#cutting it into ''steaks'' and pan searing would actually be the way to go I think

[anarchafemme]

Had a dream last night about giant porcini mushrooms, with caps as wide and thick as a full packer brisket. Rubbed with awase miso, butter, thyme and rosemary, then roasted whole, sliced and served au jus

What cruelty it was to then wake up to a world without such things 😔

[the-hinky-panda]

Yellowstone: Boss Mare Series - Part V

Jaime Dutton has never considered himself a foodie, someone interested in fusing flavors and doing wine pairings for the regular family dinner. A family dinner that no one can ever seem to get through without an argument, problem-solving a ranch issue, or just childish drama. Half-eaten plates of perfectly seared filet mignon, roasted red potatoes with butter and parsley, the brightest green beans he’s ever seen, left in the wake of another nonsensical theater production. 

The only thing that ever gets completely consumed is the wine. The only one who ever talks is Beth. The only cleared plate of food is his father’s, although Kayce is making good progress at the moment. The only thing that Jamie can think of is how much he would love to enjoy eating. To just sit and have enough brain space to taste what he’s putting into his mouth. 

“Isn’t that right, Jaime?” Beth says, a mischievous glint in her eye. 

He hasn’t heard a word she’s said but he can read the room. Well, he can read Kayce’s cautious energy to know whatever it is she’s said was meant to bait him. And their father’s intense interest in whatever is out the window, despite the darkness of night blocking any view. Jaime’s not going to rise to the occasion tonight. He’s just too fucking tired. Instead, he drops the linen napkin on the table and picks up his plate. 

“Fuck this shit.” He stands up. “I don’t have the energy to deal with whatever bullshit you’ve dreamed up now, Beth.” 

“Oh come on, Jaime,” she calls after him, “I haven’t even gotten to the good questions yet!” 

He storms into the kitchen, pausing before throwing his still full plate of food into the sink. The only thing that stops him is knowing that you made it. You spent the last few hours in the kitchen preparing the meal. He sees all the pots and pans cleaned and sitting on the drying rack while dinner is being consumed. When the dining room empties, you’ll collect the plates and wash them before heading up to your room over the kitchen for the night. But while you wait, he sees you sitting on the steps of the back porch, passing the time. 

A sudden rush of guilt comes over him. Every night they walk into the dining room, no food prep, no cooking time, hell, they don’t even set the table. They just walk in, sit down, and are served. And then the fighting begins. Maybe that’s why they can’t function as a family around the table. There’s no work, no buy-in to enjoy the product of their work. They’re eating in a restaurant every night. Except no one in that room would behave that way in an actual restaurant. 

Maybe Beth. Beth wouldn’t behave any differently. 

Jamie grabs a second plate and an extra fork before going out onto the back porch. You immediately stand up when the door opens, a guilty look crosses your face. He wonders what in the world you could have been doing to cause such a reaction and then he sees the wine glass in your hand. He points to the glass. 

“You’re allowed to have that, you know.” That reminds him that he forgot his own wine glass inside. He sets the plates and silverware down. “I’ll be right back.” 

He goes back inside and grabs a new bottle of red wine, uncorks it, grabs a new glass, and goes back outside. You’re still standing there, cradling the wine glass in your hand, and looking terribly out of sorts. He tips some of the wine into your glass before filling his own and sitting down on the steps. 

“Did you eat?” he asks, setting the empty second plate next to him. 

“I did.” At that particular moment, your stomach decided to betray you and growl. “I’m sorry, I’ll let you eat in peace.” 

“I came out here because you were out here.” He cuts the filet mignon in half. It’s perfectly pink, bordering on red on the inside. He slides a few potatoes and green beans onto the second plate, adding half the steak, and holding it up to you. “If you’re hungry, I’d like the company.” 

“Thank you.” You give him a small smile and take the plate, sitting down next to him on the steps. “I did eat some of the salad.” 

“Just salad?” 

You nod your head. 

Did no one in the family tell you how things work on the ranch? “Gator always makes himself a plate and eats in the kitchen while we’re eating. Or, if he likes what the bunkhouse is eating, he eats that instead. We don’t keep track and we won’t do that with you either.” He points at your plate. “Eat as much and whatever you want.” 

“Thank you.” You pick up the fork and knife and cut a piece of the steak. “I’ve never had filet mignon before.” 

“You haven’t? Well, you cooked it perfectly.” 

“I’ve made it plenty of times. I was just never allowed to eat it. Only the men were allowed to eat the best food.” You seem to realize you’ve imparted some revealing information and shove a potato in your mouth, chewing it slowly. 

He doesn’t ask any questions and lets you keep your silence and secrets, focusing on just enjoying the food. The sun has just set, shadows creeping across the pastures, sneaking up to the barn and bunkhouse. The rhythmic hiss of the field sprinklers add a relaxing white noise effect and Jamie realizes this is the first time in years that he actually enjoyed his dinner at the ranch. 

“I did make an apple cobbler for dessert,” you say as you stack the empty plates between the two of you. “But we’ll have to go back inside and get it.” 

Jamie doesn’t want to risk the quietude he’s achieved by sitting out here with you so he just picks up the wine bottle and refills both your glasses. “Wine for dessert works for me.” 

“Thank you.” 

“For what?” 

You shake your head. “I don’t know. Just being you, I suppose.” 

He sits and sips at his wine, wondering how you can see the person he is when he doesn’t even know who he is.

[chain-unchained]

June 27

After a nearly three mile walk from the nearest functioning bus stop, an exhausted Shane finally returned to Pelican town; it was Friday, the day he and his therapist in Zuzu City had set for their weekly sessions. The trip wouldn’t be quite so bad if the bus that old Pam used to drive still worked, but it had broken down some years ago and the town didn’t have the resources to get it fixed, so that unfortunately meant quite a walk to get to a bus that did work. 

It still felt awkward and kind of shameful for him to walk into that office, even though the staff there were all very friendly and understanding—not to mention the therapist, who was quiet, unassuming, gentle but firm in his suggestions to Shane to help his recovery, both from the alcoholism and the depression, along.

Shane had always known that it was going to be hell, giving up alcohol cold turkey like he was; at first, the therapist had suggested weaning, but Shane knew himself well enough that he wouldn’t be able to help himself if he had even a drop of drink and insisted on cutting it off completely. Even then, he couldn’t have fathomed the toll it would take on his body, mind and mood—the first few days were the most hellish. He had the shakes, a piercing migraine that wouldn’t go away no matter how many aspirin he took, he was physically ill several times, and sleep was a far-fetched concept.

He felt really bad for Jas and Marnie, who had to deal with all of that and the piss-poor attitude that it brought with it, though he played it all off as just a severe flu bug. Maybe it was stupid, maybe he could have really used the support during the beginning, but he wanted to get through the worst of it of his own willpower.

Today was the first day that he hadn’t woken up feeling like absolute shit. In fact, he almost dared to say that it was manageable; his head didn’t feel like it was splitting open, and it didn’t take him an hour to muster up the strength to get up out of bed. He had managed to make an actual breakfast with the extra eggs that Charlie and the girls laid for them that morning. And hell, the walk to the bus station that morning actually left him feeling pretty damn good, even though the trip from it back to town that evening felt a bit less so. Having had one of the better days he’d had in a long time, Shane decided that today was a good day to tell Marnie and Jas what was going on.

Adjusting the shopping bag that he held in his hand, he tucked the other hand into his shorts pocket and strolled leisurely through town; the sun was beginning its descent from the sky, staining the crystal clear sky a fiery orange and red hue. On the way there, he stopped outside Pierre’s and checked the bulletin board on a whim. Sometimes someone would post a note about a free piece of furniture, or Pierre would leave a notice about an upcoming sale. His sales never reached the 50% off that Joja regularly offered, but at least Pierre’s stock was quality and worth the higher price.

“... Oh, that’s right.” Shane murmured to himself as he checked the calendar that hung next to the bulletin board. “The Luau’s coming up soon… Need to dig out those stretchy shorts and get them washed soon.” Next to the Egg Festival, the Luau was probably his favorite festival—it was a festival literally just centered on eating food, what wasn’t there to love about that? ‘Maybe I should give Ashe a heads-up.’ He pondered, turning on his heel and heading south towards the road leading home. Every household was expected to contribute both an ingredient towards the Luau’s main centerpiece, the potluck stew, and a cooked dish, and he didn’t want Ashe to be left in the dark if no one else thought to tell him about that since it was his first year in town.

He owed a lot to the kid, that much was for sure. If Ashe hadn’t been so stubborn and bullheaded about befriending him, there was a real likelihood that Shane wouldn’t be there that day. A real likelihood that he would have rolled right off that cliff like he’d fantasized about. For some reason, Ashe never gave up on him, and he never let Shane give up on himself.

Without realizing it, he was already standing outside the door to the ranch; he’d been so lost in his thoughts that his legs had just carried him to where he needed to go on their own. Pausing to bend down and rub at his knee which had started to ache from the walking, Shane opened the door and stepped inside. “I’m back.” He called as he pushed it closed behind him; as expected, the shop was empty, and he presumed that Marnie and Jas were in the kitchen given the smell of steak that filled the air.

“Oh, welcome home Shane.” Marnie greeted, looking over her shoulder as her nephew came into the kitchen; Jas looked up from her coloring book and waved a little to Shane before going back to her very serious business of perfectly coloring in her favorite princess from the Welwick Court. “Goodness, don’t you look happy?”

“Do I?” Shane moved over to the table and ruffled Jas’ hair lightly, unaware that he’d had a big, goofy grin on his face since he’d walked in; it felt good to be home and not be drunk or hungover. “I guess you’re right. I haven’t felt this light in… Yoba, I don’t even know how long.”

Marnie pulled the last searing steak from the frying pan and stuck it on the baking tray with the rest to go into the oven to finish cooking. “Let me guess…” She pondered, turning to look at Shane fully as she wiped her hands on her apron. “Gus had a clearance sale on canned beer?”

The comment stung a little, Shane couldn’t deny that; he didn’t blame her for thinking that, though. He’d kept her and Jas in the dark up til now, and as far as they knew he’d just gone off to work like he did every Friday. “Hah, good one.” He managed a half laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck, his grin becoming quite sheepish. “No, actually. I’ve been drinking sparkling water instead of beer… and I feel great.”

His words made Marnie freeze, her eyes widening in surprise; even Jas stopped coloring and looked back at Shane with eyes wide. To be honest, their reaction was bittersweet. It felt good to be able to say that to them, but at the same time, he had to realize how badly his behavior had affected them in order to elicit such a reaction. “Really?” His aunt managed to ask after a moment.

“Yeah.” Shane confirmed with a nod of his head. “… Y’know, sometimes I forget that I really do have friends.” He murmured, his face softening as he spoke. “People that care about me. And it’s okay for me to rely on them. It doesn’t make me weak.”

After a moment of silence, Marnie smiled and nodded her head in agreement. “That’s exactly right. I’m proud of you for realizing that.”

“Took me long enough, huh?” Shane turned his attention to Jas as he set the shopping bag on the table for her. “I’ve got something for you, kiddo.”

“Huh?” Jas blinked, looking up to her godfather for affirmation; when Shane nodded encouragingly, she pulled the bag closer and reached inside, pulling out an unassuming, plain looking box. Her little brows knitted together as she lifted the lid, and the contents practically made them fly off of her face as her eyes went wide again. “Th…. These are real bunny-jewel slippers!!!” She squealed. As if to confirm that it wasn’t fake, she ever so carefully lifted the shoes from the box and turned them over in her hands; sure enough, they were the real deal, and they were even her favorite color—purple. “B…. but these are so expensive!” She looked to her godfather in disbelief, feeling somewhat guilty that Shane had dropped so much money on a present just for her. “How did you afford them?”

Shane smiled and patted her head. “I’ve cut back on an expensive habit, so I’ve got a lot more spending money now.” He explained, glad that he was able to finally give her a proper gift—even if it was nearly a month past her birthday.

“…. Okay….” Jas looked back to the shoes, running her fingers over the sparkly tops.

Seeing the change in her demeanor, Shane knelt down to her level so he could speak to her as an equal. “Jas… I’m sorry about what happened before.” He murmured. As difficult as apologizing was, she deserved at least that much. “I said some stuff that really hurt you, and I should never have let you hear that from me.”

Jas froze a little as Shane spoke, going completely silent as she just stared at those twinkly shoes in her hands. “When I said those things… it’s not because I wanted to leave you or hurt you.” He continued, struggling a little with how to explain it in a way she could understand without sugar coating it. “It’s not your fault. I wasn’t feeling well because, uh… my head is sick, and it makes me feel sad and tired a lot… and…” His brain fizzled out, and after a few moments of silence, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I barely understand it myself. It’s hard to explain… but I’ll tell you about it when you want me to, okay? Right now, I just need you to know that I’m working hard to get better. And it’s okay if you’re sad or scared or mad at me. Take as long as you need to feel how you feel.” He smiled, even though he knew she wasn’t looking. “I’m not going anywhere, squirt. I’m gonna work extra hard to be here for you.”

“….” His words were greeted with just more silence, as Jas’s little frame began to quiver slightly in her chair.

Concerned now by her continued quiet, Shane’s smile faded. “Jas? You okay--?”

Almost before he could finish speaking, Jas suddenly flung herself at him, knocking over her chair as she wrapped her arms around him and let out a heartbreaking wail of relief. She didn’t care if Shane drank, she didn’t care if he didn’t buy her the toys that she wanted—all she ever wanted was to hear him say that he wasn’t going to leave her too.

“Whoa—” Shane was nearly knocked over himself, managing to grab onto the table to steady himself before he folded the sobbing child into his arms. “It’s okay, just let it out.” He murmured with a smile, holding her close as she buried her face into his chest. Of course, he didn’t like to see her cry like that, but at least he knew that they were tears of happiness this time.

As she watched the scene unfold, Marnie couldn’t help but wipe a few tears from her own eyes, smiling as she saw the person that she knew Shane had always been deep down. It meant the world to her that Shane finally saw enough of his own worth to start getting better.  

“Do you want to put on your new slippers?” Shane gently asked Jas, once her sobs had quieted; with a sniffle, she nodded, lifting her face from his now soaked shirt as she did so. He set her on her feet and picked up her chair, waiting for her to sit back down in it before he helped her to put the slippers on. “So, what do you think?”

Jas extended her legs out in front of herself so she could judge them on her feet. “… I love them.” She said with a slight hiccup, unable to stop the happy smile that came onto her face. “And I love you, Shane~ Thank you for getting these for me…”

 Dinner that night was one of the most peaceful they’d had in a long time; Shane actually sat at the table and ate with them, rather than taking his plate into his room like he always did. He reminded Marnie about the Luau, and they talked about an upcoming seminar on livestock regulations that would be held in Zuzu City a few days before the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies.

“I’m not quite sure what to do about that, to be honest.” Marnie admitted as she cleared away their finished plates. “I was going to ask Jodi if she’d be willing to watch Jas while we’re away, but during aerobics on Tuesday she mentioned that she and the boys were going on a family trip to the carnival. And Penny has that class that she’s been looking forward to taking for months now…”

“I don’t need a babysitter, auntie.” Jas pointed out as she finished the coloring job she’d been working tirelessly on all evening. “I’m eight years old now, I can take care of myself.”

“Oh, we don’t doubt that for a minute kiddo.” Shane leaned back in his chair with a smile. “But someone has to keep an eye on you to make sure no one tries to steal you away.” He thought for a moment, rocking back and forth slowly on the back legs of the chair. “… Hey, why don’t we ask Ashe to watch her?” He suggested, looking to his aunt as the idea struck him.

Marnie turned the faucet in the sink on and began to fill the left half to soak the dishes. “You know, the idea did cross my mind.” She admitted, turning around to look at Shane pointedly—she hated when people did that, it was so bad for the chair. “Do you think he would mind?”

“Well we won’t know unless we ask.” Catching the look she was giving, Shane promptly set all four legs back on the floor. “I was going to talk to him about the Luau tomorrow, I’ll run the idea by him then too.”

               “Alright. I’ll leave it to you, then.” Marnie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Alright, little lady. It’s bedtime. Let’s go get a book picked out—”

               “I want Shane to read to me tonight.” Jas insisted emphatically, much to their surprise. “Please?” She pleaded, looking to her godfather with the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

Momentarily stunned by her request, Shane managed to smile. “Sure, squirt. It’s been a hot minute since I read a book, though, so you might have to help me out.” He got up from his chair, looking to Marnie as Jas took hold of his hand; with a smile, Marnie nodded her head, and Shane led Jas out of the kitchen towards her room.

Neither of them could remember the last time Jas had asked for Shane to put her to bed. It did Marnie’s heart a lot of good to see the two of them bonding again, and she found herself unable to wipe the smile from her face as she washed, dried and put away the dishes. By the time she was done and pouring herself a cup of coffee, Shane returned to the kitchen, reaching around her—“’Scuse me, I’m just going to be rude real quick,” he said with a grin—to get a cup for himself.

“So, how did it go?” She asked, sitting down at the table with a novel of her own to read a little before bed.

“It went fine.” Shane poured what was left into his cup and rinsed the pot under the faucet. “She kept trying to put off going to sleep, though. ‘That story was too short, you gotta read me one more’ and all that jazz.” He took a drink of the bitter brew.

Marnie smiled and took a sip of her own. “… I want you to know I’m real proud of you, Shane.” She said after several moments.

It was something Shane hadn’t expected her to say. “I haven’t done anything worth being proud of yet.” He insisted, setting his cup on the counter. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do before that happens. I didn’t want to say anything until today, but the last few Fridays I’ve been going to see a therapist in Zuzu. I just… wanted to prove to myself that this is something I could do before I got anyone’s hopes up, y’know?”

“So that ‘flu’ you had a few weeks ago wasn’t really the flu, I take it?” Marnie guessed shrewdly, to which Shane held up his hands in surrender. “Normally I don’t appreciate being lied to, but I’ll let it slide this time.” She set her own cup down and opened the book before her. “Does Ashe know?”

“Yeah… to be honest, he’s the main reason I was able to get help in the first place.” Shane admitted with an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “For some reason, he just never gave up on me. I owe him a hell of a lot.”

“It’s real sweet how close the two of you have gotten.” Marnie gave him a warm smile. “I’ve never seen someone melt that heart of yours like he has. You should let him know how you feel at the Moonlight Jellies~”

Her suggestion puzzled Shane, her intent flying right over his head. “The… Moonlight Jellies? Wwwwhy that festival specifically?”

“Because it’d be all the more romantic, of course.” Marnie looked back to her book and turned the page slowly. “Of course, I can understand not wanting to wait that long to get together. I still remember my first romance and how impatient I was… ah, to be young and in love again.”

“Roman—lo—” Shane sputtered, his face turning red as it clicked in his head what she was getting at. “Marnie, come on, you’re reaching here. I appreciate what the kid’s done for me, and… well, maybe there is something there, but I’m way too old for him don’t you think? And that’s not to say that I have no idea if he even thinks of me like that, or if he even swings that way to begin with—”

“Shane, when you live as long as I have and work in a business like this,” Marnie interrupted his protests casually, “you learn to be a real good judge of people. Trust me, you’ve got more of a chance than you think. I just see how well the two of you get on and the side of you that he brings out. Give it some thought.”

Unable to think of what to say to that, Shane quickly finished off his coffee and set the cup in the sink. “I’m going to bed.” He announced as he cleared his throat. “Good night, Marnie.”

“Night, dear.” Marnie waved her fingers at him over her shoulder, hiding a laugh at his quick exit. Even if nothing came of it in the end, she at least wanted to make him aware of his feelings.

[squipsheere]

Guess who wrote more Cassarian angst!!

(It's the big battle against Zhan Tiri, and I was going for a self-sacrificing-Varian kinda thing. He's 18 heere don't worry)

   "As someone who loves you I have every right to tell you how stupid that idea is." Cass yelled over her shoulder, a smile playing on her lips as she punched in the face of an advancing solider. The man crashed to the ground, already out cold. From behind her rang out the shattering of glass, followed by an explosion caused by the vials Varian was throwing. Varian, whom was back to back with her as they fought together.

   She grabbed Varian's wrist without glancing at him, scanning the battlefield for places to hide, as well as any approaching enemies. While she didn't want to leave the battlefield she had to talk some sense in him, and that would be difficult here. There, she saw it; a mostly intact wall well enough out of the way.

   "Hey, Cassie! I thi-hey!" Varian tried to protest, but was interrupted by Cass dragging him behind her. Her unseeming strength never ceased to amaze him, evident from his look of surprise.

   Cass pulled him behind the ruins of a once homely cottage, shielding the two from the battlefield for the time being.

   "Listen up," she growled. Now that she knew exactly what he was planning she was going to do everything in her power to change his mind. A difficult task, but Cass was up for the challenge. "I know you want to do the noble thing and sacrifice yourself to help everyone. Believe me, I know you well enough.  But you have to listen to me when I say that it's too dangerous for you." Cass pleaded in an angry tone. Varian began to question how that was even possible, then shrugged it off. There were more important matters at the moment, he chided himself.

   "Cassie, I-" he interjected before Cass sileced him with a death glare. They were her speciality, usually reserved for Eugene. But this was a special case.

   "No. No you don't know what you're doing. Look, that machine is dangerous and we don't know near enough about it. Last time we used it, yea it worked, it saved the kingdom, but it also released the minions of Zhan Tiri and led us to this. We don't know what could happen this time, and I'm not so sure we want to. Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but I don't want to see my nerd hurt or dead because of something neither of us could protect you from."

   She was unknowingly gripping both of his wrists like they were the only thing supporting her, keeping her standing. Varian looked down to her, a soft smile on his face. 'My nerd, how endearing' he thought, almost saying it out loud. That was the first time he's heard that, and hearing it filled him with an unexplainable joy.

   "Yes, it's dangerous but I have to do it. No one else can figure out how to work the innards of the Demanitus Device. And Cassie? I'm terrified, for myself, for you, for everyone. I don't know what will happen if I do this, but I know what'll happen if I don't. The Princess and most of the forces are busy fighting Zhan Tiri himself, Eugene and Lance are leading everyone one else against his forces. And we're losing Cassie. More of our men are falling than his, and I'm not going to see you be one of them, not when I can do something to prevent it. You're right, we don't know what will happen to me because of it but I know it's the only thing I can do."

   Varian pulled Cass into a hug as he spoke, and looked down in surprise as she let him, no resistance whatsoever. She held on to him tight, afraid to let go, afraid he would be gone after this.

    "Wait for me." He finally said, pulling away from the hug. "I'll come back to you, just, just please wait for me Cassie." Cass looked up to him, nodding silently, not saying to speak. She felt vulnerable, showing an of these emotions, and on the battlefield no less.

   He turned to walk away from her, bracing himself for her to do something, anything to stop him. So it came as no surprise to him when she grabbed his arm and turned him back to her. What he hadn't been expecting was the kiss that followed, long and speaking lengths of Cass'love for him. It told him the things that she could never figure out how to say.

   "I'll wait, just please come back to me." She whispered as she finally pulled away from Varian. Before he had a chance to answer she was gone, gone charging back into the battle alongside Eugene. She hoped he hadn't seen the tear that began to make it's way down her cheek.

   Taking his cue Varian strode off towards the Demanitus Device's underground cave, willing himself to not look back.

~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~~•∆•~

   "Oh goodie, the viper lady! You feel like taking some guys out?" Eugene greeted, fighting off three soliders and maintaining an effortless look.

"Why not!" Cass shouted back over the clang of swords hitting each other. She easily swept out the feet of one man and slammed the hilt of her sword into the back of the other's head. With the other two gone Eugene took down the third and final man in seconds.

   "That's right fellas, nobody survives the wrath of the viper lady. Except moi, of course. It's not easy, let me tell you-" Eugene's boasting was cut off by a punch to the shoulder from Cassandra.

   "Can't you be serious for once in your life, Fitzher-jerk?" She crossed her arms, giving him her death glare. Although she would never admit it out loud, especially not to Eugene of all people, she was glad to see him keeping up his aloof personality. It was refreshing in the battle

   "Oh come on Cassandra, have some fun for once. We're in a battle, isn't that the one thing you love? Give that cold black heart of yours something to warm it up." As Eugene went on Cass saw another soldier heading their way, and turned to face him. Eugene's words caught her ear, and her mind thought back to Varian, her fears returning. She had no idea where he was, if he was alive or dead. It was terrifying.

   The ground shook and she stumbled, nearly falling over. She righted herself at the last second and stood back up to feel a blade cutting into her arm. The pain was searing, she switched sword hands, ready to retaliate.

   Instead, the man pitched forward and crashed to the ground. Eugene stood behind him, a pan in his hand and a smirk on his face. He whistled, impressed with his performance.

   Eugene opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could utter a word. An explosion that came out of nowhere rocked the world, the force of it pushing people to the ground.

   "Where did that come from?" Cass asked as she sat up, groaning from the feeling it being thrown to the ground, a hand on her head.

   "Oh, judging from the smoke I'd say the cave where the Demanitus Device is in. Although I'd say it's not there now, huh Cassandra?" Eugene replied, laughing to himself at his own joke.

   "No." Cass whispered, shooting to her feet, paling more than she already was. "No, it, it can't be, Varian's in there!" She took off running towards the black cloud of smoke, hee heart and mind racing. 'He has to be alive. Please let him be alive.' She drilled the thought into her head, each word matching with the push of her feet against the ground.

   There, she saw the rubble. It was a charred, smoking mess with nothing left standing. Cass rushed into the rubble without a second thought, searching for a bright blue steak.

   And there is was. He was half buried, and unmoving. Cass was at his side in a second, already working on digging him out. Her brain left out how still Varian was, never reacting to the shifting heap he was on

   "Cassandra, Cassandra, Cass! Listen to me, look at the kid, I'm not sure there's anything you can do for him." Eugene says lamely, tears welling up in his eyes as he shook Cass' shoulders to pull her attention away from Varian.

   She turned to fire off a retort, but she was interrupted by a weak cough. She looked back to Varian, and he coughed again. He was alive. She didn't know how well he was, but he was alive.

   She threw her arms around him carefully, letting tears stream freely down her face. She couldn't bring herself to care about the tears just now, there were more important things. Eugene let out a sigh of relief from behind her.

   "I, I think that I may have blown up the Demanitus Device." Varian muttered, cracking his eyes open. He squinted, trying to look at the scene around him. His body shook with a coughing fit.

   "Varian! I thought you were dead!" Cass said, breaking away from the hug.

   "Cass-Cassie? Yea, so did I. But I, I told you I'd come back. Although I'm pretty sure I got hit in the head with a rock or something. I'm not sure if what I did even managed to stop Zhan Tiri. Sorry about that." Varian moved to sit up but Cass stopped him pushing him back down.

   "You need to stay still, Var. We don't need you to make things worse for yourself. You're alive, you're here, that's what matters right now." She felt the back of his head, a huge bump evident, and she decided to keep it propped up. Eugene whistled low as he saw it.

   "Wow kid, you got hit pretty hard." He commented, sinking to the ground next to him. He looked to the gathering crowd, any fighting seemingly gone with the explosion. He scanned the crowd, but saw no head of 70 feet of golden hair. He was worried about her, unsure of where she could be right now; she should have let him fight by her side. For now he prayed that whatever Varian had done had garuntee Blondie's victory.

   "Eugene, is that you? Cassie why is it so dark here? Where, where are we?" Varian asked quietly, squinting in the direction he thought he'd heard Eugene's voice come from.

   "What do you mean? Varian, it's the middle of the day, it's brighter than a carnival out here." Cass was beginning to worry.

   "I can't see a thing. You don't think that when I got hit in the head it affected my eyes, do you? I mean that would make sense, it's only a matter of how severe it is. I have a chance is being able to see again, but we won't know until it actually happens." Varian began to ramble, trying to hide his fears that were beginning to grow.

   Cass took his hand and held it tight cradling his head in her lap, being careful of the bump. She looked up to the darkness rolling in to the sky, with green lighting shooting through the sky. The storm that followed Zhan Tiri was coming. Whatever Varian did to the Demanitus Device hadn't been enough.

   "Cassie? Is that you?" Varian asked weakly, straining to see her. Even just a glimpse would be fine. But all he saw was a suffocating darkness all around him, cutting him off from the world.

   "It's me. I'm here for you. I'm not leaving you." She assured him, stroking his hair.

    Varian smiled, his last though before slipping into oblivion being 'my Cassie'.

[xscsv]

Day 1

I am in desperate need of a life overhaul. 

2020 Goals

1. Keep a diary of all daily activity; exercise, food (all aspects of it including cooking and nutrition as well as the amount I spend on it), and other personal developments. 

2. Join a gym. Exercise daily, including cardio and weights. Yoga a few times a week. Wake up at 5:30 and drive to the gym and get ready there. Keep track of what exercises I do every day and take progress pics weekly. 

3. Count all calories. With precision. 

4. Track and maintain a budget. 

5. Cook every night. Keep track of recipes and what I learned. Find humor in failure. 

6. Go for a hike every weekend day. 

7. Through yoga and meditation, develop sense of peace. 

8. Solidify career goals. Go to the studio once a week. 

I guess that’s enough for now. 

The truth is, I don’t think I can do any of this. Lately, I’m more tired every day. It’s cold and dreary outside, and I’m going through a breakup. I don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. My diet is a wreck and I’ve stopped exercising. 

COOKING: 

Today I diligently tried and failed to cook. It completely proved my point that cooking is useless because you end up spending almost as much money as you would have eating out, except it takes hours a day between the planning and shopping and actual cooking, and if you’re me, everything turns out inedible. 

This time it was an especially hilarious disaster. I intended to make a stir fry with beef, broccoli, snow peas, carrots, onions, mushrooms, green onions, ginger, garlic. I spent $11.66 total on these ingredients and spent my entire lunch break shopping for them. Because I fully do not know how to cook at all, I spent 30 minutes watching instructional videos. ALL of the videos were chinese-style stir fries with a wok, but was sure a cast iron would be adequate. It was horrible. I used strips of stir fry flank steak. All of the recipes I found required you to marinate the beef in a mixture of egg, corn starch, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. I thought it seemed pretty straightforward.. egg with soy sauce and all of that seemed to be a logical mixture and in the videos I watched, the steak immediately turned into a crispy golden brown with a little gloss to it after just a couple of minutes on the wok. It took about 10 minutes of prep between mincing the garlic and the ginger, and another 10 to cook it. I tried to heat up the cast iron as much as I could, but when I put the steak on, it didn’t sear at all, instead it turned into light brown mush, and the egg/cornstarch mixture immediately hardened and started to burn to the pan, and then the burned mixture was getting into the food, meanwhile the steak was somehow raw in some places and overcooked in others. It took way longer to cook than it was supposed to, and by the time it was cooked thoroughly, it was hard as a rock. The final product was inedible. Not only was the steak very overcooked, it was coated in light brown mushy goo with bits of uncooked garlic and ginger mixed in. I laughed and literally also cried, and threw it all in the trash. 

The veggies weren’t much better. First I tried to sautee the broccoli, but I didn’t have a good cooking oil so I used mostly water, which worked ok (but I wondered, was I supposed to put a flavoring in?) Then I added the carrots, and a minute later, mushrooms. That was fine, but then I added chopped onions ( I wondered, should I have done that first? or last?), and then the snow peas. The snow peas were a huge mistake.... I bought way too many of them, not realizing the total would be $3.99 (a third of the cost of the meal) and that they take forever to de-vein. It looked ridiculous to have so many of them in the pot, and they took longer to cook than I was expecting, and by the time they were edible the mushrooms were soggy. I cut my losses and turned the stove off. I thought I could make it better by adding a store bought teryaki sauce... big mistake, it was a gross flavor. Whatever. Since i needed a protein after the steak incident, I fried an egg and put it on top. Honestly, it totally fixed the problem and made an edible meal. Thank god for eggs. 

Lessons learned: 

-Buy a few nice cooking oils 

-Buy a wok 

-Use less corn starch 

-Buy snow peas in moderation because they take a long time to de-vein and they’re expensive 

-fried eggs should always be used as toppers 

----

INTAKE

I didn’t track calories today. It was a lighter food day for me. For breakfast I ate a ton of flatbread covered in cream cheese, which probably did have a bunch of calories. Then I had half an orange and half a cookie. But I barely ate lunch, and dinner was a bowl of veggies and an egg. 

----

EXERCISE

I meant to go to a yoga class after work but time got away from me. 

I haven��t been walking at all lately. People at work have been giving me shit for it. Today I was shocked when my fitbit buzzed to tell me I met my step goal (10,000, at 10pm). Not too long ago I was doing 15-20k religiously every day. It is such a viscous cycle though, because the less I move, the less I want to. I used to get up at 6am every morning and walk for 45 minutes. Now I hit snooze until 7:30 and have to crawl out of bed. I feel ashamed of myself. 

[trblhalfmoon]

Double Blind

word count: 2,863

A/N: This one was inspired from a random article I stumbled across years ago that said Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds met on a blind date but they were both with other partners. During the night, they ended up clicking better than their original pairs and I thought that was kinda cool and interesting. Enjoy!

“15th Street, this is your stop. Is this corner okay?”

“This is fine,” you thank your lyft driver on the way out as you step onto the curb to eye your surroundings.

You’re in an unfamiliar part of town, but you take a moment to enjoy the lit streets; adorned with chic lights that create a white, magical glow against the night sky.

You check your phone to find you are ten minutes early but decide to head to the restaurant anyway. You tug at the hem of your dress and make your way towards the middle of the block, wrapping your coat closer around your body. Your shivering stems from a combination of your nerves and the cold.

It’s been a while since you’ve been on a blind date. In fact, it’s been a while since you’ve been on any date. Your last relationship had fizzled out after three long years, both of you far too comfortable with your routine of each other to admit that the fire had died long ago. Since then, you haven’t had much energy to put yourself out there.

You stand outside of the restaurant to wait, opening the dating app out of curiosity to study his profile for the millionth time. This will be the first time meeting each other since talking for the past two weeks.

You scroll through your messages, aimlessly looking for some kind of instruction or update, when something dated a few days ago catches your eye.

        How do you feel about a double date?

You almost drop your phone in shock; you don’t remember agreeing to something like that. But you read through the conversation anyway, wondering how you missed a detail like that.

        I’ve got a friend who’s also trying to meet someone. What do you say?

        “sgtm”

You blink at your reply, trying to figure out what happened. The message is dated from last Wednesday, and you scan your brain trying to recall what you were doing at the time. Then it hits you – the company holiday party. You had gotten so shitfaced at the event that you most likely responded without thinking.

It’s too late at this point to try to figure a way out, so you pocket your phone and think of ways to excuse yourself early. Stomach pains halfway through dinner? Or maybe a personal emergency…

“Hyun-Jung?”

You peek up at the man before you and your heart instantly flutters. He’s a couple inches taller than you, and you note the way his dark hair is swept back, with wisps of stray hairs framing his forehead. The metal frames of his glasses stand out against his fair complexion, and you follow the rim to a clean slash above his right brow.

“Sorry, you have the wrong person,” you mutter after a second too long has passed.

The man apologetically smiles and you fascinate yourself with the way his nose scrunches the tiniest bit in embarrassment.

“Ah, my bad. The person I’m looking for said they would wait outside of this restaurant.”

You nod in response, not sure what more to offer him as he steps to the other side of the door and pulls out his phone. You fumble with the hem of your dress again, wondering where your own date is. It’s now almost ten minutes passed your meeting time.

As if on cue, a black BMW pulls up in front of the building and a smartly dressed man in crisp, black slacks steps out of the passenger’s seat. He turns to the back door to pull it open, and a slender, petite brunette steps out with a grateful smile.

The pair make their way towards the door before the man takes notice of you, but when he does, it only takes a moment for his face to light up in recognition.

“Ah, ___, so nice to finally meet you!”

He steps forward to hug you as you awkwardly swing your arm around his neck from what you were anticipating to be a handshake. He smells like expensive cologne, fragrant and musky with a hint of sweetness.

“Hello, Jay,” you try to muster the sweetest smile you can manage, hoping it doesn’t come across too creepy.

“You’re a lot prettier in person,” he returns the gesture, eyes sparkling from his excitement.

“Thanks,” you blush, looking to the couple next to you who also seem to be meeting for the first time.

Then it clicks in your mind…

“___, this is Hyun-Jung and her date…” Jay pauses to look at Hyun for help but she’s too busy studying your face and shaking your hand.

“Call me Dean,” the second man gives you a smile.

“Shall we head inside?” Jay directs the group through the doors.

You all find your seats at a table by the window, Hyun sitting beside you while Jay sits across from you.

“So how do you all know each other?” you try for some small talk.

“Jay and I have worked together for a long time,” Hyun smiles fondly at him.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think they were dating.

“I met Hyun on a dating app, actually,“ Dean offers quite bluntly.

“Oh really? That’s how I met Jay too!”

You’re not quite sure what you’re so excited about. Maybe it’s the fact that you were slightly embarrassed of that fact. You’re still not used to the reality that this is just how dating is now…meeting people through apps and connecting with each other through a screen. It’s completely new territory for you.

“What app are you using?” Dean’s eyebrows peak in interest.

“Oh, I’m trying out this new one called –“

“Hey, the waiter! Why don’t we go ahead and order our food?” Jay interrupts with a forced smile.

Everyone places an order while you peek in Jay’s direction to see a slight flush on his cheeks. He keeps conversation with you while Hyun and Dean talk between themselves. You can tell she’s starstruck over him and it takes everything in your power to not giggle when you catch her eyes trailing to his lips as he speaks.

Your own date is good looking as well. He keeps himself well trimmed and clean, and you admire the way his eyes crinkle when he talks about something he’s interested in. He’s a bit smaller than Dean, but he carries himself confidently.

You find he works in the talent industry along with Hyun, and that music and production are his passions. From someone who graduated college with a strict science background, you find it slightly difficult to relate to his world, but you politely smile and nod when appropriate.

Hyun talks nonstop beside you, and you glance at Dean to find him politely smiling and nodding as well.

“So what are you into, ___?” Jay folds his hands under his chin and smiles at you expectantly.

“I like art,” you think about the doodles in your sketchbook. “A majority of my mediums are graphite but sometimes I experiment with acrylics.”

Jay raises his eyebrows and nods his head as if impressed. “Do you have any samples?”

“Not really,” you can feel your cheeks burn.

Dean muffles a chuckle from across the table and everyone turns their attention towards him. When he realizes it, he straightens up and clears his throat.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something,” he apologizes.

“Anyway,” Jay looks back to you. Did you just see him roll his eyes? “You’ve got to show me your art sometime. Maybe we can use it as an album cover for one of my projects.”

“Oh jeez, I don’t think my art is good enough for that,” your cheeks burn again. “I haven’t really messed around with digital software.”

Dean laughs out loud this time and you can visibly see irritation on Jay’s face. Hyun smiles at him apologetically as if to calm him down, and you try to dissolve the strange tension growing amongst the table.

“What’s so funny, Dean?”

He smiles at you, a soft smile, one of interest as you watch his eyes study your face.

“Why is your face so red? You look like a tomato!”

Your hands immediately fly to your cheeks to cover up the rosy tint. This always happens when you’re embarrassed. You turn away, trying to calm yourself down as Dean continues laughing.

“Damn it,” you curse under your breath.

“Really? Lemme see!” Hyun squeals beside you, really only wanting to laugh along with Dean.

“Fuuuck,” you curse louder now, knowing too well that your cheeks are only getting worse. You never liked being the center of attention.

“I think it’s cute,” Jay pipes up from across the table.

You give him a grateful look, and an even more grateful one to the waiter who interrupts the scene with everyone’s food. Your burning cheeks are suddenly forgotten as everyone focuses on claiming their plates.

Everyone but Dean, that is. He’s smiling at you, and you make eye contact for a brief moment as he mouths what you make out to be “cute.”

You shake your head, feeling a weird churning in your stomach from having captivated his attention. After all, his laughing only implies that he had been watching you.

“Wow Hyun, you’re so healthy!” you try to avert everyone’s attention to her food, the house salad with a small side of tomato soup.

“Not at all,” she beams back at you, clearly pleased from the attention. “I’ve got a project coming out in the next few months so I’m trying to watch my weight.”

“That must be hard,” you look at her with sympathy as she begins to cut her food into smaller pieces.

You notice Jay as well with a healthier option, lean chicken with a side of broiled vegetables. Is this some kind of unspoken rule for people in the talent industry? You look down at your plate, a medium rare steak smeared with garlic, herbs, and butter with a side of pan seared potatoes. Carb overload.

“Well I love food, so I eat anything and everything,” Dean exclaims while beaming at his own.

Your eyes almost pop out of your head when you realize you both ordered the same thing.

“Ah, ___, I see you love food too!”

Dean’s smiling at you and you can’t help but smile back. Food is your weakness.

“I once ate an entire pizza by myself and then two cup ramen noodles,” you shamelessly brag.

“I don’t believe you,” he laughs. “You’re so tiny, where does it all go?”

“When something is delicious, it’s zero calories,” you wittily reply.

Hyun stares at you in disbelief while Jay looks between the two of you with an unreadable expression.

“Do you like sweets, Y/N?” he cuts in.

“I love sweets,” you dreamily sigh as you start to slice through your steak.

“I know a really good café downtown, maybe you and I can check it out after dinner.”

You chew through the steak and the butter effortlessly melts in your mouth, creating a delectable mix of flavors with the herbs and seasoning.

“Wow, this is really good,” you declare after another bite.

Dean hums along with you as he pops a piece of meat into his mouth. “Yeah, we’ve got great taste.”

You can’t help but laugh. What a strange thing, sharing a moment with a man between your mutual love for food.

“___?”

“Sorry, were you saying something?” your ears burn slightly from guilt.

Jay flashes a smile that doesn’t touch his eyes and it puts you off. You know you’re supposed to be on a date with him, but nothing shared between you two so far has given you any spark or indication that you are compatible. You apologize and decide to give him another try.

“Sure, the café sounds good.”

He sits back and clicks his tongue, pleased with himself as he addresses Dean indirectly through Hyun, “Looks like you’ll have to find your own way home tonight.”

You sheepishly smile, very much aware of the over looming tension growing at the table. You decide it’s probably for the best that you focus your attention on your date for the rest of the night. In an attempt to take initiative, you decide to ask Jay about his music. His eyes light up instantly.

“I have some samples of music videos, do you want to see?”

“Sure,” you smile, trying to maintain eye contact before you catch Hyun trying to show Dean samples of her own music.

Much to your distaste, the videos Jay chooses to share with you contain a lot of women and nudity. The music is fun and the rhythms are catchy, so you try to zone in on those aspects instead.

“Your music is very catchy,” you praise him after the song ends. “The video must have been fun to -”

“Thanks!” He beams in interruption. “Let me show you a different one!”

“Oh, sure,” you inwardly sigh.

The next song is slow and the video is even more sensual than the previous one. Somehow this doesn’t surprise you. When the song ends all you can do is nod, but it seems enough to please Jay.

“Maybe if things work out, you can star in one of my next videos,” he winks at you.

Your cheeks instantly warm as you hear a muffled chuckle across the table which you choose to ignore. You’re trying to focus your attention on Jay, afterall.

“Oh god, I don’t think I could. I’m so awkward in front of cameras.”

“That’s what they all say,” Hyun leans in to cut into your conversation. “But it’s really fun once you get over it.”

“If I remember correctly, you were pretty awkward when you first started making videos,” Jay teases her.

“Let’s not talk about that,” her laugh is light and feathery but you know there’s warning laced underneath.

“Remember that video we filmed together? I had to tell you what to do with your hands!”

“Jay.”

“If you want, I can show you some of her earlier videos -”

She shoots a laser glare at him and he laughs as he holds his hands up in surrender. You take this moment to glance at Dean to find him staring at you, and he greets you with a smile as he shakes his head subtly in reaction to the other two at the table.

You let out a small giggle, inclined to agree to his silent comment. A quick reflection of the night would tell you both that you are not compatible with either of your respective dates. Dean tilts his head towards the door and you highly consider his offer. But how are you both going to get out of this?

Jay turns his attention back to you just as Dean excuses himself for the bathroom.

“So ______, you got any other plans later this evening?”

“Not really,” you consider coming up with an excuse to get out of your cafe date after dinner.

“Oh that’s perfect, do you want to come over -”

By some stroke of luck, your very loud ringtone cuts in to interrupt and your ears burn as you fumble with your phone to silence it.

“I’m so sorry, I thought I turned that off,” you cancel the call just to have the same unknown number call back right away.

You try to cancel it again but the third consecutive call tells you that it might be your way out of here.

“Actually, I should probably take this,” you apologetically excuse yourself from the table and head for the bathroom.

You’re about to answer the phone as you turn the corner and run into Dean, phone in hand and a big smile on his face.

“I was getting worried,” he laughs. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to answer.”

“I usually don’t answer numbers I don’t recognize,” you look at him amazed. “How did you -”

He wiggles his phone in front of you and you recognize your dating app right away.

“I hope it doesn’t sound too creepy,” he ruffles a hand through his hair. “I saw you fiddling on the app while we were both waiting outside and found you on here. Most people don’t post their phone number on these things.”

“Oh,” your cheeks grow warm. “Yeah, I’m still trying to figure this dating app thing out.”

“Well, what do you say?” he points down the hall towards an exit out back.

“Are you serious?” your stomach churns. You’ll admit you’re probably not gonna go further with Jay after tonight, but walking out on him like this and leaving a bad impression…

“Don’t tell me you’d rather sit through another hour of that,” the man laughs.

“Okay, you’ve got a point. But what am I supposed to say when he tries to reach out to me on the app?”

Dean takes a second to ponder while carefully studying your face. “Something tells me you’re not gonna be needing that anytime soon.”

He has a mischievous smirk on his face but you take the hint and follow him out the back door.

“Yeah, I can say the same for you.”

[steadycoffeeflow]

Day 10. Flowing | H&J

This prompt was supposed to be about Leo and his addictions, in the framework of J&H. I didn’t want to write that. Maybe another time. Instead, we get my self-insert character. She seemed easier to slip into and deal with.

Today was also Mental Health Day! Take care of yourselves you fucking eggs.

Osmosis: a process by which molecules of a solvent tend to pass through a semipermeable membrane from a less concentrated solution into a more concentrated one, thus equalizing the concentrations on each side of the membrane.

The concept was something Steady knew they’d gone over in high school AP Bio class. She could picture it, as if a mere decade hadn’t passed her by at all. Mr. Brett who was a portly and pleasant man with a full, pepper-salt beard who always referred to himself in the third person. They were setting up an experiment that involved potato slices.

Damn if Steady could remember what the results were. Just one thing stuck out to her: homeostasis and equilibrium. Needing to have a balance.

And as she sipped from her coffee mug - laden with irish cream and vodka, her fingers feeling heavy and mind slipping even farther away - she considered that. Mulled it over. Fixated on the idea.

Having a balance. Two solutions. One lacking and the other too much. Too much of what varied. Energy. Electricity. Food dye. It didn’t matter what - it was just Too Much. A lot. Excess. It needed to be burned off, in the case of energy. Spread and shared around in the case of dye.

One side, flowing into the other. Filling in for the lack and spreading out what was too much. It sounded...nice. Peaceful. The type of ideal tranquility that would strike her on some odd Thursday night, an ordinary day out of ordinary days, and make her begin to weep, curling in on herself.

Steady watched, eyes languid, as Mr. Brett put the potato slices in the water, then took another sip of the syrup, letting it sting her tongue pleasantly.

One time, just before college started, Steady had been struck by the idea that she needed to go camping. Had made it to the door with her old tent pack gear, a couple days’ worth of food and a fishing pole. She didn’t even know if there would be water where she was going. Didn’t even know where she was going. Said as much when her mother asked. Both parents had flown into rages at that, thinking she was running away. Hell if Steady even knew where she was running to, let alone away from, just knew she needed to run.

It happened another time, when she was still working in Detroit. This one had an impulse. ‘New York State of Mind’ by Billy Joel came on the radio, cutting through the static of the afternoon and information technology article write-ups. Steady had to go to New York. Could see it so clearly, her sitting on a bench, watching the taxi lanes clog up, observing the people on their phones and in their nice clothes with her darting eyes. She’d only seen the city on the news, for New Year celebrations, in the older shows before the century.

She got to the receptionist when he’d joked: “Taking a second lunch?”

She’d frozen, hand raised to push the handle, but not quite touching it. The spell broken, she laughed at him. “Just putting my bag in the car. Thinking of taking a walk to wake up.” Nodded. Accepted. Normal response.

She had to be more normal.

There was that other time at college, her mind pivoted to next. She’d stayed up, drifting into hour-long naps once every 24-hour period because, distantly, she knew she needed some rest, and all she’d been doing was writing. Writing writing writing until her wrists were aching with the force of creation.

Then, she crashed for 32 hours, unable to move. When she woke up, groggy and head stuffed full of pain, she’d called home. Explained what had happened.

‘Oh honey, you’re just creative.’

But this was different than all-nighters in high school. Each new idea had been something to explore, a compulsion she had to explore. It was frightening, getting swept up in a tide of creation. Usually the process was freeing. This...this was something else. She was skipping class, realizing only when it was dark out that she hadn’t left to go to the dining hall, that someone - her roommate - had asked if she wanted to go. Then snuck a plate back. Bought a sandwich using Steady’s ID. Put a bottle of water snugged up on the pillow with a smiley face on a sticky note and Steady couldn’t answer her own question: When had that gotten there? When did you last drink water? Shower? Eat? Use the bathroom?

People joked. ‘Who’s your supplier, eh?’

Who knew how long Reese had been standing there. Not Steady, that was for sure. She jumped when she noticed him leaning in the doorway of the kitchen, arms crossed and a slight crease to his brow. “Heya,” she said, chipper.

“You do this often?” he asked, processing something.

Steady looked around the kitchen. “Cook? Yes. I need to eat food, Reese,” she snorted, going back to slicing the peppers.

“Are you cooking for an army? Was there a new upgrade I didn’t know about, where androids have to eat too?”

Steady bristled a bit. Reese wasn’t laughing. Wasn’t brushing it off. Which meant she’d misstepped. Shit.

Taking inventory of the counter, she tried to think if this was excessive. Was it too much? There was the crockpot with the chili simmering away on low. Had been for the past three hours. Still needed another five or so, which meant it would be ready for her to take to work. Then, she still had pepper left, so she was slicing those up to fry for a fajita mix she’d cook up once the chili vacated the crock pot.

This all had a logical, clear progression.

Steady looked confused at Reese, to see if he was going to fill in any gaps she was missing.

“Are you going to eat that all tonight, or will you be feasting in your dreams?” he asked, holding out his hands at the mess.

Steady followed the hand motions instead of looking at Reese’s face. Couldn’t meet his eyes. Whenever she did look at him, she found herself drawn to his chin, or maybe the wave of his hair or the tattoos he had. Or just the knife in her hand - that was a good idea - to keep an eye on that.

“I mean,” she said, mumbling it now. Voice lower than she needed it to be. Had to pitch it up. Sound like she wasn’t affected - like she normally was. “I’m just not tired. Must be the coffee, whoops.”

Reese frowned. Folded his arms. Watched her. “You...last cup of coffee you had was this morning.”

The blade skipped on the pepper skin. The blade was dull. Knew she had to watch it, or she’d graze her knuckles, slide a fingertip. “Should cut it out entirely,” she replied, smiling ruefully. “Last doc suggested I go straight decaf if I needed to have my hot drink fix. I never went back.”

Reese nodded. Didn’t say anything until Steady was working on the third and final pepper to slice. The pile was consuming the counter space, thin, uneven strips of it falling off the cutting board. “Well, are you going to need help cleaning up…?”

He moved to the sink and Steady jolted. “No.”

Her cry rang out. Probably alerted Rose and Aria. She winced, sucking air through her teeth as she bowed her head over the pepper. “Don’t. I’m good. I’ll clean up after myself.”

“That’s a lot of mess,” Reese started to protest.

“Don’t.”

“Okay.” He relented easy, likely had only been offering to be polite.

Steady eased up, then scooped the peppers up, dropping them into a waiting, warm pan. She turned up the heat, added a dash of butter, then turned to the flank steak. She’d used about half for the chili. Could sear it nicely with the fajita mix. Keep that on low for another-

“It’s nice to see you up and about. Last two weeks you spent on the couch,” Reese said.

Steady shrugged. She was missing something. Something about this scene was odd to him. She had to figure it out, smooth it down, fill in the crack somehow.

Reese patted the island counter. “Well, looks like you’ll be a minute or two. Mind if I…?”

“Go for it,” Steady said, smiling. Forgot why she’d been worried anyway. Probably just paranoid. Nothing to worry about. She busied herself slicing up the beef. Methodical. After a couple of minutes, her mouth began to move of its own accord. Filled in the cracks. And Reese listens. Listened to her story about high school AP biology as she trimmed the fat from the meat. Soaked it in when she relayed the story about camping back in Detroit as she stirred the peppers, appreciating how they were sweating down and charring the bottom of the pan. Tilted his head as he considered her story about wanting to travel to New York.

“Is that why you’re here now?” Reese asked.

“What?”

“New York. Now. Rose hasn’t mentioned how you two met yet.”

“Oh. No. That’s not - I’m. That’s something else, I mean. I always wanted to go to New York, who doesn’t. There was this one time we were going to see a Broadway performance, actually, but the trip just didn’t work out so we went to the local Apple Diner Theater in my hometown instead. Gosh that was such a good - my friend was in it? She was great. Knew her from high school. She used to sneak out with me during lunch breaks. Always smoked. I never did. I mean the harder shit. Sometimes I get a nicotine hit.” Steady shrugged, pushed the meat into the pan. “Wonder what happened to her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah! I mean, we had a falling out. People always have falling outs with me.” A tightness overtook Steady’s chest and her eyes stung. Must be the peppers. No - that was onions. “Misunderstandings and the like. They get tired. But…” Where had she been going? Right, the play! “It was Wicked! She had the role of the witch…”

And as Steady bustled about in the early hours of the morning, limbs, chest, fingers, heart - mind - racing with electricity, Reese listened. He inclined his head this way and that, shrugged, flashed his palms, wrinkled his nose that caused the burns around his brown eye to crinkle.

Outside the night pressed in, chilling and tran - We should decorate the house for Halloween. Just the inside should be fine. Not too attention grabbing. I can go shopping after work and- quil in its absolute pitch blackness.

And things felt just right.

[truhealthtoday]

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is likely to become a new dinner staple! It's flavorful, it's creamy and it's surprisingly filling. Plus it's a healthy side dish that the whole family can enjoy. 

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be making mock mashed potatoes. But here we are and I'm actually kind of obsessed - it must be that roasted garlic. Don't get me wrong though I'm definitely not giving up Mom's Mashed Potatoes, I was just looking for something else to add to the rotation to switch things up.

These are great if you are on a low carb diet and have been missing mashed potatoes. While they don't have the exact same flavor and texture of mashed potatoes they are still oh so satisfying! They aren't as heavy as mashed potatoes and I love the addition of parmesan and herbs that's more fitting with cauliflower.

And that roasted garlic is like candy to me. Whenever there's roasted garlic making an appearance at the dinner table we all know things are going to be good. I love it here because cauliflower has a mild flavor so it gives it that special something. Along with the few dabs of butter of course. Olive oil would work too for a healthier option but let's face it butter is best.

One other way I'd like to try these is by roasting the cauliflower as well. I'm all about that roasty toasty flavor. Serve this with oven roasted chicken or pan seared steak for a delicious meal!

More garlic recipes you might like:

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Skillet Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter Sauce  

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a great low carb alternative to mashed potatoes. It's creamy, flavorful and filling. A great side dish for chicken or steak. 1 medium head garlic 1 tsp olive oil 1 (2 1/2 lb) head cauliflower, (cut from core, cut into florets) 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt or sour cream 1 tsp finely minced fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper Minced fresh parsley, (for garnish (optional)) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut top 1/2-inch of garlic head to expose cloves. Lay garlic on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap to enclose. Roast garlic in preheated oven until cloves have softened and are just lightly golden brown, about 40 - 45 minutes. Bring about 1/2-inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a steamer basic in pot then place cauliflower on basket and steam until very tender, about 10 - 13 minutes. Remove garlic from skin (just squeeze each one upward to remove), place in a large food processor. Add cauliflower, parmesan, butter, Greek yogurt, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover food processor with lid and remove center insert of lid (since you're working with a hot mixture). Process mixture until smooth, about 1 minute, while scraping down sides as needed. Serve warm with parsley if desired. Recipe source: Cooking Classy Read More » Source link Read the full article

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Top 20 Most Important Kitchen Appliances | kitchen Hands Down@|what kitchen appliances do i need@|@|25

Cooking at home is all about simple, healthy and delicious meals brought from your kitchen to your dining table.

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But many times, it can be tiring and time-consuming to prepare food; the simplicity can turn into complexity and you may not always end up with tasty meals.

With the correct list of basic appliances, you can make food preparation much easier and more enjoyable. 

These kitchen appliances will also motivate you to think about creative new recipes for delighting your family.

Besides standard storage containers and utensils, modern appliances are an important part of a kitchen and do actually improve the quality of your life by making tasks easy.

With the right appliances, cooking and other kitchen tasks will become your day’s preferred activities.

Every kitchen features many types of equipment to help in cooking and other activities.

The best kitchens have various sections based on its location and size in your house to accommodate the various activities. Here are parts of a kitchen:

Main kitchen; here you find ovens, refrigerators and stoves. It’s an area for cooking meals.

Baking area; it’s a bread room or section to prepare bakery items such as cookies, biscuits, bread and cakes.

Cooking area; this is where you clean and wash kitchen utensils, containers, pots plates and other cookware.

Prep area; preparation of veggies takes place here, sorting, cutting and slicing the cooking ingredients.

Storeroom; area to store your food.

And the most essential one, that’s “kitchen equipment.”

It’s worth the effort and time to compare appliance choices. The most obvious reasons you need to take time to compare is because you’ll be able to get an appliance with the best price and quality.

Going through online reviews on kitchen appliances is the right place to begin before you buy. There are various sources and kinds of reviews on these products.

Most websites provide professional appliance reviews that view many products from a technical viewpoint.

They will offer insight into the likelihood of repairs required, what it takes to set up and use the appliance, and how simple it is to get a service center.                

Appliances are either mechanical or electrical types that you can use to get some kitchen tasks done.

These machines help in different processes such as freezing, heating, cooling, and cleaning without too much effort. These appliances vary from small to big ones.

All these appliances help in saving time. Some you can use to clean up the kitchen, some to preserve food items, some for cooking purposes, and others to clean up dishes.

We cannot purchase all the known kitchen appliances as there’s a multitude of them in the market.

The following is a list of 20 kitchen appliances that you should have in your kitchen to help in making your cooking experience fun:

Juicers

One of the best ways to stay healthy and fit is by juicing. Juices made of fruits and veggies will ensure you stay active and fit by building your immune system. Therefore, you should buy a juicer to help you in making healthy and tasty smoothies and juices.

There are different kinds of these appliances in the market, which include triturating juicers, citrus juicers and cold press juicers. They feature very sharp blades, which cut through the veggies and fruits for juicing purposes.

Ensure you read reviews on the Best Juicers before purchasing one. The model you purchase needs to be user-friendly and simple to clean up.

Also think about factors like noise-efficiency, capacity, and multiple speeds setting of the model before buying.

Electric Kettle

COSORI CO108-NK Electric Gooseneck 0.8L 5 Variable Presets Pour Over Kettle & Coffee Kettle, 100% Stainless Steel Inner Lid & Bottom, Matte Black

Designed in California. This Cosori’s Gooseneck Kettle features 5 precise temperature presets. The accurate variable presets allow you to never again burn your coffee or tea leaves. It also has a Keep Warm function that automatically keeps water at the same temperature for 60 minutes

Turning Off The Ready Tone: The kettle features a ready tone that beep 3 times when the water reached the preset temperature. If you don’t want this beep alert. You can press and hold “HOLD TEMP” for 8 seconds to turn beeps on/off

The Purest Taste: The kettle is made with 100% food-grade stainless steel in its housing, lid, and spout, with no Teflon or chemical linings, which keeps the perfect taste for your coffee and tea

These appliances help in accelerating the liquid heating process. An electric kettle will give you hot water for preparing your morning coffee and tea and for other hot beverages.

It features other advantages as well. You can use it to prepare pasta and soup and also to boil small quantities of water for various uses.

The model you purchase needs to be user-friendly. For this reason, it needs to come with an ergonomic design with a spout for easy pouring of the liquid without making a mess.

A temperature and timer control setting can let you cook a range of different food items. Go for an automatic kettle that switches off automatically as soon as the water reaches boiling point.

In addition, ensure that the switch button is strong and the kettle should feature a heating base that’s sturdy and thick for dealing with lasting use.

Water Purifier

Sale

Brita Extra Large 18 Cup Filtered Water Dispenser with 1 Standard Filter, Made without BPA, UltraMax, Gray

The BPA-free UltraMax water dispenser holds 18 cups of water, enough to fill six 24-ounce reusable water bottles

Get great tasting water without the waste. By switching to Brita, you can save money and replace 1,800 single-use plastic water bottles* a year

This space efficient filtered water dispenser fits perfectly on refrigerator shelves, features an easy locking lid and precision pour spigot; Height 10.47″; Width 5.67″; Length/Depth 14.37″; Weight 3 pounds

A water purifier filters water to get rid of viruses, bacteria, germs and other hazardous agents. It gets rid of dire from the water and helps make it safe for consumption.

You will find different kinds of water purifiers to choose from, which use different techniques for purifying water.

They come in different sizes and shapes, so you should measure the space you have available for a water purifier.

The best model is one that offers high performance and low maintenance. A water purifier is an essential appliance as hazardous water will cause waterborne illnesses.

Toaster

Amazon Basics 2 Slice, Extra-Wide Slot Toaster with 6 Shade Settings, Black

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2-slice toaster for toasting one or two slices of bread at a time; 6 shade settings accommodate individual preferences

Extra-wide slots for bagels and thicker slices; each slot measures 5-1/4 inches long by 1-1/4 inches wide

Bagel setting for toasting just the cut side; Frozen setting for defrosting bread; Cancel function ends the session at any time

This is a kitchen appliance you can use to toast bread slices fast. A toaster uses radiant heat for browning bread slice and changes it into toast. You can use it to toast multiple bread types.

Most people prefer those having multiple slots as they can help in toasting more slices. Modern toasters feature easy to adjust slots depending on the size of the muffins or bread.

A toaster is an affordable appliance that saves you the time you would spend toasting bread on your pan with the risk of burning your hand and some bread slices while at it.

Slow Cooker

A slow cooker, also called a crock pot, has been well-liked for years. Slow cookers change cuts of meat into tender, tasty food.

Just add the ingredients, switch it on, and then continue with other tasks of the day. It roughly 6 to 8 hours, you will have food ready without much effort.

These appliances are great for chowders and soups as well. Essentially, slow cookers are the best choice during the cold months.

Some of the important features to consider when purchasing a slow cooker include detachable inserts, automatic warning function, warming function, automatic warming function, timer, and sear function.

Fridge

RCA RFR321-B-Black-COM RFR321 Mini Refrigerator, 3.2 Cu Ft Fridge, Black, CU.FT

Your purchase includes One RCA RFR321 Single Door Mini Fridge with Freezer in Black color

Fridge dimensions: 17-1/2” W x 18.5/8” D x 31.5/8” H | 84 L – 3.2 cu. Ft. inner space | Product weight: 50.7 lbs. | Freezer capacity: 0.2 cu. Ft. | Refrigerant type: R134a, 1.77 Oz/50g

Reversible Door makes it easy to fit this in any spot of your room

Maybe, the fridge is the most beneficial kitchen appliance since it will not only help in keeping food fresh but also help in preventing wastage since you can store cooked dishes until the next meal rather than disposing of it.

Fridges are available in different sizes, so you will find one model even for the most compact kitchen.

Before purchasing one, think about the amount of food you’ll store in it every day. The reason being, this can help you in estimating the capacity that’s most appropriate for your loved ones.

In addition to this, think about the features you require. For example, a side-by-side fridge may be ideal for the kitchen for a big family, which needs more freezer space.

Some homeowners may like fridges with adjustable shelves, which you can store vessels of different heights.

You also need to consider the star rating of the fridge to make sure that it’s energy-saving. Generally, the higher the rating, the better it is at saving energy.

Grills

Blackstone 28 inch Outdoor Flat Top Gas Grill Griddle Station – 2-burner – Propane Fueled – Restaurant Grade – Professional Quality

RESTAURANT STYLE COOKING – With 470sq inches of flat top grilling, this griddle is perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cook eggs, pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese, steak, potatoes, teppanyaki style foods and more. Also enjoy a bottom shelf and two side shelves for food storage and prep

REPLACE YOUR STANDARD GRILL – Replace your grill or BBQ with a Blackstone griddle and never look back! This grill is simple to use and easy to assemble, so you’ll be cooking in no time. Eliminate the hassle of kerosene, charcoal and matches; This grill includes an easy start, battery powered push button ignition. With the simple push of a button your griddle is ready to go! Take the headache away from outdoor cooking and spend more time enjoying the outdoors

TRANSPORT WITH EASE – Easily wheel around your yard or transport from your backyard to the campsite thanks to the removable griddle top, fold up legs and four industrial strength caster wheels

With the increasing popularity of outdoor entertaining, grills are the latest trends for outdoor kitchens.

The choice for the best grills in the market for grilling appear to be restricted only by your budget and imagination.

From costly, sophisticated models that have all the attractive features to the more modest compact charcoal grill, there’s a grill available to suit your needs.

With a bit of planning, you will be ready to get the right grill to suit virtually any need you might have. Once you install your new appliance, invite over some guests and relatives for some tasty, home-grilled foods.

There are a variety of grills available in the market. Ensure that you read reviews on the Best Grills before you make a decision to purchase one.

Food processor

KitchenAid KFP0718OB Easy Store Food Processor, 7 Cup, Onyx Black

Easy to use. One-click, twist-free bowl assembly with a latched lid for easy set up.

Easy to clean. With the sealed, leak-resistant work bowl, which means less food gets trapped in the bowl and lid. Also, the bowl, lid and accessories are all dishwasher-safe.

Easy to store. With a compact design, In-bowl accessory storage and convenient cord wrap.

When it comes to cooking, it isn’t the actual cooking that is time-consuming, but the preparation work. It can be very exhausting to chop many ingredients before you start to cook. The way out is using a food processor.

This appliance will make batters and doughs, purees, chopping, and blending in minutes. This machine is an essential for every kitchen as it will easily reduce your preparation time significantly.

Involving and exhausting tasks like making dough, pureeing tomatoes and chopping onions are now easy. Imagine the sheer joy of chopping your onions without the tears!

This will also encourage you to enjoy making food at home more and begin to make savings on takeout.

The machine’s blades are razor-sharp, so keep the processor away from kids and always handle with care especially when washing it.

Stoves

Stoves are the most essential kitchen appliances as you cannot cook without them. Old models featured an enclosed area where coal and wood were burnt to generate heat for cooking food.

You can get a stove that runs on gas. Modern types are electrically run. These are a substitute for coal and gas stoves.

A stove is often created with an incorporated heating device that you can use for baking and heating. Modern stoves offer various numbers of burners, ranging from four to six. 

It is also common to find stoves that combine both gas burners and electrical burners in one stove. The latter gives you a backup option should you run out of gas or in case of a power outage.

Oven

Sale

Cuisinart Airfryer, Convection Toaster Oven, Silver

1800-Watts with 7 functions: air fry, convection bake, convection broil, bake, broil, Warm, toast

0. 6 cubic foot non-stick interior with oven light. Dimensions (L x W x H): 15. 50 x 16. 00 x 14. 00 inches

Capacity: toast 6 slices of bread, air fry 3lbs of chicken wings, bake a 12-inch pizza or roast a 4 pound chicken

An oven is a beneficial kitchen appliance. You can use it to specifically reheat cooked food but is mostly used to bake, grill and cook as well.

While purchasing an oven, you should take into consideration its wattage and size. Purchase a model that features variable settings. Remember to check if there’s an automatic turntable that helps to heat fast.

Ovens are also very useful for grilling meats and vegetables as well. Grilling is an easy way and is also healthy as it eliminates the need to add oil like frying. Simply toss you meat into the oven and allow it enough time to cook.

The timers and temperature control buttons allow you to set the right temperature and cooking time to ensure your meals do not overcook or burn.

It’s a quick appliance and helps in saving time. You can use half an hour to cook tasty meals.

It is important to note that most ovens come as part of a stove, but it is also possible to have separate ovens of different kinds.

Pressure Cooker

Instant Pot Ultra 60 Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Yogurt Maker, Cake Maker, Egg Cooker, Sauté, and more, Stainless Steel/Black

Instant Pot Ultra-electric pressure cooker is the next generation in kitchen appliances. A central dial with a simple turn and press provides added precision in program selection and adjustment

New features: Altitude adjustment, cooking indicator, and a steam release reset button. The ultra button for custom programming. The new features include sterilize, cake and egg programs

Replaces 10 common kitchen appliances: Pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice/porridge cooker, yogurt maker, cake maker, egg cooker, sauté/searing, steamer, warmer, and sterilizer

These appliances are must-have items in every kitchen. A pressure cooker is a cooking pot which uses steam for cooking food in much less time.

The meals cooked in this appliance are rich in nutrients, guaranteeing a healthy diet. It will save water, time, and energy and will help in versatile cooking as well.

These units feature aluminum or stainless steel with a hard-anodized coating. This helps prevent stains, scratches and corrosion.

A thicker quality material will make sure the cooker lasts longer. The cooker’s handle should be constructed with Bakelite or any other material, which is not a heat conductor.

Another important consideration is the pressure cooker’s capacity. A big family will need a unit with a bigger capacity. In addition, think about safety features like power indicator, steam release, lid lock, etc.

Rice cooker

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker, Sterilizer, and Warmer, 6 Quart, 13 One-Touch Programs

7-IN-1 APPLIANCES: electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan and food warmer

QUICK ONE-TOUCH COOKING with 13 Smart Touch customizable programs for pressure cooking ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry, yogurt, desserts and more on autopilot

COOK FAST OR COOK SLOW with pressure cooking up to 70% faster than traditional cooking methods or slow cooking for traditional grandma-approved recipes

This appliance is usually designed for cooking rice of all kinds, and as effectively as possible. Because of the cooker’s digitalized nature, you’ll be able to set in the right measurements and have the rice boiled in the precise amount you need.

A rice cooker also informs you the right amount of rice required itself, and so you will know the quantity to put in without any wastage.

It also helps you avoid the common rice cooking challenges such as overcooking rice due to excess water or cooking time.  

Moreover, the unit will function well without your supervision, which lets you focus on other tasks.

Microwave

A microwave oven is  an important kitchen appliance to have in every traditional and modern kitchen.

From baking cakes to heating dishes, a microwave has turned to a regular item on most consumer shopping lists.

If you’re always in a rush, this appliance will be your new best friend. Microwaves can reheat leftovers, steam, and boil veggies in a short time.

If you want to become creative, you can try out microwave recipes for making bread, cakes and more.

You don’t have to worry about heating the milk on the stove every morning. Simply pour a glass of milk inside the unit and it will bet hot or warm enough to make your morning coffee.

A lot of modern microwaves feature the choice to defrost as well. So, if you did not remember to remove the meat from your freezer for defrosting overnight, simply place in your microwave and select the defrosting option. In 5 to 10 minutes, it will defrost and be ready for baking or frying.

If your kitchen has limited space for adding a microwave, you need to think about installing it as a drawer. Most microwaves have the choice to add it as a drawer cabinet to help in saving up on space.

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Remember that when using this appliance, you should avoid putting metal objects inside of it.

Other hazardous items are plates with aluminum lining. So, remember to remove your spoon when you put your cereal inside the microwave for warming.

Stand mixers

Stand mixers provide a lot of the same benefits as the hand mixer but with more accuracy and ease.

You can get them in different sizes and feature bowls together with other attachments, which include a strong motor. This mixer is perfect for mixing the batter, whipping cream, etc.

This appliance is mainly beneficial since its contents won’t spill over, is faster, stable and will whip dough even if it’s thick more efficiently.

In addition, because of the switches and dials it has, it is possible to have the mixer set to revolve for a specific amount of time without you supervising it.

Blenders

This is an electrical appliance that you can use for emulsifying, blending, and mixing food items. Blenders are very helpful tools for the kitchen. You can get them in different kinds based on power and size.

Blenders are very versatile; however, if you have limited space and require a reliable and multi-functioning tool that’s great for mixing and whipping easily, you can go for an immersion blender.

These kitchen appliances will mix everything from big ice cubes and veggies to frozen fruit. You can get user-friendly hand-held electronic blenders easily.

While purchasing a blender, consider a model that’s simple to clean up, multi-functional, and low on maintenance. It’s also simpler to use a blender than a mixer.

Dishwasher

Sale

Farberware FDW05ASBWHA Complete Portable Countertop Dishwasher with 5-Liter Built-in Water Tank, 5 Programs, Baby Care, Glass & Fruit Wash-Black/White

QUALITY CONTROL NOTE All dishwashers are factory tested to ensure proper operation As a result it is normal for small amounts of residual water to be found in the unit

COMPACT DESIGN: This convenient dishwasher can fit a variety of dishes (up to 12-inches in diameter at an angle) and is ideal for small-sized houses, apartments, dorms, boats and campers/RVs. Depth – Door Shut (with Handle)-17.3 inch, Depth – Door Shut (without Handle)-16 inch, Depth With Door Open 90 Degrees-35 inch, Dishwasher Size-24 inch

NO HOOKUPS NEEDED: If you want the advantage of portability and storage, this dishwasher gives you the choice to fill the built-in tank so you don’t need a water hookup. Water hose is included for a direct water hookup to kitchen faucet (adapter not included)

You can use this kitchen appliance to clean up vessels, dishes, containers pots and other utensils that are dish washer friendly.

A dishwasher is an electric machine that comes with adjustable tacks for accommodating different sizes of vessels.

It features multiple functions such as saving electricity, water, and self-cleaning. This appliance will wash your dishes fast.

No one wants to wash dishes after a tiring day; very few people find dish washing to be a relaxing or therapeutic task.

Therefore, a dishwasher is an incredible and essential choice of appliance for every family. These kitchen appliances are designed for cleaning and sanitizing the dishes and drying them off, ready for use to use them later.

With features like sanitize, economy wash, delayed start, and half load wash, this kitchen appliance can help in cleaning up the dishes more thoroughly while it uses less water.

It can be costly, based on the model you select, but a good quality long lasting appliance will prove to be worth the initial investment.

Coffee maker

For the coffee lovers out there, owing one of the best coffee makers will add to your love for coffee.

If you like coffee and want to have many cups of it daily, an electric coffee machine is the best option in your kitchen. The right brands have the choice of brewing different kinds of coffee like latte and espresso.

If you’re a coffee enthusiast who loves offering your guests a taste of exotic coffee, get a coffee machine for your house.

A programmable model provides you with the choice of automatically setting up the brewing process for night time. This means you will wake up each morning to the alluring aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The brewer features a thermal carafe whose major work is making sure the coffee will stay hot for hours without the brew getting burnt.

Air fryers

Ninja OS301 Foodi 10-in-1 Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer with Nesting Broil Rack, 6.5 Quart, Stainless Steel

The stainless steel pressure cooker that crisps. TenderCrisp Technology lets you quickly pressure cook to lock in juices, then swap lids for a crispy, golden air fry finish

10-in-1 versatility lets you pressure cook, slow cook, steam, make yogurt, sear/sauté, air fry crisp, bake/roast, broil, dehydrate, and keep foods warm inside the pot

Stainless steel nesting broil rack lets you steam, broil, and add a layer of capacity and it easily stores inside the cooking pot

Air fryers offer tasty fried meals, made with a small amount of oil. Therefore, you will get to enjoy your preferred fried meal and in a healthier way.

There’s a range of air fryers in the market to choose from. You should make sure you get a model depending on the versatile use of the fryer and your family’s size.

It needs to have a non-stick detachable basket, which is simple to maintain and clean. Choose a compact size model so that it doesn’t occupy too much space in the kitchen.

Additionally, think about essential factors like after-sales service, cost, power usage and warranty.

Safety features, which include overheating protection, smart lock, cool-touch handles, and child-lock, can help in protecting you and your loved ones from unwanted mishaps.

Air-fried food items are very healthy and may prove to be the best alternative to deep-fried ones due to the limited oil requirement.

This appliance will heat your food by circulating hot air around it, similar to a convection oven.

Electric vegetable chopper

Hamilton Beach 12-Cup Stack & Snap Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper, Black (70725A)

Prep the freshest ingredients: A powerful 450 watt motor and 2 speeds plus pulse control save you time and money

Simple to assemble and use: Stack and snap design requires no difficult twisting or locking; A simple function guide is printed on the food processor for ease of use

12 cup capacity: Sealed bowl helps prevent leaks when mixing liquids; Dimensions (inches) 16.25 H X 9.55 W X 8.76 D; BPA free in all food zones

Veggie choppers of varying kinds such as dicers, cutters, manual and electrical veggie choppers which are used to cube, slice, cut and chop nuts, fruits, and veggies.

Electrical models are able to chop ingredients fast and efficiently without the need for manual effort.

A simple model features one-touch power control, sharp stainless steel blades, a powerful motor, and a bowl.

Specific choppers also have features that let you grind and mix ingredients and extra blades too.

Take into consideration factors like material, wattage, versatility and ease of clean up before buying.

Stainless steel types are corrosion and rust-resistant. Conversely, the chopper’s body should be built with free from BPA material for safety.

Ice-cream maker

This is another essential appliance for a kitchen. An ice-cream maker lets you make homemade gelato, sorbets, ice-creams and other frozen treats.

With this kitchen essential, you will enjoy much-loved ice-cream whenever you like while resting in the house.

The kind of appliance you purchase should have detachable parts for easy cleanup. You should make sure that the blades are created with stainless steel for the best airing of the mixture.

Actually, stainless steel stops corrosion and rust as well. The right appliance should be able to offer ice-cream with the correct texture and consistency.

Additional tips for an efficient kitchen:

The best way to save energy as well as make savings on your food bill is through batch cooking your food. Reheating food in the microwave for meals like curry will use much less energy than to cook it from the start.

You should turn the appliances off when you are not using them, especially for microwaves, kettles and washing machines.

Buy kitchen appliances that are the correct size. For instance, purchasing a big fridge for a home of two individuals isn’t energy efficient, since you just will not require a large capacity one.

When preparing food, cover the pans with their lids since not doing so will let heat escape. This will make the food cook slower and thus more energy efficiency.

Conclusion:

Of course, these are not the only kitchen appliances to consider, but they are among the most important ones.

Begin with these, and you will soon find out some more that can help you in perfecting your cooking expertise and make them stand out.

The good part is, all these items are pocket-friendly and are easy to clean. You can hence choose them and make your meals effortlessly.

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source https://livingcorner.com.au/top-20-most-important-kitchen-appliances-kitchen-hands-downwhat-kitchen-appliances-do-i-need25/

[spooky-raccoon]

Love Struck (Part 1) (Rufo X Reader)

Rufo needs some love fam and I am here to help out the Rufo fandom (even though I haven’t read the books yet but I’m gonna fix that).

I blame the lovely @ihaveaseriousclownproblem for be-stilling these emotions into my soul for another clown monster.  I have no regrets though.

If you are not a fan of the Rufo fic I’ll be posting then go ahead and look at the tags so you’ll know what to block.

         I admit I had been distracted as I made my way down the sidewalk.  I had to review several documents for some clients and was reading a shorter one as I rounded a corner.  My shoulder connected with someone and a few things I was holding went flying.  I heard the grunt of a man when my shoulder hit him as my mind panicked.

         “I am so sorry!”  I quickly knelt down to pick up the things we had both dropped, gathering his things in one hand and mine in the other. “I know I’m stupid for not looking. I really should have.”  His hand had grabbed a few things and he had been grumbling to himself.  My head looked up to him as I spoke, “Again, I’m so-”  

         My words cut off as I looked at his eyes. They were a pale icy blue that were framed by his high cheek bones.  He had long black hair that flowed to his shoulder.  Slowly, he stood back up and so did I.  He towered over me as he was over six feet tall.  My heart was skipping a few beats it seemed.  There was something eerie about him as he glared at me.

         “You were saying?”  He leaned a bit, hooking his thumb into his pocket as he gave me an exasperated look.

         “I’m sorry, sir.”  I could feel the heat on my cheeks from embarrassment and by just looking at him.  “I hope you have a good day, sir.”  I nodded my head in goodbye and quickly turned down the side walk.  I really hoped to see him again, but I doubt he would ever want to see me again.

         Several blocks down was a Starbucks that I usually visited after work to get something to stay awake as I sifted and sorted paperwork. I hadn’t been paying attention to anyone near me or directly behind me as I ordered.  When I could I often would pay for the person behind me by using a re-loadable gift card I kept at the counter that the employees knew about. It was always nice to make someone’s day a little better.  As I grabbed my drank after paying for whoever was behind me I turned.  I would have stopped in my step but that feeling of embarrassment swept over me when we locked eyes briefly.  It was the man from before.  He gave me a sly looking smile as he ordered and when the barista waved his card away, pointing to me as he spoke his smile grew soft.  I usually didn’t mind when people thanked me but before the man could get the chance I rushed out the door.

         I had finally made it home and decided to wait for my day off to deal with the paperwork I had brought home.  Once I was in my fuzzy sleep shorts and a long sleeve shirt I headed to the kitchen to make dinner.  I had thawed out some steaks and a potato soup going in the crock pot. A knock on my door startled me just as I set the pan on the stove.  Walking over to the door I slowly opened it.  There stood the same man from before.

         “You forgot this.”  His hand extended outwards with a few envelopes in his hand.  So that’s how he knew my address. “(Y/N).  Nice name.”  The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

         “Thank you.”  I grabbed the envelopes and smiled at him.  “I, uh, never got your name.”  I could feel the same embarrassment feeling coming back to me. How could I have been so rude to this guy?

         “Rufo.  My name is Rufo.”  He leaned against the door frame as an idea clicked in my head.

         “Rufo, I want to apologize again for earlier. Come inside, please.  Have a seat at the table.”  My smile beamed as I moved to the side to let him in.

         “If you say so.”  He shrugged, shutting the door behind him as I walked back into the kitchen.  

         I saw him sit down, his legs sprawled a bit. I began to rub some of my favorite spices into the steaks when I noticed him tearing apart a napkin.  He was so focused on it that he didn’t even notice me as I walked over to the couch nearby and picking up the remote.

         “If there’s anything you’d like to watch feel free to flip through the channels.  It’s on some animal documentaries right now.”  I smiled at him as I set the remote next to him then headed back to the kitchen.

         I poured a little oil into the pan along with some butter, letting it melt together as the pan heated up.  Once the pan was to the right heat I set the steaks into the pan.  While one side seared I would fill a bowl with soup, flip the steaks, and fill the other bowl as a sort of timer.  I was able to fit the soup bowl onto the plate in a presentable way.  I carried our plates to the table and set them down, putting Rufo’s plate in front of him.  He had been so distracted by the animal documentary until now.

         “I wasn’t sure how you liked your steaks done so I did it rare if that’s fine.”  I settled down into my seat after getting our silverware and water for both of us.

         “Fuckin’ perfect.”  He had begun to cut up the steak, eating the pieces and occasionally taking sips of his water.

         It was oddly peaceful as we ate.  It didn’t feel as if we were strangers just hours ago. The sound of soft music along with some animal noises in the background played.  Rufo would sometimes turn around to watch.  

         “So (Y/N),” he turned back to me after setting his fork down and picking up the spoon, so he could eat the soup, “tell me about yourself.”  He propped his elbow on the table and looked at me intently.

         “I,” I paused to think about what I could tell him, and I let out a small huff, “there isn’t anything interesting about me, to be honest.  I work here in town for an insurance company.  I mostly sit at home, watching things like animal documentaries or listening to rock music to get the day going by.”  I shrugged as I looked down at my soup as I stirred it with my spoon.  “I’m sorry if that’s not what you were looking for. What about you?”  I looked back up to him and my spoon clattered to the bowl when I saw his face now.

         His skin had turn pale white like snow.  The flowing black hair of his was now a blue just like the make up now on his face, except the lips.  There was a large red smile painted on his mouth.  Before I could say anything, he came up and around me, placing his large hands on my shoulders and giving them a light squeeze.

         “Now, now don’t freak out.  I’m not going to hurt you.”  His hands squeezed a little harder this time as he brought his head next to mine.  “I may be a dead man walking but I am a gentleman still.  I do admit though if you had been rude like most of the pathetic cretins in this town you probably would be dead the second you ran into me with no words of an apology but no.”  His hands were now softly massaging my shoulders and I realized how tense I was. There had been talk of murders in town, but I had just ignored them.  This was the man doing it?  “You’ve been so sweet and kind far beyond what I expected.”  His hands rubbed up to the base of my neck as his thumbs rubbed the tense muscle.  “I do plan to repay the favor but first I have to leave town for a few weeks. Promise you’ll still be here doll?” One hand left the back of my neck to meet my chin to turn my head to the side where we met eyes.  “I wanna hear you say that you’ll promise Old Rufo that you’re gonna stay.”

         “I-I promise, Rufo.”  My heart was pounding hard in my chest.  I’m not sure if I was afraid, intimidated or to the fact I still found him oddly attractive despite his eerie appearance.  “I promise.”

         “I’m so happy to hear doll.”  His hand slid up to my cheek as he spoke as his grin grew wider. “I’m not a huge fan of people bumping and running.  Doesn’t end well with them.”  He shrugged and picked up our empty dishes, heading to the kitchen.  

         I stood up as he entered the kitchen.  I followed behind him and just before he started washing them.  He turned his head with a confused look on my face.  I guess he thought I would be scared and not wanting to interact with him until he came back.

         “You’re my guest still, even if you are well,” I looked him over then back up to him, “a bit different.”  Lightly I pulled him by his belt loop away from the sink and began washing dishes.  “I’m still a host.  Guests get to relax.”  I turned my head to look at him.

         “I’m going to at least help you dry them.” He grabbed the dishtowel I had hanging from a top cabinet.  I let out a sigh as I handed him a wet plate.

         “I guess that’s fine.  If you like ice cream you can stay for a bowl and we can watch another documentary.”  He set the plate into the dishes cabinet and took another wet dish from my hand.

         “Such hospitality.  I bet I could stay the night too if I needed too.”  He laughed as he wiped the towel on the dish.

         “Actually, yes.  You may look scary and you probably are someone I should be afraid of, but you haven’t personally done anything wrong to me.” Once the plate left his hand I put a bowl in it.  “You can either crash on the couch or in the guest bedroom.  Whichever you prefer.  If you have to leave early, feel free to make breakfast for yourself before you head out.”

         “I,” there was a long pause has he dried the bowl and then dried the next, “I’ll be honest this isn’t what I expected.”

         “And you think this is what I expected?”  I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him as he finished drying the last dish.  “Now go look in the freezer to pick your ice cream and go pick a documentary.”  I gave him a warm smile and once he set the towel back where it was he picked out his ice cream.

         I had a million thoughts going on in my head as I scooped our ice cream into bowls.  He had asked for a lot of whipped cream on top of his, so I made a small mountain on top of his.  There was a deep-sea documentary playing as I entered the living room and sat next to him. His eyes widened at his bowl as he grabbed onto it.  I couldn’t help but to giggle.  The rest of the time we just sat there watching the television.  Oddly, it was still peaceful feeling around us despite him showing what he was to me.  We cleaned the bowls once we were done and we both decided to sleep.  He was comfortable with the couch, so I brought out some blankets and pillows for him to use.  After saying goodnight, I headed off to my own bedroom.  I wasn’t sure what to think, let alone feel, about this Rufo man but I guess I would find out in time.

@float-me-to-the-moon @slushi

[classywastelandbread-blog]

Steak Taco/Fajitas Marinade

Changing up the way I make my notes in here. It will hopefully help me offer more tips and tricks or issues I’ve noticed while making the recipe and help me organize my notes section a little more so you don’t have to read through everything to figure out why the heck I did things. 

1/3 c white vinegar

1/2 c soy sauce

~3 cloves smashed garlic

2 limes, juiced (1) 

1/2 c olive oil

salt

pepper

chili powder

garlic powder

oregano 

if fresh, chopped

if dried....as-is

cumin

paprika

I use smoked paprika but it doesn’t matter too much

flank or skirt steak (2)

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl or zip-top bag. Completely submerge meat and squeeze out as much of the air as possible. (3)

Marinade for at least 2 hours. (4)

Heat up a pan, preferably cast-iron, to medium-high heat. 

Remove meat from the marinade and dry with paper towels. (5)

Cook to desired temperature, I recommend medium to mid-rare. 

Remove and let sit for 10-15 minutes. (6)

Cut against the grain (7) and serve as desired. (8)

Notes:

So apparently if you’re an idiot (slowly raises hand) and forget to get limes, you can also substitute with any other citrus juice with high acid content (lemon or orange) or red wine or apple cider vinegar. The purpose of all the vinegar and salt in this recipe is to tenderize a tough cut of meat. Since I had already added white vinegar, I knew that the secondary use of the lime was for flavoring. Red wine goes with red meat so I made do with red wine vinegar. 

As an aside, after adding the lime I typically throw the rind in the marinade as well because I’m lazy and also pretty bad at juicing things.

As with some of my recipes, I can’t always remember exactly what I had gotten the first time I made it. What I can remember is that it was a very muscly kind of meat. Brisket is much too lean for this as you want a little bit of tenderness and flavoring in a taco. 

If you do for some reason try to use brisket, you may want to marinade it for longer and maybe even cut the chunk thinner so that you’re not marinading such a thick piece. 

The purpose of squeezing out air in a marinade is to make sure that the meat is in contact with the marinade. Air in the bag or bowl will mean that there is a piece of meat that isn’t getting the flavor you want. Easy ways to get rid of air in your marinade bag or bowl:

If using a zip-top bag: Pour marinade into the bag and submerge meat. Slowly dip the bag into a bowl of water, squeezing out the air as you go. The air doesn’t want to be in the marinade or the water so it will rise to the top of the bag. 

If using a bowl: Mix marinade in the bowl and submerge the meat. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap though don’t seal it over the top of the bowl: place it directly on the marinade and meat. Air bubbles will be visible against the wrap - gently use your fingers to mush them along until they escape out the edges of the wrap. 

You can either marinade in the refrigerator or at room temperature, whichever you are most comfortable with. Make sure you agitate the meat and marinade every once in a while to make sure that it gets covered completely and that the various ingredients in the marinade don’t separate. Before you cook the meat, make sure it comes back to room temperature - cold meat against hot pan will thermally shock it and may affect how it cooks.

Drying meats after using a wet marinade is surprisingly important! Don’t just halfheartedly pat down - make sure that the meat isn’t damp because that’s how you get a nice crust and sear on the meat. Getting a crust and sear on the meat means that less juice escapes while you cook it! :D

Let sit for 10-15 minutes....so I had a talk with my friend about this when I was setting up for the event this weekend. I will admit that when I cook for myself, I’m usually too impatient to wait for it to rest and just cut and eat it more or less right out of the pan, but resting meat is a good thing to do! I do it when I’m cooking for other people because when you rest it, the meat will release and then reabsorb moisture and cooking liquid, leading to juicier and more flavorful meat. 

With a lot of these muscle-y meats, they’re very tough so for your victims guests have a more pleasurable experience with their food, you need to help them out a bit. As I mentioned earlier, the acid and vinegar in this recipe will lead a lot toward making the meat tender, but it only goes so far! Cutting against the grain means that you’re breaking up some of that muscle fiber so that it’s easier to chew and break apart without having to gnaw on the meat. 

Below I included a little picture to show what I mean, just in case no one was sure :) Please excuse my shitty little MS Paint doodles. 

The picture is a piece of flank steak. Skirt steak and brisket will have similar striations and it will be obvious if you look closely where the muscle fibers are. The long red line I drew is the direction of the muscle fibers and it will be only in very specific occasions that you will cut with this grain. The black line I drew is the direction you will want to cut. 

(Actually, all meat technically have these markings, but it’s not always relevant.)

I like to cook my meat, rest it, then chop and serve in a bowl. That way if I have leakage of meat juices or marinade, the meat will sit in it and continue to absorb flavor. 

I don’t use this recipe very often but when I do, it’s for tacos and fajitas. You an use it for quesadillas, but you need to cut the meat into very itty bitty chunks so I prefer to use pulled meat for that. 

Feelings:

The first time I tried this recipe was for a joint birthday part with my friend last year. Most of my friends like the healthier meats like chicken for their burritos so I guessed that I would more or less be the only one eating this but...nope, they all devoured it and I didn’t have any leftover. Guess they liked it?

I made this again for a viewing party my friend hosted for the first round of title matches for the Overwatch League and the steak was again demolished. One of the attendees asked for the recipe so once I figured I should post it. 

[jonasmaurer]

7 things I learned the hard way

 Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We met up with the family for Pizza Saturday, did a donut run, I took another hot yoga class and got in a strength workout, and we went to the pool not once but twice on Friday with friends. 

I’m catching an early Peloton class – Alex’s classes are my faves right now – and then we’re spending the rest of the day enjoying some summer adventures. School is starting next week (what?!), so I feel like it’s the last hurrah. About a month ago, I felt like summer was dragging on forever, and here I am wishing it would last just a little longer. I’m absolutely craving a little bit of routine again (and solid blocks of time during the day to work), but at the same time, I’m going to miss these lazy mornings and days at the pool. 

Hands in the air if you’re watching The Bachelorette tonight. I’m feeling ALL the emotions: excited, scared, nervous, devastated. I’ve read all the spoilers so I’m 99.9% sure it doesn’t go the way I’d like it to go, man, all the drama has made for some fabulous TV entertainment.  

Today’s post is a little bit random, but aren’t those ones the most fun? I thought I’d share 7 life lessons that I’ve had to learn the hard way. You know what I’m talking about: the things you think are going to work out splendidly but end up being a major fail. 

Things I learned the hard way: 

Always put an extra pair of underwear (bonus for an extra outfit), contacts, and a toothbrush with toothpaste in your carry-on backpack for all humans in your travel party. Our checked baggage has been lost too many times. When I was stuck in Phoenix with the girls and zero necessities, I told myself that I will never, ever make this mistake again. (Thankfully our cousins swooped us up for a Target run so I could get some essentials!)

On the same note: never leave the house without snacks and water bottles for all. Something about driving makes the everyone equally parched and starving. 

Nail salons are for nails and waxing/threading salons are for eyebrows. Many years ago, I let a nail technician sweetly convince me that I should get my eyebrows waxed. As I felt her spread the wax from my eyebrows all the way down to cover my entire eyelid (!) I prayed I wouldn’t end up like Christina from Grey’s Anatomy. 

“Mama took my eyebrows.”

(Source)

Don’t cook the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi according to package directions. You’ll have a goopy, soggy mess. Pan saute in a little avocado oil for about 10 minutes and they’re crispy perfection.

Cutting your own bangs is always a bad idea. 

If you hate a book, quit reading it. Reading time is too precious to waste on novels that don’t suck you in with their story or provide relevant information.

Never put steak in the Instant Pot. This is something I’ll never forget. While the Pilot was deployed, I bought a nice grassfed steak from Whole Foods that the girls and I could share. I have no clue how to grill – my mom is now determined to teach me – and pan-searing never quite works for me, so I figured I’d put it in the Instant Pot. I retrieved a chewy, round, leather shoe. As Liv was chewing it (and each bite took maybe 30 chews for it to be possible to swallow), she sadly said, “I hate steak.” I had to remind her that she actually loves steak when it’s cooked properly.

(Thankfully the Pilot and Kyle have cooked steak many times since this sad occasion.) 

I’d love to hear any of the random things you’ve learned lately; drop your life tips in the comments sections. Can’t wait to read these.

xo

Gina

The post 7 things I learned the hard way appeared first on The Fitnessista.

7 things I learned the hard way published first on https://olimpsportnutritionde.tumblr.com/

[anamorales]

7 things I learned the hard way

 Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We met up with the family for Pizza Saturday, did a donut run, I took another hot yoga class and got in a strength workout, and we went to the pool not once but twice on Friday with friends. 

I’m catching an early Peloton class – Alex’s classes are my faves right now – and then we’re spending the rest of the day enjoying some summer adventures. School is starting next week (what?!), so I feel like it’s the last hurrah. About a month ago, I felt like summer was dragging on forever, and here I am wishing it would last just a little longer. I’m absolutely craving a little bit of routine again (and solid blocks of time during the day to work), but at the same time, I’m going to miss these lazy mornings and days at the pool. 

Hands in the air if you’re watching The Bachelorette tonight. I’m feeling ALL the emotions: excited, scared, nervous, devastated. I’ve read all the spoilers so I’m 99.9% sure it doesn’t go the way I’d like it to go, man, all the drama has made for some fabulous TV entertainment.  

Today’s post is a little bit random, but aren’t those ones the most fun? I thought I’d share 7 life lessons that I’ve had to learn the hard way. You know what I’m talking about: the things you think are going to work out splendidly but end up being a major fail. 

Things I learned the hard way: 

Always put an extra pair of underwear (bonus for an extra outfit), contacts, and a toothbrush with toothpaste in your carry-on backpack for all humans in your travel party. Our checked baggage has been lost too many times. When I was stuck in Phoenix with the girls and zero necessities, I told myself that I will never, ever make this mistake again. (Thankfully our cousins swooped us up for a Target run so I could get some essentials!)

On the same note: never leave the house without snacks and water bottles for all. Something about driving makes the everyone equally parched and starving. 

Nail salons are for nails and waxing/threading salons are for eyebrows. Many years ago, I let a nail technician sweetly convince me that I should get my eyebrows waxed. As I felt her spread the wax from my eyebrows all the way down to cover my entire eyelid (!) I prayed I wouldn’t end up like Christina from Grey’s Anatomy. 

“Mama took my eyebrows.”

(Source)

Don’t cook the Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi according to package directions. You’ll have a goopy, soggy mess. Pan saute in a little avocado oil for about 10 minutes and they’re crispy perfection.

Cutting your own bangs is always a bad idea. 

If you hate a book, quit reading it. Reading time is too precious to waste on novels that don’t suck you in with their story or provide relevant information.

Never put steak in the Instant Pot. This is something I’ll never forget. While the Pilot was deployed, I bought a nice grassfed steak from Whole Foods that the girls and I could share. I have no clue how to grill – my mom is now determined to teach me – and pan-searing never quite works for me, so I figured I’d put it in the Instant Pot. I retrieved a chewy, round, leather shoe. As Liv was chewing it (and each bite took maybe 30 chews for it to be possible to swallow), she sadly said, “I hate steak.” I had to remind her that she actually loves steak when it’s cooked properly.

(Thankfully the Pilot and Kyle have cooked steak many times since this sad occasion.) 

I’d love to hear any of the random things you’ve learned lately; drop your life tips in the comments sections. Can’t wait to read these.

xo

Gina

The post 7 things I learned the hard way appeared first on The Fitnessista.

7 things I learned the hard way published first on https://immigrationways.tumblr.com/

[shokudou-boogie]

So, a few months ago, I’ve actually sent out a tweet asking some followers what they would like to see me try and cook. I woke up early enough and did enough things this morning that I thought it’d be a good idea to cook.

Anyway, the first person out of the bunch was my friend Sophie. She requested that I make beef stroganoff.

So, the sad thing about this is that I’ve actually never had “real” beef stroganoff. I only ate the canned stuff as a kid when my dad was out on deployments, and my mom was too busy with work. So my tastes might have been a little off, maybe even incorrect.

After looking around at a bunch of recipes, I saw that a lot of recipes called for beef stock, onions, some kind of cream, and of course, beef. I decided to use petite sirloin since it was on sale at the local grocer. I also noticed that there were some recipes that called for cognac, but I didn’t have any on hand and I didn’t want to buy a bottle of it just for one recipe. I’m not much of a drinker nowadays so yeah, no go for me.

Oh yeah, as you can tell, with most beef stroganoff, the beef slices are thin. Mine are thick as heck. That was mostly an error on my part, since I can’t read, but it worked out well since it didn’t turn out tough.

Anyway, recipe is at the jump. Check it out.

Ingredients

2 lbs. sirloin steak, cut into thin strips across the grain

2 tbsp. cooking oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 lb. button mushrooms, cut into thick slices

1 cup beef broth

3/4 cup whipping cream

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. fresh dill

12 oz. bag of egg noodles

Salt and pepper

1. Dry the steak strips with a paper towel and then season with salt and pepper.

2. Add oil to a large skillet and heat up the skillet over high heat, just about when the pan smokes a little bit. Add pieces of meat to the skillet, cooking it in batches with a single layer. Don’t put all of the meat in the skillet or else you’re not going to be able to sear it properly.

Cook the pieces of meat on one side for about a minute, then place the cooked meat onto a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan, melt 2 tbsp. butter and then toss in the chopped shallots, sauteing the shallots in the butter until the shallots become tender. After the shallots become tender, add the chopped mushrooms. Cook for about 10-12 minutes or until most of the liquid from the mushrooms evaporate.

4. Next, add the beef broth and let the broth simmer in the skillet for about 15 minutes or until the broth has thickened slightly.

5. While that simmers, boil the egg noodles in salted water until noodles are tender.

6. Stir in the whipping cream into the skillet and then add the steak strips back into the skillet along with the juices from the steak strips. Continue to let everything simmer between low to medium heat, at least until the steak strips are heated.

7. Sprinkle the chopped dill into the skillet and mix. Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

8. At this point, the noodles should be done, so drain the noodles and transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining butter to the noodles so the noodles don’t dry out and get stuck together.

9. Remove skillet from heat and top the noodles with the beef and sauce. You can add some fresh chopped parsley to the top to give it some nice color and a way to cut through the savory flavor of the stroganoff.

And that’s it! Serve and enjoy!

For some reason this was a lot harder for me to cook than I thought. I definitely struggled with this. This is probably because it’s been such a long time since I’ve actually cooked something new.

I mean, I don’t expect myself to get it right away, since I believe that cooking is something that definitely takes a lot of practice, but man, this was actually kind of exhausting for me!

Hopefully being on summer break will give me enough time to make more stuff, so definitely be on the lookout for that.

[hedgeradish9-blog]

Baked Pork Chops

Baked Pork Chops

Easy40 minsGluten-Free

My favorite baked pork chops recipe — easy to make, nice and juicy, and easy to customize with your favorite seasonings.

Next up in our back-to-the-basics series this week about how to bake proteins in the oven — my go-to method for how to make juicy, tender, flavorful oven baked pork chops.

(Pssst, this one’s a bookmark-er!)

I don’t know about you, but pork has always been the most challenging meat for me to cook perfectly in the oven.  When cooked properly, a nice thick pork chop can be an incredibly delicious, tender, juicy, and versatile cut of meat.  But when overcooked — which can happen in a matter of seconds — pork regrettably becomes the meal that you’re going to wish was over, chop-chop.  Oof.  Nobody likes a dried out pork chop.

Here’s the great news though — it’s actually surprisingly easy to cook pork chops perfectly.  And since “the other white meat” happens to also be one of the most affordable and versatile and lean proteins at the store, it’s definitely worth the effort to learn!  All you need is this simple basic method plus a few important tips.  I’ll show you. ♡

Baked Pork Chops Ingredients & Kitchen Gear:

To make this baked pork chops recipe, you will need:

Thick-cut pork chops: When it comes to purchasing pork chops, there are three important qualities to look for that I highly, highly recommend:

Thick-cut: Ideally, between 1 to 1.5 inches thick.  Thick-cut pork chops much easier to cook correctly than their thinner counterparts.  If your grocery store only offers really thinly-cut chops, just go to the meat counter and ask if they can double-cut them (cut them a bit more thick) for you.

Bone-in: I much prefer bone-in pork chops (specifically, rib chops or loin chops) because they have the most flavor.  But if you prefer the leaner boneless pork chops, those will work too.  Just be extra-careful not to overcook them.

Fresh: Be sure to also buy the freshest pork that you can find.  In general, you want to look for pork that is a deep reddish-pink or reddish-purple color, not grayish or white.  And the fat should be white and creamy, not dotted with dark spots.  It should also be pretty firm, and not soft and squishy.

Olive Oil: Or whatever your preferred cooking oil may be.

Kosher Salt: An essential ingredient in our brine, and also to season the pork.

Seasonings: I typically like to use a simple garlic powder, salt and black pepper seasoning blend with pork.  And then serve it up with lots of fresh lemon slices, to brighten up the flavors.  But feel free to use whatever other dry seasonings you like.

You will also need (affiliate links included):

An oven-proof skillet: I absolutely recommend a cast-iron skillet (or a cast-iron Dutch oven) if you have one, which will hold heat and cook the pork more evenly.  But if not, any oven-proof skillet that can sustain high heat will do.

Tongs: These will be essential for flipping the pork as it is searing.  I recommend these 12-inch tongs from OXO.

An instant-read thermometer: I really feel like this is a must with this recipe.  A cooking thermometer is the best way to ensure with 100% accuracy that your pork is not over- or under-cooked.  And it is just as helpful with cooking many other proteins besides pork too.  I recommend this:

Instant-read cooking thermometer: which I have owned and used for years when cooking pork, which retails for about $9.99 on Amazon. (Only downside is that it cannot be used inside the oven.)

Dual-probe wireless meat thermometer: which I also own and love because it can be used inside of a hot oven (especially helpful for baking pork, salmon, steak and chicken), which retails for about $24.99 on Amazon.

How To Make Baked Pork Chops:

As much as I would love to say that you can make perfectly baked pork chops by just popping them directly in the oven, I’ve just never had good luck with that method.  Instead, I’ve learned over the years that the secret is taking an extra 15 minutes (at least) to brine the pork.  Then giving it a quick sear on the stove before roasting it in the oven.  And then, as I mentioned above, using the help of a cooking thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the pork and ensure that it has reached the magical 145°F (62°C).  It may sound complicated, but I promise you — it’s easy peasy.  Simply:

Brine the pork.  In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water and kosher salt (about 1 tablespoon per cup of water) and stir until the salt is dissolved.  Submerge the pork chops in the saltwater and soak for at least 15-30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.  Remove the pork chops and rinse them off with cold water.  Then pat them dry with paper towels and place on a clean plate.

Season the pork.  Brush the pork chops on both sides with olive oil.  Then sprinkle with your desired dry seasonings.  (I like a mixture of garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper.)

Pre-heat your skillet. Meanwhile, as you’re seasoning the pork, heat your skillet over high heat for about 5 minutes, until it is super-hot.  Once your pork is seasoned and your skillet is ready…

Sear the pork on one side.  Place the pork chops in the hot skillet (carefully, so that the oil doesn’t splatter).  Then give the tops of the pork chops a gentle press down with a spatula, so that the full bottom surface of the pork chops makes contact with the pan (instead of accidentally curving up).  Cook for 2-3 minute, or until the bottom of the pork chops are golden.  Then flip the pork chops over to the other side, and quickly…

Transfer pan to the oven and bake.  Carefully use an oven mitt to move the entire pan to the oven, where the second side of the pork will continue to sear.  Then bake for 3 minutes, flip.  And continue baking for 3-5 minutes more, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (62°C).  Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the pork to a clean plate.  Use a pastry brush to brush any of those extra juices in the pan onto the pork chops (that’s where so much of the flavor is hiding!).  Then tent the plate with aluminum foil and…

Rest the pork.  Let the pork rest for 3-5 minutes, to lock those juices in.  Once the pork is ready to go…

Serve warm!  And enjoy!

Once the pork has been baked, it can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.  (<– I recommend shredding, dicing or slicing the pork before freezing for easier use.)

**Also, one important note — the pork chops will definitely be pretty smoky as they are cooking!  So be sure to turn on an exhaust fan above your stove (if you have one) or open a window.

How To Season Baked Pork Chops:

Similar to chicken, pork does a brilliant job of adopting whatever flavors you choose to use in your seasonings. I’m a big fan of the simple garlic powder/salt/pepper mix in the recipe below, which goes with just about any cuisine.  But if you’d like to mix things up, feel free to sub in any of your favorite dry seasoning mixes, such as:

Italian Seasoning

Cajun Seasoning

Za’atar Seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Curry Powder

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

And of course, feel free to also toss the baked pork chops with your favorite finishing sauces as well.

Side Dish Recipe Ideas:

Looking for some side dishes to serve with this baked pork chops recipe?  Here are a few of my faves:

Everyday Salad or Our Family’s Favorite Salad

Scalloped Potatoes or The Best Baked Potatoes or Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Perfect Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Asparagus

Berry Fruit Salad or Winter Fruit Salad

Other Baked Protein Tutorials:

Be sure to check out our other baked protein tutorials here on the blog.  (More coming soon!)

Baked Chicken Breasts

Baked Steak (coming Friday!)

Enjoy, everyone!

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Yield: 2 servings

Baked Pork Chops

My favorite baked pork chops recipe — easy to make, nice and juicy, and easy to customize with your favorite seasonings.

Total Time: 40 mins

Prep Time: 28 mins

Cook Time: 12 mins

Ingredients:

4 bone-in, thick-cut pork chops (ideally about 1 to 1.5-inches thick)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

optional: lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

Brine: To brine your pork chops, fill a large bowl with 1 quart of warm (not hot) water and 1/4 cup kosher salt.  Stir to combine until most of the salt is absorbed.  Add the pork chops and let them sit in the mixture to brine for 15 minutes.  Or you can also also cover the bowl and refrigerate for up to 6 hours.  Remove the pork chops from the brine, rinse with cold water, then pat them dry with some paper towels.

Cook: Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brush the pork chops on both sides with olive oil

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder until combined.  Sprinkle the mixture evenly on both sides of the pork.

Meanwhile, heat a cast iron skillet (or oven-safe sauté pan) on the stove over high heat for 5 minutes.  Once the pan is super-hot, add the pork chops and use a spatula to press them evenly into the pan, so that the entire bottom surface of the pork chops makes contact with the pan.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the under-sides of the pork chops are golden brown. Carefully use tongs to flip the pork chops.  Then use an oven mitt to carefully transfer the skillet to the oven.  Continue baking for 3 minutes.  Then flip the pork chops once more, and continue baking for 3-5 minutes more, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (62°C).

Once the pork is ready to go, immediately remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the pork to a clean plate.  Brush any of the pan juices onto the pork chops.  Then loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil and and let the pork rest for at least 3 minutes.

Serve warm.  Or, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

I first learned how to make these baked pork chops years ago using The Kitchn’s recipe, which I have adapted slightly since.

Difficulty: EasyCategory: Gluten-Free

All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #gimmesomeoven. I'd love to see what you cook!

posted on September 12, 2018 in Entrees / Main Dishes

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is likely to become a new dinner staple! It's flavorful, it's creamy and it's surprisingly filling. Plus it's a healthy side dish that the whole family can enjoy. 

I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be making mock mashed potatoes. But here we are and I'm actually kind of obsessed - it must be that roasted garlic. Don't get me wrong though I'm definitely not giving up Mom's Mashed Potatoes, I was just looking for something else to add to the rotation to switch things up.

These are great if you are on a low carb diet and have been missing mashed potatoes. While they don't have the exact same flavor and texture of mashed potatoes they are still oh so satisfying! They aren't as heavy as mashed potatoes and I love the addition of parmesan and herbs that's more fitting with cauliflower.

And that roasted garlic is like candy to me. Whenever there's roasted garlic making an appearance at the dinner table we all know things are going to be good. I love it here because cauliflower has a mild flavor so it gives it that special something. Along with the few dabs of butter of course. Olive oil would work too for a healthier option but let's face it butter is best.

One other way I'd like to try these is by roasting the cauliflower as well. I'm all about that roasty toasty flavor. Serve this with oven roasted chicken or pan seared steak for a delicious meal!

More garlic recipes you might like:

Garlic Roasted Chicken

Skillet Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter Sauce  

Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

This Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower is a great low carb alternative to mashed potatoes. It's creamy, flavorful and filling. A great side dish for chicken or steak. 1 medium head garlic 1 tsp olive oil 1 (2 1/2 lb) head cauliflower, (cut from core, cut into florets) 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp butter 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt or sour cream 1 tsp finely minced fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper Minced fresh parsley, (for garnish (optional)) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut top 1/2-inch of garlic head to expose cloves. Lay garlic on a sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap to enclose. Roast garlic in preheated oven until cloves have softened and are just lightly golden brown, about 40 - 45 minutes. Bring about 1/2-inch of water to a boil in a large pot. Place a steamer basic in pot then place cauliflower on basket and steam until very tender, about 10 - 13 minutes. Remove garlic from skin (just squeeze each one upward to remove), place in a large food processor. Add cauliflower, parmesan, butter, Greek yogurt, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover food processor with lid and remove center insert of lid (since you're working with a hot mixture). Process mixture until smooth, about 1 minute, while scraping down sides as needed. Serve warm with parsley if desired. Recipe source: Cooking Classy Read More » Source link Read the full article