STAR WARS COOKBOOK

Take your cooking to a galaxy far, far away with the recipes compiled within STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE -- THE OFFICIAL BLACK SPIRE OUTPOST COOKBOOK published by Insight Editions.  Galactic chef extraordinaire Strono "Cookie" Tuggs serves as a guide to delicacy inspired by the cuisine of the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge expansion to the Disney World and Disneyland theme parks. Cookie will lead you through the streets of the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu giving you a taste of fantastic eats including Braised Shaak Roast, Nerf Kebabs, Mustafarian Lava Buns, Huttese Slime Pods, Spicy Mandalorian Stew among other treats.

Cookie will show you in STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE -- THE OFFICIAL BLACK SPIRE OUTPOST COOKBOOK seventy different recipes ranging from sauces, syrups and seasonings to appetizers, entrees and deserts. Making these recipes can be a great way to immerse yourself into a Star Wars themed family movie or game night. We baked up some Rings of Hudalla ourselves to snack on while watching STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER for a family movie night.

Created by settlers who mine tibanna gas from the ringed planet of Hudalla these appetizer are truly scrumptious. They combine sweet root from the swamps of Naboo and wrap them in the bacon of Puffer Pigs from Lothal. The bacon is soaked in a mixture of hot sauce from Mustafar and spices from Pasaana provide a tangy sweet taste to these Rings of Hudalla.

While you may not be able to fly the Millennium Falcon through hyperspace to get these ingredients, and while you may need to use high quality OTF knives to hunt banthas instead of a lightsaber, the recipe can be replicated with items found at your local grocery store. These Rings of Hudalla were so good! You really need to make them for yourself! Here's how:

INGREDIENTS:

2 large yellow onions peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick discs;

2 tablespoons of hot sauce;

1 cup packed brown sugar;

1 pound sliced bacon;

Optional: Add 1/2 teaspoon of Garam Masala to spice up the recipe

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling rack on top.

Divide sliced onions into sections of two same-sized rings sandwiched together to provide stability while baking. Lightly brush each pair of rings with hot sauce.

Fill a bowl with brown sugar. Mix in garam masala if you want to have a more exotic taste to your Rings of Hudalla. Then dip each slice of bacon in the sugar mix.

Wrap each onion in one or more slices of sugary bacon making sure the bacon doesn't overlap and covers most of the onion. Place each wrapped ring on the cooling rack over the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the bacon is crisp but the rings hold their shape.

Make sure to eat these bacon-covered onion rings while they are still warm for the best taste. Delicious! These were great to snack on while watching STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER. I highly recommend you try this recipe out for yourself.

STAR WARS: GALAXY'S EDGE -- THE OFFICIAL BLACK SPIRE OUTPOST COOKBOOK is available from Sideshow Collectibles. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link in this post a geek daddy will receive a small commission at no additional expense to you. This dad blogger appreciates your support!

SOLO STAR WARS STORY ACTIVITY SHEETS

May the Fourth be with you! In honor of Star Wars Fan Day, May the 4th, Walt Disney Studios has provided A Geek Daddy with some free SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY themed activity sheets and coloring pages to share with you. Just download the embedded images, print them out, and have some fun. SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens at theaters across the United States on May 25, 2018.

Directed by Ron Howard, the film shows a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld where Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga's most unlikely heroes. The movie is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.



My family is going to be flying to the movie theater faster then the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel Run when the release date for SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY arrives.  Who else is excited to see this Han Solo origin story?! While you are counting down the days for the film's theatrical debut, enjoy these activity sheets and coloring pages to pass the time:

ACTIVITY SHEETS

COLORING PAGES

For more information about the film, head over to starwars.com/solo

SoulKix -- Custom Designed Shoes

My son and I are going to have a blast going to see the newest Star Wars movie ROGUE ONE wearing matching stormtrooper shoes that were custom made for us courtesy of SoulKix. These shoes are impressive, most impressive!  SoulKix understands everyone has their own sense of uniqueness and lets a people personalize footwear to express their individuality through some really cool looking shoes.  If you want to create your own custom kix you really need to contact SoulKix.

As you can see SoulKix can provide custom designed canvass shoes for both adults and kids!  My son really got a kick out of us being able to wear matching kixs to a movie we've both been waiting all year to go see.  It's no surprise that we picked a Star Wars motif for our shoes but you can pick whatever you want when you design your own pair.  SoulKix allows you to print any image that can be uploaded online from your computer onto a pair of canvass sneakers.  Submit your design and SoulKix will make it a reality.

In addition to making shoes that let people show off their individuality, SoulKix is committed to helping the needy around the globe who may not own shoes have a good pair too.  For every pair of SoulKix shoes sold, a plain pair is donated to Soles4Souls.  This non-profit organization acts as second wave responders providing footwear to those in need during times of disaster.  They also provide shoes to people in impoverished areas of the world in an effort to better their way of life.  More than 6,000 shoes have been donated to this charitable effort by SoulKix.

As you can see from the shoes SoulKix sent A Geek Daddy, they will do an outstanding job in producing your custom made shoes for you.  Just go to the soulkix.com website and visit the "Design Your Kix" section.  There you'll be able to select your shoe's color and size, select a layout, and add your images or photographs to add your own artwork to the shoes. Once you've approved the preview, they'll print out your shoes and mail them out to you. Easy as that!

SoulKix wants its customers to "Think Outside the Shoebox" so your kix come with a handy bag  instead of packed in a box.  This bag sporting the SoulKix logo is made out of recycled materials, includes adjustable, removable tote straps and has shoe slots for you to carry, store, or hang your SoulKix in.

The folks at SoulKix are fans of this blog so in addition to sending us some wicked awesome shoes for my son and I to wear when seeing ROGUE ONE: A Star Wars Story they also sent me some wonderful, personalized kix featuring the A GEEK DADDY logo.  How cool is that?!  aren't these some sweet shoes! I'll definitely be wearing these at some blogger events because they are sure to attract extra attention for A Geek Daddy's blog and social media channels!

Whether you want to stand out in the crowd or highlight your own personality as you walk around, SoulKix are perfect for allowing you to differentiate yourself.  Stumbling on what to give someone as a gift?  Customized kix are a unique gift that even a hard to shop for person who has almost everything will appreciate.  SoulKix are available in youth, kids, and adult sizes so they are just as suitable to wear for a 2 year old as a 102 years old.

Head over to SoulKix.com right now to design your own custom shoes or to craft a pair for someone special in your life.

"ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY" PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY

I've been eagerly anticipating the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story since I first heard about production of the movie a few years ago. To share my excitement that the movie is almost here, A GEEK DADDY is co-hosting a stellar Rogue One giveaway valued at $250.   It includes*:

• Art of Coloring Star Wars: Rogue One
• Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) on Blu-ray
• Star Wars Rogue One K-2SO Figure
• POP Star Wars: Rogue One - Captain Cassian Andor
• Pangea Brands Star Wars Death Star Waffle Maker
• Lego Star Wars K-2SO
• Revell SnapTite Build & Play Imperial AT-AT Cargo Walker Building Kit
• POP Star Wars: Rogue One - Jyn Erso
• Star Wars The Black Series Rogue One Imperial Death Trooper
• Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide

*The products listed will be sent upon availability. If a product is out of stock, we will send something of equal or greater value.

About Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves. ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is directed by Gareth Edwards and stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, with Jiang Wen and Forest Whitaker. Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur and Simon Emanuel are producing, with John Knoll and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers.

Rogue One hits theaters December 16th!

Connect with Star Wars

#RogueOne | #RogueOneEvent

• Facebook: facebook.com/StarWarsMovies
• Twitter: @starwars
• Instagram: @StarWarsMovies
• YouTube: youtube.com/user/starwars
• Visit the official website: starwars.com/films/rogue-one

Enter to win the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Prize Pack using the form below. GOOD LUCK!

Entry-Form

Legendary Yoda from Spin Master Toys Trains Padawans on the Ways of the Force

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

Learn the ways of the Force with Spin Master's LEGENDARY YODA interactive animatronic toy.  Experience being a padawan training to be a Jedi knight under the guidance of Master Yoda with this 16 inch high toy that is one of the most realistic Star Wars toys A Geek Daddy has ever seen.  Our family has enjoyed hours of fun playing with Legendary Yoda as he demonstrates light saber dueling skills, imparts Jedi wisdom and teaches you how to use the Force.



We've enjoyed practicing handling a light saber on our back deck with Legendary Yoda on multiple occasions and the toy has worked really well though the instructions very clearly state "not for outdoor use."  I believe this warning is primarily for two reasons.  First, the toy is powered by 7 motors that provide for it to operate with an incredible 360 degree level of motion and there is the risk that water, dust and other outdoor elements could damage these mechanics.  Secondly, sunlight hinders your ability to see Yoda's light saber illuminate which takes away from the play experience when using the toy outdoors.  Though I do have to say it is still fun to play with outside!



As you can see indoors, Legendary Yoda's light saber is clearly visible as he engages into Warrior Mode.  Equipped with his signature green light saber, Legendary Yoda will share with you advanced techniques any Jedi will need to know in order to defeat an evil Sith opponent.  He also shares some of his Jedi Master humor with padawans.  Don't despair from Yoda's mocking as with continued patience and practice he will provide you with the wisdom of a Jedi.



Legendary Yoda's Wisdom Mode provides voice recognition to six key phrases allowing any Jedi want-to-be to converse with the toy and trigger a variety of mechanical actions.  In Wisdom Mode, Yoda will utilize the Force to answer any Yes or No Question you may pose to him.  Yoda is programmed with more than 100 phrases to keep his banter from being too repetitious during continuous use.  Just like Santa Claus knows if you have been bad or good so does Yoda with his built-in Dark Side sensor that becomes activated during Wisdom Mode.  Spin Master has also included a walking stick accessory that can be switched out with Yoda's light saber to provide a scholarly appearance for the Jedi Master while engaging in Wisdom Mode.



Once you've experienced Warrior Mode and Wisdom Mode, utilize the toy's Force Mode to use this mystical power for yourself.  Legendary Yoda really moves when you use the Force to control pushing him back across a room.  Who hasn't wanted to mimic using the Force from a Star Wars movie scene in real life?! Legendary Yoda gives you that chance, but beware if you see his hand light up because he may respond against you with his own glowing "force blast."

The toy requires 6 C batteries to operate and doesn't utilize its own rechargeable plug-in battery which is a bit of a drawback as I hate buying and replacing batteries for toys; but it does provide a lengthy amount of play time with the 6 C batteries as our family has played with the toy for several days without having to replace them.  Just be prepared to have to buy batteries for this toy as they are not included. Legendary Yoda's motion works well on flat surfaces such as cement, tile and hardwood floors and thin carpet but avoid shaggy rugs which will hinder its wheels not allowing it to move or spin.

Legendary Yoda has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval because it is a dynamic toy that has provided our family with a tremendous amount of enjoyment playing with it.  The interactivity, iconic phrases, and mechanical motions that are incorporated together to bring Yoda to life truly makes this a wonderful toy to play with.  Any Star Wars fan, no matter if they are young or old, will enjoy playing with Legendary Yoda from Spin Master Toys.  Are you ready for Legendary Yoda to teach you in the ways of the Force?

Legendary Yoda is available from Toys R Us and can also be purchased directly from Spin Master Toys.  Legendary Yoda is recommended for Jedi 6 years old and up.

The Force Trainer II: Hologram Experience

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

My kids explored what it is like to be a Jedi on May the Fourth as we had some Star Wars Day fun with Uncle Milton's THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience. Who hasn't watched a Star Wars movie and dreamed of being able to move physical objects through the power of concentration? Utilizing a tablet, special Bluetooth headset, and a holographic display, The Force Trainer from Uncle Milton provides users the feeling of using the Force by allowing you to move holograms with the power of your mind. The Force Trainer II creates holographic images that are impressive to observe then enhances the fun to another level of awesomeness by allowing these holograms to be controlled through the power of your mind mimicking a Jedi's use of the force. This really is impressive, most impressive!

These holograms are created by downloading a free app that works with most current iPads (iPad 2 and newer)and Android tablets (Samsung Tablet 10.1 recommended)onto a device which is placed on top of an included theatrical display and projects images upon special panels to create a three dimensional illusion. My kids were really delighted by these holograms with my daughter yelling out in excitement when she saw her first image "it looks just like the pictures R2-D2 shows in Star Wars!"

While simply viewing these holograms is thrilling in itself, amazingly The Force Trainer also allows you to move them with your mind. Instructions from Master Yoda will guide you through a variety of Jedi Challenges ranging from constructing a light saber to knocking down battle droids. Both my son and daughter agreed that their favorite challenge was recreating the scene from Empire Strikes Back where you raise an X-wing space ship out of a Dagobah swamp.

The Force Trainer harnesses the power of your mind through the included headset which uses advanced dry neural sensor technology that monitors your brainwaves. As people concentrate they generate Beta brainwaves. The headset can detect these Beta brainwaves and send a measurement of their intensity via Bluetooth to the tablet which controls the holograms movement based upon your level of concentration. The higher the level of concentration the quicker you will complete a challenge. There are 10 levels to conquer to move up the Jedi ranks from Padawan to Master. Each level requires an escalating intensity of Beta brainwaves to complete challenges and continue moving on. Can you demonstrate to Yoda the concentration needed to obtain the rank of Jedi Master? Do or do not. There is no try!

The entertainment value of the Jedi Challenges combined with the educational insights that can be gained from its scientific elements earns THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience a nod of approval from A Geek Daddy.  Incorporating music and sound effects from the Star Wars movies with real life holograms that look like they jumped right out of a sci-fi film is a great way to combine learning with having fun.  Parents can jump right in and compete with their children to see who can earn the rank of Jedi Master first making this a great experience for the whole family to enjoy together.  It also comes with a science learning poster to reinforce the educational aspects of this game. This really is worth checking out!



THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience is recommend for ages 8+.  It does require a compatible iPad or Android tablet (not included), Internet access to download an app (though not needed to operate the app), and 1 AAA battery to power the neural sensor technology.  It is important to achieve a good fit with the adjustable headset because if the sensors don't maintain a good connection the game will be interrupted and paused because the game needs to be detecting Beta brainwaves for the challenge modes to function. The sensors must be flush against a person's skin on his or her forehead and behind each ear. Be aware it may take some adjustments and trial and error before a good connection is established but once you get it working the headset works very well when it comes to interacting with the holograms.  The Force was awakened in our house with this great product from Uncle Milton as my children really had a blast pretending to be Jedi and interacting with the Star Wars holograms.

CLICK HERE for more information about THE FORCE TRAINER II: Hologram Experience from Uncle Milton.

Enjoy Star Wars all summer long with SwimWays pool toys

**A Geek Daddy received the featured products for free**

We received a great May the Fourth treat from the nice folks at SwimWays who sent us some samples of their pool toys to help celebrate Star Wars Day.  Unfortunately, May in Michigan is still a bit too cold for swimming but SwimWays gesture still helped make our May the Fourth a "water-full" day!  My kids can't wait for summer weather to arrive so we can go swimming and enjoy these wonderful Star Wars themed pool toys and floats that this leisure and recreational water products manufacturer sent our family to try out.

A Geek Daddy's box of goodies from SwimWays included noodle lightsabers, dive ships, pool floats and a light up Death Star beach ball:

STAR WARS MILLENNIUM FALCON RIDE-ON

Blast through the pool just like Millennium Falcon co-pilots Han Solo and Chewbacca on the Star Wars Millennium Falcon Ride-On. This durable vinyl ride-on features 2 heavy-duty grab handles.  Inflatable float is over 5 feet long! Actual inflated dimensions are 61 in. X 46 in. X 13 in. 

STAR WARS DIVE SHIPS

Star Wars Dive Ships from SwimWays are a collection of 3-D molded dive sticks featuring popular ships from the Star Wars movies! Great water toys for swim practice to encourage new swimmers or to play with out of the pool on a rainy day. This set of dive toys comes in the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Episode 7) packaging, making it a great gift for the Star Wars collector, too! Three ships in every pack, one each of Tie Fighter, Millennium Falcon and X-Wing Fighter.

STAR WARS SPRING FLOAT KIDS’ BOAT

The Star Wars Spring Float Kid's Boat from SwimWays is a float designed for the way kids really like to play! This durable pool float for kids has fabric-covered inflation, Star Wars graphics kids love on the comfortable mesh seat, and side handles that are easy to grip. They can ride the float on their belly, sit up in the float, or lay back and relax. The patented inner spring sewn into the outer edge of the float adds comfort and stability in the water, and makes folding and unfolding the float a snap. Folds flat and compact into the included carry tote, making this a great choice for travel, too! One float per pack.  

STAR WARS LIGHT-UP BEACH BALL

There's no escape from the Galactic Empire when the Star Wars Death Star Light-Up Beach Ball from SwimWays invades your pool! This inflatable beach ball looks like the infamous spacecraft from the Star Wars films. Impact-activated LED lights inside create a cool nighttime effect and show off the details of the Death Star graphics. Grab a few for your next Star Wars themed party - your guests will love it! Also makes a fun gift for the Star Wars collector. Includes (non-replaceable) button cell batteries. Sold individually. 

STAR WARS NOODLE LIGHTSABER

Wage an epic battle between good and evil with the SwimWays Star Wars Noodle Lightsaber! These pool noodle toys have lightsaber grips at the bottom and a foam noodle on top, so you can display your fighting skills in the water or on dry land. Choose from blue (Luke Skywalker), green (Yoda) or red (Darth Vader). Sold individually. 

CLICK HERE to check out all the Star Wars products available from SwimWays and for more information regarding pricing and availability of these really fun pool toys and floats. 

#MayTheFourthBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

See the Star Wars Movies LEGOized on Disney XD

Cartoon Network and Disney's cable network equivalent, Disney XD, have featured over the years LEGO themed television specials called the YODA CHRONICLES that are a fun spoof of the Star Wars space opera.  These humorous adventures are a show that my kids and I equally enjoy and it is always nice to be able to watch a show together that everyone in the family likes (yes we even find my wife who claims to not really like Star Wars sitting on the couch with us whenever these shows come on chuckling at the jokes and slapstick humor in them).  So we were all really excited to hear that based upon the popularity of the YODA CHRONICLES and the new animated hit series STAR WARS: REBELS that Disney XD to help promote the upcoming feature film STAR WARS EPISODE VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS will be retelling the original six movies in half hour LEGOized tv specials.

LEGO / STAR WARS: DROID TALES which will air on Disney XD later this year will consist of five 22-minute episodes that will re-tell the Star Wars saga in chronological order from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace through Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.  Taking place in a LEGO universe, Droid Tales will start with R2D2 and C3PO beginning to tell the Star Wars story from their perspective during the victory celebration at the Ewok village on Endor that took place at the conclusion of Return of the Jedi.  An accidental kidnapping occurs while the droids are reminiscing and viewers are taken on a new adventure that leads to encounters with familiar faces and places that prompt the retelling of the entire saga.

Through a press release, Jill Wilfert, vice president of licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group, provides some insight into this new LEGO/STAR WARS collaboration:

Since we introduced our first LEGO Star Wars set in 1999, we have seen and heard from countless Star Wars fans who have used LEGO bricks to tell their own version of this timeless story, re-enacting favorite scenes and imagining new story lines.  LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales gives us an opportunity to share highlights of the Star Wars story with a sense of humor and excitement that can only be conveyed through the LEGO brick, and will be a fun resource for families as they gear up for the next movie.

Keep your eyes peeled for more information about when LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales will be airing on Disney XD as the countdown for The Force Awakens December premiere begins.

Star Wars Video Games are the Newest Humble Bundle Deal

The newest Humble Bundle deal is Star Wars video games you can play on your PC through the STEAM cloud-based gaming service.  Humble lets you pay what you want for the bundle and even gives a portion of the proceeds to a campaign's designated charity...in this case letting purchasers choose to support either UNICEF or the new Star Wars: Forces for Change charity that Disney has created and tied to the promotion of the brand's upcoming motion pictures.  Name your price: $1, $5, $12 and you get 3 classic video games for whatever you want to pay.  If you spend over the "average" amount people are spending on the Bundle you get 3 more games or if you just spend $12 you can get a total of 9 games.  Plus you never know throughout the games Humble may throw in some additional games into the package to up the ante! Right now the Humble Bundle is estimated to be worth $115 if you went out and bought these games from retailers right now.

The Name Your Price Games are:

Knights of the Old Republic

Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy

Star Wars Dark Forces

The Average Price Games are:

 Battle Front II

Knights of the Old Republic II

Star Wars Republic Commando

The $12 Bundle Games add:

Empire at War: Gold Pack

The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition

The Force Unleashed II

I remember enjoying many of these games on my original xbox gaming system so if you are a PC gamer and like Star Wars this seems like a great not to miss deal.  Don't wait though because this is a limited time offer and when its over the deal's gone.  Keep an eye out on the clock on the offer's web page that is running down how much time is left to make sure you don't miss out.

Remember too if you are in a generous mood some people pay more than they need to in order to support making donations to a campaign's charitable partners.  I'm sure UNICEF and Star Wars: Force For Change would appreciate your generosity and put donations to good use.