#cookbook binder

[byoakleaf]

Here we are 👀

[ringbinderdepotus]

Stay organized and stylish in the kitchen with our Cookbook Recipe Binder. This 3-ring binder is designed to hold your recipe cards securely, with matching cards included for a cohesive look. Say goodbye to scattered recipes and hello to effortless meal planning!

[cosmicsmoony]

remus grew up in a very hands-on at the kitchen family. they were fortunate enough to be able to afford many exotic ingredients and different spices. the lupins are "try it all once and give foods a chance" people, so their stove is always simmering something and their cookbook is a treasure.

fast-forward to when remus began dating regulus and finds his only flaw: that boy won't eat. regulus is so scared of trying new foods and eats the same meals every single day. remus won't have none of that.

so the "expand my boyfriend taste palette" project starts! remus spends hours on hours at their shared kitchen, facetiming his mom and creating a curated new dietary plan for reg. every plate is extensively thought about, made for experimenting new flavors and supplying all needed nutrients.

regulus is scared to death but soon realizes everything his boyfriend cooks is heavenly. he buys remus a large recipes binder and makes sure to write all the ingredients and steps down while remus cooks, so they can preserve all his recipes for their future children.

(regulus adds a cute description to every recipe. the sweets are usually described as "as sweet as the chef's kiss" or "felt like a warming hug".)

[probablybadrpgideas]

Thousand-page tome covered in glowing symbols and humming with ancient powers is actually just the wizards cookbook. The spellbook is the 90s binder full of line paper shoved under a phonebook.

[vxmpyree]

CHUBBY NIKTO. IN THIS ESSAY I WILL-.

chubby nikto my beloved :] <3 \\ tw: mention of fat shaming / fatphobia (not from reader)

[ pp1 - frakkur ]

chubby! nikto who likes baking for his neighbor.

after retirement, he packed up his things and flew somewhere balmy and quiet. after a life of running guns and slaughtering the enemy, he wants something simple-- a life where he doesn't need to comprehend the minds of others entirely.

when he moves in, you come over all smiles, a dish of banana bread in your hands. it hurts to admit, but he really does like it-- loves it, even. the dish is licked clean and then scrubbed by his shaky hands as he considers you.

nikto decides that he must bake you something in return. when he isn't busy, he's at the library, perusing through forums of recipes and printing out digitized cookbooks. he doesn't stop until he has a thick binder of ideas and the librarian starts giving him uneasy looks.

he comes to your doorstep one afternoon, your empty dish in one hand and a mississippi mud pie in the other. and he nervously retells the tale of how he indulged in your baking, expecting you to scowl and say that someone his size shouldn't enjoy eating. but you laugh, pleasantly, not meanly, and say that it's fine, really.

you let him into your warm home, and let him sit at your table, not knowing how blood is perpetually etched into his hands. you cut him a slice of his own pie and sit with him. the radio hums as he chews, and birds chirp over the slow trickle of thoughts in his mind. maybe moving somewhere warm really was a good idea.

[fuckingrecipes]

How does one actually build a useful repository of recipes for different cuisines? Like, I have the Silver Spoon which is a pretty good cross section of Italian cooking. I know more than enough variations of the typical french mother sauces to get the principles without a need for a recipe. I know from various Euro cuisines particular flavors that pair well I could build a dish around (like, I could make a goat cheese and caramelized onion soup without the need of someone telling me a recipe). I don't have any such data sets for other cuisines, and you know the recipe website world is a hell scape.

Tried and true method is: Cook often, try new things, and save it if you like it.

Get a blank notebook (or a 3-ring binder) and collect recipes yourself as you try them. You can write recipes in by hand, or print them off & punch for the 3-ring binder.

Go to restaurants which serve food you want to explore, and take a picture of the food, record the name of it on the menu, and note some of the ingredients that you can identify in it.

If you live in a small town with not many places that serve 'foreign' food nearby, get off google. Use DuckDuckGo or Brave as a search engine. They have very few ads and the search algorithm prefers when you get to the point in your recipe blog, rather than dicking around with your life story.

Do a little tour on your world map. Focus on countries, search for food from that country, then search for specific kinds of food from that country. Search for things like "Authentic Turkish Stewed Chicken" "Traditional Brazillian Goat Recipe" "Hong Kong Street Food Recipe" "Collection of Taiwan Recipes" "25 amazing Korean dishes" "10 best Cajun Soul Food Recipes" "Dominican Republic Cuisine Recipes"

Go watch cooking tiktoks that aren't european-centric; go out of your way to find them.

Go down a list of spices and pick one you've never tried before. Look up where it's traditionally used, and try to find some dishes that use that spice!

Go to your Local Library and dig into their cookbook section. Every library has one! Look for cookbooks focused on cuisines you don't know yet, and try those recipes!

If you're cool spending money on this, go to Half Price Books or other book-reselling stores where you can find cook books at really low prices. Again, explore the cuisines you're not familiar with.

If you have grocery stores for other cultures near you, go into their grocery! Check out what spices have a shitload of different brands on display, and pick one at random. Seek out a recipe that uses that new spice you just bought.

And remember: Write that shit down!

You can always have a little guide at the front or back of your recipe collection that explains different spice blends, or explains key sauces, or anything else!

You can keep a little guide on how roasting spices changes them, and your experiments with that.

You can keep a list of bread recipes, or cooking hacks like how to make really good naan without a woodfire grill.

---

Personally, I'm forgetful. I forget sites exist, forget logins, and lose passwords all the time. I have about a hundred recipe collections across about as many websites, and I know where like, 3 of them are right now. Many of those websites have gone down, and my lists are lost forever.

The book of recipe & food-tips collection I've kept & used the longest - my Food Grimoire - is a physical item that I can misplace in my house but never truly lose. It can't have its server crash or website maintenance suddenly be abandoned and blip out of existence.

[litmot-archived]

I'm Not Open To New Ideas

Isaac Rhoades x Reader

You find Isaac drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

Warnings: drinking

The hesitant knock on the closed door of the study tore him out of his thoughts. Isaac scowled. Had he not told you to leave him alone? Had he not given you the evening off to bury your nose in one of the books of the library and leave him alone?

He clicked his tongue, swirling the whiskey in his tumbler. “What?” he snapped. 

You creaked open the door, poking your head inside the dimly lit study. Your gaze immediately fell to the desk where Isaac had toiled away for the better part of the day and — in true insomnia fashion — most of the night. The massive dark wood struck an imposing image that suited the subtle feeling of grandeur of the room. It was filled with papers, the large shelf behind it containing countless binders and occasionally a loose beige folder of what you supposed were files of particular cases. 

The large black leather chair behind it was empty. You frowned, gaze sweeping over the cabinets full of more papers and bottles of golden liquor you knew to be whiskey — Hibiki Suntory Japanese Whiskey, to be exact — before settling on him.

Isaac sat on the couch at the other end of the room, a half-empty bottle of blended whiskey on the coffee table in front of him. His suit jacket lay discarded on the arm of the couch, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and tie loosened. He looked disheveled, black strands of hair falling into his eyes and projecting such a striking contrast to the put-together man you had viewed previously. 

His appearance made you freeze, second-guessing your intentions. Perhaps it was best to leave him be. Your acquaintance was new, and pushing him in this state seemed like a highway back onto the streets. 

His gaze was dark as he looked at you. “What do you want?” he asked. 

You swallowed, lingering in the doorway as you suddenly felt very out of place. “I—uh—” you stuttered, his eyes boring into you making you lose your train of thought. This had been a horrible idea. You should have listened to him when he said to take the evening for yourself and not bother him. 

His eyes narrowed in annoyance, the displeasure on his face making your heartbeat quicken. The light of the shielded lamp next to him caught on the glass in his hand, giving the whiskey an almost ethereal glow as he emptied his glass for the umpteenth time that evening.

“I wanted— I made dinner,” you said, stumbling over your words. “I found a cookbook in the library and tried the Curry Rice. Would you—?”

“No,” he said. His voice was cold, chilling you to the core. Isaac leaned forward, snatching the bottle from the table to pour himself a healthy amount again. 

You swallowed the disappointment at his harsh dismissal, eyeing his actions wearily. It would be best not to push, you reasoned. Isaac was in a precarious state. Something told you he was half-drunk, trying to bury whatever turned his gaze so vacant when he looked outside and made him bury himself in work until three in the morning. 

Some things weighed heavily on the mind, you knew. Some things were too heavy for a heart to handle. Some things drove a usually composed man to seek refuge at the bottom of a bottle. 

“I made it for you,” you admitted quietly, shifting your weight awkwardly and gathering the courage to face him again. “I saw a note on the page where—”

“Don’t.”

“I can prepare you a plate,” you offered, a hint of desperation creeping into your tone. You knew you shouldn’t care so much, but it was more than you could take watching the man who saved your life drowning in his sorrows. You were his housekeeper — part of you liked to believe you were his friend as well. “We don’t need to eat dinner together, I can bring it here instead. I just want you to—”

Isaac held up a hand to silence you. His expression reminded you of a black sky before a hazardous thunderstorm. You could feel the tension in the air. Any minute, a clap of thunder would ring through the atmosphere, paralyzing the world around you in sudden shock. He picked up his drink. “Get out.” 

“Isaac,” you tried, disregarding the warning look he shot your way. You were pushing too far, but you did not care. It felt wrong to leave him alone with his vice now that you could offer him an alternative. 

Perhaps you had not won his complete trust yet — still in the dark about the demons that plagued him — but you did not need to know his life’s story to care about him. 

“I’m trying to show you that there are other ways. You aren’t alone any—”

“Listen,” he snapped, cutting you off immediately. “I don’t need your company. I don’t need your pity. I have all I want” — he raised his glass, making the whiskey swirl dangerously close to the edge — “right here. So kindly: Get. Out.”

You stepped back, the bitterness in his voice catching you off guard. 

His gaze was trained on you as he took another generous gulp of whiskey. 

Your disappointment hung heavy in the air, but you kept your mouth shut. Taking the handle, you paused in the doorway. “I’ll leave it in the oven if you change your mind,” you muttered, not bothering to turn around and face the expression of searing apathy you knew you would find on his face. “Goodnight, Isaac.”

Whatever things he was washing away with his whiskey must have been stronger than he anticipated. In the morning you got up early as usual, finding him passed out on the couch in the living room, the cookbook you had leafed through the evening prior cradled against his chest, open on the page of the Curry Rice. 

As you looked closer, you found little wet spots on the note you had followed in your recipe. ‘Add extra honey, little Isaac’s favorite’ it read, the neat cursive now smeared from the droplets of tears that had been shed on it. 

In the kitchen, a serving of Curry Rice was missing.

[carolrain]

Bookshelf Snoop Cruise

@mostlyinthemorning asked us to share our bookshelves so we can all look at one another's books, so here I am.

I didn't dust even though it was badly needed, and I just moved in have been in this house five years but can't seem to get it together, so this feels a little imperfect and vulnerable.

This is an old photo (now it has a stack of dusty books on the top too!), but the picture books are organized all by color. Some are from my childhood but most are not:

More children's books, but these are all mine. This is also an old photo taken when I first set them up, as evidenced by the lack of dust and all that empty space. These are mostly by author's last name:

Cookbooks, recipe binders, sheet music, cheap little photograph books, random green tiger (??), broken Rainbow Dash mug, years-old child-made diorama, stack of book covers, arranged by vibes and neglect:

Okay, I have twelve more photos, so I'll make a break here and hope this is intriguing enough that you click through.

This is a small, unresolved disaster that requires an explanation, I think. I made this bookshelf out of an old set of drawers. I got the idea from Pinterest! It was very cute! However, I am not a woodworker. Or a physicist or an engineer. Or someone with proper tools. But here it was in happier days in a crowded little apartment that also looks extra junky because I was in the process of moving out:

Then I moved it halfway across the country in a truck and it became even less stable:

Which is why my nonfiction collection looks like this:

The books don't even all fit, and I want to put a piano where it is. So I need a new bookshelf and a better location.

The nonfiction is in Library of Congress call number order (I do not have spine labels, just a spreadsheet):

Mmm, well, a lot of psychology, religious studies, marriage and family, women's studies, words and writing, and a surprising number of books about cats.

And then my main collection is organized by birth year of the author. So it is a march through time (Homer through Casey McQuiston). This is fiction, literature, biography, some literary criticism shelved with its subjects, etc.

Here's the first shelf. I will zoom in a little for better snooping, and then I'll show you the other shelf.

(I really think this is the exact bookshelf that Noah Reid has in some of his Instagram videos? The green shelf behind his piano? Am I making that up?)

So that was The Odyssey through Sarah Vowell (b. 1969), and then it continues over here on the second and third shelf from the top, where the order starts to disintegrate. I haven't decided if I'm keeping the horizontal ones, so they are not interfiled, and there are a few authors I can't find birthdates for.

The top shelf is anthologies and a little bit writing-related.

And then, down here, reference books, and a bit of oversize and miscellaneous.

Not pictured: Maybe a dozen books in various places around the house (nightstand, table, next to two different chairs) that I'm "currently" reading; a small stack I just bought at a library book sale; a handful of oversize nonfiction; approximately thirty craft books in a tub; two more bookcases and a raskog cart full of my preteen's books, a tub of YA books from my youth in the garage; and, inexplicably, a collection of my ex-husband's childhood books (also in the garage) that he thinks the child should want to read and cherish, but she disagrees.

Well. Does anyone else want to share their bookshelves? I'll tag @jamilas-pen @a-noble-dragon @trickiwooao3 @characterassassination-at-9am @flowertrigger but anyone should jump in.

And I'll tag back @mammameesh, who has already posted and tagged me as well.

[cleolinda]

Weekend links: April 6, 2025

My posts

I'm STILL working on the fourth video writeups for our Silent Hill 2 project, and I am a bit frustrated that life is getting in the way. 

(OH AND ALSO I HAVE A CAVITY AND FRAUDULENT BANK CHARGES)

Anyway (ANYWAY?!) Ian's fourth stream is up. HE HAS SEEN WHAT I RECORDED AND ANSWERS MY QUESTIONS I SWEAR IT'S REAL. 

Reblogs of interest

If you'd like to help the survivors of the Myanmar and Thailand earthquake, World Central Kitchen and MSF/Doctors Without Borders are on the ground.

Val Kilmer passed away earlier this week.

"babe are you ok you reblogged 'it's coming back but we'll see it through' again"

The Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance is raising money to save black-footed ferrets on tribal grounds, after the current administration froze conservation funds.

RIP Stumpy the cherry tree, who will live on through his cuttings in D.C.

James Baldwin: "Love will simply have no choice but to go into battle with space and time and, furthermore, to win." 

"You lead a very interesting life"

Don't take the easy way out with AI: "Imagine what you can do if you learn to bullshit like I can bullshit"

The Sad Bastard Cookbook, a free e-book for your low spoons

"Put baby in pelican mouth for Instagram photo. Facebook photo of baby in pelican mouth for many likes"

How Many Cigarettes are in any given movie?

In defense of Mr. Darcy's proposal

Going snail mode

A hungry axolotl: "Fuckibg superb you funky little kirby"

Grip, snacking at my chamber door

"More actual things that happen in the 1897 Dracula novel without context"

A recommendation for A Dictionary of Color Combinations

Like I knew Ariana Grande had been up to some shit but I wasn't ready for this

Love a perfume review that says "Nothing wrong with a bit of fear"

"It’s a misconception that the mimics are hunting humans when they trail along at the back of hiking groups"

"But hey, there’s nothing wrong with having a completely absurd contingency plan. In case of time loops."

Video

Wet Beast Wednesday: Pitiful cranky baby otter sounds

Star Wars was not worthy of Amandla Stenberg and her violin (bring back The Acolyte if you want to prove me wrong)

Yes, Rick Astley has more songs

Hybrid Calisthenics: "Being on the right path often FEELS better and more natural - even if it’s more work."

Is this cat a goalie, technically?

"Sexy Nation Army," a mashup (only technically "video")

The sacred texts

"for april fools we’re deleting this entire site sayonara you weeaboo shits"

"when will mcr return from the war"

Personal tags of the week

1) Art, which had some real bangers this week, including Remedios Varo, Mexican Gothic, Diane & Leo Dillon, a genuine Hokusai print found at an antique market, a wee Eohippus, something that doesn't listen, AND MORE;

2) Honestly birds had some good ones as well;

3) One orange braincell had two good ones, including a painting of a cat about town;

4) and U.S. politics, since there were some good things:

First, Senator Cory Booker gave a marathon speech for more than 25 hours, reading from "multiple three-ring binders, including articles from bipartisan sources and letters from his constituents, in what he called 'terrified people' with 'heartbreaking' stories" in protest of the current administration, and breaking Strom Thurmond's filibuster record (which "itself was a last ditch attempt to block the Civil Rights Act"). And it was not just a filibuster; it was representation.

Meanwhile, April 5 had “Hands Off” demonstrations across all 50 states, "targeting threats to democracy, bodily autonomy, and climate justice." Here's how the St. Paul, MN, protest went (direct link for the tags).

[byoakleaf]

[lilacliquors]

pairing: matt murdock x reader

word count: 968

inspo song: a holly jolly christmas

notes: on the second day of ficmas, lilacliquors gave to me ... matt murdock at a christmas party!

the restaurant was packed, full of chatter, the clinking of glasses, and the scraping of silverware against plates. everything felt cozy, the atmosphere was cheery, and you felt good. you were sitting at the end of the table, across the table from your boyfriend, matt, and you could tell he was also enjoying himself. good food and good company was always the perfect combination, no matter what time of year it was. 

your friend had been kind enough to host a christmas dinner party for all of you and your favorite hang out spot, and you couldn’t deny that it was fun to get together and see everyone again. catching up with people, finding out how their years had been, what their other holiday plans were, it was always a great time. plus, there was still the secret santa portion of the evening to get to, which was always your favorite part. you were a gift giver by nature, and shopping this year had been fun. you’d been lucky enough to get your best friend, and shopping for them had always been a breeze. you shared a lot of the same interests, and you knew they were going to love what you’d gotten them.

as the eating and drinking died down, and the servers had cleared the plates, it was time for the gift exchange. everyone had gift bags with them, and one by one, they were all set on the table where your plates had been moments before. one by one, your friends swapped gifts, and you were surprised at how orderly it was. the host had been smart about the gift exchange, especially since the previous year was fondly referred to as a fiasco. it had been fun, but chaotic, and thankfully there would be no repeats.

when it was finally your turn, you got up and gave your gift to your friend, and their eyes lit up with excitement.

“i should have known!” they exclaimed reaching into the shimmering gift bag you’d brought. they pulled out a custom made recipe book that you’d spent weeks gathering materials for. it was a black binder that you had attached mini kitchen utensil pieces to, and inside were dividers that separated the various sections most cookbooks would have. there was an appetizers spot, mains, desserts, drinks, breads, and a few others. and already in the slots were recipe cards of their most used dishes.

they quickly got up from their seat to hug you, and you smiled as you returned it. you squeezed one another for a moment, then they let you go so you could sit back down. only a few more bags remained on the table, and as you sat down, matt smiled over at you.

“i knew they’d like it,” he whispered, and you took his hand in yours.

“i’m like a psychic,” you murmured, and he laughed softly.

“matt, since you’re all giggly and gossiping over there, maybe you’d like to go next?” the host asked, and he sat up straight, turning in the direction of the sound of the voice. he smiled, then nodded and reached down to grab his own bag. it was small, and a few people tilted their heads as he moved around in his seat.

“well, this year, i was lucky to get this one,” he gestured to you, “as my gift recipient. which made everything a lot more exciting.”

you could feel your face warming as he carefully eased himself down onto the floor. suddenly, it you two sitting at the end of the table made much more sense, and your heart started to pound. your friends all gasped, and few made some excited, squeaky sounds as he tilted his head towards your seat.

“i can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’ve been the best thing to ever happen to me,” he began taking one of your hands in his. some people around the table ‘aww-ed’, and you smiled a bit.

“you’ve made me a better man, you’ve always had faith in me, and not once have i ever felt like i couldn’t confide in you. when i wake up next to you in the mornings, whether it’s in bed or on the couch, and i hear you sleeping so soundly, i know i’m the luckiest man alive. and i can only hope that, for the rest of our lives, i can keep feeling that kind of comfort. i don’t want there to ever be a day that i’m without you, i don’t think i’d survive. so … would you do me the absolute honor of marrying me, and letting me make you the happiest person on earth for the rest of our lives?”

you could feel yourself tearing up as he pulled a small velvet box out of the bag he’d brought, and opened it up to reveal a dainty, gorgeous engagement ring that sparkled in the warm light of the restaurant. your heart threatened to beat out of your chest, and you swallowed before answering, not wanting your voice to be too thick.

“matt, oh my god,” you whispered, and he grinned.

“is that a yes? i hope so, it’s not comfy down here,” he said, and you laughed a bit.

“of course it’s a yes,” you said, and his smile got impossibly wider as he slipped the ring onto your finger. you admired the sparkle before he got back up, and you stood to press a kiss to his lips as your friends clapped and cheered. one of his arms wrapped around your waist, and your had settled on his chest as you pulled apart.

“merry christmas, sweetheart,” he said, his forehead resting against yours.

“merry christmas, matt,” you replied, hugging him tightly.

it was surely a holiday you would never forget.

[fuckkbrunch]

The final recipe! I saved it for new year's eve dinner. The one that isn't even really a recipe, but if I didn't do it, it would have felt unfinished.

In the very back of the book, there's a 3 page fold out poster on how to make the perfect Bourdain approved burger.

I won't lie, I don't own a meat grinder attachment for my KitchenAid mixer, and wasn't going to buy one just for this. He suggests grinding your own meat, specifically a combo of rib eye, short rib and hanger steak. I settled for a high quality pre ground beef chuck, and a frozen veal cutlet that I chopped up real small by hand.

He claims that the flavour is best if you salt the meat one hour before cooking. There's also no mention of fillers or binders like egg or breadcrumbs, or any seasoning besides salt. So, that's what I did. Just meat and salt.

Other requirements were a store bought bun that wasn't a brioche or ciabatta (too soft and too hard, respectively). Sesame seeds are optional according to taste. A single slice of a large tomato, like a beefsteak. Specifically shredded iceberg lettuce, so that it doesn't yank out when you bite it and slap you in the face.

American cheese. The thin, individually wrapped kind that melts if you so much as look at it. Melt factor is crucial as other (higher quality) cheeses just get soft and greasy on a burger, even if their flavour profile is more desirable.

Since my meat combo was lacking compared to what Tony suggests, I also baked some bacon until just crisp to turn this into a bacon cheeseburger. Which means - in my opinion - that there also needs to be dill pickle slices and onion rounds. The poster does include a burger with pickles on it, so I felt this fit. Unfortunately and hilariously, my last yellow onion had mold hidden under the dry skin layers, so I chucked it.

You can go thin smash burger style, or thick mid-rare patty style, both are acceptable by Tony's standards. I went smash burger style, since I like the browning aspects more than the juicy wet burger style.

He does specify that if you want more than one patty, it must be smash burger style. I went for a single 3oz patty, and my partner requested two 2oz patties with double cheese.

They honestly tasted just like a good, simple, take out style bacon cheeseburger. It didn't have that sub par homemade burger feel to it, I was actually shocked. We had these for dinner two days in a row.

| Bourdain Perfect Burger |

Taste is a 5 out of 5. Even though my meat cuts weren't the same, this was fantastic.

Difficulty is a 1 out of 5. Maybe a 2 if you really grind your own meat.

Time was a little over an hour, only because I waited the hour after salting my meat.

If I ever do invest in a meat grinder, I'm definitely going to try the meat combo he suggests. Considering this comes together so quickly, and tastes so good, it's really a great bang-for-your-buck recipe. Who doesn't love a good burger?

------------

And that's that! We're done! I still can't believe I did it. Some weeks I was doing 4-6 recipes at once just to make sure that if I missed some weeks, I would still keep up. 114 recipes in a year is no joke, that's more than 2 per week! Even during a two month 40+ degree heatwave, I kept it up. I'm damn proud of myself.

So as a gift to myself, I'm going to be getting a Bourdain themed tattoo sometime in the new year. Obviously I'll be posting it here once it's done.

I'm also going to do a final rundown of the cookbook and of my notes I've kept during this whole process and select a top 5-10 recipes. Maybe a top 5 and bottom 5, I'm still undecided. So this won't be my final post.

But I will close this with the final page of the cookbook...

[gamerbearmira]

Stuff I got 🤯🤯🤯🤯

Ya girl bought more stuff 👍👍

First, I got the Encanto cookbook. Y'all may or may not know this, but I oove baking, and cooking is fun for me <3333 been wanting to get my hands on it, might have to try some of the recipes frfr

More funkos!!! Been lookin for Miles, but I want movie Miles; they only ever have game (which is cool but not what I'm looking for). I got Asha (+Star), Mama Odie and Moana!! Still very proud of them though <33

Also I finally got a binder for my Lorcana cards! In total I have about 468, give it take. I have enough space for one more starter deck, and I want the other Ursula's return on. Hoping to get it in the future <333 small video of flipping some pages, hand reveal💥💥💥

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

You tell Hobie about your crush on him.

The next day, DiscoSpider is walking towards you.

What could she want, of all things? Was she going to confront you? Was Diane going to get all pissy about someone other than her liking Hobie too?

The look on her is stern. You expect something snarky or jealous - but no.

She has a gift for you.

It's a folder of notes. About Hobie.

"I have a PowerPoint presentation too, if that makes it easier." She says. She's here to tell you everything you need to know about Hobie and being a fan of his.

You chuckle nervously.

She's explaining to you how he likes his Earl Grey. She has an annotated binder of his lyrics that she'd like to decode with you 🥺 Do you wanna join her Hobie Brown lyric-analysis-club? (please say yes)

What's your t-shirt size? She'll have to get you a band tee for you to wear to the concert. You're coming to his concert, right?

If you are, you should come a bit early. Gwen told Diane about k-pop fan chants last week and now she's written some for Hobie so please come early so you can practice the fan-chants ☺️ It'll make her very happy.

Also HERE - You should totally read these super cool, super technical anarchist political theory books! And of course we need to get you your own copy of the Anarchist Cookbook. She's dog-earred Hobies favorite passages to reference.

You are overwhelmed. Your arms are sore and full of books. This girl is crazy.

"Uhh, why are you doing this?" You ask.

"Well, you said you liked Hobie. And I like Hobie. And Hobie deserves the best fans in the world - so we have to stick together, y'know. He needs all the help he can get and deserves the best fans in the world! ☺️ Do you agree? 👀"

You nod, afraid of what she might do if you said 'No.'

"Does Hobie know you have all this?" You ask.

Diane's face goes blank. She stops and looks you in the eye.

"No." She says. "And I don't like snitches."

There's a beat of silence between the two of you. You think she's serious.

"Anyway, can't wait to see you at this week's Lyrical Analysis meeting! Bye!"

And she leaves you to your Hobie studies.

You simply assume that girl must be off her rocker. (Or on her rocker, pun intended 🎸⚡️)

[apeekintothepantry]

Happy Pokémon Day! February 27th is the anniversary of the first two Pokémon games’ release in Japan, and it’s a minor holiday in my house, as a fun excuse to make Pokémon inspired food, watch some Pokémon shows or movies (we’re going to watch Netflix’s new Pokémon Concierge this year!), and get excited about upcoming games and releases. This year, we’re making a Pokémon Sword and Shield inspired burger-steak curry and I’m making a dessert from the Pokémon Cookbook by Victoria Rosenthal. It’s one of my favorite fandom cookbooks – all the recipes are vegetarian or vegan, to get around the awkward question of where does the meat in the Pokémon universe come from?

But that’s not all we’re making! Ever since Nicki and Isabel were released, I’ve been dying to do a post about them and Pokémon’s infamous “Jelly Filled Doughnuts”, better – and more accurately! – known as onigiri.

Pokémon was released in the United States in 1998 via two Gameboy games: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue. The games quickly caught on to be one of the biggest pop culture phenomenon of the late 90’s and early 00’s, and as a kid at the heart of this explosion, I can’t overstate how much of a big deal it was. One of the great things about Pokémon – and probably why it has such lasting, widespread appeal – is that there are so many ways to interact with the franchise, and the marketing doesn’t skew hugely towards one gender or the other. Cool, tough Pokémon like Charizard got pretty similar billing to cute, pink Pokémon like Jigglypuff, and there were so many options for potential favorites that it was easy for any kid to find some creature to attach themselves to.

One of my petty complaints with Nicki and Isabel’s collection and books is the almost complete lack of mention of Pokémon and other anime that was really popular among kids in 1999. I know AG probably didn’t want to shell out for licensing deals with Nintendo or The Pokémon Company, but their stories just don’t feel accurate without discussing their prized binder of Pokémon cards or begging their parents to take them to see the Pokémon movie in theaters. Maybe the authors were just a little too old to get caught up in Pokémania?

I’ve also always thought its close overlap with the Beanie Babies crazy helped get millennial children like me very into the “gotta catch ‘em all” aspect of the franchise. Is this why I’m such a crazy toy collector as an adult? Who knows.

The Pokémon anime was one of the main ways kids like me got hooked on the franchise, because not everyone was allowed to have a Gameboy of their own (me), and not everyone liked video games, but even if you didn’t like video games, the cartoon might appeal to you. Although it was far from the first Japanese cartoon to air on US television, Pokémon was one of if not the first truly mainstream favorites of the 1990’s. 4Kids, the company in charge of dubbing the show into English, decided that American kids wouldn’t understand or be open to certain aspects of the show that reflected its Japanese roots, and so made a lot of strange choices in rewriting the script. One of the most notorious was deciding Brock’s rice balls were actually jelly filled doughnuts:

Onigiri – also known as omusubi or nigirimeshi – are balls of rice with a variety of fillings inside. They’re often compared to sandwiches, as an easy, quick, cheap meal or snack that combines carbs and other ingredients. While the concept of taking a rice ball and stuffing it full of other tasty treats goes way back to ancient Japan, the triangle shape became popular in the 1980’s thanks to a new machine that automated the filling process. Further developments over the last 40 years have created unique ways to prepackage onigiri without making the nori wrapping sticky. The ones we made were an attempt at recreating the “Hawaiian” (spam and pineapple) rice balls from our favorite food hall back in DC. One of my favorite pandemic indulgences was getting take out from the food hall, which often included a sampler of some of my favorite onigiri, and I haven’t been able to find anything close to similar where we are now. One of the many reasons I’m excited to move!

Even as a kid, I wasn’t convinced the food in the anime was fried dough with fruit jelly inside, because they sure look like rice. I also think 4Kids didn’t anticipate that Pokémon’s widespread popularity would inspire many of its fans – including me – to become absolutely obsessed with Japanese food and culture. I would’ve been more excited if they’d just been straight with me and shown more Japanese food on the show, and then probably begged my parents to make it or take me to a restaurant that made it. While I can’t confidently cite numbers of how many other people were first exposed to Japanese culture and food through Pokémon and franchises like it, I do think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity to highlight how things like this exposed kids like Nicki and Isabel to parts of a culture outside their own!

[ice-mage]

March Reads

March was a good reading month. I read a total of 5 books this month, brining my total to 11/36. This month’s reads were:

1. White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton: Adam Binder is a 22 year old gay man from Oklahoma. And he’s a wizard. When he was in high school, his mother and older brother who don’t believe in magic admitted him into a psychiatric institution because he couldn’t yet control his sight into the spirit dimension where magical creatures roam. After discharging himself at 18, he lives in a trailer park with his great aunt. When, in the middle of looking for his father who left when he was young, his brother contacts him for the first time in three years asking for his help, Adam makes his way to Denver. Family dynamics are at the heart of this book. You understand the dysfunction between Adam and his family immediately, but you still grasp that however complicated their feelings are for one another, there’s still love there. The spirit dimension aspect of the book is interesting. However, the actual magic is a bit of a let down. Overall, I enjoyed the book. 4/5 ⭐️

2. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman: Carl is stuck outside in his boxers at 2 in the morning trying to save his (ex-)girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, from a tree when the world ends. He and Donut (and about 13 million others) make their way underground and basically end up in a video game, complete with stats and levels and monsters trying to kill them, that’s broadcast across the universe. The dungeon is 18 floors, and their goal is to survive each one and make their way to the next floor down before time runs out. This is my first ever litRPG and my first 5 star read this year. The first part of the book does a lot of world building, explaining the game that Carl and Donut find themselves in, but in a way that feels natural given the setting. The book is full of humor, and I laughed out loud numerous times while reading it. But on occasion it reminds of how horrific the world they’re in actually is. And while the book is very plot driven, you see a lot of Carl’s and Donut’s character development as well. I highly recommend this book, but be aware that it is the first in a seven-book series. 5 ⭐️

3. Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman: The second book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I read this one in less than 48 hours. This book begins as Carl and Donut enter the third floor of the dungeon. Trying to avoid spoilers, but we learn more about what’s going on outside the game and continue planting seeds for things to come later in the series. We get more character development for Carl, but also for Donut. And Donut gets a pet! While there was still humor in this one, it was not as humorous as the first book. Overall a great read. 4.75/5 ⭐️

4. The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook by Matt Dinniman: Carl, Donut, and new party member Katia try to figure out the puzzle-based 4th floor (and of course survive). In this book we really see the team not only trying to survive themselves, but also to help as many others to survive as possible. As with the last book, the humor is dialed down as the horror of the game, not just for the crawlers but also for the NPCs, is highlighted. And while the book is still very plot heavy, the relationships between the characters really shine through. This book has a few moments that felt like a gut punch. I give this book 5 ⭐️

5. The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman: do you ever wonder what it’s like to live in a bubble? Well, the characters find out quite literally on the fifth floor. One of the things that I love about the series is the character development, and I think that shines here. In this book we meet two new characters who are kinda pathetic when we first meet them but they find there bearings by the end. Also, we realize how much Katia in particular has grown since we first meet her on the third floor. 5 ⭐️

When I finished The Gate of the Feral Gods, I realized I had read the first four books of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series in two weeks. I can already tell this will probably be my top series this year. I’ve already pre-ordered the fifth and sixth books. And I bought he first four as audiobooks and have now listened to them all. I am slightly obsessed. I also started reading a sixth book, this one for my local book club, but I only got about 100 pages in before the end of the March. I’ll finish it this month.