#handfuls of saurkraut

[goblinchief]

me and the gobs are straight grubbin

[the-darkness-does-not-bargain]

oh i just remembered i meant to ask you, since you like rice dishes, have you tried champorado? what’s your opinions on it, and/or the concept?

also feel you on having liked ham as a kid but not as much anymore, the ranch dressing, the barbqued meat > barbeque saucd, and especially the saurkraut

might as well kill two birds with one stone, so what are your fav desserts, pastries, sweets, other (sweet & non sweet) baked goods, & vice versa?

Bro, how did this one slip by me, did I just not see this???

Anyway, I have not tried champorado but I looked it up, and it looks pretty good! I admit, I don't often associate rice with sweet dishes, but I'm definitely open to it. It looks like it might have a consistency similar to pudding? Maybe? Which I don't usually enjoy unless you mix something into it (like rice for instance). So I'm 100% game to try it (now just to locate a Filipino restaurant near me).

In terms of other desert/sweet things, I love brownies above all else, they are unbeatable to me. I love cinnamon rolls, honey rolls, really anything with cinnamon and/or honey involved. I love croissants, baklava, and all other pastries that emphasize their flakiness. Donuts are a given so long as they aren't jelly or cream-filled. On the savory side of things, meat empanadas are great, as are samosas. I also love a good pepperoni roll, especially when you buy it from a street vendor on a winter day and it's hot enough to warm your hands just by itself.

[satellite-of-self-love]

And also 🧁 and 🌈 for the fankid asks 💖💖💖

I'll answer for Gio/Johnny, my son with Angeldust!

🌈: if applicable, who (from your f/o's source) would you make your child's godparents? who (out of your friends) would you make their godparents?

We'd be able to trust Charlie and Vaggie to look after him, I think. They're pretty reasonable and Charlie definitely seems like she likes kids. And, I would definitely say my bestie, @fruitypie-daydreams! They'd all have their hands full with Johnnyboy though. He's a chaotic little dude.

🧁: what's your child's favorite thing in the world? what's their least favorite thing?

He'd be pissed that I ever said this in public, but he's still got his little demon teddy bear and would make someone's life a living hell if they ever stole it from him.

Least favorite? He's very vocal about the fact that he hates saurkraut...

[rotzaprachim]

the great depression is like. such a specific interesting period to look at as represented in american literature because i think to an extent books are almost afraid of it, and it brings up these apocalyptically disturbing issues of capitalist destruction, climate destruction, violent racism, nativism, isolationism, antisemitism, agricultural disfunction, wealth inequality and the (so called) *hypothetical* space of what economic disaster means in real time for ordinary people (notice how the us now flinches from considering economic issues *significant* enough reason to be considered a *refugee). and the 30′s aren’t like the 1920′s, or the 50′s, or even now the 80′s or 90′s in that they can’t be so easily commodified into a saleable aesthetic of *the past* by certain groups and actors or consumed as pure nostalgia (something that, of course, requires stripping the above decades of almost everything that happened in them.) one on hand it’s because it’s perhaps harder to find sale-able aesthetic items in an era whose *aesthetic* if defined in terms of iconic images is marked by depravation, and ingenuity in the fact of depravation: dresses cut from flour sacks, yellowed photos of migrant workers, model-t’s and worn-out buster browns. but who wants to buy the dust bowl? all this accounts for why i think there’s this odd lost decade from the greater portion of american middle-brow literature and filmmaking and straight up pop culture reminiscence of a period that inarguably changed the us. it’s interesting. 

 i say on one hand because on the other, it really struck me how much of the american rendition of *cottagecore* and *getting back to nature/the farm* seems to me to dwell on some of those aesthetics of this period, removed from all context. there’s a lot of similar-silhouetted dresses, with extensive indie natural fibers fabric replacing the flour sacks that were the only thing many people could afford to dress their daughters in, and there’s washing your baby in a bucket, which looks nice, even though you do have running water. there’s an overall technological level that seems about 1930′s to me, and a focus on the kind of aesthetic sides of gardening, *farming*, washing clothes by hand and canning foods in mason jars that ignores the fact those were survival mechanisms for many people, that none of them ever stopped but changed with technology, that every aspect of food production is nuanced, messy, and dependent on extraordinarily complex factors of cost and terroir that make accessibility and sustainability contingent on a great number of local factors that don’t make such aesthetic instagram content. there are biscuit cutters and wringers for laundry and sometimes chickens, but there isn’t making saurkraut in 5-gallon plastic ace hardware buckets, or working in community college greenhouses to revive indigenous plants or food ways, or heritage seed banks, or butchering meat on plastic tarps, or replacing your ground beef with vegan replacements because that’s how you choose to decrease your environmental impact in a city of sixteen million people. and i think it’s interesting, because of the mobius strip of a (white, anglo, wealthy) turning away from so many of the exact issues that caused this aesthetic in the first place at the expense of an obliteration of historical understanding at a time when we have so much to learn from the past and for the present. you can try to sell the great depression, but how do you make money off of migrant workers, farmers watching land go dry with drought, hungry children, and climate refugees? how do you sell the dust bowl? 

[justaloserwhowrites]

Hopeful Part 7

A/N: I will be posting the last part later tonight. It's gonna be a long one. Enjoy!

Pairing: Peter Parker x Female Stark!Avenger!Reader

Warnings: death, grief, disappearance (side note: these warnings are for the series as a whole)

Tony had figured it out and went to the team to propose a plan to save the people they couldn't 5 years ago. It took days of planning, and they weren't quite sure they could pull it off. Doesn't mean they weren't gonna try. While everyone was having some difficulty getting their stones, Tony had particularly screwed the pooch hard on this one, as he once told Peter. So, as a result, he and Steve traveled to Camp Lehigh in 1970. They were trying to just get what they needed and get out. One thing that wasn't accounted for in all his planning: seeing his dad.

"The door's this way, pal." Howard yells down the hall to Tony. This lead to Tony bumbling around trying to keep his cover. He hadn't seen his father in so many years that he didn't even know how to in front of him. He walked along with him making small talk.

"So, flowers and saurkraut. Got some big date night?" Tony inquires.

"Oh no. My wife is pregnant," Howard hesitates for a second, "and I've been spending too much time at the office."

"How far along is she?" Tony digs again.

"Uhh. I don't know," he holds his hand about half a foot from his own stomach, giggling a little. "She's at the point where she can't stand my chewing so we eat in seperate rooms. How about you? Do you have any kids?"

"Yeah. Two daughters." Tony smiles.

"I wish I had a daughter. Less of chance she'd end up just like me."

"You know there's nothing wrong with that. I thought my dad was the worst because we were so similar. Then, I had my oldest and she turned out just like me. I was horrified when I saw myself in her, but seeing her it made me like myself more and be kinder to myself. She brought out the best in me." Tony advises.

"Wow. I never thought of it that way," Howard comments as the two men exit the elevator. "Can I ask you something? Were you nervous?"

"Wildly."

"How'd you do it? Did you know how to handle everything? Did you feel qualified?"

"I puzzled together as I went along. I thought of my dad and what he did."

"My father never found a problem he couldn't solve with a belt."

"I always my dad was rough on me, but I only remember the good stuff now. He taught me the most important lesson in life."

"What's that?"

"No amount of money could ever buy a second of time."

"Sounds like a smart man."

"And he knew it." Tony looks at Steve pointing to the case.

"You know this isn't even here yet, but there's nothing that I wouldn't do for him. It was good to meet you, Potts." Howard's comments.

"Howard, everything's gonna be alright." Tony hands back the items he held for Howard. "Thank you for everything," Tony whispers giving him an awkward hug before disappearing.

Once they came back, they knew Nat was gone. They still had to go through with it for her honor. They assembled a makeshift gauntlet for Bruce to use to undo the snap. Through the pain, Bruce manages to snap his fingers.

You opened to see you were standing right where you were a second ago, but this time things seemed to shift and change before your eyes.

"Pepper." You manage to get out. "Pepper! Dad! Hello!." Tony hears you from the other room. Immediately, he runs into the kitchen where you stood before him. Alive again.

"(Y/N)?" Tony gently asks.

"Dad!" You yell running towards him. You are caught into a sweet, but bonecrushing hug. "You've been missing your root touch-ups, haven't you?" You laugh as a single tear falls down your cheek.

"You've been back two seconds, and you're already busting my chops." He says, wiping away from the sole tear on your cheek.

Good things never seem to last long. At that moment, you heard a huge rumble coming the sky. Without thinking twice, Tony shouts, "Unlock and deploy 17-B."

Within seconds, you were covered in a head to toe armor just before the missiles hit the building. The building collapses in its entirety. When the dust settles, you open your eyes to see Tony had shielded your armored body with his own.

"What the hell was that?"

"Company." Tony answers.

[ellana-ravenwood]

Batfam and friends after dentist

I just remembered this video : clickclickclick, and this happened. Please, don’t take it too seriously it’s just a fun little joke post haha. I hope you’ll still enjoy it a little nonetheless ^^. Here we are, the Batfam and friends, after dentist :

DICK

Dick : “Turns out my dentist is not giving me a plaque for great teeth after all. He really hurt my fillings.” Makes all the WORST pun you can think about, to calm his nerve, as he’s about to go to surgery to take his wisdom teeth out. Bruce is there, for support. Of course, he’d be there for his son. Dick wakes up, the surgery went GREAT. He looks around, a little groggy, looks at his dad, and...Starts to rap absolute nonsense, as if his life depended on it : 

“I'm feeling the rainbow like skittles

dropping reptars like my name was tommy pickles

for rizzle, thats drizzle?

nah my nizzle, thats the shizzle”

Asks Bruce to buy him a “big ass gold chain” and if the dentist could transplant silver teeth on him now, “while we’re at it”. Bruce is able to reason with him and convinces him that sure, he’ll buy him the gold chain he wants, but he should wait for the teeth because his mouth is still too numb and such. Dick agrees that it sounds sensible, but does not drop the subject of him becoming a successful rapper. On the way back to the Manor, they stop to buy a gold chain, because Bruce cannot resists when his kids give him the “puppy eyes”. Dick choses the ugliest biggest thing in the entire shop. It says “bling bling” on it, has a few shiny diamonds, and is about twice the size of his head. He looks at it as if it was the best thing on earth while on the ride home. The drugs start to wear off but as a result he’s super tired again, he goes to sleep...Wakes up with that ugly chain, wondering what the hell happened. 

JASON

Woke up after wisdom teeth removal. Got pissed because he really wanted Coca Cola but there was only Pepsi. Proceeded to tell Bruce that him bringing Pepsi back instead of Coke was worst than when he didn’t kill the Joker to avenge his death (queue Bruce nervously looking at the nurses, and really insisting on how funny people who just got their wisdom teeth removed could be). After the Pepsi/Coke debacle claimed he has 9 children (Bruce’s influence for sure hahaha). Apollo and Jean-Claude being his favorite two. Proceeded to cry because he admitted he had favorite children, and thought it was horrible to choose a favorite. Apologized to “his” kids that were definitely not there and talked about how his dad (pointing at Bruce), never had favorites. Bruce is touched. Until Jason remembers the Pepsi incident and tries to escape the room by jumping out of the window to go pouting alone somewhere. Queue a ridiculous struggle between Bruce and his son, as Jason, still quite limped and out of it because of the sleeping drugs, resists as best as he can while his dad drags him to the car to go home, trying to be as gentle as possible because he doesn’t want to hurt Jason’s mouth. Just to be sure, Bruce stops on the way to buy a bunch of coke bottles... 

TIM

After waking up from getting his wisdom teeth removed, sitting in a wheelchair because he can’t stand yet (Tim is very resistant to anesthetic, and they had to give him more than usual for it to work), telling to Bruce who’s wheeling him back to the car, in a very dramatic way : “Lady, I thank you for your help. You have to release me back to the ocean now. My time on land, is over.”

Bruce, not sure he quite understood : “...What was that, chum ?” 

Tim : “I said please m’am, get me back to my people. They need me.” 

Then the boy proceeds to stick both his legs up, and move them as if he was a mermaid, making “woosh” sounds with his mouth as if he was splashing water around. Bruce doesn’t even try to reason with him (he remembers how it was impossible to do so with Jason and his Coke, or with Dick who really thought he was a rapper), so he goes along with it, talking about Tim’s “people” and why he can’t stay on land. Queue a dramatic full of adventure stories where he was taken away from his land and...and Bruce realizes the boy is kinda telling Aquaman’s story (that he probably learned by hacking into Batman’s secret files he has on everyone). He seems to really believe it...When they get back home, Tim is suspicious because there is no ocean, but his dad convinces him that the pool is said ocean, and Tim solemnly say “good bye” to Bruce, before dipping into the water. Of course, Bruce keeps an eye on him, because in the state he is there might be accidents, but Tim just lays there, on his back, floating around and mumbling about fish species he knows. Eventually, the cold water gets to him and he finally comes back to his senses. Bruce helps him out of the pool, and Tim goes to sleep, wrapped in blankets, holding his dad’s hand. 

CASSANDRA

She had to have a rather heavy mouth surgery after an accident, and woke up ,slowly, in a hospital bed. Bruce was there of course, waiting patiently, worried, and hoping she’d wake up soon. It was nerve wracking to wait for your child to be better ! When she does wake up, she doesn’t even look lost or anything, although the surgeon told Bruce that she was probably gonna be feeling a little hazy and such. So the fact she seems totally fine reassures her dad. And then suddenly she throws her blanket off of her, stands up so fast that Bruce’s brain doesn’t have time to react, and walks to the nearest fire alarm. She looks at Bruce straight in the eyes, pull the alarm, and just says : 

“Shit’s fire.” 

DAMIAN

He had to have a minor surgery on his jaw, but was still put under anesthetic. Bruce, having witnessed his other kids under it, is ready to have a good laugh...But his boy is just sitting there, waiting for his father to fill in some paperwork and pay for the surgery. Yeah sure, it’s a little weird that he keeps petting his tongue but, ya know, maybe he’s feeling weird because his entire mouth is numb. Then Bruce is done with paperworks and such, and goes to Damian, who proceeds to tell him he got “a ‘ew ‘at” (a new cat)...

“Um. Really, champ ? Uuuh...Where is it ?” ----> Bruce playing along. And then Damian looks at him and breaks into a huge goofy smile and says : “’Ight ‘ere.” (Right here) Showing the tongue he has been petting for the past twenty minutes. Damian then tells to whoever goes by that he has a new cat and asks them if they want to pet him. Bruce takes him home, laughing to himself all the way, and promises a Damian who came back to his senses that this little story will indeed stay between them. 

BRUCE 

Not actually him after dentist, but something I thought about a lot :

Dentist : “Mister Wayne, do you grind your teeth ?” 

Bruce : “Yes. Have you seen how many children I have ?” 

Also, he waits the last minute before having to urgently remove his wisdom teeth, because the big bad bat is...afraid of the dentist. Alfred has to go with him. Bruce makes sure all the kids are busy this day, to their great disappointment...Alfred takes a lot of video for them (because it’s unfair he got to see them all floozy and they didn’t). The kids make a montage of it and post it on YouTube, as well as on instagram stories, calling it : “Is Bruce Wayne ok ?”, and it’s like a bunch of short images of what Bruce did after his surgery, still under the anesthetic’s influence. Him crying, him laughing like a mad man the second after, him hugging a pillow shaped like a tooth and refusing to let go because he thinks it’s the one they took out of his mouth, blabbering nonsense, asking for a “taco milkshake” etc etc...Of course, video went viral. 

ALFRED 

Has apparently nothing wrong with him, which is infuriating to the family who was really expecting him to have something that they could eventually use against him. Since he “raised” most of the them, he has way too much leverage against them, and they have way too little. But he’s just normal, and it’s so annoying. 

Up until they come home, and he goes in the kitchen, ignores Bruce telling him that he needs to get some rest, and proceeds to whip a five course meal, making the weirdest combination ever...Porridge and Turkey ? Saurkraut in an Enchilada ? Salt and Vinegar chips in a smoothie ?

STEPHANIE

Bruce picks her up after her wisdom teeth removal (it’sjusttheeasythinghaha), along with Tim, and she has that dreamy look in her eyes. Tim asks her if she’s alright, and she’s like : 

“The dentist said I need a crown.” 

Tim and Bruce are a little perplex, like, this doesn’t sound nice ? But then Steph looks at them and just says : 

“I said, I KNOW RIGHT ?! Guys. I’m going to be a queen.” 

Queue Bruce and Tim smiling, and Steph mumbling something about how one day, she’ll be the boss of them haha. 

DUKE

Of course, Bruce went with Duke because...Well, he unfortunately has no one else :/. And when you have any sort of surgery, it’s nice to have someone you trust with you. So. Anyway. Surgery goes on, and Duke wakes up after a few hours, a little out of it. He looks at Bruce, smiles and is like : “Hiii Brush !” while laughing a little to himself. Which makes B smile too, but then he gets worried because all of a sudden, Duke freezes, and stares at the nurse. Then after a few seconds he’s whispering to Bruce : 

“Hey, hey, why didn’t you tell me that Céline Dion was my nurse ?” 

Evidently, Bruce is confused. Duke then proceeds to admit his biggest guilty pleasure is to blast Céline Dion’s songs when he’s alone. Gushes over that nurse that looks NOTHING like Céline Dion, but he’s SURE it’s her. He blushes and is embarassed because he’s such a fan ! But then finally asks for an autograph, sings her songs badly (even worst with all the gauze in his mouth), and leaves the room, holding onto Bruce, with tears in his eyes because man...he just met Céline Dion ! 

BARBARA

Wakes up from having her wisdom teeth removed, crying, admitting that she killed the president...Which one ? Martin Van Buren of course. Spends the next few minutes crying about how she’s a disgrace to her family because she killed someone and HER DAD IS A COP !! Starts to sing : “Mammmaaaaaaaa, I killed a maaaaaaan” while still crying. But then suddenly is sure that she actually got framed, and becomes super suspicious of everyone, everything culminating when Dick comes to pick her up to bring her home and she thinks he’s the one that is “blackmailing” her, so she takes a run for it...Dick gets Barbara back to her place with a black eye, saying “I don’t want to talk about it” to Commissioner Gordon. Haha. 

LUCAS FOX :

As the dentists says : “I need to put some bitewings in your mouth for the X-rays ok ?”

Luke Fox : “Bat...wing ? Oh. OH ! BATWING !” Hahahaha (could also work with David of course). 

************

Ok done. Again, nothing to take too seriously, it’s obviously just a few little jokes :). Wanted to share nonetheless, I like writing “domestic” lighthearted Batfam stuffs...haha ^^' .

Ah and yeah I know some members of the Batfam extended family (it’s pretty big now) are missing, but I guess it just means I’ll make another post about it hehe. So please, don’t give me too much grief about those I “forgot”, it was getting too long ^^. 

[secondgenerationnerd]

Mar'i, by this point married and graduated, is expecting her first kid in about 3 months. Her little bro Jake drops by for a visit. Snark, sibling bonding and Mar'i being only sightly grumpy Mar'i due to being off her Team until her first child comes all ensue.

Enjoy!

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

“No way!” 19-year-old Jake Grayson scoffs at his big sister. A heavily pregnant Mar’i rolls her eyes as she takes another bite of the strange concoction in front of her. 

“It’s true, baby brother.”

“You’re telling me Mom ate a mustard saurkraut sundae when she was pregnant with me?!”

“More than once.”

“I think you’re lying.”

“I was actually there, dorkface.” 

“You were five!”

“And a half! Respect your elders, little brother.”

“You’re my sister, not my elder.” Jake throws a washcloth at his sister. Mar’i catches it easily, throwing it back at him. 

“Older sister.” Mar’i rolls her eyes. “Plus, you were the one making Mom crave this weird shit. Now your nephews are as weird as their uncle.”

“Still can’t believe that Jon put twins in you, first go.” Jake scoffs. 

“Neither can I, but here we are,” She runs her hand over her middle. The maternity overalls definitely make her feel bigger than she is. Or maybe this is how carrying twins is supposed to make you feel? 

“How much longer are you are out of the field?”

“Well, Papa Bruce wouldn’t listen to me when I said the babies are part Tamaranean and part Kryptonian so they’re probably indestructible.” 

“How long did it take him to tear that apart?” Jake grabs her bowl, moving to wash the dishes. 

“2.4 seconds?” Mar’i grunts, holding her side. “Regre kanrf.”

“You kiss mom with that mouth?” Jake asks.

“Excuse me, but my sons are being little assholes.” Mar’i sighs.

“How long are you out of the field?” Jake asks again.

“Minimum of eight weeks after giving birth.” She shrugs. The look she gives her belly is a lot more loving than before. “They’re worth it though. Plus, eight weeks of cuddles with my boys.”

“Any chance one of my nephews’ names is going to be Jake?” He gives his sister a charming smile, “I’ll also accept Jacob.”

“Heh,” Mar’i gives a sarcastic laugh. “Nice try. Jon and I talked about baby names ages ago.”

“And you didn’t consult me? How rude.” Jake and Mar’i move to the living room. Their apartment’s similar to the one she and Jake grew up in. Pictures litter the walls and tables--Mar’i and Jake as kids, Jon and his brothers, a few of their graduations, one of them on their wedding day two years ago. Laundry sits on the end of the couch, but the normal mismatch of her style and Jon’s sensible flannels now have a few brightly colored blankets and onesies mixed in. He holds one up, raising an eyebrow at the puppy dog on it. “Really, Mar’i?”

“They are adorable and I will not hear otherwise.” 

[bibliotechnician]

Volk

Local Librarian Analyzes Herself People Around Her

Favorite thing about them: That’s a hard thing to choose since I’m her creator and I love her dearly. So really, it’s a super broad spectrum of how she’s developed over the years that I find my fave. She’s grown so much as a character to me.

Least favorite thing about them: Also hard because again, I made her, and her flaws kind of make her more dimensional to me. But if I HAVE to choose one? I’d have to say her unyielding hate-bias with some factions to the point it taints her view on almost everyone coming out of them, politically inclined or not. Like cmon Volk, I made you better than this…

Favorite line: 'If you don’t make a noise by the count of three, I’m shooting you in the asscheek.’

brOTP: Anna is forever her sister; they grew up together, they went through hardships together, they hold each other up and keep each other calm. They also rebound off one another and double the snark and sarcasm and retaliation when necessary. They’ve defended one another and been each other’s voice of reason when needed. Anna’s where the joke of her being a ‘walking tree’ came from and she accepts it from anyone because of her now.

OTP: I have so many, but the ones that stick out are tied between her oldest ship -Bookwyrms, her and Artyom- and her main-canon [the one that follows the canon storyline of the franchise] -Saurkrauts, her and friend Weaver’s OC Reiner-. The list is ever-growing recently, so there will be more.

nOTP: Romantically speaking, Anna is off-limits on the grounds of them considering themselves sisters. I also don’t ship her with Pavel, unless it’s totally hate and no romance because she would absolutely destroy him for what he did to Anna and her bro-in-law. There’s obviously MORE I won’t touch for her, but those are the two really big ones.

Random headcanon: There’s rumors among the community that the reason the Council can’t obtain the Codec isn’t so much that it doesn’t exist, but that the local Librarian-In-Disguise is tasked with keeping it safe from human hands. It’s a rumor she argues against regularly, but then, why else can she get along with Librarians so well…

Unpopular opinion: I have yet to hear differing opinions to actually contest them as ‘unpopular’, so leaving this one blank

Song I associate with them: Katzenjammer’s Hey Ho (On the Devil’s Back)

Favorite picture of them: An older one, but I’m still relatively fond of how it came out damnson how deep those bags go-

[kijiboop]

Modern Love - Chapter Six

An Arcana AU

A few weeks before Christmas, snow started to drift down from the sky. Vesuvia University’s campus exploded with students rushing from the dorms to stare up joyfully at the lazy flakes that swirled down to land on eyelashes and upturned faces. Some students were from colder climates and used to standing snowfall by now. Others were from the temperate and tropical areas and had never seen snow before. Julian found his sister flopped on her back in the lawn that made up the inner grounds of a quad of dorm buildings. She flailed her limbs against the ground, attempting to make figures in snow that kept melting as soon as it touched her clothing. “It’s a little early for angels, Angel,” Julian chuckled as he stopped beside her. “You need to at least let it cover the ground.”

“Aww.” Portia sulked up at him and huffed out a disappointed sigh. “At least you remember snow.”

Julian smiled as he helped her to her feet. “Yeah, well. Give me beaches over snow any day.” Portia clung to his arm as she shook herself like a dog until her curly hair stood out in a halo. He reached and brushed her curls back behind her ear. “You should have a coat on. It’s cold out here.”

“I’m warm enough,” Portia said and flapped a hand at him. “Shoo.” They turned together without speaking and began walking toward the campus cafeteria. Julian held the door for her and then Portia held the inside one for him, sticking out her tongue cheerfully. “Nadia said she’d never seen snow before she came to school, either,” Portia said as she chose a plastic-wrapped ham-and-cheese sandwich from the cooler. “It really is like magic.”

“Yeah.” Julian fiddled with the tongs for a moment by the salad bar. Once his plate was full of romaine and cherry tomatoes, he glanced up at Portia. His sister was watching him with a puzzled expression on her face. “What?”

“Why don’t you like snow?”

The cold, jarring splash of a snowball in his face as he dodged behind a bush. Asra’s laughter cut off by a yelp when his own missile landed. Getting tangled up together and rolling down a frozen hill until they reached the bottom, breathless and giggling.

“I just don’t,” Julian snapped. “It’s cold and wet and gets in your socks and makes the sidewalks slippery.” He closed his eyes tightly against the specter of Asra’s mouth pressed to his, hot and welcoming against the icy snow running down their faces. “I miss the ocean.”

Portia leaned her shoulder against his arm and Julian blinked down at her. “Is that what you’re calling him now?”

“Shut up, Pasha,” he muttered back.

They walked into the dining room together and scanned the tables for an empty spot. Instead, a waving hand caught his attention and Julian smiled when his sister’s roommate beckoned to them. She was alone at the table, though there were two trays. The other was empty and looked abandoned. “My date ran out on me again,” she said mildly as they approached. “Finish lunch with me?”

“He didn’t even bother to bus his tray?” Portia poked the remains of Lucio’s meal and wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, what did he eat?”

“He claims it was saurkraut,” chuckled Nadia, “on his Reuben. Personally, I think he got it confused with the kimchi and wasn’t willing to admit it.”

“It’s all rotten, pickled cabbage anyway.” Julian settled at the table and stabbed one of the tomatoes with his fork. “I’m surprised he didn’t just spit it out.”

“That would indicate that he did something wrong.” Nadia smiled at Julian’s bark of laughter. “It’s good to see you smiling, Julian. I thought you’d lost all your cheer over the Thanksgiving holiday.”

The thought soured his mood considerably and Julian took a moment to swallow the bite of lettuce that had suddenly gone heavy in his mouth. The first thing he had seen upon returning to campus after the Thanksgiving break had been Asra and Maverick tangled in a very enthusiastic kiss. They were seldom seen without each other now. Four days apart must have been torture. “I found it and lost it again,” he muttered to his salad.

Nadia sighed and Julian jumped when she put one elegant hand over his wrist. “Forgive me for observing but it seems like you could use some time away from campus.” When he raised an eyebrow, her eyes glittered. “I had been considering having a get-together, just a few friends while my parents are away on business. Would you and Portia like to attend?”

“Yes!” cried Portia, then subsided at Julian’s quelling glare.

“It’s very kind, Nadia,” he said softly, “but I’ve got a lot of classwork for this week still. I should probably stay close to home until I’m finished.”

Nadia nodded with a smile. “Of course. If you should change your mind, you have my number. Feel free to call any time. You’re more than welcome, even if you just want to study in my father’s library.”

“I really appreciate it,” Julian smiled back.

Near the cafe end of the dining room, familiar voices reached them and Portia craned her neck to see who had arrived. “It’s the football team,” she grumbled. “Without Lucio, it looks like.”

“He said he had a class,” said Nadia. “He’s actually been attending them more this semester, wonder of wonders.”

“Is that Muriel?” All three of them stared as the mass of bulky players broke apart and their friend appeared near the back of the bunch. His head was low and his eyes half shut, a voluminous black hoodie pulled up around his face. He looked miserable. “Should we try to save him?” asked Julian.

“He probably won’t thank you for it,” said Portia drily.

“He’d be happier with us than with them,” Julian countered. “At least we leave him alone when he’s around.” One of the football players elbowed Muriel with a loud laugh that made the tall man wince and duck away. “I wonder where Seren is.”

“Probably asleep. I think she worked the last three night shifts.” Nadia stood from her chair and swept around the side of the table. “Excuse me. I’m going to offer my services as interference, regardless of his eventual lack of gratitude.”

“Does she always talk like that?” whispered Julian as Nadia raised her hand and called Muriel’s name, striding over quickly with a beaming smile.

“Usually,” admitted Portia in a shy voice. “I keep a dictionary under my pillow so she won’t catch me looking up her words.”

“You’ll have to teach me what they mean later,” Julian said and grinned when his sister blushed. “How are classes going?”

Portia shrugged, still blushing. “Pretty good. I’m learning a lot and Nadia’s been willing to edit my papers. I swear, I learn more from her than I do the professors.”

“That sounds about right,” Julian chuckled. They paused to watch as Nadia steered Muriel and his tray across the cafeteria, then pointed out one of the empty tables near them. “Nadia seems like she does a good job of keeping everyone organized.”

“She’s good like that,” agreed Portia with a grin.

“Good like what?” Nadia asked as she settled back in her seat across from Portia.

“We were just talking about how well you run other people’s lives,” said Julian and Nadia laughed.

“That is what the aristocracy is best at, isn’t it?”

“Oh… my… gawd,” whispered Portia and the others looked at her curiously. She tilted her chin toward Muriel and they all watched as he poked at the screen of his phone, a soft smile curling his lips. “He’s actually smiling. He’s so cute when he smiles!”

“Seren must be awake,” grinned Nadia. “She’s been really good for him.”

Julian was just nodding when Muriel looked up and caught them all watching him. “What?” The big football player slouched into his hoodie, eyes nervous and cheeks flushed.

“You were smiling at your phone,” Portia told him in delight.  

“So?”

“It’s really cute.”

Muriel snorted and Julian covered his mouth with one hand to hide his smile. “I am not cute.”

“Actually,” Julian grinned, “you’re cuter than you realize. Especially when you smile. Getting coffee with Seren later?” Muriel nodded warily. “Where?”

“What do you care?”

“He wants to be a pest,” said Portia and Julian glared at her.

“He’s always a pest,” Muriel mumbled, fiddling with his phone and hunkered deeper into his hoodie.  

“Ilya is good at that,” agreed Portia cheerfully.

“For your information,” sniffed Julian as he stabbed his fork into the remaining cherry tomato on his plate, “I wanted to talk to her about something for one of my classes. I think she said she had Doctor Volta for Eastern Mythology, right?”

Muriel shrugged and nodded without looking up. “Don’ see why you have to crash our coffee to ask her.”

Julian opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again at Portia’s amused glance. There were only so many places to get coffee within walking distance of campus and if he was being honest with himself, he was just poking the same weeping injury going to the Shop to see Asra and Maverick being adorable. “I guess I could just text her.”

Muriel made a non-committal grunt as he stood up with his empty tray, then paused as he was passing Julian’s chair. “You should call Asra,” he whispered. His voice rumbled like distant thunder and Julian felt his face flushing.

“Why?”

“He misses you.”

Julian twitched and turned his face away. “No, he doesn’t.”

Muriel was quiet for a moment, then repeated, “You should call him.”

“Why?” Julian’s voice rasped in his throat and he swallowed hard.

“Because I’m his roommate and I listen when he thinks I’m asleep.”

Julian looked up at Muriel, stricken and Muriel smiled down at him, a gentle look in his eyes. “What does he say about me?” Julian asked, unable to keep the question inside anymore.

“Ask him,” Muriel murmured. When Julian flinched, the football player reached to put on hand on his shoulder, wary and almost shy. “I’ve never heard anything negative. Call him.”

As he lifted his hand and moved off again, Julian let himself collapse onto the table, his face hidden in his arms. Thoughts bounced around the inside of his head until he felt Nadia’s fingers on his forearm. “Julian,” she whispered and he looked up, embarrassed to find that his vision was blurred with tears. “Do you want us to come with you?” she asked gently. “You know we will.” Portia was nodding enthusiastically but Julian would have expected nothing less from his sister. 

“I…” Julian trailed off, then cleared his throat and managed a small smile. “I’d appreciate it. Thanks, Nadia.”

She smiled warmly. “Any time.”

***

A cold winter afternoon in the Shop was in full swing when Muriel shouldered his way inside to find Seren sitting at their usual table near the back door. Just after Thanksgiving, Asra and Maverick had cordoned off a pair of tables with sections of toddler playpens and the Shop’s owner had posted a sign which stated “Dog Owners Only.” He had amazingly gotten permission from the Vesuvia health authorities to allow a dog-zone inside the building, much to the delight of the regular patrons.

Inanna was slumped under the table with her head on Seren’s foot while Seren sipped her mocha and flipped through something on her phone. When he was close enough to step over the barrier, the dog popped up to dance at Muriel’s feet, begging for his attention until he crouched to pet her. He glanced up to see that Seren’s eyes were only barely more reserved in her eagerness for his attention and Muriel blushed. “Missed you,” she whispered as she stood to greet him.

Muriel smiled as he brushed her hair back from her face and leaned down to lightly kiss her forehead. “Missed you, too. Do you work tonight?”

Seren shook her head. “I’m free for three whole days. I might actually get some decent sleep for a change.” She leaned against his chest and Muriel tried not to blush harder when she pressed her cheek against his sweatshirt. “Though I’m hoping to not spend the whole three days asleep…”

“I… I…” Muriel stuttered himself into silence when Seren peeked up at him and smiled.

“I just mean I was hoping to watch a movie or something,” she whispered.

“R-right,” Muriel managed in a weak voice and she grinned up at him. “Netflix and chill.”

“Where chill actually means just chilling.” Seren smiled and stood on her toes to kiss his collarbone, then turned back toward the coffee counter. “It’s weird to be here when Asra and Maverick aren’t working.”

Muriel made an agreeing sound in his throat. “Julian will be disappointed.”

Seren glanced up at him. “Julian?”

“He mentioned wanting to talk to you. I think he wanted to just stalk Asra some more.”

Seren sighed and leaned her back against Muriel’s chest and he looped one arm loosely around her shoulders, fingers finding the ends of her hair and curling the silky strands around the tips. “Is he still brooding about them?” Muriel agreed wordlessly and Seren shook her head. “It’s really a shame. I think they’d be a cute triad.”

“T-triad?” Muriel fumbled over the word and Seren looked at him upside-down, grinning.

“I know Maverick pretty well,” Seren said. “She’s polyamorous and Julian is actually more her standard type than Asra. I’m surprised she hasn’t already made a move on him.”

Muriel floundered for words, then just pressed his lips against her hair, thinking. “She’s… very forward.”

“Very,” agreed Seren with a chuckle.

“I feel like I’m missing something about her.” Seren went very quiet and Muriel raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What is it?”

“She’s… been through some shit,” Seren murmured softly.

“Everyone has,” Muriel replied, just as quiet.

Seren smiled and nodded. “Some people deal with it by hiding,” she murmured and elbowed him gently in the hip. “Some people get… forward. She gets out ahead of her fears so they can’t sneak up on her.”

“Julian does the same thing.” They were quiet for a moment, watching the pair of baristas at the counter as they blundered into each other, clearly not as comfortable together as Asra and Maverick. “For Asra’s sake, I hope they don’t become a… a thing.”

“Why?” Seren asked as she returned to sit with her mocha.

Muriel was quiet as he carefully sat across from her and started stacking the creamer packets into a little pyramid. Once he ran out, he disassembled the stack and started over again. “Asra’s been through some shit, too,” he whispered after a while. “A lot of it with Julian.”

“If there’s one thing I know about Maverick,” Seren murmured quietly, “it’s that she knows how to balance relationships. She’s been in poly relationships before and knows how to keep communication flowing. She knows how to avoid the worst of the pitfalls and when she loves, she loves with her whole heart.” She sipped at her mocha thoughtfully. “As long as everyone’s on board, it really can work, you know.”

“That’s what worries me,” Muriel said. He balanced two more containers of creamer on the top of his current pyramid, watching it wobble. “It’s hard to tell when Julian’s on board sometimes. Or if he’s just saying what everyone wants him to say.”

Seren made a soft, considering sound into her mocha. “Relationships are so hard,” she whispered. Inanna let out a heaving sigh from under the table. “What have you got to sigh about, goofy?” she asked the dog and Inanna’s tail thumped the floor. “You’re neutered.”

The bell above the door chimed and they both looked up in time to see Julian, Nadia, and Portia coming inside from the cold. Portia waved cheerfully at them and Seren smiled, waving back. Julian didn’t look, his eyes fixed on the barista counter. When he identified both workers, he seemed to relax and Nadia bumped him with her shoulder, making him smile. They made their way across the room to sit at one of the tables just outside the dog-zone. “Did you call him?” Muriel asked Julian.

“Yeah,” Julian said in a small voice. “He… he said he wanted to see me.”

“Told you.”

Julian’s face flushed and he tucked his chin down. “But Maverick—”

“—is not joined to Asra’s hip,” interrupted Seren. “And as it stands, she likes you, too.”

“She does!?”

The group paused to stare at Julian, who blushed even darker red. “She constantly flirts with you,” said Portia reasonably. “She lights up when you come in. So does Asra. If she didn’t like you, Illya, she wouldn’t talk to you.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Maverick’s voice drifted over to them and Julian’s face managed to find a new depth of embarrassment. She and Asra were just coming in, having apparently discovered some magical way to disable the door chime. The lavender boa constrictor that Asra had received from his parents for Christmas was coiled around his shoulders like a scarf, looking warm and content.

“You wouldn’t,” clarified Portia cheerfully and Julian groaned into his hands.

Maverick glanced at Asra, who shrugged and waved his hands a little, apparently leaving a decision up to her. “Want to get coffee?” she finally said to Julian.

He stared at her, then looked away, flustered. “That’s why I’m here. I mean, why else would you be in a coffee shop?”

“Just go order something,” Nadia sighed and gave him a little push while Portia giggled into her hands. Still blushing madly, Julian followed Asra and Maverick up to the counter and stood with his hands jammed into his pockets.

“He’ll figure it out eventually,” giggled Portia and Seren smiled.

[matthewgstickler]

Dining In: A month in the making, and quite simply the best Reuben in the entire world. It features: homemade sourdough pumpernickel, home-cured corned-beef, home-fermented saurkraut, and hand-made Duke's mayo Thousand Island dressing. The only thing I didn't make is the Swiss cheese.

[liveituphomemakerblog]

Blog 9

Modern Cooking: Americanized Teerdisch German Potatoes: You can make red skin mashed potatoes from boiling your own potatoes in salted water, or buy the red skin mashed potato mix in the supermarket. Add water, rice milk and butter, (or parkey fat free butter spray, one TBL.) Mix in one half can of drained saurkraut. Taste for salt and pepper. Saute sliced onions in cooking spray and garnish the dish with the grilled onions, or even your favorite gravy. A tasty comfort food and good enough for special occasions.

Shopping Brilliance: May be time to make the one time purchase for a roki box for about 30.00. You get thousands of TV and movies and sports. You will never again have a monthly cable or firestick bill....it will be free every month. It runs off your already existing wifi connection.

Thought for the Day: I keep honey and coconut oil in my shower. I wash my face with the honey and sometimes my hair. Let it soak in for five minutes while you wash your body. This is a deep clean and antibacterial and a skin softener. I rinse off and put a little coconut oil on my wet hands and rub into my face and neck. This is anti bacterial and anti viral and an excellent skin softener. I leave the oil on and let it air dry. You won't even need to use cream or lotion. You actually can use makeup on top but you don't have to do that every day. Stay as youthful as possible with this routine.

[yasbxxgie]

Louis Jordan And His Tympany Five Beans And Corn Bread (writ. Fleecie Moore & Freddie Clark) Beans And Corn Bread / Chicky-Mo Craney Crow 10" (Decca, 1949)

Beans beans beans beans Beans and Cornbread had a fight Beans knocked Cornbread out of sight Cornbread said, "Now that's alright Meet me on the corner tomorrow night" I'll be ready, I'll be ready tomorrow night I'll be ready, I'll be ready tomorrow night I'll be ready, I'll be ready tomorrow night That's what Beans said to Cornbread I'll be ready tomorrow night Beans told Cornbread "You ain't straight You better wake up or I'll gash you gate Been in this pot since half past two Swelling and puffing and almost due" I'll be ready, I'll be ready tomorrow night I'll be ready, I'll be ready Beans grabbed Cornbread by the toe Beans told Cornbread, "Let me go" Cornbread said, "I'll lay you low I'm gonna fight you, you so-and-so" Meet me on the corner Meet me on the corner tomorrow night Meet me on the corner That's what Beans said to Cornbread "You're so bad, always willing to fight Meet me on the corner tomorrow night And I'm gonna beat the Devil out ya" On the corner tomorrow night Beans hit Cornbread on the head Cornbread said, "I'm almost dead" Beans told Cornbread, "Get up man You know that we go hand in hand" Beans and Cornbread, Beans and Cornbread hand in hand Beans and Cornbread, Beans and Cornbread hand in hand That's what Beans said to Cornbread "We should stick together hand in hand We should hang out together like weiners and saurkraut We should stick together like hot dogs and mustard" We should get up every morning and hang out together like sisters and brothers Every Saturday night, we should hang out like chitlins and potato salad Like strawberry and shortcake Like corned beef and cabbage Like liver and onions Like red beans and rice Like meatballs and spaghetti Like sour cream and biscuit Like bread and butter Like hot cakes and molasses" Beans told Corn bread "It makes no difference what you think about me But it makes a whole lot of difference what I think about you We should hang out together like hot cakes and molasses" That's what Beans said to Cornbread Cause Beans and Cornbread They go hand in hand [x]

[trulyhopelessromantic]

Happy December from you Secret Santa!! Do you have any different (quarantined) plans for the holidays this year? And what's your favorite movie musical? Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Greetings Santa! Happy December!

Yes our plans are forced to be different this year and it breaks my heart; I’m trying not to think about it.

Normally, (ever since I can remember probably since I was a baby even) we go over to my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve and have a traditional Polish meal with my extended family. It is a big deal for me because 1) it’s pretty much all I know (except the 2X I had to be alone in London on Skype with them) and 2) It means so much to me to help set up the table the night before and to then partake in the feast together. Here are pics of the last 2 years that we set up.

2019 ^

2018 ^

As you can see we have to bring in extra tables nowadays when people bring 1 or 2 plus ones lol 

The food is all meatless (well if you don’t count shrimp and fish as meat) and we start off with a prayer and exchange of what I’ve always thought was communion bread though without the priest blessing it for us in the house; I figured my grandparents always got it from the church. It is broken up from one large shape and has a larger picture on it though I rarely have seen what we have since it’s pre-broken up so that we can all take one for the exchange we do. I’ve done a little reading today on it and found out this:

The wafer is typically a rectangle about the size of a hand and embossed with a Christmas scene, such as the Nativity. It is made of flour and water pressed between two engraved pieces of metal and is similar to the bread wafer used in Holy Communion.

So I’m not off haha

Anyway we all have a piece and we say “Merry Christmas” to everyone in the family one by one and break off a small piece of the bread from the other person’s and then eat it.

Then we have cold wheat, nuts, poppyseed and honey mixture, followed by borscht soup with homemade Christmas bread followed by perogies of (separately) cheddar, potato, saurkraut (my fav) and prune. We also have cabbage rolls, the cottage cheese rolls (ugh not my fav), fish, shrimp and a homemade mushroom cream sauce for the perogies. Gosh I’m hungry now just telling you about it! haha

Anyway we all eat our fill (there’s plenty to save for breakfast the next morning on Christmas) and then depending on the time we either jet off to church or start our gift exchange for our ornaments (we pick names at the Grey Cup (football) since we generally get together then as well) and then Godparents give their gifts to the godchildren and vice versa. Sometimes singing carols too together.

And then after church generally we come back to my grandparents (just my family) and we sleep over there; setting out our stockings and kids sleep in the basement in sleeping bags/blankets!

And then Christmas morning with the leftover food, and orange juice and ‘specialty’ hot chocolates and coffees (alcoholic lol) and then of course presents and stockings opened and then we laze around waiting for whatever Christmas dinner is planned for that year (sometimes there, sometimes at another aunt or uncle’s). I love watching Disney stuff on TV (the parades and ‘events’ from the parks).

But with this dang covid we can’t go over there this year never mind sleepover. I’m trying not to think about it, as I said. 

So it’s stuck at home with me and my mom and my 3 siblings and my niece all in one house on a video call with the rest of the family this year as we did for Easter :(

Onto happier things:

Favourite movie musical? Probably Moulin Rouge though if we’re talking movie that was based on a stage show, probably Phantom...

Thank you for the questions Santa! <3

[misato-katsuragis-wife]

1 4 24 30 35 40 46 47 49 50 59

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

Sometimes? Not very often but yeah I do get that feeling sometimes. 

4. What is your favorite word?

My favorite words are: Fuck, Shit, Piss, Moist, Flesh, Blood, Blade, Claw and Beat. 

Bonus: My least favorite word is Rhythm

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

A Firehouse Subs’ New York Steamer, double meat, double cheese with banana peppers and jalapenos. No question. Hands down. Also add saurkraut. 

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

Computer tower. Again. No question. 

35. Are you a good Character Designer?

I like to think so.

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets. Sunrise demands you wake up too damn early. 

46. Are you reliable?

Depends who you ask and also the context, I guess? I’d like to think I am.

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

“Do I love my body?”

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

I’D MAKE A FUCKING DRIDER. HUMANS ARE ANIMALS. IT COUNTS.AND BONUS-- I’D MAKE MYSELF INTO THE DRIDER.

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

Every third conversation I’ve had for the past two years? I dunno. I spark up a lotta weird convos. I say weird shit. Hey-- Here’s a glimpse. Any of y’all ever taken a “phantom shit”? Like you 110% took a shit. You felt it. But you glance in the bowl and there’s nothing.

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I love to sing in the shower. And dissociate in the shower. 

[passionate-baker]

Berlin Travel Guide | 4 Days in the German Capital

Hello, sweet friends! 

Welcome to our very first travel guide of the decade! It took me a long while to finish off & perfect, but I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that it’s a goodie. 

This guide is all about one of my favourite German cities: Berlin! I absolutely adore Berlin and have visited the city a whole bunch of times over the years. I’m excited to finally get to share some of my recommendations & knowledge with you! There’s an overwhelming amount of things to do in Berlin history/food/drink-wise, and while 4 days certainly isn’t enough time to get around to doing everything, it’s the perfect amount to whet your appetite for the city. I’ve never known anyone to visit Berlin just once!

First things first: Berlin is quite a large city & is separated into several different districts. This guide focuses largely on my favourite district: Mitte. Literally the German word for ‘middle’, Mitte is ideally located & has a large array of restaurants, bars, attractions etc. It’s super easy to walk between most of the places on this list, but there are a lot of public transport options readily available for those few places further afield. 

Below is a comprehensive list of everything you might need for 4 days in the city: where to stay / where to have coffee / where to brunch / where to eat dinner / where to stop for beer / where to go for cocktails / paid attractions / free attractions. It’s a whopper of a guide & it’s filled with pretty much everywhere I know & love in the city. 

GUIDE AT A GLANCE

STAY Monbijou Berlin  |  Leonardo Hotel Berlin Mitte COFFEE Distrikt  |  Father Carpenter  |  Five Elephant  |  Cafe Neundrei  |  The Barn BRUNCH Silo  |  Factory Girl  |  Father Carpenter  |  House of Small Wonder  |  Commonground DINNER Zur Letzen Instanz  |  Lokal  |  Zur Gerichtslaube  |  The Bird  |  Chicago Williams BBQ  |  Chicken Buzz BEER Zum Nussbaum  |  Hofbrau  |  Weihenstephaner  WINE & COCKTAILS The Coven  |  Muret La Barba  |  Commonground  |  Monbijou PAID ATTRACTIONS  Pergamon Museum  |  River Cruise FREE ATTRACTIONS Nikolaiviertel   |  Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe  |  Reichstag Dome  |  East Side Gallery  |  Neue Wache  |  Riverside drinking

If any of the above sounds like something you might want to know more about, scroll on down for a detailed version. Happy traveling!

WHERE TO STAY

Monbijou Berlin //  the most adorable boutique hotel! Upon an early arrival at the hotel we were upgraded to a suite with a view of the Berliner Dom, so I have only great things to say about the place. The staff are lovely and helpful, the hotel is beautifully furnished, and the location is smack bam in the middle of everything - it is the ideal base for making your way around! Added bonus: there’s a beautiful rooftop terrace!

Leonardo Hotel Berlin Mitte  //  for the more budget conscious traveler, this is another really great hotel! The location is perfect - just a little way down the river from the Monbijou - the staff are lovely & their triple rooms are extra spacious.

WHERE TO HAVE COFFEE & PASTRIES

Father Carpenter  //  my favourite coffee place in Berlin, located in the most beautiful courtyard area. If you need a pastry/cake to go with your coffee: the croissants are extra flaky & they make a mean espresso cheesecake. See also: where to brunch, below. 

Café Neundrei  //  an adorable little cafe with a cute neon sign outside, right next to the Monbijou hotel. The coffee was delicious, the croissants were so buttery, the place was so cute - we went back every morning!

The Barn  //  a Berlin institution, & it’s easy to see why: the coffee is so smooth & luscious. A definite must visit. Don’t miss: a really very good PB&J sandwich cookie. 

Five Elephant  //  pretty great coffee, and their signature cheesecake ain’t bad either! Be sure to get there early, as the lightly spiced bake sells out pretty early. 

Distrikt  //  worn leather couches, wooden touches, exposed brick walls etc, a cute little cafe that has a well-earned hipster vibe. The coffee is strong, perfect for the long day of tourist-ing ahead, and they offer a limited but good brunch menu! 

WHERE TO BRUNCH

Silo  //  amazing cafe on the east side! The offering here is some of the most delicious & adventurous I’ve seen in the city. I devoured an ‘nduja baked egg dish with labneh & a side of crusty sourdough that I still dream of to this day. Added bonus: their iced coffees really hit the spot, & their mimosas are perfection. Warning: be prepared to wait - we waited 30 minutes for a table, but there were others waiting for over an hour & a half!

Factory Girl  //  a close second to Silo. A real hipster kind of place - but where in Berlin isn’t? - with an amazing menu. I branched out & went for their Pueblo sandwich, which was stuffed with avocado, tomatoes, halloumi and bacon; it was ridiculously good. The portions are massive, and it’s surprisingly great value for Berlin. 

Father Carpenter  //  come for the coffee, stay for the brunch! Boyfriend had a fancy baked french toast dish, which was honestly a work of art, and I opted for the pork eggs benedict, which I ate every single bite of. Added bonus: the staff are super lovely and their iced coffees are so refreshing! See also: where to have coffee, above. 

House of Small Wonder  //  an accidental, quirky find that was really quite solid. The menu is slightly random - we ordered: eggs SSU with a side of potato gratin / croissant baked french toast / taco fried rice - but we all adored what we got. Don’t miss: they serve iced earl grey tea & it’s every bit as good as it sounds. Added bonus: HoSW has an extremely instagram-able entrance way, just sayin’. 

Commonground  //  great brunch, okay-ish service. I feasted on a poached egg with whipped goats cheese & mushrooms dish, which was really very good, and if the service were better I’d probably go back again. See also: where to have cocktails, below. 

WHERE TO EAT DINNER

Zur Letzen Instanz  //  hands down our favourite restaurant in Berlin. It dates from 1621, and Napoleon ate there - need I say more? The place is so traditional & the food is so amazing that I literally smile whenever I think of it. We can vouch for the giant pork knuckle, the pork meatballs and the fried potatoes with bacon. It’s hearty, but it is so worth the meat sweats. Don’t miss: the pork knuckle & fried potato side. 

Lokal  //  the restaurant of my dreams. One extra large room with big windows, wild flowers on the tables, low lighting with loads of candles, rustic wooden tables.. you get the picture. An extremely inventive menu with a huge focus on seasonal food. We ordered: roast fawn, with a side of potato gratin / beef tenderloin / deep fried pork brain with scallops, roe, and pork crackling. For dessert we shared tomato & basil ice cream with foam of condensed milk. Everything was impeccable. 

Zur Gerichtslaube  //  a charming, traditional restaurant in the Nikolaiviertel. We were seated in an elegant old room with beautiful vintage windows. Added bonus: the schnitzel was good & crispy! 

The Bird  //  a really very good burger place, with really quite terrible service. We loved everything about the food we ordered - the burgers are juicy double patties, the wings are good & seriously spicy, the fries are great, the beer is ice cold - but none of that matters because the attitudes of the staff truly marred our experience there; such a shame. 

Chicago Williams BBQ  //  conveniently close to Leonardo Hotel Mitte. A casual American style BBQ place with communal tables and overloaded trays of food. We devoured the BBQ ribs, a pulled pork sandwich, BBQ chicken & huge sides of coleslaw + gravy mash. 

Chicken Buzz  //  a chicken place with an Asian twang & a great menu. The chicken broth, skewers, burgers etc were all delicious, but the real show-stealer was a side of fried chicken skin! I know it sounds weird, but I swear it is divine. Added bonus: this is for the budget conscious among us - it’s great value!

WHERE TO DRINK BEER

Zum Nussbaum  //  our favourite place for beer in the city! Located in the Nikolaiviertel, stopping in for a drink was like stepping back in time - the place hasn’t changed at all since it opened! There was a casual, old school kind of set up that we loved. Note: we didn’t get a chance to eat here, but apparently it’s great for food. 

Hofbrau Berlin  //  our deep seeded love of Hofbrau knows no bounds, so of course we sought it out in Berlin. Centrally located near Alexanderplatz, this is almost an exact replica of the famous beer hall in Munich. The beer is great & the pretzels are salty, what more could you want? Added bonus: there’s a branded photoautomat inside that’s equal parts fun to use & an adorable keepsake.   

Weihenstephaner Berlin  //  one of our favourite beers ever. We enjoyed a couple of delicious 1/2 litres & feasted on some traditional German food here - currywurst / pretzels / grilled sausages / saurkraut - & all of the above was ruined slightly by the extremely rude staff; you’ve been warned. 

WHERE TO GO FOR WINE & COCKTAILS

The Coven  //  the best cocktail bar we’ve ever been to, ever. Literally across the road from the Monbijou, we stopped in one night because the place was hopping and loved it so much we went back every night after! The staff are super lovely & the cocktails are such good value - not to mention delicious! We sampled more than a few of their old fashioned & margarita cocktails, both of which were perfect every. single. time.

Muret La Barba  //  a cute little Italian wine bar with bottles upon bottles lining the walls. We actually broke the rules & opted for a couple of Aperol spritzes during our visit, but I’ll definitely pop back in for a glass of wine next time!

Commonground  //  much better for cocktails than for brunch! A very easy-going, casual hipster vibe at night. We sampled several drinks - margarita, berry daiquiri, Aperol spritz, red wine sangria, and a gin contraption - & all were delicious. See also: where to brunch, above. 

Roof Terrace @ Monbijou Hotel  //  I’m a sucker for a good roof terrace, and this one is perfect! There are big shady canopies covering huge sofas for lounging all over. The views are pretty great - the TV Tower in one direction & the Dom in the other. Generally speaking, just a really good place to have a drink. 

PAID ATTRACTIONS

Pergamon Museum  //  forever my favourite museum, possibly anywhere. The Pergamon Altar is so large that it honestly makes you forget that you’re already inside a building, and the Ishtar Gate into Babylon is just so gawp-worthy. If you visit only one paid attraction during your time in the city, please let it be this one. 

River Cruise  //  conveniently starting/ending across the way from Leonardo Hotel Mitte, this is a lovely way to spend an hour: cruising along the river listening to a guide point out the main sights. Added bonus: there’s a bar service on board, so we were able to indulge in a beer while we learned - win win!

FREE ATTRACTIONS

Nikolaiviertel  //  the old quarter of the city. Honestly, wandering through the olden time streets is like nothing else in Berlin. Definitely worth a visit. Don’t miss: a beer in Zum Nussbaum and dinner in Zur Gerichtslaube.

Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe  //  a huge open air memorial right in the city centre. An extremely disorienting & powerful experience no matter how many times you see it.

Reichstag Dome  //  free to visit, but pre-booking is required. The vastness of the building never fails to amaze me, & visiting the Dome is a great way to see the city from above.

East Side Gallery  //  a long strip of murals painted directly onto the remnants of the Berlin Wall. 

Neue Wache  //  my favourite memorial in the city, for the victims of war & dictatorship. So simple and yet so effective.

Drink along the riverbank  //  a very Berlin thing to do. Buy some beer in a local newsagent, ask them to open it, & walk along the Spree to find a nice spot to sit. Alternatively, stop at one of the bars along the river - we stopped at Ampelmann one day for a few glasses of rosé. 

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ALL TRAVEL POSTS: 

Paris, France  //  Amsterdam, Holland   //  Copenhagen, Denmark  // London, UK i - ii - iii  //  Cork, Ireland  //  Edinburgh, Scotland  //  Westport, Ireland  //  Barcelona, Spain  //  Vienna, Austria  //  Florence, Italy  //  Bologna, Italy  //  Galway, Ireland  //  Kilkenny Ireland

[digitalbouquet]

Clay soil has often been a problem in my gardening experience. It is hard to work with hand tools and difficult for plant roots to penetrate. Of course, soil textures can be changed and adding organic material like compost does a great deal to imrpove clay soils. But here is another option; remove the clay all together and make some pottery! Often I have wonded how complicated the process of firing pottery could be. This video surprised me as to how straight forward the process can be.

Making your own pottery also solves another problem of the self-sufficient gardener; it provides appropriate vessels for fermentations (saurkraut and kimchi). Also, I would like to add my favorite song about firing clay-ware: