#i had this really tasty easy bbq thing that just needed to be heated up and it was really good but there's like

[hallaburger]

someone please teach me how to eat alone

someone show me how to feed myself without compensating for someone else who may or may not want some of what i'm having

someone help me understand that making a small amount of food at a time is okay

[squishymoth]

Moth’s and Lorelei’s Veggie or Vegan Sandwich Tips:

To preface this I’m kind of a picky eater, especially about textures. Most delis in my area's offerings for vegetarians are made up of various roasted veggies, avocado and cucumber, resulting in a very GOOPY unappetizing sandwich. 

I also don’t subscribe to the idea that vegetarians should only eat vegetables,  and that fake meats are all flavorless and pointless. Most of the tastiest vegetarian sandwiches I’ve had include fake meats.

Nothing I’ve written here is crazy insightful or revolutionary but if anything here helps someone make a tasty vegetarian or vegan sammy I will be happy.

Additions specifically written by my lovely girlfriend Lorelei are marked (L) for Luigi.

Sandwich thoughts below the cut!

Fake Meat:

I will start with the cheaper, easier to find fake meats. Good vege sandwiches should be accessible IMO. I believe these brands will be more widely available and you won’t have to go to a specialty health food store to find em.

Morning Star Farms Bacon:

The MSF bacon is salty and savory and can be as crispy or chewy as you like. Just cook it a couple minutes on either side in a dry non-stick pan. I’m not sure that it tastes exactly like bacon, but it’s strong point is that it has a good flavor all on its own which is what I think defines any good vege meat.

Morning Star Chik Patties:

A great chik’n patty if you are looking for a crispy chicken sandwich, easy to cook in the skillet or the microwave (both ways come out tasty and crispy). Overall Morning Star has good stuff and is widely available.

 Tofurkey: 

really succeeds at a lunch meat texture and has a subtle savory flavor that allows it to support other sandwich ingredients. 

 Fancier Fake Meats:

Green Slice Meatless Deli Slices:

(WARNING not all of them are vegan some use egg white) I’ve often wondered why there was no vege ham alternative, on a recent grocery run I discovered there was one! Green Slice’s applewood smoked slice (I have only tried this flavor, but I’m sure the others are also good) these have a lovely very meat-like texture and flavor. My only quibble is that they are very small and there aren’t that many.

Sweet Earth Facon:

This bacon smells amazing and tastes very bacony. It is cooked in oil, make sure to use paper towel to blot off extra oil.

Light Life Smoky Tempeh Bacon:

Tempeh itself gets a bad rap (you have to cook it in a very specific way), but honestly for sandwiches tempeh is not worth using unless its smokey tempeh bacon. It has a lovely flavor, but it is a very different experience to the other two facons in this list. Imagine it as the contrast between your typical everyday bacon and a thick cut, pepper corn encrusted, artisanal bacon. It is thicker and chewier, but has a delicious smoky sweet flavor.

Tofu:

Pan Seared Tofu:

Ok if you’re really not into fake meats or you just like tasty tofu here is a home made, very tasty, and pretty all purpose recipe for a tofu sandwich filling. This recipe is from The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen. Best part about it, no need to press! Cooking it in the pan before adding oil drives off water super well, and gives a really unique tenderness. We eat this on it’s own, it’s that good!

Ingredients: firm tofu, 1 TBSP neutral oil, 1 TBSP soy sauce (optional in this case if it doesn’t fit the VIBE of your sandwich, if you leave out the soy sauce make sure to compensate with other umami ingredients in the sandwich) 

Instruction: cut your tofu into desired shape (triangle or domino or whatever) put them in a DRY non stick pan, and drizzle with soy sauce on both sides (if desired, salt and pepper could also be used). 

Cook on medium without disturbing the pieces for ~5 mins. 

Drizzle with oil and then flip them, allow the second side to cook for ~5 mins.

To check if the second side is ready try shaking the pan a little, if the tofu moves you can flip. If they are not to your desired brownness flip again and allow to continue cooking until you are satisfied. You are looking for a mottled brown color.

Crispy Tofu:

If you are looking for a crispier tofu here is a homegrown method that I’ve learned through trial and error, also a great addition to spring rolls.

Ingredients: firm tofu, neutral oil, salt and pepper (any other seasoning you like). OPTIONAL: a sauce as in orange sauce, teriyaki, or even BBQ (never tried BBQ but it could work.)

Instructions:

Most important thing for crispy tofu is to drain and PRESS IT. I would press it for between 15-20 minutes. Either cut up your pieces to desired shape and size before pressing or press the whole block if you want to prepare a big portion.

After they are pressed and the moisture is removed, season your tofu. I’ve experimented with rolling tofu in cornstarch to add an extra crispiness but it should crisp up on its own. You may just sprinkle your desired seasoning on both sides as you like. 

In a non stick pan fry tofu on both sides in oil (enough to coat your pan) on medium high heat until golden brown and crispy. When cooking tofu I’ve heard it’s good to leave it undisturbed before flipping to prevent bits sticking to the bottom and preserve inner softness. Try shaking the pan, if the tofu moves a bit it is not going to stick to the pan and lose it’s crispy outer layer. When they are finished cooking set the tofu on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

OPTIONAL: in the last minutes of cooking add a sauce of your choosing, flip the tofu to coat.

Fats:

Avocado:

Avocado is a great addition to almost any sandwich, especially if you are vegan or lactose intolerant. It can easily take the place of cheese or mayo in 99% of sandwiches.

Vegan Cheese:

My girlfriend has tried MANY vegan cheeses and has found all of them to be disappointing. So we have no recommendations for vegan cheese. 

Garlic Butter:

A tasty spread to up your sandwiches flavor. we don’t have a recipe with EXACT measurements, this is all to taste. This can be applied to any sandwich for extra flavor and fat.

Ingredients:

A couple spoonfuls of Butter/Vegan butter

1 small garlic clove (or garlic powder)

Black pepper

Italian herb blend (or pretty much any green herb, fresh or dried [dried preferred] will be tasty)

Honey (if vegan just leave out the honey)

Instructions: In a small bowl grate your garlic clove into the butter, add all other seasonings and the optional honey, and mix. Make sure and taste, if you find it under flavored add more of the flavor stuff, if it is overpowering add more butter (this can keep in the fridge if you end up with too much). Then just spread the desired amount on your toasted bread.

(L) Mayonnaise:

Ok listen, it's stinky. But so is almost every cheese. It adds more of a feeling than a flavor, the fattiness can really uplift a lot of sandwiches, especially with tomato. But, if you are opposed to mayo for whatever reason, avocado, cheese, even olive oil, will fill this role. (not sure about vegan mayos but it can't be that hard to nail right? (Moth does not endorse this pro mayo stance)

(L) Vegan/Dairy freeRanch:

I don’t like ranch, but this homemade stuff really justifies it. I used normal mayo but it should work with vegan mayo. This is a very loose recipe, so tweak it to what works for you

½ cup mayonnaise (egg or plant based)

½ a lemons worth of juice

¼ cup oat milk (soy and almond milk don't play nice with savory flavor)

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp fine chopped fresh dill (or dried, or any green herb0

Whisk the mayo, milk, and lemon together. Add your herbs, and let it sit in the fridge overnight

This is the most important step, this time allows the garlic powder to rehydrate and the herbs to steep that give the ranch its signature flavor. Ranch is basically garlic powder sauce.

I have not tested this ratio much (ok fine at all), so trust your gut! 

Also fun fact,  juice of 1 lemon + 1 cup of oat milk + time = 1 cup of vegan buttermilk!

MISC:

Deli dressing:

You can buy this bottled in store or make your own at home easily. It will add that deli je ne sais quoi to a sandwich. Works best on a simple sandwich that might otherwise be lacking in flavor.

Ingredients:

Olive oil 

Red wine vinegar (any vinegar should do TBH)

Italian seasoning (again some dried oregano or other similar dried herbs should be fine)

Salt and pepper

OPTIONAL: put some vinegar hot sauce (tapatio, cholula, taco bell packet, etc) in that bad boy.

Instructions: mix it UP. This is another recipe that I usually just measure out by eye and taste

Falafel: I am not very experienced in making falafel so I don’t have a recipe on hand, but they are yummy.

Sprouts: a welcome addition to almost any sandwich, earthy, light and crunchy. They are also really easy to grow in a jar at home.

Pickles: love these funny dudes, they don't play well with sweeter sandwiches though. Use your judgement.

Chips: put em in there, 12 year olds know what they're doing.  

Dutch Crunch: objectively the best sandwich bread. 

Coleslaw: if you dislike coleslaw maybe you’ve only had a mayo based one. The only good coleslaw is vinegar based. Thin sliced cabbage, olive oil, vinegar of choice, honey (or vegan alternative) a spoonful of grainy mustard and salt and pepper. Great on a chik’n based sandwich.

Vegetarian Sandwich Ideas:

I don’t really have anything ground breaking here but here are some of the tastiest sandwiches I’ve made. If for some reason you want to try making one of these you can add or leave off anything you like. Salt and pepper all your sandwiches. And add cheese to any if you eat cheese!

BLAT or BLA:

To start this off, I don’t like tomatoes in sandwiches, I know I’m not correct, but you can add tomatoes if you want.

Ingredients: 

Garlic butter

iceberg lettuce (or any lettuce)

avocado

facon (my fav is morning star farms, a fancier facon such as smoky tempeh bacon is also good but has a completely different flavor and texture)

tomatoes (optional because I do not like them)

(L) TOMATO TIP: salt and pepper your tomatoes and let them sit a moment, also if its not tomato season cherry tomatoes are ur best bet for a decent tomato from the store.

Orange Tofu Sandwich:

A note: feel free to substitute a different sauce or to omit sauce entirely. The pan seared tofu makes a good sandwich filling without any extra sauce.

 Ingredients: pan seared tofu, crispy tofu, or gardein orange chikn nuggets (these come with a packet of orange sauce)

Orange sauce

Iceberg lettuce (other lettuces or even finely chopped cabbage will be good as well)

Avocado

Thin sliced sweet or bell pepper 

(L) Fancy “Ham” on Rye:

Ingredients:

Rye bread The rye bread adds a lovely funky herby note to the entire experience. Its what makes it fancy.

Green Slice applewood smoked(or any You could use tofurkey, but honestly if you find it/afford it green slice has an amazing texture and deep flavor that tofurkey doesn't. This is a simple fancy sandwich, splurging is gonna go a long way here.

Garlic Honey butter

Iceberg Lettuce (again or any other lettuce, or a mix with arugula and spinach)

Optional mayo: (L) i adore mayonnaise on this kind of sandwich, it really lets the other flavors shine. I havent tried it with avocado, my gut says it wouldnt work as good but I’m not a cop put some on there avocado is yummy. 

Optional cheese a sharp cheddar or fancy gruyere. 

Crispy Chik’n Sandwich:

Ingredients:

Morning Star Chik Patty (spicy one if ur spicy)

Facon (strong recommendation for morning star on this one) 

Vinegary vegan coleslaw (or any lettuce iceberg is recommended and easier on the fly)

Dill pickles (pickles+crispy chicken very yummy, we specify it on this one because its almost necessary for a spicy sandwich.)

Condiments of choice (ketchup, BBQ, honey, hot sauce etc)

Deli Style Sandwich:

A really basic sandwich, add whatever other sandwich fixings you like.

Ingredients:

Tofurkey

Sprouts

Iceberg lettuce

Sandwich dressing

Avocado 

Pickle or Cucumber

[angryschnauzer]

I grew up in So Cal heat waves and spent three of the hottest years of my LIFE in Phoenix, AZ (summer days of 123-128 F, nights never got below 100F. In C, that’s a high of 50-53, low of 37). We’re in one here in So Cal again right now and my house has no AC, so I have some empathy. If I can offer some advice (most of which you probably already know, but you know)….

Make your own cold packs. 1 part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol to 3 parts water in a sealed baggie (or soaked into a washcloth in a bag) and frozen. They stay more pliable when frozen than straight water. These can be applied on the back of the neck, under the arms, backs of knees, soles of feet, as needed to cool someone down. Just don’t place ice packs direct on bare skin.

If you can’t do that, sealed drinks (like sodas or water bottles) straight from the fridge will do in a pinch. (had an EMT do this to me at a concert when I dropped from heat exhaustion.)

Soak feet/hands in ice water briefly. They have lots of blood vessels so it will help carry that cooled blood to the rest of the body. (I wouldn’t recommend doing it for long, but a few minutes will give some relief. I can tolerate about 10-15 minutes.)

If the people sleeping under them can tolerate it, strip down as far as you can and sleep under a sheet only. Use a spray bottle to dampen the top sheet before you climb in. It will evaporate and keep you cooler. If you have the soft reusable ice packs, tuck one in your pillow case (and/or freeze your pillowcase before bed). They can also go along your tummy and near your feet to make the bed feel cooler.

Get hair off the nape of the neck if you can, and light colored, loose clothes, preferably cotton.

If you can, turn off as many lights, electronics and appliances as you can during the hottest part of the day. I know with Pup, that might be hard, but these all generate heat so they will contribute to the rising temp in the house.

We have places called “heat relief” or “cooling” centers, which are public buildings with AC that open to the public when the heat becomes bad, with room given as priority to the elderly, disabled, small children, etc. so they can cool off. I don’t see that they have these in the UK, but your post about going to lunch etc. reminded me of that. We often escaped to the second-run movie theater near my house, because it was a $1/ea for 2 hours of a dark room with strong AC. Might also be a good time to get ppl together and petition to start heat relief centers there…

I don’t know if you park outside, but if you do, tossing a hot holder or a towel over your seat belt buckles when you park will prevent a lot of those YEOUCH moments when you go back to the car.

BBQ or batch cook so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen as much/often. Also… sandwiches and salads don’t require any heat to prep. :)

Pieces of fruit frozen in the freezer make a tasty treat that will help you keep cool.

LOTS of fluids, because it’s super easy to dehydrate before you realize it. High water content foods help too - like cucumbers and melons.

Once you get past this heat wave, you may want to look into getting thermal insulated curtains if you don’t already have them. Added benefit of darkening the room if you have issues sleeping at night. Not sure what brands you might see, but the big one I find here is called Eclipse. (I have them in my bedroom and living room and they help a LOT)

Most of all, stay safe! Heat exhaustion/heat stroke is a killer.

Submitted by @geminiloveca

Thank you love. A lot of this we already do or have, and other things we simply don’t have so its not an option. This is all really appreciated, and i’m posting so others can get any hints. I think the biggest problem now is we all now know HOW to get cool, we just can’t. 

Its gotten to the point now that i’ve been running on 4-5 hours of broken sleep a night for a month because either i’m too hot or i get woken up by Superpup who is too hot.. When i’m out driving my car i’m not concentrating. So i only go out in the middle of the day when the roads are quiet, not in rush hour. We attempted to go to the supermarket today for our 3 hours of coolness but it is a parkade type parking lot were you drive up a big ramp and you park above the store (still under cover), but there had been a car crash on the ramp where a retired person had passed out behind the wheel. The paramedics and fire fighters suspect it was from dehydration as old people are notorious for not drinking enough in this weather. So we’re home and having a picnic in the shade of the garden. I’ve got the crockpot on in the kitchen with some pulled pork in (enough for 2 or 3 meals) so that means i only have to microwave it when its dinner time for the next few nights. The kiddie paddling pool will be filled this afternoon, but we are also very close to having a hosepipe ban so i also want to conserve water. I’ve currently got superpup running around with a little spray bottle with just water in letting him spray whatever he wants (mainly himself). 

The good news is that in a little over a weeks time we’re going to my Inlaws in Wales for a week - its on the West Coast side of the UK (heading towards ireland), and its cooler there by 5-10C. I’m very much looking forward to daytrips into the Black Mountains where we can just picnic in the woods surrounded by streams and sheep!

[lindoig8]

Hughenden - 29 July-1 August

Thursday

(It's weeks since I have been able to post anything. We have rarely had a signal and never good enough to set up a hotspot and connect my PC in order to post anything. The only time when it might have been possible was when we were in Alice Springs for several hours – but I forgot to take my PC. It was in the van and we only took the car to Alice. And I don’t have a lot of photos to post so there will be a lot of text coming up!)

As I said, we didn’t really enjoy Winton this trip so we were glad to be leaving it behind but first, we had to have our Anderson plug replaced (at more than twice the price of the previous two) and to put a bit more diesel in the tanks – and then we were off.

It was an uneventful 200-odd kilometres to Hughenden where we were visiting to experience it’s Country Music Festival – another unlikely activity for us. Perhaps the thing that stood out from the drive here was that we saw a few sheep – the first for at least 10,000 kilometres. The literature indicates that the area we have been in for the past few days is sheep country, but we have still been seeing almost exclusively cattle.

The van park here is fairly full (although only part of it seems to be open) and it is exactly as I wrote a few days ago: very narrow short sites, no pull throughs, with cars necessarily being parked on both sides of the narrow driveways. It is almost impossible to reverse into most sites and all have high curbs on both sides of the wheel tracks so there is no room for error. We simply couldn’t get on to any of the designated sites so eventually parked on what appears to be a roadway, but the manager said it was OK. Once we put our awning out, the ‘roadway’ was effectively closed. Then a camper reversed in behind us and put its awning out too.

We set up and had a cuppa and went out to explore. We drove around town and ended up at the Information Centre where we got our questions answered and collected some brochures. One question was about a massive array of solar panels we saw near the stockyards. It must be at least a kilometre square and is crammed with solar panels. The Information Centre woman said that there was another one on the other side of town too (we saw it a few days later – even more massive) and neither of them have ever worked – not even for a minute she said. They were supposed to feed power to the grid with no benefit whatsoever to the locals who seem fairly opposed to them – probably hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of gear that will simply sit there abandoned forever.

I asked about birding and the woman at the counter and her partner are apparently birders too and she told me two places to go but I am not sure that I will take it up. She said the best one was a walk along the river that is best immediately after dawn when I want to be comfortable in bed. The other one is at their artificial lake, preferably at dusk, when we hope to be enjoying some country music. We drove around the lake today and it didn’t inspire me. I saw nine species but all birds you expect to see in a public recreation area. The town’s official bird list is pretty impressive for all that.

Friday

We did a load of washing in the morning and it was all dry by soon after lunch. Apart from that, we sat in the van out of the heat and worked on our blogs and photos pretty much all day. There is always a few emails to answer and bills to pay, so access to the Hotspot provided by my phone is always essential. Many van parks offer free Wi-Fi, but it is nearly always open and even if it works (less than 50% of the time), it is always inexorably slow.

We had booked to attend the opening concert of the Music Festival at night and we could buy food and drink at the venue so we did that. Not quite what we would have eaten if we had prepared it ourselves, but tasty enough. We had BBQ and salad, plenty of it and not expensive, but it was all unfortunately cold. Catering for about a hundred people must be difficult.

Robbie Katter is the State member for that electorate and he opened the Concert – and then performed – sang and played the guitar. It was quite a fun evening, definitely a small country event, but better than Hicksville. There was a really good band (steel guitar was excellent) and three main performers. One was really quite good and the other two acceptable but perhaps not quite destined for immediate stardom. Having said that, it was an enjoyable night and we went away with a few familiar tunes repeating in our heads.

Saturday

It was a fairly full day, despite us only spending 2 or 3 hours at the Music Festival.

We drove out to Porcupine Gorge in the morning. It is a very impressive gorge – 27 kilometres long according to the sign near the parking area, but over 100 kilometres according to other material we have read. We only went to the lookout at the top but there is a camping area at the bottom, but accessibility is a problem – a rough track in and a long difficult walk from the camping area to the gorge itself. It is a massive rift in the ground, I think it is 230 metres deep from memory, with a river flowing through it, obviously continuing to cut the gorge ever deeper.

We drove back into town, but just before we got there, we detoured 98(?) kilometres on the Basalt Byway, a big loop west and north of town. Again, very impressive, with unusual rocky tors and interesting structures: a really lovely peaceful drive, all on good gravel and virtually no other traffic – most enjoyable.

We arrived back in town just before 4pm and went straight to the Music Festival. Competition was well on its way, but we enjoyed nearly 3 hours of music, from about 8-year-olds up to adults – with relative quality reflecting skill levels and experience. It was quite entertaining and we enjoyed just relaxing and soaking it all in – very much Country and a lot of fun. Senator Bob Katter (Robbie’s father) was there for the duration sitting close to us. There were a few stalls with wares for sale and Heather struck up a conversation with a woman selling jams, sauces and similar goodies and we made a couple of purchases and they swapped recipes for a couple of items. (We were refuelling the next day – automated 24-hour self-service – when I noticed the same woman in the car next to us driving away. She lives just around the corner but hadn’t used the automated system before and was a bit hesitant about it all. She parked in the middle of the road and Heather went over for a chat (quite a long chat) and the woman really appreciated it. She is apparently quite lonely and was pleased that we recognised her and that Heather took the time for a chat.)

Sunday

We started by getting fuel and bread and then went fossicking about 17 kilometres up the Porcupine Gorge road. This whole area, including most of Queensland and other areas, was originally under a shallow sea and there were myriads of creatures fossilised when the land rose and the sea abated. We had read about the gully where people had found thousands of belemnite fossils – little creatures believed to be the antecedents of squid and cuttlefish. It was very hot, but we dug through a lot of compacted soil and Heather found two of them. Doesn’t sound a lot, but given that they are between 140 and 110 million years old, we were hugely satisfied with our find. We could have kept digging and maybe found some more but it was very hot and dusty in full sun so we left some for other prospectors to find.

We then drove back to town and turned east for 40-odd kilometres to Prairie – a town that is really nothing much more that a quaint old pub. Of course, we had the obligatory coldie and chatted with the owners, probably brothers although very unalike, both a bit brusque and outspoken, but fun to talk to anyway.

We ate our lunch outside the pub and then headed south to the Eromanga Sea Byway, a good gravel road about 50 clicks south of Hughenden. We didn’t see the sea but it was fascinating to imagine that all those years ago, we would have needed a ship or a submarine to traverse the track, dodging belemnites, pliosaurs and zillions of other marine creatures along the way. This Byway took us back to the Winton-Hughenden road and thence back to Hughenden. Our travels on the day took us a bit over 200 kilometres with the van in tow so we decided to top up with fuel again before leaving town – the fuel there was cheaper than anywhere else in the area and we didn’t want to buy more until we reached Boulia.

We then headed due west toward Richmond but the afternoon was drawing to a close and we decided not to go on to Richmond in the dark. Finding places to camp was not easy so we ended up in a rest area 48 clicks short of Richmond – along with at least 14 other rigs. We really try to avoid these crowded places but we didn’t have a lot of choice and we can’t stop people pulling up beside us once we are set up anyway. It was a really hot night and didn’t cool off much at all – well into the 20s I reckon all night and not easy to sleep.

[voyagehole9-blog]

One Bowl Berry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Egg Free Option

 Gluten Free Berry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies! Fresh Fruit combined with gluten free oats to make healthy breakfast cookies. Great for breakfast to go, snacks, or dessert. Easy to make, dairy free with egg free/nut free options! Oh and did I mention with simple ingredients? Yes, DELISH!

Happy Almost September friends. I hope you take this time to really enjoy this last bit of Summer.  I am really trying to sip and savor happiness with these perfect Summer nights.

Many of us will also be celebrating Labor this next long weekend, but I still wanted to post a meal prep recipe (that also happens to be red and blue) to keep the back to school motivation going. I know I know, you guys already have your mind set on weekend shenanigans and BBQ eats, but just think, these gluten free berry oatmeal breakfast cookies will make a great travel snack and/or a healthy breakfast to go! Plus they are made in one bowl, so very little labor is involved. Haha, get it?

Besides, who doesn’t love berry flavored oatmeal cookies anyway?Especially one that’s made with fresh summer berries and is TOTALLY allowed to be eaten at breakfast! That’s worth some extra celebrating, yes?

Speaking of breakfast and cookies, these breakfast cookies haves actually been our go to for breakfast come lately.

 Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies for Meal Prep = GENIUS!

You see, a few weeks ago my husband started a new job, yea!! But that also meant I needed to step up my meal prep game! So I made a bunch of breakfast cookies (mini size and big size) then froze a half. That way all I had to do was just reheat them in the microwave or toaster oven.  The smell alone  of cinnamon, coconut sugar, and oatmeal heated is just delightful. Now combine that with all that fresh natural sweetness of the berries and it’s like an explosion of breakfast meets snickerdoodle cookie all in one. OK I might be exaggerating a bit. But you get what I mean. 

The other reason I absolutely ADORE these festive breakfast cookies are because the combination of gluten free oats and vitamin C rich fruits (like berries) actually help increase your chromium absorption.

What makes an oatmeal breakfast cookie healthy?

I know what you’re thinking. .. uh.. you’re going to talk nerdy nutrition again? Yes, yes I am! And I’ll nerd out on why we need this certain type of mineral, Chromium. Mmm k?

Chromium is a trace minerals that the body needs to support the growth, development and other various physiological systems. It’s also needed for proper glucose absorption from the blood. When your levels of chromium are too low, blood sugars may rise, which can cause that HANGRY sensation and definitely not good for the those adrenals glands. We can’t stress over that, right? Which is why Chromium is so important, especially at BREAKFAST. Chromium rich foods include broccoli, Brewer’s yeast, nuts and oatmeal!!!  YEA! So you see my whole plan here right?

Berries –> Vitamin C + Oatmeal –> Chromium = AMAZING NOURISHING BREAKFAST COOKIE and just plain delicious.

See, gluten free cookies can actually be a health food. A health food that taste like a REAL cookie though. Ya know?

Okay, so all you need to make these gluten free oatmeal breakfast cookies are fresh berries, a little coconut sugar, gluten free oats, a few handfuls of nuts or pumpkin seeds, eggs, and gluten free pancake mix or gluten free multi-purpose flour, and ONE BOWL –> BAM!

The cool thing about using gluten free pancake mix in this recipe is that you can make the batch egg free. I suggest using a whole grain gluten free pancake mix  or food allergy friendly pancake mix that doesn’t require you using eggs in the original cooking instruction.  No egg is needed but it does help create texture and  volume.

Alright, let’s get this meal prepping, back to school snacking, patriotic cookie party started, mmm k?

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ONE BOWL berry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Description

ONE BOWL berry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies Gluten Free Nut Free and Egg Free /Vegan Option.

Recipe Updated August 2018

Ingredients

3 cups gluten free rolled oats

1 cup blueberries

1/2 c gluten free pancake mix or gluten free multi-purpose flour

3/4 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)

1 egg (see notes for egg free or vegan version)

1/2 cup coconut sugar or raw sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 c strawberries (chopped) or 1/4 c raspberries

Optional Protein Boosters Add ins – 2 tbsp plain or chocolate collagen protein powder, 2 tbsp hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. See notes for other options.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all your ingredients, fold in your strawberry slices last

Use a large or small cookie scoop and place on baking tray 1 inch apart. Large cookie scooper will yield 12 cookies. Small Cookie scoop will yield 22-24 cookies.

Press the cookies flat with back of cup or leave in cluster shape, both work.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on bottom.

Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.

Store in airtight container or freezer for later.

Notes

If you use a gluten free pancake mix then you can omit the egg and make them vegan friendly. They will be denser but still work. Or feel free to use a chia egg or 1 -2 tbsp coconut oil. Cooking times will vary so check after 18 minutes.

Protein booster options – Mix in your favorite flavor collagen powder or substitute 1/4 cup of the gluten free flour mix for pea protein powder.

Nutrition BELOW IS PER LARGE COOKIE

Keywords: breakfast cookies, breakfast, oatmeal, one bowl. gluten free breakfast, egg free, nut free, healthy

P.S And if you are looking for a gluten free multi purpose flour mix for this recipe, we use Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free 1:1 mix. It’s great for baking too! And no, they didn’t pay me to say that. 😛

P.P.s  feel free to add a boost of antioxidants to these one bowl breakfast cookies! A little drizzle of melted dark chocolate does a body good! Just sayin…

Whatcha makin this weekend?

Do you meal prep for breakfast? Breakfast cookies of anyone?  

These Peanut Butter Coconut Oatmeal Cookies  from Beaming Baker are on my list to make next!!

Alright wonderful people, have a great week!

Cheers!

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Source: https://www.cottercrunch.com/one-bowl-berry-oatmeal-breakfast-cookies/

[mysteriousdreaming]

A day at the beach.

[ Jamison reflects on his life with Symmetra while on the beach. Symmrat Week day 3 Fluff/Angst ]

[AO3]

Hot sand stuck to his legs, and the gibraltar summer sun beat warmly down on his face as Junkrat sat on the beach; he was sipping an iced tea and looking out over the waves to where Symmetra was swimming, her sleek hair plastered back from her face in a large black mass. 

The tea was sweet and fruity, just the way he liked it, and every now and again a small tapioca ball would make its way up the straw and into his mouth. He chewed one thoughtfully with a stupid smile plastered on his face. He still couldn't believe that such an intelligent, talented and beautiful woman existed never mind that, as of a few weeks ago, that woman was his wife.

When the two of them first began to work together he thought they were like chalk and cheese, but over time they began to understand each other. Despite their differences they had an awful lot in common. They both loved building and creating, they both loved extremely sweet and spicy food and they both loved having long walks on the beach.

The first thing was obvious really. They were both creative in their own ways, different and unique in the way they used their craft and talents. At first they had some sort of unsaid rively between them about whose technology and inventions were better: her sleek and complex designs crafted with delicate precision and planning, or his simple yet effective contraptions made of only scrap and odd parts. It even led to arguments and some nasty words exchanged between the two of them during missions. He thought Symmetra was a stuck up ass just for the sake of it. Thinking she was better than everyone else. He thought her obsession with order and cleanliness was just to piss him off or make fun of his messy work area and appearance. Apparently Torbjorn had enough of the constant bickering and underhanded comments distracting him from his own work and he ended up getting Winston to give the two of them a project to work on together in an attempt at team bonding. It ended up working brilliantly, and the result was a beautiful mix of hard light and ‘junk’ that actually managed to be extremely helpful on the next mission. By the end of it the two considered each other a friend, or at least a close college. After a while he’d found out that Metra’s actions in the first few weeks weren’t just to piss him off, it was just how she was. She didn't like to be unnecessarily touched, loud noises made her uncomfortable and she needed the structured life Vishkar (and later overwatch) gave her. In short the way he acted, sometimes even on purpose, had managed to make her very, very, uncomfortable. When Lena explained this to him he felt like a real jerk. After that he tried to make an effort not to make her feel that way. Of course it was quite hard, he couldn't just stop making explosives and even with his best efforts sometimes traces of various  substances would end up on her workspace, but she seemed to genuinely appreciate the effort.

Their shared love of extremely spicy food was discovered when Hana had the brilliant (but eventually disastrous) idea to have a cooking competition at the base. Anyone who was participating had to make a dish from their home country. Jamison had decided to not participate (bbq was his speciality, but unfortunately most people had eaten it before and he doubted people wanted to try the food he ate in the outback), but Symmetra had decided to give it a try. She often moaned to him about how bland the food here was compared to her home, and wanted to give the rest of the team a ‘proper meal’.

Unfortunately she made the mistake of making Junkrat her assistant.

Everything was going quite well for a while, he hadn’t set fire to anything (somehow) and the food prep was going to plan. The recipe Symmetra had was surprisingly easy to follow, and probably would have gone off without a hitch if he hand mixed up teaspoons and tablespoons. Even more unfortunately the spice he got confused with was the hottest Symmetra had been able to find in the gibraltar markets. When the meal was served to Reinhardt, who was acting as head judge, it only took a few milliseconds for the old germans face to go bright red and the lanky arsonist could have sworn that he saw steam coming out of the man's ears from the heat. Metra had quickly tasted the curry for herself and while her reaction was nothing like the old crusaders she still seemed surprised at the hotness and gave Junkrat an annoyed glare.  She later cornered him in the kitchen and asked him, rather accusingly, what he had done. He told her he didn't understand what the hell she was going on about, making her thrust a bowl of the delicious smelling food in his face. He took a generous spoonful and felt his mouth set on fire. God was it amazing. He’d had spicy food before, but nothing this hot and this tasty.

“I don’t see anything wrong with it?” He huffed, stuffing more of the amazing concoction in his burning mouth until he noticed her looking at him funny “what?”.

“It’s not meant to be that hot. The recipe is meant to have a kick, but not a reaction like that.” She sighed, looking disappointed but also curious at how fast he was eating. “Is that not burning your mouth?”

“Ye, but it’s good, like an explosion on ma tongue.” He paused, shoving another spoonful in his mouth. “And i don’t know how it’s too spicy, i followed the recipe exactly, 2 heaped helpings of the big teaspoons, just like it said.” As soon as the words left his mouth symmetra put her head in her hands with a small sigh.

He laughed fondly at the memory. Later, after apologizing to Reinhart, she explained to him the difference between the different type of spoons while giggling the whole time. She’d called him a fool, but in a light hearted way that made him feel funny inside, and made him promise to check things with her if they cooked together in the future. From then on whenever it was her turn to cook for everyone she made an extra hot variation especially for him.

The last love they shared he found out one night after a particularly harrowing mission. Everying thing had gone to shit; people had gotten hurt, civilians and members of the team, and it was the worst failure since the recall first went active. Roady was one of the worst injured on the team and it shook him up more than he expected. The big lug was like his rock, he’d grown more attached than he realised to the old mercenary and the idea that he could genuinely die had made him extremely uncomfortable. In an attempt to feel better he had made his way down the long walk from the rock to the beach to try and get some air and clear his thoughts. Anything just to get away from the depressing atmosphere that clouded the watchpoint.

It took him a while to walk down the long and twisting road and when he got to the white sands he was surprised to see Metra was there also. He could still remember the way she looked, dressed in a cool summer dress with her hair tied up and her injured arm in a sling. She’d been thrown against a wall by some dickhead and was lucky to have gotten away with just a broken bone and a few nasty bruises. She was obviously shaken up by the events, just like him. She sat on a wall at the edge of the sand, her knees tucked up to her chin and her eyes looking out somewhere beyond the sea. They ended up sitting and talking well into the night about just about anything, with only each other and the waves for company. He found out a lot about her he never knew, like how cruel Vishkar truly was, and he told her about his old life in the outback. If he had to chose a moment when their relationship went from friends to something more, that would be it. Since then they had slowly become closer, falling in head over heels in love. And after several years of waiting and discussing the idea they finally got married.

Symmetra seemed to noticed him looking at her and gave him a smile and wave. He waved back, making a dent in the sand for his cup and placing it down, drawing his knees up to his chest. Their honeymoon was very fun; Hana let them stay in her house on a private island (he still couldn't wrap his head around the life of a movie star), meaning they had their own little world for a week. They were able to do almost whatever they wanted, snorkeling with tropical fish, diving deeper under the sea, sleeping under the stars and a few nights spent cuddling on the sofa having movie marathons of cringey romcoms. Of course, they did other things too, more...strenuous... activities that Hana was probably better off not knowing about. On some of those nights it was a good thing they had the island to themselves. But his favorite part of those evenings wasn't the sex (although that was pretty amazing), it was lying together in bed. His fingers interlocked with hers, his arm around her waist pulling her closer to his chest. Just resting his chin on her head, breathing in the flowery scent of her shampoo, was comforting and calming enough that he was actually able to sleep. They fit together perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle. It just felt right having Symmetra here in his arms. They just belonged together.

Seemingly finished with her swim, Metra walked over to where he was sitting and gently lowered herself down beside him. She placed her metal hand over his, interlocking their fingers and laying her head on his shoulder. Her wet hair gave him a tickling sensation on his neck and he couldn't help but smile a little, resting his own head against hers.

“Have a nice swim love?”

She nodded, stretching out her legs. “It was, i wish you could swim though so I could have a partner. I’m sure you would enjoy it.”

The very thought of being hopeless in the the vast blue made him shudder and he shook his head. With the waves crashing around him and the possibility of getting dragged away by the tide. “Not really my cup of tea.”

“I could always teach you? It may be fun.” She smirked, running a hand down his chest with a mischievous grin, making him laugh.

“With that attitude I doubt we’d get much teaching done.”

“Are you complaining?”

Junkrat smirked “Not exactly.” he kicked his legs out and lay down, the sand on his back cool and damp. “Don’t think swimming would be very useful. If I’m ever in trouble in water I’d just sink like a stone cause of these bad boys” he tapped his peg leg against the sand and Symmetra frowned.

“You never know when it could help. But I can’t force you learn.”

“And if I ever wanna learn you’ll be the first person I’ll come to.”

His response seemed to satisfy her and she lay down too, her head resting on his chest and her hand placed just over his heart. He ran one hand through her soft hair while the other grabbed his drink, listening the the sounds of the waves eagerly lapping the shore and birds flying overhead. Despite it being the middle of the summer and tourist season the part of the beach they were on was surprisingly quiet and private. It was very pleasant and relaxing.

“It’s very peaceful here, isn't it?” Symm mumbled, her eyes were closed but a smile was still pushing at the corners of her mouth.

“Stupid tourists must have taken a day off.”

That made her laugh. It was a pleasant sound that made him feel warm and fuzzy, especially when he knew that her laughing was his doing “You don’t seem to mind tourists when you have several tea shops to chose from.” before he could react she sat up and plucked the plastic cup from his prosthetic with a giggle, wiggling it just out of his reach “Especially when they sell your precious boba tea.”

“Hey! Give it back!” he joined her laughing, trying to reach for the cup but failing while a mischievous grin remained on Symmetra’s face. She just stuck her tongue out at him mockingly.

“Make me.”

He sighed, sitting up and softly kissing her while running a thumb gently over her cheek. Her lips were soft and smooth. Whenever he kissed her, ever since the first time, he found it hard not to lose himself to her. He used the distraction to steal his tea back out of her hand and lay back down with a smirk. “Happy?”

“Very.” She sighed, lying back down cuddling up against him again “Although I should have held on a little tighter.”

He just wanted to stay like this forever; Warm, peaceful and with his beautiful wife curled up beside him. He looked up at the sky, the vast pale blue clear of any clouds, and closed his eyes.

“Jamison”

He wearily cracked open one eye, looking up at the at the angry black sky above him that was pelting him with lashings of rain. He let out a groan, closing his eye again.

“Jamison!” it was the same voice again, more forceful now. He turned his head in the general direction of the voice before choosing to ignore it again. Once more he closed his eyes, hoping, begging that when he opened them he would be back at the beach. Sand in his hair and arms wrapped around her.

It was pointless really, he wasn't going to get it back now. The gears in his mind hand begun to wake up and he was becoming more and more aware of the feeling of wet hair slapped against his neck and the feeling of soaked shorts clinging to his thighs. The warm mid summer beach was long gone.

With a sigh he dug his elbows into the soft gritty dirt around him, using a large amount of the little energy he had to push himself up. With his good hand he rubbed his face, probably smearing mud  everywhere and all though the unshaven stubble that littered his chin. A nearby puddle showed how ragged he looked. His eyes were cold with barely a flicker of life behind them and dark marks marked the space underneath, his hair came down to just above his shoulders in a crazy unkept mass and he couldn't remember the last time he'd shaved.

Not that it mattered, he had no real reason to look after himself and he didn't have the energy to do so either. He reached round to rub the back of his neck, feeling the dirt and mud that was plastered down his back and in his hair. He should probably have a shower, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had one of them either. He knew it was gross and disgusting, and God knows what she'd think of him, but the thought of having a shower with the effort it took to get unchanged, turn on the shower and wash himself seemed like a daunting task. And he really wanted to avoid it.

God why did everything have to be so difficult now? Even getting out of bed seemed to zap what little energy that he may have gained from somehow sleeping. He just felt dead. Like a walking corpse. He probably smelt like one too. Hell, he'd probably be better off being dead.

By now the source of the voice walked over to him. Mercy sat down next to him, not seeming to mind the mud that was getting on her labcoat.after a few seconds of silence she spoke, turning to him “Penny for your thoughts?”

Junkrat sighed, rubbing his hands together. “I need a bath…”

“Then why don't you have one?” It was one of those questions that if anyone else had said it he would have known they didn't really want an answer. Even the doctor probably didn't really care about his answer to the question itself, more the fact he was talking at all. It was the kind of question specifically wired to keep him talking. When people first started asking him that kind of question he would deliberately give clipped and short answers, thinking he was clever for getting out of the conversation.

Now a days he just gave a straight answer, there was no real point in lying.

“It's too much effort. Takes too much energy”

Angela sighed, smoothing out her skirt “ Maybe you should try it may he-”

“Help?” He cut her off, putting his head in his hands “A fucking bath isn't going to bring her back. It won't help.”

She sighed again, playing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It might.”

He knew it wouldn't, having a shower was one of the first things he did after the incident. It was an attempt to try and was away the scene plastered in his mind. Burned there with no way of being scrubbed away. The large talon bastard who came out of nowhere while they were all off guard, lifting her up by the neck of her dress while she was trying to set up defenses. The way he flung her off the cliff like she was a worthless ragdoll. The way her screams pierced his ears as she fell. The fact he was helpless to do anything.  The crack he was sure he heard when she hit the jagged rocks below.

The way the hot and sticky remains of the large talon member felt on his skin.

It was the most savage, reckless and murderous he had felt since he left the out back. Roady had to pull him away from butchering even more what was, at that point, a mangled piece of unidentifiable flesh.

So a shower hasn't helped last time.

He seemed to handle her death well at first, went to her funeral and everything. It was...nice, she would have liked it. Not a thing was out of place or slightly the wrong colour shade, he made sure of it. He hadn't been that clean since their wedding either, there wasn't a single speck of dirt on him. He said the right things to people who asked him if he was ok. That was something he didn't understand. People with kind faces asking him if he felt ok as if the answer wasn't fucking obvious. It was done of those expressions Symm had taught him about, like 'how was your day?’ or 'did you have a nice weekend’, people didn't really want an answer they were just being polite or trying to make themselves look good.

So he just smiled and lied too.

In all honesty he did feel 'fine’ at the start. The way he expect to feel anyway after something like that anyway. Just numb. He thought after a while the feeling would fade, that slowly he'd be able to function again, but it hadn't.

The days had stretched into weeks, and the weeks bled into months. He even lost most of the passion he had for his bombs. Making them now was just mechanical, robotic. Just make more stock for more missions, not because you want to. He'd given up on painting the smiley faces on the bombs, there really wasn't any point it just wasted time, it wasn't like anyone saw them before they died.

That was probably what tipped Hog off that something wasn't quite right.The faces had always been his trademark, his own personal touch to each invention, and losing that seemed to show how lost he was.

The two sat in silence a while before Mercy spoke again “What were you doing out here?”

This time he didn’t turn to look at her, his eyes instead focused on a point in the distance.“Remembering a couple of years back with Symm. We were on the beach, few weeks after we got married…” He let his words trail off. God, why did it still fucking hurt to talk about her. Remembering . That’s all he had left now. How long till those memories faded like the ones he had of his childhood, battered and fuzzy. He didn’t want to lose them too, the thoughts and reflections on the life they had together.  He faced the doctor “Why’d ya come looking for me?”

“I was worried.” She smiled sadly. It wasn’t like she didn't have reason to be. The scars and burns in various stages of healing the littered his hand and the ugly greenish-yellow bruise around his neck proved that quite well. The scars on his hand weren't necessarily intentional, he’d just become more careless around his bombs and it was a surprise he still had all five fingers. It all related back to feeling like a dead man walking he supposed, not giving a fuck about dying meant he wasn't as careful to avoid it. He stood too close to bombs, ran into fights he could have avoided and seemed to come out of most scrapes a lot worse than he use to. He’d seen people act like this back at Junktown after losing friends or partners or kids. At the time he found it pathetic, everyone had lost something in the initial explosion so why was this any different? But now? When he was in that position? He understood. It was that hope of being with them again.

He could have been happy, he had that chance. After years of horror and pain and suffering he was finally happy.

And it was all gone in an instant.

He put his head in his hands, feeling tears running down his cheeks and carving paths in the muck on his face. Mercy careful pulled him close into a motherly embrace, smoothing a hand down his back as he cried into her chest.

“Do you remember when Satya and Hana had that silly argument? The one about Hana’s gaming space?”

Jamison nodded, the faintest smile pulling at his cheeks “The one where Symm broke into her room?”

Mercy laughed “Yes. She color coordinated her entire room and ordered her controllers by model.”

“Don’t forget that she got every single game Hana had and placed them on the floor alphabetically” A small laugh escape him at the memory of the korean girl’s face when she walked in the room. It was a strange sound, slightly strangled due to his crying, but it was a laugh nonetheless. The fact the Symm managed to create so much chaos by taking order to the extreme still fascinated him even now.

He looked back in the puddle again, the scraggly broken man looking back at him making his small smile disappear “Fucking hell Angela...She’d be so disappointed in me…I’m a mess.”

The doctor shook her head, “I don’t think she would be. You’ve been thought a lot, and she’d be proud you were still here and coping.”

“Coping? I wouldn’t call this coping.”

“Well, i would.” She gave him a comforting squeeze “ I’m proud of you Jamison. So is Roadhog, and Hana.”

Her words made him well up again, but in a different way. He lost symmetra, the love of his life, but he still had his family. And they had his back no matter what. He turned around and gave the doctor a proper hug, his muddy hands marking the back of her coat.

. She seemed taken back for a second but quickly returned it. “Can- Can you help me get better?”

She gave him a soft smile, her hand resting on his shoulder, “ Of course i can.”

He had to do it. Not just because it was what she would have wanted, but because it's what his family wanted.

It was what he wanted.

He’d always have Symmetra with him, in his heart and in his memories were it mattered most.

And when times got tough, he’d always have that day on the beach.

[places-ive-eaten]

Krispy Krunchy Chicken.....a new era of eating is born (really it's just take-out)

I’m back! And yet, I never really left. Mandated sheltering will do that to a person. Though, mine was slightly different as it turns out I was an “essential” employee so I actually got up and went to work each day. What constituted my weekend was spent inside my room trying to give my roommates space since they didn’t go out at all! Of course, as things went on, we were treated more as “essentially replaceable” and should be “happy you have a job” BS which made things so much fun. Meanwhile, life went from zero to scary quickly and then devolved into confusing, messy and stupid ridiculousness. When that many people are pent up seemingly interminably, things are bound to explode in some form. To say the lockdowns exacerbated things would be an understatement. All that sitting and stewing and surfing the internet will do that to anyone. A spark (or many) to a flame that will hopefully bring about some real change for once.

Much of this indoor time also drove me more into food since binging TV also means binging food. It is amazing how doing nothing just makes one want to snack and gorge. Thus in full circle it has also brought me back to writing about food since I kind of missed it. I think I’ve said before, the writing is a creative outlet and food really is about so much more than just the food and whether it is good or bad. Nothing is ever that simple. Okay, sometimes, but not always.

So here I am. I didn’t stop getting food from restaurants, well for a bit, but once they sort of figured out stuff and delivery/take out was available I utilized several of those delivery services (not fans of any of them) and, since I was already walking back and forth to work (that essential worker badge came in handy!) I could swing by and get some take out. Thus why not make a return with all the food I was somehow able to get. What better way to kick it off than some comfort food—good ‘ol fried chicken.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken has a bit of rep around SF as a those in the know place to get some affordable and tasty fried chicken. Part of that stems from the fact they are usually found inside of other places like gas stations, or like the one I hit up, the Super Save Supermarket in Bayview. By virtue of it being a grocery store and therefore essential, it was open and well, why not.

The store itself is….interesting and reminds of the many of the mom and pops groceries you find in the Mission. Tucked off to the left back corner as you walk in. I decided to pop in before my work shift and they weren’t busy, duh, most folks still home, but a few people were hanging around. The menu is very busy with a lot of combo variations so it took me awhile to kind of figure out which would be a bang for the buck kind of thing. After too much pondering I settled on a two piece combo with biscuit and one side and then had them add an extra side just to give it a try. After getting my order I headed towards work and found a wide open space with no people around to sit down and see what all the fuss was about.

I actually specifically asked for a leg and breast just get one dark and one white. To be honest, at fast food places it is hard to tell just when something was cooked and placed in the bin under the heat lamps (I know, having worked as multiple places like this) but all said, the outside of the chicken was still crispy and pulls off easily in flakes to munch on because, be honest, that is the best part and we’d all eat just that if we could. The leg was tender, juicy and plump. I’ve also been a leg fan. I will say the batter had some copious amounts of black pepper in it which you can see in the pic. Not terribly overwhelming, but most definitely noticeable. Sadly, while the outside of the breast was krispy krunchy, the inside was dry. Enough that a side of bbq sauce or ranch to dip it in would have been nice. While I finished off the leg, after a couple of bites, I just contented myself with pulling as much of the outside krispy skin/batter as possible.

This comes with something they call a honey biscuit and I had high hopes for it but those were pretty dashed when he was making up my combo. The ones on tray all looked like they had been there since the morning shift. All just a little too brown and the “honey” is really just something brushed on top after cooking. It didn’t help, just made it sticky on top and not in a good way. Plus, they didn’t have any butter packets they could give me which would have been only a marginal help as the biscuit pretty much crumbled apart on me after a couple bites. Biscuits shouldn’t do that. They should be light and fluffy inside. Add in it was small and fit in the palm of my hand and this was a complete bust for me. But what about the sides?

Yeah, I thought I’d try mac and cheese even though I’m usually useless carb averse unless it involves dessert. Looks wise it was fine. It still steamed a little bit and the cheese was soft and creamy without being sticky. The macaroni was slightly overdone and as far as the cheese went, oddly, it didn’t have a lot of flavor. It desperately needed some kind of pick me up like pepper or you know, salt. I will say it was okay, but we’ve all had better. (Sometimes even out of a box!)

My add on side caught my interest just from the description on the menu. Plus, it didn’t look too bad on the hot bar heat lamp he was scooping out of. It is white rice with bits of chicken, (supposedly) andouille sausage, red and green peppers, paprika, and other spices, kind of. The rice was overdone, but at least it wasn’t krunchy. Though, for sometime listed as jambalaya, I was thinking it would have all kinds of spicy flavor but in truth, not so much. I mean it was okay, just not an exciting kick in the tastebuds they make it out to be. But there was quite of bit of sausage in there if you need a positive. Otherwise, meh, I wasn’t getting any New Orleans flashes out of this take on low country cajun.

Honestly, I think some of the appeal of this place is convenience and price. It is centrally located in a main neighborhood and all in, the whole meal was around $9. About $5.50 for the two piece combo and $2.99 for the added small side. Who knows, maybe one of the other locations serves it up better (they are at a gas station in the Mission and somewhere down near Pier 39—places I’m not exactly frequenting) or maybe I needed to time it when all the batches were fresh—but who can figure out when that is! I mean those biscuits were really bad. And seriously? NO BUTTER?!! This is the unjoy of fast food sometimes, sure, it is cheap and easy (that is why all of us growing up in the South were big ‘uns), but sometimes you get what you pay for. Not sure I’d find my way back to them but they did at least live up to their name for the skin/batter of the chicken as it was krispy krunchy. Just the rest was kind of dry bland, though that in your company’s name is not as double k katchy.

[guitarboard42-blog]

22 Fourth of July Appetizers for Chilling Out, Snacking, Relaxing All Cool

I love driving up the Oregon coast with my cousins on the Fourth of July weekend, fishing poles and huge beach blankets packed. Every year we rent a big house, with an extra-large kitchen and a long dining table where we can all sit together for meals: not just for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but for little bites throughout the day, as well. The holiday weekend is, for me, really 100 percent about that CGL (Chill Grazing Lifestyle).

Whether I'm dipping crunchy vegetables into my favorite dips (hummus, nori sour cream, garlicky spinach and yogurt) or snacking on BBQ-friendly finger foods (deviled eggs, chips and guac, fish-sauce chicken wings), you can bet I'll be grazing in between all the fishing and swimming and sangria sipping.

So whether you're watching fireworks on the beach with a cooler full of beers or noshing on the deck waiting for the burgers, steaks, and ribs to come off the grill, here are Food52's best Fourth of July appetizers to get you snacking like a champ this weekend.

1. Roman Zucchini Fritters

These cheesy fried zucchini slices are the perfect summer appetizer; a sprinkle of fresh basil at the end adds a nice touch. "I like to retain some texture in my cooked zucchini so I sliced them 1/2-inch thick, which worked perfectly," says recipe author cucina di mammina. "Since it makes quite a large batch, it's perfect for entertaining!"

2. Minty Pea Puree on Toast

I'm never above a frozen pea—in fact, it's one of my favorite ingredients year round. I always keep this minty pea puree up my sleeve (the recipe, not the actual puree) for those nights when I need a quick, light starter before the main dish.

3. Nori Sour Cream Dip

This sour cream dip has saved me on many an occasion. It's got that slight "Hm, what's that?" intrigue (i.e., the roasted seaweed snack and sesame oil), which is great to pull out when you want to serve something comforting and familiar but still interesting. Pile on the crunchy, bitter vegetables here, or serve with Ruffles (my favorite).

4. Deviled Eggs

These world-famous deviled eggs have a teensy bit of butter, which, according to Genius columnist Kristen Miglore, "rounds and smooths over the more acidic ingredients and renders the filling creamy without overtaking it." Mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and cayenne "hover at the edges," Kristen says, allowing the flavor of the golden yolks to shine.

5. Caesar-Style Kale Salad

I like to make a gargantuan Caesar salad at the start of the weekend to make sure everyone packs in some roughage before the junk-food grazing commences. Use dark, Tuscan kale in place of watery romaine and you'll be gold.

6. Ricotta Spoonable

"Take a peek in my fridge," Food52 favorite Dorie Greenspan writes, "and you’ll find the usual staples—milk, butter, eggs and yogurt, and my favorite plus-one: 'ricotta spoonable.'" Ricotta, fresh herbs, lemon, olive oil, and "plenty of salt and pepper" come together into a dangerously spoonable...dip? Sauce? Appetizer? (All of the above.)

7. Multi-Layered Scallion Pancakes

Mandy Lee of Lady and Pups has created an easy-to-follow recipe for these incredible Taiwanese street pancakes with multi-laminated scallions and scallion oil. But she doesn't just stop at scallions. "There’s no reason why the awesomeness of this flatbread can’t be expanded to other herbs besides scallion," she encourages. "Think basil, a little rosemary, thyme, or garlic and parsley."

8. Greek Chicken Meatballs

Garnished with sharp feta, fresh English cucumber, and a Greek yogurt dipping sauce, these light and herby chicken meatballs are perfect for chill grazing over the weekend.

9. Basic Hummus

If you're looking for a classic hummus, then this one's it. It may start from dried chickpeas (which, let's be real, taste better than canned), but the cook time is significantly less than most other from-scratch recipes thanks to a little baking soda in the cooking water. Dip away!

10. Yogurt & Spinach Dip

This creamy, garlicky dip—aka borani—is a classic Iranian appetizer that you can serve with lavash or pita, or a colorful medley of crunchy vegetables.

11. The Crunchiest, Herbiest, Greenest Guacamole

Everyone thinks their guacamole is the best—but dang it, mine is! I don't claim this for many things, but when it comes to guac, I do think it tastes better when all of your ingredients are roughly chopped (not smashed). The real clincher here is the little bit of tomatillo I use in place of more lime juice.

12. Spicy Shrimp

This spicy shrimp appetizer is one of our most popular recipes on Food52. "We love Sriracha's heat, which is warm, lasting, and assertive without being overbearing," Amanda and Merrill write. "Helen (the recipe's author) combined the hot sauce with a few everyday ingredients—olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and cilantro—to create a sublime marinade for shrimp."

13. Okonomiyaki

A Food52 favorite (and winner of Your Best Street Food), okonomiyaki is a Kyoto-style savory pancake stuffed with plump shrimp, cabbage, and scallions. Note to self: Bathe it in the Sriracha-soy-mayo dipping sauce before taking a bite.

14. Fried Goat Cheese With Honey & Black Pepper

This easy appetizer recipe comes from one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta: Ecco. They're famous for these gooey-tart goat cheese balls, which pair beautifully with the sweet, floral honey. Make these and you will not be sorry.

15. Grilled Watermelon With Tequila

Have fun with your watermelon this Fourth of July: Douse the fruit with tequila and lemon juice, dust with chile powder and salt, and grill. A cooling cilantro-lime crème fraîche takes this party starter to new heights.

16. Caramelized Onion Dip

I could eat this onion dip by the spoonful—and often have. Though, according to Amanda and Merrill, "patience pays off here" (i.e., caramelizing the onions), the reward is massive in regard to flavor and comfort.

17. Roasted Artichoke Leaf Appetizer With Feta & Black Olives

Lindsay-Jean Hard's artichoke appetizer is super smart, super fun, and super tasty. I especially love how it came to fruition: "Years ago, Tara Duggan mentioned roasting artichoke leaves," she writes, "and the idea stuck in my subconscious until recently when I had a dream about artichoke nachos and woke up determined to make them."

18. Grilled Corn & Ranch Pizzas

South Koreans adore the flavor combo of corn, ranch, and cheese, and the flavors really do work well together. (Don't knock it till you've tried it!) These are individual flatbreads (which you can cut up further), making them the perfect Fourth of July appetizer or snack bite.

19. Burrata & Burnt Oranges With Pistachios, Mint & Pomegranate

Sometimes, "appetizer" for me means a quick assembly job of fantastic ingredients. Here, nigella and sumac-spiced burrata and citrus star, while pomegranate seeds and pistachios support with lovely crunch.

20. Muhammara

For this satisfying, hearty dip, "roasted red peppers are blitzed with toast, then spiced with the usual Levant suspects: pomegranate molasses, cumin, and Aleppo pepper," writes recipe author Kitchen Butterfly. "Make a lot, you won't regret it!"

21. Avocado & Green Apple Gazpacho

"This silky and refreshing chilled gazpacho soup originated at the Elite paladar in Havana, where the head chef Javier Gomez takes inspiration from the food of Spain," writes Yasmin Khan. "The winning combination of creamy avocado and tart apple makes for an elegant and no-fuss starter, perfect to serve on a warm day."

22. Hmong-Style Chicken Wings With Fish-Sauce Caramel

This Fourth of July appetizer is last on the list but so not the least. Why? Because it's the absolute best thing I've ever eaten out of the Food52 test kitchen.

These vermicelli and pork–stuffed chicken wings are a labor of love (most notably the deboning step at the start of the recipe), but should you be up for the challenge, your friends and family will go crazy over them. The fish-sauce caramel ties everything together and will make you smack your lips dreaming about them for days afterward. (Consider this you're reward for making it to the end of this list.)

What are your favorite 4th of July appetizers? Tell us in the comments below. Source: https://food52.com/blog/24240-4th-of-july-appetizers-recipes

[hellyear86-blog]

16 Of The Best Tacos To Make For Every Meal Of The Day

When you’re the one who has to decide what to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it’s easy to get stuck in a food rut. But there’s an easier way to get out of a food rut than by trying out a bunch of new, unfamiliar recipes. Instead, choose one very versatile food, and start exploring the different forms and varieties of that one food.

For instance, one of my very favorite versatile foods to experiment with is tacos! There are thousands of taco recipes out there just waiting to be discovered, including ones for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! I make tacos frequently at home for that very reason, so I thought that for today’s blog post, I’d offer up an ode to the versatility of tacos!

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I’ve gathered together a list of 16 delicious taco recipes for every meal of the day and included it below. The list begins with a few breakfast options, then transitions to lunch and dinner varieties. And that’s one of the beautiful things about tacos—you can fill them with what you want, and eat them whenever you want too. By the end of this post, you’ll not only have plenty of tacos to try, but might also be inspired to start exploring your own unique taco creations! :-)

16 Delicious Taco Recipes For Every Meal Of The Day

1. Potato, Bacon, and Cheese Breakfast Tacos

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe and instructions. It also has an easy print option!

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet on your stovetop over medium-high heat until it’s crisp and browned, about 4 minutes. Then remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and add cubed russet potatoes to the skillet and the hot bacon fat.

Add salt and pepper to the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are browned and fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes. (Or you can spreed up the process by using refrigerated hash browns instead!)

Once the potatoes are cooked, add a couple of whisked eggs to the skillet, and stir them constantly until the eggs are set, but still soft.

2. Farmer’s Market Breakfast Tacos

from Layers of Happiness

These cheesy breakfast tacos are loaded with scrambled eggs, maple-glazed bacon, and fresh micro greens. What more could you ask for?

3. Vegan Crepe Breakfast Tacos

from Blissful Basil

For vegans, those with Celiac, or anyone who’s avoiding dairy or gluten, give these breakfast tacos a try! They’re filled with a warm spinach and mushroom filling that is sure to satisfy.

4. Peaches & Cream Tacos

from Mountain Mama Cooks

Care for a sweeter start to your day? These peaches and creme tacos are built on a cinnamon-sugar tortilla base, then topped with Greek yogurt and slices of fresh, juicy peach. Yum!

5. Baked Tacos

from One Good Thing by Jillee

Baked tacos are a perfect choice for a quick and easy lunch or dinner! You can use store-bought hard taco shells if you prefer, but it’s so easy to make your own at home. (Just follow the simple instructions included alongside the recipe!)

6. Leftover Prime Rib Carne Asada Tacos

from One Good Thing by Jillee

I originally whipped up these tacos with some leftover prime rib I had in the fridge, but you can really use any kind of mean you happen to have on hand. The mojo marinade will make anything you use taste simply irresistible!

7. Lunch Box Taco Bar

from One Good Thing by Jillee

Bring your own “taco bar” along with you to work or school for a tasty lunch option! It’s a nice way to break up the monotony of endless sandwiches and salads.

8. Taco Soup

from One Good Thing by Jillee

On a chilly day, sometimes a big bowl of soup is all you need to warm up. But having soup doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice delicious taco flavors! You can have it all with this super simple and satisfying taco soup.

9. Bahn Mi Dump Chicken Tacos

from One Good Thing by Jillee

These crockpot tacos are inspired by Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches. They’re loaded up with tangy chicken, quick-pickled carrots, cilantro, and more.

10. BBQ Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos

from She Likes Food

Cauliflower is a perfect choice to use as a taco filling if you’re looking to eat more veggies. It’s a great canvas for any kind of flavor, and it’s surprisingly filling too! Try these BBQ cauliflower tacos and experience it for yourself.

11. Black Bean, Zucchini, & Corn Tacos

from The Fit Fork

Here’s another vegetarian-friendly taco option, or a great choice for dinner on Meatless Monday. These Mexican-inspired flavors are sure to satisfy even the most voracious of meat-eaters!

12. Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

from How Sweet Eats

My husband and daughter are crazy about fish tacos, so I’m sure they would be over the moon about these bad boys! They’re topped with a flavorful mango salsa, and the fish is encased in a golden crust of beer-battered goodness.

13. Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa

from Cooking Classy

Cod isn’t the only fish that makes a fantastic fish taco, and these grilled salmon tacos are here to prove it! Topped with a tangy avocado salsa, these tasty tacos are sure to be a new family favorite.

14. Tacos al Pastor

from Gimme Some Oven

The classics are classics for a reason, so you certainly can’t go wrong with a recipe like tacos al pastor, or “shepherd style.” These ones are made using a crockpot, so you can come home to a dinner that’s nearly ready to serve.

15. Caribbean Chicken Tacos

from Creme de la Crumb

If you’re looking for island flavors, look no further than these Caribbean chicken tacos! One bite and you’ll be transported to a sun-soaked beach resort in your mind. :-)

16. Shredded Beef Tacos

from Gimme Some Oven

Shredded beef is a classic choice for tacos, and it’s sure to be a winner with even the pickiest eaters! Load them up with your favorite fixings for an easy lunch or dinner.

What’s one of the best tacos you’ve ever eaten?

Potato, Bacon, and Cheese Breakfast Tacos

Tacos aren't just for dinner anymore! These breakfast tacos are loaded with potatoes, bacon, eggs, and cheese... what more could you ask for, really?

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 3 people

Calories: 485 kcal

Author: Jillee

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon chopped

1 russet potato cubed

2 eggs whisked

1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

6 corn tortillas

cilantro chopped

Instructions:

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crispy, about 4 minutes. 

Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon, then add the cubed potatoes to the skillet with the hot bacon fat.

Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally until browned and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes. 

Add the whisked eggs to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until the eggs are just set, about a minute. 

Sprinkle the shredded cheese and cooked bacon over the top of the potatoes and eggs. 

Pile the mixture onto a warm tortilla and serve, topped with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts

Potato, Bacon, and Cheese Breakfast Tacos

Amount Per Serving

Calories 485 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 28g 43%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Cholesterol 168mg 56%

Sodium 496mg 21%

Potassium 528mg 15%

Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 1g

Protein 21g 42%

Vitamin A 10.7%

Vitamin C 4.9%

Calcium 33.9%

Iron 11.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Source: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/16-taco-recipes-for-every-meal/

[thesoggychef-blog]

Easy Barbecue Lentils and Three Ways to Enjoy Them

New Post has been published on https://simpleeasycooking.com/easy-barbecue-lentils-and-three-ways-to-enjoy-them/

Easy Barbecue Lentils and Three Ways to Enjoy Them

This post is brought to you by the wonderful folks at Lentils.org but all opinions are 100% mine.

When I think about underrated ingredients, one of the first things that always pops up is lentils.

Aside from the occasional lentil soup and maybe a lentil curry, most of the time we are never thinking about incorporating lentils into our meals but they are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition, affordability, and versatility.

More importantly, they are really tasty and terrific at absorbing flavor, which makes them an ideal candidate for all kinds of yummy recipes.

    That’s why today, I am coming at you with one delicious recipe for barbecue lentils and three easy ways to turn these yummy lentils into a quick weeknight meal!

And guys, these lentils are truly something special.

They are so so good. In fact, last weekend we had friends over for football and I replaced the traditional pulled pork with these tasty barbecue lentils.

After some initial skepticism, everyone was headed back for seconds, building barbecue lentil tacos and sandwiches like they were going out of style.

It’s the perfect, healthy football food and also doubles as a simple, easy weeknight meal.

Now before we dig into the recipe, let’s talk about lentils and why they are truly one of my favorite ingredients.

Like I said before, lentils are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. Not only are they a plant based source of protein, they are packed with fiber and contain iron, float, and potassium.

And with just 115 calories per 1/2 cup serving, they are a healthy choice to make meatless entrees, side dishes, salads, and even breakfast dishes.

Plus they are really easy to prepare.

Unlike many other beans and legumes, they don’t require any presoaking.

Just give them a quick rinse and in less than 30 minutes they are ready to eat.

    Now let’s get into this recipe because it really is one you will want to make as soon as possible.

It starts with a combination of onions, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic all cooked with paprika, cumin, and chili powder for some spice.

Once everything softens, it’s time to add the lentils. While almost any lentil would work for this recipe, I opted to use green lentils since they are easy to find and super affordable, only about $1-2 per pound.

These are cooked in a combination of vegetable broth and barbecue sauce.

Adding the barbecue sauce directly to the cooking liquid ensures the lentils get plenty of sweet and smoky flavors.

Then all you need is about 25 minutes and dinner is ready. Stir in some extra barbecue sauce to make sure the are sticky, sweet, and smoky.

Dinner is ready!

Now the hard part is just deciding how to serve them. There are so many ways you can serve these easy Barbecue Lentils.

I am going to share three of my favorite ways plus some ideas for meal prep.

Option 1: BBQ Lentil Tacos with Pineapple

I am always up for a delicious taco and these barbecue lentil tacos are a tasty vegetarian taco that won’t disappoint.

Just heat up some corn tortillas, add a generous helping of barbecue lentils, and top with fresh pineapple, red cabbage, and cilantro.

If you like heat, squirt some Sriracha on top or throw 1-2 chipotle peppers in the mix while you are cooking the lentils.

    Option 2: BBQ Ranch Lentil Sandwiches

We are huge fans of traditional barbecue pulled meat sandwiches and this BBQ Lentil version can compete with any traditional version.

Toast up your favorite roll, stuff in the barbecue lentils, and top with coleslaw, cilantro, and ranch dressing.

It is the perfect vegetarian barbecue sandwich.

    Option 3: BBQ Lentil Grain Bowls

Rice and grain bowls are one of my go-to options for quick and easy meals since you can create your own combinations with your favorite grains, veggies, and proteins.

For this version, choose your favorite grain, rice, or cauliflower rice.

Then top it with plenty of barbecue lentils, veggies of your choice, cabbage for some crunch, and pineapple for sweetness.

Top with a creamy goat cheese, avocado, Sriracha, or a creamy dressing.

    Meal Prep Ideas:

If you want to get ahead with meal prep, these Barbecue Lentils are a great option since they can be used in so many different ways.

In addition to the ideas above, you can also use these to stuff a baked sweet potato, top a big green salad, grill with cheese and veggies for a quesadilla, or toss in a wrap with greens for a quick sandwich.

And since cooked lentils can be stored in the fridge for a week or freezer for up to 3 months, don’t be scared to make a double or triple batch and store in individual servings for future quick and easy meals.

Looking for more delicious lentil recipes ideas? Visit our friends at Lentils.org for tons of delicious lentil recipes and ideas

Including ideas for breakfast, baked goods, and even dessert!

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[keijay-blog]

New Post has been published on https://cookingtipsandreviews.com/how-to-make-cauliflower-rice/

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

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Try more ways to dress up your cauliflower rice.

Shrimp with Warm German-Style Coleslaw

We love anything that is tangy or has bacon. With fennel and tarragon, this is a super savory dish. I use the medley from Minute Rice if I don’t have time to make my own. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts

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Chinese-Style Ribs

When I was working two jobs, slow cooking was my way of life. Sometimes I had more than one slow cooker going at a time to help me feed my family delicious home-cooked meals. It’s nice to walk in after a hard day’s work and have dinner ready. I hope you agree these ribs are quick, easy and delicious. Enjoy! —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania

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Creamy Paprika Pork

When I was little, I would often ask my mom to make “favorite meat.” She knew what I was really requesting was this homey pork recipe. It’s been in my family for more than 30 years and is still a favorite! —Alexandra Barnett, Forest, Virginia

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Garlic Chicken & Broccoli

This simple riff on Chinese chicken proves you can savor the takeout taste you crave while still eating right. —Connie Krupp, Racine, Wisconsin

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Meatballs in Honey Buffalo Sauce

My family loves the sweet and spicy combination and declared this recipe an instant favorite just for that reason. The meatballs start sweet but finish with a little heat! —Anne Ormond, Dover, New Hampshire

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Coconut Red Curry Stew

This is a fragrant and flavorful dish that’s packed with nutritious goodness. I like to enjoy it with sticky rice. —Marly Chaland, Maple, Ontario

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Garlic Chicken with Herbs

Pan-roasting garlic cloves turns them into rich, creamy deliciousness. This chicken is fantastic with crusty Italian bread or mashed potatoes on the side. —Kathy Fleming, Lisle, Illinois

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Sausage & Chicken Gumbo

This recipe for the classic southern comfort food was the first thing I ever cooked for my girlfriend. It was simple to make but tasted gourmet. Lucky for me, it was love at first bite. — Kael Harvey, Brooklyn, NY

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Takeout Beef Fried Rice

Tranform last night’s supper into tonight’s dinner for six. Hoisin-flavored chuck roast works wonders in this recipe, but you can use flank steak, as well. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin

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Curried Lamb and Potatoes

Loads of rich flavors and spices make this a warming, inviting meal. It’s a great way to impress at a family get-together. —Subrina Goosch, North Carolina

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Black & White Bean Chili

This is a healthy and filling meal that even the kids love! The satisfying chili is great for football games or potluck dinners. —Katti Scott, Manteo, North Carolina

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Huli Huli Chicken Thighs

I’m allergic to store-bought barbecue sauces, so when I found a marinade recipe I could use, I tweaked it a little and began using it with chicken thighs. My fiance loves this over Parmesan couscous.—Erin Rockwell, Lowell, Massachusetts

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Chickpea & Potato Curry

I make chana masala, the classic Indian dish, in my slow cooker. Browning the onion, ginger and garlic first really makes the sauce amazing. —Anjana Devasahayam, San Antonio, Texas

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Chicken in Coconut Peanut Sauce

My youngest son has been out of the country for several years teaching English. When he returned to the United States, I made this home-cooked meal for him that combined Asian and American cuisine. He loved it! —Sheila Suhan, Scottdale, Pennsylvania

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Hoisin Pork Tenderloin

Ramen noodles are anything but college-casual when they’re served with saucy pork tenderloin. Our guests go nuts when we sit down to this Asian-style meal. —Connie Keller, Lake Ozark, Missouri

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Cuban Ropa Vieja

I love having this as a go-to recipe for a weeknight meal. Its great authentic Cuban taste puts it at the top of my list.—Melissa Pelkey-Hass, Waleska, Georgia

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Thai Coconut Beef

My husband and I love Thai food, but going out on weeknights can be challenging with busy schedules. I wanted to create a Thai-inspired dinner that could double as an easy lunch the following day. The beef is fantastic in this dish, but chicken or pork would be equally delicious! —Ashley Lecker, Green Bay, Wisconsin

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Sweet Potato Curry

This is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes that packs a lot of flavor and nutrition. Curry can be served over rice or on its own. —Aubrei Weigand, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

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Sweet-Spicy Asian Meatballs

I love the sweet and spicy flavors of Chinese food and decided to try to incorporate them into a meatball. The subtle tastes of the meatball blend well with the spicy Sriracha and sweet chili sauce. The garam masala adds a hint of coriander, black pepper and cinnamon for a unique and fun flavor. —Darlene Buerger, Peoria, Arizona

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Curry Shrimp

I created this Indian-style shrimp when we were entertaining some friends, one of our favorite things to do. It works on the stovetop or the grill. —Shana Conradt, Appleton, Wisconsin

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Coconut Lentils with Rice

Years ago I made this recipe for my kids, and they loved it. One of my daughter’s friends would always request this dish when she came over to visit. I recommend basmati rice for this dish. —Diane Donato, Columbus, Ohio

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Tomato-Basil Steak

We grow the basil and bell peppers I use in this dish. It’s easy to prepare, yet so rich and delicious. —Sheryl Little, Sherwood, Arkansas

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Amazing Slow Cooker Orange Chicken

Orange chicken is my favorite Chinese takeout food, but I know that it’s very high in sodium and fat. So I got to work at home and created a healthier version. Now I have peace of mind knowing what ingredients are in it and that it’s better for my family. —Barbara J. Miller, Oakdale, Minnesota

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Ginger-Chutney Shrimp Stir-Fry

I made this recipe a lot when I was juggling college, work and a growing family. It tastes like you spent a lot of time making it, yet only takes minutes to pull together. —Sally Sibthorpe, Shelby Township, Michigan

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Cola BBQ Chicken

My dad has been making a basic version of this family favorite for years. I’ve recently made it my own by spicing it up a bit with hoisin sauce and red pepper flakes. Sometimes I let the chicken and sauce simmer in my slow cooker. —Brigette Schroeder, Yorkville, Illinois

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Easy Chili Verde

I love chili verde. I order it whenever I can at restaurants, and figured out how to make an easy, tasty version at home. People have the option to eat the chili verde with a fork or in tortillas with a variety of toppings such as cheese, cilantro, minced onions or lime wedges. There are never leftovers at my house. —Julie Rowland, Salt Lake City, Utah

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Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

Any recipe that is special enough for company, but easy enough for a weeknight meal is a favorite in my book. All you need to finish off the meal is a side salad and crusty French bread to sop up the delicious tomato and wine juices. —Susan Seymour, Valatie, New York

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Satay-Style Pork Stew

Thai cuisine features flavors that are hot and sour, salty and sweet. This one-dish pork satay balances all of them using ginger and red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, garlic, lime juice and creamy peanut butter. —Nicole Werner, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Tropical Tilapia

Take a walk on the wild side and venture into the tropics with this one-skillet dish. Cool mint balances the sweet heat from the jelly. —Roxanne Chan, Albany, California

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Sweet-and-Sour Beef Stew

This chunky meal in a bowl makes terrific use of nutrient-packed vegetables. It has a deliciously sweet and tangy taste. —Frances Conklin, Grangeville, Idaho

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[mostly-plants]

Week 3 of eating vegan

Day 15 started with baking a couple of loaves of my new favourite bread: Caraway Rye Sourdough. It is soooo savoury and delicious, and develops such a beautiful rich chestnut colour when baked. I was taking one to a friend, and one was for the boyfriend and I to eat over the week.

Once the bread was out of the oven I travelled through the city to go to a workshop on plant based nutrition by Bloom Nutritionist, who my friend had recommended. The workshop was very informative and covered a range of key practical info, including recommendations to supplement a whole food vegan diet with B12, Algal Omega 3s, and a multivitamin to cover things like Iodine and Selenium. I got a lot out of the workshop, but I had made the mistake of not having lunch because I’d had a reasonably late breakfast, and wasn’t hungry - until I got to the workshop venue. I managed to score an apple at the event, but I got the brain-fades half-way through the talk, and then by the time I got home I was so hungry I ate a stack of food including Popcorn Tofu with chilli sauce, leftover vegan pizza, and a handful of these very un-nutritious cookies. Oops!

Day 16: I had some bircher muesli with blueberries for breakfast, and ordered some more fruit and veggies / pantry staples from CERES Fair Food. I had a late snack and then made wholemeal pasta with lentils and veggies for dinner, topped (of course) with a generous amount of Cashy-Cashy Parm-Parm. YUM!

Day 17 was a very busy day getting prepared for some upcoming work deadlines and then going to class in the evening, but because the fridge was stocked with leftover pasta that made lunch easy. The boyfriend and I were both finishing our days late, so we ended up meeting up in the evening and getting dinner from a local Mexican food place. Luckily they had good vegan options, but I did feel a bit sad not being able to just share our meals like we usually would. I think this was the first day that I started to feel challenged by eating vegan. For me it’s not the food part, because I love fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds (and yes, I love my legumes now too). I can imagine being fairly happy eating these things as the main components of my diet, but I realised I would really miss the positive feelings that comes with sharing the same food together with loved ones. In starting this challenge I had thought that the social aspect of eating vegan would be the most difficult part for me, and that’s probably the case. 

Day 18: Overall I’ve been feeling really good after eating vegan for two weeks - my energy levels are the same or better than they have been, I feel fine physically and mentally, my digestion is great, and weirdly I don’t seem to be sweating as much? (Not that this was particularly a problem before, it’s just my observation). I have been trying to read and listen to more information about the case for (or against) plant-based eating in order to weigh up the available evidence and decide whether to continue. 

Although I’m leaning towards more plant-based eating (mostly because of the environmental and welfare impacts of animal products), I do think I would struggle with not being able to share things with my partner, or participate in family dinners etc. in the same way. At the moment, I think I might end up settling on more of a flexitarian approach (i.e. mostly plant-based, but flexible on occasion). I guess I’ll see how I go with the rest of this challenge...

Day 19 I woke up a bit tired because I’d had coffee about 5pm the day before and was a bit too wired for sleep until about 3am. My bf had the opposite problem and woke up super early. Luckily, he somehow managed to be functional anyway, and because he is lovely I got coffee delivered right to my bedside <3 I made a quick breakfast of avocado on toast, and chopped up some raw veggies that needed using, to take with baba ganoush dip for lunch. I also packed some homemade granola, a bit of dark chocolate, an apple and a banana (I’m getting better at this “always have plenty of snacks available” thing.  Work was pretty hectic, so I didn’t get to have lunch until about 3:30pm when I realised I was getting pretty hangry. I felt much better after some food, and a little afternoon chocolate pick-me-up. I felt like something a bit different for dinner, so ended up making miso-glazed eggplant with garlic bok choy, and crumb-coated smoked tofu and sweet potato. I know that sounds super fancy, but actually it was mostly so I could use up the wilting bok choy at the back of the fridge (and bump up my calcium intake for the day!). 

The miso glaze for the eggplant is sooooooooo ridiculously good, and actually very quick and easy to make (my favourite combination in cooking!) We got the recipe from a vegetarian / vegan cooking class at Gourmet Kitchen Cooking School - I’d highly recommend their classes as something fun and special to do. Anyway, so, you want some miso glaze? (Spoiler alert: yeah, ya do). Just get a small saucepan and mix in: 2 Tablespoons of Miso Paste (I used white miso) 2 Tablespoons of sugar (or a neutral tasting liquid sweetener like agave syrup) 1 Tablespoon of Mirin 1 Tablespoon of Sake (I didn’t have this, so used Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine instead - it worked totally fine) Pop the saucepan on a low heat, stir/whisk the ingredients together, and in mere moments you will have your golden brown and delicious miso glaze! The eggplant gets sliced in half lengthways and roasted cut side down at 220c for about 30 mins. Then you turn the eggplant cut side up, and coat generously with miso glaze. Like... Seriously. Just pour that goodness all over everything, it is DELICIOUS! Pop the glazed eggplant halves back into the oven/under the grill for a few mins (watching that the glaze doesn’t burn), and then when you just can’t wait any longer, take them out of the oven, sprinkle them with some green spring onion and sesame seed, and try not to burn your mouth as you inhale that deliciousness!  The bok choy I (finally) learned how to cook properly from watching the Viet Vegan, and the crumbed tofu and sweet potato was just to use up the rest of the coating mixture from making Popcorn Tofu earlier this week. It was great! If you want to try this, I’d definitely recommend marinating your tofu beforehand, or dunking it in a really flavourful sauce afterwards, because although the crumb coating is tasty, the tofu itself doesn’t have much flavour. The sweet potato was a definite winner! No oil needed, just toss bite-sized pieces of raw sweet potato in your crumb/seasoning coating, and bake them in the oven at 220c for about 45 minutes. NOM. So, at the end of Day 19 I’m feeling good about kicking some nutrition goals, and eating some hella tasty food. Yay!

Day 20: I felt like something savoury for breakfast and since I had the luxury of working from home on Friday, I decided on a Mexican inspired breakfast, with a spicy mix of cooked black beans, onion, carrots, corn, topped with fresh tomato, chives and coriander, and (of course) guacamole. Tortillas from La Tortilleria because they are by far the best I’ve had. A very satisfying start to the day!

Lunch was nice and easy - leftover bok choy and sweet potato with steamed silken tofu and a quick miso dressing (1/2 tablespoon miso paste, 1/2 tablespoon mirin, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup and 1/2-1 tablespoon of water to get the desired consistency. Then, because it was so tasty - more Mexican for dinner, along with some red wine and dark chocolate for dessert. :)

Day 21: BREAKING NEWS - Scrambled silken tofu with miso dressing and chives on toast is DELICIOUS. I know the recipes say to use firm tofu for scrambling, but personally I think silken tofu matches the texture of scrambled eggs more closely. The miso dressing works great in this, because it’s got the salty/savoury flavour going on, and the slight sweetness balances the slight bitterness that some tofu can have. Sold!

After breakfast we went to the markets to pick up a few ingredients for the bakesale we were doing on Sunday. We braved the supermarket on a Saturday, bought many kilos of flour and sugar, and then paid a visit to Trang for Banh Mi - they have stacks of vegan options so I’m keen to try more, but so far I can’t get past the vegan BBQ pork because it is so tasty!  I was pretty hungry by the time we ate so forgot to take a photo, but trust me - it is packed with lightly pickled veggies, fried spring onion and delicious magical vegan meat (I’m guessing they’re probably seitan-based, but I don’t know for sure).  Pretty much the rest of Saturday was spent baking a ton of things for Sunday’s bakesale, and “quality testing” the several batches of cookies I made. I also ate wayyyyyy too much cinnamon coffee icing while trying to get the right consistency to top the chocolate cupcakes I made. Whoopsies! So... I guess I’m proving that you can definitely be vegan and eat a bunch of junk food, but then you probably won’t feel so great afterwards. Eat your veggies, kids! 

[circahollywood]

First Time Owner Information On How To keep Chickens

Wholesome and happy chickens also make their owners proud to show them off. As well as, wholesome and blissful chickens convey joy to 1's life just by being appealing creatures with their gentle clucking. For many who like taking care of chickens, it is vital to give the chickens themselves numerous love and care similar to any other pet. In doing so, one will uncover the joys of looking after chickens and the benefits which they deliver. Searching for more tips on looking after chickens in the again backyard? Uncover every part it's good to know and the way easy it is to raise your individual hen. Separate yourself from the same old chicken house owners and keep away from expensive mistakes. Log in or Create Account to submit a remark. Writer: TrevoJohnso Have you really thought of elevating some chickens? Writer: James Harley There are so many explanation why anyone with a vacant lot and the time to spare to begin caring for chickens. Though the target of the activity zeroes in on including important quantities of cash to the monthly household price range, it cannot be denied that dwelling rooster farming can also deliver priceless, intangible issues that can further hold the family collectively. What Can Elevating Chicken Do For You? Publisher: Invoice M Bailey People raise hen for lots of reasons. In any case, folks have been elevating rooster since 5400 BC. The domestication of the rooster has largely advanced into a major food manufacturing endeavor for human consumption. At present, domesticated chickens in farm houses are more various than wild fowl in forests across the world. Publisher: Chris Santina In case you have never thought of constructing a rooster coop now's the right time to at least think about it. Not solely will you obtain the benefit of free, recent and organic eggs; you will assist sustainable dwelling practices and the humane treatment of animals in the method.

Despite the fragility inherent in chickens, you'll be able to relaxation assured they have ways to endure through the harshest seasons in the year. Be sure you remember that there are inherent differences in all chickens as effectively and it doesn't matter what you need to be careful for his or her properly being. So make sure you do protect them in the harshest of seasons. Though you possibly can encounter chickens that may hold up in winter, summers might be preferable. Simply keep this stuff in thoughts, as well as the weather that you are experiencing in the course of the time you decide to purchase chickens, so you be sure to get the suitable ones which will allow them to survive in your care. Be sure your chickens will not be heated for the smallest cause when the weather starts to get chilly, especially in wintertime. The flock might be useless because of that. Just so you know, due to their potential to alter their metabolism, chickens are highly adaptable, so keep that in mind. After the bath, I seen Rosco was performing strange. She was standing funny and bobbing her head up and down. Just a few weeks earlier, I had a difficult time waking her up and had began really noticing how grey her fur had been getting. Noah cuddled together with her for a couple of hours, but her signs did not appear to improve. Her eyes weren't as shiny as regular, she was bobbing her head, she had a difficult time walking, and she appeared to have misplaced coordination in her back legs. I used to be very unhappy and thought she was most likely dying. We introduced her exterior and showed her around the farm. We confirmed her the barn and alpacas and laid together with her within the grass within the sunshine. Despite her symptoms, she appeared to be hanging on. We spent the following week caring for her and making her snug. She was shedding weight despite Noah hand feeding her chicken baby food and holding her on the water bowl so she might drink with out falling in.

But the nice news is the truth that eggs produce when the hen is older is much better high quality than the eggs produce by younger chicken. So you still wind up with winning eggs no matter amount. The weather can also be other explanation why eggs lay by hens are sometimes fewer than expected. Heat weather is conducive for hen to lay eggs persistently and so anticipate lots of eggs during this period. However do not be stunned within the occasion you can’t even get 1 egg throughout winter and extreme heat. This is regular and also you don't have anything to be afraid of primarily because just like human the hen may expertise discomfort. Now, if the weather is fine plus the eggs all of a sudden drop to what's your regular harvest, which signifies your hens, could be unhealthy. If you will see that plenty of feathers or molting taking place then much better to test your coop as there could possibly be mites which are making them sick and unable to lay eggs consistently.

He was racing around the sector and would run right up to Riphaeus (who was of course right at his mommy's side) and leap facet methods. It reminded me of a scene from Bambi. Riphaeus didn't seem to take the bait. Hopefully he will loosen up and begin enjoying with the new little guy who has tons of energy and loves to run! About fifty minutes after the cria was born, the placenta was born. Between the cria and the placenta, Maree Sol is now 30 lbs lighter! Beneath, the cria is trying to nurse off Sol's neck. He still hadn't discovered the milk machine however had been trying diligently for the final 45 minutes while he was running around. The placenta was intact and all the things regarded good. Sol is a wonderful mom. She continued to try and direct the cria to the milk machine and ran after him humming each time he took off. Just lately nonetheless she has been refusing her bottle and has been seen with milky chops. After hours of observations we now have seen her sneakily feeding from four completely different mothers! She seems to watch and wait and when a cria goes beneath she whips spherical to the opposite aspect and wham bam thank you mam! Una, racing off as a cria starts to feed on the other facet of the field! It is now that the women get complicated. Two days after Verity was born, we came dwelling from a lunch out to seek out that Minstrel had popped out a lovely little black girl who we now have named Violet. She is, as you can see, beautiful. I think that is her. This is when it all begins to get complicated you see. Right here is Ulani, daughter of Bobby, I feel. Then now we have Willow, with Umbria and someone else in the background.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - The roars of lions, snorts of rhinos and trumpets of elephants still blend with the cacophony of honking buses and screeching vehicles passing nearby in one of the most closely congested areas of Argentina's capital. A 12 months after the 140-12 months-previous Buenos Aires zoo closed its doorways and was reworked into a park, hundreds of animals remain behind bars and in a noisy limbo. Builders final July promised to relocate most of the zoo's 1,500 animals to sanctuaries in Argentina and abroad, but that they had made no agency preparations to do so. And a new master plan introduced Tuesday still would not specify how they will accomplish it. Most of the animals are so zoo-educated that experts worry they might die if moved, even to wild animal preserves. Conservationists additionally complain that the remaining animals still stay in antiquated enclosures widely considered inhumane by modern standards — and say the town government's new plan gives few specifics of how improvements might be made. Claudio Bertonatti, a former Buenos Aires zoo director and consultant for the Fundacion Azara non-governmental organization. Writer: bbqfood Ribs are a summertime favourite dish for everybody. Faraway Alpacas Different chef use totally different kinds to cook ribs. The secret for cooking ribs is that they need to be cook at low temperature. Writer: Andre Savoie Are you searching for recommendation on fuel grill cooking time for hen? Checkout our guide for cooking hen outdoors together with tips on the way to know when the hen is cooked, the way to get great style and even what to do with the bones in or out. Publisher: bbqfood A barbeque social gathering is the fantastic option to impress your relations, friends or loved ones. You can also make youparty extra enjoyable with the right planning and the fitting environment. Your relations, pals or beloved ones will remember your celebration eternally. BBQ on-line is the best way for your party arrangement. Publisher: Chef Brian The main focus of this dish is the meat. When making my BBQ Lasagna, I like to use shredded or chopped pork instead of ground beef. BBQ pork is one thing everyone seems to be familiar with and is perfect on this recipe. Most of the time when i make this recipe I am using leftover pork from an earlier cookout, but you'll be able to just as simply make it all in sooner or later. Writer: Barbara Wibault Rooster is very versatile and an incredible meat to make use of in Barbecue and grill recipes. It is simple to work with, not practically as costly as beef, however can really compete with it. There are a couple of methods to good BBQ Rooster Recipes. These two very tasty rooster variations will really get you going. Publisher: Gareth Hoyle Having simply loved the most well liked April in historical past, Britain basks in more solar as Could continues in the identical trend. The previous few financial institution holiday weekends have been extremely satisfying and record sales of barbecues have been reported.

[thesoggychef-blog]

Easy Barbecue Lentils and Three Ways to Enjoy Them

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Easy Barbecue Lentils and Three Ways to Enjoy Them

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This post is brought to you by the wonderful folks at Lentils.org but all opinions are 100% mine.

When I think about underrated ingredients, one of the first things that always pops up is lentils. Aside from the occasional lentil soup and maybe a lentil curry, most of the time we are never thinking about incorporating lentils into our meals but they are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition, affordability, and versatility. More importantly, they are really tasty and terrific at absorbing flavor, which makes them an ideal candidate for all kinds of yummy recipes.

That’s why today, I am coming at you with one delicious recipe for barbecue lentils and three easy ways to turn these yummy lentils into a quick weeknight meal! And guys, these lentils are truly something special. They are so so good. In fact, last weekend we had friends over for football and I replaced the traditional pulled pork with these tasty barbecue lentils. After some intial skepticism, everyone was headed back for seconds, building barbecue lentil tacos and sandwiches like they were going out of style. It’s the perfect, healthy football food and also doubles as a simple, easy weeknight meal.

Now before we dig into the recipe, let’s talk about lentils and why they are truly one of my favorite ingredients.  Like I said before, lentils are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. Not only are they a plant based source of protein, they are packed with fiber and contain iron, floate, and potassium. And with just 115 calories per 1/2 cup serving, they are a healthy choice to make meatless entrees, side dishes, salads, and even breakfast dishes. Plus they are really easy to prepare. Unlike many other beans and legumes, they don’t require any pre-soaking. Just give them a quick rinse and in less than 30 minutes they are ready to eat. 

Now let’s get into this recipe because it really is one you will want to make as soon as possible. It starts with a combination of onions, mushrooms, carrots, and garlic all cooked with paprika, cumin, and chili powder for some spice. Once everything softens, it’s time to add the lentils. While almost any lentil would work for this recipe, I opted to use green lentils since they are easy to find and super affordable, only about $1-2 per pound. These are cooked in a combination of vegetable broth and barbecue sauce. Adding the barbecue sauce directly to the cooking liquid ensures the lentils get plenty of sweet and smoky flavors. Then all you need is about 25 minutes and dinner is ready. Stir in some extra barbecue sauce to make sure the are sticky, sweet, and smoky. Dinner is ready!

Now the hard part is just deciding how to serve them. There are so many ways you can serve these easy Barbecue Lentils. I am going to share three of my favorite ways plus some ideas for meal prep. 

Option 1: BBQ Lentil Tacos with Pineapple

I am always up for a delicious taco and these barbecue lentil tacos are a tasty vegetarian taco that won’t disappoint. Just heat up some corn tortillas, add a generous helping of barbecue lentils, and top with fresh pineapple, red cabbage, and cilantro. If you like heat, squirt some Sriracha on top or throw 1-2 chipotle peppers in the mix while you are cooking the lentils.

Option 2: BBQ Ranch Lentil Sandwiches

We are huge fans of traditional barbecue pulled meat sandwiches and this BBQ Lentil version can compete with any traditional version. Toast up your favorite roll, stuff in the barbecue lentils, and top with coleslaw, cilantro, and ranch dressing. It is the perfect vegetarian barbecue sandwich.

Option 3: BBQ Lentil Grain Bowls

Rice and grain bowls are one of my go-to options for quick and easy meals since you can create your own combinations with your favorite grains, veggies, and proteins. For this version, choose your favorite grain, rice, or cauliflower rice. Then top it with plenty of barbecue lentils, veggies of your choice, cabbage for some crunch, and pineapple for sweetness. Top with a creamy goat cheese, avocado, Sriracha, or a creamy dressing.

Meal Prep Ideas: If you want to get ahead with meal prep, these Barbecue Lentils are a great option since they can be used in so many different ways. In addition to the ideas above, you can also use these to stuff a baked sweet potato, top a big green salad, grill with cheese and veggies for a quesadilla, or toss in a wrap with greens for a quick sandwich. And since cooked lentils can be stored in the fridge for a week or freezer for up to 3 months, don’t be scared to make a double or triple batch and store in indivdual servings for future quick and easy meals.

Looking for more delicious lentil recipes ideas? Visit our friends at Lentils.org for tons of delicious lentil recipes and ideas –  including ideas for breakfast, baked goods, and even dessert!

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