#but hey. it's just chicken. you can cook it in like. soy sauce eat it with some rice and sesame seeds and it tastes fine

[moinsbienquekaworu]

After about four hours, I have a lot of japanese chicken curry, seen the latest OSP detail diatribe, made a fair amount of dishes, and my back hurts (ouchie). And it's just 11pm! How very productive of me.

[ms-demeanor]

Hey also you know that post about getting better at cooking and handling meat and stuff?

Meat is really expensive and it goes bad pretty quickly.

If you're a new cook and you're trying to figure out how to pan-fry something so that it tastes good, might I recommend tofu?

I'm not saying "treat tofu like meat and try to replace all your favorite meat dishes with tofu" (though, I mean, if that sounds good - go for it), I'm saying "it's a lot easier to practice heating a pan and flipping objects in a pan for a meal and seasoning objects in a pan when the objects in the pan cost two dollars instead of ten dollars."

Tofu lasts a lot longer in the fridge than meat does, is easy to season, and you can easily learn how to pan-fry it into a tasty snack (or main course) and only requires a little extra prep. You can also pretend that the tofu is raw meat (the texture isn't dissimilar) and start practicing for things like how to take it out of a package or cut it on a sanitizable surface, etc.

My favorite way to cook tofu is to press extra firm tofu for at least half an hour (you can get a cheap tofu press for around ten dollars, or you can put it between two plates with some books on the top plate - this is that extra prep i was talking about - tofu cooks best if you press the excess water out), then slice a 14oz cake of it into 8 slices. I lay these flat and sprinkle cayenne pepper, mushroom powder, and smoked paprika on all of the slices, then I rub it in and flip the slices and season the other side the same way. I cook it in a frying pan with a thin layer of avocado or olive oil over medium heat, flipping every two minutes until the flat sides start to crisp up a little. Just before the last flip I add about a tablespoon of tamari sauce (you can use soy sauce, I've just got allergies) to the pan, sprinkling it over the tofu so that both sides get a little bit of sauce on them.

I have that with steamed vegetables and with jasmine rice (with two teaspoons of rice wine vinegar per 3 cups of dry rice and 4.5 cups of water). I also make a honey-siracha-mayo sauce that I dip the tofu in.

It's really good. And now I end up eating leftover rice and sauce with fried eggs for lunch at least two days a week and that's also really good.

This has become one of my go-to low spoon foods because it's so easy to make, it's filling, it tastes good to me, and it has become extremely easy for me to keep a stock of tofu in the fridge compared to the effort of keeping un-expired meat in the fridge.

I find that a 14oz pack of tofu feeds two adults for one meal, though I can stretch that to three meals if I'm the only one eating.

It makes a very cheap, filling, easy dinner that I can keep the ingredients around for without too much concern for food waste or anything going bad (the tofu that I get lasts about a month in the fridge and these days I just buy three packs every time I'm at aldi and cycle in new stock - it costs $1.50 per pack)

If you're interested in becoming a better cook, rather than worrying about actual high-risk products like raw chicken that can be seriously dangerous and also cost a fair amount, tofu has a pretty low barrier to entry while also being a good way to learn on a new ingredient that has some similar properties to raw meat.

[sea-salted-wolverine]

No spoons for cooking or dishes? That's okay, find yourself a ricecooker. it will love you more than your own mother.

Put rice in pot. Put water in pot. Rinse rice. Put as much water as rice in pot. Add sauce. What kind of sauce? What are you a cop? Add a good sauce, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, worschester sauce, enchilada sauce, whatever you please. Add veggies, diced veggies, frozen veggies, fresh veggies, whatever veggies you got on hand. Yes, you need to add veggies, or die of scurvy. Add protein, fish, chicken, red meat, tofu, whatever, beans maybe. Just stick it in there on top of the rice and veggies. Didn't take the meat out of the freezer? It works with frozen meat. You're welcome. Toss some spices in there maybe? Idk, you know what you like.

Put pot in rice cooker. Set to cook. Do whatever it is you do with a spare 20 minutes. Chores. Sex. Floor time. Homework. Post about one pot meals on Tumblr. I'm not your mom. Oh hey. The rice cooker beeped.

Eat it out of the pot. You have a fork and a nonstick pot to rinse. But also, sustenance and nutrition. That you could feasibly feed to other people without feeling like you're feeding them depression meals. AND most importantly, frozen veggies and frozen meat and rice are all things that you can stash and stock in your house for relatively cheap.

Of all the appliances you could possibly have in a modern kitchen a rice cooker/ pressure cooker is the one you can get the most mileage out of. Congratulations on your infinitely customizable balanced and nutritional meal.

[flyingwargle]

sunaosa week day 5: bento

training is often split into morning and afternoon sessions, with conditioning in the first half, and practice in the second half. the athletes are given two hours in between for lunch, many opting to return home to cook, following the strict diet created for them by their nutritionist, with a few staying at the gym to eat in the lounge, using the microwave, toaster, or electric kettle to warm up homemade lunches, leftovers, or a haphazardly assembled combini meal from the 7-eleven across the street.

komori, washio, and suna often eat together, newbies of the team. komori is a decent cook, although he hasn’t graduated beyond burnt eggs, soggy rice, and using soy sauce to season everything. washio is better, often spending his weekends experimenting with new recipes, like barbecue-glazed ribs, butter shoyu chicken, and tonkatsu ramen.

suna, on the other hand, can’t cook to save his life, unless it’s reheating leftovers or adding noodles to boiling water. and yet, he brings a bento made with love every day – grilled fish, seaweed salad, pickled vegetables, and absolutely divine tamagoyaki that komori always steals whenever he isn’t looking.

“hey, guys!” nagito slides into the empty seat beside komori with his 7-eleven haul – three onigiri, two sandwiches, several energy bars, and a carton of juice. “what’s everyone eating?”

they show him their various bento boxes, but nagito only whistles at suna’s. “the boyfriend does it again! i thought the two of you are long-distance?”

“yeah, but he’s staying with me for a month as a break,” suna replies. “i tried telling him that he doesn’t have to cook for me, but i can’t keep him out of the kitchen. he’s been stressed out lately with the restaurant, and i want him to cook for fun while he’s here.”

“maybe he can give motoya a cooking lesson,” washio suggests. “pivoting your focus away from work to instructional might help him relax.”

“are you saying that my cooking sucks?” komori asks, showing off his poor bento of rice covered in furikake and soggy karaage that he picked up yesterday at the supermarket.

"yes. i could use a lesson, too. i want his expertise on how to grill fish.”

suna nods, taking his phone out. “sure, i can ask. you want in, nagito?”

“might as well,” he chirps. “it beats having combini food every day!”

the middle blocker sends a text to his boyfriend, and they continue their discussion about coach’s proposed rotational changes, and the exhibition match scheduled at the end of the month. when practice starts again, they pack their bento boxes and head for the locker room.

komori eats the same thing every day, so he makes a game with nagito to predict what protein their teammates will bring. washio is more of a red meat guy, but suna often has fish, until one day, he brings a huge container of pork gyoza to share. “’samu was experimenting with a new recipe,” he said as explanation.

“osamu should move in with you permanently,” komori says, plucking another gyoza from the tray.

“trust me, we want to. maybe in the future.”

it continues for the rest of the week. after the weekend, the group gathers for lunch, komori proudly revealing his soba noodles instead of soggy rice. “you upgraded,” washio remarks. today, he has sushi made from scratch.

“nagito and i split a huge pack of soba noodles! the supermarket sold bottles of sauce too, which helps.”

“oh, you went with boiled noodles!” nagito slides into his seat beside komori. “check out what i made!” he lifts his lid off, the irresistible scent of yakisoba filling the room.

komori is immediately envious. “i thought you didn’t know how to cook!”

“it wasn’t that hard! i just followed a recipe online and fried everything together. a lot of noodles got stuck to the pan, though. i had to toss it.”

washio chuckles, but it’s short-lived. “i guess suna isn’t joining us today.” he was late to conditioning too, haggard with dark circles around his eyes. komori lost track of him after they stopped for lunch.

it’s about an hour into their lunch that suna appears, sliding into the seat beside washio. “hey.”

“where did you go?” komori asks, in lieu of a greeting.

“had to go back home for a bit. i didn’t want to bother ‘samu, so i came here to eat.” instead of putting his usual bento box on the table, it’s a bag from 7-eleven. inside are sandwiches, a gyudon, several protein bars, and energy jelly. he drags his feet to the microwave to heat his gyudon.

“no bento today?” nagito ventures when he sits back down. suna simply shakes his head, leaving it at that.

komori doesn’t push, but then the same thing happens the next day, and then the next. by the fourth day, he just sleeps while they eat, until nagito pokes him with his chopstick. “hey, you need food. did you bring lunch?”

“no,” comes the muffled reply.

“did something happen between you and osamu?” komori asks. “like…like…a fight? or…”

suna turns his head until he’s facing them. “no. i mean, kind of. he was being…stubborn when i tried telling him to rest more. the next day, when i came home, i found him collapsed with a fever.”

“oh.”

“why aren’t you with him?” nagito asks.

“his stubborn ass won’t let me take care of him, said he doesn’t want to interfere with my training. i asked coach for time off, but ‘samu insisted.” suna’s eyes glitter with unshed tears. “i didn’t want to make him more upset, so…”

washio places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “i’m sorry to hear that.”

“let’s buy medicine and food for him after practice,” komori suggests. “you also need food. i’ll run out to 7-eleven and grab something.”

“i’m not hungry–“

“too bad,” nagito says, snapping his bento lid shut. “you need to stay healthy if you want to take care of miya. we’ll be right back.”

after practice, they split between the supermarket and pharmacy, reconvening at a nearby restaurant to pick up takeout. they follow suna home, stepping inside the darkened apartment. “’samu?”

coughing answers him. suna doesn’t hesitate to drop his bag and kick his shoes off, hurrying to the bedroom. komori, washio, and nagito linger in the kitchen, putting takeout containers in the fridge, heating congee in a small pot, and getting a glass of water ready with medicine. washio transfers the warm congee into a bowl, nagito finding a tray to put everything on. komori carries it to the bedroom, where he hears hushed voices.

“ya don’t hafta worry ‘bout me,” is osamu’s rasp. “i can care fer myself.”

“’samu, your fever is over 37 degrees,” suna says softly. “i know you can care for yourself, but you aren’t alone. i’m here. and…” he glances over his shoulder at the trio. “there are others that want to help, too.”

komori enters, putting the tray on the desk. osamu is under the covers, cold compress on his forehead that’s slick with sweat. washio and nagito step into view, as well. “suna is right,” washio says. “we all need a helping hand once in a while.”

“just let your boyfriend coddle you,” nagito adds.

“exactly. thank you, nagito.” suna turns back to osamu. “we have food for you, too. can you sit up?”

he helps him upright, then feeds him small spoonfuls of congee at a time. the trio slip outside, lingering a moment more to observe. the couple’s voices are quiet, osamu’s resistance melting with every spoonful. the tension in suna’s shoulders lessens, replaced with a soft smile full of affection. komori guides his teammates out, putting their shoes on and collecting their bags.

osamu will be in good hands.

[spooniechef]

The Dinner Diaries, Day 1 (fried rice, 1 spoon)

My eating habits are not the most orderly things in the world. I thought it might be a good idea to actually try documenting what I eat for a month or so, just so that I've got some kind of record. Also means that I've got a bit more scope for throwing out recipes, even if they are simple, basic, "Everyone must know how to do this" recipes. Because who knows? Maybe people don't, or maybe I do it in a way that people might find easier.

I'm not generally a breakfast person so I had coffee and a couple of gluten-free chocolate digestive biscuits. For those not of the British persuasion - digestives are sort of the plainest cookies in existence, sommetimes elevated by dipping one side in chocolate. So it kind of feels like ready-made oat-bread toast spread with Nutella. I guess that counts as breakfast, more or less.

Skipped lunch because my so-called 'breakfast' was too close to the lunching hour for me to be very hungry, but around 3:30, I had one last slice of my Admiral's Gingerbread (recipe in last post - oh, hey, I have a hand mixer now! Making that monstrosity inspired me to get one). Not because I ran out, precisely, but because my stepfather was in the neighbourhood and he likes baked treats, and since I couldn't eat all of the rest on my own before it got stale, I gave him the last two slices so that they'd have a good home.

Dinner, though - that was my triumph. See, I did a pork roast last week, and a roast chicken the other day, so I had a little bit of roast pork and a lot of roast chicken, the former needing to be eaten basically now. But I had plans in that direction. Nothing says "use up the last bits of cooked meat before they go manky" like fried rice. The recipe that follows is going to be a little vague, but I'll leave notes.

Here's what you'll need:

Rice

1 onion, quartered and sliced

4-6 cloves garlic or 1-2 tablespoons garlic puree

Whatever meat you happen to have handy, cut into chunks (about 1" or so)

Various vegetables (for the purpose of this, we'll say frozen mixed veg)

0.5 thumb-length fresh ginger, grated (or 1.5 tablespoons ground ginger, separated)

Approximately 1/3 cup soy sauce (or tamari, if you're gluten-free)

Other spices to taste (I like a dash of ground coriander, personally)

Like I said, this is so vague because so much is according to taste. Fried rice the way I do it is basically the Hoover Stew of rice dishes, so it's basically "throw stuff into the pot according to taste, heat, FEAST". So take just about everything with a grain of metaphorical salt, okay?

Here's what you do (or here's what I do):

Boil the rice however you would normally (I generally use a pot even though I have a rice cooker because I can just throw in a cup or so of frozen mixed veg just before the rice is cooked and let them finish off together); set aside

Ditto vegetables, unless you've cooked them with the rice

Heat some oil in a pan; sautee the onions with half the garlic until the onions are transparent

Add your meat, the half-tablespoon of ginger, and about a third of your soy sauce (and other spices to taste); heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the meat is warmed through

Add the rice and vegetables, dump in the rest of the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and all other spices and heat on low for maybe five minutes, stirring regularly so that the soy sauce mixes evenly into the rice

I find this way works because it's not a lot of effort, but still layers the flavour better than just dumping everything in all at once.

So dinner was Fried Rice A La Spoonie, and dessert was a can of peach slices. So there was one balanced meal out of today, anyway. I do have leftovers so maybe there'll even be lunch tomorrow! That would be a step in the right direction.

This is my week off after three weeks of nightmare at the office, which has left my spoons at an all-time low, but I do have plans for interesting meals this month. I have duck legs - a slight extravagance but they were on sale - and the fixings for a good bacon and eggs breakfast and plans in the direction of a Wacky Cake. But mostly, honestly, I hope you'll be patient with me as I mostly try to finally get my eating habits in some semblance of order. Whether or not I'm very active, pain does burn calories, and one meal per day is probably insufficient.

[hawks-supremacy]

Shibuya Honey Toast

a/n: finally updating, i ended up writing more then i thought i was going to. i just kept typing, it's not much longer than usual but i try to keep the written chapters a little short.

warnings: none

words: 1.9k

Masterlist

You turned off your phone and quickly got dressed, it was fifteen minutes before you had to meet the guys and it was a ten minute drive and even longer walk so you were hoping you could convince Shinsuke to give you a ride there so you wouldn’t be late. You made your way downstairs to where your grandma was in the kitchen cooking something. “Hey grandma, is it okay if I go out with some friends today?”

She stopped her actions of kneading dough to turn around, “Sure Boo, where are you going?” she asked as you walked around her to pick some of the fruit next to her off of the counter. “We were going to go to that new ramen place that opened up, I also need a ride. Do you know where Shin is?” She pushed the fruit and the cutting board towards you and motioned for you to start cutting the fruit, “Gran I told you I have to meet with my friends I don’t have time to help you today.”

She waved her hand dismissing your statement and motioned to the fruit, “Shinsuke is in the shower sweetheart. He just got back from being in the field he wanted to get the dirt off. You have time to kill, help a poor old lady out.” You rolled your eyes sending a text to the group chat that you were going to be late and had to help your grandma before you could leave. “You aren’t some helpless old lady, I’m pretty sure I saw you doing chin-ups in the garden the other day. What are we making anyway?”

She turned around and continued to knead the dough on the counter, “I decided to make Shibuya Honey Toast. That used to be our guys’ favorite so I thought I’d make you guys some.” You nodded and continued to chop up the strawberries in front of you. “You know it’s been a while maybe five years since I last helped you make this, but from what I remember of other people making this, they don’t usually make their own bread for this.”

She tutted at you as she shook her head, “You know my policy Boo, if it’s not made by hand it’s not made from the heart.” You both laughed and fell into silence while you finished doing your current tasks. About five minutes later Shin came downstairs asking how everything was going. “Well I just put the bread in the oven to bake and Boo here just got done cutting up all the ingredients we need after the bread is done baking. They need a ride into town to meet with some of their friends, do you think you could do that please?” He nodded and walked over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water when someone knocked on the front door, “I’ll get it.” Shin said, running to the door. A few minutes later he came back into the room with three six foot rowdy teenage boys, two of which were too busy arguing.

“Osamu, Asumu, Suna? What are you guys doing here? You’re supposed to be eating ramen by now, not at my grandma’s house.” You laughed as you walked over to greet them, hugging Atsumu and Osamu, and giving Suna a crisp high-five. You ushered them over to the kitchen table asking if they wanted anything to drink. Atsumu was the one to answer your question as you got their drinks from the fridge, “We were on our way to the place when you texted so we turned around and came here instead.”

You nodded and turned your head to glance at your grandma who was leaning against the counter with a smirk and her arms crossed, “So which one of the twins is it Boo?” You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “Neither of them Gran.” You said at the same time as Kita said “Give her a break Gran.”

Atsumu raised his hand signaling that he had a question, “Y/n, why did she call ya Boo?” You groaned again, was it embarrassing Y/n day? “When they were a kid they were obsessed with trying to scare people so they would hide around corners all the time and yell “Boo!” all day. It was just the cutest thing. Not to mention that their first word was Boo.” After explaining the reasoning behind the nickname all three boys turned to look at you, “You guys want food? I think I’ll make us lunch since we ended up not going out to lunch. Why don’t you guys go watch Tv in the living room or something, what do you want?” You got up walking to the counter to start taking out ingredients. “Why don’t ya make Onigiri? And ya know what? ‘Samu can help ya with it, it is his specialty after all.”

You agreed and began to cook the rice, everyone except for Osamu went to the kitchen. On her way out your Grandma stopped by you and whispered, “So it’s the grey haired twin huh?” and went to the living room after winking at you. You turned to Osamu who was rolling up his sleeves to help you cook and walked over to the fridge, “Do you want to fill them with anything? We could do tuna mayo, umeboshi, I think we might have chicken. We could also do multiple so we have a variety and they could choose.” You looked up from glancing in the fridge and saw Osamu giving you the tiniest of smirks. “I’m rambling aren’t I?” You asked and he nodded, “Oops. So what do you want to do?”

He shrugged, “Let’s just do all three, ‘Tsumu is a pig and will eat anything we put in front of him.” You raised your eyebrow in an accusing manor, “Are you sure it’s Atsumu that’s the pig? I haven’t known you for long, but I’ve seen you eat.” He rolled his eyes and began to mince the chicken you handed to him while you got out the umeboshi and the ingredients needed for the tuna mayo. “Can you hand me the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake?” Osamu asked after he was done cooking the chicken. You brought over the needed ingredients and peered over his shoulder as he added all of them into a pan.

“What are you doing?” He asked looking over at you and nudging you with the arm he was using to stir the chicken with. “You look ridiculous standing on your toes like that.” You shrugged falling back onto the flat of your feet, “Sorry not everyone can be over six feet tall. I’m done making the tuna mayo so right now I’m just waiting on you. So I was watching you cook.” He gave a soft chuckle before telling you that that was a weird thing to do. “I don’t think it’s weird. I like watching people do what they’re passionate about. You see them get in this sort of zone where they don’t think about anything but that thing. I loved watching Toru play volleyball because it was his whole life, I can tell it’s the same thing with Atsumu and with you it’s cooking.” During your little speech you sat yourself on top of the counter.

Taking the chicken off the stove and setting it on the counter Osamu leaned into you, “So when do I get to watch you do something you’re passionate about?” You were about to respond when you heard a cough from the kitchen entrance and he quickly moved away from you and you slid off the counter. “Now Y/n what have I said about sitting on the counter?” Your grandma said walking in to take the fully cooked bread out of the oven to finish making her shibuya honey toast. “You told me not to.” You mumbled as she said “I told you not to. So what was that I walked in on.” You stopped forming the onigiri that was currently in your hands, “Gran can we not talk about it, please?” She waved you off with a “Yeah sure, just saying you guys would make a cute couple.” You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed.

Osamu looked between you and your smirking grandma and cleared his throat, “I agree with your grandma, I think we’d be a cute couple.” You whipped your head towards Osamu, he shrugged and mouthed ‘what?’. You gave a silent laugh and shook your head finishing the onigiri at the same time Gran finished the shibuya. Setting everything on the table you called to the boys in the living room to come eat lunch.

A few minutes after sitting down to eat Atsumu broke the silence, “What happened, why are we all quiet?” You and Osamu mde eye contact at the question and had a silent conversation before Osamu spoke, “We’re eating ‘Tsumu, some of us don’t like to talk with our mouths full, pig.” Atsumu scoffed in offense, “Excuse me, I’m not the one who eats constantly.” It wasn’t long before they started a full blown argument. Everyone watched for a few minutes before Gran broke it up and told them to sit down and eat or get out. After the argument was done Atsumu and Osamu sat back down, previously ready to jump across the table to attack each other. Everyone sat down and finished eating, making small talk here and there. You went to go do the dishes when your Grandma shooed you away insisting she had it. “Grandma Kita let us help, we made the mess.” Osamu tried to convince her to let you guys do it but if you know anything about your Gran it’s that she’s stubborn. “Hon go have fun, pick fruit in our field or something, and please call me Grandma Yumie, you’ll be family soon enough.” She replied, turning around and starting to clean.

You turned around, hand on your forehead walking out of the kitchen with Osamu following you, “I swear to god I’m actually going to put her in a home. I apologize for her behavior, Hajime has to go through this every time he visits or sees her.” He nodded as you guys exited the house to the back where Shin, Suna, and Atsumu were.

Shin was in the middle of trying to convince Atsumu to do something productive while he was here. While Shin did work in the field earlier this morning there were still a few things that could still be harvested. It didn't take long for him to convince Atsumu seeing as how he practically worshipped the ground Shin walked on, Suna however wasn't really jumping for joy at the idea of doing field work. After a bit of convincing and a lot of bribing and promises of chuupets he finally agreed to help for a few minutes.

The rest of the day was spent picking various fruits and vegetables while laughing and making fun of each other over old stories you told each other. After a few hours everyone had to go back to their respective homes and call it a night.

Tag List:

@officialfictionalwreck @uglystupidbxtch @chloji @mynscorner @halesandy @elianetsantana @kaleidoscopekai @browneyespinkhair @rinsangel @marvel-ing-at-it-all @writersandroses @lilith412426 @noodlenerd101 @bakugouswh0r3 @redheadedpineapple @chantalkate16 @confusedturtle @yqshirov @kazewo @kit-kat428

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 63 - Executing the food combo plan

Part 2 (To Part 1)

T: Yeh, yeh, yeh. Its like making yummy things with the type of stuff kids can usually buy. I used to love this so much as a kid, stuff like cucumber with honey and melon.

J, K: Ahh

T: So, today I've brought such a recipe from the   seinen magazine, 'Morning'. 

J: Oh!

T: Really!

K: We can eat it, yeah?

T: Of course. What do you think it is? What kind of thing? You probably can't guess.

K: I don't know.

J: I can see some vague ingrediants sitting off camera over there, but...

Kami: Uh, there was that thing a long time ago where putting soy sauce on tangerines makes them taste like salmon roe.

T: Oh yeh!

Kami: Is it that?

T: Ah, no. I'll give you a clue. The first thing is this ...Umaibo

K: Ahh, you could make something yummy with Umaibo.

J: Yeah, cause its umai (*umai = delicious*)

T: Next, marmalade.

J: Oh no, marmalade with umaibo? I can't see that working.

T: Next, cooked salad chicken that you can get in the convenience store.

J: Oh, that packaged stuff?

T: Yeah. Mix these three together.

J: Ehh? I wouldn't mix them.

T: So, the name of the dish is Salad chicken with Uma-jam.

J: Ehh?

T: Haha

K: It somehow doesn't sound that appetizing, haha.

J: Right. Those ones on the live broadcast did kind of sound delicious, but this...

T: Like this *holds up plate of ingrediants* , we've got chicken and marmalade here, and we'll sprinkle crushed umaibo on top of it to eat. If you do this, you'll be surprised what a good beer snack it makes.

J: Really??

T: Kamiya Takahiro says so!

K: Ok, lets do it.

J: Yeah.

T: So, I have three flavours of umaibo, so we can see what they each taste like with it. We can do rock, paper, scissors, or you can just choose with flavour you like..

K: What flavours are they?

T: We've got cod roe, cheese, or corn soup.

J: Ok, lets do rock, paper, scissors.

*They play RPS, Kaoru loses first, Joe eventually wins*

J: Ok, I'll go for corn soup. I bet this would taste nice as a salad ingredient.

T: Well, yeah. Ok (*To K*), you have this (*cod roe*).

K: Oh, I wanted this anyway.

J: Really?!

T: I wanted cheese too.

J: Ehh? Honestly, I would have thought cod roe would be the worst.

T: Now, there is a specific way to crush these. You have to exert the stress of daily life on them when you crush them. Aleviate your stress with it. Like this..

*comence crushing umaibos, Joe uses his elbow*

T: Haha

K: ???*3

J: Ahh, I wonder if this will taste good. This is my first meal of the day today.

T:???*4

K: Then just pour it on?

T: Well, yeah.

K: And mix it up?

J: Colour-wise, cod roe looks the most appetizing.

T: Yeah, it does. This does look quite nice.

K: Oh yeah! The cheese looks nice.

J: Do we put all of it on?

K: Joe, yours doesn't look that great.

J: Yeah, visually, mine's not good.

K: You said put it all in?

T: Yeah, then mix it up.

*mixing*

K: It doesn't really combine well though.

T: Well, you want a bit of the orange sauce on top.

K: Ok, Tasai, you go first.

T: Can I? Ok, here goes.

K: You have cheese, yeah?

T: Yeh, cheese. Cheese and orange. It looks good.*eats* Mmm!

J: Its good? Really??

T: Mmm. Its delicious.

J: Are you serious?

K: Really?

T: Yes

J: Are you just trying to please us?

T: Haha, no. Its not what you'd expect.

K: Ok, i'll go next. I'll get a decent mouthful.

T: Hey, look *points at K*

K: Hm?

J, T: Hahahaha

J: He's saying 'Hm'!

K: Its a bit sweet, its not that great.

T: Ah, maybe you put too much in.

J: Can I try mine?

T: Yeah.

J: Corn soup..

T: How is it?

J: Hmmm..

K: Haha

J: Ah, but..

T: How is it? Does it work?

J: Mm, its not disgusting...but...ah, but maybe its ok.

T: Ah! You realised it!

K: Hm, Im not so sure.

T: Imagine having this with a highball or something, an adult snack.

K: I think it was a bit too sweet for me. Maybe its that this cod roe flavour was too sweet.

T: Cheese might be better.

J: Yeah, this..

K: You're eating a lot aren't you?

J: I was hungry, haha.

T: Have a try of mine where my chopsticks havn't touched yet.

K: (*Tries Tasai's*) Ah! This works!

J: Was it the cod roe making it taste bad?

K: It tastes a lot different.

T: It must be the cheese.

J: (*Tries Tasai's*) Ah, mm, this is really nice. This is nicer than mine.

T: It must be this one.

K: Its the cheese.

T: Its good, isn't it?　

K: Mm.

J: The amount of jam to use might also need a bit of research. What do you think?

T: Yeah, there are a lot of possibilities.

K: The cheese would probably be good with alcohol. Cod Roe is perhaps wrong for it.

J: Im finishing the whole thing like normal, haha.

T: Kami, this tastes really good. It really does.

Kami: Im not eating it, so I can't comment.

J: ???*5

K: Hm, yeh, but cheese definitely works.

T: Mm, this might be a thing, its the first time I've made it so...

K: It might work with Curls (カール) instead of Umaibo too.

J: Oh, yeah, it probably would.

T: Yes, they might go well with this.

J: But if using Umaibo..

K: Yeh, cheese, if you go with umaibo.

J: Uh, corn soup wasn't too bad.

T: Yeah.

J: Its similar to cheese. Kinda cream cheesy.

K: Yeh, cod roe wasn't right for it. It was too sweet.

T: The cod roe flavour umaibo is suprisingly sweet, isn't it?

J: Well, this was quite intriguing.

T: Should we do another one of these food combo plans?

K: Yeah, I kinda want to. The viewers could tell us their suggestions in the comments, and we could try some of them.

J: I wanna try them and decide on the best ones.

T: Yeah...What, so this is the preliminary best one?

J: Well, yeah, thats the best so far, out of these. And then when we find the final best, we could do a kind of dinner show.

T: Haha, can't you see this food?

J: I can.

K: It looks kinda messy. But it does taste good.

T: Yeah, the cheese.

J: We could eat the winning dish at a 'The Freedom of Expression Dinner Show', while listening to the other submissions. Like, 'This one?'

K: That would be good.

J: Haha

K: Well, anyway, I'd like to do another food combo show sometime, so please submit your   ideas. Uh, ok, whoever is chosen can get one of the stickers we made for the radio show.

J: Lets do that.

T: Its sounds good.

K: So, by all means, please apply. Thank you very much.

*On screen note: Next time on the 5th of May, we will show the Kami produced Avatar video for Dir en grey's new single 'Oboro'.*

*1,2,3,4,5 Couldn't catch.

To top page To Part 1

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Akio

CW: References to the death of a friend, grief, suicide, murder 

Sequel to Found Out and this past flashback to Oliver Branch

The sound of thin, breaded pork cutlets frying in the big pan on the stove fills the air, and Akio breathes in the familiar smell where he lays on his back on his parents’ gigantic cream-colored sectional couch, stretched out across the whole length of it on one side. Not that he’s all that tall to take up all that much space, really, but what matters is that he would definitely have fallen asleep by now if it weren’t for holding his phone up over his face.

It fell on him, once, and he’s pretty sure no one noticed. Emi, his younger sister, hasn’t even looked up once from her own phone, except once to triumphantly announce that no one caught her and they all voted someone else off the ship. Then she looked back down and never looked back up.

Akio frowns, looking at his own screen, tapping his thumbs as he writes out an answer to the person messaging him. “Hey, Mom?”

“Yes?” His mother looks up from cooking, her eyes moving through the big open space right to him. They’d knocked down all the walls when they bought the house, open-concept-something-something. Akio didn’t care, but it was apparently deeply important to his parents. Something about family togetherness.

“You remember Tristan Higgs, right?”

Aimi pauses, tucks a bit of her short black hair behind one ear to get it out of her eyes as she flips the pork cutlets on by one, to get the other side nicely browned, too. The sizzling ratchets up in volume and then back down again. Next to her sits four bowls already filled with rice, and the table already has the vegetables ready to go. “Of course, honey. Oh, the anniversary’s coming up, isn’t it? I have an alarm set on my phone… did you want to go to the cemetery next week to see Ronnie and Paul?”

“Ew, no creepy graveyards for me, thanks,” Emi says, eyes still glued to her phone.

“We wouldn’t take you anyway,” Akio says, rolling his eyes. “You don’t even remember Tris or his parents.”

“I do, too. I was like seven. He was really nice. Mrs. Higgs was really nice, too. Mr. Higgs was weird.” 

“Wow, what a stellar eulogy that was, Emi. I can see why you want to be a writer when you grow up. The description there was just incredible.”

“Oh, go drive into a lake,” Emi says, without any particular rancor in her voice. 

“If you’re going to fight, I’m going to send you two upstairs so I at least don’t have to listen to it,” Aimi says, moving the cutlets to rest on a paper plate with paper towels lining it while she heats mirin, soy sauce, and… some other stuff in a different pan. Honestly, Akio has no idea exactly how katsudon happens, all he cares about is that it’s the perfect after-practice food and he is starving.

Except he keeps getting distracted by this guy on Insta. “Anyway, Mom, um, about Tris. So… yeah, I do want to go out and see his parents next week, yeah, but-... there’s this guy on Instagram who keeps asking about him. That’s… that’s weird, right?”

Aimi looks up, blinking. “Asking about Tristan? What is he asking?”

“Just like… he says he saw the video I put up on youtube, and he’s asking, like… what was his birthday, and did he like fried chicken, was he autistic, and… did he like musical soundtracks. This is weird stuff to ask a total stranger, right?”

“A little.” Aimi pauses while she watches the pan, and then pours a small bowl with beaten eggs into it, watching them spread and start to lighten to a puffy yellow as it cooked in the already-boiling liquid mixture. “Did you ask why he wants to know?”

“I did, but he just said he’s doing some research or something. But, like… research on what?” Akio taps on the guy’s little profile photo, bringing the profile itself up. “His username is benthebadmagician. Okay that’s-... that’s kind of cute.” 

Aimi’s voice turns sly. “Is this Ben cute?” 

“Ugh, gross, Mom. That’s not-... I mean he’s kind of-... that’s not important.”

“Ooooh, eyeballin’ the insta-hotties,” Emi singsongs. “Aki’s gettin’ desperate. Just get a freaking dating app like everyone else.”

“Already on it, Emi.”

“Then why exactly don’t you get any dates? Oh, right.” Emi sits forward and grins. “I forgot about your personality.”

Akio throws a throw pillow at her and the big orange poof misses by a mile. Emi laughs, getting to her feet and wandering over to the fridge, pulling a can of soda out and popping the top. “Aren’t you an athlete, how the hell did you miss that?”

“Language,” Aimi warns, waving a spoon at her daughter. She gently places the cutlets into the cooking eggs to finish up. “No swearing under my roof, young lady.”

“Aki swears all the time!”

“Aki is twenty-four years old,” Aimi says, almost primly. “And he doesn’t swear where I can hear him.”

“What, so it doesn’t count if you don’t hear him?”

“Of course it doesn’t, how do I know if I don’t hear him?”

Akio smiles, faintly, but he’s scrolling through the Ben guy’s instagram feed now. Just looking at the grid of squares, photos and videos. Lots of coffees and food, people laughing, photos of a girl with really pretty hair. Photos of Ben the Bad Magician himself. Nerd, Akio thinks, but cute nerd - definitely nose-in-a-book type. Nice brown hair, nice smile. 

“Oh look at that face,” Emi says, eyebrows raised. “Ben the Insta-Weirdo actually is cute huh?”

“Go eat slugs.” Akio keeps scrolling down and down, not sure what he’s looking for. Autism awareness banners - he checks those to learn the Ben guy’s got an autistic little brother, and his friend Christopher is autistic. There’s a couple slides, and he swipes his finger to what he assumes is a photo of the Ben guy with the little brother, who looks almost exactly like him, just a whole bunch younger and looking, unsmiling, off to one side while Ben grins at the camera.

Akio doesn’t bother checking the last slide - it’s probably just whoever the Chris guy is. He backs back out to the grid of thumbnails. Maybe he just picked up on the stuff Tris always did when he was excited, and got curious? Maybe his little brother liked the video? Akio’s gotten a couple comments from people saying they liked seeing an autistic kid just be fucking happy in public without getting shit on for it, and that used to be a big deal for Mrs. Higgs, too...

The question about musicals keeps snagging at him. Tris loved musicals, went through cycles with them. He and Akio had a whole routine done to a song in Hairspray, just for fun, when Tris was obsessed with that for a while. And then they were going to do the Time Warp as a routine once...

Akio keeps scrolling, only vaguely aware of his sister and mother talking, and Emi leaving the room to go call their dad in for dinner. 

Emi stops in the doorway and turns back. “Don’t forget to get his phone number, Aki. You can definitely trust strangers on the internet creepily interested in your dead best friend, right?”

Akio looks up, then, blinking at her. “Emi, that’s-...”

She seems to catch herself, and gives him a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Aki. That got bitchy.”

“Language,” Aimi reminds her. “But I appreciate you apologizing. Does anyone even hear me say to use nice language any longer?”

“No,” Akio and Emi say in unison, and then Emi disappears down the hallway, bellowing for their father in her loudest voice even though she could easily walk up the stairs and not have to yell at all. 

Akio looks at his mother and deadpans, “Your daughter is really weird.”

Aimi matches him tone for tone. “Your sister is weirder.” 

She places the cutlets on top of the rice bowls with the egg just underneath the meat, carrying them one by one to the table, setting them each down in their place, and then grabs her glass of wine, patiently waiting for her while she cooked. She pads on bare feet across the hardwood floor over to the pale white rug, soft as down underfoot, and stands next to where Akio is laying down. “Are you looking at the profile?”

“I am, yeah. I don’t know what I’m looking for, really, just… hey, wait.” Akio stops at the thumbnail preview for a video, tapping to open it up. It starts with a blue-haired boy smiling, and his smile hits Akio all odd, makes his throat tighten and his heart start to race. The boy in the video puts up a finger and backs up, glances over his shoulder at a TV screen behind him playing the tango scene from Rent. 

Akio blinks as the boy holds out a hand and a girl with really gorgeous long wavy hair takes it, the two of them moving effortlessly into a perfect mimicry of the dance on screen. The room they’re in is mostly empty, furniture shoved to the walls to turn what looks like some kind of lobby into a dancing space.

“Wow, that kid can really dance,” Akio murmurs, but the smile catches him, tugs at the back of his mind. The blue-haired boy can’t keep the grin off his face, it has to hurt to smile so big for so long, and the last person Akio thought that about was…

“You got this, Chris!” Someone calls from offscreen, and for a second Akio hears Tris and catches his breath, but no, no, they said Chris. Someone else claps for Mari - that must be the girl, maybe. 

They continue to dance, and Akio can’t tear his eyes away. “Mom? Do you see this?”

Aimi looks up from straightening some magazines on the coffee table and leans over, sipping her wine absently. “See what, honey?”

“Look,” Akio whispers. His throat is closing up, he can’t manage anything more than that. 

The two do a spin, and then burst out laughing, and the Chris boy stands back up straight, throwing his arms up like he’s just hit a perfect landing-

“Oh my god,” Aimi says next to him, her own voice strangled and choked, and Akio feels his mother’s hand suddenly clutch onto his shoulder. “Aki, is-”

“He’s dead,” Akio whispers. “He killed himself after his parents-... he’s dead, Mom.”

The Chris boy looks right at whoever was filming the video, shoots them a brilliant, shining smile, and then starts rocking, his hands moving through the air and twisting at the wrists, bouncing up and down on his toes.

Akio’s breath is shuddering in and out, and his heart pounds, trying to break out of his chest. “He’s-... Mom, he’s dead.”

“His aunt had him cremated,” Aimi says, but her lips are barely moving and the wineglass is loos in her fingers. “After they found him. She didn’t want a funeral.”

“He’s dead,” Akio repeats, thinking of the smile, the movements, the shy way he ducks his head at the end when people clap him on the back. He backs up to the wall again, keeps scrolling, looks for more pictures of the blue hair. He opens every single one he can find, searching for something, some sign that will tell him he’s not seeing what he knows he’s seeing. “His aunt took his phone away after like three months and then he was dead a month later, wasn’t he?”

There’s a pause.

“Mom? Mom, didn’t he kill himself like four months after they died? Didn’t he?” Akio’s voice sounds weak and is getting weaker. “Mom, please-... please answer me, didn’t he-”

“He left a note,” Aimi whispers. “His aunt-... she said he left a note, that he couldn’t live without them. It’s-... I never thought-... I never thought to question her, Aki, I never-... she was Ronnie’s family...”

He clicks another video.

“You’re a fucking mess, Christopher,” The girl from the dance video says, sitting in a tank tops and shorts on the edge of a bathtub. “Letting your roots grow out like that. But don’t you worry, Madam Mari is here to help!”

“Please don’t, don’t don’t-don’t call yourself Madam. Please?” A voice says, uneasily, and the blue-haired boy moves into the screen. “For, for, for me?”

“Yeah, no problem, Chris. Why’d you let it grow out so bad, anyway?”

His hair’s not blue in this one - or it is, but only about half of it. Pale and faded, but the top of his hair has grown back in for about three inches, and it’s coppery strawberry blond. He turns to the camera and gives a sheepish smile. “I, I got distracted and for, um, forgot.”

Aimi’s wineglass slips from her fingers, hits the floor, sprays wine like blood across the pristine white rug. 

Neither of them notices.

“I… I cried for him for like a year straight,” Akio chokes out, and he finds more pictures, more videos, more more more. He opens them up and then backs out of them again, unable to stop himself. Every photo shows him some shard of the mirror reflection of a dead boy all grown up - a sparkle of green eyes, happy motions in the background of a video, more of that familiar sunny smile. “I kept-... I kept all the stuff he left in my room, I saved all h-his text messages from before he d, disappeared, I-”

“This can’t be him,” Aimi says in a fierce whisper. “It can’t be, Aki, it can’t.”

Akio taps on another video.

The boy ties his long blue hair back in it, glancing sidelong at the camera, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “And, and, and you’ll, um, you’ll buy the, the, the-the-the nachos?”

“If you can still do it? Yeah, absolutely. Seeing that’s worth a plate of nachos to me. I’ll even buy you those fucking margaritas you like.”

“Chris just likes the sugar,” Someone else says, and Chris sticks his tongue out at them.

He takes a few steps back, rolling his shoulders, shaking out his arms. 

Akio tells himself that if the Chris on the screen doesn’t nail this, it can’t be him, it can’t be him at all. 

The boy puts his hands up, then down at his sides, back bowed briefly in a motion Akio knows too, too well, knows better than he knows breathing. The boy takes off across the grass without hesitation and-

Akio and Aimi both exhale.

-he jumps forward, dips at the waist, catches himself on his hands and does a perfect set of three backflips across a big grassy lawn, stumbling the landing but his feet pop right back into final position, and he throws his arms up with his chin lifted, and someone offscreen shouts, “Perfect Ten, Stanton!”

The boy laughs, shakes his head, says, “I’d be, be, be dinged for the, um, the landing, but-... but, but good, right? I did good? Laken?”

Someone with the coolest hair Akio has seen steps into the screen and they hug, kiss briefly, and then Chris apparently can’t handle the happy emotions because he backs away to start bouncing up and down, grinning.

He looks back at the camera. “Want to see me, me, me... me do it again?”

“He’s not dead,” Aimi says, and her voice sounds like someone closed their hands around her throat. “Oh, Ronnie-”

“What the fuck happened to Tristan fucking Higgs?” Akio’s voice is barely audible over the sound of the video starting over. “He’s… he’s not dead. He’s not dead, Mom, he’s not-... he’s not dead, Mom, he’s not dead and he’s right-... that the university, right? He’s not dead, and he’s, has he-... has he been here the whole fucking time?”

His mother doesn’t chide him for language this time. Her hand tightens on Akio’s shoulder as red wine soaks the rug beneath her feet and she whispers, “Give that Ben boy your number. Tell him to call you.”

Her fingernails ache where they dig into his skin through his shirt.

“Now.”

---

Tagging: @burtlederp , @finder-of-rings , @endless-whump , @whumpfigure , @slaintetowhump , @astrobly @newandfiguringitout , @doveotions , @pretty-face-breaker , @boxboysandotherwhump , @oops-its-whump @moose-teeth , @cubeswhump , @cupcakes-and-pain @whump-tr0pes @whumpiary @orchidscript

[shokudou-boogie]

Hi everyone!

There is no coincidence why I’ve decided to make chicken adobo today. Although I didn’t plan on doing this, I needed to clear my mind, and cooking was the only thing I felt that could help fix that.

October is Filipino American History Month. October was chosen to celebrate Filipino American History Month to commemorate when the first Filipinos arrived to America in October 18th, 1587.

Although Filipino American History Month is mostly focused on the the history of Filipino people, I’d like to use this month as an inspiration to gather inspiration and use it as a way to share my experiences growing up Filipino.

So yeah, this blog entry might turn a bit wordy, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum.

Chicken adobo is a Filipino household staple. You can ask any Filipino person about adobo, and I guarantee you that they will immediately get hype and talk about the adobo they ate growing up. Almost every Filipino have their own variation of adobo that they call the best adobo that they’ve ever had. It only makes sense that they’d claim that their adobo is the best because it’s what they grew up eating. They’re familiar with it. It reminds them of home.

Adobo always reminds me of home too. Although my parents aren’t like culinary geniuses or whatever, some of the food that they’ve cooked for my family are dishes that I think any restaurant can replicate. I think a lot of other Filipino folks can say the same about the dishes they had growing up. I guess that goes without saying for a lot of home-cooked meals.

The adobo that I’ve made is based off of what my uncle taught me when he visited America for the first time. I went to visit my parents when my uncle was staying here, and I ate the adobo that he made. The biggest difference that stuck out to me was that he added a bit of calamansi juice, and some crushed red pepper flakes. I felt like those additions were next level.

So I asked my uncle, “hey, what goes into your adobo?”

He just looked at me, shrugged, laughed, and then said, “I just kind of guess!”

Alright, that’s good enough for me. Just means I have to do some research into what makes adobo, adobo.

But hold on just a second, adobo? Isn’t that a spicy pepper sauce marinade kidn of deal? Yes! But it is also a Filipino dish!

You lost me. I’m sure I did! So, the method of making adobo is actually an indigenous cooking process, but when the Spanish invaded the Philippines, they noted that the cooking method for what we call adobo today, is (hardly?) similar to Spanish adobo.

With that aside, I took a bunch of recipes and compared them to each other to get a better understanding of how to make adobo. The things that I’ve read, plus matching it with patches of memory of watching my parents make adobo, I was able to come up with a basic adobo recipe. Adding the calamansi juice and crushed red pepper flake is my uncle’s spin on it. Thanks Tito Jun for the inspiration.

Vinegar is a major component to adobo, and any kind of white distilled vinegar will do the trick just fine. However, I forgot I bought this giant bottle of Datu Puti white vinegar that had a bunch of peppers sitting in it. This vinegar in Tagalog is known as “sukang maasim” which “sukang” is vinegar, and “maasim” is sour. 

What’s special about this vinegar is that it’s made from sugar cane. It’s more mellow like malt vinegar with a hint of freshness. It’s less harsh-smelling and feeling that regular white vinegar.

There isn’t an actual reason why I decided to go with this particular type of vinegar. It’s more of, “oh yeah, I forgot I had this.” Looking at the picture now, I have no idea if this is the special cane sugar vinegar. Whatever, it still tastes good.

Anyway, I’m sure you’re all just dying for the recipe, so hit the link to read the recipe!

Ingredients

2 lbs. chicken leg parts (thigh, drumstick), cut into serving pieces

3 dried bay leaves

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 of yellow onion, thinly sliced

7 garlic gloves, minced  or crushed

1 1/2 cups water

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. whole peppercorns

1 tsp. lemon juice (or calamansi juice)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Optional tip: Some recipes I’ve read request that you marinate the chicken in the soy sauce and garlic in a large bowl, and let it marinate for an hour. Honestly, this is a really good idea and you should do this, but I’m gonna type out how I prepared the adobo.

Required tip: Cook a pot of rice before serving. You’re gonna need rice for this.

1. Season the raw chicken pieces with salt and pepper, making sure that you get both sides evenly.

2. In a heavy-bottom pot, heat up your vegetable oil on medium-high heat.

3. Gently place the chicken into the oil and cook both sides of the chicken, 2-3 minutes on each side. You may have to cook the chicken in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Remove the chicken and place on a plate, and put it aside for now.

4. Add the onions to the pot, sautéing them until they’re a bit translucent, then throw in the garlic for about a minute or until the garlic starts becoming really aromatic.

5. Put the chicken back into the pot, and then add the soy sauce, vinegar, water, peppercorns, bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn down the heat and reduce it to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

6. After 15 minutes, add the red pepper flakes and lemon juice to the pot. Stir the contents a little bit to let the pieces flip over in the pot, making sure that it fully cooks and all of the chicken gets nice and tender. Once the chicken is tender, it’s pretty much ready to serve.

I bought some green onions and made long diagonal slices to garnish the adobo with. Just thought it would be a nice touch to hit it with some bright green colors.

But yeah, this is something that you’ve definitely gotta have a fresh pot of white rice for this. While the adobo I made was something I didn’t grow up with, like the recipe isn’t my parents, it’s something I’ve made my own that I hope that I can share with everyone else to bring into your home. I’m happy with how this turned out.

[kinsbin]

Cooking Lessons [SI/Canon - Platonic/Familial]

Title: Cooking Lessons Pairing: Xena[Batmom]/Damien Wayne [Platonic/Familial Self Insert/Canon] Rating: G Word Count: 1865

Summary: Damien and Xena have a relationship of mutual respect, and that’s usually about as good as it gets. A bonding moment between the two of them, however, leads to some surprising confessions from the youngest of the Bat Family. 

A/N: So anyways Damien Wayne is my son and this is literally just a pice where he calls me mom for the first tIME

----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----

The night at the Wayne Manor was quiet, the only sound a soft echo of a television set having been left on in a room somewhere further in the darkened halls of the ever-expanding home. Xena leaned on the granite counter of the kitchen island and took a long sip of her whiskey, exhaling through her nose as she tapped the edge of the fine crystal tumbler she had placed the beverage in. Bruce Wayne’s grandiose manor never failed to amaze her, no matter how long she had found herself a resident among its halls. 

Bruce was out on business. By business, of course, it was Batman stuff, as it always seemed to be this late into the night. The mission was a small one apparently, nothing he and Jason (with Dick as backup) could’t handle on their own. That left herself, Tim, and Damien to spend time in the manor together. The thought of being left alone with the two boys left Xena uneasy for most the night, causing her to seek solace in a small drink alone as the boys spared down in the batcave, as their normal routine seemed to place them into doing.

The boys had been suspicious of her, as they had a right to be. With their father’s history in women, to be regarded with such sharpness was nothing unexpected that was for certain. It was Dick who accepted her first, followed swiftly by Jason and then, lastly, by Tim. The three elder members of the bat family seemed to find her well suited to Bruce and sweet enough that they let their guard down around her long enough to confess that they appreciated the change she had made in the older man’s life. Xena could only smile with appreciation at the generosity they gave her when it came to the so called ‘power’ she had over Bruce Wayne.

But then, oh, but then... there was Damien. 

Considering what history she could gather from Bruce and the others, it was no surprise he was taking the longest. She didn’t feel like it was right to rush him in his ‘acceptance’ of her either, if she could call it that. It had gone from him detesting her to, at best now, tolerating her existence and behaving neatly around her when Bruce was in the same room. Alone was even more awkward, sure, but he maintained cordiality. 

Though he was young he was smart. Xena never felt the urge to look down at him when they talked, her words flowing natural as they would with any adult conversation. It was in one of those conversations, something about the development of multi-media industries and their basis on socioeconomic culture amongst Gotham elitists, that he had actually referred to her by her name and not simply ‘Miss Imperial’ or ‘woman’. The words were shocking enough to nearly send her fumbling with her statements as she tried ot hide a smile, which in turn brought a blush of annoyance to Damien’s cheeks.

It was small, she supposed, but it was progress. It was what she was grateful for.

Xena wondered now, though, if the situation in the night was going to be too much for them both. There was a mutual understanding now of treading carefully among one another, taking time to plan out situations and discussions as they met. Bruce insisted she didn’t have to be so careful with Damien, but Xena argued that it wasn’t ‘careful’ so much as it was ‘respectful’. She had known the annoyance of being a child and not being taken seriously by adults. She had seen the resulting trauma that could grow from such behaviors and vowed never to treat a child like something so delicate and breakable, or like a pet to be trained. They were human. Damien was human.

A very tiny, sometimes intimidating human.

Footsteps brought her from her thoughts and she could feel her back tense at the sight of the very boy she had been thinking of. 

Damien froze in the kitchen doorway as well, his eyes wide as he watched her back. Neither had been prepared to run into one another in the kitchen, clearly, and the suddenness of their proximity created an air about the both of them that wasn’t necessarily awkward as it was unsure. New and distinct in its presence as they were given time with one another and no on else.

It was... different.

“Hey,” Xena finally piped after another slow sip of her drink, “Did you and Tim wrap up training?”

“Yes,” Came Damien’s curt reply as he walked further into the kitchen, “I was just going to get something to eat before retiring for the evening.”

She smiled despite herself, his proper demeanor never ceasing to fascinate her as she put her beverage down and sighed, stretching a little.

“I can make you something.” She offered.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, Miss Xena.”

“It’s no trouble,” She smiled, “I was about to make some food for myself anyways. No reason I can’t make a little extra. Chicken and rice sound okay to you?”

There was a hesitance in his form before slowly, surely, he gave a nod of approval. With a smile back at him, Xena turned to the kitchen to begin preparing the food she had planned on making anyways, taking out fresh jasmine rice alongside some herbs and digging through the kitchen for broccoli and chicken with a hum to her lips. As she gathered and prepared the food that was soon laid before her, Damien found himself sitting comfortably upon the bar stool of the island, leaning his chin in the palm of a hand as he watched the woman work in silence.

“Why are you so happy?” His question was sharp, even though it didn’t mean to be, but Xena was unphased.

“I like cooking. I’ve always have a bit more fun doing it for others.”

“It’s tedious.Having servants to do it for me was far more useful.”

“Which is why you don’t know how to cook anything.”

“I can cook!”

“Cereal and toasting things don’t count.”

Damien blushed and looked away with a frustrated huff and Xena laughed as she chopped up the chicken and set out pots to start boiling water for both the rice and broccoli, dipping the chicken in seasonings as the bite sized chunks formed on the plate before her. 

Xena finished chopping and set a few different food items aside as she looked over at Damien with a tilt of her head and a thoughtful pause. It ended as she finally spoke with a curious hesitance in her tone that made Damien perk upwards to listen to her more:

“Would you like to learn how to cook this? I can show you now.”

There was a long, thoughtful pause and, for a moment, Xena was afraid she had overstepped their boundaries. Her pushing may have been the sharp wedge that removed them both from their once comfortable spot in respecting one another. Perhaps she had put the relationship of her and the youngest wayne family member in jeopardy?  Her heart beat loud in her ears as she tried to swallow casually.

“... Very well, show me.”

When Damien spoke those words she couldn’t help the sight of relief alongside the twitch of a smile against her mouth as she gave a nod.

“Go wash your hands first before you touch any food.”

“My hands are perfectly-”

“Damien.”

“Okay, okay I’m going!”

---

Damien wasn’t as patient with cooking as he was with other things. He grew frustrated when he couldn’t cut the broccoli pieces evenly enough and nearly threw the knife across the room when a splash of boiling water hit his hand as he dumped half of the rice down in one swift movement. Xena could only stifle her laughs at his struggles and talk him through each movement with patience as she showed him the proper way to hold a knife and helped run his hand under cold water until the burning of the previous boil had ceased.

By the end of it, though, they had a meal. A real meal that looked edible and carefully crafted: piles of rice topped with broccoli and chunks of chicken, sprinkled with soy sauce and sesame seeds for added flavor. The dishes steamed with an enticing array of smells to them that had both members of the chef team drooling with anticipation.

“Now for the best part,” Xena grinned at Damien as she handed him a fork, “Eating what you make.”

Damien stared down at his food, wincing curiously at it before slowly bringing a portion to his mouth. He chewed with a careful cadence, judging both the meal and himself in the singular bite he had taken from it. Xena watched as she scooped a bite into her spoon and chewed carefully, her eyes widening and her smile spreading across her lips in delight as she chewed with renewed vigor. 

“It’s edible.” Damien observed in near disbelief in himself.

“Edible? It’s delicious!” Xena beamed with excitement, “You did really well Damien! I’m so proud of you!”

The words fell from her lips with delight and genuine pride. So much so that Damien felt a sense of his own pride welling deep in his chest. It bubbled fitfully under the surface as he bit back a smile through another bite of the food he made with her help. 

His words, though, fell without a filter. They fell without his permission:

“Thank-you, Mother.”

The silence now was thick as Xena stopped mid-bite of her food and stared down at the boy to her side with shock in her eyes. Damien, in return, felt his own eyes widen and a bright red streak of embarrassment coat his face in a vehement shade. He choked on what rice he did manage to keep in his mouth as he leaned forward and coughed.

Xena’s hand touched him hesitantly, rubbing his back to ease the rice out of his mouth. Damien’s shoulders tensed at the feeling and he sat up shortly after he stopped coughing. Grabbing his food, he made any and all effort to run from the kitchen. Xena watched him speed off with surprise.

“Damien, w-wait!” She called, reaching out for him, but by the time she stuttered out his name he was gone. Swiftly returning to his room and hiding away as the words of his mistakes echoed in the halls he ran through. 

He had... called her mother.

It was unintentional but so, so genuine that Xena felt her heart rise with an ecstatic delight that likes of which she had never felt before. Her lips curled into an excited smile as she rolled on the balls of her feet and tried not to giggle in delight as she sat on the bar stool Damien was previously occupying and ate the rest of her meal.

She would talk with him about it later. The poor boy, without a doubt, had a lot to think about in that moment.

All she could think about was how she couldn’t wait to tell Bruce when he got home. 

[dyns33]

My program

Hey @codyfernmorelikedaddyfern it’s a bit long, so I decided to just post what I’m doing since nine months to lose weight. You don’t have to follow everything, you will need to find recipes that you like with ingredients that you like (I tried apples and salad, and really I can’t...). I hope it will help you a bit, or other people ! But talk with a doctor before starting, cause I’m not a specialist. 

Some advices :

- No more alcohol (well, except to celebrate, but just a glass then)

- No more soda and add sugar

- No more fat, butter, oil... You can cook with a dry pan.

- Careful : fat and sugar are hidden everywhere, so read the stickers before buying a product.

- Avoid wheat flour, prefer whole-wheat flour

- Avoid chocolate (but you can eat some from time to time, the black one mostly, a life without chocolate would be awful)

- Eat less meat (but you don't need to become veggie or vegan. I would never be able to say goodbye forever to cheese...)

- Add lot of vegetables and fruits !!

- Drink at least 1,5 liter of water per day ! 

- Cook. Really, don't buy things that you just have to warm up. Try to avoid fast food.

- Organic food is the best. Yes, it's not cheap, I'm hurt everytime I have to buy my things, but it's better for you, not just to lose weight, but in general.

- Cook only what you will eat, not more, so you will be not tempted to eat again. You have what's in your plate.

- So that the dishes are not bland, you can make homemade sauces ! I use organic soy cream (not the Japanese one, the white one which can replace fresh cream) and I can make tomato, mushroom cream... and sometimes I use a little Japanese soy sauce, to make woks.

- You can have two "cheat days" per month when you can eat something special, like a pizza, French fries, go to a restaurant... But if you find the right recipes for you, the diet will bring you pleasure when you eat anyway.

- There must be 1/4 of meat or veggie-vegan product, 1/4 of starch, 2/4 of vegetables on the plate

- Use a tiny plate and eat slowly  

- NEVER forget to eat or think it will be better to not eat, or to vomit what you just ate. NEVER. You need to eat to lose weight healthily, effectively and sustainably.

- Don't do too many sport either. Your body have limits. Listen to it and don't hurt yourself.

- Be sure that the diet is the right one for you. Depend on how tall you are, how many calories you need per day, and some others things. Like, are you ill, do you have a syndrome ? For example, I have a polycystic ovaries syndrome, with a treatment for it, so it's hard for me to lose weight and that's why the diet is a bit "strict". Maybe you will not have to do all this, maybe you will need to do more... We are all different.

- Never forget that it will be long and difficult... After nine months, I'm not done yet.

 The diet :

In the morning : a slice of rye bread, with a little (just a little, sorry I didn't listen to you here CF !!!) of butter, and a glass of water. Raw butter is good for your health, but you should avoid cooked butter. Sometimes, to change, once or twice a week, I take organic muesli with small pieces of dark chocolate.

 For lunch :

- Monday : chicken, 20 grams of whole wheat pasta, eggplant, home made tomato sauce

- Tuesday : veggie soy steak, 10 grams of whole wheat semolina, spinach

- Wednesday : chopped steak, 20 grams of whole wheat pasta, carrots

- Thursday : fish, 20 grams of whole wheat rise, zucchini, with soja sauce

- Friday : veggie soy steak, 20 grams of whole wheat pasta, eggplant

- Saturday : a poched egg, 10 grams of whole wheat semolina, mushrooms with soja sauce

- Sunday : veggie soy steak, 20 grams of whole wheat rise, green beans

 For dinner :

- In Summer / when it's hot: a slice whole wheat bread, white cheese, a fruit

- In Winter / when it's cold : a soup, a fruit, sometimes a piece of whole wheat bread

 Snacks : They are not always bad, especially if you do a lot of sports. When it's 16/17 p.m., you can take a fruit, or two biscuits. Try to choose some with not too many sugar inside. Personally, I like to eat them with a good hot tea. And it’s only if you are really hungry at that moment, or else you can wait for dinner. 

 The sport :

At first, depending of your weight, it's better to lose fat, before trying to gain muscles. So do not too violent exercises, like walking, swimming, biking...  Also do targeted exercises, such as abs, push-ups, flexes ... With small weights, exercises for the arms. When I lost 30 kilos, I signed up for a gym. The best, for me, is to go there three to four times a week (monday, wednesday, friday, and sometimes sunday), for a session of about 1:30. 20 minutes of cardio, 40/50 minutes of bodybuilding, 20 minutes of cardio. No need to run or lift huge weights. The important thing is the duration. You have to make repeated movements for the muscle to work. For cardio, the most effective way to lose weight is brisk walking and cycling. You can take a coach or go with someone. I hate going out alone, but strangely, for sport, I find it better, because it is I who organize my session like I want. On the other days, it is advisable to rest, so that the muscle has time to reform. I admit that I am a bad student here, and that since I have an exercise bike, I do small sessions at home, with targeted exercises.

[samisweetbean]

SEOUL FOOD #1 - My Top 10 Must-Try Korean Foods

#1 - Korean Fried Chicken 한국 치킨

(AKA the only good KFC)

You may be thinking, what’s so special about fried chicken? WELL. You’ve never had Korean fried chicken. Imagine the crunchiest, tenderest, most flavorful fried chicken you’ve ever had-- then times it by 100. That is what Korean fried chicken is like. Soft, juicy, tender on the inside. Crunchy, flavorful, and not overly greasy on the outside. 

In addition, there are so many delicious flavors to try! Honey, garlic, soy sauce, spicy, yangnyeom, and more. All of them wonderful and paired perfectly with some mekju 맥주 (chimek 치맥) or, for non beer drinkers like me, some cola (chicole 치콜). 

It’s the perfect food whether you’re having a late night out with some friends, going for a picnic, or ordering takeout to your room at 2am (Hey, we’ve all been there). 

#2 - Korean BBQ 

Okay, so I love Korean BBQ. The above photo was taken on my birthday at a very popular Korean BBQ place in Chicago’s Chinatown. It wasn’t the best I’d ever had, but it was still great. That’s one thing I really love about Korean BBQ: I’ve never been disappointed by it. It’s always good. 

It’s a really fun dinner to get with a large group of friends or for a celebration. There’s something so special about making delicious food and sharing it with friends. Korean BBQ is a great example of the communal nature that a lot of Korean food has. Eating is something that’s meant to be done together. I love that cultural aspect of getting Korean BBQ.

That, and the food itself is so. freaking. good. Samgyeopsal 삼겹살 , bulgogi 불고기 , marinated or no-- it’s all delicious. Plus you get pretty much unlimited banchan 반찬 (side dishes). You can also order soups, pajeon, dumplings, etc and stuff your face as much as your heart desires (and budget allows, it can unfortunately get pretty pricey).  Oh, and don’t forget the soju! 건배! 🥂

#3 - Budaejiggae (Army Stew) 부대찌개

Buddaejjiggae is a spicy, hot-pot style soup made with ingredients like hot dogs, spam, sausages, and sliced cheese brought over by American soldiers during the Korean war, combined with Korean ingredients like kimchi, spicy peppers, ramyeon, tteok, and more. Originally it was a cheap food, made with surplus foods found on American army bases in Korea. Now, however, it is a delicious dish that can be found in restaurants all over Korea. 

What I love about this dish is how comforting it is. It’s the perfect food for a rainy day. I can just picture it: sitting around a table with some friends, talking, laughing. Through the steamed up restaurant windows we can see the rain outside, dripping umbrellas rest in a stand by the door. The hot, spicy soup warms us up from the inside out. 

Ah, I miss Korea.

#4 - Soon Too Boo Jiggae 순두부찌개  

Another soup perfect for a rainy day. Soft Tofu Soup. Spicy, salty, and so filling. This is my personal favorite Korean food; no matter how many times I eat it I never get tired of it. 

It’s also pretty easy to find at Korean restaurants here in the States. If I’m ever craving Korean food, this is usually my go-to. 

#5 - Naengmyeon 냉면

Cold noodles. Wait, what? I know, it probably sounds weird, but this is a food I quickly fell in love with in Korea. Buckwheat noodles served in an icy beef broth, topped with cucumber and other chopped veggies. My favorite kind also comes with a spicy sauce. Spicy, cold noodles. Weird, but amazing. 

It’s the perfect food for a hot day. Now that it’s summer (and constantly hot) here in Chicago, I’ve found myself craving these noodles a lot. They’re just so unbelievably refreshing. 

#6 - Tteokkbokki 떡볶이

Spicy Rice Cakes. For lovers of street food and spicy food, this is one you can’t miss. The texture may be a little off-putting if you’re not used to it; it’s a similar gummy texture to mochi. 

You can often find this in street stalls or kimbap shops (the kind that sells everything). If you go to a restaurant that only sells tteokkbokki, they usually have non-spicy options. I once ate one that had a tomato based sauce and mozzarella cheese-- almost like pasta.  

#7 - Pajeon 파전  

Okay, I’m going to lump two things into this category, despite them being pretty different. Pajeon is a savory pancake, and the two most common ones are kimchi and haemul (seafood). Both are delicious-- a little greasy but very flavorful.

Kimchi pajeon 김치파전 and haemul pajeon 해물파전 are often served with makgeolli 막걸리, a Korean rice wine served in bowls. I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest makgeolli fan; it makes me bloated and the taste isn’t my favorite. However, I love pajeon enough that I would go to a makgeolli place just for that. That is how good pajeon is. 

(Also, even though it’s not my favorite, makgeolli is a must-try drink in Korea.)

#8 - Jjin Mandu 찐만두 

Steamed dumplings. I have a special place in my heart for dumplings, of all kinds. Korean steamed dumplings in particular are one of my all time favorites. 

While I was in Korea-- and low on cash-- I would often get 5 steamed dumplings for dinner for around $5 USD. They were giant and came with free rice, kimchi, pickled radish, and some other banchan. A perfect cheap meal: delicious, comforting, and not that unhealthy. 

#9 - Dak-galbi 닭갈비

Spicy stir fried chicken. This is another one of my favorite cook-in-front-of-you, meant-to-be-shared Korean dishes. Marinated diced chicken served in a spicy, gochujang-based sauce with other ingredients such as tteok, cabbage, scallions, ramyeon, and sometimes topped with melted cheese. 

You can usually get it in varying levels of spicy. If you choose to go the extra-spicy route, beware. You’ll need the cheese. 

#10 - Samgyetang 삼계탕

This is one of the most unique foods I had in Korea, because it has a whole chicken in it. Yes, you read that right. A whole chicken. 

Samgyetang is a chicken and ginseng soup. It’s traditionally eaten in summer and supposed to be really healthy and good for your body. I’ve only eaten it once; I ordered a half size and it was still so filling I could barely finish it. 

Compared with other Korean foods, the flavor of this soup is very mild. It isn’t spicy, or salty, or sweet. You get to really taste the chicken, ginseng, and other ingredients like garlic and jujube. 

It’s a very unique Korean food, so I had to put it on this list. 

That’s it-- my top 10 Korean foods I think everyone needs to try! Of course, there are many other Korean foods that I love. This was really fun to make, I hope to make some more posts like this in the future. In the meantime, I think I need to make a trip to my local Korean grocery store for some kimbap haha

Thanks for reading! :)

[rosesupposes]

Making Chinese Take Out to Propose to My Boyfriend (Newsiestober Day 25)

Albert is a YouTuber with a cooking channel. Finch comes home from work to find the kitchen an absolute mess. 

Please enjoy this poorly edited Jenna and Julien inspired Redfinch fic written for Newsiestober Day 25: favorite ship.

Read on AO3.

Finch opened the door to his and Albert's apartment slowly and quietly. Albert had texted him a little camera emoji to let Finch know he was filming, and, while Finch wouldn't interrupt him as long as he was sufficiently quiet, he had startled Albert on more than one occasion by coming into the apartment too fast. The layout of their apartment meant that the front door opened right into the large room that included both their living room and their kitchen, putting it in perfect view of Albert for most of the time he was filming.

Or in this case, giving Finch the perfect view of Albert sitting on the counter and scrolling through his phone next to a camera that was most definitely pointed towards the door.  "Al?" he asked, a little unsure, taking in the mess Albert had apparently left the kitchen in as he set down his keys and his work bag. "Why does it look like a tornado went through the kitchen?"

Albert looked up from his phone, grinning. "Finch!" He set his phone down and jumped down from the counter, crossing the living room over to Finch. "Hi, I need you to be in my video, please?" He kissed Finch on the cheek and gave him his best puppy dog eyes.

Finch laughed and let Albert drag him into the kitchen, to the other side of the island counter and Albert's normal filming set up. Albert pulled Finch in front of the camera where they adjusted themselves in the viewfinder until the frame looked about the same as it usually did when Finch joined Albert for his videos. There were various bowls and pans scattered around the countertops and the kitchen smelled vaguely like Asian food. "Don't tell me there's this many bowls and no edible food."

"Shut up, asshole," Albert answered, even as he still grinned up at Finch. "It's in the microwave staying warm because someone was late."

Finch couldn't help but to lean down and kiss his boyfriend. "It's real rude of you to be late to your own video, Al, not sure how you managed it."

Al rolled his eyes but turned toward the camera and and put his hand on Finch's chest. "So now that my Bert is here, we can finish this video."

"Hi! I have no idea why I'm here," Finch told the camera.

"If you don't know, this is my boyfriend, Finch. I call him my Bert because someone made a Albert and Ernie joke once but he's the one who wears vertically striped sweaters." It was more introduction than Finch usually got on Al's channel but he nodded through it and rolled his eyes at Albert's joke. "Okay, you're just tasting what I made so guess what it is.

Finch hummed as he glanced around the kitchen. Despite the open cabinets and otherwise tornado-like mess, Albert had left no actual ingredients or packaging out which meant that Finch had no good clues. "Italian?" he asked, mostly to mess with Albert. Albert's Italian videos almost always came with Race attached. 

Albert tapped the back of his head lightly but didn't actually look annoyed. "Try again."

"Well, something with a lot of soy sauce. Ooh! Did you finally try that egg roll recipe lola sent you?"

"I told you, that's for your birthday. Guess again."

Finch closed his eyes and hummed, a little extra dramatic for the camera and for Al. It really was mostly soy sauce he was smelling but it smelled more like take out than anything else. He turned to Albert and grinned, trying to convey that he was joking. "Did you order take out to prank me for a video?"

Albert rolled his eyes. "No but you're close. I did make Chinese takeout." Albert went to the microwave and pulled out several white takeout containers.

"Did you buy takeout containers for this video?"

"Amazon Prime, baby." Albert set the containers down in front of them and then pulled a wax bag with some spring rolls from the microwave as well. "There's cashew chicken and beef and broccoli," he explained, handing Finch a set of chopsticks. "And some rice, of course."

"Awww, like our first date." Finch grinned at his boyfriend and took the carton of cashew chicken he was offered. He turned back to the camera as Albert opened more cartons, wiggling his eyebrows playfully. 

"Wasn't our first date," Albert said.

"Guys," Finch said to the camera, "Chinese food was absolutely our first date and Albert has been wrong about it for the entire seven years of our relationship. He invited me to get Chinese food and go to a movie and he meant to ask as a date but he chickened out. So he wanted it to be a date and I thought it was a date but he still insists it wasn't. It was though."

"Because I didn't ask. And you didn't ask either. It wasn't a date." 

Finch rolled his eyes dramatically for the camera's sake and then took a bite of the cashew chicken. "Oh shit- this can't be legal."

"It's good?"

"Yeah, Ern, it's the best cashew chicken I've had since we moved to the city. You have beef and broccoli?"

After Finch had tried the beef and broccoli and the spring rolls- and gone back to the cashew chicken because it was his favorite- Albert turned away from the camera and pulled a tray from the oven. "I made one more thing actually. You can't have Chinese without fortune cookies."

Finch tried not to laugh when Albert set down the tray in front of him, he really did, but it was hard to resist. There was indeed a tray full of fortune cookies but maybe three of them were actually the right shape. 

"Go ahead," Albert said. "Laugh. I know they're terrible."

"No, they look great!" Finch assured him. "They look perfectly baked. They're just misshapen."

"Here, you have the good one. They may be the wrong shape but they do have fortunes." Albert handed him just about the only cookie that actually looked like a fortune cookie. "These were way too hard."

Finch took the cookie and snapped it in half. "You didn't learn anything from that episode of the Bake Off- Oh." The little paper in the cookie read Will you marry me? in Albert's neatest handwriting. When Finch turned to Al, he wasn't standing next to him but kneeling on the floor, a ring box open in his hand. "Oh my god."

Albert grinned at him, suddenly a little shy and a little teary. "I had a whole thing I was gonna say but I just forgot all of it. The important part is that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I know we'll do that anyway but it'd be cool if the government knew too.  Will you marry me?"

They'd talked about marriage- they'd been together for seven years, of course they'd talked about it- but Finch hadn't thought it'd come so soon or that Al would be the one to get down on one knee and be so emotional about it.

"Yes, of course, Al. I could spend a million lifetimes with you and still be ready for a million more." Finch pulled Albert up from his knee and kissed him. When he pulled back he couldn't help but grin, leaning his forehead against Albert's. "We're getting married."

"You might have to put on the ring first."

Finch laughed and so did Albert. Finch offered his hand and Albert slid on the ring, a darker metal with a streak of gold. It was exactly what Finch had talked to Race and JoJo about wanting- something simple but unique and bright to remind him of Albert. "We're getting married," he repeated and kissed Albert again.

"Heck yeah, we are."

-

Making Chinese Takeout to Propose to my Boyfriend

October 25, 2019

Albert DaSilva

6.62M Subscribers

-

October 18, 8:12am

The video opens on Albert, with bedhead and bleary eyes, looking very much like he just woke up. "Hey, guys, welcome to today's video. It's gonna be a vlog one more than anything else. I'm proposing to Finch today, which I'm really excited and nervous about obviously." Al yawned and then looked back to the camera. "Sorry, Finch just left for work and I made him think I was sleeping in but I have a grocery delivery scheduled for half an hour from now and a lot of work to do so I'm going to get in the shower and shave. So yeah. Wish me luck today."

-

10:04am

Albert slides into the frame, set up like his normal frame for his cooking videos. "Alright," he says, leaning forward on his elbows. "We back. So the plan is basically I'm going to get Finch on camera like he's doing a normal taste test for a video and then I'm going to propose. So I'm making Chinese take out and fortune cookies but I also wanted to do something special for after. You guys know I don't have the patience or the understanding of measuring ingredients to bake but I can work with chocolate so I'm gonna cover some strawberries in chocolate and do some other chocolates and caramels and stuff and I have like champagne and whatever Race said to get so that's the plan. Ooh and I have to charge all the camera batteries. I normally do a two, maybe three, camera set up for my cooking videos but I think I'm gonna use all five of our cameras tonight, so I have to make sure all the batteries are charged. So I'm gonna go do that and then probably time lapse my chocolate making except for the million times I'm going to burn myself with caramel. Okay. Bye."

The frame is empty for a second as Albert walks off but he's back only a few seconds later in time lapse. It only lasts a minute or so before he starts working on caramel and burns himself when the time lapse is interrupted by Albert swearing in real time. It happens four more times during the time lapse before the video changes abruptly to trays of decorated strawberries and other chocolate candies. "These are pretty messy," says Albert. "Finch would have done a way better job but they're done and they'll be good with champagne so they're going in the fridge."

After putting the strawberries and chocolate in the fridge, Al turned back to the camera. "So I'm going to eat lunch because I forget to do that sometimes and Finch just texted me to remind me. I think I'm going to have to start cooking and, unfortunately baking, around 4 so that everything is ready just a little bit before Finch gets home, so I'm gonna clean up the kitchen and get the cameras set up and everything and I'll probably see you guys again when I start that."

-

3:37pm

Albert's face appears close up to the camera. "So I got a little carried away. I'm feeling pretty nervous so I got everything set up super early and then cleaned the entire apartment. So I cleaned everything." The video swings around to show the kitchen and the living room, looking spotless before moving back to Albert's face. "I mean the kitchen's going to be a mess again because I'm a tornado but I couldn't stop myself. I also got the bedroom set up, which I'm not going to show you, ya nasties, but things at work have been kind of stressful for Finch lately so I have some stuff for like a really relaxing night tonight, like massage oils and bath bombs and shit that I set up. Ooh and I'll show you my camera set up."

The camera turns around to focus on the kitchen. One side is open to the living room with the other three walls covered in cabinets, with the oven and stove top on the back wall, the fridge on the right, and the sink on the left. There's a large island in the center of the kitchen. "So these two are what I normally use for filming while cooking," Albert says from behind the camera. He points to the larger of the two tripod setups. "This is just my normally stationary camera and this," he points to the smaller camera, "is what I use for close ups of cooking and the final dishes. So I'll use that normally while cooking but I'm going to point it towards the door when Finch comes home. And then these two," he points to the cameras on the counters on either side of kitchen, both propped up on small tripods, "are actually Finch's cameras for his photography so let's hope he doesn't notice I'm using them and get suspicious. And then I don't know what I'm going to do with the vlog camera yet because I'm using it right now but I'll figure something out."

The video turns around to Albert's face again. "So yeah. I'm nervous but almost ready. It's a little too early to start cooking so I think I'm going to write some fortunes and pre-measure the ingredients for the fortune cookies so maybe I won't mess up the baking as much with my tornado. Next time you see me will be cooking time so let's hope I don't puke in the next half hour."

-

4:15pm

Albert is standing behind the kitchen island wearing his chef coat with various materials spread out in front of him. "Alright, guys, if you're here for the cooking and not for the whole proposal thing, this part of the video is for you. On Finch and I's first date, we got Chinese takeout before a movie so I'm trying to recreate that here. Also, don't tell Finch I said that because I like to deny that it was our first date and it annoys him. This is essentially still our takeout order so I'm going to do cashew chicken for him, beef and broccoli for me, and then some spring rolls and fortune cookies. So it's cooking time which unfortunately means baking time."

The video cuts to a side shot of Albert whipping his head around to face it. "As always, you can find all of the recipes and quantities on my blog. Links are in the description." 

A shot of Albert whipping his head forward. "Alright, let's do this. Just so you know this is probably going to be a pretty quiet video because I'm getting really nervous. So, yeah. Let's bake, which is a thing I'm terrible at. Great."

Albert goes through the process of making fortune cookies, being uncharacteristically meticulous about following the instructions and measurements. His instructions, as usual, are basic and concise with plenty of jokes thrown in. He stops right before he puts the cookie tray in the oven. 

"So I'm doing these 4 at a time because they bake quick and need to be folded pretty quickly. Finch and I were watching Bake Off the other day, which is what inspired me proposing this way, and I know this step has to be done really quickly so I have my fortunes written out and my glass and cupcake pan ready for shaping so let's do this. These are going to go in for five minutes so I'll see you then."

The video cuts to a close up of the cookie sheet going into the oven and then to it coming out, with the edges of the cookies a nice golden brown. The video then cuts back to the normal frame, with Albert looking into the camera disappointed, with 15 or so broken or misshapen cookies in front of him. "So. This has not gone well so far. I've done 4 batches and still haven't gotten one that's the right shape but I am getting closer." He holds up the best looking of the cookies, still not quite a fortune cookie shape. "I've got to move on soon though because I don't want to be cooking when Finch gets home. So I'm gonna put in one more batch of just two and hope those turn out well. All the fortunes say 'Will you marry me?' so it doesn't really matter which one Finch opens."

The camera cuts to a close up of Albert's hands folding a cookie the proper way and then to the regular frame with him explaining the process as he does it. He places the cookie in a muffin tin and turns back to the camera. "Now that we're done with that tragedy, let's move onto the cooking that I will actually enjoy."

"So, we're going to do our beef and broccoli and cashew chicken first but I'm going to prep all the veggies for both before we do anything." Albert lists the ingredients in voice over as the video shows closeups of him preparing each ingredient. He goes through cooking the two dishes, with his instructions interrupted by close ups of the cooking food. He goes through preparing and frying the spring rolls in the same manner- a little quieter than normal but still with a bit of joking and his signature chaotic energy.

After several minutes of the condensed cooking process, the video cuts to Albert with the food laid out in front of him. "Now that this is all done, we have the most important part here on this channel-" He holds up a stack of takeout containers and a package of wax bags. "Presentation! I decided to go extra this time and I ordered these from Amazon, so I'll link them below. Let's hope Finch has been on Prime in the past two days. Oh, and I forgot to tell, I also made some rice in the rice cooker to go along with this."

The video cuts to close up shots of the finished food in the take out containers, including the handful of fortune cookies that sort of look like they're supposed to, before it cuts back to Albert. "Alright, so that's all the filming I'm gonna do before Finch gets back and we do the damn thing. All the food is in the warmer and I'm just gonna wait for him to get home. I texted him to say I was filming but he's kind of running late so we'll see when he gets home. I'm sorry this isn’t a great cooking video. Sue me, I’m nervous. Wish me luck!"

-

5:53pm

The video cuts to Finch opening the door. “Al?” He loosens his tie and sets down his bag as he takes off his shoes. He looks incredibly confused. “Why does it look like a tornado went through the kitchen?

The video cuts again to Albert’s normal frame, this time with Finch on the right of the frame. A grinning Albert puts his hand on Finch’s chest. “So now that my Bert is here, we can finish this video.”

Finch still looks very confused but he’s also smiling. "Hi! I have no idea why I'm here.”

"If you don't know, this is my boyfriend, Finch. I call him my Bert because someone made a Albert and Ernie joke once but he's the one who wears vertically striped sweaters.” Finch rolls his eyes. Albert is practically bouncing as he turns to Finch. "Okay, you're just tasting what I made so guess what it is.

The video cuts to a side view with Albert flashing a thumbs up to one of the side cameras behind Finch’s back before the video cuts back to Finch, closing his eyes and humming like he’s taking in his surroundings before making his guess. He grins as he turns to Albert. "Did you order take out to prank me for a video?"

"No but you're close. I did make Chinese takeout." The video cuts to Albert setting the containers down in front of them and handing Finch a set of chopsticks. "There's cashew chicken and beef and broccoli and some rice, of course.”

“Awww, like our first date,” Finch says as he picks up the cashew chicken. He wiggles his eyebrows at the camera.

"Wasn't our first date.” Albert winks at the camera, which Finch seems not to notice.

"Chinese food was absolutely our first date and Albert has been wrong about it for the entire seven years of our relationship. He invited me to get Chinese food and go to a movie and he meant to ask as a date but he chickened out. So he wanted it to be a date and I thought it was a date but he still insists it wasn't. It was though."

"Because I didn't ask. And you didn't ask either. It wasn't a date." 

Finch rolls his eyes dramatically and he and Albert both take a bite of their respective food. "Oh shit- this can't be legal."

"It's good?"

Finch turns to Albert, genuinely excited. Albert hasn’t stopped grinning since being in the frame with Frinch. "Yeah, Ern, it's the best cashew chicken I've had since we moved to the city. You have beef and broccoli?"

Finch and Albert both try the rest of the food, with Finch telling Albert it’s all delicious and Albert being hard on his own cooking, not an unfamiliar phenomenon in his cooking videos. It goes on until the video cuts to Albert setting the tray of fortune cookies in front of Finch, who tries not to laugh as he looks them over. “Go ahead, laugh. I know they’re terrible.”

"No, they look great! They look perfectly baked. They're just misshapen,” Finch says as he looks over the cookies, picking one up. 

Albert hands him the best one "Here, you have the good one. They may be the wrong shape but they do have fortunes. These were way too hard."

The video cuts to the side as Finch talks, showing Albert pulling a ring box from behind a cup of utensils and getting down on one knee, before cutting back to Finch. "You didn't learn anything from that episode of the Bake Off- Oh." Finch reads the fortune. He turns to Albert and the video cuts to the side, showing a surprised Finch with Albert kneeling in front of him. “Oh my god.”

"I had a whole thing I was gonna say but I just forgot all of it. The important part is that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I know we'll do that anyway but it'd be cool if the government knew too. Will you marry me?"

"Yes, of course, Al. I could spend a million lifetimes with you and still be ready for a million more." Finch pulls Albert up and kisses him. “We’re getting married.”

Finch pulled Albert up from his knee and kissed him. When he pulled back he couldn't help but grin, leaning his forehead against Albert's. "We're getting married.”

The video cuts away from Finch and Albert in the kitchen to an old video of the two of them in front of the camera on a couch. They look younger and Finch is wearing an NYU sweatshirt that looks brand new.

“Hi, guys! Welcome to today’s video. It’s not a cooking video but you’ve been asking for me to do the boyfriend tag with my boyfriend so here we are.” Albert puts his hand on Finch’s chest. “This is my boyfriend. His name is Finch.”

Finch smiles and waves at the camera. “Hi.”

The video continues, a chronological montage of clips of the two of them from Albert’s previous videos. There’s clips from vlogs and tags and challenges but mostly a lot of them laughing and goofing off during taste tests at the end of Albert’s cooking videos. There’s a clip of them dancing wildly after beating Race and Elmer in a round of the newlywed game, a clip of Albert smearing frosting across Finch’s cheek, a clip of them celebrating Finch’s graduation and then Albert’s 1 million subscriber play button. There’s clips of Finch playing guitar and serenading Albert, Albert surprising Finch with breakfast in bed, Finch on his camera while they explore the city. There’s a whole series of clips pulled from the vlog of their 5th anniversary trip to Ireland. There’s taste tests and parties with their friends and lazy days at home, all leading up to the start of the taste test from Albert’s last video, when Finch had snuck up on him and hugged him from behind, resulting in a lot of laughter and Albert leaning back to kiss Finch on the cheek.

The video cuts back to Albert and Finch in the kitchen, standing with Finch’s hand on Albert’s chest so that he’s showing off his ring. “Alright, everyone, thanks for joining me on this very long and stressful day but you know I had to do it to ’em.” Albert puts his hands together and crosses his fingers. Finch rolls his eyes and slaps at his hands. “Finch and I are getting married, which I’m pretty psyched about.”

“Same,” Finch says, leaning over to kiss Albert’s cheek.

Albert grins at the camera, a little lopsided and blinding. “You all know the deal. Recipes are in the description, like, subscribe, find me on the socials, tag me if you make these recipes yourself. This is definitely the sappiest video on my channel but I don’t even care. We’re going to clean up a little and then celebrate. I’ll see you guys next time.”

“Bye!” they say together and the video cuts to an end card, displaying Albert’s first rendition of the boyfriend tag and his latest video, along with all his social media handles.

After the end card, the video blinks back to the kitchen, where Albert and Finch are cleaning up food to be stored in the fridge. “Sniper bet me I couldn’t. Of course I did box jumps during lunch.”

“Did you know I can box jump onto this counter?”

Finch stops cleaning. “Why do you know that?”

“I did it in my last video.”

“Albert, tell me you’re lying.”

“No, watch.”

“Do not-”

The video ends immediately after Albert box jumps onto the island counter.

[icannotreadcursive]

Avengers PSAs: On the COVID-19 Pandemic 5: Food!

Clint was leaning back against the kitchen island in purple argyle pajama pants and a black T-shirt.

“Hey,” he said, making the salute-like ASL sign for hello as he did. “Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye or 'that random guy with the bow an arrow who hangs out with the Avengers' here to talk about grocery shopping and cooking during these quaran-times.”

He grinned at his own pun, then continued, signing to the camera to follow him. He pushed off from the island and walked over to the pantry and the two large refrigerators that flanked it. “Whether you're ordering your groceries for delivery or suiting up in your mask and gloves to brave the stores, you need to shop according to what kind of storage you have and you preferences as far as what you'll actually cook and what you'll actually enjoy eating.

“Now what I mean by shopping according to your storage is things like, if you have a lot of freezer space—maybe you have a freezer chest in the garage because you hunt, or you have a minifridge leftover from college that you can set cold enough to use as a freezer—then stocking up on frozen food is a good idea. If you don't have a lot of freezer space, then you can't stock up as much on frozen food and need to focus more on shelf-stable things like dry good and canned goods.

“The point is to be able to have enough food in your home that you can make three meals a day for your whole household for at least a week without having to go shopping and without things going bad before you can eat them. That kind of big stock-up grocery run gets expensive fast, and a lot of people aren't working right now or have their hours cut, so it can be hard to afford the kind of stocking up we all need to be doing. To help mitigate that and make things easier for others in your community, if you can afford to buy the more expensive versions of some foods, do so. Leave the less expensive options on the shelves for the people who can't afford anything else.”

He moved farther into the pantry and he segued subjects a little. “If you're not much of a cook or if you're particularly busy right now—working in essential industries, working from home, trying to homeschool your kids, whatever—then you need to focus more on prefab food, stuff you can just shove in the oven or the microwave or stick on the stove for a minute and be done. If you do like to cook or you've decided your quarantine activity is gonna be learning to cook and you have more time, then you should focus more on getting ingredients for cooking from scratch. Everyone should have a mix of both, though, and there are certain stables everyone oughta have on hand.”

He grabbed a box off a shelf, tossed it over his shoulder, caught it as he turned around, and held it out for the camera to see. “Noodles. You want noodles. It doesn't really matter what noodles. Dry pasta is great because it's extremely shelf stable, it keeps forever. I've eaten pasta that was a year past the date on the box and it was fine.

“I know a lot of stores are running low on boxed pasta, so maybe now's the time to try that lentil based pasta you've been eyeing suspiciously for a while, or get some tiny pasta like orzo, stelini, or even couscous that you usually avoid because they're not really noodles.” He put the box of pasta back on the shelf. “You can even make your own pasta if you really want to or you're really desperate. But if you have noodles—or pasta, same difference—you have a meal. Cook a whole batch to eat with sauce for spaghetti night, then save the leftover noodles, fry them up in a pan with some butter, scrambled eggs, and cheese tomorrow for lunch.

“On that note, you want eggs unless you're allergic—or vegan, I guess—and you want your dairy staples: butter, cheese, and milk. Butter and cheese both keep a long time in the fridge, especially hard dry cheeses, but milk is iffier. You canfreeze milk to make it last longer, just shake it up real good when you thaw it out, but you can also get UHT milk—ultra high temperature—that's been heat-treated so you don't have to refrigerate it at all until it's opened so you can keep it on the counter or in the pantry.” He looked around a little. “I don't think we have any UHT milk for me to show you or I would. Stark's bankrolling us, as usually, and we're doing what I mentioned earlier about buying the more expensive stuff if you can afford it, and, well, Tony can afford anything, so we've been getting direct delivery from a local dairy farm once a week—it's in glass bottles, Steve and Buck are thrilled, it's cute. Anyway, another thing you can do is buy a gallon of milk, buy some powdered milk, once you've used half of that gallon, mix up half a gallon worth of that powdered milk with cold water, add it to the half gallon you had left. Boom, whole gallon of milk again, and I promise it's not weird and watery seeming like if you just reconstitute powdered milk by itself. It's good.

“You also want rice, shelf-stable protein like canned tuna, or these funky little packets,” he held up a pouch of lemon-pepper flavored tuna, “stuff to snack on like crackers and whatever you like on crackers, and bread—which is something else you can make yourself, seriously buy some flour and get your bake on, kneading bread is a great way to work out your frustrations.” He smacked a large bag of flour, caught it as it threatened to fall off the shelf, resettled it, and flashed a thumbs up.

It cut back to Clint in the kitchen, sitting at the island now. “For the sake of your own sanity, it's also important to make it where feeding yourself isn't just a chore and you actually enjoy your food. There's a lot of little things you can do that will help with that a lot even if you're not up to much more than throwing some ramen in the microwave.”

A package of Yaki Soba slid quickly across the counter right past Clint—a slivery blur flashed behind him, kicking up a breeze that ruffled his hair, and Pietro caught the package before is skidded right off the end of the island. “Sorry,” Pietro grinned sheepishly as he handed the Yaki Soba to Clint, “my bad.”

“I knew I should have asked your sister,” Clint teased. He rolled his eyes as Pietro ducked back out of frame, then held up the Yaki Soba for the camera. “If you're gonna have one of these, take two seconds before you make it, dig through your fridge, add a little soy sauce or teriyaki sauce to the water before you cook it, give it some flavor. Toss some shredded carrots, coleslaw mix, or even canned chicken in there. Make this stuff be real food instead of I'm-trying-to-feed-myself-in-my-dormroom sadness with minimal effort.”

He tossed the Yaki Soba out of frame, presumably to Pietro, and a plushy hotdog got tossed back to him. He caught it easily. “Hot dogs are great, easy and fast to fry up in a pan, but kinda meh on their own, so have some potato chips or shove fries or tater tots in the oven. Make some chili and have chili dogs.

“Speaking of chili….” He tossed the plushy back and a jar of Prego pasta sauce slid to him—it stopped a little short and he leaned forward to grab it. “We should have practiced this. Anyway. Jarred pasta sauce is totally fine, but you can use it as a spring board for excellent homemade sauce. Brown some ground meat in the bottom of a pot, put some onion through a food processor, cook it in a big pan, add some garlic, process some more veggies, any veggies, add them and some wine to the onions, once that's cooked down, add it all in with the meat, pour in some store bought sauce, feast like a god. I'm not even kidding, Thor loves this stuff, I made a whole vat of it last week. It's easier to do in bulk and it freezes well.  Andyou can split some off, add beans and spices, make yourself some damn good chili. I'll post a recipe with actual measurements and stuff.”

He slid the jar of sauce back and caught a box of dry noodle soup mix that had been thrown directly at his face. “Make this stuff with more noodles—if your extra noodles take more than 5 minutes to cook, put them in the water first, then add the soup mix when ther's five minutes to go. When it's almost done cooking, like a minute left, pour in a scrampled egg or three. You've got egg drop soup, white people style.”

He tossed the soup box back and Pietro threw a pack of premade pizza crusts to him like a frisbee. Clint fumbled it a little but didn't drop it. “Make your own pizza! You can get these flatbread rounds to use as crust, or you can make your own dough—if you have a bread machine, it will make the dough for you. Then, put whatever you want on your pizza. You can go traditional with red sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, or you can get feta, pre-cooked grilled chicken, olives and artichoke hearts—Tony likes that.” He gestured off camera. “The wonder twins over here like carrots on their pizza; I'm not gonna question it. Natasha made herself a bacon mac'n'cheese pizza for breakfast today.”

He flung the pizza rounds away and, judging by the thwap sound, no one caught them. “Just, think about your food. Have fun, experiment, sing while you cook, plan before you go shopping, don't feel like you have to settle for spaghetti-o's and cereal just because you're stuck at home. And, hey, tell me what you're cooking, what you like on pizza. Stay home, stay safe, stay well fed. From me, and Pietro, and the rest of the Avengers—thank you.”

He signed thank you as well and waved before the video went black.

[holdtheskeletongrillby]

Hey guys, I'm not much of a cook, but let me tell you the loosest way to make stew I know that will feed you for at least a week that you probably can still find stuff for in the grocery store rn since people ignored the veggies mostly where I live.

First get a big ass pot and fill with water

Put it on your stove and heat that bad boy. Add either bouillon cubes or that liquid starter stuff until the water tastes like more than just h2o. If you're someone that makes your own stock, you're probably better versed in cooking than this dumb tutorial, but hey, you can use that, too. Just flavor your water. I like using chicken broth. But any kind is fine.

When that's hot, if you've got some kinda noodle, add that. I managed to get ahold of some angel hair spaghetti instead of the ramen noodles I usually use. But any noodles will work. Throw some macaroni in there, doesn't matter.

Obtain some frozen vegetables. Probably should have had a list at the start of this so you could prepare. Anyway, you can grab some bags for less than a dollar, so 3 dollars is enough for the frozen veggie portion of this meal. I like to use a bag of peas and carrots, a bag of corn, and a bag of lima beans. Throw that shit in.

Now panic as you cut some onions. Dice up a good handful. Or you can buy the already diced if you can find some. Onions were still aplenty when I went to the store last, so I got white and green. Toss that shit in.

Garlic powder out the wazoo or any spice or seasoning you like. Stir your stew, man. If you're sharing this meal, use two spoons to taste it so you don't contaminate the food. I however live alone and am a pile of trash, so I slurp that shit up with my stirring spoon. Can't contaminate myself, after all. Except with the humiliation of crying in front of my boss because I am losing my mind.

Next, if you have managed to find a store where people haven't panic bulk purchased the eggs, crack a few of those sexy baby chicken fetus food balls into this tasty mess. Let them heat a little before stirring more so you can have some delicious hard yolks instead of a mess. If you're a vegan, you probably stopped reading at the broth part unless they make vegetable broth bouillon cubes... Idk about what best substitutes for egg... I also added fresh mushrooms, and those are good... Add mushrooms.

And just before you turn off the stove to let this cook the last of the way under its own heat, add your meat, if you have/want any. I usually do beef or pork, just for contrasting flavor to the broth. It's yummy.

You could probably do this all in a slow cooker, too, but this way I'm done in 10-15 minutes. I usually just reheat my shit on the stove through the week and keep the pot in my refrigerator until I'm done, but you might have standards about your food, so you can portion it out in containers and store it properly. Like in the freezer if it's going to last longer than a week or so. Add soy sauce or salt to taste for extra umph.

I think the total cost is ~$20 for a week of solid eating, and I eat big portions. The most expensive thing is the meat. Which again, anything will work, so you can probably find a single pack somewhere to use. If not, skip it. Who cares? I'm not your mother. Add tofu or something.

Tldr, heat water and add stuff until you think "Hey, this looks like food maybe."

[maaaaaatryoshka0325]

Why you? (Pt 1) Bang Chan series

Description: You save a very important mans life and he decides to repay you to the fullest. But is this a little too much?

Authors note: Not sure if you guys saw my post, but I restarted the series since it was going SUPER slow and I didn’t wanna rush it

Warning: fluff, angst, and maybe some smut later on

(Pt2) (Pt3) (Pt4) (Pt5) (Pt6) (Pt7) (Pt8)

You pushed open the door to the dorms, shutting the door as the warm air filled the entrance. You dropped the grocery bags on the table, and smiled when you caught the sight of Changbin’s munchlax stuffed animal sitting in one of the chairs. You hadn’t known they came back yet, as they had been gone for a week for a charity event in Busan.

You put the groceries away, wanting to hurry up before the kitchen filled with hungry men. You pulled out the ingrediencies for pork bulgogi, and began preparing dinner for you and the boys. You began marinating the pork in the sweet soy sauce when you heard voices, and when you turned your head you saw Jisung and Jeongin walk into the room.

“Hey noona!” Jeongin greeted you excitedly and hugged you as you continued preparing the pork.

“It’s good to see you too Jeongin.” You laughed.

“It smells good in here.” Woojin says as he enters the room, pulling his face mask down.

“Please tell me its not chicken again.” Jisung said, placing his chin on your shoulder so he could get a peek of what you’re cooking.

“Its not chicken.” You laugh as the younger member let out a dramatic sigh of relief. 

Woojin playfully pushed Jisung at his complaint. Ever since you came here you’ve been cooking chicken a lot since Woojin likes it so much and because it was something everyone could agree on, and you just RECENTLY you got a complaint about all the chicken. Now the members make jokes about it, so you’ve been preparing different dishes throughout the week, but keeping the chicken every Sunday.

The rest of the boys came into the kitchen as you finished dinner, handing each of them a plate. You put some rice on the side as the members began to dig in. You took your seat between Jisung and Hyunjin. You were always really close with Jisung, his friendship being the first you had when you first met them. 

- Flashback -

You stood in the kitchen putting away some groceries, when you dropped a can that began to roll away. You crawled after it, and just before you grabbed it, a foot appeared and stopped it from rolling. You awkwardly looked up and made eye contact with a tall boy.

“Who are you?” He asked.

- End of flashback -

You looked up directly across from you and looked at Chan. The leaders eyes seemed a bit dull and he hardly touched anything on his plate. You knew he was probably stressed out from his busy schedule, he was writing, composing, and helping to create the choreography for this comeback. 

“Chan oppa, are you okay?” You asked.

He looked up at you and the dullness that was there was already gone. He gave you a warm smile.

“Yeah I’m okay, just thinking of some stuff for the comeback.” He said, picking up his fork and eating some more.

“Even when he’s not working, he’s working.” Changbin said.

The other members laughed and you smiled.

Recently, you started to like Chan. He was sweet and protective, and he was very caring. You had told yourself the whole time you were there not to gain feelings or fall in love with any of them, since they’re idols. Idols don’t date regular every day people. They date other idols, they date important people. Not a normal women who was hired as a maid.

All of the memebers showed a caring side for you, but when he showed how much he cares about you, your heart skips a beat and begins to flutter. He was always very sweet and gentle with you, never horse playing around as rough with you as the other members. He also gives you a lot of respect, despite your title in their lives.

“This pork is really good Y/N.” Minho said, scooping some more on to his plate.

“Oh, thank you. I’m glad you guys like it.” You say as you continue eating.

After dinner, you all sit down to watch a movie. It’s been some time since you guys were able too, and you felt a lot more content having them sit around with you.

Woojin pushed in a comedy and sat down beside Seungmin. You plopped yourself down beside Jisung, who was already lifting up the blanket that was draped over his legs for you to crawl under. You felt the couch dip some more and Jeongin sat next to you, with Hyunjin just beside him.

Jeongin smushed you into Jisung as Hyunjin laid on him. Jisung wrapped his arm over you as you continued to watch the movie. You looked over and caught Chan’s eye, who looked right back at the screen.

You were half asleep on Jisung when you felt him stir and realized the movie was over, the boys began to shuffle around and move up to their rooms. Jeongin shook Hyunjin awake and followed him up the stairs.

“Goodnight Y/N.” Jisung said, walking up the stairs.

“Goodnight guys.” You called.

When you turned around you saw Chan asleep on the couch. His tired eyes were closed and his plump lips were slightly parted.

“Goodnight Chan.” You whispered, putting a blanket over him before heading to bed.