This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time) on Friday to midnight on Saturday (8pm Eastern Time).
Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question (courtesy of cora): What was your last project that got put into "time out" and why?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
Welcome to our Bingo Round in November 2025. The theme is 'Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories' (including books, movies, and TV shows).
Under the cut, you will find five groups of prompts, each of them coming with a 3x3 bingo card. Additionally, there will be one 5x5 bingo card that combines all prompt groups.
Feel free to create your own bingo card(s) of any size, skipping the prompts you don't like.
While the prompts are based on fairy tales and fantasy, you don't have to stay to these main themes when filling out your bingo card. You prefer to write crime or science fiction, go wild and have fun.
Feel free to interpret the prompts in whichever way you like.
Any bingo pattern you can think of is allowed as long as you create at least three works in total. Fills can be any work type: drabbles, novels, haikus, poems, icons, wallpaper or cakes, and knitted goods, or a mix of it. Whatever you can think of is fair game.
Title: everybody's looking for something Fandom: Thunderbolts* Ship: Robert “Bob” Reynolds/John Walker Length: 100 words Rating: Teen Warnings: swearing, nightmares (mentioned), insomnia Notes: pre-relationship Author Notes: title from the Eurythmics song - Sweet Dreams (are made of this) Written for:fan_flashworks amnesty - challenge #314: “nightmare” and post-July Break Bingo “waking up for a midnight snack and bumping into each other” Summary: This is the moment John realizes he might be having feelings for Bob.
In a system that wants to dismantle education and undermine critical thought, libraries become sanctuaries of truth, radical hope, and quiet rebellion.
Generously stocked, freely accessible, public libraries are ideal.
However, if the government destroys them, we have another option: private libraries run by actual bookworms. A library can be stocked quite cheaply with used books, hence the Little Free Library movement and swap shelves. But if you have or can afford to rent or buy space in a building, then you can provide a bigger collection. A private library is not at the mercy of the government, and you are free to do things like ban censorship.
The first edition. A hodgepodge perhaps chiefly of interest in what is included. Games. Short history and civics lessons. Discussions of wildlife and tracking. First aid. How to earn badges.
Some articles show that science has marched on from the day.
Sayings from Indians are invariably in crude English, but also invariably are to teach wise things to the boys.
I noted that in the fire section, they discussed the danger of wildfires, but didn't mention that first of all, you ensure you build your fire on bare earth. Anything burnable will carry the fire away, and roots are particularly dangerous. So, health and safety information may also be out of date.
I love everything potatoes, and you can’t tell me differently. Mash ’em, smash ’em, drown ’em in butter, and I’m happy. And this Twice Baked Potato Casserole? It’s basically my Southern love language in a baking dish. I’m talking about fluffy potatoes, melty cheeses, rich butter, and crispy bacon, all cozied up together in one glorious casserole. This baby will feed a small army, with leftovers to spare, if they survive that long! Bring this loaded casserole to a potluck, holiday feast, or random weeknight dinner, and watch it disappear faster than sweet tea on a hot day.
Easy Recipe for Twice Baked Potato Casserole
When I say this potato casserole is loaded, I mean it. I start with good old russet potatoes that I bake until fork tender. Then they’re mashed together with butter, sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar, and crispy bacon. Once it’s all mixed together and topped with even more cheese and bacon, you get a creamy, cheesy, bacon-studded side dish that’s got all the decadence of classic twice baked potatoes, but without the tedious scooping and refilling.
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
I use 6 hefty potatoes for this twice baked potato casserole (6 lbs. total), and they took an hour to bake to fork-tender. If your potatoes are smaller, they’ll likely need a shorter cooking time.
Add your favorite seasonings for extra flavor. Paprika, dried herbs, onion powder, or even a dash of cayenne or Cajun spice would give this casserole a fun twist.
If you don’t want to waste the potato skins, don’t! You can mix them right into your twice baked potato casserole for a rustic texture or pop them in the air fryer for a crispy snack (400°F for about 5-10 minutes).
Cooking for a smaller group? You can easily cut this recipe in half. Just adjust the number of servings needed in the recipe card below, and it’ll automatically update the ingredient amounts for you.
This Twice Baked Potato Casserole is the ultimate comfort food! Creamy, cheesy, and loaded with bacon, sour cream, and cheddar. An easy side for the holidays or anytime.Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Wash, dry, then pierce the potatoes with a fork. Brush all the potatoes with vegetable oil. Then put them on a parchment-lined oven-safe tray and place them in the oven.
Lay out the bacon on another parchment-lined oven-safe tray and place it in the oven. Cook the bacon for 15-20 minutes, until crispy. Then remove them from the oven and crumble when cooled. Set aside.
Continue cooking the potatoes for an additional 40 minutes, until fork-tender.*** Remove them from the oven.
Turn the oven down to 375°F. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut three of them in half lengthwise. Scoop out the potatoes into a large bowl and save the skins for another use. (I air-fried mine for a snack).
Cut and add the remaining three potatoes, half of the crumbled bacon, butter, sour cream, milk, cream cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the large bowl. Mash and fold together until combined.
Grease a 9×13 oven-safe dish and pour the potato mixture into the dish. Spread evenly. Top evenly with the remaining cheddar and bacon.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until melty. Remove from the oven and top with green onions.
*You can use other dairy options if you have them already, like heavy cream or half and half.**You can also use different cheeses like mozzarella, provolone, Colby, or Monterey Jack.***The time it takes your potatoes to cook until they’re fork-tender will depend on the size of the potatoes. Mine were large and took one hour to cook.
how to make Twice Baked Potato Casserole step-by-step photos
Gather all your ingredients and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the potatoes: Wash and dry 6 russet potatoes (6 lbs. total). Then, pierce them with a fork to allow steam to escape during baking.
Bake potatoes: Brush all the potatoes with 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, and put them on a parchment-lined oven-safe tray, and place them in the oven.
Meanwhile, place ½ lb. bacon on another parchment-lined oven-safe tray and place it in the oven. Cook the bacon for 15-20 minutes, until crispy. Then remove them from the oven and crumble when cooled. Set aside.
Allow the potatoes to continue baking for an additional 40 minutes, until they’re fork-tender. The total bake time for your potatoes will vary based on their size (mine were large, so I needed a full hour in the oven). Once fork-tender, remove the potatoes from the oven.
Make the casserole filling: Now turn your oven down to 375°F. Once they’re cool enough to handle, cut three of the baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the potato flesh using a spoon into a large bowl.
You can either add the skins to the casserole for extra texture, or leave them out. I air-fried mine for a snack!
Slice the three remaining potatoes and add them to the large bowl with ½ of the crumbled bacon, 1 stick softened butter, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup milk, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Mash and fold everything together to combine.
Make the casserole: Grease a 9×13 oven-safe casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Now add the potato mixture to the dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top.
Also, top with the remaining crumbled bacon.
Bake: Place the baking dish back into the oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and the casserole is heated through. Remove it from the oven and top with 2 sliced green onions. Enjoy!
serving Suggestions
This recipe for twice baked potato casserole casserole plays well with just about everything. I’d serve it with baked ham for the holidays, grilled chicken for a weekend cookout, or glazed pork chops for an easy, but hearty, weeknight meal. Honestly, I think it’s just as good on its own with a side salad or some roasted veggies, too!
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers (if you’re lucky enough to have any) can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to stir in a splash of milk if it thickens too much when reheating it in the oven (at 350°F) or microwave.
Title: Wedding Gift Fandom: The Fantastic Journey Author:badly_knitted Characters: Scott, Varian, Gwenith. Rating: PG Setting: An Act of Love. Summary: Scott wants to give Varian something to remember him by. Word Count: 300 Content Notes: Nada. Written For: Challenge 495: Amnesty 82, using Challenge 140: Gift. Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators. A/N: Triple drabble.
A new species of mountain lizard, Diploderma bifluviale, has been discovered in the upper Dadu River Valley of China. Its distinct traits and isolated habitat highlight the hidden biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains.
Revisit those who have passed during the year. These entries from my "Moment of Silence" tag highlight those who have died recently. Some of my posts have a "Carry on the Work" section regarding the person's accomplishments in case anyone else wants to explore those.
We made it to the end of October! \o/ If you have completed some of your medium-term goals or subgoals, and/or you're still chugging away at your ongoing goals, then pat yourself on the back. You worked hard for that. We are now well into autumn. If you're doing seasonal goals, share what you're working on for this fall.
This year I'm trying something new, continuing to track goals at the end of each month. So far it seems to be helping, so that's encouraging. I'm looking at my goal list more often and trying to keep ticking off more of them. The main drawback is that this update becomes more of a chore each month.
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished! Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
This is the October community post for allbingo. What were your bingo activities during October? What are your plans for November?
For October we had: [recurring] Fall Fest hosted by vexed_wench and spiralicious Celebrate the motifs of autumn. Posting will be October 1-31.
For November we will have: [new] Fairy Tales and Fantasy Bingo Fest hosted by prisca This fest will feature magical creatures, places, and stories. There will be several prompt lists and bingo cards. Posting will be November 1-30.
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