The swanky lowdown on eggplants

Chef Swanky is here to educate us on eggplants. I’ll be honest — I’ve avoided these in the supermarket because they look weird and I don’t know what to do with them. That’s why this FYI is super helpful. Take a look y’all!

Got a question for the great Chef? Drop us a comment below, and we’ll pester Chef Swanky to impart some more wisdom.

Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.

Feed Your Soul: give your inner child a hug

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

In the hustle and bustle of daily life – with family, and jobs, and bills, and responsibilities – don’t forget about your inner child. They need nourishment, too.

As the Fourth Doctor once said, “There’s no point in being grown-up if you can’t be childish sometimes.”

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Body: reunions make us feel older and wiser and possibly thirsty

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

My parents took me on a cruise to the Bahamas after I graduated from high school, and in a purely coincidental quirk of timing, my family was recently on another cruise during my 20-year high school reunion.

I just had to celebrate now as I did then: with margaritas and nachos.

Here’s photographic evidence of my long-ago visit to the Bahamas, having one of Senior Frog’s famous “yard margaritas.”

What you do not see (because we didn’t take a photo during the recent trip): my hair is no longer blonde or short.

The photos at the bottom are what I enjoyed on this trip. I also had two other drinks after that one. But because I am older and wiser now, I made sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Yourself: a few of our favorite things

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Our household is a big fan of cookbooks based on our favorite media: video games, shows, books, etc.

In no particular order, here are some of our favorites:

Final Fantasy XIV Cookbook 1 and Cookbook 2

The Last OG Cookbook

The Official Destiny Cookbook

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Mind: enjoy the colors of your world

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Did you know that you can scan vintage coloring book pages to print and color as many times as you want?*

Just scan it as line art or black and white, and the yellow/sepia tone page won’t come through!

I found this old coloring/tracing book in great condition, and I get to introduce my little ones to the Wonderful World of Lisa Frank.™

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.

[*Editor’s Note: The distinction here is that it is a vintage product, meaning that it was published prior to a certain date (at this point in time: 1978) or is in the public domain. In addition, it is able to be reprinted for personal use (as opposed to printing to resell) under Fair Use standards. To be absolutely certain of the item you want to scan and print, be sure to check the copyright and, if needed, obtain necessary permission.]


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

A swanky version of okra soup

Want to know how to make authentic Charleston okra soup? Yeah, I thought you might.

This Southern staple enjoys a special kick with Chef Swanky’s version. It’s easy to make and delicious! Take a look:

Got a question for the great Chef? Drop us a comment below, and we’ll pester Chef Swanky to impart some more wisdom.

Follow Chef Swanky here and on Instagram at chefswankyhw.

Feed Your Soul: find your light

Something I have been doing with our two youngest children to calm down a tantrum or meltdown is telling them to “find your light.”

We put both hands over our hearts and take a deep breath: in through the nose: 1, 2, 3, 4, and out through the mouth: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Most of the time, it works (they are four and two, after all).

But it is also calming for us parents.

It’s a good thing to do under the sun if you’re a morning person, or under the moon if you’re a night owl.

Or, if you’re a two-year-old, you can take a breath and point at the nearest lamp — because you indeed found a light!


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Body: chocolate cake and a good romance novel

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

This month I am listening to the graphic audios of the ACOTAR series in preparation for the upcoming two books later in October and January.

In honor of the complex and wonderful (and sometimes misunderstood) Nesta Archeron, and of course our lovely Queen of Terrasen, Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius (I know, different series, but same author, so she counts), we have chocolate cake!

Important Note: I may be Mrs. Swanky, but I am definitely not a chef like Chef Swanky, so Duncan Hines it is.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.

Feed Your Mind: reading and cooking, what could be better?

[Enjoy this guest post from Mrs. Swanky]

Something I would like to start doing is making a dish from a book I’ve been reading. Whether it’s a full meal or snack, it is very interesting when books highlight their cuisine.

This month I have been reading the Fey Spy Academy series by C.N. Crawford, starting with Avalon Tower. It is about a girl who goes on vacation in France and is swept up in a war between fey and humans.

It is a completed trilogy, a fun read, low/medium spicy, and the graphic audio books make it even more fun!

They talk a lot about the fey food in these books being better than anything she has ever eaten before. One thing that stood out to me was a chutney and cheese sandwich.

There wasn’t any more detail given than that, so here is my version: mango chutney with gouda on French bread. I also found port wine cheese and gave it a try.

* Obligatory disclaimer: We are not paid to promote these items. We just happen to like them.


Our guest blogger,
Mrs. Swanky, posts
on ways to Feed Yourself
— in body, mind, and spirit.