#got the honey walnut shrimp and it was pretty good!

[phoenixiancrystallist]

Month 12, day 13

Made a pine cone!

I'm sure it's possible to finagle the materials to make it look more realistic but meh, that sounds like effort, and also pine cones are usually pretty small so you wouldn't notice the more realistic textures in most scenes anyway

[keeksandgigz]

thinking of eddie helping you braid your hair when you’re getting ready to spend the night

made this about eddie and witchy because i cannot stop thinking about them- this is also for the anon who said they can't stop reading it (thank u hehehe)

fluffy fluff below the cut, witchy being jealous and thinking of hexing his exes <3

He had to drag you into his apartment.

In a hilarious turn of events, due to some kind of San Francisco strike, all metro routes were suspended and there was no way you were going to walk in heeled boots all the way to Twin Peaks.

"Why call an Uber, baby? You can literally come upstairs at mine" Eddie says, watching you huff as you read over the e-mail about the strike.

"No Eddie you don't understand. I need to be home. I have a whole ritual! And silk pillowcases! Why can't you just drive me?" you whine, hoping he'll fold to your requests like he always does.

He grabs you by the shoulders, giving you a tender look.

"Because, my lovely witchy, metro routes being down means there will be absolute pandemonium in the streets. And I'm not trying to stay fifteen minutes stuck in downhill traffic" he laughs as you follow him around the store.

He's still working, you got off an hour before and after walking around the vintage stores for an hour there wasn't much else to do. It's just him in the record shop, working the closing shift. You follow him around trying to convince him to drive you back as he puts back the vinyls in the milk crates, folds band t- shirts, and rearranges patches in the display case.

"C'mon, witchy, just go up. I have Chinese takeout from last night or spaghetti if you wanna cook, I'll stop by the hair place across the block to get you a silk pillowcase. Promise" he says, leaning over the counter to kiss your forehead he opens up the cash till.

"But Ed-" you whine, you've never slept outside of your apartment before.

"No buts, I'm sorry witchy. Now get your cute butt out of here, I've got money out" he says, puckering his lips, ready for a kiss.

You lean over the counter and give him a quick kiss before he hands you the keys to his apartment.

"Don't forget to call Lorraine to get her to feed Circe!" he exclaims before you're out the door. You roll your eyes, of course you'll call Lorraine, your neighbor, if Lorraine existed.

But he doesn't have to know you can feed Circe with a snap of your finger whenever you forget to leave food out in the morning.

So you groan and you go through the backdoor of the store to reach the small, dingy courtyard of his apartment. Second floor, apartment 5C.

This building is so old it doesn't even have an elevator. You reach the door and open it, the rattle of keys falling over the counter is the only sound that can be heard, along with the clack of the short heels of your boots.

You take your shoes off and go through his fridge. Day- old Chinese takeout, a carton of eggs and milk. Three cans of Sierra Nevada, a half- drunk bottle of Coke Zero. You open his freezer.

Honey walnut shrimp and fried rice from Trader Joe's, a bottle of vodka, and a tub of ice cream from the last time you were craving it.

You roll your eyes and pick up the phone.

"Hey Ed, you have jack shit in your fridge. Can you stop by the Greek place down the block? I’ll have a gyro with chicken and falafel on the side” you request, hearing his groan at another chore he has to do post closing.

“Baby the Chinese food in the fridge is pretty good, it’s from the place we always go to” he’s not very convincing, but he’s tired and now lost count of the cash he was counting.

“‘kay i’ll put an online order for it so you just have to go pick it up, sound good?” you ignore him.

“Ugh fine but I better get, like, the biggest kiss in return.“ he groans, but it’s true. He is a weak, weak man when it comes to you. ��Get me the pita wrap with lamb and fries, and lemme also get seasoned fries on the side. Thank you witchy, love you gotta go” he says, hanging up the phone.

So you order the food and then sneak in Eddie's bedroom to change into something comfortable. Getting rid of that fine line when clothes felt too much like clothes, the stitching pressing into your skin, the cuffs of your sweater feeling a bit too tight against your wrists, your jeans too tight on your legs.

So you venture in his closet and steal a pair of sweats and a ratty black t- shirt. One of his many. You go to the bathroom and notice there's no mirror. This dude.

So you tie your hair away from your face and use the nice face wash you got him- which you're sure he rarely uses- and wipe the makeup off your face. You go look for a clean towel, 'cause God knows you will not be wiping your face with the hand towel sitting on the rod on the wall.

After your face is clean you plop yourself on the couch and watch TV to pass the time.

Thirty- odd minutes later a rattling of keys startles you. Eddie walks through the door with his arms full of plastic bags. He places them on the counter.

"Hey witchy, I see you've made yourself at home?" he says, as you walk towards him and bury yourself in his arms. At least he smelled nice.

"Hmmm missed you, Ed" you mutter against the fabric of his t- shirt.

"You missed me?" you give a little nod, followed by a hum. His heart beats a bit faster, it's nice knowing you think of him when he's away.

"Aw, witchy. I missed you too, are you hungry?" he says, giving you a sweet kiss on the head as he detaches from your grip and reaches for the bag with the food, taking out the boxes.

"Also stopped by the hair place, got you that silk pillowcase and some shampoo and conditioner to keep here. Doubt you'll wanna use my three in one shit" he snickers, and you blush timidly. He's not sweet in the way that he'll kiss you in the middle of the street, but he is for sure sweet in the way he thinks about you an embarrassing amount of times a day.

"Thanks Ed, you didn't have to do that" you say, and he blushes, the boy tinges himself pink because you appreciate him.

"Y'know, anything for you" he says, giving you a kiss on the forehead as he brings the takeout boxes to the coffee table.

You follow him and plop down on the couch "I was watching 'Sex and the City' while you were gone" you explain, biting into your gyro.

"Was Samantha being her usual crazy self?" he doesn't even know who Samantha is, but he thinks it's funny to ask you every time. You giggle as he puts on a random show for you to watch.

After an episode Eddie stands up and stretches.

"I'm beat, I think it's time for bed" he says "c'mon, witchy"

You rise from the couch and follow him into the master bathroom.

“I have a toothbrush here for you, I kinda uh-“ from his tone you can tell he’s embarrassed “I got one for here the first time you came over, in case you ever, y’know, wanted to sleep over” he says sheepishly, while you wrap your arms around him.

He offers it to you, it’s pink. Your favorite color.

“Aw, Ed. You’re so sweet, thank you” you say and you swear you can see him blush as you place a delicate kiss on his warming cheek.

This slice of domesticity taken away from the mystic vibe of your apartment really makes you wonder. It makes you think about a normal life, with him.

The way he washes his face like a madman (without face wash), letting the water wet his bangs instead of pulling his hair back, the way he ties his hair up before brushing his teeth.

You take the toothbrush out of your mouth "Ah shtill don' undestand why you don' have a mirrah" you sputter, mouth full as you spit the toothpaste in the sink.

"Why I don't have a mirror? Previous tenant broke it and my asshole landlord still won't fix it" he says, taking off his shirt. Your eyes linger on the lines of his back a little too long, bordering the line between looking and staring.

So you turn around and you try to braid your hair without a mirror, but to no avail, every strand seems to be three different sizes.

You groan in frustration as Eddie approaches you.

"Lemme help, witchy" he says, standing behind you and tending an arm out for a hair tie.

He divides the hair into three strands. Your hair is so soft between his fingers.

He wishes he could stall so that he could caress it for longer, but an impatient yawn escapes your mouth as his hands deftly get to work. Over, under, over, under-

"Where did you learn to braid hair?" you ask, feeling the way he softly holds each strand, making sure he's not pulling at your scalp. You don't see him, but a smile forms around his tongue, peeking out of his lips in concentration. Over, under.

"I had girlfriends before you, witchy. They taught me to braid my own hair" he chuckles, as you try to tune out the word girlfriends. Under, over, under.

He can see a pout form on your lips, he smiles.

"Why'd you need to braid your hair?" you huff, thinking of going on a spiraling rampage and hexing every one of his exes. Over.

"Well" he begins "one time, an ex braided my hair and it came out super curly, so I wanted to try it myself. Turns out it needs to stay in the braid for a while for that to happen" he shrugs.

Under, over, tie.

"All done," he announces, placing a kiss on the crown of your head.

"Thanks, Ed" you examine the braid, flinging it over your shoulder "looks really nice" you say, and give him a small kiss at the corner of his mouth.

He gets himself into bed. His bed is oddly comfortable and his sheets smell of laundry detergent.

"I might have been washing my sheets every other day in case you wanted to sleep over" he confesses, blushing, as he lifts his arm, opening the warmth of his chest to you.

"You" you give him a kiss "are literally" another kiss "the sweetest guy" another kiss "in the history of always" last kiss.

He gets flustered when you call him sweet, because under the hardening exterior of black chains and shirts with exploding heads and hooded skeletal figures, there's just a sweet guy who loves you and wants you to like him for being himself.

"Just want you to, you know, have a good experience with me" he says, caressing your head.

"You get an 11/10 Yelp rating, can't recommend to anyone, though. You seem to be preoccupied with a really cool girl, and it seems it's going to go on forever" you giggle, as he smiles and gives you a kiss.

"Go to sleep, cool girl. Goodnight, love you" he says, before turning off his lights.

"Goodnight, Ed" you say, turning over so he can spoon you.

"You have to say it back" he whispers in the quiet of the dark room.

"Right, sorry. I love you too, Ed" you correct yourself and close your eyes, falling into one of the best sleeps you've ever had in your life.

The morning after, Eddie wakes up to his landlord bringing in a new mirror, his hair extra curled and all his exes blocked on his social media. But he doesn't have to know about that last one.

[whispersxwhimpers]

i was watching the last arcane eps, and now i think i'm gonna sleep because i just sobbed my eyes out oml 😭

i hope so too ^^ and thank you !!

ooh that's fair, that's kinda similar to what my dad gets from there. i've never had the sweet fire chicken, is it good?? and cute <3 you're really adorable !!

is that a challenge? baby, with all due respect, i don't think you'd be able to hold yourself together~

– 🩶

🥺 Oh sweetheart! I'm so sorry it was so emotional 🥺 I heard something happens to a character I like in particular and I'm not looking forward to seeing it 😭 I hope you got some good rest last night Darling 😘

Of course 😘🥰💕

Haha I do like it 🤭 Ooo or I also eat the honey walnut shrimp sometimes 🥰 they're both pretty good! Hehe okay so Panda Express, exploring shops, and Round One after? You got yourself a date babes 😘

GRRRR YES I CAN~ RUDE 🥰🤭💕

[gina-kim]

October 20, 2023

Last night, I got around 4.5 hours of sleep. So when I woke up this morning for my shift at 10am, I felt very nauseous. When I arrived at the patio, I chatted with my friends while finishing up my video project. Also, I finally found my apple watch that has been lost for TWO weeks!!

Food:

So far today, I only ate 2 sticks of almond chocolate pocky and a bowl of panda express with honey walnut shrimp. The shrimp was juicy and crunchy, just the way I like it. My close friend bought me it when I was on my shift, so I was very grateful.

Poop:

New section to my daily blog. So far today, I took two poops.

Poop #1: 10:30am, kerckoff cafe bathroom, 9/10

Poop #2: 3:30pm, dorm bathroom, 8/10

Overall:

Because I didn’t get so much sleep in last night, I felt pretty dizzy and nauseous the whole day. However, during my shift, I had good talks with friends, so it was definitely worth dragging my body out to Kerckoff today. I hope I don’t die tonight and that I can get a decent amount of sleep.

Bye~

[ffakc]

If I Only Had a Heart - a Denny Duquette story

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes and I may have thrown in a few lines from Grey’s Anatomy, which again, are all Shonda’s! This was inspired by my own real life job as a barista at a hospital and seeing the coffee cart on Grey’s. Hope y’all enjoy the fluffy goodness!

I stroke my boyfriend’s hair and kiss his forehead. His eyelids were heavy and the monitor beeped rhythmically. It was the first time since before being diagnosed that his heart was beating properly. I run my fingers over his stubbly cheek.

“You’re done, Denny. You’re done. You’ve got a new heart, baby,” I rub his hand, tears welling up in my eyes. Denny grimaces in his deep slumber. A large tube was jammed down his throat. I had just sat through the longest eight hours of my life, all I wanted was to hear Denny say, “I love you.”

“He did amazing, Mrs. Duquette,” Dr. Stevens stands in the doorway, massaging hand sanitizer into her hands.

“Why do you have to eating that when I’m NPO?” Denny teases.

“Mmm. Lo mein and honey walnut shrimp,” I wave the chopsticks in his face.

“Get fucked,” my boyfriend laughs.

“Language, Dennison,” Dr. Burke smiles as he places his stethoscope on my boyfriend’s hairy chest.

“Uh oh, full name. Look’s like Dad’s mad at me! Will you hand me my bag, doll face?” I grab Denny’s black backpack. “Let me see, let me see. Where did I put it?”

“What are looking for?” Denny ignores me, continuing to rifle through his belongings. “Ah,” he smiles at me, “There it is.” He drops his bag to the side of the bed and opens a small velvet box.

“What is that? Denny Duquette, you’ve done lost your ever loving mind!” I imitate his vaguely southern twang. He laughs heartily.

“You sound like my mother.”

“You’re crazy,” I kiss his ice cold lips.

“Crazy for you. Will you marry me?” Denny sighs, wheezing slightly, he always got short of breath when he was emotional. He gasps for air as a single tear falls from his eyelashes.

“Baby, breathe,” I giggle, cupping his cheek in my hand, “Of course I’ll marry you!”

“Hey, he’s okay!” Dr. Stevens rubs my shoulder. “I know all the equipment hooked up to him looks really scary, but it’s to monitor his condition. He doesn’t need machines to be kept alive anymore,” the gorgeous blonde woman smiles reassuringly.

“No more battery packs?” I grin through the tears.

“No more battery packs. He’ll wake up here in the next few hours. The restraints are so he doesn’t freak out and try to pull his breathing tube out, which will come out this time tomorrow. He’ll be in the ICU for the next week, and then we’ll transfer him to the cardiac treatment unit. Here, I have something for you. Well, it’s really for Denny’s recovery,” Dr. Stevens hands me a heart shaped pillow with a permanent marker for me to sign. “It helps with the pain from the incision and his sternum being cracked. Coughing or sneezing can feel like breaking a bone.” I wince at the thought and open the marker.

“My darling Denny, I love you more than words can explain. I can’t wait to call you my ‘husband’ when you get out of here. You’re mine, baby. Forever and ever.”

***

Denny opened the door to our cozy, one bedroom apartment.

“Home at last! Thank GOD!” he smiles, “It sure smells like home,” he inhales the sweet aroma of candles and a savory roast I had made in the slow cooker to welcome him home after a full month of recovering at Seattle Grace. He wraps his arms around me. I tilt my head up and kiss my boyfriend.

“I forgot how tall you are,” I smile.

“I know,” he whispers and strokes my hair. I run my fingers over the long, healing scar on his chest. His shirt was unbuttoned slightly to allow his skin to breathe after being bandaged for so long. He rocks me back and forth. I begin to shed a few tears. “What’s wrong, sweet girl?”

“Don’t you ever do that to me again,” I cry into his flannel shirt.

“Do what, baby? What’s wrong? I’m okay now!” Denny chuckles and kisses my forehead.

“Scare the shit out of me. I thought I was going to lose you,” I wipe away the wetness on my cheeks.

“I know, honey. I was scared too. Every single day, I was wondering if this would be the day I close my eyes and don’t wake up. You know how much I hate hospitals.”

“I know you do. I can’t imagine my life without you, honey.”

“And I feel the same. Heaven would be nice, but I wouldn’t be able to take you with me. But it’s over now. I have a new lease on life. I get to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you,” Denny squeezes me close.

“I love you, Denny.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” a coy smile crosses his lips. I kiss him, tugging at his soft brunette locks.

“Yeah?”

“Dr. Burke cleared me for physical activity,” he raises his eyebrows with his signature charming smirk that made me fall head over heels that fateful day in the Seattle Grace coffee shop.

“Hello there,” a gravelly voice speaks up. I glance up from my morning temperature logs and stock lists. “Are you open?” A tall, insanely handsome, dark haired man stands before me. A warm smile graces his tanned face. He has two black straps affixed to his chest over his slim fitted t shirt.

“Of course! I mean, yes, hi!” I stammer over my words, making a fool of myself in front of. My face reddens as I grab a marker.

“Hi!” he chuckles, matching my goofy tone. I can hardly think straight.

“What can I get for you?” I ask politely.

“I’ve never been here before actually. Nice place you’ve got-“

“Hey Denny!” Dr. Burke pops up behind the man.

“Hey, Dr. Burke! You caught me, I needed a little pick me up,” the man now named Denny winked at me.

“No judgment here, sir. Contrary to popular belief, people with heart failure CAN drink caffeine,” he holds up two slender fingers, “Just two shots of espresso with a Splenda, please.”

“You get your coffee, it’s on me today,” Denny says. Dr. Burke’s pager beeps loudly.

“That’s very kind of you!” he glances at the pager. “Gotta run! See you next month!” the doctor chugs the shots quickly and tosses the cup in the trash.

“Now, where were we?” Denny says. “Oh yeah, I’m Denny, you’ll probably be seeing a lot of me in the coming months because my heart is failing me,” he jokes.

“Hi Denny! I’m (name). It’s nice to meet you! You said your heart is failing you, hm?” I’m glad it wasn’t too busy, because I wanted to look into those hazel eyes for hours.

“Sure is. See these straps? They’re attached to a battery pack running this ol’ ticker. I used to be a ranch hand before I became a weak, sick bastard. Anyway, sorry, you didn’t ask for my life story.”

“Don’t apologize,” I grin. “I hear people’s stories all the time at this job. Kind of comes with working in a hospital, I guess,” I shrug, “What sounds good today, hon?”

“‘Hon’? Oh my, I didn’t know we were on that level yet! I’ve never been here before actually. What do you recommend?”

“Well, I’m pretty simple. This time of year, I really like a dark roast with some cream and a smidge of peppermint. But when I’m feeling like treating myself, I love a white mocha, iced with no whipped cream is my personal preference.” Denny cocks an eyebrow. Warmth gathers between my thighs.

“What if I did an iced white mocha with peppermint? That sounds like a candy cane in a cup! Let’s do a large, because why not?”

“Alright, so with Dr. Burke’s order, your total is $6.17. I gave you an employee discount, because I do what I want,” I tease.

“Hell yeah you do. Here, sweet girl. Keep the change,” he hands me a $20. I whipped around and begin preparing his beverage. Denny bit his lower lip as he looked me up and down. I grabbed the marker with a smirk and did something I’ve always wanted to do.

“There you go! I hope you enjoy that!” his hand grazes mine as he grabs the cup. He shoves a straw in and takes a sip.

“Wow, that’s tasty! What’s this? 406- Oh, you sly dog. I guess I’ll text you later, pretty little thing,” he blows me a kiss. I have a feeling this man and I are going to get along swimmingly.

“Did he now?” Denny begins sucking my neck and moaning in my ear. A shiver courses through my body as he cups my breasts in his massive hands. I missed my boyfriend’s touch. “Mmm, babe. Your hands are warm.”

“I forgot what it feels like to have a normal body temperature,” Denny chuckles, “Oh man, my blood’s pumpin’ in the right direction now, that’s for sure,” he gestures downwards. “Now, go put on that outfit that Daddy loves so much,” he gives my backside a light squeeze and I scamper to the bedroom. I slip out of my sweatpants and my boyfriend’s t-shirt. The smell of his cologne lingered on the fabric, giving me comfort on those nights I had to sleep alone. I put on Denny’s favorite crimson and black teddy and add a quick spritz of perfume.

“Alright, baby. I’m ready,” I call out to the living room. Denny kicks off his boots and ambled into the bedroom with a wide smile.

“Baby doll,” Denny clicks his tongue.

“You like?”

“Oh god,” he clutches his chest, “You’re going to make Daddy’s heart stop and it’s brand new,” he laughs. He pulls me down onto the bed with him and kisses me all over.

“I love you,” I moan.

“And I love you, Mrs. Duquette.”

***

“Oh baby! Oh god, baby girl, Daddy loves you so much,” Denny rasps.

“Oh Daddy, yes! Mmm, Denny, I’ve missed you so much. It’s been so long,” I whine. Denny digs his fingernails into my hips as his eyes roll back. He finishes inside me.

“You feel too damn good,” he moans against my neck. “I didn’t last very long,” he chuckles. I smile and trace my hand over his abdomen as I breathe heavily, my whole lower body pulsating with pleasure. Denny pulls out gently and lays next to me. He wraps his strong arms around me.

“It’s so nice to feel your heart race and it’s not atrial fibrillation!” I giggle excitedly.

“Say it again,” Denny smirks.

“Fibrillation,” I dance my fingers over his scar.

“You sure sound sexy when you talk medical to me.” I bury my face in his lush chest hair.

“I never want to let you go,” my voice is barely above a whisper.

“You don’t have to. You’re going to be my wife remember?” he kisses my forehead and pets my hair.

“I absolutely cannot wait.” Denny rubs my engagement ring sweetly.

@iluvneganandjamie @negans-attagirl @jdmbbycakes

[wordsandshawn]

Best Friends

This is the imagine that got the second most votes. [just some feel good fluff. platonic!Shawn, best friend bickering, but also protective/cute/caring moments] It’s pretty much four platonic!Shawn blurbs put together into an imagine.

There was a time before Shawn was a part of your life, but it all seems like a distant memory at this point. The period of time that had to have existed before you were close and comfortable, maybe even a little too comfortable, had to have existed too, but you don’t remember that much now. 

Sometimes, you just know that someone is not meant to be your person. They’re not the person you’re going to fall deeply, madly in love with, not when you’re fifteen, not when you’re twenty-one, not ever. They’re not the person you’re going to have kids with or kiss under the mistletoe on Christmas. That’s the case with you and Shawn, but it isn’t a sad or a bad thing. When you were younger, you didn’t really believe things could be entirely platonic between a boy and a girl if they were both straight. But then Shawn came along and that changed everything. 

You love him with your entire heart and soul, but there was never anything romantic between the two of you. He knows you better than anyone on earth, and you read him easier than your favorite book. You believe that maybe some people are soul mates, but platonic soul mates, never meant to fall in love, but always meant to be in each other’s lives. 

-

You’re sitting in class, trying desperately to focus despite your phone’s incessant vibrations. You have a bad habit of keeping your phone on your lap during class so you can glance down and check the time or see your notifications. At the moment, you’re frantically taking notes, knowing that this information will be on the final exam, so you don’t have time to check why your phone is spazzing out. When you finally have a second to glance down, you see that every notification is from Shawn, which is not surprising because he is one of the few people in your life who has absolutely no shame in flooding your phone with messages. 

hello, why are you ignoring me? is the most recent message. You scroll down, skipping all the messages in between, to see what Shawn really wants, a part of you is worried it is a real crisis. The first message he sent says, I’m home. At first, you’re confused, but you force yourself to relax when you realize that he just wants you to hang out with him. You had no idea that he was even coming home today. 

You quickly text back: I’m in class. Your way of letting him know you saw the message, but you can’t reply.

He replies with a sad face, and you turn your attention back to the front of the classroom. When your class finally finishes, you glance back at your phone to see more texts from Shawn despite your earlier text letting him know you were in class.

The first one says, Oh sorry, I thought it was Wednesday. You don’t have class on Wednesdays, something Shawn knows. It’s funny to you that he didn’t forget your schedule, he forgot entirely what day it is, which is even worse. The next message he sent says, What are you doing tonight? 

Your best friend is rarely ever in town, so when he is, you usually spend most of your free time with him whenever possible. Time together is always good for both of you, since you’ve been best friends since grade school. Despite the fact that you don’t see him often anymore, he still feels like home to you. For you, its nice to have a break from Uni life to basically live in his condo for a few days whenever he’s home. 

Hanging out with you. You type back quickly adding the eye roll emoji, unable to keep yourself from adding some attitude to your text. Even though you’d drop everything to hang out with Shawn almost anytime, you’ll still give him a hard time for the lack of warning. 

You’ve left your classroom and are nearly back at your car when you see his response. Okay, good because I have ice cream, and you can choose what we get for dinner. 

I have work til 6, then I'll be over. Chinese? You respond, before getting into your car, dropping your phone in the cup holder, and pulling out of the parking lot to rush to work.

After working for most of the day, you’re really looking forward to seeing Shawn and getting to finally relax for the evening at his place. Even though you love your roommates, and you love going home to them every night, you can’t help but appreciate the different dynamic of being at Shawn’s place. He’s your best friend, and there’s something special about it. Its almost like you two have a different way of communicating, and this makes things so easy for you. After a stressful week of work and uni its nice to not have to worry about being anyone but yourself. 

There’s safety in knowing that Shawn knows the good parts of you and the bad and that he’s still stuck around. There’s even safety in the fact that Shawn’s life went in a completely unpredictable direction, and his everyday life looks so different from yours. You could have easily drifted apart. After so long, you could have easily stopped talking, stopped being friends, but you didn’t. You both put in that effort to talk at least once a week. You’re honest with each other, you go to each other when you know you need someone to be honest with you. That’s something you don’t have with your other friends, even the friends you consider close, the friends you see everyday at Uni. Its just different with Shawn. It’s always been different with Shawn.

You text him as you’re leaving work to let him know you’re on your way. When you get there, you test the door before even trying to knock. It’s open, so you let yourself in before closing and locking it behind you. No matter how many times you’ve told Shawn to lock his door when he’s home, he still forgets. You’re immediately met by the smell of Chinese food, and you’re grateful that Shawn gave into your request since you didn’t have time to text him anything else since you had to rush to work straight from class and barely had another chance to glance at your phone until after you got off work. “Shawny!” You shout, announcing your entrance since you don’t see him anywhere. 

He comes out of his bedroom at the sound of your voice, wearing loose grey sweats and a blue t-shirt, engulfing you in a hug. “Finally.” 

“What do you mean, finally, you didn’t even tell me you were coming home.” You say, pushing him away now in a playful way. 

He shrugs. “I didn’t know.”

You roll your eyes at him. “You didn’t know as you got onto the plane?” You say, referencing how he didn’t text you until he was already in Toronto. 

“Okay, I should have texted you earlier. But I bought your favorite, so don’t be mad.”

“Did you get shrimp?” You question, switching your focus to all of the styrofoam containers laid out on his kitchen counter. 

“Yeah, the sweet and sour one.” You turn back to Shawn, eyebrows furrowed. “I’m joking. I got the honey walnut one you like.” He responds, and a smile crosses your face. 

“Okay, you’re forgiven.” You say as he shakes his head at you and hands you chopsticks. There is certainly far more food than you can both consume tonight, but Shawn knows how difficult it is for you to choose just one or two dishes, so of course, he got all of your favorites. Even if that means you’ll be stuck with tons of leftovers, he did it anyway because he knows it makes you happy.

-

Brian walks in the door the next evening right in the middle of you and Shawn bickering, something you’ve done more or less all of last night and now today. Last night was just you and Shawn, Chinese food and movies and falling asleep on the couch. You’re not even sure if Shawn had told his other friends he was home, but tonight is Friday night, and all the boys are on their way over. 

“Oh good, Brian. You’re here.” You tell him as soon as he enters the condo. “Tell Shawn he’s wrong.” 

Brian stops short right inside the doorway, looking between the both of you before saying, “I’m not getting in the middle of this. I just came for the booze.” 

“Okay, well, I’m still right.” You say to Shawn. 

“Y/n, you’re so not right. I’m telling you, it was a Friday. Three weeks ago. I remember. I was in London.”

“You were in London. You weren’t even here. You don’t remember.” 

“I remember because you FaceTimed me to complain to me, and it was three am. On Friday.”

Brian completely ignores this argument both you and Shawn are caught up in. He takes a beer from the fridge and continues into the living room, leaving the two of you alone in the kitchen. 

“It was Thursday here.” You say, suddenly remembering that FaceTime call. Your weeks tend to blend together since they’re all virtually the same while you’re in Uni, but Shawn is almost always in a different city every week, so his timeline is a bit more memorable. 

“Whatever. It was three weeks ago, not four.” He responds. “You’re fine. Now can we start drinking?” 

You think for a few more moments, and Shawn pulls two beers out of the fridge. He’s decided he’s right and that you should both start drinking now. “Don’t you have one of those period tracker apps?”

“No, I deleted it because I had no storage left on my phone.” You respond, still thinking. 

“Well, you should get it back. Don’t worry though, I’m right.” He says, popping the tops off of both bottles and handing you one. 

You take a swig, deciding he probably is right, but not wanting to admit it. You try not to drink during your period or if you’re about to get it because you already have really bad symptoms, you tend to get drunker faster, and you don’t need a hangover on top of your period symptoms.

-

“What the fuck, where have you been?” Shawn questions as soon as you approach him. You’ve had a few drinks, and you know he has too. However, while your inhibitions are way down, and you’re not feeling fazed by anything, you can tell Shawn isn’t quite at that point judging by how upset he seems right now.

“I went to the bathroom.” You respond, thinking it’s not a big deal and wondering why he seems angry, but not really caring enough to worry. 

“For an hour? You left your phone.” He says, holding it up, and you shrug. You did go to the bathroom, but you ran into Lauren on the way back, and you were hanging out with her and her friends for a bit, dancing. You knew where Shawn and his friends would be when you were done, so you weren’t worried. Shawn obviously wasn’t feeling as chill as you were about the whole situation.

“I was coming back.” You respond, swaying a little on your feet. You may have had a couple or more drinks with Lauren and her friends. “I ran into Laur.” You try explaining. Shawn reaches his arms out to steady you. 

“How much did you have to drink?” 

You just shrug because you can’t remember. “How long are you staying?” 

“I’m just waiting for everyone to be ready to go.” Shawn responds tiredly. “Are you ready?” 

You look around. You were planning to go back to Laur and hang out with them for a bit, but now that you’re standing here, Shawn still partially holding you up to make sure you don’t fall, you’re thinking maybe you don’t want to still be here. Maybe you do want to leave. “Yeah.” 

“Let’s go then.” Shawn says without thinking twice. He turns toward Brian and his other friends. “Bri, we’re leaving. Are you guys ready?” 

He and Brian talk for a few minutes before you and Shawn exit together, leaving everyone else inside. “They’re not coming?” You question, since you weren’t paying attention to the conversation at all, you didn’t know what was decided on. 

“They’re staying for another hour or so.” 

“We can stay too,” You say, before changing your mind. “You can stay, actually.”

“You’re drunk. Lets go.” He says, not even considering it.

You’re slumped against Shawn in the back of the Uber on the way back to his condo. Shawn’s voice cuts through the soft music playing in the car, “I know you’re drunk, but what the hell were you thinking?” 

“What are you talking about?”

“You just wandered off for a whole hour without your phone. Do you know what could have happened to you?” 

“No. I was with Laur.” You respond. 

“And if you didn’t find Laur. If someone else found you first?”

You know what he’s alluding to, so you simply say, “You’re overreacting.” 

“I’m not overreacting. You need to be aware of your surroundings.” He chastises. 

“I was aware.” You weakly retort.

There’s a beat of silence where Shawn is considering whether or not to push the topic further. You’re almost back to his condo, and he’s not even sure you’ll remember this in the morning. He decides not to push it any further, and silence falls between you too again. By the time you’re back at his condo, you’ve fallen asleep. “Hey, get up.” Shawn says, nudging you.

“Where are we?” You mumble, eyes still closed.

“At my place.” He responds. 

“I’m tired,” You say, not bothering to get up or move. 

“We have to get out. C’mon y/n, get up.” He says, tired of your drunkenness. 

“I’m tired.” You simply mumble again. 

“Y/n, come on.” He says, opening the door and unbuckling your seat belt. He apologizes to the Uber driver and thanks him before getting out and somehow managing to drag you out with him. Once you’re standing on your two feet outside, you finally start coming to your senses and grumpily start following Shawn into the building. The elevator ride makes you feel sick. “Why do you have to live on the top floor?” You whine, your forehead resting against the wall of the elevator as it continues to shoot into the air. 

“Why did you have to drink so much?” Shawn shoots back. 

“Touche.” You respond as the elevator doors finally open. You impatiently wait for him to unlock the door before rushing straight to the bathroom, emptying the contents of your stomach into the toilet. Its been a long time since you drank enough to get sick. You flush the toilet and dig around in the medicine cabinet for your toothbrush before brushing your teeth. You manage to take off your makeup and most of your clothes before stumbling into Shawn’s room in just your underwear. Shawn isn’t in there, and you pull open his drawers until you find a t-shirt that’s soft enough for your liking. Then, you pull down his covers, get into the bed, and close your eyes. A few minutes later, just as you’re about to fall asleep, you hear the door open, but you don’t open your eyes. 

“Hey,” You hear Shawn’s voice from beside you. 

“No, I'm sleeping in here tonight.” You respond, thinking he was going to try to kick you out of his bed. He’s never actually kicked you out of his bed, but he does like to give you a hard time about it even though he usually just pushes you over and sleeps next to you. 

“Fine, but least drink some water or you’ll hate yourself tomorrow.”

“I’m tired.”

“Y/n, I’m serious. Water.” He responds, and you know he’s right. If you don’t drink this now, you’ll really hate yourself later. You reach out your hand, expecting Shawn to hand you the water, but he doesn’t trust you. He takes your outstretched hand and pulls you up gently. When you’re sitting up partially, he scoots behind you so you’re leaning against him. You’re a little more awake now, and he helps you drink the water before you fall back asleep again. 

~

When you wake up in the morning, you’re alone in Shawn’s room. Whether he slept in here the night before or not, you really don’t remember and you also don’t care. Your head only hurts a little, but you feel really thirsty. You look towards the night stand to see a big glass of water. Shawn left it for you. He always does, and you’ve come to expect it after a night out. Sitting up in bed, you reach over, grabbing the glass and drinking half of the water before finding your way into Shawn’s bathroom, not even bothering to see if anyone is home. 

After showering, you wrap yourself in a towel before walking back into Shawns room and closing and locking the door behind to the rest of the condo. In the time since Shawn moved here, you’ve slowly taken over one of his dresser drawers. He has more than enough, so you keep some clothes here. You quickly get dressed and towel dry your hair. You’re about to throw your clothes in the hamper when you realize its overflowing with dirty clothes. You sigh loudly, but take a laundry basket and sort Shawn’s clothes into two piles before taking one load of clothes and throwing it in the washing machine. 

When you’re finished, you find Brian and Jon playing video games in the living room. “Good morning.” You say.

The boys both mumble morning back without even glancing away from the tv screen. You’re about to ask where Shawn is, but you decide not to bother them. Instead, you wander into the kitchen to get breakfast started. You start making pancakes, thinking Shawn will be back soon. From knowing Shawn’s habits, you know that he either went to the gym or to get coffee, or both. 

After about ten minutes, the first of the pancakes are finished. “Pancakes!” You call out to the living room where the sounds of Brian and Jon’s game are still loud as ever. You pull some plates out of the cabinet as well as orange juice from the fridge along with the syrup and some fruit you had cut up the day before. 

After a few minutes, Brian and Jon finally come to the kitchen, thanking you for the food and taking seats at the counter. You turn back to the stove to continue cooking when Shawn walks in holding two cups of coffee. He hands you one, saying, “Morning.” 

You take the coffee, not even questioning what it is. “Morning, sit down. There’s pancakes. And thanks.” You take a sip, vanilla latte, your favorite, and honestly the only coffee you’ll actually drink. Shawn gives you a hard time for refusing to drink black coffee, but he still always pays the extra money to get you your latte. 

“Hey, where’s my coffee?” Brian questions. 

“You didn’t want to come to the gym.” Shawn responds. 

“Y/n didn’t go to the gym.” 

“She made pancakes.” Shawn says as though that justifies his not getting anyone else coffee.

[a-singleboat]

So this is a lot but 1-100 on the get to me uncomfortably well asks? (I'm genuinely curious)

You asked for it... 

note; some questions I answered no to so I crossed them off to save some space

What is your middle name?

Sabrina

How old are you?

17

When is your birthday?

November 30

What is your zodiac sign?

Sagittarius

What is your favorite color?

Currently, rose gold

What’s your lucky number?

3

Do you have any pets?

No, but I recently went to a cat cafe and I want a cat now. 

Where are you from?

Massachusetts 

How tall are you?

5’3

What shoe size are you?

7 or 7.5, depending on the brand

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

About 10 pairs, give or take. I’m not sure on the actual amount.

What was your last dream about?

My last dream was about me losing my crocs in an airport. I was devastated. 

What talents do you have?

I can sing, dance, write, act, stage manage, and throw a flag pretty well.

Are you psychic in any way?

With my best friend, yes. We think the same way so it’s not that hard to know what she’s thinking. 

Favorite song?

I can give you the last song I listened to which is Location because I don’t have a favorite song at the moment. 

Favorite movie?

The Farewell, which is actually really good for a limited release film.

Who would be your ideal partner?

Celebrity wise? Zendaya

Do you want children?

Maybe one or two, but I feel like I’d end up adopting more than giving birth.

Do you want a church wedding?

Are you religious?

Have you ever been to the hospital?

Not outside of my birth and visits.

Have you ever got in trouble with the law?

No, but funny story. I kicked water onto a man when I was younger and I thought the cops were gonna come for me.

Have you ever met any celebrities?

No, but I saw Sam Smith at London Pride and Chris Evans in a chinese restaurant by where I live.

Baths or showers?

Showers

What color socks are you wearing?

I’m not wearing any, so flesh colored? 

Have you ever been famous?

Not that I know of.

Would you like to be a big celebrity?

Maybe a celebrity in the sense that people have just heard my name. I’m fine living with a few hundred followers to read what I write for now.

What type of music do you like?

I like listening to more musicals and whatever genre Walk the Moon is.

Have you ever been skinny dipping?

Yes, once.

How many pillows do you sleep with?

3

What position do you usually sleep in?

Like on my stomach with one leg hitched up over a pillow. 

How big is your house?

Average sized? It’s the smallest of the three on my street that was built with the exact same layout at the same time. 

What do you typically have for breakfast?

I don’t really eat breakfast but I love honey bunches of oats. 

Have you ever fired a gun?

Have you ever tried archery?

Yes

Favorite clean word?

Origin 

Favorite swear word?

Can it be a string of swear words? Because I like “bitch ass hoe” a lot.

What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 

2 days

Do you have any scars? 

Yes, one on my right hand and two on my left leg.

Have you ever had a secret admirer?

I don’t think so, I never really think about if I do either.

Are you a good liar?

I like to think that I am

Are you a good judge of character?

I would say yes because the last two people I met, I felt like we’re horrible and I was right 

Can you do any other accents other than your own?

Do you have a strong accent?

No, but I do have a Boston accent when I’m angry.

What is your favorite accent?

I love British accents or Australian 

What is your personality type?

INFP-T

What is your most expensive piece of clothing?

$35 vintage jacket that I used in a musical and now wear whenever I can. 

Can you curl your tongue?

Yes

Are you an innie or an outie?

innie

Left or right-handed?

Right

Are you scared of spiders?

Sometimes, if I’m not expecting them

Favorite food?

I have a lot of favorites.

Favorite foreign food?

Mayo walnut shrimp 

Are you a clean or messy person?

I want to be clean but I know I’m messy.

Most used phrased?

bitch ass hoe

Most used word?

I actually don’t know, probably “I”

How long does it take for you to get ready?

like 15 minutes 

Do you have much of an ego?

Not really, i don’t like boasting or seeming cocky 

Do you suck or bite lollipops?

suck

Do you talk to yourself?

Yes

Do you sing to yourself?

Yes

Are you a good singer?

I like to think so and my friends also think so

Biggest Fear?

being left alone

Are you a gossip?

depends on the person

Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?

i don’t really watch a lot of dramatic movies

Do you like long or short hair?

short on girls, long on guys but personally, short on myself

Can you name all 50 states of America?

Favorite school subject?

English 

Extrovert or Introvert?

omnivert

Have you ever been scuba diving?

yes

What makes you nervous?

heights and ladybugs

Are you scared of the dark?

yes

Do you correct people when they make mistakes?

sometimes

Are you ticklish?

yes

Have you ever started a rumor?

Have you ever been in a position of authority?

yes

Have you ever drank underage?

technically no, it was legal where i was drinking 

Have you ever done drugs?

Who was your first real crush?

I honestly don’t remember, the last time I had a crush was in middle school and I’m now a high school graduate.

How many piercings do you have?

i have my standard ear piercings

Can you roll your Rs?

How fast can you type?

depends, i can usually type faster if i have the idea running through my head

How fast can you run?

not very

What color is your hair?

currently pink, naturally a really dark brown

What color are your eyes?

dark brown

What are you allergic to?

strawberry banana kiwi smoothies and mosquitoes 

Do you keep a journal?

i used to, i wrote a speech off one of my journal entries which you can find in my masterlist as a dear future me type of thing

What do your parents do?

my mum is a tax project manager and my dad is a mortgage/realtor 

Do you like your age?

yeah, for the most part

What makes you angry?

when people try to argue with me when i know i have my facts down

Do you like your own name?

i used to not like it

Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?

if you find my wattpad, any name i use for an OC is a possibility

Do you want a boy a girl for a child?

both? it really wouldn’t matter

What are your strengths?

i’m really good at staying on track when i have a mission

What are your weaknesses?

i’m really lazy

How did you get your name?

my dad was going to name me and it was originally going to be sabrina annabelle but my mum liked it the other way around

Were your ancestors royalty?

Do you have any scars?

I already answered this so I’ll say my most recent bruise is from my flag pole hitting my forearm. 

Color of your bedspread?

pink, my choice 

Color of your room?

also pink, not my choice 

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

57 Easy Gluten Free Recipes for Summer Picnics and Potlucks

New blog post! Now that the weather is finally (sloooowly) warming up and holidays like Memorial Day and Fourth of July are right around the corner, I know that summer picnics and potlucks are just as close. But when you have celiac disease or dietary restrictions, summer entertaining can feel a little more complicated.

That's why this year, I thought I'd scope out some of the best gluten free recipes for summer picnics and potlucks. Whether you're looking for healthy appetizers, gluten free lunches fit for a picnic or easy paleo desserts, this round up should give you some delicious ideas. Not to mention, it should make bringing a yummy and gluten free dish to every summer get-together a whole lot easier!

Gluten Free Sides

1. Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread (Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free) - Raia's Recipes  

Trust me. If you show up with gluten free bread at a summer potluck, you're gonna be the life (or at least the taste buds) of the party.

2. Easy Potato Salad with Egg - Bubba Pie

Give your potato salad an extra boost of protein with hardboiled eggs.

3. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Vegan, Soy Free) - Spabettie

Pineapple, vegan mayo, sweet pickles and pickled carrots give this macaroni salad a unique, Hawaiian twist.

4. Broccoli Apple Slaw - Noshtastic

Change up the traditional cabbage slaw recipe by using broccoli and apple instead!

5. Creamy Pea Salad - Recipes From a Pantry

If you're looking for a seriously easy low carb side dish that is still sure to peas (ahem...please) a crowd...this is it! All you need to make it are fresh (or frozen!) peas, bacon, cheese and a few other ingredients for the sour cream dressing.

6. Black Bean and Corn Salad with Balsamic Vinegar (Dairy Free) - The Welcoming Table

Add grilled chicken or pork to make this gluten free salad a meal, or serve it as a side dish or dip!

7. German Cucumber Salad - Casserole Crissy

For any gardeners out there, this is the perfect recipe to use up any leftover cucumbers.

8. Asian-Inspired Sesame Cilantro Carrot Salad (Paleo and Vegetarian) - Natasha, The Artisan Life

Even carrot haters will be won over by the Asian flavors in this gluten free salad dressing.

9. Bone Broth Pesto (Nut Free) - Casey the College Celiac

Enjoy the creamy, tanginess of pesto with the added protein and nutritional benefits of bone broth. Serve with veggies, gluten free crackers or roasted sweet potato rounds (which are also included in the linked recipe above)! 

10. Watermelon Mint Salad with/out Feta (Dairy Free Option) - Finding Zest

Who knew that watermelon and balsamic vinegar made such a tasty pair?

11. White Bean Salad (Vegan, Soy-Free, Nut-Free) - Happy Healthy Mama

Fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, avocado and lemon juice turn plain white beans into a side salad everyone will be digging into.

12. Zucchini Roll-Ups (Vegan, Paleo) - Claudia Canu 

These roll-ups are super simple to make but that doesn't make this combo of veggies and gluten free hummus any less delicious!

13. Goat Cheese Cucumber Bites (Keto, Low Carb) - The Keto Option

Gluten free Everything But the Bagel Seasoning dresses up these mini goat cheese and cucumber sandwiches.

14. Creamy Sweet Potato Salad (Paleo) - Cathy's Gluten Free

Is there any occasions sweet potatoes aren't perfect for?!? I don't think so...

15. Focaccia with Olives, Sundried Tomato & Rosemary (Grain Free, Paleo, Refined Sugar Free) - Emma Eats and Explores

Like I said before...you seriously can't go wrong with bringing homemade gluten free bread.

16. 5-Minute Guacamole (Vegan, Keto, Paleo, Oil-free, Whole 30) - Veg Annie

Homemade salsa gives this homemade guac an extra kick of freshness and flavor.

17. Mexican Street Corn - Confessions of a Fit Foodie

Like corn on the cob, only a lot tastier and less messy to eat!

18. Spicy Mango Dip (Vegan) - Fun Food Frolic

Serve this gluten free and vegan dip with some gf bread or pita, and it'll disappear in no time. You can whip it up in 15, minutes, too!

19. Easy Tuna Spread - Goodnesst 

This gluten free spread only requires three ingredients, five minutes to make and is delicious when served with crackers, veggies or tossed in a salad.

20. Red Potato Salad with Avocado and Egg - Attainable Sustainable

Typical potato salad gets an upgrade with some healthy fats from avocado in this gluten free side dish.

21. Curried Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (Vegan) - Casey the College Celiac

If you want to add some hidden veggies to a family classic, you'll love my curried cauliflower mac and cheese, which only takes five ingredients to make.

Gluten Free Mains

22. Avocado, Asparagus and Chicken Salad (Paleo, Mayo Free) - Tasting Page

If mayo ain't your thang, you'll love this paleo chicken salad, which gets its creaminess from avocado and a homemade dressing.

23. Corn and Zucchini Pie - A Simple Pantry

If a quiche and a frittata had a baby, this would be it. Plus, this cheesy pie only takes an hour - including 45 minutes of it doing its thang in the oven - to make.

24. Melon Mozzarella Prosciutto Salad with Arugula - Taste and See

Combine classic Italian ingredients with a traditional Caprese salad, and you end up with an ideal summer entertaining dish.

25. Grilled Balsamic Lamb Kabobs - Foodal

I'll admit, I've never tried lamb before, but these kabobs would definitely have me digging in.

26. Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad - Spice Cravings

Traditionally, tabbouleh salad is a Middle Eastern vegetarian salad featuring ingredients like parsley, mint, Bulgar wheat, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and a lemon dressing. This gluten free version replaces the bulgar wheat with quinoa, which not only makes it allergy friendly but also packed with extra protein!

27. Zesty Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich (Vegan) - Moon and Spoon and Yum

The best kind of sandwiches have a mix of different textures and flavors...and this smashed chickpea salad has ALL the flavor punches you're looking for.

28. Southwest Quinoa Salad (Dairy-Free Option) - Mama Knows Gluten Free

You can't go wrong with a bowl of quinoa dressed up with avocados, black bean, corn, grape tomatoes, mozzarella and a cilantro honey lime dressing.

29. Shrimp Pasta Salad - Hot Pan Kitchen

Olives and sun-dried tomatoes give this cold gluten free salad an extra boost of flavor.

30. Spanish Waldorf Salad - Zestful Kitchen

This Spanish twist on a classic Waldorf salad complements a variety of different meals, and you can prepare all of the different ingredients ahead of the time.

31. Easy Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole (Low Carb) - Wholesome Yum

This gluten free casserole has all the flavors of a baked potato, minus the carbs. And you can't go wrong with bacon!

32. Tuscan Pasta Salad (Nut Free, Egg Free) - Meaningful Eats

Just 'cause you're gluten free doesn't mean you can't enjoy a very delicious pasta salad on a pretty summer day.

33. Cauliflower Salad (Vegan, Low Carb, Keto) - Cooking Journey

Cauliflower just got a very tasty upgrade with this easy, raw salad recipe.

34. Easy Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad (Vegetarian) - Mom Foodie

You can't go wrong with a classic...

35. Kale Quinoa Salad + Cider Vinegarette - Pass Me Some Tasty

Make sure you use gluten free cranberries and walnuts, and the sweet and savory mix of flavors will be a major winner in this salad.

36. Chickpea Thai Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing - V Nutrition and Wellness

Add a creamy peanut sauce to a salad with quinoa, chickpeas, carrots, cabbage and cilantro and you have a Thai feast tastier than any take-out.

37. Prawn & Avocado Salad (Whole 30, Paleo) - Recipe This

If you know Whole 30 or paleo diners will be at your summer picnic, this salad is sure to be a hit.

38. Broccoli Salad with Bacon (Keto, Low Carb) - Whole Lotta Yum

Broccoli has never looked so good...

39. Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger (Vegan) - Evolving Table

This black bean quinoa burger only takes an hour to make and is easy to personalize for whatever beans, sweet potatoes or spices you have on hand. 

40. The Best Homemade Chicken Salad (Paleo, Keto, Whole 30) - The Organic Chicken

Serve this salad on greens, gluten free bread or even half an avocado.

41. Loaded Potato Wedge Nachos (Paleo, Vegan Options) - Casey the College Celiac

'Cause who wouldn't want to dive into a plate of nachos on a beautiful summer day...especially when the base is fluffy roasted potato wedges?!?

Gluten Free Desserts

42. Paleo Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (Low Carb) - The Banana Diaries

I don't know about you, but I will always say yes to a slice of gluten free pie!

43. No Bake Peach Cheesecake Bites (Vegan) - Delightful Adventures

Make sure you use gluten free oats and almonds, and you'll have one heck of a tasty gluten free dessert.

44. Chewy Pumpkin Popcorn Balls (Vegan) - Casey the College Celiac

There's something crazy addictive about that sweet and salty combo. 

45. Pink Lemonade Cupcakes - Fearless Dining

Because is there anything more summer-y than pink lemonade anything?!?

46. Red, White & Blueberry Shortcake Parfaits (Paleo) - Living Loving Paleo

No one will believe that you whipped up these paleo shortcakes from almond flour and a handful of other ingredients you threw in your food processor!

47. Avocado Brownies (Vegan) - Vibrant Guide

Even avocado haters won't be able to get over how thick and fudgy these brownies are...

48. Cream Cheese Pound Cake (Low Carb, Keto) - Fit to Serve Group

Who says you can't eat a keto or low carb diet and eat cake too?!? 

49. Scotcharoos - My Gluten-Free Kitchen

Gluten free puffed rice cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch combine into one heck of a tasty no-bake bar.

50. Oatmeal Creme Pies - Hunny I'm Home

Chewy gluten free oatmeal cookies + delicious buttercream icing = dessert heaven.

51. Orange Cake with Almond Meal (Dairy Free) - The Foodie Journey

This cake is only made with a few ingredients and can be prepped to bake in just 10 minutes!

52. Blueberry Muffins (Vegan) - Rhian's Recipes

You can't go wrong with a fluffy blueberry muffin, especially when it's gluten free, vegan and only takes 35 minutes to bake! Plus, there are tons of ingredient options and swaps, so you can probably whip up these muffins with whatever is already in your pantry.

53. S'mores Ice Cream Cake (Vegan) - Pink Fortitude

Ummm...a gluten free and vegan ice cream cake?!? I don't think I need to say anymore...

54. Chocolate, Beetroot & Raspberry Cupcakes - Attachment Mummy 

In case you want to sneak a few veggies into your gluten free dessert.

55. No Bake Cheesecake (Keto, Low Carb) - Low Carb Yum

You can't beat a no-bake cheesecake base topped with fresh summer berries.  

56. Chocolate Chip Coffee Cookies - Think About Such Things

Chocolate chip cookies just got a caffeinated twist! 

57. Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake (Dairy Free) - Allergy Free Alaska 

I was sold at blueberries...

What I Hope You Remember During This Summer's Potlucks, Picnics and Parties

I know that when you have celiac disease or food allergies, the words "picnic" or "potluck" can cause more fear than excitement. But rest assured - as long as you use one of these gluten free recipes for guidance, you know you'll have at least one delicious meal you can happily enjoy. What are your favorite summer meals or recipes? Tell me in the comments! via Blogger http://bit.ly/2E6xmYR

[originaldisneydescendants]

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

Tagged by:

@askvarian-alchemyisforstuds

Tagging: If you want to do it, consider yourself tagged.

1. What is you middle name? Jeanne

2. How old are you? 22 3. When is your birthday? July 10 4. What is your zodiac sign? Not into Zodiacs 5. What is your favorite color? Pink, blue and purple 6. What’s your lucky number? N/A 7. Do you have any pets? A husky mix named Olivia NJ after the singer and a budgie named Azul 8. Where are you from? Originally: Concord, California 9. How tall are you? 5′2.5” 10. What shoe size are you? 8 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? Um... six I think? Probably another pair or two hidden somewhere in my closet. 12. What was your last dream about? My mom and I escaping some weird lady who was chasing us. At one point I was riding behind her on a motorcycle and she popped a wheelie. 13. What talents do you have? I've been told that I'm good at singing, art (painting, drawing, sculpting etc.) and writing (prose/poetry) 14. Are you psychic in any way? No, but I have had prophetic dreams of God just making me aware of what's currently going on in my life 15. Favorite song? A million songs is all it's gonna take, a million songs for the playlist I'm gonna make! 16. Favorite movie? Prince of Egypt, Coco 17. Who would be your ideal partner? The video is pretty cheesy but A Man of God like the one described in this one song 18. Do you want children? Yeah, someday 19. Do you want a church wedding? And I was my pastor to officiate it 20. Are you religious? Let me put it this way, Jesus died for me. How could I do anything less than live for Him? 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? On a field trip 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? Not to my memory, no 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? Define 'met' then define 'celebrity'. I've MET people who are well-known but not exactly celebrity status and asked a question at a Q&A with someone who I guess could be considered a minor celebrity? 24. Baths or showers? Showers and long ones 25. What color socks are you wearing? N/A 26. Have you ever been famous? Voted 'Most Artistic' freshman year at High School, does that count? 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? HAHAHAHAHAHA no 28. What type of music do you like? Most kinds as long as it's not screamo or too folky and even then I may have an exception or two 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? Maybe when I was a little kid? 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Lots 31. What position do you usually sleep in? On my stomach or curled up 32. How big is your house? My mom called it a 'cracker box' house 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? Muffins, crepes or waffles 34. Have you ever fired a gun? I'm probably the only person in my family and the whole state who hasn't 35. Have you ever tried archery? In High School P.E. yeah 36. Favorite clean word? Shoot! 37. Favorite swear word? I generally don't swear. I could probably count the number of times on my hands. If you ever hear me swear... run 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 24-48 hours? I don't remember 39. Do you have any scars? Everywhere 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Define 'secret' 41. Are you a good liar? I don't think so, I try to avoid lying as much as I can 42. Are you a good judge of character? I think so? Not if I have a crush on them though unfortunately 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? A few, I'm not sure how many 44. Do you have a strong accent? I guess? I tend to pronounce my Ts as Ds like people in the area do 45. What is your favorite accent? Scottish and French, maybe British as well 46. What is your personality type? ISFP last I checked 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? An outfit that my grandmother bought for my last Easter with a black boat-neck top and a poofy black and white skirt 48. Can you curl your tongue? Yup 49. Are you an innie or an outie? Innie 50. Left or right handed? Right 51. Are you scared of spiders? I used to be very arachnophobic but I think I'm getting a little better. I think it would be a lot easier if they didn't bite or move so fast. I'm gonna have to get used to them because my mom now lives in a rural house and they have orb-weaver spiders EVERYWHERE 52. Favorite food? Honey-walnut shrimp, rotisserie hot dogs and pizza 53. Favorite foreign food? Ethiopian stew and call me weird, I like calamari and kim nori 54. Are you a clean or messy person? It fluctuates 55. Most used phrase? “LORD help me.” 56. Most used word? Cool 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? I am slow so it takes forever 58. Do you have much of an ego? I try not to? 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? When I'm not just letting it sit in my mouth, I gnaw like an animal chewing on a bone 60. Do you talk to yourself? Of course I do. I have a lot to say and few people willing to hear me ramble 61. Do you sing to yourself? When I'm home alone 62. Are you a good singer? I got a four out of five score in my High School's solo and ensemble competition and I believe I have improved since then 63. Biggest Fear? Very venomous things 64. Are you a gossip? I really try not to but sometimes some nameless gossip slips out of me 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? Besides Prince of Egypt, The Case for Christ actually had me crying through most of it 66. Do you like long or short hair? Both have pros and cons. Short hair doesn't get knotted or tangled but you can't do the braids you want and if you go to sleep with wet hair you will wake up to a monster on your head that you can't get rid of 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? Here we go... California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Hawaii, Alaska, Maine, Maryland, Rhode Island, Nebraska, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Wyoming, Mississippi, Louisiana, Utah, Michigan, and here are the rest that I got from the Animaniac's song: Indiana, New Jersey, Delaware, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Kansas, Iowa, 68. Favorite school subject? Art and Creative Writing 69. Extrovert or Introvert? Usually an introvert but I have extroverted moments 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? Nope 71. What makes you nervous? Public speaking 72. Are you scared of the dark? I was when I was a kid 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? ...I have a habit 74. Are you ticklish? Don't touch me 75. Have you ever started a rumor? If I have it was unintentional and I was unaware of it 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? Does backstage security count? 77. Have you ever drank underage? Depends. Does that include church communion? 78. Have you ever done drugs? I drink a lot of caffeine 79. Who was your first real crush? Hunter from Kindergarten, he had curly hair and dimples and to this day that remains a weakness of mine 80. How many piercings do you have? I don't even have my ears pierced, not that I have anything against it, it just never happened 81. Can you roll your Rs? The ability comes and goes 82. How fast can you type? I took a whole class on typing and I have no clue 83. How fast can you run? I ran a mile in 12 minutes and I think that was me at my fastest 84. What color is your hair? Brown 85. What color are your eyes? Dark brown 86. What are you allergic to? I may have a slight allergy to the adhesive in band-aids depending on where I put them 87. Do you keep a journal? I've tried repeatedly but it always gets neglected 88. What do your parents do? My mom is a caretaker for the elderly and my dad is a retired under sheriff/paramedic who now drives the city bus and teaches driving 89. Do you like your age? I'm in the prime of life yo 90. What makes you angry? My brother taking a whole box of food, eating half of it and throwing the rest away without touching it... 91. Do you like your own name? Yeah 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? Not the most unique but I like Luke and Matthew for boys and maybe Akina for a girl? 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? See above 94. What are you strengths? Spirit. 95. What are your weaknesses? *Opens book* *Ahem* chapter one... 96. How did you get your name? My name means hillside/slope and I was named after where my dad proposed to my mom... also a perfume company 97. Were your ancestors royalty? Not that I'm aware of 98. Do you have any scars? Didn't I already answer this one? 99. Color of your bedspread? Cream with gold stars 100. Color of your room? Way too light to be beige and dull? I'm not sure...

[cesium-sheep]

arin got home from their exam around 3:30, they feel like they did pretty okay and now they get to figure out how to rest. they wanted to go to trader joe’s for some bourbon and I ended up getting dressed to go with them because I find trader joe’s fascinating but deeply stressful and refuse to go past the flower display by the door if I’m there on my own. it feels crowded even when I’m walking and it is absolutely worse in my wheelchair lol

but if they’re with me it’s fine :v

gretel the very good dog next door was going out for a walk as we were locking our door, she was off-leash and she trotted over to say hello to me and sniff my chair and then went right back to her owner when I told her to she is so good ;n;

trader joe’s isn’t very far away but half of it is uphill (each direction) so arin pushed me part of the way there (and reminded me I’d forgotten my gloves once they took over lol) so we could get out from behind someone. we wandered the store and ended up picking up some other things, because trader joe’s is a land of wonderful and mysterious snacks even though it’s incredibly distressing and I hate going there to shop. I’ve had one of the banana apple bars before and liked it, so I got another one of those and a mango apple one, and arin got some apples, they found honey walnut shrimp in the frozen food for dinner and some frozen mac for themself and I did not get salted caramels, they also got dried mini ravioli and a bag of those noodles we made with taran one time that I love, and the bourbon they’d actually wanted. other things I was intrigued by but did not get: crunchy flat snack breads, frozen chocolate croissants, mysterious potato curls, kettle corn.

I wheeled outside while they were checking out because of the way the checkout gets so crowded, a very nice person saw me sitting and offered to help me reach any of the higher plants (they also greeted the person selling the “real change” newspapers and said they’d be back for one, very sweet person).

I’ve felt kinda achygroggy all day, but going out made my neck hurt more :/ I had to support my head while I was waiting for them, and yes I washed my hands when I got home. all I actually touched was my own wheel rims so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

[snackhappycatering]

THANKSGIVING RECIPE ROUNDUP It’s the best holiday of the year if you ask me and here is a list of all my favs separated by category! Happy Planning

TURKEY I’ve included three methods for turkey here but my fool proof method is the first recipe from Alton Brown. Crispy skin, perfectly cooked meat and in a fraction of the time! I’ve never tried spatchcocking a turkey but it’s my favorite way to roast chicken so I wanted to include it. For the adventurous spirit the smoked turkey is absolutely delicious but note that it takes time. I didn’t have a smoker when I tried this recipe a couple years back but Russ includes directions for turning any grill into a smoker which is pretty handy. Alton Brown Roast Turkey http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe-1950271 Spatchcocked Turkey http://nomnompaleo.com/post/66597843666/butterflied-big-bird-spatchcocked-Turkey Smoked Turkey https://thedomesticman.com/2013/10/01/perfect-smoked-turkey/

GRAVY A pretty crucial condiment at the Thanksgiving table and one that people often fret over. All three of these recipes are great. The Bon Appetit recipe doesn’t include the turkey drippings but does include a couple extra steps to boost the flavor and in my opinion totally worth it especially if you want to make this ahead instead of right before serving. Easily adapted to gluten free by swapping out all purpose flour for gluten free flour. King Arthur and Cup 4 Cup make great gluten free flour blends. Umamai Gravy http://nomnompaleo.com/post/102452287023/nomtastic-paleo-thanksgiving-umami-gravy-video Turkey Gravy https://thedomesticman.com/2011/12/01/turkey-gravy/ Make Ahead Gravy https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/make-ahead-gravy

POTATOES / SWEET POTATOES/ CAULIFLOWER MASH I know that most people are obsessed with mash potatoes and wouldn’t want to mess with them much and for that reason I love the Bon Appetit recipe which includes simmering the milk with some herbs to add a very subtle flavor to a very traditional dish. If you are looking for a less starchy option mashed cauliflower will be perfect. I’m not a huge fan of marshmallow toped sweet potatoes and have opted for Jessica Murnane’s Chipotle Sweet Potato dish the past couple of years with no complaints. If gratin is more your jam then I’ve included a couple of those as well! Buttery Mashed Potatoes https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/extra-buttery-mashed-potatoes Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes http://www.jessicamurnane.com/recipes/chipotle-mashed-potatoes/ Mashed Cauliflower https://downshiftology.com/recipes/mashed-cauliflower/ Two Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese http://domesticate-me.com/two-potato-gratin-with-herbs-and-goat-cheese/ Cauliflower Gratin with Garlic & Sage https://www.feastingathome.com/cauliflower-gratin-with-garlic-and-sage/ Roasted Garlic Autumn Root Vegtable Mash http://nomnompaleo.com/post/102612649453/nomtastic-paleo-thanksgiving-roasted-garlic

GREEN BEANS Again, if tradition is your thing you might be appalled by my many choices outside of a casserole or if you are looking to make a healthier version then Pamela Salzman’s Green Bean Casserole is a total winner! The Dijon Maple Green Beans are a personal favorite if your curious. Dijon Maple Green Beans https://carlsbadcravings.com/dijon-maple-green-beans-with-caramelized-pecans-bacon-and-feta/ Healthy Green Bean Casserole https://pamelasalzman.com/healthy-green-bean-casserole-recipe/ Magic Green Beans http://www.loveandbellinis.com/2016/02/girl-the-goat-magic-green-beans.html Green Beans Gremolata https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/green-beans-gremolata Miso Dijon Green Beans with Mushrooms http://iamafoodblog.com/miso-dijon-green-bean-mushroom-salad/ Prosciutto Wrapped Balsamic Green Beans https://www.wickedspatula.com/crispy-prosciutto-wrapped-balsamic-green-beans/

BRUSSELS Brussels Sprouts have got to be my favorite Thanksgiving side and usually the first to go at our family table. Its honestly a tie between the two Michael Symon recipes for my favorite but I had to include a couple more because Brussels! Brussels with Capers Walnuts & Anchovies http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-capers-walnuts-and-anchovies Brussels with Bacon Mustard & Walnuts http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/michael-symon/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-a-bacon-mustard-and-walnut-vinaigrette-2109595 Balsamic Brussels http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/balsamic-roasted-brussels-sprouts-recipe-1996813 Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples and Walnuts https://diethood.com/brussels-sprouts-salad-apples-candied-walnuts/

CARROTS / PARSNIPS Maybe the least popular but hey lets mix it up and you might be surprised at how good carrots and parsnips can be! If you love gruyere cheese as much as I do the Feasting At Home Parsnip Gratin is so so so so so good! Parsnip Gratin https://www.feastingathome.com/parsnip-gratin-with-gruyere-and-thyme/ Honey Mustard Rosemary Glazed Carrots http://thehealthyfoodie.com/honey-mustard-rosemary-glazed-carrots/ Roasted Carrots with Red Onions & Fennel & Mint https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-carrots-and-red-onions-with-fennel-and-mint Creamy Baked Parsnips http://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/creamy-baked-parsnips-with-thyme/ Maple Roasted Paranips & Carrots http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/recipes/recipe_directory/m/maple-roast-parsnipsandcarrots.html?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=EasterRoasts

SQUASH It is fall so squashes are a perfect addition to the feast. The Pamela Salzman Delicata Squash with Pomegranate Pistachio Relish is my go to! I’ve brought this dish to so many Friendsgivings and its always devoured. Roasted Pumpkin with Chili Yogurt Sauce http://drizzleanddip.com/2015/01/08/roasted-pumpkin-with-chilli-yoghurt-and-coriander-sauce/ Cinnamon Peacan Roasted Butternut http://damndelicious.net/2015/10/07/cinnamon-pecan-roasted-butternut-squash/ Roasted Acorn Squash https://pamelasalzman.com/roasted-acorn-squash-roasted-grapes-frico-pine-nut-dressing-recipe/ Delicata Squash with Pomegranate Pistachio Relsih https://pamelasalzman.com/roasted-delicata-squash-with-pomegranate-

STUFFING/DRESSING Ok so really we are all here for the stuffing…am I right? Its comfort food to the max and is over the top amazing fried up into stuffing cakes the following day. Trust me on that. I’ve made a number of these and have enjoyed them all. The cornbread stuffing can be easily made gluten free with a good gluten free cornbread mix. Cornbread Sausage & Fennel https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/cornbread-dressing-with-sausage-and-fennel Sourdough Sausage Apple https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/sourdough-stuffing-with-sausage-apples-and-golden-raisins Wild Mushroom Fennel Stuffing https://www.feastingathome.com/wild-mushroom-fennel-stuffing/ Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/butternut-squash-and-wild-mushroom-stuffing/ Grain Free Stuffing https://againstallgrain.com/2011/11/21/grain-free-thanksgiving-stuffing/ Autumn Rice Stuffing https://heatherchristo.com/2015/11/17/autumn-harvest-rice-stuffing/

CRANBERRIES It’s not Thanksgiving for me without them. I actually grew up loving the canned version but in recent years started making it which takes very little effort and can be made a couple of days ahead. The Nom Nom Paleo Cran Cherry is super good! Cran Cherry Sauce http://nomnompaleo.com/post/66981815680/paleo-cran-cherry-sauce Paleo Cranberry Sauce http://fedandfit.com/easy-homemade-paleo-cranberry-sauce/ Orange Cranberry Relish https://www.plaidandpaleo.com/2016/11/raw-orange-cranberry-relish.html

SALADS Ok I know this category doesn’t always make it to the table but I really enjoy these and they can also take the place of an additional side. Delicata Squash Apple Salad https://pamelasalzman.com/roasted-delicata-squash-apple-salad-recipe/ Butternut Squash Pomegranate Salad https://pamelasalzman.com/butternut-squash-salad-with-pomegranates-and-toasted-pumpkin-seeds/ Fall Salad https://pamelasalzman.com/fall-salad-fig-balsamic-vinaigrette-quinoa-brittle-recipe/ Shaved Brussels Sprouts https://www.acouplecooks.com/shaved-brussels-sprout-sweet-potato-salad/

DESSERT Everyone has their go to favorites for Thanksgiving desserts and I’m a pie girl all day long. I personally don’t need six choices of dessert because I’d rather go back for seconds and thirds of the meal than save room for sweets but I wanted to include a good variety of healthier options. Paleo Pumpkin Pie Cookie Crisp http://paleomg.com/pumpkin-pie-cookie-crisp/ Paleo Pie Crust http://zenbelly.com/2017/10/23/pie-crust/ Nut Free Paleo Pie Crust http://www.paleomazing.com/paleo-recipes/nut-free-flaky-pie-crust/ Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroons https://downshiftology.com/recipes/pumpkin-spice-coconut-macaroons/ Grain Free Apple Spice Coffee Cake https://againstallgrain.com/2014/11/20/pumpkin-pudding-egg-free-dairy-free/ Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake http://paleomg.com/thanksgiving-pumpkin-cheesecake/ Apple Cider Cream Pie http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2011/10/apple-cider-cream-pie/ Paleo Pecan Pie Bars https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/paleo-pecan-pie-bars/

APPETIZERS If you ask me a huge cheese board and some wine is the best app before the meal but here are a couple more options for you since I know not everyone eats cheese like a food group. Brussels Sprout Prosciutto Bites https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/roasted-brussels-sprouts-and-prosciutto-bites/85c02444-4032-416c-9232-4d52452b90c6 Prosciutto Pear Arugula Rolls http://www.thedefineddish.com/proscuitto-pear-arugula-rolls/ Shrimp Cocktail http://www.thedefineddish.com/whole30-cocktail-sauce/ Sweet Potato Tahini Crostini https://www.loveandlemons.com/sweet-potato-tahini-crostini/? utm_source=feedly&crlt.pid=camp.kH1vW7LRA3Qc Crudités Platter http://whatsgabycooking.com/assemble-crudite-platter/ Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta & Walnuts https://www.theroastedroot.net/sweet-potato-rounds-with-herbed-ricotta-and-walnuts/

[k8eatsphl]

anastasi seafood, ray’s happy bday bar, manakeesh cafe

TRIPLE WHAMMY! altho i did not eat at these three locales all in one day.

on friday julianne, goda, n i went to karaoke at ray’s happy birthday bar to hang out with DJ LARS! our favorite dj from karaoke at mccloskey’s in ardmore!!!!

pre-karaoke we went to anastasi, cuz i told them it was on my list. i buy seafood at anastasi’s on a pretty regular basis. this winter i ended up buyin more at reading, but i’m back to anastasi now. their prices are always good n the fish n skrimps are always fresh! but i’ve never eaten at the restaurant, n am usually in the mood for fried seafood and white wine. i think that would prbly be my final meal. if i ever get executed or kno i will die imminently.

side note, and sorry for morbidity, but grandmere, the classiest woman i know and a great lover of fried seafood with white wine, died this sunday. i am very happy that on my visit to anasasi seafood and ray’s happy birthday bar i was wearing her texas sweatshirt. i will miss her very much but she lives on in my heart forever. luv u grandmere <3 <3 <3

we arrived at anastasi at i’m guessin 7pm on a friday night. we wanted to sit outside, but when we arrived those tables were booked. we decided to wait for an outdoor table to open up, so we told the women at the server station and walked around italian market. we went to la guerrerense for ice cream. i have been to el pueblo refresqueria across the street for a mangonada before, but had always been overwhelmed by the flavor options at la guerrerense! but goda said it’s her go-to. i got rompope with rasas, like an eggnog with raisins. a very out of character flavor, but it was so good!

we walked back to anastasi and by 8ish they had a table for us. we all got seafood sammiches. i got an oyster/shrimp poboy, goda got a crab cake sammich, and julianne got a whiting sammich. goda and julianne split their order, n i ate my poboy all by myself lol. we got an order of fries to share at the table.

i thought the poboy was a’ight. the oysters and shrimp were great, but there wasn’t enough remoulade. i will definitely go back to anastasi for happy hour (m-f, 4-7) and just get some straight up fried seafood and maybe oysters. the bread was just unnecessary. but as i was about to go in for a night of karaoke i thought it was important to carb up.

following dinner we walked to ray’s happy birthday bar. this is where dj lars reigns on friday nights at 9pm. the bar was packed with ppl havin bdays! we got drinks (i got a red wine, $5, the bar tender didn’t even make a face!) and we chose some songs. had a great time, sang some classics (flagpole sitta, ode to my family) and watched some great performances. loved hangin with goda and julianne!!!  it was a mini najukago reunion, minus the na. 

and then today, tuesday, i went to manakeesh cafe for lunch. i was in west philly giving a presentation on CARES, the data warehouse that my work team maintains, and was like DAMN i’m never in west philly. so walked from drexel to 46th and walnut. when i arrived at manakeesh cafe they were havin some difficulties with their ipad ordering stations, but eventually they got it sorted. i got a laham baijin (flatbread with spiced beef) and a side order of fattoush (pita salad). only $9! then i walked to the other half of the cafe, which focuses on drinks/sweet stuff, and got a smoothie. i originally wanted a beirut sunshine fruit cocktail, which comes with ashta, honey, and walnuts, but they were out of avocado. so i got a mango/cardamom/turmeric smoothie for $5. 

the smoothie was soooooo good! so thick. i really wish i had a blender to make high quality smoothies at home. i drank of of the smoothie while i waited for my food. i was prbly just gettin hangry but felt like the order was taking a while. but eventually order came. the laham baijin was huge, as was the fattoush order! i made myself eat half of the fattoush before even starting on the salad. the dressing (lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, salt) was really good...think it’s cuz they put salt in it, which i do not put in mine. wish there had been some more pita, but it’s okay!

the laham baijin tasted soooooo similarly to teta’s. the bell pepper/tomato/onion combo is so distinctive. also there was SO much beef, and the flatbread was huge to begin with! i ate half of it before deciding to save the rest for dinner (which i just ate). attempted to finish the fattoush but it was just too much! ate all but like 1/4. 

i think i would return to manakeesh cafe, hopefully to get a lebanese fruit cocktail...and maybe to try some of their lebanese dishes like fatteh and fool. it’s a hike out there, but there’s a train and a trolley so rly no excuse.

ratings:

anastasi: 6/10

ray’s happy birthday bar (not on my map and didn’t eat but w/e): 8/10

manakeesh cafe: 7/10

[magitekprompto-blog]

MUNday Facts:

Name: Raven

R: Okay Prompto, take a seat and we can answer this together. Okay?

P:Uh, sure. I mean how hard can it be?

Favorite drink: R: Diet Pepsi. Or anything with caffeine. I can’t let the blood in my stream take over the caffeine.

P: Hrm. I think my favorite drink would probably be orange juice. But mostly, just drink water.

Favorite meal: R: Oh man, love me some good Chinese. Honey walnut shrimp, some pork and fried rice with won tons.

P: I’mma go with a double cheeseburger with all the fixin’s. Onions, mayo, mustard, the works. Barring that, anything Ignis cooks.

Favorite memory: R: I think the best memory I have is meeting my wife @indarknessiwait. She’s the best thing to happen to me.

P: Getting my first real camera. Something about holding a piece of equipment like that in my hand...

Favorite tv show: R: I have to pick just one? Damn. Uh, I’d have to say my current favorite is Criminal Minds. Because I’m kind of fucked up like that. Also Supernatural.

P: Not a lot of television watching where I am. It’s a waste of power and we can’t afford that. Gotta keep the lights on.

Favorite tumblr blog:  R: @poisonous-panda @outofmychair @sunshinetechnophile and of course @indarknessiwait

P: Man, I don’t have time to mess around on the net.

One random fact about you: R: I’m a Type I diabetic and have been for 32 years. I also love Optimus Prime.

P: Er.. well uh... I guess a random fact about me is that I work out regularly?

One random fact about your day: R: I have to take at least one photo a day with my camera. Or I tend to go twitchy.

P: I miss the light. Every day I keep hopin’...

One random fact about your job/school: R: I don’t work. My life consists of trying to adult. It’s harder than it looks.

P: My job? it’s keeping people alive. Keeping me alive and waiting for Noctis to come back.

What is one thing you would sell your soul for: R: Hah, i don’t have a soul. I’m pretty sure I traded it in for krispy kreme at some point.

P: To see the sunrise.

If you could only have one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be: R: That’s an odd question. I guess maybe some of Promptos clothes? Of course I’d also need to be promptos size...

P: Dude, I kinda wear one outfit...

What was the last song that got stuck in your head: R: Angel with a shotgun. Mostly because it reminds me of Prompto.

P: The chocobo song. Shut up. I can’t help it.

Zombie Apocalypse. What is your weapon of choice: R: Is fear and running in terror a weapon? No? Kay. Lets see. Probably a gun, barring that, dual short blades. But only if I’m actually proficient in these weapons. otherwise, run in fear.

P: *snorts* Kinda livin’ in one now. And I think we know what weapons I’d use.

Did you have a baby blanket: R: No, but I did have a blue teddy bear that played music. Loved that thing.

P: No? I don’t think so anyways. I mean I had some comfort toys and maybe a stuffed chocobo when I was little.

What is your favorite Halloween costume you’ve ever worn: Jedi. I have a lucas approved Jedi outfit because I’m part of a group called Saber guild. They’re a charity organization associated with Lucas Arts and Disney.  Love dressing up in that and making kids smile.

P: I went as a moogle for halloween before. That was fun cause my face was all painted up and I put a little springy headband on that wobbled when I walked.

Beach or Water Park: R: beach. nothing beats the sound of the ocean waves, the wind and the smell of salt water.

P Beach. Hands down. Best time was in Galden Quay, staying at the camp and listening to the waves and birds. Loved it.

What do you think is your spirit animal? : R:  I’ve been told my spirit animal is Fizzgig from Dark Crystal.

P: Chocobo.

What is the most played song on your MP3/MP4: R: Angel with a Shotgun. Stop staring at me like that.

P: Don’t really listen to a lot of music. Gotta keep my ears free for the sound of daemons.

I’m tagging: @indarknessiwait Everyone else I know has been tagged.

[melonoverlord]

Turt’s ask meme for the snids

1. What would be their favorite Disney (or other animated) movie?

Both of them really like the Barbie Nutcracker movie for different reasons. Kalliste loves it because the music is soothing and she likes the sound of Barbie’s voice.

Allura on the other hand, loves the fucking bat and especially the line “You want me to babysit a rock?” It makes her crack up every time.

2. What do they usually like for breakfast?

They are breakfast monsters and if you ever go to the kitchen, it’s basically that scene from Lilo & Stitch where Nani’s on the phone and then just turns to see Stitch pulling stuff from the fridge. They are 30% of the reason why everyone has food growing duties, since they’ve never been food secure, so they eat at any opportunity they can. Currently, their favorite is fruit loops.

3. What sort of cuddler are they?

Both of them used to only be each other’s cuddle buddies for the longest time, but now that they can cuddle with their parents, they are burrowers. Both Liste and Allura will go into little snake balls and push their feet under Icio and Juni’s bodies and sleep in any crevice that is given to them.

4. How do they say “I love you”?

They both say it through protection. When they put themselves on the line to save you, you know you are part of their family and they would fight, live, and die for you.

5. What kind of shoes do they wear?

They both wear little brown and white saddle shoes because they still hold onto that 40s aesthetic to honor their home planet.

6. What is their favorite accessory?

During her year and a half alone, she started hanging around Percy a lot more and eventually when she became his first mate, Percy and Kalliste decided to get their ears pierced to commemorate being the last of their family to survive the war. They have little wing earrings to represent the Wings of Freedom and Kalliste carries them around like it’s a badge.

Allura on the other hand has a little bracelet from Autumn when they first met, and when Autumn was carrying the kids away from the hospital, Allura’s eye got caught on a sparkly little charm bracelet in one of the outdoor bazaars of Spanathos. Autumn got it for her and it has a charm of a little monkey, a train, and a lizard. Allura wore it a lot when she lived with Autumn, but now that Autumn’s dead, she keeps it on her nightstand so it’s like Autumn is watching over her when she sleeps.

7. Are they more inclined towards fashion or comfort?

Both are more inclined towards comfort, especially since Kalliste can’t really see what she’s wearing. They both don’t really like anything that constricts their movement. Kalliste tends to like flow-y dresses, so sometimes she’ll go ask Ciri for help because she’s told that Ciri has good fashion sense. Together they make the adorably vintage aunt and sniece.

Despite being the seeing snid, Allura is the type of kid to wear a bright orange shirt and purple cargo shorts, and although Juniper and Icio are happy that their snaughter is comfortable in anything, they also agree that as their kid, they have to be better than the other kids, especially in the fashion department. Allura’s fashion sense has gotten better over the year she’s been on the ship, so now she wears more of the loose pants that the dryads wear and usually a tank top.

8. What makes them laugh?

Castor doing anything stupid, both of them like Leda and Val’s jokes a lot, and of course their parents banters with each other.

9. Do they have a favorite flower?

One of the flowers that Kalliste remembers seeing on Scylla is Amaryllis, which grew in abundance because of the red crystal that grew there. So now that’s her favorites.

Allura really likes snapdragons. Partly because of their name, partly because they’re so pointy and pretty.

10. Would they be the one to propose to their significant other?

Allura definitely would be the one to propose, but would do it in a way that’s like “I bought the ring and I don’t know how to return it, so please say yes.” That’s her way of saying “I want to be with you forever.”

Kalliste’s more shy and still doesn’t fully trust people, so when she gets a crush, she will be in the “do they really like me” phase for a long time. Though if someone proposed to her, she would probably start crying and throw herself at them in a hug.

11. What bad habits do they have?

Allura can and will fight anything that moves. She will even fight herself. She also has a habit of talking back to people who aren’t her parents, particularly Castor.

Kalliste has the bad habit of sneaking up on people and eavesdropping. She’s so quiet and has such great hearing that she can just hide in the shadow and catch everyone’s tea.

12. What are their biggest insecurities?

Allura, in a refreshing change of pace, has one of the best self esteems on the entire ship. She knows her value and her worth and she is not afraid to fight anyone who questions her about it.

Kalliste’s only insecurities are her family leaving her, which has now happened at least three times, and also worries about her lack of skill because she’s blind. She’s slowly overcoming that by working with Percy.

13. How do they wear their hair?

Allura’s had her hair short all her life, but is slowly letting it grow out. She probably wouldn’t let it grow past her shoulder blades because she wants it to be like her mom’s.

Kalliste’s hair has changed a little bit more over the years. Ever since she got rescued from OmniBorn, she’s had longer hair and usually keeps it either in a ponytail or pigtails to keep it out of her face. Right now she has it in a low ponytail that stays behind her head.

14. Are they an impulse shopper? If so, what would they buy?

Kalliste and Allura both grew up with nothing and love shiny things, so they have to hold each other back from being sticky fingers. If given money, they would be fiends at a mall and would buy every pastry from a bakery, followed by clearing out the Space Disney store and Space Toys R Us 

15. When do they usually sleep?

Both tend to sleep fairly early at around 8pm. But they also wake up super early and terrorize their sleeping parents.

16.What makes them worry?

The only things that worry each other is keeping their family safe and surviving this war. They don’t have after war plans because they’re honestly afraid they won’t live long enough to see the end.

17. Do they have any creative outlets?

Both are learning how to fight in the dance-y style that is used for ceremonies for the militia on Dryas. Besides that, Allura really loves playing dress up (her favorite game is Pretty Pretty Princess) and making little skits, while Kalliste likes writing poetry.

18. How do they comfort an upset loved one?

Both are proponents of physical comfort they will just koala themselves onto you while saying they will protect you and fight all the monsters that made you sad. It’s really how they protected each other growing up.

19. What are they like when they’re sick?

They are little demons when they’re sick. Whenever Kalliste is sick, she gets flashbacks to when she was sick with the Mambian Panic and every symptom goes from bad to worse just because she’s freaking out so much. She’ll start crying, convulsing, and even blacking out just because she’s so scared.

Allura on the other hand gets scared on the basis of not being there for Kalliste, so she will be even rowdier because she wants to prove she can still take care of her sister/cousin and will overexert herself. When the kids get sick on the Freedom Vessel, it’s a big deal.

20. Do they say what they’re thinking, or keep their thoughts to themselves?

Allura is one of the brashest kids you’ll ever meet (I mean, when facing certain death on national television, she told Laurel to get fucked), and has no problem saying what she’s thinking. 

However, her cousin/sister is much more reserved and prefers to keep most of her comments to herself unless she absolutely needs to snark at someone because Kalliste is a sweetheart but also savage when need be. If she didn’t have to worry about keeping Allura or herself safe, she’d probably say what she’s thinking more often.

21. What is the best gift they’ve ever received?

A family, hands down. It’s the only thing they’ve ever wanted.

22. Are they good at keeping track of time?

Kalliste has a pretty good internal clock since she can’t really look at a clock anymore. Luna has “kid meetings” about twice a week just to make sure they kids are keeping up with their studies and Ravi and Kalliste are always the first to show up.

Allura on the other hand has the worst internal clock that seems to flop depending on how interested she is. If she’s doing math homework, she’ll think that four hours have past when it’s only been ten minutes, but if she’s exploring the ship or playing hide and seek, she’ll think that she’s been hiding for half an hour, but really she’s been crouched in a hiding spot for six hours and everyone is looking for her.

23. What is their favorite ice cream flavor?

Mocha for Allura, Orange Sorbet for Kalliste

24. What would they order from a fast food/take-out place?

A lot of white rice, egg fried rice, shrimp wontons, honey walnut prawns, and sesame chicken.

25. What is their favorite pizza topping(s)?

They both love meat lovers pizza, much to the chagrin of their vegan parents. Pepperoni, sausage, and chicken.

26. What is their favorite type of cookie?

They are absolute cookie monsters and will eat any and every cookie in their line of sight or smell.

27. Do they paint their nails?

Not really. They both fight too much for it to stay on that long. Sometimes they’ll do it with Icio when they want to bond, but otherwise they got virgin nails.

28. What is their favorite board game?

They usually tag team while playing board games since Kalliste can’t see, so they like paying Battleship because Allura can play with the board and Kalliste can call out the numbers. Allura also super loves Pretty Pretty Princess.

29. Are they more of a pants or skirts kind of person?

Allura’s more of a rough and tumble girl who likes wearing capris or leggings, while Kalliste is more traditional and wears little forties skirts like the baby fashion queen she is.

30. Do they dream often? What about?

They don’t dream a lot, but when they do usually it’s nightmares about being in OmniBorn and watching their birth parents die. Kalliste sometimes has fever dreams leftover from the time she was sick from the Mambian Panic in which she lucid dreams and has sleep paralysis.

31. Do they have any phobias?

Allura has a fear of knives after Bengalia, as well as needles and enclosed spaces after being an illegal experiment done by the Genesians.

Kalliste fears being alone, bees, and loud noises because when things are loud, she doesn’t know what’s happening.

32. If they were a pokemon, which would they be?

Allura is a total Machop. Tiny but mighty and always ready to rumble. She’s probably the person with the second biggest bloodlust after Juni, and she really takes after her mom on that side.

Kalliste on the other hand is Cubone, small and sad with a secret power who had to live with her mother’s death at least three times. Just wait until she evolves and whacks you with her untapped rage.

33. How well do they handle sea travel? Air travel?

Kalliste a little uncomfortable with both just because she doesn’t like being confined to a space with field of “vision”. She’d rather have much more to explore than be stuck in a small area.

Allura’s great in the air but has the worst sea sickness ever. If she ever got on a boat she’d just be curled up in a corner the entire time because as she puts it “the goddamn floor is moving”.

34. Which Disney character are they most like?

Allura is definitely Kiara from Lion King 2, especially in regards with her sassy and spitfire nature with a father who just wants her to be safe and not live a fucked up life like they did.

Kalliste would be Chaca from Emperor’s New Groove. Just the right amount of sass and little shit in a cute body. Just because I can see her being like “Well in my dream, Dad had to kiss Castor!” She also loves her dad more than anything and would absolutely help them if they had to transport Castor in a llama body back to the ship.

35. What sort of parent would they be?

Allura would be a good parent in regards that she would always be there to defend her kid, in a way that kinda scares the other kids and the other parents. Like if someone made fun of her kid, she wouldn’t hesitate to bring down her 4′3 body of pure fury on some twerp.

Kalliste’s been a parental figure since Autumn died, and she’s a very protective parental figure to Allura, and is more of the quiet protector who tries to make sure her cousin/sister is kind but also a survivor. Kalliste can sometimes be more brutal than Allura in that Allura will at least give someone a chance to fight against her child before striking them down, but if Kalliste even gets the suspicion that someone will come after her kid, she will kill them without hesitation.

[cesium-sheep]

we got a car for the day and did all the running around we could think that needed doing, which was fun but tiring and took like 8 hours XD which is why this is under a readmore because A Lot Happened

we went to the grocery store first, to pick up all the stuff we’d need until we leave and also pick up my meds. we also got flowers for the vet. we looked for wreaths but they didn’t really have any. also the fancy cookies were on sale but we only got two bags. I had a weird mini-crash while we were there but using the cart as a walker of sorts helped a lot, as did drinking some powerade. also while I was in the tea aisle silver bells was playing on the radio, and a stranger seemed very delighted that I was singing along with the radio because they were smiling every time they glanced at me. (although I definitely know that feel, because someone was singing along under their breath to either heat of the moment or everybody wants to rule the world when we were at target and I thought that was Pretty Fuckin Delightful.) we also saw a cute christmas stegosaurus with santa hats on each of his little back plates.

we took groceries home and put them away, then ate a snack real quick to keep from feeling gross while we were out. we went to daiso and I was sent to wander separately so I couldn’t see what arin picked out, although I also ended up taking pictures of all the cute things I normally would have pointed at to arin to text to them XD (they said they were having trouble finding the things I was showing them and I sent them a long list of directions to where each thing was.) I bought a vase to go with the flowers for the vet, and a new water bottle for myself since my blue one is starting to get kind of noisy, and I got the snack bags for my stepbrother and my stepmom’s best friend, and a little extra thing to throw in with a friend’s daughter’s present. they had rilakkuma stationary, which I pointed out to arin as something to get for my mom because she really likes san-x in general (and sumikko especially). I also got a text from dad asking me to do gma’s christmas cards again this year.

we took the flowers to the vet’s office, and the person working the desk was very touched. c: the center for bird and exotic animal medicine in bothell is Very Good People, they were super good to us through mochi’s whole short-lived illness and we’re probably going to start taking the other ferrets to them for their vaccines even though it’s out of the way.

we thought we could be clever and find our way to the michael’s from the vet’s office, but we ended up going in circles for a little bit. we got there eventually though, and wreaths and garlands were both on a good sale so we picked out a garland and a wreath to wrap it around to hang on the door since we didn’t get to find a real one this year -n- arin thinks it’s cute, I feel like I could’ve wrapped the garland better. we used my wheelchair while we were there.

then we went to target and I was left to my own devices again so arin could look at things for me, I mostly looked at the clothing section. there were lots of cute sweaters and sweater dresses and pleated skirts TnT arin picked out lego sets for dad and sean while they were there. then once they’d put stuff in the car and come to get me and I foolishly sent them back for the wheelchair over nothing, we headed to the mall proper. also an employee complimented the kirby that lives on my bag :>

we went to the food court first for dinner, and they wanted caliburger but ended up just getting panda express because they didn’t want to stand in two lines and also didn’t want to carry their bag so I was supposed to stay at the table to watch stuff instead of being allowed to wheel myself around -n- I had honey walnut shrimp which was good as usual, fast food is very predictable which is part of the appeal. there was a sticker kiosk on the way there, which is a cute idea.

we ate and then went to look for the toy store where it used to be (it had moved and we’d passed it earlier but arin wasn’t sure it was the same toy store so we looked anyway) and got to go to the anime store which was just okay as anime stores go but they did have a pretty good selection of amuse plush. on our way to the next store we passed a hillshire farms kiosk which had my beloved smoked bacon cheddar (I’d checked for it at a target at some point this season but they didn’t have it :c ) and arin got a block of it for me~

then we went to bath and body works to get stuff for the pattys and kyla, I was allowed to wheel myself around in the store even though out in the hallways I can’t move at traffic speeds and am supposed to be pushed if I’m gonna use the chair (it’s a transport wheelchair, so I’m wheeling myself with my feet instead of my arms). on the way to bath and body works we passed a kiosk with more proactive sales folks and they referred to us as “ladies”.

then we actually went to the toy store, arin showed me a ball that had a really neat texture cuz it had like, those cellophane tinsel strands in it, so it was crinklycrunchy, but it wasn’t a ton of them, so it was really interesting. I’m pretty sure one ended up in the bag but it has mysteriously disappeared and if they wait long enough I may genuinely forget XD we also got a pretty metal puzzle for jeff.

I didn’t actually get any other shopping done, although I decided someone I was gonna buy a gift for I can’t afford any of the things I’d like to give them so I’m gonna make them something instead. (I made my gift list before the Vet Bills.) so I need to order stuff for sean, jeff, and dad, and continue making stuff.

also the new volume of yona was in the mailbox when I walked home while arin was getting gas next door so I could come open the garage for them :>