Tag Archives: EVE Online

The Sexy Six

Posted by Roc Wieler on

Whether you’re a corporation director, miner, up-and-coming capsuleer or someone in-between, busy lives tend to cut into healthy eating. But eating well doesn’t have to be hard work. Try these healthy fruit smoothie recipes for your next last-minute breakfast, afternoon snack or even dessert.

Banana and Peach Smoothie

Made with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt, this smoothie is a great blend of vitamins and minerals—an excellent boost of energy at the beginning of your day or just before the gym.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large bananas, thickly sliced
  • 1 can (398 ml) peach halves in natural juice
  • 200 g plain low-fat acidophilus yogurt
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tablespoon clear honey
  • 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
  • sprigs of fresh mint to garnish (optional)

METHOD

  1. Place the bananas, peaches and juice, yogurt, mint and honey in a food processor or blender and blend to a smooth purée, scraping down the sides of the container once or twice. Add the orange juice and blend briefly until mixed.
  2. Pour the smoothie into tall glasses and garnish with sprigs of mint, if desired.

VARIATIONS

  • For a strawberry and banana smoothie, instead of peaches use 220 g strawberries. Reserve 4 strawberries and blend the remainder with the bananas and yogurt (there is no need to add honey or mint). Mix in apple juice in place of the orange juice. Stir in the grated rind and juice of 1 lime. Pour into glasses and decorate each one with a reserved strawberry skewered on a cocktail stick, if desired.

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie

Refresh yourself in just five minutes with this low-fat pick-me-up.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups ripe strawberries
  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 tbsp sugar, or to taste

Garnish (optional):

  • 4 small strawberries with leaves
  • 4 thin round slices of unpeeled orange

METHOD

  1. Rinse and drain the strawberries and place them in a food processor or blender.
  2. Add the yogurt, orange juice and sugar.
  3. Process on the highest speed until a well-blended purée forms, about 15 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container once or twice.
  4. Taste the mixture and sweeten with a little more sugar, if you wish.
  5. For a very smooth beverage, strain the mixture, using a wooden spoon to push the drink through.
  6. Discard the strawberry seeds.

Pour into 4 tall glasses and serve immediately. If you wish to decorate the drinks, slit the strawberries and the orange slices halfway through the centres. Attach one berry and one orange slice to the rim of each glass.

VARIATIONS

  • Banana-berry smoothie: Add 1 small banana, cut into quarters (Step 1). Because bananas tend to thicken drinks, increase the orange juice to 3/4 cup (175 mL). Taste the smoothie before adding the sugar (you may not need it).
  • Apricot-berry smoothie: For the fruits, use 2 cups (500 mL) peeled apricot slices and only 2 cups (500 mL) ripe strawberries.

Banana and Mango Shake

With calcium, fibre, protein and vitamins B and C all swirled into this tempting smoothie, the Banana Mango Shake is an all-round great recipe for any time of the day.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 ripe mango
  • 1 small ripe banana, sliced
  • 150 ml (5 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
  • 120 ml (4 fl oz) orange juice
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 heaped tbsp vanilla frozen yogurt
  • sprigs of fresh lemon balm to decorate (optional)

METHOD

  1. Peel the skin from the mango and cut the flesh away from the stone. Chop the flesh roughly. Put into a blender with the banana.
  2. Add the milk, orange juice, lime juice, sugar and frozen yogurt and blend on maximum speed for about 30 seconds or until mixed and frothy.
  3. Pour banana and mango shake into glasses and serve immediately, decorated with sprigs of lemon balm, if you like.

VARIATIONS

  • Use skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed. Skimmed milk contains only 0.1% fat, as compared with 3.9% for full-cream milk and 1.6% for semi-skimmed milk, but still has similar levels of vitamins and minerals.
  • Those who do not eat dairy products or who have a lactose (milk sugar) intolerance can substitute 300 ml (10 fl oz) soya milk for the cow’s milk, and omit the frozen yogurt; or use 240 ml (8 fl oz) soya milk with 2 heaped tbsp soya ice cream.
  • Use a ripe peach instead of the mango half.
  • For a shake rich in fibre, use 115 g (4 oz) stoned ready-to-eat prunes instead of the mango, with lemon juice instead of lime juice.

PLUS POINTS

  • Milk is an excellent source of several important nutrients – protein, calcium and phosphorus (important for strong bones and teeth) and many of the B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B6 and B12.
  • Bananas are a useful source of the mineral potassium, a good intake of which may help to prevent high blood pressure.
  • Mangoes are rich in vitamin C and carotenoid compounds, both antioxidants that protect the body against damage by free radicals.

Cherry-Melon Breakfast Drink

Whip up this healthy fruit smoothie recipe for a quick breakfast or refreshing dessert.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) cubed cantaloupe or watermelon
  • 1 cup (250 mL) (about 24) pitted fresh or frozen dry-pack cherries, thawed
  • 1 cup (250 mL) plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) light brown sugar
  • 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground cloves

METHOD

  1. In a food processor or blender, combine the melon, cherries, yogurt, sugar, honey, and cloves. Whirl for about 1 minute or until smooth.
  2. Pour into glasses, garnish with a sprig of mint, and serve immediately. If cherries or melons aren’t available, substitute your favourite fruit. Be creative!
  3. In a food processor or blender, combine the melon, cherries, yogurt, sugar, honey, and cloves. Whirl for about 1 minute or until smooth.
  4. Pour into glasses, garnish with a sprig of mint, and serve immediately. If cherries or melons aren’t available, substitute your favourite fruit. Be creative!

Mango, Peach and Apricot Fizz

Pamper yourself or impress your guests with this delicious and dynamic drink. With fresh fruit and fizz, this refreshing concoction is only 55 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ripe mango
  • 1 ripe peach
  • 2 large ripe apricots
  • 500 ml (17 fl oz) ginger ale, sparkling water or your favourite fizzy mixer
  • fresh mint or lemon balm leaves to decorate (optional)

METHOD

  1. Peel the mango and cut the flesh away from the central stone. Roughly chop the flesh and put it into a blender or food processor. Alternatively, if you are using a hand blender, put the mango in a large tall jug.
  2. Cover the peach and apricots with boiling water and leave for about 30 seconds, then drain and cool under cold running water. Slip off the skins. Roughly chop the flesh, discarding the stones, and add to the mango in the blender or food processor.
  3. Pour over enough of the ginger ale just to cover the fruit, then process until completely smooth. Pour in the remaining ginger ale and process again.
  4. Quickly pour into tall glasses, preferably over crushed ice. Decorate with fresh mint or lemon balm leaves, if you like. Serve immediately with wide straws or swizzle sticks.

VARIATIONS

  • Use low-calorie ginger ale to reduce the calorie content.
  • So many different fruit and fizz combinations are possible. Using about 450 g (1 lb) fruit in total, try: raspberry, peach and melon with bitter lemon; strawberry, banana and orange segments with tonic water.
  • When soft fruit are not in season, use fruit canned in juice as a substitute. A delicious combination is fresh melon, banana and canned apricots with sparkling mineral water.

PLUS POINTS

  • These golden fruits provide a feast of vitamins. Peaches are full of vitamin C (100 g gives 77% of the RNI); apricots are a good source of the B vitamins (B1, B6 and niacin); and mangoes are an excellent source of vitamin A – just 100 g of mango provides half the RNI of this vitamin, which is important for vision and for the prevention of heart disease and cancer.

Smart Smoothie

This 270-calorie breakfast shake, packed with vitamin D, is part of our Summer-Slim Meal Plan.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) low-fat plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) skim milk
  • 1 banana
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh or frozen berries

METHOD

  1. Whirl all smart smoothie ingredients together in blender.

New Year, New You

Posted by Roc Wieler on

Several titles came to mind as I composed today’s entry; Fake it Til you Make it, No more Excuses, New You Resolutions, etc, etc.

I’ve got a lot to say, so let’s get started.

So many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. So many of us fail at them almost instantly. Why is that? I like to think it’s because of a few reasons, the most notable being that we often make a resolution into some grandiose affair when really it is not. A resolution is nothing more than a commitment we make to stick by something. It takes consistency, commitment, effort. Resolutions aren’t easy. Resolutions aren’t meant to be easy.

How to Keep Your Fitness Resolutions

Many different surveys on resolutions were conducted prior to the turn of the new year. Two New Year’s resolutions that appeared on most lists include spending more time with family and getting into shape. What these two resolutions have in common is that they require time, planning and commitment. Let’s take a closer look at how to keep your fitness resolutions. Are you ready to make the commitment? If so, get ready to reach your goals!

Make Realistic Workout Plans

You need to better plan your time when it comes to exercising, planning nutritious meals and to spending time with your family. For instance, maybe you can plan some family fitness activities so that you can maintain both your resolutions in half the amount of time. Don’t fall into the trap of planning your workout time around when you have the most energy to exercise. Let me explain.

Most people avoid exercising first thing in the morning because they lack the zest or bounce in their step that they feel during their Saturday afternoon workout. Instead, they prefer to plan their workouts during work hours at a nearby gym or in the evening. Both options are great, if you follow through. Since most people tend to repeat their fitness New Year’s resolutions every year, let me ask you a question: In the past years, did you plan to exercise more regularly? Did you follow through? If not, what was the main challenge that prevented you from meeting your goals? Once you identify your limitations, you have also identified your strengths. If you would like to work out during your lunch and make a commitment to following through, obstacles will always arise to alter your plans. To successfully stick to your plans, you should always devise alternative plans which still allow you to make time for fitness in your day. Fitness centers know all about poor planning which is why the January hype is usually cooled by the middle of February. Make realistic plans and the chances of reaching your fitness goals and changing bad habits will materialize smoothly.

Stay Motivated

Be realistic and true to yourself. If you start and stop exercise programs all the time because something comes up or because you get bored, than you need to find something that keeps you stimulated and involved. You may need to take the plunge and sign up for 10 to 20 personal training sessions at your fitness center or have a trainer visit you at home. You may need to join a fitness center which takes all of the guess work out of exercising and provides free personal coaching to make sure you utilize your time on the circuit. Maybe all it takes is a few minutes a day until you are ready to commit to a formal exercise program. Today, we are fortunate to understand how exercise and healthy eating can impact and improve our health, well-being and quality of life. It is important to make time in your day for exercise. Start by adding a few minutes of exercise to your day. You will feel the difference and you will eventually be motivated to do more.

Before jumping into the shower in the morning, perform 3 sets of abdominal crunches, body squats and push-ups (modified or full body) for 15 to 20 repetitions. If you work in a building, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator as often as you can and walk for 10 to 15 minutes during the day on your lunch hour or after work. At the end of the day when the kids are in bed and you are ready to go to bed yourself, take another 5 minutes and repeat the same workout routine you did in the morning. Try and do it at least four to five times per week. If you are not really into body weight exercises, purchase an inexpensive piece of rubber tubing from your local sporting goods store and perform two to three exercises in the morning with the rubber tubing.

Keep a Journal

Keep a journal of your efforts, challenges and achievements. Most of us need reminders to help us stay committed. Journaling every evening for 10 to 15 minutes before going to bed is a great way to review your day and to remind yourself of the commitments you were happy to keep and the ones you had to let go. Journaling helps you focus on the present and helps you create a roadmap for the future. I know it helps me and reminds me every evening of my commitment to workout the next morning.

Accountability

Another major failing point for many people is that we have no problem letting ourselves down. Given that fact, make yourself accountable to someone. Share your journal online, or with a spouse or friend. Create consequences for failure. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself committed to a better you. I’ve heard people say “Oh, the gym is too busy!”, well then, buy an XBox, buy Your Shape Fitness; a personal trainer in your own living room! Technology and accessability are advancing at tremendous speeds. Yet no matter how progressive a healthy lifestyle becomes, we all can create excuses even more quickly as to why we can’t maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Whatever. It’s all decisions. There are good ones. There are bad ones. Each has consequences.

“What do you mean my liver is failing from decades of drinking, doctor? I guess I’d better stop overdoing it!” Sometimes that is what it takes before an alcoholic would change their lifestyle. By then, it may be too late.

Good health is the same way. Heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, diabetes, and countless other diseases and conditions are directly associated with poor health.

Seriously, why are you still making excuses?

Be Heard

So I’m going to lead by example, put my money where my mouth is. Here are some of my commitments this year:

  1. By Fanfest I will have shed 10 more pounds of fat while increasing muscle mass
  2. On May 8th, I’ll be running the Mercedes Benz 10k – might even win a car!
  3. I’ll be running the 30k around the bay race on May 27th
  4. I’ll then be heading to Ottawa the following day to run a full 42.2 km marathon
  5. On Sunday July 10th, I’ll be doing the Peterborough Triathalon Sprint
  6. I’ll make 100 kills with a Rifter
  7. I’ll get most, if not all, of Path to Freedom published on my blog
  8. I will successfully get my CanFitPro and ISSA personal training certifications and get myself some clients
  9. I will learn to speak enough Japanese to survive my trip in December
  10. I will actually learn how to use Cinema 4D in a “more than hobbyist” kind of way

So there’s ten goals. Want to know how I’m doing? Drop me an email. Write a comment. I’m not shy. Just ask and I’ll honestly tell you how things are going. Want to see photo uploads? Videos? Fine. Whatever you want from me for accountability.

And I’ll do the same for you if you want me to. I’ll kick your ass. I’ll check in on you. I’ll be there to help you keep moving forward.

I’m lucky really. I am surrounded by like-minded, motivating people that keep me honest with myself. When I screw up, I screw up. I dust myself off and keep moving forward, making more effort towards the things in life I want.

You deserve that too.

Human Cattle

Posted by Roc Wieler on

DEADSPACE
HEIMATAR REGION

“Today you will die, Roc Wieler, and it will be a great victory for the Empire. With the aid of our Caldari brethern, your name will be removed from the history books by my hand.”

My shields were depleted. My armour plates buckling, the repair systems unable to maintain themselves against the assault against me.

Over twenty Amarr and Caldari battleships continued their heavy fire against the Ripsack, my Rifter class frigate, as dozens of enemy frigates engaged me at point blank. All the while, three slave transports slowly pulled away from the battle, their cargo holds filled with my Matari kin.

“I will fight with my last breath, slaver, until the day when your vile and distorted views are no longer tolerated within any region of space. My voice is but one of many. And I shall be heard long after your corpse…” a salvo of missile fire slammed against my ship, tearing open the entire port forward strut. My hull was breached. The Rifter began to spin out of control from the impact.

I was at the end.

4 HOURS EARLIER

“Of course I’ll take your mission, agent.” I said. I had been pulled from a good sleep by the beeping of my NeoCom, something I detested. When I was off duty, I expected that to be respected unless hell itself was at the station’s door. As it turned out, the analogy wasn’t far off.

The Amarr were up to their old tricks, and were taking slaves here in Heimatar Region, right within Minmatar controlled space. I had to act fast.

I scrambled my flight team to ready my Rifter, the Ripsack, as I had pledged to only fly Rifter class ships that year, YC 113. As I raced towards my hangar, I was reminded of a recent comment made by my good friend Niko. “You know I respect you, Roc, but you’re a damned fool to be flying Rifters all year.”

He was probably right.

3 HOURS EARLIER

The remaining Caldari frigates scattered, fleeing into the safety of warp as I downed another of their squad. I knew the Amarr considered slavery an every day, acceptable occurrence. It bothered me profoundly that the State would be involved in such abhorrent practices. I contacted my agent right away to let him know of my findings; to receive my orders.

2 HOURS EARLIER

Cruisers and frigates fell before my rage. I was incensed from my very soul at the collaboration between the Amarr Empire and the Caldari State. They had been caught red-handed trading slaves in Minmatar space, yet still Concord did nothing. Our own government did nothing. Too much political fallout Shakor had said when pushed by the Senior Director of Ushra’Khan at my behest. In my anger I wondered when he had become such a neutered bull.

1 HOUR EARLIER

Still I couldn’t find the slave transports, and began to fear I would be too late. I knew firsthand the horrors that would be inflicted to these Matari at the hands of the Amarr, the dependency the Vitoc dependency they would be forced to endure, all in the name of God.

It sickened me. I tried to talk sense into the last damaged frigate commander of the Amarr/Caldari squad I had decimated, but their captain would not yield, sealing the fate of his crew. I erased them from space.

Scanning the wreckage, I was unable to find any clues regarding the location of the transports. Time was running out. My NeoCom beeped. It was my agent.

“Get yourself together, Wieler.” The agent said. “Our scouts have pinned the exact location of the slavers here in Rens. They’re moving slowly, covering those transports, and the window of opportunity is small. Do what is required to free those slaves, pilot.”

I warped through the vastness of space towards the coordinates provided. Two small squads of Caldari awaited me. I made short work of them, turning my attention to the large battleship fleet over 100 kilometers away.

It was unlikely that I would survive the encounter, but if I could blitz the transports, retrieve the escape pods, I might just get lucky and succeed at my mission. I had come so far, and was so very close. The freedom of the Matari depended on me.

NOW

“I will fight with my last breath, slaver, until the day when your vile and distorted views are no longer tolerated within any region of space. My voice is but one of many. And I shall be heard long after your corpse…” a salvo of missile fire slammed against my ship, tearing open the entire port forward strut. My hull was breached. The Rifter began to spin out of control from the impact.

I was at the end.

My overview came alive, as multiple contacts entered the area. Battlecruisers, battleships, heavy assault cruisers and assault frigates reverted to real-space before my eyes behind the enemy fleet.

I smiled.

“You just couldn’t wait, you crazy bastard.” the newest member of Masuat’aa Matari said to me over fleet comms.

“Good to see you too, Niko.” I replied. “Cutting it a little close aren’t we?”

“Well, wouldn’t want them to get suspicious and all. I mean who attacks a battleship fleet in a Rifter anyway?”

My ship shook as the circling frigates continued to pepper me with weapons fire. I overheated my repair systems, enough to reinforce what little armour plating I had left, and engaged the enemy.

I watched as the battleship fleet split into two, outflanked by my allies, reeling to respond strategically. Another frigate exploded before me, but there were too many, and my damage was too much to recover from.

I sped headlong towards an interceptor, overheating my autocannons. Neither of us veered from our course, each hoping to obliterate the other before it was too late.

Neither of us succeeded, our ships colliding at over one kilometer per second. Both ships were vaporized instantly.

“Roc! No!” Niko screamed over fleet comms.

“I’m alright, Niko; focus on that fleet. Take out the engines on those transports!” I replied from my pod, already aligning to the Brutor Tribe Treasury station in-system.

I wouldn’t be there to join in the glory of victory. I wouldn’t be there as we freed those Matari, teaching the Amarr and Caldari that we would never accept slavery within the galaxy, that we would never rest while such despicable disregard for human life was endured, that we would never back down, no matter what the odds.

We were Matari, and our spirit would never be crushed.

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER

“The flagship is nearly done, Roc. I’ve got you a direct channel with her captain.” Niko said.

“Thanks Niko, but broadcast this on every open channel: fleet, enemy, local, civilian, all of it.”

“Will do, boss.” Niko replied.

“‘As I was saying, Commodore.’ I began. ‘Your corpse will be nailed to the front of my ship for all to see in the coming weeks, but only after I have let some of my less than respectful brothers defile it … repeatedly. And when the stink of your rotting flesh becomes too much for my nostrils to bear, I will jettison your deteriorating sack of meat into the nearest wormhole I can find, that you may never know peace in the afterlife. And do you know the best part of all this? Do you, Commodore? Your god won’t do a damned thing to help you. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Kinda makes you wonder if you were on the losing team from the very start, doesn’t it? Guess what? You were.'”

2010 in review

Posted by Roc Wieler on

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 87,000 times in 2010. If it were an exhibit at The Louvre Museum, it would take 4 days for that many people to see it.

 

In 2010, there were 303 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 854 posts. There were 119 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 16mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was May 7th with 24,432 views. The most popular post that day was Tyrannis: The Contest.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were eveonline.com, crazykinux.com, facebook.com, lifeinlowsec.blogspot.com, and ninveah.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for roc wieler, roc’s ramblings, republic fleet firetail, rocs ramblings, and pizza cones.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Tyrannis: The Contest May 2010
51 comments

2

Firetail Revisited February 2010
13 comments

3

Tyrannis: The Tyranny of the Undead Space People May 2010
27 comments

4

Republic Fleet Firetail June 2009
10 comments

5

Tyrannis: Worlds Collide May 2010
47 comments

Year of the Rifter

Posted by Roc Wieler on

Looking back, I’m still amazed at the influence I had over any other capsuleer. I have never envisioned myself a celebrity, or someone of importance. My existence has always been one of necessity when it comes to others, and excess when it comes to myself.

I have always done what is needed. I always will.

Still, it was the Year of the Rifter, that year I challenged all the pod pilots of New Eden to commit to flying nothing but a Rifter for an entire year. Some balked, saying it would be impossible for them to go on fleet ops; others cried they would die too easily in a Rifter, but many took up the call. Thousands of them in fact.

And it was a good year for the galaxy.

Pilots re-learned the joy of flying frigates; of relying on your wits instead of your blob. They learned the benefits of versatile fittings, and a small, agile ship that could get you out of many sticky situations.

The Year of the Rifter proved to be a good idea in the end. Had I only known then what I know now.

DAY 1
9:02 AM

I’ve been flying the Ripsack for a while now, but this marks my first official entry in the Year of the Rifter. I’ve been scanning for pirate activity for the last ninety minutes; no luck. I wandered over to Amamake briefly, knowing there’s always a fight going on there, but I couldn’t lure any strays away from their packs. Disappointing.

I’m docking up for now. Will try again later.

Roc

Healthy Egg Nog?

Posted by Roc Wieler on

Egg nog around Christmas time is an age old tradition for many families; that rich, creamy taste just seems to go with the holidays.

Of course, some of us are more concerned with calories than we used to be, but there’s only so many things we’re willing to give up in the name of a healthier lifestyle!

Well, fear not, there is a solution. In2Shape Fitness has provided this wonderful, low calorie egg nog recipe just in time for Christmas dinner.

Healthy Egg Nog

INGREDIENTS:

  • 6 Omega Eggs
  • 3 cups of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 8 tablespoons of brown sugar substitute (such as brown sugar splenda)
  • 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

METHOD:

  1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs using an electric mixer.
  2. One by one, add in the milk and sugar until it thickens.
  3. Add in the vanilla and nutmeg to complete the mix
  4. Finally cover with plastic wrap for a minimum of 3 hours before it is ready to serve.

There you have it!  Eggnog that takes only 10 minutes to make and serves 8 people.  Not only does it taste delicious, but it is guilt free! Garnish with sprinkled nutmeg or cinnamon stick to add a little bit of Christmas cheer.

Merry Christmas!

Zymurgist’s Quafe Pudding

Posted by Roc Wieler on

There are so many slogans for Quafe soda that I often wondered how I had avoided it for so long. It was inevitable that I would eventually cave and try it, I just never figured it would be as pudding…

Zymurgist’s Quafe Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8oz of Cream Cheese
  • 8oz of plain Yogurt
  • 2 parts lime juice (splashed in)
  • 1 part lemon juice
  • Enough sugar to kill a diabetic (Just poured straight out of the bag, maybe 2/3 a cup?)
  • Half a Tablespoon of Cream of Tartar (Optional)

METHOD:

  1. Put all in large bowl and mix until creamy.
  2. Keep refrigerated and stir before serving.
  3. Makes about 8 servings.

I recommend not serving this if you plan on spending any substantial time with your guests after dessert. People tend to get really … rowdy.

The Night Before Christmas in New Eden

Posted by Roc Wieler on

By: Commander Jack Carrigan

Twas the night before Christmas,
And all through the Cluster;
A mass Naval Force
Was beginning to muster.
The launchers, cannons and blasters,
Were loaded with care
In hopes that the Sansha soon would be there.

The pilots were nestled all snug in their pods.
They checked, and rechecked all of their mods.

The silence was broken by a flurry of blasters,
As the merry band of pilots met their new “Master”.
When out from the Comms arose such a clatter,
Wing Commanders swearing and directing the battle.

In from nullsec in a brilliant white light,
Three carriers hot dropped to join in the fight.
The flash of laser batteries lit up the space,
And let all see the look on the Sansha Nation’s face.

When out from nowhere our Recons did spot,
Six Nightmares warped in and downed a dreadnought.
The capsule left floating ended up scrammed;
I tried to engage but my tracking was jammed.

Out of control the violence did spin,
This battle was lost, with no way to win.
Now Rifter! Now Thrasher! Now Kestrel and Merlin!
On Thorax! On Stabber! On Moa and Omen!
To the side of the moon! To the dark of the space!
Now warp away! Warp away! Regroup and Wait!

As bright, shooting stars, that Drake let missiles fly,
When they hit their targets, the Sansha did die.
To the dark side of the moon we did scurry and wait,
To stage a surprise and seal all their fates.

And then in the darkness, just lit by my HUD
An echo rang out, sounding like many thuds.
As I spun on my keel and started to reach,
I realized our rally point had just been breached.

The pilots were all lined up in file and rank,
A gleam came off the ships, the warm glow of their tanks.
The True Slaves warped in, to begin their attack,
Flaming spires of death were seen forward and back.

Their ships did not twinkle, their ships were not merry,
Things in this system had just gotten hairy.
The drones from theirs ships lashed out like a swarm,
Torpedoes were fired not long after armed.

The large plumes from smart bombs circled like wreathes,
And the rocking from arties made most grit their teeth.
They had hellish guns and they just kept on coming,
The bombers decloaked and began their bomb running.

Locked into combat with mindless True Slaves,
Had to thank every comrade for many close saves.

A light in the sky, right over my head,
A cyno was popped, and in jumped a dread.
A broadside barrage from its massive guns,
Turned the tide of the ambush, the battle was won!
And with each controlled squeeze of the trigger,
The Sansha fell back, the body count bigger.

They turned on their keels, and started to run,
That darkened force that blacked out the sun.
I heard our Commander exclaim, and then let out a sigh,
Merry Christmas, Sansha Nation, you’re all going to die!