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bethelstavern · 2 years ago

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Answering this again but as a twenty-something

65 Questions You Aren’t Used To 1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? Finally understand this lmao. I think sometimes life is a simulation or I have to remind myself that people are living their own lives.

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? Still the same LMAO maybe less? 1.5

3. The person you would never want to meet? I thought this question said someone I would want to me and I was shocked at past me answer, but i support that + i don't think i would want to meet future me hahah

4. What is your favorite word? Compassion? What was I in 2018? Uhhh. I'm not sure. Maybe Guzzi.

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? Willow is good, uhm but maybe a wisteria tree.

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

"It's Monday, do i have to go tot work?"

7. What shirt are you wearing?

Maaron/purple A&M shirt

8. What do you label yourself as? right now? Tired and single LMAO.

9. Bright room or dark room? Bright!! Hella bright. Open all the windows, let the light in!

10. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping I got work TT

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? Hmm each year brings different joys!

I was such a sunshine in 2018. I think 18 was fun. But I think the best is yet to come <3.

12. Who told you they loved you last? Verbally? My sister probably, but my parents tell me through their actions everyday

Cute~ but same~~~

13. Your worst enemy? People without compassion, dignity and a sense of humility and or intelligence. I hate them all. They plague a beautiful world.

Bruh what was i.... a poet? philosopher? worst enemy? MYSELF HAHA. 14. What is your current desktop picture? The MacBook air wallpaper of dunes that changes from dark to night

15. Do you like someone? I do. I try not to, but I really do.

OHH. i wonder who it was?? DYLAN. but honestly my situation is still the same.

16. The last song you listened to? Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in F minor

I was kinda quirky in 2018. Stray Kids playlist 8)

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. No one.

I mean Im not saying I would use it, but I'm not saying that there's someone in my head. 18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? Refer to question 13

Ok, so one of my coworkers who messed up my test,,, uhm cant think of anyone besides him.

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? Zyrene! We have a deal lololol. I’ll make her massage my back and feed my dogs and clean my house and cook for me and take me out to eat pero she has to pay and watch me eat. MWHAHAHAHAHA

LMAO PLEASE THIS ANSWER IS TOO FUNNY> Im not changing it. Add jemimah on here. 20. What is your best physical attribute? I really like my eyes like the shape! And my hair.

I like these still ~~ and my confidence hehe 21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? Lol. I’d look like a kpop idol. And I’d become either and actor or a singer!!

why did i think i would have the looks to make it as a kpop idol?? uhm i would idk,,,, see what the chismis is on the other side.

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? I can pick stuff up with my toes?

OMG i didn't even read this answer and my answer is still the same.

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? I don’t know man. I’m afraid of a lot of things that other people are afraid of

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

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK. I’m so basic bye

Still the same <3 more mushrooms pls 25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? I found it? I’d try to see if it belonged to anyone. Next I’d put it in my savings, for my trip to Korea!

IM SUCH A GOODIE TWO SHOES. but make sure its not like drug money? i would buy some airpods, maybe some boba? and flaunt that i found some money 26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? Refer to 25. Second choice would be Japan to see my precious Mai.

uuhh japan i think is one~ 27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? I don’t drink man. Maybe, that sparkling grape juice you get during Christmas and thanksgiving.

hmmmm vodka sunrise <3 28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? I’ve never been the leader type but maybe, you take what you give?

What I say goes <3 29. What is your favorite expletive? ?????? Is this an adult question

???? i still had to google just to make sure,,, hella? does that count 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? MY PHONE MAYBE COMPUTER? MY SISTER DIPLOMA OMG NO NO I GOT IT. Our legal papers like passports, citizenship stuff 😂 ya girl really needs those

NO LAL THE DOGS OH WAIT hmm, LEGAL papers~ 31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I don’t have one that sticks out. OH actually, my dad getting into a truck accident. That was harsh man.

I have forgotten that. UHM,,, maybe my first year of teaching LOLOL 32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! ???? I don’t see the question. But please refer to question 26

this isnt a question, but if i could move anywhere, why should i settle for one place? 33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? Just because doesn’t mean we should. But I’d like to meet my older brother. He doesn’t have to stay here if he doesn’t want to.

AW LAL TT uhm beside him, maybe MLK? maybe he can fix the world. 34. What was your last dream about? HOHO my neighbor and I were dating but I DONT EVEN LIKE HIM.

LMAO why does this dream reoccur. I had one like this, this year. it was about church. Tita ttess was preaching and this old lady was getting to handsy and i swatted her awa. 35. Are you a good listener?

No, not really. Like naturally. I try to be though!

I'm actually better now. 36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Nope *knocks on wood* Still no *continuing to knock on wood* 37. Have you ever built a snowman? YESS!

Yesss the snow when I was in college was insane. 38. What is the color of your socks? I’m not wearing any

Still not wearing any~ 39. What type of music do you like? Kpop, indie, classical and sometimes r&b

^^ pretty much the same. NCT, Stray kids, uhhh exo, MX~ 40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets, too lazy to wake up to watch sunrises

I like both (-: 41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? I don’t like milkshakes that much :/

Im kinda lactose intolerant now, but oreo~ 42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) I’m not a football fan

i went to a football schoool, so.... A&M? 43. Do you have any scars? I have many from accidents

Yuh on my knees 44. What do you want to be when you graduate? You tell me. LOL

LANDOAISDN an engineer? rich~ reITRED!!!! 45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Truthfully, I’d make the tip of my nose smaller! I also wish I was taller and skinnier. Pero, I’m very happy with my body.

^^ SAME, maybe a smaller head? 46. Are you reliable? Sometimes

Just say no LAL LOLOL 47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? Did he ever love you back?

Girl no. Get a hold of yourself and your delusions.

But for my future future self, did you ever get the guts? AHA 48. Do you hold grudges? Nah, not if I know you well.

nah, unless ure that one coworker 49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? MERMAID.

this is a solid answer old me. 50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? I have many with Jemimah and Aira

still true~ 51. Are you a good liar? No. Not at all

my nose gives it away 52. How long could you go without talking? Pretty long

i like talking lately but i think i can still say pretty long 53. What has been you worst haircut/style? Blunt short cut and then I would add bangs by myself *cringe*

^^ nothing beats this 54. Have you ever baked your own cake? Yes

still yus? 55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Yes

i feel like i have a few good accents 56. What do you like on your toast? Butter though our toaster broke

we got a new toaster, but i don't like toast lmao 57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? These symbols for my story

a line? 58. What would be you dream car? Mini cooper

A GWAGON 59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. I do! I don’t condition? Usually

I dont sing, i perform~ and all is still true 60. Do you believe in aliens? Eh not really.

could be possible 61. Do you often read your horoscope? Yes. I don’t believe them but they’re fun to read

maybe i slight believe them now but not really 62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? U *winks* lOLOLOLOL I’m kidding. Probably D Or B or A

LMAO, please stop flirtin. D FOR DYLAN B for BETHEL A for ALEX CHUNG

i dont have one~ 63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dinosaurs cause theyre real

Bruh? Dragons omg. I gotta watch the new HBO SHOW 64. What do you think about babies? Cute when you don’t have to take care of them

I want some in a few years 65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

Nah I’m good

Still good

Doing this cause I can't sleep

65 Questions You Aren’t Used To 1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you? I don’t understand this question. 2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you? Two but I usually calm my anxiety by praying. It’s what’s in the dark that scares me. 3. The person you would never want to meet? The Devil/Satan. Omg lemme go pray 4. What is your favorite word? Compassion 5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be? Willow!! 6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought? “My scars are disappearing.” 7. What shirt are you wearing? White with Chicago in bold purple letters written across it. 8. What do you label yourself as? right now? Hungry. An EXO-L? A Christian? A girl? Pinoy? 9. Bright room or dark room? Bright!! Hella bright. Open all the windows, let the light in! 10. What were you doing at midnight last night? On Twitter probably, or watching a Korean drama. I’m a boring person 😂 11. Favorite age you’ve been so far? Hmm each year brings different joys! 12. Who told you they loved you last? Verbally? My sister probably, but my parents tell me through their actions everyday 13. Your worst enemy? People without compassion, dignity and a sense of humility and or intelligence. I hate them all. They plague a beautiful world. 14. What is your current desktop picture? Painted flowers! 15. Do you like someone? I do. I try not to, but I really do. 16. The last song you listened to? Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in F minor 17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Just because I can doesn’t mean I should. No one. 18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? Refer to question 13 19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do? Zyrene! We have a deal lololol. I’ll make her massage my back and feed my dogs and clean my house and cook for me and take me out to eat pero she has to pay and watch me eat. MWHAHAHAHAHA 20. What is your best physical attribute? I really like my eyes like the shape! And my hair. 21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do? Lol. I’d look like a kpop idol. And I’d become either and actor or a singer!! 22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it? I can pick stuff up with my toes? 23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of? I don’t know man. I’m afraid of a lot of things that other people are afraid of 24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal. PHILLY CHEESE STEAK. I’m so basic bye 25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it? I found it? I’d try to see if it belonged to anyone. Next I’d put it in my savings, for my trip to Korea! 26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go? Refer to 25. Second choice would be Japan to see my precious Mai. 27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be? I don’t drink man. Maybe, that sparkling grape juice you get during Christmas and thanksgiving. 28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? I’ve never been the leader type but maybe, you take what you give? 29. What is your favorite expletive? ?????? Is this an adult question 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? MY PHONE MAYBE COMPUTER? MY SISTER DIPLOMA OMG NO NO I GOT IT. Our legal papers like passports, citizenship stuff 😂 ya girl really needs those 31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? I don’t have one that sticks out. OH actually, my dad getting into a truck accident. That was harsh man. 32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! ???? I don’t see the question. But please refer to question 26 33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? Just because doesn’t mean we should. But I’d like to meet my older brother. He doesn’t have to stay here if he doesn’t want to. 34. What was your last dream about? HOHO my neighbor and I were dating but I DONT EVEN LIKE HIM. 35. Are you a good listener? No, not really. Like naturally. I try to be though! 36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Nope *knocks on wood* 37. Have you ever built a snowman? YESS! 38. What is the color of your socks? I’m not wearing any 39. What type of music do you like? Kpop, indie, classical and sometimes r&b 40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets, too lazy to wake up to watch sunrises 41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor? I don’t like milkshakes that much :/ 42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer) I’m not a football fan 43. Do you have any scars? I have many from accidents 44. What do you want to be when you graduate? You tell me. LOL 45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Truthfully, I’d make the tip of my nose smaller! I also wish I was taller and skinnier. Pero, I’m very happy with my body. 46. Are you reliable? Sometimes 47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be? Did he ever love you back? 48. Do you hold grudges? Nah, not if I know you well. 49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create? MERMAID. 50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had? I have many with Jemimah and Aira 51. Are you a good liar? No. Not at all 52. How long could you go without talking? Pretty long 53. What has been you worst haircut/style? Blunt short cut and then I would add bangs by myself *cringe* 54. Have you ever baked your own cake? Yes 55. Can you do any accents other than your own? Yes 56. What do you like on your toast? Butter though our toaster broke 57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of? These symbols for my story 58. What would be you dream car? Mini cooper 59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain. I do! I don’t condition? Usually 60. Do you believe in aliens? Eh not really. 61. Do you often read your horoscope? Yes. I don’t believe them but they’re fun to read 62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? U *winks* lOLOLOLOL I’m kidding. Probably D Or B or A 63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? Dinosaurs cause theyre real 64. What do you think about babies? Cute when you don’t have to take care of them 65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of. Nah I’m good

#mine

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ao3porcelainstorm · 4 years ago

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poison ivy & stinging nettles 10

On Ao3

Pairing: Sherlock/OFC

Rated: M

Warnings: eventual violence, torture, swears, adult themes (no explicit smut)

Chapter 9 - Chapter 11

Chapter 10- The

~~~

The dinner went well, all things considered.

~~~

Before anyone knew it, Sunday had arrived.

Greg and Molly had enthusiastically accepted Amelia’s invitation to dinner. Molly brought a plate of chocolate cookies, and Greg pulled a bottle of bourbon out of his jacket that Amelia hadn’t seen in the stores since moving to the UK.

Her uncle Max had spent the night with Mrs. Hudson, and helped set up the apartment for the dinner, dutifully setting out plates and making sure that Amelia and John didn’t burn the place down before guests arrived.

Mrs. Hudson and Sherlock had been ushered out of the way, with the former having broken into a bottle of champagne a little early and the latter just hovering and commenting on the chemistry of cooked meat- correcting Amelia and John every few minutes.

Ruthie and Frank arrived shortly after with little Tommy holding a plate of crudely decorated fall sugar cookies. He handed them to Sherlock, who stared perplexed at the little boy until Tommy proudly declared;

“I made biscuits,” before sprinting into Amelia’s arms with an excited squeal.

Mycroft was the last to arrive, passing Mrs. Hudson a bottle of pinot noir and taking a quiet seat in the living room to avoid that chaos of the kitchen.

“You need to tell me where you found this,” Amelia demanded of Lestrade, taking a long pull from the dark liquor with a satisfied sigh. “I can’t do gin anymore. I’m losing my mind.”

He laughed, promising to text her the address of the shop he’d found, while John turned his attention Tommy who was asking a million questions about the meal the doctor was struggling to prepare.

Molly asked Amelia how the case was coming, and the women soon fell into an intense conversation regarding some questionable toxicology reports the medical professional had come across on a recent murder.

With no one watching the lamb in the oven, the place quickly filled with smoke.

John, thankfully, caught the disaster before the place caught alight, and fortunately, the meat wasn’t too overdone (though Mycroft would have begged to differ).

The meal went well, and with drinks flowing and conversation bubbling, Mrs. Hudson convinced Sherlock to play a few songs on the violin. Ruthie, red faced and grinning over a hot toddy, demanded some drinking songs and wore the detective down until he started playing.

The upbeat music got the whole place singing along (even Mycroft muttered along to the familiar tunes).

Tommy danced around in circles until he practically collapsed from exhaustion.

It’d been a few hours, night falling outside, when Ruthie and Frank announced that it was time for them to catch the train back to Kent. Max offered to walk them to the tube, taking Tommy out of Ruthie’s hesitant hands and carrying him over his shoulder.

Mrs. Hudson dropped into John’s chair, taking a deep breath and sharing an embarrassing story of Sherlock with the remaining group.

Molly and Amelia were playing a drinking game involving plastic cups and coins, trying to explain its rules to Lestrade.

“Then you drink-,” Amelia took a swig of beer.

“Amelia-, Mycroft needs some of your drugs,” Sherlock called across the space, sending Amelia and Molly into a conspiratorial fit of giggles. She stood up, crossing the room, her mood bubbly and light from the good company and drinks.

“I’ll be honest Mycroft, you never struck me as the psychedelic type,” she hummed, sitting on the arm of Sherlock’s chair. “Maybe a big bag of weed.”

“I’m finding it difficult to track down the samples you tested in your report,” he reported dryly. “Apparently, most reputable drug dealers aren’t interested in meeting with government representatives, no matter the price.”

“I’m trying to picture you buying some mushrooms in Lambeth,” Amelia closed her eyes and grinned. “Yep. Phenomenal. Thank you for that.”

“Do you have extra samples?” he ignored her commentary and she hopped up.

“I do, but I’ll need some help moving the bins around,” she held her hand up above her head to indicate the height of the cultivation shelf she’d crafted in her closet.

“I need to pick up some more crisps,” John dusted off his pants, standing up. “I’ll help you before I step out.”

“Don’t drop them on yourselves,” Sherlock called after the pair. “If you need someone over 5’8’’, give me a ring.”

He returned to his brisk conversation on where Mycroft had tracked Lydia Brenner when there was a distinct crack of a gun from the lower level.

“Gunshot,” he stated, looking between Lesterade and Mycroft, leaping to his feet.

Taking two steps at a time, he could hear the sound of al altercation, some more thuds, before he kicked open the door to Amelia’s flat.

The room was in disarray. Someone had been tossing drawers and throwing things off of Amelia’s bookshelves, searching for something.

Near the fireplace, there were signs of a more traditional confrontation, Amelia’s reading chair had been overturned, clothes kicked up and on the ground…

Amelia was kneeling next to John, pressing a towel into his abdomen. Nearby, Maxwell Brenner lay unconscious with a broken porcelain pot next to him, dirt and flower petals scattered about.

Between them, a single pistol. The source, Sherlock surmised, of the gunshot.

“I don’t know what to do,” Amelia pressed down as hard as she could where the bleeding was coming out with a towel she must have grabbed from one of the overturned drawers.

“Oh,” Mycroft appeared in the doorway, Lestrade over his shoulder. The inspector whirled around, pulling out a radio and calling for medics and officer backup to Baker Street,

“Get Molly!” Sherlock ordered his brother, dropping next to John’s head, checking his pulse in the neck. “John, John can you hear me?”

“Unfortunately,” the doctor grunted through pained breaths. Even though Amelia was pressing with all of her strength, the blood from the wound was blossoming out, staining John’s sweater.

“I went for the gun,” Amelia explained, her voice cracking in panic. “I’d almost gotten it, but he panicked and fired.”

“Is he awake?” Molly entered the room, taking over from Amelia. She leaned into John’s wound, earning a low hiss of pain from the doctor.

Amelia just stood aside, her hands coated in blood, her eyes widened in horror, trying to keep up while Molly worked.

“If someone else bloody asks that-,” John started, wincing when Molly reached under his torso to check if the bullet had gone through.

“Didn’t pass,” she informed Sherlock, her brows knitted in complete focus. She was asking about the type of gun, which John did his best to choke out between deep, breaths.

“Medics are three minutes out,” Lestrade called into the room.

“John, I’m so sorry,” Amelia had his hand in hers, drawing circles with her thumb over his knuckles. She looked up at Sherlock, shaking her head. “It was him the whole time. You were right about Moriarty being an investor. They were working together. Not my mom.”

“Don’t act like I’m dying,” he huffed, eyes squeezed shut in pain. Molly leaned into the wound again to try and stop the bleeding. “Not the first time I’ve been shot.”

“I think that’s the problem,” Sherlock supplied with a snort.

“I just assumed it would have been your fault,” John shot back. “You know, the final gunshot wound."

“Are you two seriously bickering right now?” Amelia swallowed back the start of a small sob.

“They’re here,” Lestrade was leading an EMT and a gurney into the room. Molly started listing off what she knew, with Sherlock peppering in any details, and John slurring out his blood type.

The doctor was unconscious by the time he was loaded into the back of the ambulance.

Amelia was clutching onto Sherlock’s arm, staining the material with their friend’s blood, though neither paid it any mind. They were both too focused on John. Sherlock felt a lump in his chest. How had he missed Max being the true villain of the Chemo scheme? Certainly there had to have been some clue?

When they returned to the flat to grab clean shirts, an officer was helping Maxwell into the hall of Baker Street, the old man complaining of a cut in his head. Amelia spotted him immediately, her grasp on Sherlock dropping.

Before Sherlock could stop her, she bee-lined for her uncle, her expression wild.

“Do you know what you’ve done!?” she caught him by the front of his jacket and threw him back against the wall, a loud thud denoting the strength with which she hit him. “You sorry excuse for a human, if anything happens to him-!”

Mycroft, surprisingly, was the one who pulled her back, her arms struggling against the older Holmes. She looked ready to rip Max’s spine clean from his body, her eyes filled with pure rage.

“You’re a piece of shit! I fucking hate you!” she screeched, clawing at the air.

“Try to better contain your feral little beast, Holmes,” Maxwell snorted. “Lord knows I couldn’t.”

Sherlock, who’d moved to intercept Amelia whirled around, and planted a fist in the center of Maxwell Brenner’s face. The was definitive crack as a result, and a policeman cut in, shoving Sherlock aside and hustling Brenner out of the place.

He stood back, hands up, while her uncle sputtered through blood and bemoaned that the detective had broken his nose.

“Too bad it didn’t go into his brain,” Amelia tutted under her breath

Sherlock smirked, grabbing a pair of shirts from his room (as Amelia’s was now a crime scene).

When he returned, she’d washed her hands and gratefully took the clean dress shirt from him.

“Bastard ruined my favorite cardigan with my friend’s blood,” she hissed, angrily buttoning down the shirt.

“He has to spend hours with Mycroft interrogating him,” Sherlock tried to reassure her, though he too was seething under the surface. It did little to calm the fuming woman, who just slammed her way outside, flagging down a taxi to the hospital.

~~~

John was in surgery when they arrived. Molly Hooper met them in the waiting area, looking none too optimistic about what little news she had to share.

“He lost a lot of blood,” she explained softly, her fingers nervously intertwined in front of her. “They think there’s internal damage. He was still unconscious when we arrived.”

Amelia chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes cast down, a strange mix of anger, fear, and sorrow. It should have been her in the OR, not him. John Watson didn’t deserve this. He was too good.

Sherlock stood still, though Amelia was certain he was trying to walk through every step of their case, trying to catch what he’d missed. Looking between them, Molly cleared her throat.

“I’m going to head home,” she gestured to her bloodied clothes. “I didn’t have anything in my locker. I’ll call?”

“Thank you, Molly,” Amelia took her hands gratefully. Sherlock just nodded, barely registering the interaction, so Amelia took it upon herself to walk the exhausted Molly Hooper to a taxi.

“Where’s your head?” Amelia asked when she returned, guiding him to one of the chairs in the waiting area.

“Where did we miss it?” He asked in frustration.

Amelia had been asking herself the same question since Max pulled the gun on her and John. He was one of the few people she’d trusted completely, and when she found out he’d been the one to betray her. That he’d been the one to call for her death.

Her heart had crumbled.

“He slipped under the radar,” Amelia muttered bitterly. “Played the game with Moriarty whispering in his ear.”

~~~

“I feel like someone shot me,” John mumbled, his eyes cloudy from the pain medicine.

It’d been hours since he’d been released from surgery, groggy and barely conscious.

But he was awake and alive.

Outside, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.

“We’re just glad you’re okay,” Amelia replied, holding his hand to her chest. “You had us worried.”

“Mmm,” John chuckled softly. “I don’t see why. You two would have convinced God himself to give me back.”

“The Reaper wouldn’t have been able to leave the room, who are we kidding?” Amelia chided back. “I’d be yelling at him, and Sherlock would pull some deeply buried secret up to use it against him.”

John smiled, giving her hand a final squeeze before sliding it back under the covers with a shiver.

“I’m gonna try and sleep a little more...” he said, his eyes already shutting and his body falling limp. He was breathing steadily moments later, sound asleep.

“He’s really the best out of us,” she commented, watching him breath peacefully.

“I know,” Sherlock agreed in a low rumble.

“Your brother has Max in custody, right?” she moved to sit down next to him, her arms crossed, and body rigid.

“He had to have his nose treated,” he shared a sly grin with her. “But, they should begin the interrogation soon.”

“What a fucking asshole,” she muttered under her breath, her fists squeezed at her sides. “I trusted him.”

“Apparently not enough to give him a hard drive,” Sherlock mused.

“I didn’t want to bring him in too deep,” she sighed, distorting her face in disgust. “I was worried he might get hurt.”

“Did you tell him about the hard drive you sent to Ruth?”

“Of course not,” she frowned. “Less he knew and all that. Why?”

“She didn’t seem close with him at dinner,” he replied, leaning back. “I thought it was strange, given how often he visited. I chalked it up to a recent quarrel.”

Amelia hummed, trying to recall the dinner that had only happened a few hours before.

“He walked them out,” she reasoned. “Though, that was probably so he could get into my apartment without anyone noticing.”

“Exactly,” Sherlock nodded. “Ruth and Frank both seemed perplexed by it.”

He closed his eyes, his fingers steepled under his chin. He didn’t speak again.

Mind Palace, Amelia thought to herself, left a little uneasy by the sudden loneliness that swept the room with her two friends. It was the first time she’d truly been alone in weeks.

She didn’t like the silence. It meant she had time to think, and that’s when she was able to take an introspective look into her life. It was awful.

Now that Chemco had been stopped, the true villain revealed, what could she do next? There was of course helping John recover, and whatever Moriarty was up to.

But eventually John would be fine, and frankly, Moriarty would always linger above them, so planning around that was impossible.

Was it time to consider going back home to New York?

She’d thought about it once or twice. Going back to a normal life.

A friend of hers from college had reached out about an amateur art exhibition in the Village she was running. She’d wanted to see if Amelia had anything she wanted to contribute.

It’d been almost a week and Amelia still hadn’t replied, unsure of what exactly to say.

How could she even begin to explain the chaos that her life had been for the last year?

Certainly, the papers and the news would reach New York once Chemco stock started to plummet. It was too big a company to just brush aside. Her friend would probably piece it together given enough time. There was really no point in hiding it, but Amelia wasn’t ready to pull off that bandaid.

Still, it couldn’t hurt to start a contingency plan. She did have an idea for a portrait she could send a picture of… just for some input at the very least. At the most? Having a painting up didn’t mean she had to live in New York.

She could visit during the exhibition.

Maybe Sherlock and John would go with her? It could be a fun trip, a little vacation after this whole hellish ordeal.

She tried to picture her friends in the streets she grew up on. The parks she frequented or the coffee shop she’d typed her thesis in.

Her friends would be jealous that she’d found such handsome Brits to settle in with, she smiled to herself.

It’d be hilarious until Sherlock started picking away at them. She could almost hear John reminding him not to be rude. That they were her friends.

“Idiots,” she was confident Sherlock would mutter. And he’d be right. The majority of her friends from New York were from old money like she was.

They weren’t very interesting or were very well-read.

They had their money, and their trusts, and their wildly popular social media accounts. Amelia was pretty sure one of her ex-boyfriends was on a reality show now.

Maybe she wasn’t as homesick as she’d thought.

“Canterbury,” Sherlock’s eyes slowly opened and he looked to Amelia. “You told Monty not to say anything to your cousin because you had to get home to London.”

“Yeah,” she pulled herself from her daydream in Central Park, back to the hospital room.

Back to London. Back to home.

“But, when we got back, Mrs. Hudson mentioned that Ruthie had told her father that she was disappointed we hadn’t stopped over,” he continued. “But if Monty never mentioned it...”

“Max was trailing us,” Amelia finished the thought, scowling. It made so much sense. How else would Max have been able to report so confidently back to Mrs. Hudson. Amelia certainly hadn’t told him about their excursion.

“It also explains how Moriarty knew exactly where to find you,” he added.

“They sent the arsonist as a decoy,” she realized. “To distract you.”

“Moriarty would have wanted to see you fall,” he nodded. “He must have realized that Maxwell hadn’t been totally honest when he saw John and I.”

“The decoy was Max’s idea,” Amelia surmised.

“To keep Moriarty on track,” Sherlock nodded. “He tried to play the most dangerous man of all.”

“Moriarty gets mad, brings me back, demands something he knows Max won’t be able to find,” Amelia was sitting up. “But had he accounted for this?”

They both looked to where John was still sleeping soundly in bed.

“We’ll have to find out,” Sherlock’s expression brightened considerably for the first time that day. “The game is on.”

Chapter 11

#sherlock #sherlock holmes #sherlock bbc #sherlock/ofc #sherlock original female character #john watson #watson #fanfiction #fanfic #sherlock fanfiction #sherlock fanfic #writing #OC #OFC #reader #sherlock/reader #reader insert

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unwritrecipes · 6 years ago

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Pan-Roasted Mushroom and Spinach Slab Pie

Happy 3.14 or 3/14, Thursday March 14th, aka Pi Day! Finally got it right, math whiz that I am (not)! Last week I claimed it was 3.12 until my very wise son and his girlfriend gently pointed out to me that pi is 3.14 which probably explains why I am writing this now and not involved in a career that involves higher math of some sort! LOL! But in any case, it’s an awesome day to celebrate with the eating of pie. C’mon we’ll take any excuse we can get, right?

Now, generally when I think about pie, I’m deep in dessert mode (and often it’s a la mode, ha ha) but today, in the spirit of the number pi, which I vaguely remember has something to do with infinity, I want you to expand your mind and embrace the savory possibilities of pie too. Yup, that’s right. Pie, in all its glory, as the main course. And now take it one step further and instead of the traditional round pie, make it rectangular. Uncharted territories, I know. Scared? Don’t be. Because this Pan-Roasted Mushroom and Spinach Slab Pie is not only positively delicious but far, far easier to make and a really fun weekend project. Let’s hear it for Pi(e) Day!!

Of late I have been addicted to the making of slab pies, ever since laying my pie-crimping hands on Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow. I blogged about it last week for my Famous Fridays post with this Easy-As-Pie-Apple Slab Pie and gave you copious notes (I’m still tired from the typing) about how to prepare the slab pie crust, so instead of redoing the whole tutorial here, just click on the link and you’ll see photos that walk you through the crust-making process. Got it?

Ok, let’s move on to the filling, which despite the fact that it is loaded with mushrooms is not goopy or liquidy at all (if you’ve ever made quiche and found that the filling cooked up a little watery, you know what I mean) and this is due to two important techniques: pan-roasting at a high heat and cooking the mushrooms in two batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Yes, it takes a little bit longer but it gives you mushrooms that are firm and almost caramelized which adds a ton of texture and flavor to the filling.

And speaking of caramelized, we’ve got to give a shout out to the onions which don’t get a mention in the title but are a vital part of what makes this filling so special. Taking the time to caramelize them is so totally worth it!

And let’s not forget about the spinach (you could also sub in kale—that’s what the original recipe calls for) which you just stir into the hot onions to allow to wilt a bit and adds the right balance of bitterness and leafy greenness to the sautéed veggies and richness of the eggy, custardy filling and cheese.

Assembling is a breeze. Simply position the top crust over the filling, crimp, slash a few steam vents in the crust, brush with an egg wash and bake.

You’re gonna be so proud when you pull this baby from the oven! Golden brown, flaky gorgeousness!

It’s like a quiche on steroids! A complete meal in a pan.

Serve it with a crisp, green salad and you’ve hit dinner perfection! And while you’re at it, how about one of these pies or tarts for dessert?

God, I love Pi Day!!

Pan-Roasted Mushroom and Spinach Slab Pie

Makes 12-15 servings

It is helpful to have a food processor for this. It is also helpful to have a bench scraper and a baking stone but not absolutely necessary.

Prep Time for Crust: Prep Time for Filling: 30 minutes (much of this is hands free); Assembly Time: Bake Time: 50 minutes-1 hour

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour (325 grams), plus extra for shaping and rolling out dough

16 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and frozen for 20 minutes

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (120ml) ice water

For the Filling

1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil, divided

1 pound mushrooms, any kind (I used half regular button, half baby Bella) sliced not too thinly and divided in half

Kosher salt

Red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 large onions, sliced in half and then into half moon slices

Fresh thyme leaves from a few sprigs of thyme

5 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs plus 1 egg white (you’ll use the yolk later for the egg wash)

Black pepper

4 ounces Swiss or Gruyere, grated (about 1 cup)

For the Assembly

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon water

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

The Recipe

1. To make the crust: place the flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal steel blade and pulse for 15 times until the butter is in small, pea-like pieces and coated with the flour. Pour in all of the ice water and pulse until the mixture almost forms a ball. You still want it to be a bit shaggy. If you over mix it, it’ll be tough. If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix the dough by hand. If so, freeze the sticks of butter and then grate them using the largest holds on the box grater right into the flour mixture. Working quickly, use your hands to combine the ingredients until the grated butter pieces are coated in flour. Pour in the water and and use your hands to sort of toss and fold the dough together into a shaggy cohesive ball.

2. Take 2 large pieces of plastic wrap and lay them criss-crossed on the counter so that they form a large “X”. Take a little bit of flour and scatter it in the center. Turn the dough out right into the center of the X, scraping the food processor clean and fold the plastic wrap over the shaggy ball and any stray crumbs. You want to avoid touching the dough with your hands as that warms the fats and cuts down on the pastry’s flakiness. Use a bench scraper or a firm spatula to push the dough into a 6 by 4-inch block that will look like a compact piece of dough not a crumbly block but you will still see pieces of butter throughout. (It helps if you use a ruler to measure—will make the rolling out later a snap). Now use a rolling pin to gently press across the surface of the dough to remove any bubbles. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side. Place in the fridge to rest for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

3. Before you are ready to roll out the dough, set up your rolling surface—it can be a board or your clean counter as long as it’s cold. Use painter’s or masking tape to make an 11x15-inch rectangle. Remove the dough for about 10 minutes before you roll out—you don’t want it to get too warm. Generously dust the rolling surface with flour. Remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough into 2 pieces, one a little larger than the other—this will be the top crust.

4. Working quickly, smack the dough 3 times with the rolling pin. Now flip it over and do the same to the other side. This helps to compress the fats. Now flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough from the center outward, angling to the sides, working to fill the shaped space. Every so often slide the bench scraper underneath the dough to keep it from sticking to the board and turning the dough to get it to fill the space evenly. If it shrinks back when you roll it, don’t pull it—just be patient and keep rolling—it will fill the space eventually. Once it’s rolled to size, gently fold it over in half and carefully place it in the 1/4 sheet pan. Gently press the dough into the corners using the sides of your hand, not your fingers which might poke holes. Place the pan into the fridge while you roll out the top crust.

5. Roll out the top crust using the same technique, but only to about 10x14-inches. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and sprinkle with flour. Transfer the dough to the sheet and refrigerate as well.

6. To make the filling: Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil into a large, wide skillet and heat over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add half of the mushrooms and move them into a single layer. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and red pepper flakes and let the mushrooms cook for several minutes, somewhere between 6-9 minutes, without moving them, until you can easily lift one with out sticking. They will sizzle and snap so be prepared. Then turn all of them quickly so that the other side can get browned and let cook another few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and repeat the entire process with the rest of the mushrooms, beginning with the heating of another 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil.

7. When all of the mushrooms have been transferred out of the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and lower the heat to medium. Stir in the onion and thyme let cook for about 15 minutes, until the onions are beginning to caramelize and turn golden. If they are browning too quickly, turn down the heat. Stir in the chopped spinach and remove from the heat.

8. If you have one, place a baking stone on the center rack of the oven. If not, use an inverted rimmed baking sheet. Turn the oven to 400ºF and let preheat with the baking stone.

9. Remove the bottom crust from the fridge and scatter the mushrooms across the bottom as evenly as possible. Top with the onion mixture, pushing it around so that it is evenly dispersed.

10. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, egg white, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper together. Pour it over the vegetables and scatter the cheese evenly across the whole thing. Remove the top crust from the fridge and position on top. Tuck the bottom crust edge over the top crust and crimp. Use a sharp knife to make a few venting slashes in the top crust. Whisk the egg yolk and water together in a small bowl and brush across the surface of the pie using a pastry brush. Sprinkle on some kosher salt. Place the pie in the fridge for 20 minutes.

11. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting., then use a sharp knife to cut squares and serve immediately. Pie reheats well too. Store leftovers covered in the fridge and reheat in a low oven for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow. I subbed spinach in for the kale and used more and different variety of mushrooms.

#Butter #Flour #Kosher Salt #Ice Water #Olive Oil #Mushrooms #Red Pepper Flakes #Onions #Thyme #Spinach #Milk #Eggs #Egg White #Black Pepper #Gruyére Cheese #Egg Yolk

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vincentpennington · 6 years ago

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Holiday Gift Guide 2018 – Nom Nom Paleo

It’s time for my annual Holiday Gift Guide! As in years past, I’m about to let you in on my favorite gadgets, cooking tools, and cookbooks that’ll fit both your budget AND your buddies’ oh-so-discriminating tastes—that is, assuming they’re into exactly the same sorts of things I’m into here at Nom Nom Paleo World Headquarters. Plus, with the space-age techno-power of online shopping, you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch to get your holiday shopping done!

Just like my previous years’ holiday gift guides, this list consists of stuff that’s truly brought real joy to my life. You won’t find anything here that I was paid to endorse despite never having tried—in fact, I’ve personally bought, own, use, and love every single item in this Holiday Gift Guide. (Even my own cookbook, calendar, and Magic Mushroom Powder, believe it or not.) After all, if it’s not something worth spending my own money on, I shouldn’t be recommending it, right? (Full disclosure: Although I’m not paid to endorse any of the stuff in this Gift Guide, if you follow my affiliate links to purchase them, I do get a small percentage as a commission—though it won’t cost you an extra penny.)

Ready to lighten your wallet?

Gifts for Nomsters

READY OR NOT! COOKBOOK

Yes, I’m totally biased, but I truly believe that the bestest holiday present you can give yourself and your loved ones is our latest cookbook, Ready or Not! (REALLY!)

Our book is all about making healthy paleo home cooking a breeze, no matter if there’s time to prepare or just minutes to spare. Whether you’re a fastidious planner or a last-minute improviser, you’ll find plenty of deliciously nourishing options, from make-ahead feasts and treats to lightning-fast leftover makeovers and make-now meals. Presented in our trademark comic book style, Ready or Not!’s step-by-step recipes, photos, and meal plans make cooking a habit you’ll never want to break.

In fact, Henry and I poured our hearts and souls into this book, testing each and every recipe on our family, shooting every one of the 2,000+ photographs in our home kitchen, meticulously drawing every illustration, and designing and laying out every page.

Ready or Not! was a New York Times bestseller, and hit #1 on both the Wall Street Journal and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists for Hardcover Nonfiction. Our book made it to the Semifinals of Goodreads’ Choice Awards in the Food & Cookbooks category, and Amazon named it one of the 15 best books of 2017 in Cooking & Wine—so you know it’s pretty darn good!

Ready or Not! is available wherever books are sold (in the U.S. and all over the world!) so snag a copy or three for your favorite people. If you or your pals are thinking of doing a Whole30 or paleo reset in the new year or simply want to get your kids in the kitchen, this cookbook is the perfect gift!

(And by the way, if you pals don’t yet have a copy of my first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans, grab one for them, too!)

ONE AND DONE! WALL CALENDAR

If you love our cookbooks and 2018 wall calendar, you’ll definitely dig our brand-new One and Done: A Nom Nom Paleo 2019 Wall Calendar!

Presented in our zany trademark comic-book style, the One and Done: A Nom Nom Paleo 2019 Wall Calendar will inspire you all year round with deliciously hassle-free meals made in just one pot or pan. Each month of this cartoon-packed wall calendar features a different Paleo and Whole30-friendly recipe, such as Thai Curry Chicken Casserole and Paleo Chicken Chow Mein. It also comes with colorful stickers! Hang this on your wall, and One and Done will make healthy cooking a breeze throughout the year.

Buy our calendar from Amazon here!

MAGIC MUSHROOM POWDER

Never tried my Magic Mushroom Powder? It’s one of the most potent flavor boosters in my kitchen arsenal—an umami-packed seasoning salt that made The Oregonian’s Test Kitchen “rethink everything [they]’ve been doing in the kitchen.” Magic Mushroom Powder can be used in place of salt in virtually any dish, adding an immediate flavor punch to everything from scrambled eggs and ground meat to roasted veggies and chicken wings. I always keep Magic Mushroom Powder stocked in my kitchen, and you can, too! Make it yourself using this recipe—and give it away as stocking stuffers to your favorite foodies.

Too lazy to D.I.Y.? Magic Mushroom Powder is now available in cute tins at Whole Foods Market NATIONWIDE. You can find my Magic Mushroom Powder stocked at the butcher counter and/or the spice aisle! If you’re driving from far away, call your local Whole Foods Market first to make sure it’s in stock—if not, ask the store to re-order!

Gift for Healthy Techies

Oura Ring

Hands down, the one purchase that has brought me the most joy this year is my Oura Ring. This sleek ring is one of the coolest, smallest, and most powerful sleep and activity trackers on the market. I’m a fitness gadget hoarder and I’m not afraid to admit it—I’ve bought and tested almost all the other highly-rated fitness trackers on the market (including the Bodybugg, various Fitbits, Jawbone Up, Misfit Shine, Basis, and Apple Watch)—but the Oura Ring is by far my favorite.

What sets the Oura Ring apart? It’s one of the most accurate sleep tracking devices that consumers can buy. And somehow, Oura managed to tuck all of the sensors and fancy technological hoo-haw into an elegant and lightweight ring. You can even wear it on airplane mode!

I prioritize good sleep over EVERYTHING because sleep is more determinative of personal health than just about anything. As a recovering nightshift worker, I know firsthand the damaging side effects of going against your natural circadian rhythm. That’s why I use the Oura to help track my sleep, recovery, activity, heart rate variability, and body temperature so I can use my daily data and “Readiness“ score to improve my sleep situation the following night. If I don’t get a good night’s sleep or my body temperature is elevated, the Oura reminds me to take it easy the next day and to go to bed at the optimal time. I can also use the tracked data to figure out what I did the night before that impacted my sleep. For example, after consulting the data from my Oura Ring, I’ve learned that if I go to bed by 10 p.m. and finish my last meal of the day by early evening, I normally get more rejuvenating deep sleep than if I stay up to midnight—even if I sleep for 8 hours in both cases. One to grow on!

I know I might not be able to fix all the damage caused by years of shift work, but with my Oura Ring, I can make sure my sleep from here on out is good. If you’re ready to fix your sleep, too, grab yourself an Oura Ring by clicking here and save $50 by using the coupon code nomnom. (Hurry! The discount code expires on January 1, 2019!)

Gifts for Instant Potheads

MY FAVORITE INSTANT POT MODELS

I’ve been such an evangelist and advocate for Instant Pot that many people assume I’m some sort of paid spokesperson for the brand. Nope. I simply adore using Instant Pots to make fast and delicious recipes and I want everyone to do the same!

To be honest, even though Instant Pots are multi-use cookers (meaning they can handle everything from slow cooking to yogurt making), the electric pressure cooker function is my favorite, and the one I primarily use. But what an electric pressure cooker it is! Seriously: The Instant Pot will change your life and streamline the process of getting tasty hot food in your craw.

Instant Pot Ultra (left) and Instant Pot IP-DUO Plus (right)

I’m always asked to recommend my favorite Instant Pot models and they haven’t changed since last year:

Instant Pot IP-DUO Plus: This 9-in-1 6-quart multi-use cooker gives you a lot of bang for the buck. I used to recommend the IP-DUO 7-in-1 cooker as the best one of the lot, but this updated version is even better. Users provided tons of great feedback about how Instant Pot could enhance the older version, like adding a max-fill line in the insert, changing the button labeled “Manual” to “Pressure Cook,” and cramming a bunch of new features into the gadget. Instant Pot clearly listened, and incorporated all of these improvements into the IP-DUO Plus. Get one from Amazon here!

Instant Pot Ultra: This one’s my favorite—it wins by a nose over the IP-DUO Plus. Why? Because it’s more sleek looking, has a central dial with turn-and-press functionality, a cooking progress indicator, and a steam release reset button (to appease those of you who are skittish about the escaping steam when you manually release pressure). The dial may be a bit confusing for those who prefer buttons, but it allows for greater customization and precision. Get one from Amazon here!

I recommend getting the 6-quart size for families of four to six and increasing to the 8-quart size if you have a larger family or love to cook in bulk. I’ll be sure to let you know whenever these babies are on sale, and I always update my Instant Pot Deals page with the latest bargains. Oh, and don’t forget to check out my ever-growing list of Instant Pot recipes!

Oxo Silicone Pressure Cooker Egg Rack

I don’t think it’s necessary to own a bunch of accessories for the Instant Pot, but this Oxo silicone pressure cooker egg rack is pretty nifty. If you love pressure cooking hard “boiled” eggs in the Instant Pot as much as I do, this item is a game changer. I like it even better than the silicone steamer insert ’cause the eggs stay in place, which means they won’t crack during the cooking process. Plus, you can buy two racks and stack them to make a crazy-big batch of hard boiled eggs. Buy one (or two) egg racks right here.

Instant Pot Cookbooks

Yes, you can get Instant Pot recipes for free all over the internet—including all of mine on this ever-expanding recipe roundup—but if you’re like me, you still love cooking through actual cookbooks. It seems like there’s a bazillion Instant Pot cookbooks on the market right now, but at the moment, there are three cookbooks that I’m really digging.

First up, my pal Coco Morante has written a new pressure cooking tome, The Ultimate Instant Pot Cookbook! It’s not a paleo cookbook, but in its pages, you’ll find tons of recipes, tips, and tricks for almost everything that you can cook in an Instant Pot. There’s a reason the word “Ultimate” is right there on the cover! Get one here.

If you’re looking for a purely paleo Instant Pot cookbook, the always amazing Jennifer Robins has you covered—yet again! She recently released Affordable Paleo Cooking With Your Instant Pot: Quick + Clean Meals on a Budget, and it’s perfect for anyone who craves delicious noms without spending a fortune. Get a copy here.

Love the Instant Pot, but searching for a recipe book that covers other cooking methods, too? Danielle Walker’s upcoming cookbook, Eat What You Love, is filled with nourishing paleo-friendly comfort food recipes that always work. I have a preview copy, and I guarantee you’ll love it as much as I do. And yes, the Instant Pot recipes in Danielle’s book are incredible! Nab a copy here.

Gifts For Foodies/Cooks

Primal Palate Spice of the Month Club

I love, love, LOVE Primal Palate Organic Spices! I use ’em all the time to level-up plain veggies and protein, and I recommend these spices to all my pals. I love all the blends offered by my pals Bill and Hayley at Primal Palate, but I particularly love their Adobo Seasoning and Meat and Potatoes Seasoning.

This year, Primal Palate is introducing The 2019 Spice of the Month Club —a gift that keeps on giving! Every quarter, you (or your lucky gift recipient) will get a shipment that includes three new spice blends and three recipe cards that go with the blends (along with a fun 2019 calendar in the first shipment). It’s the perfect way to keep your pantry stocked with delicious, fresh spices all year long. Get a 6-month or 12-month subscription here!

Frywall

Do you love Ollie’s Cracklin’ Chicken, but hate the inevitable greasy mess? Then I’ve got just the kitchen miracle for you…the Frywall! This is a flexible, heat-resistant silicone splatter “wall” that you put in your skillet to keep your stovetop clean from grease, oil mists, and bubbling liquids. The Frywall comes in three different sizes, is heat-resistant up to 450ºF, folds up small for storage, and is dishwasher safe. You can finally replace your hard-to-clean splatter guard, people!

Besides, if Lori Grenier (my favorite shark on ABC’s Shark Tank) invested $100,000 in Frywall, you know it’s a cool invention! Get one here.

FORLIFE Extra-fine Tea Infuser and Dish Set

Love tea, but hate the waste of using single-use tea bags? I recently started buying loose leaf tea and found the perfect extra-fine infuser at one of my favorite Portland coffee shops. The FORLIFE Extra-fine Tea Infuser fits on any size mug, and the tea leaves stay put. This handy little tool even comes with a cute little dish so you’ll have somewhere to put the infuser once your tea is done steeping. Get one for your tea loving pals here.

Breville Smart Oven Air

The Breville Smart Oven Air is worth the splurge for the folks that want a small but powerful convection oven on their countertop! I previously owned (and loved) the earlier model without the Air Fryer and Dehydrate mode, but this new one is absolutely indispensable. Loyal, eagle-eyed Nomsters know that I actually use my Breville Smart Oven Air more than my wall oven because I can roast almost everything in it, and it takes almost no time to preheat! Buy one here.

Gifts For (Lazy) Beauties

I would never, ever presume to be an expert on beauty products, but I have to tell you about two items I started using this year that’ll make fun stocking stuffers for your friends who want low-maintenance beauty care products.

Baby Foot

Okay, when I first heard about Baby Foot, I was skeptical…and slightly horrified. It’s basically a chemical peel for your feet that you can apply at home. It involves wearing a pair of plastic-bag booties filled with a special gel for an hour, and then waiting a few days before your callouses and dry skin start sloughing off. It’s gross, and I love it.

Even if you’re too freaked out to try it, Baby Foot makes a great gag gift! Get one here.

R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste

If you hate washing your hair as much as I do, you’ll love R+Co Badlands Dry Shampoo Paste! It totally absorbs oil and adds texture to my fine hair. Plus, I can use it to style my hair into my signature braids. Win-win! Get some here.

Okay—that’s it! Those are my picks for this year! Want more suggestions? You can check out my holiday gift guides for 2016 and 2017 ’cause I still love and use almost everything on these past holiday gift guides. I also have a page on Amazon for all of my favorite kitchen tools, gadgets, pantry items, and sleep hacks here.

Now that you’ve gotten your holiday shopping done, get off the couch and do something fun!

Looking for recipes? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!

The post Holiday Gift Guide 2018 – Nom Nom Paleo appeared first on Nom Nom Paleo®.

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jenguerrero · 7 years ago

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Red wine pasta. You actually cook the pasta in a full bottle of wine in a wide shallow skillet and it absorbs it perfectly. I didn’t even know that was possible. My family loved it, but can you even imagine bringing that to your next GNO, barbecue, or book club meeting?! <My husband just asked what a GNO was. Sorry. Girls’ Night Out.> It’s ridiculously easy. My husband could make it, and he’s only vaguely aware of where the kitchen is in our house. The color is stunning. And it’s just as delicious as you’re hoping it would be reading this. A huge thanks to Running Press for letting me share the recipe with you!

My review of the book is right after the recipe, but the whole book is summertime effortless. You’ll be out in the sunshine instead of the kitchen in no time. Bring It!: Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining will help you bring on the hanging out. But let’s get back to that pasta!

If you love it, please come find me again, or hit that follow button! :D

Red Wine Pasta

Pasta often relies on other ingredients to add color. In this dish, however, the pasta is the star. I once encountered a version of this recipe in a restaurant and thought that color had been added to the pasta dough itself. But you can make this magical burgundy pasta with whatever dried pasta is in your pantry. Spaghetti is used in this recipe, but almost any pasta size or shape will do: the concept remains the same. The wine adds an earthy fruit flavor to the dish, and the simple addition of pine nuts, feta, and basil* brings another dimension. *She has parsley written here, but I changed it to basil to match the recipe. She must go with her current herb mood. ~Jen 😀

Makes 6-8 servings

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 3 garlic cloves, diced 1 (750 ml) bottle light red wine, such as Beaujolais 1 pound spaghetti or other pasta 1 cup pine nuts 1 ½ cups crumbled feta cheese Juice of ½ a lemon 1 cup fresh chopped basil Salt to taste

Find a pan wide enough to hold the uncooked spaghetti. Melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter in the pan on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.

Add the red wine and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Cook the pasta until the wine has been absorbed, approximately 8 to 10 minutes (or according to your particular pasta’s instructions), stirring occasionally.

Depending on the pasta you are using, you may need to add up to 2 more cups of water as you cook. If the pasta has absorbed the liquid but still isn’t quite done to your liking: add another half a cup at a time until it is done.

Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of the butter in the last minute or two before the pasta is done. Remove from the heat and toss with the pine nuts, feta cheese, lemon, and basil. Add salt to taste.

My review of the book….

Bring It!: Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining by Ali Rosen Format: Hardcover

I am so in love with this book. To begin with, the author is just so likeable. She constantly reassures the home cook, like a buddy in the kitchen, with things like, “The recipe is very forgiving”, “Just do your best to decide when it’s ready”, and “It’ll be okay”. I love her super relaxed tone. That’s just frosting, though. The recipes are delicious. Everything’s really easy. And special. This is not your standard potluck fare. It’s very modern and interesting. Her presentation style is effortless, but very pretty.

The book is very flexible. She gives a window of how far in advance you can make things, and a window of the range of temperatures dishes can be served at – in the general sense, not any numerical temperatures.

The photos included are beautiful. The only potential negative I can find is that there aren’t pictures for every single dish. The recipes are easy, so it’s totally unnecessary, but I know some people have a very strong preference for photos.

My thoughts and pics on the dishes I tried: 1-2) Salmon Cucumbers – p 51. Fantastic. They are speedy to make, look darling, and have a very clean, refreshing taste.

3) Cherry Tomato Tart – p 117. Oh, I just love the pop of red. Total casual elegance. The flavor’s terrific. There’s a bed of sautéed onions and garlic under the tomatoes with parmesan gluing it all together, and a very generous sprinkling of fresh thyme. The kids were crazy about this one. 4) Pimento Cheese and Crab Dip – p 52. So yummy and it took maybe 5 minutes to get it into the oven.

5) Deviled Eggs with Shrimp – p 28. We all loved the shrimp addition. 6) Ginger Beef – p 133. Gorgeous hibachi flavor. Everyone loved it! I couldn’t fit it all on my platter, though. The recipe made about twice what you see in the photo.

7) Mustard Roasted Carrots – p 177. These were absolutely delicious! I’ll double the recipe next time, because it makes a pound of carrots and both my kids wanted more. 8) Mini Lemon Meringues – p 204. These are so cute. Kind of like meringues and pavlova had a baby. They have a strong lemon and clove flavor. We loved these.

9-10) Red Wine Pasta – p 100. This is almost too cool. It just screams GNO. One pound of spaghetti is cooked off in a full bottle of Beaujolais, and it actually absorbs the whole thing. This is the recipe that has me the most inspired to tinker with. Oh, that color. And it tastes every bit as amazing as you hope it will!

11) Snap Pea Salad with Parmesan and Bacon – p 76. Great salad. Perfect side dish to either of the pastas. 12) Stuffed Mushrooms – p 34. These are stuffed with sausage, goat cheese, garlic and herbs. The sausage and mushroom flavors are right up front. The goat cheese is a nice complementary taste, but definitely in the background, as it didn’t set off my youngest’s goat cheese alarm. She raised an eye brow and said, “Goat cheese,” but took more. It made way more than the 12 mushrooms in the instructions. I bought a full pound and used most of them.

13) Mango Puff – p 201. Very cool dessert, and healthy-ish. It’s not sweetened at all. Just really fruity and creamy. Mango, coconut milk, vanilla, gelatin, lemon, and whipped cream.

14) The Easiest, Nuttiest Creamed Spinach – p 179. Yummy and zero effort. 15) The Best Artichoke Dip – p 57. All artichokes, hold the spinach. Great dip. She calls for 2 teaspoons of hot sauce. I used Tabasco and it was a little on the hot side. I’ll probably cut it to 1 next time.

Some others I have flagged to try: Pear, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Salad – p 65 * Kale Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing – p 70 * Orange, Parsley, and Walnut Salad – p 73 * Baked Eggplant Towers – p 104 * Grits Casserole – p 106 * Spicy Brussels Sprouts Tart – p 108 * Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart – p 112 * Bacon Mushroom Quiche – p 114 * Roasted Watermelon Pork Ribs – p 140 * Seafood Paella-ish – p 149 * Acorn Squash with Parmesan and Hazelnuts – p 172 * Strawberry Rhubarb Pie – p 209 * Caramel Pie Bars – p 214 * S’mores Bars – p 220 * Chai Brownies – p 222 * Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cupcakes – p 223

*I received a copy to explore and share my thoughts.

Need a copy of that book?! Here’s my Amazon affiliate link! Any time you use my links to make purchases on Amazon, I get a tiny percentage. Thank you!

Bring It!: Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining

#RunningPress

#BringItBook

#AliRosen

Red Wine Pasta recipe and Cookbook review: Bring It!: Tried and True Recipes for Potlucks and Casual Entertaining by Ali Rosen Red wine pasta. You actually cook the pasta in a full bottle of wine in a wide shallow skillet and it absorbs it perfectly.

#Ali Rosen #beaujolais #Bring It!#casual #cookbook #cookbook review #easy #entertaining #food porn #GNO #pasta #potluck #recipe #review #wine

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vincentpennington · 7 years ago

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Holiday Gift Guide 2017

Once again, ’tis the season for rampant consumerism! Yes, it’s time to brighten your loved one’s faces by giving them awesome stuff. And with my annual holiday gift guide, you’ll find gifts that fit both your budget AND your buddies’ tastes—that is, assuming they love exactly the same things that I do. Plus, with the space-age techno-power of online shopping, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your couch to do so!

Just like every year, I’ve compiled a list of things that have brought real joy to our lives. You won’t find anything here that I was paid to endorse despite not having tried—in fact, I personally bought, own, use, and love every single item in this Holiday Gift Guide. After all, if it’s not something worth spending my own money on, I shouldn’t be recommending it, right? (Full disclosure: Although I’m not paid to endorse any of the stuff in this Gift Guide, if you follow my affiliate links to purchase them, I do get a small percentage as a commission without costing you an extra penny.)

Ready to lighten your wallet? This year, I’m going to start by hawking my own awesome products, and then I’ll tell you about other crazy-fun holiday gift ideas!

READY OR NOT! COOKBOOK

Yes, I’m totally biased, but I truly believe that the bestest holiday present you can give yourself and your loved ones is our newest cookbook, Ready or Not! Our book is all about making healthy Paleo home cooking a breeze, no matter if there’s time to prepare or just minutes to spare. Whether you’re a fastidious planner or a last-minute improviser, you’ll find plenty of deliciously nourishing options, from make-ahead feasts and treats to lightning-fast leftover makeovers and make-now meals. Presented in our trademark comic book style, Ready or Not!’s step-by-step recipes, photos, and meal plans make cooking a habit you’ll never want to break.

Henry and I poured our hearts and souls into this book, testing each and every recipe on our family, shooting every one of the 2,000+ photographs in our home kitchen, meticulously drawing every illustration, and designing and laying out every page.

And our loyal readers have responded by swooping up the entire first printing! Since it hit bookstores in August, Ready or Not! has become a New York Times bestseller, and hit #1 on both the Wall Street Journal and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists for Hardcover Nonfiction. Our book made it to the Semifinals of Goodreads’ Choice Awards in the Food & Cookbooks category. And Amazon recently named it one of the 15 best books of the year in Cooking & Wine!

Ready or Not! is available wherever books are sold (in the U.S. and all over the world!)—but this holiday season, we’ve partnered with our local independent bookstore, Books Inc., to offer signed and personalized copies of our cookbook! If you’d like for me to inscribe a personal note to you or someone special to you, just click this link to order Ready or Not! from Books Inc. At checkout, make sure you fill out the Order Comments section at the bottom to let me know who you’d like me to make the book out to. I’ll even make sure to throw in some free exclusive Nom Nom Paleo swag, too! Just place your order by December 14th at 11:59 am Pacific to guarantee delivery by Christmas!

Buy a signed and personalized copy from Books Inc. here!

(By the way, if you pals don’t yet have a copy of my first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans, grab one for them, too!)

READY OR NOT! WALL CALENDAR

If you like our cookbooks, you’ll definitely dig our 2018 wall calendar.

With healthy recipes presented in a deliciously fun style, this 2018 wall calendar will inspire you to cook all year round. This eye-catching companion to our new Ready or Not! cookbook features cheeky cartoons and a different Paleo recipe each month, ranging from hearty suppers to easy snacks and sides. Best of all, this colorful calendar also includes dozens of stickers (featuring cartoon versions of me and my family—including Ollie’s stuffed cat!) to keep you motivated throughout the year. Hang this on your wall, and Ready or Not! will make cooking a habit you’ll never want to break!

Buy our calendar from Amazon here!

MAGIC MUSHROOM POWDER

Too lazy to D.I.Y.? Magic Mushroom Powder is now available in cute tins at Whole Foods Market stores in the chain’s NorCal Region (which also covers Reno, Nevada) and Northeast Region (including stores in New York, Western Connecticut, and all New Jersey stores except Marlton, Cherry Hill, and Princeton). My Magic Mushroom Powder has been selling out super-quickly, though, so call your local store before visiting to make sure they still have some left at the butcher counter!

(Psst! Magic Mushroom Powder will be available in ALL Whole Foods Market stores in January! Look for the tins on the butcher counter starting in the New Year!)

NOM NOM PALEO BASEBALL CAPS

You may have seen the boys rockin’ cool Nom Nom Paleo baseball caps on our Ready or Not! book tour and wondered, how can I get one? Well, at long last, you can FINALLY order ’em here on our website! This classic snapback baseball cap, which features a structured wool blend and plastic snapback closure, puts an embroidered image of my FACE on your FOREHEAD. There is simply no better way to show off your inner Nomster, people.

You can get it in three different color combos: yellow/black, red/ black, or red/white/black!

NOM NOM PALEO VINYL ACTION FIGURE

I will do whatever it takes to help you eat real, nourishing, nomtastic foods—even if it means miniaturizing myself so I can cheer you on in the kitchen. Featuring 3 points of articulation, Mini-Michelle stands 3.5 inches tall and comes equipped with four accessories (and a sunny smile, too!).

Buy a Mini Michelle here!

Okay, enough about Nom Nom Paleo stuff. Let’s talk about gift ideas that DON’T have my face plastered on ’em!

INSTANT POTS

I’ve been such an ardent fan and vocal cheerleader for Instant Pot that many people assume I’m some sort of paid spokesperson for the brand. But guess what? I’m not. I just love using Instant Pots to make delicious, Paleo-friendly recipes with no fuss or muss—and I want everyone else to discover the magic of this appliance, too.

To be honest, even though Instant Pots are multi-use cookers (meaning they can handle everything from slow cooking to rice making), the electric pressure cooker function is my favorite, and the one I primarily use. But what an electric pressure cooker it is! Seriously: The Instant Pot will change your life and streamline the process of getting tasty hot food in your craw.

I’m always asked to recommend my favorite Instant Pot models, so here they are:

Instant Pot IP-DUO Plus: New for 2017, this 9-in-1 6-quart multi-use cooker gives you a lot of bang for the buck. I used to recommend the IP-DUO 7-in-1 cooker as the best one of the lot, but this updated version is even better. Users provided tons of great feedback about how Instant Pot could enhance the older version, like adding a max-fill line in the insert, changing the button labeled “Manual” to “Pressure Cook,” and cramming a bunch of new features into the gadget. Instant Pot clearly listened, and incorporated all of these improvements into the IP-DUO Plus. Get one from Amazon here!

I’ll be sure to let you know whenever these babies are on sale, and I always update my Instant Pot Deals page with the latest bargains. Oh, and don’t forget to check out my ever-growing list of Instant Pot recipes!

HEDLEY & BENNETT APRONS

Eagle-eyed Nomsters know that whenever I’m in the kitchen, I’m in a Hedley & Bennett apron.

I’ve loved these aprons for YEARS—ever since my chef sister bought me one for my birthday in 2013. My collection of Hedley & Bennett aprons has steadily grown over the past four years—I’m now up to eight—and I have no plans to stop. Buy one, and you’ll see why: Each Hedley & Bennett apron is individually handcrafted and built to last, with top grade materials and meticulous fabrication. And best of all, they’re gorgeous.

My fave new design is the (PRODUCT)RED apron. Not only is it in my favorite color, but 25% of the retail price from this product purchase will support (RED)’s efforts to fight AIDS through the Global Fund.

You can buy one from Amazon here!

CHEF’S CHOICE 15 TRIZOR XV EDGESELECT ELECTRIC KNIFE SHARPENER

When my knives are sharp, cooking is faster and safer. I treated myself to this fancy home knife sharpener after I got tired of dropping my knives off at different knife sharpeners every few months to keep them in tip-top shape. It’s the number one rated knife sharpener per the folks at Cook’s Illustrated and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. All my knives (and my friends’) are quickly sharpened in just a few minutes and we’re back to slicing and dicing in no time at all!

Get one from Amazon here!

THE INSPIRALIZER

You know all those zany vegetable noodles you’ve seen on Pinterest? You can easily make them at home with a spiralizer. There are tons of options on the market, and I’ve owned four different brands myself. Last year, I recommended two different models, but now one has come out on top: The Inspiralizer.

The Inspiralizer is an awesome tool created by Ali Maffucci, the spiralizing queen behind Inspiralized. If she’s gonna invent a spiralizer, you know it’s gotta be one of the best. I love that the blades are attached to the gadget, and you just twist the dial to change it. Plus, you can spiralize thinner vegetables because the central coring blade that keeps them in place has a narrower diameter than other spiralizers. The one thing that kept me from recommending it wholeheartedly was that it wasn’t dishwasher safe, but I discovered that I can plop it on the top rack! Haven’t you been dying to make my Crispy Swoodles with Bacon?

Grab one from Amazon here!

LECTROFAN WHITE NOISE MAKER

With all the travel I did this year for our Ready or Not! Book tour, one of the things I prioritized above all else was good sleep. Sleeping on the road can be tough, especially with all the time zone changes and resulting jetlag. Two things that I always travel with to ensure good sleep are my trusty eye mask and a portable white noise maker. I realized I needed a white noise maker when I stayed in big cities like NYC or Chicago and the constant traffic and honking would keep me up at night. After doing lots of research, I opted to buy the Lectrofan and it helped me get my zzz’s on the road. (Yes, it’s very compact and takes up very little space in my carry-on.) I liked it so much that I now keep it on my nightstand at home!

Grab one from Amazon here!

THERMAPEN + THERMOPOP

What’s so great about the Thermapen Mk4 instant-read thermometer? Well, it’s lightning-fast, incredibly accurate, has an intelligent backlight and auto-rotating display, a motion-sensing sleep-and-wake mode, and it’s super-cool looking. Plus, if you use it when cooking, you’ll never mess up a pricey piece of grass-fed meat or pastured poultry ever again. Get one from ThermoWorks here!

The one caveat? It costs close to $100. Luckily, the Thermapen’s mom and dad has squeezed out a more affordable younger sibling, the ThermoPop. This lollipop-lookalike is rated #1 by Cook’s Illustrated and Serious Eats, so you don’t need to worry your pretty little head about whether it works as well as its older sibling. Yeah, it’s not quite as fast as the Thermapen (2-3 seconds for Thermapen, and 3-4 seconds for ThermoPop), but it’s only $29. And as I’ve said before, if you’re gonna cook meat or fish properly, you gotta invest in a great thermometer, so get one from ThermoWorks here!

BACK JACK MEDITATION CHAIRS

I first encountered Back Jack chairs at the Paleo seminar I did at 1440 Multiversity, where some audience members—fresh from a morning yoga class, I assume—plopped down on the floor into these sturdy, portable meditation chairs. They’re great for everything from zen practice to playing video games with your kids. Made in the U.S.A., Back Jacks come in an array of bright colors—I bought red ones, because I’m me—and are heavily padded for comfort.

Grab one from Amazon here!

LUNCHBOTS CLICKS SALAD CONTAINERS

I love these all-stainless steel interior salad containers by my pals at LunchBots! They’re totally leak-proof, durable, and dishwasher safe. However, I don’t just store salad in them—I store all my leftovers in them ‘cause I’m the Leftover Makeover Queen. One thing to note: when placing hot food in the container, allow the food to cool to room temperature before sealing the lid. Failing to do so may cause a strong vacuum to form, making the container difficult to open. If a vacuum does form, insert a butter knife between the lip of the container and the lid to allow air to escape. Easy peasy!

Get one from Amazon here!

(Psst! If you’re looking for a great insulate container with all-stainless steel interior, get a LunchBots Thermal!)

MARSHALL ACTON BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

Our family loves to listen to music together in the kitchen and when the kids are at school, I blast my favorite podcasts while I’m tinkering with recipes. The bluetooth speaker that we play all of our audio on is the Marshall Acton Bluetooth Speaker. It works great, and looks like a mini-version of the various amps that Owen has scattered around the living room for his electric bass and guitar!

Get one from Amazon here!

VIBRAM FUROSHIKI WRAP SHOES AND BOOTS

I’m not a fashion plate and you’ll never see me posting my #ootd on IG, but I do have a favorite minimalist shoe—my Vibram Furoshiki Wrap Shoes. These shoes are super comfy and they don’t have the weirdo five fingers. You just wrap them around your feet, and they look like pretty presents. Just make sure you don’t buy a knock-off by mistake! Get a pair from Amazon here!

(In the winter, I wear the cozy boot version. Buy a pair from Amazon here!)

SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT

This is my favorite new cookbook of the year (that wasn’t written by me!).

Chef, teacher, and author Samin Nosrat has produced a groundbreaking cooking book—one packed with an amazing wealth of knowledge. Accompanied by charming illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton, Samin cheerfully teaches readers to use the four main elements of cooking—salt, fat, acid, and heat—to master cooking. This book is aimed at inspiring cooks to make confident decisions in the kitchen without relying on recipes. With Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, you can whip up delicious meals at any time with any ingredients on hand.

This is a classic. Get it from Amazon here!

NAPTIME WITH JOEY

This book brings me SO. MUCH. JOY. Do you follow @lauraiz on Instagram? When her adorable daughter, Joey, takes a nap, Laura dresses her up as mini pop culture icons—from Salt Bae to Barb from Stranger Things—and snaps a pic. It’s off-the-charts cute. Just flipping through these photos on my phone instantly puts me in a sunny mood. Laura’s first book, Naptime with Joey, is a compilation of these adorable photos—complete with the punniest captions.

Get it from Amazon here!

CRAZY RICH ASIANS TRILOGY

All my good friends know that I’m not much of a fiction reader. Cookbooks and gossip magazines are my jam, okay? Despite my aversion to fiction, this year I bought and quickly devoured all three books in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy. These three books chronicle the intertwined lives of three super-insanely wealthy Chinese families, and they’re packed with humor, gossip, and soap opera shenanigans. I haven’t stayed up late reading a trilogy since I read The Tales of the City series in college, but these three books had me burning the midnight oil. In fact, I’m still moping about the fact that the trilogy has ended—but at least I have the Crazy Rich Asians motion picture to look forward to next summer! (Spoiler alert: One minor character in the books eats a Paleo diet. I gasped out loud when I read that part.)

Get the first book, Crazy Rich Asians here!

Get the sequel, China Rich Girlfriend here!

Get the final book in the series, Rich People Problems here!

Those are my picks for this year! Now that you’ve gotten your holiday shopping done, get off the couch and do something fun! (Or at least more fun than stampeding through your local big box store at midnight on Black Friday.)

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