Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

Where I am now.

I saw the sticker and now I've got the music stuck in my head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5MsNPqf8_M

Thoughts Before Bed

I hope I'm doing Henry B proud. He's been on the back of my mind through all this.

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Zuni Succotash

The last week and change I've had to do without meal prep and lemme tell you, I'm feeling it. Thankfully., I bought all of the ingredients last week, so this week's grocery bill was small.

This is essentially a mix between a vegetable medley and a beef stew. TONS of veggies in it, too, and as a fan of kernel corn, I'm really happy with this. It also feels like a lot of food per serving, while feeling like a light meal.

I am sure I've seen mom make something akin to this....

# Zuni Succotash

Spirit of the Harvest: North American Indian Cooking

1.0 pound beef (cut into small pieces)
2.0 tbsp vegetable oil
1.0 cup chopped onions
1.0 tbsp chili powder
2.0 cups tomatoes (diced)
2.0 cups corn kernels
2.0 cups green beans (cut into 2 inch lengths)
2.0 tbsp sunflower seeds (hulled) (crushed)
salt
pepper

1 - If using canned tomatoes, drain the diced tomatoes.
2 - Pat meat dry so it will brown properly.
3 - Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat.
4 - Add meat, onion, and chili and sauté until meat is lightly browned and onion is softened.
5 - Stir in tomatoes, corn, and beans and reduce the heat to low.
6 - Simmer for about 15 minutes, until meat is cooked and vegetables are tender.
7 - Stir in crushed sunflower seeds and season with salt and pepper.
8 - Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, until succotash has thickened.

4 servings at 400 carbs per serving
Calories 478
Total Fat 21g
Total Carbohydrate 28g
Protein 36g

Normally yields 4 to 6 servings.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

Need something crushed? Can't go wrong with a possibly century old molcajete.

Just had a meal prepared on August 9th, 2018. And it wasn't bad!

MRE Menu #19: Jalapeno Pepper Jack Beef Patty with Blueberry Cherry Cobbler and an oatmeal cookie. :)

We had a power outage today, so I wasn't able to cook any meals for this week. So, the emergency rations got taken out and...well....emergenciy rationed.

This is probably what Carrie's hair looks like in real life:

Remember when it was safe-ish for a trans-woman to drive cross country without being harassed by the local citizenry and/or police? Good times.

I haven't done a cross country road trip since 2018.

Okay, not only did Sam's Noodle Town deliver, they delivered a TON of it.

The portions were so big, I was already full once the noodle bowl came out, and ended up taking most of it home.

Oh Mom, the old man is telling me something
His eyes are wide and his mouth is thin
And I just can't hear what he's saying

Oh Mom, I wonder when I'll be waking
It's just that there's so much to do
And I'm tired of sleeping

#secondlife

The girl becomes a bird, a flower
In your state you feel your power
All things you can see around you
You can change them
Rearrange them in your mind
If you love tales of transformation
Well then, one two three
You could be
The man who played God

#secondlife

Every so often I fire up Cosmos and re-watch it. This was what got me entranced with science, the universe, and everything else out there. 43 years later, it still holds up. The science has advanced, but the show is so grounded in science, that very little needs updating.

One day they will make a Street Fighter game I can't play on a Super Nintendo controller, and on that day I will be in real trouble.

Also, pleasantly surprised to see SF6 runs perfectly on my machine at highest quality.

This Week's Meals: Hynka's Kielbasa Casserole

I don't know who Hynka was, but she makes a mean...well...it says this is a casserole, but it's really a hot potato salad. I don't like cold potato salad, and hot potato salad is just mashed potatoes to me, so this works really well.

Something that really changes the flavor is the rye-caraway breading. Every so often, you bite into a caraway seed and a little bit of that savoury-bitter taste comes through. Makes for a nice little surprise when you hit it.

Again, I would suggest slicing the sausage way thinner than 1 inch thick, and HIGHLY suggest seasoning this to taste cause it needs it.

# Hynka's Kielbasa Casserole

The Pennsylvania State Grange Cookbook
6.0 servings

1.2 pounds green beans
4.0 whole potatoes (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
1.0 whole onion (chopped)
2.0 slices rye-caraway seed bread (cubed)
1.0 pound kielbasa (slices 1 inch think)
120.0 g ketchup

1 - Cook beans in water in saucepan until partially done. Set aside.
2 - Boil potatoes in water until partially done; set aside.
3 - Sauté onions in large non-stick skillet until tender.
4 - Add bread, kielbasa, beans, potatoes, and enough catsup to lightly coat vegetables.
5 - Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

6 servings at ~37.5g carbs each
Yields 4 servings normally.

Calories 405
Total Fat 19g
Total Carbohydrate 40g
Protein 14g

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

My mostly-usual dinner. Again, usually it's JUST a fruit (or a salad) and and a protien. I had a few calories left over for the day, so I treated myself to some conversation hearts

Fat: 17.22g
Carbs: 48.95g
Protien: 32.36g
Calories: 475

My mostly-usual lunch. Usually it's JUST a fruit (or a salad) and and a protien. However, after I plan out the day's meals, if I have some calories left over, I'll add a treat here and there. This (along with cheat weekends) keeps me from going insane on a 1600 calorie/150g-a-day carb diet.

Fat: 20.02g
Carbs: 40g
Protien: 17.41g
Calories: 412

So, I've been in Second Life for 17 some years, and have enjoyed being my true self for some time. Recently, though, an old friend from SL who dissapeared got back in touch with me, and sent me over to another virtual world, Resonite, to check it out.

It's impressive! Way more complex than Second Life, but also somewhat isolated. There's not the kind of "grid" you'd get in SL, where one region links to the next, links to the next. It's all individual worlds. It's hard to be social, when you're isolated.

But if you find a spot, though, it's like Second Life of Old. Khyle sent me over to the Creator's Jam, and oh, my goodness, it was like 2007, all over again. A ton of people, all working on stuff, and the moment they knew you were knew, they walked you through EVERYTHING. I've gone from "how the heck do I look around?" to "complex linkages between components and prims" in about three days.

Would I leave SL for Resonite? Not really. I love SL and that's my home. But for a "spa day at a resort?" Sure, I'll pop on every so often. Especially once I find an avatar that is more "Jenn" and less "Dollar Store Princess Zelda."

Also, I'm apparently the only human in an entire world of furries...although there is one centaur out there....

#resonite #secondlife

This Week's Bread: Peanut Butter Biscuit Twists

I joke a lot about how that during my five years in Pennsylvania, I ate some pretty bland food ALL the time, and that ketchup was as exotic as most folks got. It's an exaggeration, of course. But not by much.

But one thing they excelled at? Desserts and sweets. Especially baked ones. So taking a page from the FIVE HUNDRED PAGE Pennsylvania Grange Cookbook, I came across these PEanut Butter Buscuit Twists and decided to try them out.

I was a little suspicious about making a sugar glaze and just dunking the biscuits in it, but in the end, what you end up with is a nice "top" glazed salty-and-sweet biscuit.

I would totally make these again. And in fact, encourage you to try it. It's quick and tasty.

Suggestions: Use creamy peanut butter. I used chunky because it's what I had and as the biscuit rises, it pushes all the chunks out. Also, the 90g measurement for peanut butter is just for my nutritional info. Put as much as you like in there. :)

# Peanut Butter Biscuit Twists

The Pennsylvania State Grange Cookbook
10.0 servings

0.5 cup brown sugar (packed)
3.0 tbsp water
1.0 tbsp butter
0.25 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
10.0 count buttermilk biscuits (canned dough)
90.0 grams peanut butter

1 - Combine brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon and vanilla in a saucepan.
2 - Cook over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.
3 - Pour into ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan.
4 - Separate biscuits and flatten into three inch oblongs.
5 - Spread with peanut butter.
6 - Twist each biscuit three or four times.
7 - Place in prepared pan.
8 - Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.
9 - Cool for 3 minutes.
10 - Remove to serving plate.

10 servings
Calories 254
Total Fat 5g
Total Carbohydrate 41g
Protein 6g

#thisweeksmeals #baking

Places I Miss, Volume 23109:

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Cream of Broccoli Soup

Did you know American Cheese is a real thing? Like, not Kraft Singles, but an actual cheese? Not nearly as sharp as cheddar, and a bit more salty. In fact, it literally just tastes like Salt Cheese.

The soup isn't bad...but it lacks a bit of a bite. Next time, I think using Cheddar instead of American Cheese would make a more flavorful soup.

Also, more cornstarch, I think. It's a bit watery.

# Cream of Broccoli Soup

Luby's Recipes & Memories
5.0 servings

8.0 cups chicken broth
10.75 oz condensed cream of celery soup
0.75 cup chopped onion
0.75 cup chopped celery
2.0 tsp salt
None None white pepper (to taste)
2.0 cups milk
0.25 cup cornstarch
0.25 cup water
3.0 cups cooked broccoli florets
12.0 oz shredded deli American cheese

1 - In a large saucepan, combine broth, soup, onion, celery, salt and pepper.
2 - Bring to a boil.
3 - Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
4 - Add milk and bring to a boil.
5 - In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
6 - Gradually whisk cornstarch mixture into boiling soup.
7 - Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
8 - Remove from heat.
9 - Add broccoli and cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking