#Also you could always make fresh bread grilled cheese to go with tomato soup

[sunspray-peak]

Ch. 51: Pathetic

MONDAY - WINTER 1

Achilles had spent the last day of Fall in bed, rising once to use the restroom and once to clean out Voltaire’s litter box. 

Shane had come a-knocking in the afternoon—to collect the last harvest of the season, no doubt—but Achilles, half-asleep, had only tossed the cigarette he’d been smoking into the ash tray on the floor and punched his pillow. The man needed neither him nor his approval for whatever farm-related task was at hand. Shane knew what he was doing, better than Achilles ever did, that was for sure… 

The fresh start Fall had once foreshadowed had petered out, to be replaced by a terribly drastic decrease in both temperature and mood. Achilles had already wasted his second day of being 28, and was quite a bit inclined to waste another. But plans and promises made by a more functional Achilles of seasons past were now waiting to be fulfilled, and he had little choice but to drag himself out of bed before the dawn of a late rising Winter sun. 

Today was to be his final visit to Meteor Elementary and his somehow still-stubborn pride wouldn’t allow him to let Penny down. 

Besides, perhaps it would be good to get out, right? Be… somewhat productive. 

Right. You tell yourself that… 

After deciding he didn’t really need to shave, he tugged on a scarf, grabbed his messenger bag from the back of his chair, and hurriedly made for the kitchen to scoop some more food into Voltaire’s automatic feeder before heading out. 

“Meow.”

“Yeah, yeah, go meow yourself,” Achilles grumbled, chucking his early morning cigarette into the sink. “Chill, I’m not bringing it to the school, who do you think I am?” 

To emphasize his point to the cat, he withdrew the lighter from his pea coat pocket and slid it across the kitchen table. It was just a plastic little thing, part of the “mental breakdown emergency supply kit” that he always kept under the bed (it was also where the cigarettes had come from), and it ricocheted off the edge of the typewriter that he and Alex had placed there three days before. 

It was still in its packaging. Still untouched.

Achilles paused to study the box, a small frown on his face. 

And then he left, slamming the door behind him. 

*****

The children had been sorry to see him go.

Earlier in the Fall, he had offered to have the students’ stories professionally bound by one of his old contacts in the industry, but the slim paperbacks would be mailed directly to the school, and so today’s visit was to be his last.

It had been tough to sound alive, when all he wanted to do was return to his bed. But he sat himself down on the stool at the front of the classroom, feeling like an open wound and yet plastering on a smile. He even managed to flash a thumbs up to little Jacob Carney who complimented his six day old stubble, and answered any final questions from the enthusiastic crowd with as jovial a tone as he could muster before handing back his final edits and notes to each of the students. 

They had been sweet. Had gifted him a small, potted crocus flower, a handwritten card, and a bevy of hugs when it was time to go. He would miss them, he was sure. But the brief elation those clamoring kids had inspired was quickly soured by a new thought. 

Really just can’t help but miss even the tiniest bit of attention, can you? Pathetic. 

*****

Take the bus back. Grab food. Go home. Three bullet points to check off in his brain. Simple. Easy.

He flung up his hood as he shuffled into Pelican Town. It was scarcely past noon and already getting much too cold for his comfort. He’d done his research, he knew Winters in Zuzu could be tough… at least, compared to those in Hyacinthia and Monstera…

Soup would be nice. Maybe a grilled cheese… Did Gus make tuna melts? Ooh with a slice of tomato… sourdough bread and extra sharp cheddar… 

“Achilles! Oh, how are you holding up, my dear?” 

“Ah.” With a start, Achilles turned to his right—he hadn’t removed his hood when he’d entered the Stardrop Saloon, and had to fully pivot to make out Evelyn standing beside him at the bar. “I’m… doing well. And yourself, Evelyn?” 

“I’m doing very well, dear, thank you for asking! Oh, and how lovely it is to see you up and about, George and I were just so concerned after Spirit’s Eve, now, weren’t we? Alex had mentioned the maze had been an awful fright for him this year. Now I’ve said this to Lewis before and I said it to him again…”

Achilles smiled wearily and turned back to the counter, but Evelyn continued to prattle on.

“…now George and I have got a rare evening alone tonight! I thought it might be nice to surprise him and order something special for dinner. No one fries mushrooms better than Gus.” 

“Oh? Is Alex not around? I was thinking of—” He cut himself off. What was he thinking of? Surely nothing. Must’ve been a slip of the tongue, something out of habit. To be honest, he hadn’t allowed Alex to occupy much of his thoughts lately, not since Spirit’s Eve. 

“I’m afraid not, dear. He likely won’t be back until quite late, he’s got a big date of his own tonight, I believe! Were you looking for him?” 

A big date? 

Gus had returned with the rather large order Achilles had placed, but as he clutched the steaming boxes, he found he hadn’t much of an appetite; the plastic containers burned his fingertips, but the pain felt strangely distant. 

“Oh. I see. No, that’s quite all right—”

“I can let him know you were looking for him—”

Achilles cut her off with another tight-lipped smile. “It’s nothing important.” It was nothing at all. “Just… was simply thinking of going for a run. Thought he might want to join.” 

“Oh, yes, you boys and your runs.” Evelyn patted Achilles’ hand as Gus returned to the kitchen. “He can’t join today, but you stay warm, dear! And do stay safe—the paths can be quite slippery in the Winter, especially the bridges.” 

“Of course. Thank you, Evelyn.”

He nodded curtly, left the saloon, and returned home. 

Check, check, check. 

[easytobevegan]

Easy Vegan Meals for Children and Picky Eaters

Got a child that you need to feed or pack lunch for and don’t have much time? Have a picky eater living with you who’s trying to go vegan? Maybe you have a combination child/picky eater (like I was) living in your household? Well, this list of food is perfect for you! While not always the healthiest, sometimes just getting someone to eat can be challenging enough, so there’s nothing wrong with some simple, somewhat unhealthy meals every now and then. Many of these dishes can easily be made healthier by adding veggies! Here’s a collection of easy meals for the difficult eaters in your life. 

Macaroni and “Cheese”: Whether it’s boxed vegan mac or homemade, macaroni and cheese is a beloved classic for people of all ages and eating habits. Some boxed and frozen vegan mac and cheese that I’ve personally tried include Sweet Earth Cauliflower Mac, Field Roast Mac N’ Chao, Daiya Cheddar Style Mac & Cheeze, and Annie’s Deluxe Rich & Creamy Shells & Vegan Cheddar. You could also make a quick batch of mac and cheese yourself by boiling your pasta noodle of choice, making a roux with all-purpose flour and vegan butter, and slowly adding in your nondairy milk and vegan cheese shreds of choice (I personally use oat milk and either Follow Your Heart or Violife). If you’re looking to make your own cheese sauce, there are plenty of vegan recipes out there, such as this one from Nora Cooks or this one from Love and Lemons. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and/or some sauteed greens (such as spinach or kale) to make this classic, homey dish a little less unhealthy. 

Tacos: Whether you use a packaged spice mix or make your own (like this one from Vegan Richa), you can’t go wrong with a simple taco. Hard shell, soft shell, lettuce wrap, taco salad - whatever you do, it’s up to you and sure to be delicious! I personally like to use black beans (and sometimes chickpeas or TVP) as my meat substitute. You could also add other veggies to the dish, such as mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, bell peppers - anything you want, really. Top with lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, salsa, and/or pico de gallo for some added flavor and texture.

Sloppy Joes: In place of meat, use tvp, lentils or mushrooms. If you can find a canned sauce that is vegan friendly, that will work just fine for a quick meal, but homemade is best, in my humble opinion. Not sure where to start? Try this recipe from Nora Cooks!

Grilled Cheese: Get two slices of bread, a couple slices of vegan cheese, and enough vegan butter to spread on the outside of the bread. Put the cheese slices on top of the bread and then put the bread slices in a pan over medium heat until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Add some tomato slices or fresh greens if you’re into that or serve the sandwich with some soup (I like tomato soup best). 

Pizza: Who doesn’t love a good pizza, am I right? If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that serves good vegan pizza, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting it as a treat every now and then. Frozen vegan pizzas that I’ve seen in stores where I live have been limited to Daiya pizzas (which I haven’t tried, so I can’t comment on taste), but I know there are others out there. You can easily make your own pizza by buying vegan-friendly dough (either frozen, premade bread or package mix), jarred pizza sauce, vegan shredded cheese, and toppings of choice (such as spinach, mushrooms, pineapple, etc.). Looking to make a pizza from scratch? Try this one from Love and Lemons or this one from Nora Cooks. 

Spaghetti: Jarred sauce and spaghetti noodles, what could be simpler? You could also add some vegan parmesan on top, some vegan meatballs or tvp to the sauce, and/or a bunch of vegetables for added flavor and texture. Making your own sauce is really simple, too! Here’s a recipe from my mom that I use whenever I’m craving spaghetti (note that the link also has recipes for lasagna and chili) -  Spaghetti Sauce.

“Chicken” Nuggets: There are plenty of frozen vegan chicken nugget options out there now, from Morning Star to Gardein to Impossible, etc. If you want something without all the preservatives and processing that goes into making fake meat, you could try making your own. These recipes from Nora Cooks and Sweet Potato Soul look yummy! Serve them with some homemade fries, baked potatoes, or roasted vegetables for a filling and delicious meal. 

Quesadillas: Another yummy Mexican dish that you can whip up easily. You can make a simple one by purchasing tortillas and vegan cheese shreds to melt inside. You can also add whatever veggies and spices you want. If you’re looking for recipes to follow along with, these from Love and Lemons and Nora Cooks look delicious!

Baked Ziti: More pasta, yay! Warm, cheesy and saucy, what could be better than baked ziti on a chilly day? This vegan baked ziti from Nora Cooks uses ziti containing wheat and a cashew sauce, but it does have gluten free and nut free options listed! If you want to add some healthy factors to it, mix in some greens (like spinach or kale) or other vegetables (like broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini).

Peanut butter and Jelly Sandwich: Simple yet delicious! Great to take to school or work for a quick lunch. Have it with some raw veggies or fruit slices to add some more nutrition to your meal. Want to take your sandwich to the next level? Try this PBJ Coconut Bacon Sandwich from Elephantastic Vegan!

Fried Rice: Rice and vegetables - couldn’t be simpler! While you can certainly find frozen vegetable fried rice that is vegan friendly in many grocery stores, there’s just something satisfying about making it yourself. This recipe from Nora Cooks is so good! 

[ezcater]

4 Caterable Foods to Help Your Team Stay Warm This Month

As winter sets in, many of us feel a sense of wonder and delight with the season's first snowfall. But depending on where you live, it may not take long for that initial joy to sour. After all, once the magic of the holidays has faded, the weather can be downright cold and unpleasant.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of enjoyable ways to warm up. In particular, nothing quite hits the spot like a dish of your favorite warm comfort food. You may not always be able to get it “just the way mom makes it,” but that doesn’t mean you can’t warm up with caterable versions of your favorite meals. So bundle up, turn up the thermostat, and check out this list of four caterable foods that are perfect for helping you and those around you warm up this month. Delicious Fondue Fondue isn’t just a superb option because it’s hot and fresh; fondue is one of the best caterable foods for warming up because it’s so adaptable. Whether you enjoy the cheese, chocolate, oil, or broth version of fondue most, there’s a variety to satisfy virtually anyone. Whether you’re catering Columbus Ohio office occasions, Dallas Texas sales calls, or a party to kick off Q1 at your Tampa Florida office, a little fondue can go a long way. Hearty Stew No, not soup—stew. Is one really better than the other? That’s for each of us to decide on our own. But here’s the main difference: Whereas liquid is the main ingredient in soup, stew contains just enough liquid to cover the main ingredients, which are typically meats or vegetables. There’s nothing quite like a stick-to-your-ribs stew. When it comes to ordering catered stew—for example, to liven up the office on a blustery winter Wednesday—there are all kinds of options to choose from. Classic Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy this heartwarming combination. With perfectly toasted bread, cheese that pulls apart beautifully, and on-point tomato soup, this dynamic duo remains undefeated against Jack Frost. The cherry on top? There are many different varieties to enjoy all across the country. For example, if you’re catering Nashville sales calls, you could order from Panini Bread Cafe, Macaroni Grill, and a variety of other restaurants just waiting for you to discover their grilled cheese and tomato soup combos. Delectable Noodles Yes, “noodles” as a type of food is awfully broad, but that’s because almost every version of noodles can make the ideal warm-up meal on a frigid winter’s day. For example, you can treat your Oklahoma City office to the best catering OKC has to offer when you order noodles from places like Teriyaki Madness, Eddie’s, or Noodles & Greens. Each restaurant gives you different options, so you can find the right meal for each member of your office team. About ezCater Can corporate catering boost your team’s morale, productivity, and workplace satisfaction? Find out with ezCater! ezCater connects you and your team to a host of local restaurants and caterers. All you have to do is put in your order, and ezCater takes care of the rest, delivering on time and as ordered. ezCater makes it easy to find exactly what your team is craving in a matter of minutes. ezCater also has tools to help your business stay on budget, along with accounting features for expense reporting, monthly invoicing, and more. Whether you’re searching for highly rated Portland catering or you’re catering Dallas team lunches, ezCater is ready to make it happen with over 100,000 restaurant partners nationwide. What’s on the menu today? Help your team warm up this month and order their favorites from ezCater at https://www.ezcater.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/47tlmeN

[tastesoftamriel]

You know those days when your old injuries are acting up and you don't have the energy to cook, but you're still really hungry and need to eat so you just throw something together with minimal Actual Cooking involved, some people call it a Low Spoon Day, but like. What's some meals from around tamriel for days like that

Even as a chef (perhaps especially as a chef), I am generally quite lazy when preparing food for myself. That doesn't mean living off boiled lentils and bacon, thanks to my jaunts around Tamriel teaching me a few culinary tricks for when you just can't be bothered.

Altmer

Salad. Grab yourself a salad, and maybe a flatbread. This doesn't have to be drab at all, throw vegetables in with whatever you've got around to make a tasty salad! Think iceberg lettuce with lots shaved pecorino, yesterday's bread, baby plum tomatoes, thick balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. It's a good incentive to keep healthy ingredients around the house (and it's delightfully easy to grow your own basil at home too)!

Argonians

Always prepare your meals in advance, Argonians taught me, being the masters of "cook for a week in one sitting". Fried fish or chicken over coconut rice with steamed vegetables, cold noodles with saltrice shoyu and fishcake, and grilled seafood with pea stew are just some of the dishes you may encounter with Argonian meal-prep.

Bosmer

All you need is a fire and some water. I wrote some time ago about how the Bosmer make pemmican, a type of dried meat puck that can be chewed or boiled in water to make soup. If you're not Green Pact adherent, throw in some millet, noodles, and vegetables to add some flavour and texture.

Bretons

It's not a Breton kitchen unless there's a loaf of bread lying about. Assuming you have one, be sure to thoroughly raid your pantry for stuff to smear on it. Butter and jam, liver pate and cucumber slices, tomato and provolone...the possibilities are endless. If you've got the energy, you can even grill or toast it!

Dunmer

The problem with Dunmeri food is that it's all quite troublesome to make, and almost all dishes require hours of preparation. Unless, of course, you throw an ash yam on a coal grill (or straight onto the fire- those things could survive a volcano). Come back in 15 minutes, peel your ash yam, sprinkle with salt or sugar, and behold, a treat. Also works well for regular yams and sweet potatoes.

Imperials

Pre-made ravioli with fillings like beef ragu or spinach and ricotta can be found in many pantries across Cyrodiil. Just toss a handful in boiling water and leave for five minutes, before topping with a jar of store-bought tomato or cream sauce. You can even go so far as to season it, if you wish.

Khajiit

You could just chew on a stick of moon sugar cane or go to a street vendor in Elsweyr, but I would advise against doing that in the long run. If you're able to cook at home, there's nothing like miso soup. Miso comes in powders or as paste jars, and it's as simple as adding hot water and stirring. If you can, add some tofu, mushrooms and seaweed for a little bit of nutrition!

Nords

Whether it's crispbread or flatbread, a Nord is bound to have some lying around. These crispbreads (more akin to crackers) are perfect for spreading your favourite toppings on- whether it's salty caviar paste or goats cream cheese and snowberry jam. They also keep forever!

Orcs

Like the Argonians, the Orsimer are fans of having pre-cooked meals available and ready, kept in sealed trays and vessels in coldhouses or cellars. Beef and root vegetable stew, for example, is easy to reheat in a cauldron, even if it's a week old (the cold keeps the food fresh). Simply chill or freeze food in advance, and throw it in the fire when you're hungry!

Redguards

Cous-cous, a type of dish made from semolina, is easy to cook and takes no time at all. Simply throw in a cup of stock, boil until fluffy, and you're ready to go! Eat it plain with butter, or add spices and raw vegetables for a healthy warm salad.

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 102

Okay, trying to queue this again after it apparently got eaten along with chapter 101.

Y’all pray for me to whatever higher powers you believe in or can make up on the spot. Thanks.

Thanks for this chapter goes to the fabulous anon who sent me an ask about Jedis. I really, really hope you are seeing this chapter and I hope you like it. I also want to thank @baelpenrose​ as my resident Star Wars expert, who checked, double checked, and triple checked my writing to make sure everything was as entertaining/accurate as possible.

Before you all cringe at some comments Sophia makes, she is deliberately downplaying her knowledge of Star Wars in an attempt to see if she can give some of the other characters a twitchy eye.

After an extraordinarily bizarre situation regarding my former foe and who I assumed was his partner, I was profoundly relieved to find myself in a very boring, very normal situation a couple of weeks later. Even the regular family dinner was pretty normal: grilled cheese on a very good sourdough, with a tomato soup so garlicky that even I had no objections to it. I made a point to puree it, so Derek was very happy with the texture and I was happy with the flavor. Arthur shot me odd looks once in a while, but it was a happy, calm dinner.

And things were going… so well… I thought as Maverick dragged everyone into his quiet argument with Sam.

“Sam,” He stated emphatically as he dunked his sandwich and ripped a tomato-soaked piece from it. “We all want it to be real but… humans don’t exist outside of Earth and the Ark.”

“Yoda is not human,” Sam insisted loudly, grinning the entire time.

I choked on my soup. “Yoda? You two have been arguing Star Wars this whole time?”

“Maverick insists they are not real,” Sam enunciated carefully. When he got excited about a topic he loved, he had a tendency to rush everything and drop syllables, making his words nearly impossible to understand.

“They meaning Jedi?” Arthur asked, eyeballing the pile of sandwiches on the table. Finally he snagged his third half-sandwich and dunked it without ceremony. “As much as I wish they were real, I have my doubts.”

So did I. “Human beings who can use telepathy, telekinesis, and distance-empathy?” I scrunched my nose. “I think that’s a bit far-fetched.”

“But extraterrestrials exist,” Sam pointed out.

Conor nodded. “They do, obviously. Otherwise, Noah would be a bloody big figment of our imagination.” Shaking his head, he smiled. “If we didn’t make Santa real as children, I doubt we could make up someone like Noah, right?”

Sam only got more serious. “I was always taught that aliens don’t exist. My teachers told me that the only life off of Earth were bacteria. But, even if Else is bacteria, Noah isn’t. So, maybe other things we thought were pretend are real.”

The table was silent for a moment, shattered only by Derek dusting bread crumbs from his hands as ceremoniously and loudly as humanly possible. “Sam has a point,” he signed. “Fabricators exist, aliens exist.. Hell, telepathy exists - “

“Not telepathy,” Miys interjected from above.

“Neuro-pheremonal communication exists,” Derek finger-spelled, making a point of how cumbersome the term was in a way none of the rest of us really could. Seven minutes later, he took a slurp of soup and continued. “Unicorns exist, even if they are chubby. Why not Jedi?”

I opened my mouth to refute, then realized I couldn’t: we had the genetic code for both narwhals and rhinoceros in the gene bank. Good effing luck convincing anyone unicorns don’t exist, I guess. Instead, I grasped on my one last leg of logic. “But humans, like Luke Starkiller and Obi-whatsit Kenoshi don’t actually exist.”

Maverick looked absolutely revolted by something, which confused me. He liked tomato soup, and actually chose the cheese for the sandwiches himself. “Sophia. Have you even seen those movies?” He was absolutely aghast as he posed his question, and I suddenly understood what he was revolted by.

“Of course I did,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “In college, in Intro to Adolescent Literature.”

Soup abruptly coated everything on the table as both Arthur and Conor spat violently at my clarification. Arthur scrubbed his chin the fastest, so had the honor of levelling his incredulity at me. “Sophia Reid. Do you mean to tell me that you have only seen Star Wars ONE TIME?”

I shook my head, confused. “No. I’ve seen all three.”

“ELEVEN,” Sam corrected me loudly. “There are eleven movies.”

“Please, please tell me you at least saw Rogue One,” Maverick begged. “You may not have known it was a Star Wars movie?”

“Is that the one where the robot hits the guy and says he has another fresh one?” I asked carefully.

Maverick nodded. Arthur, however, looked like he was about to start breathing fire. “I am going to force you to consume every bit of Star Wars media worth consuming if I have to get Charly and Derek to program the audio versions to play in every room you enter.”

“I can do that,” Derek signed, unhelpfully.

Arthur just nodded. “See? I can make this happen. Your quarters will feel like Hoth, all digital communications will sound like C-3PO, and many Bothans will die before your datapad functions.”

Alarmingly, Miys interjected. “Wisdom, Bothans are an endangered species. Please do not encourage Educator Farro to commit atrocities.”

I was still gasping in confusion when Arthur recovered from his choking. “Oh shit. Bothans are real? They were a very back-stabby race of dog-type people who fought against fascists in Terran media. I thought, at least. I wouldn’t actually kill a real one… I am far more high functioning of a sociopath than that, thank you.”

“Noah,” I choked out. “Are you serious? Are Bothans real?”

“Affirmative,” they responded, setting off an entirely new round of choking and sputtering. I would need to have something done about my floors if this kept up. “And while they do resemble Terran canines on a very superficial level, they are genetically more closely related to a Terran fern.”

Arthur looked like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. “That is the least back-stabbing and least threatening plant I can possibly think of.”

Conor, not to be outdone, was still curious. “Boston or Fiddlehead?”

“Asparagus fern, Human Conor,” was the reply that set off a thousand coughs.

Sam recovered first. “That does not mean Jedi don’t exist,” he insisted.

“Of course Jedi exist,” Miys answered in a tone that was as close to being confused as I had ever heard.

Almost immediately, Arthur, Maverick, and Sam started cheering and high-fiving. Conor looked confused, while I spat my soup out again.

“WHAT?” I choked out between attempts at keeping tomatoes and garlic out of my lungs.

“They are as real as any member of any other Terran religion.”

Silence ruled the room for a split second, broken first by Arthur throwing his fork in the air behind him.  Like a signal, it led to Sam and Maverick dropping their head to their forearms with a groan.

I managed to recover enough to slide my food away, lest I risk death over an absurd conversation. “Are there anything like Jedi in the known galaxy?” I asked, receiving a thumbs up from Arthur, who was still trying not to choke on his soup.

“Only in small measures.”

That seemed like the magic phrase to snap Arthur out of whatever coughing fit he was having. “Are there any species in the galaxy that have Jedi abilities?”

“You will need to be more specific.”

Conor, laughter out of his system, joined gamely. “Is there anything that can move physical objects without touching them directly?” he started.

“Several species can,” Miys conceded. “Those who only experience what you consider ‘sight’ as changes in air currents can, in fifty-four percent of cases so far, also change the air currents in a sufficient way as to move physical objects.”

“Wait,” I interrupted. “They can stare at something hard enough to move it?”

“Wisdom, if I experienced physical pain, I am certain that your oversimplification just now would have caused such a sensation.”

Without rebutting, I waved for Miys to continue and ignored the laughter caused by the comment.

“Similarly, there are species more limited than Hujylsogox, who can perceive the physical world strictly through sound,” they continued. “In such cases, it is not uncommon for these species to also alter their surroundings by vibrating physical objects at a frequency that causes them to move within physical space.” A brief pause before, “And no, Wisdom, that does not mean they scream at objects until such objects move. I would also like to point out, Educator Farro, that the same species can cause internal organs to vibrate as a sufficient frequency as to cut off air flow.”

“Force choke is real,” Arthur whisper-shouted, mildly horrified. Clearing his throat, he spoke more clearly for his next question. “What about ‘there is a disturbance in the Force, as if many voices cried out’ etc?”

Miys buzzed thoughtfully for a moment before replying more clearly. “There are number of species who are able to perceive and interpret with great accuracy any changes in interstellar radiation, no matter how small. Should, say, a star go nova or collapse into a black hole, they are very reliable in providing information to cartographers. Should such a species state with certainty that a planet ceased to exist, I would need to see the planet from orbit in order to disbelieve them.”

Maverick let loose a low whistle, but it was Sam who spoke next. “But what about living beings, on an individual level. I know you can do that, but can any other species?”

“It is, perhaps, the most common trait in the known galaxy,” Miys admitted. “Even humans can do this, to a degree, although you tend to ignore it against all logic.”

“Okay. What about force lightning, though?”

I actually started to respond to that, having an answer finally, but Miys beat me to the draw. “Species who communicate through electrical currents are more numerous in the galaxy than those who can see. In the same way, they need to be able to manipulate such currents. Their young are frequently sequestered on their home worlds in order to prevent electrocution of species whose neural organs can be disrupted by uncontrolled communication. The same species are capable of using those same currents to increase their own synaptic response and reflexes.”

I almost wanted to laugh at Maverick’s face. He looked frustrated and ashamed in a way that I could not figure out. Maybe because these abilities existed, but not in humans? Regardless, his tone was frustrated when he asked his next question. “What about force ghosts? Please tell me those are real?”

“Very much so,” Miys confirmed. “Though likely not in the way you think. What you consider ‘Force Ghosts’ are, in the galaxy as it is, the result of technological advancement combined with spiritual beliefs.” A few groans surrounded the table, but Maverick perked up slightly. “Many species believe, as a result of their evolution, that their predecessors’ life energy persists after death. In these cultures, it is so common as to be unremarkable for a person to have a synaptic recording chip installed shortly after birth, to record their entire lives. They, then, pass their chip on to their successor in  position.” Wait a minute… I thought, but Miys continued before I could put everything together. “In such circumstances, many species’s neural organs will manifest a… personality, separate from the original, in order to preserve mental stability. Such manifestations are very similar to what Terran media considers a ‘Force ghost’.”

“Hang on,” I ventured, holding my hand up emphatically to cut off any other questions from the table. “That. Stop there.” Taking a deep breath, I thought back through everything I had read in the past. “I thought the idea of deliberately having multiple, distinct identities was… a story, honestly.”

“Even in your own past, it was discovered that the human brain can host two distinct personalities with no difficulty, Wisdom,” Miys admonished. “These species, however, are uniquely adapted so that, along with the memory implant, they suffer no actual combination or confusion of experiences. What their ancestor experienced is their ancestor’s memory, and what the person experiences is the person's memory. A person cannot overwrite an ancestral core. Only speak to it.”

“Can humans do that?” Sam asked, dazed in wonder at this new revelation.

“Not yet,” Miys responded. “But I do insist on the word ‘yet’, as you were never meant to do many of the things you do now.”

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[chaoticgabby]

My Cheap & Relatively Healthy Grocery List for College Students

Context: I had been used to eating fast food so much because it was cheap that when I went to the doctors' they said I had high glucose content. That wasnt good. So I started eating healthier. Anyway let's skip the BS and get straight into it:

Ramen: the OG cheap food. I personally don't own ramen bc I dont like it that much, but if you want to save money this is the meal, at least add an egg or some veggies to make it healthier.

Frozen Veggies: anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar or two a bag. Can easily be kept in your freezer (if you have one) for months

Mac n' cheese: my all-time favorite. Of course, it might not be healthy for everyone to eat pasta all the time, but I do it anyway. Add some real cheese and spices for taste or chicken and veggies in it / on the side.

Other Pasta boxes (Pasta Roni, Velveeta, Hamburger Helper, etc.): basically as cheap or almost as cheap as Kraft macaroni, but maybe you arent a fan of mac n cheese.

Soup (Soup!!): Cambell's Tomato soup is often $1 a can. I like to eat mine with grilled cheese. Thats a whole ass meal. But of course you can get other soups just as cheap. Basically, any canned foods.

Canned foods & veggies: this one goes without saying. Although, the better options are sometimes $2 to $3 the same can be said for frozen veggies, but just heat these up and cook them in fried rice or just add butter and eat them aside a nice entré

Chunk light tuna: speaking of canned foods, canned tuna is soooo cheap and is a great option (if you even like tuna). Dont actually get the "pack tuna" for $1 a pack unless you want to keep it in your bag bc canned tuna is around 60 cents a can. Mix it with Miracle Whip (or mayo) and spread it over break for a good sammich.

Grilled cheese (or cheese toastie if you arent American I think??): similar to previous options, youre getting your cheese and your butter and your bread. Not as healthy as other options but way better than fast food calories.

Quesadillas: similar to grilled cheese, except spICY. My brother only eats these and he has no meal plan. I do it now too. Honestly, adding up tortillas, cheese dip, shredded cheese, & chicken is kind of costly but worth it. Also cooking chicken is annoying bc I dont have time for that. But. Yknow. A great option.

Pillsbury Crescents: a little costly, about $2+ per tube, but still fookin delicious. Also imma be real: actually havent checked the nutrition label to see if these are actually healthy. But these are sO useful. Make them by themselves for breakfast (with jam, eggs, or alone) or use the dough for other recipes. I use these with Manwich sauce, cheese, and ground beef for snacks :)

Manwiches: manwich sauce cans are $1 and although they have some sugar, its not nearly as bad as fast food. Just cook up some ground beef to go with it & maybe add cheese, sliced bread, or hamburger buns

PB&J: Another OG. I could never get tired of these. You just gotta make sure you have soft bread and the pb&j and youre good to go. Although..like.. some people apparently like theirs toasted or with different jams (I like strawberry).

Eggs!!!! : Just keep these in your fridge. Just do it. You never know when youre going to run out of food. Boiled? Scrambled? Fried? Soft boiled? With ramen? Omelet? In fried rice? Egg sandwich??? Eat them with bread, eat them with toast, eat them as a breakfast sandwich, scramble them with cheese, the list goes on. If you dont eat them often, get a smaller carton, but always have eggs! Also, for baking.

Rice, or fried rice: If you like rice, have been cooking rice for a long time, and can actually make it without burning, make sure you have rice. If you like rice but have never actually made it yourself, it takes trial and error in a pot. Or just invest in a rice cooker. Additionally, fried rice is not that difficult to learn & it fits the bill for healthy bc you can add unlimited veggies and meats. Im not here to educated you but the more ingredients, the better, is how i see it.

Fresh Food:

Fruit: I literally have "an apple a day" for breakfast. It's just good for you. Keep them in your fridge to keep them fresh. Keep one in your bag in case you get hungry. Bananas? Awesome! Use them in smoothies or a milkshake or eat them with your cereal or even with peanut butter. Possibilities are endless with fruit. Just make sure they dont spoil. Apples are OG bc they dont spoil as easily.

Vegetables: Make sure to only periodically get them so that they dont go to waste. Make some broccoli with butter & eat it alongside pasta. Or asparagus. Anything you want. Just make sure to have some with your meals sometimes. Greens are good. Additionally, carrots can get addicting if yoh eat them with ranch. The plus side is they are filling. If you have a tendency to want to munch on something: carrots.

Deli Meat / Sandwich Options: I personally dont make deli sandwiches because ham (as well as roast beef or turkey) can be expensive and then wanting to add lettuce and tomato to a sandwich sounds amazing but I'm scared they will spoil. Dont let me stop you though! Sandwiches are amazing.

Meat: you dont want to be cooking meat all the time bc it can get expensive, but the basics I always get are ground beef and chicken. I prefer "boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets" but you would need to cut off the fat. You could always get rotisserie if you arent feeling to for cooking. Also, if you're feeling expensive one week, salmon is just sooo good. I ate it with asparagus and seasoned with lemon. Delicious.

Snack / Dessert Options:

(I personally don't keep snacks or dessert in my home very often bc you dont want to binge eat. But here is what I have)

Peanut butter: classic, filling, can be potentially bad if you eat a shite ton

Nuts: peanuts, almonds, cashews, and especially pecans

Cookies: make your own, a lot of simple cookie recipes exist and it's a lot easier than you think. Baking essentials like flour, sugar, milk, and eggs are not that expensive to keep around in an apartment kitchen. Difficulties may be vanilla extract (the avg student doesnt have this lying around) a baking sheet, a big bowl, and possible a whisk. Store bought cookie dough isnt too bad either.

Box-cakes / box-brownies: simple and easy. Takes a few eggs sometimes and some oil, milk or water. The same goes for pancake mix. Honestly, I had an out-of-country roommate and he had never heard of boxed cake mix or brownie mix. They always made from scratch where he lived.

Low-calorie ice cream: okay ice cream can be pretty expensive and filled w/ added sugars. I used to eat this strawberry icecream sweetened with stevia and it was SO delicious, but I couldnt find that at my grocery store. Other options are "low-calorie" ice cream or "no added sugars" ice cream. I have one of these and the thing abt it is that its just the right amount of sugar to taste like ice cream and the neat thing is that you dont feel like binging it bc it doesnt have addicting added sugars.

Milkshakes / smoothies: this is a tough one bc me and most other students dont own a blender or juicer. I personally get my smoothies from a local smoothie place that only uses fresh fruit and then I ask not to add the natural sugars bc it is sweet enough with the fruit. Natural smoothies are delicious & I find that you can kind of make then if u freeze your fruits and blend w a fork. "Handmade" milkshakes are actually super easy w this method.

Yogurt: just...mmm.

"Healthy" snack food section, often called the gluten-free aisle: im not too experienced with this and im sure they have added sugars too but what I do know is I tried these gluten free oreos once and they were delicious

Fruits: I mentioned earlier but apples are great snacks

Veggies: also like I said earlier, carrots are great snacks. Not exactly a veggie but possibly potatoes for a meal or snack.

Granola Bars: for when youre too lazy to keep up with fruit and if fruit will spoil, granola bars (they healthy kind, not the chewy sugary kind) are so good to have in your pantry or keep in your backpack for a snack (and to keep you from on campus temptations). Also I used Nature Valley ones instead of cereal. They actually dissolve and are delicious with milk, since some cereals are so sugary.

Since my last college tips post got some notes I figured I'd keep writing these advice posts. For reference, I am hoping to become an RA next year at my college, so I'm not just speaking out of my ass. I generally have experience at college thus far and want to help students.

[brooklynislandgirl]

[mun and muse please] What is your favorite color and why? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? What is your favorite (food) dish and why?

Ask Anything || Always Accepting

“M’ favourite colour is purple. Partly cause dat’s da colour of sunrise an’ sunset, da in-between times when da world is especially magickal. Kalo...which people call Taro Root... is a Polynesian staple food, it has fed an’ nourished our people for many hundreds of generations, an’ when ya cook it into Poi, or rolls, or any oddah kine food, it comes out purple. It symbolises da power an’ majesty of da Ali’i classes... Emperors, kings, statesmen, bishops...royalty. Venous blood is dark purple as it makes its way back to da heart. It symbolises mystery an’ piety, too, but also eroticism, femininity, an’ seduction. “Plus, I jus’ t’ink it’s pretty, especially when dere’s glitter in it.” She smiles. “...eventually, I wanna live on a people-unpopulated, uncharted island, somewhere in da middle of Oceania. Which if ya don’ know, is da geographical region dat makes up da Pacific Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, an’ Australia an’ New Zealand. Free t’ live off da land da way my ancestors did for generations, left alone, live wi’ da land an’ da animals an’ plants, causin’ no harm, an’ mebbe make it a refuge for dose dat need it.’ In effect, she wants to create an anchor for a chantry and possibly a horizon realm where the Verbena and the Kope Loei and the more open minded Rokea can meet in peace, in trust, so they can carry out a plan to reclaim Sea from the grasp of the Wyrm and anyone who would defile it, and the people born from it. But she can’t really say that part aloud. “An’ favourite food? Hands down, grill cheese. Part because yeah, is very simple on one hand. Ya need bread, cheese, an’ sometimes a lil fat ~oil, butter, some kine~ and heat. Dat’s it. An’ is delicious. But ya can also put fruits like pears or apples. You can use different cheeses. You can put meat or seafood. You can put veggies. Any kind ya do...make it a lil different, so is very versatile, as well as nourishin’. “Plus, back in lil kid time, before Panda really learn to cook, he would make it all da time for dinner. Grill cheese an’ tomato soup. Or grill cheese an’ a salad. Or grill cheese an’ apple sauce... ya can see where dis is going. So dere’s somet’ing about it now dat...whenevah I feel sad, or alone, or lost... a grill cheese jus’ make me feel beddah.”

Before they were cool, and Slytherin, I’ve always liked Black, because it feels comfortable and mysterious, grounding. Green, because it reminds me of life and growing things and all that I miss having lived in the desert for 24 years. And Silver because silver and titanium are the only metals I’ve worn that don’t make me break out into hives/blisters/burns and I associate it with the moon and with the family.

If I could live anywhere in the world, I’d like to live in a small Welsh or Scottish country cottage, surrounded by grass and trees and gardens. Or the Olympic peninsula because it has the same climate for the most part as Wales or Scotland. I basically just want to live somewhere cold, dark and very very rainy 89+ percent of the year. Close to the ocean. I miss the ocean, I miss green and growing things, and I am a Celt through and through. 

Favourite food is really hard, but I’m not gonna lie. My simple soul will always choose a gorgeous rare-to-medium rare steak hands down over almost anything else, but what I wouldn’t give to have my Dad’s spaghetti one more time in my life {he passed away some years ago, and no matter what I do, I can’t seem to be able to replicate it}. I love bacon cheese burgers, I love chicken Alfredo with a crisp Cesar salad. Fresh baked breads. Fruit trays with crackers and cheese. To answer this, I think I would need to be given a certain kind of restriction, to be able to narrow it down to ONE specific thing, lol.

[northmorocco]

Where to find the best street food in Morocco

Bustling, locally loved street food stalls found out from morning until late night prove there’s more to the food scene in Morocco than bubbling meaty tajines and mountainous platters of couscous, the dishes with which the dominion is most famously associated. But just like the diverse cultures and changing landscapes across this stretch of North Africa , so too does the road food vary from region to region and city to city. Here's where to devour the simplest at any time of day.

Hearty start in Fez

As day breaks, the small food stalls inside Bab Boujloud (the blue gate) within the imperial city of Fez serve warm bowls of bissara, a soup made up of split broad beans. full of protein and drizzled with vegetable oil , this rich and creamy blend is best scooped up with fresh, hot-out-of-the-local-oven bread and washed down with a sugary cup of mint tea. Add msimen, a Moroccan pancake fried on an open grill within the street, either plain or full of tomato, onion, and olive and smothered in Laughing Cow cheese, for a breakfast which will leave you full until dinner. Breakfast isn’t the sole thing the town is understood for. As Morocco's culinary capital, Fez is additionally famed for pigeon pastilla (also mentioned as bastilla), a dish traditionally served to sultans and today cooked for special occasions. Pastilla, which is full of chicken; sweetened with cinnamon, powdered sugar and ground almonds; and covered with a filo-like pastry, are often picked up from one among the street-side stalls lining the alleys near Bab Boujloud.

Feasting on lamb in Marrakesh

It’s not just foreign travellers who head to Marrakesh’s Mechoui Alley, just off the always-busy square of Djemaa El Fna, but rather the opposite: Moroccans end up in droves. Underground ovens are full of lamb that's prepared on a spit before being cooked for several hours. Once the meat is so tender it’s literally slump the bone, it's seasoned with cumin and salt before being served by the quarter-kilo.

Famous across Morocco, the tanjia, a Marrakshi speciality prepared with cuts of lamb or beef, preserved lemons, smen (fermented butter) and a blend of spices, is slow cooked to perfection in this alleyway as well. Traditionally cooked over the same coals that heat the hammam, a clay pot is covered with butcher’s paper, sealed with string and cooked underground for approximately five hours until the spice blend has perfectly flavoured the meat. It's then served with the ubiquitous pot of sweet Moroccan tea. For the best tanjia in town, head to Hadj Mustapha, where the owner’s photos with Moroccan royalty are displayed proudly. This unassuming snack bar is popular with the local lunchtime crowd and on weekends when domestic tourists head here for Marrakesh's much-loved dish.

Taking chances in Marrakesh’s Djemaa El Fna

Foreign visitors give mixed reviews for the snails served at stalls found out around Djemaa El Fna, which are prepared during a herbal mix and scooped up with a toothpick, but don’t be surprised if you see locals slurping back the brew, which is claimed to assist digestion. If that’s your up your street, another speciality available at several stalls throughout the night market is that the sheep’s head, brain and tongue, an area treat steamed up in large pots and served to hungry guests with a cup of sugary tea. Other stalls on the square offer more standard options like kebabs if you do not desire happening a full-on culinary adventure. regardless of what you select , confirm to go to the stalls with the longest queues and therefore the most locals.

Best for going off the tourist trail: Casablanca

Rick’s Café could also be the foremost famous dining establishment in Casablanca given its connection to the film of an equivalent name, but those that dare to go off the tourist trail in search of local specialities are well rewarded. Poke around Casa Port railway station until you discover the essential hole-in-the-wall eateries serving hot plates of mqila, an omelette served with fresh shrimp from the nearby Atlantic and cubes of Laughing Cow cheese thrown in. this is not fine dining, but you're bound to have a street-side feast, and you'll grab a cup of tea from the server as he wanders by with a tray full to scrub it all down.

Eat cannon fodder sort of a local in Essaouira

In seaside Essaouira, ground sardines are mixed with fresh coriander and spiced with ground cumin, pepper and paprika to make a kind of meatball before they're stuffed into a loaf of bread. While the work involved in getting the sardine meat is laborious, the sandwiches themselves sell for mere dirhams at small kitchens throughout the old city. you'll also head to the fish market and detect your own fresh catch before stopping by the nearby grills and having your selection prepared to your liking. Served with olives, fresh tomato salad, and sodas, this meal is actually dining sort of a local.

Sit streetside for a mixed grill in Moulay Idriss

From midday within the mountainside village of Moulay Idriss, you'll follow the smoke rising from the street-side grills for a few of the simplest barbecued kefta (ground beef seasoned with a mix of spices including paprika, cumin, coriander, and garlic) in Morocco, which is plated up alongside chargrilled tomatoes and onions. After lunch, wander up to the most square where you’ll find men selling colorful nougat crammed with pistachio and almonds before settling into an area cafe with a restaurant nus-nus (meaning half coffee, half milk) while watching the planet pass.

Foodie secret of the Sahara

Head towards the mysterious Sahara to enjoy medfouna, locally mentioned as Berber pizza, in one among the most outposts of Errachidia or Erfoud. full of finely chopped herbs, a touch of harissa (a paste made up of hot chilli peppers but with more of a salty taste than a spicy kick) and a touch of vegetable oil , a couple of vegetables and maybe a touch of lamb, doughy medfouna is ready during a traditional oven in central and southern Morocco. Of course, expect to be served a cup of sweet herb tea to scrub it down.

[airlock]

so, folks, having put a great deal of time into staring at the dining hall menu on Fire Emblem: Three houses, I decided to attempt a fun little exercise: what if I set about putting together a list of what my dislikes, neutrals and likes from the list would be if I were attending Garreg Mach?

and see... due to my presently undiagnosed neurodivergence, I have a hypersensitive palate, as well as a hypersensitivity to textures. I have been described by sufficiently rude people as “difficult to feed”. if y’all have seen and remember that one post where you tally up everything you would eat and get a higher score the less of a picky eater you are, well, I scored like a two or a four on that. so, y’know... this is going to be fun y’all

The Wretched Food Sins (dislikes)

Beast Meat Teppanyaki, Pickled Rabbit Skewers, Gronder Meat Skewers, Garreg Mach Meat Pie

see, I’m just going to get this one out of the way immediately: I don’t like red meat. when I tell people that, their first assumption is usually that I’m a vegan or avoiding the shitload of growth hormones or whatever, but no, I still eat some other types of meat and health is obviously not a priority in my diet; I just find that red meat tastes and feels something awful. we clear? we clear.

Onion Gratin Soup

(Onions stewed with white trout and baked with a layer of cheese on top. Will warm you up from the inside out.)

onions I’m also not very fond of. when they’re used for flavor, they’re normally used in small enough amounts to be safely ignored, but here it seems that the idea is to eat whole baked onions off a soup, like... is that a thing that human people do with the single lives that they have??

Country-Style Red Turnip Plate

(A balanced meal including red turnip and verona stew, red turnip salad, and sautéed red turnip with garlic.)

just not sure about this one; I mean, it’s not that I actually recall ever eating a turnip, or that a “verona” is a real vegetable that I can compare to any extant thing... I just don’t think I’ve ever had a good time attempting to eat a plateful of vegetables and I don’t have much faith that the monastery cantina is breaking new ground there

Vegetable Stir-Fry

(A dish of dried tomatoes, cabbage, chickpeas and other vegetables, stir-fried with egg. Nutritious and very filling.)

I might just be mixing up terms, but if I understand correctly, I’ve never heard of stir-frying before. it sounds like a cool thing, though! I do love the the idea of using egg as a base for this, too! it’s a pity that they then proceed to pick nothing but ass ingredients for the entire rest of this particular recipe

Fish and Bean Soup

(A soup made by simmering white trout and chickpeas. A simple yet wholesome dish.)

sorry, head chef, beans are a horrific mouthfeel and you cannot and will not convince me that a dish featuring them is uwu wholesome

Pickled Seafood and Vegetables

(A Dagdan dish of raw fish and turns pickled in a vinegar-based seasoning liquid. Rarely eaten in Fódlan.)

so, I’ve actually had the idea for this post quite a ways ago, and one of the very first things I had in mind was the precise burn I was going to deliver unto the smell of vinegar. right? thing is, it’s been so long since then that the anedocte I was going to use as a delivery vector for that burn has since taken a dark turn. it won’t really be worth the while to unpack it at this point, so I’ll just skip to the punchline: the smell of vinegar is indistinguishable from the smell of dog piss

Cabbage and Herring Stew

(Cabbage and Albinean Herring stewed whole. The fish guts lend this hearty dish a superbly bitter kick.)

ew, what the hell? what sort of florida man recipe is this? “oh, let’s stew some fish, but make sure the entirety of its intestines are stewing in there so that the final product can punch you in the mouth with bitterness”. what? who’s that supposed to appeal to? I can understand this being one of Hubert’s favorite meals but why would absolutely anyone else do this to themselves? and it’s with this demon fodder here that we finish the hell section on an absolutely burning note and proceed to...

The Purgatory of Eh, I Guess, Maybe (neutral)

Pheasant Roast with Berry Sauce

(Well-roasted Fódlan pheasant drizzled with a berry reduction sauce.)

we’re getting somewhere; poultry is like, 80% of the protein in my diet, and sweetness is precisely the only flavor I can tolerate in major excess. alas, in gastronomy, one plus one doesn’t always make two; I’m not sure this combination here works or just clashes frontally

Vegetable Pasta Salad

(Pasta with a blend of fresh vegetables from various regions of Fódlan. This popular dish sells out almost instantly.)

we’re out of the hated food list, but that doesn’t mean you’re safe yet from listening to me maw about foods that are supposed to be super common!

you know how I prefer to take my pasta? over water, butter or olive oil with absolutely no sauce. additional seasoning also needs not apply, although salt is welcome. fun fact: my ideal instant noodle is cooked with only a small amount of flavoring powder. so yeah, there you have it, that’s the “hey guys I eat bread with nothing in it and have a good time” moment of the jour

but back to the point -- how does this particular pasta measure up? well, I took a look at the in-game model of it and it appears to pass the most important bar: no sauce -- or, at least, if there was any, it was thick and yellow and it made a fool of me. anyways, I might not particularly dig some of the vegetables thrust into the pasta here, but the beauty of it is that I can probably pick and choose which ones I will actually eat, which makes this a solid ehhh it’s solvable

Fruit and Herring Tart

(A baked tart with stewed herring and Noa fruit mixed into the batter. Popular in Enbarr, the Imperial Capital.)

again, I don’t object to the components but I’m not sure about it all adds together. is that a real thing, like, putting a god damn fish into your fruit pie mix?

Fish Sandwich

(A simple dish. Airmid Cabbage is pickled in vinegar and served with cabbage between two slices of bread.)

a fish sandwich plain and simple, I would happily chow down; fish is the other one of my acceptable meats, after all. thing is, as non-domestic sandwiches usually do, this one comes with a bunch of add-ons that I absolutely do not want and it’s hard to tell how much can be salvaged. like, there’s old man vinegar/piss again, and besides, I swear I’ve eaten leaves off the ground that had better texture than cabbage. so, like, can we go even simpler, head chef? bread, fish, and no wicked ideas?

Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew

(Spicy stew made with Teutates loach and turnips. The monastery’s unique recipe features spices from Dagda.)

come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a stew. if it’s very much like a soup, then it might have as much of an annoying texture as one, but if it’s just a soggy filet, then that might work out. anyway, between that and the non-specification of what those spices from Dagda are intended to do with the recipe, I’d have to taste it to believe it

Super-Spicy Fish Dango

(A light snack, popular in the Empire. Small, spicy balls of fried dough packed with white trout and dried tomato.)

ugh, that was so close. fried dough and fish sounds AMAZING, it really does. but the first strike here is “super-spicy”; I did mention having a hypersensitive palate, yes? now add that to the fact that I’m white. the real crushing sin here, however, is the inclusion of fucking tomato. we were so close to greatness! we were this close! anyways, depending on how exactly the dried tomato is meant to be implemented here, it might be possible to just pull it out with a fork and accept the mouth-hurting substances in a bid to have a good time anyway

Sweet and Salty Whitefish Sauté

(Whitefish is coated in spices and sautéed with dried tomatoes to bring out an addictive salty-sweet flavor.)

tomatoes again! seriously, you creeps keep throwing that in with one of my sole acceptable approaches to meat! although fortunately, I gather that, with this one, the goal is not for the tomatoes to be eaten, just popped on the juice that this fish is jumping around in while it roasts, so maybe there’s salvation for it yet... I do want to find out whatever in the world an “addictive salty-sweet flavor” is supposed to mean, admittedly

Sautéed Pheasant and Eggs

(Thin slices of bird meat and shredded cabbage, mixed with scrambled eggs and sautéed with spices. Invention of a certain noble.)

again, we broke it right at the finish line. I like the idea of a pile of chicken strips and scrambled eggs; would have some fun digging through it and all. alas, Alfred von Certain Noble had to go and throw cabbage into the mix. at least, maybe, if it’s shredded, then the awful texture is eliminated and that makes it straight-up just eating some leaf? it might be sufficiently non-intrusive

Gautier Cheese Gratin

(A gratin of bird meat topped with heaps of Gautier cheese, which is famous for its low fat content. It has a unique flavor.)

I... do I want to know what “unique flavor” this is? because chicken gratined with cheese sounds good, but you could potentially go wrong with the type of cheese, and the fact that this apparently counts as a bitter dish doesn’t leave me particularly hopeful...

Small Fish Skewers

(Made by grilling skewered Airmid gobies. With a muddy flavor and dry texture, this dish is beloved by few.)

okay, yeah, “muddy flavor and dry texture” isn’t exactly the sales pitch of the year, but these sound like reasonably ignorable things in favor of what would just be grilled fish on a skewer with no more of those terrible nonsense ideas like adding some fucking tomato

Fried Crayfish

(Fried and breaded Caledonian crayfish. Looks much tastier than it actually is.)

looks are all we have to go by here, but besides that, intsys, you’ll have a lot of labor to do if you want to convince me that a fried and breaded anything isn’t good if it’s not, like, inherently ass as an ingredient. what keeps this one from reaching the heavens is most likely not the taste or the feel itself, but mostly just the fact that I’m probably allergic to shrimp

The Blessed And Divine (likes)

Saghert and Cream

(A baked confection coated with Noa fruit cream and a currant reduction, often enjoyed as a dessert at family gatherings.)

first, I have to get this much out of the way: does anyone know what the hell a saghert even is? cursory searching has only led me to results about Fire Emblem, so it might be a made-up word altogether...

... that said, the aforementioned cursory searching has also brought me to this blog where I got to see someone’s idea of what the thing would be in real life, and the result is definitely something I’d want in my mouth, stomach, and soul, so there we go!

Sweet Bun Trio

(Traditional pastries from Faerghus, known for their subtle sweetness. The dough is made with eggs and sugar.)

is this supposed to be like sweetbread or like, dumplings, which might actually be made with eggs and sugar...? oh, who am I kidding, I’d scarf the hell out of either one. and hey, no need to be subtle with the sweetness, either!

Peach Sorbet

(A sorbet made with thin slides of magically frozen peach, dusted with bean flour.)

o, ice cream... I have a rather layered relationship with that one. I’m never one to turn down plain desserts, least of all when tradition also permits me to dump six layers of whatever the hell else to (sweetly) spice it up, but the hypersensitivity in my mouth also extends to temperatures, and ice cream is normally and understandably served in very low ones. I usually try eating when it’s, like, nearly melting or already melting... but is that even on the table if we’re talking about pre-refrigeration ice cream made with very strangely applied magic? thoughts to mull over. but I won’t let them get in the way of yum, ice cream

Daphnel Stew

(Minced poultry and onions boiled with salt. The simple recipe lets high-quality ingredients speak for themselves.)

simplicity goes a long way, as usual! again, I have no idea how a stew tastes, but again, poultry is pretty much the backbone of my diet, and I suppose it doesn’t sound objectionable to take it soaked in saltwater. at least, if I’m presuming that the onions are there for flavoring the stock and not once more for the absurd suggestion that I should be eating them whole

Deirdriu-Style Fried Pheasant

(Pheasant meat pounded flat and fried. Can be served as a sort of sandwich, with cheese between two strips of meat.)

holy shit this sounds great. like, I want this in real life, especially the whole pseudo-sandwich arrangement. I’m optimistically assuming that we’re picking a decent type of cheese and not, like, cheddar, but that's really the only possible stumbling block

Grilled Herring

(Herring caught off the coast of Albinea, shredded and grilled in an earthenware pot with sliced turnips.)

I’ve expressed not being familiar with the taste of turnips, but even if I hate those too, it sounds like it’s pretty easy to ignore them here in favor of what’s just some shredded and grilled fish, which hits the spot

Fisherman’s Bounty

(Freshly-caught fish are cut into chunks and stewed together to make this hearty dish.)

right, so I’m not actually 100% sure about this one, if only because the model of the dish appears to contain some unidentifiable bits of disgusting red whatever, but if the description alone covers it, this just seems to be plain and nice

Two-Fish Sauté

(Two types of fish are cut into strips and sautéed in butter. This lavish meal hails from Enbarr, the Imperial Capital.)

and this sounds similarly plain and nice, but also even better, because the sautéeing in butter sounds like a great addition. now we’re finally on the right track with regards to fish meals! keep the red devil testicle fruits away from those!

Bourgeois Pike

(A gourmet dish with Airmid Pike, vegetables, and a sprinkle of expensive spices. Popular among nobles.)

the punchline writes itself, doesn’t it? but don’t get me wrong -- while I haven’t grown up wanting for money, being bourgeoisie is just what my family wishes were the case.

as for the meal itself: the in-game model appears to be just fish filet, served without any gross sauce, so I’ll happily take it, as long as this “sprinkle of expensive spices” isn’t doing anything too janky in there. ... but hey, most expensive things exist primarily for the purpose of being janky, so maybe I’m being too optimistic

Sautéed Jerky

(Jerky aged in the monastery and sautéed for a delightfully salty flavor. A perfect snack to go with your favorite drink.)

my first instinct was to throw this right onto the undesirable meat section because it’s jerky, but apparently, this is poultry jerky? I’ve never heard of such a thing existing, but I need to try it sometime. for now, I’ll just assume it’s as good as it sounds

so, there you have it! it seems that quite a bit more of this menu is edible than I would have expected? or perhaps I’m just being very optimistic, since I’m not face-to-face with whatever offputting smells and textures I could potentially be dealing with here

[fortitude-sakura]

Noir [8/?]

AO3

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Sakura could hardly keep her eyes open. Whatever “sleep” she got last night could hardly be considered that. She spent most of the night awake, thinking about what had transpired earlier. By the time she actually got to sleep, it wasn’t long before she had to be up again to get to Milk Grind in time for the barista class she signed up for.

Milk Grind actually had a dedicated space for barista classes, set up with half a dozen coffee machines and a seemingly unlimited supply of milk. Jay went through the differences between types of coffee (including the Australian Flat White which uses microfoam and is more velvety, resulting in a stronger coffee). He demonstrates how to steam milk properly and that the proper temperature is 60-65 degrees Celsius (any hotter an the milk is burnt). The magic happens when Jay starts to pour. He pours a little flower (which he calls a rosetta) and explains the process in creating the pattern in the crema.

Sounds easy enough.

A few other sleepy individuals were also taking the class but they seemed to perk right up when they were allowed to drink their failed lattes.

“Remember, you want to hear the kissy sound as you steam the milk!” Jay says as he paced between the machines.

Her first attempt results in her burning her milk. Her second is not much better, still too hot. The third and fourth are better but the milk is too bubbly.

“You can knock out the bubbles if your milk has large bubbles.” Jay says, tapping the jug on the counter. “There you go.”

The rosettas she attempts to pour are milky white blobs with no shape. Jay spends time with everyone, guiding their pours and showing them how to get it right. By the end of the class, Sakura manages to get some resemblance of a ripple in her latte. The milk needs to be more glossy and smooth - right now it just resembles a sad, frothy cloud.

The class distracts her just enough not to think too much about what transpired last night. Her lips would flare up in heat whenever her mind wasn’t on steaming milk and she’s sure it isn’t from the burnt milk lattes she keeps producing.

黑

She goes home after class and Tenten ambushes her as she’s taking her shoes off.

“You have a lot to explain, young lady!” she mock chides, wiggling her finger as if she were a disappointed parent. “I’m making pancakes.”

Tenten serves the pancakes with strawberries and nutella and Sakura hands her a coffee she made in class (the ugly excuse of the latte art disguised by the takeaway container, but at least the milk isn’t burnt).

“So, the walk of shame. And with your boss?” Tenten asks, a hint of cheek in her voice. There’s no judgement there, just a barely contained grin. “When were you gonna tell me he was your boss?”

“Nothing happened!” Sakura said hotly, “I just helped him get home, that’s all!”

“Bullshit nothing happened! I saw the way he looked at you last night - he looked like he was going to eat you. You must be doing really well at your job.” Tenten says with a wink.

It’s funny how Tenten is so easily able to read her. But Sakura doesn’t plan on telling a soul about last night’s kiss. Saying out loud would mean that it happened and was very much real and it would make the remainder of her tenure as Sasuke’s executive assistant so much harder.

“I swear nothing happened.” She feels guilty lying to Tenten like this. She decides to change the topic. “So what happened with Neji?”

Tenten looks thoughtful before replying, intent on balancing a piece of pancake and a slice of strawberry on her fork. Much to Sakura’s relief, Tenten seems to forget the matter of her boss in seconds.

“We just talked and he drove me home. He says he came back to help his mother with her massage parlour businesses but Hinata’s dad offered him a position at the family company.”

Tenten explains that Hyuga Tea is run by the Hyuga family as a whole, which included extended family.

“So why isn’t his mother involved?” Sakura asks.

“His mother isn’t a Hyuga, his dad was. What I don’t get was that he came back years ago but not once did he try to look for me. I mean, there’s Friendbook now so there’s no way he couldn’t find me if he wanted to. He could have just added me on Friendbook!”

They eat in silence for a while and Sakura knows Tenten is debating whether or not to tell Sakura something else. Sakura waits patiently, knowing that pushing Tenten to say anything would be a futile effort.

“He did something weird in the car.”

“What did he do? Did he-”

“No, nothing bad . Just, confusing. He didn’t wake me up when we got here. He just, brushed my hair out of my face and just sat there. What do you think that means? I mean, he didn’t really do anything at the club before that creep tried to dance with me. Everything up until then, I would have just assumed that he just sees us as friends, but guys don’t do that for girls who are just friends .”

Seeing Tenten confused over the behaviour of men wasn’t new to Sakura, but Tenten would usually dismiss it easily with a shrug and a “Screw it!”. Tenten just looked puzzled and slightly hurt.

黑

Sasuke had woken up on Sunday with a killer headache. The next time Naruto tries to drag him to a nightclub he’s just going to straight up refuse. Nothing good ever comes out it. His hand is a little sore and he doesn’t know why. Hell, he’d be lucky if he remembered what happened after he started downing shots like a man dying of thirst.

All he remembers is seeing Sakura in a red dress and asking her why she was there. She had said something cryptic to him not that he remembers what she said exactly.

He spends a good portion of the morning trying to figure out what happened and considers calling Naruto to ask, but decides against it. Naruto would love nothing more than to lord his alcohol intolerance over him and he doesn’t want to provoke that conversation.

Instead, he downs a few pills for his headache and makes a call.

“Welcome to Zero.” a smooth female voice says over the phone.

“Is Karin available for lunch today at 12:30?”

“Hello Uchiha-san. You know she always has time for you. Do you have any particular requests today?”

He thinks over it for a moment.

“Tomato soup and grilled cheese.”

“Sure, I’ll let Karin know.”

黑

Uzumaki Karin had been busy finessing her menu for next week's dinner service when Suki walks in.

“Sasuke wants grilled cheese and tomato soup. He’s coming in at 12:30.” she says. “What are you gonna make?”

Of course Sasuke wants something that features tomatoes. It’s hot out today though - hardly appropriate weather for soup. Karin isn’t fazed though. She already knows what she has in mind. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she grabs her chef jacket and gets started.

Lunch service is always special for Karin since she rarely accepts lunch guests. Getting Karin to do a lunch service is notoriously difficult - even more difficult than getting a reservation for her dinner service (which has a 6 month waiting list and an additional waiting list for that waiting list). She only allows personal friends or family to request lunch services -  Kushina, for when she’s hanging out with her girlfriends or Hinata, her cousin Naruto’s fiance (who surprisingly is good company despite how quiet she can be) or even Suigetsu and Jugo. Of course Uncle Minato too - he was the one who helped send her to culinary school after her mother kicked her out of home for dropping out of university and had even helped her establish Zero.

Her favourite lunch guest however, is Uchiha Sasuke - Director of Uchiha Enterprises.

Naruto had brought him to lunch at Zero when they had first opened and she had been smitten with him since she laid eyes on him. She suspects most women are. He has a certain ‘bad boy’ type appeal - the suit (bespoke probably) and the watch (he favours his vintage Patek with the complications) contrasts with the somewhat disheveled hair and earring. Sometimes if he comes in on a weekend, she gets a glimpse of the tattoo he has, peeking out from the sleeve of his tee shirt.

While Sasuke may be by definition, handsome, his personality leaves much to be desired. He is always polite and cool, never going above lukewarm. Nonetheless, she enjoys looking at him when Suigetsu is being particularly irritating (like not replying to her texts within 10 minutes).

Today, he’s wearing a simple white tee, dark jeans and a bomber jacket. His sunglasses hide the hangover she knows he’s nursing. Naruto had drunk texted her last night.

NARUTO: omggg sauce ios soooooooo drinked

NARUTO: sauce

NARUTO: sauce

NARUTO:   sporry its the fjuking auto cucumber

NARUTO: i mean auto cucumber

NARUTO: GOD DONUT

Karin doesn’t think she had ever laughed harder in her entire life.

“It’s been a while since you’ve visited me,” she pouts mockingly, “I was beginning to think you’d have forgotten me.”

Even though her romantic feelings for Sasuke don’t go beyond a silly crush, she still likes to flirt with him.

“Sorry. Haven’t had the time to come here.” he says, climbing onto the stool at the counter.

“Alright, here we go. Grilled cheese and tomato soup.” she announces, placing a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich before him.

He smirks. Karin doesn’t just serve him a simple “grilled cheese and tomato soup”. The “tomato soup” is a tomato gazpacho - vibrant, fresh and cool. The “grilled cheese” is a few different cheeses and pickles between two slices of thick rustic bread, pan fried in butter until it’s crispy and golden.

“Well?” she asks as he tastes the soup.

“You never fail to exceed expectations.”

It’s probably the closest she’ll ever get to a compliment from Sasuke.

“Anything to drink?” she offers.

She likes to play a little game with herself when she asks him this question. Sasuke has a funny habit where his mood influences his drink choices directly. Wine if things are going smoothly and he’s reasonably happy (usually cabernet sauvignon although he has been known to ask for a white wine if the dish doesn’t pair well with red), tomato juice is for when he’s a bit grumpy and needs a pick me up, whiskey if he’s got a lot on his mind (tea is sometimes substituted if he has to go back to the office). If he’s here with Naruto for dinner they’ll order sake or tea if they’re being sensible. Today, she predicts that it’ll be-

“Iced coffee. Thanks, Karin.”

Well, that’s new.

黑

Sakura had been featuring heavily in his dreams as of late. Her face is usually a bit blurry but the pink hair is enough for him to make the conclusion that it’s his executive assistant. The dreams are usually generic and a little indecent. Not enough for a cold shower in the morning but just enough for his thoughts to wander just a little.

That night his dreams take a different turn.

Her face is clearly defined - he could see every lash that framed her expressive jade green eyes, her alabaster skin coloured with a dark pink blush dusted across her cheeks and her pretty lips were parted just a touch.

He feels her waist beneath his fingers and he realises just how petite she is. He feels every fidget and hears her breath. His forehead rests on hers and their noses touch. Her lips feel so soft against his and he swears she leans in to close the miniscule distance between them.

His heart feels like its soaring and suddenly he wants more. So much more. He wants to leave burning kisses into her skin as if to brand her with him. He wants to feel her hand in his as she squeezes him tightly in more places than one. He wants to see her hair messy, disheveled. He wants to get lost in a jade sea, consequences be damned.  

He wants her to want him as much as he wants her.

He wakes up on Monday morning at some ungodly hour, stiff and aching, wondering when the hell his imagination become so vivid and creative.

He arrives at the office and Sakura is nowhere to be seen. He’s worried for a moment, wondering briefly if he did something stupid on Saturday to scare her off but it dissipates when Sakura turns the corner, holding a fresh stack of photocopies and a mug of steaming hot something.

“Good morning, Dir-Sasuke.” she chirps.

Her reaction to him is her usual greeting and he sees his morning coffee on his desk, piping hot.

Business as usual,  he supposes.

黑

Sakura finds it easier than she thought to act normal around Sasuke. He makes no indication that he remembers what happened on Saturday and that in turn it makes it easier for her to pretend that nothing happened either.

This morning she opts to get him his usual coffee - not quite confident enough in her own skills to make him his coffee herself yet. She did however, buy beans from the Milk Grind after class (she isn’t sure whether to expense them or not).

She wants to dismiss everything that happened and just get through the internship but a very small (and loud) part of herself won’t let it go.

She does a Moogle search her boss and reads articles about him and the company. His handsomeness was only the tip of the iceberg. He graduated first in his class and won awards for academic excellence, the number of awards eclipsed only by his older brother who graduated 5 years before him. Uchiha Itachi was Director before him for a few years before Sasuke was made Director.

There were multiple articles on the matter - it seemed to be a hot topic at the time. Most were objective but some more gossipy trashy news sources implied that Sasuke was power hungry and ambitious and had “dethroned” his brother using underhanded methods.

The Sasuke she knows (what little she knows) doesn’t sound like the ruthless, cold Sasuke the tabloids paint him as being. Sure, he's ambitious - he wanted his company to perform well and holds himself to high standards. The decisions he’s made for the company have always been for the good of the company and its employees - there was nothing ruthless about it.

Subsequent articles are more favourable, complimenting Sasuke on his business acumen. While Itachi had started reforms in his short term as Director, Sasuke was the one who continued them and improved them. There are some articles about company culture and the internship program too. Uchiha Enterprises rank in the top 30 companies to work for nationwide as far as employee satisfaction goes according to a study.  

She sees and understands Sasuke’s vision for the future of the company from writing up documentation and doing preliminary research and analysis for him. Sakura can only feel admiration and a sense of pride that she’s a part of Uchiha Enterprises. The media vultures are only interested in selling ad space, views and daily sales.

As she keeps searching for articles, there are a few articles that aren’t about Sasuke’s professional work.

There are candid pictures of him in men’s magazines commenting on his style and ‘How to Emulate Uchiha Sasuke’s ‘Bad Boy’ Style��. It goes into excruciating detail as to which brands his ties, cufflinks and shoes are from. Apparently, his suits are bespoke. There's an article on a watch enthusiast blog that comments on all the watches he's been photographed wearing. Sasuke apparently collects watches because the article lists six, all of which adorn hefty price tags (some of which cost more than her intern salary).

There were pictures of him in women’s magazines of him out in public, touting him as one of the most eligible bachelors and speculations of his relationships. One article even has a complex looking chart with women suspected of being involved with him and a timeline to boot!

Sakura can’t help but be curious too. Even though she’s his executive assistant and she takes care of some of the more personal aspects of his life (like dinner reservations and dry cleaning), she knows absolutely nothing about his private life. She can only go off of clues.

Her initial observations of his staying at expensive hotel rooms don’t reveal anything about his private romantic life. His friend from Saturday - Naruto - is the son of the current Chairman of Uzumaki Resorts. It only confirms his close friendship with Uzumaki Naruto than anything else.

The flowers though, are another matter. The monthly bill for the flowers is from Flower Temple, an upmarket florist. A bouquet of mixed hydrangeas with gift wrapping. The delivery address is somewhere in the suburbs, one in which she recognises to be rather affluent. This reaffirms her “theory” that Sasuke’s lover or girlfriend or fiance or wife is most likely some kind of heiress or model. But if he really did have a girlfriend, surely she would have been with him on Saturday and that kiss wouldn’t have happened?

Whatever that was on Saturday, it doesn’t change Sakura’s professional admiration for her boss. It doesn’t change the fact that she should continue to do her best work for him, to take care of the small things so he can focus on more important matters. In the grand scheme of things, she’s a small fish swimming alongside a whale, a common tabby cat next to a majestic lion.

Back to work.

[prsfood]

PARIS HABITS

carry around bottled of diluted juice, choose a strongly flavored one OR water with 0% syrup off brand U (about 6 for a lot of syrup).

unsuspicious:

Broth-based soups (chicken/veggie/beef broth, not cream) and plain popcorn come to mind...shrimp is also very low cal and high protein.

What really confuses my family is when i take out my ice cream sandwich. Little do they know, its a klondike 100 calorie light bar, but it looks like a regular ice cream bar so it doesn't raise suspicion.

cooked veggies with shrimp

Thing I always do is an eggwhite omelette with celery and tuna. My fam says its gross cuz of the two mixed but you only need like 3 eggwhites, maybe a half can of tuna and a bit of chopped up celery. Makes a lot for low cal!

I always go for like 5 saltine crackers and a laughing cow cheese wedge

I got kelp noodles recently - the entire bag is 18 calories. They're clear and can be served cold or hot. Mostly good for Asian foods and salads.

I make egg and cheese wraps for dinner..the whole thing comes to around 200 cals as a meal...1 tortilla, 1 small egg and like, a slice of low fat cheese...it also makes me feel full which is good, esp. when paired with coffee

shrimp. Went out to all you can eat crabs with my friends tonight (ugh, shoot me). While they were pigging out on 5000+ cals of crabs, I was just peelin' my shrimp super slow and eating about 100 cals of shrimp, which took forever and made me look sups normal. Even the cocktail sauce doesn't have that many cals and it is delish

at school for lunch I have a half of a pb sandwich. it's 40 cal bread with pb2 (around 30 cal because I don't use the whole 2 tbsp) so that equals 70 cal. I have it with some fruit (50 cal) and cucumber or celery (0 cal)

My caramel frozen yogurt bars are only 100 calories and are a great dessert, especially around people.

My suggestions are:

Try having silken tofu instead of hard tofu because people don't tend to differentiate between different varieties of the same foods even though they can have substantially different caloires. I don't know where you live but here in Australia the Macro silken tofu is only 50 calories for 100g while hard tofu is over 100 calories or more for the same amount.

Home made ice blocks/popsicles with diet drinks and fruit (I mentioned this recently on a different forum, I'm not steal, promise!!!)

Instead of steaming veggies roast them - ie 'carrot fries', because they have that association with fries even though they are low cal

It's already been said by rice cakes (You can find 10cm diameter ones for 23 calories) and you can top them up with salads and hummus etc.

Low calorie smoothies ie. Made with just frozen fruit, ice and water

1 cup silk unsweetened almond milk with sweetener and fiber one 80 cal cereal. 110 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with Turkey breast, tomato, kraft fat free mayo. 150-160 cal.

two slices 45 or 40 cal bread with two tbsp pb2 & 1 tbsp smuckers sugar free jelly. 135-145 cal.

Pickles are a great go-to zero calorie food when I crave something salty. That or 100 calorie microwave popcorn. If you make it in an air popper, though, and only spray a little I Can't Believe It's Not Butter on it then its even less (depending on serving size of course). You can add a little salt too, or No-Salt (Potassium Chloride) if you're watching sodium its a great alternative.

Also love the zero sugar/zero calorie energy drinks from Monster or Rockstar. Gets me through the day if my energy wanes. The V8 flavored green tea energy drinks are good too and 50 calories if you only need a little boost.

Jennie-O makes a ground turkey that is like 97% fat free. Less calories and fat than ground beef but still high in protein.

Turkey bacon is like 25 calories per slice that you can pair with egg whites (also about 25 calories per serving).

Hebrew National makes a hot dog that is like 98% fat free and only 45 calories each (versus like 200 for regular hot dogs dripping in saturated fat.. blegh).

And finally, one of my favorite desserts when I need something sweet is fresh strawberries sprinkled with Truvia (zero calorie sweetener) and it is delish!

i go to subway and get a 6 inch veggie delight with all veggies, no cheese and yellow mustard

it's 230 calories but it's really filling and normal looking lol

Bare naked noodles? 16 cals a pack but I can get 2/3 sevings from it with raw shaved courgettes <3 and a stock cube about 30 cals altogether!

shredded crab sticks kani kama like pasta its like: 40 cals crab+20cals lettuce= 60 cals of a full plate

I love low cal bread (35 cal per slice!) with apple butter on top. (30 cal for 2 TBSP). I usually like to eat all of my food in one meal so I like to side it with either no fat plain Greek yogurt (tastes like heaven if you add sweetener and cinnamon) or plain oatmeal with, again, sweetener and cinnamon.

salads, for obvious reasons! lots of veggies

wraps. get a good brand of low cal tortillas, and maybe a spread you like (salsa has always been my favorite)

rice (mix it with lots of veggies for a stir fry)

Salad wraps. What's great about tortillas and pitas, is no one can really see what you've stuffed in there. So use it like a hidey-hole and just fill with vegetables.

I do meat and veggie dishes that are mostly veggies. Like string bean chicken and beef with broccoli. It sounds like a "real" meal but I mostly only serve myself the vegetable part!

Make a huge Asian like bean sprout "stir fry" (I just cook it with water) and season it up as you want, you can add a few shrimp and they're only 7 cals each

Sauerkraut! You can eat a ton and it's super low cal

A big salad with a fewwww grilled chicken strips

If you don't fear carbs, there's a few breads that are 45 cals a slice, you could make a veggie sandwich with a couple of slices and it'd only be a lil over 100 cals

Tuna salad. More veggies than tuna, skip the mayo. Even saltines are not terribly high cal.

Believe it or not, a baked potato.  This is one of my fav dinners: a large baked potato with salsa and guacamole and a big salad.  Most people (no doubt your mum as well) know to look past salad because it has next to no calories, even by the bucketful.

But potatoes are considered indulgent foods.  Turns out tho, it is all the crap people put on them (sour cream, bacon bits, CHILI for gods sake!) or cook them in (think french fries or crisps) that is bad.  You can top a potato with salsa (lots) and guac (a little but positioned to look as big as possible) and, when paired with a salad, looks like a giant plate of food.  If you start to feel like you are over-ful (a real possibility with this meal) you can skip eating the potato skin, which most people leave off anyways so it won't look suspicious.

Aubergine or courgette boats! Stuff with mushrooms/spinach/chickpeas/Quorn mince or whatever, top with some bread crumbs and/or cheese.

This is the best thing for anyone!

400g cauliflower with some water in a blender - blend till Mashed potato consistency, it makes soooo much! About half a large plate piled! And only 100 calories, then you can add whatever you like since you have so many cals left over. And simply adding rosemary and pepper is delicious!

If you want it to look more like a dinner meal add something like

Chicken thigh - 200

Salmon - 255

Hoki Fish - 175

Stuffed mushrooms

4 medium size or 2 HUGE portobello mushrooms (would be in the 250-300g region, so 30-40 cals)

Bake in the oven for 15 mins.

Top with 1/2 can of lentils (113) mixed with 3 laughing cow triangles (105 or 75 if using the light version) (you could also use another soft cheese). Add in herbs and spices (garlic is great with this) and bake for another 10-15 mins. You could even add a bit of proper grated cheddar or mozzarella as well to make it seem even more high calorie. Wouldn't be more than 300 even with the addition of full-fat cheese.

Grated cauliflower looks like rice with a lot less cals.

Soups with a ton of broth.

[livingcorner]

10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

When I was a kid, I would not eat tomatoes. I swore I hated them. Sure I would eat ketchup and tomato sauce, but not actual tomatoes. When I became vegan, everything changed. Suddenly, I learned to love lots of foods I wouldn’t eat before, and tomatoes were one of them. Currently, I eat tomatoes every single day in one form or another. They are one of the foods I cannot run out of or I feel lost and deprived. Summer is a great time for tomatoes. This is when they are at their best – deep red, juicy and intense in flavor. There are Beefsteaks, Roma Plums, Vine-Ripened, Grape, Cherry, Heirloom, and so many other types of tomatoes. Each has their own flavor and personality and each can be used in multiple ways.

You're reading: 10 Terrific Ways to Use All Your Summer Tomatoes

If you grow tomatoes, you will probably be swamped with them by the end of summer. Maybe you are the lucky recipient of someone who has too many to use or maybe you are indulging in the bounty of the farmers market. However you come by your tomatoes, now is the perfect time to try new and exciting things with them. Of course, you know you can use fresh tomatoes to make tomato sauce or salsa, and you know they taste great in salads and sandwiches. Well, here are 10 different ways to use all those beautiful summer tomatoes.

1. Make Homemade Bruschetta

Heirloom Tomato and White Bean Bruschetta

Tomatoes can have no better friends than fruity olive oil, savory garlic, and crispy bread. Bruschetta is a favorite appetizer or hors d’ouvres. I make a Garlic Tomato Bruschetta that is so good, that and a glass of white wine is all I need for dinner. Here’s how I make it: Preheat the broiler. Place thin slices of Italian, Ciabatta or French bread onto a baking sheet.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over them and broil for just 3-4 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and set them aside. In a skillet, heat a spoon of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for a minute until the garlic starts to soften. Add 1 pint of halved grape tomatoes and toss in the seasoned oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes soften. Season with salt and pepper and spoon the tomatoes onto the toasted bread. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and vegan grated parmesan. Make a lot. This is addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Read more: 10 Vegetables to Plant in the Fall and Winter That Will Withstand the Cold

2. Make Soup – Raw or Cooked

Gazpacho is a Spanish soup that is served cold. It’s also easy to make – just blend ripe tomatoes with any other produce you desire onions, cucumber, bell peppers and even watermelon. Chill it and enjoy it. It couldn’t be easier. This Raw Tomato Red Pepper Soup combines meaty tomatoes, sweet bell pepper and spicy chipotle for a refreshing and beautiful soup. If you prefer your tomato soup hot, try this traditional Quick and Rich Tomato Soup or this creamy Tomato Coconut Soup.

3. Make Stuffed Tomatoes

Usually, when we make stuffed dishes, we put tomatoes into the vegetable we are stuffing but how about stuffing the tomatoes themselves? All you have to do is hollow out the tomatoes and replace the pulp with your favorite fillings. Toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and red pepper flakes, and then stuff them with your favorite spread or vegan cheese. Broil them until the cheese melts and the tomatoes soften about 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and impress your guests with this beautiful appetizer.

Larger tomatoes can be stuffed to make a healthy and delicious entrée or side dish. I hollow out large beefsteak tomatoes and stuff them with a mixture of sauteed mushrooms, spinach, quinoa and the pulp from the tomatoes. Place them in a baking dish, sprinkle a few bread crumbs atop each one and bake for 30 minutes. For a lighter dish, stuff the tomatoes with your favorite summer salads like this Chickpea Waldorf Salad or this Tempeh “Tuna” Salad. It’s refreshing and you get to eat the plate!

4. Make Your Own Dried Tomatoes

I love sun-dried tomatoes. They add a tangy flavor to dishes and make a great snack too. You can buy sun-dried tomatoes in the store but why not make your own? Whether you use a dehydrator, your oven or the sun, it’s easy to dry foods yourself. To make your own oven-dried tomatoes, halve ripe tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and toss the tomatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set your oven on its lowest temperature (150 degrees) and let the tomatoes cook for eight hours or until they have shrunken. Then use your self-dried tomatoes to make Raw Lasagna with Cilantro Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes and Marinated Veggies, Quinoa with Secret Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and this beautiful Sun-dried Tomato Tart with Zucchini Hummus.

5. Make Fried Green Tomatoes

Red tomatoes shouldn’t have all the fun; green ones deserve love too. Unripe green tomatoes are the star of the southern dish, Fried Green Tomatoes. Because they are unripe, green tomatoes are firmer with less moisture which means they hold up to frying better. You could fry red tomatoes but if they are juicy, it could get messy. Simply slice the tomatoes, bread them and fry them. Try these Fried Green Beer Tomatoes which are coated with cornmeal and dark beer or my Cajun-flavored Fried Green Tomatoes with Red Pepper Aioli.

6. Make Roasted Tomatoes

Tomatoes are sweet but when you roast them, they get this intense, rich flavor that is savory and succulent. Roasted tomatoes are delicious on their own as a side dish or used in other recipes. Just place halved tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and your favorite herbs and spices. You can roast them fast in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes or slowly in a 250-degree oven for a couple of hours until they are collapsed and softened. Then enjoy them in dishes like this bowl of Miso Roasted Tomatoes with Spiralized Carrot Noodles and these Grilled Avocados with Roasted Tomatoes.

7. Make Pickled Tomatoes

Pickled and fermented foods are delicious with their unique tang and saltiness. We eat pickled cabbage as sauerkraut, pickled onions, carrots and other veggies as kimchi and pickled cucumbers as…well, pickles. So why not pickle tomatoes? It’s easy, they can last a long time, and you can eat them on sandwiches or in salads or on their own. To make pickled tomatoes: cook your favorite spices such as garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger, cumin or mustard seeds in some olive oil for just a minute or two to deepen their flavors. Add one cup of your favorite vinegar and ¼ cup sugar to the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. This is the brine. Add some salt and let the mixture cool. Take a sterilized jar and fill it with peeled, ripe tomatoes cut into wedges or whatever shape you desire. Pour the brine over the tomatoes. Be sure to leave about ½ inch of room at the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. The longer you let the tomatoes pickle in the brine, the better they will be.

8. Make Homemade Chile Sauce

Chile sauce is amazing. It’s rich, sweet, spicy and tangy all at the same time. It’s used in lots of recipes, especially Asian ones. You can buy bottles of chile sauce but some have ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and others can be expensive. When I ran out of chile sauce in the middle of making a recipe, I couldn’t substitute anything else so I learned to make my own. It was much simpler than I thought it would be and now I always make it myself.

Let me share my recipe with you: Combine 2 cups of fresh, pureed tomatoes (plums have the best flavor), ¼ cup tomato paste, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 chopped jalapeno peppers, 1 tsp. each garlic powder and chile powder, ½ tsp. each dry mustard powder and onion powder, a pinch of allspice, and 2 Tbs. vegan Worcestershire sauce in a food processor. If you don’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, you can use 1 Tbs. each tamari and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want extra heat. Process until smooth and taste for any seasoning adjustments. Keep in a jar in the fridge and use it in recipes such as Braised Seitan Short Ribs in Spicy Chile Sauce, Mississippi Comeback Sauce and Sesame Tofu.

Read more: Create a Beautiful Garden Bed with These Edging Ideas

9. Make Tomato Desserts

Yes, desserts. We use spinach, avocado, and zucchini in desserts so why not tomatoes? After all, tomatoes are a fruit and with more recipes mixing sweet and savory tastes, tomatoes are a perfect ingredient for desserts. The next time you go to make your own ice cream or sorbet, consider giving tomatoes a try by either adding one or two to the recipe or going totally tomato-flavored. Add some little tomato wedges to fruit cocktail or these Raw Fruit Tartlets.  Their gentle flavor mingles well with strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, mango, pears, melon and berries. Garnish your tomato dessert with fresh mint or basil leaves.

10. Freeze Your Tomatoes

Even though you can buy tomatoes year round, they are only in season for a short time. Or perhaps, you grew so many tomatoes, you can’t possibly use them all, no matter how many tomato ideas and recipes I give you. Well, the good news is that you can freeze tomatoes so you can enjoy them all year long. Tomatoes can be frozen with their skins or peeled, raw or cooked, whole, chopped, sliced or pureed. If you make tomato soup or sauce, you can also freeze the prepared foods.

To freeze tomatoes, select ones that are ripe and firm. Wash them gently and blot them dry. Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them into the desired shape and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet that will fit in your freezer. After they are frozen, transfer the tomatoes to freezer bags or sealed storage containers. When you need them, just thaw them out and use them in any cooked recipe (thawed tomatoes will be too mushy to eat like you would a fresh tomato). Frozen tomatoes can last up to 8 months so you can be enjoying summer tomatoes in the middle of a winter snowstorm.

There is no food more versatile than the tomato. Sweet or savory, raw or cooked, alone or as part of a recipe, tomatoes are nature’s candy. I hope you have fun trying these ways of using your summer tomato bounty and if you have any bushels leftover, send them my way.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App , which is available for iPhone , and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook . The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter !

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us !

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/10-terrific-ways-to-use-all-your-summer-tomatoes/

[flour2door]

Gluten-Free Bread Ideas

I understand lots of gluten intolerant people that speak highly of packaged gluten totally free bread, but I often tend to dislike them. For a long time, I wasn't able to think of any kind of gluten cost-free bread ideas that were acceptable to my, , exceedingly picky taste buds. I such as foods that are genuine to the society that they come from, which can make life made complex when taking care of food intolerances. For instance, rice noodles in Eastern food taste scrumptious to me, yet I don't such as exactly how they taste with Italian pasta sauce over them. It's not a value judgement, simply a preference. Regardless, therefore, I have trouble finding bread that I agree to consume.

Canadian Bread Flour As I stated in one more write-up, Southern cornbread loads the particular niche for me when eaten with Tex Mex chilis or soups. It isn't an all purpose bread, however, so I'm always on the prowl trying to find something new to eat. I just recently was thrilled to find out of a little cheese flavorful roll from Brazil called pao de queijo. They're made with yucca or tapioca flour, rather than wheat, and also are always gluten complimentary. They have actually shredded cheese mixed into the batter and also lots of it, so it's got a nice strong flavor. The outsides are crisp and the withins are pleasantly cozy and also chewy. They go perfectly with a bowl of tomato soup as opposed to grilled cheese, but they can likewise be split open and also made into little child sandwiches. This is most definitely among the best gluten cost-free bread ideas that I've stumbled upon yet. The rolls do not require exotic or synthetic active ingredients, they can be flavored or filled with other goodies. They can not truly be shaped like warm pockets, but you can place cheese and also meat inside them. I wager they would certainly be excellent with a pizza dental filling, as well, though I haven't tried making that yet. Best of all, the dough can be made in advance as well as frozen for a last minute tacky roll solution whenever you want.

yeast For Baking My kids really enjoy taking these to school in their lunch since they look sufficient like regular rolls to not attract attention. Regardless of how much cheese I put into the dough, they're constantly asking me to put extra on the sandwich, as well. They hold up well to lettuce as well as tomato for numerous hrs too. My husband and I take pleasure in consuming these rolls while fresh from the oven with a glass of wine. It's easy however is a sophisticated hors d'oeuvre to serve at a mixed drink hour. I do not see any kind of factor that you could not blend herbs, carefully minced olives or marinaded sundried tomato bits into the dough for additional flavor, either. If you're trying to find some brand-new gluten complimentary bread concepts, I highly advise giving pao de queijo a try. You can either find the dish online or you can discover them at Brazilian dining establishments or import stores. The shops also commonly offer bags of frozen balls of dough for you to bake fresh at home.

[endoyamato]

HOW TO LIVE ON ~400BGN A MONTH (in bulgaria) (if you live alone+one pet)

this is a small guide i decided to put together for people in Bulgaria (or other countries who are poor, don't get paid a lot, live in capital cities etc). please note that i am privileged enough so that i live alone but i DONT PAY BILLS besides my phone bill and internet bill (which are altogether ~70lv). from what i understand though water+electric bill is around ~100lv so this guide should still help. i also have the privilege of having a full-time job that pays more than the above, but i was in a very tight spot a few months ago (and a couple of times last year), so i have this as a sure way to manage to survive until it gets better. therefore, my tips are for such a situation. i understand my privilege, but i hope this can still help people!

all currency will be in LV/BGN, as it is focused on Bulgaria. but you can probably still use some tips if you live elsewhere!

so, due to some stuff with the bank that i won't get into, a few months ago i was at -200lv in my bank account - i had some money saved+i took commissions, and i was able to cover that amount so that i was back to 0, but unfortunately that happened right before a trip i had to the UK. if you've ever been to the UK, esp London, you know it's expensive as fuck for everyone else. so for only one weekend, i ended up spending around 500-600lv (for hotel+food+tickets). which meant that i barely could manage for two-three months, because i was always short around 500-600lv (i only recovered this month - and that happened in may!).

the moment you get money, divide it into envelopes, each labelled for a specific purpose! for me, it's like this:

CAT - 50lv PHONE/INTERNET - 50lv (back then i paid less for phone lol)* MEDICATION (bc i have to buy+take meds) - 50lv GROCERIES  - 150lv

that way, everything can come up to 300lv. *do NOT use text messaging services on your phone because those are pricy AS FUCK. and try to avoid calling 0700 numbers bc last time i racked up a +10lv bill just from that. try to use internet (mobile internet is cheap and limitless) as much as you can for everything. get viber, whatsapp, fb messaging, etc.

if you shop in a supermarket like Billa, Billa has cards. GET A CARD. they're free to make, and some products are cheaper that way, especially in the bigger supermarkets. i don't shop at Lidl, so i don't know if they have such a program. if you can, shop in a local small store - they're usually a little cheaper than supermarkets! buying in bulk from a small store can be embarrassing, but last time i went for basic groceries it was around 20lv.

things to buy that last a long time and are cheap:

- rice - pasta - ready to go noodles - eggs - soup - bread, but NOT WHITE. white bread molds really fast even in the fridge, so you'll end up throwing away half a package of bread after a week. - potatoes - FRESH vegetables* (tomatoes and cucumbers mainly, i can only eat cherry tomatoes which are more expensive but it's still ok because i buy a bunch and then just eat them over the course of a week) - krenvirshi, put them in the freezer

*if you are easily distracted and forgettable/have depression and low energy, do not buy frozen vegetables. i can't stress this enough. you will put them outside to unfreeze, then forget or feel too tired to cook them, and by the next day they will have to be thrown out. buy fresh vegetables and put them ALL in the fridge.

- if you find any, corn on the cob instead of in a can. put it in the FREEZER. in stalls outside (not in supermarkets), i've seen a package of 6 corns for ~4lv. they are more filling than a can of corn, and about 5 cobs last longer than a can, which lasts about 2 days and is more expensive overall.

i don't eat beans or 90% of dairy products, so i can't give advice on that!

- frozen meat, always try to look at the prices first of course. try to buy in broika instead of a package of a few. - spreadable cheese, try to avoid Philadelphia as it is more expensive. - try to avoid stuff like lukanki as they're usually pricy and can't last super long (in my experience at least) - olives - jars of pickled stuff, as they usually last a long time - frozen nuggets

try to avoid snacks like chips and cookies, but you can buy obiknoveni biskviti for pretty cheap!

now, if you are way too tired to cook or make something, here is a list of things you can eat outside that aren't that pricy: - avoid mcdonalds. i know it's tempting and seems "cheap" but it really isn't, and it's not very filling either - instead, go to KFC - they have something called a Street Box, that has a few pieces of meat+corn or a small salad i think for 2-3lv, and it can be a meal for two days. generally if you buy a KFC menu, you can divide it between 2-3 days - there is a hummusbar place in sofia around Popa, which seems pretty expensive but it's very filling and it can last 2-3 days if you save it properly. the thing i always get is around 11lv. - in smaller stores (not supermarkets) you can sometimes find sandwiches which are in a pack of 2. i personally can't eat mixed so i take the one with only kashkaval+lukanka, and it lasts 2 days. - a place on pl. makedonia offers really good grilled food for like... 3lv for a sald+meat+a bread. next to it there is a chinese place that’s again around 2-3lv a portion. around the same area there’s a tiny bar where things are expensive except a box of hummus which is 1.50lv and lasts a couple of days, but don’t buy bread with it bc that’ll raise the price by a lot. just get the hummus.

generally avoid restaurants and fast food places though, if you can. if you do go, try to leave something to take home.

if you have a pet like a cat, and it doesn't require special food (in which case unfortunately i don't have advice - my dog can eat only very special very expensive food, so obviously the expenses will be higher, but my mom takes care of my dog so), still don't buy the cheapest supermarket brand. be kind to your pet. don't buy it the level of food you yourself wouldn't eat. i usually buy cat pouches, and give my cat 1/2 of it daily + dry food, which he leaves in his bowl for the next few days. for dry food, i TRY to buy bulk that lasts about a month and costs around 13lv, but due to a bad back i can't always do that, so buy whatever you think is best. cat toilet, there is a brand that you can throw in your own toilet and lasts a month and a half for ~7lv, it’s called CITY PETS, silver protect. unfortunately bigger/expensive pet stores won’t have it, so you might have to look around neighborhood ones. i’ve discovered it lasts a REALLY long time. 50lv should be enough.

whatever you have left over at the end of the month in those envelopes, save and put towards next month's expenses. or buy yourself a starbucks because you deserve it!

if anyone has suggestions/corrections, please feel free to add stuff!

[clamjumper5-blog]

Top Recipes of 2018!

Where did the time go?! It feels like just yesterday that I was sitting here writing about last year’s top recipes, and here we are again. 2018 was a busy one… we settled into our Chicago home and cooked up a storm of yummy food. We have some exciting things happening in 2019, but before we get there, here are the greatest hits of this past year. I think it’s fun to check our analytics to see which of your favorite recipes were also my favorite recipes… and this list really aligns. So without further ado…

(Click on the titles or photos to go directly to each recipe)

Best Darn Veggie Burgers (pictured above)

I knew this one would make it to this “top” list because so many of you have tagged me on your Instagram photos of this recipe :). These burgers start with an umami-rich mixture of mushrooms, tamari, and balsamic vinegar. There’s some paprika for a little smoky flavor. They’re held together with sticky brown rice, and they have a nice non-mushy texture thanks to the walnuts and panko.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

This is my ultimate winter comfort food. It’s hot, it’s saucy, and it’s packed with tons of flavorful, roasted vegetables like fennel, leeks, and mushrooms. It’s hearty, yet healthy (for lasagna). Just writing this post has me craving it all over again.

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

I could eat soup every single day – especially this soup. The creaminess in this one comes from chickpeas instead of cream or cashews. It’s so healthy that you won’t feel guilty topping your soup with fun little vegan grilled cheese croutons!

Mango Black Bean Ginger Rice Bowls

When January hits and you crave fresh, vibrant foods – this is your bowl. It’s full of crispy veggies, hearty black beans, and sweet mango. It’s drizzled with a light, tangy tamari lime sauce that I’m obsessed with – the same sauce that’s in the Brussels Sprout & Coconut Rice recipe in our first cookbook, which you should also try!  

Cauliflower Turmeric Rice

I’m happy to see that this one was a fan favorite because it’s also one of my personal favorites. I based it on a curried rice dish that I love, but subbed in cauliflower rice, which worked better than I expected! Make it a full meal by serving it with naan bread to dip in the yummy cardamom yogurt.

Chipotle Cauliflower Nachos with Pineapple Salsa

Nacho “cheese” sauce made from cauliflower. Need I say more?

Roasted Cherry Tomato Herbed Couscous Salad

It’s not exactly tomato season right now, but stick this recipe in your back pocket, and make it the second cherry tomatoes show up at your farmers market! This recipe is a celebration of tomatoes with a tasty, contrasting combination of savory roasted tomatoes with bursty fresh tomatoes.

Raw Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Superfood Bars

In the post for this recipe, I wrote “if you make one dessert recipe from this blog, it should be this one…” and you did! I loved seeing all of your photos on Instagram of these delectable bars. 🙂

Butternut Cauliflower Vegetable Curry

Make this punchy, flavorful coconut curry and then freeze the leftovers – you’ll thank yourself later.

Blueberry Lemon Zest Breakfast Cookies

Speaking of freezing things, I regularly make a batch of these and freeze them for a quick on-the-go breakfast. If you don’t have fresh blueberries, they’re super delicious with dried tart cherries.

Wishing you all a happy & healthy new year – as always, let me know if you have any recipe requests for 2019! xo, Jeanine

Source: https://www.loveandlemons.com/top-recipes-2018/

[omgkittymonster-blog]

KAT'S KETO STARTER GUIDE

a quick guide to starting keto easily and without worries!

⦁ intro ⦁ science ⦁ myths and misconceptions

⦁ breakfast ⦁ lunch ⦁ dinner ⦁ snacks ⦁ food list CHEAT SHEET:

⦁ intermittent fasting ⦁ what to do when you go out to eat ⦁ what to drink and when

⦁ "carb cycling", cheat days, and how tos: ⦁ things to avoid that are a waste of money

INTRODUCTION TO KETO Keto is an amazing diet and/or lifestyle that when paired with multiple other forms of healthy choices can be a quick way to lose a few pounds or a healthy way to live longterm allowing you to still enjoy life without estranging yourself from your friends and family.  It is very flexible and people that stick to keto find themselves in love with it and raving about their success, as long as they gave it the proper chance! I myself lost ten pounds the first week I did strict keto and I knew then I was hooked!

SCIENCE BEHIND KETO AND WHY IT WORKS The common american diet is very high in sugar, carbs, unhealthy fats, caffeine, sodium, etc. This recipe is a disaster waiting to happen, heart disease, obesity, cancers, diabetes, among a plethora of other terrible life stealing diseases that effect millions of americans. Whether you do a low carb, or low calorie, or low red meat and fat diet, the idea remains the same.  Reduce calorie intake vs output, avoid foods that cause inflamations or gastro-intestinal upsets, and eat filling whole foods that offer a lot of nutrient density. Now, the reason that keto works so good is the science behind the diet: When you reduce the amount of sugar (glucose)  your body intakes, which is its normal source of fuel, it panics, uses what it has, burns glycogen which is stored in the liver and muscles, and finally switches your body to KETONES (which burns FATS for fuel instead).  When your body is in Ketosis, it will burn your body fat and consumed fats for energy, to do normal body functions.  This sounds like a miracle, and I can honestly say it is.  Most average americans have anywhere from a 20%-50% body fat ratio, men usually on the lower end of that, where anything over 30% is usually considered overweight.   That being said, most people have a lot of fuel to burn that they would never have burned if they were eating a large amount of carbohydrates that the body prefers to burn first.  You literally have your own fuel just waiting to go, and you will feel awesome when you see the fat melting off your tummy, thighs, back, face.  :D

Myths and Misconceptions When I first started keto I thought I could eat as many hot dogs, burgers, chicken wings, ranch dressings, etc as I could stuff in my face.   Truth be told you can, but your body will be severely lacking vitamins and minerals that you need to be healthy so I would suggest making sure to vary your diet, always include a healthy fat (example: salmon, avocado, macadamia nuts) and lots of greens whenever possible.  If you absolutely cannot, taking a high nutrient density multi vitamin is really smart, as well as looking into electrolyte mixes or supplements. People will try to bully you or shame you for not eating "just one this" or "you have to try a bite" and after a little while, you absolutely can! But during the first month or so, til you become "fat adapted" it is best to be as diligent as possible, and you will be really proud of the results. Not all fats are created equal:  While dirty keto does exist and sometimes is necessary, try to remember that quality of your fuel will always dictate how you feel.  Will you feel better after a slice of greasy pizza or a big salad with lots of veggies and roasted turkey? Easy concept. You don't have to starve yourself.  This was the hardest part for me to learn at first.  Keto foods are filling, yummy, and full of flavor, so eat til you're about comfortably full and give the fork a rest.  You'll find you're sated for many hours! Not all people get the keto flu.  Some adapt to eating high fat really well with minimal issues.  If you are feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or stomach sick, make sure you have plenty of water and if you need to, have a shot of pickle juice or a sprinkle of salt in your water.  Vitamin water ZERO is also a decent way to get electrolytes without having to spend a lot on a supplement.  I'd avoid zero sugar gatorade though, the sweetener in it is sucralose which is bad for ketosis.

NOW TO THE FUN PART: THE FOOD! I do most of my shopping at a normal grocery store, and most of the things I mention can be bought at meijer, target, walmart, or whatever your local chain is. Buy organic if you want! But it isnt necessary.  Meats and dairy foods are best when bought all natural or organic if possible.  Look for words like grass finished, or pasture raised.

Breakfast ideas: Omelets - add whatever meats veggies and cheeses from list fit your choosing Cauliflower "hash" - sautee pieces of cauliflower with meats, veggies, top with cheese and let it melt :D keto "cereal" - 2 cups unsweetened coconut, sprinkle with cinnamon, stevia, coconut oil, pecans, macadamia nuts, whatever.  bake two minutes per side around 375 til toasted.  cool and serve with unsweetened hemp, oat, almond or soy milk and fresh berries if you want! Chorizo and eggs with avocado and sour cream - they do make turkey chorizo too! or make your own by adding hot sauce and spices to ground turkey.  :3 "Two Good" Makes a super low carb yogurt that tastes amazing  - i eat it with berries or a "Quest" brand protein cookie for breakfast! Chia pudding - 2 T. chia seeds, milk substitute or water, stevia, and whatever flavor you want to add! Peanut butter, cocoa powder for PB cup,  raspberry/almond,  blueberry/pecan.  Chill overnight, awesome grab and go Egg muffins  - mix up eggs like youd be making scrambled eggs, add some ricotta or cottage cheese (full fat only), add toppings, bake for 5-10 mins til middle is set (use a tooth pick).  Can freeze and pop in microwave or last a week in the fridge.  I like mine with pesto and mozzarella with tomato on top.

Lunch ideas: La tortilla factory low carb wrap "blt" - these tortillas are amazing and come in many sizes.  If you cant find those, find any brand that says "low carb" - look for net carbs under 6 for best choices.  Add avocado, turkey bacon, mayo if desired, lettuce, tomato, peppers, etc.  Eat with cheese chips (recipe in snacks) Soups:  Creamy chicken chili, broccoli cheese (substitute heavy cream and broth in place for milk in recipes) bone broth veggie soups (imagine PHO or Ramen with no noodles!) MAKE A BIG ASS SALAD WITH WHATEVER MEATS AND CHEESE AND VEGGIES YOU WANT   (that are safe on the list ofc) this is what i do a lot, and i put the dressing on the side so i can just munch on it throughout the day without it getting soggy.   If you find yourself picking certain parts out of your salad right away, try to focus on those more until your body is craving other things.  Some days i eat my meats right away, others i eat all my veggies.  Your body often tells you what you need without even realizing. If you're a grazer make a fruit and nut tray, or "lunchables" almost. There is a recipe for whats called CLOUD BREAD. It's basically like a fluffy meringue that is made with cream cheese and eggs. I dont make it a lot, I almost always would rather have those wraps.  They're that good and last longer :D Try to keep things with you that you know you will eat, rather than things you think you're supposed to eat, because cold fish sounds disgusting vs that yummy five piece chicken tender with hot sauce. >_>

Dinner Ideas: Dinner is my forte because for a long time I was doing OMAD keto, aka "One meal a day keto" where I would fast until dinner every day, except for coffee, tea and water.  During these times I dreamt up many cheat meals that I JUST HAD TO HAVE and went home and keto-ized em.  If there's a will there's a way, bahahaha. OMAD is not recommended at the start of ketosis because you may feel low on energy or dizzy sometimes and we want to avoid bad feelings during initiation so when you see the success you have you won't have a negative feeling as to why it happened.

LITERALLY IMAGINE YOUR FAVORITE DINNER. Whatever you're craving.  You can hack it. We got this.   Chinese/Take out? Easy mode.  You can make stir fries, fried cauliflower rice, sweet and sour chicken (using parmesan for a crust!), peanut "noodles" or "zoodles", egg foo young, etc! American: Wings, burgers, brats/sausages, grilled chicken, etc - most cook out foods in whole form are totally safe. Pair with grilled veggies or a salad, or make a pasta salad from zoodles with homemade italian dressing.  YUMMMM bish Italian: Low carb tomato sauces and "noodles", Fat head Pizza (link to fat head dough recipe will be at bottom.  This shit is dope.  I never even liked pizza before this).  Chicken Parmesan, "Spaghetti and Meatballs", Lasagna: AND OMG GUESS WHAT. Alfredo is like totally fair game, and its really good with mushrooms and chicken. :P Mexican: HOLY FUCK I EAT THIS STUFF SO MUCH.  Like, pretty much everything but the chips and rice are totally gucci for keto.  Taco/Burrito bowls, fajitas, ceviche, salsa, avocado salad, guacamole, and for dipping I make cheese chips or thin slices of cucumber spritzed with chili lime and salt. Greek: Greek salad, schwarma, gyros (either without bread or use the low carb wraps), hemp seed "Falafel", tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, olives, etc. I have even made indian and thai curries, moroccan food, middle eastern We have made chicken tenders, french fries, chips, "nachos", fish fry, breaded mushrooms, mozz sticks, cheese curds.  All your craving foods! The internet is wonderful for this, just make sure you are paying close attention to how much a portion is, or if its higher in carbs than you're allowed for the day.

Above I posted a picture for a shopping list.

This is a nice shopping list but I find it is sort of strict.  Try to stick to these items to start but You can add in things like more nuts or avocados, almond and coconut flours (to make cakes and breads!), and higher starch veggies and fruits as time goes on.  I get down on some cantaloupe pretty often, and have a cupcake at least once a month.

Intermittent Fasting IF is typically considered an advance technique or body reset especially after big meal days or cheating, and while it has amazing health benefits, I would suggest you research it yourself and decide if it's right for you.  I had a lot of luck with it because I hate to keep track of my calories on an app so I knew if I ate whatever I could within a five to seven hour period that the chances that I would eat more than 1800 calories would go way down.   Each person is different, if you feel physically hungry, don't deny that feeling. Here is a link that describes and explains types of IF. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/intermittent-fasting-guide#methods

What to do when you go out to eat We live in a time where many people eat low carb, or restaurants are very willing to wiggle with ingredients or substitutions.  Remember that nicer restaurants appreciate this less, but if you know that it will be happening, you can always call the restaurant and let them know in advance.  Many chefs are reasonable and want your business and willing to help. Always check the menu for words like, naked, ask for sauces on the side, try to stick to things that are usually safe, blue cheese, ranch, vinaigrettes, mayos.  When a dish comes with a carb side, most places will double up on steamed or grilled veg for very little extra or no charge.  I get steak with a literal dick ton of broccoli or asparagus and lotsa butter and its good and filling. :D Burgers can be put on top of a side salad , or ask for a lettuce wrap.  Make sure wings and chickens arent breaded before frying or baking.  Chinese restaurants usually have a section that has all the same ingredients but sauce on the side and veggies steamed, good for when you go out.  Egg drop soup is usually ok as long as you don't eat a gallon of it. If something comes that you really want, but can't have, just have one small bite and cover the rest of it with too much salt or ketchup or something than you can handle, or trade it away.  This will prevent you from eating it all. There's lots of options and understand that whenever you go out, there is a chance that you might slip out of ketosis.  Don't be discouraged because a small slip is a lot easier to deal with than a big one, and you will feel fine within 12 hrs.

What to drink and when Coffee, espresso, unsweetened teas, club soda or la croix like drinks with zero fake sugars added (look for aspartame, sucralose, dextrose, erythritol, etc), pure liquors with no added flavor or sugar (vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, tequila), dry red wine (cabernet, merlot) dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, brut champagne, pinot grigo, chardonnay).  Keep in mind that alcohol still contains a lot of calories and while it will not likely bump you out of ketosis, it does delay your body burning calories because it is too busy trying to destroy the evil alcohol from your bloodstream (dramatic music) so limiting intake in the first month really helps you to get in the swing and feel good and hydrated :P. Side Note: Ketal One makes new no sugar added Botanical Vodka and the Peach one and the cucumber mint one are fucking amazing, the end.

"Carb cycling" cheat days, and how to IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA CHEAT mentally prepare yourself for that.  Know what you want to eat, what isnt worth it, and how to stop yourself when you are done.  Ever been on a bender where you drank like three days in a row and by the end you're like dude wtf happened all I wanted was to drink friday night and now its sunday where did it go".  This has happened to me lots with holidays and special occasion weekends, and the best advice I have for you is to pay attention to how cheating makes you feel.  Don't feel guilty unless you feel bad for your progress or your body.  Sadly, potatoes make me feel like garbage so I try to avoid them like the plague even when I do cheat. Try to not eat for as long as you can handle after you cheat to allow your body some rest and to burn the glucose and glycogen that may be still in your system.  If you feel good enough some cardio or lifting may help to get you back in faster. Ultimately, if keto is a lifestyle for you, remember that life happens and its ok to be human, and eat things that are unhealthy as long as its not the normal.  Remind yourself that you deserve to be happy as well as healthy and balance that in your mind.  Being positive and recognizing this will help you to not fall off the deep end either way, by being too strict or completely abandoning keto, which often in the early phase will lead you to gaining all that weight you lost back. Carb cycling is a form of keto diet for athletes or very physical people who benefit from a quick carb before intense activity in order to feed their muscles or whatever but as I am not one of those people, I just stick to my higher carb fruits and veggies when I think I might go for a run or walk, or drag my ass down the road, whatever you'd like to call it. >_>

Things to avoid that are a waste of money Don't buy "exo ketones" or "Keto drinks" or powders, anything "bullet-proof" is basically bullshit, you can make the same things for zillions of dollars less and it will taste better as well. Keto urine strips are pretty much just a waste of money, they aren't really indicative of where you are at. Expensive "keto" supplements aren't necessary, take your multi and drink your electrolytes and you should be good to go.  Keep in mind if you are an intense athlete I am not so like talk to your doctor or coach dude.