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New Website

Hey everyone, giving you a update. After many hours of chatting and on the phone help, I have moved all my subscribers and followers over to the new site so you have nothing to do but check it out. You will receive the same notification of new post and such as before and the old site is now private. So lock in https://gloriousgalstudio.net

As for what’s new: my store is active with just 3 items for now. Because of COVID, a lot of my products are unavailable right now, but I am hoping in the coming weeks my t-shirt and sweatshirts will be available. All designs are my brain children, so I hope you will support my creative products. Most product revolve around food, travel and self-care themes.

I am also integrating my photography portfolio into this site, but they will come as new post although my initial postings were 2 year ago, that transfer failed, so I will do it manually.

There are a few posts that also did not transfer over and I may or may not repost them again in the future.

Needless to say the transfer has been anything but smooth and I am still working on restoring feature photos on most of my older post, but for the most part everything is coming along and the new website is up and running and now allows me the freedom to shape my website the way I want!!!

So I hope you all continue to stick with me through this journey, I have so much to share with you on food, travel, photography and more!!!

-Gloria

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My Daughters Made Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving to my foodies and non-foodies alike. I hope you have had a great day, with great food and great company.

Typically for this holiday, I would have been working away since the wee hours of the morning, making the traditional Turkey-day spread. However, this year, I wanted to do something very different. This year, I gave my two daughters an assignment.

The Assignment…(which they had no choice but to accept it)

I assigned them to cook Thanksgiving day dinner; they each were responsible for finding two recipes online that they wanted to make and they had to work together to ensure that it was cohesive. Easy right…

Once they finally came up with two dishes, and write down the ingredients, I would take them to the store to get said ingredients, however, they had to check to see if we had any of said ingredients already. Easy right…

My daughters are 17 and 11. My oldest daughter Alexis had virtually no problem figuring out what she wanted to make. She picked, Tangy Honey Glazed Ham, Bacon Wrapped Carrots with Maple Glaze and Classic Deviled Eggs. My youngest daughter Amare on the other hand… She went back and forth and then some, finally deciding on Homemade Cornbread and Sweet Potatoes (this happens to be my favorite).

Shopping…(Never get a cavity filling the day before Thanksgiving. One has little patience)

Watching the girls shop for their ingredients, which Alexis took the lead, made me realize that when they do go grocery store with me (which is not very often. It takes far less time when I go alone) that they pay little to no attention to what I am doing, how I look at prices, select meat, look a quality, etc. Now, this may not be so bad for Amare, because she still has some years to learn, but Alexis is a senior in high school and will be going away to college and she needs to learn these things. Especially having a mother who is a Personal Chef and Foodie. So she has some learning to do in the new year. Oh and all this shopping did not happen until the day before Thanksgiving which I rarely ever do, but oh well.

Developing story…

Thanksgiving morning has arrived and I am up so I can film all the mayhem and such, so this story is developing. I am writing this as it happens. Alexis decided to make breakfast; me being the preparer and wanting to make it a little easier for the girls, purchase some just add milk muffin mix. Super easy and very tasty; a great way to start the day and have the house smell like the holiday. So she made me a nice quick breakfast of 3 egg whites and a muffin. Thanks, kid!!!

Preparation and Cooking…

There was not a lot to prepare, but for my daughters who are unaccustomed to making a full holiday meal, it might have felt like there were mountains of prep work. Alexis unpackaged her ham and put it in the oven to back and began on her glaze.

Then she began taking the shells off of her boiled eggs for the deviled eggs, which she had a bit of trouble, but she persevered. Then Amare started peeling her sweet potatoes,

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while Alexis peeled and wrapped her carrots.

Next, it was Amare making the Cornbread

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Followed by Alexis periodically glazing the baked ham and making a filling her eggs.

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After reheating the Mac and Cheese that was made last week, it was time to sit down and eat and evaluate how the girls did.

And not being partial at all… but the did such an amazing job. The ham had great flavor and was very juicy. And the sweet potatoes and carrots we so goooooood! Those 3 were my favorites. 

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Now my kids know that they can prepare and cook a big meal, as I knew they could! I hope you all had an amazing day. If you would like to see the Thanksgiving video, click here.

Until next time, remember to Cook, Eat and Enjoy

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I’ve update the Site!!!

Hey, Creatives and non-creatives alike. Just wanted to let you know that I have updated the site. I can not believe that it has been 8 years since I first began this blog and it has been so much fun.

Not only has the look of the site changed, but the name also is slightly different and the logo is different:

I am looking forward to bringing new content to the blog and perhaps even collaborating with other bloggers. So, of course, I will be bringing plenty of food content your way, but also some travel and lifestyle content as well. I hope you all continue to enjoy being passengers as I continue this creative journey of life!

Also, check out my photography portfolio at Gloriousgal Studio Photography

And check my YouTube channel at Cook Eat Enjoy

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Comfort Food: Veggie Lasagna & Chicken Lasagna

Let’s talk comfort food. Technically, all food can be comfort food if said food brings you comfort when you think about it or partake.

For me, when I think of comfort food, the foods that immediately spring to mind, makes me smile and makes my mouth begin to water just from the thought are: fried chicken wings, homemade Mac and Cheese and Lasagna.

I do not eat any of the aforementioned often because… well… I am trying to eat better and all that jazz. However, sometimes, it is good to treat yourself. Self care comes in many forms and me being a food lover, what better way to show myself some love than to make one of my happy food dishes.

So, I typically make Lasagna the traditional way. Okay let me specify because my family traditional is probably not the same as actual ‘traditional’. So traditional meaning a ground beef meat sauce, ricotta and different shredded cheeses. But since I am trying to be a bit more healthy, I decided to make a veggie lasagna for me and since my family loves chicken, I made them a shredded chicken lasagna.

Chicken lasagna is super easy, I just boiled chicken breast in seasoning and shredded it.

For the veggie Lasagna, I used veggies that I love and that would hold together. I used yellow summer squash, zucchini squash, a medley of 5 mushrooms and red spinach. Red spinach has a slight bitter taste, so the next time I would just use regular spinach. Never-the-less, my family devoured the chicken lasagna; I got none, but they definitely enjoyed it. The Veggie lasagna was so hearty, that I forgot it did not have meat in it!!!

If you want to see how I prepared these two dishes, check out the video HERE!

And please like comment and subscribe.

Let me know in the comments below, what is your favorite comfort food?

Until next time, Cook, Eat and Enjoy!!!

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Vegan/Vegetarian Experience Update

After a good 6 weeks of almost dedicated Vegan/Vegetarian eating, I learned something about myself:

  1. I love food
  2. I love to eat
  3. I can make just about anything taste good
  4. I love veggies
  5. I love fish
  6. I really love meat
  7. Meat doesn’t love me
  8. Meat might be the cause of some of my health issues

I absolutely love food of all kinds; ‘from the rooter to the tooter’ as they say down South. I am unafraid to try something at least twice; once out in a setting that is not my own, and then making it at home. That being said, I can make just about anything taste good with some garlic, onion, salt and hot sauce (Garlic and Onion are stables in my cooking).

I grew up eating veggies; from greens to beans. My parents didn’t play that, “I don’t like that”. It was eat, or go hungry. That lesson and experience has served me well in my years of cooking and eating.

I am an avid fish/ seafood lover and eater and am always game to try some fish that is not my usual, like this parrot fish below.

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I saw it at my Asian Grocery Store, which is a great place to find all kinds of fish. The colors of this fish caught my eye and I was like, why not. The meat was firm just like I prefer. I seasoned this with an Asain sweet sauce and wrapped it in parchment paper and baked in the oven whole (YES, with the head, but scaled and gutted).

Even after this Veggie experience, I still love meat, especially some lamb, and a perfectly cooked bone-in ribeye steak. However, what I found when I try to go right back to meat, is that my stomach did not like it. I did not feel good at all; sour stomach, feeling very sluggish and such. And even then, I found that when I was testing myself, I really craved meat, but now I do not. I also found that when I am not eating meat on a consistent basis, that I have lessened quite a bit of inflammation that I was having in my back and hips and that right there is worth not eating meat all the time.

However, as it gets hot out I find myself want a nice cold-cut sandwich, which is what I had in this photo below. Ham, turkey, salami, baby swiss and smoked gouda.

IMG_3669[1]Now, I am sticking with mostly veggies just because I want to and it makes me feel good. It also allows me to push myself in creating veggie-based recipes that I would not normally create.

So the verdict: Through this little experience, I learned a lot about myself and my body and my ability to stretch myself in creative cooking. And I have had the opportunity to try vegan foods that I would have not tried otherwise. Below is one of my favorites: Beyond Meat. And here is my juicy vegan burger that reminded me so much of meat, it was scary but beyond delicious. Also, I used this vegan cheese by Violife which was also my favorite vegan cheese so far.

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Until Next Time: Cook, Eat and Enjoy. OH… Come and follow my Youtube Cooking Channel: Like, comment, Subscribe and tell a friend!!! CLICK ——–>>>> Cook Eat Enjoy

 

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Vegan/ Vegetarian Experience

It is never easy to change. Sometimes change is forced upon you, while other times you are the one initiating change. Either way, it takes some time to get your feet under you when the winds of change blows.

I have experienced quite a bit of change here in 2018; most I could not control. However, the one I could and can control is my diet. I have taken on a Vegan/Vegetarian diet with the occasional fish.

I wanted to try this eating change because of health issues. I wanted to see how a change in my diet would affect my mental and physical states. I love meat of all kinds; from your everyday beef and pork to the more exotic (to some) deer, rabbit, etc. I also love veggies; growing up, my parents insisted my brother and I ate our beans, peas, green and the likes. No, was not an answer, which has served me well as an adult.

I have never not eaten meat, nor have I ever had the desire to not eat meat. But as I grow older and different health issues have manifested, it has been suggested that I cut meat from my diet and perhaps try a vegan, vegetarian or even pescatarian diet. Of course, when it comes to food, I am game to try new things and if it will assist in decreasing or eliminating me health issues, I am here to give it a try.

So for the next 4 weeks, maybe more, I will be embarking on this Vegan/ Vegetarian diet. Actually I have already begun. I am now ending week 2 and will be posting the week 2 update on my YouTube Channel: Week 1 is here.

So far so good. I am really enjoying eating and especially make vegan/vegetarian meals. It has given me a chance to test my food creativity and try new foods I would not have otherwise tried. For example, I have tried Beyond Meat burgers and they blew my mind!!! The same with Field Roast’s smoke Apple sage sausage.

So here I am on another food Journey, so come and follow along and watch the updates and recipes on my YouTube channel Cook Eat Enjoy.

In the comments, let me know if you have or ever considered going Vegan/Vegetarian and why? Also let me know some of your favorite vegan products that you think I should try.

So I would say wish me luck, but so far, so good. Until next time, Cook, Eat, Enjoy!

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Seafood Boil

Hey All,

Hope this blog post finds you well and prospering in 2018. Well let’s start this year off right and that could only mean seafood for me.

Last week, I was inspired to make a seafood boil and it turned into a Mukbang on my youtube channel Cook Eat Enjoy

I am an east coast girl, so seafood is in my blood and I could eat it everyday!!! I am actually considering becoming a pescatarian… maybe. Anyway, I had really been craving seafood and was going to go out to a restaurant, but realized that I could get more for my money if I did it at home, and that is what I did. So I was home alone, everyone else was either at school or at work, so I got to treat myself, but I did save everyone else some… I am not that greedy (although when it comes to seafood, I typically am).

My seafood boil had head-on shrimp, snow crab legs, king crab leg, little sausages, red and yellow potatoes, frozen corn on the cob, mussels and old bay seasoning.

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Of course, any combination of seafood can be added, your choice.

All of this cost me about $32, and I had enough to feed 4 people and it took me about 30 minutes to make. Please tell me in the comments if you know of a place where you can get a deal like that. That is a restaurant I might just go check out with my family 🙂

Never-the-less, if you want to see how I made the Seafood boil in 30 minutes. Go check out the  youtube video Seafood Boil Mukbang 

Oh and while you are there please like, comment and subscribe to support your girl, me!!! Until next time; Cook, Eat and Enjoy!!!

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Cook Eat Enjoy Youtube Channel

Hey all. Yes, I am still here and yes I am still cook, eating and enjoying as I hope you are. I wanted to let you guys know that I have started a Youtube channel and I want you all to come check it and me out. Some of it is me going around to restaurants here in the Portland Oregon and surrounding areas, and some of it is me cooking. So now you can actually see me on my food journeys and have a virtual seat in my kitchen instead of reading and seeing pictures. I will still be posting here though. I think I might even do a short post of my upcoming videos, so that way you will know they are up. And/Or you can follow me on Instagram and twitter @Gloriousgal and always be in the know. I already have 4 videos up already. The most recent on just went up moments ago. So the link is here: Teriyaki Salmon Belly 

So come check out the channel. Subscribe. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter and Until Next time, Continue to Cook, Eat and Enjoy.

 

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The Trouble with Breakfast

The trouble with breakfast is that sometimes I want something more elaborate than toast or cereal with milk, and I am just too darn lazy to make the effort. And sometimes, breakfast just gets boring with the regular cold cereal or quick toast or waffle.

What I do is try to incorporate something new, something that I have never tried before. In this case, Garlic Naan and Overnight Oats.

I purchased my Naan at the regular grocery store, but next time I think I will try my hand at making it. This was pretty good. Warmed in the Microwave, pre the directions and then I smeared it with butter and sprinkled with coarse kosher sea salt.

This went well with my mushroom and cheese egg white omelet and sausage. Again, the trouble with breakfast is that I am too lazy to cook like this every morning and my hips and stomach are probably better for it.

The overnight oats might be the game changer for me; the problem solver most days. I grew up hating oatmeal. The first time I made overnight oats, the consistency was not my cup of tea. Try two, this time, was better. I like my overnight oats stiff. This is peach, almond, cinnamon flavor, paired with some yummy sausage. I was happy this morning. and have made enough for the week so guess now my ‘trouble’/problem is solved for now.

Until next, Continue to Cook Eat and Enjoy!


Oh and Come follow me on my new Youtube Channel called: Cook Eat Enjoy