Jenn Boo-lari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

Spent some time last night getting my Switch Bluetooth Controllers working in EmuVR for the real 100% true controller experience with the 100% true 90s gaming experience. Decided to add the controllers to the VR setup. :)

That N64 Controller was a nightmare to setup, but I think I got it.

I've yet to connect a Wii Remote to see if it'll work in EmuVR, but that took sooooo much work to get it working in Retroarch, plus the dangers of waving a Wii Remote all over the place while wearing VR goggles is not really all that enticing....

[Seattle Area]

Woodcarvers!
Artists!

We're on the lookout for talented individuals to craft hand-carved wood planks that will adorn ten streetlight poles along Main Street in Downtown Duvall, Washington.

Artists from King and Snohomish counties, as well as artists associated with regional Indigenous Tribes, are invited to participate in this unique initiative. This is your chance to showcase your creativity, celebrate our community's rich cultural heritage, and add a touch of artistry to our vibrant downtown area.

Interested in participating? The NEW DEADLINE is 5pm on June 21st, 2024. Scan the QR Code or visit the link below to view the full Call for Artists and learn how you can get involved:

https://www.duvallwa.gov/174/Call­for­Artists

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to be a part of something truly special! Let's come together to transform our streets into a colorful canvas of expression.

Given the news coming out of another town in the east side, I do love our little town.

This Week's (Not As) Fancy Pants (As I'd Like) Meal: Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy.

It came out a little darker than I'd like, as did the cream gravy, which really came out as grey gravy. But it's tasty as heck, and still my fave Chicken Fried Steak recipe.

I think next time I'm going to make the cream gravy from complete scratch. No "crackling," no old oil. Just make it from scratch to get that white white gravy. This tastes great, dont' get me wrong. Just that grey food is not very appetizing looking.

# Chicken-Fried Steak and Cream Gravy

Threadgill's: The Cook Book
9.0 servings

48.0 ounces tenderized beef cutlets (room temperature)
2.0 whole eggs
2.0 cups milk (room temperature) [steak]
3.0 cups flour [steak]
2.0 tsp Threadgill's Meat Seasoning
vegetable oil (deep frying)
2.0 tbsp vegetable oil [gravy]
2.0 tbsp flour [gravy]
2.0 cups milk (room temperature) [gravy]
salt
pepper
Worstershire sauce
Tabasco sauce

Chicken Fried Steak
1 - Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl and set this egg wash aside.
2 - Combine the flour and meat seasoning in another bowl and set aside.
3 - Heat oil in a heavy 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat to 350°. Use a 550° thermometer to check temperature. The oil should pop loudly when a drop of egg wash is dropped in.
4 - Dip each of the first half of the cutlets in the egg wash mixture.
5 - Dredge them in the flour then dip them back into the egg wash.
6 - Very gently place them the hot oil. As you carry them one at a time from the egg wash to the skillet, hold a plate under them to catch the dripping egg wash. There'll be a regular explosion of noisy oil a-popping.
7 - Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until breading is set and golden brown.
8 - Gently turn them with a long-handled meat fork or long metal tongs. Be careful. Cook another 3 minutes.
9 - Carefully remove them from the skillet and drain on a platter lined with paper towels.
10 - Let oil reheat and repeat process for other 4 cutlets. Serve with Cream Gravy

Cream Gravy
11 - Pour off the cooking oil in your heavy skillet until you only have 2 to 3 tablespoons left. Leave the cracklings.
12 - With the heat on medium, sprinkle flour over the oil and whisk them together until you have a golden roux.
13 - Add the milk and stir the mixture until it is smooth and starts to thicken.
14 - Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco Sauce to taste.

The white bread certainly makes a good toast, but I think I prefer my struan bread.

Had a long conversation last night with a friend, and touched on this a little this afternoon with another, about how Virtual Worlds and Virtual Reality have really helped make my life a lot more...livable. I've been in Second Life for seventeen years, and Resonite for about four months.

I've often said my goal in my transition is "to be ignored." No double takes, no making fun, just...going through life. But VR has made me realize something else I've wanted. Enjoying the body I'm in.

The big difference between the Second Life and Resonite is in how you experience it. In Second Life, you move an action figure of yourself around. In Resonite, you ARE the Action Figure.

There are things I'd do in Second Life because it was expected of me. Like going to parties - I like to sit and enjoy the company, but I also dance there. Not because I want to dance, but because it's expected. I click the poseball, tell it I want to dance, and Carrie dances. I sit and watch her do it.

But the other day, I was exploring around Resonite and found myself in a coffee shop there that had a puzzle for you to solve for a prize. As I was searching around, there was some nice music playing, and I noticed I was bopping to it. And unlike Second Life, when you're bopping in Resonite, you're also bopping with your body.

Also last night, I noticed I emote and gesticulate a lot in VR. More so than in real life. I make little gestures, and nod or tilt my head and what not...

And I think it's because...I'm happy with my body there. I don't like to dance, cause I don't like how my body moves, I don't emote/gesticulate a lot cause it's been kind of shamed out of me. But there, I'm happy with me, even if I'm just a dollar store Zelda clone.

These virtual worlds allow me to be me, if only for a few hours a day. And they're even healing me up a little, because Virtual Worlds/Realities have done so much more mental healing than real life.

Better than therapy? Maybe. Back when I first got involved in Second Life a friend was worried I'd go in, and never come out. And I can see that danger. But seventeen years later, I feel better for being there and being me. And Resonite is doing even more. <3

I get to have something most of the rest of the world is allowed by default. I get to be me. Well, in Second Life. In Resonite, I'm Zelda. But that's still far closer to me than real life me. :)

Spent the afternoon at Carnation's Pride Picnic at Tolt Commons helping run the A Supportive Community For All's booth (and protecting the papers from the wind).

Great turnout and a lovely venue. Festival seating for good music, free food, and a lot of good times had. I'm loving these little celebations all around the Snoqualmie Valley. Hope there's more. 🙂

Best part ws a furry walking around and taking pics...bending down to pet a dog, who was just confused as heck, and then decided "must be another dog BARK BARK BARK!"

This Week's Bread: Threadgill's Homestyle White Bread

Finally! A bread loaf that looks like a bread loaf! It better look like one given that over two rises, it rose for three hours. The bread LOOKS amazing, but is still a touch dryer than I'd like. And, as usual, could use a pinch or two more of salt.

While the recipe says to just dump in the dry yeast, I did bloom the yeast in the warm water for 15 minutes, since I use active dry yeast. Also, I needed about 1/4 cup more water than it called for to dough-up.

Like all recipes in the Threadgill's book, this makes a LOT of bread. Scale down as needed.

# Homestyle White Bread

Threadgill's: The Cook Book

10.0 cups unbleached bread flour
0.5 cup sugar
0.3333333333333333 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3.0 tbsp dry yeast
1.0 tbsp salt
3.0 cups warm water (110 degrees)
3.0 tbsp vegetable oil
1.0 whole egg (beaten)
1.0 tbsp water

1 - Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook and mix well.
2 - Add the warm water and oil and mix on low speed to moisten dry ingredients.
3 - Increase the mixer speed to medium and knead for about 4 minutes. Extra flour may be needed at this point to keep dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.
4 - When dough is smooth and elastic, remove to a well-oiled bowl, cover loosely with a clean cloth, and allow to double in bulk in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 1/2 hours.
5 - Punch the dough down and divide in quarters.
6 - Place dough into 2 greased 4x8x3-inch loaf pans, cover loosely, and allow to double in bulk again.
7 - Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 350°.
8 - Bake loaves about 25 minutes, then brush tops with egg wash and return to oven for 20 minutes or until loaves are brown on top and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.
9 - Turn loaves out of pans and cool before slicing.

Yields 2 1.5 pound loaves.

#baking #thisweeksmeals

Finally happy with my room in EmuVR. It's wierd how nostalgic you can get when you play games in a virtual version of your childhood. :)

Aparrently this was a very limited time offer in VRChat. I would absolutely love a Bridget avatar for Resonite....

Sorry about the X link, it's the only place that has video of her.

https://x.com/Averiff1/status/1558237892685705217

Look what came in the mail today!

In typical Jenn fashion, I've had this all of ten minutes and dropped something on it.

This is the "I Helped With This" portion of my memory shelf. There's going to be something new here soon.

Can't talk about it yet, but it's my second paid writing job. ❤

When making ramen, do not get these pouches confused.

Been a good month for wierd aerial phenomenon. First the aurora, and now sun halos.

Friday I noticed the left and right sun dogs, which is seen a few times up here. But I've never seen one above the sun, which is fairly rare.

Everytime I see the blur on a Sensitive Content image, all I see is a closeup of the cover to Whitley Streiber's "Communion."

Checking out Duvall Days Festival 2024. Seeing friends, meeting folks, eating food my doctor says I shouldn't.

@socketwench -

So, after three years of health issues, life changes, and a lot of "okay, maybe I'll have time tomorrow...."

Comics are coming this weekend.

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Texas Chili

I'm genuinely surprised at how simple this recipe is, since it leans heavily on the chili powder as well as how much of this is fat versus water. Takes a while to make, though, almost 2 1/2 hours for me although most of it is just simmering to stew the meat. It's very good, though, if you want a hearty stick-to-your-ribs stew. Mine needed a dash of salt but otherwise was pretty darned good.

I am now officially a San Antonio Chili Queen (Claimant in Exile).

I wasn't able to find tallow locally, and didn't want to drive into town to a meat market, so I substiuted more lard for the tallow. Also, I used some generic Chili powder istead of Gebhardt's since it's what I had in the pantry. Might be why it didn't seem as hot as Max's did on his YouTube video....

# Texas Chili

Tasting History with Max Miller
5.0 servings

2.0 pounds boneless chuck beef
2.0 tsp salt
0.25 cup tallow
2.0 tbsp lard
1.0 cup onion (minced)
3.0 cups water (hot)
3.0 tbsp chili powder
2.0 tbsp garlic (minced)

1 - Chop the meat into small cubes, about 1/2 inch.
2 - Mix the beef and the tallow together, then add the salt and mix.
3 - Melt the lard in a pot over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn.
4 - Add the meat mixture and cook, turning the meat frequently. Once all the meat has some color, continue to cook stirring every few minutes.
5 - Once the juices have cooked off and the meat is left frying in the fat, add the hot water. Make sure the water is very hot, almost boiling.
6 - Add the chili powder and garlic and stir until everything is mixed well.
7 - Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer with the lid off for 1 to 1 ½ hours. The time will depend on the heat and the cut of meat you’re using. Mine took an hour for the meat to get nice and tender. You shouldn’t have to add any more water, but keep an eye on it because if the water all boils away, the chili will burn.
8 - After the chili has simmered and the meat is tender, serve it forth and transport yourself back to the plazas of San Antonio when the Chili Queens reigned.

Makes 5 servings at ~400 calories
Calories 425
Total Fat 22g
Total Carbohydrate 6g
Protein 6g

#thisweeksmeals #cooking #TastingHistory

This Week's Bread: Globi

I've always had an interest in ancient cooking particularly Roman cooking. One of my fave omlettes is an ancient Roman recipe (eggs with honey and pepper!) But recently I've come to find out that the book I had been using for decades was inaccurate when it came to recipes with cheese.

This week's bread comes from Max Miller's Tasting History book, and is a recipe that's also in my other book, Mark Grant's Roman Cookery. And it shows the innacuracy of Grant's book: The recipes are roughly the same except Miller's book uses Ricotta Cheese. Grant's uses Cheddar.

I picked up Grant's book before the internet got big, so it was my only source for adapted Roman recipes so I didn't know any better...but the flavors with Cheddar were odd. Later, after more adaptions became available, I learned the roman cheese was more like ricotta or cottage cheese. Which is what Max Miller's recipe for Globi uses.

Anyways, Globi is pretty good. A little weak in the flavor department, coming across as a sweet version of a hush puppy. Makes for a nice little snack, but might be too mild for out tastes. It's not authentic, but dusting this with powdered sugar would be fantastic.

# Globi

Tasting History with Max Miller
6.0 servings of 4 balls

1.0 cup ricotta cheese
1.0 cup spelt flour
1.0 tbsp spelt flour
canola oil (for frying)
0.3333333333333333 cup honey
poppy seeds

1 - Mix the ricotta and flour in a bowl until it becomes a dough.
2 - Form the dough into 1 inch balls
3 - Heat the oil in a pot to 350°F (175°C).
4 - Fry the balls a couple at a time for 60 to 90 seconds.
5 - Turn them every 10 to 15 seconds to make sure they’re cooking evenly
6 - At 60 seconds, take one out to check its color. You want them to be a nice deep golden brown.
7 - When they’re done, set them on a wire rack to drain over some paper towel. Repeat the process until all the globi are fried.
8 - Once all the globi have been fried, heat the honey just until it thins a bit.
9 - Dip the globi into the honey and coat them evenly, then sprinkle them with poppy seeds.

Yields 6 servings of 4 balls at ~37.5g carbs per serving
Calories 232
Total Fat 5g
Total Carbohydrates 38g
Protein 9g

#thisweeksmeals #cooking #tastinghistory