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sockparade · 5 years ago

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tips for surviving the pandemic: things i learned from my immigrant parents

It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a little over a week since the WHO announced that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was officially a pandemic. This has been a long, challenging week for a lot of people and it is nothing short of terrifying to read reports of what is happening in Asia and Europe as many predict that we’ll likely endure a similar fate here in the United States. In the midst of all of this chaos and uncertainty, I’ve been reminded of so many lessons that my Taiwanese immigrant parents taught me. I’m sharing them here so that others might also benefit. Thanks Ma. Thanks Daddy.

你昨天已經出去了.

“You already went out yesterday.“

1. Learn how to stay home. Our family is eight days into self-isolating at home and Tony asked me this morning if I had cabin fever. And strangely, the answer is no. I’m not. Not to downplay the difficulty of this moment but my experience with this “shelter-in-place” ordinance reminds of pretty much all my summers between kindergarten and 8th grade. Both of my parents worked full-time so summer was just three blissful months of nothing. No structure, no plans, no camps, no playdates, and no responsibilities. My parents never made me feel like I was missing a thing by staying home and I don’t remember ever feeling bored. There were always library books to read, stories to write, and thoughts to journal. Hours were spent playing school with my big sister (now a first grade teacher!), making up random games like who can avoid touching the carpet longest, learning Kim Zmeskal’s latest gymnastics floor routine, writing lyrics to Kenny G saxophone solos, and rehearsing for our variety show that we would perform to our tired parents at the end of the day. And that’s not even including the hours we spent watching The Price is Right, CHIPS, Knight Rider, and Airwolf (yep, no cable).

As a teenager I carefully plotted all my hangouts with friends so that I didn’t have too many consecutive days when I was out of the house. Whenever I asked my parents if I could hang out with friends, they would always say, “But you already went out yesterday. What’s wrong with staying home? Why do you always have to go out?” It was as if having too much fun two days in a row was off limits. If there was a big party on Friday, I would purposely make sure I stayed home Wednesday and Thursday just to increase the chances of being able to go out on Friday. I know a lot of people talk about how awful their high school years were but I was one of those lucky kids who had a really great group of friends that made me feel seen, loved, and cared for. The downside was that I couldn’t get enough of it. I was always thinking about the next hangout, the next event, the next thing. It took me all the way until my late twenties to fully appreciate the fine art of staying home and to finish my unexpected transformation into the expert homebody that I am today.

I’m reminded of that old quote by Blaise Pascal, “All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone."

It’s great to be out and about, but it’s also really important to learn how to stay home.

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晚上要吃什麼？清冰箱.

“What are we eating for dinner?” “Cleaning the fridge.”

2. Be creative with what you have. I love food. Not in a foodie sense, but I get a lot of pleasure out of eating. I’m not a food snob by any stretch of the imagination. I thoroughly enjoy a Stouffer’s frozen lasagna or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as much as I enjoy a fancy, inventive, Michelin-starred meal at Commis. What’s hard for me is when food is eaten as sustenance rather than with delight. But my parents taught me that you can always take pride in preparing a meal. No matter your ingredients.

My mom is an excellent cook. I know a lot of people think their mom is a good cook but my mom is legitimately skilled in the kitchen. There were some nights when I’d ask what was for dinner and my mom would just reply, “Cleaning the fridge.”

Now for some, this might sound terrifying. But my mom could honestly make something out of nothing. I still crave my dad’s simple egg and garlic fried rice. My parents raised me to be able to make an tasty meal just from rummaging in the pantry and fridge for random leftover things. There were plenty of summers where lunches and snacks were an individual culinary adventure for each of us kids. I still remember the day I witnessed my baby sister add a Kraft single on top of her onion ramen noodles. She saw my confusion, shrugged and said, “You should try it, it’s good.”

With all the hoarding folks have been doing during this pandemic, I’ve found myself feeling quite anxious. Trying to calculate if we have enough food. Estimating how many more meals we can eat at home before we need to make another grocery run. As someone who struggles with a scarcity mentality it has been hard not to panic. But then I keep reminding myself that I know how to make good food using just whatever’s available.

You know, I was pretty disappointed with Mary H.K. Choi’s second novel, Permanent Record, given how much I enjoyed her debut novel, Emergency Contact. But I was absolutely thrilled with the shine she gave to what her protagonist calls “Hot Snacks”.

Here’s an excerpt from Permanent Record that is a beautiful ode to creative food mashups and immigrant kids everywhere:

“I edit and post a Shin Ramyun Black video set to music. My favorite instant noodles with three flavor packets and so much garlic. It’s a classic Korean HotSnack, especially when you throw in cut-up hot dogs, frozen dumplings, extra kimchi - and this is where the artistry comes in- eggs, cheese, corn from a can, and a drizzle of sesame oil on top. And furikake if you’re feeling wealthy. The next night I put up a bacon, egg, and cheese not in a bagel but in a glazed honey bun. Laced with sriracha and pan fried on the outside. Then it’s chilaquiles with Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and chorizo. Jamaican beef patty casserole disrespected with a smothering of Japanese curry and broiled. With Crystal Hot Sauce over the top and pickled banana peppers. I’m trolling with that one but the controversy is berserk. When I run out of old videos, I make saag paneer naanchos with Trader Joe’s frozen Indian food, and it’s a hit. Especially when I add yogurt and a thick layer of crushed-up Takis on top.”

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看連續劇.

“Watch soap operas.”

3. Find a way to escape. I’m generally pro technology but I’ll admit I’m a little bummed at the way iPhones and iPads have made TV viewing such an individual activity. I like how Disney+ has gotten some families back to watching TV together again. Although I will say, we really coddle our kids these days. I grew up in a time when movie ratings only applied in the theaters and we watched movies with our families like Alien, The Fly, and Gremlins. We were scared out of our minds and sometimes could only watch through the cracks between our fingers covering our eyes because it was so scary. Okay, this also might be why I can’t watch horror movies as an adult.

From a young age, my parents taught me that watching other people’s drama unfold on screen is one of the best way to escape your own drama. Some people say binge watching became a thing when the TV networks started releasing shows on DVD. Others give credit to Netflix releasing their original content a whole season at a time. But truth be told, I first learned how to binge watch from my parents.

We would rent 30-40 VHS cassette tapes from that random spot in Bellaire Chinatown. Can you picture it? You needed multiple plastic bags to transport that many VHS tapes.

Do you remember the one about the dying mother who needed to find homes for each of her 7 children? I don’t think it’s normal for a 10 year old to cry so much but you better believe it’s made me learn the true value of a soap opera escape hatch.

Are you in a pandemic? Now’s the perfect time to pick up that YA novel, binge that reality show, start that kdrama, or rewatch all six seasons of The Sopranos again.

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下個��拜會下雨.

“It’s going to rain next week.”

4. Be informed about what’s ahead. If you ask either of my parents about the weather at any given time they can reliably tell you the daily percent chance of precipitation and humidity for at least seven days out. They’ve always been this way. They would inform me of the weather at various points throughout the week. They planned their yard work and car washes around the weather forecast. There’s something about the way the weather forecast is available to everyone. And it feels like it’s just a matter of making the small extra effort to access it and gain a slight advantage. I feel like so much of the immigrant mentality is to be diligent in making the right choices to not screw yourself over and seizing opportunities whenever you can. And it wasn’t just weather but this is such an obvious example of it.

I remember my dad saying to me once, "Can you imagine if someone decided to read every book in their local library? If they just went shelf by shelf and systematically read all the books? You could do it, you know. It’s free, it doesn’t cost any money to check out a book from the library. But no one really does it.”

I think immigrant parents get a bad reputation for forwarding chain letters and health/science hoaxes they get on email, WeChat and Line. And in a pandemic, yes, they are definitely susceptible to misinformation, rumors and flat out untruths. But the thought behind it seems right.

The mistrust of government leadership is actually quite relevant right now in this pandemic. Many immigrants left countries with governments that were overtly corrupt, oppressive, and used propaganda to influence its citizens. And while many Americans still take pride in living in a country that verbally champions freedom and democracy, the truth is that our government has already failed us and lied to us in many ways. During this pandemic, we cannot wait on leaders to tell us what to do. We must be diligent in reading for ourselves, seeking experts, using our critical thinking skills, and making preparations accordingly.

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會不會冷?

“Are you cold?”

5. Check in with yourself. Check in with others. I have so many memories of my parents walking through the living room and asking me and my sisters if we were cold. It felt like they couldn’t walk past the thermostat without asking us if they needed to raise it or lower it. As if they couldn’t hear us sneeze and wonder if they needed to turn off the ceiling fan. They couldn’t see us sitting in a dim room without turning on a light for us. There are so many times I fell asleep reading on the couch and woke up with a blanket over me. Or sometimes I was fully awake doing something random, like playing Egyptian Rat Screw with my sisters (a cardgame for the uninitiated), and my mom would walk by and wordlessly drop a warm, heavy blanket over my shoulders. That’s care, y’all. Consistent, immediate action, and often without words.

The tip here is to pay attention to your discomfort during a pandemic. There’s this immigrant stereotype of stoicism and that’s true to some degree but maybe the resilience is made possible not because of unnatural toughness but largely because immigrant parents can also be so incredibly perceptive and tender in some very tangible ways.

When everything is chaotic around you and you’re busy multitasking these next few months, don’t ignore your needs. Notice how you’re feeling. Physically and emotionally. Where are you carrying your stress and tension in your body? You don’t have to tough it out. Oh and remember to check in with your people on how they’re feeling. Is there a light switch you can turn on for someone?

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笑死人.

“Laugh to death.”

6. Laugh to survive. Look, we didn’t have the perfect family or anything like that. We’ve definitely had our share of difficult times, financial stress, health issues, arguments, and pain. But my parents also really knew how to laugh and taught us to laugh with abandon. Like, bent over, tears running out of your eyes, can’t breathe kind of laughing. Our dinner table was kind of like a writer’s room. It was difficult to tell a mediocre story. You had better come prepared with a punchline or a point. It was a tough crowd, every night. On many occasions I stopped myself halfway through a story upon the self-realization that there was no real way to land the plane. Polite laughs were nowhere to be found, except perhaps a charitable smile from my baby sister. But it didn’t stop us from trying. I think my sisters and I are all probably better storytellers for it and we definitely have learned to try to bring humor into difficult times.

I know that this pandemic is so incredibly dark and depressing that it can sometimes feel disrespectful, inappropriate, or childish to laugh at anything. But my parents taught me that you laugh to survive. Nothing is ever so dark that you can’t find a reason to laugh. And sometimes you really need to find something to laugh about.

I’ve been taking long breaks each day from major media news outlets but I have been finding such joy and laughter from the meme creators on IG and the comedic geniuses on Twitter. In Taiwanese when something’s really funny, people will say a phrase that is imperfectly translated as laugh to death. Like you killed a person it was so funny. Now’s the time to find that content or those people who will get you to laugh to death.

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我要去挪車.

“I’m going to go re-park the cars.”

7. Go to bed with a plan for the next morning. I grew up in a suburb of Houston, Texas where one property developer built the entire neighborhood and used the same eight or nine floor plans for all the houses but changed up the brick and trim color to keep things interesting. Most homes have a long driveway that connects a garage set near the backdoor of a home to the street. By the time I was driving, we had four cars in total -- two in the garage and two on the driveway. At the end of the day when everyone was home for the night and my dad was getting ready to go to bed, he’d announce, “I’m going to go re-park the cars.” Then we’d all kind of stop what we were doing and rearrange the order of the cars to match our morning departure schedules. This meant figuring out who was leaving when in the morning and sometimes also prompted brief check-in conversations about any changes in our usual routine.

In a pandemic it can sometimes feel like there are a million different things to attend to and large conceptual concerns that demand your attention. But there’s something calming and centering about spending a few minutes each night thinking through specifically what needs to happen just tomorrow. Not the day after or next week. Get super tactical and specific about what tomorrow morning looks like. Check-in with your partner about any aberrations to your schedule (e.g. I have a super important conference call at 7am tomorrow) to minimize any unnecessary surprises. There’s something magical about setting up your morning that helps you rest just a little easier at night.

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星期三我們有禱告會.

“On Wednesdays we have prayer meeting.”

8. Make time for your spirituality. Growing up my parents both had physically demanding jobs. My mom was a seamstress for many years, providing alterations at my aunt and uncle’s dry cleaners. She later worked in an elementary school cafeteria and then eventually became a classroom aide for special needs students. My dad worked at that same dry cleaners for years until he got a job at the post office. He then became a letter carrier, delivering mail on foot. The summer months were especially grueling, carrying a heavy sack of mail in 100 degree, humid weather, and walking until sweat soaked his shirts and blisters formed on his feet. They had every excuse to skip weeknight events. But unless they were sick in bed, I can’t remember a time when they missed their weekly prayer meeting with their friends from church.

Pandemics have an unsettling way of forcing us to confront our mortality and can trigger a bunch of unresolved shit that has been bubbling underneath the surface. We’ve lost some of our usual coping mechanisms and it can be super hard to quiet the anxieties, fears, and other demons that we usually try to keep under control. This isn’t a lecture about a particular faith or belief system. It’s just a reminder to prioritize your existential questions, your interior life, and your connection to things much bigger than yourself -- whether that’s a community, a yoga practice, a faith group, a tradition, or something else.

I have a fledgling meditation practice that I’ve been trying to strengthen since last year. When I say fledgling I mean that sometimes I bail before the ten minutes is up and check my phone. Even though I’m not very good at it yet, I can really tell the difference on the days that I make time for it. Our church started hosting its weekly Sunday service online and that’s challenging for me because a church service feels like it’s designed to be so much about the physical rhythm of going to a place, seeing faces of people I love, hearing their voices co-mingling with mine in song and in prayer, and tasting the bread and wine in my mouth. The online service was short, and just for viewing through a zoom conference call, but there was still something meaningful about setting aside that time Sunday morning, asking our wiggly kids to be present, and saying the liturgy out loud knowing that in homes all across the country, other people are doing the same.

If things are really going to get as bad as some are predicting, we’ll need the spiritual strength to make it to the other side. Those habits are hard to form overnight. My parents taught me that you really have to make the time for your spirituality non-negotiable, so that you won’t abandon it when it’s inconvenient or when you are too tired.

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沒辦法.

“What choice do we have?”

9. Rise to the occasion. Whenever my parents are telling old war stories about things they had to do to get to where they are today, inevitably one of us will say, “Man that’s crazy, how did you manage to do it?” And instead of pointing to some super personality trait of theirs or some complex self-help principle, they always say, “We had no choice.” It’s not said in a defeated way, but in a posture of accepting that life can be cruel, unfair, and capricious. And that it’s not helpful to dwell too long on the why’s and how’s. My parents taught me that you can’t stay in despair mode. You eventually have to push yourself into problem solving mode and you do whatever it takes to move forward.

This coronavirus is so unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime. It is so unprecedented for me that my brain is having a hard time processing the reality of what’s happening right now and the rest of my lived experience. I spent the first few days of this week just being overwhelmed, anxious, angry, and irritable. At this point though, I’m in go mode. I’m doing what needs to be done for our family and taking care of business. What choice do we have? I can hear my parents saying it. One day, if we’re lucky, we’ll say it to our kids too.

#coronavirus #immigrants #immigrant parents #survival tips #advice #covid-19 #pandemic #childhood #lifelessons

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jonasmaurer · 4 years ago

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25 kid-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and dinners

Sharing 25 meals that my kids will eat, no matter what. It’s always hard to find kid-friendly recipes and home runs, so I’m sharing the goods in this post!

Raise your hand if you’re SO sick of cooking right now. I’ve been in a cooking funk for pretty much all of ‘Rona (and yes, I’ve complained about it here on the blog quite a bit. I’m sorry for being a big ol’ whiner.). I think with everything else on the list (distance learning, trying to keep P from injuring herself, trying to shuffle in my own work and workouts amidst the madness), cooking just doesn’t feel like this fun leisure activity I used to enjoy so much. It just feels like a means to an end, and the end consists of me cleaning everything up before starting the process all over again. Thankfully, the girls are awesome eaters and are adventurous, so even when I have one of those clean-out-the-fridge nights to see what happens, they’ll try pretty much everything.

Please keep in mind that I’m not an RD, but here are some of the tips for feeding kiddos that I’ve found helpful:

– Always serve at least one thing you know they love. This way, if they’re not a fan of the meal, there’s something else on their plate that they enjoy. I always try to serve each meal with at least one fruit and one veggie so they’re getting in enough nutrients during the day.

– Encourage a polite bite. They don’t have to eat anything they don’t want to eat or try, but we encourage them to take at least one polite bite. Sometimes that means they end up loving it and finding a new fave!

– Respect kiddos’ intuitive eating. They’re really excellent at listening to their bodies; eating when they’re hungry and stopping when they’re full. We don’t tell them they have to eat “x” amount of bites or clean their plates. If they don’t eat much and I know they’re going to be hungry later, I just pop their dinner in the fridge to heat up if they’re begging me for a bar at 9pm.

– Switch up the greens rotation. It can get so easy to fall into the broccoli, green beans, and zucchini sides for a green vegetable but the girls get sick of them. I try to switch it up by picking up different things (like artichokes, Brussels sprouts, stir fries), making chopped salads with our entree, or the Caesar salad kit from Costco. The girls go crazy for it.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my go-to recipes that are home runs for the whole family. I feel like these are hard to find, so when you find a good recipe your kids love, you definitely want to keep coming back to it. I’d love to hear any of your kids’ favorite meals, too, if you wouldn’t mind sharing in the comments below. We can all share some ideas and inspiration with each other during a kind of blah cooking time.

25 kid-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and dinners

Breakfast:

French toast with berries and sausage. The kids LOVE French toast. They could probably eat it for every meal and be totally happy. I crack two eggs into a bowl and add a splash of coconut milk creamer or almond milk, some vanilla, lots of cinnamon, and nutmeg. I dip each slice of Dave’s Killer Bread (or brioche if I’m feeling fancy) into the egg mixture and cook on the electric griddle. I add more cinnamon before flipping. The kids have gotten really used to having French toast or pancakes most days of the week since we’ve all been home, but for busy school mornings, I make extra servings over the weekend and freeze them to heat when we’re in a rush.

Chia pudding with banana and peanut butter. This is an awesome make-ahead breakfast. I just add a cup and a half of almond milk to a jar, along with 4 tablespoons of chia seeds, lots of cinnamon, and some maple syrup to sweeten. I stir and let it sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, I put it into two bowls and top with sliced bananas, peanut butter, cinnamon, and honey.

Avocado toast with a scrambled egg. I make sourdough over the weekends and freeze it to enjoy during the week. In the morning, I pop the bread into the toaster and then top each slice with mashed avocado, sea salt, and lemon juice, and serve with a side of scrambled eggs.

Egg burritos. Another fave on-the-go breakfast. I just scramble 3 eggs on the stovetop and add a handful of shredded cheese to the eggs when they’re done cooking. I spread butter onto warm tortillas, top with eggs, and roll up. If we take them with us in the car, I wrap each burrito in a paper towel and then foil so it stays warm until we leave.

Pancakes (of course) with turkey bacon or scrambled eggs. This is our go-to pancake recipe! Like most things, I make a ton and freeze them.

Smoothies! The girls LOVE smoothies for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack. If I’m making them on the fly, I’ll add almond milk, frozen bananas, frozen fruit, spinach, chia, MCT oil, honey, and peanut butter. Otherwise, they really love the Daily Harvest smoothies (code FITNESSISTA gets you $25 off your first box!).

Lunch:

Bagel with cream cheese, sliced apples, and veggies with hummus.

Turkey sandwich with cheese on Dave’s Killer Bread with Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing and cheddar.

Omelette with cheddar and a side of leftover veggies from dinner the night before, and jelly toast

Pizza on an english muffin. Even better = Papa John’s pizza. Let’s be real here.

Grilled cheese with sliced apples, and veggies with ranch or hummus.

Tuna salad with Simple Mills crackers and sliced avocado. This is my go-to tuna salad recipe.

Nachos!! Chips, top with cheese, melt in the microwave. Add black beans, salsa, guacamole, and boom. Lunch is served.

Dinners:

Egg roll in a bowl

Sushi roll bowl. This is one of our family’s very favorite easy dinners! SO satisfying and quick.

Ina Garten’s lasagna. This one is a bit more labor-intensive but a huge hit. It really is the best lasagna.

Super cheesy chicken enchiladas (I serve these with beans and rice).

Chicken and broccoli casserole with a side salad. <— I mentioned above that the girls LOVE Caesar salads so I’ve been buying the salad kits at Costco. Bonus: it takes 5 minutes to put together.

Steak, roasted asparagus and baked potatoes. The Pilot makes awesome steak on the grill and we all go crazy for it. (I have red meat once every couple of months or so.)

Turkey meatloaf with sweet potato fries and a salad.

Turkey chili with cornbread. I top the chili with cheese, avocado, and lime juice.

Chicken tortilla soup with avocado, lime juice, and sour cream.

This chicken and veggie soup with a piece of sourdough.

Any type of stir fry. I recently got one from Trader Joe’s that had tons of veggies and chickpeas, and sautéed it on the stove with red onion, salt and pepper. I added shrimp to the mixture to cook, and poured some Primal Kitchen teriyaki sauce on top. Everything was served on top of rice (cooked in the Instant Pot). It was awesome!

Easy pasta dish. While Banza pasta boils, I’ll take chicken sausage and sauté it on the stove with garlic, spinach, and add sun-dried tomatoes. When it’s done, I’ll add Banza pasta, some butter, and parmesan. It’s SO easy (like 15 minutes!) and the girls go crazy for it.

Some of their favorite snacks:

Perfect Bars (or any bars really).

Jerky. They especially love these maple jerky sticks.

Any fruit. I try to switch it up each week! We always have bananas, berries, apples, and usually grapes on hand, but I try to get at least one or two different things each week, like cantaloupe, watermelon, pomegranate arils, persimmon, pears, peaches, whatever the market has that looks good.

Applesauce pouches. I get the giant box of organic pouches from Costco.

Hard-boiled eggs.

Energy balls. You can play around with flavor variations depending on what you have in the pantry.

The infamous snack plate. This is a beloved afternoon snack and is like a kids’ version of a charcuterie board. I’l just add a bunch of snacks to one large plate and they’ll share while they play outside or watch a show. It usually has chopped bars, sliced fruit, berries, cheese, jerky, pretzels, trail mix, pickles, whatever I have on hand.

So there ya go! Some of the girls’ very favorite meals. I’d love to hear your family favorites and take all the inspiration I can get! Please share your faves in the comments below.

Gina

My go-to healthy breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are here.

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shark-myths · 8 years ago

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I was tagged by @beckettsthoughts, which, thank you. <3 <3 <3

RULES: Always post the rules. Answer the questions asked, then write 11 new ones. Tag 11 people to answer your questions, as well as the person who tagged you.

THEIR QUESTIONS

1. What is something you’ve seen in person that you never thought you’d see in person? (E.g. rare or bizarre wildlife, a dream destination, a celebrity)

Literally in a parking lot I saw a raven using salsa. It was dipping its fucking parking lot scavenge food in a little paper cup of SALSA. What the ACTUAL fuck???

2. What book/movie do you keep saying you want to read/watch but know you probably never will?

Let’s be real, I am never going to get through The Silmarillion, I am a low person of low quality

3. What song will you forever associate with school dances or discos?

GET LOW! And also, um, the Cha-Cha Slide. I’m old.

4. What’s your favourite supermarket to shop at? Why is it better than all the others?

Trader Joe’s. It is the fucking best in all ways. They have a lot of random delicious items that I’m in love with, they have the best chocolate, they have my favorite wine and it’s under $4 a bottle, they have dorky cute house brands like “Trader Jose’s�� for their Mexican food, I like their red quinoa and dried pineapple and sweetened coconut chips and maple cookies, and there are always samples and you can get produce there that actually has flavor, is affordable, and is not ROTTEN like all the produce in Mississippi. Also a favorite is ALDI, which is super cheap and offers pantry staples $2-3 cheaper than anywhere else and has a lot of types of food that are no longer accessible to me now that we live somewhere without one—like, who can pay $8 for a pack of pancetta for her pizza sauce? Not this dude. At ALDI that shit was $3. The working poor need dried Italian meats too.

5. Do you have any local myths or legends?

CUBA ROAD. It was just this creepy road and if you went down it at midnight you would like, either not come back at all or come back horribly changed. It was Haunted. No one I know who braved it ever saw anything but I also only knew like, one person who dared try. I certainly didn’t.

6. How did you meet your best friend?

ON THE INTERNET READING FANFICTION, that’s actually how I meet almost all of my significant relationships. not even joking. I just give my home address and phone number to strangers on the internet, it’s been working out pretty well the past 14 years

7. Think of the best teacher you ever had at school, what were they like and why were they the best?

to be honest with you, I have completed 24 years of formal fucking education and I have had so many teachers, trying to pick the best one is shredding my heart! I had one teacher for Anatomy who was really passionate and gave us these embarrassing activities like doing autopsies on pickles (she had dressed them up and given them wounds, like toothpick splinters and ball-bearing bullets) and hypothesizing about cause of death; I had an amazing ball-buster history teacher who yelled at me in class once for working on homework for another teacher and from that moment on I adored her; I had a really intelligent professor with really high standards who taught psychopharmacology and I worked the hardest I ever have to do well in his class because I respected him so much; I had a really excitable professor from Luxemborg who I took a “gender benders” in lit and history class with who was amazing and kind to me even though at that point I was too anxious to ever speak; I recently took Medical Anthropology with a greek woman who shouted about politics and biomedicine daily and just thinks about things as a hobby and I want to be her when I grow up and she let me write my entire term paper on how mad I was at sexism in my field of study.

The trends in what I like are: passion/enthusiasm; having high standards; not being nice to me to try to get me to like them. because I’m broken in strange and interesting way the quickest thing a teacher can do to lose my respect is try to make me like them. Like, be kind of a dick to me and then praise me for killing myself on papers to win your approval, that’s all I want.

8. Have you ever had any funny holiday/vacation mishaps?

once when I was interviewing for a graduate school program I was given a hotel room by the school, which was pretty decent of them—they had this weird on-site hotel—and I was all prepared to settle in, had my shit spread all over both beds, when in came the OTHER APPLICANT I was apparently sharing the room with. This was terribly embarrassing. I had an anxiety disorder at the time, was easily embarrassed & soooooo behaviorally inhibited. Anyway, long story short, I forgot to pack pajamas so instead of saying that like a normal person, I just… pretended really casually like I always slept in the same sweater I’d worn all day and wormed out of my jeans under the covers

9. Speaking of holidays and vacations, what are the best and worst holidays you’ve ever been on?

best: the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for my honeymoon, a spring break trip to Toronto, a wedding in Martha’s Vineyard, going to Boulder for the first time and spending a week with @simplydalektable and the way everything was made of sunshine and gold and I didn’t need food or sleep or anything but her

worst: when I was 15 and my parents took me and my half-brothers to a remote cabin in the wilderness with no internet and it was during the days when texting and phone calls like, existed but you had to pay tremendously to enjoy them so they were Outlawed and everyone was tense and mad at each other and bored because like, we are not equipped to socialize who would think locking us all into one room was a good idea; once when I was depressed at Disney World with my mom and all I could think about was how I was supposed to enjoy it more and everyone was mad at me because I was an Angsty Adolescent; these are pretty mild horrors, my life is pretty good

10. Do you collect anything? Did you collect anything when you were younger?

I used to collect comic books with great seriousness! Now I collect band shit and copies of Lord of the Rings, my favorite anything ever. I have 4 editions currently, which is not nearly enough. I collect books in general with fervency.

11. What led you create a tumblr blog, however long ago that may be?

oh my god this is the most me thing ever, but there was an art festival in the town I was living in and some old fucking white dude entered a project that was Commentary On The Youths or some shit and used the selfies of young girls that he took from the internet to criticize millennials for being shallow???? Like, that is a form of cultural appropriation, these girls are growing up in a society that allows them some modicum of control over their own image and they’re using it to explore and define themselves and own their own selves for one fucking moment in their lives, and You, some Gross Old Dude, are just putting your slimy hands in there and like, trying to make a Point about something you can’t possibly understand????? And I was so angry I decided I was going to do my OWN selfie project (I’m in year 2 now; I was daily in year 1 but I’ve been slacking the last six months), so I made this blog, and for the first year I used it only for posting my daily selfies. like every fucking other thing in my life, I created this blog out of pure rage. (someday I will tell you the story of how I became so mad at the field of clinical psychology that I decided to become a clinical psychologist, and somehow powered through 8 years of torturous education on that anger alone)

And for the second part of this, I tag @xabjectlessonsx @crhiscornell @syndestruction @time-less @immoral-crow @we-are-the-weirdos-mister @oceanjade345 and any of you lovelies who would like to!

MY QUESTIONS

1. What is the sickest you’ve ever been and why?

2. What is your favorite thing to drink?

3. What song do you use to deal with your emotions? How does it work—does it suppress them or let you express them?

4. If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, it would be:

5. Favorite myth, legend, or fairy tale?

6. If you had a perfectly self-centered wish you could make, what would you wish for?

7. Tell me about your pets.

8. In your opinion, what is the most perfect record ever made? (Doesn’t have to be your favorite)

9. What’s your favorite thing about space?

10. What are you nostalgic for?

11. List 5 words you think everyone should start using more.

#ask #ask meme #about me #tag a friend

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cookinginmyheels · 6 years ago

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I’ve been watching the Oscars since Bob Hope hosted them. That’s a very long time. However, my first “Oscar Party”, was only about 18 years ago. Hosted by my dear friends and NYC neighbors Lynn and Lee, the evening was sure to be filled with great food and drink (often with Lee’s famous margaritas), and cast with friends and neighbors from all across the Tri-State area.

When I left Chelsea and moved westward, I assumed Academy Award watching with friends, food and cocktails would continue, but soon discovered I was wrong. While the Oscars, or rather watching the often cheesy and cringe-inspiring broadcast was an annual event in my world, it wasn’t everywhere.

So what do you do when you are just itching to see sparkles, tuxedos with trains, rambling speeches and the visible effects of botulism toxin injected into foreheads? Host your own Oscar Party! Which is exactly what I’ve done the last few years.

2019’s signature cocktail – the Kir Royale

Oscar parties, like Super Bowl parties and other viewing event gatherings are some of the easiest things to host in my view. That’s because the entertainment portion of the evening is a given, and all you have to do is provide tasty treats for folks to shovel into themselves in between cheering, groaning, etc. Sometimes I’ll just make a dessert and maybe signature cocktail, and do the rest pot-luck or pizza delivery. Everyone is still going to have a good time.

My approach to the Oscar Party is pretty straight forward: make something a few days ahead that will only get better over time; make sure it is easily balance on lap in front of the screen (so as few utensils needed as possible); and “lite” or “heart friendly” is not an option. Let’s face it – what could be better than chowing down on mac and cheese, chili or BBQ brisket sliders while watching all those rich pretty folk who haven’t eaten for days so they can fit into that dress or tux? And speaking of fitting into that dress, this year’s party had an added feature which will probably be part of my annual event tradition now on.

I had cleared out my closets a few weeks before Oscar Night, so I invited my guests to do the same and bring with on Sunday night. After a rousing game of Oscar Bingo, my living room turned into a fashion swap-meet. Dull moments in the broadcast were replaced with “that would look AWESOME on you” and “this would go great with something I just bought!” Best of all, at the end of the night 9 BIG bags of clothing and accessories made their way to an awesome local charity’s thrift shop.

By the time everyone went home that night, they not only had some dessert in a doggy bag, they had a new outfit too! I’m not sure what I’ll serve next year, but the party will be re-named the What Were You Wearing Party from now on!

Red Carpet Time!

My Oscar night menu incorporated ease, fun, cheese and chocolate (as every good menu should!) I started with a baked brie with tangy jam and pecans for the cheese category, and for fun, indian-spiced popcorn in individual boxes, seasoned with garam masala, cumin, chili, salt and brown sugar.

The main event was BBQ Brisket Sliders, a terrific recipe that cooks low and slow in the crockpot the day before, my go-to Rat Bastard Mac and Cheese, and a tangy coleslaw (with pickle juice and horseradish).

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

The evening ended with three different cookies, all of which feature make-ahead dough that you park in the freezer and pull out when you are ready to bake.

World Peace Cookies

Salted Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies

Dark Chocolate Bark

Finally, since no Oscar event is complete without a goody-bag, I made some quick and easy chocolate bark with almonds, pistachio, dried cherries, and candied ginger and orange peel. Basically I used up all the odds and ends from my holiday baking, chopped and sprinkled over melted dark chocolate. Heaven!

Hope you give some (or all) of these recipes a try for your next Oscar party, friend’s movie night, or living room swap meet! Enjoy! 🙂

Oscar Party Menu

Baked Brie with Cherry and Black Current Jam and Pecans

Masala Popcorn

Slow Cooker BBQ Brisket

Light Brioche Rolls (I like to make these since I find them very easy, but feel free to buy your favorite slider rolls and save this step)

Rat Bastard Mac and Cheese

Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

World Peace Cookies

Chocolate Chip Salted Shortbread Cookies

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies

Chocolate Bark

Masala Popcorn

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Masala Seasoning

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon garam masala powder (I found a nice brand in Whole Foods)

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

If you have a hot air popper, you can make the popcorn in that, but you don’t need to run out a buy one. It’s actually very easy to make popcorn in a heavy pot with a good lid on your stove top.

Heat the oil in a medium size pot or deep pan (about 4 quarts or larger – one that comes with a lid) over medium heat until it is melted. Add the popcorn and cover with lid. DO NOT WALK AWAY. When you hear the corn start popping, shake the pan every few seconds so the kernels are evenly distributed. It should only take about a minute or two for all the kernels to pop. When the popping starts to slow, turn off the heat, but still keep the pot covered and keep shaking.

When the popcorn finishes popping transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add all the ingredients for the masala seasoning into a small pot over low heat, and stir to combine. When the butter is melted and everything looks incorporated, turn the heat off and immediately pour over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is evenly coated. It’s VERY important to make the seasoning AFTER you’ve made the popcorn, and use right away.. If this stuff sits it separates and congeals and will not coat anything.

Baked Brie

This is pretty much the easiest recipe of the bunch. Take a wheel of brie and slice the top rind off. Place in an oven-safe baking dish (you may want to butter or spray the dish so clean up is easy), top with your favorite jam (a tart jam like sour cherry, raspberry or apricot works best) and nuts, cover and bake at 350F until it’s gooey. Serve with crackers or toast for dipping.

Creamy Coleslaw Dressing

This makes enough to dress two bags of coleslaw mix (take this short cut – it’s a good one), or about 8-10 cups of raw shredded cabbage and carrots. I like to dress half the cabbage, saving half the dressing for later, and let it sit overnight. About an hour before serving, add in the rest of the cabbage and dressing and toss.

Chocolate Bark

This is one of my favorite things to give as gifts around the holidays, or when you just want a little treat for your friends.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Melt 8 or more ounces of your favorite chocolate (I like doing this with 72% bittersweet from Trader Joe’s) over a double boiler. While the chocolate is melting, chop up an assortment of roasted nuts and dried fruits. I like some salted nuts (like pistachios), some unsalted (almonds), dried cherries, sultanas (golden raisins), candies orange peel and candied ginger.

Pour the melted chocolate onto the lined pan and spread out so it is about 1/4-1/8″ thick. Sprinkled the chopped nuts and fruit over the melted chocolate (be generous). Let chill until the chocolate has hardened, then break up or cut up into pieces.

If you like what you read here, please help me spread the word. Meantime, I’d love you to join me on Facebook (please click the ‘like’ button.)

DWF: Oscar Night: The “What Were You Wearing” Party I've been watching the Oscars since Bob Hope hosted them. That's a very long time. However, my first "Oscar Party", was only about 18 years ago.

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wholemadison · 7 years ago

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1. Apples + Lime

One of my favorite snacks of all time. Lime juice makes apple slices taste AMAZING and it also protects the apples from browning.

2. Plantain Chips + Salsa

I read a post that said plantain chips from Trader Joe’s are whole30 compliant. I immediately went out and bought some. They’re strangely good. The trick is to not eat too many of them.

3. Plantain Chips + Guacamole

Especially difficult when guacamole is involved! This is a great option if you have to bring yourself a snack for a party.

4. Mixed Nuts + Salami

A winning combination. Really good for the afternoon slump when you need a bit of protein to power through. You have to make sure you find compliant salami.

5. Frozen Peaches

I have become obsessed with frozen peaches. I will eat a whole bowl of them at night for dessert or in the afternoon when I need a pick me up. It’s impossible to eat them very fast and I like that the coldness slows me down.

6. Banana Apple Almond Butter Bowl

This is one of my favorite combinations right now. It’s now become one of my go-to breakfasts. I cut up bananas and apples and drizzle almond butter on top. I finish with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes. The textures are really good together. I love it.

7. Apples + Cinnamon

Another winning combo if your sweet tooth is ACTIVATED.

The cinnamon brings the sweetness out in the apple.

8. Avocado Sushi Bites

Seaweed with avocado, carrots and sesame seeds with hot sauce. Sriracha has sugar in it So you could use wasabi for some kick.

Really good if you’re craving sushi. Add some fish or cucumber!

9. Ants on a Log

You can have any nut butter that’s not peanut butter on Whole30. Here I made the classic ants on a log with celery, almond butter & raisins. Hello, childhood snack.

10. Salt & Vinegar Potato Salad

It’s awesome that you can have potatoes on whole30.

Here’s my salt & vinegar potato salad. I add herbs to make it even more flavorful.

11. Broccolini Salad

If you ever have any leftover vegetables, eat them as a salad. Here I tossed broccolini with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper. If you let it sit overnight the vegetables will soak up the vinegar. It’s sooooo good. I also do this with green beans and regular broccoli.

12. Sweet Potato Banana Bowl

This is another great breakfast option. Take a baked potato and fill it with sliced bananas, almond butter and finish with cinnamon. I’d throw in some coconut if I was you.

13. Prosciutto + Fruit

Nuff said. I like prosciutto with apples more than cantaloupe. Sometimes I mix a bite with dried apricots and almonds.

14. Carrots + Almond Butter+Cayenne

Sounds weird but it’s actually good.

15. Apple Cinnamon “Oatmeal”

Here’s the recipe. It’s so good for breakfast or cold as an afternoon snack. I made this twice during my whole30. Loved it.

16. DIY Trail mix

We now keep a giant jar of trail mix on the container. It’s a a great way for me to grab a quick snack on the go. I have a handful of trail mix and a banana for breakfast when I’m too busy to sit down.

17. Seasonal Fruit Salad

Persimmons are in season right now. Same with pomegranate! Throw in some green grapes (another favorite snack) and make a quick fruit salad. Give it a squeeze of lemon or lime. Enjoy.

18. Coconut Date Rolls

I keep these in the freezer in those break in case of emergency moments when I need something sweet. When you keep them in the freezer the texture changes…they’re harder and chewier and I like that in a snack. Here’s the recipe.

19. Bananas Coconut Cream + Coconut

You can make coconut cream so easily. Unfortunately you can’t use sugar or agave on the whole30. BUT! It’s not really that missed when you make it on its own and serve it with fruit.

20. Mango with Chili Powder + Lime

Mmmmm. Try not to think about margaritas as you eat this.

21. Blistered Shishito Peppers

Throw some of these peppers in a skillet with olive oil, salt & pepper. I could eat at least a pound of them!

22. Sweet Potato Coconut Butter + Curry

Another good way to enjoy a sweet potato. Stir in some coconut butter and a little bit of curry powder. Season with salt. YUM.

You could also omit the curry powder and make it sweet with cinnamon.

23. Hardboiled Eggs + Bacon Bits

I totally forgot about hard-boiled eggs this round of Whole30. Next time I am going to add more to salads. Especially with bacon bits.

24. Turkey Lettuce Sandwiches

For those times when you really miss sandwiches…Use a lettuce wrap! I actually really enjoyed eating turkey on lettuce with mustard and dill sauerkraut. Sounds weird but it was goooood.

25. Walnut Stuffed Figs

Sweet/savory/nutty/portable

26. Berries + Coconut Milk

Mix berries with coconut milk! You can do this with frozen berries too. It’s really good. And if you’re not into coconut milk, use almond milk.

27. Larabar

For those times when you’re out & about and you forgot to pack a snack, grab a bar. My current favorite is the pumpkin pie larabar.

It’s really good with a cup of my favorite tea.

28. Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad

Take a little apple cider vinegar and toss it with cucumber slices. Season with toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil and you have a quick pickled cucumber salad. I normally use rice wine vinegar for this but I am not sure it’s compliant.

29. Cucumber Cantaloupe Salad

Another refreshing snack that will make you feel good when you finish that last bite. Cut up cucumber is mixed with cantaloupe, chopped mint and finished with a squeeze of lime.

30. Dried Fruit

I love the dried peaches & apples at Trader Joe’s. I love to end a meal with a few pieces. It’s like having a fruit roll-up.

#snack

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unwritrecipes · 7 years ago

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Sesame Chicken Noodles (and some pantry talk too!)

Though it may not seem so at first glance, there's a huge lesson to be learned from this picture. What you ask? Does she have to be so cryptic? It's Monday morning and I can barely think straight, let alone decipher her forkful-of-pasta photo. Ok guys, sorry for all the drama. Here's my riveting little tidbit for the new week and it's really nothing new (back when stores kept normal hours, this is something our grandmas all did)--If you keep a well-stocked pantry and fridge, on any given night, you can whip up a nutritious, delicious and even out-of-the-ordinary dish in less than an hour! Yup, that's right. That forkful of pasta coated in a spicy, peanutty sauce with strips of white meat chicken and some scattered scallions is really saying, "look at how organized I am!" That's because this wonderful one-bowl, Asian-inspired pasta dish is entirely made with ingredients that you can keep on hand in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Imagine it's 5:00 pm and you have no idea what dinner will be but the natives are getting restless and you know it's going to get ugly if there is not a meal on the table within the hour. Now imagine opening up your pantry and fridge, doing a little bit of chopping and measuring and serving them up a plate of this deliciousness in under an hour. Can you hear the cheers? Can you feel that smug smile stretching across your face? I promise it can be done with one good trip to the market to cover your bases. "I could make this if only I had some________in the house!" will escape your lips less and less. How's that for some Monday morning inspiration?!!

The picture above is my new pantry from our kitchen redo and I purposely had it designed into blocks so that I would keep my famous shoving-to-the-back-impulse at a minimum. I also like the blocks because I can keep my ingredients sorted by category, you know, one square for oils, vinegars and sauces, one for canned goods, one for flours, one for sugars and a large one for chocolate, ha ha!! Now, I realize that not everyone has a big pantry or lots of cupboards where they can store ingredients, but if you can find a way to keep things stocked even just a little bit, it'll make your life so-o-o-o much easier because the beauty of most of these sauces, vinegars, oils, pastas etc. is that they rarely spoil or need replacing other than when you use them up (that doesn't go for spices though--spices need to be replaced about once a year, I believe). Plus, I find that when I purchase off-the-beaten-path ingredients for us like for example, tahini, which figures largely in this recipe, I'm more apt to turn to other new recipes that make use of them since I already have them on hand. Whew! Sorry for the rather long-winded explanation! If you're already a model of preparedness and organization, ignore what's below and skip down to the recipe. But for the rest of you, here's what I basically keep on hand at home:

OILS

Canola, Vegetable, Peanut, Safflower Olive, Coconut, Sesame and Toasted Sesame (I like the Trader Joe's brand), Nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Things like walnut or other nut oils that spoil more easily should only be bought on an "as needed" basis.

VINEGARS

Balsamic, Red Wine, Apple Cider, White, White Wine, Sherry, Rice, Champagne, Malt

CONDIMENTS & SAUCES

Soy Sauce (I always buy low sodium), Mirin, Chili Oil, Hot Sauce, Chili Sauce, Sriracha, Ketchup, Mustard (regular brown, yellow and Dijon), Mayonnaise ( I buy light), Salsa, Tomato sauce

NUTS & NUT BUTTERS

I keep all nuts in the freezer to help keep them fresh and we eat a lot of nuts so I usually have Trader Joe's toasted slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans and shelled pistachios on hand. As far as nut butters, the natural peanut butter gets stored in the fridge after opening. All others get stored in pantry and they are: regular peanut butter like Skippy or Jiff, Almond butter and Tahini.

CANNED AND JARRED GOODS

Chickpeas, Black and Red beans, Baked Beans, Diced tomatoes, Whole tomatoes, any fruit (like pineapple), Chicken/beef/vegetable broth, Pickles, Applesauce, Tomato Paste

STARCHES & GRAINS

Dried pastas, Rice (long grain, brown, basmati, arborio, wild), Barley (pearl and quick cooking), Quinoa, Couscous (Israeli and regular), Polenta, Breadcrumbs (plain & Italian), Panko, Oats (Old-Fashioned and Steel Cut), your favorite cereals, your favorite bread

SPICES & EXTRACTS

Kosher salt, regular salt, fine sea salt, flour de sel, black and white pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, bay leaves, paprika, parsley flakes, dry mustard, basil, curry powder, sesame seeds, chili powder, oregano, hot pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg (I don't like the last 3 but they are considered pantry staples), cream of tartar, espresso powder, vanilla extract, vanilla beans, almond extract

FLOURS

I really like the King Arthur brand and I use their All-purpose white, wheat, white whole wheat, bread, cake and self-rising exclusively, Cornmeal (yellow and white), Gluten-free if you need it. I keep pastry flour and whole wheat pastry flour on hand as well as wheat bran, wheat germ and rye flour on hand but these are not necessary unless you really bake a lot.

SUGARS & SWEETENERS

Granulated, Brown (light and dark), Demerara (also known as sanding sugar) , Confectioners', Corn Syrup (light and dark), Molasses, Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, Agave

OTHER BAKING ESSENTIALS

Baking Powder, Baking Soda (replace every 6 months) Cornstarch, Malt Powder, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Graham Cracker Crumbs, Marshmallows, Shredded Coconut (sweetened and unsweetened), Cocoa Powder (regular and Dutch-processed), baking chocolate (unsweetened, semisweet, bittersweet and white--I like Trader Joe's large bars for taste and economy), chocolate chips-mainly Ghiradhelli but Nestle is good too (semisweet and bittersweet and mini), cupcake liners, dried fruits like raisins (dark and yellow), currants, dried cranberries etc, yeast

REFRIGERATOR STAPLES

Sticks of unsalted butter, cream cheese, sour cream (regular and light) , Milk, Large Eggs, Yogurt (for eating and baking with, I usually keep Greek and regular on hand), a hunk of Parmesan cheese for grating, Cheddar or other favorite hard cheeses, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Lemons, Limes, Apples

FREEZER STAPLES

Frozen veggies, Chicken breasts that can be quickly defrosted, Ice Cream and Sorbet, of course!

This is by no means a comprehensive list and I'm sure there are lots of things I've left out that you consider absolutes. In any case, hope this helps and makes it whole lots easier to whip up delicious stuff without last minute grocery runs!! And as for this pasta dish, which has gotten rather short shrift today, be sure to give it a try--it's full of spicy, sesame flavor and you'll love the "magic" way the chicken gets cooked!

Now, head to the store to stock up and start making all your kitchen experiences a whole lot more fun!! And let me know what's in your kitchen!!

Sesame Chicken Noodles

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes (but a lot of this is hands-free)

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 ounces dried fettuccine (or other spaghetti-like pasta you like--it's about half a box)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/4 cup tahini

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chili oil (use less if you want less heat)

1 teaspoon honey

2-3 shakes cayenne pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

The Recipe

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water well, add the chicken breast making sure it's submerged in the water, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Let sit about 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. If it's not done enough let it sit covered a few minutes longer. Then remove the chicken and transfer it to a plate but don't throw out the water.

2. Bring the water in the pot back to a full boil over high heat and add the pasta. Cook to al dente according to the package directions. Then drain and rinse the pasta in cold water until cool and pat it dry with paper towels a bit.

3. While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 teaspoon sesame oil, peanut oil, tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, honey, cayenne and garlic until smooth.

4. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with remaining sesame oil. Shred or chop the cooled chicken and add to the bowl. Pour the sauce over everything and toss to coat well. Top with the scallions and serve.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Cravings by Chrissy Teigen.

#Kosher Salt #Chicken Breasts #Fettuccine #Sesame Oil #Peanut Oil #Tahini #Soy Sauce #Red Wine Vinegar #Chili Oil #Honey #Cayenne Pepper #Garlic Cloves #Scallions

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