#My husband: -makes me a delicious dinner + an incredible cake + mixes me a drink + draws me an adorable picture of Tuvok-

[bumblingbabooshka]

Happy birthday! I hope you have a good day!

Thank you, I've had a very good day indeed!

[losingitinjersey]

Happy due date, Aug! 

As you can see from the pictures, Erp and Aug met each other for the first time at the hospital!  My mom brought Erp over with her (you can tell she was dressed by her with the huge bow and fancy shoes) and it was SO GREAT to see my girl again!!  I’ve never had this much time away from her and I couldn’t get enough of her hugs and cuddles.  She was curious but cautious of her sister but continued to share her toys and books with her!  Although, every time Aug cried, Erp would shrink into herself and start crying as well, crawling into my arms for comfort.  My heart!  

On Friday at noon, 53 hours of being in the hospital and sitting in that increasingly uncomfortable bed, we were all packed up, dressed and ready to be discharged only to learn that Aug didn’t pass her hearing test on her left ear.  We were told we had to stay for four more hours for her to retake the test.  Defeated, disappointed and worried, we tucked in, napped and waited out those hours only to have her not pass a third time.  The hospital pediatrician wasn’t worried and said we’d just need to follow up with an audiologist in 4 to 6 weeks to see what’s going on.  By 6 p.m. that night, 59 hours in total at the hospital, we were finally on our way back home.  

We’ve now had over 24 hours at home with all five of us (my mom, Kevin, Erp, Aug and myself) and, I gotta say, I’m SO happy to be out of the hospital and adjusting to life at home.  

The first night at home (Friday the 13th) was rough.  I was emotionally and physically exhausted, desperate to create and cling to a routine that made sense.  But since Aug needs to feed every three hours (from the start of the feeding, and each feeding takes at least 30 minutes), there’s not much time in-between each session.  Kevin asked me if we could supplement with formula to give myself time to rest and not being responsible for each feeding but I refused.  Sure, my milk hasn’t come in yet but I wanted to do it all myself and work hard at feeding and getting my supply going through all the feedings.  I got maybe two hours sleep the first night.  

On Saturday morning, Kevin, Aug and I drove the hour and a half to our pediatrician in Norfolk to have her check out the babe.  She was very concerned about her weight loss and told us we need to immediately start supplementing with formula.  Like, had to do a bottle right there in the office in front of her and to give her 2oz of formula every three hours on top of breastfeeding. We have a follow-up appointment on Monday and Wednesday for weight-checks.  While I was disappointed to hear my girl, who was already a better at breastfeeding than Erp, wasn’t getting enough food.  Since this information was told to me by the pediatrician and not by my husband, I had no qualms about it and just want to make my girl healthy.  

The rest of the day went well.  I was able to nap AND shower!  First time in four days!  I was a new woman!  My mom asked me what she could buy me as a small gift of celebration - if I wanted a cake or ice cream or something.  Hands down, totally asked for a big dinner from Jersey Mike’s sub sandwiches.  Best decision ever.  That night my hormones got the best of me when my mom and Kevin decided to prioritize my sleep over everything else and basically sent me to bed at 9:30 p.m. telling me not to get back up until my shift at 6 a.m.  Oh, and also, that Kevin wanted Aug to try to sleep in her crib in the nursery with Erp (in her own crib) that night.  That decision was something I wasn’t ready to process and I tail-spinned from there.  I knew my hormones and lack of sleep were getting the best of me as I desperately tried to explain my feelings and try to help out more. Eventually, I just went to bed and hoped for the best, trusting my husband and mom were capable and just trying to do the best thing for me (even though *I* thought the best thing for me was to help out more, not sleep). (Also, the room sharing only lasted maybe five minutes before Aug started crying and needed to be removed from the room).  

Day three at home, Sunday/today, has been amazing so far.  Even though I was awake for two hours during the night, I did get a total of six hours and had a really great morning solo with Aug.  This was probably the most time she and I have spent one-on-one with each other and it was so needed.  I woke up at 6, by 6:30 I was breastfeeding her, by 7 I was feeding her a bottle.  By 7:30 she was down for a nap and I was pumping.  By 8 I got Erp up and loved having a solo morning with her, it was so good for us both!  By 8:30 I was finally able to make myself a delicious breakfast of avocado toast, fried eggs and french pressed coffee.  My mom was up at the same time so she was entertaining Erp while I got to eat in peace.  It was just the morning I needed.  Having that time with both girls one-on-one, but also at times together and having everything go well was so healing. 

Oh, and on top of everything else mentioned above, my feet have become horribly swollen thanks to the 3L of IV fluid pushed through my body and my face is incredibly puffy.  The breastfeeding cramps are brutal this time around and my nipples hate me. Desperately looking forward to a few weeks from now when, hopefully, my body has recovered more.  

Looking forward to continuing to find peace in structure and creating a routine that works well for us all.  While my free time is few and far between (especially when you throw in a very needy/grouchy cat into the mix who’s horribly being neglected despite my best efforts), I continue to find bright moments of joy in this new world of parenthood.  

[ffakc]

Little Talks - a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fanfiction

I don’t remember who wanted to be tagged except for a few, but @happysgal @negans-attagirl @iluvneganandjamie

It was Jeff and I’s one year anniversary. I had all kinds of ideas of what to do for him, but my anxiety had other plans. I bury my face into the pillows and try to fall back asleep.

“Happy Anniversary, sweetheart!” Jeff pokes his head in the bedroom.

“Happy Anniversary,” I whimper.

“Oh no,” Jeff sighs. “What is it, baby?” my husband sits next to me, stroking my hair, “I brought you coffee.” I roll over and look at him, “You’re so beautiful”, he kisses me and holds the cold cup in his outstretched hand. I sit up and put my glasses on.

“Don’t lie to me,” I wipe a few tears away and take a sip of the vanilla flavored goodness.

“I would never. So tell me, what’s buggin’ you?” Jeff kisses me and takes a swig of his own drink. He places his cup on the nightstand and climbs into the bed. I snuggle up next to him and rest my head in the crook of his neck.

Tears begin to form again as Jeff wraps his slender arms around me. “I’m having horrible intrusive thoughts about my family, about you. I’ve had this fear since my grandma died when I was little that everyone around me is going to either die or leave me. I was so excited to get up early and go get groceries for an elegant, delicious dinner for you and I can’t do it.”

“I am NEVER going to leave you, do you hear me?” Jeff speaks softly, stroking my cheek, “Look at me. I wouldn’t have put a ring on that finger if I didn’t want you to be mine forever. I love you so damn much.”

“I love you, Jeffrey. I’m sorry you have to deal with my bullshit,” I laugh to myself. My husband smiles.

“When I took that vow, ‘in sickness and in health’, I fuckin’ meant that. I’ll always take care of you, baby girl. Here,” he hands me my notebook and a pen, “Make your list and I’ll go to the store for you. Did you take your medication?” Jeff examines my pill bottle. I shake my head as he opens it and hands me one. I swallow it along with some more iced americano.

“Mmm, coffee and Zoloft. Breakfast of champions,” I joke. Jeff laughs and kisses my forehead.

“Now, what can Daddy do to start this anniversary off right?” Jeff says with a mischievous tone to his voice. I glance down at the blanket and back up at my rugged husband with puppy dog eyes, biting my lip. “Oh, I know what YOU want. Anything for my Princess,” Jeff smirks, diving under the covers and sliding down my pajama bottoms. I giggle and grip his soft, gray hair, “I love you so damn much, pretty girl,” he moans. I’m so grateful to have a man like Jeff.

***

“Darlin’,” Jeff sighs, unbuttoning his pants. “That was incredible. Lord, I ate too much,” he chuckles. I stand up and giggle, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. I run my hand over my husband’s hairy stomach.

“Got room for dessert?” Jeff moans with delight and kisses me. I grab a slice of our wedding cake from the back of the freezer and two forks. It was tradition after all!

“There’s always that little pocket in my stomach that wants something sweet. I love you so much.”

“I love you, Jeffrey,” I sit on my husband’s lap and feed him bites.

“Tastes like our first dance, autumn breeze, and kissing you til my lips hurt,” Jeff grins.

“Best day of my life. Happy Anniversary.”

“Happy Anniversary, baby girl,” Jeff places a swipe of frosting on my chest and licks it off seductively.

“Go sit on the couch, I have a surprise for you,” I run my fingers through my older man’s hair.

“Should I close my eyes?” Jeff giggles. I nod and I press my lips to his and climb off his lap, making my way to the bedroom. I change into a cute outfit I got just for the occasion. I strut back to the living room.

“Okay, open,” I say.

“Just when I think I can’t fall any more in love with you. Come here, baby,” Jeff’s croaky voice is so damn sexy.

“Not yet, Daddy,” I hook my phone up to the Bluetooth speaker and begin playing one of my favorite sensual songs, “Rock On” by David Essex. I shake my hips and mouth the words as Jeff stares at me like a lion waiting to pounce on his prey. I was dripping wet for him. I grind against his thigh and moan in his ear.

“Jeffrey Dean,” I insert his name into the song and run my tongue over Jeff’s lower lip, pulling it into my mouth. I scratch his beard lovingly as he deepens the kiss. I kiss his neck and grind against the bulge in his jeans.

“I want to fuck your pretty little brains out, sweetheart,” Jeff moans in my ear as the song fades out. His jeans are still unbuttoned and his erection is throbbing, so I take full advantage. I slide down onto him.

“Baby,” I whimper. I begin to rock my hips. Jeff removes his glasses so I can look deep into his hazel eyes. His intense glare takes my breath away.

“Oh Princess, you’ve got my heart racin’. Your pussy feels damn good on my cock,” Jeff purrs as he jerks his hips upwards to meet mine. I grab his gray hair and tilt his head back as he gasps in pleasure. My older man is so sexy. The rolling of my hips coupled with Jeff’s thrusts become intoxicatingly rhythmic. He digs his fingers into my sides. “I’m a fool for you, you know that? The greatest thing I ever did was ask you to be my wife,” he talks sweetly.

“You’re too good to me, my husband,” I moan loudly as Jeff hits the exact spot, “Oh, Daddy! Right there, Jeffrey!” I gasp.

“That’s my girl. Fuck yes,” Jeff kisses my neck. “Oh fuck, baby!” his pleasurable grunts reminded me of Negan and it was so hot. Warmth fills me up as Jeff finishes, gasping as his eyes roll back. He looked so beautiful. I pull off of his slowly softening cock, leaving a trail of our mixed fluids on his jeans. We both laugh breathlessly.

“Good thing it’s laundry day tomorrow,” I hold Jeff’s face and kiss him. Jeff chuckles as I roll off his lap and snuggle next to him. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close.

“I sure do love you, Mrs. Morgan. You make me the luckiest,” Jeff kisses my forehead.

“I love you too, Daddy,” I rub his hand and kiss his wedding band.

[izayoichan]

“What's aquavit?”

Vy licks his fingers and lips, having just finished the leg, the bone standing squeaky clean as Vy ate everything that wasn't bone

“Alcohol from Norway, drunk mostly with the fatty food, they have for Christmas.”

Hayden smiles, kinda impressed with the picked clean bone.

“And if you are more hungry, just dig in. I think we have enough food.”

“Oh yes! I'd like some, mister Chris, I want to try it.”

River lifts his hand, only to get small chuckle from his princess.

“Yeah, me too dad, goes well with this food.”

Hayle just shaking his head, taking a bottle of sake instead, Chris pouring a glass for River and Rylan before he looks at Vy. 

“So do you want to try it?” “Yes please!” “The trick to this, for you two new ones, down it all in one go, its why the glass is so small.”

Vy nods, though he's already scurrying the table for something else to bite on, finding some fish and sheepishly taking a bit to his plate with potatoes. Chris handing him a small glass with it, before lifting his own. 

“In true Ward family tradition: Merry Christmas, and Skål!”

Smiles as they all drink at the same time. Rylan shuddering a little, remembering why he only does this once a year, but it does oddly help with the heaviness of the fatty food. 

“Merry Christmas!”

River downs the drink in one go, letting go of a small cough and sneer, getting yet another chuckle from his boyfriend. 

“Okay, strong stuff. But good!”

Vy drinking his own and grimaces coughing holds tongue out grabbing some soda to drink instead, Hayden trying his best not to laugh at the faces he pulls. 

“Bitter!!” “It is bitter if I had to choose I'd take Sake, but me and alcohol is a bad combination, so I will stick with Cola.”

Rylan smiles, surprised Vy actually drank it. 

“You are now both official family members, drinking that is the gateway” “It is bitter, your cola is better, Hay hay...Can I try sake too?” “Officially Wards then. And little lizard, don't you think it's best you go slow with the heavy drinks? You might get tipsy! “ "What's tipsy?” “Tipsy... It's what happens when you drink alcohol before you get drunk. - tries to think of another way to explain it without really coming up with anything” “You get giggly, silly and unbalanced and so on..”

Hayle nods, still pouring a small glass of the sake so Vy can taste if he wants to.

“He is right, also mixing different types often backfires, although I don't know if you can get drunk... I can't so I just like the taste.” “I  don't know... can I still try it?” “Of course.”

Hayle hands him the small glass with Sake, having to wonder if it will have an effect on him or if he is like him not able to get drunk. River finishes his dinner, then pulls a serving of rice-cream with red sauce, taking some for Rylan as well. 

“Okay, let's test this!”

Vy takes a sip of sake, smiling widely.

“Oooh! I like!”

He quickly drinks the whole glass and coughs a little, starts glowing green.

“I like it! Have you tried it Hay hay? It's good and sweet!” “I have, but I don't drink as it tends to end badly.”

Hayden smiles, honestly enjoying seeing Vy this comfortable with everything.

"Oh! This is delicious! I like it a lot!” 

River grins as the taste of the sweet rice-cream blends with the raspberry red sauce. Rylan just smiling at him, happy he is here, and that his mother let him come after all. He had to admit, he was worried for a bit that he wouldn’t get to be there, and he did feel a bit bad for his mom, spending Christmas eve all alone. 

Vy leans back as he is done eating, smiling, patting his stomach.

“Ooh... I am so full! I don't think I have ever eaten this well before! Oh! I forgot something! Be right back!”

He gets up and runs out of the table and upstairs incredibly quick, tripping only twice up the steps and cursing, enters Hayden's room and looks under the bed, pulling the cake.

“Almost forgot!”

River watches Vy go, with a spoonful of rice-cream in his mouth, wincing when he hears him trip up the steps.

“Where is he going?” “Oh... Yeah, I forgot about that, we got a present for you all.”

He smiles, still a little worried though, not sure how he reacts to the alcohol and the fact that he was already tired from healing him. 

“Rylan, can you please make sure he gets back down?” “Sure.. And cake?” “From the cafe this morning.” “Oooh, nice!”

Rylan gets up to go help Vy, also thinking he might fall after two stumbles on the way up, Chris looking at the table, realizing there really isn’t any room for a cake. 

“Let's make some room for the cake then.” 

He starts carrying some off the food back to the kitchen, Hayle helping him, while Hayden just watches them, as River joins the two adults in packing away the leftover food. Vy is slowly going down the stairs when he notices Rylan.

“C-can you help me? I can't see the steps with the cake in front of me...”

he pouts a little, looking over the cake to try and see where he's placing his foot, and still a bit unbalanced. 

“Yep, I'm here to help.

He takes hold off the cake, helping Vy down with it.

“You want me to carry it? You seem a bit off balance still.” “I'm okay... I wanna help”

They walk down to the last steps, both them and the cake making it 

“Okay, let's take it to the table!”

They bring the cake to the dining table, Vy  a big smile on his face” River whistles looking over at the cake.

“Look at that! It's the coffee shop cake alright! I love that cake!”

He laughs, looks at Hayden.

“Your idea?” “No, it was Vy's idea when we were there earlier, to share with everyone.

He looks at Rylan and Vy as they place the cake, noticing his dad giving the same oogly look at the cake that Vy does whenever he sees something tasty, smiling, thinking it must be a dragon thing. 

“I just thought it was a great idea.”

Vy sits down next to Hayden again a bit flushed, but glowing green.

“We have cake! It's very tasty and sweet and I love it!”

River sits down and pulls Rylan to sit down next to him, sneaking a quick kiss. 

“Who gets the first slice?” “Not you!”

He sticks tongue out at River who laughs.

“I say ladies go first, so princess should get the first slice!” “Oh no, this princess is a nice princess and will wait.” “Since this was your idea Vy, you can take the first slice, or, decide who you think should get the first one.”

Vy looks at the cake and thinks, cuts two slices and hands one to Hayle then the other to Chris- 

“... I think you should get it first... thank you for allowing me here, to have dinner with you and live with you... thank you for being kinda parents for me since I d-... since my parents are far away...”

Then cuts two more and gives one to Hayden and the next to Rylan.

“Thank you for being my friends... “

He frowns at River and cuts a slice handing it to River next.

“Even you... stinky. Thank you for being my friend... “

River laughs, nodding at Vy

“It's from the dogs, isn't it?”

Rylan looks at River, then leans inn, sniffing his clothes.

“Yeah, you're clothing does smell of dog Mr, stinky.”

River laughs shaking his head looking at Rylan.

“I didn't even spend the day at the shelter today!”” “It's stuck in them, from all the other days there”

Hayden watches Vy as he talks, realizing he has his half-dragon form smiling to himself -

“You forgot one person Vy.” 

He forces his body to stand up, taking the knife from him, and cutting one more slice, before handing it to him.”

“The one who had the idea off having this cake, and the reason I get to have a proper Christmas for once.”

He hands Vy the slice, slumping back down on his chair, smiling at Vy. Hayle smiles, looking up at his husband, then over at the young dragon, feeling proud of the steps he has taken just the last few days. 

“Only one thing one can say to that: Welcome home Vy.”

Chris smiles, giving the young dragon a nod, happy he seems to feel as much at home as they want him too. River smiles watching them and presses lips to a thin line, now more than ever deciding to fix himself so he can also, one day be part of this family, which meant, facing his mistake.

“Well... Merry Christmas everyone and Bonn appetite” 

Vy smiles at them all feeling home and taking his slice, he is tearing up but happy-

“Home... Thank you! “ 

Hayden smiles, as everyone starts eating their cake, taking a small bite out of his, knowing that's about all he can manage, smirking as he notices Hayle already eyeing his husband's slice after engulfing his own. Like always, he gets what he wants as Chris just shows the rest of his over to him, the happy grin from his husband just making him shake his head. 

“Want to help me with this?”

He looked at Vy, as the cake on his plate had disappeared just as fast from his plate as it had from his dad's. Vy smiling at him, offering him a pice off it as well.

“Sorry, stomach after throwing up and a heavy chocolate cake tend to not mix. So all yours to enjoy.”

The rest of the cake is quickly eaten, Chris collecting plates walking them into the kitchen, followed by Hayle helping him to pack up the rest of the food. 

“You can head to the living room if you want, I am just going to get these leftovers where they are needed, and I will be right with you.”

Rylan looks at River, slightly wondering if he is able to move after eating all of it. 

“Food coma achieved?” “Almost, give me a couple of more chocolates, and you will be carrying me home. Come on princess.”

He steals a quick kiss before he takes Rylan with him to the living room, where the tree with all the packages under await them. Vy helping Hayden into the living room, putting him in an armchair, finding himself pulled into said chair and Haydens lap seconds later. 

“So when do we open gifts?” “Oh, when my dad is back from delivering the food at the local homeless shelter. There might be Christmas songs, although they often happen tomorrow and not today.” “Oh no, Christmas songs!” “Fair warning, your princess can’t sing!” “Good, because this frog can’t either.”

He chuckles and kisses Rylan playfully, brushing back his hair. Vy flushes red, suddenly super conscious that he is sitting on Hayden's lap, he shrinks a little, his glow disappearing as he readies himself for what he needs to do.

“Hayden... I need to tell you something... “ “Mhm?”

Hayle hands the last few packages to his husband, then walks into the living room, just smiling looking at his kids, sitting down in one of the sofa’s just happy to see them so happy, losing himself in just watching the Christmas tree for a bit. Vy looks at Hayden, ready to tell him just how he feels, but stops once he sees Hayle and blushes, even more, getting off Hayden's lap.

“is it present time?”

Hayden looks slightly confused at Vy, having a feeling that wasn’t what he was going to say, then again, maybe it was him reading to much into things. 

“Soon, missing one dad still, but when he gets back yes its present time.” “Dad is here, shall we then?”

Chris chuckles as he enters the room, something about this Christmas almost making him feel like when Rylan and Hayden were little kids again. The anticipation could be easily felt in the room. 

🎶

Beginning - Previous - Next

[yakumtsaki]

Take your hands off me, I don't belong to you, you see, and take a look at my face for the last time, I never knew you, you never knew me, say hello.. ♪

WAVE GOODBYE. 

WHADDUP PPL. Much like Ronroneo, we’re back from the dead and ready for a whole new generation of Union fuckery. We’re also officially.. drumroll.. MIDDLE CLASS. Our shiny new house is based on this one by frottana-sims​, which I downloaded but dumbassly forgot to install, and since loading the game takes a hot half-hour I opted for this poor recreation instead. We start the extreme home makeover with an incredible budget of..

...Yea, I see the value of getting 6 pets to the top of their careers now. Included in this insane sum is the 20k+ that Wyatt and Jojo brought with them moving in, and at first I’m worried that we’re way too rich for only generation 2. Well, careful what you wish for, cause here’s our post-remodeling budget:

LMAO. It’s as if not a day has passed since Vic started this legacy with a dream in her heart and crap to her name. Let’s check out the new digs!

Everything was purple.. his pills.. his hands.. his foyer. 

As eagle-eyed readers may observe, both the hall and the living room were designed with nothing else in mind but whether they matched our cat paintings. Per legacy rules I use as little cc as possible, which isn’t that hard since I feel this bizarre, angular and hugely impractical couch really encapsulates Jojo’s essence. Like if he was a servant in Beauty and the Beast this would be his furniture form.

Apparently the only things I deemed important enough to capture were the cat portraits, so it looks like my Komeization is finally complete! Here’s some floorplan shots tho so you don’t get disoriented in our labyrinth-like mansion. Please note our amazing pink-blue-purple kitchen! Barbie’s Dreamhouse who??

And here’s the second floor, which also illustrates the exact point I ran out of money. Honestly looking back I don’t understand how the fuck this place cost 70k?? Like nothing is particularly expensive except the amazing vintage batmobile which was around 30-40k and some of the paintings? But I guess all the small things add up in the end + I’m super bad with money..

..and I’m not the only one. Jojo GET A FUCKING GRIP and A JOB. Literally no comment @ your cat wants, you inherited the jaw, wasn’t that enough??? ANYWAY. I know the question on everyone’s mind is how is Wyatt going to fit in with the Unions.. and all I have to say about that..

..is LOL. Truly the perfect career for when your mother-in-law is a criminal mastermind and your husband is a serial killer! I mean the jokes practically write themselves. At least he doesn’t want 10 kids or any shit like that, cause I’ve seen hell and it was the result of mixing Jojo/Wyatt genes in cas.

On top of gifting us with his future-probably-fug children, Wyatt also gives us the gift of our first ever kitchen fire when he decides to make dinner with 1 cooking point. His generosity really knows no bounds.

It’s all fun and games now but Wyatt deadass almost died in the inferno and was about to take poor, stupid Komei with him, who of course ran to the fire even though he was in the yard. Meanwhile Victoria was safely watching tv and didn’t move while Jojo..

..was doing this in the next room. Two types of sims I guess!

-So Wyatt, you’ve been here for almost an hour now, burned down our kitchen and I still don’t see any grandchildren. I thought you were a family sim!

-Haha oh mom, you’re hilarious! Ignore her, Wyatt, let’s enjoy your delicious pasta.. It was definitely worth almost dying for.

-Your mama is right, mon cheri, not only do you have an obligatión to your famille but I rolled the want to have a bébé the second we graduated!

-Well it’s still gonna be there when we aren’t broke, Wyatt, god!

-But.. bébés, mon cheri! Tons of bébés I can have but never interact with, in typical famille sim fashión!

-UGH thanks a lot for opening this gate, mom. If only you had found your love of children when I was living on cat food.

-Well it’s different when they are your children, everyone knows that.

-THAT’S NOT WHY PEOPLE SAY THAT MOM

-Honestly, Jojό, I’m prouder of taking down your répugnant suitόrs than I am of graduating with honors!

-Aww Wyatt <3

-And if I have to souffrir through a childless existence to be with mon amour, so be it (:

-Aw- wait what?!

-Really, c’est bien, Jojό, marriage is all about compromise, nό? I mean, not that I would know since we’re not even married yet!

-Wyatt we’ve been here for 3 hours.

-My point précisément.. C’est bien though!

-Can’t believe I’m saying this but I really regret murdering Ti-Ning. 

That makes two of us, Jo. Honestly even Francis would be better than this. Family sim spouse??? Tf was I thinking. 

Ah, some things never change <3 It’s a new day and someone very special passes by our lot..

UGH NO not you asshole, once again delivering bills at the worst possible time.

-Miss me bitch?? Lolol

ONE OF THESE DAYS DAGMAR. ONE OF THESE DAYS ISTG

No, it’s mismatched beard townie, whose regular outfit is simply iconic, and he’s waving at me! What a sweetheart! TAKE SOME NOTES DAGMAR YOU FROZEN-FACED FREAK

-Umm he’s actually waving at me, moron.

-WRONG, he’s waving at me!

Ok it literally doesn’t matter who he’s waving at. 

-Well c’est moi. 

OK WHATEVER WYATT GOD. Just go off to work in a position you’re criminally unqualified for and try not to die ok??

-Why would I mourir?

Hm let’s see, maybe because you’re a ‘SWAT Team Leader’ straight out of college with a shocking lack of skill points?? Jfc college degrees in this game are so fucking op it’s legit making me resentful of my sims.

In other news, major dicks Sophie and Victor have started constantly beating each other up and the only thing surprising about this development is that it took this long. Honestly these fights are peak #TeamNoOne. Please note Alegra who continues to give 0 fucks @ the bloodshed. What a gal <3

Burning with religious fervor, fundamentalist nutjob Sophie emerges victorious!

-I WALK WITH GOD BITCH

Tears. Literal tears. Victor is the most unbelievable creature I have ever played.

-The rampant violence in this house is a violation of human rights! I AM OUTTA HERE

Literally still cannot believe this happened, like the sheer NERVE is killing me. Victor has started every fight he’s ever been in for an astounding total of 40-50 fights, and as you all know he almost always wins. Like this one was what? The fourth one he lost?? AND YET HE RUNS AWAY LIKE HE’S THE VICTIM I HATE/LOVE HIM SO MUCH

Meanwhile this happens which, of course. Leave it to me to finally get a chance card right for the only sim who doesn’t even deserve the job he currently has.

..Police Chief Wyatt reporting for duty! And crime increased 80% overnight. 

In actual good and not lawsuit-waiting-to happen news, Wyatt brought Amanda, Vic’s only friend/lesbian crush with him! Amanda has the distinct honor of being literally the only non-Union non-Jojo person Vic has ever genuinely liked and hasn’t had an affair with. YET THAT IS.

Man, these are some fat fucking flies. I’m talking 10 plagues of Egypt teas. 

-I KNOW, where the fuck is Komei, what are we paying him for?

-I’m over here honey, talking to my least favorite son for the second time in my life, since apparently he’s sticking around.

-Yes, thanks for requesting a recount of the heir vote, dad. I will remember it when I decide where to scatter your ashes. 

-I TOLD YOU I WANT THEM MIXED WITH THE CAT LITTER 

Ugh Komei, please stop trying to bond with your son and do something productive instead-

-like finally convincing Neo to bang Sophie. She has refused 3 TIMES because there’s a rule I have to earn kittens by suffering. I mean Alegra refusing to procreate with Victor made sense, it was Victor, wtf is Sophie’s excuse? Waiting for marriage?

ABOUT TIME

YAS. CAT GEN 3 ON THE WAY. Human gen 3 will have to wait till I’m in the mood to deal with screaming infants aka it might take a while.

The science career FINALLY SHOWS UP after 5 fucking days, jfc. Love how Wyatt’s dumb ass started as a swat team LEADER but Jojo who has half the skills maxed starts as a science teacher. Also love the idea of Jojo as a teacher in general, I mean just imagine having him teach you science in high school. I would literally drop out.

Jojo returns from work, brings this rando with him and doesn’t get promoted. We can’t all be Wyatt I guess! We’re not completely broke anymore tho so..

It is time.

Gunther, Melody and Max Flexor on one side..

Craig, Brit Brit, Ti-Ning and Daniel on the other. What a bunch of assholes, Craig obviously excluded. Remember him? I invited him because he and Jojo are still semi-friends thinking he wouldn’t show up and yet here he is! What a good guy. 

-It’s at moments like this, watching your high school boyfriend get married.. that you really get to thinking..

Awww.

-..there but for the grace of god go I.

Less awww. You’re not wrong tho, definitely dodged a sociopathic bullet..

..not everyone is that lucky. WE GET IT WYATT YOU’RE CRAZY AND IN LOVE

-Mon bien adoré, I vow to aimer and honόr you and not cheat on you again or at least be more discrete about it <3

-And I vow not to kill you and feed you to the cats for as long as we both shall live <3 

Ah, true love, you guys. 

Too bad half our guests are inside dancing-

-OR HAVING COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE AND UNTIMELY THOUGHTS. TI-NING SERIOUSLY GO TO HELL. I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU HOW DARE YOU

Well at least Vic is excited which is more than I can say for Gunther who is literally LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. 

Time to cut the cake with the sky as our only witness, since everyone has taken a plate from the buffet and fucked off inside. Seriously WORST GUESTS EVER 

Not one to be outdone by his guests’ questionable behavior, Wyatt takes the time to remind us who he really is. 

-And n'est-ce pas forget it!

Despite all the obvious problems, like one of the grooms literally going to sleep, our party score is ‘good time’ which is a truly rare and exciting occurrence. With less than a minute left I’m feeling pretty confident that nothing can ruin this wedding!

Weirdly no one has touched the champagne even though sims in general are obsessed with it?? My best guess is everyone is at a loss for words at having to toast this union and who can blame them tbh. Thankfully Daniel steps up and I find it super sweet because I’ve forgotten that he and Wyatt are mortal enemies and it’s only by chance they haven’t beaten each other up on this instance like they have countless times before.

-Let’s all raise a glass to my beloved brother, Jojo, who generously woke up to attend his own wedding reception! Just one of many examples of his fine, giving character. Too bad he’s committing his life to a complete waste of space adulterous loser like Wyatt, who I’m not even convinced is really french, since his ability to speak and understand english fluctuates according to convenience. Man, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but this choice in spouse is just too tragic. Oh well! To Jojo!

NOICE, still a good time. SO CLOSE

AND YET SO FAR. Goddammit do you two mind killing each other on your own time and not literally 10 seconds before our wedding ends??

-DIE WHORE, THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO STEAL MY MAN

-THAT’S MY LINE SLUTBAG

-HA! ZUMBA, BITCH

-Wow, so glad I woke up for this, really got my bloodlust going! 

Indeed a roaring success if there ever was one. I mean how can this night possibly get any better?

.............of course.

Oh nice, I remembered to install an alarm for once! I’m also desperately trying to wake up Wyatt thinking that he’s fucking CHIEF OF POLICE so he might prove useful in this situation..

..especially since we get this cop of a completely untrustworthy Bieber hairstyle. Talk about striking fear in the heart.

Sadly it turns out that Wyatt could not give less of a shit that we’re getting robbed and picks this moment to head for wedding buffet leftovers-

-while Bieber cop prevails! This robber is awesomely named Russ Bear btw and I wish that was my name, sounds like a slavic medieval folkore hero. But I digress. Please prepare yourselves because our first robbery is about to take a dark turn.

-Ehh, you get at a certain level on la force, you just become desensitized to la criminalité..

-Oh don’t worry Wyatt, I totally understand.. I mean I’ve robbed so many houses in my time, I hardly blink anymore..

-So it looks like you and I are not so different after all.. ;)

.............

.....................

............................why. why has the universe chosen me for the greatest suffering the world has ever known. i try and i try but incestuous relationships just keep sprawling like mythical strangler vines. i bet this wouldn’t happen to someone named Russ Bear. fml

[hrhduchessoflancaster]

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Wind’s Changed

Disclaimer: see Prologue A/N: Thank you again for keeping up with the story! xx Bea ____________________________________________________________________

Upon their return to the UK, Harry and Elle had barely time to settle back at home and were traveling once again. This time, for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, in Northern France. They were accompanied by William and Catherine, and this, was the first event together for the two royal couples.

As July progressed, they had their first real time off and Elle decided it was high time she visited her family in Wiltshire. They always retired there for the summer. And since she and Harry would soon be joining the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family in Scotland, Elle thought this would be the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with her family. And so, they packed their bags and Sir Lancelot, and off they were to Woodenford Castle, with Alfred and Leo accompanying them.

“ Can you believe I haven’t been here since before our wedding?”, said Elle to Harry, as he drove through the narrow road that lead to the castle. They were just about to cross river Avon and reach the familiar gates.

“ I didn’t know that. But I’m glad we are here, back at Woodenford.”, replied Harry smiling. As they drove toward the park, Elle could see the lineup at the entrance. The whole staff was there, as well as her parents and her brother. He cut the engine and Elle sprang from the passenger seat, almost running towards her smiling family. Her mother was the first to reach her, followed by her father, who both engulfed her in a hug.

“ Oh, I’ve missed you both so much!”, she said, returning their hugs. They smiled lovingly at each other and Rupert spotted Harry grinning, as he walked towards the family.

“ Well if it isn’t my son-in-law!”, said Rupert, opening his arms to hug Harry. “ It’s so good to see you, my boy. How’s married life been treating you?”, he asked.

“ It’s good to see you too, Rupert.”, replied Harry. “ It’s been… incredible, to be honest. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.”, he continued, looking at Elle. She and her mother awned. “ Oh please! Not at so early in the morning! You’ll make me gag!”, said Edward, pulling a face at the couple. The old friends chuckled and were soon hugging each other.

“ Well, bro in law, how have you been? I hope you’ve been good to my sister… or else…”, said Edward, trying to look all manly and buff.

“ Oh, will you stop!”, said Elle. “He’s been perfectly wonderful, not that it is any of your business.”, replied Elle, hugging Harry by the waist.

“ Now now Edward, dear. That’s quite enough.”, said Victoria sternly. “ So, I’ve heard you had a fun trip across the pond. Tell us everything.”, she continued, excitedly.

“ Well, let’s get them inside first, dear. Then, I’m sure Elle and Harry will tell us everything about their trip to the colonies.”, said Rupert chuckling.

************

After an entertaining morning with her parents and brother, telling them all about their honeymoon and trip to the USA, Elle and Harry went for a picnic by the riverbank. Well equipped with delicious foods and drinks prepared by Mrs. Martin.

“ Do you remember the last time we were here?”, Elle asked him as they sat on the grass. Ducks were swimming by in the river before them, and a gentle breeze hit their hair.

“ I do. It was just after your benefit ball, which I crashed.”, replied Harry smirking.

“ That you did… who knew then where we would be now?”, said Elle sighing. “ I for one didn’t. Of course I knew by that point we’d get married but I could have never imagined I’d feel for you what I feel now.”, she continued. Harry looked into her eyes. His blue ones bearing deeply into her green ones. Without so much as a second, he lowered himself towards her and captures her lips, pressing her passionately onto him. They held onto each other, kissing fiercely then, finally pulling away, out of breath.

“ God, I love you. I love you so fucking much it hurts sometimes.”, said Harry in a whisper, his nose touching hers, eyes still closed.

“ I had never thought I’d be this happy or feel this much love for someone. Specially not on an arranged married.”, he continued and they chuckled.

“ Yet, here we are.”, said Elle smiling.

“ We are truly blessed to have one another. I hope you know how much you mean to me, Elle. How much I desperately love you. All of you.”, said Harry, caressing her back up and down.

“ I do. And I hoe you know how much you mean to me. How much I love and admire you, for everything you were, are and will be.”, said Elle, leaning closer for another kiss. By this point, their lunch was long forgotten, as they seemed to have found something much better to do. It was only when their bellies began to growl that they gave in to their hunger and ferociously devoured the contents of the basket they’d brought.

“My god this is good!”, said Elle, between bites. They were currently eating a mixes berries pie that Mrs. Martin had baked for them.

“ I can't even began to tell you how much I enjoy this. Mrs. Martin is a genius!”, she continued and Harry chuckled.

“ Ahem… love, you have a bit of filling on your chin.”, said Harry, trying hard not to laugh at his wife’s appetite. He then scooped the bit of strawberry jam from her chin and licked it from his finger. Elle bit on her lower lip and eyed her husband longingly.

“ Harry?”, she asked. “ Hum?”, he replied, concentrated on the piece of cake he was eating.

“ Kiss me.”, she demanded. He turned his eyes up to face her and smiled. “ As my lady commands it.”, he replied. He began by trailing kissed up her neck, then on her jawline, finally reaching her lips. It was delicate, soft and loving at first. Then, he scooped her up his arms, placing her on his legs as she straddled him, pressing himself closer and closer to her.

The kiss changed. It became more urgent, passionate, full of emotional charge. It was steamy, lustful, needy and profound.  “ Make love to me.”, she whispered in his ear. “ Make love to me. Slowly, gently… urgently.”, she insisted. She didn’t have to ask again. In the hidden riverbank, where years prior they rekindled their friendship and reawakened their feeling for each other, Harry and Elle shared every bit of themselves with each other; truly laying each other bare for one another. Body and soul.

************

On the next day, Elle and Harry walked around town, stopping at a few grocery stores, flower shops and a small tea shop on their way. Lastly, just before they went back to the castle, Harry dragged Elle to a very familiar building.

“ Harry what are we doing here?”, Elle asked him as they entered the courtyard of Salisbury Cathedral.

“ Making one of your dreams come true.”, he simply stated at they entered the church. Elle paused for a moment, lost for words.

“ What?”, she said in astonishment, almost like a whisper. The cathedral was basically deserted at that time. She could see the faint light coming through the stained glass windows. Harry then turned to face her, both hands holding hers.

“ You told me, just before our wedding, that it had been your childhood dream to marry in the same church your parents did. In the church you’ve known all your life. So here we are.”, said Harry, looking into her eyes.

“ I… are you serious?”, asked Elle, still not knowing how to react.

“ Of course I’m serious.”, he replied. “ Elle, if it were up to me, we’d have gotten married here, like you wanted to. We might not have the guests, the flowers or the music, but we have each other. And that is enough.”, he continued. Then, pulling her an inch closer to him, he whispered:

“ So, will you, Eleanor Alexandra, marry me? Right here, right now?”, asked Harry smiling. Smiling back at him, Elle managed to nod her head and he pulled them along the long nave, towards the high altar. He took off his wedding ring and she proceeded to do the same.

“ Eleanor Alexandra, do you take me Henry Charles Albert David, as your husband?”, asked Harry, trying to sound serious.

“ I do.”, she replied, pushing the golden band back on his finger. Grinning, almost laughing at their situation, she said:

“ And do you, Henry Charles Albert David, take me, Eleanor Alexandra, as your wife? “ I do. Always.”, he replied, slipping the golden ring on her finger. She smiled at him and chuckled. There was no one else around them to see what they were doing.

“ And by the power vested in me by, well, me…”, said Harry and they both chuckled. “… I pronounce us, husband and wife.”, he finished, leaning forward. They shared a brief, intimate and loving kiss before bursting into laughter.

“ I can’t believe we did this!”, exclaimed Elle as they walked hand in hand along the nave.

“ But we did, my love.”, replied Harry smiling at her, giving a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. They exited the church, catching the sunshine on their faces.

“ Thank you, my darling. For doing this for me.”, said Elle facing him.

“ It was my absolute pleasure.”, he replied, kissing her cheek.

************

They left for London later that evening, with the sun still shining. Leo and Alfred resumed their duties around Kensington Palace while Elle and Harry were invited by William and Catherine for dinner. Arriving at Apartment 1A, the couple was tackled on the floor by a running George and a tumbling Charlotte, which made the adults present brake into a fit of laughter. Picking up the littlest from the floor, Elle stood and greeted her brother-in-law.

“ Little sister. So good to see you.”, said William, kissing her cheek. She then went to hug Kate, who was smiling at her. Ever so gracious, she directed Elle to the sofa where the red-haired placed the toddler girl between a few cushions.

“ So, how was the USA? I heard you made quite an impact on the First Lady…”, commented Kate.

“ It was very nice. A wonderful experience to see the competition… Michelle and Jill were incredible… so warm and receptive. Both very intelligent and kind women.”, replied Elle.

“ They are. For the little I know of them, I think they do an amazing job.”, said Kate, sipping on some wine, which Elle refused.

“ I’m excited about the project Jill, Michelle and I are doing together about education. I’m really looking forward to it.”, said Elle smiling.

“ Oh, how nice! Do you know what you’re going to do yet?”, asked Kate.

“ No, not yet, but this is something that is probably going to keep me busy for a while…”, replied Elle chuckling.

Elle and Kate kept on an engaging conversation, while Charlotte snuggled to her mother’s side, slowly drifting off into sleep. Meanwhile, Harry and William sat in the kitchen, drinking beer, as the oldest of the brothers checked on the lasagna he was preparing.

“ So, how are thing with Elle?”, asked William.

“ Incredible. Just like I imagined and more.”, replied Harry grinning. “ We’re still adapting with our new lives, specially Elle with all the engagement she’ll now have to make and the patronages she’ll begin promoting, but it’s been great so far.”, he continued.

“ And… how are the baby plans coming along?”, asked William, smirking. Harry chuckled and shook his head at his brother.

“ Well…”, he said sipping on his beer bottle. “… nothing yet but it’s not for lack of trying.”, he continued. George, who had been playing on the living room, close to the kitchen, came running towards his father.

“ Daddy, daddy! Can uncle Harry play now?”, he asked, looking from his father to his uncle.

“ You’ll have to ask him, George.”, replied William, smiling lovingly. The little boy of three turned his head towards his uncle and grinned.

“ Can we play now? Please, please, please!”, begged George. Kneeling down to face the child, Harry smiled and scooped him up his arms.

“ Of course I can play with my favourite nephew!”, said Harry, making airplane noises as he played with George, walking fast towards the living room, where Kate and Elle sat. The women chuckled and smiled as they saw the pair laughing their socks off.

“ He’ll be such a great father some day…”, said Elle dreamingly, sighing and Kate nodded her head, agreeing.

“ True… hopefully soon?”, she asked Elle, with a knowing smile. Elle chuckled and smiled.

“ Hopefully soon.”, was all that she replied. By then, Charlotte had fallen asleep and was snuggled into an awkward positing near Kate. The mother began trying to gently pick her up but was unable to due to the angle the child was sitting.

“ Let me.”, said Elle, carefully and gently picking little Charlotte into her arms, trying hard not to disturb her. The little girl fussed a little but soon settled into her aunt’s arms. “ Just direct me to her room and I’ll put her to bed.”, said Elle.

“ Thank you, Elle. I’m going to check on William. God knows that though he tries, bless him, he’s not the best of chefs.”, said Kate and they both chuckled.

“ Charlotte’s room is upstairs, second door to the left.”, continued Kate. Nodding her head, Elle slowly ascended the steps that lead to the first floor, ever now and then, checking to see if the little girl was still asleep, which gladly, she was.

Entering the room, which thankfully was opened, she approached Charlotte’s crib and admired the array range of pastels and soft colours that adorned the little girls bedroom. Elle was about to place the toddler on the bed when she began fussing again, mildly crying.

“ Shhhh… it’s alright, darling. It’s alright. Aunty Elle is going to take care of you.”, she said in hushed tones, softly caressing the girl’s head. Yet, the baby girl still whimpered. Not knowing what else to do, Elle continued to stroke her head, gently rocking her, while she began singing.

“ O, rest my ain bairnie, lie peaceful and still. Waking or sleeping, I’ll guard thee from ill. Fair be thy body, far whiter than snow. No evil mark from the heel to the brow. No ghost shall fright thee, nought shalt thou fear, I'll sing them a charm so none may come near.”, she sang and Charlotte soon began drifting back into a peaceful slumber.

Unbeknown to her, Harry, who had come to call her into dinner, stopped by the door and listened as she sang to the sleeping infant. He watched as she cared for the child, a child that was not even hers, with such love and gentleness. His heart soared and eyes misted, as he imagined their own child, being held like this, as Elle sang to him or her. Deciding on making his presence known, Harry cleared his throat and knocked softy on the door, making Elle turn and smile at him.

“ I was just putting her to bed. I imagine they are waiting for us?”, she asked, placing Charlotte on her bed. Harry nodded his head and observe as Elle ran her fingers on the toddler’s head one more time before them both left the room.

“ I confess that I couldn’t help but listen to your singing…”, said Harry with a caring smile. “ What was it? The lullaby you sang to Charlotte?”, her asked her, as she closed the door.

“ It’s an old Scottish lullaby. My granddad used to sing it to put me to sleep whenever I went to Inveraray.”, replied Elle with fondness. Harry gave her a gentle smile, took her hand into his and deposited a kiss on the back of it. Then, slowly, he drew near her, caressed her cheek and she leaned on his hand.

“ You’ll be such a wonderful mother. I’ve never had a doubt of that.",he told her.

“ Just as I know you’ll be the most wonderful and goofy father to our children.”, she replied and he smiled at her. They walked hand in hand to the top of the stairs and descended it together.

“ And I hope one day, very soon, I’ll hear you sing that same lullaby to our child.”, Harry whispered to her and walked on ahead, leaving Elle sighing a few feet behind him. She composed herself and walked towards the dinning room, where the table was sat and the Cambridges were ready to sit down.

“ Everything alright?”, asked William.

“ Yes, she fussed a little but I left her fast asleep.”, replied Elle and the parents smiled. George, who by some miracle, was still very much awake, was placed on a higher chair while the adults took their places. Lasagna alla Bolognese was served, paired with red wine.

The couples chatted on various subjects: from the Sussex’s recent trip and the Invictus Games to Charlotte’s little babbles. In the middle of their dessert, William clasped Kate’s hand and looked at his brother and sister-in-law.

“ Kate and I will be moving to Norfolk for a while, but we’ll commute to London when necessary.”, he said quietly, but confidently. Harry and Elle put down their spoons, looked at each other then, at the pair in front of them.

“ Okay… but why?”, asked Harry. Kate sighed and smiled shyly.

“ George’s starting school there and I think the children will enjoy some time in the country. With the farm and all the animals.”, said Kate.

“ I see… but it’s not a permanent things, right? I mean, with everything here in London, your offices and charities…”, asked Elle.

“ Oh no, not permanent. It’s just for six months or so.”, replied Kate, looking from Elle to her husband.

“ Well then, we’ll miss you all very much!”, said Elle smiling. “ When do you move?”, she asked.

“ Next week, just before Balmoral.”, said William, still holding Kate’s hand.

“ So soon.”,  replied Harry, still trying to grasp the idea. Elle noticed the tone of his voice and gently hand her hand on his left thigh, calming him. “ But I’m sure we’ll still see you often. We can always visit each other, can’t we?”, said Elle, smiling.

“ Yes… yes of course. And it’s just for six months.”, replied Kate.

Needless to say that dinner went on with a rather sour taste to its end. As they returned to their little cottage, Harry and Elle tried to understand the reason behind the Cambridges sudden move to the countryside.

“ Maybe there’s something happening that they aren’t telling us.”, said Harry.

“ Oh darling, don’t be absurd! This is Will and Kate we’re talking about. If there was something happening, they’d tell us. Or at least, tell you.”, said Elle.

“ Then why are they moving so suddenly? And without even telling us?”, wondered Harry.

“ Maybe it was a last moment decision. It happens…”, suggested Elle.

“ Maybe… but I’m still not convinced it’s for the children’s benefit.”, said Harry.

************

“ We’re setting this right, Mr. Mackintosh. Your country will be free from the scum that rules it.”, said one of the South-African mercenaries, Drake.

“ We know better than anyone what the British monarchy can do to a country. We’ve lived with it for long enough.”, said the irishman, Craig, receiving nods all round.

“ Yes, comrades. The beginning of their end is near. So near I can almost taste it. And you, Mr. Mackintosh, will play your grand part in it. Just as we planned.”, said Dmitri.

“ I can't wait for it.”, replied Colin, grinning. But it will as I have planned, you Russian fool. Just wait and see. I’m patient man. And I’ll have all that I want., he thought as they raised their glasses and drank to their upcoming victory.

[jasonwhorl73-blog]

Vegan Des Moines: Options in Iowa’s capital

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Vegan Des Moines round-up including Brightside Kitchen, Zombie Burger, Ice Cream El Michoacano, Open Sesame, and vegan donuts at Whole Foods.

In recent years Des Moines has really stepped up its game where vegans are concerned!

It used to be that when I was visiting my hometown, it was a strain finding exciting vegan-friendly options. But nowadays, the choices are plentiful and growing.

Today I’m highlighting some of the vegan Des Moines options at restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores.

Brightside Kitchen

Brightside Kitchen is a vegan establishment owned by Deanne & Steve Bryce. It’s tucked away inside of Mercy’s Health & Fitness Center in Clive, Iowa.

They serve plant-based fare for breakfasts & lunches throughout the week. You can check them out Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 am and 2 pm. They also serve brunch on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The eatery focuses on whole foods, plant-based cuisine. Order at the counter and then you can eat it at one of the handful of tables or take it to go.

They offer smoothies, soup, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a bowl of the day that changes throughout the week.

On one visit, I ordered the special – a Mexican-inspired bowl. It was made with seasoned lentils, roasted vegetables, and a fresh green salad.

It was popping with flavor and incredibly fresh. There was enough left over for lunch the next day.

(I enjoyed it so much, I made my own vegan burrito bowl inspired by it when I got home!)

I also had one of their signature BBQ sporc sandwiches at an Iowa Farm Sanctuary event. It’s pictured at the top of this post.

In addition to making some delicious lunches & brunches, Brightside Kitchen offers vegan cooking classes & catering.

Zombie Burger

Zombie Burger is a Des Moines favorite amongst vegans & non-vegans alike.

They have locations in the East Village of downtown Des Moines, as well as locations in Jordan Creek, and the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

(You can read about the Coralville location in my vegan Iowa City post.)

One note about the East Village location – it does get busy. So if you’re going during a popular mealtime, prepare for a wait.

My favorite thing to order is the Undead Glenn, which is the Beyond Burger topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and vegan zombie sauce. (My husband orders this one with a double patty, like a vegan Big Mac.)

The zombie sauce is similar to a spicy Thousand Island dressing with sriracha instead of ketchup.

I’ve also heard high marks for the Lucile, which is the Beyond Burger topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, guacamole, and vegan chipotle mayo.

Zombie Burger really gets the Beyond Burger preparation right – crispy around the edges and meaty on the inside. Plus, the bun is nice and fresh. The downtown location also offers vegan cheese for an extra charge.

Order the burgers with a side of regular or sweet potato fries. Just make sure to get them without any non-vegan dressing.

Ice Cream El Michoacano

Ice Cream El Michoacano is a casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant on Merle Hay Road. There are tables for dining in at the restaurant. Or food can be made to go.

It’s a non-vegan restaurant. However, everything at Ice Cream El Michoacano can be made vegan. That includes flautas, sopes, empanadas, burritos, tacos, and velvety refried beans.

They have soy-based vegan meat, as well as vegan cheese that I’ve heard is Follow Your Heart.

You can ask at the counter for a vegan menu, or look on their website. 

Vegan sopes are made with a layer of masa dough that’s been fried into a cup. It’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They are topped with a soy-based meat, beans, lettuce, and vegan cheese.

A super delicious & decadent option!

Vegan flautas are filled with mild potatoes. The fried tortillas are topped with non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. They are served with a fried jalapeño on the side. 

Vegan refried beans are topped with non-dairy cheese and guacamole.

They said that typically they serve a thin avocado sauce as their guacamole. But if you want a chunky guacamole, just ask for the thick style.

The guacamole has lots of bright lime flavors and tastes very fresh. The refried beans are beautifully smooth.

Of course, you can also get tacos. They offer a variety of sauces & styles. My husband is especially a fan of their pineapple salsa. 

Since “ice cream” is in the name, you may be wondering if they have vegan ice cream as well. It’s my understanding that they offer mango chile & lime non-dairy flavors. Although, I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring the ice cream case.

Vegan donuts at West Des Moines Whole Foods

Vegan donuts are a unicorn in Iowa – nearly impossible to come by. While other nearby states like Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota have vegan donuts fairly readily available, Iowa isn’t so lucky.

(Although, there is a donut shop in Cedar Falls & Waterloo that has rotating vegan options. I haven’t made it there yet to try them!)

But before you get in the car and start driving for hours to cure your donut cravings, visit Whole Foods in West Des Moines instead.

They are now selling vegan donuts in their bakery. You can buy them individually. Or they sell them in packages of six for $10.99.

FYI: These are not yeast-raised donuts. You won’t find a puffy glazed donut or cream filled vegan long john here. They are cake donuts. I’m typically not a cake donut fan. But for cake donuts, these are quite good & very fresh.

While you are at Whole Foods, pick up desserts from Chicago Diner in their bakery case, Beyond Meat sausages, and Miyoko’s cheese.

Open Sesame

Open Sesame Lebanese café is a located in the Des Moines East Village. It’s a small space, but decorated in such a way that feels like a special, hidden gem.

The vegan options are not marked on the menu. However, when we were there, the staff had no problem pointing us to vegan dishes and/or telling us how to modify non-vegan offerings.

I had the vegetarian sampler plate with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, and dolmas. It is vegan by default.

Everything was excellent, even the tabouli, which I don’t typically like. (I’m not a big parsley fan.) However, the tabouli had a perfect hit of lemon to balance the bitterness of the parsley.

They’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11-2, and for dinner from 5:30-9. They are closed Sunday & Monday.

Gusto Pizza Company

Gusto Pizza Company is a non-vegan pizza shop with lots of vegan topping options.

They have four locations – one on Ingersoll Avenue, two in West Des Moines, and one in Johnston. But I’ve only personally visited the Ingersoll location.

Gusto is a great place to go with a group, because there are plenty of long tables. And the menu is huge – meaning everyone can get exactly what they want.

Gusto uses Daiya cutting board shreds for their vegan pizzas. Regular Daiya isn’t my favorite. So I was really impressed by the big improvement of the mozzarella cutting board shreds on their dairy-free pies.

Their vegan topping options include: roma tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, kalamata olives, a variety of peppers, onions (red, green & yellow), Giardiniera relish, green olive relish, diced apples, capers, pineapple, black bean corn salsa, butternut squash, and artichokes.

5 Borough Bagels

One of my favorite low cost things to do whenever I’m visiting New York City is to walk into almost any random bagel shop and get a vegan bagel.

In places like Iowa, vegan bagel toppings are usually limited to peanut butter or hummus. But in New York City, non-dairy bagel spreads abound with fillings like olives and mixed vegetables in their vegan cream cheese.

When I’m in the city, I’ll pick up a toasted bagel, filled to the max, and walk to Central Park to sit on a rock and tuck into breakfast.

Now that experience can be repeated at 5 Borough Bagels in Clive. (Sorry. Central Park not included.)

When owners, Sarah & Toney Chem, moved to Iowa from NYC, they decided to take a doughy piece of the Big Apple with them.

They have two vegan filling offerings – spinach artichoke and cinnamon walnut. Both fillings are tofu-based and taste homemade.

The spinach artichoke spread reminds me of Kristy’s tofu chèvre with a definite taste of tofu and highlights of spinach and artichoke. The cinnamon walnut has big chunks of walnuts and some sweetness to make it more of a dessert-style filling.

They don’t skimp on the spread, which I appreciate. It pushes the bagel into meal category. They can be topped with additional vegetable slices as well.

Toney suggested adding cucumber, tomato, and spinach to my spinach & artichoke spread on an everything bagel. You know how I love a good bagel sandwich. This was perfection.

David opted for the cinnamon walnut spread on a sesame seed bagel, which he also enjoyed. The bagels were fresh and chewy, just like you want.

With the exception of the chocolate chip bagels and cheese bagels, the rest of the bagel options are vegan.

Toney checked with their bagel baker, and she confirmed that the seeded bagels do not include an egg wash. The seeds are applied right after the bagels are boiled.

They also have three types of non-dairy milk available for coffee drinks. Soy, almond, and coconut milk are on the menu. My husband ordered a black coffee, and I went with a soy latte. Both were full-bodied and delicious.

Des Moines Farmers Market

The downtown farmers market runs from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October.

It has a festive, fair-like atmosphere with food vendors, locally grown produce, live music, arts and crafts. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy the summer vibes.

Grab a smoothie, juice, or raw tacos at the Fresh Café & Market tent at the corner of 3rd & Court Avenue.

Malo

Malo is a Latin restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a nice outdoor patio and a few menu items that are vegan upon request – including a portobello taco & crispy onion and avocado taco. 

The onion & avocado taco is vegan by default. It comes with fresh avocado, chipotle crema made with cashews, pico de gallo, and crispy onions like you might find on green beans at Thanksgiving.

The Portobello taco is vegan by request. (Just ask them to leave off the queso fresco.) It’s topped with guacamole and salsa roja. The Portobello mushrooms are marinated in a spicy chili sauce.

All of the tacos can be served on corn or flour tortillas.

I was prepared to have the avocado tacos be my far and away favorite, but the Portobello mushroom tacos came in for a surprising win. They had a good spicy kick to them and a well-rounded flavor.

Cool Basil

For more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, Cool Basil in Clive is a great option.

While this Thai restaurant isn’t entirely vegan, they’re happy to prepare dishes without fish sauce, oyster sauce, and eggs when possible. You just have to ask.

Plus, when you get your receipt at the end of the meal, the words “no fish sauce, no oyster sauce” are printed right on it.  That gives some assurance that the message got through to the back of the house.

They don’t offer seitan.  However, tofu is available or they can replace meat with extra vegetables.

I like to get something different every time I go, as there are plenty of vegan-izable options to go around to vary your order.

Fong’s Pizza

Fong’s Pizza has a few locations – downtown Des Moines, Drake area, Ankeny, and Cedar Rapids. It is a quirky, divey restaurant, specializing in unusual pizzas.

They have one listed vegan pizza on the menu, or you have the option of building your own.  The white crust is vegan, but the whole wheat isn’t since it contains honey.

They offer Daiya for vegan cheese. Or you can go cheeseless, as is my preference. For the base, you can go with marinara or olive oil.

When we were there, we ordered one half and half pizza. Mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions on one side. On the other, sauerkraut and potatoes.

The potatoes taste like they are simply blanched and sliced, as opposed to being browned on the stove or seasoned in any way. The pizza was pretty bland.

But if you happen to be in Des Moines, the atmosphere is fun. And they have late hours, which is nice.

Another pizza option in downtown Des Moines is Blaze Pizza. They also have vegan cheese on the menu, and they cook them in a brick oven. Although it is a fast food-style pizza experience, I actually prefer the flavor of Blaze Pizza over Fong’s. Read all about Blaze Pizza in this post on vegan fast food.

Centro

For a sit-down option, Centro in downtown Des Moines has some vegan options.

Tofu gnocchi is on both the dinner and weekend brunch menus. The dish includes lots of vegetables in a coating of garlicky olive oil.

When I had this dish, I found it to be inoffensive but dull. It reminded me of something you might get a hotel restaurant, where they’re feeding a lot of guests from around the globe and don’t want to be too daring with flavor.

Although I almost never use one in a restaurant, I was glad there was a salt shaker on the table to add something. I’ve heard that asking for marinara sauce instead makes for a more tempting dish.

Centro has pizzas on offer, which can be ordered without cheese. David went that route and ordered a tomato, basil, and mushroom pizza. He also got a small salad on the side.

He liked the wood-fired flavor of the crust, but didn’t think it would be a pizza he’d go out of his way to get again.

Centro offers brunch on the weekend. And it’s one of the few places in town that has a tofu scramble. It’s served with potatoes & fruit.

Des Fresh Foods

Des Fresh Foods is a vegan food truck in Des Moines.

The menu & location changes, of course, but has included things like a chick sandwich, mac and cheese bites, summer squash tacos, street corn, and lotus cookie.

I recommend going early, as when I went it was near the end of the night. And they were running out of food.

Check out their Instagram or Facebook page to see where they are and what’s on offer.

Other vegan Des Moines resources & news:

Veg Life Des Moines

VegLife Des Moines is an awesome non-profit that hosts vegan meet-ups & potlucks, restaurant tours, and a yearly Vegan Fest.

Connect with them on their website or Facebook page to keep up with the events they are organizing throughout the year.

Dirt Burger

A new vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Burger, is slated to open on June 14, 2019 in the East Village. I’ll add details once I’ve had a chance to visit!

Originally posted June 2014. Content updated June 2019.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/vegan-des-moines-iowa/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Vegan Des Moines: Options in Iowa’s capital

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Vegan Des Moines round-up including Brightside Kitchen, Zombie Burger, Ice Cream El Michoacano, Open Sesame, and vegan donuts at Whole Foods.

In recent years Des Moines has really stepped up its game where vegans are concerned!

It used to be that when I was visiting my hometown, it was a strain finding exciting vegan-friendly options. But nowadays, the choices are plentiful and growing.

Today I’m highlighting some of the vegan Des Moines options at restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores.

Brightside Kitchen

Brightside Kitchen is a vegan establishment owned by Deanne & Steve Bryce. It’s tucked away inside of Mercy’s Health & Fitness Center in Clive, Iowa.

They serve plant-based fare for breakfasts & lunches throughout the week. You can check them out Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 am and 2 pm. They also serve brunch on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The eatery focuses on whole foods, plant-based cuisine. Order at the counter and then you can eat it at one of the handful of tables or take it to go.

They offer smoothies, soup, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a bowl of the day that changes throughout the week.

On one visit, I ordered the special – a Mexican-inspired bowl. It was made with seasoned lentils, roasted vegetables, and a fresh green salad.

It was popping with flavor and incredibly fresh. There was enough left over for lunch the next day.

(I enjoyed it so much, I made my own vegan burrito bowl inspired by it when I got home!)

I also had one of their signature BBQ sporc sandwiches at an Iowa Farm Sanctuary event. It’s pictured at the top of this post.

In addition to making some delicious lunches & brunches, Brightside Kitchen offers vegan cooking classes & catering.

Zombie Burger

Zombie Burger is a Des Moines favorite amongst vegans & non-vegans alike.

They have locations in the East Village of downtown Des Moines, as well as locations in Jordan Creek, and the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

(You can read about the Coralville location in my vegan Iowa City post.)

One note about the East Village location – it does get busy. So if you’re going during a popular mealtime, prepare for a wait.

My favorite thing to order is the Undead Glenn, which is the Beyond Burger topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and vegan zombie sauce. (My husband orders this one with a double patty, like a vegan Big Mac.)

The zombie sauce is similar to a spicy Thousand Island dressing with sriracha instead of ketchup.

I’ve also heard high marks for the Lucile, which is the Beyond Burger topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, guacamole, and vegan chipotle mayo.

Zombie Burger really gets the Beyond Burger preparation right – crispy around the edges and meaty on the inside. Plus, the bun is nice and fresh. The downtown location also offers vegan cheese for an extra charge.

Order the burgers with a side of regular or sweet potato fries. Just make sure to get them without any non-vegan dressing.

Ice Cream El Michoacano

Ice Cream El Michoacano is a casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant on Merle Hay Road. There are tables for dining in at the restaurant. Or food can be made to go.

It’s a non-vegan restaurant. However, everything at Ice Cream El Michoacano can be made vegan. That includes flautas, sopes, empanadas, burritos, tacos, and velvety refried beans.

They have soy-based vegan meat, as well as vegan cheese that I’ve heard is Follow Your Heart.

You can ask at the counter for a vegan menu, or look on their website. 

Vegan sopes are made with a layer of masa dough that’s been fried into a cup. It’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They are topped with a soy-based meat, beans, lettuce, and vegan cheese.

A super delicious & decadent option!

Vegan flautas are filled with mild potatoes. The fried tortillas are topped with non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. They are served with a fried jalapeño on the side. 

Vegan refried beans are topped with non-dairy cheese and guacamole.

They said that typically they serve a thin avocado sauce as their guacamole. But if you want a chunky guacamole, just ask for the thick style.

The guacamole has lots of bright lime flavors and tastes very fresh. The refried beans are beautifully smooth.

Of course, you can also get tacos. They offer a variety of sauces & styles. My husband is especially a fan of their pineapple salsa. 

Since “ice cream” is in the name, you may be wondering if they have vegan ice cream as well. It’s my understanding that they offer mango chile & lime non-dairy flavors. Although, I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring the ice cream case.

Vegan donuts at West Des Moines Whole Foods

Vegan donuts are a unicorn in Iowa – nearly impossible to come by. While other nearby states like Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota have vegan donuts fairly readily available, Iowa isn’t so lucky.

(Although, there is a donut shop in Cedar Falls & Waterloo that has rotating vegan options. I haven’t made it there yet to try them!)

But before you get in the car and start driving for hours to cure your donut cravings, visit Whole Foods in West Des Moines instead.

They are now selling vegan donuts in their bakery. You can buy them individually. Or they sell them in packages of six for $10.99.

FYI: These are not yeast-raised donuts. You won’t find a puffy glazed donut or cream filled vegan long john here. They are cake donuts. I’m typically not a cake donut fan. But for cake donuts, these are quite good & very fresh.

While you are at Whole Foods, pick up desserts from Chicago Diner in their bakery case, Beyond Meat sausages, and Miyoko’s cheese.

Open Sesame

Open Sesame Lebanese café is a located in the Des Moines East Village. It’s a small space, but decorated in such a way that feels like a special, hidden gem.

The vegan options are not marked on the menu. However, when we were there, the staff had no problem pointing us to vegan dishes and/or telling us how to modify non-vegan offerings.

I had the vegetarian sampler plate with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, and dolmas. It is vegan by default.

Everything was excellent, even the tabouli, which I don’t typically like. (I’m not a big parsley fan.) However, the tabouli had a perfect hit of lemon to balance the bitterness of the parsley.

They’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11-2, and for dinner from 5:30-9. They are closed Sunday & Monday.

Gusto Pizza Company

Gusto Pizza Company is a non-vegan pizza shop with lots of vegan topping options.

They have four locations – one on Ingersoll Avenue, two in West Des Moines, and one in Johnston. But I’ve only personally visited the Ingersoll location.

Gusto is a great place to go with a group, because there are plenty of long tables. And the menu is huge – meaning everyone can get exactly what they want.

Gusto uses Daiya cutting board shreds for their vegan pizzas. Regular Daiya isn’t my favorite. So I was really impressed by the big improvement of the mozzarella cutting board shreds on their dairy-free pies.

Their vegan topping options include: roma tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, kalamata olives, a variety of peppers, onions (red, green & yellow), Giardiniera relish, green olive relish, diced apples, capers, pineapple, black bean corn salsa, butternut squash, and artichokes.

5 Borough Bagels

One of my favorite low cost things to do whenever I’m visiting New York City is to walk into almost any random bagel shop and get a vegan bagel.

In places like Iowa, vegan bagel toppings are usually limited to peanut butter or hummus. But in New York City, non-dairy bagel spreads abound with fillings like olives and mixed vegetables in their vegan cream cheese.

When I’m in the city, I’ll pick up a toasted bagel, filled to the max, and walk to Central Park to sit on a rock and tuck into breakfast.

Now that experience can be repeated at 5 Borough Bagels in Clive. (Sorry. Central Park not included.)

When owners, Sarah & Toney Chem, moved to Iowa from NYC, they decided to take a doughy piece of the Big Apple with them.

They have two vegan filling offerings – spinach artichoke and cinnamon walnut. Both fillings are tofu-based and taste homemade.

The spinach artichoke spread reminds me of Kristy’s tofu chèvre with a definite taste of tofu and highlights of spinach and artichoke. The cinnamon walnut has big chunks of walnuts and some sweetness to make it more of a dessert-style filling.

They don’t skimp on the spread, which I appreciate. It pushes the bagel into meal category. They can be topped with additional vegetable slices as well.

Toney suggested adding cucumber, tomato, and spinach to my spinach & artichoke spread on an everything bagel. You know how I love a good bagel sandwich. This was perfection.

David opted for the cinnamon walnut spread on a sesame seed bagel, which he also enjoyed. The bagels were fresh and chewy, just like you want.

With the exception of the chocolate chip bagels and cheese bagels, the rest of the bagel options are vegan.

Toney checked with their bagel baker, and she confirmed that the seeded bagels do not include an egg wash. The seeds are applied right after the bagels are boiled.

They also have three types of non-dairy milk available for coffee drinks. Soy, almond, and coconut milk are on the menu. My husband ordered a black coffee, and I went with a soy latte. Both were full-bodied and delicious.

Des Moines Farmers Market

The downtown farmers market runs from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October.

It has a festive, fair-like atmosphere with food vendors, locally grown produce, live music, arts and crafts. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy the summer vibes.

Grab a smoothie, juice, or raw tacos at the Fresh Café & Market tent at the corner of 3rd & Court Avenue.

Malo

Malo is a Latin restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a nice outdoor patio and a few menu items that are vegan upon request – including a portobello taco & crispy onion and avocado taco. 

The onion & avocado taco is vegan by default. It comes with fresh avocado, chipotle crema made with cashews, pico de gallo, and crispy onions like you might find on green beans at Thanksgiving.

The Portobello taco is vegan by request. (Just ask them to leave off the queso fresco.) It’s topped with guacamole and salsa roja. The Portobello mushrooms are marinated in a spicy chili sauce.

All of the tacos can be served on corn or flour tortillas.

I was prepared to have the avocado tacos be my far and away favorite, but the Portobello mushroom tacos came in for a surprising win. They had a good spicy kick to them and a well-rounded flavor.

Cool Basil

For more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, Cool Basil in Clive is a great option.

While this Thai restaurant isn’t entirely vegan, they’re happy to prepare dishes without fish sauce, oyster sauce, and eggs when possible. You just have to ask.

Plus, when you get your receipt at the end of the meal, the words “no fish sauce, no oyster sauce” are printed right on it.  That gives some assurance that the message got through to the back of the house.

They don’t offer seitan.  However, tofu is available or they can replace meat with extra vegetables.

I like to get something different every time I go, as there are plenty of vegan-izable options to go around to vary your order.

Fong’s Pizza

Fong’s Pizza has a few locations – downtown Des Moines, Drake area, Ankeny, and Cedar Rapids. It is a quirky, divey restaurant, specializing in unusual pizzas.

They have one listed vegan pizza on the menu, or you have the option of building your own.  The white crust is vegan, but the whole wheat isn’t since it contains honey.

They offer Daiya for vegan cheese. Or you can go cheeseless, as is my preference. For the base, you can go with marinara or olive oil.

When we were there, we ordered one half and half pizza. Mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions on one side. On the other, sauerkraut and potatoes.

The potatoes taste like they are simply blanched and sliced, as opposed to being browned on the stove or seasoned in any way. The pizza was pretty bland.

But if you happen to be in Des Moines, the atmosphere is fun. And they have late hours, which is nice.

Another pizza option in downtown Des Moines is Blaze Pizza. They also have vegan cheese on the menu, and they cook them in a brick oven. Although it is a fast food-style pizza experience, I actually prefer the flavor of Blaze Pizza over Fong’s. Read all about Blaze Pizza in this post on vegan fast food.

Centro

For a sit-down option, Centro in downtown Des Moines has some vegan options.

Tofu gnocchi is on both the dinner and weekend brunch menus. The dish includes lots of vegetables in a coating of garlicky olive oil.

When I had this dish, I found it to be inoffensive but dull. It reminded me of something you might get a hotel restaurant, where they’re feeding a lot of guests from around the globe and don’t want to be too daring with flavor.

Although I almost never use one in a restaurant, I was glad there was a salt shaker on the table to add something. I’ve heard that asking for marinara sauce instead makes for a more tempting dish.

Centro has pizzas on offer, which can be ordered without cheese. David went that route and ordered a tomato, basil, and mushroom pizza. He also got a small salad on the side.

He liked the wood-fired flavor of the crust, but didn’t think it would be a pizza he’d go out of his way to get again.

Centro offers brunch on the weekend. And it’s one of the few places in town that has a tofu scramble. It’s served with potatoes & fruit.

Des Fresh Foods

Des Fresh Foods is a vegan food truck in Des Moines.

The menu & location changes, of course, but has included things like a chick sandwich, mac and cheese bites, summer squash tacos, street corn, and lotus cookie.

I recommend going early, as when I went it was near the end of the night. And they were running out of food.

Check out their Instagram or Facebook page to see where they are and what’s on offer.

Other vegan Des Moines resources & news:

Veg Life Des Moines

VegLife Des Moines is an awesome non-profit that hosts vegan meet-ups & potlucks, restaurant tours, and a yearly Vegan Fest.

Connect with them on their website or Facebook page to keep up with the events they are organizing throughout the year.

Dirt Burger

A new vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Burger, is slated to open on June 14, 2019 in the East Village. I’ll add details once I’ve had a chance to visit!

Originally posted June 2014. Content updated June 2019.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/vegan-des-moines-iowa/

[mastcomm]

How an Author and His Husband Host Casual Dinners in Their New York Apartment

It’s tempting to call the author Richie Jackson’s new book, “Gay Like Me,” a memoir or an epistolary — but it’s really a manifesto, a 156-page letter from a gay 54-year-old father to his gay 19-year-old son, Jackson Wong, about what it meant to be gay when the writer was young in New York and what it means to be gay now. In that way, the work is a magnanimous gesture of generational transference: a cheat sheet on queer history; a lecture about safe sex; a call to get angry, harness one’s otherness and ultimately claim individuality. But it’s also one man’s personal history, a timeline of decades spent pursuing fatherhood as well his (nonbiological) L.G.B.T.Q. family at large.

That the author’s eldest son is gay was both unexpected (as such news usually is), and a catalyst for Jackson, who spent his career as a television, film and theatrical producer, to finally commit to paper his thoughts and wisdom: “When I rejoiced that you were gay, I was really wishing for the good parts — the community, the camaraderie, the creativity. The incredible beings who populate our community, who against all odds are themselves,” he writes. “But you can’t be gay with just the good parts: Your life daily will be touched by all the difficult parts, too. The fight, the struggle, the challenges, will make it even more valuable, even more worthy.”

Ultimately, Jackson says, he wanted to write the book that he felt he needed when he was growing up, back when he looked to late-20th-century memoirists, essayists and fiction writers to “learn how to be gay.” So to celebrate the book’s launch, and his own entrance into this lineage of queer authorship, Jackson and his husband, the theater producer Jordan Roth, recently hosted a dinner party at their West Village apartment, gathering some of their favorite contemporary L.G.B.T.Q. writers for conversation over a relaxed meal. It was a broad, varied group, a room full of thinkers who’d followed each other’s work but rarely met in person, from the eminent author Edmund White to the playwright Matthew Lopez to the memoirist and screenwriter Thomas Page McBee. Some guests, like Camille Perri and Raquel Willis, had started their careers in journalism and were now branching out, while others, like Lane Moore and Michael Arceneaux, had published books of essays that were as personal as Jackson’s, whose editor, Jonathan Burnham (the president and publisher of the Harper division of HarperCollins), was in attendance with his husband, Scott Rothkopf, the chief curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Both Jackson and Roth, who is increasingly a fixture on the international fashion circuit, often host guests in their home — they have a system in place, down to the catering and stemware and elegant corner dining table. But the added joy of this night came from shining a brighter light on Jackson and his literary accomplishments: “Now that my book is out, I’m learning how to walk in the world in a completely new way,” Jackson says. “Sometimes I feel reborn.” As the dozen guests milled about, discussing the imperiled state of L.G.B.T.Q.-focused media or regaling White with tales of contemporary gay sex (the children were not in attendance), it became clear that the evening was also a kind of salon, a throwback to an era when gay people gathered exclusively among one another to celebrate and get mad and express their true selves. “When I first got to New York in 1983, you would find yourself in spaces where you were around only gay people,” Jackson says. With assimilation and progress, of course, those sorts of safe spaces have become less customary or necessary. And yet to create your own majority, in a beautiful home over a delicious meal, no less, remains an empowering and vital act of generosity. “It’s obvious,” Jackson adds. “You have to get your gay stories from gay writers.” Here’s how the night came together.

Extend the Cocktail Hour

Roth and Jackson like to invite a group of people over “just because it’s Thursday night — or who don’t know each other, or who have no reason to find each other at the same table,” Jackson says, which necessitates building in extra time at the beginning of the party to welcome everyone, extend introductions and allow people to get comfortable with each other in their corner living room, where through the wide windows you can see the city’s lights glinting off the Hudson River. On this particular occasion, guests spent much of the evening configuring themselves in small groups, weaving between each other: White and Lopez discussed the legacy of AIDS, Roth and Willis complimented each other’s looks, Perri and McBee compared notes about Hollywood. Inviting everyone to socialize before sitting around the table meant that the dinner itself felt like a continuation, rather than the inception, of a sprawling conversation.

Go Family-Style, but on the Side

The table was arrayed, simply, with Calvin Klein glassware and plates and flatware from the Italian company Match. However, Jackson and Roth prefer to present their meals, which are prepared by their own culinary team, nonchalantly in a banquet-like spread on the nearby sidebar. This approach to family-style dining limits clutter and prevents the food from being the sole focus of a meal, letting human interaction take center stage. It also allowed guests to follow their own dietary restrictions and preferences with minimal fuss, as everyone created their own colorful plates of, say, citrus-glazed salmon — “I would date this salmon,” Willis joked — or Spanish-spiced chicken, farro with porcini mushrooms, shawarma-roasted purple cauliflower and mixed greens crowned with edible flowers. “We always do buffet because we feel it’s more casual,” Jackson says. “We want it to feel not so stodgy.”

Outsource Dessert

Though a pastry chef baked a few treats to celebrate the release of Jackson’s book — including a seven-layer cake with fresh raspberries, plus a chocolate-and-orange layer cake and white chocolate torte that were both vegan and gluten-free — the couple typically ends such parties with a bounty of their favorite baked goods from a rotating roster of iconic New York bakeries and chocolatiers. For this one, they brought in chewy chocolate chip and dark-chocolate “explosion” cookies from Mah Ze Dahr bakery in the West Village, plus double-chocolate gluten-free pecan cookies from the famed Dominique Ansel, whose shop is also nearby. Guests couldn’t stop passing around the cakes and cookie plates — proof that, sometimes, it’s better to leave a few key details in the hands of pros.

Decorate With Proportions in Mind

“Our entire dining room, which Jordan created, is designed to encourage intimate conversations,” Jackson says. The custom table in polished concrete is longer and narrower than is typical so that people can form intimate groups and actually hear each other — its dimensions and gray color evoke a New York City sidewalk. The chairs are vintage Steiner, but reupholstered in a sumptuous-but-comfortable Castel “teddy bear” fabric. Flowers are nonnegotiable, of course, but this night’s arrangements — peony and orchid varieties in red and pink (the hues of which matched Roth’s sweater), clustered in small bunches in amber apothecary bottles by the florist Frank Fiore — were a reminder that a single, low line of blooms adds visual interest without being a distraction.

Switch Up the Seating

For dinner, guests were assigned places via simple name cards; the hosts separated themselves and made interesting calculations about who should sit next to whom. Though Jackson and Roth were at opposing ends, their final party trick was to swap seats halfway through the meal, which provided an unexpected jolt of energy to conversation that was, perhaps, lagging a bit between bites of food. It’s a dead-simple, foolproof idea to steal: “Did you notice, after the dinner, nobody got up from the table?” Jackson recalls. “Everybody stuck around and kept talking — perhaps because it was so fun to watch Edmund White hold court.”

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/life-style/how-an-author-and-his-husband-host-casual-dinners-in-their-new-york-apartment-2/

[kerrylifeandloves]

Its no secret, I love food. I love going out for dinner, and the whole social aspect of eating with people. I also love discovering new restaurants in Essex that can go on my list of paces to eat. I have a few pet hates when it comes to restaurants, so I am known to be a little fussy. Not gonna lie. The George and Dragon in Epping, Essex has recently undergone a huge refurbishment, and we were invited along to the restaurant to sample the new menu that had been launched. On a slight side note, I always feel so very, very lucky when my blog allows me to share the experience with people I love. Its very special and I feel so honoured that I get to do that for them.

The fabulous manager and the team at The George and Dragon wanted a very honest opinion and feedback (she came to the right gal, lets face it) so I took along my husband, my 18 year old son, and my Father-in-law. I thought that would give a varied view as we all have very different tastes. Although we were gifted the meal that we had, I was not obliged to write a review or post about the restaurant at all. This is purely my own decision to tell you about this place. So, here you have my review of The George and Dragon in Epping, Essex.

Reopening of The George and Dragon, Epping

First Impressions

As is usual in any high streets, parking is often minimal. The George and Dragon does have some parking, but there is also parking directly across the road. All the planets aligned for us however, as we pulled up outside, just as someone was pulling out. Yes! I blooming love that when it happens. Situated directly on the High Street in Epping, the restaurant welcomed you with an abundance of tiny fairy lights in mini trees outside. So pretty.

The interior of the bar and restaurant is very sleek and modern, but with warm colours in the furnishings and wall coverings, and ambient lighting in cosy corners. It feels welcoming and atmospheric. I loved the decor a lot. The mix of modern and texture really works. We were shown to the bar and left with the extensive drinks menu. Now, if you are a fan of cocktails, you will be in your element. They have a great choice. As is well known on this blog of mine, Im a big fan of gin, so I was over the moon to see many varieties, as well as mixes available. Think I might just settle in for the night……….

The Food we Had

While enjoying our drinks, we were brought over some appetisers to enjoy. I opted for the vegan option as I wanted to see what would be on offer. I am not vegan, but am a non meat eater, so always enjoy the vegan options in eateries so thought it was a good chance to see how they catered for vegans. (You will be pleased to know my vegan friends, that there is a large vegan menu on offer!) You will be well looked after. The rest of our party had the usual menu. They were delicious! Great variety from cheese bites, pate on melba toast, a beetroot relish on melba toasts and chicken tenders. There was a lot! All of us agreed that everything we ate was tasty, varied and plentiful!

After we had enjoyed our drinks and sharing platters, we moved over to our table. Now, one of my pet hates in restaurants is tables being right on top of each other. I really dislike feeling like the table next door can hear your entire conversation. The George and Dragon has got this right. They have a few booth type tables, round tables well spaced out and all of the tables felt spacious. Winning point George, good work!

Our Starters

Im not going to bore you with the details of each and every dish, so I thought I’d list what we had with a brief description, anything worth noting and some photos. Sound good? Lets get stuck in

Me – Deep fried Brie with chutney – blooming delicious. Cooked beautifully and so tasty!

Nik – Chargrilled Lamb Kofta – Served on skewers with a salad of goats curd, plum tomato, roasted pepper and mint

My Father in Law, (Jim) – Thyme roasted Portobello mushroom with rustic toast – So, so gorgeous! So different

Cally (my son) – King Prawn and Lobster pot with Devon crab creme fraiche and toasted ciabatta – Like a mousse , very light and fresh

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Lobster and king prawn pot

Brie

Portebello mushroom

lamb kofta

I think you can see, the starters were both delicious and of generous size. We all really enjoyed them.

Main Course

We were not rushed at all onto the next course, which was nice. After our starters were cleared, we had about 10 minutes to relax and enjoy our drinks before the dinners were brought out. So, to give you the run down

me – Lobster and Devon Crab Fishcakes (perfect. Not filled with potato as some fish cakes disappointingly are) with a mint pea puree and asparagus

Nik – Chicken, Leek and Creme Fraiche Pie (A posh pie as we called it. It had a ham hock crumb and was served with kale mashed potato)

Jim – Pan Fried Sea Bass Fillets (with pancetta, olives and spinach. Beautiful)

Cally – Fillet Steak (cooked perfectly. Served with twice cooked “proper” chips and a beef dripping sauce)

The mains were amazing. You know when your eating and all you can do is enjoy every mouthful? We really did feel incredibly spoilt.

sea bass

posh pie

fish cakes

steak

Deserts

After a little gap, a breather, we were shown the desert menu. I was spoilt for choice as there were so many options! Im not a lover of chocolate, preferring things like cheesecake or pudding, and I could have had about 10 things! In the end, we all decided on the following

Me – Vanilla creme brûlée (so beautifully delicious and light)

Nik – Melting chocolate bomb filled with sticky toffee pudding (three deserts in one! very decadent)

Jim – Sticky toffee pudding and custard (my father in laws favourite. He was NOT disappointed)

Cally – Same as his Dad, the chocolate bomb

inside the bomb

creme brule

We were well and truly, full to the brim when we finished. So content! We all had a chat about the food on the way home, and there was not one thing we were disappointed by. The only observation we did make, and that I have fed back to the manager, is that the drinks were a little slow coming out. This was the very first time that the restaurant had been open to “normal people” and not just staff testers though, so the manager said she recognised this. The restaurant opens properly today, 8th November.

If you are in essex, or even London as Epping is so close, I would strongly recommend you visiting the George and Dragon. My father in law summed it up perfectly. He said “its very rare that you come out of a place, having loved every single thing that you have eaten” we all agree totally Jim!

Isn’t it lovely when you find a new local place to you that feels like its going to become a regular? Have you that where you live? What would you have chosen from the choices we made? Id love to hear!

Reopening of The George and Dragon, Epping, Essex Its no secret, I love food. I love going out for dinner, and the whole social aspect of eating with people.

[loud-snoring-os]

Celebrations an Essential Paleo Resource! If you are Paleo by necessity (or have someone in your life who is): this is the book you’ve been waiting for! My Christmas dinner last year was a couple of boiled potatoes and a few slices of the (conventional but at least gluten free) ham my husband made. A few family members (we do Christmas as a pot luck) mentioned afterward that they knew I couldn’t eat what they were bringing, but were stumped for a Paleo option. Go to Amazon

Another wonderful Paleo cookbook from Danielle Walker! I can not say enough positive things about this incredible cookbook. What is so special about Celebrations, is how Danielle has remade all those iconic meals that you eat during holidays and celebrations, but into healthier, paleo versions. She has recipes for New Year’s Eve, Game Day, Valentines, Easter, Mother’s Day luncheon, Father’s Day Cookout, Birthday Parties, Fourth of July Barbecue, Summer Shower, Halloween, Autumn Dinner Party, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not only does she include incredible, well tested, reliable recipes, she also has filled the book with so many tips and tricks. Most recipes have tidbit notes on how different brands of paleo products fair in the recipes, or make-ahead tips to simplify a party prep. The front of the book is filled with more grain-free recipe tips and ten wonderful tips for effortless entertaining. Go to Amazon

Absolute favorite cookbook ever WOW! This cookbook is a MUST HAVE! Not only for holidays and celebrations, but for any day of the week. There are so many wonderful recipes in this book and you can mix and match so many main dishes with sides and desserts to make the perfect spread for you and your family or for any occasion. This is my go to cookbook for pretty much everything. Whether I am cooking dinner on a weeknight or having some friends over for a party. The pages are bright and colorful, with gorgeous colored pictures to match and the recipes are clean, straight forward and so easy to read. I love how Danielle leaves tidbits and make it ahead notes on so many of the recipes. Go to Amazon

Delicious healthy recipes to share Delicious, Paleo recipes that are not too difficult to make and really are yummy. These are dishes you can bring to parties and share and people who don't normally eat Paleo will enjoy. I bought the kindle version and now I want the actual book to flip through! Go to Amazon

Fantastic food! One of my favorite cookbooks! Used it A LOT during these past holidays—from drinks to sides and meals to desserts. Danielle is amazing and deserves every bit of credit for creating these paleo recipes that we can all enjoy. Go to Amazon

Great cookbook! Love, love, love this cook book! All the recipes I've made so far have been great! The chocolate cake has been a huge hit! Nobody could tell it was grain free. She has a lot of great tips and ways to make ahead to save time. Highly recommended! Go to Amazon

Not as exciting as I thought, but very cheap. Not as exciting as I thought. Many recipes are labor intensive, and the organization by holiday didn't make much sense to me. Was very cheap though so I don't feel slighted. Go to Amazon

Great cookbook for anyone that is gluten free and looking ... Great cookbook for anyone that is gluten free and looking to make healthier stuff. My daughter and I both like some of her recipes - esp. the chicken wings in her orignal book! Go to Amazon

Five Stars New fun special recipes that aren't too complex Beautiful Cookbook Best Paleo book! Gave me a lot of great ideas since I can no longer eat grains or ... Amazing Five Stars Good learning source Awesome! Cue the Confetti

[cstesttaken]

Spiralizing for weight loss

If you don’t know my story already, you can read it here. Here’s the gist: I lost over 30 pounds, and I did it on an #inspiralized diet.

That’s right, I spiralized my way to the body I wanted!

In today’s blog post, I’m going to dive more into the diet aspect of my journey, less the exercise and fitness part of it. I’m going to share more about what I ate, how I used spiralizing to stay on track, and I’m also launching our new spiralized meal plans!

First off, let me preface with the 3 principles that guided me throughout this journey and still do to this day:

Make it a lifestyle, not a diet.

While I did have a weight loss goal date in mind (I originally wanted to lose weight for the photoshoot for my first cookbook, Inspiralized), I didn’t view that “goal date” as an “end date.” I viewed that as the jumpstart to a healthy lifestyle. Once I reached my “goal weight,” my focus shifted, I set new goals, and I just kept continuing my healthy lifestyle I had built while achieving that initial weight loss goal.

Since it’s a lifestyle, life happens. I follow a strict 80/20 rule, where I eat real, whole foods 80% of the time and let myself indulge 20% of the time. And I indulge, my friends – I’ve been known to crush a package of Pepperidge Farms Montauk cookies.

Take a week – 5.6 days is 80% of your week, so have a healthy Sunday through Friday and then Friday evening through Saturday evening, you can treat yourself, if you’re feeling the need for a treat! Wake up on Sunday and commit to getting back on track. If you know you have plans on a Wednesday and want to indulge, let yourself enjoy Wednesday, but then keep Friday low-key (skip the wine with dinner and say no to dessert.)

Recovery is key.

I can’t stress this one enough. If you are having a bad morning, afternoon, or you find yourself munching out in front of the TV at night, be mindful. Stop yourself – never, ever say, “Well, I’ve already messed up this day, so whatever I’m going to start fresh tomorrow.” When you come to and realize what you’re eating, stop yourself, ask yourself do you really want to feel bloated and unhappy in the morning. Most likely, you’ll say no.

I always recommend drinking tons of water for the rest of the day – even if that’s right before bed. This helps flush out your system and help your body start to detox. Even if you save yourself 1 slice of pizza, that’s a savings of around 300 calories! That’s a LOT. Over a week, that’s 2,100 calories, which is almost 2.5 pounds a month of extra weight gain! See where I’m going with this? You’re NEVER “too far gone”.

The next day, try to make it your healthiest day. Don’t starve yourself – just drink a lot of water and eat very clean. That following day, you’ll wake up, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body recovers. Your body is designed to naturally detox – so let it!

Diet over exercise, every time

Once I stopped looking at exercise as a means to weight loss, I started losing weight.

Sure, if you want to see weight loss very quickly (which isn’t as maintainable long term), eat super clean and exercise for an hour a day, every day. Of course you’ll lose weight – and you’ll feel strong and amazing. However, that’s not maintainable for most of us – life happens, time gets away from us. All of a sudden, it’s 5pm on a Wednesday, you planned to workout, but your best friend just got a promotion and she wants to go out for drinks to celebrate. What now?

Well, first of all, let me tell you this: no flat tummy is going to make you happy like quality time spent with your best friend. So, spend time with your friend – live life! If you’re happy, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easier, TRUST ME, I’VE BEEN THERE. I’ve been that terrible friend who cancels dinner because she doesn’t want to overeat.

How do you combat a missed workout? EAT HEALTHY. You can’t outrun a bad diet (you’ve heard that before, right?) However, you can make up for a missed workout with a healthy meal. Abs are made in the gym, but what’s the point of all that gym time, if you’re not revealing them in the kitchen?

What I’m trying to say is this: if you’re a busy person and can’t find the time to workout (I’ll let that excuse slide), don’t stress out. Don’t give up. Just eat healthy – simple as that. I used to guilt myself into going to the gym, because if I didn’t, I thought I wouldn’t see the weight loss progress I wanted. If I missed a workout, I’d eat poorly saying to myself, “I didn’t workout, so whatever!”

One day, during my weight loss journey, I couldn’t make a workout. So, I decided to eat a bit cleaner than usual – I skipped the 3pm snack, and I didn’t have dessert. I woke up the next day and saw that the scale was 0.5 pounds lighter. Ever since that day, I stopped beating myself up over missing workouts. I look at workouts as a means to get fit, feel good, tone, and have time for myself. I aim to workout 5 to 6 days a week, but if it’s 3 or 4, that’s okay – and I still maintain my healthy weight, because my diet steps up to the plate on those days.

It’s all mental.

Like running, I find health eating to be a complete mental challenge. If someone gave you the following two options, what would you choose?

Eat clean: feel incredible, be confident, have energy, be happy.

Eat unhealthy: feel lethargic, lack confidence, be unhappy.

I think we’d all pick option 1, right? You control the actual motion of putting food in your mouth. You’re not a baby, no one’s force feeding you! Remember that – you actually decide the foods you put in your mouth. It’s honestly as simple as that. Choose to put healthy foods in your mouth and treat your body like a temple!

Now, I realize this is all easier said than done, because when we’re presented with a piping hot slice of pizza at 1am or chocolate frosted cake for someone’s birthday in the office, it seems impossible to resist. Remember this: while it may be mentally impossible to resist, you have your next line of defense, because it’s not physically impossible to resist. You control what you eat – so just say no thank you. Make all of these healthy choices throughout your day/week, and it’ll lead to weight loss.

This also helps me: if in the moment, you really NEED that treat, just take it, take a bite and then set your plate down. You’ll still enjoy the social element of being part of the office birthday cake or the drunken pizza, but you won’t overdo it. You can always have a bite and what you’ll realize is that a bite is all you ever really need, so take it and enjoy what really matters: hanging out with your coworker, bonding with your friends, whatever.

My final point is this: never, ever, in a million years, feel GUILTY for refusing an unhealthy food. Let your friends tease you all they want (although you should probably consider getting new friends if they are that insensitive!), but you’re the one who’s going to wake up the next day looking good, feeling good, and being well-fueled and nourished to conquer your day.

How I started – The First Steps

I’m always asked, “How did you start? What were the first steps you took?”

Literally, I just committed to making healthy choices at every turn. That’s called a lifestyle change, not a diet program. I didn’t create this elaborate plan. I just took every moment literally as a choice. A choice for instant gratification or a choice towards a healthier me.

Remember what I said about 80/20? I committed to that. I don’t eat anything processed 80% of the time – I eat real, whole foods.

It was in the afternoon when I committed (that’s when I found out my cookbook photoshoot date.) After work, I cooked one of my spiralized recipes for dinner and when my husband asked me if I wanted some ice cream for dessert, I said no. It was so hard to sit there on the couch while he ate that delicious, creamy gelato, but I did it. I made one decision that night and kept making healthy decisions. I didn’t workout in the beginning, because I didn’t want to be extra hungry from the workouts, so I focused on my diet. I lost almost 5 pounds (mostly water weight) in that first 7-10 days, which proved my point: it’s all diet, and all I have to do is make the right decision most times.

My tips for those moments at night when you get a hankering for a sweet snack: have something healthy (a piece of dark chocolate, a banana with some almond butter, etc.) My favorite way to combat these cravings is to make a peppermint tea with steamed almond milk – the almond milk is a bit sweet when steamed, and the peppermint tea cleanses the pallet, giving you a fresh sensation. Try it!

Meal Planning and Spiralizing

After that first week, I made a fitness plan for myself, and I started meal planning.

In my meal plans, I ate something spiralized for 100% of my dinners and about 75% of my lunches. For breakfast, it was usually a smoothie, granola, avocado toast, oatmeal, or something quick like banana and almond butter.

Spiralizing is great for weight loss for a few reasons, but most importantly, you don’t feel like you’re eating diet food while eating #inspiralized. Sometimes when I look at some of these diet plan meals, it’s like steamed chicken and broccoli every night. The key to being successful with a healthy lifestyle is making sure you’re not falling victim to boredom.

Some of my favorite spiralized recipes to eat were:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with almond butter, mashed raspberries, and banana slices Snack: Handful of raw mixed nuts and dried raisins (or chopped pitted dates) Lunch: Pesto zucchini noodles with white beans and avocado Snack: Kombucha or a green juice and rice cake with hummus or celery Dinner: Turkey meatballs with sweet potato noodles and tomato-basil sauce Dessert: Chocolate protein smoothie (banana, vegan chocolate protein powder, almond milk, blueberries, ice)

On days when I was on a recovery day and eating extra clean, I’d skip the dessert and the mid-afternoon snack.

Here’s an example of a typical fitness plan, now that I’m trying to tone and define, rather than lose weight:

Sunday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Monday: 30 minute spin class + 15-30 minutes of lower body lifting and HIIT-style exercise Tuesday: 4 mile run + 20 minutes of upper body lifting Wednesday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Thursday: 20 minute spin class + 30 minutes of lower body lifting and HIIT-style exercise Friday: 45-minute spin class + 10 minutes of abs Saturday: Rest day or a light workout

And that’s my story! Eating Inspiralized you’re always guaranteed to eat a lot of vegetables and you’ll never sacrifice flavor. You’ll eat real, whole ingredients, but feel like you’re at a restaurant eating a flavorful meal.

If I had to estimate my daily caloric intake in the beginning, it ranged from 1,200 calories a day to 1,600 calories a day, depending on how active I was. In three months, I lost about 25 to 30 pounds and now, I have maintained a 30-35 pound weight loss since.

If nothing else, just remember this…

… everyone has to start somewhere. This was me, on the left, on day one! The girl on the right is someone I never thought I could become, but I took every day by day and eventually, I achieved the body and lifestyle I dreamed of. You can too!

Buy the Inspiralizer

Inspiralized Meal plans

I challenge you to eat Inspiralized for a week and see how you feel! To launch the year, I’ve created weekly meal plans (Vegan and Gluten-Free) that will take the guesswork out of lunch and dinner for the week. I encourage you to follow along with me – these are the types of weekly meal plans I made for myself when I was trying to lose weight – they’re full of vegetables, lean proteins, and you’ll feel like you’re eating something completely different every day.

Join me and thousands of others over on the Inspiralized Facebook Community and motivate one another to keep on track of the meal plan – share images of your food, ask questions, troubleshoot recipes, and get excited about eating #inspiralized! Meaghan and I moderate this community, so you’ll see us check in everyday!

Click the below images to learn more about the meal plans and purchase:

Source

http://inspiralized.com/spiralizing-for-weight-loss/

[vincentpennington]

Wonton Meatballs

These Wonton Meatballs turned out amazing, but who knew this recipe would cause me so much grief?

With our second cookbook, Ready or Not!, off to the printer at last (after four years of work!), we immediately got to work designing a 16-month 2018 Nom Nom Paleo wall calendar with stickers covering September 2017 to December 2018. (Yes, really—our wall calendar is shipping in July, and it’s stuffed with recipes, cartoons, and encouragement! You can get a sneak peek and pre-order here.)

Now, with the calendar ready to go—not to mention our brand-new site redesign—I can finally throw myself back into creating new recipes for my blog and app again. Wahoo!

To start with, I decided to tackle a Chinese-inspired recipe that’s long been on my to-do list: Wonton Meatballs.

When I develop recipes, I like to begin by whipping up an experimental batch for dinner, and then feeding the results to my guinea pigs (a.k.a. husband and children). Rarely does my first try hit the mark, but lo and behold, these meatballs were an instant success. They reminded me of my mom’s pork and shrimp wonton filling, and I was pleased as punch that everyone else loved them, too. Even Ollie, the pickiest one in the family, gave this recipe his enthusiastic seal of approval. (In other words, he finished his dinner in minutes rather than hours.)

My loyal Nomsters on Instagram seemed to dig the look of these Wonton Meatballs, too. I posted a peek at the tasty meatballs on my feed to announce that a new recipe was on the way, and received plenty of encouragement for me to get this dish on our newly-updated site pronto.

No problem, I thought. I was feeling pretty smug. My first attempt was already 95% of the way there; I figured I’d add a bit of fresh ginger to the recipe, and maybe form slightly larger balls, but I had all weekend to polish the recipe.

But my hubris quickly changed to puzzlement the next morning when I made a second batch of meatballs.

They looked fine—every bit as pretty as the ones I’d made the previous night—but when I bit into a meatball, it disintegrated in my mouth. The wonderfully umami-rich flavors were the same, but the texture of the meat was powdery and off-putting and all-around gross. Was it me? I fed some meatballs to my unsuspecting family taste-testers, and they nearly spat them out. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO OUR MEATBALLS?” they demanded.

I had no idea.

Dejected, I made tray after tray of Wonton Meatballs all weekend long, modifying different factors to try to recreate the texture of the original. Was it the fat content of the meat? Did I work the mixture too much? I chopped the prawns more coarsely in one batch, barely mixed the meat in another attempt, used chilled pork and shrimp in the third batch, and added a binding agent to the fourth one. Nothing worked, though Henry and I forced ourselves to eat EVERY MEALY MEATBALL I MADE, because we don’t waste food around here. The kids, on the other hand, had no qualms about wasting these meatballs.

Wracked with self-doubt, I started having nightmares about my powdery pork predicament. The flavor profile remained fantastic, but the texture was so off-putting and so different from the original batch that I knew something was terribly wrong. Did I just imagine that the first meatball was delicious? Had I lost my cooking mojo completely?

After wracking my brain to remember what I did differently the first time around, I realized that I’d only made one modification to the ingredients after the initial batch: I’d added freshly minced ginger. But that couldn’t have been the culprit, right?

WRONG. It was the fresh ginger that made my meatballs mealy! After a quick Google search and a scan of my Cook’s Science book, I learned that—similar to pineapple—fresh ginger contains a powerful enzyme called zingibain that breaks down protein. The grated ginger I’d added to my meatball mixture was breaking down the collagen in my pork, literally turning it into mush. (By the way, my fellow science nerds, his only happens with fresh ginger. It turns out the enzyme is inactivated when the ginger is cooked, dried, or countered with acid like vinegar or citrus.)

Armed with this knowledge, I made a fifth batch of Wonton Meatballs—this time sans fresh ginger. And as soon as I bit into a hot meatball, I did a celebratory dance. The bouncy, springy texture was back! And that’s how Nom Nom got her groove back.

The moral of the story? In the immortal words of Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER.

So, without further ado, I present to you a batch of thoroughly tested Wonton Meatballs! (Psst! With the new blog redesign, there’s now a printer-friendly recipe card at the end of the post!)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound ground pork

2 scallions, finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro, minced

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt

½ teaspoon fish sauce

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Ghee or cooking fat of choice 

1 scallion, sliced on the bias (optional garnish)

Sriracha (optional)

Equipment:

Small bowl

Large bowl

Chef’s knife

Cutting board

Scraper

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Small frying pan

Silicone spatula

Large cookie scoop (a.k.a. #20 disher)

Rimmed baking sheet

Parchment paper

Method:

Check that your dried ’shrooms are hydrated. I like to throw a bunch of dried mushrooms into a bowl of water in the morning so they’ll be ready by the time I make dinner. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F, and squeeze the water out of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut off the hard stems, and finely mince them.

Finely chop the shrimp until you’ve got a chunky paste.

Transfer the chopped shrimp to a large bowl and add the pork…

…mushrooms, scallions, cilantro…

…coconut aminos, salt, fish sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.

Use your hands to squeeze and mix the meatball mixture until a sticky and tacky mass is formed. I know that most meatball recipes warn against over-mixing the ingredients lest the balls turn tough, but this is the method my mama uses to make her deliciously springy shrimp and pork cakes. She swears it’s the secret to the bouncy texture, and she’s also the best home cook I know, so I’m gonna follow her advice.

Heat up a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little cooking fat. When the pan is sizzling hot, form a little patty and cook it in the pan. Taste it and see if the seasoning is right. Adjust with additional salt if needed. (Not ready to cook just yet? You can keep the meatball mixture in the fridge for up to 12 hours.)

Form the mixture into 1½-inch balls. I like to scoop the balls out with a #20 disher, which holds 3 tablespoons. Roll the mixture into round balls…

…and arrange on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. You should end up with about a dozen balls.

Bake the meatballs in the oven for 15-20 minutes…

…or until cooked through.

Top with scallions and serve immediately. These savory Wonton Meatballs are incredibly flavorful on their own, but if you insist on eating ’em with some kind of sauce, add a squirt of my Whole30 Sriracha.

Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months. I like to reheat my meatballs by cutting them into thick slices and pan-frying them until crispy on the outside.

If you wanna make a bunch of Wonton Sliders instead, smush the balls into ½-inch patties and fry in a greased pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with a squeeze of sriracha.

Lesson learned: Recipe testing can be a chore, but it’s a necessary one, and the results are gratifyingly delicious!

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)

PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Print

Wonton Meatballs

Prep 10 mins

Cook 20 mins

Inactive 30 mins

Total 60 mins

Author Michelle Tam

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

¼ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound ground pork 

2 scallions, finely chopped

¼ cup cilantro, minced

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt

½ teaspoon fish sauce

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

Ghee or cooking fat of choice 

1 scallion, sliced on the bias (optional garnish)

Sriracha (optional)

Instructions

Check that your dried ’shrooms are hydrated. I throw the dried mushrooms in a bowl of water in the morning so they’ll be ready by the time I make dinner. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F, and squeeze the water out of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut off the hard stems, and finely mince them.

Finely chop the shrimp until you’ve got a chunky paste.

Place the shrimp in a large bowl and add the pork, mushrooms, scallions, cilantro, coconut aminos, salt, fish sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil.

Use your hands to squeeze and mix the meatball mixture until a sticky and tacky mass is formed.

Heat up a small frying pan over medium heat and add a little cooking fat. When the pan is hot, form a little patty and cook it in the pan. Taste it and see if the seasoning is right. Adjust with additional salt if needed. (Not cooking yet? You can store the meatball mixture in the fridge for up to 12 hours.)

Form the mixture into 1½-inch balls. I like to scoop the balls out with a #20 disher, which holds 3 tablespoons. Roll the mixture into round balls and arrange on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. You should end up with about a dozen balls.

Bake the meatballs in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

If you wanna make a bunch Wonton Sliders instead, smush the balls into ½-inch patties and fry in a greased pan over medium heat, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately with a squeeze of sriracha!

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months. I like to reheat my meatballs by cutting them into thick slices and pan-frying them until crispy on the outside.

Cuisine Chinese

The post Wonton Meatballs appeared first on Nom Nom Paleo®.

[belindisney]

Day 2 - Back to Disney Springs

I just want to make another apology before I begin: As I noted on my last post, I’m quite late with blogging. This includes actually writing down drafts physically so I can remember when everything happened - so the next few days may not be entirely faithful to the actual events of the day, but I’m going to try and remember them as best as I can! 

Pariya and I had decided the night before that we were probably going to go solo. So I got up for breakfast as soon as I felt like it (around 8AM) with a plan to eat something light and small. My meals had been quite large so far, and that accompanied with my body trying to adjust (and the Florida water never quite satisfying my thirst) I’d been feeling quite sick after eating. So I was going to get some cereal, and maybe some fruit. At least, that was the plan. 

I happen to be very fond of ham and cheese toasties. Disney makes ham and cheese toasties. Now, everyone has their own way of making toasties - we have a sandwich press, so for me it’s usually a ratio of 2:1 of ham and cheese (this varies depending on how large the ham slices are. This sandwich used AT LEAST 8 SLICES OF HAM. Not a necessary amount of ham. I suffered through one half before taking out the majority of the ham (losing a fair about of nice cheese in the process) in the second half. This was followed by cereal, though, so I guess I followed my plan a little bit? 

After the requisite half hour I finally made use of the Calypso Pool, which I had been eyeing since my arrival to the hotel. For those who don’t know, All Star Music is home to two pools, the larger of which is shaped like a guitar and has a statue in the middle of The Three Cabelleros (Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles). The Piano Pool is shaped like - you guessed it - a piano. Unfortunately, it was being refurbished, and so I wasn’t able to swim under the watchful eyes of Ariel and her sea-guitar. But the Calypso pool was empty enough for me to swim in my little personal bubble and float on my back, and the water wasn’t too warm or cold. There did seem to be a lot of chlorine, however, so after my little swim it was straight back to my room for a shower. 

Some time later I was off to Disney Springs for the second time! I was by myself, so I was looking forward to exploring the area and finding the famous World of Disney shop. First, however, was a visit to the Coke shop. It’s full of merchandise - all of which I wanted to take home! Instead I got a souvenir for my brother and a small Coke handbag for myself. Since then I have discovered that it is unfortunately too small for my wallet, but a change of wallet will fix this. I’ll be asking for some things in the post soon, so maybe Mum can send one to me...

I also visited a Starbucks for the first time since coming to America. I was surprised and confused by the menu, but later very impressed - I was able to buy a sandwich with turkey, cheese and pesto which was not only delicious but the most reasonably sized meal I’d had the entire trip. With this I tried the berry hibiscus refresher, which was delicious. I don’t know what exactly it was actually, but I loved it. Then I began my intrepid search for World of Disney. This took a very, very long time, but when I finally found it... 

World of Disney is beautiful. After ten minutes, time and space does not exist outside of that shop. I was surrounded by all kinds of temptations of fluff and clothing and glitter and hardly any way to stop myself - but I persevered, and made it out alive. Then I found out that a couple of fellow Australians were in the area. So I met up with Steph, who I had incidentally already met at my interview, and Emily, who I’d never met but who was lovely nonetheless. It began to rain as if on cue, but we braved the weather as we made our way back to World of Disney and explored every shop we pleased. This included (but was not limited to) the Lego shop and Days of Christmas, both of which were fascinating and beautiful. As it grew dark we decided to stick around for dinner, and T-Rex Cafe was the destination. 

As you may have guessed, T-Rex Cafe is themed after prehistoric eras, notably those with dinosaurs. I cannot describe how incredible it was. Animatronic dinosaurs, constant sound and light changes, lovely staff.  We decided very quickly that the food would probably be too much to handle, so while Steph ordered a pasta dish, Emily and I shared the chicken burger (appropriately named Paleo-something), whilst I ordered a side of mashed potatoes and my first alcoholic beverage on American soil. The drink was a cotton-tini, or a cocktail served alongside a martini glass full of fairy floss (or cotton candy, as the Americans call it). Mixed together it tasted amazing, quite sweet. Unfortunately, because I had not eaten for a long time and I was starving, it all went straight to my head. My second mistake became apparent when our meal was delivered to our table. Shared between two people, the meal was a reasonable size. The side of potatoes was a meal within itself. Cue me cringing as I worked my way through the whole thing, unable to let go of my ‘waste not, want not’ attitude. After finishing dinner, we eyed the Chocolate Extinction with envy - this dish is elaborately presented with a tumbler of dry ice fogging out over four slices of chocolate cake, and 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream. Several tables tried this dish, though we agreed we didn’t have any more room for dessert. So we left to go look at the souvenirs just outside the restaurant. Tired and just a little drunk, I hung around and whinged like an old lady while Steph and Emily laughed good-naturedly and cheered me up while we waited out the storm that had blown in while we were eating. We looked over the Build-A-Dino shop (Build-a-Bear, just themed for the shop) and debated over which ones we’d build and what to dress them in. After some time the rain stopped, and it was time to run back to the buses to head back to our respective hotels. 

I have forgotten to mention that the ride to Disney Springs was occupied by conversing with a lovely couple from Missouri who were visiting for the wife’s birthday. It started humorously enough for me as the husband asked me what part of England I was from, and quickly evolved into talking about the weather outside, and the differences in Australian weather and different areas of America. They were lovely, and so it was a great surprise to see them board the bus on the way home! We talked about our respective days, and I was excited to tell them more things about home. They did ask me about eating kangaroo - for those of you who are wondering my personal preference; I don’t. I understand that it is environmentally sustainable, and maybe I’ll try it one day, but not for the moment. 

Getting back to the hotel was rather uneventful - in fact, I was only motivated enough for a shower, followed by bed. I woke up rather suddenly at 1am... but that’s a story for the next post...

see you real soon!

[mastcomm]

How an Author and His Husband Host Casual Dinners in Their New York Apartment

It’s tempting to call the author Richie Jackson’s new book, “Gay Like Me,” a memoir or an epistolary — but it’s really a manifesto, a 156-page letter from a gay 54-year-old father to his gay 19-year-old son, Jackson Wong, about what it meant to be gay when the writer was young in New York and what it means to be gay now. In that way, the work is a magnanimous gesture of generational transference: a cheat sheet on queer history; a lecture about safe sex; a call to get angry, harness one’s otherness and ultimately claim individuality. But it’s also one man’s personal history, a timeline of decades spent pursuing fatherhood as well his (nonbiological) L.G.B.T.Q. family at large.

That the author’s eldest son is gay was both unexpected (as such news usually is), and a catalyst for Jackson, who spent his career as a television, film and theatrical producer, to finally commit to paper his thoughts and wisdom: “When I rejoiced that you were gay, I was really wishing for the good parts — the community, the camaraderie, the creativity. The incredible beings who populate our community, who against all odds are themselves,” he writes. “But you can’t be gay with just the good parts: Your life daily will be touched by all the difficult parts, too. The fight, the struggle, the challenges, will make it even more valuable, even more worthy.”

Ultimately, Jackson says, he wanted to write the book that he felt he needed when he was growing up, back when he looked to late-20th-century memoirists, essayists and fiction writers to “learn how to be gay.” So to celebrate the book’s launch, and his own entrance into this lineage of queer authorship, Jackson and his husband, the theater producer Jordan Roth, recently hosted a dinner party at their West Village apartment, gathering some of their favorite contemporary L.G.B.T.Q. writers for conversation over a relaxed meal. It was a broad, varied group, a room full of thinkers who’d followed each other’s work but rarely met in person, from the eminent author Edmund White to the playwright Matthew Lopez to the memoirist and screenwriter Thomas Page McBee. Some guests, like Camille Perri and Raquel Willis, had started their careers in journalism and were now branching out, while others, like Lane Moore and Michael Arceneaux, had published books of essays that were as personal as Jackson’s, whose editor, Jonathan Burnham (the president and publisher of the Harper division of HarperCollins), was in attendance with his boyfriend, Scott Rothkopf, the chief curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Both Jackson and Roth, who is increasingly a fixture on the international fashion circuit, often host guests in their home — they have a system in place, down to the catering and stemware and elegant corner dining table. But the added joy of this night came from shining a brighter light on Jackson and his literary accomplishments: “Now that my book is out, I’m learning how to walk in the world in a completely new way,” Jackson says. “Sometimes I feel reborn.” As the dozen guests milled about, discussing the imperiled state of L.G.B.T.Q.-focused media or regaling White with tales of contemporary gay sex (the children were not in attendance), it became clear that the evening was also a kind of salon, a throwback to an era when gay people gathered exclusively among one another to celebrate and get mad and express their true selves. “When I first got to New York in 1983, you would find yourself in spaces where you were around only gay people,” Jackson says. With assimilation and progress, of course, those sorts of safe spaces have become less customary or necessary. And yet to create your own majority, in a beautiful home over a delicious meal, no less, remains an empowering and vital act of generosity. “It’s obvious,” Jackson adds. “You have to get your gay stories from gay writers.” Here’s how the night came together.

Extend the Cocktail Hour

Roth and Jackson like to invite a group of people over “just because it’s Thursday night — or who don’t know each other, or who have no reason to find each other at the same table,” Jackson says, which necessitates building in extra time at the beginning of the party to welcome everyone, extend introductions and allow people to get comfortable with each other in their corner living room, where through the wide windows you can see the city’s lights glinting off the Hudson River. On this particular occasion, guests spent much of the evening configuring themselves in small groups, weaving between each other: White and Lopez discussed the legacy of AIDS, Roth and Willis complimented each other’s looks, Perri and McBee compared notes about Hollywood. Inviting everyone to socialize before sitting around the table meant that the dinner itself felt like a continuation, rather than the inception, of a sprawling conversation.

Go Family-Style, but on the Side

The table was arrayed, simply, with Calvin Klein glassware and plates and flatware from the Italian company Match. However, Jackson and Roth prefer to present their meals, which are prepared by their own culinary team, nonchalantly in a banquet-like spread on the nearby sidebar. This approach to family-style dining limits clutter and prevents the food from being the sole focus of a meal, letting human interaction take center stage. It also allowed guests to follow their own dietary restrictions and preferences with minimal fuss, as everyone created their own colorful plates of, say, citrus-glazed salmon — “I would date this salmon,” Willis joked — or Spanish-spiced chicken, farro with porcini mushrooms, shawarma-roasted purple cauliflower and mixed greens crowned with edible flowers. “We always do buffet because we feel it’s more casual,” Jackson says. “We want it to feel not so stodgy.”

Outsource Dessert

Though a pastry chef baked a few treats to celebrate the release of Jackson’s book — including a seven-layer cake with fresh raspberries, plus a chocolate-and-orange layer cake and white chocolate torte that were both vegan and gluten-free — the couple typically ends such parties with a bounty of their favorite baked goods from a rotating roster of iconic New York bakeries and chocolatiers. For this one, they brought in chewy chocolate chip and dark-chocolate “explosion” cookies from Mah Ze Dahr bakery in the West Village, plus double-chocolate gluten-free pecan cookies from the famed Dominique Ansel, whose shop is also nearby. Guests couldn’t stop passing around the cakes and cookie plates — proof that, sometimes, it’s better to leave a few key details in the hands of pros.

Decorate With Proportions in Mind

“Our entire dining room, which Jordan created, is designed to encourage intimate conversations,” Jackson says. The custom table in polished concrete is longer and narrower than is typical so that people can form intimate groups and actually hear each other — its dimensions and gray color evoke a New York City sidewalk. The chairs are vintage Steiner, but reupholstered in a sumptuous-but-comfortable Castel “teddy bear” fabric. Flowers are nonnegotiable, of course, but this night’s arrangements — peony and orchid varieties in red and pink (the hues of which matched Roth’s sweater), clustered in small bunches in amber apothecary bottles by the florist Frank Fiore — were a reminder that a single, low line of blooms adds visual interest without being a distraction.

Switch Up the Seating

For dinner, guests were assigned places via simple name cards; the hosts separated themselves and made interesting calculations about who should sit next to whom. Though Jackson and Roth were at opposing ends, their final party trick was to swap seats halfway through the meal, which provided an unexpected jolt of energy to conversation that was, perhaps, lagging a bit between bites of food. It’s a dead-simple, foolproof idea to steal: “Did you notice, after the dinner, nobody got up from the table?” Jackson recalls. “Everybody stuck around and kept talking — perhaps because it was so fun to watch Edmund White hold court.”

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