Adventuring! It's not just for the table anymore!

This is called 'outside'.

Dungeons and Dragons is awesome.  Cooking is awesome.  Reading is awesome.  There are lots of things that we nerdy folks get up to that are just plain cool.  Sadly, it just so happens that a lot of them end up with us being inside, not doing much physically.  Which is a pity, because there is a lot of awesome things that we can do that are out of doors.

Today Katie and I decided to change things up with our Saturday, and went hiking.  I brought my camera along, because photography happens to be in my list of hobbies, and it was a really nice day.  So, we went adventuring!

Yeah, we climbed up there.

When we think of adventuring, we think of epic heroes going on quests to slay dragons and save the world from evil.  But there is also an element of exploration, going to interesting places and seeing new things.  While going on maintained trails in national parks is not as exciting as actual trail blazing, it makes a pretty good proxy.  Especially if you're willing to go off the beaten trail a bit.

You can visit places like this!

If you're not used to hiking, there are some certain things you should know. Mainly, there are some precautions you should take before heading off into the wild.  Firstly, make sure to bring water, a pocket knife, a cell phone, an extra pair of socks, and a couple of friends.  A First Aid kit is also a very good decision, and can make an important difference in your hike.  You may also want to bring some trail mix or granola bars, and consider making a picnic out of it if you plan to spend a whole day out.

Unless you have a map, a compass, and the knowledge of how to use them, I can't in good conscience recommend that you leave the beaten trail by more than a few feet.  This doesn't mean you shouldn't look off the beaten path for interesting things to explore!  Just be certain to be safe and not get lost.

Exploring the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons is pretty exciting, battling monsters and visiting strange locales.  But don't forget that there is some pretty cool and interesting things happening outside our own front door.  So, take a weekend and go exploring.  You'll be glad you did!

~~~~~~~BONUS!

Quick and Dirty Trail Mix

Silly tree, that's not Trail Mix!

Ingredients:
Peanuts
Raisins
Small Pretzel sticks
M&M candies

Equipment:
1 Gallon zip top bag

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in the bag in desired proportions.
2. Shake the bag vigorously.
3. Enjoy!

Possible Alterations:
Just about anything can go in a trail mix.  Anything from Gorp (Good Ol' Raisins and Peanuts) to more complex concoctions involving mini-marshmallows and popcorn are fair game.  All that matters that it is filling, and energy providing. Nuts of any kind are great sources of long term energy, and sugars are great for quick energy.  Having the two together in one handful is what makes trail mix both tasty and useful for hiking.

Happy Trails, and Happy Gaming!

Dirty Veggie Rice

If you need something filling, rice is the place to turn.  Rice is inexpensive, and is great on the side as well as in the main course.  On nights when I don't have much in the way of foodstuffs, whether I'm about to go home for break or I haven't done any grocery shopping, this dish is fantastic, easy, and filling. 

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Curry powder
Black pepper
Salt
Butter

Equipment:
1 large stirring spoon
1 2 qt pot
1 butter knife
1 rice cooker (optional)
measuring cups

Directions:
1. Put the rice, water, and mixed vegetables into the pot
2. Add Garlic powder, Chili powder, curry powder and stir.
3. Grind some salt and black pepper onto the mixture and stir.
4. Slice some butter into the mixture.
5. Turn on heat and cook the rice.

Good news, you're done!  This recipe will make two heaping bowls of rice, or four well portioned bowls of rice.  It can also be served as a side dish.  The recipe should easily scale to feed more people.

Possible alterations:
Consider adding tuna or chicken to the mix, as well as using celery or onion in the dish as well.  Black beans or kidney beans would also be a good addition

Happy gaming!

Product Review: Avanti Mini-kitchen

The equipment we cook our food on can have a large affect on the food we prepare.  Making red sauce in an iron pot will result in ruined sauce, and having a dull peeler can make doing things like peeling potatoes and making carrot sticks a pain.

So, as you can see, something like what you are actually using to cook the food, e.g. your stove, can make a huge difference, especially if you're trying to be time efficient. If you want your food done in a timely manner, then don't get the Avanti Mini-kitchen.

The Bane of my Existence

I've been using the mini-kitchen for months as my primary cooking apparatus, and it's been positively horrendous.  Water will not boil in any reasonable amount of time unless you put a lid on it, and even then you can't simmer things once you get things going.  The burners only have two temperatures: On and Off.  There is no nuance. You cannot put something on warm. They are either on, or they are off. Which is stupid, because it HAS a temperature knob already on it for the oven.  I'm not entirely certain if they were just lazy or they didn't think it was important. It doesn't matter either way, because the end result is the same: a difficult time either not burning things or having noodles and rice boiling over all the time.

These scones took
two hours to make.

If you think that maybe the oven will work like a dream, then you're going to be sorely mistaken when you try to bake something.  Everything takes longer to make in this oven.  Things that should take 20 minutes to bake, like scones or cookies, take two hours.  I made some perch the other night for dinner, and it was done two and a half hours late, just in time for bed. Pies can take four hours to make.  This is usually exacerbated by the fact that you're usually hungry when you start making the meal.

Another problem with the oven is that you can't fit a regular sized cookie sheet into it, because the oven is about an inch too small.  Everything must be done using brownie pans. It isn't a truly terrible thing, but it is awfully inconvenient.  It also makes things like frozen pizza difficult, just because of the size issue.

Lastly, they left out a mighty important feature, which would be the ability to have both the oven and the burners on at the same time. This might seem like a little thing, but if you want to make baked fish, rice, and mixed vegetables, something is going to go cold.  And be prepared to wait, because you're going to be there for a while.

Arbitrary Product Score: Two thumbs down (Just walk the other way)

Quick 'n Easy Shells and Cheese

Why buy shells and cheese in a box when you can easily make the real thing yourself?  Shells and cheese is simple, quick, and can be quite inexpensive.

Ingredients:
1 lb of large Shell noodles
6~8 oz. of Colby cheese (Cheddar, American, or even Easy Melt are also good choices)
Milk

Equipment:
large stirring spoon
3 quart pot

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.  I recommend adding some olive oil and some salt to the noodles while they boil.  The oil helps prevent the noodles from sticking together, and the salt raises the boiling point of water.
2. Shred the cheese.  Place to the side.
3. Once the noodles are done, strain them and put them back in their pot.
4. Add a handful of sliced cheese and stir. Once the cheese is melted, pour some milk into the pot.  Repeat this process, alternating adding cheese and milk until the cheese runs out.  Add enough milk to keep the mixture from being difficult to stir, while not making the mixture soupy.

Congratulations, you've just made some tasty Shells and Cheese!  This will feed a party of 6-8 people.

Note: If you are using Easy Melt/Velveeta, you can't really shred it.  Just cube it into small bits, and toss it in there.  It's just about making the cheese small enough and have enough surface area to melt quickly.


Possible alterations:
To make a larger and more filling meal, consider adding half a bag of Mixed Vegetables or some canned meat.  One can also add salsa or chili if it is available.  I would also recommend using some spices.  Cumin, Chili powder, and Garlic powder are a good combination.  Curry powder is also a tasty addition, and can replace Cumin if you don't have it.  Bacon bits can also be a very tasty addition.  Consider also adding a can of tuna or some sliced up hot dogs.

All told, just have fun with it and feel free to experiment.  Happy gaming!

The Land of Ko

I've been working on a campaign setting for a while now, and I've only just started really fleshing it out.  The following is a brief description of the "Land of Ko", an interesting and largely unexplored land:

~~~~~~~~~~~~
The land of Ko is a very large continent. It is so large, in fact, that is has yet to be fully explored. The North of the discovered continent is composed largely of seaside, dotted with small villages and the occasional port city. Sea trading occurs between port cities, the tiny archipelago that lies northward of the mainland, and the delta region to the far east of the continent. The Northern cities gradually give way to the plainslands to the south. The plains are best described as gently rolling, grassy, and wide. There a numerous villages found in the plains, as well as many halfling encampments.

To the south the plains give way to foot hills, and eventually to a large mountain range. The dwarves make these mountains their home. At the eastern edge of the range, where to mountains meet the forest, there is a beautiful city nestled, home of the Eladrin. The city is not visible during the day, except for through a large archway found at the edge of the city's footprint. The area past the large mountain range is largely unexplored, due to the dangers of crossing the tall peaks.

To the east of the plains is the forest. The forest is a vibrant place, filled with creatures or all kinds. Elves act as stewards of the forest, living in small villages that blend into the trees. Deeper into the woods, towards the east, the forest turns to swamp. The swamp is a dark and murky place, dangerous both in it's topology and in the creatures that live there. Smelling strongly of decay, it is said that the victims of the swamp still haunt it's aphotic interior.

As one travels further east in the swamplands, it begins to give way to the delta region. The delta region is a lively place, with a very odd culture. There is much trading between the cities located in the north, the archipelago, and various other islands. As such, the make up of the region is a mish-mash of cultures and races. If there is anything a person could ever want to find, they could find it in the delta.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is just a very rough sketch to get a feel for the land as it is so far.  There will definitely be more work to be done with it, especially naming all the places.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this setting goes, and how players will react to it.  

Happy gaming!

Delicious 4 Bean Chili

Chili is awesome. It's delicious, simple, and cheap. It is also very warming, which is great in the cold winter months. The best part about chili is its simplicity, however.  If you have a crockpot you can just set it up before the session, turn it on when everyone gets there and just let it cook until everyone's stomachs start growling.  This recipe is also vegetarian friendly, which is definitely a plus.

Ingredients:
1 can corn
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans (dark or light, it doesn't matter)
1 can pinto beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 large sweet potato

note: all cans should be ~15 oz, except for the tomato paste, which should be 8 oz

Garlic powder
Chili powder
Curry powder
Ground Ginger

Equipment:
Can opener
spatula or a spoon
Large spoon for stirring
Crockpot

Directions:
1. Open all the cans and empty them into the crockpot.  You can strain the cans before putting them into pot, but I recommend just dumping it in there juices and all.  You will probably need to use a spatula or spoon to get the tomato paste out of the can.
2. Turn the crockpot on.
3. Peel and dice the sweet potato.  Add to chili once prepared.
4. While stirring, add the Garlic powder, Chili powder, and the Curry powder.
5. Let sit until the chili is nice and warm.

Once ready, serve and enjoy!  Feeds a party of 8, with more to spare!

note: When making this recipe, I found that the sweet potato needed somewhere between five to six hours on high to cook all the way.  If you start your game at 1pm, then the chili would be ready between 6 or 7pm.  Be aware of when your party may want to eat.  It's far easier to keep the chili warm than to change the laws of physics.

Possible alterations:
Diced jalepenos are a great addition, and gives it a nice kick.  Use them sparingly, however.  Add too many and you'll need lots of milk for people to get through your chili.  This incarnation of the recipe is vegetarian friendly, but meat can definitely be added to make more filling than it already is.  Just brown some ground turkey or beef and add it to the chili.

Consider serving with sweet potato fries, yellow corn chips, or corn bread.

Egg Salad Sandwiches, FTW

Sandwiches aren't good all the time, but they have their merits and can be a nice change of pace.  Egg salad is very filling, and it pairs well with soup.  It also helps that, so long as the salad is prepared ahead of time, it's a quick meal as well as inexpensive.

Ingredients:
12 hard boiled eggs
~1 cup Mayonnaise
~2 tbsp honey mustard
~2 tbsp spicy mustard

Equipment:
1 mixing bowl (glass or metal is best)
1 spoon for mixing
1 egg slicer (optional)
measuring spoons
measuring cups

Directions:
1.  Remove the shells from the eggs
2.  Coarsely dice the eggs and place in the mixing bowl
3.  Add the mayonnaise and the two mustards
4.  Mix well
5.  Store

Now you're prepared to serve up the sandwiches at a moments notice!

Possible alterations:
Adding some salt and pepper to the salad can add a little bit of flavour, if it needs it.  Relish or chopped celery also adds some good texture to the mix.  As for the sandwiches, a little bit of lettuce and a slice of cheese is a great addition.  Serving it with soup has  many added benefits, such as making the meal more filling and giving time for the sandwiches to be put together.  I recommend New England style clam chowder.

A note on hard-boiled eggs:  
Either putting the eggs in to boiling water or placing them in water and then bringing the water to a boil works fine.  Putting the eggs into boiling water is supposed to make them easier to peel, at the cost of over cooking them.  Bringing them to a boil makes the eggs tastier, but at the cost of making them more difficult to peel.  You can also place them into boiling water for roughly 30 seconds and then transfer them to cool water which is then brought up to a boil.  This takes a more complex set-up, but does make for a good middle ground.  In the end, all that matters is that the eggs are hard-boiled, so do whatever floats your boat!

Feel free to experiment, and Happy Gaming!