Dragonbreath Chili: A World of Warcraft Recipe Adaptation

It’s the most magical time of the year again! No, not bloody Christmas– Blizzcon! For Blizzard Entertainment fans around the world, it’s our gentle reminder that we’re not allowed to have money… and you know what? That’s okay. It really is. I’ll be pre-purchasing Legion any day now. Seriously, I am excited for all the things. ALL. THE. THINGS. Don’t ask me why, but I’m only able to play games produced by Blizzard relatively well. Don’t even get me started on my Spirit Beast collection. If you can’t tell, I love Blizzard. Like, A. LOT. Anyway.

For a good portion of the US, temps are starting to fall and leaves are changing color. Fall is here which means comfort food time.So really, it was a wonderful convenience that my work is having a chili cook-off tomorrow. What did I decide to make? Well…

Dragonsbreath Chili. Simple. Classic. (image from Wowhead)

Incidentally, WoW’s Dragonbreath Chili recipe calls for a 200 cooking skill to make and the skill cap is currently 700. That’s about how difficult this is to make IRL- 200/700. And really, that’s because of the peppers. Those damn peppers… I don’t want to talk about it. Nope. This is not your momma’s chili. This is not your daddy’s chili. There are no beans in this chili, because beans have no business in chili.

Ready? Leeeeeeeeeeeroyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…… JEEEEENKINSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! (For the uninitiated, educate yourself:)

Fallout 4 Mississippi Quantum Pies

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know Fallout 4 is coming out next week. Of course that means I’m making a special treat! Are you prepared to set out for the wastelands and lay waste to zombies and irradiated flora and fauna? If your answer is not yes, you’re lying.  But wait! Don’t go without a Mississippi Quantum Pie! Loosely based on a Mississippi mud pie, this recipe is decked out in three layers of delicious chocolate, topped off with a healthy dose of Nuka Cola Quantum-blue frosting and bottle cap candy.

Oh, did I mention the chocolate cake layer is Coca Cola cake? Boom.

Even better, I’ll be whipping up a second batch to share at the midnight launch at the Bridgewater Falls GameStop in Hamilton, Ohio. If you haven’t preordered your copy yet, well, you know which store to choose! Come out and see me; I promise I’m even more socially awkward in person. There should be a post up early next week for the event, along with some special behind-the-scenes pictures. Ready? Let’s go.

Let’s Talk Tea – A Halloween Round Up

Skill Up Skillet’s October has been the busiest yet! With five, count ’em, FIVE Nightmare Before Christmas themed recipes, a couple of fandom tea reviews from CuppaGeek, and a Walking Dead Bloody Brain Jello Shot recipe with a bang… needless to say you’ll have plenty of fare to choose from for this year’s festivities. We’ve even been interviewed and reviewed by two different sites! Let’s do a Halloween Round Up!

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Starting off with one of the blog’s biggest achievements to date: Patty from Chocolate Chip Studio interviewed Skill Up Skillet for her Featured Foodie Friday series! According to Patty:

If you’re into gaming, you are absolutely going to LOVE this week’s Featured Foodie! When I first met Leisel and learned more about her food perspective, I thought, ‘WOW! To combine gaming with food is probably one of THE most original food blogs I’ve seen yet.’

Blogging since 2014, Leisel is just awesome and I love that she makes it fun!

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Skill Up Skillet also received a favorable review from Jason of Opinionated Man. You can read his review HERE.

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We also teamed up with Nichole of CuppaGeek for a couple of Halloween-y fandom tea reviews. Nichole does not disappoint! Check out her review of Walking Dead fandom tea Kiss My Crossbow and a Nightmare Before Christmas inspired Pumpkin King Tea.

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Without further ado, on to the first Skill Up Skillet Halloween Round Up!

Pumpkin King Pumpkin Pie

Because making pie crust is freakin’ HARD.

You’ve partied with Oogie Boogie Meringue Cookies. You’ve sipped tea and nibbled Nightmare Before Christmas Sugar Cookies with your pinky out. You guiltily crammed an entire Jack Skellington Whoopie Pie in your mouth (though you might have redeemed your social graces enough with this fandom tea, courtesy of CuppaGeek). You socialized with Sally’s Blueberry Scones.The time has finally come for Pumpkin King Pumpkin Pie.

So it has finally come down to this: Halloween Week. The final Nightmare Before Christmas tea party recipe. Today I present you with the king of all pies: Pumpkin King Pumpkin Pie! Did you think you would make it out of here without encountering pumpkin spice?! This recipe combines the ‘tried and true’ (my grandmother’s spicy pumpkin pie filling recipe) with the ‘fresh and innovative’ (a buttery, flaky pie crust recipe developed by a friend in culinary school). I must confess: This is the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted. I do not say such things lightly. A couple of talking points before you read about me cursing at baking supplies:

First order of business: Have you voted for November’s Featured Recipe yet? You are eligible to vote once every 7 days and the poll will be running until November 1st at dawn. Make your vote count now.

Second order of business: This pie crust recipe was gifted to me by a good friend of mine, Luna. She’s absolutely fantastic and deserves full credit for getting me through this with minimal issues. She is also thus far the only person who will give me shit for weird culinary stuff I do and gives great feedback. Stay tuned for a quick interview with her. I promise it’s interesting and funny and she totally fits in here.

Ready? Let’s go.

Nightmare Before Christmas: Sally’s Blueberry Scones

What could be more iconic than scones and tea at a tea party? How about my recipe for Sally’s Blueberry Scones? These scones are delicious with bursts of intense blueberry flavor and a sweet-tart lemon glaze that just won’t quit. The best part? Break one of these scones apart and take a look at that drop-dead gorgeous blue crumb. It’s irresistible. I confess, I ate one scone before I even started on the stitching, burning my tongue on the hot blueberry juices in the process. I had two more scones this morning.

Number of regrets: 0

This is your new go-to scone recipe. End of discussion. Hell, I’m making a second batch and destroying my kitchen later this afternoon. They’re seriously the easiest thing in the world and require zero decorating skill. Ready? Let’s go.

Jack Skellington Whoopie Pies

Skill Up Skillets month of Nightmare Before Christmas continues with a mouthwatering reverse whoopie pie recipe- a white cake cookie on the outside with rich, decadent chocolate on the inside. What’s even better, the center is filled with two different kinds of chocolate: homemade creamy chocolate ganache and a chocolate-chocolate chip whipped cream. The itty bitty Jack Skellington faces turned out to be rather adorable, and they’re so easy to make! Why are you not in the kitchen already?!

Don’t forget to head over to CuppaGeek to see what she has to offer for some spooky good Halloween teas. They’re simply to die for! Yes, I’m very punny, thank you very much. I think her Pumpkin King tea review would be spot-on for this recipe!

After a hysterical conversation with one of my international friends I learned that whoopie pies are an American thing. Seriously, I’d post the whole conversation here if I didn’t think she would hop on a plane to Ohio and beat me senseless with a rolling pin or something. A whoopie pie is a US baked good that is made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, or sometimes pumpkin or gingerbread cake, with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them. You can learn more about whoopie pies here, if you’d like.

Boys and girls of every age… wouldn’t you like to bake something strange (and wonderful)?

Nightmare Before Christmas Sugar Cookies

This *might* be due to patience required for optimal icing.

And we’re back with another installment of the Nightmare Before Christmas Tea Party series! This week we’re featuring a sugar cookie recipe with charmingly ornate royal icing Zero and nightscape designs. If these cookies make you half as happy as they make me, I’ve done my job. But why another Friday update? Allow me to answer you in verse:

What’s this? What’s this?
There’s flour everywhere
What’s this?
Baking smells in the air
What’s this?
A table laid with cookies
There’s so much icing
Get this black goop out of my hair!
What’s this?

Yes, I managed to get icing in my damn hair.

But seriously, these are quite possibly the best homemade sugar cookies you’ll ever make in the history of ever. Your little ones will love you, your demented teenager will come out of their room for five minutes, your Nightmare Before Christmas-loving significant other will make shrill happy sounds before tackling you, your coworkers will hail you as the food-bringing office hero.. it’s a win:win:win:win situation.

Ready? Let’s go.

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Shelf: The Starlight Blogger Award!

Believe it or not, I actually keep a schedule for my blog. I attend Linky Parties and the WP Community Pool on Mondays, promote and create recipes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, post and manage social media stuff on Thursdays (which usually carries over to Fridays), attend more Linky Parties and promote on Fridays, then take Saturday and Sunday to rest. Rest. HA! The hell is that, anyway? This is significant because, when I see a new email notification for a blog comment or message over the weekend, well, it’s a good day. And sometimes I’m even surprised with a new award nomination. Today I’d like to share with you my fifth award nomination.

I present to you: The Starlight Blogger Award!

I was nominated for this award by Fabiola of My Heart of Mexico just the other day. Since it’s no longer September From Hell I was happy to accept the award immediately. Thanks Fabiola! Fabiola writes an authentic Mexican cooking blog sprinkled with articles chronicling life in Mexico. Reading through her blog is an eye-opening experience which is not to be missed! Again, my thanks to you.

This Award is created to highlight and promote Inspiring Bloggers.

Ready? Let’s go.

Oogie Boogie Meringue Cookies

Yes, I see what I did there. October is here and the Halloween season is upon us. While this may make some run for the pumpkin spice (ahem, basic), there are those of us who get to work making devilishly delicious treats. This month Skill Up Skillet will be hosting a Nightmare Before Christmas tea party of sorts with CuppaGeek! Stay tuned for a stellar tea review and pairing later this month. Seriously, though, did you know there was such a thing as geeky teas? No? You’ve gotta get in on that. Give a girl a click.

This week we’re starting off with the villain, Oogie Boogie. This meringue cookie recipe is positively to die for. There’s a little bit of chewiness, a little bit of crunchiness, and a whole lot of flavor. As an added bonus, they’re so light they practically fly off the plate. Simply diabolical!

Boys and girls of every age, are you ready? Let’s go.

Vote for November’s Featured Recipe NOW!

It’s about that time again, geeks. Time to vote! And no, I don’t mean casting a ballot for the lesser of two evils to run a country or some equally depressing thing; I’m talking about voting for November’s Featured Recipe on Skill Up Skillet! Are you feeling some Legend of Zelda? I’m feeling some Legend of Zelda.

Like last time, I’m giving you three choices: Chocolate Peanut Butter Deku Nuts, Deku Shield Brownies, or Bombchu Lemon Bars. They all sound pretty amazing, right? Voting will be held starting today through the month of October. You can vote once a week, so make it count, yeah? Tell all your friends! Try to rig the vote! I want to see as many votes cast as possible.

Whaaaaat?! You can’t wait for Zelda treats? Well, you could always check out my Triforce Stained Sugar Glass or Strawberry Soup Health Potion…

STAY TUNED FOR A MONTH-LONG NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS TEA PARTY COLLABORATION WITH NICHOLE OF CUPPAGEEK!

Cheers,

Leisel

Remember, cooking IRL doesn’t have to be a Feat of Strength!