"Sam's Recipe for Success" is the fourteenth mission of The Home Front.
A landslide has scattered the horde! Sam broadcasts from Abel's kitchens and gets you ready to take advantage of their disarray.
Exercise[]
Cast[]
Scenes[]
Labradoodle Energy
Sam is broadcasting from Abel's kitchens! Start your workout with a light warm up - dancing or on-the-spot jogging. The zombie horde in the countryside has been scattered by a landslide, leaving a window to send Runners out with care packages. Sam gets you stuck into some Dead Bug Walking (or happy flailing). Lie on your back and walk your arms and legs in the air as fast as you can! Those care packages are nearly ready to go and the tunes are sounding good.
Urgent Message
The care packages are with the Runners - they should be leaving any minute. Getting them prepared gave Sam his idea for this next exercise: Weighted Running. Grab a couple of cans, putting them into bags if you need extra grip. Then run on the spot, swinging them in your arms. As you wrap up, there's an urgent incoming message from Janine.
Channel that Frustration
Terrible news from Janine. A group of New Canton vigilante Runners went against orders and attacked the horde. The plan backfired and it was carnage. The horde has recovered, so our Runners won't be going anywhere. Channel your frustration into some strong Bicep Curls - put your cans in bags if you haven't already, adding more if you need extra weight. Tuck your elbows into your sides, then with your palms upwards, bend your arms towards your shoulders.
Look After Yourselves
Confirmation is in: we're not going anywhere. The vigilantes breaking rules has made things worse for everyone! In case anyone wants to reinforce their barricades, we're practising Squats - great for shifting furniture. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and squat like you're sitting into a chair. Make sure your knees don't extend further than your feet and your bum is sticking out. Don't be afraid to rest after this one minute set.
Baking Fate
The news has dampened Sam's spirits. Thankfully Janine has checked with the settlements and they have enough supplies to last them a little while. Sam has made some banana bread for Janine using Runner 43's lessons, but doesn't trust his cooking skills. To cheer him up, we're doing High-knees. Get a fast march going, lifting your knees to your waist each step. That's cheered Sam right up and he's ready to find out if his banana bread is burned...
Little Victories
The banana bread came out perfectly! That and having you there with him in spirit has turned Sam's mood around. Getting through this lockdown is tough, but we can help each other through dark times, even from a distance. Sam is going to put the banana bread recipe on Rofflenet in case you want to try it out. Remember to keep celebrating those little victories.
Transcript[]
SAM YAO: Hello, listeners! Sam here, coming live from Abel’s kitchens. We’re going to kick off another workout in a minute, so while I’m talking, why not do a little warming up? Dance about, or jog on the spot, something light and fun. Now, I’m not usually allowed in the kitchens because of a little… incident with some marmite shortbread which I thought was a brilliant idea but Janine said was a waste of resources, especially after it caught fire in the oven.
But anyway, as some of you may know, we’ve had a bit of luck with the giant superhorde besieging the countryside. A landslide hit the horde’s east flank, scattering a huge chunk of the zoms, so we’ve got a little window to send runners out with supplies. Dozens of small communities were cut off by the horde, and we’re sending care packages to everyone. It’s been all hands on deck in the kitchens prepping the deliveries, and we’re almost ready to go.
[paper rustles]
So to celebrate, today’s first exercise is one I’ve really started to like. The instructions call it dead bug walking, but I like to think of it as happy puppy flailing. Just lie on your back with your arms and legs in the air, then walk them up and down as fast as you can for one minute, like an excited Labradoodle on its back. Ready? And go! Okay, that’s 15 seconds down. Keep those paws wiggling. And that’s it, halfway done. Yeah, I-I really think this is a good sign. You know, the horde weakening. A few more natural disasters and it-it could be gone. That’s 15 seconds left. Yeah, not-not that we want natural disasters, obviously. Just little disasters. Zom-only disasters. And that’s it, you’re done!
Feel that Labradoodle energy. Okay, yeah, I’m gonna scoot the last crate of eggs and flour down to our dispatch runners, then I’ll come right back. Meantime, I’ll play some music. You can relax or keep flailing. I’ve borrowed Runner Seventeen’s latest good times mix, so this song should be perfect for keeping up the good vibes.
SAM YAO: All right, that’s the last load of supplies delivered to our runners. They’ll be leaving any minute. Now I tell you what, Runner Forty-Three has been baking some great treats for each package. You should see the cupcakes! It’s amazing what Forty-Three can do with an egg and some scavenged Nutella.
Actually, I’ve been using the lockdown to work on my own baking. Yeah, well, first it was crochet until we ran out of yarn. Then it was photography, but Maxine wanted the last camera. So Forty-Three has been helping me practice recipes instead, by miming them to avoid wasting supplies. Janine made me promise not to get in the way in the kitchens today though, so I’ve mostly been carrying cans and crates out to the runners, which gave me the idea for our next exercise, running with cans.
So find yourself two cans or any two objects about as heavy that you can grip, and take one in each hand. But if you’re not absolutely sure you’ve got a solid grip, put each one in a strong bag with a good handle, hold them like that. Then run on the spot, swinging your arms to get your heart pumping, okay? Yeah, let’s try one minute of that. And go! Now that’s 15 seconds down. Okay, 30 seconds left. Like Forty-Three always says, practice makes perfect. 15 seconds left. Actually, Forty-Three tends to say, "that’s weird, practice usually makes perfect". Cooking lessons could be going better, to be honest. And you’re done. 60 seconds.
Time to rest, unless you want to keep running through… [device beeps] Uh, hold on one sec. Oh… okay. Um, just got an urgent message from Janine. Better take this off the air. I’m gonna cut straight to the next music break, okay? Dance along or run some more, if you fancy it. I’ll be right back after this.
SAM YAO: Um, hello folks. Uh, I’ve uh… I’ve got some bad news. You might want to keep can running to distract you. Really wish I didn’t have to say this. Apparently, we’re not the only ones who decided to take advantage of the weakened horde. There was this group of runners in New Canton, vigilantes going against orders. They figured this was the perfect time to fight the zoms, rounded up a bunch of people, charged at the horde’s weakened flank with guns and bombs.
Only well, the zoms got scattered by a landslide, didn’t they? So loads of them were buried under rocks, which this lot charged right over. Zom hands came reaching up from the ground, scratching and pulling. Some of the vigilantes went down, some bombs went off early. Zoms got freed from the rock while the rest of the horde honed in on the noise. Basically, it was a bloody mess. And now the horde’s as strong as ever. So no supplies going anywhere today.
Well, I know you must be feeling frustrated, listeners, because I am. But, but I’ve got another exercise that might help channel that. Yeah, uh… [paper rustles] Ah, yeah. Well, this one’s pretty simple. Bicep curls. You need weights. Take your cans or whatever you were running with and if you haven’t already, put them into bags, one per bag, and make sure each bag has a good handle you can hold. For heavier weights, add more cans. Then press your elbows against your flanks with your hands by your sides and your palms facing up, one hand holding each weight. Bend your elbows to bring the weights up to your shoulders and then down again, okay? Yeah, we’ll do 60 seconds of that.
Ready? And go! That’s it, 15 seconds down. [laughs] You know, Runner Twelve, stuck in a pub with a pinball machine? He swears this exercise helped him to top the high score. Ah, unless he was tilting it. That’s it, halfway done. Concentrate on those weights. It must have been that. That would help, actually. 15 seconds left. And done. Now I hope that gave you all something else to focus on for a bit. Uh, I’m gonna play some music now, do a few curls myself. Because honestly, I’ve got a lot of frustration that needs channeling here.
SAM YAO: Uh, welcome back everyone. Yep, I’ve just had final confirmation from Janine. No one’s going out anytime soon. [sighs] I feel sorry for those vigilantes, I really do, but how could they be so stupid, charging a superhorde like that? Now they’ve gone and made things worse for everyone, [sighs] because they couldn’t stand staying in and feeling useless, I guess. I get it. Yeah, I mean, I-I want to be doing more too, but we can’t go off half-cocked, not when the stakes are this high. It’s like Maxine says, right? The Z-virus is a medical problem and medical problems need patience. [laughs] I know it’s a really bad pun, but it’s true.
Anyway, in case anyone out there wants to reinforce their barricades now that the horde’s been strengthened, we’re going to do an exercise that’s good for lifting furniture: squats. I bet most of you know this already. Stand with your arms at your sides and your legs hip-distance apart, then squat down like you’re sitting on an invisible chair. Make sure your knees don’t come out further than your feet and your bum is sticking out. And we’re going to go for one minute of those. And go!
15 seconds down. Imagine you’re lifting a sofa. 30 seconds down. Get that barricade reinforced. 15 seconds left. Just a couple more cabinets to lift. And done. Good job, everyone. I’m gonna play some more music for anyone who wants to keep going, but remember, you need to look after yourselves as well as your barricades, so don’t be afraid to stop and rest.
SAM YAO: You know what, listeners? I always try and look on the bright side, but the truth is this is, um, this is getting to me. Yeah. I really thought it was going to be a good day, and then you know, wham. Janine’s checked with the settlements we were going to deliver to and they’ve all got enough supplies to last a while longer, so… so that’s something, at least.
I’ve uh, I’ve actually been secretly baking something, for Janine. Banana bread based on Runner Forty-Three’s lessons. It was going to be a surprise to celebrate the deliveries. Guess them being cancelled doesn’t make a difference. Come out all burnt and blackened anyway, like that shortbread.
Oh boy. Ah. I think I need some cheering up here, listeners. I’m um… spiraling a bit. Tell you what. Yeah, there’s this one exercise, it always looks sort of silly picturing loads of people doing it at once. Well, it’d put a smile on my face. It’s called doing high knees. Just march really fast on the spot for one minute, pumping your arms and bringing your knees all the way up to your waist with each step, like something out of the Ministry of Silly Walks from Monty Python. Ready? And go!
15 seconds gone. Keep those knees up. Halfway done. Honestly, I don’t miss a lot of Monty Python, but did you hear Runner Thirty-Four’s radio reenactment of Holy Grail last night? It’s brilliant. It was brilliant. 45 seconds, almost done. And that’s one minute! Okay. That, that did make me feel better, imagining you all doing that. I couldn’t help joining in towards the end, I admit it. [timer dings] Oh, and uh, yeah. That’s the oven timer. Right, I’m gonna get my blackened, burnt mess, listeners, but it’s okay. I’m feeling more like I can cope with it now. You guys rest or keep marching to the music until I get back.
SAM YAO: [laughs] Right, you’re not gonna believe this, listeners! I mean, I don’t believe it. The banana bread, it’s-it’s perfect! The top is all nice and brown, and the inside’s soft and spongy, and it has that delicious banana-y smell, and it’s-it’s just… perfect. Possibly thanks to Runner Forty-Three, who left a note on the oven saying "set to 180 degrees, not 300". Guess you caught my secret project, Forty-Three. Couldn’t have done it without you.
Or you, listeners. You really helped me today. I know this lockdown’s tough, but we have to keep reminding ourselves the one thing we can do without going off half-cocked is just… be there, even at a distance. Be willing to help each other past dark days. And we can share the little victories that help us through, like Maxine’s photos or Thirty-Four’s radio plays, or banana bread. Because if one of us scores a win, and we’re all in this together, it’s a win for all of us, isn’t it? No matter how small it seems.
Now I’m gonna take this banana bread to Janine. She won’t admit it, but it will cheer her up. And I’ll put the recipe on ROFFLEnet in case you want to try it! Well, if you don’t, that’s okay, because exercising is a little victory too, so you’re already winning today. We’ll get through this, everyone, I know it. And maybe after, we can have some banana bread together. Until then, stay safe. I’ll be back on air soon and I promise I’ll share all my little victories and I’ll cheer for all of yours.
Codex[]
Letter[]
Hey there, Runners!
Thank you so much for cheering me up with that baking workout. I really needed it. You know, it’s funny -- we scavenged loads of bananas from a UK eco-project just before the superhorde hit. But everyone’s been so busy since, they’ve been going black and mushy! Good job Runner 43's a whizz at baking, cos they’re much tastier in cake form. Speaking of which, here’s that recipe I mentioned:
Runner 43's Special Banana Loaf Recipe
(with a few extra notes from me - Sam)
Ingredients:
140g of butter, plus some extra to coat the tin with.
140g of caster sugar
140g of self-raising flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
Instructions:
Heat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. (That’s 350F in Fahrenheit, or 325F in a convection oven).
Butter a two pound loaf tin. Line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. (“Fluffy” just means a sort of soft and airy mix. Not fluffy like a bunny rabbit, unfortunately.) Then slowly add the two beaten eggs, with a little of the flour.
Fold in the remaining flour, the baking powder, and the mashed bananas. (The mashed bananas look kind of icky, don’t they?)
Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until done. (If you’re not sure whether it’s done, 43 says poke the loaf with a knife or skewer. If the knife comes out wet and gooey, put the loaf back in the oven for a little longer!)
(Absolutely don’t leave it in the oven for an extra hour while you listen to Runner 34's Doctor Who radio play, though.)
Once cooked, leave the loaf in its tin to cool for 10-15 minutes, then place it on a wire rack.
Eat. (This is the best part!!!!)
Repeat if banana supplies permit.
Sam.
Supplies[]
The following supplies can be found in this mission.
(List may be incomplete.)
Anti-depressants
Baseball Bat
Board game
Candles
Cricket bat
Dress
First Aid Kit
Flashlight
Football
Laptop
Makeup
Mobile Phone
Overcoat
Pain Meds
Shirt
Shorts
Sports Bra
Umbrella
Underwear
Whisky
| Missions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Previous: Good Morning New Canton! | Next: Phil & Zoe's Cinderella Story | ||