Standard tuesday night protocol found me at Games and Gizmos with a big brood of Chaos. Some buddies are gearing up for a 3000 point tournament at the bellevue bunker, so I added another grand onto the demon bomb army. He's still tweaking so we only played 2750 instead of the full 3000. I don't think it made for a very strong list, and is certainly less bomby than the lower point list.
HQ
Chaos Lord bike, power weapon, meltabombs, mark of tzeentch, personal icon
Demon Prince wings, mark of tzeentch, warptime, wind of chaos
Greater Demon
Elites
(10) Chosen champion w/meltabombs & powerfist, icon of tzeentch, 5+ inv. save, 2 plasma guns, heavy bolter
(6) Terminators mark of tzeentch, 2 chainfists, reaper autocannon
Troops
Thousand Sons 4 marines, sorcerer with doombolt and personal icon mounted in a rhino
Thousand Sons 4 marines, sorcerer with doombolt and personal icon mounted in a rhino
6 Lesser Demons
6 Lesser Demons
Fast Attack
6 bikes champion w/power weapon & meltabombs, icon of tzeentch, plasma gun, melta gun
5 raptors champion w/power weapon & meltabombs, icon of tzeentch, plasma gun, melta gun
Heavy Support
Land Raider havok launcher
Land Raider
Predator twin linked lascannon turret, lascannon sponsons
The additions to the list obviously don't play to the strengths of the army. There are no new icons, and nothing new in the list that gets called in for deep strike. It becomes much more of an assault army with a couple deep strike support elements. What it really needed was two separate squads of terminators an increase in size on the larger squads of thousand sons. Then if points were left over throw in some more summoned demon squads.
Playing things out against my buddy's space marines everything just kind of fell apart. The insult to injury was the terminators scattering the full twelve inches off the table edge in turn four. C'est la vie.
I'll work to correct some defencies, and hopefully get some modeling done so I can finally put combi-plas on all the terms.
After my ignominious defeat, I went home and cooked myself a little dinner. Have a recipe:
Ginger Leeks
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ginger, chopped
2 large leeks, remove the dark green part, slice the rest.
1/2 teaspoon salt
half a tomato, cubed
fresh ground pepper to taste.
Put the butter and brown sugar in a small frying pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to mix the sugar with the butter and prevent the butter from burning. When butter starts to foam it has reached the right temperature. Reduce the heat to just below medium and add the ginger. Cook for two minutes, until the ginger becomes fragrant. Add the leeks and sprinkle the salt over the top. Stir it around to get the leek slices coated in butter. Increase the heat to just above medium and cook for six or seven minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. The leeks will become limp and the rings of the slices will separate. Stir in the tomatoes an cook for another two minutes, just so the tomatoes are heated up. Too much time over heat will cook the tomatoes all the way through, making them mushy. Add fresh ground pepper, stir, and serve.
Showing posts with label Eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eating. Show all posts
4.16.2008
1.02.2008
Resomolutions
The office I work in has ten vending machines filled with canned beverages. Everything from fruit juice to water to Coke to Pepsi is available at the push of a button. There were times when I would go through four or five cans in a single day. Sure the cans always all went straight to the recycling bin, but that's still a large energy cost that could be avoided if I just hadn't emptied them at all. And there was often guilt associated with drinking that much soda in a single day. Strangely I never order soda when I'm at a restaurant. There I have self control enough to just stick to water or to order juice or another alternative. It's when I'm sitting in my office that I most crave the comfort that a twelve ounce can of sugary sweetness provides.
This year's resolution is to not drink anything that comes in a can. Not only will this insulate me from the evils of high fructose corn syrup, but it will also reduce the amount of waste that I'm sending to the recycling plant.
This resolution doesn't rule out soda completely. Glass bottles and plastic containers would still be technically in bounds. But by reserving such things only when they are available in specific form I'll end up drinking less of it, which should help my health levels considerably.
This year's resolution is to not drink anything that comes in a can. Not only will this insulate me from the evils of high fructose corn syrup, but it will also reduce the amount of waste that I'm sending to the recycling plant.
This resolution doesn't rule out soda completely. Glass bottles and plastic containers would still be technically in bounds. But by reserving such things only when they are available in specific form I'll end up drinking less of it, which should help my health levels considerably.
12.27.2007
Bundt Cake Transposed
I recieved a Nordic Bakeware Platinum Series Sunflower Mini Bundt Pan for Christmas. The first trial batch is out of the oven. I used the recipe that was included on the packaging (I omitted the food coloring).
The biggest worry about any bundt cake, and especially a bundt cake in a mold with lots of nooks and crannies like this one is getting the proper release. I simply used a pastry brush to spread oil on the outside. This wasn't ideal since the oil tended to bead up on the non-stick surface. The nordicware site recommends using cooking spray (among other things). I'm not a big fan of sprays with all their aerosol and extra packaging, but I've had success with larger chocolate bundt cakes in the past using a melted butter and cocoa powder paste. I could probably do something similar to that for these lighter-color cakes, but use flour instead.
All in all the cakes still released well. Two of the six released perfectly, and the other 4 managed to hold their shape pretty well. In addition to a better release mixture on the pans themselves I probably could have stood to wait for the cakes to cool in the pan a bit longer.
The biggest worry about any bundt cake, and especially a bundt cake in a mold with lots of nooks and crannies like this one is getting the proper release. I simply used a pastry brush to spread oil on the outside. This wasn't ideal since the oil tended to bead up on the non-stick surface. The nordicware site recommends using cooking spray (among other things). I'm not a big fan of sprays with all their aerosol and extra packaging, but I've had success with larger chocolate bundt cakes in the past using a melted butter and cocoa powder paste. I could probably do something similar to that for these lighter-color cakes, but use flour instead.
All in all the cakes still released well. Two of the six released perfectly, and the other 4 managed to hold their shape pretty well. In addition to a better release mixture on the pans themselves I probably could have stood to wait for the cakes to cool in the pan a bit longer.
7.26.2007
Pork Chops Taste Good
It's recipe day. Here's a delicious way to prepare pork chops.
Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 green apple (Granny Smith)
1/2 onion
2 TBsp Vinegar
Bacon
Salt
Pepper
Trim the fat from around the edges of the chops. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper and rub salt and pepper in with fingers. Wrap the bacon around the pork chops and secure with toothpicks (You might have to use two slices of bacon depending on the size of pork chop.
Using a grater, shred the apple and onion. Mix in a bowl with the vinegar.
Flip the pork chops over. Rub top side with salt and pepper. Distribute the apple mixture evenly on top of the pork chops. Put the pork chops in a baking dish.
Cook at 425 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Check with a sharp knife and fork to be sure chops are done.
Serve and enjoy.
Tuesday Commute: Bike to work, Bus home
Tuesday Exercise: 19 miles biking
Wednesday Commute: Bus to work, Bike home
Wednesday Exercise: 5 miles Running, 19 miles biking
Ingredients:
4 pork chops
1 green apple (Granny Smith)
1/2 onion
2 TBsp Vinegar
Bacon
Salt
Pepper
Trim the fat from around the edges of the chops. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper and rub salt and pepper in with fingers. Wrap the bacon around the pork chops and secure with toothpicks (You might have to use two slices of bacon depending on the size of pork chop.
Using a grater, shred the apple and onion. Mix in a bowl with the vinegar.
Flip the pork chops over. Rub top side with salt and pepper. Distribute the apple mixture evenly on top of the pork chops. Put the pork chops in a baking dish.
Cook at 425 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Check with a sharp knife and fork to be sure chops are done.
Serve and enjoy.
Tuesday Commute: Bike to work, Bus home
Tuesday Exercise: 19 miles biking
Wednesday Commute: Bus to work, Bike home
Wednesday Exercise: 5 miles Running, 19 miles biking
7.17.2007
Formula De
Formula De is a wonderful little game that is soon to be out of print (again). I got together with some friends last night to take a lap around the track. Now that everyone knows the rules I think we'll be able to sit down and do a multi-lap race later in the week.
Also, in case you live in Seattle and don't get out much, go to Ezell's if you're hungry. It doesn't matter what you get, just be sure to pick up some extra rolls. You can never have enough.
Sunday Exercise: 8 miles running
Monday Commute: Bike to work, ride home from a friend
Monday Exercise: 19 miles biking
Also, in case you live in Seattle and don't get out much, go to Ezell's if you're hungry. It doesn't matter what you get, just be sure to pick up some extra rolls. You can never have enough.
Sunday Exercise: 8 miles running
Monday Commute: Bike to work, ride home from a friend
Monday Exercise: 19 miles biking
7.12.2007
Minus Eighteen Point Five
Yesterday (Wednesday) marked the end of the zipper weight loss challenge. My team took home the winning honors and the pot of cash. One month ago I weighed in at 171 pounds, and yesterday (after a run in ninety degree heat) I weighed in at 152.5. The other two members of my team rallied as well, coming in 16 and 8 pounds lighter than when they started.
My one-month weight loss experiment has revealed the following weight loss secrets:
Eat less (this one is key). Some simple steps to eating less are to avoid snacks and soda. One of my team members did nothing except switch his Dr. Pepper intake from regular to diet. To stave off my munchies I upped my green tea intake. Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant and green tea has a number of other weight loss and health benefits.
Exercise is important not only to burn calories but to keep your metabolism up. Suddenly diminishing your food intake can cause your body to go into storage mode and you need it to keep going. Also important so that your body burns fat instead of just consuming its muscle.
Was I hungry? Sometimes. But I didn't stop eating anything or hold myself to a strict diet. I still included carbohydrates because those are important for exercising. I still had a week where I had made a chocolate cake and worked my way through that. I occasionally indulged in soda and I occasionally had a piece of candy. The point was that such things should be treats. By eating candy every day or going out to dinner all the time we make this things an every day part of our lives and consuming them becomes so commonplace we don't even think about the repercussions.
That's my weight loss rant.
Wednesday's commute: Bus to work and home.
Wednesday's exercise: 4 mile run. Temperature outside got up to over 100 degrees.
Thursday's commute: Bike to work. Bus home.
Thursday's exercise: 19 miles biking.
My one-month weight loss experiment has revealed the following weight loss secrets:
Eat less (this one is key). Some simple steps to eating less are to avoid snacks and soda. One of my team members did nothing except switch his Dr. Pepper intake from regular to diet. To stave off my munchies I upped my green tea intake. Caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant and green tea has a number of other weight loss and health benefits.
Exercise is important not only to burn calories but to keep your metabolism up. Suddenly diminishing your food intake can cause your body to go into storage mode and you need it to keep going. Also important so that your body burns fat instead of just consuming its muscle.
Was I hungry? Sometimes. But I didn't stop eating anything or hold myself to a strict diet. I still included carbohydrates because those are important for exercising. I still had a week where I had made a chocolate cake and worked my way through that. I occasionally indulged in soda and I occasionally had a piece of candy. The point was that such things should be treats. By eating candy every day or going out to dinner all the time we make this things an every day part of our lives and consuming them becomes so commonplace we don't even think about the repercussions.
That's my weight loss rant.
Wednesday's commute: Bus to work and home.
Wednesday's exercise: 4 mile run. Temperature outside got up to over 100 degrees.
Thursday's commute: Bike to work. Bus home.
Thursday's exercise: 19 miles biking.
11.29.2006
Recipe
1 package "Gourmet Baker" Buttermilk Crumpets
6 tablespoons horseradish
1 dozen large basil leaves
2 tomatoes
1 cup grated cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to two hundred fifty degrees.
Coarsely chop the basil into strips. This can be best accomplished by gathering the basil into a bunch then chopping from one end to another. A single chopping pass should be all that is required.
The crumpets can be toasted if desired. I prefer untoasted.
Slice the tomatoes then cut each slice in half. If the tomatoes slices are not cut in half the final product will be difficult to eat as the tomato slides around on top of the crumpet.
After arranging the crumpets on a cookie sheet, evenly distribute the horseradish, then the basil, between them. The tomatoes go on next. The cheese is put on top so that is can melt over everything, holding it in place.
Place the cookie sheet with crumpets in the oven.
The crumpets will be done when the cheese is fully melted. This should take fifteen to twenty minutes. Some people prefer that the cheese be given time to run off the crumpet onto the cookie sheet where it will start to bubble. Letting it get to this point will cause the cheese on the cookie sheet to become crispy after it has cooled. To some, this is desirable and so both ways should eventually be tried to discover which you prefer.
Pepper may be sprinkled on top after removing from the oven.
Allow to cool slightly, then enjoy.
6 tablespoons horseradish
1 dozen large basil leaves
2 tomatoes
1 cup grated cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to two hundred fifty degrees.
Coarsely chop the basil into strips. This can be best accomplished by gathering the basil into a bunch then chopping from one end to another. A single chopping pass should be all that is required.
The crumpets can be toasted if desired. I prefer untoasted.
Slice the tomatoes then cut each slice in half. If the tomatoes slices are not cut in half the final product will be difficult to eat as the tomato slides around on top of the crumpet.
After arranging the crumpets on a cookie sheet, evenly distribute the horseradish, then the basil, between them. The tomatoes go on next. The cheese is put on top so that is can melt over everything, holding it in place.
Place the cookie sheet with crumpets in the oven.
The crumpets will be done when the cheese is fully melted. This should take fifteen to twenty minutes. Some people prefer that the cheese be given time to run off the crumpet onto the cookie sheet where it will start to bubble. Letting it get to this point will cause the cheese on the cookie sheet to become crispy after it has cooled. To some, this is desirable and so both ways should eventually be tried to discover which you prefer.
Pepper may be sprinkled on top after removing from the oven.
Allow to cool slightly, then enjoy.
11.21.2006
Raw Fish
Sushi is not is readily available in Idaho. Sure there are some upscale places in the major population center where a craving for raw fish can be satisfied. In Boise these places are few and position themselves as wild and exotic. Contrast this with Seattle where the streets are practically paved with tuna and albacore. I suppose my disappointment in Idaho's lack of priorities in this area put me in the liberal elite category. Always part of the problem, never part of the solution. If I really cared I would buy salmon at the market and ship it to ranchers in Pocatello.
It was a low key day that I eased into with a bit of drum practice on my snooze button. I finally pulled myself out of bed and snored my way through a workout at the gym. It was an unusually warm morning and I should have gone running. I Ran some errands in Redmond then topped the day off with a boatload of sushi.
Another twenty pounds of flotsam was removed. Among the items donated or thrown away: A few hundred feet of ethernet cable and phone cord, two(2) five year old DSL modems and half a dozen playstation 2 games. One of the benefits of disposing of so much stuff is the free closet space that is created. I was able to reorganize and piles of stuff left the office floor and is out of sight behind closed doors.
Two hundred twenty pounds down and eighty pounds to go.
It was a low key day that I eased into with a bit of drum practice on my snooze button. I finally pulled myself out of bed and snored my way through a workout at the gym. It was an unusually warm morning and I should have gone running. I Ran some errands in Redmond then topped the day off with a boatload of sushi.
Another twenty pounds of flotsam was removed. Among the items donated or thrown away: A few hundred feet of ethernet cable and phone cord, two(2) five year old DSL modems and half a dozen playstation 2 games. One of the benefits of disposing of so much stuff is the free closet space that is created. I was able to reorganize and piles of stuff left the office floor and is out of sight behind closed doors.
Two hundred twenty pounds down and eighty pounds to go.
11.05.2006
Dinner With Other People's Parents
The odyssee continues. Today brought me to Magnolia. You'll never find a more wretched hive of dull suburbia. As a neighboorhood it simply has nothing to offer. Unless, I suppose, you are in the business of accepting acres upon acres of residential zoning.
Not being married or having divorced parents, I am inexperienced at the finer aspects of having in-laws. Tonight's dinner was hosted by a friend's father. Father's fiancee was also in attendance. I think I can appreciate everyone's position. Fiancee wants to be liked by her soon to be sons-in-law (but doesn't quite know how to relate to them). Soon to be sons-in-law want father to be happy(but don't have any interest in relating to fiancee). Father would just like everyone to get along (and maybe make it through dinner without bloodshed).
This is how I imagine everyone at the table is feeling. But after starting dinner on an empty stomach and going through a few bottles of wine I suppose what you get is more like what I had a front row seat for. Not that it was bad. Indeed our hosts were most gracious and I am grateful to them for having me over. The wine was good, I wasn't driving, and the young people at the table were able to have their own conversations above and around any unrest that might have been taking place.
Seattle weather continues to astound. The morning was clear and sunny and the perfect temperature for a run through the arboretum. The weather held long enough to get in a brisk walk down to the local pho restauranteur without getting soaked. It did not hold long enough to get home.
Not being married or having divorced parents, I am inexperienced at the finer aspects of having in-laws. Tonight's dinner was hosted by a friend's father. Father's fiancee was also in attendance. I think I can appreciate everyone's position. Fiancee wants to be liked by her soon to be sons-in-law (but doesn't quite know how to relate to them). Soon to be sons-in-law want father to be happy(but don't have any interest in relating to fiancee). Father would just like everyone to get along (and maybe make it through dinner without bloodshed).
This is how I imagine everyone at the table is feeling. But after starting dinner on an empty stomach and going through a few bottles of wine I suppose what you get is more like what I had a front row seat for. Not that it was bad. Indeed our hosts were most gracious and I am grateful to them for having me over. The wine was good, I wasn't driving, and the young people at the table were able to have their own conversations above and around any unrest that might have been taking place.
Seattle weather continues to astound. The morning was clear and sunny and the perfect temperature for a run through the arboretum. The weather held long enough to get in a brisk walk down to the local pho restauranteur without getting soaked. It did not hold long enough to get home.