#this walnut cream cheese thing is fantastic

[tofuingho]

There are 3 places I can't be trusted to control myself.

Bookstores

Craft stores

Bakeries

[azaan2002]

The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan: A Beginner's Guide to Healthy Eating and Weight Loss

The ketogenic diet, sometimes referred to as the "keto diet," has gained popularity as a means of promoting weight loss, increasing energy, and enhancing general health. Eating a lot of fat, moderate quantities of protein, and very little carbs is part of this diet. The idea is to get your body into a state known as "ketosis," when it burns fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. This article offers a comprehensive overview for anyone wishing to begin the keto diet, along with a simple and efficient meal plan to assist them reach their health objectives.

 What is the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that has been demonstrated to help with blood sugar regulation, weight loss, and cognitive performance. When you cut back on carbohydrates significantly and replace them with fat, your body goes into a condition of ketosis. Your body becomes extremely adept at burning fat for energy when it is in ketosis. Additionally, it causes the liver to produce ketones from fat, which are a fantastic source of energy for the brain.  

 Get The Ultimate Keto Meal Plans Buy Now 

Here’s a breakdown of the standard keto diet:

- **70-75% Fats**: The keto diet's mainstay is healthy fat. They aid in the ketosis process, provide you energy, and keep you full. - **20–25% Protein**: Maintaining and repairing muscle requires a moderate protein intake. - **5–10% Carbohydrates**: Your body is encouraged to burn fat for energy by consuming less carbohydrates.

Get

 Benefits of the Keto Diet

There are benefits to the keto diet beyond weight loss. It provides a number of health advantages: 1. Weight reduction: Your body must burn fat reserves for energy when you consume fewer carbohydrates, which causes weight reduction. 2. Enhanced Mental Clarity: The brain uses ketones as a potent fuel source, which helps with attention and concentration. 3. Stable Energy Levels: A lot of people report having consistent energy levels all day long without the highs and lows brought on by sugar and carbohydrates. 4. Reduced Appetite: Because high-fat foods are highly satisfying, they may help cut down on overall calorie consumption and appetite. 5. Better Blood Sugar Control: People with type 2 diabetes can benefit from the keto diet's ability to control and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Items to Take and Leave Out of Your Keto Diet Knowing what foods you may and cannot eat on a ketogenic diet is essential for successful ketogenic eating.

 which to avoid.

#### Foods to Eat

- **Meats**: lamb, turkey, pig, chicken, and beef. - **Fat Fish**: Sardines, mackerel, trout, and salmon. - **Eggs**: Whole eggs, ideally free-range or organic. - **Healthy Fats and Oils**: butter, ghee, avocado, coconut, and olive oils. **Nuts and Seeds**: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and almonds. Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms are examples of **Low-Carb Vegetables**. - **Cheese**: Goat cheese, mozzarella, brie, cheddar, and more. **Avocados**: Low in carbohydrates and high in good fats. - **Berries**: Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (partially).

#### Foods to Avoid

-**Delicious Foods**: Candies, ice creams, cakes, cookies, and sodas. Cereals, bread, rice, and pasta are examples of **Grains and Starches**. Fruits high in carbohydrates include bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes. **Legumes & Beans**: Peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils. **Root Vegetables**: parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, and potatoes. - **Dangerous Fats**: trans fats, processed vegetable oils, and margarine. - **Alcohol**: Sweet wines, beer, and mixed drinks with added sugar. - **Processed Foods**: crackers, chips, and quick cuisine.

 Get The Ultimate Keto Meal Plans Buy Now 

 The Ultimate 7-Day Keto Meal Plan

Here is a comprehensive 7-day keto meal plan that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to make things easy. These tasty, easy-to-make meals will support your continued ketosis.

#### **Day 1: Monday**

- **breakfast**: Butter-cooked scrambled eggs with feta cheese and spinach. - **Lunch**: A Caesar salad made with grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, avocado, and Caesar dressing. - ** Dinner**: Lemon- and olive oil-dressed baked fish served with a side of asparagus. - **Snack**: An avocado or a handful of macadamia nuts. **Tuesday** is Day 2 - **breakfast**: Almond flour-based keto pancakes garnished with a few fresh berries and sugar-free syrup. - **Lunch**: Grilled shrimp and creamy Alfredo sauce served on zucchini noodles, or "zoodles." - **Dinner**: Stir-fried beef with bell peppers, broccoli, and coconut aminos, a low-carb substitute for soy sauce. - **Snack**: Celery sticks dipped in cream cheese or cheese sticks.

#### **Day 3: Wednesday**

- **breakfast**: Almond milk without sugar, chia seeds, and a few blueberries combined to make a chia seed pudding. - **Lunch**: A bed of lettuce topped with tuna salad, chopped celery, mayonnaise, and boiled eggs. - **Dinner**: Sautéed green beans served over roasted chicken thighs flavored with garlic and rosemary. - **Snack**: A few almonds or walnuts.

#### **Day 4: Thursday**

- **breakfast**: An omelet prepared in olive oil with spinach, cheese, and mushrooms. - **Lunch**: Rice dish made of cauliflower topped with avocado, salsa, sour cream, and ground beef. - **Supper**: Roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces served with pork chops. - **Snack**: A couple salami or pepperoni slices.

#### **Day 5: Friday**

- **Breakfast**: Avocado, spinach, unsweetened almond milk, and a scoop of protein powder combined in a keto smoothie. - **Lunch**: A mixed greens dish with an egg salad dressed with mustard, mayonnaise, and fresh herbs. - **Supper**: Roasted zucchini on the side and lamb chops with garlic butter. - **Snack**: Keto fat bombs or dark chocolate with at least 85% cocoa content.

#### **Day 6: Saturday**

- **breakfast**: Waffles made with coconut flour, butter, and sugar-free syrup. - **Lunch**: Blue cheese dressing, grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and boiled eggs atop a Cobb salad. - **Supper**: Sautéed shrimp in butter with a side order of mashed cauliflower. **Snack**: Chips made with kale or pork rinds.

#### **Day 7: Sunday**

- **breakfast**: Eggs and baked avocado with bacon bits and cheese on top. - **Lunch**: lettuce wraps with turkey, cheese, avocado, and mustard. - **Dinner**: Bell peppers, mozzarella, and pepperoni are on a cauliflower crust keto pizza. - **Snack**: A couple cheese slices or a handful of nuts.

### Tips for Sticking to Your Keto Meal Plan

1. **Plan Ahead**: The keto diet requires careful meal planning to be successful. To stave against temptation and make sure you have keto-friendly options on hand, prepare your meals in advance. 2. **Remain Hydrated**: Throughout the day, sip lots of water. In addition to being beneficial to general health, being hydrated helps lessen feelings of hunger. 3. **Include Electrolytes**: Make sure your diet has adequate salt, potassium, and magnesium since the ketogenic diet can lead to increased water and electrolyte loss. Think about consuming bone broth or seasoning your food with a little salt. 4. **Track Your Macros**: Record the amount of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates you consume each day using a food journal or app. This will assist you in adhering to your keto

5. **Be Creative with Recipes**: Try out various keto dishes to add some variety and prevent boredom with your meals. There's no reason the keto diet has to be monotonous or boring.

### Delicious and Easy Keto Recipes

Here are a few simple keto recipes you can try at home:

#### **1. Keto Egg Muffins**

- **Ingredients**: Eggs, cheese, bacon bits, bell peppers, and spinach. - **Directions**: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, and bacon pieces. After filling a muffin tin, bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

#### **2. Cauliflower Mac and Cheese**

- **Ingredients**: Garlic powder, butter, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, and cauliflower. - **Directions**: Cauliflower should be steamed until soft. Melt butter, heavy cream, and cheese in a another pot and whisk until melted. Drizzle over the cauliflower and bake for ten to fifteen minutes at 375°F (190°C).

#### **3. Keto Chicken Salad**

- **Ingredients**: grilled chicken, cucumber, avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings. - **Directions**: Combine diced cucumber and avocado with grilled chicken. Pour in some lemon juice and olive oil. Add pepper and salt for seasoning.

### ConclusionThe keto diet is a lifestyle shift that can assist you in reaching your health and weight loss objectives. It's more than just a diet. You can simply stay on track and take advantage of the many advantages of the keto diet with the correct meal plan, delectable dishes, and careful preparation. Always pay attention to your body, drink enough of water, and keep trying out different recipes. Whether you're new to keto or want to improve your experience, this comprehensive.

Get The Ultimate Keto Meal Plans Buy Now

[veronicasanders]

Let's talk holiday season food. What’s the family/friends favorite that always gets trotted out for every occasion, what food is a “special” holiday favorite?

Yay!!! So excited for this. You already know I’m gonna go off so here’s a read more. 😜🤣

Okay I’m starting with Thanksgiving, which is my favorite food holiday. In my family, the meal is 100% vegetarian friendly except the turkey and gravy (which I despise anyway), and totally centers on local autumnal produce. Also, EVERYONE, and I mean every single person over the age of 10, contributes. Even if it’s like, my cousin who has no culinary skills - he mixes drinks. Or my uncle who is the DJ and who sets the table and does a phenomenal job—with like, local flowers and origami napkins. Or my other cousins who do an art project with the younger kids, so even though they aren’t cooking, they make centerpieces and shit. 

One year, I got a fantastic deal on purple potatoes at the farmer’s market, and my brother used those for the MOST delicious mashed potatoes that were loaded with cream and garlic. That dish was a staple for many years, although in recent ones, he’s been doing smashed potatoes—or, when he’s super ambitious, Hasselback potatoes—and the crispiness is absolutely delightful.  

I have made cornbread every year since I was about 12 or 13. It’s this incredible recipe that includes fresh corn and browned butter - usually cornbread is dry, but this is amazing and doesn’t need any butter or anything on it. Sometimes I add jalapeños or red pepper for color/flavor - which one depends on how many baby-mouths are coming.

We always make fresh cranberries, too, not that canned shit. The cranberry bags have the basic recipe, but it comes out way too sweet that way, so instead we use about 1/4 of the sugar and a little orange juice. I like putting walnuts in, but not everyone in my family likes nuts, so I’ve found that chopping an Asian pear and tossing that in right before serving serves the same purpose of a crunchy element. 

My great-aunt’s sweet potato pie recipe is SO fucking good. It’s one of the best things on the table and the one year my mom said maybe we don’t need it because too many carbs, I staged a protest. I actually like it better than any of the desserts (and for some reason it's on the dinner table even though it's 100% a dessert--it's got a graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallow top, for fuck's sake). But anyway...

My favorite, or at least tied for favorite with like 5 other things, is my mother’s stuffing. (Well, dressing, since it’s not stuffed into the bird's ass, but the word dressing is weird to me for a substantial side dish.) She uses a mix of cornbread and regular bread, a shit ton of celery and carrots and caramelized onions, and veggie stock that smells so good, it makes me homesick just thinking about it. 

Occasionally there’s also something like Mac and cheese or fresh bread/rolls, or green bean casserole or wild rice. Kind of depends on who’s coming and how many people are there, etc, because you always need everyone to contribute. 

Then of course, we have tons of roasted or grilled vegetables, whatever looks fresh and beautiful, or what the more talented people have grown in their gardens: Brussels sprouts, eggplant, corn (bonus if we can find red corn) green beans, broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, carrots (bonus for purple or multicolored ones), butternut squash, cauliflower (bonus for purple). And a big salad with dark greens like rainbow chard or kale (usually grown by one of my aunts), avocado, radishes, multicolored peppers, sunflower seeds or roasted pepitas. I’ve seen other people’s Thanksgiving tables and I’m generally shocked by how much brown and beige there is. Our table is a glorious fucking rainbow. 

The past 5 years or so, I haven’t been able to go home for Thanksgiving, so we now have a tradition of repeating the meal (or at least, the favorites) on Christmas Day. 

Speaking of Christmas…

So, there’s an Italian-American tradition called “Feast of the Seven Fishes” that takes place on Christmas Eve. (I’m not positive how it started, but I am guessing it had something to do with how expensive seafood was in the “New World” and so it was reserved for truly special occasions.) We don’t usually do all seven, but we always make my grandmother’s shrimp recipe, mafaldi with a spicy red lobster sauce, baked lobster, and usually some kind of salmon my dad can grill. (He also cooks the Thanksgiving turkey on the BBQ. We find that his energy in the kitchen can be neurotic and thus enjoy sending him outside.) And of course garlic bread or something fresh-baked to soak up all the sauces. (Grandma called it a sponge.) Also we always have Panettone (the kind with chocolate, not the fruitcake one) for dessert, heated up with ice cream and ganache.

Then, Christmas morning is usually French toast (made with Challah so that the Jews feel represented), or this cheese blintz dish we learned from my dad's cousin.

Which reminds me, oops, I skipped over Chanukkah. Traditions there are more flexible since we don’t celebrate every day and often miss the whole 8 days and remember later in the month. Mostly since my dad doesn’t give a shit and my mom’s not Jewish. But we always at least have latkes (my brother’s are outstanding, and a few years ago he made the regular ones and I made sweet potato and they came out divinely.) Also we do chocolate-covered macaroons (not to be confused with the French macarons) since they’re my mom’s favorite, and my grandmother’s vegetarian version of chopped liver which is SO GOOD, and noodle kugel. And if we’re up for it, we’ll also make rainbow cookies, which I’ve talked about before at length. (Marzipan-flavored “cookie” layers that are basically a very decadent sponge, raspberry jam, dark chocolate. 

New Year’s Day: lentil soup! Black-eyed peas! Which I think supposedly serve the same good-luck purpose. 

Not specific to a particular holiday but a couple of times a year, my family does polenta parties. A huge pot of polenta and a bunch of homemade toppings, like tomato sauce, pesto, veggies, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, different cheeses, meat that I don't care about, etc.

I’m gonna stop now. I could go on for fucking ever. (Super Bowl Sunday? Easter? Fourth of July? I care about nothing except the food.) I love food and I love my family and I love eating with them. I'm so excited that this year, I'm gonna be on the East Coast for a whole month visiting people. 🥰

[expired-monster-craft-smp]

Vibes Dream SMP members give off (in my opinion)

Dream

Barked at people in high school ironically but it became unironic real quick

Can’t cook very well but is good with a knife, especially at a fast pace

One of those kids who either purposely spells the first word wrong in a spelling bee to just be done with it right away or tries the hardest and manages to win (there is no inbetween for this heathen)

Bites ice cream with his teeth

Has snorted pixie stix far too many times and sneezed blue after each time

Eats bananas with the peels

Wears mismatched socks

Has taken a bite out of a pool noodle because he liked the texture and impulsively bit it (ADHD things✨😌)

Walks around looking extremely high but he’s just spacin out and stuck in his head

Dreams (lmao) in Minecraft and video games in general

Will flirt with anything that moves but has no idea how to respond to compliments

Makes fun of himself first before anyone else can

Has eaten an orange peel and it wasn’t that bad in his humble opinion

Wears khaki shorts

Eats the wax part of the baby bell cheese

Doesn’t actually know what genre his music taste is cause he vibes to everything

Georgenotfound

Picks at the skin on his lip when it’s dry so it bleeds and he tries not to give in by licking his lips often enough to the point where it became a habit

Wears velcro shoes because he doesn’t feel like tying them (he knows how, he just doesn’t wanna do it)

Eats peanut butter straight from the jar

Makes that disgusting “ants on a log” thing (celery stick filled with peanut butter topped with a row of raisins)

Can’t drink milk plain, it’s gotta have some sort of flavour

Can draw a perfect straight line but his circles look Terrible

Eats cheez-its like cereal without milk

Loves making little noises so much like he walks around his house doin chores and he’s just goin “memememenownownwnkwkshskshkshskhs”

Hates wearing socks

Coloured his tongue with highlighters because they’re non-toxic

Constantly tapping his feet and hands to a song/beat playing in his head

I can’t imagine this man using a bike of any sort, so Imma say he doesn’t know how

Can’t be licked by dogs because he’s used to being licked by his cat so it makes him uncomfortable

Can actually sing pretty well but gets real nervous in front of people so he fucks it up

Sapnap

No idea how to cook anything other than Mac and cheese please help this man

Meows at cats because he wants to confuse them and laughs Way too hard when he does (his laugh is like sunshine so I’ll allow it)

Would be fantastic at braiding hair Idk why

Gives the BEST fuckin hugs EVER

When singing, he makes noises for the instrumental parts too

Wanted to play the drums at one point

Really likes pit bulls but he’s more of a cat person so he loves them from afar

Only vaguely knows how to shave his face properly without hurting himself

Opportunities for him come up out of pure luck but mans is skilled for them so it works out well almost Always

Used to or currently has a skateboard and isn’t too bad

ALWAYS has bruises appearing everywhere for no reason, he doesn’t even know where 90% of them are from

Calls his friends twinks to jokingly bully them and gets away with it because he himself is not a twink

Gets sudden bursts of energy in the middle of the night and just shimmies around a bit to try and deal with it

Favours spearmint over peppermint

Arsonist

Banned from three (3) Dave & Busters in Texas

Badboyhalo

Washes his hands after doing literally anything

Likes the bird exhibits at the zoo (specifically the penguins)

Very good at cooking, best at soups and stews

If he painted his nails they would definitely be a baby blue

Overthinks very simple things and it makes him look less smart than he actually is

Drinks tap water

Probably prefers whiskey over beer

Knows how to tap dance a bit

Surprisingly good at taking and handling shots

Steady hands

Adds extra chocolate to hot chocolate

Plays sudoku and is really really good at it (only uses pen when he plays)

Everytime he sees a Himalayan salt lamp he NEEDS to lick it despite knowing it’s very salty and he’ll pull a face afterwards

Not great at Rock Paper Scissors

Wears sunglasses inside for no reason at all, he just,,,Does

Still has a stuffed animal from childhood perched on his bed

Probably tried his hand at archery

Tommyinnit

He has no idea how to use a baby voice on children or animals, so he just talks to them normally

Wears socks to bed

His fingers are double jointed

Always starts twitching if he stays still for too long because he’s gotta move around

His shoes and have different laces and it bothers everyone but himself

Doodles on himself in class when he’s bored or not paying attention

Has really good hearing, both with pitch and volume

Can’t eat tomato’s by themselves, it’s either gotta be in sauce form or with something else

FUCKING LOVES STRING CHEESE

Terrible handwriting

Favourite part of a slice of bread is the crust

Wants to paint his nails black to be cool and edgy but his hands are far from steady and he has no clue how to paint nails

Pretty affectionate with close friends (like Tubbo and Wilbur) off stream/camera

He likes pears for some reason

Wilbur Soot

Is constantly having to decide between leaving his hair as is or shaving all of it off

He also thinks about adding some colour but never actually does

Most tea is gross to him

Everytime he puts a breath mint thats circular in his mouth, he pretends it’s a pill and he’s taking drugs because he thinks that’s funny

He does that vacant state as a joke but that really what he looks like when he’s spacing out

Likes to aggressively flirt with his male friends but if his female friends flirt with him, he gets a bit flustered

Has probably accidentally swallowed a guitar pick

Once drank two entire jars of pickle juice

Bonks his head on anything and everything

He has broken a pair of glasses by walking face first into a pole outside

Thinks kinetic sand is fun

Has passionate arguments with others about trivial and random topics like chicken feet

Can open a beer bottle with his teeth

Would accidentally pop and swallow a bracket if he had braces

Tubbo

Hates sharp cheddar cheese

Everytime he learns a new word it’s in every sentence he says for the next week or so

Ate candle wax for a dare once

Doesn’t know how to tie a tie and will probably never learn

Wanted to do ballet at one point but decided not to

He has eaten multiple flowers for absolutely no reason other than wanting to know how they taste

Starts vibrating if he’s too excited

Used to bite his nails

ABSOLUTELY DESPISES MUSTARD

Has eaten paper and says it doesn’t taste that bad

Enjoys telling his friends how much they mean to him (this has resulted in Tommy and Wilbur crying on a few seperate occasions)

Spaces out a lot and doesn’t often pay attention to his surroundings

Gets lost inside of Best Buy’s

Likes s’mores but doesn’t properly understand how to make them

Technoblade

Learned to cook purely out of spite and found it’s actually pretty fun

Constantly getting smacked in the face by trees when walking outside

Really likes apple pie

Everytime he looks at potatoes he thinks of all the hours he spent trying to win the potato war

Starts things as a joke and gets too into it

Doesn’t like the taste of most energy drinks

Has rubbed salt and lemon juice into an open wound to just,,see how it felt (he did it once and Hated it but did it again because he forgot what it felt like)

Sometimes hates how quiet he is because everyone he knows is loud and talks over him

Despite how he is portrayed in the Dream SMP, he is extremely loyal to his friends and would kill for them

Over seasons his food because he can’t taste it otherwise

Really good balance

Doesn’t like to wear bright colours, but still enjoys wearing colours

Good at knitting

Quackity

Actually fairly quiet when off camera

Will accidentally use Spanish grammar while speaking English sometimes

Country music confuses him

Doesn’t really like kids but they really like him

Can’t dance

Hardest drugs he’s ever done is second hand smoke from a cigarette and children’s Tylenol

His favourite jolly ranchers are the red and blue ones

He uses lighters as fidget toys basically

Will have a breakdown, take a bubble bath, and call himself the self care king

Dehydrated

Wants a pet rat but he already has a cat and doesn’t wanna risk anything

Constantly questions why his main source of income is playing Minecraft with two 16 year olds

Karl Jacobs

Probably ate a spider once

Would wear those socks that are like gloves for you feet where it separates all the toes

Eats ravioli straight from the can, cold

Can answer an incredibly complex math equation fairly easily but will stumble over 12x11

Loves kids so much and speaks to them in a soft voice

Tried making ramen in a coffee pot and broke it

Drinks 2 monster energy drinks a day on average

Likes to open walnuts with his teeth but doesn’t actually eat them

The embodiment of that one John Maulany joke where he says you could spill soup in his lap and HE’D apologize to YOU

Loves physical affection so so much!!!!

If he moves his wrists in a certain way, they pop Really Loudly

Fantastic at making cookies

Fundy

Lowkey actually a furry but more on like, a cat boy level than fursuit level

Drives a Honda Civic

Likes ABBA

Adds parsley to almost anything he makes food-wise

Loves garlic bread so much, he’d commit a federal crime for it

Middle child vibes

Decent at skiing

Good at singing but isn’t terribly confident

Seems responsible at first glance but in reality he’s pretty chaotic and childish

Bad at spelling

Always cuts his nails way too short so they always feel weird/hurt

Likes bracelets and rings

Thinks pastel colours slap

JSchlatt

Despite the character he plays, he’s actually really sweet

He’s genuinely that cryptic off camera as he is on camera

Can cook but chooses not to most of the time

Would probably say “what pussy size you wear” to anyone who asks him to buy pads

Not actually as intimidating as he appears to be

Lowkey would fight a child

Shuts down when someone compliments him, often using aggression as a front because holy shit they just called him handsome and kind what the Fuck-

Jokingly says his license is suspended but in all actuality he never got his license in the first place

He has two (2) extra teeth but they don’t need to be removed so he kept them

Has a stick n poke of a stickman on his ankle he got in high school

Likes physics

This is already very long, and I still plan on adding more.

[blankdblank]

Hobbit Soulmate Pt 40

“Time to celebrate with food,” your dad said easing the book in front of him shut glad he at least had the figures for a rough estimate on how much wood in each type you’d be wanting. “I’ll take these back down and get the meat ready for the burgers.”

“Oh I’ll have to get some stuff,”

“No hurry,” he said lifting them all as you eased back on your heeled wedges and collected your bag on the way out joining him on the trip down the stairs to share what you’d told him you’d like for flooring, the islands and shelves to settle those plans for the installation right away.

Once in the cool air again you turned for the market and at the ring from your phone you pulled it from your pocket seeing Liv’s name on the screen.

“Hey, thought you were still on your honeymoon.”

“Barbados was lovely. I’m so sorry you had to work.”

“That’s ok I’m glad you loved your destination wedding.”

“Well we just got back in yesterday morning, how have you been? You’re still in Canada right?”

“Well I’m in New  York this week dad got nominated for an MTV award so I’m going with him.”

“Oh that’s amazing! We’re going too! We can have a get together after, at least a dinner.”

“Ya, sounds great hear a good chunk of the guys and Peter will be there too for their noms.”

“So what have you been up to in the city? Wandering again?”

“Dad actually set up a tour of a brownstone for me, put down some money on it and got the keys.”

“That’s so incredible, I want to know everything!”

“Well it’s five stories with the basement level, eight bedrooms seven bath,”

“That is huge compared to mine, did you get a good deal? Mine was nearly a tear down had to gut the whole thing.”

“Well the old tenant trashed the place and the landlord had been doing some repairs replacing a bunch after my dad sort of reserved it for me by putting some of his money down. Took out some walls to make more living room, space for the kitchen and an actual dining room. And it needs new floors and cabinets but the plumbing and wiring and heat, ac and fireplaces have been fixed, water heater and I think he said they redid the roof too when they had to fix a beam up there. So it’s rough but it’s so pretty in my head. And it has the cutest guest bath on the main floor under the stairs and all these arches and beams through the house.”

“Aww, I love my guest bath too and the beams always add great character to help if you go the classic look. You have to show us all after the show. Give us the full tour.”

“Ok, should be fun Dad’s talking to the Landlord now to set the floor appointments. Is it weird that I want carpet, everywhere I go they always talk nonstop about their wood floors but I really want some carpet.”

“Not at all I love the carpet in my bedroom and on the second floor. Oh this is so much fun, we can swap stories when you get done with this show and I can help take you shopping if you like to decorate. So much fun.”

“Yes, might take a while though, Rich is glad I’m interested in making my own home here that we can share but I don’t want to make it too much mine, you know?”

“He’ll love anything you do with it as long as he’s got his space he can explode in as he likes.”

“Well there’s this kind of cute open study on the top floor by our bedroom I was gonna give him to have all his for his pacing or rehearsing or whatnot. And I can take the little strip of a room on the main floor behind the stairs for a sort of library reading nook.”

“I love it already and I haven’t even seen it. You got a good price on it?”

“1.5 mil, everything else on the block is three plus. It was more till it got trashed.”

“No judgment there I thought mine was a horror show. Especially the basement, right out of a horror flick. But the bones were so beautiful. I know it’s terrifying having your first grown up home I was your age roughly when I got mine, and trust me it is worth it.”

“Well it will be fun to show off and I can stash your wedding present there for when we get there.”

“Oh you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“Yes I did, couldn’t just leave the poor thing on the shelf when I saw it.”

“I can’t wait.” She heard the mingling of voices while you approached the door to the store and asked, “Are you in the subway?”

“No, heading to pick up some things for dinner. Dad said he wants burgers. Have the meat just need some sides.”

Her doorbell rang and you could hear her move to climb onto her couch to peer out the front window at the door to say as her hubby got the food from the delivery boy, “Perfect timing here’s our dinner too. I’ll let you hunt for food and see you tomorrow, Love you hun.”

“Love you too,” you said, with her hang up signaling you to close the phone to pocket it again.

A circle of a display of canned sauces drew your focus to the hatted man with camera hanging against his belly that moved from tailing you at the sight of towards Nicholas Cage on his way to scout for something down the grocery aisles. Looking away you continued on to pick out some barbecue sauce knowing you were out along with ketchup and some pickles you added to the basket you’d tucked in the crook of your arm. Buns were added as well and you were off to the noodles. A pasta salad would be simple to go with some potatoes and veggies you were off to get next over macaroni you didn’t want to make from scratch right now as the boxes were all gone. French fries were still locked in your freezer with the frozen meat patties so you were good there.

Aloofly again your eyes scanned over the display of corn looking less than top of the line to pick from and with bag in hand you lifted your first choice turning it over only to hear, “What are you doing here?”

The tone of harsh superiority scolding of an assumed inferior let you know just which idiot the familiar voice belonged to, Adrien Brody stood on your left in a focused stare down at you and adding the corn to the bag. You said, “I feel like this is a trick question.”

“You really have to come here to shop in Lower Manhattan?”

“Ya.” You said turning your head to the corn selecting another to twist on the bag you added to your basket to move onto the potatoes baffling the actor even more.

“Honestly there’s nowhere else you can shop? This is where I shop.”

While you grabbed a bag of potatoes you replied, “I should warn you there’s a strong policy against people urinating in public places this place enforces should you be trying to mark it like a tree.” Towards a teen worker being shouted at you walked with eyes narrowing at the man who felt he had the right to shout over nothing.

Adrien scoffed following after you at a distance. Then watched as the man turn clearly recognizing you, “When are you going to get some decent help here?! I’ve been trying to tell this little illegal here that I’m looking for the chocolate chili powdered mixed nuts in the blue Planters tin with cashews and walnuts, and clearly this concept is just beyond his grasp!”

Splotchy in what food based Filipino you knew around the brand name you translated for the teen what the guy wanted and the teen scoffed saying in English, “Why didn’t he just say that?” Turning to head to the wall where the display had been moved, not twenty feet from the now red faced man. “Shout about illegal, I’m from Boise.” He grabbed the top tray with a flat expression returned allowing the man to promptly grab his four tins and turn to the registers to flee while you shared an elbow bump with your former coworker that turned to put the tray back.

Continuing on you went to grab some cheese and sour cream with Adrien again at your side, “Do you now him?”

“I trained him,” You said glancing up at him, “Worked here for years, if anything you’ll have a hard time having me barred from your tree, Cupcake.”

“Not a cupcake.” He looked to his basket, “Maybe then you’d know where they’d be hiding the lemon juice.”

“Juice aisle,”

“Looked there,”

“Top shelf by the sparkling cider and the glass apple juice jars. Try tilting your head back, I know, foreign concept for you possibly from your altitude.”

In a disbelieving tone he said, “Fine, I’ll humor you, but if it isn’t there I win.”

“What do I get if I win?” You teased and he huffed turning to check your guess for the location. While the cheese was found and passing the aisle you caught his glare at the juice right where you said it’d be and smirked on your way up to the registers.

Glancing down the register aisles for who was working you picked the one you knew would have the least trouble with your produce and waited. Four people were in front of you while in Adrien’s approach to the line on your right with two people he smirked your way assuming he’d picked the faster path home until his face dropped at a voice asking from behind you, “Miss Pear?”

A smile eased across your lips in a turn that once you saw who was behind you, Nicholas Cage stood with smile spreading recognizing your eyes right away, “I thought it was you by the cheese. My old lady must have seen your movie nine times in theaters while I was off filming, pinned me down when I got back to watch it on tape, it is fantastic.”

“Thank you,” You said with grin creeping wider awkwardly.

“Almost didn’t realize you with your hair different, and she didn’t believe me when I said you used to work here. You have any other roles for the hair change?”

“Ya, filming in Canada, finishing it up next couple months after this week off. Tv show set a couple years out, have a mini series on BBC set to be out next year, then I’m going blonde for King Kong.”

“Really, I hadn’t heard that. I bet it’s going to be fantastic. After the Beast I can’t imagine you couldn’t wow in anything. I’ll keep my eyes open for your name, now if you’ll excuse me I have to hunt down someone to grab me a balloon.”

“Ooh, um, the red headed guy in the soup loves the balloons, least pops out of the guys here.”

“Soup aisle, thank you. See you round.” He said hurrying off to go hunt down the balloon guy to add those to his bouquet of flowers he had clearly planning something big.

Smiling to yourself you turned to see Adrien with his brow raised at you, “Oh you know that was cool. Your just pretending to hate me. I’d be happy for you if you were in my spot.”

He shook his head and stepped forward with his cart to what he assumed to be his sign he’d leave first only to watch the people in front of you get rung up quickly once the receipt roll was swapped out. A glance past him showed the woman on the next register clearly scouring her purse for more funds she didn’t have and sigh realizing she’d have to choose what to pull off the receipt to fit her cash in hand. Soundly her sleeping baby in the carrier inside the cart showed why the young woman was struggling. And once you accepted your large paper bag your cashier watched you fold the bills you palmed to make them wrinkled and passing him Adrien watched with lips parted still being rung up at your faked dip between her cart and the register to lift extending the bills. “You dropped this, Miss.”

A wave of relief washed over her face in her smiling turn to the cashier, who smirked to herself having recognized you and this trick you’d played more than once before even when it was the last of the funds you had to the name back when you worked together. “Thank you, so much. Must have slipped right out, darn broken zipper.” Out you went not lingering in the moment as the actor had assumed any person might, to make a show of themselves saving the day to gift funds to someone in need. Simply alone now save for his circling thoughts he waited to be rung up so he could head out to his flashy car and drive back to his penthouse apartment in an area with far more expensive shops that drive him here for a bargain.

You had beaten your Dad back and getting the fries started you began to cut the rinsed and peeled corn from the cob to heat up along with the noodles you put on to boil next. In a spicy chili of sorts your own take on pasta salad came to life and widely grinning while you set that aside to cool your dad came in breaking out the patties he thawed in a move to the fridge earlier to use your ridged skillet to cook them up.

Breaking the content silence you voiced a thought you didn’t know when to say, “I’m going to need a list of all the light bulbs and filters. And candles for when power goes out, with matches.”

Lowly he chuckled, “I will have that readied for you by the time you get back. Along with a list of some small things you might also need to get started out.”

Moving each cooked patty to a plate off to the side sharing how the job was settled for the following week to tear up the wood floors and by the time that was done the tiles and carpet would be delivered to be installed the following day. Until then the team in charge of the shelves would be out the day after you’d flown back with the wood you wanted he would ensure was right up to par with the designs you had drafted up.

This was his baby girl’s home and he couldn’t be prouder at how you’d earned the funds for it and had taken charge after a timid blink of a moment to get what you wanted set to come to life. He couldn’t wait for Richard to get back out here to help you furnish and paint this monster of a home and get to settling knowing just how he’d love to have a beginning here too. You shared similar tastes and even without his input he knew as long as you were here Richard would feel at home.

The apartment had been good to get used to one another better. But if he was to have grand babies there would need to be some space to allow them to be made and to grow. And if you were to be climbing five flights of stairs he wanted it to be inside your own home with ample places to curl up in between if you were too tired to get up to the top floor. Most of all he wanted this to be perfect to help bolster your courage that you could succeed, you were new and knowing how famous actors knew your name and liked your jobs you’d chosen he wanted that to be common and not an out of place thing. Beast of Bards had done that, you had splashed onto scene and now the world just had to catch up to how indescribable you are.

After the meal was eaten and cleared it was time to bed so you’d be rested for the awards the following afternoon.

.

‘Hello Neighbor’ was the tagline for the story playing on the news blasting the news of your tour of the brownstone beside Keanu’s apartment with a picture of your meeting. Emphasized estimates of the block average price were given you might be dropping after the huge success Bard had grown to with an added note that the film had flown off the shelves with several stores on a backlist to get more copies in at the demand.

The anchor stated plainly that you must have made a killing with your previous films and were set to make even more with Kong when it did come out with a brief mention of a ‘project’ you were working on out in Canada currently. Concluding that you were a star to be reckoned with and weren’t going anywhere close to having Beast be a one time fluke for your success on film.

Over your breakfast plate your fork hovered as you said, “All that coming from the show that passed me over to interview a monkey handler.” The statement earned a chortle from your dad already having been smiling at their raving review on you.

“What else is on your mind? I can tell you’re deflecting.”

In a glance over at him you asked, “What do you think about a pirate ship chandelier for a nursery?” That had his grin easing out, “Mom made Peter Pan sketches you hung for mine, we haven’t talked babies seriously, but we have room, and I think the room by the back left corner on the third floor would be a good one.”

“I think that’s a great idea. Do you want me to talk to Rich about babies?”

“It’s not something that we plan on soon or right away, so maybe get the chandelier and just, sort of leave it open for when we need it. We don’t need to go buying a crib he just proposed I don’t want to-,”

“You are not going to scare him away. There is nowhere far enough he could hide from me if he tried. He wants a family told me so, it’s not an easy talk, your mom and I never had a talk, just sort of woke to her passing out on her way to get some grapefruit. You were a remarkable surprise and it was instant nursery planning and no complaints when I came back with armfuls of soft plushy Peter Pan decorations, nice and neutral. I think maybe you could do a mural or two across the wall and he might take the hint, sort of a future possibility room, some cubbies and built ins the mural and chandelier, maybe a rocking chair or loveseat.”

“Thank you.”

“You are so very welcome, babies always come to mind when houses come up.”

“I do want them to know the ranch too.”

“They will, and England, give them a nice round view of the world. Have about five years to think on which country they’ll go to school in, that’ll be a big one. But take your time, maybe it’ll be a job deciding it all.”

“Should we get barn door gates for the stairs like at the ranch?”

“We can, be prepared, even if to just keep guests out. I’ll be glad to handle that for you.”

“I would say glass ones but I can only think of things going badly with that.”

“Oh yes, not safe, and metal ones would only encourage hands to go through only welcoming injuries or attempted break outs.” He said with locked smile glad to have a plan started for the future grandbabies and their intended floor.

“I also have to figure out where the furniture from Canada is going, mine is kinda clear not much to move.” Glancing between him and your plate you asked, “How long do you think it’d take to fix it up?”

His smile came out again, “It is mostly cosmetic once we get the floors handled, island installed, counters replaced and shelving and cabinets in again. We could move in as soon as we pick the appliances if you like. L said you could still keep the apartment as long as you wanted till you felt ready same as Lee, who I know would be glad to have a home out here especially after his surgery scare.”

“I can always ask, his Agent’s trying to get him to the West Coast though for roles.”

“Boy can fly,” making you smirk, “Lord knows you do enough. Least this way he’ll have a room to come back to when he isn’t drug off home to Oklahoma. He’s not vanishing either under my watch he’ll come back if he does try to head off.”

You nodded and said, “Well either way won’t be long till I guess I’ll be back and trying to figure out how to share the place with him. I don’t know how it seems like sometimes I’m so ahead of the game.”

He smiled reaching over to pat your free hand resting on the table, “You take after me, Pumpkin. He grew up traveling while you grew up working the land and grinding hard to the ground for what you want. You have confidence in your ethic he’ll master over time. I felt the same over my younger brothers when they reached 18 and weren’t ready to jump to dad mode like I had, people vary but the influence of those around us help to build us up. We’ll get him there, he’s still young and learning. Plus you can’t forget with grandparents like yours you had a huge head start on working with producers, instructors and near to unreachable expectations. I am so proud of you for that, and I am glad I could have managed to grant you a childhood too before your battle of wills kicked in.”

“I wish you could have had one.”

Deepening his grin, “I did with you. Working with you is, profound. Honestly, I was a bit confused why you wanted to perform, I never doubted you or thought yourself out of bounds talent wise, but just the drive, but working with you I saw it. We taught you to read and opened doors to so many worlds and now you share stories with people bringing them to life, it’s infectious. There’s a bit of a time machine effect where you get to go back in time almost. And somehow I managed to get an award for being big and menacing, never thought I’d get that.”

“You have to tell me though, how jealous are the uncles?” That had him laugh out loud.

“Impossibly. The kids love the award shows and will brag forever that we’re gonna be there for them and their friends to watch.”

“Well shouldn’t be long now for them, takes a bit to get there.”

“Nope, and I can break out my suit to match your fancy dress.”

.

Again in your bathroom with the mirror you eyed the pale blue silk gown with golden panels on your hips feeding from decorative seams to accent your figure on the chunky strapped design smoothing your hands down the sides smoothing a wrinkle out of it. Without the fur wrap the last touch was your shoes, the tall black shoes Jen had helped you to buy with several straps from ankle to the start of your toes, one at a time in your lean against the counter they were put on adding a good help of inches lessening the pool of silk around your feet. Out you went to find your dad waiting with tie fixed into place smiling in his look over the skirt of your dress gauging how likely you might be to trip as he always did. At the call from your arrived driver downstairs a black clutch was grabbed and down you went.

All through the drive you held onto his arm resting over your legs in his try to calm him down by chatting. The carpet however managed that a tad better as your friends from Hugh Jackman to both Jens, Ben Affleck, Colin Farrell, but most especially your friends from the trilogy who all took their turns hugging the both of you and adding you both to more group shots like those you took with your other friends on the way inside. Briefly to his shock Adrien spotted you and your massive shadow casting father through the entrance pictures. Once you went in you found yourselves far from him, tucked on the end of the aisle in the square of seats for the trilogy stars. All chatting until the auditorium was full and the show began.

Breakthrough Female came first with Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen coming out to present it. For Daredevil Jennifer Garner won and you clapped along with the crowd.

Queen Latifah and Adrien Brody came out next and to the sight of the same guy who had been bothering you, softly you sighed through the raucous greeting that died down as the names for Best Kiss nominations were given. Spider-Man’s Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst at their naming came up to collect their golden popcorn bucket statue while your friends in Daredevil Ben and Jen G’s relaxed at not having to go up to stay with their partners they’d rather cuddle up to and steal quick pecks on cheeks from. Avoiding having to fumble who makes the speech or what to say about their on stage kiss on the spot.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were next out for presenting Best Comedic Performance, that Mike Myers accepted for Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett called Kirsten Dunst up again for another win for Spider-Man for the Breakthrough Female Award.

Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell were up next to name the winner of Best Fight. And with the crowd you cheered for your not present friend, Christopher Lee who won with Yoda from his role in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. A representative came out from the Star Wars film who gave a quick thanks and went back to his seat for a quick shift to the next award.

Beyoncé and Johnny Knoxville next named Breakthrough Male, accepted by Eminem for 8 Mile.

Mark Wahlberg and Mýa came out next to introduce Pink for her performance of Feel Good Time. While she performed your dad leaned over to chat quietly with you at his nerves amping up again after hearing from Jen in her trip backstage that the award was up after this performance.

Ashton Kutcher and P. Diddy after the darkened pause of the stage approached the mic stand to name those nominated for Best Villain. Again Mike Myers was up with Colin Farrell, Daniel Day-Lewis, Willem Dafoe and your dad in a good mix from comedic to sinister Villains.

“And the winner is,” the pair together spoke while P. Diddy opened the envelope to say while Ashton’s fingers shifted around the popcorn statue. “Joe Pear!” Smiling widely you giggled and hugged your dad’s arm pulling him from his moment of shock and you saw the camera men step back in the aisle angling the camera to get his rising body to stay in the frame. His seat on the aisle kept you from having to tuck your legs out of his way and clapping and giggling to Viggo’s comment leaning in from your right you watched him stroll up onto the stage where both the men straightened up and peered up at the stunningly tall man over a head taller than the both of them.

In accepting the award your dad moved closer to the mic hunching over the podium to be closer to the mic stand. “Um, thank you for this award. I never really saw myself acting, in the audience yes, but starting over in films after a long time apart I get to work with my little girl, and it’s the most phenomenal job I could have asked for, so it means a lot to have had so many people who enjoy a film we worked so hard on. This is going up on the wall back home next to her awards while growing up.”

To the applause when he straightened up he glanced at the pair of men who hinted he had to go through the back of the stage causing him to glance your way. A silent signal that had you giggle and gather your skirt to sneak to your feet and slip into the aisle to stroll to the stage. That had the duo around your smiling dad smirk watching your smiling path to his side with eyes shining in the lights along with the giggling smile matching his widening one that even in your lightened hair you still his mini twin. His hand extended and at his side you moved folding yours in it to show him through the process of the mysterious back as well as you could guess at not being back there yourself either.

For those not among the cheering crowd grew quieter to the signal of the switch of award presenters only to be joined by the rest seeing who it was, the main focus was the vast difference of height accentuated by your 5 ft 2 in self over a foot and seven inches shorter than him even with six inch heels.

Best Trans-Atlantic Performance was next with David and Victoria Beckham pitting Orlando and Colin against one another while your dad handed over the award being told that his engraved statue would be delivered to the ranch address he gave them. A few questions were asked backstage lasting long enough for Colin, who won, to join you both there.

Soon to be joined by Viggo and Orlando who accepted the award on Peter’s behalf for the Best Action Sequence presented by Paul Walker and Tyrese Gibson for the Battle of Helms Deep scene in The Two Towers.

Sharon Osbourne next introduced 50 Cent performing "In Da Club" / "Wanksta". Both of which providing cover for your slip back out to your seats.

Jason Biggs and Alyson Hannigan presented Best On-Screen Team. Won by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and Andy Serkis. That pulled them from their seats for their own interviews backstage while you nestled against your dad’s arm at his pleased mood from his and your friends’ wins. Waiting for the day his award would be mailed off, beyond eager to hear that it had arrived at the ranch.

Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson presented Best Virtual Performance that beating out Scooby Doo, Kangaroo Jack, Dobby and Yoda Andy came back to the stage at Gollum’s win.

Amanda Bynes and Hilary Duff introduced t.A.T.u. who performed "All the Things She Said" / "Not Gonna Get Us"

Demi Moore presented Best Male Performance, that in beating out Viggo, Eminem was back out again on stage for 8 Mile.

With a grin your new neighbor Keanu was out to present Best Movie with the Two Towers, Barbershop, 8 Mile, Beast of Bards and Spider-Man up for it. Two Towers was named and Viggo helped you back up to your feet for your group to head up together so that you could all sneak out at once.

Back in the middle of actors on your way through the crowded back halls to a side door where the limo were waiting Ian claimed hold of your hand luring a curious smile across your lips catching his eye. Low and close to you he asked in a murmur, “I might have been mistaken, however, was it true, I heard that you had come out as queer?”

“I, how did you hear that?”

Smirking at you he replied shifting to avoid another celeb passing by him, “As you always say my dear, everyone has ears.”

Softly you exhaled and avoided a statuesque model passing between you and the wall mid gulp of her martini from one of the mini parties in the back room she was exiting then came back to his side saying, “Well. I always knew I was something, but one of the Queens who does my hair helped me realize I’m ace.”

Parting his lips, “Truly one of a kind you are in every angle of you.”

That had you giggle and say, “Well I always used to just call myself Tigger, from Winnie the Pooh.” That had his brow tick up till you said, “Cuz I’m the only one.”

Lowly he chuckled and replied, “You are not. And I must say welcome. There are very few even rumored ace performers in the world. You are in fine company even I have heard through a friend that I’m Marilyn Monroe’s journals there is evidence she was possibly ace herself. So very fine company indeed. You are not the only one.”

You smirked again, “Then we all must be blindfolded in this forest because we are exceptionally hard to find and silent as ever in our own confusion.”

That had him chuckle through your soft giggle causing Viggo in front of you to steal a grinning glance back at you two ensuring you hadn’t been lost. “True it is a difficult thing to voice I can imagine. Does your father and Richard know?”

“Oh ya. I mean they knew before I had the name. Dad used to take it as I was a June Cleaver with only eyes for my hubby I was head over heels for. Nothing to be cross about. Rich’s brother Chris is a bit jealous he loved the nickname ace when they were kids. Always wanted to be his name when they played cowboys or race car drivers,” widening the grin across Ian’s face. “I tried explaining it to Lee before but like most teenagers I tried to express the meaning behind how I saw people, I guess, intimately, it all sort of got muddled. So he’s happy for me, still doesn’t get it really but I suppose it’d be hard for him to. Always saw it like the Titanic, no one really got how that marvelous beauty could drown. But everyone on the Titanic is saying you didn’t see that fucking iceberg come out of nowhere.”

“Well put.” He chuckled out and let you go first through the door Viggo was holding for you leading outside. “Very well put.”

Pt 41

[the-fae-folk]

Feasting

Ah, Fairy Food. There are so many stories of them, of those fantastical flavors that ensnare the senses, of the humans whose tongues met with wonders and would never settle for mortal foods again. The food of Faerie is said to satisfy when other foods shall turn to dust and ashes in the mouth. But...what is Faerie Food like? Picture a garden growing across a great feasting table. There are grapes not even picked from the vine, delicious strawberries floating in meadow cream and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. Imagine fresh orange slices swimming in molten chocolate while the peels have been used to make a beautiful orange slice cake with pecans and dates. Oh the sweet smells that come from a volcanic maw of bubbling honey mead in a stone basin that looks like a mountain. Though it bubbles as if very hot, the mead is chilled to very cold temperatures. It is made with elderberries and dripping golden honey. The wine flows freely at the feasts. Splashing into crystal goblets and glasses, mixed with sunlight and song and wind from the moors. So many wonders and strange mixtures, some of it you would never consider food until after you’d tried it and realized that you could never get enough. Combinations of flavors and a vast array of colors and imaginative arrangements. But there are also familiar things. Loaves of fresh baked bread still hot and smelling of basil and cardamon, cloves and rosemary, sesame or nutmeg. And the cheeses, filled with almonds or walnuts, soft and creamy, or sharp and tasting ever so faintly of goats milk and apples. Everything from the look to the tastes to the smells is like a shock to your senses. The creators of these meals have had millennia to perfect their skills, to experiment and to design. Each and every feast is different, no two exactly alike. Can you imagine that kind of dedication? That artistry? Yet... not all meals are so grand. Some are simple. Yet even the most humble of Faerie foods is enough to alter the tastes of any human who eats it. Fruit picked from the trees in Faerie drip their juices down your chin as you gorge yourself. So, Child. When you wander in Faerie...be careful not to eat of the food you are offered. Yet...if you are daring, and you can exact a promise of safety for a mortal, you might risk a bite... it could be your only chance.

[abiteofnat]

Something wicked this way comes...

In the hands of a server just trying her damn best to impress the socks off us. Recently I had a curious dining experience with one of my good friends who was invited to try Joe’s Imports in the West Loop due to her blogger status and expertise in all things fabulous, as of course she accepted and we were amped to go. Like, AMPED. This place is blowing up on Instagram since I’m pretty sure they’ve reached out to anyone with a decent following, and the Instagram bloggers have delivered big time. It has hype- but does it deliver? I was curious.  The menu looked full of promise with lots of shared plates boasting buzzwords like burrata, honeycomb, truffle, caviar, and my favorite, bread, and by the end of a long Tuesday I was ready for a fat glass of something. 

Upon entering this wine bar slash small plates place, I immediately felt like I was in London. Kennsington to be exact. It’s slender and dim, with marble-topped tables and a grand bar that takes up the first half of the wall, and chandeliers dot the ceiling to provide an intimate glow. But, unlike other wine bars, this place isn’t “sexy.” It’s feminine, with fresh flowers overflowing from silver vases, but masculine at the same time, with deep navy colors and soft butter leather booths. It feels exactly how a British business man looks- elite, clad in navy, classic, and just a little metro. We settled into the back corner booth that was actually quite comfortable and made me feel like I could stay a while, and then took a deep dive into menu. Even though Joe’s Imports is a wine bar, we took it upon ourselves to try some of the cocktails since they looked beautiful. The menu was outdated, so I couldn’t order the cocktail I wanted, however I got the Jose All Day with mezcal instead of basic tequila and it was delicious. Truly one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had, and so we had two! 

We ordered an abundance of food and watched the place fill up with every West Loop’s dream customer: young, well-dressed, probably just came from work and looking to blow money on a night out with friends. While the wine is priced alright, cocktails are $15 a pop, and the menu is on the higher side for small plates. For $15 a cocktail, it better come in the shape of a bottle. Trader Joe’s wine section has ruined me. Our server practically broke a sweat trying to make sure we were well taken care of, and she was easily the star of the night. Hopes were high. Drinks were good. I liked the booth. 

And then, the food. 

First we got the Burrata and the Ricotta. The burrata was served in a bowl, which alone is odd, and was on top of a walnut goo and seasonal pear salad. It came with bread, which is the ideal burrata mate- however, they royally messed up. This bread was so oily and toasted that it hurt to bite through, and coated my lips in a layer of stove-top grease. I do not know why they butchered this bread, and didn’t just serve it “raw” or lightly toasted, and I do not know how to convey exactly how strange this bread prep was. You know the smell your hair and clothes pick up with you go to a stir-fry or hibachi place? That smokey, sesame oil smell? That’s what the bread tasted like. So I continued to eat the burrata on its own, which was fine, but this burrata was no better than the burrata Sweetgreens was putting on top of a salad all summer for $11.95 a salad. For $15+ burrata, this was sad. 

Then, the ricotta. It comes with a honeycomb and a huge dollop of ricotta... and guess what else. THE FUCKING BREAD. Same bread, same oil, nothing new. Ricotta was tasteless, the honeycomb was cute. 

Onto the next course: Brussels Sprouts and the Raviolo. The brussels sprouts were served like a shaved salad and coated in cheese, which my dining partner loved but which gave the whole salad a very overwhelming flavor. The sprouts tasted spoiled and I did not continue to eat it. Brussels sprouts are delicious when toasted and caramelized, but when they’re raw and tossed in a vinegar-y salad count me out. The raviolo... I almost don’t want to write about it. It’s one very large ravioli filled with spinach, duck egg, brown butter and truffle. The makings of a lovely dish, except when it’s served cold. I don’t know about you, but biting into a cold duck egg in the center of a cold pasta (that is NOT supposed to be cold) is just off-putting. When they bring out the raviolo, there is a large to-do with a server cutting it and plating it for you. They probably count this as part of the $20+ cost, and it is not worth it. We asked for another one that was hot in case that changed the taste, but sadly, the flavors are too mild and too soft to really feel like the square of pasta you get is worth it. 

The one thing I liked, because I was raised to believe potato chips were a very rare and special treat, was the Chips & Dip. It is literally a $18 plate of housemade chips, which are fine, and a dill & sour cream dip, which was also fine. Why is it $18? They put caviar on top of the dip, and it is salty and tastes like an aquarium. 

So, overall, this place is a mixed bag. It’s gorgeous and a fun place to grab a few drinks for any number of occasions, and I can imagine it would be a fantastic buy-out for a party. However, for dinner? Pass. Please understand it’s exceptionally hard for me to write poorly about a place since I work in the restaurant industry, however it’s truly shocking to try somewhere that’s being raved about on social and feel like it’s really not what it’s cracked up to be. Joe’s Imports, thank you for having us in, and I will be back for another marg. 

Until next time, Happy Eating! 

- Natalie 

[dietsauthority]

25 Indulgent Dairy-Free Recipes You Need To Try

Whether you are just one of the approximated 30-50 million Americans that experiences lactose intolerance or you're attempting to prevent milk as a method to boost your overall health and wellness, the adhering to 25 indulgent dairy-free recipes will certainly make you eagerly anticipate meal time!

Why Would Someone Ditch Dairy?

Along with far better digestion wellness, dropping milk has been connected to a variety of health and wellness advantages, such as improved sinuses, clearer skin, and also enhanced energy levels. Some researches also reveal going dairy-free could strengthen your bones. I recognize that violates every little thing you probably discovered as a young kid since milk is referred to as a wonderful source of calcium. According to a 2014 study published in the British Medical Journal, scientists who complied with more than 100,000 people in Sweden over a duration of 20 to 30 years discovered milk drinkers really experienced extra total bone fractures and also hip cracks. This isn't the only research study to reach these findings.

What Is Dairy Exactly?

By interpretation, dairy products are foods and drinks that are made from the milk of mammals, such as cows and goats. Popular dairy items consist of milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as butter.

So what about eggs?

For some reason, individuals enjoy to glob eggs into the 'dairy' category. Eggs are not a dairy item and could most certainly be included in a dairy-free diet. That's terrific information given that eggs are a remarkable resource of healthy protein, healthy fats, and various other nutrients that benefit the body.

Recipes

Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes

1) Healthy Yogurt and Granola Parfait - As I just mentioned, yogurt is normally a no-go when you're eating dairy-free. However, much like exactly how there are dairy-free milk alternatives, there are additionally dairy-free yogurt choices. A few of them consist of soy yogurt, almond yogurt, and also coconut yogurt. In this dish, the developer layers coconut yogurt in between fruit, hemp seeds, as well as chia seeds! It takes just minutes to toss together and is an easy grab-and-go breakfast.

2) Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats - Overnight oats are incredibly simple to prepare, you can consume them on the move, and also they're loaded with healthy components. To make your own, all you have to do is load a Mason container with oats, fluid, some add-ins, and garnishes. Pop it in the fridge overnight as well as the flavors will fuse together by the morning. No cooking required. This specific recipe is loaded with healthy protein and also fiber that will certainly assist maintain you really feeling full for longer. And also, making use of either almond or coconut milk maintains this recipe dairy-free approved!

3) Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins - Are you someone who delights in baked goods for morning meal? If so, these cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins are a must-try. They're bursting with flavor and also are extremely damp, many thanks to the coconut oil and pumpkin puree. If you're viewing your sugar consumption, you could constantly avoid the outer covering of cinnamon sugar!

4) Banana Muffins - These banana muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free, and also refined sugar-free. Bananas and coconut flour include the mass, chia seeds work as the binder, and numerous various other active ingredients (like honey, vanilla, and also cinnamon) develop a durable flavor.

5) Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Pancakes - No issue what age you are, pancakes are constantly an enjoyable breakfast food. Since they're normally full of gluten-laden flour, milk, and butter, it's rather fair to claim that pancakes can make your palate desire to do a little dance. However, the same can not be stated for your midsection. With a few straightforward component swaps, pancakes are in fact simple to healthify. Take this gluten-free as well as dairy-free dish. Utilizing bananas, oat flour, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and also a couple of other components, a tiny stack of these pancakes is really a guilt-free breakfast!

6) 3-Ingredient No-Bake Cereal Bars - Are your mornings typically as well frantic to appreciate a sit-down breakfast with the family members? No concerns! Whip up a batch of these no-bake cereal bars on Sunday night so you have a nourishing on-the-go option during the job week. With simply three ingredients - a grain of your choice, peanut butter, and also a liquid sugar of your option - it does not obtain any simpler compared to this!

7) No-Bake Cranberry Coconut Energy Bites - Cranberries, walnuts, oats, coconut shreds, as well as flaxseed are all held together by almond butter and also pure maple syrup. Simply roll the ingredients into little spheres, pop them in the fridge to establish, and appreciate them on the move. Each bite offers a strike of healthy protein, vitamins, minerals, and also craveable flavor.

8) Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt - Yogurt is a terrific morning meal or snack choice given that it's packed with real-time societies, Also Known As probiotics, that benefit the gut. Did you recognize that researchers connect the gut to nearly every function in the human body?

9) Dairy-Free Frittata With Spinach and Tomatoes - Many times, frittatas are made with some dairy products to develop that light and also cosy structure. It's really not required. This dish uses eggs, coconut milk, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and also some type of meat (if you comply with a vegan or vegan diet regimen then simply leave the meat out). Pop your mixture in the oven for a few mins and dig in.

10) Environment-friendly Vegan Healthy protein Healthy smoothie - Green smoothie mixes are loaded with nutrients that sustain general health. When you throw some plant-based healthy protein into the mix, also much better! This dish asks for a range of superfoods - spinach, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almond butter, and banana. And also, maintaining with the dairy-free motif, the maker used bitter almond milk instead than lactose-filled cow's milk. A few days add natural sweetness to the drink, but if you need more you could constantly press in a little bit of raw honey.

Dairy-Free Lunch/Dinner Recipes

11) Cauliflower Fettuccine 'Alfredo' - This super light vegan alfredo pasta sauce is made with cooked cauliflower, olive oil, and spices! A little dietary yeast gives it a nice cheesy flavor. It's a win on taste and also win on texture. If you do not desire to offer it over pasta, pour it over a bed of rice or use it as a veggie dip.

12) Dairy-Free Mac N Cheese - It is feasible to ditch dairy products and enjoy mac n cheese, you just need to obtain creative. The 'cheese' sauce in this dish freezes well so you can conveniently double the recipe and also place fifty percent in a freezer-safe container. Simply heat it up when you prepare to dig in again.

13) Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Potatoes, carrots, onions, cashews, coconut milk, and also dietary yeast typically aren't normal 'grilled cheese' ingredients, yet the end result really tastes a great deal like your childhood years preferred grilled cheese sandwich.

14) Mushroom as well as Kale Pasta - Cashews are used as the base of a creamy sauce that will make you absolutely ignore celebrity in standard lasagna. With just 30 minutes to prep and also an additional HALF AN HOUR to cook, it's most definitely worth a try.

15) Avocado Quesadillas - Cheese quesadillas are fantastic. Pass on. But so are avocado quesadillas. Along with the remarkable preference, this Mexican-inspired meal is actually quite healthy and balanced. Avocados are filled with healthy and balanced fats and healthy proteins that nurture the body in more ways compared to one.

16) Dairy-Free Pesto - While pesto isn't really normally considered as a 'milk food,' lots of dishes do ask for parmesan cheese. While dairy products pesto is excellent, it actually doesn't require celebrity to please your palate. This dish celebrates simplicity with cilantro (you can likewise use basil), olive oil, garlic, want nuts, lemon juice, as well as a little salt and pepper. Once you work up a bowl of this delicious pesto, use it as a dip, spread, pasta sauce, or dressing.

Dairy-Free Dessert Recipes

17) Raw Chocolate Cake - Most of the times, abundant and also indulgent cakes include full-fat milk and also butter. Of program, I can not fail to remember the frosting, which typically has, even much more, milk or cream and also butter. But it doesn't need to be in this way, and this cake verifies it! One bite of this Raw Delicious chocolate Cake by the famous Jamie Oliver and also you could be misleaded right into thinking it's the actual deal. Sweetened with Medjool dates, honey, as well as raw cacao, it's extremely wonderful without using any refined sugar. For the frosting, coconut oil, agave, honey, and even more cacao are placed on display.

18) Delicious chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake - Making a dairy-free milkshake is way less complicated compared to you might even recognize. All you need to do is exchange out the routine cow's milk for a nut milk. In this dish, the designer used almond milk, however you can use hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and even rice milk if you choose. Given that numerous refined chocolate items do contain dairy, this dish makes use of chocolate powder.

19) Healthier Dairy-Free Cheesecake - This dish is a lightened-up variation of standard cheesecake with a 3rd of the calories as well as sugar ... and no dairy. It combines dairy-free lotion cheese with coconut yogurt, vanilla remove, a sugar, lemon juice, as well as a little corn starch. You will certainly need to cook this set, but it's still very simple to whip up!

20) Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake - This recipe is excellent during Fall as well as the colder winter season months. Something about the combination of pumpkin as well as cinnamon simply makes this much healthier dairy-free cheesecake taste like comfort.

21) Yellow Cake Donuts - I'm not going to sugar layer this - there is a great deal of sugar in this dish. While donuts aren't something you'll want to consist of in your day-to-day diet regimen, they're definitely an enjoyable reward from time-to-time. If you're trying to find a dairy-free version of your favorite yellow cake donut after that this dish is perfect for you. Instead of milk, the dish requires unsweetened coconut milk, instead of butter, it includes healthy and balanced avocado oil.

22) 3-Ingredient Double Delicious chocolate Mousse - The structure of whipped coconut lotion is absolutely amazing. So it's not surprising that by adding a little powdered sugar as well as cocoa powder you would develop an outstanding dairy-free mousse.

23) 3-Ingredient Dairy Free Fudge - This is the ideal no-bake reward. Utilizing coconut milk, confectioner's sugar, as well as dairy-free chocolate chips, this treat will take you about 10 mins to make and it's sure to excite a crowd.

24) Edible Cookie Dough - Is it just me or is there something addictive concerning cookie dough? It's a lot more lip-smacking great compared to a baked cookie! The only problem is - given that many cookie recipes require eggs, the raw dough isn't all that safe to eat. Enter this edible cookie dough dish. Simply make sure to use dairy-free delicious chocolate to maintain this recipe entirely devoid of dairy.

25) No-Churn Dairy-Free Ice Lotion - I yell, you shout, all of us shout for dairy-free-ice-cream! A bowl of this smooth and also creamy treat is made from coconut milk, sugar, as well as simply a touch of powdered gelatin. A few doses as well as you could be fooled right into assuming it's the actual deal!

[foodpilgrim]

Appalachian Anomaly

At the annual Table Rock Writers Workshop last week, our special guest was Emily Nunn, a native of southwest Virginia and author of The Comfort Food Diaries, published in 2017 by Simon & Schuster. Emily read from the memoir in which she discovers that comfort food is less about the dish and more about its preparation. Food can be a way to express the deepest care without saying a word. Cooking for others can be more comforting than eating itself.

After her presentation, Emily, who also created the “Table for Two” column in the New Yorker magazine when she worked there, revealed a recent discovery—a wood-fired pizza joint in an unlikely place—Roan Mountain, Tennessee, the little village at the base of the high peak that divides North Carolina and Tennessee. Back in the 19th century, the winding road to the top, then very narrow and precarious, allowed traffic in one direction (toward Tennessee) in the mornings and then became one way toward North Carolina in the afternoons. Hardscrabble mountain people made the passage on foot, by hack, and on horseback as they could.

Eventually, in 1894, a resort hotel called The Cloudland was built right on the state line near the peak at 6,286 feet. Travelers could rent rooms with spring mattresses, copper tubs, and steam heat for two dollars a night, a fee which also included three meals. The state line was painted on the dining room floor at the Cloudland, because those seated in Tennessee could order an alcoholic beverage to go with their meals, but those who were on the North Carolina side could not. The Mitchell County (NC) sheriff reportedly came often at dinnertime to patrol the border, hoping some of those imbibing in Tennessee might accidentally stumble across the state line into North Carolina, presumably then being forced to pay a fine as steep as the slopes of the Roan.

Anyway, I digress.

Emily’s report of the Roan Mountain pizza was so evocative that Donna Campbell and I set out at week’s end to sample it. I have reported here on Pie on the Mountain in Lansing, NC, and Big Ed’s Pizza in Oak Ridge, TN. Both restaurants feature righteously fresh ingredients, including the now-ubiquitous Benton’s Tennessee Bacon. However, the pinnacle of pizzas for me is in Carrboro, NC, where Gabe Barker--the son of James Beard Award-winning chefs Karen and Ben Barker--makes ten-inch Neapolitan miracles at his Pizzeria Mercato. 

Gabe has developed a handcrafted thin yeast dough that blisters to perfection in his gas-fired oven. The Mercato toppings vary with the season--organic vegetables and meats from the Carrboro Farmer’s Market across the street and the finest imports of Castelvetrano olives, Italian cheeses, and dried Calabrian chiles. Gabe’s most sublime creation to date is a grilled sweet corn and Gorgonzola pizza topped with razor thin slices of Serrano pepper scattered sparsely enough to open the sinuses without numbing the tongue. But I digress again.

On the way to Tennessee Donna and I studied the Smoky Mountain Bakery’s online menu and agreed on the Gourmet Veggie and the Hiker’s Surprise.  All of their pizzas are more-or-less 12 inches and range in price from ten to twelve dollars with a maximum of twelve toppings.  When we arrived on Cloudland Drive, we couldn’t see the restaurant from the road, only a bank of sunflowers just beginning to bend toward autumn.

The sign out front

Ten years ago, Tim and Crystal Decker, both northern Californians and seasoned chefs, set up shop in a renovated barn to create this Appalachian anomaly.  He is a European-style artisanal bread maker and she is a pastry expert. Their son Anton, a musician, also takes a turn in the kitchen.

If Gabe Barker’s place in Carrboro is urban chic—concrete floors and recycled timber tables and benches—this place is shabby seventies. No frills, no fuss. A throwback to hippiedom.

Breakfast is still under way when we walk in, served until 10:45—omelets, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, Belgian waffles, and pastries. The pizza oven is blazing by 11:00. The line soon runs out the door, and inside you find yourself waiting amid stock storage—cardboard boxes piled high and to-go pizzas already stacked in boxes on a low bench for pick-up beside the cashier’s station. A glass cabinet holds cherry pinwheels, lemon crinkles, coconut macaroons, snicker doodles, blueberry scones, red velvet sandwich cookies filled with cream cheese, banana bran muffins, and little loaves of pumpkin bread laced with walnuts and cranberries. A sign above these treats reads: “Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.”  On the opposite wall, a metal baker’s rack on wheels is heaped with chocolate chip cookies and sweet rolls in plastic bags to go.

Eight young people are navigating around the flour-covered worktable in the kitchen. Two are rolling out dough, another is chopping toppings. Another slathers on tomato sauce while the young man closest to the hot maw of the oven wields the pizza shovel with grace. The rest take turns taking orders and swiping credit cards through nothing more than an iPhone.

Down the line, salads of frisee, mesclun mix, luscious cherry tomatoes, and random red beans sit in closed clam shells on refrigerator shelves for the taking. Three bucks per salad or two for five, DIY. Commercial dressings, however, come sealed in packets at the ordering window—the only disappointment, as it turns out. On down the line, self-serve fountain drinks with free refills are two dollars. There are a few tables inside; many more outside on the wrap around deck.

We place our order, take a number, and find communal benches at a long picnic table out back in sunlight dappled by a half-dozen black walnut trees towering over two sides of the deck. There is a vegetable garden, now waning, in the sideyard. Trees up the hill beyond are rounded sculptures of kudzu. Tendrils trail down and wave in the breeze. A sudden waft of woodsmoke heightens my appetite. We prepare with paper plates, napkins, plastic cutlery, and condiments, including red chile flakes and a shaker of parmesan that doesn’t taste like sawdust. All of these acoutrements are anchored against the wind in plastic bins on each table.  The service is surprisingly quick.

Gourmet Veggie and Hiker’s Surprise. All photos by Donna Campbell

The Gourmet Veggie pie comes first--backroad-Italian rustic—chunky onions, generous bites of artichoke, a heavy hand of cheese.  Yet, the dominant taste is salty black Kalamata olives and sweet sundried tomatoes—both flavors intensified by the oven’s heat.  I suspect the tomatoes are local and dried on the premises. Fantastic.

Next out, the Hiker’s Surprise lives up to its name immediately. What is that crunch?  Besides the saltine-like crust, there are deliciously browned chunks of walnut. Wow. The walnut pieces have been laid down on a light brush of pesto and then slyly covered by slabs of mushroom, more sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions, and the silky melt of Gorgonzola. The only thing I can imagine that might add to this magic is a handful of sliced red grapes spread and roasted over the top. (I mention this addition only to work in another  pizza joint recommendation in Fayetteville, West Virginia, near the New River Gorge. Pies and Pints is the name—Gorgonzola and Grape is the pizza’s appelation.)

So, Miss Emily Nunn, you do not disappoint. These pizzas are a rare find, an unusual amalgam of flavors in an even more unlikely place. But as you told us last week at the writing workshop, the comfort often comes in the odd mix at the table. Or as she put it near the end of her book: 

“Luckily, I had figured out that life was not a banquet at all but a potluck. A party celebrating nothing but the desire to be together, where everyone brings what they have, what they are able to at any given time, and it is accepted with equal love and equanimity.”  

That’s how it was for us at the writing workshop--sharing what we had brought unvarnished, both our manuscripts and our personal stories, mostly told at table when we stopped long enough to eat. And so it was at this Appalachian anomaly—Californians making pizzas and pastries on the side of an ancient mountain. We declared our gratitude in the moment, delighting in the many tastes unfolding, bite after bite, on a not-exactly-round but satisfying crust.

[ch21con]

2019 Blog Tour: Interview with Julia Byers and ON THE COME UP Giveaway!

Hello, readers! Today we’re participating in the Ch1Con & Ch21Con 2019 Blog Tour, an annual tour in preparation for this year’s conferences, which brings original content from the Chapter One Events team to a number of fantastic, writing-related blogs. This is the 2019 blog tour’s FIRST STOP! Yay!

And: along with it comes a GIVEAWAY for a signed copy of ON THE COME UP by Angie Thomas! In order to qualify, you must:

tweet about the giveaway

follow one of our Twitter accounts (@Ch1Con or @Ch21Con on Twitter)

register for the conference

love Angie Thomas (which every human should anyway)

(Rafflecopter link for this giveaway here)

That is all pretty thrilling, but you know what else is thrilling? A nonprofit conference both for and by young writers, with lots of online events! If you are or know a writer between the ages of 11 and 29 who’s in need of a strong community, well, you’ve come to the right place.

What’s Chapter One Events, you ask?

Chapter One Events is a nonprofit organization that brings writing information and publishing opportunities to young writers—culminating in the annual Chapter One Young Writers Conference (Ch1Con, ages 11-20) and the brand new Chapter Twenty-One Conference (Ch21Con, ages 21-29). The Chapter One Events team is composed of a mix of middle school, high school, college, and twenty-something writers, who work together to create a unique, inclusive experience for young attendees.

The two conferences bring tweens, teens, and young adults together to hear from accomplished authors their own age, participate in professional workshops, and celebrate the influence young writers have on the world. With an atmosphere that combines the professional aspects of writing conferences with the awesomeness of hanging out with fellow young book nerds, Ch1Con and Ch21Con are truly can’t-miss events!

OK, so what is this post about?

To be clear, this post is NOT an advertisement, promoted post, etc. We (the Chapter One Events team) are just way too excited about this conference, and really want the right audience to know about it! That’s what the blog tour is all about: getting the info out so that young writers in need of community can find us.

This year we’re opening up the Ch21Con Tumblr to start off our 2019 blog tour, to let you know all about this year’s conference. (Don’t worry, if you fear you can’t make it, you totally can keep up with us through online events and live-streams!)

We’ve got an interview from the FOUNDER of Chapter One Events, Julia Byers, below. Even if you’ve never heard of us before, I would recommend reading through her interview! She’s got tons of awesome thoughts on the world of being a young writer.

(She’s also being interviewed by Ariel Kalati, a member of the Ch21Con team, who is a large fan of Panera Bread and complaining.)

READ MORE:

1. Can you tell us a brief history of how the conference came to be?

So, our original conference, the Chapter One Young Writers Conference, for younger writers ages 11-20, came about thanks to two things. First, there were these old writing forums for teens called Write It. A group of us on there had become close friends over the years but, being the internet (and us being minors), had never had a chance to actually meet one another. So, we lay the scene with that. Then, when I was sixteen, I began attending big writer's conferences in NYC--and I was pretty intimidated by the scale of the events and the fact that I was one of very few non-adults attending them, and also was frustrated because all of the advice shared didn't quite apply to me (because the speakers were talking about fitting in writing around taking your kid to theatre rehearsal, not, well, being the kid going to theatre rehearsal). So somehow, between these two things, I got it into my head that WE, the teens of Write It, should put on our own writer's conference--something small and fun and tailored explicitly to teenagers. And so, Ch1Con was born. As for our second conference, the Chapter Twenty-One Conference, for writers ages 21-29: fast forward to 2016, and I was graduating from college and moving to NYC to work in publishing, and I wasn't quite the awkward teen writer I used to be. (No, now I was an awkward *twenty-something* writer.) A number of our volunteers and attendees were also aging out of the target age group for Ch1Con. We all really loved the conference, though, and none of us wanted to give it up. So, we thought, "Why not make a similar conference, just targeting slightly older writers? And hey, while we're at it, we're all of age and full of existential dread now, so why not add alcohol?" And so the Chapter Twenty-One Conference was born as well. We officially launched Ch21Con in 2018 and I'm SO excited to see where both conferences go in the future! 2. What are some difficulties that face the average twentysomething writer, and how does Ch21Con help with these?

I think one of the biggest issues my twenty-something writer friends and I face is finding the time and energy to write. It's so easy to get over-scheduled, between work and/or school, chores, working out, cooking, errands, attempting to maintain some semblance of a social life--basically, it turns out life is very good at getting in the way. So, Ch21Con works to help carve out a space in everyone's busy schedules throughout the year, by hosting monthly online events such as Twitter chats on various writing-related topics and virtual write-ins where we all discuss our current projects and motivate one another to get in some words. Basically, we strive to give writers the opportunity to carve out the space in their lives they need in order to tell their stories. 3. What are you most excited about for this year's conference?

Ahhhhh this is such a hard one! I'm excited for everything??! That said, probably what I'm most excited about is hearing debut author Joan He speak. I've been lucky enough to know Joan for years now, and I've had her name tucked away to lead a workshop at the conferences pretty much since the beginning, just waiting for her to get a book published. Joan is such a talented, smart, hardworking young writer, it's going to be truly special to finally hear her speak at the conferences. (And I recently found out that we'll be the first conferences she'll be leading workshops at, which is super cool in itself!) 4. Tell us about your favorite book or publishing-related memories from the past year.

Oof another hard one. My day job is in the industry, most of my friends work in the industry, and I run Chapter One Events and write in my free time--so basically my entire life is favorite book or publishing-related memories. But hmmm. You know, a really, REALLY cool moment was, actually, walking into my hometown Barnes & Noble in Michigan a couple weeks back and seeing so many friends' books on the shelves. Being so immersed in publishing, it's easy to forget that the books we work on are the Real Published Books that go out in the world. But seeing them in my childhood bookstore so far away from NYC--the place where I met my first authors and dragged my parents every chance I got growing up--was surreal. It reminded me of the reality of what we're all doing, that we're MAKING BOOKS, like BOOKS BOOKS, that ACTUAL PEOPLE READ, and I full-on broke down crying in the middle of the YA section. Like a lunatic. 5. Accessibility is necessary in the publishing community. What are different ways that Chapter One Events makes our content accessible?

Our goal always as an organization has been to make information about the writing and publishing processes more accessible to the young people coming up in the industry, whether they're already aiming for publication or only just starting to figure out how to write their first novel. One way we do this, obviously, is through the conferences. We keep the price as low as possible (subsidizing the events as much as we can out of our own pockets) in order to make it as affordable as we can for young writers. We want them to be able to come meet the authors and publishing professionals who are speaking, build a network with their fellow up-and-coming young writers, and learn about craft. Along this same vein, we keep the conferences small and casual, with equal focuses on learning and fun, because we know how anxiety-inducing big professional events can be and we want this to be a safe space for those just starting out. Additionally, we put on free online events throughout the year, such as the aforementioned monthly Twitter chats and virtual write-ins, as well as events such as our annual Yule Ball, which is a live-streamed panel of young authors talking all things writing and publishing. (We like to think of it as a mini, free, online writer's conference.) We're also constantly working to come up with new ways to share information with the young writers of the world, such as the autumn mentorship program we've put on in the past. 6. Finally: if you had to describe the conference using only Panera Bread-related metaphors, how would you do it?

You know, you'd think I'd be prepared for this one after so many years of answering Panera-related questions for this org, yet this is STILL SOMEHOW THROWING ME (much like that time Panera added Parmesan crisps to their Caesar salad and I was like, "Whaaat?")

But okay. I've got this, I've got this. Ch1Con and Ch21Con are all the comfort food items on the Panera menu: the mac and cheese, the tomato soup, the toasted bagels smothered in melty honey walnut cream cheese. Even if it's your first time eating one of these items, they taste like coming home, much in the same way attending the conferences feels like coming home. (It's been a wonder to me over the years to hear new attendees say again and again that attending our conferences feels like finally finding the community with whom they belong.)

That said, the conferences are also kind of like all the "healthier" items on the Panera menu, the salads and smoothies, in that they seem like the "healthy" choice (networking! career development!), but they also taste really good at the same time (new friendships! meeting authors! free books! pizza!). Finally, Ch1Con and Ch21Con are also like Panera's excellent, super salty kettle chips, because we too are a salty bunch when it comes to discussing favorite book characters and least favorite series endings. (I'm looking at you, Ariel, haha.)

If that made you thrilled to go to this year’s conference, yay! (If not, that’s fine. We’re a nonprofit organization and we’re just happy to reach out to young writers at all! But also, please consider coming.)

Here’s all the info you’ll need about the 2019 conference:

This year, Ch1Con (ages 11-20) is bigger and brighter than ever, with more opportunities, cooler giveaways, and a new roundup of fantastic speakers headlining the conference. And the inaugural Ch21Con (ages 21-29) will feature the same speakers and opportunities—just tailored to a slightly older audience. Both conferences will take place Saturday, June 29th at the Hilton Garden Inn – Chicago O’Hare in Des Plaines, IL (a suburb of Chicago). Registration is currently open on the conferences’ respective websites for $99.99. (This price includes a complimentary pizza party lunch during the conferences, with alternate options available for those with dietary restrictions.)

The speaker lineup features Joan He (author of Descendant of the Crane – Albert Whitman & Co.), Riley Redgate (author of several books, including Final Draft – Abrams/Amulet), and more! Between the awesome presentations and workshops, attendees will have the chance to participate in literary trivia games and giveaways, with prizes including professional critiques, signed books, and advance readers copies (ARCs). There will also be an author panel open to any and all questions at the end of the conferences, followed by a book signing by participating speakers.

During downtime, all participants are free to explore Chicago, relax at the beautiful hotel (where a discounted block of rooms is available for attendees), and network with one another, establishing the sort of vital connections that can jumpstart careers and create lifelong friendships.

The conference weekend will kick off with parties on Friday evening. For the Ch1Con crowd, this will be a gathering in the hotel lobby, where lemonade and assorted snacks will be provided. For the Ch21Con crowd, the Friday night party will be an informal cocktail hour hosted at the hotel bar, the Garden Grille & Bar.

More information on transportation and lodging can be found on the Ch1Con and Ch21Con websites. Early bird registration is currently available here for Ch1Con (ages 11-20) and here for Ch21Con (ages 21-29). Those under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent in order to register.

So, if you’re a young writer and you’re interested in these conferences, register ASAP! With a growing number of tweens, teens, and young adults discovering the magic of Chapter One Events, seats are sure to sell out fast. The last day to register before the higher late rate registration price begins is June 14th. For more information and to join the Ch1Con and Ch21Con communities online, check out the following links:

Chapter One Young Writers Conference (Ages 11-20)

Website: Chapter One Young Writers Conference

Twitter: @Ch1Con

Tumblr: Ch1Con

Instagram: @Ch1Con

YouTube: Chapter One Conference

Facebook: Chapter One Conference

 Chapter Twenty-One Conference (Ages 21-29)

Website: Chapter Twenty-One Conference

Twitter: @Ch21Con

Tumblr: Ch21Con

Instagram: @Ch21Con

Facebook: Chapter 21 Conference

And, of course, you can follow the rest of the Ch1Con & Ch21Con 2019 Blog Tour at: www.chapteroneconference.org or www.chapter21conference.org.

[modernomanbakery]

Best Cake Suppliers in Oman

Think of a birthday celebration without cake. Doesn't it seem difficult, though? Think of a kid's birthday celebration without a fancy cake. The birthday child or girl will throw a fit, and his or her guests will be annoyed as well. For small children, birthday celebrations are usually special occasions, so they insist on bringing all of their favourite things. A special cake will also be provided. Children prefer cakes fashioned in the shape of their favourite cartoon or movie character if you come to watch it. It's like a dream come true when the designer cake is on display.

Black Forest Cake:

The Black Forest Gateau is a specialty of Germany that is frequently referred to as Black Forest Cake in the US. It's easy to find this cake practically anyplace, and many people choose it as a dessert. It has a number of cream layers between layers of chocolate sponge cake. Buy Black Forest Oman .The berries used as a top adornment are one of the key elements that set it apart as a forest cake! Depending on where you live, there are a few variants, such adding rum to give it a stronger flavour.

Carrot Cake:

After a substantial lunch, carrot cake is a delectable and healthy dessert that the whole family may enjoy. A batter containing carrots is used to make carrot cake. Most contemporary recipes for carrot cake call for a white cream cheese icing. Sometimes the cake batter is supplemented with nuts like walnuts, spices like cinnamon, and ground mixed spice.

Butterscotch Cake:

Every sweet tooth likes the taste of butterscotch. The flavour of butterscotch is produced when brown sugar and butter are combined in the right proportions. It pairs wonderfully with caramel and has long been a favourite combination. Visit Best butterscotch cake in Oman, which is excellent for individuals who enjoy sweets.

Pineapple Cake:

The nicest part about pineapple is that it works in a range of cuisines and has the most tropical flavours. Pizzerias, jellies, chocolates, candies, and cakes, of course, all contain pineapple. If you enjoy pineapple, you should sample the fantastic pineapple cake from Best Pineapple Cake in Oman, which will certainly blow your mind.

[unwritrecipes]

Applesauce Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Fall is here, guys! Ok, so maybe we haven’t exactly technically hit the seasonal change and maybe it’s still kind of hot and humid where you live, but let’s just kind of pretend those things don’t exist because this dee-licious cake is ALL ABOUT FALL and we desperately need an excuse to make it NOW!!

I’m talking the flavors of apple, maple, walnuts, cinnamon all working perfectly together in this simple, not-too-sweet, homey treat.

And as if tender apple-y cake isn’t enough, the whole thing is covered in the most divine maple cream cheese frosting! Need I say more?!!

It’s one of those cakes that you make just because you can…because it’ll make your kitchen smell fantastic…because it’s been a long time since we’ve eaten the flavors of fall and we really CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE!! What is it with me and all caps today?!! You can see, I’m just a wee bit passionate about this cake. Yay for all the fall baking to come!!!

Applesauce Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes one 9-inch cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 40-45 minutes, plus another 5-10 minutes for frosting

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger (I didn’t use but use if you like that pumpkin pie spice thing)

1/8 teaspoon cloves (I didn’t use either but I know people like it)

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups turbinado sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

For the frosting

8 ounces brick cream cheese, room temperature

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure maple extract (if you can’t find this, increase confectioners’ sugar by 1/4 cup and add 2 tablespoon real maple syrup

Pinch of salt

Extra walnuts for garnish

The Recipe

Preheat oven to 350ºF . Butter and flour a 9-inch square cake pan and set aside.

To make the cake: sift the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves (if using) together and whisk a bit to combine.

Use an electric mixer to beat the butter at high speed for 1 minutes. On low speed, slowly add the turbinado sugar. When all of it is added, turn the mixer to high speed and beat for about 6 minutes, until very light in color. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at at time, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the applesauce in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until the flour can’t be seen. You don’t want to over mix or the cake will be tough. Use the spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl, just in case there is any flour still not incorporated and then fold in the walnuts. Scrape the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan.

To make the frosting: Use a whisk attachment if you have it and attach it to the mixer. If not, just use regular beaters and beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, maple extract (or maple syrup) and salt on medium speed until well blended. Then turn the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and decorate with the walnuts. Cut into squares and serve. You can definitely make this at least a day ahead and store in the fridge, loosely covered with plastic wrap. It’s good cold or at room temperature. Leftovers should definitely be stored in the fridge and should last (ha ha!) at least 5 days.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Flavorful by Tish Boyle. She tops this with candied walnuts but good as that sounds, they are overkill here—it really doesn’t need any extra sweetness.

[curutquit]

Chicken salad. Chicken salad is any salad with chicken as a main ingredient. Other common ingredients may include mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg, celery, onion, pepper, pickles (or pickle relish) and a variety of mustards. In Canada and the United States, "chicken salad" refers to either any salad with chicken.

Find our best and tastiest chicken salad recipes, perfect for fancy brunch or for a simple and delicious sandwich. Find Chicken Salad ideas, recipes & menus for all levels from Bon Appétit, where food and culture meet. Classic Chicken Salad is the perfect thing to serve for lunch, as a salad or over a bed of lettuce.

Hello everybody, hope you are having an amazing day today. Today, we're going to prepare a special dish, chicken salad. It is one of my favorites food recipes. For mine, I'm gonna make it a bit tasty. This is gonna smell and look delicious.

Chicken salad is one of the most favored of current trending meals on earth. It's simple, it is quick, it tastes delicious. It's enjoyed by millions every day. They're nice and they look fantastic. Chicken salad is something which I have loved my whole life.

Chicken salad is any salad with chicken as a main ingredient. Other common ingredients may include mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg, celery, onion, pepper, pickles (or pickle relish) and a variety of mustards. In Canada and the United States, "chicken salad" refers to either any salad with chicken.

To begin with this particular recipe, we have to first prepare a few ingredients. You can have chicken salad using 9 ingredients and 1 steps. Here is how you cook it.

The ingredients needed to make Chicken salad:

{Prepare cubes of Baked or boiled chicken.

{Get of Green onion.

{Get of Celery finely chopped.

{Take of Walnuts chopped.

{Make ready of Sliced apples and grapes.

{Make ready of Cream cheese.

{Get of Mayonaise.

{Take of Mustard.

{Prepare of Salt & pepper.

It's time to try a new spin on an old favorite. There's definitely more than one way to make chicken salad. Use leftover chicken to make delicious chicken salad recipes from My Food and Family! To see one of our chicken salad recipes in action, check out our how to make a great grilled chicken salad video.

Instructions to make Chicken salad:

Mix cream cheese mayo and mustard in a bowl to make a thick sauce. Mix all the rest except apples and grapes in a different bowl, then add the mayo sauce on them. Decorate with apples and grapes... delicious !.

Try Bill Granger's spicy salad with noodles or Rachel Allen's chicken and lentil salad. Use up leftovers in a healthy and filling chicken salad. Our chicken salad recipes are sure to satisfy, whether you prefer a traditional mayonnaise base or a modern update to the classic—we've got something for you. Learn how to make chicken salad three different ways. Enjoy a Classic Chicken Salad, Italian Chicken Salad and Buffalo Chicken Salad. ✳︎Sign up to my FREE.

So that's going to wrap it up with this exceptional food chicken salad recipe. Thank you very much for your time. I'm confident that you will make this at home. There is gonna be interesting food at home recipes coming up. Remember to save this page on your browser, and share it to your family, friends and colleague. Thank you for reading. Go on get cooking!

[annakovecses-blog]

Coffee Shops in San Francisco You Need to Visit Before You Die

Trouble Coffee Co. is your tiny coffee shop that may.  Using its first place based from a very small store in the far reaches of the Outer Sunset, Trouble Coffee sparked San Francisco's artisanal toast trend using $4.00 cinnamon-sugar toast thick bread.  (Hey, the title just begun to make sense for us because you are going to be in trouble with their bread - calorie-wise, and maybe financially, also.)  Founded by Giulietta Carrelli, Trouble has enlarged its small coffeehouse's (and coconut club) achieve with just two new places in Bayview and Oakland - combined with its own toast offerings.  

Coffee shops are a dime-a-dozen at San Francisco. Are there so many?  SF is a worldwide leader in the innovative, third-wave java motion - a movement which intends to generate high quality java as an artisanal solution, such as craft wine or beer. This is excellent news for us, as San Franciscans enjoy their coffee.  We narrowed our list down on the very best, and the top of the very best to provide you with this list of coffee shops you need to see before you die. Down the road from UCSF's Parnassus Medical Center is currently Golden Bear Trading Company.  This unassuming coffee shop sells breakfast meals, spirits and coffee-snob accepted drinks.  This little cafe is a must-go for java fans in the City, also has been showcased on Yelp's Best 100 Places to Eat.  Sam, the enthusiastic owner of Golden Bear, is known to state that in the event you do not believe his coffee is the best, he will provide you another cup at no cost.  Challenge approved, Sam!  

Coffee Bar Papa November is a java truck indefinitely in the corner of 15th Street and Kansas at San Francisco's Design District, across the road by the Design Center and Design Within Reach.  While there is no seating, the java makes up for this.  Serving Stumptown coffee, the truck rotates a choice of beans weekly.  In addition they sell homemade baked products which change every day.  What do you need to purchase at Papa November?  The Claris - cold milk lotion with espresso.  Evidently, there's no seating at Papa November's java truck, so grab a cup to go in your way into the workplace or to get you prepared for a evening of furniture purchasing. 

Saint Frank Coffee Piccino Coffee Bar No listicle of San Francisco coffee shops are complete without Philz Coffee.  Scratch that.   San Francisco would not be full without Philz!  Phil Jaber was the proprietor of a miniature supermarket at The Mission District and wished to leave behind a larger legacy for his son, Jacob.  In his quest to make the ideal coffee, it took seven years to receive his very first coffee mix, Tesoro, only perfect.  Philz is a San Francisco staple with 14 places in the City along with 15 other people across the Bay Area.  (Philz has also enlarged to Los Angeles, and he has his eyes set on Washington, DC - we would say he is likely to leave behind a fantastic legacy.)  The Mint Mojito Iced Coffee is one of the very well-known items, together with the Mocha Tesora - but you really can't go wrong with anything else here.  

This stylish, contemporary coffee shop situated just from 19th Avenue & Noriega is popularly famous for its communal tables, comfy environment and diverse espresso creations.  Popular with students and a hipster crown, the menu consists of large pieces of paper onto the wall.  What do you need to purchase at Home?  Without a doubt: the lavender latte.  If lavender isn't something (or you are afraid that your coffee will taste like soap - a legitimate concern, although it's capital-D Delicious), try out the sea salt caramel and coconut vanilla java.   House  - 1222 Noriega Street, San Francisco, CA The Mill is the beloved child of Four Barrel Coffee and Josey Baker Bread about the buzzing Divisadero Street corridor involving NoPa and Alamo Square.  The Mill serves up tasty, velvety espresso beverages, java, artisanal toasts and granola (change seasonally and comprise weekly specials) roasted by Josey Baker Bread, pastries from Neighbor Bakehouse, biscuits from Anthony's and donuts from Dynamo Donuts.  If your taste buds have not already exploded while dreaming about the goodness that is The Mill, prepare The Mill includes Pizza Night every Monday from 6:00-9:00PM plus a Grilled Cheese & Soup Night on Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00PM.  Seriously, is that this location heaven-in-SF?   We recommend ordering an espresso beverage with a Pistachio Blackberry Croissant.  

Seriously, you will find more than 300 coffee shops across the City - that is approximately 6 per square mile! This hipster-chic cafe can be found on top Polk Street in Russian Hill.  With soaring ceilings, ample all-natural light, clean lines and glossy, white and walnut interior, Saint Frank can make you feel as though you've been hauled to Copenhagen.  As you may have guessed, Saint Frank is called after our beloved City.  The menu is modest, and the coffee is on the side (in true Nordic type ).  Our Favourite creation in Saint Frank is your Almond Macadamia Latte.   Saint Frank Coffee - 2340 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA Founded in 1935, Graffeo Coffee Roasting Company is one of North America's earliest artisan coffee roasters.  You will find Graffeo just up the road from Washington Square Park in the heart of North Beach, San Francisco's famous Italian grotto.  Graffeo is not really a cafe; it is a roaster.  You may just purchase their deliciously roasted beans or reasons.  Totally worthwhile.  

Réveille Coffee started in 2010 when brothers Thomas and Christopher Newbury started selling coffee from a repurposed delivery truck.  Six decades and four places afterwards, Réveille serving some of San Francisco's tastiest espresso and coffee beverages.  After moving to Mission Bay only six weeks before, Cafe Réveille is currently creating a lot of buzz on Yelp and social websites.  With vivid colors along with small, artsy decor, Cafe Réveille is a superb place to catch java, breakfast/lunch or invest just a tiny bit of time .  (Notice: Cafe Réveille is open for dinner and drinks each evening.)  All beans are roasted in house, and also their mocha is one of the most well-known things on the menu.  Réveille Coffee has different places in Jackson Square,

The Castro and North Beach.   Fog Lifter Cafe is a small, quaint coffee shop located in the center of Ingleside.  This unpretentious hangout - favorite with local residents and SFSU and CCSF students - functions tasty coffee roasted by Blue Bottle and Sightglass, in addition to smoothies, pastries, breakfast scrambles, panini sandwiches and much more.  This store specializes in pour-over java.   Home Piccino is a contemporary Italian trattoria with a cute linking coffee pub.  This very small coffee bar functions Sightless java, oven-hot stick buns and other homemade pastries which are sure to delight.  Open till 10:00PM, it is the perfect stop after dinner at the Dogpatch to get a cappuccino.  Even though the coffee bar doesn't have seating, it is possible to get a seat in the nice Woods Yard Park across the road.   Piccino Coffee Bar - 807 22nd Street, San Francisco, CA

Coffee Bar - 1890 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA Ritual Coffee Roasters sparked a java renaissance at San Francisco after launching in 2005.  Based from The Mission, Ritual has enlarged to include four places such as Bayview's Flora Grubb Gardens along with Napa's Oxbow Public Market.  Our favorite is your outpost in Hayes Valley's PROXY - a modified shipping container that is positively hipsteriffic.  Get caffeinated using their tasty Gibraltar Coffee, San Francisco's version of a Cortado, and head to Chantal Guillon to Get a sweet pairing.  

Ritual Coffee in PROXY - 432b Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA Situated between the Mission District and Potrero Hill is Coffee Bar, one of the favorite places in San Francisco.  This comfy, but contemporary coffeehouse includes a split-level store with sidewalk and courtyard seating, also serves espresso and coffee beverages sourced from Mr. Espresso.  This exceptional place provides breakfast and lunch items, such as sandwiches, salads and, of course, candy.  Come via this relaxing coffeehouse to their Havana Latte - YUM!

Another Bay Area first (Oakland, to be exact ), you can't ever fail at Blue Bottle Coffee.  With exceptional places around the globe (Blue Tooth recently opened store in Tokyo), java fans everywhere flock to Blue Bottle for yummy, handmade beverages - particularly their famous iced coffee beverages: the chicory-flavored New Orleans Iced Coffee and sweet Vietnamese Iced Coffee.  Our favourite Blue Bottle outpost is certainly that the semi-hidden Linden Alley store in Hayes Valley which works from a garage, also surrounded by graffiti artwork A ideal pit stop before or after a day of shopping Hayes Valley's many boutiques.   On silent Lawton Street at the Outer Sunset is located Andytown Coffee Roastersfamous for their Snowy Plover iced expresso beverage.  It is a mixture of brewed espresso, sparkling water and brown sugar syrup, topped with tasty house-made whipped cream which provides Cool Whip a run for their money.  This beverage is merely one of the factors for its long lines which frequently file the door out.  (That, and the fact that Andytown packs at a coffee store, roastery and bakery all in its 600 square foot store!)  Do not skip the Northern Irish soda bread and scones.  Added bonus: it is only a couple of blocks from Ocean Beach.  

[the-expert-zone]

15+ Low Carb Recipes & Meal Prep Tips

Cutting carbs can help you lose substantial amounts of fat, but there is another key ingredient that’ll help you maintain those weight loss results for life: convenience.

Simply put, if you make your low-carb or keto diet more convenient than grabbing an unhealthy meal, you will be able to create a lifestyle that helps you lose weight and improve health naturally.

One way to do this is by cooking healthy low carb keto freezer meals, so you always have something you can eat when you’re pressed for time.

Whether you are looking for a simple solution for weekly meal prep, a quick instant pot recipe, or a hot and ready dinner fresh from the slow cooker, there are a plethora of low carb freezer recipes you can rely on.

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll find in this keto-friendly freezer meal round-up:

The Three Key Benefits of Batch Cooking Freezer Meals

We hinted at the powers of batch cooking freezer meals in the opening paragraphs, so let’s take a closer look why freezer-friendly recipes are such a powerful tool:

1. Saves you more money than before

Although healthy foods come with the stigma of being more expensive, this does not have to be the case for you. By planning ahead and cooking bigger batches of freezer-friendly meals, your food budget will decrease as you eat out less and waste less food.

If you’d like to save more money on your freezer meals, we recommend checking out our comprehensive guide to eating keto on a budget.

2. Reduces your overall carbon footprint and food waste

The most recent estimates by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicate that Americans waste more than $161 billion each year on food, with dairy products as the food waste frontrunner. Not only is this bad for everyone’s food budget, but it contributes to increased greenhouse gas emissions as food in landfills leaks methane gas into the atmosphere.

With the help of freezer-friendly keto meals, you will be able to reduce your body fat %, food budget, and carbon footprint at the same time. Along with that, you’ll be taking steps toward making your new diet plan into a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

3. Makes keto easier to follow

Willpower and restriction will help you get started, but leveraging convenience to work for you is what will keep you going when you are stressed, hungry, and tired.

To illustrate what I mean, imagine having several healthy and delicious keto-friendly meals in the freezer waiting for you.

With the help of freeze meals, you no longer have to think, prep, plan, calculate, decide, or negotiate with yourself when you are already drained from the day. Just take the meal out of the fridge, reheat it, and eat it to reach your goals.

Surprisingly enough, there are hundreds of recipes that are healthy, easy-to-make, low-carb, and freezer-friendly. To get you started, let’s take a look at the most popular freezer meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

Low Carb Breakfast Freezer Meal Recipes

Here are some great options for batch cooking and freezing breakfasts so you always have something ready to go in the morning.

Keto Sausage Gravy and Biscuit Bake

If you’d like something hearty and savory for breakfast, give this freezer-friendly keto casserole a try. The biscuit topping will satisfy your craving for a light and fluffy breakfast pastry, while the sausage and gravy bring you to a level of satisfaction that high-carb dishes simply can’t emulate.

Freeze the finished product as is, and have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you are looking for a keto-friendly high-protein freezer meal that’ll keep you in ketosis.

See the Recipe

Keto Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Occasionally, I find savory and hearty dishes to be overwhelming for my taste buds and stomach in the morning. If you find yourself feeling the same way, make these keto muffins instead. You’ll find them to be the perfect treat to have with your keto coffee or tea.

Each recipe yields 12 muffins, which you can freeze individually and take out whenever you want a keto-friendly baked good. Pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, slice in half, and place a pad of butter between them for a quick and healthy low-carb breakfast.

See the Recipe

Low Carb Cinnamon Roll Waffle

Not only are these waffles a great source of protein and healthy fats, but you can freeze them and reheat them as if they were frozen waffles from your local grocery store. Feel free to skip the cream cheese frosting and go with butter and/or keto maple syrup if you want any even quicker keto breakfast.

Another freezer-friendly waffle recipe worth trying is our Savory Jalapeno Cheddar Waffles. They come with a savory, comforting flavor and a heartier feel, providing us a pleasant change of pace from these cinnamon roll waffles.

See the Recipe

Easy Meal Prep Low-Carb Breakfast Burritos

Burritos are surprisingly easy to make keto- and freezer-friendly. First, prepare and cook all of your burrito fillings. This recipe calls for turkey sausage, eggs, spinach, and cheese, but you can use pretty much any combo of meat, cheese, and low-carb veggies you have on hand.

As your ingredients are cooling, start prepping your low-carb tortilla for filling. You can either make them yourself by following this link for a freezer-friendly tortilla recipe or purchase a keto-friendly wrap.

Finally, after the ingredients have cooled, make your burritos, wrap them in foil or freezer paper, store them in a freezer-safe bag or container, and freeze until you want a delicious keto-friendly burrito.

*Image from ameessavorydish.com

See the Recipe

Keto Zucchini Bread with Walnuts

For something that’ll satisfy your sweet tooth (while sneaking in some low carb nuts and vegetables at the same time), this zucchini bread is another excellent freezer-friendly option. It is healthy, easy-to-make, filling, and so flavorful.

To prep it for freezing, slice each serving, wrap it in foil, and freeze individually. When you want a quick breakfast, warm it in the oven or the microwave. Serve with a slab of butter on top to make it even tastier and increase the fat content.

See the Recipe

Easy Low Carb Freezer Meals for Lunch

If you’re looking for something to keep on hand for lunch, you’ll find some fantastic, freezable ideas below.

Ham, Ricotta, and Spinach Casserole

This freezer meal has it all — keto vegetables, eggs, rich ricotta cheese, and plenty of umami. Plus, its high protein and fat content will keep you full throughout the day.

Feel free to have it for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or dinner. You can even bake it the night before and have it throughout the next day whenever you are hungry.

See the Recipe

Greek Cauliflower Salad

With this low carb lunch, you can experience all your favorite Greek flavors without the unnecessary carbs. Simply buy tzatziki or make it yourself (with the help of our gyro recipe), rice the cauliflower, prep the veggies, and toss everything together for an easy keto meal.

This recipe yields plenty of servings as well.  Feel free to freeze each serving and take it to work for the week or have it as a side with dinner.

See the Recipe

Cheesy Cauliflower & Bacon Soup

As you adapt to your keto lifestyle, you’ll find healthy, keto-friendly soup to be surprisingly easy to make. This recipe is the perfect example of what’s possible on the keto diet, providing you with a satisfying meal in 30 min or less.

That being said, the best part of this soup is that it makes so many servings that you can freeze for low carb lunches throughout the week. Just put the frozen soup in the microwave or thaw and heat on the stovetop until warm.

See the Recipe

Keto Cloud Bread BLT

Technically, a BLT is not keto-friendly nor freezable. With this keto recipe, however, you will learn how to make a simple keto bread that you can freeze and take out whenever you are craving a sandwich.

To make this BLT recipe into a freezer-friendly meal, prep the bread and bacon ahead of time and store them in the freezer. As your bacon and bread are reheating, prep the tomato and lettuce. When everything is ready, grab some keto mayo from the fridge and put it all together for a quick and easy keto BLT.

See the Recipe

Easy Keto Meatballs

One of the easiest ways to add high-quality fats and protein to your keto meal is by adding some keto meatballs. This freezer-friendly meatball recipe allows you to make a bunch of meatballs ahead of time, so you have something you can rely on when you are stressed, tired, and hungry after a long day.

For a simple and healthy keto meal, try placing the thawed meatballs into a baking dish and covering with marinara sauce and keto-friendly pasta, topping it with cheese, and baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 20 minutes. To get the cheese bubbly and browned, place under the broiler for an extra five minutes.

*Image from makeaheadmealmom.com

See the Recipe

Easy Low Carb Freezer Dinners: Slow Cooker Meals and Healthy Casseroles

There’s sometimes no better feeling than being able to pop something in the oven for an easy dinner when you’re exhausted. Below, you’ll find some great examples of freezable meals that will stock your freezer full of keto meals!

Keto Tuna Casserole

Casseroles are arguably the easiest freezer keto dinners you can make. For the most part, all you have to do is throw ingredients together, bake them, eat them, and freeze the rest for later.

This tuna casserole is the perfect example of how easy it can be to make a keto meal that is delicious and freezer-friendly. Just make sure you put the leftovers in their freezer containers before you find yourself marching back to the kitchen for more.

See the Recipe

Keto Chicken Divan

Here is another example of a quick and easy keto casserole that’ll amaze your taste buds. It is a lot like chicken pot pie, but creamier, tastier, and much more satisfying.

One of the best things about this recipe is that there are many ways to adapt it to your schedule.

For example, you can make it in advance and bake it just before serving — or try cooking multiple pans when you have time and freeze them for another night.

See the Recipe

Bacon Covered Meatloaf

The title speaks for itself. Bacon plus meatloaf is a match made in keto heaven. You can even try pairing it with keto-friendly BBQ sauce if you are ready to take things to the next level.

To make the meatloaf freezer-friendly, allow it to cool to room temperature (after all of the steam has escaped), slice it based on your preferred serving size, and place each slice between sheets of baking paper/parchment in an airtight container before freezing. On the other hand, if you are preparing this meal for a family dinner, skip separating the servings and freeze the loaf as a whole.

*Image from ditchthecarbs.com

See the Recipe

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Taco Peppers

Rarely will you find a recipe this convenient, versatile, and delicious. All you need to do is follow a simple four-step process: empty the peppers, stuff them with keto-friendly ingredients, cook them in the slow-cooker, and eat/freeze.

You can even prep them ahead of time and throw them in the slow cooker before you go to work. When you come home, you will have a hot and healthy keto meal with plenty of leftovers to freeze for later in the week.

See the Recipe

Slow-Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This recipe comes with all of the textures and flavors we crave from a bacon cheeseburger but in a healthy, protein-rich, freezer-friendly soup. You can also prepare this in one of three ways: as an easy slow-cooker meal, as a quick instant pot soup, or as a beautiful stovetop dinner.

We recommend making this recipe in bulk and freezing it for the colder months. Whenever you need a reliable keto meal, take it out of the freezer and reheat with some shredded cheese on top.

See the Recipe

Keto Freezer Desserts: Easy, Healthy, and Satisfying Recipes

Dessert can be healthy, keto-approved, and freezer-friendly without missing out on the flavors we love.

There are hundreds of keto desserts that fit the bill, but the following recipes are second-to-none when it comes to convenience and satisfaction:

And, don’t forget about keto ice cream — the ultimate low-carb freezer treat! For a round-up of our favorites, follow this link to check out our top 10 list of keto-friendly ice cream recipes.

Getting the Most Out of Your Keto Freezer Meals: 8 Meal Prep Tips

To help you squeeze the most out of every dollar, meal, and ingredient that you can, here are some of the top meal prep tips from long-term keto dieters:

1.   Make batch cooking a part of your weekly schedule.

The two most common approaches to batch cooking are (1) having a meal prep day every week and (2) doubling or tripling the recipes each time you cook.

The first option requires some planning ahead and a good chunk of time dictated to making multiple recipes at once.

If you simply can’t carve out an afternoon or morning for meal prep each week, then the second batch cooking approach will be much easier to implement. Just make sure you know what you will make before you go to the grocery store, so you know how much of each ingredient you need to get.

2.   Batch cook recipes that call for similar ingredients.

One simple way to cut down on food spending and waste is by batch cooking recipes with ingredient crossover. This will also help you capitalize on bulk buying deals at the store and reduce the amount of prep time needed for each recipe.

3.   Keep it airtight.

Your freezer meals can easily be damaged when the cold air is allowed to come in direct contact with the food. This can steal the tenderness and flavor away for your favorite keto recipes.

To keep this from happening, I recommend buying airtight containers, freezer bags, or a vacuum sealer. If you plan on cooking some meals to store in your freezer for several months, then vacuum sealing will be the best option.

Regardless of what storage option you choose, make sure you allow the meal to cool down to room temperature before freezing.

4.   Label and date your freezer meals.

When the meals start piling up in your freezer, you may find yourself forgetting what’s what and how long each meal has been there. This is why it is so important to label each container/bag, including the name, prep date, and expected expiration date. (Bonus tip: use painter’s tape for removable labels)

To help you estimate your expiration dates, here is a quick list of how long different keto meals last in the freezer:

Soups, stews, casseroles, and most other keto recipes will keep for around three months.

Most meat and seafood can be frozen for around three months.

Low-carb vegetables typically last for up to eight months.

5.   Separate your servings before freezing.

Most foods shouldn’t be defrosted and re-frozen. To best preserve the integrity of your meals, freeze your recipes in meal-sized portions and only thaw/reheat what you will eat within the next 2-3 days.

6.    Become an expert slow-cooker.

Slow cookers, crockpots, and instant pots can be used to simplify almost any keto meal. Essentially, all you need to do is add the ingredients, close the lid, pick a setting, and it’ll be ready 6-8 hours later.

Many delicious keto-friendly dishes can be prepared in this way, including:

For a list of keto recipes that you can make in the slow cooker, follow this link.

7.   Freeze in microwave-safe dishes when possible.

If you plan to eat a freezer meal within a few weeks, store directly in a microwave-safe glass container in the freezer.

With this simple hack, all you have to do is thaw, heat, and eat — no need to transfer the food into a separate bowl or waste a freezer bag.

8.   Make your casseroles portable.

Freezing and reheating casseroles can be a bit tricky when you only have one or two mouths to feed. A simple storage hack is to line the tray with parchment paper before freezing, lift the casserole out, and cut it into portions after it is frozen. Then, wrap each serving in foil and store them in a freezer bag for easy storing, thawing, and reheating.

The Bigger Picture — Low Carb Freezer Meals, Weight Loss Results, and Your Keto Lifestyle

Freezer-friendly keto recipes have been the secret ingredient behind sustainable weight loss results for hundreds (if not thousands) of keto and low-carb dieters. By using the recipes and tips above, you will be one step closer to transforming your health and body composition for the better as well.

As you make more low-carb freezer meals, it is also crucial to consider what you eat in the context of your overall keto lifestyle to get the results you want. For more information on how to create the optimal weight loss approach for you, we’ve included several tools and resources below:

P.S. Have a look at the Keto Academy, our foolproof 30-day keto meal planner. It has all the tools, information, and recipes needed for you to succeed.

+ The food will always fit to your macros and cooking preferences!

Sources

  ✅ You can click the LINK to start creating your 8-week plan. Simply follow the plan to achieve a successful keto diet. 🙂⠀ LINK : CLICK HERE LINK :CLICK HERE

from Your Keto Plan https://ift.tt/3rEKpHv

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Psychological and Physiological aspects of health

The Term health refers into a state of total psychological and bodily well-being.

Good health is essential to tackling stress and living a longer, more energetic life in brief healthful aging. Routine exercise, balanced nutrition, and sufficient rest all bring about good health and healthier way of life.

Here are a few quick insights into the way you attain complete health by placing nutrition and work out together:

Maintain these general things in your thoughts whilst keeping up a perfect exercise and nutrition balance for a healthy and healthy lifestyle!

The main components for nourishment of our body are proteins, nutrients, minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc.

1. Nutrients since they play a million unique functions in critical body systems. They help build strong bones better immunity, enhance blood systems, and much more.

All these are two core types - fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, K and E. All these are much better in terms of heat tolerance and are kept in meals regardless of heat processing. E.g. Fruits.

2. Minerals - All these are key workers To maintain your whole immunity matrix powerful. By keeping bones strong for your own heart and mind health balanced, minerals perform several unique functions. A fantastic balance of different minerals is vital in maintaining good health.

3. Your body actually functions on carbs since it's the quickest means of getting power inside your body and the body's preferred source of fuel. Carbohydrates would be the fastest and easiest to convert into sugar and supply the body with a fast release of energy when compared with fats and proteins which are more complicated.

4. Proteins - All these are really the construction Cubes of the human body. Proteins play with the most necessary function is muscles and mobile maintenance. Your system heavily depends upon cells and muscles to do daily functions.

5. Fats - Fats are viewed as villains at the Food chain, but in fact your body needs carbohydrates. It is the kind of fats you're picking that's faulty. E.g. Omega3 sources such as fish, seeds and nuts

Maintaining proper proportion of water in our body is also essential. As our body is filled with 70% of water so we should keep our hygienic. Then it is likely because you aren't drinking enough water throughout your workout regimen. Loss of fluid contributes to reduction of salts that could result in considerable muscle cramps. Before you workout hard and lift weights, then you need to burn your energy stores. With this, you can't offer your fitness whatever you have and boost your own performance. Low blood glucose may cause you to fatigue quicker and expertise light headedness. A high-carb snack (such as a banana or an apple prior to your workout) is ideal. Getting fit begins with the food that you consume. Ultra-processed foods full of refined fats, sugar, and unhealthy fats have to be avoided in any way costs almost all of the time. Don't forget to possess natural colors on your meals mixture to allow it to be healthy and healthy. Bear in mind that protein does not remain on the human own body for too long so all foods around exercise should contain high protein consumption. If you are very busy or you do not wish to eliminate weight whilst becoming fit, you might want to consume more calories. If you are attempting to eliminate weight or tone your entire body, you might be tempted to reduce a lot of calories out of your own meals. Cutting calories is an integral part of weight reduction, but it is likely to go a lot.

Moreover, fats are not just harmful but also useful for our body in proper amount. In human plasma Alone, scientists have identified several 600 distinct kinds of fats pertinent to our wellness. Yes, saturated fats (such as red meat, butter, cream, cheese, chocolates, pastries, etc.) and trans-fats (such as dairy and meat products) in surplus could result in construction of cholesterol. However, our body does Need unsaturated fats that ought to replace saturated fats so much as possible to not just reduce cholesterol construction.

Can there be something such as Essential Fats?

• They assist absorb vitamin -A, vitamin D and vitamin - E

• Additionally, they begin chemical reactions involved in development, immune function, reproduction and other facets of basic metabolism.

In both endurance And strength training, adaptations within a time period guarantee that fats are consumed and over a longer period of time since they are a greater supply of energy until body switches to hunting energy from carbs.

The Wholesome fats also called Unsaturated fats you may need:

1. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats are crucial nutrients. Seeds (e.g. flax, chia and berry ), walnuts, and canola oil are full of omega-3.

2. Peanuts, avocados, nuts, and oils like olive are significant unsaturated fats your body requires.

3. Eat less readymade cakes, pastries, doughnuts, ice cream and fried salty bites

To Make Certain You eat less saturated fats

1. Use more veggies and smaller quantities of cheese and meat when creating mixed dishes like pizza.

2.  These are a few Ways in which you'll be able to add those wholesome fats in your daily diet!

So, don't overlook on the critical fats!

The very least is the ideal quantity of water that's that the elixir of life

How balanced does Your plate look now? Are you making certain you have a fantastic dose of this goodness on your meal? Otherwise, now is a great time to get started.

Watch this space for much more on each one of the a fore mentioned constituents of balanced nourishment.