I’ve been looking forward to playing Baldur’s Gate 3 since they announced it in 2019. I will admit I’ve never played any of the other entries to the series, but when I heard Larian was going to be working on it, I was excited. Divinity Original Sin 2 is one of my top 3 games of all time so my expectations for Baldur’s Gate 3 was through the roof. I told myself the moment they mentioned early access that I would not download it and wait for the full release. Somehow I managed to stay strong and finally took my first steps in the game last Thursday.
I have loved every moment of the game so far. Currently, I’m playing through 2 campaigns – one as a Drow College of Swords Bard and the other as a Tiefling Circle of the Moon Druid. They play very differently and I have loved my time with each of them. My bard has talked their way out of so many situations while my druid just slaps enemies around as a bear. I have enjoyed seeing the different results based on the choices we made as a group. There are so many directions you can take the story and I can’t wait to eventually play through them all.
One of the core mechanics in this game is the option to long rest. Long resting lets your characters go to camp and recover from all the battles they have gone through during the day. Here, you can get to know all of your different party members. I have really been enjoying the stories from each of the main crew and the voice acting for all of the characters has been top notch. After you have a few conversations, you can go to bed and you’ll have to select a few camp supplies to pay for the rest. These items are a large variety of food items you pick up while roaming Faerûn.
The first meal we are going to be making is Okta’s gruel. When you first arrive at the Hollow, a lot is happening, and I’m not going to spoil any of it. But as you walk around the settlement, there is this Tiefling named Okta stirring a large bubbling pot. Of course, I immediately turned and began a conversation. Okta offers your character a delicious bowl of gruel but don’t ask for seconds, remember others need to eat too. This is actually a recipe I’ve been making myself in the morning over the past year because I was looking for ways to increase my fiber and this really helps. It has gone through a lot of different versions but this base has been my personal favorite.
1 cup oat milk
¾ cups water
½ cup oatmeal
2 tbsp oat bran
1 ½ tbsp flaxseed meal
½ tbsp chia seeds
½ tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
Combine the oat milk and water into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Add the oatmeal, oat bran, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, light brown sugar, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to the saucepan. Mix to combine well.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. If the gruel thickens too quickly, add additional water to loosen the mixture to your liking. Split between two bowls or one bowl for an extra large serving. For an extra kick of flavor, top with your favorite berries.
Okta’s Gruel
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat milk
- ¾ cups water
- ½ cup oatmeal
- 2 tbsp oat bran
- 1 ½ tbsp flaxseed meal
- ½ tbsp chia seeds
- ½ tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
Instructions
- Combine the oat milk and water into a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Add the oatmeal, oat bran, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, light brown sugar, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to the saucepan. Mix to combine well.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. If the gruel thickens too quickly, add additional water to loosen the mixture to your liking. Split between two bowls or one bowl for an extra large serving. For an extra kick of flavor, top with your favorite berries.