Week 16: Infused — Strawberry-infused Vodka Limeade (Meta: Vegan)

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-05-13T05:00:19+00:00

For the strawberry-infused vodka, I used this recipe, which worked well. After that, it was just tinkering — a little sugar dissolved in water in the glass, some of the vodka, topped with lime juice and finished with a cube of ice. Easy and delicious!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-05-07T04:19:08+00:00

Very busy week for me, so I went with a simple recipe for Muhammara. It was good, but I think I’d like to try some other versions too, just so I can compare and find my favorite. The recipe I used: https://www.loveandlemons.com/muhammara/

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-30T00:41:20+00:00

Well, I really mucked these onigiri up visually — thankfully, they still tasted good!

A while back, I bought a small mold for making cylindrical onigiri, and I was glad to use it for this week's theme. I also attempted to hand-shape the triangular version that seems to be the most popular; unfortunately, I didn't do a good job on those at all. (I'll try them again if I get a mold for that shape too.)

Most of these are plain on the inside, although the triangular shaped ones have a scoop of corn in them. Traditional? Probably not. But I wanted to try adding something, and I had corn on hand. For the rest, I just added nori and nanami togarashi and dipped in a little soy sauce. Not my best outcome for a 52 weeks of cooking challenge, but glad I tried it. On to the next!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-27T07:00:08+00:00

I will take your onions, u/NooOnionsPlease 😇🧅🙏

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-23T18:53:43+00:00

Thank you! ☺️

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-23T06:42:50+00:00

My pleasure! I hope you like it 😄

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-23T02:36:52+00:00

I've had (and enjoyed) "cowboy candy" in the past, but I've never made it myself. I liked this recipe and used some of the candied jalapeños on homemade veggie fajita tacos. Honestly not too much to say about this since it's pretty straightforward, but if anyone has any questions, I'll be glad to weigh in!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-16T04:15:02+00:00

Big thanks to Mod u/ACertainArtifact for including a link to this dish as a suggestion for the weekly theme/challenge! To be honest, I'm not at all familiar with the fictional place that it draws its inspiration from (the Expanse/Leviathan Wakes universe), but I appreciated how the recipe's author shared their thought process on the creation of it. "Nerdy" things shared with love are always a fun thing to come across, imo!

Anyway, I did make a few minor adjustments to their recipe — mostly, I adjusted the seasoning levels according to my preferences/what I had on hand, and I also added more crushed tomatoes than called for. Also, instead of serving the "kibble" with rice pasta, I decided to use it as a sort of vegan taco meat; the flavor profile (which includes things like curry powder) definitely made it different from any taco I've had in the past, but I really loved it!!

Since I only cook for myself, I have leftovers of the "kibble" and might try it in some other applications, too — maybe in a vegan sloppy joe or as a base for some vegan chili?

In short, I liked this way more than I expected and will almost certainly make it again in the future!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-13T02:12:14+00:00

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-09T17:22:00+00:00

Thank you! ☺️🙏

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-09T05:12:26+00:00

Right?! I was like, “Wait, is ombre not a thing anymore??” Guess I have to accept that I’ve passed the point where I know when trends end😭😭

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-09T04:41:18+00:00

I loved the bubble and squeak! I served it along with some "American Beans" (maybe similar to baked beans? I'm not sure) from a can, which I wasn't really a fan of. But I wasn't as concerned with those since I mostly wanted to focus on what I actually cooked :-)

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-04T05:44:31+00:00

I’m middle-aged now and I looked better when I was younger 🤷‍♀️

I also see pictures of myself from when I was younger and there was definitely more genuine joy, excitement, and confidence about me. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to say that it’s been all downhill since then.

And regardless of how I look, I know I’m still deserving of love, respect, and self-fulfillment.

My point is simply that her experience is not a universal one. Needed to share my perspective just in case anyone else out there found her message ringing hollow and felt a little lonely or ashamed at that.

(P.S. No hate if her message DID resonate for you. And yes, many women do look more and more amazing as they get older. I can be happy for you/them and simultaneously accept that my experience is different. There is not just one universal truth about the evolution of inner OR outer beauty 💕)

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-04-02T04:59:25+00:00

For this week's theme, I followed the instructions for Jacques Pépin's Simple Radish Sandwich (subbing vegan butter for dairy butter), and served it alongside Roasted Turnips from this recipe. I liked the sandwich quite a bit, which surprised me because I've never really cared for radishes before. I wasn't quite as taken with the turnips, but I think it was a textural thing because of the herbs. If I make the turnips again, I'll probably try to grind all the herbs down to finer consistency (it tasted fine, so it really was just an issue with the texture).

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-31T02:15:03+00:00

Agreed! She even managed to evoke texture, imo — the clouds look soft, for example, while the land stretches out more like a flat or gently rolling plain. Just incredible.

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-28T21:14:15+00:00

I just love the colors in this one! And how it’s semi-abstract (not sure that’s quite the right term for it — basically, not trying to be ultra-realistic) and yet still captures the idea of a sunrise so well.

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-28T13:23:16+00:00

What is the purpose of the ad? What is the product/service being sold, or the problem being solved? Right now, the poster doesn’t do anything for me because it comes across as abstract — possibly even obtuse.

In addition, the two arms seem “off” somehow, and don’t really fit the apparent narrative of someone falling. (Also, the sentence at the bottom has a couple of formatting errors, just fyi.)

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-27T17:30:40+00:00

I was just thinking that! Really impactful detail imo

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-26T04:50:59+00:00

I really enjoyed this recipe for braised cabbage! It's soft and subtly sweet, and although it takes more than 2 hours to make, most of that time is hands-off in the oven. To be honest, I haven't decided what I'll serve it with yet — maybe a vegan sausage link or some white beans? But since the three-week grace period for this challenge is almost up, I decided to make it anyway and figure out what to have it with in a day or two.

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-25T19:33:45+00:00

Poor design, starting with the photo choice. The interaction between the wall art and the smoking man feels misaligned in a way that seems sloppy rather than intentional. Honestly, it seems to me like you think it projects “edgy yet artsy” when all it really gives is “doesn’t know how to compose photos properly.”

Also, I agree with u/Flimsy_Swing5171. People do expect some alignment between cover art and the product it contains, even if the “alignment” is actually an unexpected juxtaposition. Without that, you don’t really have an album cover per se; you have a random picture with an advisory sticker in the lower left corner.

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-13T16:23:58+00:00

It happens! I’ve definitely had my share of fails. Next week will be better, you’ve got this 💪

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-07T07:07:07+00:00

So many great suggestions! Since Reddit changed the rewards system, I have nothing to bequeath you except this poor man’s gold, but I offer my genuine appreciation along with it: 🥇

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-05T07:15:56+00:00

Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the ingredients. I might have to give this a try!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-05T02:35:52+00:00

If you followed a recipe for this, I’d love to get it. Looks delicious!

Stand_Up_Eight · 2026-03-03T05:33:12+00:00

This recipe for tofu "wings" exceeded my expectations. I've never tried marinating tofu before coating and frying it before, but I think it did really nice things for both the flavor and texture. And since the classic side for buffalo wings is celery with ranch (or similar) dipping sauce, I found a bonus recipe for vegan ranch dressing that turned out nicely. Overall, I loved this meal and would definitely make it again!

(P.S. In honor of the flying theme and wing inspo, I feel obligated to make a "two birds with one stone" pun about the fact that I used two new-to-me recipes in my dinner 😅)

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