#I AM A BIG OL BOWL OF SOFT MASHED POTATOES BECAUSE OF THIS | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theolddarkmachine · 7 years ago

Text

12 Days of ODM: Day 9

Dedicated to: @whereisthefood123

Prompt: Levy gives Gajeel his first headband.

AO3

I hope you like it.

Truth be told, Gajeel had loved the thin slip of crimson fabric Levy had given him that morning right before she slipped out to head to the guild for the day. He loved the silky feel of it against the roughened, callused palms, and he loved the raised stitching that created a zig zagging pattern across the band. Gajeel especially loved that it was damn near identical to the yellow headband Levy was partial to, the fabric a permanent fixture holding back her bangs and allowing the delicate planes of her face to catch the light.

The problem was, though he loved the piece of silk, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it.

WTF, you won the award for most obscure prompt lol I’m not gonna lie, when I got your message of “Can I ask for a prompt of ‘headband’” I was like I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I’M GONNA MAKE THIS WORTHY OF WTF. But after a minor panic, I freaking love this prompt. I also love that it gave me the opportunity to use a bunch of my pretty downloaded fonts :3 I hope you like it! Merry Christmas!

************************

I hope you like it.

The problem was, though he loved the piece of silk, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do with it.

The dragon slayer was a simple man. All he needed for his hair was shampoo, conditioner when he felt like treating himself, and the open air that would dry it. Tying it back with a headband had never been anything he’d ever considered, especially given he wasn’t even sure how to get it on over the wild mess to begin with.

Which, was how he’d ended up in their bathroom for the better part of an hour trying to work the over the unruly black locks, and only managing to get it around his forehead, the hair beneath it pushed upward into a shape that resembled something more like a deflated mushroom. An angry growl ripped from behind his teeth as he tugged the headband off and threw it at the mirror where it smacked right in the middle of his reflection before falling behind the faucet.

“God damn headband,” he moaned as he turned on his heel, walking out of the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him to further punctuate just how angry he was with the fabric for not cooperating with him. The clap of the door was deafening in the otherwise quiet home, the movement so violent that it shook the walls an shook the bookcase just to the right of the door, effectively knocking two books from their shelves. They fell with all the grace of a baby bird, soft thuds accompanying the inevitable crash as they hit the carpeted ground.

“God damn books,” Gajeel snarled as he leant down to pick them up, his annoyance spiking as it searched for anything else to focus on besides his failure to use Levy’s gift.

It really shouldn’t be this hard, he thought moodily as he scooped up the leather bound tomes that had fallen.

Band. Hair. Make Levy happy.

The steps were obvious, which only made it that much more annoying that he couldn’t seem to get the damn thing onto his head. He groaned again as he turned towards the bookshelf where the line of carefully placed books had fallen over without the help of their companions to keep them up. Much like with everything else she did, Levy had lovingly organized the texts on the shelves, using a system that only seemed to make perfect sense to her.

Gajeel had suspected what the dull throb growing behind his sternum had been, but it hadn’t been until he’d watched her as she stood in front of the wooden bookcase, a book in each hand and a small thoughtful smile on her pink lips as she pushed each onto specific slots on the shelves, that he confirmed it.

Love.

They’d only known each other for a year at that point, dating for just four, when he’d offered his place when she’d finally decided she couldn’t handle living with their guild mates anymore.

It will be convenient. Plus, we get along just fine, don’t we, Shrimp?

Since then, and since his revelation, Gajeel had kept the four letter word held close to his heart and trapped behind his teeth. It wasn’t that he doubted Levy’s feelings for him. His own reasons rested solely in the hands of his own abandonment issues. Everyone he’d ever loved left.

If he kept that to himself, then she couldn’t disappear as well.

Sighing loudly, Gajeel shook the stray thoughts from his mind as he looked over the shelf, trying desperately to pull the location for both books from the grain of the wood. It was as he searched the shelf for answers, something tucked behind the books caught his eye.

Sitting pressed into the furthest corner of the shelf, was a small square box made of cherry oak wood that he had never seen before. A zing of curiosity shot down to his fingertips, sending a tickle through the pads as he set the fallen books onto the next ledge up before reaching over the top of the books to grab it. The wood had been sanded to an almost velvet softness with vines and flowers carved into delicate patterns over the lid.

It had been beautifully crafted, the care in its making obvious with how fine the details were of the blossoms that folded lovingly as if they were truly alive. His fingers ghosted over the design, smoothing over the lines before they dragged a line down to the golden clasp that held the lid shut.

A small voice in his head admonished him for being nosey. Levy had clearly hidden the box for a reason. If he was a stronger man, he’d put it back where he’d found it, replace the books, and pretend he hadn’t ever seen the hidden box behind all of Levy’s favorite books.

He wasn’t a stronger man though, his hand moving to push the box open before he’d even realized he’d decided to open it. The lid lifted easily as the hinges gave a soft squeak from age, revealing a card on yellowing paper with cursive words painted over it in plum ink that simply said:

Carefully, Gajeel pulled the card from the box, his touch light as he pinched it between his thumb and forefingers. Setting down the box on top of the toppled books, he used his freed hand to open the folded paper, eyes scanning over the note on the inside.

His heart lurched in his chest, a seed of sorrow nestling deep in his gut as he read the words. Levy had mentioned once in passing that her parents had both died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by the guild, but she never got much further than that, and he never pushed her for details. Gajeel understood the kind of scar tissue that got left behind by the loss of family. He recognized the faraway look and the hollow tone she adopted the one time they’d been brought up, his own darkness reflecting back at him in the golden honey of her eyes.

Tearing his eyes from the slightly smudged ink of the card, he looked back at the box to see a photo resting at the bottom beside a single piece of folded yellow fabric. Gently placing the card on the shelf, Gajeel turned his attentions back to the picture, pulling it from the wood.

The photo showed a tall, blue haired man standing with his arm around a blonde woman who had a child balanced on her hip. She couldn’t have been more than five years old in the photo, sky blue hair sticking out in every which way with a single band of yellow holding her bangs out of her face as she smiled up at the parents that beamed brightly at the camera.

Levy’s family. Their happiness radiated from the photograph, captured forever within the card stock. Though she shared the same coloring as her father, she favored her mother. The woman’s smile was identical to the one he’d memorized, full of light and pulled just barely higher on the right side. He felt his heart squeeze as his gaze traced over the photo, matching the goldenrod in Levy’s hair to that of the fabric in the box.

He didn’t need to pull the silk from its wooden confines to know that it would be the same headband from the picture. Similar to the one that always rested in Levy’s sky colored locks, it must have been one of the last things she ever got from her parents before they died. A final, tangible piece of her parents’ love, tucked away with her books in the one place she could always keep it safe.

The sudden understanding of it all stole the breath from his lungs as he carefully tucked the photo and card back into the box.

I hope you like it.

Without his knowing, Levy had given him her love, wholly and completely sewn into the crimson fabric of the headband.

After setting the box back behind the books, he replaced the fallen texts on the shelf, effectively hiding her past away again before he turned back to the bathroom, a new resolve coursing through him as he grabbed the fabric from where it sat on the sink.

***

Levy was lost deep within the curling script of the foreign language, oblivious to the rest of the guild around her as she tried to work out the translation of a particularly tricky sentence, when a solid body dropped down into the bench next to her. Fire erupted deep in her stomach as a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a broad chest as a nose nuzzled into the hair behind her hair. She felt the featherlight touch of lips against her skin, just below the silk of her headband. The contact pulled a low purr from her throat as she pushed into the touch.

“Hey Gajeel,” she hummed, eyes still fixed on the words before her though her attention rested solely on the warmth of her boyfriend’s body.

“Hi, Lev,” he replied, the coolness of his breath raising goosebumps over her skin as it stirred the hair around her ear. “How’s it going?”

If Levy was being honest, it wasn’t going well. She couldn’t remember the last time a translation job had made her work so hard to find the answers. The challenge had been welcomed, but admittedly, her mind had been left behind with Gajeel and the headband she’d given him that morning. Though they’d been together for half a year now, she’d never felt as nervous with him as she had that morning handing him the simple gift for his birthday. He had no way of knowing just how much the circle of fabric meant to her, or how it was the easiest way she could think of to finally tell him the depth of her feelings for him, but she knew. That very knowledge had kept her mind a mile away, stuck in their house and hidden behind a shelf of books.

“It could be going better,” she admitted, sighing loudly as she slumped into his side. “It’s kicking my ass, actually.”

Gajeel’s quiet laughter vibrated through her as he kissed her again, this time pressing his lips to the top of the headband in her hair. He breathed in as he hummed before pulling away.

“So why don’t you take a break?” His voice was so deep and inviting, her own personal kryptonite that she couldn’t deny, no matter how badly she wished to prove she could figure out the text.

Well, it was just a break anyway.

Finally looking away from the book, Levy turned to face Gajeel, a small squeak of surprise escaping her as she took in his appearance. Stretched over his black hair, was the headband she’d given to him that morning. The crimson silk stood out against the onyx, its color almost the same garnet shade of his eyes as he smiled down at her.

“You’re wearing it.” Reaching up with a tentative hand, her fingers brushing over the fabric and the soft waves of Gajeel’s hair. Her dragon turned his nose into her wrist, his lips brushing over her pulse that ricocheted in her veins at the contact.

“Of course I am,” he said matter-of-factly, as if his wearing it had been as obvious as the sky being blue.

“I wasn’t sure you’d like it,” she said lowly as she dropped her hand into her lap. They both ignored the way her words wobbled slightly as she spoke, their endings watery. Gajeel’s arm tightened around her waist as he spoke.

“I love it.” His eyes danced with light as they searched her hazel ones, his lips quirking upwards as he chose his next words.

“I love you, Levy.”

Her heart paused in her chest before it began to race as the words began to spiral around her, wrapping her in their warm embrace as she rolled them around her mind.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Gajeel’s lips were pliant beneath hers as Levy surged forward, pressing their lips together, her arms anchoring her to him as they wrapped around his neck. Electricity buzzed down to her toes as he returned the pressure in the otherwise chaste kiss. Pulling away slightly, she rested her forehead against his, the fabric of the silk band soft against her skin.

“I love you too,” she whispered, barely getting the words out before Gajeel chased them away with another kiss, filled with nothing but an unsaid promise that was sweet on her tongue. Smiling into it, he pushed into it before pulling away, his eyes smoldering as he looked at her.

“Want to get out of here, Shrimp?”

All Levy could manage was a quick nod, her words lost to the continual hum of three other words.

I love you.

***

#gajevy #Gajeel Redfox #Levy McGarden #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #12 days of odm #AAAAAH YEEEEES #I AM A BIG OL BOWL OF SOFT MASHED POTATOES BECAUSE OF THIS #I HOPE YOU ARE TOO #also peep all those fonts lol #i literally never used any of them until i did this prompt XDDDDD

108 notes · View notes

bonniejstarks · 5 years ago

Text

The Ultimate Holiday Turkey Recipe

Reading Time: 6 minutes

WOW your guests with this delicious Holiday Turkey Recipe. The brine preperation & lemon butter rub will make your guests ask you how you got your turkey SO juicy & flavourful.

The Ultimate Holiday Turkey Recipe

If you follow me on Instagram then you likely know that recently, Jeremy cooked up a turkey.

For the last few years, he has randomly made us a turkey (I mean, it does give you TONS of leftovers) without a holiday or occasion deeming it necessary.

The turkey is always so incredibly delicious. That’s why I asked if he’d share his brine and turkey cooking secrets here.

Say Hello to Jeremy, the Chef of our house!

Jeremy is definitely the cook out of the two of us.

While I love baking, and sometimes can get really into cooking, I definitely am not quite as passionate about food as he is. He loves it, and it shows.

When we first were together 11 years ago, I remember even on one of our very first dates that he just loved cooking so much.

He whipped us up a red Thai curry dinner and it was delicious. I remember even then I was impressed with how much he knew about food, cooking, and flavors.

Since then, cooking and food has been something he has continued to educate himself on and enjoy. Nearly every Christmas and Birthday he gets something cooking-related because it’s absolutely his #1 passion. Well, that and golf.

Most recently, he was given a Sous Vide which he is super excited to begin testing out on new recipes – so make sure you subscribe now to see those recipes coming soon!

Once You Brine, You Never Go Back!

A few years ago, we decided to have a traditional holiday dinner with some of our friends. We whipped up a turkey, some mash potatoes, and a green bean casserole – and it was delicious.

Now, mind you, we did not time our dinner very well. Rather than cook the turkey in the oven, we cooked our turkey on the BBQ using a rotisserie. Since we hadn’t cooked a turkey before, we didn’t really understand just how long it would take to cook a turkey this way. So, we ended up dining at about midnight.

This was the first time that we had ever made a turkey, and we had brined our turkey for 24 hours. It was the tastiest, juiciest, and most flavourful turkey we had ever had. It was a major hit.

While that dinner wasn’t timed the best, it was fantastic – and it totally inspired us to hopefully one day master making a great holiday dinner. And, since it seemed like we had the flavour down all we really needed to work on was our timing!

What Do You Need to Brine a Turkey

The only “tool” you need is a large pot. Something big enough to hold a big ol’ turkey. This can be tricky to find – and large pots can be expensive.

But, if you’re just using this pot for brining then keep in mind that the pot doesn’t have to be super heavy duty or expensive since it won’t come in contact with any heat.

We found ours at Canadian Tire.

Are Any Other Tools Needed for this Turkey Recipe?

For the brine, you need a large stock-style pot.

Then, to cook the turkey you’ll need a roasting pan, preferably one that has a lift in it so that the under-part of the pan can catch the drippings without the turkey soaking in them while it cooks.

You will also want a cooking thermometer to check the temperature of your turkey. Lastly, a carving knife will help you easily carve and serve your turkey.

What Does Brining Do?

You know how turkey and chicken can sometimes be a little… dry? Well, that’s because as you cook it the moisture in it evaporates.

When a turkey/chicken sits in a brine (ie. a salty bath) it absorbs the salt and extra moisture which helps the turkey retain more water during cooking. This is because all that salt attracts water and keeps it in the turkey.

Brine Ingredients

Peppercorns

Lemons

Apple Cider Vinegar

Salt

Garlic

Onions

Water

Ice

How Long Should You Brine Your Turkey?

In general, you want to let your turkey soak in the brine for 24 – 48 hours. For our turkey recipe we had it sit for 48 hours just to get it extra flavourful.

How’s It Taste?

Pretty darn amazing if I do say so myself!

It tastes juicy, well seasoned, and full of flavour. It’s the kind of turkey you’ll be excited to have leftovers of to enjoy day after day.

What do you fill the cavity of the turkey with?

Before placing your turkey in the oven, first season it with salt and pepper.

Then, inside the turkey cavity you put two onions, cut into halves, and two lemons that are also in halves.

Add in a handful of parsley, sage, rosemary, and two bay leaves.

Add Another Level of Flavour to this Turkey Recipe with Lemon Herbed Butter

Queue the drool emoji!

Jeremy says the lemon herbed butter is an absolutely essential step to making this delicious and flavorful turkey recipe. And, it only takes just a few quick minutes to whip up so don’t let this extra step intimidate you!

Once the lemon herbed butter is prepared, you will rub it underneath the skin of the turkey breasts and then also on the surface of the skin all over. By rubbing the butter underneath the skin, the turkey breasts stay moist.

Typically, the turkey breasts tend to be the first spot that dries out because they are the leanest part and they also sit on top of the turkey which exposes them to the most heat. So this butter just adds a bit of extra moisture and flavour into this area to keep it tender and yummy!

Yield: 16

The Ultimate Holiday Turkey Recipe

Looking forward to serving up a delicious holiday dinner to your family this Christmas? WOW them with this delicious Holiday Turkey Recipe.

The brine preparation and lemon butter rub will make your guests ask you how you exactly got your turkey SO juicy and flavourful.

Prep Time 2 days

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Resting Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 days 5 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brine Ingredients

2 Gallons of Water

2 Tbsp Peppercorn

2 Lemons

2 Cups of Salt

1 Bulb of Garlic

1 Large Onion

Lemon Herb Butter Ingredients

1 Cup of Soft Butter

Small Handful of Fresh Parsley

2 TBSP of Fresh Squeezed Lemon (1 Lemon)

Tsp Lemon Zest

2 Cloves of Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Turkey Ingredients

2 Onions

2 Lemons

Handful of Fresh Parsley

Handful of Fresh Sage

Handful of Fresh Rosemary

2 Bay Leaves

Salt

Pepper

Instructions

Brine Recipe

Add 2 gallons of water into your large pot (Give or take. Make sure you leave enough room in your pot for the turkey!)

Next, add the peppercorn, lemon, salt, garlic, and onion.

To speed up the salt dissolving, heat your pot on the stove and stir.

Once the salt has dissolved, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool down again.

Once at room temperature place your turkey in the brine mixture. Top it up with cold water until the turkey is fully submerged.

Add some ice to your brine mixture.

Then place in the fridge or outside (if cold enough) for 24 – 48 hours. Only keep your turkey brine outside if the temperature will never go above 4-degrees Celsius or 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lemon Herb Butter Recipe

Add 1 cup of soft butter into a mixing bowl.

Roughly chop the parsley and add.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add lemon juice and zest.

Add finely minced or crushed garlic.

Mix together. You may need to use your hands.

Turkey Recipe

After 24 – 48 hours of brining your turkey, remove it from the brine.

Preheat your oven to 425 Fahrenheit (215 Celsius)

Hold the turkey up on a large roasting pan, cavity side up. If the giblets and neck are inside the cavity, remove them and place them aside.

Season with salt and pepper inside the cavity.

Add the halved onions and lemons. (You can leave the skin on both)

Add the herbs and bay leaves into the cavity

Ensure all ingredients are placed firmly inside the cavity and that nothing will fall out.

Lay the turkey down (with the turkey breasts up) on your roasting pan

Now rub your lemon herb butter under the skin of the turkey. To get the butter underneath the skin you will have to carefully work the skin away from the turkey breast meat with your fingers. Be careful not to rip the skin.

Then, you will rub the remaining butter all over the top of the skin of the turkey.

If you have butchers twine, use it to tie the drumsticks together to ensure the stuffing stays inside the turkey. Jeremy also likes to cover the ends of the drumsticks in tinfoil so that they do not burn or overcook in the oven.

Add a few cups of water to the bottom of your roasting pan. It also helps keep everything moist while the turkey cooks.

Now, place your turkey in the oven and allow to cook for 45 minutes at 425 degrees.

Then, remove it from the oven and baste the turkey with the liquid in the bottom of your roasting pan.

Now turn your oven down to 350 degrees.

Place your turkey back into the oven and cook again for another 45 minutes.

Every 45 minutes you will want to remove your turkey and baste it with the drippings, then place it back in the oven to cook again. Repeat until the turkey is fully cooked. Our turkey was 16LBs and it took about 3.5 hours to fully cook. Use a thermometer in the meatiest part of the turkey thigh. When it shows 180 degrees that’s when you’ll know your turkey is fully cooked. Another rule of thumb is that the turkey will take about 30 minutes of cooking time per kilogram.

Once cooked, remove your turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 2 hours (uncovered)

Now it’s time to carve and serve your turkey. I recommend serving it with gravy made from the turkey drippings.

Notes

This recipe is for a 16LB Turkey.

Save the turkey drippings to create your gravy