#and this spread is probably really similar to nutella

[candycritic]

Is Choco Like Like Better Than Nutella

I would say that curiosity was the reason I bought this jar of chocolate spread. I don't really understand the name, and most importantly I was curious if it actually contained any chocolate. The reason I wondered is because I wasn't sure if the word "like" meant that it was similar but not chocolate, or if it was just saying that it approved of chocolate. Considering it contains cocoa powder I'm guessing the latter. I probably could have answered that question in the grocery store by just looking at the package, but then I wouldn't have found out how it compares to Nutella. 

Of all of the spreads I've tried since starting this series of blogs, I would say that this spread is the closest to Nutella. Maybe not in quality or at the very least how much I like it, but as far as being a simple chocolate hazelnut spread. I feel like it's not as good as Nutella, but it's also not bad at all. In a pinch I would certainly recommend this if you're really craving some hazelnut spread and Nutella isn't available.

While the spread is just fine, the name is bold and a little weird, and I like that. Now that I know it contains cocoa, and is in fact made with chocolate like ingredients, I'll read the words "Choco Like" in a 1980s valley girl voice.

CC

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[rabbit-eclipsed]

I have a distinct memory in summer 2013 of taking a "Are you Bacon or Nutella?" quiz and of the Tumblr map that had "Nutella fandom" on it, so I can vouch for Nutella mania and bacon and Nutella being seen as a duo of sorts.

I know that in the late 2000s and the early 2010s that there was a lot of bacon in media and pop culture. The Bacon Explosion went viral in 2008. Baconnaise was featured on several news programs in 2009. KFC released the monstrosity that is the Double Down in 2010. Chocolate covered bacon was spreading to more fairs. There was a certain novelty to these products that scratched an itch for the same crowd that liked the "randomness"-centric humor of the early 2010s, I think. Honestly, I think that Beggin' Strips commercials where the dog is screaming about bacon probably helped, too. It had a very similar sense of humor to a lot of memes back then.

There was also the channel Epic Meal Time that had bacon and whiskey as mainstays of the channel, and since the trend was mostly with kids, it makes sense that bacon would get special attention. And while it was a little bit later, I think that the song "Rub Some Bacon on It" by Rhett and Link, released in summer 2012, probably really helped cement bacon as a meme food.

Bacon mania in general was orchestrated, but it really only seems to go as far as why there's a bacon cheeseburger at every restaurant that serves sandwiches. But the 2010s bacon meme was just kind of a result of compounding factors in the internet culture of the time, from my memory and research.

Oh man, bacon. Thank goodness that era's done and over with. Nutella was also a 'meme food' back then, for lack of a better term. And pizza, to a lesser extent.

In my mind's eye, this all belongs in the former half of the 2010s - I want to say around 2012? The era of hipster moustaches, dodgy hats, and everyone uploading sepia-toned, slightly crusty, photographs to their instagrams. But I also remember both bacon and Nutella being popular on Buzzfeed, which reached its apex of popularity in 2015-2017. But that feels like it's too late in the timeline. When was bacon actually popular, o chronicler of a time best forgotten?

So according to a bunch of different articles, Bacon Mania began in the 90s due to pork companies pushing for people to be obsessed with bacon, but I'm not sure how that led into the bacon obsession of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Maybe those companies put money into merchandise and teenagers ran with it cause they saw bacon everywhere and thought it was funny. I'm not sure, but someone out there definitely knows more than me XD

[damnprecious]

Tfw you see a product at the store you've only ever used during one trip in your life and get thrown back into the memories

[iwaxallmysplines]

If you're spiraling because you're not able to food but you really need to food, and you're already suffering dizziness and whatnot from no food but that's just doing more to make food impossible, here is my recommendation:

Mug*

(optional but recommended) a couple squares of white chocolate

Mostly fill with milk but leave a bit of space

Spoon in a size you can stir with

Very generous spoonful of nutella (or similar, chocolatey spread thing)

Try to get as much nutella as possible off spoon and into milk mug. It's okay if you don't get all of it off though

Microwave. (Length depends on microwave but maybe about a minute and a half?)

Stir until remaining nutella has come off of spoon and it's pretty well mixed

Chug

*this is replacing a meal so Big Mug is better than Small Mug

Good because liquid+warm = easy to drink, and lots of fat and sugar = tasty (= easy to drink) and lots of calories, so it's a high payoff (calories) for relatively low effort (eating/preparation). Depending on how bad you're in the spiral the preparation is not negligible but it should still only take about three minutes and the ease of consumption makes up for it as long as you can actually get to that point.

Probably can be altered to fit what you have on hand or flavors you like more but I'd recommend working your emergency warm filling drink plan out ahead of time before you actually need it, because the whole premise here is that you can't deal with complicated food stuff (or eating) in the moment

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 103

This chapter was, honestly, a complete an total delight to write. I wanted to take an opportunity to work more with a character who has gotten very little ‘screen’ time: Sam.  He’s one of two characters on the autism spectrum (please correct me if that isn’t the right term?) who are based on actual people who I’ve been acquainted with.  I’ve admittedly shied away from writing much of Sam or Derek, largely because I have been scared into flop-sweats at the possibility that I will misrepresent autistic people. Even though I was acquainted with the real life versions of both Sam and Derek, that was nearly a decade ago and memory is fickle.

However. In an effort to do better all the way around with the characters I am writing, I found podcasts of people on the spectrum talking about what makes them unique, how they feel about being autistic, and what they consider good representation. And then I took a deep breath and wrote this chapter. It is the first, but I don’t want it to be the only. Turns out? Sam is a REALLY neat dude (I think)!

Finally, finally, I had a day off from work and crises. Tyche planned to spend the day baking, Antoine was booked solid with appointments after taking his ‘sabbatical’ to help Xiomara, and everyone else in my life was currently either teaching or attending Galactic Core classes this shift.  The single exception was Conor, who currently was serving his volunteer shift in the aeroponics lab. 

Because of this, I was currently making my way down there, steak and beer pie in hand, to surprise him with lunch. A happy humming trailed behind me, both from the newfound free time on my hands and the fact that Hujylsogox technology meant I wasn’t burning my hands while carrying the food for more than five seconds.  In fact, forty-five minutes later, the pastry was still hot, my hands were still cool, and I was paging for entry into the lab with a note that I was carrying food, just in case any poisonous plants were out.

It was one time I forgot, and fortunately it only upset Conor’s stomach and wasn’t fatal.

Shortly, the door slid open to reveal - Sam, not Conor. “Hey,” I grinned, recovering quickly. “I didn’t know you’d be down here right now, or I would have brought you lunch, too.” Trying to be less awkward, I gently rocked the pie in my hands. “I’m sure Conor doesn’t mind sharing though?”

Sam smiled in return and stepped back. “It smells like beer,” he replied. “But thank you.”

“The alcohol cooks out?” I tried, caught between being polite and being pushy.

To my somewhat relief, he shook his head. “Yeast,” he pointed out, wrinkling his nose and sticking his tongue out slightly. “Not a fan.”

Couldn’t exactly blame him, since I didn’t drink beer for a similar reason. “Next time, I’ll check if you’re going to be here, and bring you lunch too.”

“Sophia,” he started to admonish, before affixing me with a wordless stare.

Ugh. Apparently, I wasn’t quite free of my own awkwardness. “I just feel like I should bring food for everyone I know and not just Conor,” I tried to explain. “Where I grew up, it’s rude to bring food for only one person.”

“I eat,” he replied, waving vaguely.  

It took a few moments to realize that I completely misunderstood the gesture.  He wasn’t waving without meaning at all.

“Are those tomatoes!?” I gasped. “And that’s baby butter lettuce… Cucumbers!? You have cucumbers!?”

“Baby ones,” Sam grinned proudly just as Conor came in.

“Thought I heard your voice,” he laughed before tipping my face up for a kiss. “Sam showing off his salad again?”

I forced a glare and gently poked my partner in the chest. “Tomatoes. Conor. You did not tell me there were fresh tomatoes.”

Conor laughed, but Sam was the one to reply. “They just turned ripe today. You can have them if you want?”

“Oh, gosh,” I gasped, no small amount of wistfulness in my words. “Sam, I was joking. Just teasing him, I promise. I wasn’t seriously mad, and please don’t give these to me because you thought I was upset. I’m not. It was a joke.” Trying to compose myself, I forced a hand through my hair. “Did you grow these?”

He nodded, excited. “In soil we think will be like the soil on Von. As a test, to see if they taste different.”

My head, neck, and eyebrows all shot up. “Are they safe to eat?”

“These are, yes. The earlier ones, we weren’t sure, so Conor couldn’t tell you about them.”

“Sam, seriously. These aren’t my tomatoes. They belong to everyone, so thank you for being careful and not letting anyone eat them until you were sure.”

“I know you want a tomato, Sophia.” Without hesitation, he reached out and plucked three from a nearby plant. “If all three of us eat one, to test the flavor, then they can’t be ‘your’ tomatoes, right?”

Conor shook me gently. “He has a point, love.  These are the first batch that ripened and tested safe for humans. Sam’s probably eaten his weight in them, but I don’t think any other people have tried them.”

Sam looked down, trying to hide his ear-splitting smile. “They taste really good.”

With a sigh of defeat, I looked at the dark red berry in my hand. My curiosity instantly took over. “These look like zebra tomatoes, kind of.”

Sam’s face lit up, while Conor was still studying the one he had. “They’re a cross! A black zebra tomato and a Cherokee chocolate tomato, modified to be grape sized!” He popped his into his mouth, crushing it happily. “Not very acidic, but the soil also gives them more of a mineral flavor.”

Fascinated, all hesitation left my body as I shoved the fruit into my mouth. The first bite was an explosion, part familiar acidic taste, part something that I could only describe as ‘red’, and something… almost stony. Not in texture, but in flavor.  It wasn’t something I had ever experienced with a tomato, but - 

“Wine,” I murmured. “It’s.. stony, like a wine. New Zealand white, actually, with the volcanic soil… That’s…”

“It’s clean,” Conor interjected. Chewing thoughtfully, he continued. “That mineral taste keeps it from lingering in your mouth. I bet I could eat one of these tomatoes and bite a piece of cake right after without the flavors crossing.”

Sam replied, but it was so quiet I couldn’t hear him. When I asked him to repeat himself, he turned his face toward me with his eyes closed, hands grasping nervously. “I like to dip them in Nutella,” he enunciated loudly.

OH.

The idea of ‘tomatoes and Nutella’ made me draw up short, but then I thought over what Sam had said. He didn’t say he liked tomatoes, in general, in hazelnut spread, he said he liked these tomatoes dipped in it. And Conor’s point about eating one and then a bite of cake echoed through my mind. Nodding firmly, I tried to telegraph my confidence in Sam as hard as I could, lifting my chin far enough to make my neck itch. “Well then. You know these tomatoes better than anyone, and have eaten more than anyone. I would like to try these in Nutella, if you have three more ripe ones?”

Sam’s eyes snapped open briefly before he snatched three of the fattest little tomatoes he could find.  Eagerly, he yanked open a random drawer and revealed a hidden container of the spread. “I’ll have to hide it again, Conor eats it on everything,” he confessed before swiping the tomatoes through like they were strawberries, leaving a neat little curl of chocolate and hazelnut on each one.

Taking the one offered to me gingerly, I had to admit I felt intrigued.  The deftness Sam used to dip them told me that this wasn’t only something he’d tried, it was how he enjoyed these the most. Before Conor could get over the concept of chocolate and hazelnut on a tomato, I popped my treat in my mouth to satisfy my curiosity.

Holy. Fiendish. Shit. I almost choked on the amount of saliva that filled my mouth. That was incredible, if I was being brutally honest.  I never would have tried it with a tomato grown in Terran soil, but… hell. This was a whole new thing. “Sam,” I choked out as I desperately tried to keep from shouting. “You’re….. That’s brilliant.” The flavor was like chocolate, hazelnuts, strawberry, and orange, washed down with a good wine. “I think you just converted me to Nutella.”

Conor gaped, which only made Sam laugh harder. “Sophia,” Conor sputtered. “Do you mean to tell me that you hate Nutella so much that experimental tomatoes are what convinced you? I feel like I don’t know you at all, suddenly.”

“Yeah, no,” I confirmed. “This is probably the first time I’ve liked it in my life.”

“I want a divorce.”

“We aren’t even married,” I pointed out, before realizing that Sam was getting incredibly upset. “Annnnnd we can’t make that joke, babe.” Making sure Conor saw me glancing at Sam, I clarified. “Sam, that’s just a joke. Conor wouldn’t break up with me over Nutella any more than Maverick broke up with me because I like spicy food. But we - “ I elbowed Conor just hard enough to get his attention without making him choke on his second tomato, “won’t joke like that again. I’m sorry.”

Hesitantly, Sam nodded before wrinkling his nose. “You do like really spicy food.”

“I do,” I confirmed. “And Maverick does not. So, I make him food that isn’t as spicy. And, just like that, I don’t eat Nutella, and Conor doesn’t make me.”

Narrowing his eyes, Sam turned to Conor. “Is that why you always steal mine?”

Conor nodded sheepishly. “I’m sorry, mate. I’m really bad about that, aren’t I?”

“It’s free, Conor,” Sam pointed emphatically to the wall. “From the console.”

“Does that mean you’re mad?”

“It means stop leaving empty containers in my drawer. If you eat the last of it, at least get me more. Geez!”

“So, you aren’t mad?”

“I’m mad about the empty containers,” Sam scowled. “There is nothing nice about coming to work with all this fruit” he gestured expansively “and having nothing to dip it in.”

Conor opened his mouth to reply, but closed it just as quickly.

“He’s got a point,” I added, knowing I was entirely unhelpful. “I mean, what if I made meatloaf and no mashed potatoes? Or gravy? No either?”

His head snapped toward me, his expression horrified. “Sophia, what in the…. You would never expect someone to -” Without prompting, he cut himself off. “Ah, shit. I’ve been an arse, haven’t I?”

“You have been a complete donkey,” Sam intoned seriously. Then, with a smirk, he added, “I think you owe me pickles.”

Conor groaned at that. Sam loved pickles, but only specific kinds. Predictably, my boyfriend’s face pivoted to leverage his most beseeching expression at me.

Unfazed, I shook my head. “Nope. I’m not the one who ate his snack topping. I’ll give you the recipe, and you can make the pickles.”

“Love…”

“Taking his Nutella and not replacing it is rude, and you know how I feel about rude people.” I examined my nails closely. “And you are perfectly capable of getting whole radishes and matchstick carrots from the console, but nice try.”

“Brussels sprouts, too, please,” Sam asked politely.

All I could do with such a request was nod firmly. “And the brussels sprouts.”

“I don’t even like - “

“They aren’t for you,” I pointed out. “Although, I’m sure Maverick will appreciate it if you make a double batch of the radishes.”

“And Derek likes the brussels sprouts,” Sam pointed out.

When Conor sank to the floor with a groan, neither of us could restrain our laughter.  Who knew that ill-gotten chocolate led to pickling your worst enemies?  Then again, I guess Conor was about to find that out the hard way.

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[maryanntorreson]

The 12 Days Of Cookiemas: Holiday Pastries From Around The World

There’s something about the holidays that make cookies an inevitability. As the temperatures dip down, baking cookies is an excuse to turn on the oven and fill the kitchen with both warmth and the smells of vanilla and cinnamon. Cookies are a great way to feed gatherings of people, without the need for cutting or slicing. And as the evenings get darker and we start to stay inside more, they’re a welcome escape. Traditional Christmas cookies are nostalgia wrapped in sugar.

Another great thing about cookies is how varied they can be. It’s tempting to always stick with the same pastries your parents made, but that limits your possibilities. To help you diversify, we looked at some of the most popular cookies in other countries. Presenting the 12 Days of Cookiemas, with recipes for traditional Christmas cookies from around the world.

1. German Pfeffernusse

Pfeffernusse are very popular throughout Germany and the Netherlands during the holiday season. The name literally means “pepper nuts,” which sounds far less appealing than they actually are. They’re similar to gingerbread, but thicker, softer and covered with a firm sugar icing. The snowball appearance gives them an extra wintery look. You can buy them in many stores in the United States, but nothing beats the homemade kind.

2. Argentinian Alfajores

Alfajores are kind of like Oreos, but also they’re nothing like Oreos. These pastries are two soft cookies held together by dulce de leche, and the combination is delicious. The origins of this cookie apparently go back to Spain over 1,000 years ago, when a slightly more rudimentary form of the pastry was made. The recipe traveled to South America during the colonial era, and they were really perfected in Argentina.

3. Polish Kołaczki

Photo by Kurman Communications, Inc. via Flickr. License.

Perhaps the greatest feature of kołaczki is that they’re very versatile. The exterior is constant — a cream cheese dough with a nice flakiness — but the inside can be whatever you’d like. Whether filled with almond spread, strawberry or even Nutella, kołaczki are a delicious cookie. Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries all claim to have invented this pastry, but its exact origin is lost to history. You don’t need to know where they’re from to eat them, though.

4. British Stained Glass Cookies

Don’t worry, there’s no actual glass in stained glass cookies. It’s essentially a sugar cookie with holes cut into it, where you add crushed candy that’s heated to turns into a “pane.” So it’s literally a candy window. These cookies are great to eat, but they’re also used for another purpose: decoration. You can put a hole near the top and put string through them. Some people hang them on their Christmas trees or in their windows. Of course, you can also just eat them, because some people might think it’s weird to have stale cookies hanging around your house.

5. Eastern European Rugelach

Rugelach, traditionally a Jewish pastry, is not explicitly associated with any holiday. Yet it seems that as December rolls around, these cookies start to appear. They often makes an appearance at holiday parties, regardless of the host’s religious affiliation. They’re kind of like mini croissants, with dough wrapped around jam, cinnamon, chocolate and nuts. The filling is variable, but the enjoyment is not.

6. Austrian Vanillekipferl

Vanillekipferl are almond-flavored pastry crescents. Their origin is a bit muddled, but they’re popular in Austria, Hungary, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland. It’s believed that the cookie’s crescent shape is based on the Turkish crescent moon that you can see on Turkey’s flag. They were made like this to celebrate the Hungarian defeat of the Turkish in one of several battles in the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars. This is clearly not the most holiday-friendly story, but hey, they’re cookies. Vanillekipferl are eaten year-round in Austria, but they’re considered a holiday treat in most other countries.

7. German Zimtsterne

Yes, we chose two cookies from Germany, but these are worth it. After all, Germany is famous for traditional Christmases, so it only makes sense they would have the plentiful traditional Christmas cookies. Often called cinnamon stars, these cookies are made from almonds and cinnamon. In the old days of Germany, cinnamon was a rare spice, and so these cookies were considered a specialty item. They became associated with Christmas because it was the time of year when people splurged on the finer things. They’re always shaped like six-pointed stars, so let them light up your dark night.

8. Italian Anginetti

Italy has no shortage of small cookies for the holiday season, but anginetti are a particular favorite. They’re pretty typical drop cookies with a slight lemony taste, but there’s something irresistible about the glaze with the sprinkles. The sprinkles also give them a very festive look that make them a colorful part of any cookie plate. They’re also a lot less heavy than your average cookie, so you can eat more without feeling guilty.

9. Finnish Joulutorttu

This is a treat of many names. Joulutorttu literally translates to “Christmas tart,” but they’re more commonly known in English as prune tarts. Don’t let that name scare you away. Prunes are not always bad, and these cookies prove it. They cookies are also called pinwheels, thanks to their whimsical appearance that is formed by folding the dough in a certain way. They’re particularly enjoyable when paired with a cup of coffee.

10. Scottish Shortbread

Shortbread seems are a pretty lackluster cookie when judged on looks alone, but it’s hard to beat the buttery, crumbly flavor. These cookies are great whether you make them yourself or buy them in a tartan tin. Shortbread also has history: they’ve been around since medieval times in Scotland. Their popularity is sometimes credited to Mary, Queen of Scots, who apparently enjoyed them during her reign in the 16th century. This story, while fun, is probably false. These traditional Christmas cookies predate Queen Mary’s reign.

11. Mexican Biscochitos

Are those wedding bells I hear? Why no, it’s just biscochitos. These are usually called “Mexican wedding cookies” outside Mexico, and they are indeed heavily associated with matrimony. That doesn’t mean you can’t have them whenever, though, and they are a nice treat in cold weather. These tend to be very simple to make. Biscochitos are flour, nuts and a few other ingredients are baked together and then rolled in powdered sugar.

12. French Madeleines

The French consider madeleines to be a small cake, but we’ll call them Christmas cookies for simplicity’s sake. These spongy pastries are not for the novice cook, as the recipe is a little complex. Fortunately, you can also buy them at any French bakery. Madeleines can be made in a few different flavors, like chocolate and lavender, but lemon ones are the most common. Madeleines are some of the prettiest cookies in existence, so they’ll work very well for your Instagram. They’re best paired with a cup of tea and a novel (maybe even French novelist Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, where madeleines play a central role).

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[artificialqueens]

Study Break (Branjie) -Peridot

A/N: I don’t really know where this came from, and it’s a little late seeing exam season is over for most people, but here’s a fluffy teen Branjie au that is partially based off of a friend of mine. Sorry if it seems a little rushed. Let me know what you think of this lil story (either here or on my side blog @peridot-aq). Hope you enjoy!

It was about 3am when Brooke realised that her back was hurting.

It was no surprise to her. After all, she’d been sitting in close to the exact same position since about 11 the previous morning- bent over the small desk in her bedroom, trying to cram years worth of information into her brain all at once. And she had been bent over for a similar amount of time the day before. And the day before that. And the day before that.

What was more surprising was that she was only noticing the pain now. She supposed she’d been too distracted by Henry the Eighth and all six of his wives to notice.

She stood up and stretched out her arms, trying to ease the discomfort slightly when she heard her phone buzz. It took her by surprise, and she jumped slightly at the sudden noise of the vibrations against the wooden desk. She tapped on her phone and read the short message that illuminated the screen.

V: mandatory text to make sure you’re not still studying

Brooke smiled to herself. Vanessa knew her too well. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught her revising into the depths of the night. She decided not to reply -favouring ignoring the text to facing Vanessa’s inevitable disappointment- but another persistent message came through a few seconds after.

V: I can see you’ve read it, bitch Shit. In her sleep-deprived state, that hadn’t occurred to Brooke. She quietly chuckled as she pattered out a quick reply.

B: …oops?

V: BROOKE LYNN HYTES I SWEAR TO GOD V: call me Brooke pushed in her office chair and flopped onto her bed, finally giving in and abandoning her hours of work. She felt guilty in doing so, as if she was betraying her own ambitions in favour of a phone call with a friend. But, God knows that Brooke needed that phone call to set her straight.

She quickly scrolled through her contacts, finding Vanessa’s name towards the bottom of the list accompanied by several purple heart emojis that Vanessa had added when she’d put her number into the phone. She tapped ‘call’, the sound of Vanessa’s loud voice filling Brooke’s ears after just one ring.

“Bitch, why the hell are you awake!”

Brooke’s phone wasn’t on speaker, but the sheer volume of Vanessa shouting down the phone was enough to fill the silence of her bedroom.

“Keep it down a little, my parents are asleep.”

“You should be too, bitch! I’ve told you before to give yourself a break, you’re gonna burn yourself out if you keep doing this.”

Although Brooke knew that Vanessa was right (and she was already feeling the effects of weeks of revision taking a toll on her body), she still made a weak attempt to defend her decision. “I’m just really stressed out about history, I don’t know anything and my parents will kill me if I don’t get an A.”

“You know that’s not true. They love you, they’ll be proud of you no matter what, you know that. And there’s no way in hell you don’t know anything. You haven’t left your damn house in like two weeks!”

“Hey, I went grocery shopping yesterday!”

Vanessa cursed on the other side of they phone, making Brooke smile. “That doesn’t count.”

“Uh, it a hundred percent does. I was out of the house and I got a two for one deal on strawberry laces, thank you very much.”

Vanessa’s laughter crackled from Brooke’s phone, echoing in the silence of her dark bedroom. Her laugh was wild and addictive, making Brooke chuckle quietly to herself alongside her.

“You better have saved some for me.”

“Sorry V, they’re all gone.”

“Thought you got two for one?”

“I ate both of them earlier,” Brooke announced almost proudly. “I can’t believe you would doubt my ability to eat two full packets in a day. That really hurts my feelings, you know.”

“I hate you,” she joked, Brooke able to clearly picture the eye roll that most likely accompanied Vanessa’s words. “Tell you what, though- I’ll buy you another packet if you come on a picnic with me tomorrow.”

Brooke sighed. “I can’t do tomorrow, I have to study.”

“No you don’t, bitch. You’ve been studying 24/7, you probably have the whole textbook memorised.”

“But it’s my last exam and it’s in less than a week and if I put in the hard work now then maybe down the road I’ll be-“

“Fuck hard work. You deserve a break. And it’s only a picnic, it’s not like I’m getting you wasted.”

Brooke paused for a moment, feeling a dull pang of guilt in her stomach as she let herself be convinced by Vanessa. “Fine. But I’m only coming out for a couple hours, no longer.”

“Yay! Be at mine for like 12, “ Vanessa gushed, her happiness very apparent from just a subtle change in her vocal timbre.”I knew you’d come around to it.”

“Hey, I’m only coming for the strawberry laces.”

Vanessa couldn’t manage to suppress her laughter on the other end of the line, a warm buzz in Brooke’s ear. “Whatever, bitch. Now get some damn sleep.”

Brooke wished she could say that she slept well that night.

The next morning Brooke’s tired eyes fluttered open at 10am, her head weighing her down like a paperweight as she tried to sit up against the headboard. She rubbed her eyes, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light streaming through her curtains. Her head was cloudy. It still swirled with waves of fatigue that still remained after a poor night’s sleep, full of stress and worry and seemingly endless hours of staring at the ceiling. She was so fucking tired. Even if she had gone to sleep at a reasonable hour, her fears of failure would have been enough to disturb her rest. Each heavy blink willed her to give in to her exhaustion and let her head fall back onto the pillow, each yawn pulling her back into unconsciousness for just a moment. But, checking the time on her phone, she managed to convince herself to get up. She had plans, after all. The first plans she’d had in weeks.

She swung her feet onto the cold wooden floor and stretched her arms far above her head, feeling dizziness wash over her for a second or two before the blood rushed back to her brain. As she stretched she once again became acutely aware of the discomfort in her back. She’d have to get someone to check that out.

Her feeling of tiredness followed her as she took a shower, the warm water that broke over her head only lulling her back into relaxation. It followed her as she got dressed, as she tied up her still wet hair into a ponytail, and as she swiped concealer over her the purple circles under each of her eyes, her body feeling worn out and weary the whole morning.

As she started to make her way out of her bedroom her eye caught her desk, littered with pink and green flash cards and textbooks and crumpled paper. The neon highlighters that were scattered on its wooden surface seemed aggressively bright in her sleep-deprived state. An impulse told her to sit down, grab a pen and start her cycle of work over again, but thoughts of Vanessa pulled her out of the trance, convincing her it was a bad idea. So, she waltzed through her bedroom door, any hope of productivity abandoned, for a few hours at least.

She gathered her keys, sunglasses and a few coins into a small bag and quickly grabbed a punnet of strawberries and a jar of Nutella from the fridge- a poor excuse for a picnic contribution but the best she could do so last minute- and tossed them into an old plastic bag. She scribbled out a note on a scrap piece of paper telling her parents where she’d gone, and with only a small amount of guilt, left the house.

Brooke knocked on Vanessa’s door, now feeling not only groggy but also hungry, realising she’d skipped breakfast. Her solution was clear, however, when Vanessa arrived at the door with a very large basket bundled up in her arms, tin foil wrapped packages practically spilling out from underneath the lid. She greeted Brooke with a warm smile and yelled out a goodbye to her mother inside the house before stumbling down the front step, the large basket in danger of toppling her over.

Vanessa set the basket on the ground and threw her arms around Brooke, her excitement discordant with Brooke’s fatigue. Brooke leaned into the embrace, resting her cheek against Vanessa’s dark hair as she squeezed her waist and nuzzled into the taller girl’s shoulder.

“Hey, sis. You ready?” Vanessa asked, breaking the hug to attempt to lift the huge basket once again.

“Yup,” Brooke replied with a nod. “You need a hand with that?”

“Please.”

Brooke bent down and hauled it up and onto her shoulder, straining slightly under its sheer weight but insisting to Vanessa that it wasn’t a problem. “You went a little overboard with the food,V. We’re never gonna eat all that.”

“What can I say, my mamma’s Latina, she likes to cook,” Vanessa giggled as the two started to walk down the street.

They strolled together for a few minutes until they reached a small park nearby Vanessa’s neighbourhood. Red-painted fences surrounded the area, complete with flower beds and cobbled paths and grass that seemed too green and too striking to be real. Vanessa picked a spot underneath a large tree, branches and blossoms and hundreds of green leaves providing a little shade from the bright July sunshine. She dug into the basket which Brooke had quickly discarded onto the ground and produced a blue tartan blanket, attempting several times to spread it out onto the grass without it folding underneath itself. Brooke laughed, enjoying the visual of the small girl wrestling with the fabric. When Vanessa finally succeeded (after a few profanities and a little help from Brooke), the two climbed onto the blanket, Vanessa leaning against the tree and Brooke sitting cross-legged opposite her.

“Oh, almost forgot,” Vanessa mumbled. Brooke watched her reach into her back pocket before tossing a red packet her way, hitting her square in the face and making Vanessa chuckle.

The strawberry laces.

“I’m a woman of my word.”

Brooke laughed to herself as she was reminded of their deal. “Thanks, bitch.”

The sweets were quickly forgotten, however, as the two dove into the basket Vanessa’s mother had prepared. Brooke’s Nutella and strawberries were abandoned in the bottom of her bag, easily replaced by homemade burritos and croissants with jam and sandwiches. She ate as much as she could, savouring each rich taste on her tongue, until she was sure she couldn’t eat anymore. Despite the two having barely made a dent in Vanessa’s stash, they were both satisfied, Brooke becoming even more tired as a result.

They talked a little more, basking under the heat of the sun, their conversation turning back to school and exams.

“I’m really happy you’re taking a break, bitch.”

“I guess I am too. I like spending time with you.”

Vanessa flashed her a grin, her nose scrunching up at the compliment. “Good. You deserve some time to yourself, you’ve been stressing yourself out.”

“Yeah, I have. It’s been hell. Bending over my desk has started to hurt my back, too.” Brooke laughed at her statement, but Vanessa seemed less than pleased.

“Hold up, bitch. You’re telling me you’ve been studying enough to make your back hurt?”

Brooke bit her lip, holding back a laugh at seeing Vanessa get worked up. “Yeah, but it’s not a big deal.”

“Yes it is, Miss Brooke Lynn! Exams are bad enough for your mental health, I can’t have your physical health getting fucked up too.”

Brooke couldn’t help but giggle a little, failing to see the importance of Vanessa’s point. “I’m fine, V, really.”

“Oh no you’re not. That’s it. C’mere. I’m giving you a back massage.”

Brooke’s small giggle grew into a full belly laugh, finding the idea of Vanessa karate chopping into her back a very comedic prospect. Regardless, Vanessa pulled Brooke’s wrist until she had manoeuvred her to lean back against her, her own back still resting on the tree trunk.

Vanessa’s first movements were tentative and gentle grips onto Brooke’s shoulders, making her shift and wriggle, unable to suppress her fits of giggles. Vanessa became increasingly frustrated at her for not taking it seriously, which only made Brooke want to wind her up more. She was cute when she agitated.

“Brooke Lynn Hytes I swear….. quit squirming, bitch, this is supposed to be relaxing!”

She smirked to herself. “I am relaxed. You seem to be pretty worked up, though.”

“Shut up already.”

“You can’t make me,” Brooke teased.

In one quick motion Vanessa pushed Brooke up slightly and leaned over her, her face hovering centimetres above Brooke’s. Without warning she pressed a kiss into her lips. Brooke’s heart jumped in surprise, all of her senses going into overdrive. It was unexpected, addictive, exciting, and made Brooke want to hold her close like she’d never thought about before. She was suddenly aware of the beauty of her the girl in front of her- dark eyes and golden skin, the softness of her cheek and her hair against her skin, and the perfect cherry lips that were connected to her own. She relaxed into the kiss, closing her eyes and deepening it for just a second before Vanessa pulled away, the heart-stopping moment ending two seconds after it had started.

That shut her up, alright.

She found a smile creeping onto her face, mirrored by Vanessa’s own grin. Her mind was buzzing, unable to form a coherent sentence but willing her to speak, to say something. “Vanessa… you should’ve, I… I didn’t know-“

“Shush, not now baby. We can talk about it later. Now I just want you to relax, okay?” Vanessa spoke softly in her ear, bringing Brooke down from the electric moment with a hand on her hair.

Brooke found her tired body leaning back against Vanessa almost subconsciously, this time appreciating the comfort and safety of Vanessa’s arms around her as she resumed her rubbing on her back. Any thoughts of exams or stress were forgotten. Instead, her thoughts were consumed by Vanessa. She focused on everything around her, trying to take in as much as she could and commit the experience to memory.

The smell of grass and fresh air and Vanessa’s perfume.

The sound of the wind and the leaves and Vanessa’s words in her ear.

The feeling of the sun on her skin and Vanessa’s right hand on her shoulder and her left stroking her hair.

The cherry taste of Vanessa’s lips still lingering on hers.

And before she knew it, her heavy eyelids fluttered closed and she slipped into a dream, finally giving in to the tiredness that had been with her all day. Vanessa held her close and planted a small kiss on the top of Brooke’s head.

“Sleep well, Brooke.”

[purplesurveys]

659

Mosquitoes find you particularly delicious. The rainy season where I live is essentially equivalent to mosquito season, so there is definitely a certain period in a year where they are more than usual; and because I like having just my windows open when I sleep (I find the aircon too cold most of the time), the mosquitoes find their way to my room and so there’d be days I’d wake up filled with new bites. I’m lucky enough to have never had dengue. You cheated on Heads Up 7 Up in elementary school. We don’t play that here. We do have a game called 7 Up and it *may* be a variation of that, but 7 Up involves running and chasing haha. You had a favorite Spice Girl. I’m definitely not old enough to have reached Spice Girls’ peak, and out of all of them I only know Victoria Beckham. You remember watching the first episode of SpongeBob when it came out. I was only a year old when Spongebob first came out, so I didn’t watch it by then. I do know what episode you’re talking about, though – Spongebob was pretty much all I ever watched as a kid. You like to draw. I was never any good at drawing, so I hate every bit of it.

You wish you had a car. Sort of? I have my own car bought by my parents, but I am aiming to get my own car when I could afford it. My dream car is the Mini Cooper Clubman. You used to want to be a model. I’m embarrassed by it now, but it was a legitimate dream of mine before, so much so that I let my dad know of my intention (then) of becoming a runway model. Idk, I had a past friend who was into VS models and reblogged them all the time, so her interest rubbed off on me and I wanted to be like them as well. I cringe every time I remember, lmao. You wanted to be on the show All That. I wanted to be on all the Nickelodeon shows that had the same theme as All That. You enjoy public speaking. I’m good at it and can enjoy it on a good day, but sometimes I’ll get anxious. You have witnessed something supernatural. Nope. I’ve had friends tell me their stories and I believe them, but I can’t say the same for myself. You believe in the supernatural. Just ghosts. I don’t believe in folk creatures, like the ones we have in our native culture. You aren't heterosexual. My survey answers in the last six or so years have made this very blatant. You think the whole transgender thing is stupid. That’s twisted and sad and pitiful. You own a dreamcatcher. Two – one mini dreamcatcher and another giant one. I’ve had an attachment to them since seeing New Moon of the Twilight Saga – there’s a part where Jacob gives Bella her own dreamcatcher at a time when she got depressed and was having nightmares every night, and I know there had been many times when I was like Bella, so I wanted one for myself as well. You'd want a boho wedding. So not my style. My wedding’s going to be minimalist and at most, pastel-themed. You think pink is the best color for cars. Not for me, no. Simple is better; I like my cars white. You've been called a free spirit. Nope, and rightfully so. I wouldn’t call myself a free spirit either. I like trying out new things, but I also like having security blankets and safety nets around. You're the same height as your mom. Yeah pretty much. She’s just a tiny bit taller. You grew up watching Nickelodean. I grew up watching Nickelodeon*, but this works too. My cousins and I just flipped among three channels – Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network.

You have a sibling who looks like you. Nah we all have our own distinct looks. There are angles and expressions wherein we look more similar, but generally it’s easy to tell us apart. You like to write in a journal. This account is pretty much like my journal, and I love using this blog for my thoughts and ramblings. You're tired. It’s Friday, it’s the end of the week, and I’m so, so, SO tired. And of course I’m celebrating by drinking two cups of coffee and staying up as late as I want, lol. You felt sick today. The last time this happened was late last year. I felt feverish while I was out for dinner with Gab, but the weird thing about it was that I felt better and as if nothing happened literally a half hour later. You're very creative. That is the LAST word I would use to describe myself. You can be disorganized. I’m organized about a lot of things, but I’m also disorganized about a lot of things. I could never maintain my closet no matter how much I put an effort to fold everything neatly and start from square one. You have a fever right now. Nope.

You've enjoyed babysitting. We never explicitly used this term but I was always the go-to elder kid to look out for my baby cousins, especially when we still lived under the same roof as an extended family, and I loved every bit of it. I was okay with being the motherly figure while everyone else played games or with toys. You want to go to New York City to visit. Yeah. I like bustling cities, so I feel like NYC would be right up my alley. I don’t care much for Times Square though and I would probably spend most of my time going to their museums. You love tea. I’m not obsessed with it; I can take it or leave it. And I don’t like the teas that come with a teabag; I drink either the traditional Chinese tea or just sweet, unhealthy iced tea altogether. You don't play an instrument. Yeah and I get sad about this like two times a day lmao. I wish I could play just a tiny bit of piano and/or violin. You used to want Taylor Swift's hair. I never actively wanted to be anything like her.  You enjoyed High School Musical. Of course. I was THERE when it came out, and I stayed for every bit of the first film, High School Musical 2, and High School Musical 3. I was right smack in the middle of the HSM frenzy and it’s one of the more cherishable moments of my childhood haha. Everybody knew the songs, the steps to We’re All In This Together, and had HSM shirts, bags, pencil cases, and notebooks. You watched The Rugrats Movie in the theater. I barely remember that it had a movie, and I don’t think I ever saw it. Definitely not in the cinemas. You've performed on stage in a musical. I’ve performed on stage (as part of a big group) for annual school productions, but I think they were all plays. Hated every second of it. You've had the lead role in a musical. Certainly not. You've had cramps so bad you threw up. No, but close. A few weeks ago I had a headache SO bad I actually had to run to the toilet only to dry heave. It’s never happened to me before so I got scared and I just slept it off to see what happened the next day. You've never had Nutella. 2010 Tumblr pressured everybody to get Nutella because it was all the rage at the time and all the cool kids were having it, so I also did at some point. You have a favorite blanket. The one Gabie gave me two Christmases ago is my favorite. You own family heirlooms. I’m sure we have some but they haven’t been passed on to me yet.

You have carved and painted pumpkins before. No, pumpkins aren’t really a thing here. As far as I know, coloring/painting on Easter eggs is a more common activity. You have colored Easter eggs. Yes, I used to do this with my (second) cousins when they were younger.

You've walked through a haunted house. I always say I’m into horror stuff, but tbh I think horror movies are the furthest I can go HAHAHA. I’ve never been in a haunted house whether day or night, and I think the only time you’d get me to do it is if I got paid for it. You've dressed up on Halloween. Plenty times. I was Dora the Explorer last year :D :D You've tried to kill yourself. You've had a false rumor spread about you. In Grade 6 I had a rumor come back to me saying I was bi and was seeing my friend Andi (who, to be fair, I had a crush on at the time but I didn’t realize it yet). I just found it cool at all that I had a rumor about me considering I wasn’t a popular kid and had literally 2 friends, so I didn’t let it bother me haaaaah. You've been kicked out of a store (whether for a good or bad reason.) It was at a McDonald’s lmao.  My friends were playing a card game and were yelling every five seconds; I knew people were going to get pissed so I distanced myself as much as possible even though I was at the same table jkfghdgh. Eventually an old man had had enough and asked us to leave, which I was GLAD to do. You have a favorite stove burner that you always use. I don’t have a favorite...the one I use often just happens to be my regular one. You enjoy eating at fast food restaurants. I find them dirty and nasty so I only eat there if I absolutely have to, but I do like getting takeout and enjoy fast food in general. You like arrows and feathers and peace signs. Ugh cringe, this SCREAMS 2010 Tumblr hahahahaha. I mean I liked all of these at some point, but not now. You want to wear a flower crown for your wedding. Hell no. It was cute for a while, but not anymore. You have signed someone else's yearbook. We don’t do that here. We pay tons of money for our yearbooks that it’s practically destroying them if we ever wrote on them lmao. You were shy in high school. For the first half, I was shy and pretty unpopular. By the latter part of high school I managed to gain friends and end up in the ~popular~ circle, but I was still shy compared to my peers. I didn’t take up a lot of extracurriculars (which is what the popu kids tended to do) but I managed to stay within the circle until the end of it. You're shy when first getting to know someone. Of course, as most would be I would imagine. I can warm up fast, though. You've gotten all A's in a class before. In high school, this was me with English and history. In college, this would be me with my history electives.

You had a favorite class and a favorite teacher in high school. Sure! Our biology teacher in sophomore year was evvvvverybody’s crush. She was so pretty and kind and smart; when we went to a beach for our field trip, I tried getting stung by a jellyfish just so she’d treat the bite on my leg cos she was one out of two faculty members who knew how to treat stings HAHAHAH. I didn’t get the highest marks in her class, but I enjoyed nonetheless. You were a teacher's favorite. BY NO MEANS. Gabie was, though. We were total polar opposites when it came to how we acted in class. You've won a costume contest. I...don’t think I ever did, but my mom did go all out when it came to coming up with our costumes as kids. You have a favorite Disney princess. It used to be Ariel, then I found her annoying. My present favorite is Rapunzel. You get carsick. Only if I excessively do something while in a moving vehicle, like text or read. You've flown first class. Never have. You hate inequality and wish life were more fair. Don’t we all? You've had a bad neighbor. They weren’t bad per se. Just a bit chaotic and the kids (a little older than I was at the time) clearly had behavioral issues. I was so relieved when they moved out. You've done a cannonball. I don’t think so. You have fallen and hit your head. Nope, and that sounds like the literal worst thing. You like sunflowers. Sure! It’s a popular UP symbol – every year, a few weeks before the university-wide graduation, they’d plant huuundreds of sunflowers to line up the entire road leading to my school :) We usually refer to sunflowers as a sign of encouragement to keep on keeping on, so that one day the sunflowers will bloom for us as well. You like the name Skylar. It’s alright. I like it because it’s the name of the badass mom in Breaking Bad, but otherwise it’s nothing too special for me. You've had a friend named Sarah. I have acquaintances with the name Sarah but they’re not my friends. You have an Aunt Robin. Nope. I would end up being the Aunt Robyn in a few years, hahahaha. You have an Uncle Rick. I’ve never heard of an Uncle/Tito Rick, but with how big Filipino families are I wouldn’t be surprised if I turned out to have one. You have a cousin Annabelle. No, but close. I have an Auntie Bel whose whole name is Amabel. You think flying a kite is boring. I never had fun doing it, or whenever we had to do it as a school activity. You were born in the year of the Dragon. Tiger, yo. You like your Chinese zodiac sign better than your American one. I don’t care for either. Your laptop has shut off because it got too hot. It’s never done this before, thank goodness. I try not to overwork it either. You've accidentally caught something on fire. Nope, I don’t think this has happened to me before. You make your bed every day. Aside from my mom requires me to, a neat bed makes the entire room feel much cleaner so I do it anyway. You wear a digital watch. I have a bad record of losing watches, so I never like wearing them. You have a favorite park. We don’t have a lot of parks here to even pick favorites from to begin with, which is a shame. You've hiked a mountain. I want to sooooo bad. It’s just never happened before/yet. You want to hike a mountain again. ^ You've been a slave. What the fuck. You feel like you've had your free will stolen from you. My parents were quite strict before but it never felt this bad. You speak in tongues. If you mean I can speak more than one language, then sure. You enjoy medieval festivals. Never been interested in anything medieval. Your favorite fair ride is the pirate ship. I don’t ride rides. Cotton candy isn't that good. It’s a cute concept but I wouldn’t always pay for it.  Men look good in pink. Men – and anybody – would look good in any color so long as they’re comfortable with it lol. You went to youth group. Hell no. I’m glad my mom never forced me either. You were baptized in a lake. No. Just in a church. You were on Color Guard. I have no idea what this means. You went to your senior prom. We had a junior prom that I went to, and that was it for my school; but I was also asked to go to a senior ball of another school. Your first kiss was just an experiment. No, it was a legit kiss. You dated a guy you didn't like. Almost did, though. You have fallen asleep in class. Never. I never want this to happen, either. You have won an award. A few times. You type fast. Yeah, you get used to it through the years. You have a lot of dreams for your future. I still want to do a lot, yes. You've gone camping in the woods. Never, but it’d be a cool experience. I wouldn’t want to be alone though. You love to sleep under the stars. I don’t get to do this but it sounds like a lovely time. You've gone camping in the fall. I haven’t gone camping at allllllll. You own a pair of slipper socks. That sounds way too hot for where I live lmao.

[77marvelimagines]

A Merry Marching Homecoming

A Merry Marching Homecoming

Peter Parker X Reader

Prompt(s): I just like to say I'm a fellow band geek. It's my second year in battery so im constantly sleepless and stressed. 4 hour practice twice a week and then practice every morning before school for an a hour. I take my PSAT next week and then homecoming game tomorrow. Good luck our your season! Any way can I request an imagine where Peter Parker is dating someone in band and does a homecoming proposal. I'm dateless for homecoming.

Notes: Sorry this is late, bro! School tied me up, haha. It’s getting close to NaNoWriMo so I’ll probably be busy with my project. But this was cute af, and Marching band is hella fun, so here it is m’dear! I hope ya’ll enjoy :D Also, here’s a few sites for unknown terms for all you curious non-band members. ( http://www.onlinedrummajor.com/dictionary.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tUxKxwnRBA )

Warning(s): None.

Word Count: 878.

Everybody was hot and sweaty and damn it someone give them a break. But no, there were no breaks in sight. Peter leaned on the back of his heels and wiped sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, carefully holding his trumpet in the other. He looked around in the form, seeing people to his left and right, people on fours and twos, on the grids or not even at all in their designated spot. Hell, he didn’t even know if where he was standing was correct.

It was Homecoming week and Peter remembered why band was hell- or specifically marching band. He could deal with marching in the cooler weather, but the heat? That was too much, especially with the almost sparse water breaks that come after band camp. With the football team practicing twenty-four seven their band director gotten the field for practice earlier than normal. It was a hot fall afternoon and Peter thought he was dying.

“Peter! Do you think you’ll ask (y/n) today??” Gwen asked, crab-stepping over to where he stood. Peter blushed and shushed his friend, the red dusting his cheeks and ear tips.

“Quiet! What if they hear? I want it to be a surprise.”

“Well, duh. But like, are we doing it today? If you don’t do it now then you’ve missed your chance. Besides, we all have the shirts and everything. They’re in the wagon up by the bleachers, under the extra music.”

Peter looked away and groaned. He turned back and sheepishly grinned at his friend. “Now or never, right?”

“Hell yeah! Alright, before MJ dismisses the band seems like the best time to do it. Agreed?” Gwen asked, hefting her snare into a better position. Peter grinned and nodded, wiggling the keys on his trumpet playfully.

“More than agreed. Get everybody together while she’s doing her speech, yada yada, whatever.” Gwen gave Peter a thumbs up and quickly marched back to her spot near the back with the drum line as they were called to an attention.

Meanwhile, (y/n) stood in a diag towards the right side of the field, striking an awkward pose to distribute the weight of their body more evenly on their tired, sore heals. The pose looked similar to the people around them. Mary Jane, the drum major, was walking around the form and talking to whoever was up for conversation while the band director fixed what desperately needed help.

“(y/n)! Having fun?”

“If death is considered fun, then yes! I’m dying and it’s pretty rad.”

“Oh, I feel you,” MJ chuckled. The pair giggled and talked casually. Homecoming, the topic of the century, didn’t take long to show up.

“Have you been asked yet? Are you considering asking anybody?” MJ hummed.

(y/n) just sighed and shook their head.

“No, nobody’s asked me and I’m not sure if I’m even going to go this year. If anybody asks me, then hell yeah I’ll go, but so far I don’t think so.”

MJ blew out her cheeks and shook her head sadly. “Not even Peter Parker? I know you liiike him!” (y/n) blushed and laughed softly.

“Ohhhh nooo, I’d never work up enough courage. I think I’ll just stay home, watch Netflix, and eat nutella.”

“Count me in… Gotta go back up. See you later,” MJ called. They were called up to attention seconds later. Jesus, (y/n) felt like they really needed a water break.

------

“Great work today, guys! You’re doing so well, I’m seeing so much progress. Remember, reach two more inches every day and before everyone knows it we’ll be…” 

It was easy to tune MJ out while Peter and the others maneuvered around the back. Her dismissal speech was vaguely similar to the one he had heard a few nights ago, and the practice before that one. Peter lined up with Gwen and a few other band members. His dazzling grin told MJ it was go time.

It was Peter, Gwen, Ned, and two other students standing in a perfect line in the back. The group pulled on their shirts, the letters ‘H’,’O’,’C’, ‘O’, and abbreviated phrase ‘W/ ME?’ printed onto the fronts of their teal shirts. They turned around while MJ directed the band’s attention to the back, the drum line cued not long after.

It was the fight song. This was a memorized song between the band members and it wasn’t hard to get everybody moving to the beat. Peter grinned and, on the beat of four, the five of them turned around to face the band.

“H!”

“O!”

“C!”

“O!”

“(Y/N)! WILL YOU GO TO HOMECOMING WITH ME?” Peter yelled as loud as he could.

The band cheered and danced around, spreading out so Peter could see (y/n), laughing and crying at the spectacle before them. Their frantic nod of yes confirmed the question at hand and the band cheered. Peter ran over and swooped (y/n) into an excited hug, the two of them swaying. The drum line repeated the fight song and Peter knew, with (y/n) in his arms at that moment, and Peter in (y/n)’s, that he was going to enjoy homecoming this year. (y/n) couldn’t agree more.  

[lmfmp2021]

Analysing Possible Packaging Ideas

Like I previously said, I will now be looking at more the jars themselves and the sort of packaging they could be in. I think this idea could also help to make the product seem more luxury. Normally, chocolate spread is only in jars with nothing else but for mine to standout, I want to add some kind of box or have the jars a different shape to the norm. 

I had this new idea of packaging where I could include information and posters along with the Nutella itself. That way the concept of having a box, would hold this all together. One of the image below is showing multiple jars stacked onto of one another, where I could have different flavours of chocolate spread, for example honeycomb. It slightly links back to another product I have previously done where I created Don’t Panic packs as I could include similar things in this project, where its telling the customers about the dangers of palm oil. Obviously my own chocolate spread would be made without palm oil and I can promote this too. This might mean I will have to do some research into Nutella and they say they are doing to help palm oil. The reason for choosing this brand is because I would say this is the most well know when it comes to chocolate spread. 

To start, I have presented this image above which is showing three jars and a honey dipper. This has then been arranged in a box. I think this makes the product seem quite expensive as it have been positioned carefully. I can see the reason for this is because of the paper/cardboard that's sitting in the base of the box. This is holding everything in place so that it doesn't move. The idea of having a honey dipper in with the honey itself is also an interesting touch to the product itself. I would say this is almost something you could give as gift to someone. 

When looking at the colours of this set, its all very minimal colours, to which there's only really the wooden tones from the honey dipper and jar lids. Then the rest is all white. This gives me sense of luxury but also for some reason very natural too. By this I mean that, the wood is on show which is almost like they are promoting to be sustainable. On the lids, there has been an imprint of a bee on each one. I can see this is just showing the customer that its honey, but it also gives more interest to this area as well. 

As well as this, I noticed that the way in which you would open this product is to lift the top section off. This is showing in the image too. When looking at this, it has this sleeve going around it too, to which I feel this separates the text from the actual packaging itself. This sleeve is very simple as well but this is good this as it fits with the rest of the packaging. The text features on here is all very minimal and is probably just trying to get the message across to what's inside the box. The font used is also very thin which works well as its quite subtle but is still visible to the viewers at the same time. 

Here, I have shown a body oil product, to which the reason for this because I thought that I could have a box a little like this instead. It might have to be a little bigger in width but this could also help with the idea of luxury. To me, this isn't as luxury as the previous one but I almost feel like I don't need it to be too upmarket as this could mean lead to less customers buying it. I need to cover all ages groups to get this messgae across. Additionally, the product before, would mean more materials have to be used which would be a little wasteful. So having a simple box like this where it wouldn't be as sturdy of a materials could still standout from other son the shelf. 

Although my only worry to this, is the fact that its smaller meaning I might not be able to fit all my information and posters in there. Another down side this is the idea that they paper would probably get very squashed as the paper would need to be folded quite a few times. When looking back at the Don't Panic packs, the envelop was flat meaning all the content inside was safe and could not get damaged as easily. The problem with this is when it comes to my ideas, is that I still need to fit jars in this packaging meaning the envelop concept would work in this case. Nevertheless, I still have time to figure this out but I do think my new idea is going to be quite effective and I’m very exited to see where it goes and what I can create. 

I then found this honey mask which is meant for you face, however, I was drawn by this as I thought the jar shape looked a little unusual. By this I mean in terms of chocolate spread and honey jars, I have never seen this sort of thing before. When it comes to creating my own product, I don't want a normal shapes jar as I feel this looks a little boring and if I want mine to standout it needs to look a little different from the rest. I found this from the website Sephora and even thought its beauty it doesn't matters to me. I can see this is quite a small jar, so I could either increase the sizing or I could have multiple jars this size with all different flavours. 

When I was thinking about the shape of my jars, I did have the idea of it being the shape of a certain object relating to palm oil. The first thing that came to mind was palm fruit, but then again, I feel this might loose the attraction towards to being luxury. Another concept I had was it being the face of an orangutan, to which I wasn't sure on how this was going to work either. Firstly because its quite detailed but might not draw people in. Out of these two ideas, the palm fruit is definitely the most professional looking. Although then again, I’m still worried it wont look like anything to people as I didn't know what palm fruit actually looked like before this project so neither this would be the exact same thing for others too. 

Going back to this image above, I feel the shape along with the chunky lid works really well. Also the colours of the jar and the wooden shades too has this really natural looking effect. I think this could make people more likely to buy it as it doesn't look like it should have any harmful chemicals and the idea of honey helps with this too. 

Then when looking at the label, I was really attracted to the font used as I thought this also matched with the rest of the packaging as well. 

Overall, I’m really pleased with my ideas and I’m also glad I analysed these products as they have opened up many new concepts of what shape I’m going to have the jar, but also the other small details that come with it too. 

[pohhuexp]

🥪The food I'm obsessed with lately. - 🥪Spreads. - 🥪Yep, any spreads really. Jam, peanut butter, almond butter, vegemite, nutella, chocolate any spreads. Actually now I"m listing it out I'm not sure if it's the spreads I'm loving or the bread that comes with it. Probably a mix of both. - 🥪On the left up there is biscoff spread, on the right is black sesame spread. Most spreads are about 90kcal for 15g. 15g is actually a lot more generous than I usually use. I use to be super stingy with using spread cos I thought it would make me fat immediately, but since I started weighing everything it's been a pleasant surprise that spreads aren't as caloric dense as I thought. - 🥪The bread is whole wheat bread. I'm not really too fussed about white or whole wheat. Unlike white rice vs brown rice, bread tastes the same to me. So while they're similar calories and they taste similar too, I'd choose the one that slightly more nutrient rich. Each slice is about 75kcal. - 🥪So each piece of bread up there is 75kcal + 90kcal coming out to 165kcal per slice. That's less than a snicker bar, less than a scoop of ice cream, about 3 oreos. I don't really know how to describe it but having two of those (330kcal) just feels really really satisfying and highly satisfies my craving for sweets. - 🥪One of the biggest lessons I learned from calorie counting all these years is that most foods aren't a caloric dense as you think. It all comes down to how much of it you're eating. A scoop of ice cream is 200kcal, you could always have half a scoop for 100kcal. A whole snicker bar is 250kcal, but a mini snicker bar is only 80kcal. Sugar is marketed as this thing that makes us instantly fat, but it's only 50kcal per tablespoon. - 🥪You can include any food in your diet and still progress towards your weight goals while eating a diet that's mostly nutrient rich if you're mindful of the portions. - 🥪Completely restricting foods you love is unrealistic, and in my experience… - 🥪… just makes the craving worse & worse. - 🥪What food are you currently obsessed with? https://www.instagram.com/p/B26BWrznEWf/?igshid=egoyt09x5e54

[wordsturnintostories]

9/ Nothing in the Mirror

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Part Ten

Masterlist

Summary: A lot can happen on a late spring day, especially on a bus. A lot more can happen if the ride ends before you’ve reached your station. If you end up in the Avengers Tower without memories, things have either taken a very good or a very bad turn of events. Too bad you have no clue who you are. Apparently, that’s not the case for everyone. Scarily, not all your secrets are hidden within your head, but you have two men by your side who swear to figure everything out with you.

Warnings: nope

Word Count: 1166

_Author's Note: Don’t really know what to say... bear with me, we’re getting to the more action-y parts soon enough. Life in the Avengers’ Tower isn’t just fighting and crazy all the time. Maybe this is the other side of it - enjoy! As always, dedicated to my sweet flower @buckyslion, to princess @aubzylynn and also to the wonderful @borderline-person! (Can’t believe we’re at the ninth part already! That’s crazy. Shoutout to all of you sweet people! Thanks for reading this, for leaving a comment or even reblogging (even with comments! Wow)! Have my love! Muah. :D

Turned out the tower really was a (damaged) maze and without Buck, you would’ve been lost. Every level looked the same, at least from the elevator. Well, maybe the scary voice could’ve known the way too, but you didn’t trust that thing yet, whatever it was. From the hallway, you could already smell the lavish scent of freshly grounded and brewed coffee beans and suddenly, you felt super excited. Somehow, food was an ordinary experience, but everything just seemed so new. Not that you had lost the ability to differentiate between cheese and nutella or peanut butter, but the memory of eating was just as gone as everything else. Except for that one baking recipe. Long live the cake. You entered the kitchen and almost choked on your laughter. Tony stood in front of you, with a mug of steaming dark coffee in his hand and a facial expression of a fading ghost. Nonexistent. Not a morning person, you deduced. The archer guy was there too, eating real slow, obviously struggling to keep his eyes open. Next to him was Tasha, (who, right, didn’t want to be called by her name) who leaned against him, muttering something into no particular direction. You noticed a face you hadn’t seen before, a face that belonged to a man sipping on a hot tea, reading the newspapers and chatting with Steve, who seemed to be the only one with a big appetite. Which was gonna change now, of course, that you were here. Everything looked good, the bagels, the spreads, the granola and the scrambled eggs all placed on a little buffet table. You ended up with a full plate, which earned you another teasing from Buck, who had about the same amount of food on his. You joined Steve and were introduced to Dr. Banner right away. He seemed kind, although you felt that he was leaving something out when he described his job in the tower. You became especially suspicious when he shared a look with Steve.

„Didn’t you want to give the little tube to Tony?“, the blonde asked with a smile. Oh, right. You pulled it out of your pocket and approached the dark haired guy. „Um, they said you’d take a look at this. Could you figure out what it is?“ He’d already downed a few cups of the brown liquid and looked much more alive right now. „Wouldn’t own a tower if I couldn’t. Jarvis, open the drawer lab.“ On the other side of the kitchen, a drawer opened and Tony threw the little thing in there. Everyone cheered like he’d just dunked the little piece and led his team to victory. „Go eat some more, kid. This is gonna run for a few minutes.“ Since he didn’t explain anything else, you went back to your seat, earning a smile from Buck. He was talking to Tasha and the blonde archer-guy next to her, who seemed deeply concentrated now. He beheaded the egg on his plate with one slash. Then he looked up, seeing you. „I’m Clint. Just in case you were wondering.“ „Uh, yeah. Cool. Hi, Clint. What are you doing here, I mean, in the tower?“ It was kinda hard to talk right now because some jam on your blueberry bagel had decided to escape, but you kinda managed anyways. He seemed relaxed and like he didn’t mind your stuttering. „Good question. Sometimes I think I’m only here for the view“, he turned to the redhead, „what am I even doing here, Nat?“ Nat? Not Tasha? „Wait a second. What is your name?“, you asked her with furrowed eyebrows and she stared at you, probably considering what you implied with that question. „Natasha.“ „The Great“, added Clint and earned a playful slap against his arm when he cackled. „Does make sense now“, you muttered to yourself and earned very amused glares. Natasha. Steve looked at you, grinning from ear to ear. „You did that on purpose, didn’t you?“, you groaned, but he held his hands in the air. „I didn’t do anything. You made your own assumptions.“ „Which are cute, by the way“, Buck added with a grin. Natasha raised an eyebrow. Uh-uh. „Tell her, Buck.“ „Nope. I’m good.“ He took another spoonful of his granola. „Buck isn’t your real name!?“ Your cheeks flared up. „Oh god. What is it, really?“ „It’s…“ Tony stood up, demanding everyone’s attention. „Thanks to SWAT, the tower is under construction, once again. Except for Bruce and me, we can all resume with our routines. Still, I put you into groups to check on a few places. See if everything is as it should be. Jarvis still needs a few bandaids, will be back up in the afternoon. Everyone ready? Good, get your stuff done.“ „Looks like we got the garages“, Buck said, pointing at the surface of the table that now showed a map like a computer screen. Everyone else was cleaning up their dishes and left. Natasha sent you a look you couldn’t translate into words but made pretty sure she hadn’t forgiven you for whatever you had done. Probably for killing that ambassador, whoever that was.

From the corner of your eye, you saw Tony typing some stuff into a similar surface, on the fridge door, looking all concentrated when some text pulled up. Is everything a computer here!? He turned around, facing you. „The only thing on there is DNA and it’s everywhere. Mind telling me where you found this?“ „My back.“ „In your back!?“ „Nah it was taped on there with duct tape. Of course in my back, you know, under the skin, where the blood is…“ „Yeah, thanks. I know what in means. It just sounds so much like-“, his eyes widened and he spun around, his fingers typing in commands and directives. „Jarvis, compare tube to sample 17N.“ „Similarities do occur, Sir. Should I run an inside check?“ „Go ahead.“ You felt this tickling in your belly, the feeling of getting closer to finding out who you were. This was good. Whatever had been hidden in that little tube, it would be a significant piece of the puzzle that your identity was. „There are numbers on the inside, Sir. They say -73 58 5.8“, the voice replied. „However, I cannot run analysis on them. My numeric database requires fixing. My algorithms do not appear in the correct order, Sir.“ „We’ll take care of that.“ Numbers. Numbers without description. What did they mean? What did they stand for? Were they about you? Were they important for your job? Who had put the tube into your back? But no further insights came from Tony and his speaking computer and you carried your plate and cutlery to the dishwasher. Suddenly, your head shot up. „Tony, what is Sample 17N?“ But he was gone already, leaving Buck and you in the empty kitchen. What was worse, however, was the realization that the tube from your back had not been a tracker.

Masterlist | Please let me know what you think about this chapter! Message me directly, use my Ask Box or comment/reblog!

Permanent Tags: @buckyslion, @aubzylynn, @inappropriatepirate , @buckysmusculararm, @coffeeismylife28, @mitra-k-w, @captainmomofoshosho

Tag list for NitM: @naenae87, @xllxni, @aquabrie, @canumoveyourseatup-no, @borderline-person, @avengingnights, @secretlypleasantlover, @harleyhiddleston, @bailieinabottle, @chipilerendi, @bibitchalicia, @blacwings-and-bucky-barnes, @aoimidzu, @ek823

[sciencespies]

Vietnam Finds New ‘Hybrid’ Covid-19 Coronavirus Variant, What This Really Means

https://sciencespies.com/news/vietnam-finds-new-hybrid-covid-19-coronavirus-variant-what-this-really-means/

Vietnam Finds New ‘Hybrid’ Covid-19 Coronavirus Variant, What This Really Means

Just keep mutating. Just keep mutating. That’s what the Covid-19 coronavirus is gonna do. And over time that’s gonna keep resulting in more and more versions of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), otherwise known as variants.

Case in point, the country of Vietnam appears to have found yet another Covid-19 coronavirus variant. Writing for The Guardian, Agence France-Presse quoted Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam’s Health Minister, as saying, “We have discovered a new hybrid variant from the Indian and the UK strains.”

The word “hybrid” may conjure up images of the B.1.1.7 variant (first found in the U.K.) and the B.1.617.2 variant (first found in India) finding each other on Tinder, swiping right with their spike proteins, and then meeting up in a seedy motel. There they may put on Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” while spiking their protein so to speak, resulting in little love child viruses, right? Uh, not exactly.

Instead, as Thu Anh reported for the VNExpress International, this new SARS-CoV2 variant has a change, a Y144 deletion on its spike protein, that’s similar to what’s been found with the B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 variants. Both the B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2 variants seem to be more transmissible than the original version of the virus that first led to the pandemic. Therefore, it’s not surprising that this new variant is probably more transmissible as well.

Vietnam has administered around one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to its population of about 98 … [+] million. (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

“The characteristic of this strain is that it spreads quickly in the air,” the Health Minister was reported as saying. “The concentration of virus in the throat fluid increases rapidly and spreads very strongly to the surrounding environment.”

Spreads quickly in the air? Holy, Batman, that sounds like, well, ummm, just like the every other version of the Covid-19 coronavirus that we’ve seen since early 2020. So this new variant may not be that radically different from what’s currently circulating. It’s not as if this new variant can now post on Instagram, do cartwheels, and carry double-barreled shotguns. Therefore, there is no need to panic. Panic is never the answer, unless the question is, “what should you never do?”

This news is actually not surprising at all. The SARS-CoV2 has a high mutation rate. This means that the Covid-19 coronavirus is like a person eating a hot dog and Nutella while operating a photocopying machine. Whenever the virus makes copies of itself, it can often make mistakes. This can leave resulting viruses with slightly different genetic material or mutations. While many of these mutations may not change the virus significantly and others may actually make the virus weaker, some may give the virus a “fitness advantage.” A fitness advantage is when the resulting virus is stronger or can spread more efficiently than other versions. This then allowed the new variant to spread faster and further and soon overtake the other versions. Mutations are why new variants of Covid-19 coronavirus will continue to emerge over time.

Nevertheless, it is important to further study and track this new variant that has emerged in Vietnam. It is also a reminder that as long as the virus is spreading widely we cannot relax in this continuing war with the virus. Acting as if the pandemic were over now would be like Tom Brady or Lebron walking off the field or court at the start of the third quarter of the championship. Until public health officials actually say that the pandemic is over and no longer a public health emergency, our society has to remain vigilant and continue to maintain available Covid-19 precautions wherever needed.

For most of the pandemic, Vietnam has been able to keep the Covid-19 coronavirus relatively under control. They certainly did a better job than the U.S. did in 2020, which is a bit like saying a film is better than the 2003 movie Gigli. However, as the following CNA news segment shows, over the past few weeks, Vietnam has experienced a surge in cases:

It’s not clear yet whether this new variant is responsible for this recent surge. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Vietnam has had a total of 6,856 Covid-19 cases and 47 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The big yet-to-be-answered question is how effective the existing Covid-19 vaccines will be against this new variant found in Vietnam. The Covid-19 vaccination program in Vietnam began in March and has to date covered about one percent of the population. If the currently available Covid-19 vaccines have high effectiveness against this new variant, then its emergence simply reinforces the need to get more people vaccinated as soon as possible and for those unvaccinated to keep social distancing and wearing face masks. However, at some point, a new Covid-19 coronavirus variant could emerge that can more readily get through the vaccine’s protection, necessitating the need for a new version of the vaccine.

Again, the SARS-CoV2 is gonna keep mutating, because that’s what it does. Getting a coronavirus to stop mutating would be like getting a narcissist to stop talking about himself. Mutations are likely what gave the virus the ability to jump from other animals to humans in the first place. And it will continue to give the virus the ability to change and adapt to new conditions and our precautions against the virus. After all, that’s what the virus is trying to do: just keep spreading, just keep spreading.

#News

[queenketouk]

3 INGREDIENTS KETO NUT.ELLA HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE SPREAD

3 Ingredients Keto Nut.ella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is a super simple copycat of Ferrero's Nutella. And only 0.8g carbs per serving. It's so similar, in fact, that a blind taste amongst 3 Nutella lovers revealed they could not discern which was the original and which was my super healthy, low carb + LCHF + sugar free + grain free + gluten free + vegan version. THAT, my dear low carb friends, is the ultimate accolade in the keto experimental kitchen. Making something that no-one can tell is keto is undoubtedly satisfying. But making something that cannot be discerned from the real, mass produced, ultra refined and uber famous article, is, well, orgasmic. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

The Birth of THE BEST Hazelnut Chocolate Spread EVER

The love affair between me and Nutella during my previous, high carb, sugar loaded life, was ridiculous. It's true, I often had a TV dinner of a full length French baguette filled with an entire jar of Nutella. Shameful, shocking, but true. So with keto came the longing to replicate my old favourites, including the world's best known, most delicious, yet most unhealthy hazelnut chocolate spread. Last year, when I created my first healthy Nutella recipe after many frustrating trials and errors, I was so excited and eager to publish it, that my tasters were probably reluctant to offend me with a less than glorious verdict.

At the time, I was happy to have created a good, healthy, hazelnut flavoured chocolate spread that reminded me of my beloved Nutella. And it remained my go-to recipe until recently. It still is a good recipe. However, the slight graininess, the intense chocolate flavour and the hardening over time during storage meant I knew I needed to improve that recipe. At some point. Still, with so many other things that a blogger has to do on a daily basis, revisiting a chocolate spread was not on my list of priorities. Until now. Because something extraordinary happened BY CHANCE and I simply couldn't ignore it. Having received a can of Chocolate Brownie Mix for review, I wanted to add layers so as to create a more interesting brownie recipe and decided to use hazelnut paste. But my hazelnut paste was too liquid even with icing 'sugar' added. So I thought I'd add a bit of cocoa powder to thicken it. Not too much, mind you, because I was aiming for a strong hazelnut flavour. Then I tasted it. And it was a revelation. How did that happen? I had just savoured the best Nutella copycat ever.  My 3 Ingredients Keto Nut.ella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread was born. Just like that. Un-be-lievable.

How to Make 3 Ingredients Keto NUT.ELLA Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

So simple it's embarrassing to call this a recipe. Here is what you need: 1 HAZELNUT PASTE (BUTTER) 2 SUGAR FREE ICING 'SUGAR' (you can Make your Own) 3 UNSWEETENED DARK COCOA POWDER

You must use really good quality, smooth hazelnut paste that contains no added ingredients. The hazelnut paste I prefer is made by , who use Piedmont nocciole. The most succulent, sweet, oil-rich hazelnuts come from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy. They are called Nocciole del Piemonte and they have the prestigious Europen I.G.P. (Protected Geographical Indication) certification as a guarantee of their origin. The Porello hazelnut paste is extremely smooth and pale, and presents a lot of natural oil deposit on top, so you must stir it well before scooping out what you need. Expensive, but oh, so worth the price! It creates the most luscious, intensely flavoured and creamy 3 Ingredient Keto Nut.ella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. When it isn't available, I cry. Literally. And then I (reluctantly) buy an alternative - see recipe for links. Sadly, none of the pastes I have tried have been anywhere near as good as the Porello brand. The cocoa powder you use is less important. The one I prefer is very low in carbs (8.7g per 100g), so if you opt for a different brand you may have to recalculate your macros. I also prefer to use my own icing 'sugar'. Click HERE if you want to try and do it yourself. I promise it's super easy and much cheaper than if you buy Sukrin or similar.

The method couldn't be easier, or quicker. All you need to do is combine the 3 ingredients (the icing 'sugar' should be sifted to avoid clumps) and mix them really, really well. Transfer to a mason jar and store. That's it. Your 3 Ingredients Keto Nut.ella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is ready. Enjoy! 3 INGREDIENTS KETO NUT.ELLA HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE SPREAD Recipe Type: Make your Own Cuisine: Ketogenic. Low Carb. Sugar Free. LCHF. Grain free. Gluten Free. Vegan. Author: Antya Prep time: 1 min Total time: 1 min Serves: 185g The most incredible, luscious, copycat Nutella you'll ever taste. With just 3 ingredients and 1 minute of stirring. Ingredients 150g hazelnut paste (butter); if unobtainable, this paste is a decent compromise; for U.S. option, click HERE. 25g icing sugar; or make your own 10g unsweetened dark cocoa; for U.S. alternative click HERE Instructions pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl, stir really well and transfer to a Mason jar for storage. Serving size: 15g Calories: 85 Fat: 8g Carbohydrates: 0.8g Protein: 2g Notes If using a hazelnut paste that is denser and more grainy, a little hazelnut oil will help.I keep my Nut.ella refrigerated for a slightly denser consistency and for lasting freshness, but it's not necessary.Metric kitchen scales are an inexpensive yet invaluable gadget to enable accurate measurement of ingredients. Store them upright in a cupboard or over your worktop and they'll only take up a tiny bit of space. Click HERE for the ones I use (UK Link). For U.S. option click HERE. 3.5.3229

Enjoyed this post? I really value your feedback! Please leave me a comment. If you make this recipe, make my day and post a photo on social media with the hashtag #queenketo. Thank you! :)

    Read the full article

[pardonmypixiedust-blog1]

Top 10 Magic Kingdom Restaurants

I'm backkkkkkkkkkkkkk. I'm going to start posting restaurant reviews now that I've tried most of them. If you are planning a trip to Disney, hopefully these help you decide where to eat meals and snacks. While Magic Kingdom is my favorite park, it is my least favorite place to eat. I think it's overpriced for the quality of food that you get. Here are my top 10 favorite places to eat in Magic Kingdom: (Most of these are quick service cause ya girl is on a budget and I would rather spend my money on restaurants not in Magic Kingdom) 10. Cosmic Rays (Tomorrowland) Cosmic Rays is an okay place to eat. They have your typical cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. The serving sizes are quite large so two people could easily share a burger. The topping bar is what slides this into the top 10 because you get more food for your money. 9. The Lunching Pad (Tomorrowland) This is a place I usually hit up when I want a filling snack. The cream cheese pretzel is my favorite thing to get. It's the perfect combination of sweet and savory. They also sell hot dogs and other small snacks. 8. Tony's Pizza (Main Street) I didn't really even know this restaurant existed until I was wandering around Magic Kingdom one day looking for a sit down restaurant. They have Italian menu items like pasta dishes, pizza and salad. I don't even remember what I got, so it must not have been too fantastic. Free unlimited bread is what puts Tony's at number 8! Who doesn't love free bread? 7. Gaston's Tavern (Fantasyland) Guest: "Where's the butter beer?" Me: "Not in our park." 😂 Gaston's Tavern does have a drink very similar to ButterBeer called LeFou's Brew. It has an apple juice base mixed with marshmallow and a passion fruit foam. It's very refreshing. They also sell cinnamon rolls bigger than your face. If you eat enough they'll make you "roughly the size of a barge." I guess you could say "Nooooooo oneeee makes Brew like Gaston. No one makes rolls like Gaston." 6. Columbia Harbor House (Liberty Square) The portion sizes here are amazing. I had the fish and chips. The fish was some of the crispiest and most flavorful fish I've ever had. The fries were also really good. I've heard their lobster roll is to die for but have yet to try it. 5. The Confectionary (Main Street) The Confectionary is one of my favorite places in Magic Kingdom. It always smells amazing and EVERYTHING that they sell is delicious. This is a great place to stop to use up snack credits for gifts or just for yourself. My favorite treats are the red velvet cake pop (pretty sure they're made of magic) and the Apple Pie caramel apple. 4. Pinnochio's Village Hause (Fantasyland) Pinnochio's sells Italian style food, so it's not your typical burgers and fries restaurant. The portions are large so two people could easily split something. The chicken Parmesan is really good. They also sell flatbreads and salads as a healthier option, but also have chicken nuggets for little ones. My favorite thing about this restaurant is the hidden magic inside. The Blue Fairy Wish Book is inside so anyone can write down their wish inside the book. It's really cute to read what little kids write. If you wish hard enough, all your dreams will come true with a visit from the Blue Fairy. 3. Pecos Bills (Frontierland) Pecos has such good Mexican food. I always get the nachos and load it with toppings at the toppings bar. Their fajitas are also a good option for a filling, cheap meal. S/o to my neighbor Kayleigh that works there! Go visit her smiling face! 2. Sleepy Hollow (Liberty Square) Most people don't even know this place exists, but it's the only place in Magic Kingdom that sells funnel cakes. They sell the best thing ever created- THE NUTELLA FRUIT WAFFLE! It has Nutella spread over a Belgium waffle with bananas, blueberries and strawberries. This Waffle gives me life and I would probably marry it if I could. WARNING: it is not possible to eat this neatly so be prepared to be a mess. And the top place to eat in Magic Kingdom issss..... 1. Be Our Guest I absolutely love this restaurant and would eat there everyday if I could. This is the Beauty and the Beast restaurant and the theming is incredible. You can eat in 2 different ballrooms or the West Wing. In the main ballroom, you can see it snowing outside and you actually feel like you're in the movie. A lot of people don't know that lunch is actually quick service, so they do walk ins most of the time. My favorite thing for lunch is the braised pork that comes with mashed potatoes and green beans and the Master's cupcake for dessert. You don't need to ask the dishes, trust me, the grey stuff IS delicious.

[ourhealthyfoodblog-blog]

New Post has been published on Healthy Food and Remedies

New Post has been published on http://healthyfoodandremedies.com/2017/03/29/worlds-best-breakfast-countrys-morning-meal-tops/

THE WORLD'S BEST BREAKFAST: WHICH COUNTRY'S MORNING MEAL IS TOPS?

Americans are kinda obsessed with breakfast, to the point where we sometimes eat it for every meal of the day. Except actual breakfast, as we overslept. Anachronisms aside, breakfast in the US is a sacred feast that we’re absolutely certain we do better than anywhere else in the world. But do we, really? We examined 18 traditional morning meals from across the globe and ranked ’em from “least nourishing” to “even better than French Toast Sticks”.

WIKIPEDIA/KHAM TRAN

18. Australia

What it is: Toast with Vegemite (sometimes with cheese) Why it placed where it did: There’s literally only one food group represented here. And a bacterial byproduct. C’mon Australia, you’ve got emus. Can we at least get some giant eggs?

WIKIPEDIA/LAITR KEIOWS

17. Russia

What it is: Kasha (a type of porridge), blini (blintzes) Why it placed where it did: Again, not too many food groups represented in a traditional Russian breakfast, and the color palette’s a little limited as well. If you’re a fan of beige and/or wearing khakis, this is the breakfast for you.

WIKIPEDIA/DAVID MONNIAUX

16. Japan

What it is: Rice, boiled fish, miso soup Why it placed where it did: A traditional Japanese breakfast involves a lot of fish and tofu and fermented soybeans, which can be kinda… fragrant. Granted, it’s probably hella healthy, but we want substance! And fried stuff! Keep reading.

WIKIPEDIA/WAGAUNG

15. Myanmar

What it is: Mohinga (fish broth, rice noodles, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, onions, and, sometimes, fried fish cakes) Why it placed where it did: Mohinga is both the most popular breakfast in Myanmar and its national dish, so it’s gotta be pretty good. It’s also eaten for almost every other meal. An exceptional breakfast should offer foods you can’t get the rest of the day! Except when you have breakfast for dinner. But that’s different!

FLICKR/SORA

14. France

What it is: Toasted baguette with jam/honey/butter/Nutella Why it placed where it did: The French are minimalists when it comes to breakfast, but at least they offer customization options where the topping of the bread is concerned. Where they lose major points is its lack of heartiness. It’s the most important meal of the day, and we definitely eat it every morning, Mom.

WIKIPEDIA/MW12310

13. Malaysia

What it is: Nasi lemak (coconut rice, anchovies, hot sauce, peanuts, and boiled egg) Why it placed where it did: Lots of food groups represented here and a flavor profile that borders on the aggressive. It’s a polarizing dish even in Malaysia, where it’s eaten at all times of the day. Gonna pass on the anchovies.

WIKIPEDIA/HALIL S. MUCARAM

12. Philippines

What it is: Silog (meats and rice) Why it placed where it did: The Philippines doesn’t care what you eat with your breakfast rice, as long as it’s something. They’ve got a variety of different silogs, like tapsilog (dried beef & rice), hotsilog (hot dog & rice), and spamsilog (spam & rice).

WIKIPEDIA/MIANSARI66

11. Pakistan

What it is: Halwa poori (unleavened fried bread, chickpeas, and sweet tahini loaf) Why it placed where it did: Now we’re getting into interesting flavor combination territory! Pakistan’s most popular breakfast is an intriguing sweet & savory combination that includes chickpea stew, fried bread, and even a sugary treat — it’s like dessert for breakfast! With a lot of stew!

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WIKIPEDIA/VIRTUALSTEVE

10. Switzerland

What it is: Bürli (rolls), Tilsiter cheese, cold cuts, butter & jam, soft boiled eggs, coffee, tea, fresh fruit, muesli Why it placed where it did: Switzerland’s spread places it square in the middle of the pack, in true Swiss fashion. Plenty of options, but in the end, you’re probably just gonna get some muesli.

WIKIPEDIA/CARLOS T

9. Mexico

What it is: Chilaquiles (tortilla chips simmered in mole) or tripe with eggs Why it placed where it did: Chilaquiles are so delicious, they placed Mexico here on their merits alone. Otherwise, there aren’t too many food groups or options represented. Still, we’re entering must-try territory.

WIKIPEDIA/DEROR_AVI

8. Israel

What it is: Israeli salad (cucumber, tomato), feta, shakshuka (eggs poached in tomato), hummus, tahini, pita, olives Why it placed where it did: Displaying a wide variety of options is Israel, whose hotel buffets would be the envy of every other buffet in the world, if buffets were sentient. Shakshuka is especially good served with some bread to mop up the yolk. But the absence of meat docks them some points.

WIKIPEDIA/MATTES

7. Thailand

What it is: Fried egg, fried rice, porridge, curries Why it placed where it did: A typical Thai breakfast involves a lot of spicy stuff, which is just what you need to jump start your metabolism in the morning. Unfortunately, there ain’t a ton of starch to be found, which is one of the key ingredients of any breakfast.

FLICKR/JESSICA SPENGLER

6. United States

What it is: Eggs, toast, bacon or sausage, pancakes, home fries Why it placed where it did: Our breakfast is as diverse as our landscape and brings in elements from breakfasts all over the world. It skews towards the fatty and hearty, but could benefit from a few more textural differences and food groups.

WIKIPEDIA/JOADL

4 (tie). England

What it is: Full English breakfast (fried egg, sausage, fried mushrooms, baked beans, hash browns, toast, and grilled tomato) Why it placed where it did: Holy breakfast, Batman! The UK’s traditional breakfasts are downright loony (and not in the Canadian way) and offer up a huge amount of food from pretty much every food group. Not to mention the fact that most of it is fried.

WIKIPEDIA/GUS-DLC

4 (tie). Ireland

What it is: Full Irish breakfast (bacon rashers, sausage, fried egg, white & black pudding, toast, fried tomato, Irish tea) Why it placed where it did: Very similar to the full English, except for the inclusion of white & black pudding and Irish tea.

FLICKR/JEREMY KEITH

3. Scotland

What it is: Full Scottish breakfast (fried egg, back bacon, sausage links, black pudding, buttered toast, baked beans, tea, tattie scones) Why it placed where it did: The full Scottish edges out its English and Irish counterparts due to the copious amounts of meat, and the fact that you can get “tattie scones”, which are 1) a form of potato bread, and 2) ridiculously fun to say out loud.

WIKIPEDIA/TANYEL

2. Turkey

What it is: Feta, tomato, cucumber, olives, toast, cherry jam, spicy Turkish sausage, Turkish tea Why it placed where it did: Even the DMV doesn’t give out as many plates as you’ll see on a Turkish kitchen table, as they go fully HAM on breakfast (without the inclusion of actual ham). The only downside to this is that cleanup must take forever.

FLICKR/WILLIAM NEUHEISEL

1. Venezuela

What it is: Arepas filled with butter and salty cheese, assortment of meats, chicken & avocado salad, eggs, beans Why it placed where it did: Venezuela’s breakfast is all about salt, starch, meat, fruit, and cheese — and that’s what makes it the best breakfast in the world. Grilled chorizo, arepas filled with super-savory white cheese, chicken, avocados, and eggs are all guaranteed to keep you full until dinner and help you grow up big and strong like Pablo Bunyan.