When the need for external validation gets out of hand, one ends up with Pride Month – note how “gay” has been dropped. What does “Pride Month” even mean? Heteronormativity is a thing (it even spell-checks!). That dreadful Miller advertisement is proof enough. However, it should be a thing because hetero is normal. I’ve alwaysContinue reading “External Validation Gets Out-of-Hand”
Author Archives: markedup2
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXIX
Lemon Meringue Pie I don’t know why The Laird wanted pie, let alone lemon meringue, as his birthday cake, but he did. I liked the tone of the Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe, so that’s what I used for the filling. I used my pie crust recipe, which needs just a touch more water for theContinue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXIX”
1,984 Miles Across the Room
The Laird asked about getting my baking pictures out of my phone. They travel 1,984 miles (3,192 km) to get across the room. The easiest way to transfer the files from my phone to my computer is via Google Drive (it’s not as if Microsoft is a better company). Starlink satellites orbit at about 342Continue reading “1,984 Miles Across the Room”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVIII
Croquembouche It’s not quite as ambitious as it may seem. I’ve made both cream puffs and eclairs without posting anything about it. I was inspired by the Jamie and Julia effort: Erin’s pate a choux was a great learning experience: But I like Helen’s recipe better because it includes the filling: The recipe doesn’t seemContinue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVIII”
R.I.P. Merlin
Poor Merlin has died. He was a very loving kitteh. Like all cats, he was very curious and poked his nose into everything. Unlike most cats, everything he found terrified him. It was both amusing and sad. We called him “Merp” for his meow. That’s not really what he said. He meowed in Russian: Меръ.Continue reading “R.I.P. Merlin”
Penultimate Remodeling Task
That’s not what I expected, but we interior design by whim – and you must admit that “whimsical” is an applicable, if not exclusive, adjective. To begin at the beginning, the laundry room is not accessible from inside – neither from upstairs nor downstairs. Going outside to do laundry is inconvenient. The “I’m not doingContinue reading “Penultimate Remodeling Task”
Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVII
Chocolate Baguette with Lemon “Why on Earth?” is a fair question. I’ve been experimenting with baguettes. Brian Lagerstrom is my inspiration for that: I’ve not had good luck. I don’t get much rise in the oven. I believe this is due to the last rise and slicing the top. I will probably never find outContinue reading “Learning 2 Bake from Scratch – XXXVII”
A Simple Internet Trick
I haven’t posted for a while and I’ve been meaning to dig this out, so two birds, one stone: The BEST internet trick for keeping your stove clean: It’s hard to believe, but the same trick works for anything!
Is He Still a “Local Artist”?
Now that we are (finally) moving in, art is being hung. That print is one of my favorites. The picture was taken by a friend. When I saw it on Facebook, I jokingly asked, “can I get an eight-foot wide print?” Turns out, the answer was “yes”. This is it in the Denver living roomContinue reading “Is He Still a “Local Artist”?”
Unexpectedly!
The cats are not allowed on the counters. They know this. So, they wait until we go to bed before traipsing about the countertops. I’m pretty sure they are not aware that they leave evidence. This is not without precedent. The problem – that being the paw prints on the countertop, not the cats onContinue reading “Unexpectedly!”
Marked Up 