#has literally just a saucepan and some salt in the kitchen. so I’m like okay spaghetti guy potentially not great but could just be

[exopelagic]

okay I severely misjudged spaghetti guy he’s actually just really cool

[junewild]

may we have your cupcake recipe? <3

HELL YEAH, thank u anon. i’ll give you vanilla, citrus, spice, and chocolate cupcakes & if you want anything else let me know! this is going to be stream-of-consciousness rather than linear recipe, because unfortunately that is how i bake. if you want a linear recipe, let me know which particular set of pieces you want and i can write it up for you. i’ll even guesstimate times and such.

BEFORE YOU READ FURTHER: this is very long. if you are not into cupcakes, bookmark this for later when you suddenly decide to make cupcakes and keep scrolling. now with new added read more for additional readability <3

making cupcakes takes me about two hours if i’m doing two batches or an hour and a half if i’m doing one. it might take you a little longer the first time because you don’t quite know what order to do things in or how long everything takes. i like to start my fillings first because they take longer to be ready, then turn on my oven, then mix my batter, then make the frosting while cupcakes are baking.

SUPPLIES

you will need: a cupcake tin, cupcake wrappers, at least one large mixing bowl (2 is recommended to avoid a lot of washing dishes between steps), a hand mixer or a lot of elbow grease, spatula, whisk, small bowl, a small grater or microplaner, a piping tip + bag (or just a plastic bag with a hole cut in one corner) and at least one saucepan or small frying pan. measuring spoons/cups are useful but i’ve tried to include thicknesses and alternatives so you can eyeball it if you have to (i usually do, just because i know what i’m looking for lol)

you will also need some of the following (check your specific cupcake type to find out which): a box of cake mix or ingredients to make your own cake mix, cream cheese, condensed milk, butter, powdered sugar, lemons/limes/oranges, chocolate, vanilla extract (real is recommended; i know it’s more expensive but the increase in quality is worth it if you can), lemon extract, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice (or at least nutmeg + cinnamon), and fruit of your choice.

CUPCAKE

okay so: box mix is fine. it’s good. great, even. as long as you do this: replace the oil with butter. add an extra egg. i don’t care how many eggs it calls for. i know it feels like a lot of eggs. add an egg anyway. add a sprinkle of extra salt. a tsp or so. you’ve already made a good cupcake!

vanilla:

add a tablespoon (about three capfuls, if you don’t have measuring spoons) of REAL vanilla extract if you can afford it (or i really like the vanilla paste that has specks of bean in it. 10/10)

citrus:

one teaspoon (one capful) vanilla extract. two-ish teaspoons of lemon extract. zest of one lemon. zest of one orange (i like blood orange particularly much) or lime. replace 1/2 cup of the water with lemon and lime or orange juice. add about a tbsp of extra sugar.

spice:

two teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (you can see the spice in the batter without it discoloring the batter) + one tablespoon vanilla extract.

chocolate:

it’s already perfect xoxo. JUST KIDDING. add a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

instructions:

these ratios are for 24 cupcakes. take your cupcake pan and line it with cupcake papers. you can grease the top of the pan if you’re anxious, but it shouldn’t be necessary, especially if you have a nonstick pan. then just mix your batter until it’s not particularly lumpy and fill your cupcake papers about a third of the way full. a quarter cup measure is easiest for me to use bc the amount that easily comes out of it is about the right amount & it drips less than a spoon does. then i like to use a spoon to push the batter up the sides a little so it holds the fillings better.

FILLINGS

you can mix and match the hell out of these, honestly. i typically do cheesecake in everything & then fruit in vanilla or citrus cupcakes, specifically apple or cranberry in spice cupcakes, & chocolate in vanilla or chocolate cupcakes.

cheesecake:

one package softened cream cheese + 10 oz (2/3 a 14 oz can) condensed milk. stir on low heat until smooth, then add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. DON’T add sugar. it’s not supposed to be very sweet.

fruit compote:

literally just half a cup or so of frozen or fresh fruit. i’ve done this with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, apples (fresh and cubed is best), and peaches. anything is fair game, honestly. i want to try stewed kumquats and plums at some point. if frozen, add a tiny bit of water. if fresh, add about as much water as you have fruit. squeeze some lemon and lime in there. add sugar to taste. for the apple spice mix, add another teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.

IMPORTANT: you do NOT want this to be sweet. this is NOT jam. it should be a little tart when you taste it. if it’s not thick enough, slurry a tbsp of cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and stir it in. it should be thick enough to not drip off of a spoon when you turn it upside down.

ganache:

heat a cup of heavy cream on very low heat. i like to do a double boiler: saucepan half-full of water, bowl full of cream in the saucepan. when the cream is warm, stir in most of a package of dark chocolate chips. stir HARD—whisk the shit out of it. DO NOT let any of the water get into the bowl!! you want the ganache to be gloppy when you lift it with a spoon—it has to not soak into the cupcake mix.

instructions:

so you have your 1/3 full cupcake wrappers with the batter spooned a little bit up the sides. using a small kitchen spoon, drop a spoonful of cheesecake into each cupcake. then top that with a spoonful of ganache or a spoonful of fruit compote (or both! it’s your kitchen!). spoon batter over the top and down the sides. fully covered, it should come to just under the top of the cupcake wrapper—i usually have 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch grace.

pop that in the oven according to the box instructions. i usually find that cupcakes with fillings take the longer time listed, rather than the shortest one. when your time goes off, touch the top of a cupcake. if it feels firm (think: ripe plum; you can push on it and it’s soft but it doesn’t cave in), it’s probably done. you can also put a toothpick down one of the sides, rather than the middle. pull your cupcakes out of the oven, put in your second batch, and set these aside to cool.

FROSTINGS

there are two frostings that go well here. i tend to like buttercream for vanilla and citrus and cream cheese for apple spice and chocolate. your mileage may vary. this is where the sweetness comes from, without overwhelming the cupcake!

buttercream:

let two sticks of butter (one unsalted and one salted) soften on your countertop. DON’T melt them. when they’re room temperature and you could mold them with your fingers, put them in a bowl. a mixer is best for this stage, but you can do it with a whisk and spatula if you’re determined, have patience, or can switch out with someone else. whip the butter a little. add five cups of powdered sugar, a cup at a time.

for a vanilla cupcake, add a tablespoon of vanilla extract (or vanilla paste! the specks are SO cool looking!) and use heavy cream to even out the texture until you think it’s pipeable (you’re looking for “holds its shape without being Chunky”). for a citrus cupcake, add a teaspoon of citrus extract and lime juice until it’s pipeable. two sticks of butter is too much, but one stick usually isn’t quite enough, and i prefer to have extra to practice piping with.

cream cheese frosting:

let one package (8oz) of cream cheese soften on your countertop. mix it in a bowl until smooth. add about four cups (3/4 a regular water cup, i think) of powdered sugar—again, we’re looking for “pipeable without being inflexible”. add a tablespoon of vanilla extract/paste and use heavy cream if you need to soften the texture at all.

both of these frostings take coloring very well. something that i personally love is doing a sort of gradient, where i’ll add red to one side and mix it well, yellow to another side and mix it well, make some orange in the middle, and leave some white here and there. then spoon from each section into a piping bag and voila, free beautiful swirls. you can also use a knife to frost your cupcakes, but i think piping is fairly easy to pick up on if you try it a few times, and it makes your cupcakes look that much more professional.

instructions:

make SURE your cupcakes are COOL TO THE TOUCH before you frost them! pop them in the fridge if you’re in a hurry! a single layer of piping should be enough, but decorate if you want. icing sugar is pretty. don’t go too overboard with sprinkles—they make it hard to eat.

voila! cupcakes.

SUBSTITUTIONS

i have made these gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, vegan, etc etc. gluten free box mix is fine. your own powdered sugar (powdered sugar + tapioca starch) is great. you can do a coconut milk pudding instead of cheesecake or ganache. you can do baking soda + vinegar instead of baking powder (1/4 tsp bs + 1/2 tsp vinegar per tsp baking powder). if you’re allergic to fruit, i am SO SORRY for you but please try the chocolate ones. you can substitute any extract, any flavor profile, any combination of ingredients. if you’re using a commercial egg substitute, just add an extra 1/4 cup of it. if you’re using flaxseed, just add an extra tablespoon of flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water.

it may not come out exactly the same as the standard ones, but my friends with dietary restrictions still swear by them. i have never brought cupcakes home from a party. i don’t think anyone who’s ever tried one has not gotten a second helping. people who swear they aren’t cupcake people love these cupcakes. (it’s because they aren’t overly sweet or moist or dry and they aren’t one-note, because the fillings add complexity of texture and flavor. there you go, now you know how to describe your new cupcakes to people).

congrats! you’re about to be everyone’s favorite party guest!

[jaybear1701]

A/N: I stole the phrase "Make your peace... on Earth" from @haughtbreaker who has been kindly beta reading this story for me. lol

Waverly exchanged texts over the next week with Nicole, as well as a couple of phone calls. Sometimes, Nicole stopped into Shorty’s for dinner or a quick drink. No flirting. All strictly platonic. At least, that’s what Waverly told herself. So what if she kept checking her phone for new messages from Nicole, from the moment she woke up to the time she went to bed? What was the big deal if their conversations, both in person and over the phone, seemed to stretch longer and longer? Where was the harm if she wanted to invite Nicole as her +1 to Perry Crofte’s annual holiday party? It was all perfectly normal for new friends getting to know each other. Right? Right.

They agreed to finally get a hot cocoa that Wednesday night. She would ask Nicole about Perry’s party then. It wasn’t a date, Waverly told herself even as she tried on her fourth outfit, evaluating her reflection in a full-length mirror with a critical eye.

“So it’s a date,” Wynonna observed from the threshold of Waverly’s bedroom, shoulder leaned against the door frame. She shook her head. “What did I tell you about dating the law?”

“It’s not a date,” Waverly insisted, tugging the lettuce hem of her pink, long-sleeved crop top.

Wynonna eyed the stack of discarded clothes on Waverly’s bed, her ransacked closet, and the scattered array of foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and eyeshadow on her dresser. “Uh huh.”

Alice ran into the room and leaped onto the covered mattress. “She’s gonna Netflix and chill with Nicole,” she said matter-of-factly, as if commenting on the weather.

“Did I mention how much I love that you taught her that phrase?” Waverly shot a pointed look at Wynonna, who snickered. “And no, Alice, we aren’t going to do that.” She was quite pleased at herself for maintaining a neutral expression. “We’re just getting some hot chocolate. Friends get drinks. Nicole is my friend.”

“With benefits?” Wynonna asked innocently.

Waverly growled and kicked both of them out of the room so she could finish getting ready in peace. She settled on pairing the crop top with her favorite pair of black leggings and fuzzy boots. As she put the finishing touches on her makeup, Nicole called, extremely apologetic because she had to cancel. Lonnie caught the stomach flu and the already short-staffed department needed her to cover his shift. Nicole promised to make it up to Waverly.

It wasn’t a big deal, Waverly told herself. And yet, her heart still sunk in disappointment.

She made her way downstairs where Alice, Wynonna, and Dolls (of all people) were busy making cookies. Waverly used the term “making” lightly. Although the kitchen smelled wonderful, like buttery sugary heaven, it looked like a war zone. Flour and sugar coated nearly every inch of the countertops. Alice had splotches of yellow batter all over her Santa Claus apron.

“I’m telling you, Peacemaker is not an appropriate shape for a Christmas cookie,” Dolls argued as he placed a box of cookie cutters on the kitchen table.

“It literally brings peace on Earth,” Wynonna contended, waving an aluminum cutter that, sure enough, looked like her Colt Buntline Special. “What’s more Christmas-y than that?”

Dolls let out a long, weary sigh. “Back me up here, Waverly.”

“Where did you even get that?” Waverly asked, lowering herself onto an empty chair that somehow remained unscathed from the culinary explosion.

“Mattie,” Wynonna answered. “She owed me one. Now,” she held the Peacemaker cutter up, “won’t this make the coolest Christmas cookie or what?”

Waverly glanced at Dolls, who had one eyebrow raised, and Alice, who merely shrugged and giggled. She reached out and took the miniature gun from Wynonna.

“Make your peace…,” Waverly aimed at the oven, “...on Earth. It does have a certain ring to it.” She handed it back to Wynonna, who fist pumped while Dolls shook his head and muttered, “Earps,” under his breath.

“Why are you still here?” Wynonna asked as she turned the oven light on to check on the cookies. “Aren’t you going to be late for your not-date?”

“She had to cancel,” Waverly said lightly, hoping her disappointment didn’t show. “Taking another shift at the station.”

“Maybe she’s secretly helping Santa,” Alice whispered.

Wynonna scrunched up her face. “Huh?”

“Officer Nicole is one of Santa’s elves,” Alice placed a finger to her lips, “but we can’t tell anyone.”

Dolls looked at Waverly. “Officer Nicole as in Nicole Haught?”

“That’s right, Dolls,” Wynonna said, “the one you threatened with treason the other day.”

“What!?” Waverly exclaimed.

Dolls shrugged up on shoulder. “She shouldn’t have entered my office without permission.”

“For the last time, she did knock, Dolls.” Wynonna rolled her eyes.

“But I didn’t say, ‘Enter.’” Dolls leaned back and crossed his arms, chair creaking. “So you have a date with her?”

“It’s not a date!” Waverly stood up and walked to the refrigerator, partly to pour a glass of water and partly to get out of the interrogation spotlight.

Dolls eyed her outfit the same way Wynonna had sized up her room. “Mmhmm.”

Waverly fought back a blush.

“Why don’t you bring her a hot chocolate?” Alice suggested, swinging her legs. They were still too short to reach the floor.

Waverly paused, considering it. “You know, that’s… not a bad idea.”

“And then when she’s done, you can Net…”

Waverly put up a finger. “Do not finish that sentence, young lady, if you want any presents under the tree.”

Alice giggled but made a zipping motion across her lips.

Waverly wasted no more time and began collecting all the ingredients she needed. She chopped up a few blocks of bittersweet chocolate, then placed a saucepan on the stove to heat up some milk, heavy cream, sugar, and salt until the mixture steamed. While the others decorated their cookies, Waverly stirred in the chocolate and a few drops of peppermint oil. She poured the cocoa into three mugs and her favorite thermos, which she placed inside an insulated lunch bag along with some miniature marshmallows, two candy canes, an elf-shaped cookie made by Alice, and a strange, green-colored one from Wynonna. It had a cluster of red blobs to the side.

“What is this?” Waverly squinted at the so-called “cookie.”

Wynonna puckered her lips and smacked them. “Mistletoe.”

Dolls peeked over Waverly’s shoulder. “Mistletoe has white berries,” he said before Waverly could smash the cookie in her sister’s face. “That’s just a poor rendition of holly.”

Waverly smirked at Wynonna, who punched Dolls hard in the shoulder. Waverly left the cookie on the counter and was finally off.

About half an hour later, Waverly parallel parked her Jeep outside the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department. She walked carefully to the entrance. Even with her boots and the salt on the sidewalk, the path was still slippery with snowy slush made more treacherous at night. Just as she reached the station’s door, someone else pushed it open from the other side, with enough force that the glass almost slammed into the building’s brick siding.

A woman nearly ran into Waverly; the same beautiful woman who had approached Nicole at the mall a week ago. She was even more gorgeous up-close, dark hair cut straight in a sleek bob, looking sharp in a long, cream-colored wool coat.

“My apologies,” she said, doing a double-take when she saw Waverly, recognition in her eyes even though Waverly was sure they had never met.

“No problem,” Waverly squeaked out. “Be careful, the ground’s pretty slick.”

The woman spared her a small, genuine smile. “Thank you.” She continued down the way more carefully until she reached a black Mercedes Benz and drove away down the darkened street. Had she come to see Nicole, Waverly wondered. Were they friends or, Waverly swallowed, something more?

Entering the building, Waverly was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice that the station’s epoxy flooring was wet. Before she knew it, her feet flew out from under her and she fell down face first, pain erupting from her kneecaps and the heels of her hands. She dropped the lunch bag she had been holding. It skidded a few feet away.

Nicole’s voice called out from down the hall. “Shae, is that you?”

Shae, Waverly thought as she listened to a rush of footsteps. Was that the mystery woman’s name?

“Waverly!”

A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders. Waverly looked up into concerned brown eyes and instantly flushed with embarrassment.

“Are you okay?” Nicole asked as she helped Waverly back to her feet.

“Yeah.” Waverly’s knees stung something fierce. “I’m fine.”

“Your knees say otherwise.” Nicole glanced down and Waverly followed her gaze. Sure enough, the impact had been hard enough to tear holes through her leggings and skin her knees. Blood oozed from the shallow wounds. “Come this way.” Nicole took Waverly’s hand and led her back toward the reception area, stopping briefly to pick up Waverly’s bag. As they passed a yellow caution cone, Waverly swore the falling stick figure was taunted her.

They bypassed the front desk and went straight to the break room, which had a few modest holiday decorations. Someone had strung silver tinsel around the cabinets in the tiny kitchenette and added green and red hand towels by the sink. Nicole brought Waverly to a circular table with a small Christmas tree in the middle, placing her bag on the surface and encouraging her to sit.

“I’ll be right back,” Nicole said, heading toward one of the cupboards.

“Nicole, I’m all right, really…”

“Just sit tight.” Reaching inside one of the cabinets, she pulled down a first aid kit and brought it back. “So,” she crouched down in front of Waverly and opened the box, “I believe your sister and the deputy marshal have the evening off.” She took out alcohol wipes, antibiotic ointment, and two bandaids. “What brings you here this fine evening?”

“You, actually.” Waverly had already made a fool of herself. No use beating around the bush.

Nicole’s hands stilled. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Waverly said simply. She unzipped the lunch bag and placed the thermos, marshmallows, candy canes, and cookie on the table. Or rather, cookies. Plural. Somehow Wynonna had managed to sneak her damn cookie into the bag. “I’m gonna murder her,” Waverly muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing!” She would have shoved Wynonna’s cookie back in the bag, but Nicole was already staring at the offerings in awe. “Since you couldn’t come out for cocoa, I thought the cocoa could come to you.”

“You didn’t have to do all that, Wave.” A flattered smile spread across Nicole’s face as quickly as warmth spread through Waverly at hearing Nicole use her nickname.

“I know, but I wanted to,” Waverly said. In all honesty, the need to see Nicole lately had been overwhelming. And she was grateful Alice had given her the perfect excuse. “I hope you like peppermint cocoa.”

“I love it, actually.” Nicole resumed her task, tearing open one of the alcohol pads and using it to clean Waverly’s scrapes. Despite her gentleness, they still stung on contact and Waverly hissed in response.

“Sorry,” Nicole said, quickly blowing across the skin to lessen the pain.

“Alice made you the elf cookie.” Waverly winced as Nicole carefully applied ointment to the wounds.

“It’s adorable.” Nicole’s eyes slid to Wynonna’s green monstrosity. “Is that supposed to be mistletoe?”

“God,” Waverly groaned. “My sister made it.” To torment me.

Nicole bit her bottom lip. “Does everyone know about the mistletoe?’’

“Honestly? The whole town probably knows.” And wouldn’t let Waverly forget it. Not that she could even if she wanted to. That damn kiss had been replaying in her mind on a continuous loop for weeks now.

Nicole chuckled. “It’s holly though.”

“Yeah.” Waverly nodded. “I guess it’s the thought that counts.”

“You know, someone, who may or may not be your sister, has been hanging ‘mistletoe’ up around the station, possibly in the hopes of catching us underneath with Nedley or someone similarly frightening.” She pointed upward and, sure enough, someone had hung branches of prickly green holly from the ceiling directly above them.

Waverly shook her head. The prank definitely seemed right up Wynonna’s alley.

Nicole nudged Wynonna’s cookie with a finger. “Better tell your sister to stick to her day job.”

Waverly giggled. “She was never the best at baking.” Or any domestic chores, really. Wynonna had bigger demons to fry, literally. “She always used to leave that to me and Wlla.”

“Willa?”

She was sure that Nedley had told Nicole about what happened to Willa and their father all those years ago. If he hadn’t, then the grapevine would have eventually filled her in. But Nicole’s expression was politely curious, not the look of someone who knew Waverly’s father and sister had both been killed.

“Our older sister,” Waverly explained. “She… she died a long time ago.”

Nicole covered Waverly’s hand with her own and lightly squeezed it. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She hardly ever talked about Willa, not even with Wynonna. The memories of the eldest Earp sister were still painful, and with her gone, Waverly saw no need to dwell on them. But something about Nicole and her gentleness made Waverly want to open up.

“She’s actually the reason I don’t really skate anymore,” Waverly continued as Nicole carefully placed a bandaid on her left knee. Nicole paused to listen. “I used to love skating. In fact, I wanted to be Michelle Kwan.” The corners of Nicole’s eye crinkled in a smile and Waverly playfully shoved her shoulder. “Don’t laugh at me.”

“I’m not.” Nicole rocked back slightly. “I think you’re,” she cleared her throat, “that’s cute. Go on.”

Smiling, Waverly’s stomach flipped pleasantly. “There’s a pond a few miles from our house. In the winter, when it froze over, our mom used to take us there to skate.” Her smile faded slightly. “When mom left, Willa… she changed. I mean, I was never her favorite to begin with. But sometimes, she was just… mean.” Cruel, Waverly thought. A side-effect of Ward’s ever growing expectations and volatile temper. “I had a stuffed bunny that my mom gave me for Easter one year. Mr. Rabbit. He was old and dirty and one of his ears was falling off. But he was my favorite. Willa took him one year and threw him onto the lake, just after the first freeze of the season.”

Nicole’s brow furrowed.

“I went out onto the ice to get him. But, of course, it wasn’t solid enough yet. I fell through.”

“Jesus, Waverly…”

“But, obviously I’m still in once piece.” Waverly spread out her arms, as if to prove she was alive and well. “Wynonna saved me.”

“I suppose I owe her a whiskey.” Nicole shook her head, eyes full of sympathy. “So you’ve never been skating since?”

Waverly shook her head. “I guess I’ve been afraid of getting hurt again.” It was an irrational fear, she knew, but one she couldn’t help. “It’s silly.”

“It’s not.” Nicole gently stuck the other bandaid on Waverly’s right knee. “One great things about wounds? They always heal with a little TLC, if you let them.” She leaned down, surprising Waverly as she tenderly kissed both knees.

When Nicole smiled back up at Waverly, her heart felt like it was expanding inside her chest, spreading warmth throughout her entire body, all the way down to her fingertips and toes.

“There’s no mistletoe,” Waverly whispered, gaze dropping to Nicole’s lips.

“It’s the thought that counts,” Nicole murmured back.

Waverly scooted an inch closer on her seat. Nicole mirrored the movement.

And just as Waverly was about to surge forward, friendship be damned, a loud crash came from the bullpen.

Nicole stood immediately, cursing underneath her breath, and sprinted to the commotion. Waverly quickly followed. When they got to the front desk, two officers were there with a drunk and disorderly man thrashing between them, clumsy and wild.

“If it is fisticuffs you want, then it is fisticuffs you will get!” He slurred, thick mustache twitching in agitation.

Waverly’s mouth dropped open. “Doc!?”

He calmed almost instantly, squinting at Waverly from beneath the brim of his black hat. “Well, well. Waverly Earp, as I live and breathe.”

Nicole pointed between Waverly and Doc. “You two know each other.”

“This is John Henry,” Waverly introduced. “Wynonna’s, um…” One of Doc’s eyebrows disappeared into his hat. “Alice’s dad.”

“Oh,” Nicole said. “But aren’t Wynonna and Dolls…” She shut her mouth when Doc glared at her.

Waverly winced. “It’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always.” It wasn’t a question and the way Nicole said it made Waverly think of Shae the mystery woman. Nicole chucked a thumb toward the cells. “Get him to the drunk tank, boys. Let him sleep it off.”

This time, Doc didn’t struggle as the deputies led him away, sharing one last look with Waverly before he disappeared.

“I’d better get his paperwork started,” Nicole sighed, turning toward Waverly. “Thank you again for the cocoa.”

“Sure thing.” Waverly couldn’t stop herself from wondering about what might have happened in the break room if they hadn’t been interrupted. “I’d better go and tell Wynonna, I guess.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Waverly hesitated briefly, then turned on her heel. “Oh,” she whirled back around.

“Yes?” Nicole asked expectantly.

“Perry Crofte’s holiday party is this Saturday. I was wondering…” If you’d be my date.

“Oh! I’ll be there.”

Waverly’s eyebrows shot up. “You… you will?”

“Chrissy Nedley invited me the other day when she was visiting her dad.”

“Great,” Waverly said, trying to contain her excitement. She was gonna owe Chrissy big time. “Then I’ll see you there.”

“Count on it.”

Waverly waved goodbye and rounded the corner back into the hall. When she was out of Nicole’s line of site, she wanted to dance. She almost twirled in place until she saw the yellow caution cone. Not wanting a repeat of her earlier fall, she sobered instantly and carefully walked out of the station.

[llagerstatte]

PromnisAC 2017 – Festival

Rating: G

'–and there's gonna be fireworks and a parade, starting at three,' Prompto said, where he sat on the kitchen countertop. He was reading from his phone, punctuating the words with his heels against the cupboard doors. 'Hey look, they have pictures of it last year, oh man that looks so cool with the lights and smoke and fake snow stuff–'

Ignis, for once, didn't have a hard time holding back his smile. He stared down into the saucepan he was stirring, aware distantly that the sounds from Noct's game had changed, indicating it was paused and therefore Noct was listening in. Noct knew, of course, what he was going to say.

What he should have said days ago, only hadn't because he'd been too much of a coward.

'It'll be mega crowded; the article lists good places to see it from but that just means everyone'll be going there, so who knows. It's a huge parade though so there has to be space to see it somewhere – oh shit, oh shit, Iggy, look, look, last year they had a chocobo float with actual chocobos, please tell me they're doing it again this time, oh-em-gee–'

Prompto thumped down from the counter and pressed himself against Ignis' back, looping his arms around his neck to show him the pictures from his phone. 'We have to see this one. Look at them, they're all so fat and fluffed up from the cold––! We have to see this, I'm gonna die if we don't, Iggy, I swear I'll literally die–'

'Prompto.' Unhooking Prompto's arms from around him and gently pushing him back, Ignis turned to face him. 'I wish I could, but I can't go to the festival. I – the amount of work I have, the deadline for the fund allocation proposals is Monday morning, and – I'm sorry.'

The disappointment of having to spend yet another festival working overtime was bad, but he could live with it. Seeing the utmost disappointment in Prompto's expression that split-second before he masked it made him feel like the lowest scum in all of Eos.

'Oh,' Prompto said. 'Oh. Um, no, that's fine. I mean, it's not fine! That's – shit, I'm sorry they're making you work so much.'

'No, it's – I should have told you sooner, I'm sorry. I'd hoped I could have made time but with these proposals, and the furor with Glaive only last month, and... I shouldn't be making excuses. I really am sorry.' Ignis paused. 'Prompto, I really hope you're not thinking of being incredibly foolish and not going.'

At arms length, he could see the flush on Prompto's cheeks. 'Um, maybe. I just thought since you'd be stuck at home I could keep you company! It's not like we couldn't watch it on the TV or something.'

With a small smile Ignis gathered Prompto up, peppering soft little kisses across his eyelids and the bridge of his nose. Prompto squirmed even as he wrapped his arms around Ignis' waist. 'As much as I appreciate the sentiment,' Ignis said, 'it's a terrible idea. I'll be incredibly bad company, and even if I weren't I really can't afford the time to be distracted. Noct and Gladio are going to the festival; go with them.'

Prompto squashed his face against the crook of Ignis' neck and groaned. 'Why do you have to be so logical and right all the time?'

The sounds of Noct's game resumed. 'It's literally his job,' Noct said, loudly, over the sound effect clashing of swords. 'Why do you think I keep him around otherwise?'

'Certainly not out of appreciation for the years and years of my life spent waiting on you hand and foot,' Ignis said. He combed his fingers through Prompto's hair, fingertips on his scalp, massaging it. 'Prompto, go with them, enjoy yourself. Bring me back some photos of the chocobo float.'

'Yeah,' Prompto said. 'Okay. But making you work over it is still the worst.'

Two days later, the sound of keys in his apartment door make Ignis blink and look up from his laptop. He glanced at the time – almost one in the morning.

Prompto knocked on the study door before he shuffled in, bringing in a wash of cold air. 'Hey,' he said, as he pulled off his coat and tossed it onto the bed. 'How's it going?'

'It is going,' Ignis said, and accepted the disposable cup that was pressed into his hands. 'Mulled wine?'

'Yes! I was going to get it from the nice place but I also figured I should buy it last thing so it wasn't like a block of ice by the time you got it, but when we found the nice place again at the end it'd already closed–' Prompto draped himself over Ignis' shoulders, leaning in to kiss the line of his jaw. 'So sorry, this is, uh, third nicest. The second nicest ran out literally two people before us in the line. Also I got you some candy but I gave it to Gladio to carry because he had room in his bag but I totally forgot to ask for it back. Sorry, I'm distracting you, aren't I?'

'Yes, but I think I could do with a few minutes of distraction.' Ignis put the cup on his desk and pushed his chair back, tugging Prompto around until he was straddling Ignis' lap. They kissed; Prompto tasted of mulled wine, and the sugar and salt of the festival street food. His clothes and hair smelt like smoke, and were cold under Ignis' hands.

'Did you have fun?'

'Yeah.' Prompto smiled, sighed, and bent down for another kiss. 'I got some photos of the chocobos, if you want to see. Also one of Noct falling off Gladio's shoulders – his expression is amazing – I said I deleted it but like I'm ever getting rid of that one.'

Ignis laughed, a gentle exhale against Prompto's lips. 'Perhaps tomorrow. You should go to bed; I assume you're staying over?'

'No – I mean, I don't have to. Since you have work to do and everything. The buses are running all night, turns out, so I can get back to mine easy.'

'Nonsense; have a shower, go to bed.'

'You slave-driver. Now I understand why Noct cries himself to sleep every night–' Prompto squealed and jumped back as Ignis dug his fingers into the ticklish spots under his ribs, falling on his ass on the floor. A moment of silence, then he burst out laughing.

It wasn't until half an hour later, and the shower had started running, that Ignis remembered the mulled wine. He cupped it in his hands and took a sip.

It was, despite Prompto's best efforts, cold. Even as the third best at the festival, and no doubt extortionately expensive, it was much too sweet, from a very cheap wine, and with the flavour of the clove clumsily strong.

Still.

Ignis smiled, and took another sip.

[squirenonny]

For Want of Yeast

Andie requested some Hunk and Sal and burgers, and this got a little bit out of hand because, I mean. Come on. That’s one of my all-time favorite Hunk moments. I had to do their second meeting justice!

My Ko-fi

[Read on AO3]

Hunk spent a solid three months trying to make a passable burger for the other paladins. When he’d first started he’d thought (naively) that it wouldn’t be too hard. Ground meat grilled up in a patty with some assortment of condiments on a bun. Easy, right? It wasn’t like trying to recreate the perfect texture of ice cream or the heat of a good salsa. They’d found plenty of edible alien meats over the course of their travels, and the condiments all came down to experimentation.

The problem, he soon realized, was the bun.

Bread was hard to find in outer space. Good bread, even harder. Most planets didn’t seem to have anything equivalent to yeast, for one thing, so while flatbreads and crackers and even something like tortillas were plentiful, real bread was not.

And then there was the grain. Once he’d given up on finding bread, Hunk had set out to make it. He had a whole array of flours in his kitchen—this one with the right taste but far too coarse a texture, that one okay texture-wise but bitter. He’d made plenty of passable flatbreads, and once when he’d found something like baking soda he’d managed an imitation banana bread. But yeast breads? Sourdough? Out of the question.

It was amazing how many comfort foods you missed out on when you didn’t have access to Earth microorganisms. Grilled cheese, burgers, pizza. Hell, they didn’t even have yogurt they could trust not to make them all sick.

It figured when he finally found real, genuine, eat-it-with-butter bread, it would be at Vrepit Sal’s.

The paladins had returned to the space mall to resupply, and Hunk had only gone because, frankly, he didn’t trust Coran not to come back with three tons of inedible nutrient sludge. Pidge had happily volunteered to distract Coran with their tech needs, Shiro and Allura were on “miscellaneous necessities” duty, whatever that meant, and Lance was supposed to be helping Keith pick out the best lasers for Pidge’s new castle-defense plan. Hunk had a feeling they would return with the bare minimum of lasers and an overabundance of facial creams, sewing supplies, and assorted 80’s junk from the Earth Store.

Though, to be fair, most Lance’s haul would probably be less self-indulgent than Pidge and Coran’s.

The trip had started out okay enough, despite Hunk seriously considering heading back to watch the castle-ship with Kolivan and Slav. His head was constantly swiveling in search of the mall cop, Varkon, or anyone else who might recognize the “space pirates” from their last misadventure, and he avoided the foot court like the plague for as long as possible, but there was no way to get around the fact that that was where they were supposed to meet up.

Hunk was the first one there, of course. No one expected Keith to be able to drag Lance away from his fun, and Pidge and Coran, together, were the worst sort of enablers. But he’d expected Shiro and Allura to be on time, at least.

He found an empty table on the far side of the food court from Vrepit Sal’s and sat down with his purchases, but the pillars and fake plants hiding him from Sal got in the way of his search for his friends. After five minutes, he sighed, grabbed his bags, and cautiously made his way into the open.

That was when he saw them: a dozen beautiful, flawlessly golden buns. Hunk watched between the leaves of a hot pink shrub as Sal called out orders to his assistant—not the old lady from last time, but a lavender Bytor whose eight arms were tending four skillets and a saucepan simultaneously. They actually looked like a proper kitchen staff, and the line of customers said that at least some of Hunk’s instructions had stuck.

And, okay. Hunk had to be a little bit proud of that, despite the simmer of resentment he felt at the sight of the guy who’d literally tried to kidnap him.

The question was how to sneak a taste of those roles without letting Sal know he was there. Maybe once Allura got back, he could convince her to go Galra and buy a few. Shiro would be on Hunk’s side, probably. He’d once said he’d trade his right arm for a dinner roll—and, yeah, it had been with the same wry smile he always wore when his dark humor reared its head, and, yeah, he’d laughed it off afterwards, always quick to assure Hunk that whatever he was cooking sounded perfect.

But Hunk could hardly forget that that was the one and only time Shiro had ever actually expressed a preference for any particular food. Nor could he ignore that Shiro was particularly quick to devour any kind of carb Hunk set before him—flatbread, pasta, the lumpy orangish tuber they’d dubbed space potatoes.

It would be better if Hunk could surprise him with the bread, but he’d rather ask for help then end up chained to a stove for the rest of his life.

He shifted to get a better view of the restaurant, but his bags slipped, disturbing the shrub he was hiding behind. Hunk froze as Sal’s gaze swept toward him, shooting a plea toward every corner of the universe that Sal wouldn’t spot him.

No such luck.

Hunk yelped as Sal’s eyes widened. Then, as Sal turned to bark something at his line cook, Hunk snatched up his bags and made a break for it. A harried alien surrounded by half a dozen kids stepped into his path at just the wrong moment, and Hunk spun, wishing he’d come in his armor, incognito be damned, just so he’d have something more than a grayish sausage link to brandish in Sal’s direction.

“Stay back!” Hunk called, fumbling with the rest of his bags. “I’m armed.”

Sal stopped, holding up his hands, and Hunk would have laughed at the scene if he weren’t already playing out a lifetime of serving mediocre food under the watchful eye of the Worst Cook in America while Zarkon’s Number One Fan patrolled, muttering to himself about nabbing that pesky pirate just as soon as he had his proof.

“Hunk!” Sal cried, beaming. “Vrekt, kid, it really is you! How’ve you been?”

The greeting—twice as friendly as Hunk had been expecting and at least three times as familiar—caught him off guard, and he slowly lowered his sausage sword. “Uh… fine…?”

Laughing in delight, Sal reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. Hunk yelped, nearly dropping the sausage, and frowned.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Okay? I’m a lot better than okay! The way this place has turned around since you were here? You’re a real life-saver, kid, you know that?”

Hunk only blinked. Quite suddenly, he found himself being steered back toward Vrepit Sal’s, his babbled protests handily ignored. Hunk could already feel the manacle snapping shut around his ankle.

“And this,” Sal said, blissfully ignorant of the freight train of fear careening through Hunk’s head, “is Luks.”

The Bytor wiped one hand on the towel at their waist and held it out for Hunk to shake while the other seven kept at their tasks: washing vegetables, chopping tubers, searing meat.

“Wow,” Hunk said, shaking Luks’ hand. “You’re… you’re pretty good at that.”

Luks fluffed their tail—legitimately fluffed it, like a frickin’ bird fluffing its feathers—and muttered a quiet thank-you as Sal bundled Hunk off for a tour of the stockroom. Gone were the tubs upon tubs of mush and the freezer-burned odds and ends. This new stock room almost rivaled Hunk’s setup on the castle-ship.

Hunk whistled. “Okay, okay, I’ll admit it. I’m impressed.”

Sal beamed. “It’s all thanks to you, kid. And I mean that. You wanna stick around a while? I’ve been trying to expand the menu, you know. I could use your advice.”

“I don’t know, Sal. My friends...” Hunk trailed off as his eyes fell on several more crates’ worth of bread. “Sorry. Is that bread?”

Sal’s ears swiveled, and he followed Hunk’s gaze to the crates. “Bread?” he said slowly, as though he’d never heard the word before. “They’re called food sponges. I give ‘em out with the special. Good for soaking up the extra sauce, you know?”

“Could I…?”

Hunk barely waited for Sal’s nod before he snatched up one of the buns and lifted it to his ear. It crackled when he squeezed, and it smelled enough like bakeries back home to make Hunk’s mouth water. There was no reason for his heart to be beating against his ribs as he tore off a small piece and popped it in his mouth, nor for his knees to go weak when the bun tasted wonderfully, flawlessly like he’d hoped it would.

“Oh my god,” Hunk moaned. “Where did you get this?”

“Uh… I dunno. My guy bought it off some deep space trader. Never seen anything like it.”

Hunk resisted the urge to scarf down the rest of the bun, his head already spinning with plans for that night’s dinner. Grilled cheese for Pidge, burgers for Lance and Keith, garlic bread and French toast and stuffing and fondue and anything else Shiro could possibly hope for.

“How much?” Hunk demanded, reaching for the credit disc Allura had given him and performing some quick mental math to figure out how much money he had left. Two thousand GAC at the butchers, another fifteen hundred on spices and other kitchen staples…

Hunk grimaced.

“Okay, forget GAC. Would you be willing to part with one of these crates if I showed you another use for these, uh, food sponges?”

Sal seemed confused, but he nodded. “Heck, after last time I’d give you just about anything, but if you don’t mind teaching me a new recipe...”

Hunk grinned. “Awesome. You’re gonna want to take notes on this one, Sal. It’ll revolutionize this food court—mark my words!”

Sal was clearly skeptical of Hunk’s claim—even more so when Hunk selected only a single pan and a spatula. He found some ground meat from the cooler that he recognized as lenna. It tasted a little gamy—more like venison than beef, but wonderfully juicy. It cooked up into a nice patty with just a little bit of salt for seasoning. (Salt was a nearly universal constant, a fact Hunk had learned early on and for which he was still eternally grateful.)

The restaurant was a little thin on condiments, so Hunk went for a minimalist approach, topping the burger with a sharp, cheddar-like cheese, something like mild barbecue sauce, and a leafy vegetable with a taste unlike any Earth food.

He presented the burger to Sal on a freshly sliced space bun, then crossed his arms and sat back for the show. Sal picked it up, considered it for a long moment, then took a bite.

Almost at once, his eyes lit up, and Hunk bit back a laugh as Sal took a second bite almost before he’d swallowed the first. He hollered to Luks and offered them a taste, and then the people at the front of the line were tripping over each other to get a look at the new dish the cooks were so clearly excited about.

Grinning, Hunk clapped Sal on the shoulder. “Well. I think I’ll leave you to your customers.”

Sal was already snatching up ingredients to demonstrate for Luks, but he spared a wave over his shoulder. “Thanks a million, Hunk! You really are a genius.”

Flushing, Hunk turned and headed for the door, a box of buns under one arm, bags dangling from the other. He was barely out the door when he caught sight of a familiar Segway cruising through the crowd.

With a yelp, he dove back into the kitchen. Sal frowned at him, mouth open to ask why Hunk was huddled under the counter like a spooked cat, when Varkon rolled up.

“Security,” Varkon barked. “Clear the way. You!”

Hunk cringed, catching Sal’s eyes as he turned away from the grill. “There a problem, officer?”

“News bulletin,” Varkon said. “Straight from high command. Priority one. The paladins of Voltron have been spotted in the area.” Hunk’s heart dropped as the cold blue glow of a holoscreen washed over Sal’s face. From his hiding place, Hunk couldn’t see the image, but he had a front row seat to the shock and recognition in Sal’s eyes.

Hunk really should have worn his armor. He gave the buns a longing look as he set the crate aside; it was too big, too bulky, and he’d need at least one hand free to push through the crowd.

Then he closed his eyes and got ready to run.

“Haven’t seen ‘em.”

Hunk jumped, biting down on his tongue to keep from gasping aloud, and stared up at Sal. The shock was gone, replaced with bored disinterest. He crossed his arms as Varkon scrutinized him in silence.

“You sure about that?”

Sal snorted. “Course I am. What species is that, anyway? I think I’da noticed if something that funny-looking walked up to my counter.”

Cursing under his breath, Varkon revved his engine. “Curse those paladins. You keep your eyes open, you hear? Let me know if you see them.”

“Right away,” Sal promised dryly. He watched for a long moment, unmoving until Hunk made a break for the door. Sal caught his wrist, holding him in place. “Give it a minute. I’ll tell you when the coast is clear.”

Hunk gaped up at him, but didn’t dare speak. It was a miracle none of the customers had sold him out. Though… none of them were Galra, as far as he’d seen. Just Varkon and Sal and a couple other shop owners. Huh. Hunk had never really stopped to consider the implications of that before.

Sal whipped up a few more plates, never once glancing at Hunk, then shrugged out of his apron and let Luks know he was taking a break. As he headed for the door, he gestured under the counter for Hunk to follow.

“You helped me,” Hunk said, slipping out the employee entrance behind Sal, holding tight to his box of buns. “Why?”

Sal tipped his head to the side. “You know why I named this place Vrepit Sal’s?”

“Uh.” Hunk frowned. “That’s Zarkon’s motto or something, isn’t it? Vrepit sa?”

With a shake of his head, Sal chuckled. “Zarkon’s motto. Kid, that’s a Galra saying, and a lot of us don’t like what Zarkon’s turned it into. You know what it means?”

“No,” Hunk said. “I don’t.”

“It means making yourself better, all the time, every day. It means not settling for something just because it’s always been that way. Which is ironic, because that’s exactly what I was doing—settling. I’d stopped trying before I met you. Why put the effort into something no one’s interested in anyway, right? I mean, who ever heard of a Galra chef?”

Hunk glanced over his shoulder, scanning the crowd for Varkon. And for his friends—they had to have finished by now. What if Varkon had found them? “You saved me because I taught you to cook?”

“I saved you cause you taught me to care. You ain’t like most people ‘round here. I figure if those other paladins are anything like you, then maybe I don’t want Zarkon to find you. Maybe I want you out there shaking things up.” He paused, then smiled. “I guess what I’m saying is… vrepit sa, paladin Hunk.”

The smile caught Hunk off guard, and he had to choke back tears as he shook Sal’s outstretched hand, albeit clumsily. “Vrepit sa, Sal. I’ll try to come visit you sometime, okay?”

Sal’s face softened. “I’d like that. Take care of yourself, you hear?”

Hunk nodded, hoisted the groceries, and backed away. He felt like he should say something, but he couldn’t find the words. Sal smiled knowingly, inclined his head, then turned and vanished into the crowd.

[freonsuit52-blog]

buttercream flower tutorial

This time last summer, I had left my full-time job at Yelp and was gearing up to move back to Portland and focus on writing my cookbook, Weeknight Baking. Given that I had spent many years balancing my day job with this blog, I thought that finally just focusing on one thing would allow me to pursue everything I'd always wanted to do with Hummingbird High but never had time to do so: mostly, more interiors posts, party posts, travel posts, step-by-step tutorials, elaborate pastries, GIFS, videos and more!

Needless to say, none of that happened, lol. Although many of my friends and peers who'd written cookbooks warned me about how much work it all was, I'd secretly ignored their warnings because I was just too friggin' cocky. Despite their horror stories, I figured that after balancing a full-time corporate job and this blog for so long, it would be a breeze. Ha! Nope. Long story short, the book replaced Yelp as my full-time job and Hummingbird High was once again pushed to the sidelines as I raced to develop, test, and photograph recipes for Weeknight Baking.

There is light at the end of the tunnel though! I've finally met the first of my major deadlines, turning in my manuscript at the start of last month and all the photos this past Monday. I have about a month off before I get the first round of edits, during which I'm planning to relax, go on the Whole 30 in attempt to lose all the scary book-related weight I've gained in the last year, and finally stop neglecting my blog and start working on all of the ideas and plans I've had for it since yesteryear. Get excited!

First up: a decorating tutorial with the help of my talented friend, Lyndsay Sung of Coco Cake Land! Her new cookbook just came out and is dedicated to all things cake decorating and is just SO. MUCH. FUN. Lyndsay is known for her badass feminist cakes, her super kawaii animal cakes, and her general boss cake decorating skills. She is one of my favorite bakers, and is such an inspiration both inside and outside of the kitchen. Real talk — she wrote part of the book while she was fighting (and winning!) against breast cancer. I told you she was fierce.

One of the cakes in Lyndsay's book is the Buttercream Flower Power cake, which is a layer cake topped with beautiful and 100% edible buttercream roses in bright neon colors (I tried to channel them for this cake, but I think my colors came out more muted than Lyndsay's — oh well). Buttercream flowers kinda blew up on the internet last year, and of course, I'm late to the party. I'm not going to lie — I avoided piping them for a really long time because I was super intimidated to do so, but they're actually pretty easy! It helps to have a good video tutorial or two to guide you (as much as I love photos, sometimes a video really does do the job better) so I've included a pretty bare bones instructional video on how I pipe my roses:

What do you guys think of the video? Is it too bare? Should I add music and flashing lights? I know that those Buzzfeed Tasty-style videos are super popular, but for more instructional videos, I decided to keep it minimalist so you can actually see what I'm doing without any distractions. Tell me your thoughts!

Also, be sure to check out the rest of the post below for some formal instructions on how to pipe the flowers as well a quick guide on literally everything you need to get started on piping flowers of your own. And don't miss my post on Instagram, where I'm giving away a copy of Lyndsay's cookbook and a jar of some of her custom made Sweetapolita sprinkles. Super fun, right??? I'm so excited, you guys. I feel like this is a fresh start to Hummingbird High, and I am so excited to kick it off with Lyndsay and her new book. Yay!!!

featured:

book || cake stand || bowl

Buttercream Flower Tutorial

(inspired by Coco Cake Land)

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TOOLKIT

What Tools You Need for Swiss Meringue Buttercream

a heatproof rubber spatula

a candy thermometer, preferably digital (I use this one)

a freestanding electric mixer with a whisk and paddle attachment (I use a KitchenAid mixer)

What Tools You Need for Cake Decorating

4 pastry piping bags

4 pastry bag couplers

a petal piping tip (I recommend Wilton #102 for small flowers, and Wilton #125 for large ones)

an open star piping tip (I recommend Wilton #1M)

a flower nail 

one 12 x 16-inch sheet of parchment paper, cut into 2- or 3-inch squares

a half sheet pan 

flower lifter scissors

What Ingredients You Need for the Flower Power Cake

one 8-inch cake of your choice, smoothly frosted

one recipe Lyndsay's Swiss Meringue Buttercream (included below)

pink, purple, green and blue food coloring (I used colors from this awesome Americolor set)

sprinkles (duhhhh)

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SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM 101

Lyndsay's Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

1 cup (8 ounces) large egg whites, from about 7 to 8 large eggs

2 1/4 cups (15.75 ounces) granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups (20 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

a pinch of kosher salt

Recipe

In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer, combine 1 cup large egg whites and 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar. Mix with a heatproof rubber spatula to combine into a sugary slurry. Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and place it on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Set the mixer bowl on top of the saucepan to create a kind of double boiler, making sure the mixer bowl doesn't touch the water.

Heat the egg and sugar mixture until it reaches 160 (F) on the candy thermometer, using the rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to prevent any ingredients from burning and stirring the mixture occasionally. This process should take around 10 minutes, so if you find that it's taking longer, don't be afraid to crank up the heat! 

Use oven mitts to carefully transfer the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer and fit a whisk attachment in place. Turn the mixer on to its highest setting and beat the mixture for 10 minutes, or until you've created a meringue with medium-stiff peaks and the sides of the bowl are only slightly warm or at room temperature. 

Scrape down the whisk, and replace it with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add 2 1/4 cups cubed unsalted butter a few cubes at a time, continuing to mix until the butter is incorporated. At this point, it should look like a thick soup, and that's totally okay. Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and a pinch of kosher salt, and turn the mixer up to its highest speed. Beat the mixture on high speed for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until a fluffy, silky, magical buttercream frosting has formed. 

Troubleshooting Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting ... if your Swiss Meringue Buttercream is too soupy: That likely means that the meringue wasn't cool enough when you started adding the butter, and/or it's a super hot day, and/or your butter was way too soft. No worries! Place the whole bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes to cool it down before beating it again, first on low speed and gradually increasing it to high speed.

... if your Swiss Meringue Buttercream looks curdled and/or mottled: That likely means that the butter you used was way too cold and refuses to emulsify with the meringue. We can fix it, don't even worry. Eyeball out a 1/4 cup scoop of the curdled/mottled Swiss Meringue buttercream and transfer to a liquid measuring cup. Microwave on low speed for about 15 to 20 seconds, or until the frosting is soupy, liquidy, and warm. Pour back into the rest of the frosting and turn the mixer back on to high speed for about 2 to 3 minutes — the melted frosting should have helped bring the entire batch down to the right temperature for whipping.

If you don't have a microwave, you can try Lyndsay's suggestion: lightly heat the whole bowl over a low-boing pot of water. Once it's warmed up a teensy bit, try mixing it again.

Storing Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Swiss meringue buttercream will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer. Just be sure to store in an airtight container to prevent the frosting from absorbing any weird fridge/freezer flavors.

To use chilled buttercream, bring it back to room temperature by letting it sit uncovered at room temperature for about 1 hour or so. Transfer to the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer and gently rewhip before using. If you find that the buttercream looks mottled, use the tricks above to incorporate it fully. To use frozen buttercream, thaw the buttercream in the fridge overnight and follow the steps for thawing chilled buttercream.

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BUTTERCREAM FLOWERS 101

How to Pipe Buttercream Roses

First, prep your ingredients and tools: divide the buttercream into four even batches, dying each batch with a different color. Fit 4 pastry bags with couplers, and fill each pastry bag with its own batch of buttercream. For one of the pastry bags with the petal tip.

Squeeze a tiny amount of buttercream onto the center of the flower nail. Pat a parchment paper square on top of the buttercream, pressing down and rubbing it across the surface of the nail to "glue" it onto the nail. Arrange the parchment paper so that it is relatively centered on the nail. Brilliant! You're ready to pipe flowers.

Start by piping a small blob of buttercream in the center of the parchment paper. It doesn't have to be a specific shape or even pretty — a small blob will do. Next, hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle with the wide end of the piping tip at the bottom of the nail; squeeze the piping bag, turning the nail at the same time, so that it pipes a half circle around the blob of buttercream frosting. Pipe another half circle, starting from the halfway point of the initial half circle. Repeat until you've got a circle that forms the base of the rose. Repeat this process for the outer petals of the rose — as your flower grows, you'll notice that you'll need to pipe longer and longer half circles. Continue making the layers of petals until you've reached the desired size for your rose — smaller ones will look more like conventional roses, whereas larger ones will look almost like peonies, succulents, or even cabbage flowers. 

Once satisfied with your flower, carefully remove the parchment paper from the flower nail with the flower attached and place it on the half sheet pan. Repeat the process for however many roses you wish to make, moving the petal tip to different piping bags for different colored flowers. Go crazy and make as many flowers as you want, but be sure to reserve some frosting for finishing the cake and gluing the flowers on to the actual cake itself. Once done, transfer the sheet pan to the freezer to freeze for at least 1 hour, or until the flowers are cold and firm to the touch. 

How to Assemble a Buttercream Flower Power Cake

Once the flowers are frozen and firm to the touch, it's time to decorate the cake. Remove the sheet pan from the freezer. Use the flower lifter scissors to carefully lift up each flower from its parchment paper square, discarding the paper and transferring the flower to the top of the cake. To transfer them to the sides of the cake, pipe a blob of reserved frosting onto the sides of the cake to use as glue to hold the flower in place. 

Use a pastry bag with an open star piping tip to pipe quick stars in between the flowers, eliminating any "naked" space on the top of the cake. Garnish with sprinkles.

How to Save Buttercream Flowers for Future Cakes If you find yourself with leftover flowers, you can save your hard work for future cakes! Leave any leftover flowers on their individual parchment paper squares on the sheet pan and transfer to the freezer to chill overnight. Once the flowers have frozen solid, carefully transfer the flowers on their parchment squares into a Ziploc bag and seal tightly. The flowers will keep in the freezer for several months. When ready to use, you can use them straight from the freezer: simply unpeel each flower from its square and arrange on your cake as desired.

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Source: https://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2018/08/buttercream-flower-tutorial.html

[bordersmash8-blog]

Rustic White Bean & Thyme Pot Pies (Two Ways!)

December 13, 2018

by Kare Christmas, Comfort Food, Dinner, Fall, Holidays, Kid Friendly, One Dish Two Ways, Protein Powered, Recipes, Vegan Dinners, Vegan+Carnivore, Vegetarian+Carnivore, Winter 1 Comment / Leave a Comment »

School is just about out for winter break, and I, for one, am so excited to have my little buddy back at my side for a couple of weeks! I have visions of homemade cookies and salt dough ornaments and gingerbread house making, though I fully admit that by the end of break most of my plans will have likely devolved into Sofia the First and Wild Kratts marathons. I’m planning to keep work at a minimum for the remainder of the month to help support the former and hopefully (mostly) prevent the latter. Thus, I’ve photographed, written, and scheduled a handful of recipes to share between now and then … and let winter break begin!

Oh wait! I guess I’ve gotten ahead of myself. I have a recipe to share right now! Okay guys, I have been trying to come up with the perfect pot pie recipe for awhile now. Something hearty with a good amount of protein for the vegetarians yet it won’t be weird if you add meat to the mix. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I really think I’ve finally nailed it with these Rustic White Bean & Thyme Pot Pies.

Individual pot pies are another perfect way to feed meat-eaters and vegetarians at the same table. Simply start with a veggie base, add some cooked chicken (or turkey, hi leftovers!) to the meat-eaters’ portions, and away you go!

Oh, and if you like, you can totally make use of cute little alphabet cookie cutters to differentiate pot pies. 

These Rustic White Bean & Thyme Pot Pies make the perfect winter dinner situation. They’re surprisingly easy to make – especially when you resort to store-bought pie crust as I often do. If you prefer a homemade situation that has no dairy, look no further than Minimalist Baker’s coconut oil pie crust. It’s terrific!

Okay, so we’ve got hearty cannellini beans along with hunks of carrots and buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, all in a savory, creamy, thyme-spiked sauce. Simple, rustic, yet somehow special. Even though this pot pie doesn’t contain traditionally wintery veggies, I think it just screams comfort and winter. Not literally, because that would be frightening. 

Speaking of winter, I’m off for winter break! Happy Holidays, friends, and see you on the other side!

Yield: 4 (10-ounce) pot pies

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

Hearty white beans, carrots, and potatoes in a creamy thyme-flavored sauce. Just add cooked chicken or turkey for the meat-eaters!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, vegan butter (like Earth Balance), or olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt + more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 pound (2 cups) diced Yukon Gold potatoes

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Your favorite store-bought pie crust or homemade pie crust (for a homemade vegan option, I really like this coconut oil pie crust)**

Optional meat:

1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken or turkey per pot pie

Equipment:

Directions:

To a medium saucepan, add the olive oil or vegan butter. Warm over low heat. Add the onion and carrots and saute just until the onions are beginning to become translucent, 5-6 minutes.

Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir constantly for three minutes, adding the garlic during the last minute.

Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes and thyme sprigs. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just about fork tender, about 5 minutes. Remove thyme stems. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired, to taste.

If adding chicken or turkey to any of the pot pies, add 1/4 cup to each ramekin.

Divide bean filling between the four or five ramekins, carefully stirring those that have meat with a small spoon to evenly distribute.

Cut circles of crust about 1″ larger than the circumference of the ramekins. To keep track of the meat pot pies vs. the veggie pot pies, I like to use letter cookie cutters – “VEG” for veggie and, in the case of the batch I made for the blog, “CHX” for chicken. A simple V or C will work or any old shape to help you tell them apart will do! Just be sure you at least slit the top to allow for steam to escape.

Bake 375 degrees for about 35 minutes, until the pie crust is golden brown and the filling is nice and bubbly.

Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

* Filling should be just enough for four 10-ounce ramekins if not adding meat. If adding meat to some, you should be able to stretch to five.

Vegan option:

Use Earth Balance vegan butter or olive oil and a vegan pie crust (some store-bought pie crusts are vegan – check the ingredients)

Meat option:

Self-explanatory! 🙂

All images and text ©Kare for Kitchen Treaty.

Kare

Kare is a vegetarian home cook living among carnivores. She loves creating irresistible and flexible recipes that help multi-vore families like hers keep the peace - deliciously.

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Source: https://www.kitchentreaty.com/rustic-white-bean-thyme-pot-pies/

[4compassionqueen]

This week was filled with great meals, a holiday celebration and even sunshine. Yet for some reason this week I have really struggled with staying positive towards myself and with other people.

It started off good with preparations for valentines day and somewhat decent weather, which i don’t mention lightly. The weather has a huge affect on my mood, no matter how hard I try to not let it get to me.

I made some sweet zero waste valentines gifts for Ian and meal prepped some really good meals for the week. And then it all started. I’m pretty sure I killed my Scoby that I’ve been trying to grow for a couple weeks now Being someone who really hates wasting time and fears loosing the opportunity to do something, this Scoby set back really bummed me out. On top of that there has been some changes at work and i’m trying my best to adjust to them, but it’s been quite the challenge. It makes the work day long, which makes the evening go by even faster.

Which leads me to my third setback this week. Baxter. Chews. On. Everything. I try my hardest to give him all the love and affection, exercise and toys he could possibly handle. Yet he tremendously enjoys chewing on my shoes, the couch pillows, and anything else that isn’t meant for him. It can be extremely frustrating to come home after a long work day and find all your shoes in the middle of the living room, laces almost pulled out and couch pillows in the kitchen.

Then there is the cat who is elderly and struggles with urinary tract issues. I found out the hard way this week that she is having a hard time holding in her urine when i found my bare feet wet.

To top it off, I was trying to come up with a pancake recipe that used coconut flour with minimal ingredients, and that ended up to be a failure. So this morning i thought hey, i’ll try this recipe for buckwheat crepes. Once again, didn’t turn out but I was able to make them into pancakes.

I think the biggest thing that I need to accept is that I chose to bring these things into my life and I need to choose how I react to them in a more positive matter. I chose to adopt some pretty needy animals and I need to address the situations that come with them in a more positive matter. I chose to try and grow my own scoby instead of buying store bought kombucha, so I need to step back and realize it’s okay if it doesn’t work the first time. I chose to test out a recipe, and it’s okay that it didn’t come out the way I wanted. These aren’t failures or times lost, but things I can reflect on and use for the future. It’s all about looking at the world through “rose colored glasses”.

Some things i’m going to focus more on this week are

Analyzing the situation before reacting

Walking more for mental and physical health

Being okay with not being perfect

Reflecting on how I can do things better

Spreading more love

Replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts

To start the week off on a bright side i’m going to share what went good this week! For starters I cut off 13 inches of my hair and donated it to Wigs for Kids (highly recommend doing this if you are considering cutting your hair, makes it so much more rewarding), I’m continuing to see results with my workouts, I started reading a great book (Cooking Gene), and I’m finding more and more ways to reduce my waste every day.

I was really pleased with the meals I made this week, so here it goes!

First I made a spicy vegetable stir fry out of the minimalist baker cookbook. You start off my marinating tofu overnight in a soy sauce, sriracha and sesame oil combo. It also called for maple syrup but I substituted some reduced pineapple juice. Then you fry the tofu in the pan, saute the veggies in remaining marinade, add it all back together in the pan and slam bam thank you ma’am. A super easy and protein pack meal that literally takes less than 30 minutes to make. You can use whatever veggies you’d like, but i used carrots, broccoli and red pepper. I also served it in tortillas as tacos, as well as over rice.

  Marinating tofu

Red pepper, broccoli and carrots

Frying tofu

Sauteed Veggies in Marinade

Then i made another recipe from the minimalist baker cookbook. Coconut Red Curry Vegetable Soup. This is a new favorite and will definitely be made again. Another soup-er simple meal that is really affordable and sustainable.

This one i’m just so in love with i have to share, so enjoy!

COCONUT RED CURRY VEGETABLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS COCONUT OIL

1/4 CUP DICED CARROTS

1 CUP DICED GREEN ONION

1/4 TSP EACH SEA SALT AND BLACK PEPPER

1 LARGE CLOVE GARLIC

2 TBS RED CURRY PASTE (OR 1-2 TBS CURRY POWDER)

1 CUP WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOMS, SLICED

3/4 CUP FRESH TOMATO, DICED

2 1-INCH SLICES FRESH GINGER OR 1 TSP GROUND GINGER

2 14-OZ CANS LIGHT COCONUT MILK

3/4 TSP GROUND TUMERIC

1-2 TBS MAPLE SYRUP (I OMITTED)

Heat large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add coconut oil, carrots, and green onions. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with a health pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the garlic and curry paste. Stir. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, and ginger. Stir once more. Season with another pinch of salt.

Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, turmeric, and maple syrup. Whisk. Bring to a very low boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked through and the curry flavor has permeated the vegetables.

Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, or salt.

Discard the ginger and server warm as a soup or serve over cooked rice.

Garnish with cilantro and fresh lime juice. (I also added soy amino’s)

  And of course for Friday I made fries…

Other things I ate and snacked on

Bananas and oranges

Baked sweet potato

Nuts and avacado

Smoothies

This week i’m looking forward to trying some new things. I would like to experiment with making my own tempeh and see how this second try on the scoby goes, making my own almond milk (haven’t made almond yet), trying new techniques on working with Baxter and journal my negative thoughts to turn into positive lessons in the future.

Hope you all have a fantastic week, thanks for letting me ramble!

You choose what you put out into the world This week was filled with great meals, a holiday celebration and even sunshine. Yet for some reason this week I have really struggled with staying positive towards myself and with other people.

[ynsespoir]

Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken and Veggies

This Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken and Veggies makes the perfect weeknight dinner that’s healthy, delicious and easily made all on one pan in under 30 minutes!  Perfect recipe for your Sunday meal prep too!  

A special thanks to PAM Spray Pumps for partnering with me on this post!  As always, all opinions are my own.

Yes I’m back at it again with sheet pan meals because they are literally my go-to weeknight meal and are total lifesavers when things get hectic and busy during the week!  I know that most of you can relate, especially those that have kids, so having the convenience of throwing a complete dinner all on one pan definitely makes life much more bearable.  Easy clean up, delicious flavor and so many leftovers that you won’t even need to worry about what to eat for lunch the next day!

This Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken and Veggies is one of my favorites because it’s a much healthier version of “take-out” that has half the calories, but ALL the flavor!  You can easily prep this the day before too by chopping up all your veggies and marinating the chicken, but if this is a last minute recipe you decided to throw together in a pinch then that’s okay too.  Prep time takes just a few minutes and the sauce only requires 5 simple ingredients so it really is that easy!  Then just toss everything together on the pan and you are good to go.

Okay so I just have to share with you the convenience of PAM Spray Pumps especially when making sheet pan meals!  Not only are you reducing your fat and calories by controlling how much (or how little) oil you spray on the pan , but PAM makes it even easier to clean-up because everything just easily slides right off without sticking.  PAM has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and I am absolutely loving the NEW non-aerosol spray pumps they now offer and the bottle is clear so you can conveniently see when you are running low.

I’ve always noticed that when cooking veggies, too much oil can really ruin the taste and texture not to mention adding even more unnecessary calories to your dish which is why I love using PAM.  PAM Spray Pumps are available in two varieties – olive oil and canola oil.  I use olive oil a ton when cooking veggies so I was excited to see it in an easy-to-use spray bottle!

For this recipe I basically just tossed the chicken and veggies together on a baking sheet, seasoned with salt and pepper then drizzled everything with the sauce.  THAT’S IT!  Now if you like your veggies crunchier, I would cook the chicken first halfway through then add your veggies to the pan so that they won’t cook as long, but that’s completely up to you.  Either way this dish will taste delicious!

You could also easily turn this recipe into a stir fry if you wanted!  Rather than cooking everything in the oven, simply toss the chicken and veggies into a skillet sprayed with a little PAM, drizzle with the sauce and cook this meal that way.  Like I said before, this recipe is simple, delicious and created for convenience for those busy weeknights so feel free to cook this how YOU prefer!

Not only do sheet pan meals make cleaning up a breeze, but they are also perfect for meal prep!  You can customize this dinner however you’d like to too!  Try using green beans or asparagus in place of the broccoli or throw in some chopped onions or even sweet potatoes.  Trust me this sauce tastes great on EVERYTHING so go crazy and make this to your liking!  Serve this over brown rice or some quinoa for a complete meal that is delicious and much healthier than ordering take-out in the middle of the week.

I can’t stress to you how convenient PAM Spray Pumps are for meal-prepping.  I mean they are seriously a MUST in the kitchen especially when you are cooking a lot of different things all at once.  They really help you cut down on the amount of oil you’re using and because PAM has superior non-stick performance, you don’t have to worry about scraping those veggies, potatoes, chicken or even fish off of the pan because they stuck right to it!

Oh and this sauce??  Yes it is to DIE for.  A simple combination of soy sauce, honey, garlic, fresh ginger and a drizzle of sweet chili sauce make this meal super flavorful and only uses 5 ingredients!  I topped everything off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and some chopped green onions and then proceeded to devour my plate.  Literally.

I hope you all enjoy this simple weeknight dinner as much as we did!  Anytime you’re in a rut and aren’t sure what to make for dinner, just remember “you PAM do it!” and this Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken is a great way to help you get started

Sheet Pan Sesame Chicken and Veggies

  Print

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large head of broccoli, chopped (about 2 cups)

2 medium red bell peppers, cut into chunks

1 cup snap peas

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: sesame seeds and green onions

For the sauce:

¼ cup lower-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp. fresh ginger

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, honey, garlic and ginger on medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and allow sauce to simmer, whisking occasionally, until sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Spread chicken and chopped veggies on a baking sheet sprayed with PAM cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle half the sauce over the chicken and veggies (reserving the other half for later) and toss to combine. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, tossing halfway through, and continue cooking until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked through.

Drizzle remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over brown rice or quinoa and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1¾ cups • Calories: 222 • Fat: 3.6 g • Saturated Fat: 0.8 g • Carbs: 22.5 g • Fiber: 3.4 g • Protein: 26.7 g • Sugars: 13.9 g • WW Points+: 6 • Smart Points: 6

3.5.3218

This post is sponsored by PAM Cooking Spray.  As always all opinions are 100% my own.

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