Currently on ebay:

- Persona 1 (PS1) - ending today in 7hrs
- Persona 2 (PS1) - ending today in 7hrs
- Persona 3: Desktop Accessory (rare extra that came with the JPN region game)
- Maken X (Atlus, Dreamcast)

You can check them all out here~

Once again, thank you to all who bid; it's really helping me pay off some much needed to be paid bills. Dx

After trying numerous times to bake a red velvet cake... I have finally done it! I listened to everyone's suggestion and bought a creme based food dye from Wilton. It was the U.S. red color and not Canadian (stupid pink tones!), the cake finally turned red! However, I don't think I let the butter or cream cheese get completely to room temperature as it was a little bumpy after mixing. Nonetheless it was wonderful!



(Recipe)

I rather sheepishly approached the divemaster, the question perched at the edge of my mind, ready to burst out. I had an idea what the response would be before I asked it but I wanted to at least verify, to make sure I wasn't about to break some diver taboo.

"Is there a toilet on the boat?" The DM took a minute to take the question in, leaving me to wonder if he was stalling for his english to catch up, but finally he looked at me and then looked around him, eyes peering over the edge of the boat and with a grin as expansive as his spreading arms, told me that "no, there isn't a toilet on the boat."

"Oh. So I just... use the sea?"

"Yes."

"Oh." As I muttered that oh I immediately turned to more pressing concerns, what about my wetsuit? what about my bathing suit?

Eventually I figured it all out but it took some careful thinking on my part. You'd be surprised how difficult it was at first, when everything you have ever known about peeing is telling you that you are about to make a grave error, that you are still wearing clothes. That was the hardest part, the whole wearing clothes thing. But I soon got over it and was then peeing freely, like all the fishes I was observing, whenever the mood struck me. Ahh, preludes to getting old.

Today was my last day "diving" and I must say the whole experience was a bit disappointing for obvious reasons. I think had I not come here with the expectation to dive I would have enjoyed myself a lot more. The snorkeling was pretty damn good (though not as good as the galapagos) and I got to see an amazing amount of aquatic life and some pretty fancy coral. Three days was a bit too much though and now I am tired and fantastically burnt.

In the morning I head up north and the next day I start a 3day, 2night river/camping trip where I will hopefully see an abundance of wildlife. I have been disappointed with the wildlife I have seen so far so we shall see. I do have hoardes of mosquitoes and leeches to look forward to (the latter would be kinda cool, at least at first, had I not seen Stand By Me).

---

IN a week I will be landing in Jakarta and so I have started flipping through the LP for that country which has just made me sad. It seems every page, for every city, for every destination point, there is a warning about the abundance of touts or hassles that tourists have to look forward. I so do not want to deal with all of that. It sounds like Egypt all over again. I have been spoiled in Malaysia which has been one of the easiest countries I have ever traveled in. There are no hassles here (well, except for the massage parlors), no one bothers you, no one tries to get you to buy their crappy trinkets and no one tries to steer you to their favorite commission paying store.

Can't wait! :)

I swear, the roaches in my apartment are immune to borax and boric acid- I've sugar-coated them and watched them walk around for HOURS without issues. So much for THAT method. And I've put tons of those roach bait traps around, and I've never seen a roach go near one. Ever. Fail on that one. I have cats, and I've had cats die before after pest control sprayed for bugs, so I'm a little leery of going the liquid chemical route. Our landlord refuses to hire someone to do it anyways.

I don't have a job, so I've got nothing to do but clean and blog. Guess what I do a lot of. Yep- cleaning. I'd say the place is not the most habitable to roaches. However, they're living in the walls and I suspect festering in the neighbours' apartment, coming in through the hole in the shared wall by the oven. They're everywhere, and I was FED UP.

Then I discovered something. I was taking a break from laundry and poured myself some deliciously cold champagne. Drank almost all of it, left a little in the bottom of the mug (no, I'm not going to bother with proper champagne glasses mid-day. Mugs I can put in the dishwasher!) Forgot about it and left it on the counter while cleaning the bedroom. Came back hours later. Check glass. Dead roaches floating in it. A lot of them.

AHA!

Sugary liquids draw them like mad- crappy $5 Arbor Mist strawberry wine has more than enough sugars to draw them. And because of the alcohol content, they drown and die off! w00t! All you need is a 25 cent thrift store mug and a bottle of Arbor Mist, or something similarly sweet and cheap. I recommend getting a small cup different from any other you own strictly for this purpose, and make sure it's small so that smaller roaches have no trouble climbing it and finding the alcohol. I used a small teacup and about 1/8c of sweet wine each time. I let it sit out for a day or two before rinsing it out and pouring a new glass. So far, I think I've killed about 30 roaches today, not counting the ones I killed without the alcohol.

Alcohol FTW.

So my boyfriend has a proper job and they're doing a Christmas party. Said party is going to consist of cocktails, dinner, and dancing. As his significant other, I will be attending this party. It's on December 12.

But I have nothing to wear!

Not a huge problem, I can go shopping and buy something - assuming I can find something suitable and appropriate, that is. I'm a size 16-18 these days, so finding decent semi-formal clothing can be a challenge. Why do people think I should look like a house? I have a waist!

So, odds are good that I'll be sewing myself a dress. I've done such things in the past, but it's been a while. I can even adapt a pattern so that it fits me properly. However, I haven't got a dress form, so I'll be doing a lot of double-and-triple-checking for fit on myself.

As a result, what I would like to be able to do is find a pattern that is not going to require too many alterations in order to fit properly. I know that some patterns don't size out properly according to what the finished measurements say on the packaging, so I thought I'd ask here for some tips on how to choose a good pattern. I mean, first and foremost is design, of course (it has to be the right style for my body type), but it would be good to know ahead of time that, for example, the brand I chose tends to size small, so I should be making two sizes larger than I actually am according to their measurements. That sort of thing.

Thanks!

So, a few days ago I posted about a big chinese dinner my Mom and I are doing together for the extended family, and got great advice. Well, the menu's been updated with the addition of wonton soup, so I thought I'd post my method of doing it.

( Wonton Soup )

This was my first time attempting a real meal in a crock. I'd used one earlier this year, throwing some chicken and broth and whatever I had in it just to try it out, and it kept turning off in the middle of the cooking process, and I returned the crock and never got a new one. Sad. However, my new roomie has a giant oval crock so last night at midnight I decided to have a roast extravaganza.

( recipe and pics )

Growing up, chocolate pudding was a staple in my home and one of my favorite comfort foods. Making pudding from a box, stirring it slowly over the stove is one of my earliest memories of food.

Now a bit older and wiser, I know that the real thing is so much better! You can’t beat the smooth, velvety texture and rich creamy flavor. You’ll likely have many of these ingredients on hand. Why settle for preservatives when you can easily make the real thing? I like it served warm in a bowl with a nice dollop of freshly whipped cream on top. It’s a simple, year-round dessert.

Chocolate Pudding

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup high quality cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half n half
• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons high quality vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature (cut into small pieces)

In a large stainless steel bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt. Then whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk until you have a thick paste. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking to blend into the cocoa paste mixture. Set aside while you heat the milk and cream. Have a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl ready near the stove as you will need to strain the pudding after it is cooked.

Pour in the remaining 2 cups of milk with the cream into a medium-sized heavy saucepan . Bring this mixture just to a boil and then remove from heat. (The milk will foam up to the top of pan when done, so watch carefully.) Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise. Remove from heat and pour through the strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking.

Add the finely chopped chocolate, vanilla extract, and butter, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth. Pour into 6 to 8 bowls. Can serve warm or if chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming.

We had a friend visit us a couple of days ago, and had an impromptu chocolate tasting session - we bought a ridiculous amount of different flavoured chocolate in Germany a while ago, and it was a good time to share it.

Some flavours were good, some less so. But the one that truly stuck out was the Zaabar sage flavoured chocolate. Although it lacked a little something....and then we looked at the hard goat cheese on the table, and at each other, and at the chocolate....

The combination of dark chocolate, sage and goat's cheese is phenomenal. Aside from making a pretty unusual cheese course, I now want to combine these flavours in a dish, but I'm not sure the world is ready for it...and I'm not really sure what could be created! Any suggestions?

Mmmmkay, so, I've seen a few Thanksgiving posts in the last week or so, but I don't know that I've seen this particular question.

What is your BEST classic Thanksgiving recipe? You know the classics: stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. How do you prepare it?

In other words, share your ULTIMATE Thanksgiving menu, with recipes, please!

(Oh, and, you know, help a girl out here - I'm hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever, and my family has never really had much of my cooking, other than a side dish here and there, so I'd really love to totally blow them away.)

What is your favorite recipe for buttercream frosting that is stiff enough to decorate cakes/hold its shape? I tried my hand at buttercream frosting, but it got all melty before it hardened (see bottom border on this cake). I'd really love a good recipe that can be my go-to for all my cake decorating needs!

Thanks!

Need some cash to avoid living out of my car. All prices include shipping to the US.

Blast Wind and Thunder Force V (Saturn) are on eBay. Both disc-only and definitely not mint, refer to individual item descriptions.

Gamecube system (black) w/ Game Boy Player. Includes black controller, power and S-video cable, Game Boy Player unit and startup disc. Can be parted out if requested. - $50

Saturn Virtua Stick: slightly yellowed, buttons work ok, stick needs a replacement or refurb...waay too stiff. - Payed around $45 shipped, most of it was shipping

( Games, figures, plushies and posters after the cut. )

Thank you in advance

Looking for Grandia II and Wild Arms 3, both for the PS2. Please give price with shipping to 24210.

Also selling Radiata Stories and Suikoden IV, also for the PS2. Both in pretty good condition, with original case and artwork and manual. $10 shipped (within the U.S.) per each?

I had leftover hot dogs in the fridge, but didn't wanna just heat n' eat, nor did I want to spend 30 minutes thinking of something.

So using 2 slices of bread with margarine on one side, 3 Kraft Singles Slices, and 2 Hot Dogs cut lengthwise, I created myself a Grilled Cheese Dog. Almost went ahead and dipped in my usual ketchup, but decided it's DELICIOUS on it's own.

Best to have the stove on low-medium heat to grill though, so the dogs have time to get warm. *nods*

This article popped up through a government small business mailing list I'm on.

Thought it might be helpful for students to have an idea of what they should expect from an unpaid internship:
http://community2.business.gov/t5/Business-Law-Advisor/The-Truth-Behind-Unpaid-Internships/ba-p/9340#A270?cm_mmc=GovDelivery-_-111209-_-weekly-_-community

Or a paid internship:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/forms/fts_wh205.htm

Knowing the law behind something can help you spot whether or not it's hinky. Internships are a really great way to gain some experience and get your foot in the door...particularly in certain industries. You just want to make sure that you're not being abused in the process.

Finally getting the sewing bug again. Here's a tote I made out of a broken Ikea lampshade.
( lampshade? )

I bought the most wonderful thing at the grocery store last night and I just had to share it with you so you can rush out and get some.


Pumpkin eggnog!

AND


Sugar cookie eggnog!

I figured the pumpkin one would be awesome and it is! It tastes like liquid pumpkin pie and I'm having a hard time not drinking it all (and the fat that comes with it). I've been adding it to my coffee instead of milk in the morning and it is so good.

I wasn't so sure about the sugar cookie one but my friend convinced me to try it and it might just be better than the pumpkin one. It isn't just sugary eggnog, it actually tastes like sugar cookie dough! I let my kid try it and he has been bugging me for "sugar milk" all day.

I'm glad that these are a limited edition thing because if they don't stop me I'd probably just keep buying them. Yum.

So we move in 25 days. I can't believe the time is creeping up on us so fast!
We've had 3 people interested in the house so far, which is great. The sooner they get someone to take over the lease, the better. I'm really looking forward to not having to WORRY about it any more.

I got a message today from a lady that wants to buy the extra bed we have. We're only getting $180 for it, but it's better than nothing, and it's a huge load off to know that that's one less piece of furniture that we'll have to fit into a truck and drag around with us.
I also have a man who is interested in the big broken 52" TV. He said that he will be calling around to find a repairman once he gets back into the state, but if we can hold it for a week he would be happy to take it off our hands. Thank goodness!
That leaves just the 28" TV to try to sell, but if we end up having to move it with us, I think we could manage. The new TV is a flat panel, so it is extremely compact. 42" and about 4 inches thick. Technology really is amazing sometimes.

I finished my drawing of my dear Runey-as-Assassin Cross the other day, and I'm pretty happy with it on the whole:


It really makes me miss him, actually. He's been getting a bit of playtime here and there though, in odds and ends settings, which I thought would quiet him down. WRONG! He's being louder than ever, and it's really kicking my creativity up. My inspiration is trickling back to me with him being played, but of course it's not for anything I have already started. Go figure.

I sold my circuitboard earrings last night, and I definitely had an eyebrow-raising moment last night when I was writing out the address. They were being mailed to the office suite for HowStuffWorks. How cool is that? It definitely made me smile. I'm always fascinated by how small the world is, and it's cool to me that someone 'small' like I am could make something worthy of someone 'big' like that.

In other news, I made delicious chicken, and now you all have to try making it yourselves. It's really easy - Take a boneless, skinless chicken breast, and mix equal parts of dried rosemary, parsley, and basil. Add salt and pepper as you please, rub the herb mix onto the chicken, and then fry it in just a dab of olive oil. Olive oil is heavenly for frying chicken, because it easily keeps it from sticking to the pan, but it doesn't make everything all greasy, and it doesn't sizzle and pop nearly as much as grease or even canola oil does.
But yeah. It's really easy, really quick to mix up and make, and it's extremely rich in flavor. I'm going to make it again for dinner tonight, and serve it with garlic alfredo pasta.
Trying to use up all our groceries is proving an interesting challenge, actually. Who'd have ever thought they'd want an empty pantry? But it will be much easier for us to not have to move boxes full of dry goods, and we definitely can't transport anything cold or frozen, so all of it needs to be eaten.

Of course we can't forget Thanksgiving. We're waiting a bit to buy our turkey, but that should make a nice feast that will feed us for almost the rest of the time that we're here in North Carolina. Shorty will be joining us for Thanksgiving again this year, which makes me happy but a little sad at the same time. That's the crappy thing about the military, I guess. We meet these people, some who I like and some who I come to love dearly as friends, and then in a moment, with the passing of a paper, they're whisked away from your lives and you realize you quite likely will never see them again.
I'll have to take pictures of our last holiday together I suppose.

Now I need to get back to cleaning I guess.
I bought a really pretty leaf dish on clearance for $2 and it's sitting on my table, but it needs some of the Halloween candy transferred to it, because it looks a little silly to just have an empty dish sitting on the table as a centerpiece.
I also need to take the bed apart so the lady can pick it up, I need to finish the dishes, sweep the kitchen, and tidy up the bedroom. Then the day's work is done, and I guess I can work on writing. I owe a post at SoM, and I need to take a moment to update my site with the above picture, now that it's all easy to update. And I should send another email to Dusky, as well.

I'm excited to be coming up on the part where we begin a new life chapter, but I would be lying if I said it wasn't a little scary, as well.
But all in all, the world keeps turning, and so life goes on.