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edgewaterfarmcsa · 3 years

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FALL CSA WEEK 6

PICK-LIST

SWEET POTATOES - KALE - LETTUCE - CURLY PARSLEY - DELICATA WINTER SQUASH - BROCCOLI - SAVOY CABBAGE - ORNAMENTAL CORN - FENNEL - BOK CHOY - ROMANESCO - RED POTATOES

Ok, now is the time of year where my emotions can really get the best of me and I become very sentimental. This week, the better half of our field crew heads home to Jamaica, and it always makes me a little weepy. Roy, Strong, Ramone, Jasper, and Garnet begin to work with us seasonally starting in May. Their arrival in the Spring marks the beginning of our full bore growing season. Together, we plant, weed, pick, and pack, clean, etc… truly embracing the adage, many hands make light work. And if I knew an old adage about life is better working with people you love, trust, and laugh with, I’d use it here too.

For me personally, this crew makes it possible to farm and parent at the same time. Both the fields and the kiddos demand love and attention. So while Roy, Strong, Ramone, Jasper, and Garnet tend more towards tasks that go into raising good crops, Ray and I (and full disclosure, Grannie Annie (Anne Sprague)) tend more towards the tasks that go into raising (good?) kids.

Also, if you don’t already know, Roy Mitchell in particular, is key in the success of our CSA. He shows up every single Wednesday to assist in the CSA box pack-out. We work together from the start of CSA harvest on Monday to pick-up on Wednesday. After working together for the past 12 years we’ve got our systems in place with potentially too many jokes thrown in along the way. Later today, Roy and I will pack his last CSA box for the year with our Wednesday radio station of choice (97.5 fm) to carry us through.

But it’s mid-November now, and the temps have certainly dropped! By Thursday night these guys will be back in the tropics quarantining until they can step foot into their own homes and reunite with their own families- giving hugs, eating good goat curry and catching up on life. Of course traveling during this time (hello pandemic) feels completely complicated and nothing is without risk, but we are taking all the precautions that we can on our end to get them back home safely. If all goes well- and I have to believe it will- the next 5 or 6 months will move swiftly through winter, into the next growing season and we will all be back in the fields in no time, planting onions, catching up, snacking on donuts, and preparing for the 2021 harvest season.

LASTLY BEFORE WE GET INTO RECIPES, HOT TIPS, ETC….

The final CSA pick up is next week on TUESDAY (this timing should allow for proper Thanksgiving meal prep for all)

HOT TIPS:

KALE SALAD WITH ROASTED SQUASH AND FENNEL

FROM START SIMPLE

The dressing - a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil, plus an optional jolt of ginger- could make anything taste good, and the salad, with its autumnal profile, works just as well in holiday menus as it does in packed weekday lunches… Add some crumbled feta if you’d like a tangy creamy element.

2 cups winter squash cut into bite size pieces

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (optional)

Salt & pepper

1 small fennel, cored

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large bunch of kale (stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425. Spread the squash on a baking sheet, then toss with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool.

Whisk together the remaining1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, and ginger, if using, in a serving bowl. Cut the fennel into thinnest-possible shavings, preferable using a mandoline or, if not, a very sharp knife. Add the fennel and squash to the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, which will soften up the fennel, then add the kale and toss with your hands. Top with cheese if using.

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS

FROM START SIMPLE

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 lime

Preheat the oven to 425.

Using a mandoline, or if you don’t have one, a chef’s knife, slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Place in a large bowl, add the oil, and stir to coat evenly. Arrange on a baking sheet in the best single layer you can manage, then transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and flip, then return to the overn and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until most of the chips are crisp and browned (some take on some black spots; thats fine!). Watch carefully towards the end, as they darken quickly.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes chips and zest lime over everything. Serve while they’re still warm. These are best when eaten within a few hours.

roasted broccoli/romanesco

FROM START SIMPLE

JENNY’S NOTE: I don’t know why it took me so long in life to cook broccoli in the oven (vs. steaming). I feel like I’ve been shown the light, and I am so excited to grow old and spend the next 37 years (more? less?) roasting broccoli. It’s Perfect.

Broccoli/Romanesco

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

Salt

Preheat the oven to 400*

Working close to the stem, cut or snap off large bunches of florets of broccoli or romanesco. Depending on their size, halve or quarter them so that you’ve got a flat surface or two. For the broccoli, use a vegetable peeler or baring knife to remove the thick fibrous skin around the stem, then cut the peeled stem into pieces the same thickness as the florets.

Divide the vegetable between the two baking sheets, then drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then transfer to the oven and roast until tender and caramelized in parts, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans once halfway through.

Jenny’s note on start simple by lukas volger:

I can not stress enough how helpful this book has been when it comes to easy GOOD meals. And it highlights all the food that we tend to have so much of this time of year: squash, sweet potatoes, kale, and cabbage. This would be a great addition to your cookbook collection to get you through the year. Nope this is not a paid advertisement- I'm just a lover of this book and it complements a CSA season all too well. I also feel the same way about TENDER by Nigel Slater. If anyone needs any more cook recs, reach out, apparently I’ve just deemed myself an expert.

BOK CHOY:

I am a forever lover of this crisp asian green. Goes great in stir fries, soups, salads, etc..

LETTUCE:

You might come across some browning on the bottom (it was picked on Saturday due to cold nights ahead). This lettuce will continue to stay fresh for a while, just cut back the bottom butt and outer leaves if need be.

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chibimultishipper · 5 years

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So yall Remember that Dinner party prompt I had? Well here is part 2

((I also have an AO3 account now just in case anyone wants to read it there!))

It was Saturday and Rhys was panicking. He had no idea why he thought that he would be able to pull this off. When Rhys told Yvette about the dinner party she had given him a bunch of recipes that were “sure to impress” as she put it. He had assured her he could handle i himself but problem was, it was apparently very hard to mess up a recipe. Who knew?

The doorbell rang and Rhys froze in fear. What the heck? No one was supposed to be here for at least another three hours! Rhys ran to the door and looked through the peephole. “Oh thank god.” He muttered as he opened the door to reveal Zer0.

“You look very stressed.” Zer0 commented as they walked inside the apartment carrying a bag filled with bottles of wine that Rhys had asked them to buy.

“Thanks.” Rhys grabbed the bottles from them and placed it on the table.

“How is your cooking going?” Zer0 questioned as they followed him into the kitchen. Long story short, it was a war zone. “. . . Not well I assume.”

“This is a nightmare! Why did I think that a dinner party would be a good idea anyway!?” Zer0 raised a finger to speak. “Don’t you dare say I told you so.” Zer0 immediately dropped the finger. Instead, they walked over to the counter and looked at the recipes.

“Were you planning on / making all of these dishes?”

“Yeah.”

“Rhys. . .” [ಠ_ಠ]

“Ugh I know! I’m an overachiever and I’m bad at it.” Rhys looked at Zer0 with a pouty face. “Help? Please?”

Zer0 shook their head, essentially their version of rolling their eyes. They look over the recipies again. They were definitely a bit complicated. Zer0 wasn’t much of a cook but they were still significantly better than Rhys. Still, these were a bit challenging even for them. Charred skag with sweet potatoes and oranges? Roasted pumpkin, Marjoram and Blue Cheese Frittata? What even was a Marjoram? Zer0 turned towards Rhys again looking just as confused as he was. [¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

“Zer0!!!”

“”Here’s a suggestion. / Have you tried calling Yvette? / She’ll probably help.”

Rhys shook his head. “Absolutely not! I have to at least be able to prove that I can do something by myself. Now help me cut these sweet potatoes.”

Zer0 wondered if Rhys realized the irony of this situation. Probably not. “Give me a moment.” With that Zer0 disappeared into the bathroom. They brought up their Ech0 and looked through their contacts. They were sure they had her number in here somewhere- ah there it was, Yvette. They gave her a call hoping that she would pick up.

“Okay who is this and how did you get this number-” She paused. “Zer0!?”

Zer0 wondered why Yvette didn’t have their number, but then they remembered they stole it from Rhys that one time.

“Good evening Yvette.”

“Um hi? How did you even get this- you know what it doesn’t matter. Um, what do you need?”

“Sorry for the short notice. / Could you come early?”

Yvette raised her eyebrow. “Like right now? I mean I suppose I could just bring my stuff and get ready there, any particular reason though?”

“Rhys is in over / his head with cooking. He could / use some assistance.”

Yvette groaned and slapped a hand to her forehead. “I told him I could give him easier recipes if he wanted but he insisted on the harder ones. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to him but I figured it would be funny to watch him stumble over himself a bit.” She said with a laugh. “I could come over and help salvage whatever mess he has made, but what would be in it for me?” She asked.

Zer0 thought about threatening her for a moment, but according to Maya that was not how people traditionally bonded with each other. They would need to try another approach. “As compensation / for your assistance how is / A favor owed then? “

Yvette sighed. “Rhys owes me plenty of favors alread-”

“No, not from Rhys. I’ll / owe you the favor myself. “

Yvette looked surprised. “Wait seriously?”

Zer0 nodded. “Do we have a deal?”

Yvette smiled from the other line. “I’ll be there in ten. Make sure to do some damage control okay? The less ingredients Rhys wastes the better.”

Zer0 displayed [TNKS] before hanging up. They returned to the kitchen to see how Rhys was progressing only to see the kitchen filled with smoke. [!!!] They ran over to the stove and saw the culprit was a pan filled with oil burning. They quickly turned the burner off and moved the burning into the sink and turned on the cold water. It generated a lot of steam but that was much better than smoke in their opinion. Zer0 immediately turned towards Rhys who had been previously started cutting sweet potatoes but was now staring at Zer0. “Hey! That was heating!”

“It almost caught on fire.” [ಠ_ಠ]. Rhys tilted his head in confusion and Zer0 gestured to the smoke.

“Oh.” Rhys muttered dumbly. “I guess I didn’t notice.”

“How about you rest? / I can take over a bit.” Zer0 suggested, opening a few windows to let the smoke out.

Rhys frowned. “No, that wouldn’t be fair. This was my dumb idea after all.” Rhys sighed as he sat down in one of the dining rooms chairs. “Ugh this whole dinner party is going to be a disaster, I don’t know what I was thinking. I just- I just wanted everyone to like each other. I want your friends to like me, and I want my friends to like you. But how are we going to have a dinner party without dinner.”

Zer0 walked behind Rhys and wrapped their arms around his shoulder. “We still have a few hours. I think it will all work out in the end.”

“I don’t know Zer0.” Rhys sighed. “I am really in over my head this time.” As if on cue there was a knock on the door. Rhys jumped. “Who could be here so early!?”

Zer0 let go of Rhys and walked toward the door. “I will answer it.”

Opening the door revealed Yvette. She had a garment bag and a box in her hand. “Evening you two.” She greeted walking in and dropping her items onto a chair. She looked around the kitchen. “Well it’s not a complete disaster.” She sniffed the air a bit. “Rhys did you start a fire?”

“No! I almost did but I didn’t actually do it. What are you even doing here?”

Yvette rolled her eyes. “Zer0 called me. If you needed help you could have contacted me sooner. Or you know, chosen something easier?”

Rhys gave Zer0 an accusatory look. “You called Yvette?”

“You were depressing to watch.” [ :) ]

Rhys frowned at their datefriend. Yvette walked over to Rhys and urged him to stand up. “Rhys, your stressed. Why don’t you go start getting ready? Zer0 and I can take it from here.” Rhys seemed hesitant. “Go on now. I know it takes you forever to get ready. Plus it will give Zer0 and I a chance to get to know each other.” She gave them both a mischievous smile.

Rhys looked at Zer0 wearily and Zer0 was beginning to regret their decision to invite Yvette for help. They had fallen for the oldest trick in the book: Divide and Conquer. Not only to Yvette get a favor from a vault hunter out of this, but now with Rhys out of the picture she could prod Zer0 for all the questions she wanted. Rhys could always stay, but he honestly didn’t want to be here for this. Yvette walked towards the kitchen and Rhys quickly mouthed an “I’m sorry” to Zer0 before disappearing into the bathroom.

‘Traitor.’ Zer0 thought to themself as they followed Yvette into the kitchen.

“Alright Zer0 start off but cutting these vegetables for me.” Yvette stated handing a bunch of miscellaneous produce to Zer0 before seasoning and beginning prep for the meat based dishes. The two worked in relative silence for about 15 minutes, the only sound being the occasional orders Yvette gave.

Yvette put one of the casseroles Rhys was adamant about including in the oven. “So you and Rhys huh? Gotta say that’s not a combination I saw coming.” Zer0 remained silent. “What cat got your tongue?”

Zer0 tilted their head. “Unlikely. We do / not own a cat or any / animal right now.”

Yvette raised an eyebrow. “That is actually-”

“An expression. I / know. I was attempting a joke.” “Oh.” Yvette muttered.

Another wave of silence. This was awkward.

“You know I’m not going to grill you or anything if that’s what you are worried about.”

Zer0 stayed quiet for a moment. “You aren’t?” They asked, breaking haiku

“Nope. You are going to get enough of that from Sasha and Fiona trust me. Plus, I don’t want to make you repeat any questions.” Yvette said with a grin.

“Oh.” Zer0 sighed.

“I just-” Yvette paused for a moment walking to a cutting board and cutting up some spring onions. “I trust Rhys to make his own decisions, I do. He wouldn’t be dating you if he didn’t trust you. I think that’s what we are mostly worried about. You have this reputation as this cutthroat killer who will do anything to complete a mission. And I mean, Rhys is this big time CEO now. For all we know you could be getting closer to him just to. . .well. . . . “ She trailed off.

Zer0 knew what she was getting at and they didn’t like the insinuation. “I care about Rhys. / I wouldn’t-”

“But that’s the thing.” Yvette interrupted. “We don’t know that for sure because we don’t know you. You could sit here all day and tell me that you would never hurt Rhys because you love him or whatever but for all I know you could be a liar. I want to trust in Rhys, that he wouldn’t date anyone who had any intentions of hurting him but. . .” She paused her cutting for a moment. “Look Rhys doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to trust. He’s put full trust in me, Fiona, Sasha and Vaughn. With all the things we’ve been through we’ve all at least thought of betraying him at one point. Hell, some of us have. Yet he still forgave us and trusts us completely. Rhys may act like a complete douchebag sometimes but at the heart of it he’s probably the best of us. If you ever did hurt him he’d probably end up forgiving you in the end. That’s just who he is. I know me of all people have no right to say this but we just want to make sure your intentions are pure.”

Zer0 had a slight idea of what she was saying. Rhys didn’t talk much about what went on during the Gortys project, he always got weirdly defensive about it. He did briefly mention the details of Yvette’s betrayal. There was a part of them that wanted to rub it in, that they would never do something like she did to Rhys. However, a greater part of them respected her for this. Zer0 had no intention of hurting Rhys or his friends, but they had to admit it took a lot of guts to question a supposed ‘cutthroat killer’ they was she was currently.

“Oh, i’m also going to say this now because I know no one else will be brave enough to do it themselves.” With that she took the knife she was holding and slammed it hard into the wooden cutting board. “I don’t care how many times Rhys is willing to forgive you, if you hurt Rhys even once, you’ll regret it. You may be some big bad assassin who could probably kill me in seconds but trust me, I have my ways Zer0. Got it?” Yep, definitely a lot of guts. Zer0 didn’t want to call it so early, but Yvette might be their favorite. “Understood.” [ :) ]

Yvette and Zer0 continued to cook together making mild chatter. Yvette told Zer0 a few embarrassing stories about Rhys that they were definitely going to memorize so they could tease him with them later.

It was getting closer to the start time, the guests would be arriving any minute. Rhys came out, fully dressed. He wore a light blue dress shirt with tiny white stars all over the front. On top of the dress shirt was a black wool vest paired with black tailored pants. “How do I look?” He asked using his, as his friends called it, ‘handsome jack tone.’

“I’m just glad you aren’t wearing a tie that goes into your pants.” Yvette said, her and Zer0 sharing a laugh.

Rhys huffed. “Oh ha ha very funny.”

“You look amazing.” [ :) ] Zer0 complimented, causing Rhys face to heat up a bit.

“Alright I’m going to leave you two love birds to change.” She grabbed the garment bag and the box she had previously placed on the table and disappeared into the bathroom.

Rhys raised an eyebrow at Zer0. “Um, aren’t you going to get dressed?”

[ ? ] “I am dressed.”

“Oh. So you are wearing your normal suit.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No I mean it’s just it’s a semi formal party I just thought you were going to. . . be semi formal.” [ಠ_ಠ] “Don’t make that face! I know you don’t like wearing other clothes and it’s hard to find clothes in your size. I just. . . “ Rhys paused. “Hang on.” He ran into his bedroom and came back in 30 seconds flat. He pulled out a clip on bowtie that matched his under shirt. “Here put this on!”

“I refuse.” [ >:( ]

“Zer0 you have to be somewhat formal!”

“No.”

“Please? For me?” Rhys brought out his secret weapon: the puppy eyes.

[ . . . ] They snatched the bowtie from Rhys hands and clipped it to the front of their suit. They were clearly unhappy with it, but Rhys seemed ecstatic. “Look at us, one of those cheesy couples who match our clothes with each other. Maybe we can buy matching sweaters” Rhys snorted.

“I will take it off.” [>:(]

“I’m joking!” He yelled in protest. Just then, the door knocked. Rhys instantly looked tense again.

Zer0 sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. “It will be fine no need to / worry. We’ll do great.”

Rhys nodded. “Yeah you’re right. And also uh, thanks for indulging me. I know this is stupid and I blow things out of proportion sometimes but I really appreciate this.” With that he gave Zer0 a quick kiss to the front of their helmet before going to the door to open it.

Zer0 rubbed the front of their mask, briefly displaying a [<3] making sure it disappeared as Rhys opened the door. ((END OF PART 2 that took forever. Who’s the first guest? Or second, since i suppose Yvette is the first. The next installment should hopefully be the last part! I may work on other prompts before I finish this one because I have a lot now! Until next time! ))

#zerhys #zer0 #rhys #borderlands #long post

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business-gnome · 5 years

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Mercantile Society Newsletter: Issue #1

Fitzkrank Oils and Lotions is coming to Boralus! Look forward to the grand opening of our shop in the harbor on May 15! We are currently looking to employ a local Kul Tiran sixteen gold an hour to work the store! If you are interested, address a letter to Gerald Fitzkrank to set up an appointment!

During one of my first nights, I was able to interview Aneokame, the owner and operator of The Brig and the Ashwood Vale Consortium.

Ran by the kaldorei named Aneokame Crowsong, The Brig is a delightful hole-in-the-wall tavern located just outside of the dwarven district.They are open from six to ten bells nightly and offers a quiet, more mature atmosphere. Things here are taken at an easy pace and one does not feel harried or as though they are surrounded by rowdy rabble rousers like at other bars in the city. Their menu includes a variety of high quality wines, meads, ales, and liquors, a true staple. If you do go to the tavern, make sure to try their moonberry mead, as it is truly out of this world!

Next door to The Brig is Miss Crowsong’s shop, the Ashwood Vale Consortium, who offer a wide variety of strange, unusual, rare, and eclectic goods! Some of the goods include potions, tea leaves, dried herbs, books, furs, beautiful jewels, and artifacts! They even have hand sewn dresses and men’s shirts, a perfect boutique if you are going to a ball! If you are ever in need of a custom piece, the Ashwood Vale Consortium should be your go-to place for fine wear! The Ashwood Vale Consortium is open in the afternoons or by appointment! Stop by today!

(Character name: Aneokame. Character Tumblr: https://aneokame-crowsong.tumblr.com/)

Now in stores, experience an absolutely divine scent of, La Gnome's Tresour lotion and moisturizer! Selling for 22 gold pieces, it is an essential date-night accomplice. The scent is intoxicating -- a sexy, feminine blend of rose, peach and apricot blossom (among other fruity, floral goodness). Plus, the lightweight formula leaves your skin so smooth, it'd be a crime to go un-caressed.

Now in stock: the scent of roasted pine lotion, selling for 17 gold pieces! Available in store or from Gerald Fitzkrank! This scent will leave you smokey and desired, a mature fragrance that will be sure to lead to delightful company! This lotion was created due to the desires of Ms. Seraanna!

Next, I was luckily able to speak to a woman that recently joined the Mercantile Society! Her story is of struggles and triumph, and she is a true self-starter! Unlike Haris Pilton, of course.

Jacqueline McLean was but a girl when she arrived to Stormwind from Gilneas. She had had nothing to her name but the clothes on her back! She had to learn the streets rather quickly, and learn what the denizens of the city wanted and needed. From there, she started working on several ships, taking up whatever tasks she could. She became well known in the docks, Jacqueline McLean becoming a common name for the denizens of the harbor. She then found herself working under a nobleman for some time and that is where she began to invest in a more lucrative business. She studied language, rising up to be one of the leading Gilnean diplomats. She is often stationed in Boralus, maintaining relations with the people there and the Alliance.

She captains ‘The Siren’s Rose’. She acquired it by saving for five years, and it is the product of all her hard work since she arrived in the city. Even though she was quite young to commandeer a ship herself, she was able to make her dream a reality! She accomplished her goals at just twenty-five years old. Now she is twenty-eight, and she is her own boss! Some would even say she is the captain of her own sails! She usually employs for other men, besides her first mate, Troy. If you are looking to work on a boat sailing between Stormwind City and Boralus, then ‘The Siren’s Rose’ may be perfect for you!

Jacqueline McLean’s cargo consists of raw materials such as herbs, cloth, and ores, as well as items for personal clients. If you need a reliable captain to navigate your cargo to another port, Jackie is your gal! Her ship is almost always at the harbor in Stormwind or in the harbor of Boralus, when of course, she is not on the seas. Her door is open most of the time, always welcoming to guests!

(Character tumblr: https://shewolf-jacqueline.tumblr.com/, character name: Jåcqueline)

Say goodbye to the unpopular scents! ‘Pumpkin Gut’ and ‘Peppermint’ beard oils are officially being shelved, as they are truly out of season! They will, however, be replaced by two rejuvenating scents, bringing life to your beard!

The first scent is that of extracted anchor weed, an exotic herb found only in Kul Tiras and Zandalar! This scent is reminiscent of the ocean, and the clear oil brings a beard to its full potential! Make your beard smell of the seas and be as soft as a fair maiden’s touch today! This scent is only available in our Boralus location for 21 gold pieces.

The second scent is true to the season is that of wild steelbloom! Now now, gentlemen! It may not sound the manliest, but the flower offers a hardy scent that is sure to have your partners hoping for more! This scent is offered in all stores and in person for 15 gold pieces!

If you are seeking a rowdy experience every other Friday night, then Kegfist Brewery is for you! The popularity of the joint is astounding, full groups entering and enjoying the festivities the Kegfist offer. It seems their name-sake, the ‘kegsmasher’, is quite the hit. From what I’ve seen, it seems to be a heavily potent beverage that gets the party started. I am starting off with the appetizer of ‘Steamed Mushan Mandu’, a dumpling filled with meat from those large, savory reptile. It tastes vaguely fowl, like chicken or duck, but the seasoning is absolutely delicious. I am drinking their ‘Light Tea’, which helps wash down the heavy dumplings. There even seem to be patrons of the other faction at this establishment, a neutral place to ease the tensions of war that is currently crippling our world.

For my entrée, I decided to sample the ‘Way of the Ramen’, ordering myself some greenstone ramen. It contains lean sliced tiger, cabbage, bean sprouts, and carrots. And while it tastes amazing, one of the kickers is that it is cooked right in front of you! The noodles came out perfectly, the texture helping emphasize the stark tastes within the bowl. The tiger was cooked within the stew, soaking in the broth and the juices of the vegetables. The many different tastes bring forth a delightful sense, the textures aiding the tongue. The carrots are soft and almost mushy, yet they taste as though they were freshly picked. I highly recommend this meal, as it is an all around delicious entrée. It even comes with a fortune cookie!

I ordered from the ‘Way of the Grill’ next, Mr. Kegfist’s specialty. I ordered the black pepper ribs and giant shrimp! Yet again, this was a meal that was cooked in front of me, and boy howdy did it look very interesting! Pandaren cuisine is a marvel sometimes. Mr. Kegfist offered me three options for the ribs; mild, spicy, or dragon sauced! I chose spicy, as I consider myself quite the daredevil, but not to any extreme. I am no Sneevil Cogdeevil! Ah, I remember the days of seeing him do his stunts in the salt flats. May he find peace, wherever his is today. The ribs were delectable, falling off the bone and nearly melting in my mouth! The sauce was indeed spicy, and it felt as though I could breathe fire! The shrimp were out of this world, fresh caught and gutted in the establishment, you could taste the ocean on them! They were spicy as well, popping in your mouth as you eat them!

Finally, it was time to take my tastes to the ‘Way of the Fish’! And I am feeling -extra- spicy this evening, so I ordered the dragon sauce calamari! This may have been the spiciest thing I have ever tasted! Though it was absolutely delicious, a staple of the establishment. And yet again, Mr. Kegfist prepared it right before me! Added fun to the whole experience!

Wupoda Kegfist is the owner and head chef of Kegfist Brewery. He is a Pandaren of Halfhill, and he has been growing crops and learning the way of cooking since he was a child! Wupoda gets all of his vegetables fresh from Pandaria, crediting the magical soil for allowing his crops to grow at rapid paces and with massive growth!

Originally, his name was Wupoda Kegfist, Wandering Merchant of a Thousand Ales. It took them many tries to settle down in Pandaria, as they tried Stormwind, Kul Tiras, and a few other random places here and there in an attempt to appeal to different crowds. Then one night, his group were hired to work an event in this establishment, and they never left!

Kegfist Brewery also do catering! You heard that right, and the best way to get them to cater your event is to reach out to Mr. Kegfist through the mail! They have a pricing sheet and a few different modules for folks to find the best catering package for them. Mr. Kegfist’s tip to those of you wanting to break into the catering scene is: “Find your niche. We thrive because there aren’t many Pandaren chefs out there who have made business out of their skill. Most of us just do it for their friends and family.” So if you have a dream of becoming a caterer, do not be shy to express yourself and be adventurous! You may turn out to be as successful as Mr. Kegfist. If you market yourself as unique, it becomes harder for others to compete with your business! If Mr. Kegfist wasn’t running his restaurant, he would be tagging alongside the Darkmoon Faire! He has learned quite a few party tricks over his years in the bar tending scene.

Kegfist Brewery is always recruiting! “We can never say no to hopeful aspiring employees. We have more positions than just cooks and bartenders, so never consider yourself out just because you’re no good with food! Entertainers are always in high demand. Magic, jokes, a silly costume, it all works if you bring the charm. I’m posted in the Mage District of Stormwind pretty often for open interviews, if you ever see me around, come introduce yourself! -Wupoda Kegfist.

To close, Wupoda Kegfist leaves us with this nugget of wisdom: “Build your tables low to the ground, it is much harder to be drank under them.” He welcomes all to stop by Kegfist Brewery, as their doors are always open with cold drinks and friendly smiles! Be sure to catch them every other Friday night, from six bells to nine bells at The Drunken Hozen!

(Character name: Wupoda, guild tumblr: https://kegfistbrewery.tumblr.com/)

#wra-a #wyrmrest rp #wyrmrest accord #wyrmrest roleplay #wyrmrest alliance

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kristinsimmons · 6 years

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years!

10 YEARS!!! Can someone please tell me how it’s been a decade since I wrote my very first blog post? We’re celebrating today with this incredible vegan dessert and a week-long OSG Recipe App sale for charity (deets below).

When I started my blog on October 31, 2008, Eric and I were newly married and living in Toronto while I was working full-time as a researcher and wrapping up my Master’s degree. Life was pretty chaotic, and completing my degree was starting to wear me down (at one point I thought I was just going to cut my losses, throw in the towel, and move on!). This blog was the most amazing creative outlet during a time when my life was lacking the kind of creativity that I absolutely craved. It allowed me to explore a side of myself that I hadn’t since I was a kid (like my love for photography, baking, creative writing/journaling, and just being a goof). My blog’s first tagline was “Food. Fitness. Fashion. Fun.” Pretty epic, right? lol. I’m grateful to Eric for encouraging me to “find a hobby” after years of exhausting myself with school and work. He still jokes that my “hobby” turned into my career, so I need to find a new hobby now. (Fine, I’ll start my own animal farm! YOU WIN!)

I find writing therapeutic in soooo many ways. In the early days, I didn’t have more than a handful of readers, and I found it quite easy to talk about my struggles online. I was like no one is going to read this anyway! It was an online journal of sorts, and I wrote about my history with disordered eating and how I was finally getting myself on a path to recovery. I shared the challenges I faced finding a career that I was truly passionate about (and, eventually, how I relinquished my need to people-please by completely changing my career path). I had the most supportive response from those first early blog readers (as well as my friends and family), so I kept writing with my heart on my sleeve.

After coming in the top 3 of the food blogging challenge Project Food Blog, an editor from a major publishing house emailed me saying she loved my work and was wondering if I’d like to write a cookbook. Pretty sure I fainted! It was the email that changed everything and solidified the fact that I was on the right path after doubting myself and my decision to change careers for so long.

So here we are 1 blog, 3 moves, 2 cookbooks, 2 kids, and 1 recipe app later…including countless late nights, self-doubt, and (ongoing) indecision for good measure! It sure has been a wild ride! I’m still learning and dreaming of new goals every day (all while not having the slightest clue how to get there!). Above all, I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve stayed true to myself and the values I have for this hobby-turned-business. The best part is that I’ve been lucky to meet so many of you amazing people online and in person, and I still can’t quite believe how freakin’ genuine, cool, and supportive everyone has been! It’s so crazy to think that some of my best friendships have been made through this blog. Forever grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my veggie-lovin’ heart for making this such a fun journey. And cheers to the next 10 years! Any guesses as to what adventures they’ll bring for you or me?

To celebrate OSG’s 10-year anniversary, we’re having a big OSG Recipe App sale this week with 100% of the proceeds being donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada. Right now our app is just 99 cents, so if you’ve been thinking about downloading it, this week is a great time to do so and support a fantastic cause that’s near and dear to my heart! You can find our recipe app on both the iTunes and Google Play stores. Thank you so much for all of your amazing support and for helping us give back to our community.

I had so much fun celebrating Canada’s food writers at the Taste Canada Awards Gala last night! We were nominated in the Food Blogs Health and Special Diet category, and I was so honoured to take home Gold! All I could think about was how grateful I am to have this recognition, especially so close to OSG’s 10-year milestone. Plus, Adriana and Arlo have been calling all of my food “YUCKY” lately, so now I can show them the award and explain that they’ve been outvoted, lol.

Last but not least, we’re having a little party to celebrate 10 years and this new dessert is on the menu. I hope you’ll enjoy every bite as much as we have! With Halloween tomorrow, I can’t think of a better time to indulge in some creamy, dreamy, chocolaty PB goodness.

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

While dreaming up a recipe to celebrate Oh She Glows’ 10-year anniversary, I immediately thought of one of my all-time favourite flavour combos: salted peanut butter and chocolate! Hubba hubba. This salted peanut butter torte (of pure sweet heaven) is easy to throw together and only takes a couple hours to freeze. Its creative presentation will impress the heck out of your guests, and that irresistible sweet-salty flavour and creamy, crunchy texture will blow your taste buds away! I’ve also tested this torte with 3 different fillings: peanut butter, almond butter, and a nut-free sunflower seed butter version! And guess what? They’re all so delicious we couldn’t pick a favourite! See my Tips for how to make the sunflower seed and almond butter versions.

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square pan with coconut oil (including up the sides, too). Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the width of the pan with a bit of overhang so it’s easy to lift out.

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Melt the 1/4 cup coconut oil in a medium pot (you’ll be using the same medium pot for the filling) over low heat. Add the melted oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter to the processor and process until the mixture comes together in a heavy dough, 10 to 15 seconds. The dough should look like a wet cookie dough. If you find it a bit dry, add a teaspoon or two of water and process again until a wet dough forms.

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and crumble it evenly all over the base. Lightly wet your fingers and press the dough into the base firmly and evenly. Level the edges with your fingertips. Poke the base with a fork about 12 times to allow air to escape while baking.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In the same medium pot (no need to clean it!), melt the coconut oil and coconut cream over low heat. Now add the maple syrup, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Spoon the filling onto the crust (there’s no need to cool the crust first) and carefully transfer the dish to a level surface in your freezer. Chill until solid, about 2 hours. If I’m not serving the torte right away, I’ll cover the pan with tinfoil after a couple hours of freezing. While it chills, prepare the Coconut Whipped Cream and gather the toppings so they’re ready to go.

Once frozen, remove from the freezer and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to loosen the slab. Using the parchment paper, lift the slab out and place it on a serving platter. Slice into slices of your desired width. Now add the toppings: I add a large dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream on each and then top it with lots of drizzled melted chocolate, walnuts, and large-flake coconut. A pinch of coarse sea salt is nice too. If you have leftover melted chocolate, serve it on the side in a small dish so you can spoon some more chocolate over top while eating (trust me on this one!). Serve immediately—the combo of cold filling and warm melted chocolate is just dreamy! But the chilled leftovers (with hardened chocolate) are totally irresistible too.

Storage tips: The filling softens a great deal at room temperature, so it's best not to leave leftovers on the counter for longer than half an hour. Return it to the fridge or freezer for best results. Cover leftover slices and store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or you can freeze the slices for 4 to 6 weeks. I like to wrap frozen slices in tinfoil and then place them all into a freezer-safe zip bag.

Tips:

* Chill your can of full-fat coconut milk for at least 12 hours before you begin this recipe so that the cream on top is solid. After making the torte, you’ll have some leftover coconut cream in the can which can be used to make Coconut Whipped Cream for the topping!

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Make it nut-free: In the crust, swap the almonds for sunflower seeds and in the filling swap the peanut butter for roasted sunflower seed butter. I like to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt to this version—the filling tastes like salted caramel!

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years! published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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bestnaturalsecrets · 6 years

Link

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Tips:

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

via Oh She Glows

#IFTTT #Oh She Glows

0 notes

susantregre · 6 years

Text

Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years!

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Tips:

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

from Oh She Glows https://ift.tt/2OYDKZK

#Oh She Glows

0 notes

benjamingarden · 6 years

Text

A Year Of Eating Locally-Meal Plan + Food Costs: Week of July 15, 2018

If you’re just tuning in, this is our 1 year challenge in which I share our weekly meal plan as we try to eat primarily locally grown food. You will see that I often I make 2 different meals because I am primarily plant-based and my husband is not. Most of what we eat is made from scratch and any boxed, canned and/or frozen products follow the Real Food guidelines. Meal planning is my way of controlling the grocery budget (read as a LOT of dollars saved), ensuring there is no food waste for the week, as well as saving time. You can read more about meal planning here.

Read the entire series here.

Hooray for blueberries, raspberries, green beans, corn and TOMATOES!!!!! Yes, tomatoes. I can't tell you how happy I am to see them on the vines. Ours are still mostly green, so I did purchase some this week, but we will be swimming in them in the next week or two. And I can't wait! Our theme for this week is super simple meals. It's very hot and humid right now. We should be getting relief by Wednesday, at least temporarily. It will also be a very busy week for us, which means the less time spent cooking the better. Plus, with all of the veggies in season, it's the perfect time to enjoy them in simple recipes where they remain the star. We went blueberry picking at a wonderful field not too far from our home. They have large blueberries on tons of bushes. We were able to pick 19 pounds in 1 hour. Although apparently that wasn't too impressive, because the couple ahead of us in line to pay, who had also been there an hour, and were at least 25 years older than us, picked 29 pounds in the hour. They were trying to pick 30 pounds each time they went so they could get all of their baking, canning and freezing complete for the year. The husband told us this was their 4th time picking this year (the field has only been open for 4 days) and they would be coming at least one more time in order to complete their checklist of blueberry items. My goodness! And J and I had joked that I may have to make 1 more trip to the field to pick, I can't imagine using 120+ pounds of blueberries!!! Maybe they were also canning for gifts? Do any of you process that many blueberries? If so, I would love for you to share what you make with them. Have you ever grilled slices of zucchini? Oh my - it's sooooo good! Actually, it's now J's very favorite way to eat it. And the best part? You don't have to use any oil or butter. You can, but you don't have to, so I don't. I do sprinkle his with a touch of parmesan when it's done, but that's it! And have you grilled russet potato wedges? Another "oh my". You do need to coat them with a little olive oil, but that's it and they are absolutely yummy. On to the menu! Weekly Meal Plan:

Sunday

Breakfast - Breakfast Burritos

Lunch - PB&J Sandwiches, Salad

Dinner - Gazpacho, Homemade Bread (J) Grilled Chicken

Monday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Salad

Dinner - Veggie Stir Fry, (J) Grilled Pork Chop

Tuesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Leftovers

Dinner - Pasta with Veggies, (J) Chicken Bruschetta

Wednesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Flatbread Pizza

Dinner - Taco's with Coleslaw & Homemade Salsa (me- bean & veg, J-beef)

Thursday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Leftovers

Dinner - Grilled Veggie Panzanella Salad (corn, zucchini, tomatoes, & onions), Grilled Potato Wedges, (J) Grilled Steak Tips

Friday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - (me) Veggie Sandwich, (J) BLT

Dinner - Kale & Squash Tart, Salad, (J) Grilled BBQ Chicken

Saturday

Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Flatbread Pizza

Dinner - Broccoli Rice, Sautéed Green Beans, (J) Grilled BBQ Pork Ribs

Weekly Food Cost:

Farmer's Market - $53.00

CSA (cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, mesclun mix) - $18.00

Zucchini, Broccoli, Lettuce & Green Beans - $17.00

Corn, Raspberries - $10.00

1/2 & 1/2 - $3.00

Grass-Fed Beef, Ground Beef - $5.00

U-Pick Field - $47.00

(19 pounds of blueberries)

Fresh Market - $10.57

Tortilla Shells - $2.99

Non-Dairy Better Half Creamer - $7.58 (2)

Hannaford - $9.99

Whole Wheat/Whole Grain Bread - $5.99

Lemons - $2.00

Limes - $2.00

Grand Total - $120.56

Weekly Food Notes:

You should never (ever) see eggs on our shopping list since we raise chickens for eggs.

I had on hand: pasta, steak tips, chicken, pork chops, pork ribs, bacon, oats, jam (homemade), peanut butter, kale (garden), horseradish, mayo, flour, butter, sour cream, herbs (garden), russet potatoes, raw almonds, rice, cheese

A Year Of Eating Locally-Meal Plan + Food Costs: Week of July 15, 2018 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

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mikeyd1986 · 6 years

Text

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 97, March 2018

On Monday morning, I attended my last Healthy Cooking on a Budget class for Term 1 at Balla Balla Community Centre, Cranbourne East. I missed out on the last two classes as I was feeling rundown and was also recovering from an ear infection last week but I was really glad that I could make it to the last class. It was only the 4 of us today with the others either busy, sick or turned off from the blustering, Winter-like conditions outside. So we ended up working individually for most of the class.

It was quite a productive class today with lots of food to prepare. We made a chocolate Easter cake with a dark chocolate butter icing, a melted chocolate “nest” and decorations plus pull apart herb and cheese bread rolls and a honey lemon chicken. Firstly, we combined 1.5 cups of plain flour, 1 cup of caster sugar, 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 cup of water, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar into a mixing bowl and pouring the mixture into a 20cm round cake tin.

The dark chocolate icing involved melting 180g of cooking chocolate over a saucepan and combining it with 200g of unsalted butter, 250g of icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and whipping it up with electric beaters. Next we made the chocolate nest which was pretty tricky. We used a small ceramic bowl with plastic wrap as a template and piped melted chocolate over it with long strands to make it look like a bird’s nest. Getting it stuck was the hard part as the chocolate fragments break apart very easily.

Later on we fried some chicken drumsticks and thigh pieces in a frying pan until they become a golden brown colour. We then placed them into a roasting pan and added a mixture of honey, lemon juice and kecap manis over the top with slices of lemon in between the pieces of chicken. You can then add some streamed vegetables and white rice to make it into a meal. I always learn a lot during these cooking classes and slowly my confidence in the kitchen is building up the more I practice these skills. http://www.ballaballa.com.au/programs-activities/cooking-programs/

On Monday night, I went to my RPM class with Claire at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. It’s been about 3 weeks or so since my last RPM class and tonight it was good to finally try out the new release, number 78, which featured a couple of challenging tracks especially track five with up to 8 attacks which tired me out pretty quickly. The new release features tracks including Jamiroquai’s Cloud 9, The XCERT’s Feels Like Falling In Love and Ghastly & Matthew Koma’s We Might Fall. It was good to see Claire making jokes about burning off Easter eggs and Hot Cross Buns this coming week as motivation to keep pushing hard. http://w3.lesmills.com/israel/en/classes/rpm/music-tracklists/

On Tuesday morning, I had my very first Kinesiology session with Carolyn King at Empowerkin Kinesiology in Berwick. I’ve known Carolyn for a year or two now after reading her book “Empowered Happiness” and following her blog and Facebook page. Today was the first time meeting her in person after winning a competition for a free kinesiology session. I really didn’t know what to expect at all but I went in with an open mind.

Of course the moment I walked into her clinic, she instantly detected how nervous I was feeling. This was no surprise as it happens every single time I meet somebody new or have a new experience. Kinesiology is the science of energy balancing and combines several different areas including Chinese medicine, anatomy and physiology. After she asked me to fill out a new client form and I talked about my mental health issues and recent diagnosis of High Functioning Autism, she got me to lie down on the bed.

She started doing some energy readings through my right hand and arm whilst explaining what was she doing and picking up. The biggest ones were feeling overwhelmed, shattered (doing too many things at once), stressed and internally angry. She also used some essential oils on my feet, hands and back of my neck as well as giving me my first crystal, a black obsidian, which is said to be a protective stone which absorbs negative energies.

I found it very easy to talk to her despite being nervous and reserved as we have very similar backgrounds. Both being diagnosed with depression. Both worked at very stressful and demanding jobs for a long period of time. Both very sensitive, gentle and kind hearted people. So I knew that she of all people would understand what I’ve been going through with work, family life, friendships, money struggles, being worried about the future and where my life is heading.

She gave me a large amount of advice and suggestions which I gracefully accepted and took on board with me. This includes walking bare foot on the grass or sand (grounding), keeping up with my writing and creative projects (write and burn, appreciation journal), trying out a boxing class to release anger and negative emotions, making a list of everything I’m doing and ranking their importance, making and using a worry box and surrounding myself with a white bubble to help deal with protecting myself from other people’s energies.

Of course some people wouldn’t be as open minded as I am towards an alternative therapy like kinesiology and Carolyn herself admits that she’s not a doctor but I like giving new things a go and this has been in the back of my mind for about a couple of years now. It wasn’t a rash decision and really a lot of Carolyn’s suggestions do make sense and are helpful when it comes to improving my life. Whether you believe in religion, spirituality or energy is quite frankly irrelevant if you’re striving for positive change within yourself, which I am. http://www.empowerkin.com.au/kinesiology.html

On Tuesday afternoon, I had my second session for Phase 1 of my Employ Your Mind course at WISE Employment Cranbourne. Thankfully the office Ally and I were in held a lot more privacy than the one I was in last week (notoriously called “the fish bowl”) so I didn’t have the distraction of people looking at me through a pane of glass. This week we looked at what Cognitive Remediation does and I completed a Dialogue of Working Ability (DWA) self-assessment which looks at the strengths and weaknesses in relation to work.

It’s quite interesting doing self-assessments as it forces you to critically think and be honest about your skills in a working environment in a holistic manner. Sometimes it can be hard working out which number to circle but I just try to go with my gut instinct. It’s important because the results will allow me to set some goals for areas that I can improve on in the future. https://www.arbetsterapeuterna.se/Global/Forlag/DWA%20affisch%20COTEC2012.pdf

On Tuesday night, I went to my first YARDfit session for the year at The Yard Strength & Fitness in Pakenham. I noticed how exhausted I was feeling driving down the Monash Freeway with time not on my side as usual. But I was determined to make it to the class regardless as I haven’t been that active in the last couple of weeks due to personal illness (aka my annoying ear infection). It was a quiet one tonight with just myself, Rodney Millar and Mandi Herauville but that was fine by me.

We warmed up by doing a few mobility stretches (walking lunges, standing bear crawls, squat jumps, open the gates) and some agility work outside (suicide running drill, sprints) with some orange cones spaced out. It didn’t take long for me to feel puffed out and fatigued but I knew that I was rusty and out of practice. http://livehealthy.chron.com/suicide-running-drill-8784.html

Next we worked on some front squats which I’ve only attempted a couple of times last year. The toughest part for me is dealing with the pressure on my wrists as you have to keep the bar resting on your deltoids (shoulders) as well as your elbows lifted up. Then there’s the balancing act of having to squat deep enough without dropping the bar. It’s pretty tricky but I could feel myself improving a bit the more I practiced. I managed to do 3 reps at 35kg. http://www.stack.com/a/front-squat

Lastly, our “Wyk” Hero WOD (Workout of the Day) involved doing five rounds of the following exercises for time: 5 front squats, 5 deadmen or rope climbs and a 400m run holding a 10kg plate. We actually practiced doing some rope climbs before the workout, trying to get the foot and hand grip right and then doing a Tarzan swing on the rope. Considering I’ve never attempted a rope climb before, I picked it up pretty quickly. I did need a lot of chalk on my hands to prevent rope burn but oh well. https://wodwell.com/wod/wyk/

The most challenging part of the workout for me was the 400m block runs. Holding the plate was really awkward as I couldn’t get a good grip on it and had to keep adjusting it. Plus it didn’t take long at all for me to burn out and I had to walk parts of it. But hey at least I hung in there and finished it. I managed to complete almost 3 rounds in 15 minutes which I was very happy with. https://www.facebook.com/TheYardStrengthandFitness/

On Wednesday morning, Mum and I enrolled in a Basic Life Skills short course at Merinda Park Learning & Community Centre, Learn Local RTO 3952 in Cranbourne North. The pink form that we had to fill in was very extensively detailed. They literally want to know everything from my past education history to my driver’s license details, USI number, disabilities and health issues. Plus two pages worth of terms and conditions. But I’m sure that a course like this will be very helpful for my growth and personal development. http://www.merindapark.com.au/all-courses/

On Thursday night, I attended an Adult Aspergers social night held at The Nerve Centre in Blackburn. I was still feeling restless from working late last night and from all the Easter shopping I had to get done today but I felt that it was really important to come to this meeting tonight to try to mingle with a few of the other Aspies. Tonight we played some board games and I decided to bring scrabble as it’s a childhood favourite of mine.

Half an hour in and I could already feel my social anxiety peaking with around 10 other people in attendance. It’s like the classic social event where everyone else around you is clicking and making conversation and you’re stuck in the middle not really knowing what to do. However, I did make the effort to drive all the way out to Blackburn for this and wanted to stay for at least an hour. Once again, the men’s toilets would act as my “safe room”.

Thankfully I didn’t need it nor did I have to slip out and bolt for the exit. It only took Ann speaking up to get the ball rolling and suddenly we ended up christening my board game. Once we all started playing scrabble, I began to relax considerably. I was sitting at the table with Dave, Roger, Lachlan, Ann and the group’s organiser Colin. Being my third time coming here, I was only barely scratching the surface when it came to names and who these people were but these things take time.

It was fun with all of us trying to remember how to play the game and bringing back a lot of nostalgic memories. Some of the other members were chatting away and having some serious conversations about religion, politics, languages and history but I personally wasn’t interested. I think I was more proud that I actually managed to stay at an Aspergers meeting for more than 2 hours. I seriously didn’t think I could do it but I proved myself wrong. https://aspergersvic.org.au/events

On Good Friday, I participated in my very first research study at Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus. The study was to see how brain stimulation during sleep can help to affect memory formation. It was organised by Mr. Michael Barham, who is one of the principal researchers on the project. In some ways, it was a pretty daunting experience for me having never visited either Burwood or Deakin Uni before but I wanted to have an open mind and try it.

It took place in Building BC on Level 5 in two small rooms: one being a preparation room with computers and equipment and the other being the sleep lab. Michael explained everything to me and got me to fill out a consent form and several questionnaires on the computer about my background, how I was feeling and my handedness.

Whilst this was happening, Michael and the assistant were fitting an EEG (Electroencephalography) cap on my head and attracting electrodes to parts of my scalp. It was a weird feeling having wires being “twizzled” into my scalp with cool gel and pure alcohol added. Whilst it did hurt a little (mainly from the pulling of my hair), it wasn’t agonising and I figured that I could handle it.

Everything was going fine...until I had a sudden nervous reaction and began going pale in the face. The last time this happened to me was about two years ago after having a blood test at work and it’s far from pleasant. Michael and his assistant were quick to act, removing the cap, bringing me a glass of water and making sure that I was okay. I laid down in the sleep lab for a while to allow the blood to rush back. But ultimately I was feeling embarrassed and guilty about what just happened.

I had to withdrawal my participation from the study, though they still generously gave me the $20 gift card anyway. I think there was several things going on: general restlessness, not eating enough before the study, getting myself worked up and anxious internally, having to concentrate on the questionnaires during the prep. I guess it all got too much for me. However, I’m still proud of myself for making the effort to try it. https://www.facebook.com/CognitiveNeuroscienceUnit/posts/1688036141290041

Later that afternoon, I thought I’d give my friend Positivity Andrew (Andrew Hewitt) a surprise visit at the mental health facility that he’s staying at called Upton House in Box Hill. It’s been nearly 20 years since I last stepped into a mental hospital, the last time being to see my late Grandfather who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression (mental illness is literally all in the family). Thankfully the staff at Upton House seemed to be more friendly and positive than at that last place.

It’s not very often that I do spontaneous things like this but I genuinely care about other people, especially friends who are going through tough mental health issues. But Andrew was very happy to see me and I could tell he was grateful for my visit. He was staying in a casual family room with comfy grey sofas and a collection of toys in the corner. It’s always hard knowing what to talk about but I tried to embrace the awkwardness best I could. I love you Andrew! Stay positive, get better soon and get back with your bandmates in Distracted By Pink! https://www.easternhealth.org.au/site/item/102-inpatient-services-upton-house

On Good Friday night, I went to the Studio Opening Party of Aaron Petty’s new yoga studio called Level Up Yoga in Berwick (located above Personal Performance Training Centre). Considering this was a public holiday, this could have gone either way but thankfully there was about 18 students that turned up to tonight’s Vinyasa Flow class. It was good to see a couple of familiar faces tonight like Christian Reid and Daniel Cooper. Of course my social anxiety was lingering around like a bad smell. I can pretty identify most of my triggers now: meeting new people, being unable to breathe, sweating profusely, being in small spaces. But I tried hard to push all of these away tonight.

Aaron’s style of teaching yoga is very unconventional to most Traditional yoga teachers. There is a great deal of humour and unexpected surprises like doing an ice-breaking activity (Oh god!), forming a kum ba yah-like circle and chanting “Om” together, patting each other on the back and grabbing people from behind for support. But it’s all in good fun and not meant to be offensive or uncomfortable. These particular challenges are actually very helpful for me who struggles a lot in social situations and gets me out of my comfort zone.

Aaron’s classes are also very physically challenging especially with the lack of ventilation in the upstairs space. It didn’t take long for everyone to begin sweating on their yoga mats. We did many flowing sequences (Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Chaturanga, Cobra/Updog), Crescent Lunge into Arrowhead pose, Chair pose, Bridge pose and Pigeon pose. I struggled with balance and fatigue at times but never gave up. I think it’s also really important to have a laugh during your practice because that helps to curb the frustration of getting that “perfect pose”.

The addition of live musicians playing some chilled out yoga music was also a unique touch as was the presentation of the indoor plants and serving of tea. Aaron clearly went to a lot of effort for tonight’s event and I was really glad that I could be a part of it. https://www.facebook.com/levelup.yoga.berwick/

“In the dark I can feel the weight of the world. Pushing down on top of my shoulders. You think you're strong enough to carry it all? Go ahead, knock yourself out. I keep talking but no one listens. And I keep hearing things that I can't understand. And I see beauty in resistance. And I'm just trying to figure out who I am.” Michelle Branch - Knock Yourself Out (2017)

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prettyediblestylist · 7 years

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Pillowy-Sugared Doughnuts with Lemon Curd

January should be a time to be looking forward, not back. The reality of what can feel like the epicentre of winter blues can sadly set the wheels of many into a doom and gloom downward spiral. So why, may I ask, is this also the time of year when we are expected to embrace faddy diets and deny the few things we have left to enjoy in our lives? (cue the detox word) Well, yuk quite frankly.

This is why I have decided to start a petition. I’m joking. However, I am going to endorse a separate way of thinking. A simple equation that involves enjoying a little bit of what you fancy…when you fancy! At this time of year, sometimes all we crave is a steaming, nourishing bowl of earthy soup, or perhaps the kind of food that evokes happy childhood memories (for me this can involve a bubbling and hearty beef bourguignon or buttery leek and bacon lardon-studded macaroni cheese. Tick) Other times, it can be when you’re really in need of something that offers a big pillowy hug of a sweet glistening casing infused with creamy, citrus goodness. A guaranteed sparkle of happiness, if you will, when everything else feels just a bit hard. And let’s not be shy about this, it’s practically impossible to resist a freshly-made doughnut, especially when it’s for such a worthy cause. And so on that note, go forth and embrace the start of good things to come. Happy new January!

Pillowy-Sugared Doughnuts with Lemon Curd

These are best eaten on the day they are made. Feel free to substitute the lemon with another citrus fruit; orange works perfectly too.

Makes about 15

Prep 40 minutes, plus proving Cook 50 minutes

2 tsp active dry yeast 125ml milk 2 tbsp caster sugar, plus extra for coating 50g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 340g plain flour (gluten-free available), plus extra for kneading 2 large eggs, lightly whisked 300ml vegetable oil

For the lemon curd zest and juice (50ml) of 2/3 lemons pinch of sea salt 50g caster sugar 50g unsalted butter, melted 2 large free-range egg yolks

1. Warm the milk in a pan until just before it reaches boiling point. Place the yeast, milk, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 ½ tbsp lukewarm water in a large bowl and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes, or until bubbles appear on the surface. 2. Add the butter, flour, eggs and the remaining sugar to the yeast mixture and mix to a sticky dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and it feels springy to the touch. 3. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. 4. Meanwhile, make the lemon curd. Put all the ingredients in a bowl, stir together, and set over a pan of simmering water (the bowl must not touch the water). Using a wooden spoon, stir for about 30 minutes, or until the curd is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Set aside to cool. 5. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Roll out to 1cm thick and use a 6.5cm round cutter to stamp out rounds until all the dough has been used. Place the rounds on a lined baking tray and set aside for 30 minutes or until risen. 6. Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches 190C, or a cube of bread sizzles and turns golden in 30 seconds. Fry the dough balls in batches for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto kitchen paper. Toss in the sugar and leave to cool. 7. Spoon the lemon curd into a piping bag with a small round nozzle (or snip the end of a disposable bag). Use a wooden skewer to make a hole in the side of each doughnut. Push the piping bag into the hole and fill with about a teaspoon of curd. Serve warm or cold with any leftover curd.

Recipe, styling & photography: Natalie Seldon Follow me on instagram @prettyediblestylist

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kristinsimmons · 6 years

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Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years!

Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte

Vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free

Yield 12 small or 9 medium servings

Prep time 25 Minutes

Cook time 10 Minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) almonds

1 cup (100 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut oil, melted

3 tablespoons (45 mL) pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 mL) smooth natural peanut butter

For the filling:

1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut oil

1/3 cup (80 mL) coconut cream*

1/2 cup (125 mL) pure maple syrup

3/4 cup (185 g) smooth natural peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For topping (optional, but recommended):

Coconut Whipped Cream**

1/2 cup (95 g) non-dairy chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon (5 mL) coconut oil, melted***

1/2 cup (80 g) chopped toasted walnuts and large-flake coconut****

Directions:

For the crust: Add the almonds, oats, and salt to a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a coarse flour, about 30 seconds.

Bake the crust for 9 to 11 minutes, until it looks pale and a bit puffy. The crust might look underbaked when you remove it, but this is what we want to avoid drying it out.

Tips:

** Feel free to use store-bought coconut whipped cream instead. I like “So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip!”

*** To a small pot over low heat, add the chocolate and oil. Stir until smooth and combined.

**** Of course you can use roasted peanuts instead. I’m not a big fan of them so I prefer to use walnuts.

Almond butter version: Swap the peanut butter for roasted almond butter.

Don’t have an 8x8-inch square pan? You can make this in an 8x4-inch loaf pan or standard-size muffin tin (both greased with coconut oil).

Vegan Salted Peanut Butter Crunch Torte + 10 Years! published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

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benjamingarden · 6 years

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A Year Of Eating Locally-Meal Plan + Food Costs: Week of July 15, 2018

Read the entire series here.

Sunday

Breakfast - Breakfast Burritos

Lunch - PB&J Sandwiches, Salad

Dinner - Gazpacho, Homemade Bread (J) Grilled Chicken

Monday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Salad

Dinner - Veggie Stir Fry, (J) Grilled Pork Chop

Tuesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Leftovers

Dinner - Pasta with Veggies, (J) Chicken Bruschetta

Wednesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Flatbread Pizza

Dinner - Taco's with Coleslaw & Homemade Salsa (me- bean & veg, J-beef)

Thursday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - Leftovers

Dinner - Grilled Veggie Panzanella Salad (corn, zucchini, tomatoes, & onions), Grilled Potato Wedges, (J) Grilled Steak Tips

Friday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Almonds

Lunch - (me) Veggie Sandwich, (J) BLT

Dinner - Kale & Squash Tart, Salad, (J) Grilled BBQ Chicken

Saturday

Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Flatbread Pizza

Dinner - Broccoli Rice, Sautéed Green Beans, (J) Grilled BBQ Pork Ribs

Weekly Food Cost:

Farmer's Market - $53.00

CSA (cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, mesclun mix) - $18.00

Zucchini, Broccoli, Lettuce & Green Beans - $17.00

Corn, Raspberries - $10.00

1/2 & 1/2 - $3.00

Grass-Fed Beef, Ground Beef - $5.00

U-Pick Field - $47.00

(19 pounds of blueberries)

Fresh Market - $10.57

Tortilla Shells - $2.99

Non-Dairy Better Half Creamer - $7.58 (2)

Hannaford - $9.99

Whole Wheat/Whole Grain Bread - $5.99

Lemons - $2.00

Limes - $2.00

Grand Total - $120.56

Weekly Food Notes:

You should never (ever) see eggs on our shopping list since we raise chickens for eggs.

A Year Of Eating Locally-Meal Plan + Food Costs: Week of July 15, 2018 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

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