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Things to do concerning cookies (3): Thin Mints

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Tuesday! I hope your week is starting off as well as mine has.

Today, I’m continuing my cookie series. I’m going to be talking to you about

Things To Do Concerning Thin Mints

So… What’s a thin mint? A really thin mint leaf? How does that relate to cookies?

Thin Mints are a type of Girl Scout cookie. You see, Girl Scouts every year go around selling cookies. Thin Mints are a chocolate-mint patty type cookie that are actually one of the most popular types.

…Ah.

But as I was saying.

1) Eat them plain. This is, of course, the normal route. This is also the most boring route. Seriously, if you’re going to spend $4 for a small box of cookies, you might want to have a better plan in mind than just getting melted chocolate all over your fingers and ending up as a sticky mess. Eww.

2) Eat them frozen. This is a much better solution. Frozen Thin Mints are amazing. They’re refreshing, sweet, and very tasty. Better yet, they don’t melt as quickly, which means that it’s not as messy! Yay!

3) Sell them. This only works if you’re in Girl Scouts.

4) Turn them into ice cream. Breyers Ice Cream has done something to officially get permission to sell Thin Mint Ice Cream. It’s sort of like a marvelous cross between mint chocolate chip ice cream and cookies & cream ice cream. As I said, marvelous.

5) Use them as ice cream toppings. Freeze them, then crumble them, and then dish them over a bowl of ice cream. It works best with non-fruit flavored ice cream. (I’m a fan of strawberry and other fruit flavors, so trust me when I say it’s not that fruit-flavors aren’t the best. It’s not a bad flavor, it’s just not the best combo.) I always enjoy putting Thin Mint crumbles over Thin Mint Ice Cream. It’s sort of like dessert Inception.

So, there you go! I hope you enjoy some Thin Mint inspired things to do. Happy Tuesday!

Things to do concerning cookies (2): Oreos

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Monday! I hope your week is starting well.

As you may recall, I’m doing a mini blog-series on things to do concerning cookies.

Today, I’m going to talk about…

Things to do concerning Oreos.

1) if you’re using Firefox, you can add the plural form to your dictionary. Unless you’re slightly insane like me, and somewhat enjoy having red underlines in your text on words that you know exist. Like heteroskedasticity. There are few things quite so satisfying as being smarter than your web-browser’s dictionary.

2) Eat the oreo whole. As in, both chocolate and white filling. Together. Or, you could…

3) …Separate the oreo. As in, separate the chocolate cookie part from the creamy filling part.

If you want to go epic, you can do it with a specially designed gun/slingshot.

4) Crochet fake oreos. Then give them to friends. (That’s great for christmastime cookie exchanges. I was able to give my fellow high-school girls some “guaranteed calorie-free cookies” a few years ago.)

5) Make Oreo Truffles. Even without being dipped in chocolate, these things are scary delicious. I can’t recommend them enough. Especially since they are so easy!

So, there you go! I hope you have fun doing stuff that relates to oreo cookies!

Things to do concerning Cookies (1)

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Sunday! I hope you have a blessed week.

This upcoming week, I’m going to be traveling a bit. So I’m going to be doing a series on things I’m fairly comfortable with: Cookies. And things to do having to do with them. (That will make more sense as we go along. Hopefully.)

Somehow, I doubt it. Did you even study your own language? That sentence looks like you murdered your language.

If you’re talking about the last thing I wrote, it’s not technically a sentence- it’s a fragment.

But anywho. Without further ado:

Things to Do Concerning Cookies (1): Chocolate Chip

Today I’m going to be looking at Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a few things about chocolate chip cookies.

1) You can change the recipe. I actually have listed my personal recipe adaptation in the recipes section.

2) You can eat them. This should be obvious. My personal preferences include a nice glass of milk. Or maybe coffee. Sometimes both.

3) Zap them, and then eat them. If you’re at a cafeteria, for example, odds are incredibly slim you’ll get cookies fresh out of the oven. But nothing can beat a freshly baked cookie. (Except maybe for beaters- that would likely do the trick.) So,. here’s the solution. Stick a cookie in the microwave. I think about 5-10 seconds is plenty. Or, if you have access to one, stick it in a toaster oven. That reheats the cookie, and gives it the sense of being freshly baked. Again, I highly recommend a cup of milk. If you’re lactose intolerant, almond milk is a wonderful alternative. (I’m not, I don’t think, but my family is. So I’ve discovered a love of almond milk. It does go nicely with chocolate chip cookies. It’s not quite the same, but still really good. Especially if you get the vanilla flavored stuff.)

4) Give them to friends. The cookies, that is. Just to clarify that we weren’t talking about almond milk still. So, yeah. I’d take the cookies, put them in bakers’ bags, and then give them to friends. (Only if you’re feeling generous.) If you’re feeling really generous, you can even give them to professors, teachers, or people you don’t even know/like.

5) Photograph them and put them on Facebook. Because there aren’t enough people using Instagram.

Anyways, there you go! Five things to do that relate to chocolate chip cookies. Have fun! (And tell me how your cookies turn out, if you make any?)

Yarn! It’s Practically Finished!

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Thursday.

Last night I didn’t have that much time to write this post, because I was a little bit too caught up with arts and crafts. And by that, I mean I was FINISHING MY FIRST HOME-SPUN YARN!!! (I’m a bit excited, could you tell?)

No. Really? You’re excited?

I know. Oddest thing, right?

Anyways, here’s a picture of my new yarn hanging up to dry.

It’s hanging up to dry

Isn’t it lovely? I’m hoping I have enough to make a hat with it.

I’m also really looking forward to seeing how my undyed yarn that I’m currently making comes out. I personally haven’t dyed anything before, so it’ll be an interesting experiment… I’ll be sure to let you know in a few months once I actually do it.

Anyways, Fluffsters, happy Thursday! I hope you have a fantastic day and a wonderful rest of your week.

Fabric Finds: Food

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Tuesday!

I’m just going to dive right in.

I’ve mentioned I like to sew, right? I mean, I made that DIY flower wreath, and all. One of my goals in life is to eventually make my version of the Pirates Elizabeth Swan dress, and actually wear it somewhere. (That’s not likely to happen for a while since materials are incredibly expensive, and the pattern quite complicated. But I can dream, right?)

Anyways, today’s post is a discussion of fabric. More to the point, a discussion of food themed fabric.

Until yesterday, (well, today as I’m writing this) I didn’t even know fabric with a food theme even existed. But due to exploring fabric.com, I came across an entire section of food printed fabric.

This sparked a desire I never even knew I had.

I now really want to make a waffle-print skirt. Or dress. Or maybe a skirt/handbag combo.

Actually, I’m not picky. A similar sort of thing with pancakes, donuts, sprinkles, and, especially, CheeseIts. Not Bacon & Eggs, though. That’s just silly. (The grilled cheese, though… That’s tempting!) I can only imagine what my school would have done if I’d walked into the cafeteria wearing anything made from “Michael Miller Bon Appetit Accounts Flax” fabric. (Bon Appetit’s our cafeteria supplier.)

Fresh Strawberry fabric actually looks like it might make a really cute summertime outfit. Especially for a younger child. As would basically anything watermelon.

And personally? A coffee print would make a wonderful computer case holder. Or bag for a college student. (Wouldn’t you agree?)

I was, alas, unable to find any prints with eggplants or steak on Fabric.com. I don’t know what I’d have done with a fabric with either of those foods on them, besides laugh, but even laughing would be worth it.

How about you, Fluffsters? Any favorite food-fabric you’ve seen that you love? (Or hate? I don’t mind either!)

Or have you seen any clothes made from some of these novelty fabrics? I’d love to hear about it!

Have a great rest of your week!

Origins Questions: Bouncy Balls

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy Monday! I hope your week is starting off phenomenally well.

Today, I was struck by the concept of toy balls. They’re round, and they bounce. And sometimes they’re soft.They’re also frequently brightly colored, and sometimes a choking hazard. They also can provide hours of entertainment to children and adults. But who came up with them?

From what I remember, there have been balls around for at least a very long time. Wooden Balls are referenced in a number of historical fiction novels and fantasy novels. So, here’s my theory on:

The evolution of the Bouncy Ball

First, people started playing around in the mud. It was nice and softly squishy. You could make designs with it, and mud pies, and all sorts of wonderful things.

Then along came rocks. So one day, as little Johnny or Suzy was out playing in the wonderfully smooth and soft and delicate mud, a stone popped out of the ground, interrupting the previously uninterrupted hours of imaginative play.

They must have been shocked. Especially if they’d never seen rocks before!

Anyways. So after the rock stabbed him in the leg, Johnny would probably have examined it. If it stabbed him, it was probably a bit sharp. He might have thrown the rock away, or he might have kept it. Regardless, rocks were now introduced into the child’s play.

After the rock was introduced, more rocks started to spring up in the most unexpected places. After that, it was only a matter of time before one of the children found that you could shape a rock by banging on it with another rock.

After rock carving was discovered, it’s possible that somebody might have happened to shape a rock to form a smoother, rounder surface.

Once you have a round surface, it’s harder to hold on to. The smooth rock would have escaped poor Johnny’s (or Suzy’s) grasp, and… rolled! What fun!

The children would then have found a new toy to play with.

After rubber was discovered, it’s probable that bouncy balls were one of the first things invented. And from that time onward, bouncy balls became one of the prime toys of children everywhere.

The end.

That was… quite the story.

Explanation! Please. Stories are fictional.

And you always end your explanations with “the end”?

…

Anyways, thanks for reading, Fluffsters! I hope you have a great week.

Technology is amazing. So is art.

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I’ve recently had my mind blown.

Any consequence of it having been your 21st birthday on the 27th?

No, actually.

My mind was a bit blown before that, and I’ve just been saving this for a time when I couldn’t immediately think of something to write about. So here it is: Some of the most AMAZING 3d renders I have ever seen in my LIFE.

I did a bit of research, and it seems as though these are (probably) just 3d renders, not photographs. Look at them, and be amazed by the 35 most realistic 3d renders I’ve ever seen in my life.

Aren’t those amazing? The fact that there are not photographs is seriously blowing my mind. I’m fairly sure that they’re probably legitimate 3d renders, too, because the same site has links to a previous set of amazing 3d renders, and a number of those link to tutorials.

So, in other words, my mind has been blown, and yours should be too. The end. Happy Sunday!

Good Birthday Cakes

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Hello, Fluffsters! Happy July 27th!

New way of starting your greetings?

Only when it’s my birthday.

That makes sense then, I suppose. Because your birthday has become like a holiday; is that correct?

Well, it’s at least a day that I’m excited about.

Fair enough.

But that leads me to today’s topic:

My Favorite Types of Birthday Cake. (In no particular order.)

So, just a bit of background. I really like all of these kinds. It’s really hard for me to choose which type is my favorite. So if there’s any difference in the ordering, it’s purely coincidental and only reflects the order in which I thought of and wrote about the different types of cakes.

First: flourless chocolate cake. I’ve made this for people more often than I’ve had it for my own birthday cake. But it’s a really good cake. How can you go wrong with something like 8 ounces of dark chocolate per cake?

At some point, I’m going to need to upload my favorite ways to make flourless chocolate cakes. But for now, here’s a link to the epicurious cake recipe I use, and the AllRecipes Ganache. If you use the ganache as the frosting, it’s really amazing. The cake itself is already very chocolatey. Add a combination of boiling cream and pure bittersweet/dark chocolate, and it’s one of the most chocolate chocolate experiences you can have.

1) Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I haven’t made one in a while. But it’s really good. Nice and perfect sugary-sticky-sweet-maraschino-cherry-and-canned-pineapple goodness. It can also be a thing of absolute beauty.

It doesn’t come with frosting or an icing, which can be a downside. But the crustiness of the cake itself is wonderful, and doesn’t actually need one.

Alpha) Carrot Cake with cream-cheese frosting. This is another one of my favorites. If it’s fresh, then recipes with a bit of pineapple in them are really good. Yes, I do like pineapple. How could you tell?

Now, a small confession: I really like stale carrot cake.

What is wrong with you?

Haha, very funny. I know, it’s a bit odd. But it’s really good! If you wait for a few days, the frosting gets a bit of texture to it. A bit of crunch, that is, which is something I really like with this particular flavor. It’s sort of almost like carrot-cake croutons. Admit it, those sound like they’d be good.

Uno) Ice cream cakes. I like both BaskinRobins’ ice cream cakes, and ColdStones. If there’s the possibility of mixing flavors, like Cold Stones does, I really like their Strawberry, with either white chocolate chips or Kit-Kats. (I haven’t checked to see if they let you use a sorbet. If so, I’d go with either lemon or raspberry sorbet with white chocolate chips.) For the straight ice cream flavors, I really like mint chocolate chip. It both tastes fresh, and like chocolate. Where even can that go wrong? (Unless the mint tastes like toothpaste. That’s a problem.)

Chief) Mud Pie. Not technically a cake, but I don’t know if ice cream cake really counts as a cake either. Mud pie is another one of my more favorite desserts. The coffee ice cream and rich chocolate flavor combine in a perfect flavor harmony. It’s like eating a sugary coffee drink. When done right, it truly is a thing of beauty.

S, what about you, Fluffsters? Do you have a favorite birthday cake? I’d love to read about them in the comments below!

Happy Saturday!

Creeper Rainbow: Illustrated

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In honor of my Stalker Rainbow showing himself to me again yesterday-

OH NO. NOT your crazy conspiracy about how rainbows are creepers again?

…I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.

AS I was saying. In honor of him showing himself to me, I drew a picture of him. That way if he attacks me, I’ll be able to report him to the police, and already have the pictures for the wanted poster available.

Creepy Stalker Rainbow waiting to POUNCE!

He’s hiding in a TOTALLY inconspicuous way, so that he can POUNCE!

You’ve got to be the only one…

Who makes wanted posters? That’s not true! There are over 22,000 people searching for “wanted poster” templates! So, my wanted poster can’t be out of the ordinary.

An old-west styled wanted poster for the Stalker Rainbow

Wainted: For General Creepiness

Uh… I was referring to your referring to rainbows as “creepy.” And drawing creepy rainbow pictures.

Now that is definitely not true. First, that picture isn’t that creepy, except for the rainbow in it. Even so, I couldn’t help but cute-ify him a bit.

Second, there are search results for creepy rainbow pictures. (A lot of them are a lot creepier than that picture. So I don’t suggest doing it.

…So why did you look in the first place?

Empirical evidence against your position?

…I guess that actually makes sense.

Anyways, Fluffsters, happy Thursday! Just think, it’s almost the weekend!

How to: Write July 23’s Fluff Post

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Gee, not thinking of any particular ideas for your Fluff Posts, Webmaster?

…Maybe.

But just tonight’s. Until inspiration hit. (Spoiler alert.) Because, you see, I realized what I could write abou- Oops. more spoilers. Sorry.

I should probably just start the post.

If it even qualifies as a post…

Hey! Of course it does! But that’s another digression. So, without further ado:

Instructions for writing the fluff post for July 23, 2013

1) Look at the clock. Realize that it’s only 9:00pm on the 22nd. (12:00am on the 23rd Fluff Time.) You’ve got plenty of time to start spinning some yarn/thread/stuff before you need to start writing a fluff post! It’s a whole nine hours before it needs to be up and ready!

2) Lose track of time while wasting time. Look up at the clock again at about 11:00pm. Realize you’ve still got a bit of time before you were planning on going to bed.

3) Make some tea, and start thinking about the Fluff Topic. I would go with coffee, but that takes work. These days, for writing stuff, I’m going with Tea, Earl Grey, Hot. (I’ve always wanted to say that! Yay!)

You and your life goals…

Huh, yeah! I have just achieved a life goal! That’s fun!

But back to the list.

3b) “brainstorm”. Otherwise known as look around the internet, wander your current location aimlessly, and maybe read a book. All to get “inspired”, of course.

By this time, it’s a bit after midnight. You meant to go to bed about 15 minutes ago. Woops. Time to start thinking in earnest…

4) Focus. Fabric. Fabric is a good option- it’s fluffy, right?. Go to fabric.com to drool over all the fabrics available online that you can’t afford yet. Well, that you might be able to afford, but realize that you just bought about 5-10 yards of fabric recently that you haven’t started to use yet, and realize that you really shouldn’t get any more fabric. Even if it’s penguin printed fabric. More to the point, penguin printed fabric that would match your penguin socks perfectly.

I wonder if I could justify making a skirt out of this? Do I have any shirts that would work? Is it bad form to use flannels like that for adult(ish) apparel! Can I justify buying any of the fabric? Can I even afford how much it would take? ($13 a yard? No thanks!)

And I’m digressing again.

4b) Realize you can’t use fabric.com exclusively for your fluff post. Especially if you haven’t actually ordered anything from there (which I personally haven’t.) Besides, there’ve been enough posts on this blog about other websites already.

5) Stare at your messy counters. Realize that you’ve already written a post about how to messify any surface in just a few simple steps… there goes that stroke of inspiration.

6) Realize that you just passed your 175th blog post, so can’t even write about that. (Yay Fluff, though! Over 175 posts, and almost 6 months of daily blogging! Woohoo!)

7) Realize that what doesn’t kill you gives you stories. (Ooh, I should make a cafepress design out of that! I’ll let you know if I do.)

8) Enter Inspiration: Decide to write about writing a fluff post. The day is saved! And it’s only 12:30 am- still only about a half hour after “the latest I’m going to bed tonight, period.” (Hah!)

9) Get sidetracked by a conversation with Fluffy about what this post is going to be about. And give spoilers. You can’t forget the spoilers.

10) Start writing. Get up to point ten (Hey, look at that!) and wonder whether you should include pictures in your post.

11) Decide yes, and then decide to ignore that decision. And the sudden itch in your fingers to pick up a pen and try to figure out how to illustrate this post.

12) Realize that it’s almost 1:00am, and that you can always update the post later.

13) finish the post, have the final conversation with Fluffy (if it happens), double check everything, realize that you’re linking to this post in this post, yadda yadda, schedule for the post to go up at 9:00am on July 23rd, decide that you’ve gotten too little sleep and should therefore go to bed, follow through on that decision, and get ready for bed. And hopefully end up actually getting some sleep. (This hasn’t happened yet as I’m writing. It will hopefully have happened by the time you’re reading. Because time is weird like that, and so are blogs and stuff.)

So there you go, Fluffsters! That’s how to write today’s post in 13 circuitous steps. Happy Tuesday!

Wait, what about the final conversation with me? It didn’t happen!

You mean the one we’re having now?

…Oh. Yes.

I think it sort of slipped my mind.

Anyways, as I was saying, happy Tuesday! I hope you have a fantastic week!

bonus: ~~14)~~ Waffles) Realize that somewhere in there you took a screencap of how this post is the 1337-est post yet. Insert that picture, and an ambiguous timeframe. Is this supposed to have happened before or after I go to bed?

The Leetest post yet!

blue) Change what had been 14 above to waffles. Ambiguous times in lists and instructions are even more confusing when you have numbered lists. So ignore the numbers, and change it to something nonsensical. Return to the rest of 14 as usual.

So, once again: Happy Tuesday!

**update** Disclaimer: Results may vary, based on word choice. Simply following these directions does not guarantee that an identical post might easily be written.