Introductions

[Christy]

I grew up in Cali eating Inn and Out. Its my favorite burger joint. I miss it. And i wish jersey would get one. I would be so happy

[Christy]

Jess wrote: "No In-N-Out's in Jersey. We never eat fast food though."

Where in jersey do u live

[Angela]

I have never had Inn and Out either...but if I see one after the mostly rave reviews I've heard here I'll have to try it

[Joeera]

Hi everyone my name is joeera and i love to read i have always liked anything to do with the supernatural.My favorite books right now are Fallen and Hush Hush

[Lisa S]

Welcome Joeera

[Carrie (Care)]

Hi Joeera!

[Heather]

Welcome Joeera. I loved Hush, Hush too.

[Shannon]

Hi,
Just joined the group this week. I'm a big fan of urban fantasy and paranormal romance primarily but also enjoy suspense/thrillers.

I really like the way this forum is organized. Very well done. It's easier to find the different series to chat about than some other forums.

Shannon

[Carrie (Care)]

Hi Shannon, welcome!

[Heather]

Hi,

I love to read and I also write young adult fantasy, romance, and paranormal romance (under a pen name :). This group looks great, I just wanted to say hello!

[Heather]

Hi Shannon and Heather.

[Lisa S]

Hi Shannon and Heather!

[Carrie (Care)]

Welcome to the group Heather!

[Heather]

Hey girls, head over to birthdays and fill us in on the day. That way come January you can be apart of the birthday challenge.

[Heather]

thanks for the warm welcome :)I'm up for the birthday challenge - I'll check it out!

[Yanet]

Hey! My name is Yanet and I'm 16. I love reading paranormal romance, especially the one with humor.

[Heather]

Hi Yanet.

[Yanet]

Hi :)

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

Hi i'm Lizz and today is my birthday and i'm 23.I love to read.I have three dogs and they drive me crazy.

[Lisa S]

Hi Lizz! Happy birthday

[Heather]

Hi Liz. Happy Birthday. What type of dogs? I've got 3 as well: a dane and 2 retriever mixes.

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

2 chi mixs and a heeler mix and thanks

[Carrie (Care)]

Welcome Yanet and Lizz! Happy belated birthday Lizz!!!

[Renee]

Hi All!

My name is Renee Rearden and I live in the Pacific Northwest. I am absolutely fascinated by anything paranormal and read everything I can find in the paranormal romance and urban fantasy category. I look forward to finding new authors and series to read!

Renee =D

[Lisa S]

Hi Renee! Welcome

[Heather]

Hi Renee. You're lucky. I tried to get my husband to move to the PNW, but he didn't go for it. I went to college up there and it's just beautiful.

[Carrie (Care)]

Welcome to the group Renee!

[Jess]

Christy
Oops, sorry. I live by Long Beach Island.

[Jess]

Jess wrote: "No In-N-Out's in Jersey. We never eat fast food though."

:( That stinks. Since I have had kids I made the choice to go all-natural/organic. So happy I made the choice. I hate reading studies about what I have ingested throughout my life.

I am sure my husband still sneaks it. lol.

[Vivian]

Since you're talking about burgers... what about 5 Guys Burgers? They just started popping up in California and are totally compared to In-N-Out. Haven't tried it yet, but was curious as to how similar they are/aren't.

Also, hi everyone. I'm Vivian. I keep telling myself I should read more books that have no mention of anything supernatural, but I keep coming back to them, think it's called an addiction, lol. Just from looking through this group's forum tonight, found so many more books to add to the list...

[Carrie (Care)]

Hi Vivian!

Jess, we try to eat naturally here as well. I am allergic to flavour enhancers like msg and soy. It's kind of hard because soy is in everything these days, even organic products. We do however sometimes eat processed food, although rarely. Even our dogs eat farm bought raw meat. We also try to stay away from pharmaceutical drugs.

[Renee]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody!

The PNW is beautiful. Fall is amazing. The sunrises and sunsets paint the sky with the brightest pinks and purples. The leaves on the trees are as bright and varied as a fire's red and orange flames. The best part, when the cold weather settles in I spend the winter curled up on the couch reading! =D

[Heather]

Hi Vivian. I've heard 5 Guys is good, but haven't tried them. I know someone who works there and she's filthy so I won't go to our local shop.
We read some YA books that are 100% human. There's just a few though. =) Supernaturals are just addicting.

[Jess]

I have heard that 5 Guys is good too. Maybe if I am out and have to opt for fast food I might try it.

Carrie that stinks that you are allergic to soy. I use soy or almond milk for my shakes. Love it! I use the organic turkey hot dogs for my boys or buy them from our local butcher. I also only use Rx when we have a contagious virus. Funny that in my family I am alone in the battle vs modified foods.

[Darcy]

I think 5 guys is over rated. The place is basically like Subway but with burgers. If you like all that other "stuff" on your burger it is probably good, but I just like cheese and if I am living on the wild side bacon.

[Jess]

Ah, I love special burgers. We love the burgers from Whole Foods. I drool just thinking about them and I am not a burger girl. lol. I like things in my burgers not on them though so I can see your Subway point.

[Carrie (Care)]

Jess wrote: "I have heard that 5 Guys is good too. Maybe if I am out and have to opt for fast food I might try it.

Carrie that stinks that you are allergic to soy. I use soy or almond milk for my shakes. Lov..."

I use rice milk for a dairy alternative if I need one. I won't buy soy even if it's not for me. I have done tons of research while discovering my allergies, and would not want my boys to have it (especially for young boys). I do LOVE soy sauce though. I used to use it in everything. It is so hard to get away from.

I don't like anything on my burgers either Darcy. Not even cheese. I don't eat bread either, so I'm pretty plain. I think that place would be wasted on me, lol.

[Heather]

I'm a pickles and ketchup only type.

[Angela]

I love love love five guys.....I feel like the unhealthy one in the group! I'm like hmm I like cheese and bacon and ketchup n mustard n pickles on my burger....hmmmm maybe I shouldn't tell them that lol!

[Heather]

I'm unhealthy, sadly. I'm just picky. Can't eat cheese, mayo, fish...just their smell makes me cringe. Don't like any type of pepper on onion. Can't stand most sauces or anything spicy. Out of the healthy choices I have kiwi, broccoli, and the highly fattening avocado or starchy potato (I'll even eat them raw) to choose between. I go through stages where I don't cringe at carrots, apples, or bananas, but I usually can only have 1 before I find them unappetizing as well. Meat has to be overcooked. If it's pink or even juicy I don't like it. I don't like pork-chops. Love bacon, but won't eat the fat so my dogs get most of it. I tried to go vegetarian once, but I ended up living off of swiss cake rolls, ice cream and mashed potatoes. I wish I weren't this bad, but I am. I make myself try something disgusting once a month. I haven't had much success, but I did end up liking avocados and plain mustard (two things I hated as a kid). Oh ya... and eggs are the most disgusting thing on the planet.

[Vivian]

Carrie, I don't know if you've ever tried it, but this is a recipe for a non-soy soy sauce. I would recommend adding a little more salt than the recipe calls for, but otherwise not a bad substitute. I think some people have used a veg broth if they don't eat/like beef. When you're making it, the smell of vinegar is a little overwhelming, but otherwise pretty simple recipe.

And rice milk rocks. I can do dairy but rice milk is just so much better to me.

Recipe for soy sauce substitute:
4 tablespoons beef bouillon
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dark molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch white pepper
1 pinch garlic powder
1 1/2 cups water

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the beef bouillon, balsamic vinegar, molasses, ginger, white pepper, garlic powder and water. Boil gently until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

And Heather, wow. I know some PICKY eaters, and you may have them beat. That's impressive. One question, how do you eat bacon without the fat?

Thanks everyone for the welcome :)

[Heather]

I don't like the white pieces. I get that there's fat in the bacon, but I'll only eat the meat parts, not the fat holding the meat together. I'm bad with steaks too. I feel like I leave 1/4 of the steak on my plate some times.

[Carrie (Care)]

Heather, I am the same with fat.

Thanks for the recipe Vivian! I have tried some before, but they never came out right. I'm nit sure I can find a beef bullion without msg or soy. I cheater the other day and had beef with broccoli (my husband begged me), I have had a migraine for 3 days. I LOVE beef with broccoli though, it's so hard. I love Thai and Chinese food, but have a hard time with them. Some Thai coconut chicken is ok for me though. I am hungry now, lol. I usually hardly eat since I can't have what I want.

[Angela]

Heather wrote: "I'm unhealthy, sadly. I'm just picky. Can't eat cheese, mayo, fish...just their smell makes me cringe. Don't like any type of pepper on onion. Can't stand most sauces or anything spicy. Out of the ..."

I am so with you on about half of that :) I hate eggs and no one can understand it so I'm glad to finally know I am not alone! If I were to try and eat vegetrain I would do the same thing up throw a bunch of pasta in there which is so bad for you anyway!


The bacon thing I don't like the fat either but I just overcook it until it's super crispy then it doesn't bother me but I can't do the soggy fat on the bacon! oh also with you on the smell of fish gag! I don't eat it at all because of the smell mostly

[Jess]

I love spicy. I eat tons of seafood too! lol. Pretty much will eat and and all veggies/fruits.

I am with you on the fatty bacon. We eat turkey bacon so it does not have that line of fat (thank god).

Carrie the boys don't eat a lot of soy. They eat edamame (soy bean) because of the protein rocks. I don't want to mess with their testosterone levels.

My husband's best friend and family are all vegan/vegetarians so I get a lot of ideas from them. I LOVE vegan cakes/cupcakes!! YUMMY!

[Jasmine]

I had the same question Vivian, lol.

[Heather]

I can only do thin spaghetti or rigatoni. I love them, but can't stand other noodles. Some things I just don't like. For others it's a texture thing. I could eat a mango if I were starving, but the texture is just gross and I would never willingly pick one up.
I use to love eggs, but one day my mom set them down in front of me and the smell just made me sick. I tried to eat a bit and spit it out. I tried them again about a year ago and drank about 4 cups of water to get the taste to go away.
Fish was an issue of over eating. My dad and I went fishing every day after school when I was young. About a year later I just got so sick of eating what we caught that I can't do it. Curt cooked fish in the house once and I had to sit outside for hours while he aired it out because it made me physically ill.
Love turkey, but can't stand turkey bacon. My husband buys it and I always feed my portion to the cat when he's not looking. I like turkey tacos though.
Anyway, when I was in France I had to live off of bread, french fries and ice cream. I tried ordering a burger, but non fromage ended up being with cheese every freaking time.

[Jasmine]

I lovee mangos and the texture! I can't eat tapioca pudding though, or mouse because of the textures.

I hate fish too, but not because of over-eating. I just really don't like it. The only thing I can stand is tuna and fried talapia. I actually don't like seafood. I hate the smells and I have tried crab cake, shrimp, and an assortment of fish and I dislike all of it.

One thing I absolutely can't stand are onions. Yuck. It's weird though; I love onion rice but I don't like the actual onions that are in the rice. I just like the flavor of the rice. . .

[Heather]

My husband will try and put one ground of pepper on my steak to see if I'll notice it, or some other odd seasoning. The minute I get to it I get so mad. He thinks I won't notice, but all it does is ruin my meal. He's never once gotten away with it without me noticing so I don't know why he hasn't given up. He's the opposite of me. He'll eat anything, cooked any way. He'd eat a bug if I told him it was his dinner.

[Vivian]

Carrie (Care) wrote: "Heather, I am the same with fat.

Thanks for the recipe Vivian! I have tried some before, but they never came out right. I'm nit sure I can find a beef bullion without msg or soy. I cheater the ot..."

I made it with beef broth from Trader Joe's which I thought didn't have soy or msg, but I could be wrong...Allergic to soy so I can't imagine it having soy in it, unless it was lecithin. Everything has lecithin, so I just ignore it (I know I shouldn't, but life goes on).