Yummy Walnut Inspired Recipes!

I was watching a little TV yesterday evening (I love Christmas in July) and the ads came on. Usually I step away while the ads play or pause the TV and fast-forward after five minutes. I am not one to watch pharmaceutical ads or ads for financial advice, they get a little crazy with their “we can help you” routine. However, this time my hands were full with a nasty little skein of yarn (let’s just say it was a tangled mess), so the ads played their familiar scripts. Only this time I heard something worth while and discovered there is a website dedicated to the one and only Walnut at Walnuts.org.

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As it turns out, Walnuts.org contains a lot of useful information including nutrition information, expert advice, and…RECIPES! For example, a little nutrition fact::

As a nutrient-dense food, walnuts are an excellent way to improve overall diet quality and are certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark.

https://walnuts.org/nutrition/nutrition-information/

I suppose I better start adding Walnuts to my daily diet with all the facts and advice I am reading, which leads me to ways to include them in my diet…the free recipes! From BBQ Sliders to Carrot Cake Smoothies, the recipes contain slices of heaven for any occasion. One recipe I will try in the near future is the “Pork Walnut Meatballs in Coconut Walnut Soup“. It sounds weird but after trying peanut soup and loving it, this has to be good.

Pork Walnut Meatballs in Coconut Walnut Soup

Of course my favorite all time recipes are usually the smoothies. I love smoothies. They are refreshingly sweet drinks that are perfect for any time of day…and the directions are usually one sentence, “combine all ingredients, blend, and serve”. One such delicious recipe is the “Mixed Berry Walnut Chia Smoothie“. Anything that combines strawberries and blueberries usually has my vote. I guess I will have to pay attention to TV ads more often.

Mixed Berry Walnut Chia Smoothie

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Seasonal berries, California walnuts and chia seeds make this smoothie a refreshing superfood powerhouse that will keep you satisfied for hours. Try freezing peak season berries from the market for more intense fresh fruit flavor.


Credit: Walnuts.org

Ingredients

  • 1 cup low fat milk (or substitute non-dairy milk of choice)
  • 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
  • 2 tablespoons California Walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth..

Berry Yummy Star-Shaped Pies Recipe

Picture from the Dollar Tree Blog

The Fourth of July is over but Summer is still here. With all the fun in the sun: adventures, fireworks, fishing, games, and more, we are all sure to be hungry by the time we arrive home. Thanks to the Dollar Tree Blog, we have an easy snack that is sure to make everyone smile!

These Star-Shaped pies embed a Strawberry and blueberry compote into a pie crust and baked to form the perfect snack. Personally I love dipping them in peanut butter, it nearly turns them into a PB&J (Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich), which just so happens to be one of my favorite sandwiches of all time.

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I did change a couple of things from the original recipe. One: I added Peanut butter as an option because there are others like me looking to enjoy a creative PB&J pie. And Two: I included the recipe to make your own pie crusts. Of course, it is always an option to purchase two pre-made pie crusts, but I have learned nothing beats homemade. The recipe for a pie crust is simple and quick with only four ingredients. .

NOTE: If you are looking to buy your own pie crusts, you will no longer need the following ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup butter, and 4-6 tablespoons of water. Simply “X” those out and replace with two store bought pie crusts. You will also skip directions 2-4 and simply roll your store bought crusts on a flour surface and continue from directions number 6.

ENJOY!

Berry Yummy Star-Shaped Pies Recipe

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A Delicios Summer Snack.


Ingredients

  • 1 Cup (Frozen) Strawberries
  • ½ Cup Blueberries
  • 1/3 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
  • Peanut Butter (optional)
  • Pie Crusts or simply buy 2 pre-made pie crusts
  • 3 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of butter (cold)
  • 4-6 Tablespoons water (cold)
  • Items Needed
  • Mixing Bowls
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Star-Shaped Cookie Cutter
  • Pastry Blender

Directions

  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the berries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch. Set aside
  2. In a large mixing bowl mix together flour and salt
  3. Slice the sticks of butter into cubes and use the Pastry Blender to cut it into the flour mixture until it is a small crumble
  4. Add water a tsp at a time while stirring the flour mixture until a dough forms. The less amount of water used the more flaky the pie crust will be after baked.
  5. Cut the dough into two equal balls and roll them out on a flour surface until they are 1/4 inch thick. If using store bought pie crusts, simply roll them out on a flour surface.
  6. Using the Star cookie cutter cut 6 stars from each round, flat dough disk
  7. Lay 6-star shapes on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
  8. Using a spoon, scoop a small amount of berry mixture onto the center of the stars.
  9. Place adjoining star shapes on top of the berries and seal the edges by crimping the dough with a fork. Cut small slits in the top of each pie to allow the steam to vent.
  10. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is browned.
  11. Let the pies cool completely on the cookie sheet, remove carefully with a spatula, and serve or store covered in the refrigerator.

Captain Underpants Season 3 is Coming to Netflix!

Ta la la! DreamWorks Animation is thrilled to share the season three trailer (see below) for The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants in celebration of all-new episodes arriving to Netflix July 19th! From Executive Producer Peter Hastings (Animaniacs; Pinky and the Brain), The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants features the talented voices of Nat Faxon (Life of The Party ; Disenchantment ; Married) as Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants, Ramone Hamilton (The Grinch) as Harold, Jay Gragnani (Bubble Guppies) as George, Jorge Diaz (Jane the Virgin) as Melvin and Melvinborg, Sean Astin (Stranger Things) as Narrator, Erica Luttrell (Magic School Bus; Steven Universe) as Erica and Plungerina, Evan Kishiyama (Mickey and the Roadster Racers) as Gooch, Laraine Newman (Inside Out; SNL) as Ms. Ribble, Queen Zombie and Frederici Estes, David Koechner (The Office; Anchorman) as Mr. Meaner, Brainy and Hunt Catchmore, and Mindy Sterling (Austin Powers) as Melvin’s Mom.

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Based on the epic novels by Dav Pilkey (over 80 million copies in print!) comes the third season of DreamWorks The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants. This season, George Beard and Harold Hutchins have their wish granted when they get to spend summer at Lake Summer Camp! But their happiness is short lived when they’re split up into separate camps both run by none other than mean Camp Director (aka Principal) Krupp! Join the boys as they scheme to save the summer by ousting Krupp and creating the epic summer camp of their dreams.

Check out the trailer below and see some of the fun stills featured in the all new third season of Captain Underpants.

Captain Underpants Season 3 Trailer

Fourth of July Printable Tie and Hot Dog Holder

The Fourth of July is just a couple days away. All the big signs of one huge epic Independence Day party are everywhere. I am hearing fireworks exploding, watching ATVs cruise through the brush, and smelling the wonderful aroma that is from a BBQ! I love this festive time of year!

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With all festive occasions and BBQs, there is always a need for themed decor. This time of year we display the USA flag, have red white and blue bunting, and even wear clothing celebrating our independence (Thank goodness wigs and tights are no longer a dress code).

To help prepare for the festivities, I have created a couple of printables that are sure to be a hit at the party. Wigs and tights may not be dress code but we can still have some sophistication by wearing a tie…even if it is made of paper. Also, to make sure food is not flying or falling everywhere, I have included a Hot dog holder that works just as well for chips, snacks, and other 4th of July delicacies.

To download these printables click the images below and save the PDFs to your computer. Then print and create these crafts to have the best Fourth of July party ever. And remember to take a moment and thank all of those who fought for the independence of United States of America over 240 years ago.

Jumanji The Next Level is Coming this Christmas!

On December 13, 2019, Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan and Jack Black are back in Jumanji The Next Level! Also joining the original cast is Danny Glover and Danny DeVito! It will be the perfect Christmas Present!

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In this sequel the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Karen Gillan and Jack Black in Jumanji The Next Level

Check out the official site for Jumanji, watch the trailer below, and get ready for a whole new adventure game!

More about Jumanji The Next Level:
Directed By: Jake Kasdan
Written by: Jake Kasdan & Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg
Based on the book Jumanji by: Chris Van Allsburg
Produced by: Matt Tolmach, Jake Kasdan, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia
Executive Producers: David Householter, Melvin Mar, Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner, William Teitler, Ted Field, Mike Weber, Chris Van Allsburg
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Alex Wolff, with Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito

3Below Season 2 is Coming to Netflix!

As a fan of all things from Arcadia, I cannot wait for this all new season of 3Below, where Trollhunters and aliens collide into an epic story line of intergalactic awesomeness. I just watched the trailer and found that some of my favorite characters will be back including: Toby, AAARRRGGHH, Elijah, Steve, and more! July 12th can’t come fast enough!

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DreamWorks Animation is happy to share the season two trailer for 3Below: Tales of Arcadia in celebration of all-new episodes arriving to Netflix July 12! 3Below: Tales of Arcadia is an action-packed series from creator and executive producer​ ​Guillermo Del Toro and the seven-time Emmy Award-winning team behind​ DreamWorks Trollhunters DreamWorks, executive producers ​Rodrigo Blaas, Marc Guggenheim and Chad Hammes. The series features the voice of Diego Luna (Star Wars: Rogue One) as “Krel”, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) as “Aja”, Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation) as “Vex”, Glenn Close (The Wife) as “Mother”, Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead, Okja) as “Steve”, Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as “Stuart” and Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black) as “Kubritz”.

Aja and Krel in their alien form with Toby, Steve, and Elijah

In the second season of executive producer​ ​Guillermo Del Toro’s​DreamWorks 3Below: Tales of Arcadia finds Royal aliens, Aja and Krel cleaning up the mess that was left behind after their epic victory against General Morando’s bounty hunters. Still reeling from the betrayal by their bodyguard, Varvatos Vex, Aja and Krel continue to bravely defend themselves and their “Earthling” friends against powerful dangers old and new, all while attempting to fix their damaged Mothership and return to Akridion-5.

Check out the trailer for 3Below: Tales of Arcadia season 2 below along with several screen shot images! Also check out my blog for more information on 3Below: Tales of Arcadia.

3Below Tales of Arcadia Season 2 Trailer

Wonder Park Coloring Pages Come to Life

Wonder Park in now on DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital! Now we can join June on a grand adventure within the imagination. This epic amusement park is where anything is possible. With crazy wild rides, talking animals, and unforeseen trouble, the excitement never ends. Action-packed and brimming with laughs, Wonder Park is a ride the whole family will love .Starring Jennifer Garner, Matthew Broderick, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, and Kenan Thompson.

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Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive. One magical day, June is running through the woods to find her way home where she discovers an old roller-coaster car and climbs inside. She suddenly finds herself in Wonderland, an amusement park she had created in her mind and put aside. All of her rides and characters are brought to life but are falling into disarray without her. Now, with the help of her fun and lovable park characters, June will have to put the wonder back in Wonderland before it is lost forever. (www.wonderparkmovie.com)

In honor of Wonder Park coming to DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon have released a few printable coloring pages that, like Wonder Park in the movie, come alive on your phone. Simply click the image below to download the coloring pages, use your phone to scan the QR code to download the Quiver App, and watch as the characters come alive! (Quiver Coloring Pages)

Trolls World Tour Coming Next April!

The Trolls are back in an all new musical adventure, Trolls World Tour! And when I say musical, I mean full on, out of this world, several different genres of music colliding with famous singers all on screen April 17,2020. The best part is Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return as Poppy and Branch!

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This time Poppy and Branch discover that they are not alone. In fact there are Troll Tribes scattered over six lands that are all devoted to a different types of music Funk, Country, Techno, Classical, Pop and Rock . Their world is about to get a lot bigger and a whole lot louder.

(from left) – Meet the King and Queen of Funk: King Quincy (George Clinton) and Queen Essence (Mary J. Blige) in Trolls World Tour, directed by Walt Dohrn.

While at first it is amazing to find other Trolls that like different music, Poppy and Branch soon discover that their perfect world is going to get a lot harder….with Hard Rock that is. Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom) and her father King Thrash (Ozzy Osbourne),will stop at nothing to rid the world of all other types of music leaving rock supreme. With the fate of the Troll world at stake, Poppy and Branch, along with their friends — Biggie (James Corden), Chenille (Caroline Hjelt), Satin (Aino Jawo), Cooper (Ron Funches) and Guy Diamond (Kunal Nayyar) — plan to visit the other musical lands to unite all of Troll kind against Queen Barb.

(from left) – Poppy (Anna Kendrick) doesn’t know quite what to make of Queen Barb (Rachel Bloom), who rules the land of Rock, in Trolls World Tour, directed by Walt Dohrn.

The cast to Trolls World Tour is one of the largest collections of musical talent ever assembled for an animated film. They include:.

  • Funk: Mary J. Blige, George Clinton and Anderson.Paak.
  • Country: Kelly Clarkson as Delta Dawn, with Sam Rockwell as Hickory and Flula Borg as Dickory.
  • Funk: J Balvin brings Reggaeton,
  • Pop: Ester Dean
  • Techno: Anthony Ramos
  • Jazz: Jamie Dornan
  • Classical: World-renowned conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel appears as Trollzart and Charlyne Yi as Pennywhistle
  • Hip-hop: Kenan Thompson raps as a hip-hop newborn Troll named Tiny Diamond.
(from left) Guy Diamond (Kunal Nayyar) is the father of Tiny Diamond (Kenan Thompson) in Trolls World Tour, directed by Walt Dohrn.

Trolls WorldTour is directed by Walt Dohrn, who served as co-director on Trolls, and is produced by returning producer Gina Shay. The film is co-directed by David P. Smith and co-produced by Kelly Cooney Cilella, both of whom worked on the first Trolls. Trolls World Tour will also feature original music by Justin Timberlake, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his song for 2016’s Trolls, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!,” and a score by Theodore Shapiro (2016’s Ghostbusters, The Devil Wears Prada). (TrollsWorldTour.com)

King Trollex (Anthony Ramos) is the DJ Master of the underwater Techno Trolls in Trolls World Tour, directed by Walt Dohrn.

Check out the trailer below to get ready for an all new musical with the Trolls World Tour coming to theaters April 17, 2020.

The 90s Nostalgic Feels Come Alive in Captain Marvel

What the Flerken! Captain Marvel came out on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4k June 11 and I have yet to write a review. Imagine my surprise when I found no evidence of my opinion on the origin story of Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel). I watched my geek-o-meter fall in points today. Time to bring it back up thanks to Disney providing a blu-ray copy for me to watch.

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SPOILERS BELOW

“Captian Marvel” begins in the midst of a Kree-Skrull war with Vers (Carol Danvers) as a Starforce Pilot for the Kree. During this time she is faced with strange superpowers and shattered flashbacks of a previous life. But things really get interesting when she is captured by the Skrull and forced to relive certain parts of her unknown past from Go-kart crashes to USA air-force training. I have to admit, it is epic to see her standing there in her pilot uniform.

Needless to say, Vers has a crazy escape from the Skrull involving superpowers, depressurization, and a damaged escape pod, which crashes to Earth in 1995 into the most iconic building of the time. Ask any 90s kid where they rented their DVDs and VHSs and they will say ‘Blockbuster’. Marvel knew the nostalgic feels this Blockbuster building would create in many of their fans and used it to help their viewers connect to the film.(*Toys-R-Us” buildings will have a similar affect in a few years).

Now this is when the film gets very fun. Everything that made the 90s epic have all been included into Captain Marvel. We get a chase scene of mass proportions with trains, cars, shape-shifters, and an amnesiac Kree pilot, Vers.. We also get to see old cars, check out the 90s style, hear 90s music, view old computers, and even watch the ever popular loading bar as we wait along with the cast for an important black box recording.

This black box message helps Vers recall her other life as Carol Danvers and thus the goal of saving a race, saving her friends, and saving the world begins. It also starts the discovery of new creatures like the Flerken, which Fury seems to love even though it has tentacles that shoot out of it’s mouth. Of course, it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Captain Marvel is very action set with so much 90s nostalgic moments that I found myself laughing and enjoying every second. It was nice to see some of the history of the Avengers and learn more about Fury. Mostly, It was just a wonderful trip down memory lane…with a cat.

Find more Captain Marvel information, printables, and activities on my blog here.The activities and printables include some fun stereograms and a DIY airplane glider.

DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny Season 2 Coming Soon!

DreamWorks Animation is thrilled to share the season two trailer for Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny in celebration of all-new episodes arriving to Amazon Prime Video July 5th! Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny is an epic adventure series from Emmy Award-winning executive producers Mitch Watson(All Hail King Julien), Elliott Owen (All Hail King Julien), and Lane Lueras (The Adventures of Puss in Boots).

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The series features the voice of Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) as Mei Mei, Mick Wingert (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) as Po, Haley Tju (Bella and the Bulldogs) as Nu Hai, Laya DeLeon Hayes (Doc McStuffins) as Jing, Gunnar Sizemore as Bao, Makana Say as Fan Tong, James Hong (Kung Fu Panda Franchise) as Mr. Ping and Amy Hill (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, 50 First Dates) as Grandma Panda. Check out the Trailer below.

In the second season of DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny,  Po and the now-famous Four Constellations–Nu Hai, Bao, Fan Tong, and Jing– are summoned by the Emperor to the Forbidden City. But things are not as they seem when the heroes discover a villain’s evil plot to overthrow China. And as Po finally gets the hang of being a teacher, he suffers an existential crisis when he fears the panda kids might not need him anymore. As Po learns he not only has a lot to teach the kids, but they have a lot to teach him too, the pandas must draw from their chi and all their kung fu knowledge to defeat evil in an explosive and epic battle.

DreamWorksKung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny Season 2 premieres July 5th on Amazon Prime Video.