#and she wants like. the really decadent rich kind with cake bits and stuff in it. but she absolutely refuses to indulge

[commsroom]

hi there, long time listener first time caller. genuinely i love your blog sm, everything you say about hera brings me so much joy.

anyways, what’s eiffel’s favorite ice cream?

hi, thank you so much! that means a lot to me. ♡

eiffel's favorite ice cream... hm. once zach said eiffel's favorite ice cream would be cotton candy dippin dots, and i love that answer. other than that... i think he likes 1) sugar, and 2) novelty. eiffel's not a same flavor every time guy; he's mixing scoops of bright neon flavors favored by children and then covering them in toppings. he also likes coffee ice cream, of course, and he doesn't think you can go wrong with chocolate. even better, combine those, too. he likes ice cream sandwiches, and the deep fried ice cream you can get at fairs. as long as it isn't trying to be fancy or healthy, i don't think he'll turn it down.

... there's also a non-zero chance that cigarette candy put the possibility of cigarette ice cream in his brain. that guy's taste buds are broken. love him so much.

[metalgearkong]

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier - TV Review

5/1/21 ***spoilers***

Created by Malcomb Spellman, directed by Kari Skogland

Out of all the announced Disney+ MCU shows, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seemed to be the most out of left field. Two sidekicks from the later 2 Captain America movies pair up and get their own show? What made their bormance so special? I mean, I like them well enough, but what is it that warrants a show? With all of it now said and done, this show is not what I expected, in a good way, but I can't say it lived up to its own potential. It brings up a lot of controversial subjects--stuff I really found interesting and progressive, but it doesn't fully commit. That being said, I'm glad it exists, and it takes many steps in the right direction.

6 months after Avengers Endgame, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) are returning to every day life, and the problems that come along with it. Bucky in particular is attending strict therapy to repair mental damage from decades of being Hydra's Winter Soldier. Sam is working with his sister and her boating shrimp business. As it turns out, the Avengers didn't technically receive a salary. Strange beings who they worked with, and i assumed Tony Stark or government funding supported the Avengers. Who built their base, made their suits, equipment, and how have the Avengers gotten by so far? The idea is brought up, but the show never comes around and fully explores this interesting point.

The Falcon the the Winter Soldier is only 6 episodes long, compared to WandaVision at 8. I feel like this show needed to be as longer for the numerous ideas it brings up and doesn't have time to flesh out. The main conflict of this series is the fight against the Flag Smashers. A revolutionary group, they want to return the world to what it was during the "blip." They want a worldwide policy of nations without borders. This is a really cool concept and something I could get behind, but yet again it's an interesting idea that is never sufficiently fleshed out. What (according to the Flash Smashers) was so great about the state of the world during the blip? What did nations do around the world that makes the Flag Smashers want to return to the way of life? Did people receive more finances and property? Did socialism thrive? None of this is ever expanded upon.

I also didn't care much for Karli Morgenthau, the leader of the Flag Smashers. Apparently their whole side story had to be changed last minute due to the covid-19 pandemic, and their inconsistent dialog and motivation shows this fact. I never bought actress Erin Kellyman as a revolutionary which thousands of people would follow and kill for, nor did I buy her as a juiced-up super soldier. The best character to come out of this show is John Walker as the government approved new Captain America. Wyatt Russell plays the character extremely well, and it's engaging to see a villain which so easily could have been one-dimensional develop into a more rounded person. He did however get a stupid small redemption in the final episode, but this "good guy" moment is wedged between him brutally killing an unarmed person in public, and joining what looks to be a "Dark Avengers" squad. For a show with progressive ideas, John Walker killing a civilian in a fit of rage should have been a point of no return.

My favorite aspect of The Falcon & the Winter Solider are the racial aspects it brings up. Finally we have a big mainstream company and mainstream show directly making light of the unfair bias and poorer treatment of minorities, especially black men. To see it happen even to an Avenger (Sam) was really cool, and fourth-wall breaking. Sam also discovers a man named Izayah who was a test subject, along with other black men, for the original super soldier serum in WWII. Izayah's mistreatment and his disenfranchised view of the United States is some of the best stuff in the entire show. Everything is all about living up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, but Izayah thinks no black man should even want to bear the stars and stripes. I hope this trend continues as it hangs a lampshade on something broad entertainment should address.

The action and cinematography also evoke my favorite corner of the MCU: everything directed by the Russo Brothers. The fight choreography is visceral without having to be flashy or larger than life (until the end). It was also great to see Sam Wilson reject the shield at the beginning of the show, thinking he would never live up to the mantle. His humility and growth throughout the show is also some of the best stuff to see. He truly is a man of the people, and the next best person besides Steve Rogers who truly can be and deserves to be the new Captain America. Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) also reemerges from Captain America: Civil War, but his character is totally retconned into being a Baron (comics accurate) with huge amounts of wealth and resources. I didn't like his character as much as I did in Civil War, as an everyday soldier tearing the Avengers apart is more compelling than a rich and powerful supervillain doing the same thing. He also had a dumb moment where he wore his purple ski mask for literally one action scene (less than a minute or two) and took it off never to be seen again.

Sharon Carter also makes an appearance, but I don't think the character, nor her twist being the Power Broker meant anything to me. It could be this show going a bit too far with its story threads. Carter has never been a charismatic character to me, and I'm wondering how they'll keep her interesting in the MCU going forward. She is the icing on the cake for too numerous and too weak of villains in this series. I also didn't think it was consistent of honorable of her character to go down a bad path especially knowing the lineage of Peggy Carter. I'm curious where this aspect of the story will go, but I'm not holding my breath. I wish this show cut out some of its threads in order to focus on some of its very good core ideas, especially only at 6 episodes.

The Falcon & The Winter Soldier has a lot of interesting ideas and brings up a lot of important ideas. I didn't expect this show to be critical of racial treatment, police brutality, and government overreach. To eventually see Sam evolve into the new Captain America and believing it down to the atom is the best thing to witness about this story. Bucky gets the short end of the stick, and while he does go through healing, I wish he had more great action or dialog scenes. The Falcon & the Winter soldier sets up future stuff, as the MCU does best. Sharon Carter might be some kind of bad guy going forward, the Dark Avengers seem to be forming, and Sam Wilson as Captain America may go on to lead a new generation of Avengers. The show is far from perfect, and sadly doesn't commit to some of its best ideas. I would watch another season, but hope it would have a slightly sharper script.

7/10

[ulyssessklein]

Perla Hudson Interview: Slash, Dinosaurs and Helping the Youth of L.A.

By: Rick Landers

We thought we’d click back to one of our favorite articles, one we had with Slash’s wife, Perla Hudson. So, here you go and enjoy the ride!

***

Perla Hudson, the wife of Velvet Revolver’s legendary guitar player, Slash, has navigated the depths and ridden the crests of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle for a decade. And no one would be surprised if she simply wrapped herself in that self-indulgent lifestyle that we hear about that beckons and, sometimes, overcomes the rich and famous. But, we spoke to Perla, and she let us know that she and her husband had more important things to take care of and nurture.

As much as she enjoys the raucous highlights of the rock ‘n’ roll fantasy, Perla has invested time and effort into being a mother to her two growing boys, keeping the home fires burning with her husband, and helping the disenfranchised youth of Los Angeles. She has supported the work of L.A.’s Department of Children’s Services. She’s also served on the Board of Directors, and more recently on the Advisory Committee, of the L.A. Youth Network (LAYN). And when she talks about it, she’s not only committed, she’s passionate.

And now, both she and Slash are offering up a treasure trove of their possessions to help fund LAYN programs to benefit children who are homeless and need the kindness and guidance of caring adults. Their Slash and Rock Legends Auction will be held by the famous Julien’s auction house beginning March 26, 2011, and will feature some of the hippest and coolest prized possessions owned by the Hudsons.

On this list is some Slash signature gear, like a stage-worn Chrome Hearts leather top hat; his GNR silver cuff, a one-of-a kind custom Stravinski Fender Stratocaster, his B.C. Rich Red Mockingbird axe, pieces from his prized dinosaur collection and the coup de grace, Slash’s beloved 1966 big block Corvette coupe.

The Slash and Rock Legends auction should rake in some serious cash, all for a good cause. We at Guitar International tip our black leather top hats to Slash and Perla, for reflecting not only the best in rock ‘n’ roll, but the best in all of us.

******

Perla and Slash – Image courtesy of Gibson Guitars.

Rick Landers: Hey, I just found out that you’re Cuban. Do you dance salsa?

Perla Hudson: Of course I do! I’m cooking Cuban food for dinner tonight, too.

Rick: Are you really? Good for you. I guess Cuba should be opened up fairly soon, right? Do you think you’ll ever go down there?

Perla Hudson: I’ve been. We want to take the kids, but just finding the right time and you know how that all goes. Hopefully we’ll be there soon.

Rick: A lot of people think rock stars are always self-indulgent, even rock couples, I suppose, but I saw that in the auction that’s coming up this month you have a passion for the L.A. Youth Network.

Perla Hudson: Absolutely.

Rick: I was wondering how you ended up choosing that particular charity?

Perla Hudson: Well, I’ve been on the Board of Directors for LAYN for about three years. I only, in the past couple of months, stepped down because there’s a lot of decision making when you’re on the Board of Directors and it was very time-consuming for me. I’m still on the Advisory Committee and on the Fundraising Committee for them, which is where this comes in.

We did a lot of charity work with the Department of Children’s Services. Every Christmas we would fulfill their wish lists. One year we rolled up on the Gibson tour bus and gave everybody Gibson guitars. Another year we actually gave the kids what they were hoping for. These are Children’s Services children. The woman from DCS told me about LAYN, which is a homeless shelter for children. It serves with emergency housing, temporary and permanent housing for kids in the L.A. area. So, we started focusing our efforts on LAYN.

It’s really important because a lot of people ask Slash to donate a top hat, donate a guitar, donate this, donate that, and he’s been extremely generous and giving, but you don’t necessarily always see where all that stuff is going to. With LAYN we see it. I’ve been there for kids’ birthdays. Slash has been to their talent shows. We’ve sponsored the kids to go to prom. It’s pretty amazing.

These are kids that have been living on the streets, have been kicked out of their homes because either they’re gay or lesbian or abused. Kids that got a birthday cake for the first time when they were 13 and didn’t know what to do with the candles. So, I think the work they do is amazing and the W.O.O.W. [We’re On Our Way] program is basically what your parents did for you.

When you were going through college, they paid for your housing, paid for your food, and that’s what the W.O.O.W. program does with these kids that are out of high school, up to the age of 22, even 25. There’s still a kid that age in school. It’s a great organization. It’s a home. We’re very hands-on with them, and as a matter of fact, they’re honoring us in June at their gala for a lot of the work that we’ve done for them.

Check Out GI’s Slash Interview Discussing Les Paul and Les Paul Guitars

Rick: What surprises me is that most missing children weren’t reported missing by their parents. That’s kind of heartbreaking.

Perla Hudson: Isn’t that horrible?

Rick: I can’t believe it. Looking at the auction, there are some pretty cool items that are obviously cool, whether they’re associated with Slash or not. One in particular caught my eye and probably caught a lot of people’s, and that’s that ’66 big block Corvette.

Perla Hudson: Oh, yeah. That was a really hard one for him to part with. [Both laughing] We’re all about minimizing now and he’s a bit of a pack rat. There was a time when I first met Slash he had like 10 cars. That was one of them, one of his big purchases when he first made a lot of money with Guns N’ Roses. He bought that car and recently he got an Aston Martin. There are only so many cars one can drive. We have kids now. We’ve got the SUV, so we’re parting with it. That one’s even harder for me.

Rick: Was that a driver or did you just keep it in the garage and keep it pristine?

Perla Hudson: Oh, no. We drove it. He didn’t drive it every day, but he did drive it on a regular basis.

Rick: Is it a coupe?

Perla Hudson: Yes, it is.

Rick: Oh, nice. I had a ’65 convertible, so I know they’re great cars.

Perla Hudson: Right. He had the whole thing, this was way back in the day when he bought it, I guess the late ’80s, had the whole stereo system tricked out to where the panel where you press the buttons for the stereo that was on the visor. After that I believe he put everything back to its original condition. But, it still has a pretty kickin’ stereo system in there, too. [Both laughing]

Rick: How tough was it then to give up some of those other auction items?

Perla Hudson: It was pretty tough. Getting him to go through his list of guitars was really difficult for him, and in a way I don’t blame him. The ones that he did part with, it was a lot for him. But, he has over 150 guitars, as it stands, so he’s getting rid of, I think it was 13 or 14.

Rick: If you had an opportunity, or maybe it would be a better question to ask him, to buy one of those auction items, which one do you think you or he would grab?

Perla Hudson: Well, I think that there’s a painting in there that we didn’t mean to put in there that we might have to buy back. [Both laughing]

Rick: What is it?

Perla Hudson: It’s the Ain’t Life Grand album cover artwork. It wasn’t supposed to go and if Slash hears this interview, he’ll kill me, because it went on accident; one of those things that got put into the wrong pile.

Rick: Oh, it happens.

Perla Hudson: Once they’re up for auction, we’ve got to buy them back.

Rick: It’ll go to a good cause, right?

Perla Hudson: Absolutely.

Rick: I was wondering how Slash ended up with the dinosaur collection that’s to be auctioned?

Perla Hudson: He’s been enamored of dinosaurs ever since he was a child and he’s a big collector, as you can see, with guitars and dinosaurs, cars. There are a few things that he’s interested in, but when he does get interested in something, he takes it to the next degree.

The dinosaurs…he’s probably just as schooled on paleontology as actual paleontologists are. This man is the encyclopedia of dinosaurs and that’s just his thing. A lot of those models he made himself. A lot of them he bought when he was in Japan touring in the early ’80s with Guns and put them together.

A lot of that stuff is all stuff that we got on different tours, but the dinosaurs in particular, when he and I originally hooked up, he had like a 10,000 square foot bachelor pad filled with pinball machines and dinosaur models. We’ve been keeping these in storage ever since and it was just time to unload them. They’re pretty cool.

Check Out Slash’s Long-Time Musical Partner in GI’s Duff McKagan Interview

Rick: I think it probably takes a lot of true grit to really be married to somebody who’s moved up so far in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. Did you know what you were getting into when you first met him?

Perla Hudson: You know what? It takes true grit, as you said, to be in any relationship long-term, regardless of with a rock star or not. Did I know what I was getting into? Not necessarily, but I had no expectations, and I still don’t and I just deal with things as they come. There are no expectations and nothing really shocks me.

Rick: I would think that you’d really have to be true to yourself at the same time.

Perla Hudson: Absolutely, and keep each other grounded and keep him grounded, specifically. Slash is such an introverted person that it’s very easy for him to get into his little world of music. We’re completely polar opposites, him and I, and it’s up to me to bring him out of that on a regular basis and be part of the real world. He’s kind of like a mad scientist in his lab, creating his music. Left to his own devices, he would be there 24/7.

Rick: How do you deal with all the noise, the media and the hysterics that surround the rock star thing?

Perla Hudson: It doesn’t really bother me. I’m not married to a politician, so what can they say that can bother us? [Both laughing] I’m a pretty open-minded person and nothing really shocks me, to tell you the truth.

Rick: The last time I interviewed Slash, after the interview he was going to a soccer game, taking your two kids to a soccer game. He sounds like he’s a pretty normal guy.

Perla Hudson: You know, we try to be. Recently, someone started working with us that couldn’t believe that he and I actually drive the carpool. He does too, with the rest of the kids. We have a carpool with two other families.

We try to be normal and as grounded as possible because at the end of the day, we’re all just human and you can’t escape your reality. Our reality might be a little different than others, but we have two really young boys that we want to keep grounded and have them grow up and be normal.

Rick: People tend not to like to brag about themselves. I actually taught a course with a psychologist and he said that people have no problem denigrating themselves, but when it comes to bragging about themselves, they tend not to like to do that. How about it? Would you mind bragging a little bit about who you are and what you think people should know about you? Things that you’re proud of…

Perla Hudson: Oh, okay. Goodness, I’m proud of my character, my survival skills. My parents were Cuban immigrants that, speaking quite frankly with you, were drug dealers when I was growing up. To have overcome that and have any sense of being normal was difficult. I grew up to be very loyal, but I had this entire crazy part of my life going on growing up.

I just think being a survivor and being open-minded are among the things I’m most proud of when it comes to my character. I’m very proud of my two children, that I have these two amazing little boys, and I’m really raising them to make a difference in the world when they grow older. I’m proud that I’ve been married 10 years this October. That’s a stretch!

Rick: Congratulations! Hey, your sons are really handsome little boys, really cute.

Perla Hudson: Thank you. They’re tough.

Rick: I bet.

Perla Hudson: When the older one was six months old and I had this baby nurse help me. She looked at me, she goes, “Oh, Perla,” she’s a little Irish lady, “This one is definitely not gonna be a wallflower,” and she was right. [Rick laughing]

Rick: A lot of guys who play, and I play guitar a lot, they often find that their spouses get a little bit tired of them playing guitar, maybe too loudly, and it’s happened to me and other friends of mine that when we’re playing, we kind of notice that the door gets closed on us. The wives are thinking, “That’s enough.” Tell me that Slash ends up experiencing the same thing, that he’s normal.

Perla Hudson: Yeah, but I love it when he plays around the house on his acoustic guitar. He does have a studio that’s completely soundproofed in the basement though. But, when they first built it, you could hear him blaring in the kitchen. It was okay for a minute, but after a while it got old, so we had to have it fixed. [Both laughing] But, he’s got like a soundproofed room down there.

Rick: That’s a good fix.

Perla Hudson: But, I love hearing him play acoustic guitar around the house, especially around the boys because one of them is taking guitar lessons. God, if he heard this, he’d probably kill me. I don’t know if he’s got that music gene, the older one, but the little one is extremely talented and self-taught to play piano and he’s in a little violin class. The little one is just amazing, so he’s enamored when he sees his father playing guitar. He just sits there and stares at him, so I love it, to tell you the truth.

Rick: Let me see if you’re willing to do an exchange with me here. If you’ll tell me what Slash’s favorite meal is or food, I’ll tell you what Les Paul told me his favorite food was and you can tell Slash.

Perla Hudson: Great! Let’s do that.

Rick: Les Paul’s favorite food was macaroni and cheese.

Perla Hudson: Slash’s favorite food is something spicy. Anything spicy.

[thisislizheather]

June Jaunts 2020

Above Photo: New York Public Library, June 2020

Can someone just hit me in the face hard enough so that I wake up in 2021? As a favour to me? (Also I love that we’re all assuming that a new year means a completely fresh new slate and that none of the actions taken this year will affect the rest of our lives? It’s ridiculous, but it’s a type of logic that I can absolutely get on board with.) In any case, life is hell right now. Here’s what went on in hell this month.

I found a new streaming site for movies that is incredible.

My brother Gary made another gravy video (this time a Swiss Chalet one) and of course it’s perfect.

My Dad turned 97!

I started doing Ipsy bag reviews again. The best find from the bag this month: a REALHER lipstick. Just amazing quality and I need to look further into their other products.

I watched Get Me Roger Stone and the man seems like a needy psychopath.

I rewatched The Disaster Artist: still great.

I tried hard seltzer (not White Claw, it was a brand called HOOT) and it was very okay, I just don’t see the big deal? I think we all have low standards for things being good.

God, I miss Jon Stewart. I find myself just watching old segments from his show which are sadly still incredibly relevant. 

I visited this coffee shop in Astoria called Coffee + Cake that’s so lovely. They make freshly baked goods each day and homemade ice cream and I’ll definitely return. This is their tomato & parmesan focaccia bread.

I started taking antihistamine eye drops for seasonal allergies and they’ve cured me completely. It’s insane. I love them.

I tried birthday cake Kit Kats because why wouldn’t I and of course they’re good. But they’re basically just… white Kit Kats… and that’s already a thing that exists… and look I’m not trying to hate on them, so I’ll keep my mouth shut about it from here on out.

If I became famous, the first thing I’d endorse would be Vicks (obviously), but the second thing? This dairy-free, almond milk yogurt DAH! Yes, the name is terrible. But the yogurt is heavenly. The madagascar vanilla will change you.

Finally made this ricotta jam jar with crostini and it was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I’ve been keeping a collection of photos taken of the city throughout the pandemic that are just gorgeous photos, here are a few.

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

Above Photo: March 12th, 2020, the first night of Broadway going dark - photo by Gretchen Robinette for Gothamist

Above Photo: June 2020, photo by Benjamin Norman for The New York Times

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

Above Photo: April 2020, photo by Jerome Strauss

I watched the Holy Chicken! documentary from the Super Size Me guy and it was okay. I did know a lot of those chicken facts already since we haven’t been eating meat these last few months, so it wasn’t anything revolutionary. And then after I watched it, I was reading about it and then came across all the gross behavior by the creator of the film and uggghhhh I wish I hadn’t watched and supported it now.

I tried this New Orleans cold brew and whoa. Good stuff. I don’t exactly know the difference between cold brew and coffee and it’s such a boring thing to look up, so��� here we are.

Will forever love the food at The Thirsty Koala in Astoria. Thank you Katie, Greg & Irene for gifting us so much of their food this month! Truly so sweet of you.

Favourite tweets of the month.

New favourite Health-Ade kombucha flavour: passion fruit - tangerine. Absolutely unreal.

I bought a ton of underwear from Aerie since I don’t feel comfortable going into any stores or on the subway yet, and they’re actually pretty great quality (I’m sorry I didn’t get on this sooner, Marla.) The sizing is a little off in that one medium doesn’t fit like another medium, but once you figure it out, you’re good.

This girl. She’s still breaking my heart with these renditions.

How do I set my Google Alerts so that these types of stories are the only news stories I read?

I learned how to make vodka martinis at home, so what I’m trying to say is that I’m better than you now.

Truly don’t know how I feel about this news, but I think I have to support it, right? I wish we could just leave good things alone. Why must we always want more.

I watched The Joy Luck Club and here’s my takeaway: don’t have daughters. And also maybe don’t have mothers? It seems like everyone is a disappointment to every character in this movie. I was expecting to love it, so when that didn’t happen I was a little disappointed.

I watched Dan In Real Life (mainly because of Steve Carell who was way too good for this movie) and it suuuuucked. Hated Dane Cook. Hated the plot. Hated the whole white, rich, we-dance-as-a-family type aesthetic of the whole movie. 

I watched the first season of You and a few episodes of the second season and uuuuuuuggggghhhhhh what a garbage show. I don’t need to see anyone romanticize some pathetic Gossip Girl loser who I feel no empathy for. It’s actually just so badly written and how on earth did someone green-light this trash. Here’s a good piece written about it.

Also watched a bunch of reruns of 3rd Rock From The Sun and what an underrated, great show. Wish I remembered it more.

I’ve been on a real Harrison Ford bender lately and I can’t see it stopping anytime soon. I watched Sabrina (which was okay, the best part was seeing him play a nerdish, unlovable character). I also watched Working Girl (which is really not a great movie, but it was only watchable for Ford). Also saw Air Force One and what a movie. How on earth have I never seen it before?? Such a fox. If you haven’t seen it before, I shall entice you with this one line.

Rainier cherries are in season now and while I don’t particularly love a cherry, these are delightful.

I’ve been sucking down these Saratoga Springs sparkling waters for days and there’s no turning back, they’re refreshing in a way I didn’t think existed. Just pure magic.

The only summer salad that’s worth a damn is this panzanella salad, but make sure you add fresh mozzarella to it.

I never thought I liked biscotti until a friend recently made it, so maybe I’m just into chocolate biscotti?

What a great idea (below):

If you’d like to hear the birds in NYC right now, get on over here.

I started watching Insecure but couldn’t really get into it, maybe I’ll give it more of a chance, maybe not. I feel like if you’re not hooked into a show within three episodes, it’s not gonna happen.

I rewatched Clueless and it’s really just a perfect movie. I could quote every line in this movie at one point in my life and I think I might still be able to. Still looking to emulate this perfect outfit one day.

Cannot stop making this broccoli pasta with Banza and the Beyond Meat sausage.

Absolutely haunted by this moving front page of the Times.

I finished watching Fuller House and I’ll never know why I wanted to, it’s such a corny/actually-bad show and yet I still watched. Thankfully it’s over forever.

Incase you’re looking for an alternative site to Amazon for buying books: Bookshop.org

I haven’t read a book in what feels like forever, so I finally finished Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and wrote about it.

Excited to one day see the new LaGuardia.

I went over what I did from my spring list that I made in March.

I naively made a list of what I’d like to do this summer.

It’s been a harder month than normal and I found myself watching The Land Before Time and uncontrollably weeping onto my yoga mat (I like to watch movies in the background when I’m working out). A kind of cry that comes around every decade or so where you can’t really breathe and you’re blinded my tears and everything is too much to handle. I know it’s a sad movie, but I think it was the movie and the combination of this month that made me react that way. In any case, I hope kids today still want to watch that movie. It’s a hard one, but it’s really still so good.

My grandmother Ma passed away this month and since travel is not allowed, it was especially difficult for this to happen now. I felt helpless being separated from most of my family so I wrote a bit about how it made me feel. I could talk about the greatness of this woman endlessly, how it’s insane that you could live in this day and age and not read or write and still enrich the lives of everyone you know, there’s no way to sum her up as a person. I’ll just miss her. Her voice, her endless encouragement, all of it.

Some things I’d like to do this month: I’d like to not sink into an unending pit of depression (that’d be great), I’d like to keep going on our nightly walks with Nathan, I’m likely going to buy these bike shorts as soon as they’re back in stock and you can’t stop me (I already have an outfit in mind, trust me it’s gonna look good), I was looking forward to movie theatres reopening (the Regal near our house specifically) but the date’s been pushed again to the end of July (which will likely get pushed again), and I’d really like to start and finish another book this month.

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in May over here.

[greaseonmymouth]

I’m tasteless celery anon. Read your list I literally love everything you hate. Recipes will say one clove garlic I add a whole gulf I love garlic cooked or raw. The one thing we agree on is rocket it’s bad. Love black coffee. It’s kinda like what you eat influences your taste buds. Like if you don’t eat a lot of dark chocolate and heavy rich surgery foods than a triple dark chocolate cake that I would describe as rich and decadent you’d say too sugary. I just think taste is neat.

oh I love garlic when it’s cooked though! I’ll add insane amounts to what I’m making if the recipe calls for garlic in the first place. my Italian flatmate revealed to me the other day that she’s never had garlic and I was like......but you’re Italian?? turns out the region she’s from doesn’t use it in their cooking. 

also I really love dark chocolate, but it’s an acquired taste. I used to be a milk chocolate kind of person, but then gradually went darker and darker. I draw the line at around 72% though which is the highest I’ll go, 80% and up is way too bitter for me. I can’t stand white chocolate though, it’s basically just fatty vanilla sugar, absolutely vile. I have also had the misfortune of being served what I thought was a rich and decadent dark chocolate cake and then it was mostly sugar and I was just...nope. how can you fail at putting enough chocolate in a dark chocolate cake???

to answer your other ask, some of my favourite foods (also prefacing this with: I am gluten intolerant so don’t eat a lot of pasta or bread because the gf versions are expensive):

Bland Category:

fish - fish and chips, boiled fish with boiled potatoes (I’m Icelandic don’t judge me), fried fish with potatoes (there’s a Theme here), fish stew, fish soup, fish gratin (my mum makes a really good one with yellow curry, pineapple, and grated cheese that she got out of a 90s cookbook). Fish is always cod, haddock, salmon, or rainbow trout (aka the ‘cheap salmon’). I detest herring. I’m very suspicious of most fishes that are eaten in Denmark that aren’t cod because in Iceland where I’m from those fishes are generally considered ‘inedible’ fish and are mostly used as animal feed or bait. Why would we eat them when we can have the Good Fish instead? It’s a cultural thing, I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with those fishes. Herring I just have an irrational hatred towards. It’s the Worst fish. 

CHEESE and various dairy products. I like everything from ricotta and mozzarella and cream cheese to mature cheddar to goat cheeses, blue cheese, and Parmigiano. Yogurt. Skyr (Icelandic product). Kefir. Buttermilk. Viili (Finnish product). Rahka (another splendid Finnish product). Sour Cream! Cottage Cheese! I like it all.

The Fun Category:

Indian food - I cook a lot of simple curry dishes for myself though I definitely prefer getting it in restaurants or as takeaway as it’s often much better than what I can manage to make. If it’s coconut based it’s the best. The ones I cook for myself are actually more Sri Lankan than Indian and call for coconut.

Mexican food - two of my staple dishes to cook for myself are chili con carne (or chili sin carne, increasingly, these days) and a soup that is likely more Mexican inspired than actual Mexican (the recipe comes from a Swedish cookbook and I modified it). This is also food I’ll go out for. 

Thai food - mostly fried rice/rice noodle type of dishes. Coconut based curries are my favourite. I go out for these.

Chinese food - if my dad isn’t cooking it for me, which he rarely is because we haven’t lived in the same country in 20 years, I go out for this. I’ll get rice and then chicken or vegetables in some kind of spicy sauce, depends on the restaurant (the ones I know of specialise in regions and the dishes vary drastically).

Vegetables:

eh this one’s hard because for a lot of vegetables it’s “DEPENDS” and also when I was a child I not only was a really picky eater who refused to eat anything but potatoes, fish, and dairy, but also a lot of fancy veggies weren’t available in my homecountry because it wasn’t grown there and didn’t ship well or whatever. so I’m not used to eating a lot of vegetables to begin with. hence why I like canned peas, because that was the only way we could have them. s lentil a vegetable? I love lentils. I’m not a huge fan of beans but I’ll put them in things like chilis, and I’ll have baked beans if I’m eating a full English/Scottish breakfast out somewhere.

I love tomatoes and mushrooms though. I don’t like most vegetables raw, I prefer them cooked. Roasted or fried. I have been served far too many boiled broccoli/cauliflower/carrot mixes in my life to ever want to eat them again. I

These days for my lunches I’m assembling them out of: bistro salad mix, fried mushrooms and fried bell peppers, fresh tomatoes (cherry, san marzano, or other very flavourful tomato that comes in small sizes), mozzarella if I have it (or avocado if I have it), hard boiled eggs or spicy fried chicken or other lunch meat if I can find it reduced in the supermarket. salt, pepper, oregano, sweet chili sauce. if I don’t have mozarella, eggs or avocado in there I’ll add some mayonnaise to the sweet chili sauce to add some fat. it’s very basic stuff but it’s easy to make, filling, and is made of things that I like.

sometimes I don’t have the energy to make lunch and will either have whatever Indian curry & rice on the menu from the restaurant on campus (it’s not great food but the servings are huge and very extremely affordable) or I’ll just eat gluten free oat biscuits.

Fruit:

see above. the only fruit I’ll eat fresh basically is bananas and I don’t even like bananas that much. They’re just the easiest to eat. I kind of like apples but I can’t just bite into one (it’s a texture thing), I’ll have to have it cut and sliced into small bits. Same with pears. Every now and then I’ll get a craving for some soft and sweet fruit and buy like, 1 peach, or 1 nectarine or 1 mango and then eat half of it and then I’m Done. I’ll sometimes get those little plastic cups with bits of melon and pineapple and grapes and eat the contents of that and be like I have now had A Fruit and be good for like, a month.

I like berries to an extent and usually cooked or baked in something. I love bilberries in pie and if I can find reduced raspberries at the supermarket I’ll turn them into a sauce to put on plain yoghurt. I like orange juice and prefer squeezing it myself, but I will not actually EAT an orange (or another citrus) because once the juice is all gone what you’re left with is the fleshy bits and they’re bitter as hell and a Bad texture.

I grew up with artificial fruit flavours in candy so generally I’ll prefer a cherry flavoured sweet over a real cherry because the real cherry will taste Green a lot of the time and the candy will not, and the candy will have a more intense flavour. The only exception to this is marachino cherries in those fancy jars, I’m happy to eat those in desserts.

But also most of the foods that I cook for myself are just Generic Pan European foods or Random Dish I Just Made Up. I’ll be making lasagne one day not following any authentic Italian recipe (I mean, it just has Things In It That I Like and also a can of tomatoes), and the next I’ll be having grilled cheese toast for dinner and the next I’ll not bother cooking and just have yoghurt and the next day I’ll go look at the reduced vegetables section in Tesco and come away with random stuff that I can put into a soup or stew (always tomato based) that again doesn’t follow any known recipe but rather a ‘these are tasty things I like that happened to be on sale and when combined like this will be tasty to me’ method. Not a huge fan of butternut squash for example and would never buy a whole one to cook but here in the UK it’s often in mix bags with sweet potatoes and onion (all diced), and if those are reduced to idk £0.85 down from two pounds whatever you bet I’m taking that bag and making soup or stew out of it. I’ll add lentils, stock cubes, can or two of tomatoes, whatever other veg I have if I have it, spices, and have rice with it. I’ll usually get dinner for at least 4 days out of it. My staple spices (aside from the sri lankan spice mixes I use) are paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili flakes, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon. we have a basil plant but I’d otherwise have dried basil as well. these are all spices that go well with tomato based dishes and/or mexican dishes and are pretty versatile.

[superfitbabe]

dd

Hi everybody! I just uploaded a new YouTube video! Woohoo!

Vlog #3 essentially captures everything that I did and ate leading up to my one-year vegan anniversary, which was Friday, August 24th, the official day I became vegan and the start of not eating anymore animal products for good! Just to clarify, vegan anniversaries are a special commencement that vegans alike love to celebrate annually. The first day of being a vegan is very important to us because it marks such a wonderful life change!

This video really highlights the food and includes some bits and pieces of my potato face and awkward personality, so you can enjoy that too. Oh yes, and I’ll admit that lately I have been obsessed with Luis Fonsi’s music. No shame! 😉 I highly encourage you to watch the video, but if you want a more in-depth peek into my week, then keep scrolling down (fortunately for you all, there won’t be any cringey dancing involved)!

AUGUST 22ND 2017

Wednesday started off perfectly with two juicy nectarines and an incredible workout that followed this snack! I have been hooked on peaches and nectarines lately, and I will be devastated when they go out of season! I might miss them even more than figs, which says a LOT!

Post-workout munchies really started to kick in around four hours later and I wanted something really quick and easy. This meal took less than ten minutes to make! Everything is basically cooked edamame spaghetti that I sauteed with two LARGE handfuls of spinach, a bit of curry powder, and a splash of low sodium organic soy sauce! Even though this dish is really simple, it’s going to get its own recipe post because it’s insanely delicious! This kept me so satiated until I headed out to hang out with Cory (follow him on Instagram too!)!

  Just HAD to sneak in another nectarine. Yep, I’m addicted.

Pomegranate was the main destination my dad dropped me off at so I could see my vegan Instagram pal Cory! Basically, Pomegranate is a completely plant-based cafe that serves deli and hot-bar items, as well as a small selection of desserts! Unfortunately, Cory and I were under the impression that Pomegranate was mainly a bakery, not a cafe, hence we were very underwhelmed with the array of desserts provided. However, we did not leave empty-handed–I bought this “sweet” chocolate cake that happens to be completely sugar free! WHAT?! Anyways, overall, had I known that this cafe serves more lunch-based items than desserts, I would probably have had a better experience. I will definitely come back to try more, but because we were disappointed with the small selection that day, we hopped in Cory’s vehicle and drove to an old favorite, Pressed Juicery.

On the way to Pressed, Cory and I tried some of the miso almond cookies that he bought from Pomegranate! This cookie was absolutely to die for–slightly salty and tangy from the miso, but sweet and mild with a nutty aftertaste as well. Definitely on the smaller side for a cookie, but it’s totally worth a try!

Looks like we were made to come to Pressed Juicery, because it had this amazing $1 deal for their smallest size (they only have two sizes: one is 4-6 ounces and the other is 8-10) that day! My first size 1 consisted of their vanilla freeze with strawberries and a little pink sea salt, which I paired with the sugar free chocolate cake!

Combination-wise? Oh. My. Goodness. The cake was really creamy and slightly firm from its different layers of goodness! It’s definitely richer than sweetener, so if you are sensitive to bitterness, this is not the cake for you. However, the sweetness from the dates in the vanilla freeze balances out the bitter chocolate in the cake, so do have the cake with something sweet!

Had a lot of fun topping everything off!

Ever tried leave-in-the-oven-and-go-do-something-else-while-it-bakes meals? Well, this is exactly what those meals are! Anyways, I roasted some organic firm tofu and heaps of Brussels sprouts at 450F for around forty minutes, and then paired everything with organic and low sugar sweet and sour sauce. This was absolutely to die for, even though this dish is incredibly simple! Problem is, the Brussels sprouts left quite a stench in the kitchen. Remember: roasted Brussels sprouts are parent-disapproved.

AUGUST 23RD, 2017

Farewell, nectarine. Hello, workout! As a quick pre-workout snack, I demolished the last nectarine in our fridge! As you can see, I’m absolutely obsessed with stone fruits. My workout went really well as always. I haven’t had a sucky workout in a long time, and I think having a little fruit or carby snack really helps! (Obviously, everyone works differently. You might need more or less food!)

Talk about EPICNESS here. I made this AMAZING chocolate cake made with oat flour and butternut squash! No egg substitute, oil, nor gluten necessary! But yes, the chocolate is necessary. Otherwise, it’s not a chocolate cake. 😉

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To frost the cake, I used one packet of Nutiva chocolate plant protein with 30 superfoods! With an amazing nutritional profile, this protein tastes wonderful! It’s definitely not very sweet, so you will have to add some Stevia or any kind of sweetener to taste. Texture-wise, it’s in between creamy and downright grassy, so I would say it’s around average when weighing in for vegan protein. Not my favorite in terms of palatable-ness, but the ingredients and macronutrients are A+!

My protein was used in my two-ingredient chocolate protein frosting recipe that I’m obsessed with, and went on top of the cake along with some goji berries and Nature’s Path pumpkin flax granola, which I bought in bulk at Costco!

Stay tuned, because I will be creating the recipe in a separate post very soon! But this cake was incredible–I had NO complaints whatsoever. You bet I ate the entire cake too.

Kettle corn has to be my favorite kind of popcorn! After a few hours, my mother and sisters came back from Whole Foods and bought some Boom Chicka Pop! light kettle corn and finished the last of the bag as a midday snack. This treat was really crunchy, perfectly sweetened, and had just the right amount of saltiness!

Corn-flake cravings started to really kick in, hence I made a bowl of corn flakes but mixed in some of that same Nutiva chocolate superfoods protein blended in water and liquid Stevia! Even though this snack was so simple, I absolutely love the taste of it! Crunchy with a hint of chocolate goodness–YES. That’s all I can say.

Twisted things up around dinnertime when my mother decided to boil and chill some buckwheat soba, which I paired with nori, black and white sesame seeds, and some Japanese-style spinach (unpictured). If I had to pick a favorite type of grain (or seed?) based pasta, buckwheat soba would definitely win. But I have tried quinoa pasta before, and that is also absolutely delicious!

AUGUST 24TH 2017

While protein “mylk” with cereal is much more popular as a post-workout meal among fitness influencers, I actually whipped it up half an hour before exercising! This tasted as delicious as it did the previous day. Also, is it weird that I actually like cereal that’s slightly soggy? Of course, there has to be some crunchiness, but the softness in the majority of the flakes really appeal to my tastebuds! Call me crazy, but I love soft cereal!

Rarity of a beauty. This is basically how you would describe an Okinawan purple sweet potato. Even though I didn’t have enough time to steam or bake these sweet potatoes–I just microwaved them on high power–the texture and flavor were still perfect! Okinawan purple sweet potatoes have a very dense, brownie-like texture, while the flavor is relatively rich yet naturally sweet at the same time! Why do these bad boys have to be so expensive?!

  Guess where I went to next. Go on. If you watch the video, you will know that I got dropped off at the one and only…PizzaRev! For DAYS, I had to fend off a pizza craving I couldn’t satisfy because I didn’t have my car to drive anywhere nearby to buy ingredients or order one for myself! Once I peeked at the menu, I decided to create my own masterpiece. I stuck with their signature thin crust, which was spread with spicy tomato sauce, green bell peppers, red onion, spinach, pickled jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, mushrooms, vegan sausage, and cilantro! Yes, I felt like eating gluten today. Yes, this pizza was SUPER spicy. No, I regretted nothing.

Fun fact: a really nice man saw me trying to take a selfie with my pizza and offered to take a picture of me with it. Hence, photo credits towards him for this shot, which I absolutely adore! The positive encounter just made my day that much brighter!

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During my trip at Target in the local shopping mall, I bought a whole box of Health Warrior dark chocolate chia bars to taste! Honestly, they are now one of my favorite flavors EVER. Think of a brownie with a chia seed base. The bar is rich, fudgy, decadent, crunchy from the chia seeds and dark chocolate chips, and scantly sweet. Chocolate peanut butter probably still ranks #1, but watch out, because dark chocolate is climbing to the top fiercely!

Tofu makes a glorious appearance once again, but in the form of a lovely tomato dish! This recipe was actually inspired by the tomato fried tofu I gobbled all up back in Vietnam when we visited some family. Instead of frying the tofu, my mother and I decided to keep it plain and tossed it in a puree of tomatoes, garlic, and onions! Even though the result looks more like a stew than a stir-fry, taste and appearance are both incredible. I might like this one even more!

Got the goods paired with spinach and a cup of brown rice. Yep. Carbs after dark is happening, folks.

Dessert actually turned out to be my middle sister’s leftover vanilla Pressed Freeze! I was so grateful that she allowed me to finish it all, because I am addicted to this stuff. Everything was garnished with goji berries and more pumpkin flax granola, and I took pictures while impatiently waiting for the freeze to thaw out.

Can’t end a perfect vegan anniversary without chocolate, right? Hence, I made some more protein frosting with Nutiva chocolate protein and corn flakes to have on the side! I wouldn’t say that this protein tastes like Nutella, but hey, it does the job. I went to bed, absolutely grateful of everything I’ve had and experienced this day. Happy One-Year to me!

Do you have a perfect week or weekend of eating? What would you celebrate more than once?

What I Ate During the Week of my One-Year Vegan Anniversary dd Hi everybody! I just uploaded a new YouTube video! Woohoo! Vlog #3 essentially captures everything that I did and ate leading up to my one-year vegan anniversary, which was Friday, August 24th, the official day I became vegan and the start of not eating anymore animal products for good!