Call Me Mello Cello

odditiesoflife:

The Real Abandoned Overlook Hotel

Unlike the fictional Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, this hotel is really named the Overlook. The abandoned hotel is located in the small, wine growing town of Bernkastel-Kues in Germany. Other than it has been unoccupied for about 13 years, there is no information as to why the hotel was closed. All of the furniture remains and it looks as if everyone there simply left. There are rumors that the hotel is haunted. According to urban explorers who frequent the spooky site, cameras malfunction, sounds can be heard throughout the premises and items seem to move around the hotel by themselves.

So so cool.

Source: flickrhivemind.net

neil-gaiman:

odditiesoflife:

A Glimpse of Hell - Stunning Shots of an Active Volcano

Two Kyrgyzstan-based photographers, Andrew and Luda, trekked to the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia where the volcano complex known as Tolbachik was in active eruption. Among the numerous hellish vistas photographed by the team was this deep volcanic cave that offered a glimpse of what it might look like below the Earth’s crust.

beautiful. 

scary beautiful earth.

Source: thisiscolossal.com

brain-food:

PRETTY MUCH.

Totally.

Source: apriki

ehmeegee:

Sriracha Chocolate Bacon Cookies, aka What Have I Done? 

When I was 15 I got my first ‘real’ job working in chocolate shop.  My tasks ranged from hand-rolling truffles, to tempering chocolate, mixing gelato, artfully stacking chocolates and confections, making candied nuts, and pretty much anything else you can imagine involving candy.  I gained something ridiculous, like, 40 pounds working there, but that’s another story.  I tell you this for a few reasons: one, because that’s where my love for baking was born, and another because we had a chili chocolate truffle that I thought was absolutely disgusting - something tells me I would feel differently about them after last night. 

Fast-forward a few more baking jobs later (bagel stores and coffee shops) and here I am.  I quit my last baking job a little over a year ago so I could pursue my education in museums, but I never really lost my love for the craft and consider it one of my favorite hobbies (sometimes I wish I had a boyfriend just to help ease the burden of me having to eat all of this crap by myself, but in any case) -

Last night at 2 in the morning I was struck with the idea to make chocolate Sriracha cookies with bacon.  So I did, and documented my adventure on twitter.  And I got a lot of requests to share the recipe, so here it is, but WARNING: this was my first try with such an odd combination and the recipe needs some serious tweaking.  There are a lot of variables - I used Hershey kisses, but what about cocoa powder? Dark or milk chocolate? what kind of bacon is best?  etc. 

Oh, and another thing I’ve been meaning to share - once my semester is up, I’d like to start my own vlog separate from The Brain Scoop.  One of the things I’m interested in featuring is (of course) baking, but I want it to be a community-based baking channel.  I want you to send me your recipes - either your favorites, or preferably unique recipes: maybe it’s something you thought of yourself, or has been passed down for generations in your family - but I want to feature it on the vlog.  Include all of the nuances and steps so special to your creation and I’ll remake it here in my tiny kitchen using my mustard yellow oven from the 1960s. 

Sriracha Chocolate Bacon Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cups melted Hershey kisses (I used almost an entire 11oz bag)
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/8 cup dark unsulphured molasses 
1 egg
1/4 cup Sriracha 

*6-8 pieces Maple bacon, fried (chop before adding, of course)
Granulated sugar for rolling dough in. 

Method: 

• Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl and set aside. 
• In double boiler (I used a glass bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water), melt Hershey kisses and butter together.  It might have a weird texture and look curdled; that’s okay. Set aside to cool somewhat.
  
• In medium bowl, combine sugar and molasses. You’re making brown sugar!  It’s tasty. Add butter/chocolate combo and mix ‘till combined.  Add the egg and mix - this step only worked for me when I used a hand-mixer, otherwise the texture was really weird and not cohesive. Beat until it’s smooth.  Add the Sriracha last, and mix until combined. 
• Fold in the dry ingredient mixture until just combined.  Lastly, fold in the bacon.  
• Flatten dough and wrap in plastic wrap - refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375(f).  Roll into 1-inch balls and dip the top in granulated sugar. Bake for 7-9 minutes - I took mine out at 7 when they were crackly on top, even though they looked doughy.. let them sit on the hot pan for a few additional minutes and they’ll settle up.  

The bacon contributes a subtle flavor, but you could probably do without it in these cookies. I enjoy it for the texture it adds and the saltiness.  I was liberal with the amount of Sriracha, so if you’re afraid it’s going to be too spicy, scale it back. 

If you try these, please let me know - I’d be really interested in your thoughts!

Will make for the Hubs.

Source: ehmeegee