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the-sweetest-dragon · 5 years ago

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Character Sheet

This is the last one of my DC characters that I’ve revised and I really like the amount of detail I put back into this character. I hope to start writing her story soon, but I’ll have to thank @incorrectbatfamiliaquotes once again for all her help because if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I’d even consider rewriting any of these.

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Full Name: Ashton Poppy Nazari

Nickname: Ash

Ethnicity: Arabic and German (Her father was Arabic and her mother was German)

Birthday: November 13, 2000

Age: 18

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Basic Personality: Ash would describe herself as a rebel with a heart of gold, which is mostly true. She’s kind and cares a lot about other people, but often forgets that not everyone thinks as quickly as she does. Quick to start an argument, or physical fight, to defend what she believes is right. Ash likes to move around; she constantly taps her foot or drums her fingers against things. She’s scary intelligent, and may be a better detective than Tim Drake.

Deeper Personality:

Aggressive: Ash refuses to leave well enough alone and it gets her into trouble at the orphanage and with foster parents. Starts fights with other kids, and usually wins, due to her background in boxing. She wouldn’t describe herself as aggressive, but others would.

Outspoken: She’s a hardcore feminist, to the point that others can recite her speeches from memory. Ash believes that her body is her own to control, her sexuality is valid, and that LGBTQ people deserve the same rights and opportunists that cishet people are allowed to have.

Hyper: Ashton likes to move around a lot. She got in trouble a lot in school for tapping her feet and drumming her fingers against her desk. Ash also gets distracted a lot, but once focused, she’ll rarely drop whatever she’s interested in.

Best Friend: Jonathan Kent

Her and Jon met while she lived in Metropolis. She saved him from making a complete fool of himself by tripping and spilling milk on the school bully. Jon loves her to death and once harbored a small crush on her, but grew out of it fairly quickly. They kept in touch over the years and are still great friends to this day.

Family: Unknown to her, however, as the author, I can tell you that they were involved in the League of Assassins and were killed because they didn’t want to raise Ashton in such a harsh environment. They desperately wanted her to have a normal life. They worked for the League because they were forced to; they had no choice. When they saw a chance to escape, they took it but at a harsh consequence of Ashton growing up without parents. Ra’s, as a way to try and keep them under his control, wanted to marry Ash off to Damian when they came of age. Talia thought it would be a wonderful match and Ashton’s parents knew that it was just another way to control them, prompting them to plan their escape in secret. Talia was the one to kill them.

Love Life: Ashton likes to date, but not seriously. She’s not one to be tied down. Ash identifies as bisexual but leans more towards guys than girls. Her last relationship ended pretty badly, and it left her with a black eye. She now knows to not trust Gotham street rats.

Political Viewpoint: Ash is very liberal, but also knows that people are allowed to have different opinions to her own. That doesn’t stop her from starting fights though.

Basic Description: Ashton is pretty but in an unusual way. Her features are large but somehow delicate. Ash has heterochromia, with one green eye and one brown eye. Her hair is cut short and is dark brown, with honey blonde highlights. She has freckles and moles everywhere. Jon always used to joke that its because the sun is in love with her. Her hair never gets longer than shoulder length because it bothers her if it’s too long. Ash isn’t tall, but she isn’t short either. She’s curvy and has thighs that would Jason Todd to shame. Muscular without being boxy; she used to box a lot in her spare time. She has a lot of piercings; her earlobes are pierced twice each and in her right ear, her cartilage is pierced too. Her nose is also pierced and she typically wears a stud in it. Ash has a few tattoos, all of which were saved up for and paid for with her own money from working jobs in coffee houses or babysitting. On her calf, she has an electric blue skeleton that is skateboarding and wearing a Hawaiian shirt. She has a blue and purple hummingbird on her left shoulder and a bat hanging upside down beneath her boobs. (We stan a tattooed queen in this house.)

Short Term Goals: Ash just wants to have a nice summer and to not worry about the future for a few months.

Long Term Goals: Ashton is determined to become a music teacher and find a home to settle down in. She isn’t sure if she’d want to get married or even have kids, but likes to think about her future quite often.

Favorite Outfit: Ash’s dress sense depends on the day, but her favorite outfit is a vintage Queen shirt paired with ripped mom jeans, which have fishnets underneath them, and clunky boots she found at a thrift store.

Favorite Song: Black Sheep by The Clash at Demonhead

Hobbies: Ash enjoys a number of things. She used to box a lot, and knows a lot of self defense that she taught to girls in the orphanage before she left. Ashton can play the guitar and sings a little. She’ll occasionally write her own songs, but prefers to not share them with anyone.

Favorite Candy: She’s partial to dark chocolate Crunch Bars or Peeps, but only the pink ones (the yellow ones don’t taste the same)

Favorite Drink: Ashton loves frozen hot chocolate with whipped cream and caramel drizzle; she has a sweet tooth like no other.

Fatal Flaw: She hates opening up to other people about her feelings. She’ll tell you her opinion in a heartbeat but when she’s feeling sad, she’ll refuse to talk to people.

Habits: Ashton chews on her nails. They’re rarely longer than where her finger is and finds it easier to not chew them if they aren’t long.

Favorite Color: She’s partial to blood red and black.

Favorite Food: Vegetarian zucchini lasagna is her absolute favorite. Ash is vegetarian and loves to experiment with food. This is one of her favorite recipes that she’s tried in the past few years.

Fears: Ash is afraid of snakes and dark holes. She has nightmares of being thrown into the sea from a ship in the night. Ash is terrified that people will get to know the real her and leave anyways.

Life Motto: Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.

Favorite Movie: A Knight’s Tale because it’s awesome.

Weird Talent: She’s managed to figure out a good portion of superheroes secret identities by doing basic detective work. It’s one of her favorite things to surprise Jon with.

“Hey, I know who Kid Flash is.”

“No you don’t.”

“Dude, it’s obviously Bart Allen, I’m not dumb.”

*Surprised Pikachu face*

Role Model: Batgirl, otherwise known as Stephanie Brown. Ash admires her strength and resilience. Coming back after a pregnancy must have been one of the hardest things in the world. Plus, she has to put up with Tim Drake, which means she’s an amazing person with a great temperament.

Religion: Ash is agnostic and doesn’t enjoy going to church.

Prized Possession: When Ashton found her way into her first orphanage, she came with a small golden locket that doesn’t open but is engraved with what she believes to be her parents initials.

#ashtonnazari #original character #she's my little punk rock child #a sweet baby #old character new story

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hvndcvffed · 5 years ago

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s u r v e y : g r i z z v i s s e r .

he slides it into the submission box late, because he kept lending people his only pen. whoops.

basic information

FULL NAME: gareth paul visser PRONUNCIATION: GAH-reth VISS-er MEANING: gentle. REASONING: his parents named their son after the most important trait they wanted to nurture in him: kindness. his middle name is paul after his paternal grandfather. NICKNAME(S): gareth paul ( only his mother, when she’s angry ), grizz, grizzy, grizzly bear / grizzy bear ( parents ), kiddo ( his dad ) visser, bear ( blue ), jizz ( unwarranted, miles ), babe ( tess, retired ) PREFERRED NAME(S): grizz. don’t call him gareth, please. he’ll just... smile uncomfortably and act like it doesn’t bother him, but it really does. BIRTH DATE: july 26, 2000. 3:23am. during a rainstorm. AGE: 18. ZODIAC: leo. GENDER: cismale. PRONOUNS: he/him. ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: demiromantic ( sexual attraction stems from emotional connection. ) SEXUAL ORIENTATION: homosexual ( closeted ) NATIONALITY: american. ETHNICITY: american very far back. dutch and polish ancestry.

background

BIRTH PLACE: west ham, connecticut. HOMETOWN: west ham, connecticut. SOCIAL CLASS: upper. FATHER: keith visser. one of the lead police detectives on west ham’s police force. 48. jewish. avid outdoorsman, and can often be found hiking, kayaking, or rock climbing on the weekends. has a habit of cleaning off lisa & grizz’s plates, if they leave behind some peas or mashed potatoes. snacks on leftovers for breakfast, but can make a mean frittata. the secret’s all in making sure you’ve got a super hot pan. cautious, mindful. grizz gets a lot of his serene disposition from his father. unaware of his son’s sexuality; still thinks he’ll wind up marrying tess, or maybe hannah, or even cassandra. gets a kick out of becca when she comes around the house, because she’s so little. calls her shortstack, but only when pancakes are around to make the pun stick. MOTHER: lisa “lees” visser. 46. editor-in-chief for the west ham chronicle. freelance landscaper / gardener on the weekends, for fulfillment more than the money. religious, catholic born-and-raised, but she now attends the unitarian church in town. the switch happened once she married keith and they reasoned they wanted their child to have a composite world-view, one they could interpret and internalize free from categorical restraint. very in touch with her emotions; likes facilitating family discussions. made the executive decision to pull grizz out of dance classes after one year of lessons, because her 4-year-old son donned a sparkly feather boa and she didn’t like what she saw. primarily motivated by maternal and protective instinct. wants what’s best for her son: safety. supported grizz’s relationship with tess through and through. mentions her from time to time, because she’s still unclear as to why they called it off. she wants grizz to be happy. tess made him happy. SIBLING(S): none. his parents never told him, but they lost a child in infancy about 2 years before they had him, and suffered a miscarriage when they tried for another child when he was 5. his parents don’t talk about it, and they see their lives as very full with just grizz. they considered adopting when he was around 8, but ultimately decided against it. one child fills their hearts plenty. they’ve practically adopted all his friends ( especially blue, becca, hannah, and tess ) as part of the family anyway. BIRTH ORDER: only child. PET(S): grew up with a tabby cat, doobie, who lived to be 14. as a kid, he always dreamed about having a pet kimodo dragon. gets a real kick out of chinchillas, but the visser family’s rarely home: they’re always out and about, going on hikes, exploring connecticut and the northeast. they travel often. so it wouldn’t be fair, having to leave any pet at home alone. OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: his uncle james lives on the edge of town and works under peyton pellegrino’s dad in the fire department, so the families are close. they get together each year for christmas eve. his younger cousins live down by the sea in mystic, kipp ( age 4 ) & rebekah ( age 7 ). they facetime often, and the family makes annual trips to mystic seaport. they pile onto grizz’s back and have a blast running around the docks. PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: tess de luca ( freshman year - end of junior year ). ARRESTS?: none. but he does make frequent trips to the station to drop food off for his dad and his buds. PRISON TIME?: not unless you count the one time his dad played an april fools’ joke on him and placed him in a jail cell for 10 minutes for, “ bringing the wrong flavor cookies. the biggest crime of ‘em all, kiddo. ”

occupation & income

SOURCE OF INCOME: he works as a summer camp counselor at an adventure camp during school intersession, leading hikes & nature trips. during the school year, he’s too tied up with football to hold a job. he’s grateful that his parents are willing to help him out for major expenses, but he’s definitely the saving type, so most things he can cover on his own. he helps his neighbors out with taking care of pets & gardens as needed, so that’s a way to earn some fast cash. even though he always insists he can’t take their money. CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: yes! granted, working with phone-addicted kids in the wilderness can be difficult, but he’s thankful to get the breather from west ham. PAST JOB(S): he used to deliver papers on his bike, when he was younger, since his mom had the connection. SPENDING HABITS: frugal. more likely to spend on experience than material. MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: his dad’s collection of original-release vinyls by the beatles.

skills & abilities

TALENTS: writing, but he won’t admit it. football. wood-whittling. gardening. whistling. navigation. knot-tying. making sumptuous drip coffee. SHORTCOMINGS: sells himself short, a lot. his sexuality. can be impatient at times, when other people are slower to pick things up. will often take over getting something done ( i.e. a group project ) if he feels people aren’t doing it the most effective way. LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english, french. a tad of latin. he wants to learn more hebrew, especially since he’s from a blended household, but that shit’s difficult and he never had time to enroll in hebrew school full-time as a kid. DRIVE?: yes. he has his own car, for ease of getting to/from games, etc. but prefers to ride his bike around town. JUMP-STAR A CAR?: yes. CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes. his dad taught him how when they had to call aaa on their way home from hiking the adirondacks, a trip they gave him for his twelfth birthday. RIDE A BICYCLE?: yes. he goes everywhere on that thing. need a ride? hop on. SWIM?: yes. the visser household has a very nice in-ground pool, heated. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: not really. grizz appreciates music and loves listening to it, but never really learned how to make it himself. unless you count a year or two of required band in elementary school, during which he ( very badly ) played the clarinet. PLAY CHESS?: yeah. he played a lot with his maternal grandfather growing up. big glasses of chocolate milk, classic rock, and chess. BRAID HAIR?: yes. it’s all very simple, once you learn how to tie all the scouting knots. TIE A TIE?: so many. thank you, boy scouts of america. PICK A LOCK?: he’s read up on it, but never actually done it. the closest he’s gotten is cutting his own padlock off his camping locker during his 7th grade boy scouting trip to maryland, when he conveniently forgot the combination.

physical appearance & characteristics

FACE CLAIM: jack mulhern. EYE COLOR: hazel, a murky blend of gold and forest green. depending on the lighting, they look different: in bright sunlight, they look like a faded jade green. sometimes, when the room’s darker, they look more gold. reference. HAIR COLOR: deep, russet brown. HAIR TYPE/STYLE: jaw-length, straight with some wave to it. typically worn down, tucked behind one ear, or up in a tiny little man-bun. reference one. reference two. reference three. GLASSES/CONTACTS?: he’s blessed with 20/20 vision! but he’ll still try on your glasses, if it’ll make you laugh. there’s a photo of him on the visser fridge wearing his mom’s readers and holding a tray of fresh-baked cookies. he looks like a friendly neighborhood grandma. DOMINANT HAND: left-handed. but he’s worked for years to become ambidextrous for most tasks. he can’t brush his teeth with his right hand, though. it feels funny. HEIGHT: 6′2. WEIGHT: 158 lbs. BUILD: broad-shouldered. lean waist. chiseled core, strong legs. he’s got an athlete’s build for sure – he’s perhaps not as heavy as other guys on that football field, but it takes some serious force to knock him down. tall. but he kind of hunches, just slightly, to not take up so much space. EXERCISE HABITS: varsity football team. lots of morning and night runs. crunches, push-ups, pull-ups: he’s got one of those bars in his doorway. weight-lifting with the team. yoga, sometimes. SKIN TONE: light, but he spends a lot of time outdoors. no freckles. TATTOOS: none. but would love to get a walden quote, or a simple pine tree. someday. PEIRCINGS: none. but maybe once he gets to college he’ll get his ear pierced. MARKS/SCARS: some miscellaneous scars on his hands from whittling incidents growing up. a faint line across his arm from stitches, when he broke it in the peewee football league in fifth grade. he has a barely-there scar just to the right of his left ear, along his hairline, from a camping incident. NOTABLE FEATURES: his hair. his eyes. people have drunkenly said he’s got kissable lips. USUAL EXPRESSION: inquisitive, collected. he’s always thinking. CLOTHING STYLE: letterman jacket. jeans. tall socks, boots. pants tucked into socks, because why the hell not? flannels, hoodies, utility jackets layered over plain white tees. pendant necklaces, leather bracelets. occasionally he’ll wear a statement button-downs that looks like your grandmother’s upholstery, but somehow it’ll work really well. varsity t-shirts. hats of all varieties. if he could, he’d showcase some edgier styles. but he’s paranoid. he’s got a stanford hoodie buried in his closet. and a yale one, too. JEWELRY: leather bracelets. a silver ring strung on a chain, engraved with “ for sylvie, with love ”. he found it on a hike, and… figured he’d be sylvie for a day, or something like that. ALLERGIES: sulfur-based antibiotics. bullshit. idiocy. BODY TEMPERATURE: runs hotter than most. probably the first to offer you his jacket or sweater, if you look cold. DIET: grizz’s mom loves to cook, so they’re always trying some new paleo trend. some of it’s awful. but he’ll try to eat it and if he can’t, he’ll sneak a granola bar later. he’s bad at pretending disgusting shit tastes good. his nose will wriggle up involuntarily and he’ll sniffle. if the school’s serving smiley face fries, he’ll have those. he really likes green apples and those little clementines. cajun fries are some of the best things ever invented. PHYSICAL AILMENTS: nope. he’s quite able-bodied and he’ll use it as a way to take the burden off of his parents. grizz knows how to do most things around the house: fix a faucet, replace bulbs, work on pipes, etc. because his parents are getting older and he doesn’t want them to hurt themselves doing something he’d barely even break a sweat at. he’s always volunteering to help out his neighbors with heavy packages, retrieving their mail, tending their gardens, etc. it’s no hassle. so why not?

psychology

MORAL ALIGNMENT: neutral good. he’s all for what’s morally right. sometimes laws and rules leave that out. TEMPERAMENT: melancholic. ( analytical, wise, peaceful. ) ELEMENT: water. MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: mild insomnia, sometimes. but he’ll usually just throw on some music and yield to it. guzzle a few redbulls the next day to keep alert for practice. SOCIABILITY: grizz is never the type to turn anyone away, but he does have a fear of compromising his one secret: so... if someone shows signs of seeing through him? he might distance himself a bit. but he’s often compared to glue that binds. he has a real capacity for leadership ( though he’ll never see himself that way ), and tends to be the driving force in maintaining healthy friendships and friend groups. he looks out for his friends. EMOTIONAL STABILITY: very stable. which is why when things go awry and he can’t rationalize his feelings, he gets... scared. vulnerable. PHOBIA(S): irrelevancy. being outed. loss. ADDICTION(S): good literature. DRUG USE: marijuana, but that’s it. ALCOHOL USE: what you’d expect from a popular jock. though he hesitates to think of himself as just a jock, because there’s so much more to his life than just football. PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: no. grizz doesn’t believe in using violence to manipulate or express emotion. but he will punch someone if there’s no other way.

mannerisms

QUIRKS: rarely settles his gaze on anything for more than a few seconds, except for other peoples’ eyes. eye contact is probably one of grizz’s biggest conversational strengths. probably why he makes such a good liar, when he needs to. he’ll finish a pint of ice cream and just sit there for over an hour sucking on the spoon, lost in thought. licks his lips when he’s nervous. plays with his hair a lot. you know he’s anxious when he keeps tucking his hair behind his right ear. chuckles to himself, even when things are the pure opposite of funny. laughs quietly so the skies have to lean in to hear it. dog-ears pages of books; stencils in his thoughts. his bookshelf is a catalogue of interiority: so if he lets you borrow any of his well-loved copies ( becca, cassandra, tess ), you know you’ve got his trust. burns marshmallows, but it always seems like he’s waiting for the perfect brown before he lets the thing catch fire. sneaks peanut m&m’s into the house because his mom’s on another big health kick; he munches on them in the basement theater with his dad, mischief aplenty. stole HOBBIES: jotting notes in book margins. he dabbles in poetry but feels like his shit is too beat-generation to be that cool. wandering through the woods and attempting to generate his own maps, then checking them for accuracy. lighting matches in the cold, mid-evening air just to watch them burn. watching minimalist apartment tour videos. whispering poetry out loud to himself with his eyes closed, to feel the words shape his lips. HABITS: standing in front of the mirror and trying to let the word gay escape his lips without panic setting in. asking others how they are instead of answering when it’s asked of him. when he goes to bed later than his parents, he’ll peek in their doorway to make sure they’ve gotten into bed safe. setting up the french press before he leaves for his morning runs, so coffee’s ready for his parents when they wake up. bringing donuts to the station, just to make his dad’s coworkers laugh. getting drunk and tossing finger guns around like free candies. NERVOUS TICKS: pursing his lips. biting the inside of his cheek. rocking back and forth on his heels. avoiding eye contact. growing quieter than usual. choppy focus. leaving text messages unanswered for days on end. DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: make it to graduation and get out of west ham. live this lie a little longer. protect his friends. nurture his family. make sure his dad eats: he tends to forget, when he’s on duty. look after his teammates. keep everyone else grounded. FEARS: time. losing his family: too many people in this town have experienced that kind of loss for him to indulge in the illusion that he doesn’t run that risk. cassandra’s health might decline. when he comes out in college, people from home might hear. people might hate him. blue’s not really okay, and there’s nothing he can do about it. becca’s having a hard time, and he doesn’t know how to fix it. does he really think sam eliot could ever like him back? what if he made a mistake, breaking it off with tess? what if he doesn’t know himself as well as he used to? he’ll experience firsthand death someday. he’ll lose people, too. he’s so used to picking up everyone else’s pieces. how’s he supposed to do that if he’s the one bleeding? what if he can’t help people as much as they need him to? will his parents hate him for lying about yale? will they hate him for giving up on football to pursue literature & philosophy? fear. that one’s ironic. POSITIVE TRAITS: charismatic, introspective, pacific, quick-witted. NEGATIVE TRAITS: self-contained, reckless ( with himself ), careless ( with himself ). SENSE OF HUMOR: dry, witty. facetious, but never ill-intended. lots of eye rolls and light laughs. DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: ask his parents, they’ll say no. but hell yeah. CATCHPHRASE(S): uno. dos. tres. & a bonus: “ what the fuck ? ” & “ i’m surrounded by idiots. ”

favorites

ACTIVITY: reading. writing. gardening. football. ANIMAL: fish. they’re so graceful and they don’t bother anybody. BEVERAGE: half-oreo half-chocolate milkshake. extra whipped cream. two cherries. please. BOOK: le petit prince by antoine de saint-exupéry. it was the last book his grandmother ever read to him, on his fifth christmas eve. he can recite the first and last lines by heart, in english and french. CELEBRITY: young johnny depp. emma watson. COLOR: a nice, deep forest green. he also likes burnt reds and browns. DESIGNER: i mean... he knows his way around adobe creative cloud? FOOD: cajun curly fries. ugh. FLOWER: there’s something really beautiful about forget-me-nots. his grandmother used to pick a few of them with him in her backyard. she was big on those kinds of things. and all those silly sayings like: tickle tickle on the knee. if you laugh, you don’t love me! grizz always faught so hard not to laugh. his toddler self would puff out his cheeks and hold his breath until the twenty-second window was up. GEM: any kind of geode. HOLIDAY: halloween. boo. MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: biking! MOVIE: mr. nobody. eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. the first time little grizz saw alice in wonderland, he wouldn’t shut up about it for two weeks MUSICAL ARTIST: the divine comedy, radiohead, pink floyd, the beatles, the rolling stones, the kooks. the avett brothers. belle & sebastian. he envies bowie, prince, and mercury for like... living their truths. QUOTE/SAYING: “ if you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. ” SCENERY: mountain ranges. the view from the top of difficult climbs. snow-dusted treetops. SCENT: the connecticut homesick candle. it smells like cinnamon and nutmeg and vanilla and fireside bliss. and pine trees. yum. SPORT: football. SPORTS TEAM: “ centurions on me! centurions on three! ” TELEVISION SHOW: he grew up watching wallace and gromit. he’s still got a soft spot for it. he also really likes travel channel specials. WEATHER: gentle rain. VACATION DESTINATION: he doesn’t know this, but his parents were planning a month-long backpacking trip through new zealand as his grad gift.

attitudes

GREATEST DREAM: live his truth, fearlessly. get to yale and just... be himself. whatever that means. GREATEST FEAR: people in west ham will find him out. he’s not ready. MOST AT EASE WHEN: he’s with tess. the visser family has relaxed nights in, or firepits in their backyard. when he’s neck-deep in a good book. reading dickinson. listening to the beatles. on the field, where none of his demons can touch him. LEAST AT EASE WHEN: people ask difficult questions, questions he doesn’t have the answer to. you’re gay, aren’t you? BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: his boy scout eagle scout award. he constructed and taught faculty how to maintain a sustainable farm-to-table garden at each of west ham’s three elementary schools. BIGGEST REGRET: not getting to know his grandmother more before she passed. not... telling blue the truth. telling himself the truth. breaking up with tess. he had to free her. but it still stings. MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: he cried at endgame in theaters. jason hasn’t lived it down for weeks. BIGGEST SECRET: he’s gay. he thinks he’s gay. he’s... he’s not as self-assured as people think. not as strong. he committed to yale without telling a single soul, except cassandra. his parents still think he’ll be going to uconn or southern for hockey. TOP PRIORITIES: looking after his loved ones. making sure everyone’s okay. securing the centurions’ top season record. helping blue, somehow. how can he ease tess’s pain? get to graduation. get to graduation. leave west ham behind.

#ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴ ɪ ᴀᴍ ! ɪꜱᴍꜱ.#newhamhq: task

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thisiswhymomworries · 6 years ago

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What foods do you usually eat then? Lately everything's just been pretty much disgusting for me too and I'm at a loss

bread

ham and cheese sandwich + potato chips

peanut butter and jelly sandwich

eggos + peanut butter and maple syrup

eggos are super easy lil bitches to pop in your toaster and then slap some peanut butter on

cinnamon toast + maple brown sugar oatmeal

try mixing grown flax seeds into the oatmeal. it doesn’t taste super great, but the brown sugar and cinnamon pretty much mask it and flax seeds have protein, fiber, and omega 3

blueberry / lemon poppy seed muffins

if you don’t have the spoons to Make muffins, get a box of muffin mix designed to be made in a mug! you can find them in the breakfast aisle, and you just add milk or water and microwave for a minute, and they taste great~

pizza (alfredo sauce; I hate marinara)

you can also add garlic powder and shredded cheese to the crust mix for extra goodness!

wheat rolls

you can buy pre-cooked rolls in the frozen section that just need to be heated up in the oven

protip: rub some olive oil on your pan / baking sheet, salt it lightly, sprinkle different cheeses, and THEN press your rolls onto all that goodness. it will bake onto the bottom of the roll and taste great!

pasta

I buy Knorr pasta sides, usually in the boxed meals aisle but they come in bags and lots of different flavors

I like bland stuff, so I buy: spinach and kale, herb and butter, alfredo sauce, broccoli and alfredo but they have lots of flavorful stuff too

macaroni and cheese

my mom made me a really great recipe for homemade mac’n’cheese if you want it

but Kraft is super easy and tastes great too

secret ingredient!! boil your noodles in half water, half chicken broth or get some broth concentrate and add a few teaspoons of that to add flavor and a tiny bit of protein!

gnocci is really good if you need something kind of different

they’re made from potatoes but taste and feel like noodles after being cooked

you can cook them in whatever sauce you want or buy boxed meals with sauce already included; I buy Italia four cheese gnocci

ramen

I just buy regular chicken flavor in those orange packs you can get for .50 but there’s lots of flavors usually available

you can also look up a ton of recommendations on how to add more good stuff like spices and vegetables but I am BORING so here are my fave picks:

oil / butter - add a drizzle of olive oil and/or a pat of butter at the very start when you put your noodles in; this is solely to add calories bc since I struggle to eat anything at all, I rarely hit 2000 a day and bodies need that

an egg - add about halfway through; you can crack it directly in there and let it bake on top of the ramen, but I prefer whisking it up in a cup and then pouring it in while stirring to get a scrambled egg effect; adds protein!!

parmesan cheese - don’t add until you’ve scooped out what you want into a bowl bc if you try to cook it with your noodles it will goop up in your pot; sprinkle some shredded or dusted parmesan on top of the ramen in your bowl, it tastes great with the egg

ravioli

I get Buitoni cheese ravioli with the matching alfredo sauce, but they also have pesto and marinara sauce

you can get meat-filled ravioli too, and ravioli made with spinach and kale baked into the noodles / cheese filling for some extra nutrition

goes great with wheat rolls!

soups!

I’ve started buying canned soups to start with and then just adding whatever I want to them

things to add to soups: potatoes, carrots, broccoli, celery, corn, peas, chicken broth, you can buy shredded meat like chicken or roast beef if you’re into that, vegetable stock / bullion

I also have a quick and easy homemade chicken noodle soup recipe

boil egg noodles in chicken broth plus herbs (rosemary, thyme, celery flakes), then add cut up carrots and potatoes, (plus any other meat or vegetables you want) and boil until everything is tender

goes great with cornbread muffins!

I found little “snack packs” of carrots that had exactly the right amount of carrots for one pot of soup, and there were four packs. so that might be easier than buying an entire bag of carrots that you’ll only use ¼ of

and a good recipe for potato and broccoli soup

don’t have it on me rn so message me if you want it and I’ll find it

it has potatoes, broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, and a creamy sauce; also great with cornbread

if you want minimal cooking, heating up a can of campbell’s chicken noodle soup is fine!

I make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it

protein

anything with peanut butter

I like Munchies peanut butter crackers bc they taste the Best

lots of stuff with cheese

protein shakes!

I buy Bolton’s Farmhouse bc they also make good strawberry banana fruit smoothies and their protein shake tastes like chocolate milk

Cliff granola bars

very expensive, but I like peanut butter banana, chocolate chip, and peanut butter flavors; super easy to eat when you don’t have the spoons to make anything

yogurt

greek yogurt has the most protein if you can suffer through it like I do. oreo crunch isn’t bad and salted caramel is OK. whipped yogurt tastes the best but it doesn’t have as much protein

smoothies

you can buy a bag of mixed berries in the frozen section, then add plain yogurt, orange juice / pomegranate juice (fucking expensive), kale or spinach leaves (you really don’t taste them) Body by Vi (also expensive!), and blend it up

if you don’t have the spoons for that, you can buy smoothie drinks like I mentioned above with the protein drinks. I mix in some Vi stuff with that since it has a lot of vitamins and extra protein. I like the cream cheese flavor bc it’s sweet

roast beef and mashed potatoes

obviously cooking a roast takes a lot of time, so I just buy a package of precooked roast beef next to the tubs of premade mashed potatoes. you can heat up both in the microwave in about 5 min each, and it goes great with wheat rolls

I hope this helps and message me again if you want recipes for anything!

#food #protein #recipe #recipes #ask #anon #answered

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halsteadproperty · 6 years ago

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Small Business Spotlight Series: Best Ice Cream Shops in the NY Metro Area

Sweltering temperatures, heat vapors rising from the black tar streets, wafts of cool air hitting you as you pass open storefronts; the summer heat in the city can wear you down. Yet, there is always one common treat that will serve as Ol Reliable – and that is the cool taste of ice cream. From gelato to sorbet, sundaes to Italian ice, our agents all around NY, NJ and CT have the best recommendations for your next summer treat.

The Lemon Ice King of Corona

52-02 108th St, Corona, NY 11368

When you want some fun, a change of scenery and the perfect cool treat on the dog days of summer, look no further than The Lemon Ice King of Corona, Queens! “This family owned business with a homemade, secret recipe offers 100 flavors of the best Italian ices in all of New York, dare I say the world!” says agent Maryann Johnson. “On a hot summer night, my girlfriends and I would get in the car and drive on the LIE to 108th Street Corona and order not one, but two or three of the most flavorful, homemade, fresh summer flavors, like lemon, coconut, watermelon, mango and so much more!” The Lemon Ice King has been a unique and colorful dessert destination for over 60 years. Stay and enjoy your ice while watching a traditional and competitive Bocce game in Spaghetti Park, or head over to Citi Field and cheer on the NY Mets.

(Recommended by Maryann Johnson of our Upper West Side office)

Milkcraft

1215 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824

“New technology ice cream with lots of novelty makes Milkcraft a Connecticut staple,” says agent Sheila Higgins. The trendy creamery freezes every scoop to order with food grade Liquid Nitrogen, which creates smaller ice crystals when freezing, and results in the smoothest possible ice cream. Their caramelized Hong Kong style waffles are made from scratch to order and their hot Creamee buns are made fresh daily, along with artisan toppings.

(Recommended by Sheila Higgins of our Wilton office)

Emack and Bolio’s

389 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10026

Emack & Bolio’s is so good that The New York Times called it “an ice cream shop with more than a lick of promise” and Good Housekeeping labeled them as “the best ice cream purveyors in the country.” Talk about a seal of approval. According to agents Keith Marder and Olga Bidun of the OK Team, their best flavors include ice cream based Deep Purple Chip, S’Moreo, salted caramel chocolate pretzel, chunk of funk and grasshopper pie as well as “The Original Oreo.” They also have sorbet and low-fat options. “Most flavors have great texture with the addition of Oreos, chips, pretzels, etc. and for some added crunch you can get a gargantuan waffle cone dipped in things like Nutella, Cookie Krisp cereal, sprinkles and Capt’n Crunch,” says the team.

(Recommended by the Olga and Keith Team of our West Side office)

Sugar Hill Creamery

184 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10026

An indie ice cream shop in Harlem, this family-owned spot offers scoops (including non-dairy varieties) in both familiar and creative flavors.

“They use really high-end ingredients and have funky, savory flavors. In the summer they need to have an employee making ice cream all night long to keep up with summer demand.” – Jeffrey Green of our Harlem office

“Sugar Hill Creamery has an old-fashioned neighborhood feel with an artsy flair from the mural on the wall to the roasted corn and jalapeno flavors. The owners are there scooping and greeting folks at the door!” - Leanne Stella of our Harlem office

Saugatuck Sweets

575 Riverside Ave, Westport, CT 06880

A unique spot located in the beautiful river-front inlet neighborhood of Saugatuck in Westport, Connecticut. Nothing like a moonlit night sky near the waterfront and an awesome ice cream cone creation of your own making,” says agent Sheila Gallo. Saugatuck Sweets is within walking distance from the train and serves as an easy night out of Manhattan.

(Recommended by Sheila Gallo of our Westport office)

Anopoli Ice Cream Parlor and Family Restaurant

6920 3rd Ave Brooklyn NY, 11209

In an age of trendy ice-cream shops dishing up exotic flavors, agent Shira Rosenhaft always loves to visit this tried and true time capsule of a diner and soda fountain that happens to make their own ice cream, too. It’s like stepping back in time - the Kelly-green booths are the perfect place to enjoy an old-fashioned sundae or a root beer float, and much of the place looks unchanged since the early 1900s. The ice-cream flavors are simple - chocolate, vanilla, pistachio - but delicious. And, its central location amongst the hustle and bustle of Third Avenue’s shops and restaurants in Bay Ridge makes it the perfect spot to stop and cool off.

(Recommended by Shira Rosenhaft of our Global Services office)

Ample Hills Creamery

623 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Extraordinary ice cream is an understatement when it comes to Halstead favorite, Ample Hills Creamery. At one point in time cows grazed on Brooklyn's lush ample hills. Although the cows are gone, and the grassy hills have made way for rows of brownstones, the pastoral small-town spirit of old Brooklyn lives on at our neighborhood ice cream shops and in the playful, nostalgic flavors we create.

“What makes Ample Hills ice cream special is the mix-ins. My personal favorite is the Pistachio Brittle. They make pistachio brittle (think “peanut brittle”) and put large chunks of it in wonderfully flavored pistachio ice cream. The flavors are creative and unique with fun names and again, those mix-ins!” – Jenet Levy of our Park Avenue office

“The Ample Hills Creamery down on Union Street in Gowanus is a favorite stop. Located at the corner of Union and Nevins, it stands out as an oasis in the post-industrial landscape. And of course, the Ice Cream is fantastic.” - Lisa Gaytan of our North Slope office

“Flavors change regularly, and they are currently offering Oooy Gooy Butter Cake and PB Wins the Cup among many others - plain and fancy!” - Perri Defino of our Bed-Stuy office

“Best ice cream by far is Ample Hills. Specifically, the vibe of the Vanderbilt Avenue location. Peppermint Patty with hot fudge is to die for. My boys always go for Chocolate Milk and Cookies and my husband is partial to Salted Crack Caramel. The staff is always full of energy, super nice and the cone size is enormous! Gets my vote for best ice cream in NYC!” - Karen Wolfe of our Park Slope office

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

1 Water Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

What is better than waterfront ice cream with views of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge? “The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is one of Brooklyn’s best ice cream shops,” agent Jared Goodloe says. Whether you are taking the ferry after a long day, walking your dog along the pier, or just out on the town Brookly Ice Cream Factory is the perfect stop. “Due to high demand, the line can be a little long but don’t let that stop you. The factory has a vast assortment of flavors and toppings to fit all your desires,” Goodloe says.

(Recommended by Jared Goodloe of our Park Slope office)

Gofer Ice Cream

1020 Boston Post Rd, Darien, CT 06820

Gofer Ice Cream opened in 2004 in the heart of Darien on picturesque main street. People passing by can see families enjoying their unique products like Gofer Lite, Go-Yo, Milk Shakes, Razzles, Gofer Cakes and more. It is a favorite spot for locals to walk or bike into town for a summer treat. The shop features a few small tables inside, but most people prefer to sit out on the patio watching the buzz downtown. They have been so successful that agent Cheryl Williams placed them in a second location in Wilton, CT in 2014 near the Wilton High School, Wilton Deli and adjacent to the football field. You can hear kids across town asking their parents if they can "Go Fer" ice cream tonight!

(Recommended by Cheryl Williams of our Darien office)

UES

1707 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10128

This ice cream shop is like no other (keep reading for the secret info!). The large neon cone awning strikes you from a distance along with the typical line of patrons eagerly awaiting entrance, but nothing is what is seems. The vibrant and cozy bubble-gum pink shop offers a unique rotating menu of delicious flavors such as banana brownie, ginger and espresso cookie coupled with chocolate chip and M&M cones. Why is everyone dressed to impress for ice cream? Say the magic words and you are transformed to an elegant 1920s prohibition-style speakeasy behind the mystery door serving decadent cocktails at the large bar or tufted banquets outfitted with chandeliers, exposed brick and other classy homages to Upper East Side culture. Contact Rory for the secret password!

(Recommended by Rory S. Clark of our Village office and Elissa Drassinower of our West Side office)

Sundaes and Cones

95 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003

“On East 10th St. in the East Village is the best ice cream shop I have ever encountered,” agent Robert Brody says. Though located on a side street, it still attracts a big following. The scoops can be in a cup or cone. “Though a bit pricey, it is worth the extravagance,” explains Brody.

(Recommended by Robert A. Brody of our East Hampton office)

Fro-Yo

43 S Euclid Ave, Montauk, NY 11954

Katie Haggerty’s favorite spot on Euclid street in Montauk is Fro-Yo & Gelato. “It’s right next to the jitney spot and the minute you arrive to Montauk you are welcomed to the best little ice cream spot,” she explains. The days you leave Montauk you grab your treats at Fro-Yo and back to reality, leaving your happy place in Montauk.

(Recommended by Katie Haggerty of our East Hampton office)

Scoop Du Jour

35 Newtown Ln, East Hampton, NY 11937

Snuggled amidst all the beautiful high-end shops and restaurants is Scoop Du Jour, a tiny shop on Newtown Lane and one of Margaret Turner’s favorite ice cream spots. “When you walk in to the narrow shop you feel like you’re back in the 70's with the dim lighting, the old posters and pictures of earlier times in East Hampton and the old rod iron chairs with lumpy cushions. But you’ll delight on the yummy ice cream in over 15 flavors and tons of different toppings,” says Turner. If you don't feel like ice cream, you can order a good old grill cheese sandwich or burger.

(Recommended by Margaret Turner of our East Hampton office)

Brendan's 101

101 Rowayton Ave, Rowayton, CT 06853

Brendan's has continued its 133-year tradition as the centerpiece of village activity. “Whether a grocery store, library, arts center, lobster house, antique house or the gathering place for the "Rising Sons of Temperance" to keep liquor out of Rowayton, Brendan’s 101 has always been Rowayton's place to meet,” says agent Gwen Alexis. Now open year-round and offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's signature all-natural ice cream remains it's heart and soul. Each year at the town's major fund raiser, the River Ramble, Brendan's donates the coveted "Golden Cone," giving the highest bidder an ice cream cone a day for life! To date there are 30 "Golden Cones" in existence.

(Recommended by Gwen Alexis of our Darien office)

Van Leeuwen

48 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003

The Classic Michel Cluizel chocolate ice cream is to die for! Homemade dark chocolate fudge and chunks of homemade gooey chocolate chip brownies is such a rich treat, no other chocolate ice cream compares! The vegan ice cream in coffee flavor is a winner too! You will be in heaven on earth!” – Roni Pall of our Cobble Hill office

(Recommended by Fern Hammond of our Park Avenue office and Roni Pall of our Cobble Hill office)

Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain

513 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

“They serve Adirondack Creamery ice cream which is the purest you can get. It was converted from an actual pharmacy and now is set as an old fashioned “soda shoppe.” They have live music and amazing food too.” – Anna Shagalov of our Village office

“This place looks like you walked back in time and the sundaes are unique.” – Marta Quinones

Bischoff's Confectionary

468 Cedar Ln, Teaneck, NJ 07666

The best ice cream in NJ, and in Sabina L. Feiler-Fluger’s opinion, the entire country, is at Bischoff's Confectionary in Teaneck, NJ. Going to Bischoff's was like winning the lottery when she was a kid. “We would select a flavor and sometimes sit at the bar, or at the booths in the back and the ice cream was always served in old school, metal dishes on top of a small white ceramic plate. They still do that today,” explains Sabina. This place is legendary and exactly what you would imagine a traditional ice cream parlor to look like. It opened in 1934, has been family run through generations. It still maintains relics of a 1950's style parlor with wood paneling, an antique mirror with the logo etched on it, two sides to the shop- one with ice cream in a multitude of flavors scooped out of antique metal freezers, and the other side sells candy- chocolates, hard candy, gummies, even toys. “They have the BEST coffee chip ice cream, and all sorts of flavors- basic and unique, even weekly specials,” says Sabina. They have been written up in many publications as one of the top places to go in NJ for ice cream.

(Recommended by Sabina L. Feiler-Fluger of our Hoboken office)

Serendipity 3

225 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Divinely decadent and devilishly delectable, Frozen Hot Chocolate is the signature item at Serendipity! In addition, you can find the most outrageous sundaes, milkshakes, cakes, pies, and cookies to satisfy any sweet tooth. “You can’t beat the drugstore sundae at serendipity,” says agent Zoraida Morales.

(Recommended by Zoraida Morales of our Park Avenue office)

Uncle Louie G

157 Prospect Park SW, Brooklyn, NY 11218

From stick ball on the street to sitting on the stoop, out of all the memories, the one treat that made summer what it was, in all its sweet goodness was Italian Ices. Uncle Louie G’s has been a staple in Brooklyn and continues to provide that old-fashioned feeling when you enter. It’s just a great spot on the stroll along the park in Brooklyn.

(Victoria Vinokur of our Park Avenue office)

Dolce Brooklyn

305 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Dolce Brooklyn gelato starts with all natural, award winning milk from the Hudson Valley and only the finest ingredients are added to create our gelato & sorbetto (vegan). Each flavor is made on premise in small batches to ensure freshness. Chef Kristina sources many of the fresh fruits and vegetables from the local farmer's market and other top ingredients from specialty markets. Agent Gerard Splendore recommends the chocolate bourbon gelato!

(Recommended by Gerard Splendore of our Brooklyn Heights office)

L’Albero Dei Gelati

341 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

“They have some of the best gelato that I've eaten outside of Italy. In fact, I like the consistency of the gelato here just a little bit better because it doesn't melt quite as fast.” - Joanna Mayfield Marks

(Recommended by Joanna Mayfield Marks of our Cobble Hill office)

#ice cream #halstead #spotlight series #real estate #NYC #NY #NJ #CT #Ny Metro Area

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choisgirls · 7 years ago

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What do the RFA + minor trio think about pineapple on pizza? What kind of food do they like and dislike apart from what's stated in the game? I hope you guys are doing well!

A/N: I AM A FULLADVOCATE FOR PINEAPPLES ON PIZZA AND Y'ALL CAN FIGHT ME (don’t actually fightme i respect your opinions I promise, you do you) (And I’m doing well, thank you! I hope you are as well ^^) ~Admin 404

Okay y’all I hope I did my research alright?? I hope I got the right names to the right food?? *small screaming*

*YOOSUNG:

-Honestly I can see him enjoyingthe fruity flavour with his pizza

-He’s just that kind of dude youknow? Like he tries to be mellow and fails

-And what better way to prove you’remellow and cool than put some god damn fruit on your pizza??

American food

-If we’re going American food, Ithink he’d really like hot pockets

-I mean come on?? They’re fast??And hot?? And come in so many different ways? Not to mention they can be chEAP

-His favourites are the ham andcheese ones

-12/10 burns himself EVERYSINGLE TIME. BUT THEY’RE STILL COLD IN THE MIDDLE. He hates them but stillloves them so much

-But he hates most otherflavours though? He can handle the pizza one but everything else is just abunch of blasphemy

Korean Food

-Out of Korean foods I thinkhe’d like some Bindaetteok, or Mung Bean Pancake

-Sometimes he eats them withoutthe vinaigrette dipping sauce

-Just piles them into his mouth

-Hates any sort of sour candy

-His precious taste buds can’thandle sour

-Actually cries?? When there’ssour??

-His face scrunches up and helooks so childish but still sO CUTE

*ZEN:

-Fruit should be fruit and pizzashould be pizza

-Does not like the twointermingling together

-Actually appalled when someoneputs pineapple on their pizza

-O V E R D R A M A T I C

-Throws himself to the floor,curses the world, sheds a few tears

American Food

-Seriously. Anything fromChipotle

-His favourite thing to getwould be a burrito bowl, so it’s got rice, chicken, beans, cheese, and sourcream

-Which he’s like HELL YEAH IT’SHEALTHY I’M NOT CHEATING ON MY DIET

-But, SURPRISE, BITCH. THEPORTION SIZES ARE NOT HEALTHY. Try again later

-Does not like any form ofcheeseburger though from any place

-Always too greasy. He canliterally feel his stomach churn just looking at one

-God forbid any of that greaseruns down his arm. His pERFECT SKIN. NO!

Korean Food

-Dakkochi!

-They’re grilled chicken skewerscovered in red chili sauce

-“It’s chicken MC, it’salways healthy” not the amount you’re inhaling them they aren’t

-As body conscious as he is, hehates veggie crackers

-They’re just so artificial andreally salty

-Prefers the real vegetableinstead

*JAEHEE

-Logically fruit has no reasonto be on a pizza

-It’s a conflicting taste forher mouth and she doesn’t quite know where to place it

-All she knows is wow she doesnot like it

-Maybe it’s the crunch thatshouldn’t be there??

American Food

-TIRAMISU

-It’s freaking made up ofladyfingers, rum, and coffee. All in one custard dessert.

-Why in the hell would she notenjoy that???

-She hates nachos

-Hear me out, she’s tried themonce at your request and immediately despised them

-They’re so messy and the chipsget soggy

-And the cheese just tastes soartificial, it’s gross to her

Korean Food

-Her guilty pleasures are chapsalyakgwa (Korean sweet cakes)

-They’re cakes made from honey,sesame oil, and wheat flour and they taste like glAZED DONUTS

-AND WHAT DO DONUTS GO WELLWITH? COFFEE.

-She doesn’t really like MulNaengmyeon, which is noodles in ice soup

-It’s not that the flavour isn’tnice or anything, it’s that it’s so cold

-Dear god if she’s already alittle cold, after eating this it’s like she’s in Antarctica

*JUMIN:

-He’s had some expensive, topnotch pizza before

-So it has a different flavourto it, right?

-10/10 believe Jumin Han likespineapple on his pizza solely for the reason that he’s high class

-I bet he’s had fresh pineapplecut up in front of him and placed on his pizza

American Food

-RoOt BeEr FlOaTs

-Some of the best french vanillabean ice cream

-And some of the best root beersoda

-Fancy Ass Root Beer Floats™(Not to mention literally anything you can make into a float. Pineapple juiceand dole whip, amAZING)

-HATES HOT DOGS

- 626: It’sprobably because they make him feel submissive, isn’t it?

404:you fucking asSHOLE THAT’S NOT IT

-Hates the fact that it’s abunch of things just…. mashed together

-And the textURE IS WEIRD.Uncooked they’re just slimy and floppy and just e w

Korean Food

-He likes Dolsot Bibimbap!

-It’s a hotpot mixed rice, with sautéedvegetables and toasted seaweed flakes, and sesame seeds!

-Sometimes his saltiness isn’tenough to cover for his food, so he adds chili paste

-But he doesn’t like ColdBibimbap

-Something about it being colddidn’t make him happy

-Possibly because it didn’t feellike a warm loving meal which he subconsciously just wANTS

- why did i do that to myself

*SAEYOUNG:

-Isn’t it like lowkey meme-y tohave pineapple on your pizza nowadays??

-He’d definitely have it onthere

-Does he like it? Yeah itdoesn’t bother him, the crunch is nice

-Definitely not the same asputting Honey Buddah chips on there but hey it works

American Food

-LITERALLY ANY KIND OF MEXICANFOOD

-I can see him just coming homewith a large cardboard box completely stuffed with homemade tacos

-Always trying to make some forhimself at home and setting the damn tortillas on fire

-HATES SALTWATER TAFFY

-As good as the flavours are,all he can think about is how hARD THEY ARE TO CHEW

-Has flashbacks about the timehe got his teeth practically glued shut because he put too many in his mouth atonce

Korean Food

-When he actually eats“real food”, he likes to snack on Hotteok!

-They’re deep fried treats, onesavory and one sweet!

-He prefers the savory onebecause it’s salty, it’s filled with glass noodles and garlic pork

-The saltiness stays in tunewith his HBC so his “tongue wouldn’t get confused”

-HE HATES HONEY BUTTER CRUNCHYRICE BAR SNACKS

-“Saeyoung, they could bebetter for you than-” “MC DON’T YOU DARE EVEN SAY IT”

-Doesn’t care what flavour thepackage says, they are NOT. THE. SAME. And he HATES THEM

*V:

-I think the random crunch onhis pizza would throw him off

-If you like it he’ll completelyrespect you and probably force himself to eat it for your sake

-Otherwise I think he’drespectfully decline it

-If they’re separate, he canhandle it, just not together

American Food

-Oh my god he loves literallyany kind of pie

-Searches the world during histravels to find the best little bakery shops for pies

-His favourite is probably applepie because he loves the cinnamon flavour as well!

-WARM APPLE PIE CAN WARM UP THE HEARTMC

-I take it back, there is onepie he doesn’t like

-SWEET POTATO

-HATES IT SO MUCH. It’s just thethought that this…vegetable is now in a pie… that should be fruity…andit’s not….

-It’s just the THOUGHT OF IT MC.He refuses to even try it, that’s how much he hates the thought

Korean Food

-Yaki Mandu! Which is deep friend mandu

-It’s filled with pork, glassnoodles, and a variety of salty seasonings

-A nice change against his sweettooth for pies, definitely

-But dislikes Jjinmadu, which issteamed mandu dumplings

-They’re filled with things suchas pork, onions, and mung bean noodles

-But something about the textureof the noodle-like wrappers feels weird in his mouth

-Cut it open and take the thingsout then hell yeah he’s good to go

*SAERAN:

-Probably one of those jERKS WHOFIGHT YOU OVER LIKING PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA

-“FRUIT. DOESN’T. BELONG.THERE. MC.”

-LIKE STOP BEING LOGICAL AND EATTHE GOD DAMN PINEAPPLE CHUNK

- IT’S AMAZING OKAY

-Has literally walked out of thehouse when you told him you’ve ordered pineapple on the pizza

American Food

-Honestly, he really likes s'mores

-Something about the melting marshmallowmakes him and his taste buds happy

- that and being so close tothe fire, damn pyro

-He mixes it up and triesdifferent chocolate flavours, like caramel or cookies and cream

-But dear god, keep him awayfrom those “weirdos” on Thanksgiving with the Turducken

-“WHY CAN’T THEY JUST PICKONE. JUST ONE BIRD. WHY DO YOU NEED TO SHOVE TWO OTHER BIRDS INTO ONE?WHY?”

-It’s just so nasty to him. Andit’s waaaaay too much food

-He can be mean but thinks thepeople shoving two more birds into one is just w r o n g

Korean Food

-He really likes to snack onKancho Choco Biscuits

-Which are these small littlebiscuits(cookies) with milk chocolate inside

-Pours the whole box into hismouth some days because he cAN’T GET THEM IN THERE FAST ENOUGH

-Dislikes Tornado Potatoes

-Mainly because he thinks it’s awaste of time? People tend to like it because it “looks cool”according to him

-It’s a fried and seasoned potatocut into a spiral and spread on a stick

-“MC if I wanted friedpotatoes I’d go get some french fries, they’re easier to eat god dammit”

Masterlist

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junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

A cereal draft, because we are a sports website

Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

You have three picks; what’s the best breakfast/toddler-dinner lineup you can make?

Guess what, jerks? It’s Saturday morning and we’re talking about cereal.

A spirited Slack channel debate about, huh, black jelly beans turned into a long and arduous discussion about which cereals reign supreme in this world. After 15 minutes of “several people are typing” notifications at the bottom of the screen, several ALL CAPS dissertations on the status of breakfast marshmallow, and a lengthy explanation of what bran is, we were instructed to bring this dysfunction to the world at large by our interim editor-in-chief Graham MacAree (please direct all complaints to graham.macaree at sbnation.com).

Yes, as the MLB playoffs rage on, the NBA nears its opening tipoff (check out our incredible preview here), and the NFL and NHL roar through their regular seasons, we devoted entirely too much time to a breakfast cereal fantasy draft. The rules were simple; five writers took part in three rounds of a randomly-ordered snake draft. Best three-cereal lineup takes all.

How are we going to judge that? That’ll be up to you to vote for in our poll below. The winner will receive nothing, but the loser will be relentlessly mocked and have to put their embarrassing failure on all future resumes going forward:

SB Nation, start date - present - wrote stuff - talked about punting - showed the world my ass RE: horrible cereal selections

Here we go:

1. Harry Lyles Jr. - Honey Bunches of Oats

I’m fully prepared to get roasted for this pick, and I encourage you all to tell me why I’m wrong, whether it be in the comments or on Twitter. However, I feel my reasoning is fair, and here’s why.

A good cereal tastes good, and this one is absolutely delicious. It’s got a good mix of tasting healthy, while also being sweet, but not overbearing. In making my No. 1 overall selection, I asked myself what cereal could I live with if I had to eat it every day for the rest of my life, and this was an easy answer. I’m a big fan of incredibly sweet and delicious cereals, but Honey Bunches of Oats felt like a good balance between I Feel Like This Is Healthy and This Is Delicious.

That’s enough to be the top pick, for me.

2. Hector Diaz - Cocoa Pebbles

Not only is it one of the best cereals, but it eventually becomes chocolate milk. That’s a bonus, which makes it a high-upside cereal on top of the already-high expectations for a chocolatey rice breakfast food with Flintstones characters on the box. And if you prefer Cocoa Puffs, you don’t respect the roof of your mouth.

3. Christian D’Andrea - Fruity Pebbles

Did I panic when the inferior chocolate version of the only cereal endorsed by a caveman was picked? MAYBE. Fruity Pebbles was getting snapped up early no matter what though; every bite is a sugary firework in your mouth. And they’re one of the rare cereals that get better as it absorbs more milk. Dredging up rainbow-colored mud from the bottom of your milk swamp is the most rewarding part of a Fruity Pebbles morning.

4. James Brady - Honey Nut Cheerios

My goal was to go for mass appeal — cereals that are unassailable in their universal greatness. So I went with an old standby, one that is perhaps overshadowed in sales by regular Cheerios, but far superior in every way. Maybe everybody doesn’t get hype for them, but who turns down a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios? Bad people, that’s who. Harry came close when he went with the Honey Bunches of Oats out of the gate, but letting the Honey Nut Cheerios slip to four overall was a mistake tbh.

5. Eric Stephen - Cap’n Crunch

The best crunch in the breakfast game, this cereal both lives up to its name and honors its leader’s climb through the naval ranks. I love everything about this cereal, whether it includes Crunchberries or not. The lone drawback of this delectable treat is that it wreaks havoc with the palate. This does not deter my enjoyment of Cap’n Crunch, as I hate the roof of my mouth. I’m eating a Hot Pocket as I type this.

6. Stephen - Golden Grahams

Outside of s’mores, I never cared much for graham crackers. Unless they came in a miniature, much crispier form and drenched in milk. Golden Grahams was among the best cereals at holding its firmness in milk. There are no soggy messes on my team.

7. Brady - Cinnamon Toast Crunch

In sticking with my mass appeal scheme, I was hoping that Eric wouldn’t grab these with his two picks. While he grabbed one of my favorites, the criminally under-appreciated Golden Grahams, I was always looking for Cinnamon Toast Crunch as my second pick. They’re delicious, and anybody should be able to see why kids love Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I get that cinnamon is a relatively strong spice and can put some people off, but those people are bad people.

8. D’Andrea - Lucky Charms

Sugar surrounded by tiny scraps of cardboard — much different than James’ selection of scraps of cardboard coated with sugar. Eat the Charms within five minutes or you’re stuck shoveling hyperglycemic hamster bedding into your mouth.

Unlike Cap’n Crunch, it actually tastes like something, at least. The fact that nothing-ass Rice Krispies got their own dessert bar and this sugar menagerie didn’t is quite possibly the greatest upset in the breakfast world.

9. Diaz - Froot Loops

I have to admit that my preferred picks were chosen earlier than expected, but you can’t knock this pick. It’s sugary. It’s iconic. It may not have the upside that Cocoa Pebbles has, but it has a solid floor. This is a safe pick, in my opinion.

10. Lyles - Cheerios

Yes, basic Cheerios. This is a very bulletproof cereal that can be enjoyed by babies with a mush brain to people on their last breaths (not to get all morbid, but it’s the truth). Regular Cheerios are delicious, heart-healthy, and can be sweetened with a teaspoon or less of sugar, if you want to give them a kick. The idea that Cheerios could fall to No. 10 is incredible, and I couldn’t pass them up.

11. Lyles - Honey Smacks

This was a tough pick, because I am a huge fan of Cap’n Crunch Crunchberries. But those tear the roof of your mouth by the time you get to the bottom of the box, and for that, they lose points. And no, I’m not willing to let them “soak” to soften them up before eating them. As soon as milk touches cereal, it’s time to boogie. Soggy cereal, like french fries, suck.

Honey Smacks, however, are delicious, sweet, and the favorite of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss. So they have to be a great value at No. 11, right?

12. Diaz - Frosted Mini Wheats

Surprise! This cereal is bound to be the most uninspiring yet most solid pick out of the whole bunch. You get all the sugar from the other cereals with the semblance of it being healthy with the help of the shredded wheat. Think of this cereal as a tight end that mostly plays like a receiver. Surely, no one else will pick a more questionable cereal in this draft, but this is a fine choice to me.

13. D’Andrea - Cracklin’ Oat Bran

Cheerios, a cereal for toddlers and the elderly, and Mini-Wheats, which I’ve only seen in the wild at my grandmother’s house, both went before me. AND YET I was the one getting roasted for picking an old man cereal at No. 13. Anyone roasting me for drafting COB clearly hasn’t tasted it before. It’s dense and surprisingly sweet. Just like Hector.

And it doesn’t matter when the last time you bought this cereal was. If you’ve ever had it before, that 80s-ass, exceedingly polite box is the only one you envision when you hear the word “Cracklin.”

14. Brady - Reese’s Puffs

This one is part mass appeal, part “James would eat this every day until his death, which would probably come quicker because eating Reese’s Puffs every day is probably not good for your health.” And I don’t care. They’re DELICIOUS and they make for some amazing peanut butter chocolate milk (holy Christ is that a thing you can buy? I gotta go do some Googling.)

Plus, come on — following Harry picking the boring-ass regular Cheerios followed by Hector picking the Philip Rivers of cereal in Frosted Mini Wheats which itself was followed by the old-ass man pick of Cracklin’ Oat Bran ... I had to make a splash. And that splash was into a giant swimming pool filled with Reese’s Puffs.

15. Stephen - Honeycomb

I went with another strong structural cereal here, with the larger Honeycomb bites holding their shape longer than most. While other cereals crumble and wilt in the fourth quarter, my team is much better conditioned to close out this win. I absolutely loved the taste of Honeycomb, but I’d be lying if I didn’t include the commercial jingle as a huge reason for my allegiance to this cereal.

youtube

“Honeycomb’s big, YEAH YEAH YEAH!” The 1980s owned.

Final rosters:

Team Lyles

Honey Bunches of Oats

Cheerios

Honey Smacks

Team Diaz

Cocoa Pebbles

Froot Loops

Frosted Mini Wheats

Team D’Andrea

Fruity Pebbles

Lucky Charms

Cracklin’ Oat Bran

Team Brady

Honey Nut Cheerios

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Reese’s Puffs

Team Stephen

Cap’n Crunch

Golden Grahams

Honeycomb

So who won? Vote now, so the loser may be heckled into breakfast retirement.

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clickwish2-blog · 6 years ago

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The best vegan junk food to satisfy your cravings

Avocado toast, kale salads, and fruit smoothies all have their place. But sometimes nothing will satisfy like some vegan junk food.

Whether it’s a late afternoon handful of chips, an after dinner peanut butter cup, or a candy bar at the movies, there are times in life when vegan junk food beckons.

Vegan junk food

Today I’m sharing four of my favorite kinds of vegan junk food. There are two salty options and two sweet options, because cravings aren’t one size fits all.

Salt & pepper kettle chips

Once I open a bag of salt and pepper kettle chips, I have a hard time thinking about anything else.

I pass by the snack cabinet, and it calls to me from inside with a muffled, “Psst…. Hey, you! Why don’t you grab a handful?”

And therein lies the issue. I am physically unable to stop at just a handful. The balance of salt and pepper, along with that satisfying crunch, keeps me going back for just one more taste.

(I have 46 appetizer recipes on my blog, and 11 dessert recipes. The verdict is clear. I am a salty/savory fan through and through.)

For salt and pepper chips, I like either the Kettle chips or Trader Joe’s brand.

One plus on the side of Kettle Chips is that they offer organic chips in addition to conventional ones. Otherwise, the Trader Joe’s & Kettle chips taste about the same.

(I recently added the salt and pepper chips to my 20+ favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products post, as well as adding four other products. You can find them by scrolling to the last 5 products in the post.)

In addition to putting a handful of salt and pepper chips in your vegan packed lunch with a picnic sandwich, you can also use potato chips as a crust for vegan fried green tomatoes in the air fryer.

Pico de gallo chips

I grew up eating taco pizza and have a huge soft spot for it. In fact, it may be my favorite meal. It combines two beloved foods in one single entrée.

But when I first went vegan, there was a real lack of dairy-free nacho chips to be that final layer on the pizza. So for quite a while, I always made a chip-less taco pizza.

That is totally fine in a pinch, but I really missed that crunchy finish. Plus, after you’ve finished your last slice, it’s fun to go back for one or two more chips as a final taste.

These days, I always have Garden of Eatin’ pico de gallo chips on hand for my vegan taco pizza. It gets that orange coating on your fingers – ripe for licking off afterwards.

The chips are nice and light. When a nacho chip is too healthy tasting or grainy, it’s just not the right finish for a taco pizza.

In addition to their taco pizza prowess, these chips are good with a bagel sandwich with hummus and vegetables.

By the way, these chips weren’t available locally, and I always ordered them by mail. Then I asked my local Natural Grocers to carry it, and they said yes. Now I can get a bag whenever a taco pizza emergency hits.

For ideas on how you can do the same for products you want, check out this post called, How to get vegan products in your grocery store.

Dream Big Bar

My favorite vegan candy bar is Eli’s Earth bar in the Dream Big flavor. It’s similar to a Snickers bar with caramel, whole peanuts, and peanut butter covered in chocolate. It also reminds me of chocolate turtles in candy bar form.

Unless you’re buying it online, this candy bar is surprisingly hard to come by. That’s why when I was on my vegan Vancouver trip, I made sure to buy a few at a store there.

Sadly, I can’t find them anywhere locally, but at least once or twice a year I’ll place an order for them online. And I always include them as a Christmas gift idea on my holiday wishlist.

(Making a list is a great way to insure that you’ll receive a vegan gift at the holidays. Plus, they make a terrific stocking stuffer!)

Dark chocolate peanut butter cups

A few nights of the week, David and I have a couple of mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups as an after dinner treat.

While the full-sized dark chocolate peanut butter cups are quite tasty, the mini cups give my preferred peanut butter to chocolate ratio. You get a little more peanut butter in every bite with the minis.

Plus, it extends the joy of it to unwrap two peanut butter cups instead of one. (David and I usually split a full-sized two pack.)

Be aware that not all of the Justin’s peanut butter cups are vegan. So specifically look for the dark chocolate variety.

A while back they changed their packaging to include “contains milk” as an allergen warning, even though there isn’t any milk in the ingredient list.

If you read the FAQ on their site, they explain that this was to clarify for cross contamination reasons, because the milk and dark chocolate cups are processed on the same equipment.

Because I don’t have a dairy allergy, I don’t worry about cross contamination. I’m vegan because I don’t want to pay for someone to abuse animals, not because I’m concerned about the possibility of trace amounts of dairy on my otherwise vegan chocolate.

Until there are more fully vegan businesses producing in fully vegan facilities, cross contamination is a possibility. (I’m working on a more thorough post about the issue of cross contamination that I hope to share soon!)

In addition to being sold at health food stores, Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups are also sold at mainstream stores like Target. That’s very handy for people who don’t have access to health food stores, or just might not otherwise seek them out.

Eat the peanut butter cups on their own, or chop them up to use as a garnish on a grilled banana split.

What would be on your list of favorite vegan junk food?

Disclosure: Post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/2018/09/05/vegan-junk-food/

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cutiecrates · 8 years ago

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Review: Tokyo Treat March 2017

Cutie apologizes for being kinda late- it’s been a crazy week and I got the item I was waiting for; as well as the first April box on Monday. Cutie will be hurrying to catch up within the next day or two.

Well here we are Cuties, at the next Tokyo Treat review. As you can see on the cover (and probably heard me mention) the theme for this crate is Sakura & Matcha. As I mentioned I wasn’t too sure if I would like this one because while this Cutie appreciates everything and anything pink and/or flowery; I’m not into Green Tea/Matcha and it terrified me a little (๑°⌓°๑)

But as you Cuties are going to see, I actually liked the box!

As usual here’s a box of the Lucky Treat items. I really wish I could get in closer but pic limit- what can you do?

These were the Bonus Item and DIY for this month! A cute two-pair set of chopsticks, and a candy lollipop maker (which I’ll be covering in a separate post like usual~)

I love the addition of these simple chopsticks. I keep getting them thrown left and right at me but I gotta say, these have some class to them. They have a little more weight to them than the other pairs I own, and they’re a bit longer. While I’m not sure I like owning multiple pairs of chopsticks than entirely necessary; I do like these and they fit the theme and stay related to food. 5 out of 5.

To go with our theme for today I picked my favorite pink plate for this photo session ♥ I like to start with the salty or non-candy snacks, and as a girl I must say I love these special holiday bags. The kawaii-yet elegant approach is guaranteed to catch attention.

First we have the Poteco Delicious Salt, and unfortunately I have to confess, the deliciousness is a bit exaggerated for me. I mean don’t get me wrong, they do taste salty and the flavoring isn’t bad, but what I don’t like is the thick crunch. What makes these special is the quality I don’t like- which kinda makes me sad. 3 out of 5; but not because of its crunch. As I’ve said before, if I wanted some plain salty snack; we have chips.

Luckily, the other “non sugary sweet but actually is“ snack managed to score better! Tohato does it again by introducing their Peach Caramel Corn flavor for Girls Day ♥ Tohato caramel corn is a light and airy snack that comes in a variety of flavors. Some Cuties may recall that in my very first Tokyo Treat crate I got an overly-sweetened milk flavor for Christmas. As yummy-rific as they were (and my legendarily known sugar addiction), I found them to be cloying and after eating a couple, I didn’t want anymore for a while. Thankfully these peach ones are just sweet enough. I also loved the mix of white and pink coloring~ 5 out of 5

Now, onto the real deal (and probably the thing you came to see!): the Matcha/Green Tea stuff!

(My Dad loves green! How ironic is it that it was his birthday in March?)

Before I get into my review of these items, I should probably take a moment to explain my disdain for Green Tea/Matcha. Basically, the only bitter thing I like is Dark Chocolate. If anything else is bitter I can’t stand it at all. Several Green Tea things I’ve tried have been bitter and unpleasant prior to getting anything that had the flavor, but was sweetened or less-bitter. Also, I’ve been forced to deal with Green Tea more times than I’d like to think due to its healthy properties.

Long story short, it’s like medicine to me. But in an ironic twist, one of my favorite healthy beverages is made from green tea but tastes nothing like it! ╰(✧∇✧╰)

Going from left to right (wrappers) we have: Dars Uji Matcha Flavor, released under the popular franchise Morinaga, these can be found all over the country! This flavor is limited time only, with the bitterness (and light sweet aftertaste) in each flavor making them equally enjoyable (or in my case just barely so). They’re so cute and little, like baby chocolate bars ♥ 3 out of 5. They’re not terrible, but they’re just not my favorite thing.

Harvest Rich Matcha Chocolate Sandwich, basically the sweet equivalent of the Cheese Sandwich I got in last months box. It is recommended these be enjoyed with some coffee, but they’re plenty delicious on their own too ♥ Despite being green and filled with green tea chocolate- the flavoring is fairly light on the palette with an addictive quality. 4 out of 5.

This was an item I fell in love with, the Sequoia Chocolate - Matcha Green Tea Flavor. If you’re like me you probably wonder why it has Sequoia in its name right? Well this is because when you open it, the bar literally resembles a tree with lines and small indents all over it. I loved to rub them~ Not only that, but this is a multi-layered chocolate treat ♥ The outside has a light green tea flavored chocolate, resting over a thick layer of white cream on top of a wafer with a thin smear of green tea. 5 out of 5.

Lastly, the other Green Tea item I actually liked, Pie No Mi - Green Tea Flavor ♥ I love Pie No Mi x3 they’re essentially little bite-sized pies with a super flaky outside and yummy inside. I could eat them all day if given the chance and recommend you give them a try if you get the chance. 5 out of 5!

Next are two sweets I found fairly enjoyable, the Sakura Saku Latte Candy and the Tirol Choco - Sakura Mochi. (Which you may notice is nearly empty~). Perfect for spring, the Saku Latte candy comes in 4 flavors and in the adorable shape of a Sakura flower. The flavors include: Strawberry-latte, Banana-latte, Green Tea-latte, and cafe-Latte.

Considering I don’t like to bite through hard candy, I split the bag in half with someone to help me review these. They gave honest reviews of the Banana and Green Tea flavors (both of which I hate but they love), while I handled the strawberry and cafe (two flavors I love ♥). In the end this was our deductions:

Strawberry - Typical Japanese strawberry flavor, but one of my most favorite of flavors.

Cafe - A sweetened coffee drink, such as a Mocha or Frappe.

Banana - Tasted like artificial banana (which is why I hate anything that isn’t an actual banana).

Green Tea - Tastes spot-on with normal green tea items.

So yeah, in terms of everything the items are fairly, if not entirely accurate. They’re cute and festive, and if I had any complaints it would be the slight artificial taste, 4 out of 5.

To compliment these hard treats, how about something softer? Tirol does it again with a deliciously sweet flavor and cuteness. I love to collect Tirol wrappers from each flavor I try. These were sweet with a soft squishy center (my favorite when it comes to tirol chocolate if you recall my review on the 3-pack from the Feb crate), and I wanted to keep eating them. 5 out of 5.

(and for Cuties unaware, Sakura Mochi is a popular snack at this time of year composed of pine colored rice with a red bean paste in the center. It is wrapped with a pickled Cherry Blossom leaf.)

To balance all of the Sakura and Green Tea/Matcha flavoring, we did get some items that stood out. Including the Sakura Konpeito Candy, named for it’s pink color scheme and with a matching container. You can find Konpeito (dissolving sugar bits, pretty much) in a variety of colors/themes but normally with the same taste. I really like these because of their small size and quick dissolving properties. They’re perfect for a sweet pick-me-up ♥ I also really like rubbing my tongue over them to feel the texture. 5 out of 5.

Next we have Strawberry Cotton Candy, and I bet I know what you’re thinking: “it claims it’s strawberry, so it’s probably regular sugar.“ I know I did because I’ve seen cotton candy do that before several times.

Well, you’d be WRONG if you did. This legitimately tastes like strawberry! ୧☉□☉୨ if you don’t expect it, it might even stun you. It’s as soft as the fluff in a pillow (if not softer!) and felt so nice to stroke and tear. The longer its exposed to air, the harder it will get, but even after having that exposure it was just barely. 5 out of 5. If you’re not big on Cotton Candy I bet this would make you reconsider.

We also have the Cola Diamond Ring. I grew up with the cutesy Ring candy so this brought back a fair amount of nostalgia- considering I haven’t had one in years. Unfortunately I was disappointed with this. Cola is one of my favorite flavors and normally cola-candy is always yummy, but this tasted like stale cola and failed to wow me. It’s not terrible, but I expected better. The wrapper was also terribly frustrating to open. 3 out of 5.

And now, the one gummy we got in this box, the Animal Land Gummy in Grape flavor. I love grape flavored candies so the taste was nothing new. But I fell in love with the adorable animal shapes. However I noticed on the bag it said “one gummy is bigger than the rest”. I compared all of mine and did not see any that was bigger at all. A minor oversight perhaps? I’m not sure. I liked them enough as you could a generic gummy snack. 3 out of 5.

Okay... For this I had to switch plates to avoid cross-flavoring (although I might have actually preferred that). Besides that disaster of a ramune in the December crate (which I linked above), I never thought I’d come so close to hating an item. Well I was wrong, and that item is Pickled Sakura Daikon.

I can’t say I like Daikon Radish, but apparently its worse when pickled (☍﹏⁰)｡ It stinks and tastes like that un-cute stink, and no, I did not even manage to eat as much as you can see missing on the plate. I had someone else try it for me. Although, I have to admit that I did like that they offer such an experience to us, that is what I treasure the most. The experiences and memories that come with these crates. 1 out of 5.

And now the final item, our drink for the month: Sakura Sakuranbo Royal Milk Tea by the Milk Tea branding under Coke Cola, known as Kouchakaden. It was sweet and oh-so relaxing. As much as I don’t like tea, royal milk tea is a totally different situation. It has a very light cherry taste and was very “smooth” in terms of drink texture. 5 out of 5.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

(Nothing to note of Quality, typical 5. Also I incidentally realized I kept rating these based on 15, despite only having 2 sections compared to my normal 3. That will be fixed starting with this post!)

Content - 4 out of 5. I only hated one item, and that says a lot considering half of the box was full of Green Tea/Matcha. They provided us with some nice non-theme items as well, and I loved the overwhelming kawaii pinkness ♥

Total Rank: 9 out of 10 Cuties.

♥ Cutie’s Scale of Yummy ♥

1. Strawberry Cotton Candy - I like cotton candy but at times I get tired of its generic sugar taste. I also know you can take chupa chups and make your own flavored cotton candy, which is what this reminded me of actually! In the end it won as my favorite item in this months crate ♥

2. Pie No Mie - I really like this series (btw, its by Lotte) and they managed to sway my opinion of Green Tea/Matcha just a smidge. The flaky pie texture has its own taste and the filling may be small, but it leaves you with a strong impression!

3. Sakura Royal Milk Tea - Very delicious and light. It gives you that fluffy feeling~

4. Tirol Chocolate - Between this and the strawberry smoothie flavor, I’d say Strawberry Smoothie wins. But I really did like this.

5. Peach Caramel Corn - Sweet but not cloying, also very cute.

6. Sequoia Chocolate - I liked it :3 it was so fun.

7. Poteco Salt - The texture was a big turn off for me but I like Salt flavored things.

8. Sakura Konpeito Candy - Again generic.

9. Animal Land Gummy - Fairly generic.

10. Matcha Chocolate Sandwich - They were okay. I liked the matcha chocolate taste in these but their hard texture didn’t thrill me.

11. Cola Ring - I was so disappointed with this one!

12. Saku Latte Candy - you get 4 flavors and I only like 2. So yeah...

13. Dars Uji Matcha - They weren’t bad, just not my favorite.

14. Pickled Radish - You couldn’t pay me enough to stick it in my mouth, more or less eat it.

Okay Cuties that wraps it up for another Tokyo Treat crate and the last March box review. I’m DYING with excitement for April’s Tokyo Treat, and you can find out why by checking out my earlier post here! Until then, I finally got the Candysan items I was waiting for and I plan to review them. In fact, I’m going to try to get the review up tomorrow/later. So until then, stay flowery cute!

#tokyo treat #sakura flower #matcha #green tea #cherry blossom #pink #green #hinamatsuri #review #monthly subscription #monthly review #tirol #Pie no mi #konpeito #cola candy

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riverjeans16-blog · 8 years ago

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Revealing Rapid Keys In Chocolate Slim

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Immediate Secrets For Chocolate Slim Revealed

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Choosing Efficient Solutions In Chocolate Slim

Certain, I such as food, but I also intended to get going on the enjoyable part of cutting weight - $ "placing it back on. Boxers wish to reduce weight only because they can place it back on after that and also stroll right into the cage much larger than they evaluated in at, the day before. Previous research studies have determined and determined a wide range of biochemical modifications that take place throughout workout. For one point, exercising moms-to-be needs to not exercise in the hopes of keeping their weight down during pregnancy. A randomized, regulated test at Punkaharju Rehabilitation Facility in Finland researched the effectiveness of stamina training in the neck, compared with extending or no exercise. When journeys to the health club typically aren't possible, having fitness equipment at home makes staying in form a breeze. Alleviating up on or staying clear of such activities and icing your wrists may bring some alleviation, as could decreasing your salt consumption to maintain your water weight down. After exercise, professional athletes need carbohydrate as well as liquid to replace glycogen and water losses during the exercise. Layout, building and construction and repair service of the scientific instruments made use of for exercise physiology testing and study. In numerous researches, as an example, scientists at Laval College in Quebec adhered to people with rheumatoid arthritis who joined dance-based workout. Burke, L. M. Nutrition for post-exercise healing Australian Journal of Scientific research and also Medicine in Sporting activity 29: 3-10, 1997.

Root Components For Delicious chocolate Slim Around The USA

#how to be slim #be fit

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thehungrykat1 · 7 years ago

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Love Dish at Resorts World Manila Features Menus by Celebrities For A Cause

Filipinos are some of the most loving and compassionate people in the world. One way we show our care for our loved ones is through cooking and food. This is why Resorts World Manila, the Philippines’ premier integrated entertainment and tourism destination, has cooked up a creative way to show others how much we truly care.

Led by former MTV Asia VJ Donita Rose together with a lineup of celebrity culinary artists, Resorts World Manila presents LOVE Dish 2017: a menu by celebrities for a cause. Each guest celebrity will be offering his and her own special love dish which will be offered in different RWM signature restaurants from September 21 to December 31, 2017. Proceeds from these dishes will then go to selected charitable institutions who are in need of our love and care.

The Hungry Kat was invited to the media launch for LOVE Dish 2017 which also includes dishes from notable personalities such as writer, TV host, and blogger Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi; character actress Dimples Romana; showbiz scion Luigi Muhlach; TV and movie actress Meg Imperial; TV and radio host Sam Oh; and singer and theater actor Mark Bautista. LOVE Dish is Resorts World Manila’s newest Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. A portion of the proceeds from sales of these LOVE Dishes will go to RWM’s three partner charities: COR Foundation, RWM’s own charitable foundation; Pasay City Social and Welfare Development; and the Right Start Foundation, a San Juan City-based NGO which provides creative and caring spaces for the poorest children in the community.

The seven celebrities were tapped to donate their special recipes which were further refined with the help of Chef Cyrille Soenen, Resort World Manila’s Director for Culinary Arts and the first and only Maitres Cuisiniers de France (Master Chef of France) in the Philippines. Chef Cyrille, who I met long ago when I first dined at Impressions, RWM’s Franch fine dining restaurant, and is probably the country’s finest and most recognized international chef. He presented each of the eight dishes which have all garnered his seal of approval and we were all lucky to be the one of the first to try all these amazing Love Dishes.

Luigi Muhlach, a showbiz royalty also known as the Fully-Loaded Chef, found his niche and made his own name as a professional chef. Each dish that comes out from Chef Luigi’s kitchen is fully-loaded with calories, flavors, and all the things that make for a sumptuous dining experience. His LOVE Dish is the Sinuglaw sa Aligue – a masterful take on a classic Filipino pulutan. Fresh tanigue cubes are drenched in a vinegar, coconut milk, and crab fat concoction then given a full flavorful kick with siling labuyo and other spices. Served with crisp, paper-thin, golden slivers of chicken skin, the Sinuglaw sa Aligue is pure, delicious indulgence and will be available in The Terrace at the fourth level of Maxims Hotel and in Bar 360 at RWM’s first floor Gaming Area.

Meg Imperial, also known as the Foodie Darling, is currently taking up culinary arts in addition to lighting up TV and movie screens around the Philippines. The very first dish that she experimented with was a baked Parmesan-crusted chicken, which she has tweaked and refined for LOVE Dish 2017. Meg’s Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast is an upgraded version of the well-loved chicken fingers with the sharpness and crisp texture of the parmesan breading. This will be served at Café Maxims on the hotel’s lobby level until the end of the year.

The Taste Diva, Stephanie Zubiri is a multi-talented chef and restaurateur who brings the wealth of her travel and culinary experience in every dish she makes. Her Sambal-Spiced Porcini & Mixed Mushroom Farfalle, with four varieties of mushroom, is offered at Impressions and it fits in seamlessly with the restaurant’s continental menu. This sophisticated dish is creamy, velvety, and aromatic with the spiciness of sambal adding a flavorful kick.

Dimples Romana, on the other hand, is called the Happy Cook because she finds genuine happiness in cooking for and feeding guests in her own home. With her mother hailing from the culinary province of Pampanga, Dimples presents her Salted Egg Prawns recipe, which has received Chef Cyrille’s haute cuisine treatment. This is a very trendy and popular dish and Dimples has put a Filipino spin on it, making it sweet and very saucy, just what we Filipinos love to eat with our rice.

The Salted Egg Prawns was one of my favorite dishes that afternoon, especially with the finishing touches that Chef Cyrille has included giving it an extra depth of texture and flavor without being too overpowering. This will be featured in Passion, RWM’s signature Cantonese fine dining restaurant on the second level.

Growing up as a Filipino-American child in Pampanga, Donita Rose didn’t particularly like Filipino food. After she took a hiatus from the Philippine entertainment scene to study culinary arts and work as a professional chef in the United States, she found out that there are few things that better soothe and comfort the soul than the flavors of home. She has recently gotten involved with Right Start Foundation, which is all about giving new beginnings for the poorest of the poor. When she was invited to participate in LOVE Dish 2017, she saw the perfect opportunity to bring the two projects together to make a bigger impact. Known as the Soul Chef, Donita now takes pleasure in adding gourmet flourishes to local specialties, as exemplified by her LOVE Dishes recipes.

The Ginataang Chicken Adobo is a richer and more succulent take on what may just be the quintessential Filipino dish. The chicken is cooked with burnt coconut, mashed pumpkin and honey. This is the first time I have ever seen and tried this type of deconstructed adobo dish and I was truly amazed at what Chef Donita has created. You can find this unique dish at Café Maxims and Silogue and I suggest that you try it for yourself.

Chef Donita Rose gave Resorts World Manila not just one, but two memorable receipes for LOVE Dish 2017. Her Creamy Mango Strawberry Jelly may sound simple, but it is an absolutely heavenly confection fit for your dessert options at Impressions. The local fruits are flambéed and suspended in cream cheese with condensed milk and a heavy cream base, all topped with a strawberry and mango coulis. She originally created this for a show on GMA-7 and it’s absolutely refreshing!

Sam Oh’s Korean Love dish can be both an appetizer and a dessert itself. The Spice DJ is giving us a less a lesser known recipe from her native country called the Hoddeok, a Korean pancake with a sweet nutty filling. The Korean craze has made us all familiar with kimchi, bingsu, and korean barbecues, but this is something totally different.

The Hoddeok is a popular street food in Korea and Sam prefers this soft and chewy version which she prepares at home with her mom. Diners can find Sam’s Ho tteok, served with house-made black sesame seed and salted caramel ice cream then drizzled with matcha glaze, at Ginzadon, RWM’s signature Japanese and Korean restaurant where I had a lovely dinner date just a few weeks ago.

Last but not the least is Mark Bautista, the Baking Heartthrob. A highly regarded singer and theatre actor, Mark is popularly known as the “Pop Heartthrob” of the Philippines. What most people don’t know is that he is also a passionate baker who enjoys selling their familiy’s special items during the holiday season. He is delighted at the opportunity to showcase his baking skills while helping a lot of needy people at the same time.

Mark’s perfectly-baked Peanut Butter Cupcake recipe is sweet, simple, and satisfying. His cupcakes, which can be bought at Café Maxims and RBar, are generously made with premium peanut butter, with its rich sweetness punctuated by chunks of dark chocolate. There is a slight crunch at first bite which gives way to a melt-in your mouth softness that transports you to a childhood of peanut butter cups and warm hugs.

Congratulations to Resorts World Manila and all the participating celebrities for this charitable event that will benefit so many lives. Let’s all help them spread more love in the community by ordering these Love dishes which will be available at RWM signature restaurants until the end of the year. Thank you Chef Cyrille for another gastronomic adventure at Resorts World Manila.

Love Dish 2017

Resorts World Manila, Newport City, Pasay City

Visitor Hotline: 908-8833

www.rwmanila.com

www.facebook.com/rwmanila

#iLoveDishRWM #ResortsWorldManila #LoveDish #Celebrities #Charity #Restaurants #DonitaRose #MarkBautista #SamOH #DimplesRomana

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consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 7 years ago

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7 Gluten Free and Vegan Ice Cream Brands That Will Blow Even Dairy-Lovers Away

New blog post!

When people learn about my celiac disease diagnosis and my gluten free and dairy free diet, they often ask, "What about ice cream?" Luckily, nowadays, there are plenty of gluten free and vegan ice cream brands to choose from! In fact, this summer is the perfect time to find the vegan ice cream of your dreams.

Since my celiac diagnosis, I've certainly tasted my fair share of dairy free ice cream. And while I might not be an expert, I've found a few vegan ice cream options that blow even dairy-lovers away! Here are 4+ gluten free and dairy free ice cream brands that every celiac, lactose intolerant or serious foodie should consider trying!

1. Coconut Bliss Vegan Ice Cream

One of my favorite dairy free ice cream finds? Coconut Bliss, the creamiest coconut milk ice cream known to man (or girl, in this case).

I love that Coconut Bliss adopts a "healthier" mindset to their ice cream, avoiding many of the fillers commonly found in other ice creams. Case in point? Their dark chocolate flavor only has four main ingredients: organic coconut milk, organic agave syrup, organic fair trade cocoa, and organic vanilla extract. Besides being gluten and dairy free, all Coconut Bliss Bliss ice creams are also soy free and certified organic. Some of my favorite vegan coconut ice cream flavors? Dark chocolate is rich and super creamy but not overly sugary. I bought a carton of this flavor when I was visiting family a few summers ago. I only had a few days to finish off the pint, and we'll just say that I easily met that challenge. I've also enjoyed Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge and Mint Galactica...and I'm definitely drooling over Coconut Bliss's new Chocolate Chip Cookie flavor!

But what if you don't like coconut? As long as I'm eating a strong flavor like dark chocolate, I don't taste any coconut. My mom, who has a stronger aversion to coconut, always managed to taste a hint of it, though. So if you're a major coconut hater, this probably isn't the best vegan ice cream for you. *Coconut Bliss's gluten free ice cream is made in facilities that also manufacture desserts with wheat. However, they take very thorough steps to maintain their allergy-free claim, and I have never had an issue with this ice cream.*

My rating: 9.5/10

2. So Delicious: Coconut Vegan Ice Cream Base

If you follow me on Instagram, you know So Delicious and I have a very special relationship. I finish nearly every day with some of their coconut yogurt, so it's only natural that I'd try their ice creams too.

So Delicious's coconut vegan ice creams are certified gluten free and, in my opinion, they have a much stronger coconut flavor than Coconut Bliss. They also have more "filler" ingredients, so I typically prefer Coconut Bliss. However, some of the So Delicious ice cream flavors are so drool-worthy, you have to try them. I mean, gluten free and vegan cookie dough ice cream!?! How can you say no to that? Especially when the cookie dough is equally incorporated throughout the ice cream, with every scoop having the perfect combo of chewy cookie and creamy ice cream.

My rating: 8.5/10

3. So Delicious: Cashew Milk Vegan Ice Cream Base

If you're looking for the holy grail of dairy free ice cream and don't like coconut, cashew milk ice cream is your secret weapon. When So Delicious released this line last year, everyone went crazy...and as soon as I got to taste some of the flavors, I instantly understood why.

So Delicious's cashew milk ice cream is definitely some of the creamiest vegan ice cream I've ever tried. In fact, it'll give "regular" ice cream a run for its money. Also, there's no weird aftertaste that often plagues gluten free ice cream or other dairy free products.

The chocolate flavor isn't a bad pairing either!

In fact, I got the chance to try all four of the original flavors when they were first released. My thoughts?

Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream:

This gluten free ice cream flavor is super creamy and - to my complete surprise - one of my favorites. I'm not usually a vanilla girl (more of a chocolate and everything but the kitchen sink), but this flavor really lets the cashew ice cream base shine. It also pairs deliciously with our favorite chocolate birthday cake (made using Pamela's mix).

Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream:

This dairy free ice cream flavor is equally creamy and delicious. I also like how dark the chocolate flavor is. Not too sugary but not too rich either!

Also pairs deliciously with gluten free apple pie!

Vegan Chocolate Cookies N' Cream Ice Cream:

Imagine your favorite dark chocolate ice cream - and then crumble Oreos over it. That's exactly what this flavor tastes like. Finding gluten free Oreo cookies that taste like the real thang isn't easy, but the cookie pieces in this ice cream totally bring me back! The cookie-to-ice-cream ratio is also on point. Enough cookie crumbles for a crunch in every bite, but not enough to overshadow the chocolate vegan ice cream. If you're a true chocoholic, skip the plain dark chocolate and choose So Delicious's Chocolate Cookies N' Cream instead.

Vegan Salted Caramel Cluster Ice Cream:

This is So Delicious's top-selling vegan ice cream flavor and I can see why. This is a super sweet ice cream and I can't handle more than a few bites. However, there's something crazy addictive about the combination of sweet vanilla and salty clusters of caramel. In fact, my dad (who loves gluten and dairy) actually prefers this gluten free ice cream flavor over any other flavor or brand.

My rating: 10/10 (overall)

4. So Delicious Gluten Free Ice Cream Bars

Okay, I know I've already covered plenty of So Delicious products. However, they offer so many gluten free ice cream options, So Delicious deserves another mention. This time, I'm drooling over talking about their vegan ice cream bar. I can't count how many times my sister and I chased after the local ice cream truck, and chocolate anything was always my favorite. Luckily for young (and old) celiacs, lactose intolerants and vegans everywhere, So Delicious has brought the ice cream bar within reach again!

The only flavor my family has tried so far is the new Salted Caramel cashew milk ice cream bar. As expected, these disappeared quickly. The salted caramel ice cream tastes just as delicious in the bar as it does in the carton, and the chocolate shell adds a nice crunchy contrast. I also like that these ice cream bars are a little smaller than normal, making them the perfect size for one (or two if you're feeling generous).

My rating: 9/10

5. Almond Dream Vegan Ice Cream

This was the first dairy free ice cream I found and liked after my diagnosis. Although I stopped eating Almond Dream after discovering I have an almond intolerance, I enjoyed this option at the time. All the flavors of Almond Dream Ice Cream are super smooth and creamy, and there's no aftertaste from the almond base. For whatever reason, the chocolate flavor didn't taste like "traditional" chocolate ice cream, so it wasn't my favorite. Instead, I preferred the mint chocolate chip and toffee almond crunch. The mint flavor had a strong but not overwhelming or superficial hit of mint throughout, and the chocolate chips added a consistent crunch. Meanwhile, the coffee flavor was a surprise winner. It tasted similar to coffee, which I'm not usually a fan of. However, combined with the large chunks of chewy fudge and the crunch of ground almonds, the toffee flavor was addictive!

One of the first pictures on my blog...

Besides those flavors, Almond Dream Ice Cream also comes in Cappuccino Swirl, Vanilla, Strawberry, Praline Crunch and various vegan ice cream bites and sandwiches. *Almond Dream ice cream is processed in a facility with wheat, and I have read that some celiacs have issues with Rice Dream, part of the Dream line. I emailed Almond Dream for clarification, and the response (sent from overseeing company Hain Celestial) read in part: "If gluten is a major ingredient, it will be specified in the ingredient list. For consumers concerned about the presence of trace amounts of gluten, we suggest avoiding products that include natural flavors or spices. Hain Celestial Group products that make a gluten-free claim will carry the triangular Gluten-Free symbol, contain a gluten-free label, or specify Gluten Free certification by GFCO." Almond Dream's vegan ice creams have the triangular gluten free symbol but also contain natural flavors. When I ate Almond Dream years ago, I didn't experience any negative reaction; however, I'm not sure I would try this ice cream again. Hopefully, this information will help you decide if Almond Dream is the best vegan ice cream for you!*

My rating: 8/10.

6. Bonus: three dairy free ice cream brands I haven't tried but have heard great things about!

Nada Moo:

First off, Nada Moo, which should automatically receive props for the A+ name. While I haven't tried Nada Moo yet, other bloggers swear by its creamy coconut base and variety of flavors. This vegan coconut ice cream just released its Rockiest Road and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough flavors in early 2017, and they sound too good to pass up. If I try Nada Moo anytime soon, you'll be sure to hear my thoughts!

Snow Monkey:

While Snow Monkey may not be a "vegan ice cream" by the strictest definition, I'd be remiss to not mention this vegan and paleo sorbet. Made with healthy ingredients like puréed fruits, sunflower butter, vegan protein powder and superfoods, I'd be happy to eat this dairy free ice cream for breakfast if I couldn't blend up my own gluten free smoothie bowl. Right now, it comes in two flavors: Cacao and Goji Berry.

Coconut Bliss's Vegan Ice Cream Sandwich:

Last but not least, Coconut Bliss's Vegan Ice Cream Sandwich. This frozen treat - which comes in vanilla or dark chocolate - was just revealed in January, and I almost licked my phone screen when I saw it. I mean, what's better than gluten free chocolate cookies plus super creamy vegan ice cream!?! I've yet to find this gluten free ice cream sandwich in stores, but my Coconut Bliss radar is on!

I got all the details from one of my fave bloggers...

Sure, celiac disease may limit your diet to gluten free foods. However, that doesn't mean you still can't enjoy gluten free and vegan ice cream that tastes like the real thang! In fact, whether you're looking for a nut-based ice cream, a creamy coconut dessert, a low-calorie frozen treat or an epic vegan ice cream sandwich, you can find your perfect match on this list.

Like this post? Then spread the love by tweeting! Just click here: "Kick off #summer with these #glutenfree & #vegan #icecream brands. 100% delicious & #dairyfree! http://bit.ly/2tTOslZ via @collegeceliackc"

And if you don't absolutely love the first brand you try? I suppose you'll just have to keep taste testing on your search for the very best gluten free and vegan ice cream. Oh the hardship!

*This post isn't sponsored; these are just my honest opinions on some of the vegan ice cream brands that I love! As always, make sure to read ingredient labels and use your own judgment on what brands meet your dietary, celiac or food allergy needs.*

What's your favorite brand of gluten free and vegan ice cream? What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

via Blogger http://ift.tt/2uHGQUh

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

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organiclifestylemagazine · 7 years ago

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Make Chocolate Healthy Again: Fast and Easy DIY Homemade Chocolate

Few foods can induce a craving like chocolate. From its aroma to how it melts in your mouth to what it does for your body — the whole experience is heavenly. The effects of chocolate are experienced by everyone, not just chocolate lovers.

In fact, studies have found that the unique smell of chocolate changes our brain activity and makes us more alert. Once the chocolate is consumed, its flavonoids work as prebiotics and improve digestive health. The flavonoids that make it into the blood stream help improve your insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and prevent plaque from building up in your arteries.

Chocolate contains a unique combination of caffeine and theobromine as well. These two work together to protect brain function and improve mood without causing the sleep disturbances or other side effects caused by caffeine consumption.

After reading about all of the good that chocolate can do for us, you may be tempted to head to your corner store and buy some right now. But before you do, it is important to know and understand that most chocolate bars are terrible for your health.

Most Chocolate Bars are Unhealthy

The most popular form of chocolate is milk chocolate. Most milk chocolate bars only contain about 11% cacao with the remaining ~90% of the bar consisting of milk, sugar, and other unhealthy ingredients. If these chocolate bars were named honestly, they’d be called “Chocolate Flavored Sugar-Milk Bars”.

Not so attractive now, huh?

On top of that, the milk binds to cacao antioxidants (including the flavonoids we talked about earlier) and renders them inactive. So when the sugar in the milk chocolate bar spikes your blood sugar and increases inflammation, the flavonoids can’t save you because the milk ingredients made them inactive.

Isn’t Dark Chocolate Healthy?

Most dark chocolate bars are only 60-70% dark chocolate, which means that that the rest of it is made up of processed sugar and other dubious ingredients like soy lecithin and milk solids. Even the 85% or higher dark chocolate bars shouldn’t be considered healthy. They are highly processed and still contain some milk products, sugar, and other additives in an effort to make the chocolate less bitter and more palatable.

If you come across a chocolate bar produced with minimal, unrefined sugar and simple ingredients like cacao and vanilla beans, then at least the chocolate likely has some health benefits — but it will cost you.

These bars are expensive! Plus the processing that they went through before becoming pretty little bars will render some of the antioxidants in the cacao inactive.

After learning all of this, we are left only one good option — to make our own chocolate.

How To Make Your Own Chocolate

That’s right, you can make your own chocolate!

The best part is you won’t need any fancy machinery, and it won’t take up to seven days to make it (like it does in most chocolate factories).

All you need is cacao powder and coconut oil. Look for raw, organic cacao powder for your health, and make sure it’s fair trade for the health of others.

Can’t Eat Chocolate? If you are sensitive to chocolate for any reason or just don’t want the caffeine it comes with, then replace cacao powder with carob powder. The carob-based chocolate will not taste too much like chocolate, but it will make a delicious and healthy snack.

Step 1 — Melt and Mix

Melt the coconut oil in a pan at the low heat. Once the coconut oil is completely liquefied, mix in the same amount of cacao powder until you have a homogeneous chocolate mixture. The lower the heat, the more you preserve the health benefits.

Use a 1:1 ratio of cacao powder to coconut oil.

I recommend starting with a smaller amount like a quarter cup of each. Once you develop a delicious recipe, however, all restrictions are off — make as much chocolate as you want.

Step 2 — Experiment and Solidify

Now that you have your chocolate liquid, turn off the heat source and add in whatever you want to be in your chocolate.

You can put in a sweetener, mix in some nuts and seeds for some crunch, or add in some cinnamon and vanilla powder to make it taste even better. Dried fruit— like dried blueberries, cherries, goji berries, and mulberries — is another ingredient option that will add more flavor and health benefits to your chocolate.

Once you finish mixing in your extra ingredients, pour the mixture into a plate, cookie sheet, or container, and put it in the fridge until it solidifies (2-4 hours).

Step 3 — Eat and Enjoy

Go to the refrigerator, break off a piece of your chocolate, and enjoy.

Why Homemade Chocolate is Much Better Than Store-Bought Chocolate

Although it is easy to make chocolate at home, you may still be tempted to buy the dark chocolate on the grocery store shelves. This homemade variety will not look as “perfect” in that commercial way as store bought chocolate bars. The differing tastes and textures may take some getting used to for some, but it will taste amazing once you get your recipe down, and it will be so much healthier. In fact, if you are a frequent cocoa consumer, you’ll grow to prefer the taste of your homemade chocolate very quickly, and then you will probably despise pretty much everything else out there.

Coconut Oil — One of the Healthiest Sources of Fat

Coconut oil is the perfect fat to use when making chocolate because it solidifies and melts in your mouth like a typical chocolate bar. But this isn’t the only reason why it is part of our chocolate recipe.

Coconut oil has the highest percentage of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) than any other fat source. But MCTs are technically saturated fat, so doesn’t this mean that they are “unhealthy”? This is where some knowledge of biochemistry comes in handy.

There are many different types of saturated fats, and they are processed by the body in different ways. MCTs (fats with 6-12 carbon atoms) are different from the long chain fatty acids (fats with more than 12 carbon atoms). This is because most of the MCTs are transported directly to the liver after digestion rather than flowing throw the lymph system of the body like long chain fatty acids.

Once the MCTs reach the liver they are converted into energy and other metabolites. These metabolites include ketone bodies, which can be used by the brain and heart as an immediate form of energy. The MCTs in coconut oil can also increase your feeling of fullness for a longer period of time.

Related: 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household

Erythritol — The Safest Sugar Alternative?

Erythritol is considered by many to be the safest low-calorie sweetener. It is a sugar alcohol that is less sweet than sugar (70% as sweet as sugar), so it will not stimulate your appetite as much as sweeteners like sucralose (these artificial sweeteners do far more harm than good). There is debate amongst the natural health community, and within this magazine, as to whether or not stevia is a safer choice for most, or if erythritol is a better option. It likely depends on how you use them and your own gut health.

Studies have shown erythritol can cause nausea and stomach discomfort. These side effects were only found in people that consumed 50 grams of erythritol in one sitting.

To give you some context, 50 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of erythritol has the same sweetness as about 40 grams (3 and 1/3 tablespoons) of sugar. This is 16 more grams of sugar than you will find in a typical 1.55 ounce “Sugar Milk Bar with Chocolate Added”. One to two tablespoons of erythritol should be more than enough to make your homemade chocolate more palatable without getting any side effects.

But this doesn’t mean that you should buy any sugar alcohol or any form of erythritol and assume that it will be safe. Other sugar alcohols like xylitol tend to cause more side effects at lower doses than erythritol, and erythritol is commonly made from GMO cornstarch. If you don’t want a dose of negative side effects, GMOs, or pesticides with your sweetener than it is best to use non-GMO erythritol.

I like to use a small amount of erythritol, a tiny bit of stevia, and some raw honey for sweetening. I also like to mix the chocolate with the carob which has a natural sweetness to it. I don’t like it very sweet, and I like to throw in ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and/or other herbs that can help keep the gut balanced. I like my chocolate to have quite a bit of kick to it, just like my smoothies. Be careful and patient with the honey. It’s even easier to cook the benefits out of honey than it is with chocolate. I don’t think erythritol is particularly good for you, and while raw honey has plenty of health benefits, for good health it should be eaten in very small quantities. I find the mix of the three works well for my tastebuds and my body.” – Michael Edwards

The Importance of Raw Organic Cacao Powder

Even if you don’t like the taste of chocolate, you may want to consume cacao powder as a way to reap all of the benefits that we talked about earlier in the article.

To ensure that you get all of the health benefits of cacao, it is best to buy raw organic cacao powder. Quality cacao powder is important because most cacao powders (and the cacao used to make chocolate) are processed with heat and alkali, which destroys cacao’s health-promoting antioxidants.

But what do you do if you want to keep caffeine and chocolate out of your diet?

The Many Benefits of Carob-based Chocolate

Although this article praises the medicinal properties of cacao, this doesn’t mean that you are missing out if you don’t eat it. In fact, carob powder may have even more health benefits than cacao powder. For example, carob powder is most well-known for its anti-diarrhea effects, but that is not all this delicious powder has to offer.

Like cacao powder, carob powder contains many flavonoids. One of the flavonoids it contains is quercetin, which is known to reduce allergy symptoms, prevent heart disease (like cacao’s flavonoids do), and protect against cancer. Carob powder also contains a compound called gallic acid which is known to scavenge free radicals and kill cancer cells.

If you compare these benefits with cacao powder, carob powder looks like it could be the winner here. After weeks of experimenting with using carob powder in smoothies and other recipes (that I usually put cacao powder in), I completely agree. Healthy dark chocolate tends to over-stimulate me, but when I use carob powder instead, I feel more satiated and energetically balanced.