Family Game Review - Puppet Fever

Puppet Fever is a game on the Oculus Quest that we've had some fun with. It's like charades but with a theatrical/puppet spin on things.

You pick a card from 2 options and then you have to use puppets and props to act out the card for others to guess. The person wearing the Quest can see all the props behind the scenes but the people guessing can only see a stage with whatever the player puts up there. We cast it onto the TV so everyone can see easily.

The above picture shows Val trying to convey the card 'Dreaming' to us. And the below picture is JD attempting to portay 'Werewolf'. Some of the cards are really tricky as you only have a certain number of props so it's hard to find what you want in the time. The music gets faster and slightly frantic as the time runs out which gets a little stressful.

It's a funny game made funnier by some of the cards you have to act out. There's an option to include risque cards too which we haven't tried yet. I did a fantastic portrayal of Brokeback Mountain which JD said he'd got a picture of but mysteriously it vanished. I think he's jealous of my skills.

It's a game that's easy to play for people of all ages. JD said it'd be better with difficulty settings for different people. Some cards are too easy but some are really tough. More props wouldn't hurt either. But overall it's a good family game we all enjoyed.

Ratings: Emma - 4, JD -  3.5, Val - 5 and Erin - 4.

Home-made Takeaways - Doner Kebab

I'd usually make this kind of blog post to extol the benefits of saving money by making your own takeaway at home. BUT, due to this corona virus lockdown it's more about enjoying some food that isn't accessible right now.

In a previous Harrogate Cheap Eats I enthused about our favourite kebab place I Am Doner. It's currently closed so there's no way to get my kebab fix. So I decided to have a go recreating it at home. I don't expect it to be as fantastic as the real deal but I'm desperate!

I had to use beef mince rather than lamb because I've been unable to get hold of lamb mince lately. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic and onion granules. Mixed it well and cooked it in the oven at 200 C in a loaf tin for 20 minutes. Let it rest a few minutes and then slice it as thinly as you can. (Not very if you're me and too excited about having a kebab soon!)

This recipe is similar if you want to make your own.

I'd bought some huge flatbreads to serve the meat on and I garnished the kebab with pickled cabbage, red onion, cucumber and lettuce. Finally I gave a good squeeze of some garlic mayo and we're all set.

It was a huge kebab but so are the I Am Doner ones.

It was really nice to have our favourite takeaway made at home and it'll keep us going until I Am Doner re-opens. In hindsight I missed out on feta cheese and halloumi which are usually in there. Next time! It was delicious either way. JD ate his the traditional way in his hands whereas I used a knife and fork to ensure I got a bit of everything in each mouthful. We thoroughly enjoyed our home-made kebabs :)

A Year of Learning - Harmonica

For April I'm going to be learning how to play the harmonica. I bought this Lee Oskar harmonica when I was about 16 and I've kept it for years meaning to learn how to play it. I did have a go when I first got it and managed to learn a couple of songs (Camptown Races and She'll be coming round the mountain) but I've long since forgotten (it was 30+ years ago) so I'm starting again.

I signed up to a 30 day course on Udemy. It was £10.99 with a money back guarantee. I'm also using Youtube tutorials to learn simple tunes as well as the site Harmonica Tabs 4 Kids (haha!).

I'm enjoying the course and it's very thorough for 2 minutes a day! I've learned how to hold the harmonica properly as well as different techniques such as chugging and train sounds. I've also learned how to play puckered notes, tongue split notes and tongue blocked notes! I'm making some slow progress on playing a tune as well, shown in the video below. :D

Halfway through and I'm finding this month difficult to be honest. A lot of the learning is very repetitive, just trying to play a tune over and over. I struggle with this kind of learning and motivating myself to do it. I'm perservering but it's hard to! The Udemy course has moved on to single notes, scales and tunes. I like the structured approach to learning the theory of playing harmonica.

I'm worried everyone in the house is getting sick of hearing Oh Susannah now as I've been playing it for a few weeks. I'm holding the harmonica correctly in this video at least. I'm playing constantly without pauses to check which hole I should start the next line on which feels very accomplished.

I'm pleased with my progress this month as I've only practised for a few minutes each day along with 2 minutes of the Udemy course. I enjoyed it overall even though it got a bit repetitive at times. I've learned that this kind a learning isn't as enjoyable for me. I like more variety.

This year of learning is partly to free up my mind of all the niggling things I feel I should do. Playing harmonica (or trying to) is definitely one of these and finally I can tell myself I've done it and move on. If anyone needs a harmonica player to play a slow, unsure rendition of Oh Susannah I'm available for weddings etc :D

Next up: Writing

Previously on A Year of Learning:

Smartphone Photography

Breadmaking

Arduino Programming

My Lockdown Breakfasts

One of the ways we've been advised to keep healthy during lockdown is to create a routine. With no work it's harder to get up in a morning and easy to slide into staying in bed, skipping breakfast and feeling lethargic.

I've set myself a morning routine of trying to get my cycling exercise done and be showered ready to have breakfast by 9am. It's not really early but it's doable for me. This gives me more time to make myself a nice breakfast. Usually when I'm working breakfast can be rushed and I often just have the same thing. I'm using this time to enjoy breakfast more.

Greek yoghurt, granola, raspberries and honey.

I try to eat my breakfast mindfully. Breakfast is great for giving you plenty of energy to start the day but also food should be enjoyed for the pleasure it gives you. Like the taste of tart raspberries with the sweetness of honey. The smell of peanut butter with banana. The crunch of granola or the brightness of berries on your plate. Food can make you feel satisfied physically but also mentally if you try to eat foods you love and that make you feel happy.

Sliced banana and peanut butter on seeded toast.

I feel health and nutrition advice mostly focuses on the physical benefits of food but not much is said about the mental lift you can get from eating cake like your Nana used to make or eating the ice cream flavour you used to always get when on holiday with your family as a kid. Food is a great comfort in times like this. Making yourself a snack of food you love is self-care for your stressed over-thinking brain.

Porridge with raspberries and honey.

I don't know about you but food shopping has been a really fraught experience for me lately. Going to the supermarket gives me so much to think about. Getting the food we need for the week, being around other people in a way I can't fully control, touching products other people have touched, trying not to touch my face, things I want being out of stock. It's low key constant stress.

Mackerel, egg and spinach on seeded toast.

Yes, we're being advised to keep fit and healthy during lockdown but that means our mental health too. Be kind to yourself! Don't beat yourself up if you eat something that gives you joy. Don't feel guilty, eat it mindfully and savour each bite. Feel pleased that by enjoying food you're coping during a global pandemic.

I'm going to continue to enjoy my lovely breakfasts until I run out of ideas. Let me know if you have a delicious breakfast I can try xx

Burger It! 35 - Istanbul Wet burger

These burgers are eaten late at night in Turkey's most populated city and they look delicious!

Recipe if you want to make them yourself.

There are three important components of this burger and you need all three to make them work.

1.

The Sauce

Made up of melted butter, tomato puree, paprika and garlic. It goes on the bun base, all over the burger and on the top of the bun too. It's so good!!

2.

The Toasted Bun

It needs to be toasted so the wetness of the sauce doesn't break it up.

3.

The Burger

Meaty and well seasoned, use good quality low fat content beef mince for maximum meatiness.

I give to you the Istanbul Wet burger!

It looks like something I'd make for Halloween, a burger covered in blood. But after tasting it it's made it's way to the top of my alltime favourite burgers! The sauce is delicious and it makes each bite moist and meaty in all the right ways. The toasted bun holds the burger together. It's messy to eat but with the name you go in expecting to get covered in sauce. I thoroughly enjoyed this burger, it's simple with just one topping but it's SO good. For the love of all things meaty, give it a try!

Ratings: JD - 3.5, Emma - 5 (6!)

Family Game Review - Jackbox Party Pack

Jackbox Party Pack is a video game series we've been enjoying on the Xbox. There's been 6 collections so far and we've played 2 and 3. Each one is a collection of 5 games for a group to play and they're really fun!

Instead of needing lots of Xbox controllers everyone can play through their phone. You can have up to 8 people playing which would be expensive if you needed controllers for that many people.

Earwax

My favourite game is Earwax (from Pack 2). You're all given a prompt and you have to choose from a selection of sound effects to make the most amusing and appropriate response. You all take it in turns to be the judge and pick your favourite. The sound effects are hilarious and we've had a lot of fun playing Earwax.

Faking It

Faking It is another great game (from Pack 3). Everyone is asked to do something such as hold up fingers to answer a question or point at someone in the room. One person is a Faker and they have to try watch what everyone else is doing and act like they know what's going on. I was the faker and everyone was holding up fingers as to how tall they were in feet. I had no idea and held up 3 fingers and they all immediately knew I was the Faker. Another time Erin put her hand up to say she'd measured a penis so we knew she was Faking It.

Quiplash (pack 2) has you trying to wittily answer prompts to get the most votes for funny answers. It's sometimes hard to think of answers but we've had some hilarious ones when we've played it.

All the games are fun, silly and quick to play making for a pretty good time. There are games that have you drawing stuff, designing catchy slogans for t-shirts, defusing bombs as a team and much more.

Ratings: JD - 5, Emma - 5, Val - 4, Erin -4

Pretty high scoring! We'll be working our way through the series trying out all the games as it makes for great family time :)

5 Activities to Enjoy While You're on Lockdown!

I'm seeing on my social feeds that people are getting bored of being stuck inside so I decided I'd gather together some ideas of fun things to do while you're housebound. These are all things I've previously blogged about so I'm including links to the original posts:

Baking 

BakedIn Subscription Review

 

 

Order yourself a subscription box to make things simple or use the ingredients you have at home to create something delicious for your household.

Try a New Board Game

Exit Room Board Game Review 

 

Try something different from your usual board games and order one of these Exit Room Board Games. Like an escape room but you can do it at home. The puzzles are tricky but if you work together you can escape! Make sure to start off with an easy one at first, maybe 2-3/5 stars.

Make Your Favourite Restaurant Food

Restaurant Food at Home - Nandos

 

Since you can't go out to eat, bring the restaurant into your home. Browse your favourite eatery's menu and pick something to make at home. Google will help you find any recipes you need. There's so many good fakeaway recipes online these days that you'll never get bored of the same old meals.

Shake Up Your Exercise

Couch 2 5k App Review

 

The gym is a no-go for now so set yourself a new fitness goal to keep active. We're allowed to leave the house once a day for exercise so why not challenge yourself to complete the Couch 2 5k fitness program. Just 30 minutes 3 times a week will lead to a fitter you.

Break a Guinness World Record

Our Guinness World Record Attempts

 

A lot of the records use things you already have at home. Chopsticks, glasses of water, post-it notes, coins etc. This website has plenty of ideas for records to attempt to smash. Good luck!