#and i’d love to be able to like. link it all in other conversations/discussions about the characters because its so like

[macdenlover]

i Will write a several page long detailed analysis about the role of order and democracy within in the gang’s dynamic and the strings of distorted logic and reasoning that glue them together i WILL write it i WILL WRITE IT (i’ve been saying this for years and i still haven’t done it)

[perseruna]

Endiness made a beautiful long post with all his quotes on that topic that I think is very informative and worth looking at, so here’s a link to that. And with that already discussed, I thought I’d make a thread of all his changes that we are aware of, because when you look into them, you find that none of his “book accurate” changes are actually book accurate. 

His decision to make Geralt grunt and cut his lines.

HC: "All the grunts, I either added or I didn't say anything and just grunted instead. It was often up to the other actors to go, 'I think he's not gonna say anything now.'"

JB: "Henry likes to cut his lines, 'cause he's lazy. No, he literally just likes to cut them. He likes to do more up here [frames his face with his hands] and just with face and hmms and grunts. There's a lot of hmms, and so I often have to take a lot of his lines and turn it into a lot of my stuff so that the plot happens."

So, as everyone who has read the books knows that Geralt is and always has been a yapper. Gerakt often talks or thinks in monologues, and definitely not in short grunts.

Of course when the audience started making fun of Geralt for not being able to speak in full sentences Henry promptly went back on admitting the blame and instead said that the big bad writers were the ones who didn't give him lines, and now it was his life’s mission to fight for a book accurate Geralt who speaks. 

Roach’s death scene

After S2 came out, Lauren received a lot of backlash for Roach’s death scene, with multiple sources citing that she wanted the moment to be more “comedic” before the brave Henry Cavill stepped in and refused to participate in such horrible anti source material activities.

LH: "Henry was so unhappy with the line. Finally I said, 'You know what, you come up with something. I trust you, you know this material so well, you know the book so well, you don't even have to pitch it to me.' And he came back the next day with a beautiful speech that's at the end of 'Sword of Destiny' when Geralt is facing death.”

This is the line he ended up using:

“Enjoy your last walk across the meadow and through the mist. Be not afraid of her for she is your friend."

This was Lauren’s response AND the original line.

LH: “Here's what was scripted, in homage of the fact that a previous Roach had existed, and another one will exist soon. It's hardly a joke. Henry wanted a longer, more emotional moment, which I was more than happy to give him. Don't create drama where none exists.”

So in S2 Geralt ends up quoting a part of his monologue from ‘Sword of Destiny’ when he’s at his lowest after thinking that Yennefer had died at the battle of Sodden Hill, and he has nothing left to live for. Which to me doesn't work that well with Roach at all. That line was a response to Geralt thinking he's lost the love of his life, not his horse. In my opinion, the original line Lauren penned out is more heartfelt and actually more emotional and more book accurate as well.

The absolute removal of any Triss and Geralt “romance”

This one we don’t have that much information on in comparison to others. But there were multiple reports that at the beginning of S2 Triss and Geralt were supposed to have some kind of a romantic scene with each other which then was cut during production, and it was largely speculated that it was due to Henry Cavill. 

“Several months ago we reported on a sex scene happening between Geralt and Triss, sometime in the first half of Season 2. That didn’t happen, as we all saw, but here’s what we know about the original plan for that: Geralt and Triss are in a room together, they seem friendly at first. They are playing some kind of weird game. Whoever wins a round, gets to ask a question. We’re not privy to the exact flow of the conversation, but it eventually leads to both of them ending up in bed. We can only guess why this was cut, but perhaps it was thanks to Henry Cavill.”

Now, irrelevantly on your feelings on book Triss and Geralt you have to admit that that short-lived ��romance” is indeed a part of the books and therefor book accurate. So the removal of it would go against Mr I’m fighting to make this show as much book accurate as possible. 

The removal of the Yen and Geralt sex scene in S2

"We just wanted to be very careful that it was true and real, and it didn't turn into something that we, as actors, didn't believe it should be," Cavill stated. When Yennefer and Geralt unite, they embrace, but it doesn't go further than that. He continued: "We wanted it to be emotional rather than sexual. It was really, really important, and we had to lean away from what was originally on the page." Initially, Geralt and Yennefer were written to have a more passionate night. Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra went to "The Witcher" producers and explained why they thought a steamy evening was not the way to go. "These are people who believe one thing about the fate of another and then find out something else is true," Cavill said about Geralt believing Yennefer was dead. "That's not how they behave," the actor added. "How they behave is they just want to be with the person and emotionally recognize their existence again in that shared space.”

This one is a bit tricky because I am willing to get behind an actor who doesn't want to do a sex scene out of comfort reasons or whatnot, but Henry saying that "That's not how [Yennefer and Geralt] behave”, is quite absurd in my opinion. Because that is very much how Geralt and Yennefer behave, especially in the short stories and ToC. They are inherently a very sexual couple who come crashing in and out of each other’s lives while having very passionate sex. But I can understand wanting this scene to be more “emotional” (as if sex isn't emotional), so this one I am willing to give him a bit more leeway on. (But then again looking at the blinds saying that he refused any sex scenes because oh his “ideals” and was allegedly really nasty to Anya about it, well..)

Geralt being the perfect father figure to Ciri with no flaws and no struggles (which inevitably snowballed into the Yen Betrayal Arc)

This one I don’t see talked that much at all, and to me this one is his most detrimental one. 

@LHissrich: “In interviews, Henry explains how he felt strongly that Geralt NOT be bumbling, nor a struggling father figure. In fact, a lot of S2 is about how Geralt does come from a loving (albeit unconventional) family. Henry was passionate about this shift, and we discussed it a lot, and ultimately thought it was wonderful for his character development. But it also had the domino effect of changing what Ciri needed from Yen when she entered the picture. Thus, introducing the idea of balance.”

So I don’t know about you, but I love when characters have flaws and naturally progress be it for good or bad, some would say that that's what story telling is about, well that someone wouldn't be Henry Cavil. Geralt being a struggling father figure at first, someone who makes mistakes and learns from them and tries is very much a prominent theme in Blood of Elves and is actually very real, people make mistakes! Especially in huge shifts such as “becoming a father overnight’ but we didn't get that because Henry refused to play it that way. What we got is Geralt who already basically knows exactly how to parent, he always knows what to say, what pep talk to give and also doesn't hold any resentment and any negative feelings towards Vesemir at all. It's all one dimensional happy family here! Which goes against not only the books but what he preached about fighting tooth and nail to make the “forgotten” male characters three-dimensional as well because the horrible feminist Lauren only thinks about female characters. 

Lauren then goes on saying that “it also had the domino effect of changing what Ciri needed from Yen when she entered the picture. Thus, introducing the idea of balance” So, it is fair to speculate that Henry’s refusal to showcase Geralt having any flaws at all and act book accurate snowballed into The Controversial Yennefer Betrayal Arc. 

These are the ones that I can remember off the top off my head, so there might be more, there’s probably more that we aren’t even aware of. I think putting them all together showcase a very interesting picture. One of Henry Cavill never actually understanding who Geralt fundamentally is as a character, and of him not being a team player at all. I just hope that more and more people are aware of the insane PR his team did for him when it came to this show, and that more people are able to see through it. 

[tameblog]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[ramestoryworld]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[alexha2210]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[angusstory]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[tumibaba]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[romaleen]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[monaleen101]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[iamownerofme]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[shelyold]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[iammeandmy]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[januishstory]

I don’t think I’ve mentioned that back in October, Hubby and I started “a Whole 30.” Whole 30 is an eating plan where you eliminate certain categories of foods for 30 days. After the 30 days, you methodically add foods back in to see how your body reacts and how you feel. The goal isn’t weight loss, but weight loss has been a lovely side-effect for me. I haven’t mentioned it because we most certainly didn’t do it perfectly. We didn’t do it perfectly because we decided to not worry about doing it perfectly. After a conversation about how we had to do SOMEthing about our eating habits/weight/health, and me mentioning that there was this thing I’d heard about called Whole 30, we decided to go for it. That conversation also included discussion of how overwhelming starting a “program” like Whole 30 felt. We needed to start now, so we decided it was more important to just get going instead of spending a week (or a few weeks) researching and understanding all about it. We read the basics on their website and then went for it as best we could. And even though we’re still doing it imperfectly, we’ve seen great results. We feel better and look better. Starting imperfectly was hard because as a DIY cook, I just tried to think of recipes that fit the no dairy, no grains, no sugar, etc. specifications. That was dumb, and the first week was pretty brutal. The second week, I got slightly smarter and looked for recipes. On this thing called the Internet. I found so many that looked great and ended up tasting fabulous. If you’re considering “doing a Whole 30” I’m not the person to give any advice whatsoever, but I will say that I kindof love it. See what it is by going to their site, where everything you need to know is free to read. They also have cookbooks including (affiliate link coming up) this new one with quick meals which I just ordered.  I’m sharing our three favorite Whole 30 recipes that would be favorite new recipes even if we weren’t on a special “eating plan.” Seriously, they’re so so good. I’m going to link to them and share the changes I made. My DNA causes me to not be able to ever follow any recipe exactly. I just can’t. First, this vegetable soup from I Heart Naptime. I make this every other week. The only reason I don’t make it every week is that we don’t want to get tired of it. The picture for this post is of the on-purpose-leftovers which are favorite lunches for both of us. I am super excited to have this soup this week to take with me when I record my audiobook. It’s hearty and filling and total comfort food. It reminds me a lot of the vegetable soup my mother-in-law would  make that I could never recreate by guessing (and of course she didn’t use a recipe). Changes I make: I add a carton of beef broth. Or two. This makes it taste richer to me and not so tomato-ey. I use frozen peas and carrots instead of just chopped carrots. I leave out the chili powder, as the Rotel gives it a kick and I’m not looking for a super spicy soup. (Rotel is canned tomatoes and green chilis.) I add a little garlic salt to taste. We make it with beef and white potatoes. Also, as you can see in this picture, this works great with my pre-cooked ground beef. Cutting out the step of browning the meat saves so much time and hassle. Next, we’re totally in love with this one. Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken. It involves bacon and chicken and cream sauce. My entire family cheers when I make this. The cream sauce is made with coconut milk, but whatever. It’s amazing. No adjustments here (other than that she uses bone-in chicken thighs and we use boneless skinless chicken breasts), but do NOT ignore the part where she warns you that after the skillet has been in the oven the handle will be hot when you put it back on the stove. Seemed so obvious that I thought it was a little strange she had to say that. And then I burned my hand. So I’m saying it, too. Lettuce Wraps (She compares them to PF Changs, but we compare them to Pei Wei.) Early on in our first 30 days, we made an unexpected trip to visit someone in the hospital. We stopped at Pei Wei. I ordered their Lettuce Wraps which are surely not Whole 30 compliant, but were the best I could think to do in a moment of desperation. Later, I found this recipe. My husband “can’t believe how much these taste like the ones at Pei Wei.” It has become a favorite for both of us. And because the meat is ground chicken (which I had never used before), it’s very quick to cook. Ground chicken doesn’t need the fat drained like beef does, and since I buy it only for this recipe (not in bulk), I don’t freeze it. I leave out the almond butter and the hot sauce and the green onions. I also use iceberg lettuce because that’s how they were served (I think) at Pei Wei. I don’t garnish with black sesame seeds. I also take out portions for my kids before I add the water chestnuts. They’re weird and think they taste like raw potatoes. I usually cook some rice for them to eat with the filling. Whatever your current eating style, these recipes are yummy. Things I’ve learned to have on hand: Coco aminos. It’s a soy sauce substitute that doesn’t have any soy in it. It’s expensive, but I’m willing to go to the one grocery store in my town that carries it. Tuna. Lots of tuna. Tuna makes an easy lunch or snack. Boiled eggs. Clementines. In the early days, I binged on these like candy to battle my sugar addiction. I’m sure that’s not what you’re supposed to do, but it got me through. Apples. Ghee. (This is clarified butter.) Compliant mayonnaise. I’ll be honest. I got the closest thing I could find, but it’s not truly “compliant.” Pecans. Please don’t tell me if these are not supposed to be eaten on Whole 30. I seem to be allergic (or sensitive?) to almonds, so I need them. I bought the huge bags from Costco and ate them as crunchy snacks, often taking some in a sandwich bag in my purse. Since it’s no longer the holiday season, I’m afraid Costco will no longer carry the big bags. If that’s true, I’m going to be very sad. I’ve also found the Paleo meal plan from PrepDish to be awesome. Paleo and Whole 30 are not the same thing, but have enough similarities that I can easily adjust the recipes. They’re a podcast sponsor of mine, so you can get two weeks free to try them out here.  Also, my friend Tiffany has a meal-planning service which includes a monthly “No Sugar No Flour” plan. Through January 11, 2018, you can use the code JANUARY to get 30% off. Go here to learn more.  --Nony Related Posts: !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script','//connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '1712009765708377'); fbq('track', "PageView");(function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=593275940768565"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

[nerdnag]

Claude von Riegan: ENTP

“No matter how hard you look, you won’t see what I’m scheming.”

Described by both himself and others as a schemer, Claude is an energetic and highly motivated trickster who loves to test people’s limits, yet recognizes when it’s time to take a step back and apologize. In short, he ticks all the boxes for ENTP.

Full analysis under the cut!

DISCLAIMER: MBTI is not a scientific tool and should not be abused as one. My analysis is of a fictional character for fun only. Also: This analysis is just my own view and opinion, and I’d be really interested to hear other perspectives on the character!

DOMINANT: EXTRAVERTED INTUITION (Ne)

“Um, naturally, I have no immediate plans for this stuff! I suppose I just felt like broadening the ol’ horizons a bit. When devising schemes, it’s best to have as many options at your disposal as possible. Expanding those options is kind of a hobby for me.”

The ENTP thrives on different ideas and connections between them and will keep generating new ideas as long as there are plausible links between them. This is vividly clear in the quote above, but there are plenty more examples. Claude has a fascination for all kinds of mysteries and wants to solve them: He also tends to go off tangents in different directions: "By the way, they’ve discovered a new kind of poison mushroom. When you eat it, your body exudes a mysterious steam! Um, or so I hear…"

Dominant Ne also shows in his brilliant scheming abilities. He’s able to brainstorm various alternatives for how to tackle a problem, and can quickly come up with a new plan if the initial one fails. His intuition further helps him to pick up details and draw conclusions from them: “Never discount a wild hunch. Sometimes they're closer to the truth than you'd think.”

Furthermore, Claude enjoys debates and discussing his beliefs with others—even having those beliefs challenged. He never says no to input from others, which only broadens his horizons. This is also in line with Dominant Ne’s tendency to be open-minded. “Say... Mind if I pick your brain? What would you do in my shoes?”

He’s also good at keeping multiple ideas and plans in his mind at the same time, and at planning even for failure, as shown by Hubert’s comments after chapter 14 of Verdant Wind: “Ordinary fools run headlong into combat, without even considering the possibility of defeat. But to consider one's chances, and to prepare for plans to go awry—that takes real intelligence.”

He tends to come up with and use unconventional strategies, such as partnering up with the Almyrans—which many people in Fódlan see as ‘the enemy’—or developing poisons that don’t come into effect until two days after ingestion, so that the effect can be carefully planned to occur at the right time. According to himself, however, he can lose himself in his own mind at times: “Bah! I almost disappeared into the bottomless swamp that is my mind.”

AUXILIARY: INTROVERTED THINKING (Ti)

“Somehow I can't seem to stop thinking about you. It's almost like a crush. I have a crush on your secrets, sweet Flayn!”

The ENTP wants to understand things in a logical manner - and not for anyone else’s sake, only for their own. It doesn’t matter if the conclusion is in line with the general opinion, it just has to make sense for the ENTP. The ENTP creates their own legal system.

In several of his support conversations, he’s asking questions and listening intently to the other person’s responses, wanting to absorb their ideas and make connections between them on his own. His C Support with Ignatz starts with Claude simply watching Ignatz in silence, then when Ignatz notices and says he was thinking about the goddess, Claude says, “Fascinating! Please, go on.” Another example is his C Support with Marianne, where she runs away when he asks where she was born (after she’s said she was adopted). He stands there alone, saying to himself, “She's hiding something, that much is clear. But that just makes me all the more desperate to know her secrets!“ 

In his B+ Support with Byleth, Claude brings up the question of whether gods exist. He starts out by talking about how he’s never really believed in a god, because you can only really rely on yourself: “You can't win a war by leaving your fate in the hands of a god. Only tangible facts can really decide a war.” He then goes into a monologue about how there are facts that seem to weigh in favor of fate and maybe even some kind of god after all. It’s clear to me that he’s reasoning with himself about what to believe based on a collection of various different things (i.e., based on what Ne has given him).

In Claude’s C Support with Ignatz, Ignatz mentions how stories about the goddess always glorify her, at which Claude immediately suggests an explanation for it: “They probably hope to rake in more followers by glorifying the goddess as much as possible. That would be why the church tends to quietly shove all of their more questionable records under some secret rug somewhere.” This is Ne and Ti in action - not only does his brain instantly come up with a connection, it also leans heavily into his own personal logic (as mentioned in the previous paragraph).

It’s also important for him to confirm facts for himself rather than simply trusting another’s word for it: “Legends about the saints abound. It's hard to tell fact from fiction. I like to confirm whatever I can, with my own eyes, to find the truth in those legends.”

TERTIARY: EXTRAVERTED FEELING (Fe)

"I hope you don't feel like I used you… because I sort of used you."

After taking in all the different perspectives, details and facts with Ne, the ENTP runs it through their logic filter (Ti), then checks it against their empathy (Fe). This is how they understand other people. In Claude’s A Support with Hilda, he accuses her of fake-crying to make people think she’s a delicate flower. He confesses he realized it’s fake because his eyes often wander in her direction, and Hilda herself says that maybe it’s because he’s not so different himself, because he’s always fake-smiling. This, to me, shows that Claude analyzed what he saw Hilda do and compared it to himself in order to come to a conclusion.

The ENTP also tends to have somewhat of an interest in drawing emotional reactions out of people - possibly because they like analyzing people. This is prominent in Claude’s support conversations with Lysithea. He knows she is scared of ghosts and often uses that to make her tick. He also knows she hates being treated like a child, and… Well. “Still studying, are we? Isn't it past your bedtime? If you don't get your sleep, you're never going to grow big and strong! Now, come along, princess. Brush your teeth and get yourself ready for bed. I could read you a story, if that helps?”

But Fe also wants harmony, and in the end, the ENTP doesn’t really want to hurt other people or go too far. Remember what I wrote in the Ti portion about Claude’s C Support with Marianne, and how he wanted to figure her out? Well, that was his immediate impulse, but in the B Support, he apologizes to her: “Asking you about your family like that was pretty insensitive of me. No matter how curious I am, that's no way to treat someone. I'm sorry.” (After she’s said it’s alright, he promptly goes on to ask about her past again, however.) The Fe may not come easily to the ENTP, but it’s there - and for Claude, it’s clearly in the tertiary position.

I feel like I also have to mention the fact that the B+ Support with Byleth about gods (mentioned above under Ti) unlocks after… a certain special-someone to Byleth has died, making it seem like it’s Claude’s way of offering emotional support to Byleth by connecting it to his Ti: “Even in distant lands across the ocean or over the mountains… They have gods who see the world as a whole, who don't care about Fódlan's borders... Who don't meddle in our affairs. Who don't grant life or take it away. And maybe, sometimes, they'll make a miracle happen. A god like that... That's the sort of god I think I could believe in.”

INFERIOR: INTROVERTED SENSING (Si)

“If you let it rule you, Fódlan never changes. And if it doesn't change, it'll just fall apart.”

In many ways, Si is the opposite of Ne. Ne looks to future possibilities while Si looks to the past. However, the Si is part of where Claude’s ideals come from - his goal of uniting all of Fòdlan to begin with, and then the whole world. This goal stems from his upbringing and how he was always seen as an outsider: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been seen as…different from those around me. An outsider of sorts. I’ve been resented and hated.” He aims to destroy prejudice (and, as a result, people’s reasons to hate him) by ridding the world of boundaries; this is a kind of obsession for him that glimmers in the cracks of several of his support conversations, most noticeably those with Byleth.

Si can help Ne explore the future by learning from past experiences, and the ENTP tends to enjoy exploring historical meanings and implications: “This monastery is packed with a thousand years of history. (...) Those pillars, these walls, even the floor... They've all seen more than we can possibly imagine. Our distant ancestors may have walked these very halls. Doesn't that excite you?” We also see several examples where he dives into the history of Fódlan in order to understand the present and the future and make sure he doesn’t make the same mistakes as his predecessors. 

At the same time, Ne and Si can create an inner struggle between the past and the present, where the ENTP is in a tug-of-war between wanting to respect history and tradition, and changing things for the potential of a better future. One example of this can be seen in his B Support with Hilda in Three Hopes: “Is my way really the right path forward? It feels like I'm rejecting everything Leicester used to be up until now. Like I'm tearing something important away from the people who need it most.” Then in their A Support, he acknowledges that they don’t need to change *everything*, just the important parts: “[W]e've taken the Alliance in a brand new direction (...). Of course, not everything has to change, but the things that do need to get decided soon.”

Conclusion

ENTP is the MB type that makes the most sense for Claude in my opinion, seeing how he’s practically a machine gun of ideas and enjoys scheming and working things out for himself - with his feet still standing on a practical ground. Possibly he could also be an ENFP, which is a type I considered for him while writing this analysis; an argument could be made that his strong ideals indicate auxiliary Fi. However, the internal logic of auxiliary Ti coupled with the sometimes clumsy emotional intelligence of tertiary Fe seems more accurate to me in the end. 

Curious to hear what you think - and which character you’d most like to read about next!

[lyon-amore]

Mr and Mrs Liars Prologue Part 1

⚠️ ATTENTION ⚠️ This story will contain spoilers for chapter 10, do not read if it is not finished

(****************************************) Flashback

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*MC POV*  I was waiting in the center of the city, crowded with so many people and tourists, camouflaging myself in the crowd. I sit on a bench, waiting for Jake. We had agreed to meet here, because he would confuse anyone trying to find him.  I adjust the strap of my backpack where I have some change of clothes and enough money for a long trip. I take out my mobile reading the last conversation we had. It had been hard, but I had finally convinced him that I didn't mind giving up everything to be with him. The first person in a long time that had made me feel complete. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MC What a day today 😫 Could I have a boss less asshole? The guy keeps wanting me to write an article about Hannah... When is he going to give up? It's already been two years! My answer will continue to be no! 😡  Jake MC, I've been thinking about it. And I feel like I can't take it anymore. MC ?! What?!What do you mean?!  Jake Wanting to be with you. What did you think? MC Um… Nothing in particular 😅​ And that change of mind?  Jake I don't know. I was looking at the photo we took the last time we saw each other and how the discussion we had went. And something in me made me sick of continuing to hurt you. MC Does it mean...  Jake The problem is that I don't want you to make that sacrifice for me. I'd hate it if you did it out of obligation. This is why I wanted to know your opinion.  MC Are you kidding me?Jake, if you had said it even the first day we met in person I would have said yes!  Jake :) Then you would like to live a life of wandering, without having a place to settle forever and live dangerously with me?  MC We have become very filmy, eh? Jake You are the one to blame. You have changed me too much. All I do is lose focus because you're not by my side. MC, I want to spend my life with you.Is everything alright?  MC Sorry, I was reading it like fourteen times in my head You are adorable, you know that? 🤭 Something tells me a certain person is blushing again 😊  Jake You will be able to check it soon. Link Here I leave the exact place for us to meet. MC All right  Jake But you can't tell anyone.  MC Not even my friends? Or your sisters? You know they have helped us whenever we wanted to see each other Besides, it's better that way, in case something happens  Jake If it's what you want and you feel safe, fine.But don't say anything to your co-workers. I don't really trust them.  MC I knowI don't trust them either, many of them are scavengers Except in Lian But I'm sure she would be mad if I told her 🙄 Jake That's up to you.  MC That's why I won't say anything Surely she would give me plenty of reasons not to do it  Jake But you wouldn't listen to her.  MC No! Because I already decided it a long time ago 😉 Jake I'll try to be at 2:00 p.m. If I entertain myself, at the latest at 2:10  MC It's not too late ten minutes 😄  Jake Ten minutes is everything for me. And more than I have to meet you.MC, things are going to change in your life. I hope you know and prepared. MC Always ready! But don't be late or I'll get mad Forever! Everything will be over And I'm not kidding, just so you know it  Jake All right, I won't be long. :) See you tomorrow.I love you MC.  MC I love you too Jake See you tomorrow 💖  Jake ;) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  I check the time. Only five minutes left until 2:10 p.m. I try to relax remembering the first time I saw him. How we met in person Two years ago… **************************************** When Hannah had been rescued, they called me to testify to the police to give the explanations that they had been waiting for so long. I told them that I was very scared and that's why I didn't want to contact Alan at first, just like I told him. Our chat conversation made him not really know who I was until we met face to face, he knew whose daughter I was, then he understood. Jake got in touch with me seven days after not hearing from him. I told him about three times that I was going to kill him for worrying me. He told me that he had trouble getting back out of the mine and had to use the ladder he had entered again. When he was going up, he did it so fast that when he put his foot in the ladder, he ended up breaking it and almost killing himself on the spot. Again, I ended up angry when he told me, or rather, concerned. If he really had died down there, I would have died with him in life. At least he fixed it by telling me that he would go to Duskwood to see me… Well, not only me. He wanted to come to Duskwood to see Hannah, but he couldn't risk it with the surveillance at the hospital entrance, so, with my friends, we devised a plan. The FBI was still looking for him in Duskwood and we wanted him to be safe.

When we went to the hospital to see Hannah, we focused on seeing when they went on break and when they changed shifts, texting each time it happened. We all collaborated so Jake could see his sisters, since Lilly wanted their first meeting to be all three of them together. Lilly and I got a text from Jake in our group, asking us for all the details. We leave nothing unchecked.  At first, the encounter was... how to describe it? Quite uncomfortable. I kept looking at him the whole time as we waited outside the psych ward, so I was like, 'Am I making him uncomfortable?' I noticed I even got a quick glance from him, but he quickly looked away, blushing. He made me think of those times that I would make him blush through the cell phone. I didn't know even in person it would have been so easy. His appearance was clearly that of a rather tired grown man, pale and obviously wearing black clothes, nothing flashy to avoid drawing attention. He didn't want to be reminded if someone looked at him.    "Do you want me to leave you alone?" Lilly asked, who was between us.    “No!” We exclaimed at the same time, embarrassed by her way of saying it.    "I'm fine like this" Jake answered, distantly.     With all we had talked about and he was cold. Yeah, it bothered me a little. When they called us, I decided to wait, refusing a change after a couple of minutes. They had a lot to talk about.  I talked to the group, telling them that Jake had already gone in to see Hannah.They obviously wanted to know what Jake was like. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jessy And..

How he looks? Dan Do you look like an addict?  Cleo Dan, for God's sake! Don't go too far!  Dan To spend so many hours on a computer, something must be inserted Or not?  MC It is…Normal  Thomas What do you mean by normal? MC Normal Well…Not normal At least not for me  Jessy I get it  Cleo Me too  Dan What do you understand? It has not been explained well  Cleo Things of the heart, Dan  Thomas She wants to say that it might be normal for us, but for her, he is attractive.  MC Thomas!  Dan OH! So like Hannah and youShe is the beauty and you are the beast  Thomas Thanks for your great explanation... Dan You're welcome 😎  Cleo Do you need to be picked up?  MC No, Lilly's taking us to the motel.  Jessy The conversation is getting more and more interesting  MC It so happens that Jake and I are staying in the same motel  But of course, things don't seem to be to shoot rockets...  Thomas You haven't talked?  MC Nope Completely ignored me And after everything we've been through...  Dan If he makes you feel bad, I'll go punch him 🤛🤛  MC If that helps him speak to me  Cleo Give him time, MC You just met for the first time  Jessy Surely he is more nervous to see you than you are to him  MC Well I don't know Because I only wanted to throw me into his arms when I saw him I had to control myself so as not to scare him  Thomas I understand you The same thing happened to me when I ran into Hannah But the doctors advised me that it was better to approach little by little You will see how in the end Jake decides to take the step  MC Thank you all For real 😊 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We talked for a while until Jake and Lilly came out. Lilly was crying and I couldn't help but comfort her in a hug. I looked at Jake's eyes, who were looking at us helplessly. They were red, as if he wanted to cry. I extended my hand without separating from his sister and took his, letting him know that I was there for him. He looked down at our hands and squeezed hard. It seemed like he didn't want to let go of me. He looked at me again and moved his lips forming the word 'Thank you'. I smiled at him, although it was sad to see the two of them like this. After the three of us calmed down, Lilly took us back to the motel. I was a little sorry to leave her in that state.     "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked concerned.     "Yeah, it's just the thrill of the three of us together," she replied, with a smile, then looked at Jake. "Do you want to meet tomorrow?"     "I don't know if-"     "Of course you can." I gave Jake a look, tilting my head slightly in his sister's direction, letting him know that he shouldn't leave so soon. "I'll handle it personally.”     "Okay" she laughed and looked at us both. "See you tomorrow. "     "See you tomorrow" we reply at the same time. When she left, we stood there for a long time. How difficult it was to speak face to face after so many texts.     "Thank you," Jake finally said, meeting my eyes, "for brokering for me."     "They need you right now," I crossed my arms, lips pouting "the least you can do is leave. Not yet."    "I know." He adjusted his backpack, a little uncomfortable with the situation. "Forgive me for my attitude towards you, I know my behavior is not proper.”     "Apologies accepted, 'Mr. Darcy,'" I sort of bow like they did in 'Pride and Prejudice' and manage to get a laugh out of him.     "Too formal?"     "A little" I laugh too. The atmosphere relaxes a bit and we already seem closer. I tried to listen to Thomas and Cleo and stay calm. What I didn't want him to know was that I really wanted to meet him at last. Inside of me, a maelstrom of emotions. I was embarrassed by all those things I had written to him. Talking to him in text had been easier.     "Would you like to-"     "Would you like to-"      Surprisingly we talk at the same time. The two of us seemed to have decided to speak to each other.     "I guess we have a lot to talk about." I was glad to know that he was determined to talk to me, I was afraid that in the end he wouldn't want to talk to me. "Would you like a coffee? I'll warn you though, the vending machine coffees aren't too great."     "I think I'll handle it" I nod and start to follow him. He handed me my cup. It was hot. We sat on a bench, in silence. I tried carefully not to knock over the fiery cup.     “Does it burn a lot?” he asks me, concerned.     "No, its fine" I lie. I didn't want him to worry about just one little cup of no importance.     "Wait." He set his glass down on the bench, careful not to knock it over. He then took off his gloves and offered them to me. I blinked a little, surprised. "Come on, put them on.”     "Thank you…”I put the gloves on. They were hot. I felt my face burn, suddenly any sense of cold disappeared.     “Better?”     “Yeah…”    "It's amazing everything you've done for me to meet my sister." He looked at his cup, with a wistful smile, my heart beating fast at the sight of him. "You still fascinate me even in person.”     "I wanted you to see her, you needed to see her after everything we'd done."     "But even in this I let you do the hard work." He turned to look at me and I noticed how his eyes shine in the dim light that the streetlight shone on the parking lot. “I don't know how I'm going to be able to thank you for all you've done.”      I bit my lip. Yes there was one thing.      I swallowed and steeled myself.     "You still owe me that dinner at a Chinese restaurant" I replied, with a small smile.     "Glad you remembered" he sighed with relief, "I didn't know what excuse to make so I could stay longer so I could spend time with you too."      I felt a flutter in my stomach. My whole body felt too light, like in a cloud. I couldn't see anything else around me except him. I had even stopped drinking just to focus on Jake.     "How could I forget?" I ask him rhetorically. "I was really surprised when you asked me if I liked it."     "I was quite surprised by your dream of me too."      Oh, no... He wouldn't dare... I look at him wide-eyed and blushing. It was something I said because I felt I had to say it when he told me he was interested! I didn't think he would remember after that! If not, he'd let it go despite… Well, with everything that happened, I didn't even think he'd remember.     "Not that it's a romantic place we're in right now." His words are calm. He no longer seems like the cold Jake I'd met that morning "And we haven't met under dreamy circumstances, but I'd like to grant your wish.”   “My wish?” I let out a nervous laugh, thinking about what I think he's thinking. He gently caresses my cheek, not saying a word. His hands are warm from the coffee, the aroma makes it seem homey. He approaches me, placing a hand on my waist. I sigh, not looking away. There was no one there at the time, just the two of us. Not a single sound disturbed us. He leaned slowly towards my face and I didn't even make a single move to push him away. I wanted it. I wanted that moment. That kiss was magical. I tried not to seem clumsy, it had been years since I had kissed a boy and one that really interested me so much. I tried to stop myself from letting out small sighs, but it was impossible. I hoped I didn't sound desperate about it.  In the end we slowly parted from lack of air. If I had known, I would have practiced holding the oxygen.   "Wow…" Jake says and any melancholy or sadness in his eyes had disappeared. "You were right, it was a nice thought."     "Oh, shut up." I bury my face in his hoodie, embarrassed. I hear close to me his laugh through my ear until it is stored in my brain. I couldn't forget that nice laugh.    "Now that I have you by my side, I can tell you better." I looked up into his eyes. They were so bright. "I love you, MC. "      My lips expanded so much that I thought the next day my face would hurt. This time I kissed him. Without breaking the hug.    "I love you too, Jake." **************************************** I return to Earth and look at my phone again. 3:30 p.m.     "He may have had a computer problem…" I try to convince myself, not thinking of something worse. That he would have backed down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MC Jake, where are you? Please answer me when you see the message Part 2

[tobi-smp]

hi !! i’m sorry if you’re sort of done with talking about the cc!techno lore discussion situation, but i wanted to weigh in, if that’s okay. (no pressure to respond !)

the whole thing sort of reminds me of this distinct disconnect i think audience members tend to see among [some] actors and their work - and i can tie this to my own personal experience of having been in varsity theatre in high school, and even to big-name movie stars.

for example, i was in a show called radium girls, and i was cast as this doctor character. i knew my scenes and my lines front-to-back - since that’s really important in giving a good performance - but when i wasn’t directly involved, i was backstage. as a result, if you were to ask me “hey, what’s the plot of radium girls?” i’d be able to give a brief synopsis based off of the parts i myself was directly involved in - but that would be the extent of it, y’know? my synopsis would definitely exclude a significant portion of the story - all of which is vital to understanding the other leads’ characters arcs, and the nuance of the plot itself.

we even see this from cast members of ultra-popular media, like marvel. you’re sort of like, “how could these actors be apart of endgame and not have a clue what’s even really going on?” - and the reality is, unless you make the conscious effort of becoming hands-on, and investing your time into becoming familiar work the material, you’re going to be a little out of the loop. (very sorry for rambling !!)

i think my point is definitely i believe cc!techno is entitled to his personal interpretation of the media he’s in ! especially considering he was involved in a lot of major overarching events. however, i just think he’s sort of viewing the story through one of those cardboard toilet-paper rolls, and he should probably re-examine it as a whole to get a better understanding. dsmp analysts do so much for the community - especially those on tumblr - and i’d love to see him connect with them more. you know, use that english major knowledge for good, rather than evil. (/j /lh)

while I certainly understand what you're saying here, and to an extent you aren't wrong, the problem is the Specific Context

1: technoblade was specifically engaging with the ways that the Audience interprets his character, trying to argue with the perception of him as a villain (or at least as villainous at the red festival), as well as point out several points common in discussion that he doesn’t like (such as the “age arguments,” which in context is the idea that his actions in the red festival were worse because the person he chose to kill was a teenager), which just isn’t the same thing as him having his own interpretation of the character based on his limited perspective.

to use your experience in theater as an example, it’d be as if you walked up to people discussing the play afterwards and argued with an audience member for criticizing your character’s actions and trying to explain why your character Couldn’t have been in the wrong based on the limited knowledge that you have. it’s not a productive conversation and nobody was asking for it.

2: not everything that technoblade said was his personal understanding of his character or his character's motivations. in fact the Majority of what he said was about Other Characters' actions, which becomes problematic both because he didn't have the context to understand those characters on a deeper level And because many of the things he said were just objectively wrong.

as an example: telling his audience that wilbur, tubbo, and tommy tried to kill him by withholding information about the plan is, an extremely bad take on its own. but it becomes worse when we have in stream evidence that tells us that wilbur Did tell techno what the plan was and what techno was supposed to do [Link], tommy's entire arc during pogtopia was about him Not wanting to blow l'manberg up, and neither tommy or tubbo had any reason to think that techno Didn't know (because wilbur had already told them that he was in on it), among other things.

he's not just wrong about the things that happened while he wasn't around, he's wrong about the things that he actively participated in and he's spreading that misinformation to his audience which already has a history of twisting canon to demonize the other characters and downplay the results of c!techno’s actions to absolve his character of guilt.

3: technoblade isn’t just an actor, he’s a writer. he has direct control over his own character, what arcs his character gets involved in, what his character does and says and when he does it. this is an improv roleplay and while there have been instances where there was an overhead writer organizing the events so they played out cohesively that’s long gone. technoblade’s understanding of the story affects how Everybody Else is able to tell their story around his character, which Matters when technoblade is involved in every major arc as of right now.

I talk about this more here [Link], but when tubbo wanted to dig into the consequences the red festival had on his character in more depth he put Quackity into the role as the person his character was angry at and wary of Because of the red festival, having his character absolve c!techno because quackity “forced him to do it” when quackity was openly begging for schlatt and techno to Stop and got hurt By Techno.

c!tubbo isn’t Allowed to explore his trauma From Technoblade because cc!techno isn’t willing to play along, isn’t willing to see his character as a villain or even as someone who made a Mistake. so the narrative had to Bend Around the obstacle that technoblade became in order to explore those feelings. which makes it all the more frustrating when techno apologists turn around and use that to further absolve c!techno of guilt by saying that c!tubbo forgave him and didn’t blame him.

it’s Detrimental to the storytelling of an Improv Roleplay when one of the improvisers refuses to play along.

required reading before you argue with this post: [Link]