#the big cakey adventure

[thebigcakeyadventure]

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Read the original twitter thread!

[putschki1969]

🇹🇭KEIKO Bangkok Pilgrimage🇹🇭

Imagine my surprise when I saw that the latest Niku&Choco fan club magazine contained a two-page feature of Keiko's private trip to Bangkok earlier this year. I had originally planned to spend a few relaxing days in Thailand with the one or the other more eventful activity but seeing all the things that Keiko had done, I naturally felt inspired to do the same stuff. First I needed to find out what exactly she had done, where she had gone and what she had eaten. I put on my Putschki Holmes hat and started researching right away. After some initial difficulties I was able to figure out almost everything. My friends helped provide some additional info and were of course kind enough to play tourist guide for me in some of the more confusing locations.

From what I can tell, Keiko must have stayed either around the Siam area or a little further out around the Sukhumvit line. Her activities were mostly limited to Siam Paragon (a big mall at Siam station) and Central Embassy (another big mall at Phloen Chit station). She also visited the Talad Noi district near Bangkok's famous Chinatown. Without further ado, let's get to it〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

❗This is FAN CLUB EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗DO NOT USE/SHARE ON OTHER SITES❗ ❗SUPPORT KEIKO and JOIN her FAN CLUB. Detailed TUTORIAL❗

Talad Noi

This area is famous for its gorgeous street-art. Keiko took lots of pictures in front of some of the more extravagant pieces. I tried posing in a similar manner but oh boy, I totally failed. It's almost embarrassing how horribly stiff I look in most of these...And you know what?! I ordered these exact pants earlier this month but unfortunately, they didn't arrive in time for my trip 😔How cool would it have been to take these pictures wearing the same pants as Keiko! *sobs* A huge thank you to my friends who joined me on this little adventure in Talad Noi. I never would have found these specific murals without their help. Also, kudos to us for taking approximately five million pictures in the sweltering heat. It was so hot and humid that day💦

Siam Paragon & Siam Center

Had a great time at Siam Paragon. The food court was amazing. A shame that I couldn't try everything in a single day. I decided to try the frozen yogurt from Yolé and a shabu-shabu set at Hitori Shabu. Wanted to try McDonald's too because I was curious about some of the Thailand-limited items but there was just not enough time for all that extra food. I only took a picture in front of the Fire Tiger place at Siam Center (not much of a smoothie person to be honest).

Central Embassy

Lots of yummy food to choose from at Central Embassy. Keiko did nothing but eat there it seems. I was only there for half a day so I honestly had a hard time deciding on what to try. Eventually I ended up going to the shaved-ice place "The Dessert by Kaithong Original" because I was craving something cold. I cheated a little bit with "Somboon Seafood" because I only went there to take some pictures with my acrylic Cakey but I didn't actually eat anything at the restaurant until a few days later. Went to another more popular branch with some friends and we ordered the famous crab curry. I also only took a few pictures outside of "Din Tai Fung", it's a shame though because I would have enjoyed some dim sum but honestly, that shaved ice thingy almost killed me

Airport

Last but not least, a final picture at the airport before it's time to fly back home.

[woosh-floosh]

Bad News for Dedede Fans: Dedede only shows up for about 3 pages in big cakey adventure

Good News for Me fans: I only have to draw dedede for 3 pages

Gooder news for Dedede fans: I drew him extra special in this panel just for you

[sarandsaffitz]

Poppy Seed Almond Cake, p. 41, Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz

Made on 12/5/2021 and 12/10/2021

My BFF Caroline told me her Mom exclusively made bundt cakes growing up. So, when I brought her a big chunk of what I had thought was a disaster of a cake, she said she ate the whole thing and didn’t save any for her roommate. I have never made bundt cakes before and never really ate them with any regularity. This cake came out pretty well (the second time I made it), the outside has a bit of a crunch, the inside has the consistency of a cakey poppy seed muffin. I think this would make for a tasty, casual breakfast cake.

I started the journey of making this cake by realizing that I would have to get some equipment, a first for me so far on this adventure of turning all the Dessert Person recipes vegan.

I bought both a bundt pan and an electric hand mixer from Good Will. The hand mixer was broken, so I went back and got a hand crank hand mixer that helps save my arms about 3% muscle tone while mixing (read: not much muscle tone is saved while mixing). The bundt pan was probably donated because that person also didn’t get the whole cake to come out without the top breaking (read: which happened to me both times I made it, albeit, the second time was only a small quarter of the top, rather than the entire top. Top photo is the first cake, bottom left photo is the second cake).

I could not find a wire rack at Good Will, and I didn’t have time to go to more thrift stores, so Matt and I improvised by using the muffin tin inside a baking dish as seen above (bottom right). The first time I turned out the cake, we had the muffin tin upside down, the second time I did it, the muffin tin was right side up. I don’t know if this method helped or hindered me, so maybe just get a wire rack if you make this cake.

Make it vegan!

You only need to make three substitutions in this recipe - Instead of whole milk use coconut milk (or your favorite plant based alternative), instead of eggs use flax eggs, and instead of butter use Earth Balance.

My biggest take away making this twice - use butter instead of oil to grease the pan for more intricate designs. I would also recommend allowing the cake to cool for at least an hour before trying to turn it out. The first time I baked this, I waited 15 minutes, flipped the cake out on my ‘‘wire rack’ (read: muffin tin), and shouted “DISASTER!” when I saw the carnage. Huge shout out to my partner Matt for comforting me twice during these bakes, the first for “DISASTER!” and the second for when I realized I had run out of flour and he walked with me to the store to get more. What would I do without my Matt?

I give this cake a 6 out of 20 in looks, but a 9 out of 13 in taste. I especially liked the crunch of the crust on the outside paired with the soft and moist inside. Fortunately, I have great cake to bring to my DnD game, where one of the players LOVES poppy seeds. Natasha, I’m positive you’re going to really like this one!

[toukenramblings]

hiya mod! thank you for the letter! it was super sweet 💖 i hope you're doing well- eating water, drinking food, and taking meds responsibly and resting when possible! i also really liked your child saniwa headcanons, so can i request akita, gokotai, and kenshin interactions (platonic of course!) with a child saniwa? - 🎂non

CAKEY IM SO GLAD YOU LOVED THE LETTER I GOT SO SCARED HUOGHUGFHD BUT IM DOING OKAY, I HOPE UR DOING OKAY TOOO BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL OF UR SUPPORT. HERE’S SOME HEADCANONS I HOPE THEY OK

Warnings: nOTHING BUT BABIES

Akita Toushirou

“My name is Akita, I’m so excited to-” “....” “....new sibling”

This Saniwa is adopted into Akita’s family now. Akita took one look at this kid and immediately claimed them. Ichi-nii eat your heart out, Akita is gonna do his best to be the bEST BIG BROTHER-

And then Akita and the saniwa take a nap together while bird watching and Ichi-nii is found cRYING

Akita is a sweetheart no doubt and while he doesn’t partake in war much as a blade, damn right he’s going to be protective as hell of this saniwa. As said before, Akita is going to try to be a good big brother since he’s like...several hundred years old by now? Catch him always holding hands with the saniwa, leading them around the citadel, excitedly enjoying the day with them!

His favorite thing to do with them (regardless of age) is just well, bird watching or cloud watching! He’ll pick a sunny patch of grass or help them climb up into a tree and just...look up at the sky with them! Stargazing counts too. Then they gotta scream for someone to help them get down. PlEASE HJELP

Hell yeah Akita will fucking stumble into the kid’s room to stay up late. They’ll probably conk the hell out while playing ANimal Crossing or something. He tries his best to stay up though! It’s not super healthy but like...he just wants to spend more time with his new sibling!

Akita can kinda cook? He more or less bakes with the rest of his siblings, expect him to always feed the lil saniwa first though. He cares for them a lot!

Akita also attempts to get stronger in order to protect them. He’s mostly a protective sword for nobles and being close to this new lil master like this makes him happy to be of use, no matter how much he can do!

Akita also looooves going out for a walk! He’ll always hold the Saniwa’s hand as they run around a forest or a mall and get lost beyond belief. Akita will try not to cry though, even though he’s scared as fUCK. He just loves having new adventures with them!

Can and will try to give them a piggy back ride.

Akita Toushirou is a sweet little kid, and having a saniwa that is a child will honestly help him feel at ease. He’ll do his best to be a good big brother, even if he and the saniwa are mentally rather young. He just wants to do his best and see the world along side them!

Gokotai

“I-I-I’m Gokotai...I’m so sorr-”

*Mew~!*

“....I-I think they like you...?”

Gokotai isn’t even a true Toushirou place, an artificial and yet part of the Toushirou family. Despite the rest of his brothers saying that they love him nonetheless, he still feels like he doesn’t belong. So when he meets this little master, a part of him is terrified that they will not like him. Gokotai already has pretty crippling self esteem so being around someone who has a similar mentality to him does help ease him a lil bit???? But his tigers like him and animals can tell shit like that.

So when his tigers trust the lil saniwa, Gokotai’s shoulders slump a little, letting out some breath he had not realized he was holding. He’s rather shy and quiet, hesitant to talk to the master and will just prefer sitting there in silence with them. Most likely reading a book together or chilling with the tigers.

Speaking of books, Gokotai adores picture books - stores with animals being his favorites. Momotaro is an example as it’s about a young boy who goes on a brave adventure with animal friends - but like in the Hanamaru anime, another book he loves is The Blue Bird of Happiness. He and the lil saniwa will just read it over and over, and then probably have a permanent like lil corner of this one library or bookstore they always visit. The people working there know their damn names by now and probs have snacks for them.

When it comes to the little tigers, I think Gokotai will adore it when the saniwa comes to visit - his tigers will run to them, and beg for their attention. They groom them together, pet them, play with them, honestly it’s so fucking cute. Please hug my lil son for me. Cuddle him and give him a foREHEADD KISSY

Gokotai will slowly become protective of the Saniwa as he becomes closer to them. Taking in the idea of Kiwame!Gokotai, when he comes back with the sole tiger, he promises to protect them better!

To quote Gokotai, “Master always looks straight into my eyes.” and those are the window to his soul. He shies away at first but as he and the lil saniwa become closer, he feels comforted by the fact they always look at him in the eyes, a sign of trust and that they care for him? I don’t know how to explain it but it’s kind of a zen state when you lock eyes with someone you trust and just...wordlessly pass on thoughts to each other.

It warms the heart of the Toushirou fam to see Gokotai open up like this. He is one of the more timid of the bunch because of his...ya know, general disposition and past. This saniwa now has the entire Awataguchi fam at their beck and call now, find them being carried by Ichi-nii

GOkotai’s tigers will love them~! Always pouncing on them to wake them up, big ol cuddles. Oh cuddling with Gokotai will be angelic, just...so much floofiness and warmth.

This leads to the fact the tigers will straight up do anything for them. Are they crying? Suddenly there’s 15 stolen blankets and several other Awataguchi family members at the door to ask what’s wrong. Are they hungry? KAsen is found screaming at the mess the tigers made as they bring a whole (half eaten) turkey to the saniwa. Gokotai ad the lil saniwa are watching a scary movie and it terrifies them? Well now they gotta buy a new tv because the tigers attacked it to defend them.

Seeing, the lil saniwa being best friends with Gokotai is like getting a new sibling plus 5 new lil pets. It’s just one big ol happy family man.

Kenshin Kagemitsu

“I’m Kenshin Kagemitsu! I do not wish to be taken li-”

“.....”

“I am big brother now”

See, Kenshin will jump at the chance to prove that he can grow up and be a wonderful mature adult. So when he first meets this lil saniwa, he’s oh so giddy! He almost jumps for joy! Of course he stills himself, clearing his throat and properly introducing himself to them, wanting to come ass as mature as possible. It’s obvious in his eyes that he’s excited to get to know them though!

The first thing Kenshin tries to do is almost be like Azuki and Hasebe rolled into one. He’ll try to learn how to cook and clean and even though he has a miniature habit if sleeping in late and Azuki is most often waking him up in the end but Kenshin always wants to try and emulate him. He’ll be found bringing a big ol tray of breakfast of the saniwa and waking them up, yawning while he’s talking to them and denying that he’s tired.

Kenshin is allowed to be a kid rather often, and if Azuki is fond of them too, he’ll spoil them both~! It’s like having a bro and father combo!

This lil kid is always ready to learn new things, and is often found with some kinda new book that he will share with this new Saniwa. He will often be found reading together with them, learning new things! He may be trying to look tough and adult-like, but to do that you need to learn new things!

Kenshin almost tries a little too hard to help the saniwa. He’ll try to stay up a little too late to help them, or to ensure that they go to bed on time. It’s fine to be a kid sometimes, Kenshin! Thus, the lil saniwa sometimes drags him to cuddle, it’s cute as hell, Azuki found taking all of the pictures.

He’ll try to not be swayed by sweets and is often giving his snacks to the lil saniwa. Yes he’ll be envious and puff out his cheeks, claiming he doesn’t want them, but they always share the snacks anyway. No worries.

Going back to the idea that Kenshin tries a little too hard to help the Saniwa, he’ll go to Hasebe or Azuki for help at times, wanting to learn how to do paperwork for the saniwa. Honey, no, not until you understand the words and wtf is happening. THe government is a ho anyway.

Despite all of this, Kenshin is still very much mentally young. He is nervous at times and especially so when going into battle. He does his best and ultimately he comes home with the rest of the swords - running into the arms of the lil saniwa and asking them to praise him - but he won’t lie that he sometimes feels like he isn’t enough for them? More so along the lines he wants to become better and be a better sword for them, I suppose?

Kenshin is actually very easily scared. So whenever there’s thunderstorms or something, he says he isn’t terrified but with the way he’s clinging on to the saniwa or Azuki tells volumes.

Kenshin is just trying his best when it comes to this saniwa. They’re around the same age (mentally?) and Kenshin will automatically want to try to be their elder, to show that he can be depended on too!

[medea10]

My Review of Grand Blue

How did I get into this anime? Well, I heard there were some good reviews about this particular title. It was one of those animes I probably should have watched in summer 2018, but more than likely I was watching some sequel no one remembers.

Iori Kitahara just moved to an ocean-front town to live with his uncle since he lives near Izu University (a school Iori was accepted into). His uncle owns a scuba diving shop that serves as a local hangout for members of the school’s diving club. Little does Iori know that this is a local hangout to get FUCKING SHIT-FACED!!!

I am not making this up. These members drink like it’s going out of business. And usually these drinking binges end up with blackouts and public nudity. In Iori’s case, he got so black-out drunk that he woke up in front of his new university’s courtyard…on the first day of school…only wearing his boxers! I’m beginning to see why Amazon put out an advisory at the beginning of each episode about drinking responsibly. But aside from drinking with a bunch of meat-head senpais, there’s also diving. Yeah, club activity is actually diving into the ocean.

So let’s dive into this college-leveled, binge-drinking club as we meet some interesting characters like, a raging otaku (Kouhei), Iori’s cousin with “Permanent Resting Bitch-face Syndrome” (Chisa), a girl who should get a makeup tutorial on Youtube (Aina), two meat-head senpais (Bukki and Tokki), Drinky McStripsItAll (Azusa), and Chisa’s “loving” older sister (Nanaka).

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: So this is an Anime Prime exclusive, so I doubt I’d be hearing a dub to this any time soon. The sub has quite the line-up of seiyuus including that upcomer I’ve been raving about all 2019, Yuuma Uchida. But a lot of well-known folks like Kana Asumi and Hiroki Yasumoto (who can literally play anything at this point) shine in this anime. Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

*Iori is played by Yuuma Uchida (Kyo on Fruits Basket 2019, Uenoyama on Given, Chika on Kono Oto Tomare, Sun on Oresuki, Ash on Banana Fish, and Shirazu on Tokyo Ghoul :re)

*Kouhei is played by Ryouhei Kimura (known for Hinata on Angel Beats, Hachiken on Silver Spoon, Takizawa on Eden of the East, Judar on Magi, Taishi on Tokyo Ghoul, and Hiyori on Free!)

*Chisa is played by Chika Anzai (known for Mina on Attack on Titan)

*Aina is played by Kana Asumi (known for Taneshima on Working!!, Ran on Shugo Chara, Kazakiri on Index, Yuno on Hidamari Sketch, Nagisa on Madoka Magica: Rebellion, and Tachibana on Nisekoi)

FAVORITE CHARACTER: I’m gonna say that after watching all 12 episodes; Aina (a.k.a. Cakey) grew on me. Horrible caked-on make-up aside, let’s be real here.

I think it’s because of the development we see with her ever since she was introduced early in the series. We see a girl trying her damndest to fit in with the tennis club only for it to blow up in her face (literally when we’re talking about all that makeup that’s “caked” on her face). Yeah, these guys treated Aina like garbage! But after joining the diving club, we see her be herself and slowly trust those around her. I think it’s more of this character resonating with me in some sad aspect, but I too feel the pain of trying to fit in or not wanting to let anyone down. Anyways, Cakey is my girl!

Poor dear, I feel your pain.

SHIPPING: So Iori is now a college lad and getting smashed eight ways from Sunday. And I’m sure he’s going to have his own picks of the ladies when he isn’t drinking with an otaku and a bunch of meat-heads.

…Or he can get freaky with his blood cousin!

*eyeball twitch*

ANYWAYS, Chisa has made her point clear with the disgusted face she makes whenever she’s around Iori. But in anime terms, we know that she has that classic tsundere syndrome. So when someone like Aina comes into the picture and Iori sticks up for her, jealousy arrives like a fucking A-bomb! Despite Chisa announcing to a wide, public setting that Iori was her boyfriend (while he was passed-out drunk), nothing too scandalous happened with this. It was just so she could keep creepy boys away. Honestly, I really have no problem if Chisa and Iori hook up. It’s actually better than Chisa being with someone who has an unhealthy obsession with her.

I don’t want to say Nanaka has a thing for her baby sister, but this is getting too borderline Yuru Yuri that I have to say something about it.

I’m pretty sure Aina might be a contender after all Iori has done for her throughout the series. It’s just that she can’t stand all that binge-drinking and getting buck-naked at any moment.

And then there’s wild card Azusa! She’s a flirt! What else can I say about her? She teases Iori every chance she gets. Hell, near the finale she tantalized Iori in sex. Wasn’t sure if she was kidding or if she really meant it! However she did shove a leek up Iori’s ass, but that’s because he was sick.

I swear this is normal behavior.

By the end of the series, we really didn’t get much in terms of full-on hookups. Many misunderstandings have occurred involving word-play. Iori, Kouhei, and their band of geeky friends are still virgins (though one of them came very close to sealing the deal). One of the meat-heads has a girlfriend (did not see that one coming). But on a positive note, Chisa and Iori’s friendship has been pretty steady. I wonder how long that’ll last!

ANIMATION: I gotta say it, the facial expressions on these characters were a laugh-riot. It wasn’t like this was pathetically sad that I have to laugh at it. But more of how expressive these characters got when they have to express hatred or disgust! This is more for comical expense and I happened to like it. It’s like with the anime Prison School, all the facial expressions worked in their favor. This, while out of place some of the time, never fails to make me laugh.

ANIME REFERENCE: While shopping for gear for an upcoming diving expedition, Kouhei came across two suits that would make any old-school otaku squeal.

The suits of Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion in diving suit form. And Kouhei got Chisa and Aina to try them on!

ENDING: At the end of episode 9, the diving club is heading to Okinawa for a special trip that is promised we will never forget. They made sure of that when the anime gives us a two-minute preview of what to look forward to in these final three episodes. Just be warned a lot of things mentioned really didn’t happen. It almost felt like one of those gag previews Gintama is notorious for.

Well Iori, Kouhei, and Aina are going to attempt at getting their divers license so that they can go even further down the ocean. It seemed like all three were doing pretty well when it came to the basics of diving underwater. However, it was quickly noticed by Nanaka that Iori was having trouble keeping water out of his goggles and that could result in immediate failure. So Iori practices all night (with help from Chisa and Aina). However, Iori ended up in some trouble when a patrolling policeman comes upon him in the pool. And Iori spent the rest of the night in the water because he was naked.

Because I’d be concerned if he wasn’t naked!

Well, the next morning, he caught a cold. Then dumbass thinks it’s a good idea to get rid of a cold by drinking vodka.

Because I’d be concerned if he wasn’t drinking!

And as a result he ended up missing his chance for obtaining his diving license. Kouhei and Aina were able to get their licenses. So the big diving expedition of Okinawa is about to commence and Iori has to sit this one out. But he remains hopeful to one day dive with his friends in Okinawa. After all that, the group travels to another spot and get fucking hammered. You all see the theme to this series, right?

But the last few episodes gave us a few moments involving Kouhei and Aina. Kouhei ended up stumbling into this group on accident (much like Iori), but discovered how much fun he had (aside from getting drunk as a skunk night after night). As for Aina, she learned that despite the diving club being full of a bunch of drunken meat-heads, these people care about her (unlike the previous club she belonged to).

So it was a memorable trip.

This was absolutely NOT what I expected when I picked up this anime. I notice Grand Blue being taken place in a cute ocean town and thought it would be just as cute as Tsuritama. But it turned out to be the anime equivelant of Animal House. I can easily tell you that my college years were NOTHING LIKE THIS.

Despite going to school in a state where the drunk-driving rate is sky-high, I did not witness any strange anomalies like arriving on campus and seeing a bunch of drunk, naked lads sprawled across the courtyard.

Now then, I do feel like this series could have focused a little more on diving and oceanography. It felt like the majority of the series involved characters binge-drinking, meat-heads fighting with tennis club members, more binge-drinking, sad geeks never getting laid, studying for a German test where you only get 20%, and drinking more than Sterling Archer. Not so much on the ocean like I would have hoped. And even though Iori gets the short-end of the stick in almost every episode, I do feel bad that he couldn’t join the rest of the club under water in the finale. That felt a little disheartening, but that’s just me. Short answer, I like this anime! If you’re in for a good laugh and are not turned off by all the drinking and nudity, I say go for it.

For what it’s worth, it’s a silly adventure I can see myself rewatching one or two more times. And if you’re interested in watching, Amazon Prime has all 12 episodes available for streaming.

Okay, this was quite the trip! Let’s pick our next Amazon/Netflix/Crunchyroll exclusive anime!

Think Zootopia, but set in high school.

Beastars!

Great choice as I even heard good things from celebrities who don’t normally watch anime.

[creepyscritches]

I've only seen the Witcher series and I plan on reading the books once I have time ;; but my heart got warm when Ciri and Geralt hugged and tbh I'm so in here for this crusty ole man being a dad, my friend referred to the series as a whole as "Geralt Cakey Cheeks Big Boob" and "Big Geralt Horny DILF Adventures" and tbh that last one kinda reminded me of your Witcher tag lolololol

Oh it's very much a series about parent/child love, there's loads of good good gooooood Ciri, Yen, and Geralt family stuff

It's also very slutty when Geralt is left unsupervised

[tamesies]

that really was a big cakey adventure

[macamellow]

the big cakey adventure!!!

[thebigcakeyadventure]

New Copy Ability: Firetruck!

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[00pandamonium]

Day 3: Table for One- Facing My Fears

SO- Here I am. In Lydney, England. Just me, myself, and I. Today, I decided to take it fairly easy. After all the stress of yesterday, I wanted to take “me” time and just enjoy myself. I let myself sleep in until around 10:30. I enjoyed the beautiful views from the cottage. Then I read a little bit (I brought “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah for those of you wondering). Afterwards, I got up the courage to go to the market. I hadn’t brought toiletries as I didn’t want to check bags at the airport and needed all the space in my carry on as I could get. I also wanted some snacks and such to keep at the cottage. So I got back in the car, took a deep breath, and gathered my courage to drive on the wrong side of the road again. After the trip here yesterday, my anxiety was through the roof whenever I thought about driving again. But I did it! I made it to the market (which, thankfully, wasn’t too far away) and I took my time exploring each of the aisles.

The market is much smaller than a Wegmans or Shoprite back home, but it still has everything you could need. The produce looked fresh and delicious, as did everything in the bakery. I was surprised to not find as many of the same brands as home though. I thought surely there would be regular snacky snacks such as goldfish or popcorn, but couldn’t find any. There also weren’t any recognizable brands of bottled water. I was able to find some Oreos and Rice Krispies and pre-made frozen pizza though: for those times when I need some comfort food.

After my adventure at the store, I headed back to my little home away from home, and took a nice long, hot shower. After taking my time doing my hair and make up and getting ready, I decided to get comfortable on the sofa with some of the homemade Welsh cakes that Elaine had made me. DE-LIC-IOUS! They were little cakes of heaven! Soft, moist, and cakey with raisins throughout and sugar sprinkled on top. WOW! I must remember to ask her for the recipe before I leave!

I then had some cereal for lunch and watched some America’s Next Top Model for a bit. I took these few hours to really relax and research some sights and activities in England. I also used this time to build up the courage for one of the main tasks that has been causing me so much anxiety about this trip for the past few weeks: Eating alone.

I don’t know why it has always sounded so daunting to me. I suppose in our culture you’re looked at strange for eating alone. In my mind’s eye, people stare with curiosity, mock, and the worst: pity. It’s not that I particularly care about what other people think of me, but the thought of people looking at me with those judgmental thoughts as I eat alone terrifies me. You’re probably thinking, it’s not a big deal, especially since you’re in another country- No one is going to remember you anyway. And you’re right. But it still scares me.

So I got myself together and I headed down the street to a local pub: The Globe. I walked up to the hostess, Karen, and asked for a table.

“And how many will you be, dear?”

“Just the one.”

“Oh, alright, and where would you like to sit?”

“I don’t really have a preference, it’s just me here, thanks!”

“Alrighty, I’ll sit you right here then. A nice spot in the front so you can see everything going on. And so the nice boys can see a real beauty as well,” she says with a wink.

<I blush> “Thank you!”

She grabs me a menu and a Pinot Grigio. The food all sounded delicious. The special was a steak and potato pie. They had all kinds or burgers and fish and lasagne and anything you could have been craving. I decided to go with a sirloin, that came with roasted tomato, mushroom, salad, fried onions, and chips (Fries for those of you who aren’t hip to the English lingo).

I will admit, I felt quite lonely, sitting there by myself as everyone around me was laughing and talking with loved ones. My phone service wasn’t working, so I didn’t really even have that to rely on. I had also forgotten my book and my journal back at the cottage. What was I to do, sitting here all by myself? I started doubting myself and why I came on this trip. I started wondering how i could’ve been so stupid to come here alone. How does anyone do this? I tried to people watch to stop my mind from going all kinds of places. There was a large, Scottish man sitting at the table across from me, sitting with his wife who looked at him with pure love and adoration every time his laugh bellowed across the room. A couple in their late thirties were discussing politics one table over from me. The busboy ran from table to table trying to answer questions and clear plates. He didn’t know the menu very well.

Luckily, Karen stopped by every so often to see how I was doing, and asked me questions about America and my trip.

“It is so lovely that you have come here all on your own. This is the perfect place to get away from it all,” she tells me. (I will say here that the British have been some of the most pleasant people I have ever encountered.)

She also gave me some good tips and a list of places she told me to see. Some of them I hadn’t seen while researching, so that was really great.

Soon, my food arrives, and wow. It looked amazing! I almost didn’t want to eat it. The steak cut like butter. The tomato was warm and delicious. I am not a huge fan of mushrooms, but it added a great flavor when I paired it with the steak. The fried onions too, I am not usually a fan of, but when paired with the steak and mushroom, was delicious. The salad tasted fresh and had bits of tomato, cucumber, and onion with a light dressing that brought it all together nicely. The fries were amazing, but burned my tongue with every bite, they were so hot, but I just couldn’t stop myself from eating. I ate almost every last morsel. When Karen came around later in the evening to clear my plate and bring the check, all that was left were a few fries that I could not fit in my tummy.

My first real meal in England (I’m not counting the Burger King I had for lunch yesterday or the snacks from the airport I ate for dinner last night, nor the cereal I had had for lunch earlier today) was a success!

Now I’m home and whether it’s the half a bottle of wine I’ve finished while writing this, or the fact that I’m just a big ole’ baby, or just feeling vulnerable...I couldn’t stop the tears when I thought about how lonely I truly am. I am doing my best to keep my goals for this trip in mind. I know that while I am hurting now, I will be grateful for this experience in the long run. I have already learned a lot about myself and challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone since being here. I have a lot to explore and adventures to experience while I’m here, and I can truly call them my own at the end. I don’t have to wake up on someone else’s schedule or go on some boring tour because some one else wanted to. I definitely don’t have to do some crazy, hike up a mountain and test my endurance. Nope! I can wake up whenever I want and do whatever I want, wherever I want and make this trip truly my own. I’m excited for what the next few days bring!

[ebaeschnbliah]

PILOT - VERSE

________________________________________________________________

Trying to answer some questions regarding my view on a possible starting point at the UNAIRED PILOT

Thanks for your question @monikakrasnorada on this thread (X) of @kateis-cakeis meta about 'What's real'. Hope you don't mind that I'm starting a new post with this. And don't worry Moni, I know you  aren't trying to persuade anyone. :)))

As you know I'm playing with this thought - and others - since before S4 aired. Major Sholto put me on that road last summer ... so if anyone is to blame then it's him. :)))) 

More under the cut ....

Here are some posts regarding that topic. Just in case if you  are interested of course. I'm not trying to convince anyone either. In the end it's just an idea like many others out there. Who knows how this sory will turn out in the end? I'm just guessing. :)

What might have happened on January 15th?   The stage is set - the curtain rises   When Sherlock lies drugged in a cab   A dog barks in the night   He hasn’t woken up yet

The last addition on this thread.   And the very first time I posted about it is here. But back then I stood still at the beginning of that road. This one goes just back to TEH.  

Your question though was:  Why would Sherlock 'imagine' the show as we got it?

When I'm thinking about 'PILOT-VERSE' the most likely starting point that comes to my mind is - Sherlock lying drugged in that cab. Drugs as an explanation for everything that goes on in Sherlock's mind, in certain episodes, is nothing new. In fact this has been discussed a lot already ... just with a different starting point ... the flight to his exile/hospital in HLV.

In Jeff Hope's cab:   Of course I can only assume what might be going on in Sherlock's head in a situation like this. As we hear Jeff Hope say:

CABBIE: Do a lot of drugs, Sherlock ’olmes? SHERLOCK: Not in a while. CABBIE: I ask ’cause you’re very resilient

... the possibility exists that Sherlock isn't completely unconscious for long and I think his brain would go as fast as humanly possible and as long as it is able to,  in this circumstances. Sherlock knows he has been kidnapped by a dangerous serial killer. He knows how all the other victims died. He knows Hope is clever. And he certainly knows that he is rather helpless himself at the moment. Sherlock also knows that his only chance of surviving is John Watson ... if that doctor is clever enough to notice that Sherlock's plan has gone wrong, of course.

To me it seems quite clear in the PILOT - but also in ASIP - that both men are very interested in each other right from the first meeting in Molly's lab. John's questions at Angelo's are more than telling. To me this doesn't look like 'supressed sexuality'. On the contrary. John goes for it at the very first fitting moment. And Sherlock too realizes at once what John is asking him. Hence Sherlock's answer:

SHERLOCK: John, you should know that I consider myself married to my work, and while I’m flattered by your interest, I’m really not looking for any kind of ..

At this moment Sherlock might still never have considered a realtionship of that kind. But who knows. Maybe pulling off that act with a potential serial killer was already Sherlock's attempt to impress John. It would be a fittin behaviour for him, I think.

What would go through Sherlock's head then ... in this life threating situation inside the killers cab ... or afterwads at the place Jeff Hope takes him to ... wherever that is.

Surely Sherlock's brain would still be working on that special case. Working in the hope he might find a solution .... a possibility to survive?

Another point to consider is Sherlock's own suicidal tendencies. Therefore I think it quite plausible that Sherlock has at some point maybe the wish to give up and let everything go. It's probably the thought of John Watson who prevents him from doing this.

Worry, because he noticed John's suicidal tendencies very well. What might happen to this interesting army doctor if Sherlock isn't there anymore to provide ... adventures?

Anger and guilt because he has been so stupid to approach this killer in that way? Big brother was right after all?

Regret because now he would maybe never have the chance to get to know this army doctor better? To share a flat with him. Being colleagues, being friends, being more than friends? How could something like this turn out? Would I even like it? Why have I never? What is wrong with me? Who am I? What made me like this?

Sherlock's brain is incredibly fast. One question might lead to another. And maybe the influence of the drugs trigger long forgotten - supressed - memories? Memories regarding his family, his past ....

And finally .... there is still the possibility Sherlock took the pill ... or was forced to take it. All that stuff about drowning and asphyxiation throughout the story could be an indicator for such an occurance. Who knows? Though it could also be just the fear of such an outcome .... because the chances to become the next victim of Jeff Hope would be rather overwhelming from Sherlock's POV, I think. So, yes ... I think all of what is shown from ASIP to TFP could be very well going on inside Sherlock's head. Played out in scenarios on his Mind-Stage ... which is, as I think, a special 'tool' Sherlock created/cultivated to solve cases. Something he uses on a regular basis for all kinds of unsolved problems.

Jim - a confrontation with Sherlock's darkest fears ... in multiple aspects like sexuality, depression, suicidal tendencies ....

Irene - Sherlock's view on sexuality in general .... that he might be dominated by it, become a 'prisoner of his own meat'

Mary - the realisation that he is hiding behind a facade, then looking for the reason why his brain had the need to create that mask in the first place. On another level Sherlock might picture himself married to John or how it might feel if he loses John.

Smith - recognizing and dealing with drug addiction

Magnusson - Sherlock's worst fear of what he might become if he 'deletes' his heart entirely?

Eurus - the part of him connected to everything he tried to 'delete' ... everything Sherlock opted to never remember. The Memory that comes back after the facade broke down.

In a situation where Sherlock's existance is in immediate mortal danger ... or he is (hopefully not) already dying ... I think it plausibel that his extraordinary brain would work at full speed and probably on several different levels at the same time. Going from one level to the next. Going back and starting anew. Combining different levels. Distilling the most important thoughts.

Sorry, Moni ... this got a bit longish. Seems you opened a floodgate. :)))  Anyway, I could picture a situation like this and I would honestly like it. Exploring how Sherlock'a brain works from the inside ...  in a situation like this .... this is a thrilling idea. But if it turns out any other way .... well, I'm certainly open for many variations. :)))))

August, 2017

@sherlockshadow @gosherlocked @loveismyrevolution

[unwritrecipes]

Date and Nut Tea Loaf

Sometimes even mistakes turn out to be big wins. Take for example, this Date and Nut Tea Loaf. I've been searching high and low for the "perfect" date-nut bread (more on the why of that later), you know, the kind that you serve with cream cheese on it, a la Chock Full O Nuts? This is not that--not by a long shot but what it is, is truly fabulous. More like a cake than a quick bread. Something that goes perfectly with a cup of tea as an afternoon pick me up or as an indulgent breakfast. So no Famous Fridays this week, because it's been a busy one and I haven't had as much time to experiment with something new, but I wanted to share this lovely loaf in case you have a not-too-hectic weekend and want to bake up something homey, easy and totally delicious on purpose!

So...if you've been with the site for a while, you might remember that my oldest got engaged last year and the wedding is coming up in just a couple of months. We all couldn't be more excited and everyone is busy with preparations, especially my daughter-in-law to be, who is making her own cake for the wedding!! Yup, she's a baker too, you should see and taste the gorgeous cakes she's made--how did I get so lucky?!! Fingers crossed that the huge cake pan fits in my oven--it's definitely going to be an adventure! Meanwhile, I am throwing her a tea party wedding shower, complete with scones (baked three different kinds last weekend and want to try two others before I commit) and finger sandwiches, which is where I got the idea to make a date-nut bread, because, me being me, there's got to be at least one sweet sandwich on the menu! Sadly, this version is too cakey to be a sandwich base but happily I've now got a terrific date-nut cake to add to my repertoire. You're going to love it!

Moist, dense, buttery and loaded with crunchy walnuts and sweet chewy dates, I'm having trouble resisting it. It's the kind of cake you don't need an excuse to eat. And that's a problem. With T-63 days left, these little slips from the Wedding Diet are going to cost me! My dress is very form-fitting! And I've still got to find and of course taste the perfect date-nut party bread (please send if you have a recipe you adore.) Meanwhile, have a great weekend and I'll be back next week as we mind bogglingly head into May!! Yikes!!

Date and Nut Tea Loaf

Makes one 9x5-inch loaf

Prep Time:  20 minutes; Bake Time:  About 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients

1 cup whole pitted dried dates (don't buy the cut up kind)

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pan

3 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (use the brick kind)

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Recipe

1.  Make sure oven rack is centered and preheat to 325ºF. Butter a 9x 5-inch loaf pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.

2.  If dates are moist, simply cut each one up into 8 pieces. If they seem dried out, you can soak them in boiling water for about 10 minutes, then drain, dry them well and cut them up. Once dates are ready, place them in a small bowl along with the nuts. Set aside.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Take 1 tablespoon out and place it in the bowl with the dates and nuts. Toss well to coat the mixture--this will help to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

4.  If you have a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, use that. Otherwise a handheld one is fine. Mix the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl on medium-high speed until very smooth and well blended, for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy, for another 3 minutes or so. Scrape down the bowl again and during the process to make sure everything is coming together evenly. One at a time, add the eggs, beating for about 1 minute between each addition and scraping down the bowl as well. Beat in the vanilla. The mixture will look curdled--that's ok. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing only until no more traces of flour can be seen. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the dates and nuts.

5.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 90 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown, cracks down the middle and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake gets too dark during the baking process, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. I had to bake this closer to 1 and 3/4 hours--all ovens are different. 

6.  Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes and then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely right side up. This can definitely be made ahead and is almost better after it's had a chance to sit around. When it's completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap. When ready to serve cut into slices. It's also very good toasted. Cake should keep well wrapped at a cool room temperature for about 1 week.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Sweet Times by Dorie Greenspan. I tinkered a bit with some of the techniques and baking times.

[abarefootlassinthebluegrass-blog]

Gluten Free Protein Donuts x 2! - 20170625

When we started the gluten free diet back in February for my daughter, I knew we were about to embark on an adventure to find suitable replacements for all of her favorite foods. However, she really surprised me along the way. I learned that she does not particularly care for pasta (I love pasta so I just do not understand how someone can NOT love it) even though she has eaten it. So, finding a gluten free pasta was not a huge priority. She loves hamburgers but does not mind eating them without a bun. She still eats her Big Mac without the bun and is perfectly content with it. However, we did eventually find out that she loves Udi’s hamburger buns when we visited a Culver’s. So I bought them for at home and she is happy on Saturday when we have burgers to have her bun (hint: we buy them, individually wrap and freeze them. When we are ready to eat, I break it in half, wrap it in a paper towel and steam it for about 30 seconds. It is perfect!) We have found that she will eat about any gluten free pizza as long as it is a cheese pizza.

We also found commercially available gluten free donuts. However, none of our local stores carry them. We usually have to drive about an hour to get them. So, one of my missions has been to find a suitable gluten free donut recipe. I found two that I loved the looks of. The one below is based off of the first. For whatever reason, I tried the other recipe and kept trying to tweak it without much success. I mean, they were fine, but they were a bit too dry and crumbly. Last week, I went back to this one. And over the course of the week I played with ideas to fix it up. This morning, I made them and let me say, they are darn near perfect! I think this is one you will have to play with the sweetener based on what your protein powder tastes like. But mine came out soft and cakey. I absolutely love chocolate and really dislike vanilla. However, this recipe, I actually like the vanilla paired with the cinnamon French toast flavor over the chocolate. Imagine my horror LOL.

So now that the quest for the perfect donut is nearly complete (gf kiddo says I gotta find a glaze to make them like her fav commercial donuts), I am ready to move on to my next quest. The perfect gfree breadsticks. I will attempt to find that later today as I have been working hard on that as well. But for now, let us just enjoy these lovely donuts with the nooks that make you wanna crawl in and read a good cookbook!

Gluten Free Chocolate Protein Donut

Inspired by The Diva Dish

Yield: 10-12 donuts

Prep time: 5 - 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes prep + 12 minutes cook

Ingredients

1 cup | gluten free pancake mix (I used King Arthur’s)

2 Tbsp | Hershey unsweetened cocoa powder

1 scoop | chocolate protein powder (I used Elevation, which I found at Aldi’s)

3 Tbsp | Kroger Break-free egg substitute (or you can use 1 large egg)

2 Tbsp | coconut oil, melted

½ - ¾ cup | milk of choice (start with ½ cup and then add as needed; I have used whole milk, Kroger’s Carbmaster milk (plain or chocolate)

½ tsp | liquid Stevia sweetener drops

¼ cup | unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350*.

2.      Measure out your coconut oil and melt it. (I melted mine in the microwave, about 50-55 seconds)

3.      Whisk together the pancake mix, protein powder and cocoa powder.

4.      Add the egg, melted coconut oil, ½ cup milk, applesauce and liquid Stevia drops. Mix well until combined. (I mixed all of mine in my KitchenAid mixer) If the mix is really thick, add up to ¼ cup more milk. Mine was a pourable batter.

5.      At this point, you could fold in some chocolate chips if you wanted. I did not this time but have in the past.

6.      Spray your donut pan with your choice of cooking spray (I used coconut oil)

7.      I poured my batter from my mixer bowl into a Pyrex measuring cup with a pour spout and poured it into each cavity, about ¾ full. You could also use a piping bag or sandwich baggie with the corner cut off.

8.      Bake at 350* for 12 minutes. (Of course, ovens vary so I would say anywhere from 10-14 minutes)

9.      Allow to cool then remove from the pan.

10.  At this point, you could top them with melted chocolate drizzle, chocolate glaze or whatever your imagination can come up with.

Special Diet Information

If you are not following a gluten free diet, you could use regular pancake mix.

We are also low carb in our house so that is why we used the Stevia. If you don’t need that, you can use ¼ cup of sugar or sweetener of choice.

Gluten Free Cinnamon French Toast Protein Donuts

Inspired by The Diva Dish

Yield: 10-12 donuts

Prep time: 5 - 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes prep + 12 minutes cook

Ingredients

1 cup | gluten free pancake mix (I used King Arthur’s)

2 Tbsp | Cinnamon French Toast coffee creamer (I used the Walmart brand which inspired this recipe)

1 scoop | vanilla protein powder (I used Elevation, which I found at Aldi’s)

1 Tbsp | cinnamon sugar, optional

3 Tbsp | Kroger Break-free egg substitute (or you can use 1 large egg)

2 Tbsp | coconut oil, melted

½ - ¾ cup | milk of choice (start with ½ cup and then add as needed; I have used whole milk, Kroger’s Carbmaster milk (plain or vanilla)

½ tsp | liquid Stevia sweetener drops

¼ cup | unsweetened applesauce

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 350*.

2.      Measure out your coconut oil and melt it. (I melted mine in the microwave, about 50-55 seconds)

3.      Whisk together the pancake mix, protein powder and coffee creamer.

4.      Add the egg, melted coconut oil, ½ cup milk, applesauce and liquid Stevia drops. Mix well until combined. (I mixed all of mine in my KitchenAid mixer) If the mix is really thick, add up to ¼ cup more milk. Mine was a pourable batter.

5.      Spray your donut pan with your choice of cooking spray (I used coconut oil)

6.      I poured my batter from my mixer bowl into a Pyrex measuring cup with a pour spout and poured it into each cavity, about ¾ full. You could also use a piping bag or sandwich baggie with the corner cut off.

7.      Bake at 350* for 12 minutes. (Of course, ovens vary so I would say anywhere from 10-14 minutes)

8.      Allow to cool then remove from the pan.

9.      At this point, you could top them with vanilla glaze or whatever your imagination can come up with.

Special Diet Information

If you are not following a gluten free diet, you could use regular pancake mix.

We are also low carb in our house so that is why we used the Stevia. If you don’t need that, you can use ¼ cup of sugar or sweetener of choice.

[thebigcakeyadventure]

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