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marzgaperez · 5 years ago

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S10 Gallavich Liplocks

Too soon to rank these? I couldn’t help myself. Well, at least enjoy these amazing gifs from @whattarush

#1 The Reunion Kiss

Despite the scene being cut too soon, I love this kiss (obvi since I made it #1). I love what happens right before when Mickey busts through the window like the Kool-Aid Man (thank you, @azuresky18) with all the sexy goodness of a Southside thug who is finally free!

These dorks in love are babbling about compassionate release and tamales, all the while making heart eyes and ready to pounce on one another. I’m assuming Cam has his broken leg at this point because no way Ian Clayton Gallagher wouldn’t have tackled his man right then and there, but instead, the circumstances lend themselves to Ian beckoning Mickey over to him with their favorite foreplay-before-the-action word: C’mere.

And the kiss itself - to die for!! They literally crash into each other. Is there a physics term we can apply here? Centrifugal force? It’s the same type of full-bodied passion we witnessed with the kiss at the docks (S7), because let’s face it, when these two have been apart for too long, they can’t help but consume one another upon impact. Uh, sorry for making them sound like cannibals.

It’s been a week or so, maybe, since they were last together in prison, but they were facing months of separation, so this kiss is as much a celebration as it is reaffirming that they are still in this together. They’ve made it out of the storm and can finally breathe. Right?

Check out that grip Ian has on the back of Mickey’s neck followed by the slow, lingering cradling of his head. Damn, now that’s romance! And to top it all off, Ian’s bicep comes around to scoop Mickey up like delectable salted caramel gelato. Or would he be more like crème brûlée?

#2 The Courthouse Kiss

Speaking of breathing, Ian looks like he barely can, so he goes in for the kiss to remind himself that Mickey is his rock and that this plunge they are about to take will keep Mickey safe, superseding all his fears and insecurities.

And sweet Mickey. Oh, I never thought I’d see the day that he’d seem so relaxed, so at ease. Ian literally and figuratively takes his breath away, just like that S5 deleted scene kiss when they are in bed together. Only this kiss is out in the open, and it’s fucking beautiful. So spontaneous that it catches all of us by surprise but especially Mickey.

This scene weirdly gives me vibes from the end of S4 after Mickey comes out, and Ian falls into a deep depression. The emotions are so beautiful but overwhelming. Here, you can almost tell that Ian is standing on a precipice, high as a kite, in danger of losing his balance and tipping over.

#3 The Proposal Kiss

Also cut too short, the proposal kiss is cinematically gorgeous and so meaningful because it’s the first time both Mickey and Ian have been willing to let their guards down since what happened at the courthouse. And of course, the kiss makes my heart swell because it follows the marriage proposal from Ian that is likely to stick.

You have to watch the episode with the volume turned up loud enough to catch the sexy grunt from Ian as he lunges forward on his one good leg to capture Mickey’s lips. You know he’d move a mountain (or punch the lights out of some hipsters) so he could be back with the man he fucking loves.

I would rank this kiss higher, except I love the other two more, and this one seems to be an homage to the S4 club kiss (the greatest kiss ever), so while amazing and what we’ve waited for, falls to third place.

#4 The Mutual I Love You’s Kiss

I owe that title to @whaticameherefor because I would have named it something boring like “The Prison Kiss,” which we already had in S9. I truly love all the kisses this season, and just because this one falls to the bottom doesn’t mean I don’t have plenty to say about it.

This is a tender moment of reconciliation and forgiveness in an unforgiving environment. Um, a traditionally unforgiving environment, ahem, assuming acceptance of LGBTQ couples is not the norm in prison, except in the Shameless universe, but I digress...

While the show didn’t give us that deep, meaningful heart-to-heart many of us wanted to see at the beginning of S10, we did get realistic tension and Mickey giving Ian a piece of his mind, which he does again later on in the season and rightfully so. We get another peek at wounded, whistful S3 Ian, who also realizes its time to put up or shut up, and that more brazen Ian (thankfully) makes an appearance later on too.

This kiss is a slow burn that eventually takes spark and then Ian is tossing his shiv against the floor to fully engulf Mickey, and dammit, if they don’t look beautiful in those matching jumpsuits. For the first time ever. Tee-hee.

So......thanks for humoring me. Here’s hoping for a few more liplocks this season because yes, I am a greedy bitch!

#gallavich #gallavich meta #gallavich kisses #mickey milkovich #ian gallagher #sorry not sorry for the sap

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bodyswapmischief · 5 years ago

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Authentic Costumes: Santa Claus

I came home and my boyfriend, Manny, was still cooking. His chocolate skin glistened with the heat from the kitchen. His small arms and slim frame worked hard, as he quickly moved around. He was in his zone.

However, I felt guilty. Before the holidays started I lost my job. I applied to a number of jobs but, no one was hiring. Now, Henry has been working double to support us. "Oh, your home." He quickly glanced at me and went back to mixing. "How was the gym."

"It was okay. There was just a lot on my mind. " I said as I walked to him. I easily wrapped my arms around him and gave him a kiss on his flour stained check. "And how has my little baker been doing?"

He wiped the flour from his face as he quickly gave me a peck. And weakly pushed my arms off him. "Well as you can see, it's been going. But there is still alot of work to do. I need to make more of everything: cookies, cupcakes, tamales."

"Well do you need any help." I asked.

He stopped and looked at me and laughs. "No, no, no. The last time you helped the cookies were to salty, the cupcakes didn't rise, and the tamales came out dry. And, then when I put you incharge of mixing you broke multiple bowls. And then.."

"Okay ... okay, I get it. I won't help." I sigh."Just go relax." He smiles back and starts mixing again. I sluggishly walk to the living room. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot, a package came for you."

I continued to walk towards the living room and saw the package. The logo confirmed it was from Authentic Costumes. The box was way bigger than I thought it would be. I open the box and revealed a small vial sitting on top of a santa costume. I pick them both up and underneath was a full wardrobe of clothes. Triple X shirts, size 50' waist pants, and oversized underwear. What is all this for?, I thought.

But, before I could even think about Manny walked in. "I've been curious all day so, what was in the box." I look at him holding the Santa Claus costume. "Well it was supposed to be a surprise..., I got a seasonal job as a Santa Claus." My boyfriend laughed, "Are you serious? Was it a phone interview? They do know you have rock hard abs, right?."

My face blushed with slight embarrassment, "Yes and they didn't care. They said anyone can be Santa and offered me 20,000 dollars for the month. So, I said yes. And, then they said they would send me a package to look more like the role." I snapped back.

There was some silence and then I pulled a card from the box. "Begin transformation process by drinking blue vile. The changes will activate once you put on the suit. The transformation will not be permanent. Don't be alarmed." "What transformation ... are they talking about magic..." He asked. "I don't know ... I guess." I replied back. I open the vial. "Well here goes nothing." I start to drink it. "Are you sure.." Manny tried to talk before I drank it But, it was to late.

The blue liquid went down my throat. And, a tingling sensation filled my body. I saw Manny look at me in horror. "What's happening to you." I looked down. The blue liquid was spreading through every vein in my body. My body glowed as a blue road map of viens spread through out my body. I tried to talk, but couldn't. My legs gave out and I fell to the floor. My body started convulsing.

Manny ran to my side. "Daniel! Daniel!" He screamed in terror. He held me with his small body. His hands shook with distress. And, as quickly as it started, it stopped. I laid up against my boyfriend. My body was exhausted and my breathing was heavy. "Are you okay?" He asked putting down his phone and his voice was still shaken. He started rubbing my strong chest and back.

"I think so." I whispered due to a lack of energy. "What were you thinking." He told me. "Why did you just drink a mysterious blue liquid from a sketchy ass company. You could have died. "But, I didn't," I smiled as strength returned to my body. "Plus the company is legit. They do a lot of events for rich people. And, we need the money." I rubbed my head. I get up and start taking off my clothes.

"What the fuck are you doing now?" He asked. "I'm going to put on the santa suit on." I put on the oversized underwear and pants. Manny just looked at me and shook his head. He seemed to be calming down. He laughed seeing me in the bigger clothes. "Damn, we could both fit in those pants."

I grabbed the Santa hat and put it on. I didn't feel anything. And, then I put the Santa coat on. I looked hot as my six pack and pecs were exposed in the open Santa coat. Then I started filling itchy. My whole body was itchy and it felt like little pins started poking out of my skin. I turned to look at the mirror and Manny joined me. Both of us shocked by the changes. Hair started to fill my buff hairless body. My chest and stomach were covered. I could even fill back hair starting to rub against the Santa coat. I knew the same was happening to my legs, thighs and ass.

Finally, stubble appeared on my face and continued to grow out. Until, I had a beard that would make any lumberjack jealous. "Who knew Santa was so hairy." Manny said as he rubbed my hairy muscular chest.

But, my body didn't stop changing. My tanned skin started to lighten. At first, I didn't know what was happening. Small changes to my face and body started appearing. I started looking stronger and better looking. I finally realized I was getting older. I was aging but, my body still had the muscle mass of a 25 year old that spent all his time at the gym. It was erotic. Then my hair started going grey and the lines on my face started to deepen. The hair on top of my head started to fall off. I was a silver fox. I look at my boyfriend and both of our faces were in shock.

But, still the changes didn't stop. Underneath my furry stomach, I could see my abs start to disappear. My body was growing with fat. My face became rounder. I could feel a double chin form under my beard. My chest started sagging with fat. My stomach became enormous. My thighs thickened up. And, my dick started getting buried under pelvic fat.

"Well, fuck me." Manny said. " Magic actually fucking exists. I can't believe it. This is fuckin crazy." "I know. It feels so different. I'm in shock. It's me but, everything feels different." I said exploring my new body. He comes over and also starts poking me in places. "How do you feel?" He said.

"Heavy." I laugh and my whole body jiggles. "I can't imagine having to live life like this. I can feel parts of my body touching each other, that never did before. I don't even think, I can touch my toes. Fuck, it's weirding me out. I can feel all of this kinda affecting my personality. I feel lazy, slow, hungry and tired. Just standing here is taking so much energy. I'm not use to it. Here help me take the suit off."

Manny goes behind me and peels the coat off me. I take of the pants and underwear, revealing my shrunken dick and enlarge fat pad. I let a couple seconds past. "Do you see anything changing." I ask my boyfriend. He just shakes his head. "What do you mean. It's supposed to reverse when I take the costume off."

Panicking I pull out the instructions. Manny squeezes against my side to read them at the same time. "Here, it says the transformation starts when I put on the costume." I say. "Yeah but, that doesn't mean you revert after taking it off. It just says the transformation is not permanent." He answers. He proceeds to look around at the box and picks up the vial. "Here the vial says the transformation last for about a month." He adds.

My heart sank. "So, I'm stuck like this for month." I cried. "I can't be stuck like this. What about the gym? I'm going have to walk out in public like this. What about you? Are you okay with dating a fat old man for a month?" "Luckily they sent all these new clothes you can wear." He joked. I just glared at him. "What it's funny." He laughs. "You make a pretty good daddy bear." He flirted. "What!? Does this turn you on?"

He smiles and walks into the kitchen. He quickly comes back with a plate of food. "I think I can make this work. I don't want my Santa daddy to go hungry." He winked. He motioned for me to sit down, as he fed me. I didn't realize how hungry I was. I was never one to indulge like this, but my body had a mind of it's own. Eating gave my body a new sense of pleasure. "Here take the plate big boy." He handed me the plate of cookies and cupcakes. I continued eating.

"I think you should take the month to enjoy your new body. Give in to your hunger. Don't get me wrong I love your real body. But, I also have a feeder fetish. Now, I can expirence my fantasy."

Manny started kissing my body. My neck. My fat chest. He rubbed my new boobs and my body rushed with pleasure. He sucked on my fat tits and I moaned while I continue to eat. He moved down and kissed my growing belly. He took his hand and pushed my fatpad down. He reveals as much of my dick that he could and started sucking. I continued to moan in deep pleasure.

As, I finished the last bite of food, I cummed into his mouth. My dick was still hard. " Come on big boy." He positioned our bodies so I could have easy penetration into his ass, at my new weight. I was worried that my dick was no longer going to be big enough. But, I squeezed against his ass. His check's helped pushed my fatpad and a decent amount of my dick entered his ass. I began thrusting and my body jiggled from the motion. My breathing became heavy. It was more intense than any work out at the gym. My hairy body became wet with sweat.

We both orgasmed at the same time., breathing heavy. Now, laying side by side he seemed even smaller then when I was in my original body. He Pat's my stomach and lays his head on my boobs. Maybe this month won't be so bad. And, maybe when I revert back, I will start working on developing my own real fat stomach.

#male #body #swap #mischief #weight #gain #age modification #bear tf #bear transformation #transformation #tf

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rafandro · 4 years ago

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All I Ever Wanted

Welp, it happened. I wrote my first Rafael and Ronen fic. This is purely for fun, and not real in any way, shape, or form. Please do not post this anywhere else without my permission. If you want to post on your blog, please be cautious when tagging.

Rating: M (mentions of Masturbation)

Warnings: Drinking, getting drunk, fawning, fluff, slight angst, happy ending, love confessions

It starts out innocently enough. Ronen likes to flirt. He does it on set all day. Rafael doesn’t think anything of it. Ronen is just a loveable person and he wants to share his love with everyone. Rafael doesn’t mind that Ronen likes to fawn all over him. Take his photo here, make a video there. It’s all for fun anyway. The fans love to comment on it and it makes work that much more fun.

After their first instagram live, where Ronen not so innocently flirts with Rafael, things change. Ronen likes to drape himself over the other man. He does it in between scenes or when they’re walking back to their trailers after a long day. Rafael will put his arm around his waist to hold on and when they hug goodbye it’s always a little too long but neither of them say anything.

Their last scene was filmed and in the can, when Ronen wraps his arm around Rafael as they walk back to their trailers.

“Can you believe we’re done?” Ronen asks as they walk slowly back.

“Not really, you?” Rafael asks back.

“I’m going to miss it,” Ronen replies, “Miss going to set and seeing everyone. Seeing you.”

Rafael smiles at that and he pulls Ronen closer, “I’ll miss you, too. But we’ll still see each other.”

“Yeah, but not like this! It won’t be the same,” Ronen says. If he pouts, well...no one sees it.

“We can hang out, you know,” Rafael says.

Ronen stops outside his trailer and pulls away from Rafael, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with being sad. It’s not hitting me now, but I know I’ll wake up tomorrow and remember I don’t have a job to do. After all these months of being together, it’ll be an adjustment, but I’m only a phone call away,” Rafael replies.

Ronen gives him a small smile, “Thanks...I should change. Wait for me and we can go out for a drink?”

Rafael smiles back, “Sounds good.”

<hr>

The country locks down two weeks later. Ro is holed up at his home with his two dogs, while Rafael is across town holed up in his own place. They do instagram lives with Fox and the fans love it. They do one together and people go nuts. They FaceTime once it’s over to talk about the reaction.

“Best fans in the world,” Ronen says when Rafael picks up.

“They really are. So passionate,” Rafael replies. He can’t help but smile himself. They really do have the greatest fans.

They talk more about the live before they both grow quiet. Ronen sighs and looks into the camera. His green eyes are a little sad and he pouts, “I miss you.”

“I miss you, too,” Rafael replies.

“I can’t wait for this to be over so we can hang out again.”

“Same, man. Being stuck at home sucks.”

“Don’t you go hiking, like, everyday?” Ronen jokes.

Rafael chuckles, “Not everyday. But I do try to exercise outside.”

“We should go hiking together...once this is over,” Ronen says.

“I’d like that,” Rafael replies.

<hr>

In June when the lock down eases Rafael has a picnic for his birthday. He invites the whole cast, but he mostly stays close to Ronen wanting to see him laugh and smile. Ronen doesn’t mind the attention. He revels in it. He playfully throws himself across Rafael’s lap at one point and stays. The rest of the cast don’t blink an eye at it and go about their conversations.

When the picnic starts to wind down and people start to say their goodbyes and wish Rafael a happy birthday one more time, Ronen is the last to leave.

Actually Rafael and Ronen end up staying an extra hour. Ronen had moved when everyone was saying goodbye, but with everyone gone he took to laying on Rafael’s legs, arms crossed so he could rest his head on them and look up at Rafael as they talked.

“This was nice,” Ronen says, “Did you have a good birthday?”

“The best. It was great to see everyone again,” Rafael replies.

“Yeah, I didn’t know how much I missed them until I saw everyone,” Ronen answers, “I can’t wait to go back to set. Can’t wait to see what season two will be like.”

“More Tarlos, that’s for sure,” Rafael says.

“There’s always a need for more Tarlos,” Ronen agrees, “Everyday I swear I get twenty thousand messages about the dinner scene we shot.”

“You too?” Rafael says back.

“Every other message I get on twitter is about it. The fans are quite passionate about it. Demanding, almost,” Ronen answers.

“I mean it was a fun scene to film,” Rafael replies, “Getting to hug you and pretend I made you tamales.”

Ronen chuckles, “They did look good.”

“Did you try them?” Rafael asks.

“Nah, I asked if they were vegan, but they said it wasn’t so I couldn’t even have a bite,” Ronen answers, “And before you get mad, it wasn’t the fact they didn’t want to make them vegan, it was the fact they didn’t have the time.”

Rafael’s hand comes up to rub down Ronen’s back, “Well when I make them for you in real life, I’ll make sure they’re all vegan.”

Ronen sighs and pushes into the hand, “You’re the best, you know that?”

<hr>

They hang out more after that. Ronen got his little hot tub up and running. So he invites Rafael over to chill. He plays bartender, giving Rafael drink after drink. The more they drink the more everything becomes funny. Rafael smiles and laughs way too hard at a joke Ronen makes, and Ronen laughs when Rafael tries to get out of the small hot tub and almost trips over Spot.

Rafael ends up sitting down and petting Spot and telling her sorry over and over again.

When the sun goes down, Ronen insists he starts a fire in the fire pit. He starts the fire and it brightens up the backyard. The flames dance in their eyes and for a moment they’re quiet. Ronen moves over to Rafael, “Another drink?”

Rafael shakes his head, “No, I shouldn’t. I still have to drive home.”

“Or you could stay the night?” Ronen says without thinking.

“Your couch isn’t that comfortable.” “Who said anything about sleeping on the couch?”

Rafael swallows, “I...I...yeah okay.” He’s slept in his friend’s bed before. It’s nothing new. Crashing after a long night and waking up the next morning hungover and laughing about the antics from the night before.

Ronen smiles at him, “Great, let's grab another drink.”

They end up passing out sometime in the wee hours of the early morning. Rafeal barely makes it to the bed before falling asleep, his head on a pillow and Ronen snoring next to him.

They wake in the early afternoon. Rafael’s head is pounding and there’s a weight against his chest. He moves to look for his phone but when he finds it, it’s dead. He groans at the sunlight coming through the window.

A moan next to him makes him turn his head to the other side. He blinks until he can focus his eyes on the person next to him. He smiles when he sees Ronen scrunching his nose up and rubbing his face along the pillow his head is laying on.

“Good morning,” Rafael whispers.

Ronen groans, “Not so loud.”

Rafael turns over on his side so he lay facing the man next to him, “Sorry.”

Ronen groans again, but instead of moving away from Rafeal, he moves closer. The arm around the man pulling them together front to front. Rafael feels Ronen’s morning wood along his thigh and he knows Ronen can probably feel his, but he doesn’t move.

“What time is it?” Ronen asks.

“I don’t know. My phone’s dead,” Rafeal replies.

Ronen moves and leans over Rafael to see if his phone is close by. He finds it but like the other man’s it’s dead.

“My phone’s dead,” Ronen says then falls back into bed.

“I think it’s the afternoon,” Rafael replies, “We didn’t go to bed until late.”

“Mmm, yeah. Best sleep I’ve had in a long time,” Ronen says, “Could use some more, but I think the girls are hungry.”

At that both dogs crawl onto the bed and start licking at the men’s faces. Ronen laughs but gives kisses back and Rafeal can’t help but pet the dog on him.

A few minutes later all four are up and moving into the kitchen. Rafael uses the bathroom while Ronen gets bowls of food for his pups and starts the coffee.

“What would you like to eat?” Ronen asks.

“I can’t think about food right now without wanting to vomit,” Rafael says.

“Can’t let you leave on an empty stomach,” Ronen replies, “What kind of host would I be?”

Rafael groans, “Please just let me die.”

“Sorry, no can do. No dying on my watch,” Ronen says. He places a mug of coffee in front of Rafel and two aspirin appear from somewhere.

“How are you so cheery right now?”

“I’m not. I’m just faking it.”

Rafael groans, “I’m never drinking like that again. Haven’t been this hungover since Freshman year spring finals.”

“Have your coffee. I’ll make some toast,” Ronen replies.

Rafael rests his head against the table as he waits for his food. Ronen gently places a plate in front of him and Rafeal doesn’t even lift his head before grabbing a piece and taking a bite. The toast isn’t half bad and he finishes it before he knows it.

They end up on the couch, feet on the coffee table and the TV turned down low. Ronen has them watch an episode of Buffy, but the movements are too much for either of them and they end up laying across the couch sleeping off their hangovers before the episode is done.

The next time Rafael wakes it’s dark out. Rafael stretches and sighs when he back cracks. Ronen isn’t on the couch anymore and Rafael looks around for the man. He finds him in the kitchen puttering around.

“I’m making dinner if you want to stay,” Ronen says when he sees Rafael awake.

“I should get home. Take a shower and all that,” Rafael replies. He moves to stand but the room spins, “Woah.”

Ronen rushes over, “You okay?”

“I’m fine, just a little head rush,” Rafael replies. He stands and smiles, “See better.”

“You can stay the night again if you need to,” Ronen says.

“I can’t. I don’t have clothes or a toothbrush,” Rafael replies.

“I have an extra toothbrush and my clothes might not fit very well but you can wear mine.”

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“You’re not. I promise. It’ll be fun. I like having you around,” Ronen says.

Rafael smiles at him, “Likewise.”

Ronen smiles back, “Do you want to take a shower? I can find you some sweats and a t-shirt.”

“If you don’t mind,” Rafael replies.

“Go wash up. There’s clean towels in the cabinet,” Ronen says.

In the shower Rafael stands under the warm spray and lets the water rain down on him. It feels good. His mind wanders to what it would be like to have Ronen in there with him, but he quickly shakes the thoughts from his head. Ronen is just a friend, nothing more. He washes his hair with Ronen’s shampoo. It smells nice and he can’t help but think of when they were on set rolling around in their first scene together. Ronen had had a shower before getting on set and his hair spelt like coconut.

His hand moves it way down his body and grabs onto his very interested dick. He can’t help thinking about their first sex scene together. How it felt to kiss and nip at the small man. They had put their all into the scene. When they had rolled onto the floor Ronen had put his hand under his head before they rolled so he wouldn’t hit it.

A moan escapes his lips and it startles him. He shouldn’t be thinking about this. Ronen is just on the other side of the door, probably waiting for him to come out so they could have dinner.

He wills his hard on away as he washes the rest of his body. Once he’s clean he makes sure all the soap is washed off before turning the water off. He grabs the clean towel he had put on the sink before the shower and dries himself off.

Opening the door to the bathroom he finds a neat pile of clothes on the floor. He smiles to himself and takes them back into the bathroom to change into. The sweats are just a tad short, and tight but he can still squat without feeling like they’ll rip. The shirt is oversized, even on Rafael’s chest and he wonders where Ronen got a hold of it.

When he walks out of the room again, Ronen’s got dinner set up on the table.

“Did you enjoy your shower?” Ronen asks.

“I’m starting to feel human again,” Rafael answers.

“Sit, come eat. Two pieces of toast hours ago isn’t enough. This’ll help.”

Rafael makes his way to the table and sits. He eats the food set in front of him with gusto. He didn’t know he had been so hungry.

They talk and laugh some before Ronen takes the dishes to the sink to clean.

“You cooked, I’ll clean,” Rafael says, getting up from his seat.

“No, you’re my guest. Relax,” Ronen replies, “I’m only rinsing them off before I put them in the dishwasher.”

“No, my mom taught me to always be a gentleman. So you go relax. You’ve been taking care of my hungover ass all day,” Rafael retorts, “I can put them in the dishwasher. It’ll be fine.”

Ronen hesitates for a moment longer before shuffling out of the kitchen and over to the living room. He plops down onto the couch and his dogs follow suit, surrounding him with their heads in his lap.

Rafael quickly and efficiently washes the dishes off and places them in the small dishwasher. He finds the soap for the machine under the sink and places it in the slot before starting the wash and then walking over to sit on the unoccupied section of the couch.

The dogs look over at him and Spot comes over to sniff at him. He pets her and she settles her body on him.

“Spot really likes you,” Ronen comments.

“Hmm, I like her,” Rafeal replies.

“She’s great isn’t she?”

“Better than her owner,” Rafael teases.

Ronen pouts at that, “You’re mean. You can go home now.”

Rafael laughs, “I love it when you pout.”

Oops, Rafael really just said that didn’t he? He can’t believe that came out of his mouth. It’s not everyday you tell your co-worker and friend that they’re cute.

Ronen goes from pouting to blushing and shyly smiling. He looks down at the dog in his lap but looks at Rafael out of the corner of his eye.

“You want to watch a movie or something?” Rafael asks.

“Yeah, you pick,” Ronen replies.

They’re quiet as the movie starts. It’s some comedy Rafael found on Netflix and it relaxes both of them. The dogs don’t care for it and leave them to it. Ronen moves around until he’s resting half on Rafael. Rafael places an arm around the man keeping him in place.

When the movie ends Ronen turns over to look up at Rafael from his spot in the man’s lap and smiles, “I liked that. Funny, but not too over the top.”

“It was really nice,” Rafael says looking down at him.

Rafael doesn’t know what makes him do it but he’s leaning over and his lips press lightly onto Ronen’s. Ronen doesn’t move for a minute but finally his head and mouth get with it and he’s kissing back. A moan escapes his lips and somehow the kiss deepens.

Rafael pulls away first. His lips red and wet and his eyes wide in shock, “I...I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t of---I should---I should go. Um, yeah, go home.”

The jostling of Rafael’s body knocks Ronen off of him and Ronen sits up as Rafael moves around the space to find his belongings.

“Don’t go...please?” Ronen requests.

“No, I really should. I’m sorry,” Rafael replies. He’s looking around wildly and not focusing on Ronen.

Ronen moves from his seat and moves over to the other man. He places his hand on Rafael’s shoulder and turns him around so they can look at each other, “Don’t be sorry,” Ronen softly says, “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for a long time.”

Rafael looks at him with wide, surprised eyes, “Y-you have?”

Ronen huffs out a laugh, “Yeah, for a really long time...probably since our chemistry read.”

Rafael slowly smiles back at him, “You have? This whole time?”

Ronen blushes from his confession, “Yeah, I knew there was something special about you.”

Rafael’s arms slowly wrap around the shorter man and he leans his forehead down to touch Ronen’s, “I always knew there was something special about you, too. Just didn’t want to admit it was because I liked you.”

Ronen’s reply is to kiss him. They make out in the middle of the living room until one of Ronen’s dogs barks startling them back into reality.

“I should let them out so they can go potty,” Ronen says but not letting go of Rafael.

“Let them out, then come to bed. I want to finish what we started,” Rafael replies and gives Ronen a quick kiss before pulling away.

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aeipathisms · 5 years ago

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rules: pick 5 shows and answer the following questions (don’t cheat) & tag people

o1. the 100 o2. once upon a time o3. criminal minds o4. lucifer o5. the umbrella academy

who is your favorite character in 2?

killian jones !!! ( to anyone who actually reads these answers — i want to add him on as a muse, what do you think!?! )

who is your least favorite character in 1?

emori

what is your favorite episode of 4?

season 2 episode 8: trip to stabby town — tbh i don’t remember much about this episode except the fact that the phrase “trip to stabby town” just makes me crack tf up.

what is your favorite season of 5?

there’s only ONE SEASON so far and i have to wait almost an entire YEAR for another :(

who is your favorite couple in 3?

derek & penelope!!! — they weren’t a couple, but their dynamic as friends was totally iconic and inspirational. you’ve got a poc hottie tamale with a plus size braniac, taking on the world together and always being each other’s right-hands and emotional support. i just alkdgjsljg. i also love that they never wind up actually becoming a couple. their friendship is perfect the way they are, and both their s/o’s accept that.

who is your favorite couple in 2?

emma & killian !!

what is your favorite episode of 1?

can i say the six year gap / dead space between season 4 and 5? what went down in the bunker and how octavia was manipulated kind of ticks me off, but everyone on the ring — i’m clinging to all my headcanons since we have still been left to fill in a lot of blanks of what went down up there (aka i’m just going to sit in my corner and imagine all the murven moments)

what is your favorite episode of 5?

honestly every episode and moment with klaus tbh

what is your favorite season of 2?

honestly, season 1. once magic returned... meh.

how long have you watched 1?

i’d say about a year? fall of 2018, and i instantly knew i needed to take murphy on as a muse ♡

how did you become interested in 3?

my best friend kelly had it on one night when i came home from work. it was like, season 6 or 7 during a really big plot wrapping up. and i just... got hooked and had to watch it start to finish.

who is your favorite actor in 4?

i haven’t seen the actors in much else tbh but tom ellis literally encompassed the role of lucifer PERFECTLY so i pick him i guess.

which do you prefer: 1, 2, or 5?

i’ll say 5, only because the 100 and ouat have reused so many plots, or the basic gist of them, that i’m just TIRED. committed to seeing the dead horse beat till the end, but TIRED. plus, with umbrella academy still being fairly new, it hasn’t burnt itself out yet and the hype is real!

which shows have you seen more episodes of: 1 or 3?

criminal minds has a million more episodes, so definitely that one.

if you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

mazikeeeeen what a badass lady!!!

would a crossover between 3 and 4 work?

honestly? probably. if the bau got called in to help LAPD on a case with chloe and lucifer lol

pair two characters in 1 who would make an unlikely but okay couple

i’m gonna say murphy & raven bc while i think they’d make a great couple and really compliment each other well and have had a few breakthroughs, i think the more the canon dumpsterfire continues with memori and raven becoming more guarded (and her happiness repeatedly shit on tbh), the more unlikely i believe it to be at this point.

overall, which has a better storyline: 3 or 5?

i’m gonna go with 5 bc it’s still so new and there’s still so much potential for it!!!

which has better theme music, 2 or 4?

tbh, with netflix letting me skip the theme or auto-skipping it for me, i can’t even place the theme music for either, oops.

#[ wow i have a lot of feelings ]#▸ once upon a dream | about the mun .#▸ tale as old as time | dash games .#▸ if you can dream it you can queue it .

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aweebwrites · 6 years ago

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Side-Effects (The Fic)

“Lloyd. Let Kai know that breakfast will be ready in a moment.” Sensei Wu says, sipping his tea as Zane attended to breakfast with Nya watching him idly nearby.

While Zane couldn't be trusted with fire, he was the only one who could cook meals without forgetting about it, being too impatient or making it taste like fresh garbage. They never pressure him however. They were just as fine taking turns heading out to Ninjago City to pick something up but Zane had those days where he wanted to do more than hole himself up in his room under dozens of blankets for hours- or even days- and today was one of those days.

“Sure thing Uncle.” Lloyd says, glad for something to get him moving.

He headed upstairs to where the rooms were, taking the stairs three at a time.

The Desert Bounty had 4 floors with their rooms being on either the fourth or third floor. The second floor was the living space, dining area and kitchen while the ground floor was the training area. Kai's room was on the fourth floor along with his, Nya's and Sensei Garmadon’s. Sensei Wu, Zane's, Jay's and Cole's were on the third floor. While the Monastery was still a work in progress, they would most likely spend a lot of their time here. After all, the had to share rooms in the Monastery and that didn't play out well as far as Lloyd heard from the others.

“Hey Kai.” He says, knocking at Kai's door before opening it. “Breakfast is ready.” He says to the fire ninja who was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling.

“Ok.” He sighs after a moment, getting up.

“If it's one of those days, I can bring breakfast up instead.” Lloyd suggested, shifting from one leg to another repeatedly.

“No, it's fine.” Kai says, stepping out and closing his door before heading down with Lloyd. “I haven't eaten with you guys in almost a week. I can suck it up today.”

“Alright.” Lloyd nods, knowing better to try and persuade him otherwise or tell him take it easy.

“Yo Kai!” Nya says with a grin once they walked into the dining/kitchen space before snorting, realising that she made a funny. “Get it? Yokai? Demon?” She says as Kai sat in his usual seat, pointedly ignoring her.

Due to all of their issues, their seating arrangements are fixed. At the head of the kitchen island they ate all meals at was Sensei Garmadon who was currently out, Kai to the right then Lloyd, Cole, Sensei Wu, Zane, Jay and Nya. While Nya is mostly tolerable, she gets under his skin sometimes. Kai just wants to make it through a day without flaming up.

“Very funny Nya.” Lloyd says with a smile to deter her.

“Isn't it?! Because yokai are demons and demons are usually seen with fire and he's the elemental master of fire so it will works out it's so weird kinda like this weird scorpion I saw yesterday that had two stingers like how does that even work plus the desert sand is so hot but underneath the top layer is much cooler I went digging around to see if I'd find anything interesting yesterday but I got sidetracked when I remembered that….” As Jay went on and on, Zane set down breakfast on the table before taking his seat and pulled the scarf he had on closer to his mouth.

He didn't need to eat anymore with his new shiny body but he was fine with just sitting and watching the others. Yes, he missed it sometimes, being able to eat but not for long.

“Thank you for the meal Zane.” Sensei Wu says and all but Cole echoed the same.

He only huffed and begrudgingly began eating. He still hasn't forgotten that argument they had 6 months back and while he couldn't remember the details, he remembered he was still mad at him.

I don't want to be.

His food was great however, not that he'd tell him that.

But I want to.

“What are we doing today Sensei?” Nya asked him, cutting random shapes into her eggs.

“Today is meditation Monday.” Wu announced.

“Meditation?! I hate meditation! It's always sit still and clear your mind but I can never clear my mind not even for a few seconds I just have to keep going like a solar powered scooter in a place where there's no night time speaking of I have to finish the schematics for that or ask my dad for some help he shouldn't be too busy since he's planning on coming in for a visit soon maybe I can get him to bring more copper wirings but I don't think I need much more of that I should ask for that diskjumpsprangle socket instead I could make 10,000- no 100,000 things with it like…”

“Ugh…” Kai groaned, rubbing his temples at Jay's endless chatter.

He loved his friend and he understood that he couldn't control it but it got to him sometimes. Everything has gotten to him at some point if he's being honest with himself. At least he's grown used to it enough that it was rarely a trigger.

“Jay, you don't do actual meditation, remember?” Cole pointed out.

“Oh yeah! I totally forgot like that time I forgot my own name! That was funny though I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that I hadn't slept on 4 days because I had this cool idea that wasn't as cool as I thought but…”

“Shouldn't Dad be back now?” Lloyd asked his uncle, fiddling with his fork, his legs bouncing with his excess energy.

“He decided to pick up a few things in Ninjago City first. He should be back in time for meditation however.” Wu told him as Jay chatted off a no longer listening Zane's ears.

He hadn't been at the table for long and he's already had enough social interaction with the others. He sighs and stood, tucking his mitten covered hands into his pockets.

“Where are you headed?” Nya asked him, a beach ball sized water bubble in hand as he passed her by.

“My room.” Was his only answer as he left.

“Nya, you know the rule. No powers at the table.” Wu reminded her, pouring Kai a cup of ClariTea and sliding it over to him.

“Totally forgot.” Nya says with a grin, taking her focus off the water orb- and of course dousing the entire table in water, filling everyone's lap with it.

“Nya what the hell?!” Kai snapped, bolting to his feet and turning over his cup of ClariTea in the process but he was already soaked.

“Whoopsie.” She grinned as the others stood as well.

“Whoopsie?” Kai says through gritted teeth as his clothes began to steam.

"Oh boy." Lloyd sighed to himself.

“WHOOPSIE?! You soaked everyone and my breakfast with your stupid WATER!” He yelled, pounding burning fists on the table and evaporating the water there and rapidly burning into the granite countertop of the kitching island.

“She did. And she's very sorry about it.” Lloyd says, quickly covering Nya's mouth. “Say Nya, Zane hasn't watered his garden today.” He says, pushing her towards the stairs.

"Oh yeah..." She says then headed downstairs.

“Arrrg! She's such a child!” Kai yelled, flaming up even more.

“Hey Kai-”

“One day! Just one day is all I wanted without THIS happening!” He yelled, skin going orange as his flames reddened further.

“Um, Kai-”

“I’M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS STUPID FU-” Kai's furious ranting was cut off by the reinforced metal that made up the floor melting under his feet, sending him plummeting to the ground floor.

“I tried to warn you.” Jay says, peering over into the hole.

“AAAAARRRRRGGGG!!!!!”

Jay barely managed to jump back quick enough for red hot flames to come blazing up.

"Nya?!" Lloyd yelled, rushing over to the window to see if she got out in time.

"Yeah?" She says, looking up at him from Zane's garden, water bubble in hand.

Lloyd only sighed in relief.

“Holy hot tamale! That was epic! Well not epic as in good but like epic epic like that was super cool to see but not super cool that it happened though it kind was but not-”

“Jay.” Cole says, cutting him off as he took off and wrung out his shirt. “Your eyebrows.” He says and Jay reached up to touch them.

“Oh man! This is the second time this month! My mom is gonna make me wear makeup again and drawn in eyebrows aren't a good look on me it makes me look like some kind of drag queen not that anything is wrong with them hut how do they even walk in those heels it should be…” Jay went on, forgetting about his eyebrows already.

“Before you get back brother, I'll need you to tap into our savings...” Wu says to Garmadon over the phone, looking at the large hole in the kitchen area.

Not to mention the damage downstairs...

__________________

(Heya! So you remember that Side-Effects AU I came up with a while back? Here's a small fic to show you an idea of how things are for the main 7! And for reference, almost everything up to rebooted actually happened but after Zane rebuilt himself only to still feel cold, he kinda snapped and froze over the whole factory- including PIXAL and the cultists that came to kidnap them. Long story short, season 4 and after never happens. I hope it wasn't too bad!)

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killerserials-blog1 · 6 years ago

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Season 1-Chapter 1-Part 1

There is a leaden something that hangs heavy in the air during the fading days of the Phoenix summer, threatening rain, and violence. A sort of wild magic that a body can feel crackling against the skin.

Lydia Thomas sat in her worn office chair, swirling ice around an empty glass. The room was filled with the rhythmic scratches of a record needle that had run its course and not much else. The office had been empty for two weeks, and it had begun to feel more like her second living room than a work space.

According to the holy phonebook, Thomas investigations was open until 8:30pm, but lately she had taken to locking up around 6:00.

Not tonite though. Tonite, something was going to jump off.

She fixed herself another 7&7, and settled in, slipping out of her patent leather pumps, and letting the b side of In a Silent Way meld with the sounds of rush hour slowly fading on 7th Avenue, and the rising wind.

Two drinks later, it happened.

It was 8:35 when a sharp rap interrupted the flow of the music. Lydia was considering just ignoring the knock until she heard a voice that hadn’t graced her ears in nearly a decade.

“Ray, are you in? It’s Jack Morris, from central high.” Lydia tensed up. Jack-fucking-Morris. “I know you’re probably closing up, but Rikki is missing and I don’t know where else to go.”

Lydia let out a sigh, checked that the seams of her boat neck dress were straight, and strode across the room. She had always had a soft spot Rikki Morris, and if she was honest, for Rikki’s older brother as well. So she gripped the handle of the door tight, balling her left hand into a fist. She drew a deep breath, and swung the door wide to her past.

“Howdy Jack, it’s been a while.”

His mouth dropped open for a second before he drew himself up, apparently searching for words.

“You...you look...you look so...”

Lydia interrupted his stammering fit,

“Different.”

“I was gonna say beautiful, but different works.” His mouth split in a smile that Lydia had never forgotten. he was always smooth. She smiled back and extended her hand.

“Lydia Thomas, nice to meet you again Mr. Morris. Why don’t you come in and tell me a little about what’s going on with your sister.”

Jack stepped into the office, and looked around for a tick before Lydia lead the way to her desk and repositioned her chair. Jack dropped into one of the chairs that sat across Lydia’s desk from her, and fished a crinkled Christmas card out from the pocket of his blue suit jacket. Lydia studied it in silence for a second. Suddenly she felt unfriendly eyes on her neck, she shook her head and tried to put it out of her mind.

A pretty, dark skinned butch with the same close cropped hair cut that her brother wore was holding a rumpled red head in paint stained overalls, with a very grumpy looking orange cat in a blue bonnet supported by the pair of them. The girls were smiling up at her from the card. The reverse had no return address and only a short message. ‘Happy Christmas to our favorite boys! Love from Rikki, Miranda, and Pickles”. Jack had remained silent while Lydia had studied the photo.

“Rikki cut her hair really short. It’s a good look on her. Catch me up on her, will you? I can’t get the image of her in that awful sequined dress she wore to homecoming the year we graduated out of my head.”

Jack chuckled in his low, rumbling way.

“She graduated at the top of her class, and decided to go to NAU after that. Rikki brought Mel, short for Melanie, home for thanksgiving her sophomore year, and announced that she was changing her major from political science to theatre. Dad didn’t say a word about it, but mom wouldn’t stop. And then she did, and they haven’t spoken since. Dad really liked Mel because she was a great horn player. she even sat in on a few sessions with him while she was still with Rikki.”

“So, Mel and Rikki didn’t last, judging by the card.” Lydia lit a cigarette and offered one to Jack, who seemed thankful for the pause.

“No, she broke Mel’s heart, and took off for LA after she graduated. I thought she would have gone into stage acting, but she wanted to do tv. I saw her do this far out comedy piece while she was in school. It was half in Spanish, and she has a killer timing in either language. She played this young Puerto Rican street guy, opposite this chick who was like 7’ in heel. She was in this killer suit that was all trimmed in peacock feathers, and her beard looked better than mine. It was absolutely brilliant man, it blew my mind! She did a few pilots after she moved, and a few commercials but nothing panned out. Rikki came back last February, and told us she was moving in with Miranda. Mom flew off the handle, and Dad couldn’t get her to calm down for days. They called Dad every week, mom ignored it every time. I think Miranda was a contractor, and Rikki was teaching an acting class for retirees or something like that.”

“So it seems like you guys aren’t as close as you used to be.” Lydia put a point on that.

“Well no, but not for lack of trying...we both grew up, got jobs, and bills. I haven’t heard from her in 2 months, and Dad says she hasn’t called him in 3 weeks.” Jack sounded desperate as he finished.

“Do you have her address?”

“No, she didn’t want mom to cause any trouble with it. They did just buy a new place though, that’s what we talked about last time she called. She said it was old, and she and Miranda were renovating it, so I figured that she was probably somewhere downtown.”

Lydia saw where this conversation was headed, and prepared for the worst.

“And you don’t know where either of them worked, do you?” Lydia’s tone could have frozen salt water.

“Well no, it never came up. Your mom told me you were working down here as a pi, and since you guys were in the same kind of circles, I thought you might be able to help me find Rikki.”

“Because I’m gay.” Jack had been smiling until Lydia said it.

“No, I just thought...you know, you’re in the Neighborhood, you might go to the same bars or something...” Jack was chuckling nervously now.

“Because I’m gay.”

“No...I just...” He sputtered, looking for another explanation. When he couldn’t find one he grinned an apologetic grin, and said, “Because you’re gay, and I’m an ass. I’m sorry.”

Lydia had already decided that she would forgive him, and softened, but she certainly wouldn’t forget it.

“You were. I hear that kind of shit from asshole parents looking for their runaway sons twice a week, and I tell them to shove off.” Lydia gave Jack a look that made him stare at his shoes, “but you’re not here to drag an 18 year old kid back to the sanitarium, you’re here to make sure your sister and her girlfriend are okay. So, you hungry?”

“Wait, what’s up?” Jack looked up, flummoxed, “why are we making dinner plans?”

Lydia was already slipping her shoes back on and throwing her things in her evening bag as she explained,

“Well I haven’t ever run into her, but we do bat for different teams, to put it bluntly. I’m also three drinks deep, and need a taco, so We’re gonna go see a friend of mine.”

“I’m still not entirely clear on why were getting dinner.”

“Trust me, I know a good place.” She winked and smirk cracked her lips, “Papa Joe knows a little bit of everything that goes on down here, and he makes a mean tamale.”

“Well then, that sounds good to me. My ride or yours?” Jack still looked a bit confused.

“Do you still have that moldering old Buick?” Lydia laughed a little louder than she meant to. The feeling of eyes on her that she had felt since Jack handed her the Christmas card had grown stronger and she was still trying her best to shrug it off. She usually felt like people from her past were staring at her, but this was different, stronger almost.

“Hey now, be nice to the old girl, Sylvia is older than either of us by about half a decade. I just finished repainting her actually.” Jack’s ever present smile helped ease a little of her paranoia. “It looks like rain, you should grab yourself an umbrella.”

“Mine is in my car, I’ll just grab it and we’ll be off?”

“Sounds good, I’m parked around back.”

#gay author #gay fiction #gay fiction by gay authors #gay horror #serial fiction #noir #detective fiction #weird fiction #horror #gay writers #timeless #season 1 #chapter 1 #part 1 #season 1-chapter 1-part 1 #8/19/18 #lgbt #lgbt fiction

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benjamingarden · 4 years ago

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Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021

The new year has finally arrived! I'm not sure what grocery shopping looks like in your neck of the woods now that there's yet another rise in COVID cases, but it's actually not too bad in ours. For the most part you can select curbside pick-up or delivery if you desire. And lately I desire.

The photo above and info below outline our monthly grocery shopping. We will need a few additional items: milk comes from our farmers market as does coffee for Jay (probably another $20.00 total for the month), and I may get some fresh greens in another 1-2 weeks (less then $10.00).

Our groceries for January came from BJ's and Healthy Living, a local health food store. Typically we would also do a Hannaford order or a trip to the commissary, however, we are really well stocked on pantry and freezer items. You'll notice there is no meat purchased. Our freezers are fairly well stocked and we will actually be bartering with a farmer friend - our products for some of his chicken and pork, this weekend. We are finally (FINALLY) getting eggs from the Coop Girls, and as you know, we put up a lot of veggies in the freezer from the summer garden.

I don't plan on returning to Healthy Living until March so I stocked up with that in mind. We will probably place another BJ's order mid February-ish.

The total spent for January is anticipated to be $439.41 or just over $100.00/week.

$269.41 (groceries already purchased) + $140.00 (bartered meat) + $30.00 (coffee, milk & greens anticipated to purchase throughout the month) = $439.41. Our January purchases are partly for January and partly for the months to come.

Healthy Living - $174.84 (almost half of this amount is from 2 items....the dandy blend and the goji berries)

BJ's - $94.57

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Our Groceries:

Healthy Living:

The Dandy Blend Herbal Coffee Alternative is AMAZINGLY good. I absolutely love it for iced or hot "coffee". It's kind of expensive and a bit of a splurge. I purchased 2 bags which will last me through April or so. The 14 oz bags cost $22.49 each. I've looked on Amazon and they sell a slightly smaller (11 oz) bag for around the same price so this seems to be the best deal.

The Goji Berries are added to a trail mix (we already have the other ingredients on hand) for Jay that he eats daily. Macular degeneration runs in his family and goji berries have been shown to help prevent this. Plus they are high in antioxidants so we decided it was worth it regardless of whether or not it works to prevent M.D.. These bags are 8 ounces and $12.49 each. I should have bought them at Amazon because I'm pretty sure I could have gotten them cheaper. I'll research it and purchase them there going forward if it makes sense to do so. The 2 bags should last him just about 2 months.

I know there are cheaper dairy alternatives then Oatly ($4.99/carton) but I really love Oatly. I prefer the lowfat version but they were out of everything except for these 4 cartons.

We bought 12 pounds of mixed yukon & red potatoes ($1.99/lb) and 5 pounds of sweet potatoes (I splurged and bought my FAVORITE Japanese Sweet Potatoes at $2.99/lb - I call them "cake sweet potatoes" because they are soooo sweet). Oliver and I are on the last of the sweet potatoes that we harvested and stored in the fall. I can't believe they are almost gone!!! We go through a moderate amount of potatoes and only purchase them organic, and the absolute best ones we've found are at Healthy Living. This is easily a 2 month supply of each.

I have a few apples and mandarin oranges left for fruit but Jay prefers grapes so I bought a bag of grapes ($2.99/lb) and I treated myself to a couple of grapefruit ($1.49/lb). I typically try to only buy fruit that is $1.99 or less per pound (exception being the frozen berries & cherries), but that definitely didn't happen this month.

Que Pasa is our new favorite brand of tortilla chips. They are organic, non-GMO, and reduced sodium. We very rarely have chips but when we do it's tortilla for the win. They were on sale (although I'm wondering if this is a permanent sale because they were on the same sale a few months ago when I last bought them...) at $2.99/bag.

I usually make my own bread and tortillas but I like to have a bit of each in the freezer just in case. I've used up my freezer stash of both so I purchased a loaf of Dave's bread and a pack of limited ingredient corn tortillas and whole wheat flour tortillas for the freezer.

BJ's:

Not shown in the photo, we also bought a bag of frozen organic sweet cherries and a bag of frozen organic blueberries (3 lb bags for $13.99/ea.). We have 2 bags of each in the freezer already. We each eat a 1/2 cup of a mix of the two every single day so we should be good for a couple months. I also bought Kiwi (3 lbs for $6.49) as yet another splurge because we haven't had them in forever and one bunch of organic bananas (2 lbs for $1.59). We've found that our very favorite bananas are organic Chiquita. They seem to be the creamiest. I have no idea why, but the non-organic Chiquita's and other brands organic and non-organic just aren't the same. Strange....

I keep riced cauliflower on hand in the freezer because it's one of the cheapest ways to buy cauliflower off season. (I roast it from frozen in the oven to use as a veggie side) I wanted to make some buffalo cauliflower though for veggie tacos, and I need pieces instead of having it riced so I bought a bag (2 lbs for $4.29). Jay likes cooked cauliflower with cheese sauce so he'll have that as a side a few times too.

We eat a lot of mushrooms and BJ's seems to have the best price on them so I bought 2 which will get us through a few weeks. (24 oz containers for $4.99/ea.)

Pom Juice was a special request by the husband. We don't usually buy juice but he requested it last month for the first time in a long time and has been enjoying it. (48oz bottle $8.99) I'm running low on frozen peas and frozen corn and BJ's carries the organic at a reasonable cost (each is 4 lbs for $6.99) so I stocked up. I'm low on carrots too and their price isn't bad (5 lbs organic for $3.99). Also not shown is a 3-pack of frozen pizza. We keep a couple vegan frozen pizzas and a couple meat/cheese frozen pizzas on hand all of the time for the days we need something quick. We still have 2 of the vegan so we just stocked up on the meat version (3 pack DiGiornio $13.99).

January's Meal Plan

My goal was to start posting our meal plans again, per request from many of you, but to also add photos of some of the meals this time around. Unfortunately, I have yet to get in the habit of photographing dinner before it's served. I hope to add this to the posts as I remember.

A Note About Our Meal Plans

I create monthly meal plans because it's what I've found to be easiest for me. There may be some change but usually not much. Changing works because I rotate the same 30+ meals so we would use the ingredients at some point over the next 30-45 days. If we have perishables that need to be used up then that becomes priority and I may make changes to avoid food waste.

I usually make 2 separate meals - Jay and I eat completely different at this point. He used to be willing to eat what I eat as his side but not so much anymore. He's not a fan of whole grains and can only tolerate one type of veggie per meal. So.....you can see that I tend to eat the same thing multiple nights because it's easy and I don't mind at all. Where there's only one meal noted, I make a meat & cheese version for him and a vegan version for me. Where there's no veggie side noted for him I use whatever I've got that needs using up or I select a frozen veggie.

You will notice that for Jays meals there are a few noticeable rotations.

In general, chicken meals are Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Pork is Tuesdays. And Beef is Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. This is in part due to the fact that he tells me it's illegal to serve chicken 2 days in a row. (insert eye roll)

Also, other then the occasional new recipe that I try, his meals rotate about every month and a half (a different rotation will show up for summer).

Our Sundays rotate around the same 5 meals (Tamales, Tacos, Homemade Pizza, Pot Roast, and Meatballs) because it's our farmers market day which means I want something super simple to make. I do not make the tamales, we love those by Tucson Tamale (not an affiliate link). Around us we can find a small variety at Healthy Living. Tucson Tamale offers meat, vegetarian, and vegan varieties and they are sooooo delicious. They do use oil in all of their tamales so if you are completely oil-free this is unfortunately not an option for you.

Recipe Links:

If I have posted the recipe or use a recipe posted by someone else this month then I will link to it below. If there's a meal you'd like to see the recipe for let me know!

Quick & Easy Chicken Parm

Homemade Pizza - this is the pizza dough recipe we use

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Budget Bytes)

Apple & Stuffing Stuffed Pork Chops (Betty Crocker)

Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Hamburger Potato Casserole (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen)

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen) *I used this as a guide - I use my pie crust recipe and my pot pie recipe and bake it as muffins as shown in the vlog)

Honey Mustard Chicken (Bowl Of Delicious)

Bourbon Dijon Ham Steak (Martha Stewart - is delicious without the bourbon as well)

Mac & Cheese

Easy Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu

Scallops Gratin (Food Network - Ina Garten) - I use this recipe without the alcohol

Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Veggie Stew with Black Pepper Biscuits (vegan) (Vegan Richa)

Split Pea Soup (Vegan) (Simple Veganista)

What about you? Do you have favorite meals that you rotate? Do you have to cook multiple meals for different eaters?

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

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alanmunoz18 · 4 years ago

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Routledge Reader Reflection Blog: Module 8 -Chapters 20-22

For this week’s post, I want to focus on food, specifically Mexican food and how that ties into my part of Latinx culture. I know that as a Latinx community we have a plethora of different foods, but for this post I just want to focus on Mexican food. Growing up, food was also at the center of my family, right next to the grandparents. The reason why I want to specifically talk about food is because it is such a crucial and important aspect of Latinx culture and Mexican culture. To me, Mexican food is more than just something to eat when you’re hungry or in the mood for, but it’s a sense of connection, community, love, faith, and it’s a way for us as Mexicanxs to express and share our Cultura. When family gets together, there is always food. Before COVID, I would see the Latinx community in my hometown all gather and join in potluck types of activities and food would always be at the center of it. Every time my mom would cook for my family when I lived back at my parents house, I could taste all the love she put into it because she was making it for her family. After my grandmother passed in 2009, we held a Novena (I provided a link so you can read about what it is) and at the end of the Novena, we held a feast together so we could properly mourn the loss of my grandma and to celebrate her life. In the United States, we see Mexican food be in the top types of food for almost anyone! Food is a way for us to share our culture and for us to connect with one another and truly embrace being Mexicanx.

My favorite food has to be Tamales and Mole, specifically my moms because she makes the best ones ever! Those are especially important to me because they form a type of connectedness to my family because we mainly eat them on holidays, specifically Christmas which is my favorite holiday. To add to the tamales, during the winter season, we also pair them with Atole o Champurrado which I can only explain as a type of Mexican eggnog because I honestly don’t even know what it is, but its still so delicious.

Another reason why those are my favorite foods is because to me they are comfort foods. Whenever I eat them, they take me back to times when stuff was way simpler and whenever I’m feeling hurt, depressed, anxious, etc., one bite of that food heals me, like I physically feel better after eating tamales or mole. That is something that I never realized until I started reading chapter 22 and realizing that rituals of health don’t revolve around pharmaceutical drugs, but in things that heal your spirit and mind, and that’s what those foods do to me.

A person who I care very much about but whom I’ve had a lot of issues before has been my dad. We are so much a like and that’s part of the reason why we butt heads a lot, but I still owe this many everything and would give my life for him. One way my dad and I were able to fix some of the issues we had was through food and through alcohol. Before you start to criticize, hear me out. A couple drinks isn’t a bad thing, and if you’re doing it in a safe environment with someone you love, it’s a way for you to express your true feelings. For my dad and I, cooking carnitas or tacos for big parties or family get togethers, is a way of bonding and healing. One of my favorite memories, however, has to be the night I turned 21, I had some friends over and by the end of the night, as they all left, my dad came outside to while I was cleaning up the backyard and he goes “Ven Mijo, tomate una conmigo.” (Come here son, drink one with me) I popped open two Coronas and we just sat there, talking, drinking and looking at the stars. It’s a memory I hold deep in my heart.

I attached a photo of me and my dad at a family party, but there we did the same thing, we ate food, had some drinks and just talked, obviously this was more of party setting but we still connected that night through the food and the drinks.

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cookymoms · 6 years ago

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Re-Heating Tamales Like a Pro: Choose From These 5 Easy Methods

When talking about Mexican cuisine, people automatically think of the beany or beefy burrito and crunchy tacos.

I know, those are one of my favorites!

However, if you would ask me, there is one Mexican dish that I truly believe to be even better than those two— the traditional Tamale!

Huh?

And for those who are quite unfortunate not to know what this yummy dish is, grab a seat and drool from this culinary lesson!

What are Tamales?

Tamale is a classic dish that is derived from the Mesoamerican cuisine. Although there are several of variations on this dish, the usual recipe is made from dough that is steamed inside a banana leaf or corn husk, giving the dough a distinctive flavor and delicious banana or corn aroma.

Tamales Through Time and Cultures

Tamales originated thousands of years ago where the first reference to it was from 100AD Guatemala. Tamales were also used by the Mayas and Aztecs as a means of taking food with them on their long journeys.

Tamale gradually evolved over the years. In Mexico, the dough is filled with lard and sweet and savory chicken or pork fillings. Mexicans take their tamale seriously and making them is almost like a ritual to them. This savory dish also plays an essential role in some of Mexican fiestas and festivals.

In Spain, on the other hand, tamales are filled with tomato sauce which they like to call a “green corn tamale”. Meanwhile, in Tobago and Trinidad, their tamale is known as “pastille”, filled with raisins, meat fillings and other seasoning which is one of their popular Christmas food. And in Asia, tamales comes with seafood, meat or even coconut milk fillings!

Re-Heating Tamales Like a Pro: 5 Easy Methods to Choose From

So, as you can see, the tamale is a very well-traveled dish which crosses various cultures and very popular.

And today, I wish to help those of you who love snacking on tamale (me too, of course). Maybe because of your love for tamales, you cooked too much than you and your family can eat and have a bunch of leftovers.

Well, there is no question of what to do to them the next day— you just reheat them. I mean, there is nothing sadder than wasted tamales, right?

Heating tamales, however, is no easy task!

Why?

Well, if you are not careful, those precious, yummy tamales may end up starchy and dry, and unappetizing, and unappealing, and unsavory… (Should I continue?)

But, today is your lucky day! Being the tamale lover I am, I shall teach you how to re-heat those wonderful leftover tamales, so you can enjoy them the second time around!

Get your fiesta face and Mexican hats ready, ‘cause here are 5 best methods to reheat tamales like a pro!

1. Steaming Hot!

If you want your tamale moist, then steaming them is the best way to go. Use this method if you have all the time to cook, but business calls and kids kept you busy to watch it heat.

Fill the steamer with water ¼ of the way. In case you do not have a steamer, you can use a pot with a steaming rack.

Set the heat of your stovetop or steamer to medium. Leave it for 10 minutes and allow the water to heat up.

Place your leftover tamales on top of the rack. Make sure that they are not submerged in the water.

Cover the steamer or pot and steam the tamales. If they are chilled, steam them for 15 – 20 minutes. If they are frozen, leave it alone for 20 – 30 minutes.

2. Your Oven is Your Best Bud

The almighty oven is probably the best way to heat your tamales perfectly. Although it may take a bit longer than the other methods, the wait is well worth it— evenly re-heating and bringing out the tamale’s heavenly flavor like newly cooked!

Preheat the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wrap each tamale in tin foil 3 – 4 times. Make sure to squeeze the bundles in order to remove any air inside.

Arrange the wrapped tamales on an oven-safe tray or dish.

Place it in inside the oven and cook for 10 minutes. After that, flip the tamales and cook for another 10 minutes in order to evenly heat the tamale.

3. Get the Crunch with a Pan

Using the pan and the stove will give you that desirable crisp and crunch in every bite!

Peel the husks of the tamale.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil into the pan and allow it to heat for 2 – 3 minutes on medium heat.

Carefully place the tamales in the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to heat faster.

Cook the tamales and make sure to flip them over every 2 – 3 minutes.

Continue this until the tamales are crispy with its outside completely browned.

4. Pull-Out the Deep Fryer

If you wish for the crispiest tamales, then the deep fryer is your option. However, know that it also comes with additional calories and fat, due to it being fully submerged in oil. You can try this method to give you the crunchiest tamales everand do not mind the extra calories that come with it.

First, defrost the tamales. Frozen tamales can cause the deep fryer oil to pop and bubble.

Pre-heat the deep fryer.

Peel the husks of the tamale and pat down the tamales with a paper towel. This should remove extra moisture that can cause the oil to bubble and pop.

Using tongs, slowly submerge the tamales.

Cook for 2 – 3 minutes. The tamales need to be golden brown.

Remove it from the oil and allow to cool.

5. Zap in the Microwave

If you feel a bit lazy and want some tamales without doing too much, then there is always the microwave. Re-heating tamales in the microwave are the quickest and easiest option, perfect when you have no time or just feeling sluggish.

Defrost the tamales.

Wet down a piece of paper towel and wrap it around the tamales. This should prevent the tamales from drying out.

Pro Tip: When heating tamales using the microwave, do not heat for more than 2 at a tie.

Place the tamale in the microwave and cook them for 15 seconds in high heat.

Once the time is up, pull out the tamale and unwrap the paper towel.

Wrap the tamale in another wet paper towel. Then, flip it over and put it back into the microwave. Cook it for another 15 seconds.

Once finished, pull out the tamale and remove the outer husk. Make sure that it has been heated evenly. If not, then you can re-wrap it again with a wet paper towel and cook for another 15 seconds.

Freezing and Saving Leftover Tamales

You put a lot of effort and made too much. Now, you have some leftovers. Or maybe you want to save a stash for tomorrow or this weekend. So, you will need to properly store and freeze those yummy tamales. How?

First, make sure that the tamales completely cooled down before you wrap them.

To freeze tamales, leave the tamales in the husks and wrap them tightly with a foil or plastic wrap. Place them in freezer bags or airtight food storage containers.

A properly packaged tamale can stay in your freezer for at least 6 months. However, if your tamales come with beef, pork, or chicken, then you might want to eat them, between 2 and 6 months later, but no later than that!

Final Thoughts

Tamales!

There is absolutely nothing like them— with their perfect combination of rich, spicy, savory fillings and delicate, slightly sweet banana or corn dough. They are a delicious treat wither in winter as hot comfort food or during summer with a cookout!

And whether you froze leftover homemade tamales or brought prepared frozen tamales, you got a variety of option in re-heating them and bringing back their deliciousness.

So, what are you waiting for? Take those tamales out of the fridge and get ready to hold a Mexican-themed snack party today!

Got any questions? Suggestions? Feel free to share your insights and fire up the comment section below!

Until then, have a lot of tamale fun!

How to Reheat Chicken Wings

How To Reheat Roast Beef

How to Reheat Fried Chicken

The post Re-Heating Tamales Like a Pro: Choose From These 5 Easy Methods appeared first on Cooky Mom.

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tasteculturepower · 8 years ago

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My family comes from El Salvador and my parents have tried to make sure that me and my siblings share the culture they grew up in, which includes the food. The food I eat the most is Latin food, as it is what my parents made for us and what they preferred when eating out. They passed along to their children the food habits they grew up with and as an adult that’s also the type of food I gravitate towards.

Though they loosened up (slightly) the older we got, growing up my parents were very strict about eating meals together as a family, usually only letting us eat in our rooms if we were ill. It was something that honestly used to annoy us but as often happens we appreciated it more as adults. Even here, away from home at university, I prefer eating with friends than eating alone because I like having that conversation while I’m eating. It’s a habit and a comfort thing for me to eat with someone, not necessarily needing to speak; it’s enough to eat together while watching the news, for example. Mealtime is the time I associate with catching up with the people in my life, preferably in a home setting. Though I do enjoy going out to eat, home cooked meals are my favorite type of meals. At school the meals me and my friends make for each other are pretty varied, as we’re all open to trying out other foods. At home I don’t eat the same thing everyday but three foods that are always available in my mom’s kitchen are rice, black beans, and tortillas. Those are the foods I associate with home and anything else we eat is complementary.

My ideas about meals came from both my parents but my ideas about cooking come almost exclusively from my mother. My father can try to make little things but he’s a little too playful in the kitchen and is likely to drop whatever he’s making on the floor before he can finish it. My mother is a lot more capable. There’s definitely a culture gap sometimes between me and my parents and one way I used to talk to my mother more about the home country was while she was cooking. Once I went away to college and really needed to learn how to feed myself she would walk me through the dishes she made and would recommend certain items when grocery shopping. That grocery shopping usually took place in ethnic supermarkets, predominantly Hispanic, and I’m definitely missing them while away at school. While learning how to feed myself she would teach me about the way people cooked when she was younger and about what the markets in El Salvador were like, where you could haggle over prices and people genuinely wanted to know how you were/how your day was going when they asked you. My mother didn’t limit herself to what she knew, though, always open to trying new foods so that American staples like macaroni and cheese and different meats like kielbasa made their way onto our dinner table.

(My brother wearing the flag of El Salvador at the Festival Salvadoreño in our home town a few years back where our parents did haggle over prices for us.)

I grew up in a predominantly minority neighborhood and so the ideas that I had about food were similar to those that my peers had. Entering college I haven’t met many people with different ideas about food (general consensus is that spices are preferable) although in some ways my friends who cook for themselves have different cooking styles than I do. For example, when it comes to fish like salmon or especially chicken I prefer to let it marinade for at least a solid few hours before cooking whereas some of my friends prefer to season as they cook. I also prefer to bread chicken. Even small things like the way we cut fruit could be different. It’s definitely been nice to experience food from different cultures: I’ve eaten a lot more South Asian food since coming to BU and it's becoming a style I seek out more often. Likewise my friends are more interested in Latin American food.

(Paella from an Argentinean restaurant).

As far as going out to eat my tastes have expanded beyond Latin restaurants but I feel like that’s more due to age. I’m over 21 now which means if we can’t get in somewhere it’s most likely not my fault. That doesn’t mean I go to bars all the time but it’s nice to be able to get into places where you can just sit down with your friends and catch up over comfort food like grilled cheese, chicken fingers, or wings and I like the atmosphere as well. Growing up, eating out was special because in my mind there were two types of eating out: eating out for convenience and eating out for an occasion. I liked eating fast food like any other kid but if it wasn’t Sunday after church, going to a restaurant was usually (though not exclusively) in celebration of something. As I got older using food as a bonding experience continued. My brother is the more adventurous eater and through him we’ve found great noodle spots in Flushing, Queens, taco spots in Jackson Heights, and we have a favorite halal food truck in New York City. But the most bonding still happens over meals at home, especially for special occasions and holidays. Not every year but the holidays are usually when I (and many of my friends) really take the time to make tamales. And even if we’re kicking back and celebrating a special event at home, the food of choice is pupusas, a staple from El Salvador. Food has been the easiest way for my parents to keep us in touch with our culture and its now my favorite way to learn about others’ cultures.

Laura Lazo

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benjamingarden · 4 years ago

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Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021

I don't plan on returning to Healthy Living until March so I stocked up with that in mind. We will probably place another BJ's order mid February-ish.

The total spent for January is anticipated to be $439.41 or just over $100.00/week.

Healthy Living - $174.84 (almost half of this amount is from 2 items....the dandy blend and the goji berries)

BJ's - $94.57

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Our Groceries:

Healthy Living:

I know there are cheaper dairy alternatives then Oatly ($4.99/carton) but I really love Oatly. I prefer the lowfat version but they were out of everything except for these 4 cartons.

BJ's:

We eat a lot of mushrooms and BJ's seems to have the best price on them so I bought 2 which will get us through a few weeks. (24 oz containers for $4.99/ea.)

January's Meal Plan

A Note About Our Meal Plans

You will notice that for Jays meals there are a few noticeable rotations.

Also, other then the occasional new recipe that I try, his meals rotate about every month and a half (a different rotation will show up for summer).

Recipe Links:

If I have posted the recipe or use a recipe posted by someone else this month then I will link to it below. If there's a meal you'd like to see the recipe for let me know!

Quick & Easy Chicken Parm

Homemade Pizza - this is the pizza dough recipe we use

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta (Budget Bytes)

Apple & Stuffing Stuffed Pork Chops (Betty Crocker)

Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Ribs

Hamburger Potato Casserole (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen)

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins (You Tube - The Hillbilly Kitchen) *I used this as a guide - I use my pie crust recipe and my pot pie recipe and bake it as muffins as shown in the vlog)

Honey Mustard Chicken (Bowl Of Delicious)

Bourbon Dijon Ham Steak (Martha Stewart - is delicious without the bourbon as well)

Mac & Cheese

Easy Weeknight Chicken Cordon Bleu

Scallops Gratin (Food Network - Ina Garten) - I use this recipe without the alcohol

Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Veggie Stew with Black Pepper Biscuits (vegan) (Vegan Richa)

Split Pea Soup (Vegan) (Simple Veganista)

What about you? Do you have favorite meals that you rotate? Do you have to cook multiple meals for different eaters?

Monthly Meal Plan + Grocery Haul: January 2021 was originally posted by My Favorite Chicken Blogs(benjamingardening)

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