billingfreedom1

[eggs-love-loki]

Me after spending two days transcribing 20 pages worth of recipes off of TikTok videos so that I’ll have an easy to read list of recipes I want to try in one place: Ugh I have nothing I want to cook damn

[survey--s]

626.

How long is it since you moved out of the house you grew up in? I grew up in two houses. We moved when I was 11 and then I moved out of the second house when I met Chris - I think I was 23? My parents were in the process of selling anyway.

What color shirt are you wearing? Black and white.

The last time you ate leftovers, what was it that you were eating? I think it was leftover takeaway a couple of weeks ago. Chicken nuggets, I believe, and cheesy garlic bread lol.

What was the last flavor of ice cream you ate? Mint chocolate chip.

Do you regret anything you've done in the last 24 hours? Nah.

What is your favorite type of soup? It depends on my mood. I like chicken noodle or potato and bacon. Italian tomato and bean soup is good too.

When was the last time you saw a beautiful sunset? Yesterday on my way home from work.

What is your favorite song at the moment? Survivor by Reba McEntire or If He Wanted to He Would by Kylie Mason.

What are 5-10 things you love about being you? I love animals, I'm happy in my own company, I run my own business, I'm happy in my own skin and I think overall I'm a decent person.

What is your favorite board that you've made on Pinterest? I don't use Pinterest.

Do you get on Facebook or Instagram more? I only use Instagram to upload stories to my business page and to message a couple of customers, so probably Facebook.

What color is your favorite sweater? I have three favourites - they're grey, black and purple.

What are three things people would never guess about you just by looking at the photos you post on social media? I have autism. I have sciatica. I went to private school.

What is one thing you have too much of? According to Mike, cats and wax melts lol.

What was the last thing you ate or drank that was blue raspberry-flavored? Sweets.

What are three of your favorite scents? Vanilla, coffee, freshly baked bread.

What was the last flavor of tea you drank? Yorkshire Tea.

When was the last time you wore your hair in a fishtail braid? I don't think I ever have. I can't do those kinds of styles on myself.

What is one annoying thing your computer does? It's a bit slow on Tumblr for some reason, like my typing doesn't always show up right away, but it was so cheap I can't really complain.

What type of fruit do you eat the most? It depends on my mood, but lately it's been melon, mango and pineapple.

How often do you go out to eat? Maybe once a month on average. We used to go a lot more but prices have shot up recently and it's just not affordable anymore.

What would your dream wedding dress look like? Mine was just a short white dress that came just above the knee.

Which fall flavor do you prefer: pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon? Apple cinnamon, but I like both.

What is the most annoying thing about your life right now? I have a week of 6am starts thanks to a load of cat visits I have booked in. Normally I don't mind it too much, but it's a really busy week so I can tell I'm gonna be shattered.

Which holiday treat do you like better: candy corn or conversation hearts? Conversation hearts. Saying that, I've never had candy corn.

What is your favorite apple-flavored treat? Apple Crumble.

What are you counting down the days to right now, if anything? Uh, nothing really. The next "big thing" is my weekend away in Manchester but that's not for another few months.

What was the last book you read about? I can't remember.

Have you been daydreaming a lot lately about a scenario you wish would happen? No, not really.

What are three of your favorite things about camping? Staying at home, hahah. Camping is not my thing.

If you could choose what month to be born in, what month would you have chosen as your birth month, and why? A summer month. Maybe June.

...and what is your actual birth month? December.

What are three of your favorite things to do on a rainy day? Watch my favourite movies, snack, take naps.

Would you rather eat strawberries or watermelon? Watermelon. I do like strawberries but lately they've been a bit rubbish in terms of quality.

Do you prefer smoothies or milkshakes? I like both fairly equally.

Do you prefer hamburgers or hot dogs? Hamburgers.

When was the last time you felt nauseous? Yesterday morning.

What was the last thing you ate that made you feel nauseous? I have no idea.

Do you enjoy going to your local county fair? Yeah, as long as the weather is decent.

How far away do you live from the place where you were born? It's about a seven hour drive.

Do you prefer zebra print or cheetah print? Neither. I'm not a fan of animal print unless it's on animals.

[1010ll]

do you have any new recipes that you've learned recently? i remember you wrote something a while ago about carbonara and i tried it out for myself it was really fun!!

i love this 😭 im gonna write way too much idec! something that has changed since that post: my kitchen is worse. i have a horrible combi oven which has resulted in me accidentally eating raw chicken, because it had been in there for more than 2 hours at supposedly 230 °C and i was really hungry and thought it HAD to be done by then. also i have less time and less money lol. it has made me a bit sad, and less motivated to cook nice things but i also love food! which means these tips/recipes are gonna reflect that and might seem a bit dull but probably also relatable for a lot of people.   i’ve definitely made spaghetti carbonara a bit too much because it’s simple and require few ingredients! will still vouch for that one tip about substituting the bacon with roasted veggies and other types of meat.

last week i made risotto for the very first time, i think? which means i might be assuming a bit too much, but i think it’s a great dish that you can almost make with whatever you have in your fridge. i made it with roasted beetroot(needs A LOT of time to soften, lesson learned), carrots and parsley root or parsnip(idk the difference), dried rosemary and thyme, garlic and onion. i had some leftover sushi rice, which is great for risotto apparently(love versatile ingredients), roasted them in some oil and then added white wine and chicken stock and actually added a leftover parmesan rind i had in the fridge to give the ‘stock’ some flavour, a bit of nutmeg and then in the end some shredded gouda lol… it was surprisingly delicious and i didn’t even really care to cook the rice perfectly. it also tasted delicious 3 days later, which was a nice surprise. i bet there are tons of risotto recipes online, but as long as you have rice, some kind of flavoured water, i guess you could kind of add whatever you want of veggies and top with whatever herb you have around.

another type of porridge i consume a lot these days is hot oat porridge, which i’ve eaten since i was little and it was the first ‘dish’ i learnt to make myself and it’s cheap. some people really dislike the consistency and look but i don’t. it’s also very easy to customise. i put in whatever nuts and seeds(which are often cheaper than nuts) i have around: flaxseed, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds and sometimes a dollop of peanut butter. i let them simmer along with the oats. i like adding those elements because it gives it some texture and it keeps me more full throughout the day. it’s very important to me because i hate spending money i don’t have on fast-food when i’m not home and i hate being hungry. dried raisins, cranberries for a bit of sweetness and if i’m treating myself i’ll add some fresh apples cut into small pieces or some homemade berry compote(i use frozen) or brown sugar. if i had more money i’d use maple syrup but i don’t at the moment. i also add a bit of cinnamon and cardamom, dried ginger etc, whatever you feel like. some people also add milk afterwards but i’d rather spend my milk on my coffee.

a small tip: making chili flake / garlic oil. it’s really delicious, you could put it straight on pasta with some parmesan and pepper and it would be a filling meal. either chop the garlic really fine, grate it, microplane it, smash it to pieces. heat some olive oil until it’s quite hot, then remove from heat and add the chili flakes and garlic. if the oil isn’t hot enough you can just put the pan or pot back on the heat but be careful you don’t burn the chili flakes or garlic, as it will make it bitter. the longer it will toast, the less pronounced the raw garlic flavour will be, so when it smells toasted enough for your taste, take it off. i store it in a tiny glass jar and add it in stews, sauces, toasts, pizza, sandwiches etc. the flavour is very strong imo and everything it touches will smell like it. something to drink: i like strong foods and i like sour foods, which is why i like lemon/ginger based drinks. to make it even more winter friendly and easy to make, i like to grate unpeeled ginger(i hate slices of ginger, they do nothing for me and seems like a waste of ginger), lemon zest, lemon juice and mix it or blend it with some water/apple juice and honey and strain it afterwards. if you have a really nice blender you can just add all of it together with some ice. i’m basically making a large amount of ginger shot mixture. then when i feel like it, i can take some of the mixture and either drink it as it is, add more apple juice if i need a refreshing beverage or add hot water and more honey for when im cold. you could also add turmeric, chili, use less sweetener and other sorts of healthy stuff but i honestly do it for the taste so i don’t care about that that much.

something sweet: i posted earlier about cakes and someone mentioned swedish kladdkaka, which is a super delicious, cheap, brownie-like chocolate cake that is easily customized and hard to fuck up which is why i’ve made it since i was very young and is a go-to and i didn’t even know it was a swedish thing. if you like airy, light cakes this is not for your. this is sticky, sweet and almost like confection. you can add nuts, swirls of peanutbutter, tahini, actual pieces of chocolate, replace the white sugar with brown sugar, the butter with oil(you can be fancy and use a bit of olive oil) or use a mixture, brown the butter, you name it. the recipe i use is this: melt 100 g butter and let cool. mix 2 eggs + 3 dl sugar in a bowl until fluffy in one bowl. mix 1.5 dl flour, 4 tbs cocoa, 1 pinch of salt in another. mix the dry with the wet mixture and add the cooled, melted butter. this is the point where you’d add chopped nuts, chocolate etc. pour the batter into a cake tin lined with parchment (i use one that is 16 cm in diameters i think). bake the cake for around 30 mins at 150°C - 175°C degrees. check on the cake using a cake tester or a a knife. if the knife is clean after … stabbing it, it’s done! the cake will change it’s texture after cooling. this is a cheap cake, and if you like cake dough you might want to give it less time in the oven for a more fudgey texture. make it your own! there are no rules. last time i made this, i left it in for too long in my opinion but it was still delicious. also i literally have a shit oven with a round oven rack that goes in circles no matter what due to the microwave function, and the only ‘mixing’ equipment i have is a whisk and a spatula. no need for kitchen aids or  even electrical hand mixers.

something else i’ve been eating a lot for lunch is simple open faced sandwiches, and something that can really elevate those is: making your own mayonnaise(and toasting the bread). it can be challenging, but it’s really worth it imo and i can’t remember the last time i bought it in a store. i have a small plastic bowl, whisk and 1 egg yolk. something i can really recommend is buying pour snouts for bottles. i transfer my oils from their plastic bottles to smaller, old soda bottles because im cheesy like that and it’s really handy especially when making mayo. constantly whisking the egg yolk by hand and then adding the NEUTRAL oil ever so slowly. don’t be fancy and use cold pressed stuff or extra virgin olive oil because it will taste weird. i only ever fail when i try to use immersion blenders for some weird reason but i find it rewarding to do by hand anyways and i think it might be easier to make smaller portions that way. mayo needs acid and you can get it by adding regular vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, pickle juice, citric acid dissolved in water etc. it’s really easy to customise! when im making banh mi, i add some sesame oil, soy sauce for saltiness and use lime as the acidic element. for more regular use i add a bit of mustard(also helps with the emulsion), for fries, i like adding some fresh garlic. something as simple as mayo, tomatoes, flaky salt and pepper topped with chives is really nice. i also really like using slices of boiled potatoes or boiled eggs(idk if that’s only a thing where i’m from), mayo and the chili garlic oil. it’s also great for making tuna salad. yesterday i made a really simple sandwich with a very simple tuna salad(tuna, mayo, yoghurt, lemon and pepper), arugula, basil, the garlic/chili oil, cream cheese, pickled jalapeños and onions, green peber, cucumber and tomatoes. you could leave out everything but the tuna salad and it would still be a great little meal.

another nice condiment that beats the supermarket stuff by far is homemade ‘pesto’. when i buy parsley from my local grocery store, it’s a gigantic amount that i in no way can consume in a week. first of all when buying fresh herbs i really recommend washing them, wrapping them in a damp towel and keeping them in a closed container. it will prolong their lifetime from lasting a day to a week(change the towel if it seems too wet). i once had some cilantro in my fridge for several weeks and still be fresh. anyways, when i buy that much parsley, i like to remove the tougher parts of the stem(which i use in stews/sauces! chop it up and sautee it along with garlic and onion), add literally just olive oil, water, pepper, garlic, and a bit of acid and then blend away! it keeps for a long time in the fridge and is also delicious beneath tomatoes/potatoes/cheese on open-faced sandwiches. if you want to be fancy you can of course add some type of hard cheese, nuts, seeds, dried tomatoes, whatever.

i know this is the longest text post ever, but as a last reminder, i really recommend watching pasta grannies on youtube. really simple recipes with focus on few, good ingredients that just takes some time and love.

[shytiff]

June Small Wins

1 - ecmocard meeting with ppl from aussie to learn to sort out data. Felt better after the meeting cause i didnt feel like doing anything before. Got two season deli box cake from dapur cokelat for nessa. Videocalled w her and ren.

2 - dr eva chatted and gave things to do. I also need to make intern log for dr retha. I just cant bring myself to start. Finally mustered the courage. Im not the type of person for wfh. At least in this house. Finished reading love or hate. I rly felt like shit at night.

3 - started reading positively yours. Had no will to do anything

4 - some more sending spss work for dr eva. weekdays with no “outside work” rly render me useless in functioning. a vegetable

5 - iluni webinar. Lost my attention during electrolyte and fluid stuff. tried to cook ribeye steak lmao (meat from @/fridaymeatshop). Its too chewy and leathery. But its not too welldone. And at least it tastes good. Went to depok by krl. its quite quick since krl arrived just after im at poris and duri. went ahead of silvi devi. satpam on the lobby wont open the access hhhh (i dont have one. i dunno why. mom said she cant find it although we supposedly have 2). but my mood improved once im upstairs. we prepped a bit of deco. conversed in the dark so not to make racheel suspicious. surprisee. had truffle belly chicken cheese for dinner. the cheese was not to cheesy, its more of a gentle taste. mushroom tastes better. we watched sweet and sour from my mobile data. surprisingly, its not that much of data. slept at like 12-1ish

6 - the electric token went out in the morning. we went for a walk in ui. the PLK man across of st ui forbade us from going in. ugh. but it was rly empty. so we went from barel. its empty on the library. there was a dog that walked along with us. talked a bit in front of the lake. went back. i got 2 moon chicken (the basic flavor and not the wings) and spicy jumeokbap. the jumeokbap was nothing like what i had in korea. like the seaweed’s taste doesnt come out that much, and its not that flavorful/savory. the one in korea its good even by itself. went back to jkt nebeng reza silvi with devi. originally planned to go to flavola, but my head kinda hurts, so i finished my moon chicken at the mushola and asked juan to pick me up. still feel healthy and normal after going and staying out, so i started reading a book abt handwriting analysis lmaoo. fell asleep. tried several attempts to figure out my bpjs number and turns out the best there is to respond is BPJS’ twitter. the problem was solved under 5 mins. 

7 - woke up, fell asleep again. Adita told me that i might be interviewed today for the ipd intern but theres no info. Did the registration stuff for my bpjs. Registered for npwp. Watched bts x na pd

8 - off to RSF. its audit day today. hiks to phonecall follow up work. i did not do anything inaco related, i just sat there and did dr dafsah’s excel. dr vera bought me pecel ayam hehe yay. went to como park to meet up with indah regen. tried ricotta pizza from pizza place (33k). the cheese is cheese but not that typical cheesy (?) coupled with mushroom. i had to add sauce to withstand the last bites (still kinda full). tried other’s as well, pesto and mushroom. pesto had the most taste. while waiting for doggo to arrive, we bought gelato (S: 35k). apparently their special flavor was ricotta lmao. tried green tea (bitter, which i like) and peanut butter + caramel, which makes you feel thirsty. watched the doggos from the sidelines. after maghrib we went to 1/15. ordered ice mocha (50k). the chocolate taste stood out more. not gonna order again lol. the staff initially recommended pandan flavor. took grab to gbk station to go home.

9 - rsf. second audit day. i hate it here lmao. im not even paid for my time here. excused myself to eat. turns out mbak Ai bought hokben. i almost forgot thanking her since i felt hungry with a bit of headache. talked a bit with dr retha regarding changes of assistant (since internship is soon). went back and immediately laid down in bed. mom bought pizza so thats what i ate for dinner. fell asleep (i can feel it. my face will get consequences)

10 - cant bring myself to do anything. i reread painter of the night lmao. seungho is a prick. inhun is also a prick (a greedy one). ate arirang bone marrow. put the egg-seasoning mixture to the pan since im not confident enough to just pour boiling water into the bowl. felt surprisingly full. went to sbux. green tea latte as usual. but turns out tumblr 50% promo only applies to sbux member. so i had to pay 40k for my green tea latte. at least i got to feel good from outside vibes. did some follow up for INACO patients. 

11 - went to rm rsf. Took lots of photos of RM. I was given rujak by the rm staff lmaoo so cute. Didnt do any entry afterwards lmao i just laid down

12 - breakfast is paldo jjajangmen and egg. It tasted like soy. Its good but not in a micin way. Its quite fulfilling. Had some of the beef slices by putting it in a buttered pan (is it pan fried? Grilled? Idk). Had banana and brownies together (makes it rly good). Did a bit of clires work. I drank sbux's caramel macchiato but yall my stomach cant handle it lmao. It hurts so much that i even got a headache. So i just laid down in bed

13 - had arirang again loll. Inserted the egg to the pan still, but quicker this time. Its too salty today. Maybe its not enough water. I was eating it while googling how to remove excess sodium. Ate the rest of beef slices (shared with bros ofc) and mixed some with moms fried rice. Ate banana brownies again. Felt soooo full. Did some clires work accompanied by sbux matcha

14 - i felt like shit this morning. Watched leahs vid. Listened to her podcast while having bfast. I walked from moms car to bougenville while still feeling like shit. It slowly gets better afterwards, thankfully. Did some clires and follow up. Went to gandy steak in dr retha's car (which had anesthesiology textbook inside). Tried aus sirloin steak. The bread tasted ok. The garlic bread also ok. The mashed potato was so so (the one in depok was more creamy and smooth). The steak was good, especially the fat part, the sauce so so. Honestly that depok steak had more value for money compared to this, i think. Nebeng dr rara and husband to busway station. Arrived in ar and i immediately showered, such wow 👏👏

15 - today is no rsf day aka self made wfh day. Moms getting vaccinated today. I just lazed. And read kanej fics

16 - off to rsf. Took care of rm stuff. Tried social affair's croffle since i was so curious (60k [10k tip]). The nutella and cinnamon sugar one. Its crunchy and a bit crumbly inside, but not as fragile as croissant. Its quite fulfilling too. But its basically flour batter variations. (thats what mom would say). randomly chatted racheel and we ended up taking a walk and a bit of jog citra 6 (with my sneakon regular shoes). My left tendon was screaming lol. Picked up by juan who surprisingly effortlessly found the address at night.

17 - mbak aan chatted me today to go to rscm. Met prof murdani at pesc and he gave me ppt assigment for 13:30 THAT DAY. Finished it unsatisfyingly (i wish i couldve done more). Lunch was free bebek bkb yay thankyou Prof c: (he even asked what did i ate) took care of legalisir stuff. Went home by tj. Drank matcha w vsoy and i somehow was not sleepy after maghrib. I also changed my desj layout. Maybe it kinda works to separate my spaces

18 - arrived at rscm at 8-ish. sent updated thibbun nabawi ppt. literature search. and then somehow its 14:30. went to SCI w ara wani rasyid. tried bandeng nyonya, oyster, salmon, cumi lada garam (its crazy good among all the good tasting food wtff), shrimp and pocai telor (veggie stuff). dessert was thailand cassava. spent about 190k. went back by TJ. had wudu at pulomas and prayed ashar on the bus lol. i passed out after playing w my phone lmaoo  

19 - spent almost the whole day just sleeping and eating. finally showered in the afternoon. had matcha vsoy latte after maghrib and with enough day sleeping, i did presentation outline. at like 1/2 am i initially planned to sleep but my eyes still have plenty of watts. so i read hold me tight. slept at like 4/5 am

20 - woke up at 9. off to om dokter’s house to ask for healthy letter. we talked almost the entire time im there lol. before u know it mom and dad’s done talking with grandma. om dokter shared some of his experiences in the past. and he said something about making your choice and living with it, and it will all have a meaning even if you might initially agonize about it. girl i was holding back tears. here he was talking about choices, something i never rly talk about at my house. im getting teary just typing this. he talked about it in a way that sounds simple, even though i agonized abt internship choices and sometimes avoid thinking about it. it rly rly was a new experience. i dont rly talk about “choices” with my parents. so hearing how to go through options in life from a person i can relate to regarding this med stuff is. i feel like i would have loved it if i can hear his wisdom earlier. i dont talk with him much if my parents are around bcs they will just meddle and say stuff that wreck my peace. they dont rly know what im going through but can be very opinionated. this peaceful one on one talk rly made me feel relieved and reassured. and i was today years old when i found out he initially wanted to be a psychiatrist. he would have been a great psychiatrist. i feel like we have some understanding thats left unsaid. like he knows how my parents are like. he would probably understand why i dont talk with him much at AR. after what feels super quick, we went back to AR. registered for STR. searched some literature for the topics that Prof is the moderator of. powered by matcha energy

21 - rscm as usual. the Prof did not come. lunch was bread i brought from home. waited for mom to pick me up at kfc so i bought pukis kfc. its like properly made pukis and not the street seller made ones. the chocolate one was good since the toppings generous. felt a bit feverish? like my body felt warm. fell asleep and then suddenly its 6 am in the morning. 

22 - Prof still did not came. had amart’s ayam penyet jamur for lunch. turns out juan bought ayam geprek gendut for dinner. night time is diarrhea time lmaooooo. did not feel sleepy at AR but i skipped shower again lmao,,,,,,,, and then suddenly its morning again

23 - jajan from sisterfield today. tried their carrot cake and kopi susu gula aren. the carrot cake has that carrot texture. its different. the icing was fresh cream cheese that made the cake taste good. the coffee made my stomach ache a bit. it has that subtle chocolatey taste. fell asleep again. third time’s the charm (of 1x/day face wash). woke up at 3 am planning to sleep but i ended up washing my face. turns out atikah was still awake due to AZ fever.

24 - this is the bestest sleep i had in this week (?) had a dream about going to bandung and the car falling to water. forgot my headset today. can finally meet prof Mur. talked abt inaco stuff w agassi. reread komugi meruem lmaoo. felll asleep. somehow had the misfortune of hearing dad’s hurtful words to mom. i want to fall asleep again but its difficuly. i went through stages of pent up anger, some sort of selfishness (i will go out from jakarta for internship), amazement to mom, and... (continue 2moro)

25 - lunch was dori rice from kanprim thanks to rasyid’s jastip. watched bts’ butter norebang lolll :(((. arrived at AR the fastest ive been. mom came to me right before maghrib and  summed some stuff dad said yesterday. she handled it in a trivial way. like she was unaffected. and that somehow helped me too. stuck around in the dining room for a while after maghrib. talked about internship w mom. i left some chance for dad to yap yap abt whatever related to internship (thankfully songs were full volume through my wireless headset) while im inhaling through my matcha latte. i wont write what he said bcs its lowkey super embarrassing. thank the gods for wireless speakers. 

26 - did not do anything productive today. Had arirang salted egg for bfast (wont repurchase). Had the meat cubes i bought online and its rly good. Ran with racil at citra 6. The tendon in my left feet hurt lol. Gmeet with ara et al to discuss internship review

27 - lazed. Wanted to start my day early but couldnt bring myself to. Binge watched twoset videos. Did clires stuff. 1 more RM to wait from IRMIK. No gastro intern work this weekend aaaa im starting to panic.

28 - juan came along otw to rscm. Talked about iship otw. brought tons of stuff to eat, including matcha latte, but i was unable to finish it lol. Discussed research budgeting w Prof. Didnt do anything in home. Starting to panic with my ppt progress.

29 - discussed budgeting revision. Prof thought abt little details i didnt even consider. Didnt do anything while at ar anjengggg

30 - prof did not come to dept today. Listemed to agassi rambling abt intern stuff. Immediately opened my laptop in ar. Watched two set. Played marapets lmaooo i finally managed to gather 3 au for shop pricer. But still didnot wash my face 👁️👄🤦‍♀️ maybe bcs i hate doing what people tells me to do (re: shower due to covid scare). Had a nightmare abt being in a car ride alone w dad and it was rly rly awkward

[kentonramsey]

The 10 Frozen Dinners I (Bravely) Tried, Ranked

There’s nothing quite like waking up at 7 a.m. to pop a frozen “lemon pepper fish fillet” into the oven—a morning routine I never considered until last week, when my editor Haley requested that I review 10 frozen meals.

“Okay,” I replied tentatively. “But, also, did you see my pitch about tasting all the potato chip flavors in Paris?”

“LOL,” she wrote back. “Please include some frozen seafood options.”

I’ve got no problem with frozen dinners, technically speaking. My mom fed me many a block of Stouffer’s Spinach Soufflé (accent theirs) during the years 1993 through 1999. And it’s not that I’m a snobby food writer or anything like that—I’m so often accompanied by Cheez-Its they’re basically my house pet. It’s just that, as an adult, I’ve had one too many experiences with foods defrosted directly from the freezer that have resulted in me using words like “gummy” and “moist” and “jesus christ, this is bland, quick pass me that hot sauce you stole from a Mexican restaurant.” Also, I recently threw up after eating chicken piccata on a short-haul flight. 

But I am nothing if not open-minded (I once purchased low-waist jeans) and apparently I’m in the minority when it comes to dinners that begin as ice cubes. “Sales of microwavable meals are rising at the fastest pace in a decade,” declared the Wall Street Journal in their latest dispatch on the topic. Furthermore, Haley pretty much insisted: It is Forever Month, after all, and nothing endures quite like a frozen dinner.

So I took a stroll down my local freezer aisle and selected 10 frozen dinners that seemed most representative of all 2020 has to offer, from nostalgic throwbacks to more modern fare, such as a noodle bowl that claims to be “powered by plants.” To truly level the playing field, I added nary a flake of Maldon nor a drop of Huy Fong chili garlic sauce to any plastic tray of reheated food. Below, I’ve ranked them in ascending order of least to most likely to be consumed by me again.

Were any delicious enough to make me forget about the chicken piccata incident? Let’s find out.

10. Evol’s Truffle Parmesan Mac & Cheese

440 calories, 24 grams fat, 560 milligrams sodium, 44 grams carbs, 14 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: Evol’s Mac & Cheese box says it contains “tubetti” pasta and creamy truffle-parm-ched cheese sauce “all topped with insanely tasty panko breadcrumbs,” which presents a lot to unpack. First thing: You’re telling me there’s been a noodle shape called “tubetti” all along, and it’s basically just a longer version of ditalini, not extremely long strands of hollow and unpredictable noodles that look like amusement park slides, or bucatini on rumspringa? Nothing ever goes my way. Second thing: Didn’t we collectively decide not to use “insane” in such a casual, pejorative way anymore? That seems wise.

What’s Inside: Tubetti pasta in a cheese sauce, topped with problematic breadcrumbs.                             

How It Tastes: I wanted so badly to love this frozen dinner, which is essentially just cheese wrapped tenderly around starch. But the parm-cheddar situation lacked the salt needed to coax flavor from fat, and it turns out I’m just not a truffle maximalist. The breadcrumbs were respectable, especially around the edges where they rubbed shoulders with cheese, and were crunchier than anticipated. One remarkable, exhilarating discovery was the bottom of the tubetti, where there formed a floor-layer of sauce and breadcrumbs that melded together and tasted like crispy cheese twists. 

The Final Word: This is a reliable option for people who love truffles in any form, even in theory. Otherwise, just make cheesy pasta on the stovetop. 

9. Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pie 

600 calories, 32 grams fat, 960 milligrams sodium, 61 grams carbs, 17 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie (hereby known as a CPP) comes in a box so assertively compact, it may as well be me trying out for the 10th grade mock trial team. Cramped freezers, this one’s for you. 

What’s Inside: No celery to speak of, contrary to the image on the package, but lots of the sort of gravy one associates with a pot pie, as well as chicken in pieces I can only describe as chunks, despite an aversion to the word, some softened carrot coins, and a gaggle of peas. 

How It Tastes: Like any CPP, this one had its highs and its lows. The crust was super pleasant (and adorably crimped), both on top and down below. The chicken chunks—ugh—were texturally fine, but may as well have been any old white meat. I’m always down for aggressively mushy carrots and reheated peas, though I would’ve liked three times as many. The gravy was a disappointment, which is disappointing in itself, because gravy exists to lift the spirits of all other elements in a dish, like Jerry Harris in Cheer.

The Final Word: A homemade CPP would’ve been better, but who has that kind of time?! This one could get the job done on a cold night, or a hungover Sunday, or any time you need to comfort yourself because you didn’t get onto the 10th grade mock trial team and now you review snacks for a living. 

8. Smart Ones’ Pasta with Swedish Meatballs

290 calories, 5 grams fat, 740 mg sodium, 40 grams carbs, 17 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: The meatballs present as gray in the photo, like a cartoon rendering of a kidney stone, or gefilte fish long after its prime. This is, however, the least confusing aspect when you consider that both flat-leaf and curly-leaf parsley are pictured. Absolute anarchy. 

What’s Inside: Lots of saucy noodles, described in box copy as “freshly made pasta” but in the ingredient list as “cooked enriched macaroni product,” and about six-ish small meatballs (I forgot to count before plunging in, as I love meatballs fervently and urgently).

How It Tastes: Classic Swedish meatballs are cooked in a savory, creamy, meaty gravy. This iteration was underwhelming—not nearly lively enough—but the meatballs themselves slapped so hard I texted my mom about them. The noodles were surprisingly fine, if a bit soggy, but they’re defrosted cooked noodles, so give them a break.

The Final Word: This one’s for those who love mini meatballs on any occasion (me, I’m talking about me) and can look past limp trimmings. Others might opt out. 

7. Lean Cuisine’s COMFORT Herb Roasted Chicken

170 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 520 milligrams sodium, 17 grams carbs, 18 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: I associate Lean Cuisine with my little sister’s babysitter, who was always firing them up when she was babysitting, so I was disturbed to realize I’d selected a “Lean Cuisine COMFORT,” which, based on the CAPS, would be unlikely to transform my entire persona into one of self-restraint and virtue. 

What’s Inside: A slice of chicken that seems like a cross-section of a breast, gravy (I’m sensing a theme!), mushrooms, a few potato pieces, broccoli, and two or three errant clippings of what looks to be red pepper. 

How It Tastes: I’ve spent more time than I care to recall with chicken breasts, the devil’s cut, and I actually kind of loved this one. It somehow managed not to be rubbery, or to taste like weird old meat, despite being dubiously thin and lacking a bone. The vegetables were bland—old song, new tune—but the gravy could get it. It looked and tasted like diner gravy, in the best possible way: a blonde roux with just enough salt, and some indistinguishable dried herb flecks. 

The Final Word: This would make for a very decent (if light) chicken dinner while you, say, Google your sister’s old babysitter to see what she’s up to. 

6. Healthy Choice’s Lemon Pepper Fish

280 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 510 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams carbs, 14 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: None really, which is notable in and of itself.

What’s Inside: A roughly three by four-inch fillet of breaded pollock, over a bed of rice with colorful flecks in it, a bunch of broccoli, and an “apple dessert.”

How It Tastes: The fillet didn’t smell great right out the gate, but was actually lovely, like one big, flat fish stick. It did taste vaguely lemony and vaguely peppery, but more like the ideas of lemon and pepper than the actual ingredients. The broccoli became very small when heated and angrily expelled a lot of liquid, but otherwise tasted like broccoli. I’m tempted to gloss right over the rice, which was flavorless and mattered less than zucchini on a crudité platter, so we can get to that “apple dessert.” I’ve got to say, my expectations were low given that it looked like (and may have been) ambiguous fruit lumps floating in a jacuzzi filled with taupe slop. But man was I wrong! I loved that “apple dessert.” It was sweet and kind of cinnamon-y, cozy but not cloying. Its only flaw was package design, by which I mean that when I tipped the tray back to drink the apple-sugar syrup, I got hot broccoli water all over my face. 

The Final Word: If you’re willing to let go of your normative notions about how fish sticks should be shaped, you won’t regret it. 

5. Hungry-Man’s Spicy Boneless Chicken Wyngz 

790 calories, 43 grams fat, 1620 milligrams sodium (okay, WHAT!), 76 grams carbs, 24 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: Oh boy. Literally everything. First, why must we gender frozen dinners? And if we must gender frozen dinners, need we use a superfluous hyphen as in the style of Hungry-Man? Moving right along, what the hell is a wyng, and is wyngz in fact its true plural? Aha, here’s one answer, elsewhere on the box: wyngz are “seasoned fried white meat chicken patties” and these particular wyngz are served with “mashed potatoes and tangy buffalo dipping sauce—includes a chocolate brownie” because hungry-men don’t use an oxford comma, apparently, but they do call in a random em dash when it suits them.

What’s Inside: A truly chaotic amount of wyngz, a pocket of potato matter, a generous serving of spicy sauce, and a brownie that puffs up while it cooks until it’s buoyant as a blow out. 

How It Tastes: The chicken nuggets—let’s call these little fuckers what they are—were delightful, with a well-seasoned shell evocative of top-notch fast food. The tangy buffalo dipping sauce was tangy as promised, and plentiful enough to make a wan French person say, “That’s how much le hot sauce I use in a whole year.” The mashed potats were a mere ghost of mashed potats, sad sad sad. (They can be improved with periodic drizzles of the buffalo sauce, if any of your allotted third-of-a-cup remains.) And the brownie! What a journey she and I had. I thought the brownie was going to be awful, because it looked like a burned muffin, but that’s why they tell you never to judge a brownie by its acclivity. It turned out to be fudgy, decidedly good, and dare I say the perfect foil to the salty-spicy wyngz. 

The Final Word: If I were wine-drunk and someone made this frozen dinner for me, I’d be thrilled.  

4. Stouffer’s CLASSICS Lasagna with Meat & Sauce

370 calories, 13 grams fat, 900 milligrams sodium, 42 grams carbs, 21 grams protein 

Notable Packaging Details: The box broadcasts “100% pure beef,” which begs the question: What is impure beef? It also says it contains “2x the meat*,” which would be existentially confounding on its own, even if it wasn’t followed by an asterisk and fine print that reads: “2x the meat required by the lasagna with meat sauce standard.” This sent me on an internet deep dive, which sent me to Stouffer’s PR rep, because I absolutely needed to know who set such a standard and when, and whether I’ve been shirking it my whole life. (Answers: USDA, and “6 percent fresh meat.” Let’s move on immediately.)

What’s Inside: A large hunk of lasagna with zero accompaniments, though the box does diplomatically suggest that you “pair this portion with a side salad and a glass of low-fat milk as part of a balanced diet.” I most certainly did not. 

How It Tastes: Pretty much exactly like SpaghettiOs Meat Ravioli*, if memory serves. Which is to say, the pure beef had a certain eau de can, but in a way that’s totally fine and you can live with. The noodles were thicker than expected—more stick than sog—and small nubs of cheese swam throughout the sauce like plastic in our oceans. A lasagna noodle peeking out from the soupy, cheesy mélange wasn’t crispy, per se, but was dry and unsauced in a way that offered some textural diversity. (*Apologies for the tangent but I just learned that SpaghettiOs are called “Spaghetti Hoops” in the UK and I can’t be alone with that, now can I?) 

The Final Word: Some evenings just call for eating reheated lasagna while wearing a soft bathrobe. On those occasions, why not treat yourself to 2x the meat?

3. Amy’s Cheese Tamale Verde

380 calories, 16 grams fat, 780 milligrams sodium, 46 grams carbs, 12 grams protein 

Notable Packaging Details: This box is the equivalent of your friend who keeps posting about her Whole30, in that phrases like “Organic” and “No GMOs” and “Gluten Free” feature prominently, and you’re not remotely interested in learning more. The imagery shows a decanted tamal plated against a Jan Frans van Dael-esque tableaux of semi-unwrapped tomatillos and auburn hibiscus, with a thin slice of lime resting peacefully against a mound of rice and beans, as if cat-napping.

What’s Inside: A Monterey Jack tamal with salsa verde, Spanish rice, ORGANIC black beans, and a disappointing lack of lime slices. 

How It Tastes: Unwrapping a tamal as if it’s a little present just for you is roughly 80 percent of the fun of a tamal, so I was bummed to realize this one came sans husk. Once I recovered from that blow, I got involved straight away with the masa, which was perfectly fine—not quite as crumbly as I would have liked, but I wouldn’t kick it out of bed, which is where I typically eat. The beans and rice were take-or-leave, and I took, as I was still possessed by the spirit of The Hungry-Man. Melty cheese remains superb as ever, but there was about 10 percent as much as I wanted. The star—the salsa verde—was in fact pert and additive, if subtle.  

The Final Word: I’d happily enjoy this any day but my birthday, when the absence of a little gift would feel too on the nose.

2. Kashi’s Creamy Cashew Noodle Bowl

360 calories, 14 grams fat, 400 milligrams sodium, 46 grams carbs, 15 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: Kashi’s Creamy Cashew Noodle Bowl is vegan, but not in your face about it. Like, if you invited it to your birthday dinner, it wouldn’t make a big fuss about splitting a bill that includes non-vegan dishes others ordered for the table. 

What’s Inside: A tangle of buckwheat-semolina noodles tossed with julienned carrots, strips of red onion, shelled edamame, and cashew sauce. 

How It Tastes: This was solid—it reminded me of something one would’ve made in the early days of Blue Apron: simple, on the sweeter side, healthy, and inoffensive. Were I not committing a restrictive and completely self-imposed experiment, I would’ve added salt and spice and then I think I would’ve really enjoyed it. 

The Final Word: Best to keep a few of these in your freezer for those biweekly panics about eating like total trash.

1. Trader Joe’s Chicken Tikka Masala

360 calories, 14 grams fat, 580 milligrams sodium, 39 grams carbs, 21 grams protein

Notable Packaging Details: The box itself is pretty blah—there’s no real sob story or intriguing photography. Someone at TJ’s did manage to sneak the word robust into the copy, though, as in “roasted chicken breast in a robust cream sauce,” a feat that strikes me as quietly subversive, like when your friend smuggles a scone into a SoHo House so you can eat it clandestinely from her purse.

What’s Inside: There’s chicken tikka masala in that robust sauce, which takes up about 60 percent of the interior real estate, and cumin-flavored basmati rice, which makes up the balance. Who do I have to wine and dine (etc.) to get a piece of naan around here? 

How It Tastes: TJ’S CTM was my most highly anticipated frozen dinner, for sure; the internet loves it. Once heated, its plastic film puffed up so proudly that I suspected it knew this. After letting the tray cool for years, I dove in. It certainly wasn’t the best chicken tikka masala I’ve ever had—the sauce leaned heavy on the spices, rather than the balance of richness and tanginess—but it still hit the spot. (Full disclosure, the chicken pieces weren’t particularly tender, and based on the texture alone I might’ve guessed they were cooked tuna.) The rice tasted less of cumin and more of bottled water, though it served as a suitable carb with which to shovel sauced chicken into my mouth.

The Final Word: This chicken tikka masala would make for an exciting desk dinner any night of the week. (A desk-dinner’s when you eat at your desk as though you’re going to continue to work after normal working hours have ended, like some sort of Laura Dern character, but moments after you finish your dinner, you melt-down, move to the couch, and turn on Love Island.)

In conclusion, it’s probably best that I avoid sodium for a while. But in the meantime, I’ll be thinking good thoughts about microwavable chicken tikka masala, creamy cashew noodles, and the whole gang, actually—everyone’s got at least one strength. 

And Haley, if you’re reading this, I’d still really like an all-expenses paid trip to Paris. 

Have a hot (or cold) tip for our Snacks Critic? Leave a comment or send her a note at contactellaquittner@gmail.com.

Photos by Alistair Matthews. Prop Styling by Max Rappaport.

The post The 10 Frozen Dinners I (Bravely) Tried, Ranked appeared first on Man Repeller.

The 10 Frozen Dinners I (Bravely) Tried, Ranked published first on https://normaltimepiecesshop.tumblr.com/ The 10 Frozen Dinners I (Bravely) Tried, Ranked published first on https://mariakistler.tumblr.com/

[codsilk80-blog]

SALT-BAKED POTATOES WITH CHEESY ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE & BROCCOLI

pin it!pin it!pin it!pin it!pin it! I make a wide variety of things for our dinners, always trying to shake things up and to prepare vegetables in new ways. It’s kind of my job, right (lol)?! But HONESTLY. I always just want loaded baked potatoes (or a heaped plate of roasted potatoes is fine too), pizza, and giant bowls of pasta. I’m a woman that enjoys her carbs and comforts, what can I say. I know what I like! I have a few pasta recipes posted here, which is highly reflective of our real life. I always feel meh about sharing pizza recipes because I normally just make up some version with red sauce, roasted and raw veg, all the salty/hot things (olives, sundried tomatoes, pepperoncini), and a heavy sprinkle of some vegan “parm” or a drizzle of a creamy cashew-based sauce. It’s the same every time and there are soo many recipes for pizza dough on the internet already. But baked potatoes with stuff inside? I haven’t really gone there yet. Sweet potatoes don’t count ;) To launch into this exciting but also familar territory, I went with a fairly classic flavour combination. Crispy baked potato, cheesy sauce, steamed broccoli, chives, lots of pepper. I am a fan of also consuming the skin of the potato, especially when prepared using the salt-baked method that I’ve described here. The skin gets golden, crispy, and yes also salty. Perfect for encasing some oozy cheesy sauce and tender broccoli. This larger recipe happens to include my go-to vegan “cheese” sauce. This version is made with sunflower seeds, but I also enjoy it with cashews. It’s perfect here, but also amazing with pasta. You could even stir in some diced canned green chilies to use it as a queso kinda thing. Bonus tip: the sauce is even creamier and almost “stretchy” if you blend in a peeled and thoroughly boiled potato. You have to let the motor of the blender run for a while to really activate the starch, and it’s so worth it! I left the potato out of this recipe because the sauce is being poured INTO a potato so… This is highly make-ahead friendly. The sauce will keep in the fridge for about a week. If you pre-cut your broccoli florets at the beginning of the week, this recipe just needs some oven time, a little steam on the broccoli, and a re-heat of the sauce. Perfect for getting other things done while dinner finishes in a hands-off kinda way. Hope you guys love this one as much as I do! Carbs forever.

pin it!pin it!pin it!pin it!

SALT-BAKED POTATOES WITH CHEESY ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE & BROCCOLI Print the recipe here! SERVES: 4 NOTES: My Russet potatoes were freshly dug and not as large as standard supermarket ones, hence why you see 2 in my photos as one serving. -I kept this recipe nut-free with the sunflower seeds, but if you have cashews on hand and prefer those, feel free to use an equal amount. Just remember to soak them for at least an hour. -Freshly roasted peppers or ones from a jar are both great! -DEFINITELY try the cheesy roasted red pepper sauce on pasta for a mac and cheese vibe! -My smoky and crunchy coconut bacon would be incredible on top of these! POTATOES 4 standard baking potatoes (Russets) 1 tablespoon avocado oil sea salt CHEESY ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE 1 teaspoon avocado oil 1 shallot, chopped (or ½ of a small onion) 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained 1 roasted red pepper 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 ½ tablespoons mild miso (I used a chickpea-based one) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce OR coconut aminos 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 cup hot water sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste hot sauce, to taste ASSEMBLY 4 cups broccoli florets (from roughly 1 bunch) Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scrub and dry the potatoes and prick them a few times with the tines of a fork. Brush the potatoes with oil and place them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the salt over the potatoes, rotating the potatoes for even coverage. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown and crispy, and also tender when poked with a paring knife. Keep warm until ready to serve. While potatoes are baking, prepare the cheesy roasted red pepper sauce. Heat the teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer the shallots and garlic to an upright blender. To the blender add the sunflower seeds, roasted red pepper, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, Dijon, tamari, smoked paprika, water, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Blend the mixture on high until smooth and creamy, about 3 full minutes. Add more water by the tablespoon if necessary. Scrape the sauce into a small saucepan and keep it on low heat on the stove until you’re ready to serve. Steam or boil the broccoli florets until tender but still bright green, about 5-6 minutes. To serve: Place a salt-baked potato on your serving plate. Cut the baked potatoes down the middle lengthwise. With a fork, pry them open and lightly mash the cooked insides, keeping the potato’s shape intact. Season the flesh with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour a quarter of the cheesy roasted red pepper sauce into the potato. Top the potato with a quarter of the broccoli, some chopped chives, and extra ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

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Source: http://thefirstmess.com/2018/08/22/salt-baked-potatoes-cheesy-roasted-red-pepper-sauce-broccoli-recipe/