Extra Life Contest Winners

Before I say anything, I just want to say how proud I am of all of you. Together, KI gamers raised (at the time of writing) 9,035 dollars. Our original goal was one thousand, and later 5 thousand, and we crushed both of those goals. It makes me so happy to see us all coming together for a great cause like this, and I hope that we can go even farther next year!

As for the winners, I had to tweak things slightly. Turns out, most donations were done by non team members or anonymous donors. That being the case, I had to pick ten people who raised an impressive amount. I also decided to pick people who signed up as their wizards. I did this for a couple of reasons, those being internet safety, and also to respect the privacy of those who used their real life names. I would however, like to highlight the team member who donated the most, Timothy Titan, who gave an incredible 201 dollars. That absolutely rocks, and he's going to be at the top of my list in terms of which article I write first. Following that, I'll make the articles in order of response back to me. In a month or so, I have a break for Thanksgiving, followed shortly after by a December break. I'm hoping to try and fufill most of the articles during this period, but if I have time sooner, I'll try to fill one when I have time. So without further delay, here are our winners, in no particular order.

• Timothy Titan
• Vanessa Mythdust
• Sarah Battlethief (may need some help finding her)
• Austin Ironslinger
• Shadow Wyvern (on central)
• Iridian Willowglen
• Jason Fireblood
• Edward Anvilshard
• Seth (flash33 on central)
• Destiny Devereaux

As a reminder to our winners, they have the chance to ask me to create a dish based on something in either game. Could be an area, could be an npc, it could even be them! Two rules however, do apply. First, it has to be g-rated, this is a family friendly blog. :) Second: If it is your wizard/pirate, or if it is something from pirate101 (I haven't played it I'm afraid) then you'll need to provide me a little backround info on what it's about so I have a basis to go off of. Other than that, if you like any type of food, let me know, and I'll try my best to deliver what you ask. I'm very proud of all of you, and that means the whole KI team, and I think we truly did something wonderful. For the ten winners, you can reach me in several places to request a dish. I'm on twitter, (@monoplox), leave a comment here, on central, (@monoplox) and through my in game/blog gmail.(carlostrollfist@gmail.com) Until then, Foodies of The Spiral, UNITE!

- Carlos

Extra Life: Biting Into A Good Cause

 Reposted from my extra life page: Support me here and find the rest of the team -> http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=113638



Hi there everyone. My name is Carlos Trollfist. You may or may not know me, I'm a fairly reclusive member of the community. When I first heard about the fundraising and how KI and our lovely Professer Greyrose were putting together a team, I decided to sign up and see if I could help raise more money for the hospitals and the wonderful work they do.
This actually means a lot to me.A few years back, my older sister was having some serious throid problems. She ended up having to go through several surgeries, and made a full recovery. During the time, I was a little too young to fully understand quite what she was going through, but being a bit older now, I understand how scary it must have been for her. Looking back, the people who worket at the hospital she was admitted to, (one that was paid for by my parents' insurance) the staff who oversaw her really were wonderful, always working to see her mind at ease and do that extra thing to make her happy.
I realize that not all children who need that kind of care can afford it. That's why i've made a page here. My parents were fortunate enough to know that my sister would receive that extra special caring treatment. Not all parents can guarentee that for their children. I hope that by working to raise money here, we can as a coommunity give more parents that peace of mind.
I regret to say this, but I myself don't really have the financial ability to donate to this cause. That being said, I want to do what i can to give others incentive to donate further to the cause. That's where my blog comes in. I have a small blog related to KI's first game, Wizard101. My blog is called "The Culinary Conjurer". On it, i create food and relate it to npcs and others aspects of the game and what's going on both in the game and real life.
So how does my blog help things here? Well that's a good question! The top 10 team members for KI gamers, who donate the most themselves, will be given an oppertunity to request me to make something to be featured on my blog.
Now there are a couple of rules I need to set up for the sake of clarity. First, please note: the ten chosen will be the ten who donate the most themselves, not the 10 who are able to raise the most. I understand this may be a bit backwards in terms of thinking, but if i say the ten who raise the most, the list and subsequently, the donations may remain stagnant to where they are now. I'm trying to increase cash flow to the organization, and thus i'm going about it this way. Secondly, please note, the money donated does not have to be to my personal page. I want donations increased in general. It doesn't really bother me who you sponser so lon as you sponser. The third and final rule is about time. This contest of sorts will run until 12pm EST on October 25, which is the actual day of the event. At that time, i'll tally up the ten team members who donated the most, be it through comments or other social media if i am aware of it (twitter, central ect.) so be sure to check your comments on that day to see if you've won.
After i've contatced the winners, you can email me at carlostrollfist@gmail.com, with the dish you'd like and what you'd like it based on. For this contest, the limitations are pretty open. You can request an area in the game, an npc you like, or even you wizard or pirate. Please note, if you choose for it to be yourself, tell me a little bit about your wizard or pirate, so I have a little to go off of. Then all you have to do is keep an eye on my blog, and wait for your article to come. I'll make sure to send you a follow up message to let you know when so you'll be sure not to miss it.

So that's all I have to say. I really think this is a great cause, and while I myself cannot donate, I hope this acts as incentive for others to push themselves to help out a great charity. Together, we as the KI community will make a difference.

Foodies of the Spiral, UNITE!

- Carlos

Moodah Milkshakes

So it's been a while since i've posted hasn't it? Sorry about that. We all get swept up in the hustle and bustle of post summer life I suppose. I am no exception to this. But by no means have i given up on this blog. Not at all. I've jut been struggling to find the time to cook. The writing isn't the problem. I could go on for days writing without any problem. But cooking is an important vehicle to the blog.

I figured then, since we all seem to be very busy and stressed, to take a moment to relax, and center ourselves. We could use a teacher to help us find inner peace and balance. And who better to do that than the Moodah? He is the atomization of peace and calm. Then why not try to emulate him? Better yet, emulate him by making food he may himself eat!

And that brings us to Moodah milkshakes. I can see him enjoying them on several levels. Perhaps most importantly, they're bright and green, much like his native land of Mooshu. Green is a peaceful happy color. Both the Moodah and milkshakes start with the letter M. Word association is always important with food. (Ok so maybe it's not, but it does make it seem more fun on the written page). Also the Moodah is a cow. Or is he a bull? If he's a bull, then he's a he. But the Moodah certainly looks like a cow, he doesn't have horns. But that would make the Moodah a  she. And the voice actor for the Moodah is most certainly male. Hmm. This poses a problem. For the sake or argument, let's say the Moodah transcends gender, and thus, everyone wins. As i was saying, milkshakes have milk. And bovines drink and produce milk. This all may seem a bit silly, but it proves a point. The Moodah would most certainly definitely drink green milkshakes. So by making them, we can emulate his inner calm.

I need to make a disclaimer here. This recipe didn't quite turn out as i hoped it would. And that's fine. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when trying new things. The kitchen is no exception. I've never made milkshakes before. I don't even really like them. I just got this idea in my head and it seemed really cute and fun so I went with it. All i'm saying is, recreate at your own risk. It doesn't taste bad per se, but a milkshake it ain't.

So here are the ingredients:

• Milk
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Green tea
• Lemon juice (not fresh. shame on me.)
• Green food dye (pictured seperately. Not entirely sure why,  but there it is.
• Sugar
• Water 

So in all fairness, yes i should have used exact proportions. But it was late, and I wanted to get it done. I've no one to blame but myself. So first things first. In the blender, add the milk, ice cream, and lemon juice. Then put the water in a kettle and boil it. 

Let the kettle do it's thing. Then when it's boiling, remove it from the heat and brew the tea. Once that's done, add it to a pot with the sugar and boil it. To be fair, this was my major problem. I had so much tea, but i never let it cook down enough into a syrup, and it was essentially just hot green tea. Not  what i was going for. Also the more i blog, the more i realize i make syrups a lot, and i should probably try to branch out a bit. Oh well, there's always a next time!

Then it's just a matter of adding the green tea syr... water to the blender. I probably added too much here as well, but  green tea has a subtle flavor. Then I added a few drops of green food dye, which i held off  till now, because i didn't know how much the tea would mess with the color. After that i blended it up. I noticed I had a milkshake button on the blender. Sadly, not even it could save this dish. Then all that was left was to pour it in a glass. I don't have a picture of that, because in essence, it was green milk.

Oh well. Live and learn I suppose. Better to  learn though. I realized my mistakes, and should i choose to try again, i'll know  what pitfalls to avoid. So this was not for naught. And besides, it still tasted alright. Maybe a bit warm, even though i did chill it, but no big deal. At the very least i can say i've made green milkshakes, and who wouldn't want to  say that?

I'm excited for the upcoming months. Today marks the end of  September, and the we draw closer to my favorite month of all, November. But October is pretty great too. Fall flavors coming out to play, and no, I do not mean pumpkin spice. Honestly pumpkin makes the spice, not the other way around. But i digress. I really love fall, and i love cooking in fall. So every chance i get, i'm going to be in the kitchen. That being said, I'll also be trying to make as many posts as I can. I just need to think of ways to tie Fall into the game, but that shouldn't be terribly difficult. Until then, Foodies Of The Spiral, UNITE!

In The Schooltimes

Hey there my spiral foodies! So I realized. Even though i'm in  a dorm, and as such, i can't do all that much culinary, I want to blog more. However, this is a food blog. So without food, how do i blog? Good question! Well I came up with an idea. Two actually, but one will be more immediately relevant than the other.

So here's the deal. This is the more long term project. I'm making an internet suggestion box of sorts. On any of my posts, leave a comment with what you want to see me cook. Go as big and as zany as you please! A few rules though. Firstly, it's got to be vegetarian. I am one, and as such, cooking my animal friends isn't something i'm too keen about. Secondly, age appropriate. That's pretty standard issue. This is a food blog based on a family game, not an erotic bakery online. If you want the latter, this is not the blog for you. Third, it's got to be related to Wizard101. But ARRR, I here you calling. My apologies my briny buddies, but i don't play Pirate101 (subject to change, maybe! No promises.), and as such, I wouldn't really connect to what i was making. If you pass all three rules, who knows! Maybe you'll see your suggestion get the Culinary Conjurer treatment! Please note, I'm not obligated to make your suggestion if it is submitted properly. It's based on time, and interest. If its something that feels like i've done it before, i may not want to do it again (looking at you gelatin), so please understand that.

Okay so moving forward! Short term, my idea is cooking help! If you have any questions about food, which cheese to use in your Greta Darkettle Grilled Cheese, (I need to make that now) or how to cook down your apples for Crystal Grove Crumble (That too), send me a comment! I've been cooking a long, long time, and I know a lot of tips and tricks to make your life a bit easier. A kitchen can be a bit daunting at first, but a little magic can fix that right up.

So that's what's going on with the blog. Still going to cook, just filling in the gaps with other things. Hope to be back on the burner for you all soon, but in the meantime, Foodies Of The Spiral, UNITE!

Back To School Ambrosia Ice Cream

It is unavoidable. The summer is drawing to a close, and for many of us, this means a return to our schools, unfortunately of the non-magical variant. Many of you are already back in your various places of learning, and i myself go back on Friday. So I say, why not give summer the sendoff it deserves!

How you ask? Well ice cream of course! Ice cream screams summer, and we scream for ice cream. Well i don't, but i'm just sort of a softspoken person. Anyways, I wanted to make this ice cream special. To tie it to someone synonymous with a new school year. And that of course, would be Headmaster Ambrose, or as we call him, Eatmaster Mmmbrose. Ambrose has a name that sounds like only one food i know of. The classic southern dish, ambrosia.

If you've never had ambrosia, it's a bit hard to describe. I've never had it myself, but i know what goes into it, and well... let's just say it's  a dish from an older time and leave it at that. So what i did was take the essence of ambrosia, and gave it a more modern flavor profile, while sticking to its roots, and then shoved the results into an ice cream.

Anyways, here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup (roughly) strawberries
• 1 orange
• 1 can of fruit cocktail (the classic ambrosia component)
• 1 cup of water
• Not Pictured: 1 banana, lemon juice

Ok so first things first! Take your blueberries and get them into a covered pot with the sugar and water. Set it over medium high heat and just let it cook for a few minutes. No need to stir, the sugar will dissolve of its own accord. Keep a close eye on it though, it can boil over in a moment's notice, and when hot berry syrup meets stove, it equals bad news. So keep an eye on it. Once you've let it go for a few minutes, it should look reddish purple in color. This is your indication to pull it from the heat, and strain it into a bowl. Press on the berries with the back of a spoon, get all the juice you can out of them.

So the next few steps are relatively easy. First, cut the tops off of the strawberries. Pretty though the leaves may be, their flavor is not too friendly. Then open up both the cans of fruit cocktail, as well as the coconut milk. Be super careful with this. I have a rather nasty scar on the knuckle of my thumb from a pull top can, and i have a hatred of the things now. So learn from my mistakes and keep it safe. Also while we're here at the cutting board, slice the orange in half and juice it. What manner of machine you use is completely up to you, i have a manual stand model myself.

Now comes the point of assembly for the base. Add the strawberries and half of the cocktail into a blender. Make sure its a big one, this is a lot of liquid going in! Then add the orange juice, blueberry syrup, and finally the coconut milk. I add it last because, as it runs down through the blender, it looks really cool.  Then give it a whir, but do so gently. Short pulses to intergrate everything work best for me, so as not to have it overflow. It'll have a nice purple color at the end.

Now take this to the fridge for a long chill, overnight is best. This is vegan ice cream, and honestly, there isnt really enough fat in the coconut milk for it to solidify the way it needs to in the ice cream machine if it isn't done as quickly as possible. Also, make sure your ice cream churn has been in the freezer for a couple of days for it to work best. Note please, base in the fridge, don't let it get solid.

Ok, if you've done all that, the time has come for it to spin! Remember, we have to do this fast, or else things will melt on us. Set everything up, and then return to the cutting board. Break down the one banana into small pieces. Then in a bowl, combine it with the remaining cocktail and a bit of lemon juice. The lemon juice will stop the banana from oxidizing and going mushy and brown. Mushy and brown is not magical and delicious. When the mixture starts to thicken, (it'll only be somewhat) add the fruit mixture and give a minute or two to integrate. It'll take a little time, but just let it do its thing.

Once everything is well mixed, take the entire base and move it to the freezer, for a few hours at least. The ice cream will have a chance to firm up in here. After a few hours, things will be a soft serve consistency. Leave it longer, and you've got a scoopable cone friendly delight. I like to keep mine plain though, a bowl and i'm good. But hey, that's up to you.

And there you go! Ambrosia (kind of) ice cream. This one's for you Mmmbrose. so raise your wand and trade it for a spoon. I had mine at soft serve, so one scoop wasn't doing too well in terms of solidity. Anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope you'll try this out. And hey, double win! It's vegan, so our animal friends can be happy too. If you don't tell people, they wouldn't even know! So be sure to try this out, and send in a comment if you run into any problems or questions. Foodies of the Spiral, UNITE!

Granita for Lincoln (AKA COFFEE!)

Well this won't be my first official recipe post. I had one planned but mr. ice cream machine is being well... we'll try again tomorrow. In the meantime, i'll post one of my old videos here. This is a recipe for granita. Granita for those who don't know, is a cold ice Italian frozen dessert.  In can come in many flavors and is very customizable, but this here is my old standby. I've lost track of the amount of times i've made it, and i've committed the whole recipe to memory. I suppose then that this would make a fitting second post, as this dish holds a personal connection to me. So without further ado, here's Lincoln's coffee granita.

Ingridients:
2 cups of warm to hot coffee
1/2 cup of sugar
zest from one orange
a teaspoon of vanilla extract

1. zest up that orange, zest it good!
2. Combine everything in some sort of glass, stir until the sugar is dissolved. This will be easier if the coffee is hot.
3. Pour into a metal pan, make sure it doesn't come up the sides of the pan too much.
4. Send that bad boy to the freezer.
5. When it's had time to chill out and think about what it's done (fully frozen) it's time for vigilante justice!
6. Scrape it with a fork to make it light and fluffy.
7. Mound it up high into a glass (fancy would be best.We're classy here in the spiral's kitchen), and add whipped cream (home made is best, but if you use a can, i won't tell!)
8. Optional: More fresh orange zest on top. Nice but, not needed.

And that's all there is to it! Very easy, yet extremely rewarding. You see why I love it. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and give it a try! You'll like it, i'm sure. I'll leave the video below if that is of interest to you. Thanks for reading my fellow spiral foodies. :)

What's Cooking, Good looking?

Hi there everyone. If you're reading this, you've stumbled across the spiral's first ever cooking blog. Yes that's right a cooking blog! Here you'll be able to learn how to make some awesome dishes that will turn Headmaster Ambrose into Eatmaster Mmmbrose. If you're not sure what that means, well i play a game called Wizard101. This here is going to be a fan cooking blog for the game. It may sound like an odd  concept, but hey, stranger things have happened.

So, what can you expect on this blog? Well basically, fanboy meets magic, meet kitchen. I've loved cooking my whole life, and as soon as i was let in the kitchen, i never left. I also love Wizard101 in a big way. I'm a big fan of the story, and i love the worlds and the art and the pets and well, there isn't too much i don't like about it. 

For you, it means that every so often i'll post about a dish i've made, that in some way relates to the game. Perhaps a community member, perhaps an NPC, perhaps an area. Sometimes i'll have a video to accompany my post, but it'll be a case by case instance. More recently, i even took up the challange of recreating a pet snack from the game. Not fun for me (gelatin is an evil food. No exceptions). I'll leave a video of said endeavor at the bottom of the post. 

I'm excited to go on this blogging journey (uncharted territory here!), and i hope you'll excited to come with me. Food and wizard101 and things i both love, so it's no surprise the two managed to coalesce. Please note with school going on, things will be a bit, slow to put it nicely. I'll try my best to post every 2-3 weeks. If i don't please know i don't mean it, and i haven't gone away. It just means homework has taken the time up. I'd like to thank you for reading, and I hope you're ready to see the spiral from my side of the spoon. :)

"The Culinary Conjurer" Carlos Trollfist