The red beans and rice recipe I gave earlier is really easy to make vegetarian: sub out the andouille for a vegetarian sausage of a similar style… or just omit the sausage. You lose the smoky quality, but you can balance it out with a little more seasoning!

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Aloo Phujia
Ingredients

2 onion, chopped
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 lb. potatoes, cut into small cubes (you can peel if you want, but I never do)
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to your comfort level or omit)
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
4 tomatoes, chopped (I usually gut out the seeds, but that’s a texture thing for me)

Process

• Lightly brown onion in oil on medium heat.
• Stir in salt, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin.
• Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomatoes, cover pan, and cook until potatoes are soft - about 10 minutes.

Notes

• You can add more veggies if you want! Cauliflower or broccoli would make a good addition, as well as carrots and sweet peppers and peas. Experiment!
• Can be served with basmati rice.

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Cheese and Onion Pie
Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes (peeling is optional!)
2 onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. flour
1/4 C. whole milk
1/4 C. heavy cream
2 C. aged cheddar cheese, freshly grated (I default to extra sharp white cheddar)
1/2 tsp. English mustard (dijon or regular yellow will also do just fine)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (adjust to taste or omit)
salt and pepper to taste
2 pie crust rounds (store bought, 'cause I can’t be bothered to make it from scratch)

Process

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Boil potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
• Boil chopped onions in salted water for 2-3 minutes, then return them to the pan (make sure this is a large saucepan, because you’re going to be shoving all the potatoes and cheese and everything into it)
• Coat onions in flour and cook for about 30 seconds.
• Add milk and cream.
• Cook over medium heat while stirring continuously for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add potatoes, cheese, mustard, cayenne and stir well.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Line a pie tin with the first crust.
• Fill crust-lined pie tin with the cheesy potato filling.
• Place second crust on top and crimp edges.
• Cut small slits in top to vent.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. I do recommend putting a cookie sheet under it (or on the rack below it) just in case it gets enthusiastic and bubbles over.
• Remove from oven and let cool to just above room temperature so it can firm up (this is a magical state that I’ve never seen, because I always cut into it too soon, but w/e)

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Pasta Alfredo
Ingredients

1 lb. pasta (fettuccine or penne are pretty standard, but maybe you’re a bowtie rogue, idk)
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter (high quality is great, but whatever you’ve got will be fine)
6 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1/2-1 tsp. salt (to taste)

Process

• Cook noodles to al dente, per package instructions.
• While pasta heats, gently melt butter in large, non-stick skillet with high sides over medium heat.
• Drain pasta (but reserve the water!) and transfer pasta to skillet.
• Add salt and toss pasta with tongs to combine.
• Reduce heat to medium low.
• Add handful of grated cheese and a ladle of hot pasta water, tossing continuously with tongs.
• Continue to add cheese in small quantities (a good sprinkling each time), tossing after each addition.
• Add more hot pasta water as needed to melt the cheese, but be careful not to add too much.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

• You can add veggies if you want, but I prefer to serve with a side salad and some garlic bread.
• You can add garlic (cooked with the butter while it’s heating) and/or freshly ground black pepper if that’s your jam!

I’m a hopeless Pern player, so I have an idea that’s been percolating for a stretch, even if it’s butting into AU territory rather than ‘proper’ Pern. I just need to get started with it to see if it actually has legs (and, if not, well- that’s fine, too.) Getting the details together on paper is easy. The hard part is (re)learning Python to tackle Evennia, because that seems like the only codebase that will properly do some of the things I need.

Apfelkuchen

Ingredients

Streusel
1 C. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. Salt (if using unsalted butter)
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ C. butter (1 stick), cold and sliced

Cake
1 ⅓ C. packed brown sugar
½ C. butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ tsp. Rum extract
1-2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
2 C. all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Baking soda
3 C. finely chopped apples

Process

1. Make streusel: combine all ingredients by hand and squeeze until all butter is incorporated and mixture feels crumbly or grainy. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13” x 9” pan.

3. In a large bowl, beat together: brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, rum, and cinnamon until well-blended.

4. Beat eggs into the sugar mixture.

5. In another bowl, sift together: flour, salt, and baking soda.

6. Gradually beat dry mixture into the wet mixture.

7. Add apples. Note: the batter will be more like a very thick paste; it will loosen up as the apples are added.

8. Transfer to prepared pan and spread out with a scraper. Cover liberally with streusel.

9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Ideally, about 2-3 scenes a week to keep the mojo flowing - but there have been times when things get in the way (drama, RL, whatever) and the RP dwindles. In those cases, talking to folks about upcoming plots they’d like to see or doing other game-related stuff (building, tending the wiki, etc.) tends to help.

I probably put- idk, 10-20 hours a week into a game I’m active on, though that’s not purely RP time. I only expect people to put in whatever time they’re comfortable with - it just gets dodgy with folks who have leadership/ranking alts and do… nothing. Frustration sinks in when folks with ranked characters don’t even do the bare minimum.

If I find I’m not able to engage with the game (building things, helping others with their stuff, answering questions, whatever) for a few weeks, I feel disconnected and off. It takes a while to recover from that.

Leadership roles tend to require more focus (for me, anyway) and I’ve often found I can’t have more than one or two ‘leader’ types on a game before they all suffer. I’m not sure if I put more time into them per se, but I do make some effort to do more outreach when I can with them as my ‘face’.

Wait! I have more. Like. A lot more. xD I bake a lot, but if you’re looking for savory, substantial stuff:

Potato Soup with Ham and Bacon
Ingredients
4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves, minced)
1 Tbsp. flour
8-10 C. chicken stock (or water with bouillon cubes/powder)
Approximately 6-8 potatoes, diced
¼ - ½ C. milk (to your desired level of milkiness)
1-2 tsp. Ground black pepper (or to taste)
1 lb. ham, cubed
½ - 1 C. shredded cheese (pepper jack, monterey jack, etc.)

Process

• Cook bacon in a large pot or dutch oven on medium heat until it’s browned and the fat is rendered off.
• Leave bacon in pan. Add celery, onion, and garlic.
• Cook until vegetables are done and garlic is aromatic.
• Add flour and stir to coat.
• Add potatoes, chicken stock, milk, and pepper. Note: There should be just enough liquid to cover the potatoes, so add the stock carefully!
• Reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are done (approximately 30-45 minutes)
• Add ham and cheese.
• Cook until heated through.
• Serve hot with additional cheese, if desired.

Notes

• Quantities are easily adjusted to taste! Want more bacon? Add more bacon!
• Can easily omit bacon and ham for a potato soup - I’d recommend adding another ½ onion or possibly a chopped leek for added flavor. Heck, add kale, if you want!
• Sub out the potatoes for turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips for a creamy root veggie stew!

Spicy Chicken Chili
Ingredients
1-2 lbs cooked, cooled chicken - shredded or cubed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small can of green chilis or jalapenos, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. Cayenne pepper
2 tsp. Cumin
3 Tbsp. flour
4 cans white beans, drained
3 C. chicken stock

Process

• Heat oil in large pot.
• Add onion. Cook until the onion is translucent.
• Add: chilis, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, and flour. Stir thoroughly and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and beans.
• Simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
• Add chicken.
• Simmer until the chicken is heated through.
• Enjoy with sour cream, cheese, and/or tortilla chips.

Notes

• I usually strip a whole rotisserie chicken for this recipe. It makes a really nice, thick chili!
• Adjust the chilis and cayenne to taste. Typically, if I use jalapenos, I drop the cayenne to 1/4 tsp.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Ingredients
1 lb andouille (or any kind of smoked) sausage, sliced
1 lb shredded chicken (rotisserie works great!)
½ cup cup flour
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 lb cut okra (frozen is fine!)
1 cup each chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery (or: 1 bag of frozen Cajun-style mirepoix mix)
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
6-8 cups chicken stock
Cajun-style seasoning (Louisiana is the one I use) to taste (try 1 tablespoon to start, then add as needed!)

Process

• Make you a roux! Fastest way: melt the butter in a cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the flour steadily, stirring constantly. Use a wooden spoon or scraper (ideally). Kick the heat up to medium-high. Now, keep stirring and cooking until you get a nice, dark red to chocolate-brown paste. Take it immediately off the heat (remember a hot pad or glove to move the skillet!) and keep stirring for a little longer until the pan has cooled some and the roux isn’t cooking.
• In a dutch oven or large pot: brown the sausage on medium heat.
• Remove sausage from pot.
• Add the Holy Trinity (the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic) to the big pot. If needed, add a little oil or butter - but you should have plenty of grease from the sausage.
• Cook the vegetables until they’re tender.
• Add the chicken stock. The quantity just depends on how much gumbo you want to make - and how thin it is. Less stock = thicker gumbo.
• Drop the temperature to low and add the okra and seasoning.
• Add the roux, too! Make sure to stir it all in, nice and thoroughly.
• Simmer on low for about a half hour or so.
• Add the sausage and chicken.
• Simmer for another ten minutes. Taste and season as necessary.
• Serve with freshly cooked rice!

Optional Ingredients
Canned, diced tomatoes
Bagged, frozen gumbo vegetables
Seafood instead of chicken and/or sausage (shrimp works really well, but needs to be added toward the end)

Notes

• If you aren’t comfortable cooking the roux on high heat, you can do it on low-medium - but it will take longer. Just keep stirring! It’ll get there, I promise. Sidebar to the sidebar here: the roux isn’t strictly necessary, either. It just adds more flavor. If you really don’t want to bother, that’s okay!
• Okra can be pretty slimy when you’re working with it. When it gets wet, it gets gross in a hurry. I’ve found soaking it (before it’s cut) in a bath of half vinegar and half water for a few minutes helps. Also, work quickly with it. Cut off the cap and slice into ½” pieces - each okra pod should produce about 2-3 pieces. I just cut them all quickly and toss them in a bowl before adding to the soup. Alternatively: frozen okra will work just fine.
• If you prep the okra, sausage, and roux the night before, you can throw it all into a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours!

Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
1 pkg Andouille Sausage (approx. 1 lb, sliced to ½” thick slices) (I use Conecuh brand, but any smoked Cajun-style will do) (optional)
1 pkg. Cajun Mirepoix Frozen Vegetable Mix (Kroger brand - or: 1 C. each: chopped green bell pepper, onion, and celery)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (or more!)
4 cans red beans, drained (I used regular, but kidney beans also work well)
1 Tbsp. Louisiana Cajun Seasoning (approximate; this is always a ‘to taste’ kinda deal)
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
3 C. water

Process

• Brown sausage in large pot. There should be a fair bit of fat in the pot when done; if not, add a little oil.
• Add mirepoix mix and garlic to the sausage; cook until thawed (or veggies are tender, if using fresh)
• Add beans, seasoning, powdered bouillon, and water.
• Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook approximately 15 minutes or until fully heated through. Can be cooked longer to reduce liquid further, if desired.
• Serve with fresh rice - or eat the next day, when the flavors have had a chance to meld.

Current

Harper’s Tale - Xiawen, Khu, V’iss, Z’kul, Aiiqa, Edric, Jh’yk, Rungan, Vo’kh, Hasaan, Doireann, Q’dir, Lokeiv, Morden, Estefanio, Dh’mick, Ruqaiiah, Judah, Kh’an, Oseru, Parli, Rozzox, Y’kim, Uiara, Sz’rkos, Waqar

PernWorld - I’aija, Ly’iir, Ligeia

Formerly

City of Heroes - Suzume

Forgotten Weyrs - Y’ran, probably others

Liberation - Kaimana, Yuliana

NorCon - Ulyana, Raz/Rascela, Z’kiel, Sunniva (I think? Maybe Sunnika?), a bunch of others that I’ve long forgotten

PernMUSH - S’kris, tons of others

PernWorld - Zurii, Galina, Aglaia, M’gaal, R’shed, tons of others

Seven Spindles - Kh’fyr, Shailaja, definitely others lost to time

Silver Skies - Jhammah, probably others

SouCon - Shakti, Taelyn, a smattering of others

I absolutely need the feel of a time crunch and the live/active posing in order to stay engaged in a scene. I’ve done some GDocs scenes that were live/active enough that I could finish them, but the failure rate I have for those is much, much higher. Same with forum-style RP.

I don’t know that all RPers (or even most? I’m thinking forum and Discord and the like) will find the MU* format comfortable; it’s not just creative writing, but it’s creative writing with a smidge of pressure to produce something relatively quickly.

It’s just that, as @Yam said, some people believe that pose length equates to literacy and quality of RP and that doesn’t really mesh well with MU*-style RP. It can, if a person is both quick in terms of typing and doesn’t spend hours (or days) crafting ‘the perfect pose’, but I’m not sure how common that is.

I think it depends on the reasons for the avoidance, so that complicates things.

Generally, I’ll RP with anyone, though, unless they make it exquisitely clear they don’t want to RP with me. Ghosting is fine (unless it’s someone I know and like and have a rapport with OOC; then I’d prefer a more direct conversation.) If they’re exceptionally boring, that just means scenes will be shorter.

For people where there’s a personal issue for whatever reason, that’s easier: just avoid. Do not acknowledge in RP, do not RP with them, do not talk about their characters (unless it’d be weird not to, but I’m not about to go bringing up that person’s alts in RP of my own volition and will let the other player(s) know that’s a topic I’m not comfortable with), etc.

@Meg I’m so sorry I’ll keep you in my thoughts and send all the good vibes to you.

@Tez xD

The short form: the genetic programming for dragons is breaking down. They’ll still Impress, there aren’t any sport colors or anything, but they would be free of the ‘can’t hurt humans’ and ‘can’t hurt other dragons outside of flights’ restraints. Ideally, dragon traits would be inherited, so you get lines of dragons that have higher fertility (and might be bred for it), greater endurance, larger (or smaller) sizes, etc.

Humanity would be more… human-acting. Tattoos and piercings would be back on the menu. War would be a thing with Holders coveting land, engaging in hostile takeovers, and more Fax-like figures on the rise. Man vs. man, dragon vs. dragon. No AIVAS, but probably steampunk levels of tech, since… well, they have a fuckton of time between Threadfalls to work on developing stuff. It’d be adjusting for things that would just make a little more sense (to me, anyway) buuut that’s why it’s knocking on the door of an AU if not outright kicking it in.

@junipersky Sienna is a friggin’ saint and I her to bits (and that makes me RL happy, too, just knowing people like her are out there to help people)

@KarmaBum

@Aria If I get a cold, I always end up coughing for a good 6-8 weeks after the fact. It’s apparently A Thing (post-viral cough) and it’s stupid and bodies are just dumb. I hope it goes away soon!

@Kay Ahhhh, I remember writing on this guy! (former S’kris here) So happy to see that desc still sparks joy

I’m absolutely terrible about asking for RP. I might ask 25% of the time and that’s being generous, even though I think I respond about 80% of the time (if given a firm deadline-type ‘do you want to RP now or on X day?’ kind of request.)

It’s weird, though; like, I don’t mind setting if the person asking wants me to? But I - like others, it looks like! - have it in my head that if I’m asking, then I need to come up with an idea for a thing and I don’t usually have those unless there’s a storyline to pursue or a particularly necessary scene for a plot or w/e.

And then I angst that people don’t want to RP with me or they’re bored of me and while I might know that’s not true, there’s not shutting up the little voice in my head.

Brain weasels: not even once.

@GF It’s obnoxiously good - and better if you have a ham bone and can make your own stock out of that. Just be cautious of the salt, because it can get really salty in a hurry if you’re not careful - but that’s nothing more potatoes and milk can’t fix!

Clicked, but did not scan - and then got the link again from another friend of mine.

Changed password just in case but- ugh.

Gold, because I’m a shameless masochist.

Laziness, for me. Too lazy to write all the files that need written, too lazy to learn or relearn the code I need to make the systems that I desperately want, etc.

Also, the fear of not executing it the way I want it to be executed.

I’m never worried about whether people will like it or not; it’s something I’d want to do for the sake of doing it - but I’ll also hamstring myself because I’m picky about what I want to some degree and as the saying goes: ‘perfect is the enemy of good’.

These are all things I can overcome with proper motivation, though. I can find the time if I want to do it - and I think the scales are tilting accordingly.