#bagel countdown

[the-bagelbitch]

3 weeks remain until the spring semester begins.

Lessons planned: 0/???

Readings found: 0/???

Times I have Complained about Being Required to Plan the Entirety of this Composition Course (During the Planning Time Only): 1/???

[astranite]

Notes- Christmas TAG secret santa fic.

Because of this post and @janetm74 and @edutainer2022 here are my additional notes for my 2023 thunderfam secret santa fic.

It contains brainstorming that became part of the og fic and notes as a continuation for the car ride. It was actually these that I came up with first and intended to write but got side tracked with explorations of getting ready, especially given the prompt i was given was “Every day is a school day” with Jeff and Lucy. Also deadlines!

Mind that this is pretty much as is from my notes in its entirety, complete with spelling errors, partial sentences and utter lack of cohesion as I jumped between ideas.

Link for the fic proper on ao3.

---

“Every day is a school day” Jeff and Lucy. And everyone.

Car drive to spent christmas with Grandma and Grant at Gran Rocha. The preparing and road tripping shenanigans.

getting all five kids plus themselves and luggage into the car on time as chaotic as a school day. Jeffs line?

S15, J13, V12, G 6?7, A3

Wake-up call. Alarm going off Lucy tired and grumpy where Virgil gets it from. I’ll get the kids up and you can head straight to the coffee. Jeff fooling around like mock drill sergeant. Scott’s grumpy teenness and chucking a pillow at him with surprisingly good aim for supposedly asleep. Scott getting up. Bed hair mess that Jeff runs a gentle hand through pulling him into a hug. Virgil and John. John and Bagel the cat curled up together. Both hissing at him in unison. Virgil needed to be hugged and woken up more slowly. 

Down in the kitchen. Jeff kissing Lucy and trying to steal her coffee. No you cannot steal my coffee Jefferson Tracy, you have your own.  Lucy’s massive science pun mug. Hair in her face looking like little Virgil. 

HURRICANE LUCY. Time skip to about to go?

packing- John wanting to fit telescope. Or “But I did leave my telescope behind” but bag full of books. 

Last min shoving presents in. Neighbour to feed the cat.

Scott nabbed the car keys first on massive ** many different  keychain so neither Lucy nor Jeff could lose them. Swinging them around his finger, “can I drive” Parental chorus of “No!” Doesn't have license yet but is learning to pilot. argument of Grandma lets me drive on the ranch. Thats the beat up old ute and theres nothing much out there to hit any way.

And they were done. Bags were in the car, kids were in the car, last final bathroom stops had been had.  Lucy patted down her pockets. Keys! She didn’t have them, so Jeff must except that he didn’t. Surely the couldn’t have lost them with the neon pink rocket ship key chain attached to prevent this. Until they both spied Scott leaning against the drivers side door and swinging them around his finger.  

“So, can I drive?” Scott asked as if he didn’t already know the answer to that question. 

“No,” came the parental chorus. 

Then the other kids repeating them, picking up on it slightly behind. 

Scott grinning and tossed the keys in the air one last time then caught them. He passed them to Lucy’s waiting hand prompted by a stern eyebrow. 

7 seater beat up car. Drive- Kansas to Texas. approx 9 hours to 8 1/2. Lucy english thinking its ages. at least america had good highways. and from her mothers tales at least kangaroo spotter was a redundant position. 

Panic at dress clothes for Christmas day

someone packed no underpants. Gordon only packed underwear and swimmers. Trying to sort laundry at last minute. Jeff’s haphazard packing of his own clothes with getting everyone else in military order. Lucy remarking jokingly, “Mightve gotten to mars adn forgot your space suit. 

Jeff the nerd, calling Grandma to tell on our way, “Houston we have take off”. Kids dramatic countdown. A “finally”. FOnd eye rolls. 

John and Virgil at back seats. Johns already long limbs folded up.

Scott getting the dubious privelige of the middle row. but centre seat between Alan and Gords car seats and on big brother duty. 

Lucy hoping but not expecting to get some rest on the trip. Up all night getting ready. has mystery novel to read. but trying to wrangle kids. Putting Jeff’s cowboy hat over her face to keep the sun off as she sleeps.

Stops for toilet breaks. Lunch fast food. “Do not let gordon have soda.” Johns burger order. Virgil picking pickles out to give to john. The chips stealing. Trying to eat and drive. sending older ones in to fish younger out of the play area. losing Scott to it too, send in John planning it like a mission.

Jeff adn Lucy discussion over what coffee is supposed to do. ADHD Jeff. starting with Scott asking for coffee, cheekily. No, we dont need you any more hyper. Jeff’s confident, “Coffee doesnt do that” Even same with Aa. spirited debate. JSSo that means I can have some? eff still saying no coffee for Scott.

Lucy driving at some point. 

If Lucy had to hear one more rendition of baby shark she was the one who was going to get out and walk.

music and Lucy and Virgil comparing synesthesia.

John reading massive heavy text book, splayed out across knees. not getting car sick, serve well for astronaut. for fun, reminded he didnt need to study. 

Scott bored and restless. tinies asleep. no phone signal. twisting around, being told off for seat belt, trying to see what Johns doing. seat swap and he and John are in the back doing maths and physics, heads bent together. virgil eyes closed but awake or leaning around car seats to look out the windows, bobbing head to music through headphones. 

when John adn Scott get stuck, calling questions out to Lucy. Jeff snoring in front seat, head on lucy;s jumper, went from wide awake to clonked out even after the coffees.

Virgil using breath on fogged up windows to draw. Scott and John used it for math.

Gordon are we there yet. Alan copying him. 

naming animals and animal sounds. then naming sea creatures. then sounds of sea creatures. some known, some gordon happily making them up.

car sickness. Scott getting car sick, in spite of crazy spins and flips but then hes in control. another reshuffle, Jeff wedged into the middle seat, Lucy laughing and looking in rear view mirror at tall, broad shouldered husband folded awkwardly into the back. John and Virgil back-back. Scott getting shotgun, window open and nauseous. Vomit bags in glove box because learnt from past fiascos and puke in hat story. Scott grumps would be fine if I was driving 

some point tinies and Jeff all asleep.  John and Virgil happy together. Lucy getting to check in and chat to scott. 

on destination. everyone there, big family.  Lee? Kayo adn Kyrano and Kayo mother. Jeff brothers? packed into the big ranch house. noise and merriment. hot dry texas air. smell of good food cooking. some slight odour of burnt. 

explain lucy parents farm????

“The eagle has landed” finding rooms, unpack car. eldest three in together. youngest. 

John overwhelmed after trip, not wanting to talk to anyone. near tears at thought of going into party. going to stable to spent time with horses. 

Virgil running up to Grant and talking his ear off, to much delight of both parties. Grant, still broad shouldered and strong from farm work, charcoal black hair now salt and pepper grey. 

Achievements getting caught up with. Jeff telling grandma about scotts, Scott proud but a bit uncharacteristically shy, leaning into a side hug. 

the comments of how big the kids were all getting, and theyd better not be having more. Lucy laughing and very nope five is plenty enough. 

somewhat tired cranky, sticky dusty kids. Gordon spilling something sticky on him in the last hour, waiting to get there to wash him off. Recovering excitement at bath. 

grandma’s welcome cookies. 

——- other fic. Graduation. car crash. Injuries—the bruises. Scott burst into tears with brothers because he wants mum

[cissa-calls]

Countdown to Coven of Chaos: Day 382

Wanda: “What are you doing?”

Agatha: “Journaling - when you’ve lived as long as I have, you have just got to document things. I’ve done this since I was a teen and I’m not stopping now.”

Y/N: “So wait…you have several hundred years worth of commentary on historical events? Would that be considered a primary source? A history book? Something worth preserving?”

Wanda: “You’re giving her diaries too much credit”

Agatha: “Excuse me, I happened to write about really important things. My journals could be invaluable in revealing the truth of biased historical happenings”

Wanda: “Oh yeah? Let’s see one then. Find me your entry for June 4, 1919.”

Agatha: “Fine.” *goes and grabs one of her earlier journals from the basement* “June 4, 1919: I ate a delicious bagel. It was perfectly toasted and given the perfect smear of butter.”

Wanda: *smirking* “my point withstands”

Y/N: “What happened on June 4, 1919?”

Wanda: “Oh? It was just the day that women in America finally got the right to vote. And more importantly, the day Agatha ate the most divine bagel.”

Agatha: “I miss it even now…”

[providencepeakrp]

SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA VENDORS

Frederick’s Farm - Frederick has always been a household name in Bighorn Hills and his farm? Even more so. Ever so generous and kind, Frederick will have a petting zoo set up all week long and while he always accepts charitable donations, meeting and greeting with the animals is free of charge! Feel free to stop by, say hello, and meet some cute farm animals! Lucky Joe's - From subpar coffee to the best dang bagels you'll likely ever have the pleasure of putting in your mouth, Lucky Joe's will be offering free tastes and bagels and coffee for purchase each day of the spring market. Stop by and check them out and, if you're lucky, you might even score a meet and greet with Lucky Joe's son himself! Humming Bee - Join Thalia Clark for sunrise yoga each morning in the park at the center of the market. Regulars or first timers are always welcome with Humming Bee! Remember to catch the puppy yoga session at Barks and Recreation's adoption event this week as well! Fine Arts Club - Taking the art from their gallery to the streets of Providence Peak, take a walk through the park and find yourself in the middle of the Fine Arts Club's latest outdoor art installment. Allow yourself to become immersed in the local artists of Providence Peak and the amazing work they can do! Good Pets - The extravaganza isn’t just for humans! Good Pets has the chance for your furry friends to enjoy the season as well. From bandanas, to treats, to catnip blankets, they have it available all week long at their downtown vendor space. They’ll also be partnering with Barks and Recreation and showcasing some of the rescues adoptable dogs and cats each day of the festival! The Vinyl Countdown - Recently, the store has found itself overflowing with used and gently pre-owned vintage records. To make some space in their backroom, they’ll be set up during the festival with boxes of records for the city to choose from for just $5 a piece. 96.8 The Peak - The Keola & Mya in the Morning will have their coverage van strolling around downtown and at each of the daily events, reporting the ongoings to their viewers who are listening to the station. They will also be offering an opportunity to spin their wheel for a chance to win some free merch like t-shirts, drink tumblers, pens, and even a few $50 gift cards from local businesses such as Blooming Dale’s, The Burger Joint, and Room Service. Seek them out and test your luck to win something fun! The Grape Escape - Who doesn’t love free wine? The Grape Escape will have a tent set up during the extravaganza downtown with free wine tastings (with ID of course) with the goal to sell their new spring flavor of housemade wine. The tastings allow one sample per flavor per day. Below Zero - Whether your favorite flavor is chocolate, vanilla, or rhubarb, Below Zero has your back. The ice cream shop will have a stand set up in the midst of the festival so they can offer the event-goers a free scoop of ice cream as a cool way to welcome in the spring season. Providence Peak Memorial - Be sure to stop by the first aid tent the local nurses and EMTs have set up downtown during the festival for a free first aid kit and a quick lesson on emergency bandaging technics - just in case! Claret Public Library - The library, who’s main hub is in the neighborhood of Claret Park, will have a lending library set up downtown. Come and pick out some books to take home, bring some books to donate, or do both! While you’re at it, feel free to sign up for a library card with the local librarians hosting the booth. Wonderwell - The science museum will have a booth set up with interactive science experiments and one big presentation per hour to display the many topics citizens of Providence Peak can learn about in their exhibits. They encourage both kids and adults alike to mess around their their hands-on experiments and learn to have fun with science!

[holidayvisa]

24 February 2024 - Elise pushed me out of bed at 6:15 am so that I could go wake up Jimmy. Jimmy had to pick up Maddie, and he needed to leave by 6:30 to get Maddie in time. As soon as I got Jimmy up, he grabbed his things and rushed out the door. I immediately went back to bed and fell asleep for another hour. At 8 am, Elise and I woke up and left the house by 8:15. I had to guide a Piha canyoning tour, and Elise didn't have any other plans, so she decided to come along too. We drove to Piha for the big 12-person Piha canyon tour. We arrived at Piha a little early, so we decided to take a quick walk on the beach. We walked out to the water, had just barely enough time to dip our toes, and then we walked back.

We got to the AWOL shed at 9:15 am. When we arrived at the shed, Cam was already there. He saw Elise and say, "thank god you're here; you're working today!" Elise had planned on just coming along for fun, but with the 12-person trip, Cam was stoked to have another guide to manage all the clients.

The tour went GREAT! It was SOOOOO much fun guiding with both Cam AND Elise. All of my tours that I've guided for the past few weeks have been either me and Jordan OR just me solo. So, having Cam and Elise, two experienced guides, made the day so cruisy and easy and fun. I could chill and relax and enjoy the day more than when I guide solo. At lunch, we had two vegans, but only one vegan sandwich. Elise had to smooth things over with the angry vegan. When we got to the jump spot at the end of the canyon, Elise did a backflip!

After the canyoning tour, we said goodbye to Cam, and Elise and I went back to her house in Piha. Ruth, Elise's friend, and her dog, Ted, came over. Ruth made us all gin and tonics. Elise and I made fried eggs on bagels. We took our gin and tonics and lunches to Piha Beach, where we had a little impromptu picnic! We played with Ted and threw some big sticks for him to fetch.

After Ruth left, Elise and I were kinda of tired from our big Piha Canyon tour and were thinking about taking a nap, when we got a call from Taylor saying that he's leaving Henderson, heading to the Keddle house in Anawhata. Elise and I quickly packed or things and headed to Anawhata. Taylor arrived at the Keddle house around 6:45, and Elise and I didn't arrived until 7:15. When Elise and I pulled in, Taylor's car was parked at the house, but there was no Taylor to be found - he must have walked down to the beach! Elise and I walked down to the beach, bringing with us the guitar. Golden hour was just starting as Elise and I got down to the beach.

As we walked along the shoreline, we saw man holding a fishing pole walking towards us along the beach - it was Taylor!

We found a spot to put our things down, and Taylor and Elise wanted to go for a swim. I didn't have a change of clothes with me, so I started to say that we should head back up to the Keddle house, and after a little peer pressure, I decided to go for a swim. The water felt amazing. The waves weren't huge and the rip current wasn't bad, but the waves were very consistent. We swam in the waves for maybe 20 minutes before Jimmy came down to the beach. When we saw Jimmy, he hadn't seen us yet. We did a countdown, "one... two... three... JIMMY!!!" We got his attention! Jimmy joined us, and all four of us swam and played in the waves. We put our hands in the center and shouted, "TABLE!!!" That's what we are - a table - four points holding up the whole thing. After swimming for a while, we got out of the water and onto the beach to dry off a bit.

We took some photos of the sunset and headed up towards the bach. We got up to the bach and ate the takeout that Jimmy had picked up to share. We feasted on this delicious takeout at the bach, then we grabbed beers and walked back down to the beach. Taylor blasted some tunes on his bluetooth speaker, and we all chatted and drank together, the beach lit up under the cloud-covered skies that blocked a very bright full moon. Around midnight, we headed back up to the bach. I was pretty drunk and found myself lying on the floor at multiple points throughout the night while we all hung out and chatted inside the bach. We went to bed around 1 am.

I'm grateful for Elise, and I'm grateful for her empathy and kindness, not just to me, but to Jimmy, too. I'm grateful for a super fun day in Piha Canyon with Elise and Cam and the 12 clients. I'm grateful for an incredible night at the bach with Elise, Taylor, and Jimmy. I'm grateful to Taylor for the beers and the tunes. I'm grateful to Jimmy for the takeout and the snacks. I'm grateful to Elise for coordinating and arranging this whole thing with the bach.

[jcmarchi]

Power Your Breakfast Dreams With The Xbox Series S Toaster

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/power-your-breakfast-dreams-with-the-xbox-series-s-toaster/

Power Your Breakfast Dreams With The Xbox Series S Toaster

First, there was the Xbox Series X mini-fridge, and now the Series S gets its own appliance in the form of a toaster. Bread will never be the same again. 

Feast your eyes on the officially licensed Series S toaster, which is on sale now at Walmart. The novelty appliance boasts a wide slot to toast thick slices of bread, bagels, waffles, English muffins, and probably most PlayStation discs for the truly devoted. In a neat twist, the oven roasts the Xbox logo on the food itself to add a flavorful touch of corporate branding to your carb intake. 

The toaster also sports a digital LED countdown timer, a six-setting shade selector dial for browning customization, a removable crumb tray, automatic temperature control, and a cool-touch exterior, among other perks. Though a cool appliance, I can’t help but wonder how many people will request a Series S as a gift from friends/family and receive this elaborately disguised kitchen accessory instead. 

Those interested can purchase the Xbox Series S toaster for $39.99. 

[loisbokitchen]

Chefman 2-Slice Digital Toaster, Pop-Up, Stainless Steel, Extra-Wide Slots For Bagels, Defrost, Reheat, Cancel Functions, Removable Crumb Tray

COUNTDOWN YOUR COOKING: With a clear digital display and adjustable countdown timer, there’s no need to worry about overcooking your food. Simply select your setting, watch the timer, and wait for perfectly browned bagels, bread, and more!

SELECT YOUR SHADE: With 4 one-touch cooking modes, you can toast your way. Select between 7 shades with intuitive dial control for customized browning of your food favorites.

COOK CONVENIENTLY: This digital toaster has two extra-wide slots so you can toast your breakfast bagels and bread in a breeze. With lift-assist and an anti-jam function, you can safely and easily remove your morning meal.

CLEAN WITH EASE: The removable crumb tray makes it easy to quickly clean up after toasting. The stainless steel finish wipes down easily and will display beautifully on your countertop!

RESOURCES: cETL approved with advanced safety technology for long-lasting durability plus a 1-year Chefman warranty, so you can purchase with peace of mind. We've got your back! For information on how to use your product, scroll down to view the PDF User Guide. 850 Watts/120 Volts – RJ31-SS-V2-D

Check out the price>>>>>>

[thepercy6andtheradicalsabbatical]

Denver to home-

On the last day of our journey we awoke bright (…err dark) and early at 4AM or so thanks to the time change and hung out in Sam and Carlie’s house and ate some leftover queso and tacos for breakfast. Afterwards, Nali Lady announced that she was headed back to bed, but all of us young stuff were feeling wide awake so we decided to hit the road in our car to head home. We stopped at einstein’s bagels as that seemed to be the best option open at that early hour and Matt enjoyed a heavily sugared large iced coffee in true American style. We then had smooth sailing up I-70 to Eagle. We had planned to hit up Costco on the way home but alas arrived before it was due to open so had to kill some time playing at brush creek park beforehand. We then had our biggest “welcome back to America” experience yet wandering the cavernous halls of Costco and stocking up on food and home goods. We then cruised home and soon after arrival had Bode and Ayla running across the street to say hi and Sunny getting dropped off to greet us by Grandma Ellen and Grandpa Randy. We unpacked and settled back into our routines and Matt began his countdown to 5 years hence when we could take our next sabbatical.

[maciek-jozefowicz]

The table of contents for my new book “My Silly Puzzles” takes up three pages. It grew. What I originally intended to be a 200-page book bloated to be a 600-page brick. Ideas kept on coming and I was having too much fun to stop them.

An Elementary Intro, Math Test, Bloody Red Paint, A Test Just in Jest, Treasure or Truth?, Plato and a Sweet Potato, The Lion and the Mayan, Who Ate Karate Kate?, Boxes with Silver Sockses, Can You Finagle into a Bagel?, Tombstone Hues, Three Guys, Seven Wooden Boxes, Poetry Paths, The Escape, Two Witches with Glitches, Nudes in Bright Moods, Daisy Goes A’Kissin’, Damsel in Distress in Her Wedding Dress, Secret Notes, Whose Babies?, Ticktionary, A Crook in a Book, Reading Test, The Toilet Paper Caper, Adam & (St)Eve?, Gender Bender, Weird Addition, How Many Goals?, Of Villains, Victims and Heroes, Bad Luck, Stadium Stuck, Neighbors, Spooked, Most Wanted

Rock Band, Banned, The Revel Rebels’ Secret Pebbles, Captain Curtain and the Seven Chests, Who Loves Tim?, Venn Diagrams, The Bad, The Good and the Misunderstood, Countdown, Perplexions, Who’s Got Kenny’s Teeth, Fishing, Bernice and Her Three Scales, Three Guys in Disguise: Sherlock Holmes Mysteries, Monique, Missing in Mozambique, Where is Milly’s Head? A Doll House Mystery, The Apartment, Louise and Her Olde Knees, Who Stole Grandma’s Cookies?, Nine Fragments

The book is now available from Amazon in digital, paperback and hardcover formats. (I prefer the paperback.)

https://www.amazon.com/author/maciek_jozefowicz

[cool-products]

Chefman 2-Slice Digital Toaster, Pop-Up, Stainless Steel, Extra-Wide Slots For Bagels, Defrost, Reheat, Cancel Functions, Removable Crumb Tray

Chefman 2-Slice Digital Toaster, Pop-Up, Stainless Steel, Extra-Wide Slots For Bagels, Defrost, Reheat, Cancel Functions, Removable Crumb Tray

Price: (as of – Details) It’s time to toast your way. The Chefman 2-Slice Digital Toaster makes mastering your morning meal easier than ever. With a clear digital display and adjustable countdown timer, you can toast without the worry of overcooking. Four one-touch modes—Cancel, Reheat, Defrost, and Bagel—make it easier than ever to tailor your toasting. With a seven-shade dial control and…

[oupacademic]

With 5 days ‘til Christmas I saw at OUP…

5 golden rings bagels!  

#12DaysofOUP

“The bagel is a Jewish bread, apparently originating in S. Germany, migrating to Poland and thence to N. America, where it has become the most famous and archetypal Jewish food. Its name derives from the Yiddish beygel from the German dialect word beugel, meaning ‘ring’ or ‘bracelet’.”

-The Oxford Companion to Food, pg. 49

Photo by Victoria McPherson and Mara Sandroff for Oxford University Press

[bagelbucket]

YOUTUBE CRASHED ON ME

[barrymccaulkinem]

the salmon has begun the cure

[floralbfs]

the struggle between not knowing if my sadness is due to the fact that i've been left off of depression meds vs not wanting to tell my doctor abt it bc i dont wanna be on them again

[scary-senpai]

loved your atomic samurai romantic headcanons, was wondering if you had anymore? :)

Ahhh splendid & kindly anon, thank you for this note! I’m sorry it took me some time to get back to you. My latest writing project has been eating up an exorbitant amount of brain space. So, please take this Bugs Bunny as a token of apology:

(I don't think I've ever not answered an ask, but it sometimes takes me a week or two. I try to stay on top of things to the extent that I can, but I'm kind of a perfectionist so I'd rather take extra time and answer well than risk responding with my Chaos Brain....) Anyway, this was a joy to think about! Thank you <3 I must confess that Kenjiro Tsuda is one of my favorite voice actors, and I tend to combine headcanons for Nanami and AS because… ah, that voice, I can’t help myself! I mean, um, they have similar through-lines: capable men with rough exteriors and an obvious soft spot.

Also, I must confess, being ace my romantic headcanons look a little difference than most people , and of all the headcanons included with the S-Class ask, AS was perhaps the most risqué. And, funny thing, the two lines I meant to edit out somehow made it into the final draft even though they were a little out of character for me. I think I went back and slipped that confession into the tags:

Oh well… if they brought you joy, then it’s worth it! Anyway, I got a little help from my Senpai and he got way more into it than I would have expected a straight dude to get (good for him!) I think this speaks to AS’s irrepressible panache.

Morning cuddles… stubble… that voice, deep and raspy with sleep… warm, sturdy arms around you... I would probably never get out of bed.

He smells good. Really good. Like, manly but sophisticated. An enchanting mix of smoke and sandalwood, with the undertone of something delicately floral… anyway. He insists he doesn’t do anything special but it’s obviously expensive cologne. Probably custom made.

He doesn’t wine-and-dine you, because he’s really into artisanal spirits. I want to say gin (because it’s clean and cutting) but I could also see something smokier like whisky or mezcal, something earthy but refined in its own way.

He’s got a goofy side. He loves to make terrible puns (usually dirty ones) and everyone just… lets him get away with it? Because he’s got such a good poker face, most people just write it off as a Freudian slip. I’ve actually drafted a scene where he manages to de-rail an S-Class meeting this way.

Has a bad habit of heckling comedians and tour guides; usually gets away with it. I wrote one scene where Mumen Rider tries standup and AS pointedly tells him “Don’t quit your day job.”

Weirdly good with kids! Always ends up “accidentally” babysitting for friends and neighbors, and allegedly has no idea how this came about. He’s definitely the cool uncle, but (let’s be real) he’s a little intimidating, and it’s not hard for him to keep the little tykes in line. If he says “Those crayons had better be out of your nose by the time I count to five,” the problem is solved before the countdown even begins.

He’s not a “seasoned” cook (no pun intended), but he’s got two or three simple, signature dishes that he does really well. They are, coincidentally, kid friendly. One of these “house specials” probably happens to be pizza bagels.

Speaking of father figures… His disciples are forever showing up for impromptu movie nights, monopoly tournaments, or just to talk. Sometimes it feels like you've stumbled into your own sitcom.

Deep down, he doubts his paternal abilities even though all evidence suggests otherwise. He’s probably got some unresolved issues in that sense, but good luck getting that out of him. But that in itself speaks volumes; you’ve never met his biological family.

There’s likely some commitment issues too—if not from leftover emotional baggage, but from his unspoken understanding that being a hero comes with inherent risks, and he’s not afraid to give everything he has while in the line of duty, up to (and including) his life. He’s no Sekinger—you’re not going to find any middle ground with him on this. (This is where John and I got a little silly.)

Does his best to remember table manners, but always forgets which utensils to use. You keep telling him it’s always smallest to largest, left to right, but he really distrusts teaspoons for some reason. Or maybe he is well aware of conventional etiquette, he just likes the face you make when he reaches for the biggest fork because size matters that must be the most important one.

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

Hi! First of all, congrats on your recent achievements in the kitchen! That was a massive amount of food you prepared.I have a question, I hope you don’t mind. You’ve mentioned preferring to mill your own flour a couple of times, and I’m wondering what are the advantages of that for you? I’m guessing it might have something to do with freshness or quality? I’d love learn more about this from you if/when you have the time and energy to talk about it. Thank you!

thank you! and i don't mind answering, no problem.

there are multiple advantages to milling your own flour, but most of them only really matter to hardcore bakers. you can choose exactly what type of grain you want, you can grind it super fresh and keep it from going rancid as it sits in your pantry - which all flour will, eventually, especially whole grains.

the bran and germ of wheat and other grains contain oils, and once the berry is cracked in the mill, the countdown to it going rancid starts. so you could purchase a big sack of whole wheat berries for a low bulk price and keep it fresh by grinding it in small batches.

you can also use it to grind whatever kind of weird, fancy grains or legumes that you want to use. have you seen that fancy black "forbidden" rice in the store? you can't buy that in flour form, but you could grind it yourself and make some black rice bread or whatever else you want. you could try different beans, heirloom corn varieties, etc, though you can't mill oilier things like nuts or seeds, the machine just isn't designed to process it.

however, none of that is actually why i personally grind my own flour, lol.

my mom has been wheat/gluten free for just about as long as i can remember, but she doesn't have something as severe as celiac disease, she just can't handle more than a tiny amount of wheat without it making her sick. she could probably have a slice of pie with a wheat crust about once a month, but not really any more than that.

so when i started cooking and baking ~ten years ago, i tried to cook gluten free for her. back then, there were a lot more gluten free options than there were ten years before that, but not nearly as many as they are now - and i don't know if you've ever tried baking gluten free, but it's a pain in the ass.

gluten is a protein that binds flour together, so when you're baking without it, you have to add other types of sticky things to keep it from crumbling to pieces. but it still tends to crumble, and you can't make the typical sort of bread items that you knead or allow to rise. the flours and binders are also usually a lot more expensive, so i would make regular wheat baked goods for me, which means i'd have to make two versions of things. that was exhausting.

it was all such a fucking drag. then somehow, i actually can't even remember how, i discovered that my mom could easily tolerate this ancient variety of wheat called khorasan, or kamut (a brand name). if you've heard of spelt, emmer, or einkorn wheat, this is a bit similar; it's originally from egypt, and it has a different type of gluten that is apparently easier for some gluten-sensitive people to tolerate.

i can't explain the science of it, but my mom can have unlimited amounts of kamut without any problems. it bakes almost exactly like typical wheat; you can't get a perfect baguette or pasta out of it, but i've made bread, muffins, rolls, flatbread, bagels, cinnamon rolls, pie crusts, scones, english muffins, and more, and it has a lovely nutty flavor. it's not as light as white flour, of course, but it's golden in color and isn't as heavy as that really dark brown you get from hard red wheat berries. i find it to be a really nice medium - it's more substantial and nourishing than featherweight white flour products, but it doesn't have that "kind of a bummer" quality you associate with whole wheat.

another great benefit is that it's PACKED with protein and fiber! one cup of kamut berries has 28 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber! it's an amazing food.

so back when i started baking with it, you simply couldn't buy kamut flour, so i asked for a grain mill for christmas and found a source where i could buy 25lb sacks of kamut berries. (which was azure standard, if you're interested. i was able to get 25lbs for ~$35. you can also get it in smaller packages from bob's red mill.) i typically milled all 25lbs at once since it's a bit of an ordeal, packed the flour into baggies (about 5lbs fits in one gallon ziplock), and stored it in the fridge or freezer to stay fresh.

nowadays you can find kamut flour online, though of course it's more expensive than regular flour. however i still have a bunch of grain that i bought ~4 years ago before my health tanked, stored in a bucket in my pantry, and it seems to still be good, so i'd like to get it ground up and in the freezer before it goes rancid.

so that's the whole answer! it's kind of a long explanation, but i figured i might as well be thorough in case it's useful information for anyone. :)

eta: for anyone with a wheat sensitivity who might want more info, the official kamut website has a page discussing how many people with wheat sensitivity can better tolerate kamut and studies on the matter.