Homemade Potato Latkes

November4

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I bought a wonderful new kitchen gadget recently and have been coming up with new ways to put it to the test! The sweet mandolin (the cutting tool, not the instrument!) I have has a fancy matchstick-cut making blade that is PERFECT for hash browns and (you guessed it!) latkes.

I threw together this recipe on the fly this morning as I was making them. Probably could do with a few tweaks and additions, but it was really tasty as is!

Unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of the step-by-step process, but perhaps I can update it later with some 🙂 Continue reading →

Lucitie’s Mausoleum in Landmark

October25

Lucitie’s Mausoleum

A Maze and Scavenger Hunt Event in Landmark!

 

Welcome, Landmarkians! Are you ready to get into the Halloween spirit??

Over on Halloween Island, we’ve built a delightful treat for those who like spooky scares and devilish delights!!

 

The Maze

Do you dare to explore the shrouded depths below the mausoleum? Prizes await those who brave the darkness, and conquer the maze… so get ready for twists and turns, gruesome visages, and sneaky secrets!

Obviously this is the MOST fun to do at night!

If you make it to the end, a chest of goodies to choose from shall be your reward. (If the chests are empty when you complete the maze, please send an in-game mail to Lucitie and she will mail you the goodies! I can’t be online 24/7 to restock the chest,unfortunately :/)

But wait, there’s more!!

 

The Scavenger Hunt

As a bonus, we’re giving away a prize to the person who earns the most points in the scavenger hunt! Each item will be worth 1 point, with bonus points to be earned at the end! (If there’s a tie, or multiple ties, the person who completed the Scavenger Hunt and uploaded screenshots to the Landmark forums first wins.)

As you make your way through the maze, and explore the grounds of the mausoleum, here’s a list of items to be on the lookout for: Continue reading →

Siren’s Call

October5

(NSFW)

The sea-witch spat into the bowl of gull feet and toad blood. Her gnarled fingers beckoned to the captain.

“Tell me what you seek,” her voice slithered through the air.

“Riches!” he bellowed, irritated at her stalling tactics. “Hidden treasures of the sea and land. I already told ye this, hag!”

She sneered at him over the plate, a grotesque grin splitting her face.

“You cannot rush the spell, Captain! The words must be spoken at the correct time, or all the work is for nothing.” Fetid lips pulled away from rotting teeth in a mockery of a smile, “And you’ll still owe me for my time.”

The captain scowled, hand resting on the hilt of his cutlass in a mute threat.

Stirring the spit and blood with an old white bone, she peered into the contents.

“Yes… Yes. I see a way for you to have what you seek.”

“Speak the answer then and let me be rid of you!”

“There is an island,” she began, leaning over the table between them. “A secret island where a siren lives. She lures unsuspecting sailors to her den and snatches their gold and jewels for herself! I have been shown the way to this island,” she cackled, pushing the bowl towards him as if he could read the portents. “But there is great danger! No man yet has been able to resist her charms.”

She leered at him, extending her rag-covered bony arm out, palm open. Continue reading →

Homemade Sloppy Joes

September1

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Searching for a quick kid-friendly/comfort food sort of meal? Look no further! Sloppy Joes have always been a favorite of mine, but the “from the can” versions just weren’t as good as I remembered them. This is a really simple recipe that uses a lot of ingredients found already in the pantry! (Bonus!)
To zip up the classic recipe, try adding just a dash of cayenne pepper. I highly recommend this addition as it gives the recipe that something “special” that will leave friends, family, and guests wondering how it tastes so good! 🙂
Continue reading →

Landmark vs Sword Coast Legends

August31

I have always been a fan of games that allow users more freedom, and the ability to create content. Most definitely this is because I come from a background of pen and paper roleplaying games. The number of computer games that could simulate that experience, that feeling of having complete creativity, are few at best. Landmark (a Minecraft-style building game from Daybreak Game Company) and Sword Coast Legends (a solo-adventure, co-op, and dungeon building title soon to be released from n-Space) are the two games recently that I’ve been looking at to fulfill that need for creativity and storytelling.

Here I give a run-down of the pros and cons of these two games, specifically how they rate against each other for content creation. When I was making these lists I was focusing on ease of creating content for others, graphics, user experience, and breadth of creativity possible. Continue reading →

Project Gorgon

August23

A kickstarter campaign is ending today (8/23/2015) for an indie MMO called Project Gorgon. I decided to check it out, as the podcast I’m a part of would be discussing it. I wanted some first-hand experience with the game so that I would have informed opinions, so I went ahead and downloaded it (as they allowed anyone to try the game for free before the Kickstarter ended).

(HINT: Read all the way to the bottom for a sweet screenshot of why “Calligraphy” shouldn’t be a skill ;D )

Before I launch into my opinions, here’s Continue reading →

Sword Coast Legends

August19

There’s a game coming out in September (if the release date doesn’t get pushed back again!) called Sword Coast Legends (SCL). It’s an RPG in the same sort of style as Baldur’s Gate or Icewind Dale, and uses the Dungeons & Dragons 5e ruleset. I won’t bore you all by going over every detail. This post isn’t going to be a review of the entire game for a couple reasons: 1.) All my knowledge comes from watching the YouTube videos and Twitch streams by the developers that you could watch yourself, and 2.) there are plenty of people (bloggers, columnists, insiders, etc) who have had a chance to play through demos, and could offer a better review of gameplay than I could. In fact, here’s a link to the SCL news page, with all the aforementioned data, videos and opinions so far.

(TL;DR version: solo play, party-building RPG. Co-op play available with friends. Dungeon Master mode that allows you to use campaign/adventure/map/quest/NPC/monster creation tools).

What I do want to talk about is the amazingly versatile and powerful Dungeon Master tools, and what SCL could mean for old-school pen and paper gamers around the world Continue reading →

Old Gods

August14

(NSFW)

Brooke looked to her mother as they were finishing up their chores for the afternoon. Her mother was taking the washing down from the line, the sun at her back. The girl sighed.

“Tell me what’s wrong, love,” her mother paused in her work.

“I’m worried about the land,” she admitted, folding the linen blanket in her hands and placing it in the basket. “The last few harvests have been meager, and it has been so dry this summer,” she trailed off, looking out towards the winding, pockmarked dirt road that led to their farm. A lone knight sat upon his horse, clanking nearer.

“We’ll manage, Brooke, like we always do. The rains will come.” She cupped her daughter’s cheek, brushing away her wild, raven locks. The crashing of the knight falling off his horse made both women jump. They gathered up their skirts and ran to the road. Continue reading →

Quantic Foundry Personality Test

August12

So, for fun I took the Quantic Foundry Big Five Personality test.

I think that my current situation in life, and the recent experiences I’ve had played a big part in the results (naturally), and it’s a bit obvious that I’ve withdrawn into myself a bit. At least, to me it’s obvious.

But, it’s a cool little test that makes you think about yourself in different situations, and can create some interesting “what would I do if…?” scenarios in your head.

Here’s a link to my results.

Or, if you prefer to stay on this page, keep scrolling:

 

TL;DR:

QF1

Continue reading →

Bacon-Wrapped Pork

August11

 

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Delicious caramelized bacon on the outside, juicy pork inside, all topped with a sweet sauce. Perfect served over rice!

I concocted this recipe out of the blue one day. It evolved out of a “I wonder what would happen if…” sort of night. I’m sure that there are other recipes out there that are very similar, as we have been finding ways to incorporate bacon into our meals since the invention of bacon. However, this one is mine, and I hope you enjoy!  Continue reading →