Author: Lily Gould

Game, Written Reviews

QE – Let’s Bail Out Some Companies!

Lily Gould

QE is a game all about bidding. The game is based on nations who are bidding to bail out companies that are “too big to fail” akin to the 2008 economic crisis. Which is why the name of the game is QE or Quantitative Easing. This game is about bidding but how much money are you willing to spend? It’s important to get value and cost doesn’t really matter so long as you’re not the country who has spent the most money. After all, that’s a lot of liability to take on. QE very much reminds me of the phrase “where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter” because the only thing limiting your spending is the other players at the table. Continue Reading →

And the Rest, Craft

D20 Wood Burnt Art

Lily Gould

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I love DnD. It’s a fantasy world where you can become anyone and have adventures that exist only in one’s mind. And I’m not the only person in my family with the love for the game. So, I decided to make a piece of wood burnt art in the classic DnD writing style with one of my favorite says “There are 20 sides to every story”. It takes many hands to make a story and there is no such this as objective truth. Also, D20’s are a staple in DnD. Continue Reading →

Full Meals, Make

Insta-Pot Vegetarian Chili

Lily Gould

I don’t have a kitchen!! Over the past several weeks, my kitchen has been undergoing some renovations which means I had not stove or oven. Due to this, I had to put my Great British Bake Off Challenge on hold but it didn’t completely stop me from cooking. And one of my favorite tools for cooking without a kitchen is the Insta-Pot. There are many things that can be made in an Insta-Pot but I went with a simple classic: Chili. This is a great recipe for making a full meal for a group of people in a fast and easy way. Continue Reading →

Craft, Yarn

2022 Temperature Shawl

Lily Gould

I recently became aware of temperature scarves and blankets where each row is the temperature of a day and the project lasts the entire year. This makes the whole project 365 rows long which makes a great length for a project. Since I live in an area of rapid climate shifts, I thought this would be cool to show in knitting. It’s a fun way to capture how it can be a high of 28°F one day and then watch it increase to a high of 72°F the next. Cleveland is a weird place y’all. But instead of doing a scarf or a blanket, I decided to do a shawl! This seemed like a fun idea because the number of stitches in a row increases and keeps count with the day. Although I’m a little worried about what it will look like at the end of the year! Below is the pattern for the shawl I plan to use so for those knitters out there, join me to make a fun 2022 project! Continue Reading →

Bakery and Desserts, Make

Great British Bake-Off Challenge – Week Four Showstopper: Caramel Cake

Lily Gould

f this decision is due to her caramel toffee apple cake. Even Prue wanted the recipe! So, I also stole the recipe for Kates caramel apple cake and decided to run with it. This seemed like a great way to start 2022! Continue Reading →

Bakery and Desserts, Make

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Lily Gould

Buttercream is one of the perfect places to infuse flavor when making a cake. Or any dessert that can use buttercream. Caramel buttercream seemed like a no brainer for a caramel inspired dessert. I used a cream based caramel for this recipe because it incorporated into the buttercream better than a tackier caramel would. This recipe took longer to make than an average buttercream recipe solely because the caramel had to chill after being cooked. This recipe is incorporated into my Great British Bake Off Challenge Week Four Showstopper! Continue Reading →

Bakery and Desserts, Make

Toffee Apples

Lily Gould

Toffee apples are great to use for decoration, as an addition to filling, or as a sweet treat! They are also super simple to make as the main (and really only) step of the process is making the caramel! This recipe was used for my Great British Bake Off Challenge Week Four Showstopper. I used toffee apples on the top of my caramel cake as well as in between each layer of cake to give an enhance apple flavor as well as a little bit of texture. I love this recipe because it’s simple and didn’t take a lot of work to complete! Continue Reading →

Game

Top Played Games of 2021

Lily Gould

With the new year starting, I wanted to look back on some of my top played games of 2021! I ended up playing a lot of new games in 2021 as well as some of the classics. And some games that technically aren’t published yet! With 2021 being a great year for board games, I am very very excited for what 2022 will bring. Continue Reading →

And the Rest, Craft

2022 Bullet Journal

Lily Gould

It's Twenty Twenty-Two y'all!! The new year is always exciting for me because it means putting together a new journal! As usual, the front pages of my journal are full of classic staples: my favorite quote, the key and colors I plan on using, 2022 at a glance, Yearly goals, and level 10 life! This year, I also have a page dedicated to wedding planning since that is looming on the horizon!😱 Continue Reading →

Game, Written Reviews

Dixit

Lily Gould

Many games use abstract art as a key component of their design and Dixit leans hard into the world of abstract art and storying telling. Each card in Dixit has its own unique art that can be interpreted in many different ways and that’s just what the game wants! The storyteller will tell a story around one card and the other players have convince the table that their card belongs to the storyteller. But there’s a catch! The storyteller wants to be caught but not by everyone at the table so the story has to be just abstract enough. Continue Reading →

And the Rest, Craft

Glitter Candle Holders

Lily Gould

Glitter is my arch nemesis. It gets everywhere, stays on everything, and nothing will ever make it go away. So, what do I do? I decide to use it in a project! One of the great things about the epoxy/glitter combination is that the glitter is completely encased in the epoxy. No extra mess once the project is done! I love the combination of a clear epoxy and glitter because the shine is really brought to the forefront and adds that flicker of sparkle underneath the candlelight. Continue Reading →

Bakery and Desserts, Make, Snacks

Great British Bake Off Challenge – Week Four Technical: Stroopwafels

Lily Gould

I’m not going to lie. I was very intimated by the idea of making Stroopwafels as a part of the technical challenge. I have been in love with stroopwafels for many years, ever since my brother brought them home after traveling around Europe. They are a thin waffle, almost cookie like in thinness, but waffle like in their size, that have been cut in half a filled with a delicious, spiced caramel filling. But the only way to get over being intimated by something is to face it head on. And technical challenges are all about facing the unknown. Continue Reading →