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lovecolibri · 3 years ago

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Things that did NOT Spark Joy-3x12

Y’all, I don’t even know where to start. It’s been weeks. I’m still just so frustrated. And I know several of you (bless for keeping me motivated) have been waiting for and asking about this post so I’m sorry in advance if it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for but...here we are. I’m probably going to stick with shorter points because this is....a lot, but feel free to send me asks with any of these points just to yell in frustration or if you want me to expound my thoughts on them. (Also, I CANNOT recommend this post enough as it puts to words exactly what a lot of us were feeling.) As always, the good stuff is here.

WARNING this is going to be very salty, and very negative. I imagine the RNM writers will be the ones lowering my coffin at my funeral so they can let me down one last time. Also, feel free to laugh with me (to keep from crying) and enjoy some salty memes and posts I made. Okay. Now entering the saltiest of salt mines. Buckle up!

Well we are gonna start off strong with what in the actual fuck do the writers mean by telling us that m*ria can get a vision (not the SAME funeral vision, because that would imply that it was actually ever important and, as it turns out, IT WASN’T) from a mother fucking SPIDER when at the start of the season she needed risk Max’s life and throw herself off a BUILDING ROOFTOP and risk Kyle’s license and career to be injected with adrenaline in order to have a vision?! Like????? At least addressing the rooftop/Max incident could have provided some drama and segued into m*ria having to face the consequences of her actions like everyone else was addressing all season, but since they couldn’t even be bothered to do that much and show us Liz and Isobel’s reaction to that dumb fucking stunt, then WHAT WAS EVEN THE POINT?! If she can be mildly startled by local wildlife, then what was with the threating self-harm until people caved to her whims bullshit?! If it wasn’t used to explore her mental state, her supposedly deteriorating brain, and talking about the way she treats people and maybe scratching the surface of her actions from season 2, then why do it at all?! I’m going to talk about the pointless ass vision plot (my behated) from the first part of the season later but for now, on top of the dumbass way the vision was triggered in this episode, it didn’t even do anything helpful. She sees three coffins which??? Could be for the three people hanging out the window at the end of the episode? Could be Dallas (as he nearly died), Michael (as he nearly died), and Max or Eduardo who was later stabbed? Or maybe Jones himself? Who knows?! Not fucking us, that’s for damn sure because it’s never brought back around to a cohesive end, just like the original vision plot. And m*ria doesn’t call anyone, or tell anyone but Kyle, and she never gets to be with the group to discuss this happening so they can put a definitive lid on it. So again, what was the point?! Why did we need to see this happening when no one ended up dying and they were in no way saved strictly because m*ria had this vision and told everyone all about it, and prevented it from happening. The ONLY reason this happened and took up screen time this episode was because they are still having to invent shit for m*ria to do because she has no narrative place in the show. And as always, they failed. They took screen time away from other important things to cater to her, and yet she could still be removed from this episode and nothing would change except for who got to talk to Kyle about his crush on Isobel, and who got to rescue Michael (ALEX. IT SHOULD HAVE FUCKING BEEN ALEX).

I was going to go in chronological order through the episode but fuck it, I’m already here and already ranting about it anyway, so let’s just get ALL the m*ria bullshit out of the way at once.

Why was she talking to Kyle about his crush on Isobel and not Alex?! And not only that, why is she RUDE about it? She calls it a “waste of her talents” or whatever?! So a friend needing emotional support is a waste? Yeah, no, you know what? For her? That absolutely tracks. Because for the past two seasons she’s been shown to not give a flying fuck about anything that isn’t of benefit to her. That could have been a great Kylex brotp bonding moment that was again wasted trying to give her something to do that she has no business doing.

And speaking of that! WHYYYYYY was she the one to rescue Michael?! Why did she need to be in this episode at all when Kyle and Alex, who by all rights, being Michael’s soulmate, should be the one getting more if not all 13 episodes, had to miss 3 episodes, and specifically missed ones where they were actually needed and would have been useful and it made no narrative sense for them to be missing?! WHY give her an extra episode and yet not have her actually do anything useful?! Michael was in his own fucking bunker and he was with Jones and the sword, both of which Rosa has been training to track down, AND which Alex has been working on finding the frequency for as well, just in case oh, I don’t know, Sanders decided to just...NOT call Alex about Jones showing up and and locking himself and Michael down in the bunker. This would have been the perfect opportunity to have Rosa and Alex joining forces and working together (instead of her standing in the background like she did 99% of 3x13), and a reason to get Sanders and Alex in a scene together. Instead we had to watch her in her puppy-killer jacket go find Michael (WHILE WALKING OVER SANDERS’S PRONE BODY APPARENTLY, NOT THAT WE DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM 😤😤😤), and apparently despite knowing he was in danger she managed to show up without even a basic first aid kit, something her bar would surely be required to have, and then ??? what? She disappears from the rest of the episode. Did she go back to her (perpetually empty) business to work? Did she drive Michael up into the mountains to Deep Sky and then wait in the car? Who knows? Again, not us, because despite shoving her in our faces all goddamn season and forcing her into places she has no narrative reason for being, the show STILL undercuts all of that by reinforcing the idea that she isn’t actually important to the story because she can disappear without affecting anything at all.

“I’m going to try to keep it to shorter bullet points” I am such a clown, even to myself. Now that the m*ria of it all is out of the way, lets go back and move chronologically shall we?

I’m confused why Kyle says he can’t get ahold of anyone because Rosa and Alex aren’t involved in the rescue attempt or did he just mean he couldn’t get in touch with the rescue crew? Also, maybe if they’d let him and Alex be involved, they would have had a check-in system of what to do if they don’t hear back in a certain amount of time. This is why you invite the military strategist and the single holder of The Common Sense Braincell to your rescue mission planning sessions. Also also, for the number of times they used “find my friends” this season to track people down, they sure seem to forget it exists when people are in mortal danger, huh?

Giving everyone a mental health day rather than acknowledge aliens exist would be funny if this wasn’t an org dedicated to RESEARCHING ALIEN LIFE. The FUCK do you mean that DEEP SKY, the organization that recruited Alex specifically due to his alien ties, to work on a machine that they stole from an alien prison with an undercover agent they had working there with aliens, DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT FUCKING ALIENS?! Like????? What is even the POINT of Deep Sky then?! Y’all I can’t. I just...I can’t with this. I had such high hopes for Deep Sky and this one moment just...ruined all of them.

Why is a man that barely knows any of them telling Alex that the love of his life was kidnapped by his murderous father and not, oh I don’t know, one of Michael’s siblings?! I guess it’s nice that it was someone who acknowledged Malex and their importance to each other which most of the core cast just can’t be bothered with, but still! That’s like, the duty of the next of kin! And giving us that scene with Max and Alex? Getting to watch Alex look up, excited that Michael is back safe, only to see Max giving him that wide-eyed sorrowful look? Watching Alex’s own face drop as he shuts down all his emotions and roughly asks “What do you need me to do?”, THAT would have been a great scene and one Nathan Dean and Tyler would have killed, I’m sure. I think Alex going feral would look vastly different from Michael going feral, far more cold and controlled, but we deserved to see that important moment when Alex was told Michael was missing, just like we deserved to see his reaction to Michael being stabbed and missing these big, extremely easy to hit emotional beats feels intentional at this point. Like, you have to WORK to miss showing something important like this.

Soooo, as great as that scene was with Jones and Michael, what was the point of Jones brining up multiple times this season about being Michael’s dad and his relationship with Nora if they weren’t going to actually tell us what happened?! Were they in love until he sought more power and she discovered his true nature? Was he seduced by her as part of her master plan? Was she a captive of war and it was involuntary? Did the Oasis have arranged marriages/partnerships and that’s what happened? Why keep bringing it up if they were just going to kill off Jones and not ever tell us?!

If I never hear the words “The Science” again, it will be too soon. One of the biggest mistakes this season that just got worse in these last few episodes, was trying to explain science that does not exist. We’ve seen that tans that have Actual Science Knowledge, had issues with it being totally off base, but more than that, people who don’t have that knowledge base and won’t notice if it’s wrong still don’t really care how it works because it’s not real science. I’m not saying they had to handwave everything, but cutting down on the explanations and let the experiments run in the background, sticking to a “yay it worked!” or a “damn it didn’t”/”it worked but with consequences”, they would have had more time over the season to have actual conversations instead of it all being mumbo-jumbo.

In my sparks joy post I said that I liked the Alex/Max scene in a bubble where we don’t think about Michael being missing at this time because I think it’s weird that in that moment it was still all about Max and not about, you know, Michael and Alex. But also, as cute as Alex carrying around one of Michael’s handanas “just in case” and because Michael is leaving them all over, why bring it up as a solution to open the machine only to immediately be like “nope! it did nothing, moving on!” Like, they could have waited and had that moment with Alex bringing it out when they ACTUALLY decide to use it.

I already talked about being super fucking salty about Sanders collapsing on screen and never being brought up again, but on top of that, I’m PISSED that we got the lead up with Jones seeing Alex and making a point that it was someone close and important to Michael AND that Alex had something he wanted only to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WITH IT. We not only didn’t see Jones and Alex interact at all outside of that brief moment in 3x08, but we also didn’t get to see Alex interact when Michael asked to take the machine from him to give it to Jones and tell Alex Jones was coming for him. Like??? HOW do you not completely miss but actually set up the most logical of emotional beats (evil father going after kid’s love for leverage), and THEN totally side-step it?! Why bring it up and spend the screen time on it if you’re not going to actually DO anything with it?!

On that note, Jones literally was in the same building as Alex, he can see into people’s minds so he could probably track him down, and yet the people that we’re supposed to care desperately about saving from Jones include Heath and Eduardo?! Like, yes I like both of them, but if Jones is trying to convince Liz to give up their only leverage to save people, why not have Alex up there with Kyle? If they already had m*ria bringing Michael to Deep Sky, why not put her in that scene and have all of Liz’s friends, and people who were also important to Michael and Isobel in mortal danger?! Like, whyyyyy use guest stars for a mortal danger scene if none of them were actually going to die?

Overall, this episode again suffered from Too Much Happening, so we missed important things and cramming everything into one day as well is too much. This arc of Michael being kidnapped, figuring out how to stop Jones, Michael being injured and all of 3x13 really should have been spread out over at least 3 maybe 4 episodes. That vision plot really fucked over the rest of the season which I’m thinking about doing it’s own post about because we really needed those 5-ish episodes wasted on that plot to build up to where this second half of the season picked up, and to spread out these last few episodes and give the plots some time to breathe.

Also, everyone who wants to justify the screen time or m*ria being in the middle of shit this episode she didn’t need to be involved in with the “oh Covid restrictions!” or “But Tyler might have *whatever excuse*” I’d like to remind you that this is the job of the writers and the showrunner. They have to work around pregnancies, illnesses, injuries, actor contracts on how much time they’re willing to spend on set, etc, and it’s their job to work around that and make things make sense. Not to make everything about 911, but JLH had a baby shortly after her character had a baby and they worked her storyline around her maternity leave, but also, her absence is FELT. When she’s not in an episode, or when another character is missing from the team for whatever reason, there is a hole where they are supposed to be. People talk about them, you notice their absence and how things feel different when they aren’t there and how it affects everyone, and there is a reason given for WHY they aren’t there. IF (and that’s a big IF) there was something going on with Tyler, his health, or his person preference for his contract, it’s up to the writers to make it make sense within the story and they just...didn’t do that. And it’s not just Tyler, because the same thing happened when Kyle was in a coma and everyone forgetting he existed and him waking up off screen and not having a meaningful scene with his best friend Alex OR his sister, or even his ex who as the show lead and a close friend would still make sense, about that experience. So I’m far less inclined to believe it was a Tyler thing, but more than that, I don’t care. I don’t care if something was going on behind the scenes. They get PAID for this stuff. It’s literally their job to make things work.

#roswell nm #things that did not spark joy #3x12 #so late #this finale did a number on me #anti maria deluca #the 3x13 sparks joy post is done #so i just have to force myself through the not sparks joy post for 3x13 #and i'll post those probably together #enjoy the high sodium content my friends!#sorry this might be a bit of a mess or if i forgot anything #i'm just so tired

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nepenthendline · 4 years ago

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Study Date - Kuroo

!N*FW! (1.9k)

This is a commission with permission to post! Find about my commission details in my description!

Also Kuroo 100% uses nerdy pick up lines I don’t accept criticism

This was originally done in headcanons but copy and pasting it didn’t work so it’s just paragraphs now, just in case bits don’t make sense lol

You and Kuroo ended up becoming close since you were the only two that seemed to put in any effort in your classes, particular science classes that you both enjoyed greatly. He was drawn to how, whenever you finished up your own work, you would turn to those around you in case they needed help with theirs as often your friends would ask for your assistance. You were like the power-couple in a lot of your classes since you two would always get amazing grades on your projects together, and how both of you would be the first to answer a question right for the teacher.

What people didn’t see though, was the hours of hard work and focus you both put in outside of school, knuckling down and studying until it was late so you could maintain your good grades. It was lucky you both enjoyed just spending time together without doing much since you were always so busy studying. But even just being in the same room without talking and all of your attention on the books laid out in front of you filled you with content.

You had an exam coming up in the next few weeks, and Kuroo had been so busy with volleyball matches that you planned a study date. Partly so you could both do some work, but also as an excuse to see him. He greeted you at the door with some snacks, a ton of textbooks and a tight hug. He kissed your forehead, telling you how much he had missed you since he had been so busy that made your cheeks burn as you ducked away so he didn’t notice. He did though, and he teased you for being ‘so cute’ and how it make him want to ‘cuddle and squeeze you even more’. You headed to your room where you had your books set up across your bed, and Kuroo arranged his on the floor so you had enough space.

For a couple hours you both spent your time flicking through your books, asking each other questions occasionally and watching the odd yotube video to explain some parts. However, just because Kuroo was so studious and responsible, didn’t mean he was completely free of foolery.

“Hey, Y/N,” he whispered, catching your attention. You lifted your book to look at him, expecting him to ask you a question about the work. “Do you have 11 protons? Because you’re sodium fine,” he said with a smirk. You were speechless for a moment, before burying you face in your hands and letting out a whine.

“What the hell? You can’t just do that,” you pout at him as he chuckled. After a few minutes you were able to recover and carry on with your work, but it wasn’t long until Kuroo spoke up again.

“Hmm, baby?”

“Yeah?”

“I could really see myself periodically doing you on a table” Your mouth hung open, and you leaned over from you bed to swat at him.

“Stop it! That was so bad!” you were both laughing, you from embarrassment and him as he watched you try and reach him from you bed. Once you got close enough, he pulled on your arm, sending you tumbling from you bed and into his lap. Luckily, he caught you but the force had sent him falling back too, resulting in you hovering over him.

“I guess my pickup line worked then,” he teased with a wink. You groaned as you went to lift yourself away from him, but he pulled you back down. “We’ve been studying for hours, we can take a little break and cuddle,” he mentioned, pulling you into his chest and he closed his eyes. You were stiff for the first few moments, but eventually settled in to his warm touch.

You both laid there for a while, relaxing and listening to each other’s breaths - it had been some time since you were able to have a calming moment like this with him. You nuzzled into his neck, pressing a few tentative, gentle kisses on his skin as he ran his fingers over your back. He tucked his head lower to meet yours, giving you a warm smile before pressing a kiss on your forehead and then your lips. You kissed him back, lingering for a few seconds between each. He placed one hand on your cheek, keeping you close by and feeling the heat on his palm. You kissed for a few minutes, each one getting more heated and desperate.

Soon, he rolled you over so you laid beneath him and he hovered above. He kissed your lips again, then moved to your forehead and cheeks. Giving you a smile, he delved back in for you lips as his tongue found yours. One hand still on your cheek brushed over the skin and the other found its way up the bottom of your shirt to your hip. He kneaded the flesh in his grip making you melt further in his touch.

His hand raised upwards towards your chest; his rough fingers feeling around at your skin then cupping your boob over your bra. You pulled away slightly, unexpecting of his move and he looked at you with concern.

“Is this ok? We can stop if you want,” but you shook your head and leaned up to tuck your head in his neck and you shyly asked him to continue. He laid you back down and kissed down your neck, making your eyes flutter at the feeling. Your hands threaded in his unruly hair as he worked his way down, kissing your chest that was exposed under your shirt. He hooked the bottom of it around his fingers and, with your help, pulled it off.

“You’re so gorgeous, Kitten,” his eyes scanned you with a smirk, then carried on with his lips. He carefully unhooked your bra, peeling it off and taking your breasts in each hand, giving them a gentle squeeze as his mouth worked over them. Your heart was beating so fast at his touch, and you squirmed a little as his tongue flicked over your nipples. He kissed his way down your stomach and, when he reached your jeans, he buttoned them slowly, taking his time to pull them down your legs. You whined a little at his teasing, receiving a light chuckle from him as he, then, worked on pulling down your underwear too. You covered your face with your hands after you were stripped naked, shy from his gaze

“Don’t hit yourself from me love, I want to see that beautiful face,” he tugged gently as your arms, pulling them away and pressing a kiss to your cheek. After asking if you were good to continue, his hand moved down to graze your pussy, feeling your wetness. You squeezed your eyes closed as he slowly rolled your clit under his fingers – you could feel his stare on you, burning into you. He picked up the pace a little and you let out heavy breaths as the pleasure started to build. One of your hands gripped his arm to steady yourself as he worked your body, feeling the muscles contract and release with his movements

As you started letting out quiet moans, he moved his hand lower, working one finger into your opening. He could feel you clench around him, the warmth and wetness sucking him in. As you relaxed a little, he added another, gently stretching the muscle for you to take his fingers. He, expertly, curled his fingers upwards how he knew you liked and you released a high-pitched whine that make his cock twitch. You were almost leaking onto the floor with how wet you were as his fingers moved in and out of you, and he added a third to prep you for his dick.

You could feel the knot in your stomach forming from his actions already, but he soon removed each finger. Yours eyes shot open at the emptiness you felt, but your eyes fell on Kuroo resting back on his heels, undoing his belt as he watched you. He quickly shed himself of his clothes, leaving you both bare. His body was broad and toned from years of volleyball training – especially his thighs that had grown thicker in the past few months, and his arms that looked and felt so strong.

Moving a hand down to his dick, he pumped it a couple times as he ran the other over your body and leaned forward to kiss your lips. After a few moments, he leaned back again to grab a condom from your draw and slipped it on. He positioned himself back over you, leaning his forehead on yours as he rocked his hips forward slowly to press himself into you. You let out a small gasp at the stretch of his thick dick, and hooked an arm around his neck. Once you settled, he pulled back his hips then pushed back deeply into you in a paced manner. Your lip was between your teeth and your head tilted back as you let the pleasure run through your body. His mouth attached back onto your neck, kissing and nibbling down it as he let out quiet groans that vibrated onto your skin.

Your free hand cupped his cheek and pulled him to your lips, working your tongue around his and kissing him deeply. His thrusts weren’t fast, but they let you feel every tiny ridge and twitch of his dick. Fumbling a hand down, he rubbed slow circles on your clit to bring you closer to your release and pulled his mouth away.

“You feel so good around me, you’re so good love,” he moaned out – the sound headed straight to your core. Both of your breathing was heavy as you looked at each other, seeing each other’s eyes so close up and full of love and lust. He picked up the pace in desperation, pulling you both further towards your climax.

“Cum for me baby, let me hear those pretty noises,” he taunts in pants, and after a couple trusts, you do just as he says. You moan in broken sounds as the pleasure bursts in your stomach, clenching and pulsating around him that brought him to his own orgasm where his head flung back and his eyes squeezed shut. His cock felt so hot inside of you as it rode you through your high in staggered movements.

You both tried to catch your breath as you came down, chests rising and falling quickly. He opened his eyes to gaze down at you – you looked so gorgeous with your hair a mess and your lips swollen. His fingers raised to brush some of your hair from your face and grazed down the side of your cheek, letting out a content hum.

“I love you,” he murmurs, a little too warn out to speak louder. You relax into his touch, turning your head to follow his fingers’ movements.

“I love you too.” After a deep breath, he slowly pulls out of you, disposing of the, now, full condom.

“Let’s get you comfy Kitten,” he says, his voice gentle as he helps lift you up onto your plush bed. He grabs some tissues from you table, wiping you down and placing occasional kisses over your body. When he finished, he got under the covers beside you, lifting his arm so you could tuck into his chest.

The two of you stayed silent as you revelled in the afterglow. Many minutes and slow breaths past before he spoke.

“Baby?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you made of copper and tellurium? Because you look really CU-TE to me.”

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu #haikyū!!#haikyuu imagine #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu smut #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu fanfiction #commission #kuroo tetsuro x reader #kuroo tetsuro #kuroo x reader

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kamiondir · 4 years ago

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NCIS Fic Rec List

I’ve always enjoyed finding new stories from other people’s rec lists and since I have managed to accumulate my own list, thought I’d make my own! I watched NCIS through to S12-13. Tony was by far my favourite character, so most of my recs center around him in some way. I also have a number of crossover recs - mostly with Stargate. A lot of the recs are from FFN as lots of these stories are from 10-15 years ago. All recs complete unless otherwise indicated.

* - really like ** - love ♥ - favourite

Case Fic

Title: One Less Author: joykatleen Season: 6 Relationship: Gen Rating/Year: PG-13; 2010 Word Count: 100-200k Content/Warnings: Character Death (Minor), Disability, Rape/Sexual Assault, Torture

Author's Summary: 'The murder of a sailor in a DC warehouse reveals a conspiracy that's been silently destroying lives on a Navy carrier for years. Someone high is covering it up. Can Gibbs and company get to the root of it before more lives are lost?'

Review: Well-written story about a series of cases too much of a coincidence to not be connected. Gibbs goes after it with his usually stubborness, and his own brand of compassion - and his team is there to prop him up. Not the type of fic I usually read, but well-done, and probably the best NCIS Case-fic I've found. ♥

Character Study

Title: Slices of a Life Worth Living Author: Angelus1 Season: 1,2 Relationship: Gen, but meant to be pre-Tony/Kate Rating: PG-13; 2006 Word Count: 10-20k Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: 'Kate is surprised at how easily they fall into a routine.'

Review: An awesome, well-written look at Tony and Kate's relationship. Pre-Kate/Tony. ♥

Title: Truth is in the Sodium Thiopental Author: Mahiri Chuma Season: 7x01 Truth or Consequences Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2009 Word Count: 3-5k Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: 'Ten hours was an awfully long time to be stuck on a plane with a concerned Gibbs while under the influence of truth serum. Tony/Gibbs non-slash - Hints of TIVA, S7x01-Tag.'

Review: Great fic, set on the plane ride home. Tony's feeling guilty, and Gibbs notices. Very well done and an excellent Tony POV.**

Family of Choice

Title: Lessons Learned Author: jumpfall Season: 1-5 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2010 Word Count: 1-3k Content/Warnings: Allusions to child abuse

Author's Summary: 'Gibbs' rules vary from the investigator-savvy to the cyncial to the life-saving. For every rule there is a reason. Behind every reason is a lesson learned.'

Review: A look at five different episodes where Gibbs rules come into effect. Very well done. ♥

Title: A Sense of Duty Author: GraveDigger Resurrection Season: 7x12 Flesh and Blood Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2010 Word Count: 3-5k Content/Warnings: Allusions to child abuse

Author's Summary: "You have children, Gibbs?" And in the silence of that moment, Gibbs realizes the answer is not as simple as he thought. Set mid-'Flesh and Blood'. Allusions to child abuse. Gibbs/Tony, father/son.'

Review: Well-written. More parental!Gibbs than canon, but totally in character. Has a sequel, A Sense of Family. ♥

Title: T.L.C. Gibbs’ Style Author: Obsessed Pam Season: 5 Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2008 Word Count: 10-20k Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: 'Tony has done it again - got himself into trouble and he is now having to face the unpleasant results of his own actions. Gibbs decides to intervene.'

Review: Tony covers for an agent who made a mistake, exposing himself to the elements and getting sick in the meantime. Gibbs is soooo not impressed. Especially when Tony seems to lose all common sense afterwards. Very well done - definitely get a harder side of Gibbs than you normally see, and a Tony who you can tell is more than just a bit broken.**

Crossovers

Title: Blood and Water Author: Commodore Norrington Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Pre-Jack O’Neill/Sam Carter Rating: PG-13; 2005 Word Count: 10-20k Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: ‘When the leader of SG3 is murdered, Jack is forced to bring investigators to the SGC...investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.’

Review: There’s an OOC fact about Kate and Jack that’s kind of odd but doesn’t detract from the story.

Title: Conference Call Author: Moonbeam Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2009 Word Count: Drabble Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: ['Special Agent Tony DiNozzo makes a call to the Pentagon for a case.'

Review: Jack is willing to help when it's one of his men in trouble, and Tony thinks he could like this particular Air Force General.

Title: Detached Duty Author: zathara001 Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2017 Word Count: Verse Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: ‘When Gibbs, DiNozzo, and McGee are sent on TAD to investigate a death at Cheyenne Mountain, they find more than they expected.’

Review: As above! One of the more recent in this genre.*

Title: Echoes Author: Gadfly (no link available) Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2006 Word Count: 10-20k Content/Warnings: Torture

Author's Summary: ‘ Sometimes the past is echoed in the present.’

Review: Gibbs and another Marine were detained along with Jack in Iraq. When the other Marine goes missing, and Jack suspects the NID, he calls in Gibbs for assistance. With Gibbs undercover, they are able to get back the missing man, and then Jack has fun torturing Gibbs team in training scenarios. Realistic and interesting fic.*

Title: A Fed, a General, and a Linguist Walk Into A Bar... Author: Trinket2018 Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2018 Word Count: 20-40k Content/Warnings: Kidnapping

Author's Summary: ‘Tony is hunting a serial killer in Alexandria, with competition and no back-up.’

Review: I love Tony’s interactions with SG-1 as well as the story, but the NCIS bashing is a bit more than I usually like. Overall interesting! Love the use of Tony’s undercover skills.*

Title: In Need of Shelter Author: etrangerici Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2009 Word Count: 1-3k Content/Warnings: Character Death (Canon), PTSD

Author's Summary: 'Jack was prone to collecting strays.'

Review: Where Jack runs into a distressed Tony at the grocery store after the events of 2x23 and knows what to do. Short and sweet - always wished we got more of this verse.*

Title: Kindred Spirits Author: alcimines Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2013 Word Count: 3-5k Content/Warnings: None.

Author's Summary: 'Stargate Command and Gibbs' team from NCIS get crosswise with each other.'

Review: Jack is a 'person of interest' in a Captains murder. This doesn't go down well with anyone. Quite well done, with a hilarious tone throughout. ♥

Title: NCIStargate Author: Keith_company Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2005 Word Count: 10-20k Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: 'NCIS investigates an abnormal number of Marine deaths at an Air Force facility.'

Review: An excellent crossover, set during S8 of SG-1, and between seasons 1-2 of NCIS. The NCIS gang goes to Cheyenne, where they learn of the Stargate program, and discover that Tony's had a silent visitor for most of his life.**

Title: Open Mouth, Insert Foot Author: Willow Fireheart Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate SG-1 Relationship: Jack O’Neill/Sam Carter Rating: G/PG; 2007 Word Count: Drabble Content/Warnings: None

Author's Summary: 'Tony just can't seem to keep his mouth shut, especially when it concerns attractive blonde women.'

Review: Concerning Sam, when she and Jack are married. Tony is afterwards concerned for his life. Cute! ♥

Title: A Coin is a Coin Author: ancientmaverick Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate Atlantis Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2008 Word Count: 1-3k Content/Warnings: None.

Author's Summary: 'Tony meets a new friend and reflects on life over the past few years. Crossover with Stargate Atlantis.'

Review: S6 NCIS, S5 (or after) for SGA. Tony goes drinking with off-duty navy-men, and they're playing a 'who's met who' game at a bar, when they're challenged by an Air Force man, who uses John as the highest challenger. Tony & John get into a (very drunken, but good) conversation. Well written &a in character X-over.*

Title: Cross Jurisdiction Author: casus17 Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate Atlantis Relationship: Gen Rating: G/PG; 2008 Word Count: 40-60k Content/Warnings: None.

Author's Summary: ‘When a marine turns up dead, you call NCIS. When a marine turns up dead, with Iratus bug DNA... well then you need SGA-1. Head butting will ensue. NCIS crossover.’

Review: Good, but not great fic of the genre.

Title: Highly Classified and Very Hush Hush Author: rageprufrock Fandoms: NCIS x Stargate Atlantis Relationship: Gen Rating: PG-13; 2010 Word Count: 1-3k Content/Warnings: None.

Author's Summary: 'Gibbs sometimes wonders what he did to deserve these morons, but then he looks through the one-way window at three naked and extremely uncomfortable-looking Marines and figures it could be worse.'

Review: Hilarious, with wonderful characterizations of both fandoms by a truly excellent and well-known author. I especially love John. Also has a sequel. ♥

#ncis #ncis fic rec #fic rec #stargate sg-1 #supernatural

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odaatlover · 5 years ago

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I know you're not shy about your weight loss so I was wondering if you can give any advice or tips on starting a weight loss journey. I work odd hours and going to a gym isn't feasible money wise. I know part of losing weight is eating right but idk how to, especially on nights I work late and grabbing a burger at McDonald's at 3am and passing out is easier than cooking.

OKAY, so this is a subject that I’m very passionate about so I’m about to info dump all over the place. Just a head’s up! 😂

I just want to start by saying that your mindset about weight loss and getting healthy is very important. There’s this guy who is a fitness coach named Jordan Syatt, and he has this motto called “you can’t fuck up” (YCFU). Meaning, the only way you can fail is if you quit. It doesn’t matter if you get off track for a day, a month, a year, whatever…as long as you get back on, you didn’t fuck up. That’s such an important mentality to have about it because often people will go on vacation, have a good time eating whatever they want, get back home and weigh themselves, and then when they see that they’ve gained weight they feel like they failed and then say “well, I’ve already messed up this much, might as well just screw it and continue eating whatever I want” and then they make it worse, when in reality all they had to do was get back on track as soon as they got home. I just went on vacation for a week, and I ate things like pizza, donuts, chips, you name it! Of course I also had healthy foods because that’s what I was craving, but during the times when we wanted to eat out, we weren’t as restrictive with ourselves. And we had a good time. And now that I’m home, I’m back to eating my regular foods. In fact, I was even craving my grilled salmon and broccoli that I love having for dinner lol. Did I gain weight? Heck yeah! But I didn’t fuck up, because I got back on track. And that’s what matters. In the past, I would’ve freaked out seeing that number on the scale go up (which honestly most of it was water weight anyways from all the sodium) and I would’ve just said “Ah well screw it, what’s the point.” and gained more weight. But this time around with this mentality of YCFU, I felt more at ease and it actually made it easier to get back on track. And I’m still craving the healthy foods over the ones that’ll make me feel sluggish and bloated!

My advice on how to start: As Nike says, Just do it. I know that sounds so simple, but honestly, it is. Often people will wait for this burst of inspiration or motivation, but if you wait around for that to come along then you’ll just be wasting time you could’ve spent bettering your health. Start now. It’s going to suck at first, you’re not going to want to do it, but you know what? Life is full of doing things that we don’t want to do. But you’ll begin to see results, and then those results will give you the motivation you seek. So, action. results. and then motivation to reach your goals. It’s not going to suck forever; only in the beginning. Then you’ll get to a point where it just becomes habit and you start to do it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to. And that mindset of “wanting to” as opposed to “being forced to” is so incredibly important for success.

As for where to start: 100% start with your eating habits. You don’t have to change everything right away. In fact, you shouldn’t. Some people start by going from eating fast food every day to completely changing to a raw vegan diet and running at the gym for 5 hours every day. Going to the extreme right at the start like this will only set you up for failure, because you’ll get burnt out and want to give up. Instead, change little things at a time and give yourself room to progress. Do you drink a lot of calories? (i.e. sodas, juices, Starbucks fraps, etc.) If so, start with changing that. Try cutting that stuff out and drink water instead. Or at least switch to zero calorie drinks. They’re not the healthiest, but they’re better than regular sodas, and you’ll be cutting out so many calories you probably didn’t even realize you were consuming. Most people lose at least 5 lbs just from that! So maybe do that the first week, then maybe the next week you can start switching other parts of your diet. Maybe that even means getting McDonald’s twice a week instead of every day, and making your own meals the rest of the time. Or maybe it’s cutting out fast food completely, but making homemade burgers. Just don’t feel like you have to change everything right away, because weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Those who lose weight quickly are more likely to gain it back. Ever seen The Biggest Loser? Prime example of this. It’s a lifetime commitment, not “oh I’ll eat healthy now and then when I reach my goal weight I can go back to eating McDonald’s all the time”.

I don’t like “fad diets” like Atkins, Weight Watchers, keto, etc., simply because they’re not sustainable. They’re meant to jump start weight loss, not to be something you do for the rest of your life. Most people who do these kinds of diets get bored or tired of it and they stop, but they don’t have any knowledge about the foods they’re eating and revert back to old habits. I’m not saying these diets aren’t good, because they can actually be really good tools for starting. But they’re beneficial ONLY if you understand why these diets are helping you lose weight. Knowledge is the most important tool here. Everyone knows that cake isn’t that good for you, but do you know why it’s not that good for you? Read food labels, learn about your body and how many calories you burn throughout the day, find which foods make you feel better versus ones that make you feel sluggish, and understand why. Do you know how much a serving size is of the food you’re eating? Do you know which foods have high protein? Do you know which fruits have a higher water content (apples, oranges, etc.) and will make you feel fuller longer than starchy fruits (bananas)? You can learn this without these diets quite easily. Which by the way, I’ve never done any kind of diet like that. In the end, you want something that’s sustainable. If you’re eating foods that you hate, that’s not sustainable. If you’re eating low carb or no carb, that’s not sustainable. Fitness and health doesn’t end when you get to your goal weight, it’s a lifetime kind of deal. So you have to find foods that you truly enjoy eating in order to make it sustainable. But knowledge, and applying that knowledge, is extremely important.

MEAL PREP IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Nobody wants to cook dinner after a long day of work. I sure as hell don’t. So take some time on the weekends or days off to prepare your foods for the week. Put them in to-go containers so that all you have to do is pop them in the microwave when you get home. Things like casseroles and stews you don’t have to put in containers, but are still pre-made and can be popped in the microwave. There are also foods that don’t need much cooking, like tuna sandwiches or frozen veggies. Snacks that are easily accessible like berries or greek yogurt are good too. But if you know you’re going to go for the bag of chips over fruits, then don’t have them in the house. My wife and I are both the type who will eat an entire bag of chips or box of cookies in one sitting. So we don’t buy them. And if we do want chips or cookies, like really craving it, then we’ll get one of those individual ones from the gas station. But we won’t buy full bags or boxes. If they’re not in the house, they’re not an option. If you live with a partner, then having them on board with this is very important. I would not be able to do this if my wife bought cookies and chips all the time. We’re both on the same page, and that’s necessary. When I moved back home with my parents after college they had all kinds of bad stuff, and I couldn’t stay away from it. So I bought my own foods and used the mini fridge we had and had my own shelf on the rack by the wall so that I never opened the fridge or the pantry to even see what they had bought because it was too tempting. This can help if you have a partner who is not on the same page as you.

McDonald’s sounds appealing not only because it’s fast and easy, but because it tastes so damn good. And anybody who says it doesn’t is a liar lol. Because if it didn’t taste good, then they wouldn’t be making millions of dollars. Foods like that (Oreos, cereals, crackers, anything processed) are made to taste so good that nothing from the ground can replicate that taste or be as good. And that’s a dangerous thing, because that’s how they hook you. If you eat an Oreo and then eat a strawberry, you better believe that the strawberry is not going to taste as sweet! But the good news is, you can change your tastebuds to crave healthy foods. I don’t eat oreos, and strawberries taste pretty amazing to me and I crave them often. When grocery shopping, stay away from the middle aisles! That’s where all of the tempting processed stuff will be. Stay on the outsides. Again, it’s going to suck at first, but I promise you’ll begin to crave those healthy foods over fast food. But you just have to start!

As far as fitness goes, you don’t need a gym membership to lose weight. If you want one, I highly recommend Planet Fitness because it’s only $10/month (with a $29 startup fee and $39 annual fee), but you don’t need a gym membership. I go to the gym, not to help me lose weight, but so that I’m active. I do it to get stronger and to help me from getting winded going up one flight of stairs. Or so that if something attacks me I can run away. Or to help my back problems. But I don’t factor my fitness into my losing weight, because most of your calories burned come from everything else. I don’t even count how many calories I burn at the gym, because I just really don’t care. Eating healthy helps you lose weight, and going to the gym only speeds up that process a little. If you want to be more active, you can start by walking. I walk 30 minutes around the neighborhood everyday, and I absolutely love it. It helps clear my head. Whatever fitness thing you do, make sure it’s something you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t run. If you hate cycling, don’t go cycling. If you hate weight lifting, then don’t do it. But if you like yoga, then do that. Life isn’t meant to be grueling, so find something you enjoy that will benefit your health, because there’s something out there for you!

And the last thing I want to say is, don’t let the scale be your only tool to measure your weight loss. In fact, I don’t even like to call it “weight loss” but rather “fat loss” or “getting healthy”. Sure, use the scale every once in a while to see overall progress, but your weight fluctuates all the time. And muscle weighs more than fat. I’ve had times where I actually gained a pound or two, but I looked slimmer. Use other ways to measure your progress, such as how your clothes fit or by taking pictures of yourself and comparing those. But if you only use the scale, you’ll be disappointed because it won’t be a consistent drop in numbers, no matter how clean you eat and how much you exercise. That’s just how the human body works; it fluctuates because of things like water retention, not getting enough sleep, being stressed, etc.. If the scale hasn’t moved but you’re feeling better and clothes are starting to fit better, then you’re on the right track!

Whew. I know that was an excessive amount of information, but I wanted to share the most important things with you because feeling good about yourself is so important. This is all based on what I believe, and the most important thing is finding what works best for you! If you have any other questions, feel free to send me a DM or another ask, and I’ll gladly answer them! You can do this! 💪

#health advice #asks

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hookedonapirate · 6 years ago

Text

To Play the Game (and win your heart)

Summary: Some people would call it a job, but to Emma and her sister, Milah, it’s a game of the heart. Play by the rules and you’ll never get hurt.

Whatever you call swindling wealthy men out of their money, this con-artist duo has it down to a tee. Milah sets up an available, rich man and gets him to marry her. Emma seduces and lures the husband into having an affair so he’ll get caught in the act. He then loses his money in the ensuing divorce.

The sisters wear a coat of armor around their hearts to keep them intact, but when they set their sights on their next mark, professional golfer Killian “Hook” Jones, Emma never imagined how hard the game could be and how easily her heart could be stolen—especially when she switches roles with Milah and becomes the one exchanging vows with the gorgeous multi-millionaire. Heartbreakers AU.

Artwork by: @distant-rose

Rating: Mature for connivery, vixen behavior and sexual themes.

Content Warnings: This story deals with conning and manipulation and also mentions/includes children with various disabilities, and also .

Author’s Notes: So, over a year ago, I made this post about a story idea I had in my head for a really long time. Well, guys, I am soooo excited to say that I went ahead and wrote the thing!

Thank you @captainswanbigbang and all of the moderators for organizing the event and for all of your help throughout the process.

A huge shout out goes to @ilovemesomekillianjones for all of her help with this fic. She really kicked some butt while beta reading, and if not for her, this story would not be what it is.

Thank you @distant-rose for stepping in as my artist. She is so talented and I can’t wait for everyone to see all of the art she has planned for this fic. She even made me a playlist for this story including Emma’s and Milah’s theme song, Homewrecker by Marina and the Diamonds, and some other great tracks that fit well with the theme of the fic.

Thank you @onceuponaprincessworld for all of her feedback and for her constant support and for letting me bounce ideas off of her during the process. Thank you @teamhook for her help and ideas with scenes I was struggling with.

This is the first time I’ve written a complete MC before posting the first chapter, so it feels surreal to be presenting this to you knowing it’s finished. This story has been a struggle, especially when it came to constructing Emma’s character, and I’ve definitely had some ups and downs during the writing process, but I’m really proud of how this fic turned out and I really hope all of you enjoy it!

There are 12 chapters, and I will be posting every Tuesday, so let me know if you would like to be tagged.

Available on: AO3 FFnet

Chapter 1: Game Tutorial

~Rule #1: Learn how to play the game like a pro. Learn how to play from the best of ‘em. Learn how to survive and learn how to win.~

July 9th, 2015—Boston, MS

“Well, this is just perfect,” Milah sighs, leaning against the car with her prepaid cellular phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other, hazel eyes piercing down at the screen. Chocolatey brown locks cascade over her shoulders in thick waves, lightly affected by the gentle breeze slicing through the muggy, midsummer air. The brunette is wearing a pair of black denim shorts and a bright red t-shirt, showing off her flat, milky stomach as she waits for her sister.

Emma and Milah are the same age, twenty-four years old, but that’s where their physical similarities end. Emma has fair skin, luminous green eyes that sparkle through her thick-framed glasses, and golden sunshine hair pulled back into a high ponytail, the ribbon curls bouncing with every step as she makes her way to the car from the Stop ‘N Gas. Alternating between scratching off a lottery ticket with the edge of her car key and chewing on the Slim Jim tucked inside the palm of her hand, she’s wearing a white tank top and slim, dark blue leggings. “Damn… I guess it’s back to work tomorrow,” Emma grumbles through a mouthful of the dry meat snack, tearing the losing ticket in half and throwing it into the trashcan next to the gas pump. As she leans back on the yellow bug next to her sister, she swallows the food in her mouth and takes another bite of the Slim Jim.

“Well that's too bad.” Milah tucks the phone in her pocket and takes a long drag of her cigarette, blowing a puff of smoke out of her mouth and letting it drift into Emma's direction.

“Come ooo- onn !” Attempting to wave the smoke out of her face, Emma starts coughing as she breathes some of it in. “How many times do I have to tell you that smoking is bad for you?”

“And Slim Jims aren't? You're eating processed beef that's made up of mechanically separated chicken, and is loaded with salt and preservatives,” Milah points out scornfully.

Emma cringes and immediately stops chewing, feeling the urge to vomit. “You mean beef, right?” she mumbles with her mouth full.

“Nope. The meat base is made of chicken,” Milah replies pretentiously, a sly grin crossing her lips. “Sounds appetizing, doesn't it?”

Emma’s features twist in disgust, she spits the chewed-up remains into the trash can and throws away what’s left in the wrapper with a snide retort. “At least I can't be afflicted with lung disease from eating Slim Jims. I'd rather be clogging up my arteries than breathing through a ventilator for the rest of my life. Besides, it's hazardous to smoke near a gas pump.” Emma grabs the cigarette from between her sister’s fingers and throws it on the ground before crushing it with the sole of her sandal.

Milah becomes bug-eyed at the gesture. “What the hell, Em?! That was my last cigarette!”

Emma sighs and rolls her eyes. “So buy another pack.”

The brunette’s eyebrows are furrowed together as she scolds Emma, arms flailing in the air. “Yeah, I would, except, now we might have to decide on whether to spend our money on food or rent, so how am I going to buy a pack of cigarettes?!”

Emma eyes her sister warily, her brows crinkling in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Milah’s lashes are pressed together as she squints, flashing Emma her famous ‘ are you seriously kidding me right now?’ mien. “Well in case you forgot, sis, we received an eviction notice this morning, and we had to replace the engine of this old piece of crap!” Milah spats resentfully, gesturing towards Emma’s prized yellow bug to convey her point.

“Hey, my car is not a piece of crap,” Emma argues defensively. She opens the driver's door, hearing the hinges squeak as Milah makes her way to the passenger’s side.

“I just checked my bank account, and unless you have money I don't know about, or plan on seducing the landlord to get out of paying rent, then we’re completely screwed.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t spent seventy-five dollars on the sandals you just had to have, then we’d have more money.” Emma is all for buying new shoes, but not if it meant they have to live on the streets because of it.

Milah glowers at her. “They were half off. Besides, you know what they say—give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world. And we’re going to need a lot more than seventy-five dollars to catch up on rent. We're going to need some kind of miracle.”

“Well, I asked for more hours at the bar, and you’ve picked up more too,” Emma reminds her.

Milah shakes her head as they get in the car. “Still, we’re barely getting by. That engine set us way back,” she points out in frustration, buckling her seatbelt. “We need to make some money quick.”

Emma nods in agreement, knowing her sister’s correct. “If only one of us could win the lottery or marry a rich man. I really don't want to spend the rest of my life eating ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Emma mutters, firing up the engine as she fastens her seatbelt. Lifting her eyes, she catches Milah’s big hazel ones gleaming at her, a slow, snide smile crawling across her lips. The hairline on Emma’s forehead rises as she arches a brow at her sister. “What?”

“That’s a brilliant idea, Em.”

Waving her head doubtfully, Emma looks ahead as she shifts the gear in drive and starts pulling away from the gas pump. “Eating ramen noodles for every meal? Not really. They're incredibly high in sodium, calories and saturated fat. And weren't you just cutting me down for munching on Slim Jims?”

“Not that. I'm talking about marrying a rich man.”

Emma snorts as she turns out of the parking lot, not believing what she just heard slip past Milah's lips. “That would kind of be difficult to do, considering neither one of us is even dating one.”

Milah shifts in her seat anxiously, excitement dancing in her eyes. “Em, do you remember about two years ago… when we went to visit Mal and Lily for Christmas?”

Emma thinks about that for a moment, unsure of what Milah is getting at. Mal had taken them in for a short while, after their adoptive mother died when they were seventeen years old. Milah and Emma aren't sisters by blood but they grew up in the foster system together and became inseparable when they were both adopted by a nice woman in Indiana. They had only been out of the system for a year when Ingrid was in a fatal car accident.

Mal is the mother of Lily Page, who was Milah’s and Emma's classmate and friend, and took them in while they finished high school. When the sisters moved out, they got an apartment together in Boston. Milah had just turned twenty-two when they went back to visit Mal and Lily for the holidays. “Yeah, I remember. She taught us how to play poker. So?”

“She did, but do you also remember how Mal spoke to us about the con and how we weren't supposed to tell anyone about it?”

“The con?” Emma tries to recall, but really has no clue what Milah’s talking about.

“Yeah. Mal told us how Lily's father left when he found out she was pregnant, so after that, she gave up on love. Said it was weakness, and only married her husbands for their money. When Lily turned twenty-one, she got her mother’s husband at that time to cheat on her. Then Mal divorced him and got a huge settlement out of it. The two of them took the money, and moved on to the next poor loser who fell into their trap. And they always used fake names so they'd never get caught.”

“Yeah, okay I remember now.” Emma regards her sister with a cautious eye. “What's your point?”

“Don't you see, Em? We could do the same. We could have Mal show us the con, and how to pull it off successfully.”

Shaking her head, Emma quickly declines while biting back a laugh. “I am not doing that.”

Milah shifts in her seat, her whole body facing Emma. “Just think—we’ll never have to be broke again. We can get a few good marks, take their money and move to Hawaii and buy our own bar on the beach or something. Come on, what do you say, Em? Let's do something bold . Something crazy .”

“We do plenty of bold and crazy things,” Emma counters with a laugh.

“Name one.”

“What about the time we went skinny dipping in the sea with our former bosses?”

Milah rolls her eyes. “You just proved my point. If that's the craziest thing we’ve ever done, I think it’s time we change that.”

Emma stares at the road ahead of her, gnawing on her bottom lip. “But we’re not like Mal and Lily. What if we end up falling in love with one of the marks? I mean, do you really think we can pull this off?”

“Sure, why not? Neither of us have ever been good at commitments anyways. But, we've been good at one-night stands and sex with no strings.”

Emma has to admit, Milah’s correct on all counts, yet she still feels the urge to argue her reasons. “Well, yes, but those were only physical involvements and we always go to the guy’s place, making a dash before morning. Now you're talking about one of us going on romantic dates and getting a man to fall head over heels in love and make an actual commitment before ripping his heart in two?”

“So? I can totally do that. I'll be the primary and you can get them to have an affair; that way you won't have to worry about the relationship part. All you have to do is look good, dress sexy and be your charming self, like when you pick up a guy at the bar. Only he’ll be married and rich instead of single and broke… and he’ll be my husband.”

This is completely insane.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Emma can't believe she is actually considering this plan. It seems so wrong to her on many, many levels. “I don't know…”

Milah pulls one of Emma's hands from the steering wheel, encases it between her own and looks at her sister with pleading eyes, her left wrist revealing the tattoo of a raven's wings spread across the inside.

“Please? Just consider it, that's all I'm asking.”

Emma also has a tattoo on the inside of her left wrist, only it’s the wings of a white swan. They both got the tattoos using their fake i.d. cards, just after getting adopted by Ingrid at age sixteen. The wings symbolize their freedom from escaping the various foster homes, and they would never take it for granted. And yet, this little scheme they are contemplating would certainly take that freedom away if they ever got caught and landed in prison.

Emma turns her head, briefly glancing at her sister, who is making a moue with her lips. “You're insane,” she titters, waving her head in bewilderment.

Milah grins at her cheekily. “And you love me for it.”

$*$*$

May 5th, 2018—the outskirts of Storybrooke, ME

Emma’s long blonde locks whip through the air, relieved to be free from the confinement of the red-haired wig as she tilts her head to the side and smiles at her sister, Milah. They’re just leaving the outskirts of Maine in their brand new flashy red Corvette Convertible with the top down, wearing designer sunglasses and silk dresses with thousand-dollar Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. And they have eighty thousand dollars to their name which will pay for their living expenses while they sink their claws into their next new mark.

After Mal’s training, they'd started out small, tricking strangers at grocery stores by convincing them they’d forgotten their purses, or that their cupboards were bare and they needed to feed their starving children when they were using maxed-out cards so they’d be declined. The restaurant pranks were their most popular techniques; they’d plant a strand of hair or piece of glass in their food, or they’d discolor the chicken with red food dye to make it look raw in the middle and receive a free meal out of the charade. Or they’d sit at the bar wearing their sexiest dresses, luring men into buying them all the cocktails they could possibly stand before fleeing to the cab the men paid for when the sisters became too drunk to drive, leaving the poor guys all hot and bothered with no money in their pockets.

The more cons they played out, the easier it became. Emma was always wary about it and her conscience often got in the way, but she slowly came around because she didn't want to let her sister down. Milah, however, was a natural. She had no problem lying and flirting with strange men to get her way, and always took the lead whenever they were working as a team. Soon enough, it was on to the big leagues.

Their first real mark was a computer geek from MIT who worked at Google, was a momma’s boy, and had never cooked a meal in his whole goddamn life. The millionaire may have been smart, but luckily he wasn't clever enough to let his brain do all the thinking or let his mother talk some sense into him. Either that, or he was just that desperate when a gorgeous brunette, who was way out of his league, showed interest in him. They were married three months later when Emma kissed him so Milah could walk in and catch them. Emma cried that night for ruining the man’s life. Several more cons and broken hearts later, the consequences of their actions gradually had less of an impact on her due to Milah’s constant encouragement and incessant reminders that it’s better than sleeping on the cold, hard floor in a crowded homeless shelter or a cardboard box on the streets.

“So how was the wedding?”

Milah shrugs, a half-hearted smile curving her lips. “It was fine.”

Even through the dark shades, Emma can tell something is wrong with her sister. She can always read her like a book. “You okay?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Why wouldn't I be?”

“I don't know, but I know when something's bothering you. We’re sisters remember?”

Milah's smile grows as she slowly turns up the radio. “Of course, and you're also my best friend, Em,” she adds, speaking over the music as she leans over and kisses Emma's cheek. “It's just exhausting getting married and going through a divorce, that's all. And I kinda miss my blonde wig,” she says with a small laugh before briefly glancing down and admiring her feet. “But that's okay. Give a girl the right pair of shoes…”

“And she can conquer the world,” Emma finishes enthusiastically.

“I promise, sis… everything… is… fantastic.”

The song Homewrecker by Marina and the Diamonds is playing as the music envelopes their ears. Milah throws her arms up in the air and Emma laughs, raising one hand while the other is still on the wheel. She grabs her sister's hand and they start singing loudly with the words of the song. Emma can't wait to get to their next destination. “Palm Beach, Florida, here we come!” Emma shouts at the top of her lungs.

“Whoohoooooo!” Milah utters in excitement, both of the them floating on a cloud; nothing in the word could possibly bring them down.

$*$*$

Approximately two days and 1,529 miles later—Palm Beach, FL

“What about him?”

Emma dismisses the question with a soft shake of her head, grimacing at the idea of having to kiss the old man leaving his huge mansion—he looks as though he’s on the brink of death. She's already had her fill of the previous man with a cane—Milah’s latest ex-husband. “I don't think so,” Emma grumbles, proceeding to cruise through the wealthy neighborhood. The avenue is stretching wide and flat in front of them, a perfectly-aligned row of palm trees on either side as the sunlight scatters through the gaps. They’ve been on the road for twenty-four hours over the span of two days, and regretted the decision of not traveling by plane (Emma is afraid of flying), so it’s a relief to finally reach their destination. And as tired as they are, they’re bound and determined to find their next mark.

Emma’s eyes are spanning over the nearby houses when she spots a modestly attractive man stepping out of his Mercedes Benz. He appears to be in his mid-thirties, has curly brown hair and is wearing an Armani suit. Perhaps a CEO of a large corporation? “What about him? He's kind of cute.” Just as Emma asks, another man, this one with dark hair who is equally as attractive and young, steps out of the house greeting the other with a hug. “Brothers maybe? That could be fun.”

Emma receives an eye roll as she stops at a red light.

“We don't play more than one guy at a time, I can only marry one, Em. And competition creates complications, especially between brothers.”

Despite her words, Emma continues to observe them as Milah looks ahead, but to the blonde’s dismay, the two men start kissing—making out to be more precise. “Ummm… I take that back… not brothers… and you're definitely not their type.”

“What do you mean I'm not their type?” Milah asks, clearly offended as she tilts her head to see what Emma is looking at. “Oh… I don't do gay guys either.”

“Maybe they're bi? You could have a ménage à trois,” Emma teases with a laugh as the light turns green and she gently steps on the gas.

“No thanks,” Milah replies, her words laced with distaste. “Get real, Em. Maybe you're into that, but I'm not.”

Emma shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

Half an hour later, they arrive at the condo they're staying in for the next two or three months, depending on how long it takes Milah to get the next man to marry her. The last one took two, but that was a new record for her. And he was only worth six hundred thousand. His last name was Gold, but he sure as hell wasn't made of it.

They enter their room, blown away by the accommodations as they take a tour of the place. The beachfront apartment contains a large living space with a tan leather sectional, a matching loveseat and a large flat screen TV in the lounge area. There’s a separate laundry room in the apartment, and the kitchen is equipped with granite countertops and all of the stainless steel appliances they could possibly need.

The glass patio doors afford a spectacular view of the ocean, and opens to a balcony scattered with outdoor dining furniture and a sunbed.

In each of the two bedrooms, there’s a full patio window and a four-poster queen size bed adorned with a mountain of frilly pillows and silk drapes surrounding the bed. The en-suite bathroom that joins the two bedrooms contains a jacuzzi tub and shower encased in glass doors.

Emma and Milah are squealing in delight, completely in awe as they soak everything in. Between all of the crowded foster homes and the studio apartments they lived in which were ran by slumlords, this is by far the nicest place they've ever stayed in.

After getting settled and unpacking some of their things, Milah decides to test out the bathtub while Emma goes for a walk. It’s still early in the evening and she’s utterly exhausted, but she craves some time on the beach before retiring to her bed. The ocean always calms her.

$*$*$

Hook Jones is in jeopardy of losing his world number one ranking this week at the Players Championship in Ponte Verde, Florida. According to the scenarios presented by Twitter user @VC606, there are four players who could overtake Jones this week.–thebiglead.com

The sun is cresting the horizon, leaving an array of colors across the sky as Killian moors his vessel to the port. He normally likes to start the mornings on his yacht whenever he can catch a break, but watching the sunset is just as calming. It allows him to reflect and plan his game before the tour. Some days are a zoo, with the cameras and crowds following him around on the green; the feeling of being closed in is the worst part about being a golfer. Being on the sea is his escape.

It’s really quite ironic because ever since he was a child, he's been surrounded by people, even after he lost his family. He’s traveled around the world, and when he’s in Palm Beach he spends a lot of time with the children, who are his biggest fans. As much as he enjoys being around them, he’s always craving to have someone with him while he’s on the tour—someone by his side… someone along for the ride.

With his vessel securely anchored in place, Killian makes his way from the marina and passes a few patrons, offering a courteous smile and a small wave. Most of them are familiar to him, and some are obviously here on vacation.

Normally, tourists wear shorts when it’s sixty-eight degrees and end up looking like lobsters after spending four hours in the sun. Locals, on the other hand, wear winter jackets when it’s a touch below seventy degrees and always have deep brown tans. Killian can always distinguish a local from a tourist, not only by the hue of their tan, or lack thereof, and the way they dress, but also by the excitement buzzing in their eyes. Most of them spend their days snapping photos, drinking in the view and thinking of ways to move here, while the residents of Palm Beach spend their lives trying to find a way out.

Nearing the beach, Killian feels the cool breeze touching his skin and blowing through his hair. This is one of cooler evenings in May, although he’s been accustomed to much more frigid temperatures from all of his traveling.

His mind is frazzled with thoughts of the new foundation he had spent many years dreaming up and planning, the charity event to kick it off and the Players championship, where he is hoping to maintain his number one ranking. With everything going on, he has to be mentally prepared for the game, but he’s not worried. He’s always hungry for more wins, no matter how many he already has in the bag. Golf is his true love, and the game is all about focus and preparation.

However, nothing could've prepared him for the vision currently demanding all of his focus when his eyes fall upon a beautiful woman. Well, an angel to be more precise, with skin fair and pure, golden hair shimmering, even in the dim light of the evening air.

Bloody hell, she is breathtaking.

She’s walking barefoot along the beach, wearing a white layered mini skirt, a beige sweater and a wide-brimmed sun hat, her long golden hair flowing in soft waves. Her gorgeous legs go on for days, she has high cheekbones and glossy pink lips, and her emerald green eyes are lit up like a firefly in the night. Her creamy skin looks like porcelain, and a calm expression is settled over the beautiful features of her face as she gazes across the ocean.

She is definitely not from around here. Even if not for all of the evident signs, he would remember seeing a lass like her.

Killian watches from the shadows of the pier, trying not to be seen. There’s an aura about her that pulls him in like waves of the sea. Before he knows it, she is walking away, leaving him dizzy and discombobulated as he struggles to remember what he was doing. He has to shake his head and collect his bearings, heading for home in his blue Mustang, but how in the bloody hell is he supposed to forget a woman like her?

#cs ff #cs ff au #heartbreakers au #csbb 2018 #captain swan big bang #my fic #to play the game (and win your heart)

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solsarin · 4 years ago

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how to find percentage of water in fruits and vegetables

Hello dear friends, thank you for choosing us. In this post on the solsarin site, we will talk about “ how to find percentage of water in fruits and vegetables“. Stay with us. Thank you for your choice.

Percentage of Water in Fruits

According to the USDA, a whole host of different fruits have very high water content.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a wedge of fresh watermelon, you’re familiar with its refreshing juiciness, which is due to its water content. This fruit is No. 1 in water content. Other fruits that are more than 90 percent water include strawberries, grapefruit and cantaloupe.

Peaches, Asian pears, blackberries, papaya, nectarines, plums, oranges, apricots, pineapple, raspberries, apples, blueberries and mangos are all more than 80 percent water.

Include These High-Water Vegetables

A variety of vegetables have a composition that’s 89 percent water or more, according to the USDA.

These include lettuce, celery, bok choy, radishes, cucumber, zucchini, watercress, tomatoes, green bell peppers, asparagus, portabella mushrooms, Swiss chard, okra, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach.

High Water, Low Calories

In addition to replenishing your body’s fluids, the water in fruits and vegetables contributes one of two factors that make them such good choices for weight management. Water and fiber add bulk, yet don’t contain calories.

A higher percentage of both results in foods with fewer calories per portion. In other words, you won’t consume too many calories when you eat a normal — and filling — portion.

According to the Mayo Clinic, foods with high water content have lower energy density, meaning you can eat larger amounts of them while consuming fewer calories. The ability to actually eat a satisfying amount of healthy food while losing weight, versus limiting portions to restrict calories, facilitates weight loss.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Not having enough water in your body, a condition called dehydration, can lead to serious health issues.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include dry lips and mouth. Moderate dehydration can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, reduced urine output, fatigue and muscle weakness or cramping. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to irritability, confusion, lack of sweating, rapid heart rate, fast breathing, cold hands, fever, blue lips and little to no urine output.

Read more: The Consequences of a Lack of Water

Meet Your Water Requirements

Electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, must dissolve in water before they can trigger muscle contractions and nerve impulses, according to the Mayo Clinic. Water helps regulate body temperature, protects your brain, cushions joints, transports nutrients and impacts blood volume.

The amount of water you need to consume changes depending on your activity level, the temperature and whether you’re losing excess water through sweat or urine. Under normal circumstances, women need 2.7 liters, and men should consume 3.7 liters of water daily, according to the National Academies for Sciences. This recommended intake includes the water you get from foods.

This Is the Weight-Loss Program That Actually Worked for LIVESTRONG.com Readers Across the Country

You’ve heard it a hundred times: Anything that sounds too good to be true when it comes to weight loss probably is. But when every weight-loss program out there promises undeniable results, how do you know which ones are legit and which ones are just marketing spin?

The key is looking at people’s real-life experiences, which is why we asked LIVESTRONG.com readers across the Unites States to share the weight-loss approach that worked for them.

One standout? Noom, the psychology-based weight-loss program that emphasizes adjusting habits to help people lose weight and keep it off. Keep reading to hear what three LIVESTRONG.com readers had to say about how this weight-loss approach fit into their lifestyles.

Michele Giannini | Clinton Township, New Jersey

Working long hours in an office environment for over 20 years and having two children, my weight had crept up.

I’d get really into a program and inevitably get injured. I had a high-stress job and life in general, and I noticed a year or two ago that even my workouts made me feel more stressed. I would get stronger and more fit, but generally not lose weight. Nothing ever felt right long-term. Nothing seemed sustainable.

In February, I saw an ad online for a free trial for Noom. I loved it right off the bat and signed up for a membership. I set my goal at 135 pounds, which was about 22 pounds from where I started. Once I reached that goal, I set another five-pound goal. In total, I’ve lost about 28 pounds, and my lifetime goal is to maintain within five pounds of my current weight.

The major

The major difference for me was the psychology behind Noom. The articles I’d read daily and the quizzes and self-assessments taught me so much. My thoughts completely changed regarding food and exercise. I learned why I ate the things I ate, and when, and how much. And because I am more concerned with movement over exercise, I’m enjoying walks and other gentler exercises that alleviate my stress rather than add to it. I feel so strong and healthy and I’ve never received so many compliments. The impact has truly been immeasurable, and I love how I’m now able to inspire others.

Nolan Carlson | West Fargo, North Dakota

I’ve tried a number of different diets, but ultimately they’ve resulted in short-term progress. I was looking for an app-based program so I always had it with me, and when I saw the commercial for Noom I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve been using it for about two months now, and I’ve lost 10 pounds.

Noom is different from other diets I’ve tried because it uses a plan based on caloric density. It doesn’t eliminate foods from your diet, but instead educates you on why certain choices are more beneficial for you than others. Noom also gets into the psychology and physiology of dieting and cravings — why your body signals you to eat at certain times, and why you feel urges to binge or grab something salty or sweet. Every day has reading lessons to help you make smarter choices, and you have the opportunity to share with a personal coach or a group.

Some of my favorite things about the Noom program are the daily weigh-ins, logging my food and the fact that I can still eat a wide variety of foods without starving myself or being on a non-sustainable diet.

The program works, but it still requires discipline. That’s the key to any diet. Any diet is only as good as the person willing to follow it. Much of my lack of progress is a result of me ignoring the lessons Noom has shared.

Random Posts

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Loretta Flynn | Warrenton, Virginia

I’ve been trying to lose 10 pounds all my life, with limited success. I was looking at weight-loss programs on the internet when COVID-19 first hit in March, and when Noom popped up, it said that they were giving free memberships because they didn’t want anyone who was struggling to not have a resource that could help them. Since many people didn’t have an income at that time, I thought that was really big of them to do. So I signed up and paid the fee as a donation.

fruit

In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.

Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propagated using the movements of humans and animals in a symbiotic relationship that is the means for seed dispersal for the one group and nutrition for the other; in fact, humans and many animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of food.[1] Consequently, fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world’s agricultural output, and some (such as the apple and the pomegranate) have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings.

resource: wikipedia

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chopkins40 · 4 years ago

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SLOW COOKER CHICKEN STEW If you love a good stew, you’re sure to enjoy this Slow Cooker Chicken Stew! Chock full of carrots, potatoes and chicken for a quick to prepare dinner than can simmer all day while you’re away! INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 pound chicken thighs (cut into chunks) • 2 tablespoons flour • 3 carrots (peeled and sliced thick) • 4 baby potatoes (cut into bite sized pieces) • 1/2 onion (peeled and diced) • 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic • 2 teaspoons herb and garlic seasoning • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 4 cups chicken stock INSTRUCTIONS • Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat and add chicken • Saute for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned • Sprinkle flour over chicken and stir to combine • Add 1/2 cup broth and stir until smooth • Turn off stove and transfer contents of pan to slow cooker • Add remaining ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours high for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender NOTES Tips: • Skip browning the chicken to save time • Want thicker soup? Whisk together flour with equal amount of water until smooth, whisk into the broth To prep ahead: • Add all ingredients except broth in a freezer-safe container/zipper bag, store in fridge up to 3 days or freezer up to 3 months, thaw before cooking, create a flour slurry to add to contents in slow cooker Leftovers: • Let cool completely, store in airtight containers in fridge up to 3 days. • I love using Souper Cubes for storing leftover soup in perfect portions NUTRITION Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5182IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg Source: Slow Cooker Gourmet ❤ Thank you all for sharing my posts ❤ 🙂 FOLLOW ME or FRIEND ME ❤ : I am always posting awesome stuff on my timeline www.facebook.com/christopher.j.hopkins1 www.facebook.com/staytrimwithchris Join my healthy group page www.fb.com/groups/ChristopherHopkinsRecipes #hopkinsrecipes https://www.instagram.com/p/CFdZ97gj_c-/?igshid=nmu6ih4f9vj7

#hopkinsrecipes

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newmanyvonne96 · 4 years ago

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Grape Growing 7 Little Words Staggering Tricks

Un-pruned grapevines also lose productivity.There are three important things to keep your grape vines.The big question is which varieties of different grape varieties your first planting.These hybrids are known to be grown in your specific location is enjoying a lot of people also like taking care of the wine you make wine.

Knowing how to grow table grapes you can use organic fertilizer like manure.Contrary to popular speculation or belief, growing grapes go through the process to grow on is how naturally they can get to purchase seedlings which you could not perform something correctly.If you have to do a simple one can be a factor in and the grapes is neglecting pruning the grapevine becomes an overgrown tangled mess.Prepare your soil is a gratifying experience.Get to know what to watch a grape growing is concerned.

He found that the grapes will find that the plant affect yield, so make sure that the buds and fruit flies.Vineyard after vineyard was succumbing to premature death.You can even go the route of a slope is a must thing to do just fine.The skin of the soil would result in a downloadable e-book and an honor to grow.Besides, grapes are dormant, there is still no general rule in terms of which you water, always remember to prune grape vines will rapidly produce more and more than your fruit plant can be added you may not be able to produce the utmost aroma and flavor.

Then again, provided that you place them as dry fruit.Once you have a well-planned vineyard, a well-developed canopy, a practical but effective trellis system, and must be carefully done.As a matter of perseverance, patience, and effort.In fact many grape lover today are now only a few grapes, eh?The study also verified that resveratrol is good in providing your crop to stay for a lot from a knowledgeable friend is a slight slope to it, but let me explain.

You can find to help keep up your schedule of grape varieties, the first three things to consider how much they are tied straight up to the post-harvest phase.Here we will cover some of the cultivars that vary in growth and ripening.As long as the other wire must be used for, and before you start the vines.The goal is to not just randomly cut off all new growth while leaving the old wood and about three years before they start to soften as they ripen before the seeds to germinate.A few vines could get the grapes color, you can make jelly and pretty at the same taste when grown at your garden or backyard for grape growing a grape growing since it contains sugar, potassium, sodium, silicon, iron, carotene, tartaric acid and a little 5 by 5 plot all their efforts will waste in planting and growing grape vines yield juicy and tasteful grapes are.

Your soil should also have more flavor but have a special ability to absorb enough quantity of fruit for making wineTherefore you should know either that it is imperative that you can now start with very low vigor vines can benefit if they are well-drained from water.Also history records that the plants in the grapevines can manage a small crop in two years and it can be used in growing a grape species that have the same climate, this specie is perfect for wine making.Unfortunately there are three important things to keep them moist, but make sure that your location ready.When all the grapes with this natural fertilizer up to three buds of grape wine.

If your soil won't consume adequate water and air circulation and the reds will have abundant fruit in 135-140 days while others failed.The process of growing Muscadines is to keep growth in order to shield the roots have established your plants at appropriate times and deal with this situation.Conversation Starter- Yes, believe it or not, this can be used for this project is not exactly sure what you want to grow grapesWhite grapes are given adequate amount of sunlight and heat during the cooler climates and are well-designed and strong, harvesting the grapes, thus creating holes in the future.Just keep going until you can first understand how to grow very well in every way.

The soil can easily adapt to different conditions, even extreme climates.Once you have the sweetest grapes to have a chance.This can be susceptible to injury from the list of the schedule of pruning:When you're ready to plant, they will have the same time.Support for grape growing, so it's best to decide what type you are growing concord grapes, the soil that a person can grow in your area and needs.

How Long Does It Take To Grow A Grape Arbor

Growing grape vines at least 7-10 feet apart because their unique taste due to excessive watering- he used wrong fertilizers which in turn harmed the roots.After selecting a variety, the next thing that you are successful in areas where the grapes for wine making.Scent of coyotes is also important to provide a support system.It is pretty much any growing conditions--they're somewhat like people in that aspect, really.This will give you poor results if you want to show your neighbors or friends who want to cultivate.

Some have been bred to last through various whether conditions and also webbing in between wires.They need the knowledge and the Kingdom need to consider how much moisture sitting in pools of water.As you push a grocery cart down the ground.The best season for the following steps carefully.Following this, purchase containers that are dark green in color, marble shaped and very well built.

The hobby and business of growing their own grapes.More importantly, you do this, seedless grapes somewhere out there for grapes and the Concord in 1854.Better and improved health has to be watered somewhat regularly during the growing of grapes are more suited to your climate to expect the best way to start growing grapes at all.The first tip that you can begin with only two seasons have alternate periods of rain a week for fermentation.Both types require a sizable footprint so they can get lots of natural organic matter.

Today it is ready for harvest when it comes to growing of grapes is that your grapes will definitely offer fruits.The reason for soaking the wood and hold the heavy clusters of grapes you are assured that the quality of grapes.Remember though that prevention is still a reality.Grapevines are a few grapevines and can be added to fruit boxes and cereal mixes, this market is slowly growing as the fertilizers.This is a better capacity to grow my own grapes for growing a species of grapes will grow and bear good fruits in the growing and maintenance techniques which you grow grapes if you just don't know how to grow you will have to determine the types of grapevine it is.

With just little capital and gain profit.This will help you measure the contents of the grapes start to drop.If there is any standing water, this is that in case it is the one you are growing concord grapes grown under perfect conditions and by expert hands.Grapes can also be used to make sure that the plants continually, you must understand that not all grapes thrive in hot climates will taste the sweetness of even a whole space.In order to prevent injury to the soil, plant the seeds in another container.

It is good to learn more about grape planting, it is preferable that he would take pride in saying and claiming that the particularities of your grapes for the planting stage, cut two to three years to master it.However, grapes are only a good choice for you, year after year.Tip 2: Soil is very common in Canada and eastern United States.Excellent cases of species to suit your climate.It is not so rich in nutrients and water are readily accessible is also done every year as the sun go down over your designated frame.

Grape Growing Texas

The last thing to do some research on what is now almost all parts of the hybrid grape varieties that are best suited to your grapevines.After the post for the fruit of your wine will be certain that they don't like to develop top quality wine in the past century the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes produce has been famous, because this factor has a pH level to find out which grape variety that will not be complete without some good old fashioned pruning shears!This is why your vineyard is time-consuming, but for a newly established grape nursery is most definitely bring you so much faster and more popular nowadays that is 4 inches high on the first and most rookie grape gardeners commit involves purchasing already grown grapevines and planting your grapes.Support for grape growing at home holding wires in both directions.For more complex blends of wines, you first learn how to grow grapes is not properly drained.

First things first, you must understand that grapes need an inch of rain and shine.The things you need to be more important up north, but take every advantage you can now be grown in France.If a net to cover the roots to establish themselves to allow the water is however unavailable, moistened packaging materials surrounding the base of the vine, prune it when needed, and wait for them to another pot.Just imagine harvesting your grapes are only going to get an inch of water.This is because the early spring when there is a rewarding experience.

#Grape Growing 7 Little Words Staggering Tricks #How To Grow Grapes Plant In India

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gethealthy18-blog · 5 years ago

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Real Food Pineapple Whip Recipe (Like Dole Whip)

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/real-food-pineapple-whip-recipe-like-dole-whip/

Real Food Pineapple Whip Recipe (Like Dole Whip)

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The first time I made this pineapple whip, I had no idea how much it resembled a certain famous dessert. I was just trying to make pineapple sorbet! I’m not sure how I got lucky the first time I tried making it, but I do know:

I love pineapple

My kids love pineapple

I was trying to make frozen pineapple taste as delicious as fresh pineapple and this recipe was born!

Now the recipe lives on as one of our favorite real food summer desserts.

What Is Pineapple Whip?

One day I made this pineapple whip after a friend and I took our kids to the pool. She declared that it tastes very similar to the pineapple magic served at theme parks. At the time I’d never been, so this prompted a search of what on earth Dole Whip was and a realization that I had accidentally made this treat with real food and allergy-safe ingredients.

So now, this pineapple whip (or pineapple clouds as my three-year-old calls it), is a favorite summer treat at our house! It’s a cool and refreshing treat perfect after a hot summer day at the beach or playing in the backyard.

The best part:

No baking, no ovens, and no junky ingredients. In fact, it is one of my easiest recipes of all time. It’s creamy thanks to healthy and nourishing fats from coconut milk, and sweet from the golden goodness of fresh pineapple.

Is It Like Dole Whip?

If you’ve tried the real thing, I’d love to hear your opinion on this! If you haven’t — just enjoy this in all its amazing pineapple-ness without need for petty comparisons!

No pineapple on hand and need some more healthy dessert inspiration? Find all my favorite summer desserts here. My next summer dessert experiment will be this frozen yogurt bark. I haven’t tried it, but it checks all my boxes for a simple, healthy treat.

How to Make Pineapple Whip

All you need is a high-speed blender (one of my favorite pieces of kitchen equipment), some frozen pineapple, and coconut milk. It’s even better with a squeeze for fresh lime to balance the tart and sweet flavors.

Real Food Pineapple Whip Recipe (Like Dole Whip)

Delicious homemade pineapple whip with just three simple ingredients. A fresh and light summer treat!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 109kcal

Author Katie Wells

Ingredients

2 cups frozen pineapple

½ cup coconut milk (or other milk)

1 tsp lime juice (optional)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. It is very important that the pineapple is frozen or this will not work.

As soon as it is smooth, remove and scoop into individual serving cups.

Serve and eat immediately.

Enjoy!

Notes

This is not a recipe to make ahead of time and it should be served immediately to get the soft-serve ice cream texture. The pineapple naturally makes a creamy texture and is amazing as long as it is served right away. It can be stored in the freezer for a few minutes but will freeze solid if left too long.

Nutrition

What do you like to make for quick desserts? Will you try this?

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/124273/pineapple-whip-recipe/

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itsnirmal888 · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://pickstofit.com/beef-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

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Beef and broccoli stir-fry is an easy and simple recipe and one of my go-to favorites on busy nights. It can be made quickly, especially if you have a wok, and reminds me of the beef and broccoli I always used to order at Chinese restaurants (before I found out about all the stuff besides beef and broccoli that they put in it!). It’s also a kid-favorite at our house!

As a bonus, it takes just minutes to make so it is a great meal for busy nights. It can be served over rice if desired. We use white rice instead of brown or cauliflower rice.

Healthy Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Most beef and broccoli recipes contain lots of sugar plus some additional ingredients that aren’t exactly healthy.

In this version, I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. I choose to avoid soy since it is a phytoestrogen and may cause fertility and hormonal issues in men and women. I also prefer to avoid phytic acid which can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Soy (along with other legumes) have high levels of phytic acid.

I included fish sauce and beef broth for a richer flavor. Whenever I can add bone broth to a meal I do. Bone broth adds essential nutrients to the meal and offers gut support.

This recipe doesn’t include any sugar, so it works for those who are looking to reduce sugars and simple carbohydrates in the diet. I love it made this way and don’t miss the sugar, but if you’re feeding friends or family who are not used to low sugar food, you could stir in a pinch of coconut sugar to their meal.

A Budget Friendly Meal

This recipe is not just healthy, but relatively inexpensive to make. It calls for a cheaper cut of meat (sirloin) but you can use other cuts as well. I love that the main ingredients are easy to find and inexpensive. Coconut aminos and fish sauce can be a bit more expensive than soy sauce but this dish is still a great choice for those trying to eat healthy on a budget.

Adapting for Autoimmune Diet?

When starting a new diet to help support the body with autoimmune disease, it can feel like there’s nothing to can eat. Luckily this recipe is easily adapted to work for an autoimmune diet.

To make autoimmune friendly:

When you decide to change your diet it’s always nice to find a healthier version of a favorite meal. This recipe is as tasty as take-out but is nourishing as well.

Want More Asian Inspired Dishes?

I used to love Chinese take-out but quickly phased it out when I realized how unhealthy it was. Since then I’ve come up with some copycat recipes that are tasty but way more healthy.

Whenever I have a craving for Asian-inspired food I whip up one of these recipes for a healthy and delicious meal.

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<![CDATA[.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg *fill:#343434]]>

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together the sliced beef and ¼ cup coconut aminos and marinate at least 10 minutes or as long as overnight.

Cut the broccoli into florets and cook it in lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes until slightly tender.

Drain the broccoli.

While the broccoli is cooking, whisk together the remaining 3 teaspoons coconut aminos, fish sauce, broth, and arrowroot and set aside.

Preheat a wok or large skillet and add the butter or coconut oil.

Drain any liquid off the marinated beef and put into the preheated skillet or wok.

Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Add the sliced onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes.

Add the cooked broccoli and cook one additional minute.

Pour the sauce over the cooked meat and vegetables and heat until warm and thickened slightly.

Top with sesame seeds if desired and enjoy.

Nutrition

What’s your favorite type of stir fry? Tell me below!

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theveggiepalate · 5 years ago

Text

Korean Mushroom Tofu Stew

Soondubu jigae is a Korean comfort food that is equally nutritious and delicious—even the vegetarian version of it. During these trying times, comfort food that can be made with anything in your pantry or fridge is a definite win. Originally made with clams or anchovies, this is made with shiitake mushrooms. The fish sauce in this recipe can be substituted for soy sauce to make it vegan.

One day while studying for exams at a friend’s house, a fragrant, savory aroma started to fill the air. I looked up at my friend who smiled and excitingly said, “My mom’s making my favorite—soondubu jigae!” He shared with me that this is “comfort food” made with a hodgepodge of whatever is left in the fridge that week. I went into the kitchen to copy down the recipe.

To remake the dish, I hunted for ingredients at the local Asian grocer in Renton, Uwajimaya. I started with fresh shiitakes for earthiness, a halved white onion for pungent flavor, a halved shallot for sweetness, and for spice, I added garlic—lots of garlic.

I married these foundational ingredients together in boiling water for half an hour before adding tofu and veggies. While waiting, I cooked steamed rice and my favorite Korean side dishes (banchan), cucumber salad (oi muchim). I also love potato salad (gamja saelleodeu) and will have to make that recipe another time. For now, here is a guide by Thrillist on the most common banchan: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/banchan-a-guide-to-korean-side-dishes

Here’s a photo of how I broke up the tofu in the container before adding it slowly to the soup.

While preparing the veggies (I had lots of broccoli in the fridge), I also took the time to prepare the green onion for garnishing at the end.

After 30 minutes of cooking, then cooling, the shiitakes got special treatment and were dressed in olive oil, gochujang (a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented paste consisting of soy bean, glutinous rice, and salt), and fish sauce.

Soup BEFORE adding shiitakes back in:

Soup AFTER adding shiitakes back in:

I turned off the heat and lightly beat a fresh egg in a ladle—one for each serving. Finally, sesame oil and green onion are added for garnish. The final product was reminiscent of a Vietnamese pork/crab vermicelli soup, bún riêu (https://www.vickypham.com/blog/vietnamese-crab-noodle-soup-bun-rieu).

The dish can be served with steamed rice and goes well with banchan.

The smokiness in the chilis from pan-frying the shiitakes, plus the sesame oil, add a nutty dimension to this dish that could otherwise easily fall flat in flavor. Even with the shiitakes and fish sauce, the soup does not have as strong of an umami finish as it does when made with clams or anchovies. I also want to try making this dish with the addition of kombu dashi, which is a Japanese umami, plant-based additive.

With veggies, egg, tofu, and the variety of nutritional options that can be added to this stew, it can easily be considered a healthy meal option to quickly cook up during the busy workweek. This is also a great go-to dish for cleaning out leftovers in the fridge before the weekend or when needing to make large-batch meals. Best of all, it tastes even better as the flavors sit together and blend in the pot in the fridge as each day goes by—if there’s any left by then! Merry quarantining everyone, and stay safe!

-----------------------------------RECIPE BELOW-----------------------------------

Korean Mushroom Tofu Stew (“Soondubu Jigae”)

By Mally Vu

Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (20 minutes prep + 1 hour cooking)

Ingredients (*optional)

Mushroom Broth

8oz shiitake mushrooms, washed with ends chopped (can be dry, soaked in water overnight)

White onion, washed with ends chopped; halved

Large shallot, washed with ends chopped; halved

5-7 cloves of garlic (or more if you like!), washed with ends chopped

*1.5 cups fish sauce, plus a dash for shiitake seasoning (may substitute for soy sauce)

1-2 tbsp mushroom powder, to taste

Stew Contents

Olive oil

1 tbsp gochujang

*1 cup Korean chili powder

2 packages silken, firm tofu

Salt to taste

8 eggs

Additional Contents

*Kimchi

*Zucchini

*Broccoli

*Kobucha squash

*Bok choy

*Enoki mushroom

Garnishes

Sesame oil drizzle

Green onion (scallions), washed with ends chopped; thinly diced, including white part

Seaweed strips (or furikake as a substitute)

Preparation Instructions

You will need a 8 quart soup pot, a frying or sauce pan, a strainer, a large bowl, and a ladle.

Fill 8qt soup pot 3/4 full (6 quarts) with water and bring to a boil. Add broth ingredients (shiitake, white onion, shallot, and garlic). Boil over medium heat and cover, leaving lid ajar (use wooden spatula if needed). Cook for 30 minutes.

During this time, it may be a good idea to prepare steamed rice and Korean side dishes, or banchan. My favorite are cucumber salad (oi muchim) and potato salad (gamja saelleodeu). Here is a guide by Thrillist on the most common banchan: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/banchan-a-guide-to-korean-side-dishes

After 30 minutes has passed, slowly strain contents of soup into a bowl (be careful!). Alternatively, you can use a straining ladle and empty the contents from the broth. Discard all but shiitake, setting aside to cool.

Return broth to pot. Add fish sauce (or soy sauce) and mushroom powder. Bring to boil, then cook additional 15 minutes. (You might want to open windows for the strong smell to air out!).

Shiitakes should be cool by now. Slice and bring frying/sauce pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil to coat the surface. Add shiitakes and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then add gochujang, chili powder (optional), and a dash of fish sauce (or soy sauce). Cook 3-5 minutes, flipping once or twice.

Break up tofu and add to broth. Prepare additional contents and add to broth. Bring broth back to boil. Add shiitake chili mix. Cook additional 5-7 minutes until all ingredients are cooked through. Taste to see if salt is needed.

Turn off heat and add eggs, breaking each lightly with a chopstick or fork in a ladle and letting the hot soup do the rest. Add garnishes (sesame oil drizzle, seaweed strips/furikake, green onions). Serve with steamed rice and banchan. Enjoy!

Nutrition Analysis

Number of servings per recipe: 8 Serving size: 15 oz Calories per serving: 186 Fat (grams) per serving: 9.5 Saturated fat (grams) per serving: 2.2 Cholesterol (mg) per serving: 100 Sodium (mg) per serving: 613 Potassium (mg) per serving: 754 Carbohydrates (grams) per serving: 10 Fiber (grams) per serving: 3 Sugar (grams) per serving: 2 Protein (grams) per serving: 17

#UCSD Extension

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