Dear reader,

As you’re reading this I am likely standing in the TSA line for a work trip to Denver. I’m likely very dehydrated (to avoid using the bathroom on the plane) and also very amped (because I work remotely, I see my coworkers only a few times a year. So the pressure to BETHEBESTWORKEREVER and stress about DOESTHISOUTFITLOOKRIGHT? IWEARJEANSMOSTOFTHETIME is high). So in the lead-up for this trip I have been working and preparing more than usual, and I haven’t been dedicating as much time as normal to structured ‘sit down at a table and be creative’ time. Well, we here at No Crumbs Allowed know that creativity can come out in many ways, and this week it was cooking AND consuming some entertainment. BON APPETIT!

On my plate

Does anyone else have hyper fixation foods? Something that, once you’ve made it, you simply eat until you literally cannot look at it anymore? In this day and age I think we all have at least one. My last fixation was mushroom ‘beef’ stroganoff a la this recipe. I don’t usually eat red meat (#highcholesterol) so I leave it out, but it would be divine with it in if you like it!

I had a wrap at a restaurant near me this weekend and it was fabulous. FAB-u-LUS. I tried to make this for myself at home and obviously, it isn’t the same or even nearly the same. But, it reignited my love of wraps as a food group, and I haven’t been in a wrap phase for years and years. It was time for a comeback. I’ve been trying to eat 25 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber per meal and realized I could try to make that happen in wrap form. So the journey began and this is what I came up with:

• Tortilla- I’ve been using these because of the added protein, fiber and veggie content but any will do! Plus the green color is visually pleasing.

• Chicken- I like using rotisserie chicken, but shredded and seasoned chicken breast would also work.

• Plain greek yogurt

• Green goddess seasoning- Here’s the link, but you can also use a DIY ranch seasoning.

• Cheddar cheese, grated/shredded

• Carrot, cut into matchsticks

• Red pepper, cut into matchsticks

To assemble:

1. Gently warm the tortilla in microwave.

2. Spread a spoonful or two of greek yogurt on top, then sprinkle the seasoning of choice on top.

3. Place the matchstick carrots and peppers in the middle of the tortilla, then put the chicken on top of the carrots.

4. Sprinkle the cheddar chees on top, then roll the tortilla up.

5. Voila! Enjoy!

*developer’s note. I’m almost positive that this doesn’t have all of the protein and fiber I mentioned above. It’s cool, it’s cool. Usually I eat this with a Laughing Cow cheese, Triscuts, and some sort of fruit (and/or candy).

**note 2.0. I’m also not a recipe developer. So this is what it is.

On my big screen

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts (The Popcast with Knox and Jamie) and Knox ‘green lit’, aka endorsed, a new TV show with Vince Vaughn (highlighted in this episode). As a long-time Vince Vaughn fan I was obviously intrigued. Intrigued enough to try the Apple TV+ free 7 day trial, only to find out this series is one of those that comes out every Wednesday. This is heartbreaking for fellow TV bingers. But, as I’m evolving and watching new shows and media, I actually enjoy the structure that a weekly release provides. So, it’s a win in that regard, just a loss in the having-to-pay-for-maybe-multiple-months-of-apple-tv regard.

The show is called Bad Monkey. Set in Key West, Florida, and featuring our beloved Vince (inspector Andrew Yancy) as a police officer who is forced to become a restaurant safety inspector after a mishap with his (apparently wanted for assault) girlfriend’s rude husband, a golf cart, and the ocean. When an arm is found off a fishing boat, Vince’s boss wants him to just write it off, but he can’t let it go. After all, you can take the detective badge off of the man, but you can’t take the man out of the detective instincts. There’s death, there’s suspicion, there is a dubious insurance claim, an actual monkey, and a weird Zach Braff cameo. And that’s not even the half of it! Meredith Hagner (the indubitable casting for the self-obsessed weird girlfriend or cheating wife) is the dead man’s wife. Did she kill him for the insurance money? What’s going on with Andrew and and coroner Rosa?! (Seriously, their chemistry is hot hot hot!) The plot is THICK and lovers of Vince’s classic charming sarcasm and sycophantic turn of phrases will love. Episodes 1-3 are streaming on Apple TV+ now. Join me in catching up on episode 4 this Wednesday!

In my earbuds

I have a pretty decent roundup of podcasts to get me through my WFH days and pretend to be coworkers. Are they hard, headlining news podcasts? No, but they are fun. I like to think I have curated a lovely balance between learning things and just listening to some people dish about stuff that is fun and frothy. In fact, The Popcast with Knox and Jamie’s motto is “Educating you on things that entertain, but don’t matter.” Now, I don’t consider myself someone who is ‘in’ on pop culture. I mean, my friends are constantly saying “Wait, you didn’t know XYZ regular thing that happened in recent pop culture history?” IE: britney and the snake? Almost anything from MTV? Celebrity feuds, etc. etc. My age is showing. So, I consider this my studying and getting up to date on what is going on out there.

In fact, that podcast has been chatting about Bennifer (round two) all year and whether or not, or whether, how long it will last. So with the breaking news that Jen filed for divorce, I found myself served this episode of The Culture Study Podcast (on Substack, no doubt. Does anyone else get sucked into that app?) And reader, hear me. I don’t even care that much about Bennifer. I mean, I’m too young to really feel connected to what happened to them the first time around. But the way that Anne talks about everything, I care. I care deeply.

I cannot realize I didn’t know about this podcast before. Granted, I did recently start reading Anne Helen Peterson’s writing on substack, (highly, HIGHLY recommend!) but the unmined treasure trove of her podcast has yet explored by me. The podcast is seriously the perfect combination of Sarah Marshall’s You’re Wrong About’s reporting style and history mixed with the fun banter of The Popcast with Knox and Jamie. I mean, match made in heaven, it was perfect Grace bait!

All that to say I dove deep into whatever the heck happened there in the ”An incredibly well timed Ben Affleck episode”, and then this one, aptly titled “What does J.Lo actually want?”. And reader, it’s safe to say I went SO FAST to google what the heck Ben Affleck’s phoenix tattoo looks like. Save your eyes, and don’t google it. And, trust that I was adequately educated on the extreme dichotomy that is Ben Affleck. I truly love any time multiple perspectives are offered on a topic and that’s what Anne’s pod (and writing) leads with.

On my phone

This one is going to be the most fun. Just a smattering of stuff that made me smile this week!

Signing off now and stuffing my face into an airport Auntie Anne’s pretzel! Thanks for being here :-)