I got this Sunset Breads book from a yard sale. It's pretty old being a fourth edition that was printed in 1986, with a copyright date of 1963.
It goes over a whole list of breads, techniques, and troubleshooting guides. One ingredient it adds that is very different from everything I've seen on the internet is Instant Yeast in their sourdough starter. They also create their starter with skim milk and low-fat yogurt, but I digress.
Anyway have rookies making sourdough tried sprinkling a teaspoon of instant yeast when making their bread loaf to help with the leavening? Just a way to get a good loaf when techniqur and process isn't great yet.
I imagine many people would say it's not needed if you're starter in strong enough and you time everything out right. I'm not that skilled yet, and working with the dough and slowly lowering the instant yeast would help ensure I don't waste food with a bad loaf.

Hello PMs fam! I have some great deals for you today, but first things first.
We all know security is a big deal, so with that I wanted to let you know that I have 2 factor authorization on my account and it is good to go! Never give out your passwords to anyone (even if they say they're a mod, especially if they say they're a mod cause they would never ask for it in the first place.)
Shipping is $8, USPS Priority SFRB unless otherwise noted.
I DONT SHIP FIRST (unless your u/glasspanther or of similar status)
Payments accepted Zelle, PPFF, venmo (i have this but never used it), also will accept cash shipped priority SFRB (its fast and secure and ill cover the cost of shipping to you. If that's how you wanna roll I would say registered but that takes fooorrrrreeevver.
On to the Goods!
PROOF /// ALBUM

Jewelry

• 22" sterling silver necklace (just had verified markings wore off) 118+ .925 sterling - $200 ($1.70/g)

PREMIUMS

• Coins of America 9/11 Tribute in Light 1 oz round mintage for only a few months after the attack in box and capsule - $50
• 2022 Somalia African wildlife special edition #90/1000 1 oz proof coin with ANA chicago skyline privy mark, with box capsule and COA - $80
• Rogues Island Mint FEAR THE JACKALOPE 1 oz proof finish limited mintage of 1000 in capsule and custom pouch with COA - $45
• St. Helena East India Co The Faerie Queene - Una and the Redcrosse 1 oz proof coin #91/1000 with box, capsule and COA - $100
• 2004 Silvertown mint Santa's sleigh proof 1 oz round with box and capsule - $45
• 2022 Fiji Gingerbread house colorized proof coin with box an COA - $65
• 2024 year of the dragon SILVER SHIELD Mini Mintage #332/556 with box and COA - $80
• 100th anniversary card 1864-1964 The First National Bank & Trust of Marquette, MI 1923 Peace Dollar on card in cello - $45
• PCGS MS-68 Buffalo silver dollar commemorative 90% - $85 sold
• ANACS MS-69 Buffalo silver dollar commemorative 90% - $100 ($25 Below recent sold listing on feebay) sold

BARS

• 10 oz Engelhard P loaf waffle back - $400
• 1 oz Silvertown bar - $35
• 1 oz Stacks and Bowers bar - $35
• 1 oz Happy Holidays bar - 35
• 5x 1 oz Silverback Precious Metals bar by Kinesis Mint serials 396-400 sold as lot - $200

COINS US AND WORLD 999 AND 9999

• 1987 ASE - $40
• 1993 ASE - $40
• 2000 ASE crazy toning - $40
• 2018 Australian Koala - $50
• 2024 Australian Kookaburra - $35
• 2021 NIUE AOE owl stacker - $40
• 2022 Gibraltar War Elephant - $40
• 2021 Anguilla sailing regatta - $40
• 2020 St. Kitts and Nevis Siege of Brimstone Hill - $40
• 2023 Somalia african wildlife Elephant - $35
• 2019 Somalia African wildlife Leopard - $45
• 2x Armenia Noahs Ark coins $35 ea
• 5x South Afrika Krugerrands - $36 ea or $175 for all
• 7x Austria Phillharmonics with milk - $34 ea or $230 for all
• 15x 1/10th oz Brittanias King type in tube missing 1 from tube - $100
• 2023 Brittania queen type - $35
• 2018 Canada high relief dragon - $50

MAPLES

price as listed below BIN all 13 for $450 and get a free 2+ gram bag of shot and free shipping!

• 1989 stunning - $40
• 2009 6x - $36 ea or $210 for the lot
• 2015 4x - $36 ea or $140 for the lot
• 2022 - $36
• 2024 - $34

ROUNDS

• 2022 Republic of Korea Komsco mint Phoenix - $45
• 6x vintage rounds and trade units - $35 ea or $200 for the lot

NEAR SPOT / @ SPOT AND UNDER SPOT deals! Sold

• Generic Rounds 25 total sold
• 5x minimum - $160 ($32 ea .50 above spot) sold
• 10x - $315 (spot) sold
• 20x - $620 + free shipping --- all 25 $775 + free shipping (.50 under spot) sold
• $9 fv 40% Kennedy halves (18) - $36 (under melt) sold
• 15x war nickels - $22 (under melt) sold

^{DISCLAIMER: I WILL HAND DELIVER TO THE POST OFFICE ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY (ALL DEPENDS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE BUY AND HOW MUCH ACTUALLY SELLS}. ONCE ITS IN THEIR HANDS THERES NOT MUCH I CAN DO IF A PROBLEM ARRISES, MY POSTMASTER IS COOL AND VERY WILLING TO TRY TO HELP RESOLVE PROBLEMS. STAY SAFE, PROTECT YOURSELF OUT THERE!)

I (27F) have an older brother, 33M. We didn't get along very much as kids due to the age gap, not for my lack of trying. I never really understood why my brother didn't really like spending time with me, because he was one of my favorite people in the world, despite all his bullying.
For context, I'll give some examples of what my brother has done to me over the years with some vague age ranges of when they occurred.
When I was about 3, my brother convinced me that red was orange and orange was red because I was learning my colors in preschool. He also used to steal food like tater tots off my little high chair tray and would pretend he didn't do anything when my mom checked on why I was crying (I was NOT a fussy baby/toddler, so it set off alarm bells when I did.)
I think when I was 4 or 5, my brother came into my room after I had already been put to bed, and he woke me up. Thing is, he was hovering over me with a scary mask on, only the hallway light, and a butterknife. Not sure I really have to explain why that was traumatic. I'm still afraid of masks to this day.
When I was around 10-12, my brother kept drinking all the milk or kool aid that I would make and never replenish/remake it. I told him to stop, he wouldn't, of course. My mom was fostering other children and didn't have time for squabbles like this. So I very visibly spit on top of the kool aid pitcher and left the lid off so it was seen. What does my (reminder, 17-19) brother do? He wrenches the bowl of cereal I'm currently eating out of my hands, spits in it, and shoves it back at me hard enough that it spilled all over me. Now, I'm not an angry person. I'm not a violent person. But I was still a child and fed up with being bullied by someone who was/almost an adult. I never tried getting physical before because I was so much smaller, but I hit puberty kind of early. So I splashed the bowl back at him to see how he liked it. He threw me to the ground and hit me. My mom had to break us up and told us we were both to blame, so he didn't even get punished.
Several times, he would turn the lights off on me when I was on the other side of the room in the basement away from the switch, because I was afraid of the dark for a very long time.
We had Sonic Adventure 2 we shared. If we ever fought about something, or I reminded him it was my turn, he threatened to say goodbye forever to my chao. I am extremely soft hearted so that accomplished what he wanted.
Sometimes I would notice my things go missing. I had assumed maybe my mom put them away somewhere and forgot, but I'm pretty sure I know what happened to them. Especially gamecube games-- Those discs were tiny! He was pawning them for drug and booze money. One time he was drunk and admitted he had been selling his adderall for other drugs. That came to a head one terrible Christmas Eve. Brother was home for the holiday and I'm not very clear on what events led up to it, but my parents caught my brother in the bathroom with a baggie of various drugs that he was already doing. He insisted it was just weed, but my parents didn't believe that. I wouldn't know, I only briefly saw the bag, but it was full of both a large green ball of like leaves and lots of white powder. It was a vicious screaming match for a few hours. I hid out in my room on a different floor and played a video game as loud as I could so I didn't have to hear my family. The screams died down after a while, and I cautiously went out of my room. My brother had left the house for a while. I had a few holiday assignments and decided to just crank them out while my family cooled off, and I did it at the dining room table because that's where our Christmas tree was too and I desperately needed that good cheer magic. I was quietly writing, not saying anything, not making much noise, when my brother came back in the house. He stopped off at the kitchen for something and muttered something rude and belittling to me. At this point I'm a preeten-early teen and he had already ruined the day that had always been magical to me before, as my grandma used to stay over with us on Christmas Eve. She had died rather recently at the time. And I can't tell you exactly what I said. I think I've blocked out as much as I can. I made some snide remark, something like 'at least I don't do drugs' and in the next second I was yanked out of my chair. My brother picked me up by the neck and slammed me against the wall. I know I clawed and kicked against the wall as hard as I could. I blacked out, and I woke up on the floor with my parents absolutely screaming at him that he could have killed me. As a side note to the whole ordeal, he never apologized, and it's made my adult life a lot harder as weed becomes more and more commonplace. Just the thought of it used to send me in a panic attack, I could feel the hands choking me again. I've gotten better about dealing with it, but I still refuse to have it in any part of my life whatsoever. It's cost me a few relationships.
When I was in college, my brother had moved back in with me and my parents because his girlfriend dumped him for being a piece of shit that worked at walmart and did nothing but drink all day despite having a state paid scholarship, that he wasted, because he couldn't keep his GPA above 2.8. He was a music major. The classes he took were things like 'History of Jimi Hendrix' and 'The Beatles'. He just partied too much to even attend class. He took the dog they got with him, not at all prepared for her. The dog is a high energy breed that is difficult to train, and we had two small 5-10 pound dogs at home. At 1 year old, bro's dog was about 30 pounds. He often left for several hours during summers/breaks when I was home, without telling anyone, knowing that I would either hear the dog cry if he crated them and feel bad and let them out or that I wouldn't banish them to a crate if they were already in a room with me. The dog bullied our other dogs and bit at everyone. Dog was incredibly overly protective of my brother-- Trait of the breed. I was back at college for a few months and had spent a good month mourning the loss of a 5 year relationship. I never really heard anything from him. Then out of the blue, my brother asks me if I can let him and dog stay for the night (we live 2 hours from the college) because my mom had kicked him out. The dog had bit her and she snapped at my brother to control his f'ing dog and he responded by calling her, the woman who birthed him, payed for his other college costs, paid back loans he promised to pay to other family members, never charged him rent, and he called her a f'ing female dog. She snapped. While I agree that my mom was completely in the right to do that, I have too soft of a heart to just leave him with nowhere to go. He promised it was just a night so he could get in touch with some friends closer to home and figure shit out. I let him come to me.
I really regret that decision.
At the time I had a new roommate (she was very nice though, I liked her) and a sort of FWB who doted on me for a little while. I texted FWB and asked if he could bring some alcohol by-- I was still 19 at the time, underage to buy it, but FWB was old enough and agreed the man could probably do with a drink. We stayed out on our little porch area to make sure that we wouldn't be disturbing my roomie in any way while we socialized. My brother got really wasted. He told me terrible things about our deceased grandmother (who he knew I had really loved growing up, and had no idea about who she really was because she had always loved me). And he laughed. He laughed when he saw the discomfort on my face. My FWB was feeling pretty bad for me and suggested we go to bed because it was also like 3 in the morning and both of us had class in the morning, so we go inside. The apartment has a shared common room/living room, little kitchen area, and laundry closet. My bedroom is on one side and roomie's was on the other-- Both bathrooms are also ensuite to the bedroom. So I went in and changed out of my clothes into something comfier to sleep in and crawled into my bed, letting my brother do his own thing in the bathroom. I'm just trying to rest and suddenly my brother is pulling me out of my bed and dragging me out of my own room. He's yelling that he's taking my bed, did I really expect him to take the couch? And I'm not very confrontational. I'm flustered, tired, and honestly a little afraid after the neck choke incident. FWB steps in like a hero and tries to calmly explain that its my bed, and I will sleep in it, I have been kind enough to let him stay and he should not be so ungrateful. Brother fucking loses his mind. Starts screaming his head off about how selfish I am and how reliant I am on our parents and won't be able to do anything on my own as an adult (I was financially dependent on my parents at 19 while in college, shocker). He starts drunkenly trying to pick up his dog's toys and searching for his keys, and both FWB and I step in and tell him he can't go driving like this, after like half a bottle of fireball. He at least needs to sober up before he can drive. I stand in front of the front door, as my brother is still searching for his keys, and there is no way I'm letting him out of here right now. Brother has found his keys, and starts pulling at me and hurting me. Lucky for me, FWB had been a pretty good wrestler in highschool. He got my brother pinned down and I snatched the keys, hiding over by the sink in case I had to throw them in there. He's screaming his head off and my poor roommate comes out and asks what the hell is going on because she knows I'm very quiet and tend to keep visitors in my room. I'm like half sobbing trying to explain and the FWB, still pinning my brother, tells her that we're trying to keep him from drunk driving. My roommate does not play around with that. She was in nursing school, and had recently lost a friend to a drunk driver. I don't know how it worked, but she put on her stern nurse tone and told my brother that he was free to leave when he sobered up, or she herself would be calling the cops on him, and both me and FWB could press additional charges for assault. He reluctantly agreed to this condition and FWB let him off the floor, but sat in front of the front door just in case. When he was sobered up, he left, saying 'I hope you like mom and dad, because I'm not your family anymore'.
And that was devastating. I couldn't stop crying. My FWB went back to bed with me and laid me down in bed and let me cry until I passed out. He skipped his class that day to be there for me. I know I don't paint a good picture of my brother, but I did/do love him. I thought now that we were older that he'd mellowed out and we could be good friends like I always wanted. I mean, I made like 300 fake facebook accounts back in the day to vote for his band to be a headliner at a large concert. Just a few years prior when he was home on a break he introduced me to a TV show we binged and he let my lay on his shoulder. (I was/am very touch starved but paralyzed by fear that I'm annoying the other person, and all my friends were made later in life and are states away). When Pokemon Go came out we would take late night drives around quiet places of town while hunting pokemon together. We traded off the controller on online battlefield games and compared scores and the most ridiculous deaths. I really thought that he loved me too, finally, after years of resentment.
He didn't speak to me for 2 years. I didn't find out until later, but my parents lied for him on my behalf that he still loved me and was just annoyed, and gave me birthday/christmas presents that they told me had been from him, just that he was working. I really treasured those objects when I didn't know the truth about them. I got a really stupid mug with the first letter of my name on it in pink and zebra print (two things I don't really enjoy) but I used that thing every single day.
So, these are glimpses into my previous relationship with my brother. I don't really remember when he started speaking to me again, but I sure know he never apologized. He had finally hit rock bottom and asked my father to put in a good word for him at (insert facility with decent pay and good benefits but hard work), which he had previously rejected by telling my parents that it was a shit job. My brother's name got put closer to the top of the resumes. He got in. It wasn't easy work, or comfy sometimes, but it paid well enough to endure that, I guess. My brother used to be rather athletic.
Between the cut off point and then, my brother had worked at a (also generic job) a town or two over and hated the commute. He also happened to find a girlfriend with an apartment sort of close by. She didn't like having him over because of his dog, and almost never let him do any overnight. But now that my brother had a better paying job, she was willing to move in with him, of course. My brother bought a house in our home town and she came with it. She pays a ridiculously low amount of rent to my brother.
If she was home and brother wasn't, the dog stayed crated up because she didn't want to deal with it. Both of them worked, but her job isn't at all difficult. And yet somehow, sometimes pulling doubles, my brother ended up doing most of everything. My brother, who didn't learn to do his laundry until his 20s, ate pizza every single day, and had left used condoms on the floor of his bedroom in our parents house when he left. He did most of the cooking because she says she's bad at it. But will make pies for her mom. When the holidays came around, instead of discussing or rotating, they will always go to her family first. If my brother can come to ours at all. He often misses entire occassions (we don't go out big, but like, cmon. Hand your dad the gift card on his birthday at least, not 2 weeks later).
I also used to get to hangout or see my brother sometimes. Maybe once every few weeks, and it was fun! It was the friendship I had always dreamt of. Now I can't even get him to do anything online with me from the comfort of his own home. I don't have a single text from him this year past 1/27.
At first, we all understood. She was quirky. I was quirky. We share several similar traits and interests. I used to like that and be excited to have a family member like me, but now I dread the day she becomes family.
Let's start with the smoking car. Me and my parents were driving near his street so we could cut through to the highway, and out of nowhere, black smoke starts coming from the hood. My father tells me and my mom to get out and he'll get it to my brother's and out of the road to look at it and see what was going on. This was like.... early August. It was very hot outside. Since I've 'been in the house before' and 'know what it's like' I am 'allowed' to come into my brother's house to cool off. But GF refuses letting in either of them, referring to the messy state of the house. Which, okay, fair-- But its HER messes. My brother cleans up after her. I learned later that GF snapped at him about his family always coming over unannounced and how she has to hurry to put on a bra and everything is messy and we can't just drop in its rude! She says, as her mother and brother do the exact same thing, in a house she doesn't own. But my family let it be water under the bridge for now. My brother called me a f'in a'hole for telling my mom about the conversation. Because my mom was livid.
The next thing is my father. My dad's family has a pretty big history of strokes and heart attacks, and he's had one heart attack. My dad had been in pain all day and he finally gave up at about 3AM and woke my mom up to drive him to the hospital. I don't have a license at this point, so there's little that I can do. My mom says the surgery he probably needs isn't even done here and they're transferring him, my mom asked me to keep my brother in the loop. So I told him about this and about the time they would reach the hospital, because my mom dad gran and I share locations. I asked if he would take me up, I had a bag full of things that might make him more comfortable or less stressed. The hospital they're taking our dad to is a little over an hour away. Everyone is more or less frantic. My brother is talking to work for him, I'm making sure that for however many hours that our pets will be okay and talking to my mom's work. We drive there and nothing major happens, but it was so... Uncomfortable? Tense. The thing that's hurting my dad is a blocked or enlarged blood vessel that cuts off oxygen to the tissue around it, which, cells die, and you really need your colon, the area my dad has an issue with. The thing is, until they can do the surgery, it was like he was a ticking time bomb. My brother takes me home when visitor hours are over and I hold my dogs tight. The next day is filled with lots of pricks pokes and prods at my dad so we don't go that day. We do go the day after, Friday. My brother's GF is in the truck with him. I'm not really paying attention to much of anything because for all we know my dad could die before we got there. Brothers' GF goes to get some snacks from the long drive and the fact that she's not exactly family yet. My brother, mom and I rotate who is away in the cafe and eating with GF. I see GF and my brother whispering angrily at each other. She's tugging at his arm. I manage to pick up 'We're going to miss my mom's dinner!" And I am just stunned. Her mother has a small family dinner every single friday and makes meatloaf. His GF wanted us to head back from our critical father, because she didn't want to miss a weekly event. And I really have to hand it to my brother for not snapping right then and there. He waited until we were in his truck and out of the hospital parking lot and says "How in the f'ck do you say something to me like that? Like, for real, wtf!" GF starts crying and says its a family tradition and her mom is all she has left-- False. She has her mom, sister, and brother, at least. Her father died in a car incident that hospitalized her as a kid. So my brother snaps again like 'are you seriously telling me you value a f'ing loaf of meat over a life? we have no idea what will happen, my dad could die within the hour and i'm not there, he could die tomorrow, how long d-" And GF cuts him off wailing that her dad is dead. Which, yes, is a horrifyingly traumatic experience. But she does not get to play the 'my dad is dead' card ten years after the fact, to justify leaving our possibly dying father before visiting hours ended. She tried to emotionally blackmail my brother by apologizing to me through tears that this must be so hard for me but honestly I was doing my best to block it out, staring at pictures of dogs in hammocks. I shared my brother's sentiment.
But wait, there's more! Remember that car accident GF had years ago? You would think that, if nothing else, she would be empathetic for someone/their family in a car crash? You'd be wrong! I was rear ended at 60 mph right in front of my house after coming home from work (the ambulance took me straight back to work lmao). The physical damage to me was pretty minimal, bruises and a sprained ankle because my foot was pressed on the brake, waiting for an opportunity to cross into the driveway. This was late October 2020. Covid regulations were pretty strict. So I was alone in a room for a while and in pain. My parents had followed the ambulance. My dad had actually heard the crash and went 'huh she usually comes home now' and runs over after seeing the wreckage. My parents had the crash footage, grainy, but there thanks to the cameras set up outside our house. I hadn't realized it by that point but I had a pretty good concussion, and I was hurt, and scared. I was texting my mom constantly but my dad had left his phone at home in the rush to get my mom and she hadn't charged her phone, they'd been in the parking lot for like an hour and a half already. They promised me they'd be back soon, they'll just pop in and let my brother know since he lives nearby. My parents didn't even ask to like, stay and sit with them instead of a cold car. My mom asked to pee and to borrow a charging cable (they had one, GF has the same model phone) given the, you know, situation. My brother barely cracked the door to speak with them. He said no, because GF was uncomfortable, because they were waiting for their second negative test to come in. Read that again. They had tested negative. It's not like my mom would go near anyone to the bathroom either-- The back door that's used more often is literally inches away from the bathroom door. My brother didn't even try to argue with his GF about his own home and some empathy for someone else dealing with a car crash. It absolutely disgusted my parents. And later on brother told me he got another earful about our parents just dropping in without notice and its like? Excuse me? Its his house!
Unfortunately, a tire popped on my parents' car when we were nearby. It was like, 3 years since the first issue with the car. I went inside and asked my brother to let my mom in because its raining. GF did not like that, and didn't realize I could overhear her down the hall, arguing with my brother and his family again. I went over the next day to my brother and he was actively cleaning up GF's mess so it wouldn't be as 'embarassing' for her. I sat him down and talked to him as realistically as I could. I have depression, anxiety, emotional abuse trauma, agorophobia, and very few friends. But I'm okay. He started very quietly expressing his frustration towards GF. She doesn't do much around the house or contribute financially, lets her family over but not his, him doing most of the cooking despite regularly pulling 12s. I sat there calmly, because of course I knew this. This is what makes the situation somewhat even more sticky. I asked my brother, "Do you actually love someone like that? Or are you afraid to be alone?" He's been in one relationship or another for most of my life. Lately he had been confiding in me about how bad his mental health was falling and I was like 'that's not a slump, that's. that's depression.' So when I asked my brother the question, he hesitated. That spoke loudly enough in my opinion. But then I also saw my brother's face crumpling as he admitted he just didn't want to be alone. GF wants babies but my brother knows with her medical history and condition on top of being so lazy and bluntly told me she would not be a good mother and hopes to God that day doesn't come. He is so unhappy being with her. We both heard the rustling of a comforter and my brother lowered his panicky voice and asked me to leave so she doesn't see me here. That is incredibly messed up, especially since its his name on the house. I haven't seen my brother at his house since then, and that was over 2 years ago.
During COVID, GF started working from home, and it stayed that way. My brother still takes care of most things.
In the mean time, he's proposed to her. Yeah. I managed to save things when all our faces dropped at the Christmas dinner he announced their engagement at. My brother calls her by a nickname that was also the name of a beloved family dog that had passed away only one month ago. My dad and my reactions at that time were genuine confusion and sadness about him bringing up our passed pet. Everything was pretty quiet after that. When we got home, I texted my brother and told him that hearing our dog's name in conversation after losing her so recently shattered us, be we were, in fact, happy for his engagement.
I lied.
None of us want him to marry her. I dread the day that I get a wedding invitation or GF shows up pregnant. She would be a terrible mother. My brother is aware of the fact that my parents think she's a rude, inconsiderate brat that only thinks of herself, from that earlier conversation that I talked to my parents about. My mom snapped that they don't have to like her, all they were required to do was be civil, and we are, so shut up.
At larger family functions GF tends to gravitate around me. Like I said, we have similar interests and personalities. And I have never told her to get lost or had it in me to upfront tell her we don't like her. I am absolutely horrible at confrontation, but my patience is wearing thin.
Last year my parents set up brunch for Mother's Day. We were at the table when my brother called and said they were going to urgent care because GF had another one of her migraines that make her vomit. Which, she takes medicine and has injectable solutions. Some situation always comes up with her right before my brother would come to us.
My parents tried again with the Mother's Day brunch last week. On the day of, he said that he was too tired to come, can we try next week? Please insert the eyeroll of the century.
Because of our clear dislike, my brother doesn't often bring his GF around anymore on the offchance she lets him. It occurred to me that my parents planned the same brunch as last year, and I was dreading my question. "Is GF coming with us for brunch?" They don't know. All my brother did was confirm the time and place. The thought of having to deal with her in the morning and pretend that I don't see her for what she is, is already exhausting me. I can barely get my brother to even play online with me. I feel like this has been festering long enough that at some point, its all going to overflow at once. But I am absolutely disgusted by how she takes advantage of my brother's fear of being alone and how the world revolves around her.
I had a dream the other day, actually, it was a good dream. I was at their wedding, and the priest guy said the standard 'speak now or hold your peace' and I stood up and loudly shouted OBJECTION! Every single person in the room turned to look at me, one because I don't raise my voice like that, two my patience is vast, and three, to upset me to this level of shouldering my anxiety by making a spectacle of myself. I then explained every detail, especially how much she was charged for rent, that my brother admitted he wasn't happy, and I wanted better for him than to just be an ATM maid.
If I bring this up to my brother again, I may lose him forever. But if I don't, he may be miserable together. And on the third side-- Do I actually really want my brothers' friendship at this point? Like, I'm definitely fed up dealing with his GF like she is. Plus, I pointed out and reiterated to him before that he admitted he wasn't happy.
I am very, very quiet by default. Never got into much trouble. I was and still am a gentle soul at my core being. If things get to a point where I cross lines of polite manners and call someone out on their bs, people around know that someone did something almost unforgivable. I'm wondering if my brother would know that.
TLDR; Brother's fiancee is disliked for good reason. My brother has isolated. I miss him, but also never want to see him again. I want to remind him that this marriage isn't a good idea, but I don't want to antagonize him.

Which One Would You Like To Do?
🌟 1. Iris Festivals 🌺
Witness the vibrant Iris blooms at Katsushika Shobu Matsuri in Tokyo. These delicate flowers create a picturesque scene against the greenery.
🌟 2. Traditional Festivals 🎉
Sanno Matsuri and Kanda Matsuri are lively processions that showcase Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Don’t miss the colorful floats and traditional costumes!
🌟 3. Indoor Adventures 🏛️
Embrace rainy days by exploring museums, art galleries, and theaters. Catch a captivating kabuki performance at Kabukiza in Ginza.
🌟 4. Mount Fuji Magic 🗻
June is the perfect time to visit Mount Fuji. Capture its majestic beauty and explore nearby attractions like the Five Lakes region.
🌟 5. Fireflies in Fussa ✨
Head to Fussa City for a magical experience—watch fireflies' glow in the dark. It’s like stepping into a fairy tale!
🌟 6. Hokkaido Adventure 🏞️
Explore Hokkaido with its stunning landscapes, outdoor activities, and mouthwatering seafood. Don’t forget to try the famous Hokkaido milk!
🌟 7. Okinawa Beach Bliss 🏞️
​

recipe from:
a calendar page dated 1942
SALMON LOAF
1 No. 1 can Red Salmon
2 eggs
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tblsp. chopped green pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups Rice Krispies
Bone and flake Red Salmon. Add eggs and beat slightly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into well-greased pan and bake.
Time–45 minutes.
Temperature–350° F.

Here are some tips to save on groceries:

1. Try replacing your protein a couple meals a week with plant proteins like beans, lentils, or dare I say tofu. The reason the meat, fish and dairy aisles are so prominent are because that’s where the expensive proteins live.
   
2. Make batch meals that can be eaten as leftovers. Large pots of pasta, a heavy stew, or rice.
   
3. Try switching your chocolate milk to a plant based chocolate milk type beverage. Oats are grown in Canada and it supports Canadian farmers. Earth’s Own is a great Canadian brand.
   
4. Buy in season for veggies. Blanching/canning is great. Fun activity for a rainy day.
   
5. Try making homemade bread. It can be a fun activity for a family as well. It ends up being a lot cheaper than $5-6 a loaf for commercial bread.
   
6. Shop at ethnic markets. They often have cheaper prices on some things because they import and don’t be afraid to experiment. Many cultures don’t waste as much as we do and consume the entire plant or animal in tasty ways.
   

Making a slow cooker chicken-mac and cheese. The instructions were:
To a slow cooker full of shredded chicken and veggies, add cooked pasta and a blended mix of:
Cream cheese, Cottage cheese, Cheddar and parmesan, Milk.
I added the sauce first, then the pasta which may have resulted in it being too hot.
Ultimately I ended up with a "soup" of cooked pasta, flavourful water and congealed lumps of cheese and shredded chicken.
I don't care what it takes, I'd like to save the food. It's a LARGE batch. In googling it, it seems the heat denatured the proteins in the cheese sauce and there's no undoing that.
My current plan is to pick out the pasta bits, drain off the watewhey and try to do something with the cheese/chicken lumps.
But what? Should I blend it? Could it become the base of a chicken-cheese soup at this point? Is it possible to get it smooth? Should I treat it like I'm making motza cheese and stretch it (it's very stretchy!) and make a chicken-cheese... loaf to then slice?

Safeway: 4x reward point items denoted with asterisk (*)
Beef T-bone steak $7.99/lb
Hass avocados or mangoes 10 for $10
Foster Farms 93/7 ground turkey buy 1 get 1
Pork sirloin chops $1.97/lb digital coupon no limit 6lb packs
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Lucerne Eggs AA Large 18ct $2.97/ea digital coupon limit 1
Yellow peaches or nectarines $2.47/lb digital coupon limit 4 lbs
Extra Jumbo raw shrimp 16-20ct $4.87/lb in a 2lb bag digital coupon limit 4
Signature select breakfast sausage 12oz $3.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Lucerne milk or open nature almond beverage 1/3 gallon $1.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Sargento shredded or sliced cheese 5-8oz $1.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Lay's potato chips or poppables 5-8oz, Miss Vickie's chips 8oz $1.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Ben & Jerry's buy 1 get 1
Gatorade 8pk 20oz $5.99
Cheerios or Cinnamon Toast Crunch 9-12oz $1.99/ea when you buy 4
*Fage Greek Yogurt 10 for $10
*Delimex frozen Taquitos 21-23oz $6.49
Mandarins 3lb bag $5 digital coupon
Signature select thick bacon $5.99/lb in a 3lb pkg digital coupon
Yoplait yogurt 4-6oz $0.49/ea digital coupon limit 12
Lucerne sour cream 16oz $1.99 digital coupon limit 4
Philadelphia cream cheese 8oz $2.49 digital coupon limit 4
Home Run Inn or Gino's East Deep Dish Pizzas $5.99/ea <-- I will vouch that I like both of these
Lucerne butter 16oz $3.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
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Deli Chicken Tenders $5/lb Friday only
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Ground Beef 80/20 $2.50/lb Friday only
M&Ms party size 34-38oz $14.99 digital coupon limit 1
Lucky:
One time digital coupon $10 off $50+ order Fri Sat Sun
Butterball ground turkey 85/15 $2.99/lb Fri Sat Sun
Wild Snowcrab clusters $6.99/lb F S S
Fresh deli French bread loaf $0.99/ea F S S
Clementines 3lb bag $2.99 F S S
Eggo Waffles 8-14oz 2 for $5 F S S
Kraft Mac n Cheese $1/box F S S
Sunnyside farms sliced, shredded, or block cheese 8oz $1.99 F S S
Assorted meat sale. Beef London Broil, Ground 85/15, Boneless bottom round roast, or Pork Tenderloins buy 1 get 1 mix n match
White baby bella mushrooms 16oz or Naturesweet, Cherubs, Constellations, or Glorys 10oz buy 1 get 1
Red, Yellow, Orange bell peppers or English cucumbers buy 1 get1
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General Mills family size cereals $3.99/ea digital coupon
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Nob Hill:
Foster Farms whole chicken $0.97/lb digital member deal limit 4
Raley's canned vegetables or beans $0.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Pringles $1.47/ea digital coupon limit 4
Barilla pasta $1.27/lb digital coupon limit 4
Barilla pasta sauce 24oz $1.97 digital coupon limit 4
Pillsbury cookie dough, monkey bread, crescent or cinnamon roll ready bake stuff $2.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Honey Bunches of Oats or Fruity Pebbles cereal $3.47/ea digital coupon limit 4
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Personal sized watermelon $2.77/ea digital coupon limit 4
Raw shrimp 41/50ct $2.97/lb in a 2lb bag digital coupon limit 2
Chobani Flip, Creations or Fage Greek yogurt $0.97/ea digital coupon limit 10
Sunnyside farms 1.5qt or Baskin Robbins 14oz ice cream $2.77/ea digital coupon limit 4
Frito-Lay party size chips $3.47/ea digital coupon limit 4
Evergood sausages 12oz $3.47 digital coupon limit 4
Red Mangoes or Hass Avocados 5 for $5 Monday only
Raley's deli ham or American cheese $5/lb Monday only
Johnsonville Brats or Italian sausage 16oz $5 Monday only limit 4
Raley's Frozen Blueberries 32oz, Raley's honey 16oz, Eggo Waffles 25.8-29.6oz $5/ea Monday only limit 4
Fritos, Cheetos, La Fortaleza tortilla chips 2 for $5 Monday only limit 4
Raley's Minced Garlic 32oz, Kraft Mac n Cheese 5pk, Delgrosso pasta sauce 26oz $5 Monday only limit 4
Smart & Final:
Foster Farms whole chickens $1.49/lb
General Mills cereals $2.49/ea when you buy 4
Frito-Lay Party Size 12.5-17oz $3.99/ea when you buy 3
First Street Premium Ice Cream 48oz $3.99/ea when you buy 2
Artesano Bread 20oz $2.49/ea digital coupon limit 4
Best Foods Mayonnaise 20-30oz $3.99/ea digital coupon limit 1
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Marie Callender's Meals or Pot Pies $2.99/ea digital coupon limit 4
Barilla Pasta 16oz $1.49/ea digital coupon limit 4
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Valbest Chicken leg quarters $0.89/lb in a 10lb bag
Evergood smoked sausage 24oz $8.99/ea
Dino nuggets 56oz $9.99/ea
Jennie-O Turkey Franks 3lb $6.49/ea
First Street Frozen vegetables 2.5lb assorted $3.79/ea
First Street bottled water 35ct 16.9oz $3.99/ea when you buy 3
Coca-Cola 24pk 12oz cans $13.88 when you buy 2
BULK M&Ms 62oz $14.99
El Super:
White Onions 3lbs for $0.99 Weds only
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White Potatoes $0.89/lb Weds only
Small Hass Avocados 3 for $).99
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Limes $0.89/lb
Gatorade 28oz 3 for $5
Cheetos or Fritos $2.99/ea when you buy 2
Honey bunches of Oats cereal $2.99/ea
Jans Jasmine Rice 4lbs $3.99/ea
Whole chicken breast $1.99/lb Sat Sun only
Chicken leg quarters $0.87/lb Thurs only
Pork neck or trotters $1.99/lb Thurs only
Mangoes 2 for $0.99
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Cantaloupes 2lbs for $0.99
Corn 2 for $0.99
Radishes 2 for $0.88
Carrots $0.69/lb
Tomatillos $0.89/lb
Strawberries 16oz 2 for $3

This is one of my favorite pages from a Japanese fan novel that I really like. The characters are reincarnated in another world, with some of them retaining memories of their past lives. Mondo is a 32-year-old carpenter, and Celeste is a high school boy recently arrested for certain illegal acts. I really like Celeste's description of the killing game, so I wanted to share it. Here is a translation:
•••
About an hour later, Oowada was visiting a certain place. He took a deep breath through his nose.
"Smells moldy," he muttered under his breath, though he wasn't sure if it was actually mold. He clicked his tongue loudly, causing a staff member in the corner, who was spreading out a notebook to record their conversation, to flinch. Oowada closed his eyes and laughed through his nose, wondering if such a timid person could handle working in a juvenile rehabilitation facility.
This was his first time visiting here as a visitor. A cramped, narrow cage that boxed everything in, isolating the boys from society. It was a place he had been confined to many times before and hated more than anything.
But even so, his safety was guaranteed. There was no way a killing game would happen here.
"It's lukewarm... no, that's how it's supposed to be," he muttered as the door opened with a cheap-sounding clatter. At that sound, he quietly opened his eyes.
Sitting with his legs spread on the hard, leather sofa, arms crossed, he watched as a beautiful boy, dressed simply in a shirt and slacks, entered the room with a straight posture. When the boy saw Oowada, he lightly tilted his head and smiled, causing his neatly trimmed long black hair to sway.
"Hello, uncle. I didn't expect you to come."
Oowada’s eyes twitched at the boy’s words, but seeing the suited facility staff who entered behind the boy, he closed his mouth.
The boy sat down across from Oowada with a low table between them, placing a hand under his chin and deepening his smile.
"It’s been a while."\ "…Yeah."\ "I was just getting bored, so I’m very glad."\ "…Yeah."\ "I thought you were hospitalized… Are you feeling alright?"\ "…Yeah."\ "So, uncle. Why the sudden visit? Did something happen?"\ "…Yeah."
As Oowada grunted in response, he glanced around the room, noting the staff in the corner and the one quietly standing guard by the door, wondering how to begin. The boy, seemingly understanding everything, smiled knowingly.
"...It seems like it might be difficult to talk like this."
Oowada raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the boy who whispered this in a low voice. At the same time, the boy raised one delicate hand, snapping his fingers lightly.
At this signal, the staff in the corner nervously, and the one by the door calmly, exited the room. Their abrupt departure made it seem like they could no longer see Oowada and the boy.
In shock, Oowada stood up from his chair.
"What the...?"
"Well, as they say, money talks," the boy said nonchalantly, brushing aside the troublesome bangs that fell over his forehead with a swift motion of his fingers.
"No matter the means, the assets I’ve accumulated have come in handy. I went through a lot, you know. Selecting useful personnel, seizing opportunities, negotiations, instructions, and so on. The fact that you’re here talking to me now is thanks to my sweat and tears."
"You made it so I could get in here by claiming I'm your family?"
"I just included potential visitors on the list. I asked them to allow visits by making up a connection within three degrees of kinship based on the visitor's age."
"Who the hell are you calling uncle, you..."
"You're my uncle. You should feel honored and act accordingly. Don't make that face like you're some relative mooching off a rich family member."
"Huh!?"
"Well, whatever. In any case, you're my first visitor. Welcome."
Ending the pointless conversation, Oowada, finding himself unsure of how to direct his emotions, clicked his tongue and looked up at the ceiling with a weary expression. Contrary to Oowada’s rough demeanor, the boy elegantly crossed his legs, lightly arching his back, and smiled mysteriously.
"So, once again. It's been a while, Oowada-kun. It's the first time we've talked properly since our past lives. A lot happened the other day, but I won't apologize. So don't expect an apology. With that out of the way... what brings you here today?"
A cramped, narrow cage for boys, cut off from society, where everything was neatly boxed up. It was a place he had been confined to many times before and had hated more than anything.
However, in the hands of Celestia Ludenberg, it seemed even such a cage could transform into a modest mansion with servants. Oowada, leaning back on the sofa and tilting his head back, exhaled deeply in exasperation.
What followed was a strange silence. Even though he had been asked why he was here, Oowada didn’t immediately respond. No, he couldn’t respond.
Torn between the hesitation of how to start the conversation and whether he should even talk, his thoughts bounced back and forth. Watching Oowada intently, Celeste shrugged slightly.
"Well, there’s no use rushing. By the way, Oowada-kun, when it comes to visits, one expects gifts. Did you bring something?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
As if he had just remembered, Oowada pulled out something from the pocket of his jacket that he had bought from a vending machine on the way here and placed it on the table. What was scalding hot when he bought it had now cooled to a lukewarm temperature.
"Luxurious Royal Milk Tea. Made with plenty of first-pick Uva tea. The smoothness of Hokkaido cream enhances the flavor. Enjoy a luxurious moment."
Celeste glanced at the so-called luxurious moment that cost 120 yen from a vending machine with a blank expression. Nevertheless, he muttered a thank you in a monotonous voice and reached for the pull tab. The expression on his face clearly read, "Are you kidding me, you piece of shit," but Oowada ignored it.
"Well then, until you're ready to talk, how about listening to what I have to say?"
Taking a sip of the Royal Milk Tea and making a noticeably displeased face, Celeste continued in a calm tone. Oowada didn’t mind. He nodded with just his eyes, and Celeste placed his fingertips on his cheek and looked up at the ceiling.
"At that academy, the mastermind... No, now that I remember, I can say for sure... The detailed and elaborate preparations of that rotten bitch Enoshima created an environment that made killing almost inevitable."
The sudden start of the unexpected topic made Oowada frown, unable to read his intentions.
"For example, the situation was based on several psychological theories. As I explained a few times at that school... no, with that corn-head of yours, you might not remember, so let me explain again."
"Huh? Are you picking a fight with me?"
"The prisoner's dilemma."
Ignoring Oowada's words with a calm expression, Celeste continued without even glancing at him.
"Additionally... the zero-sum game. Moreover, due to unconsciously recognizing a hierarchical relationship between the mastermind and themselves, there might have been effects similar to the results of the Milgram experiment."
"…Could you explain it in a way I can understand?"
"You don’t need to understand the theories themselves. To put it simply, as I said before, 'The mastermind created an environment that made us psychologically prone to committing atrocities.'"
Taking another sip of the Royal Milk Tea and making another dissatisfied face, he placed the half-finished can on the table and looked back at Oowada.
"This is just a psychological theory. But now, let’s bring in a sociological theory and consider this: 'Why don’t people commit crimes?'"
The emphasized words sent a chill down Oowada’s spine, and he rubbed his arms.
"Let’s start with an extreme example. Living beings act according to their desires. A lion would hunt a rabbit if it appeared before it, regardless of hunger. Humans are the same. So, 'Why don’t people commit crimes?' …What do you think?"
"If someone killed every person they passed on the street, they’d just be a lunatic."
"That's not an answer."
"Well, normal people wouldn’t do that. Even if we’re animals, humans are different from beasts."
"Exactly. Simply put, 'People don’t commit crimes because they possess social or psychological self-control.' …Of course, it also depends on their living environment, so it’s not a theory that applies to everyone. For instance, someone like Genocide Jack."
Crossing his legs, Celeste took a breath and said,
"There is a theory called the 'social bond theory' that considers the reasons why humans don't commit crimes."
"Huh?"
Once again, the conversation entered a more specialized field, making Oowada raise his voice in irritation.
"What about it?"
"This theory considers four main aspects as 'bonds,' and when these bonds break, crimes occur."
"So?"
"First, the first one."
Pointing a natural, though unusually long nail at Oowada, he stopped him from interrupting. The sudden action made Oowada freeze, his cheek twitching.
"First, there’s belief… essentially a sense of morality. This bond ties into the psychological aspect I mentioned earlier. In that environment, 'murder was deemed acceptable.' Thus, the feeling that 'murder is absolutely wrong' diminished, whether consciously or unconsciously."
The finger pointed at Oowada increased to two. Moreover, the finger, which had been aimed at his nose, was now directed straight at his eyes, as if ready to poke them.
"Next, the second. Involvement. In other words... let's see. If there was something to be indulged in, especially something healthy like sports, there would be no time to commit crimes. In that space, with few given entertainments and plenty of time to kill each day, who knows when someone might plot something wicked?"
"...You mean yourself."
"There's no guarantee that someone like me wasn't there after I died. Now, the third. Commitment. Risk and reward, let's say. Is it worth committing a crime even at the cost of everything one has built? Rationally thinking, it may be worthless, but in that space, in that situation, it was the ultimate reward. There's no need to explain what that is."
Moving away from Oowada, he leaned back against the uncomfortable chair, slightly waving the three fingers beside his cheek.
"...Graduation, huh."
"Yes. There was a bonus for me, but let's leave that aside. Now, the fourth. This is the main point."
Holding up four fingers in front of his face, Celeste's expression became somber.
"Attachment. It’s about family, friends, and companions. Surrounded by people who act morally, one wouldn’t commit crimes. They wouldn’t. That is, if 'the people in that space were such close individuals.'"
A gulp sounded from Oowada’s throat. His sharp eyes widened.
"...There wouldn’t have been any killing?"
"I can’t say for certain. But if it were me..."
Breathing out faintly, Celeste shook his head gently. Oowada, sharing similar sentiments, lowered his eyes.
By now, talking about "what ifs" and "if onlys" wouldn't grant them forgiveness.
"...Hey, our memories were erased to make the killing game more likely. We understand that, but..."
"...Let's add one more thing. 'What if, after committing murder, we regained our memories?'... What would happen?"
"!"
That was their current situation exactly.
"Impossible, right? Even if Junko Enoshima had planned that far ahead… I don't remember anything like so from 'that world.' There's no way that bitch could control reincarnation or anything so godlike."
"...In other words."
"In other words, this situation is an 'unforeseen despair' even for Enoshima. Realizing the person you killed was a close friend, a dear classmate, a loved one… is a despair beyond imagining."
Celeste suddenly leaned closer to Oowada, their faces inches apart, his crimson irises intense. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Oowada didn't move, captivated, listening intently to his alto voice.
"The person they killed... was someone they had spent two years with, a dear classmate, a friend with whom they laughed together, someone they had feelings for. Isn't that despairing?"
Oowada swallowed loudly.
"...I understand why you're here."
After staring at each other from such a close distance, Celeste slowly moved away and looked down at the seated Oowada.
"It's about Kuwata-kun, isn't it?"

I’m really bad at making home made boba but I’m still gonna try anyways. Thinking of buying a boba recipe book. I want to have it boba shop styled if you know what I mean.

People! This is it. It is so soft and squishy without being gummy or overly delicate. I am blown away.
https://www.letthemeatgfcake.com/gluten-free-sandwich-bread-recipe/
A couple of notes if you want this to work: 1. You have to use her bread flour blend if you want it to work. No other flour blend will work the same way. Superfine rice flour also makes a huge difference in the blend (Bob’s Red Mill is really quite coarse). 2. If you want to use dairy-free milk, use fortified soy milk. This is what I used and it works beautifully. Anything else is basically water; soy milk has comparable protein, fat, and sugar compared to cow’s milk. Oat milk may be the only other possible option but I wouldn’t expect results as great as this. 3. Using a second pan of the same size on top of the bread pan to trap the steam was a game changer. She describes the method on her page, but it basically created a structured guide for the loaf to rise so impressively. 4. Checking the internal temperature was incredibly helpful. You absolutely have to let it cool 100% before cutting it because the bread is still cooking/setting up.
I make GF bread for my partner all the time but this is the first time I genuinely thought okay, this is pretty close to the real thing. It’s easily twice the size of a store-bought frozen loaf.
Happy Baking Everyone!

Amazing meal from start to finish. The meal itself as explained by GM Takaaki-san is based in Kaiseki tradition but with a sort of French lens.
https://preview.redd.it/ehi4kd9b020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=34d0072b39429ba4b4d6aa7b5739bb4a929fceab
https://preview.redd.it/674bkntc020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edae896ab51d0382a869229563ad380267173939
https://preview.redd.it/b0l3ygsd020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cee947b17038137476f5983d19fecc1f9f9fe3f1
The meal started with a cocktail, vegetable crisps and a tofu sour cream. Already off to a great start. The sour cream was nicely tart and played well with the vegetable crisps while the cocktail helped reset the palate. The sour cream would come into play later as it would become the replacement for butter compared to other dining experiences with bread service.
https://preview.redd.it/jxz4cjca020d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba81c4db646500bfe6e33172e9055f1b3e6e7981
https://preview.redd.it/paw8bbp9020d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=468aeed536e0ebf0e7504e01e276674e5865f36b
Next up is a clam risotto with boton ebi, solieria pacifica seaweed, peas and caviar. Again, great dish with interplay between hot and cold. The rice is what you would expect from risotto, but it sort of reminded me of Japanese congee.
https://preview.redd.it/j7tjpimf020d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=346abeac2afe30cd8d611475114f515302a71c61
Salad is up next. It's a garden salad - some parts seemed to be raw while others have been just lightly cooked then shocked in ice water. There was a salt that was interspaced throughout the dish. Floral, hints of acid, and some pepperiness make for another good dish.
https://preview.redd.it/z8ywduoh020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a38caa210f2ad8d62a5da3194470eb995dfe0c8
Then, the turnip dish that everyone talks about when they think of L'Effervescence. I honestly had my expectations low, but I'm glad that they actually crushed it. I never knew how good a turnip could taste. It was nicely charred and as you bite into it, natural sweetness from the turnip comes out. Parsley sauce and small bits of biroche make for interesting flavor and texture combinations.
https://preview.redd.it/qxd585ri020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b18ff0eaa438a0c34045a1d3e2911513e16b198
Poached long-tooth groupeKue is up next. This time it's with sansai/mountain vegetables and a sabayon sauce. The bitterness of the sansai and richness of the sabayon interplayed well.
https://preview.redd.it/q94ihqyj020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=12f9b581f9475509054927e11ad945cf724e6ec6
I messed up here. In my eagerness to dive into the next dish, I cut off the asparagus tips before I remembered to take a picture (still beating myself up for that). The main is wood-fired duck breast with red wine sauce and asparagus. Duck was cooked to a nice medium rare and they crushed the sauce work for both the asparagus and red wine sauce.
https://preview.redd.it/vly4ia2m020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2da7178b0ce0aab7de2eeba6de948fb0fcad988
Following the main is duck thigh ravioli with butterbur sprouts/fukinoto in a duck consomme. A nice way to close out the savory dishes.
https://preview.redd.it/m198a3an020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5cd0703fdd4863f6a87a4c51a7cf49fa2a14a946
Next up is cheese. These cheeses are from different parts of Japan, so I just ended up picking all of them.
https://preview.redd.it/u7iobn8o020d1.jpg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=099c6a22ca075d427e168a539219c856108f4b7d
For the dessert, a strawberry dessert. Tochiaika straberries, "sakura" cheese mousse, apricot-stone ice cream, white chocolate and herbs. Probably the most photogenic dessert that I've seen yet. Hate to use the cliche, but I really didn't want to destroy this work of art. The strawberries offered a nice sweet tartness with the mousse and ice cream, while the herbs sort of gave it a bit of savoriness.
https://preview.redd.it/aqf6asdp020d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b053ef055344ed6e841b24778a7f9dd0b5632d8f
Then, the petit fours, or in this case, petit sixes. Bergamot and chamomile chous, peanut financier, hazelnut mont blanc, japanese mugwort mochi, kumquat and nigori-sake crystal, chocolate and dry ginger cracker.
https://preview.redd.it/bjku319q020d1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b92ec498e3aff34b72d915b741ebc20cb33c31a
To end it all, a special drink called "world peace" and matcha - a fitting end.
https://preview.redd.it/y2ak2a3r020d1.jpg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=13aa3fd87bcfb05a1e59f2d71a53b248a0d8a054
https://preview.redd.it/fhhh9qjs020d1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=426dd834510cf1dbe1dd876419952d1271553602
I had an amazing time at L'Effervescence and I'm sure I'll be back whenever I'm in town again.

Pick out 2 to start a conversation with me

1. Would you rather accidentally send a naughty picture to your dad or your boss?
2. Would you rather give up sex or give up food?
3. Would you rather walk in on your parents having sex or have them walk in on you having sex?
4. Would you rather be stuck in a phone box with ten snakes or ten tarantulas?
5. Would you rather say your ex's name during sex or your partner's best friend's name
   
6. Would you rather have your name tattooed on your forehead or have no front teeth?
   
7. Would you rather let a crusty old man drink milk out of your belly button every day for a year or drink milk out of a crusty old man's belly button every day for a month?
   
8. Would you rather fight a kangaroo or a badger?
   
9. Would you rather eat a wet loaf of bread or drink a pint of whipped fish?
   
10. Would you rather live in a world where you dance instead of walk or sing instead of talk?
    
11. Would you rather share a bed with a walrus or an eel?
    

Hi everyone,
We are heading to Japan in Feb 2025 to catch the winter festival in Hokkaido and make our way down to Tokyo. We have been to Japan several times, and always enjoy the food, scenic landscapes (especially the snow), and exploring the cities - less big on the temples!
Here is the plan currently:
Feb 1: Land in Sapporo late, head to hotel (Odori) and rest
Feb 2-6: Sapporo. This seems like a fair amount of time, but we're fairly relaxed travellers and I'm wary of the weather throwing off our plans. Activities include:

• Day trip to Otaru (will be before the light festival)
• Day trip to Sapporo Teine for skiing
• Snow festival begins February 4, would like to visit all the sites
• Other days for Nijo Market, Snowmobile land, beer factory, milk mura, TV tower, historical village. We would also usually do a food tour but I haven't researched this yet.
• Possible trip the Asahikawa but again, wary of getting stuck due to snow

Feb 6-7: Noboribetsu. We are kind of ambivalent about onsens, but we did go to Mikurigaike Onsen previously and enjoyed the general vibe so might give it a go.

• Bus from Sapporo Station to Daiichi Takimotokan Hotel
• Enjoy onsen hotel and surrounds (Hell Valley)

Feb 7-9: Hakodate

• Train to Hakodate
• Mountain view/ropeway
• Asaichi market
• Fort Goryokaku
• I think fireworks will be on Feb 8 (saturday)

Feb 9-10: Aomori

• Train to Aomori
• Nebuta Warasse Museum
• Fish market
• I think the Hirasaki Snow Lantern Festival will be on, but I'm not sure if it is worth going out there in the evening?

Feb 10-12: Sendai

• Train to Sendai
• Sendai Castle, Zuihoden, Aoba Shrine and Daikanon
• Matsushima Bay

Feb 12-14: Tokyo

• Train back to tokyo, chill in hotel, eat some good food

Any thoughts? If needed we could just spend a night in Tokyo instead of 2 and add another night somewhere else. We are going to travel by train if there's any other stops people recommend in addition/instead of the above. I had a brief look at the Ginzan Onsen but it seems like too far of a detour. Any advice is much appreciated!!