Side Quest: Craft Night! Decoupage Canvas Art

While flipping through some old Nintendo Power magazines I got a neat idea. Cut out the pictures that I really like and show them off in my house. Now this is the first one I did and I am sure that there will be others of various sizes in the future. This is a great idea for kids to show off the things that they like to hang in their room. It's easy enough for just about anyone to do it! Enjoy!

Gear!
Canvas - I used 8 x 8 inch
Colored Scrapbook paper
Magazine pictures - cut out
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Scrapbook embellishments

The Quest!

Cut scrapbook paper into random pieces.

Brush canvas with a thin layer of mod podge.

Lay paper pieces out the way you want them in one layer.

Apply a thin layer of mod podge over this layer and let dry.

Add additional layers if necessary and let dry between layers.

Add embellishments. For this one, I found some scrapbook keys and rhinestones.

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Quest 39: Key-Lime Like-Likes

Like-Likes. What can I say? They slow you down, they steal your shield. They are just sour little creatures. So on that note, I thought about things that were sour and could be shaped? Frozen is a good option. Limes are sour. Hmmm. . . Key Lime Pie! With a few minor adjustments for gluten reasons and a little creativity for yumminess, we have today's recipe - Key Lime Like-Likes!

Gear!
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
8 oz. Cool-Whip
1/2 cup Lime Juice - Fresh Squeezed
1/4 cup sugar
Blackberries

Quest!

Start with spraying a muffin tin with non stick spray. Place blackberries one in the middle of each of the muffins.

Cream the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.

Add sweetened condensed milk and lime juice and mix.

Add Cool-Whip and sugar and mix.

When nice and smooth, spoon into muffin tins. You may have to spoon around the blackberry to make sure that it stays on the bottom in the middle. Fill each all the way to the top.

Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours. When they are firm.

Tip out of the muffin tin and add a few lines to the sides for good measure using a tooth pick. Enjoy!

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Quest 38: A Trip to the Beach on Koholint Island

Today, we make our journey to the Koholint Island for a little time on the beach. I was thinking about worms in the dirt the other day and since I have not made it since going GF, I figured the sky was the limit and I could make it any way I wanted. So that is just what we are doing. Using more neutral tones and not so much on the dark Oreos and chocolate pudding that we are used to, we shall depict the scene in which Link will find his sword. This recipe is so easy and your kids will love it too. Enjoy!

Gear! Get the printable recipe here!
3.9 oz Vanilla Pudding mix
3.9 oz Butterscotch Pudding mix
4 cups of cold milk, divided
8oz. Cool-whip, divided
Blue Food Coloring - Gel type
Variety of GF Cookies: Wafer cookies, sugar cookies, Anne's Bunnies, etc.
1/2 cup of Walnuts - optional
4 oz. Cream Cheese
1 cup GF Chocolate Cookies, crumbed - I used Annie's Bunnies
Candy Pearls
Small Mint leaves

The Quest!

Let's set the scene! First, make your puddings in separate bowls according to the directions - with the milk :)

Add 1/2 the Cool-Whip to each of the puddings, folding gently. This will tone down the colors and add volume.

Divide the Vanilla pudding into two parts. Add blue food coloring to one of the bowls. Set puddings aside.

In a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish, put a layer of crushed cookies - I used sugar cookies.

Add a layer of butterscotch pudding over the first layer of cookies. Add the walnuts over the butterscotch pudding. If you have a nut allergy or if nuts just are not your thing, you can put another layer of cookies here.

Being careful, add the blue pudding to the bottom of the half of the square. Then add the remainder of the vanilla pudding. spread it out to make a 50/50 shoreline.

Add dollops of butterscotch pudding to the yellow part of the shore.

Using a toothpick, swirl the beach to make a two-toned effect. Just be sure to stay out of the ocean!

Add some wafer cookies to build dimension over the world. Fill in these areas with butterscotch pudding. Note: I did end up with extra butterscotch pudding - it was delicious!

Take a light colored wafer cookie, separate a layer and cut it down so it looks like a broken board. Add some left over Cool-Whip to make waves in the water.

Let's finish it off with cookie balls!
Cookie balls are super easy - cookie crumbs and cream cheese - That's it.

In order to keep the mess down, we mash my cookies in a zippy bag with a rolling pin and add the softened cream cheese to the bag. Work it together in the bag. we used both a small scoop and a medium scoop for this project. The small makes the sand dune. The large makes the sea urchin.

For the sea urchin, we made a ball and rolled it in candy pearls. Added a little leftover cream cheese for the eyes. For the sand dune, we added a couple of dried mint leaves - it was all I had, but you could definitely use fresh.

And for the final step, we added the sword that Link will come find - we know it's his because it has his hand on it! Ewww!

Well, that's all for now! Please follow on the social media to stay up to date with all the newest posts! Enjoy!

Quest 37: Blueberry Custard Compass Pie

You got the compass! This compass has a new feature - it's delicious! This recipe is based off the old custard pie recipe with a few added twists to make a little more special. Unfortunately this compass may not help you find your way through the dungeon - you'll probably be on the floor of the dungeon eating it until it's gone. Oh well, at least you'll have food! Enjoy!

Gear! Get the printable recipe here!
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell - I am using a gluten free
3 eggs + 1 yolk, beaten
3⁄4 cup white sugar
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg white
2 1⁄2 cups scalded Half and Half
2 cups blueberries - I used frozen and did not thaw them.
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1/4 cup raspberry jam or sliced strawberries
1/4 cup whipped cream

Quest!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

Blend in the scalded milk. Take a little bit of the milk first and add to the egg mixture to temper.

Mix blueberries and tapioca starch together. Add to egg mixture and stir.

Brush inside bottom and sides of pie crust with egg white -- this helps the crust from getting soggy!

Pour custard mixture into pie crust. Extra custard mix can be put into greased ramekins. Put into a dish, add boiling water to the dish until about half way up the side of the ramekins. Bake both the pie and mini custards for 40 to 45 minutes or until custard is set. Place on a cooling rack until completely cool.

To finish it off, take the raspberry jam or strawberry slices to make a triangle towards the bottom. Take your whipped cream and make a triangle going towards the top connecting to the other triangle. Enjoy!

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Quest 36: Gohma Crab Pasta Salad

Well, Spring is here! The days are actually getting longer and Easter is tomorrow! As we move into the warmer days, it's good to have something simple in your recipe repertoire that you can make ahead of time. Besides, if you have been playing any amount of LoZ, there is bound to be a substantial amount of dead Gohmas laying around. Use them up with this lovely Gohma Crab Pasta Salad - Enjoy!

Gear! Get the printable recipe here!
8 oz. uncooked GF rotini or shell rice pasta
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil - you can add a drop of lemon essential oil to your olive oil as a substitute
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
8 oz crab claw meat, drained and chunked
3 strips Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Green Onion, chopped
1 cup Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/2 Red or orange Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

The Quest!

Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to the package. Drain - do not rinse - and toss with lemon olive oil.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayo, ranch dressing, old bay seasoning and cayenne.

Add pasta, lettuce, crab meat, bacon, green onion, bell pepper and cheddar cheese. Check seasoning add salt and pepper to taste.