It's Playtime: Olympic Gold

This week's It's Playtime celebrates the Olympic spirit with games and activities for your whole family.
  

Inspire Imagination Through Creation shared how to get your toddlers outdoors for their own Olympic Games.  

Your kids will love these edible Olympic Rings from JDaniel4's Mom.  A healthy way to celebrate world sportsmanship.  What fruits would you use for the Olympic colors?  

Creative Family Fun shared how to hold a Family Olympics getting your family outdoors and away from the T.V.  

You and your children can join The Fairy and the Frog and create some Edible Olympic Torches.  

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."

<a href="http://messypreschoolers.blogspot.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEYKQj4S7oHoLKfsA3PoeXgaNMJ5dxkdUxIphbmwXOlbFg78Gwl73-rT8AdMTgmqYmIJZrkJRYOqOEItkCbR_exui4YhZqLlwZaBHXhC5slGyqPScnxvq-zrQezw9-MdIUiecgW3fxKg/s1600/featured-messykids.jpg" width="150/" /></a>

These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 

Now, on to this weeks play date! 

It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :

* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.

* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!

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* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.

* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)

* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

From the Heart Waffles

Breakfast is the favorite meal in our household, especially on weekends.  I make crepes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and waffles.  So this morning I asked my son what it was he wanted me to cook.  I suggested blueberry pancakes but he said, "no, blueberry waffles".  We haven't tried this before so it was worth a shot.

As I was making the waffles, I thought about how I could make them special.  My son, like most kids, loves when I make cut-outs of anything.  I remembered I had a great big heart cookie cutter in the cupboard, perfect for a big waffle.

Once the waffles were finished baking in the waffle maker, I carefully peeled them off, placed them on a flat surface, and pressed the cookie cutter down to create perfect heart-shaped waffles.  I set the trimmings aside because in my house, waffles are snacked upon all day long.

My son was thrilled with the fun shape, so much so he didn't want me to cut it into bite size pieces.  Unfortunately for him I had already covered them with syrup and didn't want him using his hands (which he did anyway).  He also wouldn't let me take a picture of him enjoying the yummy creation.

Here's what you'll need:
Waffle Maker
Bowl
Whisk
Wooden Spoon
Butter or Cooking Spray

For the Waffles:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 cup or so blueberries (frozen or fresh)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Stir mixture first with a wooden spoon, then with a whisk until all ingredients are well combined.  Do not overmix!  Batter should be slightly lumpy.  Fold in blueberries until well combined.

Coat waffle iron with butter or cooking spray.  A heavy coat will be needed because the blueberries stick!  The size of your waffle maker will determine the amount of batter you pour onto the grids.  I use about 1 cup (my maker is on the larger size)

Cook your waffle according to manufactures directions.  Use a fork to remove waffle off the grid.  Place on a flat surface and cut waffle with desired cookie cutter, in this case, a heart.  Serve with butter, syrup, blueberries, whip cream, or any other topping of choice.

And of course, serve with LOVE.

Recipe variation based upon:
"Waffles." Recipe. Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book. Iowa: Meredith Corporation, 1989. 152-3.