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mayocc · 4 years

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Not So Not So Berry Challenge

AKA Not So Berry Challenge 2

General Info:

If you play this challenge it’d be great to hear some feedback on what’s good and what’s not, especially as this is my first (and probably only) time making a challenge.

Feel free to either start this challenge off with Emerald, or continue the original NSB with this one.

I’ve heard that the freelancer career often doesn’t work. If this is the case for you, feel free to simply ignore that part of the black generation. Or any other stuff that don’t work right.

Packs that can be realistically replaced are in italics.

Expansion Packs Needed: Get Together, Eco Lifestyle, Get Famous, Island Living, Cats and Dogs, Discover University, Get to Work

Game Packs Needed: Spa Day, Strangerville, Jungle Adventure, Outdoor Retreat

Stuff Packs Needed: Nifty Knitting

Rules:

1. Same basic rules as the original NSB.

2. You can do mild cheats if you want to, just don't cheat the actual challenges like careers, collections, relationships, ect.

3. If you fail to complete minor parts of the generation (only make food with ingredients you have, living near water, ect), you don't have to end the challenge. As long as you do the main stuff of the generation (careers, collections, aspirations), you're a-OK!

4. Tag your post #not so not so berry / #nsnsb if you do this challenge, or @ me! I’m @mayooinajar / @mayosims This isn’t necessary but I’d really love it if you did :)

Generation One: Emerald

You’re a sim with a passion for the world! You spend your life working to improve the future for others.

Traits: Loves Outdoors, Green Fiend, Insider

Aspiration: Leader of the Pack

Career: Civil Designer

Master Civic Planner branch of the Civil Designer career and complete Leader of the Pack aspiration

Master Gardening, Logic, and Charisma skills

Build a Greenhouse/Sunroom

Only make meals you have the ingredients for

Generation Two: Cream

Ever since you were a child, you dreamed of being in the spotlight. Time to make your dream a reality.

Traits: Bro, Erratic, Outgoing

Aspiration: Master Actor/Actress

Career: Actor/Actress

Master Actor career and complete Master Actor/Actress aspiration

Master Acting and Charisma skills

Divorce your spouse and never remarry

Complete MySims collection

Generation Three: Black

Spending your childhood in the spotlight, you decide to change your appearance, leave home, and try to make it as an artist. You struggle at first, but eventually settle into your new life, all by your own merits! (okay, maybe with the help of some ‘borrowed’ objects)

Traits: Geek, Kleptomaniac, Freegan

Aspiration: Master Maker

Career: Freelance Artist

Complete Master Maker aspiration

Master Fabrication and Painting skills

Leave home once Young Adult, drastically change your appearance

Steal items for money

Generation Four: Teal

You’ve loved the ocean ever since you were a child. Eventually you decide to take this dream to the next level and become a mermaid, which you find is surprisingly easy to do! You use your new swimming skills to excel at your job as a diver, and play the piano on the side.

Traits: Child of the Ocean, Loves Outdoors, Cheerful

Aspiration: Musical Genius

Career: Diver

Master Diver career and complete Musical Genius aspiration

Master Piano and Fitness skills

Live by the water (Sulani, Windenburg, Brindleton Bay)

Become a mermaid

Generation Five: Lavender

Who says performing surgery and paranoia don’t mix? Not you! You brush your fear aside and start up your own vet clinic, and if you sleep in a vaulted basement, nobody has to know.

Traits: Genius, Paranoid, Cat/Dog Lover

Aspiration: Lady/Lord of the Knits

Career: Veterinarian

Own a Vet Clinic and complete Lady/Lord of the Knits aspiration

Master Veterinarian and Knitting skills

Have 3 pets at once (including My First Pet pets)

Sleep in the basement underneath your Clinic

Generation Six: Honey

You’ve obsessed over fashion since you were young. You decide to combine your amazing taste and extreme likeableness into a job! Who wouldn’t want to hear your opinion anyway?

Traits: Self Absorbed, Cheerful, Foodie

Aspiration: Mansion Baron

Career: Style Influencer

Master Style Influencer career and complete Mansion Baron aspiration

Master Writing, Photography and Gourmet Cooking skills

Always hire a Nanny instead of daycare

Go to the spa at least twice

Generation Seven: Coral

In spite of your sheltered childhood, you decide to spend your adult life exploring the jungle! And maybe meeting someone along the way?

Traits: Childish, Art Lover, Glutton

Aspiration: Jungle Explorer

Career: None

Complete Jungle Explorer aspiration

Master Selvadoradian Culture and Juice Fizzing skills

Propose at the waterfall in Selvadorada

Try for a baby while adventuring

Make money by selling artifacts

Generation Eight: Sky

Parent by day, Secret Agent by night, you do it all! You keep your job a secret from your children. It’s for their own good.

Traits: Good, Neat, Perfectionist

Aspiration: Big Happy Family

Career: Secret Agent

Master Diamond Agent branch of the Secret Agent career and complete Big Happy Family aspiration

Master Cooking, Charisma and Logic skills

Have twins or triplets

Lie about career to your children

Generation Nine: Burgundy

You’re determined to be the best doctor around, and nothing can stand in your way! Besides, having kids is overrated anyways… Oops.

Traits: Goofball, Self-Assured, Hates Children

Aspiration: Fabulously Wealthy

Career: Doctor

Master Doctor career and complete Fabulously Wealthy aspiration

Complete Logic and Handiness skills

Never get higher than level 5 parenting skill

Stay late every time you go to work with your sim

Generation Ten: Lime

Growing up with a parent who didn’t like you, you decide to go into a career where you can improve the lives of young people!

Traits: Squeamish, Romantic, Bookworm

Aspiration: Bestselling Author

Career: Education

Master Education career and complete Bestselling Author aspiration

Master Research and Debate, Charisma and Writing skills

Have a sim in your household die, then be resurrected via a Book of Life

Adopt all of your children

Alright! That’s it, I hope you enjoy. I’d like to thank myself for actually following through and writing this whole thing!

Edits (M/D/Y):

9/21/20 / Fixed a missing aspiration

9/22/20 / Changed generations from eleven-twenty to one-ten

11/30/20 / Fixed some messed up phrasing

@lilsimsie @alwaysimming just in case they care lol

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jyndor · 4 years

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Oily skin anon here...Yeah, effaclar is great and not too stripping like a lot of acne products can be. I've tried the cleansers and the salicylic & glycolic acid serum. Unfortunately, the moisturizer is nothing special. Honestly, I've never had much luck finding a decent moisturizer. I'm currently using one of the toleriane line, which at least doesn't have fragrance. As for sensitive, red skin anon, I know they have a cream for rosacea and my mother uses one called kerium for red and flaky skin. She seems happy with it!

hi again anon! love talking acne and oily skin, and I don’t do it enough smdh. so lets talk moisturizers because they are important as fuck and often misunderstood by like everyone, especially people with oily skin. this is something that imo can exacerbate skin concerns and make oily skin oilier/dry skin drier/etc. so I’m gonna talk a bit about WHY they are important and then I will get into what different skins might need, and what you might consider trying.

the main purpose of a moisturizer is to lock in moisture (lol) and prevent transepidermal water loss (water evaporating through your skin’s top layers, aka your epidermis). without getting too technical, your skin has this handy thing called a moisture barrier/acid mantle that is integral to maintaining healthy skin. our skin’s barrier is naturally acidic due to sebum production (so oil) and sweat, around a 5 pH, to protect our bodies from viruses and bacteria.

so when we talk about stripping our skin of its natural oils, you know that squeaky clean feeling? that’s bad. it’s actually damaging your moisture barrier, making your skin more alkaline and leaving your skin vulnerable to germs and irritation. this is very common in dry skin, but people with oily, acne-prone skin have been sold so much nonsense for ages - the charcoal masks, baking soda cleansers and exfoliants, pore strips etc all spring to mind - and so often they will strip their skin’s natural oils and then send their sebum production into overdrive to compensate. this is why many people with oily skin actually find introducing certain kinds of oils into their skincare helps control oil production - sort of like tricking your skin into thinking it already made enough oil.

and to be clear, all skins need a good balance of water and oil - in fact this is what decides your skin type.

when skin is dry it lacks oil. normal skin has a equal balance of water and oil. oily skin has too much oil. combination skins have some areas that are one type and others that are another type. sensitive skin is also a skin type and it tends to be dry. your skin type doesn’t really change, although as we age our skin does produce less sebum over time. this is why people with oilier skin tend to look younger.

all skins can be sensitized and dehydrated - think moisture = oil and hydration = water. these are conditions, not skin types, because they can go away with treatment. my skin is always going to be somewhat dry even if it needs less oil during the summer and through good skin care. thanks genetics XD

if I don’t drink enough water, my skin will look crepe-y and older because I am dehydrated. thanks to environmental factors like pollution, stuff I put into my body, my stress levels, allergens, the amount of sun I get, etc - my skin can get more sensitized and irritated. when we deal with that stuff, the condition goes away (until the next time).

so all of that out of the way, what do the skin types need in moisturizers? so all of this is variable and depends on what other products are being used.

dry skin needs an oil-based moisturizer, non-negotiable. dry skin NEEDS to feed that acid mantle to prevent irritation, infection, etc. a thicker ointment is a great option for dry skin (like the cerave healing ointment I stan, it’s very lightweight and doesn’t have lanolin so it really is great for all skins). normal skin needs a good balanced moisturizer, often a light cream as opposed to an ointment or a lotion.

oily skin needs LESS oil in a moisturizer than dry skin does. that doesn’t mean NO oil, and again I do think that some topical oils are beneficial to oily skin, but generally speaking a lighter, water-based lotion is going to be better.

some moisturizers that I recommend for oily skin (besides the cerave healing ointment):

neutrogena hydro boost

dermalogica active moist - I am certified in dermalogica and while I don’t love all of their moisturizers I think this one is great. oily skinned folks lucked out.

glow recipe pink juice moisturizer - I actually have a mini bottle I use during the day under my SPF because my facial skin is pretty balanced at the moment. this does have fragrance but I am not opposed to fragrance by default (does the fragrance have other purposes - ie preservative, does it irritate my asthma, obviously do I have issues with that particular brand, etc. I want to talk about why fragrance (and other ingredients tbh cough parabens) isn’t inherently evil at some point because it’s all a matter of labeling practices, and clinique - a fragrance-free brand I worked for which works so well for so many people, is a NO NO for me)

I have also heard really good things about the cerave hydrating hyaluronic acid serum as a moisturizer for oily skin but I haven’t used it myself YET. if it is at all similar to my beloved b-hydra serum by (blegh) drunk elephant (eurghhh) then it’s a go.

belif aqua bomb is a good one, too

clinique’s dramatically different hydrating jelly is probably my favorite product from when I worked for the brand

on rosacea, I want to be clear that because rosacea is a medical condition it is important that if someone thinks they might have it they go to a medical professional to get it diagnosed and treated clinically. same thing with cystic acne (lol not to be a total hypocrite).

here are some really good videos from two actual dermatologists online who I really respect:

dr dray (so a lot of her videos have sponsorships but like who cares, she is clear about it and a dermatologist) - best oily skincare (sponsored by walmart i know guys but like it’s a good video), 10 best products from lrp, best sunscreens for oily skin

dr vanita rattan (specialized in skin of color) - oily skin moisturizers, cleansers for oily skin, best sunscreens for oily skin, all of her videos omfg

anyway wow hope this helped!

#anonymous #asks #skincare #oily skin #basic anatomy yay

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mayabriane · 5 years

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My Birth Story

March 17, 2019, it was the day Larry got back home from being on tour and away from me for 3 months, excited isn’t the word to describe how we both felt anticipating this day. Knowing he had his first Atlanta show with Ella coming in just two days, we started Operation: Get Sol Here. Power walking in Piedmont and the hallways on our floor, eating spicy eggplant from Planet Bombay on Moreland (I got a level 4 in spice and almost died lol), having sex lmao (laughable because of how big and uncomfortable I was and how nervous Larry was lmao), etc. but through it all we tried to remain patient. I was a nervous wreck because I REFUSED to believe or accept Larry not being able to be here for Sol’s birth. He had a few more dates of tour left after the 22nd so if she didn’t come on her due date, March 20th, there was a possibility he would miss her. He had even worked with them so he could stay 2 days after her due date where he would miss 2 shows. We were really determined.

March 19, 2019, my 28th birthday and the first night of Larry’s Atlanta show with Ella. Sol was still chilling. I was having very minor, inconsistent contractions so me and my Mama headed to the show. We danced the night away. Left the Tabernacle and headed to get something to eat before calling it a night. Wishing, hoping, praying that labor would kick in and we could head to the hospital. But still no sign of Sol. I kept growing more and more anxious but Larry was determined and kept faith that she would come while he was here.

March 20, 2019, 2nd night of Larry’s Atlanta show with Ella and with still no sign of Sol coming my mom, Ti Lori, Cameron and I headed to the show. Danced the night away again and ended our night going to eat at R.Thomas. Although the evening was perfect, full of family, love and laughter, the fear of Sol not coming before Larry had to leave was growing stronger and stronger.

I was desperate. I asked advice from my beautiful and amazing doula, Akiyla, who shared a not so enticing but possibly successful natural method to induce labor; a concoction that’s main ingredient was Castor Oil. Because I couldn’t find all of the ingredients, I just put a tablespoon of Castor Oil in some pineapple juice and drank it. The purpose of this was to kickstart contractions that would send me into active labor.

At 3:30 AM on March 22, 2019, I started having painful, regular contractions. As they got closer and closer together I became more and more excited, THIS WAS IT!!! Akiyla helped me monitor the contractions and headed to our apartment. My mom had stayed the night with Larry and I so she was already here. I woke them up, took a quick shower and once Akiyla arrived my contractions were 5-7 minutes apart. We called my doctor and they instructed me to go into the office to be checked.

Larry, my mom, Akiyla and I crammed into a small room in the doctor’s office for them to monitor my contractions and Sol’s heart rate. For some reason the machine wasn’t picking them up so the midwife came in to check my cervix. She said I was about 1 centimeter dilated, which was NOTHING and greatly concerned us because that meant I hadn’t made much progress. So she asked if I wanted her to sweep my membranes. For those who aren’t familiar, sweeping or stripping the membranes is an in office procedure where the midwife or doctor uses a gloved hand and inserts their finger into the cervix and separates the amniotic sack from the uterine wall. Basically damn near as painful as giving birth. I agreed to have her sweep them and just as quick as it happened I was screaming and crying. Agony. Because I was 2 days past my due date she sent me to the hospital to start labor. Before we headed to the hospital, we went to breakfast at Another Broken Egg, and by this time my contractions were starting to subside. I was so nervous but still determined to get Sol here.

We went and checked in at Northside. They sent me up to my room, I gave them my records and birth plan, got undressed and hooked up to have Sol’s heartbeat monitored and then all the contractions STOPPED.

We sat there for hours and hours and nothing. The first midwife came in and checked my cervix and said I was only 2 centimeters dilated. Not much progress at all. I became desperate again, and now so was Larry because we knew that he had to leave Atlanta the next day. Before all of this my plan was to go completely natural but now we started talking induction. We decided that we wanted to do induction because the midwife said that they would just give me Pitocin and that would kick start labor and I would dilate. Cool. We pushed the green button on that and waited for next steps.

Hours upon hours past and the 2nd midwife had still not arrived. We were growing more and more anxious and by this time me and Larry were impatient. I was growing even more concerned as well because my Mom was scheduled to leave Atlanta in just a couple days. The midwife finally came in and we started discussing induction with her. But before we got all the way into it she wanted to check my cervix to make sure she provided the best recommendation for induction. She checked and told me I was 1 centimeter dilated. She then explained that just giving me Pitocin would not work. She further explained that my cervix needed to be softened to dilate before contractions could kick start. That meant two steps before I could even start labor which also meant a ton of drugs and procedures that I was not feeling at all.

As we sat there in the room we all started to talk and try to make the best decision. Initially we chose the option that was the least complicated, but as I sat there with my mind and heart racing I knew that this wasn’t the right thing to do. As hard of a pill it was to swallow I knew that Sol was not ready to come yet and I did not want to try to FORCE her to come. Larry and I were devastated. We cried in each other’s arms because we knew now how great the possibility was that he would miss her birth.

I cried so much and felt so defeated like I had let everyone down. Why wouldn’t my body do what it needed to do to bring our baby here? But then I remembered the countless times both Larry and I said and held firm on, that God’s plan was bigger than all of us. That he would make it so that everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to. And with pain and disappointment in my heart I swallowed this pill too and brought in the next day with faith. Larry ended this night before heading home by giving me the most beautiful Push Gift ever; a gold necklace with two little baby feet as the pendant, on the front of each foot is an aquamarine which is my and Sol’s birthstone, and on the back of each foot was her first and middle name engraved. I wear it everyday now ❤️

Days came and went and there was still no sign of Sol coming. On Monday, March 25th I went back into the doctor’s office for another appointment. She told me that if I had not gone into labor by Wednesday that I would need to come back in on Friday for us to start discussing induction, which also could mean C-section. NOPE. I was not having it. So I walked and walked and walked and walked some more. On the evening of March 25th I went to the gym and power walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes, did some squats then went back to my apartment. Just me and my big pregnant belly. My mom was staying with Ti Lori and Larry was back on the road finishing tour.

At 3:30 AM on March 26, 2019, a very painful contraction woke me up out of my sleep. As I laid there 10 minutes later another one came. I was like ok I need to go to the bathroom. As I walked to the bathroom I noticed that it was oddly wet between my legs and I was dripping a little heading to the door. Once I hit the bathroom door and turned on the light my water broke all over the floor. I thought I had peed all over myself because of how it felt but I texted Akiyla anyway and told her. She told me that if I continued to leak fluid after going to the bathroom that it was def my water. By this time my contractions were growing stronger and closer together and I was def still leaking. Omg...it was finally happening. I called my mom and woke her up and told her to head over immediately because it was time. Both her and Akiyla rushed here and took me to the hospital.

Got checked in and so the long journey of labor began. When they initially checked me they found that I had ruptured meconium, meaning Sol had pooped inside of me. They weren’t extremely concerned but knew they had to monitor her heart rate and once she was born check her immediately to make sure she had not swallowed or inhaled in the meconium.

For 10 hours I groaned, rocked and moaned through excruciating contractions trying to stay determined to go natural. My mom and Akiyla stayed by my side. I threw up three times. By this point I was so weak and exhausted I could barely sit up. So I asked for some pain medicine. They came in an gave me 2 shots, one of morphine and the other to help with nausea. That calmed me some but just a little. The contractions were getting worst. At the 13th hour they came in to check my cervix, I was only THREE CENTIMETERS dilated. NO WAY. And I had to get all to the way to TEN!? And it had already been THIRTEEN hours!? How much longer would it take!? How much more could I take?! Nope. That was it for me. I told them I wanted the epidural.

I got the epidural, craziest feeling ever. It felt like a skinny cold worm wiggled through my spine. Not long after that I was numb from the waist down. I couldn’t even lift my legs or rotate from side to side. And I was shivering uncontrollably. But I could no longer feel the contractions (bright side). They came in and checked me again I was 5 centimeters. Some progress but still not enough so they gave me Pitocin. Only a little bit made my contractions so strong the epidural was wearing off and they were extremely close so they took me off the Pitocin and let me ride the rest of it out with just the epidural. More time went by then they came in again and checked me, I was 9 centimeters. Omg NOW it was REALLY time. They called the Midwife to come which felt like AN ETERNITY for her to get there.

I was experiencing so much pressure it caused me to shit on myself twice. Yes, I shit on myself. I was so angry and annoyed WHERE was the midwife!!?? Finally she came in and it was time to get in the position to push. With Larry on FT, my mom holding one leg back and Akiyla holding my foot I started pushing. Everytime I felt pressure I would have to get in position and push as hard as I could for 10 straight seconds without breathing, let 3 seconds pass and push again for 10 seconds for THREE PUSHES. At the end of each round I was crying and trying to catch my breath frustrated because each last push felt like I was doing it enough. They kept trying to make me wear the oxygen mask, but it was giving me anxiety so I kept pulling it off. On top of all that it felt like Sol was coming out and going back in (btw I could feel everything except the contractions) so I asked for the mirror so I could see my progress. And OMG there was her head FULL of hair. Now it was ON lol

For 38 minutes I pushed and pushed and pushed and then at 2:03 AM she came. The moment of her coming through the birth canal at the last moment before she was Earth side, is unlike anything I’ve ever felt or probably will ever feel. I had transcended from Earth to spirit world. I was levitating. I was absolutely weightless, completely surrounded by a warm but gentle cloud of light and love. Unreal. I balled. So did Larry and so did my mom. Our beautiful baby girl was finally here. Our Sol Marie. 7 lbs 10 ounces, 21 inches long. And I was completely transformed. Since that day I was never the same. Life has all new meaning as does love.

My birth story was not like I imagined it would be and that is exactly the way it was supposed to be. Unpredictable. Unexpected. Unique. Surreal. But perfect. Perfect for me and our daughter.

If you read through this entire story you are just as crazy as me lol no but seriously, THANK YOU. Thank you for taking the time out to read my story and in a way share the journey with me.

Peace and blessings to you all, especially the Mamas. I love y’all.

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missguomeiyun · 6 years

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dinner @ Copper Branch

To empower, energize.. & make ppl feel their best --> via 100% plant-based food is the motto of Copper Branch, a new family member of Edmonton downtown dining scene. I’m fairly sure they opened within a month ago, & last night, I went to try it out with Mishma & her husband.

[Disclaimer: I’m not familiar with vegan or just. .. umm non-regular diets, in general. But after An Chay, the Buddhist vegan Vietnamese restaurant, I feel more open towards trying “non-regular” restaurants/foods. I know they’re becoming more popular these days but tbh, other than being open & trying them out, I don’t see myself going to these places unless someone else recommends them to me or I’m simply going to try it out with someone else that has also never gone before & would like to try. I have nothing against it.. . just not my style of eating, & I’m fortunate that I don’t have any restrictions that would require me to be on any “non-regular” diets. Therefore, what I’m saying is. .. just treat this post as an introduction to a new restaurant that’s in town, rather than expecting a somewhat thorough ‘review’ like what I do for other places.]

Rest of the store-front.

I don’t remember what was at this spot before Copper Branch opened. .. but I am certain I have not been inside it before. The restaurant is much longer & deep than what I had expected. My favourite part of the interior was these copper lights haha

Upon your entrance, you’re greeted with a little self-serve station on your left, & you’ll face an arrangement of tables & chairs. To the right of this photo (or you can think of it as the area adjacent from my seat) is the kitchen.

Here is the rest of the restaurant. There is another (but slightly larger) self-serve station; you can pick up utensils, water, & napkins here. Behind that is a short row of dining tables. The area back here is much quieter, so you’re looking for a space for yourself to study or read while enjoying some food, I would recommend this back space of the restaurant.

I’ve used the term “restaurant” a few times in this post in regards to Copper Branch already, but I’m not sure if it’s the most appropriate term. They have this digital menu on top of their kitchen/cashier counter, & also a paper form (in the style of a take-out menu). I think a “fast restaurant” is the best term to describe its nature. Places like these, tbh, I never know if I should tip or not. .. so I tipped very little. They basically just make your food & then call your name & you pick it up on a tray at their serving counter so. .. to me, it’s not really “service”. & like I said earlier, everything else is self-serve anyway.

Anyway, their menu. Same as online, except the online menu does not include prices. Their menu is quite limited but covers all the main areas: breakfast, soup/salads, burgers, sandwiches, power bowls (which are their main entrees) sides & a small selection of drinks & desserts.

They also have a smoothie section, & these are made fresh. What I don’t have in photo form is their small-ish fridge to the left of their cashier counter. In the fridge, they keep their desserts (you pay & then just grab one from the fridge yourself), & bottled drinks, ranging from coconut water to juices.

Alright, this is Mishma’s food, the Aztec bowl with tempeh as her protein. I actually had no idea what tempeh is until last night. .. After doing some basic reads on it, it can be summarized as “pressed soybean cake” - where soybeans are prepared, fermented, & then pressed into a stiff cake form. It’s supposed to be very dense in texture, & I definitely agree after trying it. Even cooked, it’s still dense. I was not a fan. I didn’t try anything else in her bowl but she liked it, all the ingredients are visible so you can tell what it is, & the noodles she selected was konjac noodles.

Spicy black bean burger. The patty contains: black beans, sweet potato, pea protein, brown rice, red & green pepper, & corn. Much smaller than it looks in real life.. . Mishma’s husband finished it in several bites =/

Poutine with mushroom sauce. Got this to share bcos I wanted to try it but I didn’t want to JUST eat it lol this was actually really delicious & my favourite thing of the evening! The potatoes were cubed as opposed to fries form, which I thought was great. The buckwheat cream sauce tasted like gravy. Not a traditional thick gravy, but a less intense one with some spiciness to it, so it was highly addicting. Not sure what the “ mozzarella shreds” were; however, texture was similar to the soft cheese you find in poutines. I highly recommend this!

My General Copper bowl. It’s a built bowl so there’s no ‘options’ attached to it. I got it bcos . .. it was the least adventurous thing ever haha notice I got poutine & basically an Asian stir-fry over brown rice here?

Everything in my bowl was good; I mean, the sauce was like a basic teriyaki sauce, broccoli is broccoli, avocado remains as avocado & the sriracha coleslaw was . .. a slightly spicy coleslaw. BUT the shiitake mushroom.. .? I don’t know if the ‘meat’ was the mushroom or not bcos the texture was terrible. To me, anyway. It was really weird. .. like the best description I could give is a stiffer/denser/harder version of fish balls that you use for hotpot. You know, the frozen ones that you get from supermarkets? Yeah. .. it was not good =( the rest was .. .average. Wouldn’t get it again.

Mmmm the poutine was good but .. . yeah, unlikely revisiting bcos it’s not my style of food & the texture of the mushroom(?) was too funky for me. 7/10.

#YEGfood #food #dinner #vegan #vegan food

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snowfragrance · 7 years

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California 2017 review part 2

I’m summarizing the stay in downtown LA and Venice Beach/Santa Monica.

Downtown LA

Freehand aka the best hostel ever

We shared a room with two other guys who also went to Anime Expo so that was nice. They were pretty chill.

The Pros:

It’s a hostel so the price is cheaper when compared to the nearby hotels

Located in downtown LA, about a 20 minute walk from the convention center

There are bellhops ready to greet you and help take your bags

Free breakfast (though they had almost the same things for us every morning)

Steady WiFi

Amazing staff (I remembered their names after the first day, they were that amazing)

Very accommodating to requests

Working thermostat

Separate bathroom and shower

Roof top pool and bar

Indoor bar and restaurant

Free gym

Personal storage cubes

The Cons:

Bunk beds were low. Everyone hit their heads at least once.

The elevators were down a few times. The staff helped drag all our stuff to our rooms on the 8th floor and gave us free drink tokens.

The light in the room was dim but we have our own personal light near our beds

Free Attractions:

There were lots of gorgeous art murals. There were plenty around Venice Beach too.

Hollywood Sign: We walked through the neighborhood to get to the Hollywood Dog Park for better pictures. Lots of steep inclines and some nice houses. If you want good pics of the sign, go to the dog park and not to the Griffith observatory (which will show up on the gps but is further away).

Hollywood Walk of Fame: Another walk but we didn’t see every star cause that would take forever. I kinda wanted to see Trump’s star to see if it was still there or vandalized but I didn’t care enough to search for it. Really, the stars and sign are just there for pictures...Hollywood itself is very sketch so we didn’t hang around for too long.

Bradbury Building: Location of a couple of movies and TV shows. The inside of the building has some nice intricate iron railings. It looked like it belonged in the movie Inception but it wasn’t filmed there.

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles: not free, $12 admission. Really big and a good way to waste time before our nighttime flight

Food:

Californians like their juicing and organic foods. So healthy! Lots of good food trucks around the convention center.

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice: Relatively cheap and delicious bubble tea, juices, and teas. There’s one about 5-10 minute away from the convention center.

Bulgogi Hut: We were about 15-20 minutes away from Korean Town so we got to have some all you can eat Korean BBQ. We had BBQ twice but Bulgogi Hut is the best one. Their prices are so cheap for the selection of meats. The side dishes were also good. People line up for hours to dine so go early because they don’t take reservations.

Chocolate Chair: Went to get the famous Dragon’s Breath for fun. Basically liquid nitrogen over cereal balls. It’s amusing with the smoke coming out your nose.

Transportation:

We walked and Uber everywhere. But there is also the metro and bus available. We just don’t have the energy to figure out the metro system.

Venice Beach/Santa Monica/Malibu

Venice Beach and Santa Monica was only a couple miles away so we walked back and forth between them. I wanted to go to Malibu to hike to a waterfall but we decided against that and do the state park because it had easier trails. We wanted to do Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on the Santa Monica Pier but my sister’s BF is deathly allergic to shrimp and they had like 2 options without shrimp. Plus our eating schedules were all over the place so we were never hungry over at the Santa Monica side.

Venice Beach Hostel

We shared a room with lots of guys. The one from Austria was really friendly. Two girls who looked like they were backpacking talked with us too but then noped out pretty quickly. This one might take the award for worst hostel away from YMCA hostel in Flushing.

The Pros:

It’s a hostel so the price is cheaper when compared to the nearby hotels

Located right by the boardwalk, literally a few minutes away from the ocean

Free ingredients for breakfast but you have to make it yourself

Allowed us to store our luggage after check out and before check in

The Cons:

Unreliable WiFi

No AC, I had to keep my window open to keep my room from boiling and the noises from the street made sleep impossible

Toilet and shower were in the same room

No elevators, only stairs

They preferred cash and charged extra to use credit card (which they could have told us or have a disclaimer before we arrived)

Gnats everywhere

No food or drinks in rooms…well we brought water to our rooms anyway, everyone was dehydrated from walking everywhere

Free Attractions:

Venice Beach

Venice Broadwalk

Venice Canals: First time seeing someone removing a coconut lol. Very pretty area with the houses along the canal costing millions.

Muscle Beach: Arnold Schwarzenegger use to work out there

Santa Monica Pier

Malibu Creek State Park: Bring lots of water cause there were no water fountains in the park when the visitor center is closed. Those were located near the parking lot. It’s got a deep rock pond and a lake. Easy hike trails with little shade along the paths. It has the site where M.A.S.H. was filmed if you are able to walk a couple more miles.

Food:

We ate around the broadwalk and Main Street. Nothing really amazing…lots of the average American food.

Mao’s Kitchen: The only Chinese restaurant around. Food was decent but the décor was interesting. They have some legit communist propaganda hanging on the walls. To think I would find something like this in CA lol.

Transportation:

We walked and Uber everywhere. But there is also the metro and bus available.

So California was fun, I wouldn’t mind visiting another area again. Don’t think I want to spend a night at Venice Beach again but it’s ok to visit during the day. The smell of weed on the boardwalk is disgusting. Venice Beach is sketchy but Santa Monica is so clean despite being so close.

#california 2017 review #personal

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thomasreedtn · 8 years

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Vegan Comfort Food

I’m not sure if it’s the unusual weather or the winds of change, but I’ve recently felt some creative kitchen urges. Although David and I are no longer 100% vegan, we still eat that way most of the time, with occasional forays into raw cheese for my continued tooth health. Goshen offers so few places we can eat that we’ve become “the best diner in town” with all our vegan versions of traditional foods. We each have our specialties. David makes some mean vegan Sloppy Joe’s and chili, and we both enjoy gluten free vegan pizza and various Italian creations served over lentil pasta. I tend to experiment more, since working from home gives me more time to play in the kitchen.

Some recent favorites:

Gluten-free, Soy-free, Vegan Mac ‘n’ Chz

I adapted this recipe from Organic Authority’s “The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe: Comfort in a Bowl.” I changed some key ingredients, though, so I’ll post my recipe here, especially since I know quite a few blog readers now grow my favorite (and prolific!) White Scallop Squash, which features prominently in my version. The original recipe uses potatoes, which require some extra cooking care. In addition to a more forgiving method, the White Scallop Squash also adds a lot of fiber, vitamin C and using the lentil pasta results in a low carb comfort treat.

Ingredients

8 oz. or 16 oz. lentil or other gluten-free noodles (depending on how many people you have dining. 16 oz. for four people; 8 oz. for two hungry people, and then you’ll have leftovers with a fresh batch of pasta another day)

2 cups white scallop squash (peeled yellow squash could also work)

1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup unsweetened hazelnut milk (almond milk could also work)

1/3 cup organic safflower and/or olive oil (you might need more, but only add if needed)

1 lemon, juiced

4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoon tomato paste

1 TBSP chick pea flour

1 TBSP ground chia seeds

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoon onion powder

3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Method:

Shred or cube the squash, or use frozen squash from a bumper crop harvest. Peel and chop carrots, then steam or cook in a little water until warm and slightly softened, 5-10 minutes, depending on size of squash and carrot pieces and whether or not the squash is frozen.

While veggies cook, get hot water started on stove for pasta.

Drain and put into a Vitamix or other high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain and then smother with the “cheese” sauce.

Notes:

We like our Mac ‘n’ Chz, well, cheesy, so I doubled the sauce recipe to pasta ratio of the original recipe. (The amounts I listed are what I make.) We find it just right for 16 oz. of pasta, but because gluten-free pasta does not hold up well in leftovers, we prefer to make the sauce recipe and then only the amount of pasta we plan to use for the first meal. The sauce reheats nicely, so leftovers only require a new batch of pasta to go with the sauce. Your mileage may vary. Lentil pasta holds up better than brown rice pasta.

I was never a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese fan, but this really does have that color and consistency — just filled with fresh veggies and no food coloring. It might even fool a picky eater and definitely tastes much better than the boxed faux mac ‘n ‘ cheese you find in health food stores.

Cauliflower Hot Wings with Raw Vegan Ranch

Even though we don’t have cable TV and don’t watch football, David wanted a Superbowl Sunday vegan special. These amazing cauliflower hot wings were tasty, crispy, and they reheated well the next day. You can find the main recipe I used for the wings here at Gimme Delicious. I subbed hazelnut milk and olive oil for the recommendations in the original. I also noticed that the time allotments seemed very optimistic. It took me at least twice as long to make this recipe as stated. Maybe I’m a kitchen klutz, or maybe the Gimme Delicious folks just chop and flip way faster than I do. If you’re not a whiz with the chef’s knife, please plan accordingly.

For the sauce, I decided to go for ranch dressing with a raw cashew base.

Raw Vegan Ranch Dressing or Dip

Ingredients

I did not really measure, since I added as I went, but here is an approximate recipe:

1 cup soaked cashews

2 – 4 TBSP lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar, but it will taste a little different)

2 TBSP (or more) dried dill (more if using fresh dill)

2 cloves garlic

1 TBSP nutritional yeast

optional splash of olive oil

enough water to thin to desired consistency (less if you want a dip, more if you want dressing)

You can add agave nectar or honey if you feel want a little sweetness.

Method

Pre-soak the cashews in water for several hours to soften.

Blend everything together in a Vitamix or high-speed blender.

Refrigerate for one hour for best flavor, but you can also serve immediately.

Fakin’ Bacon BLT’s

We usually serve these scrumptious sandwiches open-faced during peak tomato season and with home grown lettuce, but David was craving some BLT bliss. We used my very last, finally ripe tomato from a late fall harvest, plus two store-bought tomatoes and some store-bought Romaine lettuce. Below, you can see the ingredients lined up for gluten-free vegan BLT’s:

The Fabanaise is our favorite vegan mayo, made from chickpea soak water, and we use a millet-brown rice-flax bread for our toast. Lightlife’s smoky tempeh is our favorite faux bacon when we bake it crispy in the convection oven, then toast the bread the last few minutes. You can’t beat these in summer with those juicy heirloom tomatoes, and nothing tastes quite like lettuce you harvested three minutes ago. For an early February craving, these worked well, though.

We’ve made lots more comfort food in recent weeks, re-inspired by our trips to Kalamazoo, where we can actually eat out. Maybe a little too much eating out, LOL! Next week will feature a lot more fresh green juice.

Wishing you and yours some kitchen fun!

from Thomas Reed https://laurabruno.wordpress.com/2017/02/09/vegan-comfort-food/

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dansweekendgourmet-blog · 8 years

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February 4 - 5, 2017

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Greetings & Salutations My Foodie Friends!

Mama always said, "Eat your veggies!". So are you? Are you getting enough fruits & vegetables in your diet? This week we're "vegging out" here at Dan's Weekend Gourmet, but instead of zoning out -- we're zoning in on some healthful ways of getting some more fruits & veggies in our diet without missing out on flavor. This week I'm sharing some flavorful hunger-busting recipes that incorporate lots of good-for-you fruits & vegetables while also being low fat, low sodium, low sugar, high fiber, and high in healthy complex carbohydrates in honor of February being Heart Health Month.

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THIS WEEKEND'S MENU:

Main Dish: Tuna & Pasta Salad

Dessert: Blueberry Muffins

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Ordinary pasta is usually something many cardiologists will tell you should be avoided on a heart healthy diet because it contains high amounts of "white starches" (aka empty carbs) which the body breaks down into excess sugars and fats. However, this doesn't mean that you have to give up enjoying your favorite pasta dishes. Simply make the switch to whole grain/wheat pastas. Whole grain pasta really has no discernable taste or texture difference from ordinary pasta, but I've found that some brands are better than others. Whole grains are complex carbohydrates that are slowly digestible so that they stay in your system longer and don't break down as easily into sugars & fats with the extra bonus that they keep you feeling full longer plus they help regulate blood sugar levels without causing blood sugar spikes. This pasta salad recipe is also packed with heart healthy tuna, broccoli, and carrots. So not only are you getting some whole grains from the pasta, but you're also getting lean protein from the tuna as well as a full serving of veggies all with only around 50g of carbs per serving!

TUNA & PASTA SALAD:

2 cups Whole Grain Elbow Macaroni (uncooked) 1 (16 oz pkg) Frozen Cut or Chopped Broccoli 1 (12 oz pkg) Frozen Sliced Carrots 2 - 3 (6 oz cans) White Albacore Tuna in Spring Water (drained) 2 Hard Boiled Eggs (peeled & diced) 1 cup Mayonnaise* 2 TBSP Watkins Cucumber & Dill Snack & Dip Seasoning** Ground Black Pepper (to taste) 1 tsp. Yellow Mustard 1 1/2 tsp. Celery Salt*** 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder 1 TBSP Parsley Flakes

Boil the macaroni in lightly salted water as directed on the package until al dente, drain, and add to a large mixing bowl. Place the broccoli & carrots in a 4-quart saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 7 - 8 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and add to the mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover & chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving. Serve with some corn chips or homemade tortilla crisps on the side.

NOTES: * To cut down on fat, you may substitute light or fat-free Mayo. ** You can purchase Watkins products from an independent dealer or buy it online at http://www.JRWatkins.com *** To cut down on salt, substitute 1 - 2 ribs of finely diced celery.

HELPFUL TIP: Hard boiling eggs can be time consuming. A much quicker & more efficient alternative is to simply spray a non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray and fry the eggs. Stir the eggs with a wooden spoon until fully set and then use the spoon to chop up the eggs.

Serves: about 6 Serving Size = about 1 cup

GET THE RECIPE: http://WWW.dansweekendgourmet.tumblr.Com

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In my experience, when it comes to desserts, the words healthy and delicious seldom go together. How many times have you ever tried making a baked desert recipe from one of those "diet" recipe books only to have it completely flop and leave you with a big pan of disappointment? Let me tell you a story. I have been an insulin dependant diabetic since I was only 6 years old; I'm now 42. Over the years, I've tried more than my fair share of so-called delicious sugar-free/diet recipes and have always had the same result... something with about as much taste appeal as damp cardboard! More often than not the recipes are a flop. If they do turn out, they're virtually tasteless & dry. Other times they don't raise properly and end up with a doughy layer inside besides not tasting good. Since starting Dan's Weekend Gourmet years ago, I've shared hundred of recipes and I'm of the mindset that if something doesn't taste good, I'm not going to post it. I don't make a penny from doing any of this. I'm not selling anything or marketing anything. I do this because I enjoy doing it, not because I have to. So unlike many popular chefs on TV and elsewhere, I'm not going to whip up some slop, slap a smile on my face, and proclaim it is truly delicious. If I didn't make it, I won't eat it, or don't like it... I'm not going to blast it all over the internet saying otherwise. I'll also tell you point blank that your butt does look fat in those jeans. LOL! All that aside, here's a healthful and dietetic recipe for blueberry muffins that are moist, sweet, and quite tasty. This recipe is low sugar, low salt (191mg), low carb (15g), low calorie (85), and high in fiber with the extra added "super food" benefits from fresh blueberries!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS:

1 cup All-purpose Flour 3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 cup Bran Flakes Cereal (crushed) Brown Sugar Substitute (equal to 1/3 cup brown sugar)* 2 tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda 1/2 tsp. Salt 3/4 cup Low-sugar Orange Juice (like Trop50 from Tropicana) 1 Egg 1 TBSP Vegetable Oil 1 cup Fresh Blueberries

Combine flours, cereal, brown sugar substitute, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl; whisk together until combined well. Set aside. Combine orange juice, egg, and oil in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with a mixer until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries. Line a standard muffin tin with paper muffin cups and fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350F for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove muffins from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

NOTES: * 2 TBSP + 2 tsp. SPLENDA Brown Sugar Blend is equivalent to 1/3 cup regular brown sugar.

Serves: 6 - 8 Serving Size: 1 muffin

GET THE RECIPE: http://WWW.dansweekendgourmet.tumblr.Com

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Get your FREE foodie fix with Dan's Weekend Gourmet!

SUBSCRIBE Yahoo Groups (weekly e-mail newsletter): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DansWeekendGourmet/

LIKE, SHARE, & COMMENT Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/DansWeekendGourmet

FOLLOW, LIKE, & REBLOG Tumblr Blog: http://www.dansweekendgourmet.tumblr.com

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Questions? Comments? Feedback?

Contact/Email Dan's Weekend Gourmet: Dan W. at [email protected] I always love to hear from my readers!!

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See you next week & bon appetit!

Dan W. - Dan's Weekend Gourmet

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