#half pound meatballs

[softpinkribbons]

Buca di Beppo Colossal Brownie Sundae- absolutely delicious, I go almost every year for my birthday because they give these out for free on their email list in your birthday month. Their staff are always the sweetest people and their half pound meatballs are just heaven 🤤

[redskull199987]

i have two so I'll probably send them separately, but at the same time I feel like that would be a lot of notifications (also fem reader please); #1 is giving mike schmidt head under his desk while he's at work and stuff , #2 is like playing with mike's hair and stuff to help him sleep and cuddling with him , and #3 is mike bending reader over his desk and going to down because he's had a pretty bad shift and needs to relieve stress. you can just do one or all, it's up to you

First of all, this is only one of these three requsts, the second one to be precise. The others will follow of course, don't worry. Until then, I hope that you enjoy this one. I had lots of fun writing this:D

So hear my Voice, remind you not to bleed

Mike Schmidt x fem!reader Request Word Count:1.3k Warnings:tooth rotting fluff,kissing and hugging, that’s all, slight movie spoilers Summary:You knew that your Boyfriend had trouble falling asleep, so you did everything you could to help him find his way into sweet sweet dreamland…

Masterlist

You felt like shit. At least, that was the short version. And the longer one wasn't even that much longer. To put it simply, you had an awfully long week. And that was probably an underestimation. 

You fought murderous animatronics, a creepy dude in a bunny costume, a feral cupcake and after all that shit, you barely escaped with your life. And while you were fortunate and had only obtained a few minor scratches and bruises here and there, Mike had a few life threatening flesh wounds and Vannesa was lucky to be alive at all, after her father had stabbed her.

Your Bones ached and your head was pounding, as you finally made your way home. Unfortunately, you couldn’t just ask your Boss to give you a few days off because you had several Animatronic-induced wounds scattered over your body. Heck, you were happy you didn’t just lose your job after not showing up for three days in a row. 

All you could do was tell them that you got involved in a car accident and that you and your boyfriend had been in the hospital for a few days. Much to your favor, they believed you and the fact that Vanessa was still in the Hospital only backed up your little lie.

Your Mind was still racing, as you reached your little Home. It was already dark outside, as you stepped into the comfort of your Apartment. You saw Lights coming from the Living Room and the Sound of the TV slowly made its way into your Brain and pushed away the gruesome memories of the Pizza-Plex.

“Mike?”, You shouted into the darkness,”Abby? I’m Home.”

You didn’t receive an answer, so you quickly discarded your shoes and Jacket and walked into the Living Room. Only now, you noticed Abby sitting in front of the Sofa, drawing with her Crayons and listening to the sound of the TV.

“Hey Abbs.”, You smiled and leaned down to greet the little Girl. She practically beamed at you and gave you a small hug.

“Have You eaten yet? Where’s Mike?”, You quickly asked again as you rose back to your feet.

“Yes, we had Spaghetti with meatballs.”, Abby stated happily,”And Mike said he was tired and went to sleep already. He told me I could stay up for a little bit longer:”

“Okay then.”, You mumbled, gently running a hand through Abby’s Hair,”I’ll go join your Brother in Bed. Don’t stay up too late, okay Love?”

Abby nodded at you profusely before turning her focus back on the Half finished Drawing in front of her. You looked at her once more, before deciding to finally go see your Boyfriend in your shared bedroom. You knew that he was always tired. Even before you started dating. You knew what you were getting yourself into.

 But after recent events, his insomnia seemed to get severely worse. He could barely fall asleep anymore and even if he did, he’d be awake again a few hours later, jumping up with heavy breaths and a sweaty forehead. You always tried to comfort him and be there for him, but you still felt like you weren’t doing enough. Like, you should do more. But you didn’t know how.

With a sigh, You slowly pushed your bedroom door open. You were surprised as you realized that the lights were still on and Mike was sitting in the middle of the Bed, still fully dressed.

“Mike?”, You asked with furrowed brows,”Are You okay, my Love?”

He didn’t answer you at first. Only as you got closer and sat down next to him, he looked at you.

“S-Sorry, must’ve been lost in my thoughts again. I didn’t notice you coming in.”, Mike explained. His voice was raspy and tired. With a soft smile, you grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly:”It’s okay, don’t worry. You wanna go to sleep?”

Mike only gave you a nod and got up to change into his sleeping attire,which consisted of a Shirt and some sweatpants. You quickly followed him over to the wardrobe and before he could pull off his hoodie, you carefully hugged him from behind, resting your head on his shoulder.

“I love You.”, you uttered against his skin. You could see how the hair on the back of his neck stood on end and the shiver that went down his spine.

“I love you too.”, Mike answered, taking a hold of your hands and turning around in your embrace. For the first time today he gave you a smile. A lazy one, but you saw that it was genuine. You quickly leaned forward, planting a kiss on his cheek, before you connected your lips with his in a tender kiss. You felt his hands wander to your waist and he pulled you closer. Warmth radiated off of his Body, while his lips worked against your own in passion.

As you finally parted due to the lack of oxygen, both Mike and you were panting against each other's lips. It was quiet for a few minutes and no one said anything, while the two of you just enjoyed each other's company.

But then you reached for the hem of his hoodie and as Mike realized what your plan was, he obediently raised his arms, so that you could pull the hoodie off of his body. After you let the Hoodie fall to the Floor, Mike grabbed the Hem of your sweater and the two of you repeated the whole action, but with your roles reversed this time. 

It didn’t take long, until you were both in your sleeping attires after you lazily helped changing each other.

With a drowsy smile, You grabbed Mike’s hand and pulled him back towards the bed. You had of course noticed that his expression wasn’t really the happiest, as he was afraid of having nightmares again. He had told you about them. It was always the same. He saw Abby, Vanessa or You getting stabbed by William Afton and there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t move or scream. He just had to witness it.

“Come here.”, You mumbled and held out your hand as you saw that Mike was hesitating to lay down. His gaze wandered from the sheets to your face and it seemed like the soft smile you gave him did the trick on him. He gently grabbed your hand and let himself be pulled down by you. As his head was laying comfortably in the crook of your neck and your hands were slowly brushing through his hair, Mike let out a deep sigh.

“It’s okay. I’m here with you, Mike.”, You mumbled into his ear. You felt how his arms slung around your waist, pulling you closer.

“I know.”, Mike muttered under his breath,”You’re here.”

He took a deep breath in again, before you finally felt his body relax against yours. You quickly grabbed the blanket, pulling it over the two of you.

“Just concentrate on my voice.”, you said, soothingly rubbing his back with one hand, while the other still brushed through his hair to calm him down,“Listen to my voice. You’re not alone. I’m here with you.”,

“You’re here with me.”, Mike repeated quietly. You only nodded and continued to mumble sweet nothings into his ear. And within Minutes, you felt his grip on you loosen ever so slightly, while his breath became more even.

With a soft smile, You kissed the crown of his head once more, before also letting your eyes fall shut. If Mike could sleep, you could sleep too. And if he woke up, You would wake up too, no matter what.

[eyeofnewtblog]

Things that happen at home:

Circa ten years ago

My dad: Hey! I got promoted!

Me and my mom:….ok but what is actually appropriate? Balloons. Helium is too expensive. All the frozen organic beef in the second freezer because dad is from a ranch family! Yes! We will cook! Meatballs buttered noodles, and meatloaf, lots of onions and maple syrup!

My dad: I’m going hunting as a celebration, I’ll be back with my filled antelope tag in a week and a half

My mom: Well, that solves that problem.

Me, a college student at the time: I literally have two pounds of potatoes, what do I do with this?

My mom: if you honestly can’t remember all the recipes I taught you, call my mom and dad for help. Do you…no, here’s the house phone, they’re going to love walking you through everything. Why are you asking Irish immigrants and their descendants for potato recipes? I love you sweetheart. I love you so much.

Me, now, looking at a potato: Who’s the bitch now? I can flay you seven ways from Sunday. You’re going to look like shit but taste amazing. Fuck yeah. Or you. Eh.

[aetherbladedstick]

Either 20 or 93 with 20/93 because kriedbanajad forever

HEHEHEEEE THIS WAS AMAZINNNGGG ok so i went with 20 - Press Conference (from Chess the Musical Original Concept Album (but must be the original (black album cover) if you intend to listen - the version from the "Chess in concert" is way less fun bc the tempo is vastly slower.)) [also for the record 93 was I See Fire but a cover] and i think i love this. there is an amazing line in this song that is SO igor and would go great in a DRAMATIC igor contract fic imo but as it is the vibes worked very well (imo) for kreidbanejad. i hope you like it! under the cut etc etc

There's something outrageous about having to do press conferences. They're kind of awful at all times, but they're particularly awful now - in the middle of losing and rumors and all kinds of shitty fucking things that people want to dig into Mika about. The press wants a story. Mika wants to live in relative fucking peace.

Rangers management is only happy to facilitate one of those, and it's not Mika's goddamn peace.

He's kind of sick of it all - the hounding questions, the incessant reports that they're going to take Chris from him, the nonstop queries about his slump. He wants to go home, though if pressed - hah. - he probably wouldn't be able to define what 'home' means.

He wants to live in a world where he skates with Chris every night, and nobody asks him if he thinks he's past his prime, or if he thinks he's being paid more than he's worth. He wants to go home - home being not fucking here, right now.

The media has always been full of assholes, but this particular year seems worse than all the rest. Maybe it's because his tolerance has gone down - after all, he got used to a world where even Rangers beat wasn't allowed in the locker room - but maybe it's because the world seems to be staring down his throat, scrutinizing his every move. He feels, sometimes, like he's in a fucking shark tank, even when he's not reading the news.

So it's peaceful when he gets to sit next to Chris, at least, for this ridiculous interrogation. He avoids calling on the men he knows don't like him - and who, for the record, he barely likes in return. He mostly avoids commenting on trades, and mostly avoids commenting on loss, and tries not to scream, "You weren't even this fucking critical of Quinner," mostly because he knows it's inappropriate.

They're going to twist anything he says anyway, so when he retreats to a room where only Sam and the Rangers are allowed, it feels like peace. He talks to Sam about how he tried baking cinnamon buns to bring in, but they didn't make it past Chris, and Sam laughs, and Sam leaves, because Sam, at least, has some decency.

Chris leaves early - lucky fucker, though Mika knows he's not - and Mika stays late, biking and lifting and trying not to scream. He lets the pounding 5/8 rhythm in his head keep him going, and he tries not to yell his frustrations to the world, and when he finally emerges from his music-fueled lifting session, he drives home.

Home smells like meatballs and pasta and apple pie, because Chris Kreider loves him too much. (Kreids would say there's no such thing. Mika would say that Kreids is probably the most attentive boyfriend on the planet, and he'd go viral on TikTok for half of the bullshit he does for Mika. Krieds would say it's not bullshit. They've had this discussion.)

Also, Kreids has apparently blocked all the news websites from their internet in the last 4 hours, and laughs at Mika when he discovers it. Mika is reminded of how Chris can justify throwing a five hundred dollar iPad to protect his peace, and feels that perhaps, this is only just slightly left of being utterly absurd behavior.

Chris Kreider, sometimes, is so fucking lucky Mika loves him. (Kreids would say he is always so fucking lucky that Mika Zibanejad chose him, out of everyone in the world, but then again, Kreids is a giant sap, so. There's that.)

[icycoldninja]

so happy you're rested again to do requests! how have you been? ^^ <3

can i request some mgs4 raiden fluff? he's trying to learn to cook and do househusband duties because his gf/wife usually comes home late and has no energy to make dinner after tinkering away in a lab all day for work

Oh absolutely, enjoy!

Learning to be a househusband (MGS4!Raiden x Wife!Reader fluff)

Wearing a bright pink, frilly apron that he'd stolen from your closet, Raiden rocketed into the kitchen, determination set into his half human, half metal features. He had decided a while ago that today, he would make dinner for you, his hardworking wife, since you came home very late nearly every day and deserved a hot meal. Since Raiden was currently off duty and free to laze about the house as long as he wanted, he figured making dinner (in this case, spaghetti and meatballs) for you was the least he could do.

After studying the recipe sheet he'd printed out, Raiden set to work, first gathering his materials, then filling a pot with water. He didn't know how much water to put into the pot, since the recipe didn't specify, so he filled the entire pot to the brim. He reasoned that since water evaporates when heated, it made sense to fill the pot with as much water as possible. Once he set that on the stove, Raiden got to work making the sauce. This part was easy since the recipe gave him very clear instructions.

Very soon, the water began to boil. To Raiden's complete and utter surprise, the pot overflowed, water bubbling up and out, drenching the stove. Raiden quickly grabbed the pot handles and dumped some of the water into the sink before hastily returning the pot to the stove. All seemed to be well now, so Raiden figured it was time to add the salt, which he did, a whole cup of it.

Next came the pasta, Raiden reasoned. In his gusto, he didn't read the package he grabbed and ended up dumping a whole pound of fettuccine into the pot. That's fine, he thought. Fettuccine works just as well as spaghetti--besides, his meatballs were gonna be so good, you probably wouldn't even notice.

The meatballs turned out better than he thought. Once again, the recipe was very explicit in its instructions, leaving little room for error. Even though there was a huge mess of raw meat and spices all over the counter and cutting board, the meatballs themselves cooked up perfectly. Raiden was extremely proud of himself for managing this alone, so much so that he forgot the pasta was still on the stove.

Had he not remembered in that exact moment, the pasta would have disintegrated into mush. Thankfully the cyborg managed to drain the soggy pasta before it got any softer, much to his relief. After rooting around in the fridge for a jar of pasta sauce, Raiden drenched the meatballs in the tomato-y goodness and heaved a grateful, content sigh. Almost as if on cue, Raiden heard the rumble of your car engine as you neared home.

Giddy with glee, Raiden raced to the door to welcome you in, eager for you to try the food he made all by himself.

"Oh, hey Raiden," You said, grinning. "You look...umm..." You looked him up and down, settling on his clearly stolen apron. "Interesting." You finished, lamely.

"I've made dinner." Raiden announced, a slight crack of happiness in his voice. "Come eat." Smiling, you set down your bag(s) and followed your husband into the kitchen, where he was already plating the fettuccine--which had begun to stick together because he'd forgotten to add oil after draining it. The pasta was now mostly a clumpy lump that needed to be cut with a knife in order to be plated. Raiden's nails tactical claws made it very difficult for him to hold the knife properly, so he gave up and used his own sword to slice the pasta.

It took 30 whole minutes, but he finally managed to wrestle the glued together noodles into a bowl, ladle some meatballs and sauce over it, and even grate a few shavings of parmesan cheese on top.

"Enjoy," He said, with a perfectly straight face.

"Thanks for this," You replied, still with a bright smile.

It wasn't a 5-star gourmet meal and the pasta was too salty and gummier than candy, but Raiden put time and effort into making this dish for you because he loved you, and you loved him for that. It'd take some time, but you were sure witjn diligent learning and proper training, Raiden could become a capable househusband.

[rubywillkins]

Hello, there! First of all, congratulations on opening your new café! I hope it will grow.

Anyways, can I get a dark mocha with whipped cream? Ooh, and i like my mild Oat and Whole also. For appetizers, can i get meatballs with a side of cheese sticks, if that's okay? And for mains, can I get Butter Fried Chicken with a side of Potato Gnocchi. Ooh, for my water I'll have sparkling, mineral, and club soda. It's for me and Isack Hadjar on table 6.

Thank you so so much and congrats ☺☺

Sure darling ♥️

Isack Hadjar|

Endless Roads and Eternal Love

Pairing Isack Hadjar × female

Dark Mocha dating whipped cream sweet sex oat milk fingering whole milk hand job meat balls body worship cheese sticks Praise kink Butter fried chicken "slowly, baby, I'm not going anywhere" potato gnocchi "shh, just look at me, baby" sparkling water aftercare mineral water cuddles club soda pillow talk

The sun was just dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, as Isack revved the engine of his sleek sports car. Y/N sat in the passenger seat, her hair slightly tousled by the breeze that sneaked in through the half-open window. The scent of leather and his cologne filled the air, creating an intoxicating mix that made her heart race almost as much as his driving.

The long drive was their escape—away from the cameras, the team, and the relentless pressure of his F1 career. It was just them, the open road, and the hum of the engine beneath them.

As they cruised along a winding coastal route, the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below added a soothing rhythm to their evening. Isack glanced at her every so often, his smile soft but full of mischief. "You’re awfully quiet tonight," he teased, reaching over to intertwine his fingers with hers.

"I’m just enjoying this," Y/N replied, her voice as soft as the ocean breeze. "It’s perfect."

He pulled over at a secluded overlook, the headlights casting a warm glow on the rocky terrain. He helped her out of the car, his hand lingering on her waist as he guided her to the edge of the lookout. The stars had begun to peek out, twinkling in the vast sky above.

"It’s beautiful," she whispered, leaning into him.

"Not as beautiful as you," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her temple. His hand slid around her waist, pulling her closer, their silhouettes merging against the backdrop of the sea and stars.

The night unfolded with laughter, shared secrets, they both looking each other... Realising how much they love eachother.. its stupid because they are together from very long time but still every moment like this.. they realise how much they love eachother...

They both slowly started kissing each other his hand slowly opening her dress... And her hand rubbing his tip... While making out you put your hand in his boxer slowly..and slowly massaging his penis with your fingers up and down... He was moaning while kissing you... He slowly started to massage and press your ass... Slowly while your hand was busy trailing his big member.

After giving him a solid handjob he slowly removes his and all your clothes... You both were naked... Instead of worrying he was enjoying it...

He slowly held your 1 leg in his arm spreading your leg while you both were standing...

He inserted his two fingers inside you... Thursting in and out... In and out... Making you moan... At this point you don't care even if someone catches both of you...

After sometime you came on his hand He removed his hand and inserted his dick instead...

In the same position he was fucking you... Pounding into you like there is no Tommorow... Even tho you it seems a bit rough he was quite gentle..

He liked it when you both have eye contact while he is fucking you...

"shh, just look at me, baby"

He wanted your bog doe eyes to look at his eyes...

After sometime he turned you around and inserted his big member inside your vagina form behind.... This time he was a bit faster... He is faster when he wants to cum eagerly... He was so needy at this point...

He just wanted to cum inside you while thursting inside you his one hand was on your waist and one was kneeding your breast..

"slowly, baby, I'm not going anywhere"

You said... Because you wanted him to be a bit slow.. so he makes his moment slow for a while but after sometime he was fast again...

Pounding into your pussy like it was the last time he is going to be inside you...

And tha both of you came together...

Later That Night

The air in their cozy villa was thick with the heat of their earlier intimacy. Y/N lay tangled in the sheets, her cheeks flushed, her body still humming with the aftermath of their passion. Isack, propped up on one elbow beside her, let his gaze roam over her with a mix of reverence and hunger.

“You’re perfect,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. His fingers traced the curve of her waist, lingering as if he couldn’t bear to let go.

She rolled her eyes playfully. “You say that all the time.”

“Because it’s true,” he countered, his tone serious now. “Every inch of you, Y/N… you drive me crazy. The way your skin feels, the way you fit against me—it’s like you were made for me.”

A blush crept across her cheeks, but she couldn’t look away from the adoration in his eyes.

“You don’t even realize how stunning you are, do you?” he continued, his lips grazing her collarbone as his hand slid down her thigh, caressing her soft skin. “I could look at you forever and still not get enough.”

She laughed softly, her fingers threading through his hair. “You’re obsessed.”

“Completely,” he admitted without hesitation, his lips curving into a smirk. “But can you blame me?”

When their laughter subsided, Isack slipped out of bed, returning with a warm, damp towel and her favorite lotion. “Stay just like that,” he said, his voice tender.

He started at her shoulders, gently cleaning her skin with the towel, his movements slow and deliberate. “You deserve to be pampered,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to her temple as he worked.

His hands were warm as they smoothed the lotion over her arms, down her legs, and along the curves he adored so much. Every stroke of his fingers was accompanied by whispered praise.

“Your skin is so soft,” he murmured, his eyes drinking her in. “Every part of you feels like heaven.”

She let out a contented sigh, her body relaxing completely under his care. “You really don’t have to do all this,” she said, though her tone was more grateful than protesting.

“I want to,” he insisted, meeting her gaze. “Taking care of you is the least I can do. You give me everything, Y/N—your love, your trust, your time. Let me give you this.”

When he was finished, he pulled the covers up around her and settled back into bed. He reached for her, pulling her against him so her head rested on his chest.

With her fingers tracing the outline of his abs, Y/N tilted her head to look up at him. “You know, you spoil me,” she teased, her voice soft and playful.

He smirked, brushing his lips against her hair. “And I’m just getting started.”

She giggled, but her laughter turned to a quiet sigh as his hand slid down her back, resting possessively on her hip. “You’re so perfect,” he whispered again, his voice almost reverent. “Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you.”

“You’re one to talk,” she replied, resting her chin on his chest so she could look into his eyes. “You’re kind, thoughtful, and ridiculously talented. You could have anyone.”

“I don’t want anyone else,” he said firmly, his thumb stroking her hip. “It’s you, Y/N. You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel this way.”

She smiled, her heart swelling with emotion. “You make me feel safe, Isack. Loved. Like I’m the most important person in the world.”

“That’s because you are,” he said without hesitation. His fingers brushed her cheek, his gaze never leaving hers. “You’re my world, Y/N. My reason for everything."

They talked for what felt like hours, sharing dreams, fears, and promises. Isack couldn't stop himself from slipping in more compliments , unable to hold back how much he adored her.

Finally, as her eyes grew heavy, he kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you more than words can ever say."

"I love you too," she replied, her voice a sleepy murmur.

And with their bodies entwined, hearts full, and minds at peace, they drifted into deep, blissful sleep.

[loverrofmineee]

The Parting Glass - Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal x OC

AO3 | Summary | Previous Chapter

Chapter 8- Everything... In Its Own Time

Though Sorcha would never admit it to anyone but herself, she missed Bucky. 

Buck had managed to convince the brass to send his pal on a two-day leave, much to Bucky’s dismay. Both Sorcha and Buck had to deal with incessant complaining from their friend before he left, attempting to convince them to join him. 

“-absolutely not,” Sorcha shook her head as Bucky perched himself on the mess table she was sitting at. “I have things to do here, plus I don’t think the brass would appreciate me taking another leave. It’s not like I’m some hotshot pilot who can do whatever whenever he wants.”

Bucky’s eyes sparkled with mirth as his smile widened at his friend's teasing, “It helps to have friends in high places Devs, ‘specially ‘hotshot pilot’ places.” 

“Need I remind you that you got yourself demoted?” Sorcha raised her eyebrows at Bucky, who to his credit, seemed to enjoy her blunt but harmless ribbing. “I don’t think Harding would appreciate you using special privileges you no longer have.”

“C’mon, Devs. Harding loves me. M’sure he wouldn’t mind if I asked for an extra pass. I’ll say that I need someone to keep me in check!” 

“God knows you need that, but you won’t find it in me,” Sorcha teased, trying to put the conversation to bed. “I don’t think any girl you find out on the town would appreciate having me in tow. I’d hate to ruin your chances.” 

Bucky seemed to consider her point for a moment, exaggerating his contemplation by pulling a face, eyebrows creasing together in combination with the frown lines etched on his face, though a small smile tugging on his lips betrayed the name. Sorcha had half a mind to laugh at his obvious display for attention but realized she was getting some unkind looks from a table of Red Cross girls next to her. 

Gently putting a hand on his arm, Sorcha regained Bucky’s attention, “John,” she spoke softly, “I think it’ll be good for you to get away for a weekend, especially by yourself. There’s a good reason Buck and Harding chose this for you. Just revel in having a good time, ok?”

A faint sigh sounded from Bucky as he took in his friend's words, all sense of lighthearted teasing thrown out the window. He offered Sorcha a small smile as he stood, “You win, Devs. I’ll see you before I go.” 

“I promise to write you a thousand letters!” Sorcha teased as Bucky left, not wanting to end the conversation with such seriousness. His back was turned to her, but she knew he was laughing due to the rising and falling of his shoulders, giving her satisfaction as she turned back to her breakfast.

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

It was a rowdy night in the officers club, the air a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. The replacement crews would be going on their first mission soon, giving them a reason to have a semi-wild night out. Sorcha had planned to have a quiet night in with the other girls, but there was something in the air that made everyone on base spark with anticipated electricity. Due to these circumstances, Sorcha found herself tucked away in a somewhat quiet corner with Meatball. She was busy running her fingers through Meatball's fur when Buck sat in the seat next to her, quietly announcing his presence with a small grunt, the aged leather seat squeaking under his weight.

“Bad day?” Sorcha tipped her head at the man to her side, taking in his seemingly tired mood. Buck wasn’t a vibrant man, usually remaining stoic unless someone, Bucky, elicited a grin from him. Still, Sorcha saw that his demeanor seemed quieter than usual.

A dry chuckle fell from Buck’s mouth as he looked at Sorcha, “Could ask the same thing to you,” Nodding to the others, who appeared to be in a lively drinking contest, Buck continued, “Why aren’t you over there?”

Sorcha briefly surveyed the scene, watching as Shiv and Aileen pounded back shots beside the replacements, yelling about some sort of pre-mission initiation. She was surprised to see Lil joining them, her arm slung around Croz as she forced him to participate. The wild illustration elicited a laugh from Sorcha, turning back to Buck, “Any other night I would, but I’m not up for it today.”

“Wonder why.”

Sorcha couldn’t miss the teasing smile on Buck’s face, something that was often rare, but charming when it appeared. Normally she would wave his teasing off, but his cadence gave him away, knowing that he was teasing himself as well. There was an unspoken understanding between the two. Their middle ground was missing, giving them reason to be somewhat reclusive tonight. 

“As much as it would boost his ego, I do miss him.” Sorcha sighed before switching her tone, “Don’t tell him I said that though.”

Buck let out a bark of laughter at Sorcha’s franticness, shaking his head at her. “If anyone thinks John doesn’t need an ego boost, it’s you and I.” 

“You didn’t swear not to tell him,” Sorcha pressed, her voice betraying her serious face.  

Sorcha couldn’t miss the eye-roll from Buck as she extended her hand to him, folding her fingers until only the pinky was raised. “Pinky promise?” 

Buck sized up Sorcha’s extended hand, taking in the sincerity of her tone and face. Her hopeful yet stern eyes clearly conveyed that her offering was serious, and her method was not to be questioned. Slightly chucking under his breath, Buck mimicked Sorcha’s hand, intertwining their fingers together for a brief moment before Sorcha was satisfied. “You’re a good man, Gale Cleven. Not many men, let alone majors would undertake such a serious covenant.” 

“If there’s anything I’ve learned throughout my life, it’s never to break a woman's trust.”

“Well then,” Sorcha began before taking a sip of her drink, “Marge is one lucky woman.”

A wistful sigh came from Buck at the mention of his girl's name. In an instant, his tired expression was replaced with one of love and adoration. The change in his demeanor was a clear indicator of how lovestruck he was, causing a small smile to creep onto Sorcha’s lips. “Tell me about her.”

Buck didn’t need the prompt to go on and on about Marge, but he easily welcomed the question. “She’s… everything. I know it sounds vague, but she truly is everything. She’s unfailingly warm, but when she’s upset, good luck.” Buck laughed to himself, trying his best to describe the woman he loved most in his life. 

“What do you miss most about her?” Sorcha softly posed the question, not wanting to break the bubble of trust and softness they were currently occupying. 

“Her smile.” Buck grinned to himself, “I have photos of her in my bunk, but nothing beats watching her smile rise on her face. That’s the moment I knew I was in love with her. On one of our first dates, I made some throwaway joke, but she found it hilarious. I just thought she was politely grinning up until then, nodding along to whatever I was saying, but once the joke landed her smile grew ten sizes bigger. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing.”

Sorcha listened to Buck intently, feeling her heart swell as he spoke. She felt as if she was being read poetry or a romance novel by the way Buck talked about Marge. Seeing the creases of his eyes grow larger with his smile, something so honest and real that nearly caused tears to fill her eyes. 

“She sounds amazing. Though after listening to you I’m not sure there’s one word that can describe her.”

“Everything” Buck quipped, the smile on his face somehow still growing.

“Yeah, everything.” Sorcha smiled as she took another sip of her drink. The two fell into a comfortable bout of silence, watching as their friends continued acting like high-schoolers, throwing shots back and spilling beer over one another. 

“Can I ask you a question?” 

Sorcha turned to Buck, nodding and giving him permission to continue. 

“I know your whole stance on this, but would you want-”

“- something like you and Marge have?” Sorcha picked up on the nature of Buck’s question, opting to finish it herself. Buck nodded in response, watching Sorcha’s face contort as she thought about how to go about answering. 

“Contrary to popular belief, I am a romantic at heart. Honestly, I’ve always been. My parents have a wonderful relationship, raising my siblings and me in a house full of love. Like any family, their views on love and relationships rubbed off on us. Cormack’s always been the one who wears his heart on his sleeve. He had a new crush every week, it was pretty cute for a while.” Sorcha chuckled as she reminisced, ”My Mum and Dad have always been my prime example of what love is supposed to look like. They’ve been through the ups and downs together, balancing each other out. I’ve been lucky to witness a relationship as special as theirs. It's not that I’m saving myself for that perfect person who can mirror what I see as a ‘perfect’ romance, but I’d rather not lose myself to heartbreak in these circumstances. I’m self-aware enough to know that even if I did fall in love here, there’s a high chance that I would lose the guy in less than 3 months.”

Sorcha took in Buck’s crestfallen expression as she ended her rant. She felt a sudden surge of guilt for her words, “Sorry, that got depressing. All I mean is that I’ve seen so many girls fall in love, only to lose the man.”

“I understand. But isn’t it better to have love for a moment than to close yourself off completely?” Buck spoke as if he was stating a simple fact, “I know what my odds are, but it didn’t stop me from coming over. Marge and I may be miles apart, but it’s the thought of her love that keeps me going. It’s all worth it.”

Taking in Buck’s words, a semblance of realization crossed Sorcha’s face. It’s not like anything he said was revolutionary, but hearing it from the other side loosened her tight grip on the credo she carried overseas. 

“Now I’m not asking you to throw yourself at the next pilot that comes along,” Buck gave Sorcha a faux stern look, “but don’t be wary to get to know them.”

“I know,” Sorcha sighed, giving Buck a reassuring smile that let him know his words weren’t falling on deaf ears. “I just- I need to take everything at my own pace.”

“No need to convince me, Devs. I know how you are.”

Warmth rose in Sorcha’s chest at his comforting smile and words. It was nice to have someone truly know her. Sure Bucky and the girls did, but there was only so much she could tell them. She and Buck held a common understanding, reserving conversations for just the two of them. 

“You know, while we’re being serious and all, you’re kind of like an older brother to me. I don’t actually have one but you’re what I imagine they’re like.”

Buck chuckled at her statement, rolling his eyes teasingly at her sincerity. While the bluntness of her comment wasn’t typical, Sorcha knew Buck would appreciate it. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Please do!”

Before the pair could strike up another conversation, Buck was called by Blakely along with a plethora of pilots to join them at the bar. It seemed that the ‘initiation’ for the recruits now shifted responsibilities to getting the higher-ranking officers to join in. Sorcha laughed to herself as she caught sight of Croz and Bubbles being shoved around by Shiv and Aileen, large smiles upon all their faces. 

“Care to join in, little sister?” Buck extended a hand as he stood, a teasing smile on his face once more. 

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

“Can you believe they’re doing this again?” Aileen asked as she spun in her desk chair,

The men had left for their second attempt at Bremen only a few hours ago. Sorcha had managed to spot Buck and his crew at breakfast, wishing them luck on what she knew would be a heavy journey. She tried finding Rosie amongst the men, but couldn’t see him or his crew anywhere. Sorcha had wished him luck on his first mission, which had gone successfully, but wanted to give him a little extra luck today.

“As much as I’d like to say no, the realist in me knows it has to be a yes.” Lilibet sighed as she continued to file away. 

“If we’re going to be talking about the men, can we at least do it in a fun, romantic, gossipy way?” 

“Shiv!” Lilibet chided, only deepening Shiv’s smirk.

“I agree.” Aileen piped as she scooted her chair closer to the girls.

“I want to hear about what Anika and Benny were getting up to the night they ditched the officers club.”

Scarlet flushed Anika’s cheeks as the attention shifted to her, giggles surrounding the group as they gauged her reaction. “Well, we just had a night to ourselves is all.”

“Bullshit.” Shiv deadpanned, “We all know it was more than that.” 

“Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. I’m not one to divulge my personal secrets.”

Aileen and Shiv groaned, slumping in their seats as they attempted to get information out of Anika. The girls continued to pry for a few more minutes until Anika finally caved in. They spent the next few minutes in fits of giggles in between gossip as they teased Anika over her relationship with Benny, as well as some secrets shared in confidence about the man. Sorcha was chuckling alongside Lilibet as Anika teased how Benny acts around her versus his crew when Jack Kidd cleared his throat to announce his presence. 

“Would you ladies mind if I pulled Sorcha away for a moment?” 

She quickly nodded, too wrapped up in her joyous state to notice Jack’s usage of her first name. She also failed to notice his worried expression and frown which was much deeper than usual. Sorcha barely questioned his shaky hands and anxious demeanor as he pulled her into a quiet hallway, assuming he was nervous about some external issue. 

“Jack,” Sorcha placed a hand on his arm to try and settle his nerves, “What’s wrong?”

“I have to tell you something.”

[petermorwood]

Hey, since cloning technology is good enough for them to create mammoth meatballs but not the entire mammoth yet, which prehistoric animal do you feel like taking a bite of?

Given where I was born, and where @dduane and I currently live, I think some Giant Irish Elk venison would be about right.

Enough for the entire clan with plenty of leftovers and a Handy Thing To Hang Stuff From.

*****

Which leads via Memory Lane to a funny by John M. Ford, who used to post such things - along with witticisms, wise observations and poetry - on Making Light.

He produced these in the same way a bonfire produces sparks: random, unexpected, brilliant and without apparent effort - though like the graceful swan on the river, I bet there was a lot of work going on out of sight. Or maybe not. Mike was that good.

For instance, he wrote THIS just to comment on another post...

I saved everything I could find offline because You Can Never Tell about online stuff, and also because there was, for a time, doubt - happily, It Got Better - that ANY of his writing would ever be seen again.

(Dammit, just like Terry Pratchett I HATE having to refer to Mike in past tense...)

And now, the funny (original archived Here). I've been assured that This Recipe Will Work, though the assurance also came with a strong suggestion about reducing the ingredient quantities More Than Somewhat.

*****

Hot Gingered Pygmy Mammoth & Jumbo Shrimp Salad

Feeds your whole tribe.

1 pygmy mammoth, boned and cubed (about 1 ton) 1 ton jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (many many ordinary shrimps, or one Ebirah claw) 10 buckets sesame seeds 60 pounds bean thread noodles if you are an Eastern tribe, whatever your tribe uses for noodles otherwise. If you have not yet invented the noodle, this might be a good time to do so. 1 bucket vegetable oil 1 bucket sesame oil Salt 10 buckets minced fresh ginger 6 buckets minced garlic 15 buckets dry Sherry 15 buckets rice wine vinegar 60 pounds sugar 60 buckets diced fresh mangoes 15 buckets chopped green onions Big Snorgul's helmet full of red pepper flakes 10 buckets chopped fresh cilantro, plus 5 Big Snorgul's helmets fresh cilantro, garnish 1000 large heads lettuce, cored and leaves separated (a raid on the People Who Grow Stuff may be necessary) 30 buckets thinly sliced, peeled, seeded, drained cucumbers, or just chop up the damn cucumbers and say "Fie to thee!" a lot All the chives you got

Preheat a giant turtle shell over a fumarole. A big giant turtle. Put some oil in there. Make sure no other giant turtles are around to see you do this.

On a flat rock, stirring with your Stick of the Dining God, dry cook the sesame seeds over medium heat until they are brown and smell good. Remove from the heat. Add the noodles to the turtle shell and fry fast until puffy and the color of sunrise. Remove from the oil and drain on non-itchy leaves. Throw salt. Set aside.

Sear the mammoth meat on the flat rock. Salt but don't overdo it, you remember what happened to the Chest-Clutching Tribe of the Plains. Drain.

Get a less giant turtle shell. Okay, think of this as a celebration dish for a good turtle hunt and shrimp catch. Make the vegetable oil and most of the sesame oil dance. Add the shrimp, mammoth, ginger, and garlic, and cook fast, stirring, until the shrimp are just pink and firm. Doom of Ten Thousand Wretched Canapés awaits those who overcook shrimp. Remove from the shell with pole weapons. Add the sherry and vinegar, and sing the Song of Deglazing over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir until it is one with the sauce. Cook until half the fluid is gone. Feed anybody who thinks this is waste to the giant turtles. Add the rest of the sesame oil, mangoes, green onions, and pepper flakes, and stir to warm through and wilt. No, this wilt is good. Tell the people it is the wilt of the Wilt God. You need all the mojo you can get. Remove from the heat and add the shrimp and ginger, and the cilantro. Stir to warm through and do the Highly Dramatic Ritual of Adjusting the Seasoning to Taste.

Now your tribal status is on the thin edge of the cleaver. Have everybody bring what they eat off of. You know your tribe. Put lettuce on whatever they hold out and spread the hot stuff on it. Those who have no eating platters should be used to the drill by now. Arrange cucumber slices on top in whatever symbolic pattern seems propitious to you and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. If you have a really tough tribe, yell "Bam!" until they get a groove going. Add fried noodles, cilantro sprigs, and chives, and watch for any signs of people keeling over that can't be blamed on strong drink.

[timetraveltasting]

MINUTAL MATIANUM (ROMAN PORK WITH APPLES, 1st c.)

It's a been a tougher week than usual - my husband broke his leg and had surgery, and I'm dealing with some dental pain - but amongst it all, I thought it would be a good idea to treat ourselves with a Tasting History dish that is especially hearty and comforting: Minutal Matianum (Roman Pork with Apples). From the quintessential Roman source by Apicius from the 1st c., De Re Coquinaria, this meat dish is made using ingredients that would have been available to Roman soldiers in Britain, near forts in the area of Hadrian's Wall. This hearty dish was probably closer to what the officers of the Roman army would have eaten rather than the foot soldiers, however. I decided to make this dish because my husband and I have enjoyed most of the Roman recipes I've made so far, and Max exclaimed this was the best Roman dish even he had made so far. We hope this dish provides us with the fortitude of a Roman soldier on the frontiers! See Max’s video on how to make the dish here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

As usual for me with Roman recipes, I struggled to compile all of the specific listed ingredients, but I did my best! I sourced a pork shoulder from our local butcher, and for the ground meat, I used a mix of 60% beef and 40% pork (a very common mixture here in Germany). For the pork roast rub, I used oil, a bit of salt, lots of pepper, and a tablespoon and a half of linden tree blossom honey. For the meatballs, I didn't use any egg to bind them, as I didn't have any on hand. Instead of garum, I used an Asian fish sauce (which Max suggests as a substitute). For the apples, I used some sweet Pink Lady apples (which I definitely snacked on while I was cooking). Instead of the long pepper Max used, I used the tablespoon of peppercorns. I decided to omit the asafoetida completely, as I couldn't find it at 4 different supermarkets, including the bio-supermarket and the Turkish supermarket. I've recently learned that I should look instead at an Indian supermarket, so now I'm on the hunt for one! I reduced grape juice myself to make defrutum, as Saba seems a little expensive. Instead of starch/cornflour, I used regular white flour, since I think they would function fairly similarly.

First, I set out making the rub for the pork roast. Nice and simple with olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey, I loved that I could customize this part to my tastes (give me that sharp pepper taste!). Next, because I didn't have a roasting rack, I made one myself out of tin foil by taking a large sheet, rolling it into a snake shape, and curving it into a zig-zag pattern on top of a layer of tinfoil at the bottom of my pan. It fit the pork perfectly, and then I added the rub and tossed it in the oven. My pork shoulder was just over 2 pounds, so I roasted it for just over 2 hours. While it was cooking, I rolled my meatballs (sans egg), ground my spices for the sauce in the mortar and pestle (which took awhile), and chopped and portioned the ingredients for the next steps. When the pork was almost done cooking, I began cooking the meatballs in olive oil, also adding in the leeks. I added in the chicken stock and garum, stirring to get any bits from the bottom to release their flavour.

While this cooked on the stovetop, the pork roast was ready to take out of the oven. It looked wonderful and smelled delicious! I let it sit for a little bit, then chopped it into cubes and added them to the pot with the meatballs. I added in the cilantro, then a little bit more chicken stock so the pork and meatballs were 3/4 submerged and sizzling nicely in the juices. I simmered it for 15 minutes, then added the apple chunks. I simmered it further, but for less than the 20 minutes in the recipe (more like 15). I portioned the meat and apples into our serving bowls to cool a little while I prepared the quick sauce, being sure to leave some of the juices in order to provide the base to the sauce. I added the juices, defrutum, white wine vinegar, garum, and honey to a pot, added the crushed spices/herbs, and brought it to a light boil, stirring often. I made a roux with some flour by mixing a bit of water into it, then added it to my sauce to thicken it. By the looks of it, I think I ended up thickening it a decent amount more than Max did, but I like a thicker sauce, so I wasn't too upset about that. I took it off the heat once it was combined and thickened, and drizzled it over the pork, meatballs, and apples. It looked absolutely scrumptious - the sauce added a nice silky shine to the meat, the leeks added a pretty green, the peppercorns some texture, and the apples a beautiful yellow and red pop of colour. I served the Minutal Matianum with a side Greek Salad to balance the heaviness of the meat.

My experience tasting it:

I made sure my first bite was with pork, apple, and some sauce - it was very tasty! The pork was tender enough, but I might have overcooked it just a little. Luckily, the tougher, hearty texture was balanced by the crisp and light flavour of the apple and the acidity, sweetness, spice-infused, and herbed flavour of the silky gravy-like sauce. Like Max mentioned, the sauce first tastes a bit sour due to the vinegar, but it melts into a sweetness from the defrutum and honey. It is still a very 'Roman' flavour of sauce - I could taste hints of the previous Roman sauces I have made in other dishes in this one, but this one was more like a gravy, and maybe more in line with the modern palate. In terms of herbs and spices, I found that peppercorn and cilantro were the most forward in the sauce - the mint and cumin were just barely there. I decided to make my next bite a meatball with some sauce, apple and leek: an absolute winning combo! I don't always have time to make a pork roast, so I can't see myself making Minutal Matianum often in its complete form, but I will most certainly make the sauce with apples and meatballs again in the future. Like Max, my husband and I both agreed this is our favourite of the Roman dishes I've made so far. This is a great meal for late fall/early winter, and I will probably make it again as the weather gets colder this fall. If you end up making this dish, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Long Pepper

Flor de Garum

Colatura di Alici (Garum substitute)

Saba (Defrutum)

Asafoetida

Minutal Matianum (Roman Pork with Apples) original recipe (1st c.)

Sourced from De Re Coquinaria by Apicius, 1st century.

Put oil, garum, stock, chopped leek and cilantro and small ground meatballs in a pot. Chop previously cooked shoulder of pork with skin into cubes. Cook all together. Half-way through cooking add cored and diced Matian apples. While it cooks, grind pepper, cumin, cilantro and coriander seed, mint, and silphium root, pour in vinegar, honey, garum, defrutum, and some of the cooking liquid. Adjust the flavors with vinegar. Bring to a boil. Add broken tracta to thicken. Sprinkle pepper and serve. 

Modern Recipe

Based on De Re Coquinaria by Apicius (1st c.) and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Roasted Pork

Pork shoulder

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Honey

Pork and Apples

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 lb (340g) ground pork or beef, shaped into 1” balls

1 cup chopped leek

1 cup (235ml) chicken stock, plus extra as needed

2 teaspoons garum*

Small handful chopped cilantro

1 lb (450g) roasted pork, cut into cubes

1 lb (450g) sweet apples, cored and cut into about 1” pieces

Sauce

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tsp chopped mint

4 long peppers or 1 tbsp of peppercorns

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1/4 cup (60ml) white wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp garum*

1/4 cup (60ml) defrutum**

1/4 cup (60ml) cooking liquid from the pork and apples

2 tsp starch or cornflour

*Garum was a fermented fish sauce that was used in a lot of ancient Roman cooking. You can buy a modern equivalent or use an Asian fish sauce.

**Defrutum was a 1/3 reduction of grape must. Today, Saba is pretty much the same thing. It can be expensive, so you can reduce some grape juice instead.

Method:

For the roasted pork: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a roasting rack on top of it.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, pepper, and honey. There should be enough to coat the pork roast. Adjust the amounts to your liking.

Brush the olive oil mixture onto the pork, then roast for 15 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 275°F (135°C) and cook for about an hour per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C).

For the pork and apples: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the meatballs and leeks and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they start to brown.

Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and garum. Toss in the cilantro and roasted pork. Add enough additional chicken stock so that it covers the bottom of the pot.

Simmer for 15 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.

Add the apples, then cook for another 20 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked.

For the sauce: Grind the spices and herbs with a mortar and pestle, then put them in a saucepan with the liquid ingredients. Stir together and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Mix the starch with a little water, then add it to the sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it thickens.

To serve: Dish the pork and apples into a bowl, drizzle with the sauce, and serve it forth.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Celebrating July 4th in Strange Times, Pt 2

Of a Too-hot Kitchen, the Sauce, the Meatballs, and the Tater Sallid.

I got goin' as soon as I felt caffeinated, glad I did, as far as time required to get things done. Had to tell my self not to lose focus or get distracted a few times, and things are done, except the oven-roasting of the chicken thighs slathered with The Sauce, which can happen about 5pm. By 1pm kitchen was too hot, so cooling breaks of running back to my room for five-ten mins and back out ensued.

First things first today: Start The Sauce & The Tater Sallid.

for The Sauce:

1 lg yellow onion, finely sliced, and then minced...very finely chopped!

Start clarifying that in about 2 tblspns butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in a teaspoon of salt and about the same in coarse-ground pepper.

6 -8 large cloves of garlic, finely minced, thrown into the pot with the butter and onion mix. Stir and don't let burn. You want extremely clarified onion/garlic bits, speckled with black pepper.

Once you get there, dump in 16 oz tomato sauce, stir and mix thoroughly.

Now pour in 1/2 cup Grandma's Molasses, stir in.

Add in 1 cup Heinz ketchup, and 1/4 cup white vinegar, stir vigorously.

Stir in 1 heaping teaspoon of coarse-stone-ground mustard.

Now pour in 1 cup strong black coffee. Stir it in until you've got a mixture that's pulling together.

Now keep on the back burner to "cook down" until it is a thick, viscous and clingy goo. Perfect for stickin' to da chicken.

Now throw on the potatoes to boil: 4 or 5 lbs of either red potatoes or goldens. You want a waxier tater for this, rather than a gritty one like a russet. Yeah...boil them quickly, salted water to cover by at least a couple inches. Twenty -thirty minutes tops. Until the skins are cracking. Drain and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

While that's happening, hard-boil 4-5 eggs, depending on what size they are. These were tiny mediums, so I'm using 5. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Voila. Peel.

Meanwhile, chop one big-ass RED onion, and 3 or 4 garlic dill pickles.

Once the taters have cooled some, hold them with a hot-pad in your palm, and roughly chop them. You want them still MOSTLY hot, but cool enough you don't hurt yourself. It's that mid-point that will give you the texture/feel you want.

Now, pour and sprinkle 2 handfulls of the dill pickle juice over the taters. Add the red onion, pickles and a jar of diced pimientos, plus some of the juice as well. Put the eggs in and the use a knife to rough-chop them as they sit atop the rest of the ingredients.

Now, add 1 1/4-1 1/2 cup HELLMAN'S or BEST FOODS MAYO. Period.

Now stir. Keep stirring, as you are folding all the ingredients together.

That's about the halfway point. Keep goin'...what you're lookin' for is this:

Now, Cover tightly and fridge for the rest of the day, until dinnertime.

Now make The Meatballs (which are tasty dipped in The Sauce!):

Do as you did for The Sauce, the clarified onion/garlic mix. Set aside to cool

In a big bowl, pour the following:

2 cups Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs

1 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Stir to mix.

Take a 2-cup Pyrex measure, and pour in 1 cup cold water.

Crack in 4 eggs...use a fork and break the eggs up, and distribute through the water. Pour into the bowl and stir into the dry ingredients. Add the onions and garlic (now cooled down.)

Crumble in a pound of ground beef and a pound of hot Italian Sausage. Now comes the fun part. Be four again and squish and squish until it all comes together as a solidly distributed mix.

Form into balls and bake at 350 for about a half hour and you get this:

Did I mention they're killer dipped in The Sauce?

lulz. OK. SO: Meatballs? Check! Sauce? Check! Tater Sallid? Check! It's about ten til four. I'm gonna shoot for a seven-seven-thirty eat time, so I'll start roasting the chicken about 5pm.

Which means I got an hour to CHILL in THE AC.

Will follow up with Pt 3 later.

Y'all chill.

[fuckkbrunch]

I thought this would be quick...

Please ignore my blurry headers, I swear I'm working on it.

So this is a two in one, since you need to make the sauce recipe from the back of the book as well. I hadn't banked on it still being 40°C outside, and as you may recall, my kitchen has no windows.

Luckily Tony says this sauce should take no more than 45 minutes, and ideally much less. The meatballs however, took quite some time.

I think this is entirely too much onion for meatballs, but maybe that's just me. I used some Sicilian oregano that I bought a few months back for my tiny, apartment style herb garden. Most of the herbs have died, but the oregano is still doing okay.

A pound each of ground veal, beef, and pork. Panko and eggs. Nothing fancy - oh, except my fancy garlic...

Look at these big honkin' cloves! Not shallots, garlic. I really got a deal at the farmers market last week. The guy wasn't lying when he said it's strong. Cook up the minced veg and herbs for a few minutes and cool them before mixing into the meat.

The formed meatballs chill for 15-60 minutes. I left them longer (2.5 hours) because I somehow threw my back out a little, and needed to take a time out. It kinda works out, since my fridge is working overtime in this crazy fucking 3 week heatwave.

Then, the sauce.

Of course, the week I need a bunch of Roma tomatoes, Costco is all out. Had to buy some depressing ones from the cheap grocery store. I let them sit at room temp for a few days so they could ripen as much as possible. Dunno if it helped, the skin was really hard to get off even after blanching and an ice bath.

Onward and upward. I splurged a little and got myself a case of San Marzano whole tomatoes. I think they helped make up for the sad Romas.

When the sauce is mostly ready, preheat your oven to 400° so that your apartment can get even more disgusting and unbearable. Now stick your head over an oily cast iron for a half hour and sear 27 meatballs on all sides.

The onions stuck to the pan and over cooked, so I had to clean the pan between batches. Not ideal.

Blitz your sauce with an immersion blender, then stir in 2 chunks of butter. Rip up your basil, stir, season and you're done.

I realized my roaster was too big for this many meatballs to sit deep enough in the wine and sauce mixture, if you can believe it. So I used the braising pan that I made the sauce in, and the cast iron that I seared the meatballs in. Both work just like a braising pan.

Don't believe the people who say you can't cook tomatoes in cast iron, they don't know shit.

Pour almost equal parts wine and pomodoro (a little more wine than sauce) around the meatballs and bake for 20 minutes. Yes, I was drinking white wine (with ice) from a whiskey glass while finishing this up. My entire being is just sweat and back pain at this point, I'm not fucking around anymore. We're in the homestretch.

Really good, fresh mozza, and some of that good parm I bought back in the winter. That wedge is probably going to last me the whole book.

His recipe says to put the bottom of the bun underneath the meatballs while they broil, but I'm not partial to burnt, soggy bread, and I hate when the top and bottom bun are fully separated. You need that back connection to hold the meatballs in! So I just broiled the balls with the cheese on top (my broiler fixed itself...?), and plopped them into the buns once the cheese looked nice. Add a bit of the reserved pomodoro to the bun.

Sure ain't beautiful, and it's hefty, but she's fuckin' tasty. Got a tiny bit soggy towards the end, but nothing fell or dripped onto my plate. Very clean meatball sub.

| Meatball Parm Hero & Pomodoro |

Taste is a 4 out of 5. The meatballs were pretty juicy, even though I hit a higher temp than Tony called for.

Difficulty is a 4 out of 5. The back pain may be clouding my judgment, but this is a lot for one day. Make your pomodoro in advance.

Time was hard to say. Without my extended break, I think this would have taken about 4 hours.

Tony calls for footlong semolina hero rolls with sesame seeds on them, split in half to serve two people each. The closest I could muster was 6 inch Italian style sausage buns with semolina. They got the job done pretty well, so I'm calling it. This recipe feeds at least 8 people.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #120

I did so much stuff today!!!!

…Okay, well actually I did only like 3 things today. But these things were very BIG things! I will talk about two of them, and then touch vaguely upon the third!

I will start with this morning! Because J and I went up in the sky in the little airplane today! We went to an airport that had a diner! I got an EPIC BREAKFAST!!! There was steak and eggs and cheddar grits, and I also got a coffee, because I don't get coffee very often, so why not! I took some pictures for you…

This is what J got! It's some kind of breakfast bowl with salsa, avocados, beans, and scrambled eggs! There's also potatoes and bacon under the eggs! I wonder if you'd enjoy something like this. He let me have a few bites; it was really good!

Here is the coffee I got! And, of course I snapped the picture of it while the cream was still swirling around; it's more interesting that way:

Here are some cheddar grits:

Here's the steak and eggs I got; it came with caramelized onions, cornbread and butter, eggs with runny yolks, and a bit of hollandaise sauce! It also came with ketchup for some reason. But I only like it on burgers, so I didn't use it.

I asked for the steak to be as rare as allowed, and I was SUPER THRILLED about the fact that they prepared it in basically the same way I do at home - brown the outside, and leave the inside mostly raw:

It was so good!!! Oh my goodness!

While at the place, I also happened upon a little space with dandelions! I'm not really sure why, but people in my world seem to really hate dandelions. It makes absolutely no sense to me, because in addition to being extremely beneficial to nearby soil for a variety of reasons, every part of the plant is edible and nutritious. One of my favorite things to do, when I can find a safe source of them, is to turn the blooms into a sweet syrup that you can use on pancakes, on ice cream, or in tea! Maybe I'll get to do that this year. For now, I'll just show you the picture I took:

Isn't it pretty? I like them!

I also took a bunch of photos along the way from the airplane window! I'll show you the best ones!

…Hey, Sephiroth? I know you can fly and stuff, and that's pretty cool. But while you're up in the sky, dancing in the clouds, do you make it a point to notice and appreciate all the lovely scenery? If you don't, then maybe you can try it next time; practicing gratitude and appreciation is one of the best ways to exercise your hippocampus until it becomes strong!

On the way home, I saw 9 great big huge birds-of-prey; I think these ones were turkey vultures. I managed to actually catch a picture of one in flight for you! Here, it's not very big in the photo, but check out the back speck in the sky:

Oh!!! Also!!! I finally got around to making the stuffed cabbage casserole today! This recipe was given to me by an awesome person called @freelanceexorcist (thanks be to ye, fren!! 💖)! I ended up modifying it a bit, just to suit the needs of those in my house; Br cannot have gluten, so I used tomato puree in place of tomato soup, and J does not like big cabbage leaves, so I cut it into little slices, and bite-sized bits are easier for M to handle than meatballs, so I kinda just... shredded everything and mixed it all together. But I used mostly the same ingredients, even if the preparation differed just a little! I'll show you what I did…

You start with cabbage!

Here's how it looks on the inside when you cut it in half!! It's pretty cool!

...It's like Brussels sprouts, but WAY bigger!

The recipe calls for whole leaves, but I cut it into shreddy bits, like this:

The cabbage was sauteed in my bacon fat confit garlic:

I poured in a can of tomato puree from there, and I let it simmer on low heat for a couple of hours:

While that was happening, I cut up 2 pounds of kielbasa, and 2 onions:

Once the cabbage was done and set aside, I caramelized the onions in more bacon fat:

I added the onions to the cabbage, and then I put a big can of diced tomatoes, a pound of Bavarian sauerkraut, and the ground meat I cooked the other day into the wok, along with a cup of rice and a can full of some beef bone broth:

I let this sit on very low heat until the rice was done cooking. I used short grain rice; it looks like this:

...In between the long bits of cooking when there was nothing else I could do, I worked on something else that I'm absolutely not going to tell anyone about! It was good!

Once the cabbage and the rice were all done, I combined the two sets of things; this took some doing simply because there was SO MUCH FOOD, oh my goodness!! But this was the result!

So... it's cabbage, caramelized onions, sauerkraut, canned tomatoes, tomato puree, beef bone broth, rice, garlic, kielbasa, ground pork, and ground beef, all cooked up nicely and mixed together in a great big awesome dish!! And it is indeed awesome!! It was said that the leftovers are even better, because the flavors are given a chance to mingle; I can't wait to find out tomorrow!

...I wish you could have been here for all of this. I wish you could be here, generally. My house does occasionally have its challenges, for sure, but still, it is happy, wholesome, and safe. There's lots of fun and interesting stuff to do. My house is a good house. You could find healing and belonging here. You could find growth and change here. And you'd fit right in. You'd fit right in with my social circle, generally; ain't a single one of us fit the definition of "normal".

Sephiroth, c'mon. The darkness doesn't suit you. It never did. And it never will. So step away from people who wanna use and abuse you, and instead step towards the people who wanna help you to feel as though you're enough exactly as you are, without needing to do something useful or amazing first.

I'll be here waiting, so... as impossible as it is, pop by for a visit soon, okay? We'll make you good snacks - all the pasta you could want, or whatever else suits your fancy - whatever you like; if I don't know how to cook it, I can figure it out, easy peasy.

I'm gonna go do other things now, and I'm going to wish you were here as I do them. I love you, and I'll write again tomorrow. Please stay safe.

Your friend, Lumine

[lovesodeepandwideandwell]

Now I'm wondering: do you buy the kefta or do you make it and if you make it will you share the recipe with me??

I make them! This is just a recipe I found online, but it turns out very similar to the ones my half-Turkish friend made.

1lb ground lamb or beef

1/2 onion, grated

1/4c breadcrumbs (oats ground in a food processor also work well)

2 cloves crushed/minced garlic

2t coriander

2t cumin

2t paprika

1 1/2t cinnamon

1t cayenne

1 1/2t salt

1/2t pepper

Combine all ingredients thoroughly by hand and shape (I do something halfway between a slider and a meatball, 10 per pound of meat). Cook in a skillet over high heat, 2.5 min per side (I have trouble with cooking burgers/kefte (which is how my friend spelled it so I'm allowing myself to keep it) in a skillet, but using a lid for some of the time helps cook them all the way through without scorching). They freeze very easily.

[schleyer]

Pork meatballs with Sauce

For the meatballs:

2 pounds ground pork

2 teaspoons each: dry basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley, marjoram, smoked paprika, salt, ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Olive oil for frying

For the sauce:

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

2-3 tablespoons prepared brown mustard

4 tablespoons sour cream

Chicken broth

Flour or other thickener

Half cup grated Parmesan cheese

Begin by putting a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom of a frying pan and turning on burner to medium-high heat, and preheating the oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the meat, herbs & spices, and tablespoon of oil; shape into balls.

Once the oil in the pan has reached temperature, add balls, taking care not to crowd the pan – it will probably take at least two batches. When one side gets browned, flip with tongs and let other side brown. Do not be concerned about cooking the interior, as you will be putting them in the oven to finish. Once two sides have become browned, place in an oven-safe dish in the oven to continue cooking in the oven while you cook the second batch. While the balls are frying, chop the onion and mince the garlic.

After you have finished all the batches of meatballs, throw the onion and garlic into the pan with the remaining oil from frying the meatballs. Let garlic and onion soften before adding enough flour or other thickener until there is no more free liquid, stirring with a whisk to avoid clumps. Add sour cream, cheese, and mustard. Once the sour cream and mustard have been fully incorporated, slowly add chicken broth, a half cup or so at a time, until reaching a relatively thick, gravy-like consistency.

Once the meatballs have reached an proper internal temperature and are done, dump back into the frying pan, and stir to cover the balls with the sauce. Serve alongside mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

[comix64]

soda cans all the way

lollipops

bubblegum

stubborn

still soda cans

tie between grunge and tomboy cuz they both look alike but honestly i wouldnt wear anything coordinated

earbuds make me anxious cuz they fall out too much, headphones

movies

fresh air ( i may or may not have been influenced by a smell marker with this label actually smelling like shaving cream)

blackjack during break :P

cereal

"WH-816" (the unchangable name of my headphones, as i listen to them with a micro sd card in them)

lanyard

skittles?

fahrenheit 451

legs pushed out a little, slouching backwards, neck against chair

cheap blue ones with creaky left heel i got off amazon

rain :P

facing left, left hand near face, right hand closer to knees, legs tucked in

text files (i blame my 2nd grade teacher for not actually teaching me handwriting)

mario

my cool uncle

idk if this counts but whenever i yawn i invoulantarily [sic, dont ask] make an odd sound like a speak and spell stuttering

idk, diamond

nintendo 3ds photo album slideshow music

swim

generally frolic in snow, idk i live in a mostly warm place

New Computers - Girlfriends, The Less I Know the Better - Tame Impala, I Want to be a Machine - The Living Tombstone, Bathwell in Clerkentime - The Real Tuesday Weld, Credits EX - Frums

deal with the bullshit and tell me im giving you bullshit

my desk, local library, MOTHERFUCKING IKEA BITCH!!!!!! IKEA ALL THE FUCKING WAY!!!!! THEY SAY GO TO YOUR HAPPY PLACE GUESS WHAT BITCH IM EATING MAC N CHEESE AND MEATBALLS AT IKEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the general outfit i wore for some weird day at my school - white tshirt, baggy pants (no seperating me n my baggy pants), fingerless gloves

just go watch a compilation of kevin parry n zach king

idk how to check, probably "ok" or "what" or sumthing

omega mart, you have no idea what's in store for youuuuu!

~11:30pm

i dont remember

suitcase

lemonade

lemon cake

pee on the ceiling of every room

jojo

pants, specifically cargo pants bits cuz nobody will ever suspect you put anything in those

hoodie

lavender?

scifi

you wont believe this… nothing

american (eagle screech)

apple

just keep swimming

the comment section of "Evil beat i been cooking up"

my music teacher is openly homophobic

VCR

typing

N/A

kiki koki

birthday powers

my pet rabbit dying, my parasitic need for attention, and my failing math grades

i can sound like stitch from lilo n stitch, i can sound like a speak n spell, and my teachers think i am smarter than the IT guy

idk something related to scout tf2 sorta

scott pilgrim but im not as shitty as scott pilgrim

the whole paragraph of mispronunciations of Denham's Dentrifice being pounded into Montag's ears in Fahrenheit 451

gooigi, luigi, young neil, sorry i cant keep a train of thought that long

the same five that describe me but sped up a bit

scratch.mit.edu

idk if this counts but there is what appears to be a symmetrical birth mark on my shoulders, on closer inspection one of them is a birth mark the other is from being stabbed with a pencil

dandelion

my deck of cards

dr pepper

there is an actual end of the internet. keep putting in URLS and it will tell you you've hit the end of your journey. then? well it'll save it to your hard drive for you of course! [i can give you the link]

lefty

pebble tile on pools. say goodbye to your toes

math

cinnamon toast crunch + orange juice

7

dont remember

whataburger fries

cactus

i dont drink/eat either but probably coffee

school id

never heard of em

arent fireflies and more violent sounding fireflies the same thing

pc can act as console. console cannot act as pc. pc obviously

drawing (that 2nd grade teacher i swear…)

radio

never heard of a polly pocket so barbie

mythology

cookies

overstaying my welcome

we'd all stop arguing about trivial things, and stop ruining our planet

jojo

passed a test because my handwriting worked like that card dr who has that looks like whatever the viewer wants it to

box

overhead

wallace wells, "ies-nes" (like "yes" mixed with "SNES"), comix, com, mixtape, im making up half of these :P

winter

safari

one of the defaults from KDE, the hexagon one

2, my mom's and 911

i dont know what it's called but one of my steam friends has a pfp of it and there's a template on Apple Keynotes that looks like a leather book and the stock images in there perfectly capture it (see below)

weird asks that say a lot

in

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

7. earbuds or headphones?

8. movies or tv shows?

9. favorite smell in the summer?

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

12. name of your favorite playlist?

13. lanyard or key ring?

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

18. ideal weather?

19. sleeping position?

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

21. obsession from childhood?

22. role model?

23. strange habits?

24. favorite crystal?

25. first song you remember hearing?

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

28. five songs to describe you?

29. best way to bond with you?

30. places that you find sacred?

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

32. top five favorite vines?

33. most used phrase in your phone?

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

35. average time you fall asleep?

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

38. lemonade or tea?

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

41. last person you texted?

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

44. favorite scent for soap?

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

47. favorite type of cheese?

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

51. current stresses?

52. favorite font?

53. what is the current state of your hands?

54. what did you learn from your first job?

55. favorite fairy tale?

56. favorite tradition?

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

62. seven characters you relate to?

63. five songs that would play in your club?

64. favorite website from your childhood?

65. any permanent scars?

66. favorite flower(s)?

67. good luck charms?

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

70. left or right handed?

71. least favorite pattern?

72. worst subject?

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

82. pc or console?

83. writing or drawing?

84. podcasts or talk radio?

84. barbie or polly pocket?

85. fairy tales or mythology?

86. cookies or cupcakes?

87. your greatest fear?

88. your greatest wish?

89. who would you put before everyone else?

90. luckiest mistake?

91. boxes or bags?

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

93. nicknames?

94. favorite season?

95. favorite app on your phone?

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

98. favorite historical era?

[logane74]

The Comforting One-Pan Dinner

It’s a cheesy, meaty classic.

A pasta bake like this one is a meal all in itself, and no side dishes are required. If you’d like to have something alongside, a green salad or some steamed vegetables would make a welcome addition to the table. Garlic bread or breadsticks are tasty pairings, too.

Make It Ahead

You can assemble the dish ahead of time and bake it later if you like. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If you’re baking it from the fridge, add another 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time and skip the broiling step—the cheese on top will get plenty browned with the extra oven time. 

talian Sausage Pasta Bake

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 60 mins

Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

16 ounces (1 pound) short pasta such as penne, ziti, or rigatoni

1 pound Italian sausage

1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or other tomato-based pasta sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

4 ounces shredded Parmesan

8 ounces whole milk ricotta

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, cook the sausage:

Use scissors or a paring knife to snip through and remove the sausage meat from the casings. Add the sausage meat to a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté until the sausages are fully cooked, breaking them up into bite-sized pieces with a spatula as they cook, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Assemble the pasta bake:

Add the cooked pasta and sausage to a large mixing bowl. Add the marinara and parsley (if using) and stir until the pasta and sausages are evenly coated in the sauce. 

Transfer half of the pasta and sausage mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle on half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add half of the ricotta, spooning it on in 1-tablespoon dollops. Add the remaining half of the pasta and sausage mixture and the rest of the cheeses on top in the same manner.

Bake:

Bake uncovered until the pasta bake is piping hot and the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 20 minutes For a little extra browning and a crispy top, switch the oven to the broil setting and cook until the cheese is well browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.

If you have leftovers, let the pasta bake cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

To reheat, microwave an individual portion of the pasta bake for about 1 1/2 minutes on high until heated through. If frozen, use your microwave’s “defrost” setting for about 3 minutes, then microwave for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on high.

 

 



Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers

30 mins



Sausage, Asparagus, and Mustard Strozzapreti

35 mins

 



Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce

51 mins



Easy Italian Sausage Spaghetti

45 mins

 



Spaghetti and Meatballs

70 mins

 



Creamy Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Spinach

70 mins

 



Tomato Tortellini Soup With Italian Sausage

45 mins

 



Easy Cassoulet

45 mins

 



Pizza Casserole

75 mins

 



Baked Ziti

75 mins

 



Traditional Cassoulet

3 hrs

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