#<- I had leftover chicken noodle soup for lunch. If you could not tell

[softichill]

I want something warm and yummy. Something good to fill my tummy. Look in the fridge what do I see? Soup that's waiting just for me

[panamarealtor]

The Savvy Suppers: Coronado Retirees and Their Unending Quest for the Perfect Deal

In the world of retirement, there's an unspoken rule: Thou shalt never pay full price for a meal! Retirees, the seasoned experts of thriftiness, have honed their skills over the years and mastered the art of hunting down the best restaurant specials in town. With the precision of a military operation and the enthusiasm of a child on a treasure hunt, these retirees are on a mission to find the most delectable deals in the culinary landscape, all while wielding their jubilado discount cards should their instincts be less than perfect and a forced discount is required.

Meet the Bargain Hunters

You've seen them at your local diner, lurking in the shadows with their reading glasses perched atop their noses, scanning the fine print of menus for those elusive words: "special of the day." These retirees are like culinary detectives, armed with their trusty jubilado discount cards and a penchant for penny-pinching.

They've perfected the art of timing, too. It's as if they have an internal GPS that tells them precisely when the lunch rush will end and the early bird dinner crowd will begin. They swoop in like well-dressed hawks, ready to pounce on the early bird specials with the precision of a surgical strike.

The Quest for the Golden Ticket (Discount)

Retirees have been known to roam from restaurant to restaurant in search of the holy grail of dining discounts. Some say it's not about the food; it's about the thrill of the hunt. You'll often hear them bragging about their latest conquests, like war heroes swapping tales of daring escapades.

Picture this: A group of retirees sitting around a table, regaling each other with stories of the incredible deals they've scored. "Last Thursday, I had the two-for-one burgers at The Bench ," says Ed, the self-proclaimed king of the gourmet burger. "And don't even get me started on the half price wings at Gold Coast on Wednesdays. I practically live there!"

Navigating the Specials Minefield

It's not all sunshine and rainbows for these deal-hungry retirees. Navigating the world of restaurant specials can be a treacherous endeavor. One wrong move, and they could find themselves stuck with the chef's experimental tofu surprise, wondering if it's too late to convert to vegetarianism.

Then there's the issue of deciphering the cryptic specials lingo. "Soup of the day" can range from a comforting chicken noodle to a perplexing "mystery broth." And let's not forget the enigmatic "chef's creation," which could be a culinary masterpiece or a desperate attempt to use up leftovers.

Special Bonds and Traditions

Despite the occasional culinary misadventure, retirees treasure their special bonds with fellow deal-seekers. They form elite dining clubs where members exchange secret handshakes and share classified information on the best deals in town. It's not just about food; it's about the camaraderie and the thrill of the chase.

These savvy seniors have also developed time-honored traditions, like "Taco Tuesdays" or "Pizza Mondays," which serve as excuses to embark on their culinary quests with their friends. Their schedules are packed tighter than a suitcase on a cross-country road trip, all in pursuit of the perfect dining deal.

But what about the restaurant owners caught in the middle of this jubilant culinary crusade? Their margins are already as slim as a wafer-thin mint, and now they're faced with the challenge of giving away their culinary creations at below cost. It's a plight that keeps many of them awake at night, as they balance the need to attract customers with the need to keep their businesses afloat.

In the end, retirees have discovered that the cheapest place to eat is wherever they can find a good deal and great company. So, the next time you spot a group of silver-haired adventurers scrutinizing a menu like it's a treasure map, remember that they're not just ordering food; they're making memories and sharing stories that will last a lifetime. And, in the midst of the fun, we hope they remember the restaurant owner who's doing their best to strike a delicate balance between welcoming their cherished senior customers and keeping the lights on, and decide to leave the Jubilado card in their pocket book from time to time.

Eldon :)

[e-milieeee]

four ways to say i love you

Summary: It’s the little things—such as waking up at five in the morning to cook for him or lending her a coat when she’s cold—that mean the world. 

Because Marinette loves her partner very, very much, and she’s so lucky that he feels the same. 

Notes: I was initially going to do one side of the lovesquare, but all sides are equal and therefore have all four sides in this oneshot :) Post reveal, established relationship. A commissioned piece for @mlbforblm—there’s plenty of talented artists and writers who still have slots, so make sure to commission! 

Or read on AO3

Adrien is brushing his teeth when Ladybug comes crashing through his window.

He’s a little later than usual today, still decked in his Ladybug pajamas that he’s so unashamedly  proud of. He has tied his bangs back with an elastic band, and it sits like a little tree on top of his head, water still dripping from his face.

“And here I was, thinking you’d be ready to eat breakfast,” she tsks playfully.

He grins back. “Sorry, M’lady. Plagg turned my alarm off.”

His smile is, as usual, contagious and in a way that can’t help but to smile back. Ladybug returns to his room and takes out the box from her bag, where she’d painstakingly prepared breakfast for him at the expense of a shattered bowl and spilled jug of milk. It’s still warm to the touch, thankfully, and her slightly rough landing in his room hadn’t messed it up too much.

Adrien joins her a couple minutes later. He has taken the hair tie out, but his bangs fall softly over his eyes like it does when he’s Chat Noir, and Ladybug wants to run her hands over it so to feel just how soft it is. She refrains herself, though, as they both settle cross-legged on the ground where she has laid their breakfast out.

His mouth drops open. “Wow,” Adrien marvels. “When you said you were going to make a feast, I thought you’d fry an egg or two and slap it between some bread and that would’ve been it. This is… can you describe food as gorgeous? Because this is gorgeous.”

“Just because that’s the only thing you can cook doesn’t mean it’s all I’m capable of,” she sniffs, but underneath, Ladybug preens at the compliment.

It’d taken a lot of effort, and Ladybug had collected the ingredients the day before and planned every single detail before going to bed. Then, at five in the morning, she dragged herself out of bed looking and feeling like a zombie just to prepare it.

There are four egg rolls drizzled with homemade sauce, then sprinkled with dried seaweed and sesame. Next to that are neat cuts of green onion cake, made from absolute scratch (she burned herself in the process of deep-frying them). Inside the longest container are fried fish, the ones her mother had prepared the night before. Finally, the leftover mooncakes from the Lunar Festival are in the little box, tied with a red bow. Marinette had spent careful care on that one.

“Miso soup,” Ladybug tells him as she hands him the thermos. “Uh… I think I added too much paste and it’s too salty, so you might not want to drink that one. And…” She opens the last box, where a variety of fresh-cut fruit awaits. “For health reasons, there are fruits. Oh! Also a cheese platter for Plagg, but he’s still asleep, so he can have it later.”

Adrien is positively beaming when she unpacks everything. “You’re the absolute best,” he gushes.

“Couldn’t have you starving on your diet, right?” The nonchalant act can only go so far when she’s grinning so wide. “I’m just hoping it tastes as good as it looks.”

“It’ll taste good just because you made it.” He throws her an exaggerated wink, then immediately reaches for his chopsticks to dig in.

Ladybug watches him take a bite out of green onion cake. He chews, swallows, eyes lighting up. “This is amazing, and I promise I’m not just saying that because my diet’s forced me to eat boiled chicken breasts with no seasoning of the past week.”

She giggles. “Just let me know when you want me to bring you breakfast.”

He places a hand on his chest. “I can’t believe Ladybug’s my personal delivery girl. Do you offer lunch services as well?”

“Only for you, kitty.”

His grin is worth getting up for at 5am.

***

Marinette is freezing at lunch break, but they’ve agreed to eat outside, so she sucks it up. At least the lunch she’d packed for her and Adrien is warm.

It’s late autumn now, and the last couple of leaves cling to otherwise bare trees. She regrets the outfit she picked—cute, but not practical. Especially not in this weather. Looking at Alya bundled up in a hoodie and combat boots, Marinette really regrets the dress.

The noodles in the thermoses are slightly soggy, but the flavour is still there. They chat for a while—about upcoming tests, about projects and the end-of-the-year field trip that is still months away, and everything is lovely. Lovely, but cold.

Halfway through, her noodles emptied, Adrien notices her shivering. “Are you cold?” he asks, eyes growing wide in concern.

Alya halts her conversation with Nino as well. “Wait, Adrien’s right, you’re wearing a dress. I’m chilly and I have a sweater on.”

Marinette, who has refrained from speaking for the past couple of minutes in fear of her teeth chattering too loudly, manages to shake her head.

She gets a scrutinizing look-over by Adrien before he makes his verdict. “This isn’t going to do,” he declares firmly. Then, with one fluid movement, he shrugs his own sweater off and drapes it over her shoulders.

“Oh, he’s smooth,” Alya remarks with a wicked grin.

Smooth, indeed. The jacket is wonderfully warm, and, with a content sigh, Marinette slides her arms through the sleeves. There’s also the faint smell of his cologne and it’s so very him that she can’t help the smile that crosses her face.

He opens an arm in a beckoning gesture and Marinette happily settles into his embrace.

***

Because of his father’s strict rules, it’s much easier for Adrien to come by as Chat Noir after school, which he does almost everyday. Sometimes it’s between his schedules, sometimes it’s after, late into the night when both his father and Nathalie believe he’s asleep. Marinette always listens for the thump on the skylight, an indication that he’s there. The trap door is always left unlocked for him, so she only needs to wait as he climbs down the ladder.

It’s nearing nine when he comes this time. She sits at her desk finishing up the rest of the notes when the door creaks open and Chat Noir climbs down.

“Evening,” he greets. “What—ooh, you brought croissants for me.”

He zeroes in immediately on the food that Marinette had, admittedly, prepared for him. Between Adrien’s schedule and that godawful diet his father insisted putting him on and his time sprinting across rooftops and fighting akumas, it’s a miracle that he hasn’t fainted from lack of nutrition. Marinette has made it her personal goal to make sure he’s properly fed, and she ensures there’s a snack waiting for him every time he drops by.

Half a minute later, he’s munching enthusiastically on the food and Marinette can no longer focus on the rest of her notes. She sorts them out—there’s at least four pages that she’d copied in her neatest handwriting—and then hands them to Chat.

“Here,” she tells him. “You missed both physics and mathematics today because of the photoshoot, so I copied the notes from class and re-organized them. I also added a review section from last class so it’s easier to figure out just where we are since the two lessons are connected. And…” She shuffles through her desk once more, producing the textbook. “It’s on page one hundred and twenty seven to one hundred and twenty nine, if my notes don’t make sense. You can study here, if you’d like. My parents won’t be coming back up anyway, so we should be left alone for now.”

The last time her mother had walked in on her and Chat doing homework together, she’d been understanding. Understanding, but skeptical. It had been awfully hard to explain why Paris’ superhero was lounging in her room like he lived there—and much harder more awkward to explain that Adrien was one hundred supportive of her friendship with Chat after her father had become defensive that he had ulterior motives.

Chat takes the papers from her. “You’re absolutely unbelievable,” he tells her, eyes shining in a way only his can. “Seriously, Marinette, have I ever told you?”

She pretends to count on her fingers. “Let’s see… only about six times today. Why? He shakes his head, a grin pulling at the corner of his lips. In one fluid movement, he leans down to pluck the textbook from her hands and plants a quick kiss against her cheek in the process. “What would I do without you?”

“Go hungry, probably? Start lagging behind in all of your classes?” Marinette tsks at him. “God, you’re right. What would you do without me?”

Chat’s laugh is wonderful and full and happy. “Then aren’t I lucky to have you.”

***

The akuma strikes at midnight.

Marinette, about to change into her pajamas after just sending off Chat Noir, curses to herself. She’s tired and not in the mood to transform, but when Chat comes crashing back down from the skylight urgently, she knows she has no choice.

“Akuma!” he informs her, as if the tremors outside could be caused by anything else. “It’s close to here. We should be able to take this one quickly.”

“Why is Hawkmoth even awake?” Marinette grumbles, but transforms nonetheless. Chat waits patiently on the side, though he’s drawn taut, prepared to scramble into action the moment she’s ready. Then they’re climbing out of the skylight, into the light, where the akuma has begun its rampage. The once-quiet night is ripped apart with panic and terror.

The akuma is relatively easy to deal with: a little girl, apparently inspired by Frozen, is decked in full Elsa, wielding similar powers. She covers the streets in ice, a snowstorm whirling around her, as spirals of icy sculptures rise and fall.

Both she and Chat have icicles hanging off them by the time Ladybug purifies the akuma. Even after she releases the Miraculous Ladybug, the cold from the girl’s powers haven’t seeped out of her bones. Judging from Chat’s chattering teeth, he feels the same.

Despite her watch reading 12:32 and the next day hailing as a school day , they stop by at a 24-hour-cafe for hot chocolate. A couple minutes later, seated on the rooftops warming their chilled hands, they’re huddled against each other and staring out at the gleaming cityscape.

“Another successful take-down, m’lady?”

Ladybug laughs as he raises his cup for a toast, and she obliges and bumps her own against him. Hot chocolate sloshes over the lid, splashing onto her suit. She flicks it off. “What a team we make, huh? Now, if only Hawkmoth would get the memo and stop creating his akumas so late. Why is he even up now? Say, do you think he has a life outside of being Hawkmoth?”

“He probably wants to catch us off guard in the middle of the night. Remember that one time we got woken up at three because there was an akuma attack? Plagg wanted to tape my mouth shut so I couldn’t transform.”  

Ladybug groans. “I did really bad on a test the next day because I got three and a half hours of sleep—I fell asleep halfway through the test! It’s— ugh. He’s so annoying.”

“There’s one good thing about midnight akumas, though,�� Chat points out.

She takes a sip from the hot chocolate, which, during their conversation, has cooled down to just below scalding. “A good thing?” Ladybug echoes. “Name one good thing, chaton.”  

He nudges her shoulder. “You, m’lady. It’s nice just being alone like this without anyone else, right?”

Then, like he’s said nothing out of the ordinary, Chat goes back to drinking his hot chocolate with infuriating nonchalance.

Ladybug finds herself smiling. “You know,” she tells Chat Noir. “You’re ridiculously good at this. Where do you even get the inspiration to say these things?”

“You.”

“You are completely overdoing it.”

“You love me, admit that.”

“No.”

“So you would get up at five in the morning to make breakfast for just anyone, Bugaboo?”

Ladybug relents. “Okay, maybe a little.”

Chat Noir’s laugh rings crystal clear throughout the night, loud against the crisp air. Ladybug wants to trap that laugh and hold it close to herself. She can’t help but treasure it, after all: it’s a sound that chases away worries, soothes fears, and she thinks she's so, so lucky to hear it everyday.  

“I love you,” he tells her when his laughter dies down. “Don’t forget that, m’lady.”

Ladybug leans her head on her shoulder. “I love you too,” she replies quietly. “You better not forget it, either.”

Notes: Here’s my fics masterlist! 

[skyemak]

Rumor goes around Yuu has been absent and sick from school the last few days…

Ruggie at first thought little of Yuu’s absence during the first and second day. However, by the time the third day rolled around, he wouldn’t admit it, but he felt a bit…concerned. Growing up in the slums, he’s seen first-hand what a small cold can turn into after a few days. As he sat crossed-armed in the cafeteria during lunch, he was sitting, lost in thought. The tips of his ears pointed out as he pondered to himself.

“Hey, Ruggie,” a sudden voice growled.

The hyena’s ears perked up in surprise and he quickly faced towards Leona across from him. “W-What is it?”

“Why are you spacing out?” Leona snarled, looking impatient. “I told you to get me sauce for my ribs.”

“Aye, Leona!” the hyena stood up with his usual happy-to-please smile before making his way to the sauce counter.

Before the lunch period ended, Ruggie was making his way toward the men’s room when just before turning a corner, he caught the sound of Ace, Deuce, and Grim talking in the hallway.

“Awww man,” Ace sighed. “Just how long is her cold gonna be?”

“You’re telling me,” Grim’s shoulders drooped. “They expect so much from me when Yuu isn’t here.”

“Aren’t you two concerned for Yuu? She doesn’t seem sickly type,” Deuce said.

“Yeah, but the headmaster’s been asking us to catch her up on the notes,” Ace protested. “I’m tired of writing everything down.”

Deuce crossed his arms, “Maybe if someone else had legible handwriting we’d be able to split the work up more evenly.”

Grim snickered to himself, “Not my fault my paws can’t write!” Deuce and Ace sighed exasperatedly.

“Should we visit her after school to check on her?” Deuce proposed.

“Nah,” Ace waved his hand dismissively. “You saw her text saying not to visit. She doesn’t want us to get sick from whatever she’s dealing with.”

Deuce grabbed his chin in thought, “I suppose that’s true… Grim, how has she been?”

“Hmm,” Grim crossed his arms and looked up. “She’s just been in bed. Yuu’ll get up if she has to use the bathroom or something.”

“What has she had to eat?” Ace asked.

“I don’t know,” Grim shrugged.

“Grim, you haven’t been checking to see if she’s been eating properly?!” Deuce exclaimed.

“Tch,” Ruggie frustratingly responded, still by listening in. They’re not even checking on her? What if she gets worse?

Ruggie continued to listen to their conversation and was growing more agitated. Without warning, the hyena felt a large hand pat at his shoulder. He flinched and his ears sprang up in response. When he turned around to see who it was, he saw Jack looking down at him earnestly. “W-What do you want?” he asked.

“You know,” Jack began, “no one’s stopping you from visiting Yuu after school if you’re so worried.”

“Huuuh?” Ruggie placed a hand on his hip. “Why would I be concerned about that human prey?”

“Well, for one you were staring at the table she usually sits.” Ruggie flinched.

“Two, you’re eavesdropping the others as they’re talking about her, looking irritated.”

“S-So?” Ruggie averted his gaze.

Jack crossed his muscular arms. “I’ve heard when humans get sick, they’ll place a cool damp rag on their forehead to cool them down. Some cultures will feed them something called ‘chicken-noodle soup’ or ‘rice porridge’. They also have sorts of potions they take to help treat symptoms of a cold too. The school store might have some useful stuff.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he furrowed his brows. “I didn’t say I was going to visit her.”

Jack smirked a bit to himself. “Heh, just talking to myself.” He turned around and walked away. Ruggie crossed his arms and frowned to himself. That Jack better start minding his own business…

“Oh, Ruggie,” Deuce voice came from the corner behind him. He jolted slightly and turned to them. “Oh, hi, wazzup?” he placed his hand on the back of his head. “Gonna visit Yuu after school?” Ruggie slipped. Ahhhhh why did I just ask that?!

“Oh, you heard us talking?” Deuce said.

“Not today,” Ace replied casually.

“We were gonna wait one more day to check on her if necessary,” Deuce finished.

“I-I see…” Ruggie trailed off.

“Hey! Let’s go see if there’s any leftover goodies! Sometimes they sell leftovers at half-price!” Grim shouted, starting to fly away.

“Hey, Grim, stop!” Ace started to run after them.

“Oh, excuse us, Ruggie,” Deuce quickly gave a short bow to Ruggie before jogging off himself.

Ruggie watched them as they went, then sighed heavily to himself. “Why would I visit that dumb human…?”

---

“IN STOCK!” Sam exclaimed. “Why hello there, more errand shopping for your dorm leader?”

Ruggie found himself in the school store. The shelves were filled to the brim with a number of different products as usual, but he wasn’t sure where to start.

“Uh, not today…” the hyena answered, absently looking away. “I’m just…looking for something for myself…”

“Well look around! Your business is always welcome!” Sam smiled.

“Y-Yeah…”

Ruggie wondered around the store shelves, scanning over what may be useful. He started at the medicinal potion area, glancing at the different treatments they promise. Some mentioned reducing nausea, some helping fever, some helping nasal drip…

He wasn’t sure which would work the best, so he snatched a general cold medicine pack that claimed to help multiple symptoms. Ruggie kept it close to his body, looking around the store to make sure none of his classmates saw him. Figuring that was good enough, he started to stroll to the counter. At his right, he saw a small section of canned goods on the shelf. From the corner of his eye, he saw a soup can labelled “chicken-noodle soup”. At the soup, he narrowed his eyes in consideration, then glanced at the medicine already in his hand. His ears lowered as he thought to himself. Medicine or soup? Both? Which is better for humans? It’d be too expensive to get both so which one…

It’s just for some human anyway…

She’s lucky to just get anything from him…

Nah, maybe I should just drop the idea, put the medicine back and head home…

…

…

“Medicine and soup today?” Sam confirmed as he placed the items in a small paper bag. “That’ll be 800 madol.” He folded over the paper bag and pushed it towards Ruggie. The hyena begrudgingly opened his wallet and calmly handed over the cash. Sam looked at the money, a bit confused at first. “What?” Ruggie asked leaving his arm extended. Sam only smiled in response and took the cash. “Come again!”

Ruggie clutched the bag quickly and beelined for the door. As he made his walk to the Ramshackle dorm, grumbling to himself about how expensive it was, he made a realization and stopped in his tracks.

“I forgot to haggle him!!” Ruggie screamed, ruffling his hair in frustration.

---

Ruggie stood at the Ramshackle dorm doorstep, mulling over if he should knock or just sneak inside. Yuu may not answer since it sounded like her fever was acting up, but he also didn’t want to deal with that furball. Eventually he relented and lightly knocked at the front door with his back knuckles. Lightly enough that it was barely audible, so if he were caught sneaking in, he could technically say he did knock. After a few seconds of silence, he twisted the doorknob open and stealthily made his way inside.

Should I check if she’s awake first?

He took a few steps inside and realized: this was his first time at Ramshackle dorm. He has no idea where Yuu, or anything else is. Well, he made it this far...

Ruggie stepped into the hallway discreetly to first look for Yuu’s room. He could first prepare the soup, but if she were sleeping then there would be little point to start with that. The hyena looked toward the first open door down the hallway to peek inside. At the sound of a toilet flushing down the hall, one of his ears faced toward it before his eyes glanced the same direction. Ruggie panicked a bit over what he should do. Is it Grim? Yuu? Should he hide? Wouldn’t that be suspicious though? Before he could come to a decision, the next door down creaked open, and out stepped Yuu. She was in her pajamas with a small throw blanket around her shoulders. Her face looked flushed from the fever, and she looked exhausted, but she could still make out his figure.

“Rug…gie…?” Yuu’s bare feet over the wooded floor made small thud noises as she strolled her way over to him.

“Uh, no,” Ruggie stammered, looking away from her to come up with a non-embarrassing excuse. “I was just asked to uh, check on you! Yeah that! No one’s seen you in a while and that Grim is pretty unreliable when it comes to this and—”

Thud.

Ruggie’s eyes shot back in front of him, and he found Yuu had fallen down to one of her knees. She leaned on one of her hands to keep her upright, but her breathing was heavy.

“Hey, you idiot!” Ruggie exclaimed, dropping down to a knee to find her face flushed. “You’re burning—why did get out of bed?” The hyena grabbed the arm that wasn’t supporting Yuu and wrapped it around his shoulders, helping her to her feet.

“Toi…let…” she muttered.

“Let’s just get you back to bed,” he started walking down the hall, then paused, “…where is your bedroom?”

---

About 10 minutes after Yuu had collapsed, Ruggie managed to find her bedroom and get her tucked back into bed. He managed to find a small cloth in the bathroom to dampen and place at her forehead. After placing it on her, Ruggie made a sigh of relief when her breathing calmed down. Yuu appeared to have fallen asleep. Glancing around the room, he saw dust on the window and the floor. No wonder she hasn’t been getting better.

He took the initiative to find a broom and other spare cloth in the old dorm building and tidy up her room a bit. It was a quick sweep-through of the room, but he nonetheless stood at the doorway with the broom and his chest stuck out to admire the great job he did. From Yuu’s bed, Ruggie heard a weak moan.

“Hrgh…Hungry…” she mumbled. Ruggie remembered the paper bag he set by her bed and went to fetch the canned soup from it.

“Yuuuuuu! I got some frozen pizza. It’s meat lovers—” Grim appeared at the doorway, holding a frozen pizza box. “Ruggie? What are you doing here?”

Ruggie flinched and turned around toward Grim. “Pizza?” he marched toward Grim. “You’re feeding a sick girl pizza?”

“It’s got a whole bunch of meat though!” Grim protested. “Oh, it looks clean in here. Yuu, did you get bored and clean?” he started to head towards Yuu.

“It was me, furball!” Ruggie grabbed the broom he had earlier to present to him.

“Furball?!” Grim turned around, “I’ll have you know—”

Yuu made a weak, annoyed groan. Not wanting to bother the sick girl, Ruggie grabbed Grim, exiting the room, and shutting the bedroom door. The hyena heaved a sigh.

“…Does this mean I get the pizza to myself?” Grim meekly asked.

“Hey, show me to your microwave. Apparently, I have to warm up this soup,” Ruggie gestured to the can in his hand.

“We don’t have any appliances like that.”

“What? Then how do you warm up your food?”

Grim smirked, “With my fire magic of course! It took a few burnt pizzas to get it right though…”

Ruggie pointed down his ears, pinching the bridge of his nose frustratingly, pointing his head toward the floor.

Grim looked as he remembered something. “Oh, Ruggie, you still haven’t mentioned why you’re here!”

“Furball, show me where ya got some soup bowls and warm this up for me.”

“Nah?! Why should I?!”

“’Cause if you don’t,” Ruggie put on a mischievous grin and looked down towards Grim, placing his hands at his hips, “I’ll use my unique magic to force you to slap Leona behind the head and leave you—”

Suddenly the door beside them creaked open. Grim and Ruggie both flinched and froze in place as Yuu stood there, rubbing her eye with her fist sleepily. She moved past them and started making her way down the hallway, muttering something about food, before collapsing on the floor again.

“Oh, she fell again,” Grim said matter-of-factly.

“Again?!” Ruggie yelled, running towards Yuu.

---

With some effort, Ruggie was able to return Yuu to her bed with the same damp cloth on her forehead. Following some…heavy persuasion from Ruggie, Grim used his fire magic to warm up the soup. When the hyena returned to Yuu’s room, bowl of soup in his hands, he found Yuu sitting upright on her bed.

“Yo,” he smiled, “got ya some food.”

Yuu glanced at Ruggie as he strolled over to her. There was a bit of a glazed look in her eyes, either from the fever, falling over twice, or a combination of both. He sat down near the foot of her bed and gestured the bowl towards her, expecting her to grab it. Yuu simply looked down at the bowl then back at him, expectantly.

“What?” Ruggie asked, after a pause. She again glanced down at the bowl, then back to him. He sighed, knowing exactly what she wanted him to do.

“Fine,” he mumbled, getting a spoonful from the bowl. and gesturing it to her mouth. Yuu opened her mouth joyfully in anticipation. She seemed to enjoy the taste, putting Ruggie a bit at ease. After she ate each spoonful, the hyena would quickly return the spoon to the bowl with a slight clang noise from the spoon and bowl contacting each other. Following a few spoonful’s, Ruggie noticed Yuu looking up at something. At first he thought nothing of it, but at the next spoonful, she didn’t break her gaze as she opened her mouth. This caused a bit of the broth to drip down her chin.

“Hey,” Ruggie said sternly, gripping the cuff of his sleeve to wipe her face.

“No~” Yuu protested weakly, breaking her gaze, and moving away from his sleeve. “It’ll get dirty.”

“It’s fine. I’ll be doing laundry later anyway.” He leaned forward to finish wiping her face. Yuu looked down with a pout but didn’t give any further protests.

“Cute,” he thought to himself, then flinched away in realization. “Oh, I also got you medicine!” Holding the bowl, he Ruggie leaned towards the table by Yuu’s bed to grab the paper bag with the medicine he bought before. He removed a small vial and presented it to her.

“I don’t wanna,” she whined.

“Wha?” Ruggie asked, surprised by her blunt response.

“It’s probably gross.”

“Do you know how much I spent on—” he cut himself off and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please, just take it.” Ruggie sighed.

Yuu glanced up at his head and muttered, “I will if you let me touch your ears…”

“Huh?” he looked towards Yuu. She quickly looked down to avoid his gaze, with a slight embarrassed blush swept over her cheeks. Ruggie reflexively blushed a bit himself. He looked down at the vial in his hand. He did spend money on it, and touching his ears wasn’t hurting anything…

After a pause, he looked off to the side still with a light pink over his cheeks. “If you take it, I’ll let you touch them after eating,” he mumbled nervously. Yuu’s eyes lit up. She leaned towards Ruggie, “Really?”

Ruggie tilted a bit away from her involuntarily, not expecting her to get that close. “Yes, now take it!”

Yuu drank up the medicine in one gulp and stuck her tongue out due to its bitter taste. Ruggie couldn’t help but snicker, but still offered her a spoonful of soup to quickly get rid of the bad taste in her mouth. She happily leaned forward to accept the spoon.

“By the way, Ruggie,” Yuu started. The medicine seemed to have an immediate effect and she  seemed more attentive. “Why did you come to visit? Did the Headmaster send you?” Yuu took another spoonful Ruggie directed towards her.

“Uh…” The hyena tried to think on his feet. “Yeah… I just  so happen to be in his line-of-sight, so he asked me to check on you…”

“Oh, I see.”

Ruggie nodded to himself, happy she accepted the lie. He took one last spoonful from the bowl for Yuu.

“Let’s just go with that then,” Yuu stated before accepting the spoon.

“What?” Ruggie asked. Yuu just giggled in reply and pointed at his head.

“Lemme touch your ears now,” she smiled. Ruggie stared at her in disbelief. She saw past his lie. Giving up and feeling embarrassed, Ruggie dejectedly tilted down his head, leaning over to her with his arms to support his weight. It was a convenient bargain now, since it allowed the hyena to hid is flushed face. Yuu took no time to touch Ruggie’s ears and playfully stroke them.

“So soft~” she said gleefully. Yuu’s touch was gentle and sweet. She didn’t tug or try to flip them inside-out, as some curious children had done in the past. She just lightly caressed them with a dumb, happy smile on her face. Ruggie found it surprisingly soothing, his eyes shutting calmly. Gradually, any tension inside of him began to melt away.  His arms he used as support grew more relaxed, and he leisurely let himself lay his head by her lap. Yuu took the opportunity to use her fingers to also stroke through his hair, along with lightly caressing his ears. She presumed he was just exhausted. Day in and day out, Ruggie had to do so much for Leona on top of his tasks as a regular student. Yet, he took the time out of his day to come visit her while she was sick. Yuu smiled down at him affectionately, continuing her sweet touch.

At the brink of falling asleep, Ruggie realized what position he was in and shot up, almost falling off the bed. “Uh,” he looked at her with a tomato red face. Most likely, he felt embarrassed. “Well,” he stood up, grabbing the bowl. Yuu looked up at him curiously. The hyena fumbled through his words, “I should get going! I hope you feel better tomorrow enough to go to school!” He beelined for the door, but Yuu managed to tell him, “See you tomorrow,” before he left the room.

The next morning, Ruggie strolled into his classroom and noticed something at his desk. Stepping closer, he  saw it was a small folded over paper bag. Written on it were the words, “Thank you”, along with a doodled on smiley face. He picked it up from his desk and peeked inside. “Idiot…,” he chuckled to himself weakly. From the bag, Ruggie pulled out a small cake donut and took a bite.

[captainamericasbeard]

I Owe You One

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Just fluff. Fluff and too much food. 

Summary: Bucky steals your food and your heart in the process. Awwwwe.

A/N: This is my entry for @barnesrogersvstheworld ‘s writing challenge. My prompt was “I owe you one.” “You owe me three. At least” It’s in bold. I had a ton of fun writing it and I hope you love it. Sorry if I make your tummy rumble with all the delicious food references. Please like, comment, and reblog. I like the validation. 

_______________________________________________________________________

Bucky was always taking your food. You’d lost count of the number of times you’d walked into the kitchen and found him hunched over a meal you’d whipped up for yourself. Perfectly prepared BLTs gone in a few bites. Four bowls of spaghetti bolognese in the time it took you to take a shower. A whole pan of chorizo macaroni and cheese. You didn’t even get a bite. There was no limit to what he could eat and he seemed to have very little guilt about the whole thing. You’d walk back into the kitchen and find him hunched over your plate, a fleeting look of guilt in his eyes and he’d mumble around his mouth full of food, “I’ll owe you one.” He was deeply in your debt at this point.

You two were a match made in culinary heaven. You’re an excellent cook and he’s an indecent eater. He devours his food. He absolutely stuffs his face. He moans over your cooking in a way that makes you blush. He practically sings your praises while he eats and he would lick the plate if you’d let him. You don’t really mind. It makes you happy to make him happy and his sweet words makes your stomach somersault.

But lately you’ve taken to eating in strange places in an attempt to hide from him. A bowl of lemon chicken pasta on the floor of the server room. A plate of garlic and chili prawns with homemade crusty bread at the desk of a disused office. You even once considered taking your chicken schnitzel sandwich up into the vents but then you’d have to share with Clint. It wouldn’t have mattered, Bucky could find you anywhere. Just when you thought you’d found the perfect spot he’d whip open the door and shout “Aha!” He’d look pleadingly between your eyes and your plate of food with such longing until you handed over your meal resignedly. You’d never be able to resist that look.

_______________________________________________________________________

One day you were sitting at the table over a simple breakfast of coffee and banana bread slathered with ricotta cheese, honey, and cinnamon. Bucky was on his third slice and you realized this was the only slice you’d be getting. You got up to refill your coffee and Bucky asked “What’s something you love to eat that you can’t make?” You thought for a moment.

“Phở.”

“Phở?”

“Yeah, phở.”

“What the hell is phở?”

“It’s a Vietnamese soup. It’s got noddles and meat and herbs. It’s spicy and sweet and amazing. I’d be out of my depth trying to make it myself. And its so cheap you might as well just go to a restaurant for it.” Your eyes took on a dreamy far away look as you thought about tender pieces of sweet chicken floating in a broth that took two days to make.

“Let’s go. Let’s go get phở,” Bucky says snapping you out of your reverie.

“Yeah? You’d be up for trying it?” You ask.

“Yeah! I think its cool that you can get food from just about anywhere now. I never would have got a chance to try Vietnamese chicken noodle soup back in Brooklyn. Let’s go. Can we go now?” He starts getting up from his chair, his mouth watering at the dish you’ve described.

“Bucky, we're literally eating breakfast right now,” you roll your eyes at him, “can we at least wait until lunch?”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” he sits back down and grabs his fourth slice of banana bread.  

_______________________________________________________________________

Bucky hangs out with you in the kitchen while you spend some time cleaning bowls and loaf trays. You wipe down all the surfaces and cleaned out the fridge from countless containers of Chinese leftovers. “Damnit Clint,” you mutter as you fill up the trashcan. You whip up a batch of chocolate and caramel chip brownies and Bucky doesn’t even wait for them to cool before he devours half the tray and finishes the milk. He has started pacing at this point, ready to go. Finally you can’t handle his anxious energy any longer.

“Ok, ok, I’ll go get my jacket.” Bucky whoops and does a little dance as he rushes off to his room to grab his own jacket. You go to your room and while grabbing your jacket you decide you need to pull a brush through your hair and wash the flour off of your face. The few extra minutes you spend trying to look presentable has Bucky pounding at your door.

“What’s taking so long, Doll!?” The nickname puts a smile on your face.

“Sorry, just trying to look decent,” you say as you step out of your room and pull the door closed behind you. “You always look perfect, Doll. Don’t stress about it.” You dip your head down to hide your blushing under the pretense of zipping up your leather jacket. You look back up at Bucky to find him watching you intently. “Ready?” He asks with a smile playing on his lips.

“Ready,” you smile back.

It’s a perfect autumn day in New York City. The air is crisp and you both bury your hands in your jackets as you stroll down the sidewalk. There’s not much conversation happening but you don’t mind. Bucky’s presence makes you feel calm and collected. You always enjoy being around him and today was no different. Your favorite phở place was only a ten minute walk and you were there before you knew it.

The restaurant is a hole-in-the wall place, just as it should be. It was appropriately named Phở Noodles and as you opened the door you were greeted by the familiar tinkling of a bell and the soft brown eyes of the owner.

“Seat for two?” She asks with her thick accent, holding up two fingers to make herself clear. Her eyes twinkle mischievously. She’s used to you coming in by yourself.

“Yes please,” you respond with a wide smile. She seats you and Bucky next to the window and brings your waters. Bucky takes off his jacket as he sits and you watch him take in the decor, the kitchen in the back, and most importantly the bowls of phở at your neighbor’s table. He looks at you with childlike excitement in his eyes and you have to giggle at him. Your waitress comes over with a sweet smile and waits patiently for your order. You don’t even glance at the menu as you order two chicken phở, two Thai teas, and a share plate of egg rolls. The waitress nods and smiles and takes your menus as she walks back to the kitchen. You fold your hands on the table and turn back to Bucky who had watched the entire transaction with interest.

“So you come here a lot,” he asks, smirking.

“Yeah I guess. Three or four times a month. It’s comforting after a hard mission or a long day to just let someone else cook for dinner for once.”

“I think I owe you an apology,” Bucky says sheepishly and you raise your eyebrow. “I’m sorry I always steal your food.”

“Yeah, you do seem to have singled me out.”

“I can’t help it! You're just an amazing cook! I can always tell when its you in there and my mouth just starts watering and I just have to have some.” He looks at you, eyes pleading forgiveness.

“You know, you could just ask. I’d be happy to double the recipe so there’s enough for both of us. Where do you put it all anyways? You don’t look like you eat as much as you do.”

Bucky turns lightly pink at the implied compliment. “Hyperactive metabolism. Its a side affect of the serum. My metabolism runs about four times faster than yours. Steve’s is even worse. You see how many eggs he goes through.” You both laugh, Steve is famous for his daily dozen egg omelette.

“Gotcha. That makes sense. But why do you have such an indecent relationship with your meals.”

“Real answer or fake answer,” Bucky asks hesitantly.

“Real answer of course.”

“All the time I was with Hydra I never ate any real food. They kept me alive through IVs. I think I’m just making up for all the meals I missed” He was casual about it but you could tell it hurt him to relive any part of his time with Hydra. Meanwhile your heart had dropped out of your chest. You decided then and there you would never withhold food from Bucky Barnes ever again.

“I’m so sorry, Buck. I don’t know what else to say.”

“It’s ok. You don’t have to say anything.” He reaches his hand across the glass top table and gently holds yours. He was the one reliving the horrors of his past and here he was comforting you. Your brain goes fuzzy at the touch but luckily your food arrives before you can make a fool out of yourself.

Two huge, steaming bowls of broth, chicken, and rice noodles are placed in front of you. Next comes the plate with all the traditional toppings- mint and scallions, lime and sprouts, and more. Finally down comes your teas and the egg rolls with their light sauce full of shredded carrots. You teach Bucky how to add the toppings, which sauces were savory and which were spicy. You show him how to hold the chopsticks and the spoon for scooping up the broth. You both dig in and Bucky does not hold back his praises for his dish. He moans at the first bite. He loves each element of the soup and how they come together in perfect harmony. He slurps his broth oblivious to the glances of the other patrons. Before you’re halfway through your own bowl, Bucky is ordering his second.

“So you like it,” you comment between bites. Bucky nods his reply as he prepares and dives into his second bowl. Finally you’re too full to eat another bite so you slide your bowl over to Bucky as he’s finishing his. He doesn’t skip a beat as he pulls your bowl closer and keeps eating. You suppress a giggle and watch him enjoy one of your favourite things. Your heart swells knowing you’ve brought him the joy of a new discovery. Bucky finishes and sighs contentedly, his hands on his stomach and a smile on his face.

“Yeah,” he says seriously, “that’s pretty damn good. Thanks Y/N.”

“Anytime Buck.”

_______________________________________________________________________

You walk back to the tower in contented silence. Once inside you make a quick decision. “Come with me,” you say as you head towards your room. You open the door and move across the room to your closet. You stand on your tiptoes reaching into the top shelf while Bucky watches curiously from the foot of your bed. You pull out a decorative box wrapped in plastic wrap from underneath a pile of sweaters. “Come sit down,” you say as you begin to peel layers of plastic off of the box. “I’ve got dessert.”

“You’ve been holding out on me, Y/L/N,” Bucky says as he sinks to the floor and inspects the contents of the box.

“Yeah sorry. It won’t happen again I promise,” you glance at him from the corner of your eye and he’s looking at you with a dopey smile on his face. “They’re my grandma’s cookies. She makes them every year and sends me a box. I tend to hoard them. They’re chocolate peanut butter pinwheels.” Bucky’s eyes light up as he starts to reach into the box. Quickly he clenches his fist and pulls back.

“Sorry. May I have some?” He asks looking down at you with the sweetest expression on his face.

“Of course, Buck,” you answer softly and you both dig into the box.

“Too bad we’re out of milk,” Bucky comments around a mouth full of cookie.

“And who’s fault is that?” Bucky laughs and goes in for what might be his fourth cookie. Together you polish off the box in one sitting, Bucky eating the lion’s share of the precious treat. After the last crumb has been picked off of the inside of the box you both sigh contentedly.

“Thanks for sharing, Y/N, I know they were pretty special. I owe you one, for sure.”

“For that you owe me three. At least.” You burst out laughing and Bucky joins. You’ve never felt so contented, sitting on the floor of your closet laughing with the man who has managed to capture your heart.

_______________________________________________________________________

It’s a week after the phở and it’s managed to be a particularly terrible day. You decide there’s no way you’re cooking and opt to order out Chinese instead. You settle on your favorite garlic and ginger chicken with rice and a few egg rolls. Hanging up the phone you move to your room for a quick shower and to change into some sweats and an old t-shirt. All you can think about is the newest episode of Brooklyn 99 and your dinner on it’s way to you. You open the door to your room and immediately smell trouble. Your food has arrived. You rush to the kitchen to see Bucky hunkered over a container of Chinese food. YOUR Chinese food. The delivery guy must have come while you were in the shower. You stomped your foot and threw your hands onto your hips. Your eyes were flashing in anger.

“James Buchanan Barnes. What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Bucky’s head snaps up. His body freezes with chopsticks in one hand and the box in the other. He gulped down his bite and looked so damn guilty you immediately softened your stance, dropping your hands down to your sides.

“Shit, Doll, I’m so sorry. I thought it was Clint’s! Can I owe you one?” He looked truly remorseful and your heart just fell apart.

“No, Bucky, you cannot owe me one. You owe me about a million. And you know what, I’m cashing in now.” You step towards him with your heart pounding out of your chest. You knew he could hear it but you didn’t care. You strode up to him and closed the gap between your bodies. You paused inches away from his face, giving him a chance to say something or push you away. He did nothing but swallow hard as his eyes flew from your bright, blazing eyes to your soft lips and back again. Before you could think about it you bring your lips to his in a tender kiss. He was frozen for a moment, food still in hand, but his lips quickly melt into yours. He throws the food onto the counter you have him pushed up against and wraps his arms around your waist, deepening the kiss. You rest your hands lightly on his chest for a moment before you move them up to tangle your fingers in his hair. He moans into your mouth like he did with that bowl of phở and you couldn’t help but smile. He pulls you closer to him as your passions grow and he tasted like garlic and ginger, savory and sweet all at once. You finally brake away to breath, locking eyes with each other.

“I'm glad one of us finally had the courage to do that,” Bucky whispers, his voice low and husky. “So I’m not in trouble for eating your dinner?” He smiles down at you with a devilish grin.

“You keep kissing me like that and you can steal all the food you want.” Your lips reconnect and you realized you were both hungry in a way food could never satisfy.

[sheewolf85]

Drabble list #2 spicybbq (edge/slim) #26

The line is: “You’re the one thing keeping me sane right now.”

Slim is having a bad night. He asks Edge to come over and just be with him. 

I’m doing these out of order, I’m sorry. I also added a smidge to the line. I’m sick, Slim is sick, Edge is sick (in the head)…Dammit, we’re all sick.

After the cut cuz it got long:

Edge looked down at his phone when it chimed with a message. To his surprise, the message was from Slim.

Bonefriend: can you come over after work today? please? i feel like shit.

The message sent a wave of concern crashing through Edge’s soul. That Slim felt like shit could mean anything from being mildly inconvenienced to full-blown suicidal. He wasn’t waiting until he was released at the end of his shift. His boss might give him shit, but this world’s Asgore was a mite different from his own.

Edge: Of course I can come over. Do you need anything?

Telling Slim that he was coming over early would do nothing but make him feel bad for ‘making’ Edge miss work. Better to skip all that when he could wave away concerns in person. 

Bonefriend: you. and maybe some soup?

Soup? A bit of an odd request, but one Edge was all too happy to fill. He even had some leftover chicken noodles that he’d made for Sans and Red the day before. They’d both come down with some kind of sickness at the same time, as if they weren’t twins enough already. 

He sent a quick text back stating what he had, and Slim responded with a thumb’s up emoji. With a fond smile on his face, he closed down the programs he was using and sent an email to Asgore letting him know he was leaving early. After that, he gathered his items and left his office. 

Just outside, he stopped to let his secretary know he was leaving. Harriet was new, and like many others who worked with him, she was nervous around him. She smiled though, and let him know in no uncertain terms that she would handle everything. He had no choice but to trust her. 

At home, Edge quickly changed into street clothes and got the soup together, then got back into his car to head over to Slim’s. 

He pulled into drive and walked up to the door. He knocked once only to announce his presence before using his key to let himself in. Razz was already halfway to the door and gave Edge a nod in greeting before returning to the television. Edge nodded back. 

“Is he in his room?” Edge asked. 

“Yeah. Thanks for bringing that,” he gestured to the container in Edge’s hand, “he wouldn’t let me make him anything. Said you were going to take care of him.”

Edge raised a brow. “Is he ill?”

Razz sighed. “He said he told you what was going on! That lying bastard.”

Edge tensed but forced himself to let it go. Razz didn’t mean it the way Edge would have taken it. The insults the brothers threw back and forth were similar to the ones he and Red threw at each other, but it was odd seeing it from an outsider’s perspective. 

“He said he was feeling bad.” It took a second, but Edge finally got it. “Oh, he caught what Sans and Red have?” 

Razz nodded. “And Stretch, too, apparently. The low HP crowd could fund that hospital all on their own.”

Wasn’t that the truth?

“Has he been?”

“Yeah, I took him this morning; dragged him kicking and screaming. Well, he would have if he’d had the energy. It’s just a bug that needs to work it’s course; nothing the doctors can do about it, apparently. They just said to bring him back if it gets worse.”

“Thank you for that.”

Razz glared at him. “What, you think I’d leave my own brother here to--”

Edge shook his head, smiling a little. “No, you idiot, thank you for the information.”

That calmed him down, and he just nodded. Edge took that as his cue to leave and went to heat up the soup. 

Once it was ready, Edge made his way to Slim’s room with everything on a tray and knocked lightly before entering. The room was dark save for the light coming in through the window. It was just as messy as it ever was, although there was a nice new pile of used tissues on the floor by the head of the bed. 

“edge?” slim rasped. His voice was always low and grainy, but there was something about the illness that made it even rouger, sexier.

“Yes, it’s me.” He kicked the door shut and moved to set the tray on the table beside the bed. 

“i didn’t expect you to get here until later. what are you doing here?” He lifted himself up to his elbow where he leaned over the side of the bed to start hastily cleaning up the tissues. Most of them landed just short of the wastebasket. 

Edge pushed him back down and sat beside him. “If you think I haven’t dealt with worse, far grosser, messes, you’re wrong. I’m sure you remember my brother.”

Slim smiled, but it was weak. “yeah, that asshole is a special brand of gross.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were ill?” Edge reached out and pressed his wrist to Slim’s forehead. He didn’t push it away, but he did groan at Edge’s frown. 

“because I knew you’d leave early and come over just to prance around me like I’m a porcelain doll. i’m not fucking dying; i’m just sick for fuck’s sake. i’m also hungry. i can’t smell it, but i know you made good on the offer to bring chicken noodles.”

Edge smiled fondly and leaned over to press a soft kiss to Slim’s cheekbone. “Yes, I did. Would you like me to--”

“if you plan to end that sentence with ‘help you’ i’m going to drown you in it.”

Okay. Apparently Slim was a bit oversensitive. It probably made sense; Razz was just as overbearing as Blue could be, only Razz was meaner about it. Slim had probably had enough of being treated like a child.

So instead of making any fanfare about it, Edge reached over to get the soup from the table and set it on Slim’s sternum. He only watched as Slim struggled to sit up without spilling any, only offering his help when Slim seemed to realize he couldn’t do it on his own. Even then, all he did was hold the bowl.  Once Slim was settled, Edge maneuvered himself to sit on his opposite side and propped himself against the headboard. 

“it’s good,” Slim said softly, his voice still rough and gravelly even as a whisper. 

Why was that so sexy? He’d heard humans talk about a sexy cold voice before, but he’d always thought it was ridiculous. Humans with colds sounded snotty and slimy and gross. 

Maybe it was just Slim.

Edge didn’t say anything as Slim finished his soup and set the bowl haphazardly on the table. It was almost too close to the side, but Edge said nothing still. Instead, he welcomed Slim into his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of his skull. 

“thank you so much for coming. i’m sorry i made you leave work early.”

“You did no such thing,” Edge said sternly yet calmly. “That was my choice.” He decided not to mention the real reason. “And I made that decision because spending time with you under any circumstances is better than sitting at that desk.”

Slim hugged him a little tighter. “thanks. not true, but thanks.”

“Excuse you? I’ll decide what’s true or not when it comes to how I feel, thank you.” His voice was teasing, and he could almost feel Slim’s smile through the thin material of his t-shirt. 

They sat in silence for a few long minutes before Slim started to get uncomfortable. He took a few sips of water and then wanted to lie back down. Edge laid with him and once again wrapped his arms around his love. 

“thank you for coming. sometimes i feel like you’re the one thing keeping me sane right now.” He burrowed his face deeper into Edge’s shirt. 

Edge held him a little tighter and didn’t demand an explanation. It seemed this illness wasn’t the only thing he was battling, and perhaps Edge’s first concern was valid after all. Bringing it up, making Slim talk, would either help make it better or push him deeper into it, and Edge wasn’t about to risk that. If Slim wanted to talk about it, he would. He’d made that promise, and Edge had to trust that he’d keep it. 

“Of course I came,” he said, gently petting Slim’s back and shoulders. “I’m always here for you, Slim, you know that. No matter what the ailment is, my chicken soup and my love is always yours for the taking.”

Slim huffed a little laugh which led to a bigger coughing fit. He groaned and reached over the side of the bed to the tissue box Edge had seen there and pulled back with a handful of them. 

“i’m all gross right now and i might leak on you,” he warned. 

“As if snot is the worst bodily fluid of yours I’ve had on me.”

That caused a little blush to rise to Slim’s cheekbones, and Edge smiled at the sight. It was right then that he realized why Slim’s voice was so damn sexy. It sounded like this--a bit deeper and more hoarse--after he’d sucked Edge’s--

A knock on the door interrupted that thought. 

“Slim?” Razz peeked his head in. “I’m sorry, I know Edge is here to take care of you, but I can’t help it. I need to ask you how you’re feeling.”

Instead of the snarl Edge had expected, Slim just nodded and smiled a bit. “i’m okay, bro.”

“Do you need anything?”

“nope. just edge.” He snuggled in closer to Edge’s side as if to demonstrate. 

Razz nodded again and shut the door.

Slim sighed and laughed a little. “y’know, sometimes i think he’s like this now because he couldn’t be when we were underground. like he’s trying to make up for all the times he had to leave me suffering at home and could only sneak in to check on me during his lunch break. i do get it, but sometimes i get a bit bratty.”

Edge nuzzled his skull. “Only sometimes?” But he agreed; even when he and Slim had first gotten together, Razz was fiercely protective of Slim but he wouldn’t show it around anyone but Edge. It had led Edge to believe that the monster had a problem with him specifically, but that didn’t last. He was more open with his concern now, able to show the world that he loved his brother without fear of reprimand or what might befall his brother because of it.

“yes, only sometimes, you shit.”

Edge smiled at that and held his love tighter. “Try to sleep now, okay? I’ll stay with you.”

“okay, but don’t you dare get sick, too.”

“I’ll do my best.”

[lokisgame]

Enchanted Forest [7]

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6]

A moment later, Mulder was looking through grocery bags she left on the kitchen table. The pastrami sandwich was his favourite, there were oranges too, fresh and some juice. The last bag held two Tupperware containers, the kind you use to freeze leftovers. The larger one had a screw-on lid and its’ contents was sloshing. Soup. The broth looked home-made, she must have made it herself, and there were noodles in the other box as well. He found a spoon and tasted it. Even cold, it filled his mouth with richness of chicken and vegetables, just a tad too salty, the way he liked it. Seeing no point in waiting for lunch, he poured it into a pot, lit the burner and sat on the table, waiting for bubbles to come, grateful that the cold didn't entirely rob him off taste or smell. Scent of home cooking spread through the kitchen, making him ravenous.

The day dragged on. Without Mulder around she could focus, yes, but the office felt just a little too cold, too quiet. She went to the crime lab and stopped for a second to chat with Holly from records, but other than that, Scully tried to not think about Mulder. She had definitely too much time to think these days. She came home last night, with an image stuck in her head, of a woman waiting for him in his apartment, ready to care and soothe and share her day with him. She let it play like a movie in head head, trying to understand where the accompanying feeling of dread came from, exactly. The truth was, she didn’t usually think of him as a man, Mulder simply was. In the office sorting through files or arranging slides, on her answering machine with some last minute theory for her to consider as she cooked dinner for one. Mulder lived and breathed his work, to the point of seeming slightly obsessed and infecting her with that obsession over the years, as well. But now that she knew that it wasn’t all there was. If he was ready to take a job as an escort, why wouldn’t he one day find a woman. Swivelling back and forth in his office chair, she looked up to the pencils, hanging like stalactites from the cardboard above her head. One for what? One girl? One night? The phone rang, startling her out of that train of thought. “Scully.” “Hey, it’s me.” Mulder choked on the other end. “Hi, is everything okay?” “Yeah, thanks for the soup.” Stifled cough drowned out her 'you’re welcome', but he didn't give her a chance to repeat it, going straight to business. “I was thinking.” "When you're supposed to be resting?" "I'm multitasking." “Sure," she smiled to herself, humouring him, "what were you thinking about?" "Those previous reports of missing persons, were they filed on the same day?" "Hold on a second." She looked around the desk, until she found a legal pad with familiar scribbles, then scanned through it quickly. "Okay, I got it, yes, just before Christmas." "When?" "Missing on 24th, filed on 26." "Yule," he said as if to himself then shook it off. "Okay, thanks Scully." “Hold on, Mulder,” but the phone clicked, hung up. Scully considered calling back but decided not encouraging seemed wiser. What did he mean by Yule? The pagan festive season? She went to the backroom, where they kept all manner of books and reference texts.

It was late afternoon when the phone rang again. Scully reached for the receiver without looking away from “Pagan History Of Europe,” open in her lap. “Scully.” “Dana, it’s mom.” That made her pause. “Hi mom.” “Are you busy tonight?” “No, why?” “I made pie and Melissa is coming, maybe you could stop by too?” Scully stared at the photograph of a statue depicting three women, facing away from each other. Maiden, woman and crone, the triple goddess. “You think Fox could spare you for one evening?” “Why wouldn’t he?” She asked a little brusquely. “You two are always so busy,” Maggie said cautiously, “and even if, you could always bring him with you.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, Scully took a deep, calming breath. “I’ll be there around six,” then added, just to be clear, “alone.” “Alright, honey.” Maggie laughed, sensing her daughter’s embarrassment. “Give Fox my best.” There was no point in arguing. “I will, mom.” She hung up and looked at the picture again. Past, present and future holding hands. Pagan visions of feminism would have to wait.

Missy caught her, the second their mother disappeared to make coffee. “You never told me, if you enjoyed my gift.” “And I won’t,” Scully said quietly, though she had a few question of her own. “What possessed you Missy, escort service?” “Sex is one of the most basic human needs, no need to be coy about it.” “Yes, but this?” Missy sighed not even trying to hide her exasperation. “Dana, you used the gift card, you should be happy, not embarrassed.” If you only knew the whole story, Scully thought, thankful that everything about her sister’s behaviour told her, she didn’t know about Mulder. “So, what made you do it?” “The thing with the yoga instructor didn’t work out,” Melissa played with the sleeve of her sweater-dress, a tell Scully knew spelled discomfort, “he stopped answering my calls when I didn’t want to sleep with him, so I complained to Abby about how you have to put out to keep a guy interested and she told me that she’s done with that. If a guy can’t handle the wait, he’s not worth it.” “How very Sunday school of her.” Scully teased. “She told me about the escort service, and how they always,” Missy grinned, making air quotes with her fingers, “came through. She said she’s done with causal and now when she feels like she really needs sex, she calls them.” “So she doesn’t date?” “Oh she dates, but it’s more on her terms these days. She claims that men try harder when they have to fight for it. If not, she's not wasting her time.” “That’s really, practical.” “Dana, guys do this all the time. Think they can get laid fast and move on the the next one, no sentiment, and it’s not like it’s a permanent solution. Once she finds the right guy and the time is right for her, she will commit, but until then, she’s Ms. Rabbit. And apparently, it’s true what they say,” she leaned closer, lowering her voice to a whisper, “he can go all night.” “Really.” Scully’s eyebrow twitched skeptically and Missy held up four fingers. “No.” “Yes, and he charges by the night,” she added quietly, “as long as you’re good, he can go on as many times as you want.”   “At a price.” Scully finished, realistic to a fault. “We live in an imperfect world," her sister agreed with a shrug. "So when I heard her story, I immediately thought of you, and how you’re all work and no play.” Scully looked away, not in the mood for the workaholic talk yet again. “Where’s Mulder, by the way? “He’s home, down with a cold,” Scully said, cutting into the pie, “and for the record, I love my job.” “I’m not saying you can’t,” Melissa said, taking the small plate with a large slice of homemade apple pie, “but you could love yourself a little too, every once in a while.”

"Love myself," Scully huffed into her pillow, changing side for the up-tenth time, "I love myself plenty, thank you very much." She closed her eyes and tried to slow down her thoughts, then glanced at the phone, sitting on the night stand. Mulder still didn't call. Nothing stirred in the apartment, not even a drop of water from the kitchen faucet disturbed the silence. TV played in the apartment above her, a baby whimpered in the one below, faint sounds of life in the building sang her to sleep as she warmed and pulled the sheets close around herself and let her mind wander. She recalled the light pressure that came with arms around her, gentle rock of breath, the sound and warmth and feeling, and slowly, sleep filled her bones and thoughts with dreams, floating weightlessly, somewhere where she could almost hear him, whispering on wind. "Dream of me." And she did.

She followed the white fox through snow-covered woods. His white fur shimmered in the sunlight filtering through branches, beautiful. He didn’t run, and she didn’t mean to catch, he was her guide. The calm all around her wasn't silent, a faint hum grew louder, the longer she followed. Listening closer it became a chorus of voices, busy like a beehive, buzzing with excitement. A shift in light to her left caught her eye. Trees changed into people rushing through hallways, binders and textbooks hugged tight in universal language of fresh starts. One girl stood out, a vivd spark among the shadows; smart blouse, no nonsense heels, red hair brushing shoulders with each step, carrying her with purpose. She saw herself, rushing to class on her first day at Quantico, determined, singleminded, focused. So much that she didn’t notice a tall, lanky figure in a dark suit, dead ahead, lost in a report he read while walking straight towards her. She knew the set of those shoulders, the long, easy stride, the lock of hair falling over the crease on his brow. She knew them now, her younger self did not. She veered to the right, barely brushing the man’s arm, walking on, lost in her own thoughts, unaware. He stopped, looking up from the page and after her, as if he caught a scent of something he liked. She knew that smile, the minute shake of his head and crunch of sunflower seed that echoed, even as the vision faded. The fox trotted ahead, deeper into the forest, and she recognised the path, walking without slipping, even if the snow was deeper than the last time. Her guide sprang nimbly over the fallen tree and she followed, climbing, rush mixing with dread over what she might find waiting. The forest thinned and the trail opened to a wide clearing. Long drive cut through a field of snow, leading to a house in the distance; dark, sloping roof, white paneling, high, wrap-around porch. There was a snowman guarding the stairs to the front door, twigs for arms and wire-rimmed glasses resting on a carrot nose. She couldn’t stop the tiny laugh, because it bore uncanny resemblance, to a certain Assistant Director with the FBI. Claws clicked on wood as the fox climbed the steps and laid down, head resting on his paws, calm, green-gold eyes watching her. He didn't run when she followed, slowly, one hand reached out. Three steps away, Scully dared to touch and as she petted his head, his eyes fell shut, asleep in an instant. "Why did you bring me here?" She whispered, and stepped around him to peek inside. It was a home, with a decent kitchen, some dishes in the sink, two mugs on the counter. She tried the screen doors, then the front, both opened soundlessly to a warm living room. Fire cracked and popped in the fireplace as she looked around, dark furniture, thick rugs, pictures and knick knacks. Open staircase lead upstairs, books stacked on steps as if they were shelves, then a light snore drew her attention to the sofa, facing the fire. A couple slept under a blanket, twined and comfortable with years of sharing couches. The man looked softer and greyer, features marked with time, but still unmistakable; Mulder. Scully glanced quickly to the woman beside him and warmth spread through her body. She looked slimmer and age made all her edges sharper, long, red hair tumbling over one shoulder seemed lighter. Time was kind to her features, but that was all she had time to register. Soft, blue eyes were staring back at her, over space and time and four feet of Persian carpet. Her older self smiled warmly, but the arm around her still sensed the shift, drawing her close, forever watchful, unconsciously protective. She brushed her lips over the hand tucked under her cheek, giving the fingers a reassuring squeeze and Scully felt him relax, as if somehow, his arms were around her too. Silent, loving, never apart. The fox sat down at her feet, pushing his head under her hand and licking her fingertips. She ran them through the soft fur, petting his ears lightly before they perked up suddenly. Footsteps came from above, a step creaked, then came a young voice. “Mom?”

Scully woke up with a start, the boy’s voice fading fast, along with memories of the crone's future and the maiden's past. The clock on her nightstand said 3:14 am.

[bad-puns-and-even-worse-magic]

The Price of Power

this is dedicated to everyone having a shitty day and i want all of you to know that i love you <3

this started with a convo about cryptid!stephen with @ssironstrange but it grew and i liked it so much i had to write it

warnings: some gross ass shit tbh

The first time it happened, Stephen hadn’t meant to breach the fragile membrane of dimensions and land in the Avengers’ kitchen at cold and quiet 2 am. He landed on the hardwood floor with a soft gasp, feet barely touching the ground before the Cloak swooped in, bracing under his legs. It was the velvet, silk, and leather that kept him steady even as blood dripped from his forehead and soaked through tattered robes.

Black, oily sorcery dripped from Stephen’s nose and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.  

Energy—cosmic energy—always demanded a price. Blood, soul, a pound of carved flesh. Each blink was a struggle, each movement was muscles screaming and tearing and consuming all that Stephen had left.

He leaned over the sink, bile rising in the back of his throat, fingers twitching and useless against the countertop.

Food. Consume calories to replace what was lost.

Stephen’s left leg seized sending crashing rock slides of cracking glass shards up his calf and thigh and only the Cloak stopped him from hitting the floor.

Instead, the relic lowered him gently, setting Stephen against the cabinets. It looked over the countertop, picked up a bag of bread, and dumped it on the hardwood. The Cloak pushed the loaf closer, inch by inch, until it pressed against a thigh that twitched beneath small spasms. With his eyes glazed like oil over a puddle of water, Stephen didn’t really see the food at first, his shoulders shaking so hard the cabinets rattled behind him.

The Cloak shoved the bag of bread up over the shaking leg and into the Sorcerer’s lap.

Stephen stared down at it, blinked once—too slowly—and tried to pick up the bread. His hands shook too hard and, with a hiss, he held the loaf between his palms, and ripped the tie off with his teeth.

The Cloak hovered, watching him eat, fluttering agitatedly in a non-existent breeze.

Halfway through the loaf, Stephen groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. There were crumbs in his robes, drying blood clotting along his face and arms and chest. He hugged the bag of food and accepted the Cloak’s assistance to get back to his feet.

At 3 am, Stephen opened a portal to the Sanctum and went home.

It was very rare for the Sanctum to be fully stocked with food and, after fighting a horde from the Twelfth Dimension, Stephen could barely see straight much less go shopping. He thought of food and safety, someplace he could go where he wouldn’t have to worry just for a bit—

And magic guided him to the soft glow of the Avengers Compound. Green numbers winked from the microwave—midnight—and Stephen used too much of his weight to wrench open the fridge. Too many colours assaulted his eyes and he shut the door, pawing at the handle of the freezer before he managed to get that open.

White boxes. TV dinners.

He grabbed three at random and spilled them over the stove, fumbling with paperboard before he just burned away the box with a spark of gold magic.

Prick the film on top, put it in the microwave.

Only when he was trying to figure out how long the food should be cooked for did Stephen pause. He ended up punching in four minutes (barely able to find the strength to get the stupid machine to register what he wanted and fuck, fuck, fuck he almost slammed his fist through the plastic but the Cloak wrapped around his wrist, strengthening and guiding) and settled in to wait.

By the time the third one was being cooked, Stephen could eat the first. His fork shook, dropping penne and splattering sauce down his front, but he managed.

He fucking managed.

Tony threw the racket ball at the wall, caught, and threw again. “It’s not that surprising,” he said, “with so many people with such high metabolisms we probably should have added more money to the food budget to begin with.”

Sprawled across the couch, Bruce shrugged half heartedly. His glasses sat low on his nose, a tablet in his hands. “That’s fine; maybe it’ll get whoever took my leftover curry to find someone else’s lunch to eat.”

“Still mad?”

Bruce looked up and his eyes were tinged green.

Stephen hit the counter, ripping open cans of soup with what was left of his sparking, sizzling magi,c and he drank and drank and drank, unable to taste the broth and cold noodles slipping down his throat.

Tony looked up at a knock, pushed up his black goggles, and turned off his torch. “Barnes,” he said, “What is it?”

Bucky was still a silent shadow that hovered around the compound—a raccoon that fled once the light came, sliding beneath cars and watching until everyone had passed. “Doctor Strange,” he sounded hesitant, “is in the kitchen.”

“Yeah?” Tony leaned back on his stool. “I know we haven’t given him a badge saying he’s an Avenger but—”

“He needs medical attention.”

Tony’s heart dropped into his stomach.

“And his...” Bucky waved his hands in some odd waving motion, “won’t let me near.”

The stool clattered to the floor before Tony’s mind had caught up with his legs. But he ran for the kitchen, Bucky a silent, jogging shadow behind him.

Strange was sitting on the floor, looking as if he had collapsed when his legs couldn’t hold him up any more. There was a shattered plate by him, spaghetti spilled in a mess of noodles and sauce. His head was bowed forward, face blocked from view by his hanging bangs and the Cloak that twisted back and forth, looking like a worried parent that wanted to do something but didn’t know what. It flared around when they approached, spreading out like a pissed off alley cat.

“Whoa!” Tony lifted his hands, “Hey! It’s just us! We’re friends!”

The Cloak froze in all its movement for one second and that was all Bucky needed to slip past and tug Strange’s arm over his shoulder. Red fabric turned on him and Tony took the chance of pressing the flat of his hand against velvet. He wrenched back as the relic spun and almost smacked him across the face in its fury.

“We’re going to help him,” Tony’s own voice had risen but he tried, tried, tried to keep from yelling. “I promise! We’re taking him to medical—you can come—”

The clock ticked, the Cloak hesitated, fluttering in thought.

Strange groaned.

Silk hissed as it snapped around, lunging like a noose towards Bucky. The super soldier had to drop his cargo, meeting enraged fabric with metal and flesh, stopping the Cloak from wrapping around his face as they both slammed into the table and broke it in half.

Tony froze, his eyes wide, staring down at Strange.

Even in the dim light of the kitchen he could see something thick oozing from beneath the man’s eyelids, dripping from his mouth, creating rivers from his nose. He couldn’t tell if it was blood or something else but it was leaving dark stains on the floor, smearing across the wood. Groaning, Strange pressed a hand against the ground and tried to push until his wrist gave out under his weight.

“Hey,” Tony kneeled by him and watched as blackened eyes opened, unmoving and blind.  

“Stop,” Strange coughed and something thick and black slid out over his tongue and hit the floor with a sickening plop. “Stop, stop—” He reached out, brushed his fingers against the flailing Cloak and it tore from Bucky in an instant, wrapping like a safety blanket around Strange’s arm.

Hands hovering, having no idea where he could touch that wouldn’t hurt the Sorcerer, Tony swallowed. “What happened?” he snapped.

“Too—” Stephen gagged and his body lurched, almost flipping him over until a metal hand grabbed his shoulder, keeping the sorcerer from slamming his nose into the floor. “Too m-much magic I—”

“What do you need?” Bucky said and Tony swallowed down his lungs, grateful for the super soldier’s almost calming presence.

Strange groaned, hair and cheek dragging through the black liquid. “F-food,” he managed after a moment, voice chopped and slurring like a banana in a blender. “Jus’ food.”

“Alright,” Tony soothed, “alright.” He looked up at Bucky. “There’s a spare room close to the labs, I think it’s got a bed.”

“I know where it is,” Bucky said, hoisting the Sorcerer up as if he weighed no more than some hollowed out cat.

Tony stepped over the spaghetti on the floor and winced, making note of having Friday call someone to help clean it up.

Stephen groaned and rolled over. Bubbled cotton rubbed against his face, scratchy and slightly damp. He opened his eyes, prepared to shut them again in case there was too much light, but was greeted by the softened amber of a desk lamp in the corner. It wasn’t the Sanctum—the walls were too white and plain to be the Sanctum—and Stephen sat up.

A small fridge sat in one corner, a microwave on the table beside it. There was a grey tub with a printed label that said DISHES and, next to it, was a small box of silverware. His Cloak floated at the foot of the bed and guided closer to greet Stephen as he sat up.

Someone had placed a towel across the pillow—a white one that was now stained by black splotches—and, taped to the wall was a note.

Stephen let the Cloak fall around his shoulders as he unfolded the paper.

A room for the resident wizard, Tony had written in his classic chicken scratch and there was an arrow, pointing to the back of the paper.

Stephen laughed.

P.S. Bruce has forgiven you for eating his curry.

[nancypullen]

You Are What You Eat

Every Saturday I plan meals for the coming week.  I survey what’s in the cupboards and frig and decide what needs to be used up and what I can do with it. Then I make a list of items needed to turn those ideas into meals. Next on the list comes lunch items for days without leftovers, breakfast staples that disappear every week (eggs and turkey bacon), and finally any cleansers or household items that are depleted.  I Know I’m not the only one who goes through this weekly ritual, and I’m also not the only one who gets really tired of it.  Americans are planners and hoarders, and that has served us well in times of want - but just once wouldn’t you like to be the French woman who strolls the fresh markets every day, deciding what sounds good for dinner?  Imagine a beautiful filet of something, a loaf of freshly baked bread, vegetables just pulled from the soil, and a fragrant bouquet of flowers in hand as you walk beside the Seine.  My reality is pushing a metal cart through a crowded Kroger with a list in one hand and coupons in the other.  Even worse, I find myself taking the easy way out more and more - and getting into a serious food rut.  Even yummy recipes like these eggplant cutlets (to die for! ) http://jessicaseinfeld.com/recipes/eggplant-cutlets-with-tomato-and-mozzarellar  get old if you make them too often.  Also, we eat a lot of salads.  Taco salads, salads with grilled chicken, chopped salads, spinach salads,etc - we eat ‘em. But when it is bone chillingly cold, no one craves a salad.  Well, I don’t , I want something warm and comforting.  Unfortunately, most comfort foods are not particularly healthy.  I’ve made veggie frittatas, weight watchers soups, and roasted more chickens than I can count.  I’m bored.  And when I’m bored I start craving a big, juicy hamburger and some french fries that clog my arteries.  Not good.  We rarely eat red meat, though I did put it in this week’s rotation. Maybe my body is just trying to tell me something - that every now and then we need to be a caveman and eat the red stuff.  We have cut way back on pasta (never my favorite), potatoes (probably my first love), rice (I can take it or leave it, but do like brown basmati), and bread.  Bread is a weird one for me - it’s certainly not the first thing I reach for or crave.  It’s really a utilitarian food around here, something that holds a sandwich together. I hardly ever make rolls or muffins. Can’t remember the last time I made a batch of biscuits, much to Mickey’s dismay.  I do like a hearty, grainy, brown bread or roll.  The loaf of bread that we buy could never be called hearty. It’s Healthy Life whole grain, sliced thin to cut calories - it’s basically a brown square made of wishes.  Where’s the yum factor?  That’s where I’m at now - is something even worth the calories if you don’t enjoy it?  Or do we eat just to add appropriate fuel to our bodies and forget the yum factor?  I think food has been a hobby of mine for far too long and my pants size proves it.  I need to forget boredom, forget delighting my taste buds, and just focus on nourishing our bodies - even if that means salads in cold weather. Ugh. This rambling post was actually just a bit of a whine about this week’s menu. All my own doing, and all yummy, but maybe not great choices.  These are the 7 dinners I planned and purchased for, we’ll eat them in no particular order -  Saturday- I made ground turkey burrito bowls.  These are delicious and easy.  Here’s the recipe I use.   https://togetherasfamily.com/turkey-taco-burrito-bowls/ Sunday - I made a sheet pan supper. This is also easy, quick, delicious, and not half bad for you.  I cut up a turkey kielbasa, chop up a couple sweet potatoes, an onion, and an apple - toss everything with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cinnamon.  Bake at 400 until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Monday - I made Boca Burgers and roasted cauliflower.  Boca Burgers are my go-to when I have forgotten to thaw something or I’m lazy.  Quick to heat from frozen in a skillet, pop ‘em on a whole grain bun with lettuce, onion, and tomato. YUM!  The cauliflower is easy peasey - chop into small florets, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper - roast at 375 for about 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan and cook another 5 minutes or so. The rest of the week will be any of these -  Chili - I use ground turkey and pinto beans in mine.  I can serve this with rice, good ol’ saltines or, if I want some wife points, corn muffins. Spaghetti squash and meat sauce - Split and roast the squash, then rake out the “noodles”.  Ground turkey in jar sauce this week because I had a coupon, but the best sauce is Ina Garten’s Weeknight Bolognese - easy to make and scrumptious!  I actually have some turkey meatballs in the freezer, so they may end up in this meal. Crockpot Mongolian Beef -  Ohmygosh, red meat!  I’ll use this recipe: https://therecipecritic.com/slow-cooker-mongolian-beef/  and serve it over brown basmati rice.   Breakfast for Dinner - one of my favorites!  Either a frittata or omelets using up the veggies in the crisper (I have spinach, tomatoes, onion, red pepper...) or Mickey’s favorite, pancakes and bacon.  

As you can see, I didn’t stick to my own rules when planning this week.  There’s red meat, rice at least twice, sauce from a jar, and the possibility of pancakes. I can do better. I’ll bet I could do better it if I moved to Paris and shopped on Rue Cler.  Sure, that’s whats holding me back, location.  What are you eating this week? Throw some ideas at me and help me out of this rut.  The healthier the better.  Maybe not salads. 

[zarcake-writes]

The Commander’s Babysitter

Part 3!

Warnings: If you read this on my AO3, then you would have seen my notes. If not, i just want everyone to know that there will be mentions of a babysitter kink in this part and some parts after this. If you’re worried, there will not be noncon in this or anything i write. There is no smut in this chapter. If you are uncomfortable reading this, then please don’t. But to those who do, enjoy :)

The next several times you watched Sombra and Jesse were easy. Gabe usually needed you once or twice a week for most of the day. Those days he was gone for many hours, but he would usually come home late at night or early the next morning. There were a couple times he found you asleep on the couch, you usually woke up when you felt his presence in the room. Sometimes he would come home alone or with Jack, who always made sure to watch you closely if you had a pan in your hand.

But there were days when Gabe just needed you to keep his kids occupied and watch them while he was working in his office, this could go anywhere from an hour to be an all-day thing. Sometimes you would hear him yelling in there, sometimes it was in English and other times it was swearing in Spanish, and other times it was quiet. You would bring him lunch or a snack throughout the day, he always seemed happy to see you, even if he just got done yelling at somebody. His kids knew not to go in his office unless they desperately needed something, but they had you so they did not go near Gabe’s office.

Today was one of those times when Gabe was working in his office. You had picked the kids up from their private school, you always imagined what it would be like going to a school like this. Once you and the kids got to Gabe’s you were getting ready to make dinner. It was raining outside so you decided on making chicken noodle soup. The kitchen was warm and you had soft music playing, Jesse was popping in and out of the kitchen to try to steal sweets but Sombra was quiet. Since you picked both kids up you noticed Sombra was being uncharacteristically quiet.

“Sombra, how was school today?” you asked, glancing at her. She was doing homework in the kitchen with you but she didn’t look good. Her eyes looked heavy and she just looked miserable.

“It was ok.” She muttered.

“Are you alright?” you asked wiping your hands on a towel. You went and touched her face and frowned when you felt how warm she was. Before she could reply she threw up on herself and the kitchen floor, you jumped back in shock.

“Sombra ew!” Jesse exclaimed loudly from the hallway. The girl looked up at you horror and began to cry, her clothes were covered in vomit and she looked terrified.

“Jesse hush, run upstairs and get your father. Knock before you enter, tell him Sombra is sick and has a high fever.” You said calmly, Jesse took off up the stairs. You picked up Sombra, ignoring the vomit on her shirt, and carried her to the upstairs bathroom. Gabe met you both at the top of the stairs.

“Mija, are you alright?” Gabe asked, concern clear on his face. The young girl only shook her head and cried more.

“Gabe, get her some clean clothes and I’ll run her a bath. Also do you have any medicine for her fever?”

“Yes, I’ll be right back mija.” He said, he ran into Sombra’s room while you went to the bathroom. You turned on the water and ran her a cool bath. You helped her out of her shirt and pants and you put her into the bath.

“I want my daddy.” She whimpered sadly.

“I’m right here mija.” Gabe said as he walked in. You picked up her ruined clothes and left the father and daughter alone in the bathroom. Jesse was standing in the hall, a scared look on his face.

“Will she be ok?”

“She should be. Let’s go downstairs and clean up the mess.” You said putting your hand on his shoulder.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Jesse wasn’t much help, he looked horrified at the sight of the vomit and he began to gag. But he did bring you towels and cleaning material you needed. Jesse packed up her school work and took it to the living room, you checked the food and then began running her clothes under the sink. You turned on the garbage disposal and got off all the vomit. You glanced down at your shirt and made a gross face at the vomit on your shirt. You grabbed a towel and wiped your shirt clean. You threw her clothes into the washer and started it. When you reentered the kitchen, Gabe was sitting there with Jesse. The man smiled at you while Jesse still looked scared.

“How’s she doing?”

“She’s asleep. Her fever isn’t too high, the cool bath helped her. I gave her some medicine. I’ll go up and check her in a bit.” He sighed, you noticed his long sleeve shirt was rolled up a bit.

“Poor girl. I made soup, but I don’t know if anyone wants to eat anything.” You said, Jesse shook his head frantically and Gabe only laughed.

“Thank you. What happened to your shirt?” he asked when he saw the large wet spot.

“When I picked up Sombra she was got vomit on me.” you said shrugging.

“I have a shirt you can borrow. Come with me.” Gabe ordered, you only raised your eyebrows at him and nodded your head.

You followed Gabe up to his bedroom. It was simple and a bit boring, he had a large king size bed in the middle of his room. You bet his kids would crawl in with him at night when they got scared, shit you would crawl into bed with him if you got scared. You smiled at the pictures of him and his kids on his dresser. You saw one was them on in their school uniforms, one was on Sombra’s fifth birthday and Jesse on his tenth birthday. They both looked so excited and happy. Gabe gave you a black shirt and left the room so you could change into it. You pulled off your wet shirt and pulled on his clean dry one. You couldn’t help but smell his shirt, it smelled like him.

Back downstairs you put your wet shirt in a bag and left it near his front door. You saw Gabe was staring at you, you raised an eyebrow at him, “What?”

“You’re swimming in my shirt.” he said.

“Well, you’re a lot taller and broader than me.” you said.

“I am. I won’t need you this weekend, I’m calling off to stay here. Since Sombra’s sick and Jesse might get sick too.”

“Alright. Should I head home now?”

“No, stay for dinner. You did make the soup. I’m starving.”

“Me too.” You laughed as you went to serve the food.

“Vomit doesn’t bother you?” he asked.

“Nah. Will Jesse eat with us?”

“No. Just us two.” Gabe smiled, you ignored the nervous feeling in your stomach. Gabe and you ate dinner in silence, you could hear Jesse watching tv in the living room. You smiled when Gabe had two bowls of your soup, he only grinned when he caught your smile.

“So, how long have you been babysitting?”

“Since I was sixteen. I have only been babysitting in this neighborhood for a few years though. I got lucky getting a job here, I was babysitting in some bad neighborhoods. But once I got here I only went back to a bad neighborhood for one family. They got a special price.”

“I don’t get the special price?” Gabe grinned.

“Psh, not with three vehicles in your driveway and a two-story house.” You snorted, he only laughed and continued eating his food.

“Do you like babysitting around here?”

“It’s better than the places I used to babysit. The nights are quiet and there aren’t shady people hanging out on street corners. But honestly, some of these rich people are ridiculous. I had one family who refused to eat leftovers. They just threw them away, perfectly good food.”

“Wasteful.”

“Right? Their food sucked, but it was still food. They don’t have any spices Gabe, so many families around here use only salt. Salt!” you exclaimed, Gabe sighed and shook his head.

“I haven’t been to any of their houses, course I suppose eventually I’ll go. The kids will probably make friends and then I’ll have to go to parties. Cake better be good.” he muttered.

“The cakes usually are good. Oh, keep Jesse and Sombra away from the Ferguson kids. They are not good kids, violent and manipulative. They need to speak to someone but the parents insist their kids are angels. They are not.” You said shaking your head.

“I’ll remember that. Who else?”

“The Smiths are odd. The dad,” you looked back to Jesse and when you saw he was in the living room watching a show on cowboys, you spoke to Gabe softer than before, “The dad has a babysitter kink. I’m not judging, but he tried coming onto me and some other sitters.”

“Are you serious?” Gabe asked, his brow furrowed.

“Yes. Look I get it. It’s a kink, but it’s not that. It’s just he wasn’t exactly subtle or even silent about it. I didn’t find this out by accident, he would get really close to me and other babysitters. He even left a porn mag out one day when I came over, the magazine was talking about babysitter kinks and how men often fantasized about their babysitter. I was nineteen when it happened so I had enough sense to nope the hell out of there. The house is blacklisted by me and other babysitters.”

“That’s incredibly rude and fucking disgusting!” Gabe said shaking his head, “Who else is weird around here?”

“Mmm the Walkers are very religious. Almost cult like, I think they are in a weird cult that worships minotaur’s.”

“What?”

“They have minotaur pictures and statues everywhere in their house. Everywhere Gabe. Bathrooms, rooms, kitchen, living room. And in the backyard, they have a huge statue of it, I’ve caught then praying to it. They gave me the creeps.” You said, the man only laughed and shook his head in disbelief.

 You both talked for a long time, until it was nine. By then Jesse was in in bed and you were cleaning up and ready to go home. Gabe came down from checking on Sombra and tucking Jesse in, and began helping you in the kitchen. You yawned and grabbed your bag.

“So, that babysitter kink you mentioned. How many dads have tried that on you?” he asked, his back was to you so you didn’t see his face.

“Well, I know it’s a common thing. I understand, and sometimes with certain people I have thought about it. But most dads around here are married so I would never do that. But a few have hinted it, and one even asked if I would join in a three way with him and his wife. I said no and ran out the door.”

“I see.” He said glancing at you over his shoulder.

“Why do you ask?”

“I just didn’t think it was a common thing.” He said, looking away. You could swear the man was blushing. You regretted bringing that up, he probably wasn’t comfortable talking about this with you.

“Well for some people it is. Not many wives let me around their husbands though, because many think something will happen. Most of the times though, the dads act like I’m not even there or they act like typical dads. Anyways, goodnight Gabe. If you need me call me.” you said as you left the kitchen, you grabbed you vomit covered shirt, “I’ll bring your shirt back. Thanks for letting me borrow it.”

“Oh of course. Goodnight. Text me so I know you got home safely.” He said as he walked you outside. He watched you leave and he quickly went back inside.

He checked his kids, showered, checked his kids again. Sombra was still warm but she had some color back in her face, Jesse was asleep in his bed with his stuffed cowboy bear in his arms. Gabe went to his room and got in his night clothes, which was a pair of sweatpants. As he got into bed he saw he got a message from you, ‘I’m home Gabe. I hope Sombra gets better soon. If you need me this weekend let me know. I’ll be free. Goodnight.’

He replied with a simple, ‘Thank you for the help! Goodnight.’

The man closed out of the messages, he remembered what you both had talked about earlier. He had no idea that was a thing people were in to. He had no idea he would be into that. He cursed softly and opened his web browser. He spent the next hour going through this new-found kink of his.

[gethealthy18-blog]

Quick, Healthy & Easy Meal Ideas to Save Your Weeknight

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/quick-healthy-easy-meal-ideas-to-save-your-weeknight/

Quick, Healthy & Easy Meal Ideas to Save Your Weeknight

I try to keep systems in place to organize my life and make sure things get done (homeschooling, cooking, blogging, travel, etc.). But I’m just like anyone else in that sometimes things pop up that interfere with my carefully laid plans. Out of necessity, over the years I’ve come up with quick, easy and healthy “emergency” meals that I can count on when I’m short on time or energy.

Prevention Is the Best Medicine

As with most things, prevention and preparation are a better way to go than putting out fires when they arise. Here’s how I prepare for busy nights:

Batch Cooking – This is simply preparing and cooking as much beforehand as possible. For example, cooking chicken breasts or meatballs on the weekend and having those for lunch throughout the week. I also pre-slice and chop ingredients so all I have to do is throw them together (or cook them) when dinner rolls around.

Meal Planning – I also use a meal planning service to plan out our meals for the week (plus the shopping list). This helps me to do batch cooking. It also helps keep me organized so I know exactly what I need to cook and when. I only choose quick meals for busy nights.

Keep a Stocked Pantry and Freezer – Keeping healthy ingredients on hand is one of the best ways to be prepared to make a quick meal. Thrive Market is totally my secret weapon for this. I use the app so I can reorder my usual lists with the click of a button, and time my order for when they’re having a special freebie or offer I really want. If you’re curious, you can read about my favorite items and how I use the service in this post.

Being prepared for busy nights and unexpected events is a great way to keep healthy meals on the table. But if you’re in a dinner emergency already, it’s too late to try these. In that case, try the following recipes for healthy meals to save your weeknight.

Easy Healthy Dinner Recipes (for THOSE Days)

We’ve all had a day where plans go right out the window. I certainly have been there! They say necessity is the mother of invention, and they are right… some of my best easy meal ideas were born on days I had to work with limitations like:

When You Have an Hour Until Dinner (and No Plan)

These recipes take about an hour or less. They’re also very simple so you can get a lot done while dinner is cooking (like bathing the kids, prepping lunch for the next day, or just sitting down for a few minutes!).

Roasted Chicken – I love that this recipe uses just one pan but is a complete meal (keep frozen Brussels sprouts or broccoli on hand to round it out). It’s so simple, as long as I have about an hour until I need to feed the family, it’s a lifesaver.

Pizza Stir-fry – This recipe is a favorite because it’s simple and can be made in just one pan. Stir-frys are great for getting lots of vegetables into the meal and this one really tastes like pizza (so the whole family loves it!).

Stuffed Acorn Squash Boats – Filled with tasty meat and vegetables, this recipe is healthy and a family favorite. To make it even simpler you can toss some frozen squash in with the sausage instead of baking the squash halves.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice – Instant pot recipes are amazing when it comes to cooking a meal quickly. This recipe gets the job done quickly and all you have to do is steam a few veggies for a side dish.

Tuna Noodle Casserole – If you’re craving comfort food, this recipe is perfect. It’s the traditional tuna noodle casserole but it’s made with healthier ingredients (including gluten-free noodles, which you can leave out or substitute with something grain-free if you wish).

I like how the above recipes are hands off, won’t get a lot of dishes dirty, and serve a crowd. You do still need to plan a bit to make them and have the ingredients around, however.

When You Haven’t Bought Groceries Yet

If you get caught off guard with an empty fridge/pantry (and there’s not enough time for that wonderful invention called grocery delivery!), these recipes are an easy way to get a healthy meal on the table:

Simple Tomato Soup – This healthy version of a comfort soup favorite takes just 30 minutes to make and you can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Add some leftover chicken and it’s a complete meal.

Salmon Asparagus Recipe – This quick meal uses just one pan (my favorite way to cook!) and a few ingredients. Salmon is loaded with healthy fats and lower in mercury than most fish, making it one of my favorite simple meals.

Vegetable Frittata – Frittatas are not just for breakfast (though they’re delicious then too!). They are a great way to add more vegetables to a meal and take hardly any time to prepare. They are also very versatile, so you can add whatever veggies you have in the refrigerator.

Coconut Flour Waffles – We almost always have eggs and bulk coconut flour on hand, so we’ve served these for dinner in a pinch.

Because these recipes use minimal ingredients (many of which will be in the pantry or freezer) they’re a must-have for busy weeknights at my house.

When You Have 30 Minutes or Less

If we get home really late and the kids are starving and exhausted (not a good combination!) I know I need to get something on the table quickly. Here are my favorite recipes for those days:

Guacamole (or Hummus) and Veggies – Though this isn’t a meal recipe, guacamole can pass for a meal if paired with some vegetable sticks. If you have leftover protein to round it out, great, but if not, the healthy fats in the avocado and the fiber in the vegetables help fill everyone up. If your kids will eat sardines, we open a few cans of those as well.

Taco Scramble Stir-Fry – You may have noticed that a running theme here is one pan stir-frys for simple meals. This recipe is another on the list that makes mealtime so easy. I love that it has the flavor of tacos but without all of the extra steps.

Miso Soup – If you already have some broth in the freezer, this recipe becomes a very quick meal. It’s perfect for cool days or when the family is under the weather.

Egg Drop Soup – Another quick soup recipe, this one is a family favorite. My kids call it “breakfast soup” since it has eggs in it.

These meals can often be made with the ingredients you have on hand, so if I don’t have something I figure out a substitute. If I don’t have homemade broth in the freezer I grab some grass-fed shelf-stable broth from the pantry.

Code Red! When You Have No Time and Everything Is Frozen

When you’re running so late (and unprepared) that even the easy meal ideas above won’t do, here are some other ideas to get everyone fed:

Instant Pot Chicken – This instant pot chicken recipe can be made with fresh or frozen chicken breasts, making it a lifesaver when you forget to pull the meat out of the freezer. Add a quick side dish (fresh veggies and fruit work!) and you have a quick, healthy meal.

Smoothies – When you’re tight on time, a healthy smoothie is a great choice for a fast meal. These recipes make sure to include healthy protein and fats so that the smoothie is filling and healthy.

Leftovers – An obvious choice for nights when you don’t have time. Pull together whatever leftovers you can find in the refrigerator and make it a fun game for everyone to make their dinner from what’s available.

Snacks – If you tend to have healthy snacks in the house anyway, this isn’t a bad choice. If you can get healthy protein, healthy fat, and vegetables into the meal, you’re good! That might look like a slice of ham, some avocado, and some carrots sticks. You could also put together some almond butter, apple slices, and celery. Here’s a complete list of our favorite snacks.

Salad – Salads are easy and quick to throw together. They’re even easier if you prepared the ingredients earlier in the week.

Keep in mind that we don’t need to have every food group at every meal. The main thing I worry about is not making a meal entirely out of carbohydrates or all protein. I think variety is important but if one meal is a bit lopsided, you can make it up in the next meal. Our bodies are amazing food compasses that will tell us what we need.

Remember… Balance Is a Moving Target

I’ve been trying to remind myself that especially in mother/parenthood, balance is a moving target. We won’t hit all of our goals every day, and that’s ok! I’ve learned that as long as my family has healthy (and tasty!) food to eat at every meal, I don’t care how fancy it is (and neither do my kids!).

What are your go-to recipes for busy nights?

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/418358/easy-meal-ideas/

[snakecolumn95]

Maile Carpenter Always Chooses Sparkling Water - Grub Street

At Dickson’s Farmstand in the Chelsea Market. Photo: Melissa Hom

Since its founding in 2008, Maile Carpenter has been the editor-in-chief of Food Network Magazine, spearheading its quick rise and populist approach. (Since last year, Carpenter has also run The Pioneer Woman Magazine.) The recipe-centric FNM draws on the network’s chefs and personalities, and Carpenter shares the hosts’ unpretentious, easygoing attitude toward food. She’s a big fan of Panera ( “they’ve got it figured out”), while she’s also found time recently to check out Dave Chang’s new Bāng Bar, make sticky buns, and eat plenty of candy. Read all about it in this week’s Grub Diet.

Thursday, December 6 I got up at 5:30 a.m. to make four batches of sugar cookie dough before our kids woke up. My older daughter was having friends over for a Secret Santa exchange and cookie-decorating party on Friday night, and my only window for making the dough was Thursday at the crack of dawn.

I finished the dough, packed school lunches, then threw two slices of “grandma bread” in the toaster. My mom supplies us with homemade raisin bread and English muffins almost every week. I don’t remember when this program started but I’m so glad it did. As I toasted the bread, I noticed a stray egg that was supposed to be in the cookie dough. Eff. I panicked, but then my husband, Wylie, reminded me that he makes dough for a living — he owns a doughnut shop — and asked me why on earth I didn’t just have him do it in the first place. I hate subcontracting this, it feels like cheating, but I had no choice. I was out of time.

I don’t usually eat anything until I get to work, but my daughter left her raisin toast behind, so I took half of it on my way out. I ran on the treadmill at the office gym, then went downstairs to Café 57 (the Hearst cafeteria) for my usual breakfast: a latte and a bowl of half Rice Chex, half Lucky Charms with totally out-of-season strawberries. The cafeteria espresso machine was broken. In lieu of a caffeine high, I ate two small bags of Chewy SweeTarts from my stash of leftover Halloween candy. (I’d never seen them before, they just came in this multipack I got. I loved them, so I dug them all out and they’re my secret stash.)

Around 1 p.m., I went to check out Dave Chang’s new Bāng Bar with a couple of editors. We were happy to find that we could sample everything for less than $20: They serve only two sandwiches, pork and chicken ($5.79), and two dips, eggplant and chickpea ($2.99). I couldn’t imagine that these things would live up to the hype, but they were actually super tasty. I drank a can of LaCroix grapefruit seltzer, because I hate still water and never really drink it, unless I’m exercising. I find sparkling to be so much more fun. Why wouldn’t you just drink it? It’s like drinking a party, instead of just keeping yourself alive.

By three o’clock, I couldn’t take it, I needed coffee. I went to Birch for a small latte that cost almost as much as my sandwich from Bang. It was worth every penny. An hour later, I drank a bottle of Hal’s cherry seltzer. Of all the seltzers, I like Hal’s the best — it has big, bouncy bubbles.

I had hours of baking and icing-making ahead of me, so I ordered from Panera for pick-up: chicken noodle and tomato soups and Southwestern chicken salad for four. I love Panera. I go every weekend. The kids eat what they have there, which is not something I can say for my home-cooked food. The tomato soup is delicious. They’ve got it figured out.

The kids jumped up and down when I got home — they’d much rather have this than anything I make. Oh my God, they’re picky. You have no idea. We recently decided — it’s kind of pathetic that we’ve never done this before — to eat dinner together as a family every night. It’s super hard because they don’t like anything. They like spaghetti and meatballs and I got them to eat lasagna, which is a big thing.

But … we unpacked and discovered the bread was missing, which is the whole point of ordering from Panera. My younger daughter cried; my husband and I just started drinking. We were all still hungry after dinner (we really needed the bread) so we ate raw cookie dough while I rolled out the cookies and Wylie made the two of us a Manhattan. I rolled and baked until almost midnight and drank a strawberry Bubly seltzer while I watched Seth Meyers.

Friday, December 7 I went for an early run at six, then came home and cleaned the house for the kids’ party. I ate a bowl of Chobani strawberry yogurt with Brandless blueberry flax granola. I would never buy a product with flax in it, but it was sent to me at work and it’s delicious. I assumed the espresso machine at work was still broken, so I made a latte on our Breville Oracle machine at home and took it with me in a thermos. I love this machine; ever since we got it, I can make a latte that’s as good as any I can buy nearby.

For lunch, I met Clarkson Potter publicist Kate Tyler at Marta and — super bonus — Ina Garten was with her, along with Ina’s assistant, Lidey. I couldn’t possibly put together a better lunch date for a Friday. Marta was bustling and festive and smelled like fire and dough and Christmas. Kate, Ina, and Lidey were wrapping up their tour for Ina’s new cookbook, and were happy to be home. We shared a tricolore salad and two pizzas: mushroom and potato-carbonara. The carbonara pizza was a textural wonder — a crackly thin crust that seemed like it could barely hold all the potatoes and cheese loaded on top, and yet it did. We each ate our piece of the pie while we talked about Ina’s early days at her Barefoot Contessa store. I feel lucky to know her. (Everyone always asks if she’s as lovely in person as she is on TV and the answer is yes, and more so.)

I left work early, around five, to race home for the kids’ party. I ordered three pizzas from Tappo the minute I emerged from the subway. It’s part of a chain of thin-crust pizza shops (along with Gruppo, Vezzo, Spunto, Brado, and Posto). I’ve moved three times in the past 15 years but have always managed to land in a delivery zone. I ate one piece of pizza, under the assumption I’d have a real dinner with Wylie later.

The kids and I attempted a new cookie-decorating technique: We made a thin royal icing, dotted it with food coloring, swirled the coloring, then dipped the cookies in facedown and pulled them up, to form a swirl design. I made a batch of icing for each kid, and we failed spectacularly at our swirling. The cookies looked insane and the kids’ mouths were dyed blue and green. How about a Christmas movie instead?

Three parents arrived for pickup and, because it was Friday, they stayed for a drink. I gave up on the idea of a real dinner and ate another slice of pizza with arugula and mozzarella salad on top, plus all the grapes and sliced cucumbers that the kids left behind. Wylie made a cocktail that we both decided was weird (I would tell you what was in it, but Wylie was like, “Why are you going to put in a gross cocktail?”), so I reverted to Grüner Veltliner. After the kids went to bed, I ate the one remaining blank star cookie and half of a red velvet doughnut that Wylie brought home from work.

Saturday, December 8 A 7:55 a.m. departure for Trader Joe’s. If I get there early, when it’s empty, I can pull my giant red wagon through the store and no one seems to mind. I filled it up with our weekly essentials: salad kits, cheap basil, granola, hummus, Just the Clusters cereal (ginger-almond-cashew version), sweet potato fries, raisin bread for whenever we run out of grandma’s, and crazy cheap, really good macarons. They’re made in France, so … they’re legit? Back at home, I tasted three other doughnuts that Wylie had brought from work — blueberry, gingerbread and passionfruit — while I drank a homemade latte.

We got a small black truffle this week in our advent calendar from the Made Nice guys. Every year, they send out this insanely thoughtful box containing 25 little boxes, each with a meaningful gift inside, like a bottled cocktail from Leo Robitschek. Wylie made scrambled eggs, put them on top of one of my mom’s toasted English muffins, covered the whole thing with grated truffles, and served it to me while I played a game of cards with my daughters. Wylie posted his creation to Instagram, thanking the Made Nice guys and also @mysticgrandma for the English muffins, which was funny because my mom was getting tons of follow requests from chefs around the world who were wondering about this unknown baker called Mystic Grandma. Sorry, mom!

The kids wanted to go ice skating in Stuyvesant Town, but we needed lunch first. I blended a batch of pesto, then made pesto and mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches for all of us before we left. At the rink, we bought cheddar Ruffles and drank hot chocolate that Wylie had brought in a thermos. It was a terrible combination, but we polished both off anyway.

We went home to warm up for a bit, then at 6 p.m. we went to Pasta Flyer to say goodbye. We had just heard that it’s closing. The chef and owner, Mark Ladner, is a friend of Wylie’s and we were happy to see him at the counter. He brought out a bottle of red wine, spaghetti and meatballs for the kids, a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo smothered in truffles, and a side salad filled with these curiously small, super-satisfying pellets of goat cheese. Mark told Wylie that he extrudes them from a meat grinder. Genius. If you close your eyes while you eat anything at this place, you could be at Del Posto; the pasta is so good.

After dinner we went to Venchi, a gelato and chocolate shop that just opened near our apartment, for dessert. I spent $26 for four cups of gelato, and two of them were called “baby” size. Not cool. Back at home, I made cinnamon-roll dough for Sunday brunch so it could rise overnight, and Wylie made us a cocktail he invented called the Chair Lift. It’s two ounces bourbon, one ounce sweet vermouth, ¼ ounce China-China, ¼ ounce Zirbenz pine liqueur, a dash of lemon and Angostura bitters, and the tiniest pinch of salt. Shake, strain, serve on a giant cube of ice.

Sunday, December 9 We had my dermatologist and her family over for lunch. Well, technically we had my younger daughter’s classmate for brunch, but by coincidence, her mom is my longtime dermatologist. I promised myself not to ask her anything about my face while she was here.

I finished the cinnamon rolls while Wylie prepped potatoes rösti — a thick potato pancake, crisp on the outside, like a giant latke without the egg. He scrambled eggs and fried bacon while I sliced pineapple and prepped a fruit plate. We ate all of the above and brunch stretched into the afternoon.

At 3 p.m., I went downtown with my daughters and we bought gifts for our school’s toy drive. While we waited for the subway, both girls told me they were hungry. I dug in my bag and found three squished mini candy bars: two Snickers and one caramel-apple Milky Way. I took one of the Snickers and left the others for them.

Home for dinner. We had some pork sausage from Dickson’s Farmstand in Chelsea Market and we needed to use it. Wylie turned the sausage into a pasta sauce that, miraculously, the kids loved, too. We had that plus a kale salad kit from Trader Joe’s and a Last Word cocktail, because we were out of bourbon.

Monday, December 10 I ate two spoonfuls of oatmeal I made for the kids, and half of a leftover cinnamon bun. It was stale but still kind of delicious. At work, I ate the usual: Chex with Lucky Charms. The coffee machine was still broken.

I met HGTV Magazine editor-in-chief Sara Peterson for lunch in the Hearst cafeteria. It was taco day at the Action Station, which was kind of like having Chipotle without the line or the cold walk across the street. I ordered two chicken tacos with black beans and cheese; Sara hit the Middle Eastern table. It’s a very multi-culti cafeteria. Back at my desk, I was still hungry, so I ate a few handfuls of trail mix, one pack of chewy SweeTarts, and one stick of a Kit Kat bar. I keep a ton of candy in my office for people. My entire filing cabinet — it’s a deep drawer — is full of bags of candy.

I was supposed to meet my friend and former co-worker Gina after work for a drink at Existing Conditions, my brother-in-law’s newish bar, except I arrived to find they were closed for a private party. I saw Dave through the window and he let us have a quick drink (I got a Professor Plum, made with prune-infused bourbon) before we moved on. We tried to get a table at Loring Place, because after a Professor Plum, I was just that bold and irrational. We failed, of course, so Gina suggested Pearl Oyster Bar. It was every bit as perfect as ever. We grabbed a tiny table by the window, ate bowls of New England clam chowder and shared a lobster roll and a pile of shoestring fries while we talked about the good old days in publishing. On nights like this, I feel like I’ve lived in New York forever, and I never want to leave.

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Source: http://www.grubstreet.com/2018/12/maile-carpenter-grub-street-diet.html

[guideseeder67-blog]

20 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes That Everyone Will LOVE!

20 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes That Everyone Will LOVE!

An all-star collection of vegetarian dinner recipes that are easy to make, totally reliable, and mega-delicious!  

Looking for some fresh, feel-good, easy dinner ideas lately?  And to be more specific, maybe some easy vegetarian dinner ideas?!  That your loved ones will actually, truly, look-forward-to, go-back-for-seconds, not-even-miss-the-meat, request-again-and-again love?!?

I’ve totally gotcha covered today. ♡

Meet…this crazy-delicious collection of the most popular vegetarian recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.  It’s full of go-to easy dinner recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights now that kids are heading back to school.  Or, if you’re working on your meal planning game, perfect for prepping ahead of time for busy weeks ahead.  (Plus many are freezer-friendly too!)

From some of my favorite vegetarian soup recipes, to simple pastas and noodles galore, to meatless enchiladas and tacos, to my favorite breakfast-for-dinner migas, to the most comforting vegetarian pot roast I know…this list of easy vegetarian recipes is full of winner winner dinner ideas that are perfect if you’re trying to eat less meat, or are already enjoying a plant-based diet on the regular.  And true to Gimme Some Oven style, these dinner recipes all totally easy, totally reliable, and totally do-able.  And of course, totally delicious.

Let’s get to cookin’!

Lemony Lentil Soup

“Great twist on a basic lentil soup. Perfect seasoning, rich and delicious flavor. Being quick and easy to make is just a bonus! Thanks for a terrific recipe.” ~Betsy

Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas

“Omg, these were AMAZING! We used lentils instead of black beans and there were zero leftovers. Our family devoured them. ;)” ~Emily

Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

“I read your post last night and made the recipe this morning! Followed the basic recipe, used a food processor to shred up the veggies and had crunchy peanut butter on hand for in the sauce, which is so delicious. Sriracha and fresh lime on the side. Next time I’d like to get creative with your ways to change up the recipe. This is so good I will likely eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone! Thank you!” ~Lora

The BEST Black Bean Chili

“I try a lot of blog recipes and am usually not impressed. This one was an absolute winner! Used the crockpot instructions. I did soak my beans overnight before putting into the crockpot. For Trader Joe’s shoppers, I found the Salsa Verde, Roasted Red Peppers, and Fire Roasted tomatoes there. It was my secret vegan dinner for the week. How long do I have to wait until I can make it again?” ~Misty

Creamy Rosé Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

“I made this recipe and it was super easy and FANTASTIC. Every one of the picky roommates could eat it! So good.” ~Vi

Mushroom Stroganoff

“This is everything I didn’t know I needed in my life! Beef stroganoff was one of my favourite meals from my mom growing up but finding a good vegetarian alternative has been difficult. This version was easy to make, packs full of flavour, and the perfect comfort meal. Thank you!” ~Jackie

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Arugula Salad

“OK made this, loved it soooo much!!! That roasted cauliflower and roasted chick peas were the best thing ever!! I made it for my husband and myself for dinner last night, had a sandwich baggie of the cauliflower and chickpeas and pine nuts left over, and just now stood at the sink and ate those for lunch. Seriously, the best! Shared the recipe with two of my friends this morning and told them they have to make it. Make it, I tell you make it, you will love it!!” ~Jayne

Quinoa Tortilla Soup

“So much easier than I was expecting! Since discovering, I’ve made this recipe several times, including for a few potlucks and it always gets rave reviews! So delicious! Thanks for sharing.” ~Nettie

Curried Satay Veggie Bowls

“I made this last night and was very impressed! I assumed it would be good, but I was not prepared for just how delicious it would be. It will definitely become a regular meal in our home. Thank you!” ~Kara

Chai Butternut Squash Soup

“Wow! A soup so good my four year old son is devouring it! I could have eaten the whole pot tonight. A new family favorite!” ~Valerie

Cacio e Pepe

“I’ve made other cacio e pepe recipes before, but this one was the absolute best. Such a simple meal, but SO flavorful. Thanks for posting this after your IG story, Ali!” ~Leah

Roasted Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos

“That was excellent, just made it tonight, it was wonderful. Bonus: I made more of that delicious sauce, so can put it with chickpeas later this week, and have more refried beans so halfway to more tacos or burrito bowls. Thanks!” ~Maria

Portobello Pot Roast

“As soon as this hit my email I started craving it. Had it for dinner tonight and it was sooo good! My husband had 3 bowls. Can’t wait for my lunch leftovers tomorrow.” ~Alaina

The BEST Fried Rice

“I feel like I cannot overstate how much I love this recipe. I have made it five times now and even with creative variations it still turnes out amazing! I probably annoy my firends with with how often I’m preaching the virtues of the amazing fried rice I found on Pinterest.” ~Christopher

Cajun Corn Chowder

“Made this last night to enjoy for lunch today. SO GOOD. Made it exactly as written and added some Crystal hot sauce as a “garnish” to take the heat up a notch. I can’t believe it’s vegan! Thanks a million for the great recipe. Love this site.” ~Maura

The Best (and Easiest!) Migas Recipe

“I LOVE Migas! Yes, they are perfect for leftover tortillas or chips. I usually wind up making them very much like this when I have leftover fried corn tortillas from chilaquiles. SO good for the next day. This is great!” ~Mike

Herb-Lovers Lemony Orzo Salad

“I made this tonight, and it was so fresh and amazing. There’s lots of room for improvising and adding veggies and herbs you love.” ~Caroline

Pasta with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Kale

“We made this last night and it was 🌟🌟🌟. Thanks for another great recipe!” ~Kelsey

Easy Thai Curry Hot Pot

“This looks amazing! Also, way less complicated than I thought hot pot recipes would be. Can’t wait to try it with my girlfriends!” ~Michelle

Authentic Gazpacho

“Made this on Sunday and it was amazing! We were actually in Portugal recently and I had gazpacho for the first time and immediately wanted to remake it back home, then literally the next day you posted the recipe! I love that you use all tomatoes, no broth or water like other recipes I saw. It was so delicious and refreshing!” ~Stephanie

For more easy dinner ideas…

…feel free to check out our full collection of Vegetarian Recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.  Or as always, feel free to browse our entire collection of Recipes to bookmark some new faves as well.  Happy cooking, everyone!

posted on August 16, 2018 in Entrees / Main Dishes, Vegetarian

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[thegirlsinthefirehouse]

Descendants, Chapter 10

-----

After going and checking on Abby for lunch and finding her at dinner still running around nauseated, Holtzmann was getting concerned. 

She hadn’t eaten a meal or snack since the day before yesterday that hadn’t come back up. Abby wasn’t saying much, but Holtz expected she would probably not want to be so well acquainted with the bathroom.

When Holtz reappeared with chicken noodle soup and telling her wife that she had gotten it for her, Abby looked amused over her well-worn copy of Tobin’s Spirit Guide.

“I’m not sick Holtzmann.”

“But you can’t eat anything much. So, soup. Besides, you like soup.”

“I tried a couple more crackers?”

“Abby. That’s not actual food. How many years did you make me eat actual meals?”

“Not the same thing. And I tried your Pringles by the way. That didn’t work either.”

“Have you managed to keep down any water?” Abby made a face at that. Holtz took that as meaning that it had come back up along with everything else.

“You do this one more day and I’m taking you to the doctor for dehydration,” said Holtzmann pointedly. Abby sighed.

“Fine, hand over the chicken soup.” Holtz handed her the takeout container and a spoon.

“The finest chicken noodle soup on the block, courtesy of Al’s Diner.”

“Hopefully Al was not too heavy handed with the fat and salt,” grimaced Abby. She opened the plastic and styrofoam container and looked inside. “It has celery and carrot. And onion.”

“Veggies are good, Abs.”

“I’m just not used to seeing vegetables in my chicken noodle soup,” she said lightly. “Not that there’s anything wrong with them.” When Abby didn’t make a face, Holtz was relieved. And apparently, so was Abby.

“I would have never thought diner soup would be this delicious.”

“It’s called you are hungry,” said Holtzmann. “Seriously Abby, I’ve eaten more than you have.”

“I want more of your mac and cheese,” Abby whined, picking up a bite of the chicken.

“I’ll make some more later when you can stomach it.”

“Yes, but this doesn’t help my craving now,” said Abby. She seemed surprised at her words. “Oh geez, I want bacon and abhor it at the same time.” Her nose was starting to wrinkle up.

“Don’t think about it,” said Holtz. “Eat.”

“Why aren’t you eating dinner?” said Abby, gesturing at Holtzmann.

“Well...” said Holtz, looking sheepish. “I was going to eat leftovers, but I didn’t want to eat them in front of you.”

“Go get your food, Holtz. You can join me on the couch.”

“Are you sure?” asked the blonde.

“No, but I’d rather have your company,” said Abby.

“You’ve got built in company right there,” humored Holtz as she went into the kitchen.

“They don’t even have fully formed and functional ears yet, Holtzmann. They’re only about the size of a peppercorn.”

“But you can talk to them,” said Holtz. Abby heard the microwave start. “Erin came up to the lab and apologized to me about telling. I told her it wasn’t necessary.”

“She wasn’t thinking. I think she forgot that it’s still early and there is always the risk of miscarriage.” Abby grimaced at that. “We’re not exactly the ideal age for childbearing.”

“Are you really worried about that Abby?” frowned Holtz.

“A little,” she admitted. “I don’t want to lose them, Jills.” Holtz was quietly happy to see Abby already attached to their child, even if they were making her sick to her stomach constantly.

“Then eat some more,” said Holtz. “We can’t have you and the baby going hungry.” She came and sat down on the couch, keeping her plate as far as she could away from her wife.

“What if it’s an ectopic pregnancy?” said Abby suddenly. “And my fallopian tube bursts? We’d lose the baby... I’m 44, Holtz. Miscarriage rates go up with every passing year.”

“You’ve been reading pregnancy articles online this evening, haven’t you?”

Abby sighed. “Erin with her... phone call put the thought in my head again. My practitioner had already warned me of the risks, but when I told her we were determined, she didn’t see any reason why we couldn’t try.” She paused, frowning. “I really didn’t want anyone to know except for us till my second trimester. By then the rate of miscarriage goes way down.”

“It can’t be helped Abs,” Holtz stated. “But I think it’ll be good if we tell your mom and dad and brother now. And my dad is going to freak that I’m even remotely thinking about children, much less actually having one.”

Abby sighed and leaned her head against Holtzmann’s shoulder.

“Do I really have to tell my mom face to face even though Erin’s already technically told her? Because you know what’s going to happen.”

“That a lovely 68 year old woman is going to gushing over the fact that her only daughter is having her a grandchild?”

“She’s going to become insufferable,” said Abby, muffled. She had buried her head in Holtz’s red robe. Holtzmann laughed heartily.

“Just wait till we all get to see each other again. I think Erin put the thought in her head that I’m transgender this afternoon, which I might add, was an excellent joke. She dealt her hand well.”

“Oh hell,” said Abby, groaning. “Why did I want my former best friend back in my life again?”

“Because she jumped into a portal to another plane to save your ass?” said Holtz sassily, mimicking Patty jokingly. Abby laughed at the impression.

“I suppose she’s worth keeping around,” said Abby, rolling her eyes.

“Oh she is,” said Holtzmann with a smirk. “I can’t wait to see how this is going to work.”

-----

Holtzmann ended up on a call the day Abby had her confirmation appointment. The call itself had taken only about thirty minutes and had only required two of them. Holtz and Patty came back to find Erin talking to a tall woman with short brown hair, looking pleased. She shook her hand and turned to leave. She was surprised at Holtz and Patty’s sudden appearance. She nodded to them and left after giving them a glance over at their uniforms.

“Who was that?” asked Holtzmann.

“One of our prospective employees,” said Erin. “That was Beth. She seems really nice.”

“I think we startled her,” said Patty.

“I told her that we were the only ones here,” said Erin. “Probably why.” Holtz frowned.

“Abby’s not back yet? We’re supposed to leave for her doctor’s appointment in about 15 minutes.”

“Not yet,” said Erin. “She needs to text me back though. The printer messed up the printing of our logo and now it’s going to take another three weeks instead of two for the new pamphlets and business cards. I was wondering if she wanted to try another printing company instead.”

“Trials and tribulations of owning your own business,” said Patty. Erin nodded glumly.

“Something the matter?” asked Holtz. She had sat down in the chair across from Erin’s desk, putting her feet up on the corner.

“Do you remember when things seemed less complicated? Like six years ago when we first started.”

“Back in the days when we were completely broke and working for ourselves?”

“I’d almost take an apocalypse over real life,” muttered Erin.

“Wouldn’t we all,” said Patty. She looked at Holtz.

“What? I’m in the beginning of my own personal apocalypse.”

“I don’t think your spouse being pregnant counts as the world being in danger, Holtzy.”

“Have you met Abby, Patty?” Holtzmann didn’t notice when Patty stepped off to the side a little and Erin looked up with a knowing smirk.

“I have, and I must say Holtzy, it was nice knowing you.”

“Whaaaaaaat--?” said the blonde. She looked up and saw Abby standing behind her, looking straight down and glaring at her, arms crossed.

“Gaaahhhck!” said Holtz, rocking the chair as she scrambled up. It made a loud clacking noise as it hit the floor. Erin was laughing as Holtzmann finally stood up straight, glancing between Patty and Erin. She flailed her arms at the both of them.

“Couldn’t either of you have given me any warning?”

“But what would have been the fun in that?” said Erin. “Hi Abby.”

“Hello Erin,” greeted Abby. “And I did get your text. I say keep the old one, but demand that they give us a refund on this order and a discount on our next one. If they don’t, then we can shop around.”

Erin nodded, grinning.

“You coming?” asked Abby to Holtz. Holtzmann looked down at her jumpsuit with a whine. She still had on her work clothes and boots.

“Can I change at least?”

Abby turned and started walking towards the front door, ponytail bouncing.

“Abby.... Abbbbbbby... Abby!!!”

Both Erin and Patty hadn’t stopped laughing as Holtz jogged after her.

-----

Holtz did manage to change before going out, although she had a half of mind to stay in her work jumpsuit. Then everyone would step out of the way. But then, she’d need proton pack, which she was not carrying around any further than she had to. They were seated out in the waiting room at Abby’s doctor, and her wife was trying not to be nervous beside her. Holtzmann took her hand.

“All they are going to do is take your vitals, draw blood, and confirm the last date of your period. You know this,” said Holtz softly. “Your first prenatal appointment isn’t for another couple of weeks.”

“Don’t remind me. I’m not looking forward to dragging up every little detail about my medical history and sexual history and just ugh,” said Abby. She looked disgusted.

“Details or nausea?” asked Holtz.

“Both,” said Abby automatically. She sighed. “I just really want to go back home and go to sleep.”

“You can if you want,” said Holtzmann. “No one’s stopping you.”

“Work?” said Abby, making a face.

“Abby, Erin and Patty are not going to care if you’re tired.” “God, I’m exhausted all the sudden,” said the brunette. “And the only thing I’ve done this morning is showered and met with my editor for breakfast."

“Did you eat?” asked Holtz.

“Alright Mom...”

“Abby, seriously.”

“One piece of toast with apple jelly and two forkfuls of scrambled eggs. And a cup of coffee I relished in.”

“Good,” said Holtzmann with a nod, looking relieved. “It’s a start.”

“I don’t know, I’m the end of the world apparently. Your own personal apocalypse.”

“Abby, you know I was just kidding.” The paranormal investigator crossed her arms and glared more at her wife.

“If the situation was reversed, you’d be making the same joke,” said Holtzmann pointedly.

“Yes, but I’d be making a better one,” smirked Abby. Holtz grinned.

“That’s my girl.”

“Abigail Yates?” said a voice. Holtz looked up and saw a nurse holding a chart and looking around.

“That’s your cue, Abby.”

“Do I have to? My stomach was actually starting to settle down with the whole not moving.”

“Do you want that nap?”

“More than I need air.” They both got up and started walking behind the nurse. Holtzmann nudged her wife’s shoulder playfully.

“Though hopefully not as much as you need me.”

“The divorce papers are sitting in your lab,” smirked Abby. Holtz laughed, clapping her hands.

“Good, I can always use more flammable objects to keep around for when I get bored.”

Abby sighed dramatically, side-eyeing Holtz. “And why did I marry you again?”

“Because you’re the only person who knows my deepest darkest secrets and I need for you not to be able to testify in court,” said Holtz, squeezing her hand. “Come on.” She gestured to where the nurse was standing by a set of scales.

-----

Erin’s cell phone lit up and she frowned as she looked at the name and number.

“Hey Holtz, what’s up?”

She heard a sigh on the other end of the phone.

“What are the statistics on committing murder and actually getting away with it? I need to know before Abby comes back out of the bathroom so she won’t have to be a witness to her wife acting irrationally.”

“I don’t know the exact numbers, but I would imagine very low.” The redhead frowned, sitting back in her chair.

“Something the matter?”

“No... not really. Abby’s general practitioner had to make a sudden trip out of town to see an ailing family member, so one of her partners in the practice was doing her appointments. He ran the blood test, which was all well and fine, but after talking to Abby and my ghostly self, he got it in his head that the pregnancy is ectopic. I don’t think he quite believed that Abby could be pregnant and something not be wrong. If I could call out a medical doctor on trying to shame their clientele in the name of health, I so would. Ageism, lifestyle, and... you get the picture. So he sent us to a nearby hospital to have an early ultrasound done since they do not have that sort of equipment on site.”

“And...?” said Erin, coaxing Holtzmann to continue the story.

“Nothing. Baby is firmly planted in Abby’s uterus. Fully formed little hurricane in the making in there.” She seemed to pause. “We have pictures.”

“That’s great Holtz,” said Erin, smiling. “And now you know that everything is alright.” “Yeah, it is relieving,” Holtz said over the phone. “But now I’m just annoyed that he freaked out Abby over nothing. Sending us to a hospital was the last place she needed to go considering the doctors have already explained before that she was considered high-risk because of her age and weight.”

“Is she okay?”

Holtz sighed. ‘You know Abby. She’s trying to take it all in stride now. But earlier when we were waiting at the hospital, she was in tears. She already feared this.”

Erin shifted the phone to her other ear. “As much as I’d like to bash him for being an idiot and you and I will definitely be doing that later, he was just doing his job. He had a worry, and he pursued it. If it had been an ectopic pregnancy, then he probably would have saved Abby a lot of pain from a possible rupture and surgery, not to mention a lot of grief for the both of you from losing the baby. That would be the worst part, I would think.”

“There is that side to it, isn’t there? The flip side of the coin.”

“Go be joyful,” said Erin. “And send me a picture of the ultrasound.” Erin smiled a little when Holtz didn’t say anything further. It wasn’t but just a few seconds later she got a text from Holtzmann with a picture attached. It was a standard black and white ultrasound, but it was Abby and Holtzmann’s baby. She couldn’t stop grinning as she looked at it. And Holtz hadn’t been kidding. It really did look like a fully formed eye in the middle of a hurricane. She was surprised however that Holtz hadn’t sent a sound clip from the Scorpions with it. But then she figured the air guitar would come later once they got back and she had clarity of thought.

“Kevin! Patty!” she yelled.

“Yes Boss?” asked Kevin from his desk.

“Come here a minute,” she said. Patty poked her head out from the stairwell.

“Something up?”

“Come see the baby,” she said, grinning.

“It’s a circle inside another circle,” said Kevin, turning his head a little to look at Erin’s iPhone.

“It’s Abby’s ultrasound,” Erin explained. “The doctor was worried it might be ectopic. So he had an ultrasound ordered just to be safe.”

“But it’s not, right?” asked Patty.

“It isn’t,” said Erin. “Fully attached where it’s supposed to be.”

“So they can do ultrasounds that early?” said Patty. “I thought you didn’t get your first one until like, 20 weeks.”

“Maybe in special cases?” shrugged Erin.

“Well, any kid that is in anyway Holtzy’s kid would be a special case,” smirked Patty.

“How old is the baby?” asked Kevin.

“Five to six weeks?” said Erin. “I think.”

“I didn’t realize babies started out as little circles,” said Kevin.

“No, it’s not---” began Patty. “The baby is in a special sac, which is circular. It’s inside there.”

“Oh!” said Kevin. He looked at the picture again.

“Kind of cool to be able to see into the body and see something growing.”

“It is,” agreed Erin. The phone rang and Kevin ran off to answer it.

“You never told me what Cheyenne said about you two having kids now by the way,” Erin said to Patty.

“As much as she’d love to physically have kids, I think we’re going to adopt sometime in the future,” said Patty. “Although, I don’t know...”

“Be a foster parent,” blurted out Erin. “You know, older kids. Show a kid that they can have a home.”

“That’s not a bad plan,” said Patty, nodding. “Teenagers though...”

“They need a home too.”

“Can we just shut down the containment unit and release all the ghosts instead?” said Patty hopefully. “That I could handle better.” <– Prev | Next –>

[hailey-halstead]

Lover Boy

hey friends hope you enjoy this.....fic based off of 5x11 :-) i don't own anything! ——————— Any day when you have to deliver a baby is incredibly hectic. But Sylvie couldn't deny the fact that it was also amazing. She helps people daily, but it was a completely another thing when she helped one take its first breath. Luckily, today was a Saturday. Which meant that Antonio was able to meet her for lunch. Sometimes he couldn't, mostly due to an extracurricular activity his kids were doing. But today he was completely free, and an added bonus was he was bringing Chinese. "Why aren't you grabbing anything, Brett?" Cruz called out from one of the tables, having some chicken noodle soup one of the guys had made. "Is your boyfriend bringing you fancy food?" Sylvie stuck her tongue out at the man. "Antonio is bringing me Chinese, hardly anything fancy." "More fancy that this!" Cruz pointed down to his food. Across the room, Severide noticed. "Hey! I made that!" He complained. Sylvie rolled her eyes at the squabbling men. Everyone from truck was currently cleaning due to Casey's way of dealing with losing Louie. So that meant it was less packed during the regular lunch hour, but also that Sylvie was going to have to deal with more teasing due to less people. She couldn't hold back a smile when her phone buzzed with a text from Antonio, saying that he just pulled in and would be inside soon. "Judging from the smile on your face, I'm guessing lover boy has arrived." Herrmann entered the room, heading to the fridge to grab a quick sandwich. "Please don't call him that." Gabby was right behind him, pulling a packed lunch out. She had mentioned she had to take a quick stop at the hospital during lunch. Must have been a quick visit, Sylvie thought. "Brett's boy toy?" Herrmann scratched his chin, trying to seem like he was deeply invested in coming up with nicknames for Antonio. "Brett's beloved?" Gabby groaned, but didn't say anything else. She hightailed it out of the room, not wanting to hear anything more about her brother and friend's relationship. Sylvie tried to call out to her, wanting to know how Darla was, as she knew for sure that she was who Gabby stopped by to see. But there was no use, she was gone. "Want me to keep going?" Herrmann asked Sylvie. She scowled at him, wishing her eyes could shoot laser beams. Herrmann would be burnt toast if that was possible. "Don't you have a bathroom to clean?" She asked him. He frowned at that reminder. "Ssh!" He looked around warily. "Casey's got ears everywhere it seems." Sylvie nodded, about to agree, when she spotted two figures approaching. One was Matt Casey, and unlike his typical self, he has been on edge and cranky these past few days. This was how he was dealing with the pain of losing Louie. Right next to him was the man she was eagerly awaiting for, Antonio. He was in a conversation with Casey, the bag of Chinese food swinging gently with every step. She waved her hand in greeting when he finally spotted her. She watched as he gave Casey a handshake and a brotherly hug before they parted ways. When he began walking over towards her, Sylvie noticed that Herrmann had disappeared. When he saw the lieutenant he probably decided to dash, Sylvie thought to herself, amused. When Antonio finally reached the table she was sitting at, she couldn't wait any longer and took the bag from his hands. He could have easily resisted and fought back, but instead he rolled his eyes and let the bag go. "Did you get—" "Egg rolls? Yes." He interrupted her, a knowing grin on his face. Sylvie's own face turned red as she distributed their food. It wasn't her fault that this specific Chinese restaurant had the best egg rolls in the entire universe. She ignored his laughter as she piled three egg rolls on her plate with her other food. He seemed to find everything she did to be hilarious. Sylvie felt the presence of someone behind her. She was able to spot Cruz's hand going for her egg rolls right before it was too late. "Damn, Sylvie!" He yelped, yanking his hand back. Her eyes widened when she realized the bright red mark now on his hand. "Oh! Sorry, Cruz." She apologized, feeling guilty that she actually caused him pain. Though he shouldn't have tried to take her food. "It's fine. Didn't realize that you had a violent side." Cruz began rubbing his hand. "As repayment for me not telling anyone about this incident and also in order to forgive you, I require one egg roll." Sylvie shook her head, scooting her chair closer to Antonio and brought her food along. "Not a chance, bud." She began eating her food. Once she swallowed, she pointed her fork at him and said "Go get your own." He didn't leave, still standing there with a puppy dog expression on his face. During this, Antonio reached out to grab one of the egg rolls off of her plate. She silently watched him do it, with both amusement and slight annoyance. She was trying to get Cruz to get away from her food, and that action was not helping. Sure enough, Cruz gestured to this, without words asking why Antonio could get away with stealing off of her plate and he couldn't. Sylvie rolled her eyes, trying to keep her annoyance from finally bubbling over. This was a public room, Antonio and her didn't really have a say in if they wanted other people in the room or not. But at least everyone else was keeping to themselves, something that Cruz was not understanding. "He's the one that bought all of this. Plus he's my boyfriend. Who I am trying to enjoy my lunch with." She tried to drop multiple hints, but he still wasn't budging. "Here." Antonio threw him an egg roll. "Now shoo." He pointed towards the other side of the room, which Cruz finally obliged. "Thanks, Antonio. You're the man." He said with his mouth full of egg roll. Sylvie, who was now right next to Antonio, gave him a look. "You know that's just going to encourage him to do the same exact thing next time." She sighed, putting more sauce over her meal. "Next time we are going to be more secretive. We could get Casey to let us eat in his office." "That's going to be hard. This is a firehouse full of men, they can smell out anything in here." Sylvie begun to recall a memory from a couple months ago. "One time I brought some leftovers and was eating it in the locker room, and all of the sudden I had a crowd, fighting for the scraps." "We could just eat in my car." "How romantic." She teased, but she was actually interested in his idea. Just the two of them, able to exchange a few kisses and enjoy their time together..... not a bad lunch date. These past few weeks they haven't had a lot of one-on-one time, with Antonio becoming more comfortable with Sylvie and his kids interacting. She was enjoying spending time with them, and getting to know them, but she couldn't deny the fact that she was missing alone time with her boyfriend. He laughed. "You know me, super romantic." But then leaned his head closer to Sylvie, his expression now serious. Sylvie was about to take another bite of her food, but placed her fork down when she noticed Antonio's change in emotion. "How has Gabby been?" He asked, lowering his voice so the others couldn't hear. "I've been trying to talk to her about it but she keeps on changing the subject or saying she's busy." Sylvie had been wanting to talk to Gabby about losing Louie as well, but she hasn't felt as comfortable as Antonio has about bringing the topic up. However, since she is around Casey and Gabby daily at work she has picked up on things. "I don't really know, exactly." She admits, crossing her leg over the other. "We don't talk about it. I gave her a hug the first day she was back, said that I was here for her, and would always be available to talk." She shrugged, not able to ignore the feeling of helplessness start to come over her. She really was bothered by her friend hurting. "I think she is just trying to ignore the pain instead of actually feeling it." Antonio nodded, looking even more troubled. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." He sighed, pushing his food forward so he could rest his elbows on the table. "Today she snapped at a dad." Sylvie informed him, resting her hand on his thigh to provide support. She knew how close the two siblings were, Antonio was struggling as well. He was beginning to get closer to Louie. "Was it a situation that reminded her of Louie?" Antonio questioned. "We got a call earlier today to a greenhouse, class trip. A 16 year old girl was having contractions, didn't even know she was pregnant." Antonio didn't hold back a shudder. Sylvie has noticed that whenever anything kid related was mentioned in either of their jobs, he was deeply affected by it. "Did you guys get her to the hospital in time?" Sylvie shook her head. "We had to deliver the baby right there. There were some complications, but everything turned out fine." She reassured him. He started to put the pieces together. "The dad wasn't happy." He guessed, to which Sylvie confirmed his suspicion by nodding her head. "Wanted her to give up the baby, she didn't want to, then said that she can't live with him anymore, had to go live with her aunt." She summarized the events. "Needless to say, Gabby wasn't happy." "Even if she wasn't dealing with the pain of giving of Louie she would still have opened her mouth." Antonio pointed out. He was right. "But it's probably sticking with her more than it usually would." She reminded him, beginning to trace her fingers over his thigh. Antonio's mouth twisted into a grimace. "Yeah, you're right." He sighed, looking troubled. But he turned towards Sylvie with now a more humorous look on his face, with a hint of awe. "So you delivered a baby today? Badass." He complimented her, giving her hand a squeeze. "Yeah, I guess." She shrugged, feeling a little shy by the compliment. She was always proud of her job, but in comparison to Antonio, who was being shot at everyday, she thought her job was nothing compared to his. However, since the beginning, he has always been complimentary of her job, showing genuine interest and respect. "No, really. I wouldn't be able to do what you and Gabby do. Also because I would be staring at you the entire time, you would be extremely distracting." Sylvie rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile from appearing on her face and her cheeks turning red. He knew exactly how to make her feel like a pile of goo. Her stomach growled, reminding herself that she still had to continue eating. She pulled herself closer to the table, grabbing her fork and began to continue eating. The food was not as warm as before, but still as delicious. She didn't mind. Antonio didn't say anything, instead he began eating his own food as well. The next few minutes were spent enjoying their meals, not bothered by the fact that the only sounds being heard were the chewing of their food. Sylvie noticed that they were now alone, at some point Severide, Cruz, and the other members of Squad had left the room. She hoped that they didn't drive them out by feeling uncomfortable about the two of them, but Sylvie was pretty positive that her and Antonio weren't being too affectionate. Just as she finished her meal, the alarm above them began to go off. The whole trio, Truck 81, Squad 3, and Ambulance 61 were being called. Sylvie couldn't hold back a sigh of disappointment, knowing her lunch with Antonio was now over. "Was our lunch really that bad?" Antonio questioned, beginning to pack up their empty containers. She laughed at the absurdity of his joke. Even if he didn't bring her beloved egg rolls lunch wouldn't have been bad. Spending time with him was more than enough. "It was perfect." She told him, placing a brief kiss on his lips. "I'll see you later?" She asked before she headed out the door. "Tonight." He said, which stopped Sylvie in her tracks, confused. She thought Diego and Eva were over his apartment tonight. Sure, she spent time with them sometimes until late at night, but they both still felt wary about her staying over while they were there. "It will be just you and me." He continued, a sly grin on his face. "Unless you want Diego and Eva to be there—" "No!" She blurted out. He rose an eyebrow at her, amused by her flustered state. She tried to explain herself. "It's just, we haven't had time alone recently." "That's why they won't be there." He responded, placing the trash in the recyclables. "See you tonight then?" "Yes, I'll be there after shift." She momentarily forgot that she had to go do her job, until Gabby began to call for her. "Brett? Where the hell are you?" "Coming!" She dashed through the firehouse, not looking back at Antonio. The realization that she was going to see him tonight was the boost of adrenaline that she needed.

[chairfreon5-blog]

20 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes That Everyone Will LOVE!

20 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes That Everyone Will LOVE!

An all-star collection of vegetarian dinner recipes that are easy to make, totally reliable, and mega-delicious!  

Looking for some fresh, feel-good, easy dinner ideas lately?  And to be more specific, maybe some easy vegetarian dinner ideas?!  That your loved ones will actually, truly, look-forward-to, go-back-for-seconds, not-even-miss-the-meat, request-again-and-again love?!?

I’ve totally gotcha covered today. ♡

Meet…this crazy-delicious collection of the most popular vegetarian recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.  It’s full of go-to easy dinner recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights now that kids are heading back to school.  Or, if you’re working on your meal planning game, perfect for prepping ahead of time for busy weeks ahead.  (Plus many are freezer-friendly too!)

From some of my favorite vegetarian soup recipes, to simple pastas and noodles galore, to meatless enchiladas and tacos, to my favorite breakfast-for-dinner migas, to the most comforting vegetarian pot roast I know…this list of easy vegetarian recipes is full of winner winner dinner ideas that are perfect if you’re trying to eat less meat, or are already enjoying a plant-based diet on the regular.  And true to Gimme Some Oven style, these dinner recipes all totally easy, totally reliable, and totally do-able.  And of course, totally delicious.

Let’s get to cookin’!

Lemony Lentil Soup

“Great twist on a basic lentil soup. Perfect seasoning, rich and delicious flavor. Being quick and easy to make is just a bonus! Thanks for a terrific recipe.” ~Betsy

Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas

“Omg, these were AMAZING! We used lentils instead of black beans and there were zero leftovers. Our family devoured them. ;)” ~Emily

Cold Sesame Peanut Noodles

“I read your post last night and made the recipe this morning! Followed the basic recipe, used a food processor to shred up the veggies and had crunchy peanut butter on hand for in the sauce, which is so delicious. Sriracha and fresh lime on the side. Next time I’d like to get creative with your ways to change up the recipe. This is so good I will likely eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone! Thank you!” ~Lora

The BEST Black Bean Chili

“I try a lot of blog recipes and am usually not impressed. This one was an absolute winner! Used the crockpot instructions. I did soak my beans overnight before putting into the crockpot. For Trader Joe’s shoppers, I found the Salsa Verde, Roasted Red Peppers, and Fire Roasted tomatoes there. It was my secret vegan dinner for the week. How long do I have to wait until I can make it again?” ~Misty

Creamy Rosé Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

“I made this recipe and it was super easy and FANTASTIC. Every one of the picky roommates could eat it! So good.” ~Vi

Mushroom Stroganoff

“This is everything I didn’t know I needed in my life! Beef stroganoff was one of my favourite meals from my mom growing up but finding a good vegetarian alternative has been difficult. This version was easy to make, packs full of flavour, and the perfect comfort meal. Thank you!” ~Jackie

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Arugula Salad

“OK made this, loved it soooo much!!! That roasted cauliflower and roasted chick peas were the best thing ever!! I made it for my husband and myself for dinner last night, had a sandwich baggie of the cauliflower and chickpeas and pine nuts left over, and just now stood at the sink and ate those for lunch. Seriously, the best! Shared the recipe with two of my friends this morning and told them they have to make it. Make it, I tell you make it, you will love it!!” ~Jayne

Quinoa Tortilla Soup

“So much easier than I was expecting! Since discovering, I’ve made this recipe several times, including for a few potlucks and it always gets rave reviews! So delicious! Thanks for sharing.” ~Nettie

Curried Satay Veggie Bowls

“I made this last night and was very impressed! I assumed it would be good, but I was not prepared for just how delicious it would be. It will definitely become a regular meal in our home. Thank you!” ~Kara

Chai Butternut Squash Soup

“Wow! A soup so good my four year old son is devouring it! I could have eaten the whole pot tonight. A new family favorite!” ~Valerie

Cacio e Pepe

“I’ve made other cacio e pepe recipes before, but this one was the absolute best. Such a simple meal, but SO flavorful. Thanks for posting this after your IG story, Ali!” ~Leah

Roasted Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos

“That was excellent, just made it tonight, it was wonderful. Bonus: I made more of that delicious sauce, so can put it with chickpeas later this week, and have more refried beans so halfway to more tacos or burrito bowls. Thanks!” ~Maria

Portobello Pot Roast

“As soon as this hit my email I started craving it. Had it for dinner tonight and it was sooo good! My husband had 3 bowls. Can’t wait for my lunch leftovers tomorrow.” ~Alaina

The BEST Fried Rice

“I feel like I cannot overstate how much I love this recipe. I have made it five times now and even with creative variations it still turnes out amazing! I probably annoy my firends with with how often I’m preaching the virtues of the amazing fried rice I found on Pinterest.” ~Christopher

Cajun Corn Chowder

“Made this last night to enjoy for lunch today. SO GOOD. Made it exactly as written and added some Crystal hot sauce as a “garnish” to take the heat up a notch. I can’t believe it’s vegan! Thanks a million for the great recipe. Love this site.” ~Maura

The Best (and Easiest!) Migas Recipe

“I LOVE Migas! Yes, they are perfect for leftover tortillas or chips. I usually wind up making them very much like this when I have leftover fried corn tortillas from chilaquiles. SO good for the next day. This is great!” ~Mike

Herb-Lovers Lemony Orzo Salad

“I made this tonight, and it was so fresh and amazing. There’s lots of room for improvising and adding veggies and herbs you love.” ~Caroline

Pasta with Caramelized Sweet Potatoes and Kale

“We made this last night and it was 🌟🌟🌟. Thanks for another great recipe!” ~Kelsey

Easy Thai Curry Hot Pot

“This looks amazing! Also, way less complicated than I thought hot pot recipes would be. Can’t wait to try it with my girlfriends!” ~Michelle

Authentic Gazpacho

“Made this on Sunday and it was amazing! We were actually in Portugal recently and I had gazpacho for the first time and immediately wanted to remake it back home, then literally the next day you posted the recipe! I love that you use all tomatoes, no broth or water like other recipes I saw. It was so delicious and refreshing!” ~Stephanie

For more easy dinner ideas…

…feel free to check out our full collection of Vegetarian Recipes here on Gimme Some Oven.  Or as always, feel free to browse our entire collection of Recipes to bookmark some new faves as well.  Happy cooking, everyone!

posted on August 16, 2018 in Entrees / Main Dishes, Vegetarian

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Source: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/vegetarian-dinner-recipes/