#(( MMMMMMMMMM this. this is the mood for today.

[benjamindeez]

does anyone have a white background photo of a gender ambiguous creature on all fours running around in circles

[royalreef]

Half the city sound asleep and safe inside their beds Get lost inside my thoughts and nearly tear his face to shreds Blood pooling on the canvas as the atmosphere gets hushed Bring your heroes to the wolf's den, watch them all get crushed Get told to maybe dial it back backstage later on Everyone still in this building right now: dead before the dawn Nameless bodies in unremembered rooms The pure at heart go putrid when the wolfbane blooms

[apileofenby]

the vibe is listening to agoraphobic on repeat while scrolling through tumblr

[cor-is-a-mess]

.

[soulsxng--a]

Dakota cups the ancient's cheeks as she rises to the balls of her feet, tipping Lerato's head down so she could press a gentle kiss to his forehead. "...You know we're family, right?" she says softly as she draws herself back, still cupping his cheeks with a warm smile. " — and I would do anything to make sure that you are happy... so if you ever need anything from me, anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. There probably isn't much that I can do for you...but please keep that in mind, okay?"

“Ko…” Lera laughs, voice teasingly put-out even though he immediately leans down when he was tugged on, so he could accept the kiss to his forehead. One that’s returned to the top of Dakota’s head with a warm smile. A hand comes to rest over hers for a moment, before arms come to wrap around her, instead. Hugging her tight. “I know we are…thank you, Ko. You and Joseph gave me a home, and I appreciate that. I’m very happy here.”

Dakota isn’t one to say things that she doesn’t mean– so when she tells him that she would do anything to make sure he’s happy, Lera believes her. Without even a trace of doubt.

“I will. You already do more for me that you seem to think, but if I’m ever in need of anything else, I’ll come to you right away. Make sure you do the same though, alright? Anything you need, just ask, and I’ll do my best to make it happen.” She’s released, and the ancient gives her a few pats on the head, smoothing her hair out before stepping back.

“Now, have you eaten, yet? If you’re not waiting to meet up with Nel, I’ll accompany you.”

[magma-queen]

Diodeshipping fanfic: #5 You are such a brat when you’re clingy

After waiting for his boyfriend to come back after gym battles, Ash decided to climb into bed and wait for him there. Eventually the blind came home and collapsed on the bed next to him.

*chuckle* "Well hey to you too babe.. *kiss* did you have a better day today?”

“Yeah, I had a much better day.. but..”

Ash’s arms wrapped around him. “But what?”

Clemont clung to him affectionately and nuzzled him.

“I missed you, all day.”

“Awww.” He laughed. “I missed you too Clem.”

They laid there and cuddled for a good while, then Ash started to get up to grab something to drink. Thing is that Clemont wouldn’t let go if him.

“Uh, babe?”

“Mmmmmmmmmm..?”

“Am I allowed to get up? I’m getting kinda thirsty.” He laughed, still trying to get out of his grip.

“Don’t leave..” He whined.

“But I’m only going to go get a drink Clem! Ohhh.. ohh I get it.. you’re in one of your rare clingy moods aren’t you? Haha, babe. That’s usually my job.”

Clemont chuckled. “What can I say? I love you.”

The raven haired trainer blushed. “I love you too Clem, but for just a couple minutes, could you let me up?”

He shook his head and clung to his waist, still nuzzling him.

“Cleeeeeem~ Let me up pleeeease~?”

He wasn’t listening. He never gets into one of these moods unless they’ve had a lot of time apart, from Ash’s training to his gym battles.

“Clem I’ll be right back, please let me up.”

“But it’s so comfortable in your arms... please don’t get up... I need cuddles..”

Ash sighed. “Aaaaah... Y’know, when you get into these moods, you’re such a brat sometimes.” He kissed his cheek. “You know that? And that’s my job! When did our personalities switch?” He laughed.

That got a chuckle from the inventor, but he still clung to his boyfriend like a teddy bear.

“C’mon Clem just for a minute, my throat is getting dry. Please?”

“No.”

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked at him. “Well then you’re gonna have to get it for me if you don’t want me to get up.”

“But I don’t want to get uuuup...”

Ash busted out into laughter. “Clemont, I love you. But you never act like this and it’s hilarious. C’mon. I’m getting water. Let me up.”

Clemont buried his face into his waist and clung to him even tighter. His fluffy hair nuzzling him. “Do not get up.”

Ash started to giggle. “Clem! Stop! Hahaha- your hair tickles!”

“Please don’t get up~”

“Alright, that’s it.” Ash chuckled. “Come here!” He grabbed him and trapped him in his arms.

“H-Hey! Wh-what’re you doing babe??” He asked, getting nervous.

“Giving the bratty boyfriend what he deserves~” He started to tickle him mercilessly.

“Hahahahahahaha- Ahahahahahahehehehe-! Ash!! No! NOHOHOHOT THAHAHAHAT!! ST-STOP!! Ahahahahahahaha!!!”

“Hmmm, maybe if you let go and let me go get a drink, I’ll think about giving you mercy.”

He let go of him and curled up into a ball while he tickled him. “Okay! Okayokay!! Hahaha!! Juhuhuhust stahahahahop!!”

Ash got up from the bed. “Hey, don’t give me that pouty look. “I did the same thing you always do to me when I get into one of those moods and you know it.”

*pout*

He chuckled. “Brat. I’ll be right back.”

After a few minutes he comes back to see Clemont with the entire bedsheets wrapped around him.

“Ohhhhhhohohoho no. Uh uh. Nope. No way in hell. You c’mere!” He jumped on the bed and tried to get the sheets from him. “Give me the sheets babe! I’m cold!”

*snicker*

Ash sighed. “What? Is this payback? Haha.. You are the brattiest brat that ever bratted today. Well I’m not gonna stand for that! Get over here!” He flung the sheets off of him and started tickling him.

“N-NOHOHOHOHOHO!!”

“Yes! You’ve been mean and clingy all evening! So I think tickles are a great way to cure bratty boyfriend behavior. I’ve never seen you act so clingy before.”

“STAHAHAHAHAHOP!!!! Pl-PLEHEHEHEASE!! I-I’M SORRY-! HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Sorry isn’t good enough!” Ash sang. “Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle-“

“PLEHEHEHEASE I’M BEGGING YOU!!"

"Awwww~” He stopped. “You done being a brat today? Huh?”

“Y-yehehehehes.. I promihihise..” He giggled.

The trainer smiled and wrapped his arms around him while kissing his neck.

“Ash- That- That tickles! Stop!” He giggled hysterically, falling back into the bed.

Ash chuckled and kept kissing. “Stop kissing you? Why on earth would I do that?”

Clemont’s giggles filled the entire room. But after a few moments Ash stopped. And they sat there cuddling.

“Y’know.. this should make you realize and understand why I get into a clingy mood.” Ash said with another kiss.

“Yeah... I think I do understand..”

“Because I loooooooooove you. Sooooo much.” Ash bombarded him with more kisses.

*giggling* “St-stop-! You’re- hahahahaha-! That tickles!!”

“Okay okay, I’ll stop.” He laughed. “But really, this gives me a freebie the next time I get clingy, right?

Clemont rolled his eyes. “It’s only fair..”

Ash kissed his cheek. “Love you, brat.”

“love you too, King of brats."

Ash rose up, tackled him and pinned him down. "ohohoho that's it! Now you’re gonna get it!”

“Ash come on I was only ki- HAHAHAHA!!”

They eventually fell asleep after Clemont was done teasing him.

[transbcyfriend]

Every Question >:3

well Shit ig now bc i’m Required By Law to answer these i gotta

1. Think of the last person who said I love you, do you think they meant it?

yes – and god am i grateful.

2. Would you date an 18-year-old at the age you are now?

i mean i’m 18 so uhhhhhhhhh yeah

3. When’s the last time you were aggravated and happy at the same time?

…yesterday? the day before?

4. Would you ever smile at a stranger?

i do it all the time at work so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

5. Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are?

i wouldn’t say mad.

6. Have you heard a song that reminds you of someone today?

too many to count!

7. What exactly are you wearing right now?

a legend of zelda hoodie and a wild patterned set of lounge pants from pink republic. i haven’t changed in several days i’m uh Sick

8. How often do you listen to music?

if i don’t do it every single day it’s scientifically proven i’ll shrivel up and die

9. Do you wear jeans or sweats more?

jeans. jeans definitely.

10. Do you think your life will change dramatically before 2013?

it did at the time, and not for the better. fuck that shit

11. Are you a social or an antisocial person?

mmMMMMMmMMM depends on the situation?? if i’m like clocked in at work, if i’m somewhere i actively enjoy, or on The Web™, i’m social, but otherwise i don’t rlly interact with ppl hnfngnf

12. Have you ever kissed someone whose name begins with the letter ‘A’?

not yet.

13. What about ‘R’?

nope!

14. Can you drive a stick shift?

can i get a FUCK NO

15. Do you care if people talk badly about you?

depends on the person. someone i’m close to and like? yes. someone who i’m not close to and dislike? nah.

16. Are you going out of town soon?

nope.

17. When was the last time you cried?

mmmmMMMMMM a few days ago? few days ago.

18. Have you ever told someone you loved them?

yes.

19. If you could change your eye color, would you?

HMMMM y’know i don’t think i would, mine are like ?? hazel and ppl make comments abt them being diff colors n shit in certain lights sometimes and i Like That so

20. Is there a boy who you would do absolutely everything for?

in fact, yes! i would uh Die For Him

21. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having.

i’m sick and can’t breathe

22. Is it cute when guys kiss you on your forehead?

YOU KNOW I BE ON THAT GAY SHIT !!!!!

23. Are you dating the last person you talked to?

nope

24. What are you sitting on right now?

a wooden chair

25. Does anyone regularly (other than family) tell you they love you?

yep!

26. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?

oh yeah. god yeah.

27. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night?

@lazybones25 

28. Do you get a lot of colds?

no, not rlly. last time i got sick was … sophmore year of hs? junior year? i don’t remember.

29. Where is the shirt you are wearing from?

it was a gift from my buddy bri

30. Does anyone hate you?

there’s at least one i can think of off the top of my head, soooooo yeah

31. Do you have any empty alcohol bottles hidden somewhere in your room?

noooo, me? drink? me, a consumer of alcohol. ur pullin’ my leg, i don’t drink

32. Do you like watching scary movies?

i’m just Meh on it bc most movies nowadays are so played out and predictable that they’re just not scary to me

33. Do you want your tongue pierced?

kinda, yeah. it’s an on/off want, still deciding.

34. If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be?

just one? fuck. any of the years between being 13-16.

35. Did you have a dream last night?

actually i did! i had a dream i lost my job bc one of my managers was in a bad mood and was basically like “well u should’ve thought more abt your career than ur education, ur fired since u wanna go 2 college, can’t change ur hours”

36. When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

few hours ago.

37. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?

mmmm … unlikely.

38. Do you think someone has feelings for you?

yep.

39. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

i’d hope so! don’t gotta be, but it’d be cute and i’d Like That

40. Did you have a good day yesterday?

it was ok – i spiraled into being sick, but it was ok

41. Think back 2 months ago; were you in a relationship?

yeah

42. In the next 48 hours, will you hang out with a girl?

unlikely.

43. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?

yep.

44. What’s the best part about school?

mmm mM MM prolly just making friends w/ ppl in ur classes. that, and just how chill the professors are. 

45. Do you have any pictures on your Facebook?

fun fact – i don’t have a facebook.

46. Do you ever pass notes to your friends in school?

fuck yeah my guy

47. Do you replay things that have happened in your head?

way too often

48. Were you single over the last summer?

nope.

49. Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

absolutely not and god i’m rlly happy abt that

50. What are you supposed to be doing right now?

looking when college classes start again but i Don’t Wanna

51. Do you hate the last guy you had a conversation with?

i’d be lying to ur face if i said yes

52. Are you nice to everyone?

i try to be – some ppl tho, i just. can’t. there’s reasonable salt.

53. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?

yep!

54. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat?

i’ve done it before, i don’t see why not.

55. Are you good at hiding your feelings?

when the situation calls for it, i’d like to think so

56. Do you think you like someone?

mhmm

57. Have you kissed someone whose name starts with a ‘J’?

…… y’know i don’t think i have! that’s surprising i’ve kissed a lotta ppl

58. Do you prefer to be friends with girls or boys?

tbh p much the only ppl i tend to never rlly make friends with are cis guys. there’s rare exceptions, but the vast majority of my buddies are either cis girls or trans/nonbinary/etc.

59. Has anyone of your friends ever seen you cry?

yep – a few of them. not many, but a few.

60. Do you hate anyone?

i wouldn’t say hate, but there’s a couple of ppl i severely dislike.

61. How’s your heart?

atm? better. better than usual, i’m rlly glad abt that

62. Is there something that happened in your past that you hate talking about?

anytime from being 12-17

63. Have you ever cried over a guy?

yeah.

64. Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now?

i ain’t gonna say names buuuuuuut Someone I Know

65. Are your toenails painted pink?

they’re painted a dark wine red actually, i uh got bored

66. Will your next kiss be a mistake?

best decision of my life, if anything

67. Girls love it when boyfriends cry; correct?

from my own Personal Experience, kinda? i mean every person i’ve been w/ kinda likes it bc it’s like, i’m letting my walls down and letting them in, so i mean ig

68. Have your pants ever fallen down in public?

thankfully no!

69. Who was the last person you were on the phone with?

@lazybones25

70. How do you look right now?

surprisingly decent for feeling icky

71. Do you have someone you can be your complete self around?

just two – but i’m content w/ that.

72. Can you commit to one person?

under the right circumstances, ya – otherwise i gotta dip

73. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to?

my roommate @stasiroowho

74. Have you ever felt replaced?

can i get a Hell Yeah and It Hurts

75. Did you wake up cranky?

no, i just woke up wanting attention and feeling Blah

76. Are you a jealous person?

hhMHMhmMMHMHM depends ?? ? ? if we’re talking from a relationship perspective, like i don’t give a shit if the other person wants to like, make a shitton of buddies and like actually Have A Life, that’s good, but when it comes to like, romance specifically? then i’m just. m i n e

77. Are relationships ever worth it?

very rarely, but some are and god is it so fucking satisfying in every aspect

78. Anyone you’re giving up on?

yeah.

79. Currently wanting to see anyone?

can i get a HOOYAHHHH

80. Name something you have to do tomorrow?

go to the apartment and uh Feed Cats

81. Last person you cried in front of?

do i rlly gotta @ my homeboi ash a 3rd time

82. Is there someone you will never forget?

in a good way or a bad way?

83. Do you think the person you have feelings for is protective of you?

yeee – in a good way tho

84. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now?

probably either just chillin’ watching netflix and eating chips/popcorn, or gettin’ heated while also shotgunning that good good

85. Are you over your past?

CAN I GET A FUCK NO

86. Have you ever liked one of your best friends of the opposite sex?

yeah

87. Is there anyone you can tell EVERYTHING to?

just two! and two’s a good number, i’m happy w/ that.

88. If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept?

i’d immediately murder him on the spot. i’d still take the gifts off his corpse tho bc hey Free Shit

89. So, the last person you kissed just happens to arrive at your door at 3AM; do you let them in?

ya – i do trust that one, he made me breakfast one time so i wouldn’t burn my own house down, he a tru homie

90. Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?

uuuhhhhhhh-huh

91. Will you be in a relationship in 2 months?

highly likely

92. Is there anyone you know with the name Michael?

i used to! he was the Popular Kid™ back in high school, who fuckin’ knows where he’s at now

93. Have you ever kissed a Matthew?

when i was like 4, yeah, we were each other’s childhood crush so uh shrugs

94. Were you in a relationship in January? How was it going?

nope! things were getting heavy, but no relationship yet.

95. Were you happy with the person you liked in March?

absolutely.

96. Don’t tell me lies, is the last person you texted attractive?

hmmmmmmmmaybe

97. Who do you have texts from?

in general? my mom, ash, 3 coworkers, one of my managers, my one tru buddy from the womb @infinitelycastiel, and my buddy lynette.

98. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?

i mean ?? i’d b upset, i’d b depressed, i’d b a lil torn up abt it, but i ain’t gonna stop whatever happens from happening. not my choice to

99. Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

ya – not too much older, but ya

100. Who’s in your profile picture with you?

AAAAAAAALL BY MY, SEEEEEEEEEE-EEEE-EEEEEEEEELF

101. Ever kissed under fireworks?

fun fact: no

102. Has anybody ever given you butterflies?

yEP

[officialwilfordwarfstache]

mmmmmmmmmm

mmmmmmmmmmmmm okay my sucky mood just turned to sickness...blaaaaaarrrrghhhhhh

i need comforting stuff aaaaaaargrhhhhh like blankets and tea and cookies aaaaaaaaaaaaa

also i wanted to say thank you for all the love i’ve been getting today because of my post earlier... y’all made me feel a bit better <3

[regina-cordium]

me: hm i think i’m doing well today. my mood’s still kinda low but it’s not as bad as it was yesterday

family: all comes home at the same time

me: mmmmmmmmmm never mind i wanna die

[beannysiegel]

yellow and purple :D

the cutest colours!! 💛💜

y e l l o w ;

if you could have any view from your bedroom window what would you choose? omg okay honestly it depends on my mood? like sometimes waking up to a big city is The Dream but really, personally, i can only handle them in small doses - like i love nyc with all my heart but after being here for three months i am Tired. so i think a forest - the heart and soul of a beautiful forest, with only the animals and the breeze and the sun and the rain.

what’s your favorite thing to do on a sunny day? be outside, preferably in nature - not if it’s hot hot, but if it’s just lovely and sunny then yeah, i’ll always pick the outdoors. well, not always. sometimes there’s nothing lovelier than just lying in bed with the soft sunlight on your skin, sleepy or reading a book or drinking tea (always drinking tea). yeeah.

what do you consider lucky? not charlie. mmmmmmmmmm my crown necklace, for starters - my mum got it for me in year 8 and i haven’t taken it off since, except for ballet performances. and “chookas”, which i would originally only do before performances or ballet exams but now i do it for everything!! it fills me with so much hope and boosts my morale by 1298739183719230%. forgetting to do chookas can really throw me off and the chances of me fucking up just through sheer placebo are. way too high lmao. 

what made you smile today? waking up to my boyfriend’s beautiful smile (this is the official announcement i guess!! albert and i, both queer af, are dating and very much dopey idiots in love, what is sexuality tbh), not really much else. it’s been a pretty lousy, sleepy day at school but i’ve gotten a lot of work done and the sun is beautiful and warm so!! 

what makes you happy? everything!!!! albert, my mum and oma, tea, the weather getting warmer, exploring nature, making friends with street cats on the walk home, the view of manhattan from the J train, yellow, soft fresh bedding, candles, plants, moonlight on my face at night, sunlight on my face in the morning, cuddling my soft toy cat that i’ve had since i was 3 (her name’s sierra and she’s been everywhere, idc i love her), knowing that even when times get tough and im stressed af i have ambition and talent and time and i’ll get where i want to be - life/fate and i are on good terms, i trust that babe. 💕

p u r p l e ;

what’s your astrological sign? taurus!! 

what’s the best piece of advice you ever received? oh god, so many people have given me so much amazing advice throughout my life and i’m so thankful for all of it. when i was saying goodbye to my oma before i left for new york for this 1 year course, she said “be good, be brave, have fun” with so much love and pride in her eyes and honestly? yeah. that. 

when’s the last time you followed your instincts? always, really. i trust myself and my instincts - i listen to my body, my heart, my gut, as much as i possibly can, and i try to follow them whenever possible. 

what’s your favorite food? everything!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg i love food. pasta? GUACAMOLE? im going through such a cereal phase rn i fucking love cereal my dude. i just. i love food? thank you @ food youre the real protagonist of life.

what’s your secret dream? yall know my dreams, they aren’t secret. have money, be content, be happy, fill my life with as much love and as many experiences as i possibly can. work as a screenwriter-director, live in nature, make as many people as i possibly can happy. just. be in love with life.

[hearts-n-yums]

“It’s soft, buttery smooth, with all the herb aromas and the tanginess of the fish. And oh that smell while it bakes!”

Hello friends!!!

How are you? I haven’t written for a long time and I feel I’m neglecting you! Please don’t be mad! It’s just that wedding planning, some setbacks and a few house alterations have taken up a lot of my time, but most importantly a lot of my energy and mood. With only 35 days to go (WHAAAAAAAAAAT?) it’s been a whirlwind of emotions, arguments, decisions, dilemmas, anxiety, trips back and forth to my hometown, meetings and discussions, discussions, discussions…. Yeap! We have put ourselves in the negative side of wedding arrangements and I feel like we are sinking. Has this happened to anyone planning their wedding?

I have even lost the will to bake desserts and those who know me well will understand how worrying this is for me. I have real and strong feelings for all of this. I am REALLY getting married. Like, REALLY REALLY! Do you get me? Is anything going to change? I hope yes. Or not. Will I be of a different status now? Will I need to behave differently? Is every intense decision-making process going to be so difficult from now on? Both Nikos and me have lost it a bit – a lot- and we seem to have drifted a bit apart in the midst of all the preparations. As if we have chosen opposing war fields and, lately, whenever we need to decide on something we instantly get agitated and, raising our eyebrows, go deep in silly, egotistical and meaningless arguments. We end up losing the focus point and instead, we hurt each other- or are we so stressed that we get hurt and insulted easily? And does this mean we haven’t built a solid base we can depend on? Is our marriage going to be a disaster? Just bring me some cake, please!

Maybe we just need vacations! A weekend away to refresh and recharge our batteries. To boost our confidence and to reconnect. Or just a day off of wedding planning. I never thought I would say that. I always thought that this period of time would be the best and happiest of all. Am I doing anything wrong? Or had I just idealised it?

I hope I can pull myself together and start acting as the married woman I’m going to be! Mature and rising above any petty, ego challenging disputes. Right? Well, you know what? We need to get out of this vicious circle and start enjoying the process again. And in the spirit of getting our minds off of all this we invited friends over for Saturday, so we can play board games – as a mature married-to-be couple- unwind and relax. I am determined to bake a lovely dessert that I will share with you on my next post.

And for today, following my desire to put a stop to this dark and difficult phase, I will prepare my specialty. Tuna pastitsio! It’s inspired by our world famous Greek Pastitsio, which is pasta casserole with mince in tomato sauce and topped with cheesy bechamel sauce. I just substitute mince with tuna and the end product turns out lighter and a bit healthier. It even takes less time to prepare because of the canned tuna. It’s soft, buttery smooth, with all the herb aromas and the tanginess of the fish. And oh that smell while it bakes! My my! One piece is never enough! So whenever I bake my tuna pastitsio, I know I will need to exercise extra that afternoon and have a tiny weeny dinner.

The steps are similar to my Baked Spaghetti with Eggplants and Bechamel Sauce but I will guide you. Follow me!

WHAT YOU NEED:

For the Spaghetti:

1 packet of spaghetti (or any other pasta of similar shape)

olive oil

Just boil them, the usual way, drain them and drizzle with a little olive oil. Stir them and set aside.

  For the Tuna tomato sauce:

2 cups olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 can of diced tomatoes

1/2 carton of tomato puree

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1- 2 garlic cloves, mashed or chopped

a little basil (fresh and/or dried)

a little thyme (fresh or dried)

a little oregano (fresh and/or dried)

a little spearmint (fresh or dried)

a few cloves (δάφνη)

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chilly flakes (μπούκοβο)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

a pinch of cumin

3 cans of tuna (in water) drained !!!

In a pot, on medium heat, pour the oil and add the onions. Let them cook for 5′, stirring occasionally, until they become transparent and a little caramelised.

Add all the tomato products, the herbs,the spices, the garlic, salt and pepper.

Let it boil for 10′ or until the sauce is thick. Don’t forget to stir every now and then, because the onions can get stuck on the bottom and burnt.

Add the tuna and stir. Let it cook for 5′ until there is no more than very little excess water. Turn the heat off.

  For the Bechamel sauce:

dav

dav

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

5 tablespoons flour (I used whole wheat)

1/2 litre milk of choice (I used almond milk)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoonS nutmeg (or 1, it’s up to your liking)

100 gr grated cheese of choice, a little spicy or salty.

  Turn on heat to medium and in a pot, add the olive oil and butter. Let it warm until butter melts, for 1′.

Add the flour and, using a whisk, stir swiftly and quickly until all of it is combined. Small balls might be formed and it’s ok.

Turn the heat down to low.

In small dosages, add the milk, pouring a little, stopping, whisking until combined and then pouring some more again. You NEED to keep whisking so that it doesn’t form small lumps. It must be smooth and silky. So, the very first pouring must be of about 2-3  tablespoons and whisked really quickly. The second can be 4  tablespoons, and after the third pouring, you can add half of the amount left and then, the other half. DON’T STOP WHISKING! (sorry for the shouty capitals!!). Anyway, if there still are some lumbs, don’t worry, noone will notice!!! The whole process will take you 3 minutes, until you have a thick, but runny, mixture.

At this point, just stir softly, and add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese (keep very little for the topping). Stir until combined and turn it off. (CONGRATULATIONS!!! I know it’s hard work!)

  Now, let’s combine all those delicacies we made:

100 gr grated cheese

In a baking pan 35 * 25 cm (about 13*10 inches) drizzle a little olive oil and add 1/4 of the spaghetti.

Sprinkle a little cheese and cover with another 1/4 of the pasta.

Sprinkle with cheese and cover with the third 1/4 of the pasta.

Pour the Tuna sauce.

Cover  with the remaining pasta and sprinkle a little cheese.

Pour the Bechamel sauce to cover the whole pan and sprinkle with cheese.

Drool and bake for 45′ at 220 C/ 430 F or until the crust is golden brown.

Let it cool a bit and serve warm. Mmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the moaning and purring from your beloved ones trying this food will pay you back for all your effort. I know it seems difficult, but, really, it’s not. It’s just a long process but you will not regret the mess in the kitchen!!! He can do the dishes now!

Enjoy, my friends, as I am going to do with my future husband (whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?)!

♥♥

Tuna Pastitsio "It's soft, buttery smooth, with all the herb aromas and the tanginess of the fish. And oh that smell while it bakes!"

[daveywankenobie]

‘The fools.’ I thought as I looked at the salad bar. ‘Don’t they know who they’re dealing with?’

Moments before an innocent young waitress had handed me a large plate and confirmed what I had hoped was true. ‘Yes‘ she said. ‘the salad bar is unlimited – you can go back as much as you like.‘

It’s my birthday today – and in my ‘new normal’ the brakes are off. I’m treating myself. Nothing is going to get in my way. However – very little can when you feel as good as I do at the moment.

For instance – nothing stopped me this morning from getting up early and celebrating for 35 minutes on my exercise bike. Very little was capable of preventing me from enjoying myself further by going to weigh in with my friends either. Wild horses couldn’t have pulled me away me from giving them hugs (as well as getting them back) and several tug boats couldn’t have dragged me away from petting the cute doggies people brought to group for me to play with on my birthday.

Yep – there’s no limit to my celebrating.

This is the extent of my excess in the new normal.

Where once there was a stinking hangover, kebab wrappers and a sense of vague regret there’s now me treating myself with things that are good for me. Great people, exercise, and healthy food.

Also – who needs to go off the rails when I have the support of the guys in my Slimming World group to feed off? They’re worth getting out of bed for on their own – even if nothing else happened today!

They were lovely this morning. I arrived to several unexpected cards and a surprise present (a really cute little knitted doggie which is definitely going on my new desk at work!) and lots of really embarrassing singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ by the ladies as I stood in line waiting sign in and get weighed.

By the time I stood on the scales it barely mattered what the result was – as I was in such a good mood.

In the end I lost a pound and a half – and got the group’s slimmer of the month award which was a nice pat on the back. This means that I’m not quite at the 11.5 stone certificate point, but I’m VERY happy to just be moving forwards – and I’ve only another pound and a half to go!

Although I started the month with a gain due a lot of effort in the last three weeks I managed to turn it around and ended up 17lbs lighter than I was at the end of January.

I love my Saturday mornings at Slimming World. There are some things in life I don’t resent paying for at all, and this is one of them. The people are wonderful and I couldn’t wish for a better support network both in person or online.

Of course – many of them wondered what I was doing to celebrate for the rest of the day.

‘Going for a meal.’ I replied.

‘Do I need to be worried?’ Angie (the group leader) asked.

I almost laughed. Definitely not.

If it was fried, covered in batter, full of e-numbers and carbs or loaded with sugar then it had precisely zero chance of getting onto my plate. I knew what I was going to do. I knew that there was a salad bar at the Shelly Farm.

And an hour later – there I stood. Surveying the battlefield from above, and planning my attack.

As. Much. Salad. As. I. Could. Eat.

Although there were ‘only’ 9 choices (7 if you discount the potato salad in the upper left which looked like it was swimming in oil and the croutons second from the right) what was left was never going to cause any serious damage. I have no idea what the syns were – but they couldn’t be anywhere near as destructive as a plate of fish and chips or a pizza (there was a huge pizza oven in the background churning out carbs at a frantic rate).

From the top left clockwise (minus the evil ones)

Mixed leaf salad and cherry tomatoes (meh.)

Minted pea and cucumber salad (delicious!)

(just out of shot) red cabbage and beetroot salad with balsamic (OM*Gosh!)

Couscous (ultra moreish, with occasional sultanas – but not many, so ‘freeish‘)

Tomato pasta tubes (mmmmmmmmmm yummy but not sure if the sauce was oil based or not)

Roasted butternut squash (who knew you could eat the skin?!)

Freshly made coleslaw (bad I know but I had a little)

So – the vast majority of it was either speed or free – and the rest? Well – it’s my birthday!

I also had some olives (10 per syn I believe)

I went back to the salad bar three times (leaving out the coleslaw and pasta on the last two journeys) and was finally being beaten half way through the third plate by a ridiculously filling chunk of butternut squash.

All around me steaks and pizzas fell by the wayside – and were soon followed by ice cream and cookies.

Did I feel disadvantaged?

Hell no! Look at my food! It’s AWESOME!

Why on earth would I want anything else? Not only was my birthday dinner 1/4 of the price of steak and chips (it was £5 for my unlimited platefuls compared to £20 for a hunk of beef and some fries) but it was exceptionally prepared, insanely fresh and light – and thanks to my complete lack of shame very filling indeed.

I finished with a nice coffee – and it’s accompanying biscuit remained unmolested.

Now I’m back home after another metric ton of goodbye hugs and I have a full evening ahead. I’ve also got an even fuller day planned tomorrow as I try to squeeze the pips out of my final day of freedom. I’m using my weekend to hook up with as many people as possible, and going for multiple walks!

I’ve also got to do some food prep for my new job on Monday (yikes!).

My head is spinning. I feel really really really happy today – but it’s not my birthday thats the reason though.

I couldn’t care less about another day. It’s just a number. I also had no sleep last night and my eyes have been killing me all day. My shoulders are aching and I have a pain in my left calf from a persistent cramp.

I should be in a bad mood – however, none of that matters.

The reason I feel so good is people. They’re all around me lately and they’re lifting me up out of myself all the time. I’ve seen nothing but smiling faces all day and this evening.

I feel happy internet because today I feel richer than any man has a right to be in life – and it’s rooted in something that no salary or pile of gold can buy. Long live the new normal.

Davey

Excessive celebrating 'The fools.' I thought as I looked at the salad bar. 'Don't they know who they're dealing with?'