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Tag Archives: baked goods

I need to think of a good video game title

The other day, I got to thinking…how prevalent is the thought that one’s life is like a video game? You know, how in everyday life you unlock achievements or complete missions when you finish mundane tasks (which actually does happen to me because THEM offers a wellness program that gives me achievements and prizes in relation to things I do to take care of my health). Maybe you also imagine yourself to have a life bar or maybe you take damage in points. Perhaps your whole character has these predefined stats that were rolled out by your parents (or something) before your birth and you’re stuck with things like Social Awkwardness: +10.

And then this got me to thinking about what genre of video game my life would be. Um…it would be the weirdest mashup game ever, I think. It would be a platformer/RPG/simulation/FPS/fighting/action/adventure/survival horror game? I think?

Platformer: I’m thinking of the Mario series mostly. I don’t get cool things like Tanooki suits, but I often imagine I have a timer counting down and I have to get the castle (figurative) in time all the while avoiding obstacles like Goombas (figurative) and bottomless pits (literal) otherwise I’ll die and then the Mario death song will played shortly after my demise. Also, I have to defeat bosses at various milestones to advance in the game. Boss battles also have their own background music. And seriously, Bowser is teh awexome. And I may just have auditory hallucinations.

RPG: I tend to think about character stats and damage in points (but also in terms of life bars). I tend to assign other people points according to how I observe them function in their normal, daily lives.

Simulation: I’m talking mostly about the Sims franchise. I definitely have needs bars. Sometimes when I talk, my speech inadvertently sounds like Simlish. I may just have a speech impediment.  Also, I happen to own a USB flash drive in the shape of a plumb bob.  It normally hangs above my head when I’m working with LeeEv at home.  Because you see…I’m the active character.

FPS: Um…camera angle. Obviously. Sometimes I like to imagine the change equipment sound effect when I grab something. And also unlocking achievements and missions completed. Aside: I prefer to play third person camera angles in actual games. It gives me a point of reference. I’m talking to you Portal-and-your-stupid-falling-levels-through-portals-and-then-having-no-idea-which-way-is-up-so-then-you-have-to-whip-the-mouse-and-thus-camera-around-and-get-totally-dizzy-after-the-fifth-time-you-hurl-yourself-from-the-third-story-through-the-portal-in-the-floor-and-out-the-portal-on-the-sixth-story-wall-and-land-in-a-place-you-don’t-want-to-be. Oh, and in relation to Portal: cake. Also, Portal really is a good game and you should play it.

Fighting: Life bars. And if I could just be cheap and ring out my opponent instead of slogging it through to the bitter end…

Action / Adventure: “Hey, nice hat!” “I predict raining frogs.” “Hera ate all the cows!” Maybe the best action/adventure game ever. EVAR.

Survival horror:  That’s right.  Survival horror.  Like ZOMBIES.  Possibly zombees.  How you ask?  Well, because of this and also this.  Ok…well…kind of.  I’ve actually only played most of the first mission from the first link because I only downloaded the trial version of the app.  I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to blow 8$ on an app.  I’m actually still not sure.  I’m also dumb because I missed the sale when it was only 2-3$.  And as for the second one…I haven’t actually participated in one of these.  The plan was to do so, but I was working 80 hour weeks at Company for months on end and…that’s not conducive to going out for runs or training for other kinds of zombie survival tactics.

So anyway, while I might make preparations for a zombie apocalypse, I do realize that one hasn’t actually happened…and I don’t really go around my daily life carrying a shotgun (super important for zombie survival, you guys) or looking for antidotes or planting interesting plants around my house and atop my roof (ok, ok, this last one was a tower defense game and not survival horror).

Btw, also important for zombie survival are German shepherd dogs. Make note of that.

I make! Caramel popcorn edition

I often buy my popcorn in bulk because I’m not a fan of those fake butter microwave things.  The last time I bought popcorn, the store had it in one of those sliding, chute dispensers.  That’s fine—it saves me the trouble of finding a scoop—but it means that it’s highly likely that too much popcorn will come rushing out of the chute and into your bag.  Which is what happened to me.  And it’s not like you can put it back.  That’s bad form.  So…what do you do with all this popcorn?  Well, make some caramel popcorn.

Just remember to pick out the unpopped kernels before you dump the caramel on. Otherwise, be really careful when you eat.

I don’t normally make candy (the caramel) because I have to break out the candy thermometer and it’s kind of a pain to wash afterward.  Well, you don’t actually need one for this recipe.  For one thing, the caramel going over popcorn.  And, if the caramel ends up too soft, there’s a drying portion in the oven.  It works out really well.

Materials:

  • 4-5 qt popped popcorn (what you would typically get with a bag of microwave popcorn if you buy those kinds of things)
  • 0.5 c corn syrup (dark preferred)
  • 2 c brown sugar
  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp salt (optional)
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Procedure:
  1. Preheat oven to 250F.
  2. Bring corn syrup, butter, sugar, salt to a boil, stirring constantly.
  3. Boil unstirred for about 5 min (or bring temp up to 250F if you have a candy thermometer).
  4. Take off heat, stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Mixture will foam.
  5. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.
  6. Spread over sheet pan and bake for 1hr (this is to dry out the caramel a bit, you can do more or less depending on how brittle you want it).

Notes:

  • If you like a butterier caramel popcorn, up the butter amount.  I’ve made it with a whole cup of butter before.  You have to stir for a pretty long time before everything gets incorporated though.  Also, a cup of butter is kind of gross.
  • The corn syrup is there to keep the consistency of the caramel smooth.  If you don’t have it, the caramel can come out grainy.  I’ve been told that you can use a bit of lemon juice to the same effect.  I’ve not tried it myself though.
  • Add peanuts to make something like Cracker Jacks.
  • Next time, I’ll try making a smaller batch in the microwave and see how it turns out.
  • Also, I got to use an em dash!  Two even!  A matched set!