#key lime cake ii

[jayhkrulewitch]

Key Lime Cake II Lemon Bundt cake gets a tropical twist thanks to the addition of Key lime juice and lemon pudding mix to the batter.

[oceangirl24]

Find the Word- We're back!

Thanks so much for the tag and for doing this @axolotlsupremacyowo!

Find the words you're given somewhere in your works. Then give the people you tag a set of words to find. No worries if you can't find them all.

My words: tile, gown, foundation, fuss, overlook, sniff, infinite, trouble, clay, personality

Your words:

chowder, clatter, visage, eternal, skeptical, irate, jaggernaut, lime, superhero

Tagging: @justanotherpersonwhowrites @tsunderesalty @mrsmungus @fattybattysblog @danceswithdarkspawn @udaberriwrites @the-orion-scribe @amberlide @stealing-your-kittens @violetrose-art @winterlovesong1 @aleksandriel @kayedium-writes @bees-and-sunshine @sliebman10 @mikaharuka @axolotlsupremacyowo

This is an open tag for anyone who wants to play. If you wanted be tagged and I missed you, throw something at me. If you'd like to be included in future tags, let me know!

The Return: The Christmas List

"Like, would you date someone Jon's age?"

"It would depend on the person." She could not be direct any more than he could be.

Shawn scratched his fingernail across the tile of the kitchen island, unable to look her in the eyes. "What if the person is Jon?"

The Return: Cult Fiction Revisited

The way Jon laid in the hospital bed was same the way he laid after the motorcycle accident. There were wires stuck to his chest coming up through the neck of his hospital gown. An oxygen cannula aided his breathing. The only the casts and bandages were missing.

Jon was as still and lifeless as he was back then.

Saudade: Fishing for Answers

It took Riley a long time before she could give voice to her fears. "That they'll start fighting and being unhappy with each other. I'm afraid they'll end up divorced."

Letting out a slow breath, Maya watched her breath dissipate in the cold air around them. She didn't want to admit that Riley's fear was attaching itself to her, but it was. If the foundations of two of the most solid relationships in existence could be shaken and cracked, what hope did her mom and Shawn have?

The Return: Questions and Answers Part II

"Yeah, I know the job's been bad," Cory admitted. He had been holding back his own concerns for the past several months, not wanting to alarm those close to him if he was wrong. "Listen, I'm only tellin' you this- Topanga would kill me if she knew- but sometimes I create problems at school that force Jon to come down and deal with."

Shawn didn't know whether to laugh or be upset. "Seriously?"

Cory gripped his knees with hands. "Yeah, I mean, nothing major that would cause real problems for anyone. I just make a fuss knowing he won't ignore me."

"You are kinda of hard to ignore when you make a fuss."

Saudade: Preparations

Shawn forced his attention away from the bike; they had to leave for the hospital now. He stood and pulled the key out of his pocket that Audrey had left him. The key was still on the same Pentagon keyring Jon had way back then. He checked the bike over once more to make sure everything was ready to run. That's when he noticed something was missing.

He smiled as he recalled the time he tried to take the bike to Audrey's but couldn't get it started because he overlooked a small but important detail-the key.

The Return: The Keys

"Cor, look around." Shawn gestured to the crowded place they were in. "Who don't you see here?"

Cory looked around suspiciously, then looked back at Shawn, and shrugged. "That blonde lady from the park," he said, repeating how Riley had referred to Miss Tompkins. He drew curious looks from both of the men at the table.

Shawn sniffed. "You're welcome."

Autumn in Philadelphia: Cory and Shawn's Miracle Soap: Tuesday

(the closest I have to infinite is eternal)

An ear-splitting scream shook the Matthews' house early Tuesday morning. Amy grimaced at the eternal shriek as she set a plate full of hot cakes down in the center of the kitchen table.

Birthday Wishes and Valentine Kisses: Accidental Discoveries

Shawn spun around ready to fight. This was an instinctual reaction to being approached from behind. Growing up in the Pink Flamingo Trailer Park taught him that being ready to fight was the only way to avoid being pummeled.

It was good thing he repressed the urge to blindly swing, however. If he had, he would have connected with Brad's stomach.

And he would have been in a lot of trouble.

No clay. Hmm...

Flashbacks: Better Days

While he favored the bikinis worn by the girls on MTV's Beach House, he knew Audrey would not be comfortable in one in public and they were also going to a family theme park for young kids, not the Jersey Shore. Begrudgingly he put the suit back and resumed searching.

At one point he thought he found the one- a pearlescent two-piece. He had to struggle to reach it as it was shoved in the back behind a bunch of one-piece suits with weird ruching and ruffled skirts. He was terribly disappointed when he finally got it into the light.

It wasn't even a bikini; it was an off-white one-piece.

No doubt Audrey would make this boring garment look like haute couture, but Jon couldn't stomach the idea of putting her into something so plain. He shoved it back where he found it and continued to look for something that matched her personality.

[eljeebee]

You asked so... your sims are all heading out for lunch. Who's ordering what food?

The Davises

Jason: orders baby back ribs

Sophia: orders grilled salmon with those delicious sides

Louie: orders rotisserie chicken, shares it primarily with Sid and Mason

Sid: shares the rotisserie, orders bottomless iced tea pitcher

Mason: shares the rotisserie, takes some ribs from his dad's baby back ribs, orders key lime pie

Vanderburgs

Margaux: aglio olio

Julie: lemon chicken pasta

Seamus II (Mousse): whatever ravioli is in the menu

Bernie: pan seared duck breast

Penny: crab cakes

Special mention, the Beau-Asvangs

Lenora orders for the whole household: a 5 course meal on a luxurious fine dining restaurant that Lana can't do anything but tag along with Val and Percy; they eat, with Lenora savoring every dish; Val is amused because she could feel Lana seething from her seat because the Lady would rather feast on the citizens strolling in Myshuno Meadows, but she had to come to keep her sister happy; meanwhile, Percy listens intently to Lenora, who gives her comments about the dishes, while giving his own comments, in his own vulgar way

[rolandcrawford]

Key Lime Cake II Key lime juice and lemon pudding mix are added to the batter of a lemon Bundt® cake to give it a tropical flair.

[musingsofsaturn]

Opening Up [Kristanna ‘Waitress AU] - Chapter Three

[Masterlist for this fic]

Fandom: Frozen/Frozen II

Ship: Anna/Kristoff

Side Pairings: Anna/Hans, Elsa/Honeymaren, Bulda/Cliff

Chapters: 10/10 [COMPLETE]

Rating: M

This Chapter’s Rating: M for scenes of domestic abuse

This Chapter’s Word Count: 2,000+

Summary:  Waitress and baker Anna Westergaard’s life changed forever when she discovered some startling news. Dr Kristoff Bjorgman didn’t anticipate liking his new patients quite as much as he did. For better or worse, the residents of the small town of Småby Bend were about to be changed forever.

Author’s Note: Trigger warning for this chapter: it contains a scene of domestic violence and verbal abuse. Please protect your mental health!

Some of you may notice that I've changed the rating of this fic. I was originally planning for it to be a bit smutty, but I've pre-written the chapter where that would be and actually thought that it was better without the explicit content. So it's mature, but it's no longer going to be explicit. Hope you continue to enjoy it nonetheless!

~ Saturn

[Picture from Where is my Spoon. This chapter’s recipe is for Treacle Tart - one of my absolute favourites!]

Anna walked out of the doctors’ office quickly. It was chilly, and she stuck her hands in her coat pockets to seek some warmth. Her fingers brushed against two pieces of paper, and she stopped walking, pulling them out of her pocket to look them over.

The alcoholism leaflet was designed to look unthreatening, but Anna knew that in reality it was a grenade with the pin pulled. She knew from past experience what happened if she dared to comment on Hans’ drinking habits, even in passing. It infuriated him, and his fury was always directed at Anna with savage words and strong hands. She’d quickly learned not to broach the topic.

If she brought home that leaflet, told him that he had a problem, and that he needed help, she knew he wouldn’t see it as a kindness. No, he’d see it as a humiliating attack, and would strike back, lashing out at Anna with all the aggression of a raging bull.

It wasn’t as if Anna wasn’t used to Hans’ anger. In truth, after the first few months of their marriage, not a week had gone by where he hadn’t shouted at or hurt her. She was a brave young woman; she could take it. But now, if she let him hurt her, she’d be letting him hurt the baby. A fiercely protective instinct inside her could never allow that to happen.

Walking towards the nearest bin, Anna tore the alcoholism leaflet in half, then into quarters for good measure, before quickly throwing the pieces away. Kristoff’s phone number was still in her hand. She gazed at it for a long moment.

‘If you ever feel unsafe, I don’t care what time it is, you can give me a call.’

It had been a genuine offer, she knew that. This phone number could be her lifeline. The next time she felt threatened, she could phone this man she barely knew, and he would do everything in his power to come to her rescue.

But what if everything in his power wasn’t enough? Then Hans would know that she had gone behind his back, and nothing would be able to stop his rage then. What if he hunted her down, killing her in cold blood and leaving her child to fend for themselves? Worse – what if hurting Anna wasn’t enough, and he resorted to harming the baby as well? No, she couldn’t risk it.

Anna felt the pinpricks of tears forming in her eyes as she shredded her lifeline in the same way she’d torn the leaflet. After tossing it in the bin, she sucked in a deep breath, and turned to head home.

The journey was a familiar one, and it took her less than five minutes before she arrived at the doorstep, swiftly turning the key and stepping inside. On autopilot, she turned to close the door behind her, closing her eyes and allowing herself a few moments more of peace.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hans’ voice, cold and hateful, caused her to spin around.

“At the café-”

“-No.” He stepped closer, and Anna could smell the stench of alcohol rolling off his tongue in waves. “I called the café. They said you left at two thirty. It’s half four, Anna. So, where the fuck have you been?”

“I-” She wasn’t sure what she was going to tell him. Should she lie? Or would the truth be better? “I’m sorry,” she mumbled in lieu of making a decision.

Hans stormed towards her, shoving her backwards and grabbing her jaw firmly in his hands. She let out a yelp as the door handle jabbed into her back, but he didn’t let up. He twisted her head at an uncomfortable angle, and he leaned in close to her to shout, “Where the fuck where you, Anna? With some other man? Huh? You think you can fuck some other man and I wouldn’t know?”

“I didn’t- I wasn’t-” Anna felt panic rising in her as his other hand snaked into her hair, pulling it hard so she stood no chance of getting away.

“Don’t lie to me!” he hissed. His voice was full of venom.

“Hans, please-”

“You stupid fucking bitch! I give you a roof over your head, food on your table, clothes on your back, and you think you can just betray me?” He spat at her. Anna felt it running down her cheek but didn’t dare move to wipe it away.

He released her hair and jaw, but Anna didn’t feel any sense of relief. She felt only a sickening dread as she saw him pulling back his fist, which was aimed squarely at her face. Her eyes squeezed shut and her hands flew up to protect herself as she screamed out, “Hans, no, I’m pregnant!”

The blow never came.

Limbs trembling, Anna opened her eyes in time to see his fist lower. She followed suit, dropping her hands. “We’re going to have a baby,” she whispered. “I was at the doctors to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Oh, princess.” Anna couldn’t help but flinch as he reached for her, placing his hands on her stomach. “This is amazing.” She felt the urge to move away as he knelt down in front of her, giving her belly a drunken kiss. “This is going to fix us, princess, you’ll see.”

His words surprised her. She hadn’t thought that he was aware that the pair of them needed to be fixed. Maybe he could be a great dad after all. She sank to her knees as well, joining him on the floor. Hans’ pulled her into a hug, and she prayed to whatever God might have been listening that he hadn’t felt her shudder at his touch.

“I need you to promise me something.” Hans didn’t wait for her to answer. “I need you to promise me that you won’t love the baby more than you love me.”

Anna stiffened, and tried to recover herself before he felt it. He was too close to her now to allow her body to get carried away with its reactions. Did she love Hans? It was true that she had done, once. They wouldn’t be married now if that was the case. And she knew that she could love him just as much if he reverted back to who he was when they were younger – charming, sweet, and utterly devoted to her. But the version of Hans that she’d come to know was not the man she fell in love with. He terrified her.

She knew that there was only one answer that she could give in that moment, and she felt her fingers cross ever so slightly, out of sight. “I promise,” she whispered. In truth, as they embraced on the floor of the hallway, Anna thought that this was the closest to loving him that she’d felt in years.

“This is going to change everything for us, princess,” he whispered into her hair.

“Yes,” she murmured back. “I think it will.”

 ~

 Almost a week later, Anna was carefully arranging a display of pies in the chilled cabinet beside the till of The Snøffnug Caf��. She and Hans had no further arguments since she’d told him the news, and the subsequent contentment within her had inspired her to craft all sorts of sweet pies, which had delighted her customers.

Well, all her customers except Elsa, who was absolutely frantic with nerves for a date she’d arranged with a woman she met online. For as long as she had known her, Elsa had been a decidedly anxious woman, and the dating profile that Bulda set up for her a few months before had only elevated that anxiety. As Anna worked, she could hear Bulda talking their friend through her third panic attack of the day in the kitchen.

The bell chimed just as Anna finished slicing a key lime pie to place in the cabinet. She glanced up at the sound, offering the customer a quick greeting before she recognised who it was.

“Oh, Kristoff! Hi.” She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so nervous, and given the curious looks she received from both Elsa and Bulda, it wasn’t just in her head.

She smiled warmly as Kristoff strode over to her. He really was very handsome. In an outfit as simple as jeans and a jumper, Anna realised he’d captured the attention of every woman in the cosy dining area. She couldn’t help but feel the warmth of pride as she also realised that out of all the women in the room, he was only paying attention to her.

“Hi, Anna. How are you feeling?”

“Feeling? Oh, with the- good. I mean, I’m feeling good.”

He chuckled, and she honestly could have kicked herself in the shin. Fortunately, he didn’t see the blush that crept to her cheeks, because he’d turned to the display cabinet and was admiring her creations hungrily.

“What can I get for you?”

“Get for me? Ah.” Anna couldn’t help the smile that came to her face as he so perfectly mirrored her confusion from earlier. “Actually, I came to give you this. Back. Give it back… to you.” Fumbling, he placed the cake tin she’d delivered the pie in the other day onto the counter. Anna thanked him, taking the container and placing it on a shelf behind her with other jars and tins on it. When she turned back to him, he was looking decidedly sheepish. “I have a secret to tell you, Anna. I finished that pie three days ago but I held on to the tin until today so you wouldn’t judge me for eating it all so fast.”

To her credit, Anna did manage not to giggle for at least two seconds. “Well, doctor, if you liked that Mermaid Marshmallow Pie so much, can I interest you in a slice of Treacle Tart? Seems like you love sweet things.”

“You got me,” he grinned. “Can I get that to go, please? I have an appointment in ten minutes.”

Anna swiftly placed the slice into a cardboard container, fastening it shut with a couple of snowflake stickers. She rang him up, and he moved to the door, before turning back to her with a smile.

“It was great seeing you, Anna. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

Then he was gone, and before she knew it, Anna was being bundled into the kitchen by a very excited-looking Bulda. Anna hadn’t realised that she and Elsa were even done with the pre-date anxiety attack.

“And just what was that?” she all but squealed. “Wait, first, who was that?”

“That’s Kristoff,” Anna replied, confused. “Dr Bjorgman. He’s my doctor. For the baby.”

“Well, judging by the way he was looking at you, Anna, I’d say he’s willing to take very good care of you.”

Shocked, Anna hit her arm lightly. “Bulda! That is so inappropriate! He’s my doctor.”

“He’s very handsome,” Elsa said wistfully.

Bulda let out a hearty laugh at her friend’s embarrassment. “Look, honey, you don’t see it yet, and that’s fine. But you will, Miss Anna. You definitely will.”

A shout from outside the kitchen got their attention. “Are you three gonna come back out here any time soon, or should I put on an apron and do your jobs for you?” Anna couldn’t tell if Cliff was genuinely angry at them. He could sound angry while cooing at a kitten.

Bulda either knew he wasn’t annoyed, or didn’t care if he was, as she snarked back, “You should. And while you’re at it, try on one of these dresses. You’d look lovely in blue.”

They shared a hushed laugh at Cliff’s expense, as they heard him grumbling something incoherent outside. “We’d better go, before His Majesty decides to come in here and drag us out by our ears.”

Bulda was still chuckling quietly to herself as she and Elsa left Anna alone in the kitchen to consider her earlier words.

Next Chapter

[twistednuns]

October 2020

To buttress - increase the strength of or justification for; reinforce / to mollycoddle - to give someone too much care or protection. 

A letter from Nina. One of those weird internet connections. Not my first one, certainly not my last one.

Frank’s DnD backstory reads quite insightful/poetic to me as he has taken so much from his life. He might have done it without intent but it’s quite obvious to me. I’ve agreed to make a character sketch for him. I’m looking forward to the challenge but I’m also afraid of starting the project because obviously I want it to be perfect. Anyway so the other night I sat at his kitchen table and started drawing a facial composite for his goliath. Lots of sketches actually with him giving me some prompts and ideas. I think he loved watching me do my magic. What a peaceful moment.

Applause from some students. Simply for entering the room. They must really hate their English teacher, eh?

I’ve started forming the habit of drawing tarot cards on a full moon and new moon night. It helps me set an intention for the following two weeks. So on the first of October I drew the Queen of Wands to represent me and I’m loving it. It’s the perfect choice.

The fabric dyeing process for the Plot exhibition at Haus der Kunst

Inviting warmth into my life. Wearing appropriately warm clothing. Even hats. Drinking tea all the time. Turning the heating on even though it’s only September. Warm breakfast. Ayurveda inspiration. Hot baths. Thinking about buying an electric heating blanket for my bed.So far I’ve been taking a hot water bottle to bed with me pretty much every night.

Finding one of those Barts woolly animal hats online. This one came with tigers. And the seller sent me a cherry marzipan teabag. I enjoyed it on a cold and rainy Saturday morning.

FAQ: The Status of the Shits Women Have Left to Give

Reading the final scenes of Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy. I actually took the wrong bus one evening and ended up in front of one of the Pinakotheken instead of Villa Stuck. I must have been quite immersed. I’m very happy with the ending. I mean, the main character is walking around the house barefoot with the smell of fresh paint following her, her hair loose. What a wonderful image.

The wind blowing through the maple trees outside my living room window. I’m just going to quote a Wikipedia article to explain what happened next: The distinctive fruits are called samaras, “maple keys”, “helicopters”, “whirlybirds” or “polynoses”. These seeds occur in distinctive pairs each containing one seed enclosed in a “nutlet” attached to a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue. They are shaped to spin as they fall and to carry the seeds a considerable distance on the wind. People often call them “helicopters” due to the way that they spin as they fall. During World War II, the US Army developed a special airdrop supply carrier that could carry up to 65 pounds (29 kg) of supplies and was based on the maple seed.

Monsieur Wiener - I’ve paid him a visit when I had problems with my analogue Pentax camera!

I don’t know why but one dark Friday evening I slipped into the empty church at Odeonsplatz. I loved the peaceful atmosphere, the specific smell and the red church candles flickering.

I loved meeting Flo. We had such a great time, constantly joking, talking about this and that. Sailor Mercury, Hades, our family. His wink. He said that I had been exactly right but in the end apparently I wasn’t. It stung because he had been one of the rare guys in the last months (years, actually) I actually liked. Oh well. I guess it wasn’t meant to be after all. This is what the Universe had to say about it the other day: There are no accidents. If it’s appeared on your life’s radar, this is why: to teach you that dreams come true; to reveal that you have the power to fix what’s broken and heal what hurts; to catapult you beyond seeing with just your physical senses; and to lift the veils that have kept you from seeing that you’re already the person you dreamed you’d become.

Videos of Marno and Erin together. Also: she is so freakin’ beautiful as a marauder.

A surprise call from Ann-Katrin.

Sweet chai tea with milk.

The bright moonlight making the neighbours’ roof look like fish scales.

Forensic linguistics. I listened to a podcast episode about the Unabomber who was only discovered after his brother had noticed some stylistic irregularities in his manifesto. You can’t eat your cake and have it too.

Autumn leaves. Especially when it’s just the outer leaves turning red or yellow while the rest of the foliage is still green.

Sitting next to my ten-year-old student Ella on the bus on our way home on a Friday afternoon. She’s a very chatty Gemini and even though her self-importance and constant talking can be quite annoying I’ve kinda taken a liking to her.

A bunch of Alstroemeria in my dark green glass vase on the desk. A pretty image.

I still appreciate how beautiful my LuLuLemon thermos bottle is after all this time.

I should probably mention my new hair (extensions). Well, it looks absolutely gorgeous from the front. But I already know that I won’t get them again because you can see the glue in a few places, it’s quite hard, often painful and feels unnatural. And of course it’s much too expensive.

Baby carrots with King hummus.

My lunch dates with Becky.

Making my favourite sour thai curry. With rice noodles. And peanuts and cilantro. Yum.

Starting to work on a big soapstone sculpture. It’s going to be a hand! I love it when I have a group of calm students. It allows me to work on a project with them.

Making delicious pumpkin lasagna.

Visiting Manu’s mum. Making plum dumplings together. A fun afternoon in their kitchen.

A very cosy Sunday. Waking up at 5:30am. Watching Practical Magic in bed. Having a slice of pumpkin lasagna for breakfast. A sudden urge to get out, dressing up to keep out the cold, going out, early, streetlights still on. A walk through the woods. I loved how calm everything was. Being out before all the others had a chance to disturb the stillness with their kids and dogs and bicycles. Making lebkuchen. Lots of pecans. Having a nap. Writing a letter. Drawing weird mushrooms and bugs.

Autumnal smells. The moist smell of the forest ground, mushrooms, the smell of chimneys on a cold Sunday morning. Incense, gingerbread spices. Facial oil with lavender and iris. Roasted pecans.

A crafty day. I made a haunted house, some ghosts, spiders, bats, skulls and pumpkins out of paper.

Schlurp.

Meeting Frank in front of Residenztheater. The whole square was empty, he was the only person there. Waiting for me. Looking up to the opera roof. What an impressive building.

Talking about living life in story mode and action mode. I feel so stuck in action mode at the moment and desperately want to switch to story mode. Fantasy, magic, coincidences and meaning.

Spicy pumpkin recipes in the current issue of Schrot und Korn.

Rice and hazelnut milk as a bedtime treat.

Collecting autumn leaves. Chestnuts, acorns, feathers, beechnuts. Making a little autumnal alter with some crystals.

Thursday mornings. So much time for myself. Lots of tea, warm breakfast.

Treating myself to massages and nice facial creams and serums. Ya Yah is such a gifted person. I love her massages the most. The other day I also got a facial for the first time in many many years. It was nice to be wrapped in an extremely fluffy blanket. When the bright lights were on I could see different colours after closing my eyes and imagined being at a tropical beach. Unintentional ASMR sounds from the rubber gloves. Cosy.

Spicy winter tea in my new thermos bottle. The steam swirling up from my favourite mug (the moon phase mug I bough in Canada).

Buying cheap sparkly stickers, washi tape and stamps. Just because.

Pecan nuts are the BEST. Crazy delicious.

Porridge with coconut milk and mango for breakfast. Persimmons. Candles in the morning.

Gloomy twilight. The dark hour right before sunset/sunrise. Spooky black silhouettes against the ink blue or greyish white sky. Fairy lights. Memories of spending Halloween at Greyfriar’s Kirkyard in Edinburgh.

Finding yet another woolly hat for my collection. This time with pheasants.

Deltavenus’ Instagram feed.

Cutting open a fresh lime.

Happily singing along to my two favourite mantras (Jai Mata Kali / Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha) while making apple galette. Trying to harmonise in different ways.

A very surprising call from Claudia. She ended up in my kitchen, drinking half a bottle of wine.

A lovely Sunday with Sash. A walk through the English garden.   Watching the waterfall, falling leaves, backlit by the afternoon sunlight. Haus der Kunst. Getting in for free (art teacher bonus). I really liked the Michael Armitage exhibition and the enormous dyed curtains in the hall. Franz Erhard Walther’s Dust of Stars autobiography was impressive as well. I just ordered the book online; I’m looking forward to reading it. We also had a drink at Goldene Bar and enjoyed a late lunch at Baoz Bar.

Becky leaving me a lovely note and an English magazine on my desk.

Fink’s Knödelstube with Lena and Sash. We had 13 different kinds of dumplings. Heavenly delicious.

I came to realise that mornings are my favourite time of the day. I love gloomy, dark sunrises and my usual productivity highs.

Writing limericks with the kids.

Getting lost in the woods after dark which might not look like a good think at first glance but I uncovered a little secret - some bee hives I had never seen before!

A mild obsession with The Corrs’ song Old Town. I didn’t even know where it came from. It’s not a song I’ve ever actively listened to.

Learning about sesame plants. Another one of those plants I expected to look completely different.

I can smell mushrooms. On Saturday morning I went to the forest again early in the morning and whenever I would get a whiff of mushrooms and look down there they were.

Dog owners wishing me a good morning on my walk. Interestingly only men, the women tend to ignore me.

Wicked! - Modern Art’s Interest in the Occult. Learning about Leonora Carrington.

James’ chameleons in art class. He drew one representing each of his family members. He was the one licking a bat. Bold.

Buying far too many books. But I found out that Naomi Novik just published a new novel about a school of magic. And within two days I came across the writer Ursula K. Le Guin three times so I took it as a sign and got one of her books as well.

Prepare for the Roaring Twenties - The human desire to socialize will survive the pandemic.

A deep talk session with Jonathan about getting old, having children, self-worth, dating, obeying rules.

Finding my favourite pair of jeans on Kleiderkreisel for a fraction of the original price. And a baseball jacket with a Strange Ladies Society print on the back.

A walk in the forest before work. Something I’ve never done before I think. So good for my nerves, really.

The art of decision-making.

Joy praising me for my authoritative voice (effectively making the fifth-graders do what I want).

Decorating the classroom with the fifth-graders. I love my haunted house on the window pane, their lovely spiders, ghosts and bats. I should probably mention that our class mascot is a cute spider named Crawley so we’re all quite into spooky stuff. On the last day before the holidays we all showed up in costumes, played a Halloween quiz, listened to creepy music and I brought some candy, too. Fun!

Meeting the gang on Halloween. Japanese-inspired dinner and a board game.

[astronautasinorbita]

Top 11 American Food Dishes That People Love

Fast, garbage, handled - with regards to American nourishment, the nation is most popular for the stuff that is portrayed by words more qualified to oily, granulating mechanical yield. In any case, residents of the USA have a great craving for good stuff, as well.

To commend its interminable culinary innovativeness, we're tossing our rundown of 50 most delightful American nourishment things at you. We realize you're going to need to toss back.

Standard procedures: recognize that in any event, attempting to characterize American nourishment is extreme; further recognize that picking most loved American things unavoidably implies forgetting about or unintentionally ignoring some much-cherished territorial claims to fame.

Presently get the elastic cover on in light of the fact that we're going first. Let the nourishment battle start:

1. Key lime pie

Key lime pie is a staple on south Florida menus.

Politeness Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant

In the event that life gives you limes, don't make limeade, make a Key lime pie. The official state pie of Florida, this cheeky tart has made herself an overall notoriety, which begun in - what other place? - the Florida Keys, from whence come the minor limes that gave the pie its name.

Auntie Sally, a cook for Florida's first independent mogul, transport salvager William Curry, gets the kudos for making the primary Key lime pie in the late 1800s. In any case, you may likewise say thanks to Florida wipe angler for likely beginning the mixture of key lime juice, improved consolidated milk, and egg yolks, which could be "cooked" (by a thickening concoction response of the fixings) adrift.

2. Potato tots

Potato tots are crunchy singed potatoes.

Potato tots are crunchy singed potatoes.

We love French fries, however for an American nourishment minor departure from the potato subject, one dearest at Sonic drive-ins and school cafeterias all over, consider the Tater Tot.

Notice it frequently has the enrolled trademark - these business hash dark colored chambers are for sure restrictive to the Ore-Ida organization. On the off chance that you'd been one of the Grigg siblings who established Ore-Ida, you'd have needed to think of something to do with extra bits of cut-up potatoes, as well. They included some flour and flavoring and formed the squash into modest tots and put them available in 1956. Somewhat more than 50 years after the fact, America is eating around 32 million kilos of these potatoes every year.

3. San Francisco sourdough bread

Sourdough bread is San Francisco's most adored prepared treat.

Sourdough bread is San Francisco's most adored prepared treat.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

Sourdough is as old as the pyramids and not circumstantially was eaten in antiquated Egypt. However, the hands-down American top pick, and the sourest assortment, originates from San Francisco.

As much a piece of NoCal culinary culture as Napa Valley wine, sourdough bread has been a staple since Gold Rush days. Once upon a wilderness time, excavators (called "sourdoughs" for making due on the stuff) and pilgrims conveyed sourdough starter (more dependable than other raising) in pockets around their necks or on their belts.

Thank heavens that is not the manner in which they do it at Boudin Bakery, which has been turning out the bread that nibbles back in the City by the Bay since 1849.

4. Cobb serving of mixed greens

Initially made with extras, Cobb serving of mixed greens now one of America's preferred tidbits.

Initially made with extras, Cobb serving of mixed greens now one of America's preferred tidbits.

The gourmet specialist's plate of mixed greens began back East, yet American nourishment trailblazers working with lettuce out West wouldn't have been beaten.

In 1937, Bob Cobb, the proprietor of The Brown Derby, was searching at the eatery's North Vine area for a feast for Sid Grauman of Grauman's Theater when he set up a plate of mixed greens with what he found in the ice chest: a head of lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, some chilly chicken bosom, a hard-bubbled egg, chives, cheddar, and some good old French dressing.

Dark colored Derby legend says, "He began cleaving. Included some fresh bacon, swiped from a bustling gourmet specialist." The serving of mixed greens went onto the menu and straight into the core of Hollywood.

5.Pot broil

Braised meat and vegetables - the ideal warming hot pot.

The youth Sunday family supper of gen X-ers all over the place, pot cook asserts a wistful most loved spot in the best 10 of American solace nourishments. There's an entire age that would be lost without it.

Hamburger brisket, base or top round, or hurl set in a profound broiling skillet with potatoes, carrots, onions, and whatever else your mother tossed in to be imbued with the meat's stewing juices, the pot meal could be blessed with red wine or even lager, at that point secured and cooked on the stovetop or in the broiler.

6. Twinkies

Twinkies are known for their toughness and timeframe of realistic usability - gossip says they could endure an atomic assault.

Twinkies are known for their sturdiness and timeframe of realistic usability - talk says they could endure an atomic assault.

Entertainer's notable "Brilliant Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling" has been sugaring us up since James Dewar developed it at the Continental Baking Company in Schiller Park, Illinois, in 1930.

The Twinkie spurned its unique banana cream filling for vanilla when bananas were rare during World War II. As though they weren't incredibly adequate as of now, the Texas State Fair began the trend of profound singing them.

Dumped in hot oil or essentially torn from their bundling, Twinkies charm with their name (propelled by a board promoting Twinkle Toe Shoes), their ladyfinger shape (punctured multiple times to infuse the filling), and their summonings of noon break. They were incidentally removed the racks between November 2012 to July 2013 - when Hostess declared financial insolvency. Presently they are back and going solid.

Related substance

Behind the intrigue of America's craziest reasonable nourishments

7. Jerky

It probably won't look mouth-watering, however the taste represents itself with no issue.

It probably won't look mouth-watering, however the taste represents itself with no issue.

Dried out meat withered nearly to the point of being unrecognizable - an improbable wellspring of so much gustatory delight, yet jerky is a high-protein most loved of explorers, street trippers, and snackers all over the place.

It's American nourishment the manner in which we like our wild grub - extreme and fiery.

We like the creation legend that says it's the immediate relative of American Indian pemmican, which blended fire-relieved meat with creature fat. Hamburger, turkey, chicken, venison, bison, even ostrich, gator, yak, and emu. Peppered, grilled, hickory-smoked, nectar coated. Seasoned with teriyaki, jalapeno, lemon pepper, bean stew.

Jerky is so flexible and compact and packs such nourishing force that the Army is trying different things with jerky sticks that have what could be compared to some espresso.

Anyway you take your jerky - caf or decaf; in strips, chips, or shreds - get ready to bite long and hard. You've despite everything got your own teeth, isn't that so?

8. Fajitas

Fajitas: the embodiment of Tex-Mex food.

Take a few vaqueros chipping away at the range and the dairy cattle butchered to take care of them. Toss in the disposable cuts of meat as a feature of the hands' salary, and let cowpoke resourcefulness go to work.

Flame broil skirt steak (faja in Spanish) over the open air fire, enclose by a tortilla, and you have the start of a Rio Grande area custom. The fajita is thought to have fallen off the range and into mainstream society when a specific Sonny Falcon started working fajita taco remains at open air occasions and rodeos in Texas starting in 1969.

It wasn't some time before the dish was advancing onto menus in the Lone Star State and spreading with its dearest exhibit of toppings - flame broiled onions and green pepper, pico de gallo, destroyed cheddar, and harsh cream - the nation over. Remember the Altoids.

9. Banana split

The banana makes it bravo, correct?

The banana makes it bravo, isn't that so?

Like the banana makes it bravo. In any case, praise to whoever concocted the variety of the sundae known as the banana split. There's the 1904 Latrobe, Pennsylvania, story, in which future optometrist David Strickler was trying different things with sundaes at a drug store soft drink wellspring, split a banana the long way, and put it in a long pontoon dish.

What's more, the 1907 Wilmington, Ohio, story, wherein café proprietor Ernest Hazard thought of it to draw understudies from a close by school. Distinction spread after a Walgreens in Chicago made the split its mark dessert during the 1920s. Whatever the history, you'll discover bounty something worth mulling over at the yearly Banana Split Festival, which happens on the second end of the week in June in Wilmington.

10. Cornbread

Cornbread is well known the nation over, yet it's a Southern great.

It's one of the mainstays of Southern cooking, yet cornbread is the spirit nourishment of numerous a culture - dark, white, and Native American - and not only south of the Mason-Dixon. Granulate corn coarsely and you have corn meal; absorb bits soluble base, and you have hominy (which we urge you to concoct into posole). Raise finely ground cornmeal with preparing powder, and you have cornbread.

Southern hushpuppies and corn pone, New England johnnycakes; cooked in a skillet or in biscuit tins; enhanced with cheddar, herbs, or jalapenos - cornbread in any manifestation remains the speedy and simple go-to bread that generally made it a most loved of Native American and pioneer moms and keeps it on tables the nation over today.

11. Popcorn

.Popcorn can either be fortunate or unfortunate for an individual's wellbeing, contingent upon what goes into making it. All alone, with no additional sugar or salt, popcorn makes a nutritious, empowering nibble.

Popcorn is a kind of corn part that, when individuals heat it, it flies to turn out to be light and cushy. Popcorn contains a lot of supplements and nutrients when individuals make it in the correct manner.

Be that as it may, numerous popcorn marks in general stores and cinemas contain heaps of included spread, sugar, and salt. These increments can be awful for an individual's wellbeing.

Right now, take a gander at how popcorn can be a restorative bite, its dietary benefits and advantages, which types are empowering, and which types are most certainly not.

We likewise see how individuals can make their own invigorating, air-popped popcorn at home.

[peace-love-piper]

GETTING TO KNOW YOU (OOC) 

Name: Bee

Characters: Piper Oliver, Nathaniel Pinnock, Shoshana Edelman

PART ONE, FILL IN THE BLANKS:

The first thing I do in the morning is put on my glasses. If I could eat one full meal for the rest of my life and nothing else it would be Tex-Mex style breakfast tacos with “queso” (basically spicy melted cheese that you dip tortilla chips into) with a dessert of key lime pie to finish. My favourite Harry Potter book/film is Goblet of Fire (book) / Deathly Hallows Part II (film) though I have a soft spot for Chamber of Secrets (book) / Prisoner of Azkaban (film) too. I can speak one (lol) language and my favourite subjects at school were always English, Calculus, and Physics. My favourite feel-good movie is The Royal Tenenbaums but if I could pick a film to watch right now it would be Close Encounters of the Third Kind. My favourite time of year is late spring/early summer and I’ve always liked sunny weather.

PART TWO, NEVER HAVE I EVER:

(bold the ones you have done!)

Dyed my hair (like all the time) - Had a piercing (ears) - Had a tattoo (five) - Been in a relationship (I’m married) - Seen a play/musical (so many, and I used to be in theater) - Been to a concert (SO MANY, it’s my main social activity) - Met someone famous (I took a photo with Shaggy) - Been to Disneyland/Disneyworld (in Florida) - Thrown a party - Driven a car - Travelled abroad (pretty frequently, and I lived in China for 3 years) - Been on a plane - Owned a pet (all cats) - Baked a cake - Cooked from scratch (my husband and I cook a lot! It’s a nice way for me to decompress) - Won a competition (speech & debate tournaments in high school) - Rode a bike (yeah but I’m pretty shit at it) - Learnt to swim - Seen the ocean in person - Been to comic con (or a similar convention) - Played an instrument (I used to play piano).

PART THREE, HP INFO:

Favourite magical creature? Niffler or Thunderbird

Favourite magical being? Veela (shocker I know)

Favourite Harry Potter character? Fred Weasley (RIP)

Least favourite Harry Potter character? Maybe Wormtail? Idk I like all of them.

Favourite Harry Potter ship? Real ship? Probably Dumbledore/Grindelwald. But as far as crackships I used to read a LOT of NSFW Draco/Hermione fanfiction.

The first house you wanted to be in? Ravenclaw!

The magical school you’d most like to attend? I want to rep America and say Ilvermorny, but honestly it’s probably Hogwarts. Castelobruxo also seems cool.

A quote from the books/films you love? From the books: “‘Give her hell from us, Peeves.’ And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.” (OOTP); From the films, there are so many that are unintentionally hilarious but this is probably my favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZW_dwd_WJY

PART FOUR, MUSIC SHUFFLE:

Put all your music on shuffle and list the first ten songs that play!

Okay these are from my YouTube Music Mix today and they are REALLY random…

“What’s My Age Again? - blink-182

“Kiss Me” - Sixpence None the Richer

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” - John Denver

“Honky Cat” - Taron Egerton

“There’s Your Trouble” - Dixie Chicks

“Rich Girl” - Daryl Hall & John Oates

“Wonderwall” - Oasis

“Two Princes” - Spin Doctors

“In Too Deep” - Sum 41

“Absolutely (Story of a Girl)” - Nine Days

PART FIVE, FIVE RANDOM FACTS:

I’m really short, about 5 feet / 153 cm. My hair is currently green(ish) and here’s a photo of me

I’ve only ever really role-played on Harry Potter groups. My first one was a forum called the Harry Potter Roleplay Guild, and I played Lavender Brown (BEFORE HBP came out and JK made her annoying af; I’m still bitter).

I identify as bisexual, though I got married last August to a man I’d been dating on and off for thirteen years.

Here’s a photo of my cat, Noodle:

I’ve been to 55 live Phish shows (they’re a jam band from Vermont).

[hello-thefatlosshabit-blr]

What you are going to learn:

Why Habits are so Powerful and Potentially Dangerous

The Three Elements of a Habit

How a Better Understanding of Habits can Help Us Replace Bad Habits with Good Ones

A Simple Approach to Overcoming our Natural Resistance to Change

Why We Often Blame our Lack of Willpower when it is usually our Lack of Commitment that is to Blame    

People often say that change is difficult, and they are correct. Change is difficult, but we are all capable of change. Our lives are continually changing, learning to drive, marriage, having children, new job responsibilities, and new technological tools. Initiation is the most challenging phase of any change because when we are learning to perform new tasks, it is mentally exhausting. Learning to perform a new activity requires our cerebral cortex (“Conscious Brain”) to do the heavy lifting.

As the new task becomes routine, the more resilient basal ganglia, (“subconscious brain’), takes over. The action becomes easier and easier to perform. Our conscious brain essentially goes on autopilot, and the actions flow almost effortlessly. You undoubtedly experienced this when you were learning to drive. In the beginning, it required all of your mental focus, but now you can drive, adjust the cabin temperature, tune the radio, carry on a conversation, and heaven forbid, use your smartphone while driving.

Change is possible, but it starts with awareness. The hardest part of creating a change in behavior is just not repeating the behaviors of the past. Approximately 40 to 45% of the decisions we make are out of habit.[i] Unfortunately, these aren’t conscious decisions. These are decisions our conscious brain has delegated to the subconscious brain. Our subconscious mind controls the performance of repetitive daily activities which frees our conscious mind from making countless decisions each day, which would lead to decision fatigue and mental exhaustion. For this reason, we aren’t mindful of actions we have repeated enough times to make them habits.

Bad habits are dangerous because we don’t give them much thought. We encounter a trigger and execute a learned routine to receive a predictable reward. In the early 1990s MIT Researchers studying the brain activity of rats navigating a maze made a surprising discovery. As the rats navigated the maze for the 100th time and zipped through it faster and faster, their brain activity quieted. During the initial phase of the experiment, when the mice were learning the maze, their brain’s were exploding with activity, but now their minds were only active at the beginning and the end. The process of learning a new routine requires the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia to work. The cerebral cortex is guiding the action, while the basal ganglia are learning to perform it. Once the routine has been performed enough times, the basal ganglia can perform the routine without any guidance from the conscious brain.

Our conscious mind, which fatigues easily, prevents mental exhaustion by delegating repetitive tasks to the more resilient basal ganglia. Our basal ganglia learn repetitive behaviors and convert the sequences of actions into an automatic routine, which is known as chunking. These automatic routines are stored in our basal ganglia, waiting for a cue in the environment to be initiated.

Every habit has a Cue, a Routine, and a Reward. Our mind identifies the Cue, a physical, mental, or emotional trigger then executes a conditioned Routine to receive a predictable Reward. In this case, the rat encounters the Cue, it hears a click and sees the maze partition disappear. The Cue initiates the Routine, and the rat runs through the maze in a memorized sequence of turns. At the end of the Routine, the rat receives his delicious chocolate Reward.

Our brain relies on automatic routines stored in our basal ganglia to conserve mental energy, but it needs to decide which Routine to perform and when to perform it. The initial spike in brain activity is the rat determining which Routine to perform. Once the rat decides, the rat’s decision centers quiet, their basal ganglia (“subconscious brain”) takes over, navigating the maze quicker than when it was slowed down by conscious thought. At the end of the exercise, when the rat sees the reward, the brain jolts itself awake. It makes sure that the pattern unfolded as anticipated.

Habits are a three-step process. First, there is a Cue, that triggers our brain to execute a conditioned Routine. Then there is the Routine, a learned behavior stored in your basal ganglia. Finally, there is the Reward, that reinforces the habit by causing your brain to judge the routine worth remembering and repeating.

This explains the pattern of brain activity the researchers observed and it helps explain why habits are so valuable and potentially dangerous. Ann Graybiel, one of the scientists who oversaw many of the basal ganglia experiments, said “Habits never really disappear. They’re encoded into the structures of our brain, and that’s a huge advantage for us because it would be awful if we had to relearn how to drive after every vacation. The problem is that your brain can’t tell the difference between bad and good habits, and so if you have a bad one, it’s always lurking there, waiting for the right cues and rewards. [ii] “If a learned pattern remains in the brain after the behavior is extinguished, maybe that’s why it’s so difficult to change a habit. It is as though somehow, the brain retains a memory of the habit context, and this pattern can be triggered if the right habit cues come back,” Graybiel said. “This situation is familiar to anyone who is trying to lose weight or to control a well-engrained habit. Just the sight of a piece of chocolate cake can reset all those good intentions.”[iii] Unfortunately, bad habits are the easiest type of habits to resume because they always provide an immediate reward.

Habits are valuable because they free our easily fatigue cerebral cortex to focus on higher level thinking, but they are dangerous because they remove us from the decision making process. Our mind goes asleep. When applied to good habits, this is a blessing, but when we mindlessly perform bad habits, the consequences can be devastating. Habits are the compound interest of self-creation. Habits form us as much as we form them. This is the reason why Aristotle said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” No one is born great. If you study anyone that has accomplished great success, you will discover daily rituals that lead to their development and achievements.

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” Eckhart Tolle

Awareness is the key to changing any habit because when habits emerge, our brain stops participating in the decision-making process. I am as vulnerable to bad habits as anyone. On the weekends, I typically indulge in a drink or two, but a year ago I developed the habit of drinking every night. It began with me having a drink after an unusually long stressful day at work; then it progressed to an everyday occurrence. What was once a weekend ritual had become a nightly one.

As earlier stated, at the core of each habit is a neurological loop consisting of three components: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue, in this case, was me arriving home after work, tired and stressed. The routine was drinking a cold refreshing alcoholic beverage. The reward was a sense of relaxation.

When you are trying to break a bad habit, it is always a great idea to let supportive friends and family know what you are trying to do. Not only will they provide a layer of accountability and encouragement, often they can help you formulate a plan. We lack objectivity when we are solving the problems, we created for ourselves.

My beautiful wife asked me why I drank. I told her that it helped me to relax and I enjoyed the cold refreshing beverage after a long day. She suggested that I substitute the alcoholic beverage for some Topo Chico with a slice of lime. The calorie-free mineral water would give me the sensation I was craving without the unwanted alcohol and empty calories. An additional benefit was waking hydrated, instead of slightly dehydrated from the previous night’s drinking.

Substitution is a very effective way of breaking a bad habit. Typically, the cue, in this example, me arriving home isn’t something we can change, but my routine can be. We cannot always control the cues and events in our lives, but we can always decide what they mean and how we will react to them.

The most effective substitutions are those that provide similar rewards. In this example, the Topo Chico provided a cold refreshing sensation that helped me to unwind after a stressful day of responding to the numerous demands of my job. If you don’t have someone to help you solve your problem, I recommend you brainstorm on a piece of paper. Jot down the cue, routine, and reward associated with the bad habit. Then determine what new routine can provide some of the same benefits that the bad habit provided.

Another technique you can use is shaping your environment. In this example, eliminating alcohol from our home would have eliminated the temptation of drinking. I didn’t choose that option, but I did shape my environment by ensuring I always had lime and a couple of cold bottles of Topo Chico in the refrigerator.

Perhaps you want to replace the habit of staying up late watching Netflix with nightly reading. You could shape your environment by setting-up an ideal area for reading. Ensuring that you always have a great book, adequate lighting, a bookmarker, a highlighter, and your journal to capture your notes in would foster the new behavior. You could develop a cue, for example, “After I eat dinner and clean-up, I will read for a few minutes.” You can shrink the commitment to 5-minutes. When it comes to habits, consistency is most important. Start small and build momentum.

With a little imagination, you should be able to figure out how you can interrupt a bad habit and replace it with a good one. It isn’t difficult, but it does require effort and diligence. It is easy to do, but what is easy to do is even easier to neglect. Neglect is normal. Bad habits are normal. Most of us have both good habits and bad habits. Success in any area is dependent on your ratio of good habits to bad habits related to that area of your life.

“Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones.” Benjamin Franklin

Reading this article can potentially change your life, but knowledge isn’t power. Knowledge is potential power. The application of knowledge is power. Execution produces results. Ideation without execution is the beginning of delusion. Reading an excellent self-improvement book won’t change your life, but repeatedly applying what you have learned until you do it naturally will. “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.” Bruce Lee

Thus far I have provided you with the tools, the mechanics of breaking a bad habit, but I haven’t addressed the Elephant in the room. In the New York Times bestselling book, The Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, the authors describe the struggle we all face when we make a change in behavior. The battle is between the logic driven part of our brain, the Rider, and the emotion-driven part of our mind, the Elephant.

The Rider is weak and prone to overthinking things, becoming overwhelmed by decision fatigue and analysis paralysis. The Elephant, on the other hand, is powerful, fueled by emotions and primal urges. The Elephant can easily overwhelm the smaller Rider, especially when the Rider is uncertain of which direction to go. The Path they travel is the external environment. The Rider can influence the Elephant’s behavior by shaping the Path, removing cues and temptations from the environment. Environment is the invisible hand that guides our decisions. The Rider must be prepared and anticipate situations that will tempt the Elephant. He must develop a plan and pre-decide ahead of time what he will do when the cue presents itself. The Rider cannot hesitate to guide the Elephant, or the Elephant will quickly take control, driven by strong impulses. Shaping the Path and pre-deciding what you will do when presented by a cue in the environment are very effective, but we still need to motivate that Elephant. Creating a strong emotional linkage between the new habit and the results it will produce will help inspire the Elephant.[iv]

The most effective way to remove one habit is with another; “un clavo saca otro clavo” one nail drives out another. Cues in our environment trigger our habits. When our mind identifies the cue, we need to have pre-decided what we will do so our Rider doesn’t hesitate to guide the Elephant in a new direction, instead of following the well-beaten path of the past. We must give our Elephant a way forward, something to do when the cue is present. Instead of telling ourselves not to do something, we want to provide ourselves with something to do instead. Telling ourselves not to do something, fixates our mind on doing it. When we deliberately attempt to suppress specific thoughts, we make them more likely to surface. Psychologists call this Ironic Theory. A classic example is when someone is asked not to think of a white bear, they find it difficult to think of anything else. White bears aren’t something we usually think about unless you live in Alaska, but when we are asked to not think about them, our mind suddenly finds it can think of nothing else.

Pre-deciding and preparing to execute an alternative action is crucial to interrupting a bad habit. If you are uncertain or cannot perform the new behavior, you will regress to your old familiar one. Ideally, the new routine will provide some of the same benefits that the old routine provided. In my example, the cold Topo Chico gave me the same pleasurable sensations of an alcoholic beverage without any of the unwanted calories.

When we tell ourselves not to do something, our mind is left to dwell on it. In this case, that something is a bad habit that our experience has taught us provides immediate pleasure. Focusing on what you want to avoid doing is like filling your environment with temptation instead of shaping your environment to remove them. Give your mind something else to focus on instead. We all have good and bad habits; our success is determined by our ratio of good habits to bad habits.

A better understanding of how habits work will help you to change your behavior. The five change strategies you will be applying to each of the three disciplines are designed to increase your awareness of cues in your environment that are initiating your bad habits, developing triggers for each of the disciplines we want to build, and shaping your environment to foster good habits and eliminate temptations.

The efficacy of these strategies has been proven in clinical studies, but no approach will work unless you do the work. Unless you give these strategies a sincere effort, unless you change what you have done in the past, you will not achieve a different result. I want you to change the way you think about willpower and habits. Your struggles aren’t unique. Everyone struggles with willpower, and everyone develops bad habits because they are so easy to form and resume.

For change to occur it starts in your mind; you must change the way you approach habits and willpower. Different thinking leads to different decisions. Different decisions lead to different actions. Different actions produce different results. I am no genius, but Albert Einstein was. He said “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

For things to change, you must change. These five change strategies will help you Shape the Path, and Guide the Rider. The progress you will see will help to Motivate the Elephant, but ultimately the challenge of getting and keeping your Elephant motivated is your responsibility. You must want the results that the new habits are going to produce more than the immediate gratification your old pattern of behavior gave you. Whether it is a fitter sexier body, more strength, and vitality, greater confidence, or a better sex life you must want it bad enough to overcome the seductive allure of bad habits.

When people fail to change, it isn’t a lack of willpower that is stopping them. It is a lack of commitment. Most people blame their lack of willpower for their inability to break old habits, but this is an excuse made by people that weren’t committed enough to guard themselves against temptation. Instead of admitting that they lacked the commitment to reduce their exposure to temptations, they blame their willpower. No one has enough willpower to subject themselves unnecessarily to temptation. It is easy to blame your willpower. So many demands are placed on our limited willpower each day that every unnecessary temptation is one too many. Willpower is an ineffective strategy for changing behavior, pre-commitment, on the other hand, is a very effective strategy. Pre-commitment eliminates the need for willpower. If you shape your environment correctly and focus your mind on executing good habits you won’t need a lot of willpower. Shaping your environment and developing good habits are the two most powerful techniques we can use to conserve our limited willpower. I hope you are ready for the challenge because if you are, the five strategies in the next chapter are going to transform your body and your life.

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[i] Charles, Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Random House Trade Paperbacks (January 7, 2014).

[ii] Charles, Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, Random House Trade Paperbacks (January 7, 2014).

[iii]Cathryn M. Delude, “Brain researchers explain why old habits die hard”, News Office Correspondent

October 19, 2005

[iv] Chip Heath, and Dan Heath, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard, Crown Business; 1st edition (February 16, 2010).

Learn More. Change Starts with your Environment.

  Book NOW Available on Amazon!

Are you ready to reboot and reset your relationship with food and exercise? Most programs focus on the mechanics of weight loss but fail to adequately address the psychology of change required. Most people know more than enough about nutrition and exercise to lose weight, but fail to act. This book takes a new approach to getting leaner, fitter, and stronger. 

 The book contains:

7 Change Strategiesfor Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle

A Flexible DietProgram that Doesn’t Put Any Foods Off-limit,  including Alcohol

20-Week Workout Log with Progress Assessments (Downloadable PDF)

3 Strategies for Resetting your Body Weight Setpoint to Keep the Weight Off

A Nutrition and Training Program Based on Science, not Bro Science.

#theFatLossHabit #FatLoss #WeightLoss  #GetHealthy #HealthyLife #Fitness #Nutrition #FitQuote #GetFit #NoExcuses #TrainHard #GetStrong #WeightTraining #Workout #Motivation #Positive #Inspiration #Habit #Happiness #YouCanDoIt #Success #BodyTransformation

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LEARN- Why Habits are so Powerful and Potentially Dangerous. A Simple Approach to Changing our Behavior. Why We Often Blame our Lack of Willpower when it is usually our Lack of Commitment that is to Blame. What you are going to learn: Why Habits are so Powerful and Potentially Dangerous The Three Elements of a Habit…

[tonkidl]

Almond milk whipped cream recipe

Instead, store the cakes in the fridge and set them out at room temperature for no more than an hour before serving. I don't recommend leaving cakes with coconut frosting out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours as the frosting could start to melt. Keep frosted cakes in the fridge until ready to serve.You can use leftover coconut water for smoothies, soups, or curries. Don't throw away the coconut water from the cans of coconut milk.I usually keep a couple of cans in the fridge at all times so that they're ready to go when needed. Refrigerate the milk cans for at least 12 hours, preferably for a couple of days in advance if possible.Do not shake the cans of coconut milk! The goal is to separate that thick coconut cream from the watery liquid part in the cans, so avoid shaking the cans at all costs. Contains one 6-ounce can of Reddi-wip Non-Dairy Made with Almond Milk Vegan Whipped Topping Indulge in this deliciously creamy non-dairy whipped-cream.(iv) Remove from heat just when the milk is about to come to a boil. Skinny Skinny Whipped Cream Place the almond milk, vanilla extract, and gum in a bowl and mix well with a whip. We want to be clear, the only raw dairy we recommend and use is from. (iii) Place the saucepan on the stove at high heat and stir continuously. You can use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe or Raw Cream if you have a dairy allergy. (ii) Put either half of the almond milk or 2/3 rd of it in a saucepan. (i) Divide your almond milk into two either into two equal parts or with a 1 to 3 ratio. These are more commonly your coconut milk or aquafaba (chickpea water). Ingredients Deselect All 3/4 cup very cold heavy cream 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff 2 tablespoons almond-flavored liqueur (such as amaretto), or 1/4 teaspoon. Follow these simple steps for this method:. If using liquid flavorings add a little less, go for half a teaspoon of almond extract or orange extract. Plant-based whipped cream, for now, is made with a reliable selection of ingredients. You can also alternate the flavor of your dairy-free whipped cream by adding a teaspoon of matcha powder, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice mix, or chai spices. Serve as is with fresh berries, macerated strawberries, peaches, and other fruit.Pipe on top of hot drinks like hot chocolate or latte, or iced frappuccino.Add a couple spoonfuls on top of vegan chocolate mousse.In a small pot, heat the stove to medium-high until water comes to a simmer. Gather all of the ingredients and supplies needed to make this Whipped Cream with Almond. Serve on top of pies and tarts such as passion fruit tart, mango tart, vegan key lime pie, or as an alternative topping for lemon meringue pie. You absolutely can whip almond milk for coffee, and the result is thick, delicious, and just as decadent as any dairy topping. Step By Step Instructions Step 1: Gather Your Supplies.For decorating vegan cheesecakes like blueberry cheesecake, banoffee cheesecake, and black forest cheesecake.For topping vegan pancakes and waffles. Creamy, vegan, non-dairy whipped topping made with almond milk contains no hydrogenated oils Delicious almond and coconut flavor with light and airy.🍽️ Ways To Use Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

[anachef]

Fan Favorite Snack at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Has Gone Missing…We’ve Got The Details

The Trolley Car Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is always one of our first stops in the park for either our daily Starbucks, or to satisfy our sweet tooth. This week we were delighted to find four brand new patisserie-worthy pastries in the window at this location.

New Pastries at Trolley Car Cafe

But, once the excitement over the new pasties settled — we noticed even more big news, with the help of a cast member at the location. Something was missing in the bakery case — something BIG — and it is not only a DFB favorite, but a park-guest and DFB reader favorite. 

That’s right folks, at this time it seems the Trolley Car Cafe is not carrying cupcakes!

Trolley Car Cafe Case

That means the seasonal cupcakes as well as the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake (also known as the Toffee Cupcake or Butterfinger Cupcake).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake

We have spoken with several cast members at Trolley Car Cafe and one cast member reached out to us via social media. Cast members confirmed that the cupcakes are no longer being sold currently (i.e. they’re not simply sold out).

Trolley Car Cafe Pastry Case

The cast members believe they will have seasonal cupcakes again at some point (like the special Toy Story Land and Incredibles II one last summer for films or ride openings). But they are less optimistic about the fate of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake.

We don’t have confirmation that the cupcakes are gone forever — Disney changes its plans all the time. We, and cast members, are hopeful that with the upcoming 30th anniversary of Hollywood Studios as well as the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in the fall and the arrival of Lightning McQueen in March, cupcakes will return sooner rather than later to this location.

But stay tuned to Disney Food Blog to see whether the beloved Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch cupcake makes another appearance in the bakery case. Note that, as of today, the Carrot Cake Cookie is safe and still in the bakery case.

Undressed Butterfinger Cupcake

Now — this got us thinking — Hollywood Studios is certainly on a Verrine trend right now. Verrines are those layered “desserts-in-a-cup” we’ve seen at Backlot Express and Rosie’s All-American Cafe. Rosie’s menu lists a seasonal cupcake, but there hasn’t been one to offer since the Flurry of Fun treats (which included some verrines) left the park in early January.

Key Lime Verrine

Is there a cupcake conspiracy? Are verrines plotting to takeover Hollywood Studios? We’ll keep you posted on the Cupcake vs. Verrine situation.

Tres Leche Verrine

Will you miss the Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake and the special seasonal cupcakes we’ve seen at this location for the next couple of weeks, or even months? Will the new pastries (which are really good — read our review here) satisfy your sweet tooth — and Instagram feed — of Disney Food while you’re on vacation? Which would you choose — a cupcake or a verrine? Let us know in the comments below!

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Related posts:

News: Starring Rolls Cafe in Hollywood Studios Closing February 5th

You HAVE To See These New Pastries At Disney World’s Trolley Car Cafe!

DFB’s Top 10 Disney Food News Stories of 2016

from the disney food blog http://bit.ly/2ShNdwI via http://bit.ly/LNvO3e

[unwritrecipes]

Some Ideas for Memorial Day Weekend Celebrations 2019

I know it’s a cliche but how is it almost Memorial Day weekend, aka the unofficial start of summer, already?!!! Just last week it was so chilly that I wore my winter jacket to my daughter’s track meet! And now as I’m writing this, it’s actually a humid 85º. Is it any wonder that the holiday has snuck up on me?

So...any big party plans? Or smaller more intimate picnics or beach outings? Not exactly sure of what we’re doing yet but one thing I know for sure—there will be food involved! So I put together a list of beginning-of-the-summer dishes, to make it a little easier to at least figure out the food portion of the weekend. No matter how you’re planning to celebrate, these tried and true recipes are guaranteed to make it even more special and delicious!

APPETIZERS AND SNACKS

Easy Buttermilk Ranch Dip

Spicy Tex-Mex Cheese Dip

Jicama Avocado Salsa

Double Dips

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Long Lost Guacamole Dip

Triple Onion Dip with Homemade Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

Sheet-Pan Mushroom and Shallot Nachos

Cowboy Caviar

DRINKS

Fizzy Limeade

Fresh Blueberry Lemonade

Strawberry Lemonade

MAIN DISHES

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken

Grilled Chicken Burgers with Copycat Shake Shack Sauce

Grilled Chicken with Tangy Peach Glaze

Pineapple Chicken Kabobs

Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken

Virginia Willis' Coca-Cola Glazed Wings

Chicken Nacho Pie

Jalapeño and Lime Steak Tacos

Maple Chipotle Barbecued Brisket

Roasted Tomato Pasta Bake

Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

Roasted Vegetable Tacos

Macaroni & Cheese, Sheet-Pan Style

Homemade Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

SIDES, SALADS AND SAUCES

Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Sauce

Red Potato & Green Bean Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Zucchini Slaw with Creamy Spicy Dressing

Classic Buttermilk Cole Slaw

Strawberry, Almond and Pea Salad

Strawberry Tabbouleh Salad

Summer Squash Bake

Orzo, Chickpea and Radicchio Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Salad with Asian Style Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Grilled Pita Bread Salad

Layered Summer Vegetable Casserole

COBBLERS, PIES & TARTS

Blackberry Shortcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Easy Blueberry Cobbler

Skillet Blackberry Cobbler

Easy Blueberry Tart

Icebox Pies' Almost No-Bake Piña Colada Pie

Milk Chocolate Pudding Pie with Salted Peanutty Crust

Sweet's "Make-You-Slap-Yo'-Mama" Blueberry Pie

Famous Strawberry Pie

Four and Twenty Blackbirds Strawberry Balsamic Pie

CAKES

Everyday Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

S'mores Cake

 Lemon-Vanilla Bundt Cake

Old-Fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Blackberry Shortcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

Dark Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Bishop's Cake (aka The Best Pound Cake)

Coconut Tea Cake

COOKIES & CANDY

Butter Baked Good's Famous Homemade Marshmallows

The Melted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Coconut Lime Macaroons

Lick The Bowl Good's Lemon Cookie

Flat, Chewy, Heath Bar Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ovenly's Vegan Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Crunchy Jumbles II

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Espresso Cookies

Lemon Drops

BARS & BROWNIES

Peanut Butter M&M's Rice Krispie Treats

Annabel's Peanut Butter Blondies

 Toffee Chews

Jiffies

 Supernatural Brownies

  Easy Toasted Coconut Key Lime Pie Bars

FROZEN TREATS

Fresh Blackberry Ice Cream

S’mores Ice Cream

Strawberry Lemon Dreamsicles

Roasted Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Blackberry Blueberry Buttermilk Sherbet

Amazing Vegan Chocolate Sorbet

Star Ice Cream Sandwiches

Philadelphia-Style Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet

Mississippi Mud Ice Cream Pie

Coconut Macadamia Fudge Ice Cream Pie

Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches

[sandiegodjstaci]

MaiAda & Nick's Published Martin Johnson House Wedding

MaiAda & Nick's Published Martin Johnson House Wedding

Of all the San Diego wedding DJs in the county, Maiada and Nick chose me to DJ and MC their Martin Johnson House wedding on Saturday, August 11, 2018. This wedding was published on Green Wedding Shoes on October 11, 2018 as “Talk About Tropical: Colorful Tiki Bar-Themed Wedding in San Diego.”

  From Green Wedding Shoes

THE LOVE STORY

Since she was a little girl, MaiAda had assumed that, one day, she would get married in Rome and that, after the ceremony, a carriage pulled by white horses would meet her & her new hubby in front of her favorite fountain and carry them away over the cobblestone streets. Nick realized this was a tad impractical, but, on a family trip to Italy for Christmas in 2016, Nick proposed at the fountain in front of the Pantheon on a moonlit January night.

  (c) My Sun and Stars Co

  Together they enjoy brunch, going to Target, bike rides with their dog Fluffy-gans who has his own little bike basket, playing Mario Kart, tattoos, the zoo, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complaining about patriarchy, road trips, going to their fave local watering hole–Kindred, downing tiki drinks, going to concerts, remembering their trip to Japan, singing along to Dashboard Confessional, playing nerdy board games, and Nick cooking while MaiAda eats.

  From Green Wedding Shoes

THE MARTIN JOHNSON HOUSE WEDDING RECEPTION

➔  Toasts  ➔  champagne  ➔  “Ladies & gentlemen, may I have your attention please for the toasts. Please welcome our first speaker:

➔  the Maid of Honor, Lily C, & the bride’s Best Man, Davide C

➔  Brother of the Groom & Best Man, Alex T

➔  Father of the Bride, Claudio C

➔  Mother of the Groom, Leslie W

➔  Mother-Son Dance  ➔  No One’s Gonna Love You by Band of Horses   ➔  fade early: yes    ➔  “Nick says, ‘My mom worked her ass off everyday to support me by herself. She sacrificed everything, and I’m super appreciative.’ Let’s welcome Nick & his mother, Leslie, to the dance floor to share a special dance.”

➔  Father-Daughter Dance  ➔  Alla Fiera Dell’Est by Angelo Branduardi  ➔  start at 0:50ish  ➔  fade early: yes  ➔  “Now let’s welcome MaiAda & her father, Claudio, to the dance floor. The song that they chose for this dance is one they used to listen to when MaiAda was a little girl. She says the song represents the Italian culture that her dad helped her connect to.”

➔  First Dance  ➔  I Really Like You – Carly Rae Jepsen

➔  Group Photo on Dance Floor

➔  Open Dancing (estimated – 7:15 pm +/-)

8:00 pm ➔  Bride & groom leave for sunset pics

8:15 pm   ➔  Photographer leaves

9:45 PM  ➔  last call

9:50 PM  ➔  Last Dance

  From The Knot

THE MARTIN JOHNSON HOUSE WEDDING PLAYLIST

For the cocktail hour/dinner playlist at this Martin Johnson House wedding, the bride and groom requested songs from…

Cocktail Music  ➔  Awake – Tycho, Deli – Delorean, Bros – Wolf Alice, VCR – the xx, Bombay  – El Guincho, I’m a Cuckoo – Belle and Sebastian, Shut Up Kiss Me – Ashley Olsen, Soco Amaretto Lime – Brand New, Ma il cielo e sempre piu blu – Rino Gaetano, Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio, Hallways – Islands, Island in the Sun – Weezer, The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES, The Middle – Jimmy Eat World, REALiTi (Demo) – Grimes, Here Comes The Summer  – The Fiery Furnaces, Lust For Life – Girls, Best To You – Blood Orange, Closer – Tegan & Sara, Per Dimenticare – Zero Assoluto, You! Me! Dancing! – Los Campesinos!, La Loose – Waxahatchee, Los Angeles – St. Vincent, Che fantastica storia e la vita – Antonello Venditti

  From Green Wedding Shoes

  Dinner Music  ➔  First Day of my life – Bright eyes, Feeling Good – Nina Simone, push pull – Purity Ring, La Descrizione Di Un Attimo – Tiromancino, Bloodbuzz Ohio – The National, Pedestrian at best – Courtney Barnett, Challengers – The New Pornographers, Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect – The Decemberists, Mi Fido Di Te – Jovanotti, I Put A Spell on You – Nina Simone, You Send Me – Sam Cooke, Nobody – Mitski, Heart It Races – Dr Dog, Feel Good Inc – Gorillaz, Notte Prima Degli Esami – Antonello Venditti, Bend and Not Break – Dashboard Confessional, In the Aeroplane over the sea – Neutral Milk Hotel, The Gardener – The Tallest Man on Earth, I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie, Per Dimenticare – Zero Assoluto

♥  T H E   D A N C E   M U S I C  ♥

Play A Lot  ➔  Hip Hop/R&B, Alternative/Rock/Metal, Indie Dance Music

Play Some  ➔  90s Pop/Rock/Rap, Trap, Danceable Rap, R&B, early 2000s pop punk, emo & alternative

Play 1 or 2   ➔  Slow Dances (i.e. Miley Cyrus – Adore You, Alicia Keys – No One)

♥  M U S T – P L A Y S  ♥

Beyonce – Crazy in Love, Grimes – Flesh Without Blood, Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me, Cardi B – I Like it Like That, Charli XCX – Boys, LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk is Playing at My House, Los Campesinos! – Avocado Baby, Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas – Deceptacon, No Doubt – Just A Girl

  (c) My Sun & Stars Co

  ♥  P L A Y   I F   Y O U   C A N   ♥

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s – Y Control, Yeasayer – Rome, ONE, Bruno Mars/Cardi B – Finesse (REMIX), Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee – Despacito (no Justin Beiber), Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie, The Killers – Mr. Brightside, Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball, Outkast – Hey Ya, Drake – Started From The Bottom, The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face, Sia – Cheap Thrills, Janelle Monae – Tightrope, Q.U.E.E.N., or Do My Thing, Beyonce – Flawless, 7/11, Love on Top, Blink-182 – All the Small Things, Weezer – Buddy Holly, Purity Ring – fineshrine, Missy Elliott – Work It, MGMT – Electric Feel, Passion Pit – Sleepyhead or Little Secrets, Sleigh Bells – Rill Rill, LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls, Dance Yrself Clean, !!! – One Girl/One Boy, Lizzo – Good As Hell, Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire, Ariana Grande – Love Me Harder, Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious, Usher – U Got it Bad, Kanye West – All of the Lights, Will Smith – Gettin’ Jiggy With It, M.I.A. – Paper Planes, Justin Timberlake – Suit & Tie, A$AP Rocky – F**ckin’ Problems, Snoop Dogg – Drop it Like it’s Hot / Gin & Juice, Ginuwine – Pony, Ying Yang Twins – Get Low, Nicki Minaj – Super Bass, La Roux – In For the Kill, Kenrick Lamar – King Kunta / DNA, Arcade Fire – Lies, Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), Pheonix – 1901, Bruce Springsteen – Dancing in the Dark, Modest Mouse – Float On, R Kelly – Ignition (Remix), DJ Snake, Lil Jon – Turn Down for What, Lady GaGa – Just Dance, Bad Romance, STRFKR – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Santana – Smooth, Chainsmokers – Closer, Amy Winehouse – Valerie, Chromeo – Fancy Footwork, Bonafied Lovin, Justice – D.A.N.C.E., Hot Chip – I Feel Better or Over and Over, Cut Copy – Hearts on Fire or Lights & Music, Gorillaz – DARE, Miike Snow – Genghis Khan, M83 – Midnight City, The Rapture – How Deep is Your Love?, Future Islands, Phantogram – Don’t Move, You Don’t Get Me High Anymore, Spice Girls, Blondie – Heart of Glass, The Weather Girls – It’s Raining Men (Mother of the Groom request), Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’, Hall & Oates – Rich Girl, Maneater,  Sia – Chandelier

  From Green Wedding Shoes

  ♥  D O   N O T   P L A Y   G E N R E S   ♥

60s/70s Old School, Motown, Funk, Disco, Oldies50s + 60s Rock/Pop, Electronic Dance Music, 70s/Classic Rock, Big Band/Rat Pack, Country, Tween music, Old stuff

♥  D O   N O T   P L A Y   S O N G S   ♥

Blurred Lines, Pharell – Happy, WAGON WHEEL, Miike Snow – Animal

♥  D O   N O T   P L A Y   A R T I S T S   ♥

CHRIS BROWN, Ed Sheeran, Elvis, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Justin Beiber

Again, I was honored to be the one and only San Diego wedding DJ MaiAda and Nick trusted with their big day. Thank you! See more at #MaiTiesTheTut.

  From Green Wedding Shoes

SAN DIEGO WEDDING VENDOR LIST

Here is the amazing team of San Diego wedding vendors I had the pleasure of working with on this published wedding:

Ceremony Venue ➔  Martin Johnson House

Day-Of Coordinator ➔  Robyn Fallon from Robyn Nicole

Caterer ➔  Giuseppe’s

DJ/MC  ➔  DJ Staci, the Track Star

Photographer (featured image credit)  ➔  My Sun and Stars Co

Officiant  ➔  Joe Thompson 

Cake Bakery ➔  Sweet Cheeks  

Florist ➔  Native Poppy 

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  GIVE IT TO ME BABY

[larryland]

by Lisa Jarisch

As filling as the first slice of wedding cake, and almost twice as sweet, The Wedding Singer literally heads down the aisles of the Mac-Haydn Theatre with all the big hair, big shoulders, and big sounds that made the 1980s as memorable as  the New Coke, Reagan’s jelly beans, Marty McFly, and Material Girl Madonna references that pepper the show.

This latest production at the Mac, while certainly not the highlight of the theatre’s season, nonetheless brings a  pleasant two and a half hours to the stage, paying fluffy homage to the 80’s in the music, costumes and set design.

Conor Fallon brings considerable appeal to the title role of Robbie Hart,  whose one-hit wonder “It’s Your Wedding Day” has him in demand for all the best weddings in Ridgefield, NJ. As he proudly announces to the crowd at his band’s latest gig that tomorrow HE will be taking that walk down the aisle, you can almost hear the ominous organ music signaling the impending doom destined to follow. Jilted by “A note from Linda,” a jaded Robbie crosses paths with the hoping-soon-to-be-engaged Julia, who urges him to “Come out of the Dumpster “ where he has sought refuge after the debacle at the altar. Still reeling from his recent jilting, he effectively ends his and his band’s all-too brief career as sought-after wedding entertainers by turning a wedding reception into a full-scale “Casualty of Love.” This is a break-out number for Fallon; with increasing volume, and building intensity, he whips the misfits, rejects, and general wedding guests into a frenzy of anger, angst, and general degeneration. Forced to seek other venues and occasions where he can ply his and the band’s trade,

As the shallow breaker-of Robbie’s heart Linda, Maggie Eley offers up “A Note from Linda” as half Bride of Frankenstein, half Elvira, with a costume to match. At times her lyrics were nearly unintelligible, but she made it clear that marrying a wedding singer is not the life she envisioned, dumping the hapless Robbie to pursue a rock star life. After her hopes are dashed on that score, she seductively slinks back, enticing Robbie to “Let Me Come Home” , bumping and grinding her way into his bed but not his heart.

Kate Zulauf gives us a wistful, earnest Julia with just enough niavete to believe in hearts and flowers, doves and diamonds, champagne wishes and caviar dreams as she waits for her would-be fiance Greg to “Pop” the question, which of course he does, eventually. Again…cue the ominous organ music as we know the course of true love never did run smooth, especially when the true love of one partner is “All About the Green.” Zulauf has a lovely, if slightly light, voice, well-suited to her character and the numbers she performs. She more than holds her own in duets with Fallon, and her numbers in company with other cast are delightfully brimming with all the exuberance of youth, the energy of the decade, and the anticipation of  finding that “happily ever after.”

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With little to do aside from channel Michael Douglas in Wall Street in his zealous pursuit of  Almighty Dollar, Nathanial Dolquist’s Glen Guglia manages to make his shallow, slimy, covetous, scheming presence felt during his moments on stage, even without the over-sized caricature of an early cell phone seemingly permanently attached to his hand.  His performance in “All About the Green,” accompanied by neon green glow sticks, and strident green lighting that plays brilliantly, literally and figuratively, against the stark black costuming, was as show-stopping a number as the later “Move That Thing” offered by the unlikely duo of Grandma Rosie and band member George.

And speaking of Grandma Rosie, who shares her heart and her basement with grandson Robbie, Meg Dooley again delights Mac audiences as that sassy, brassy, and downright bawdy character, whose writhing undulations in “Move that Thing” brought to mind the head-banging on-stage performances of various grunge bands of the 80s. None of that era, however, likely ever performed their numbers in a tight fitting, hot pink suit…and heels. A far cry from her earlier appearance in a Richard Simmons-tribute track suit, complete with headband, and dialog delivered while keeping up with those oh so popular back in the day step exercises !

As for the ensemble company, this is a youthful cast whose collective knowledge of the 80s comes from their parents; what they lack in personal experience of punk rock, grunge, and  80s attitude, they more than make up for with enthusiastic and on-key performances all around.

The production itself suffers somewhat from the first-time directorial efforts of Erin Spears Ledford, who has not quite mastered the intricacies of directing theatre in the round on an especially small stage. A number of key scenes were staged on a raised platform to one “side” of the circular stage, forcing the audience in two of the four sections of the house to crane their necks at length to the right or the left in order to take in the action. Overall, however, Ledford’s direction is crisp and sharp, and she directs the large ensemble to good effect throughout.

The excessive use of a revolving section on the center stage was also a distraction. No fewer than eight times in Act I and seven in Act II were cast members and set pieces set awhirl, giving the audience the sense of watching the show from a carousel horse. Just because this is theatre IN the round doesn’t necessarily mean it should be GOING around. In addition, the revolving portion of the stage is patterned with a black and white striping. Coupled with the revolutions, and at times combined with strobe lighting and/or the flashing of the iconic disco ball, there is a definite seizure trigger impact.

The costumes are worthy of their own curtain call, Costume designer Bethany Marx has captured the essence of 80s fashion. From the Princess Diana-evocative wedding gowns to Grandma Rosie’s Richard Simmons-style track suit, the look of the 80s is done to a T..for turquoise, accompanied by hot pinks, lime green, and bright yellow.

As has become the norm at the Mac, the house sits within the set, so to speak, as side pieces and walls are all designed to bring the 80’s to life around the stage.  Panels of turquoise, yellow, and pink, adorned with assorted geometric shapes, surround the stage and the audience, and Andrew Gmoser’s lighting is the perfect complement to each scene.

The stage manager in me needs to give special mention to the “cast as crew” as they seamlessly perform scene and set changes throughout the show. Tables, beds, bars, restaurants, even the Bridal Registry in a department store, flow on and off the stage space with perfect timing and placement. Clearly a testament to a dedicated cast and crew well-rehearsed in the intricacies of staging and striking in the dark.

While by no means the jewel in the Mac-Haydn season, The Wedding Singer is more than worth the trip down the aisle…..err, road,… to Chatham for an afternoon or evening back to the 80s. You won’t leave humming the score, but you might just want to dig out your shoulder pads, fire up the VCR, and enjoy an icy glass of New Coke while Sweating to the Oldies with Richard Simmons.

The Wedding Singer, music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, directed by Erin Spears-Ledford, runs August at the Mac-Haydn Theatre, 1925 NY Route 203 in Chatham, NY. Choreography by Sebastiani Romagnolo, set design by Emma Commings, lighting design by Andrew Gmoser, costume design by Bethany Marx. CAST: Connor Fallon as Robbie Hart, Kate Zulauf as Julia, Connor Hubbard as George, Jonah Hale as Sammy, Emma Flynn as Holly, Maggie Eley as Linda, Meg Dooley grandma Rosie.

For showtime and more details please visit www.machaydntheatre.org or call the box office at 518-392-9292

REVIEW: “The Wedding Singer” at the Mac-Haydn Theatre by Lisa Jarisch As filling as the first slice of wedding cake, and almost twice as sweet, …

[seedsherenow]

We’ve got a lot dropping and restocking today at SeedsHereNow.com... Swamp Donkey Seeds New Strains: -Astro Nugz Apollo 11G X TFM -Cherry Slimeade Golden Ticket X Cherry Mountain -Galactic Thunder Fuck Stardawg X TFM -Purple Frost Monster KBK X Cherry Mountain -Purple Mind Fuck Peyote Purple X TFM -Sunny D Blood Orange X TFM -Thunder Kats KBK X TFM -Thunderfuck Mountain ATF X Cherry Mountain -Thunder Fuck OG Leeroy X TFM -Tropic Thunder Fuck Coco Fields 5 X TFM Greyskull Seeds New Strains: Key Lime Pie x Sour Dubble Wedding Cake x Sour Dubble Best Coast Genetics New Strains: -Box of Remedies Colorado Cherry x BaOx -Fractal Boxes BaOx x BaOx -Green Room Otto x AC/DC -Hang Ten Otto II x Otto II -Indicators (Otto 2 x BaOx) x (Colorado Cherry x BaOx -Jazz the Glass (Otto 2 x Special Sauce) x (Colorado Cherry x BaOx) Ethos Restock: Citraldelic Sunset Early Glue RBX1 Mandarin Sunset Mandarin TK Member Berry Pillow Factory Rawtton

[tabithashiflett]

Why Is the Royal Wedding All About the Queen?

Your wedding day is a day you're supposed to cherish for the rest of your life. Many say that the wedding is supposed to be all about the bride, but in my mind, it was a day for both me and Joe, my husband. I included him in every decision that was to be made about the cake (I had both Key lime pie and a cake for my guests), the colors, and the flowers. I made sure to include him in everything, because I wanted our wedding to reflect our mutual tastes.

It's sad to think that Meghan and Harry won't have the same experience. In fact, it's hard to imagine they'll have any say in the wedding at all — considering every decision made is based on not just tradition, but what Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, decides. Not only does the Queen have to approve of Meghan and Harry as a couple, but she's in charge of the invitations, the bouquet, and all three of their wedding receptions. Read more...