Lately, I've really been enjoying Lemmy and posts like this. All of it makes me feel like I'm still able to surf the web like I did 5-10+ years ago, interacting with other humans on the Internet in passing rather than a botnet like so many other popular sites.
I'm also a huge fan of cable management. I love the process of cleaning up my home/office to blend devices into the space.
Yeah.... About that.... I cook on a more conceptual level than a recipe level (not trying to sound smart, quite the opposite, it's laziness lol)... From what I read people saying about baking being so precise it's a wonder anything I make actually comes out good lol
It's basically a simple yeast risen dough with a bunch of sugar as well. I use bread flour instead of all purpose as it retains more water and ends up softer. The "pretzelness" comes from a baking soda & water bath you give them before adding salt and baking. Just add some baking soda to hot water and toss them in it for a few seconds or so. From what I understand, the more basic the solution the better so people used to use Lye, but that's kinda dangerous and baking soda does the trick.
This is the recipe I used to get the gist of making pretzels I just don't twist them into pretzels I make rolls out of the dough.
I think there's some AI nonsense going on in the beginning there because it calls out baking soda as a leavening agent but that's not what it's being used for in this recipe.
Baking soda is too weak. As far as I know they use sodium hydroxide in bakeries, which is kind of dangerous because it can cause serious burns on the skin. You can bake your baking soda to make the solution slightly more alkaline but it will still be a lot weaker than the stuff that's used commercially.
Sitting on the porch in the middle of the night in October/November. With a blanket. Or any other cooler month.
People don't realize. That yes. You can bring a blanket outside. To your porch.
And no one is around at 3 am and it's so silent and eerie. And perfect. Even in the city, there is way less people. But outside the city it's dead silent. Like everyone disappeared.
It feels... Different than the rest of the time.
3-4 am is the most interesting hour of the day.
Try it next time you wake up with a full bladder in the middle of the night. Or have insomnia. Don't go back to bed. Instead Grab your blanket. Step outside.
I'll think of that, thanks for the suggestion! in december 24 after Chido hit we had no AC or ventilation so I slept on the roof for a week or so. It was full moon, and I've never slept so well before or since
So basically what happens is you are at your most creative when your brain goes into the "default mode network". Which can (simplified) be described as loose, undirected thought. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network
For instance while showering. Taking the dog for a walk. Sitting in traffic.
It can be any time when your mind wanders aimlessly.
The reason this increases creativity and unique problem solving is because when we intentionally direct our thinking, we box ourselves in with related concepts already associated with the idea we are working on.
To truly think unconventionally with more unique creativity, one has to stop thinking of the issue intentionally yet still have the goal of that problem in the unconscious.
It's a difficult state to get to intentionally unless you know how your own mind works and can put yourself into an unfocused mindset intentionally.
Explaining a problem to another person can sometimes re conceptualize a problem and help solve it.
But being in a "mentally unconstrained" state is also very helpful.
I can say I often have some of my best ideas for projects or solutions to things I've been working on , as I'm falling asleep. To the point I have to get up and write things down all the time.
High quality ideas.
Another pattern is people can also have a lot of creative ideas when procrastinating from a task they don't want to do.
The task at hand looms and the mind distracts itself by mind wandering. Increasing aha! moments.
The one I’m using now is part of a batch of 4 that I found in the trash at my workplace. It’s a big Cherry G-80 which linear, non-clicky black switches.
Its a very simple, old-school “aged” white keyboard, with some marks still from mistreatment, probably when throwing away.
Typing is delicious. The keys offer a satisfying resistance until they bottom out. They register the press before that point though. They never miss, and can be silent or somewhat musical, depending on the fingers attack.
Coffee. Cliché, I know, and I’m not even talking about the watching-James-Hoffman-videos-before-prepping-my-4000-dollar-espresso-machine type of habit. Just the few minutes of preparing a cup the way I like it, and finding a quiet couple of minutes to drink it.
If you want to save money while still drinking "prepping-my-4000-dollar-espresso-machine"
Espresso (or depending on skill sometimes even better), I can absolutely recommend the Cafélat Robot.
I WFH, so once I get everyone else out the door I take 10 min to sit on the back porch to drink my coffee. I don’t bring my phone or anything else. Just my coffee.
Fixing things. Doesn't matter what it is, but I find deep fulfillment and satisfaction in taking something that is seemingly beyond rescue and bringing it humming back to life with nothing but a wrench and a little hard work.
aha ! I've just recently discovered the joys of getting slightly stoned in the wilderness. Last time on my way back, during rainy season, I found the path blocked by a huge zebu. Bit stressful for me, I had to dig into the bush for a way around
just the usual platitudes 😅 "moo, I'm a zebu". lol thanks buddy, I noticed. "moo, moss covers all, the edges of this kingdom may be dulled but in time it will rise again from the forest and swallow men, then we will chant as one... moo".
yea yea buddy
Sour Dough Bread baking.
I discovered it as a hobby beginning of the year and have baked a bread pretty much every weekend since.
First of all it's really nice to eat a slice of your own bread. Slowly but surely realizing that you actually know what your doing is also really rewarding.
From water absorption to gluten development and fermentation, not to mentioned the tons of different types of breads and flours and how they differ and the endless possibilities by throwing in seeds, herbs and spices or even chesses.
Not OP, but just a heads up to not get overwhelmed. Find the simplest instructions and start there.
Making a sourdough loaf is basically simple once you understand that you're growing yeast from the flour and activating it (starter).
Making the best sourdough loaf is complicated as fuck, and it's as much art/talent as it is science. This is where I suck at it.
But dont get bogged down with complicated hydration and shit at first -- just find a reliable starter recipe, grow it, and then bake a lop-sided, flatter than youd like but delicious loaf of bread.
I got into it because of a random YouTube video of baguette making being recommended to me, but (real) baguette probably isn't the best place to start.
The video was by Gluten Morgen, here is a different one that's probably a better beginner video.
Don't start with Sour Dough. Make a couple of breads using yeast to see if you enjoy the process. If you do, you can easily make your own sour dough starter, but it will probably take a week or two until it is active enough to make proper Sour Dough.
The 'poolish' or 'biga' yeast methods are similar to how you would work with sour dough, by making a small preferment with just a dash of yeast (the main difference between the two is country of origin and water content).
You then let it sit and ferment for 4-6 hrs (room temp, or 12+ hrs in fridge) before making the main dough.
I've mostly been watching a different channel recently (Einfach Backen mit Marcel Paa), but the content is in german, so probably not for most people here. He has multiple videos a week of all kinds of bread styles and I use it a lot as inspiration.
A beginner tip, hold back 10-15% of the water content. How much water the flour can absorb is really dependent on the quality of the flour.
A lot of the Bread Content Creators use really high quality flour that can hold a lot of water, but your super market flour probably can't match it.
Only add more water if you feel the dough is really tough and/or dense.
Lower Hydration Dough is also much less sticky and easier to work with and can still create awesome bread.
I'd say its relaxing.
No need to panic, even if nothing works out it'll still be bread. It might be flat or dense or whatever, but it'll still be perfectly edible and taste great. I've had my fair share of failed experiments, but you usually come out the other side with at least an idea of what went wrong and how to do it better next time.
A simple, but guilty pleasure of mine is reading HackerNews story titles (and titles only, most of the time), and tooting sarcastic reactions about them. It's very therapeutic. (And for easier browsing, I made a HN-like website (read-only) for said toots of mine).
Sitting at the beach of the Baltic sea in early spring or late fall when its too cold for the other beach folks, kept warm by my decades old leather biker gear and a bit of whiskey.
Walking on the beach off season. Mid-spring, when it's getting warmer and the beach area still didn't attract the crowds or mid-fall, when it's mildly chill and calm.
I love spending time at mmy atelier be it working in my art, arranging my different art materials, chatting with other felllow artists who also have their spaces in the same antique buillding as me.♥️
Chicken and blood sausages are historically for people looking to save some dough, but I find them very comforting & prefer them to almost anything else. Weed with Wife is always a big hit. I don't really need much going on.
Gardening
Is your friend alright?
He looks too skinny.
Lately, I've really been enjoying Lemmy and posts like this. All of it makes me feel like I'm still able to surf the web like I did 5-10+ years ago, interacting with other humans on the Internet in passing rather than a botnet like so many other popular sites.
I'm also a huge fan of cable management. I love the process of cleaning up my home/office to blend devices into the space.
Hear me out. Have you ever tried naps?
Making and eating pretzel bread.
It's a very temporary simple pleasure, because then I go to my doctor for a checkup and get sad because of all the pretzel bread lol
Do you have a recipe? I've never made it, but I do enjoy pretzels so maybe I'd like it 🤷♂️
Yeah.... About that.... I cook on a more conceptual level than a recipe level (not trying to sound smart, quite the opposite, it's laziness lol)... From what I read people saying about baking being so precise it's a wonder anything I make actually comes out good lol
It's basically a simple yeast risen dough with a bunch of sugar as well. I use bread flour instead of all purpose as it retains more water and ends up softer. The "pretzelness" comes from a baking soda & water bath you give them before adding salt and baking. Just add some baking soda to hot water and toss them in it for a few seconds or so. From what I understand, the more basic the solution the better so people used to use Lye, but that's kinda dangerous and baking soda does the trick.
This is the recipe I used to get the gist of making pretzels I just don't twist them into pretzels I make rolls out of the dough.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24272/buttery-soft-pretzels/
I think there's some AI nonsense going on in the beginning there because it calls out baking soda as a leavening agent but that's not what it's being used for in this recipe.
Baking soda is too weak. As far as I know they use sodium hydroxide in bakeries, which is kind of dangerous because it can cause serious burns on the skin. You can bake your baking soda to make the solution slightly more alkaline but it will still be a lot weaker than the stuff that's used commercially.
Finding some downtime to just lie down with my cats and cuddle them
Also coffee
Mmm, yes.. coffee. Every day. ☕✨
Love cats and miss having one, too. I imagine how nice it is to just relax and be with them.
Sitting on the porch in the middle of the night in October/November. With a blanket. Or any other cooler month.
People don't realize. That yes. You can bring a blanket outside. To your porch.
And no one is around at 3 am and it's so silent and eerie. And perfect. Even in the city, there is way less people. But outside the city it's dead silent. Like everyone disappeared.
It feels... Different than the rest of the time.
3-4 am is the most interesting hour of the day.
Try it next time you wake up with a full bladder in the middle of the night. Or have insomnia. Don't go back to bed. Instead Grab your blanket. Step outside.
I'll think of that, thanks for the suggestion! in december 24 after Chido hit we had no AC or ventilation so I slept on the roof for a week or so. It was full moon, and I've never slept so well before or since
Maybe you should just sleep on the roof?
it's impractical for a number of other reasons, but yes, it's a good idea. When I build my house I'll make sure there is a dedicated space
I find that my best writing happens within those hours. It is, after all, the witching hour.
There is actually some science to this phenomenon of creativity.
It's called "aha!". That's the actual technical term in psychology research. With the explanation point. Aka "eureka moments."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_effect
So basically what happens is you are at your most creative when your brain goes into the "default mode network". Which can (simplified) be described as loose, undirected thought.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_mode_network
For instance while showering. Taking the dog for a walk. Sitting in traffic. It can be any time when your mind wanders aimlessly.
The reason this increases creativity and unique problem solving is because when we intentionally direct our thinking, we box ourselves in with related concepts already associated with the idea we are working on.
To truly think unconventionally with more unique creativity, one has to stop thinking of the issue intentionally yet still have the goal of that problem in the unconscious.
It's a difficult state to get to intentionally unless you know how your own mind works and can put yourself into an unfocused mindset intentionally.
Explaining a problem to another person can sometimes re conceptualize a problem and help solve it.
But being in a "mentally unconstrained" state is also very helpful.
I can say I often have some of my best ideas for projects or solutions to things I've been working on , as I'm falling asleep. To the point I have to get up and write things down all the time.
High quality ideas.
Another pattern is people can also have a lot of creative ideas when procrastinating from a task they don't want to do.
The task at hand looms and the mind distracts itself by mind wandering. Increasing aha! moments.
Typing on a mechanical keyboard.
Care to elaborate? I tried mechanicals and they feel loud and clunky to me.
The one I’m using now is part of a batch of 4 that I found in the trash at my workplace. It’s a big Cherry G-80 which linear, non-clicky black switches.
Its a very simple, old-school “aged” white keyboard, with some marks still from mistreatment, probably when throwing away.
Typing is delicious. The keys offer a satisfying resistance until they bottom out. They register the press before that point though. They never miss, and can be silent or somewhat musical, depending on the fingers attack.
It’s truly a simple pleasure to type on it!
Coffee. Cliché, I know, and I’m not even talking about the watching-James-Hoffman-videos-before-prepping-my-4000-dollar-espresso-machine type of habit. Just the few minutes of preparing a cup the way I like it, and finding a quiet couple of minutes to drink it.
If you want to save money while still drinking "prepping-my-4000-dollar-espresso-machine" Espresso (or depending on skill sometimes even better), I can absolutely recommend the Cafélat Robot.
Having a clean living space
Painting my nails. Self-care and temporary, wearable art all in one go.
I WFH, so once I get everyone else out the door I take 10 min to sit on the back porch to drink my coffee. I don’t bring my phone or anything else. Just my coffee.
Opening the blinds in the morning. My cat and I both bask in the sun for a few seconds before continuing with our day.
Fixing things. Doesn't matter what it is, but I find deep fulfillment and satisfaction in taking something that is seemingly beyond rescue and bringing it humming back to life with nothing but a wrench and a little hard work.
I love taking things apart and putting them back together broken or not. 9 times out of 10 all fixing is is doing that and cleaning in the middle
walking in a forest during fall with a little weed in my system
aha ! I've just recently discovered the joys of getting slightly stoned in the wilderness. Last time on my way back, during rainy season, I found the path blocked by a huge zebu. Bit stressful for me, I had to dig into the bush for a way around
I'll have some of whatever you were smoking!
What did the zebu say to you? Did it impart any wisdom?
just the usual platitudes 😅 "moo, I'm a zebu". lol thanks buddy, I noticed. "moo, moss covers all, the edges of this kingdom may be dulled but in time it will rise again from the forest and swallow men, then we will chant as one... moo".
yea yea buddy
Using a wire continuity tester, and hearing that sweet beep.
Watching the garbage trucks do their thing, lever door handles instead of knobs, watching the sunset/sunrise and local wildlife, taking a nap
Bothering a cat. But in the loving way where they eye squish at you.
I also like homemade soft bread. So soft! So squishy! Delicious!
Sour Dough Bread baking. I discovered it as a hobby beginning of the year and have baked a bread pretty much every weekend since. First of all it's really nice to eat a slice of your own bread. Slowly but surely realizing that you actually know what your doing is also really rewarding. From water absorption to gluten development and fermentation, not to mentioned the tons of different types of breads and flours and how they differ and the endless possibilities by throwing in seeds, herbs and spices or even chesses.
Do you have any recommendations were to start with this, it's been on my list for far too long ^^
Not OP, but just a heads up to not get overwhelmed. Find the simplest instructions and start there.
Making a sourdough loaf is basically simple once you understand that you're growing yeast from the flour and activating it (starter).
Making the best sourdough loaf is complicated as fuck, and it's as much art/talent as it is science. This is where I suck at it.
But dont get bogged down with complicated hydration and shit at first -- just find a reliable starter recipe, grow it, and then bake a lop-sided, flatter than youd like but delicious loaf of bread.
I got into it because of a random YouTube video of baguette making being recommended to me, but (real) baguette probably isn't the best place to start.
The video was by Gluten Morgen, here is a different one that's probably a better beginner video.
https://youtu.be/VOBBO-UG0uI
Don't start with Sour Dough. Make a couple of breads using yeast to see if you enjoy the process. If you do, you can easily make your own sour dough starter, but it will probably take a week or two until it is active enough to make proper Sour Dough. The 'poolish' or 'biga' yeast methods are similar to how you would work with sour dough, by making a small preferment with just a dash of yeast (the main difference between the two is country of origin and water content). You then let it sit and ferment for 4-6 hrs (room temp, or 12+ hrs in fridge) before making the main dough.
I've mostly been watching a different channel recently (Einfach Backen mit Marcel Paa), but the content is in german, so probably not for most people here. He has multiple videos a week of all kinds of bread styles and I use it a lot as inspiration.
A beginner tip, hold back 10-15% of the water content. How much water the flour can absorb is really dependent on the quality of the flour. A lot of the Bread Content Creators use really high quality flour that can hold a lot of water, but your super market flour probably can't match it. Only add more water if you feel the dough is really tough and/or dense. Lower Hydration Dough is also much less sticky and easier to work with and can still create awesome bread.
Going to add it to the todo list cause despite the general panic of doing it, I feel it could be relaxing.
I'd say its relaxing. No need to panic, even if nothing works out it'll still be bread. It might be flat or dense or whatever, but it'll still be perfectly edible and taste great. I've had my fair share of failed experiments, but you usually come out the other side with at least an idea of what went wrong and how to do it better next time.
Hot showers in Winter. Cold showers in Summer.
breathing
Sitting on the verandah with a beer, watching the rain come down, listening to that sound.
Doing boring things fast
doing boring things to exciting music
This
Which all things?
A simple, but guilty pleasure of mine is reading HackerNews story titles (and titles only, most of the time), and tooting sarcastic reactions about them. It's very therapeutic. (And for easier browsing, I made a HN-like website (read-only) for said toots of mine).
Sitting at the beach of the Baltic sea in early spring or late fall when its too cold for the other beach folks, kept warm by my decades old leather biker gear and a bit of whiskey.
Sitting by my computer working on a hobby coding project, on a Sunday morning with a fresh cup of coffee next to me
Doing Laundry
waking and baking at the beach nearby me w primo weed and good iced coffee while molesting the beautiful men w my eyes.
for about half a minute I was like "how is she baking at the beach? a solar oven??"
i have many of the inclinations of a woman, but very much a man. lol
Damn, gay erasure even during Pride month hahaha
and at the gayest beach in one of the gayest cities in one of the gayest countries of the world no less. lol
Living the dream <3
It's half gay erasure.
Only Andy Bell is gay, Vince Clarke isn't.
Bliss
in more ways than one at this particular beach. lol
Learning about the native environment around me
Putting on a brand new pair of socks
Eating one of those mini pecan pies
I enjoy the simple pleasures of Daffy Duck
And sometimes our logs touch.
Writing a script and having it not destroy everything on first launch.
It's a great feeling.
Board games and card games, but nothing as complicated as Magic The Gathering.
When I say card games I mean games like "World Changers". I don't play card games with regular decks (jack queen, king, joker etc)
Walking on the beach off season. Mid-spring, when it's getting warmer and the beach area still didn't attract the crowds or mid-fall, when it's mildly chill and calm.
a thick warm slice of bread in summer spread with butter and peanutbutter both almost to the point of melting
Wearing slippers on a cold morning.
Having a nap in a sunbeam
Animals! I love watching them, walking with my dogs.
Housing. What a luxury!
Seeing new and unexpected things to me, it's even better when less people experience it and best is "no one will ever believe this" stories
Paint by numbers! Great to just turn off brain and paint away
We bought my nieces some of these and decided we have to try them for ourselves!
Car maintenance
Hearthstone Battlegrounds
Serendipity via memes
I love spending time at mmy atelier be it working in my art, arranging my different art materials, chatting with other felllow artists who also have their spaces in the same antique buillding as me.♥️
Chicken and blood sausages are historically for people looking to save some dough, but I find them very comforting & prefer them to almost anything else. Weed with Wife is always a big hit. I don't really need much going on.
I wish my wife would partake, but the weed doesn't do much for her. Must be nice
You can come over for pizza and cable managing if you want. My mom said it's cool
Cable management is just the thing sometimes.
The susurros of people laughing and enjoying themselves nearby.
A sandwich tastes better when you make it in your mouth.
Homemade pizza, and some often unhinged (but delicious) topping creation to go along with it.
Sweeping stairs
How can u say this and not pay the cable-management tax somewhere deep in the comment section