#I hope you enjoyed the zoomed in low-res photos of my fingers

[ariadventures]

Tea Eggs!!

You know what I haven't written in a while? A cooking/food post! Someone asked me something on Twitter which got me thinking and I figured I'd finally write about making food again, so I'm pretty happy to have something to post on here again.

Immediately at the start of writing this I understand why recipes come with a background story, because cooking IS personal and at least, since I'm not a recipe blog, what investment do you really have in this if I'm not saying something about it? But I'll put the extraneous details after the recipe. This is far from a formal recipe and just a musing of what I did. I mostly did it to taste but these are some approximate measurements:

6-8 eggs 4 cups of water 4 bags black tea 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 4 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine 1 teaspoon five spice powder

Important to note: Make as many eggs as you want as long as it'll all fit in the marinade you make - it's gotta cover all of the eggs, no peekin' out. If you need less marinade, i.e. you're putting it in a tight ziplock bag, feel free to halve or otherwise divide the ingredients to fit.

Make the marinade in a saucepan with all the ingredients besides eggs. I started boiling the water and put the ingredients in one by one. I cut open the tea bags and dumped it all in. The five spice powder is out of convenience - if you look up all the spices included in it, like sichuan peppercorn and star anise and cinnamon etc., and have all of those on hand, you can use those as well, but this is a simple recipe for a simple person.

After mixed and boiling, let it cool off to the side.

Soft boil eggs in another pot, put them in an ice bath afterwards or run them under cold water for a few minutes, whatever your jam is.

Gently (GENTLY!!) use the back of a spoon or something to crack the eggshells while leaving them on, but not break through too much of the egg. The marinade is pretty strong so you could theoretically just completely peel them and soak them for a shorter amount of time, but I like to make them traditionally.

Put the eggs into the marinade and simmer/warm them for like, an hour. After that, let the marinade cool down again, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. That's it!

*Notes*

The dark soy sauce is mostly for the marbling/color of it. If you want a darker marbling, you can add more and reduce the salt. Like I mentioned, I did a lot of it kind of by vibes, so I added in a little more soy sauce and salt myself.

I had a test egg after I simmered them for an hour. Simmer? Warm? As long as it's not boiling, you don't actually want to thoroughly cook the eggs unless you're okay with super overboiled eggs. Tasted good, but did taste so much better after soaking for a day. I note soft boiled above because when you simmer them they do cook a bit again, and traditionally it is hard-boiled, but if you want them not overboiled you should do the soft boil initially.

As seen in the picture above, I marinated it in a saucepan overnight and put some clingwrap over it. My first attempt I only made 3 eggs, and they fit in a mason jar so I just put it all in a mason jar and used maybe half of that recipe above. If you don't want a big ole saucepan, you can also put the marinade in a big ziplock bag that'll stay securely tight. As long as the marinade is covering ALL of the egg!

This is what I mean by marbling! OBVIOUSLY these pictures aren't great (I have never claimed to be a photographer) but this is just to show what the end result should look like. Sometimes the marbling doesn't really come through but it still tastes nice!

I grew up with tea eggs always at the grocery store and able to grab 'em any time I wanted. They were usually always warmed in a crock pot as you grabbed them with tongs, but since I'm not running a crock pot for days as I finish eating them all I have them cold and they're still glorious. You can honestly marinade them 8-24 hours or so, I just like marinading for longer so the color really comes through and for more of the taste to soak in. Marinade them too long and I think they'll get too salty. It's a great subtle flavor, and you can reuse the marinade for another batch if you're making more in a short amount of time (refresh ingredients a lil that may have evaporated) or I know you can theoretically cook meat and vegetables in that marinade so you'll have something tasty from it.

I'm (AS USUAL, everyone moans) having culture feels and been wanting to cook more as a result. Most of it has manifested in veggie soup or varying noodle dishes, but tea eggs are near and dear to my heart and honestly I am so glad they were easier to make than I thought. I have a lot of weird vibes and euughh, trauma 🙄 over being in the kitchen just due to weird family stuff I grew up with so cooking is a real chore for me. Ultimately this uses two small pots (saucepans? pots? whatever they're called) and a tablespoon so the dishes to clean afterwards is minimal.

I really like the tea eggs and I really like that I can make them now, and I wanted to share that. I will probably fixate on them for a hot second! They've got such a nice flavor and my whole apartment smells good after. Let me know if you make any! Thanks for reading.

#Ari cooks #tea eggs #I also realize when I write these posts I refer back to them so it's helpful for me to write down the process as well #I was trying to find my chili noodles recipe a few months ago and I did!! #Ari adventures #I hope you enjoyed the zoomed in low-res photos of my fingers

[orangepeelers]

stay professional

college au where remus is a photographer and sirius is a very flirty model inspired by this art!!

read part 2 here!

***

Remus glanced down at his watch. Shit. He was going to be late. He looked back at the long line behind him. He was next up, and plus, coffee. I mean, if I get some for the model, I’ll probably be fine, he reasoned. Which reminded him, he had no idea what this guy looked like. Lily had just grinned at him when she suggested James’ friend. He was probably one of those greasy guys who never emerged from their mothers’ basements. Or he looked like a frequent visitor of Epstein’s island. He shuddered.

When it was finally his turn, he ordered a hot coffee with cream and sugar, and iced tea for the model. He figured you could never go wrong with iced tea. The minutes stretched into an eternity as he checked his watch anxiously. The barista finally called his name and he rushed out of the coffee shop and down the street to his apartment. Outside, the most gorgeous human being he’d ever seen checked his cellphone. Arms covered in tattoos, his face full of piercings, his fingers full of rings. He was attractive in a how-the-fuck-is-this-possible way, with a sharp jawline and clear, gray eyes. Brushing his long, black hair out of his face, he looked up at Remus. This was James’ friend? Hell, Lily could’ve mentioned something so he’d have time to compose himself.

“Hey, are you James’ friend?”

He gave a low laugh. “’James’ friend’. Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you.”

“Sorry I’m late. I, uh, brought you an iced tea from down the street.” 

The model took the tea and nodded thanks. “Thanks.”

They stood there a moment, while Remus admired the way the light refracted in his eyes. He shook himself. “Christ. I’m supposed to open the door, aren’t I?” He laughed awkwardly, hoping the model hadn’t noticed him staring. Digging his keys out of his pocket, he let him in.

“Sorry, it’s a bit disastrous.”

The model looked around his apartment. “Homey. I like it.” Remus blushed in spite of himself. “Okay, so the set is in my bedroom. Out of the way of my roommate.” He quickly explained himself, turning his face so the other boy couldn’t see his face turning deep crimson.

“You live with Lily, right?”

“Yeah.”

He grinned. “Bit of a parallel, isn’t it? I live with James, you live with his girlfriend...” He trailed off, but Remus understood the implication. His eyes had a twinkle of... flirtation? Mischief? Both? Remus reminded himself that he was supposed to be professional. This was no time to be flirting with James’ mysterious, albeit insanely attractive, friend.

The model followed him down the short hall to Remus’ bedroom. He’d attempted to straighten it out, but the books still overflowed from the shelves in the corner, where his bed had been unceremoniously shoved to make room for the set. Photographs and movie posters covered the walls, as well as Lily’s art, which he had refused to let her throw out. 

Remus pointed at his bed. “You can sit there while I sort myself out. Sorry it’s messy, I had to rearrange everything for that.” He gave a small chuckle.

The model waltzed over, admiring the things covering his walls. “So, Lily’s friend. Do you have a name?” Remus paused, setting the lens of his camera down. 

“She didn’t tell you my name either, huh? Strange how she and James are dating and I don’t even know his roommates’ name.”

The model laughed again. “I’m Sirius.”

Sirius. Remus tested it out in his mind. He liked it. Sort of whimsy, just like him. “Remus.”

“Pretty name for a pretty boy. Nice to meet you, Remus.” Sirius stuck his hand out, eyes full of daring.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be the drop-dead gorgeous model.” Remus shook it and pretended make a disapproving face. The truth was, his heart was racing at the ethereal human being calling him pretty. “Do you mind if I put makeup on you?”

“Not at all. I’m a man who appreciates good eyeliner any day of the week.”

“Good.” Remus dug through his drawers until he found the makeup bag he kept for shoots. He sat on the bed opposite Sirius, close enough to smell the mango iced tea he’d brought him earlier. Sirius closed his eyes, allowing the other boy to brush his eyelids with pink and line his eyes. Remus could feel his heart beating so loud that he hoped Sirius was hard of hearing. After a few minutes, he stepped back to examine his work. 

“All done.”

Sirius’ eyes fluttered open. “Thanks.”

Remus was about to say No, thank you for letting me do that, but he refrained. “Now, go stand over there.” He waved his hand at the wall set up with a red sheet and plants. Sirius complied and hopped off the bed. He dragged the lighting that he’d borrowed from his professor in front of him and studied the way it struck his face, tweaking the lights until he had the desired earthy look. Remus could not lie, he was absolutely breathtaking like that. 

“How should I pose?”

Remus thought a moment. “However you want. Do what feels natural.”

Sirius had that twinkle in his eyes again. “Alright.” He sat down and spread his legs, bending one so it looked like someone lounging against a couch. Remus quietly sucked his breath in as Sirius unbuttoned the top several buttons of his shirt, slinging the open top over his shoulder. Beneath, even more tattoos splayed across his chest. Remus couldn’t help but wonder how it felt to run his hands across them, studying the lines with his fingers. Snap out of it. He scolded himself.

“Is this good?”

“Perfect.” So perfect, jesus. “Now I’m going to go for some wider shots before I move in for closeups.”

He adjusted the light and crouched down, holding the lens up to his eye. Sirius gave the best sultry-model look he’d ever seen into the camera. Remus took a few photos, and he couldn’t help but feel like those somber eyes were for him. Nonsense, he’s just modeling. Remus moved a little closer and zoomed in to get his face. If he didn’t do well on this assignment, he was going to officially lose it. Sirius’ olive complexion and gray eyes under that lighting... anybody would want to see that on a magazine cover. 

After a few new poses and adjustments, Remus felt satisfied with the pictures he’d gotten. He stood up and set his camera down. “I think that does it.”

Sirius relaxed from where he had been standing, not bothering to re button his shirt. “Not very chatty, are you?”

Remus was taken aback. He’d been so caught up in trying not to say all of the stupid things that went through his mind at 100 miles an hour that he’d forgotten to say anything at all. Shit. Now he’d blown his chance with somebody he barely could have gotten in the first place. “I’m just... I just get nervous in front of people I find attractive.” 

Sirius grinned cockily before Remus had a chance to regret what he said. “You find me attractive?”

Remus nodded, too surprised to do anything. 

“Well, Mr. Photographer, the feeling is mutual.” He walked up to the other boy and put his hand on the side of his face, studying it. Remus could barely move, frozen in time by those gleaming gray eyes. He was very aware that Sirius’ chest was still exposed, and they were barely standing four inches apart. Sirius dropped his hand and took a slip of paper from his pocket before pressing it to Remus’ palm. 

“Lily told me you were cute, so I came prepared.” He winked before turning and leaving his room. Remus stood there, stunned. His mind attempted in vain to sort what had just happened out, before he realized he should probably go out and thank him for modeling. He rushed out of the room and down the hall.

“Wait!”

Sirius looked up from the door handle. “Yes?”

“Thanks for that. For- for being my model, I mean.”

He smiled. “No need. I’d enjoy modeling a lot more if every photographer was as cute as you. You can thank me over dinner.” And with that, he turned the handle and left the apartment. 

#wolfstar #wolfstar fic #WOLFSTAR FLUFF #wolfstar oneshot #Remus Lupin #remus x sirius #Sirius Black #the marauders #college au #lgtb #lgtbqia+ #mlm fic #mlm

[theglobetrottergp-blog]

One of my favourite types of photography is wildlife photography. I get a real kick out of first finding the wildlife and then capturing their expressions, behaviours and activities. Recently I was incredibly lucky to have the chance to explore The Galapagos Islands which is absolute wildlife paradise! Prior to this I’ve spent some time in East Africa on safari and these are some of my fondest memories of my photography journey so far. I can get so absorbed that the day just flashes past and I realise I have barely surfaced from my camera lens.

So today, I’d like to share some photography tips with you to improve your wildlife photos and impress all your friends and family on Instagram!

1/ Get the gear

The most important thing you will need to get you started is a DSLR with a decent zoom lens. I can highly recommend the Nikkor 55-300mm lens. It’s cheap as lenses go but takes lovely photos. Most photos below have been taken with this lens. Of course if you can afford a better lens, there are many out there! Aim for a reach of 300-400mm or more. If you want a cheaper alternative, you could consider a teleconverter. Lighter, cheaper but slightly reduced quality, these essentially increase the reach of an existing lens e.g turning a 200mm into a 400mm. Also make sure you have a spare battery and memory card!

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2/ Know your gear

You might only get a few seconds to get that amazing shot. If you don’t know your camera and spend too long faffing, you will lose the shot! Get to know your camera and it’s settings REALLY well and practice practice! I also recommend ‘The Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Photography’ in order to learn how to get the best from your camera. You may also wish to sign up for my FREE e-photography course. 

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3/ Use your AEL/AFL button.

I love this button on my camera. If you choose your focus/exposure, you can keep it the same and re-compose your photo by pressing the AEL/AFL button. Say you are on safari and you see a lion just sitting quietly. Focus on it’s eye and keep your finger on the AEL/AFL button and then wait patiently for it to do something interesting like yawn and show all it’s teeth! All you have to focus then, is on composition.

4/ Know your subject.

The better you know your subject the more often you will capture specific behaviours as you will be able to predict what is a about to happen. For example they may be showing signs of aggression towards another animal in their herd and there might be a fight about to break out – it would be a shame to miss that by packing up your camera a minute too soon! For example, we didn’t spot a sea-lion in labour – when we came back from our walk after 1 hour – there was a new-born sea lion. I would have loved to have seen and photographed the actual birth! 

5/ Choose your angle.

It’s almost always best to get low. Get on eye level with the animal or even lower. This will allow you to capture the emotion and makes for a more engaging photo. Compare the 2 photos below to see how impact direct eye contact makes!

6/ Shoot both wide and close

Don’t be afraid to get closer and zoom in filling your frame with just part of the animals. Equally don’t forget to shoot a few photos wide so you get the background in giving your photos diversity and telling more of a story. 

  7/ Focus

Always focus on the animals eye if possible! This allows you to connect properly with the animal.

8/ Tripod

Consider using a tripod if your lens is heavy to keep your camera as steady as possible. Sometimes resting your camera on a bean bag can help to e.g. from a safari vehicle window.

9/ Keep your shutter speed high

Keep your shutter speed high for 95% of wildlife photography. Remember your shutter speed needs to be faster than the length of lens eg if shooting at 400m, your shutter speed must be > 1/400th of a second. To freeze movement you are likely to need a much faster shutter speed e.g. >1/1000th second. So as long as the light is sufficient, set you shutter speed as high as possible. There are exceptions to this rule eg if you are panning and want to show movement and blur the background. But this is more complex so if you are just getting started I would definitely recommend keeping your shutter speed high to begin with.

10/  Blend in and be patient

Avoid bright colour clothes and blend in with your environment as much as possible. Keep still and quiet and avoid any sudden movements or noise which could scare the wildlife away. You will then have to be extremely patient for your shot! I once waited 2 hours to see if a group of wildebeest would cross a river as part of the migration in Kenya. They were being very indecisive, huddled on the cliff edge and we waited 2 hours only for them to change their minds – much to the disappointment of the crocodiles and hippos that had gathered below!

But despite all these tips and suggestions, my main suggestion is to practice practice practice! If you have a big wildlife photography trip planned then it may be worth taking a trip to your nearest zoo to get a bit of practice in before you go! Most importantly enjoy your trip, try not to get frustrated with lack of light etc, have fun and the photography will come!

If you’d like to learn more about getting the most out of your camera, consider downloading my FREE e-photography course! I really hope you find it helpful!

Do you have any wildlife photography tips you’d like to share? Or have you tried any of these? I’d love to hear from you! If you enjoyed this and would like to share on social media, please use the icons provided below.

How to make you wildlife photography AWESOME! One of my favourite types of photography is wildlife photography. I get a real kick out of first finding the wildlife and then capturing their expressions, behaviours and activities.

#Photography #photography how-to guide #wildlife #wildlife photography