Election Season with Baby Groot! Miso Caramel Latte or Vanilla Almond Tea Latte. YOU win either way!
Come and forgot about your troubles for a while. Hope this makes your day!
As a political moderate, I don’t like being pandered to and enjoy a healthy discourse in order to find better solutions and make my own informed decisions. I abhor herd mentality and even worse, the inability to see a problem and its solutions from ALL angles. It bothers my husband because I can literally argue both sides without emotion. If you disagree with me, I have no problem with you telling me why as long as it’s cogent and you aren’t personal. I regularly listen to all news channels to find a hole in their logic. It’s my (fun) past time and one of the few ways I feel like I can get an honest assessment of what is truly happening in the world and more importantly, how people truly feel.
Most of my family and friends are extremely conservative and it’s never been an issue. I always try to find the middle ground. I easily try to compromise and assuage situations, usually with a joke or if it’s really bad, calling attention to myself to make EVERYONE laugh in order to avoid an uncomfortable situation or MAKE an uncomfortable situation so people will forget the first uncomfortable situation in the first place. I find that laughing is the best way to elicit the best results from people. I can usually find a compromise in almost anything. There is only one line that is nonnegotiable. My kid.
How does a person like me, who acknowledges the benefits of cooperation, try to engage in a person unwilling to recognize differing beliefs? I don’t. I disengage. I watch from afar, try to see the good in the person, try to understand their point of view, but don’t necessarily feel the need to engage in the hopes that they see compromise (this is always a last resort for me). It has absolutely worked for my family’s happiness. I hope it works for you (in case you are in a difficult situation). Being friends can actually HINDER cooperation in cases of extreme polarization.
This article states that making friends isn’t necessary for solving political polarization and intimacy can actually hinder cooperation. It’s an interesting read, whether or not you agree. You might never be able to compromise with them. Distance may be your only answer in order to GET to a compromise.
As your Hollywood musician dealing with dichotomies on a daily basis and trying to always find common ground, Beethoven piano music, along with Chopin and Bach alway soothes me. I think this is a perfect combination of logic and emotion right now…. Check out her technique…. like butter and her bangs are KILLER. She looks super restrained but trust me, for a classical pianist, this is like screaming into the mic, leading her concerto. Please put in on the background while you’re cooking, drawing, or making coffee or tea and let your mind wander. Kudos for your refinement!
Beethoven : Piano concerto No.3 by Alice Sara Ott
A panacea. If you can get over the fact it was recorded on an iPhone by an audience member, it’s refreshing to see it raw (especially since so many of us are sequestered). I LOVE authenticity. Escapism at its finest!
M83 - Outro - live
Finally, how can you not be in a great mood after listening to this? As a political moderate, I sincerely give you a virtual handshake. Here's to more cooperation no matter how we achieve it. I hope this gives you a great escape!
Lizzo - Good As Hell (Official Music Video)
Thanks for reading! I hope this made you think, laugh, and hopefully help make your day more fun. Irregardless of your politics, gender, sexual orientation, race, or religious beliefs, I sincerely hope that diplomacy on both sides, can help engender solutions we haven’t dreamed of.
Kudos to you for surviving the election! I hope this break made you laugh, smile and more importantly, forget your troubles for a little while. Have a great week! If you have something you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact me. I hope you and your friends, and family stay safe. Xo, Melissa
Miso Caramel Coffee Latte or Vanilla Almond Tea Latte
Miso Caramel Coffee Latte
Ingredients
Brewed Coffee
1 Tbs Miso Caramel (Recipe below)
Warm, Frothed Oat Milk (about 1 cup or so. Just eyeball it and save it if you make too much.)
Maple Sugar (for garnish)
Directions
Brew coffee.
Warm oat milk in microwave. (I heat it up about 1:30 and it works for me, but I have a strong microwave.)
Pour into French Press. Pump up and down and froth.
Stir Miso- Caramel in coffee. Top with warm oat milk froth. Garnish with Maple sugar. (Voila! Complex, sweet, complex umami, with warm comfort from the coffee and maple sugar. Aren’t you a genius? Now… throw anything your way and you’ll be great.)
Miso Caramel
By, THE MINX
Please follow “THE MINX” food blogger on : https://food52.com/users/10773-theminx
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons white miso
Directions
In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir together sugar and water. Without additional stirring, bring mixture to a. boil. Use a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan. When sugar becomes a deep golden brown and wisps of smoke just start to form, remove pan from heat.
Once off the heat, carefully pour in the cream, which will cause the caramel to bubble. Stir to combine. If the caramel seizes up and hardens with the addition of the cold cream, then put the pan back over low heat and stir until the caramel is liquid again. Whisk in the miso. Allow to cool slightly before pouring into a lidded container. Store in the refrigerator.
Remelt the sauce by putting some in a ramekin and microwaving it on high for 30 second intervals until hot and liquid-y. Serve over ice cream, pound cake, or just eat it cold out of the jar with a spoon. (I’ll be posting this again with with a Brioche French Toast. Brunch Chez You.)
Vanilla Almond Tea Latte
Ingredients
Vanilla Almond Black Tea (or Black Tea)
Vanilla extract (optional if you’re using black tea)
Couple of Drops of Almond Extract
Warm Oat Milk, about a cup or so. (Just eyeball and save the rest.)
Cinnamon and Cardamom for Garnish
Directions
Steep Vanilla Almond Black Tea or Black Tea. Add almond extract and vanilla extract (if using). Almond extract is really potent so make sure your ratio is at least half of the vanilla. I didn’t use vanilla this round.
Warm oat milk in microwave. ( I heated mine up 1:30 but my microwave is really strong). Pour in French Press and froth milk.
Pour Vanilla Black tea in cup. Top with frothed oat milk. Garnish with cinnamon and cardamom. (I was just going to do cardamom because the combination of vanilla and cardamom is so elegant…. But figured I’d add cinnamon because we all need a bit of reliable comfort! Enjoy!)
Thanks for reading! Hope this gave you a great break! I hope this gives you two choices where in either case, YOU win! Have a wonderful week! Xo, Melissa
