#cheddar is really good on this specific bagel

[fisherrprince]

aight

medium cheddar: extremely hit or miss. my favorite brand is tillamook and im not biased about it. great to just munch on though, it's not really a cheese that wants or needs anything else. good base ingredient for like a grilled cheese. perfectly average 6/10.

sharp cheddar: i love extra sharp cheddar i love you looong aged white sharp cheddar FANTASTIC snack and best with some sweet apples or something. Needs a cracker or bread or some sweeter snack on the side. coastal cheddar from costco is good but can be a bit too sharp with lots of crystallization. 9/10. 

mozzarella: ok i dont like tillamook for this one. too dry. mozzarella is really not a cheese i like to eat by itself, i'm not a cheese stick fan and i really dislike the texture of wet mozzarella balls, but when it's good melted ON stuff it's good on stuff. 7/10 grilled pizza cheese pull

pepperjack: this is THEEEE cheese to grate for a recipe and sneak like 20 bites of the grated cheese. little pepper bits in there. I don't enjoy eating slices of it though. 7/10

parmesan: you cant go wrong with a little parma jawn............. best as a little accent on top of stuff. just makes whatever you're cooking a lil tastier. Not my favorite when the whole thing tastes of just parmesan though, it's kinda bitey. 8/10

cottage cheese: i cant stand cottage cheese. The texture is nasty and the combo of the texture with the flavor is nastier. 1/10

gruyere: french. INCREDIBLE on potatoes and in fondue and in little bits to snack on. Not an eating by itself cheese often but it doesnt have to be. I'd eat this grated on top of kinda anything savory. 9/10

gouda: i get this mixed up with gruyere all the time, but gouda is a bit harder and sweeter. a good salami cheese for your charcuterie. you see smoked gouda a lot which if thats YOUR deal thats cool but i dislike the taste of smoked things. 7/10

blue cheese: really really good cheese that is stymied by not going with a lot of stuff and not being super good to just eat on its own. it's a SHARP taste that gets in your nose. gorgonzola specifically is so good with pears and arugula except I'm mildly allergic to pears. BEST with steak gimme dat blue cheese butter STEAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! would be 9/10 if it were not so particular. 7/10.

feta: bit of a weird texture but it makes salads and gyros ROCK so. it gets a pass. not that fancy on its own but i really do like it in a salad. 6/10. 

cream cheese: YEAAAAHHHHH BAGELLLLSSSS 9/10 i love bagels. also makes other dishes creamy (best part of cheese)

manchego: best with salami. not that impressive on its own, but that's because it's a harder cheese you eat with salami. 5/10, elevates meat but the meat does not elevate it

brie: somehow airplane brie is better than normal brie??? i don't eat this cheese unless it's on an airplane meal fr. which means i hardly ever eat brie. kinda weird tasting. 4/10

camembert: miraculous ladybug hyped me up for this cheese and i bought some and must have done it wrong or something because it doesn't smell and hardly tasted different from brie. I want to try it again so bad because gooey cheeses are like drool-worthy to me. hesitant 3/10 for being a disappointment

asiago: yknow an asiago bread is pretty good but ive never had asiago cheese on its own! 6/10? umami

cotija: BIG FAN of cotija. pile that stuff on my tacos thank you. i dont have the same problems as i do with feta maybe because you grate or crumble cotija real small in comparison? havent had it on anything but a taco though. 8/10 

goat cheese: also a big fan of goat cheese. you can fry it and its good, and you can put it in pasta and its good, you can eat it with crackers and it's good... not really good with meat, but it's sharper so that makes sense to me. 8/10 again

swiss cheese: i never really liked swiss cheese. unless its on my sandwich. OR! unless it's like specifically emmentaler and it's in my fondue. 4/10

provolone: SAME goes for provo LONE. makes french dip really good though, and is one of the classic salami cheeses. this is because it needs salt. 5/10 better than swiss

edam: this is babybel cheese, right? it's fine. good for snacking not for eating a lot of. 7/10

colby jack: this is literally cheddar but not. id rather have cheddar 5/10

ricotta: controversially, i love ricotta... it doesnt have a lot of flavor which makes eating it by itself unpleasant. HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!! in lasagne..? on top of sourdough with salt and garlic? in a kolache with jam?? i lvoe ricotta. i wish it didn't go bad so fast. or maybe it came in smaller packages. 8/10

american cheese: the only place this thing shines is ON BURGER. where it SHOULD BE, KIND OF ALWAYS. or on a bacon egg and cheese. those are the two places you always want american. situationally 8/10 but usually 4/10 i dont want it anywhere else

muenster: the best part of eating muenster cheese is eating the little slice that always seems to come off the edge when you take it out the package. otherwise it's a perfectly serviceable mild cheese, melts well, 6/10.

pecorino romano: like, parmesan's sharper saltier more fashion-forward cousin. use this in moderation imo it really has a Big Taste to it, but it makes carbonara nummy, 7/10

paneer: i have not HAD... paneer... but it LOOKS like it would be tasty. withholding judgement. 

gournay: i love those little boursin rounds you can just get at the store with the garlic and herbs. soft, savory, good on crackers 9/10

infused flavor cheeses: these are usually fresh cows milk cheeses that have like some kinda flavor or spice on them or rolled into them. All depends on the flavoring. The base cheese itself is usually real mild and creamy though, and I have good experiences with it! Also goes bad a bit fast though. Variable/10

theres other cheeses out there but i just realized ive been talking about cheese for a LOOONG TIIIMMMEEE. i like cheese though. big fan of it. if u think of some other cheese you really want an opinion on i will readily tell you

[mechs-headcanons]

HI OH MY GOD FELLOW SYNESTHESIA HAVER????

Wahoo!!

I do get the colors thing a lot but most of mine are tastes, so here we go!

Jonny: somewhere between this one peanut butter whiskey i had once, and like a rare steak

Nastya: blue gumballs, like that sweet yet food coloring-y taste

Ashes: smoked salt, also dr pepper

Ivy: this one white cheddar and cranberry cheese i got once

Brian: this really specific salt and lemon candy i sadly do not know the brand but it's Japanese so idk. Also buttered toast, weirdly enough

Toy Soldier: wooden blocks 🙏🙏 also cream cheese i cannot explain why

Tim: smoked salmon. And slightly burnt toast but in a good way, and i can't explain why but yknow that limited edition coconut dr pepper? That.

Raph: lime tortilla chips 100% also raspberries

Marius: HASHBROWNS!!!! Also maple syrup, bacon but cooked enough where it's not quite crispy yet, also fresh sage, and this one syrup i had as a kid that gets made from wild violets

Can you tell i think about Marius a lot teehee

-🩻

OH FUCK YEAH, here i’m gonna do both tastes and smells cause i have both for all of them:33 (these r copied from old texts)

jonny — tastes like fruit (specifically pineapple and cantaloupe) but if you add the d’ville he smells like copper

nastya — tastes like sweet bread and smells like the back of a closet (in a good way)

ashes — smoke and if you inhale in a musty basement. tastes like dust and lavender incense cones (which i’m allergic to, hashtag lavender makes me break out)

ivy — she tastes like a sticky note but i agree with the cheese statement. she smells like a new book

brian — tastes like honey, smells like rust remover:D

TS — it tastes like plastic and smells like sawdust. but now that you say cream cheese,,, i want to say cream cheese mini bagels for it too.

tim — for some reason i never did tim in my original taste assessment so. mmm yes he does taste like smoked salmon. but also like it’s slightly burnt? like over smoked. he also smells like cheap hairspray and when you use a compressed air duster.

raphaella — she tastes like costco rotisserie chicken and smells like just after it rains. also she has a creaky sound, for some reason.

marius — he tastes like when you bite your tongue and smells like violin rosin :D

mine r way less specific but thats okay </3

[sniffanimal]

Donnie's Bangin' Breakfast Sandwich Template Recipe

Every morning I make these sandwiches for me and my coworker/roommate/carpool before we go to work and they're so good they're literally the best breakfast sandwiches I've ever had. The best part about my recipe is that I consider it a living document of sorts, and that I can swap elements in and out as I please. I figured I would type up my recipe because it really isn't scary making your own breakfast sandwiches and you don't need one of those annoying special little griddles for it either. Ingredients and my workflow steps below the cut!

Ingredients I currently use (enough for 2 sandwiches!) - 2 english muffins, today I used whole wheat, but I want to make my own sometime - 1 egg - 2 sausage patties (ive made my own in the past, this one is from frozen), plant based ones also go pretty hard - 2 slices canadian bacon (or regular bacon or bac'n, whathave you) - spinach - chipotle mayo (homemade or otherwise, I've also used thousand island or just kewpie mayo) - sour cream - everything bagel seasoning (or really any spices you like in your eggs) - 2 slices of cheese of choice (i like cheddar, my roomie likes pepper jack) - butter General instructions: 1. Split muffins with a fork to maintain the internal texture better than with a knife. Butter and toast to 3/4 desired toastiness. 2. Air fry sausage patties to the specific needs of the patties you're using. Mine currently are great at 400f for 7 minutes. 3 minutes from the end I put the canadian bacon in there too. 3. Whisk an egg with a dollop of sour cream and everything bagel seasoning or other seasonings. Salt and pepper is also just fine! Sometimes I put in a little MSG or green onions and tomato or pepper flakes! 4. Fry the egg on the stove like an omelette, flat without scrambling, and depending on how you really like your eggs you can either flip it and cook both sides or cover with a lid and let steam cook the top. 5. If you have a toaster oven, put the cheese on one half of the english muffins and toast a bit more to melt. Otherwise, you can just put the cheese on the sandwich and let the heat of it melt it. 6. Assemble as desired, this is the contents I have on mine: chipotle mayo on one slice of muffin and cheese on the other, spinach leaves, a slice of the egg folded over, sausage, and canadian bacon. 7. These travel decently well for lunch as well, I recommend wrapping it in foil and putting in a tupperware to keep it safe and warm. To reheat, I put it on a plate or paper towel, split it open between the egg and sausage, and microwave for 30 seconds before reuniting the halves.

The whole process takes about 15 minutes, and whenever I have down time waiting for an element to cook, I can make my coffee or take my meds or whatever else I need to do in the morning.

[sparrownnax]

VERY homophobic that mozzarella isn't good on my cranberry bagel :(

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Steve Rogers talks with you about toast

When I was eleven years old, my Ma came home with a pop-up toaster. 

It was 1929, and things were not going well for the American people. It was November, and the weather was getting cold. Food was getting a little hard to come by. Thankfully, Ma had a little job security, being a hospital nurse and all, but it wasn’t a sure thing. She knew she could be cut loose at any moment. 

But that night, plugging in our little metal toaster for the first time, she said “things may look bleak, Stevie. But at least we’ll have good toast.” 

When I got out of the ice, one of the biggest things that caused me anxiety was the idea that I wouldn’t like any of the new food available in the twenty-first century; that things would have changed so much that there would be nothing recognizable about what ended up on my dinner plate.

On my first day, Nick Fury took me out to breakfast. We didn’t talk much about what he wanted from me. We didn’t talk about what had happened to me. 

We talked about the menu. 

And on that menu? 

Rye toast.

I smiled so hard when I saw it that my face hurt.

Here’s something you might not know: Sarah Rogers and Winifred Barnes were very close friends. Neighbors, yes, and their sons were inseparable, but as two single mothers trying to make ends meet, they did all they could to support each other and keep each other safe. Mrs. Barnes didn’t speak much English, and she couldn’t read or write it, so when things came up that required explanation, my Ma was always there for her. 

And in return, Mrs. Barnes would make extra food for us. Ma worked, and she wasn’t really much of a cook, to be honest, god rest her soul.

But Winifred Barnes was amazing. And she was very good at lucking into food. A crate of potatoes once fell off of a truck right at her feet, and that tiny Jewish woman dragged it eight blocks home, and nobody stopped her. Neighbors and friends would hand her cuts of meat they didn’t know how to cook, and we’d all feast like kings. She kept ten bags of flour in her home at all times, even during the worst years of the depression. 

“Du hast mel, du hast broyt.” 

Yiddish for: “you have flour, you have bread.” 

Which brings me back to toast. 

In those days, butter, jam…hard to come by. We’d put gravy on the toast. Creamed corn. Ma read about tomato gravy: tomatoes, salt, flour. They used to put that on biscuits in the south.  

Every so often, Mrs. Barnes would luck her way into a box of fruit, and she’d make jam out of what she got. It was a treat back then! Sweet and sticky and satisfying. 

Now, today, it feels like there are endless things to put on toast. The most popular being egg, cheese and meat. 

Picture this: It’s three in the morning, you’ve just gotten your face punched in by a guy who should be dead, but keeps coming back, really for the specific purpose of punching you in the face. You turn a corner, and there is a lone shop with a light on. A corner bodega. You step in, and the clerk behind the counter’s first instinct is to reach for the emergency button under the counter, but then he recognizes your bruised face, and the shield you’re sliding into the holder on your back.

And he smiles. 

You limp up to the counter and you give a polite hello, even though one of your eyes is swelling shut a little, and request a sausage, egg and cheddar on an onion bagel.

Believe me, you’re not kissin’ anybody tonight, enjoy the onion.

And he hurries to make it for your, and you grab two waters out of the cold case: one for drinking and one for your face, and you pay (he offers it for free, but you insist, so he discounts it heavily), and soon, you’re eating your hot, gooey toasted bagel sandwich, leaning on the counter, chatting with the clerk about life, and how you wish New York had the climate to grow lemon trees, because lemons are so useful.

You may ask, “But Steve, that’s a bagel sandwich, that’s not really toast.” You toast the bagel, don’t you? Toast in my book.

You go home. You get a little sleep. You take a hot shower, and thank god that eye is healing up pretty well now, and then…

You pop some rye bread in your toaster, and once it’s popped, you scrape just a little butter on it, and then slather sweet, rich strawberry jam right on top. 

It’s quiet. There’s coffee. The toast has a good crunch, and the rye is thick enough to stand up to all that spread. 

And it’s a little piece of heaven right in your kitchen.

I keep hearing about avocado toast. People get really nuts about it, and I have to admit, I don’t get the hype, nor do I get the naysayers. This idea that an entire generation is too busy eating a fruit on a piece of toasted bread to get a job seems like something somebody who dislikes unions and paying fair wages would say. 

That’s an essay for another time.

For my money, if I’m going to be fancy about my toast, it’s going to involve fish and cream cheese. There were quite a few appetizing stores (shops that sell smoked and pickled fish instead of deli meat) in Brooklyn when I was a teen, and when we had a little money to burn, Bucky and I would hit one and I would get pickled herring: sour and fishy and filling as it was. 

And I know that’s not trendy now. It’s not what most people eat. But you might be surprised at how good it is if you give it a shot.

These days, when the mood strikes, I sneak into Russ and Daughters on Houston Street. I order my pickled herring and cream cheese on a toasted onion bagel (whoever I’m kissing is just going to have to suffer), a piece of cinnamon babka and a coffee. 

When Bucky is in town, he goes all out: lox and sable with dill horseradish cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel. He, too, does not care what the person he’s kissing thinks of his breath.

The bagels are always toasted perfectly. Browned and crisp, melting the cream cheese a little so the consistency is gooey and a good contrast to the cold, salty fish. 

I’ve decided, now that I have a little more free time, that I’m going to start making my own bread at home. See if I can get good at it. I do okay in the kitchen (Buck is way better than I am, having learned under his mother’s feet), and I’m hoping to get better. 

At the very least, I’ll have some toast

[cathrinereviews-blog]

The Best 2 & 4 Slice Toasters

After over 30 hours investigating, toasting and tasting breads, bagels and breakfast cakes in seven of the smash hit best opening toasters, we discovered that the Cuisinart – Touch to Toast Leverless 4-Slice Toaster is the best toaster for regular use. The Cuisinart emerges as the most reliable, notwithstanding when toasting loads of toast consecutive. On the off chance that you have to preserve counter space, the great 2-cut alternative.

How we picked our finalists

We started our mission to locate the best toaster by gathering surveys and look into from prevalent sources on home products like Consumer Reports, Good Housekeeping, CNET and Bon Appetit magazine.

We additionally perused cooking online journals and conversed with different shoppers to find how regularly individuals utilize a toaster, what capacities are most valuable, what the most widely recognized objections are, and what makes an extraordinary toaster.

We found that these are the prevalent qualities that individuals search for in a decent toaster:

Unwavering quality: Does a given setting produce a normal outcome on numerous occasions?

Consistency: Is the sustenance thing toasted equally over the whole surface?

Adaptability: Can the toaster oblige a wide assortment of nourishments?

Feel: How outwardly appealing is the machine?

Impression: How a lot counter space is utilized?

Highlights: Do extraordinary highlights work precisely and instinctively?

Cleaning: How effectively can the machine be cleared of scraps and flotsam and jetsam?

Reasonableness: Do better outcomes essentially require spending more cash?

The seven best toasters

Cuisinart Touch to Toast Leverless 4-Slice

KRUPS 4-Slice

Breville Diecast Smart

Hamilton Beach Classic Chrome 2-Slice

Oster Jelly Bean

Frigidaire Professional 4-Slice

KitchenAid 2-Slice

Why you need a space toaster

Some may feel that there are numerous approaches to warm bread, bagels and solidified waffles. A broiler that can deal with a Thanksgiving turkey can doubtlessly suit two or three cuts of bread and a skillet over the stove can likewise toast bagels. All in all, why much mess with a space toaster?

Space toasters are the best and simplest approach to make toast and a ton of different sustenances rapidly and reliably.

Making toast in the broiler, or even in a toaster stove, can be hazardous for a few reasons, yet the most imperative thought is it essentially makes terrible toast. Toast in the stove is regularly flakey and dry. In view of a stove's size, the warmth source is a long way from the bread and with the volume of air inside, sustenance things dry as they cook. That is the reason we marinate vegetables and season turkey.

In an opening toaster, on the grounds that the wellspring of warmth is so close, space is firmly limited and the span is so fast, the dampness inside bagels and bread does not get away. This makes the fresh outside yet warm, delicate and chewy inside that makes toast so scrumptious.

You can make toast on a stovetop or compact enlistment cooktop, and it's absolutely snappier than trusting that the broiler will preheat and fresh the toast, yet the container must be effectively tended and after that washed. The capacity to just push a catch or switch and after that move onto different assignments makes a space toaster substantially more helpful — especially for those mornings when minutes appear to fly by as you endeavor to get out the entryway.

Past toast

Plainly, the toaster is the correct instrument for making toast, solidified breakfast treats and bagels. In any case, it can likewise be the fastest, cleanest and least demanding approach to warm the previous evening's pizza or make gourmet sandwiches and paninis.

Toaster packs, made of warmth safe and sustenance safe Teflon, enable you to cook practically whatever will fit in the spaces. The sacks, which trap any pieces, liquefying cheddar, or free garnish are launderable and reusable.

With the kept state of toaster sacks, you can likewise include your most loved fixings or spreads before toasting. Bagels with nutty spread or cream cheddar turn out delectable and prepared to consume right. Amid our testing, we even made toaster paninis with chicken, pesto and goat cheddar.

What to search for in a toasterNumber of openings

2 versus 4 space toaster

A solitary individual or couple will in all likelihood be served well with a two-opening toaster while a bigger family would most likely profit by the additional spaces, especially when different individuals need to utilize it in a brief span period.

The extent of your kitchen and your stylish taste will likewise direct the amount of your counter space you need to commit to a toaster. For a 300-square-foot studio with a little kitchen, a two-opening toaster is most likely going to be the correct choice.

Scrap plate toaster piece plate

The scrap plate, a little, slim, metallic sheet that slides out from the base of the toaster, is a vital component. The majority of our finalists have morsel plate and we firmly exhort against purchasing a toaster without one.

The plate gets the majority of the unavoidable morsels and flotsam and jetsam that piece off bread amid the toasting procedure. Rather than these little sections of sustenance proceeding to copy at the base of your toaster forever, you basically haul out the plate after use and discard the gathered waste.

The length and width of the openings will figure out what can really fit inside and littler spaces limit your capacity to toast bigger and increasingly changed nourishment things. The rising standard width is 1½ inches, which is included in all with the exception of one of our finalists. The lengths drift somewhere in the range of five and six inches, except for the Breville Diecast Smart Toaster, which sports two remarkable 10-inch long spaces.

toaster highlights settings and catches

Past straightforward toasting, there are a few other pre-customized highlights that may come prepared that change precisely how it warms a given nourishment thing. For instance, the most widely recognized component is the bagel setting, which makes a darker, crispier inside and a delicate, warm outside by changing the force of the diverse warmed curls. While the majority of our finalists have a bagel work, they are not all made equivalent.

Another well known setting is the solidified or defrost catch, which is intended for sustenance coming specifically from the cooler. Once more, the majority of our finalists have this component, however it performs uniquely in contrast to model to display.

Some solidified settings basically increment the season of a given cycle while others really bring down the power of the warmth or all the more step by step increment it to avoid consuming the outside while not appropriately warming within the sustenance.

Other prominent highlights to consider are switches, push catches, LED shows, sound alarms, commencement clocks, a drop work and the capacity to lift the sustenance sufficiently high out of the spaces to make evacuating it by hand simple and safe.

Increasingly costly toasters quite often look more honed and sleeker, however they don't really improve definitely toast. Less expensive choices may take somewhat more and produce less notwithstanding shading and surface than pricier models, which frequently have more wattage and increasingly warmed wires.

All things considered, a progressively costly model, made with higher quality, increasingly solid segments, will last more. Some offer guarantees while others don't. At last, your financial plan and individual inclinations will help figure out which one of our best seven will be your top pick.

How we testedSpeed and consistency toast correlation

We needed to discover how dependably every toaster created a similar shading and surface on a similar medium setting more than five toasting cycles. Everybody enjoys their toast a specific way, yet can the toaster typically make that specific route for you without fail?

For this test, we utilized cuts of Wonder Bread and set every finalist to its center setting. We likewise needed to perceive any contrast between openings, so we spun through the spaces over the five sequential toasting cycles.

The majority of the finalists we tried diminishing the measure of time per cycle dynamically as the machine gets more sultry. The normal time to achieve a medium toast the first run through around was two minutes, 47 seconds. That dropped to a normal of two minutes, 15 seconds on the second round, with further gradual drops each round.

The toasters that made the most steady toast from rounds one to five balanced the time toast spent in the openings while additionally modifying the power of the warmth. The toaster with the littlest difference in time between rounds, the Oster Jelly Bean, likewise created probably the most also toasted cuts round after round. Different toasters that offered near uniform consistency were the Cuisinart and the KRUPS.

Not exclusively were the Cuisinart and Oster Jelly Bean toasters solid, they were likewise the two quickest, both with first round occasions of two minutes and two seconds. At just shy of four minutes, the Frigidaire Professional 4-Slice was by a wide margin the slowest to accomplish a medium toast.

Toast quality toaster uniformity

In the wake of watching the speed and consistency of various rounds, we directed our concentration toward the nature of the toast itself. We needed to see bread that had been equitably hued from left to right, start to finish and on the two sides. The perfect toast would be fresh outwardly without being excessively dry or flaky entirely through — somewhat of a smash with a warm and light inside.

Huge numbers of the toasters give an equitably shaded cut from left to directly on a similar side, yet there is a discernable contrast between the best and base, with the base quite often being somewhat darker. There was likewise frequently a vast variety from one side of the bread to the next.

Just the toast made with the Hamilton Beach toaster was the equivalent on the two sides of the bread. The majority of the others created toast with a lighter side and a darker side. With a few, the thing that matters was extremely slight, similar to the Kitchenaid and Cuisinart, however many were recognizably darker on one side, likewise with the KRUPS toaster.

Making a taste examination between the models is troublesome, as everybody has diverse taste buds, distinctive desires and distinctive responses. Nonetheless, the toast that rose up out of the Frigidaire toaster had an unmistakably unexpected surface in comparison to all the others. It appeared to be denser and compacted — the edges disintegrated and chipped with even the most cautious taking care of.

SettingsBage

[of-another-broken-heart]

Today was: 

sleep 

so much sleep

too much sleep probably

Then: ouch my teeth hurt omg they shifted because I slept so much ugh. 

I tend to have my jaw lightly clenched, or to cyclically grind my teeth periodically throughout the day [it feels like a tooth/gum massage] so long periods of no-pressure make my teeth shift. Which means as soon as I need to do anything, like shut my mouth or chew food, I get PAIN as my teeth collide in ways they don’t normally. As always, that wore off as I “massaged” them back into normal place. 

I didn’t sleep through the whole day. I woke up and rolled over more times than I could count. I knew lil sis had a friend over. Which was part of why I tried to stay in bed so much. By the time I got up, it was quiet. I assumed the diabolical duo had invaded the friend’s house. I was wrong, though. I got up just in time to be debriefed by mom that the kids had asked to go visit a neighborhood kid’s house, to invite them out/over to play - but then decided they wanted to keep roaming the neighborhood with or without said kid, instead of coming back to our house. Mom had told them “No - your friend has permission from her parent to be HERE, not ‘in the neighborhood’,” but they made a fuss to the point where mom was sure she was going to have to go drive around, find them, and escort them back to the house herself. 

That got me pissed off, because mom is sick and lil sis KNOWS she’s sick, and giving mom a hard time should be the LAST fucking thing she’s up to... 

I had promised to go visit my grandparents, at the very least to pick up that piece of mail PopPop told me was there for mom. So mom asked me to swing through the neighborhood dirt roads to corral the kids back to the house. I agreed, but thankfully didn’t have to worry about it. The kids were gliding into the yard right as I was climbing into my driver’s seat. 

Mom’s sick still, so she definitely didn’t want to risk spreading it to her parents. She tried to go to work today, but the coughing and pain landed her right back home pretty quickly. She should have been staying in bed and resting, but with lil sis and friend doing their thing, idk how much rest she actually got. 

I updated my grandparents about mom’s state when I got there. Nana mentioned something about how my mom is pretty susceptible to brochitis, and mentioned that mucinex might help. I stuck around and chatted with them a bit (I was glad to stay away from the kid circus, and it makes them happy to have little social visits like that) then decided to visit a few stores.  

So I stopped by the drug store and picked up some generic medicines that were similar to mucinex (I don’t have $16 for one box of cold medicine holy hell). I also looked to see if they had replaced the out-of-stock pressed powder color that I had meant to buy. It was still out. Worst case scenario, I bought makeup that’s one shade too dark - but that’ll work out for spring/summer when lil sis spends more time outside probably, and her skin tone will shift to be a little darker. Hooray! I never thought about having seasonal makeup for practical reasons like that. I usually scoffed at the idea, like “Well sure there are different seasonal ~aesthetics~ but you don’t NEED different colors for different seasons!” but then the whole sunlight/skin tone reality snuck its way into one single makeup tutorial and BLAM sense was made. 

Next I swung by the grocery store because I was pretty damn sure we were out of american cheese and I had a half-baked plan of maybe doing grilled cheese and soup for dinner. Easy, filling comfort food. Half of it is soup, good for sick momma. That was my thought process, anyway. I checked the clearance shelves, as I always do, and found some good deals. The chocolate lucky charms cereal that my mom had found, and my brother really liked - two boxes, each marked down to eighty-two cents. A whole bag of onion bagels - at least a dozen - for three bucks. There were some good sales, too. I got myself two full bags of chips for less than four dollars. And two boxes of cheddar shell pasta for a buck seventy. My chocolate-hunting eagle eyes also spotted a thirty-cent clearance tag on the gift chocolate shelves next to the floral desk. Little caramel-filled chocolate squares. I swiped them off the shelf. The whole reason I stopped in was to get american cheese, so I picked up what seemed to be the best deal available (and the only american cheese on sale at all, jeez), and I grabbed some blocks of cream cheese to go along with my onion bagel loot bag. 

I got home to find mom was out. It was pretty easy to deduce where she’d gone. I brought my bag of groceries and drugstore medicine in, and the only obnoxious sounds were the slightly-too-loud living room television and the squawking of the bird and kids’ father. Mom had taken sis’s friend home and lil sis had gone along for the ride. 

I put some things away, then spotted a letter that needed to go into the mail. I decided I’d do that for mom, so she wouldn’t have to do it tonight in the cold, or try to do it tomorrow morning before the mail was collected. She pulled in the driveway as I was halfway to the mailbox. I waved the letter and said “So you can sleep in in the morning!” because there’s no school so she doesn’t have to be the kids’ alarm clock. I’d only remembered that at my grandparents’ house, and sure enough mom had forgotten, too. 

I put the letter in the mailbox with the flag up. (It didn’t strike me then, but... does the mail even come on MLKJr day? Shit.)

I chatted with mom inside, and asked about dinner. We’ve had some ground beef thawed and ready to go for a few nights now, but I asked about doing soup and grilled cheese anyway. She wasn’t really into it. Bummer for me, but not a big deal. My main point was “I’ll make a simple sick-friendly dinner tonight.” So she half thought out loud, half explained to me that she had planned to heat up some frozen fries to go along with sloppy joe sandwiches, and I was like “Okay, I’ll get started. Is there a specific pan you want me to use, or does it not matter?” 

And she was relieved and pleasantly surprised and got to go rest in bed, and I cooked dinner. I tried to get the fries to have a pseudo-fried texture to them, by coating the baking sheet with some EV olive oil, but the bottle we have doesn’t have a dribble spout, it has a POUR spout, so there ended up being a bit more oil on the sheet than I would have liked. And mom thinks she set the oven temperature a bit too low. Regardless of our reliable human error, the fries got good and warm and lightly toasted - but not enough to crisp. The oil coating helped the salt stick nicely, and it wasn’t so much that it actually made the food greasy or oily. Just a smidge heavier than planned. 

I doctored up the meat a teeny tiny itty bitty bit, too. (Can’t do too much or everyone will swear it’s spoiled or something) Some salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder went in while it was browning. And even though I was supposed to drain off the grease, there really wasn’t much to drain, so I just left it in there. Mom tends to buy leaner cuts, so there’s not much fat that cooks off in the first place, and I was trying to slow-cook the meat to get it to tenderize and soak in some of the seasonings - which gives the little bit of grease time to cook off and out of the pan/onto the oven hood. I desperately wanted to chop up some onion or peppers to put in with the sloppy joe sauce, but even if we had any to add, I would have ruined the meal for mom and lil sis. So just the sauce went in, and I let it bubble and simmer until the fries were done. 

I heated up some canned corn and put a pat of butter, some salt, and some pepper on it, too. Not super fancy by any stretch, but a bit tastier than fresh-from-the-can flavor. 

Everybody ate and there were no leftovers! Except a little corn, because goddamn this family just doesn’t like vegetables =/ even may-as-well-be-bread corn. The kernels I couldn’t eat went into the compost bin. I washed the dishes after dinner, too. That’s normally bro’s daily chore, but he’s off at a friend’s house this whole weekend, and lil sis did it last night (and made a point of expressing how tired she was while she ate dinner), so I figured I’d just jump in and take care of it so mom wouldn’t have to worry about it at all. 

Then I made myself a cup of coffee. Because that’s a good idea at 7:30 at night. But it’s warm and delicious so whatever. 

I’ve been streaming some Legend of Dragoon the past few nights, and I’m gonna do some more tonight, too! Because I don’t have to compete for quiet in my immediate space tonight thanks to bro staying at his friend’s place an extra day wooo! 

[howellrichard]

14 Vegan Cheese Brands that Will Make You Want to Ditch Dairy

Hiya Gorgeous!

I love cheese! Grilled cheese, cheese pizza, mac n’ cheese, cheese boards… all of it.

I know what you might be thinking: “But Kris, I thought you were vegan. Do vegans eat cheese now?!” Well toots, I’m not talking about just any old cheese. I’m talking about vegan cheese, and that’s what today’s article is all about!

The plant-based food market has taken off over the last couple of years. Vegan alternatives to animal products are popping up at grocery stores and restaurants all over the place. It’s been so exciting to watch this progress. And when it comes to vegan cheese, let me tell you that we’ve come a looooooong way from some of the stuff I tried to stomach back when I first went vegan.

Most vegans would probably agree that cheese is one of the hardest foods to cut when you’re getting started. I regularly hear from folks who say they’d like to try a plant-based diet, but just can’t imagine giving up cheese. People who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy face the same challenge. Luckily, vegan, dairy-free cheeses are easier to find, more varied and much tastier than ever before.

But with more options come more decisions, so navigating the vegan cheese aisle (here’s hoping that one day there WILL be a whole aisle dedicated to it!) might feel like a guessing game. You don’t want to empty your wallet or compromise on taste. I know that nutrition is top of mind for you too, so you might have questions like, “What is vegan cheese made of?” and “Which vegan cheese brands offer the healthiest options?”

Well, whether you need slices for your sandwiches, schmear for your bagels, goodies for a fancy cheese plate or any other variety of vegan cheese, I’ve got your back. My team and I have tried and tested lots of brands over the years, and we want to share that wealth of knowledge with you! So today we’re covering…

My favorite vegan cheese brands, including info on how they stack up from a health perspective

Advice for cooking with vegan cheese and the best options for different purposes (like which shreds melt the best on pizza, how to make the perfect vegan grilled cheese and so on)

And resources for making your own vegan cheese, just in case you want to get creative in the kitchen!

But before we get into all of that goodness, let’s tackle the question that I suspect is on many of your minds…

Is vegan cheese healthy?

The short answer is YES! Plant-based cheese can absolutely be a great addition to a healthy diet. That’s especially true when you compare it to its dairy counterpart. Cheese comes from dairy milk and dairy milk comes from cows (or goats). That milk is specifically designed to nourish baby cows and help them grow, just like human mothers’ milk has everything human babies need. For that reason, the proteins in dairy can be hard for people to digest. Many folks don’t even realize that dairy might be causing their persistent, unexplained digestive discomfort.

Dairy is also often loaded with growth hormones and antibiotics that the factory farming industry uses to churn out as much as they can, as cheaply and quickly as possible. This isn’t true for all dairy products, but it’s the case for many of the options available on grocery store shelves.

I’m not here to convince you to go vegan. My mission is really just to encourage you to eat more plants. So if you replace even some of the dairy cheese you’d usually eat with plant-based alternatives, then I’ll be doing my happy dance!

What is vegan cheese made of?

Critics of vegan alternatives often argue that they’re fake and highly processed. And yes, those products DO exist. But there are plenty of brands out there using wonderful ingredients like nuts, seeds, vegetables, probiotics and more to create vegan cheeses that are just as good (if not better!) than the dairy alternatives. I’ve also noticed more products popping up that are free of common allergens like nuts and soy, so no one has to miss out… phew!

Why eat vegan cheese?

I’ve found that including dairy-free cheese helps make a vegan diet more sustainable. That’s a huge win in my book because I believe that a plant-based diet is one of the healthiest, most compassionate ways to eat. The more satisfying and scrumptious we can make it, the better.

And finally, I’d be remiss not to mention how much healthier vegan cheese is for our planet and furry friends. Many authorities agree that choosing a plant-based diet is the most effective and powerful way an individual can reduce their environmental footprint. And animal agriculture is often inhumane, unsafe and unsanitary—especially when it takes place on factory farms. So every time you choose vegan cheese over dairy, you’re helping to reduce animal suffering. You don’t have to go full vegan to make a difference, just do what you can while keeping this info in mind!

Sometimes vs. Often: Our Crazy Sexy Cheese Categories

I worked with my fabulous nutrition team to put each of the brands I’m sharing into one of two categories: Sometimes or Often. These are our recommendations for how frequently to include them in your diet—emphasis on recommendations! You know yourself best, so ultimately it’s up to you (and your integrative doc) to decide what you eat and how often. You might see certain ingredients that you prefer to avoid and that’s ok! The good news is, there are plenty of options available, so there’s a vegan cheese brand here for everyone.

The vegan cheeses in the Often category include only simple, natural and whole-food ingredients. As far as our Crazy Sexy team is concerned, these options can be regular staples in a healthy plant-based diet. Yum!

The Sometimes category is for plant-based cheeses we also enjoy, but not necessarily on an everyday basis. Their nutritional profile might not be quite as sparkling as the Often options, or they might include certain processed ingredients that some people prefer to limit.

But you can rest assured that this list is free of cheeses that I’d never eat. The options in the Sometimes category are fine in moderation. I wouldn’t share something if it contained ingredients I avoid altogether… and I did exclude some brands for that very reason.

Now that you know how the categories work, let’s sink our teeth into some creamy plant-based treats!

14 Vegan Cheese Brands that Will Make You Want to Ditch Dairy

Kite Hill: Best Vegan Cream Cheese (Often)

You might have seen Kite Hill’s line of almond-based dairy alternatives at your local grocery store. This wonderful brand has continued to expand over the last couple of years, so their yummy yogurts, dips and cheeses have gotten easier to find. Lucky us!

I love Kite Hill because all of their products are gluten- and soy-free, and non-GMO. They also don’t use any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and sweeteners. You’ll notice xanthan and guar gum in their ingredients lists—both are plant-based and considered a better option for thickening and stabilizing than many other additives.

Why I love it: Kite Hill makes the best vegan cream cheese I’ve ever had. It’s perfectly light and creamy at the same time. My favorite flavor is the chive, but they also offer plain, everything and jalapeño!

Violife: Best for Vegan Grilled Cheese (Sometimes)

This is another vegan cheese brand that has gained popularity in the U.S. over the last couple years. And rightfully so—their slices and shreds melt beautifully, making them perfect for any of your favorite ooey gooey dishes. I also love that Violife is available in other countries around the world… yay for accessibility!

Violife’s products have been certified by the non-GMO project and don’t contain any gluten or soy. They’re also free from preservatives. We categorized them under Sometimes because Violife does use non-GMO modified potato and corn starches, which some people may prefer to limit or avoid. The Just Like Feta block doesn’t contain any modified food starches though, so that one makes it to the Often category!

Why I love it: Violife’s Mature Cheddar and Smoked Provolone Slices make the meltiest, most delicious vegan grilled cheese ever! But they do melt much more slowly than dairy cheeses, so the key is to cook ‘em low and slow. Keep the heat at medium-low or even low, cover your pan and be patient. Just make sure to watch your bread closely and flip it if it’s getting too crispy.

Miyoko’s: Best Artisan Vegan Cheese for Cheese Boards (Often)

Miyoko Schinner is a legend in the vegan world. She was considered an expert on plant-based cheese long before her brand showed up in grocery stores (you may have heard of her cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese). So it goes without saying that I was pretty excited when I heard that she was putting out her own cashew cheeses… and they did not disappoint!

Miyoko’s products are all organic and non-GMO. They’re made with great ingredients like organic rice miso, fermented rosemary, plum and oregano (natural flavor preservation!), and live cultures. These vegan cheeses were made to shine on an appetizer platter. I’d go with the Classic Double Cream Chive and Smoked Farmhouse paired with whole grain crackers, fig jam and olives. Ok, now I’m drooling!

One thing to keep in mind: In my experience, Miyoko’s cheeses are all very tangy. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but something to be aware of if you have an aversion to tangy foods.

Why I love it: Miyoko’s has been teasing nut-free products for a while and it looks like they’re almost here! I’m looking forward to trying the new pepper jack and cheddar options this spring.

Daiya: Best Vegan Cheese for Pizza (Sometimes)

If you’ve had any exposure to the vegan food world, you’ve probably heard of Daiya! This brand was here for us long before the dairy-free cheese boom, so of course I had to shout them out. You can find Daiya in most grocery stores, which makes them a great go-to for last-minute meals. We categorized Daiya as Sometimes because they do use safflower oil, which isn’t the healthiest oil around. Their cheeses also contain vegetable glycerin made from other processed oils.

There’s also a Daiya divide in the plant-based community. Some people love it, some people… really don’t. The main complaint I’ve heard is usually about the taste and texture, so you’ll have to try it for yourself. I think it’s a good option, but if I had the choice between Daiya and something like Violife, I’d definitely go for the latter.

Why I love it: Daiya comes out ahead of other brands in one important department—the Mozzarella Style Shreds are the best vegan cheese for pizza. In my experience, they melt faster and more evenly than other shreds. Let me know what you think if you try it out on pizza night!

Treeline: Best Spreadable Vegan Cheese (Often)

Treeline makes artisan cheeses good enough to share cheeseboard space with Miyoko’s, and that’s no small feat! All of their products are certified non-GMO and don’t contain any gums, thickeners, artificial preservatives or oils. They’re also 100 percent gluten- and soy-free.

Treeline has two types of plant-based cheese: The soft, French-style nut cheeses make a perfect snack when spread on crackers or a crusty baguette. Then there are the aged nut cheeses, which are more firm and pair well with fruit for an elevated appetizer. I love the Cracked Pepper flavor!

Why I love it: Treeline’s soft cheeses have a hidden talent—they can transform into mouthwatering sauces! Take a peek at this recipe for an example.

Whole Foods 365: Best Budget-Friendly Vegan Cheese (Sometimes)

Whole Foods knows the plant-based market is taking off, so why not get in on the action? I wasn’t sure what to expect when they released their slices and shreds, but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised! These vegan cheeses melt well, and the slices are also good on cold sandwiches.

Whole Foods says that all plant-derived ingredients in their 365 products are sourced to avoid GMOs. That sounds to me like they do their best to avoid GMOs but aren’t guaranteeing they never use them—but I’m just reading between the lines! Their vegan cheeses do contain modified potato and tapioca starches.

Why I love it: The 365 Plant-Based Smoked Gouda is right on the money flavor-wise. And speaking of money, this house-brand alternative is comparable to Violife but notably cheaper.

Even more vegan cheeses to tempt your taste buds…

I explored six of my go-to brands in-depth to help you learn what to look for at the store, as well as the many ways you can use vegan cheese. But there are SO many other fabulous options out there, I couldn’t possibly highlight them all in this article! That said, here are a few other brands that are worth checking out:

Sometimes:

Field Roast’s Chao slices are delectable on sandwiches. I love the Tomato Cayenne flavor! These dairy-free cheeses are made with fermented tofu, so skip them if you’re sensitive to soy.

Follow Your Heart is another staple in the vegan world. They have a great variety of cheese slices—the Pepper Jack and Garden Herb are my personal faves. Follow Your Heart does use modified food starches as well as less-than-ideal oils like canola and soybean.

When I think of So Delicious, I usually think of their plant-based yogurts. But this brand also offers plant-based cheese shreds that some vegans swear by. They do contain palm oil and we weren’t able to find out if it’s sustainably sourced.

Often:

The Honest Stand makes delightful dips with all natural, organic veggies and nuts. What could be better? We love the Cheddar Style Dip over here at Team Crazy Sexy.

Trader Joe’s Cashew Fiesta Dip has a unique strength: It’s good hot OR cold. I like to warm it up in the microwave (just 30 seconds at a time so it doesn’t burn), then stir in some salsa and serve with veggies or organic tortilla chips.

Brie is a must for most cheese lovers, and wildbrine has you covered with their cultured cashew alternative. This vegan brie is organic, gluten-free and comes in three varieties (classic, beet and shiitake). Bonus: wildbrine cheeses are made in-house with their own probiotic cultures.

Reine Royal’s in-store availability is limited, but they have an online store filled with lots of enticing options. This brand uses stellar ingredients too, and everything is made without fillers, starches, gums, preservatives or artificial ingredients. I can’t wait to try the Fauxgonzola!

Spero is special because they make cheeseboard-worthy treats with sunflower seeds. Many of the artisan-style cheeses on the market use almonds or cashews, but now folks with nut allergies can enjoy fancy vegan cheese too. The Goat gets five stars from me!

Wondering how to make vegan cheese?

I’m grateful for all of these vegan cheese brands because they’re as convenient as they are delish. But depending on where you live, your access to these products might be limited. Plus, there’s nothing quite like homemade food. You get a sense of pride from knowing you made it yourself, and you have total control over what goes into the recipe. Plus, you’re saving on packaging, which Mother Earth certainly appreciates!

Making cultured vegan cheese does take time, but it can be a really rewarding experience. And if that’s not for you, there are plenty of quicker recipes to choose from. If you want to learn how to make vegan cheese, check out these cookbooks:

Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner

This Cheese is Nuts! by Julie Piatt

One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese by Claudia Lucero

Crazy Sexy Kitchen by moi! This isn’t an all-cheese cookbook like the others, but I included recipes for Cashew Cream Cheese, Cashew-Pine Nut Ricotta and Truffled Parmesan. Don’t miss ‘em!

Vegan cheese for everyone!

It would be an understatement to say that I’m excited about the progress we’re seeing in the vegan cheese world… I’m over the moon! Making plant-based foods more accessible is the best way to introduce folks to how delicious and diverse a vegan diet can be. And if trying a surprisingly yummy dairy-free cheese convinces even a small percentage of people to choose plant-based meals sometimes, the environmental savings could be huge. Not to mention how many innocent animal lives could be spared! Who knew that kindness could taste so good?

Your turn: What other vegan alternatives should I write about? Ice cream, milk, burgers?! Let me know what you most want to learn about in the comments below!

Peace & cheesy choices,

The post 14 Vegan Cheese Brands that Will Make You Want to Ditch Dairy appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

[benjamingarden]

Why I Won't Be Meal Planning This Summer (A Simplified Alternative To Meal Planning)

I've been meal planning for years.  As I've noted before, this is the technique that allowed us to pay off all of our non-essential debt (to clarify, not our mortgage - all credit card & auto debt).  So why in the world would I throw caution to the wind this summer? Because I've figured out how to simplify meal time.  Why summer specifically?  Because that's when our garden is in abundance and I think it will be easier to give this a try. Let me explain. We eat pretty simply and rotate through the same 28 meal plans in the fall/winter and 25 meal plans in the spring/summer.  Every year I've simplified our meals just a tad bit more.  My goal is to spend less time cooking but still eat healthy.

Some of the changes I've made are:

Meal prep - make ahead or in some other way prep what I can.  

Use the same two grains throughout the week (cook once, eat all week).  

Soups can be made at the end of the week with leftover grain, veggie & protein leftovers 

Keep greens growing in the garden for quick salads (lunch or dinner options)

Veggies are roasted, steamed, grilled, or served raw rather than making "veggie dishes" that require recipes.  I prefer to eat veggies without anything else on them (sometimes a cilantro crema or a pesto sauce drizzled on top) and J has learned to appreciate them in this way as well (he prefers butter on his - butter on everything!).  

Breakfasts are typically oats (me), toast (me) or eggs & potatoes (J).

Lunches are typically salad (me), soup, quesadillas, leftovers, or homemade flatbread pizza.

We don't really snack other than sometimes fruit after lunch or popcorn or popsicles after dinner occasionally. 

I make bread weekly (if we want bread that week).  Usually one loaf - we don't eat much bread anymore.

So, how does this lead to not meal planning? Veggies are the main portion of our lunches and dinners now.  It was recommended by one of my husband's specialists that he begin eating plant-based.  He immediately told me that will never happen, so instead we've compromised by him eating a larger portion of veggies and a smaller portion of meat and grains/potatoes. If you grow your own veggies or eat seasonally with veggies purchased from a local farmer or farmer's market, you know that they are just not all available every week.  This makes planning that portion of your meals a little more difficult.  So, why plan any of it?

My non-meal plan is this: 

Oats + nuts/seeds + whatever fruit is in season = My Breakfast     (or toast with nut butter + fruit, or a smoothie with frozen fruit & veg)

Eggs (which we have available all of the time) + Potatoes = J's Breakfast (or a toasted bagel)

Greens + Other Veggies As Available + Leftover Meat = Lunch (salad, quesadillas, tacos, rice bowls, or flatbread pizza)  (or leftovers)

Large amount of whatever veggies are ready + small amount of protein (meat, fish, eggs, or beans) + small amount of grains/carb (bread, pasta, rice, tortilla or potatoes) = Dinner

I'll prepare whichever veggies are ready that day in the manner we want them at that time. I'll purchase enough protein each week to allow us 7 days worth (beans are easy to keep on hand and J usually eats chicken, pork chops, pork tenderloin, burger, or flank steak in the summer). Because we typically purchase our meat from local farmers, I'll purchase what they have available each Sunday and not worry about stocking up.  J prefers marinated meat on the grill, which makes it super easy to throw together a plan the day before.  I usually freeze the meat in the marinade on Sundays so I don't have to make marinades throughout the week. I always keep rice, pasta, tortilla shells, dried beans, & potatoes on hand so we'll already have what we need to complete each meal. If we want something different (pot sticker wrappers to make pot stickers, fresh pasta, or pierogies) then I'll buy or make it that week.

What About Grocery Shopping? My new grocery lists are comprised mostly of any staples that we run out of more than anything else.  Our staples are listed below. My pantry staples:

Sugar/Sweetener (honey, maple syrup, dates, & a small amount of white sugar)

Dry Beans (Black, White & Pinto)

Brown Basmati Rice (our preferred brown rice)

Pasta (2 kinds)

Veggie Broth

Chicken Broth

Tortilla Shells

Nut Butter (peanut and a walnut-cashew blend)

Canned Tomatoes

Oats

Popcorn Kernels

Avocado Oil

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Vinegars (Apple Cider, Vinegar, Pomegranate, Balsamic)

Extracts (Vanilla, Lemon, Almond)

Coffee

Tea

My refrigerator staples:

Mustard (Dijon & Spicy Brown)

Mayo

Coconut Aminos

Sriracha

Worcestershire Sauce

Flax Seeds

Milk

1/2 & 1/2

Non-Dairy Creamer

Eggs (from the coop)

Butter

Cheese (Mozzarella & Cheddar)

Non-Dairy "Cheese" (Follow My Heart Pepperjack & Trader Joe's Shredded Mozzarella Blend)

My freezer staples:

Raw Walnuts & Cashews

Flours (White Bread, Almond & Einkorn)

Frozen Pizzas (our just-in-case go-to) (*side note: if you are looking for a good vegan/non-dairy pizza, Amy's Vegan Pizza is the best I've found.*)

Bananas (to add to smoothies)

Avocados (to add to smoothies or to make guacamole or veggie sushi with)

In The Garden:

Greens

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Tomatoes

Beans

Sugar Snaps

Peppers

Eggplant

Zucchini

Winter Squash

Asparagus

Cucumbers

Carrots

Herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil, tarragon, rosemary, dill, oregano, sage, mint & chives)

Blueberries

Blackberries

Apples

Pears

All-in-all, my hope is that we'll be able to take full advantage of the goodies in the garden and center our eating around that.  It will (hopefully) also cut out any pre-planning or thoughts regarding meals, less time at the grocery store (I can stock up on staples once a month and the remainder comes from our garden and coop or from the farmer's market), and since the meals are simple, less time preparing them.

What about you?  Have you tried a simplified way of eating rather than meal planning?

Why I Won't Be Meal Planning This Summer (A Simplified Alternative To Meal Planning) was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

[lethe-distillery-blog]

The Way of Things

He was a perfectionist; a creature of habit and routine, I could time a clock by it. Everything had its place and everything had to be in its place, which by extension included me. I looked at the time and finished the last details on the omlette I had prepared; still steaming I slipped it onto the waiting plate beside the whole wheat bagel and covered it with the dome. It was all habit by now, six egg omlette with cheddar, sriracha, green onions, and turkey, a whole grain bagel, lightly toasted, with peanut butter and strawberry jam on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, cream cheese on Tuesday and Thursday, and the weekends were usually mine to prepare. A small bowl of fruit salad that I made every morning for him, black coffee which was presently brewing and I would pour fresh when he came down, he drank his black. I opted for lighter fare, toast with butter and strawberry jam, it was a homemade kind from the growers just outside of town and was excellent, and a three egg omlette as I did not have nearly the appetite he did. Ten minutes to eight, I checked the coffee maker one last time before I made my way quickly, and quietly upstairs after hanging up the apron on the hook by the door.

I stroked his chest, watching him sleep the last few minutes before his alarm went. He was a heavy sleeper, I knew my roving fingers over his chest wouldn't bother him. I simply couldn't help it, I adored touching this man. Just something about him drew me to him, as helpless before him as a moth to a candle flame and well I knew that if I got too close, he would devour me. He looked relaxed in slumber, the weighty mantle of power and responsibility lessened from something intimidating to something much more approachable. I looked over at the time and kissed him lightly on the lips, savoring the taste of him before setting my head back on his shoulder before the first tone filled the air. He woke slowly, taking several minutes to even be coherent enough to open his eyes, I was almost jealous of him for that, I slept so light that my own breathing occasionally woke me up. It wasn't like I had already been out of bed since six, did a morning workout, read for a half hour, and then made him breakfast. Though I will admit that I was half tempted to keep reading Ilona Andrews was really starting to drag me into her most recent book!

The lids flickered open and it warmed my heart to see the twitching at the edges of his lips, it was the closest I would get to smiling, or conversation, for a few hours. Still though, I couldn't help my happy smile as I looked down at him and brushed the hair back from his features and couldn't help smiling even brighter when he tilted his head slightly and kissed my wrist in passing. It was those things, those small intimacies that made me feel like I could fly, the moments when he showed me how much he loved me. I did step back however as he moved, letting him slowly rise to a sitting position, his eyes squeezing shut and I rubbed his back comfortingly, I had felt him move from his back and despite my best attempts to pull him back he had stayed curled and I could only imagine how much pain he was in. "Come," he looked up at me as I spoke, "let's go shower." Usually I waited longer, but I couldn't stand seeing him in pain. A nod. I helped him to his feet and we made our way to the bathroom, his strong arm braced on the other wall for support.

I got the water running and helped him inside, knowing that despite him breathing heavily I needed to get him situated before the muscles set like that. It was never a good day when he was in that much pain and if I could avoid that I would. I quickly stripped out of my jammies and slipped in behind him and located the massaging shower head, turned it on and moved it over his muscles in slow circles. His low groans of pleasure and relief were enough to turn me on but I did my best to hide it, knowing that from a man that could smell my arousal it was impossible, but I didn't want to burden him with the thought of my selfishness. I took the loofa, got some soap, and started working it into his body. He was a strong man, well built, a bit on the heavy side but abuse to a body that was much younger and willing to take it had left him in a perpetual state of pain. I had often wondered if that was why he kept such a rigid routine, so he could diagnose a problem easier, made sense in a way.

He met my eyes as he turned slowly to face me after I had finished washing the front, the silver depths were a deep molten mercury that seemed to slosh within the iris as he took in my naked state. I was practically instantly wet, desperate; I knew what was coming and this, this was always a treat. He shoved me against the tile in a sudden movement, hand over my throat, breath coming out in short ragged gasps, with a promise of satisfaction in his eye. I moaned out for him, an encouragement he hardly needed as I writhed in his hold. It was sad how wet I got for him, and how easily, but this man knew how to touch me, when to be soft and gentle, when to be cruel and punish, and also, when to simply take what he knew I would give him without hesitation. He slid in and I moaned in concert to his low growl, his throbbing member buried deep inside where I required him most. "Oh gosh baby," I whimpered, unashamed at how desperate I sounded, "please."

He took me there. There wasn't quite another word for it really, he pinned me between his hot skin and the cool tile, the water streaming down my skin, his mouth and hands finding exactly where I needed him most, and his strong legs thrusting himself into me with long and hard thrusts that brushed at the nearly pain end of pleasure. It was raw and feral. There was no room here for the tender emotions, love and passion had their places in the world, and he knew them, but what we both knew, was it wasn't here. His hand slid from over my throat to my mouth as I wrapped my legs around his hips and I bit him for the effort, not hard but I knew how much it drove him on, encouraging him to be even rougher, to take what he needed and to take what I gave just as I fed from him. Savoring every hard and vicious thrust into me that slammed me into the unforgiving tile behind me, savored every snarl, every growl, and finally the howl that shredded from his throat as he filled me and pressed his forehead to the tile behind me as my own orgasm ripped through my body in a wave of pleasure so raw that it almost felt like an electrocution.

I shuddered, loving how he stayed still, letting me hold him tight against me for as long as I needed before he pulled away. We finished the shower quickly, quicker than I would like, but I had tomorrow for that, one more day of work and then I could have him all to myself. I was looking forward to it. He pulled out my clothes for me to wear, a nice summer dress and tights since it wasn't quite warm yet, but still, I enjoyed the way he picked things out for me, like I could have a piece of him with me all day when he was at work. It was a silly, selfish thing, after all, I still had his pillow that held his scent, the collar that I wore, and several other things, but this, it just felt like a full body hug, specifically by him.

All too soon he was leaving for work, I did my best to not let my disappointment show, I knew it wasn't his fault and I had even gotten sex out of the morning. But it just didn't seem like there was ever enough hours in the day. Still, I hated being separated from him and tucked myself into my corner of the couch and pulled out my book in an attempt to distract myself.

"Having fun?" I jerked at the sound of his rich voice, smooth and as cultured as the smoothest whiskey it was just as potent. I looked at the time and froze. Holy crap, where did the time go? It was twenty past five. Of course he was home. His eyes flickered with humor but I also knew the spark there, I shivered. Sometimes I broke small rules just to see what he'd do but today I had fucked up, I hadn't done any chores. On the bright side, I had just finished my book. But in other news, I was in for something tonight. He gently took the book from my numb fingers, placed the bookmark in and set it aside. "Go upstairs." The tone brooked no argument, not that I even had a token one to spare. I moved quickly, both anticipating what was to come, and also dreading it, because I had done the worst thing of all, I had disappointed him.

It felt like forever I had been kneeling there. Waiting. Knowing he would come as he saw fit but my stomach was in anxious knots as my gaze flitted over the far wall. It held all manner of implements, whips, flogs, toys, wands, handcuffs, silk rope, gags, blindfolds, anything and everything imaginable lay spread across surfaces awaiting use. Gleaming from cleanliness and tender care. Every single one had its own place and everything was in its place, which by extension, included me. I waited in the center of the room, naked, and kneels on a small rug and awaiting what was due me. If he had asked for as particular implement I would be holding it before me, but as it happened, the only thing I wore was my collar. I had even removed my jewelry, a complete mark of supplication and obedience that without him I truly was naked and had nothing.

He came in finally. As slow and sensual as a wild predator, the long sleeves of his button-down rolled up the forearm, his jeans rasping against itself as he walked, I quickly averted my eyes and focused on a part of the floor two feet in front of me. Watching his feet, the patent leather glistening with polish. He was all I wanted, refinement, dignity, and power. "You didn't do any of your chores today." The tone was measured, a slow drawl that sent a shiver down my spine.

"No sir." I answered quickly, refusing to look at him still.

"And what exactly should we do with you?"

I swallowed, hard. "I-," I tried again, my voice cracking just slightly under the shame of it all. "I don't know, sir."

He lifted my chin with a fingertip, up, and up, until I was looking him in the eye. "What do you think you deserve?"

"Punishment," I swallowed again, seeing the glint in his eyes from the candlelight. The way his lips twisted at the edges forming a small, anticipatory smile as I managed the "Sir."

"Planned on it."

[sharkandshell]

Eats and Drinks You Can’t Miss On Your Folly Beach Vacation: Sincerely, A Local

First time visiting Folly Beach? Have no fear, this local “folly girl” won’t send you astray!

blog and photos by @k.b.peters / @shark_and_shell

Black Magic Cafe

From breakfast dishes to sandwiches, salads, baked goods, mixed drink concoctions (or potions, if you will), coffees, frappes, ADULT frappes, smoothies, Black Magic has it all. And trust me, it all is bewitchingly...well...MAGICAL. It’s even hard for me to write specific recommendations from the menu because I have so many top picks. I think I even need a mini list here:

Pick me up: ZIPPY BEAN FRAPPE, the signature frappe + ground espresso beans, spicy chocolate, and whipped cream... ZING! (PS any drink can be made “tipsy” style with a shot of whatever you are feeling!)

Pick me up, adult style: the MAYAN COFFEE: Kahlua, spiced chocolate, coffee, whipped cream. IMPORTANT PRO TIP: Seasonal drink specials are always offered too, and they are always unique, delicious, and my top choice. My current obsession on the summer menu is the mermaid mocha!

Favorite dish: TIE between:

The FOLLY CRISTO, a huge french toast sandwich with ham, eggs and cheddar, topped with powdered sugar. Sweet, savory, and satisfying. Warning: may lead to food coma.

-and-

THE ALOHA, a sandwich with grilled pineapple, avocado, havarti, tomato, greens and chipotle crema on a brioche bun. PRO TIP: instead of brioche bun, I get a toasted everything bagel.

Like I said, PURE MAGIC.

Taco Boy

I really can’t say enough about Taco Boy and go there probably the most out of any restaurant on Folly Beach. Not only is the food always on point and delicious, the vibe is fun and welcoming with its festive and unique decor. With seating outdoors in both the front and back patio and an indoor bar along with large dining area, it is a hopping place.

Every. Single. Time. I am there, I start with the appetizer trio, which includes Jalapeño tomato salsa and guac that are both so fresh, and rich chile con queso that does NOT last long because everyone ravenously devours it. Other frequent menu go-tos include the kimchi beef taco in a lettuce wrap, Mexican street corn, and milky, light tres leches cake for dessert. Of course, the margaritas never disappoint. My favorite is the skinny pineapple, a nice option for those trying to not splurge QUITE as much. This spot is perfect for lunch or dinner groups and celebrations!

Center Street Coffee

Like the name suggests, Center Street Coffee is in the middle of the main stretch of restaurants and shops. This is hands-down my favorite coffee on Folly Beach. Even a simple plain cold brew with almond milk always hits the spot with its smooth, even taste and gives me an extra kick of energy for strolling down the beach. Pro tip: add a lavender flavor shot! 

CSC also has mimosas for those of you who are looking for a different type of pick-me-up. Looking for a quick snack, too? This little gem has fresh baked goods including bagels, muffins, and pastries, including my absolute favorite that I can NEVER resist, no matter how hard I try: the warmed blueberry cream cheese danish.

Lost Dog Cafe

Lost Dog Cafe is tucked away a bit off of the main Center Street in a quaint little bungalow-like spot surrounded by trees. With a pet friendly patio and the inside filled wall-to-wall with pictures of dogs, it is extra ideal for the animal lover. If you are looking for a breakfast that hits the spot, make LDC your first option. 

When I’m in the mood for something a simple yet satisfying, I go for the cream cheese and lox bagel sandwich which includes a rich, tangy spread of red onions and capers and is finished with a slice of tomato: just the right level of filling to get your beach day started.

Due to the great reviews and popularity of this spot, there’s usually a little bit of a wait. No fear though, it’s usually not that long. PLUS, it’s a great excuse to grab some classic boozy brunch drinks like their mason jar mimosas and bloodies, which are my personal favorite. PS. They offer MIMOSA MONDAYS where the mimosas are $3... allllllll day.

St. James Gate

St. James Gate is a traditional Irish tavern offering your classic pub grub dishes including shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, fish and ships, and bangers and mash. 

Famous for its frozen Irish Coffee (be careful, you’ll definitely want more than one) and popular for its year-round back patio with large stone fireplace, you’ll feel like you are in Ireland, beach style. 

Be sure to check out what events they are hosting when you’re here. This is a hot spot for local musicians and open mic nights!

Snapper Jack’s

Looking for fun drinks? This is the spot. Chill on the rooftop bar overlooking the ocean while you sip on a sea-inspired drink. Feeling feisty? Order a huge fishbowl! Feeling fishy? Spicy oyster shooter shots are a bold, delicious option that takes bloody mary taste to a whole different level.

Though there are tons of other awesome eats and drinks on Folly Beach, I hope this list can help to get you started on your list of vacation picks! 

[benjamingarden]

Why I Won't Be Meal Planning This Summer (A Simplified Alternative To Meal Planning)

I've been meal planning for years.  As I've noted before, this is the technique that allowed us to pay off all of our non-essential debt (to clarify, not our mortgage - all credit card & auto debt).  So why in the world would I throw caution to the wind this summer? Because I've figured out how to simplify meal time.  Why summer specifically?  Because that's when our garden is in abundance and I think it will be easier to give this a try. Let me explain. We eat pretty simply and rotate through the same 28 meal plans in the fall/winter and 25 meal plans in the spring/summer.  Every year I've simplified our meals just a tad bit more.  My goal is to spend less time cooking but still eat healthy.

Some of the changes I've made are:

Meal prep - make ahead or in some other way prep what I can.  

Use the same two grains throughout the week (cook once, eat all week).  

Soups can be made at the end of the week with leftover grain, veggie & protein leftovers 

Keep greens growing in the garden for quick salads (lunch or dinner options)

Veggies are roasted, steamed, grilled, or served raw rather than making "veggie dishes" that require recipes.  I prefer to eat veggies without anything else on them (sometimes a cilantro crema or a pesto sauce drizzled on top) and J has learned to appreciate them in this way as well (he prefers butter on his - butter on everything!).  

Breakfasts are typically oats (me), toast (me) or eggs & potatoes (J).

Lunches are typically salad (me), soup, quesadillas, leftovers, or homemade flatbread pizza.

We don't really snack other than sometimes fruit after lunch or popcorn or popsicles after dinner occasionally. 

I make bread weekly (if we want bread that week).  Usually one loaf - we don't eat much bread anymore.

So, how does this lead to not meal planning? Veggies are the main portion of our lunches and dinners now.  It was recommended by one of my husband's specialists that he begin eating plant-based.  He immediately told me that will never happen, so instead we've compromised by him eating a larger portion of veggies and a smaller portion of meat and grains/potatoes. If you grow your own veggies or eat seasonally with veggies purchased from a local farmer or farmer's market, you know that they are just not all available every week.  This makes planning that portion of your meals a little more difficult.  So, why plan any of it?

My non-meal plan is this: 

Oats + nuts/seeds + whatever fruit is in season = My Breakfast     (or toast with nut butter + fruit, or a smoothie with frozen fruit & veg)

Eggs (which we have available all of the time) + Potatoes = J's Breakfast (or a toasted bagel)

Greens + Other Veggies As Available + Leftover Meat = Lunch (salad, quesadillas, tacos, rice bowls, or flatbread pizza)  (or leftovers)

Large amount of whatever veggies are ready + small amount of protein (meat, fish, eggs, or beans) + small amount of grains/carb (bread, pasta, rice, tortilla or potatoes) = Dinner

I'll prepare whichever veggies are ready that day in the manner we want them at that time. I'll purchase enough protein each week to allow us 7 days worth (beans are easy to keep on hand and J usually eats chicken, pork chops, pork tenderloin, burger, or flank steak in the summer). Because we typically purchase our meat from local farmers, I'll purchase what they have available each Sunday and not worry about stocking up.  J prefers marinated meat on the grill, which makes it super easy to throw together a plan the day before.  I usually freeze the meat in the marinade on Sundays so I don't have to make marinades throughout the week. I always keep rice, pasta, tortilla shells, dried beans, & potatoes on hand so we'll already have what we need to complete each meal. If we want something different (pot sticker wrappers to make pot stickers, fresh pasta, or pierogies) then I'll buy or make it that week.

What About Grocery Shopping? My new grocery lists are comprised mostly of any staples that we run out of more than anything else.  Our staples are listed below. My pantry staples:

Sugar/Sweetener (honey, maple syrup, dates, & a small amount of white sugar)

Dry Beans (Black, White & Pinto)

Brown Basmati Rice (our preferred brown rice)

Pasta (2 kinds)

Veggie Broth

Chicken Broth

Tortilla Shells

Nut Butter (peanut and a walnut-cashew blend)

Canned Tomatoes

Oats

Popcorn Kernels

Avocado Oil

Olive Oil

Sesame Oil

Vinegars (Apple Cider, Vinegar, Pomegranate, Balsamic)

Extracts (Vanilla, Lemon, Almond)

Coffee

Tea

My refrigerator staples:

Mustard (Dijon & Spicy Brown)

Mayo

Coconut Aminos

Sriracha

Worcestershire Sauce

Flax Seeds

Milk

1/2 & 1/2

Non-Dairy Creamer

Eggs (from the coop)

Butter

Cheese (Mozzarella & Cheddar)

Non-Dairy "Cheese" (Follow My Heart Pepperjack & Trader Joe's Shredded Mozzarella Blend)

My freezer staples:

Raw Walnuts & Cashews

Flours (White Bread, Almond & Einkorn)

Frozen Pizzas (our just-in-case go-to) (*side note: if you are looking for a good vegan/non-dairy pizza, Amy's Vegan Pizza is the best I've found.*)

Bananas (to add to smoothies)

Avocados (to add to smoothies or to make guacamole or veggie sushi with)

In The Garden:

Greens

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

Tomatoes

Beans

Sugar Snaps

Peppers

Eggplant

Zucchini

Winter Squash

Asparagus

Cucumbers

Carrots

Herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil, tarragon, rosemary, dill, oregano, sage, mint & chives)

Blueberries

Blackberries

Apples

Pears

All-in-all, my hope is that we'll be able to take full advantage of the goodies in the garden and center our eating around that.  It will (hopefully) also cut out any pre-planning or thoughts regarding meals, less time at the grocery store (I can stock up on staples once a month and the remainder comes from our garden and coop or from the farmer's market), and since the meals are simple, less time preparing them.

What about you?  Have you tried a simplified way of eating rather than meal planning?

Why I Won't Be Meal Planning This Summer (A Simplified Alternative To Meal Planning) was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)