Runn Tum Tuber Surprise

Here's where this gets fun: investigative WoW cooking. This Runn Tum Tuber Surprise was a special request from my friend and fellow game crafter Angel Mel.  The recipe has only one ingredient, Runn Tum Tubers.  I thought, is that a potato?

So I looked up the item and it looks like...  A parsnip? I think it's a parsnip. Yup.  Definitely parsnipish.  AND then I thought, what's so surprising about a parsnip?  I proceeded to look that up too, and I found out that the completed Tuber Surprise looks like soup.  That's a boring surprise if you ask me...

My parsnips... about to meet their doom.

So what kind of soup-ish thing has a bunch of veggies and looks sort of like that?  Minestrone!  A minestrone is the most versatile and delicious kind of soup to make.  You can customize what vegetables you want, based on what you like.  You just need to pick some of each of the following categories.

1. Slow veggies: beets, parsnips, potatoes, turnips
2. Medium veggies: green beans, turnip greens, mustard greens, green savoy cabbage, kale, chard, collards
3. Fast veggies: broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, basil, parsley, mushrooms, peas, bell pepper, squash
4. Small pasta: ditalini, anellini rings, tubettini, orzo

What a lot of chopping!

Basically, a minestrone is just a vegetable soup.  I like to add Italian sausage to make it a little heartier, but you can omit it if you'd like.  You add ingredients in order of how long they take to cook.  Here's the basic formula:  First, make your aromatic base out of spices, carrots, celery, and onions.  Add stock and "slow" veggies, boil 10 minutes.  Add "medium" veggies, boil 10 minutes.  Add pasta, beans, and "fast" veggies, boil 10 minutes.  Yes, it is that easy...  The hardest part is picking out which vegetables you want!  Below is the recipe for my favorite combination.

Runn Tum Tuber Surprise

     1 16 oz. package Italian sausage
     2 Tbsp. olive oil
     1 onion, chopped
     2 carrots, diced
     1 celery stalk, diced
     2 cloves garlic, minced
     1/2 tsp. each of dried thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, oregano, and sage
     2 bay leaves
     5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
     2 parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
     1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
     1/2 cup orzo pasta
     2 cups fresh or frozen chopped spinach
     1 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
     1 large tomato, diced
     Salt and pepper

Prepare vegetables. In a large soup pot, brown sausage over medium heat. Remove sausage, then add olive oil to your pan. Add onion, carrots, celery, spices, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes. Add stock, parsnips, and any other "slow" vegetables. Bring to a low boil, and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally. If you're using "medium" vegetables and sausage, add them. Boil for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the cannellini, orzo, spinach, zucchini, tomato, and any other "fast" veggies. Boil for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove your bay leaves. Serve with bread sticks, and garnish with Parmesan and your favorite fresh herbs. Serves 6.

Please note that the type and age of a stove and the quality of a pan can change the way your food cooks, and subsequently increase or decrease your cooking times. If your minestrone starts to look like a stew, add more stock or water. If your veggies are not cooked enough, just cook it longer!

Talfuris's Puddin

In honor of a friend, here's a quick, easy way to make homemade custard pudding using ingredients everyone should have in their kitchen. So maybe it's not an actual WoW food, but it should be...

Puddin

      1/3 cup sugar
      2 Tbsp. cornstarch
      2 cups milk
      2 egg yolks
      2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
      1 tsp. vanilla extract

Put all of the ingredients except the vanilla into a blender. Be sure to sprinkle the cornstarch in, as it is prone to clumping if you just dump it in. Blend for one minute. Pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a low boil. Add vanilla, then continue to stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl. Place in your fridge for at least an hour until fully set.

You can modify this to suit your taste. Just before serving, fold in a cup of chopped bananas, berries, or your favorite cookie. If you want chocolate, add chocolate shavings to the blender. Heck, you can even use Splenda. It's totally up to you. 

Puddin.

Herb Baked Eggs

In honor of Easter (and of the bazillion eggs that are in our refrigerator) I decided to try my hand at making a version of the Herb Baked Egg.  DH loves eggs, and we make this often.  This recipe yields a delicious dish for the two of us.  Don't worry, it's flat out level 1 in the game, and incredibly easy in real life too!

Herb Baked Eggs

      1/4 tsp. each of garlic, thyme, parsley, and rosemary
      2 Tbsp. cheddar cheese
      6 eggs
      2 Tbsp. cooking cream or half & half
      1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
      Salt
      Pepper

Preheat broiler on low. Combine minced fresh herbs and set aside. This may seem weird, but do it anyways: crack the eggs into two different small bowls, three eggs each. Be very careful not to break the yolks! Place two ramekins on a baking pan. Place 1 Tbsp. of cream and 1/2 Tbsp. of butter in each. Place the pan 6 inches under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until the cream is bubbling. Remove pan and quickly (but careful not to splash!) pour your three eggs into each ramekin. Sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture and add some salt and pepper. Place the baking pan back under the broiler for 6 minutes, or until the egg whites are mostly cooked. Remove, add cheese, and allow to set for 1 minute before serving (the eggs will continue to cook). Serve with toast or biscuits.

Most of all, don't forget to play around with the herbs and cheese. I use this combo because I have them growing fresh in my garden, but dried herbs are perfectly fine too. Maybe you want chives and cheddar? Dab in some salsa? Sprinkle on some chopped cooked bacon? With this easy recipe you can experiment and find the perfect taste for you!

Chocolate Cookies

I'm going to start off on an easy one...  These are a huge hit, and they never last long around my house.  Level 80 Chocolate Cookies! Just try not to eat too many of them, okay?

Chocolate Cookies

      1 cup softened butter
      1 1/2 cups white sugar
      2 eggs
      2 tsp. vanilla extract
      2 cups flour
      2/3 cup cocoa powder
      3/4 tsp. baking soda
      1/2 tsp. salt
      Optional cookie mix-ins, like chocolate chips or candied fruits

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. If desired, mix in your mix-ins! Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.  Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased baking pans. Bake at 350 F, for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges of the cookies are firm. Cool on wire racks.

Optional: You can also roll the dough into one-inch balls, and place them on the cookie sheet. Flatten them with the back of a fork, and then sprinkle the top of the cookies in colored decorator's sugar.  

Stash these in your cookie jar or other air-tight container.  If you're really getting your game craft on, try using red sugar, candies, or chocolates to make cookies for the Horde!  

Hello everyone!

Let me introduce myself.   I'm a crafty normal woman with a normal sort of life.  Sewing, cooking, and crafting are my "me-time" activities.  BUT I also love to play in the world of video games, and my favorite is World of Warcraft*.  Yeah, yeah... nerdy.  It just so fun!  Where else can one encounter dragons and demons whenever one chooses?

Anyways, lately I've been hunting for some type of blog or DIY site that has video-game based projects on it.  Turns out that there aren't too many...  I dare you, search for video game sewing projects or WoW recipes.  I don't cosplay, and I don't want a game-guide to level up my cooking skills.  I want real-life projects that are simply game-inspired!

So here I am.  I'm going to attempt to create some game-related projects and recipes for all of my fellow game-crafters out there.  PLEASE let me know if there are any specific projects you would like to see here!  I love sewing, so if you actually do cosplay, let me know.  I'd be more than happy to help with that too!

I'm new to this blogging thing...  I know everyone out there has a life that they have to deal with too.  If I'm slow on posts or projects, have patience!  Also, my camera is pretty feisty, so my photos will be slow coming from time to time.  Please bear with me!  This will be an adventure for both of us...

Peace and love, 'til next time.

*©2004 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. World of Warcraft, Warcraft and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.