Weekly Update

Posted on 20 Nov 2023 @ 5:52pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice

Hi all,

Another week, another Weekly Update! I hope everyone is staying warm/cool depending on which side of the equator they’re on. It has been an eventful week when it comes to posts, and in that I want to remind everyone that on the 30th November, Mission 18 shuts down and all posts for it must be completed. If not…well, it can become a personal log in worst case scenario but then all writers have to fight about who posts it. And that’s no fun!

It also begins the countdown for Personal Logs…but more about that next week! For now, we got a few tiny questions popped in for Auntie Anne’s agony column:

Dear Auntie Anne. As a lower deck crewman, I find myself forever pulled between my Department Chief and pretty much every officer who comes across me! If I am not looking busy I get given something to do, and when I finish things early I never get the chance to stop and catch my breath. What do I do so that I am noticed enough for promotions, but not so much to be everyone’s crewman to be ordered around? All the best, Exhausted Crewman

Oh, Exhausted Crewman. You’ve not mastered the art of “buffer time”. It is about setting realistic expectations on time, not just to your superiors, but to yourself. You’ve rushed to finish that bit of work so you can have five minutes to breathe? Did you say it would only take half an hour? Give yourself some padding time, it allows you to slow, check the work, not exhaust yourself and do the things officers forget crewmen need…like toilet breaks, and staying hydrated. Your hard work will be noticed, but if you stretch yourself too far, you’ll be exhausted. So, take it from me…overestimate how long something takes, take the time to do it well and to give yourself small breaks. Best of luck, sweetie!

Dear Auntie Anne. I’ve been tinkering with the ship’s computer as part of my role, and now I am concerned it has started to achieve…sentient. It’s asking about my day and when I say anything that isn’t ‘fine, thanks’, it interrupts me and starts talking about the weather. Or worse, goes into silence! What have I done and how much trouble will I be in? Thanks, Accidentally Created Artificial Life.

Oh honey, don’t worry about that too much. Most likely, a personality subroutine from the holodeck has been entered as part of the ship’s computer banter programme. Do a check, you will just find that it is that. Or, if you find nothing and this is actually happening…don’t fear! With such a personality it clearly is uncomfortable with personal interactions so if you leave it alone, you’ll be left alone! But…maybe just let the Captain know? Honesty is the best policy…

And now, for a little recipe handed to me from T’Paaru:

T’Paaru’s Earth-Adjusted Vulan Meditation Traybake

It was illogical I was asked to contribute since Vulcans are hardly known as the Chefs of the Galaxy, but as I grew up on Earth my mother had to adjust her recipes for whenever I had to bring bakes to school for bake sales. My father always said it was not logical to do bake sales, as there are no currency to worry about. Clearly it was a vanity project. Still, my parents were firm that they would do the things other parents on Earth did and that is how this cake was made.

On Vulcan, this cake is dry, filling and bland. However, as this would not please most palates, we adjusted it to suit more…human tastes. For this you will need (ask the replicator for the amounts when replicating the ingredients, or if not used to metric, ask the Computer to convert):

One Earth oven, set to 175 degrees Celsius.

Ingredients for batter:

350 grams butter
5 dl sugar
4 medium eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
6 dl buttermilk or kefir (If using kefir, natural taste, no sugar)
9 dl white flour

For the topping/filing:

2 dl sugar
4 tablespoons cinnamon
125 grams salted butter

Steps to complete:

Start with the batter. My mother always said get the butter to room temperature first. Cut the butter and mix the sugar. You want it fluffy and pale before you add one egg, whisk it in, add another, whisk in, add another, whisk in, add another and whisk in. Add in the baking powder and vanilla sugar and stir well. Add then the buttermilk/kefir with the flour a little by little until batter is smooth. Do not overdo it, you want no lumps but also it does not need to be beaten into submission.

Butter your tray (about 30 x 40 cm) and put half the batter in and smooth with a knife.

Get the filling ready. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Melt butter but do not mix butter into the filling, just have it on the side for now.

Put half the filling over the traybake as even as you can. Now, drizzle half the butter over it.

Put the rest of the batter over it and smooth the top with a knife. Then, carefully push the knife deeper and move it 2 to three times through. You do not want to mix it, just give it a little bit of light marbling.

Put the rest of the sugar/cinnamon mix over, then drizzle the rest of the butter over.

Cook for 40 minutes. Check it to make sure it is cooked. Take out of oven. Leave to cool a little. Cut up. Serve.

Can be frozen. It went down well with humans when I was a child. I find it very sweet.

Live long and prosper.

And that is it for this week!

Anne

Category: General News
Tags: Weekly Update, News

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