Daiya pizza, business cards, and family

At the GF & AF Expo last month I got a couple free coupons for Daiya items, among lots of other things. Tonight I was running errands around town prior to our trip to NH tomorrow, one of which was the local Stop & Shop. (Normally I shop at Shaw's but this S&S is closer). I had come home from an 8-4 shift, took a nap with our bearded dragon, and woke up like "oh shit! I have so much to do!" and thus was out running around. While at S&S I chose to try a Daiya pizza since I had a free coupon. I am glad I picked one up!

I chose a Margherita Pizza, which is dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, and FULL of taste. The cheese melted nicely and was so yummy, very similar to mozzarella it's styled after. The sauce was great, the texture of the crust was nice and it baked well, and I nearly ate the whole thing. Three sizes are left.

If you are looking for a gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free pizza, this one is worth picking up. 

Margherita pizza link

Most grocery stores carry this now. If you want to look you can use http://us.daiyafoods.com/find-Daiya to help you find one! 

ALSO, I received my new blogger business cards this week. I AM LEGIT NOW! :) Thank you VistaPrint. 

business cards!

Okay, I need to get off of here and start packing to to leave tomorrow. Family is getting together for my grandmother's 90th b-day party! Cheers folks.

*I am not affiliated with or paid for this review in anyway. Just an honest consumer. 

Protein powder quest, too many books, and more

Hey folks. Since I have been running more, I am in the market for a gluten-free, preferably organic and soy-free protein powder. I have tried Nogii's Quinoa & Whey in Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Chocolate, and Nutribiotic's Raw Organic Rice Protein plain. Nogii's is too sweet and Nutribiotic's is gritty and tasteless. Any suggestions?

I have a stack of books to read (stack is literal and figurative as most of them are on my Kindle) and not enough time on my hands. I also have some health-related books to read, such as "Beyond Aspirin", "The Life Bridge", and "Wild Fermentation". I will get these done damn it!

I met a fellow food blogger yesterday at one of my favorite local joints, the Jerk Cafe in South Yarmouth. This fella Simon was with his family and we wound up chatting about all sorts of things. We were both joking about how being a food blogger means you take pictures of EVERYTHING you eat. This is true and I don't like it, so I only take photos when I think it's necessary. Simon has a great food blog located here. He is based in NY and he shares the blogging with a friend who lives in London. It's pretty cool. Please head over to http://taste2taste.com/ and chem them out.

I have to go to work, so here is some food porn.

Front: meatballs drenched in sauce & chz fro m Bass River Pizza (yes, gluten free)
Back: Jerk chicken w/veggies, rice & beans & banana fritatta from The Jerk Cafe (latter is not gf)

Spotlight on "Tea & Madness" by C. Streelights

Tea and Madness

By- C. Streetlights

Genre- Women’s Fiction/Poetry/Memoir

Publication Date- June 29th, 2015

Published By- Booktrope Publishing

“And when it falls into silence again the void it echoes fills me with wonder. Wonder only because I no longer remember if this small entity isn’t real or if it whispers the truth.”

-Moonlight

C. Streetlight’s memoir, Tea & Madness, is a collection of prose and poetry separated into the seasons of her life. Each season is inspired by her experiences: grieving a lost baby, understanding depression, anger, betrayal, surviving rape and the acceptance that she cannot forgive. Balanced somehow within the darkness is the wonder in motherhood and empathetic relationships. As her seasons change, she continues trying to find the balance of existing between normalcy and madness.

  

The Real Cape Music Festival: Utter disappointment.

Not at all what I was hoping for. This year was my 1st time attending the The Real Cape music Festival and it will be my last. I was very disappointed overall and I know my friend was also. Trampled By Turtles and Guster were great, but not a choice venue for either.They should be drawing much larger crowds, but it was nice to see them up close. Some of the earlier bands were quite terrible. I should have known this was going to be all Grateful Dead and Phish wanna-be jam bands. (sigh) But I did discover a new band that I enjoyed and will follow their music.

 Right off the bat I was disappointed by the fact that I could not bring my full water bottle in nor any food. Being gluten free I would have preferred to bring my Certified Gluten Free foods in with me. I understand that they want people to buy food from the vendors, but I am talking about snacks. They did have some great vendors, like the Compliments Food Co. Truck which served amazing gluten-free fried cauliflower and onion rings! (They are based out of Somerville. Here's their website.) No gluten free pizza though. (sigh).
I was able to bring my empty water bottle in, and thankfully found a few taps to get some fresh water. One of the girls at the beer/wine/water station said she was sad that they were charging for water and that if it had been more than $2 she wouldn't have done it. It was great that Vita Cocoa was there and provided FREE coconut water all day long and free shade. The festival people did not seem to realize, or care, that this event takes place in August, in Falmouth, and it was nearly 90 degrees outside!

I am very upset by the fact that there was no re-entry. Sure this is a concert  event, but it was 10 hours long! I don't understand why the wristbands were were given as over 21+ were not enough to gain re-entry. This is a completely ludicrous policy. I arrived around 12:30 and left my portable chair and long-sleeve shirt in my car, and my friend, who drove from Providence, left her blanket in the car. We were both thinking we could go back out and get them, but were turned down by 2 different staff people. Ridiculous. What happens when the sun goes down and its suddenly cold? I guess I was expected to carry my long-sleeve shirt with me all day.

Also they have a beer corral. which is ludicrous. If you want an alcoholic drink you have to stay in there and drink it. There is very little seating inside, especially in the one closest to the food vendors, and absolutely no shade. NO SHADE AT ALL! I reiterate the fact that it was 85+ degrees out and this was in PEAK sun time. Sure I had sunscreen but that was not enough. Someone should have been selling sunscreen, wide brimmed hats, and long-sleeve shirts. They would make a KILLING. I was glad to be able to find some shady spots under the trees, and lots of other people were happy too. I felt like we were animals out in the Sahara trying to find shade. Next time they need UMBRELLAS and more shade. I am burnt to a crisp today.

I am glad I got the Cape Cod Daily Deal discount b/c the outright ticket price was not worth this shitty experience. They need to take some pointers from real festivals, like Boston Calling, and step up their game.

On shaving and being raised by a single dad

My poor Dad raised me by himself, with help from my grandmother (3 hours away in Cleveland), my aunt (his sister who lives in OR), and my eldest sister (who lives on Cape Cod). I know with much certainty I was a pain in his ass and overwhelmed his poor soul. I don't think he expected who and what he got.

Today in the shower while shaving my legs, I recalled an incident from my past. I was in middle school, during that ripe, awful time of peer pressure and being an outcast or part of the in crowd, and I was made fun of in Mrs. Keyser's math class (or Keiser, who knows, I disliked her) because I did not shave my legs. I don't remember what my mean classmates said but I'm sure you, my readers, can think of a few things. I am sure I came home crying, feeling like shit, and told my Dad. I am sure he said some nice things that made me feel good, including something about not caring what others think, being who I want to be, and etc etc. My dad was good at making me feel good about myself, while at the same time training me to be independent, free-spirited, free thinker who ignored peer pressure,etc etc... something that would later backfire on him (independent, free-spirited girls have a hard time being told what to do, I am no exception). I recall that I eventually wound up shaving my legs, probably with his razors first then buying my own, and I used this AWFUL smelling pink crap like Skintimate or Pure Silk that was full of chemicals and scents I avoid now. I shaved my entire legs then I think, something I stopped doing in college. I now only shave when I feel like it, using a Clio razor, which I LOVE that doesn't require soap. I don't give a damn what other people think about my shaved or not shaved legs.

The point of this is that I remembered something great about my dad and I miss him ever so much. Today marks the 16th year without him. He was born in 1937 and died in 1999. He was a Sagittarius, a strong-willed, shrewd, stubborn man with a beautiful soul who loved kids, having a good time, drinking (unfortunately heavily), talking about anything and everything, having philosophical conversations, listening to Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams (THE Hank Williams), Crystal Gayle, Joan Biaz, and many many more, playing the guitar and singing, and lots and lots and LOTS of other things. He loved me, our dog, Teddy, my two sisters who lived away from us, my grandmother who died 2 years after him, my aunt (in OR), my cousin (also in OR), and his many good friends. He was an antique dealer and doll collector and we spent most of my childhood driving around the Eastern US, especially to MA, going from flea market to auction to yard sale.  I had a blast and most of the time i loved him without exception. Sure we fought, with me SCREAMING at him and stomping and flailing about (I have his temper of course!), but we also had a wonderful time and I would not change my childhood even if I could. Sure he he had faults, but he was awesome and he loved me.

Today, on this 16th death-iversary I am going to The Real Cape Concert with my friend Charlotte, whose birthday is today, and we are going to have a grand old time. Daddy, I carry you with me always. You are gone but never forgotten. I love you so much and I cannot express how much my soul aches for you. I'm gonna enjoy this day for you, no more mourning damn it.

love love love

Dad & I 1984

Dad 1999

Kate