#really delicious apple French toast. I think I did that and some vanilla and some cinnamon. maybe a tiny pinch of nutmeg

[capetowncapers]

I love remembering that I can just. Do things. There’s a Thai restaurant that my family and I went to a couple times over the years, and one time several years ago, we were there and had some delicious red curry hot wings. Browsing the grocery store flyers and thinking to myself… why couldn’t I just figure out how to make those wings (or something similar) some time. Wow. Amazing. Peace and love.

[missvifdor]

My MC /OC /YUU, in the doorframe of the entrance to Ramshackle:

My MC /OC /YUU: W -Why ..? Grimm, I'm not crazy, it's not my birthday. Or yours yet?

Grimm: No but I'm not going to complain, it smells so good! * Dive into the assembly of packages and gift packages in pink and red *

* The First Year Gang arrives to look for MC for classes like every morning *

Deuce: Eh! I didn't know you were so popular MC!

My MC /OC /YUU: Me? Popular? I reassure you right away, in my world I was considered as the weird and silent child of the class. So popular I have never been very popular.

Ace: Do you know at least what day we have?

My MC /OC /YUU: No ...?

Jack: It's Valentine's Day * Sniff the air * Ugh! All this sugar gives me stomach ache and toothache ...

Grimm: It's so good MC! * Eyes that glow * Free chocolate! I'm going to be happy to eat it all!

Epel: Easy, Grimm, they're at MC you should ask her before you binge without permission.

Grimm: * Touching eyes and adorable gaze *

My MC /OC /YUU: * Sigh * Isn't that risking your health at least? I mean .. you really look like a cat and chocolate is poison to them.

Grimm: Who do you take me for? A vulgar animal? I'm a monster, obviously I can eat anything!

My MC /OC /YUU: Alright. You can take it but out of the question that you abuse it and fall ill afterwards, understand?

Grimm: You are the best Dorm Leader! Yahoou! * Plunges back among the packages happily *

Sebek: IF WE DON'T HURRY, WE WILL BE LATE FOR CLASSES!

My MC /OC /YUU: Sorry, Sebek, I'm making you late ... Go ahead I'll take the packages inside and I'll join you!

Jack: Do not be ridiculous, we will help you it will go faster.

* Our happy group of friends are going to their first class of the day *

* My MC /OC /YUU going to sit in his usual place *

My MC /OC /YUU: Is it really happening ...? * Turns all red * I even get flowers, now.

Ace: * Smirk * You look so shocked, like this is the first time this has happened to you, Hehe!

My MC /OC /YUU: ....

Deuce: Is this the first time this has happened to you ?!

My MC /OC /YUU: I told you before, I was not very popular and not very pretty. Boys and girls aren't really used to looking around in my path and neither am I.

Ace and Deuce: * Mumbles * His world must be filled with blind people ...

* Later that day they pass Cater, Trey and Riddle *

Cater: * Put his arm around MC's shoulders * Hello lovely young lady! What are you planning to give me for Valentine's Day? Although, you know I prefer the salty.

Riddle: Cater! This is inappropriate!

My MC /OC /YUU: Don't worry, Riddle. Well Cater, I completely forgot that it was today and I don't have a present for you, I'm sorry. Besides, why do I have to offer you one, we are not in a relationship?

Trey: Tradition has it that girls give chocolates to their friends and loved one. Doesn't that work in your world?

My MC /OC /YUU: Actually, no. Valentine's Day is only a day for couples, at least that's how it is in my country but I know that in Japan, another country, it works the same as Twisted Wonderland. But if you really want chocolates, I can make some for you, that makes me happy! I'm only sorry I didn't give them to you on the right date ...

Riddle: Don't bother if you don't want to, MC!

My MC /OC /YUU: I really don't mind, I would only need to borrow the kitchens from Heatslabyul. That of Ramshackle is not sufficiently equipped or even in good condition to work in good conditions. Dust is falling from the ceiling all the time, I wouldn't want that to end up in the preparation.

Trey: It works, come see me after class when you finish I'll give you the keys to the kitchen.

* Later that day, in Heatslabyul's kitchen *

My MC /OC /YUU: Well let's see ... Rose and violet chocolates are for Riddle. The orange and blood citrus ones are for Trey. The spicy beef and chicken mini skewers are for Cater. Ace has his pastry cream strawberries. Deuce to his red berry and chocolate pancakes. Leona ... Her filet mignon meal basket with sweet and salty honey. Ruggie his donuts and donuts are ready, all they need to do is garnish and fill them. Jack doesn't like things that are too sweet or unhealthy ... so a mango and coconut sorbet. Azul pays close attention to her figure, so poached pears in honey. Jade un Canteloupe and blueberries with green tea and lime. Floyd strawberry chocolates in the shape of shrimp and sea animals. Kalim and Jamil hot chili chocolates and rhubarb and date jam that they can put on homemade brioche toast. Vil, Rook and Epel fresh fruit salad, French pancakes with rum and apple clafoutis. Idia ... chocolate and peanut butter pop cake with a Bubble Tea with tapioca pearls and mango and candies for Ortho. Malleus popsicles in the shape of a gargoyle and a bouquet of chocolate in the shape of roses, Lilia macaroons with mint and vanilla in the shape of a bat, Sebek ... A mini figurine of Malleus in dark chocolate and food coloring, for Silver it will be passion fruit Pasteis De Nata. And Grimm ... Squid with seafood and vegetables. Lord! I've never cooked for so many people! I'll put it all in the fridge and go home!

* My MC /OC /YUU coming home exhausted *

My MC /OC /YUU collapsing on Ramshackle's living room couch: Lord! I am so tired!

Grimm: Your hands smell full of delicious smells! Am I going to have some too?

My MC /OC /YUU: * Smells his hands and grimaces * Ugh! It especially smells like chocolate fish! It makes me sick ... I'm coming back I'll try to make this smell available, by all the gods ...

* Grimm who decides to wait for him while eating another packet of chocolate intended for MC *

Grimm: * Starts at coughed, disgusted * Yuck! These taste too weird !!

My MC /OC /YUU who comes back with his hands washed aggressively: You make a funny face, what's happening to you?

Grimm: These chocolates are too weird, I don't like them.

My MC /OC /YUU : Let me see? * Frowns and takes a chocolate to eat it * * Chew gently * Hmm ... it's true they have a weird aftertaste ... I feel weird ... M-My head spinning ... I can't feel my legs anymore ... * Fainted on the ground *

Grimm: Nyah! MC! Don't move, I'll get help!

* A few hours after taking MC to the infirmary, the strange chocolates were analyzed and an emergency meeting of the leaders and vice-dormitory leaders be given *

Professor Crewel: The results are clear ... The chocolates contained a love potion prepared in the most mediocre manner I have ever seen. So this has the effect on the Prefect of Ramshackle that she is falling into a deep sleep.

Kalim, with tears in his eyes: Is there no cure ?!

Crewel: Yes.

Leona, hiding her concern with aggression: And ?!

Crowley: The only solution for my dear MC to wake up is the ... The kiss of true love ...

Azul: I thought it only existed in children's books .. What if it doesn't work? How is it supposed to work?

Trein: That's the problem. The person kissing MC must be the person they love.

Ace who holds Grimm in his arms because the poor thing is absolutely devastated: Does MC at least love someone ?!

Jade: You are his closest friends, you should know that.

Deuce: MC never talks to us about that kind of thing and neither do we, she says all the time that it's her private life and that it's none of our business .... Oh MC ...

Jamil: Grimm, do you know?

Grimm who sniffs and holds back his tears: NOOooOoo ...!

Ace: Don't worry Grimm, we'll find the person who did this to her and she better be sorry for even entering this school.

Azul: Floyd will certainly be happy to help you find him, he has a special affection for MC.

Riddle: You can count on us too! We will make him regret acting in a manner so disrespectful and dangerous towards MC and the school rules!

Crowley: Come on gentlemen, let's try to act in a neutral and professional manner * Whisper to himself * If I find this little fool I'll be happy to kick him out of this school forever!

Malleus: If you let me deal with this man's case personally, I can assure you that he will never return to this school. Because he won't have any legs at all.

Idia: I'm still going to do some research approach to find out if there are no other solutions with MC!

Ortho: Big Bro, you'll have to come and try to wake MC up with a kiss first.

Idia panics immediately: I- I don't think it will work w-with me! How could MC love a geek like m-me ?!

Ortho, happily: Don't devalue yourself, Big Bro ! You have all your chances!

Rook: Oui, Mon cher, you have every chance! MC must obviously have noticed your unique charm!

Ruggie: * Whispers mockingly * Ah that, to be unique, he is! Shishishishi!

Lilia: * Laugh slightly * Let's see if our dear Idia has the courage to come out of his den.

Vil: That's enough you two, what we're talking about is serious. It is not time for jokes!

Trey, whispering sadly to himself: And to think that a few hours ago MC and I were talking in the kitchen and cooking like nothing had happened ... She had put so much heart into her preparations...

* Everyone is gathered in the infirmary plus the rest of the boys *

Riddle who blushes a lot: So uh ... how do we do it? Are we in line?

Crewel: The best is if you all wait outside and come one by one to Miss MC. If either of you ever wakes her up, I think you both need to discuss it.

The boys went by one by one and finally ....

Twisted boy: Okay ... It's my turn. * Enter the infirmary and approach MC * Hi MC. I'm sorry to kiss you without your consent but ... we have no other solutions at this time. Please forgive me .. * Kiss her *

My MC /OC YUU: * Wakes up coughing very hard until spitting out a piece of half-melted chocolate * WHAT THE HELL ?!

Twisted boy: You're awake! * Hugs her *

My MC /OC /YUU: * hugs him back * What's going on ?!

Twisted boy: * Explain everything to her * That's why I kissed you. Aren't you angry?

My MC /OC /YUU: No, no! I understand that was the only solution, thank you for freeing me from the negligence of the fool who gave me these cursed chocolates!

* My MC /OC /YUU finally realizes what it means *

My MC /OC /YUU: So uh .. Yeah I love you I guess ... But if you don't feel anything for me I totally understand and we can stay like we are now! I promise not to make this awkward or weird!

Twisted boy: Actually, it's good because ... I also feel the same way but I didn't know how to tell you.

My MC /OC /YUU: ... So ... you wanna go on a date with me?

Twisted boy: I would love that!

* Grimm who goes into the infirmary like a cannonball *

Grimm: MC! YOU ARE ALIVE ! MY HANDMAN, YOU WON'T EAT ANY MORE WITHOUT I TASTING IT FIRST! * Hopped into MC's arms to give her a hug *

[mimelord1]

This Snif x Half Baked Harvest Candle Smells Good Enough To Eat

This Snif x Half Baked Harvest Candle Smells Good Enough To Eat https://ift.tt/Stl2OHe The brands featured in this article are partners of NBCUniversal Checkout. E! make a commission on your purchase. Prices are accurate as of publish time. Items are sold by retailer, not E!. This fall, Snif Candles proudly invites fans to “step out of the kitchen and into the party,” with Half Baked Pumpkin Smash. This all-new, limited-time-only candle was created in a partnership with “celebrated food blogger, recipe developer, and stylist” Tieghan Gerard of Half Baked Harvest. Appropriately enough, it smells good enough to eat. But you can’t; we got to catch up with Tieghan herself, and that’s one of the questions we asked. E!: Tell us a little about the inspiration behind Half Baked Pumpkin Smash. I mean, I think anybody who follows or knows me knows that fall is my bread and butter. I really do it up! I try to do all the fall things, and make it extra-special. Fall is my favorite season, and I love to create the perfect fall vibes. Plus, I’ve always loved candles. I’m such a candle freak. As soon as I come home from the studio, I like to wind down and light a candle. That’s important to me, as is finding candle brands that are clean-burning and non-toxic. For a lot of these reasons, I struggled to find the perfect fall candle. So I was so excited with Snif came to me about making my own. E!: What are your favorite fall scents? Oh, cinnamon, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. I also love nutmeg and cardamom, as well as brown butter, roasted chocolate, and salted maple. All of these together are so sweet and cozy! So I wanted my candle to be warm, and precisely what you want to be smelling in the fall. I hope it reminds you of baking your favorite fall treat; your coziest days; your best memories. E!: Are these scents associated with any memories in particular? Absolutely. I grew up in Cleveland, in the Midwest, and we did a lot of Upstate New York apple picking. At the time, I was the only girl, and my mom and I would bake in the fall. There’s just something about fall there. Those colors! And even the dreariness can be special.  E!: What are some of your go-to recipes this time of year? I have so many: A good pumpkin loaf or cake. Chewy brown sugar cookies with chocolate chips. Anything with a little bourbon or whiskey in it, like french toast. September is for apples, and I try to wait until October to use pumpkin. Recently, I made cinnamon crunch apple butter pretzel knots. They’re like a delicious soft pretzel and an apple cider donut in one, plus a crunchy topping. There’s even apple cider boiled down into them. E!: The candle smells good enough to eat – Can we eat it? Well, Snif’s candles are soy-based, vegan, non-toxic, and burn clean! That said, no: You shouldn’t eat it. But you’d want to!  E!: Is there anything else you’d like to share about this collab? The unique and beautiful packaging. This candle comes in a milk carton, and has a pull-tab to open it. It’s minimalist, which I love, but at the same time, represents my baking and Snif’s style together perfectly. The Snif x Half Baked Harvest collab launches today, October 13, and is only available until Thanksgiving. So, go ahead: If it’s calling out to you like a windowsill pie to a cartoon character, trick or treat yourself to a fresh batch of Half Baked Pumpkin Smash. The post This Snif x Half Baked Harvest Candle Smells Good Enough To Eat first appeared on Suave Media. Tags and categories: Uncategorized via WordPress https://ift.tt/pAIULzC October 13, 2022 at 10:26PM

[kriskebob-blog]

Day 4: Rainy Saturdays are for cooking (and Netflix)

Hi all. As I write this, it’s the winding down of a gorgeous (and HOT) sunny Sunday here in CT but when I woke up yesterday, I actually thought it still had to be 6am or earlier because it was so dark in our room. Turns out it was actually 8:30am and just pouring buckets outside. Good day to stay inside and cook some comfort food items. 

My second breakfast recipe from Dr. G’s cookbook was definitely simpler than the burrito bake: French toast with a berry drizzle. I also wanted to make a fruit compote for an extra topping. The cookbook’s recipe is titled as a pear compote, but pears are out of season right now, and honestly why would you put a few sad-looking Bartletts in your grocery basket when there are farmstand peaches just up the road? To my delight, when I flipped open the cookbook on Saturday morning I read a line I hadn’t noticed before: you could vary it up by using apples, peaches, or plums in place of the pears. Perfect! 

Sam was still sleeping (he tends to be a bit more of a late riser compared to me on most days). I enjoyed the solitude for a bit and diced up four peaches as I listened to the rain. The compote was honestly super easy to throw together once the peaches were chopped. I threw them in a pot with some water, blended lemon, raisins, date sugar, vanilla extract, and some spices. I left that to simmer while I prepped the plant-based version of a dipping mixture for the toast. And in case you’re wondering, no, I did NOT find salt-free bread at the grocery store. I found the whole wheat bread that had the lowest amount of sugar/sodium and least amount of funky-sounding ingredients on the label and called it a day. (As an aside, Sam had thought he’d be required to give up toast completely during these two weeks and was really excited when he came home on Friday and saw a loaf of bread sitting on the counter, it was kind of cute.)   

I had to make my own almond milk for the French toast dipping mixture. Dr. G. doesn’t approve of store-brought almond milk, too many chemicals or whatever. Not a whole food! Luckily, I already had almond butter from my first grocery shopping extravaganza of the week. All you had to do by Dr. G’s standard was blend a couple tablespoons of almond butter with some water and ta-da, you’ve got almond milk that’s apparently less likely to kill you. For the French toast, Dr. G. instructed that I needed to mix some ground flaxseed with a bit of warm water and then add it in with the almond milk. More date sugar, vanilla extract, a bit of turmeric and cinnamon, and boom. 

Sam was awake by now and I immediately put him on toasting duty. He’s become the defacto breakfast-cooking king in our household over the past 5 years, which is odd really when he’s less the morning person of the two of us. But he genuinely enjoys whipping up eggs, bacon, French toast, etc. on the weekends, and I’ve certainly never been about to stop him. He got out our griddle and began dipping the bread while I set about making the “berry drizzle.” Dr. G advised I use this as a condiment for the French toast in place of maple syrup. It has two ingredients: 1 cup of fresh or frozen berries and a couple of tablespoons of date syrup. 

The date syrup became yet another case of my assuming I’d be able to throw together a Dr. G. sauce or condiment quickly in my blender, only to discover I actually needed to soak a key ingredient in hot water for an hour or more. Oops. Oh well. I’d use a tablespoon of agave nectar in its place and that would just have to do. 

Here’s the berry drizzle in a super cute pitcher our family friend Kelly gave us as an engagement gift years ago:

Adorable, right? Ignore whatever that spot is on our table. Anywho, I can report that Sam didn’t love toasting the bread on our griddle without using any oil spray. The slices did stick a little but we salvaged most of it. The peach compote had reduced nicely by then and we were in business. 

It was super delicious. The peach compote is definitely what made the dish, although the berry drizzle was tasty as well. Both were made with local and in-season fruit so it’s pretty hard to go wrong there. 

Sam and I settled in for a lazy morning of Netflix (we’re watching Stranger Things - second watch for me, first time for Sam!). By 11 I had to admit to myself that I really needed to get my ass to the gym, even though it was still miserable outside. I moaned and groaned at Sam (he had gone the night before and wouldn’t be accompanying me) but eventually got my ass into gear. I was curious: I’ve been eating plant-based for, you know, a whole two and a half days now. Would I have more energy at the gym? Would I just be able to sense the power of a thousand vegetables coursing through my veins on the treadmill? 

The answer: NOPE. I actually felt a bit more winded than usual which, of course, set off an anxiety thought spiral in my brain. Damn it. Maybe this diet isn’t actually good for me. Am I not getting enough protein? People always harass vegans about their protein, maybe it’s a legitimate concern! 

I made it through my workout perfectly fine, though, just a little more tired than usual. I trudged home and showered, and then Sam and I had leftover spinach-mushroom burritos and salad for lunch. The weather still sucked and we didn’t have any plans, so we watched some more Netflix but eventually split up to do our own things. I wanted to read more of Dr. G’s How Not to Die book. It was a huge book, after all, and the clock was ticking on my library loan. I settled in but was having some trouble focusing. I just felt tired. Again I had the thought that maybe this diet wasn’t actually for me. That I wasn’t getting enough or x or y since making this switch a few days ago. I stood up and eyed our pantry shelves. I grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and ate them, but that didn’t feel quite satisfying (go figure). I noticed the giant container of unsalted roasted almonds I’d bought the day before and decided to take the plunge and open them up. I’m used to eating nuts from those giant mixed nuts containers you get at the grocery store, the ones where even the “33% LESS sodium!!!” version is still salty as hell. So I wasn’t sure what to expect exactly when I tried these unsalted almonds, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I actually like the taste of almonds when it’s not completely masked by salt. I grabbed a handful and then went to the fridge and got a handful of blueberries. They tasted amazing together. I happily settled back into my chair and felt myself perking up like a wilted plant that had been watered. By the time Sam came upstairs maybe half an hour later, the clouds had lifted outside and in my brain. We went for a walk. I suddenly felt more energetic than I’d felt all day. Maybe it had just been the dreary weather bringing me down. 

We returned home and decided that for the first time, we would try the Monster expansion pack of our beloved Harry Potter tabletop game. It took a long time just to set it up and try to figure out all of the new rules. We then decided to get dinner prepped because it would need some simmering time on the stove: it was gumbo night, y’all! I was excited because I love the flavor profile of Cajun/Creole cuisine. It was pretty easy to prep. Some chopped onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic went into our Dutch oven with one cup of the homemade veggie broth I’d made the other day. I quickly thawed out the frozen okra in a separate small saucepot and eventually that went into the Dutch oven too with some diced tomatoes (BPA-free, thank you very much~), diced zucchini, and lots of delicious seasoning. We then added quite a bit of broth - everything that was left of the batch I’d made. It was a really nice, thick broth since I had pulverized all of the veggies the water had steeped in. We brought everything to a boil, threw in a can of red kidney beans (not BPA-free, alas), and simmered the gumbo for about half an hour. When it was done, we served it over brown rice, per Dr. G’s suggestion. 

Here’s a little pot action before we added in all of the broth and the beans:

And here’s the finished product:

The verdict?? SO GOOD! I loved it and actually got seconds. Sam liked it too; I don’t think he loved it quite as much as I did but then I’ve always been a bigger lover of Cajun food. Dr. G. claims his recipe makes four 1.25 cup servings, but it honestly made WAY more than that for us. I feel like his math was off... like, he accounted for the 6 cups of broth but not the fact that there were a ton of veggies and beans added in to the pot as well?? Not to mention the brown rice. But I’m not complaining, because I love the way it turned out, and it’ll be lunch for the next couple of days now. Oh, and I did salt the veggies a little bit when they were first steaming in the Dutch oven, and our Cajun-free seasoning was definitely NOT salt-free (salt is actually the first ingredient, lawl ¯\_(ツ)_/¯), so I’m sure that helped a bit. 

I think that’s really all there is to report! Other than the fact that we went back to our Harry Potter game after dinner and failed miserably. The creatures/villains completely murdered us on round 1. Oh well. Another day maybe... 

Cheers to what I think might be my shortest blog post yet. See you tomorrow! 

Gadget rec of the day: an electric griddle! We use it almost every weekend. Definitely had to wipe a trace coating of bacon grease from it today though... It’s a lifesaver for us especially since we have such a lousy stove. 

Music rec of the day: (Nothing But) Flowers by the Talking Heads

[another-mentalhealthblog]

It all started out with a waffle.

Yesterday morning, I woke up relatively early. It was a Saturday, and I woke up before 7am. I believe this was largely because I woke up to the smell of waffles.

My dad made waffles on his waffle iron, something he now does on occasion, but something that he always used to do when I was a kid.

And that’s the thing.

As a kid, after I grew out of eating cereal, I would always eat two waffles with butter, syrup and a glass of apple juice as my breakfast in the morning before going off to school.

As a child, I didn’t think anything of this. I didn’t think about the calories, the carbs, the sugars, the fats... how “healthy” or “unhealthy” it was for me to be eating that at the beginning of every day.

It was just my breakfast, and it tasted delicious. And that’s all that mattered to me.

But somewhere along the way, the relationship that I had with food changed.

It started when I was a sophomore in high school.

I got out of my first, long relationship. Two years. And needed something else to fixate on, I guess. So I turned to my body.

I began to look at myself in the mirror and realize I hadn’t been taking care of myself, and I didn’t like the way I looked. In reality, there was nothing wrong with the way I looked.

But I told myself I had too much fat on my stomach area. And I didn’t like the way my thighs touched.

So I started working out more, eating “cleaner” and “healthier,” and overall... less.

This is when I started to look at food as “good” and “bad,” ... “healthy” and “unhealthy.”

Food went from just being food... to having all of these different labels and categories.

I even had a calendar hung up on my wall where I would circle the date in green if I had a “good” day where I worked out and ate “clean” and “healthy” all day... in yellow if I felt like I slipped up and could’ve done better... or in red if I didn’t work out and didn’t eat within my clean and healthy standards.

All of these things were aimed around one, singular goal, of changing the way my body looked on the outside, so I would feel more confident about myself.

Little did I remember, that there is so much more to being confident than how you look on the outside.

A whopping seven years ago, I also created my first health and fitness blog on Tumblr, called Believe and Achieve. Where I would reblog transformation photos, photos of girls with flat, toned, tanned stomachs, almonds, fruits, vegetables... everything related to weight loss and shrinking yourself smaller.

On February 27, 2013, I wrote a text post, entitled, “Goals.”

My goals were to exercise every day and keep eating healthy meals and snacks. To not let an unmotivated attitude take over me again and make me lose progress. Keep eating healthy and keep exercising. To make money from babysitting to consider paying for a plan to go to the gym more. To go to the gym minimum of twice a week. To not skip more than a day a week and don’t indulge when it’s “really not necessary.”

I said, “It takes three months. By the end of May and the beginning of summer I will be so happy I started now and not then. I have to get there but I have to start now."

I can go on and on and on about the things I used to write on this Tumblr. I used to be so, terribly hard on myself when it came to eating and exercising. Let us just visit two more, shall we?

Another post I wrote was... “A healthy lifestyle sucks somedays, and today is one of them. I hate how i have this huge weight of guilt on my shoulders after eating three moderately poor meals today and not having time to workout this week. I feel like such a failure. i hate feeling so damn bad for eating things that i wouldn’t have considered “unhealthy” this time last year. it’s good that my eyes are opened and I can tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy, but this guilt thing for eating things that I consider unhealthy now and not working out even though I really didn’t have any time is the worst.”

And another post I wrote was... “someone please help. I NEED to know how to not binge :( i literally can’t have sleepovers or go to parties or vacation without over eating crap food and i know that’s not awful to do every once in a while but i feel like this month i’ve been doing it way more than every once in a while, so it’s not “okay” anymore. and all it does is make me feel bad about myself: while im doing it, all night after i do it, and especially the next day, but i keep doing it. and if i binge really bad then i honestly loose my appetite and don’t want to eat the whole next day even though i know my body needs nutrients. i know im wrong, but i feel like all of this binging has wiped away all of my hard work that i started in the spring because honestly my stomach has definitely gotten bigger and i’ve lost sight of the muscle i was building. if anyone took the time to read this please send me an ask with some advice, i need it.”

And one last post: I constantly caught between wanting to eat 100% clean and healthy so that I see more results, and wanting to enjoy life and being a teenager. I know that sounds silly because if I just dedicate myself to eating clean (or at least cleaner than i do now) for a few weeks, I’ll grow into it and it’ll become a habit and i can still “enjoy life” and “be a teenager.” I also know I can make unhealthy choices in moderation here and there too. but I feel like my unhealthy choices (ex, this past week: pizza saturday night, a barbeque dinner and birthday cake sunday night, pizza tuesday night, suki hana yesterday afternoon..) are putting me in a stand still where I exercise enough, but only eat like 50-60% clean.. so its not that im not seeing any results, just enough to satisfy me. because I’m not fully dedicated, because I want to be able to eat what I want and again, enjoy being a teenager. it’s tough.

So I think we understand how poor my relationship with food was seven years ago.

And what has happened since then?

It’s been a roller coaster of ups and downs that would honestly take hours for me to get into.

But I want to fast forward into the present, and talk about my day and night last night, just to show you that change is possible.

So yesterday, I woke up to the smell of waffles. And I will honestly admit that I am still healing my relationship with food, after seven years, because of the internal dialogue that goes on in my head when I smell a food like waffles in the morning.

While this internal dialogue used to be so loud and control the decisions I was making when it came to food, it now a more of a whisper that I can tell to shut the hell up.

It goes a little something like this.

I smell the waffles. I think, “Should I go for it? Or should I eat something healthier - like oatmeal? Or eggs and toast?”

In the past, I would have eaten something “cleaner” or “healthier” to stay “on track” with my goals. Or I would have eaten the waffles and mentally ripped myself to shreds for eating something “unhealthy” and “getting off track.”

But yesterday, I realized how much I have made and am making true growth and progress when it comes to my relationship with food.

Because I reached for not one, but two waffles, without any guilt. I put butter and syrup on them. Even paired them with a cup of coffee with two spoonfuls of dairy free vanilla creamer.

I ate the waffles. Enjoyed every bite. And realized how much growth and progress I have made over the years.

Another thing about yesterday and these waffles was that I knew my family was ordering dinner from The Cheesecake Factory that night.

Normally around this time of year, my family and I spend a day in Philadelphia doing Christmas things and going out to lunch or dinner. Since we couldn’t do that this year because of COVID, we decided to bring the tradition into the safety of our home.

So instead of going out to lunch or dinner, we ordered dinner in from the Cheesecake Factory.

Another proud moment of growth for me.

Because in the past, I would’ve ordered something low calorie, no carb, clean, healthy, etc. Especially when there is a low calorie “skinnylicious” section on the menu.

But the current version of myself wanted a burger. So I ordered a classic burger, with the bun, and french fries. And thought nothing of it, except how much I have grown in my relationship with food, and how excited I was to eat it.

In the past... knowing I had appetizers, a big, fat, burger, and a piece of Linda’s chocolate fudge cake coming for me that night, I would have deprived myself of food during the day, or made sure I ate 110% clean, healthy, low carb and low calorie leading up to the big Christmas she-bang of food at night.

But yesterday... I started the day with waffles. Exercised for my mental health, in a way that felt good to me in the moment. A mix of a 20 minute leg workout, 10 minutes of cycling, 15 minutes of stretching and 5 minutes of meditation.

Had a protein shake after exercising. And did not alter my eating during the day because of what I was going to be eating that night.

Honestly, I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know how I went from being a person who would hate herself if she didn’t eat clean and healthy and workout for 7 days straight. To a person who exercises in such a healthy way, for her mental health, and doesn’t diet or feel guilt around food at all anymore.

Truthfully... I know two of the biggest things that got me here were changing the kinds of people I follow on social media. And allowing myself to break up with the scale, and my old beliefs and habits.

Because we’re humans. We’re meant to grow, change and evolve. You are supposed to and don’t have to always stay the same.

And I am proud to say that I am living, breathing proof that you can go from food guilt and restriction, to complete food freedom.

Eat the waffles. Eat the burger. Eat the fudge cake. Enjoy your freaking LIFE. And then, the next morning, you wake up and move on with your life.

This morning, I went back to my regular routine of coffee and oatmeal. Soon, I’ll have another meal or a snack, maybe exercise for 20-30 minutes, and, again... just continue on with my life.

Your life doesn’t have to revolve around weight loss, achieving a flat stomach, having abs, and always eating “clean” and “healthy” all of the time.

You are allowed to live your freaking life, eat your favorite foods, and do whatever brings you peace, happiness and joy. Especially during the holiday season.

[zipperdry57-blog]

Three Days in Charleston

Travel

by Jenn P.  |   on April 3rd, 2018  | 

When Vinny asked me what I wanted for Christmas last year, I replied “nothing”. Then I said, “Wait. I take that back. I want you to plan a weekend away together” because I am wise and all-knowing and pretty much always itching to get out of town if time and finances allow. On Christmas morning I opened an envelope with an itinerary he created– a few nights each in Charleston and Savannah, with print-outs of the most expensive hotels in each city because Christmas mornings are for wildest dreams and looming debt. We delayed booking until we filled our vacant apartment, but once we did, we hopped online and decided to go away for our 15th anniversary. We didn’t end up staying in the pricy, dreamy places he’d originally picked out, but that’s okay because Charleston and Savannah are pretty dreamy on their own.

  WHERE WE STAYED:

The Ashley Inn: We stayed in room 5 of this cute pink bed and breakfast very conveniently located in downtown Charleston. We booked it last minute on bedandbreakfast.com, and were very pleasantly surprised by its location and the fact that it lead out to a slightly more private section of the home’s wrap-around porch.

PROS: Clutch location! Around the corner is one of Charleston’s best breakfast spots (The Hominy Grill) and just past that are two really great restaurants– Xiao Bao Biscuit (I’ll circle back to this!) and R’s Kitchen, which we wish we could have tried. The b&b is about a 10-15 minute walk to King Street, which is the main shopping/restaurant row in town. Also, I gotta give props to that four-poster bed. It’s rare that I sleep so comfortably when I’m not in my own home.

CONS: B&B purists will be none too thrilled at the check-in process. No one greeted us, and we never met an innkeeper. Rather, our keys were obtained from an envelope in a property down the street. Breakfast was also served down the street, but I never ended up going for it since Charleston is known for its food! But the biggest drawback (and it’s a big one frankly)… there was no coffee in the building! Not one sweet, sweet drop! Who could live like this? Seriously, this place needs to set up a keurig or something in the main area, because that’s just bad hosting, in my opinion. On the brighter side, the lack of in-house brew forced us to get up early and beat the crowds for breakfast:). Another thing to know before booking is that the hotel is a few blocks from the medical center and we heard emergency helicopters hovering overhead a few nights which scared the shit out of me until I realized what was going on.

NEARBY: The Hominy Grill, R’s Kitchen, Xiao Bao Biscuit, Sugar Cupcakes, Candy Shop Vintage, King Street

HOW WE GOT AROUND: By foot! If you stay downtown there’s really no need to rent a car. If we weren’t able to walk, ubers were plentiful and inexpensive and every single driver was so sweet and friendly we couldn’t get over it. Charleston is a super quick flight from NYC (I think it was less than 2 hours!) and a great weekend destination for people on the East Coast. We went in March, which was perfect timing since we’re about at the end of our ropes with winter weather.

WHAT TO DO:

Our intention in heading down to Charleston and Savannah wasn’t to “do” much, but to stroll, soak up a little spring sunshine and eat until our top buttons cried uncle. We met all these goals. We didn’t really do that much in Charleston except wander around and explore, punctuated by feedings. Downtown Charleston is super walkable, and there are a million guides on the internet to lead you toward the most popular areas to walk around in. South of Broad, Rainbow Row, the Battery, King Street, down by the water. It’s all very photogenic, clean and charming. That’s what we did the first day and a half– walked around, dipped into little stores, ate.

We also visited a plantation in nearby Mt. Pleasant, and I certainly would recommend that as well. There are a few to choose in the area; we chose the one that offered the most insights into what life was like for the slaves on the plantations. Boone Hall Plantation is the only plantation in the S.C. Low country to present a live presentation of the Gullah culture adapted by African slaves and they have eight former slave cabins you can walk through to learn more about the conditions for slaves on the plantation. (and yes… I suppose some people will choose this one over others because The Notebook was filmed here).

  MOST IMPORTANTLY…WHAT WE ATE

Poogan’s Porch– Recommended!

We tried: Country Fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes (very much like the Chicken Fried Chicken I grew up eating in TX), Lump Crabcakes with creamed corn (super generous with the crab, but they could have punched up the flavor a bit), pimento cheese fritters with green tomato jam (the real MVP), and she-crab soup–very tasty but realllllly heavy. This soup is basically on every Charleston menu, but this was the only time we tried it so it’s hard to say whose is best. Very good food, super charming atmosphere, lovely service, a little on the pricier side. Oh yeah… great cocktails too!

Hominy Grill– Highly Recommended!

We tried: Bread Pudding French Toast with Bourbon Caramel Sauce (as good as it sounds) and their classic Shrimp and Grits with scallions, bacon and mushrooms over cheese grits (like heaven, but seriously). I just loved this place, and it was literally a five-minute walk from our inn, which was perfect to beat the morning crowds. On our second visit, I had the grits bowl topped with mushrooms and leeks (and side order of bacon I got to crumble on top:), and Vin got smothered eggs over biscuits. Fantastic and inexpensive. Get there early for breakfast because it gets totally packed, but there’s lots of good reasons why. I wish this place was in my neighborhood.

Sugar Bakeshop- Recommended (pop in if you’re already walking toward King Street)

We tried the Lemon Curd and the Raspberry. Small, light, lovely little place. Definitely worth a stop if you’re already in the area but I wouldn’t necessarily go out of the way unless you’re a total cupcake fiend (I’m not. I’m more of an ice cream gal).

Fleet Landing- Recommended, especially for atmosphere

We tried: Fried Green Tomato Stack layered with tarragon crab salad (for $8.99, this is an amazing deal and it was delicious!), Lump Crab Cake Sandwich with Red Pepper Remoulade (we’re used to paying through the nose for any dish whispering the word “crab” in NYC, so we ordered crab at almost every restaurant in Charleston!), the fish special which was served with a tomato relish, black-eyed peas and Charleston red rice (twas just ok). Great spot downtown, very popular and super nice if you’re looking to eat outside by the water. Not my favorite meal of the trip, but did the job.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams Highly Recommended!

I’m an ice cream gal, and this place is indeed splendid. If you’re ever in a town that has a Jeni’s shop, you must pop in to sample their excellent flavors made from premium ingredients. Top billing goes to Wildberry Lavender and Brown Butter Almond Brittle.

Xiao Bao Biscuit Very Highly Recommended!

All the in-the-know gals who travel to Charleston (thanks Victoria!) rave about this place and for good reason– it’s incredible! On the website, it’s described as “Asian Soul Food -  Select dishes from China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam prepared locally & inspired by kick-ass grandmothers everywhere. ” We tried the popular cabbage pancake topped with bacon, an octopus tail and a crazy beautiful spicy salad (the menu has already changed for the season and I can’t remember what any of the dishes are called). But trust me, when you need a quick break from heavy home cooking, this place really hits the spot! Charleston truly is a foodie’s paradise, and not just for Southern cuisine.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Very Highly Recommended!

Line up early because this place is small, popular and fantastic! Vin had a breakfast sandwich on a biscuit (which was bomb) and I just tried two little guys (cheese & chive, which was really good and Black Pepper & bacon which was utterly mind-blowing). On King Street, so if you’re already shopping around, pop in! This one qualifies as an absolute “don’t miss”.

Circa 1886 - Very highly recommended (for a splurge). We went to Husk in Savannah, and I have to imagine this place beats Husk- Charleston. If you’re looking for a romantic and special meal for your trip, this is the spot! The restaurant is in the carriage house of the Wentworth Mansion (one of the fancy printouts Vin made on Christmas morning) and serves some really exceptional high-end Southern cuisine.

We tried:

Appetizers: BUTTERMILK FRIED ARTICHOKE HEART  with Parsnip Puree, Tomato Marmalade, Black Truffle Pesto, Basil, Baby Spinach, Prosciutto (good, but not as awesome as it sounds)

NIMAN RANCH PORK CHEEK  with Spaghetti Squash, Pickled Green Apple, Crispy Kale, Herb de Provence Glacé (very very good, very tiny)

Main Courses: COFFEE BRINED ANTELOPE  with Sorghum Sweet Potato Mousseline, Braised Greens, Pineapple Relish, Shishito Peppers, Coconut Crema (Amazing!!! So many flavors– everything was covered)

BENNE CRUSTED DUCK BREAST with White Peach Grits, Broccoli, Carmelized Shallots, Sour Vanilla Tea Demi Glacé (I will dream about white peach grits for a very long time–such a subtle flavor that worked perfectly with everything else on the plate. Really fantastic!)

Dessert: CHOCOLATE BENNÉ CAKE Jivara Mascarpone, Ganache, Benné Butter, Lace Cookie

This was the best dessert I’ve ever had. The chocolate was practically unsweetened and the benne seeds (which are popular in the Carolinas, and are basically sesame seeds with a more toasted flavor) added lots of texture and crunch. My life’s mission is to recreate it. Plus, how pretty is this thing??

What we Missed: Husk, FIG, Jestine’s, R Kitchen, Leon’s Oyster Shop ( I hear the fried chicken sandwich is spectacular and I’m still sad I missed it!).

Jenn P.

30-something psychotherapist. Loves cooking, hosting parties, exploring new places. Texan by birth. New Yorker by choice. Likes to tell little stories. Pull up a chair; I'll tell you one.

Source: http://muchtomydelight.com/2018/04/three-days-in-charleston.html

[swiftsadprose]

Nashville : June 2017

This recent trip to Nashville was easily one of the top two vacations of my life. Since there are so many memories I want to hold on to, I decided to write them all down.. Early morning on Tuesday June 13th we headed out of Columbus. On our way down we stopped by Chik-fil-A, of course, and then at Dinosaur World in Kentucky. They have 150 dinosaur statues set up throughout their wooded park and allow dogs. It was the perfect place to stretch our legs for a bit before the final leg to Nashville. We got into Nashville around noon. It was too early to check into our airbnb so we headed downtown to the farmers market and bicentennial park. We let Samson cool his feet in the Rivers of Tennessee fountain park while we waited for our Bella Nova pizza. Then sat in the shade and ate lunch. After that we walked around the park seeing the Court of 3 Stars and Bell Carillon. We walked down the Pathway of History stopping to see their World War II Memorial and Statehood Memorial over the McNarry Spring. Next we killed time by driving around the east side, locating some spots we knew we'd be visiting and finding some iconic Nashville murals. We also stopped into Project 615, a clothing store in the Fatherland District. We bought each other a Nashville tee, since the traditional two year wedding anniversary gift is cotton. The girl working in the shop was so nice. She gave Samson treats and gave us 615 stickers. She also suggested we check out the pet shop a few doors down so we did. Samson had his fill of treat samples and we purchased him the most adorable rain poncho (even though it never ended up raining when he was out of the house, haha). Our airbnb was so cute. It's was a remodeled upstairs loft space near Eastwood. It was so close to everywhere we were going. My favorite feature was that we were able to leave Samson home alone when we went out to dinner or a show. (most dog friendly hotels won't let you leave dogs unattended in rooms FYI). Once we settled into the house we decided to just run out real quick and bring some dinner back to the loft. We decided on Dino's which was just 5 mins from us. Dino's is a serious hole in the wall but Chelsea Lankes swears by their burgers. Jerry and I agree, they were so good! Wednesday morning we woke up at the crack of dawn ready to start exploring the city. Our first stop was in the Gulch to find the #WhatLiftsYou wings. We then got some refreshing drinks from Starbucks to try and combat the already sweltering heat. We parked in Hillsboro and got some pastries from Provence Breads & Cafe. Everything we tried from there was delicious. They even gave us a free pastry for choosing them over a chain bakery. Hillsboro is such a great area full of local restaurants and cute shops. From there we walked over the Fannie Mae Dees Park in hopes of seeing the Dragon Statue but it was currently being repainted. But we carried on and traveled over to Love Circle. It's a large hill that has great views of downtown and the surrounding hills. At this point we were really second guessing our choice of this trek on such a hot day but since we were halfway through we carried on. We made our way up to Centennial Park. There was a great fountain right where near we entered which Samson loved walking through. Then we took a nice long rest on a bench swing in the shade. As we walked towards the Parthenon I bought some lemonade from the cutest little boy collecting donations for his friend at Children's. It was so refreshing on such a hot day. After Centennial we crossed through Vanderbilt campus to get back to Hillsboro. While passing by the football stadium we noticed the tunnel was actually open so Jerry walked onto the field. Once back in Hillsboro we got a patio table at Fido and had some delicious sandwiches for lunch. That evening, if you can believe it, Jerry and I got the amazing opportunity to meet and hang out with THE Chelsea Lankes. We've been such fans of her music for years. It's was indescribable to chat her up like a friend. We met at Barista Parlor in the Gulch and she bought us all a round of iced coffees. Chelsea and I had a bourbon vanilla iced coffee while Jerry had a caramel whiskey. We talked about mine and Jerry's trips to Nashville, Chelsea's time in LA, relationships, our jobs, dogs, how people don't know how to pronounce Lankes, true crime pod casts, long term goals, family and Chelsea's new music. At one point Chelsea checked her phone and said "it's 6:15" and Jerry and I both died, haha. She invited us out to her car to listen to some demos of some of her new songs which was seriously amazing. Every one she played for us was bangin', we can't wait for her to release the singles this summer. While listening, Julian pulled up. They're seriously so cute together. She got out of the car and they started dancing in the street. Jules climbed in the backseat with me and when Chelsea skipped to the next song he said "why'd you turn that off? it's about us cuddling". So cute. We snapped a quick photo together and had Chelsea sign our vinyls before she had to run off to hot yoga. At her suggestion, Jerry and I quickly checked out a roof bar at a nearby hotel and caught some great sunset views of downtown Nashville. After that Jerry and I being true tourists hit South Broadway. We grabbed a quick bite of hotdogs from a street vendor while we meandered through souvenir shops and listened to live music. We of course had to stop at Savannah's Candy Kitchen to load up on chocolate covered marsh mellows, rice krispy treats, candied apples and fudge. We stopped by Luigi's for a drink at the bar and a pizza to go. On the way back to the car we passed by the Country Music Hall of Fame to take a pic with the TS Education sign bc Taylor Swift owns my ass. So then we went back to our loft for the night. It was much later/darker than it had been the night before when we took Samson for his walk. The alley behind our house was basically pitch black. But honestly it was alright because as we were also smoking up ya feel. So we're walking and we turn up onto a main street. It was a little more lit but still pretty dark and we, ourselves, were feeling pretty lit. As we're walking up the street I see something just sitting there. At first I thought it was a rabbit because it wasn't moving. Then as we got closer I could tell it was just staring at us even though I couldn't see it's face, which is always a freaky feeling. For a second I thought it might be an opossum or a raccoon, both which would have freaked me the fuck out. As we got a little closer we realized it was just a cat and literally as we were realizing this we hear the nastiest low gurgling growl coming from a yard to our right. We look over and the whole yard and house are pitch black. We can only see a small white picket fence and hear this dog that sounds like it wants to kill us. So we're fucked up, already a little freaked out from the cat and now pretty sure some beefy dog is gonna lunge over this small ass fence and try to eat us. We power walked our asses out of that street as fast as we could! It was seriously the craziest experience! To update, we drove by that house like three more times trying to find out what breed of dog that was and how it was secured in that yard but never saw a dog there. Thursday morning, our anniversary, we woke up and took Samson with us to South Broadway to walk the John Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge, which Samson shit on haha. We saw some great views of the Titan's stadium and of the downtown skyline. Afterwards Jerry and I went out to breakfast at Fenwick's 300. Chelsea had recommended it because Julian works the bar there. It was a very cool restaurant. Their bar top was made from a lane from a bowling alley that had previously been in that location. The food was amazing. We toasted to our anniversary with some mimosas. Jerry got breakfast stir fry while I went with basic eggs, bacon and toast. We also shared the amazing french toast. It was great to chat up Julian. We mostly talked about dogs. I tried to talk him out of wanting a husky but I don't think it took. We were showing him a picture of Samson when another server brought our food. Julian elbowed her, "look that's Samson" and after briefly looking she responded, "uh huh, want some hot sauce?" Jerry and I thought it was too funny. We had planned to walk around 12 South for a bit after breakfast but 1) we'd misjudged our time and had a standing appointment at noon and 2) it had started raining. We decided to just drive through 12S to see if Amelia's flower truck was still there or if they'd left due to the downpour. Luckily, they were! We figured we better buy some flowers now rather than track them down again later. By this time the rain was really coming down. We maneuvered around swept away garbage cans to park on a side street. Jerry had to jump over a 3+ foot river flowing down the gutter to bring the umbrella around for me. Even with that, we were soaked through by the time we made it up to the truck. But I didn't mind. The flowers were so lovely. They traveled well and they're still giving off an amazing perfume in our bedroom. At noon we had an appointment at Gold Club Electric to get our matching 615 tattoos. It was so special to us to get the tats on 615 in the 615. The guys at the shop were so nice. Our artist chatted us up about Columbus, he used to live in Cleveland. The tattoos went so easy and quick. Once done the employees even helped us take an awesome pic of Jerry and I holding hands while showing off our matching tats. We then went just around the corner to Soda Parlor, probably one of the cutest places in town. They're known for their killer floats made from craft sodas and local ice cream. They're all topped with whipped cream and sprinkles and served in a Mason jar. I ordered the Freakin' Fosters which was a mix of Mike's vanilla ice cream and Sprecher's Orange Dream soda. Jerry got the All Hail Starstream with vanilla ice cream and Maine Root Mexicane Cola. They were both so delicious. Another very cool feature about the Soda Parlor is that they have a free arcade. I had to play TMNT. I just wish the game let me play as Michelangelo instead of Leonardo, haha, but I still kicked ass. Since the rain had stopped and we had some time to kill we decided to head back to 12 South and actually walk around. (We stopped by the airbnb to pick up Samson and change since we were still a little damp and the temp had dropped. When we walked in the house I asked Samson if he wanted to smell my Amelia's flowers. He did... and then tried to eat them. Haha, still laughing about that.) Walking around 12 South we mostly window shopped. But we did find the I Believe in Nashville mural as well as a few others. We never did find the "make music, not war" mural but that just means we'll have to go back. We also stopped into Five Daughter's Bakery. The donuts are expensive but seriously worth it. What I would give for a chocolate sea salt donut right now ladies. Later that evening we had tickets for the Bluebird Cafe. It's an iconic listening room in Nashville. Artists such as Garth Brooks and Taylor Swift were discovered there. We were ecstatic to get tickets since there are only about 60 seats able to be reserved. Luckily I was able get two tickets are soon as they went on sale. As for the show, I wish I could put into words how amazing it was. The artists, David Seger, JP Williams, Darryl Macquarrie, and Jeremy Busser were so personable. They joked with the crowd, told the stories that influenced their songs and played an amazing set. It's honestly a surreal experience and I'd recommend it to everyone. Friday was our last morning in Nashville. We didn't have to check out until noon so we decided to hit Shelby Park, a metro park right near our airbnb. We decided to walk around Sevier Lake. When we pulled up the parking lot was full of sleeping ducks and geese. I got out of the car and they literally came rushing over quacking and honking. Honestly, so sad I didn't have any duck feed on me. Walking around the lake we saw a man feeding the squirrels, lots of turtles and water birds. It was such a chill area of people just hanging out and fishing. My favorite part was a huge willow on the south end of the lake, so dreamy. We also hopped over to the Shelby Dog Park so Samson could run loose for a bit. After that we packed up the car to head home. Our last stop on our way out of Nashville was Consider the WLDFLWRS, a jewelry store that's owned by Emily (the wife of Ben who is the musical talents behind My Red + Blue). I've been following the shop's instagram and I love their pieces. Jerry bought me a small pendant with an H stamped into it. I adore it. The girl working the shop, Hannah, was so sweet. She loved meeting Samson and told us about her new pup Dolly. We got to chatting about how I knew about the store. Hannah mentioned that if I liked Ben's music I should check out Yøuth (aka Chelsea's boyfriend Julian). Turns out Julian was in Hannah's wedding and Chelsea is one of her very good friends! Nashville is such an amazing city, it's really like a big town. I cannot wait to go back xxx

[cordpolo6-blog]

Baked Peach French Toast

At the weekend I like to pull out all the stops and make us at least one great breakfast. This recipe I am sharing today comes from, once again, my Big Blue Binder.  (Afraid it's not in my cookbook of the same name, just in my Blue Binder. Sorry about that! Maybe I DO need to do a second volume.  I must talk to my Editor.)  As far as weekend breakfasts go, you can't get much better than this fabulous French toast casserole!

I did cut the recipe approximately in half to serve only two of us, and we had leftovers, but no worries, Todd will enjoy them tomorrow for his breakfast reheated in the microwave. Not a problem.

Its really easy to make.  Thick slices of stale French bread are spread with some softened cream cheese on both sides and then laid out in a buttered shallow baking dish in a single layer. 

You poke them all over with a fork, and then you lay drained sliced tinned peaches (in the juice) over top of each slice.  I put 3 slices on top of each and it looked just right to me!

After that you sprinkle on some chopped nuts. I used toasted walnuts this time because that is what I had, but . . .  personally . . . I like toasted pecans most of all!

Then you whisk together some milk, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pour it over and around the slices of bread in the baking dish.  (Handy tip, save out some of the cinnamon and sprinkle it over top of everything evenly. )

Pop into a preheated oven and less than half an hour later Bob's your Uncle, Breakfast is served. I like to serve it with a good breakfast sausage and some bacon curls on the side.

And of course with some more maple syrup for pouring over it all.  YUMMO!  I just bang the sausages and bacon curls into the oven while I am putting the French toast together and bake them right along side.  Everything gets finished about the same time!  Easy peasy!

I like to use a good meaty well flavoured sausage, like the Heck's 97% pork ones.  They are dairy and gluten free as well. 

Making bacon curls is not hard.  Just take rashers of streaky bacon and roll them around your index finger.  Spike a toothpick through them  to hold them together and  then lay them out on the baking sheet in a single layer. 

Of course you remove the toothpicks before serving.  They look really nice I think, a tad bit different and special if you know what I mean. Presentation is everything when it comes to serving up good and tasty meals.

With just a tiny bit of effort you can make sure all of your meals look nice. That's half the battle right there!  It only takes a little bit of time to go that little extra mile and it is always most  appreciated by the family!

Yield: 5Author: Marie RaynerPrint Recipe

With ImageWithout Image

Baked Peach French Toast

prep time: 15 minscook time: 25 minstotal time: 40 mins

Simple, easy and delicious. You can substitute 1 large apple, peeled, cored and sliced for the peaches if you wish!

ingredients:

10 (1 inch thick) slices of French bread

85g softened cream cheese (3 ounces)

2 (415g) tins of sliced peaches in juice, drained (29 ounces)

30g chopped nuts (1/4 cup)

240ml skim milk (1 cup)

80ml maple syrup (1/3 cup)

3 large free range eggs

2 TBS butter, melted

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 5.  Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

Spread the cream cheese on both sides of the sliced French bread. Lay out in the prepped pan in a single layer. Prick the bread all over with a fork.  Top with the peach slices.  Sprinkle the nuts over top. Whisk together the milk, maple syrup, eggs, butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  Pour over the bread. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set. Serve warm with more syrup for pouring if desired.

I really hope you will give this delicious breakfast casserole a try.  I just know your family are going to love it!  (Oh, to halve it I used 2 medium eggs instead of 3 large eggs, and halved everything else.)  Bon Appetit! 

Source: https://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2018/09/baked-peach-french-toast.html