#its honey vanilla and apricot tea and i love it

[maskedinstructor]

Black Education in America- Time for Some Crazy Sh*t.

It's Time for Some Crazy Sh*t. Damn it ! We have survived a pandemic. Yet, we are still replicating things of the past. I am angry and astonished that I hear from the mouth of renown educators that we must accelerate our instructional goals, objectives and practices to compensate for time lost during the pandemic. The gap created by it was and still is wide and long. We are requested to hurry up and repeat the hideous, appalling and dreadful curricula, the same old sh*t, In a unique and novel way. The pandemic caused us, to pause, hesitate, reflect. In that state of contemplation, in my heart, I knew it was time for some crazy sh*t. It was the precise moment to be audacious, to be BOLD. Indeed, then, it was the exact situation in which we were forced to be ferociously fearless. My papers are here presented. Who are the people who have been outrageously successful in the proposed subject matter which we shall employ as the fulcrum of our academic innovation? Who are those whose love for this product has long inspired creativity which is the envy of industries throughout the world? Obviously, I speak of our children. They have mastered the new subject. They have inspired product development and innovation to such a degree that scholars seek their advice and counsel more than frequently. Their taste has virtually birthed the enterprise. I declare that a school with this as its curricular focus would fawn students who would achieve at such a high standard of excellence that the Earth itself would turn on its axis anew. It is not science or math or language arts or technology. Here are life, study, academic rigor as they pertain to the real world. Our curriculum is that frozen dessert from the very heavens. Wars have been halted when the gorgeous gelato was presented as a mediation chip. With the full consent of our juvenile scholars. the delightful delicacy will head the scholastic pursuits. AND... the school will be named "The Ice Cream School. Vanilla or Chocolate"...Crazy, indeed! Of course, for it is time for some crazy Sh*t.

Every child in the universe would want a seat in that school in which he could eat as much ice cream as HE desired. In addition SHE would have these menu choices available to HER : Cookie Dough Chunks, Cherry Garcia, Americone Dream, Lights Camera Action, Oatmeal Dream Pie, Chocolate Milk & Honey, Raspberry Cheese Cake, Salted Caramel Core, Pumpkin Pie Dessert, S'Mores, Caramel Brownie Moose Tracks, Guatemalan Ripple, English Toffee Crunch, Rum Raisin(More for the Staff than the students), Matcha Green Tea, Pralines & Cream, Mango Apricot Sorbet, Pomegranate Blueberry Chunks, Oreo Overload, The Pie Who Loved Me, All Lovin' No Oven, Mud Pie Mojo, Berry Berry Berry Goode, Strawberry Banana Rendezvous, Baseball Nut, Daiquiri Ice ( Faculty Request), Lemon Custard), Jamoca Almond Fudge, Icing On The Cake. WOOOOW !

The Ice Cream School is not a daydream. It is not vapors. It was conceived after decades of a longitudinal study and meticulous, fastidious, arduous research. If I may for a moment be critical of my chosen profession and state the truth to the educational establishment. " We missed the boat. The signs and signals were ever present, MR. SOFTEE ! Every summer day and late into fall, he appeared and his truck rang out those musical notes. Suddenly a bright cloud covered the Earth. The planet became motionless as if the inhabitants thereof were hypnotized. Children broke the spell by screaming the words, " Mr. Softee! Mr. Softee ! " They dashed homeward to retrieve money from their parents. With hands outstretched, all took money and curved their bodies in the direction of the truck, that Ice Cream truck. Instantaneously, after the purchase, the Earth returned to its normal state of calm and quiet. Witnessing that phenomenon for years, my fellow educators, scholars and I arrived at the conclusion that schools should provide the very same excitement and organization. I visualized other outcomes of a more mundane fashion. Here was the solution to the recurring problems which plague our schools:1. Absenteeism- Free Ice Cream at school. If you are absent, I eat your daily allotment.2. Tardiness -Morning ice cream bar closes at 7:29. 3. Discipline- Misbehavior deprives student of all treat-rights to free refreshment for a designated period of time. 4. Scholarship, academic achievement, Testing, Classroom participation and service - Student access to ice cream pleasures, delights, creations and concoctions can increase from limited to infinitesimal to absolute control. Ice Cream is that balm in Gilead. It is the soother, the peacemaker and the motivator. Children don't want money. They want ice cream. They don't want clothes. They want ice cream. They don't want a clean room. They want ice cream. They do not want to help Dad wash the car. They want Ice Cream. They don't want to mow the grass. They want Ice Cream. We were not schools for what children wanted. No! Those were the desires of their parents. Children want ice cream in all of its forms and glory.

(Sidebar) My friend is the most astute and intelligent woman on the planet. Her life is devoted to real estate. Her knowledge of it is at times scary, massive but impressive. If I wanted to create a school with a curriculum in real estate, I would first consult with her. Then I would zealously expose the students to everything, idea and belief in her portfolio. I would do so diligently and intrepidly for what I know of her is her intellect, her spirit of innovation and her love for the subject. ICE CREAM is real. It is authentic. It reaches far into the senses and attacks the heart. It has color, texture and natural beauty. It causes the mouth to water in anticipation. It teases, smiles and even laughs at the eater. It recognizes atmospheric changes. Should it not be cared for, it disappears before the eyes. It is merciless in its appeal. Ice Cream never surrenders. The last scoop is as sweet as the first. The sweetness and joy remain with that person for hours afterwards. Is that not a product worthy of exploration? Surely, it is! It is a school and curriculum innovation we must not forsake. BESIDES, IT IS TIME FOR SOME CRAZY SH*T... How do you like me now?

BEST OF 2023

[couchpotatoaniki]

One Year ❣︎ Three: The Execution

Chapter Summary: Trying to cool off, you decided to spend the day by yourself. This couldn’t have gone any better for San’s plan.

Pairing: Mafia!San x Fem!Reader Genre: Mafia AU, fluff, angst, eventual smut, lotta crack and stupid shit ngl Chapter warnings: swearing, stalking, kidnapping Word count: 2.5k+ A 365 Days parody

Previous: Chapter Two For the rest of the series, click here

Speech in bold means they’re talking in Korean

Speech in italics is whatever the reader wants their native langue to be that’s not Korean or English

Speech without either means they’re talking in English

Buzzing came from your pocket, initially thinking your phone got a notification until it continuously vibrated. Yunho was calling you.

“Yo, where are you? Mingi told us what happened between you and Dom--and before you say anything, he’ll be having hell to pay, regardless of whether you approve or not.”

Chuckling, you sighed as you looked at your surroundings. “Fine by me. Do what you like to him.” Slowing down in front of a cute-looking coffee shop, you answered his first question...partially. “Just taking a stroll in the town.”

“Wanna be left alone?” You hummed as you entered the establishment, being hit with wafts of bakes goods. “Very well then. But we’re gonna hunt you down if you’re not back by midnight.”

“M’kay, Pops,” mumbling absent-mindedly while overlooking the menu on the screens above the counter.

You couldn’t see the gentle bitter smile on his face, knowing very well that you weren’t as stone-cold as the façade you masked yourself in. Had an idea that you just needed space. “Alright then. Look after yourself.”

“You too.”

Beeping over the line indicated to you that he had hung up. Shoving your phone back into your coat pocket, you let your feet carry you to the till, where a young teenager dressed in a pale blue polo shirt and evergreen apron on top greeted you with a nervous smile.

Must have been new, or had some sort of social anxiety, from the way they avoided your eyes and fidgeted with their hands. “U-Um, hello. Welcome... What would you like?” the taller kid practically whispered, but you caught on to their words.

Sending a soft, warming smile, you answered, “can I have a buttered croissant with a mango and passionfruit iced tea, please? Actually, would you mind adding a chocolate muffin to that too?”

Nodding, they tapped the till, pressing various buttons before saying, “that’ll be 6,500 won, please.”

Pulled out your wallet and paid the employee. As you sat down, waiting on your order, you began to reminisce from when you used to be that age too--then again, it was not hard at all since it wasn’t too long ago.

Seven years ago, you were only 16, enjoying life just before things took a turn you never expected and you were never the same air-headed, happy-go-lucky kid you once were.

All you needed at the time was someone who was kind, who gave you a breath from the onslaught you faced all around you. Mingi was probably the only reason you’re still alive.

Thinking about the old days did more damage to you than you’d like to believe, but almost seemed impossible with the Dominic situation.

Being betrayed again hurt like hell, and although he wasn’t as bad as what you had experienced, he still broke your trust. Trust you tried to rebuild after all you went through the last time.

Thoughts you spent so long trying to get rid of grew back like weeds of the concrete walls you put up five years ago.

And despite what you tried to convince yourself and Mingi, you actually really liked the guy.

“Here you go, miss,” the young employee mumbled as he placed a tray with your order on it. Almost everything was right, except that there was a vanilla and chocolate chip muffin instead of a complete chocolate one.

Oh well, a muffin’s a muffin.

“Thank you,” you grinned, handing the teenager a tip of 10,000 won.

Their eyes widened at your strange generosity before hesitantly taking the money you held out between your index and middle fingers.

Your lips wrapped around the straw as you took a sip of your ice-cold drink. Strong tones of mango, with a hint of passionfruit, slight sweetness from honey and faint tang of fresh lemon.

Iced tea was something you had grown to love over the past five years, first time being too bitter and flavourful for you. Then again, the events prior left a bad taste in your mouth. Seonghwa was the one who helped you, always getting you an iced tea every time he went to a nearby coffee shop.

Learned quite quickly that your tongue was sensitive to heat after being so concerned how you refused piping-hot meals he cooked for you often. Waited until it cooled a lot before digging in.

No doubt the four boys would do anything for you--Mingi the most out of the rest since you wouldn’t be where you are without him--but sometimes you needed to breathe by yourself. Enjoying the little things you like croissants and muffins rather than focussing on your soon-to-be ex boyfriend cheating on you for a reason that eludes you.

That’s how the rest of the day goes.

Aimlessly walking, window-shopping, sight-seeing. Nothing registered in your mind but it was better than something negative.

Your phone was on silent, growing cold in your pocket from the lack of heat being transferred from your hand. Even then, you doubt anyone (except Dominic) would be texting you since you told them you wanted peace.

Before you realised it, the sun crawled above your head and began to set in the horizon, a clash of beautiful blues, oranges, pinks, and purples hovering in the sky. Lampposts along the streets lit up and the sky grew dark, yet that didn’t stop the hustle and bustle.

Irritated by the noises of people, you turned to an alleyway which had significantly less lighting but also significantly less humans.

As you walked, you were deep in thought, not thinking much of your surroundings. Then the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and a chill ran down your spine.

Someone was following you.

You were about to turn around and defend yourself--and you had no worries that you would lose. But then bright LED headlights of a hidden black SUV had highlighted the hair of a rather short person who stood in front of it.

Shocking electric blue stands brushed against his porcelain-smooth skin from light wisps of wind passing by. The same colour hair you realised had been barely peeking in your peripheral since the airport.

Next to a man you had very briefly met on you birthday dinner while searching for the bathroom.

Exactly how long have they been following you?

Though you chided yourself for not noticing it sooner--despite all the excuses of being ‘on a holiday’--you found yourself pondering. You had never met those two funky-haired people before in your life, and you sure as hell made sure any dangerous people couldn’t find you (not without going through one of the other boys first) so who exactly were these people?

Perhaps you were like a bee, drunk on the honey in your tea, or maybe you wanted to get your mind off the situation, needing a thrill at the moment.

You felt the need to destroy something--or at least toy with it for a bit--and these cocky assholes seemed perfect.

Either way, you relaxed your muscles (only a little, as to not raise suspicion of the young man before you).

One foot stepped behind you as you kept your eyes trained on his coco ones, only to rip them away a moment when you turned to ‘run’. As expected, something else tried to stop you. Another black SUV with blinding lights swerved into the other end of the alleyway as you tried to leave.

You’d prided yourself on good acting, and it always seemed to pay off. Right now, to sell the part of a scared girl, you stumbled backwards--planning to fall of the cobblestone path, but only to be saved by something hard.

The mysterious man’s chest, his hands holding your arms as support.

“Sorry about this,” he whispered in your ear, covering your mouth with a chloroformed cloth. You didn’t really put up much of a fight (to your standards, anyway) and succumbed to the strong chemical.

At first you were floating in a sea of black, unable to connect with your senses. Slowly, after moments of nothingness, you could feel the world materialise around you.

Soft fabric was cushioned beneath you, cradling your body with warmth. Light began to seep through your closed eyelids as the gentle, sweet smell of sugared almonds filled your nose with every deep inhale. And finally, a headache that began to pound harder with every pulse.

Grunting, you pried your eyes open, immediately noticing what appeared to be a shower room in front of you. There were two shower heads on each side, with only pillars of soft light embedded into the tiled wall rather than a proper partition. To add to the lack of privacy, the only material separating the shower room and the eyes of the bed was simply a thin pane of sliding glass which hid absolutely nothing.

“What kinda perv decided to design this monstrosity?”

Propping yourself up on your elbows, you looked down on the bed you were lying in, thankfully still in the same cotton dress, phone no longer in its pockets. The mattress was significantly softer than the one at the hotel--yet another indicator that your kidnappers were rich.

On the tables dotted around the space were lilac candles. Most likely the culprit of the amazing scent in the room.

Your eyes then caught the daylight peeking through the curtains, enlightening the room in a soft apricot glow. “Fuck,” you muttered, remembering Yunho’s words in the previous call she had, “they’re gonna kill me for staying out.”

Pushing yourself off the illegally comfortable bed, you inched towards the only door you saw. Fingers wrapped around the cold metal handle and pushed down, finding it much to your surprise that it was actually unlocked. Pulled it open without hesitation, though making sure you peered out to see if there was anyone.

There wasn’t.

“Great security, guys,” you sighed, actually feeling disappointed in the lack of effort you had to put in while walking openly around. After all, it was the reason you let yourself be taken.

Then again, this could all be a trap.

Now that was exciting.

You let yourself become familiar with the surroundings upon one glance, noticing the obvious luxurious colour scheme of gold and cream that had your eyes rolling at the basic rich vibes it gave you.

Then you found your breath catching in your throat as you continued to explore, eyes frozen on a portrait hung up on a wall.

Though the fact that it was a portrait of you had initially shocked you, it wasn’t the defining feature that had your heart palpitating at a dangerous speed. Your hair was short again, a pixie cut, while you were sat on a beach that looked a lot like the one you visited in Santorini.

“Fuckin’ hell.”

In fact, the painting was an exact replica of you from five years ago, down to the clothing of ripped jeans and loose top you wore. You, from one of your darkest and lowest moments.

“Are you lost, babygirl?”

The same voice rang in your ears, repeating the only sentence you heard spill from his lips. When you turned around to confirm who it was, it was indeed the same man you saw.

The damn muscular guy, with pitch-black hair and a lock of platinum blonde brushing just above an eye.

The blood was rushing too fast, fear in your eyes no longer an act. Just who the fuck was this guy?

You took one step back, knees buckling instantly but before your brain could process it, the man had wrapped his arms around you, catching your body before hit the ground.

San could smell the delicate citrusy aroma wafting from your skin and he tried so hard to not bury his head in the crook of your neck, to kiss the area and whisper sweet nothings into your ear.

Taking advantage of your frozen state, he lifted you up and place you on a nearby armchair, one beside a fireplace since he felt you were too cold for comfort.

Only until he had a ice cube pressed against your lips, did you snap out of it. “You should have it. Maybe you had a bad reaction to the chloroform. Sorry about that, by the way.”

Head turning the other way, your guarded eyes stayed locked on him rather than your painting behind his form. “English.”

“Why? You spoke perfectly good Korean at the dinner two days ago,” he said, pressing the ice cube onto your mouth once more.

“Simply because I feel more comfortable with English,” you remarked, swatting away his hand. “And stop putting that on my mouth.”

Sighing, he dropped the cold, melting cube back in the glass of whiskey before putting a bit of distance between the two of you. He could feel himself getting angry, that you won’t trust him, that you won’t listen to him.

But could he blame you?

“I feel like explanations are in order,” you said, narrowing your eyes down on his figure, flickering firelight resting on him to make him seem even more good-looking, shadows casted to make each feature appear sharper. But that wasn’t what you were focused on.

You wanted to deduce this stranger by his body language.

Stood tall, maintaining good eye contact, showed that he was confident. Classic black suits--expensive by the look of the fabric--showed that he as rich. Tattoos littering the skin of his hand showed a bit of a bad-boy nature. And the aura he emitted was that of a leader.

Corner of your lips twitching, you realised who--or what--he might be. The boss of a fairly powerful crime syndicate.

San, on the other hand, couldn’t see what you were thinking as you looked at him. Did you think he was as hot as he did you? Fuck, he hoped so--clearly not understanding how a normal person would react in such a situation.

“Hello? Earth to whoever the hell you are?”

“If you want answers, you certainly won’t be getting them if you act like a brat.”

Scoffing, you tilted you head, eyes boring into him with a cold glaze coving them. Like a lifeless doll. “Then how do you suggest I act then? Hmm? After seeing that you’ve been stalking me for the last five years,” you nodded towards coloured canvas, growing more unsettled every time you looked at it.

“Fair point,” he said, taking a seat on the chair opposite you. “But you should know that I haven’t been doing that. Stalking you, I mean.”

“The fuck do you call that creepy-ass portrait, then?”

“I call it a precious memory.” San shifted his focus from your gaze to the flames lazily dancing on charred wooden embers. Tongue swiped over his lips before chuckling, almost bitterly. “Doubt you’ll believe me, but I’ll tell you anyway.”

Lips pursed, you sat quietly as you listened to his story.

☕︎ Tag list: @little-precious-baby​ , @sparklychangbin​​ ,

[emj-tolj]

              A Healthy Cup of Adventure Hunting Tea

More than often when I put my boots on and hit the ground for a day or weekend of adventure hunting, I will carry with me a small pouch, in which I carry tea bags. In some cases if I know where I am heading I will look for tea ingredients (herbs and flowers). Depending on the adventurous mind I am in, will depend the blend, which helps me take in the full experience of the adventure. While we all are effected and inspired by teas differently, here is my Adventure Hunting Tea influences:

Birch: An invoker of pretty much any adventure within autumn settings. I find it also invoke high desires for adventures that have some magickal element to them.

Mint Tea: Mint is my go to for many moods. Mostly fantasy and adventures dealing with  the air and wind. (Hilltops, windy days, canyons)

Black Tea: Pretty much all adventures but particularly when the adventure is home or office based like Gangsters and Noir settings. Very retro/vintage  Urban-ish feelings. 

Grapefruit: When I am looking to inspire adventures dealing with Magick, spells and other such themes, this is my go-to tea. Also any adventure that may take me into the wetlands and swamps.

Blueberry: Any adventure dealing with woodlands and forests

Raspberry: Any adventure in which I know there will be some sort of confrontation or battles

Elm: Elm tea takes me into wanting adventures into the winter season. Not sure why but it does.

Blackberry: Any adventure that takes me into a place like libraries or museums

Hawthorn: I have to be careful with this tea as it kicks in a lot of adventures with in the realms of love and passion. I mean HIGH love and passion adventures.

Rose petal/hips: Any adventure where love, passion and springtime take place

Linden Tea: This is my “go to” tea when I need to invoke summertime feelings and adventures. Its really powerful for me.

Chamomile: Any adventure that spans into times of rest and sleep. Often I will have Rose tea and Chamomile for a heightened experience

Lavender: Awesome tea for homebound adventures or adventures in farmers and gardens

Green Tea: Any adventure that takes place in fields. plains, meadows, gardens, valleys. Also I find most powerful when I am on summertime adventures.

Pumpkin Tea: Pretty much obvious, anything dealing with autumn as well as forest and farmlands.  

Beech: This tea I find is a leader to high action adventures in rustic places. So I am sure to be well geared for everything and everything, including battle.

Maple Syrup Tea: Another one of the teas that invoke high adventure in the theme of Fantasy and Westerns.

Oolong Tea: Any adventure that takes place or around a social gathering, such as a tavern scene, a dinner or hanging out at a campsite with friends 

Cherry: Any adventure that takes me into places like faires, carnivals, amusement parks and places of high wild entertainment

Chocolate Mint Tea: Any adventure dealing with the winter season and holidays.

Citrus Tea: (Orange/Peach/Apricot) This tea for me invoke pretty much any summer time adventures.

Lemon Tea:  Not only a Summer adventure invoker but specifically adventures  centered around places like boats, beaches, harbors, ports and other shorelines.

Cucumber Tea:  This tea REALLY invokes summer theme adventures but also places like rivers, gorges, brooks, lakes and other fresh water areas.

Willow: This tea I find is best for slow day adventures often leading to just picnics, fishing and lazy days. Defiantly a summer adventure invoker.

Oak Tea: Not a fave of mine taste wise but its does help me dive into adventures set in old urban areas, like old book shops, alleys, antique shops and so forth. 

Hibiscus:   This tea invoke adventures in me when there is a lot of trekking, walking and running. Areas like forest and woodland borderlines,  

Ginger Tea: A bit spicy for some but i takes me into adventures of Arabian and middle eastern delights. Deserts and exotic market places. (I lived 10 years in Two Suns Summerset so this tea was drunk a lot!)

Lemon Grass: Another tea which for me invokes a more “home-body” adventures. Specially farms, villages, orchards, gardens, villas and cottages.

Ash: This tea I find drives my adventures to one particular place and that is to open fields and meadows. A veru spring and summer time vibe I find comes with it.

Apples: Pretty much an go all tea for all sorts of adventures. Specially if your adventures border around these like pioneering and “westerns”

Pineapple: A great tea to help stimulate adventures in tropical places and summertime settings. 

Spearmint: (And Winter mint) Excellent to inspire and stimulate adventures set in the winter season. Spearmint I find is also a great inspirer of adventures dealing with wind (see MINT above)

Jasmine: Another tea for me that is bet taken to inspire adventures within the lines of love, passion and even just self love. I find when I by some new adventure gear, I will have a cup of Jasmine Tea to help me align my new clothes/gear to my “AH” self. 

Vanilla Tea: Hard to find but for me its an all around adventure invoker. It represents so much for me and invokes all sorts of adventures

Coconut Tea: Can be used to invoke and enhance tropical adventures as well as summertime and also adventures set in woodlands and forests, as it had a very earthy flavor

Walnut: This is one tea that for me I can not take without a weeks leave from work. Its powerful for me, invoking HIGH ADVENTURE feelings with lots of energy and want to go into battle. The smell alone gets my blood boiling to grab a sword or gun. The setting does not seen to matter; rustic or urban.

Cinnamon: (Spicy) Yeah, for me its invokes adventures in the autumn and winter seasons, but a very wild taste, so it will inspire adventures of power and action. 

Fig: A tea that, for me, inspires adventures in places like Italy, Greece, Egypt and other places along the Mediterranean, Earth and water feelings.

Pear: This is a rarity for me as I am not fond of tea BUT the tea invokes me to take off for areas like mountains, hills and cliffsides.

Corn Flowers: Another rarity for me but definitely invokes adventures within the realms of fields, farms and the old west.

Rosemary: For me, this tea is a “stay at home” tea or at the least inspires places and adventures in gardens, farms, fields and yards. I call it the “Wonderland” tea

Pine: Pretty much an all around rustic forest adventure invoker. However at times I tend to want to adventure in places like cafes, taverns, inns, B&Bs and other places or rustic and calm settings.

Black Cherry: This tea invoke adventures in pretty much all high urban places. I will have this tea before I hope the rail into the city.

Almond: This is another tea that sends me to adventure in the woods and forests. Other times it will inspire adventures in places like tavern, inns and campsites.

Honey: This is another one of those “Homebody” cottage teas but I find at times it will take me to exploring woods and the fields.

Alder: A tea I find induces adventures  leading me to places like rivers, springs and other fresh water sources.

Thyme: This tea is a killer and does me in. Not only does inspire high adventure but in dark places like basements, old houses, caverns, tunnels, swamps and wetlands. Or at the very least Rainy days. So for me I know I need to grab my sword or guns cause I know I will be dealing with some nasties.

Anyway that’s my list. Again these teas may inspire you differently and if you are an Adventure Hunter I encourage you to experiment. I would suggest NOT mixing and making blends at first but just let solo herbs spark and inspire. Start the day with a cup of tea and see where it takes you. Have a second cup for lunch or teatime to keep the inspiration going. I HIGHLY suggest you make a log of what sort of adventures the teas inspire in you. If you plan to carry teas with you on your adventure I highly suggest a air-tight baggy if you plan to be out in the rain or around water. 

[purplesurveys]

570

Ahh, my true passion. Glad there’s this survey around.

Food

I crossed out what I’ve never tried before <- Might as well do this. Thanks for the idea, @justsurveys​! :D Will probs bold and italicize the food I love, bold the ones I’ve simply tried at least once and liked, italicize the ones I’ve tried at least once but don’t like all that much, and strikethrough the food I’ve downright never tried before. Lotsa rules, but food surveys don’t come around often and I’m excited for this one lmao. Let’s go.

Food: Your protein

pork steak lamb chops hamburgers vegan burgers chicken nuggets chicken fingers tuna shrimp salmon oyster

crab lasagna ravioli chicken soup beef jerky slim jims bacon spam buffalo wings sausage ham turkey meat balls

Foods: Your dairy

milk soy milk skim milk raw egg boiled egg sunny-side eggs scrambled eggs cottage cheese cheddar cheese mozzarella cheese swiss cheese bleu cheese cream cheese plain yogurt

Foods: Your vegetables and fruits

mushrooms tomatoes pickles olives carrots raw onion broccoli cauliflower green beans string beans peas black beans celery leek artichoke lima beans bell pepper asparagus spinach seaweed avocado eggplant zucchini corn cucumber squash/pumpkin/yam garlic ginger peanuts almonds sunflower seeds raisins bananas apples pears grapes oranges tangerines peach blueberries raspberries blackberries strawberries lemons (Only as a chaser haha. Tastes great when paired with tequila) pineapples coconuts (I only like it as coconut oil for curry) apricot cherries plums cranberry kiwi watermelon melon pomegranate grapefruit lime guava mango papaya

Foods: Your starch

French fries baked potato scalop potato mashed potato fried rice white rice bagel white bread whole grain bread French bread corn bread sourdough pancakes spaghetti macaroni & cheese oatmeal

Foods: Condiments

wasabi soy sauce cranberry sauce marmalade grape jam strawberry jam ketchup mustard relish mayonnaise whipped cream honey mustard sauce Tabasco salt ranch gravy caramel peanut butter salsa pepper honey maple syrup hummus butterscotch marshmallows icing

Foods: Junk food

Ugh, the most American list on this survey. Watch me strikethrough so many items, ha.

cheetos sour cream and onion chips barbeque chips vinegar chips wheat thins graham crackers saltine crackers cheez-its ritz tortilla chips Lunchables Milano cookies Twinkies popcorn fruit roll ups donuts ice cream sandwiches Poptarts pretzels Girl Scout cookies Oreos Nutter Butter Fig Newtons Jell-O rice crispy treats

Surprisingly not a lot of US stuff. Thanks for being inclusive somehow! Hahaha.

Foods: Cereals

Cocoa Puffs Cocoa Pebbles Fruit Loops Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frosted Flakes Raisin Bran Apple Jacks Corn Flakes Cookie Crisp Cap’n Crunch Lucky Charms Cheerios

Ok, I take back my praise. Tbf, most of the cereals I know are American brands + I don’t eat cereals all that much, so it’s not really this survey’s fault lmao.

Foods: Dessert

brownies muffins cinnamon rolls cheesecake donuts chocolate fondue pudding apple pie pumpkin bread pumpkin pie chocolate chip cookies sugar cookies gingerbread cookies biscotti fortune cookies shortbread cookies oatmeal cookies Angel food cake carrot cake cupcakes fruit cake cream puffs flan custard Meringue sorbet s’mores

Foods: Asian

ramen cup noodle sushi miso soup kimchi teriyaki eggrolls orange chicken

...Seriously? 8 items?

Foods: Fast food and restaurants

McDonald’s Carl’s Jr Taco Bell Panda Express Jack-in-the-box In-n-out Chick-Fil-A La Salsa Dairy Queen Baskin Robbin’s Pizza Hut Papa John’s Roundtable Domino’s Johnny Rocket’s Cho-cho San’s Hot Dog On A Stick Coldstone California Pizza Kitchen Red Robin Ruby Tuesdays Chili’s Wendy’s Burger King Kentucky Fried Chicken Subway Tommy’s The Cheesecake Factory Arby’s Quiznos El Pollo Loco TGIF Applebee’s Wienerschnitzel IHOP Islands White Castle Togo’s Sonic Popeyes Orange Julius Jamba Juice Coffee Bean Starbucks Del Taco Chuck E. Cheese Baja Fresh Macaroni Grill

Foods: Candy

Red Vines M&M’s Snickers Hershey’s kisses Kissables Kit-Kat Nerds Junior Mints Twizzlers Tootsie Rolls Jelly beans Swedish Fish Skittles Starburst 100 grand 3 Musketeers Airheads Almond Joy Baby Bottle Pops Baby Ruth bottle caps Butterfinger Reese’s Cup Fast Break Twix cotton candy chocolate coins Dots Hot Tamales jaw breakers Jolly Ranchers Laffy Taffy Lemonheads lifesavers Mike & Ike Milkduds Milky way Mr. Goodbar Nestle’s crunch Payday pixie sticks pop rocks Push Up pops Runts Smarties Snow Caps Sugardaddy Sweet Tarts Tic-Tacs York Peppermint Patties Warheads

Drinks: Non-alcoholic

Rootbeer Lemonade Orange juice Grape juice Capri Sun Coke Diet Coke Diet Pepsi Pepsi 7up Sprite Mountain Dew Hawaiian Punch Dr. Pepper Apple juice hot cocoa Kool-Aid cappuccinos frappuccinos lattes espresso energy drinks Vanilla Coke Cherry Coke Fanta Arizona Green Tea Squirt Gatorade Iced tea Green tea Chamomile tea White tea Oolong tea Jasmine tea Chai tea Snapple apple cider

Drinks: Alcoholic

Wine Sake Shochu Vodka Bourbon whisky Irish whisky Canadian whisky Bloody Mary Rum Absolut Brandy Scotch Cognac Tequila Gin Wine cooler Smirnoff Marc Sidecar Tonic Pina Colada Martini Alabama Slammer Daiquiri Margarita Cape Cod Flying Horse Kamikaze Screwdriver Rusty Nail Cajun Strawberry Soda Mimosa Champagne Cascade Fosters Sam Adams Budweiser Coors Harpoon Milwaukee’s Bes

[pipblunt]

Whittards Dreamytime tea is the best tea you can all fight me

[pocketvenuslux]

Unexpected fragrances for fall

Awhile back, Claire Vukcevic wrote a wonderful article about  unexpected summer fragrances titled, "Summer Fragrances for People Who Hate Summer & Also Summer Fragrances". Inspired by that post, I thought I'd write a similar article for autumn, the season of pumpkin spice. While I adore my smoky incenses, leathers, and tobaccos, I thought this September, I might challenge myself to consider olfactory experiences that do not play into autumnal cliches.

Warm and romantic greens: Green tends to be a colour we associate with spring freshness or wintery forests, but an uncharacteristically cosy green wears well in the fall. One of my favourite fragrances is Fat Electrician (Etat Libre d'Orange), a smoky vetiver paired with bitter myrrh and a dollop of vanilla cream stirred in. For a nostalgic green chypre, Vert de Fleur (Tom Ford) pairs galbanum with airy florals and musk. And while it's not a green fragrance, Vanille (Mona di Orio) is a creamy unsweetened vanilla with a delightfully unexpected verdant opening.

Spicy florals: Spicy gourmands and leathers are par for the course in autumn, but a spicy floral gives a nice twist on the theme. Thankfully, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to a spicy rose. My personal favourites include the musky La Fille de Berlin (Serge Lutens) and the dramatic, ugly voluptuousness of Eau de Protection (Etat Libre d'Orange). One fragrance I found surprizingly refreshing for this overheated summer, yet is still suitable for the fall is Music for a While (Frédéric Malle), one of the house’s better recent releases, juxtaposing a medicinal lavender against a sweet and toothsome pineapple and tying it all together with a rich patchouli base. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Twilly (Hermès), which recently garnered a coveted five star review from Luca Turin, a playful scent which pairs warm ginger and creamy tuberose.  

Territorial musks: In the summer, spritzing a heavy musk would be too suffocating. But as the weather cools, animalistic musks are appropriately warm, like a layer of cashmere. One of my favourite skankbombs is Absolue Pour Le Soir (Maison Francis Kurkdjian), a powerful scent with a spice infused, pissy honey that is rich enough to be embalmed in. Another infamously filthy scent is Salome (Papillon Perfumes) which I’ve reviewed here earlier. Perhaps even more challenging is Oudh Infini (Dusita), a rose-oud unlike any other, with a creamy, pungent Laotian oud with more than a suggestion of a dung pile at the zoo. It would be disgusting were it not skillfully offset by an opulent rose. For a darker, greener take on musk, there is Opus VII (Amouage) which pairs spices, earthy galbanum and fenugreek with rank animalistic notes to stunning effect.

Suede and fur: We often talk about fragrance in terms of notes, but less often in terms of texture. Fragrances with soft, velvety and heavier textures pair perfectly with the crisp autumn air. Daim Blonde (Serge Lutens) is a supple, feminine suede with a hint of apricots. New Sibet (Slumberhouse) is a dirty iris with a fascinating textural play between damp fur and creamy musk. Finally, the spicy cassie flower and musk of Une Fleur de Cassie (Frédéric Malle) give the impression of a glam vintage fur duster from the 70s.

A spot of tea: Rather than the transparent classics like Bvlgari’s Thé Vert, teas for cooler weather can be more robust. The boldest tea scent I know is Vi et Armis (Beaufort London) which features an aggressively smoky, spicy, peaty black brew. Admittedly, it smells awful at first, but if you have the patience to muscle through the first thirty minutes or so, you will be rewarded by a rich complexity. A far more well behaved smoky tea would be the gourmand Tea for Two (L’Artisan Parfumeur) which has a lapsang souchong accord and a touch of sweetness. For a lighter wear that still reads as spicy, Lothair (Penhaligon's) offers a fragrant and spiced chai that is somewhat abstract.

Soil and resin: Richness in a fragrance can be sought when we return to notes from the earth. Consider for example, Coven (Andrea Maack), which imparts the sensation of plunging one’s hands into rich, damp soil on a cool day. I love how its earthy edge lingers right into the dry down. Pale Grey Mountain, Small Black Lake (D.S. & Durga) is another atmospheric outdoorsy fragrance, although it is more abstract. Still, it manages to evoke herbs and moisture without resorting to the dreaded calone note. For a drier fragrance, the unique Myrrh Casati (Mona di Orio) dries down more to a resin than incense smoke and offers a sharp tension particular to Somalian myrrh.

Seasonal curatives: We cannot talk about medicinal fragrances without referencing the Original Comme des Garçons (Comme des Garçons) fragrance that was released with the tagline, "works like a medicine, behaves like a drug." While I love its potent mix of warming spices and resinous woods throughout the year, I feel it works best in the cooler months for me. A lighter scent, featuring a medicinal ingredient is Dirty Ginger (Heretic Perfumes) which lives up to its namesake with a simple, transparent composition of the earthy rhizome. For a mentholated note, Lonestar Memories (Tauer) offers a unique interpretation of the smoky campfire that's cool and balsamic.

Unusual orientals: The traditional oriental plays very nicely with the season but there are a few curious orientals compositions deserving of mention. One of my personal favourites is Noir Epices (Frédéric Malle) which strips the oriental of warm ambers and musks, leaving behind a dry and severe skeleton of spice and florals. Seven Veils (Byredo) is another oddball, a sweet and carroty iris that gives the impression of creamy root beer. Finally, for something truly different, there's the polarizing Breath of God (LUSH), which mixes a panoply of notes. Rather than your typical rich and smoky fragrance, it mixes up a deep, tarry cade with powerful hespiridic notes, fruity florals and woods.

[arch-wistcrias]

BELOW IS ALL YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SHAHRZAD AL-KHAYZURAN, A CANON CHARACTER FROM THE WRATH & THE DAWN DUOLOGY. 

INTRODUCTION.

FULL NAME: Shahrzad al-Khayzuran  NICKNAMES: Shazi  ALIASES: The Calipha of Khorasan  AGE: 16-22  DATE OF BIRTH: April 19th  BIRTHPLACE: Rey ( similar to Nishapur ), Khorasan, Persia ( modern: Oxford, England )  SEX/GENDER: cis-female  RELIGION: mazdayasna / zoroastrianism ( modern: islam )  ORIENTATION: heterosexual  ETHNICITY: iranian  OCCUPATION: actual queen ( modern: writer )  LANGUAGES: old persian, english ( modern: turkish, farsi, english and basic french and arabic )  FAMILY:  Irsa Al-Khayzuran ( sister, alive ), Jahandar Al-Khayzuran ( father, deceased ), Khalid Ibn al-Rashid ( husband, alive ), Haroun Ibn Khalid ( son, alive ) 

APPEARANCE.

HEIGHT: 5′8″  WEIGHT: 125lbs BUILD: she is tall, with an average build.  COMPLEXION: golden, but more on the bronze side. she spends a lot of time in the sun and her skin soaks it up beautifully. being the Calipha she is also bathed in goat’s milk and uses rose oil to keep her skin soft and youthful, as well as rosewater to keep her skin bright.  EYE COLOR: as Calipha her hazel eyes are lined in kohl, but she does not usually bother with it day to day. modernly, she wears brown pencil liner a lot more.  HAIR COLOR & STYLE: her hair is wavy and shiny as Calipha. occasionally decorated with jewels, she uses raw olive oil to allow it to grow thick and healthy. her hair is described as having “gleamed like polished obsidian”, though in the sunlight it’s a dark brown. day to day, it tends to lie on the wild side, described as “vagabond hair”. it normally also smells like lilacs and rain, and sometimes olive oil and jasmine. in the second novel it’s cruedly shorn by the enemy’s guards, and falls to her shoulders in varying lengths. it grows back to her waist-length after, though.  NOTICEABLE FEATURES: the knowing smirk usually on her face. the way she carries herself with “poise and strength”. her “impudent” chin.  AESTHETICS & STYLE: damascus prints. sandy footprints. rubies and lapis lazuli and gold chains hanging down middle-parted hair or around a sun-soaked stomach. bejewelled daggers. black tea. fragranced lamps. golden coins. apple-scented smoke ( of the hookah / water pipe ). sugared dates. honeyed nuts. dried apricots. henna-ed hands, and its earthy scent. dried blood. FC: Medalion Rahimi 

HEALTH.

PHYSICAL DISORDERS: n/a  MENTAL DISORDERS: n/a  EATING HABITS: Shahrzad has a taste for decadent foods. she adores labnah and flat bread and jewelled rice, but has a fast metabolism ( that lucky bitch ). she regularly snacks on dates and pistachios, and drinks a lot of jasmine water, and water in general to stay hydrated. roast pigeon is her favorite food as a child, though not the most royal of dishes. ( modern Shahrzad lives for rice pudding and bastani [ saffron vanilla ice cream, usually with rosewater ]. she can’t stand the taste of maple syrup, however, since she used to it all the time as a kid and eventually grew to hate it, gagging whenever it hits her tongue. now she eats her pancakes with jam and nothing else. )  EXERCISE HABIT: running. often. it helps her clear her mind. sparring as well, but what burns a lot of calories and keeps her fit is actually using her powers as it takes more physical exertion than what one might expect. 

PERSONALITY.

POSITIVE TRAITS: inquisitive, strong-minded, courageous, enduring  NEGATIVE TRAITS: insolent, impatient, one-dimensional  TALENTS: storytelling, archery ( never needs to use the guides or aims ), staring people down  ZODIAC: Aries ( Taurus cusp )  HOGWARTS HOUSE: Gryffindor ( but a total hatstall because she could have been Ravenclaw )  NOTE: based heavily on Al-Khayzuran, an important figure in Iranian history. Like, it’s so obvious lmao. Scheherazade was said to be based off of her, and the stories based off of Harun ( as in Haroun, Shahrzad’s son ). "The histories do not detail Khayzuran's political achievements, but coins were struck in her name, palaces were named for her, and the cemetery in which subsequent Abbasid rulers were laid to rest carries her name, all testifying not only to status but also to civic largesse." Such as is Shahrzad’s legacy. 

ABOUT.

A magic-infused retelling of 1001 nights. IDR really remember a lot bc I need to reread so I could be mixing some things up. 

Basically Shahrzad’s best friend was killed by the Caliph ( king ) of Khorason. What she doesn’t know is that there is a curse upon the boy-king, Khalid, that he must marry and kill a girl of 16 every day for a 1000 nights for the curse to be lifted, or else the kingdom won’t have another night of rain again. Shahrzad volunteers to be the next girl to be wed and then killed, but she tricks Khalid by telling him stories that overspill into the dawn, and he is so bewitched by her that he resists killing her until eventually they have both fallen in love with one another. 

Shahrzad’s father meanwhile dabbles in dark magic in an attempt to save her. The kingdom goes up in flame. Shahrzad and Khalid are torn apart after she finds out the reason behind the girls’ murders. Basically Shahrzad also finds out she has the same powers as her father and learns to harvest and train them while she is living with the badawi tribes outside of Khorason.  Meanwhile the ruler of Parthia, a kingdom adjacent to Khorason is trying to kill Khalid and that’s just a mess. 

A lot of shit happens tbh, but obviously Shahrzad and Khalid live happily ever after ( although, her father did kill him and then gave up his life in return for Khalid’s after seeing how devastated Shahrzad was ) and they have a son they name Haroun. Also, she totally has a magic carpet. 

VERSES.

01. Canon ( compliant with most fantasy settings, such as acotar, game of thrones, tolkien, etc. )  02. Canon Divergent / TVD-inspired ( instead of being a human-witch/magician, she is an immortal-witch/magician [ able to be killed, but otherwise lives forever ] and outlives Khalid, going on to become a nomad of sorts, travelling from country to country ).  03. Modern ( Shahrzad’s father deals in translating old Persian texts and is part of the international federation of librarian associations and institutions. She’s lived in Turkey, England, Lebanon ( briefly ) and New York. Well read, and well travelled, she was published at the age of fifteen and by the age of twenty has three published novels as well as two poetry anthologies. She’s also been named one of Time’s most influential figures, and Vanity Fair’s 30 under 30. Her father tries to keep their Iranian heritage going strong, but Shahrzad barely remembers it during her adolescence. She goes to college in NYU, and  She ends up going back when she’s graduated college, working with women there to publish a third poetry anthology specifically about the modern Iranian women’s experiences. )   04. DC / Marvel / All Supernatural Verses ( Shahrzad has a gift: she writes stories and they come true, and it runs in her family. )  05. OUAT ( Shahrzad is the new Author of the stories. )  06. Harry Potter  07. Grishaverse ( Shahrzad collects the stories from the language of thorns, and publishes them; she travels searching for more folktales, as well as writes her own ) 

[thereluctantinquisitor]

Get Into My Oc

So I was tagged by @chaitea09 and @sunshinemage for this delightful meme, and decided to go with one of my lesser known kiddos. So, without further ado:

Cyrus

NAME: Cyrus du Volise

AGE: 25 at the Conclave

GENDER: Male

ORIENTATION: Bisexual

PROFESSION: Soldier

BACKGROUND (TW: child abuse, abuse): Cyrus was raised in south-eastern Orlais, close to the Ferelden border, in the manor estate of his father, former decorated chevalier Joustis du Volise. Accused and acquitted of murder, Joustis was already famous for his quick temper, but became cruel after his disgraced departure from the tournament circuit and lack of patronage following the extended and highly damaging trial. Cyrus’ mother bore the brunt of his abuse, until she finally fled a few months before Cyrus turned two. His only memory of her is of a song she used to hum to him when she put him to sleep, and it is not something he looks back on fondly.

Growing up was painful in many ways, particularly for such a meek child. Shut away in the manor estate, Cyrus made no real friends, and the household staff were too frightened of his father to dare befriend him openly. His father took to blaming Cyrus for his mother leaving, refusing to see fault in himself, and treated Cyrus with cold disdain as a result. It was when he turned thirteen that the physical abuse began, but with little worldly knowledge and no one to lean on, Cyrus found himself trapped in a house that became a prison. As he grew older, his resentment grew with him, not only of his father, but of his mother as well. 

He did not blame her for leaving. He blamed her for leaving him behind to suffer the consequences.

When he reached eighteen Cyrus began sneaking out to the nearby town, uncaring of his father’s punishments because he would bear them regardless. Something in him shifted, and the meek, kind child he had been gave way to someone bitter and angry at the world for turning a blind eye. He drank and staggered home, and the numbness made the beatings easier to stomach. He met people, but still made no true friends, sometimes spending nights accompanying other people in their safer beds just to put off the inevitable return home. Cyrus was arrogant. Rude. Cruel and cynical, but he made sure of one thing: he never threw the first punch. That was the realm of his father, and it was a place he never wanted to tread. He was better. Not by much, but he was better. At the end of the day, he decided he might as well earn the beatings.

Just before his twenty-fourth birthday, Cyrus made the decision to leave for good. He packed his bags and whatever possessions he could comfortably carry, but while he was searching for coin one of the servants tipped his father off, revealing his plan. However, to Cyrus’ surprise, his father invited him to dinner instead. One last time, he had claimed. It smelled of a trap, but what choice did Cyrus have? His father was better trained and still much stronger, and Cyrus had inherited his mother’s shorter, leaner stature. In any case, whatever his father put in the wine, Cyrus remembered next to nothing of that dinner.

When he woke, it was on the side of the road with nothing but the clothes on his back and a searing pain that seemed to engulf the entirety of his face. It wasn’t until he found a pool of water still enough to offer reflection that he realised what his father had done. Stunned, Cyrus remembered reaching up with shaky hands, brushing the red, swollen lines that marred his face, not quite believing what he was seeing. In the end, he could only assume it was his father’s parting gift for the son everyone described as a ‘spitting image’ of him when he was young and loved. Just like that, his father took the one thing Cyrus had thought his own – the decision to finally leave – and twisted it. Just like that, Cyrus found himself alone with nothing.

So, he started walking.

PHYSICAL

BODY TYPE: Svelte. Once he begins training with the Inquisition and eating properly, his muscles fill out more, but his overall frame is still relatively lean compared to many of the other soldiers.

EYES: Ice blue

HAIR: Blue-black

SKIN: Light tan

HEIGHT: 5'8”

WEIGHT: 155 LBS / 70.5KG

SKILLS (S.P.E.C.I.A.L + M)

STRENGTH: 6/10; Cyrus is much faster than he is strong, favouring striking swiftly and with sharp precision over getting into contests of strength. He is more likely to break through an opponent’s defence through sheer volley, rather than brute force.

PERCEPTION: 9/10; Cyrus is very perceptive, particularly to people’s moods, from a lifetime spent trying to dodge his father’s foul ones. He seems to always keep one eye open, refusing to fully relax, as though expecting something bad to happen the moment he lets his guard down.

ENDURANCE:  5/10; While fast, Cyrus does tire quickly. The bursts of speed he favours take their toll, and if the fight drags on for too long, he often finds himself in trouble. In training, he dominates in the sprints, but falls back on longer endurance runs.

CHARISMA:  2/10; He is capable of having his moments when he is with someone he trusts, but they come only in short, bright slivers that surprise both Cyrus and the person to whom he is speaking. Majority of the time, he acts like an asshole and goads people into hating him because it is easier for him to handle when he knows he deserves it. It gives him a sense of control over the situation, even if the situation is not a positive one.

INTELLIGENCE: 8/10; Being locked up in the manor had its benefits, given the amount of books his mother had brought with her when she married Cyrus’ father. More often than not, he found comfort in quiet pages. However, Cyrus lacked street smarts, and he learned some very difficult lessons very quickly once his father left him on the side of the road with nothing.

AGILITY: 9/10; He is fast. It is one of the things he prided himself on, and one of the things he could practice without raising suspicion. He learned that when someone is stronger than you, it’s best to just try to avoid their swings, or move with them to lessen the impact.

LUCK: 5/10; A lot of his life could only be defined as unlucky. However, he considered finding the Inquisition and meeting the Dawn Squad one of the luckiest things that could ever happen to anyone.

MAGIC: 0/10; Cyrus is a non-mage, and dislikes healing magic in particular due to one of his father’s servants manifesting and staying on staff to heal the worst of Cyrus’ injuries growing up. In order to stay out of the Circle, the mage-servant agreed to make a blank slate of Cyrus every time he was broken.

LIKES

COLORS: Dark shades that remind him of comfort beneath blankets, warm yellows and oranges (like candlelight), and the blue of the ocean.

SMELLS: The heavy scent before rain, vanilla, wood smoke and parchment.

FOOD: Soft bread and warm butter, cinnamon, salmon, rice, and pork crackling.

FRUITS: Apples, berries, grapes, apricots.

DRINKS: Chai tea, warm water with honey, cool water with lemon and lime, any juice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: Ale, wine, mead, whiskey, brandy… etc. You get the idea. If it’s alcoholic, he’ll drink it.

OTHER

SMOKE: No. His father smokes a pipe, and it is another thing that leaves him feeling queasy just being in the same room and smelling it.

DRUGS: He struggles with an addiction to a sleeping remedy meant for short-term relief after the attack on Haven, but he leans on it for far too long and becomes dependent. The squad eventually finds out and gets him help (in canon, Anacrea finds an alternative and weans him off it).

DRIVER’S LICENSE?: In a modern!AU, he would get his license in his mid to late 20s, having been cooped up for so much of his youth without access to a car.

I will tag... @smolpocketmonstercoffee, @lavellanlove, @the-jade-goblin, @bladeverbena aaaaand @chaitea09 (for one of your other babs) ;D

[catherindonald]

Cooking with Monarda

By Susan Belsinger

(Blogmaster’s note: With Monarda currently in its full glory here in zone 7, we’re posting this recipe so you can take advantage of its unique flavors while it’s still in bloom. Serve these tasty treats at your next summer celebration!)

—————————–Monarda didyma—————————-

Monarda (commonly called bee balm or bergamot) is a native American herb named after a Spanish physician and botanist, N. Monardez, of Seville. Its unusual and ornamental flowers possess a distinctly architectural character with their rather bristly, shaggy-headed colorful appearance. All species attract bees and are good honey plants. Right now, my stands of the various bee balms are abuzz with activity from dawn until dusk. The twelve species of Monarda, all native to North America, offer a wide assortment of flavors and fragrances—from lemon to thyme to pungent oregano to tealike and rose—produced on annual or perennial plants. So sniff and taste the flowers and leaves before using them in a recipe because they are very different in flavor.  

The cultivars with red flowers tend to have a tea-like aroma and flavor, suggesting Earl Grey tea and rose geranium; the leaves are more herbaceous, while the flowers are sweeter like honeysuckle. These leaves and flowers can be used for sweet dishes—in syrups and beverages (they make beautiful ice cubes), with summer fruits—and baked in scones and tea breads. The lemony forms, although rare, are delightful in tea and in fruit salads. The more common thyme- and oregano-scented clones have been used as substitutes for thyme and oregano, and generally their blooms are in shades of purple, pink, and white. Use these spicy leaves and flowers wherever you would use oregano; the flowers are fun and tasty scattered over pasta and vegetable salads, grain salads, and pizza. 

———-Monarda fistulosa———–

While we love the bright red blooms of ‘Cambridge Scarlet’, most selections of Monarda are prone to powdery mildew, turning the plant into a mass of grayish white, curled leaves that soon drop. This infection can be reduced by increasing the movement of air (thinning every other plant stem), by removing diseased leaves (cut them back when mildew is noticed and next flush of growth should come back without it), and, most importantly, by choice of mildew-resistant selections, particularly ‘Colrain Red’, ‘Marshall’s Delight’, ‘Purple Mildew Resistant’, ‘Raspberry Wine’, ‘Rose queen’, ‘Rosy Purple’, ‘Violet Queen’, and Monarda fistulolsa f. albescens. 

While we have planted these named cultivars in the past in our gardens, we must admit that labels have a tendency to get broken and the original plants die out; however, Monardas gently reseed themselves into our gardens in a myriad of scents and colors of flowers. After planting whatever selections you favor, just sit back and let nature work its magic to weave a tapestry of odors and colors. They also make great cut flowers—at the moment there are vases of different colors throughout the house and even on the back porch.

Growing basics:

Annual or perennial to about 47 inches Hardy to zone 4 Full sun to part shade Moist, not constantly wet Well-drained garden loam

Cultivation and propagation:

Cultivation is generally easy on moist, well-drained garden loam in full sun to part shade, depending upon the species. Hybrids that are red, derived from M. didyma, can grow in sun or some shade, prefer shade and deep humusy soil and plenty of moisture. Hybrids that tend to light lavender floral shades, derived from M. fistulosa, prefer very well-drained, gravelly soil in full sun.

Harvesting and preserving:

Harvest leaves fresh as you need them. These are very easily dried by hanging or laying over screens. The dried flower heads, sometimes tinged with reds and purples, also make beautiful dried flowers; use the red flowers in beverages, syrups, and desserts, and use the purple and pink cultivars with an oregano flavor in herb butters and cream cheese.

(While this has been revised and updated, the “we” here is excerpted from The Culinary Herbal by Susan Belsinger and Arthur O. Tucker.)

Blondies with Monarda & Apricots (or bergamot bars)

These are one of my favorite dessert bars; my daughters like them so much that Lucie requested to have them on the dessert table at her wedding. Right now is the time to make them—use leaves and red flowers. Orange mint can be substituted for the Monarda. This recipe is from Not Just Desserts—Sweet Herbal Recipes, which is available on my website. I have changed the recipe a bit—I use organic brown sugar and sometimes replace the granulated with coconut sugar—and I use half whole-wheat and half unbleached flour (although I often use all white, whole-wheat pastry flour). Recently I made them with dried, coarsely chopped cherries in place of the apricots.

Makes 32 bars

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 1/3 cups brown sugar 2/3 cup granulated sugar About 1 cup dried apricots About 1/2 cup Monarda leaves and/or flowers, loosely packed 1 1/4 cups unbleached flour 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 4 extra-large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the brown sugar and stir. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the brown sugar is thick and syrupy, for about 4 minutes. Stir in the granulated sugar until it is dissolved and remove the pan from the heat to cool; the fat will separate from the sugar.

Thinly slice the apricots crosswise. Wash, dry, and coarsely chop the Monarda leaves and flowers; there should be about 1/4 cup of chopped herb.   

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to blend. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture over the apricots and toss to coat them lightly.  

Whisk the eggs, one at a time, into the warm brown sugar and butter mixture (it should not be hot) to blend thoroughly. Add the vanilla and stir well.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and stir until it is just blended. Add the apricots and Monarda and stir until they are just mixed in. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 35 minutes, until the top is a deep golden brown.  Allow to cool completely on a baking rack before cutting into bars.

Susan is a culinary herbalist, food writer, educator, and photographer whose work has been published in numerous publications. She has authored a number of award-winning books. Her latest book, The Culinary Herbal: Growing & Preserving 97 Flavorful Herbs was co-authored with the late Dr. Arthur Tucker. Susan is passionate about herbs and her work, sharing the joy of gardening and cooking through teaching & writing, and inspiring others to get in touch with their senses of smell & taste.

Cooking with Monarda published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/

[daisychaindaydreamsblog]

This year I’ve been upping my skincare routine… especially during the cooler months, I’ve noticed lots of dryness and basically lack-lustre skin (I’m not complaining though, I have pretty good skin) but it was in need of a serious pick-me-up… so a little while back I started using face masks more regularly and exfoliating and moisturising every other day. I have noticed a great improvement in my skin’s hydration and a subtle natural glow (in the right lighting). So this week I thought I would share some face-masks on my radar at the moment, including some of my new favourites as well as my wishlist… enjoy!

Cover Image created by the incredibly talented Jasmine Dowling

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

Glow Recipe

To say I am excited to try the Glow Recipe skincare range is an understatement. Founded by beauty industry gurus Sarah Lee and Christine Change featuring technology, sensorial textures and amazing formulas that help create noticeably healthier skin. Glow Recipe is a natural skincare line which maximises real fruit extracts for a soft, plump and hydrated complexion.  Two of their natural face asks are currently available at Mecca…

Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask: a decadent, creamy sleeping mask packed with skin soothing ingredients such as avocado, honey and PHA to thoroughly hydrate and nourish overnight.

Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask: formulated with watermelon extract, hyaluronic acid and AHA, the Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask deeply hydrates and nourishes, for a post-facial glow by morning. 

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Innis Free

Innisfree’s My Real Squeeze Masks are a K-beauty staple: essence drenched single use sheet masks, and there’s 18 different types! They’re known for using all-natural organic ingredients, these are the sheet masks you want to stock up on and use every week or so to unwind.

These sheet face masks come in a wide variety of flavours to target all skin concerns (including hydration, firming and brightening), are all natural and organic ingredients, and are aimed to keep skin looking radiant and hydrated.

Innisfree suggest their masks can be used as pre-makeup prep, or after your nightly skincare routine.  When using them in a multi-step K-Beauty routine its best to use them after an essence but before a sleeping pack. Oh and did I mention the lovely packaging designs…

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Antipodes

Antipodes is a Scientifically Validated Organic Beauty™ brand pioneering a new niche in skincare globally: certified organic and premium natural products with skin performance proven by science. Antipodes skincare products are all natural and feature revolutionary Vinanza antioxidants from New Zealand grown superfruit, nutrient-rich avocado oil, and anti-blemish manuka honey.

My current favourite is the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask featuring mauka honey extract, vanilla pod, madarin blend and organic avocado oils which are rich in Omegas 9, 3 and 6. I have rather dry skin, especially during the cooler months, and this luxuriously hydrating face mask replenishes vital nutrients and restores natural radiance and ‘glow’.

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Lanolips

Lanolips is a multi award-winning Australian beauty brand founded by Kirsten Carriol, whose mission was to create an ultra-pure medical grade lanolin that’s nourishing, comfortable and has a glossy finish.

The Aussie Flyer Leave-on Recovery Mask claims to be “the ideal solution for dried out, dull, travel-weary skin, delivering an instant and long-lasting pick-me-up and high dose of hydration.” This face mask is packed with a hit of lanolin, a zing of mint, a punch of caffeine and ginger.

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Go-To Skincare

Founded by the inspiring & hilarious Zoe Foster-Blake, Go-To describes itself as “uncomplicated and straight-talking skin care” and uses all-natural ingredients (and a healthy dose of fun) for products that love your skin. They currently have one sheet face-mask called Transformazing for glowing and brighter skin, which is an affordable ($9) introduction to the brand if you’re interested in testing out their range…

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Frank Body

Another Australian skincare company (now more commonly known as A-Beauty) making waves in the beauty industry is Frank Body. Whilst they may be most famous for their original coffee scrubs, they also have a few face-masks. I’m yet to try them myself, but I’ve heard good things about them…

Frank Body Glow Mask: this natural face mask is infused with a nourishing blend of antioxidant-packed goji berry extract, deeply hydrating shea and cocoa butter, caffeine and vitamin E rich arabic coffee seed oil to tone and firm, and cranberry and respberry seed oil, full of vitamin A and omegas 3, 6 and 9 to plump.

Frank Body Anti-Drama Face Mask: this calming and detoxifying night time treatment acts to draw out daily dirt, oil and pollutants. This mask is formulated with decongesting charcoal to unclog pores, chamomile and honey to minimise inflammation and combat bacteria, lavender to treat stubborn blemishes and evening primrose oil to firm, smooth and soothe skin.

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Summer Fridays

Summer Fridays was founded by Lauren Gores Ireland and Marianna Hewitt and has quickly reached Instagram-famous status and are a cult favourite amongst blogger across the globe. These three gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing face masks have been on my radar for a little while now, and I’m excited to take the plunge and splurge on one (or three) soon… hehehe!

  Jet Lag Mask: claims to upgrade your skin to a business-class complexion. This is a multi-use product is filled with skin-loving ingredients, resulting in an instantly renewed complexion, radiant and ready for anything!

R & R Mask: treat your complexion to a little TLC with this 2-in-1 mask, which lovingly buffs skin brighter before hugging it in a plush mix of restorative natural oils, including two forms of skin-brightening Vitamin C to target dark spots and pump up the antioxidant protection against pollution and dehydration. This luxurious face mask also features one of the world’s most precious essential oils, the Bulgarian Rose.

Overtime Mask: is a brightening and clarifying mask that works over time so you don’t have to. This mask claims to refresh stressed skin and is suitable for all skin types. It contains pumpkin extract (brightens), apricot seed powder (gently exfoliates) and oat kernel proteins (soothing and protecting). Sign me up!

They all sound dreamy to me! Needless to say, they’re all sitting pretty at the top of my skincare wishlist…

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Tatcha

Tatcha is a luxe skincare company with roots in Japan founded by Victoria Tsai on a search for a more considered approach to beauty. I recently read somewhere that she was inspired to create Tatcha by a chance encounter with a modern-day geisha, and ultimately created luxurious skin care that pays homage to the geisha’s rituals and employs pure & proven ingredients. Whilst their products are a *little* expensive (their full size products start around $100), I’m excited to try some Tatcha skincare products one day…

Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask: this is a cult-status brightening and tightening anti-aging mask, and is packed with Japanese beautyberry, vitamin C and AHAs to deliver a supple, glowing complexion.

Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Lifting Sheet Masks Set: inspired by the essence-infused silken masks traditionally used by Geishas, this powerful treatment mask delivers serious results in only 15 minutes. Each sheet mask is saturated in coconut water and enriched with moisture replenishing red algae.

Tatcha claims these masks instantly offers plumping, smoothing, toning and radiance-boosting benefits for a taut, youthful-looking complexion. Plus, a trio of antioxidant-rich whole plant green tea, rice bran oil and algae work to combat damaging free radical activity.

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Have I mentioned any of your favourite face-masks?

I’d love to hear your recommendations, let’s keep the conversation going in the comments…

I hope you enjoyed this week’s beauty blog post and found some lovely new face masks to add to your collection! Stay hydrated lovelies!

Daisy Chain Daydreams xox

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BEAUTY: Moisturising Face Masks to Try This Winter… This year I've been upping my skincare routine... especially during the cooler months, I've noticed lots of dryness and basically lack-lustre skin (I'm not complaining though, I have pretty good skin) but it was in need of a serious pick-me-up...

[lilacpisces1-blog]

Yogurt Sheet Cake with Summer Berries

Today’s recipe is everything you’ve been looking for in a summer cake: it’s simple to make and spotlights the most beautiful fruits of the season.

If you’ve got an event to celebrate this month but you don’t want to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen, then you are going to love this Yogurt Sheet Cake with Summer Berries. Or perhaps you are looking for an original dessert to bring to a weekend pot-luck? This recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser – and a bit of a show-stealer, too.

Best of all, you can get the kids involved in a little kitchen project, because anyone can decorate this cake. Bonus point for picking your own berries!

All images by Alison Slattery

Over the summer, I usually bake up a stream of crisps, cobblers, pies and galettes, all bursting with seasonal fruits and berries – so I don’t end up making very many cakes. I think the last one I layered and frosted was my Lemon Berry Stripe Cake to mark the Royal wedding in May.

But a significant July birthday for a special someone (Danny!) called for a celebratory cake and so Clara and I decided to have some fun.

I chose a simple sheet cake that would hold up well in the heat; no buttercream frosting, thank you very much. This one sat outside in a heat wave for an hour, and was as pretty as when we started.

Adapted from an old Gourmet magazine recipe, this cake has been in my repertoire for years. I love it, not just for its simplicity, but for its tender crumb too. No doubt the cake’s moistness is a result of the two cups of yogurt, and the addition of cake flour keeps it light as a feather.

A 9×13 cake offers a blank canvas for decorating and the possibilities are endless. Now sure, you can heap on the macarons and dust the whole thing with sprinkles, like my Perfect Chocolate Cake, but it’s July, and we’ve got berries.

Thanks to the heat we’ve been having, our raspberry bushes are doubled over with the weight of their berries, and our neighbour has offered us his row of red currant bushes, ripe for the picking. The local u-pick still has strawberries and now the blueberries are ready, too.

At the markets, we also found blackberries and bright green gooseberries, so we gathered a bit of everything for this kitchen project.

This cake beautifully showcased the gorgeous seasonal berries in the most simple way: presented like jewels on a glossy vanilla glaze. The glaze is whisked up in a bowl, poured over the top and left to run down the sides in the true unhurried fashion of lazy summer cooking.

Pair this cake with any berries or fresh fruit that you like; whatever is gorgeous and ripe at the market or in your backyard. Cherries, sliced peaches or ripe apricots would all be scrumptious, or just use every berry you can find, like me!

The children are home with me for the summer, so any time I can include them in a kitchen project, I will. Clara not only helped bake the cake, she also picked some of the berries and created the beautiful arrangement on top. I could see us making this again for a tea party with friends or bringing it with us on a picnic playdate.

We restrained ourselves when decorating the top of the cake, as we wanted an artful presentation, but once the cake is cut and served, don’t hold back. Heap those warm, sun-ripened berries onto the plates because our summers are short, and these gems don’t last long.

The yogurt cake feeds a good crowd – a dozen generous slices – but it’s just as delicious on the second day. As with all cakes, let it come up to room temperature, berries and all, before serving.

Yogurt Sheet Cake with Summer Berries

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Celebrate summer without spending the whole afternoon in the kitchen.

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

grated zest of 1 grapefruit

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups well-stirred, plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek-style) at room temperature 30 minutes

1 Tablespoon creamy honey

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9x13 cake pan, then line bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper and butter the parchment.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla and grapefruit zest.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, at medium speed. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until just combined. Spread batter evenly in pan and rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge. Invert onto a rack and discard parchment. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, corn syrup, cream and vanilla. Add in the sifted icing sugar and whisk until smooth.

Place the sheet cake on a platter and pour the glaze over the top in a thick layer. Note: if icing is too thick to pour, add a few more teaspoons of cream. Spread the glaze all over the cake with a spatula, letting it run down sides. Let icing set at least 15 minutes.

Decorate cake with with plenty of fresh berries, edible flowers and seasonal fruits.

Do ahead: Cake can be made and iced 1 day in advance. Cover and keep cool.

Cake is served!

Images provided by my fellow cake-scarfing friend, Alison Slattery of Two Food Photographers. Thanks, Ali!

Source: http://www.simplebites.net/yogurt-sheet-cake-with-summer-berries/

[brushwish3-blog]

25 Low-Sugar Baking Projects for Not-Too-Sweet Treats

I love sugar as much as anyone; it's the backbone of most everything I do, since it provides desserts with volume, structure, body, flavor, and, oh yeah, sweetness (its least important job as far as I'm concerned). Sugar's at the top of the food pyramid for a reason, a sweet cap to an otherwise balanced diet, something to be consumed in moderation.

For the most part, I accomplish that with portion control: thinner slices of cake, smaller scoops of ice cream, one cookie instead of two. But a number of my favorite recipes have a relatively low amount of added sugar, around eight grams or less per serving. For those who love baking, but feel like cutting back on sugar for one reason or another, these recipes should fit the bill.

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like the original, my homemade Fig Newtons feel pretty virtuous. The cakey cookie is lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar, while the filling itself is made from nothing more than dried figs, plain applesauce, and a squeeze of fresh orange juice. It's a chewy, fruity snack that's not too sweet or rich and easy to customize with the variations in my cookbook (including apricot-strawberry, blueberry-lime, cherry-banana, and...bacon!).

Homemade Fig Newtons »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This simple galette is primarily sweetened by the pears, with just a few spoonfuls of added sugar to draw out their juices. Cardamom, Chinese five spice, and vanilla bean amplify the natural flavor of the pear, which stands in creamy contrast to the crispy crust below. It's the ideal dessert to conclude a night of tapas or wine and cheese, but to be honest, I'm all about having it for brunch.

Vanilla Pear Galette »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

The bulk of sugar in these lemony scones comes from a sprinkle of turbinado on top, an entirely optional (though delightfully crunchy) addition. The dough itself leans on fresh blueberries for sweetness, with just 2 teaspoons of sugar to help with flavor and browning.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

My buttermilk granola has less added sugar than its commercial counterparts, just enough to help it brown and crisp in the oven. With toasted sugar, that sweetness is even milder, tempered by a hint of caramel complexity. Serve it for breakfast with Greek yogurt, or grab a handful whenever you need a light and crunchy snack.

Buttermilk Granola »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

In most recipes, sugar serves some key structural role, but in these grainy English muffins, I use honey in an entirely optional way—to serve as a sweet counterpoint to the graham-y flavor of whole wheat. You can dial it back to taste, but I'd use at least an ounce, so the yeast has a snack during its long, overnight rise.

English Muffins »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Few things are as satisfying as homemade bagels that turn out just as blistered, chewy, and flavorful as if they'd come from an old-school bakery. There's just a pinch of sugar to help fuel the dough's slow, overnight rise and a bit of malt syrup in the boiling water for a glossy brown and aromatic crust, but the total amount is still well below our 8 gram threshold—even if you opt to make cinnamon raisin bagels instead.

Bagels »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Look, it's not my fault if you wind up drowning these in maple syrup, but the waffles themselves have only a pinch of sugar in the batter. Instead of doing an overnight rise, I often make these brown-butter waffles first thing in the morning. Then I let them rise all day, so I can griddle them up to serve along with soups and stews or (my fave) fried chicken.

Brown-Butter Yeast-Raised Waffles »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

I learned to make biscuits when I was about two years old, less a reflection of my skill than a testament to the truly foolproof technique—smushing butter into flour with reckless abandon. Biscuits are a fast and simple breakfast or the foundation of a breakfast sandwich, but they're also an easy side for just about any meal (well, any Southern meal).

Light and Fluffy Biscuits Recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

As with my lemon-blueberry scones, the dough here is just barely sweetened, with most of the sugar coming from the chocolate itself. So instead of a sweet milk chocolate, choose something bitter and dark for a bold take on chocolate scones.

Chocolate Scones »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Thanks to whole wheat flour, digestive biscuits have an amazing, graham cracker–like flavor and crunch. Paired with a shiny coat of dark chocolate, these crisp but tender digestives are immensely satisfying with a cup of tea (and when sugar is of no concern, they're the perfect size to sandwich around a toasted marshmallow for s'mores).

Chocolate Digestive Biscuits »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

They may be showered in powdered sugar, but that's only because Mexican wedding cookies (a.k.a., Russian tea cakes; a.k.a., snowballs; a.k.a., Danish wedding cookies) start with an almost savory dough. And, of the sugar that's sprinkled on top, a good deal is lost along the way, scattered across your baking sheet and (real talk) down the front of your shirt.

Mexican Wedding Cookies »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Though lightly glazed in barley malt syrup, homemade Wheat Thins don't require much added sugar, so you can grab a handful of crispy crackers without overdoing it (whatever that means to you). Plus, there's a little more glaze than strictly necessary, so a good deal of the sugar that's present on paper won't ever make it to the crackers themselves. With a sprinkling of coarse salt and the grainy crunch of wheat germ, these savory-sweet crackers are as hearty as they are crisp.

Homemade Wheat Thins »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Unlike the epic crunch of homemade Wheat Thins, these whole wheat crackers are thick and tender with a gentle snap (like the Carr's ones you buy). They're fun and easy to make (the dough comes together super fast in a food processor), and they will keep up to a month in an airtight container. Pull them out as a homemade addition to cheese plates, or smear one with peanut butter for a simple snack.

Whole Wheat Crackers »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Out of everything on this list, these are my all-time favorite for snacking; they're unambiguously salty, cheesy, and crisp. Like any other cracker, these have a great shelf life, so I like to make a big batch to enjoy over a few weeks. Plus, when I'm feeling creative, homemade Cheez-Its are easy to customize with additional herbs and spices or alternative types of cheese.

Homemade Cheez-Its »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

With a cheesy crust, chunks of salty ham, slivers of scallion, and shredded Gruyère scattered throughout the dough, savory scones make a hearty breakfast, or they can be cut small to serve alongside bowls of creamy tomato soup.

Ham and Cheese Scones »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

With fresh parsley, a dash of onion powder, garlic, paprika, and cayenne, these cheddar biscuits have a bold flavor that can stand up to even the heartiest bowl of chili or chowder. So grab a spoon, dollop the dough onto a half-sheet pan, and start baking!

Garlic-Cheddar Biscuits »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

It breaks my heart to see Irish soda bread relegated to a bit of St. Patrick's Day kitsch, especially when recipes treat it like some sort of fruity scone. In reality, Irish soda bread is a crusty loaf that's chewy and satisfying enough to pair with any meal or even just a charcuterie plate. It has an almost pretzel-like flavor that goes with any sort of stew or braise.

Irish Soda Bread »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Like bagels, my favorite dinner rolls are briefly boiled before baking, producing a crackly crust that's glossy and eggshell thin. Inside, they're fluffy and light—perfect for mopping up sauces and stews. Thanks to a long overnight rise these rolls can be a make-ahead element for family dinners and holiday gatherings, letting you knock out the work of making and shaping the rolls a day in advance.

Crisp and Fluffy Dinner Rolls »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

I've always thought of chicken pot pie as a secret pastry since the best part is the crust, whether you opt for drop biscuits or a flaky lid (I'm partial to hearty whole wheat). But even if the crust is the star, the filling has to do its part, which means the chicken has to be juicy and the sauce has to be thick and full of flavor.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

These biscuits get their sweetness from thick and mellow sweet potato purée. The sweet potatoes also lend a bright orange hue and wonderfully buttery flavor. Serve the biscuits alongside hearty soups and stews or with a spoonful of jam.

The Best Sweet Potato Biscuits »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Angel biscuits are buttery and tender, but their flavor and texture is more similar to a Parker House roll than a traditional biscuit. After proofing overnight, they're ready to bake in the morning, so you can enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, and maybe even dinner.

Yeast-Raised Angel Biscuits »

[Video: Serious Eats Video]

Pumpkin purée transforms a regular white sandwich loaf into a beautiful and flavorful bread. The pumpkin purée imparts the bread with a subtle earthiness and seasonal flair. It's a versatile loaf perfect for toasting, sandwiching cold cuts, cubing for bread pudding, or whipping up a grilled cheese sandwich.

Yeasted Pumpkin Bread »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

It's true that these are technically cookies, but their almost-savory flavor gives them balance and depth. With biscotti, the exact amount of sugar per serving depends on how you slice it, so aim for 30 12 millimeter pieces to keep the sugar in check. Lean and crunchy with a refreshing anise flavor, they're perfect for dunking in fortified wine or snacking on with a cup of coffee.

Almond Biscotti With Anise »

Toning down the sweetness in these gingerbread cookies allows the rich flavors of freshly ground ginger, orange zest, and warm spices to shine through. Despite the addition of both brown sugar and molasses, these cookies are rolled so thin the yield is quite high, leaving only 3 grams of sugar per 2 1/2-inch cookie. Serve them plain or with a thin layer of royal icing. Either way, they'll be gone in a snap.

Gingerbread Cookies »

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

This banana bread is classic, but it's certainly not plain. While it's an optional step, toasting the sugar will bring the bread an added layer of depth. Ripe bananas give the loaf structure, while replacing some of the all-purpose flour with oat flour makes for a moister bread. Baked as two 8-inch loaves, cut into 10 slices each, our classic banana bread technically qualifies for the list—so just keep an eye on the serving size. However you cut it, our take on this recipe will be a hit.

Classic Banana Bread »

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/low-sugar-baking-recipes

[gessvhowarth]

London's Craziest Cocktails

Yeah, this? Just your average cocktail at the Gibson. Want to drink like you're in the BFG's dreamcave or the Breaking Bad RV? We've gathered up London's weirdest and most high-concept cocktails for when you want a night less ordinary. The Flaming Ferrari at Nam Long Le Shaker Lots of bars serve flaming cocktails, but Nam Long Le Shaker's Flaming Ferrari comes with a backdrop of gold, red velvet, marble and a devoted clientele of glitterati. The contents — Green Chartreuse, Grand Marnier, dark rum, Yellow Chartreuse and the application of a naked flame — are as eye-watering as the prices, though admittedly Chelsea has its share of drinkers who can handle £19 for a cocktail. 159 Old Brompton Road, SW3 Source instagram Source namlong The 1691 at Worship Street Whistling Shop Styled on a Victorian gin palace, the bartenders at this EC2A bar will whip up any classic cocktail you like, but their skills are best shown-off in their modern, experimental menu. Jumping on the trend for savoury — and cheesy — elements to a cocktail, but doing it way better than many, the 1691 blends goats cheese, raspberry, Grand Marnier reduction and vodka. So your starter, dessert, shot and nightcap all in one. 63 Worship Street, EC2A Source Worship St. WS Source Worship St. WS The Kobe Cocktail at Sushisamba There are other meaty cocktails in London — the bacon and egg martini at London Cocktail Club among others. But the Kobe Cocktail at Sushisamba gets extra points on the lunacy-scale for: using insanely expensive Kobe beef as a wash, in their take on an Old Fashioned; stirring it with maple and salted caramel, for that extra richness you don't get from, you know, beef fat; and for serving it on the 39th floor of the Heron Tower. Enjoy your beef-rubbed, chocolatey glass of whisky as you gaze at the city from on high: you will never be more like a latter-day Henry VIII than you are at this minute. 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N Source SUSHISAMBA Source SUSHISAMBA The BFG-themed Dream Jar at The Blind Pig The Soho bar from Jason Atherton's revisited their cocktail menu this winter and realised the shocking lack of BFG-themed cocktails. Literally zero, but don't worry, it's under control. Covered in their new menu are a Winnie the Pooh tribute cocktail - the Hunny Pot, with Havana 7 rum, salted butter, honey mead, Somerset apple brandy and a host of other things including a small Piglet-shaped tribute sweet for garnish. Most appealing, though, is the BFG Dream Jar. It's made from a jumble of vodka, Swedish punsch, apricot, lemon and other things, but what you really need to know is: it comes in a jar with glowing ice, in homage to the BFG's dream collection. Order 300 to accurately recreate the book. 58 Poland Street, W1F Source Social Eating House Source instagram Mylk, Egges and Chese at The Gibson This EC1 bar, which specialises in historic drinks from the Edwardian era to the present day, was voted the world’s sixth best in the world’s 50 best bars awards 2016. Marian Beke's a wizard with outlandish combinations… Amongst the cocktails on his list, you can find purple cabbage cordial with echinacea and gingko bitters. The cocktail menu's a poetic and trippy read, bouncing between 1908 Japan, medieval Ireland and 33 AD. And from one of the most ambitious cocktail-makers in London right now, the Mylk, Egges and Chese is made from brandy-cognac Ysabel Regina, and peanut, almond and cheddar whey. Honourable mention to The Ponderosa — which almost edged out the ME&C — with its lamb-jerky spiked Knob Creek, lemon ketchup, smoked apple syrup and pickled mint sauce. Among other things. 44 Old Street, EC1V Source thegibsonbar Source thegibsonbar The Departed at the Clarendon Cocktail Cellar The drinks menu at this speakeasy-style bar changes regularly, with themes leading to reliably weird and surprisingly good cocktails. Inspired by artist Adriana Varejao, 2016's stand-out was the Drunken Mermaids cocktail - a strange cohesion of Cachaca, fig, honey, lemon, sea salt, blue cheese tincture. Lengthened with soda. Served with a cocoa straw. The lunatic lovechild of a hot toddy and a French seaside holiday. This winter's most intense fusion has to be The Departed from the film-themed menu - rivalling the Long Island Iced Tea for number of alcohols jammed into a single glass. Here that includes absinthe, Irish whisky, Jamaican rum, a honey spirit, bitters and, in lieu of a real mixer, cranberry and cinnamon syrup. Packs a blow even Scorsese would flinch at. 52 Cambridge Street, SW1V Source Clarendon Cellar Source Clarendon Cellar The Tuco's Cousin at ABQ London This Breaking Bad-themed bar offers an immersive experience, so your cocktail starts with cladding yourself in a boiler suit and cooking the drinks in Mr White's RV. As there's molecular gastronomy and a dark sense of humour behind the menu, your cocktail might be the I Fucked Ted — a twist on the Manhattan made with rye whisky, vermouth and Tea Noir: you use nitrogen cavitation to infuse your drink with cocoa nibs. Organic cocoa nibs, obviously. Your body is a temple. The clear winner in the crazy stakes for combination of science involved, sugar involved and alchohol involved, though, is Tuco's Cousin: Blanco tequila, Coconut H2O, almond milk, vanilla cream and cinnamon. NO2 chargers for whipping the cream. It's basically a highly scientific, alcoholic pie. In a glass. Source ABQ Source ABQ The Blue Moon at Every Cloud It's close quarters at this small, lovely, dimly-lit and weirdly-wallpapered Hackney newcomer. Cocktails are dreamed up and then drummed up by founder Felix Cohen, with creation processes often featuring acid bases, centrifuges, bright colours and... porcelain eagles. Anything, basically, to make a cocktail less ordinary. The cocktails change regularly but are unfailingly inventive, and as the Londonist review of Every Cloud bar commented, the Blue Moon's worth a try: 'A Blue Moon is described as being like "the awful child who turned into a blueberry in Willy Wonka". Bright cerulean, it's mildly terrifying and will bring back memories, depending on your age, of either nightmarish 90s experiments with blue curacao or WKD. Yes, ours is the former. In the mouth, it's got real clarity however, a playful fruit flavour that isn't juvenile or 'aimed at the laydeez'. Bravo.' 11 Morning Lane, E9 Source Every Cloud Source Every Cloud

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/londonist/sBMe/~3/jxySvhYx8Kg/london-s-craziest-cocktails

[twelvebyseventyfive]

Discussing sweet wines, with notes on 18 interesting bottles

Sweet wines aren’t all that fashionable, but they are delicious. The best sweet wines are among the most complex and concentrated expressions of the vine possible, and in past times they occupied the pinnacle of the fine wine tree. We’ve kind of neglected them of late, partly because in these alcohol-consumption-conscious days we seldom manage to find room for them at the beginning or end of a meal. But I hope that their time will come again.

There are a number of different ways of making sweet wines, but the general principle is to concentrate the sugar levels in some way. The simplest way is to hang the grapes on the vine for longer, resulting in massive sugar levels: late harvest style (a great example would be the natural sweet wines of Constantia, made from very ripe grapes that have raisined a bit on the vine). Then, when fermentation is complete, there will be sugar left in the wine. One variation on this theme is to stop fermentation before all the sugar is used up (as occurs in German pradikat wines), either by chilling or adding high levels of sulfur dioxide, or both. Or the same ends can be achieved by fortifying the wine while fermentation is still underway, taking the alcohol levels to toxic levels (this occurs in Port, or in Vin Doux Naturels of the south of France).

One way of concentrating sugars is to dry the grapes after harvest (Pedro Ximenez in Jerez). Another is to cut the cordons and leave the grapes to shrivel on the vine before harvest. Perhaps the most extreme method is to leave the grapes on the vine until the onset of winter, then pick them and press them while they are mostly frozen, resulting in massive sugar and acid levels: ice wine. Another famous method is to let nature do it, as in ‘noble rot’. Here, botrytis attacks healthy, ripe grapes and causes them to shrivel, concentrating sugars and acids, and also changing the metabolism of the grapes so they produce chemical precursors that result in exotic apricot and passionfruit flavours in the wine.

I trawled my stash of wines and pulled out a large batch of sweet ones, which I then tasted over a couple of evenings. These are my notes.

Stella Bella Pink Muscat 2012 Margaret River, Australia 8% alcohol £10.95 agent Alliance Wine This has aromas of mint and herbs with some cherry and raspberry. The palate is quite creamy and rounded with a fresh citrussy twist. It’s slightly fizzy and has lovely texture, but I don’t think it was meant to be cellared for five years. Not bad but no more than that. 87/100

Domaine Cazes Muscat de Rivesaltes 2009 Vin Doux Naturel, Roussillon, France 15% alcohol A blend of Muscat d’Alexandrie and Muscat Petit Grains, farmed organically. Distinctive stuff with some hints of mint and ripe table grapes, along with some barley sugar and spirit notes. It’s concentrated and quite viscous with some savoury herb and mint characters jostling with the sweet grape and syrup characters, finishing quite warm. Lots of personality here, but perhaps it’s best young and vital? 89/100

Domaine des Forges Coteaux du Layon Premier Cru Chaume 2011 Loire, France 11% alcohol £8.99 Waitrose Honeyed and concentrated with a lovely citrus and straw character, as well as some savoury spiciness. This has some marmalade character, too, although it’s the thick cut style, with some grip and bitterness. Nice depth here with a savoury spiciness under the sweet fruit. Thought-provoking and potentially long lived. 92/100

Jorge Ordonez & Co Seleccion Especial 1 2007 Malaga, Spain 13% alcohol This is a collaboration between Jorge Ordonez and Gerhard Kracher, and the idea for this wine was devised by Jorge and Alois Kracher. The grapes are dried on the vines. Fresh, aromatic nose with fine herbs and sweet ripe table grapes. There are some crystalline fruit notes, too, and hints of mint. The palate is really fresh with lovely sweet grapey notes and some warm spiciness, as well as a hint of marmalade. It’s light and delicate, but complex and balanced too. This has developed really nicely in the bottle, and is still fresh and expressive. 93/100

Dr Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese 2006 Mosel, Germany 6.5% alcohol, bottled in a 187 ml bottle. Golden colour. Very lemony and bright with some apricot and honey notes. There’s a slight spiciness, too. Luscious and sweet but with some lime oil notes keeping things very fresh and tangy. Sweet and fresh, at the same time, this is delicious. Still primary and fruity at age 11. 92/100

Patricius Tokaj Katinka Noble Late Harvest 2011 Hungary 11.5% alcohol Botrytized and regular berries are harvested together, macerated briefly and then fermented in oak. Corked

Mauregard Monbazillac 2007 France 13% alcohol Marks & Spencer From Yvon Mau. Lovely texture here with stony, wax and lanolin savoury notes together with some apricot and citrus peel characters. I find this Monbazillac character really interesting, with the savoury waxy notes quite pronounced. Is this from Semillon? Spicy and complex, and finishing savoury, despite the sweetness. 91/100

Château de Rayne Vigneau 2009 Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classé, Bordeaux 13.5% alcohol Very rich and intense with lovely viscous apricot, cantaloupe melon and pear fruit, with some honeyed richness. Very textural with great concentration, richness, smoothness and balance. This has a nectar-like richness to it. Sweet and very impressive with hints of cream, toast and toffee on the finish, which is really long. It might have a narrower dynamic range than the very very best Sauternes, but it’s still quite lovely, and serious. 93/100

Lions de Suduiraut 2009 Sauternes, Bordeaux, France 14% alcohol This is the second wine of Suduiraut. It’s beautifully textured and delicate, with a hint of cream and spice under some sweet pear and apricot fruit. Smooth and honeyed with a cedary spicy twist that adds some savoury interest. It’s drinking perfectly now in its mellow maturity. I like the creamy, grapey character. It’s moderately botrytised with a twist of spice, but this is enough. 91/100

Jackson Triggs Proprietor’s Reserve Vidal Ice Wine 2006 Niagara Peninsula, Canada 10.5% alcohol Harvested January 30th to February 21st 2007. Pressed at an average temperature of -10 C. 40 Brix, 228 g/l residual sugar. Highly aromatic with raisin, toffee and citrus. The palate has lovely acidity and notes of dried tea and spice, with grapes and raisins, as well as a hint of apricot. Age has added richness and some more of the raisin and candied fruit characters. Concentrated and delicious with a fresh finish. 92/100

Inniskillin Vidal Oak Aged Ice Wine 2006 Niagara, Canada 9% alcohol, 40 Brix harvest, 240 g/l residual sugar. Sweet and viscous with raisins, dried apricots, peach and some lemons. There’s richness and sweetness here, with a lot of raisiny sweetness, as well as a hint of vanilla. This has developed really nicely, and has some freshness balancing the mellow notes that have come from age. 93/100

Seifried Sweet Agnes Riesling 2010 Nelson, New Zealand 10.5% alcohol This fruit is partially (artificially) frozen before pressing. Yellow/gold colour. Pithy, citrussy nose with some orange peel and honey notes. There’s a viscous, slightly oily character to the palate with some creamy notes, and bright, vivid, pithy lemony fruit. Finishes with marmalade and lemon curd, and brisk acidity. Attractive, but better young I reckon. 89/100

Yealands Estate Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Awatere, Marlborough, New Zealand 11.5% alcohol Marmalade, honey, apricot and spice on the nose. The palate shows lovely depth of sweet peachy fruit with a subtle ginger and citrus peel twist, and lots of botrytis character. Lovely complexity to this wine which is now drinking at peak. Nice acidity keeps things in balance. So expressive. 93/100

Paul Cluver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2012 Elgin, South Africa 9.5% alcohol Fine aromatics of grape, raisin, citrus and honey. The palate is sweet yet quite fresh with spicy citrus and marmalade notes, some apricot, and pithy, minty freshness. Nice tension here between the lemon and orange peel freshness and the richer, raisin and table grape sweetness. 92/100

De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2006 New South Wales, Australia 10% alcohol Gold/bronze colour. Very rich and spicy, with ginger, herbs, apricot and sandalwood characters in the mix. Really complex on the palate with cedar spice, marmalade and apricot, with some lemon peel freshness on the finish. Really intense and spicy, with lots of appeal. This has developed really well. 94/100

Fattoria dei Barbi Vinsanto del Chianto 2007 Tuscany, Italy 16% alcohol Bronze/brown colour, with some red hints. Sweet, spicy, cedary nose is really lively. The palate has a savoury cask quality, some sweetness, hints of baked apple and cinnamon, and some citrus freshness. A remarkable combination of sweet and savoury with some oxidative notes coming to the fore. 91/100

Contero Brachetto D’Acqui 2012 Italy 5.5% alcohol Think Moscato d’Asti but red. Fresh with red grape, cherry and spice characters, as well as some baked apple. Sweet, with the fizziness offsetting this, resulting in a sweet, refreshing, grapey wine. 89/100

Blind Spot Rutherglen Muscat NV Australia 17.5% alcohol The Wine Society Sweet and viscous with notes of raisin, tea, table grapes and toffee. There’s some treacle richness, too. It’s sweet but balanced with rich, raisiny fruit and some sweet alcoholic notes, together with some spiciness. Lovely. 92/100

Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

See also: Eating sugar: why old sweet wines often taste drier than they are

from jamie goode's wine blog http://www.wineanorak.com:/wineblog/uncategorized/discussing-sweet-wines-with-notes-on-18-interesting-bottles For Fine Wine Investment opportunities check out Twelve by Seventy Five: http://www.twelve-by-seventy-five.com/

[allsortsotings]

Peñella y Pandenis

It’s been about three weeks now since I last updated. Perhaps because the pace of life has been more fast, but arguably because it has slowed down. I feel the need more to write when stressed, frantic or in waves of mania than when calm and relaxed. It’s said that the greatest art comes from depression, which might account for the radio silence in times of peace.

After Andreas’ we found a workaway in a tiny village called Peñella. We got the train from Novellana which had a quaint old waiting house and a big field of grass and daisies which allowed me to do yoga for half an hour whilst Nik went to buy lunch of pan, plátanos y naranjas. The train cost about €7 each and was an excursion in itself. Ubiquitous sights of mountains, rivers, fields and farms passed us as we headed to Infiesto.

On arrival we were greeted by the curly headed Maya; a delightful five year old with a wobbly tooth and a love of attention. Maybe I recognised some of my younger self in her which is why I often enjoyed playing with her more than partaking in the serious grown up chats/ ‘adult moments of silence’. We talked truffles over a litre of sidra and some crisps: Adam has started a truffle plantation in some flattish land - as flat as you can find on a foothill - and needs them to be constantly weeded in order to grow and produce.

It’s a big plan: the truffle trees will act as a working farm, in order to get planning permission for a barn in which Adam and his family can live. They currently reside in a beautiful self built house on the hillside with lots of crafted wood and amazing views. But! You say. Cultivating truffle trees? Impossible!

Yea, but nay. Adam’s trees came from a man in Barcelona who impregnates other tree types, in this case the ‘holly oak’ with truffle inoculations, then ships them out to customers. It’s surprisingly consistent work, due to the rapidity of the weeds’ growth. The trees however, are relatively low maintenance, almost cactus-like in their ability to withstand drought and lack of water for up to one year. With the all-sun or all-rain weather in Asturias, it’s perfect.

At Adam and Naomi’s we stayed in their old festival truck which was used for the Tiny Tea Tent (holla Glastonbury, WOMAD, etc), until he four children came and the new, improved Tiny Tea Truck was born. Complete with bunk beds, bath and pull-down bed.

The truck we stayed in was parked permanently on the truffle field, with a balcony built around the front and covered by eight year old willow trees. The view of the mist and the mountains at sunrise was quite mystical. We loved staying there. It had a gas stove, wood burner, sink, shelving, storage, dining area, and could still be opened up at the back so one could watch the sunset whilst hanging off the rear eating dinner, if one so wished.

Our cupboards were reasonably filled as part of the volunteering agreement which sparked the idea of masterchef style invention tests using what we were given. Arancini balls, aubergine parmigiana, fishcakes, hummus, kidney bean curry, peaches with granola and homemade yoghurt were some of the plates produced under the restrictions (in the loosest sense of the word).

On this note, we got really into food whilst there, even though we are always into food, but more so. On a special level. Something seemed to provoke an excitement in me to create and experiment with different dishes and tastes.

I say ‘something’ when knowing without a doubt that it was our celebratory trip to Los Llaureles; the gourmet ten course restaurant experience we went to for our anniversary (!!!). This was my first ever anniversary in life and I was greatly pleased to be spending it eating ten courses of food on the mountainside.

The dishes were (as named by us):

Honey Spoon Agave, mascarpone, almond cinnamon crisp

Laksa Miso broth, vermicelli, seafood

Mushrooms Date paste, creamy shrooms, salmon, cheese

Foetus Chicken shaped dough ball in an eggshell filled with clear garlic soup

Bao Bun Fish, apple gel, mayo

Croquette Brûléed whipped goats cheese stuffed date

Bitter Salad Mango, spinach, peanut sauce

Merluza Con mayo, rosemary, black sesame

Chia Seed Vanilla soy, mango, papaya, almond cinnamon crisp

Woman in a Gold Dress Wallflower: sponge, creme Catalan, Valencian meringue helado. Needed a ruby goji berry twist!!

So to sum up the food was fantastic.

During this time I was also awakened to the incomprehensible stress of being a full-time Mother: where is the time?

Seeing another person constantly so dutiful and aware and organised was slightly mind blowing. It’s clear to see that the children are unaware of any stress effects of this, and it made me realise how much you can take for granted as a child. I tried to help out and play with the kids and ask them stimulating questions, etc, but its nothing compared to the generally under-awarded gallantry of getting kids up in the morning; taking them to school; making food that everyone eats; keeping up with homework; cleaning; nurturing and getting again to bed at a reasonable time to do it all over again tomorrow. Life runs away quickly when it’s paced like this.

We were lucky to finish weeding at 2pm, amble up to the house for lunch, and amble back down for a leisurely dinner or stroll into Torazo. It’s not unusual to finish work at this time in Spain, which is definitely something I love. Work hard in the morning with high brain activity, eat slowly and generously during lunch, then relax into a siesta, a walk or reading for the rest of the evening. It feels like there’s more time in the day, and that its use is efficient.

We drank beer, sidra or wine most days with food. One Thursday after a smaller lunch we paired Asturian cheeses with Rioja, become progressively merrier as the mealtime went on. Food feels so good after manual labour, so much so that I’ve come to lose the same appetite without it.

Tea breaks feel like real, restorative rests. I’ve come to appreciate a range of biscuits and their dunking abilities. The pleasure of a black tea with milk is something inextricably linked with outdoor work. Read: builder’s brew.

We spent just under two weeks at the truffle plantation, it was a lovely time for reading and cooking. I finished 1984 which was one that has been on my list for virtually ever. So poignant. May save interpretations for another time.

Adam & Naomi know a small network of fellow ecoprojects and helpex/workaway hosts, so on our last Sunday we made a convenient switchover to El Toral with Liz & Steve via a barbecue. It was one of those moments where you’re glad of however life brought you to that moment. More mountains, hills, wooden decking overlooking a sheep field, delicious food and interesting people.

There was a man named Klas who makes stone masonry fires - they’re this amazing way of making the most out of heat energy by sending all the stuff through big metal pipes which are covered usually with clay. It’s a thousand+ year old technique but for whatever reason they’re relatively uncommon in Europe despite being incredibly efficient. They take a long time to build and are reasonably expensive but they last pretty much forever. Traditionally a family home will be built around one as the main pole of the house. Steve is reading a lot about their construction and kicking himself for not building one originally, as wood collection is a constant job here.

At the BBQ we also some girls doing English teaching in Coruna which which seems like a good thing/idea. Sort of considered it but the year is quite a commitment and after speaking to Liz freelance teaching seems like a good option. A one-to-one thing with locals for an hour or so.

Liz & Steve’s is a place currently focussed on hosting guests in la cabana (the guesthouse) and the blue rainbow caravan. We sleep in a little box attached to their old caravan, wher Hugo currently resides, in a field shared with some lovely orange cows. Hugo is a talented guitarist from Madrid who has been here for half a month.

We met on the Sunday and quite quickly entered inspiring philosophical conversation. We talk about literature, ideas, music and feelings. Nik and I were immediately pleased to be chilling with him for the duration of the stay. We take it in turns to cook dinner and eat overlooking the field, the stars above us and the moon sometimes hidden by the clouds.

No topic is bounded and the other day we did a creative activity which involved taking ten minutes to draw what we visualised when imagining the superego. All three were distinct and different. And of course, in true Freudian style, in some way interpretable as phallic.

The week here has fast gone by. Starting with cleaning the chicken coop and laying down straw and manure to enrich the garden soil, ending by cooking a banquet of roast sumac cauliflower with squash, red onion, apricot and black olive tagine, spicy onion rice, mustard leaf zhoug, tahini sauce and walnut tzatziki. We eat really well here. Liz is a fantastic cook and Steve goes by the ‘Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall approach’, which is nothing to complain about.

Always a bowl piled with fresh garden greens, a hot pasta or salad and fresh bread with olive oil. Food is something they may endeavour to move onto when more comfortably in the swing of bnb work. Yesterday there was a double booking which meant convincing one party to sleep in the Mongolian yurt. As a team we somehow went from empty field to fully furnished round sleeping house with wooden steps and concrete paving (Nik’s toil). Everything inside is painted and embossed beautifully, with purple curtains behind the bed and various fabrics from Steve’s travels to Turkey and Tibet sparkling around the walls and floor. Luckily, we may have to sleep in it next Wednesday to make room for a new volunteer.

Next week we’re heading to Bilbao to get some respite before embarking on a new adventure: Classroom Alive. It’s a one week boot camp in Barcelona with the aim to plan a journey from 2 - 6 months by foot with rucksacks and tents, learning in a classroom-style format for half the day, then walking for the rest of it to the next destination. It sounds crazy and I’m excited to see what it will bring. If anyone is interested, let me know!

For now, it’s raining, but we’re not going to let that deter us from our Easter Saturday trip to Nava’s sidra museum. Hopefully there will be samples.

[tacovolution]

In South Africa, we’re fortunate to have fantastic fine-dinning restaurants – restaurants that are innovative and keep us enthralled. One such restaurant is the Restaurant Mosaic at The Orient, in Pretoria. From Pretoria it’s about a 30 minute drive and an hour drive from Joburg. But it’s well worth it, especially as you arrive at the gates of the Orient Hotel.

The Restaurant Mosaic is run by head chef Chantel Dartnall. And if you’re in the restaurant, eating lunch or dinner, you’re bound to bump into her.

My boyfriend and I decided it was best to stay over for the night, than to drive home on dark roads after a few glasses of wine. Better safe than sorry!

Upon entering a security guard escorts you to a parking bay. He already knows that you’re a guest of the hotel and not a day visitor.

As you walk through the massive front doors, Zele is waiting for you. And you’re immediately taken to your room, where you’re handed a refreshing drink of pomegranate .

As it was our anniversary, a bottle of Pol Roger Rose 2004 was waiting for us in the room. Bottle popped and we were well settled in to our gorgeous Udaipur themed room.

After a while we got a bit hungry and asked for a light snack. We thought we’d get sandwiches or something similar. But no, Chantel had made a delicious and beautiful salmon salad. It was light, refreshing, crunchy, sweet and has a bit of bitterness. An excellent prelude to the main event.

Salmon and cream cheese salad

When dinner finally arrived, we made our way to the restaurant and were seated at a cosy booth. It was difficult to notice the people around us, with the way the restaurant was designed. Immediately I noticed champagne glasses. I didn’t order any champagne for dinner as I knew we’d still be feeling the effects of the Pol Roger. But as we were celebrating an important event the Restaurant provided glasses to start off the evening.

With our glasses charged a bread cart followed, stocked with a variety of bread. And the waiter insisted that you try more than one.

Jasmine and Lemongrass butter

Cinnamon butter, salter butter, and a fish paste

Then Chef Chantel popped by to take you through the menu and different wine pairings and help you decide between the 5 course and 9 course meal. We went with the 9 course menu and the enthusiast wine pairing. How could you not?

Still part of a bread, we were presented with a amuse bouche. It was delicious.And an inviting start to the evening.

Dark chocolate, macaroons, and cheddar cheese

And then the “prelude” continued. First was frogs legs served on a bed of mushroom jelly. I must admit, in all my travels I never ate frogs legs before and I did not prepare myself for it. But as the true foodie I am, I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by. Frogs legs taste like chicken and in this case it was a tasty fried chicken legs. The mushroom jelly added an earthy taste. It was delicious. The frogs legs were served with a Graham Beck Brut (2012) and it paired well. Nothing felt out of place.

Once the appetizing prelude concluded, the first course was served: a foie gras mousse in a light muscadel jelly with finely sliced muscat grapes. It was served with truffle brioche. It was gorgeous. The foie gras was rich and creamy, the grapes added freshness and the brioche added an earthy flavor. It was, without a doubt, the best foie gras dish I’ve had in the country. And it was paired with my favourite South African Gewurztraminer: the Paul Cluver 2014. The pairing was perfect as the wine added a freshness to the earthy dish.

The second course was the Celebration on Spring. A well-thought out garden salad. It was fresh and light. Everything you would want from a vegetable salad and although it looked beautiful, the flavours complimented each other well. And so did the Alvi’s Drift Albertus Viljoen Chenin Blanc (2012), that was fruity and creamy.

I got excited and forgot to take a photo when the dish arrived.

The third course was Genesis. Genesis was rainbow trout with a miso mousse and Pomelo. This dish was also tasty and had a subtle fish flavour. The miso had flavour and spiciness. And the Pomelo really did pop. Genesis was a beautifully designed dish but the only problem was that it was paired with the Iona Chardonnay (2014). The wine was still young and clashed with the spiciness of the miso.

The fourth course was the course I’ve seen everyone love: Mousse de Mer. And understandable so. The langoustine was cooked perfectly and the tomato froth was light and fluffy and infused with rooibos. And hidden beneath was delicious risotto which added meatiness to the dish. The seashell mousse had an intense tomato flavour. The tomato salt (the sand) added more intense tomato flavoring, so it was best to have as little as possible of this. The dish also contained seaweed which added more salty flavour sauce. Overall, it was an amazingly well-thought out and prepared dish. The flavours complimented the langoustine well and is a dish that has plenty of depth. It paired well with Hartenberg Weisser Riesling (2008), which was slightly acidic and very fruity.

The fifth course was, honestly, the course that caught my attention: Millionaire Nest Egg. A quail egg with black truffle paste, on a bed of truffle infused mushrooms. It was a gorgeous, subtle dish that was earthy and the yolk pierced through adding some sunshine. The earthy dish was paired with the Lismore Viognier 2011 (another favourite) that provided an acidity and freshness to the dish was the hints of peaches and apricots.

Finally the starters were done and a palate cleanser was brought to the table: The Garden Pea. The palate cleanser consisted of a matcha and lime with a pea puree. It was a refreshing palate cleanser and fitted in well with the menu. And the peas were from the garden, adding to the ambiance of the hotel.

And with that we were halfway, although quite stuffed, and onto the main course. For mains, we had the option of 3 courses: Bouillabaisse (Kabeljou), Prints in the Paddock (Beef), and Birds of a feather (Quail).

I love quail, so there was no way that I was going to say no to the Birds of a feather. The dish consisted of King Quail that was glazed with raw honey and Balsamic vinegar. Top that off with saffron scented petite tortellini that is stuffed with slow braised Goose and Capon meat and you’ve got a mouth-watering dish. Add to this sweet onions in a red wine sauce. The dish was sweet, slight acidic, and rich. I loved every bite. The birdy (that’s now a word) was paired with the Mont Destin Pasionne (2009). With the heavy dish, the wine added creaminess and further richness.

Lee had the Prints in a Paddock for mains, which consisted of a 36 days matured Angus beef with sumac and a red ivory fruit preserve.The red ivory fruit is from the Red Ivory tree that can be found all over the Francolin Conservancy. Another element from the surrounding areas. The beef was perfectly cooked to medium rate, and the fruits added sweetness. The sumac spices added a hint of tartness to balance out the sweetness. This well-designed dish was paired with the Nederburg Petit Verdot (2001), which added richness and a spiciness to the dish.

With out stomach’s bursting, we moved onto dessert. First up was a cheese selection that was paired with Quinta de crosta port. There’s every variety of cheese available but the highlighted choices were the Epoises de Bourgogne, Belnori Phantom Forest, and Dolcelatte Gorgonzola. Most of the cheese paired well with the port, but as I’m not a fan of port of depth and flavours of the port were wasted on me.

Next for dessert was the Chocolate Cherry. This dessert had a large cherry filled with chocolate on the plate and was surrounded with cherry infused elements. Again, a fantastic mixture of sweetness, sourness and crunch. And it was delightfully light. The dessert was paired with Chateau Septy Monbazillac (2009), which with its fruity bouquet, complimented the cherry and chocolate.

Finally, we were on the Mamelon de Venus. A delicious, light and cruchy choux pastry that  was surrounded by Jasmine. It was definitely a Spring dessert: floral and light. And the bright colours of the strawberry and jasmine made it inviting. It was a scrumptious dessert and one that I would travel all the way back to the Restaurant Mosaic for.

AND after all that food there was more: Petits Fours. They were too gorgeous to ignore and we may have finished most of it.

After stuffing ourselves, we made our way up to our room. A steep affair if you’ve drunk all the wine pairings.

Come the Sunday morning and we were still stuffed, but I couldn’t miss an opportunity to see what breakfast would entail. And breakfast was superb. After being seated, a slightly warm herbal, ginger and lemongrass tea was placed in front of you. It was a delicious tea at the right temperature on the warm morning. A pastry tier was also placed on the table.

Herbal tea with ginger and lemongrass.

Fruit smoothie.

Green tee

Pastry tier

But that’s not all, a quartet of intriguing dishes were placed in front of us: tropical fruit salad, oats with vanilla and star anise, fig with goats cheese and a herb vinaigrette, and a coconut pannacotta with granadilla jelly. A flavourful start to the day.

After this, our warm breakfast of salmon with scrambles eggs and hollandaise sauce was served. Another well-executed dish.

It’s difficult to find fault with the Restaurant Mosaic or the The Orient. Every detail is thought of and as a guest, of the hotel or the restaurant, you are well taken care of.  The service is impeccable. I was a great weekend away. And when the menu changes, I’d love to be back again.

A goodbye gift from the restaurant.

I give Restaurant Mosaic 5 cupcakes. I can forgive the unfortunate pairing with the Iona.

    Review guide:

     No rating (read: why have you even bothered to open)

     Poor (read: shit)

     Average (read: meh)

     Good (read: above mediocrity)

     Very Good (read: fling your money at them. It’s worth it)

     Extraordinary (read: if you have to make a sacrifice to be here, do it)

Restaurant Mosiac at the Orient In South Africa, we're fortunate to have fantastic fine-dinning restaurants - restaurants that are innovative and keep us enthralled.