#boursin cheese??? worth it

[oatmilk-vampire]

My family made Sydney's omelet from The Bear and I loved it !!!

#boursin cheese??? worth it #the bear fx #fx the bear #the bear #omelet recipe #omelet

[vitruvianmanbara]

sophia do u have any vegetarian/vegan holiday recipes 🤲🏼

I'm so glad you asked, of course I do!

Some of these things are from my cookbooks, so anything with a book emoji will be shown below the read more just to save space

Starting with desserts:

Vegan chocolate pie (Nora Cooks) - my favorite one to make for thanksgiving, my family (all meat eaters) loves it so much that I end up making two every year! It's really important to use the tofu that comes in aseptic packaging (the kind that's shelf stable) because the refrigerated kind WILL taste like tofu and you don't want that lol...works great in an Oreo crust or just as a mousse too!

Chocolate pecan pie (Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

Cranberry Spice Oatmeal Cookies (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - these have great flavor but I recommend subbing butter for coconut oil so they don't spread super thin

Vegan Coffee Cake (Vegan Richa) - great for breakfasts! You could easily make them into coffee cake muffins too

📚 Pastry Crust (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - great staple pie crust that gets its flakiness from a mix of olive and coconut oils! I use this for savory stuff like quiches and pot pies too. Highly recommend the cookbook, it covers everything from Valentine's Day to Passover to Halloween!

📚 Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Isa Does It cookbook)

📚 Chai Spice Snickerdoodles (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Isa Does It cookbook)

Savory Thanksgiving & Christmas things:

Easy Vegan Gravy (Nora Cooks) - really simple & much better than the store bought stuff

Easy Vegan Quiche (Jessica in the Kitchen) - more for lunch/brunch than anything, but I like to make a couple these around the holidays because they're so easy to customize & put together

Vegan Alfredo Sauce (Purely Kaylie) - you can put this on pasta of course but I like to use this to fold into mashed potatoes or make a gratin with during the holidays!

Green Bean Casserole (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - made this one year at the request of a family member, it came out great!

📚 Maple-Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Radicchio and Pecans (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's I Can Cook Vegan cookbook)

Creamy Polenta and Mushroom Ragout (Good Food) - just comfort food tbh!

📚 Glazed Tofu Ham (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfuntimes Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - I swear by this and make several before thanksgiving because I inhale them - imo works better as a filling for sandwiches or on the side for breakfast, but could be used as a main dish as well!

📚 Winter Squash Cups with Wild Rice, Hazelnuts, and Cherries (Isa Chandra Moskowitz's The Superfuntimes Vegan Holiday Cookbook) - made this once and used cranberries instead of cherries!

Some Hanukkah stuff! which I highly recommend trying even if you don't celebrate Hanukkah, my family does a mixed holiday celebration so I keep these in my rotation for those occasions:

Latkes and Vegan Sour Cream (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - can also dip in applesauce or top with caramelized onions if you prefer sweet!

📚 Raspberry Rugelach (Isa Chandra Moskowitz) - classic, chocolate, and raisin variations from her holiday cookbook

📚 Matzoh Ball Soup (Isa CHandra Moskowitz)

And I have to include a couple heavy hitters, these are for if you're serious about spending a lot of time in the kitchen and maybe want to show off a little lol - well worth the effort, but not for everyone!

Succulent Roast Turky (The Gentle Chef) - I haven't tried a seitan turkey that's come close to being as good as this one. Lots of time & ingredients, but well worth the effort

Anything from Miyoko's Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook - the best vegan cheese you will ever eat. Requires a couple weeks prep because you have to allow time to ferment the base liquid and culture the cheese - I'm starting mine today! I made a detailed post about my experience trying this out here, and there's images with instructions for making the rejuvelac, cashew base, and a Boursin-style cheese in it as well! Of course if you don't want to do all that you can buy the Miyoko's cheese that's sold in stores, those are great too 😅

Peter Reinhart's Bagels (Smitten Kitchen) - if you suffer from lack of good bagels in your area, this is one way to fix that! Bagels are essential to any holiday celebration in my family so I figured I'd include this lol

Here's the stuff from the cookbooks!

Pastry Crust:

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies:

Chai Spice Snickerdoodles:

Maple-Mustard Brussels Sprouts with Radicchio and Pecans:

Glazed Tofu Ham:

Winter Squash Cups With Wild Rice, Hazelnuts, and Cherries:

Vegan Sour Cream:

Rugelach (Classic, Chocolate, and Raisin variations highlighted):

Matzoh Ball Soup:

#this is so much information SORRY #i sorely needed to get organized for thanksgiving though so this has been helpful lmao #also i'm not sure why the read more isn't working on desktop sorry everyone 😭 #recipes

[fromkeniri]

Started my journey towards a healthier lifestyle today!

I woke up today with the motivation to start making healthier decisions. 

I purchased a treadmill to place under my standing desk to help get my steps in while I work. I don’t think I’ve even been getting 1k steps a day due to my WFH job and the summer heat that’s plaguing the city right now. I also purchased a new yoga mat and resistance bands to complete my home gym set up. I can’t wait to make progress towards my cardio and strength training goals.

I achieved drinking 1 gallon of water today! It was quite easier than I anticipated. I noticed that my skin was less itchy and irritated today (prior to this I would get random itchy bumps/hives that would appear on my arms, face, and neck). I also felt like my skin had a slight glow to it and I felt really energized throughout the day! I paced out my drinking by consuming 16 oz every hour. I felt really proud of myself each time I logged another water bottle’s worth into my tracking app.

I also did some light upper body training with 5 lb and 10 lb weights while I watched ‘Dated and Related’. I’ll continue to build on this habit because I was easily able to do 2 hrs of these exercises while watching the show. I also felt better about myself because I was being productive while indulging in my trash reality tv instead of just being a couch potato.

I consumed 1,177 calories today! I listened to my body when it told me it was hungry and made good food decisions by prioritizing protein and veggie intake. Next time I’ll take photos of my meals to document my healthy nourishing creations! I had a tofu wrap for lunch (who knew cold tofu straight out of the package could be so delicious?!) and shrimp tacos for dinner, both made with Keto tortillas and Bitchin’ Sauce (yum!). I didn’t have any meat or cooked with any oil and I think that is why I felt so energized and full without feeling the discomfort of being bloated! I was even able to snack on some yummy guilty pleasure of chips with Boursin cheese and 1/4 of a Costco blueberry muffin for dessert. This diet combined with my water consumption goal is so attainable to do everyday. I can’t wait to see what my results will be at the end of the month!

#health #diet #exercise #fitness #nutrition #motiviation #keniri #fromkeniri

[destinationdeadpool]

Honeymoon Day 3 Part 1: Surfeit of Cute

This morning started early. The alarm was set for 6:45 and I actually woke up at 6:30. I got to sit out on our balcony and enjoy my morning Dew and was on Disney Genie RIGHT at 7 to try for the virtual queue for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. We scored group 49, so it was totally worth it. Epcot doesn't open til 10, 930 for us resort guests so we had a lazy-ish morning after that. Yacht Club is literally walking distance to Epcot, so we headed over about 8:30 to get in line!

First stop was Soarin'. If you've never been on it, it's probably the second best ride in all of Disney World (#1 obviously being Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom). Then we went hunting for breakfast. Kinda failed there, but we did get our popcorn bucket. Isn't he adorable? (I TOTALLY didn't Google a pic because I forgot to take one. That is NOT a thing that I would do).

After a quick stop in the new Creations shop where I discovered the ears that I've been lusting after are sold out, we hit Spaceship Earth. I hadn't been on that ride since I was a kid, and I'm glad they pushed back the refurbishment so we could ride it the old way one time as adults.

Then, on to the REAL reason we go to Epcot: FOOD!!!

We have an apple spice Chai tea from the Earth Eats booth, the Le Cellier beer cheese soup with a pretzel roll from Canada, and beer braised beef with Gouda mashed potatoes from Belgium. We followed this up with two different poutines, one classic with beef gravy and Boursin black pepper cheese and one braised beef with Boursin garlic and herb cheese and a pickle slaw kind of deal. Both were delicious (and super filling).

We still had about an hour and a half until our virtual queue spot so we wandered the United Kingdom where we ran into Alice

After that we did the Beauty and the Beast sing along in France to get out of the rain, and then we headed to Morocco where we had an AMAZING pistachio cake

Andrea also had blood orange juice which she said was delicious. I'll take her word for it since citrus and I don't get along very well. After our snack break we ran into Jasmine!

Then, finally, it was time for Remy!

The app was saying 45 minutes once your position was called, but I clocked us at under 30 from tapping our Magic Bands to sliding into our rat. Totally worth it! It's super imaginative and immersive, and I wish we could have ridden it again today. Here's hoping we'll get into the queue when we go with everyone next week!

Now, we're back at the hotel resting and recharging. We have a dinner reservation for 8:20 at the fancy steakhouse here and then we're gonna head back to Epcot to take advantage of the extended theme park hours tonight!

#destinationdeadpool #disneymoon #pixiedust #togetherforever

[vitabenedetta-blog]

Vita Benedetta’s Guide to Madison

MadTown. A city characterized by badger red, brats, burgers, and beer (at least that is what I used to think). Moving away from college made me realize just how much I love this city and inspired me to explore. Through downtown areas, Willy Street, and adjacent small towns I discovered an entirely new meaning to Madison. This is my guide to Madison to show you all of the grub goodness and hideaways in unfamiliar places. 

The Guide 

$: least expensive

$$$: most expensive 

Grub Goodness 

The reality today is that social settings revolve around food. Want to grab a coffee? Want to meet for drinks after work? This is practically inevitable. It is important not to settle for boring, overly pasteurized crap that will make you feel like a** in the morning. I mean really, who wants to feel gassy, post cheeseburger when on a first date? Not I. There are so many places in Madison deciding to serve up food that will make you feel bomb. This does not mean you will be eating lettuce and drinking water for a meal. Trust me. Oh and the aesthetics are totally worth the visit. 

Gotham Bagels $

Bae-goals let me tell you. Gotham bagels is located directly off the square downtown Madison and is serving up some banging bagels. The line is always out the door on weekends. You can put about anything in the galaxy on your bagel and customize it just how you like it. The atmosphere is very downtown Boston like. The owner adds a little spunk to the joint since he graduated with his PhD and decided he would rather just run a bagel joint. RAD. 

My go-to: YELLOW C.A.B. 

Cheddar, Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo Add Egg & Vegetable Cream Cheese On Egg Bagel 

Bowl of Heaven $$$ 

Bowl of Heaven is about as close to California as Madison can get. This quaint bar creates the most awe-worthy bowls and smoothies. The bowls are a bit pricy, but worth a try. It’s the only place in Madison where I have found a yummy a��aí bowl. All of the ingredients are real and will make you feel good about your choice. 

My go-to: PEANUT BUTTER BOWL 

Organic Açaí, Bananas, Strawberries, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Almond Milk Topped with Organic Hemp Flax Seeds, Granola, Fresh Banana, and Honey 

Novanta Pizza $ 

Because you cannot forget about the ZAA. This stone fired pizza is something to brag about, with all ingredients sourced from Italy. You can build your own pizza, grab a wine and sit outside on the patio (during Madison’s 3 months of warmth). You will never see much of a wait at Novanta, which makes it great for grab and go because Novanta means 90 in Italian. All of their pizzas are ready in 90 seconds. The pizzas are personally sized so you won’t feel sluggish from overeating. 

My go-to: PESTO 

Mozzarella, Pesto, Cherry Tomatoes, Pecorino Romano 

Marigold Kitchen $$ 

What is better than a boozy brunch after a walk around the farmers market? Be prepared for about an hour wait. Mimosas, pancakes, breakfast sammies, oh my! Marigold Kitchen won “Best Breakfast” in Madison and your taste buds will tell you why. Even better, the customer service is phenomenal. I could not pick a favorite, so here are my best picks. 

CITRUS RICOTTA BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES 

Orange Almond Butter, Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Butter

MARIGOLD BREAKFAST SANDWICH 

Fried Egg, Cheddar Spiked Boursin, Bacon, Tomato, Green Onion, Toasted Ciabatta 

Miko Poke $ 

This spot is goals-AF. For someone who loves sushi as much as me, this place is a win. With the perfect location on Monroe Street you will leave wanting to come back. I am salivating just thinking about it. Poke is comprised of raw fish (tuna, salmon, scallops) on top of baby greens, topped with veggies, and all the good sauces! These bowls are truly Instagram worthy. 

My go-to: HAWAII STYLE 

Smashed Avocado, Cucumbers, Edamame, Poke Sauce, Spicy Aioli, Scallions, White Black Sesame Seeds

Bloom Bake Shop $$ 

You are what you eat, so be sweet. This cute little bakeshop is tucked away on Monroe Street. The focus is all about good food. All grub is made from locally sourced and organic ingredients. The price tag reflects this, but you are doing something good by sending dollars back into the community. Grab a coffee, some brunch, and hella baked goods and be sweet. 

My go-to: WISCONSIN SANDWICH

Classic Bacon, Egg, Cheese, Stoneground Mustard, Flakey Buttermilk Biscuit 

SWEET POTATO DONUT 

CINNAMON ROLL 

VANILLA CHAI TEA LATTE 

Ancora Coffee Roasters $$$

If you are looking for some coffee to keep you awake on these food adventures, look no further. Ancora has bomb lattes and even better outdoor seating. Their mission is to serve the best beans in the world. So you can drink that amazing cup knowing you can be proud of everything that went into it. 

My go-to: ICED HONEY ALMOND ZOMBIE 

White Espresso, Almond, Honey, Almond Milk

 Gloria’s Mexican $ 

Wasted away again in Margaritaville (literally). You cannot go wrong with any of Gloria’s margs! The restaurant is hella authentic; the only thing missing is sand underneath your toes. During happy hour, margs are only $2! DANGER. Just make sure you have an Uber ride home. My absolute favorite is their house margarita. ¡Olé! 

Saints Juice Co. $$$ 

Pressed juice in Madison is hard to come by. Actually, it was impossible before Saints Juice Co. opened this year. In my favorite neighborhood of Williamson Street, you can now grab a fresh pressed juice or mylk to go! The owners are always behind the counter and are extremely passionate about what they do. Feel free to ask questions about ingredients and the process, or just pick the prettiest color drink and go at it. 

My go-to: PROPHE-SEE 

Carrot, Apple, Lemon, Ginger

Tastes like a Capri Sun

Also tastes like you will never get sick again 

Bassett Street Brunch Club $$ 

Avocado toast will always text you back. Bassett Street Brunch Club is a Madison Favorite. Make sure to make a reservation!! They are known for their wild donut flavors and their famous boozy brunch. Because brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast. Go check them out on Instagram to see what all the hype is about.

My go-to: TOASTEST WITH THE MOSTEST 

Thick Cut 8 Grain Toast, Avocado Mash, Corn, Black Bean Salsa, Queso Fresco, Pickled Red Onion, and Cilantro 

Café Hollander $$ 

Because who doesn’t want to feel like they are drinking a bloody marry on the rooftop of a Chicago bar. VIBES. This is the #1 restaurant atmosphere in Madison, hands down. You will never want to leave and your phone battery will die from all the pictures taken. The bloody mary and mimosa selection is remarkable. It is a perfect stop for a late brunch after walking through the Hilldale farmers market. Don’t leave without ordering frites with your choice of dipping sides—basil aioli, siracha mayonnaise, Korean BBQ!! 

My go-to: AMERICANA 

Two Eggs, Hollander Potatoes, Multigrain Toast, Breakfast Sausage Links 

BERRY BLAST MIMOSA 

New Amsterdam Berry Vodka, Champagne, Pineapple Juice 

Everly $$ 

Brussel sprouts are misunderstood—probably because people do not know how to cook them properly. Everly takes brussels to a whole new meaning. MUST TRY. This natural lit space is easily the cutest craft cocktail bar in Madison. You will feel 10x richer, classier, and straight out of New York. You might even catch your pinky in the air while sipping on a fantabulous spritzer. 

My go-to: ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

Gribiche/Shallots/Lemon 

HOUSE BURGER 

Sharp Cheddar, Pickles, Red Onions, Butter Lettuce, Garlic Aioli 

Canteen $$ 

Destination→Mexico. A vibrant, fast paced Mexican kitchen & bar, serving up some famous margaritas that will make you want to shake your booty. I can only vouch for the margs since I have not stayed to try the grub. It is in a great location off the square to grab a few after class or work. 

Pho Nam Noodle House $ 

Serving up authentic Vietnamese that will make your taste buds go crazy! It does not look like much from the outside of the building, but the food is something to talk about. The prices are unbeatable. 

My go-to: EGG NOODLE AND WONTON SOUP WITH BBQ PORK 

Finale 

I hope my guide to Madison provides you with some inspiration to get out and explore the city. The summer is the best time to do so since just about everything is in walking or biking distance. Madison has Red Bikes placed around the city that you can rent for $6 dollars/day. Get out of your comfort zone and do something extraordinary. Try something new. Eat some grub that won’t make your body want to cry the next day. I promise, you won’t regret it.

If you make it out to any of these places make sure to tag #vitabenedetta and let me know how your experience went! Hopefully your experiences will be filled with good grub, aesthetic vibes, and hella Instagram photos. 

Until next time, Madison. Where are some of your favorite spots in Madison? Comment below.

#mkt400uwl

[erinnightwalker]

To increase tastiness of tomato soup

Take can or two of condensed tomato soup. Reconstitute with 2/3 of recommended water. While that heats, add two of the tiny cans of tomato paste, and rinse those out into the soup with about 1/2 of can's worth of water. Stir, mashing the paste to help it dissolve. Add a few good glugs of heavy cream, and dissolve a chunk of soft cheese (like boursin, or rondele). Take off the heat, and enjoy with toast or a grilled cheese sammich.

[michaelandy101-blog]

10 VR Marketing Examples to Inspire You in 2020

New Post has been published on http://tiptopreview.com/10-vr-marketing-examples-to-inspire-you-in-2020/

10 VR Marketing Examples to Inspire You in 2020

I won’t lecture you on the importance of incorporating virtual reality (VR) into your marketing strategy.

What I will do, however, is share a few fun facts about VR and show you nine examples of this technology used for marketing a product or a brand.

This year, the economic impact of virtual and augmented reality is predicted to reach $29.5 billion.

By the end of 2017, the number of shipped units of VR software and hardware from Sony, Oculus, HTC, and others totaled $2.4 million, up from $1.7 million in 2016.

By the end of 2020, the number of VR headsets sold is predicted to reach 82 million — a 1,507% increase from 2017 predicted totals.

VR is being adopted quickly, and adding it to your marketing channels is something you should definitely think about for the coming year.

What Is VR?

VR, short for virtual reality, is a form of interactive software that immerses users in a three-dimensional environment — usually by way of a headset with special lenses — to simulate a real experience. Ideally, VR allows people to simulate the experience in 360 degrees.

Numerous industries are now finding uses for VR in order to transport people to places they might otherwise have to travel to, or simply imagine. While movie companies, for example, are giving audiences the opportunity to experience the movie as if they’re a character in the scene, conventional businesses are now using VR to demonstrate and promote their products to potential customers.

Before we dive into some of the businesses that have found success injecting their marketing with a dose of VR, it’s worth noting that virtual reality has a few key differences from another term you might’ve heard before: augmented reality. Find out what these differences are in the video below.

Seeking inspiration for your own VR marketing campaign? Look no further. Below are nine of our favorite VR marketing campaigns and how they served the company’s marketing strategy.

Virtual Reality (VR) Marketing Examples

Wendy’s and VMLY&R: Keeping Fortnite Fresh

Key Technology: VERYX Food Sorting

Defy Ventures and Within: Step To The Line

Limbic Life: Project VITALICS

Lowe’s: Holoroom How To

Boursin: The Sensorium

Adidas: Delicatessen

Toms: Virtual Giving Trip

DP World: Caucedo Facilities Tour

TopShop: Catwalk VR Experience

1. Wendy’s and VMLY&R: Keeping Fortnite Fresh

While some brands were making full out VR experiences from scratch, Wendy’s identified how it could engage with gamers in Fortnite’s virtual world. Although this example is not technically a VR experience requiring a headset, the brand still leveraged a virtual world to market its product and tall a story.

In Wendy’s first ever Twitch stream, which won a Gold Clio, followed an avatar dressed as Wendy who appeared on the online battle game.

At one point in Fortnite’s online storyline, players were prompted to hunt cattle and transport beef to freezers at nearby restaurants. Once they did this, the players would earn coins.

When the Wendy’s team heard that Fortnite players were being encouraged to put beef in freezers, the chain tasked its marketing agency, VMLY&R, in creating an avatar that looked like Wendy. Wendy’s and its marketing firm then launched a Twitch stream where the avatar began to break into restaurants and destroy freezers:

    Like a commercial, native ad, or advergame, the goal of the campaign — aside from engaging new audiences — was to remind Twitch audiences that Wendy’s makes an effort to serve the freshest, best tasting beef to its customers.

During the stream, mentions of Wendy’s on social media went up by 119%. The stream was also viewed for a total of 1.52 million minutes with a quarter of a million viewers.

The campaign also allowed Wendy’s fans to interact with her avatar and the stream, which led other Fortnite players to start smashing freezers as well. Viewers of Wendy’s stream also began tweeting about it or posting in the feed’s comment thread. Because of engagement like this, it made Wendy’s company values, brand, and live stream incredibly memorable to gaming audiences.

Additionally, this campaign allowed the brand to engage and interact with gaming audience in a new and innovative way.

According to one Cannes Lions Jury Chair PJ Pereira, the creativeness of this campaign might have opened the door for new marketing opportunities in the future.

“[The campaign] was setting up a new trend instead of being the apex of a previous trend,” Pereira told Ad Age.

2. Key Technology: VERYX Food Sorting

Key Technology, a manufacturer and designer of food processing systems, created a Virtual Reality demo that would allow attendees of the Pack Expo food packaging trade show to experience a detailed, hands-on look at how the company’s VERYX digital food sorting platform works. It was part of a comprehensive B2B campaign to grow brand awareness among a target audience of food manufacturers, and VR gave participants a highly unique look at what exactly the process looks like inside of the machine.

While this 360-degree video doesn’t completely replicate the experience, it does indicate the differentiating way brands within such B2B industries as manufacturing can leverage VR to immersively demonstrate their sophisticated technologies and capabilities.

3. Defy Ventures and Within: Step To The Line

When my colleague attended Oculus Connect in October, the most memorable experience for her was, by far, the event’s VR For Good exhibit: a showcase of creative work that used Oculus and VR technology for social- and mission-focused ventures.

One such example of that work was Step To The Line: A short film (that was immersively viewed on a VR headset) documenting the lives of inmates at California maximum-security prisons. It was created by Within, a VR storytelling production company, in partnership with Defy Ventures, an entrepreneurship and development program for men, women, and youth who are currently or were formerly incarcerated.

With this unique watching experience, viewers were able to uniquely see what life is like within the walls of these correctional facilities, from the yard, to the cells, to the conversations that take place there.

4. Limbic Life: Project VITALICS

For far too many people, injuries, age, and disease can diminish mobility and equilibrium to the point where walking ranges from extremely painful to nearly impossible.

That’s why the folks at Limbic Life created the Limbic Chair, in partnership with the VITALICS research being conducted by RehaClinic. Pairing this special chair with a Gear VR headset allows users to more intuitively move their bodies (thanks to the chair’s combined neuroscience-based and ergonomic design) while virtually experiencing day-to-day experiences with a rehabilitative use of their hands and legs.

While the research is still underway and no definitive conclusions have been drawn, my coworker had the opportunity to use the chair at the 2017 Samsung Developer Conference and speak with the chair’s creator, Dr. Patrik Künzler.

“Patients enjoy being in the chair and the freedom of movement it allows. They enjoy VR a lot, especially the flying games,” he told Samsung Business Insights. And not only can the VR technology help them physically heal, but it also contributes to emotional rehabilitation.

“When they get up from the chair,” Künzler said, “they’re in a good mood and feel happy.”

Learn more about the conceptualization behind the Limbic Chair from Künzler’s TEDxZurich talk below.

5. Lowe’s: Holoroom How To

Anyone who’s gone through the existential angst of being a first-time buyer knows the unfathomable power of paperwork and finances to undermine the fun of designing or decorating a new home.

That is, until you walk into one of 19 Lowe’s stores that features the Holoroom How To VR experience.

Some homeowners are lucky enough to pay a professional to renovate their home when it needs to be. For others — Lowe’s core buyer — the next stop is the world of do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement, which comes with its own hefty dose of stress.

That’s why Lowe’s decided to step in and help out homeowners — or recreational DIY enthusiasts — with a virtual skills-training clinic that uses HTC Vive headsets that guides participants through a visual, educational experience on the how-to of home improvement.

6. Boursin: The Sensorium

One of my colleagues recently pledged to give up dairy — okay, 48 hours ago — and she already claims to miss cheese, a lot.

You can imagine her happiness, then, when she discovered that the cheese brand Boursin once created a VR experience to take users on a multi-sensory journey through a refrigerator to shed light on its products’ flavor profiles, food pairings, and recipe ideas.

The goal: to raise awareness among U.K. consumers of Boursin’s distinct taste and product selection.

While the VR installment was part of a live experiential marketing campaign, the rest of us can get a taste — pun intended — of the virtual experience via this YouTube video.

7. Adidas: Delicatessen

In 2017, Adidas partnered with Somewhere Else, an emerging tech marketing agency, to follow the mountain-climbing journey of two extreme athletes sponsored by TERREX (a division of Adidas).

And what good is mountain climbing to an audience if you can’t give them a 360-degree view of the journey?

Viewers were able to follow the climbers, Ben Rueck and Delaney Miller, literally rock for rock and climb along with them. You heard that right — using a VR headset and holding two sensory remote controls in each hand, viewers could actually scale the mountain of Delicatessen right alongside Rueck and Miller.

This VR campaign, according to Somewhere Else, served to “find an unforgettable way to market TERREX, [Adidas’s] line of outdoor apparel & accessories.” What the company also did, however, was introduce viewers to an activity they might have never tried otherwise. Instill an interest in the experience first, and the product is suddenly more appealing to the user.

Check out the campaign’s trailer below.

8. Toms: Virtual Giving Trip

Toms, a popular shoe company, is well known for donating one pair of shoes to a child in need every time a customer buys their own pair. Well, this charitable developer found a new way to inspire its customers to give — wearing a VR headset.

The Toms Virtual Giving Trip is narrated by Blake Mycoskie, the founder and Chief Shoe Giver of Toms, and one of his colleagues.

As they describe the story of Toms’ founding, their VR experience takes viewers on a trip through Peru, where Blake and the shoe-giving team visit a school of children who are about to receive the shoes they need for the first time.

What Toms’ VR campaign does so well is something cause-driven organizations all over the world struggle to do: Show donors exactly where their money is going. Even without a VR headset, the video below gives you an experience that’s intimate enough to put Toms on your list for your next shoe purchase.

9. DP World: Caucedo Facilities Tour

DP World is a global trade company that helps businesses transport goods around the world. As the company opens new terminals, however, they need a way to show their customers what DP World’s property has to offer.

DP World’s recently opened Caucedo facility in the Dominican Republic is just one of several DP World properties that uses VR to promote its large and often mysterious ships and land masses as they suddenly appear in a community.

Is trade logistics a sexy industry? Not to everyone. But that’s exactly why a 360-degree tour of DP World’s terminal is so valuable here. Show people just how efficient, safe, and crucial these properties are to certain businesses — without making them put on a hardhat and walk through the port itself — and you can gain massive community support.

10. TopShop: Catwalk VR Experience

Just because you couldn’t attend TopShop’s fashion show during London’s Fashion Week doesn’t mean you couldn’t still “be there.”

TopShop, a women’s fashion retailer, partnered with Inition, an emerging tech agency, to give customers a “virtual” seat of their fashion show by wearing a VR headset connected to the event as it was happening.

The groundbreaking campaign put viewers right next to the fashion runway and the seats of the celebrities who were attending. Talk about making sure your brand is inclusive …

Check out the video below, recapping the experience.

Navigating VR in Marketing

As you read this, you might be thinking, “Why should a small-business marketer like myself be learning about high-priced VR campaigns?” 

Well, although VR might be too costly for many. marketing budgets, it’s getting more and more abundant in society, As it grows, we’re seeing a handful of brands leverage it for product promotion and virtual storytelling. And, while you might not be able to create a VR-based campaign, you can gather some great takeaways related to marketing innovation, content marketing, or visual storytelling which can give you other ideas of how to better interact with your digital audience.

Want to see how other emerging technologies will impact your marketing? Check out A Practical Approach to Emerging Tech for SMBs: AI, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, IoT, and AR/VR.

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#General

[aardrian]

Working on perfecting the French three egg omelette (filled with a strip of boursin cheese) this week. Creamy, tasty, worth many more repeats.

[tapehissorchid]

@ghostconch mentioned you on a post “When will a billionaire decide to dedicate their wealth towards...”

What's a good vegan cheese @skipdivided ? I've only had weird nacho types. Not bad, but different?

I’m afraid that I can’t be of much help here. 98% of them are revolting tbh. Vegan products that aim to mimic fresh cheese (ricotta, feta, queso fresco, paneer etc.) tend to be a lot better than those in the style of hard cheese or ripened cheese. The only one that I really like is a herby boursin-style cream cheese made by a company called Urban Vegan, but it’s only available in the city that I live in. You can probably find a decent small-batch cashew cream cheese at your local crunchy health food shop. Some people like the mass-produced supermarket stuff like Daiya, but I can’t stomach it, it’s never worth the cost in my experience.

#ghostconch

[lastgenpodcast]

Melyssa and the Mouse: Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

With the first month of Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival coming to a close this weekend, let's take a look back at all the food and drinks that have been tasted and sampled since the August 31st kickoff, along with the Disney Parks Blog event I went to this week.

Along with an unprecedented length of the festival, the marketplaces have also expanded into Future World and there are things to see in the Festival Center and the Odyssey building.  There are also a few new marketplaces this year, the most interesting of which has to be the Light Lab located in Future World West.  Other new marketplaces include Flavors from Fire, Active Eats, Coastal Eats, and The Almond Orchard have premiered this year.  India and Spain have also made a return after a couple of years away.  With so much to eat and drink, and with more time to do it in, there's much to discuss. So let's jump right into it!

I want to start off with the Light Lab as this is the most unique area of the festival, combining senses of light, taste, touch, and smell.  In the little booklet, the only offerings listed are beverages; however, the most famed item out of this marketplace is the glownut- the donut that glows in the black-lit area.  It was a really good donut but nothing super special about it besides the fact that the light makes it glow.  I also tried the Bleu Spectrum- Blanc de Bleu Cuvee Mousseux with Boba Pearls, which was a light bubbly drink with flavored balls- a fun drink for a hot day.  I think the experience of this room is worth it, though I wish there was more to taste.

Moving into the rest of the outdoor marketplaces over in Future World West, we can take a peek at the new Flavors from Fire.  The Piggy Wings are the highly praise roasted pork wings with Korean BBQ sauce and sesame seeds.  They deserve the praise as they were fall of the bone tender and the twist of this not being traditional BBQ wings made the end taste wonderful!  I was also able to try the Sweet Pancake with spicy Chipotle-chicken sausage, onion jam, and maple-butter syrup, which was a combination of sweet and savory.  This was probably not one I would have sought out if it was not at the event, but it was a pleasant surprise with the mix of flavors.  If you like sweet and/or savory, you should definitely seek this out.  At Coastal Eats, the Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip served with sourdough baguette was my favorite fish dish so far, though the Lump Crab Cake with Napa cabbage slaw and avocado-lemongrass cream was also a good option, just nothing terribly new.  A light dessert from Active Eats was the Sweet Avocado Cream with strawberries, yellow cake, and tortilla streusel.  While this initially sounds weird because of the avocado, the end result was absolutely delightful- I could not even tell there was any avocado in it besides the light green color on top! 

The Sweet Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte with whipped cream and raspberry dust and the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle at the Chocolate Studio were two very different desserts, but both equally delicious.  The raspberry helps off-set the bitterness of the dark chocolate, leaving you with a blend of sweet and bitter that is pleasant but does leave you wanting a glass of cold milk.  The liquid nitro truffle is a fun new option, but be careful if you have cold sensitivity as this will definitely hit a nerve.  Personally, I enjoyed the torte much more.

At the Cheese Studio, you can find the Braised Beef "Stroganoff" with tiny egg noodles, wild mushroom, and boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese sauce. I was able to try this at the Parks Blog event, which was good as I could say I probably would have not sought this out and paid for it while on my way around the festival.  It was a pleasant surprise with very tender beef and a lovely sauce that was not too heavy.  I'm not sure how this would hold up if you were eating it out in the hot Florida sun, but it was a delectable dish overall.

Now let's head into World Showcase for more!  A stop at the Farm Fresh marketplace in the front of World Showcase will bring you to the Crispy Chicken with griddled cornbread and red eye gravy.  Again, I tried this at the event so this was delicious while sitting in the air conditioned room.  The chicken had a perfect skin on it and the cornbread was some of the best I've tried.  Also served here is Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider and the Two Henrys Elderberry Cream Hard Cider, both of which I highly endorse.  I don't typically enjoy beer and wine can give me a headache but ciders have become a nice replacement, particularly in the hot Florida weather- just be careful if you have to watch your sugars.  The Loaded Greek "Nachos" in Greece returns this year and did not disappoint- a perfect sharing size!  If you're hesitant about Thailand- try the Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with cold noodle salad!  Over in India, the Madras Red Curry with roasted cauliflower, baby carrots, chickpeas, and basmati rice is a great vegetarian, gluten free option with a really nice kick in the spice department (and I like spicy food!).  The mango lassi non-alcoholic drink is a perfect compliment to the spiciness of the dish- so you should definitely pair them together.  Another great surprise was the Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake with Chocolate-Coconut Mousse, which was offered at the Parks Blog event, thankfully, because I would not have sought this out to pay for.  If you've ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, then this dessert is perfect- the pistachio flavor was not too overwhelming and the mousse in the center was a good compliment to the somewhat drier texture of the cake.  If you're looking for a good light dessert, and can handle nuts, then I would suggest this.  If you don't like pistachio in your sweets, then you can definitely pass on this.

Moving onto the back part of the World Showcase, let's head into Italy, where the Crispy Calamari with spicy pomodoro sauce and the Spezzatino con Polenta: beef stew with parmesan creamy polenta are awaiting. The spicy sauce on the calamari is not as spicy as the curry in Indian, but if you want a little kick, this definitely has it.  The polenta was good, though may not be great on a hot Florida day- save it for post 4pm.  The McKenzie's Seasonal Reserve Hard Cider from West Seneca, NY was offered at the Parks Blog event, but can be found out in Block & Hans in The American Adventure, and instantly became my favorite cider with their black cherry flavor. I've tried apple cider, pear cider, pear and strawberry cider, and elderberry cider- but this black cherry was amazing- not too sweet as a pear cider and not as crisp as a typical apple cider. Also over in the American Adventure, the Hops & Barley marketplace has the favorite New England Lobster Roll and Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing- both of which are very good, though the cake drenched in icing was a bit much.  Over in Japan, the Salmon BLT Sushi Roll: Futomaki Roll with lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, and carrots topped with yuzu miso salmon, tomato, and bacon chips was a great option, though it was two very large pieces and was less like sushi than I would have preferred. It tasted amazing, but had a lot going on than typical sushi rolls I've tried before.  However, pairing it with the Pom Pineapple Sake Cocktail was a perfect treat. And finally, a returning favorite, the Belgium Waffle with Berry Compote and whipped cream is still a perfect sized treat!

So what have you tried?  Did you have a favorite? What are you looking forward to trying?

#Food & Wine #Epcot #Food & Wine Festival #Food #Wine #TasteEpcot #Taste Epcot #Disney #Walt Disney World

[bothfuckingcrazy-blog]

Long Time, Big Province

It’s been awhile. We’ve been in Canada for 24 days. It seems like it’s been ages and not at the same time.

We rolled into Banff in a rented car, big ol’ 2017 Toyota Camry (free full-size upgrade from the tiny, cheap car we paid for). This was cheaper than two people taking any of the shuttles to Banff. Insane, right? This way we got to stop wherever we wanted to as well, which was nice.

There we had our first Tim Horton’s experience. It was underwhelming, but cheap and reasonably tasty. I got something called a B.E.L.T. which is a BLT but on a bagel and has one of those egg “patties” in it too. The bagel was a pretzel bagel which made it all worth it. Since then, we’ve been to Tim Horton’s quite a few times and the novelty’s worn off.

We stayed at the International Hostel in Banff, which is expensive as hell for a hostel, and therefore shared a bed, which was comfier anyway. We were able to ditch our packs in their storage area and go out for some drinks, which we did, and “helped” (more like carried) some 19 year old kids who had gotten absolutely smashed get home to their campsite. Dumb kids. This was our first run in with dumb kids.

We headed out the next day to the trailhead at Lake Minnewanka. Well, that’s where we thought the trailhead was, and once there we asked just about everyone and no one knew where the ACTUAL trailhead was. We ran into some French guys doing the same route as us and we ended up hiking a few km back down the road looking for the trailhead which didn’t exist where they thought it was (to be fair, it was hidden) and we reached Upper Bankhead eventually (where the real trailhead was). We finally got on the trail at around 6pm and not feeling fresh whatsoever. We spent awhile getting to the campsite (all uphill on a gravelly road that was somewhat annoying to hike on) and spent time getting used to our packs. Once we were at the campsite we had a quick dinner and found a spot to pitch our tent (a secluded site on a bed of moss, which was heavenly for sleeping). We pitched it in the dark and slept pretty heavily.

The next day was the trek up to Cr15 (the campsites are named by landmarks and how many km they are from their respective trailheads). It was an easy enough hike and we spotted a few lines of packhorses/donkeys with their handlers going somewhere north of the campsite. We passed by a warden’s cabin and came to an unmarked three-fork and sat down to try to figure out where the campsite was; we realized then we’d left one of our two-way radios somewhere on the trail so Martin went back to attempt to find it (he didn’t). This was the second item we were relieved of prematurely (the first one being Martin’s hat, which he left in the lady’s car who had given us a ride to Lake Minnewanka. That was our first hitchhike, by the way). We crossed a tiny little bridge across a river after a French guy pointed us in the direction of the campsite and we set up camp. It was pretty wide-open which was great, since we got enough wind at the food/eating area to keep the mosquitoes at bay.

A short tangent here: the backcountry campsites are mostly laid out in a similar fashion. There’s a picnic table (of sorts), a fire pit with a grill, bear hangers for food/packs made from metal braided rope, and then the campsites are 50m-100m away from the food/eating areas. They also have pit toilets.

We stayed at Cr15 a couple nights and did a bit of laundry and reading in the sun, then headed to the last stop in our loop, a site called Ek13.

The hike from Cr15 to Ek13 was torturous. There was a significant elevation gain and the trail ran between/on top of the foothills of the Vermillion Range. The trail was pretty rough in places due to horse traffic (horses can really mess up soft trails). I almost lost a boot to a really deep spot of mud.

It started out so well though.

We had a nice saunter through dry riverbeds and followed the “trail is this way” hiker signs until the trail spat us out on a riverbank. But where was the bridge? After maybe an hour of looking upriver, downriver, and aroundriver, we asked someone at a horse stable a bit downriver of the trail how to get across -- ends up we just had to CROSS THE RIVER.

The river was waist deep, fast, and very cold. Martin helped me across and went back for our packs. We dried off and set out on our way. It was a long and arduous hike, but we got there. We pitched our tent in a nice spot not too out of the way and tried not to get murdered by mosquitoes during dinner. Some guys came in near midnight (we were still awake) and set up camp.

We made acquaintances with the guys who came in late -- they were two Canadians who were old friends and camping buddies. They had apparently brought an entire supermarket’s worth of food. Martin and I just looked on in disbelief as they pulled out fresh milk, fresh sausages, and even a 6 pack of fresh eggs. We had a giant breakfast with them as they were kind enough to offer to share everything. Martin was happy to have real milk in his tea (instead of the powdered stuff we’d been using). They left us some delicious yogurt-nut bars and some amazing dill soft cheese called Boursin (cheese! I was all over that). We planned to stay a couple nights... and then things went wrong.

Martin had gathered some dandelion greens to make a fresh sauteed side for some of the summer sausage we’d brought along. He was pouring the boiled off fat from the summer sausage into the greens when the fat/oil spat... badly... all over my right hand.

Cue screaming and 2nd degree burns.

An hour later after I’d held my hand in the glacial stream nearby we did our best to bandage it up and assess the damage. It blistered pretty good. There was fluid in all of them and it hurt like hell. I couldn’t really use it to do anything so we just sat around in our tent for a few days.

It helped that we were way up in the mountains and somehow were getting cellphone internet.

Our batteries were running out and my hand was healing, so we decided to head back into Banff after a short day-hike to Elk Lake. The Canadians were back from their unorthodox river camp (they didn’t bother crossing), and poured us some wine from a bag they’d brought (?!) and shared some slightly less legal substances as well. They were horrified at the state of my hand (it did look pretty bad, to be fair). Elk Lake was beautiful and teeming with fish, the sunset over the mountains was incredible, Martin tried to climb a slope but realized mountains are actually really fucking high, we saw some snow, and I managed to burst all my blisters (nooooo!).

The biggest fear about my hand was risk of infection but we did a good job at keeping it clean.  After the hike to the trailhead, which was long (and I was flagging badly near the end), we collapsed onto the shuttle back into Banff to stay another couple nights at the hostel. We had a good time in the city but fuck, it’s way too expensive.

We decided to hitch out north toward Jasper, originally intending to stay at the hostel but it was full. In fact, everything in Jasper appeared to be full besides the overflow campground a few miles north of town. We amended our plan, and I’m so glad we did.

We took a free shuttle up to Lake Louise, saw Lake Louise, saw all the tourists, saw a mother moose with her two baby (still huge) meese, and went back to the village site. We got advice on where to thumb from the Parks people and some firefighters and got water from an auto repair shop near the highway. A lone girl from British Columbia going to Saskatchewan Crossing for some film work gave us a lift maybe 15 minutes later. She dropped us off at the trailhead for Hector Lake, which was only a few km off the Icefields Parkway.

The campsite was full up but we got a tip off there was a really nice spot down on the point of the lake, to the left. And there was. We walked in, happy to find a place to sleep, and in awe of how fucking beautiful the lake was. It blew Lake Louise completely away in terms of beauty (and also there were barely any people). The barrier to entry was crossing another small river, but this time only knee-high and not as cold. I discovered some communal river-crossing shoes and did better at crossing this time.

We stayed there until the food ran out because it was such a nice spot. We laid by the lake, did a lot of reading, and canoeing in the free campground canoes. The last night before we were intending to leave, we heard some people yelling while we were about to settle into our tent. Ends up some kids had gone out in the canoes and gotten blown into the opposite shore (the wind picks up awfully quick out there and it’s a big lake). Awhile later we found them after lending a hand (and some lights) to the frightened teenagers. They were wet and cold and the girls were grateful but I don’t think the guys even said “thank you” for our rummaging through the brush for over 30 minutes to find them.

Some other group of guys originally offered them a place to stay that night but I guess they wanted to get the kids out of their hair so told them they’d lend headlamps and walk them to the river, so they ended up leaving late, around midnight, and that was that.

We hitchhiked from Hector Lake to Jasper courtesy of a nice German girl in a big truck. Item #3 went missing in her truck, a can of bear spray (1 of 2) which must’ve rolled under the seat during the drive. She dropped us off slightly out of town and we made the walk in.

Pictures and tales of Jasper to come in a later post.

#blog #text #banff #hitchhiking #canada17

[dietmumrepeat]

Chicken breasts take on a new dimension when they’re filled with Boursin Light cheese and served in a creamy leek and mushroom sauce with new potatoes. This recipe is definitely worth a try! 💫 Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25-30 minutes Calories: 400kcals Steps: 3 and 4 Ingredients 2 x 125g boned, skinned chicken breasts 60g Boursin Light Spray oil 200g new potatoes 200g leeks, thinly sliced 100g small mushrooms, thinly sliced 60ml dry white vermouth, e.g. Noilly Prat, or dry white wine 4 tbsp half-fat crème fraîche Salt and freshly ground black pepper Chopped parsley or chives to garnish Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. 2. Make a slit along one side of each chicken breast and fill the pocket with the Boursin Light. Secure with wooden cocktail sticks. Spray a frying pan lightly with oil and sear the chicken on both sides over a high heat for 2–3 minutes. 3. Place the chicken breasts in an ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked right through. 4. Meanwhile, cook the new potatoes in a pan of boiling water for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain well. 5. Cook the leeks in the oil left in the pan over a low heat for 8–10 minutes until tender. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Add the vermouth or wine and bring to the boil. When it evaporates, reduce the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Heat through gently for 2 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. 6. Slice the chicken breasts and arrange on 2 serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with parsley or chives. Serve with the new potatoes. Check out the Shake It Up Blog for more 400cal recipes below http://shakeitup.cambridgeweightplan.com/?s=400kcal https://www.instagram.com/p/BwU5NAzgLQ-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=pylbmn4rruff

[carmineri]

Picks and Skips of the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Now in its third year, the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts celebrates artistic endeavors across many disciplines – and lucky for us, that includes the culinary arts! Recent years have featured innovative and creative displays of technique and flavors from the festival booths, and this year, with a few new booths and many new dishes, I was looking forward to seeing the festival take even more steps forward in the food scene.

Overall, the Festival of the Arts is finally settling into its groove, but there were more misses this year than I’ve noticed in years past. Italy’s L’Arte di Mangiare, America’s The Artist’s Table, Decadent Delights, and Morocco’s Mosaic Canteen are all easy skips in this year’s festival; there are just too many other good dishes to try elsewhere. On the bright side, Deconstructed Dish, Pop Eats, Germany’s Cuisine Classique, Japan’s Takumi Table, and France’s L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise continue to bring solid dishes to the fore, with interesting flavors and presentations mixing to highlight the best this fest can do. Elsewhere, you’ll find hidden gem dishes at Masterpiece Kitchen and Mexico’s El Artista Hambriento (as well as at Refreshment Port, where lobster nachos are all the rage right now).

Check out my rundown below of each booth’s offerings, along with my picks and skips to help plan your trip to this year’s festival. As always, click on any photos to enlarge them and get an up-close view of each dish.

The Painter’s Palate

Smoked Salmon and Cream Gateau with Egg Yolk Cream, Paddlefish Caviar, and Micro-herbs

Trio of Savory Croissant Doughnuts

Whipped Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese with Fresh Herbs

Chicken Salad with Shaved Fennel and Fresh Herbs

Spicy Tuna with Wasabi and Seaweed Salad

Gallery Bites: A Trio of Hors d’Oeuvres

Chilled Shrimp with Cucumber Cream Cheese on a Crostino

Traditional Deviled Egg with Candied Bacon

Crispy Truffled Risotto Ball with Truffle Aioli

Pop’t Art

White Chocolate Figment Puzzle

Mickey & Pluto White Chocolate Painting

Festival of the Arts White Chocolate Painting

The Painter’s Palate booth, located in the Odyssey Festival Showplace, still shiny and spiffy after its recent renovation as a festival center, adds one dish to its menu this year. Unfortunately, both days I visited the festival during opening weekend, technical issues prevented me from trying the Smoked Salmon and Cream Gateau. It sounds pretty innovative and perhaps worth a shot, but the trio of savory cronuts remains my top pick – the gimmick of the cronut has saturated Disney food thoroughly by this point, but the quality flavors of the creamy chicken salad and spicy tuna toppings for two of these bites (plus, who doesn’t love cheesy, garlicky anything?) is enough to keep this as a must-try for me.

At this booth (and all booths), I’d skip the white chocolate paintings. They’re cute to look at, but even in the dead of Florida winter, they quickly disintegrate outside, and they’re really just white chocolate at the highest possible cost – there are too many other great desserts (kid-friendly, too!) to go for these.

The Deconstructed Dish

Deconstructed BLT with Crispy Pork Belly, Tomato Jam, and Soft-Poached Egg

Deconstructed Reuben with Shredded Corned Beef, Thousand Island Dressing, Pickled Red Cabbage, and a Rye Curl

Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake

The Deconstructed Dish is better described as Fussy Family Favorites, and honestly, if that doesn’t sound up your alley, your best bet is to skip this booth in favor of a few others we’ll get to later. I happen to enjoy this booth’s offerings, on the whole – familiar flavors wrapped in a new package are a fun way to jump in to “fancy” food, particularly for kids and picky eaters, and bonus: because these dishes are deconstructed, if there’s a part that you don’t want to eat, it’s pretty easy to avoid.

My pick for this booth continues to be the Deconstructed BLT with Crispy Pork Belly – really, how do you say no to pork belly? One caveat for this dish is to try to order it during a busy time of day – you definitely want a super-fresh version of this, as it makes the pork belly and the poached egg shine best. I still wish this dish had a little crouton or breadcrumbs at the very least – a true BLT is loaded with crunchy textures and this misses that altogether, but the salty-sweet juxtaposition of the bacon and tomato jam is can’t miss for me.

The Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake is a skip, if only because of its simplicity; basically, this dish is cheesecake mousse with strawberry topping you’ve had a million times and an unremarkable sugar cookie. It is delicious, but it is not innovative unless you are a particularly picky eater.

Decadent Delights

White Chocolate and Purple Sweet Potato Mousse with Caramel, Coconut, and Maple Meringue

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Pretzel Crunch

Lemon-Blood Orange Tart

Artist Palette Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie

The dessert-centric booth returns this year with an honestly underwhelming selection of treats. The white chocolate and purple sweet potato mousse was a rave for me last year, but I’ve softened on it since – upon sampling it again the first festival weekend, I found little flavor except “sweet” present, and no real focus. The chocolate and peanut butter dessert needed more of both flavors, and less stale pretzels all over the plate. The lemon-blood orange tart was the best out of the three desserts I sampled, but it lacked the true tart punch I’d expect from those two fruits, with the blood orange playing second fiddle to a too-sweet and dense crust. Overall, I’d skip this booth altogether and stick to other desserts.

Pop Eats

Sous-Vide Poulet Rouge Chicken Roulade with Apples and Sage served with Warm Brie Fondue, Blueberry, and Beet Gel

Shirmp Ceviche with Lime-Mint Foam

Almond Frangipane Cake layered with Raspberry Jam and Callebaut Belgian Chocolate

Pop’t Art

Pop Eats is always one of my favorite booths, and this year is no exception. I love the sweet-tart-richness of the decadent Almond Frangipane Cake, artfully crafted to look like a Mondrian painting (how cool is that?!). Nearly every time I drop into the festival, I find myself grabbing a slice of this cake, which is both style AND substance wrapped into a few small bites. Also a pick? The chicken roulade, which combines fall and winter flavors beautifully. I still can’t believe this dish is being served in a theme park – it’s as complex in execution as it is in flavors, balancing all the sweet fruits and tender chicken with the sage and brie perfectly. Both of these dishes are definite picks to give a try.

El Artista Hambriento

Sopes de Chilorio: Slow-braised Pork marinated in Ancho Chili Paste served on Fried Corn Dough with Black Beans, Queso Oaxaca, Crema Mexicana, and Salsa Verde

Callo de Hacha em Salsa de Jengibre y Habanero: Two Seared Scallops with Ginger-Habanero Sauce atop Yucca Puree

Chocoflan: Creamy Mexican Custard and Chocolate Sponge Cake topped with Cajeta and Hazelnuts

Mexico is always hit or miss in festivals these days, and I’m happy to report that at least two of their three dishes are picks for me! The seared scallops with ginger-habanero sauce and yucca puree really hit the spot – we hit this booth last during my first day of sampling, and after some underwhelming scallops from The Artist’s Table booth, these scallops really sang. Tender and perfectly seared without being chewy and overdone, these two smaller scallops sat atop a creamy yucca puree (mild in flavor, with a texture much like mashed potatoes) and a tangy sauce that only slightly hinted at the habanero within. Don’t shy away from this dish if you are spice averse – I think it’s still pretty accessible and tasty enough to sample.

Also a pick is the returning chocoflan dessert, slightly updated this year. The cake underneath was a tad dense on my portion, but the dark chocolate flavors with the caramel custard is really hard to pass up. It’s also worth noting that this is one of the few dishes where the portions really make it shareable – hard to come by in Epcot festivals these days.

I was underwhelmed by the sopes de chilorio, unfortunately. I think the pork could’ve used an injection of flavor, and otherwise everything was very mild and inoffensive, which makes this a skip in my book.

The Painted Panda

Crystal Mooncake with Fruit Filling and garnished with Toasted Coconut

Dragon and Phoenix: Spicy Sauteed Shrimp with Spinach Noodles

Plum-Infused Cherry Tomatoes

The chewy mooncake continues to be one of the prettier and most fun desserts at the festival; if you like fruity-sweet flavors, this is a definite pick for you! I would certainly skip the dragon and phoenix – portion sizes alone (with 5 noodles and 2-3 shrimp per plate) made it a dish I was not willing to wait 30 minutes in line for during either of my festival visits, particularly when both of these items are served inside Nine Dragons on a regular basis. I’m intrigued by the plum-infused cherry tomatoes, and it looked to be a decent snacking portion, but the booth was out of them the second time I visited after skipping out on my first trip. I’ll have to return to the festival and report back if they’re worth the effort of this always long line.

Cuisine Classique

Red wine-braised Beef Short Rib with Parsnip Puree, Broccolini, Baby Tomatoes, and Aged Balsamic

Seared Corvina with braised Ratatouille and Lemon-Thyme Beurre Blanc

Saint-Honore Tart with Caramel Cream and Cream Puffs

Two of my top festival picks from last year, the beef short rib and Saint-Honore tart return, continuing to reign supreme over many other festival offerings. The short ribs are both decadent and accessible – picky-eaters would be hard pressed to pass up a bite of good ol’ pot roast, while the dish still satisfies more adventurous diners, too. The Saint-Honore tart is a caramel lover’s dream – creamy, crunchy, with slight hints of salt to elevate the flavors laced throughout, I could eat this every festival visit.

L’Arte di Mangiare

Barbabietoe Dolci, Caprino Fritto: Roasted Candied Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Fritters

Costine di Maiale Aceto Balsamico: Sweet & Sour Balsamic-glazed Pork Ribs

Spuma al Miele d;Arancio: Orange Honey Mousse with Peaches and Mint-Marjoram Cream

Italy’s food booth continues to divide festival fans – I was enthusiastic that their offerings would be great this year after those tasty ricotta fritters from last year and a good showing at last year’s Food and Wine festival, but alas, it was not to be. In short, the booth is entirely a skip. The roasted beet salad was covered in crunchy kosher salt to the point of being inedible (though the goat cheese fritters were nicely fried, still not enough to recover the whole dish). The ribs were… odd. Most of our party commented on how the whole booth and surrounding area smelled like soy sauce, a rather odd flavor to be coming from the Italy booth. The meat was a bit paltry and mealy, and did indeed taste like soy sauce (I imagine this is what burnt balsamic tastes like). The orange honey mousse was largely flavorless – it was like eating air; very expensive air.

The Artist’s Table

Beef Wellington with Mushroom Bordelaise, Fennel Cream, and Roasted Baby Vegetables

Pan-Seared Scallop with Chorizo, Roasted Red Pepper Coulis, and Parmesan Crisp

I wanted to like both of these dishes, but neither was appealing enough to continue eating after even one bite. The beef wellington was both mushy and tough, a remarkable feat, and had little to no mushroom or fennel flavor anywhere on the plate. As mentioned earlier, the pan-seared scallop here was vastly inferior to the Mexico booth’s scallop dish; this was tough, over-cooked, and lacking any flavor, alongside a flavorless red pepper sauce and a relish with chorizo that also did not have flavor (do you know how hard it is to make chorizo taste like nothing?). Unanimously, my dining party thought the only good thing about either dish was the parmesan crisp atop the scallop, which I think makes this booth a resounding skip.

Takumi Table

Taiyaki: Fish-shaped Japanese Sweet Stuffed Pastry with Red Bean Paste topped with Whipped Cream and Sesame Custard

Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped sushi featuring Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Avocado, and Masago accented with Citrus-soy gelee and Wasabi on the side

After two very disappointing booths, the Japan booth will cheer you up. Both the taiyaki and the sushi donut are must-try dishes, in my opinion. The taiyaki is a fun, traditional Japanese dessert beginning to make waves here in the US of late – sweet pastry, almost waffle-like in texture, filled with sweet red bean paste and a tiny dollop of whipped cream is sure to please most anyone who tries it. The sushi donut is an equally-successful crowd-pleaser, with one caveat – you’ll likely have to wait a while to get one. During the first festival weekend, I ended up waiting about 15 minutes for my order, as they’d run out of fish (the sushi chef inside the booth joked they had to go catch some more). It was, however, entirely worth the wait. It may seem like a lot of rice, but this is about the equivalent of a 6 or 8 piece roll in size, with a decent amount of fresh seafood, to boot. The citrus-soy gelee served in the middle of the donut means you don’t even have to douse this in soy sauce packets from the booth to hit the spot.

Mosaic Canteen

Spiced Beef with Pine Nuts, Dried Cherries, Hummus, and Pita Chips

Mediterranean Flatbread with Za’atar, Olive Oil Artichoke, Olives, Mozzarella, and Feta Cheese

Chebbakia: Hand-twisted strips of fried dough coated with Honey, Rosewater, and Sesame Seeds

Last year, I highlighted the hummus trifle (known this year as the spiced beef with hummus), and was pleasantly surprised at how palatable it was. I was disappointed to find that this year’s portion was a bit smaller and not worth the asking price, so I instead sampled the Mediterranean Flatbread in hopes of being wowed – in short, I was not. This dish is a definite skip – it’s a large portion, overall, but it’s mostly pita bread with very little toppings on it. The best part of the dish was the delicious sauce drizzled on top (the very same from the hummus fries famous from festivals and Spice Road Table). Also a skip, and probably one of my least favorite dishes of the day, were the chebbakia. I’m not sure if I disliked the texture of these because they were stale, or just not my cup of tea, but they were unappetizingly chewy and didn’t taste like much of anything. Additionally, this dessert is a whopping $7 for essentially 4 bites of food, which wouldn’t have been a good value, even had they been tasty.

L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise

Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm Creamy Brie in a House-made Bread Bowl

Dariole de Saumon a la Provencale, Sauce Beurre Blanc, Fleuron: Salmon Terrine with Zucchini and Tomato, Beurre Blanc Sauce, Puff Pastry Fleuron

Moelleux Aux Chocolats Valrhona: Molten Chocolate Cake with Pure Origin Valrhona Chocolate

Now, I’m not one to complain about cheese and bread, but I did find the warm creamy brie dish to be a little more style over substance than I wanted. Don’t get me wrong – the cheese was excellent and the bread bowl, even slightly stale, was a great delivery vehicle, but I wanted a slice of crisp green apple or some grapes to help offer a little sweet or acidity to the cheese party. The salmon dish is slightly changed from last year, with the fish presented in a terrine rather than playfully draped in the puff pastry itself. The texture definitely improved as a result, making this a more palatable option for me, though this is certainly one of the fussier dishes of the festival and not really meant for pickier eaters. The true crowd pleaser, and honestly probably one of my top festival picks overall, has to be the molten chocolate cake. This was a masterpiece in chocolate flavor, hitting every deep, dark note you want from something that is meant to be rich and gooey. Is it original? Absolutely not. Is it innovative? Nope. But it’s darn tasty, and that’s enough for me.

The Masterpiece Kitchen

Wild Mushroom Risotto, Aged Parmesan, Truffle Shavings, and Zinfandel Reduction

Charcuterie Palette with Artisan Cured Meats and Cheeses

Vanilla, Rosewater, and Pistachio Panna Cotta

Masterpiece Kitchen continues to be a consistent favorite for me, with the rich and earthy wild mushroom risotto (still served up in reasonable portions) and the well-curated and adorably-presented charcuterie palette. For wine drinkers, this is a great stop, and these two dishes make excellent savory snack-alongs for your sips. I would skip the pistachio panna cotta, though – it’s most gelatin and unflavored sweet air here, which is unfortunate but means you’ll have more room for other better options.

What are your picks and skips for the 2019 Festival of the Arts? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Picks and Skips of the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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[annashipper]

More Anons weighing in on what Ben said on the Ali interview

Nonny Nr. 1:   having (means angry) it with you maybe angry with you or maybe your wife is hanging with you

Nonny Nr. 2:   I finally listened to the clip everyone's talking about, and I am still unsure what word he says, but I'm leaning toward "ringing," unless it's another word no one's proposed yet. I can see why some people think "haranguing," but I think he would have pronounced that particular word more recognizably. It's not such a common word that you'd slur over it.

Nonny Nr. 3:  He difinitely said haranguing

Maybe Not:  Uh, I heard something that was definitely NOT “phoning”.I heard “swearing at you”.  SORRY!  I’m now going to go into hiding as the vitriol unleashes.

FF#1 Anon:  Okay a couple things. First I pulled out my trusty laptop and headphones (which a re very good quality), cranked up the sound, and listened to BC’s interview. I also watched his lips as he was talking and he does say “your wife is haranguing you”. He used that example with such ease that I suspect he’s actually witnessed such a thing that one of his friends or colleagues or even his parents went through. And, of course, you know how BC loves to use big words. 

Also just to make your day. I got that recipe for Beaver Tails for you.  It took some negotiation to obtain the recipe but here it is. I know you can google and get recipes but this is straight from a shop that makes them.

Ingredients: ¼ cup warm water 8g pkg or 2-½ tsp active dry yeast ½ cup milk, warmed 2 Tbsp butter, melted 2 Tbsp sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp vanilla 1 eggs 2-½ cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 L vegetable oil for deep-frying Cinnamon Sugar Topping:1 cup sugar - 1 Tbsp cinnamo

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the warm water, warm milk, yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. 2. Add melted butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and eggs. Give everything a good mix together. Add flour and mix with the dough hook (or with a wooden spoon if you’re not using a mixer) and mix until the dough comes together and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead for about 6 minutes in the mixer and 10 minutes by hand, until the dough is smooth, silky. Use extra flour if dough is sticky. 3. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 4. Punch down dough and place onto a lightly floured countertop. Shape into 8 equal sized pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into an oval shape. If you like, score a crisscross pattern in the top of dough. 5. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet and leave to rise, covered, for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. 6. Make cinnamon sugar by combining sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. 7. Heat a large wide pot with about two inches of oil. Heat to 350F/176C. If you don’t have a thermometer, check the oil’s temperature by tearing off a small piece of dough and see if it sizzles and floats to the surface. Keep a close eye on the oil, adjust temperature as needed to prevent it from getting too hot. If you see it smoking or crackling take off the heat to cool down before frying. 8. Fry your doughnuts on each side for 30-60 seconds until they are golden brown. Dunk immediately in cinnamon sugar or top with lemon and sugar, Nutella, jam, maple syrup, or pretty much anything you want to use.  So Canadian to use maple syrup too. I’ve also seen cream cheese, Boursin cheese, Boston cream, peaches and cottage cheese. Anything  think up is worth trying with these tasty pastries. 

They are always deep fried, and served fresh and warm, and so so good.

Hugs Anna! 

Anna:  So far the number of Skeptics that hear “haranguing” is up to 41.  I’m laying this to rest and putting it down as “haranguing”.

FF#1, you are magnificent!!!  They might not come out looking as oval as I’d like them to be (because I honestly suck at forming any type of dough into anything), but I’m definitely giving them a try soon!  Thank you for going to all this trouble!!!

[thisislizheather]

Navigating November 2021

Above Photo: Central Park, November 2021

Should I comment on how fast this year has gone by or is that just a commonality of general life now and never needs to be said again?

Here’s what went down in November.

You can find my favourite tweets of the month over here and here.

I wrote about the very best Thanksgiving recipes. I’m going to do this type of post again for Christmas recipes soon.

I detailed my visit to the Treasures exhibit at the New York Public Library.

My friend Irene & I tried the pizza at Di Fara’s in Brooklyn and while it was good, it was nowhere near worth the drive out there. Just way too far, we might as well have gone to New Jersey. Good pizza, though!

Above Photo: Di Fara Pizza, Brooklyn

Here’s some advice on how to have a cheaper Christmas this year because everything costs a million dollars now?

If you’ve never been to the Octagon House in Irvington, New York then you now have no excuse not to go for yourself.

New things I watched:

Only Murders in the Building - phenomenal! Everyone should watch! Can’t recommend it enough.

Squid Game - yes I’m the last person on earth who watched it and yes it was fantastic. That old man! Fuck!

The newest season of Curb Your Enthusiasm - yeah, I think I can’t watch anymore. I think I’m done with love/hate relationships because there’s no actual love here and why am I doing this to myself?

The newest season of Big Mouth - the shame episode is phenomenal. This is just such a good show, I’m so glad it exists.

The newest season of Nora From Queens - this season was really up and down for me, but it finished really strong. This is corny but the idea of not being lost if you have people you care for and who care for you? I love it. I’m in. The father is by far the best character and maybe the main reason I keep watching at this point.

That’s Entertainment! Have you heard of this old movie? It’s not even a movie really, it’s a collection of moments from old Hollywood productions. I’d never even heard of Esther Williams, but oh my god what a woman.

I made these salty vanilla espresso chocolate chip cookies that exceeded expectations. I think I might only like cookies that have chocolate in them. It’s nice to finally realize this. It’s also nice to admit to fully being a child with this preference.

I can’t remember the last time autumn in New York looked this beautiful.

Above Photo: The Bow Bridge in Central Park, November 2021

A list of ten things you should do before Christmas (with the exception of visiting the Waldorf since it reopens in 2023).

Slightly obnoxious reminder: GET GIFT RECEIPTS.

Have you tried a satsuma mandarin? A seedless beauty.

New seasonal candles at Trader Joe’s!

Above Photo: New winter candles at Trader Joe’s, November 2021

My brother Gary’s podcast has returned and his first episode back was about Alf and it couldn’t be greater.

Nathan and I saw Jeff Daniels in To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway and it was so, so good. Everyone should see him in it. But it was also just such a great feeling to be out on the town and dressed up.

Above Photo: Jeff Daniels in To Kill A Mockingbird on Broadway, November 2021

We’re redecorating our apartment right now and I couldn’t be more in love with our new washroom shelving. I feel like that sentence might make you sad for me, but don’t be! I’m actually living a really fun, cool life.

I’ve been craving tomato soup lately and the one at Il Bambino in Astoria is too perfect. But stay far far away from the one at Astoria Bier & Cheese because their tomato soup is putrid (which is weird because their sandwiches are great).

I’ve made this 10-ingredient lentil bolognese a few times and I think it’ll be in my permanent recipe rotation. It’s really hearty, but not at all bland and you really don’t miss the meat.

Above Photo: Vegan Lentil Bolognese

I’ll forever love Boursin cheese, this will always be true. And their new fig & balsamic flavour? Out of this world good.

I went to the beautiful restaurant on the water Red Hat on the River with my dear friend Diana and it was good! Nothing spectacular, but good. The mussels are the main reason to go, in my opinion. Tasty as hell.

I’m really on the fence about reusable gift wrap, but it does look simplistic and pretty.

I visited the Lyndhurst mansion that has been newly decorated for the holidays and it was very quaint. I will admit that the Octagon House was a little bit more exciting, but I’ll never turn down a visit to a nice house in the country.

Above Photo: Lyndhurst Mansion, November 2021

Above Photo: Beautiful Diana inside the front door at Lyndhurst Mansion

Above Photo: One of the bedrooms inside Lyndhurst

Above Photo: Tiffany windows inside Lyndhurst Mansion

Above Photo: I’ve never wanted to live in a bathroom more

Loved this list of 90s Dad Thrillers, it’s just such a good genre.

Have you heard of the dollar-store-esque store Five Below? I hadn’t until this month and I’m mad I didn’t know about it sooner.

Can someone please buy me the winter spiced cranberry Sprite? Why does it look so damn good?

Loved, loved, loved this performance.

So I perused the new Chrissy Teigen cookbook and there’s really nothing exciting in it. And is it just me or does she use fish sauce as her “special ingredient” in almost every dish she has? And I like fish sauce, but this is getting ridiculous.

The fabric ornaments at West Elm are extremely cute this year. Did I need to buy a mouse wearing a sweater when I saw it and fell in love with it? I guess this is my life now?

Love this Man Park sketch from SNL.

Absolutely addicted to the new herbaceous cheesy bites from Trader Joe’s. A smaller, fancier mozzarella stick? I’m in, baby. (Also their seasonal rosemary nuts are fantastic.)

I had THE worst eyelash extension experience at Wow Threading Studio on 26th Street and no one should ever ever ever get eyelash “cluster” extensions. They couldn’t be worse. (Scathing review in the Yelp link.)

Incase you love seasonal episodes:

I bought a new winter mug with white snowflakes on Etsy and I’m in love.

Tried a donut from Mochi Mochi and you know what? I don’t like donuts that much these days, but this one I liked. Less dense than other donuts. (Tip: if you’re looking for Squid Game Dalgona candy, they sell them here at their location in Herald Square.)

Above Photo: Mochi Mochi Donut, NYC

The Union Square Holiday Market has begun and the duck fat poutine from Duck Season was INSANITY. So, so good. Better than some Canadian poutines. Go immediately.

Above Photo: Seasonal Poutine at Duck Season with duck fat fries, duck confit, fresh cheese curds, duck gravy $17

As soon as the colder weather starts, I always buy one new couch blanket (I guess adults call them throw blankets) and I’m in love with this Banana Republic Factory one (in the Burnt Umber colour). What is umber? Couldn’t tell you. But I can tell you that it’s chocolate coloured.

The Metropolitan Postcard Club sponsors a special two day show every November where approximately thirty-five to forty postcard dealers from around the nation and the world attend to introduce their cards to the public, so of course I went and here are some of the best ones I came across.

Above Photo: Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Above Photo: Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Above Photo: Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

Above Photo: Found at the Metropolitan Postcard Fair, November 2021

I went to see the Dior exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum and I reviewed it over here.

The Thanksgiving croissant returned in all its glory! It is now $9 (because 2021 won’t let you have affordable things anymore), but it’s still amazing tasting. I also tried Milk Bar’s apple cake which was good but way too sweet. And their cinnamon pretzel soft serve was delicious. This place exhausts me with their new menu items, I don’t know how they continuously keep it up.

Above Photo: Details of the Thanksgiving croissant, November 2021

Above Photo: The Thanksgiving croissant, 2021

I think I’ve found the greatest scent of all time at Bath & Body Works: Fall Citrus Harvest.

I’ve mentioned my love of Supermoon Bakehouse before and my sweet friends Katie & Greg (thankyouthankyou!) got me a giant box treats from them that was absolutely decadent and incredible. Everyone must visit this bakery.

Above Photo: A care package from Supermoon Bakehouse

Some things I’m looking forward to this month:

I made this home movie of the holidays a few years ago that I might make again this year since we haven’t been together as a full family since December 2019 and I beg you to maybe do one of your own as well because you will watch it over and over, I promise.

If you’re at all superstitious or just, like, a cool person - don’t forget to buy your bayberry candles!

Will I be watching all of the snowy movies on this list? I’m only human, I have to.

While I’m in Ontario, I really want to get my hands on this vegan cheese that’s supposed to be incredible.

I’m planning on making roast beef on Christmas Eve mainly so I can make these roast beef sandwiches for lunch on Christmas Day.

If you have any interest in reading what went on in October, come on over here.

#November #November roundup #Christmas #holidays #Christmas ideas #Christmas holidays #what to do holidays #holiday ideas #best of NYC #NYC #NYC Christmas #this is liz heather #Liz Heather #what to do in NYC #bobs burgers #bobs burgers thanksgiving episodes

[riannagalvez]

Hello dolls, Hello New York City!! ❤ So the kids and I are currently in New York for the Big City Moms event. I usually stick to our work/school week routine but since this one is very special to me, so I decided to treat myself to a “midweek trip”. This is totally giving me all the weekend vibes that I need!

I can’t believe November is finally here! Less than 60 days until we kiss 2019 goodbye. For all the hiccups I had to face this year, I still consider this year as one of the best ones because of baby C. I went through a lot of downs during the last quarter of the year but seeing my husband and children happy makes me feel blessed no matter what life throws my way.

November is the season of realizations and gratefulness for most of us. I look at this month with an open heart — ready to take on new opportunities for the coming year. I reevaluate myself and think of ways to improve my relationships with other people, myself, and my craft. The past couple of months have not been easy for me, but November has been really really good so I feel like things are slowly turning around for me. What better way to keep the positive vibe flowing? Talk about Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and so is my birthday! Holidays are so much fun when you are a parent. The look on Little A’s face when we explain to him what’s going to happen especially after he realizes A and I are going to be home all day is priceless.

Hosting Thanksgiving could be overwhelming especially with two kids so A and I like to keep our celebration relaxing and simple. As much as I love the menu that we curate, I love spending an extra full day with Little A so that’s what I truly focus on.

A is the master of our kitchen. I know it sounds weird but since I am in the kitchen/restaurant all day for work, I try to stay away from ours at home! Lucky me, A loves cooking.

Little A was really excited about his Thanksgiving meal.

Lamb Chops with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Lard, and Apple Gastrique

Most families skip lunch on Thanksgiving since everyone prepares for the heavy feast. Since it is also meant to be a relaxing day for A and me, we try to stick to our normal meal schedule. This way, no one will get up in the middle of the night to eat and most importantly, mess up Little A’s schedule. Being a Mom made me super conscious about things that might affect him.

Turkey day!

Boursin with Multigrain Crackers

Boursin is one of my favorite cheeses — I always get the garlic and chive flavor. The creamy texture is perfect for spreading on crackers.

Thanksgiving Menu: Turkey, meat stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, roasted brussel sprouts, roasted asparagus, pumpkin pie, creme brulee

We usually do not have anyone on Thanksgiving. My family comes from Manila around Christmas time so I am okay celebrating quietly. Even if there’s only three of us, I still look forward to a bountiful Thanksgiving table so we make sure we have all the basics (and a little more each year!).

This year is going to be exciting since this will be the first time we are hosting Thanksgiving with family and friends.

I don’t really decorate for summer so I am always excited to bring my pumpkins out as soon as we welcome the season of fall.

What makes you excited about Thanksgiving? For me, it’s the extra full day I get to spend with my family.

 P.S. I call this our “picture table”. I updated our living/receiving area since then. Can’t wait to share my house updates here soon!

Our friends Matt and Kat are part of our holiday cheer every year. Part of my relaxing Thanksgiving is playing Catan with them. If you like strategic games like me, you will surely love this too.

  Before Little A, holidays were all about work for me. After moving here to Baltimore to become an intern and spending my first holidays away from my family, I feel like a part of my spirit just shut off.

Being a Mom reignited that kid in me. I love reminiscing about my Christmas traditions growing up and introducing them to Little A. All the effort becomes worth it when I see the big smile on his face at the end of the day!

We have also started our own family traditions. One of which is to get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend! I like to have our tree before December so I can start decorating and spread the jolly Christmas vibe throughout the house all winter.

Every year, I will be grateful for my Mom. Not only because she sacrificed a lot to help me with Little A when he was born, but also because of all the things she has gone through and still managed to be the best Mom and Lola (grandma) to all of us. She is an epitome of strength and positivity!

No amount of handbags or shoes can compare to the life A has given me and our kids. We get to experience things together happily and knowing we can sleep easy at night because our kids’ futures will be secured.

Every year, I think about the relationships in my life and through the course of time, I have decided to let go of some. It’s never easy to end a friendship, but I always remind myself that if a friendship is unhealthy, it’s okay for it to end. I had to go through that at the beginning of the year especially when I realized that an ex-friend of mine and her husband are just trying to compete with me and copy our lifestyle as a family.

I never talked about it publicly until today but it gets frustrating to know that someone out there is thinking negatively and spreading false information about my husband and I just to one-up us. Anyway, I realized that the best way to deal with this is to completely shut them out of our lives. Luckily, my friends also cut their ties with the couple due to their own reasons so this made it easier for me to just end it all and say “there is no competition because there is no connection between us”.

*Venting over 😛 Back to the joyful holiday programming!*

Little A’s turkey outfit!

Right now, the best relationship I have is the one I share with my family. Being able to give the best to my children is the best feeling ever! Especially when I see them smile like this 🙂

40 days left until we kiss 2019 goodbye. How are you going to spend the rest of the year to make things better for you next year?

BABY’S FIRST THANKSGIVING Hello dolls, Hello New York City!! ❤ So the kids and I are currently in New York for the…