#she could steam some good broccoli but of course it's a hands off veggie which is the only reason she did that LOL

[t00thpasteface]

will always go to bat for microwaveable tv dinners and bulk bags of frozen stuff like dinosaur nuggets and mini corn dogs. my mom did NOT cook for us kids when we were growing up (except for rare special occasions like holidays, which she was always very open about hating) so it was a lot of pouring stuff out of a bag onto a big tray and sticking it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes. and that was GOURMET to me as a kid... to this day whenever i heat up pizza rolls or whatever i'm always like wow... just like what mom used to buy in bulk at sam's (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

[mostly-marvel-musings]

A Mere Mortal - Chapter Four

A/N: This story is based on the prompt : Vampires cannot enter a house without your permission, but what if your landlord’s a vampire? It’s his house, he’s just letting you live there. Part of the Landlord Vampire Fic Frenzy hosted by the amazing @just-the-hiddles​ . Feedback’s appreciated as always! :))

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Vampire! Bucky Barnes x Vampire! Loki x Human! Reader

Word count: 2298

Warnings: 18+ stuff. Kissing and make out scenes. Foul language.

Tags: @buckybarnesplumwhore​ @ladyacrasia​ @tcc-gizmachine​ @alexakeyloveloki​

Taglists open! Send me an ask if you wish to be tagged in future chapters.

...

It had been a while since you woke up before the alarm went off. Given the fact that you were up late writing and editing some initial drafts, this morning you felt surprisingly fresh.

Might as well go for a run.

Pulling out your trainers, a blue fleece jacket and a beanie that you found in your luggage you stepped out.

The weather was nippy, perfect for a jog through the little forest trail. Plugging your headphones you put on a ‘workout mix’ and started a slow jog following a narrow path that winded through the woods.

When the cabin came into view you leaned against a tree to catch your breath. Huffing, you pulled the earplugs out and looked around.

Faint whimpering sounds reached your ears from behind another tree to your right. You stepped around and a scared looking pup, not older than three weeks came into view. He was visibly shivering in the cold and you couldn’t help but pick him up.

“Where’s your mama little one?” you murmured looking around for any signs of an adult dog, but found none. “You hungry?” already walking inside with him tucked in your arms.  

Thankfully you had leftover steamed veggies in your fridge from last night which would have to suffice for now.

You mashed the carrots and broccoli and offered it to the puppy along with some water which he accepted with grateful wags of his tiny tail.

Letting him out in the harsh weather would be cruel, might as well find a box and some sheets to keep him warm.

The aroma of freshly made coffee still lingered in the air, after you took a quick shower and breakfast when your phone rang. It was a Face Time video from Sam.

“Sammie! How are you?”

“You seem awfully chipper (Y/N). I’m good. How’re things in creepy town?”

You rolled your eyes but laughed, you had missed him.

“For one stop calling it creepy town. Second, things couldn’t be better. I went for a run in the woods earlier today and came home with a puppy!”

“You did what?”

“Yeah well he looked so fragile and cold, I couldn’t leave him out there. Plus look how cute he is!” You said flipping the camera around so that Sam could see the pup who was now curled up into a ball on the rug, sleeping peacefully.

“Cute. Hey did you meet your landlord Mr. Bones was it?”

“It’s Barnes Sam, yes we met. Bucky is such a nice guy. Ah. A perfect gentleman. Like you wouldn’t believe.” you gushed excitedly. You recalled the meeting and he listened patiently, sneaking in a few teasing remarks in between. 

“I smell a crush (Y/N/N)”

“Oh stop, I’ve only met him twice, we had drinks the other day. Nothing happened” you spoke with a tad bit of disappointment. Something almost happened.

“So what? You can make a move. Guys dig that.” Sam insisted.

“I moved here to write my novel Sam. I can’t just randomly hook up with my landlord.”

You can do both, pun intended. Your horny alter ego spoke up.

You cut the call after filling him in on most of the details. You didn’t mention that weird sex dream with Loki, in fact didn’t mention the man at all. You hadn’t figured what to make of it, it was completely out of the blue.

Something you didn’t want to dwell on too much.

...

Mid-morning was spent trying get the pup to not pee next to the kitchen cabinet and to find a name for the little guy.

After a few tries he wagged his tiny tail when you said Bear, quite fitting, he was brown and shaggy.

You had lunch at the grill, when Bear had finally slept in his box and you were sure he wouldn’t get too lonely in your absence. You purchased kibbles, a leash and a few other things from Fred’s on your way home.

…

Bucky’s POV

I’ve been staring at this page for the longest time, reading the same sentence over and over again.

I managed to get my hands on (Y/N)’s latest book online and got it shipped here. An anthology of short stories, the title was enough to intrigue me, Mere Mortals.

She had a flair for writing thrillers, no wonder this was a best-seller.

This particular story caught my attention about a vampire falling madly in love with a human. A beautifully written tragedy with a line that struck me the most,

“Loving the monsters never ends well for the human.”

The book made me wonder how she might react if she finds out who I really am. Would she run away or be brave enough like one of her characters and stick around. Probably best to leave that topic for later.

Your book is fantastic (Y/N). You weren’t kidding when you said you love the supernatural. :P

How’s the new one coming along?

I didn’t want to seem too pushy but I couldn’t help myself. Something about her made it hard for me to stay away.

You read my book! I’m glad you found my obsession amusing. As far as the new one goes, I’ve been at it for days with very little progress. Starting to freak out. :(

The promptness of her reply made me smile. I quickly texted back and invited her over for dinner later today.

With that I walked inside to get a refill of my dinner for the night from the fridge.

…

Bear sat looking up at you with his head tilted to one side, as you explained you’d be leaving him alone for a few hours to go meet Bucky.

“And please don’t destroy the house, we’re here on lease. I’ll be back soon.” You placed a kiss on his nose and stood up to leave.

The walk to Bucky’s house was spent adjusting your hair every few minutes and making sure your breath was minty fresh. As trees cleared a huge cottage came into view which you could only guess was his ancestral home.

It looked surprisingly modern though with a few overgrown weeds around and English ivy covering most of the exterior walls. Stopping outside the front door, you checked your appearance one last time on your phone camera and knocked.

“Come on in, it’s open.” Bucky’s voice came through from a distance. You pushed the door open and stepped in the dimly lit house.

The wallpaper covered foyer reminded you of an old museum. Reaching the living room, you looked around to find most of the tables topped with antiques and artifacts. Old paintings that definitely belonged to the 18th century decorated the walls. All in all, the house looked like it belonged to someone who was stinking rich.

“Sorry for not opening the door, I almost lit my kitchen on fire.”

You turned around to see Bucky dressed in a button down tucked neatly in dark denims and the sleeves folded up to the elbow, hair in disarray but still freaking gorgeous walk in the living room. You looked around the room and said, “I didn’t know you lived in a museum.”

“Oh it’s our family home, almost been the same since my great grandfather built it. I’ll give you a tour later.”

“You’re rich.”

“No my parents were rich.” He chuckled.

“That is a typical rich person reply right there.” You shot back as you followed him into the kitchen.

The kitchen was bigger than your first apartment, very rustic looking with modern appliances to add contrast. The smell of Bolognese wafting through the closed pot on the stove made your stomach grumble.

“Hope you like Italian.” He gave you a smile and opened the lid to show off his work proudly.

“Is there anyone who doesn’t? It’s my favorite.” You walked closer and inhaled deeply before sighing rather dramatically.

“Come on. Let’s eat.”

You ate at the breakfast bar, though there was a dining room. Of course it was a twelve seat formal one complete with a fancy chandelier and everything.

“Are you like a prince or something hiding your true identity from me?” you asked eyeing him with mock suspicion.

He laughed, “I could be a mafia for all you know.” You got the latter part right, (Y/N)

“Nah don’t get that vibe from you.”

“Well my family owned a few properties around here including the cabin you’re living in, and the library, and now I look after it. My great grandfather was a part of the town council and everything, it’s boring.”

“Interesting would be the word I would use. Though a tiny part of me was hoping you’d say mafia and prove me wrong.”

You kept the conversation going through rest of the dinner and he seemed eager to know about your past as well. After a tour of the house, he offered you a nightcap as you settled on a plush couch in the living area. Comfortable silence that fell between you was broken as you heard soft music coming from an antique looking vinyl player.

“Care to dance?”

You couldn’t help but giggle as you took his outstretched hand and stood from your spot.

“See this is the kinda stuff that happens either in romantic movies or the beginnings of a serial killer movie.” You slid your arms around his neck as both of you gently swayed to the music.

The things you were feeling at that moment definitely were something you had only read about in those classic romantic novels you used to love so much in your growing years.

“Let’s just say it’s the former for now okay?” Bucky kept his arms around your waist and looked at your lips. You wasted no time in replying as you pulled him in for a kiss.

Lips brushed against each other softly at first, delicate like butterfly wings, he could feel the warmth of your skin and taste the wine you’d had earlier. 

Soon you lost yourself in the moment as instincts took over and your fingers weaved through his hair. One hand moved to the back of your head and the other stayed on your back as he pulled you even closer and the innocent kiss turned fervent.

The need to pull away for air became necessary as you broke the kiss and pressed your foreheads together, grinning ear to ear.

“The cooking, the wine and dance. You’re very old school in your ways Mr. Barnes.”

“I sure love it when you call me that doll.” 

With that he pressed his lips to yours once more and ravaged your mouth. Backing you up against a wall, his hands dropped down to your hips and he pressed himself closer to you, making his hard-on evident. A moan escaped you as he moved his mouth from your lips down to your neck where he found your sweet spot with ease.

All he could think about was the feel of your flushed skin, your heady scent and the smell of blood flowing through your carotid. He pressed his nose at the spot where your shoulder and neck met and inhaled deeply. This made your eyes flutter open.

“What’re you doing?” your voice came out weak as you tugged on his hair lightly, not understanding his actions but not really wanting him to move away.

“Stopping myself from going too far. I find you irresistible (Y/N).” he said slowly kissing his way back to your lips, eyes still closed.

“And you intrigue me. You’ll definitely end up as my protagonist if I ever write a romance novel.” you decided to lighten the sexually charged atmosphere with your dull sense of humor. You weren’t one of those who’d sleep with someone on their first date. Deciding it was time to leave you gently nudged him and he stepped away to give you space.

He walked you back to your home as always and stopped at the porch steps.

“Probably wise to not invite you in just now, Bear must’ve pooped in several places.”

“Bear?”

“Shit! I forgot to ask. I found a puppy this morning and decided to take him in. I hope its okay with you.” You silently prayed he wasn’t one of those ‘no pets allowed’ guy, considering his own house was so prim and proper, there wasn’t a stray fly around.  

“Who doesn’t like dogs?”

Vampires. Vampires don’t gel well with dogs.

But he couldn’t say no to you. You were probably safer with one in the house.

You stood on your tippy toes to give him a goodbye kiss which lasted a few seconds that had you reconsider going in alone.

…

Loki peered through from the shadows as you kissed Bucky outside your cabin. Fists clenched, eyes seeing red he stormed away through the woods searching for an outlet, a prey.

Rage turned into blood thirst, he spotted the lady who worked at the grill walking through the empty town square. Perfect.

Her wrist watch read 12:30, as Jenny made her way home after her shift ended at the grill. The area was deserted, illuminated only by the street lamps. She heard twigs snapping behind her and turned to locate the source of the noise.

There was no one.

Slightly alarmed, she turned back to see a tall dark figure standing right in front of her. Her initial shock wore off as she recognized the man. It was Loki.

“Mr. Laufeyson! You scared me.”

Loki stalked closer with eyes dark and an unreadable look on his face.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just out for a bite.”

He grabbed Jenny before she could run and sunk his fangs in her neck.

Her piercing scream echoed into the night, soon coming to a stop like her pulse.

…

[this-lioness]

Rubbish Blog Update

After an intensely busy week we made the most of the weekend, which is to say I got as much shit done as possible.

Saturday I had an eye appointment, then we did the weekly shopping and I came home to cook.  Ended up making some freezer meals (broth-steamed quinoa with peppers and onions boxed up with veggie dumplings and veggies, “chicken” patties with veggies and seasoned rice, baked cauliflower mac and cheese, 1 doz hard boiled eggs for lunches, another dozen made up into egg salad.  

I also used some of the leftover broccoli to make some veggie-and-egg white patties to go along with the veg sausage for breakfast.  While we were out today I picked up a bunch of fresh fruit, so now we’ve got a fruit salad we can dip into for lunch as well.

Even though we’ve been inconsistent with the gym, this has been a lifesaver for me, honestly.  I get to cook (which I’ve missed), and on the nights that we go straight to the gym we have a nice dinner ready to be served in a few minutes rather than resorting to frozen processed stuff or me having to grudgingly throw something together when I’m already tired and just wanting to relax.

I set up a “Google Routine” for us that also turns on some nice mood music and lights when we eat dinner, which has been something nice to unravel us from the day.  I made another for the bedroom when I’m doing my nightly routine.  Sade heavy, of course, because I’m nothing if not predictable.

Speaking of which, I picked up another set of remote-controlled LED button lights today, and installed them in the master bath.  So now I can shower to smooth jazz AND have mood lights, stop being jealous.

(It is probably the tackiest thing in the whole entire world to somebody who is not me, but I don’t care, I love it.)

On Saturday night we finally sorted through the pile of convention crap that’s been clogging up the dining room and took a proper inventory of all the art and jewelry I’ve got left.  I took pictures of our sales sheets as well, and tomorrow (haha, maybe, ugh) I’m going to take a critical look at what’s sold well historically and what makes the most sense to reproduce.

The little hand-painted pendants, for instance, which I dearly love?  Just don’t sell that well.  I only have one or two left, so that’s good, but they took forever to sell, and they are really labor intensive to make.  Meanwhile, the acrylic dragonfly earrings were inexpensive to make, fairly quick to produce, and people snatched them up.

It’s been an interesting experience, to be sure.

We have a pile of stuff to take to Salvation Army, but it rained all Saturday so that was no good.  Maybe some time this week.

Oh, and last Wednesday the handyman came by to install the new door!  MY NEW FREE FRONT DOOR!  (I’m very proud of this, and I recognize that it is childish, but I don’t care.  The dude at Home Depot was ringing up gift card after gift card and just marveling out loud how ridiculous it was.  Proud moment for me.)

I started using a new app that lets you take pictures of your store receipts, also allowing you to exchange the points you earn for more gift cards, so we’ll see how I do with that.  Let me know if anyone wants to give it a shot, I’ll send you a referral!

Finally had an orthopedist appointment last Wednesday as well.  X-rays looked normal, so there’s some sort of soft tissue damage or scar tissue or something?  He couldn’t tell without an MRI, and insurance won’t pay for an MRI (softly singing God Bless America under my breath here), so instead he’s sending me to physical therapy for an “abnormal gait.”  Lovely.  That starts this coming Wednesday, we’ll see how that all goes.

We also went to the gym today and worked up a workout routine in the weights section.  I’m off high-impact cardio for the time being, which means no running, and frankly I really think what I need is to regain, and gain, muscle mass.  Cardio has never really done anything for me at all, although running can be very relaxing, and I can already feel age-related muscle loss setting in.  Can’t have that, so off we go for (ideally) 3 nights a week of weights.

It’s frustrating being so short.  Half the machines that I need to use I can’t because I just don’t fit on them -- my head hits the wrong place, the swively bits press against something they shouldn’t -- and in trying to make them work I end up straining something I shouldn’t.  Marc helped me figure out which ones I could fit on, proper weight and seat settings, so I should be good now.  I wrote everything down, and will work it up into a little chart for myself tomorrow.

I may laminate it, I haven’t decided yet.

In cat news, we are going to have to do something about Rosie.  Laugh as we might about her growling at her food bowl, the amount of absolute hysterics she flies into at feeding time, or the lengths she goes to in order to scavenge even the tiniest crumb of food is getting upsetting.

We can’t offer her anything by hand anymore.  If you try to give her a treat she will bite through your fingers without even thinking.  If you offer her baby food on a spoon as a treat she can no longer contain herself to licking -- she will bite and bite and bite the spoon, and can’t seem to stop herself.  I bought her a slow feeder dish and she spent the entire time biting the plastic bits meant to make her go more slowly, just growling and getting more and more upset, until we scraped everything back into her old bowl.  When she does eat, it’s like she hasn’t eaten in weeks, and she’s convinced someone is going to steal it.

She is a completely different cat when there’s food in front of her.

She is still (and probably always will be) a very tiny cat -- probably only 5.5 - 6 lbs -- but she is at a healthy weight for her size.  I suspect whatever malnutrition she suffered as a kitten permanently stunted her growth.

This sort of behavior can have a physical cause (hyperthyroidism, parasites, etc.), but the copious bloodwork they did on her just a few months ago came back clear, she went through several rounds of powerful dewormers when we first found her, and she is otherwise in good physical shape and health.  She’s also, when there’s no food around, still sweet and cuddly and as loving as she always was.  There isn’t a mean bone in her body.

We saw this once before, in a cat that we fostered when we first moved into this house -- Cooper.  We had to give Cooper back, in part because our other cats couldn’t get along with him, and in part because he was an absolute living nightmare to deal with.  He figured out how to scale the barrier into the kitchen, and would dump the trash can and rip through everything he found inside. He would walk the kitchen counters over and over and over again in case he missed something the last time.  Every single day, multiple times a day.  He’d tear open ANY bag, whether or not it contained food, just in case it might.

Cooper was also found as a starving kitten, although he wasn’t one of ours.  Other accounts I’ve read of these behaviors all have that in common as well: kittens (like Rosie) who were found emaciated, plagued with parasites.  Even long after they find a safe home with ample food and regular mealtimes, that insecurity never goes away. What has helped others, supposedly, is making the cat a safe and secure place to eat every meal, and not exposing it to food at any other time or place than at meal time.

She’s already not allowed in the kitchen, we now have Rosie-proof trash bins, and although we’re already feeding all the cats separately I’ve taken down one of the carriers to lock her in at breakfast and dinner (this isn’t as bad as it sounds -- she wolfs her food down in a minute flat, so she won’t be in there long, and I’m hoping that only giving her meals and treats in that spot will help her feel less exposed and defensive. I moved her bowl into the carrier and she went right in to investigate, so we’ll see what happens at breakfast tomorrow.  Even a slight improvement would be good.  On one hand we laugh at this ridiculous, tiny cat growling so unnecessarily and aggressively at dinner time, but after a moment it’s sort of upsetting because clearly she is super stressed out. I guess that about catches me up.  I’m going to take a nice long shower and listen to smooth jazz amid color-changing lights (SHHH IT’S FANCY) and then maybe do something creative for a bit. I love you all and I hope you’re well <3

[benjamingarden]

Weekending

Happy Sunday friends!  So, we are told that spring will arrive early this year - who's with me on the excitement for that???  Part of my excitement is the warmer temps but a BIG part of my excitement is getting started building my new gardening area.  I've got plans people, and I know it will be a struggle to get my better half to help with some of it but I'm determined to do just that.  After my win on the cattle panel trellis last year I'm feeling confident in my persuasion abilities.  I'll share more about garden plans in the next month or so.

We received a winter storm Thursday and Friday.  It started with snow, then switched to sleet and rain, then back to snow.  The snowfall at the end, on Friday, was stunning.  It was wet and heavy and stuck to the trees so beautifully.  The temps quickly dropped below freezing so the trees remained adorned with their white coating.  I walked out of the house Saturday morning to let Oliver out and spent a couple of (very cold) minutes just reveling in the beauty of it all.

Saturday is food prep day so an hour or so was devoted to that.  I try to get my salad ingredients and anything else that makes sense to do, prepped on Saturdays.  I also prep all of our Sunday meals since we have the farmer's market that day.  I roasted some sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and beets for a delicious addition to this week's salads.  As I was prepping the beets my husband walked through and his eyes lit up.  He asked what the beets were for and I said for my salad.  He looked at me, then the beets, then me and said "well, I like beets".  I laughed.  I said I would put some aside for him to eat without salad, which made him quite happy.  I don't serve beets as much as I should because they are a pain - red getting all over everything.  I like to bake them and then slip the skins off and cut them up.  It's a bit messy but not too terribly bad.  I never was a fan of beets but I've incorporated them into my life because they are so good nutritionally.  I still don't love or crave them, but I don't mind them anymore.

I also prepped all our products on Saturday, cleaned and packed eggs, did a light cleaning in the house, worked on taxes (yuck!), and listened to the first day of a (free) health/weight loss summit I signed up for.  I signed up specifically for 3 speakers which includes one who claims to have a way to break the craving for sugar (seminar is on Wednesday).  I've pretty much broken my craving but sugar is a serious pull for me so any additional tips and tricks I learn would be great!  (not an affiliate link and a heads up that it is plant-based focused - just sharing if you are interested)

Reading - Breasts: The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Kristi Funk (affiliate link).  So I've had this book for about a year I think.  I picked it up at a flea market.  I've never read it until this week when I devoured it over the course of 2 days.  Why?  Because it scared the heck out of me.  In a good way.  (if there is a good way?)  Here's the thing - I knew the risk for breast cancer increases with age and I knew that I have a couple additional factors making my risk a bit higher, but I did not know the specifics, and reading it made it very real.  VERY real.  For instance, did you know that if you are between the ages of 50 and 59 your chances of breast cancer are 1 in 43??  If you're in your sixties, your chances are 1 in 29.  And that's just the risk due to age, it's before additional potential risk factors are factored in.  Ugh... It was actually the perfect timing for me to read it because I was struggling just a bit with my fairly new plant-based lifestyle.  Every once in a while I go through just wanting to be able to eat "normal" - meaning, I'd like to just go out to dinner and not have to worry about whether or not a restaurant is going to have something I can eat.  Anywhoo, reading this is keeping me on course with my new "normal" because Dr. Funk gives the following details as part of her book: eating a plant-based whole food diet + regular exercise + maintaining a healthy weight = reduces your risk by 80% (for women 50 and older, which is a group I'm newly part of). Plant-based eating aside, I highly recommend this book for all women of any age to read.  It's very well written and full of information on breast health and details her recommendations for lifestyle changes (including info on what to add to your daily diet, plastics, cosmetics, deodorant, radiation, myths, risk factors, stress, etc.), the why's behind it all.  She also includes quite a bit of information for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.

Learning - about my own personality.  So I decided, on a whim of course, to take the (free) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test here.  I really didn't think much about it as I clicked through the test.  Until I read the results...… huh, I thought.  Honestly, I'd never thought of myself as an advocate but that is indeed who I am.  After reading the turbulent versus assertive I am definitely turbulent, definitely an introvert and the information under diplomat and constant improvement are fairly spot on as well.  Interestingly, good or bad, for the most part it was me in a nutshell.  Who would of thought?  It was very funny reading that friends and colleagues often believe this personality type is a quiet extrovert, not understanding that instead it's a true introvert.  I've tried to explain this to others who just didn't believe me.  Have you taken this test?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cooking - we've been loving taquitos in the air fryer for lunches.  For mine, I take some refried beans and chopped canned chilies, roll a bit up in a corn tortilla, and throw them in for 6 minutes.  For Jay's I use pre-cooked ground beef, cheese, and canned green chilies.  Crispy, chewy, and delicious!  I make a guacamole dip and a side salad to go with it.  I could honestly eat this everyday but the man says he needs variety so I've been making it only a few days a week.  Saturday was one of those days.  For dinner on Saturday it was one of Jay's favorites - seared scallops, gnocchi with sage butter, and steamed broccoli,  and a big old delicious raw salad with balsamic dressing for me. Sunday's are usually oatmeal for me for breakfast, and an egg sandwich and air fryer hash browns for Jay.  For lunch I brought veggies with hummus dip and avocado toast.  Jay gets a burger at the farmer's market.  I bring fruit and (healthier) cookie dough balls for a snack.  The cookie dough balls I make up as a large batch and store in the freezer so they are easy to grab and go Sunday mornings.  Dinner for Jay tonight is slow-cooker Mississippi pot roast with potatoes and beets, and a big salad with veggies, beans, seeds, & quinoa for me.

Oliver is sleeping on the couch (and hogging all the blankets) while I write this post

Planning - a few outings to local museums or other attractions.  We've talked about going and have only been to a handful.  We typically only think about visiting local sites in the summer, when we get too busy, so I'm trying to get the husband to go visit a few before winter is over.  If I have to, I'll entice him with lunch at his favorite local restaurant (that also offers vegan options for me - hooray!!)...... A girls gotta have a few tricks in her back pocket, you know? Link Love: Take Back Your Online Privacy (prjvs) - an interesting read. Online privacy, or all privacy for that matter, no longer exists it seems. Most Of Your Stuff Is Worthless: 3 Things You Should Be Doing NOW To Reduce What You Own (dallas moms collective) - this is so spot on.  After going through my MIL's home when she passed it was a relief that my mom had pared her stuff down to what she really loved. The False Promise Of Morning Routines (atlantic) - I, personally, feel better having a morning routine, but I get that it isn't for everyone. 3 Kids. 2 Paychecks. No Home. (California sunday magazine) - eye opening. Say What You Mean To Say (modern mrs darcy) - because we don't get do-overs in life, a lesson to learn.  p.s. while you're there, if you're a reader, check out some of her book recommendations. How was your weekend?  Did you read or do anything interesting?

Weekending was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[silentscene]

Be Careful Pt. 6 (Jun) // SVT Mythology Series

When you’re a descendent of a greek mythological being, you meet a lot of interesting people. He wasn’t one to care about others. You weren’t one to mind.

Genre: Angst, Comedy, High School au, Mythology

Word Count: 2572

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

“So how are you doing in school?” your mother asked, using her knife to slice another piece of steak on her plate.

Your eyes glanced up at her. She wasn’t actually looking at you. Her eyes were preoccupied by whatever news report she was reading on her phone. For some reason, you found your shoulders slumping down in response. Had you actually been expecting her to engage in a conversation with you for once? Maybe. The thought caused a tinge of heaviness in your heart, but you shook your head and chose to ignore it. She was waiting for your answer, whether or not she was genuinely listening.

“I’m good,” you answered curtly.

“Hm… good,” she hummed.

You wondered if that was a default reply or if she had actually heard what you said. Your fork pierced into a steamed broccoli, its green stem soft and pliable… kind of like you. You chuckled internally as you thought about the comparison. You were, in a sense, soft. You were a push over, and very pliable when it came to what other people wanted, especially your mother. But maybe that was just your personality?

Stuffing it into your mouth, you finished the rest of your meal in silence. The only noises that could be heard was the soft patter of rain drops outside your house and the tapping of your mother’s fingers on the screen of her smartphone. 

When you were done, you quietly thanked your mother for the food and walked your empty dish and cup to the sink, washing them and the utensils before going upstairs. After changing your clothes, you washed up, getting ready for bed even though you knew that you’d be staying up much later. Homework was your priority. After all, it was the one thing your mother had been strictly adamant about ever since your parent’s divorce.

Ah… the divorce. Just thinking about it made your lips form a small frown as you settled at your desk. Ever since your parents had split up your mother had become engrossed with her work. You supposed it was her way of coping with it, and who could blame her? Things ended quite messily and it wasn’t something most people would want to linger on.

The divorce was also the reason she never really spoke to you unless you had done something to anger her. You had come to the realization that your mother believe that if she acted like everything was fine, everything, in turn, would be fine. It was a simple philosophy - not one you really agreed with, but simple nevertheless. 

Most kids your age who went through similar situations would usually act out in an attempt to get his or her parent’s attention, but not you. You were soft. You were a push over. You weren’t the kind of person to grasp for other’s attention, even if you wanted just a little bit. In retrospect, that was probably why you had become so focused on your studies over the past few years. You were reflecting your mother’s philosophy in order to live alongside her harmoniously, even if that lifestyle wasn’t one you particularly enjoyed.

Pulling your hair back into a ponytail, you set your tarp out across your desk and placed your AP Art painting on top of it. You had to make sure your pieces were completed on time or else you wouldn’t have enough for your portfolio. Taking a deep breath, you dumped your brushes and paints out onto your floor, picking out all the ones you were going to need. You foraged through your things before suddenly freezing in place, fingers retracting.

The cigarettes from Ray laid there amongst the brushes and tubes of color, all still in decent condition. “Shoot!” you cursed in your mind, heart racing. With widened eyes you quickly snatched them into your hands, dashing over to your trash can ready to dump them. You couldn’t be caught with these in your possession. Who knew what you’re mother would do if she found them? She would skin you alive 

“Have you every wondered why I’m so calm all the time? It’s because these things relieve all the tension from my life,” Ray’s voice echoed in your mind.

You hesitated, hands suspended over the waste bin.

“It can’t hurt to have some stashed somewhere,” he told you.

Your eyes stared at the cigarettes in your possession, the rolls of white and tan looking more are more harmless the longer you looked at them. Maybe, keeping them wasn’t such a bad idea? You contemplated the idea for a while before walking to one of your drawers and grabbing a small makeup bag, tossing the handful of cigarettes into it before zipping it up tightly and shoving it into your backpack. Your conscience was aching in the back of your mind, telling you not to keep them, but there was a small part of you that was curious. Could these thing really relieve your stress?

Settling back at your desk, you pulled out your paints and nodded to yourself assuredly. You wouldn’t try one right now, but maybe, when things were too overwhelming, you could find a lighter and test the waters. There wasn’t anything wrong with giving yourself the option to try something once, right?

“I’m telling you, he’s the worst person ever,” Selah complained as you grabbed your wallet out of your backpack.

“That sounds like an exaggeration,” you said.

The two of you were currently in the lunch line, which was moving at an unfortunately slow pace afternoon. Your stomach growled as you got a whiff of the day’s meal selection: freshly grilled burgers (or veggie burgers for people like Selah) and mouthwatering fries. Normally, you would be in the art room painting away at this time, but today you body felt weak. All those all-nighters you had been pulling were finally taking their toll on your body and you knew you needed to eat something or else you’d end up passing out.

“No, I’m being serious! He’s so rude. Do you know what he said when I said hi to him yesterday?”

“What?”

“F*ck off!”

“Wow, okay,” you chuckled, “That’s pretty rude.” 

“And he’s so pessimistic about everything,” Selah whined as she slid her tray over. 

“Not everyone is a people person like you,“ you hummed, eyeing the food .

“He’s not the most open minded person, but I want to try to at least be his friend,” she replied with a pout. 

You nodded your head as the two of you finally reached the front of the line. The two of you grabbed your respective meals and paid at the cash register before walking through the crowded eating area. It was in that moment that you realized that all your close classmates were in the art room, and therefore, would not be sitting at a table out here for you to dine with them. A worried expression crossed your face, and Selah noticed.

"Hey, you know you can sit with me and my friends, right? They won’t mind,” she said with a reassuring grin.

“You sure?” you asked nervously, “I don’t want to impose or anything…”

“Are you kidding me? Y/N, you’re my cousin! And you’re super cool at that! They’ll love you,” Selah laughed, nudging you playfully.

“Okay, thanks,” you said gratefully, smiling as she led you to her usual table. 

As the two of you neared, you heard a boisterous voice call your cousin’s name.

“SELAH!” a bright eyed boy yelled happily as he waved the two of you over.

“That’s Mingyu,” your cousin whispered to you, “The one I told you about that transferred at the same time as me.”

“Ah,” you nodded, remembering prior conversations the two of you had about him.

You were so caught up in reminiscing that you almost didn’t notice the boy sitting beside Mingyu until he coughed slightly, grabbing your attention. Dark brown eyes were staring back into yours, irises flickering with both confusion and… nervousness? You weren’t too sure about what emotions he was conveying, but the one thing you were sure about was the fact that Wen Junhui had just locked eyes with you.

“Shoot!” you screamed internally. Your mind replayed the time you had called out his name on accident, causing your cheeks to begin to heat up in emabressment. It hadn’t been that long ago either, so he would defiantly remember it. Oh how you wish to be back in the art room with your brushes.

“Hey Mingyu and Jun, this is my cousin, Y/N. She’s gonna sit with us today because she decided to be a normal human being and eat for once in her life,” Selah laughed as she sat down at the table across from Mingyu.

You followed Selah’s example and sat beside her, which just so happened to be right across from Jun. Great.

“H-Hi,” you greeted nervously.

“Hi Y/N!“ Mingyu replied cheerfully, “Selah talks about you all the time! It’s so good to finally meet you!”

You smiled, slowly becoming infected with how joyful this guy was. It was like a disease or something.

“All good things I hope,” you giggled lightly, causing the boy to nod his head quickly.

“Of course! She told me that she has this incredible cousin who works super hard and is an amazing artist that goes here, but that she is always so busy so that’s why I’ve never seen her,” he explained before taking a sip of his coke.

“Haha, that’s pretty accurate, besides the incredible and amazing part,” you chuckled as you took a knife to cut your burger in half.

“Y/N just stop, okay? You’re always so hard on yourself it’s painful to listen to,” Selah groaned as she shoved you slightly 

“I’m just being honest,” you shrugged your shoulders, causing her to complain even more passionately.

A smile curled up your lips as you watched her and Mingyu begin a long debate about what the definitions of  the words incredible and amazing in an attempt to convince you that those adjectives fit you perfectly, but you ended up drowning them out halfway through as your senses filled themselves with your burger. You were starving 

As you chewed your food, you noticed that it had already been a few minutes and Jun was still staring at you. Even if you didn’t look up, you could feel his burning gaze on you as you ate. It actually made you quite uncomfortable, but you understood why he was doing it. After all, you did call his name out randomly that one time. It must have been awkward for him to sit across from you. 

Unknown to you, Jun was having a mental breakdown.

“Oh my god she’s sitting right across from me! What do I do? What do I say? Oh god she’s smiling! She’s smiling! Oh shoot she’s looking at me! Come on Junhui, do something! Say something! Anything!”

The boy gulped.

“Hey, you’re Y/N, right?” he said calmly, easily masking his anxiety with his collected demeanor.

You blinked and nodded, dabbing your lips with your napkin before replying, “Yeah… You know my name?”

“We, uh, went to middle school together,” he answered, heat slowly making its way up his neck in nervousness.

“Oh, right,” you answered in a hum, your expression suddenly breaking into a smile, “I just didn’t think you’d remember me. 

His eyes widened. 

“How could I forget you?” he asked, a little too eagerly.

He coughed awkwardly, trying to come up with a good recovery, “I mean. Our school was relatively small compared to other ones.”

You stared at him, shrugging before a beautiful laugh escaped your lips, “It was small, wasn’t it? We had a couple of classes together.”

“Algebra One and Computer Lab,” he hummed, taking a bite out of his food as he watched your eyes light up in remembrance.

“With Miss Morgan and Mr. Tray!”

“I always thought that was a weird last name…" 

“Everyone did. Do you remember that one time Antonio drew on the board before he came to class?”

“And he drew a giant lunch tray wearing a tie and wrote ‘MR. TRAY EXPOSED?’ Yeah,” Jun laughed, a huge grin on his face.

“That was so dumb. He got a detention for that too,” you giggled, beaming brightly at him.

Jun felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest. Here he was, sharing a conversation with the girl he had been crushing on for years! And she was laughing with him! Jun felt like he was on cloud nine.

“Hey, why have we never talked before?” you asked, tilting your heat in curiosity as you stared at his features. 

“I… don’t know,” Jun replied, brows furrowed as he thought about it, “I mean, you’ve always been so smart, with honor classes and all that. I don’t think I’ve had a class with you since middle school.”

“Well that’s a shame,” you said, a frown your face as you looked at him with compassion.

“She’s just being nice, like she always is,” Jun thought to himself sadly. He knew you were too good for him .

“Not really,” he laughed, his fists clenching the sides of his pants to hide his bitterness, “I’m a dangerous guy.”

“Do you fight? Is that why you always come to school covered in blood?” you blurted out.

Jun could see regret instantly hit you as you bit your bottom lip. He was sure you hadn’t met to say it in such a blatant way, but that didn’t make your words sting any less.

He smirked and leaned over the table slightly, cocking his head to the side as he stared into your eyes, “I don’t know. What do you think, sweetheart?”

You stared back at him for what seemed like an eternity, your eyes shining with curiosity. Jun couldn’t help but stare back. Although he was putting up a cocky front, inside he was dying. Your eyes glimmered like stars in the middle of a clear night, bright and breathtaking.

“I don’t think you’re the kind of person to fight for no reason,” you finally answered, your eyes curving up along with your lips into a warm expression.

Jun was taken aback. This was a first for him. He had never encountered someone who didn’t assume he was some sort of punk who went out of his way to look for trouble, and to be honest, he wasn’t really sure how to handle it. He wasn’t sure how to handle you.

Slowly leaning back into his seat, Jun hummed lowly and continued to stare at you, his confident demeanor unwavering. 

“Interesting,” he whispered, barely loud enough for you to hear.

The two of you remained in a silent staring contest for some time before Mingyu and Selah engaged the two of you in a new conversation - something about conserving water and movie ticket prices. Jun wasn’t really paying attention though, his mind was too preoccupied by your unexpected response. Is that how you actually saw him? Or were you just being polite? He groaned internally. You were defiantly going to be taking up his thoughts a whole lot more than you usually did.

You laughed at one of Mingyu’s lame stories, tucking your hair behind your ear as you did so.

Jun sighed quietly to himself, completely love struck. Man, you were stunning.

[vivianrhopper85]

Hello123

 The popularity of plant-based diets has grown rapidly in Toronto and the city’s restaurant scene has quickly followed suit. Notable Toronto chef David Lee recently announced that he’s transforming his Nota Bene restaurant to a second location of Planta, an upscale plant-based eatery. And let’s not forget there’s a group of restaurant owners trying to rebrand an entire neighbourhood (Parkdale) as "Vegandale".

But on West Queen West, the latest plant-based eatery to emerge is Hello123. Its owners are also behind the downtown lunch chain Kupfert & Kim which has become popular with the lunchtime office crowd. Hello123 picks up where the Kupfert & Kim leaves off, serving a stylish lunch and brunch throughout the week that transitions into dinner in the evening. The restaurant’s quirky name is apparently derived from one of the internet’s most popular passwords. I like the lighthearted approachability of the name in a neighbourhood that tends to take itself too seriously.

Décor

Occupying a corner spot at Queen and Lisgar, Hello123 is blessed with plenty of natural light coming in from large windows along the south and west. Hanging plants and potted succulents give the interior a fresh feel while simple, modern light fixtures lend an air of contemporary style without feeling too formal. Open brick walls accent the back of the restaurant for a more intimate and cozy atmosphere that would suit a date-night meal. Less-is-more is the design mentality of Hello123.

There’s a patio outside for dining in warm weather and I’m told that all of the restaurant’s windows open up fully to bring the outside in. However, for my mid-autumn visit, a felt curtain had been installed around the front entrance to prevent drafts from entering the interior. I chose a spot near the front to bask in the natural light but still felt a lot of cool breezes even with the curtain in place. So opt for a spot further from the entrance if the drafts might bother you. Do note that three steps lead up to the front door and the bathrooms are located in the basement so this spot isn’t wheelchair accessible. The restaurant accommodates up to 40 guests.

Atmosphere

During lunch hour, Hello123 is the kind of place that anyone can rock up to and feel welcome. There was an eclectic mix of diners present, albeit skewing towards the hipster millennial demographic — friends catching up, businesswomen working solo with their laptop and a glass of wine at the bar and young families with babies. I fell into the latter category as my dining partner brought her one-year-old toddler who was well-accommodated by staff with a high chair and doting smiles.

Mellow tunes were playing throughout our meal at a comfortable level that didn’t intrude in our conversations. Pickup and delivery orders were at a minimum here, which, as sit-down guests, we appreciated since there was less foot traffic through the door.

Menu range

Hello123 serves lunch and brunch in the afternoon and dinner into the evening while cocktails, wine and beer are available throughout. There’s a fresh and healthy west coast vibe in the menu with tons of vegetables (naturally) and "superfoods" like chia and quinoa. There are also hints of worldly cuisines with dishes like the Korean-inspired spicy bap ($14) with kimchi and gojuchang, and the chana chaat bowl ($13.50). Clear symbols denote items containing tree nuts, gluten and soy but the kitchen isn’t able to guarantee contact with any.

We sampled the lunch and brunch menu during our afternoon visit which was divided up into five sections. For the health-conscious, smoothies ($7.50-$8.50) and bowls ($10) are an efficient way to get your day’s nutrients in with "enhancers" (sprouted protein, espresso and hemp seeds, for example) available to amp up your order. Apps and sides run the gamut from pulled pineapple sliders ($8) to watermelon ceviche ($9) and messy home fries ($8). Those seeking healthy mains will appreciate the salads and bowls section, each customizable with extra protein in the form of tempeh, chana or grilled tofu. A small "hands" section features a club sandwich, avocado burger and kimchi burger ($14-$15). But we were most excited about the brunch menu because we Torontonians love our brunch and it’s an even more indulgent treat on a weekday. The dinner menu switches things up with double the appetizers and fewer bowls.

Appetizers eaten

We initially selected "Three Dips, Two Chips" ($9) with smashed avocado, hummus and roasted eggplant accompanied by seedy oat crackers and tortilla chips but shortly after ordering we were informed that the kitchen had sold out. This turned out in our favour as we forgot about the soup special which was advertised on a board outside the restaurant but not on the menu. The soup was priced at $5.50 outside but we were charged $8 on our bill, which we didn’t notice until after leaving. It was the only item not listed on the menu, though, so we chalk it up (pun intended) to an error on the sandwich board which will hopefully be remedied soon.

The soup of the day was spinach, coconut and butternut squash. It was an incredibly satiating start to the meal (well worth its full $8 price) especially on the drizzly, blustery autumn day that we visited. The soup was thick and satisfying without being too rich. Its texture more closely resembled a puree than a cream-based soup. We tasted the coconut and butternut flavours more prominently, along with the welcome zing of ginger, over the spinach. Garnishes of pea sprouts, toasted coconut and coconut milk made for an aesthetically pleasing dish. The soup was served with a side of seedy sourdough bread. One bowl was plenty as a starter for two people and in a pinch, I could have easily eaten that on its own for lunch.

Main courses

Anyone seeking assistance in getting their four-to-six servings of vegetables a day should head straight for the salads and bowls section. My dining partner selected the cauliflower tahini bowl ($14) which was a colourful and inviting array of grated veggies and greens atop a bed of quinoa. I felt like the dish was lacking in body and flavour and I’d feel unsatisfied if I were to have eaten that solely as my main. From what I could tell, the only cooked vegetable in the dish was the roasted cauliflower and I think the bowl could have benefitted from a few more cooked veggies, perhaps some roasted sweet potato or steamed broccoli.

It was a good thing, then, that we had Irene’s Massive Breakfast ($17) to make up for what the cauliflower tahini bowl lacked. This plate was heaped full of deliciousness and the star was most definitely an omelette made with chickpea flour. It was my first time trying a vegan omelette and I was impressed with the results. The sear marks on the exterior of the omelette were convincing and the texture and taste were excellent. Two tempeh sticks served as the "sausages" of the meal and did not disappoint. There was a flavourful spice rub on the exterior which was a bit on the salty side (much like their sausages equivalents in a traditional breakfast) and the tempeh itself was moist and tasty compared to other varieties we’ve tried. The pancakes come with a small jar of syrup to add your own level of sweetness and we liked its somewhat gummy, mochi-like texture. The potatoes were a bit of a flop: dry and bland (they could have definitely benefited from some of that tempeh spice rub) and the greens were underdressed. But overall we’d happily return for Irene’s Massive Breakfast when our appetites come calling.

Desserts eaten

The dessert menu is small but mighty with only three options: a chocolate avocado mousse ($7.50), berry cheesecake or mocha cheesecake ($8 each). We went for the last option and, as someone with a raging sweet tooth, this dessert hit the spot. It was rich and sweet but not cloyingly so, allowing the flavours of nut and chocolate to take centre stage. Each bite had a melt-in-your-mouth quality that was gratifying. Three layers: chocolate, a nut-based cream and crust, gave the cake visual appeal. The strawberry slices on top were lacking a bit of life and looked to be preserved in a sauce. While the berry flavours add a nice contrast to the rich chocolate, I’d rather see the slices cooked down into a jam or blended into a sauce.

Drink options

There were definitely a few glasses of wine accompanying some customers during our lunch but we opted for a caffeinated beverage instead. My dining partner ordered an almond milk latte ($4.50) and she said was much smoother than the Starbucks equivalents she regularly has, which tend to get a little gritty near the bottom. Teas come from Pluck and there are also "superfood"-style beverages like a goji latte ($5.50) and a tea tonic with lemon, mint, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon ($4.50).

Alcoholic beverage options lean heavily towards local producers like beer from Beau’s, Blood Brothers and Burdock and wine from Niagara’s Southbrook and Hidden Bench along with selections from Italy, Spain, France and California. The cocktail is light, fresh and fruity. We we’re most intrigued by the kombucha thyme ($12) that pairs lemongrass and ginger kombucha with tequila and amaro, as well as the bourbon sour ($13) that uses aqua faba (water soaked in chickpeas) to create a frothy texture in place of egg whites.

Service

The restaurant was half-full when we arrived at 12:15pm on a Tuesday afternoon. We were seated promptly and the server was happy to accommodate our request for a table near the front windows. As the restaurant progressively got busier over the 90 minutes we dined, almost reaching capacity by the time we left, we did have to flag a staff member down a few times to order dessert and grab our bills, which was understandable. The only flub was that I had actually ordered a tea with my meal but it never came. Since our appetizer arrived so quickly I didn’t bother to put my tea order in again. Otherwise, service was polite and friendly without being intrusive or neglectful. Empty plates were taken away quickly and one staff member even picked up the toddler’s water bottle after it fell.

Feeling afterwards

While neither of us follow a plant-based lifestyle, we were both impressed by our meals and how satiating and flavourful it was from start to finish, especially the brunch option for a cuisine that’s very meat and egg-centric. While there are a fair number of casual takeout or lunchtime food court spots for vegetarians and vegans, the number of nicer sit-down options for a nice meal out are slimmer so we’re happy to see Hello123 enter the mix.

AY00KV

from News And Tip About Real Estate https://jamiesarner.com/toronto-restaurant-reviews/hello123/

[goodlifexplorers-blog]

Every parent at some point in their children’s lives with deal with picky eaters. Children’s palates change so much during their first years that is hard as a parent to know what a toddler will or will not eat on a weekly basis.

Currently in our household, we are dealing with a fussy or picky eater. My otherwise food-loving toddler decided a few months ago that he no longer loves vegetables and that he would only eat fruit, eggs, chicken strips, pasta, bread, potatoes and rice. You know, the toddler favorites. He still eats most fruits I put in front of him, but as a concerned parent, I wanted him to branch out and eat more vegetables as well. So I started trying out different strategies to get him to eat more of the good stuff.

Over these past few months, there were some things that resonated with me and also some valuable finds! So I thought I would share with you in case you are also dealing with a picky eater.

For those who prefer videos, check out my collaboration with Beech-Nut® Naturals™ on YouTube.

Tips on how to deal with a picky eater

[ 1 ] Be a role model

Kids will emulate what their parents do, so it’s only natural they will want to eat what you eat. Any good habits that you want your kids to have will have to be learned from you. Eat as many vegetables you can during meals and snacks and let them see you.

[ 2 ] Serve vegetables with every meal

Even if your kids don’t eat certain vegetables or are stuck in the “white foods”(bread, pasta, potatoes) phase, serve it with every meal. If kids see it on the table, it’s more likely they will associate that as a normal event and consider vegetables an essential part of every meal.

[ 3 ] Don’t stick with what they will eat

I made this mistake, because it was much easier and I thought my son would starve if he didn’t eat anything, but kids won’t starve. If they are hungry, they will eat. By giving them just things they will eat, you are perpetuating those bad habits and possibly raising even pickier eaters.

These days, I serve 1/3 of food I know he will eat, 1/3 of food he eats sometimes and 1/3 of food that he doesn’t eat.

Of course, if you notice your child is loosing weight or shows signs of hunger, it’s time to talk to a pediatrician. There are other things that can be happening such as sensory issues or problems with chewing.

[ 4 ] Hide vegetables

Some people say you shouldn’t do this, because 1) you can create distrust in your children and 2) children should learn to eat vegetables in their natural form so they know where they come from.

I disagree with these points, because 1) food is complex – we don’t eat vegetables by itself all the time. Some of the best dishes are combinations of flavors, so if I want my child to be exposed to a diverse world of food, I need to introduce it early and 2) children can, should and will learn where food comes from with other activities such as grocery shopping, gardening, field trips and books.

My philosophy is if hiding veggies gets them to eat it, then so be it. My son doesn’t eat carrots by itself. I’ve tried raw, steamed, mashed, puree, roasted… He just doesn’t like it. But he loves my carrot applesauce muffins, which are packed with carrots.

Most adults have likes and dislikes and I don’t think it is different for children, which brings me to the next point.

[ 5 ] Don’t stress

I used to have that dreaded mom guilt and feel like I was failing, because my child had suddenly decided that chicken fingers was the only thing he would eat. Or so I thought.

Once I started really paying attention, I realized he eats a lot more. He will eat virtually any fruit and there are some vegetables he never says no to. This kid can eat his weight in tomatoes, corn, peas, beans and cucumbers. So, why should I be stressing out if he doesn’t like broccoli and carrots? I shouldn’t and neither should you.

[ 6 ] Try different preparations

As I mentioned before, I tried every preparation for carrots there is and my son still doesn’t like it, but he will eat some vegetables raw or cooked better. It’s about texture. So if your child is not eating green beans one way, try another. You might be surprised.

[ 7 ] Be consistent

Don’t overwhelm you child with every vegetable you see in the store, but continue to present it with every meal. Consistency is key. Even if they don’t eat, make it available. I put small amounts in his tray and if he doesn’t eat it, that is fine. It feels like a waste, but sometimes a few pieces make it in and internally I do a happy dance.

[ 8 ] Act like it’s no big deal

I used to make such a fuss if he ate or didn’t eat something. Then I realized that my son was starting to use food to manipulate me. He would bring things to his mouth and wait for my reaction and either spit it out or throw it on the floor. Now, I act like it doesn’t affect me one way or the other. I keep the celebrations internal so he doesn’t associate any food with my reaction. Sometimes, when introducing him to something new I will serve it to him and walk away and watch him from a distance. That way he is free to form his own judgement on a new food.

[ 9 ] Go back to puree

This was so surprising to me. Recently I was working with Beech-Nut, a brand I used when introducing Roark to solids. One day, I had a thought while looking at the jars- will he eat it if I gave it to him now?

I used a jar with vegetables that he usually doesn’t eat and lo and behold, he ate it – the whole jar and asked for more. I was stunned and of course elated, but how didn’t I think of that before?

[ 10 ] Remove distractions

You know that first point of being a role model and that kids will emulate what you do? Well, my husband and I were a childless couple for over 10 years of marriage and we developed some bad habits – watching tv during dinner was one of them. Naturally, our son picked up on this and became hooked as well. He would take ages to eat, because he was so distracted.

Now, I  remove all distractions and the only thing to entertain him is his food and our conversations. No more TV or phones are allowed at dinnertime. R eats much faster and is more deliberate on how he eats. He likes to use utensils and that takes concentration at his age.

[ 11 ] Serve vegetables with a dip

R loves humus and will eat almost anything dipped in it. Most times he will just lick it off the vegetable, but sometimes he will take a bite. Humus is super healthy so either way, I see that as a win. He also loves tomato sauce, so I give him vegetables to dip in it. Other dips could be yogurt, peanut butter or even dressing.

[ 12 ] Get kids involved if they are old enough

R is too young for cooking. He likes to watch, but can’t quite help yet. However, he loves grocery shopping. I let him pick fruit and when we get home, I let him try it. Recently he picked some plums and loved them.

[ 13 ] Remember it’s just phase

Children’s palates change a lot faster than ours. What your child liked or disliked a month ago, may not be what he/she likes now. That’s ok. Just keep introducing the same things and also new foods, and eventually they will find foods they love.

Sure, some people never grow out of being a picky eater, but most of us eat more than 5 foods, right?

[ 14 ] Don’t force it

It causes trauma when you try to force feed a child. I know this from first hand experience. I was a picky eater and when I 4-6 years old, a family member tried to make me eat raw tomatoes by force feeding it to me.

I didn’t eat raw tomatoes until I was in my late twenties and I only eat it now when it’s mixed with other things like bruschetta or salsa. So please, don’t force feed your children.

I hope these tips on how to deal with a picky eater help you find a trick that works for your child. Remember, parenting is hard work and although there are many books on the subject, every child is different. Listen to your gut and do whatever works for you!

If you have any more tips, I would love to hear it. Please leave them in the comments below!

Jana

Tips on how to deal with picky eater #tips #parenting #blogger #toddler #momlife #motherhood Every parent at some point in their children's lives with deal with picky eaters. Children's palates change so much during their first years that is hard as a parent to know what a toddler will or will not eat on a weekly basis.

[wellpersonsblog]

The Most Important Food Lesson I’ve Learned in a Decade of No Meat Athlete

When I first started on this journey, nearly ten years ago (!), it was the advice in Michael Pollan’s classic In Defense of Food that really called out to me, and still does today:

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

In time, that became synonymous with the simpler advice to “just eat whole plants.” On a whole-food, plant-based diet, the “not too much” part becomes almost redundant.

As advice goes, it’s hard improve on that.

But last night, as I was chopping some broccoli to make dinner for myself and my kids (my wife, Erin, is away visiting family), I was reminded once again of another distinction I’ve learned along the way, a crucial one that made it all click.

While “eat whole plants” is the what to eat, what I had to discover for myself was the how.

It’s what removes almost every last bit of stress from the process of eating and planning meals, and, for me, makes Pollan’s advice sustainable.

Last night, broccoli was a main course, and it was simple. It was what we had in the fridge, so I just steamed until just slightly crunchy, and served with a little whole-wheat pasta (no sauce) and some chickpeas on the side.

Until writing this blog post, it didn’t occur to me that what I served and ate was a grain, a green, and a bean, my favorite formula for a quick, healthy meal.

Actually, it barely occurred to me to call this a “meal.”

What did occur to me was that those were foods we had on hand — and that this “meal” was something I could throw together fast, fast enough to get a fantasy football lineup in before the Sunday night game started.

I still feel a tinge of guilt about meals like this (not the gambling, though!). More so when I serve them to the kids. It’s not that they don’t taste good — honestly, my kids much prefer simple flavors and textures like these to complex meals with rich sauces and lots of spice. (And if you’re a parent, I don’t need to tell you that less stress at meal time = win. Trust me, food being interesting for me is the least of my concerns.)

So why the guilt?

It’s that I still forget what I discovered back in 2013, driving across the country on my DIY book tour for No Meat Athlete.

And that is this:

Those times when it feels like you’re punting on a meal — when you’re not really cooking at all, but rather assembling, just throwing a few ingredients on a plate because it gets the job done — this is actually the way you should eat, most of the time. Not the opposite.

And in 10 years of thinking about healthy food being how I earn a living, my most important lesson is just two words long:

Eat. Simply.

Like I said, I discovered this when I was on the two-month tour I did for my first book, No Meat Athlete (a revised edition of which is coming out later this month!).

That coast-to-coast tour took me through stretches where vegan restaurants aren’t a thing. Not even close, and without the usual next-best-things like Chipotle or Subway. (Once in Wisconsin I did Taco Bell — yes, it’s possible!)

But most dependable, what saved me on these stretches, was just stopping at a grocery store to load up my backseat with fruits, vegetables, hummus, and trail mix.

As long as I had a way to keep some of it (somewhat) cold, I could eat that way for days on end, even without stopping.

At first, I felt guilty about eating this way for several meals (then days) in a row: these weren’t square meals; there was nothing comforting or hearty about them. They didn’t have much of that satisfying saltiness or fattiness that provides the illusion (these days) of nourishment at the end of a day, and it felt like surely I was missing out on something.

But after a few weeks went by and I got used to eating so simply — free of the rituals and constraints that come with our normal, cultural concept of a meal — I realized that I was eating exactly (and almost exclusively) the foods I always strived to eat more of.

Fruits, raw veggies, beans, nuts, and seeds. And sometimes, if the grocery store happened to have a good bakery, whole grains.

Assembling vs. Cooking

Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking a meal. Health-wise, it’s a huge leap forward from eating processed food, and the first step for so many in turning their health around.

Plus, it’s fun. Recently I’ve enjoyed a renewed interest in cooking — mostly classic, regional Italian dishes, spending extra hours to make pasta and dumplings by hand (often with the help of my kids), and soups and sauces that simmer all day long.

But that’s a hobby; I do it under ideal conditions. Not when work gets busy or life is stressful. And certainly not under the guise of healthy eating. (Healthier than a standard American diet, sure, but that “standard” is a pretty low one.)

It’s food as entertainment — and now and then, I find it really entertaining.

And truth be told, most of the meals we eat at home aren’t as simple as broccoli, chickpeas, and whole-wheat pasta. Even for a family that eats as simply as we do, that would get boring.

So sometimes its burritos. Or “mac and broc,” a spin-off of this dish that’s become a staple for us. Or stir-fry.

But, for as many meals as possible, we try to assemble, rather than cook. A good day looks like:

Smoothie in the morning (and if you don’t like that, then even better, just eat the raw fruit, nuts, and seeds that go in it).

Salad topped with beans for lunch.

A grain, green, and bean for dinner. (But remember, it takes many forms: it could be as simple as last night’s meal, but a lot of soups, tacos, and stir-frys fit the bill as well.)

And on the nights when a “real” dinner just isn’t happening — these illustrate the point best, perhaps — it might be just a smoothie and some steamed brussels sprouts. Or just a salad, maybe with a whole wheat pita and hummus on the side.

“But What About Protein / Macros / Calories?”

I want to emphasize an important point.

We don’t take this framework and then cram some other diet philosophy into it.

We’re not taking care to “complete our proteins” when we combine a bean and a grain. We don’t strive to eat 70% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 15% fat, or any other magic combination that will supposedly unlock the vault of health. And we certainly don’t count calories.

What we do is eat whole foods, and forget all of that junk the diet books try to sell us.

Now and then, because I read a lot about food, I’ll focus on different things. Like being 100% oil-free for a stretch, choosing cruciferous vegetables and maximizing sulphorophane content, or getting as many of the 7 Foods to Eat Every Single Day as possible. Those goals keep it interesting, and if nothing else, provide a placebo effect of feeling great about the foods I’m eating and feeding to my kids.

But none of this stuff is important, really. What matters is what you do for years, what you make work on a near-daily basis and then sustain.

And for me, that’s what eating simply is.

To eat this way without stress requires that you give up several deeply held assumptions (and like I said, I’m still working on really, truly dissolving these in my own head):

Every meal needs a “protein source.”

Every meal should be “balanced,” in terms of macronutrients.

In order to be nourishing, a meal needs to be filling, hardy, and comforting, and to provide a lot of calories for strength and health.

It turns out these are wrong — leftover from a time when we knew much less about food, and when avoiding malnutrition was the concern, as opposed to our current problem of chronic overnourishment. And the industries that are built on them have certainly helped to prop them up.

Indeed, science is showing the opposite of these assumptions to be true:

Protein deficiency isn’t a problem in the absence of general malnutrition, and whole foods (even plants) provide plenty. Too much protein (certain amino acids in particular), though, is linked to cancer and shortened lifespan.

If you’re eating a whole-food, plant-based diet (i.e., keeping protein relatively low in comparison to other diets), macronutrient balance doesn’t matter. High-carb, low-fat is what most vegan docs promote, but David Jenkins’ “Eco-Atkins” diet experiment showed that the opposite (vegan low-carb, high-fat) works for weight loss too, and others have even demonstrated heart-disease reversal with it as well. Even if macronutrient ratio did matter, it would be only be necessary to balance the total diet, not each meal.

Caloric restriction is linked to longevity. Whether you restrict calories deliberately or because your food just happens to be less calorically dense, fewer calories is better than more (again, assuming you’re not malnourished, or suffering from an eating disorder). So a lighter-than-usual dinner now and then is certainly not a bad thing, and in fact is a very good one.

I don’t pretend that it’s easy to give up beliefs we’ve held for years. But I know that “eating simply” has helped to free me from not just these, but all sorts of other hidden emotional attachments to food.

Everything I Need to Know About Healthy Eating, I Learned from My Kindergartner?

One final example, just because it makes me smile.

This is the lunch I packed for my daughter today, to start off her third week in kindergarten:

In case you can’t tell what’s what, from left-to-right, top to bottom, that’s hummus and carrots, whole cherries, clementine, rice cakes spread with peanut butter, pretzel nuggets filled with peanut butter, roasted seaweed strips, and big ol’ pile of chickpeas.

Sometimes the pile of beans is replaced with a peanut butter sandwich. Or the pretzel nuggets replaced with peanuts. But mostly, this is what lunch and snack look like for her.

Ellarie was born after we were already vegan. She was also lucky enough to be born after the “if it’s vegan, it must be healthy” phase (hello, Gardein Chick’n Tenders!) we were in when we had our son.

My wife and I often remark that Ellarie is the healthiest eater in our family, and this is why. Her favorite meals consist of a handful of whole foods, next to each other. Not combined with any rhyme or reason.

Call me inspired. (Well, except for the seaweed; that stuff is just gross.)

When our bodies aren’t accustomed to processed foods — with far more concentrated salt, sugar, and fat than you’d find in nature, day in and day out — it turns out that we actually like the healthy stuff. Even kids do.

Now, I’d be lying (and doing you a disservice) if I said we never gave her vegan ice cream, cookies, potato chips, or “normal” meals with lots of ingredients, spices, salt, and sometimes oil.

But I think that only illustrates how sustainable this “diet” is: she eats that stuff now and then, whenever we make it available to her. Sometimes she’ll shock us by not liking richly flavored cakes or super-sweet drinks, but usually, she loves those treats.

But then, when it’s time for the next meal or snack, she’s back on her routine, and quite happy to eat the way she does.

To me, this is what we should strive for. To be able to eat healthy food most of the time — even to love it, despite its initial blandness compared to processed foods or more intricate meals — with the occasional indulgence that adds variety, entertainment, and joy to life, especially when shared with friends and family.

And then, once that moment has passed, to go back to the routine of eating healthy, simple (and eventually, delicious) food — without regret or the desire to indulge again until it’s appropriate. And somehow, you know when it is.

Easier said than done, I know. But if you take small steps towards it — small so that you don’t throw up your hands and quit when perfection becomes unsustainable — and begin to question our unquestioned assumptions about what constitutes a healthy meal… then over time, you’ll get there.

The post The Most Important Food Lesson I’ve Learned in a Decade of No Meat Athlete appeared first on No Meat Athlete.

First found here: The Most Important Food Lesson I’ve Learned in a Decade of No Meat Athlete

[jifsy]

British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London

Boston British Airways Lounge in Terminal E

For my next big adventure, my world cruise with Fred. Olsen cruise lines, my first step was flying with British Air. There are many options to fly to the UK from Boston and since they’re a partner with American Airlines, it seemed only natural to fly in Club World to London. My first stop at Boston Logan International Airport on my way out before the crazy blizzard expected in Boston was the British Airways Lounge.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

British Airways Lounge at Boston Logan International Airport

The new British Air lounge in the recently expanded Terminal E has an abundance of seating and food options. There’s even a bar at the far end with great views overlooking the airport. My only problem with the lounge was that they had the temperature set to the equivalent of a walk in refrigerator. It was so cold that I couldn’t get comfortable. Brrrrr.

Veggie dumplings in miso broth

My solution to this problem? Have some miso broth with veggie dumplings and veggies. The soup is prepared specifically for you at the buffet counter with your choice of steamed chicken dumplings or fried veggie dumplings. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any steamed veggie dumplings available, but I made do. Also, since they serve the soup without chopsticks or large spoons, eating it can be quite difficult. I somehow was able to slurp most of it up and even added a big dollop of sriracha to warm me up on the inside.

Earlier in the day I received notification that my flight was going to be delayed. The original flight time was 9:15 pm and we were now scheduled for 9:58 pm. I was glad to have somewhere to pass the time in an overall relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

My absolute favorite part of the lounge is the dedicated gate within the lounge. The convenience of not having to walk to another part of the terminal is definitely a bonus.

Walking down from lounge to board plane

When it came time to board, all I had to do was line up and head down the escalator to the gangway. Unfortunately, they were also boarding coach customers at the same time from the regular gate in the terminal. This meant waiting in the cold gangway until people were seated inside the plane.

Club World cabin on British Airways

My seat on the British Air 777-200 was in the Club World cabin in seat 16A. This aircraft has four cabins: First, Club World, World Traveller +, and World Traveller. I was most excited about having a lie flat seat so as to maybe get a few hours sleep. However, as soon as I boarded the plane I had issues.

Turns out the family in the adjacent seats had taken the overhead locker over my seat and their child’s seat as well as the one over their seats on the opposite side of the aisle. They had placed just about everything, including jackets, and that would’ve meant nowhere to put my bag. Not one to avoid speaking up, I had to ask the mother to move her items out of the way so I could put my bag up. She reluctantly did so, but not enough to get both my roller bag and my backpack in the locker. I had to find another bin to put that into, so thank you so much lady.

I’ll never understand the selfishness and entitled attitude of others. On many occasions I’ve given up my seat so families could sit together and have really tried to always be nice to others. But it’s situations like this that just leave me completely dumbfounded. How hard would it be considerate of others?

Seat 16A in Club World on British Air Flight BA214

Seat 16A on flight BA214 Boston to London

Once I got the bag situation in order, it was time to settle into my seat. Seat 16A is a rear facing seat, which may sound strange, but really isn’t. While I can’t stand sitting in a rear facing seat on a train, with a nighttime flight, I didn’t really notice which way we were flying.

Entertainment screen and footstool for seat 16A

But the best part of this British Air seat is that it affords a little more privacy with no one seated by your feet. When the footstool is in the down position, it can be a little difficult to maneuver around, but you’re not milling about the cabin anyway, right? Combine that with the privacy screen that goes up after takeoff and you’re completely secluded in your own private cocoon.

Club World Menu

Immediately upon getting seated, the flight attendant provided me with a menu and the offer of a glass of champagne. I’m not one to ever turn down a glass of champagne and this one in particular was quite good. I quickly looked over the beverage menu to see what British Air was offering on this flight.

Since I had pre-ordered a vegan meal, I only perused the food menu for entertainment and research purposes.

My Club World Vegan Meal

Vegan starter

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant came by and asked if I wanted anything to eat or if I had eaten already. I mentioned my pre-ordered meal and he offered to bring it by with something to drink. I really wanted to get a few hours of sleep in, which led me to ordering another glass of champagne with my meal. I was served a salad with peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds and lemon dressing and a starter of Israeli couscous and peppers. The salad and the starter were quite tasty and a considerable step up from vegan starters I’ve had from other airlines.

Vegan entree

The entree was carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and rice. Nothing terribly fancy, but for someone who was really hungry, a decent option. By the way, if you weren’t sure, I was definitely that hungry person.

Breakfast

When they handed out the menus before takeoff, the breakfast options were also included. Passengers were advised to complete and return immediately, which I did. I planned for the earliest option so I could organize my bags in the two overhead lockers while everyone was still sleeping. See — I’m always thinking ahead. Of course, I completely forgot to take any pics, but all I had was fresh fruit, coffee, and a mango banana smoothie.

Stretching Out in Club World

View from seat 16A

I never ended up putting the seat into complete lie flat mode. Why? If I did, I would never have been able to access storage or to get up and out of the seat. I had it nearly flat, which was more than fine for my 5’4″ frame.

Storage in my seat area

The little storage drawer near the floor was nice to stow things during the flight, but impossible to reach when the seat is down. I ended up having my phone, glasses, and other things on top of the duvet while in my seat.

Club World Amenity Kit

Club World amenity kit

The British Air Club World amenity kit on this flight was a small black bag from The White Company with travel socks, a sleep mask, ear plugs, a pen, toothbrush and toothpaste, and SPA lip balm, gentle moisturizer, and a relax pulse point roller ball applicator. I do love amenity kits and this was a nice one although not terribly original. What was original on this flight was the safety video, which definitely made me laugh. I don’t know how they got Gordon Ramsay and other celebrities to do it, but I enjoyed it and it did make me watch.

My Arrival Into Heathrow

Waiting for luggage at carousel 7 at London Heathrow

My six hour flight from Boston finally arrived at London Heathrow airport at 9:22 am. No arrival card for me as I have a frequent traveller card and was able to go through Customs with UK residents. Once through, I only had to wait for my luggage at carousel 7. After my last visit to Heathrow where my bags were delayed, I kept my fingers crossed that I’d not experience déjà vu. Luckily, my extraordinarily large and heavy bags arrived and soon I’d be off to my hotel. Or so I thought.

Waiting for my ride in the arrivals hall

My transfer from the airport to my hotel had been arranged by Cruising Excursions and I was told to look for my name in the arrivals hall. I circled the area for almost an hour before calling to find out what happened. Turns out the driver was there, but left.

Even the pilots were leaving before me

I grabbed a coffee at Costa Coffee and waited for him to return. That meant I could do a little people watching while I waited.

Nezat from Airport PIckups London meeting me at Heathrow

Finally my driver, Nezat, arrived and I was no on my way into London. The drive was smooth, Nezat from Airport Pickups London offered intelligent and thought provoking conversation although I don’t know how awake I was or what I said. After a long flight with so many bags, this was definitely an easier option than taking Heathrow Express. Up next is my review of my hotel in London, Club Quarters Hotel.

Have you ever flown in Club World on British Airways? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Then don’t forget to read other flight reviews here on the Travel Shop Girl website.

The post British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London appeared first on Travel Shop Girl.

British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London published first on http://ift.tt/2vy5Wr0

[cartzypage]

British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London

Boston British Airways Lounge in Terminal E

For my next big adventure, my world cruise with Fred. Olsen cruise lines, my first step was flying with British Air. There are many options to fly to the UK from Boston and since they’re a partner with American Airlines, it seemed only natural to fly in Club World to London. My first stop at Boston Logan International Airport on my way out before the crazy blizzard expected in Boston was the British Airways Lounge.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

British Airways Lounge at Boston Logan International Airport

The new British Air lounge in the recently expanded Terminal E has an abundance of seating and food options. There’s even a bar at the far end with great views overlooking the airport. My only problem with the lounge was that they had the temperature set to the equivalent of a walk in refrigerator. It was so cold that I couldn’t get comfortable. Brrrrr.

Veggie dumplings in miso broth

My solution to this problem? Have some miso broth with veggie dumplings and veggies. The soup is prepared specifically for you at the buffet counter with your choice of steamed chicken dumplings or fried veggie dumplings. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any steamed veggie dumplings available, but I made do. Also, since they serve the soup without chopsticks or large spoons, eating it can be quite difficult. I somehow was able to slurp most of it up and even added a big dollop of sriracha to warm me up on the inside.

Earlier in the day I received notification that my flight was going to be delayed. The original flight time was 9:15 pm and we were now scheduled for 9:58 pm. I was glad to have somewhere to pass the time in an overall relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

My absolute favorite part of the lounge is the dedicated gate within the lounge. The convenience of not having to walk to another part of the terminal is definitely a bonus.

Walking down from lounge to board plane

When it came time to board, all I had to do was line up and head down the escalator to the gangway. Unfortunately, they were also boarding coach customers at the same time from the regular gate in the terminal. This meant waiting in the cold gangway until people were seated inside the plane.

Club World cabin on British Airways

My seat on the British Air 777-200 was in the Club World cabin in seat 16A. This aircraft has four cabins: First, Club World, World Traveller +, and World Traveller. I was most excited about having a lie flat seat so as to maybe get a few hours sleep. However, as soon as I boarded the plane I had issues.

Turns out the family in the adjacent seats had taken the overhead locker over my seat and their child’s seat as well as the one over their seats on the opposite side of the aisle. They had placed just about everything, including jackets, and that would’ve meant nowhere to put my bag. Not one to avoid speaking up, I had to ask the mother to move her items out of the way so I could put my bag up. She reluctantly did so, but not enough to get both my roller bag and my backpack in the locker. I had to find another bin to put that into, so thank you so much lady.

I’ll never understand the selfishness and entitled attitude of others. On many occasions I’ve given up my seat so families could sit together and have really tried to always be nice to others. But it’s situations like this that just leave me completely dumbfounded. How hard would it be considerate of others?

Seat 16A in Club World on British Air Flight BA214

Seat 16A on flight BA214 Boston to London

Once I got the bag situation in order, it was time to settle into my seat. Seat 16A is a rear facing seat, which may sound strange, but really isn’t. While I can’t stand sitting in a rear facing seat on a train, with a nighttime flight, I didn’t really notice which way we were flying.

Entertainment screen and footstool for seat 16A

But the best part of this British Air seat is that it affords a little more privacy with no one seated by your feet. When the footstool is in the down position, it can be a little difficult to maneuver around, but you’re not milling about the cabin anyway, right? Combine that with the privacy screen that goes up after takeoff and you’re completely secluded in your own private cocoon.

Club World Menu

Immediately upon getting seated, the flight attendant provided me with a menu and the offer of a glass of champagne. I’m not one to ever turn down a glass of champagne and this one in particular was quite good. I quickly looked over the beverage menu to see what British Air was offering on this flight.

Since I had pre-ordered a vegan meal, I only perused the food menu for entertainment and research purposes.

My Club World Vegan Meal

Vegan starter

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendant came by and asked if I wanted anything to eat or if I had eaten already. I mentioned my pre-ordered meal and he offered to bring it by with something to drink. I really wanted to get a few hours of sleep in, which led me to ordering another glass of champagne with my meal. I was served a salad with peppers, spinach, and sunflower seeds and lemon dressing and a starter of Israeli couscous and peppers. The salad and the starter were quite tasty and a considerable step up from vegan starters I’ve had from other airlines.

Vegan entree

The entree was carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and rice. Nothing terribly fancy, but for someone who was really hungry, a decent option. By the way, if you weren’t sure, I was definitely that hungry person.

Breakfast

When they handed out the menus before takeoff, the breakfast options were also included. Passengers were advised to complete and return immediately, which I did. I planned for the earliest option so I could organize my bags in the two overhead lockers while everyone was still sleeping. See — I’m always thinking ahead. Of course, I completely forgot to take any pics, but all I had was fresh fruit, coffee, and a mango banana smoothie.

Stretching Out in Club World

View from seat 16A

I never ended up putting the seat into complete lie flat mode. Why? If I did, I would never have been able to access storage or to get up and out of the seat. I had it nearly flat, which was more than fine for my 5’4″ frame.

Storage in my seat area

The little storage drawer near the floor was nice to stow things during the flight, but impossible to reach when the seat is down. I ended up having my phone, glasses, and other things on top of the duvet while in my seat.

Club World Amenity Kit

Club World amenity kit

The British Air Club World amenity kit on this flight was a small black bag from The White Company with travel socks, a sleep mask, ear plugs, a pen, toothbrush and toothpaste, and SPA lip balm, gentle moisturizer, and a relax pulse point roller ball applicator. I do love amenity kits and this was a nice one although not terribly original. What was original on this flight was the safety video, which definitely made me laugh. I don’t know how they got Gordon Ramsay and other celebrities to do it, but I enjoyed it and it did make me watch.

My Arrival Into Heathrow

Waiting for luggage at carousel 7 at London Heathrow

My six hour flight from Boston finally arrived at London Heathrow airport at 9:22 am. No arrival card for me as I have a frequent traveller card and was able to go through Customs with UK residents. Once through, I only had to wait for my luggage at carousel 7. After my last visit to Heathrow where my bags were delayed, I kept my fingers crossed that I’d not experience déjà vu. Luckily, my extraordinarily large and heavy bags arrived and soon I’d be off to my hotel. Or so I thought.

Waiting for my ride in the arrivals hall

My transfer from the airport to my hotel had been arranged by Cruising Excursions and I was told to look for my name in the arrivals hall. I circled the area for almost an hour before calling to find out what happened. Turns out the driver was there, but left.

Even the pilots were leaving before me

I grabbed a coffee at Costa Coffee and waited for him to return. That meant I could do a little people watching while I waited.

Nezat from Airport PIckups London meeting me at Heathrow

Finally my driver, Nezat, arrived and I was no on my way into London. The drive was smooth, Nezat from Airport Pickups London offered intelligent and thought provoking conversation although I don’t know how awake I was or what I said. After a long flight with so many bags, this was definitely an easier option than taking Heathrow Express. Up next is my review of my hotel in London, Club Quarters Hotel.

Have you ever flown in Club World on British Airways? What did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Then don’t forget to read other flight reviews here on the Travel Shop Girl website.

The post British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London appeared first on Travel Shop Girl.

British Air: Flying In Club World From Boston To London published first on https://medium.com/@GoShopSingapore

[hunterssauces-blog]

Hunters Sauces

Chinese Cooking - Sauces & Spices

Sauces and spices are the input any cooking. They would not be tasted great without by any meals. The only exemption is the fact that some beach creatures might be boiled or merely steamed before serve. Because they're salty already in their body well, that's. Imagine eating water shrimp that is steamed? I'dnot bother!

I'd like to introduce some of spices and the hottest sauces that daily is used by us. You could possibly already know a number of them, but I guess you haven't heard of others.

Sauces

Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):

Fermented bean curd, full of meats. Could possibly be maintained for time that was fairly long. Is available in two sorts - red. Crimson is usually used to make Braised Chicken. Bright preferences hot and is commonly employed like a side dish along with noodles, buttocks, or congee. Some want to offer with vinegar and soy sauce for beef dumplings, hotpot recipes, yet others. Well-liked by north and northwest of China.

Shrimp Sauce:

Gas from baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use for dishes that are sauteed. Employed seriously for recipes from south of China.

Sauce:

Fat from oyster. Heavily salted. Use for dishes. Popular in Hongkong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be correct), and a few regions in south of China whilst not employed at all in northern and west of China with the exception of hotels and some restaurants.

Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):

Ground sesame seed with flavor that is strong. Used for cold meals.

Hot Pepper Sauce:

Hot sauce produced from combination of beans and warm spices. Red or brown in-color. Use sparingly in meals or dishes. In north, people frequently blend this sauce to stir fried minced meat and offer with noodles (ensure it is Crackers with Meat Sauce).

Oil:

Taste is too powerful for use in ing that is frying. Utilize limited to boosting taste of cold and baked dishes, noodles, hot pot marinade, soups, etc.

Pepper Oil:

Created from sesame oil and red pepper. Assist with meat dumplings, buttocks, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:

A particular vinegar stated in JiangXi province. Lighting amber in-color using a distinct smell. Use for recipes that are cold and beef dumplings.

Spices

Salt:

Mixture of pepper dust with sodium. Offer with fried chicken, meat, and bass.

Raw-food sauces are (you have noticed this term before) delightful and healthy. For instance, my formula for organic Fettuccine Alfredo dresses clear ribbons of light green zucchini using a gravy made from a delicious spice blend and soaked cashews. Trust me; you may not miss the cream or perhaps the butter (or perhaps the fat and calories).

One among my personal favorite raw food sauce dishes could be the Fake Peanut Sauce that I made for Organic Food Made simple for one or two People. Typically, this sauce demands roasted peanuts, but organic butter is used by me instead. As well as keeping more vitamins, I do believe the menu is truly tasted better in by raw almond butter.

Try my organic Pesto if you prefer your sauces inexperienced in the place of white. Such as the initial, my recipes calls for pine nuts , olive oil, garlic and leaves. The distinction is the fact that the nuts are natural as opposed to roasted.

Pepper:

Dry brown round tart. Included infrequently in poultry and beef could take away the uncomfortable smell (bad smell). May also be employed for making even or pickles some deserts.

Five Powder:

Celebrity fennel, a mixture of pepper, clove, cinnamon, and dried peel. Modestly found in beef and cooking seafood.

Celebrity Fennel:

Fashioned brown incolor, like nine cornered star. Use for cooking with offal, meat, chicken and seafood.

You can make Your own almond butter it in shops. Only ensure you select natural almond butter.

Mock Peanut Sauce

* 1/2 glass natural almond butter

* 1/4 cup water

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice that is fresh

* 2 tablespoons pure MARINADE SAUCE maple syrup

* 2 teaspoons tamari

* INCH/2 teaspoon crushed garlic

* 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh cinnamon

* Rush cayenne

* Dash salt

* place-all the components in a blender and procedure until smooth

This natural gravy that was basic might be retained for five times within the refrigerator. Drizzle it at your next celebration at lunch or dinner or utilize it as being a dipping sauce to include Asian flair towards the crudites your serve over your preferred veggies.

Jennifer Cornbleet is an internationally known raw-food instructor and cooking, as well as the composer of the top-selling cookbook Raw Food Made simple for 1 or 2 People. She presents hands-on, talks, sessions courses, and consultations nationwide. She's at Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in Fort Bragg, a faculty coach.

The food that is trick to Thai count on two things, Thai Herbs and Thai Gravy. Herbs are about the fragrance nevertheless the mouth-watering style comes from the sauce. Tasty Thai dinners originate from Spanish sauce dishes that are excellent. You are on the road to preparing ideal Spanish Food, in case you get the combination right.

The next time you will find on your own in a Thai diner, lookover to your neighbors' table. Generally occasion, you will discover small extra British sauces in those recipes, unless your distinct British restaurant provides exclusively to low-Thais. I imagine what I am saying is, the more Spanish sauces the more reliable Japanese food you'll get is found to the tables by you. It truly is often an indicator that is good if these sauces while in the tiny dishes taste great. You'll be able to believe that other sauces possibly arises from a well-built marinade dishes. In addition to this, if you notice condiments with herbs and Japanese gravy on the table, you realize this diner is rather genuine. Thai cooking is all about sauces , spices, and mixing herbs . There is no greater solution to provide all the types that are intense than Thai marinade. Indian sauce is divided into two group, sauce and cooking sauce.

Sauces:

Sauce

* Prik Naam Pla (fish sauce with sliced soup and lime juice) - a worldwide sauce that goes with almost every grain meals. Some restaurants included it while in the condiment.

* Prik Naam Som (chili & vinegar marinade) - condiment used to flavor crackers

* Naam Prik Pao (roasted chili paste) - condiment found in selection of dishes (sauces, salads, stirfries). Some Thais use Prik Pao as jam exchange to distribute on toast.

* Aa-jaad (pickled cucumber Salad) - excellent dipping sauce for fried fish cakes, satay, as well as other fried snacks

* Naam Jiem Saate (peanut gravy) - one of the most widely used British sauces out side of Thailand. It likes so excellent folks don't simply utilize it to swim Satay but put it to use as much more, pizza sauce substitute, pad-Thai sauce substitute, and salad dressing. The American must contact it " Notice " sauce, what ever food you view you soak in this sauce.

* Naam Jiem Talay (Fish Marinade) - yes, you've thought it. Jiem Talay is actually a dipping sauce for all you seafood need. Transfer melted butter! Get ready for a fiesta in your mouth. This badboy is saturated in taste and when you take a bite, the intense mix of hot, poisonous, salty and special will knock-your socks off (if created right).

* Naam Jiem Buoi (plum sauce) - common among baby and individuals who cannot handle spicy food. Jiem Buoi is Great for any fried dishes.

* Lure Choe (vinaigrette soy sauce) - use for making warm and bad soup and dipping sauce for potsticker and Dim-Sum.

* Naam Jiem Gai (chicken dipping sauce) - sweet and hot sauce. Good with BBQ chicken

* Naam Jiem Seir Rong Hai (crying lion gravy) - Crying Lion is among the popular dinners in the US. Seared medium rare meat served with sauce, consists of soy sauce, ground-roasted almond fish sauce, and limejuice.

Sauce

* Nam Pla (seafood marinade) - for putting salty flavor. Used in soups, stir fry, and creating sauces. You will find seafood marinade in meals like Tom Yum (warm and bitter soup), Tom Kah (coconut soup), and station krapow (stir fry sacred basil).

Use within sauces, wrong and special stir fry.

* Pad Thai Sauce - use for cooking station Thai. Pad Thai menu will be offered inside our post that is later.

* Phu Khao Tong (Natural lid soy sauce) - flavored soy sauce. one of the critical gravy which included in several Indian stirfry sauce recipe

* Notice iew Dum (Nice black soy sauce) - for making Station Discover iew (Special friend fried noodle with chinese broccoli and meat). Compound in Khao Mun Khai (Broiled chicken beef over tasting grain) dipping sauce

* Observe iew khao (gentle soy sauce) - significant sauce in many dipping sauce.

Juice - significant component in pad thai sauce. Contained in some dipping sauce and Thai Khang Som soup (Bad soup with tammarin based)

Gravy - ingredient in lots of Thai stir fry sauce recipe including bad and lovely stirfry.

* Curry substance - All curry pastes have spices and similar herbs but unique percentage.

Thai menu is going to be granted in our guide that is later.

* Green curry paste

* Orange curry paste

* Reddish curry paste

Curry paste

* Panang curry paste

* Khua Kling curry paste (Southern Thai food)

* Khang Pa curry paste (Not preferred in international place)

* Khang Som curry paste (Not popular in foreign state)

Actually the recipes, unique percentage that is same produce a big difference in flavor. why marinade menu could be the key to separate superior Spanish food from excellent Indian treat, this is exactly.

Japanese food count generally on Indian marinade, while you can see from your record above. If you combine and match sauces, they become many different dinners.

Like I mentioned " you're on your way to preparing perfect Spanish Food, in case you got that combination right ".

Why Food?

That's a problem that is great. Now here's a good remedy: we like Japanese food. Well basically, we love Japanese food. And we enjoy Indian food so much that individuals feel you ought to think it's great also. Therefore it really is our goal to provide everyone who enjoys Indian food - or anyone who enjoys food in general - with an easy and fast way to discover the food they appreciate.

What is Regional Thai Food?

The answer is rather basic: delightful and hot Indian food close you'll be able to smell it! Well, not that near to load oneself on food that is excellent, and fast. You notice, the work of LocalThaiFood.com would be to assist you to pick the one which best fits your Japanese food needs, and also to assist you to find British restaurants which can be in your immediate location, or as close that you can.

Who Loves Food?

We do! And hopefully you are doing - or, at the very least develop you will shortly! Anyways, LocalThaiFood is run of us people here in California by simply a number and we might want to satisfy with you!

[benjamingarden]

Weekending

Happy Sunday friends!  So, we are told that spring will arrive early this year - who's with me on the excitement for that???  Part of my excitement is the warmer temps but a BIG part of my excitement is getting started building my new gardening area.  I've got plans people, and I know it will be a struggle to get my better half to help with some of it but I'm determined to do just that.  After my win on the cattle panel trellis last year I'm feeling confident in my persuasion abilities.  I'll share more about garden plans in the next month or so.

We received a winter storm Thursday and Friday.  It started with snow, then switched to sleet and rain, then back to snow.  The snowfall at the end, on Friday, was stunning.  It was wet and heavy and stuck to the trees so beautifully.  The temps quickly dropped below freezing so the trees remained adorned with their white coating.  I walked out of the house Saturday morning to let Oliver out and spent a couple of (very cold) minutes just reveling in the beauty of it all.

Saturday is food prep day so an hour or so was devoted to that.  I try to get my salad ingredients and anything else that makes sense to do, prepped on Saturdays.  I also prep all of our Sunday meals since we have the farmer's market that day.  I roasted some sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and beets for a delicious addition to this week's salads.  As I was prepping the beets my husband walked through and his eyes lit up.  He asked what the beets were for and I said for my salad.  He looked at me, then the beets, then me and said "well, I like beets".  I laughed.  I said I would put some aside for him to eat without salad, which made him quite happy.  I don't serve beets as much as I should because they are a pain - red getting all over everything.  I like to bake them and then slip the skins off and cut them up.  It's a bit messy but not too terribly bad.  I never was a fan of beets but I've incorporated them into my life because they are so good nutritionally.  I still don't love or crave them, but I don't mind them anymore.

I also prepped all our products on Saturday, cleaned and packed eggs, did a light cleaning in the house, worked on taxes (yuck!), and listened to the first day of a (free) health/weight loss summit I signed up for.  I signed up specifically for 3 speakers which includes one who claims to have a way to break the craving for sugar (seminar is on Wednesday).  I've pretty much broken my craving but sugar is a serious pull for me so any additional tips and tricks I learn would be great!  (not an affiliate link and a heads up that it is plant-based focused - just sharing if you are interested)

Reading - Breasts: The Owner's Manual, by Dr. Kristi Funk (affiliate link).  So I've had this book for about a year I think.  I picked it up at a flea market.  I've never read it until this week when I devoured it over the course of 2 days.  Why?  Because it scared the heck out of me.  In a good way.  (if there is a good way?)  Here's the thing - I knew the risk for breast cancer increases with age and I knew that I have a couple additional factors making my risk a bit higher, but I did not know the specifics, and reading it made it very real.  VERY real.  For instance, did you know that if you are between the ages of 50 and 59 your chances of breast cancer are 1 in 43??  If you're in your sixties, your chances are 1 in 29.  And that's just the risk due to age, it's before additional potential risk factors are factored in.  Ugh... It was actually the perfect timing for me to read it because I was struggling just a bit with my fairly new plant-based lifestyle.  Every once in a while I go through just wanting to be able to eat "normal" - meaning, I'd like to just go out to dinner and not have to worry about whether or not a restaurant is going to have something I can eat.  Anywhoo, reading this is keeping me on course with my new "normal" because Dr. Funk gives the following details as part of her book: eating a plant-based whole food diet + regular exercise + maintaining a healthy weight = reduces your risk by 80% (for women 50 and older, which is a group I'm newly part of). Plant-based eating aside, I highly recommend this book for all women of any age to read.  It's very well written and full of information on breast health and details her recommendations for lifestyle changes (including info on what to add to your daily diet, plastics, cosmetics, deodorant, radiation, myths, risk factors, stress, etc.), the why's behind it all.  She also includes quite a bit of information for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer.

Learning - about my own personality.  So I decided, on a whim of course, to take the (free) Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test here.  I really didn't think much about it as I clicked through the test.  Until I read the results...… huh, I thought.  Honestly, I'd never thought of myself as an advocate but that is indeed who I am.  After reading the turbulent versus assertive I am definitely turbulent, definitely an introvert and the information under diplomat and constant improvement are fairly spot on as well.  Interestingly, good or bad, for the most part it was me in a nutshell.  Who would of thought?  It was very funny reading that friends and colleagues often believe this personality type is a quiet extrovert, not understanding that instead it's a true introvert.  I've tried to explain this to others who just didn't believe me.  Have you taken this test?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Cooking - we've been loving taquitos in the air fryer for lunches.  For mine, I take some refried beans and chopped canned chilies, roll a bit up in a corn tortilla, and throw them in for 6 minutes.  For Jay's I use pre-cooked ground beef, cheese, and canned green chilies.  Crispy, chewy, and delicious!  I make a guacamole dip and a side salad to go with it.  I could honestly eat this everyday but the man says he needs variety so I've been making it only a few days a week.  Saturday was one of those days.  For dinner on Saturday it was one of Jay's favorites - seared scallops, gnocchi with sage butter, and steamed broccoli,  and a big old delicious raw salad with balsamic dressing for me. Sunday's are usually oatmeal for me for breakfast, and an egg sandwich and air fryer hash browns for Jay.  For lunch I brought veggies with hummus dip and avocado toast.  Jay gets a burger at the farmer's market.  I bring fruit and (healthier) cookie dough balls for a snack.  The cookie dough balls I make up as a large batch and store in the freezer so they are easy to grab and go Sunday mornings.  Dinner for Jay tonight is slow-cooker Mississippi pot roast with potatoes and beets, and a big salad with veggies, beans, seeds, & quinoa for me.

Oliver is sleeping on the couch (and hogging all the blankets) while I write this post

Planning - a few outings to local museums or other attractions.  We've talked about going and have only been to a handful.  We typically only think about visiting local sites in the summer, when we get too busy, so I'm trying to get the husband to go visit a few before winter is over.  If I have to, I'll entice him with lunch at his favorite local restaurant (that also offers vegan options for me - hooray!!)...... A girls gotta have a few tricks in her back pocket, you know? Link Love: Take Back Your Online Privacy (prjvs) - an interesting read. Online privacy, or all privacy for that matter, no longer exists it seems. Most Of Your Stuff Is Worthless: 3 Things You Should Be Doing NOW To Reduce What You Own (dallas moms collective) - this is so spot on.  After going through my MIL's home when she passed it was a relief that my mom had pared her stuff down to what she really loved. The False Promise Of Morning Routines (atlantic) - I, personally, feel better having a morning routine, but I get that it isn't for everyone. 3 Kids. 2 Paychecks. No Home. (California sunday magazine) - eye opening. Say What You Mean To Say (modern mrs darcy) - because we don't get do-overs in life, a lesson to learn.  p.s. while you're there, if you're a reader, check out some of her book recommendations. How was your weekend?  Did you read or do anything interesting?

Weekending was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)