word game: visit
Jan. 21st, 2026 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
museaway posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ficwipThis week's word is...
visit
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off and please stop back later!)
visit
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off and please stop back later!)
Pan Bagnat (Niçoise Salad Sandwich)
Jan. 21st, 2026 04:35 amnverland posting in creative_cooks
Pan Bagnat (Niçoise Salad Sandwich)
Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 4
Ingredients
4 large eggs
14 ounces canned tuna in olive oil (from 4 [5-ounce] cans), drained (about 2 cups)
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 anchovy fillets (from 1 [2-ounce] can), drained
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 (14- to 16-ounce) ciabatta loaf, split horizontally
1 cup multicolored pitted olives, halved if large
2 medium beefsteak tomatoes (about 10 ounces each), cored and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small red onion (about 6 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/4 cups)
4 large radishes, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1/3 cup)
4 large or 6 medium Bibb lettuce leaves (from 1 head lettuce)
12 large fresh basil leaves
Directions
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water; bring to a boil over high. Carefully lower eggs into boiling water; cook, undisturbed, 8 minutes. Pour off water, reserving eggs in saucepan; add ice water to cover eggs. Let eggs cool completely, about 10 minutes. Drain and peel eggs. Cut each egg lengthwise into 3 slices. Set aside.
Combine tuna, vinegar, oil, anchovies, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor; process just until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides using a spatula as needed. Spread tuna mixture evenly onto cut sides of ciabatta halves. Scatter olives on bottom ciabatta half. Top with sliced eggs, tomatoes, onion, and radishes; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Top with lettuce and basil. Cover with top ciabatta half. Cover sandwich with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place a baking sheet on top of sandwich, and place a skillet on top of baking sheet to weigh it down. Let sandwich stand 10 to 20 minutes. Cut crosswise into 4 sandwiches, and serve.
Make Ahead
Eggs may be boiled and chilled up to 2 days in advance. Peel and slice just before assembling sandwich.
a wee bit giddy
Jan. 20th, 2026 02:20 pmyaaurensSo at work cohort yesterday, I volunteered to read, which I've been trying to avoid, just cuz... I dunno. I will happily read Shakespeare out loud with my pals, but reading out loud to strangers reminds me too much of childhood and being put on the spot and getting teased for not being able to pronounce certain letters right.
Anway. I read my section, and someone else in cohort that I had been messaging sent me a very sweet message saying, "thank you for reading, you have a very soothing, calming, trusting voice sir" and then called me Mr T-- and I just about diiiiied. She's from the south and always calls every Ms -- and Mr -- which is just adorable now that I'm mostly over hating the very gendered nature of it, but eeeee apparently when I read it's not painfully obvious and that makes me very happy indeed.
Anway. I read my section, and someone else in cohort that I had been messaging sent me a very sweet message saying, "thank you for reading, you have a very soothing, calming, trusting voice sir" and then called me Mr T-- and I just about diiiiied. She's from the south and always calls every Ms -- and Mr -- which is just adorable now that I'm mostly over hating the very gendered nature of it, but eeeee apparently when I read it's not painfully obvious and that makes me very happy indeed.
Weekly proof of life: mainly media again
Jan. 17th, 2026 02:44 pmumadoshiI finished Chuck Wendig's Wanderers (which according to the acknowledgements clocks in around 800 pages in hard copy) and wound up in that all-too-familiar place of "that was interesting, but I don't think I'm going to bother with the sequel". (Although by definition, I imagine the sequel must be telling a very different kind of story.) No idea why it is that I can often tell only partway through a book that I probably won't pick up its sequel and yet still want to finish the current one.
I also just read Inside Threat, the sixth of K.B. Spangler's Rachel Peng [see icon] novels. There's one more planned, and then that's it for this novel series; I think she's still intending to write a third Hope Blackwell novel (some of the events of that probably-someday book directly influenced what happened in this one, but the whole 'verse is a very twisty pretzel in terms of chronological vs. publication order). And this reminds me--I don't think I ever mentioned here that Act III of the A Girl and Her Fed comic, the core of the whole thing, wrapped up a few months ago, ending the series. (IIRC, Spangler does have ideas that could eventually turn into a fourth act of the webcomic, but has no current plans to pursue doing it. It sounds like AGAHF and the associated works understandably got harder and more exhausting to do over the last decade as the real-world US political situation got worse and worse and worse.)
There isn't a whole lot I can say about a sixth novel in a series, but Spangler's descriptions of the series when she's doing promo on Bluesky always entertain me. Yesterday she posted "It's book launch week! Spend the weekend catching up with my bargain basement cyborg hivemind. Murder, mystery, and a detective who just wants to be left alone with her poetry and bad romance novels"; here's her "what's this series about?" Bluesky thread from a few days ago.
So once again: highly recommended, and it's entirely possible to just read this set of novels without reading/knowing the comic. It means not knowing a lot of things about the world overall, but they're things that Rachel herself doesn't know at this point (and doesn't learn about until Act II of the comic, which starts after her books have wrapped up). I enjoy the comic and other material very much, but the Rachel books are by far my favorite.
And that bit got long, so just quickly:
--I'm a few more chapters into Braiding Sweetgrass and haven't picked up a next novel yet.
--scruloose and I are current on the new season of The Pitt and four episodes into Pluribus, and just watched the season 2 premiere of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. (Now to just hope this season covers past vol. 10 of the manga, since after we finished season 1 in 2024, I read volumes 7-10 before deciding to stop reading ahead and stick with the anime. It'd be nice to get at least a bit of new-to-me material this season, given that. Anyone know offhand how many episodes S2 will be?)
--And I've technically started a new (!) video game, in the form of I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (on Switch), but am not very far at all yet.
I also just read Inside Threat, the sixth of K.B. Spangler's Rachel Peng [see icon] novels. There's one more planned, and then that's it for this novel series; I think she's still intending to write a third Hope Blackwell novel (some of the events of that probably-someday book directly influenced what happened in this one, but the whole 'verse is a very twisty pretzel in terms of chronological vs. publication order). And this reminds me--I don't think I ever mentioned here that Act III of the A Girl and Her Fed comic, the core of the whole thing, wrapped up a few months ago, ending the series. (IIRC, Spangler does have ideas that could eventually turn into a fourth act of the webcomic, but has no current plans to pursue doing it. It sounds like AGAHF and the associated works understandably got harder and more exhausting to do over the last decade as the real-world US political situation got worse and worse and worse.)
There isn't a whole lot I can say about a sixth novel in a series, but Spangler's descriptions of the series when she's doing promo on Bluesky always entertain me. Yesterday she posted "It's book launch week! Spend the weekend catching up with my bargain basement cyborg hivemind. Murder, mystery, and a detective who just wants to be left alone with her poetry and bad romance novels"; here's her "what's this series about?" Bluesky thread from a few days ago.
So once again: highly recommended, and it's entirely possible to just read this set of novels without reading/knowing the comic. It means not knowing a lot of things about the world overall, but they're things that Rachel herself doesn't know at this point (and doesn't learn about until Act II of the comic, which starts after her books have wrapped up). I enjoy the comic and other material very much, but the Rachel books are by far my favorite.
And that bit got long, so just quickly:
--I'm a few more chapters into Braiding Sweetgrass and haven't picked up a next novel yet.
--
scruloose and I are current on the new season of The Pitt and four episodes into Pluribus, and just watched the season 2 premiere of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. (Now to just hope this season covers past vol. 10 of the manga, since after we finished season 1 in 2024, I read volumes 7-10 before deciding to stop reading ahead and stick with the anime. It'd be nice to get at least a bit of new-to-me material this season, given that. Anyone know offhand how many episodes S2 will be?)--And I've technically started a new (!) video game, in the form of I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (on Switch), but am not very far at all yet.
Garden Veggie and Ravioli Skillet with Pistachio Herb Butter
Jan. 17th, 2026 06:15 amnverland posting in creative_cooks
Garden Veggie and Ravioli Skillet with Pistachio Herb Butter
Prep time: 20 MINUTES cook time: 20 MINUTES total time: 40 MINUTES yields: SERVES 6
Ingredients
Pistachio Herb Butter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup fresh herbs (basil, thyme + oregano, etc)
1/2 cup roasted pistachios, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or grated
1 tablespoon lemon zest + juice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
Ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ear corn, kernels removed from the cob
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and then chopped
1 small zucchini and or summer squash, sliced into rounds
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper
16 - 20 ounces prepared cheese ravioli
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Pistachio Herb Butter
In a bowl, mix together the butter, herbs, pistachios, garlic, lemon zest + juice and a pinch of both salt pepper. Stir in the parmesan cheese until well mixed. Either set aside if making the pasta right away, or store covered in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Ravioli
Heat a 12 inch or larger skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive to a pan. Add the corn, red pepper and asparagus. Sauté five minutes and then add the zucchini and tomatoes. Sauté until the veggies are soft and begin to caramelize on the edges, about 5 minutes longer. Once the veggies are soft and caramelized, add 1 1/2 cups of water and the ravioli. If you are using a 12 inch skillet, you may need to use only 16 ounces of ravioli. Bring the water to a boil and cook until the water is mostly absorbed, about 3- minutes. Add the white balsamic and continue cooking until it reduces and creates a little sauce, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in at least 6 tablespoons of the pistachio butter and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Gently toss the pasta until the butter melts. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter if desired.
A very insubstantial post, but hey, there's a Heated Rivalry link
Jan. 16th, 2026 01:02 pmumadoshiAs so often happens, I had several things I meant to post about and now they've mostly evaporated.
But I do know my tabs situation is staggering out of control. (Reliably over 1700 for at least the last couple of weeks.) Odds that I'll get to replying to all the posts I've read but opened in a tab to reply to later on...are currently very slim.
Have a link: Sarah Kurchak wrote about Heated Rivalry for TIME recently: "Heated Rivalry Handles Autism With Love, Care, and a Touch of Awkwardness".
But I do know my tabs situation is staggering out of control. (Reliably over 1700 for at least the last couple of weeks.) Odds that I'll get to replying to all the posts I've read but opened in a tab to reply to later on...are currently very slim.
Have a link: Sarah Kurchak wrote about Heated Rivalry for TIME recently: "Heated Rivalry Handles Autism With Love, Care, and a Touch of Awkwardness".
word game: wilt
Jan. 14th, 2026 01:57 pmmuseaway posting in ficwipThis week's word is...
wilt
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off and please stop back later!)
wilt
How to play: Find the word in any WIP and comment with the sentence containing it. Just the one, ideally! The less context, the more hilarious & interesting it can be.
Rules:
- All fandoms, all ships, all writers welcome
- Give a head's up for disturbing/distressing content
- If you share a sentence, please read some left by other writers and drop at least one person a comment. (If you leave the first comment, thanks for starting us off and please stop back later!)
A Little Bit of Bling Shawl Crochet Pattern
Jan. 14th, 2026 04:38 amnverland posting in creative_cooks
A Little Bit of Bling Shawl Crochet Pattern
Finished Size: Adjustable. Photographed sample is 50” (127 cm) wingspan length, 13.5” (34 cm) spine length, excluding fringe.
Materials:
Galler Yarns Kismet (87% polyester/13% nylon, 8 oz/227 g/1,400 yds/1,280 m) – 1 cone in 901 Silver, or approximately 300 yds (274 m) in any metallic, light weight yarn.
Galler Yarns Flore II (75% Kid Mohair/15% Wool/10% Nylon, 1.75 oz/50 g/100 yds/91 m/) – 3 skeins in 1005 Ocean, or approximately 300 yds (274 m) in any light weight mohair blend yarn.
L-11/8 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
Yarn needle.
Gauge: 10 fdc = 4” (10 cm) across. Exact gauge is not critical for this project.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern:
beg fdc – beginning foundation double crochet – Ch 4, turn, sk 3 sts, yo, insert hook in next ch, yo and draw up a loop, yo and pull through 1 loop (counts as ch 1), [yo and draw through 2 loops] twice.
ch – chain
fdc – foundation double crochet – Yo, insert hook in ch 1 from previous st, yo and draw up a loop, yo and pull through 1 loop (counts as ch 1), [yo and draw through 2 loops] twice.
ea – each
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
sp – space
st(s) – stitch(es)
yo – yarn over
* Rep instructions after asterisk as indicated.
Pattern Notes:
Entire shawl is crocheted holding one strand of each yarn together.
Shawl is worked from top (long) edge with steady decreases to point.
( Read more... )