What skills have you learned during Quarantine?

[NattyBo]

With being holed up due to COVID-19, besides learning how to telework efficiently (not easy with my job), I've decided to try my hand at being a good home bartender/host, and learning to bake, specifically bread.

My dutch oven just came today, so my first bread attempt was today after making the dough last night. 

 

 I screwed up the shape, but the flavor and consistency? *chefs kiss*

 

I've also been making cocktails. 

 

I usually do both while listening to some kinda Sanderson audiobook  

 

 

What have y'all been up to?

 

 

(Mods: I *think* this was the appropriate forum and if not...my bad!! Couldn't decide if General or Entertainment forum. )

Edited June 15, 2020 by NattyBo

[Truthless of Shinovar]

Oh cool, finally a chance to flex all the skills I can’t show off because quarantine and stuff! I’ve got a few things:

 I’ve learned how to play the guitar, just chords right now, but I’m slowly working my way towards tabs as well. For those who know the song, I’ve been learning White Palace on the piano. I’m also 8 weeks through a 16 week workout to learn how to dunk. So yeah, that’s pretty much everything!

[NattyBo]

I wish I could play any instrument, @Truthless of Shinovar. I played guitar some in my teen years but I was never anything better than pathetic at it, haha.

 

I'm also working out but nothing special there. Usually just long walks or I put an attachment on my bike and go for a long ride with the Alaskan Husky we have, who needs extra runs.

[theTruthshaper]

I have finally progressed to level 5 in procrastination after joining the 17thshard.

[NattyBo]

4 minutes ago, The_Truthwatcher said:

I have finally progressed to level 5 in procrastination after joining the 17thshard.

Ahh yes, the 5th heightening, where instead of reading the books, you read abut reading the books. Congrats!

[Gears]

I am learning French so in 4 years, I can go to a French Canadian renaissance faire with my good friend. Also, I want to learn guitar, but my advanced procrastination skills are interfering.

[Eluvianii]

I've been wanting to start with piano again, but it's true what they say, it's harder to pick up an instrument you already played than a new one. Hopefully with school ending this week I'll be able to spend time on that instead of procrastinating.

[NattyBo]

 

11 minutes ago, Eluvianii said:

I've been wanting to start with piano again, but it's true what they say, it's harder to pick up an instrument you already played than a new one. Hopefully with school ending this week I'll be able to spend time on that instead of procrastinating.

 

8 hours ago, Truthless of Shinovar said:

Oh cool, finally a chance to flex all the skills I can’t show off because quarantine and stuff! I’ve got a few things:

 I’ve learned how to play the guitar, just chords right now, but I’m slowly working my way towards tabs as well. For those who know the song, I’ve been learning White Palace on the piano. 

Seems like a lot of folks are picking up instruments (again!) Wit would be proud. 

I prepared the dough from Cooks Illustrated "almost no knead" artisanal loaf recipe.  Called for some stuff not in the loaf I posted above - white vinegar, a few tablespoons of beer, etc. Planning to throw it in the oven tomorrow morning.

 

Today's cocktails: 

Left: Kentucky Iced Tea, right (non alcoholic drink) Shirley Temple for my kiddo.

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by NattyBo

[NattyBo]

I made some bread. 

 

Cooks illustrated recipe this time.  Smells so freaking amazing in here...

[Wyndlerunner]

On 6/15/2020 at 7:57 AM, Truthless of Shinovar said:

 I’ve learned how to play the guitar, just chords right now, but I’m slowly working my way towards tabs as well. For those who know the song, I’ve been learning White Palace on the piano

White Palace? Nice. We just gotta add some nice buzzsaw noises 

I recently learned Kings on the Corner, and was able to beat my mother at it (The only person who can reliably beat my mom at cards is her mom, who taught her to play)

[SirWolfe]

Gardening. I've basically become a Wyndle at this point.

I like it, though there was a couple of issues with birds flying over the fence and eating the seeds, so I set up a roof-thing made out of net to dissuade the birds from trying to get in. Then there were issues with having to stoop down whenever I entered the garden, so I took an old piece of steel gutter and hooked the net onto it so the garden looks like one of those circus tents, but with bright orange nets instead of multicolored tarp. Then there was the issue of deer trying to get in, so I threaded a solar powered string of blinking white Christmas lights into the net, which scares the deer away at night. At this rate, the garden will probably turn into a green house by the end of summer. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by SirWolfe

[NattyBo]

1 minute ago, SirWolfe said:

Gardening. I've basically become a Wyndle at this point.

 

Well go on, don't leave us hanging...any pictures? You enjoying it?

 

I'm really enjoying the sort of zen from baking and cocktail mixing...mind just goes blank and I'm in the moment. It's cool.

[Hen]

I have become an expert at watching Survivor. 

I've also been trying a lot of random projects. Like painting rocks, knitting, embroidery. Yesterday I took one of those old wood palates and upcycled it into a board, and I'm making it into a string art Piano for my friend. So. Many. Nails.

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by Hentient

[Emi]

Well, I definitely learned some new words in English, thanks to the Shard. I also learned that it’s the best community, but I’m not sure if it’s a skill. 
Oh and I’m renovating my garden with my parents, so I learned some gardening

Edited June 16, 2020 by Emi

[NattyBo]

Well...since no one else wants to post pictures, I shall soldier on...

Lime gin buck, and the classic American cocktail, the Manhattan.

Edited June 17, 2020 by NattyBo

[NattyBo]

Been cookin more

 

Charcoal grilled flatbread pizza, 

 

Extra Sharp Cheddar and Jalapeño bread.

Edited July 11, 2020 by NattyBo

[Shard of Reading]

I learned how hard it was to do something when you have a sanderson book mocking you on the shelve. 

[Snorkel]

All I learned is that I really don't like people.

[Iarwainiel I]

@NattyBo - I know one can make bread in a dutch oven, but it looks like you're baking your bread right on a grill - ? I just got a dutch oven too & love it, but haven't used it on a grill yet.

Meanwhile, I have gotten real good at WFHing (so thankful to be able to keep working full-time during this).

Over the July 4th weekend, I revived an old skill and painted a room in my (new) house. So much better/brighter now! That project involved patching 3 holes in the walls, which was a new skill for me. It's not perfect, but I did pretty good for a patching-noob.

[NattyBo]

4 hours ago, Iarwainiel said:

@NattyBo - I know one can make bread in a dutch oven, but it looks like you're baking your bread right on a grill - ? I just got a dutch oven too & love it, but haven't used it on a grill yet.

Meanwhile, I have gotten real good at WFHing (so thankful to be able to keep working full-time during this).

Over the July 4th weekend, I revived an old skill and painted a room in my (new) house. So much better/brighter now! That project involved patching 3 holes in the walls, which was a new skill for me. It's not perfect, but I did pretty good for a patching-noob.

I didn’t use Dutch oven on the grill - the flatbread is just a grilled lebanese flatbread recipe I adapted as a pizza crust, and it worked really well! My wife and kid loved it. And was nice to not heat up the kitchen.

 

 All of the other stuff was from a Dutch oven in a regular oven :-) 

Edited July 14, 2020 by NattyBo

[NameIess]

I have started to learn to ride a unicycle. It was really hard at first, but now I can ride pretty well (In a straight line. Turning is hard). I've gotten 100+ yards with it, and I can almost mount without holding on to something.

[Emi]

I learned playing Minecraft, because it was the only game that my friend wanted to play. 
Next was getting on the shard. It is a skill. It really is. I needed all my bravery to write something here. And now, it’s my favorite skill ever! 
I also learned to bake some things and climb on mountains on my camp!

[Hen]

@NattyBo Could you link the recipes your using?  I have a Dutch oven and these look really good! 

[Condensation]

I've been doing some gardening(only because my mom made me), piano playing, guitar, voice, biking(to the library), dancing, sleeping in(def a skill), latin(only because my mom made me).

Oh, and lots and lots of cooking and baking. I've made SO many cookies.

17th Sharding.

[NattyBo]

9 hours ago, Hentient said:

@NattyBo Could you link the recipes your using?  I have a Dutch oven and these look really good! 

Sure.

First loaves are some variation on this (ie, adding some salt with an egg wash, etc)

3 cups all purpose flour (King Arthur is what I like)

1 1/2 tsp fine salt

1/4 tsp instant or rapid rise yeast

1 cup water

6-8 tablespoons lager beer (the alcohol bakes out, if that's a concern for anyone!)

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar.

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the water, vineger and beer and combine with a rubber spatula (I use my hands, honestly) until it resembles a shaggy ball. You'll get a feel for if the dough is too dry or wet. Just add flour or tiny bits of warm water accordingly. Cover that and let it sit for 8-18 hours.

Lay 18 by 12-inch sheet of parchment paper on counter and spray with oil spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead 10 to
15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam side down, to center of parchment and spray surface of
dough with oil spray. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (let any excess parchmenthang over pot edge). Cover loosely with plastic and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position. Remove plastic from pot. Lightly four top ofdough and, using razor blade or sharp knife,
make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Cover pot and place in oven. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bake bread for 30
minutes (starting timing as soon as you turn on oven- ie, don't preheat the oven)

Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from
pot; transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

 

The cheddar/jalapeño recipe is from here:

https://tasty.co/recipe/dutch-oven-jalapeno-cheddar-bread (I used some pickled jalapeños I made, too).

For the charcoal grilled flatbread/pizza crust, I use this recipe:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013233-grilled-lebanese-flatbread

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by NattyBo