Hey all! Well we made it—Ep. 8—I am excited to think that eventually there will be over 100 Episodes. I will have to something special for the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 100th episodes! Maybe I’ll bake something?! I do have a Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe in my brain—or a no-bake cookie!?

Anywho—I will need to brain storm a couple of neat-eats—for those particular episodes.

In other news—another fact about me is that I am love the Tomb Raider franchise—dating back to the very first TR 1 game released on PlayStation 1.

Well, some hot news is that the original TR PS games got REMASTERED!

I HAD NO IDEA—I THOUGHT THE VIDEOS I WAS SEEING ON TIK TOK WERE FAKE…! My birthday was on the 22nd, and I could have totally bought this for myself! Well, better late than never.

Okay, so that is really cool—and I am excited for that. But, there is ONE OTHER COOL piece of information—A YouTuber by the name of FoxMaster, created a “Robot A.I. Powered Lara Croft”.

If you want to see A.I. Lara play through the 2nd TR game—and learn more about the process the DEV took, click the link below!

https://youtu.be/0wTf_bbkW2U?si=XyGyUBdr-aGy2o4a

OKAY; ON TO THE RECIPE!

I had a pack of chicken thighs staring at me from the fridge, asking: what are you gonna do with us.

That is a great question—and at first frying them was the obvious choice given the list of my available ingredients. However, fortunately, or unfortunately, life had another idea for the thighs: BAKED.

So, that is what ended up happening. The minimal necessary ingredients for this cook are:

Chicken Thighs/Legs/Wings or Breasts

Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper, Oregano, Garlic+Onion Powder.

Chicken Thighs and Legs are two of my favorite appendages on a chicken. There are folks who don’t like dark meat—and therefore won’t go near the stuff. But, if we are being honest, the dark meat is where all of the delicious flavor is(especially if you’re planning on making a gravy imo).

I hope everyone is having a particularly amazing Friday, March 22nd—My birthday was exactly 1 month ago. Being 29 feels completely different than being 28(well I guess every year feels different than that last). I have one more year until I am 30–and I will have officially Achieved the 3 Decade Club on Planet Earth 🌏 . Which I think is an exciting milestone!

Right now, I am sitting in my Airbnb(petting a friendly cat named Bernie), and blogging about doing just that.

For those of you who don’t know, I am a Nomad! Right now I am in Eugene Oregon—attempting to finish up my Associates, and re-charge by spending time with my family—and will move away sooner than later.

Although I am new to this lifestyle—a nomad—some would say—I have been lead to lay down a different type of root(s). That is, to not think of my home as one singular location in a town or city—but a singular location, on Earth. I can tell you for a fact, that my ancestors were Nomadic Vikings—traveling, and hunting. Personally, that is why I find myself well adaptable to all four-seasons, AND, am drawn to warmer climates. But that is neither here, nor there—finding home wherever I go is where I am called.

Well, enough of this nonsense.

In Love and Light,

Daniel 💛

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (as many as needed)

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Garlic powder

• Paprika

• Dried herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, or oregano)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.

2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken thighs and rub to coat them evenly.

4. Season the chicken thighs generously with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and any dried herbs you like.

5. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up on the baking sheet, making sure they are not overcrowded.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken thighs are golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (75°C).

7. If desired, you can broil the chicken thighs for an additional 2-3 minutes at the end to crisp up the skin.

8. Remove from the oven and let the chicken thighs rest for a few minutes before serving.

9. Serve hot and enjoy your delicious baked chicken thighs!

You can serve baked chicken thighs with your favorite side dishes like roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or a fresh salad. Feel free to customize the seasonings to suit your taste preferences. Enjoy!

About the Author: 

Daniel is a 29-year-old, and self-proclaimed traveler, energy-worker, caregiver, activist, nomad and long-time foodie. He enjoys spending time in nature, going for long road-trips, meditating, and spending time with his friends and family.

He finds purpose through his day-job as a caregiver—and is in the process of completing an Associates in Human Services. While concurrently enrolled in classes, and caregiving, Daniel is working towards opening a Non-Profit Charity: Love Gives—whose mission statement is: “Love In Action”, aimed at providing Direct-Cash Payments to those In-Crisis (ie. unhoused, hungry, veterans, recovering-individuals, abuse-survivors). If you are interested in working with, or making a donation, please email: love.gives@outlook.com and find them on 

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555725945452