Fantasy baking

After the Sci-Fi and Fantasy themed BTT I got all fan-girly and excited about the idea of SFF Writers' Day and decided to bake awesome, fantasy-themed foods. I got sick of baking after about an hour and the results were mostly FAIL but here are the pictures anyway.

The biggest FAIL was my Wizard Cupcakes. They're supposed to look like the picture on the right (click for website with recipe etc.) but I apparently didn't put enough cupcake mixture in the ice-cream cones and this is what I ended up with:

They were tasty though, better than I expected. Also just as easy as putting the cupcakes in patty pans and a bit less messy. Because the 'wizards' didn't have enough head to warrant hats, my sister and I decided to make the pointy cones into standalone wizard hats. They're dipped in white chocolate and decorated with all the kinds of sprinkles we have. How badly we failed probably depends on how phallic you think they look.


Here are the hats being modelled by Nathaniel and an owl who prefers to remain anonymous:

Last, and the only think that turned out more-or-less like hoped, is a cake with the coat of arms of Valdemar on it. Valdemar is a fictional country, the creation of Mercedes Lackey, and one of my favourite literary getaways. The blue, amongst other things, is totally wrong but check it out - I drew a recognisable pegasus! In icing! With a little help from Google image search.

Life is attention to both the large and the small. Pay heed to the sun, but watch your feet, or you’ll fall ingloriously on your nose. (not sure which book this is in... one of the Storms trilogy)

How many Hawkbrothers does it take to form a mating circle?
|Only one, but he has to be flexible.|

BTT: Fantasy and Sci-Fi

One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day.

As she puts it:

So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life.

So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not?

Yay! I've never read much sci-fi (television is a different story) but fantasy is my literary hometown. I'll probably make a cake, 'cos that's standard practise in my family for this kind of thing. A themed cake. =D I'll definitely spare a few thoughts for my favourite SFF writers and their positive influence, probably read some fantasy, maybe blog... What, if anything, are you planning? Please share so I can copy! :-)

Why fantasy? One of these days I'm going to sit down and write the long answer to this, but here's the short one for the meantime: I've never been particular interested in reading stories set in the here and now - if I'm reading fiction, it's usually to take a break from that. Obviously fantasy isn't completely distinct from reality but I like the feeling of 'going' somewhere else. Then there's the fact that magic and adventure and elves and dragons and stuff-that-talks-in-your-head can be a whole lot of fun. =D

Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong. Terry Pratchett

Exams

Woot woot! Exams are over!

Things I learned/thought/noticed this week:

1. Exams are boring. Also a good environment for daydreaming. I only noticed this recently, probably because in high school I was busy actually doing the exam...

2. I have brought shame upon myself and my high school English teachers by actually starting a conclusion with the words, 'In conclusion...' :-(

3. Curséd be those who ask for extra sheets of paper! I rarely fill half the exam booklet. How do they do it?!

4. You know you spend too much time on the internet when you pause part-way through writing the word 'nominate' to snigger at the phrase "which religion to nom."

5. A gender-neutral singular pronoun in English would be really nice. I tend to use 'one,' or alternate between 'he' and 'she,' but neither is ideal.

6. "It's going to be a no surprises exam" actually means "the questions will be exactly the same as last year."

A student who changes the course of history is probably taking an exam. ?

For Holly

Before

After

Everyone else: I'd explain, but I'm not sure I can...lol.

The coffee post

I'm nearly done acquiring a taste for it. My approach has been wholistic—not only have I been forcing down a cup a day, I've changed my iPod wallpaper to a picture of a steaming cup with the caption 'sweet nectar of life' and have been listening to 'Java Jive' on repeat. I'm talking black coffee by the way. I decided to start with that partly because of a preference for simplicity and partly because I've been harbouring a no-longer-secret desire to be a person who drinks black coffee of epic strength. Seems to be working out—I ordered a cappuccino at McD's the other day and blergh.

This week I have learned that:

1) You should leave the water to cool a bit before brewing coffee because boiling water makes the coffee release more undesirable bitterness.
2) Black coffee is one of the healthier ways to get your caffeine—less sugar than stuff like Lift+ and V.

(Let me know if either of these are actually bollocks.)

3) Coffee + iPod = air piano. Question: favourite music for air piano/guitar/instrument of choice? Actually, favourite air instrument?
4) I am willing to torment my taste-buds for the sake of feeling awesome but not to improve my health. Mum wanted to know why, if I can acquire a taste for coffee, I can't do the same for Weetbix (pictured on the right).

Thank-you Quote Garden...

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee. Stephanie Piro

COFFEE.SYS Not Found: User startup disabled. Author Unknown

if(pot.coffee=EMPTY) {programmer->;brain=OFF}; Author Unknown

You know you've been playing too much Nethack when you refer to coffee as a potion of sleep resistance. Sweeney Todd Lundgren (= one for Ally)

Coffee, the finest organic suspension ever devised. Star Trek: Voyager (= one for me)

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal™:
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.

Author Unknown