#especially when it comes to cooking in the wilderness with limited ingredients

[hotcheetohatredwastaken]

Blood Drops on Roses: Settling in (19/80)

Wild, Twilight, and the travelers settle into camp for the night. Wild is uncomfortable. Tw: none (threat of stabbing?)

“Woah!”

Suddenly, Wild felt a pressure against his back. Arms encircled his shoulders and went around his neck. His throat tightened, his breath caught, and his fingers clenched around the handle of his paring knife. 

But he recognized the voice: the young sailor, Wind. It would not be acceptable to stab one of the travelers—especially their youngest—directly in front of them.

Wind set his chin on Wild’s shoulder. “Are you cooking? You can cook?” he exclaimed right in his ear.

Read the rest of this chapter here! Blood Drops on Roses

Or read the rest of the series here! BDOR Series (Prologues)

[indraste-darktalon]

A Tour of the Place (Updated)

Indy has put a lot of energy and effort into her new apartment. It's the first roof she's had over her head in a while, but even she has some idea of what comfort is after roughing it for so long. And now that her girlfriend Blix has moved in, it's really starting to feel like a home. Take a tour and see how it's going. (Don't mind the feathers on the floor. Indy can't help it.)

The first thing that comes into view when the main door opens is a long hallway. Two doors can be found on the right side of the hall, while the left has two archways, which let in light from deeper into the apartment. All of these exits to the hall are a bit obscured by the sheer number of plants creeping up the walls from ornate pots on the ground. The hall smells like clean soil, and the occasional flower depending upon the time of day it's entered; this is Indy's night-blooming garden.

At the end of the hall is a cabineted closet. Don't open it unless you want enchanting reagents, weapon toolkits, and the odd knife falling on your head. It's very crowded in there with utility things Blix and Indy need for work. Turn through the second opening on the left and head into the kitchen instead.

The kitchen is small, and a little messy. There's a wide assortment of ingredients and cookware scattered and stashed around. Indy likes to try a little bit of everything when she's practicing cooking, especially because what she ate in the wilderness was relatively limited. Currently, based on the smell of sourdough starter, she's on a bread kick. On a shelf above the sink is an adorable frog teapot and cups, a gift from Celeste Runewhisper that Indy is proudly displaying. Grab a cookie off the plate on the counter, a drink from the well-stocked liquor cabinet, and keep going through the kitchen to exit the other side.

This is an alcove off the main room. It appears like it's meant to be a dining space, but half the table is absolutely covered with cloth of various types, bags in various states of completion, and the odd dress or shirt. On one of the dining chairs sits a stack of enchanting vellum, most of which are glowing faintly from the magic they contain. The other half of the table has more of Blix's weaponry and the items required to keep them in good repair, as well as odds and ends needed to fight like a skilled rogue. It's a very colorful area, and the light coming in from the windows makes it seem like a pleasant place to work.

Turn left from all that clutter, and the rest of the main room comes into view. More potted plants are scattered around, this time small trees, some of which are bearing fruit. The apple tree looks particularly healthy, though the peach tree next to the couch is busily growing fruit, as well. Behind the couch is a large mural of a stream in a forest that reminds the viewer of Feralas, if they've been. It was painted by an artist at the Menagerie Boutique named Velinthria, and Indy adores it. Two of the other walls are covered with pictures and drawings from Blix's family, which make the space feel more homey. The final wall has a newly-constructed wall perch and bed for a young Faerie Dragon named Tilly, who Ranek Vilmas brought to the attention of Indy recently. She has a weakness for adorable dragonkin, so he was adopted on the spot. He is likely asleep in the bed, but he may be hard to see because he color-shifted to blend in. Oddly, the wall near him is splattered in glitter.

The couch itself is covered in a large bear skin and a few adorable plushies. The nearby doors to the balcony are open. A quick glance out there reveals another tree, this one larger, with a food and water bowl attached to the branches. With any luck, Asha, Indy's Sprite Darter, will be nestled in the tree and hum a little greeting upon being noticed. The rest of the balcony is taken up by a large, white two-person hammock that was a gift to Indy and Blix from Ranek Vilmas. A tarp sits neatly folded below it to protect it from rain when needed.

Don't be surprised if various parrots and ravens fly in and out from the balcony and roost in the fruit trees in the living room. They come and go as they please.

The rest of the main room is unremarkable, though the tea set on the coffee table looks quite nice. It's a bit hard to see behind the stack of books on military strategy, though. Head back out into the hall and go through the last door by the enchanting cabinet to enter the bathroom.

This room has a couple of hanging ferns, for space reasons, above the bathtub. The tub itself sports a nice collection of bath supplies, most notably things to help keep long hair healthy. There's a single small container of what looks like lipstick sitting on the counter by the mirror, and a towel on the floor, where it was dropped and forgotten. A shelf next to the mirror contains stacks of nice bath additives, a few candles, and a temari ball that was a gift from Twist. There is also a wine rack, because Indy likes to drink in the bath, straight from the bottle like the classy lady she is.

The door yet to be entered leads to the bedroom, which smells faintly of cedar the moment you walk in. All of the furniture seems to be made from it. The room is almost dominated by a low bed that centered on the left wall in the middle of the room. The windows are open, and a light breeze is rustling the sheets on the unmade bed. They're white, but the blanket, which looks like it was kicked off the foot of the bed in the night, is a deep red. A couple of Blix's favorite plushes are settled in with the plethora of pillows at the head of the bed.

Other than the bed, there's also a thick, moss green carpet which feels excellent on bare feet. It covers most of the room, though the wardrobe at the far corner of the room is sitting on bare floor. Carefully opening the wardrobe door reveals a great deal of leather armor and very little everyday clothing on the left side, and a meticulously parchment-wrapped military dress uniform on the right, against the wall of the wardrobe where it won't be rumpled. Indy's side is conspicuously missing shoes, while Blix's side has boots and dress uniform shoes on the floor of the wardrobe. The scent of well-cared for leather wafts pleasantly out into the room every time the door is opened.

Beside the wardrobe is a weapon rack, which holds a massive, birdskull-and-feather-adorned scythe, as well as two daggers made of blue dragonbone. All three weapons are in pristine condition, and clearly well-loved.

Hanging on the wall next to the bed is an embroidered tapestry depicting a Nagrand starscape, which was woven and enchanted by Belillina Fireseeker. It's arranged to be in easy sight if someone were lying on their side facing the windows. The wall on Blix's side has more art from her family, carefully hung.

Indy, overall, is rather pleased with how her place turned out. Having Blix, Asha, and Tilly there with her has only improved it.

[autistic-girl-academic]

Cookie Run OCs

gdi apparently one of the cookies in cr kingdom is named licorice cookie so screw it i’m biting the bullet and posting my half-baked (ha) oc ideas now even if some of them have already been taken anyway. sorry there’s no art bc i’m terrible with digital stuff and can’t access a scanner to upload my drawings. there are almost certainly going to be more to come later because this game refuses to leave my brain.

Black Licorice Cookie: The powerfully astringent flavor of black licorice certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste - and that’s just the way Black Licorice Cookie likes it! This daredevil of a Cookie loves nothing more than testing her limits, so she’s always on the lookout for something to get her adrenaline pumping. That doesn’t mean she isn’t without her sweet side, however, which comes out most strongly when protecting her precious little sister. Get between them at your own risk!

Red Licorice Cookie (Sibling): Don’t mess with my little sis if you know what’s good for you!

Mustard Cookie (Trust): Nobody else gets me like Mustard Cookie does!

Kiwi Cookie (Friendly): Hey, I’ve got an idea for some cool bike tricks!

Roll Cake Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride in that road roller and smashing things is such a rush! WHOO!

Initially I had the mental image of her as a Cookie with a web design and a spider pet, but then Truffle Cookie came out, so now I pretty much picture her skill being that she runs a Ninja-Warrior-style obstacle course or something. Maybe her pet could be a black cat instead?

Red Licorice Cookie: Between the fruity fragrance of her signature red hair and her sweet, outgoing personality, it’s no surprise that this Cookie is so popular! Red Licorice Cookie is a champion at gymnastics with plenty of fans, and performing with the ribbon is where she shines the most. She and her older twin sister might be as different as night and day, but their bond is as strong as a thousand strands of licorice twisted together!

Black Licorice Cookie (Sibling): I’ve got the coolest big sis in the world!

Cheerleader Cookie (Trust): Cheerleader Cooke is my BFF!

Yoga Cookie (Friendly): She’s helped me train to be much more flexible for my routines.

Skating Queen Cookie (Admiration): I can’t believe I actually got her autograph!

At first I imagined her as being a sort of epic version of Cheerleader Cookie, performing double dutch with a few friends much like the cheer team. Her pet would be a charm bracelet.

Oatmeal Cookie: Every day at the crack of dawn, this dutiful cowgirl is already hard at work, keeping a watchful eye over her herd with the help of her trusty steed, Raisin. If even a single cow goes missing, Oatmeal Cookie won’t rest until she’s got them home safe and sound. The tricks she can perform with a lasso will certainly knock your socks off! And when the sun starts to set, you can hear the sound of her yodeling from far across the plains.

Peanut Butter Cookie (Family): I’m the luckiest Cookie alive to have such a beautiful gal as you...

Knight Cookie (Friendly): You sure know how to burn the breeze!

Adventurer Cookie (Friendly): Nice hat ya got there, pardner!

Space Doughnut (Tension): Hey, stop spookin’ my herd!

Her skill would probably involve dodging obstacles on her horse while catching some runaway cows, and her pet would be a cowbell.

Peanut Butter Cookie: There’s nothing better for a boost of energy than some delicious, nutritious peanut butter! And forest ranger Peanut Butter Cookie definitely needs that energy, as she spends every day traversing the woods to keep them safe. Whether she’s helping Cookies who have gotten lost find their way home or rescuing woodland critters from danger, you can always depend on Peanut Butter Cookie. She’s especially fond of younger Cookies and enjoys teaching them wilderness survival skills.

Oatmeal Cookie (Family): She and I pack each others’ lunches every day.

Pancake Cookie (Friendly): Be careful climbing trees for those Acorn Jellies, dear!

Cream Puff Cookie (Friendly): I’m sure you’ll get that spell right next time, hun.

Fig Cookie (Trust): They’re always eager for me to tell them stories.

Fire Spirit Cookie (Tension): You keep those flames away from the forest, you hear?

You can probably tell by now that I’ve put like 0 thought into any of my Cookie OC’s skills. Anyway, her pet would be a bear that she helped when it was a cub, who shows up to help her by smashing obstacles.

Coconut Cookie: The Tropical Soda Archipelago has a long history of telling stories through traditional dance. Coconut Cookie comes from a long line of those dancers, and Cookies will flock from every island to watch her perform. Crowned with a garland of bright yellow coconut blossoms, she moves with the utmost rhythm and grace. It’s said that she practices every day so that she can bring peace and good fortune to the islands.

Mango Cookie (Trust): My best friend since we were little - I remember his very first boat!

Ananas Dragon Cookie (Admiration): The Dragon honored my ancestors by praising their dances.

Soda Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride on the waves is the best, isn’t it?

Squid Ink Cookie (Friendly): Poor little thing, there’s no need to be shy.

My first thought was for her to make a sort of bubble shield out of coconut oil, like Lemonade Cookie but without the magnetic effect (maybe slower energy drain instead?) - I’m still undecided about it though. Her pet would be a bunch of coconuts who make coconut milk potions. Also, I picture her being related to Artichoke Cookie, but he’s not in Ovenbreak...YET? (pls devsis)

Honeycomb Cookie: Out in a charming little cottage atop a hill lives Honeycomb Cookie - and her many hives of Jelly Bees. Years upon years of working with the bees has allowed her to understand them so well, it’s almost as if she talks to them! If you happen to arrive on her doorstep, you can be sure that she’ll treat you to some delicious tea sweetened with honey and send you on your way with a basket of homemade treats.

Herb Cookie (Family): My cute little grandson certainly inherited the family green thumb.

Spinach Cookie (Trust): Oh, how sweet of you to bring me a basket of vegetables, dearie!

Fairy Cookie (Friendly): Ah, you’re so small I mistook you for another bee.

Matcha Cookie (Friendly): A bit of a strange one, but it’s nice to have some laughter over tea.

Not sure what her skill would be, but I think her pet would be a queen Jelly Bee that grows from a baby to an adult as you collect more jellies.

Souffle Cookie: A chef famous for turning simple Jellies into extravagant and delicious meals. Though he can come off as strict and a bit intimidating, he truly does care about creating good food for every Cookie who comes to his restaurant. Souffle Cookie is quite the perfectionist, so if a recipe doesn’t come out as planned, he tends to sulk so badly that even his fluffy chef’s hat deflates! But it never lasts long before he throws himself back into his work with renewed passion.

Sparkling Cookie (Trust): My cooking and your juice is the ultimate combination!

Sandwich Cookie (Admiration): To create such simple but delicious meals...C’est magnifique!

Mala Sauce Cookie (Friendly): Just watch, I’ll create a meal more than spicy enough to satisfy you!

Dr. Wasabi Cookie (Tension): I am NEVER using your syrup as a ‘secret ingredient’ EVER again!

Again, not sure what his skill would be, but maybe his pet could be a spoon. Sous-chef Spoon?

Rainbow Sugar Cookie: Sugar Cookie was always painfully shy and never considered herself all that important. However, everything changed when she met Rainbow Puff, a creature who begged for her help in protecting the happiness of Cookies everywhere from the wicked Dark Puffs. Bestowed with a magical wand, she becomes Rainbow Sugar Cookie, chasing away darkness with prisms of joyous light! RAINBOW...BEAM!

Pink Choco Cookie (Trust): The two of us would make a perfect team!

Wind Archer Cookie (Admiration): Wow...what an amazing warrior...

Sandwich Cookie (Friendly): She makes the best toast as a snack on the way to school!

Dark Enchantress Cookie (Rival): I won’t let a villain like you make other Cookies suffer!

Pomegranate Cookie (Tension): Why are you helping the Darkness?

Originally her name was Glitter Cookie, but then Shining Glitter Cookie got announced. In any case, she’d pretty much be an epic version of Wind Archer Cookie, fighting a big ‘boss’ monster once enough little ones were defeated with her magic.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie: Trick or treat! Wait, is it Halloween already? The answer doesn’t really matter to this young Cookie, who loves trick-or-treating so much that they never take their costume off! If you don’t have Jellies to give, then get ready for a mischievous trick! But if there’s one thing they love more than getting treats, it’s sharing them with friends, so don’t be shy and join in the fun!

Candy Corn Cookie (Trust): My bestest trick-or-treating buddy!

Devil Cookie (Admiration): WOW! What a great costume!

Apple Cookie (Friendly): Here, candy apples!

Onion Cookie (Friendly): Trick o- um, please don’t cry...

Vampire Cookie (Tension): Hey, don’t fall asleep when I’m trying to trick you!

I thought I was in the clear with this OC when we got Truffle Cookie for Halloween...but then Pumpkin Cookie was an NPC later, lol. At least the name was an easy change. Their skill would basically be like a slower version of Chestnut’s, where you go up to houses and trick-or-treat.

Candy Corn Cookie: This Cookie used to be a scarecrow who stood in the middle of a big field of candy corn. However, they wanted to travel the world, so one night they wished upon a star...and miraculously, their wish was granted! Bursting with curiosity, Candy Corn Cookie is full of questions about everything they see. They still have a habit of chasing birds wherever they go, though.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie (Trust): This ‘trick-or-treat’ thing is really fun!

Alchemist Cookie (Admiration): Wow, this Cookie knows lots of things!

Blueberry Pie Cookie (Friendly): Ooh, what’s in all these ‘book’ things?

Mocha Ray Cookie (Friendly): Cookies can really live under the sea? WOW!

Carrot Cookie (Tension): Aw, I don’t wanna go back to the farm yet!

Candy corn apparently used to be called ‘chicken feed’, so their pet would probably be a chicken. Again, not sure about the skill.

[radiodespieds]

The 4-Hour Freewheel

I don’t often write book reviews, but as both a chef and an instructional designer, I have some specific feedback for this one. The 4-Hour Chef, by Tim Ferriss, purpots to do a lot of things : teach you how to cook from novice to master-level, teach you to survive in the wilderness, teach you the science of cooking, teach you how to teach yourself any topic. Unfortunately each of these things try to take up so much space in this book that they prevent the others from working at all. And at every point, Ferriss will earnestly interrupt what he’s explaining to bring you an anecdote about his wild, awesome life.

Cuisine

Let’s start with the core promise of this book : the cooking. Instead of a recipe catalogue, Ferriss has done the smart thing here and organized a training course, starting with the easiest, lowest-equipment dishes. He thus avoids the pitfall of most cookbooks for true beginners, which dump a pile of recipe on you and leave you to sort through. These structures don’t foster progression or learning in the reader : either you’re already skilled and you’ll pick the recipes that inspire you, or you’re a beginner and you’ll forget about the book after 2 or three less-than-perfect attempts. The 4-Hour Chef, in comparison, gives you a plan spread out over several months, where you only commit to the titular 4 hour every week, with a clear sense of progression and an enticing goal. The 4-Hour Chef also makes sure to walk you through the often-forgotten non-food activities in cooking : prep first, cleaning, minimizing multitasking, entertaining people, managing inventory, etc. Topics that are almost always omitted by cookbooks, even though their absence quickly turns cooking into hell.

And if you go into his 2-meals a week plan as a novice, you will indeed graduate in your cooking. The book doesn’t try to cram all of one cuisine’s basics into you and only feature recipe designed by Ferriss to fit in the plan, which is a good thing unless you were planning to staff at a bistrot or a trattoria. Many of his recipes are “hacked” in a way to require only the skills you have already mastered from your progress in the book, so some might not make the best of their ingredients until after the first few weeks, like the unseared lamb in his Osso “Buko”, the first recipe, but they all sound appetizing. Plus, chefs of any skill level benefit from remembering how far you can pare down a dish and have it still taste amazing.

There are some very odd choices here and there : sous-vide is a very interesting technique and it can teach you about the way meat really cooks, but it is really in its place in the basics section (first part out of four) of the learning plan, given how much effort it requires when you don’t have the equipment ? Does a two-kettle, digital scale, hand grinder and thermometer coffee really fit the theme of minimal equipment, progressive skill level ? If you’ve been cooking at a good level already, you’ll also know that cleaning as you go requires more than just a bonus afterword at the end of the first section. There’s also a few outdated cooking tips, but the book is from 2012 and it’s nothing major. The few relatively unknown neat tricks that are sprinkled throughout the recipes will help balance these stumbles out.

Fortunately, you’re free to skip anything that doesn’t make sense, and a difficulty spike sometimes benefit learning. And you will have to skip some, because by the end of the Domestic section (stylized as DOM, everything has to be short-handed here), you’re supposed to master the basics and be able to graduate up an order of magnitude closer to being chef-level cook. With only 14 lessons and 7 bonus activities, will definitely leave you unprepared for these ambitions (but maybe not demotivated ? depends on the person), especially for the two next levels : Hunting/Foraging and Modernist cooking. Both of these would indeed make better chefs of any of us who haven’t dived into it, and they are technically achievable for many households, though the fare on this cooking journey is starting to be extremely steep. It’s becoming clear at that point that Ferriss is optimizing for calendar compression and woah factor, not for money (or man-hours) : even following the most budget-friendly alternatives he proposes, he’s still inviting you to spend thousands of dollars over a few months. And that’s fine, as long as you understood that was the point of the book ; my issue is that even with a 700-pages book, you’re still left very short in any of the 4 sections. Each of them would require their own tome or possibly several in order to realistically bring you close to proficiency, especially with the book’s structure of a learning course rather than a recipe catalogue. (Which again, is a good choice of structure. It would just need to take up more pages in order to work.).

[Sidenote : I’d be tempted to present the last recipe of the book, Carpe à L’Ancienne (or as it’s , as another example of badly-paced teaching, but it’s made pretty clear in the book that it wouldn’t be an easy feat even for serious followers of the book method. Rather, it’s good entertainment to read about a recipe so ridiculously lengthy and pricey, for a result that most people wouldn’t enjoy anyway. It’s one of few recipes that you won’t feel guilty about not making but will still read to the end. However, its presence kind of makes you wish there would be a graduating exam recipe (or dinner party), one that’s actually geared towards the skills that the book professes to teach.]

Studying historical texts

The main problem here aren’t the random difficulty spikes or the imperfect advice, though. What sends me up the wall is the whole damn book wrapped around the cooking.

Part of it is the writing style, systematically peppered with clichéd expressions that an extremely-online positive-thinking man would have thought cool in 2012. Saying these fall flat would be an understatement, making the reader wince in second-hand embarrassment is more like it ; but again, the book is indeed from 2012, this is what to expect when working on historical texts.

The content itself though, could make you go as far as grinding your teeth in annoyance. Even if you start only at the actual recipe section (a good hundred pages in), you will regularly be interrupted right in the middle of an explanation so that Tim Ferriss can take his Very Important Tone and tell you about this awesome person he’s met and became friends with, or about an adventurous anecdote where he seems to think his self-deprecating humor will hide the bragging. Less often it’ll be some random factoid, and quite a few times it’ll be about having sex with women. Which is a weird thing to interrupt a cooking advice column for, especially while implying that the two topics might be essential to each other. Does the meatloaf recipe really require an explanation about how your friend’s wife gives her husband regular blowjobs ?

There’s the diet and supplementation advice, which I don’t take too much offense from : it’s written in the 2010s lifehack diet era, and follows the model of making big promises backed up by early, limited data and hopefully is not taken too seriously by contemporary readers. The science is likely to be very outdated, especially in its most hack-y promises. The “slow-carb” model that Ferriss championed in his other book The 4-Hour Body and uses here as a base for his claims, did not take hold in the world of diets. He does not go into the details in this book, but it seems to be mostly a low glycemic index diet, where small amount of low-GI carbs are allowed. GI-oriented diets seem to work often enough, but they have come under scrutiny for their unreliability and the incomplete picture they give of nutrition. His supplement advice, centered on compounds that were not very studied at the time, is also likely to be very outdated. Then there’s Ferriss obsession with raising testosterone, which, unless you’re a man with a low-testosterone condition, should not be a primary concern, and belongs to the a weird conception of masculinity that’s all muscle and attraction.

Is that how you learn to write ?

The first thing you’ll read when you open the book without skipping is the worst offender of them all : the pedagogy section. Just like the cooking sections, the points he makes here aren’t all particularly bad and even include some things that are often forgotten. The power of establishing stakes when self-teaching for example, or the importance of triaging your learning material up-front and being ruthless about it. The power of triaging your material and priorizing, which can help you take fast strides in the beginning of learning. These ideas would not be equally efficient for any topic, and Ferriss doesn’t provide evidence that they are, but they are useful tools to employ as a learner.

But it all amounts to not much, as it becomes clear the advice is primarily used for party tricks or obsessive, purposeless cramming. You will have a starkly different experience mine here if you have envied Ferriss’ lifestyle : jumping from one activity to the other, meeting celebrated personalities and travelling everywhere. To me, it feels not only extremely elitist but also empty : the goal is the chase, and the rush that comes with the chase. Ferriss gets his hands on cooking and learning in the same distracted way he got his hands on selling supplements and drop-shipping : he’s intensely engaged with it, but would be completely uninterested if there wasn’t the thrills of fake promises like “best in the world” “achieve in less that three months“, “receive unanimous praise”, “become rich”, etc.

That first section is also the worst offender re: Ferriss interrupting his own train of thought with barely-relevant anecdotes. It is infuriating to be hooked by an exciting promise of a founding principle of learning, only for the third paragraph start explaining in detail how he got himself ridiculed at a high-status gala dinner. By the end of the anecdote, it will have brought next to nothing to prove the initial point and Ferriss will never expound on that concept, rather content to switch to another which he will undercut once again with boring retellings. Sometimes an anecdote interrupts another anecdote. Sometimes a section just starts with one such anecdote, which Ferriss seems to believe is an appropriate substitution for in media res writing, and when it’s time to get to the argument you’ll realize the story didn’t cast any light on the issue.

Buying advice

Should you buy this almost-a-decade old book ? Depends. I do believe there’s something for everybody here : complete novice, experienced home cook, food nerd. Even an actual professional might find some inspiration in the nature or the modernist section. But that valuable nugget will not present itself easily, and you’re going to have to sift through a lot of bullshit to get to it. The best use I can imagine is going in with just a little home cooking experience, do most of the recipes in the DOM part in order, do the dinner party, then skip around the WILD and SCI part for anything that catch your fancy, then do most of the PRO part (since there’s still basics being studied in there), then close the book. Once you have the experience, you might be tempted to go back to it and look in the two middle parts for inspiration in some new things. Dutifully ignore everything else (several hundred pages’ worth) unless something strikes a chord within you. That’s it. That’s not much, but it’s slightly more than your average unused recipe book.

Now, is it worth the pricetag ? Given its age, it’s gonna depend on how much it goes for on ebay when you’re looking. I personnally wouldn’t be paying much for it, but you do you.

[allaboutcatsblog]

Best Dry Cat Food Brands 2019

#allaboutcats #catcare #catfood

Many cat owners choose dry cat foods because they are easy to store. Also, these foods can offer a more diverse diet. Moreover, these foods are also cheaper when compared to wet cat foods. They have both pros and cons.

In fact, not any cat food is totally perfect. Depending on your needs and budget you can choose a product that is the best for you. Now, keep reading this article to discover our favorite dry cat foods on the market today. Also, we give you some essential tips on how to choose the best dry cat foods.

Dry Cat Foods vs Wet Cat Foods

There is no right answer to the question which one is better than another. The fact is that premium wet and dry ones offer similar nutrition value.

The biggest difference between these types of cat foods is that the dry cat foods don’t give pets the same amount of moisture content when compared to their wet counterparts.

For cats fed with dry cat foods, it's important to let them drink at least one cup of water in a 24 hours window. That’s why we advise you to combine both dry and wet cat food at once. Your cat should stay hydrated.

Things to Look for in Dry Cat Foods

Besides the high-quality dry cat foods, there is also a variety of low-quality ones. They contain preservatives, fillers, as well as other nasty stuff. These ingredients are not essential in a cat’s natural diet. To make sure you are choosing the best nutritional value cat foods, let’s take a look at the following factors:

Life stage

The dry dog food must match to your cat’s life stage. The fact is that cats have unique nutritional needs when growing and developing. So, you need to choose the right food accordingly. Your cat needs a balanced diet to get plenty of nutrients as well as energy for his happy life.

Flavor

You may not know that your cat can be more finicky than others. So, it may be a challenge to look for a dry cat food your cat will love, especially when you decide to switch wet cat food to dry ones. As a pet owner, you should experiment with different protein sources. After that, you can determine a dry cat food that can attract your cat.

Essential nutrients

There are some certain nutrients your cat needs to thrive. They include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. For example, your furry friend needs taurine to absorb through diet. It’s important to choose a food that can meet all of your cat’s daily requirements. One of the best things you can’t ignore in your cat’s diet is carbohydrates.

Specific Protein Source in Ingredients

There are so many cat food brands available out there. Most importantly, you have to look for high protein formulas. Make sure you know exactly where the protein is from. We advise you to find products that contain the protein source from salmon, chicken, and lamb.

Avoid choosing a poorer quality that comes from by-product meats. Instead, it’s better to choose regular meat sources.

Specific Fat Source in Ingredients

When it comes to choosing the fat source for your cat, keep in mind that you only can look for fat that isn’t from an artificial source.

If you want to choose a cat food for older cats, it’s important to keep fat levels to a minimum that is the same as in a less active cat.

Taurine

Choose cat foods with taurine. Actually, these products can provide your cat with an extra level of benefits. Also, it can help your pet to avoid eyesight degeneration. It can prevent him from getting heart disease as well.

Carbohydrate

Many cat owners don’t know if they should provide their cats with low or no carbohydrate. The fact is that dry cat foods are prone to be packed with filler ingredients. These foods are normally packed with wheat and corn. These ingredients can keep dry cat foods glued. However, grains are not a natural ingredient in a cat diet.

You should keep your cat in a diet with low levels of carbohydrates. At the same time, provide your pet with more healthy protein.

Top Dry Cat Food Brands 2019

1. BLUE Wilderness High Protein Grain Free

This cat food is delicious and grain-free cat food. It’s made up of full of protein. The BLUE Wilderness is listed as one of the best dry cat foods today. This formula is cold-form that can prevent it from excess heat.

This purposes to keep all ingredients from losing nutritional value. It also means that you will lose some of the nutrients when cooking vegetables on high heat.

This formula provides your cat with natural and real chicken without any nasty by-products. Also, the food comes with no colors, artificial flavoring, wheat, grain, and soy.

It offers all essential ingredients, including proteins, amino acids, and fats. They ensure to give your cat all natural ingredients. The best thing you will love in this food is totally grain free.

2. Hills Science Diet Indoor Dry Cat Food

This cat food is made especially for indoor cats. However, you can also choose it for outdoor cats. The food is packed with super high-quality ingredients. It means that it comes with no artificial flavors and preservatives. It only offers the best sources of protein.

This is also a great option for the money. It promises to give your cat great value. It promises to provide your pet with a great number of health benefits like other expensive brands.

Feed your cat this formula, and he can maintain his muscles. Moreover, it ensures to keep him at a great weight. Like being said that, this cat food product can work well on both indoor and outdoor cats.

3. Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health Formula

If you are looking for cat foods that can promote urinary tract health, take consideration at this brand. It can be able to manage to provide your cat with a low magnesium content.

This is one of the best cat foods available on the market for adult cats. It’s packed with healthy omega 6 fatty acids. Therefore, it can help to boost your cat’s coat. Also, it helps to keep his skin healthy.

The food is known as a respected brand. It ensures to give your pet the highest quality. It provides your furry friend with the best natural sources of protein such as fish and real poultry. It contains 0% filler.

This cat food is available in a wide range of other formulas. It’s made at other health needs. You can choose this for cats that have sensitive digestion systems.

4. Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Dry Cat Food

This product is packed full of natural probiotics. So, this is a great option for your cat’s digestion. If you are finding the best natural cat food, you should consider it. This formula is available in salmon, chicken, and brown rice.

It promises to offer your cat a very good value. It’s made especially for adult cats. The food contains real meat. It doesn’t contain preservatives and artificial flavors.

5. Purina Cat Chow Naturals Indoor

When it comes to the best selling dry cat foods around, the Purina Cat Chow is recommended highly. It offers plenty of natural fiber. Therefore, it can help to control hairballs through your pet’s system.

This food comes with no artificial flavors and preservatives. Instead, it’s made up of real meats listed as its main ingredients.

It can be able to provide your cat with the proper portion control. So, you can control your cat at a great weight. The food ensures to make your pet feel more full after he consumes fewer calories due to the low caloric density.

Actually, this formula is a great option for cats of various age ranges as well as weights. Sure, your cat will love it. However, this unit comes with some grain-based ingredients that are not good.

6. Blue Freedom Grain Free Adult Cat Food

If you are looking for the best holistic dry cat food, the Blue Freedom Grain Free Adult is made for you. It is a high-quality cat food. Feeding your cat this formula, you can give him a drastic improvement in fur as well as coat health. In addition, it can be able to maintain a healthy weight.

It comes with the gentle and digestion-friendly ingredients, so you can consider it for cats with sensitive digestive systems. You know, some certain cat breeds come in notoriously sensitive tummies. This cat food is a good solution for those breeds.

7. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Dry Cat Food

The food is built in a wide range of flavors and protein sources. So, your cat will be satisfied with this option. It ensures to give your cat healthy digestion. Also, it can limit an upset stomach.

The green peas are listed as the first ingredient of this food. Moreover, it contains a variety of meat sources such as chicken, duck, venison, and salmon.

This is grain-free cat food. It promises to give your cat balanced nutrition including omega 3&6 fatty acids. So, it can help to promote your cat a healthy coat. This food is easy to digest thanks to protein and fiber.

8. Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Adult Cat Food

Many cat owners overload their pets with treats. If your cat has to slim down, provide him with Blue Buffalo Life Protection Dry Adult Cat Food. This food is available in 15-pound bags.

There are so many ingredients available. They include high-protein, deboned chicken, veggies, a plethora of whole grains, spinach, brown rice, apples, pomegranate, vitamins, and antioxidants.

9. Purina Beyond Natural Grain Free Ocean Whitefish and Egg Recipe

If you want a grain-free food for your cat, take a look at this product. It is made up of no ground corn, soy, preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, and wheat.

However, it’s added with ocean whitefish listed as the first ingredient of this food. Also, the food provides your cat with carbohydrate and fiber for energy. Plus, it offers him a great set of daily vitamins and minerals. It comes in 3 available bag sizes: 3,5, and 11 pounds.

10. IAMS Proactive Health Kitten Dry Cat Food

This cat food product is made for cats under 1 year old. This formula offers the same nutrition as your cat’s milk. Chicken is listed as the first ingredient. Also, it is packed with omega 3 DHA, prebiotics, antioxidants, and beet pulp. They are important ingredients for your cat’s health. It can keep your cat happy and healthy. It is available in seven-pound bag sizes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve talked about what to consider in dry cat foods in general. Remember that each cat food coming in different caloric densities. So, you need to feed your cat appropriate portions to his weight. With that said, the list above is the best of dry cat foods you can choose. They offer high protein content as well as good health.

https://all-about-cats.com/best-dry-cat-food-brands/

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Freezer bags are the secret to eating well on your next camping trip

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/freezer-bags-are-the-secret-to-eating-well-on-your-next-camping-trip/

Freezer bags are the secret to eating well on your next camping trip

Nobody’s going to summit Mount Rainier or trek through Yosemite’s vast wilderness on just a handful of trail mix. When you head into the backcountry, you need balanced, hearty meals to fuel your adventures.

But not all rough-and-ready sustenance gets the job done. Ideally, your food will fit three criteria: It must taste good, cook fast, and not require too much precious stove fuel. That’s why freezer-bag cooking works so well on the trail.

I discovered the brilliance of this method at age 18, while taking an overnight trek with my aunt. For the previous 10 years, ever since my first hiking trip with my dad, I followed my father’s food preferences. He has always been the kind of backpacker who doesn’t worry about the weight of his pack, stuffing in cans of beans, tins of tuna, and boxes of Velveeta macaroni and cheese.

My aunt, on the other hand, dutifully weighed and portioned her meals in advance, creating stunning single-serve bundles that cut packaging waste and eliminated the weight of unnecessary extra servings. Plus, there was practically no cleanup after the meal. My eyes were opened—freezer bags became my default for backcountry cooking. Here’s how you can follow my lead.

The freezer bag advantage

This preparation is cheap and easy, and it also saves waste, weight, and water. What you carry into the wild, you have to carry back out. But no one likes toting a pack stuffed so full of garbage that you can’t find your eating utensils. Most of that waste comes from the packaging around your trail food. So remove those boxes, tins, and plastic wrap and place all of your ingredients in one compact zip-top freezer bag before you leave home. When you eat its contents on the trail, all that’s left to throw out (or wash and recycle) is the one bag.

With no unnecessary packaging and perfectly-portioned servings, you’ll also have less weight to carry. This is of the utmost importance to backpackers, who often cut toothbrushes in half to save an ounce or two.

This cooking method also requires less fuel, because you don’t have to simmer the food over a flame: You just add hot water and let the meal cook in the bag. On top of fuel, you save water: Instead of rinsing cookware with your precious liquid reserves, there’s zero cleanup, so you can save the H2O for the hike out.

Why build your own bags rather than buying pre-made freeze-dried meals? You can find backcountry fare lining the shelves at REI, but these meals cost about $8 to $12 on average. Plus, your options are limited, especially if you’re on a special diet. By crafting your own lightweight meals from grocery staples or bulk bins, you can save some cash and customize your meal plan.

Building your meal

A balanced diet is even more important when you’re on the trail. There, even the smallest deficiencies can seem monumental—just ask anyone who has backpacked the Grand Canyon in July without electrolytes or salty snacks. Fortunately, getting all the nutrients you need isn’t too difficult.

“Eat regularly, eat a variety, and eat often,” says Claudia Pearson, Rocky Mountain Rations Manager at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). “Those are the rules of food on the trail.”

Every meal you eat in the backcountry should contain three main components: fat, complex carbohydrates, and protein. Fat tops up your energy reserves, carbs offer a quick boost, and protein helps repair stress to your aching muscles. Salt and sugar play a part too, but at dinnertime, it’s all about refueling for muscle recovery and restocking your energy stores for tomorrow.

So when you craft your meal-in-a-bag, start with carbohydrates that cook quickly and easily, such as couscous, rice noodles, or ramen. Aim for starches that take no longer than five to seven minutes to rehydrate—otherwise, your carb may not cook fully with the freezer bag method.

Next, add a serving of protein like nuts or seeds, dried tofu, dried beans, or pre-cooked foil-packed tuna or chicken. If you opt for animal sources of protein, keep them separate in their foil-pack wrapping until you’re actually cooking the meal. That way you avoid spoilage.

And don’t forget the veggies. A few tablespoons of dried peas or mixed vegetable flakes offer necessary vitamins and minerals. To top everything off, bouillon cubes and dried spices add flavor.

It’s also worth your time to seek out foods that have the most calories for the smallest weight and size. Pearson says she often includes components like honey, peanut butter, coconut, chia, raisins, cheese, and powdered eggs, which are all nutritious and easy to prepare.

If you’re not comfortable creating your own recipes yet, we’ve provided a couple examples in the next section. Alternatively, Pearson recommends that you head to the grocery store and look for soups in bulk bins or instant cups. If you’re looking for prepackaged options, then dried refried beans, curried rice and vegetables, and ingredients like peanuts and miso paste all make for great freezer bag meals. Pearson regularly includes these foods in NOLS students’ meal packets.

“Your imagination is your only limitation,” she says. “It just has to taste good, that’s the bottom line.”

Recipes

Although you can build a meal yourself, I have a few tried-and-true recipes that have served me well. One contains meat, and the other is vegan.

Spicy Couscous

1/3 cup couscous

2 tablespoons freeze-dried peas or other vegetables

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon spicy chili powder

½ teaspoon dried cilantro

½ bouillon cube

1 tablespoon dried cranberries

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

1 pouch of single-serve foil-pack chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients except chicken, sunflower seeds, and cranberries into a sealed double-zipper freezer bag before hitting the trail. At dinnertime, boil 1 cup of water and pour in enough to cover the couscous. Massage or stir the bag to mix the ingredients. Zip the bag closed, then wrap in a towel and let sit for five to seven minutes, or until couscous is soft, massaging once halfway through. When cooking is complete, stir the bag’s contents (if necessary). Then add chicken, seeds, and cranberries. For minimum cleanup, enjoy straight out of the bag, or transfer to a bowl if you prefer.

Vegan curry noodles

1 package of rice-noodle ramen, without seasoning packet

½ vegetable bouillon cube

2 tablespoons dried vegetables

¼ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)

¼ cup Coconut milk powder

1 tablespoon curry powder or paste

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Place all ingredients into a sealed double-zipper freezer bag before hitting the trail. At dinnertime, boil 1 cup of water and pour in just enough to cover the noodles. Massage or stir the bag to mix the ingredients. Zip the bag closed, then wrap in a towel and let sit for five to seven minutes, or until noodles are soft, massaging once halfway through to break noodles apart and encourage even cooking. When cooking is complete, stir the bag’s contents (if necessary). Again, you can eat out of the bag or move your food to a bowl before you dig in.

Take away your trash

After you eat your meals, pack up your tent, and check your boots for spiders, don’t forget to pack out your waste—freezer bags and all. As the non-profit Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics beseeches: Enjoy your world. Leave no trace.

Written By Alisha McDarris

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New Post has been published on New World Air

http://www.newworld-air.com/5-great-vegan-campfire-food-ideas/

5 Great Vegan Campfire Food Ideas

If you’re planning on a campervan hire trip this year, you’ll most certainly be heading for an amazing adventure. However, depending on where you choose to visit, catering for vegan friends or family members can sometimes be a particular challenge – especially if you are relying on convenience stores with limited options, or traveling through remote regions that offer only standard culinary fare. Of course, great campfire foods and snacks don’t have to focus on big cuts of meat or freshly caught fish, and there’s a wonderful range of fantastic vegan options that you can cook with surprising ease. Simply pre-pack your key ingredients and then prepare your tasty treats as you watch the stars and sit beside that glorious fire. Here are five great food ideas for vegan road-trippers that we wholeheartedly recommend:

Portobello Mushroom Burgers

No campfire adventure can be truly complete without a tasty burger and the versatile Portobello mushroom can be a filling and incredibly tasty staple for any adventure into the wilderness. After seasoning to taste, grill the mushrooms for a maximum of 10 minutes and then add freshly-sliced tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, and vegan mayonnaise to create the ultimate, yet simple campfire burger. For those desiring a hotter experience for their tastebuds, jalapenos, tabasco sauce or Cajun spices can be added depending on the tolerance levels of your group members.

Packed Polenta Peppers

Packed polenta peppers can certainly pack a tasty punch when grilled to perfection. Healthy and nutritious, grilled polenta peppers are easy to prepare and an excellent side dish to burgers. After seasoning a bunch of polenta slices, cut a number of peppers of your choice in half (all colours work and they can be fun to mix and match), and then stuff each one with the polenta, onion, and diced tomatoes, before adding a few additional spices such as paprika or garlic. Complete by grilling to taste in just minutes.

Grilled Zucchini and Tofu Skewers

BBQ skewers are always fun at a campfire and they’re also blissfully simplistic to make. After chopping up zucchini and tofu squares that you can season to taste, add a combination of other tasty vegan options including onion, sweet potato, sliced peppers, and mushrooms. Once prepared, simply turn the skewers slowly to ensure that all sides of the vegetables are evenly grilled.

Sweet Potato Burgers

All campfire dinners should have at least two types of burgers and it’s no different for vegan campfires too. Sweet potato burgers can be a great contrast to the mushroom burgers we’ve mentioned above, yet they’re as equally flavoursome and healthy too. Sweet potato burgers can be prepared using a variety of different ingredients (avocado can be a great combination) and spices, and adding panko breadcrumbs for a crispier taste comes highly recommended.

Chocolate Bananas

Naturally, your campfire culinary experience can always be enhanced with a little desert to round things up! Simply slice a few bananas along their curved edges (facing upwards) and then stuff with dark chocolate before slowly grilling to create the perfect gooey mess. This will no doubt prove to be a vegan chocolate heaven!

#CampervanHire, #PortobelloMushroomBurgers, #VeganCampfireFoodIdeas