#is clark eating chunks of butter?

[thewaynemanner]

This just in from the Daily Planet, Superman delivers a sick burn to Batman.

-Lois Lane

Also... What the heck is Clark eating ?

[abiteofnat]

If you’re reading this, I’m coming back to Chicago, beetch

The non-existent rumors are true. After a brief 10-month exit from the city to soak up the fresh air and social distance-friendly suburbs, I am now returning to Chicago as a single, slightly more anxious version of myself. While I’m still trying to kick some of the anxiety and OCD that COVID-19 pushed from “lifelong tagalongs” to “all-controlling demons”, I feel 97% ready to be back where I feel most myself, and cannot wait to welcome that change. While that 3% still makes me a little uncomfy and hesitant, I’m a believer in pushing your boundaries to allow yourself to grow, and also, I am really sick of suburbs food. 

Ha! I joke. I wouldn’t move downtown simply for access to more diverse & higher quality food... or would I? All I know is while there are plenty of gems in the North Shore, I’ve eaten take out from all of them ten times over, and I did not foster my dislike of cooking out of nowhere. My parents do not enjoy cooking, my sister pretends to enjoy cooking, and I will cook if it is 5 ingredients or less. My latest speciality is a toasted bagel with butter, hummus, and EBTB seasoning. Voila. So when it comes to dinner, we are living off of a carousel of suburban favorites, and are losing steam as we are still not comfortable with dining inside (or dining inside in the city, where the fun food is). 

All of this to say, it’s exciting to imagine what life is going to be like in a few short weeks. While I’m still extra precautionary, I can’t wait to have my own space downtown, where I can enjoy coffee on my little balcony (!!!) and dream of the days friends can come squeeze into my studio safely while I lay out an entire table of sharable spreads and snacks from Ema (Charred Eggplant Spread is the best one, don’t fight me). 

So you may ask, how did you come to this decision to move to the heart of downtown out of seemingly nowhere, you hermit? 

It starts with my mom and I having a brief, simultaneous breakdown and coming to the conclusion that we would both feel comfortable doing a staycation downtown, as long as we wore masks, sanitized always, and braved the cold to eat outside. This was big for me! As a person with real OCD, not cute TV show “I have to keep my pens straight” OCD, this would be the most exposure I’d had to a lot of uncontrollable variables since the pandemic started. If you’re thinking, “you get to spend a weekend downtown in a hotel with your mom, shut up”, know that I hear you. I am unbelievably grateful that I’ve gotten this time with my parents, and that we can do a staycation. However, having anxiety comes at a cost, and that cost is blowing everything way the fuck out of proportion instead of being able to rationalize it sometimes. Let’s! Normalize! Having! This! Discussion!

So, we went downtown in early March for a two-night stay, and oh my goodness. The realization that we got to be in a different space, and do different things, and eat different food for a weekend made it feel like a legit vacation, and not like we drove 30 minutes to get there. The view from our room was of Michigan Ave, and hearing the traffic and seeing the people out and about instantly made me feel a sense of peace I wasn’t expecting. I’ve lived downtown for 6 years, but it always shocks me how much the city feels like an extension of me once I’m in it after being away. My mom and I went out for a walk (gentle yet forceful reminder to please wear a mask), then decided to grab dinner while we were out. The plan was to bring it back to the room, but there was a warm spell, and there just happened to be a table for two at Topolobampo on Clark, and suddenly we were sitting on the patio under the lights eating masa quesadillas dipped in a spicy salsa verde. It just happened!!! 

Before getting downtown, I was tentatively looking at apartments for the spring. I was looking at Lincoln Park, Old Town, maybe Lakeview, and came across a listing in the Gold Cost that caught my eye. That one was swiped out from under me within days, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the area. Then I discovered another unit that was available, and couldn’t shake it from my mind. Over mushroom tacos I discussed it with my mom, and we decided to go see it. Totally not what I had been planning for in terms of location, but why not? 

Once we polished off breakfast the next morning (Eggs Benedict with fried eggs, extra hollandaise) we headed out to see the place. Let me say I have never seen my mom fall in love with a single apartment I’ve lived in, and she was ALL. FOR. IT. Unreal reaction on her part. Once I saw the west-facing views and the incredible natural lighting, I was 100% in as well.

We spent the rest of the weekend wandering the downtown area, enjoying another dinner outside at The Gwen and my mom’s first visit to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, which was 95% more empty than I’ve ever seen it given we went in a pandemic at 8:30PM. Shit on Starbucks all you want, but that Roastery is an incredible use of space (in non-pandemic times) and the coffee & Princi pastries are really, really good. 

When we got back home feeling refreshed and like we had actually gone on a vacation, I jumped into apartment shark mode real fast and signed as many documents as the very kind realtor could send over. One week later, whabaam, I was a Gold Coast girl. Ahem, *lady*. What better way to celebrate than going to Somerset and having the Rapini & Roasted Garlic Flatbread and Wild Mushroom Risotto? No clue. As I sat outside, yet again with my mom, I felt a wave of excitement come over me and realized, this is it. This is the sign and feeling I’ve been waiting for, telling me it’s time to move back to the city and start over. The creamy, herbacious risotto also helped solidify that. 

SO. After all of that, the news is I’m moving, and you’re probably wondering why I shared all of this on a blog about food. I meant for this post to be about everywhere I ate during my staycation, but realized quickly we ate at some very basic places - DELICIOUS, but still basic. Oops. Below are all the dishes I had and a rundown of the flavors, textures, etc., however don’t expect to find any new, revolutionary restaurants. Sorry! 

1. Topolobampo 

This Rick Bayless restaurant has been around forever, and unfortunately, you can tell by the interior. We’ve eaten here as a family a couple of times before, but never had a noteworthy experience. I can confirm that in a pinch, the patio covered in fun lights & mini piñatas, and the sharable, filling bites will do just fine. This was my first time going to a Mexican restaurant as a non-alcohol drinker, and instead of my typical mezcal margarita, I opted for a Fresh Limeaide which was refreshing and flavorful. We split the Guacamole and Chips, which if you’ve ever stopped at the Frontera in O’Hare, you know is good as fuck. It’s smooth, creamy, tangy, and topped with chopped onions and cilantro for a little crunch. It’s not the most life-changing, but it is consistently satisfying. Next, we got the Mushroom Tacos and Masa Quesadillas. The Masa Quesadillas were a fun surprise, as instead of a tortilla, the masa is what makes up the outside. They are almost like empanadas and stuffed with gooey, melty cheese, and come with a spicy salsa verde on the side. I would come back for these alone - they’re rich yet light, warm, and comforting, all the things you would want when dining outside when it’s still a little chilly. The Mushroom Tacos were quite frankly unreal, because whatever they seasoned the mushroom slices with and grilled them on made them taste unlike any mushroom I’ve had before. There was definitely some meat crossover on the grill, so don’t order those if you’re vegan, or ask them to prepare the mushroom separately. I however was LOSING MY MIND. Over mushrooms. The joys of being vegetarian! 

2. The Gwen

On a happening Saturday night in Chicago, Upstairs at The Gwen is sure to be a packed scene. Located in River North, this hotel bar/restaurant offers a somehow cozy rooftop filled with loungey couches, fire pits, and ambient lighting, even though you’re surrounded by apartments and skyscrapers and there is nothing “cozy” about River North. Every table was filled, yet since you’re outside and it’s fairy spread apart, it still felt safe. I got my new classic, a Lemonade, and we got the Burrata to start. With sourdough, roasted beets, squash, pomegranate, pistachio, & arugula, this plate was nothing short of mouth-watering. It has textures! It has flavors! It has pomegranate seeds, the TikTok must have of the moment! The bread was 10/10, the burrata was 8/10, and all of the toppings made for a very find bite of salad on their own. For my main I got the Lobster Fettucine, a beautiful bowl of “charcoal fettuccine with saffron-tomato sauce, lobster, calabrian chili butter, and basil-brioche crumbs” as listed on their website. Take any of those ingredients and it’s going to be delicious, but all of them TOGETHER? INCREDIBLE. The chunks of lobster were huge, absolutely making the dish worth its price tag, and the sauce was flavorful, unique, and unlike any sauce I’ve tasted in the last few years. It’s typical to do a squid ink pasta with seafood and tomato sauce, but the saffron added a new element I very much appreciated. 

3. The Starbucks Roastery 

I KNOW. THIS IS A TOURIST DESTINATION. All I am saying is if there’s no line, go get an iced latte with two packets of sugar in the raw. That’s all. It’s really good after something like, I don’t know, Lobster Fettucine. 

4. The Penninsula 

You cannot go wrong with hitting up The Penninsula for breakfast or brunch, especially if you are staying there and have the option to do room service. Typically we would go to Pierrot Gourmet, the cafe in the ground floor of The Penninsula, however it has been closed temporarily. If there’s one thing to order with your breakfast, it’s the smashed fingerling potatoes. Delish. 

5. Somerset 

Somerset is becoming a quick go-to of mine for an impromptu dinner downtown, given it’s in the heart of Gold Coast and is cute if you’re sitting indoors or outdoors. The food is nothing too innovative, but it is done well, which is the most important part with “cuter” restaurants that may focus on the Instagram appeal over the food sometimes. Each time I’ve gone I’ve gotten the seasonal flatbread and a pasta or risotto, usually something with mushrooms, and it’s always been plate-licking good. To drink, I got -you guessed it- a Lemonade! For dinner I went with the Wild Mushroom Risotto which was everything you could hope for in a risotto, topped with olive oil, herbs, and local parmesan. We split the Rapini & Roasted Garlic Flatbread which was as it sounds, flatbread covered in rapini, garlic, and ricotta, which added a nice crunch and had enough rapini to feel like it was replacing a boring vegetable side dish or salad. The patio vibes were wonderful, the judgemental girls in the greenhouses looked like they were having a good time, and our waiter couldn’t have been sweeter. I will be going back to try the Fontina Arancini, which I just noticed on the menu. FRICK. 

So there you have it, a very long-winded explanation of the last few weeks of my life and where you can find me on a staycation in Chicago. Hopefully once I move back to the city I’ll have endless new spots to try and won’t be basic anymore! 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie 

[secretsocietyxmen]

Bart Can Cook Headcanons

I’m going to start expanding on my Impulse headcanons because he deserves it. Starting with a personal favorite: Bart Can Cook.

Bart was taught by Max as a two-pronged plan: to teach him to be careful and precise, and to allow him to be somewhat self-sufficient.

It worked, and now Bart is as good, if not better, as Max is when it comes to Speedster Style Cooking (insert trademark here)

Turns out, he is the ONLY one in Young Justice who can cook at any level of skill

Tim is so used to eating alone he never bothered to learn. He relies heavily on takeout, instant foods, and frozen “cuisine”

Kon, as a young Kryptonian, LOVES weird combinations of food (personal Superman headcanon). Once, Bart saw him put instant noodles and gummy candies on a Grilled Cheese and BANNED him from the headquarter’s kitchen.

Cassie is just not a good cook. Nothing she cooks comes out right (Think Akane from Ranma 1/2).

Greta, being a ghost/former ghost, has a weird sense of taste, and cannot be trusted with food

Cissie can cook, but only the basics (grilled cheese, pasta, salad).

As such, he is the main cook, and everyone LOVES it.

He quickly adapts to the prefered foods of his fellow teammates, using his super speed learning.

He shares both recipes and stories with the Kents and (once Tim reveals his identity) Alfred

“You won’t believe the kinds of things Kon has tried to make in my kitchen!” “Is it worse than Clark’s peanut butter and mackerel phase?” “...Almost.”

“You must teach me your famous cookie recipe. When Master Tim brought them home, they barely lasted the hour.” Okay, but in exchange I want your Shepherd’s Pie recipe, Max would LOVE it.”

Whenever Young Justice would hold an event for its members and their families, Max, Bart, and (occasionally) Jay work all day to prepare the food.

He once entered the Justice League Chili Cook Off. He beat Ollie, who is still salty over it.

The secret is ground sausage. And making sure it’s edible.

He’s very proud of his cooking, and hell hath no fury quite like a speedster whose food was ruined. 

Kon once tried the old “unscrew the top of the salt shaker” bit on Tim during spaghetti night. He was later found dangling off the top of the Daily Planet building, in his underwear with a chunk of Kryptonite around his neck. He never tried it again.

He gets up early on Max’s (unofficial) birthday, as well as the anniversary of the day they met, in order to make his favorite breakfast with a slice of cake. It never disappoints. 

Every now and then, Cass would stop by for some food. He is always ready to oblige, while also being impressed by her ability to eat almost as much as him.

When Cissie quit the team, Bart would send her cookies every weekend to help her feel better. They quickly became popular at her school.

He made a limited print cookbook for superheroes and their families, featuring recipes designed for heroes with high metabolisms (Kryptonians, Amazons, Speedsters, etc). It sold out in a day.

There’s probably more, but I will end it here.

[the-coconut-asado]

Oh Stumptown my Stumptown!

Portland likes to keep it weird. Officially. You could even buy the tee shirt if tee shirts weren’t so predictable.   

From a poster invitation to “Hear my TED Talk about DIY and Impending Doom” to the Big Legrowlski (sic) night club that hangs carpets on the walls -  not to balance the sound for the band but because they really bring the room together -  the City has an off-beat vibe that feels authentic even while it gets you scratching your head. And where else would you queue round the block for a voodoo-doll shaped doughnut with a pretzel stick through its ‘heart’?

You probably won’t be surprised when I tell you that Portland is  the Hipster Capital of the World. You know it’s hipster because it sells more coffee and has more microbreweries per head than anywhere else in the US.

We came for the food because People That Know told us to. It’s not simply that everything is delicious but that chefs, cooks, carts and food enthusiasts are trying to do different. It’s like Masterchef has landed in Twin Peaks. Entrepreneurs are making ice cream out of chickpeas and it works. A pastry chef has re-interpreted her favourite childhood book on a plate and you rejoice in the complex flavours of her tiny reconstructed bunny. So who’s the bunny boiler now?

One thing that puzzled me is why the City changed its name from the original Stumptown (pretty weird) to Portland (the Holiday Inn of city names). Devon, a local lawyer who we chatted to most mornings in Baristas Cafe, explained that Portland was never officially called Stumptown.  It became its nickname due to all the trees they had to cut down to build it, leaving the eponymous stumps in their wake. Stumptown is also the name of their iconic coffee brand, which I always assumed was NYC’s greatest invention. This is one of the many ways in which travel expands your mind.

Devon embodied something else about Portland: its friendliness. Even the passport officers are anxious that you have a good time. Full disclosure,  it wasn’t just Devon that we sought out each morning - it was Pepper, his cute little dog. I would eat Barista’s fresh, flaky rhubarb hand pie just to drop crumbs that Pepper would breakfast on. 

Devon put us onto a couple of great places to eat - one we made it to, one we didn’t. But more of that later.

Where to begin to describe this steel guitar food odyssey? Let me take you through our many highlights from the  mountain of food we consumed. Set it to the soundtrack of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Thing.

Our first evening, tired and hungry, we stuck to our guns and found Andina, the City’s Peruvian eatery. When you are both tired and hungry it’s easy to get seduced by posters boasting ‘Meatball Monday’ and forget your mission, but our persistence paid off. That legendary Portlandia hospitality squeezed us into a nook where there really wasn’t a free table, and we dined greedily on humitas, ceviche, lamb shank and seafood, washed down with Oregon’s finest home-grown Pinot Gris. I didn’t quibble that they brought something different from my order. In my fractured Spanish ‘Arroz con Pato’ probably did sound like ‘Seafood Risotto’  - and the risotto was obviously going to be delicious before fork met lip, so I didn’t send it back.

Next day, which coincidentally was Taco Tuesday, we hit the street food. 

Portland is big on street food (see: hipster capital of the world). Most food vendors have carts - permanent fixtures where the chef builds enough of a following over months or years to be able to open a small restaurant. Nong’s Khao Man Gai was just one of these. They do one dish - a Vietnamese poached chicken with a secret chilli sauce, accompanied by rice cooked in the chicken broth. You can also have a version with shrimp, pork or Tofu. We bought a bottle of the sauce to bring home. Life’s too short.

It’s not all carts - there are a fair few trucks too. 

One which specialised in cheese toasties challenged “ Come and relive the taste of your childhood. But if your childhood sucked, we’ll share the memory of ours”. Have you eaten a cheese toastie recently? I mean really felt the embrace of  a sandwich of molten cheese and fried bread? Maybe your childhood did suck after all.

That evening it was the turn of The Hairy Lobster restaurant, and that bunny dessert I mentioned earlier. Little Bunny Foo Foo to give it it’s full name. A delicate carrot cake, covered in cheesecake mousse, accompanied by a ginger crumb, caramel sauce and a marshmallow rabbit. 

Despite it’s show-stopping appearance and fusion of flavours, it was their roast squash with curry sauce and pumpkin seed praline that was the stand-out dish for me. The Lobster picnic for our main was pretty damn good too.

Friday brings me to Devon’s first recommendation, Pok Pok,  a teeny Thai eatery in the suburbs. Getting there had the added advantage of passing through a neighbourhood full of rambling old houses in the Amityville Horror style. I recalled the first time I had heard of Portland was from a TV thriller full of witches and jabberwocks called Grimm. They had definitely filmed it’s eerily beautiful moments around here.

If I had to single out a food highlight in a week of next-to-no food lows, I would choose Pok Pok. It gave me my first food coma in a long while. Something about it’s smoked aubergine, pork belly curry, marinated chicken with two dips, sublime mango with sticky rice and that rhubarb blush cocktail… I sense I am sharing my food coma with you now. Their signature dish is hot spicy chicken wings. The couple on the table next to us were too full to finish theirs so offered them to us. Maybe it was the wings that tipped me over the edge. I’ll never know.

And so to our last day, and the big daddy of Portland nights out: Jake’s Crawfish. Over 100 years old, walking into Jake’s is like walking into one of Sinatra’s memories. It has a justifiably stellar reputation, and seems to have maintained it for a century. I ate Steel-head trout for the first time, fished on their doorstep from Oregon’s Columbia River, coated with a horseradish crust, and preceded by half a dozen of the plumpest oysters I have ever eaten.

I haven’t yet mentioned Portland’s biggest hipster foodie habit: brunch. No matter what day of the week, the restaurants that brunch are always full. For most of our trip, we were waking up too early to really do brunch justice. Those rhubarb hand pies at Baristas had satisfied our hunger by around 8AM so a mid-morning banquet wasn’t really on. One day, however, we made it to Tasty & Alder in the Pearl DIstrict of the city and managed to sneak in a table for two before the queues built up. Worth it for their Green Frittata with salsa verde (who ever thought of doing that before?) and lightest, fluffiest American biscuits. We never made it to Devon’s second recommendation: Burmasphere, his friend’s Burmese cart on the other side of the river. And now we have an excuse to return.

When it came to rustling up some recipes that take me straight back to Portland weird, I whittled my list down to three: my version of Tasty & Alders’ green frittata with feta and salsa verde; a less labour-intensive version of Andina’s Arroz con Pato, made with chicken or guinea fowl; and in the spirit of weird, though by no means original, a cake inspired by Churros con Chocolate. The best possible end to a Taco Tuesday.

I messaged a friend of mine that had moved to Portland a few years back and asked why she had ever left. “ Too much rain and not enough art.” she said.  

You missed the point Sweetie. Great Food IS great art. And if you can’t stand the rain, get into the kitchen.

Green Frittata with Feta and Salsa Verde

A great little brunchy-lunch dish packed with flavour for the carb-conscious. If you want to add some carbs, slices of toasted sourdough will go down a treat. Serves 4

Ingredients

8 large free-range eggs

1tblspn, double cream

100g asparagus spears, chopped into 2 cm chunks

100g shelled garden peas or petit pois

50g feta cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa verde:

Small pack of flat-leaf parsley (around 15-20g)

½ a small pack of mint leaves

3 tbsp. Capers

7 anchovy fillets

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp dijon mustard

8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

How to make:

Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil, then add the peas. After a couple of minutes, add the chopped asparagus and continue simmering for another 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Put to one side.

Next, make the salsa verde. Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a blender, season generously with pepper and go easier on the salt (anchovies and capers are already pretty salty). Then, add the olive oil and blend again. Don’t over blend at each step - it's nice to keep the texture a little rough.

Put a skillet on the stove and melt a knob of butter. Beat the eggs, add the cream and season. Lightly saute the green vegetables in the butter for a minute or two. 

 then pour the eggs over and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Cook for a couple of minutes until the bottom is starting to brown.

 pop under the grill to continue cooking, until the top is a light golden colour and the frittata has firmed up with a slight wobble (keep a close eye on this, probably takes 2-3 minutes).

Cut the frittata into 4 wedges and serve with a dollop of salsa verde on top.

Arroz con Gallina Picante

I never did get to eat Arroz con Pato in Andina, but while I adore the rich flavour of duck, devoting two or three days to confitting it before finishing the dish is only for the dedicated dinner party cook. This version with a spicy chicken and a feta-enriched herb sauce (based on a Melissa Clark recipe)  goes down just as well - or the richer Guinea Fowl, which I have used here. And Peruvian aji amarillo is now more available by mail order - substitute ordinary chile powder if not. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized chicken or guinea fowl, jointed into 2 breasts, 2 drumsticks and 2 thighs (discard the back or freeze to make stock at a later date)

For the marinade:

6 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp paste made with aji amarillo powder and olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp sriracha sauce

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

½ a large bunch coriander leaves, broken up

2 jalapeno chilies, chopped

75g feta cheese, crumbled

1 garlic clove, crushed

Juice of 1-2 limes

2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

½ tsp dijon mustard

½ tbsp aji amarillo paste (see marinade earlier for method)

1 tsp honey

1 tsp ground cumin

½ cup extra virgin olive oil.

For the Peruvian Rice:

3 tbsp sunflower oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

3 heaped tsp aji amarillo paste (see marinade earlier for method)

½ large bunch fresh coriander, broken up and blended till smooth with a tblspn water

500g fresh chicken stock

300g bottle of beer or lager

2 x small green chillies, chopped finely

500g basmati rice

1 red pepper, chopped into small chunks

100g fresh garden peas or petit pois

How to make

First, make the marinade. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl, cover the fowl of your choice in it, cover with cling film and pop in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

For the sauce: put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend till smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover and refrigerate, taking out about 15 minutes ahead of eating to bring to room temperature.

For the rice. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and saute until starting to turn golden. Add the blended coriander and chili paste  and cook for a couple of minutes until the paste has thickened slightly and smells delicious.

Pour the beer into the saucepan, cook for a few minutes then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, season, then take off the heat, cover and put to one side.

Heat the oven to 200C. Pat  the chicken or guinea fowl pieces dry, then pop onto a shallow baking tray, season and drizzle with olive oil. Put the tray into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes.

While the meat roasts, finish the rice. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium sized saucepan, add the peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the rice and stir into the oil and peppers until it starts to crackle a little at the bottom. Add the peas and chilies and stir again, then add the stock, beer and onion garlic mix. Stir, season if needed, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 25 mins.

Fluff up the rice and spoon onto plates. Top with the chicken or guinea fowl pieces, and crown with a dollop of sauce.

Churros Bundt Cake with Dipping Chocolate Sauce

I love churros, and I love a Bundt cake. If you want all the flavours but none of the faffing or frying, then give this a try. The cake will keep, covered in a tin. Just remember to reheat the chocolate sauce for dipping or pouring each time. Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 ¾ cups plain flour

2 tsp. Baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp. Salt

170g unsalted butter

130g caster sugar

50g soft brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1 375g punnet of sour cream

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar ‘glaze’

2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tsp caster sugar

For the chocolate sauce:

½ cup cocoa powder

Pinch chilli flakes

100g dark chocolate (70%)

1 cup double cream

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

How to make

Preheat the oven to 160C. Grease and flour a large bundt cake pan (make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies).

Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl (ideally using an electric stand mixer) until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and continue to mix between each addition, finishing with the egg yolk. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and beat again until just incorporated.  Mix all the dry ingredients, add them to the butter and egg mix and fold in until smooth. 

Pour the cake batter into the bundt tin and bake for around 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted near the middle comes out clean (I usually check the cake after 45 mins). Invert the cake onto a rack to cool.

Mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the butter and paint all over the surface of the cake. Dust the cinnamon sugar over the buttered cake, making sure you pat it in places to stick.

To make the chocolate sauce. Pop all the ingredients into a saucepan, then cook, stirring constantly, on a low heat until the chocolate has melted, everything is smooth and custardy. Let it bubble slightly then turn off the heat.

Serve slices of the churros cake with warm chocolate sauce poured over. There are some who prefer their chocolate sauce served cold. That’s fine too.

[argyle-s]

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME CHAPTER 29/38

Rating: Mature

Read at Ao3

Start at the Beginning

Conversations are had.  Murder is contemplated.

Notes:  I wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented on Chapter 28.  There was a lot of things in that chapter that are very close to my heart, and I’m glad so many people found meaning in it.  Today’s chapter is a little quieter and a bit shorter, but enjoyed the calm while it lasts.  We’ve coming up on the end game, and once it starts, things don’t slow down.

Thanks to @ifourmindbeso for her great work as a beta. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own.

Chapter 29 - Family Time

Kara had barely finished closing the door before she found herself wrapped in a hug.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Eliza asked.

“It was just a convenience store robbery,” Kara said, giving Alex a confused look over Eliza’s shoulder. Alex rolled her eyes and turned around, walking back over towards the couch, leaving a very confused Kara at the mercy of Eliza, who stepped back, resting her hands on Kara’s shoulders.

“That’s not what I meant,” Eliza said. “I saw what you wrote.”

“Oh,” Kara said, taking a deep breath. “Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell us you had a girlfriend?” Eliza asked.

“Well,” Kara said, looking desperately toward Alex, who was sitting on the couch, eating popcorn, and watching some reality tv show. Kara looked back at Eliza and told the truth. “She wasn’t from this planet.”

“Honey, you know that wouldn’t have mattered,” Eliza said.

Alex snorted.

“Yeah,” Kara said, “I kinda think it would have. Besides, she was a little older, and her crew wasn’t the most reputable bunch.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, I don’t wanna talk about Sara,” Kara snapped, making Eliza take a step back. “It means that if I tell you about her, you’re going to get mad, because you don’t agree with my choices, but instead of talking to me about it like an adult you’re going to wait until I’m at work tomorrow and take it out on Alex. Which isn’t fair because Alex didn’t know anything about Sara until a couple of weeks ago. But if she told you that you’d get on her for not being involved enough in my life. And I’ve already had to go through this twice today, and… it hurts and I just want to sit on the couch and eat ice cream and pretend today hasn’t been a complete disaster.”

She walked past Eliza, who was looking at her like she’d grown a second head, and went to the fridge, being careful not to jerk the freezer door off the hinges as she opened it.

“Alex, tell me you did not eat all the Slow Churned Double Fudge Brownie,” Kara said.

“Behind the Slow Churned Peanut Butter Cup,” Alex said without turning around.

“That’s Cookie Dough!”

“Next one back,” Alex said.

Kara pushed the Half Gallon of Cookie Dough aside, and found a suspiciously unopened Half Gallon of Slow Churned Double Fudge Brownie.

“You finished it last night and went and got another tub this morning, didn’t you?” Kara asked as she turned around and grabbed a spoon.

“If I say yes, will you bring me the Strawberry?”

“Regular or slow churned?”

“How is that even a question?” Alex asked.

Kara shrugged and grabbed the Slow Churned Strawberry, and a second spoon, then went over and sat on the couch, handing the ice cream to her sister.

“Undercover boss?”

“Yep,” Alex said.

They sat together, hips touching, as they ate ice cream and watched the CEO of Yankee Candle try to fool his employees into thinking he was one of them. After a few minutes, Eliza sat next to them, and Kara noticed that she was working her way through the Mint Chocolate Chip.

When they reached the end of the episode, not that any of them really cared what was going on, Kara picked up the remote and turned the TV off.

“I’m sorry I yelled,” Kara said.

“I know,” Eliza said. “I’m sorry I pushed.”

“You pushed because you care,” Kara said. “I love that about you. But I can’t talk to you about Sara.”

“I don’t want you to feel like there’s ever anything you can’t tell me,” Eliza said.

“It’s not that,” Kara said. “I want to tell you everything, but there are a *lot* of other conversations we need to have first. Like the one about the DEO.”

Kara felt both Alex and Eliza move, and when she looked up from her ice cream, both of them were looking at her. Well, more glaring on Alex’s case, but still.

“What do you know about the DEO?” Eliza asked.

Kara stuck her spoon in the ice cream and started digging for a chunk of brownie. “I know Hank Henshaw came to the house that night you and Jeremiah caught me and Alex out flying. I know what Jeremiah went to work for them to keep me safe. I know he disappeared on a mission, and you think Hank Henshaw murdered him, which isn’t far from the truth.”

“Kara,” Alex said, warning in her tone.

“It’s okay, Alex,” Kara said as she took a bite of ice cream. “I talked to President Marsdin this morning. She’s signing the Amnesty Act and the Pardons next Monday, along with an order declassifying the DEO.” She turned back to Eliza. “I’ve been in touch with them for almost a year. Passing them names and information to help them capture dangerous criminals that escaped from a Kryptonian prison.”

“Kara-“

“Alex didn’t know,” Kara said. “I kept it from her. Made it one of the conditions of working with them that she not find out.”

“Why would you do that?” Eliza asked.

“Because I work for them,” Alex said. “I’ve worked for them for almost two years.”

“You two went to work for them knowing what they did you your father?”

Kara shook her head. “Alex didn’t know about Jeremiah. Not until after I came out as Supergirl. I knew, but it’s complicated. Hank Henshaw isn’t in charge of the DEO anymore. The man running the DEO, the man everyone thinks is Hank Henshaw, is actually a shape shifter. A Green Martian named J’onn J’onzz. Jeremiah saved his life in Peru, kept the real Henshaw from murdering him. J’onn has spent the last ten years trying to turn the DEO into something good, and he’s spent that time watching us, protecting us, covering for me anytime I slipped and someone caught me using my powers. Right up until last September when I contacted him.”

“Why not tell your sister?” Eliza asked.

“Because what I was doing was dangerous, and because there were people out there who were watching the DEO. My aunt, and her people. All the stuff I’ve done the last few weeks, the interviews, the media blitz, the websites and social media campaign. I’ve been planning this for over a year, Eliza. I knew my Aunt was out there. I knew she was planning something terrible. I knew I had to stop it. I knew Marsdin was sympathetic to alien refugees, and has been pushing quietly for the amnesty act. I might have preferred to make my debut as Supergirl in a bit less dramatic a fashion, but I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t let those people die. And once I was out, it just made sense to work with the DEO. They can house supervillains and metahumans, though we’re working on transferring metas over to NCPD.”

“How did you find all this out?” Eliza asked.

Kara shook her head. “I’m sorry. That’s not something I can tell you. Not yet. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just… It’s complicated. There are things I haven’t even told Clark, and he’s been working with me on some of this. Just, we need you to trust us… Just a few more weeks. If everything goes as planned, we can tell you everything by Christmas.”

“Okay,” Eliza said.

Kar stood up and looked at Alex. “Scoot over,” she said.

“What?” Alex asked.

“It’s your turn in the middle.”

“What?”

Kara rolled her eyes. “You know I can just pick you up and move you.”

“Fine,” Alex said. “But no chocolate pecan pie for you.” She grumpily scooted over towards Eliza, and Kara dropped down on her other side.

“You two really need to talk,” Kara said.

Eliza gives her a puzzled look before shifting her gaze to Alex, who is still glaring daggers at Kara.

“Look, I can’t have this conversation for you, but all three of us know that things between you two have been strained for a while” Kara said. “And part of that is my fault. I just waltzed into your lives, and took up all of Eliza’s time and energy, and even before Jeremiah disappeared, Alex had this kind of co-parent caretaker role pushed on her with no warning and she lost all of her friends because of me. And even after we worked out our differences, all the time Alex and I spent together was about me. It was about my secrets, my needs, my grief, my trouble understanding humans and life on Earth. Alex buried entire parts of herself, so she could be there for me, and you, Eliza, you came down on her so hard, but not me. I understand why. You thought I was fragile, and maybe I was. I was a girl who just wanted her mother, and who’d seen everything burned out of the stars. But it wasn’t fair to her and whether you meant to or not, you hurt her.”

“You two are my family here on Earth, more so than anyone. Even Kal-El and Astra. And I need my family, but I also need you two to be okay with each other, because things are going to get hard. What Alex and I are doing is hard. And we both need our mother. Now, I can stay, if you want, or I can give you both some space, but please talk to each other.”

Kara watched them both, pretty sure based on the look Alex was giving her that she was contemplating force feeding her kryptonite ice cream.

“Maybe you could give us half an hour,” Eliza said, “If that’s okay with you, Alex?”

Alex looked at Eliza for a moment, before she reluctantly nodded.

“Okay,” Kara said. “I’ll go get us some dinner.”

“No Hawaiian!” Alex and Eliza both said at the same time.

“You both suck.”

“She’s changed,” Eliza said once the door was closed.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “She’s ah… She’s been through a lot.”

“I know,” Eliza said as she turned back to Alex.

“No,” Alex said. “It’s not just Krypton, and Dad, and Kenny, and even Sara. There’s more, and I want to tell you, but we can’t.”

“Okay,” Eliza said. “Okay. I’ll accept that.” She reached out and took Alex’s hand. “Tell me what I can do?”

Alex took a deep breath, stealing herself. “Just tell me why I’m not enough? I… I do everything you ask. I took care of Kara. I made my whole life about her. I worked so hard to be perfect, so you wouldn’t have to worry about me, and I did all the things Dad used to do. I learned to fix things, and change the oil in the cars and I helped Kara with her application essay for college and I just… It’s never felt like enough. I joined the DEO, I went out there to fight aliens and protect the planet so Kara wouldn’t have to, but I’ve known, ever since the plane, you’d be mad, and I don’t know what I need to do to make you love me again.” She wasn’t sure when the tears had started, didn’t even realize she was crying until Eliza reached up and wiped the tears off her face.

“Oh, no. Alex, no. I never meant to make you think I didn’t love you. I was hard on you because I wanted you to be better than me. I always needed something to push me, to drive me, and I just, I thought if I could be that for you, if I could push you, it would make things easier, until you learned to find a way to drive yourself. But I always loved you. You were my star, Alex, my Supergirl, long before Kara came along. And she’s right. I thought she was fragile. Broken. I didn’t know how to do anything but accept her, and give her time to heal. But I never wanted you to feel like less.”

Eliza reached for her, pulling her into a hug, and Alex hugged her back, not able to put a name to the mix of emotions running through her in that moment.

“Now,” Eliza said. “Tell me about this date.”

Murder, Alex decided. The mix of emotions was definitely murder. And Kara was going to be the victim.

[businessweekme]

California Highway 1 Road Trip

Six weeks ago, Highway 1 fully reopened in Big Sur, following devastating mudslides in May 2017. After $54 million worth of repairs and the removal of millions of tons of earth, rocks, and debris, travelers can once again enjoy an uninterrupted drive along the gorgeous coastal highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

But it’s not just the views that make the trek one of the most famous road trips in the world. There’s also the food to contend with: Dotted along the winding route, you’ll find peppery smoked-fish tacos, juicy burgers smothered in eggs and melted cheese, and homemade doughnuts oozing with jelly.

Our version of this journey begins in Point Reyes Station, north of San Francisco. There, you’ll want to stock up on triple cream Mt Tam cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and scarf as many straight-from-the-bay oysters as you can get down. Your eating adventure will continue from there—you’d better start hungry.

  Point Reyes

Side Street Kitchen

The specialty at this year-old, bright, modern diner is the crispy skinned rotisserie chicken, fragrant with herbs and served half or whole with an array of sauces, including curried yogurt, salsa verde, and chimichurri rojo. The other specialty: puffy, sugar-coated, fruit-filled apple fritters. 60 4th St., Point Reyes Station

The Boat Oyster Bar

Hog Island Oyster Co. is famed for the oysters it pulls out of the bay and supplies to top dining rooms around the country. A reservation-only café on the water features those world-class bivalves; the menu changes often, but it frequently includes Hog Island’s singular kumamotos. You can get a dozen raw for $36; even better are the barbecued ones, grilled and dripping with chipotle bourbon garlic butter. 20215 Shoreline Highway, Marshall

Half Moon Bay Area

  La Costanera

Peruvian food is having a moment in the U.S., and La Costanera, with its wall of windows overlooking the water from a second-floor dining room, has been recognized by Michelin’s Bib Gourmand. The menu has a mix of classics such as antichuchos (grilled skewers) with marinated beef heart and pork belly; empanadas; tender beer-braised lamb shank; and lomo saltado (beef tenderloin with onions, soy sauce, and a fried egg, if you want one). 8150 Cabrillo Highway, Montara

Dad’s Luncheonette

Chef Scott Clark used to cook at San Francisco’s Michelin-three-starred Saison. He’s transformed a red-painted train caboose into a cozy, wood-lined diner with a small menu of comfort food favorites. The $12 hamburger sandwich has melted cheese, a soft egg, and red onion pickles on grilled white bread; the mushroom version substitutes maitakes for the grass-fed beef. 225 Cabrillo Highway South, Half Moon Bay

Sam’s Chowder House

Seafood makes up almost the entire menu at Sam’s, including a “Captains Platter” of oysters, clams, shrimp, poke, and ceviche; an appetizer of grilled sardines; steamed clams (with the option of linguine); and lobster rolls, “naked” with butter or “dressed” with aioli. At night, the place highlights fresh catches such as Pacific swordfish and local halibut. The seats on the deck offer a panoramic ocean view. 4210 Cabrillo Highway, Half Moon Bay

Hop Dogma Brewing Co.

The rotating array of craft brews at this locally popular beer hall might include Pyro’s Prost chili beer (pilsner brewed with jalapeño); Every Third Inquiry, a Bourbon barrel-aged stout; and the flagship Alpha Dank IPA. Guests can order food from nearby Lamas, a Peruvian and Mexican restaurant, and the tacos, burritos, and arroz con pollo will be delivered to the taproom. 270 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay

Duarte’s Tavern

Dating back to 1894, when Frank Duarte bought the place for $12 in gold, this venerable restaurant specializes in a California version of Continental cuisine. The menu runs the gamut from shrimp cocktail to pork chops with fresh applesauce. The specialties are anything with artichokes, plus the cioppino, packed with clams, shrimp, cod and especially crab, which people drive down from San Francisco to eat. 202 Stage Rd.

Santa Cruz

The Picnic Basket

Set on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the picturesque luncheonette has an all-day menu with a powerful breakfast selection: golden-brown turnovers stuffed with seasonal fruit or Niman Ranch ham and cheese; an egg-potato-greens frittata sandwich on toast; and house-made jelly doughnuts. Later in the day, hot dogs and elbow macaroni and cheese turn up on the menu. The nearby Penny Ice Creamery, where everything is house-made under the same ownership, is equally popular. 125 Beach St.

Monterey Peninsula

The Meatery

A serious, whole-animal butcher shop with impressive cuts of meat on display, this white-tiled space also serves as a deli. Sandwiches range from a hefty Reuben to banh mi made with caramelized pork belly slices, pickled vegetables, a hit of cilantro, and kewpie mayo on a French roll. A highlight is the house corned beef with sauerkraut on rye. The hot food offerings change daily: On Sundays and Mondays, there’s buttermilk-fried chicken; on Thursdays, visitors line up for the baby back ribs. 1534 Fremont Blvd., Seaside

The Bench Restaurant

Set on the impossibly scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links 18th hole, the Bench has a crowd-pleasing menu that offers all kinds of pizza-styled flatbreads: with pepperoni; with ratatouille, fennel ricotta and heirloom tomatoes; and with bench bacon and grilled, pickled red onion. The 24-ounce short rib, the Smokey Joe, is smoked for 10 hours. Aside from the best views, the outdoor deck has fire-pit tables. 1700 17 Mile Dr., Pebble Beach

Aubergine at l’Auberge Carmel

Chef Justin Cogley operates one of the country’s best under-the-radar fine-dining restaurants. Set in a Relais & Châteaux property, the intimate dining room has a $175 tasting menu that combines local ingredients in unexpected ways: A Morro Bay oyster with caviar has a hit of sea water, and seared abalone is accompanied by romaine lettuce that’s been braised and sliced in thick rounds, with lobster-infused lettuce puree. Monte Verde at 7th Ave., Carmel

Big Sur

Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant

Amid the trees in the hills off the highway, this exceptional café produces terrific pizzas from the wood oven, with a charred, bready, chewy crust and such toppings as creamy greens, mushrooms and tangy taleggio, and red sauce meatballs. The place is first and foremost a bakery: The creamy lemon curd pie in a pistachio crust is addictive, as is any pastry in the display case. 47540 Highway 1

Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn

Post Ranch Inn, renowned for its modernist, cliffside, treehouse rooms overlooking the ocean, has a new manager, Gary Obligacion, formerly of Chicago’s celebrated Alinea. The property’s Sierra Mar restaurant is home to one country’s largest wine collections, with 14,000-plus bottles. It complements an elegant four-course tasting menu from which the seared foie gras has a garnish of hazelnuts and king salmon is paired with smoked split peas and sweet apple. 47900 Highway 1

The Sur House at Ventana Big Sur

In 2017, Ventana went through a multimillion-dollar renovation. The renovated Sur House restaurant now has outdoor fireside seating and a bar menu with smoky spice-rubbed chicken wings and open-faced tuna melt accented with pickled fennel. The dinner menu has deceptively simple dishes, such as grilled pork loin on a bed of jalapeño-spiked grits. The wine cellar is also notable: some 10,000 bottles with a focus on the Central Coast. 48123 Highway 1

San Luis Obispo

Ruddell’s Smokehouse

There’s not much barbecue along Highway 1. The notable exception is Ruddell’s, where founder Jim Ruddell set up shop in 2001 in a small building with a few tables outside. The place smokes albacore and salmon with a brown sugar and kosher salt rub; chicken is slow-cooked over hickory. The smoked seafood and poultry are available as tacos in a big French-roll sandwich or salad—and by the pound. 101 D St., Cayucas

Cracked Crab

In the surfing town of Pismo Beach, the unpretentious Cracked Crab has a blazing neon sign and lines stretching out the door. The menu changes according to availability of seafood and features an ocean’s worth of crab: dungeness cocktail with lime and avocado; puck-size, pan-seared lump blue crab cakes; and New England-style lobster rolls stuffed with crab instead. The seafood buckets offer the opportunity to mix and match wild Gulf shrimp, Alaskan crab, clams, mussels, and lobster tails; they go for $61 for one person and $79 for two and come with all the mallets and scissors you’ll need to extract the shellfish. 751 Price St., Pismo Beach

Santa Barbara

Jalama Beach Store & Grill

In Lompoc, the epicenter of Santa Barbara winemaking, is this grill, set inside a store that’s set inside the county park. The specialty is the Jalama burger: It’s quintessential Cali-style, with shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, special sauce, and a griddled bun. The burger has gotten so popular over its almost 40-year history that the name is trademarked. 9991 Jalama Rd., Lompoc

La Super-Rica Tacqueria

Famous for being name-checked by Julia Child, Super-Rica is a cheerful, white-and-turquoise stand with a large selection of options that feature stellar homemade tortillas. The tacos are filled with all kinds of grilled meats—chunks of spiced, brick-colored chorizo; adobado with tender strips of marinated pork. The Super-Rica Especial is made up cheese-stuffed green pasilla chiles that are roasted and draped over tortillas with marinated pork and more cheese, for $6. 622 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Shellfish Co.

At the end of a dock on the harbor, this photogenic counter started out selling local seafood almost 30 years ago. Customers can still buy fish from commercial fishermen here. (There’s also a robust online store with trays of uni and stone crab claws.) The chopped caesar comes with a choice of grilled, skewered shrimp or sweet scallops. There’s more local shrimp, coated with coconut and crispy fried, garnished with onion rings. Also highly recommended are the linguine studded with garlic-sauteed clams in the shell and the monumental, steamed two-pound crab, along with a selection of local wine and beer by the pitcher. 230 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

The Los Angeles Area

Malibu Farm

What started as a pop-up dining room by Helene Henderson in 2013 is now a farmers market-driven restaurant and café on the Malibu Pier, with outposts in Miami and Hawaii. The all-day café at the end of the dock has a lightbulb-lit menu that boasts a pile-up of Swedish pancakes with whipped cream and whatever the seasonal berries are, as well as kale caesar and BLTs with lemon aioli brushed on whole wheat. Down the pier, a slightly more serious version of the restaurant offers a tofu, spinach, and tomato scramble on weekend mornings, and nachos, featuring blue corn chips laden with black beans, melty cheese, and drizzles of sour cream in the evenings. 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

Tallula’s

Chef Jeremy Fox, who heads up the nearby vegetable-focused Rustic Canyon, now puts a creative spin on the Mexi-Cali dining room. In a colorful space decorated with hanging plants, Fox uses exceptional local corn, served Mexican-style with smoky chipotle aioli, and accents black-cod tacos with malt tartar sauce in tender, house-made tortillas. A daily taco special is dreamed up by rotating cooks in the kitchen. The serious bar program features mezcal Manhattans on draft, as well as the obligatory margaritas. 118 Entrada Dr., Santa Monica

Father’s Office

Chef Sang Yoon began serving one of the—if not the—country’s first gourmet burgers almost 20 years ago. The Office Burger is made from freshly ground, dry-aged beef, so it’s got a deep, meaty flavor that’s further accentuated by sweet caramelized onions, bacon, gruyere, and blue cheese. Accompanying fries, standard or sweet potato, are presented in a mini-shopping cart. Father’s Office is equally known for pouring dozens of local craft beers. 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica

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[spicysoupparadise-blog]

recipe // home style vegetarian chili

“Sometimes simple really is best. We couldn’t be happier to have perfected this chili.”

I am a huge proponent of a meat-conscious lifestyle. So at home, I usually cook pescatarian or vegetarian. The problem is making chili vegetarian – especially for people who are used to eating meat chili – is two fold. (1) It’s gotta be flavorful. Meaty chili gets a whole bunch of flavor from the stewed beef. (2) It’s gotta be “meaty” – not necessarily with the taste or texture of meat – but the “bite” of it. You want to eat chili not minestrone.

I’ve been perfecting my Veggie Chili for years and I think I’ve just now gotten it right. We make veggie chili about once a month – if not more in the colder seasons (Fall, Winter, Spring.) In fact, we keep most of the ingredients in our pantry just in case we want to make it on the whim.

One of the last times I made it – about two months ago – it was a cold January day. We had no food in the house and we decided to make some Chili. I found that I was missing a lot of the ingredients I normally put in, but I made it anyways. Foots and I both agreed – it was the best I had ever made. Sometimes simple is really best.

So now I make it that way – the minimalist way. But I won’t call it that. I’ll just say “Home Style” because it’s our way – and because we always have the ingredients in the house, just in case.

Recipe // Gubs’ Home Style Vegetarian Chili

Makes: About 6 portions of soup – depending on how much you like chili Time: 15 min Prep Time, 40 min Cook Time Survives: days 2 – 4 in the fridge are best, day 5… you’re playing chili roulette. Day 6, absolutely no.

// Ingredients

– 2 yellow onions – 5 cloves of garlic // Do all 5. Don’t give me that look. You need them. – 4 medium carrots // Not baby carrots. Real carrots. Come on, Clarke. – 2 15oz cans of dark red kidney beans – 1 15 oz can of black beans // You can use water beans you like in whatever portions you want – as long as you have 45 oz of beans. I prefer dark red kidney (DRK) beans and the black because they are very earthy – yet sweet, which will blend well with the spiciness later. – 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes – 4 cups of veggie broth – 1 packet of your favorite Chili spice. // We use McCormick Chili Original because we find it has all the bases – and then we season on top of it. But you can use a hotter one or a less hot one, depending on what you like. –  a dollop of olive oil – red pepper flake – oregano – bay leaves – everyday seasoning – salt

// Prep

– Cut the onions into thin french strips (like you would for French Onion soup), and then give them a very rough over chop. // I like the strips of onion, but it does make them more present in the Chili. If you prefer to not have chunks of onion, you can dice or mince. – Mince the garlic pretty fine – Mince the carrots – Drain the kidney beans and the black beans (you can do this together or separate). Wash them well. And then drain them again.

// Cook

– Put a large pot over a medium heat. Dollop in enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and heat til shimmering – Pour in the onions and the garlic and cook together until sweaty and golden – about 5 to 7 – Add in the carrots, stir well to integrate and cook until carrots are slightly tender – about 2 – 3 minutes – Rip open that Chili packet and put it in. Also add in 4 dashes of red pepper flake and 8 dashes of oregano. Integrate well and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) to let the spices to activate. At this point, it should be sticky and think, and feel like you’re “kneading” the soup. – With everything integrated, add the tomatoes. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes – just to get the party started. – Throw in all your beans – Throw in however much broth you want – between 2 and 6 cups. // I usually do around 4, it just depends on what consistency you want it. More soupy? More broth. More chunky? Less. You are the captain now. –  Make sure to reserve any leftover broth, just in case too much boils off during cooking. – Add 2 bay leaves, 4 dashes of everyday seasoning, and 3 pinches of salt. – Now the good part. Cook for 25 minutes at a gentle simmer. – At 25 minutes, taste your chili. If it’s got too much of a tomato taste, add some more oregano. If it doesn’t “pop” in you mouth, add a pinch or two more of salt. If it isn’t spicy enough, throw some more red pepper flake. – Cook 5 more minutes. – Now let the chili cool on the stove – about an hour. “Why can’t I eat it?” You ask. What, are you silly? Eating chili on the first day. No. Put that chili in a pyrex and shove it in the oven. You can eat it tomorrow for lunch of dinner. It will taste SO much better on day two. You won’t regret it.

Eating Now // Please don’t. Seriously. Did you read the last instruction?

Eating Later // Heat in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes on high. Stir at 1 minute and at the end. Serve with tortilla chips – fresh*** or from a bag. Enjoy that spicy, comfort food goodness.

***Gubs’ Fresh Tortilla Slices: not really chips, but we enjoy taking some taco tortillas and brushing them with either butter (for a softer, but more flavorful) or canola oil (crunchier, but not as rich), putting them in a medium-high heat saute pan for about 1:30 minutes each side. Great for holding this soup!

Have a recipe you think could beat it? Drop me a message! I’ll try it out!

[colitisandme]

“I thought you said that this was going to be a nice, gentle walk” I gently enquired to my husband through gritted teeth, eyes bulging and frankly sweating so much I could have filled a swimming pool. He looked encouragingly at me as we entered an area of forest that could easily have been the prime setting in an Enid Blyton story book. The sun dappled the ground, making patterns of light through the trees, surrounded by the glorious Snowdon mountain and lakes, making it look like a fairy glen. It truly was glorious and I was trying to soak it all in, whilst trying not to fall over or cry at the thought of trying to encourage my screaming body up another steep incline. My face must have given away my fear and my pain, because my Husband held me close, and whispered in my ear “I am so proud of you.”

It was my idea to come to Snowdonia. I knew that if I attempted to climb the mountain, I would have become the star of ‘Welsh Mountain Rescue’ and I had no wish for 7 well trained, probably disgusted huskies, to drag my poor bedraggled self down the mountain by their teeth. As I try but fail to hide my shame and my face from the camera crew, while my husband attempts to deny all knowledge of my existence let alone marriage to what could only be described as a cross between Worzel Gummage and Stig of the dump. So the ‘gentle walk’ was a compromise. However after 3 hours of steep inclines, tromping up jagged rocks, hauling myself up hills and singing to my husband the ‘push the Jess, push the Jess, push the Jess right up the hill’ song, I had come to the conclusion I was not Bear sodding Grylls and that if this ‘gentle walk’ didn’t live up to its title soon, I was going to have a serious temper tantrum or just resign myself to the fact I was going to have to become a cliff dweller because there was no way I would have the will or energy to get back to the cocking car park.

By this point I had walked 12 glorious miles in 3 days and my body and I were not friends. I had decided to defy its incessant wailing, whining and imploring, and thought if I used encouraging soft tones, gentle voice and using the beautiful scenery as a incentive it would sulk and huff but eventually, reluctantly come round to my way of thinking. Nope. Not today. It had had enough. It felt like it lay down, dug its nails into the carpet and refused to co-operate.

The last time we came to Wales, we walked for miles. We did nothing but walk and explore and immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of this beautiful country and I so desperately wanted to do the same this trip. This trip was different though because I was different. At first the difference was in the luggage I took- pants, soft trousers, pants, pads, soft fabrics, pants, enough pills to start a herbarium, remedies, did I mention pants. Then another difference. The food. Last time, I ate what I wanted. I enjoyed ice creams, cheese, wine, scones, I gorged pasties, fish n chips, luxurious breads and meats... I indulged completely. Not this time... It’s funny when you are forced to scavenge for your food like a scrabbling, starving, rodent I realised that most food in Wales is designed to make me explode! Like everything. EVERYTHING! I have discovered that Wales is a land of wheat and gluten. Everything has sodding gluten in it or dairy. Everything delicious is out of bounds. This holiday I have watched my husband tuck into delicious pastas, ice creams and cakes with murderous eyes, quietly muttering phrases like ‘life insurance’ and ‘divorce’ and I was forced to eat what can only be described as cardboard in various flavours. When my mum and dad joined us in Wales, I had to watch them and all the other happy tourists who don’t have bowels like lit sticks of dynamite, tuck into cakes, breads and glug down wine and beers joyfully, explaining in great sodding detail how truly delicious it was as if I was watching an episode of food and drink, witnessing the guy next to us transform into Oz Clarke before my eyes. Meanwhile, I was forced to grumpily eat plain prawns out of a cup, stare longingly at the piece of bread and butter, perched on my plate, and cry over the lack of selection of gluten free and dairy free cakes available in grabbing distance. At one point I remember staring with rage at a mum enjoying a giant slab of cake, with her child on the next table who had decided to cover himself and the table in milkshake, wondering if it would be completely inappropriate to push the adorable family out of the way, lick the spillage off their table, steal the mums chunk of cake of her plate, then run away and hide in a corner stuffing the cake into my face at 300 miles an hour like a fat hamster making inaudible sounds of joy and ecstasy like that scene in Harry met Sally, growling at anyone who attempted to come anywhere near me, as frightened mother’s cover their children’s eyes and back out of the restaurant, probably calling animal control to report me.

Next difference - my energy levels. My energy has certainly dwindled in the last few months. In fact at times, I feel that a 109 year old with one working hip has more energy than me. My husband, however has more energy than 5 Duracell bunnies, which is why he explodes out of bed with joy and verve at 5am to propel himself to his Cross fit sessions before work, and I, well. I do not.

And so, here I was, sitting on a rock in the middle of the forest, eyes watering, sweating, swearing under my breath, smelling like a kennel and desperately imploring and willing my poor tired body to make it to the end of this walk without turning into a puddle. I was hurting. Not just aching, but every fibre in my body was on fire and I was concerned that my belly was making the familiar gurgling noises of a swamp monster. I had no desire to s**t myself in the woods, but I was bloody determined to finish this. I said at the beginning of this journey that this disease will not defeat me and I have scrapped, fought and clawed like a feisty, feral animal for that not to happen. Even though at times, it has definitely felt like ‘Colin the Colon’ has begun to take over my Jessness, sanity, equilibrium and tastebuds, I have always fought back against IBD and my hyperactive immune system. to remain standing, or sitting in this case. And so with determination and stupidity, I gritted my teeth and hauled myself up, scrabbled up the last hill, no doubt, looking like a creature from the black lagoon, and flailing like a drunk at 2am, staggered back to the beginning of the trail. My husband beamed at me as I practically fell into him, covered in sweat, crying, legs shaking and bones searing. He knew how much it meant to me. How much it hurt. It may have just been a walk in the park for someone else. It may have been a regular daily exercise, a joyful romp around the mountain filled with songs, hiking music and laughter. For me it was everything. It was massive, It was another victory. Another chance to say to my IBD ‘I will not let you win today.’ Another test, I have overcome. Another joyful moment experienced. And at a time when a disease is trying to claim victory, set up a flag and camp in my body, joy is everything. And despite having to eat beige food, stuff pants into every spare space of my suitcase, and become a walking advertisement for a holistic remedy emporium, this holiday has been full of joy, full of laughter, full of love and full of adventures. IBD has not tainted that. So as I dragged myself back to the car and collapsed into my seat, my husband turned to me, hair rugged, eyes shining and said “I loved that, that was amazing.” I turned to look at him, trying to catch my breath, hair on end, desperately willing the normal feeling to return back to my screaming limbs and said with as much sweetness as I could utter... “Tomorrow we are having a rest day.”

[sunbus45-blog]

HOMEMADE (LOW-SATURATED FAT) VEGAN "BACUN GREASE"

Why am I writing about making vegan "bacun grease" when I advocate eating pretty low-fat?  Well, I do try to use as little fat as I can, but I'm not a totally "no-fat" cook and the tastier the fat, the more flavor you get even in a small amount-- which is why a little good olive oil or roasted sesame oil goes a long way in a simple dish. This fat packs even more of a punch, so you don't need much of it to really satisfy some of your pre-vegan cravings. (No-- I wouldn't spread it on toast, but you might, and I hear that French toast is yummy when browned in this type of cooking fat. )

Uses?? Here are some ideas: Scrambled tofu; as the fat in gravy; in bean dishes and BBQ dishes; rub on the outside of baked potatoes before baking; to cook hash browns and potato pancakes; on steamed or sauteed greens, Brussels sprouts, cabbage; as the oil in fried rice & vegan "warm bacun dressing"; to saute mushrooms and onions; to grease the pan for making cornbread.

You've probably heard of the commercial vegan version of this, and I'm aware that there are  quite a few copycat versions online. However, from a quick peruse, most, if not all, utilize coconut oil. I have a jar of organic, fair trade coconut oil in my pantry, but it's going to last me a long time because I use it mostly for making my homemade Cake Release.

**Why don't I use coconut oil in this recipe**? Please read this blog post to learn about the dire environmental and animal issues involved in the massive coconut oil production that feeds this relatively new fad of using coconut oil in everything. (I always thought this obsession with coconut oil was too good to be true, and it is, but the environmental and animal issues are so sad and unnecessary.)

And then there are the

 nutritional concerns: If you used coconut oil instead of the cocoa butter and vegetable oil, the fat profile would be high in saturated fat: 1.76 g mono unsaturated fat, 1.54 g polyunsaturated fat, 8.33 g saturated fat  (for 1 tablespoon)

Comparison, per tablespoon, with my version, which is high in the healthier fats: 12.4g total fat, 5.7 g mono unsaturated fat, 3.24 g polyunsaturated fat, 2.7 g saturated fat 

"But, I thought that coconut was the healthiest fat and has all sorts of healing properties!" you say. Not so fast!  I know that many vegans check out the videos of health and nutrition by Dr. Michael Greger, author of "How Not to Die", and I'd like to recommend that you check out his videos on coconut oil usage: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-coconut-oil-clog-arteries/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/coconut-oil-and-the-boost-in-hdl-good-cholesterol/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/coconut-oil-and-abdominal-fat/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-coconut-oil-cure-alzheimers/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/what-about-coconuts-coconut-milk-and-coconut-oil-mcts/ (See also his 4-part series on oil-pulling, which starts with this video-- links to the other 3 parts are below the video.)

Anyway, bottom line, this is so easy and inexpensive to make, tastes so delicious that you don't need much of it, and has so many possibilities for flavorful cooking, that I hope you will give it a try!

Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S HOMEMADE LOW-SATURATED FAT VEGAN "BACUN GREASE"

Yield: 18 tablespoons CAUTION: Don't melt "Bacun Grease" at high temperatures-- it burns easily.  After you add it to the pan, use medium heat at most and don't walk away.  After you add and mix with the food you want to sauté, you can turn the heat up a bit.  It depends on your stove (my large burners are super-hot), so you'll have to use trial and error with your stove.

Oil Mixture:

1/4 cup (2 oz.) melted steam-deodorized cocoa butter, either wafers, or small chunks  (should be pale or light-beige-y yellow, with no chocolate odor)

1/4 cup toasted Chinese sesame oil

1/2 cup canola oil (you could use high-oleic safflower or sunflower oil instead, if you like)

1 tsp soy or sunflower lecithin

Additions:

1/2 to 1 Tbs your favorite vegan "Bacon Bits" (see below for commercial ones or homemade recipes)

1 Tbs nutritional yeast

1 Tbs maple syrup

1/2 Tbs dried onion flakes

1/2 to 1 tsp liquid smoke (I used 1/2 tsp., but you might prefer 1 tsp.)

1/2 tsp garlic granules

1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Place the cocoa butter in a microwave-safe 1 qt. pitcher (Pyrex) and microwave on High for about 5 minutes, or until melted. OR place the cocoa butter in the top of a double boiler and place over simmer water until the cocoa butter has melted.

Add the sesame oil, canola oil and lecithin to the melted cocoa butter. Blend the mixture with an immersion blend until a bit foamy. It will not thicken at this stage.

Add the Additional Ingredients and blend with the immersion blender for 30 seconds or so.

Use a spatula to scoop the mixture into a 1 to 2-cup wide-mouth canning jar and place in the freezer. Every 10 minutes or so, stir the mixture to keep the Additional Ingredients suspended in the mixture. You may have to do this 3 or 4 times before it is firmed- up enough so that the "Bacon Bits", etc. stay suspended in the mixture.

Twist on the lid and keep in the refrigerator or freezer, depending on how often you plan to use it.

Nutrition (per tablespoon)-- high in the healthier fats: 114 calories, 109 calories from fat, 12.4g total fat, 5.7 g mono unsaturated fat, 3.24 g polyunsaturated fat, 2.7 g saturated fat,  0mg cholesterol, 29.9mg sodium, 18.7mg potassium, 1.1g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, less than 1g sugar, less than 1g protein, 3.3 points.

Copyright: Bryanna Clark Grogan All Rights Reserved 2018 Source: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2018/01/homemade-low-saturated-fat-vegan-bacun.html

[mastcomm]

The Best Way to Use Leftover Pita

Good morning. How it goes, when I’m preparing to make chicken shawarma for dinner: I head to this bakery I’ve been going to since I was a kid, Damascus on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and I buy a lot of pita bread. Like, too much pita bread, even for the pounds of shawarma I make when I make shawarma. In the morning, there’s leftover pita. There always is.

Yotam Ottolenghi came through with a great new recipe that takes advantage of just such a condition: a chickpea and herb fatteh (above) that utilizes chickpeas and a bounty of herbs, tahini sauce and chile oil to bring day-old pita back to life. And if you make it with canned chickpeas instead of soaking your own overnight? I won’t say a word.

Melissa Clark has a new recipe for us as well, and it’s as outrageous as Yotam’s is thrifty. Imagine a tres leches cake, doubled: a seis leches cake, in other words, that combines sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream, coconut milk, condensed coconut milk and dulce de leche in a dessert of intense, amazing complexity. Serve with very strong black coffee, please.

You could make three-cup vegetables tonight. That’s a fine midweek meal. Or our recipe for the easiest chicken soup. I like Yotam’s recipe for one-pan pasta with harissa Bolognese. Also, Colu Henry’s recipe for an easy chicken kapama.

But on Wednesdays I don’t always use recipes to cook. Neither should you. Instead, embrace the spirit of improvisation and see what you can do with this prompt: roasted miso chicken with butternut squash and red onions.

Imagine it as a sheet-pan dinner made with chicken thighs rubbed in compound butter and roasted over cubed butternut squash and chunks of red onion. For the butter: sweet or red miso, unsalted butter, a little rice vinegar, some soy sauce and a healthy squeeze of Sriracha or, failing that, your favorite American hot sauce. (Mine, currently, is Texas Pete.) Massage that stuff all over a bunch of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Put them on top of the vegetables all spread out on a foil-lined sheet pan and slide the assemblage into a hot oven. Cook until the skin’s crisp and golden, dark in spots, and the chicken and vegetables are cooked through and soft. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve, maybe with white rice.

There are many thousands of actual recipes waiting for you on NYT Cooking. You could make roasted salmon and brussels sprouts with citrus soy sauce. You could make Rishia Zimmern’s recipe for chicken with shallots. You could get yourself ready for Chinese New Year celebrations on the weekend. All you need to access them is a subscription. Thank you for yours.

Further inspiration for what to cook can be found on our Facebook page. We’re all over Instagram, too, and Twitter. And, yes, we’re on YouTube, where Melissa Clark recently went to talk about eating less meat in 2020. Come see!

Please be in touch if anything goes wrong along the way, whether with our technology or your cooking. Just write cookingcare@nytimes.com. Someone will get back to you.

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/life-style/the-best-way-to-use-leftover-pita/

[networkingdefinition]

Caramel Quotes

Official Website: Caramel Quotes

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• Anyone who thinks they’re too grown up or too sophisticated to eat caramel corn, is not invited to my house for dinner – Ruth Reichl

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'Caramel', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_caramel').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_caramel img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing. – Milton S. Hershey • Conall,” “Aye, Alexia?” He looked up at her. Was that fear in his caramel eyes? “I am going to take advantage of you,” she said – Gail Carriger • Eighteen luscuios scrumpitous flavors, Chocolate,Lime and Cherry Coffee,Pumpkin, Fudge-Banana, Caramel Cream and boysenberry. Rocky Road and Toasted Almond, Butterscotch,Vanilla Dip, Butter Brinkle, Apple Ripple,Coconut,and Mocha Chip, Brandy Peach and Lemon Custard. Each scoop lovely.smooth and round. Tallest cream cone in town lying there on the ground. – Shel Silverstein • Ever tried putting a caramel candy in a cup of hot tea? It’s excellent! Not only does it give a little different taste to the tea, but it takes the place of the sugar and cream which you ordinarily add. – Heloise • Granola didn’t sell very well when it was good for you. Now it has caramel, chocolate, marshmallow, saturated fat and sweeteners with a small amount of oats and grains. Sales picked up. – George Carlin • How complicated can ice cream flavors be? How much can you put in there? I mean, when the flavor’s something like banana ice cream with caramel, fudge chunks, cheddar goldfish and pennies – you’ve got to draw a line there. – Marc Maron • I can’t cook to save my life but I can bake a flour-less chocolate-hazelnut tort with a spicy caramel sauce. – Anna Kendrick • I can’t describe the feeling when I go down – it’s down down down and there’s never going to be an up again. And whatever was good isn’t good any more; white becomes grey, music becomes dictionaries, honey becomes beer and the sky a curdled lemon. There’s no caramel anymore. – John Marsden • I have a candle on the bus that smells like caramel brownie. I love anything that smells like food! – Carrie Underwood • I like crazy, childlike, candy bar-filled cakes with gooey caramel, chocolate-covered nuts, marshmallows, and the like. – Ron Ben-Israel • I like L.A. It’s like a mini break. For a writer, it’s hilarious. Like the food. Where I come from, we eat chip sandwiches: white bread, butter, tomato catsup and big fat french fries. It’s delicious. Here, you order a creme caramel and the waiter says, ‘You know, that contains dairy. – Helen Fielding • I like to stay hydrated with water throughout the day and snack on apples, but my guilty pleasure would definitely be a caramel macchiato from Starbucks! – Janel Parrish • I love chocolate. Black chocolate with marshmallow inside, caramel inside. If I could only have two foods, I’d take some fantastic chocolate. And some terrible chocolate. I love the Clark Bar. – Sonia Rykiel • I think love is caramel. Sweet and fragant; always welcome. It is the gentle golden colour of a setting harvest sun; the warmth of a squeezed embrace; the easy melting of two souls into one and a taste that lingers even when everything else has melted away. Once tasted it is never forgotten. – Jenny Colgan • I travel with chocolate – Godiva with caramel. When the craving hits, I have to have it. I share, but if I’m on my last one, I’ve been known to say, ‘Sorry, I’m out!’ – Christa B. Allen • I want something mouthwatering and tasty which reminds me of childhood. The scent of a fairground, candy floss, little cakes, chocolates and caramels. Perfume must not be linked just to fashion because that means that one day it will go out of style. – Thierry Mugler • Kissing George was a little like rolling in caramel after spending years surviving off rice sticks. – Aimee Bender • Leonardo DiCaprio invited me into his dressing room, and then we went into his hotel room where we stayed. We shared caramel popcorn. I think that was the coolest thing, sharing popcorn with this movie star. And then we wrestled! I always share that story with people. – Quindon Tarver • Martin, at my age, eroticism is reduced to enjoying caramel custard and looking at widows’ necks.’ – Senor Sempere. – Carlos Ruiz Zafon • Melting pot Harlem-Harlem of honey and chocolate and caramel and rum and vinegar and lemon and lime and gall. Dusky dream Harlem rumbling into a nightmare tunnel where the subway from the Bronx keeps right on downtown. – Langston Hughes • Piper leaned toward [Jason], her caramel braid falling over her shoulder. Her multicolored eyes made it hard for him to think straight. “And where is this place?” she asked. “A . . . uh, a town called Split.” “Split.” She smelled really good—like blooming honeysuckle. “Um, yeah.” Jason wondered if Piper was working some sort of Aphrodite magic on him—like maybe every time he mentioned Reyna’s name, she would befuddle him so much he couldn’t think about anything but Piper. He supposed it wasn’t the worst sort of revenge. – Rick Riordan • Sodas use “caramel coloring” to give them that dark, delicious look. Not to be confused with real caramel, caramel color is the single most used food coloring in the world. It is created by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure-a process that produces a cancerous substance called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI). – Vani Hari • The circus looks abandoned and empty. But you think perhaps you can smell caramel wafting through the evening breeze, beneath the crisp scent of the autumn leaves. A subtle sweetness at the edges of the cold. – Erin Morgenstern • The fish are naked. The fish are always awake. They are the color of old spoons and caramels. – Anne Sexton • There is nothing particularly wrong with salmon, of course, but like caramel candy, strawberry yogurt, or liquid carpet cleaner, if you eat too much of it you are not going to enjoy your meal. – Daniel Handler • These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It’s always hard to give them away! – Oprah Winfrey • When I became vegan I thought I would have to deprive myself of certain sweets that I loved so much, like caramel and peanut butter cups, but on the contrary! – Kat Von D • When the guy turned around, Amy began stuttering. Silently. It was a feat only Amy could manage, and only Dan could notice. And it only happened in front of boys who looked like this one. He had brown hair and caramel-colored eyes, like Dan’s friend Nick Santos, who made all the sixth-grade girls turn into blithering idiots when he looked their way–in fact, would even say Watch, lean make them turn into blithering idiots, and then he’d do it. Only older. “He. Is. Hot,” Nellie said under her breath. “You too?” Dan hissed. – Peter Lerangis • Whether chocolate or vanilla, or you’re somewhere in between, A cappuccino mocha or a caramel queen, Rejected by the black, not accepted by the white world, And this is dedicated to them dark-skinned white girls. – MURS

  jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'a', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_a').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_a img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'e', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_e').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_e img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'i', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_i').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_i img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'o', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_o').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_o img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'u', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_u').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_u img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

[equitiesstocks]

Caramel Quotes

Official Website: Caramel Quotes

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

• Anyone who thinks they’re too grown up or too sophisticated to eat caramel corn, is not invited to my house for dinner – Ruth Reichl

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'Caramel', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_caramel').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_caramel img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); ); • Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing. – Milton S. Hershey • Conall,” “Aye, Alexia?” He looked up at her. Was that fear in his caramel eyes? “I am going to take advantage of you,” she said – Gail Carriger • Eighteen luscuios scrumpitous flavors, Chocolate,Lime and Cherry Coffee,Pumpkin, Fudge-Banana, Caramel Cream and boysenberry. Rocky Road and Toasted Almond, Butterscotch,Vanilla Dip, Butter Brinkle, Apple Ripple,Coconut,and Mocha Chip, Brandy Peach and Lemon Custard. Each scoop lovely.smooth and round. Tallest cream cone in town lying there on the ground. – Shel Silverstein • Ever tried putting a caramel candy in a cup of hot tea? It’s excellent! Not only does it give a little different taste to the tea, but it takes the place of the sugar and cream which you ordinarily add. – Heloise • Granola didn’t sell very well when it was good for you. Now it has caramel, chocolate, marshmallow, saturated fat and sweeteners with a small amount of oats and grains. Sales picked up. – George Carlin • How complicated can ice cream flavors be? How much can you put in there? I mean, when the flavor’s something like banana ice cream with caramel, fudge chunks, cheddar goldfish and pennies – you’ve got to draw a line there. – Marc Maron • I can’t cook to save my life but I can bake a flour-less chocolate-hazelnut tort with a spicy caramel sauce. – Anna Kendrick • I can’t describe the feeling when I go down – it’s down down down and there’s never going to be an up again. And whatever was good isn’t good any more; white becomes grey, music becomes dictionaries, honey becomes beer and the sky a curdled lemon. There’s no caramel anymore. – John Marsden • I have a candle on the bus that smells like caramel brownie. I love anything that smells like food! – Carrie Underwood • I like crazy, childlike, candy bar-filled cakes with gooey caramel, chocolate-covered nuts, marshmallows, and the like. – Ron Ben-Israel • I like L.A. It’s like a mini break. For a writer, it’s hilarious. Like the food. Where I come from, we eat chip sandwiches: white bread, butter, tomato catsup and big fat french fries. It’s delicious. Here, you order a creme caramel and the waiter says, ‘You know, that contains dairy. – Helen Fielding • I like to stay hydrated with water throughout the day and snack on apples, but my guilty pleasure would definitely be a caramel macchiato from Starbucks! – Janel Parrish • I love chocolate. Black chocolate with marshmallow inside, caramel inside. If I could only have two foods, I’d take some fantastic chocolate. And some terrible chocolate. I love the Clark Bar. – Sonia Rykiel • I think love is caramel. Sweet and fragant; always welcome. It is the gentle golden colour of a setting harvest sun; the warmth of a squeezed embrace; the easy melting of two souls into one and a taste that lingers even when everything else has melted away. Once tasted it is never forgotten. – Jenny Colgan • I travel with chocolate – Godiva with caramel. When the craving hits, I have to have it. I share, but if I’m on my last one, I’ve been known to say, ‘Sorry, I’m out!’ – Christa B. Allen • I want something mouthwatering and tasty which reminds me of childhood. The scent of a fairground, candy floss, little cakes, chocolates and caramels. Perfume must not be linked just to fashion because that means that one day it will go out of style. – Thierry Mugler • Kissing George was a little like rolling in caramel after spending years surviving off rice sticks. – Aimee Bender • Leonardo DiCaprio invited me into his dressing room, and then we went into his hotel room where we stayed. We shared caramel popcorn. I think that was the coolest thing, sharing popcorn with this movie star. And then we wrestled! I always share that story with people. – Quindon Tarver • Martin, at my age, eroticism is reduced to enjoying caramel custard and looking at widows’ necks.’ – Senor Sempere. – Carlos Ruiz Zafon • Melting pot Harlem-Harlem of honey and chocolate and caramel and rum and vinegar and lemon and lime and gall. Dusky dream Harlem rumbling into a nightmare tunnel where the subway from the Bronx keeps right on downtown. – Langston Hughes • Piper leaned toward [Jason], her caramel braid falling over her shoulder. Her multicolored eyes made it hard for him to think straight. “And where is this place?” she asked. “A . . . uh, a town called Split.” “Split.” She smelled really good—like blooming honeysuckle. “Um, yeah.” Jason wondered if Piper was working some sort of Aphrodite magic on him—like maybe every time he mentioned Reyna’s name, she would befuddle him so much he couldn’t think about anything but Piper. He supposed it wasn’t the worst sort of revenge. – Rick Riordan • Sodas use “caramel coloring” to give them that dark, delicious look. Not to be confused with real caramel, caramel color is the single most used food coloring in the world. It is created by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure-a process that produces a cancerous substance called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI). – Vani Hari • The circus looks abandoned and empty. But you think perhaps you can smell caramel wafting through the evening breeze, beneath the crisp scent of the autumn leaves. A subtle sweetness at the edges of the cold. – Erin Morgenstern • The fish are naked. The fish are always awake. They are the color of old spoons and caramels. – Anne Sexton • There is nothing particularly wrong with salmon, of course, but like caramel candy, strawberry yogurt, or liquid carpet cleaner, if you eat too much of it you are not going to enjoy your meal. – Daniel Handler • These French-style caramels are handmade in California. It’s always hard to give them away! – Oprah Winfrey • When I became vegan I thought I would have to deprive myself of certain sweets that I loved so much, like caramel and peanut butter cups, but on the contrary! – Kat Von D • When the guy turned around, Amy began stuttering. Silently. It was a feat only Amy could manage, and only Dan could notice. And it only happened in front of boys who looked like this one. He had brown hair and caramel-colored eyes, like Dan’s friend Nick Santos, who made all the sixth-grade girls turn into blithering idiots when he looked their way–in fact, would even say Watch, lean make them turn into blithering idiots, and then he’d do it. Only older. “He. Is. Hot,” Nellie said under her breath. “You too?” Dan hissed. – Peter Lerangis • Whether chocolate or vanilla, or you’re somewhere in between, A cappuccino mocha or a caramel queen, Rejected by the black, not accepted by the white world, And this is dedicated to them dark-skinned white girls. – MURS

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This Is the Best Oven Rack Position for Baking Coo...

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Oat-Rageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

My aunt gave me this recipe, and my family thinks these cookies are delicious. We enjoy all different kinds of cookies, and with this recipe, we can combine three of our favorite kinds—oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chip—in one! —Jaymie Noble, Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Amish Sugar Cookies

This easy-to-make sugar cookie recipe simply melt in your mouth! I’ve passed the recipe around to many friends. After I gave it to my sister, she entered the cookies in a local fair and won the best of show prize! —Sylvia Ford, Kennett, Missouri

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No-Bake Cookie Butter Blossoms

Chewy and sweet, these easy treats mix Rice Krispies, cookie spread and chocolate in my unforgettable spin on an old favorite. —Jessie Sarrazin, Livingston, Montana

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Oatmeal Crispies

My husband, who normally isn’t fond of oatmeal, thinks these old-fashioned cookies are great. With a hint of nutmeg, their aroma is wonderful as they bake…and they taste even better! —Karen Henson, St. Louis, Missouri

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m one of the cooking project leaders for my daughter’s 4-H club, where these soft, delicious cookies were a great hit with the kids. —Marietta Slater, Augusta, Kansas

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Chewy Chocolate Cookies

This cookie recipe—a favorite of our four children—has been in my collection for years. Sometimes I’ll substitute mint-flavored chips for the semisweet chocolate ones. Either way, the cookies disappear quickly. —Sheri Ziesemer, Olympia, Washington

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White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

White baking chips and macadamia nuts are a fantastic duo in these buttery cookies. They are a nice change from the classic chocolate chip ones. —Cathy Lennon, Newport, Tennessee

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Butterscotch Toffee Cookies

With its big butterscotch and chocolate flavor, my cookie stands out. I like to enjoy it with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee. It’s my fallback recipe when I’m short on time and need something delicious fast. —Allie Blinder, Norcross, Georgia

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

This soft and chewy low-carb cookie recipe calls for canola oil instead of butter to reduce the saturated fat. It’s hard to eat just one! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

Cookie butter and ground ginger add a new layer of flavor. The recipe makes about 18 cookies; they go fast so you may want to make a double batch. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

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Winning Cranberry Chip Cookies

Chock-full of cranberries, chocolate chips and nuts, these cookies are fun to eat. They offer a change of pace from traditional Christmas cookies…but don’t wait until December to make them. My family requests them all year-round. —Betty Albee, Buhl, Idaho

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Popcorn Cookies

It’s so much fun to surprise people with the crushed popcorn in these yummy cookies. They’re definitely a distinctive treat on the cookie tray! —Leigh Anne Preston, Palmyra, Indiana

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Chewy Maple Cookies

My husband, Bob, and I have a small sugaring operation with Bob’s father. I love to put some of our syrup to use in these golden cookies. —Reba Legrand, Jericho, Vermont

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Brown Butter Spice Cookies

If you like spice cake, you’ll love this recipe! Browned butter, dark chocolate and a splash of rum produce an unconventional spice cookie that’s guaranteed to please. —Kristin Kenney, Newport Beach, California

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Sour Cream Chocolate Cookies

These soft chocolaty sour cream cookies can be easily altered to make several different varieties —I’ve added everything from mints to macadamia nuts to them. —Tina Sawchuk, Ardmore, Alberta

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Oregon’s Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookie

Oregon has an abundance of nuts, and these nutty cookies are popular with the ladies at my craft club. Growing up during the Depression, my mother taught us to use what was available and said, “It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good.” She was right! —Selmer Looney, Eugene, Oregon

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

My husband loves homemade cookies, and these are probably his favorites. The wheat flour and oats give these cookies a distinctive flavor. —Linda Fox, Soldotna, Alaska

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Ginger Drop Cookies

My mother shared the recipe for these soft spice cookies, and I’ve been making them ever since. That the recipe was my mother’s makes them all the more special. —Bethel Walters, Willow River, Minnesota

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Apricot Almond Blondies

My mom shared this recipe with me after sampling these cookies at a bed-and-breakfast. For a little variation, I sometimes substitute cranberries and pecans for the apricots and almonds. —Amy Forkner, Cheyenne, Wyoming

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Super Chunky Cookies

Chocolate lovers will go crazy over these cookies that feature loads of chocolate! When friends ask me to make “those cookies,” I know exactly what recipe they mean. —Rebecca Jendry, Spring Branch, Texas

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Cherry Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy and studded with tangy dried cherries. It’s a good thing the recipe makes only a small batch, because we eat them all in one night! —Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho

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Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Each delightful little cookie is loaded with cranberries, nuts and a sweet hint of vanilla. But these little gems start with ready-made cookie dough! Let that be your little secret. —Louise Hawkins, Lubbock, Texas

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Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Here’s a different version of a traditional cookie. Add peanut butter to the traditional chocolate chip cookie, and you get the best of both worlds. —Clarice Schweitzer, Sun City, Arizona

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Almond Toffee Sandies

I knew after sampling these cookies from a friend that I had to add the recipe to my bulging files! —Vicki Crowley, Monticello, Iowa

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Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Dotted with cranberries, orange zest and vanilla chips, these cookies are so colorful and fun to eat. They look lovely on a dessert tray and would be a great addition to your Christmas cookie lineup. —Pat Habiger, Spearville, Kansas

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Peanut Butter Jumbos

Oats, peanut butter and chocolate make these soft, chewy cookies hearty and nutritious. My whole family agrees this recipe is a real winner. —Deborah Huffer, Staunton, Virginia

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Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

I packed chocolate chips, raisins, nuts and cinnamon into my oatmeal cookie recipe. These soft cookies are easy to make. Best of all, our kids love them! —Janis Plageman, Lynden, Washington

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Cheery Cherry Cookies

With a tall glass of ice-cold milk, a couple of cherry cookies really hit the spot for dessert or as a snack. The coconut and bits of cherries provide a fun look and texture. —Judy Clark, Elkhart, Indiana

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Soft Ginger Puffs

These spice cookies loaded with raisins and walnuts really do appeal to all generations—I found the recipe in a 1901 South Dakota cookbook! Sour cream adds a wonderful, unusual flair. —Marion Lowery, Medford, Oregon

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Blueberry Oat Cookies

It’s fun to make these blueberry cookies at the height of the season when folks are looking for tasty ways to serve that juicy fruit. A hint of cinnamon adds a special touch. —Elaine Gelina, Ladson, South Carolina

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Cookies in a Jiffy

You’ll be amazed and delighted with how quickly you can whip up a batch of these homemade cookies. —Clara Hielkema, Wyoming, Michigan

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Wyoming Whopper Cookies

These big country cookies are made to travel—in fact, I came up with this recipe while trying to match a commercial cookie that was good, but too crumbly to carry. —Jamie Hirsch, Powell, Wyoming

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Toffee Chip Thins

In an attempt to create the “ultimate” cookie, I took the best features from my favorite recipes to create this sweet, crisp cookie. My family can’t get enough of them. —Lynae Lang, Wolf Point, Montana

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5 Ways Being Rich Was Flat-Out Crazy Hundreds Of Years Ago

Sure, being rich has its benefits, but it’s am going to be boring, right? If life’s huge necessitate are from battle and solidarity against overwhelming quirkies, then being rich is playing on easy state( with the invincibility and infinite ammo cheats on ). Where’s the enjoyable? Well, we aren’t the first ones to ask that investigate. The historical experiences shows that the old-timey rich, in their struggle to fend off ennui and entropy, lay some singularly comical ways and means of move the time. Like how … 5 You Could Improve Your Sex Drive By Implanting Radioactive Material Up Your Butt Sexual impotence isn’t a modern phenomenon. Your great-grandparents maybe had “performance editions, ” just like you( and if you didn’t, you do now that we positioned that mental image in your pate ). So how did they inhibit the long quit? We can’t are talking about the poorest of the poor and how they dealt with “losing ones” verve( wishing really hard, maybe ), but the rich had a little proficiency called “jamming in a radium suppository.” Vita Note the entirely unrelated item that it’s “also splendid for pilings and rectal sores.” div > Read Next 5 Random Things You Had No Idea Had Tons Of Love Overseas At the grow of the 20 th century, an part industry revolving around solving sexual imperfection formed up, so to speak. One of these products was Vita Radium Suppositories, anal submarines “carried in a cocoa butter base”( for better … spice ?) which promised to turn “weakened organs” into Godzilla by irradiating the bloodstream, and by proxy the chunks. What about refuge? Well, the manufacturers had certainly heard about that abstraction. Harmonizing to their marketing folders, the radium would leave the patient’s arrangement in three days, which is approximately two days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds longer than we’d like. The 1930 s viewed the exhaust of a product with the seducing honour of “Scrotal Radiendocrinator, ” which promised users they could kick-start their shattered scrotums by leaving a radium-filled jockstrap on their garbage and going to bed. We can’t wholly vouch for the scienceness of such products, but it’s worth noting that its inventor died from bladder cancer — a total coincidence, and definitely not a warning that maybe Geiger counters shouldn’t need to be sold in adult emporia alongside battery-operated gender dolls and blow-up representations of Clark Gable. The Home Products Co. Denver, CO Why does the term “plutonium rod” seem apt? There was, surprisingly, a solid motivation behind the madness. At this moment, the technical finding of the working day was that hot springs, which it was claimed could medicine afflictions, were radioactive. Instead of waiting to hear more science, nonetheless, the medical-industrial complex immediately moving forward putting radium into a ton of health concoctions, including water coolers and force alcohols like RadiThor. As radium is expensive, however, exclusively the richest members of society could open to partake, and that’s why it never blew up into a bar( liter) ic state crisis. The damage was reduced to a tiny person, comprised of beings such as Eben Byers, an industrialist who downed two bottles of RadiThor every day for three years until his bones started disintegrating and he died in incalculable agony. Still, we gambled his dick examined amazing . 4 You Could Be The Envy Of Your Pals By Owning( Or Renting) Your Very Own Pineapple When “youve been” think it is right it, status badges haven’t changed that is something that from the days of yore. There “ve always been” high-end modes, big houses, fast cars( horsepower used to be less figurative ), and status foods. It’s just that in the past, did nutrients used to be less “gold-plated donuts” and “avocados, ” and more “pineapples” and “seriously, pineapples.” John Raphael Smith Hendrick Danckerts “Check out my pineapple” was an artistry progress of its own. div > For the high houses of Europe during the 1700 s, the pineapple represented the very essence of abundance. The outcomes is already exclusively found in South America, until enterprising someones in England and the Netherlands developed hothouses that allowed the growth of these elegant forces in wetter, more Europey maladies. They were still scarce, of course, and so owning one was mostly a giant signal advertise how well-to-do you two are. Repeat patrons included Louis XV, Catherine the Great, and Charles II, all of whom we’re sure requirement the help signaling their wealth. But soon, owning a pineapple wasn’t fairly. The hardcore pineapple fandom of the 1700 s meant that people did everything from outlining them on wallpaper and tablecloths, to plowing their manors in wooden and stone carvings of pineapples, to hosting dinner parties where the pineapple “wouldve been” virtuoso centerpiece. Eat it? No, you two are meant to look at it and gaze in wonder at its beautiful, and that was severely fairly. Charles II even commissioned a covering of someone handing him a pineapple. To the elite of society, pineapples were the Szechuan Sauce packets of the working day, and by Jove, woe betide your honour if you set that shit on pizza. Otter/ Wiki Commons A house, yes. A pizza , no. div > But what if you were a middle-class person or persons craved for the trappings of asset, but still wanted to write shall verify that exclusively a pineapple could currency? Well, there was also a thriving pineapple rental market. In the same behavior that celebrities lease thought tuxedos and sports cars before attending culture jamborees, it was a tend du jour to combine and cradle a pineapple in your appendages, before reverting it the next morning and trying to justify to the renter why you shouldn’t lose your security deposit because someone took a bite out of it. 3 You Could Hire An Old Person Garmented Like A Wizard To Live In Your Garden It’s easy to look at the gig economy and shake your ability at how poorly megacorporations like Uber, Amazon, and Seamless discuss their independent contractors( predict: people working independently of hire rights ), but it could be much worse. They could be living in the reasons for their Jeff Bezos’ stately possession and dressing like Gandalf. div > We’ve mentioned that in the 18 th century, it was all the rage for landowners to hire “hermits” — mostly the olden equivalent of that crazy person from the bus terminal — to rove their soils and dispense sage-green wise to anyone who walked past. But what exactly were the roles and responsibilities of this position? Chiefly sitting around and looking strange. Here’s what guests to one manor were was welcomed by when they entered the hermit’s abode TAGEND via Google Books Why is his name only Francis if he’s awake? div > In order is so that their monks didn’t expire of exposure or wild animal onrush, most owners improve them a plaza to live — anything from a shack or outhouse to an earthen hammock to a place of bogus archaic wreckings they could specter like shaggy, well-learned haunts. This might voice expensive, but it was worth it for the landowner to invest in their loner. A “good” hermit could entice tourists from miles around, delivering coin and prestige to the owned — so much so that some landowners faked the whole thing by constructing a shack, leaving some spooooky components on a counter, and pretending that their hermit had popped out to the supermarkets for the day. The trend didn’t been a long time, croaking out following the completion of the century. It’s thoughts, nonetheless, that hermits afterwards acted as the insight for your common-law garden gnomes. That’s something to think about, especially the next time your landlord or HOA bitches about your lawn embellishes. It’s either the terracotta fishermen and pink flamingos, or a hairy chap who lives in your fence exclaiming problems at passersby. 2 You Could Wear A Creepy Mask To Shun Catching A Tan, Like A Filthy Commoner If you’re rich, money can buy you a lot of things — a lot of things . i> But there’s one indispensable stuff it can’t buy: sovereignty from beings inadvertently mistaking you for a poor person. In the 16 th century, this anxiety so horribly warped the minds of the rich that they thought it was better to look like a serial killer or a monster from the void dimension than someone who has to buy the generic-brand haras inoculation. Day of Archaeology They were also willing to endure being stomped by Italian plumbers. div > This is a visard mask, bought by upper-class madams to prevent them from contracting a horrific suntan on their porcelain-white buttocks — “hideous” because in those daytimes, having a tan or even a reminder of melanin were of the view that you were one of those dreaded poverty-strickens who had to work outdoors all day. But hey, at least they suffered for it. The masks were made from velvet, silk, and mantles of pressed paper, which doesn’t sound too bad … until you realize that there was no such situation as elastic. So how was it held in place? Well, the inside of the concealment contained a glass dot hanging on a short section of fibre. In line-up ensuring the cover-up, the wearer would have to hold the ball between her teeth, thus preventing her from doing anything other than sitting there in total stillnes. Which was probably part of its pattern, to be honest. Wiki Commons “I have no mouth and I’m this close to screaming.” div > Although only a few disguises survive to this day, they were favourite enough that children’s dolls from the period emanated accessorized with miniature visard masks, so that young girls could become used to their forthcoming lives of total stillnes and casual defect. The disguises remained in vogue for most of the century before expiring out, maybe after person wondered whether they weren’t being really a little silly. 1 You Could Steal Ancient European Builds, Brick By Brick On the aspect of it, it isn’t surprising that historical rich people liked to voyage to faraway country level make whatever they wanted. That’s how we dissolved up with the slave traffic, after all. What is surprising, nonetheless, is how dumb it wound up coming. Case in time: A spate of 20th-century American moguls used to plagiarize antique structures and have them carried back home, to be reassembled brick by brick like the world’s most ostentatious planned of Legos. And too like with Legos, sometimes they’d get bored halfway through and leave the segments laying around. div > Between 1914 and 1934, it’s estimated that 20 archaic buildings happened to fall onto a back of a lorry in Europe and fall off of again where reference is stateside, in sites straddling from New York and San Francisco to Milwaukee and Philadelphia. One of the most famous crypt thiefs was sled enthusiast and original imitation word proprietor William Randolph Hearst. In 1926, he imported a 12 th-century convent, St. Bernard de Clairvaux, with plans to install it at Hearst Castle. Due to financial difficulties, nonetheless, he subsequently abandoned the portions( still in the shipping crates) in a warehouse for nearly 30 years, before person Storage Wars ‘d them and had the monastery reassembled in Miami, where most old-fashioned stuffs go to rest. RossbetReynet/ Wiki Commons Daderot/ Wiki Commons The friars inside the boxes were starting to get a little cramped. essay > As the country hardest hit by these frauds, Spain afterwards play-act various rules intended to stop rich assholes from plagiarizing their heritage, but forgot to account for the fact that money is freaking narcotic, you guys . In 1930, Hearst paid an prowes marketer $30,000 to buy, disassemble, and carry another structure — the convent of Santa Maria de Ovila. You might think that buying convents was Hearst’s way of atoning for his years of being a total shitheel, but noooo. He wanted to turn it into a literally goddamned swimming pool, complete with diving boards( situated where the altar used to sit ), changing rooms, and an indoor beach. He later wound up abandoning this project too, because he was, like, the William Randolph Worst. Adam Wears is on Twitter and Facebook , and has a newsletter about depressing record that you should definitely subscribe to . i > b> You laugh at the pineapple occasion, but have you indicated your friends how a pineapple corer labor ? i > b> Support Cracked’s journalism with a see to our Contribution Page. Please and thank you . i > b> For more courses our ancestors were utterly terrifying, check out 7 Popular Old-Timey ‘Hobbies’ That Will Give You Ordeal and 6 Fun Works That Were Shocking Throughout History . i > b> Follow us on Facebook. If you like pranks and nonsense . i > b> Read more: http :// www.cracked.com/ article_2 5562 _5-ways-being-rich-was-flat-out-crazy-hundreds-years-ago. html http://dailybuzznetwork.com/index.php/2018/06/03/5-ways-being-rich-was-flat-out-crazy-hundreds-of-years-ago/