mac and cheese is really awkward to take a picture of
Having the house to myself again means more cooking adventures. Today I decided to make good ol’ Mac n Cheese from scratch. I read a bunch of recipes and basically did a spin of my own with whatever ingredients I had on hand. I used a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar as well as some thyme that was leftover from a random turkey I roasted last week (my parents liked the one I made at Christmas that much). I also added onion and bacon on top as garnish and it turned out delicious and worth making from scratch. I’m sure we all have KD in the cupboard right?
Me and the boyfriend decided to celebrate the end of two busy weeks by eating the epic signature No Bull Burger. I had been to No Bull a couple of times in the past few weeks since it was close to my internship. They had some great organic burgers and I was intrigued by the monster of a burger that consisted of grilled cheese sandwiches as buns. I decided against getting one for lunch while I was at work because I would probably not be able to move after. On Friday night, Me and Nash ordered one of these monster things each. In addition to grilled cheese it came with double patties, regular and peameal bacon and fried egg. It was a heart suicide mission and the servers even jokingly asked if we would like him to call the hospital. In addition to the aforementioned, you could add any of their available fresh toppings. On mine I added, lettuce, tomato, carmelized onions and sautéed mushrooms. It became a creation that looked like this:
3/4 of the way in I started to slow down but I pulled through and this was all that was left:
Despite our small frame, both of us managed to finish. I think I he’s the one.
Hero Burger is just one of those okay burger joints in Toronto. I think they just have too many choices. I prefer places were the burger toppings have been worked out to perfection and are presented at a price that isn’t an absurd. I always seem to make a fail burger at Hero Burger because I either forget to say an important topping or I just don’t say much or I’d be that annoying pretentious person in line. But anyway, this isn’t a rant about toppings at Hero Burger.
The other day I was at Hero because it had just happened to be a convenient place for lunch. I had an average “Hero Burger” but was enjoying the freshly hot fries. While I was eating, I was appalled from the little table sign that was sitting in front of me. It was an introduction to what would be called the Slim burger. To me, it just seemed like a burger with a lack of bun. Sure less bread does mean fewer calories, but it also means it would be an atrocious thing to eat. The sauce would break the thin bread and the contents would just fall out. It’s a disgrace to a burger.
Honestly, if you are trying to diet, what on earth are you doing in a burger joint? It’s not cheap either. I hate people who call themselves foodies and obsess over dieting. Go back to the celery you came from. This stupid sign was an idiotic reminder that I should probably be eating healthier, but I don’t want to be. I eat what I want. Whoever comes into Hero Burger probably doesn’t give a crap about their diet, they just want a burger. If you’re one of those people who do, is eating a slim burger going to make you feel better? slimmer?. The answer is no. The Slim Burger needs to go away and soon. It is just something that shouldn’t exist, like the veggie burger, except those people know what they’re getting into.
Still not a coffee
February is a short month, therefore I’m already half-way through my challenge of giving up coffee for a month. I can tell you that time didn’t pass by fast at all in the beginning. The first few days were highly dreadful. I would wake up with headaches and quite nauseous. This all happened because I did not drink my usual cup of morning coffee.
I began to find ways to help my body feel awake and refreshed. Some things worked and others didn't. Here is what helped me:
Splashing Face with Cold Water
This sounds almost stupid, but the cold water on your face really does refresh and wake me up.
Walking the Dog
There’s nothing more refreshing than fresh air. Walking the dog became a good way to activate all my joints and muscles as well absorb some sunlight. Sometimes I think my mood is directly related to my weather and seeing the sun really does brighten my mood. I also love it when Teddy meets a new friend along the way!
Tea/Hot Chocolate
It’s really hard to give up caffeine entirely so for those times when I needed a bit of a jolt tea helped. I find green tea makes me sleepy though. Black tea works best. Hot chocolate with a hint of cayenne pepper and cinnamon is also a great way to spice up the morning!
15 minute naps Sometimes you just need to nap and taking a little 15 minute power nap can be what I need. It’s a great way to rest the eyes and get them away from the a billion screens that make up my life.
I hope I can continue to ignore coffee for the month. However, I have a business meeting on Friday at a coffee shop called the Roastery. Would it be too pretentious to order a tea?
Maybe love is in the air because it’s almost Valentines day, but I found this potato that looked like a heart while I was making chips. I decided to tell a mood story with a potato. It goes from rather light and happy looking to pretty dark.
If you follow me on Facebook or twitter you’ve heard about me making potato chips with the microwave constantly. People always ask me for the recipe so I thought I’d finally make a post about it. I discovered this recipe when I was a student with not too many ingredients and resources available. Here’s something that anybody can do if they have a random potato lying around!
I don’t know why but every time I go out to eat I get rather trivial looks and then am asked the question “Are you sure that’s what you want to order?” Triple-pork poutine? Hell yeah I did.Yes, damn it. Why would I ask for it if I wasn’t sure? I admit that me (and my boyfriend) are pretty small framed people. That doesn’t however mean I munch on salads and bite size portions. I enjoy and can chow down on any fat guy’s happy meal.
One day I was in BQM in Toronto and was faced with a dilemma: Should I get the bacon filled poutine or a delicious burger? The solution? I got both.
January’s challenge was an hour of practice every day. In an increasingly busy life, it was unrealistic and fell through at times. However, it taught me that I missed it and still loved it and that I needed to schedule a couple sessions in my future weeks. Now that it’s February, it’s time for a new challenge and I will do the impossible.. I will give up coffee.
Look I'm drinking tea
I think I’ve become too dependent on coffee in keeping me awake. Keeping away from caffeine altogether is impossible as it is in drinks as well as chocolate and deserts and hey, February has Valentine’s Day.
I have at least 2 cups each day and they are loaded with sugar. It keeps my heart constantly pumping quick and (which I don’t think is that healthy) and feeding me a ton of hyper energy. I picked the shortest month to give it up, but I hope it will lessen my need for it and lower my risk of diabetes from too much sugar. My coffees tend to be 1/3 sugar and if I’m out the most caramel filled.
I chose the shortest month to do this but guess what? It’s a leap year.. damn. As stated in earlier posts, 2012 will be a year for monthly challenges of self-improvement. Join me and challenge yourself at something!
We were in T&T Asian Supermarket and found sets of these things that made instant candy versions of food. There was everything from candy ramen to random things like dinosaurs but we chose to do cupcakes and donuts because they seemed the most fun to decorate
I have no idea how to cook a turkey. Somehow, I was in charge of the task of cooking it this Christmas. My mother was too lazy, but we had a 15lb bird sitting in the basement freezer. It had to be roasted by someone.
Naturally, I turned to Google. What else do people do nowadays? when they approach an unknown task. We Google what we cannot Wiki.
Tiana Feng 