Crunchy, Creamy, Perfect

Guys...

Arts and Thefts comes out in two weeks and one day!

HOORAY!

Wow, it's really coming up fast. I'm going to have a book launch on March 2, 7 pm, at The King's English bookstore in Salt Lake City, so I hope to see you there! It's going to be great, and I'm sure I'll have more information as the date gets closer.

As for today's post, well, I'm pretty much torn. Half of me wants to write something deep, meaningful...something that would be interesting to read.

But I'm also a week into training for marathon, and the run-ger appeared quickly and without mercy, so the other half of me wants to write an ode to peanut butter.

Which I got a whole new, full jar of today. HOORAY PT. 2!

I figure I can't have it both ways, so an ode to peanut butter it is.

Let's be honest: peanut butter is one overlooked food item. Banned from some locations due to allergies (although from what I've learned, that may soon be a thing of the past due to allergy-free GMO peanuts), it's still a staple in kids' lunches all over the country.

And for runners it's a freaking godsend. Peanut butter is a filling snack high in protein that I don't need to feel guilty for indulging in. It's the perfect recovery food, going well with chocolate to create a delicious recovery treat.

I know that peanut butter isn't much cared for in other countries, and having tried English peanut butter, I can see why.

I also know that peanut butter isn't as flashy or fashionable as sports gels, protein shakes, or nutrition bars. It's the kid's sandwich treat, after all. Everyone has a jar or knows someone who does. You don't have to go far to get a supply. We pair it with jam, bananas, marshmallow creme, or Nutella to dress it up on our bread.

But it still remains delicious and nutritious, supporting us whether we're running a marathon or just running late for work. Our humble jar of peanut butter.

I think that's admirable. Moving away from praising a food, I think the ability to do one's job well without seeking praise for it, just because the work is worthy, is admirable. It's why I love the character Sam Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, as well as Frodo and pretty much every other character in that book. It's why I'm driven to admire characters who are good, honest people, and it's why I think Hidden Figures was such a powerful movie even beyond the discussions about race and gender it raised.

Good people, humble people, who are always there, supporting others. Whether they themselves are the hero in the story, or just the hero of their own story, they are powerful, likeable characters who can share so many important lessons with a reader without needing to be preachy.

Well, huh. I guess I could have it both ways, after all.

Eat Your Vegetables

Yesterday, I introduced my roommate to the Leroy Jenkins viral video.

So now you get to enjoy it again, too.

You're welcome.

This blog post is brought to you by the recent realization I had that avocado truffles are a thing:

Yep, those are made with avocados. You can find the recipe here at 80 Twenty Nutrition.

At first, my response was, "Well, that sounds healthy, but what?" My second response was, "Actually, avocado is used a lot as a butter substitute in vegan cooking, so to use it as a cream substitute in a truffle makes a lot of sense." My third thought was, "Yay! Now I can bring vegan truffles to my writing group!"

I'm not vegan; a member of my group is. I just like cooking, baking, and messing with recipes. Plus, (here it comes) I started training for the marathon today, so I'm hungry for recipes that taste good but give me the wellness I need to run this stinkin' long race.

But I haven't gotten to my fourth thought yet. It was this: "What other vegetable-based desserts (other than carrot cake and other obvious ones) are out there?"

So, here's a list of the weirdest veggie-based desserts I have found. I haven't tried them (yet), but I'm not here to comment on how tasty they are, just on how baffled I am that someone came up with the idea to try this in the first place.

Gotta start with Black Bean Brownies:

Okay, I already lied. I have made these. They start the list because black beans always reminded me of Mexican food, not chocolatey goodness. But the result was dense and tasty, if a little "veggie" in the aftertaste. High in fiber, too.

Speaking of Mexican food...

Jalapeno Chocolate Chip Cookies.

WHY DOES THIS EXIST???

And here's another vegan option:

Strawberry Cheesecake. With a cauliflower/cashew blend instead of cheese.

And tons and tons of things to do with beets, corn, and our good friend avocado. Not to mention zucchini.

But I had to take it further. Now, what vegetables are objectively labeled "the worst"? The ones no kid will eat? Broccoli, spinach, and Brussels sprouts, right? So, can I find dessert recipes using them?

Yep.

Broccoli Brownies.

Baked Lemon Spinach Doughnuts.

(Although, in fairness, spinach seems about as popular as zucchini in desserts, so there's a lot out there.)

And...I found nothing for Brussels sprouts. It seems there are limits to what you can combine with sugar.

For now. Who knows? Maybe my next experiment will be somehow putting Brussels sprouts in brownies. They're not that different from broccoli, right?

Maybe after I figure out how to put garlic in a cookie someone would actually want to eat. And find someone willing to test it.

Any takers?

Jumanji, LPs, and the Video Game Movie

I'm starting to get the feeling that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Hollywood career revolves around finding shiny green rocks and, ahem, "putting that thing back where it came from or so help me."

But seriously, guys, we need to talk about Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

I delayed this blog post by one day so I could go see this movie on Discount Tuesday and talk about it now. I've been playing around with an idea for a while, and I had a feeling that the latest reboot of Jumanji was going to factor into it.

I was right.

So let's talk video games and movies.

I'm going to preface this by saying that practically I'm not much of a gamer. I don't have a console, so I don't really get to play the games. I enjoy video games, and I used to play a little on my brother's consoles. But nowadays I watch Let's Plays on YouTube because I like the stories of some video games and it's nostalgic for me to watch someone else play.

I recently finished watching an LP of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword by Chuggaconroy. It was really good; I watch these for the stories and the commentary, and I came away with an appreciation for the player and a love for the story. This game actually has a really great story and excellent character interactions and development. I was very drawn into the game, even though I wasn't the one playing.

What does this have to do with Jumanji, you might be asking? Hold on, I'm getting there. First, though, I want to talk about movies based on video games.

And why they do so terribly.


Seriously, why? Video games have some great stories, and if TV shows and books can be adapted into movies, why do games struggle so much? I've heard a number of theories, from bad movie-making, directors/writers who don't know the game well enough to understand what makes it popular (this is true of any kind of adaptation, to be honest), to the fact that video games put the player in control and movies take away that control.

I agree most with the last reason. I think video games have something special in that they are inherently interactive and a movie is not. However, that doesn't explain why I enjoy watching Let's Plays, and why others enjoy them, too. I am not interacting with the game when I watch an LP, but I still have a lot of fun. So, why does this work and not a movie based on a game?

I think it's because the interaction is still there in how the player comments and reacts to the game. I'm not reacting, but the fun, real reactions to the game are still there.

And that's what I think Jumanji did right. I don't think it was the best movie ever, but as a movie structured around the idea of a video game, it made some interesting moves. While this film is not based on a game, it is a movie about a video game. It manages to blend the epic adventure of a video game plot with the realistic gamer reactions someone might have when playing. It toys with meta-playing, like knowing that you can waste a life in order to achieve an objective. It also uses the idea of becoming someone else (who is very much not you) when playing a game.

It captures the feel not only of the game but also the act of playing one. Granted, it's not based on a game itself, but I still think that's why this movie is being praised when movies based on video games get panned.

Video games are more than their story, but movies limit themselves to the story alone. Maybe they have to: it's a medium thing. But the act of playing the game is a part of the story, too. The Zelda games are epic fantasy adventures, but they're also gamers messing around cutting grass and fighting chickens and screaming and running like crazy when the boss battle arrives and they have NO IDEA what to do next.

They're fun and playful because the players are. Movies can't capture that; they have to pick a genre and they can't leave it up the players. LPs capture both the game and the way people play it.

I don't know if a movie based on a video game can really capture the feeling of being a normal person playing the game and reacting to it like we do. And, for some games (horror games come to mind), maybe we wouldn't want that. But I think there's value in exploring what Jumanji did right in making a movie about a game by addressing the feeling and responses of the players. If a studio wants to make a successful movie based on a video game, they need to look beyond the story itself and into the experience the players have while playing it, serious and silly. Only then would a movie based on a game feel "right" to the players who have experienced it.

I also think it wouldn't hurt to attempt it with a longer medium first, like a TV series.

Oh, and guess what? I registered for the Utah Valley Marathon. I'm excited but a bit nervous. Good thing I have time to train. So, that happened.

It was also brought to my attention that my "About Me" section on my blog needed to be updated, so I did that, too. We'll be back to our normal Monday schedule next week.

New Year, New...We'll See

Happy 2018, everyone!

First thing first, today is the last day to enter the Arts and Thefts giveaway on Goodreads. If you're interested in winning a copy, you'd best act now!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Arts and Thefts

by Allison K. Hymas

Giveaway ends January 08, 2018.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Speaking of Arts and Thefts, the publication date is coming up really fast! Five weeks from tomorrow! It snuck up on me, I admit. I'm trying to figure out book launch plans, though I realize that the launch may be a bit late, or might not happen, because of my dilly-dallying. I hope it happens; I have some good ideas to make it fun!

My vacation was a good one. It was very, very cold, though; toward the end, Pennsylvania got hit with a bomb cyclone, which looks a bit like this:

A hurricane of snow and winds and bitter cold. To put it perspective, it's now around 40-45 degrees F outside in Utah, and I've been walking around in a thin long-sleeve shirt because it feels warm and springtimey to me right now. It makes a nice change.

Overall it was a good break. I saw a few movies (The Last Jedi and The Greatest Showman - the latter was really worth watching although it hasn't gotten the Star Wars hype) and got to spend some quality time with my family, which is always the best part. I also got some time to rest my mind, which lasted a few days before the ideas started jumping for a new project.

Yes, I know I have a lot of new projects. The really funny thing is that they're all middle grade. I used to have a grand total of zero middle grade ideas, and then I had one, and now I can't stop them from coming! I'm pretty excited about this one, and I've already started writing it over the break because I needed to start getting it down.


So, a new work in progress or two might be something I work on this year. Another thing is a marathon.

Strange as it sounds, I do want to run 26.2 miles for kicks and giggles. I've wanted to for a few years, and I think I might be able to make it happen this year. I just looked up a schedule, and boy, this is going to be interesting. But it gives me a good timeline for training. I now need to look up races nearby that will make a good first marathon that work with that timeline. Utah has some great marathons, but I'm a beginner, so I want one that's chill and easy. Okay, easier. It's not like I'm qualifying for Boston.

So...we'll see how this year goes. I'll be busy writing, reading, and running. And probably watching my sugar intake (sob) as I fuel correctly for the marathon.

I'll keep you posted on any adventures this year brings, and I hope you do the same for me!