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noladyme · 4 years ago

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La Cuervo - Chapter 22

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on, on Mayans M.C., are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambiguous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

22.

They didn’t speak much in the morning. For once, Angel had decided to set an alarm, and more or less jumped out of bed, the moment his phone began buzzing. His mind seemed as focused as professional soldier’s; and he made even the actual veteran – Coco – seem relaxed in comparison. It had rained during the night, and the air smelled fresh; but didn’t lighten Nina’s mood, as she sat smoking a cigarette on the porch, while the two men packed up Coco’s extra guns. EZ showed up in the van, with Letty and Gaby in the passenger seats. Angel helped Nina in to the seat Letty had previously occupied. The teenager got on her dad’s bike with him, before they all began driving down the street.

Gaby looked worriedly at Nina, as she sat between EZ and her. “Are you alright?”, she asked quietly. “Ezekiel told me what happened…”. “I’m… I don’t know”, Nina muttered. She cleared her throat, wanting to think about anything else than the pain currently surging in her leg. “Are youok? Have you gone on lockdown before?”. “No”, Gabriella said. “This is all very new to me”. “How do they do it up north?”, EZ asked Nina. “I don’t think it’s different than here”, Nina said. EZ frowned, making her question his experience with situations like this as well. “You’ve never done this before either, have you…?”. “No…”, EZ admitted. “It’s never been necessary”. “It’ll be fine”, Nina said, trying to convince herself as well as the two lockdown debutants. “We just have to keep our heads low, and the gates locked… Is your pap’ coming?”. “He says he can protect himself…”, EZ muttered. “But he’ll be by later with the meat he was bringing for the party anyway”. “I’ll try to get him to stay”, Nina said. EZ gave her a thankful smile.

When they arrived at Angel’s place – her place, as Nina reminded herself – the others waited by the vehicles, while she and Angel went inside to gather what they needed. Nina hobbled through the living room, as Angel began closing the windows, after the exterminator visit. Once in the bedroom, Nina began packing some clothes and essentials. She went to get her gun, but remembered that Camille had used it; and that the police probably had taken it for evidence. “Fuck!”, she exclaimed. “What?”, Angel asked, coming running into the bedroom. “My gun… It was the one Camille… It has my prints all over it!”. “EZ told the cops you fought her for it, so the prints shouldn’t be an issue”, Angel said, his voice relieved that he hadn’t found her in trouble. “Is it registered?”. “No, and the serial is filed off… I did grow up with SAMCRO”, Nina grunted. She sighed heavily, and sat down on the bed, to get some weight off her leg. “Is there enough first-aid stuff at the clubhouse?”. “Why?”, Angel asked. Nina shot him a hard look. “You know why”, she replied. “We’re also gonna need a couple of pre-paids in case of emergencies… We’ve got food and drinks, because we were getting ready for the party… I wish there was a proper kitchen, though… And extra guns. Anyone who can shoot should be carrying…”.

Angel crouched in front of her, and took her hands in his own. “Breathe, mami… We got this, ok? You don’t have to worry”. “Well, I am fucking worried!”, Nina growled. “If Bishop had an old lady, it would be her responsibility to keep the people in the clubhouse comfortable. Now I have to…”. “You know what you’re doing… I hear you had a good teacher”, Angel smiled. “Teller’s mom, right? She was good queen…”. “Yeah… most of the time”, Nina muttered. She still felt ambivalent about how Gemma had fulfilled her duties; mainly due to how she’d ended her reign by breaking Jax’s heart, and killing his wife. She’d also been a good friend and surrogate aunt, though; at least in the beginning. “Just do what you always do. We’ll take care of the rest”. “Yeah… You’re gonna go get fucking murdered, while I serve potato-salad to scared hangarounds…”. Angel leaned forward, and caught her lips in a warm kiss. “I’m coming back to you”, he said. “Promise me…”, Nina said. He placed her hand on his chest, just above his heart. “I swear, cuervo…”. He kissed her again, and got to his feet. “I’m gonna go get my extra hardware. Do you remember where I put the Beretta?”. “You can’t remember where you put your guns?”. “Some of them are kinda small… They get lost”, he muttered. Nina rolled her eyes. “Behind the toilet-rolls in the cabinet under the bathroom sink”, she sighed.

Angel left the room, and Nina got to her feet again; leaning against her crutches. “What the fuck?”, Angel yelled. Nina hobbled after him as quickly as she could. “What’s wrong?”, she asked, and tried to look out from behind him, as he stood in the doorway. “What the hell is that?”, Angel said, and pointed at something skinny and furry; cowering in the corner of the shower. Nina gasped, and pushed past him. “Don’t…! It’s just a poor kitty”, she said. Limping slowly forwards, she got to her knees in front of the shaking tabby. “Hey bug…”, she cooed, and stretched out her hand. The cat hissed, before leaning its head forwards to sniff her. “Get the fuck out!”, Angel growled, and took a threatening step forward. “Stop it! You’re scaring it…”, Nina said.

The cat hissed again, but Nina kept her hand out; and after a few moments, it stepped forward, and blinked slowly at her, before pushing its forehead against her hand. It was missing part of its left ear, and from the looks of its pronounced hipbones, it was clear it hadn’t had a proper meal in quite a while. The skin was sagging off it, and bellow its belly. “It’s a stray… Probably has all sorts of diseases”, Angel grunted. “It probably jumped through the window to get out of the rain”, Nina said, ignoring Angel’s displeased tone. “Do we have anything for it to eat?”. “No”, Angel said coldly, and walked over to grab the cat. “I’ll throw it outside. Close the window, so it doesn’t come back in”. Nina looked hard at him. “No!”, she said. “It needs food and care…”. “Nina…”. “You said we could get a cat!”. “Not this one!”, Angel declared. “We can go to a shelter or something. Get a kitten. I’m not taking in some old, ratched…”. His words drowned in Nina’s exclamations of aww, as the tabby once again pressed its head against her hand, and let her scratch it behind its ears. “Angel… Look at him…!”. “How do you know it’s a he?”, Angel grunted. “I’d think you’d recognize a pair of balls when you saw them”, Nina chuckled. The cat stroked its entire body against her thigh. “Such a good bug… That’s your name, isn’t it…? Bug…”.

Angel groaned loudly, and shook his head. “We gotta go”. Nina was lost in cuddling her new friend. “Mami… Nina! We gotta hit the road… Look, we’ll keep the window open. If it’s still here when we come back, we’ll talk about it”. “Please, just put out some food for him…”, Nina pleaded. “But then he’ll stay for sure!”. “Yeah…”. She shot out her lower lip in a pout, and looked pleadingly at Angel. The biker groaned again, and left the bathroom for a few moments, before returning with an open tin of tuna. He dropped it on the floor. “Here… eat, cat”, he grunted. “His name is Bug”, Nina said with a chiding tone. Angel put his arms under hers, and raised her to her feet. “Fine. Bug. Let’s go”, he muttered, and led her out of the bathroom.

At the last second, Nina grabbed Jax’s helmet. She wasn’t planning on riding on the back of any bikes any time soon, due to her leg; but she felt naked without it near her.

EZ met them by the front door, as they were on their way out. “Bro, what took so long?”. “We were adopting a cat”, Angel said. “A cat?”, EZ asked. “His name is Bug…”, Angel replied. “Don’t ask”. Nina smirked, and tugged at his cut, to get him to lean down for a kiss; before they went back to the van.

---

The yard was crowded with bikes when they finally arrived. Bishop and Hank met them on the porch; and Nina was reminded of Taza’s decision to tell the club his secret, the day before. Not seeing him next to the president, made a knot form in her stomach. “What the fuck took you so long?”, Bishop growled. “Cats… bugs…”, Angel muttered. “Don’t ask”, EZ chuckled.

Angel helped Nina up the stairs to the clubhouse. Once inside, they were greeted by the rest of the Mayans, and a few bikers from the Oakland charter. Nina recognized them from SAMCRO parties, but didn’t know any of their names, save Alvarez’s. El Padrino himself gave her a polite nod from his seat by the bar. She scanned the room for Taza, and frowned when she realized he wasn’t inside either. Angel put a hand on her hip. “Go sit down”, he muttered, and went over to talk to Gilly. Chucky pulled out a chair for her, and Nina sat down; soon joined by Letty and Gaby – the latter looking quite uncomfortable with the situation. EZ squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, before going to stand by the wall, behind Bishop. Chucky went outside, to keep an eye on the gate.

Most of the hangarounds Nina knew from around the clubhouse was spread throughout the room. There was a group of women Nina had not met before, stood around a striking middle-aged woman, who looked like Riz. Nina decided she was probably Vicky, and that the women were employees at the brothel. Vicky gave her a curious look, as if challenging her to have a bad opinion of them. Nina simply smiled friendlily; and Vicky’s expression softened, before she nodded in greeting.

Gilly came over to Nina, and handed her a small plastic bag, with white pills. “Oxys”, he muttered. “For your leg”. “Thanks…”, Nina said. Gilly winked at her, and slipped away.

“You know why we’re here”, Bishop said; lifting his voice to catch the attention of the people in the room. “We have a rival club moving in on our territory. Vatos Malditos have been coming for our business, by trying to convince a long-time partner to end our relationship with them; in return for what they claim is a better deal. They even put a rat in our midst; a rat that ended up seriously hurting a member of our family, while trying to kill her”. There was a murmur of curses. Bishop raised his hand to quiet everyone down. “We have to answer this disrespect with force… You’re all here because you’re a part of the family, and because we don’t want anyone else to get hurt. We don’t know that VM won’t send a few guys this way; but as long as you stay within the fences, you’ll be safe”. Hank stepped forward, apparently the de facto VP. “We have the Sons of Anarchy coming down from San Bernadino and Charming. Creeper will stay behind here with a few Sons, for your protection”, he said. Creeper didn’t seem happy about the fact that he wasn’t going with his brothers. He’d probably lost a draw for the post. “If you have any security questions, take it up with him”. “Anything to do with provisions or comfort, you go to our den-mother”, Bishop said, and gestured towards Nina. “Nina isn’t very mobile at the moment, but she can point you in the direction of what you need. She knows this place like her back hand”. Angel shot her a warm smile, and she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment.

Chucky came running in to the clubhouse. “They’re here”, he grinned. A roar of bikes came from the yard, and soon after, Filip stepped inside, followed by Les Packer. Happy, Rat and Tig came in behind them, and Nina saw a group of SAMDINO Sons waiting outside by the bikes. The room was getting crowded. Foregoing custom, Filip strode over to Nina, and pulled her up into his arms. “We didn’t send you back to get shot, luv’”, he said. “I’m ok”, Nina muttered; then winced, when she accidentally put weight on her bad leg. “Fuck’s sake…”, Filip growled. Angel sprang over to support Nina as she got back to her seat. Happy and Tig stepped over to kiss her forehead and squeeze her shoulder, and Rat gave her a shy smile, before they all went to greet Bishop and Alvarez.

After the obligatory back and forth between the patches, Filip, Alvarez and Bishop went into templo, to speak in private for a few moments. Angel headed over to the bar to grab a drink for himself and Nina. While he was gone, Packer came over to greet Nina. He bent down, and gave her a gentle hug. “How are you doing, Neens?”, he asked, and sat down next to her. “I’m alive”, she shrugged with a half-smile. “This is a new setup for you, sweetcheeks”, Packer said. “You comfortable here?”. “Yeah… why?”. “I dunno… You could have been happy in Berdoo as well”, Packer teased. Angel came back with a mug of coffee for Nina, and a beer for himself. “I like the accommodations here”, she smiled, and looked at Angel. “Yeah, I heard…”, Packer said, and raised a brow at the Mayan. “You’d probably have to deal with less gun-shots though. We’re more careful with who we let in our midst”. “It was a mistake that won’t happen again”, Angel grunted, and gave Packer a hard look. “It better not. This isn’t some random croweater you’ve borrowed from Charming”, Packer said. “No. She’s not”, Angel said. “She’s a Mayan old lady”.

Nina rolled her eyes, and pulled out a cigarette. Both men whipped out a lighter, and raced to light them; before holding them in front of her face. “If you two could stop measuring dicks for a moment, you might notice you’re burning off my eyebrows”, Nina sneered. “Sorry, cuervo”, Angel muttered. Nina gave him a slight smile, and a soft kiss, before letting Packer light her smoke. “You still a crow then?”, the SAMDINO president asked, having noticed Angel’s nickname for her. “I’m still me…”, Nina said. “I’ve just got a bigger family now”. “Good for you”, Packer said, and took her hand; giving it a gentle squeeze. “Jax would be happy for you… after he kicked this guy’s ass for diddling his baby-sis”. Angel chuckled at this. “Like he threatened to do you, if you tried anything?”, Nina said. “I didn’t know you were only seventeen at the time!”, Packer laughed. “Bullshit. You arrived the day before my eighteenth birthday-party; and sat at the clubhouse the whole night, looking at your watch to wait for midnight, so I’d be legal”, Nina smirked. “Guilty”, Packer shrugged. “Didn’t do me much good, though; did it…? Teller was a hardass when it came to you. I didn’t stand a chance with him watching over you like a hawk”. They shared a knowing laugh, before Packer looked at Angel. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Reyes. I know when to back off”, he said. “And she’d probably cut my balls off, before you got a chance to, if I tried anything… You’ve got a special lady here”. Angel smiled, relaxing a bit in his seat. “I know…”, he said, and kissed Nina’s temple.

Bishop came out of templo, and nodded to the other bikers. Mayans and Sons alike got to their feet, and began moving towards the ornate door. Angel put a hand on the back of Nina’s head, and caught her lips in a warm kiss; before joining the others. Packer gave her a sly wink, and followed Angel. “Prospect. You too”, Bishop called after EZ. Gabriella gave him a worried look, and he slipped over to give her a quick peck on the cheek, before walking in to templo, and closing the door, once everyone was inside.

Nina got on her feet, and hobbled over to sit down next to the girl. Gaby was visibly shaking, and Nina took her hand. “I know this is all really scary; but we’ll be ok”, she said. Having SAMCRO, SAMDINO and the Mayans all in the same house made her believe her own words more than she had thought she would. “But, what if he gets hurt?”, Gaby asked. “I didn’t even tell him…”. “Tell him what?”, Nina said. Gabriella met her eyes, and they gave away the words she’d had trouble saying. “Oh… Well, I think he knows already; but it wouldn’t hurt his courage and desire to come back whole, if you said it…”. Gaby smiled softly. “I suppose you’re right”, she said.

Letty came over to join them, carrying a couple of cokes for her and Gaby. “Are you talking about your boyfriends?”, she smirked. “You guys could become sisters-in-law!”. “Whoa! Angel and I just got a cat. We’re not talking diamond rings yet”, Nina said. “Good. I don’t think he can afford one”, Leticia teased.

---

After about an hour, the bikers emerged from templo with somber expressions. Angel strode over to Nina, and took her hand. “We’re meeting Palo by the east tunnel”, he muttered. “What’s gonna happen?”, Nina asked nervously. Angel sighed. “We’re not giving him what he wants, so we’re prepared for a fight”. Nina shuddered. Knowing it was a lost cause, she hadn’t been able to keep from at least hoping that Filip and the others would be able to talk the Mayans out of full-on war. Their own experience with rival groups, made them well aware of the devastation something like that could bring a club. Stories of Abel’s kidnapping and Half-Sack’s death – both by the hands of a disgruntled IRA-member – and Gemma’s rape and beating by right-wing psychos, should have been enough fodder for the Mayans to decide to back down, and try to find another way out of the situation. “Shit…”, she hissed. “But what about what Taza told you? Can’t you just use that…?”. “The prez’ didn’t even mention it”, Angel muttered. “I don’t know… its like he’s pretending the conversation never took place”. “Where is Taza?”, Nina asked. “I don’t know… He went home last night. At least he said he was going home…”. Nina frowned. “It’ll be ok", Angel tried. “I gotta go clear some details with Bish…”. He squeezed her hand, and slipped away to go speak with his president.

Filip, Tig and Happy came over to take turns hugging her tightly. “We’ve been here before, muffin”, Tig said. “Walk in the park”, Happy muttered. “Rat’s staying behind with one of the SAMDINO-guys. You’ll be safe”. Filip made her sit down, and crouched in front of her. “You know the drill”, he said meaningfully. “We’re coming back. But if we don’t…”. “I know who to call, and in what order…”, Nina muttered. “Be careful“. “You just keep this clubhouse in shape, and have the beers ready for our return", Filip smiled. He pulled out a black handgun, with a dark wooden handle. The distinct SOA A was carved in to the wood, just over the initials, JT. “That .38 only seems to bring you trouble…”, Filip said, and put it in her hand. “I thought you were saving this for Abel…”, Nina croaked. “Jackie didn’t want guns in his boys�� hands… He didn’t want them in yours either, but seeing as things have turned out…”. Nina stuck the gun down the back of her waistband. “Thank you…”. Filip pressed a kiss to her forehead, and the three SAMCRO bikers headed towards the door with Packer.

Angel came back over to say goodbye. “I hate this, Angel”, Nina croaked. “I know, querida… But this is the way it’s gotta be”, Angel said. He gathered her into his arms, making her lean against him. Their lips instantly met in a frenzied kiss; hungrily devouring each other. Nina breathed Angel in, as if it was the last kiss, they’d ever share; and in all honestly, she was afraid that it might be. Brushing her tongue against Angel’s lower lip, he let it meet his own; tasting her, and letting her taste him. “I love you”, Nina whispered. “Te amo”, Angel replied. “I’m coming back”. He pressed a last kiss against her lips.

Nina saw Gaby whisper something in EZ's ear, and he smiled happily at her. After EZ had kissed his love, Angel gave the girl a warm hug. “I’ll make sure he comes back too”, he said, trying for a smile. Gaby nodded, and Nina took her hand, holding it tightly. Coco kissed Letty’s forehead, and muttered something in her ear, before handing her over to Nina; who wrapped her free arm around the teenager. The Mayan gave Nina a half hug, and followed Angel out the door. “They’ll be ok”, Nina said. “But we need to get ready”.

Once the door was closed behind the men heading out, she gave Creeper a look, and the Mayan raised his voice. “Listen up, people. Nina’s got work for you!”. Gaby handed Nina her crutches, and she hobbled into the middle of the room. “We need people to take care of food. The back room is full of provisions; do what you can with it. Felipe will be here later with meat for the grills. I wanna see him when he does…”. Creeper nodded, and a few of the women moved towards the back room. Gabriella joined them, much to Nina’s joy. “You’re free to the bar, but remember why we’re here. Getting wasted isn’t a good idea… Does anyone have medical experience?”. One of the women from Vicky’s place raised her hand. “I’m in nursing school”, she said. “Great”, Nina smiled. “I’m not saying we’ll need it, but I’d like you to set up a first-aid station, in case we do; and the guys are unable to cross the border for the doc”. “Ok… yeah!”, the woman smiled; seemingly proud that she could contribute with something important. Vicky gave Nina a warm smile. “The rest of you, chip in wherever you can. We all have a responsibility to make our stay here as comfortable and safe as possible… That means, don’t flirt with the guys on watch”. Creeper chuckled at this, and patted Rat’s shoulder. They had the first shift, and headed for the door.

Nina blew out a deep breath, and sat back down. Vicky came over with a refill for her mug. “Welcome to the family”, she smiled, and winked at her.

---

The hours dragged by. They had no word from the men in the field, and every time the door opened, Nina’s heart jumped; hoping that her loved ones would walk in.

While Nina sat on her chair, her leg throbbing in pain, making her unable to walk around, Letty paced the floor for the both of them. “If he dies, I’m gonna fucking kill him!”, she growled. “Then I’ll bury him next to Celia, in her dick-shaped hole in the desert!”. “Letty, sit down”, Nina said. “Why?”. “Because your pacing is giving me a headache”. Leticia sat down, and Nina noticed tears forming in her eyes. “We just started being a family… And now he might…”. She couldn’t finish the sentence. Nina took her hands. “Coco is a survivor, and he’s gonna do whatever he can to get back to you”, she said. “You think so?”, Letty muttered. “I know so”, Nina smiled. “Your dad loves you, Letty. He’s not gonna leave you”.

Letty wiped her eyes, just in time for Gaby to come over with two plates filled with deliciousness. “I did what I could with what’s here”, she said. “It looks amazing”, Nina said. “But I’m not really hungry”. “You have to eat, if you’re taking pain-medication”, Gaby enthused. “I’m not… I’m trying to keep a level head”. “Just take a fucking pill, Nina”, Letty sighed. “You’re in so much pain, your face is contorted”. “I’m…”, Nina began, before catching the expression on both girls’ faces. “Fine…”, she said, and dug out a pill from the plastic bag in her pocket; downing it with a sip of coffee.

Gaby gave her as bright a smile as she could manage, and pushed the plate of food towards her. Nina took a few bites, when suddenly the door opened, and Felipe stepped inside. He looked around, making it clear it was the first time he’d actually been inside the clubhouse. He frowned slightly, and walked over to Nina. “That guy you call Freak said you wanted to talk to me”, he said. “Creeper”, Nina smiled. “Sure", Felipe said. “Letty, will you help me get the meat?”, Gaby said, and the two girls went out the door. “Please sit. I can’t really stand right now", Nina said. Felipe took the chair just around the corner of the table from her. “I need to get back to the shop…”, he muttered. “You can’t take the day off?”, Nina asked. “The weekend is coming up”, Felipe grunted. “People have family coming for dinner…”. “You’re family”, Nina said. “To these people?”, Felipe asked, and looked at the people in the room. His tone wasn’t disapproving, but he did seem uncomfortable at the view of the scantily clad hangarounds setting up drinks and food; and the nursing student, who was currently preparing bandages, while wearing a barely-there tube top, and a short denim skirt. “To me…”, Nina said, and took Felipe’s hand. “To Gaby…”. They both looked towards Gabriella, who sent them a warm smile, as she came through the door with a container of what looked like steaks.

Felipe sighed deeply. “I told EZ and Angel, I can protect myself”, he said. “Then… stay here and protect us as well”, Nina said. “We don’t know what’s happening out there. It’s dangerous for all of us to be out in the open. Angel and EZ might…”. She chewed her lips and swallowed thickly, trying to suppress tears. “Please stay here with us, suegro”. A smile ghosted Felipe’s lips. “That’s where we’re at, then?”, he said. “You and Angel, I mean”. “I’m… I love him. I really do”. Felipe chuckled. “He’s lucky to have you”, he said. He shot a look at the food prepping station, and rolled his eyes. “Gabriella, lo estás tallando de la manera incorrecta! I told you; follow the bone�� Never mind, I’ll show you”. The old butcher got to his feet, and went to take over the carving of the meat. Nina let out a relieved sigh. Felipe was staying.

Needing to get some air, she got to her feet, and used her crutches to move towards the door. A smiling hangaround sprang over to open it for her, and Nina thanked her quietly; before stepping outside. The sky was grey. Apparently, the rain the night before was coming back; she could smell it on the air. She sat down on one of the chairs on the porch, and dug out her cigarettes. Opening the packet, she saw that Coco must have done a reverse pickpocketing when he hugged her; as he’d left her a perfectly rolled joint. She smiled to herself, and considered lighting up; before deciding against it. The oxy was already doing its work, and her leg felt better by the minute. Lighting a cigarette instead, she took a deep huff. The yard was too quiet. The windchimes hung next to the door of the clubhouse, which were usually deafened by the usual sounds of metal screeching and bikes roaring, was all she could hear.

Pulling out Jackson’s gun, she took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She ran her thumb over the letters he’d carved in to the handle. “I remember when you did this”, she said quietly. “Back when you were still stupid enough to think you were immortal…”.

… “What if you lose it? The police will track you down, dumbass!”, Nina said. “I’ll be fine, darlin’”, Jax said, grinning brightly. “Besides, I gotta leave my mark on this world somehow!”. Nina rolled her eyes at him, and picked her book up. “You’re gonna shoot someone, and they’ll track the gun to you”, she growled. Jax chuckled, and stuck the gun down the front of his waistband. “If you don’t shoot your dick off, first”, she muttered. He frowned, and put the gun in the back of his jeans instead. “What are you reading? Teenage-vampire shit?”, he asked. “Screw you… It’s Hamlet. For school”. “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!”, Jax exclaimed. Nina couldn’t help but smile. “Careful with that gun, or you’ll have me saying: Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest…”. Jax got to his feet, and headed towards the ladder going down from the roof. “We’re meeting up with some Mexican guys… They need our help with something”, he said. “Finish your homework, little sister. We gotta keep your ass out of CaraCara”. He stopped dead in his tracks, and walked back to her, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. “Doubt thou the stars are fire; Doubt that the sun doth move; Doubt truth to be a liar; But never doubt I love”. “I love you too… But you’re still a dumbass”, Nina smiled…

“I wish you were here…”, she whispered. “But where ever you are – if there’s anything you can do to keep him safe… all of them… Please”.

She jolted in her seat, when Creeper appeared next to her, a phone in hand. “It’s for you”, he muttered. Nina took the phone, and put it to her ear. Creeper gave her frowning and confused look, before walking into the clubhouse, leaving her alone. “Hello?”. “Nina?”. “Taza?”. “Yeah, it’s me; sweetheart… Do you wanna help me end this war before it starts?”.

---

If you’ve followed this story this far, thank you! Also; It’s my birthday! Make it an even better one, by leaving a comment.

- no lady

tags: @cole-winchester @doloreschanal

#angel reyes #angel reyes fic #angel reyes x oc #mayans mc #mayans mc fic #clayton cardenas #ez reyes

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1010ll · 4 years ago

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do you have any new recipes that you've learned recently? i remember you wrote something a while ago about carbonara and i tried it out for myself it was really fun!!

i love this 😭 im gonna write way too much idec! something that has changed since that post: my kitchen is worse. i have a horrible combi oven which has resulted in me accidentally eating raw chicken, because it had been in there for more than 2 hours at supposedly 230 °C and i was really hungry and thought it HAD to be done by then. also i have less time and less money lol. it has made me a bit sad, and less motivated to cook nice things but i also love food! which means these tips/recipes are gonna reflect that and might seem a bit dull but probably also relatable for a lot of people. i’ve definitely made spaghetti carbonara a bit too much because it’s simple and require few ingredients! will still vouch for that one tip about substituting the bacon with roasted veggies and other types of meat.

last week i made risotto for the very first time, i think? which means i might be assuming a bit too much, but i think it’s a great dish that you can almost make with whatever you have in your fridge. i made it with roasted beetroot(needs A LOT of time to soften, lesson learned), carrots and parsley root or parsnip(idk the difference), dried rosemary and thyme, garlic and onion. i had some leftover sushi rice, which is great for risotto apparently(love versatile ingredients), roasted them in some oil and then added white wine and chicken stock and actually added a leftover parmesan rind i had in the fridge to give the ‘stock’ some flavour, a bit of nutmeg and then in the end some shredded gouda lol… it was surprisingly delicious and i didn’t even really care to cook the rice perfectly. it also tasted delicious 3 days later, which was a nice surprise. i bet there are tons of risotto recipes online, but as long as you have rice, some kind of flavoured water, i guess you could kind of add whatever you want of veggies and top with whatever herb you have around.

another type of porridge i consume a lot these days is hot oat porridge, which i’ve eaten since i was little and it was the first ‘dish’ i learnt to make myself and it’s cheap. some people really dislike the consistency and look but i don’t. it’s also very easy to customise. i put in whatever nuts and seeds(which are often cheaper than nuts) i have around: flaxseed, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chopped almonds and sometimes a dollop of peanut butter. i let them simmer along with the oats. i like adding those elements because it gives it some texture and it keeps me more full throughout the day. it’s very important to me because i hate spending money i don’t have on fast-food when i’m not home and i hate being hungry. dried raisins, cranberries for a bit of sweetness and if i’m treating myself i’ll add some fresh apples cut into small pieces or some homemade berry compote(i use frozen) or brown sugar. if i had more money i’d use maple syrup but i don’t at the moment. i also add a bit of cinnamon and cardamom, dried ginger etc, whatever you feel like. some people also add milk afterwards but i’d rather spend my milk on my coffee.

a small tip: making chili flake / garlic oil. it’s really delicious, you could put it straight on pasta with some parmesan and pepper and it would be a filling meal. either chop the garlic really fine, grate it, microplane it, smash it to pieces. heat some olive oil until it’s quite hot, then remove from heat and add the chili flakes and garlic. if the oil isn’t hot enough you can just put the pan or pot back on the heat but be careful you don’t burn the chili flakes or garlic, as it will make it bitter. the longer it will toast, the less pronounced the raw garlic flavour will be, so when it smells toasted enough for your taste, take it off. i store it in a tiny glass jar and add it in stews, sauces, toasts, pizza, sandwiches etc. the flavour is very strong imo and everything it touches will smell like it. something to drink: i like strong foods and i like sour foods, which is why i like lemon/ginger based drinks. to make it even more winter friendly and easy to make, i like to grate unpeeled ginger(i hate slices of ginger, they do nothing for me and seems like a waste of ginger), lemon zest, lemon juice and mix it or blend it with some water/apple juice and honey and strain it afterwards. if you have a really nice blender you can just add all of it together with some ice. i’m basically making a large amount of ginger shot mixture. then when i feel like it, i can take some of the mixture and either drink it as it is, add more apple juice if i need a refreshing beverage or add hot water and more honey for when im cold. you could also add turmeric, chili, use less sweetener and other sorts of healthy stuff but i honestly do it for the taste so i don’t care about that that much.

something sweet: i posted earlier about cakes and someone mentioned swedish kladdkaka, which is a super delicious, cheap, brownie-like chocolate cake that is easily customized and hard to fuck up which is why i’ve made it since i was very young and is a go-to and i didn’t even know it was a swedish thing. if you like airy, light cakes this is not for your. this is sticky, sweet and almost like confection. you can add nuts, swirls of peanutbutter, tahini, actual pieces of chocolate, replace the white sugar with brown sugar, the butter with oil(you can be fancy and use a bit of olive oil) or use a mixture, brown the butter, you name it. the recipe i use is this: melt 100 g butter and let cool. mix 2 eggs + 3 dl sugar in a bowl until fluffy in one bowl. mix 1.5 dl flour, 4 tbs cocoa, 1 pinch of salt in another. mix the dry with the wet mixture and add the cooled, melted butter. this is the point where you’d add chopped nuts, chocolate etc. pour the batter into a cake tin lined with parchment (i use one that is 16 cm in diameters i think). bake the cake for around 30 mins at 150°C - 175°C degrees. check on the cake using a cake tester or a a knife. if the knife is clean after … stabbing it, it’s done! the cake will change it’s texture after cooling. this is a cheap cake, and if you like cake dough you might want to give it less time in the oven for a more fudgey texture. make it your own! there are no rules. last time i made this, i left it in for too long in my opinion but it was still delicious. also i literally have a shit oven with a round oven rack that goes in circles no matter what due to the microwave function, and the only ‘mixing’ equipment i have is a whisk and a spatula. no need for kitchen aids or even electrical hand mixers.

something else i’ve been eating a lot for lunch is simple open faced sandwiches, and something that can really elevate those is: making your own mayonnaise(and toasting the bread). it can be challenging, but it’s really worth it imo and i can’t remember the last time i bought it in a store. i have a small plastic bowl, whisk and 1 egg yolk. something i can really recommend is buying pour snouts for bottles. i transfer my oils from their plastic bottles to smaller, old soda bottles because im cheesy like that and it’s really handy especially when making mayo. constantly whisking the egg yolk by hand and then adding the NEUTRAL oil ever so slowly. don’t be fancy and use cold pressed stuff or extra virgin olive oil because it will taste weird. i only ever fail when i try to use immersion blenders for some weird reason but i find it rewarding to do by hand anyways and i think it might be easier to make smaller portions that way. mayo needs acid and you can get it by adding regular vinegar, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, pickle juice, citric acid dissolved in water etc. it’s really easy to customise! when im making banh mi, i add some sesame oil, soy sauce for saltiness and use lime as the acidic element. for more regular use i add a bit of mustard(also helps with the emulsion), for fries, i like adding some fresh garlic. something as simple as mayo, tomatoes, flaky salt and pepper topped with chives is really nice. i also really like using slices of boiled potatoes or boiled eggs(idk if that’s only a thing where i’m from), mayo and the chili garlic oil. it’s also great for making tuna salad. yesterday i made a really simple sandwich with a very simple tuna salad(tuna, mayo, yoghurt, lemon and pepper), arugula, basil, the garlic/chili oil, cream cheese, pickled jalapeños and onions, green peber, cucumber and tomatoes. you could leave out everything but the tuna salad and it would still be a great little meal.

another nice condiment that beats the supermarket stuff by far is homemade ‘pesto’. when i buy parsley from my local grocery store, it’s a gigantic amount that i in no way can consume in a week. first of all when buying fresh herbs i really recommend washing them, wrapping them in a damp towel and keeping them in a closed container. it will prolong their lifetime from lasting a day to a week(change the towel if it seems too wet). i once had some cilantro in my fridge for several weeks and still be fresh. anyways, when i buy that much parsley, i like to remove the tougher parts of the stem(which i use in stews/sauces! chop it up and sautee it along with garlic and onion), add literally just olive oil, water, pepper, garlic, and a bit of acid and then blend away! it keeps for a long time in the fridge and is also delicious beneath tomatoes/potatoes/cheese on open-faced sandwiches. if you want to be fancy you can of course add some type of hard cheese, nuts, seeds, dried tomatoes, whatever.

i know this is the longest text post ever, but as a last reminder, i really recommend watching pasta grannies on youtube. really simple recipes with focus on few, good ingredients that just takes some time and love.

#sorry about the spelling mistakes and everything #it's not my first language but it probably wouldn't be much better if it were #food

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vercopaanir · 5 years ago

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i’m really trying to explore more recipes too! i’m slowly trying to cut back on meat and explore more vegetable based dishes. do you have any recipes you’ve been loving recently??

One of my favorite dishes is this spicy almond noodle bowl. I’ve made it a lot. It’s great cold OR hot, which is good for me since I live in such a humid, hot climate, and it’s super rich in vitamins.

I also love this vegan lemon pepper pasta dish.

A really delicious quick snack I tend to eat a lot of is toast with avocado, sea salt, and hot sauce. I love spicy stuff, and the salty taste with the heat and the freshness of the avocado is amazing.

I make a lot of Asian inspired dishes, too. Miso soup is one of my favorites, but I eat a lot of soup in general. Ramen is DELICIOUS. And if you want to keep it vegetarian and easy, Nissan Top Ramen in their soy sauce flavor has no beef extract (all the other ones do). I love adding spinach and/or peas and carrots and just doing the damn thing, ya feel.

Chickpea salad is another one I love because I love tuna, but hate the bad effects over-fishing have had on our environment. Chickpeas are super good for you and when you mash them with a fork, they have that same flaky texture of tunafish. I literally just drain and pour a can of them into a bowl, mash them up, and fix it like a normal tuna salad (i like pickles, onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and sometimes other veggies, but it’s up to you!). You can eat it on its own or with crackers or on bread with a sandwich and it keeps for a long time, which is great because I’m a SLUT for making things in bulk and having leftovers.

I had a recipe for cheesy cauliflower soup, but I’m having trouble finding it. This one is very similar, though, and actually looks a little better, ahaha.

I try to eat veggies and fruits that are in season because it’s cheaper. That’s how I discovered my love of cauliflower and cabbage. The latter I like to stir fry, which is legit just cutting up cabbage, oiling a pan, and tossing it in. I like to season it with soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and/or chili sauce, but there are literally SO many ways you can do this recipe. It’s super freaking cheap and REALLY good when you’re craving Chinese food but don’t want the MSG. If you’re okay with eggs, fry an egg and slap that baby on top.

That’s all I’ve got for now! I’d have to go through my recipe tin for more, but this is already too long, ahahhaa.

#anonymous #asks #life is too short for bad food man #i'm gonna try my hand at some soda bread #soonish

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tellmevarric · 6 years ago

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Okay, successful experiment. In an effort to eat a little more healthily on days when I can’t be stuffed cooking, such as work days and really hot days and really hot work days :D, I decided to try my own variation on the Cobb Salad. I bought a bunch of salad-y type ingredients that I like, prepared them all and put them in individual containers and ziploc bags. So now, I can just pull out the containers from the fridge and throw together a quick salad of just the things I want to eat on that day. And if something goes bad and I don’t notice in time to replace it, hopefully the rest will still be intact.

I didn’t really stick with the strict Cobb Salad ingredients because I don’t like all of them and what’s the point of buying things I don’t like. Instead, I bought and used cos lettuce, baby spinach leaves, red capsicum (bell pepper to the Americans), red onion, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, tinned asparagus (but only because the fresh stuff didn’t look very good), tinned salmon, tinned tuna and I cooked up some streaky bacon until it was crispy and chopped it up.

I used a little bit of everything except the tuna and the avocado because I wasn’t going to mix the salmon and tuna and the avocados weren’t ready yet. Topped it off with a dressing called ‘Green Goddess dressing’ and it was very tasty. And very filling. I’ve also got some tins of chickpeas in the pantry that I could also use in the future and I can use seasonal stuff if any of my usual ingredients look a bit dodgy when I’m in the supermarket. Like right now, mangoes are in season (The Queensland mangoes are $2 each.) so I could always add a little mango to the salad as well. And I can always have this with something, like a steak or some chicken, if I want a heartier meal.

#me #my life #food #healthier eating

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temporal-parieldox · 6 years ago

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Ariel’s Tips to Eating Cheap & Easy

I just put together this list for a co-worker and thought it might be helpful to others. These tips got me through a lot of college years and cub reporter life—I hope you find them helpful!

Filling breakfasts: Oatmeal! Eggs: easiest thing to do is make a casserole with some sautéed veggies (peppers, mushrooms, onions) and whatever spice blend I have around and cut it up to eat throughout the week. If you have a muffin tin, I like to bake it in there. 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so—just keep an eye on it until it looks like solid eggs. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and set oven to boil for 5 minutes if wanted. (Muffin ideas: https://bestrecipepicks.com/low-carb-egg-muffins/)- Also hard-boiled eggs

Dinner ideas: Baked potatoes: Get a 10-pound bag and pop a couple in the oven an hour before you want dinner (or pre-make and microwave for lunch). Then top it with whatever smorgasbord of toppings sounds good to you (good way to use up leftovers too): butter, cheddar cheese and bacon bits, broccoli, BBQ pulled pork … here’s a list of fun ideas: https://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/amazing-ways-to-eat-a-baked-potato-for-dinner

Spaghetti!!! A box of pasta and a jar of red sauce is very cheap and filling—add in some sautéed vegetables to round it out. Ground beef/turkey if it’s on sale …

Shredded chicken: Toss some chicken breast or thighs in the crock pot with a) a jar of salsa (I really like Trader Joe’s salsa verde) b) a can of cream of mushroom soup c) chicken broth + spices. Eat with taco shells or mashed potatoes or with barbecue sauce on a bun.

Rotisserie chicken: They’re like $6-$8! Throw in some roasted veggies & a grain like rice or potatoes, and you’re golden. Ideas for leftovers: https://www.unoriginalmom.com/20-one-dish-dinners-to-make-with-leftover-rotisserie-chicken/

Roast some veggies: particularly get good hearty stuff like broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots. Chop ‘em up, throw them on a lined sheet tray, drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper plus whatever herbs/spices sound good (blends work well here too)

If you google things like “$20 grocery list” there are tons of blog posts complete with weekly meal plans:- https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-eat-well-on-just-20-a-week-with-meal-plans- http://oh-my-foodness.com/2013/03/groceries-20/ - https://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/20-grocery-budget/ Other ideas: Lentils: Cheap, good source of protein, very filling. Good lentil chicken soup recipe (I skipped the blending and still really liked it): https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-lentil-soup-214900?utm_source=k_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12202017&recip_id=1297236

Also canned tuna is probably the cheapest protein you can find and can be decently filling. Eat on crackers, tuna salad, tuna casserole, tuna melts.

Filling, simple & healthy veggie soup: https://www.spendwithpennies.com/weight-loss-vegetable-soup-recipe/ 5-Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup: https://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2015/01/5-ingredient-broccoli-cheese-soup-recipe/ Seriously, blogs like these ^^ are where it’s at. Plus, Pinterest! Looks up “cheap” and just start picking and choosing things that sound good. Casseroles are usually pretty filling and very easy to throw together. This lunch plan from healthyish is pretty good, although I skip the lemon yogurt and nori sprinkle and use store-bought dressings. I also just use an eight-piece pack of chicken instead of roasting whole: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/lunch-prep-master-plan As for food websites, I generally find thekitchn.com has the best combo of tasty recipes that use inexpensive ingredients. They’re also equally obsessed with cheap grocery store du jour, ALDI! My favorite things to buy at Aldi: pantry staples (peanut butter, olive oil, spices, cheese, oats), massive $5 take-and-bake pizzas, cheese, produce (veggies and fruit, often affordably organic), canned goods (diced tomatoes, broth), frozen meals (look for the specials) and bags of frozen fish, which I then roast in the oven with a squirt of lemon or some lemon pepper. Grab next week’s weekly ad on your way out to help you plan for the following week.

#cheap living #cheap eats #budget #eating on a budget #money advice #grocery advice #meal planning

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easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

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From the Strategist: The 52 Canned Goods (From Cockles to Corn) Chefs Keep in Their Pantries

Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailers.

Chefs recommend their favorite foods preserved in cans and jars, from the Strategist

Shelf-stable food items have, needless to say, never been more popular. The bean business, in particular, is booming — according to recent reports, Goya’s sales have increased some 400 percent. But for those whose legume repertoires are beginning to feel a tad stale, it might be worth considering other areas of the canned and tinned universe, many of which are also quickly gaining traction. Anchovies, long the topping “held” from a dish, are taking center stage on Instagram (in sandwiches, on heaps of linguine), and humble canned tuna has shifted from the back of the pantry to front and center. Not to mention the fact that there’s something specifically delightful about eating a perfectly salty, spicy, or sweet item (whether it’s a smoked oyster or a sour cherry) plucked straight from a completely contained package. To find out the tinned, jarred, and canned foods chefs and home cooks are stocking their pantries with, we asked everyone from Ernesto’s Ryan Bartlow, who suggested a tin of splurge-y white asparagus, to Nom Wah’s Julie Cole, who recommended stocking up on Campbell’s Cream of Celery — which she calls “the Ferrari of canned soups.”

Best tinned and jarred fish

Don Bocarte Anchovies

Four of the chefs and home cooks we talked to topped their list of tinned goods with Don Bocarte Anchovies. “The creme de la creme of anchovies are Don Bocarte salt cured anchovies packed in olive oil,” says Nialls Fallon, a partner at Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly. “They taste like butter and melt in your mouth — I could drink the oil when I’m done it’s so damn good.” Fallon told us that the anchovies come from the Bay of Biscay and are “painstakingly gutted and fileted by hand, then packed in large barrels in concentric circles with salt added after each layer.” Then they’re aged for several months, and rinsed and packed by hand in Spanish olive oil. Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese is a fan, too, as is Julia Sherman, of Salad for President and Angie Mar, chef at the Beatrice Inn.

Agostino Recca Anchovies Fillets in Olive Oil

Michael Schall, co-owner of Bar Camillo and Locanda Vini e Olii says that his restaurant’s “No. 1 choice” for tinned food are these anchovies from Agostino Recca. “I am just addicted to them, as are a lot of our customers.” (This customer can attest to their addictive qualities.) Schall says the anchovies have a just-right amount of saltiness, and are “big enough to feel substantial if you are eating them by themselves.” But if eating straight anchovies sounds like a lot, Schall says they’re great for cooking, too: “Melt them in the pan with some olive oil and a clove of garlic, toss with freshly cooked spaghetti, and you have one of the best all-time afternoon pasta dishes.” Chef and farmer Phoebe Cole-Smith is a fan of the Agostino Recca anchovies, as well.

Cento Anchovy Flat Fillets in Olive Oil

For something a bit less expensive, Carolina Santos Neves, executive chef of American Bar, recommends this Cento tin, which she says, despite the low price are still high-quality enough to eat on their own.

Ortiz Sardines In Olive Oil

Bart van Olphen, sustainable fishing advocate, chef, and author of The Tinned Fish Cookbook, is a fan of Ortiz tinned goods, as well, and told us about these sardines. “I love sardines, but buying the right quality makes the difference between having a great experience or never wanting to eat them again,” he says. “Ortiz is famous for its quality. The cooking process is very particular. The sardines are gutted and then precooked before being trimmed to the size of the can. Cheaper brands only cook the sardines once.”

Cabo de Peñas Razor Shell Clams in Brine

If clams are more your thing, Sherman told us that these from Cabo de Penas — “I love all the tinned seafood by Cabo de Penas,” she says. “But these are especially good. They are super clean and briny — eat them straight from the can.”

Ramon Pena Cockles in Brine

My favorite splurge is a tin of cockles from Ramon Pena in Spain,” says Fallon. “They’re expensive, but worth it.” Fallon says the cockles, which are tiny clams, are the size of a dime and tear-shaped. The cockles are pricey because of how difficult they are to harvest: “They are hard and dangerous to source, by hand from the rocky coastline, then meticulously and perfectly cooked, removed from their shells, and placed in order in a round tin,” Fallon says. “Their milky white color is surrounded by clear briny salty water — it’s so elegant, and pure and really a treat.”

Cabo de Peñas Small Sardines

Nick Perkins, partner at Hart’s, Cervo’s, and The Fly, says that Cabo de Penas is also the go-to brand of tinned fish for his restaurants. “They’re just old school and really solid,” he says. “They also just do really solid sardines and mackerels, which are cost effective.” His favorite are the brand’s baby sardines.

“These are sustainably certified sardines, and beautifully hand-packed with high-quality olive oil,” says Fallon. “A real savory, firm and earthy style.” He told us he’ll go for the classic plain olive oil, or the ones packed with dried chillies.

Matiz Sardines in Olive Oil

This pack of sardines comes recommended by Alissa Wagner, co-owner of Dimes (who also told us about her favorite spices). “They’re a great option for both your health and the health of our planet,” she says. “Sustainable and packed with Omega 3’s, these little fish are a great upgrade for simple salads or enjoyed on some grilled bread with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs.”

Bela Sardines Lightly Smoked Organic Cayenne Pepper

Andy Xu, Executive Chef at The Odeon, told us that Bela is his preferred sardine brand: “They’re lightly smoked, so there’s an added depth of flavor,” he says.

American Albacore Tuna

Sometimes you just want good old-fashioned canned tuna. Van Olphen suggests trying this tin, which is from a brand founded by one of the families behind the American Albacore Fishing Association. “Their West Coast fishery was the first in the world to obtain a certification for seafood sustainability from the Marine Stewardship Council,” says Van Olphen.

Dongwon Tuna in Kimchi Sauce

“I’m honestly just eating a lot of canned tuna, like Jessica Simpson,” says Bowien of his quarantine meals. “In Korea, canned tuna is such a thing, and you can get it at 711, open it up, and just eat it — especially the kimchi-flavored ones.” Bowien says this tuna from Dongwon is one of his favorites. “I eat it a lot — it’s good quality canned tuna, not fancy — I literally open up the can and dump it on top of hot rice.”

Zallo White Tuna Belly in Olive Oil

Ryan Bartlow, chef-owner at Ernesto’s, says that when it comes to tuna, this, from Zallo, is an easy favorite. “It’s from Bizkaia, Spain, and is perfect eaten on its own, or doused with a little minced onions, salt, olive oil and espelette,” Bartlow says. “At Ernesto’s we serve them with our Gildas.” He also notes that the stately packaging makes it a great gift for the friend who can never have too much tuna (which, right now, is most every non-vegetarian friend).

Interpage International Cod Liver In Own Oil

Van Olphen told us he believes in the “head-to-tail philosophy” when it comes to fish: “Where we’re not just eating the fillet, but also the cheeks or liver, for example.” He describes these cod livers as “soft” and “elegant” and says they work with lots of different dishes. “One of my very favorite ways is to serve it with some reduced orange juice mixed with a bit of lime and sesame oil, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and pink peppercorn on top,” he says.

Ever since I was little I’ve loved large smoked oysters or mussels,” says Carolina Santos Neves, executive chef of American Bar. “My pick these days are Reese and Patagonia Provisions for their sustainably sourced Mussels — I’ll eat them plain or on toasted buttered sourdough bread.”

Ekone Smoked Habanero Oysters

If you want smoked oysters with a bit more zing, Fallon says these Ekone oysters are one of his favorites. “You can have them as a snack with a beer,” he says. “They’re hot! And chewy, and smoky, and really good with mayo or cream cheese on a cracker.”

JOSE Gourmet Spiced Calamari in Ragout Sauce

“The baby squids are prepared by hand — they removed the tentacles and stuff them into the tube of the squid, then hand pack them with a rich tomato ragout sauce,” says Fallon of this spicy option. “Smoky and meaty in flavor and texture, really delicious.” He’s a fan of the baby octopus in olive oil, as well.

Best tinned and canned meats

Underwood Deviled Ham Spread

“I’ll admit that I haven’t had deviled ham spread for a very long time, but one of my favorite sandwiches as a child was this stuff on pepperidge farm white bread with a thin layer of butter,” says Cole-Smith. “I have a few tins of it in my emergency preparedness food kit, because it means I can quickly relive my childhood, using crackers as a vehicle.” Cole-Smith says that in a pinch, “and if you close your eyes,” the deviled ham spread is like “a ‘poor man’s jambon au beurre.’”

Hénaff French Pork Countryside Pate Pâté De Campagne

Perhaps you prefer pâté. Food writer Ashley Mason says that a can of this pork pâté will have you feeling like you’re enjoying “a lazy afternoon on the French countryside” in no time. “Just add a bottle of wine, a baguette, and some crunchy cornichons,” she says.

Best tinned and canned peppers and chiles

Formaggio Kitchen Piparras Peppers

“I discover a lot of my favorite cans and glass jar items from Formaggio,” says chef and food artist Laila Gohar. “They do a really great job at finding products from around the world that are really delicious.” One of her favorite jarred goods from Formaggio are these peppers. “They’re spicy and briny and add a nice bite to a lot of dishes,” she says. “I just like to nibble on them plain, too.”

Xilli Salsa Macha

If you’re looking for a chili sauce with a smoky flavor, Wagner suggests these Xilli Chipotles. “Blend them with yogurt and a little lime juice and salt for a fantastic sauce,” she says. “I love this one on fish tacos.”

Best canned and tinned beans and legumes

Best tinned and canned fruits and vegetables

J. Vela Extra Thick Primera White Asparagus

These tinned white asparagus also come recommended by Bartlow. “We use this product in the restaurant in two different dishes,” he says. “It’s a component in our Ernesto’s salad, as well as a white Asparagus pintxo in the pintxo bar … white asparagus conserva is always in the house.”

Ortiz Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With White Tuna

Mason says that the Spanish peppers used in these are “fire-roasted before being stuffed with fatty Spanish tuna.” Mason suggests having them with cheese and crackers, or if you want something more hearty, “Swap the Ritz for a toasted, sliced baguette and you have tapas.”

Fenn Shui — Pickled Fennel Root in Rice Vinegar, Ginger, Thai Chile

Mason is also a fan of this jarred fennel root, which is pickled in rice vinegar with ginger, orange zest, and fiery Thai chiles. “They’re as crunchy and refreshing as cucumbers,” she says. “Try them in your next burger.”

Best tinned and canned sweets

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from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2KIPhbd https://ift.tt/2YgMsWL

Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the retailers.

Chefs recommend their favorite foods preserved in cans and jars, from the Strategist

Best tinned and jarred fish

Don Bocarte Anchovies

Agostino Recca Anchovies Fillets in Olive Oil

Cento Anchovy Flat Fillets in Olive Oil

Ortiz Sardines In Olive Oil

Cabo de Peñas Razor Shell Clams in Brine

Ramon Pena Cockles in Brine

Cabo de Peñas Small Sardines

Matiz Sardines in Olive Oil

Bela Sardines Lightly Smoked Organic Cayenne Pepper

Andy Xu, Executive Chef at The Odeon, told us that Bela is his preferred sardine brand: “They’re lightly smoked, so there’s an added depth of flavor,” he says.

American Albacore Tuna

Dongwon Tuna in Kimchi Sauce

Zallo White Tuna Belly in Olive Oil

Interpage International Cod Liver In Own Oil

Ekone Smoked Habanero Oysters

JOSE Gourmet Spiced Calamari in Ragout Sauce

Best tinned and canned meats

Underwood Deviled Ham Spread

Hénaff French Pork Countryside Pate Pâté De Campagne

Best tinned and canned peppers and chiles

Formaggio Kitchen Piparras Peppers

Xilli Salsa Macha

Best canned and tinned beans and legumes

Best tinned and canned fruits and vegetables

J. Vela Extra Thick Primera White Asparagus

Ortiz Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With White Tuna

Fenn Shui — Pickled Fennel Root in Rice Vinegar, Ginger, Thai Chile

Best tinned and canned sweets

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2KIPhbd via Blogger https://ift.tt/35n4rfB

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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anomalouspulsar · 6 years ago

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Chicken and broccoli stuffed shells is also a really good meal that can go a long way, you can make the filling and portion it into baggies for filling your shells later:

Motzarella, either loaf or pre-grated. As much as you like. When I make a batch I usually use either half a large loaf or a whole little one.

Parmesan cheese, I buy the less expensive Kroger brand.

Tomato sauce/marinara- I buy the Hunts sauce, you get allot of sauce for not allot of money.

Bargain Alfredo sauce- Again I use the Kroger stuff. It’s inexpensive and tasty.

Chicken breast- I use three, when I make this I’m making it to stretch. My husband and I usually eat one chicken breast between the two of us. So that’s approximately three meals worth of protein for two people, also cut with other things which will make it go further.

A baggie of frozen broccoli- I like the kind with florets and ends, since it’s less expensive but you still get nutrition.

Pasta of your choice- I like the large shells but this filling/topping can go with whatever you like.

Cook your chicken breasts in the oven to safe temp, I season them with onion & garlic powder and some pepper. When they are done, let them rest for 5-10 min so you don’t burn the crap out of your fingers.

While they do that, you can grate your cheese and mix all the ingredients OTHER than the chicken, Parmesan and the shells. You will need a big bowl or Dutch oven or something of that nature.

When your ingredients are together and your chicken is now safe to handle without burning yourself, cut it up! Small bite-size pieces will integrate better. Toss it in your mix!

Now, here is where you can choose what to do, you can just freeze the chicken mix in portions you like, or you can put it in shells and THEN freeze.

For two people I’ll take the little recyclable loaf-pans from the baking section and sort my uncooked shells into them. If you’re cooking for one, you might be able to find even smaller ones. However, you’d probably be better off buying some Ramekins if you don’t have any and just freezing the filling.

Fit as many shells as you can without layering them. Then, fill/cover in sauce. You don’t want any pasta exposed. But you also want your filling to stretch, so if you have extra, you can come back and add more on top. When you have them prepped, you can cover them freeze.

When I go to cook them, I pull them out the freezer, put the oven on 400 and bake them for an hour.

If you just froze the filling and want to make -single serve/small portions you can cook a shell or two aldente (after thawing the filling in the fridge) and put it in a oven safe bowl or ramekin. Fill as above and bake on 375 for about 30 min or so.

When your meals are plated, sprinkle with Parmesan and enjoy.

PS: always use a food thermometer to make sure your eats are up to safe eating temp! Foodborne illness suuuuucks.

Also:

If you can swing it, buy eggs in bulk! They are amazing filler food to have on hand, and are very useful!

I buy five dozen eggs for $9-10 USD about every month/month and a half. They can be eaten alone, such as boiled/poached/fried/scrambled or in combination with so many other things!

Sliced boiled egg in ramen, scramble and egg for homemade fried rice, you can have eggs over toast or IN toast (eggs in a basket/hole in ones). You can make French toast, you can add an egg to tuna salad, you can make scrambled egg grilled cheese. You can make fried potatoes and have an egg for your protein! I like making a sunny side up and putting it over my bowl of ‘tatoes, so that the yolk will run down.

Omelettes galore! Get a baggie of the cheap frozen vegetables (a Normandy or California mix is what I like) -or an even less expensive can of tinned mixed veggies-when you go to make your omelette and toss them in as filling with some cheese.

Also- don’t be afraid to go to your local food bank. If you need help, you need help. Go to bargain grocery stores if you can, like Grocery Outlet. Live near seasonal farm stands/farms that sell their own produce? Don’t be afraid to ask if they will sell you the ugly but still edible produce at a discount if they still have it. The worst they can say is “No” and you never know if you don’t ask.

I have $24 to last me til Friday, what should I buy with it?

#cheap eats #eat inexpensive #foods that stretch #eat cheap and healthy

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notable-law-music-tech-news · 6 years ago

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Diana Henry's Roasted Tomato, Fennel and Chickpea Salad

About once a week for the past I don't know how many years, I've sectioned a fennel bulb into eighths, washed a handful of cherry tomatoes, put them in a baking dish with a good glug of olive oil (more is better here) and some salt and then stuck it in a 200C/400F oven until the vegetables are tender as can be and the tomatoes have browned and slumped, about 30 minutes, though I confess I've never really timed it. I also let the dish cool in the hot oven, which helps the caramelization at the end and then I basically eat the entire thing, unless my husband is around in which case I share. I love this dish so much that I nearly lick the baking dish. It's easy, it can be made all year long, since even the yuckiest cherry tomatoes come alive with this treatment, and it tastes ambrosial. If I happen to be lucky enough to have some nice sourdough bread around, I pair the vegetables with that for an easy little meal and life feels good.

I love a ritualistic vegetable dish like this that keeps showing up in my life over and over, that never gets old, that I don't even have to think about when I cook it. Like roasted broccoli, stewed peas, sauteed zucchini - the all-stars of my cooking life. These are the things that flesh out our dinner table night after night and that I imagine my children will remember, either fondly or not, when they look back at the food of their childhood. However, as much as I love these dishes and the comfort they bring me in both flavor and preparation, they are not necessarily stuff for company. They are humble, regular dishes, not show-stopping or even really conversation-worthy. When you're having people over or if you need to bring a dish to a potluck, I think you kind of need to up your game a little. Not a ton, but enough to make a bit of an impression.

Of course, my culinary hero Diana Henry has a recipe for precisely this kind of elevated salad that used roasted fennel and tomatoes as the base, but pumps it up with all kinds of crazy flavorings, like harissa and preserved lemon and balsamic vinegar. It comes from her book How to Eat a Peach and is quite a stunner. The addition of chickpeas makes it a slightly more substantial kind of salad and fresh herbs make it beautiful - the kind of thing you can plonk on a buffet table and feel secretly smug about. And also consume rather obsessively. Which is the whole point. One more thing I love about it: the flavorings are so bold and fresh but actually this salad is essentially seasonless, so you can serve it in spring, when people are crazy for asparagus and rhubarb, and you can serve it in winter, when big roasts and stews prevail, and in both cases it just kind of works. Pretty neat.

As luck would have it, I discovered a similar kind of special version of roasted broccoli dish that you need to know about (as in, my father literally said WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT THIS IS THE BEST BROCCOLI I HAVE EVER EATEN when he had it), but I'll have to save it for next time. My camera, beloved and trusty documentation device on this blog since 2007, died a few weeks ago. Like, right in the middle of taking these photos, which is why I don't have a photo of the final dish (here's one from Diana, though). I thought it just needed a little repair work, but the camera shop guy told me it wasn't worth it - the repair would cost far more to do than the camera is worth. I was unexpectedly gutted, I have to admit. I loved that camera. I salvaged the lens and put it on my husband's camera, which is only a few years newer than mine was, but requires a whole new education. So bear with me while I figure that out.

Diana Henry's Roasted Tomato, Fennel and Chickpea Salad Adapted from How to Eat a Peach Serves 6

For the tomatoes 10 large plum tomatoes (or an equivalent amount of cherry tomatoes, left whole) 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1½ tbsp harissa 2 tsp sugar Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the fennel 2 large fennel bulbs Juice of ½ lemon 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar or left whole Generous pinch of chile flakes 2½ tbsp olive oil 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For the dressing 2 small preserved lemons 2 tsp juice from the lemon jar 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1½ tbsp runny honey 5 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375 F). Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and lay in a single layer in a roasting pan or ovenproof dish. Leave whole if using cherry tomatoes. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and harissa and pour this over the tomatoes, tossing to coat well, then turn the tomatoes cut sides up. Sprinkle with the sugar and season.

2. Quarter the fennel bulbs, cut off the stalks and remove any coarse outer leaves. Pull off any tender fronds (reserve these) and cut each piece of fennel into 2.5cm thick wedges, keeping them intact at the base Add the lemon juice, garlic, fennel seeds, chile and olive oil, then season and turn everything over with your hands. Spread out the fennel in a second roasting tin and cover tightly with foil.

3. Put both trays in the oven. Roast the fennel for 25-30 minutes, until tender (the undersides should be pale gold), then remove the foil and roast for another 5-10 minutes, or until soft, golden and slightly charred. Roast the tomatoes for 35-40 minutes, or until caramelized in patches and slightly shrunken. Stir the chickpeas into the fennel and taste for seasoning. Leave both to cool to room temperature.

4. Now make the dressing. Discard the flesh from the preserved lemons and dice the rind. Whisk the preserved lemon juice with the wine vinegar, honey and olive oil, season and add the lemon rind and parsley. Taste for seasoning and sweet-sour balance.

5. Arrange the fennel, chickpeas and tomatoes on a platter, adding the juices from the roasting tins; there might be quite a bit from the tomatoes. Scatter any fennel fronds you reserved over the top. Spoon on the dressing. (Leftover dressing can be used on other salads or to zhuzz up mayo for chicken or tuna salad.)

from The Wednesday Chef https://ift.tt/2FP0S5C

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elevenhoursinfront-blog · 8 years ago

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12th April 2017

Steve woke me up just before 0900. I could've easily turned over and slept for another 5 hours. We went down for breakfast and had the same as yesterday. We had a note on our bedroom door saying that all items had to be off the floor as they were deep cleaning. If any items were left, they'd be chucked away... It's like being back at school. Though, they wouldn't chuck anything away. It's more of a threat. We went upstairs and cleared out everything from under our bed. I chucked stuff away, cleaned out our lockers and made everything generally much more tidier. I felt like a new woman. Like my life was right on track! (It definitely wasn't). Steve's phone rang and it was the guy from yesterday about a job... He starts tomorrow at 0900 and his commute is about 60 seconds from our hostel... He's lucky but the pay is awful. It's $17 an hour but as we've got nothing coming in, he took it. He will look elsewhere at the same time though. He's required throughout the weekend which is a shame as it's bank holiday. I don't think he'll be getting extra money for it. Beggars can't be choosers. We had to be showered before midday because the water was being shut off for 3 hours whilst they did some work. We got all our dirty washing out too. Such a motivated morning! We left the hostel to go for a walk. Google maps told me there was a Kmart by the Queen Victoria Market so we walked the 20 minutes there. Google maps LIED! There was no Kmart. Steve was upset he did exercise for nothing... We managed to get Steve his hard hat and a fleece in the sale for work. They were both really cheap so he was happy. He gets all his uniform money back from tax anyway. We went into Woolworths to buy washing power. I found 1kg of Surf (2 in 1) for just under $5 which I thought was a bargain. There was no way we'd go through 22 washes by the time we go home. We can't afford to do it that often. It was roughly 1400 by the time we got back from wondering about. We were hungry so it was time for lunch. Tuna salads again but they're actually really tasty. We buy flavoured tins so each day it's a different flavour. Yesterday I had sweet chilli, today I had tomato and onion. Steve had curry which was really good. There's like 20 different tuna flavours. I hope I can find them when I'm home. We went upstairs to put a wash on but we forgot that we had to get a laundry card from reception with a $10 deposit. We didn't have cash and in all honesty, we could be bothered to go all the way back down to reception to come back up. The lift broke the other day and we're on the 10th floor so that means 20 flights of stairs. I could've cried when I found out - luckily it was fixed within an hour or two. I was busting for a wee so I ran to the toilet to find out they were out of use. I was furious. I had to go down to level nine and find their toilets. The level 10 toilets were out of use for 6 weeks just before we arrived. Anyone on level ten were getting $40 discount each week. I wanted to move rooms though, I go to the toilet at least 2 times during the night. Now I'm going to have to wake up enough to go down another level. I know I won't go back to sleep after. I spent the next half an hour or so looking for jobs but there weren't anything new up. We were really tired so we tried to have a nap. I tried my hardest to sleep and I couldn't understand why I didn't drop off. I couldn't keep my eyes open. Steve got into the top bunk with me to see if that would help me sleep. It didn't. In fact, he pulled me towards him to cuddle him but he made me whack my head on the bed frame. Egg coming soon. By 1700, I had given up. My brother rang me which was nice. We only spoke for 20 minutes whilst he was on his way to work. Better than nothing. I went down to reception to see how long the toilets were going to be out of order. The girl I spoke to was completely clueless and she thought I was talking about the water shortage. I said I'd come back later. As I was about to leave, I saw my name on the 'you've got mail' list. How exciting! I was about to cook dinner so I didn't ask for it until after. We went to Coles quickly to grab a broccoli because I wanted some with my dinner. We were having a homemade (jar) curry. We also managed to find two naan breads on 'quick sale' in Coles for $1. Bargain hunter me. We made our chicken curry and sat at the table for quite some time chatting away. It was 1930 by the time we finished and headed up to the room. I collected my parcel on the way. Nobody was in the room when I opened my parcel. Good job, too. My mum had sent me a new glittery fashion backpack to use instead of a handbag which I really wanted. She also sent a soft teddy of a sloth which is my spirit animal - lazy and sleeping 24/7. She had bought me a little bank card sized card that said 'don't ever forget someone loves you'. She had also bought a normal card that had 'counting down the days until you're home' on the front. She had written really emotional words inside and I spent the next ten minutes crying. It felt so nice to get something from home. I love my teddy - Sid, he's going everywhere with me now. We got into bed and chatted to our roomies for the next hour or so. By 2230, we were off to bed. Steve had work and I was still unemployable.

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howellrichard · 5 years ago

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How to Stock Your Freezer for Easy Vegan Meals

Hiya Gorgeous!

Ahhh, the fabulous freezer. It’s one of the most misused and underappreciated tools in our kitchens. If your freezer could talk, it would tell you that it is has bigger aspirations than being the land of ice cream, TV dinners and forgotten mystery food.

Your freezer can be a haven for the healthy, long-lasting goodies you need to create easy vegan meals—meals that nourish your body and delight your taste buds. Learning what kinds of foods to freeze, as well as how to properly prep and store them, completely transformed how I use my freezer. And today I’m gonna help you do the same!

But first, grab your Ultimate Vegan Pantry Staples Checklist!

We’re about to talk all things frozen food, but a well-stocked pantry is another key ingredient for easy vegan meals. Grab this free checklist to start building your dream pantry today!

Now, without further ado, let’s take a peek inside my freezer!

7 Freezer Staples for Easy Vegan Meals

1. Fruit

Berries, mango, bananas, pineapple… oh my! Frozen fruit is a staple for me because it’s easy to keep on hand and has lots of different uses. Plus, it’s a great way to eat more in-season fruit. For example, I like to freeze a bunch of fresh blueberries in the summer to have at-the-ready when the colder months roll around.

Here are a few frozen fruit pointers:

Save money at the grocery store by buying the larger bags of frozen fruit, which are often cheaper per ounce. Since fruit lasts so long in the freezer, stocking up is a no-brainer!

If you have fresh fruit that’s about to go bad, wash and prep it before putting it in a reusable baggie in the freezer. Chop all bigger fruit (mango, bananas, etc.) for easier blending or defrosting. Make sure to peel your bananas before freezing.

Green smoothies are one of my go-to easy vegan meals. Toss frozen fruit right in the blender with seeds, nut butters, greens and plant-based milk, then blend to creamy perfection! This Peachy Green smoothie is one of my personal faves from Crazy Sexy Juice.

Plan ahead for breakfast by moving a portion of frozen berries from the freezer to the fridge the night before. Use it as a sweet topping for your morning oatmeal or nondairy yogurt.

You can use frozen fruit in baking, too! Try this Mixed Berry Crisp from my Test Kitchen Tuesday series—just give the blueberries and raspberries some time to defrost before you start cooking.

Most fruit can be frozen for 2-6 months, depending on the variety. If you see freezer burn, that’s usually sign it’s time to discard!

2. Leafy greens

You know I’ve got dark leafies squirreled away wherever I can keep ‘em! Pick up pre-chopped and frozen spinach, kale and collards at the store for tossing in sauces, soups, stews, casseroles and grain/pasta bowls. Or make this delish plant-based Spinach Artichoke Dip for your next movie night… YUM!

And those fresh greens languishing in your veggie drawer in the fridge? Give them new life by washing and chopping them, throwing them in a reusable bag, then tossing them in the freezer to be used later for green smoothies. I’d steer clear of freezing lettuce for salads, though, because the thawed greens won’t be crisp anymore. You can keep most greens in the freezer for 10-12 months.

3. Sprouted whole grain bread

I know that just seeing the word “bread” might make you break into a cold sweat because of all the mixed messages out there about carbs. But I’m here to tell you that it can be part of a healthy, gut-friendly diet (read more about why I love grains here). I usually stick with sprouted, whole grain bread because it contains more vitamins and minerals than your standard processed white bread. Plus, it’s easier to digest and a lot more satisfying!

My favorite sprouted whole grain bread is Ezekiel, which you can find already frozen in many stores. You can make easy vegan meals in a snap by grabbing a couple slices from the freezer and popping them in the toaster. Top ‘em with avocado, crushed red pepper and hemp seeds for breakfast. Or make a hearty sandwich for lunch with Save the Tuna Salad, tomatoes, lettuce and mustard.

Most store-bought bread stays good in the freezer for 3-5 months, and I use the same guidelines for homemade bread. Just make sure to label it so you can check the date when in doubt!

4. Veggie burgers

I always keep veggie burgers in my freezer because they’re so versatile. Top a salad or grain bowl, roll into a burrito, press on a panini or pile high on a bun with all the fixins—so many scrumptious (and simple!) possibilities.

If you’re buying burgers at the store, look for options with minimal ingredients. Also keep an eye on the salt, saturated fat and additives, which can be high in prepared foods. I love the frozen veggie burgers from Hilary’s and Sunshine Burgers!

Or make your own, like these Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Burgers from Crazy Sexy Kitchen. Freeze them in a single layer or stack with parchment paper between each patty to prevent them from sticking together. Homemade burgers are usually good in the freezer for up to 2 months!

5. Cooked whole grains and beans

Whole grains and beans are staples in a healthy, plant-based diet. And while you can usually find that stuff pre-made (canned beans for example), the homemade varieties are extra delicious. But you might not always have the time to cook up a batch of chickpeas or brown rice for dinner at the end of a long day. Luckily, they can be cooked in bulk and stored in the freezer for next week’s (or month’s!) easy vegan meals.

Try these pro tips for freezing grains and beans:

Spoon single portions (or however many you’ll use for a meal if you’re cooking for others) of grains and beans into silicone or other eco-friendly baggies.

Stack bags on top of each other in the freezer to save space. If you’re putting them on a wire shelf, lay down a piece of parchment paper first to keep your grains and beans from settling in the cracks.

Grains and beans keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months.

6. Mixed veggies

Some days, you just don’t wanna chop. Ya feel me? And those are often the same days when you really need a hearty, comforting meal that would normally require a lot of prep. That’s when frozen veggie mixes really shine!

You can usually find good combos in the freezer section of the grocery store. I always keep some mixes with mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, onions and broccoli on hand for stir fries. Just sauté them with some organic, non-GMO tofu and sauce, and you’re good to go! You can even use a pre-made sauce in a pinch. Just avoid anything with artificial ingredients, added sugars or animal products, and keep an eye on the amount of sodium per serving (anything greater than 400 mg per serving is considered a high-sodium food).

Sure, frozen veggies probably aren’t as cost-effective as buying and chopping fresh produce, but shortcuts like these can be life-savers on nutty days. And it’s ok to take shortcuts sometimes, toots. Knowing when and how to do that is part of taking care of your sweet self!

7. Complete meals

Is it just me, or is the best kind of meal one that’s already done?! When I have extra time or am feeling inspired in the kitchen, I seize the opportunity and make big batches of soups, stews, casseroles, etc. to freeze and eat later.

For example, one of my favorite easy vegan meals is this 1-Pot Lentil, Potato and Spinach Soup from my Test Kitchen Tuesday series. It’s filling, loaded with plant-powered nutrition and super simple to make. I usually make a double batch and freeze the second half in individual portions for up to 2 months. Easy peasy!

Here are some more ideas for cooking and storing complete vegan freezer meals:

Before making a lasagna or casserole that you intend to freeze, line the baking pan with parchment paper. Once it’s frozen, you can simply lift the food out of the pan and transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag.

Pour individual portions of soups and stews into muffin tins and put them in the freezer for several hours. Once frozen, pop ‘em out of the tins and store in freezer-safe containers or bags. They’ll defrost much faster that way!

A few days before you’re ready to eat your homemade frozen meals, move them to the refrigerator to defrost. If you don’t remember to do that in advance, you can also defrost on low heat in the oven or on the stovetop.

Mmmm… I’m over here drooling just thinking about all the delicious, easy vegan meals you’re gonna create with your fully stocked freezer. And if you want to take your kitchen game to a new level, don’t forget to grab your free pantry checklist here!

Your turn: What’s your favorite freezer staple? Let me know in the comments below!

Peace & freezer foodies,

The post How to Stock Your Freezer for Easy Vegan Meals appeared first on KrisCarr.com.

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lowcarbnutrients · 6 years ago

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10 Processed Foods this Dietitian Will Feed Her Kids

As a nourishment expert that talks to and also creates for various other Mommies regarding the best ways to best feed their families, I occasionally feel pressure to be the best feeding function version, to publish images of my child as well as I slicing freshly-picked-out-of-our-backyard-garden tomatoes for homemade salsa or to blog about why self-made hummus is equally as easy (and also much healthier) compared to the store-bought stuff.

Well, I have a confession making. I'm a Mom and also a Registered Dietitian who feeds her children packaged foods in some cases. I'm not perfect. And it's time to get real.

Becoming a Mommy of two has shaken my world in a lot of ways, including my views on nourishment. I make every effort to feed my kids primarily whole foods (and am fortunate sufficient that they eat them most of the time), I also know that this isn't realistic 100% of the time. While I when assumed flavoured yogurt wasn't healthy and balanced adequate (it NEEDED TO appear), I now consider it as a healthy, kid-friendly snack. I additionally promised that I would never feed my youngster boxed macaroni and cheese, however currently that I've experienced it's life-saving capabilities on those uncommon occasions when I'm solo-parenting as well as have lacked groceries, I've slightly changed my tune.

7 Foods A Dietitian Would Never Feed Her Kids

It's real that the majority of packaged, refined foods include chemicals, additives, as well as synthetic flavours - they are not ideal (and also some processed foods are undesirable enough that I won't offer them to my children)-- however in my mind, healthy consuming isn't associated with 'best consuming.' Rather, healthy eating enables enjoyable, comfort, and also imperfection every now and then, and also that's ok. I understand my children consume entire fresh foods in the majority of situations, so the odd processed and also packaged food doesn't worry me, nor needs to it stress any kind of moms and dad who is trying to do their ideal.

Here are ten packaged, refined foods that I feed my youngsters:

Pureed fruit and veggie pouches

These pouches have actually literally conserved my peace of mind on greater than one celebration. I admit, they are not equal to actual fruit as well as vegetables by any stretch of the creativity - preferably, fruits and veggies should be eaten, not drawn out of a bag - yet they frequently come in useful when we're out and also about, and also they include some fun and also selection to kids' treat rotation. This also goes for pureed unsweetened fruit cups. I look for varieties that consist of less compared to 10 grams of sugar each bag and restrict them to no more compared to 2 or 3 times a week.

Individually packaged cheeses

Whether it's wax-wrapped mini cheese rounds (Baby Bell), triangular spreadable cheese (Swiss Knight or Laughing Cow) or even cheese strings, these mobile independently wrapped cheeses can be found in convenient when on-the-go (or in lunch packages!). Although cutting brick cheese and also covering it yourself might perhaps be equally as convenient, occasionally tossing an already-wrapped cheese in your bag or baby diaper bag is just simpler (and also just as healthy and balanced). Independently wrapped or not, cheese is likewise nutritious. It has several vital nutrients consisting of protein, calcium, and also magnesium and can make a terrific addition to a snack or meal.

Ranch or Caesar dressing

Sally Kuzemchak, Registered Dietitian as well as author of the blog site 'Actual Mommy Nourishment' composed a terrific item on why she offers Ranch dressing to her kids. Sally discusses just how although store-bought Cattle ranch clothing isn't best, it urges her son to eat raw veggies and also green salads-- healthy and balanced foods that he may not gladly munch on without his favourite dip. I couldn't concur even more - if offering a little bit of Cattle ranch or Caesar dressing rises the possibility of my son gladly consuming his veggies, I have not a problem with it. I like dip with my veggies, so why would I expect that my child wouldn't?

Store-bought hummus

Hummus makes for a nutritious healthy protein and fibre-rich dip for veggies or biscuits, or spread for sandwiches. I consistently purchase hummus from the shop, not because I refuse to make my own (which I do often), yet due to the fact that I discover that a lot of store-bought selections include similar components that I would utilize anyhow and also because, frankly, I find it much easier at this stage of life with two young children. Yes, it might have extra olive oil than I would certainly include or a couple of preservatives, but occasionally convenience defeats excellence.

Ketchup

I confess that I've attempted to make my very own variation of ketchup from square one. It's not the very same. Yes, Heinz Ketchup contains fluid sugar and salt, but it likewise consists of tomato paste as well as it aids my kid enjoy the homemade veggie frittata that I typically make him for supper, in addition to the homemade yam fries that I serve with roast poultry. He also dips his carrot sticks in it occasionally which makes me both cringe and also smile at the same time.

Whole grain crackers

Whole grain biscuits could offer as the excellent car for much healthier foods such as natural peanut butter as well as banana slices, hummus as well as cucumber or cheese and also apple slices. I often make peanut butter or cheese 'crackerwiches' for snack time, which my kids definitely like. Attempt to find a range with a brief components list including 'whole grain (insert kind of grain)' as the first active ingredient. And if you DO have time making homemade biscuits, try this scrumptious dish: Homemade Raincoast Crisps.

Flavoured Greek yogurt

Although I'm fairly fussy with the flavoured yogurt that I get, I get it. Yes, plain Greek yogurt is the finest selection, and also indeed, adding fruit for flavour is much better compared to the sugary fruit-like material that appears at the end of many small yogurt containers. However flavoured Greek yogurt has the tendency to be extra interesting children (sweet tastes are widely preferred over bitter or sour) as well as creates a yummy, easy as well as nourishing treat in my mind. I such as Greek yogurt since it contains double the quantity of healthy protein than normal, which could assist to maintain your kids fuller and completely satisfied for longer. When it pertains to sugar material, attempt to choose a range with much less than 11 grams of sugar each 100 gram serving (4 of those grams are naturally happening). If you can find a range without jelly, man-made colours and flavours and also preservatives, that's a great bonus.

5 Quick Tips To Aid You Moms And Dad When Your Partner Is Away

Jarred tomato sauce

I do prefer making tomato sauce from square one, where I can control each active ingredient as well as their quantities within, but when time is short and also I should whip up a well balanced meal in mins, I transform to our much-loved jarred tomato pasta sauces. Combined with lean ground meat as well as fresh sliced veggies, jarred tomato sauce can be a life-saver on hectic nights. It's real that it likely includes even more salt than a home-made version would certainly and maybe some sugar as well as preservatives, yet it still counts as a vegetable as well as fairs effectively in the nourishment department as compared to other sauces.

Salsa

When time permits, I make salsa from scrape (it's one of my favourite foods), but due to the fact that it's such a preferred product in our home, I commonly really feel like I can't keep up. Although typically higher in sodium, salsa can produce a healthy dip or sauce and could include a great deal of flavour to particular dishes (like my Easy Cheesy Family-Friendly Burritos). Bonus: If it's tomato salsa we're discussing, it counts as a vegetable serving!

Canned salmon and tuna

When I prepare meat or fowl, I make an initiative to prepare added for sandwiches, wraps, homemade pizza and salads throughout the week. When I've run out of fresh meat or simply need a quick as well as simple protein choice, I will transform to canned light spotted tuna or tinned salmon. Tinned tuna or salmon could include selection to your dishes, is inexpensive, and also flaunts lots of Omega-3 fat, Vitamin D, Iron, as well as protein among various other important nutrients. Tinned salmon has the added advantage of the soft salmon bones, which supply a great source of calcium. When picking tinned tuna, opt for 'light', 'skipjack' or 'tongol' which are reduced in mercury, rather than 'albacore' or 'white', which have a tendency to be higher.

If you discovered this handy, you may likewise like this article outlining the five expressions that will certainly finish mealtime struggles completely in addition to this one listing my top 15 Dietitian-appoved lunchbox staples.

Feel complimentary ahead over to my Facebook page where I regularly share nourishment ideas and resources for moms and dads.

#cholesterol diet #diet #fruit diet #healthy eating

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ralphmorgan-blog1 · 6 years ago

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I Went Vegan And Here’s How Much I Was Judged Betches

At the start of the summer, I decided to go vegan. Before you come at me (plz chill) I know there are a billion articles about how it ruins my health, destroys the environment, and exists only as trendy holier-than-thou diet (thinking of you, Gwyneth Paltrow!)

People loveeeee to hate on vegans. Sure, we have a rep for being pretty judgmental hypocrites (like Phoebe from Friends and her love for her fur coat in that one episode—but tbh in the spirit of journalistic integrity, she was vegetarian, not vegan, but still). And I was one of those haters. I used to think veganism was a fad diet that wasn’t even that healthy. Also, how do you even get enough protein? Tofu, a chalky white sagging blob I’d seen at my dining hall’s salad bar, didn’t seem a particularly appealing alternative.

So what changed? Well, I moved to California and was brainwashed started learning more about veganism. One of my best friends at college is vegan, so I learned more about it this year by eating with her. Obviously, we went to the most extra vegan restaurants in LA, but that was the first thing that convinced me: I actually liked the vegan food.

Judging by my super healthy diet of vodka and brownies, by the end of the school year I felt like crap. I needed a lifestyle change, and this summer was the perfect opportunity for that. I would be cooking all of my own food for the first time while living in a dump old frat house on the Row at Stanford.

My family was concerned by this idea—well, actually, I didn’t tell them initially because I knew they’d freak out, but had I informed them of my plans before, these are the questions they would’ve asked:

What will you eat for breakfast? Ummm….seaweed and hummus? Some nuts? Kale chips? Tofu? Realistically a really weird assortment of food, but also, like, who even eats breakfast? I’m in college. Coffee counts.

What do you eat at restaurants? Since one of my best friends is already vegan and since California is the Mecca of vegan restaurants, it isn’t hard to find restaurants that served, like, salads and tofu.

Can you still drink? JK, my fam wouldn’t have asked me that, but for all the concerned alcoholics out there, vodka is vegan. In fact, all liquor is, though some wines and beers are processed with animal products. Yet another reason shots reign supreme.

Week 1

It’s 11pm and I’d just arrived at “The House,” aka the trap fraternity house where I’d be living this summer. Even though it’s no longer a frat house, it still feels like a frat house. The state of the house may seem irrelevant to my diet, but the kitchen is a disaster. It’s a place where we’d all made blackout quesadillas at 2am during the school year, so using the same pans crusted with our drunk food seems rather unappetizing.

After moving all of my stuff up three flights of stairs alone (chivalry is dead), I head to Whole Foods to scour their vegan options. This being California, they have loads of options. I buy what would become the starting lineup for my summer diet: eggplant and tofu from the salad bar, a few pre-made salads, kale chips, seaweed, pickles, hummus, and vegan jerky. I feel so healthy.

A few vegan days pass. Do I feel any magical results? No. I do not feel less tired, as some people have promised. I do feel healthier though. Like those vegan models that I follow on Instagram, with my Bragg’s Nutritious Yeast (vaguely cheesy powder?) and zucchini noodles (these taste like zucchini, not pasta, don’t let others convince you otherwise).

That Friday my friends and I go to San Francisco. It all fun and games until everyone decides they want to go to IHOP for some drunk 3am pancakes. I then realize I can’t have any because they aren’t f*cking vegan. I eat some kale chips instead to soak up all the extra vodka in my stomach. The next morning I want to kill myself. Kale chips aren’t a good drunk food. My hangover is deadly. Who would’ve f*cking thought?

Weeks 2 & 3

The glow of being healthy is fading. First of all, I’m worried I’m anemic because I’m tired, like, all the time. Literally, allll the time. All I want to do is sleep. I went from being fine on six hours of sleep to wanting to sleep 12 hours. What college student sleeps for 12 hours? HOW IS THIS OK.

Also I really, really, really want something sweet. I’m craving chocolate like mad. So I buy some Hu Chocolate from Whole Foods and happily eat an entire hazelnut-butter dark chocolate bar. It’s vegan, so ha!

Realistically, there isn’t much more to say about these weeks. They pass in a sort of foggy blur of vegetable eating. I don’t go out because of my summer courses. This is shaping up to be the best summer ever, wow!

I questioned stopping. But that would be giving up, now, and I’m no quitter.

Week 4

This weekend, I drive down to LA with my vegan best friend, and naturally, she brings me to all of her favorite vegan restaurants. The Green Temple for the best tofu sauce (literally I want to drink the sauce). Café Gratitude has absurd buffalo cauliflower and honestly it’s expensive ($11 for a side of cauliflower? What is the profit margin here?). By Chloe (there are multiple in New York too!) has the best vegan kale Caesar salad I’ve ever tried in my life. It has shitake bacon and almond parmesan and literally, this is why I became vegan. Also, there’s a little sign that says how much waste you’ve prevented by eating vegan food inside By Chloe, which just made me feel like a really great person.

The next day I get a migraine and lie in bed for the entire day. Soooo fun. Exactly what I drove six hours for! We go to Whole Foods that night though, to find dinner stuff, and I’m delighted by their eccentric chip selection (jicama chips. WTF?) and extremely elaborate salad bar selection. They also have about five types of vegan mac and cheese, which is like, absurd.

We head to the Farmer’s Market in Hollywood the next morning. Everyone makes fun of me because I buy a jar of pickled brussels sprouts and a tin of soy shitake mushrooms to eat for breakfast. Yes, I get that’s a really weird breakfast. But seriously, anyone who knows me by now should realize that I thrive on eating really strange foods. And pickled (well, technically fermented but stick with me) foods are good for your gut health. It’s why so many people are obsessed with drinking apple cider vinegar!

We drive home, stopping at the Ostrich Farm on the way through Santa Barbara. This trip has taught me:

LA has the best vegan restaurants. New York may have By Chloe and Candle 79, but LA just has sooooo many more options.

I actually can drive for seven hours without killing someone. Genuinely a miracle!

Ostriches are vaguely cute.

There is nothing to do in LA besides workout, eat food, and sit in traffic (while occasionally visiting ostriches).

Week 5

I feel less tired, so maybe my body was just adjusting. Or maybe I am anemic and should start taking iron supplements. My doctor keeps bugging me to do bloodwork and I keep putting it off because I’d have to fast before getting it done and that’s so annoying. Yes, I am a responsible adult, thanks for asking.

I make the mistake of telling my mom that I decided to go vegan, and receive a whole lecture about how it’s a horrible idea. You will ruin your health and become anemic and are you getting enough protein and don’t you know about living life in moderation?

I give her a speech about animal rights and the environment (yes, this is a little late to the game, but I started following all these vegan Instas because I needed more motivation), and the environmental benefits of veganism. It really tugs at the heartstrings. But photos of cute little pigs with the caption “is eating bacon really worth it?” kind of make me want to cry.

Now that my mom hates my vegan diet, I’m even more motivated to continue. I’m massively stressed studying for my summer course midterms, but at least I’m stress-eating seaweed and hummus instead of cookies. After I finish midterms we go out that weekend to celebrate one of my friend’s birthdays. Personally, I blame my later behavior on the restaurant for lacking vegan options. A plain salad is not an ideal pre-drinking meal, tbh, and my lack of memory for the rest of the night can be entirely explained by my meager dinner of iceberg lettuce in conjunction with the seven shots of ginger vodka I had later.

Weeks 6 & 7

These two weeks are also a blur. My family comes to visit the first weekend and are genuinely incensed that I refuse to eat meat. We all go out to dinner to some non-vegan place where the only thing I can eat is a kale Caesar salad without dressing (because of the fricking anchovies). So I basically eat a bag of dry kale for dinner. Yummmmm. But I can’t back out on being vegan now. That would mean my mom was right. Again. I abandon my family after dinner to run to Whole Foods to buy a late night snack of eggplant and hummus (why am I so weird?!).

The next day, my mom treats me to dinner at Nobu, which opened in Palo Alto at the start of the school year. I’d been dying to go the entire year, but it’s not exactly a place you go with your friends when you’re in college on a budget. My mom orders sashimi for the entire table and I eat a piece of tuna.

YES, I BREAK MY VEGAN DIET. NO ONE IS PERFECT K?!

Seriously though, the tuna is fine. High-quality fish, but ultimately not even that tasty. Honestly, one thing I’ve realized is that food tastes good because of the sauces and spices on it, not because of the base. It could be cauliflower or steak, chicken or tofu, all that really matters is the sauce. (Okay, clearly I’m not a steak connoisseur. Red meat has always grossed me out and I know theoretically a good steak doesn’t need any sauce. This is why I’m a mostly successful vegan, and my brother will never be a vegan. He thinks vegans are wussies and real men eat wagyu beef.)

My family leaves, and I’m getting bored of eating the same 10 foods every day. So I start exploring some of the other weird vegan foods that Whole Foods sell. Vegan cheese dip, for example, is disgusting. It’s a mix of pureed potatoes and cashews, and it does NOT taste like cheese and now I feel nauseous. I also buy chocolate covered chickpeas a few times, which sound gross but taste like chocolate covered pretzels. They are as addictive AF so consider yourself warned. Banana brittle (pureed dehydrated bananas with coconut flakes) is also incredibly addictive. As is chocolate mousse made with silken tofu and cacao powder.

If I sound like a raving lunatic who has lost all concept of what good food actually tastes like, it is quite possible that veganism has addled my brains.

Week 8

I spend the entire week studying for my finals. Woohoo. All I want is to go home and sleep. The fatigue never entirely left, so maybe I really am anemic. But I honestly feel much healthier. My body is more toned, my hair is thicker, and my complexion is brighter. Most importantly, I don’t feel gross every time I eat. It’s nice to finish a meal and not regret eating junk, but instead feel happy knowing that I’ve put healthy nutrients into my body.

Even though I’ve been eating less protein, I feel more muscular too. Until I have to move all my crap and I realize I still lack basic upper body strength. Veganism forced me to abandon my mini fridge since I don’t have enough strength to carry it down three flights of stairs (if anyone wants a mini fridge HMU. I warn you though, the freezer has about an inch of congealed apple vodka on the bottom because my idiot friend put a bottle of vodka in it sans lid). I fly back home to New York and eat a bag of coconut chips for dinner because the airplane has no vegan food.

Week 9 – ???

Now that I’m home and no longer cooking for myself, I guess I could stop being vegan. Despite the fatigue, I really have enjoyed it. It forced me to cut the unhealthy junk out of my life but still allowed me to treat myself by eating things like chocolate covered bananas or vegan brownies. Moderation!

I did finally get some bloodwork done and it does turn out my iron levels are dangerously low (oops?), I can always start taking a supplement to fix that and start drinking blackstrap molasses because apparently, that has 20% of your daily iron per serving. Yum. Besides that, I really do feel much healthier. I feel fit again, instead of constantly stressed about what I’m eating. My hair and skin both feel amazing.

It’s honestly not hard to find food to eat, either. I just eat the vegetables my mom makes for dinner and heat up some tofu for protein. Now I’m campaigning for my dad to join me since his cholesterol is through the roof and I know he’d benefit from less butter and red meat. (I’m really trying to not become one of those preachy vegans that try to indoctrinate everyone though, don’t worry.)

If you’re still not convinced

a) I don’t care b) it’s fine, you can join my family, who are still convinced that I went to school in California and became “some sort of new-agey hippie.”

Realistically, will I stay vegan forever? I have no clue considering it’s been only 10 weeks and forever is, like, a really long time, but I have no concrete plans to stop anytime soon. Unless I actually do become anemic from an iron deficiency. Then my mom might start force-feeding me red meat again…

Images: Giphy

Original Article : HERE ; This post was curated & posted using : RealSpecific

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beautyofweightlifting · 7 years ago

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Moms into fitness, those able to balance being a busy mom with their workout schedule, are real role models to me. Although I live on my own, I still find it difficult at times to organise meal preps, complete my training, carry a full time job and factor in other activities. These fitness moms lead a healthy lifestyle while looking after their families and their careers. Gillian Leetch-Armstrong is a 49-year-old bikini competitor from Belfast and mother of three boys aged 16, 13 and 8. She works part-time as a social worker and combines this with running her own business as a private counselor.

Jennifer Mackenzie from Rush, 36, Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the leadership team in Accenture. Jennifer is a mother of two and a part-time Personal Trainer.

Gillian Leetch-Armstrong

I am always so impressed when I see fit moms like these ladies in the gym. Whenever I get the chance to chat to them, my first question is to find out how they manage to coordinate everything. More importantly, I ask them to provide fitness tips and advice for other working, busy moms out there who struggle to find the time to look after their health and fitness. I have put together a digest of some of their advice for you.

1 – Find another fitness mom

Jennifer’s story is a great example of how training with a friend can really help you achieve results. Jennifer had her first baby in 2009 and didn’t put much weight. She found it easy to lose weight after pregnancy by doing lots of walking. However, in 2013 she had her second baby and had gained around three stone. Her body weight had reached 11 stone (69.8 kg) and she found it harder to shed the extra baby weight this time around. She attributes this difficulty to life just being busier at home and at work.

Jennifer was not really into fitness but decided the time was right to do something to help her post pregnancy weight loss and get fitter. She tried a boot camp class while she was still breastfeeding, but it didn’t allow enough time for her body to recover. As a result, the experience of boot camp classes was not pleasant. Trying out other well-known weight loss programmes such as Slimming World and Weight Watchers didn’t help either. She didn’t get the long-term results she was expecting:

“I learned from this experience that I needed a different approach and it took me a year to come to terms with it. Slimming World worked short-term, but the weight was always put back on. There are no quick fixes and it takes time to get results.”

Jennifer finally discovered her passion when she decided to take a four-week TRX challenge. This program consisted of a TRX workout schedule along with a nutrition plan. Her daily calorie intake was restricted to 1,200. The hard work really paid off, as Jennifer says:

“I lost a stone and inches! It was the first time that I was doing different types of fitness exercises which allowed me to lose both weight and inches. Although the first week was dreadful, I was sore from training, I kept at it. The great thing is that I also had to reprogram myself around nutrition. I honestly love cooking and thought I knew a lot about cooking. This program was my kick start into my new health and fitness journey.”

She realized how much she loved TRX exercises and kept on doing the classes two to three times a week with a fellow busy mom during the summer. Having a friend coming along made a big difference, as they could encourage each other and push one another.

“My friend also has kids and we became gym buddies. When I wouldn’t be motivated and wanted to cancel the class, she would push me to attend it. Likewise, when she would be too tired and not motivated to work out one day, I would encourage her to go to the class. After the summer, we kept on doing the classes the rest of the year. “ Recruiting a gym buddy is a fantastic way to stay on track with your fitness goals. Here is a great article on the top 10 health benefits of working out with a friend that I recommend reading. As Jennifer highlighted, having a training partner is a great fitness tip that has allowed her to push herself and be more consistent with her workouts. Having someone else with you makes you more accountable and motivated to even just attend the training sessions.

2 – Go from busy mom to organised mom

Getting organised is another great fitness tip from Jennifer to keep you on track.

“Your health should be a priority and you should look after yourself. You will be better to your family when you lead a healthy lifestyle. For example, if work is a priority for a short period of time and as a result you can’t do any sport, then make sure to go for healthy food options.

I know in advance what meals we will be eating each day the coming week. I usually cook the day before for the all family for the following day”

In terms of nutrition, Jennifer has a very good system and has found a balance that works for her and her family. Her healthy eating plan has her staying with clean and healthy choices Monday to Friday, but she then allows herself treats at the weekend. I was then wondering if her kids and husband eat the same healthy food, which would make Jennifer’s life easier in the kitchen. She has found a system which allows her to remain healthy while making sure her family enjoy nutritious food too:

“Since I am in charge of the cooking, I tailor each meal to fit my needs and keep the rest of the family happy. For example, if I cook spaghetti Bolognese, I keep the meat and will have it with salad instead of pasta. Same with burgers, I will have it with salad instead of fries and will not eat the bun either. I just make sure to keep the source of protein and combine it with vegetables or salad.”

Just to clarify, she quotes: “I do swap out carbs for salad and veg but not completely out of my diet. If I have trained hard then I eat carbs, choosing mainly wholegrain pastas and brown rice when I can. I do not believe in cutting any food out completely, in my experience this just leads to yo-yo dieting.”

I totally agree with this approach, and it definitely works long-term.

Although Gillian has a different background to Jennifer since she competes in a very demanding sport, she also believes that organisation is key to her success:

“My key is to plan. I usually prep a few meals at the weekend. For example, I would make stews, soups, curry, chilli. When I get back from work it’s just warm them up with white rice or couscous or quinoa. For breakfast, I make overnight oats so the kids grab a tub from the fridge whatever time they get up and I can have mine either at home or after my gym workout. Lunches – again, it is all about prep. I will wash lots of salad veg and chop peppers etc. then it is just a matter of throwing a handful in a plastic container and popping a cooked chicken breast or some prawns or a tin of tuna or salmon fillet on top. I often roast a chicken or cook some chicken breast. I can use the roast chicken in my salads and throw some in a sandwich or tortilla wrap for the kids.”

“What I usually want is that whatever I have made suits my diet and the kids, by either taking one thing away or adding one thing in. So, for example, if I have already consumed my carbs portion for the day, I would eat chilli without the rice. Also, I double up on dinner quantity when cooking so I have leftovers for lunch.”

3- Get up early!

Jennifer’s kids wake up around 7.30am but she is up earlier. By doing so, she can be in the gym around 6.30am three times a week to do her own exercise.

“I am lucky that the gym is down the road from where I live. Once I finish in the gym, I go back home and prepare breakfast for my kids and husband so that the kids are ready to leave for school. Then my husband takes them to school”

Jennifer makes it look easy, but I was interested to find out what issues she has to deal with that occasionally get in the way of her workout schedule. She said when one of her kids is sick or she is held at work, she has to cancel her gym session but just changes her plans and postpones the workout for another day. To quote her on this, “Life happens outside the gym and we can only solve one problem at a time.”

4- Be gentle to yourself

Among the chaos of raising children, holding down a job (or two) and managing a work out schedule, it can be easy to forget to take it easy on yourself if things don’t go to plan or you are just too tired.

Jennifer “We tend to be too hard on ourselves, sometimes work or life gets in the way, if you miss a session in the gym it’s OK. You can do it the day after. Avoid beating yourself up otherwise you carry this guilt over a day, then before you know it will be the entire week. It’s better to let it go that day and make peace with it and do it the next day or another day.”

5- Stop making excuses

Gillian’s kids are into exercise too. Her boys practice kickboxing and follow a programme run for kids in her local gym. This is handy, because it means she can do her workout while her children do their own! Sometimes she still has to haul herself to the gym at an un-Godly hour for her early morning workout while the boys are still in bed, she is committed to her training and getting it done. At times, she can’t get to a gym so is happy to exercise at home instead.

“I think you have to want it enough, otherwise you find excuses. Most moms probably get an hour in the day where they watch the soaps or go on social media. I use that hour to workout. If I can’t get to the gym because of [the kids’] schedule I will exercise at home. Bodyweight stuff. The trick for me is to put in on your schedule like you would for a dental appointment. You wouldn’t miss that!”

Another of Jennifer’s fitness tips is to try not to make excuses for missing a gym session.

“When you have a tough day, it’s easy to talk to yourself out of it. You have to fight through and do it. You will feel a lot better afterwards. The hardest thing is to get there. Once you’re there and you have completed your training session, you will feel great about yourself and have a sense of accomplishment.”

6- You are never too old

Gillian took up running at age 45 and competed in various distance races – 5km, 10km and half marathons, as well as a season of track racing. Her biggest achievement in running was an “All Ireland” medal for a team relay race. Sadly, she ruptured her calf muscle in 2015 that meant she went from running up to 30 miles a week to sitting on the sofa.

After a few weeks doing nothing, she hobbled into the gym nearest her home on crutches and asked the owner what she could do for her upper body. They then worked together. He helped her rehabilitate and gave her lots of fitness tips, and as a result she was able to go back running.

“I carried on personal training to build strength for my running, but found myself looking forward to my weight sessions more than my runs.”

I was curious to find out how Gillian got involved in bodybuilding, since her path seemed to be running in the early stages. It all started in in March 2017, when her son entered a fitness model competition in Belfast and Gillian went along to watch a support him. He did very well, winning in the category under 16 Mr Physique and Mr Athletic NIFMA Ireland (Northern Ireland Fitness Model Association).

“I loved the experience and got speaking to one of the judges who encouraged me to think about competing. I spoke to my trainer who also encouraged me to go for it. I was so wracked with self-doubt that I didn’t register for the completion until two days before I was due to compete. I trained from March to October, six days a week. I competed in NIFMA Europe in June 2017. I won first place in Miss Yummy Mummy, second in Miss Toned Over 40 and third in Miss Bikini Over 40. I went on to compete in IBFA in October 2017 and I won second in physique category and third in bikini category. I juggle training into a very busy schedule. I hit the gym six times a week – two sessions of PT and four sessions using a programme written by my trainer.”

According to Jennifer, anyone can factor in a quick workout each day, no matter what:

“Anyone at any age can look after their health and be more active. There is always 30 minutes in the day that you can fit in for a training session. It doesn’t have to be 60 minutes or more. There are lots of choices of exercises which are 20 to 30 mins long.”

If you still think you are too old or too busy to look after yourself, please check out this video of Ernestine Sheperd, an 80-year-old bodybuilder who started working out when she was 56.

If you are a complete beginner and not a gym lover, check out this blog with more fitness tips and some easy and simple exercises any mother can do.

Inspirational fit moms: tips from women who manage it all ! Moms into fitness, those able to balance being a busy mom with their workout schedule, are real role models to me.

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