#/wanted to make a thing but i spent like 15-20 min trying to spice it up somehow bc it looked Soso flat hfvsbh

[keeps-ache]

so, like i was saying,

[six-of-ravens]

Ask Thingy

I got tagged by @corasnowbooks!! i guess there’s 2 sets of questions here?

#1

1. Name: Stephanie [Redacted]

2. Nickname: Steph

3. Zodiac Sign: Cancerrrr

4. Height: 5'4″

5. Languages: English

6. Nationality: Canadian

7. Favorite season: Autumn

8. Favorite flower: dang idk... violas. tea roses. morning glories? basically any tiny flower that grows in big bunches

9. Favorite scent: Autumn scents like pumpkin spice, cinnamon etc

10. Favorite color: I can’t choose lol, the whole green/blue/purple part of the spectrum!

11. Favorite animals: puppers!!!!!! doggos!!!!!! canines of all sorts!!!!!!

12. Favorite fictional character: ummmm currently Gideon Nav, my big dumb lesbian inspiration.

13. coffee, tea or hot chocolate: coffeeeee

14. Average sleep hours: like 6-8 hours except on the weekends when i sleep like 10 lol

15. Blog established: fall of 2011!

16. Dog person or cat person: both at the same time!!!

17. Number of blankets you sleep with: 3 lol. 2 of those are used to prop myself up bc otherwise my back will hurt all day lmao im a fuckin grandma

18. Dream trip: like a whole year spent touring all through europe

19. Followers: 167

20. Random fact: I have 22 houseplants (not counting the sprouts of spinach & herbs). 4 of those were bought today whoops

#2

1. Do you make your bed? no, i strive to someday be the kinda bitch that makes their bed every day but also im incapable of waking up more than 15 mins before i have to leave for work

2. What’s your favorite number? 7

3. What’s your job? web developer at a cool little agency

4. Can you parallel park? at one point in time i could, but i’m hoping i never have to figure out whether or not i still can

5. A job you had that would surprise people? uhhhhh i haven’t had any really wacky jobs. worked as a sales associate at a jewelry store in college which i guess is surprising since i’m a shitty salesperson and abhor fancy jewelry

6. Do you think aliens are real? yep, not in a grayliens-in-the-white-house kind of way but like. it’s a big universe.

7. Can you drive a manual car? noooooope lol

8. What’s your guilty pleasure? raunchy hip-hop music, podcasts about cults and murder, fake parmesan cheese (specifically the co-op gold brand it’s way better than brand-name Kraft can fight me)

9. Tattoos? None as of yet, but i’m tossing around the idea of doing a sleeve for my favourite books

10. Favorite color? see above

11. Things people do that drive you crazy? like, everything bc i’m a neurotic asshole but if i have to choose it’s people who try to shove their way onto the train while people are trying to exit, like god wait your tuuuurn

12. Any phobias? there isn’t a word for it, but i have an unreasonable fear of pool filters/drains/basically anything mechanical in a pool that’s not water or tile

13. Favorite childhood sport? uhhhhh wasn’t a sporty kid, does breaking into under-construction buildings to go exploring count?

14. Do you talk to yourself? yeah lol

15. What movies do you adore? The Princess Bride, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Pride & Prejudice, Birds of Prey

16. Do you like doing puzzles? yessssss

17. Favorite kind of music? uhhhh alternative?

18. Tea or coffee? coffeeeeee

19. What was the first thing you remembered you wanted to be when you grow up? either an author or a veterinarian.

[iohourtime]

Semi Otoko (Cicada Man) - Story, Cast, and Comments

From the Official Website of the show  https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/semio/#/?category=drama

Start Date: 2019.07.26 (Friday) 11:15 pm JST on TV Asahi

“What a Wonderful World!” - Semi

STORY

This is a miraculous love story between a beautiful cicada prince and a 30-ish woman

The story was set in an apartment building called “Utsusemi* Sou (Manor)” located just outside the city center. The old, but tasteful and elegant English-style building was home to a number of unique residents.

Semi was a cicada born in the garden behind the apartment complex. After spending a long time underground, he was finally ready to emerge in the summer. "Finally I can go to the world I so longed for!” --- with high expectations and exuberant spirits, he popped out of the ground, but in that moment, he felt a woman about to land on his head…! “I went into the world as determined but I am going to die before I even take flight…” Just as he was ready to accept his unavoidable death, the woman managed to swerve and fell just a little off to his side. Semi cheated death this time.

The woman was Yuka, who lived in “Utsusemi Manor”. She was a 30-ish (arasa) woman who worked in a food company and spent most of her days not doing much.  Semi, seeing Yuka’s lonely and dispirited face, decided to become human to thank her for saving his life, promising to fulfill Yuka’s wish!

Without knowing why, Semi and Yuka spent 7 days living together. Although she was often shocked and bewildered by Semi’s weird and otherworldly behaviour, she started falling in love with this semi prince who was doing everything he can to try to make her happy.

The emerged Semi can only live for 7 days above ground - don’t you all want to see how the miraculous love story between the beautiful, personified Semi and the sullen, 30-ish Yuka?

* I looked up Utsusemi in the dictionary.  Utsusemi apparently means “man of the world”, “”the real world”, or “temporal things”.  It also could refer to a “cicada shell” or “cast-off”. So I guess it is a double entendre.

CAST

Semi (Yamada Ryosuke - Hey! Say! JUMP)*

This summer, Semi emerged from the ground (as a human).

In the moment he emerged from the ground, Yuka was about to fall on him, ending this chapter of the story… as he thought about that, Yuka brilliant "avoidance" saved his life.

He became concerned about Yuka, who is kind, but also a bit sad. “Can I do anything for this person?”, “I want to make her smile.”, he started thinking…

With that, he transformed into human form (very beautiful), and started living with Yuka at “Utsusemi Manor” in his limited, 7-days lifespan. To Semi, everything in the world is glorious, a place he yearned for. That’s why his catchphrase is “What a wonderful world!” His favourite food is maple syrup.

Since he is a cicada, he is not familiar with normal human behaviour, so he frequently act in weird, other-worldly ways.

* Weird. I thought Yamada stopped being credited with the group’s name since a few years ago. I guess we’ll have to see the credits on the episode itself.

Okawa Yuka (Kinami Haruka)

A 30-ish woman who lived in "Utsusemi Manor". She worked in a food factory and was really bad at communicating with people (not a smooth-talker). Anyway, she did not have much of a life.

Both her parents were hardcore gansters (Yankee). Her brother was The Legendary Yankee. One day, she unknowingly reported her brother’s crimes to the police, and everyone around her blamed her for this. As a result, she found it hard to live in her hometown and moved to Tokyo.

Since Semi was furiously expressing his thanks for saving his life, and before she knew it, she started living with him for the next 7 days...

Kumada Minako (Imada Mio)

A resident of “Utsusemi “Manor”. She dreamed of becoming a designer, so she went from Fukuoka to Tokyo. She attended a school of fashion and asked Yuka for help on many of her sewing projects. She made clothes for Kugiko, Nejiko, and Haru, and the residents wore those clothes a lot.

She was the type who would say whatever is on her mind and she’s also very fashionable.

Okawa Kenta (Miyake Ken)

Yuka's older brother. He is famous in his hometown as the "legendary Yankee". He’s a legend is not only because he’s strong, but he may also be a legendary idiot... He was too stupid, so he unknowingly participated in breaking and entering; his younger sister, Yuka, reported him to [the police], leading to his arrest.

Iwamoto Haru (Yamazaki Shizuyo)

A picture book writer who lived in "Utsusemi Manor". She went around wearing a beret and unusual clothes. She was a very strong and kind-hearted woman who was loved by all the residents. She used to be part of a comedy duo with her husband, Masa.

Iwamoto Masa (Yatsui Ichiro)

A resident of “Utsusemi Manor”. He was Haru’s husband and used to be part of a comedy duo with her.  Because he loved Haru so much, he became too sweet as the straight-man in the duo, so he had to give up being a comic. He currently worked in a company [as a regular employee].

Ogawa Kunio (Kitamura Yukiya)

A resident of “Utsusemi Manor”. He worked in an unspecified job and often stayed in his apartment. He kept saying “his body is weak" and "his will die soon", but it had been many years since [he started saying that]. Anyway, he was a man of mysteries.

Shouno Nejiko (Agawa Sawako)

One of the landlords of “Utsusemi Manor”. She was the younger sister of the so-called "Kokubunji Sisters". In contrast to her impatient sister, she was very easygoing and a little slow.

Shono Kugiko (Dan Fumi)

One of the landlords of “Utsusemi Manor”. She was the older sister of the so-called "Kokubunji Sisters". She was very impatient, who always complained about her dumb sister. Although they argue all the time, the sisters actually got along very well.

Comments from the Cast, Writer, and Producer

Semi - Yamada Ryosuke

This is my first appearance in a TV Asahi drama! And I am playing “Semi”! A semi that goes “min, min” (laughs).

When I first heard about it, I thought it was a type of drama that I have never seen before. Since Okada Yoshikazu-san worked on the script, and it is very interesting! It depicted the importance of human connections, and my character has a lot of lines that will move people’s hearts, so it’ll be nice if it resonates with the audience. The story also unfolds in a very interesting way and I hope all of us will have fun making this drama.

Today, we went to take photos and videos for the press release and promotional segment, but it was very surreal! (Laughs) I was filming at a certain park in Tokyo, but the way people looked at me… (Laughs). While I was doing various things like clinging to trees and pretending to fly, a child who was watching said "What is that Onii-chan doing?" I so was embarrassed (laughs). However, I think I want to act well in the drama from the surreal parts to the touching parts.

Actually, this is the second time I played the role of "Semi." Last time, I was a contract killer called “Semi” in the movie "Glasshopper", which is completely different from the “Semi” this time. I think I might be the only one in this industry that had played "Semi" twice (laughs)?

I have never thought I needed to "understand the feeling of a cicada" in my life, but I guess I have to study hard on its ecology this summer! Since nobody had tried to personify a cicada before, so I'll try to prepare for this challenge!

It’s my first appearance in a TV Asahi drama and I am really excited. Since I have only gone on “Music Station” before, I think it is nice and a bit stressful to see myself in other timeslots.

"Semi Otoko" is definitely going to be the drama that will make you laugh and cry this summer! Please look forward to it.

Ozawa Yuka - Kinami Haruka*

* The official site have not updated the other cast’s comments yet. I got this from the article announcing the additional cast.

When I heard that it is a love story with a cicada, I already thought it sounded interesting. I am very excited and look forward to how this story develops. I want to throw myself into the role and show the changes in the relationships, not just with Semi-Otoko, but also with the various characters as written by Okada-san.

(Yamada, who plays Semi, looks forward to meeting Kinami. "Kinami-san really likes bread ... and so do I! I think I can get a lot of detailed information [about bread] from her while we are filming!”)

Ozawa Kenta - Miyake Ken

This time I'm playing the older brother of Yuka, played by Kinami Haruka-san; the character is said to be “the legendary Yankee,” but he's just an idiot (laughs). However, I want to be a lovable idiot, so I want everyone who watch the drama to feel that way about my older brother character.

I worked with Yamada Ryosuke-kun when V6 and Hey! Say! JUMP were the main personalities in the “24 Hour TV” special, and at that time, we worked on “Stomp” together. My impression is that he was serious and stoic about practicing and he is very responsible. This time, I will do my best to spice up this drama starring Yamada-kun.

This story is a wonderful fantasy in which Semi gradually gains a place in Yuka’s heart. Yuka is a woman whose family is very unhelpful, meets Semi, who wants to properly thank her and fulfil her wish; the little blessings in life gradually become important things - I think that I want to see this Yuka appear.

When you see a beautiful, cute, and pale young man like Yamada-kun in a drama on Friday night, I hope you will feel healed from the tiredness of work and study. Immerse yourself in the elixir that is Yamada-kun’s “Semi Otoko", and I think you can have a pleasant weekend and be ready to face Monday again.

Screenplay - Okada Yoshikazu

It’s been 20 years since I last wrote a drama for TV Asahi, and it is for the “Friday Night Drama” slot, which had been the home of many interesting works before, so I am having a great time [working on this project].

This time, I have indulgently used Yamada Ryosuke-san as my muse for this original project. I was very happy when he accepted the offer to act as the titular character. This is an ambitious project, but at the same time, I am very confident about it. It is at once funny and sad, it will move your heart, and while you may cry, it is not tears of sadness. That’s the type of drama. Yamada-san’s Semi Otoko will surely wash away your tiredness every Friday night. It is “very cute”.

It is not only Yamada-san. The heroine of the story is also someone I really love. There are also a lot of other interesting actors in the show. It is quite fun to write.

You will cry your heart out in the last episode; I probably cried the most as I wrote it.

I hope you can look forward to it.

TV Asahi - Producer Hattori Nobuyuki

These days, you cannot go a day without someone being shamed on SNS.

Someone tried to bring someone else down a peg and take a little pleasure, and [somehow] it spread like wildfire .... It is a difficult world to live in. That’s why I want to make a warm drama that can give people a [virtual] hug and gentle encouragement them in these times.

The gentle yet sad story woven by Okada Yoshikaz-san… This is a "fully affirmative drama" that reinforces everyone's way of life.

Who would you want to give you that gentle hug and encouragement?

For the role of the Semi Prince, I cannot think of anyone other than Yamada Ryosuke-san. He is Japan’s number one “affectionate” and “gentle” actor.  How will Yamada-san be like in the slightly surreal world created by Okada-san…, I am happily looking forward to it.

I hope “Yamada-san is Semi!” will not get dragged on SNS...

Photos and First Teaser

There is no photos or teasers from the show yet since they haven’t started shooting as far as we know. The first teaser is actually a homage to the long running docuseries “Jonetsu Dairoku” featuring actor Yamada Ryosuke and has nothing to do with the actual show.

The video is also geo-blocked to Japan only.

[athleisure-aesthetic]

Ugh I did the thing again where I was busy all week and forgot to post on here. So here’s a lightning fast recap of my workouts from the past week, if you care at all. I actually think I worked out (ish, except Friday kinda) every day which is a first in a while. Bless.

Tues Mar 21 Abs and shopping. I went home after work to get my car so that I could drive to trainings the next two days, but went out to Target as soon as I got home, cause duh. Stupid idea to try on like real clothes tho, my self-conscious ass was like ohhhhh no way you need to tighten up those saddle bags and that back fat before you get any of this. So. I got a crop sweatshirt and athletic leggings, felt bad about myself but hadn’t had dinner, so I went to Wawa. Woof.

3x each 15 reps straight leg raises 15 reps roll ups leaning camel x 45s bird dogs x 45s 60 reps heal touches plank 35s, 40s, 45s 10 reps assisted push up 40 reps russian twists 8# alternating superman 1 min 15 reps single leg pulses

Wed Mar 22 Run on the trail after this horrific training class in which I was literally the only student for an all day session. And I had to go back the next day 😩 went to Marshall’s before my run to see if I could find any cold weather gear bc I only had my sweatshirt, gloves, wool earwarmers, and thin leggings. Didn’t find any of that, but got those AMAZING NEON PINK LEGGINGS IN THAT ONE PICTURE and some other ones too. You know me, can’t stay away from that athleisure ish.

It was hella freezing and took me so long to warm up once I started on the trail. Fortunately it was so picturesque and my music was bangin so. I survived.

2.78 mi 9'55" min / mi

Thurs Mar 23 6 x 200m sprints on the trail. Bless up, convinced my instructor to finish early bc tbh he was not really all that helpful once I started following the book that was included, so I went to the mall and got some more athleisure (deh), cheap sunglasses, athletic ear warmers for $.50 each, a VERY cute lightweight rain jacket, and (!!!!!) these black leather slip-on sneakers I’ve been looking for for like 6 months. I just caved and got the name brand ones but stILl omg I’m so excited about them I finally found them.

Started the sprints in the cotton leggins I was wearing, then after like maybe 9 or 10 strides I was like oh FUCk no they suddenly lost all their elasticity and I was having to pull them up for my life. So after completely embarrassing myself hoisting those mothereffers up for my first sprint, I jumped in the car and changed into spandex pants, then zoomed back to the trail start and actually did my workout. Good thing my house is only 8 minutes away from that part of the trail.

I think I may have mis-read what my Nike app was telling me to do, but I’m pretty sure it said to do 6 x 200m sprints with 4:45 min in between. So that’s essentially what I did, I sprinted for the 200m and ran / jogged in between. Although the app only recorded the distance for the sprints, I wanna say I did a little more than the day before, since I went further on the trail. I hate that you can’t go back and check what it told you to do; you only see how you actually ran according to the app. Lame af. Though I was proud, I increased my sprint speed at almost every length except the 3rd.

0.77mi 6'59" min / mi (lol can’t believe I actually ran a mile faster than that at one point in my life holy shit)

Fri Mar 24 No real workout here, since I had to leave work early to take the train back to le Nova for Palooza. I scarfed down a Snap pizza (the classic spot) right before the show, and somehow stayed away from the dangers of late night college food. Though I did get all my steps in my showing one of our friends’ home friend around campus, and apparently that little tour counted for a nice brisk walk. Obvi the Snovas killed it, as a great opener for what my friends and I dubbed AcaWeekend. Saturday they’d be competing at ICCA regional semifinals #pitchperfect for the first time ever, which was so exciting. Palooza the day before was just their warmup, but fortunately we got to see two new songs from them. It kinda sucked for them though bc they went first out of the seven groups and the sound guys always need a few groups to warm up before they actually refine the balance, and they just sounded muddled. Womp. Oh well. Everyone knows they’re/we’re the best anyway. Proud alum.

Sat Mar 25 Run in the morning before the day’s festivities. This was a quick workout before most of the humans who stayed in my apartment became humans, a brief mile ish to the waterfront and back. I realized I’d been wearing a blueish shirt and black leggings in literally all of my pics lately so I spiced it up with these fun stripey ones. Lol.

We adventured to brunch, where I had a yummy spinach and goat cheese salad with fig dressing, and wandered around the city for the afternoon before we had to head to semis. I splurged on Hunger Burger at RTM because I told myself that this was my indulgence for the weekend, and I wasn’t going to be drinking anymore for the next few months (it’s not like I do it that often anyway, I just want to try it to see how it helps my training/weight loss, if at all), so I got a specialty thin mint shake. Woops. Honestly, it was so worth it though, and I didn’t even end up eating most of the fries anyway, so it wasn’t the worst I could’ve done.

At semis, there were literally so many good groups and we were all like oh shit how are they going to stack up?? But Snovas SLAYED even better than they did last time and ENDED UP IN THIRD PLACE WHICH IS THE CRAZIEST BEST HONOR WE’VE EVER GOTTEN AND IT’S JUST SO COOL!!!!! A cappella is the shit, guys, I swear. I’m so proud of those kiddos, and they get to submit a wildcard video for a chance at Finals in NYC which is like legitimately insane. They’re somewhere in the top 18-27 groups in the country right now, and coming from a school where we legit don’t have music majors and a joke of a music activities staff / support, this coulD NOT be cooler. They murdered it. And so did all the other groups at semis, like damn. We weren’t even sure anything was gonna happen for them, but they clearly did some things right. Ugh so obvi we celebrated when we got back to Philly, going to a few bars and ending up at Frankford, where we got some amazing soft pretzels and other snacks. Best day ever.

1.26 mi 9'21" min / mi

1.32 mi 10'03" min / mi

Sun Mar 26 Long ish run and relaxing. Got up and was worried about the weather forecast for Monday because I was supposed to be doing my long run for next week then, and it was going to be torrentially downpouring all day, so I was hoping to switch my days because the weather was decent enough that I could’ve done it on Sunday. But then I updated my app and A, it changed my schedule for this week anyway, and B, I remember I could’ve moved it anyway if I wanted to. So instead I went and did that 5K Sunday challenge thing that it introduced. And I ran back from there, so it actually was closer to the 5 miles I had wanted to do anyway. So ya.

I felt a little subconscious in these leggings because, though they are a spectacularly bright and amazing color, they also show my cellulite on the back of my legs… but I thought, fuck it, people will see me, and if they give me a look, I’ll just push harder and show them that cellulite means nothing if you’re fast and capable and strong. So. I used it to empower me, I guess.

Spent the rest of the day relaxing and watching ICCA videos, still hyped up on the Snovas victory. Legit it’s still coming to me in waves, it’s actually incredible.

3.11 mi 9'41" min / mi

1.53 mi 9'44" min /mi

Mon Mar 27 Full body circuit and a benchmark run. Work is starting to bore me so much lol on Monday I think I may have done approximately 2 work related things all day, otherwise I was just distracted. I decided to do a NTC workout and then my benchmark, so I chose Body Flexor 2.0, which worked a lot of different areas and was pretty fun. Then I ran on the treadmill for my benchmark for the first time, which was weird knowing my exact speed at certain times and being able to force myself to a certain pace. If I have to do it that way again, next time I’ll just cover the numbers and just focus on how it feels to push hard. The picture up there is me literally dying because of how sweaty I was. Plus fun leggings from Marshall’s.

1.54 mi 9'49" min / mi

Tues Mar 28 Abs / some arms, plus 20 minutes on the elliptical. I was an idiot today, and not only forgot a hair tie after my shower, but I left my phone at home, which I realized too late in the elevator on the way to work. Nice. So I had to go without both all day, though Kelly let me borrow a hair tie so I could work out thank GoD cause I was looking at using a legit rubber band, which would’ve been awful. The moves I chose for abs today ended up also working my arms a lot, which was nice to combo them. Because I didn’t have my phone, I just kind of had to make up my elliptical workout, which was meh but whatever. Next time I’ll be prepared. That’s definitely not my favorite type of cardio anyway.

Tonight I made these AMAZING baked zucchini fries, I probably could’ve eaten like 90 million in one sitting they were so crunchy and good. My sweet potato fries didn’t turn out so good (I actually burned the shit out of them, but I’m going to attempt to eat them tomorrow for lunch anyway 🙃) but I’m happy I’m trying new things in the kitchen, even if it’s taking me like 3 hours each time lolol.

I’m down a few pounds from last week, though, which is kind of nice! A little affirmation after working hard every day.

3x each 15 reps dumbbell side bends alt. sides 8# 15 reps twisting core stabilizers alt. sides 8# 15 reps bow extensions alt. sides 8# 15 reps woodchops 8# 10 reps windmills 5# 40 reps russian twists 8# 30 s plank 7 reps full extension inch worms 15 reps in-&-outs

Wooooof I’m going to try to post more often now that I’m all caught up. Lol it may last for a day but you know. #Goals.

[howellrichard]

Mini Vegan Caprese Sliders with Melty Mozz Sauce

Hiya Gorgeous!

Summer is right around the corner, I swear! It’s still chilly and kinda gloomy in my neck of the woods, but I can feel the sunshiny days and warmer temps headed our way.

Before we drool over this brand new Caprese Sliders recipe (which I’m gaga for, by the way!), I want to give you a gentle reminder about presence.

After I wrote the first line of this post about summer coming, a lightbulb went off. There I was wishing for the future rather than enjoying what’s right here, right now. Don’t get me wrong—I’m an advocate of daydreaming, wishing, hoping, praying and goal-setting of all kinds. That kind of thinking can be exciting and uplifting in so many ways. But when it takes us out of the present moment too often, we can miss some pretty amazing stuff…

Like how pretty our precious planet is, no matter the weather. And how lucky we are to have the people and fur friends who adore us. And don’t forget about our incredible bodies and what they do every single day to allow our souls to experience this life. It’s the little things, too—the first sip of our morning tea, the way our favorite socks feel on our feet and our capacity to make someone else feel better with just a few kind words.

So why did I keep that first line if it goes against the point I’m trying to make here? Well, I’m a gal full of contradictions, what can I say? Just kidding! In truth, I kept it because I think it’s an important reminder that when it comes to mindfulness and presence, no one is perfect. The best thing we can do is to simply notice when we’re future-tripping or hanging out in the past. Judging ourselves for getting out of alignment is counter-productive, so please don’t do it to your sweet self! Just notice.

Wherever you are in the world (shout out to all of our wonderful friends in the southern hemisphere!), I hope you’ll remember that summer is a state of mind. Notice your thoughts. Choose them wisely. Honor today. And remember that you’re enough now—not tomorrow, not “when”—now.

Speaking of enjoying what’s right here in front of us, let’s talk about this juicy, fresh, flavorful, FUN sliders recipe. When the Test Kitchen Tuesday crew told me what they were cooking up, I couldn’t wait to try it. And of course, the end result totally blew me away!

These Caprese Sliders with Melty Mozz Sauce are so creative and full of flavor. They also feature some of my favorite plant-based ingredients, such as lentils, cashews, miso and tomatoes (no worries if you’re soy, nightshade or nut-free—we’ve got subs for you in the notes!). You can serve them as a snack or with a side to make it a full meal. I think some grilled asparagus or corn on the cob would be the perfect compliment!

Have a gathering coming up? Double (or triple!) this sliders recipe and share with your favorite peeps. They’re pretty quick and simple to put together, so you can impress your friends without tons of prep work or hours spent in the kitchen. Easy and out-of-this-world delish… sounds like a good deal to me!

Alright, ready to cook up this amazing sliders recipe? Bon appetit!

Mini Vegan Caprese Sliders with Melty Mozz Sauce

Serves 4 (4 sliders per serving) | Prep time: 30 min | Cook time: 35 min

Red Lentil Patty Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ½ red onion, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup (14 g) julienned sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup (96 g) red lentils, thoroughly rinsed 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium vegetable stock 1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar ½ cup (40 g) rolled oats ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional) ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp salt, or to taste ¼ cup (6 g) fresh basil, chopped

Melty Mozz Sauce Ingredients: ½ cup (60 g) raw cashews ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp (90 ml) water 1 ½ tsp lemon juice 1 ½ tsp white miso paste 1 ½ tsp nutritional yeast

For Assembly: 12-16 Campari tomatoes, halved and seeded Fresh basil leaves (optional)

Instructions: 1. In a medium saucepan, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat. Cook for 8-10 min, until the vegetables are aromatic, softened and golden all over.

2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, lentils, broth and vinegar. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer until the lentils are fully cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed (12-18 min). Let cool for at least 15 min.

3. Meanwhile, place the oats in a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until finely ground. Add paprika, cumin, ½ tsp salt and fresh basil. Pulse to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste with more salt if desired.

4. Combine the oat and spice mixture with the lentil and sun-dried tomato mixture from step 2. If desired, use a food processor or high-speed blender to combine, but the mixture should be fairly coarse, not a smooth purée. Transfer to an airtight container and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour (or 20 min in the freezer) before proceeding.

5. Prepare the melty mozz sauce in the meantime. Place all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor, and thoroughly purée for 4-5 min, until completely smooth.

6. When ready to cook, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with the remaining tablespoon of oil. With damp hands, shape heaping tablespoons of the patty mixture into balls about the width of your Campari tomatoes, and flatten slightly. Cook for 1-2 min on each side, until browned.

7. To assemble, place one patty on the cut side of one Campari tomato, stem end-down so they don’t roll away. Top with a heaping teaspoon or so of the melty mozz sauce, and finish with other half of the tomato and a leaf of fresh basil. Use toothpicks to secure if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes: Storage tip: Finished patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Melty mozz sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Simplify this recipe: Use small squares of prepared plant-based cheese (such as Field Roast Chao or Follow Your Heart) instead of the melty mozz sauce.

Reheating tip: Reheat patties in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, until re-crisped and warm all the way through.

Make it soy-free: Use chickpea miso paste instead of white miso paste.

Make it nut-free: Replace cashews with raw sunflower seeds.

Nightshade-free: Omit sun-dried tomatoes and serve patties on ¼-in rounds of seedless cucumbers instead of tomatoes.

Nut soak note: If you have a high-speed blender, you can skip soaking your nuts or seeds. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can either soak your nuts or seeds in water for 4 hours, or you can do a “quick soak” by covering them with water in a pot and bringing it to a boil. Once the water boils, remove them from the heat and let them sit for an hour.

These Caprese Sliders with Melty Mozz Sauce from @kris_carr’s #TestKitchenTuesday make the perfect summertime meal!

Are you in the club?

What club, you ask?! The Crazy Sexy Recipe Club, of course! I’ve gotta be honest—if you haven’t joined this awesome group yet, you’re missing out. This week, club members got a gorgeous new Caprese Sliders recipe card, plus a bunch of insider tips and info. If you love cookbooks and playing in the kitchen, you’ve gotta get in on this!

Join the Crazy Sexy Recipe Club to get your free Recipe Club Starter Pack (includes 9 gorgeous recipes cards!) today:

Your turn: Share your yummy Caprese Sliders with me!

Whether you’re cookin’ up a storm or sitting down for a cozy meal with your crew, I wanna see! Snap a pic of your sliders and share it on Instagram or Facebook with #TestKitchenTuesday. Don’t forget to tag me at @crazysexykris—I’ll share my faves with our spectacular community!

And finally, a very special thanks to the incredible Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog and the rest of the Test Kitchen Tuesday crew for helping to create this spectacular dish!

Peace & succulent sliders,

The post Mini Vegan Caprese Sliders with Melty Mozz Sauce appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

[the-coconut-asado]

Tarts and Tinned Fish: A Lisbon Love Story

When you have small children, you have a ‘different kind of summer holiday’. This was the way a friend put it recently, with a barely concealed sigh. He had just come back from Tavira on the South East coast of Portugal, but hadn’t sampled the delights of pork skewer tavernas, the coastal train or the naturist beach (allegedly). He and his missus had spent the week doing ‘the funnel’: that movement you make with your hands as you follow your toddler around on bended knees preventing them from doing damage they seem hell bent on doing for themselves. And there you go: How was your holiday? Weeell it was a different kind of holiday etc etc.

When you hit mid youth (ahem) and your kids are booking their own holidays, doing different ‘funnel hands’ as a drunken homage to Beyoncé in Mediterranean nightclubs, you can go anywhere and have the kind of holiday you used to have before they were ‘different’.

So it was when we took had a long overdue mini-break in Lisbon earlier this year. Portugal is a top Brit holiday destination but in the past, and particularly in the package holiday south, has been in the ‘chicken-average’ category (‘as in yeah, it was fine, a bit like chicken’ as opposed to ‘no seriously, I AM off to Nandos’).

But Lisbon has been a media darling for many a year thanks to the endlessly picturesque and perpendicular old town, the sad romance of Fado and the Pasteis de Belen – a mouthful of flaky pastry encasing a sweet, dense crème patisserie.. You mention you are going to Lisbon and people start whispering ‘Pasteis de Belem’ like the sound of a train in the distance, getting louder and more insistent the closer you are to departure. They really, really want you to try one, and you really, really don’t need any encouragement.

The birthplace of the Pasteis is, obviously, Belem and while a hometown is no guarantee of excellence, it is in this case. The original, baked on the premises of what looks like a 1930’s dairy – all blue and white tiles and the echoing hum of happy customers – are served straight from a wood-fired oven, going from plate to stomach in one crispy, unctuous mouthful. Even more impressive, that quality control extends to the ones you can buy at the airport, without that just-from-the-oven edge of course.

Our first taster was on arrival at our Airbnb, where host had thoughtfully left a welcome platter of Pasteis and fruit. One bite, and like that virgin Vegas punter winning $100 on his first night, we were hooked. It’s the Hotel California of pastries.

Before you head out on your Pasteis pilgrimage, there is breakfast, and the Pao roll gives you so much more to look forward to than a breakfast burrito. Dense and chewy, like a bagel that has had a makeover and sees no need to retain its hole in the middle. Savouring of the Pao is not limited to breakfast either – I had a really top version in a local seafood restaurant, served as an appetizer with local goats cheese.

But here’s a lesser-known culinary fact about Lisbon: it’s celebration of tinned fish. And Lisbon isn’t the only place: Fiji enjoys daily supplies of Walu, Marlin, Tuna, Crabs, Lobster and more in its Fish Markets, but tinned fish curry and tuna rice are universally popular (and cheap) staples. Tuna rice in particular hits the spot after a heavy night at Trapps nightclub in Suva. That’s my experience and you’re welcome.

 In Lisbon, the shrine to tinned fish and all you can do with it can be found in Sol e Pesca, a tiny restaurant on the edge of the Old Town.  

If you don’t have time to choose from it’s extensive menu (and as we went there on training day, they had no time for me either) then you can buy any can you like. If you are short of inspiration on what to do with those cans, then you can buy their cookbook as well. 

I bought a few cans of cod in chickpeas and almost lost them in security on the way back; olive oil in a sealed tin counts as liquid apparently, but they were very small tins and Lisbon airport security are happily not jobsworths. Glad they made it through as they were a delicious guilty pleasure piled on top of ryvita.

Further up the hill from Sol e Pesca, they also get tin-ventive at Marcellino, quirky little wine bar in the Alfama District.  

Cute slate platters with silver skin onions and gherkins to accompany, essentially, sardines on toast - and as we started looking at menus following our positive tinned fish experiences, we started noticing this as more of a norm around the city. 

Lisbon restaurants did many other toothsome things with fish and seafood, but the whole tinned thing gave me that same welcome surprise at finding a couple of spare tins of tuna at the back of the cupboard when you get the 2AM munchies.

Which is why my tinned fish recipe for this blog is not Portuguese, but my favourite store cupboard standby, tinned fish curry. The Pao and the Pasteis the Belem, however, are as authentically Portuguese as they come. Obrigado.

Sweet Potato Pao with Scrambled Egg and Black pudding

Having just said this is authentically Lisbon, the locals might raise their eyebrow at this breakfast twist, but trust me, it’s ambrosia. Makes 8 - 10 pao rolls. 

Ingredients:

450g Plain flour

1 sachet easy bake yeast

1 tsp. salt

100 peeled, cooked and mashed sweet potato

How to make:

Dissolve the yeast in 100g tepid water and leave to foam (about 15 mins). Add the yeast to the flour along with the salt, mashed sweet potato and enough additional water to make a soft, yielding dough. 

Dust with extra flour and knead for 10 minutes, then put in an oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave for an hour to rise.

Knock the mixture back briefly, then divide into 8 – 10 flat rounds. Cover and leave to rise for another 30 mins.

Heat a griddle and cook the breads for 8-10 minutes until browned and cook through They will be quite delicate to handle when you pop them onto the griddle so handle carefully.

 As the pao are cooking, heat a separate pan, add a little olive oil and when hot add slices of black pudding, and turn after a couple of minutes. Once crisp, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel.

Make the scrambled eggs when the breads and black pudding are cooked. I always use the Rick Stein method for scrambling eggs. For 4 people beat 8 eggs with a pinch of salt. In a frying pan, heat a generous (50g) knob of butter, and add the eggs when melted. Turn the heat down and gently scramble the eggs until they are almost cooked. Take off the heat, add a couple of tbsps. of double cream and mix through while the egg mixture continues to cook slightly. Transfer to plates while the mix is still loose and creamy.

Cut the Paos in half and slather with butter. Serve with the eggs and black pudding.

 Pasteis de Belem.

Here’s the thing: you can make your own flaky pastry (can’t do better than Mary Berry), but honestly, if you get as hungry as I do while making these, just do yourselves a favour and use a sheet of ready-made puff pastry, with a little something extra added. The filling here, and method,  is courtesy of George Mendes’ My Portugal. The ready-made pastry trick? Thank you Jamie Oliver. Makes 24-30. 

Ingredients

1 450g sheet ready-made puff pastry

1 tbsps. cinnamon

For the filling:

200g caster sugar

1 cinnamon stick

330ml whole milk

75g plain flour

6 large egg yolks

How to make:

Lay your pastry flat on a work surface and roll out a little. Dust with the cinnamon and spread around evenly. Starting with the long side next to you, roll tightly into a sausage, cover in clingfilm and chill for 30 mins.

Heat the oven to 260C/ Gas 9

In the meantime, make a start on the filling: in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cinnamon stick and 165 ml water. Bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute. Let sit until you’re ready to use.

Take the pastry log out of the fridge, and cut into about 24-30 slices. Take each slice and flatten it into a larger circle with your thumb. 

Place each slice into the cavity of a mini muffin tin, with the cut side of the spiral facing up. Use your thumb to press the centre of the spiral and continue to press to flatten the rest of the dough against the sides of each cavity, extending about 3mm above the pan. Pop back into the fridge for 10 minutes.

 Finish the filling: Heat 225 ml of the milk in a saucepan until it begins to bubble around the edges. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining 75ml milk, and continue whisking while adding the hot milk. Discard the cinnamon stick from the sugar syrup and whisk the syrup into the milk mixture. Return to the saucepan and cook over a very low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened.

Add the yolks to the mixture and whisk until well combined. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, then pour the warmed filling into the pastry shells until they are three quarters full.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the shells are dark golden brown and crisp. the custard set and the tops are blackened.  In spots. Cool for about 5 minutes then transfer to wire racks. Eat the same day – flaky pastry is never as flaky the next day when you make these yourself.

 Tinned Fish Curry

I use tuna for this, but those jars of mackerel you can get in some supermarkets works just as well. Serves 2 hungry people or 4 normal appetities.

 Ingredients:

1 tblspn olive oil

2 tins tuna (use albacore, and choose ones in olive oil)

2 medium onions, chopped coarsely

2 bird’s eye chillies, chopped

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 generous tblspn madras curry paste

2-3 tblspns double cream

juice of ½ a lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Few sprigs of coriands to serve

How to make:

Heat the oilive oil in a large, deep frying pan and add the onions. You want the onions properly brown and caramelized before adding the chillies and then the cumin seeds. Stir for a minute then add the curry paste and stir again.

Drain the oil from the cans of tuna, then add to the frying pan, and stir to incorporate all the onions and spices. When a crust starts forming on the bottom of the pan, add the cream and lemon juice, stir for 30 seconds then take off the heat.

Serve ith brown rice for a more substantial dinner, or, as here, with some crispbread, for more of a midnight snack.

[happymakedoyear-blog]

Making cheese, bread and beauty products

I've really been trying my best to be on it with sell by dates but sometimes things don't happen. This week we had one of those moments - a whole bottle of milk was over the date and after a good sniff I decided it was too far gone. Usually, I use sour milk for soda bread or scones, but thought I'd try something different this time. So, I made cheese - curd cheese to be precise. I am so glad I did, it is one of the easiest things I have ever cooked. By the way, you don't have to use off milk. Curd cheese 1. Pour the milk into a pan. I had 1 litre of milk. 2. Add 1tbsp of white vinegar (I believe you can also use lemon juice. 3. Heat the milk until it is like a pretty warm bath - but don't let it boil. You should begin to see the curds and whey separate. Yep we're in Miss Muffett territory right now! 4. When it has all separated, turn off the heat and leave to cool. 5. Get yourself a clean cotton tea towel, Muslim cloth or clean piece of cotton, and place it over a large bowl. Pour the contents of the pan onto the cotton - you should have curds on the fabric, whey in the bowl. Wrap the cotton around the cheese and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. You can either eat it like this, or break it up into a bowl and add a little bit of whey, and some milk to make a sort of cottage cheese. You could also add herbs like chives, or basil, or some spices or garlic. Whatever you like. 6. Don't throw away the whey! This is acid whey as you've used vinegar so isn't great to drink, but not dangerous! We used it to make two loaves of super easy wholemeal bread. See below! You could also freeze it, or add it to chicken stock, soup or cook rice in it. Wholemeal bread 1. In a large bowl, add two cups of whey, 1 sachet of dried yeast, 1tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar (could also use honey/date syrup etc, but use slightly less whey). 2. Add 3 cups of wholemeal flour. 3. Mix with a spoon until combined. Cover with a damp cloth and put somewhere warm for 2 hours. 15 mins before, whack the oven up to 220 and put your baking tray/stone in to warm up. At this point make sure you have a shelf, or space, at the bottom of your oven and a shelf in the middle. 4. Go and get your dough. It should have doubled in size and be bubbling slightly. Turn it out onto a well floured surface. With well floured hands, knead it for a few minutes. 5. Fill a baking dish or roasting tray with a few cups of water and put it on the bottom of the oven. This will keep your bread moist and give it a crusty crust. 6. Form your dough into a ball (it is quite a wet dough so don't worry to much if it doesn't hold). Cook for 20 mins and check whether it is cooked by turning the bread over and knocking the base. Hollow sound, ready, dull sound, give it 5 minutes. It is best to be a bit browner than be soggy in the middle. 7. Eat! With cheese, on it's own, whatever! I keep it in a fabric bag and it stays fresh for as long as it has lasted in our house - about 24 hours! It could be frozen too. Beauty products I've been gradually trying to faze out plastic packaging and unnatural beauty products for a while now, using up what I have and moving on to other things. Although it's tempting to just throw it all away and start afresh, you're actually wasting a product that has already been made and had energy spent on it. So, use up and the move on! I've been using eco-friendly faces products for ages now and love them but my supplier is away on holiday and I didn't want to get an inferior, expensive replacement in plastic packaging, so I decided to search for an alternative stop-gap. Here's what I found. Cleanser 3 ingredients: clay (which you can find at health food/bio shops), raw honey, same place and ground almonds. I also added a few drops of lavender and tea tree for their anti-bacterial qualities. When I use it I just take a teaspoon sized amount, add a little water and rub to for m a past. I then massage in upward strokes, leave for a minute or so to let the clay work and then remove with a face cloth. http://www.themakeupdummy.com/2015/02/25/easy-diy-angels-on-bare-skin-lush-inspired-cleanser-only-3-simple-ingredients/ I store it in a glass jar. Moisturiser Melt two tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave/on the hob and add 6 drops of tea tree and lavender. Pour into a glass or reused plastic pot, scraping the pan/bowl with a spatula to get all of the oil out. Leave it to cool totally before using. It sets hard but is easy got out with a fingertip. I use a 5 size amount and apply with upward strokes all over. My other products came about as I have been aiming to move over to more eco versions - toothpaste and deodorant. Toothpaste 2 tbsp coconut oil 1 1/2 tbsp bicarb 20 drops of peppermint oil Mix it all together in a bowl and then transfer to a glass jar. I use the same amount of this paste as normal. It takes a bit of getting used to as it is quite salty but I like it now! Deodorant I am a deodorant obsessive and have been trying to find a good eco product but have yet to find something that competes with a proper anti-perspirant. Until now! This is amazing. I found the recipe on My Make Do and Mend Life http://mymakedoandmendlife.com/2013/02/26/i-may-end-up-friendless/ 8 tbsps coconut oil (solid) 1/2 cup bicarb 1/4 cornflour Essential oil - I went with lemon 8 drops Mix it all together in a bowl. You may need to get your hands in too. Transfer it to a glass jar. When you get out of the shower, take a €2 coin size amount and smooth over your underarm. Let dry for a moment. You are ready! Without going on about it too much, it keep you dry, but you won't smell! Enough said. I'm now looking into bamboo toothbrushes and making my own cotton face pads.