Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

I might have a small problem.

Why yes, I love the Gerudo. 'Cause the Gerudo apparently love me.

#echoesofwisdom

Why yes, I love the Gerudo. 'Cause the Gerudo apparently love me.

#echoesofwisdom

Today's Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom achievements.

Just finished the first dungeon. Liking the game so far. I love the echo mechanic as it makes puzzle solving really mind bending.

Not just because you've got to figure out where to put stuff, but often, you have to use stuff in the way it's NOT meant to be used.

I mean, I've used the bed as everything BUT a bed. And the meat as everything BUT meat. But no more spoilers, hope all the Zelda folks out there are enjoying it....

Legend of Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom is out! I can eat MREs for a few days to cover this....

With all my servers moved to the living rooms PC, I now can run my Plex Server while running Bigscreen in VR. So I tested out an 4K HDR movie in it.

Holy cow. Watching 4K with HDR on a screen that is genuinely movie sized is AMAZING. These pics do not do it justice.

Genesis, SNES and Game Boy SF2....

So, I may be losing my apartment at the end of the year. So I got a free one in VR. Kinda nice, but it's got more beds than bedrooms (ONE ON THE ROOF).

This Week's Fancy Pants Meal: Simon Belmont's Porkchops

I have Cucco's Kitchen's cookbook, but it focuses on Legend of Zelda recipes. So I pilfered one he made from Castlevania.

His recipe calls for a two 2-inch bone-in pork chops. I used pork loin because I needed something to last a week. Using pork loin led to a somewhat dry slab of pork, so I'm assuming the bone-in pork chop would be jucier. I'd simmer it less next time.

The sauce is super excelent. Very savoury with a touch of sweetness, and a lot of onion flavor. I used it all cause I'm freezing the meals and when I warm them up, I want the pork chop to soak in it. I might simmer it longer without the pork to reduce it a bit.

Good stuff, no wonder Simon gets hearts for eating this.

# Belmont Pork Chops

Cucco's Kitchen
9.0 servings

4.0 pounds pork chops
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
2.0 tbsp olive oil
5.0 cloves garlic (peeled) (minced)
8.0 sprigs thyme leaves
1.0 cup onions (diced)
1.0 cup beef broth
1.0 cup red wine
1.0 tbsp soy sauce
1.0 tbsp herb de provence
1.0 tbsp Worcester sauce
2.0 tbsp unsalted butter
1.0 tbsp dijon mustard
4.0 tbsp brown sugar

1 - Season the pork chop with some salt, pepper and herb de Provence.
2 - Put a pan over medium-high heat
3 - Once it’s hot, add in the butter and 1 tbsp of oil oil, move the pan around till the the butter and oil and mixed
4 - Add the pork chops in the pan and add the thyme. We are going to sear them on both sides until they're nice and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Don’t concerned with cooking the chops through at this point, we just want a nice sear.
5 - Once both sides are seared and have a nice golden color remove them from the pan and set them aside to rest.
6 - Grab a paper towel and wipe away some of the extra grease.
7 - Add in the other tbsp of oil.
8 - Reduce the heat to medium and add the chopped onion. Cook them till they are translucent.
9 - Once they start to become translucent add in the minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring it until the garlic is fragrant.
10 - Add in the beef broth, soy sauce, Worcester sauce, brown sugar mustard and red wine. Cook and stir for about a minute until the sauce is combined.
11 - Next add the browned pork chops back into the pan and nestle them inside the sauce.
12 - Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
13 - Once the sauce boils reduce too low, simmer and cover for 35-45 min till the pork is fork tender. Turn the pork over once half way through the cooking time.
14 - Once time passes and the chops are ready, remove from heat. Plate the chop facing up, pour some of that delicious sauce on top and bam, the Castlevania pork chop is done!

Makes 9 servings at ~400 calories per serving

Calories 415
Total Fat 18g
Total Carbohydrate 7g
Protein 44g

Normally yields 2 servings.

#thisweeksmeals #cooking

This Week's Not-So-Fancy-Pants Meal: Hamburger, Deconstructed.

I wanted hamburgers, I made hamburgers. No bread for diabetic and "the half loaf I have left is too small for the burger" reasons.

Ah, all the meals have been cooked for today, and now it's time to sit back and relax with some quality educationally enriching entertainment.

So my EmuVR doesn't just do games. It'll allow you to watch videos. If you tell it to open a video, it'll spawn out a 90s era VCR and a VHS tape. Put it in the VCR, and you're watching TV in late 80s!

So, one of the VR Events I go to often will occasionally start to lag. The host usually tells us to go into "Non IKR" avatars, which are avatars without "skeletons." Usually just heads and hands. I was using one with a picture of my head for a head, and ghostly hands. I didn't like that.

So I used a NeoRoid creator to make one that is a little more me, while still just being "head and hands."

She's a cutie.

He's still alive! I gave him a quick haircut which lead to my first basil leaves. They taste STRONG. ❤

Annnd Saavik ruins the moment by referencing a line from earlier during Kirk and David's fight to the death. For a joke.

During Spock's funeral, Saavik has quite a bit more to do. There are a few added lines here and there in the script that Spock is setting her up to be the Enterprises' First Officer. This is the first time Kirk addresses her with that same mindset.

The "final" Kirk/Spock scene in Wrath of Khan is one of the finest in the entire series. Having Kirk sit there in silence as his friend dies in still heart wrenching.

The script has Saavik jump in with news to punch up the scene, but I'm glad it wasn't used - this is a solemn moment, and it needed to stay between Kirk and Spock.

The "Remember" shot was a last minute (possibly on-the-set) addition to allow for the possibility of a sequel where Spock returns. It is not in the script.

Wonder if that sequel ever happened?