a comfortable handling temperature, brush both sides of each one with butter and then dip each side in the cinnamon and sugar to coat.
Enjoy!

Homemade Stovetop Popcorn

Welcome back friends! Who wants some fresh stovetop popcorn to enjoy on one (or more) of these beautiful autumn nights? Maybe cuddled under a blanket, while watching a good movie? I know I do, so let’s pop some!

HOMEMADE STOVETOP POPCORN

3 tablespoons of olive oil
3/4 cup of popcorn kernels
2 to 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoon of popcorn salt

INSTRUCTIONS

To create popcorn salt, grind it into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle or run 1/2 cup of salt in the food processor until fine.
Place the olive oil and popcorn kernels in a large lightweight pot, then gently shake the pot to distribute the kernels over the bottom of the pan and evenly coat the kernels with oil.
Place the pot on medium heat (or slightly lower depending on the power of your stovetop) and put the the lid on. The kernels will begin popping in about a minute or so and you may need to hold the lid on using the safety handle.
Shake the pot briefly every 30 seconds or so. When the popping stops, immediately pour the popcorn in to a large bowl. You may want to have a bowl set aside to pour excess popcorn into as you go if your pot turns out to be too small.
Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave, then pour it over the popcorn and sprinkle the salt, shaking well to toss and disperse.
Enjoy!

*This popcorn may look a little dark, but the kernels were toasted in the pan before popping, I did not taste any burnt flavor.

Family Friendly Autumnal Activity Ideas

Welcome back Autumn! Every year I look forward to the Autumn and the warmth it generates inside my home and soul. Where I live, September and October are still rather warm on some days, and turn wet and cold as the months progress toward Winter. I cannot get enough of the rain this time of year. The cold, wet weather begins to take over outside, driving us all inside to be together and warm. There’s nothing like cuddling up with people you love, reading a good book, watching a movie or playing a video game while the weather misbehaves outside.

I intend to spend a lot of time with my family this year and came up with some family friendly ideas I’d like to experience with Zoey! Follow along and try some of these activities for yourself, this is a time we should all enjoy!

We intend to:

Bake bread.
Bake cookies for family and/or friends.
Collect acorns and make art.
Collect leaves and make art.
Collect rocks and make art.
Make nature pressings or rubbings.
Donate to a food bank.
Go on a hayride.
Go puddling in the rain.
Have an indoor picnic on a stormy day.
Make a bird feeder.
Make Halloween decorations.
Go trick or treating!
Make fresh tortillas.
Make homemade play dough.
Make stovetop popcorn.
Pick apples.
Bake apple pie.
Drink apple cider.
Make caramel apples.
Pick out pumpkins at a pumpkin patch.
Give pumpkins a bath.
Carve, decorate and/or paint pumpkins.
Bake pumpkin bread.
Roast pumpkin seeds.
Roast s’mores.

Healthy Homemade Snack – Baked Zucchini Chips

I love a good snack, snacks are delicious! Are they good for you? Ehhh it’s always up for debate, but if you are going to eat something between meals, perhaps while you’re cozying up to watch a movie or play a game, why not make it a healthier choice?

I think most nutritionists agree that anything deep-fried should be consumed in moderation or not at all, but chips are sooooo good! The solution? Let’s create our own oven-baked chips! And not just potato chips, let’s create some delicious vegetable chips too! This way we are regulating exactly what is going into and/or on to our chips with no deep-frying to be found!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 large zucchini
Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 240 F.
Wash the zucchini, then use a mandolin to uniformly slice them into thin chips.
Place the zucchini slices on a clean dish towel or paper towels. Cover them with another dish towel or paper towels and set a baking sheet on them, pressing own slightly to remove excess moisture.
After drying, place the zucchini slices into a bowl and toss them with olive oil and a few pinches of salt (how much depends on your preference).
Coat a large baking sheet (or more) with cooking spray or cover with parchment paper.
Place the zucchini slices on the baking sheets in a single layer.
Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until crisp and golden.
Allow the chips to cool completely.
Enjoy!

Simple Shaken Homemade Ice Cream Recipe

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!

It’s summertime, and many of us think about cold and refreshing treats for the hot days ahead. When I was a little girl, my grandpa would bring out a hand-cranked ice cream maker during family barbecues and my job was to sit on it to hold it steady. It may sound silly, but I loved that job, and felt super important doing it.

I’m not sure if that old ice cream maker fell apart, or it’s stored away somewhere and I can’t find it. I would love to buy or make another one some day, but for now we’ll get Zoey involved in making ice cream another way, that will admittedly burn off more energy!

Let’s make some homemade ice cream in bags!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of sugar
Ice
1/4 cup of salt
2 plastic sandwich bags
1 plastic gallon bag

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour the half and half, sugar and vanilla extract into a small bowl, then whisk to combine.
Pour the half and half mixture into one of the plastic sandwich bags and seal, then place it into the other sandwich bag and seal.
Fill half of the gallon bag with ice and the salt.
Place the smaller bag into the larger bag and cover the rest of it with ice, then seal the larger bag.
The salt will make the ice colder than comfortable so wear oven mitts to protect your hands and shake the bag for about 6-12 minutes.
Remove the small bag from the larger bag and rinse it well to remove any salt residue.
Carefully open the bag and empty the ice cream into a bowl, stirring a bit to smooth.
Enjoy!

Elden Ring – Nomadic Warrior, Missionary and Perfumer Cookbook Guides

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.

I’ve finished playing Elden Ring and I can’t say I love it and I can’t say I hate it. It’s beautiful, yet grotesque. It’s mindnumpingly frustrating one moment, then intensely satisfying the next. I am conflicted, but it kept me playing through to the very end so there is pull there!

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.

Please let me know if you would like me to work on a guide for the other collectibles within Elden Ring 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!

Elden Ring – Fevor, Frenzied and Glintstone Craftsman Cookbook Guide

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.

Elden Ring – Ancient Dragon Apostle and Armorer Cookbook Guide

If you’re curious as to what cookbook you will need to craft a specific item, I’ve got you covered! If you’re wondering where to find each cookbook, I’ve got you covered!

These visual or infographic guides are separated by the different cookbook themes, then by what recipes they teach and where to find them within.