Super Meal, Pumpkin Pie

I knew I needed to make Super Meal soon, before cranberries disappeared for the year, but I couldn't figure out a way to make the combination of bok choy, artichokes, and cranberries palatable. Instead, I did the next-best thing, which was to make a fairly unpalatable meal while the rest of my family was away for the day, so that I would only have a disappointing lunch, not a disappointing lunch PLUS other people whining at me about it.

Ta da! I put them on rice.

I guess the Speed buff makes sense, as I did eat it as quickly as possible

Don't know how much cooking you've done with cranberries, but as it turns out you really do need to add sugar to them! Just have to do it. Really making a strong mental note for next time.

For my family, I made pumpkin pie. With sugar. Because I love them. I liked the recipe I picked because it emphasized that it has "extra spices" which means I only had to double, and not quadruple, the amount of spices it called for.

Spicyyyyyyyyy

For saving them from Super Meal and instead offering up a lustily-spiced, butter-filled-homemade-crusted pie, I receiving a glowing "It's pretty good...for a pumpkin pie."

Which is how I learned that Anna does not like pumpkin pie

ASSESSMENT: Mostly I feel good that I am knocking out the Thanksgiving-themed recipes in time, and not trying to foist pumpkin and cranberry things on everybody for St. Patrick's Day or whatever. 

PROJECT STATUS: Probably going to add 1/4 cup of sugar to every recipe going forward just in case.

Roasted Hazelnuts, Stuffing

'Tis the season for Roasted Hazelnuts, and I can't imagine any Stardew Recipe is going to come close to this one on the ease of preparation scale--even fried egg has a higher degree of difficulty than putting nuts in an oven for 15 minutes.

I also think this is the closest I have or will come to matching the game version image of the dish?

As for "a rich forest flavor," I'm not sure what I was expecting...pine? Lichen? Chipmunk? But these just tasted like nuts. (Not a complaint.)

Stuffing, on the other hand, is a deceptively complicated dish! I can't believe people make this as a side to have with other things, it took about five times as long to prepare as my average weeknight dinner, and far too many dishes/pots/pans/cutting boards (i.e., more than one). HOWEVER. The version I made, which incorporated the required hazelnuts and cranberries, is extremely delicious.

Looks like dog food, tastes like heaven

Like, I ate breakfast about 45 minutes ago and I could genuinely go for another bowl of stuffing right now. 

+2 defense against ever wanting to eat anything else

As for the girls, they came very close to unintentionally acting out this Drake meme regarding the two entries.

ASSESSMENT: The stuffing took forever to make and the girls were watching Up while I was working on it, so having to stop and cry a little bit every once in a while may have slowed me down, but it made the house smell very good and warm and bread-for-dinner-y.

PROJECT STATUS: Just cozy as hell, honestly.

Maki Roll, Sashimi

Ivy requested sushi for her birthday dinner this week and we didn't have time to go to the restaurant she likes that night and hey look at that sushi is on the Stardew list. Did I supplement this meal with useless but adorable trinkets that I bought at the Japanese bookstore because the real reason she likes revolving sushi is the fact that you get prizes after a certain number of plates eaten? Yes I did. It was her birthday. I am here to create magical childhoods with extreme inconsistency and a low hit rate on high-pressure occasions such as Christmas.

Sushi birthday dinner, though. Check.

My children love inexpertly cut raw fish and sticky rice, what can I tell you.

ASSESSMENT: I am bad at rolling...rolls. But I do feel like I have a good handle on sushi rice now and the enthusiasm with which this was greeted makes me want to give it another go. No boosts with these dishes in-game, but I would say the accomplishment of feeding raw protein to my family without poisoning any of them gave me a pleasant Feeling of Invincibility buff for a couple hours.

PROJECT STATUS: It went back to being too warm outside this week! But maybe cooling off again now! It's almost time to make all the Thanksgiving-y stuff!