#breakfast is fine it’s usually just toast or oatmeal :] just need to plan out dinners

[loverboydotcom]

dallons grocery list for tomorrow:

chickpeas

red pepper

lettuce

avocado?

canned tomatoes

some kind of meat if it’s not ridiculously expensive

vegetarian meatballs (not vegetarian anymore but love these tomato and basil fake meatballs too much)

sriracha

microwave dinner i can take to work because they got my ass working until 10pm now

birthday card for my dad

might just go fucking crazy and get the fancy sourdough bread

[jilytho]

Fools in Uber Fools ch 2

Hi here is p2/4 of my Uber Jily au :) 

Read below or on AO3... catch up on chapter 1 here or on AO3 

Wednesday, November 4th -7:12pm

Uber-Pool arriving in 3 minutes. Please meet your driver Petra at the pre-set pick up location. You will arrive at your destination at 7:26pm.

James was already twelve minutes late to meet his mother for dinner and every passing minute that he was not actively sitting across from her was another minute she would be planning creative ways to separate his head from the rest of his body. 

Hands shoved deep into his pockets and rocking back and forth from his heels to tiptoes, he started wondering if he had time to grab flowers as an excuse before Petra the driver arrived. 

That idea was quickly rejected as the toyota he saw on the app pulled up alongside the curb.

“James?”

“Yes, thank you, thank you!” He shouted as he dove to grab the backdoor and slid in to find another passenger already seated. Of course he had to cheap out and get a pool. Maybe if he slipped Petra a 20 she’d drop him off first. The other passenger might even understand, she looked far too relaxed in her seat to be running late, she’d be fine with it if he asked nicely, maybe.   

“Hello!” she chirped, eyes flitting up to look at him for half a second before returning back to her phone. Oh god. How could he have not immediately recognized that hair. It was Sunday morning girl, kind of. It was the Sunday morning Goddess but with six less pounds of day old eye makeup and falling off lashes. Immediately, he felt that Petra could take the long way, like backroads filled with traffic and delays, and he wouldn’t care at all. 

He had been right, she was somehow even more gorgeous with her hair in curls around her face and heels on her feet instead of in her hands. 

He leaned over, slightly encroaching onto the neutral middle seat territory and lowering his voice so as to not be overheard by Petra. “What, no energy drink today?” 

“I’m sorry?” her eyebrows shoot up and eyes widen in confusion for two and a half seconds (James held his breath and counted), before narrowing in recognition. 

“Wow, I barely recognized you without the sunglasses and sweatshirt and overall air of ‘so hungover I might just keel over and die’.” Her phone dropped out of her hands and into her lap as she turned to face him, seatbelt straining.

“Could say the same to you,” eyeing the yellow floral sundress that made her look like walking sunshine, and was so different, but equally as dangerous, from the skin tight black skirt he had last seen her in that made her look much more like walking sex. 

“Ah yes, clean hair and brushed teeth. Does wonders for the complexion.”

“I bet. Coffee and a shower really did it for me. Really elevated the whole will to live.”

“Of course, of course. Nothing like a good shower and greasy breakfast to kickstart that feeling.”

“Essential, really, but of course not at the same time.”

“What do you mean? You only believe in one cure not two?”

“No, I mean that eating greasy breakfast in the shower usually makes it more soggy than greasy. Not the best combination.”

That got her to snort with laughter and roll her eyes. The sound of her laughter, at his joke no less, made his entire being light up with joy and his fingers begin to tingle. She leaned in a little bit closer. 

“And you know this from experience, I presume?”

“Unfortunately yes,” his voice became a mock whisper, “a particularly dark Tequila Tuesday leading to a late for work Wednesday leading to a rushed McDonald’s pancake breakfast in the shower. Soap got in the syrup, shampoo in the butter, tried to shave my face with my fork instead of my razor. It was a nightmare,” he drawled out dramatically, eliciting a real, full laugh from her this time.

“Very good to know. Although truth be told, I feel like that was more on you. Pancake breakfast really isn’t a shower food. French toast sticks. Cereal. Oatmeal. Now those are shower food.”

“See I see why you’d say that but let's back up here for a second. French toast sticks, while delicious, are exponentially less good without proper syrup dipping. Now, as previously mentioned, I can guarantee that syrup and soap do not mix.”

“You don’t need syrup for French toast sticks! They’re fabulous on their own! No condiments required.”

“Wrong, absolutely wrong. Disgusting eating habits you have.”

“Me? I’m certainly not the one shaving and eating with the same fork. Clearly you need to sort your priorities out.”

“Yes, well let’s not forget that the last time we met, you were combining a five hour energy with a premade bottled coffee. Of all the food related atrocities I have committed, never, in my life, would I even think-”

“James,” Petrua interrupted, “we’re here.”

James snapped back to his seat realizing he was far more in the middle than most people would deem acceptable Uber etiquette, but giddily he realized that Lily was disobeying that etiquette just as much. 

“Of course. Um, thanks so much,” he looked down at his phone to see it was now 7:20 and he had six voice messages from his mother. “Shit, shit shit, I am late. Okay,” he jumped out of the car, nearly knocking a passing pedestrian down with the door. 

“Shit, fuck, shit, ma’am are you alright? Fuck,” one hand reached down to help up the lady while the other rooted firmly in his hair. As he sent the lady on her, thankfully injury free, way he could practically feel his mother’s glare cutting through the restaurant and finding him. 

“Thank you so much Petra. And you,” he looked desperately towards Lily, praying to find some words to ask to see again but failing miserably.

She smiled slightly at him, leaning backwards in her seat, picking her phone up from where it laid forgotten on her lap. “I’ll see you around, James.” 

“Right, ah yes. Right, of course. Bye then.” With a tight smile and nod, he closed the door, spun on his heel and prepared to get verbally berated.

[yourplasticlittlespastic]

ᴏᴜʀ ᴡᴇʙ ᴏꜰ ʟᴏᴠᴇ -- Peter Parker fanfic (1/of many)

A/N: As you already know, MCU sometimes could be confusing so I'm doing my best to adapt the story to what happened in the movies. The story happens before Civil War and I'm not planning on ending it ٩(^ᴗ^)۶The main character has a name but c' mon it's fanfic if you want it to change it to yours, feel free, also that goes for the physique as well. 

They say that the first five seconds when you wake up you don't know who you are, your mind is blank, there are no worries, no memories... but in my case... I always know who I am

Wake up at 5:40 am

Brush teeth and change to yoga pants

Do at least 30 minutes at the treadmill

Shower in less than 12 minutes and change

I started applying some light makeup when the tablet my dad gave me started beeping and flashing blue lights, I touched it and a hologram appeared with a photo I took of my dad eating Doritos.

"Dad?"

"No Miss Stark, it's me, Friday" her calm voice emerges

"oh! good morning Friday... why you have that photo of my dad?"

"good morning Tannie, your father asked me to remind you of today"

"today? what's today?"

"he wants to watch a movie with you while eating dinner"

"Great! yes, thanks for the reminder... wait... what movie?", I said while putting my earrings and some bracelets

"he told me to tell you that it's one of the best movies in the history of cinema"

"I hope he's not talking about The Hangover or The Hangover 2" I took my small purse ready to leave and have some breakfast

"If it helps he never told me the name of the movie Miss Stark"

I stopped in front of the tablet "Friday, don't be so formal with me please I told you to call me T, Jarvis used to call me like that too"

"I'm sorry, formality is integrated into my system, I'll change it"

"Thanks, oh and mom is still asleep?"

"let me check" I waited some seconds "yes, I detect a thermal figure in the bed"

"Thank you Friday" I exited my room and went to the kitchen

I prepared some scrambled eggs with toast, I took the overnight oatmeal I prepared and chopped some fruit, the complex seemed incredibly quiet without the cavemen and with cavemen, I'm referring to Thor, Steve, usually Sam, Clint, and even my own dad. I heard one of the doors open and my mom came with a sleepy face.

"Mom, hey!"  I speak quietly "I prepared coffee for you"

She gratefully smiled and grabbed it and walked close to me "thank you honey" she yawns and gave me a kiss on my temple  "you even prepare breakfast?"

I just smile in response and offered her a plate for her to start eating, I started eating too.

"so... what are you doing today?" she grabbed the newspaper, flickering her eyes and started reading the headlights

"not much actually, in an hour I need to go to Midtown to bring in some papers for my file and I need to speak to Morita as well"

"why? is everything okay?" her drowsy voice stops and she lifts her eyes to me with a concerned expression

"yes, it's because I want to join a club and I need more info about it"

"club? dance? drama?" she smiles showing her subtle dimples

"mom... no, I mean yes... I do love dancing and drama but that's not my path. It's robotics lab's club" I proudly smile at her

"wow, honey, you'll do amazing I mean it!" she smiles and holds my hand  "actually I'm not surprised, I mean since you were this tall you spent hours beside your dad just looking how he built all of his stuff"

"yeah he is partially responsible for me liking robotics and I believe that I can build something that helps society" I felt my exciting going up just thinking about it

"oh dear, your eyes just lit up just saying that...just like your dad" she stared at me and then went back eating

"by the way mom, where is everyone? is seldom quiet?" I quickly started eating

"ha! I know right? I believe they're at the gym? or maybe saving the world?"

"well wish them luck...mmm now I have to go but I'll be here in less than two hours max" I kissed her cheek and place the dish in the sink, with a final wave I walk to the lift

"bye baby!" she yells

I patiently waited to be downstairs, when I got to the street I saw Happy already waiting... probably my mom texted him I was going out, I saw my bike, that I never use,  just on the other corner and tiptoed to it...

"Tannieeeee" Happy says with a warning tone, I stop in my track and spin to look at him

"hey, Happy! how are you today you seem happy" I winked at him and he chuckles but quickly his lips are a fine line

"what are you doing? huh?"

"I'm going to Midtown and taking my bike" I innocently smile at him fluttering my lashes

"good try Tannie but you can't do that" he points a finger at me and I roll my eyes

"please geez, Happy, it's just going there and returning here I can even send you a text when I get there"

"what's your name?" he suddenly asks

"what? Tannie..."

"your whole name..." he now rolls his eyes at me

"Tannie Maria Stark," I chant without a clue of what he's talking about

"oh! yes! Stark! the daughter of a billionaire man who happens to be Iron Man and best friends with other Avengers, right?" he exclaims and I sigh in defeat

"a'right got your point Happy, happy?" I step into the car feeling the leathered seats and Happy closes the door behind me

"very much so, yes" he says when he climbs inside the driver's seat

The drive was fast given how the traffic is on New York, Happy left me in front of the school and he made me swear for my whole family that I'll be careful returning to my home and that I need to send him a selfie proving it's me who's texting him. I waved goodbye and looked around, the school without the hormonal teenagers is better, I mean, I'm a teenager, yes, but given the context I was raised in, and probably my mother's genes (not my dad's) I'm more mature than most of the students in Midtown. I entered and walked to the administration office, I quickly gave my documents and walked towards Morita's Office.

"Principal Morita? may I come in?" I knock twice

"please, yes!" he excitedly says and I opened the door seeing him with a tropical shirt and two bags by his side "And Miss Stark, so punctual as always, have a sit please and forgive this dress code but I just returned from THE MOST relaxing place and I still keeping the vibe but I know the vibe will vanish the first day of school, therefore... tomorrow" I kindly smile at him

"so! you wanted to talk about registration to a club?"

"yes, I... want to enter to the Robotics Lab's club and I just wanted to see if I need to submit any previous work or any mmm letter of recommendation?"

"well, Miss Stark let me say I was hoping for the day of you joining and yes a submission of previous work is required but let me tell you that the projects students submit are like machines who feed automatically their pets or back scratchers and I know you are in another level... and letter of recommendation? your own name is the green pass"

That's what I thought...

"well I know but, with all due respect Principal, put yourself in my shoes... I don't want to enter just because of my name..." I confess

"very well, no favoritism I see, tomorrow at the auditorium there are going to be tables each one for each club and you can talk there to the president of the club and put your name on the list" he smiles, the corner of his eyes wrinkled

"perfect, thank you very much that was all I needed" I shake his hand and leave, I see the hallways and sigh, tomorrow will be chaos.

When I left school I breathe the fresh-ish air and started walking to my house, I closely watched everything street life has to offer and suddenly in front of me a man inside a building crashed into the glass window, it seemed like someone pushed him quite hard, I jump back and froze, he quickly grabs his gun and I immediately  hide between a car and a parking machine.

"come here, spidey boy!" I se how he's holding a backpack and suddenly he's kicked again by a flying... no, swinging figure... Spider-Man, I saw one of his videos last week

From where I am, I can only see his back and how he's confining the other man into a tiny corner

"please!- " he punches the man "be nicer " he punches him again "and never steal something!" he finally knocks the man down  "Police is coming! they'll deal with you" quickly he throws a web and literally as a modern Tarzan swings away, I closely watch him... who the hell is that guy?

I quickly stride away from the place and strictly went home, I knew Happy was right, my name is double-edged, I can be easily a target but I do need freedom once in a while. I arrive at the tower and see Happy waiting outside so I checked with him I was alive, of course, without mentioning the incident with the spider-ling thing, he sighs of relief and walks to his car to leave.

-------

Until 6 pm I binge-watched series and prepared some outfits for tomorrow, no sign of the Avengers nor my mom yet, so I grabbed a book and started reading when a smell of food being cooked woke my stomach, I entered the kitchen and smile when I saw Steve's broad back, every single time dressed as an old man... Jesus, help him.

"Hey Tannie! how was your day?" he smiles at me and I walk beside him peering inside the pan

"to ordinary actually, what about you? you left to early and you came so late?" I question him

"yes, some meetings with everyone, nothing else" I sense he was hiding something, these years with him and the others actually helped me to read their body language... well, I'm still trying with Nat... but probably it's for my own sake not to know about it

"well... glad you're here know, my dad is...?"

"at the living room," he points with the spatula

"Thank you and let me say that whatever you are cooking smells wonderful" I playfully grabbed his arm and he laughs and blushes  "Oh my god your arm is so fat, I mean, so fit!" I leave the kitchen and walk to the living room where my dad is talking through the phone

"yes, I know... I'm gonna talk to him okay? yes, bye-bye" he hangs up "My kid! my genes or half of them! How are you?" he loudly exclaims and I giggle throwing my arms to the air

"My dad! the provider of half my genes! I'm fine!" I continue with his joke and he chuckles

"oh, Tannie" he sits on the couch "the fact you share my sense of humor and my sarcasm makes me happy" he touches his arc reactor dramatically

"so... you wanted to watch a movie?"

"yes! yes, I want to!" he cheerfully claps and grabs the remote control to turn the TV on

"please tell me it's not The Hangover... or the second one.." I plea with puppy eyes

He rapidly turns to me with an over-exaggerated sad expression "what is with your hate for those movies? they're a Masterpiece of comedy and total drama!"

"I hope you are joking dad," I settle on the couch and his silence ends the little debate, I watch the screen and see how he's searching for something

"let's enjoy it, shall we?" he settles comfortably on the couch and my eyes dart again to the screen

the black background soon fades to a fast motion of a city"Welcome," a woman's voice says

"you're about to step into a wonderful journey of knowledge that will give you the best advice for having a healthy and harmonious life"

What hell is this?

I turn to look at my dad expecting some answer or saying he chose the wrong movie and with the corner of my eye I see Steve walking towards the TV to check what we're watching and his face changes, he winces. On the other side of the open room I see the big figure of Thor, then Sam, and Clint approaching too.

"Hello, kids! I'm Captain America and I'm so happy to talk to you face to face about some things you need to know about life"

Images of a woman and a man holding hands and kissing appear, my cheeks start to feel hot

"Human relationships are normal and at your age, you start generating hormones that can provoke you some changes, physically and mentally and you need to be prepared! just like I was when I drank the serum!"

Holy shit... it's a sex ed video...

"seriously dad?" I spin my head to him with a red face of embarrassment

"what? shhh, the next part is important" he ignores me so I stand up and walk in front of the TV, avoiding Steve's face

"that? seriously dad? c' mon really?  I... I don't need this video!"

"Okay, we can look for another one but let me tell you... this is the most liberal one" he points out and Steve gently slaps his shoulder

"no! I seriously don't need any kind of video. I totally know everything" I bring my hands to my hips

"oh, really missy? everything? how? huh?" he questions and the eyes of everyone falls on me

I sighed and roll my eyes "mom talked to me during this summer break and she never showed me a video by the way"

"oh ok! that is checked on the list on how to raise a daughter, your mom's the best" his face changes to the 'everything's good in this world and that includes me'  look

"but seriously dad, you really needed to put the video of Steve talking about sex?" I point to the paused video and see how Steve scratches his jaw

"well, I thought it will make you feel comfortable, right? like you are always seeing him and you sometimes play scrabble with him..."

"no, Tony, I don't think that's how it works" Steve steps in  "but come on Tannie, your dad has a point"

"yeah he does kid," Clint says  "I'm rehearsing for when I need to talk to my kids as well... especially Lila"

"I don't know what to say, I never had this on Asgard and look how I turned out!" Thor happily smiles at me and I just shake my head

"well, this is awkward," Sam whispers

"listen T, tomorrow you are starting Sophomore year, parties are wilder, boys are in need of girlfriends and like Cap said! hormones are everywhere, I'm a little concerned here, I'm a very devoted father you know?"

"Okay devoted father... now let me relax you... I have a curfew for parties, I don't drink, I don't have time for boyfriends and I don't need one right now, I have better things to do"

"like?" Sam quickly asks

"I'm joining the robotics lab's club"

"ha! nerd!" Thor starts laughing and Clint slaps his bicep

"yes! there you go, Tony! no need to worry about your daughter... now I'm going to eat because I'm starving" Cliny raises his hands in victory

"see ya! hey Steve save me some" Sam exits the living room and Thor and Steve too, I sit beside my dad

"robotics?" he huffs and smiles "pffff, I'm very proud of you T, seriously, you are like the perfect adolescent"

"thanks?...." I hug him "now please dad just burn that movie, pleaseeeee"

"yes! immediately! on it!"

--------

I finished my day eating cereal in the living room and playing charades with the teaming with Clint and Sam, and beating the sh... and beating Steve and Thor, who are new to pop culture, Finally, I went to sleep or tried to because I'm excited to learn new things... geez, Thor is right I'm a nerd.

A/N: hope you liked it! Also available in Wattpad! https://my.w.tt/sw2CZNdCv1

[ritacaroline]

In The Light             Jimmy Page Fan Fiction                 Part 27

Part 27 Home Again

Jill awoke the next morning in a room completely unknown to her. She felt uneasy immediately, not remembering where she was. She started looking around and luckily, there he was, right behind her, asleep.

Gorgeous guitar playing man. Oh yeah, she remembered. Woah, Jill thought, she must have been totally out of it when they arrived here last night. She could barely remember a thing, must have sleep walked in there. Jill looked all around. It was very cozy and pleasant in there. The walls were made from lots of light colored  wood. His bedroom set was beautiful solid wood furniture. A few huge vases of fresh flowers. It sort of resembled a hunting lodge or a ski lodge. Very woodsy and rustic style, nothing uptight about it.

Jill got up and opened the closet, because she saw that her luggage had been unpacked. And sure enough, the clothes she packed were hanging neatly in the closet.  She found her underwear folded all neatly in one of his drawers. Now her drawer.  She quietly stepped out and found a bathroom with a shower, just outside the bedroom. It was tremendous and as clean as could be. Jill took a nice hot shower. There were lots of soaps and shampoos in there. Even her own toothbrush was in there in a beautiful glass. She used one of the big towels as a dress. She came back to the bedroom and observed the angel was still sleeping.  Jimmy looked so sweet and peaceful while asleep.  Jill really wanted to touch his hair and feel his smooth skin on his back and shoulders, since he was asleep on his stomach. But she really didn’t want to disturb his rest.  Jill was absolutely  swept away by him. 

She went back to the closet and got her jeans out and a long turquoise tunic top she liked. She felt beautifully rested and clean and in her own clothes and some tennis shoes. 

There was a tv in the room, so she put that on as softly as possible and just laid down next to Jim and waited for him to wake. The curtains were all closed and it was still pretty dark in there. They both just lay there and rested like that about an hour. She was drifting in and out of sleep. Eventually Jimmy began to stir a little, then he stretched out his arms over his head and his fingers spread wide apart. His hair looked like a messy entangled nest.  Jimmy opened his eyes finally and saw Jill laying next to him. And the most beautiful gentle smile spread out on his entire face. He had an expression as though he had received a really thoughtful gift. He opened his arms and pulled her closer to himself by her shoulders and neck. He started kissing her all over the side of her face and on the lips. So softly, he spoke to Jill, “I can’t believe I have you here with me. I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.” She put her arms around his naked shoulders and arms and held him against herself, so they were just laying there hugging each other. “Oh my God, you smell so clean and beautiful. And you look so pretty. I’m in disbelief that you’re really here. It feels like a dream.” he said.  It felt like a really happy day already. Even though they didn’t even know what the weather was or what was planned or anything yet. He was just so pleased having her with him in his own bed. “All my Christmas wishes have come true. No other gifts will be accepted now. You’re everything I want, my sweet angel.” he said.

“Jim, I’m so happy being here with you. And, as I said yesterday, I’m not sure how I can keep myself from kissing you every moment.” Jill said.

“Well, I would love your lips on me anywhere anytime. And as much as possible.” he said. So they just continued kissing and nuzzling and caressing each other. The feelings they had for each other were getting more intense everyday. He opened the intercom to the kitchen and told the house keeper Mrs. Kelly, they’d be down for breakfast in 10 minutes. Jim said, “The housekeeper will make breakfast for us. I don’t know what, but whatever it is, it will be great, I promise. She’s great at cooking, Mrs. Kelly. And she’s a really nice lady. You’ll definitely like her.“  Then he said, “I don’t know how you could ’ve hugged me like this, since I smell like hell. I’ll get a shower and I’ll be right out.”

Once he was all clean and shaved and dressed, he started downstairs with Jill.  She smelled the aroma of some fantastic coffee while coming down the stairs.  He led her into the kitchen, and Jimmy introduced them to each other. Mrs. Kelly held Jill’s hand between her two warm hands and seemed so kind. She had a warm smile and said, “Oh darling, it’s really nice to meet you. How was your trip from New York ?”

“Oh, so nice to meet you too.” said Jill. They still had their hands in a gentle hold. “Yes, the flight was really no problem. It was so long though, and I’m not used to that. So I barely remember even getting here last night. Feels like I dreamed it.”

Mrs. Kelly was a woman in her 50’s approximately. She had worked there about 7 yrs so far, Jimmy had mentioned. She continued, “Well, I do hope you’ll like it here. I was the person who put your clothes into Jim’s closet and drawer. I hope you didn’t mind. Jim preferred that.”

“Of course not. I was very grateful that you did. Made things a lot easier for me, thank you.”

Mrs. Kelly continued, “By the way, I just love your New York accent. It’s lovely ! Subtle, but unmistakable. Very beautiful voice, you have….Also, you can certainly feel free to call me Rebecca. Jim likes to call me Mrs. Kelly.”

“Beautiful. Thank you so much. And thank you for the nice comment about my voice, or accent. I’m unaware of how I must sound to you, here. Sounds like nothing interesting in my head.”

“Well then, you two,  I do need to go out now, to pick up a few things needed here for dinner this evening. And I set up your breakfast plates, and here’s the hot coffee. I hope you’ll enjoy breakfast, and I’ll see you here and there later, alright then ?  If you need anything, you tell me or leave me a note and I’ll get it for you, Jill. I’m here for you, to talk, or anything you wish.” and with that, Mrs. Kelly got her coat and left.

Jim and Jill were alone now. They sat down for breakfast and Jim asked her if she would like tea or coffee. “ I like both, so coffee since it’s made already. Oh my god, it smells fantastic in here.”

Mrs. Kelly had made fresh corn muffins and they had scrambled eggs and toast and strawberry jam. And fresh cream for the coffee, which was amazing. “Wow, do you have a special breakfast like this all the time ?” Jill asked. It seemed extremely fancy for an everyday morning to her.

“No, usually Mrs. Kelly would go to this kind of trouble when I have just come home from touring, or maybe on Saturday mornings, maybe on a Monday. Usually I would just eat oatmeal and an orange or something easy like that.  Are you ok with what we have here, babe ? Do you want something else ?”

“No, no, this is great. And thank you, sweetheart, for being so caring. You are so precious. I’m not used to having someone take care of me like this though. I feel kind of spoiled. ” Jill said.

“Don’t feel that way. You’re my sweet princess. When you’re here, you’re going to be well cared for, I promise.  Anything for my girl. You’ll see. ” and he kissed her hand. And they had a wonderful breakfast together. And the coffee was beyond compare. The best ever, she told him.

 The whole day was in front of them. 

“Jill, should we go out to the shops and get you some clothes to wear ? You didn’t bring that much. I would like to.”

“Oh wow, maybe tomorrow or another day ?   I don’t want you to have to worry all about me all the time. I’m fine.” she said.

Jimmy said, “Jilly, I have to tell you,…you are by far the nicest girl I have ever met. I mean it…. You always put others before yourself. It’s amazing. You never ask for anything. You never complain. I’ve never seen you angry,,.. oh yeah, once at the hospital.  You’re always in a lovely mood, such a pleasure to be around. How did I meet someone so light and pleasant ? And so gorgeous and sexy. I am in awe that you would come to live with a creature like myself.”

She put her arms around him and kissed his face and said, “What beautiful things you said, I’m embarrassed. Thank you so much for that, but I can’t agree it’s all true. Also, it’s so easy to be in a good mood around you.  I’m not used to being cared for, the way that you do.” He put his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her. He had a way of causing her to melt against him when he held her and kissed her. She found him to be irresistible.

Next Part 28 :https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/post/174489582381/in-the-light-jimmy-page-fan-fiction 

Chapter Index :

https://ritacaroline.tumblr.com/Fan%20Fiction

[sawcolor91-blog]

15+ Freezer Meals to Make Before Having a Baby or Surgery

15+ healthy and delicious freezer meals to make and freeze before having a baby or surgery! Gluten-free, easy to make, and satisfying too.

IT’S BABY WEEK!!!

So wild to finally be able to say that! On one hand I feel like I’ve been pregnant for-ev-er, on the other hand I keep asking myself – how are we already here? Either way, this family of four is ready to become a party of five. Baby sis’ room is ready (she’ll be sleeping bedside for at least 3 months but Type-A here wanted everything ready anyway,) my hospital bags are packed, and we officially traded our cool card in for a minivan – a swap I’ve never been so excited to make.

Three words: STOW AND GO. Ok three more: POWDER SLIDING DOORS! I’m never going back. Ben is horrified.

In contrast to our large, empty van trunk, my freezer is filled to the brim with meals to thaw and eat post-baby. I didn’t prepare freezer meals prior to having Lincoln and really regretted it. Ben and I survived on so much Chipotle those chaotic weeks post-birth that it wasn’t even funny. Do you know how many Chipotle burrito bowls it takes to be considered unfunny? A lot, because that ish is good.

That said, I learned my lesson with Cameron and stocked our freezer with soups, snacks, and crock pot “freezer kits” prior to having him. Knowing I didn’t have to drag my butt to the store with a toddler + newborn more often then I had to, and more importantly make the decision as to what to whip up for dinner for quite some time, was life saving. I highly recommend that any expecting parent or heck, anyone preparing to be down and out for awhile after having surgery, etc., prep/cook/freeze as many meals as possible in advance.

That said, today I’m sharing 15+ of my favorite freezer meals to make before having a baby, surgery, etc. Not only are these recipes comforting, nourishing, and EASY, but they’re simple to multiply if you choose. For instance, you can make one Crock Pot White Chicken Chili freezer kit just as easily as you can make 10.

A couple years ago I wrote a big, comprehensive post on 50+ Gluten-Free Freezer-Friendly Recipes that you may want to check out as well. Not only does this post contain, yep, 50+ GF/FF recipes, but also freezing tips and what does/doesn’t typically freeze well. My two most important takeaways from that post are:

Do not freeze warm/hot meals – cool them completely in the fridge before freezing.

Thaw meals or freezer kits in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to re-warming/cooking vs cooking frozen or thawing on the counter.

With that, I’m officially signing off until baby girl arrives! One thing I also didn’t do after having Lincoln was take any sort of maternity leave (literally I blogged from the hospital – WHYYYYYYYY??) Taking time off to rest and recuperate after having Cameron was what I needed both mentally and physically at that time, and I plan to do the same with baby girl. Ben, the boys and I appreciate and cherish all of your well wishes, prayers, and excitement, and can’t wait to introduce our DAUGHTER to you! Until then…

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili is my favorite freezer recipe not only because it’s one of my favorite recipes in general, but also because you can freeze the chili after it’s been fully cooked then cooled, or as a “freezer kit” which is what I usually do.

Add everything but the broth, lime, milk and flour into a freezer bag then seal and freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge then dump everything into the crock pot with the broth and lime juice and cook per usual. (Psst: I almost always skip the milk/flour step in this recipe and it’s totally fine.) Serve with tortilla chips and you’re set!

Click here for the recipe >

Crock Pot Black Bean and Rice Soup

Crock Pot Black Bean and Rice Soup is hearty and healthy – an excellent, nourishing meal to eat post-baby. Again, you can freeze this soup after it’s been cooked/cooled (wait to add the rice until the day you eat,) or make into a freezer kit minus the broth and cook fresh the day of.

Click here for the recipe >

Frozen Breakfast Burritos

An oldie but goodie recipe here on IGE! Frozen Breakfast Burritos are the bomb.com. Use your favorite fillings and tortillas then roll and wrap a bunch of these to stash in the freezer and pull out anytime you need a hot and hearty breakfast that only requires 1 hand to eat. I LOVE this recipe.

Click here for the recipe >

Signature Spicy Smoky Sweet Chili

The one, the only Signature Spicy Smoky Sweet Chili! This recipe freezes extremely well and it’s not only great for cool nights, but for game day too – just good to have in the freezer! Plus you can serve it in a variety of ways – in a bowl with cheese and tortilla chips of course, or over hot dogs, cooked pasta, cooked spaghetti squash, etc. Such a delicious, comforting treat to have when you’re super, super tired.

Click here for the recipe >

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

File Mini Corn Dog Muffins under: “totally fine for Mom to devour”, but also: “my kids are starving and I need something nearly instant, fun, and filling to serve them”! Bake/cool then freeze these adorable bites on a sheet pan then transfer to a freezer bag. Place as many as you need directly from the freezer onto a plate then cover with a paper towel and microwave on 50% power until warmed through. SO EASY.

Click here for the recipe >

Shortcut Vegetable Ragu

Shortcut Vegetable Ragu is my staple spaghetti night sauce and it’s super easy to double or triple the batch then freeze flat for future spaghetti nights. ‘Nuf said. :)

Click here for the recipe >

Mini Pizza Quinoa Bites

Because having a newborn can be stressful, and pizza is not. ;) Bake/cool and then freeze Mini Pizza Quinoa Bites on a sheet pan, and then transfer to a Ziplock freezer bag. Place onto a plate from the freezer, cover with a paper towel, then microwave on 50% power until heated through. Also check out my Mini Ham & Cheese Quinoa Cups, Mini BLT Quinoa Cups, and Mini Mushroom & Swiss Quinoa Cups.

Click here for the recipe >

Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Another freezer kit staple of mine! Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is a wildly popular recipe here on IGE year-round as it’s healthy and comforting – just what you need after having a baby. This recipe is actually best made as a freezer kit vs cooking then freezing, so the rice keeps its texture. Add everything but the chicken broth into a freezer bag then freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge then dump into a crock pot with the broth and cook according to instructions.

Click here for the recipe >

Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves

Mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves are SO yummy! Assemble then freeze on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge on a foil-lined baking sheet then bake per usual.

Click here for the recipe >

Crock Pot Loose Meat

If you’re not from the Midwest, the concept of a “loose meat” sandwich might sound nuts, but I promise you they’re so, so delicious. Slow cook/cool then freeze the loose meat with a little bit of extra cooking liquid then thaw and scoop onto buns with ketchup or BBQ sauce, sprinkle over baked fries with shredded cheese, or turn into Sloppy Joes. Such a versatile staple to have on hand in the freezer.

Click here for the recipe >

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork

Shredded pork freezes extremely well and stays nice and juicy on account of its higher fat content. That said, keep a couple bags of cooked/cooled/frozen Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork on hand for thawing then turning into sandwiches, quesadillas or adding to salads.

Click here for the recipe >

Taco Chili

Taco Chili is a family favorite. Each spoonful tastes like you’re eating a giant taco except you don’t have to go through all the fuss of toasting shells, chopping up toppings, etc. Add crushed tortilla chips and cheese on top then you’re done. Very low fuss for when you’ve got a fussy baby on your shoulder.

Click here for the recipe >

Crock Pot Carnitas

Crock Pot Carnitas is SUCH a winner. Thaw a bag of it in the fridge then crisp up portions in a skillet and top with eggs + avocados for a hearty breakfast, use in tacos, salads, etc. So versatile, and SO delicious!! Heck, I usually just sneak cold bites of it straight out of the fridge when I need a little protein boost.

Click here for the recipe >

Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Not only do Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars keep for 4-5 days in the fridge (if they last that long – I promise they won’t,) but you can also slice them into squares and wrap in plastic wrap to keep in the freezer. Thaw as many as you like in the fridge overnight to thaw, or discard the saran wrap then microwave wrapped in a paper towel at 50% power straight from the freezer to warm back up. Total win for healthy breakfasts or snacks.

Click here for the recipe >

Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Bars fall under the same concept as the blueberry bars above but have a slightly different, totally delicious flavor profile. I am obsessed. Also, I don’t know if there’s a specific “formula” or combination of ingredients that qualify a cookie or bar as a lactation-friendly, but I’ve had many women tell me they’ve used my oatmeal bar recipes for that purpose.

Click here for the recipe >

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars

Last but not least – Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars! These bars are made without bananas so they’re perfect for those who detest the taste and/or are allergic to bananas.

Click here for the recipe >

No-Bake Cranberry Chocolate Almond Energy Bites

No-Bake Cranberry Chocolate Almond Energy Bites: because newborns = tired Mama. Seriously, the jolt of dark chocolate and dried cranberries, mixed with peanut butter, oats, and nuts, make for one DELICIOUS and energy-sustaining snack. Tip: instead of taking the time to roll into balls a lot of times I’ll press the mixture into an 8×8″ baking pan then slice into squares. Again, these keep really well for quite awhile in the fridge but are awesome to have on hand in the freezer for an extended time, too.

Click here for the recipe >

Healthier Zucchini Banana Bread Muffins

Like I said, having a newborn can be stressful but warm and squishy carbs can help. Freeze a batch of Healthier Zucchini Banana Bread Muffins then microwave wrapped in a paper towel on 50% power until soft before stuffing your face whenever ya’ need it. We understand.

Click here for the recipe >

Source: https://iowagirleats.com/2018/07/18/freezer-meals/

[hallcolt2-blog]

T-24 Nutrition Diary: Sebastian Kienle - IRONMAN

This article is presented by Red Bull

by Jordan Cantwell

Several years ago, my husband and I signed up for IRONMAN Arizona. It was a no-brainer decision. Not only is Tempe a short flight from our home in Northern California, but my brother-in-law and his family also live in nearby Scottsdale. It would be a great opportunity to spend time with family while participating in our favorite pastime.

The timing of Arizona is just a week out from Thanksgiving so my mother-in-law decided to fly into town and join the get-together, then a few other family members announced they would be joining, too. The plans were starting to get more hectic. My dreams of a mellow race lead-up evaporated further when my sister-in-law announced she would make the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for everyone…the night before the race.

Never wanting to be a party-pooper, I went along with the plan, throwing caution to the wind and dismissing my usual pre-race meal for turkey and all the trimmings—complete with a slice of pumpkin pie. That decision returned to haunt me around 1 o'clock am race morning when I was keeled over in the bathroom, feeling rather green. My husband was equally worse for wear. We never made it to the race start that morning. We remained on the couch, laid low by food poisoning and feeling awful, tracking the race online while our bikes waited for a pick up in transition.

The episode was a salient way for me to realize the importance of sticking to a basic, reliable, pre-race plan in the future.

Professional athletes understand that the days and hours leading up to a key race are not the time to mess with their routines. In fact, most have developed a time-tested plan that they rigidly adhere to—not only to offer them nutritional and physical consistency but also mental comfort.

IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 world champion Sebastian Kienle, has honed his pre-race schedule over the years, learning a few lessons along the way. "Make a plan of what you need to do and when you need to do it, as well as what you plan to eat. Prepare as much as you can with your bike and food in the days leading up to the race," he advises. He also suggests using the same bag for races, developing a list of what goes into it, and checking that everything made it into the bag.

Below, Kienle shares his "T-24 hour" pre-race diary to show how he keeps things simple and consistent in those precious last minutes.

T-24 hours: Wakey wakey

Coffee + run

Kienle sets his alarm clock the day before the race for the race start time. So, if the gun goes off at 6:30 am on Sunday, he gets up at 6:30 am on Saturday. "I love to get up early in order to adapt the body to the time and establish good bio-rhythms… but not too early," he laughs. In fact, he considers the night two days prior to the race as the most important for sleep and never skimps on that key recovery.

Not unlike other triathletes, the first order of business for Kienle is coffee before heading out for a shakeout run. "It’s usually a 25 to 30 minute run with some one minute pick-ups at slightly faster that race pace," he explains, adding that his pace isn't actually very fast the day before an IRONMAN.

T-23 hours: Breakfast of champions

Oatmeal + banana + coffee

After his run it's breakfast time, and Kienle opts for oatmeal with a banana washed down with some more coffee. In his words, keeping it simple has worked well for him over the years.

T-22 hours: No last-minute tinkering

Toast, peanut butter, honey & banana + bags + reading + relaxing

It’s then time for Kienle to begin pre-race preparation: organizing transition bags and placing numbers on his bike so that everything is ready for pre-race check-in later in the day. If he’s feeling hungry, he’ll reach for a snack which is often a slice of toast topped with peanut butter, honey and sliced banana. Snacks are important pre-race since Kienle does not like to overeat at any single meal, preferring to load up across multiple smaller meals. He also will drink with each meal but not too much: "you can’t make the tank fuller than full," he laughs.

Once that's taken care of, he likes to lie down and "read something non-triathlon related to keep his mind busy but calm."

Keeping the mind occupied is critical, at least from Kienle’s wife, Tine’s perspective. He has garnered a reputation for being a last-minute tinkerer with his bike, in search of fine adjustments to make the machine as fast as possible. In fact, Tine outed her husband for this in a hilarious Facebook post she wrote in 2017. According to her, when Sebi is bored, he "does what he loves most. He tweaks, or should I say ruins, his bike."

T-18 hours: Stretch it out

Stretching + eggs + potatoes + electrolytes + NormaTecs + nap

As lunchtime approaches, Kienle opts to wake up his body with some light stretching before digging into a meal of potatoes and scrambled eggs, avoiding whole grains. It’s also a good time for him to ensure he is maintaining his electrolyte balance and hydration, so he’ll sip on a bottle Powerbar drink mix with his lunch. To allow for proper digestion, after lunch, Kienle spends 30 minutes in his NormaTec boots and takes a 30-minute nap.

T-16 hours: Afternoon pick-me-up

Check-in + swim + Power Bar + banana

By mid-afternoon, it’s time for Kienle to head to athlete check-in to drop his bike and transition bags. Kienle will grab another coffee, a Power Bar and a banana before he heads out the door with his gear to ensure he’s fully awake and fueled after his short nap. "I try to check in around 4:30 pm and then head for a 1,500-meter swim," he shares. This swim includes some fast 25s and 50s, to remind his body of what it feels like to swim with speed.

T-14 hours: Last supper

Pasta + chicken + alcohol free beer

Kienle continues with his "white diet" at dinner-time, opting for plain pasta and roast chicken as his go-to dinner. If available, he’ll also drink some alcohol-free beer, preferring to save the real McCoy for post-race.

T-11 hours: Lights out

Packing + bedtime

Before heading to bed around 9 pm, Kienle completes some final tasks—preparing all the nutrition and gear he needs for the next morning and for the race itself.

T-3 hours: Alarm call and breakfast

Three slices of toast with peanut butter, banana and honey + 2 cups of coffee + Power Bar Energize drink

The race day alarm for Kienle is typically set for 3:30am, 3 hours before race start. He kicks off the day with breakfast, 3 slices of toast with peanut butter, a drizzle of honey and some sliced banana. Two cups of coffee help wash down the toast and ensure he’s good to go. After breakfast, he’ll lie down for 20-30 minutes to close his eyes and allow the food some time to digest, but it’s soon time to leave for transition.

T-2 hours: Departure for transition

Transition set-up + warm-up jog

Getting to transition early is a priority for Kienle as he finds it takes time to navigate race morning crowds and accomplish everything he needs to do. He heads to body-marking then sets up his bike with race day fuel and hydration before heading out on a light jog. "The warm-up jog is very slow," he shares, "as I don’t want to overheat the system, especially if the race is in a warm climate like Kona."

T-1 hour: Last minute preparations

Bathroom break + stretch cords + motivational tunes

The light jog is perfect to wake Kienle’s system so after the short run, it’s time for a quick bathroom break. He also adds a brief stretch cord session to activate the swim muscles before heading down to the start line with cap and goggles. All the while, Kienle tunes into some of his favorite motivational music to put himself in the right mindset.

T-15 mins: Race start

Red Bull + final goodbyes

It’s important for Kienle to be surrounded by his "people" pre-race so there’s time for some final goodbyes before the long day ahead. About 15 minutes before the race starts, he drinks a can of Red Bull, giving the caffeine and sugar a little time to release into the bloodstream in time for the start of the race. All the work has been done at this point and he’s ready to go.

Jordan Cantwell is a multiple-time IRONMAN finisher, Kona qualifier, and writer living in San Francisco.

Red Bull is the Official Energy Drink of the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 Global Series.

Source: http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2018/10/sebastian-kienle-t24-nutrition-diary.aspx

[ktrsss1fics]

Cheeseburger in Paradise: Three.

Her first four days in Aruba were spent lounging around the beach and drinking alcohol from carved out fruit.

To say it had already been a successful vacation would be an understatement.

After her breakup with Marcus, Georgina Ferguson had become a stereotypical workaholic. She spent too much time at the office. She put in too much effort into her work. And worst of all, she was paid too little for it all.

When she moved to LA, it just got worse.

Georgina was on the verge of wearing herself thin and only two people took notice.

One lived across the pond and the other was currently sat across from her sloppily eating a bowl of oatmeal.

“Horan, you know your bowl isn’t going anywhere.” She said dryly.

His baby blue eyes flicked up at her. His lips turned up into a mischievous grin. He reached over and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. She rolled her eyes in disgust making him laugh.

“Thought they would’ve taught ya manners in Popstar 101.” Georgina teased.

Niall shook his head. “That’s not until the 300 level course.”

Georgina laughed before handing over a paper napkin. Niall took it graciously before cleaning up the mess he had made.

It was barely eight o'clock in the morning. Various types of breakfast were being consumed as the group decided what their plans were for the day.

The group consensus was swimming with sharks and Georgina was not having it.

“Fergie, why don’t you want to come?” Maggie asked grabbing a spoon from the drawer.

“Because I don’t want to die.” Georgina replied as if the answer was obvious.

“You’re more likely to get killed by a cow than a shark Fergs.” Keith mentioned between bites of his egg dish.

“I bet she’s probably on her lady business or summat.” David joked from the fridge.

“Can’t be attracting those beasts towards us then.” Jamie cackled causing all the women to roll their eyes.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come G?” Brittany asked sitting down beside her.

“Positive.” Georgina said. “Sorry”

“She doesn’t do live animals.” Niall spat mimicking her accent perfectly.

“Oh fuck off you.” She grumbled feeling her skin grow warm.

“What are you gonna do then?” Brittany asked putting pepper on her eggs.

“Stay around here. Maybe lounge by the pool. Read.” Georgina shrugged. “Nap.”

“Got me suncream and a novel. Alls I need is a pineapple of rum and m'set.” Niall said pretending to be her once more.

“Will you quit it!” She glared at him playfully.

“Or what?” He asked flirtatiously.

Before she could respond, Georgina was hit upside the head by her best friend. This only sent the boy in front of her into a fit of laughter.

She hated how much the sound of his laugh made her stomach flip.

She usually was good about hiding those types of things. She could push down her feelings and act like they didn’t exist. She could focus on other things, like work or finding the probability of a team winning the Champions League final. She could detach – especially when it came to Niall. However, after finding out how much effort he had put into getting her to Aruba, something inside her changed. Being mean seemed cruel.

Within the past few days, a switch was flipped. She was finding it more difficult to detach herself from the thought of him. He still was a pain the ass but there was something about him that was almost endearing.

Before she could get lost deeper in her own mind, Maggie’s voice rang in her ears.  She looked up to find everyone looking at her. A slight blush crept across her face.

“What’s up?” Georgina asked sheepishly.

“Just want to confirm, you’re a no to the shark adventure?” Maggie asked.

“Correct.” Georgina nodded.

“Okay. We’ll be even then.” Maggie said grabbing her phone to see if she could book a reservation on the boat.

“What are we gonna do after?” Georgina asked looking around. “Like tonight?”

“Cook dinner and go out to the bars?” Jamie suggested.

“They’ve got a cool water show at the animal reserve near by.” Keith suggested next.

“We can stay here and drink again.” David said with a smile on his face.

“I’m sick of doing that.” Jamie sighed. “We need to experience the nightlife here.”

“I’m in.” Maggie said glancing up from her phone.

A few of the other couples agreed to join.

“I don’t want to spend a lot though.” David whined.

“We can pregame before and you’ll be fine.” Brittany said looking at her boyfriend.

“Ni?” Jamie asked.

“I’m in.” He said crossing his arms over his chest.

“Fergie?” Jamie asked turning towards her.

Georgina shrugged. “Me too I guess.”

“It’s settled then.” Jamie said getting up from the table. “I say we try to leave here in an hour, yeah?”

Most of the others started to clean up their messes before heading up to their room. Georgina sat quietly and finished up the food she had made. She looked up to find Niall still sitting across from her.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” She asked taking a bite of her toast.

“You’re not done yet.” Niall shrugged.

“So?” Georgina asked confused.

“It’s rude to leave if someone’s still eating Fergie.” He sighed playfully.

Her skin grew warm as she tried to fight the way he made her feel.

“I didn’t think you’d want to come with us today. When Jamie brought it up last night, I knew you’d say no.” He said trying to change the subject.

“Wanna look at the flamingos at the beach? I’m in. Wanna see the dolphin show at that aquarium thing we saw? I’ll  be there. Want to get into a tiny cage in the middle of the ocean and have man eating monsters come swim by you? That’s where I draw the line!” She exclaimed.

Niall laughed softly making her smile.

“I’m surprised you’re going.” Georgina said.

He furrowed his brow perplexed. “Why?”

“Don’t you hate confined spaces?” Georgina asked mid chew.

“Well yeah that’s true.” He said with a nod.

“Then why are you doing it?” She asked.

“For Davey. He said he’d buy me a pint if I went.” Niall said. He saw the confused look on his face so he continued to explain. “Britt’s scared of confined spaces too so we thought if she saw me go that it would help her do it.”

“Good luck with that one. You two can’t even get on the ferris wheel at California Adventure.” Georgina said.

“Hey! That shit is tiny.” Niall said defending their reason to avoid that ride. “I’m hoping this cage thing is a lot bigger.”

“Niall! That’s what’s you’re worried about?!” She asked in shock. “A fucking shark is going to be swimming at you!”

“I’ve dealt with worse.” He shrugged.

Georgina rolled her eyes. “Teenage girls don’t count.”

“When they come out in masses they do!” He shot back.

“I’ll be saying a prayer for you all.” Georgina said. “You lot are idiots.”

“Means a lot Fergie.” He joked throwing his used napkin at her.

She finished up her food and stood up to head to the sink. Niall grabbed her plate and stacked it beneath his own before heading to the fridge. She scanned the table and cleaned up the little messes everyone else left.

Once they were done, the pair headed down the hallway towards their rooms. When they reached her door, Niall stopped  and cautiously placed an arm on her shoulder to get her attention. Georgina looked up at him.

“If I die today, you can have the chair that you always fall asleep in when you drink too much wine at my place.” Niall said with a smile.

Her eyes lit up at the lightheartedness in his voice.

“You can also have the shitty wine bottle opener you always leave behind because you don’t want it at your house.” He teased.

“It’s not shitty.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You just don’t know how to use it.”

“I don’t drink wine so I don’t need one.” Niall said defending himself.

“Yeah but I do. And so does Britt. You should have one just for us.” She said with an innocent smile.

He shook his head trying to convince his body that it didn’t need to show how he was truly feeling.

“I’ll buy you a better one when we get back. I’ve had my eyes on a really sick electric one so you can have the nice one at my house.” She said making him laugh.

“I can get one if ya want.” Niall offered.

She reached out and poked him in the chest. “No. You aren’t the only one who makes money around here Horan.”

“You’re right.” He blushed.

“How long are you going to be shark bait for?” She asked changing the subject for him.

“Dunno. I imagine it’ll be a few hours.” He shrugged.

“Unless something goes wrong.” She joked.

Georgina nudged him playfully before grinning. “Then I’ll be one chair richer.”

Niall’s infectious laugh filled the hallway as they both retreated to their rooms to get ready for the day.

[industry5566-blog]

Sweet And Salty Pumpkin Seeds

This Halloween, discover how to bake  watermelon seeds health snack in the oven for a particular post-pumpkin-carving treat. Hi Shirley, We bake the seeds in a 350F oven. Bring a saucepan of filtered water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to a rolling boil, then add the cleaned pumpkin seeds and boil for ten minutes. Pumpkin seeds are a rich supply of antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, and fatty acids that are excellent for your heart well being. The seeds are a all-natural source of tryptophan that promotes sound sleep. Pumpkin seeds to the rescue. Only breast cancer and prostate cancer look to have received considerably focus in the study world in connection with pumpkin seed intake, and considerably of that focus has been limited to the lignan content of pumpkin seeds. Ranch can be a difficult flavor to replicate at residence, so if you have a particular powdered ranch dressing packet or recipe that you like, you can also just toss the seeds with that soon after they have their olive oil bath. Burpee pumpkin seeds are excellent for any home garden. Pumpkin seeds are rich in nutrients and may have many health positive aspects. Just a quarter of a cup of these seeds equals half your advised day-to-day quantity of magnesium. In a single study, scientists identified that one hundred grams (g) of pumpkin seeds contained 90.69 milligrams (mg) of magnesium. You can add lots of various flavours to your seeds before roasting. My tried and correct technique that I've created after years and years of roasting pumpkin seeds. Whilst roasted pumpkins seeds are possibly ideal known for their function as a perennial Halloween treat, these seeds are so delicious, and nutritious, that they can be enjoyed throughout the year. I adore everything about pumpkins , which includes their seeds. But, I hope this strategy will take some of the aggravation out of preparing homemade pumpkin seeds. Then discard any bits of stringy pulp just before placing pumpkin seeds into a colander and giving them a very good rinse. Whole roasted, unshelled pumpkin seeds include about ten milligrams of zinc per three.five ounces, and shelled roasted pumpkin seeds (at times referred to as pumpkin seed kernels) include about 7-8 milligrams. Spread your clean, dry pumpkin seeds on the baking sheet evenly. Learn some of the wonderful health rewards of pumpkin seeds and why you must get some of these ‘super-hero' seeds into your diet. Utilizing a sharp, sturdy knife, reduce around the prime of the pumpkin and eliminate the lid.” Using a massive spoon, scrape the sides of the pumpkin to get rid of the seeds and pulp. Blending pumpkin seeds with tomatillos and coconut milk adds a hearty earthiness to this scrumptious sauce. Halloween isn't the only time to roast pumpkin seeds, although. Most hopper feeders are produced for a wide selection of seed, so they are excellent for distributing pumpkin seeds. Regardless of whether you happen to be seeking for wholesome recipes and guides, loved ones projects and meal plans, the most current gadget evaluations, foodie travel inspiration or just the excellent recipe for dinner tonight, we're right here to aid. In a medium bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil and sea salt. When you happen to be scooping out all of that slimy, seedy goop just before carving your pumpkins this season, don't pitch it in the trash. Substitute pumpkin seeds for pine nuts in your favorite pesto recipe. That is due to the fact retailer-bought pumpkin seeds - ever more well-known due to the fact they're straightforward to consume and loaded with nutrients - might be loaded with salt as well. The fibrous strands can be difficult to eliminate, but we have a trick for that: Rinse the seeds in the colander beneath cold operating water. To do so, 1st remove the seeds from the pumpkin's inner cavity and wipe them off with a paper towel if needed to eliminate excess pulp that may possibly have stuck to them. Pumpkins seeds also contain overall health-supportive phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, sitostanol and avenasterol. Add the seeds to a colander, wash and eliminate any pulp left on the seeds. Nowadays, China produces much more pumpkins and pumpkin seeds than any other nation. It is essential not to exceed the 20 minute roasting time, due to an undesirable alter that would happen in the fat structure of the seed, which would diminish the nutritional rewards.

But these days it's effortless to locate raw, sprouted, and roasted pumpkin seeds year-round. I know roasting pumpkin seeds is a tradition a lot of folks had in their households growing up, but it just wasn't anything we ever did in my household. You can get your hands on pumpkin seeds on about any store's snack aisle, but your healthiest alternative may possibly be the old-fashioned way: scooping them out of the stringy guts of that jack-'-lantern you are carving. The smooth nutty taste and rich nutrient profile of pumpkin seeds also makes them a popular packaged snack in the United States. Yoshida H, Tomiyama Y, Hirakawa Y et al. Microwave roasting effects on the oxidative stability of oils and molecular species of triacylglycerols in the kernels of pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) seeds. Let the pumpkin seeds cool totally just before eating. To make separating the pulp from the seeds a bit less complicated, add them to a medium sized bowl. Our Chinese spiced seed mix is flavoured with 5-spice powder and tends to make the perfect wholesome snack to nibble on even though watching Tv. Meyer Lemon Zest, Cayenne, and Olive Pumpkin Seeds: Toss the toasted seeds with the zest of one lemon, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 8 finely chopped olives. Pumpkin seeds are a single of the best meals sources of tryptophan. There are a few various ways to roast pumpkin seeds, but we choose the straightforward and classic pumpkin seed recipes. Pumpkin seed oil can also be effective towards treating an enlarged prostate (also identified as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH). Return to baking sheet and bake, stirring each 5 minutes till seeds are evenly golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. A rodent study has suggested that the nutrients in a mixture of flax and pumpkin seeds could give some protection for the liver and also against atherosclerosis. Add pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal raisin cookie or granola recipe. Usually, the pumpkin fruit is permitted to mature fully in order to get good-quality seeds. The seeds are regularly added to enrich in meat, poultry, rice, and vegetable dishes. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss collectively the very first five ingredients, then spread seeds out in a thin, even layer. Just one particular serving of pumpkin seeds can provide 14 to 42% of the daily target for these essential nutrients. Medicinal values of pumpkin seeds. The roasted seeds will keep fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Pumpkin seed oil can also be powerful towards treating an enlarged prostate (also identified as enlarged prostate , or BPH). Lightly grease a cookie sheet with vegetable oil and spread the seeds out in a single layer. Pumpkin seeds have traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac in some locations. Upgrade your breakfast regimen and make pumpkin seeds a normal ingredient in your favorite granola mix. Transfer the roasted pumpkin seeds to a bowl to cool down. Pumpkins have many well being rewards - none of which are highlighted for the duration of the Halloween excitement. Toss the dry seeds with some oil — use olive oil, coconut oil or a nut oil like walnut. Pour onto a baking sheet in a single layer and pat dry with paper towels. Eating only a small amount of them can provide you with a substantial quantity of healthy fats, magnesium and zinc. The ideal method: Bake the seeds soon after a very good rinse, following drying nicely, and get as much water off the seeds as attainable. It is so tough to find salted pumpkin seeds in the UK. These seeds are usually of a decent size and they're not too salty. You can also use seeds from a pie pumpkin. Unfortunately, research on BPH have generally involved extracts or oils rather than pumpkin seeds themselves. Pumpkin seeds also have DHEA (Di-hydro epi-androstenedione) that assists minimize the chances of prostate cancer. Then drizzle the mix more than the dry seeds in a medium-sized bowl. Bake for 20-30 minutes (this will depend on how huge your seeds are), or until crisp and light golden brown. Meanwhile, scoop the seeds from your pumpkin. In 1904 Albert Stigar founded a factory in Slovenska Bistrica for processing pumpkin seeds into pumpkin seed oil by artisanal strategies.

You can roast your personal seeds and indeed Jamie Oliver says that the reality that so several fresh seeds are discarded every autumn when pumpkins are hollowed out for the Halloween celebrations is ‘one of the fantastic foodie crimes'. Arrange cleaned pumpkin seeds on a towel or paper towel and dry thoroughly. For a savory snack, attempt tossing the pumpkin seeds with a few teaspoons of chili powder, curry powder, or herbes de provence. Butinar B, Bucar-Miklavcic M, Mariani C et al. New vitamin E isomers (gamma-tocomonoenol and alpha-tocomonoenol) in seeds, roasted seeds and roasted seed oil from the Slovenian pumpkin selection 'Slovenska golica'. If you have a lot of pumpkin seeds, then you almost certainly want a bird feeder that can hold them till your birds arrive. Study research recommend that some chemical compounds in the pumpkin seeds possess DHEA (Di-hydro-epi-androstenedione) hormone-blocking actions at the receptor levels. Many nutrition experts take into account pumpkin seeds to be a superfood thanks to their higher levels of vitamins and minerals. Nutrition: Eating the entire pumpkin seed gives fiber and an exceptional supply of zinc from the shell and the nutrients phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron. Spread the seeds on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring about halfway by means of. How to Clean & Make Pumpkin Seeds: Spot a colander (or strainer) in a bowl filled with water. Research points to the role of special proteins in pumpkin seeds as the source of numerous antimicrobial positive aspects. Containing exceptional levels of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, and zinc, pumpkin seeds are a phenomenal overall health meals. There are a handful of tutorials on the internet about how to shell pumpkin seeds: Some demand a hammer, some a rolling pin, others boiling water, but most warn that it is a pretty laborious task. Those white almond-shaped seeds bring a wonderful, seasonal flavor, and they can be roasted into a delicious and healthy snack. The most frequent query when it comes to this recipe is how extended do you bake the pumpkin seeds. Alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, alpha-tocomonoenol and gamma-tocomonoenol are all types of vitamin E located in pumpkin seeds. Just before baking, pat the boiled seeds extremely dry otherwise they will not brown or crisp. Microwave again for 2 to three minutes, stirring following each minute, until the seeds are dry and crunchy. Pumpkin seeds are one of the best sources of plant-primarily based omega-three fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. Compared to other seeds and nuts, pumpkin seeds are relatively low in calories and fat. These final two types have only not too long ago been found in pumpkin seeds, and their health benefits—including antioxidant benefits—are a subject of current interest in vitamin E study, considering that their bioavailability may well be greater than some of the other vitamin E forms. Apart from this, pumpkin seeds also improve your digestive well being. As you rotate these into your cooking, do not forget to scoop out these seeds and get roasting. To get rid of seeds from the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds with a spoon or by making use of your fingers. Bring a saucepan of filtered water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to a rolling boil, and then add the cleaned pumpkin seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Zinc is important in generating new cells in the physique, processing food, healing wounds and contributing to eye and skin health. Furthermore, its seeds contain excellent amounts of vital minerals like copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron , magnesium, zinc and selenium. Summary The higher zinc content material of pumpkin seeds may aid boost sperm high quality and fertility in males. Dry seeds- Making use of a paper towel, dry the seeds completely. Pumpkin seeds nutrition chart, dried, values per one hundred g. I haven't been in a position to give up on them though, and in an attempt to redeem these little snacks (and find a way to reduce their tendency to be bitter and fibrous), I've roasted a lot of seeds.

[themanuelruello]

How to Use a Grain Mill to Make Your Own Flour from Wheat Berries

Someday I’m gonna tell my grandkids about the Great Flour Shortage of 2020.

I don’t think any of us expected a global pandemic to result in an extreme shortage of toilet paper, yeast, and flour…

Strange times, man. 

Even though our grocery stores are a little better stocked than they were several months ago, supply on many of the items are still a bit sketchy…

Which is making me more determined that ever to have a pantry stocked with ingredients that enables me to not be 100% dependent on a volatile supply chain. 

Over the past few months I’ve been flooded with emails from those of you who are working on stabilizing your own personal food supply and you’re curious how to address the flour issue.

Honestly, flour can be slightly tricky because it’s tough to store-long term. Not only does it tend to go stale or rancid after a little while, it’s also susceptible to bugs.

So while pre-ground flour might not be your best option for long-term pantry storage, wheat berries are pretty much magical. Here’s the scoop:

What are Wheat Berries?

Wheat berries are the edible part of wheat kernels, and include the germ, bran, and endosperm of wheat. It is the grain before it undergoes any processing and only the inedible outer layer of the wheat has been removed.

Basically– if you walk out to the middle of a wheat field, pick a stalk and shake out the wheat head, what comes out are the berries.

They have a similar appearance to brown rice or other whole grains and have a chewy texture and nutty flavor. Since wheat berries have not been processed, the berries retain all of the grain’s vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.

Why Bother with Wheat Berries?

1. Wheat Berries have a Long Shelf Life.

If stored properly (see below for more tips on storage), wheat berries can last for decades in storage. While ground flour loses nutrients and shelf life relatively quickly, like other whole nuts or seeds, wheat berries will stay fresh in their whole-form for a looooong time.

As I mentioned in my podcast episode about wheat berries that I had a long-forgotten bucket of wheat berries in a corner of our basement. They were still fresh and viable, even though I had ignored them for years, which was super handy when the flour shortage hit.

2. Wheat Berries are Versatile.

Beyond grinding wheat berries to make your own flour, you can also use them like you would many other grains. You can make oatmeal or porridge with them for breakfast. You can use them as an alternative to rice as a side dish; you can pop them like popcorn; and you can even make sprouts with them (check out my Guide to Growing Sprouts for instructions) for a crunchy and nutritious topping to your salads and sandwiches.

Whole wheat can also be used to feed your livestock by making fodder (I was originally going to feed my wheat berries to the chickens, but with the recent flour shortage, I was super happy that I still had them available to make flour instead).

3. Wheat Berries are Good for You.

Since wheat berries are not processed, they retain their nutritional value much better than ground flour from the store. Wheat berries are an excellent source of fiber, protein, iron, several vitamins, and minerals. And when you grind the wheat berries for immediate use as flour, that flour contains more nutrients than store-bought ground flour since it’s so fresh and has not had any edible parts removed. You can learn more about the health benefits of whole wheat in this article.

Types of Wheat Berries

There are a few different types of wheat berries and it can be a bit confusing when you see all the names and descriptions. The different names are based on a few factors: the color (red or white), the growing season for the wheat berries (winter or spring), and the gluten content (hard or soft).

Hard vs. Soft

Hard varieties generally contain more protein and gluten, while soft varieties usually contain more starch. Soft wheat berries are usually used for pastries and cakes while hard wheat berries are more often used in bread. Hard wheat berries often need a bit of extra time to cook into porridges and other such meals as well.

The good news though is that hard/soft wheat berries can almost always be used interchangeably, but it’s still nice to understand the differences.

P.S. Hard and soft wheat looks and feels practically the same when you look at it in berry-form– you won’t be able to tell the difference unless you have a trained eye.

Red vs. White

1. Red Wheat Berries

Red wheat berries are darker in color than white wheat berries and are used to make whole wheat flour (not to be confused with whole white wheat flour, which comes from white berries). They have a slightly higher protein content and is best used in hearty and heavy bread recipes. People who try to make whole wheat breads with 100% red wheat can sometimes be disappointed because the loaves usually turn out darker and denser.

Hard red wheat berries (both winter and spring varieties) are the classic wheat used in many yeast breads. They can be more difficult to digest due to their  heavy nature and since they are hard, they have a higher gluten content.

2. White Wheat Berries

White wheat berries are used to make whole white wheat flour. They are also slightly lighter in color than red wheat berries. White wheat berries are a good place for bread-making newbies to start, you’ll tend to get a lighter bread with white berries compared to red. However, keep in mind that white wheat flour is still whole wheat— it will not be as fluffy as all-purpose flour, which has been processed and sifted.

Hard white wheat berries are great for making all-purpose white wheat flour and works great for yeast bread recipes. It is also what is most often used in home beer-brewing.

Soft white wheat berries are the lightest colored wheat berries. They are most often used to make pastry flour and are best used in pie crusts, pastries, and cookies.

How Can Wheat Berries Be Used for Cooking?

I mainly use my wheat berries to grind into fresh flour (check the next section below for details on that).

But wheat berries have plenty of other uses, too. Basically, you can use them however you might use rice or other whole grains.

Here are the basics to cooking with wheat berries:

Cooking Wheat Berries:

This is similar to how you cook rice, quinoa, or other grains. Rinse 1 cup of raw wheat berries in a colander in the sink. Bring 2.5 cups water to a boil, add 1 cup of raw wheat berries. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour (or until wheat berries are tender). Drain and fluff with a fork.  This will make approximately 2.5 cups of cooked wheat berries.

Just like with rice or other grains, you can also use your pressure cooker or crockpot to cook wheat berries and save time in the kitchen.

Toasting Wheat Berries:

This is optional, but it can help bring out the nutty flavors of the whole grains. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Spread the wheat berries on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly colored.

You can also easily store cooked wheat berries in the refrigerator.  If not using them right away, store the cooked wheat berries in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Gently reheat in a frying pan over low heat until hot, or serve at room temperature.

Here are a few basic recipes/ideas for using wheat berries:

Breakfast Porridge:

Make cooked wheat berries and add your favorite porridge flavors, such as milk, diced apples, cinnamon, and honey.

Breakfast Parfait:

Top yogurt (homemade yogurt is amazing!) with layers of fruit, nuts, and cooled cooked wheat berries.

Soups:

Use cooked wheat berries in place of rice or lentils in your favorite soup recipes.

Salads:

Add texture and extra protein to your salads with a scoopful of warm or cold cooked wheat berries.

Dinners:

You can add the cooked wheat berries to stuffed peppers, as a side (like you would use rice) with stir-fries, in taco recipes as a topping, and more.

How to Grind Your Own Flour

Freshly-ground whole wheat flour contains more nutrients than whole wheat flours you’ll find at the grocery store since grinding up whole nuts/seeds/grains causes them to lose their quality quickly.

HOWEVER, freshly ground flour does have a few learning curves. For example, depending on the wheat berries you have, it can produce a denser, heavier bread if you don’t know what you’re doing.

If you’ve only ever baked with all-purpose flour, a quick switch to 100% whole wheat can be quite the shock (and leave you with loaves that double as bricks.)

When you grind the wheat berries, the resulting flour is full of air from shooting out of the grinder so measuring freshly ground wheat can also be a bit tricky. Try letting the flour settle for about 30 minutes to let it settle before using it.

It’s best to only grind wheat berries right before you plan to use the flour, as freshly ground wheat berries can go rancid very quickly. Store-bought flours are usually treated or processed in a way to prevent the oils in wheat from turning rancid after grinding so they can be shelf-stable.

Therefore, as tempting as it may be, I don’t suggest grinding 30 pounds of wheat flour to use for later. (One exception to this is if you have room in your freezer to store the fresh flour– freezing helps to slow down the oxidation process.)

It’s wise to only grind enough wheat berries for what you need in your current recipe or for the baking you plant to do that week.  If you do want to grind a little extra, store the freshly-ground flour in the freezer or refrigerator.

How many wheat berries equals one cup of flour?

It’s hard to make a completely accurate ratio, since it depends on the how finely you grind your wheat berries and there will also be extra air in the freshly-ground flour. However, a good rule of thumb is that 1 cup of wheat berries will produce slightly less than 2 cups of flour.

Choosing a Grain Mill for Grinding Wheat Berries

There are plenty of different types of grain mills on the market. Some are stand-alone appliances while others are attachments for your mixer or attach to your counter. There are also vintage hand-cranked ones and electric ones.

It really depends on what works best for you and your kitchen. For example, I started with a huge grain mill that couldn’t fit in my kitchen cupboards before purchasing this smaller Nutri-Mill grain mill that fits better in my kitchen (both stylistically and size).

Lehman’s, my favorite online store for kitchen supplies, has a bunch of grain mill options, varying from hand-cranked to electric on their website.

Keep these things in mind while making your grain mill purchase:

Do you have to feed a large family? If so, you might need a larger grain mill so you can make multiple bread loaves at a time. Otherwise, a smaller one like I have can work great.

What type of space do you have for grain mill in your kitchen? You might only have space for an attachment for your Kitchen-Aid mixer instead of a stand-alone grain mill.

Do you love decorating your kitchen with vintage-looking kitchen pieces? If you like to decorate with your kitchen appliances and/or you have a LOT of patience, you might want a hand-cranking grain mill.

What Other Grains Can Be Ground into Flour with a Grain Mill?

Grain mills can also grind rye, corn, rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, lentils, dried beans, seeds, and nuts.

You can even grind popcorn in your grain mill to use as an alternative for corn meal (which I spread on the bottom of my Dutch Oven when I’m making homemade sourdough bread).

Where to Buy Wheat Berries

Eh, it’s normally pretty easy to buy wheat berries, but a lot of locations are sold out right now. However, sometimes you can find wheat berries at normal grocery stores and apparently, even Walmart carries wheat berries from time to time (this probably depends where you live).

Otherwise, check your local natural food store or try to contact a local organic mill (check out my tips here for finding local food sources).

If you can’t find them at local stores, you can also purchase them online. Azure Standard is an online option for many parts of the United States, and they often carry wheat berries. You can also find wheat berries at True Leaf Market and I found some Hard Red Winter Wheat Berries at Lehman’s store.

We have a local organic wheat farmer in our area, and I will be making my future purchases from them.

Don’t want to grind your own wheat, but yet still want to feed your family wholesome flour? There are many great sources for purchasing organic, unbleached flour, both online and most likely local to your area as well.

How to Store Wheat Berries

As long as you store wheat berries properly, they can stay fresh for at least a year or longer.

Store wheat berries in a cool, dry place in an air-tight container with a well-fitting lid.

I store mine in food-grade 5-gallon buckets in our basement, and keep a smaller jar upstairs that I refresh when needed. Something like these would work well.

Cooked wheat berries store very well in the freezer, so you can prepare them in advance so you have quick meals ready as needed. Simply cook them like normal (instructions in an above section), then let them cool completely. Store them in your freezer in a freezer-safe container for 3 months (or a little longer if you like).

All in all, I think a generous supply of whole wheat and a grain mill is a fantastic addition to any everyday preparedness pantry. It’s one of the best ways to protect yourself from future flour shortages, and only expands your homestead skill repertoire.

Happy milling, friends!

More From-Scratch & Heritage Food Tips:

My Heritage Cooking Crash Course will help teach you how to make from-scratch recipes without spending hours in the kitchen

Troubleshooting Sourdough (your questions answered on sourdough troubles)

My super easy & versatile Bread Dough Recipe (for bread, pizza, cinnamon rolls, and more)

The Ultimate Guide to Canning Safety

How to Use a Fermenting Crock

Listen to the Old Fashioned On Purpose podcast episode #107 all about grain mills, flour shortages, and whole wheat:

The post How to Use a Grain Mill to Make Your Own Flour from Wheat Berries appeared first on The Prairie Homestead.

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[benjamingarden]

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat

By far, the number one question I am asked is "what do you eat?"  I used to share our meal plan's but it was a lot of work and I honestly wasn't sure if it was something that really interested anyone.  Well, apparently it was!  Part of the reason for some of the questions is because my husband and I eat very differently, so some of you are also trying to figure out how to make a similar arrangement work.  Other reasons are that we are all trying to find new ideas.  I find myself wondering the same things and watching other blogger and vlogger grocery hauls and meal planning sessions on you tube. There was a time (long ago) that I didn't pay attention at all to our grocery budget so I would buy ingredients and try tons of new recipes regardless of cost.  Ugh....I don't even like to think about those days.  At that time I was still trying to build my recipe book (although I now realize there was a MUCH more efficient and cost effective way to have done so) so I was making a ton of new recipes.  What I've found is that in the past 10 years we don't try too terribly many new items and as of the past year or two, I actually don't mind eating the same thing multiple times a week. So the way I cook and what we eat has continued to evolve over the years.  At one time I was able to stick pretty closely to a $60.00/week budget.  It now changes on the season.  During the summer and fall I can keep it around $60.00/week because we grow so many of our vegetables.  We do preserve vegetables for use later in the year, but I still buy some fresh from the store in winter so it is anywhere from $60.00 - $80.00/week.  I can share more about that in a later post if you'd like (this one is already quite long). Although I do enjoy cooking for the most part, I don't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.  Since we work from home it is much easier for me (I can prep ahead, make things in stages, take something out to defrost that I forgot to take out the night before, etc.), but I'm really not interested in spending too terribly long cooking.

Frugality In The Kitchen What we spend on groceries has evolved as well (thankfully).  Our personal goal is not necessarily to eat the dirt cheapest food available, although we've gone through financial times where this was our most important goal.  Instead, we try to eat organic and/or local food when we can while sticking to a moderate budget.  We've also incorporated into our budget a few "treats".  For instance, the 2 teas that I absolutely love are definitely not the most inexpensive brands.  But I make cuts in other places so I can enjoy these teas without any guilt whatsoever. While there are many tactics that I've shared on the blog, the most important "rules" I follow are: 1. Rarely eat out.  It's just too expensive and usually not so healthy.  Besides, when you only go out occasionally, it's more of a treat and not an expectation so it's appreciated as such. 2. Don't purchase lunch, snacks, or coffee out.  Again, this has been a HUGE expense for us in the past and something that is so easy to eliminate.  It's all about preplanning and creating new habits. 3. Stop wasting food.  Have you honestly looked at how much food you throw away?  I did about 12 years ago.  I would write it on a list (along with it's approximate cost) every time I threw something out and it shocked me.  Meal planning is what allowed me to turn that around. 4. Pay with cash.  Although we now pretty much buy the same things so it's not such a struggle coming in at or under budget, this has been an integral part of slashing our grocery budget.  If you set aside your budgeted amount in cash you have no choice but to stick with your budget because when the money's gone, it's gone.

5. Use a meal plan.  You don't have to go through the actual process of meal planning, but having an idea of what you'll be eating the next week is the only way you can accurately purchase all of the food you need and not overbuying.  On this same note, make a list for every single shopping trip and follow it. 6. Have back-up plans on hand.  Yes, plural.  It is inevitable that something will come up at least a couple of times a month.  You forgot to defrost the meat, you don't feel like eating any of the meals you planned, something has come up and you don't have time to cook what was planned, etc.  If you aren't prepared for these times, take-out or eating out will feel like the only options.  Having a few freezer meals, pantry staples, and/or frozen pizza's on hand will be budget lifesavers. The freezer back-ups we currently have on hand are frozen pizza (one vegan and one with meat & cheese, although surprisingly, my husband doesn't mind the vegan version), Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken (can be thrown in the oven while rice cooks in the rice cooker), frozen lentil/bean burgers as well as frozen beef burgers, and frozen vegan chili from a recipe that I made excess of purposely for freezing.  The chili is great because I eat it as is, and I also keep cooked ground beef in the freezer in single batch portions, so I can add burger to some for my husband. If you aren't fond of freezer items, keeping a few ingredients stocked in your pantry for super simple meals also works.  I keep a list of easy meals (that don't necessarily require defrosting) because when I'm standing in the kitchen at 6pm with no plan and we're starving, I don't always think of options.  Some of the meals on our list are: Spaghetti, Veggie Stir-fry with Rice or Millet, Breakfast for dinner, Burger with Mac and Cheese, Szechuan Noodles, Southwest Quinoa, etc.  We almost always have the ingredients on hand and they can all be whipped up within 1/2 hour (same time it takes to get take-out!). 7. Choose your store(s) wisely.  Warehouse stores are great for some things, but not all.  Aldi has great prices but they don't have a large selection.  Trader Joe's has some great exclusive items, but some of their other items may be higher priced than if you bought them at your conventional store.  Paying attention to prices and being willing to shop at multiple stores, when it makes sense, can be a huge budget saver.

Our Typical Meals So, what exactly do you EAT, you ask.  I eat whole food plant-based with no added oil, refined sugar, and very little salt.  Jay eats a pretty standard diet of meat, veggies, dairy, grains & fruit.  We are both fine with gluten so we do not eat gluten free.  I eat almost completely whole grains although Jay is pretty resistant to most whole grains.  We have a set 35 or so meals that we choose from for dinner, and throw in a new one to try from time-to-time. Here is what is typical for our daily meals: Breakfast I almost always eat oatmeal.  It's inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.  While I've begun disliking baked or cooked oatmeal, I have recently fallen in love with eating rolled oats (not quick oats) like cold cereal.  I'm not sure why I never thought of this before.  I was listening to Dr. Esselstyn speak one day and he was saying that every single morning he pours rolled oats into a bowl, adds fruit and then tops it with non-dairy milk.  It was intriguing to me.  So I tried it and loved it!  I add sliced bananas or berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and oat milk (plus a little extra) and allow it to sit for 10 minutes (it softens the oats and they soak up some of the milk) and then dig in. Jay either eats cold cereal (with fruit/berries on the side), toast, an egg sandwich, or breakfast burrito & homefries.

Lunch I eat a green salad (using whatever veggies and beans we have on hand) sometimes as the only meal and sometimes as a side to soup, avocado toast, or toast with nut butter.  For the salad dressing, I really enjoy balsamic vinegar, or a mustard/maple syrup/vinegar blend, and I top my salad with a few pepitas and a tablespoon of flax seed.  Quinoa is added frequently as well.  I've come to love salads which is good because it's a great serving of greens (soooooo nutritious), fairly inexpensive and fills me up so I don't eat so much of anything I'm eating the salad with.  I do like to make this chickpea sandwich occasionally - it's really good! Jay usually eats a sandwich, sandwich + soup, or leftovers.  The soups I usually make vegan and oil free and then add meat to his.  Sometimes he requests a salad with chicken as the protein.

Snack Seasonal fruit!  If we have some fruit that was going bad so we threw it in the freezer I'll make fruit smoothies to use that up instead.  I definitely have a sweet tooth so every once in a while we have a small piece of good quality chocolate too.  Popcorn, tortilla chips, or nuts are rare, but also snack items in our house.  Jay very rarely gets potato chips, but does so from time-to-time usually in the summer.  If I've made any baked goodies (very rare) we enjoy them during our mid-day snack rather than eating it later in the evening.

Wintertime Dinners Here is where I try, when it's possible, to make something that both Jay and I can eat and then the additions for him are usually meat and for me are usually salad.  Making 2 separate meals is a pain.  It's why I went from being vegetarian for 14 years to eating meat when we moved in together back in my 20's.  I'm figuring it out though. I'm never in the kitchen for longer than an hour so I make a lot of simple meals or I make full recipes of my meals and I will eat leftovers throughout the week.  For Jay, he only likes leftovers at lunch so I will cook up meat or grain in bulk and use that to build new recipes throughout the week. Some examples of when we can eat some of the same:

Southwest quinoa as my main meal (small salad was my side).  It's quinoa, black beans, cilantro, corn, peppers, and tomatoes.  I added a sprinkling of cheese to his and a baked chicken breast on the side.  Sometimes I eat this on top of greens like a burrito bowl.

Roasted veggies such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cauliflower, squash, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.  I usually have greens on the side and I bake a chicken breast with the veggies for Jay.  I like to drizzle balsamic vinegar over mine.

Broccoli rice (rice cooked with vegetable broth, seasonings, and broccoli chopped and added at the end) as our side and my main is a salad with whatever veggies and beans we have on hand.  Jay's is a sautéed chicken breast.

Mushroom risotto as our side with a green salad for me and steak tips for Jay.  I usually add steamed broccoli or cauliflower.

Spaghetti is made completely vegan and oil free and then I bake pre-made meatballs to add to Jay's and I add beans and greens to mine.  We serve salad as the side.

Taco nights I make beef tacos for him with peppers, fresh salsa, cheese, and guac.  The ground beef is pre-cooked and frozen so I just have to defrost and add to the shells.  I fill mine with refried beans (pre-cooked and frozen or I use canned) along with the same peppers, fresh salsa, and guac.  The side is usually rice.

There are also many meals where I make 2 completely separate meals: Some of Jay's favorites:

Salisbury Steak is beef patties cooked with mushrooms and onions.  I make a gravy and then serve it all over white rice.  I don't eat too much white rice so I usually just make a different dinner for me. 

Skillet pork chop with mac and cheese is another where I don't eat any part of what I cook for Jay.  I usually serve him broccoli or cauliflower on the side, so I do incorporate that in my dinner.

Chicken and dumplings is a great way to use leftover chicken and he LOVES it.  Again, I make something separate for me.

Whole roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie or two on the side.

Some of my dinners that Jay doesn't eat any part of are:

Baked falafel with a green salad.

Steamed veggies (fresh or frozen) over millet or quinoa.  I drizzle them with either balsamic vinegar, homemade liquid gold sauce (recipe found here) or a Dijon mustard sauce.

Baked potato with broccoli, beans, and homemade "cheese" sauce (it doesn't really taste like cheese but it's delicious) and a side salad.

Veggie pot pie with black pepper biscuits is a dish I have been LOVING for winter.  The recipe is here and she has a gluten-free variation.  The recipes I've tried from her blog have been really really good.

Grain bowl with quinoa or millet usually as the grain and topped with greens, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, and a drizzle of liquid gold sauce or a chipotle sauce.

Lentil Stew is one of my favorite wintertime treats.  It has lentils, potatoes (sweet or regular), carrots & kale.

Lentil loaf with mashed potatoes and vegan mushroom gravy is also really really good.  I don't make it often but when I do I savor it.

Desserts While we certainly don't have dessert every night, when we do it's usually either "nice cream" (frozen bananas blended with non-dairy milk, a dash of maple syrup, cacao powder & vanilla extract) or fruit.  I do keep a few non-dairy ice creams on hand although we rarely eat them because of the sugar and fats in them.  Lately I've been enjoying a cup of non-dairy hot cocoa (sweetened with maple syrup) from time-to-time.  It's delicious!

Beverages I drink water or hot tea.  I gave up coffee a few months ago and it was really the best choice for me.  I do (rarely) drink decaf coffee and, as noted above, hot cocoa. My husband will only drink sweetened iced tea and coffee.  Try as I might to get the man to drink water, there is just no way to get him to do so.

How about you?  What types of things does your family eat?  What grocery budget tips do you have?

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[nicosroom]

Nico’s Guide to Meal Prep

Meal prep has been one of my biggest saviors in graduate school, helping me stay well-fed and on budget. People frequently ask me for meal prep advice (mostly new grad students, who heard from someone else in the department that I am the one to ask; like, one person on tumblr; sometimes my acquaintances on Instagram). And so, here is my first ever guide to meal prep: 

First, there are some major guidelines:

1. Schedule your cooking/prep time: we don’t have time, we make time. I clear parts of my schedule that are for cooking and meal prep and I do what I can not to schedule other things in these slots. Make it part of your routine and treat it as sacred. For me, it’s Sundays (to get ready for the week) and Tuesdays (when my roommate has a long day and I know the kitchen will be free). My busiest days are Monday and Wednesday, so this schedule tends to work out so that when I come home at 6pm, I can just pop some leftovers into the microwave. I’m away from home a lot on the weekends, so this is when I end up eating out most. If I do stay home (cause sometimes you just need this, ya know), I like to plan at least one elaborate meal or baking venture. Relatedly,  you also want to schedule your planning time (when you look up recipes if needed, survey what you have at home, make a grocery list, shop). I do most of this Sundays as well). 

2. Look at your week and determine when you need to eat a homemade meal, then decide what you want to eat. On a normal week, I need to cover 15 meals: breakfast at home M-F; packed lunch MW; lunch at home TThF; and dinners at home Sun-Th. I try to shop once a week and no more, so I hate when I don’t plan enough. Just as bad, though, is having too much and potentially having to throw it out - like when avocados hit 2 for $1 and I buy 8 of them, but only eat four during the week. Within reason, I plan as precisely as I can. It’s pretty common that I’ll eat a banana with breakfast, but if I only do five at home each week, there is no use in getting eight bananas. Once you decide what to eat make a grocery list. We already know sticking to a shopping list is a good budgeting habit, but its an even better meal prepping habit. 

3. It’s okay to eat the same thing everyday and it’s easier to do if you like them. When I eat lunch at home, its almost always truffle salted avocado egg salad on toast with potato chips. When I pack lunch, it’s PB&J with potato chips and an apple. One of the biggest benefits of meal prepping is the way it reduces the number of decisions you need to make in a day (read about decision fatigue here). Deciding what to eat is half the battle, and then you might have to make it? No wonder we break down and order take out instead. Minimizing the decision making over the course of the week adds up to a lot of cognitive free time. There was just a story about this in The Atlantic. 

4. Keep it simple, feel no shame. The meal preppers on Instagram are #theworst because their beautiful, perfect foods and elaborately portioned meals are not only saving them all kinds of time, but they are healthy, fresh, from scratch. #STOP. Don’t let anyone shame you about your meal prepping and approach it from whatever level you are at. There are weeks that I decide I’m eating Honey Nut Cheerios with banana slices for all five breakfasts and this is fine. Commit to whatever works for you because it is far more important to eat breakfast than it is to eat mini quiche with sausage link and pancake, plated in a conveniently subdivided tupperware. If a big batch of quinoa, store-bought BBQ sauce covered chicken breasts, and frozen broccoli steamed in the microwave is your level, own it. You can always scale up, but please don’t “go big” the first time you prep, get overwhelmed, and never prep again. 

Now, to the foods part: 

Do whatever works for you, but here are some of my go-to meal prep foods and strategies. You might find they work for you too; and if they don’t, perhaps they provide some inspiration at least. 

The staples:

Eggs

Batch cooked grains (quinoa, rice, oatmeal)

Avocados

Beans and lentils

Bananas

Apples

Once a Tinderfella asked me what I enjoyed cooking most. I racked my brain for recipes and scrolled my IG feed for an answer. After 20 minutes, I wrote back “eggs.” He didn’t believe me. Seriously, think of all the things you can do with eggs: over easy, hard boiled, soft boiled, scrambled, quiche, meringue, omelet, frittata––you catch my drift. Anyway, I always have boiled eggs in the fridge (for my avo egg salads & for emergency snacks); some weeks I make a quiche and divvy it up over the week (it’s great for breakfast OR for dinner); many mornings, I make an egg over easy to put on top of toast or savory oatmeal. 

Batch cooking grains gives you a foundation to work with. Say I’m making a curry that I’ll serve over rice. I’m likely to cook more rice than I need for that and also make garlic fried rice or maybe arroz caldo (ginger-rice soup, like congee) to eat with eggs for breakfast all week too. Or, maybe I’ll decide I want quinoa based grain bowls for dinners that week: maybe you can plan two different types so you have variety, but your foundation is already done. Oatmeal for breakfast is another thing I like to batch cook. I’m a savory oatmeal person, so I do garlic, scallions in butter, boil the oats in chicken broth, and usually add cheese and breakfast meat. I’ll make enough for the week and then cook an egg each morning to top it off. 

For health and money reasons (read my money snapshot!), I don’t eat a lot of meat in my home cooking. Beans and lentils are very easy on the wallet and have a very high impact nutritionally. Because its more cost effective, better for the environment, and easier on storage space, I  use dry beans and have a tiny crockpot to cook them in, but I also keep a couple cans in the pantry at all times for days when I just don’t have the time to wait. 

Apples and bananas are pretty self explanatory - self-contained, portable fruits. I like bananas in my cereals or slathered in peanut butter as part of a balanced breakfast and I like apples for when I pack lunch. What I also like about these is their versatility if I neglect them. I can throw bananas into the freezer for smoothies and I can make applesauce if I ignore them too long. 

Avocados are essential to my near-daily dose of truffle salted avocado egg salad, so they’re always on my grocery list, all sneering about their cost aside. We have to invest in ourselves first, and so I’m all for foods I like that also make me feel good. That said, I draw the line at about $1.25 per avo. Luckily, they’re nearly always 99 cents, and occasionally go on sale for less. I typically only eat half at a time, so 2-3 avos a week really isn’t too taxing on the grocery budget, and I have nearly perfected the ripening process, so not a penny goes to waste. 

Some favorite recipe sources: 

Damn Delicious

Love & Lemons

The Simple Veganista

Budget Bytes

Good and Cheap

Eating Well (I get the magazine)

Favorite Entry-level Recipes: 

Crockpot meal: coconut curry lentils

One pot dish: marinated feta risotto (I usually use quinoa)

spinach and feta quiche (I don’t do crusts. Who has the time?)

Made entirely of pantry items: chickpea tomato soup

Cauliflower grits & bbq (rotisserie) chicken (and, girl, I use frozen cauliflower)

Spinach, feta, blueberry quinoa salad (kale tastes like dirt. I can’t even)

Cuban black beans and rice

Tomato eggs (the single greatest recipe I ever learned)

[itsjaybullme]

The Better Sex Weekend Meal Plan

Biggie Productions / Getty

Whether you’re going away for a special event, or you're just celebrating a birthday or anniversary with your partner, you’re probably thinking that the change of scenery will result in more sex than usual while you’re away. And that’s a good thing.

But to make sure you’re prepared to deliver an impressive performance all weekend long, you’ll need to do some pre-planning, and that starts with the menu.

“People think [better sex] is about what’s happening downstairs, but it’s the middle—your heart," says Wesley Delbridge, R.D., a Phoenix-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Anything you’re doing that’s good for your heart is going to make sex better, especially eating well and doing physical activity, he says.

Here, Delbridge shares expert advice on how to improve your diet right now for a better sex weekend, as well as what to eat, drink, and avoid all weekend long for optimal performance.

SEE ALSO: Five Ways Your Diet Is Ruining Your Sex Life

1. Add more fiber to your diet now

High cholesterol—when bad (LDL) cholesterol builds up in your arteries and forms fatty, waxy deposits called plaque—can impact how well blood flows through your arteries. And any guy can understand that a healthy sex life means good blood flow is important.

“I recommend a high-fiber diet as part of a better sex diet,” says Delbridge. “I don’t think people think of the efficiency of fiber in their diets." If you genetically have a tendency for high cholesterol, check with your doctor about the right amount of fiber for you.

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A lot of people don't eat enough fresh produce, which is high in fiber. You should also look to oatmeal and beans to add fiber and help lower bad cholesterol, says Delbridge.

Having clear arteries also helps with energy. Delbridge says that when some of his clients had stents put in to open narrow arteries, they tell him that they didn’t know how tired they were until they were feeling better and more energized after their blood flow was improved. If you’ve been feeling sluggish lately, talk to your doctor about what could be going on. And consider a diet like the DASH diet to help lower cholesterol if that’s part of the problem, suggests Delbridge.

Before you start adding cups of beans to every meal and snacking on broccoli a few days before your romantic weekend, nutrition experts recommend adding fiber gradually to avoid bloating and gas. (Your partner will appreciate this as well.)

2. Eat breakfast

Often, when we travel, our eating and sleeping schedules are off. If you slept in—especially because you tied one on the night before—you might be inclined to skip breakfast. That's a mistake, Delbridge says: Give your body optimum energy by eating a breakfast with protein, fats, carbs, and fiber. (In fact, every meal and snack should have that, so keep those macros in mind throughout the weekend.)

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When you have that combo, you have delayed gastric emptying, so you’ll be satisfied for longer, Delbridge says. Some people resist breakfast because they’re not used to digesting as soon as they get up, but Delbridge suggests you slowly add foods each morning for better overall metabolism and energy.

You might want to enjoy a leisurely brunch with your date on your romantic weekend. That’s totally fine, says Delbridge, just balance out what you eat with the rest of your meals. Starting with French toast or pancakes? Cut back on carbs and sugar the rest of the day.

3. Plan to burn calories outside the bedroom

You may be inclined to think you’ll be staying in bed together all weekend, but lying around won’t lead to better sex, says Delbridge. Get your heart pumping (and increase blood flow) with a hike or a partner workout. Do some digging ahead of time and look for paths you can walk or run along, or see if there's a halfway decent gym at your hotel.

SEE ALSO: The Hottest Hotel Gyms in the U.S.

4. Snack on nuts

Go ahead, giggle at that headline. But keep in mind that nuts contain zinc, which can raise testosterone levels—and testosterone helps with your sex drive.

“If you’re going on a hike, add nuts to the trail mix,” says Delbridge. “They can help with overall performance, including the mental part of your sex drive.”

[RELATED3]

5. Avoid sugar and fried junk

C’mon, you already know how eating the wrong foods can upset your stomach and make you feel like crap. You might head into the weekend channeling your inner buff Guardians of the Galaxy version of Chris Pratt but find yourself feeling like a chubby, lethargic Parks and Rec Pratt instead if you make these food mistakes.

To maximize energy, try to stay away from refined carbs, added sugar, sugary drinks, and fried foods throughout the weekend, suggests Delbridge.

“If you eat healthy and then you splurge, you're body's going to have a tough time digesting that, and you might feel crampy, gassy, or bloated,” says Delbridge. A lot of people find that digestive issues tend to come when traveling, he says. If you know certain foods like dairy don’t always agree with you, don’t order mac and cheese at dinner followed up with a sundae.

SEE ALSO: 10 Ways To Spice Up Your Sex Life

6. Get a caffeine boost

“I’m a fan of caffeine if it’s in coffee without a lot of added sugar, or unsweetened tea,” says Delbridge. To get through a weekend with a lot of—ahem—exercise, caffeine can help with blood flow, he says. It can also give you more energy to complete your, y'know, workout. Since caffeine can stay in your system for at least six hours afterwards, consider an afternoon java fix to help your efforts later that evening without impacting sleep.

SEE ALSO: 30 Surefire Ways to Lose Your Gut for Good

7. Don’t eat portions that will earn you a T-shirt

If your romantic weekend plans involve a nice steak dinner that you’ve been salivating over all week, by all means, indulge—but don’t order the Man vs. Food portion. You might think it’s cool to put away a 60-oz steak at dinner that nabs you a T-shirt and bragging rights, but trust us, your partner will think it’s gross.

“We all know how we feel when we've overeaten. You want to take a nap, your organs are working so hard, there’s no energy for anything else,” says Delbridge. Besides the quantity, a fatty steak isn’t doing your heart (and physique) any favors.

Order a leaner cut like a New York Strip, and stop eating when you feel satisfied. You’ll be glad you did when you have “dessert” later.

[RELATED4]

8. Keep alcohol in check

Before you groan and bypass this tip, it’s worth remembering that too much alcohol doesn’t lead to great sex—and could be a disappointment for your partner as well.

“Alcohol does decrease inhibitions and can make you feel more romantic, but it also causes issues with erection,” says Delbridge. (That's why it’s one of the nine foods that'll kill your sex drive.) Too much booze can cause premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, and wreck your chances (and hers) of having an orgasm. Stick to two drinks, and make sure you stay hydrated with water for better sex that night and tomorrow morning.

9. Let your partner order first

Fine, this isn't specifically a diet tip. But to make sure it’s a weekend of amazing sex for both of you, ask your partner what she would like in bed. Deliver on that and we promise she’ll be booking another romantic weekend getaway before this one is over. Here are 10 things women are too shy to ask for in bed.

from Bodybuilding Feed http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/meal-plans/better-sex-weekend-meal-plan via http://www.rssmix.com/

[benjamingarden]

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat

By far, the number one question I am asked is "what do you eat?"  I used to share our meal plan's but it was a lot of work and I honestly wasn't sure if it was something that really interested anyone.  Well, apparently it was!  Part of the reason for some of the questions is because my husband and I eat very differently, so some of you are also trying to figure out how to make a similar arrangement work.  Other reasons are that we are all trying to find new ideas.  I find myself wondering the same things and watching other blogger and vlogger grocery hauls and meal planning sessions on you tube. There was a time (long ago) that I didn't pay attention at all to our grocery budget so I would buy ingredients and try tons of new recipes regardless of cost.  Ugh....I don't even like to think about those days.  At that time I was still trying to build my recipe book (although I now realize there was a MUCH more efficient and cost effective way to have done so) so I was making a ton of new recipes.  What I've found is that in the past 10 years we don't try too terribly many new items and as of the past year or two, I actually don't mind eating the same thing multiple times a week. So the way I cook and what we eat has continued to evolve over the years.  At one time I was able to stick pretty closely to a $60.00/week budget.  It now changes on the season.  During the summer and fall I can keep it around $60.00/week because we grow so many of our vegetables.  We do preserve vegetables for use later in the year, but I still buy some fresh from the store in winter so it is anywhere from $60.00 - $80.00/week.  I can share more about that in a later post if you'd like (this one is already quite long). Although I do enjoy cooking for the most part, I don't enjoy spending hours in the kitchen.  Since we work from home it is much easier for me (I can prep ahead, make things in stages, take something out to defrost that I forgot to take out the night before, etc.), but I'm really not interested in spending too terribly long cooking.

Frugality In The Kitchen What we spend on groceries has evolved as well (thankfully).  Our personal goal is not necessarily to eat the dirt cheapest food available, although we've gone through financial times where this was our most important goal.  Instead, we try to eat organic and/or local food when we can while sticking to a moderate budget.  We've also incorporated into our budget a few "treats".  For instance, the 2 teas that I absolutely love are definitely not the most inexpensive brands.  But I make cuts in other places so I can enjoy these teas without any guilt whatsoever. While there are many tactics that I've shared on the blog, the most important "rules" I follow are: 1. Rarely eat out.  It's just too expensive and usually not so healthy.  Besides, when you only go out occasionally, it's more of a treat and not an expectation so it's appreciated as such. 2. Don't purchase lunch, snacks, or coffee out.  Again, this has been a HUGE expense for us in the past and something that is so easy to eliminate.  It's all about preplanning and creating new habits. 3. Stop wasting food.  Have you honestly looked at how much food you throw away?  I did about 12 years ago.  I would write it on a list (along with it's approximate cost) every time I threw something out and it shocked me.  Meal planning is what allowed me to turn that around. 4. Pay with cash.  Although we now pretty much buy the same things so it's not such a struggle coming in at or under budget, this has been an integral part of slashing our grocery budget.  If you set aside your budgeted amount in cash you have no choice but to stick with your budget because when the money's gone, it's gone.

5. Use a meal plan.  You don't have to go through the actual process of meal planning, but having an idea of what you'll be eating the next week is the only way you can accurately purchase all of the food you need and not overbuying.  On this same note, make a list for every single shopping trip and follow it. 6. Have back-up plans on hand.  Yes, plural.  It is inevitable that something will come up at least a couple of times a month.  You forgot to defrost the meat, you don't feel like eating any of the meals you planned, something has come up and you don't have time to cook what was planned, etc.  If you aren't prepared for these times, take-out or eating out will feel like the only options.  Having a few freezer meals, pantry staples, and/or frozen pizza's on hand will be budget lifesavers. The freezer back-ups we currently have on hand are frozen pizza (one vegan and one with meat & cheese, although surprisingly, my husband doesn't mind the vegan version), Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken (can be thrown in the oven while rice cooks in the rice cooker), frozen lentil/bean burgers as well as frozen beef burgers, and frozen vegan chili from a recipe that I made excess of purposely for freezing.  The chili is great because I eat it as is, and I also keep cooked ground beef in the freezer in single batch portions, so I can add burger to some for my husband. If you aren't fond of freezer items, keeping a few ingredients stocked in your pantry for super simple meals also works.  I keep a list of easy meals (that don't necessarily require defrosting) because when I'm standing in the kitchen at 6pm with no plan and we're starving, I don't always think of options.  Some of the meals on our list are: Spaghetti, Veggie Stir-fry with Rice or Millet, Breakfast for dinner, Burger with Mac and Cheese, Szechuan Noodles, Southwest Quinoa, etc.  We almost always have the ingredients on hand and they can all be whipped up within 1/2 hour (same time it takes to get take-out!). 7. Choose your store(s) wisely.  Warehouse stores are great for some things, but not all.  Aldi has great prices but they don't have a large selection.  Trader Joe's has some great exclusive items, but some of their other items may be higher priced than if you bought them at your conventional store.  Paying attention to prices and being willing to shop at multiple stores, when it makes sense, can be a huge budget saver.

Our Typical Meals So, what exactly do you EAT, you ask.  I eat whole food plant-based with no added oil, refined sugar, and very little salt.  Jay eats a pretty standard diet of meat, veggies, dairy, grains & fruit.  We are both fine with gluten so we do not eat gluten free.  I eat almost completely whole grains although Jay is pretty resistant to most whole grains.  We have a set 35 or so meals that we choose from for dinner, and throw in a new one to try from time-to-time. Here is what is typical for our daily meals: Breakfast I almost always eat oatmeal.  It's inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.  While I've begun disliking baked or cooked oatmeal, I have recently fallen in love with eating rolled oats (not quick oats) like cold cereal.  I'm not sure why I never thought of this before.  I was listening to Dr. Esselstyn speak one day and he was saying that every single morning he pours rolled oats into a bowl, adds fruit and then tops it with non-dairy milk.  It was intriguing to me.  So I tried it and loved it!  I add sliced bananas or berries, a tablespoon of chia seeds, and oat milk (plus a little extra) and allow it to sit for 10 minutes (it softens the oats and they soak up some of the milk) and then dig in. Jay either eats cold cereal (with fruit/berries on the side), toast, an egg sandwich, or breakfast burrito & homefries.

Lunch I eat a green salad (using whatever veggies and beans we have on hand) sometimes as the only meal and sometimes as a side to soup, avocado toast, or toast with nut butter.  For the salad dressing, I really enjoy balsamic vinegar, or a mustard/maple syrup/vinegar blend, and I top my salad with a few pepitas and a tablespoon of flax seed.  Quinoa is added frequently as well.  I've come to love salads which is good because it's a great serving of greens (soooooo nutritious), fairly inexpensive and fills me up so I don't eat so much of anything I'm eating the salad with.  I do like to make this chickpea sandwich occasionally - it's really good! Jay usually eats a sandwich, sandwich + soup, or leftovers.  The soups I usually make vegan and oil free and then add meat to his.  Sometimes he requests a salad with chicken as the protein.

Snack Seasonal fruit!  If we have some fruit that was going bad so we threw it in the freezer I'll make fruit smoothies to use that up instead.  I definitely have a sweet tooth so every once in a while we have a small piece of good quality chocolate too.  Popcorn, tortilla chips, or nuts are rare, but also snack items in our house.  Jay very rarely gets potato chips, but does so from time-to-time usually in the summer.  If I've made any baked goodies (very rare) we enjoy them during our mid-day snack rather than eating it later in the evening.

Wintertime Dinners Here is where I try, when it's possible, to make something that both Jay and I can eat and then the additions for him are usually meat and for me are usually salad.  Making 2 separate meals is a pain.  It's why I went from being vegetarian for 14 years to eating meat when we moved in together back in my 20's.  I'm figuring it out though. I'm never in the kitchen for longer than an hour so I make a lot of simple meals or I make full recipes of my meals and I will eat leftovers throughout the week.  For Jay, he only likes leftovers at lunch so I will cook up meat or grain in bulk and use that to build new recipes throughout the week. Some examples of when we can eat some of the same:

Southwest quinoa as my main meal (small salad was my side).  It's quinoa, black beans, cilantro, corn, peppers, and tomatoes.  I added a sprinkling of cheese to his and a baked chicken breast on the side.  Sometimes I eat this on top of greens like a burrito bowl.

Roasted veggies such as sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, cauliflower, squash, mushrooms, onions, and carrots.  I usually have greens on the side and I bake a chicken breast with the veggies for Jay.  I like to drizzle balsamic vinegar over mine.

Broccoli rice (rice cooked with vegetable broth, seasonings, and broccoli chopped and added at the end) as our side and my main is a salad with whatever veggies and beans we have on hand.  Jay's is a sautéed chicken breast.

Mushroom risotto as our side with a green salad for me and steak tips for Jay.  I usually add steamed broccoli or cauliflower.

Spaghetti is made completely vegan and oil free and then I bake pre-made meatballs to add to Jay's and I add beans and greens to mine.  We serve salad as the side.

Taco nights I make beef tacos for him with peppers, fresh salsa, cheese, and guac.  The ground beef is pre-cooked and frozen so I just have to defrost and add to the shells.  I fill mine with refried beans (pre-cooked and frozen or I use canned) along with the same peppers, fresh salsa, and guac.  The side is usually rice.

There are also many meals where I make 2 completely separate meals: Some of Jay's favorites:

Salisbury Steak is beef patties cooked with mushrooms and onions.  I make a gravy and then serve it all over white rice.  I don't eat too much white rice so I usually just make a different dinner for me. 

Skillet pork chop with mac and cheese is another where I don't eat any part of what I cook for Jay.  I usually serve him broccoli or cauliflower on the side, so I do incorporate that in my dinner.

Chicken and dumplings is a great way to use leftover chicken and he LOVES it.  Again, I make something separate for me.

Whole roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and a veggie or two on the side.

Some of my dinners that Jay doesn't eat any part of are:

Baked falafel with a green salad.

Steamed veggies (fresh or frozen) over millet or quinoa.  I drizzle them with either balsamic vinegar, homemade liquid gold sauce (recipe found here) or a Dijon mustard sauce.

Baked potato with broccoli, beans, and homemade "cheese" sauce (it doesn't really taste like cheese but it's delicious) and a side salad.

Veggie pot pie with black pepper biscuits is a dish I have been LOVING for winter.  The recipe is here and she has a gluten-free variation.  The recipes I've tried from her blog have been really really good.

Grain bowl with quinoa or millet usually as the grain and topped with greens, beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, and a drizzle of liquid gold sauce or a chipotle sauce.

Lentil Stew is one of my favorite wintertime treats.  It has lentils, potatoes (sweet or regular), carrots & kale.

Lentil loaf with mashed potatoes and vegan mushroom gravy is also really really good.  I don't make it often but when I do I savor it.

Desserts While we certainly don't have dessert every night, when we do it's usually either "nice cream" (frozen bananas blended with non-dairy milk, a dash of maple syrup, cacao powder & vanilla extract) or fruit.  I do keep a few non-dairy ice creams on hand although we rarely eat them because of the sugar and fats in them.  Lately I've been enjoying a cup of non-dairy hot cocoa (sweetened with maple syrup) from time-to-time.  It's delicious!

Beverages I drink water or hot tea.  I gave up coffee a few months ago and it was really the best choice for me.  I do (rarely) drink decaf coffee and, as noted above, hot cocoa. My husband will only drink sweetened iced tea and coffee.  Try as I might to get the man to drink water, there is just no way to get him to do so.

How about you?  What types of things does your family eat?  What grocery budget tips do you have?

Saving Money On Groceries + What We Eat was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)