Jenn Dolari @dolari@driveinsaturday.org

I wonder what all the cool kids are playing these days....

As much as I enjoy gaming on a big screen with surround sound, the office has A/C, so this is my screen during the day....

Hound! One of the Transformers I never had as a kid. ❤

"Gotta say, Hasbro knows how to pack collectibles," she said side eyeing Wal-Mart's online ordering system.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/g2IRrvTZHuQ

And just in time for bed....

NO. NO NO NO. I'm not looking for 900 of you just for Korok Poop again.

Have I mentioned that I'm deathly afraid of heights?

Someone's been to Hamilton Pool in Austin.

See you in 290 hours....

While I'm very much looking forward to the new Zelda game's story, there's another thing I'm hoping to get out of the game. My love for gaming.

It's no secret that I lost that love for Nintendo when my sister passed away and the callous reaction to it by one upper manager (no one who I'm friends with here, so It's Not You) who used it to deny me a management position. That was the nail in the coffin.

Looking back three years after I last walked out those doors, I see someone who has become bitter about the whole situation, and it's affected my joy of gaming that it managed to rekindle over a decade ago when I was brought onto Nintendo.

Cause I love video games. Have since I was a kid. But after my time at Nintendo, overseeing how the sausage was made, the recipe change, and the exploited employees, things greyed out for me.

I'm losing that love over the shit I (and others) went through. I really don't want to lose it AGAIN. I'm hoping this game will allow me to see the joy in games again.

Hrm, everyone else is playing it, maybe if I try...BOOOOOO....

The joys of a west facing apartment on a sunny day:

I haven't posted the recipe for the struan bread, mostly because the recipe I've used tastes AMAZING, but the instructions themselves needed a lot of work to get something close to bread.

But people have been asking, so here's the recipe and some of the notes/extra steps I have on making the bread (in parenthesis). PLEASE READ THE WHOLE RECIPE BEFORE YOU TRY IT. Mainly because there are alternate steps here and there. Also, it's still not perfect, but it's been six weeks since I first started working on this recipe and people are wanting it. :)

The original recipe comes from https://leaandjay.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/struan-celtic-harvest-bread

# Struan Bread

Lea & Jay
2.0 loaves

5.0 cups unbleached bread flour
0.25 cup coarse cornmeal
0.25 cup rolled oats
3.0 tbsp oat bran
0.5 cup cooked brown rice
0.25 cup brown sugar
2.5 tsp salt
2.0 tbsp instant yeast
1.5 tbsp honey
1.5 cups water (dough)
0.5 cup buttermilk
(1.0 eggs)
sesame seeds

1 - Combine all of the ingredients (except sesame seeds and egg) in a large mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 2 minutes. (I ended up using the dough hook attachment as the paddle didn't work as well)

2 - Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate the flour.

3 - Once again, mix on the slowest speed with the paddle (hook) attachment for 2 minutes more. The dough should be very tacky or slightly sticky. (If not, add a touch more water, mix for another two minutes, wait five minutes to hydrate the flour and repeat until tracky/sticky).

4 - Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, then dust the top of the dough with flour. Lightly knead the dough for 2-3 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. The dough will still be soft and sticky but should hold together to for a soft, supple ball.

5 - With oiled hands, reach under on end of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it back onto itself. Do this from the back-end and then from each side. Flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball.

6 - Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Repeat this entire process three more times, completing all repetitions within 40 minutes. (I think this may be too many times, but four ended up with collapsed loaves, and three ended up with uncollapsed, but denser than I'd like bread...but this may be an issue with oven heat, too...just keep an eye out for the rise).

7 - Place dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight for up to 5 days. (This step I don't do. I did it once, and could not get the bread to rise after removing it from the fridge and ended up with a bread brick).

8 - Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. (Again, I don't refridgerate the dough and go straight into step 9)

(9 - Crack an egg and beat well to create an egg wash for the bread.)

10 - Put the dough in greased loaf pans.

11 (From the original recipe) - Brush the top of the dough with water and sprinkle with poppy seeds (this isn't in the ingredients list on the site, showing sesame seeds instead) then mist with spray oil.

(11 (Changed from the original recipe) - Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.)

12 - Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until increased to about 1 1/2 times its original size.

13 - About 15 minutes prior to baking preheat the oven to 350° F (177°C).

14 - Bake the loaves for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan. The total baking time is 45-60 minutes. The bread is done when it has a rich golden color, the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, and the internal temperature is about 185°F (85°C)

15 - Cool for 1 hour before slicing or serving.

And there's the warning. Weather Underground has knocked down their high temperatures for this "Heat Pulse" so that it's not breaking 90, but still gonna be real warm around here.

My reaction to biting into this toast made from homemade struan bread: https://youtu.be/c0NdwzdOLkE

WHY YOU GOTTA CALL ME OUT GOOGLE MAPS