“5 Favorites” is a recurring feature here at Pixelvania Publishing. On the last Friday of every month, I post 5 FAVORITE THINGS I’ve recently (or not-so-recently) enjoyed, in case you’re looking for something neat to experience. Visit the 5 Favorites archive for more recommendations.

🍄 📺️ Common Side Effects

Adult Swim medical thriller series, streaming on Max

(Not for kids.) I’m hooked on this show, about the discovery of a mushroom that can cure…well…EVERYTHING (death included!), and the lengths Big Pharma goes to keep it under wraps. It came across my radar in 2024 when the pilot premiered at one of the big nerd cons. Executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, of King of the Hill fame, it’s smart, funny, and SUSPENSEFUL, yikes!! Total appointment TV for me.

⏳️👍️ Tom’s Tstretch Timer

Tom Francis (creator of Tactical Breach Wizards and other games) made his own timer program to help with his RSI and shared it with the world! Make sure you take breaks!

⏳️😾 NeilCic’s Work Timer

On a related note, Neil Cicierega wrote a timer years ago that’s meant to shame you for goofing off on other programs when you ought to be working!

🥼 🎮️ Axiom Verge

2D Platformer Game

This 2015 game makes all the “Best 2D Platformer of All Time” lists, but I had never played it until recently. At first I wasn’t sure if I liked it, but then I found a guide. Now that I didn’t feel so lost, the longer I played (especially wearing headphones—this soundtrack’s amazing!), the more I found myself enjoying it. The huge variety of weapons, really cool powers (phasing through walls!), and a fun grappling hook have all grown on me. The neon pulsating alien organ background aesthetic may not be for some, but it takes me back to RetroTimes™.

Axiom Verge was made by a single developer, Thomas Happ (who, granted, had professional experience in video game software, but still!). I’m always interested in how solo artists work, so I watched a documentary about how the game was made. It was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Even if you never play the game, I recommend you watch The Making Of Axiom Verge.

🥩 🔥How to Cook Flank Steak, by Wholesome Yum

Recipe

What a delicious, 4-ingredient marinade! We picked up a flank steak (I just typed “blank steak” whuttt?) and I had no idea how to cook it. My husband doesn’t like the flavor of balsamic vinegar, so I cruised around the ‘net looking for a good easy recipe and found this! Broiling it wasn’t difficult, either, but this recipe has two or three ways you can cook it, so have at it!

(If you never have lime juice on hand, do what I do—buy a few, juice ’em, then freeze them into ice cubes. Simply defrost the night before a recipe calls for ’em.)

“5 Favorites” is a recurring feature here at Pixelvania Publishing. On the last Friday of every month, I post 5 FAVORITE THINGS I’ve recently (or not-so-recently) enjoyed, in case you’re looking for something neat to experience. Visit the 5 Favorites archive for more recommendations.

🥣 Bowl Cozies

by AJoyfulThread on Etsy

I can’t believe I haven’t recommended these before! If you like microwaving food without your fingerprints melting off when you touch the forge-hot bowl, you should consider getting a set or two of these! These bowl cozies come in a variety of fabric patterns, wash up beautifully, and are just QUALITY, man.

🫘 The Best Vegan Cannellini Beans Recipe (Aka Pizza Beans)

Recipe

Uhhhhhhhhhh I was AMAZED by the flavor of this when I first made it. And the beans make it really hearty and comforting. Great for a winter night when you want pizza but pizza isn’t in your dietary cards!

🤣 ▶️ Stand-up Comedian John Pinette

Classic Standup videos

Mr. Pinette blessed us with loads of great comedy, but the 2-minute clip linked above should give you a good idea of what to expect (mild language warning for the name of the mountain). John has been in Heaven for some time now, but many of his full-length specials are all over YouTube and are wonderful watches.

😻🪱 Mr. Wiggler fuzzy cat lure

Cat toy (For use with a rod that has a clip. This one is springy  and the one that comes with this toy is also great.)

We added 3 new feline additions to our home, including an 8-month-old attack kitten named Biscuit. He loves these li’l fuzzy worms. I like that they attach via clip a long cat rod, which keep my extremities safe. Plus, it’s easy to make the worm “crawl” and jump and I think he really likes how much like real prey it is.

🧁 Silicone Muffin Pan with Metal Frame

Cooking tool

For baking egg cups like this and this  (I mix both recipes, and add in some egg whites with the egg to lessen the calories).
When I first made these, I used regular paper cupcake liners to line the cups.

*BZZT!* WRONG!! 🙅‍♀️ They stuck to the mixture and when I managed to finally peel it off, the paper took half the breakfast with it! So I switched over to this silicone muffin pan with metal frame. I know you can get ’em all silicone, but…Idunno, that just didn’t seem sturdy enough. The frame eases my mind when pulling these out of the oven and my egg cups don’t stick AT ALL. (If you find one made in the USA, let me know, though! That’d make this type product aces in my book!)

That’s all for this month!

For photos of the new kitties, visit this month’s PIXELVANIA PROCLAMATION O’ PROGRESS.

“5 Favorites” is a recurring feature here at Pixelvania Publishing. On the last Friday of every month, I post 5 FAVORITE THINGS I’ve recently (or not-so-recently) enjoyed, in case you’re looking for something neat to experience.

🎃 🎧️ Theme to The Substance

Instrumental song by Raffertie

SiriusXM channel “Cinemagic” (featuring movie scores) did a show called “Cinemagic’s Sounds of Horror”. During the show, this techno-heavy little ditty came on and I liked it. It’s not as intense as the ANGER FOOT medley, but still pretty toe-tappin’. (Other good tracks from the beginning of that show: “Hypnosis” (by Michael Abels) from GET OUT and “Le Monde” (by Richard Carter) from TALK TO ME.

⏲️ Visual Timer – Countdown

Free Android Countdown App, programmed by Christoph Wiesner

Back when I taught reading skills to children for a private company, we used to have visual timers. Visual timers are little boxes where, when you set the time, a colorful shape fills the clock-circle and gradually disappears as the time passes (here’s an example). I always thought it was a great way to track time elapsed at-a-glance. Something about having a shrinking shape is different than just watching numerals count down.

I’m currently back teaching piano lessons, so I thought I’d get a digital visual timer–a very simple one–to help both me and my students keep track of where we are in lessons. When I used it, I turn off the option to display numerals; we just see the shape shrinking.

This app doesn’t have ads (though you can donate to the dev) and is elegant to use. It doesn’t collect or share data with third parties–a big plus in my book.

🎨 Debt-Free Art Degree: Foundations in Drawing: The Affordable Way to Learn Professional Skills

Instructional art book by Marco Bucci

I have learned a lot over the years watching Maro Bucci’s YouTube art tutorials, so pre-ordering his new instructional book was a no-brainer. He teaches in a very friendly, digestible way. And the concepts he teaches have MASSIVE impact as you put them into practice. I’m looking forward to my copy arriving in November! If you’re an artist (or are maybe looking for a gift for an artist?), I strongly recommend checking out this book!

👕 Amoretu Women’s V Neck T Shirts Slim Fitted Half Sleeve Top

Women’s Shirt

Am I the only gal who loves shirts with half sleeves? 3/4 length sleeves don’t feel flattering on me. And while there’s nothing wrong with a regular sleeve on a T-shirt, when I’m wearing half-sleeves, I feel really put together.
Anyway, I bought one of these and am pleased so far with the quality and fit. I got a few colors. I don’t recommend their “Peacock Blue” color; in person, it’s Worn Doctor’s Office Chair Blue. But I think that purple is going to be surprisingly versatile.

🤓 Geek Universe

Funny memes

An offshoot of the legendary I Can Has Cheezburger site, Geek Universe focuses more on various fandoms and other nerdery, like Lord of the Rings and ’90s stuff. I like to scroll through it before bed at night. Love the Dungeons and Dragons themed lists!

See you in November!