Imagination > Time

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:02:49 GMT

10:50 Hey @neoncon , will there be a printed collection of "Best of" Pathfinder Society scenarios? (neoncon live › ustre.am/7Q8h) #
10:51 Hey @neoncon , Will we see more of Grandmaster Torch? (neoncon live › ustre.am/7Q8h) #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

EnNies & whatnot

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:36:35 GMT

Have you voted in the EnNies yet? You should!
As a completely separate topic and one that makes me smile, on my journeys home, I've been frequently running across your typical summertime advertisements - "Ice Cold Lemonade $1.00." Like any good salesperson, they changed up the advertisements from time to time over the last month, doing the Burma Shave set up.

"Hot?"
"Have"
"Some"
"Ice"
"Cold"
"Lemonade"
"-->"

I remember thinking myself frequently, "That's awesome, a couple of kids looking for some spending money and instead of asking their parents, they actually DID something." It was a pleasant uplift from my usually discouraging work day.

The topper though, was on my way home last week, was the same bright yellow sign with red lettering that I had come to associate with these nameless children. Know what it said?

"Thanks! We got our bikes!"

Awesome. ^_^

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:04:44 GMT

23:46 RT@paizo In case you missed it: Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook PDF will be just $9.99. #pathfinder #pfrpg (SKR) #
23:48 I hope my job interview on Tuesday goes well. Life would improve in so many ways if it did. *crosses fingers* #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:07:16 GMT

18:03 #PaizoCon Wayfinder fanzine now available for download! Go forth, get! paizo.com/store/byCompany/p/paizoFansUnited #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 06:04:36 GMT

09:14 Chillin' in the early morning with fellow #paizocon attendees and some staff. Gotta absorb caffeine slowly. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:08:21 GMT

00:52 Settling in for some last minute character creation. Wish me luck. #PaizoCon #
10:42 It thrills me to see everybody sitting down and reading the printed copy of the #PaizoCon fanzine. :D #
12:52 The interactive fiction seminar at #PaizoCon is AWESOME. #
19:32 Stupid business conference room denying my character sheets for Return to Chinatown at #PaizoCon! *shakes fist* #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:05:38 GMT

19:54 I am preparing gaming MADNESS for #PaizoCon. Dark Sun and a Big Trouble in Little China sequel. Oh yes. >:D #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:05:16 GMT

16:28 I am poking around with Ruby and Rails. FUN! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Thu, 28 May 2009 06:04:58 GMT

14:03 I think I'd much prefer to finish what I was working on at home, than waiting at work and twiddling my thumbs. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Fri, 15 May 2009 06:05:27 GMT

18:20 Finished final edits for the PaizoCon '09 fanzine. Off to layout, and I'm off to a much-needed vacation. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Wed, 13 May 2009 06:05:19 GMT

09:25 Ronin: Oriental Adventures in Tokugawa Japan tinyurl.com/qlm4ta from: @HighmoonMedia . Putting here so I don't forget about it. :D #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Fri, 08 May 2009 06:08:35 GMT

11:22 Where the hell are all my coworkers today? #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Thu, 07 May 2009 06:07:52 GMT

12:20 Rifts Character Generator? No wai! www.5thgearpro.com/2.html #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Wed, 06 May 2009 06:05:25 GMT

15:23 *does the Jedi mind trick* Go to this website. www.werecabbages.com/ #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sun, 03 May 2009 06:05:01 GMT

11:03 @ephealy I have that bumper sticker! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sat, 02 May 2009 06:05:06 GMT

11:53 @paizo SHINY! MUST HAVE THE SHINY GOOD GOOD. #
18:58 @paizo Well done guys. Get a nap. You done did good. :D #
20:25 @ephealy YAY! Zoom zoom! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Fri, 01 May 2009 06:05:32 GMT

09:55 @paizo *Cartman voice* Baaaaaaaaaadass! #
11:45 Official White House Photostream on Flickr - check it out! www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/ #
13:51 @paizo Oh noes! No lunchies for Erik. :( #
20:39 @paizo That...is a freakin' TOME. Of awesomeness and bodacity. #
21:42 Mmmm...dinner good! Panko-breaded pacific snapper, asparagus stir-fry, white rice and edamame on the side. Nom. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:05:40 GMT

23:55 Finished art orders for PaizoCon fanzine. Now for the hard part - getting together the scratch for printing costs. snipurl.com/gzakg #
15:05 @monkeyking @paizo W00t W00t! :D #
16:22 @Foodimentary Best advice there is, and will never go out of style. :) #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:06:47 GMT

09:21 @cpkimball Test Kitchen food expenditures guess: $150k. #
09:23 @jasmitch Woohoo! You shouted out my site! :D #
10:25 @Karelzarath *hugs* If I could help you, I would. :( #
13:48 @Daigle *breathes heavily into his Twitter updates* #
16:55 @paizo ROCK! #
17:23 @monkeyking Mmm...Beefy. #
20:51 @monkeyking Dude, what are you talking about? :P #
22:35 @paizo Boo-yah! Congratulations you guys, I can't wait to see the final product in hand. :D #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:06:25 GMT

10:40 @paizo *hax the game, spawns coffee by the sink at the office* #
11:27 Art slave results - complete! snipurl.com/gus1s #
11:34 @monkeyking Re: Dwarven Runes: Binding. Protection. Mandalas. Portals. Unleashing Earth's Might. #
14:05 I'm realizing that there are some culinary items that this town is not equipped to give to me. #
16:05 @Karelzarath I'll take your artichokes and raise you smoked and q'ed pulled pork. #
17:24 @Karelzarath This is an acceptable offer. I also have a banana cream pie. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Twitter says, "O Hai"

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:05:09 GMT

11:46 @dpocza Good luck - you can do it! #
11:47 Time for Pathfinder Minkai, then L5R tonight, with garlic-potato-bacon soup with banana cream pie for dessert! #
14:00 Just joined a twibe. Visit twibes.com/Pathfinder to join #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Lip Balm

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:20:38 GMT

I'm not a huge makeup person. In fact, my purchases are generally limited to facial cleansers and lip balm.

Espresso lip balm is freakin' awesome. I decided to give some Etsy sellers a try, and I'm terribly pleased at the results. Give organiccouture's shop a try for some lip balm. :)

The hubby got a skillet mitt for his new cast iron skillet while I was at it. It's very cute plus he likes it. So, double bonus. :D

Bad Things...plus some good things

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:01:15 GMT

As many have heard, Wizards of the Coast decided to pull the plug on PDF sales of their product. Not just current product, but EVERYthing. Every last little shiny digital byte and bit.

I've previously posted my employment situation, but I'm thankful to still have a job at this point. Consequently, my RPG purchases, of which was not an inconsiderable sum per month at one point, is next to nothing. Instead of potentially wasting my money on new releases that I wasn't sure of, I decided to turn my attention towards that which made me love D&D: some of the older settings, particularly Dark Sun and Oriental Adventures/Kara Tur.

Central Oregon is a desert for gaming. (It's also a high altitude desert, but that's another post entirely.) We used to have a decent game store, but due to lack of interest on the owner's spouse's side, it eventually folded. The other "game" store is mostly for comics and CCGs, and the RPG shelf is barely updated (largely due to the fact that the existing product doesn't move). A new store, by the name of "Magic" (highly original), sparked my hopes that it might cater better to tabletop RPGs. A hearty "meh" on that side of things, but they had an impressive shelf of older material. As in, stuff still in their shrink wrap kind of impressive.

I manage to snag "The Ivory Triangle" and "City by the Silt Sea" boxed sets for $23. Impressive, no? However, the store lacked that which helped define the world for me...the setting boxed sets and monstrous compendiums. Undaunted, I searched online for the PDFs to purchase. Happily, I found them at my favorite online game site - Paizo. "Righteous," thought I, "I can save up to get these so I can prepare for my Dark Sun game at PaizoCon." Undeterred, I set aside my precious ducats for such an endeavor. Undebatedly excited after finishing my taxes and seeing my return amount, I thought, "Fantastic, now I can purchase these fine items that are filled with childhood nostalgia and Win. A mere 8 business days until I can reread tales of crimson suns and hopping vampires."

Such are these minor pleasures in life dashed away.

As I often do, I turn to food as a form of comfort. In the making of it (as opposed to my younger years of eating it), I work out my thoughts in the alchemy of cooking. Yesterday, my hubby smoked a 18 pound turkey, and as often happens, we had leftover turkey. Tasked with dinner and clearing out fridge space, here's what I came up with.

Leftover Soup

1/2 onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, thinly sliced (or baby carrots cut in half)
3 to 4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
2 cups turkey meat, roughly chopped
1 qt chicken stock
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked white rice

Saute onions, peppers, carrots and celery in olive oil until celery has softened. Add turkey, stock and broth and simmer over medium heat until carrots are cooked to desired firmness. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over white rice.

The celery was limp and the carrots drying out, but the smoked turkey was fabulous and the chicken stock was homemade. Brown rice would have been great too, as would wild rice. "Season to taste" this time included a dash of smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce (my new favorite kick to add to meals).

Scones also help too, or so I've found.

Scones

2 cups self-rising flour
2 tbsp sugar plus 2 tsp sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, separated
Handful of cinnamon chips (optional)
Flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together the 2 tbsp of sugar and the flour. Cut in the butter (with a pastry blender or two butter knives or your digits) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the cinnamon chips, if using. Mix together the milk and egg yolk in a separate bowl or cup. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until combined (may be slightly sticky). Sprinkle some flour onto the counter and knead the dough five to six times until smooth. If the dough is sticky, just sprinkle with flour a little bit at a time until it comes together. Press into a round about 7 to 8 inches across and place on a cookie sheet. Cut the dough into 8 wedges, but do not separate them. Brush the dough with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Let cool for at least five minutes before digging in.

So tasty. If you're feeling decadent, serve with fresh berries and heavy cream. Or just tear into them, as often happens in my house. Make a great breakfast.

I've noticed that I don't post many pictures of food in this blog...the simple fact is that it usually doesn't last long enough before being devoured. It's either that or you see what a messy cook I can be. :P

On another note, I finally got off my butt and finished the redesign of the WereCabbages site that I've been meaning to do. Won't you go take a look?

Slow Cooker Recipes, plus Dessert

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:08:41 GMT

I don't know who thought of the slow cooker, but damn I'd like to give them a big ol' sloppy kiss. I love mine. I love the thought of coming home to a simmering pot of stew, a bubbling roast with baby carrots and quarter-cut red potatoes, chili so thick you can stand a knife in it and spicy enough to clear out your sinuses - these are a few of my favorite things. Well, along with Cash & Carry's wide variety of soups that I can spike with some additions. :D Since bigfootcountry mentioned he got a slow cooker, I thought I'd share some of my favorite recipes, some of which I haven't tried quite yet, but darn it, I'm going to.

Oriental Pork Sandwiches
1 2-1/2 to 3-lb pork shoulder roast
1 cup apple juice or apple cider (I like the unfiltered stuff)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tbsp five-spice powder
6 to 8 kaiser rolls, split and toasted (Onion buns are good too)

Trim fat from the meat and if necessary, trim to fit into your slow cooker and place it inside.
In a small bowl, combine the apple juice/cider, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and five-spice powder. Pour over the roast.
Cover. Cook for ten to 12 hours on low or 5 1/2 to 6 hours on high. (Remember the best BBQ is low and slow - but I've had good results either way).
Remove meat from cooker, placing into a large bowl, reserving juices. Remove meat from bone (if you have one) and discard. Using two forks, shred the meat in criss-cross motions. Serve over toasted buns and top with coleslaw (which is next).

Broccoli Cole Slaw
1 package shredded broccoli mix (You can find this next to the prepack salads generally)
1 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Rinse and drain the shredded broccoli well. Place into a large non-reactive bowl (plastic, ceramic, stainless steel, etc.)
Mix together the mayo, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Mix together with the broccoli mix.
Place in fridge until ready to serve.

A couple of notes about this particular recipe...You don't get a whole lot of liquid to cook your roast in, so I doubled the liquid and spice measurements and it had no effect on the outcome of the recipe. If you were so inclined, you could thicken the remaining juices with a bit more hoisin sauce in a saucepan over the stove and have a light barbecue sauce. If you were so inclined. The first time I made this, my living room was filled with silence. Fearing I had made some sort of grievous error in my dinner choice, I peeked in, only to see my hubby and our friend too busy snarfing through the sandwiches to utter even a whisper. When the sandwich was reduced to mere specks of crumbs, my hubby said (through a full mouth), "This goes on the keep list." My friend grunted an assent. The coleslaw doesn't last for very long, so eat it quickly.

I was going to include a classic beef stroganoff, but since bigfootcountry mentioned that he wanted to avoid some of the four-footed meat sources, here's a chicken recipe instead.

Chicken with Garlic, Peppers & Artichokes
12 cloves garlic, minced (yes, 12)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive or cooking oil (if you don't have olive, try and use canola - it's one of the better ones)
1 8 to 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts
1 red sweet pepper, cut into strips (NOT a bell pepper, though that will suffice if you can't find the smaller finger-sized sweet pepper)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca (for thickening)
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves or thighs
4 cups hot cooked brown rice

In a small skillet, cook garlic in hot oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until tender.
Combine the artichoke, garlic mixture, sweet pepper, broth, tapioca, rosemary, lemon zest and black pepper. Add chicken, spooning some of the garlic mixture over the chicken.
Cover; cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high. Serve over brown rice.

And lest we forget my veggie friends...or if you just want a rockin' potato soup, here's

Smashed Potato Soup
3 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (Yukons or Reds...or fingerlings, if you can get them)
1/2 cup chopped yellow or red sweet pepper (about 4 finger-sized ones)
1 1/2 tsp roasted garlic (bottled is fine, if you don't make it yourself - and it's super easy to do)
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream, half and half, or light cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces) (Tillamook Vintage White...*drool*)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker combine potatoes, sweet pepper, garlic and black pepper. Pour broth over everything.
Cover; cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high heat for 4 to 5 hours.
Mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher. Stir in whipping cream, shredded cheddar and green onions.
Ladle soup into serving bowls, top with sour cream and additional cheddar cheese.

If you want to fancy this up (and of course, you can!), get those sourdough cannonballs and carve out a bread bowl for yourself. A little stale is fine - they hold up to the soup better. :D If you're a carnivore and really must have some meat in your soup...remember that pulled pork from earlier? Yeah, it would be awesome in this. As would leftover ham or chicken. If you want to add the meaty flavor beforehand, toss in a smoked ham hock when you first start the cooking, removing it when you smash tatoes.

Oh! Dessert! Can't forget that! This uses the oven though, and don't get scared off by the fancy French name. :D

Apple Gallette
1 1/2 cups cored, peeled and thinly sliced apples
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice (lime works fine as well)
Dough for one pie crust (I suck at making pie crust - I cheat and get the premade stuff)
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. Lightly oil (or use a nonstick cooking spray) one baking sheet.
Mix together the sliced apples, sugar and lemon juice. Let that sit for a few minutes while you're preheating the oven.
Roll out the dough (defrosted according to directions on the package) in the center of the baking sheet. Spoon the fruit into the middle of the pie dough and spread it out a bit, trying to get an even layer. Don't spread all the way to the edges though, leave about a three inch wide border. Dab the fruit with the butter.
Roughly fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, leaving a coaster-sized gap in the middle.
Brush with the egg white, then liberally sprinkle the sugar over the top of the entire thing.
Bake for 25 minutes in the center of the oven until golden brown and delicious. Let cool to room temperature and cut into slices to serve.

Gallettes aren't pretty, nor are they meant to be - part of their appeal I think. If the dough splits while you're working with it, just smoosh it together with your fingers. Edges not perfect? Who cares? Gallettes are super-rustic and easy to make - plus, you can replace the apples with just about any reasonably firm fruit or berry. Pears, strawberries, marionberries, blueberries - or a mixture of all of the above. You don't want TOO much filling though, else you can't wrap the dough around it. If you don't have any eggs (or you can't get your eggs to separate), don't sweat it. Simply skip the egg altogether, or beat the eggs together and brush on. No brush? Use your fingers. Like I said...rustic. :D

I'm not super fond of pure white granulated sugar - I like cane or turbinado sugar, which looks slightly off-color than the white stuff. If you happen to have a few packets of raw sugar from your local coffee shop - use that.

That's all from me for tonight. Off for more writing!

Etsy store up!

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:10:02 GMT

Well...sorta kinda. Only one item in it so far, but n'yarr. It's a start. Sculpey stuff soon as well.

Etsy Store
DeviantArt Prints Store

As a side note, my hours getting cut (mentioned last journal) is working out better than I expected. While I'm losing my medical insurance (bummer), I am getting a heckuva lot more creative work done. Which is good, really, as I had been backed up for quite a while. I try not to be the person that mopes when life throws crap at you, and I do try to turn a negative (less guaranteed hours) into a positive (creative arty stuff that I want to do). All things considered, we are better off than I had expected - plenty of food, bills are paid.

Life is not bad.

Now if I can scrape together a bit of extra funds to make PaizoCon/Mom Visit/GenCon a reality, that would be awesome. *points to new links in the sidebar*