#just finished 6 and it was delicious absolutely delectable

[silentgrim]

just got into the far cry series…i’m so obsessed

[dreaming-of-assclass]

Uncover

A/N: So this is officially my longest work on this blog...over 2K words. I’m happy with how it turned out. Also a lot of asks I’ve completed or am in the process of writing, I just can’t post until a few more days :’( I’ll post them all together very soon.

~~~

“Ah, we’re here. Thank you, sir!” After greeting her driver, Izuki Mina gracefully stepped out of her car. Her silky dark hair was tied up into a tight chignon and her kimono was an elegant shade of orchid. Her heels clacked loudly upon the pavement and she extended a hand towards one of her companions. “Come on.”

6-year old Nako grumbled under her breath, taking it anyways. She looked absolutely precious in her pink dress and space buns, which Mina had accomplished after two hours of fighting her. “Can’t we just turn around now?” She whined. “I wanna go home. This is gonna be so boring.”

Before Mina could respond, Rise replied, “Now, sweetie, that’s not the right attitude to have. Be respectful, we were invited to this wedding.” The older woman, Nako’s mother and Mina’s elder sister, gracefully followed them. 

Mina still had a hard time accepting whose wedding this was. She honestly believed hell would freeze over before Karasuma Tadaomi married someone.

But nope, it was real and happening that very moment. His soon-to-be-wife was also unbelievable. She was a foreign beauty, apparently his co-worker too? Mina knew very little details… it had been a couple years since she’d spoken to Tadaomi. Their families were friends and they saw each other often, eventually becoming good friends as well. Then Tadaomi left for military training...and simply disappeared. Next thing she knows, he was a part of the whole moon exploding business, became a teacher, and was now getting married? Mina couldn’t wrap her head around it all.

The wedding was a very traditional one...unsurprising considering the Karasuma family. The venue was a beautiful Japanese garden, greenery everywhere and the soft pink of the Sakura trees. A faint babbling was heard as water ran in the stream, and a bridge stood over it. Guests were everywhere, chatting casually as more people trickled in along with them. Mina looked a bit further and saw tables filled with appetizers and small snacks to serve as refreshments. She quietly whistled to herself. Damn, this is amazing. It probably was crazy expensive too.

There was a large group of teenagers hanging out in one area of the event, a mixed group of boys and girls. Mina instantly placed them as Karasuma’s former students, from that year he apparently spent as a teacher.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mina spotted Tadaomi, standing with his family. She walked a bit faster, ignoring Nako’s “Where are you going?” 

“Tadaomi!” She called with a smile.

He looked up instantly, surprise splashing across his face. “Ah, Mina,” he greeted with a small smile. “It’s good to see you.”

His dark hair had been styled and gelled back, leaving his handsome facials open. He was dressed in very nice, classy traditional attire. Mina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling self-conscious for some reason. “You too! It’s been a long time.”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering that sentence. “Yes, it has. How are you?”

Mina gave a light laugh. “How am I? How are you, Tadaomi? You’re about to get married! Holy shit!”

Tadaomi smiled amusedly. “I’m fine...just a bit eager to get through all this.” He glanced at everything, from the bridge overlooking the water to the bouquets that were everywhere. “It’s...so much.”

Mina sighed. He would always be the same: just his simple, straightforward self. “It’s your wedding, silly. It’s the one day of your life you can splurge and do everything, then go back to normal.”

She looked past him, searching. “By the way, where is the wifey?”

“Ah, she’s talking with our former students.”

Mina raised an eyebrow. Our? So they met on the teaching job...huh. She looked back at the cluster of teens, and lo and behold, the foreign beauty was there. She was gorgeous, with long light curly hair styled to perfection. Her eyes were a vivid blue and her makeup was perfectly applied. Mina couldn’t tell because of the elaborate bridal attire, but she was guessing the woman had a model-esque figure...she looked quite tall too.

How on earth had Tadaomi met this amazing woman?

“Karasuma!” A voice called, and Mina swiveled around to see two men in dark suits waving him over. Their greeting was casual but they had an air of professionalism surrounding them. Mina assumed they were his government co-workers or something.

Tadaomi saw them too and faintly grimaced. “Ah, I’m sorry, we’ll have to finish catching up sometime later today,” he apologized.

Mina shook her head, smiling. “No, it’s okay! I’ll be around...so whenever you wanna talk, it’s fine.”

He nodded and left to talk to his colleagues. Mina stood there for a moment before feeling a tug at her arm. “What-” Oh, it was just a very ire Nako, scowling. 

“Can we get food please?” She demanded. “Mom told me to ask you to go with me.”

“Where’s your mom?”

“Over there.” Nako gestured to her right, where Rize was talking to Tadaomi’s mother. Great. Mina would be stuck babysitting her very grumpy little niece.

“Okay, let’s go,” she sighed.

They made their way past the many guests and towards the tables lined with delicious-looking food. There were so many platters of colorful sushi...Mina had heard a guest mention in passing that it was because it was the bride’s (what was her name again...Ivanka?) favorite food. Mina glanced around, looking at all her options. Her stomach began to grumble in hunger.

Then she saw it. What in the world -

In the midst of all these elegant tables filled with dishes of tasty, delectable, presentable classy food...was a takoyaki street cart. It looked so incredibly out of place, Mina actually blinked. Once. Still there. Twice. Ok, nevermind, it was real.

“Oooh! I want takoyaki!” Nako exclaimed, already pulling Mina towards it.

“Hey, wait!”

They were at the end of a line now, in front of the cart. Mina could hear the guests in front of them murmuring about the oddity as well. “Wasn’t expecting this at all, but hey, I love takoyaki,” a young man said to the girl next to him.

“Yeah, same,” she replied in agreement.

Mina sighed, feeling her stomach grumble even more. All she wanted was to dig into the platters of sashimi on the fancy table, not wait in line for takoyaki of all things. She glanced down. At least Nako would stop complaining for a while.

“Oh, man, I can’t believe Okano started crying at that, of all things,” Mina heard from beside them, and a few of the teenagers from earlier were walking by them. There was a tall boy with dark hair, a shorter boy with orange hair that reminded her of mushrooms, a girl with straight purple hair, and the last girl was the shortest with dark curly hair. They were all dressed in appropriate formal attire.

“I know, right?” The purple girl laughed. “Ooh, let’s try the takoyaki from here!”

There was a short pause until the orange mushroom boy agreed. “Yeah!”

Now they were standing right behind Mina and Nako. She turned and politely smiled at them. Maybe they’d have an answer for this out-of-place food. “Hello!”

They jolted for a moment, before returning a bright grin. Well, the orange boy had a small, cute smile but the dark curly girl looked deadpan. “Hello!”

“Ah, you guys are Tadaomi’s old students, right?”

The tall boy smiled and nodded. “Yes, we are! I’m Sugino, and this is Fuwa, Mimura, and Hazama,” he listed them off, gesturing to each kid accordingly. Sugino definitely seemed like a chatterbox, a very friendly charming one too.

Fuwa rubbed her chin, giving Mina an odd look. “Hmm...you call Karasuma-sensei by his first name? How close are you?”

“Fuwa!” Mimura exclaimed in embarrassment. Fuwa struck Mina as someone who was usually unfiltered, judging by his reaction.

“You can’t just ask her that. It’s none of our business,” Hazama sighed, almost sounding apologetic.

“What? I’m just wondering...you guys are, too! Don’t deny it!” she protested. Yep, she definitely didn’t have a filter.

Mina laughed, slightly put off but more amused than anything. “It’s ok! No worries! I’m Mina, and this is my niece Nako. My family is friends with Tadaomi’s, we grew up together for a little bit when we were young,” she explained.

“Ooohh,” they chorused. “Nice to meet you both!” Mina laughed some more. Okay, that was kinda cute.

“Say, do you guys have any idea what this street cart is doing here?” she wondered, deciding to just go for it. She chuckled. “It’s just surprising to see since sushi from the finest place in Japan is sitting right over there.”

They all laughed. Sugino ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it is weird,” he agreed. “We were the ones who actually asked for it. Our class, I mean.”

Mina furrowed her brows. “Oh, really? Why?”

Fuwa smiled softly. “Our old teacher, he worked with Karasuma-sensei and Bi-” she paused, looking at Nako. “Jelavic-sensei. He, um, really liked...takoyaki.”

“Yeah, he loved octopi a lot,” Mimura chimed in. “One could say he was basically one himself.”

Mina was slightly lost now. “Like a spirit animal?”

Hazama shrugged. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Oh. Well, that’s cool.”

Hazama gave her a look. “It’s okay, it’s weird. We know.”

Mina wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Um, so tell me more about this teacher! He seems like an interesting guy.”

Sugino laughed. “Yeah, he was definitely interesting. He had a lot of weird habits. He loved junk food, for one. Always blew his teaching money on that.”

“He really liked po-” Mimura paused, glancing at Nako. “Um, magazines. He had a huge collection of them.”

“He used to fry tissues to eat sometimes, because he was so broke,” Fuwa added.

“That’s terrible!” Mina exclaimed.

Hazama waved her off. “Oh, don’t worry, he was okay.”

“He was obsessed with soap dramas,” Mimura continued. “Always used to try and ship us all together to try and emulate them.”

“Oh...that’s a bit odd,” Mina stated politely.

“Yeah, we hated it. We shot him with bb pellets whenever he was being too annoying.”

“Wow, that’s -”

“It’s fine! He encouraged it all the time!”

Fuwa sighed. “Even with all those irritating quirks, he was still the best teacher ever.” The atmosphere had shifted into a more somber, nostalgic one as all the kids looked down slightly.

Sugino nodded. “He always cared about us and looked out for our wellbeing all the time.”

“He was great at explaining concepts, and we even made personalized practice tests for every student,” Mimura added.

Hazama averted her gaze. “He made all of us feel welcome and like we belonged in that class,” she said softly. “Like we were all a piece of one big puzzle, meant to be there from the start.”

“He built a pool for us,” Fuwa sighed again.

Mina blinked. “Wow, he sounds like an amazing person!” She glanced around her. “Is he here? I’d love to meet him!”

The kids stiffened, and she instantly regretted her question. Stupid Mina! Obviously, something happened or they wouldn’t sound so sad! But she’d been distracted by all that they were saying, she’d forgotten.

She took a breath. “I’m sor-”

“No, he’s not here,” Sugino finally spoke. “He...passed away at the end of the year.”

Mina felt her stomach lurch. “I’m so sorry…”

“No, no, you’re fine,” Fuwa replied, shaking her head. “It’s okay.”

Mimura laughed slightly. “You know he would’ve freaking loved it if he were here.”

The other two laughed while Hazama smirked. “He’d be a bawling mess. Probably would badger those two constantly until he got kicked out.”

“He’d insist on personally handling Karasuma-sensei’s hair and styling,” Sugino continued. “But he’d go overboard and mess it up.”

“Seventy-percent of the food would already be devoured,” Fuwa added with a grin.

Hazama raised an eyebrow. “Only seventy-percent? That’s being generous,” she commented dryly, amusement in her tone.

“True!” They burst out laughing again. Mina smiled, relieved to see that they moved on from her little mishap and weren’t sad anymore.

“Oh, Ms Mina, it’s your turn,” Sugino pointed out, and she turned around to see the vendor waving at her.

“Oops, sorry!” She smiled at them once more before turning to place her order. Hard to believe that the answer to why this takoyaki cart was here was all thanks to an old teacher with odd quirks who liked octopi...and guided a lot of bright, good kids. She definitely would continue that conversation with those four and hopefully get to meet more of Tadaomi’s students.

[shannaraisles]

Comfort & Ploy - Chapter 6

Carver Hawke needs a girlfriend for the festive season. Filipa Trevelyan needs an excuse not to spend Satinalia with her parents. Best friends pretending to be lovers … what could possibly go wrong?

[Read on AO3]

*****

"Remind me again why Pip and I had to be dressed up and driven separately to this farce?"

Garrett eyed his brother with a wry quirk of his brow, still adjusting Carver's bow-tie as they waited on the steps of Fort Drakon for their respective dates to arrive. They weren't the only ones in limbo - several other men and women were also waiting impatiently for their evening escorts to arrive.

"You really think 'Bela was going to let the opportunity to see your jaw bounce off the ground pass her by?" he pointed out, gently slapping his younger brother's shoulder. "You did good, Carver. The two of you match up perfectly."

Carver glanced away, unused to being praised by his older brother without some ulterior motive. He rubbed at the back of his neck, rolling his shoulders to make the tuxedo jacket settle more comfortably.

"I can't believe it took so long for me to notice how much I - how important she is to me," he said, not ready to admit to that out loud in front of Garrett. Ideally, that initial confession belonged to Filipa. If he could bring himself to express it.

"Well, you've never been quick on the uptake, baby brother," Garrett pointed out with a grin, laughing as Carver shook his hand off his shoulder.

"What are you up to?" he asked his older brother suspiciously. "You're never this nice without an ulterior motive."

"Me?" Garrett endeavored to look shocked and only half managed it. That grin was not helping matters. "I am as innocent as the driven snow, I assure you."

"Driven being the operative word there," Carver said. He would have liked not to be quite so suspicious of Garrett, but a lifetime had taught him never to trust unsolicited praise or open approval from the eldest of the Hawke children. "I'm fairly sure Isabela has driven every ounce of innocence out of you by now."

"Cruelly mocked by my own flesh and blood!" was the dramatic response. "I'm hurt, Carver. Look, this is my hurt face."

"Shut up."

Despite himself, Carver cracked a smile, chuckling as Garrett slapped his back encouragingly. All right, so their relationship had never been exactly cordial, but things were definitely improving as they got older. Having different lives in different cities was definitely helping. The only thing that would have made this Satinalia better would be having Bethany here with them, but she was busy in Starkhaven, being the prince's betrothed to a court full of weirdos who were stuck in the past. That wasn't how she described it, but that was what Carver had taken away from his twin's explanation of Sebastian's day job.

A familiar throat was cleared behind the two men, urging them to turn around, where they found Isabela and Filipa standing side by side, both wrapped up tight in highly inappropriate coats for their evening attire. Carver had to bite down a snort of laughter at Filipa, who appeared to have twinned a long red dress and exquisitely twisted updo with the more familiar and definitely more worn padding of her quilted parka. It was quite the look.

"Ah, my dulcet darling, there you are," Garrett announced, offering his arm to Isabela.

The gorgeous woman winked at him as she took it, glancing over her shoulder at Carver.

"She says you're a gentleman, pup," she challenged with impish good humor. "I think you should prove it."

"I do know how to do this, thank you, 'Bela," he complained, offering his own arm to Filipa, who took it gratefully.

The reason for the gratitude became immediately obvious, given the sheer amount of leaning on him that was required to get her up the steps and into the Fort. High heels had never been her thing, but arguing with her sister seemed to be a case of picking your battles. It didn't take more than a few minutes to check their coats, and finally Carver got a good look at the woman he loved.

As Isabela had predicted, his jaw dropped like a stone.

Filipa had been talked into an ostensibly modest dress in the rich red of the season - a dress that twinned long sleeves with a deep V in the back and front, and a slit that flashed her thigh if she moved too fast. She looked ... Utterly stunning. I am the luckiest man here, no doubt about it.

Flicking a stray lock of dark hair out of her eyes, she met his gaze challengingly.

"Well, don't you look gorgeous," she informed him, smiling as he unconsciously straightened up, all but preening at the praise. "And incredibly uncomfortable."

He laughed, offering her his arm once again as his brother headed toward the ballroom with a gold-clad Isabela on his own elbow.

"That makes two of us," Carver answered Filipa. "You look beautiful, but I am never going to let you wear heels again. You feel like you're going to topple over at any second."

"That's why I have you, to keep me upright," she countered, wrapping her arm through his. "I feel ridiculous."

"Trust me, you look far from ridiculous," he promised, smiling down at her. "Ready to go and be grumpy at every stranger who dares look at us sideways?"

"Gosh, what fun!"

Laughing together, they followed in the wake of Garrett and Isabela, joining the line to enter the main hall, from which came the sound of music and many, many people talking and moving around. A formal ball was not their scene at all, but since this was his brother's chosen activity for Satinalia Eve, Carver couldn't complain overmuch. He was genuinely looking forward to the more traditional, less stuffy family Satinalia planned at the Rutherfords' house for tomorrow.

"So, big boy, doesn't she look delicious?" Isabela asked when they finally found the other couple again. "Don't you just want to lick her all over until you find the cherry sweet center?"

"Maker's balls, Isabela, can you lay a filter on it for one evening?" Carver managed in a strangled voice. He didn't need thoughts like that in his head when he was wearing a tuxedo whose pants had been rather more fitted than he was used to.

"Oh, where would the fun be in that?" Isabela chuckled her rich, silken chuckle, absently, adjusting the hang of Garrett's jacket. "You look particularly delectable yourself tonight, pup."

"Oh, I absolutely agree," Filipa piped up, and again, Carver felt himself straighten, proud to be praised by the gorgeous woman on his arm. "But then, you could put him in glittery dragon boxers and fairy wings, and he'd still look amazing."

He looked down at her, surprised and more than a little pleased to hear her say something like that. Maybe there's hope for me yet, he mused. Sweet Andraste ... what if she likes me, too? Was that too much to hope for? It would be amazing if it was true. He could already feel himself edging toward being tongue-tied, and that had never happened around Filipa. He couldn't let it happen now, not when he actually had something of substance to blurt out.

"There you are!"

Another familiar voice caught his attention in time to see Mila Rutherford slide her arms around her sister's waist from behind and grasp Filipa's breasts, jiggling them as she said,

"Doesn't she look gorgeous?"

Filipa's face was a picture. He had no idea how she managed to stay so calm as she answered her sister.

"Mila, get off my tits, would you?" she said politely. "There's every possibility I might just step backwards and accidentally impale your foot with one of these spikes you made me wear."

"So combative, Pip."

Mila laughed, but she did release her sister, coming around to give her a proper hug before bestowing one on a genuinely surprised Carver as well. Cullen wandered out of the milling crowd a moment later, apparently not at all ill at ease with the fact that his wife had essentially run away to find their friends without him. He nodded to Carver, expertly fielding Mila as she stepped back, and tucking her against his side.

"Play nicely, sweetheart, we're in public."

"How much has she had to drink already?" Filipa asked, edging carefully into Carver's side until he had to put his arm about her waist or risk being knocked sideways into the mingling crowd around them.

"I'll have you know I'm sober as a judge," Mila objected in amusement, only for Garrett to butt in.

"I don't know, ravishing Mrs. Rutherford," he mused, "I've known a few judges who couldn't get through the day without a stiff drink or twelve."

"Darling, that was usually because you were the one driving them to drink," Isabela reminded him sweetly.

"They didn't need to know that part." Garrett rolled his eyes at his lover, unable to keep himself from laughing at her innocent expression. "You're just as bad."

"And proud of it, I'll have you know," was Isabela's shameless response, drawing a warm laugh from their little group. It was hard not to enjoy yourself when Garrett and Isabela got started.

A waiter passed them by, pausing to offer them each a glass from his tray. To Carver's surprise, both Filipa and Mila politely declined with almost identically awkward smiles.

"Do you have anything other than champagne?" Mila asked the waiter.

He nodded reassuringly, gesturing over the heads of the chattering guests toward the far wall.

"Of course, ma'am. There is an open bar, at which you may obtain wines, spirits, beers, ales, and soft drinks."

"Thank you."

As the waiter moved on, Isabela beat Carver to the obvious question.

"You don't like champagne, ladies?"

"We're allergic to champagne," Mila told her with a smile.

"And wine," Filipa added.

"Oh, and beer, too," Mila finished up, much to her husband's amusement. Cullen, however, buried his laugh at the rather childlike back and forth in a sip from his flute.

"How dreadful," Isabela said mildly. "You can't spend the whole ball sober, you'll have a terrible time."

"I'll go and get you some drinks," Carver volunteered, but was prevented from rushing off by Filipa's hand on his arm.

"Don't worry about it," she told him firmly. "We can get our own drinks. You hold a table somewhere so I can sit down once I have enough liquid courage to walk in a straight line without help."

He chuckled, conceding her point. After all, he had no idea what Mila liked to drink, and she struck him as a woman who would order a complicated cocktail just because it was free and she could. Cullen took Filipa's place beside him as the sisters headed off into the crowd toward the tighter gathering around the open bar on the opposite wall.

"You didn't know about the wine thing?" he asked curiously.

Carver fought down the urge to blush, as though he had been caught in a lie. There was no lie. He had known Filipa over a year and, yes, he'd noticed that she didn't drink wine, but he had never thought to ask her specifically about it.

"It never came up," he told the older man. "I know she prefers spirits, but not why."

"It's the sulfites in certain types of alcohol that gets them," Cullen explained, suddenly lurching to one side to claim a briefly unoccupied table as their own. "Don't ask me quite why it's just that, but apparently it runs in the family."

"Don't they make wine, though?" Carver asked, confusion touching his mood even as he glanced over the heads of the crowd to locate the ladies. He found them in the middle of the crush around the bar, apparently doing wonders at getting close enough to order without having to do any bodily harm at all yet.

"Their uncle does," Cullen told him. "He employs people he trusts to do the taste testing and such, as I understand it."

"But if I drink this, won't I give her an allergic reaction later?" was Carver's next query, gesturing with his champagne flute.

Cullen shook his head.

"Keep it to one glass and follow it up with whisky, that's what I do," he suggested. "Mila's never caught hives after a champagne kiss from me, I know that much."

"That brings up all kinds of questions about where you've been kissing her after drinking champagne, you know," Isabela began, breaking into laughter at the resigned look Cullen offered across the table. "You always shut me down before I reach the punchline!"

"I know you too well," was his response.

Carver chuckled, sipping his own champagne as the others settled into conversation. He couldn't quite bring himself to sit down, wanting to keep an eye on Filipa as she maneuvered through the crowd. She seemed to have made a friend at the bar - a tall gentleman whose smile looked just that little bit too friendly for Carver's liking, even from this distance.

And why shouldn't the man be interested? Filipa was beautiful and easy to talk to, and if he didn't pull his finger out, Carver was going to lose his opportunity to convince her that she really wanted this pretense to be the real thing. He could feel the panic rising in his chest, worsening when he saw Filipa take the man's arm to allow him to escort her back toward her party. It made sense that she would, of course - she wasn't exactly steady on those heels, and having a man to lean on who didn't mind was a sensible thing to do, but Carver could feel his teeth grinding at the sight of the man's too friendly gaze taking in the view that was tantalizingly visible from his loftier height.

A firm hand gripped his elbow. His head snapped around, ready to bark at the gripper, only to find Garrett right beside him with a warning expression on his face.

"Don't let it bother you," his brother advised. "Her opinion is the only one that matters, and trust me - he's nowhere near as interesting to her as you are."

Biting down his instinctively harsh reply, Carver frowned, glancing to the advancing Filipa, and her escort. He'd completely forgotten that Mila was trailing them closely, too.

"I know, I just ..."

He trailed off, disappointed in himself for his jealous reaction. Garrett released his elbow and gently patted his back.

"You'll get better at it," he predicted. "Especially once you tell her how you feel."

Carver jerked, startled by the comment, turning a searching look onto his brother.

"How did you ...?"

"I'm not a complete idiot, Carver," his brother assured him with a grin. "Like I said, you're a good match. Get on with it."

Just as Carver opened his mouth to ask how, exactly, he was supposed to do that, Garrett plastered on his best smile, reaching out a hand toward the arriving newcomer.

"Teagan, good to see you," he declared, drawing Carver's rival into conversation at their table and away from Filipa with smooth expertise.

The younger Hawke blinked, impressed with his brother's surprisingly apt social skills, automatically stepping back to let Mila slip past him and into the chair beside Cullen.

"You look like you just swallowed a whole lot of humble pie," Filipa commented, lifting his arm up and sidling into the space she had created for herself. "What did I miss?"

Absently tucking his fingers into the curve of her waist, Carver blinked down at her for a moment longer, making a brave attempt to drag his thoughts back from where they had flown to. One, that his apparent rival was Teagan Guerrin, brother of the Arl of Redcliffe; two, that Filipa seemed to have completely forgotten the man now she was back beside him.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked abruptly. "In private?"

It was her turn to blink up at him, curiosity warring with concern in her pretty eyes as she considered him.

"Uh ... sure," she agreed. "If you can find somewhere private around here."

"Try the balcony," Cullen suggested, though he looked for all the world as though he was talking to his own drink. One hand gestured in the right direction. "Should be a few private places out there."

Carver flashed the man a grateful smile, squeezing Filipa's waist gently.

"Thanks. Come on, Pip."

"After you."

She smiled, leaving her glass with her sister to join Carver in attempting some kind of smooth motion through the mingling guests toward the balcony. Thankfully, the doors were already open; once they were in the right sort of area, the Brownian motion of the crowd ushered them straight out and onto the balcony that overlooked the city, heated with discreet lamps to hold the snowy chill at bay. A few others had left the main hall to brave the chill, but Cullen had been right - they were few and far between, offering space for a relatively private conversation.

Carver swallowed as he drew Filipa over to the furthest corner, where an overhanging honeysuckle heavy with fresh snow cast them into deeper shadow. She was still smiling, her expression more curious now than concerned, more amused than worried. It was a good look on her, he realized, releasing her waist to catch her hands in his and pull her about to face him. He supposed he had never really paid attention to how expressive her face really was; she couldn't hide anything.

"So ...?" she prompted, green eyes bright with encouragement.

"So, yes. Talk." He drew in a deep breath, looking down at their joined hands for a moment. "Pip, I, um ... I think we should stop. The pretending, that is. I mean, it's pretty obvious that Garrett's rumbled us, you know?"

He was surprised to see her expression suddenly droop, a flash of hurt in her gaze before she covered it with a smile that he knew was nothing more than a mask.

"So I suppose there's no point in keeping it up then," she said.

Carver frowned, tilting his head to keep her eyes on his as she made a move to look away. He had a feeling he had missed something here, but if he didn't make headway, he was never going to  get this off his chest. He'd make it up to her another time. Right now, he had something to say, and if he didn't say it now, he might actually explode with jealousy every time she so much as looked at any man who showed an interest in her.

"No, there isn't," he agreed, tightening his fingers about hers at the merest suggestion that she might be about to pull away. "Because I don't like lying to you, Pip. I know this might destroy our friendship, but I'm hoping it won't."

He hesitated, watching her forced smile fade into watchful interest once more.

"I haven't really been pretending," he admitted, feeling awkward just saying it out loud. "I didn't realize until a couple of days ago. I, um, I like you, Pip. Shit, no, that's not what I mean ... I don't like you, I-I -"

He stuttered into silence, mumbling for a moment behind the fingertips she pressed against his mouth to shut him up. And there was her smile - her real smile, the soft quirk of her lips that lit up her eyes and made her shine. The smile he had always taken for granted, all these months, suddenly in front of him, holding up the flame of hope that he hadn't just made a terrible mistake.

"I love you, too," was all she said, gentle words in a moment of stillness that nonetheless deafened him with their impact.

He actually felt his knees threaten to buckle, dropping the one hand she had left in his grasp to clasp her about the waist in an attempt not to sink to his knees in front of her. She wobbled, laughing as her arms snapped up about his neck and shoulders, both of them tottering on the edge of a very ungainly collapse for a moment before he pulled himself together.

"But I never ... I didn't say it," he muttered, almost annoyed that she'd got there first.

She raised a brow, and he felt a shiver ripple deliciously down his spine as her fingertips teased their way into the short hair at his nape.

"Does it really matter who said it first, when we both feel it?" she asked softly.

He couldn't have stopped his smile from becoming a grin even if he had wanted to, for the first time utterly unashamed of how goofy he might look in this moment. She was absolutely right.

"No," he said, laughing with quiet good grace as he hoisted her up off her feet, nose to nose with him in the shadow of the honeysuckle. "I love you, Pip."

"Good," she responded, brushing the tip of her nose to his affectionately. "Because ravishing is definitely on the cards tonight, Carver Hawke."

"I feel like I should salute," he teased, all the tension and worry sweeping from his body in the face of a confession he had actually been afraid would not be reciprocated in the slightest.

"If you drop me, I will leave a mark somewhere embarrassingly obvious," she informed him sweetly. "I'd much rather you kissed me. Properly, this time."

"Oh, last time wasn't proper enough for you?"

He didn't give her an opportunity to argue, pressing smiling lips to hers in a kiss that promised to wipe the lie of their first kiss clean from his memory and lay the foundation for every other kiss to come. And this time, he felt no shame in coaxing her lips to part, in tasting her breath on his tongue as her fingers combed into his hair, her feet dangling several inches off the floor. How much trust did she have in him to let him hold her up and kiss her, he wondered. Then the thought fled as she delicately nibbled his lower lip; Isabela was going to be so proud of herself for having his tuxedo jacket cut a little longer than was usual.

What was it they said about Satinalia wishes? Carver couldn't quite recall, and, if he was honest, he didn't care. His Satinalia wish had just come true, and there wasn't a damned thing anyone could do to make his holiday any better now. She loved him.

"Mmm ..."

His lips vibrated with her voice as she drew back just far enough to meet his gaze, smiling impishly as her fingers smoothed his hair.

"Took us long enough, didn't it?"

He laughed, lowering her down onto her feet, delighted to feel her press herself into his arms in a warm embrace.

"You know my brother is going to be insufferably smug about this," he murmured, careful not to put her hair into too much disarray or risk the wrath of Isabela.

"Let him be," Filipa said, lifting her head to match his smile to her own. "I have everything I want right here."

Carver didn't think his smile could get any broader, yet in the face of that confident statement, there he was, stretching his smile beyond all limits. He gathered her closer into his arms, stretching his neck down to kiss the tip of her nose fondly.

"Let's go and watch him drown in his own smugness, then," he suggested. "And then we can skip out on this ridiculous night out."

"Oh, not a chance," she insisted, straightening up and wrapping her arm through his. "You and I are going to dance at least once. I did not get all dressed up just to leave at the first opportunity."

She cast him a teasing flicker of a grin as they walked back toward the main hall.

"The ravishing comes later."

[dust2dust34]

Oliver comes home to find a drunk Felicity trying to cook. Naked. Dooooo iiiiiittt😇

(Set in early Season 6. Mature.)

The wafts of burnt food that hit his nose whenhe opened the door to her loft had his heart dropping.

Oliver whispered her name, barely getting thedoor shut before he was rushing into the kitchen.

He didn’t see flames, or hear screaming, orsee any firemen.

No, all he saw was…

She wasnaked.

Oliver stopped dead in his tracks, his jawdropping. He took her in - her hair was up in a loose ponytail, strands flyingeverywhere, and… nothing else. He swallowed, hard, not expecting to see herbare ass up in the air like that as she leaned over the counter, fiddling with…

A pasta maker?

He huffed out a laugh, furrowing his brow ashe walked further into the room.

No fire, not scorch marks, nothing butFelicity Smoak standing in all her natural glory, completely oblivious toeverything but what she was trying to make. And she was singing. Oliver shookhis head in amusement - it was something about driving slow on Sunday morning,and never wanting to leave. As he listened to the lyrics, Oliver slowed a bit,a small smile curving his lips. They were filled with a certain kind of hope,but it was also the way she sang the words.

Like shewas happy.

His girlfriend was singing alone in theunburnt kitchen, naked and happy, and it was the cutest goddamn thing he’d everseen. Why she was naked at all was a good question, though. Not that he wasexactly complaining, but he was worried because she was in the kitchen, andFelicity did not mix well with anything kitchen-related. The huge messsurrounding her was evidence of that. The counter space was littered withremnants of food, utensils and so many appliances it was a little jarring.Those had nothing, though, on the various failed pasta dishes sitting everywhereand the burnt soufflés on the stove.

On the next ‘verse, Felicity’s voice caught,and she slurred the rest of the words.

Had she been drinking?

On his second sweep, he saw the empty winebottle and glass by the refrigerator.

That had his heart dropping all over again,because that could have ended very badly. It hadn’t, but it could have, and hesuddenly needed to see all of her to make sure she was alright.

“Felicity?”

“Oh!” She jumped, whirling around, herflour-covered hands coming up to cover her heart. She was definitely alright.His eyes immediately dropped, his mouth going dry at the sight of her verynaked body covered in flour. It was startlingly erotic and he wasn’t ready forthe heat that swept through him. His suit pants were suddenly a little tootight and he shifted, forcing himself to look at her face again. That didn’thelp in the least because she had a smear of chocolate on her cheek and it onlyadded fuel to the flames of need. Felicity didn’t cook, but that didn’t mean hewould ever, ever tire of seeing her covered in food. Especially food he couldlick off her. Felicity blinked owlishly as she said, “Oliver. You’re here.”

“I thought I’d surprise you,” he replied,closing the distance between them. He couldn’t help it; his eyes fell down herbody again, taking in her hardened nipples with a dusting of… no, that wasn’tflour. It looked like powdered sugar. His mouth watered at the thought oftasting that on her naked body and the way every inch of her flushed with arosy pink didn’t help. “My meeting wasn’t as late as I thought it’d be,” headded, the words a low growl. “So I thought I’d come by.”

“But you’re here,” she repeated, waving herhands around. “You’re not supposed to see this. I was trying to surprise you byactually making a good dinner for once and you’re ruining the surprise.”

Her voice was loud and emphatic and her eyeswere a little glassy which told him she had definitely had the entire bottle ofwine.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his hands finding herhips. Felicity held her hands away from him to keep his suit clean, but he sodid not care right now. He smiled, ducking his head under her arms to see her.His eyes caught on the powder covering her neck and chest. “This is a nice surprise, though. What are youdoing?”

“I…”

He didn’t give her a chance to answer rightaway, tugging her into him as he leaned in to taste the white powder that wasstreaked up the side of her throat. It waspowdered sugar and with a delighted hum he licked more of it up, making hernext breaths a mess of stutters that he couldn’t interpret.

“I, uh…” she started, but she didn’t finish.

“And why are you naked, Felicity?” he askedagainst her throat, dragging her name out. She shivered, just like he knew shewould, just like he knew goosebumps would rise under his fingers and hernipples would harden even more. She pushed up onto her toes to get closer andhe slid his hands around to her backside, helping her press the full length ofher body against his. She was still keeping her hands above her head and eventhrough the lusty haze starting to color his world, he chuckled, because it wasso damned cute. And even that wasn’t enough to distract him from what he’d justwalked in on. “Please tell me you weren’t cooking or baking naked.”

“I wasn’t,” she breathed, the words coming outin a slurred hiss. Her head fell back, giving all the access he could want. “Igot sauce on my shirt so I took it off.”

“And you didn’t get another one?”

“It was hot in here.” She swallowed, herthroat moving under his lips. “Still is.”

The urge to pick her up and throw her on thecounter was strong, but he didn’t, not yet. Oliver pulled back to look at her.

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Not that much.”

“No?”

“I’m not cooking naked because I’m drunk,Oliver,” she replied, poking him in the chest. When her finger left a smear offlour on his jacket she made a face. “Oops. But no, I was hot and I did spillsauce and that should have been fine because it was supposed to be just metonight. And then I kept burning soufflés so I tried to make pasta because Ihave three pasta makers but nothing was working, and I got a little frustrated.Cooking is hard, damn it, so I had some wine. I’m pleasantly buzzed. That’s all.”

She was, that was for sure, but he was pleasedthat she was speaking clearly and some of the glassy look had disappeared. Sohe didn’t have to yell at her about something as ridiculous as needing toremember that it was safer to cook with her clothes on.

“I was trying to make food for a potentialdinner in the future,” Felicity added with a shrug. She looked around. “I waspracticing. Because practice makes perfect. But all this did was confirm that Icannot cook. At all. And I think I ruined those little dishes for thesoufflés.”

His heart warmed at the thought of soufflés,and even more that she was wanting to make them. Oliver smiled, wishing he’dbeen here to witness the entire thing. It reminded him that they’d neverfinished the cooking lessons that had become part of their nightly routine backin Ivy Town. That was definitely something they would have to remedy.

But something else had caught his attention.

“You have three pasta makers?”

Felicity got sheepish at that, pressing herlips together as she blushed.

“I was having trouble sleeping for a littlewhile,” she replied, ducking her head, “after Havenrock. I got pretty familiarwith pretty much every single infomercial known to man and I sort of… boughtkitchen stuff. Because it reminded me of you.”

Oliver was ninety-nine percent sure shewouldn’t have admitted that quite so endearingly had she not downed a bottle ofwine.

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead intohers, urging her to look at him again. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Felicity said, her floured fingersmoving like she wanted to fiddle with his jacket. “I missed you. A lot. And itmade me feel better because things were weird back then and for some reason three pasta makers made me feel closerto you-“

He cut her off with a kiss.

It was sweet and chaste, perfect for tellingher exactly how he felt about her admission.

Felicity hummed, smiling against his lips. Shegrabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him closer for another kiss. Helaughed, knowing she was getting flour all over him, but he still absolutelydid not care. Oliver wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, drinkingfrom her lips. There was a faint taste of wine but he tasted pesto sauce andchocolate more than anything. It was a delectable combination and he savoredit. Savored her.

“I like this,” Felicity whispered. He gruntedto ask what she meant and she wiggled against him, her naked body sliding overhis very clothed one. “You wearing all these clothes. And me. Naked.”

Oliver grinned. “I like it, too.” He kissedher again, more deeply. He glanced at the oven to see if it was on. Thankfullyit wasn’t. At least she was being careful. “So was anything a success?”

“Yes, actually,” Felicity said, delightcoloring her face. She went to the fridge and opened it with aplomb. “I madepudding!”

Oliver laughed and the sound echoed throughthe open room. “Pudding?”

Felicity’s grin was even bigger as she pulledout the giant bowl of chocolate pudding to show him. Nothing in the world wouldever erase this image from his mind: Felicity so happy she was shining,completely naked and covered in powdered sugar and flour, holding a bowl ofpudding.

“And it’s perfect!” Felicity added. Oh, shehad no idea. She set the bowl down on the counter. “Here.”

She dipped her finger in it and held it outfor him.

Oliver grinned, raising an eyebrow at her, butshe just raised hers in return. In challenge.He grabbed her wrist and pulled her finger to his mouth. She was right, it was perfect, and delicious. Oliverwrapped his lips around her, swirling his tongue around the digit as he suckedon it. His eyes never left her, which meant he got to see the way her lids grewheavy, her pupils dilating as she stared at his mouth. He knew without eventouching her yet that she was wet, for him, and he wondered just how much moredelicious this pudding would taste on her. He sucked harder and her lips partedin a little pant before he let her go.

“You know,” Oliver said. “I wouldn’t minddessert for dinner tonight.”

“Mmhmm,” Felicity nodded, stepping closer.“That sounds good.”

Oliver kissed her again, harder, deeper. Hegrabbed her hand and the bowl of pudding before tugging her over to the diningroom table.

He didn’t waste a single second, setting thebowl down and lifting Felicity up onto the table. She giggled, capturing herbottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes darkened as Oliver shrugged out of hisjacket and rolled his sleeves up. She fully expected him to stay up there withher, to step between her legs, but Oliver surprised her by pulling one of thechairs over and sitting down.

Right between her legs.

She let out a shaky breath, her thighsclenching. He grinned up at her, scooting closer. He ran his hands up her legs- she was quivering - before grabbing her hips. They worked together to get herto the edge of the table before she laid back…

Dipping his fingers in the pudding, Oliver hadhis dessert for dinner. Three times, actually, before Felicity got hers,resting on her knees between his legs, turning him into a shuddering mess asshe licked pudding off him.

*

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! 

Reviews literally feed my soul and muse.

I wrote this on the bus into work this morning, so this is pure Non-Edited Bre Writing. All mistakes are mine. Including food ones, because I’m at The Felicity Level when it comes to anything in the kitchen.

[thedefinitionofbts]

A Story that we paint (Ch. 2)

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Epilogue

Pairings: Jeon Jungkook x Reader | Kim Taehyung x Reader 

Genre: College Au, Future, Scifi, Slight Fluff and Angst

Words: 6K

Description: Butterfly Dream: In which the lines between virtual and reality are blurred.

The flutter of the breeze is warm, hitting your skin like a cozy blanket being draped over your body. You squint your eyes, looking around to see if you could recognize any of the landmarks that you had just designed.

Tall skyscrapers. Check. Tree lined streets. Check. Video Game Arcade. Check. Wait. Video Game Arcade?

“Jeon Jungkook” You mutter to yourself while shaking your head.

“Y/N!” You hear a familiar baritone voice shout from behind you. He’s wearing a fuzzy sweater with sleeves that were evidently too long for his arms, and it makes you wonder whether he was aware of the current oversized clothing trend or if he just didn’t know sleeves were meant to only cover your arms. 

“Hey” You greet him with a smile. Something about knowing that he’s a real human being made you act more self conscious, more self aware, and more concerned about the way he saw you.

“I’ve been scouring the city for you!” He pants, breathing heavily as as he runs up to you. “I totally forgot to ask you for your number last time. I was afraid... I’d never see you again!”

“Calm down, Taehyung, this isn’t-“ You stop yourself before you can finish your sentence, reminded that he doesn’t know he’s in a simulation and his intelligence is still evolving according to Jungkook.

“I want to take you out on a date.” He announces, after finally catching his breath.

You study the resolute smile that his lips form, and the determination emanating from his dark eyes. There was still something off with the way he interacted with you, of course this was somewhat of an improvement from the first meeting, but it still felt far from natural.

You attempt to hold back a giggle at his directness. “Taehyung, people don’t normally assert these kind of requests. You have to ask nicely.” You explain. 

“Oh, sorry” Taehyung says, as his head droops a little and his smile fades.

You sigh and smile endearingly. “It’s ok, you’re lucky I’m agreeing to going on a date with you.” You reply, thinking he’s got a lot to learn, but at the same time, fully aware that AI systems can soak up information like a sponge. Someone like Taehyung would probably be an expert at dating the next time you see him, wooing girls and guys alike. A true international playboy.

“Really?” He shouts, eyes perking up and looking at you eagerly.

You nod.

The two of you walk down streets filled with Coffee shops and Cafés, wandering around the endless blocks of buildings both new and old. Jungkook had specifically said a city which combined the past, present, and future would feel more real, as nothing in the real world is completely detached from its past or far from the future in which it is headed towards. And now that you were navigating such a city with Taehyung, you realize he was absolutely right. The juxtaposition of traditional and modern architecture did indeed make this metropolis intriguing and captivating. Something told you Jungkook had probably modeled this city after Seoul in South Korea back in the real world. If the traditional East Asian architecture was not evidence enough, the Korean looking letters on many of the shops sure were.

“Taehyung” You say after a few minutes of silent walking with nothing but the sounds of cars on the street and people brushing by. “Tell me about yourself.” You request, wondering how he’ll respond, and at the same time, secretly hoping he’ll reveal things about Jungkook’s mind that you didn’t have the guts to find out for yourself in the real world. You know this probably isn’t the best way to quell your curiosity, after all, this felt like invading Jungkook’s privacy in the strangest of ways. But in your defense, Jungkook was the one who decided to download part of his brain into a computer system, so he’s obviously not opposed to any of this…right?

“My name is Kim Taehyung, I’m 21 years old…ugh…”

You nod silently, waiting for him to continue.

“Oh! I love traveling and playing video games, and I’m good at sports. I also watch a lot of movies, and I’m a big fan of music. I sing in my spare time, and I’ve been told I’m really good at dancing too. My favorite food is icecream, but I also love meat. I cry when I see others get hurt, so I always strive to make people laugh.” His boxy smile makes another appearance as he finishes the last sentence.

“Traveling, video games, sports, movies….” You repeat out loud, while silently organizing all this new information in your mind in terms of things that most likely came from Jungkook and things that Taehyung probably picked up in his couple weeks of being exposed to virtual stimuli.

Ok, so the traveling part can go either way, since you weren’t sure if Jungkook was a fan of traveling. Video games had to be Jungkook’s thing, right? He’s mentioned it before so it has to be. Icecream is definitely Tae’s obsession, if that day at the amusement park was verification to go off of. Music and dancing though…could that really be hobbies of Jungkook or did Taehyung just make that up from the random hobby generating function in his system?

You get lost in your own thoughts for so long that Taehyung has to wave his hands in front of you to get your attention.

“Y/N?”

“Oh, sorry, I was just… spacing out.” You quickly explain. “So, ugh, since we’re on a…date, what do you feel like doing?”

Taehyung’s eyes light up. “Can we go find a place to eat? I’m starving.” He makes a motion of lightly rubbing his belly while waiting for your response.

You study the eagerness in his expression and the anticipation in his eyes as he stares into yours. “Uh, sure I guess” You answer, not even knowing how you could reject anyone so adorable. He was pure like a newborn, untainted by anything, besides the part of him that was from Jungkook of course.

Wandering down a street that looked like it would have a selection of restaurants, the two of you finally settle on going to the one decorated as if it were a shop owned by an old coupled that had served traditional cuisine for countless years. You had to take your shoes off before entering and there were no chairs so all the customers had to sit on the ground. The floorboard even squeaked a little every time you shifted your weight, and all of this detailing led to the final thought that: wow, Jungkook really went out of his way to make this as similar to the real world as possible.

Taehyung orders three different sets of meat, and twenty side dishes. You stare incredulously at the food placed in front of you when the old lady who owned the restaurant had brought them out one by one, and you can’t help but feel your stomach grumble at the delicious smells wafting in the air. It probably wasn’t even mealtime, but who can resist tasty food when it’s placed right under your nose?

Admittedly, watching Taehyung eat was almost as satisfying as eating yourself. He’s able to make everything look delectable, and you can’t help but give props to Jungkook for making him such a pleasant person to eat out with, despite his insatiable appetite.

“Are you going to eat that?” Taehyung says as he eyes the piece of grilled pork on your plate.

“No, you can have it” You say, lips curving into a smile as you watch him reach over and expertly pick it up with his chopsticks.

“Thanks!” He says, as he chews on it happily.

After finishing the meal and thanking the kind restaurant owners, you and Taehyung decide to explore more of the city. The more you looked around and basked in the lovely warm rays of sun shinning over the city, the more you get the feeling that this world could surely be real, or at least some part of you wished it was. Walking down the smooth cement sidewalks, window shopping and chatting with Taehyung felt like re-living an old memory that you’re pretty sure doesn’t exist, or perhaps did in some faded dream from years ago.

“Taehyung” You stop in front of a jewelry shop displaying a bracelet that catches your eye. That familiar feeling hits you once again, and you furrow your brows trying to bring the thought forward. Hoping that if you stared at the dazzling piece that was tugging at those recollections, you could maybe, just maybe…

“I bought one of these a few years ago” Taehyung says as he takes a step next to you and looks at the iridescent crystals chained perfectly next to one another.

You tear your eyes away from the shop window and gaze at him wondering if he’s making this up because you know for a fact he was created like a month ago, but another part of you gets the idea that this is likely part of Jungkook’s own memory.

“Was it a gift?” You ask, after a minute of stillness passes between the two of you.

Taehyung doesn’t respond, but shifts to meet your eyes. There’s that spark again, the same one you saw on day one. Where have you seen this before? Somewhere in the depths of your mind, you think you might know, but it’s such an absurd conclusion that you don’t even hesitate to wave it off.

You spend the rest of the afternoon scrolling past bookstores, eating more icecream (to Taehyung’s utter delight) while sitting on wooden benches watching people play with their pets in the park, and passing over bridges that connected two sides of the man-made stream that ran through the city. Children were hopping on the stepping-stones that crossed the shallow stream, laughing and splashing each other with water. The colorful lanterns that hung on the tree branches across the city gave it not only the mixed modern and traditional feel you had previously identified when you first entered, but also added a harmonious blend of natural and synthetic. 

Time was soaring by and twilight was gradually approaching as you neared the end of your 6 hours.

You turn to Taehyung, whose voice had drifted over to you ear as the two of you stood on the arched bridge, gazing at the sunset through an opening of the city’s skyline. His sun-kissed complexion glowed under the warmly lit sky at dusk as he began to softly sing a gentle melody.  

The song sounded familiar, like one that you’ve heard in the real world, but you couldn’t think of the name. It was bittersweet, lovingly so, and you can’t help but feel as if this was perhaps something someone else wanted to convey to you.

“Hey, Tae, what song is that?” You ask, after he had finished and his voice faded only to be replaced by the chirping of cicadas invisibly scattered amongst the willow trees that lined the stream, their branches hanging over the water, sweeping the dark green moss floating on the surface.

“Butterfly” He hums. “It’s my favorite.” And you think you can almost see the fond smile on his face under the dim glow of the streetlight, although it could just be your imagination.

Butterfly. That’s it. That was the song you had heard before, somewhere, although you can’t quite remember where.

 ………....

 That night you actually have a dream about Jungkook, one that makes you feel absolutely ridiculous upon waking up. Normally you don’t remember your dreams, and on the rare occasions that you did, they would materialize as blurry snippets of faceless people and nameless flower petals. They were often emotional, eliciting a sense of sadness, loss even, but those feeling would disperse within minutes of waking and fade completely in due time.

In this recent dream however, you distinctly remember the face of the guy who was currently sitting in the classroom next to you, listening to Professor Kim Namjoon give a lecture on how to use higher level functions in VR2000.

You turn to look at Jungkook, wondering if this is what happens when you start developing feelings for someone. He doesn’t notice you staring at him because he’s too focused on the demonstration Professor Kim Namjoon is performing on the big screen at the front of the lecture hall. You visually soak in the shape of his side profile and the tranquil concentration in his soft eyes. It’s a scene that is comforting and evokes the familiar serenity of being at home.

Maybe Taehyung’s Butterfly song had gotten to you, or maybe you were actually developing a crush on Jungkook, which you were undeniably trying to ignore but are evidently failing at, but in said dream, you were more than just acquainted with him; in fact you are able to remember quite clearly that he seemed to be someone very important to you, though you are unable to determine the exact reason.

But it was just a dream, right?

 …

 In the days that follow, you were busy making a mountain of design plans. Especially since Jungkook decided that it’d be great for you to test out how traveling with Taehyung would be, reasoning that thoroughly exploring the virtually designed world would allow you to finalize the construction phase before getting into the real stuff. This next step required a heavy amount of structural design, and luckily, Jungkook was more into that stuff than you were.

“So this next phase is a bit risky,” Jungkook says as walks over to your workbench. You lift your head and look at him, assuming he means the traveling phase of the simulation. “We can either break them into multiple simulations or we can use the time warping function where the system provides you past memories of traveling, so that you’ll feel like you’ve been in the simulation longer than you actually have.”

“Would I be able to differentiate which memories are real and which are not?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. You also simultaneously start wondering if this is how Taehyung’s mind evolves, and whether your conclusions about his memories being Jungkook’s memories were invalid. What a bummer if that were the case.

“I don’t think so,” Jungkook answers after a brief moment of thought. “What I initially assumed was that you would be able to tell the provided memories weren’t real because they are often inconsistent with your actual memories. You know, like you’d be able to tell stuff that didn’t happen, actually didn’t happen because it wouldn’t make sense if they did.” He pauses, realizing that what he was saying probably wasn’t actually making any sense. “But then, Professor Min Yoongi told me that our brains are able to fill in missing information and seamlessly connect the incongruent pieces, so that real and fake feels the same.”

You take a brief moment to casually consider what Jungkook has just said. Frankly, you were still too caught up in the whole “maybe Tae’s past isn’t a window to Jungkook’s past” to take what Jungkook has said seriously. Which was obviously a mistake, but you didn’t really care at the time. 

“We should probably just go with the time warp, I don’t think we have enough time to split this phase into a million short simulations.” You finally reply. Midterms were coming up in two weeks and you guys were only a little over a fourth of the way done with the project. Jungkook was probably thinking the same thing anyways, and just wanted to check with you before making the decision.

You can tell he’s hesitating a little though. The way he was pursing his lips and looking off to the side was hard to miss. A look of uncertainty is painted across his face, and he doesn’t respond right away.

“Alright, then...” He finally takes a deep breathe. “I’ll start getting that system set up.” He turns and walks back to his workbench, not dwelling on the subject any longer because there was still a lot of work to do. You observe as he plops down back in his seat and adjusting the black beanie covering his hair.  

“Hey, Jungkook” You call as you watch him concentrate on the screen of code in front of him.

“Yeah?” He answers, eyes still glued to his laptop and fingers taping on the keyboard at light speed.  

“Do you like to sing?” You ask, suddenly remember what Taehyung had told you the last time you were in the simulation. It comes out kind of awkward, and you nearly can’t believe those words had actually slipped past your lips.

“H-how did you know?” He asks, this time stopping what he was doing and turning his head to look at you.

“Wild guess?” You lie, but you figure it’s best he doesn’t know you had came to the conclusion that Taehyung knows almost everything about him since they’re virtually half the same person. You were kind of just fishing, because Jungkook didn’t seem like the kind of person who liked to sing (or dance for that matter), but as evident in his surprised tone, he took the bait.

“I used to do it a lot more, but I’ve been busy lately” Jungkook says before turning back to the computer screen.

“With the project?” You ask, not knowing what else he could possibly be doing outside the twelve hours a day the two of you spend in the HCI lab.

“You could put it that way” Jungkook replies, being his mysterious self again.

That was the moment it really hit you that you barely knew anything about this partner of yours. You and Jungkook have spent every day of the last month together, except for the weekends, and you had yet to find out basic information about the guy, all you could go off of were the things that Taehyung said, he was the only window to the Jungkook’s past (or at least that’s what you’ve made yourself believe).  

“Are you busy this weekend?” You somehow summon the courage to ask. “I was thinking we could do something…” Your last words trail off at a barely audible volume. You bite your lip, yet again unable to accept the audacity you were unaware you even had.  

Jungkook stops typing again, and turns to you. “Umm…” He pauses, and you’re certain he’s digging around for an excuse to reject your offer while at the same time looking for a way to make it sound legitimate enough to not hurt your feelings.

“Sure” He finally says.

“That’s ok, I mean, I was-“ You stop, realizing what Jungkook had actually said wasn’t a rejection at all. “W-wait what?” You shake your head, convinced that you were probably hearing things.

“I’m free this weekend.” He says, looking at you with those large doe eyes of his.

Unbelievable. He had actually agreed to do something with you non-school related.

If you think about it, it’s not that out of character. After all, he did agree to work on the project in Jimin’s dorm that one time, and he’s spent a lot of time around you. You two were semester long partners, of course he wouldn’t purposefully reject you just because he’d be afraid you’d get the wrong idea. He probably wasn’t even thinking that much about it. You were just overanalyzing.

 …

 And so when the weekend came around, that’s when you finally fully comprehend the weight of your request and what it entailed. It was Saturday, you were meeting Jungkook in two hours, and you had no idea what you even wanted to do with the guy. You had asked the question without having planned the next steps. So what exactly did you mean by “do something”? You were so sure he would say he was busy, that you didn’t have a plan for the alternate scenario. The “yeah sure we can doing something together”, and then you needing to decide on what exactly.

“Y/N” Jimin says. “Calm down” He was watching you frantically walking back and forth, muttering some indecipherable comments under your breath.

“What am I going to do Chim!?” You wail. “He’s going to be so bored that he’ll probably never agree to do anything with me ever again.”

“Just take him out to eat, chat a little, and see where that goes,” Jimin answers. “You guys have a lot to talk about. I mean, you’re the one who complained about not knowing anything about him.”

“And that is exactly why I don’t know what to do!” You shout into the void. “I don’t know shit about him. What he likes, his pet peeves, what he does in his spare time….” You trail off, biting your lips until they felt raw.

“Isn’t that what Taehyung is for?” Jimin says with a smug smile. “You’ve forgotten your secret weapon already.” The cheshire smile remains plastered on his face.

“I mean, that would work, except for the central issue here” You remind him. “I don’t know what part of what Tae says is him and what part is Jungkook.”

“Does it really make a different though?” Jimin questions back. “Taehyung is the tree that grew from Jungkook’s seed” Jimin pauses, this time around, not completely oblivious of the alternate interpretation of his previous sentence. “Ok, not like that. But you know what I mean!”

You sigh, shaking your head but unable to suppress a giggle. “Yes, Chim. You’re implying that they’re more similar than they are different because whatever Tae likes has to be compatible with what Jungkook likes.” You think about what you had just said, reasoning that Jimin makes a very good point.

Therefore, you decide that you would take Jungkook to eat at the popular burger place close to campus, and then going for a stroll around Swan Lake (the weather was nice, so why not?). Dressed in a casual black outfit, you figure that it’s best not to look like you spent too long getting ready (which you did) and you also want Jungkook to think you didn’t spend the entire morning planning the entire day out with Jimin (which you also did).

“Hey” You hear the pleasantly familiar voice catch your attention. You look up from your phone to see the person you were waiting for in front of the courtyard of the campus library. He was wearing a hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans, a look that makes your heart feel warm in more ways than one.

“Hey” You reply, smiling like an idiot, and wondering if he notices the way you treated him has changed so drastically. You aren’t quite sure of how that happened yourself. He had just been your project partner, and now it seemed like your heart had placed him under a different category, or maybe it always had, and your mind was just now catching up.

You soon learn that Jungkook really likes burgers, but you also knew that he probably loves to eat a lot of things, if Taehyung’s inner foodie soul was any indication of how much Jungkook enjoyed food.

You take secretive glances at Jungkook as he bites aggressively into his burger. The way he eats so deliciously has you thinking of how similar he is to another certain someone you had eaten out with. Taehyung. And it hadn’t occurred to you before, but it begins to make you question whether you were falling for him or had you already fallen for your virtual male lead unknowingly. The thought passes, indifferent from all the other passing thoughts that you’ve recently been dealing with because the two of you finish eating in less than half an hour, and you are soon on your way to the second stop of this “do something together” weekend of yours.

The weather was nice as planned, agreeably warm, but with an occasional chilly breeze blowing by, scattering the last of the dead leaves in the grass. The sky was clear, pouring light onto the surface of the pond filled with ducks, geese, and of course, elegant white swans. They would soon be migrating south for the winter, and you briefly ponder over where you might be when the semester ends and winter is finally here.

“So about you liking to sing” You decide the best way to begin another un-project related conversation was to keep riding the wave of the last un-project related topic.

Jungkook laughs. “Are you finding that hard to believe or something?”

“I mean, it’s just, you don’t…” You clumsily attempt to phrase it in the right way.

“I’m just your average music loving college student.” Jungkook states. “It’s not some unproven physics theory that the science community is still fussing over.”

You chuckle at his nerdy analogy. “Do you have a favorite song?” You finally ask.

Jungkook pauses at your question. Noticeably, taking the time to decide whether or not he wanted to share a certain part of him with you. You grip your hands tightly, hoping that he won’t close himself off to you for once.

“Yeah” He finally replies, breathing out slowly.

“Oh?” You feel your chest swell up at his response, sensing that he was comfortable sharing this with you. You wait for him to continue, but he stays silent

“It’s called Butterfly,” He voices in a soft whisper.

“Oh yeah! Tae-“ You shut your mouth before the words escape. What the hell were you thinking? You had gotten way too excited, and you mentally scold yourself for almost giving away your best-kept secret. “I- I mean, is there a reason you like that song?”

“You’ll think I’m crazy, but it’s because of this girl.” He looks down and huffs a small laugh, feeling ridiculous that he was telling you this.

“Oh…” Your voice trails off, as the swelling in your chest deflates.

“She was someone really special,” He says, lifting his eyes to look at you endearingly. “Still is.”

“Are you waiting for her to come back to you?” You swallow, not noticing Jungkook was facing you because you had nervously diverted your eyes, trying to steady your voice and your shaking hands.

Jungkook doesn’t answer, but the shadow that is cast across his pupils was a clear sign that he was.

 …

 Simulation Series “Traveling”

The long arduous hike feels as real as one in the real world, making you question whether your body back inside a pod in the HCI lab was being affected by any of these strenuous physical activities in the virtual world. Something tells you that it’s unlikely because everything in the virtual world was mental, a product of electro-chemical signals in your brain that were being controlled by the artificial neural network, but it’d be nice to have all this work pay off back in the physical world too.

“Tae” You huff, trying to catch your breath. “Are we almost there?” You hunch over, the soreness in your thighs preventing you from climbing another step without taking a long needed break.

“I can already hear the rushing water!” You hear Taehyung shout from several feet in front of you. You lift your head to see that he’s waving for you to hurry up.

This was the nth time you had come into the simulation, traveling with Taehyung in the world that you thankfully still remember creating with a boy named Jeon Jungkook. You were unaware, but each iteration of the simulation had you inching towards the first stages of the butterfly dream.

The colorful landscapes of East Asia served as the main inspiration of your trip this time around. Mountains shrouded in misty clouds with temples hidden deep within the forest, the signature view of a majestic waterfall off the edge of a sharp cliff was what the two of you sought after today.

This wasn’t the first waterfall you had the privilege of witnessing, an expedition to a taller one, less cloaked by foggy clouds and overgrown foliage had proceeded this one. You vaguely recall it looking a lot like Angel Falls in South America, a place that you seem to have visited some point in the distant past, though you can’t fully remember the details. On that trip, the person traveling with you was wearing a plaid button up similar to the one Taehyung was sporting today, only he had paired that one with a straw hat and khaki shorts, whereas Taehyung was wearing some kind of wide-leg pajama-like pants that looked like they were more for the sake of comfort than fashion.

After taking a moment to catch your breathe, you run to catch up to him as he stood waiting for you a few feet ahead of the trail. The dirt underneath your feet was starting to feel squishier, a sign that you were nearing the revered source of water. You turn your attention to the grass-lined path and dark green shrubbery twinkling with tiny drops of morning dew. The contrasting shades of green really made the scene come a live. Have colors always been this vivid?

Taehyung was right though, the sounds of flowing water paired with the addition of more liquid trickling and hitting the surface of rocks, were indeed getting louder.

“Here, take my hand” You raise your head to see Taehyung reaching towards you to offer his hand. A brief second of hesitation passes before your palm is pressed against his. Have his hands always been this warm and soft?

As the two of you continued to walk uphill, Taehyung doesn’t speak and neither do you. It feels like this isn’t the first time he’s held your hand, but that had to be your imagination, right? There’s something familiar yet unsettling about it all but you can’t seem to put your finger on it.

Soon the vegetation began to thin out, making space for the majestic landmark as it came into view. Just like you had imagined, the water was a dark shade of grey, unlike the aquamarine blue of hidden ponds on tropical islands. The scent that the surrounding environment carried was fresh and earthy, and the early morning air was cool and refreshing.

“Let’s sit and enjoy this” Taehyung says, leading you over to a large rock located in a position that looked like it had purposefully been placed there for people to sit and marvel at the picturesque scene.

You hum in agreement, forgetting about that feeling that was gripping you earlier, knowing that it wasn’t a big deal and would eventually pass as long at your mind didn’t linger around it.

“Man, coming up here was so worth it!” He sighs. “Although it’s not that tall, it’s so much wider than the one we saw before!” He turns to you with that boxy grin of his, waiting for a response.

“We’ve seen one before?” You look at him with confusion drawn over your face. 

“Yeah! I can’t believe you’ve forgotten already.” Taehyung laughs as he shakes his head. “You’re so forgetful nowadays.”

You continue to stare at him dumbfounded. Was he referring to what you thought he was? But that didn’t happen in this world, did it?

A thought suddenly pops into you mind as you listen to constant flow of water, powerful, consuming, and relentless so.

“Tae…” You voice trails off, but your brain goes on autopilot as the question slips past your lips. “When I leave, do you realize I’m gone?” You don’t know why it feels ridiculous to ask, but you feel awkward hearing the words out loud. Does he know this is a simulation? The thought in your mind is faint, almost verging on detatched, but fortunately still there.

Taehyung raises his eyebrow. “You mean, when you go home and sleep…then I see you the next day?” Taehyung blinks a couple of times, wondering why you had asked such a strange question.

“That’s all?” You whisper as confusion begins to settle in the conscious part of your mental state. You shake your head a few times. No, this isn’t real, this is a project I’m working on in Virtual Universe 101 with a boy named Jeon Jungkook. You’re almost tempted to recite the statement out loud, but Taehyung’s furrowed eyebrows prevent you from doing so.

Jeon Jungkook…

The boy with the captivating doe eyes. The one who never has very much to say, but sings in his spare time. He had agreed to spend last Saturday with you, even though he probably didn’t want to.

The boy who already has a girl that he’s waiting on….

That boy…what was his name again…?

“There’s a girl I use to like a long time ago” Taehyung whispers. His voice is so light, you have a hard time registering whether he actually spoke or if you were just hearing things in your head, but it’s forceful enough to snap you out of your thoughts.

He breathes a long drawn out sigh and continues to stare at the water falling in the form of sheets off the edge of the cliff. It drowns out almost all other noises but provides a clean palette for Taehyung’s next words.

“She mentioned having dreams about living another life, and being… confused.” He had hesitated before voicing the last word, unmistakably trying to organize his thoughts. “She started saying a lot of strange things, about waking up and not knowing if she was still in her dream. ”  

You wait for him to continue, but he’s just staring at the water.

“What happened to her?” You finally murmur, unable to handle another second of suspense.

“She chose to stay in her dream.”

 ………..............

  What was it that he had said to you again? You furrow your eyebrows and start massaging your nose bridging, ignorantly believing that if you thought long and hard enough, the memory would comeback clear as day.

It was another one of those darn dreams that you don’t posess the ability to recollect as lucidly as you desperately wanted to. The protective figure that you are vaguely able to recall is undeniably of utter importance, this time you were unquestionably sure of it. He had held your hand, rubbing the backside with his thumb and whispered something to you.

What was it?

Something along the lines of “I promise I’ll find you”?

But why? Why was he looking for you? And who is he?

You squint your eyes a few times before turning to look at Jungkook who had also fallen asleep at his work bench, but unlike you, he hadn’t waken up yet. You feel a sense of comfort wash over your body as you watch the way his chest rises and falls in rhythm with his breathing, the way his lips are parted slightly and seem so, so soft. The boy looked at peace for once. But then your heart clenches as you remind yourself of the conversation you had with him last Saturday.

“She was someone really special”

Whoever she was, you sincerely hope she goes back to him one day.

...

[writtenbymonarch]

Angel (Moriarty, pt. 1)

3. “Oh, love, I don’t think you understand the meaning of sarcasm.” 66. “You’re breaking my heart, babe.” 36. “I think you look absolutely adorable.” Imagine: You’re on the side of the angles but you weren’t anywhere near an angel. You better him but he won’t admit it. You meet him mutually through John. Sherlock may have a little crush on you but you choose Moriarty.

Words: 2,400

(gifs not mine)

You had been friends with John Watson for a while now, considering your job was his assistant right now. College had required some time out in the field. The assignment was almost over by now but that doesn’t mean that your friendship would end with John once it was over. You owed a lot of things to him, including a mass of experience because he often had to leave for his little hobby; Sherlock. John had just recently invited you to his house for a dinner party. Nothing was going on between the two of you, it was just that he was inviting people who were pals. He had warned and pre apologized for Sherlock many times at work today, he couldn’t be that bad. It was closing up time and since you and John were going to same place that night he offered to pay for the taxi, not without an offer from you as well. When you stepping in the apartment, it smelled amazing and for the most part, the dining area was clean. From what John has told you, it seemed as if Mrs. Hudson, his land lady, was ‘catering’ the event, it obviously couldn’t have been Sherlock. “Oh it smells delicious in here.” John stated, you nodded your head to agree. In a second flat, a tall curly haired man walked in looking like he was about to interject with something stopped in front of you and John. This man must have been Sherlock. This was apparently unusual because John had a confused look on his face. Once he snapped out of it, he spoke again, “Sherlock, Mrs. Hudson, this is Y/N. Y/N, as you may have already known, this is Sherlock and Mrs. Hudson.” “Oh please, call me Martha.” She came over to seat you in front of an elaborate spread on the table. The two men sat themselves down, Sherlock in the seat in front of you. John shot him yet another confused glare, which Sherlock took notice of this time, shaking his head no, to not mention anything, John then took out his phone. “Greg and Molly are out front. Let me go get the door.” This left you and Sherlock alone, Martha seemed to be off looking for something in her apartment. It seemed as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t, so you sat in silence.   It was taking forever for John to open the door, even though you could hear them chatter. Couldn’t they have talked up here, to break the silence? Finally there was 4 sets of footsteps coming up the stairs. Two of which were Martha’s and John’s. Introductions went down again and then the 6 of you started feasting, still not a peep out of Sherlock. You were starting to wonder if you’ve done or said something wrong.   “Is everything ok?” John asked Sherlock when the other three were in a conversation.   “Of course, everything is fine, why would it not be?” He asked, sitting up straighter.   “You just, haven’t spoken this whole time.” Sherlock nonverbally responded by looking at you for a millisecond. John accepted his answer with a slight ‘oh’. At almost half way through the dinner, a bang from the swift opening of a door sounded. In stepped a man with a perfect suit and perfectly jelled back hair. Telling from the expressions on everyone’s face, he was uninvited. “Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” That was not what you were expecting to come from Sherlocks mouth, with remark tone at the end. You know that he solves crimes and stuff, but you didn’t know he was tangled up in them himself.   “Aren’t you supposed to be nice to guests?” He took the only seat left, which was meant for Mary but she had offered to babysit for a close friend before the dinner party was even an idea. Or at least that is what John informed you of on the way there.   “Jim Moriarty,” John mumbled under his breath, probably not meaning to be heard, but now at least you know his name. “What are you doing here?” “I just saw some yummy dinner and a delectable guest.” He shot a glare at you.   “You keep Y/N out of this.” Sherlock surprisingly said, he had jumped out of his seat and slammed his palms on the table. “And what if I don’t wont to?” Jim mimicked Sherlock’s new stance.   “I’ll stop you.” “Catch me if you can.” All the while they seemed to start fighting with their words, John had dragged you out of the living room and phoned a taxi. “I’m so sorry this all happened. As you can see, this wasn’t expected. You need to get home now. Those two are the most dangerous people I know, and I wouldn’t want to get in their way if there was another option.” This was all happening so fast. You had followed Johns instructions and got home safely or at least you thought. It was 3 am and you happened to be getting up for a late night snack, before getting the crap out of yourself when you turned to light on. “Miss me?” Jim the party crasher said, leaning against your countertop. You hadn’t  answered so he started to get up. “Now what is a pretty girl like you doing living alone?” “How do you know I live alone and how do you even know where I live?” “I have my ways,” before he could get another sentence through his mouth, Sherlock walked through the door. “Another?” You asked to yourself. “I wouldn’t relate him to me.” Sherlock seemed offended. “Rhetorical.” You snapped back. “And how do you know where I live?” “I could have deducted you, but for some reason I didn’t want to invade your privacy. However, I did deduct him and I knew he was up to no good, so I followed him and I ended up here.” His explanation was too lengthy.   “Now, will the two of you leave and let me sleep in peace?” They looked at each other, both awaiting the others answer. “Only if he leaves first.” Sherlock nodded. It seemed too easy. “I’ll be waiting for you outside.” Sherlock spun around, back out of the doorway. “Ugh just make me disappear.” You mumbled under your breath. “That can be arranged.” You didn’t mean for him to hear you before. “Oh, love, I don’t think you understand the meaning of sarcasm. Or how being a visitor works. Now, if you could please leave me in peace.” He nodded his head. Walking out of the door. I couldn’t be this easy. When you heard the door open again, you knew your assumption had been right.   “I will be back soon, Y/N.” Now he had to be finished, you thought.   You were right, once again; he was finished for the night. When you had woken up the next morning and got ready for work, you had this sickening feeling that you were being watched, which most likely was correct considering what John had told you last night. No disruptions held you back from getting to the office, thankfully. Although when you arrived, the receptionist had said that John wasn’t in today, which is odd considering he was fine last night. You hope nothing happened, that you may have induced upon him. However, he does have a pretty smart guy 'protecting’ him. You had went through the whole day with this same feeling, since it had gotten to you so much, you checked out early that day.   Once you had walked outside, there was a black car outside, with extremely tinted windows. A women dressed formally had gotten out of a back door, nose stuck in her phone. She stopped right in front of you. “You’ll be safer in this car than in the taxi you would have used.” She said, monotonously.   “And who am I to trust you?” She shrugged. “We can do this the easy or the hard way.” She finally looked you in the eyes. You didn’t want to put up a fight, feeling as if she was telling the truth. You had walked in the car, in the back seat there was a creepy looking man and Sherlock. If you had known Sherlock was back there, you would have gotten in without any hesitance. Since there was a silence, the other man spoke. “Hello, I’m Mycroft, Sherlocks brother,” You weren’t expecting that, along with the stare Sherlock was giving you. Mycroft put his hand out for you to shake, but you left him hanging, not feeling the most comfortable around him.  "Since Sherlock requested this and I being his 'enemy’ means you’re an important girl.“ This made Sherlocks head snap.  

This is the cut off if you chose Moriarty.

Before Sherlock could speak, a crash was heard and you were glad you had buckled up, or else you would have ended up though the windshield. Everyone else wasn’t so lucky, being in a human jumble in the middle of the car, not to seriously hurt, but they weren’t fine and dandy.   “I told you that I’d be back soon.” Moriarty’s voice came from the now open door. Two men came to grab you, putting up a fight was what you did now though. You were unsuccessful, being shoved into another car, with Moriarty next to you. Being unhandcuffed, you could have ripped his eyeballs out, but you decided against it, for some odd reason.   “What am I doing here?” You couldn’t stand how you liked the way he looked at you, smile on his face.   “I have an infatuation with you, my dear, Y/N, and I cant stand to see you next to Sherlock. When I crashed the dinner party, I wasn’t planning on finding such a pretty lady there. But since I have, I can’t just let him go and take a shot at you.” He was going to start talking again before you cut him off, not standing the odd yet pleasurable way you feel.   “Take me back. I don’t want to be here. Or around you.” You said with the sternest expression you could muster up.   “You’re breaking my heart, babe.” “You’re breaking my patients.”   “If that’s what you want then.” He got up out of the door holding his hand out, a signal for you to get out too, again declining his gesture, even if you were very drawn to it.   Once you walked out, you were standing right in front of your place. “Thanks for the ride, I guess. Next time, could you just not harm anyone in the midst?” “Next time can you be dressed for a nice date I can take you on? I can deliver the dress to you.” You couldn’t resist the smile on your face. “I’ll take that as a yes. Will tomorrow night work?” Instead of answering, you walked into your place. Falling on your couch, thinking about how good it felt to be sort of a badass. You couldn’t wait until this date, knowing you would see a lot more of him. You had to wait in anticipation on your day off. Nothing seemed to keep your attention until finally you gave up. You packed up and headed to Johns house, to see what was going on in his side of the spectrum. Once the door to his flat opened, he pulled you into a big hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe. Everyone said they hadn’t seen you after the crash.” The two of you caught up. He also explained what Moriarty was all about, making you even more nervous about tonight, not how he would harm you, just about seeing how he thinks. This had taken up most of the day, leading up to the night. Not wanting to miss the date, you had headed home. Now that you think about it, Sherlock wasn’t at the flat and there was the same model car that he had yesterday, but with a few dings in the front. Don’t let it be him. He seemed sweet and all, but the way he has acted around you, just wasn’t your thing. Luckily, when you got to your place, there was no delivery yet. Immediately after you sat down, trying to calm your rushing heart beat, the bell rang. You walked out of your door and saw a Valentino bag. If that didn’t add to your nerves. Once you put it on, it was beautiful. The length just at knee level, black, with some sections of lace, with just your size. Right after you were finished, there was another ring of a bell of your door.   “Hello love, I have come to escort you to a night you’ll never forget.” A handsome, well dressed Jim was at the door. There was short limo out front he welcomed you into. You had put up an act as if you weren’t interested, but you felt the absolute opposite. He had taken you to a huge building, riding the lift all of the way to the rooftop, to find a restaurant style layout and low lit candle lighting. Cliché but cute. He sat the both of you down at the one table there. It was time to show him a little of what you were actually made of, to keep him on your leash.   “I think you, and this, are absolutely adorable.” You half teased. He leaned closer to you “What is adorable is you thinking you’re fooling me.” He whispered into your ear. -A/N Wow this is a long one. Sorry for the wait, I have been busy lately. Headaches are the worst. The Sherlock version will be coming soon. I tried something new and I think I like it. ~Monarch

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

#175: 14 Ways to Eat Like the French — Savor It, Don't Fear It

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #175

~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio

"How you eat, when you eat, for how long you eat, and with whom you eat might be more important than what you eat. Eating and enjoying real food is what matters, not tracking calories." —Johnny Adamic

As reported by Time magazine last year, while the United States unfortunately has been found to describe  34% of its population as obese, France is ten percentage points fewer. The British Journal of Nutrition observed that a significant type of diet that was contributing to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. was what they coined as the "sweet and processed" diet, in other words foods such as "skim milk, fruit juice, breakfast cereal, chocolates . . ." Much of how we approach food is based on the culture in which we were raised and most directly, the household habits in which we live as a child. However, the food producers and advertisers, especially in America (as you will see below) chose to exploit the health of their consumer in order to gain profits, and thus our parents or grandparents may have fell prey to welcoming into our childhood unhealthy food tastes. As shared in The Guardian, "All the foods that you regularly eat are ones you learned to eat" and the good news is since your choices were learned, you can learn new choices and unlearn the habits that do not suit a healthy body, mind and lifestyle. I was recently speaking to a family who had just returned from a month long visit in Italy. Sitting down to listen to them share their experiences with regards to dining and the appreciation for food and the portions served reminded me of why I appreciate the French, and as evident in their anecdote, the Italian culture as well. Food is to be appreciated, embraced and seen as a component in how to live well. While food may not be the absolute centerpiece of our lives, it is indeed a crucial component and to ignore such an everyday avenue to experience pleasure in the short-term and a healthy long life throughout the duration of our long lives is to be ignorant of the gift food can bring. Today I'd like to share with you 14 ways the French approach eating and welcoming food into their lives as a way to enrich each of our appreciation and experience with the daily detail we all balance, experience and need.

1. Step away from sugar at breakfast

As a child I can remember having boxes of cereal in one of our kitchen shelves; however, my mom was careful to limit us to Cheerios and Shredded Wheat. I quickly became aware of the more sugar laden options when staying at friends homes for sleep-overs and so when my mom would on special occasions let us purchase a sugary option, it was always Frosted Flakes. But I do applaud my mom for being cognizant of the sugar content in our morning routine. Since then, I eat the same breakfast nearly each morning as I shared in this post and the only sweet component is the local honey which is why I found it eye-opening that as shared in Michael Moss's book Salt, Sugar, Fat  "the sweet breakfast was an invention of the cereal manufacturers in the middle of the last century". With each year I teach rhetoric to my high school juniors, the more and more parallels I see to not only determining the intention of writers, speakers, and advertisers, but in companies as well. In the case mentioned above, why are those breakfast cereal ads propositioning kids rather than parents? Perhaps because a savvy parent realizes what a child should be eating. My larger point is, rather than make choices of what advertisers would like to sell you or what is the trend in the food world, come to understand what your body needs. Healthy can absolutely make you happy, not artificially so as a sugary cereal will for a short moment and then leave you high and dry before the day has hardly begun.

2. Mind your portions

Recently I reviewed the newly established French Market here in Bend, and one of the reasons I enjoyed my experience as well as the owner and chef's approach to food was the smaller portion sizes. Each time I have dined there, my plate has been cleaned as if the chef knew exactly how much I needed to satiate my palate due to the delectable flavors. Ironically, the local newspaper just shared their review of the restaurant and one of the negatives they shared in their commentary was the small portions. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly disagree. Part of the reason portion sizes have grown in the United States is the food we eat doesn't truly satiate our palate. If food is fresh, well-cooked, seasoned well with herbs and spices as well as salt and pepper (before, not after it is cooked), as well as not smothered in sugary sauces or tasty, yet teasing fried batter, we don't need as much. And neither do we need doggie bags. Géraldine Lepere shared in her interview on the podcast (episode #169) that the need for a doggie bag is a poor reflection on the planning of the kitchen. In other words, when you come to a restaurant for dinner, you are coming for one meal, not dinner and lunch tomorrow, and so the goal is to give you what you need to feel satisfied and satiated in that moment, and no more. As well, the bottom-line of the restaurant is better able to invest in quality ingredients that will satiate their customer's taste buds rather than in cheap processed ingredients.

3. Welcome traditions that work

While not all traditions are worth keeping (ahem, look to #1 - walk away from the sugary cereals), some most definitely are when it comes to food. For example tea and a small treat (savory or sweet) in the afternoon if you are in England, and eating a large lunch rather than a large dinner as is more commonly practiced in France. Why? In each scenario, the body's needs are heeded without going to excess. As well, each tradition involves sitting down, savoring and fully experiencing the food and the company.

4. Mindfully eat

The habit of being aware of what you are eating, savoring the flavors and the preparation enables you to notice when food is indeed delicious and when it is not (stop eating in such cases). As well, being mindful helps to slow down the eating process and allow time for your physiology to recognize when the body is naturally full.

5. Food is the common denominator not the main attraction

"For France, a meal is a very particular moment, in which you share pleasure, the food as well as the conversation." —nutritionist Dr Francoise L'Hermite

While indeed food is an art of its own in France, it is not the reason alone you sit down to enjoy the combination of flavors and seasonal ingredients. Rather the food enlivens the celebration and the moment of time spent with friends, family and even strangers depending upon the situation. In so many ways, food is the common ground regardless of culture, belief or age, and what a powerful common denominator to spark conversation and help recognize that we have more in common than not.

6. Select quality again and again and again

"They know that quality food means pleasure in the short-term and health in the long-term." via Empowered Sustenance

Flavor matters. If you taste a fresh locally grown strawberry that has been sun kissed by the warm summer heat, you don't gobble down the entire garden's worth. Rather you share and perhaps make a tart or a short-cake or a parfait to heighten the appreciation and share with those around you. When food is top quality, we don't need much of it. And when the quality has been selected, we want to slow down and savor it, reminding our bodies to slow down as well.

7. Lose the negative descriptors of delicious food

Guilty pleasures, sinful bites, naughty concoctions. To label food in such a way is to lessen the moment of pleasure we can have when we take the first bite of dark chocolate mousse. Last month I had the opportunity to have dinner at the French restaurant in Portland I have fallen in love with, Coquine. After a lovely, seasonally perfected three course meal, upon paying our bill and to be enjoyed as we returned to our Airbnb, we received a hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie with smoked almonds rolled in caramel and finished with sea salt (here's the recipe). I did not feel once ounce of guilt. I ate that cookie so slowly, with eyes closed and chocolate melting on my fingers that in that moment great pleasure was indeed experienced. The difference is quantity, and again, proportion plays a role. A savvy chef will make food for people, real humans who have a waistline and wish to keep it, but at the same time also want to taste delicious food. In other words, the piece of chocolate at night will not ruin your diet. In fact, if it is quality chocolate (preferably dark), with 60% or more cacao, it will help your overall health. Eat away (just one though, but that is all your tastebuds will want).

8. Take your time

Eating while you drive, while you walk, while you work, while you do anything else besides talking with your dinner companions prevents not only the opportunity to be mindful of what you are eating but also the ability for your body to recognize when it is full. Again food is a significant component in our lives as we cultivate a way of life that is full of quality and appreciation and beautiful moments. And while food isn't the center, it shouldn't be looked at as a boorish necessity to fuel us.

9. Prepare real food, eschew processed and invented foods

Another difference in the French approach to eating versus American and even English cultures is how often we cook our own meals. When we make our own meals, we are aware of what we are eating. And when we are aware of what we are eating, we can choose to cook with food that will heighten the quality of our life rather than inundate us with, for example, constant additions of sugar. As my palette matures and I begin to seek out natural flavors and appreciation of seasonal produce, I find myself noticing sugar in food that has no need for it such as thus choosing to refrain from eating it or seeking out more healthy options (such as Portlandia Foods' organic ketchup).

10. Make the visit to the market an enjoyable ritual

One of my bi-weekly routines is visiting the farmers market (when the seasons permit) and my favorite grocery stores (seen below is my visit last week to Trader Joe's - flowers are always on my list). I truly enjoy bopping into the store with my canvas bag with my list in tow and being part of the community experience of choosing food to fuel my life and savor each day. Such a concept may at first sound frivolous, but we don't enjoy our everyday routines, what are we enjoying? Life is made up of countless conscious and unconscious routines. Why not make as many as you can as enjoyable as you can?

11. Good fat is good for you

Yes, many have questioned the French Paradox (eat seemingly food such as cheese, chocolate and drink wine, yet still stay healthy and thin), but while their obesity rate has inched up due to outside influences (namely the United States' marketing campaigns for processed foods), they continue to eat differently by and large. In fact, 89% of the 2600 French people studied in the British Journal of Nutrition reported eating full fat cheeses. Why? Satiation occurs and the boy seeks out less food to feel full. As shared by Lisa Sasson, a clinical assistant professor of nutrition at New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and a registered dietitian, is “The magic of the French diet, for example, is they still eat whole foods and eat more vegetables than we do. Yes, real food. Not fat free cheese.”

12. Keep it simple and eat the basics, just keep it real

I was recently listening to an episode of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Kitchen, and a great piece of advice was shared about how to learn how to cook well: Master 10-15 recipes you love and learn them by heart. I do agree with this piece of advice, and I also have found that if you master the basic concepts of fundamental recipes (how to create the aromatics for a savory dish, how to roast vegetables, how to make pesto, how to create a basic sauce, etc.) you can then play with these skills and use the ingredients you have on any given day. Part of the reason I made this list for TSLL Épicerie (episode #109) was so long as you have these ingredients on hand at all times, you will be able to make any basic recipe at any given time, regardless of the season (all you have to do is add the freshest seasonal ingredients you find at the market). Knowing how to cook a simple chicken breast so that it is flavorful and moist is a dish you can make again and again and again, changing the flavors up each time and pairing with the freshest vegetable in season.

13. Enjoy wine as a partner to elevate the meal

14. Feeling hungry is not bad for you

Last but not least, the French do not snack (unless you are a child and then after school at around 3 or 4 the children enjoy their le gouter). Allowing yourself to feel hungry, not starving, not famished so as to be fatigued, but hungry is a good sign. In fact, when I wake up in the morning, I hope I do feel hungry as it means my body is ready to eat rather than just eat because it is time to enjoy petit déjeuner. How can you ensure you won't become hungry too soon? Eat well when you do sit down for your meals. Eat well-balanced, yet satiating food. Enjoy eating, take your time and be aware of what you are eating and let go of feeling guilting about eating. An important part of the process of developing eating habits that work for us and feed our bodies well is to pay attention to how the food we eat makes us feel. Case in point, at Coquine, with a brioche shrimp toast as an appetizer, poached Monterey Bay squid and Black Cod (two dishes for two people) for the entrées and Benne Seed Pavlova for dessert, I wasn't full, but I was absolutely satisfied (and the cookie to enjoy on the walk home, as mentioned above, added a sweet punctuation of deliciousness to finish the night). The flavors were thoughtful, and the evening was memorable due to the company, the ambiance of decor and fellow guests as well as the knowledgable the wait-staff.

~the entrées at Coquine, as described in the above text~

Fearing food is to fear life. Food is what gives us life or if thoughtlessly approached, is what can shorten our lives. Why not discover the basic tenets of good eating (see below for posts to get you started or to reaffirm what you already know) and come to understand the simply luxurious approach to food which is inspired by the French: quality over quantity and never deprivation, only moderation. ~SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Why Not . . . Learn How to Cook?

~Why Not . . . Feed Your Body Well?

~Why Not . . . Keep It Simple in the Kitchen?

~10 Simple Ways to Live Healthier

  Petit Plaisir:

~The Earful Tower podcast

Subscribe on iTunes here

View my review of The Earful Tower podcast here

  ~Read or Listen to past French-Inspired podcast episodes of The Simple Sophisticate below: ~Episode #4 - 10 Ways to Unearth Your Inner Francophile ~Episode #32 - The Francophile's Style Guide: The 14 Essentials ~Episode #144 - 20 Ways to Incorporate Your Love for the French Culture into Your Everyday Routine ~Episode #157 - Liz Burgerol of The Hot Sardines shares her thoughts on the differences between the French and American cultures SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave

Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

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26 Easy Desserts You Can Make in a Slow Cooker

Maybe it’s just me, but something about chilly weather makes me crave ultra-cozy desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth anyway, but it seems to get more intense as fall and winter roll around. I’m ready to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea and just about any type of warm baked good! Of course, that also means I’m not very motivated to cook when I’m wrapped up in my blanket cocoon. That’s why these easy desserts you can make in a slow cooker are perfect: They’re made in the Crock Pot, so they’re all super easy!

Try one of these amazing 26 slow cooker desserts for a deliciously indulgent bite any day of the week. You’d be amazed what you can make in a Crock Pot, so we know you’ll find something you like on this list! Besides, sometimes you just need to have a cheat day, right?

1. Slow Cooker Low Carb Maple Custard

Create the ultimate creamy custard without all the hassle of the stovetop. You don’t have to worry about scalding or curdling the custard mixture thanks to the slow cooker keeping everything at the ideal temperature—low and slow is the way to go. Only five ingredients and bursting with rich, maple flavor!

2. Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

A delicious cold weather treat, apple crisp can easily be made in a Crock Pot. The topping becomes nice and crispy while the apples get super tender. Simply prepare the apples, top them with the crumble mixture, and let it all cook. It doesn’t get much easier than that, does it?

3. Crock Pot Apple Maple Pecan French Toast

If you can have dessert for breakfast, surely it’s okay to have breakfast for dessert! This indulgent treat is filled with fall flavors, including rich maple syrup, crunchy pecans, and sweet apples. This recipe is perfect for a chilly morning brunch or a late evening treat.

4. Slow Cooker Banana Bread

A tried an true classic, yes, but even banana bread can be made in the slow cooker! Is there anything this miracle appliance can’t do? This recipe is simple to assemble, and by cooking the bread at a low temperature, your loaf won’t dry out like it could in the oven. Serve it warm for an easy dessert!

5. Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

A sweet drink can definitely be a great dessert, and what better way to be festive around the holidays than with a spicy gingerbread latte? You can even line the mugs with caramel and top it all off with cookies for a festive touch. Making warm drinks in a big batch like this are perfect for parties—there’s plenty to go around, and it’s easy to keep warm!

6. Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler

This recipe reminds me of making cobbler in a cast iron skillet, but using the slow cooker is just as easy and delicious. Using a pre-made yellow cake mix makes this dessert even easier to assemble, and it’s perfect when you’re craving a weeknight treat. Plus, you can use frozen peaches, so you can enjoy this dessert all year long!

7. Slow Cooker Rocky Road Fondue

Fondue is usually seen as a difficult dessert not worth the trouble. By making it in a Crock Pot, fondue night can be whenever you want! With only five ingredients, this treat couldn’t be any easier. Feel free to get creative with the foods you dip into the chocolate! We love using fruits, marshmallows, and and graham crackers.

8. Crock Pot Pecan Pie

Yes, pie can be made in a slow cooker! Impress your guests this holiday season by telling them you made this delectable pie without even turning on your oven. By using a Crock Pot liner, you even cut down on the mess! You can even freeze the baked pie for later—perfect for when you’re busy during the holidays.

9. Easy Crock Pot Caramel Rolls

Commonly known as “monkey bread,” these caramel rolls are made with flavored refrigerated biscuit dough and topped with a deliciously sticky caramel glaze. Done in only one and a half hours, this delicious dessert can be made in a hurry. Drizzle with a bit of icing for a sweet, indulgent treat!

10. Peppermint Nut Clusters

Nothing is more synonymous with festive treats than peppermint, so make a big batch of these nut clusters to give as gifts during the holidays. With only three ingredients (Hershey’s Peppermint Kisses, peanuts, and candy canes), this delicious dessert mix is ultra crave-worthy!

11. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler

This cobbler recipe is a warm and delicious addition to your seasonal baking repertoire. It’s filled with all the flavors you love from pumpkin pie but with a fraction of the work. In fact, you get to toss it all into the slow cooker and walk away! After you top it off with the crunchy pecan topping, it’ll be completely irresistible.

12. Skinny Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider

This dessert drink is simple to assemble, and it’s even healthy! Plenty of apples, a bit of orange, and loads of cinnamon and other warming spices make this classic drink perfect for a chilly night in. We suggest starting it in the morning and letting it cook on low all day long. This allows all of the flavors to blend perfectly together!

13. Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds

Spiced nuts are always great to have on hand, whether it be for a snack or to give as an easy gift. These cinnamon almonds are the perfect blend of sugar and spice. Just make sure to stir them every 20 minutes so they don’t end up in big clumps. We guarantee you’ll be grabbing handful after handful!

14. Slow Cooker Applesauce with Cranberries

Apples are in peak season during the fall months, so put them to good use by making this tasty applesauce! Slow cooker applesauce has been popular for awhile now, but this recipe is a little different. By adding apple cider and cranberries, you get an extra apple-y taste, and a bright tart flavor. Perfect for a chilly night in.

15. Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate

What’s more festive for the holidays than hot chocolate? This recipe is silky smooth thanks to the addition of whole milk and condensed milk. The kids will love adding extra marshmallows and candy canes to their mugs, and they can even leave some out for Santa, too!

16. Slow Cooker Lemon Bars

Craving the bright flavors of summer during those bleak winter months? Grab a lemon bar! If you’ve never used the slow cooker to bake before, these sweet-tart bars will make you a true believer.

17. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars

Get your pumpkin pie fix without all the work with this amazing pumpkin pie bar recipe. The crust is simple to make, and the filling is deliciously rich like a traditional pumpkin pie. Oh, and did we mention it’s only 76 calories per serving? Um, yes please!

18. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

This Thanksgiving staple can be made in a Crock Pot, freeing up some much-needed oven space. With a few pantry staples, this dessert casserole is perfect to make during the holidays. The marshmallows still get nice and toasty on the top, so make your Thanksgiving prep even easier this year!

19. Easy Pumpkin Butter

Perfect for holiday gifts, or just to keep for yourself, this pumpkin butter is smooth and delicious. Packed full of spices, the pumpkin butter becomes thick thanks to the steam generated in the slow cooker. Simply combine all the ingredients and cook it low and slow for optimal results.

20. Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp

Another healthy dessert, this berry crisp is perfect for those times you find yourself craving something sweet. Maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish, and the topping stays plenty crispy when cooked. Plus, you can use frozen berries, making it a year-round treat!

21. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Ooey and gooey, this molten lava cake is any chocolate-lover’s dream. The cake gets an extra hit of chocolate flavor thanks to the chocolate chips. Top it with a hearty dollop of whipped cream and you’re all set. It’s even gluten-free and only clocks in at 157 calories per serving!

22. Slow Cooker Brown Betty

Somewhat of a forgotten bake, the “brown betty” is a baked fruit pudding (traditionally made with apples) and topped with a crumb mixture. This dessert only takes 10 minutes to assemble, making it super easy to prepare. Warm and spicy, the apples become tender when cooked and take on plenty of cinnamon flavor.

23. Slow Cooker Fudge

Did you know you could make fudge in the slow cooker? I didn’t! This decadent, guilt-free fudge tastes absolutely amazing. Each bite contains only 114 calories, making it the perfect portion-sized treat when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

24. Crock Pot Apple Pear Cider

Of course everyone loves apple cider, but step up the traditional recipe by adding pears into the mix. The mixture of fruits and spices blend together perfectly, creating the ultimate autumn and winter drink. Maple syrup finishes it off with a natural sweetness—you’ll never buy cider again after you taste this!

25. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Dairy-Free Fudge

Fudge is known for being a finicky dessert, so make this fool-proof version in a slow cooker for optimal results. With only four ingredients, this fudge is slow delicious and creamy, you’ll never know it’s sugar-free and only 65 calories per serving! Bag it up for an easy gift to give during the holidays!

26. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread

Spice-filled pumpkin bread is crave-worthy during chillier months, and for good reason: it’s delicious! Studded with chocolate chips, this version is rich and moist thanks to the addition of cream cheese. The inside still stays soft and tender, so you’ll be going back for more slices in no time!

Is anyone else hungry after reading all of those recipes? I know I am! Plus, they’re all so easy to assemble, which means I can take a cozy nap while my Crock Pot does all the work for me. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? Pull out your slow cooker and get to baking!

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60 Christmas Themed Food Ideas for Office Meal Celebrations!-- Forkly

Looking for Christmas-themed food ideas for the annual office potluck party? There are countless holiday-themed recipes available online but many of them are time-consuming, difficult and expensive. That’s where we come in. We’ve scoured the web for the very best Christmas party food ideas that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes and won’t break the bank! Amaze your co-workers this holiday season with one of the super easy (but still delicious and unique) party food ideas below.

1. Green and Red Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is the best idea for a potluck. Not only does everyone love it, but its also incredibly easy to make and doesn’t require any effort once you get to the office. Simply put it in a large container in the fridge and pull it out when you’re ready. It’s that easy!

2. Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels will be a sure hit with your co-workers. Buy some pretzel sticks and mini pretzels at the grocery store – along with some chocolate and sprinkles and you’re good to go. Melt the chocolate in a matter of seconds, dip the pretzels in the chocolate, then the sprinkles and you have a wonderfully delicious holiday treat.

3. Christmas Veggie Kabobs

This healthy and tasty appetizer requires about 5 minutes and 10 dollars. All you need is a couple of green peppers, Greek yogurt dip, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and some skewers. Cut up the vegetables and cheese and alternate each along the stick, as shown in the photo. A holiday-inspired appetizer that everyone will love.

4. Christmas Goat Cheese Toast Bites

These little appetizers look so fancy and delectable that everyone will think they took hours to make. Luckily, they take just minutes. All you have to do is buy a pack of melba toast crackers (garlic ones work really well), a brick of goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and balsamic reduction. Place the toasts on a sheet. Once all of the toasts are done, you can either serve them as-is or, if your office has a toaster oven you can throw them in for a few minutes to warm them up.

5. Turkey Veggie Tray

This is the item that everyone will be copying for years to come. Why? Because vegetables are a must-have at any potluck or get-together and this one is very festive and incredibly easy. Place the vegetables on the tray as you see them laid out in the photo. If you happen to find a festive little bowl, put the dip in that – it’ll add an extra touch of Christmas to this fantastic turkey veggie tray.

6. Cheese and Grape Christmas Tree Tray

Another easy snack that everyone will love. Who doesn’t like cheese and grapes? Simply purchase a variety of cheeses and a bundle of green grapes and place them on a board in the shape of a Christmas tree. Use a stick of celery as the base of the tree and decorate throughout with a few leaves for garnish. This delicious and festive appetizer takes about 10 minutes to create – start to finish. It doesn’t get any better than that!

7. Mini Christmas Pita Pizzas

These are really easy – and equally delicious – but will probably only work if your office has some type of toaster oven (or possibly microwave if you’re really desperate). If your office has a toaster oven, these are so easy to make and your co-workers will appreciate the festive, deliciousness they bring to the party. You can dress them up with whatever vegetables you like – red and green are obviously the best.

8. Christmas Nacho Cups

These festive little nacho cups are an easy and great way to contribute to your holiday potluck party. Simply add guacamole, cheese and cherry tomatoes with cilantro. They’re perfectly bite-sized and delicious. If you want to spice things up a little, you can add a small piece of jalapeno pepper to each cup as well.

9. Cranberry Almond Spinach Salad

Bringing a salad to a potluck is a fantastic way to ensure your friends and family get some greens in their bodies to even out all those heavy pasta dishes that are sure to show up! If you have spinach, sliced almonds, dried cranberries and sesame seeds on hand, this salad will be easy for you to throw together in minutes.

10. Cranberry and White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

These sweet little cups of goodness will be the belle of the potluck ball when dessert time comes around! The best part about this is that you make one mixture and simply divide it up into mini mason jars. Top with sugared berries and a sprig of rosemary and you have a snow-covered treat ready to be enjoyed by all.

11. Cranberry Walnut Holiday Cheese Log

A cheese log is a hit no matter what potluck you go to, and now you can color coordinate it to match the Christmas holiday season. With the help of cream cheese, cheese and walnuts, you can emulate nature’s winter colors while using dried cranberries and green onion to add the festive pop of color.

12.  Pomegranate and Cranberry Bruschetta

Bruschetta is often a savory dish that you can enjoy before a big meal. This time, while the purpose of bruschetta is the same, now it is a sweet and savory dish! With the natural sweetness of the pomegranate and the tart cranberry finish, your guests won’t know if they’re eating an appetizer or dessert, but no matter what they think it is, they will love it!

13. Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Pinwheels are a crowd favorite any day of the week. They’re savory, filling and often packed with some of our favorite foods such as cheese and meat! This Christmas create delicious pinwheels that look like the holiday season. Much like the other recipes, dried cranberries come to the rescue to make these pinwheels, Christmas wheels!

14. Cream Cheese and Parmesan Asparagus

Get your side dish and croissant all in one! This side dish not only looks creative but tastes absolutely amazing! The green and white are perfect for Christmas. All you will need is pastry dough, asparagus, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and an egg. It’s so simple yet absolutely gourmet.

15. Vegan Blinis with Red Pepper Relish

These little crostinis are the perfect alternative for those who are eating a vegan diet but still want to be included in the holiday festivities. With bright red pepper relish, you’ll find yourself humming Christmas carols as you arrange them on your favorite holiday tray.

16. Simple And Easy Chocolate Pretzel Christmas Tree Brownies

Potlucks are fun but with limited time in the weeknights, you need something easy. This recipe screams easy and you’ll have a delicious dessert to contribute in no time. You’ll need store-bought two-bite brownies and just a few other ingredients. Follow our tutorial and recipe and you’ll discover just how easy this is!

17. White Christmas Tree Dessert Toppers

This is essentially the same idea as the green trees but we’re sharing it to show you what else you can do with those incredibly easy chocolate trees. Swap green chocolate wafers for white and add candied silver balls for an elegant decoration. You can use these white Christmas tree toppers to transform an ordinary cake into a Christmasy one. You could also consider adding them to cupcakes or any other dessert, let your creativity run wild!

18. Cheese Christmas Cracker Snack

Whip up a platter of crackers and cheese and add a dash of creativity for your Christmas potluck. This idea is so easy you’ll only need 3 store-bought ingredients. If you don’t have a set of Christmas cookie cutter’s we’ve included a link so you can get your own. Here you’ll use the cookie cutters for the cheese but you’ll find yourself using these all season long whether it be baking cookies or cutting other soft food into fun shapes for the whole family.

Christmas Cookie Cutters 👉 Buy it: https://amzn.to/2NXU0EQ

20. Cozy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Every potluck needs a fun beverage. Keep the festive theme going strong and contribute a slow cooker that is filled to the brim of delicious peppermint hot cocoa. This recipe only requires a few ingredients and then you’ll let the slow cooker do all the work. Bring your slow cooker to the potluck along with fun party cups and some delicious toppings such as whipped cream and crushed candy canes.

21. Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer Brownies

If you’re considering whipping up a batch of brownies for your potluck why not add a few additional steps to create festive Brownies for Christmas. These reindeer brownies are so easy to make and look adorable too. Those you share them with will certainly appreciate them and the best part is they didn’t require much work.

22. Christmas Lights Chocolate Bark

Chocolate Bark is one of the easiest treats to make in large batches which is why it’s great for potlucks. It’s also something you can customize to suit almost any theme! For Christmas, we’ve created a fun Christmas light chocolate bark that you’ll have fun creating and eating! You’ll only need 4 ingredients and a microwave to create this exciting treat.

23. Rice Krispie Cone Christmas Trees

Rice Krispie treats are enjoyed by both children and adults alike. Just like chocolate bark, you can get creative and make them suit any theme. For your Christmas potluck, you need to try these Rice Krispie cone Christmas trees. Instead of marshmallows chocolate will bind the Rice Krispies together and a parchment paper cone will mold the shape.

24. Reindeer Oreo Balls

These oreo balls are sort of like a chocolate truffle but require minimal effort. These reindeer balls are filled with crushed Oreos and cream cheese. Then they’re dipped in chocolate and decorated with candy eyes, pretzels, and Sixlets candies.

25. Christmas Cornflake Wreaths

Like Rice Krispies, Cornflakes can make an excellent ingredient for treats. You’ll combine Cornflakes with melted marshmallows and butter to form the wreath shapes. Green food color provides the vibrant color and red cinnamon candies are added for the finishing touches! These are so easy you can let your kids help you prepare them.

26. Easy Cheese Puff Pastry Christmas Trees

These cheesy puff pastry Christmas trees would be perfect for your Christmas potluck. They’re so easy to make and only require 3 simple ingredients. Serve up a platter of flaky irresistible pastry trees for an unforgettable treat.

Every Christmas season I have to watch the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. So why not put on the film and get making your own grinch popcorn. The red and green color is perfect for your Christmas potluck and everyone will gobble it up in no time.

28. Boozy Christmas Cherry Bombs

Change things up and bring a boozy Christmas snack to your next potluck! Just make sure those of age are indulging in this treat. Boozy cherries are made from red maraschino cherries that are soaked in a vanilla flavored vodka. They’ll soak for up to 24 hours but make sure to save the vodka to mix into your favorite cocktail later. To add a Christmasy touch dip the cherries in a melted candy coating and decorate with festive sprinkles.

29. Christmas White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookies are always a crowd-pleasure so whip up a batch and bring them to your potluck. These chocolate chip cookies get a few upgrades to make them perfectly festive for the party. Firstly, you’ll trade milk chocolate chips for white chocolate. Then, you’ll add a few drops of red and green gel food coloring.

30. Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip

Are you considering a dip to bring to your Christmas potluck but want to contribute one that has festive traits? Look no further and bring this gingerbread cheesecake dip. You’ll trade savory flavors for sweet with a hint of traditional flavors of the Christmas holidays. Along with cream cheese, this dip contains flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Serve with graham crackers or your favorite wafer cookie.

31. Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Breadsticks

Getting creative with your food can still be easy and this recipe proves how. Transform store-bought thin crust pizza crust into a delicious pull apart breadstick appetizer. The breadsticks are filled with a tasty spinach dip. Follow the recipe and directions and you’ll have this edible Christmas tree made swiftly.

Puppy chow, or in this case, reindeer chow is a popular snack item. It’s sweet and super addictive and would be a great treat to contribute to a potluck. This reindeer chow is made up of holiday M&M’s, peanut butter cups, pretzels, and homemade muddy buddies. The red and green M&M’s added the perfect holiday colors to this snack.

33. No-Bake Baileys Bonbons

If you didn’t love the boozy cherries you’ll probably like these no-bake Baileys bonbons. They’re so easy to make and only require 4 ingredients. These bonbons are chocolatey, creamy, and definitely rich in flavor. Once complete, you can decorate them with festive red and green sprinkles.

34. Candy Cane Fudge

Another crowd pleaser, especially around the holidays would have to be fudge. This fudge recipe is simple yet remains stunning and full of flavor. You’ll only need 3 ingredients, white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and crushed candy cane powder. They only take minutes to make and then will need to harden in the fridge overnight.

35. Triple Layer Vintage Christmas Jell-O

This triple layer vintage Christmas Jell-O will give you a blast from the past and you’ll be glad you brought it to your Christmas potluck. Lime jello makes up the bottom layer while the middle is made up of lemon jello and fluffy marshmallows. The top layer is a classic cherry but together they create an unforgettable bite.

36. Candy Cane Cookies

Not only do these cookies take on the shape and colors of a traditional candy cane but they are flavored with peppermint too. They’re easy to make and would make an excellent contribution to your holiday potluck. You’ll need just a few ingredients to make these cookies. Follow the recipe and directions to whip these candy cane cookies into shape.

37. Festive Fruit Platter

Potlucks are often thriving in sugar treats so why not share a delicious fruit platter instead! This example may be small scale but it shows how you can make a simple fruit platter festive by creatively arranging the food. You can create the layers of the Christmas tree with any fruit you like. Once your coworkers see your fruit platter they’ll devour it in no time.

38. Caprese Salad Skewers

This idea may not be exactly Christmas themed per se, however, the colors are perfectly festive for the holiday! Share a platter of these kabobs and your coworkers will go crazy for them. These skewers take the ingredients of Caprese salad and transform them into convenient finger foods that you can share. To create the skewers layer cherry tomatoes with basil, and mozzarella balls. To garnish, drizzle a savory balsamic glaze.

39. Santa Hat Brownies

Who doesn’t love an ooey-gooey fudgy brownie? Share a plate of these Santa hat brownies at your office potluck and you’ll watch them disappear in minutes! This is a simple brownie recipe that requires minimal ingredients. To create the Santa hats use a strawberries and whipped cream!

40. Gumdrop Nougat Candy

This 4-ingredient treat is stunning in color and delicious in flavor. All you’ll need to create this gumdrop nougat is butter, white chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and red and green gumdrops. This treat will only take you 15 minutes to make and can be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to share at work!

41. Gingerbread Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you enjoy fudgy brownies? Then you’ll love these gingerbread bars! They’re soft and chewy and perfectly seasoned to taste just like gingerbread! Bake the bars in the oven and then whip the cream cheese frosting together. Decorate the bars with the frosting and festive sprinkles of your choice.

42. JELL-O Santa Hat Cookies

These JELL-O Santa hat cookies would look adorable on a platter and your coworkers will go crazy for them. These cookies truly melt in your mouth! To create them you’ll need egg whites, strawberry JELL-O, white chocolate, mini marshmallows, and just a few other ingredients.

43. Devilled Eggs With A Holiday Twist

Devilled eggs are one of the most popular potluck food items! To create a festive platter consider trying this recipe! It’s a regular devilled egg recipe but what makes them unique is their coloring. You’ll use red and green food coloring to transform this appetizer into one that is perfect for the holidays.

44. Christmas Red Velvet Sugar Cookies

Red velvet cookies are perfect for Christmas! These cookies are bold red and incredibly delicious too! From start to finish you’ll only need 20 minutes to create them. Once they have cooled decorate using a homemade cream cheese frosting and garnish with festive red, green, and white sprinkles!

45. Santa’s Favorite Cookie

Another excellent cookie option would be these red, white, and green cookies! If Santa loves them so will your coworkers! You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make these and you’ll most likely have them on hand already! To transform these cookies with festive colors mix in festive colored sprinkles and red and green M&M’s.

46. Holly Jolly Cookie Stick

Do you despise baking? No problem! Try creating these holly jolly cookie sticks! This recipe is so easy because it requires all store-bought premade ingredients. To create the cookies dip Pirouette French Vanilla cookie sticks in melted white chocolate. Then, garnish using Christmas sprinkles of your choice!

47. Cranberry Fluff Salad

Tired of green leafy salads? Try a sweet salad for a change! This cranberry fluff salad is a vintage recipe but remains exciting in both flavor and texture. This salad is made up of cranberries, crushed pineapple, mini marshmallows, and whipped cream topping.

Another great alternative to a leafy green salad is this Christmas salad. It’s savory, creamy and oh so delicious! This simple recipe combines broccoli and cauliflower florets with red onion and cherry tomatoes. Smother those ingredients in a simple creamy dressing that your coworkers will surely enjoy!

49. Cheese Ball Bites

Cheese balls are great for parties, especially potlucks! Instead of creating one cheese ball you need to make these cheese ball bites! They are  so easy to make too! To make them festive coat them in alternating red, white and green ingredients. Some great examples of these toppings are walnuts, dried cranberries, fried onions, chives, crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

50. Pesto Tortellini Skewers

This pesto tortellini can be served both chilled and at room temperature. If your office doesn’t have a fridge big enough to store potluck food items then you need to make this recipe! Considering they can remain at room temperature, they won’t turn rancid (phew)! To build these skewers you’ll use tortellini, pesto, sundried tomatoes, and small wooden skewers. It’s so easy you have to try it!

51. Easy Peppermint Brownie Truffles

Share a platter of decadent truffles with your coworkers this holiday season. They look gourmet but are actually quite effortless to create. To make this recipe even easier start by baking your favorite boxed brownie mix. Once the brownies have cooled use a fork to create crumbles. Then, form the crumbles into bite-sized balls and freeze. Setting them in the freezer will help them keep their shape. Lastly, dip them in melted chocolate and garnish with crushed candy canes and a drizzle of white chocolate!

52. 5-Minute Festive Cranberry Salsa

This cranberry salsa is unlike any snack you’ve tried before! Spicy jalapenos balance the flavors of tart cranberries and together create one tasty treat! In addition to fresh cranberries and jalapenos, you’ll need red onion, fresh cilantro, and a few seasonings. Place the salsa on top of a soft brick of cream cheese and serve with crackers or chips of your choice!

53. Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cranberry bliss bars are every Starbucks addicts favorite! If they weren’t one of your favorite holidays treats before they will be now! This is an easy copycat recipe of the Starbucks classic holiday treat. Your coworkers will be astounded to discover you made them yourself!

54. Peppermint White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

These cheesecake bars are rich and super easy to make! They’re infused with lovely flavors of peppermint and decadent white chocolate. To create these bars start with a delicious crust. Then mix together the cheesecake filling and top with white chocolate baking squares and crushed candy canes. As a bonus, this recipe is also gluten-free!

55. Candy Cane Christmas Dip

Chip dip is a crowd favorite so there is no wonder that a dessert dip would be popular too! This candy cane dip is perfect for the holidays and your coworkers will love it! The ingredient list is short, all you’ll need is marshmallow fluff, cream cheese, peppermint extract, crushed candy canes, and red food coloring. Serve the dip with your favorite wafer cookie!

56. Cherry Almond Cream Cheese Crescent Danish Tree

Share a warm flaky danish with your coworkers. This holiday tree is festive and edible! Start with store-bought crescent roll dough. Instead of unrolling the dough you’ll cut the roll of dough into 11 rounds. Form the Christmas tree shape and top with a delicious cream cheese. Bake them in the oven and then garnish with cherries and a delicious frosting drizzle!

57. Christmas Tree Treats

Create a stunning Christmas tree pastry to bring to your office potluck! You’ll only need 6 ingredients. These include store-bought puff pastry, pecans, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and icing sugar to garnish! They’ll come together in a hurry and everyone will enjoy them.

58. Funfetti Shortbread Bites

Funfetti shortbread bites are a delectable little snack that would be perfect for your office potluck! This shortbread recipe is short and simple and you’ll have this treat made quickly! First, you’ll need to mix the ingredients to create a dough. Don’t forget to add the festive sprinkles! Place the dough in a square pan and chill in the fridge. Lastly, cut the dough into little squares and finish by baking them in the oven.

59. White Chocolate Ting-A-Lings

This no-bake recipe comes together effortlessly and tastes lovely too. To create these white chocolate clusters you’ll need chow mein noodles, salted peanuts, white chocolate, and festive sprinkles. All you have to do is melt the chocolate, pour over the chow mein noodles and peanuts and form the clusters onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Garnish the cluster with sprinkles and set in the fridge to harden.

60. Easy Christmas Peppermint Patties

These sweet peppermint patties are incredibly easy to make and don’t require any baking. This recipe requires 6 simple ingredients all of which you’ll most likely have on hand. Use food coloring to create the different colors and infuse the patties with peppermint extract for a delicious holiday flavor!

[inmyprimeallthetime-blog]

Everyone says “time flies” but I don’t think you really feel it while in the daily grind. If I wasn’t sure of that before, now my two munchkins, who aren’t quite so small anymore, are constant reminders that time is ever fleeting. Nothing is permanent and the ability exist in the present without desire or regret is incredibly hard to surrender to. Every moment flows to the next like the waterfalls at the Ohe’o Gulch in Hana, Maui. Crystal clear water cascading down out of a rainforest into the turquoise pacific. It’s magic, and when we won’t slow down to enjoy the view we miss it. It had been almost seven years since we had gone to Maui on our honeymoon when we received a save the date for a dear friend’s wedding. I was honored to be invited, but thought that with Chris’ busy work schedule, kids and a stressful home improvement project that this was a trip we would have to sit out. Much to my surprise (and great joy) as soon as Chris saw the invite he exclaimed, “amazing, I can’t wait!”. We began to plan our trip over the next few months and shaped it similarly to the way we did our honeymoon. We had three separate destinations on the itinerary. I was nervous that travel with the kids would prove draining (which at times it was) but for the most part it was an absolute dream.

We landed at the Kahului airport at around 2pm on a Thursday and promptly each grabbed a kid to divide and conquer the luggage claim and car rental. We were off the airport premises within 20 minutes and on our way to our first destination at the Polo Beach Condos in Wailea. I had some trouble in transmitting the keyless entry code to the itinerary I wrote up resulting in an inability to unlock the door,  we thought we were too early to check in so we got back in the car and set out to grab lunch at the Grand Wailea just a couple minutes up the road. After refueling we grabbed supplies then realized we were supposed to type the # sign in before the code and like that we were in our beachfront condo in paradise. We explored the beach and pool before settling in with some frozen pizza for dinner, gourmet I know… The next day my parents arrived and we gave them the tour after they got acclimated. The condo’s private beach connects to the public Polo Beach and the paved beach walk that runs between the beaches and resorts sprinkled along that Wailea stretch. We walked from our beach over to the Fairmont for some lunch and frosty adult beverages, then back to the condo for swimming at the pool. The sweet smell from the plumeria trees and the warm sticky air awoke my senses. The following morning we were up with the sun and out to grab gear from Snorkel Bob’s by 9am. Our kids are 4 and 6 so I wasn’t sure that we’d really be able to do an activity like this but they LOVED it, and so did we. My youngest had on floaties but our oldest just held onto dad and explored the wildlife off of Ulua Beach. We saw a variety of fish but none as exciting as the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a, aka the Reef Tiger Fish and the official state fish of Hawaii. It’s as fun to say as it is to see in real life. My oldest son loves to watch documentaries and shows about marine life so this was truly one of the highlights of the trip for all of us. The wonder and amazement in his eyes and the enthusiasm with which he spoke about seeing the animals swim right next to him will forever stay in my heart.

After two more nights at the Polo Beach Club Chris and I were ready to set out on our solo adventure for the trip. The wedding day was here and we had managed to sneak off for two nights to the ultra luxe Four Seasons Wailea sans children, a vacation inside our vacation! Of course we were just a couple minutes away if needed but my parents were happy to keep the kids entertained and away for most of those 48 hours. Upon check-in we were greeted with a delicious cucumber lemon infused water and a cool lavender towel that I awkwardly wiped my hands and neck with so as to not be rude. The service at the Four Seasons is unmatched, granted we don’t stay at these sorts of places often. We had booked the room without realizing there was a room block so during check in I mentioned it and asked if we might be able to receive the block rate. The accommodating staff took care of us and issued a credit for the difference. We dropped our bags in our garden view room which was as perfectly set with comfy bed, nespresso, speakers softly playing island music, and a couple of chewy powdered sugar dusted lemony cookies that I ate all myself (Chris isn’t big into the sweets). We then left the room to embark on the festivities for the evening. Ferraro’s is a poolside restaurant and bar at the resort where we started the evening with some cocktails before heading to the lobby. The beautiful bride had emphasized that we meet in the lobby at 4:30 sharp so as not to miss the ceremony. I just assumed it would be onsite at the hotel however several people had speculated that we’d be escorted off site, which is indeed what ended up happening.

We were transported to a beautiful grassy knoll overlooking the ocean. The bright altar sewn with vivid orange roses, purple orchids, green hydrangeas and more did a spectacular job of framing the gorgeous couple on this perfectly calm afternoon as they declared their love for one another. The vows were romantically heartfelt and left not a dry eye in attendance, at that moment they were true love embodied for us all to see. The cocktail hour was back at the hotel near the lobby where high top tables and purple orchids were merely props for the delectable appetizer tasting and sunset viewing soiree. Couples and friends all posed as the cotton candy sky illuminated – a postcard worthy backdrop.   After the cocktail hour we made our way to the reception on the ocean front lawn. Again stunning and elegant, every detail thoughtfully executed and representative of the happy couple. Bruno Mars played on the speakers to bring them in for their fun entrance before the first dances began. Every person who spoke about the officially formed Wu’s brought soundbite after soundbite that Oprah would deem a “tweetable moment”. This authentically good and kind duo were definitely made for eachother. We rounded out the evening with an unreal buffet (3 tables full of the most delicious food), a dessert bar that even I wasn’t able to take full advantage of due to lack of space in my belly, dancing, and even a nightcap in the lobby bar. Oh and they had a fire performer, I mean come on, it was breathtaking. The Kearney and Wu families know how to throw an epic celebration of love.

The next morning after nursing our hangovers for a bit we met my parents and our kids in the lobby for breakfast downstairs at Duo. They have a beautiful buffet for adults and a pretty sweet one for keikis, powdered donuts included, however we all opted for made to order meals off the menu. Their Ulupalakua Ranch Breakfast was phenomenal including their unique potatoes that are perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy soft on the inside.After breakfast we set up the family at the pool, then Chris and I made our way to the Grand Wailea for our massages. This spa is world renowned so we booked our treatments there. Upon arrival we were shown the facilities and escorted to the locker rooms to change and start our experience. My massage was top notch however I did think the facilities felt a bit cheesy and dated. I fell asleep during my massage which is a testament to how relaxed I felt, definitely a good sign. Post massage we went straight for the Serenity Pool back at the hotel where we ordered a Poke sampler to share which I devoured most of without regard for my partner. It all worked out fine as he ordered his own sushi roll shortly after. We sipped on Lahaina Lemonades and reenacted our time spent there on our honeymoon taking silly posed photos and laughing A LOT. Dinner reservations were at Spago we shared a pork belly appetizer and ahi tuna poke in sesame miso cones, yum! For dinner I got a fish curry with rice and Chris enjoyed a szechuan style beef dish, also delicious. My dish came with three flavor enhancing sauces that I was advised to add only after tasting them each individually, instead I threw them all in at once for a flavor tango that danced all over my tongue. We finished up with a chocolatey volcano for dessert. Our experience didn’t disappoint and we felt transported back in time to when we were married. We retired to bed and enjoyed sleeping without kids for another night before returning to the condo to set out on our next adventure. Check in later for part two of our Maui vacation. As always thanks for reading!

Beauty, Love, and a Dream Vacation (Part One) Everyone says "time flies" but I don’t think you really feel it while in the daily grind.

[foodmeupscotty]

I have to tell you straight up, I’m not a connoisseur of Middle Eastern cuisine; although I’ve some Isreali friends that swear that the food in Tel Aviv is some of the best in the world.

So I grabbed some friends with a bit more experience with all foods Middle Eastern and made a pilgrimage (well, short stroll) to one of Hong Kong’s hottest new restaurants, Francis.

Head Chef Asher Goldstein is part of a trio of lads who have established the no reservations spot in St Francis Street & has taken inspiration from his childhood memories.  Using ingredients and flavours from the Middle East, Chef Asher’s menu is a kaleidoscope of foods that could be found on the bustling streets of Tel Aviv, Israel.

Knowing it was a no reservations joint, we made sure to arrive a good thirty minutes before the kitchen was open, but only just snagged the last four available seats – which were superb.  Right on the open windows at the front of the restaurant, we were able to watch the world pass by as we waited for the kitchen to open.

While we waited, we were given a plate of curried and pickled vegetables to snack on, quite an interesting set of flavours and textures.  While we snacked away, we started to plan which of the delicious looking menu items we would order to share.

As the clock struck 6 pm, we called our waiter over to take our order, smashing out quite a comprehensive list of delectable options.  One small disappointment at the ordering stage was the unavailability of the grilled octopus; however, we were informed that the octopus was just not up to being served, we gave a mental shrug and ordered the lamb (more on that later).

We’d ordered a truckload of food anyway 🙂

First up was the Veal Cigars with red pepper and caraway, the four deep-fried pastry covered sticks of veal having an oriental ‘spring roll’ look about them.  Placed haphazardly in a bowl, the red pepper and caraway sauce sitting vibrant on the plate, they looked eminently appealing.  There was a deep earthy flavour of the shredded veal and the golden coating was crisp, but it was the addition of that sauce that helped them shine.

Out next, was the Burnt Eggplant with pepper, chilli and yoghurt; which admittedly looked lovely, but was a dish I avoided (yeah, not a fan of eggplant!).  While I didn’t even try it, nods from around the table and comments that I was missing out told me that the dish was spot on (if you like that type of thing!)

One of the most amazing dishes I’ve had in a long time appeared up next, not only did the Baked Halloumi with pomegranate molasses and wild oregano look spectacular, it was also heavenly to consume.  The deep red of the pomegranate seeds covering the light yellow of the halloumi seemed perfectly suited to the cast iron deep dish they were presented in.  I loved the sticky molasses in comparison to the texture and bite of the pomegranate, then the smooth creamy and ever so slightly rubbery texture of the cheese.  I definitely loved the dish, the simplicity of its composition and its amazing taste; so I ate most of it (sorry guys!)

A lot of people find chicken hearts quite confrontational, but we ordered them anyway; arriving shishkebab style on skewers, the small meaty and expertly cooked chicken hearts were well received by the table.  I loved the slightly minerally flavour of the hearts and found myself finishing off the remaining few once the table had had their fill.

I was pretty much on my own when the whole Sardine with fennel, white bean, tomato and ‘nduja’ appeared.  I quite like sardines, but even I was a little bit confronted by the size of that bad boy sardine!  It had largely been deboned, but even so, it was still a little difficult to eat (with big size comes big bones) – and it was seriously hot (spicy) from the nduja (spicy salami) – It wasn’t my favourite and not something I’d order again.

We were back on track with a simply stunning dish, a special of the kitchen and a dish that changed components (although not spirit) regularly.  Burek was pastry filled with fetta and accompanied by the most amazing tomato sauce you could hope to taste.  The crunch of the pastry, when combined with the flakey fetta and sauce reminded me of the taste of a Margherita pizza, so it went down really well.  It was a definite favourite at the table and something that we contemplated ordering again!

We were on a roll with another table favourite looking beautiful as it was placed on our table.  The Wagyu Hanger spiced butter was a super simple dish, but the quality of beef, along with expert cooking left us in awe of the dish.  A caramelisation of the beef blended wonderfully with the tender centre that was a perfect medium rare; the addition of the spiced butter lending a creamy richness to the earthy beef.  It wasn’t as fatty as you’d expect from Wagyu, but I personally didn’t mind!

We’d had a few super dishes but not all of them were table pleasers; one of the disappointing dishes of the night was probably the simplest.  While I didn’t partake in the Hummus with chickpea and lamb neck ragu (you guessed it, no chickpeas for me!), it wasn’t a winner with my dining companions either, with the feeling that it was a little dry…

The Chicken Schnitzel with za’atar and aioli split the table as well.  Personally, I simply loved the simplicity of the schnitzel, especially with the light and delicious aioli smeared over the top.  The crumbs were golden and crispy, the dish was seasoned to perfection and it really hit the spot; oh well, not everyone can love everything, so it gave me more of the schnitzel to devour!

It seemed as if we’d finished the savoury part of our meal, our dishes were cleared away, but something was nagging at the back of my mind.  I asked our waiter if we were finished and he confirmed we had……  But, we reflected after our desserts that we’d ordered the Lamb Ribs with orange, yoghurt and coriander – but it never came.

We debated if it was a good thing though, we were pretty darn stuffed from the meal & we still had dessert to go.

Interestingly, there were two desserts on the menu, one a savoury and the other a sweeter option.  We ordered two of the sweeter Knafeh, deep fried mozzarella with orange blossom and pistachio, along with the savoury Spiced Quince with olive oil, bay leaf cream and sumac.  While both dishes were really good, it was the ‘savoury’ spiced quince that was our favourite (and we thought a little sweeter to boot!)

It did leave Alex and Aaron a little disappointed as they’d been raving about how spectacular a good knafeh could be…  They rated the Francis version as good – which left me wondering what a spectacular version might taste like!

I think I’m a convert!

There were some spectacular flavours from our meal at Francis, in particular, that halloumi dish, which I could have eaten all night.  I definitely loved most of what I ate, with the exception of the sardine, and I know the guys had some quibbles with the hummus as well.

However, when we received the bill for the night, we were particularly pleased..  It felt like we’d ordered most of the menu and a heap of drinks, yet the total bill was much lower than we’d expected.  We checked through and it had everything we’d ordered (and didn’t have the lamb), and it was bang on.  So the value at Francis was superb.

Will I eat there again?  Absolutely, not only is it just around the corner from my apartment, it’s cheap and delicious – I’d be crazy not to!

Get along and check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

https://www.francis.com.hk

@FoodMeUpScotty

The Middle Eastern option: Francis I have to tell you straight up, I'm not a connoisseur of Middle Eastern cuisine; although I've some Isreali friends that swear that the food in Tel Aviv is some of the best in the world.

[zeroviraluniverse-blog]

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Pi Day isn’t until March 14, but there’s another pie-centric holiday on the calendar. Pie Day falls on January 23, and we’re sharing our picks for the best pie in every state. Whether you prefer a classic apple or go for more unusual flavors (raspberry rhubarb jalapeño, anyone?), celebrate Pie Day with one of these delectable options.

1. ALABAMA // PIE LAB

Location: Greensboro, Alabama

This trendy community space serves fried chicken salads and various wraps and paninis, but the highlight are their pies, made with exceptionally buttery crusts. Have a slice of coconut cream or chocolate chess pie while you enjoy good conversation and a friendly vibe. And if you have a hankering for a real taste of home, chef Seaborn Whatley says they’ll even try to duplicate an old family favorite if you happen to have your grandmother’s recipe book on hand.

2. ALASKA // BEAR TOOTH THEATREPUB

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

The Bear Tooth Theatrepub is more than a dine-in movie theater—it’s also a restaurant, draft brewery, and concert venue all in one. But after you’ve finished off some fresh Alaskan fish tacos, save room for the caramel turtle fudge ice cream pie. Made with an Oreo cookie crust, the pie manages to perfectly balance chocolate fudge, vanilla ice cream, and smooth caramel.

3. ARIZONA // PIEFECTION

Location: Mesa, Arizona

This pie-only bakery focuses on top-notch ingredients such as fresh whipped cream, wild blueberries, and bars of authentic Belgian chocolate. The country apple pie, made with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg (and can be made gluten-free with a day’s notice), is a real standout. Or, cool off from the Arizona heat with a slice of lemon meringue, topped with beautifully toasted, swirled meringue.

4. ARKANSAS // FRANKE’S

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Opened nearly a century ago in 1919, Franke’s boasts three locations in Little Rock today. The cafeteria is popular for its burgers and candied sweet potatoes, and for its selection of outstanding pies, such as egg custard, chocolate cream, and sweet potato coconut.

5. CALIFORNIA // THE MADONNA INN BAKERY

Courtesy of The Madonna Inn Bakery

Location: San Luis Obispo, California

The whimsical Madonna Inn has provided rooms to travelers on California’s Central Coast since 1958, and the hotel’s bakery, situated inside the Copper Cafe, is an essential sweet stop along Highway 101. The magnificent pies come in flavors such as caramel Dutch apple, apricot, cherry, and cream cheese.

6. COLORADO // 3.14 SWEET & SAVORY PI BAR

Courtesy of 3.14 Sweet & Savory Pi Bar

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

3.14 Sweet & Savory Pi Bar is a fun bakery that pays homage to everyone’s favorite mathematical constant. Pies here are creatively named; a few standouts are the Nutty Professor (peanut butter chocolate pie), I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts (coconut cream), and Wicked Southern Dutchman (Dutch apple pie with Kentucky bourbon).

7. CONNECTICUT // SIXPENCE PIE COMPANY

Location: Southington and New Haven, Connecticut

Two friends who loved baking started Sixpence Pie Company at a local farmer’s market, and have since opened two brick-and-mortar stores. Besides savory shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pies, you’ll find seasonal sweet pies and a mouthwatering sugar and spice pie, made with banana and Nutella.

8. DELAWARE // CANNON’S CUSTOM CAKES & BAKERY

Location: Newark, Delaware

Since 1985, Cannon’s Bakery has provided elaborate custom cakes for parties and special occasions, the result of mother-of-five Leah Cannon’s well-known prowess at making cakes for friends and family. But you don’t need a wedding or graduation as an excuse to take home one of the shop’s delicious pies; pick up a pecan or apple pie, or a seasonal sugar-lattice fruit pie.

9. FLORIDA // JOE’S STONE CRAB

Location: Miami Beach, Florida

Back in 1913, Joe Weiss moved from New York to Miami to try to improve his asthma. The lunch counter he opened has morphed into a Miami Beach landmark that serves stellar seafood and perfect pies. Although key lime pie is the classic choice here, the chocolate pecan and apple pies are also marvelous.

10. GEORGIA // SUGAR SHACK

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

At this cozy coffee shop in a shopping center, you’ll find dessert cases filled with tantalizing full and mini pies. The apple crumb and peach crumb pies are light and energizing, and the chocolate pecan pie has a richness that will make you feel sublime.

11. HAWAII // LEODA’S KITCHEN AND PIE SHOP

Location: Lahaina, Hawaii

Located on the west side of Maui, Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop serves what it calls “glorified grandma comfort food.” The macadamia nut chocolate praline and coconut cream pies are certainly comforting, in the way that only sugar and grandmas can be.

12. IDAHO // BIG CITY COFFEE AND CAFE

Courtesy of Big City Coffee and Cafe

Location: Boise, Idaho

Big City Coffee in the Linen District blurs the line between pies and scones with its spectacular cherry pie scone. The enormous creation is loaded with fruit and has a uniquely flaky, granular crust.

13. ILLINOIS // BANG BANG PIE & BISCUITS

Courtesy of Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Stop at Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits in Logan Square or Ravenswood for a tart apple cherry crumble pie or the best lemon pistachio pie of your life. Made with a shortbread crust, the pie contains lemon curd, buttermilk custard, and candied pistachios. The store also offers baking classes so you can learn to make your own pie creations at home.

14. INDIANA // MOM’S HOMEMADE PIES

Location: Kokomo, Indiana

Mom’s Homemade Pies takes its name seriously. You won’t find any mixers, which means that all the pie crust here is tender and silky. The gooseberry pie is loaded with fruit and the butterscotch cream pie will make you nostalgic for a simpler, sweeter time.

15. IOWA // DELUXE

Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Deluxe is an adorable French bakery located just one mile from the Iowa River. The bakers here use fresh, organic local apples to make an excellent double butter crust apple pie, and the strawberry rhubarb pie is also noteworthy for its subtle balance of sweet and tart.

16. KANSAS // THE UPPER CRUST PIE BAKERY

Courtesy of The Upper Crust Pie Bakery

Location: Overland Park, Kansas

Opened by two sisters and their mom, this neighborhood bakery delights visitors with its authentically Midwestern approach to pies. Although most people love the peach raspberry and coconut custard pies, don’t overlook the yummy brown sugar buttermilk pie.

17. KENTUCKY // ANNIE MAY’S SWEET CAFE

Courtesy of Annie May’s Sweet Cafe

Location: Louisville, Kentucky

All of the treats at this allergy-friendly bakery are free of soy, gluten, peanuts, and tree nuts. But what the pies lack in allergens, they make up for in bold flavor. The store’s glorious fruit pies are simple, pure, and absolutely delicious.

18. LOUISIANA // COWBELL

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

This restaurant’s name might make you think of the old Saturday Night Live skit, but once you dine at this dog-friendly eatery, you’ll definitely say that you need more Cowbell. To chase the skirt steak or carne asada tacos, order the apple pie. It’s served with crème anglaise and caramel, making for a tantalizing gustatory experience.

19. MAINE // TWO FAT CATS BAKERY

Location: Portland, Maine

Two Fat Cats Bakery is a truly special place devoted to baking pies (and other desserts) from scratch. Bakers hand roll every pie, use authentic New England ingredients, and advertise fruit pies based on the harvest months. For wild Maine blueberries, order the divine blueberry rhubarb pie in May or June. For this time of year? The Lemon Shaker or Bourbon Pecan pies will do the trick.

20. MARYLAND // RENATA’S TASTY BITES

Location: Columbia, Maryland

After moving from Croatia to the States, Renata Alanovic opened this delightful store in Columbia. Customers love her handmade sweet and savory pies and pastries, especially the wonderful cherry and pecan pies, all with extra embellishments on the crust.

21. MASSACHUSETTS // MIKE’S PASTRY

Location: Multiple locations, Massachusetts

With locations in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, Mike’s Pastry has a strong presence in the greater Bean Town area. Grab a few Nutella cannoli and chow down on a slice of authentic Boston cream pie while you admire the ricotta pie’s flawlessly golden top.

22. MICHIGAN // SISTER PIE

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Sister Pie treats pie with the utmost respect. Bakers make the crust by hand with unbleached flour and French butter, and they source local ingredients at peak ripeness for pie fillings. The salted maple and honey lemon meringue pies will blow your mind.

23. MINNESOTA // THE BUTTERED TIN

Courtesy of The Buttered Tin

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

This cafe and bakery in Lowertown serves coffee and pie that hit the spot when you need an extra boost to get through the day. You’ll find different crusts made of butter, graham cracker, or sugar dough, and flavors range from a tart green apple to pumpkin chiffon.

24. MISSISSIPPI // WALKER’S DRIVE-IN

Location: Jackson, Mississippi

If you’re in the Fondren arts district, you must head to Walker’s Drive-In for a slice of the fried pie of the day. Depending on the day, you might enjoy an upside down blueberry pie or a chocolate pecan pie, served with bourbon vanilla ice cream.

25. MISSOURI // IT’S EASY AS PIE

Location: Fenton, Missouri

If you find it hard to pick just one flavor of pie to eat, It’s Easy As Pie has you covered. Order their Cutie Pies for a dozen assorted mini pies that will make your tastebuds ecstatic. Or get a whole bananas foster pie, which contains creme brûlée infused with dark rum.

26. MONTANA // BLACK CAT BAKE SHOP

Location: Missoula, Montana

This charming family-owned bakery is popular for its stollen (a German fruit and nut loaf) and stupendous pies. The huckleberry pie earns raves for its effortless balance of sweet and tart flavors.

27. NEBRASKA // MODERN LOVE

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Three words: vegan comfort food. After you chow down on latkes, seitan gyros, or wild mushroom schnitzel, get ready for some of the best pie of your life. The apple ginger pie is served with a coconut whip, and the blood orange coconut cream pie is made with a snickerdoodle crust.

28. NEVADA // WET HEN CAFE

Location: Reno, Nevada

Wet Hen Cafe is located in a nondescript strip mall, but don’t overlook this homespun spot. Generously stuffed with apple slices, the apple pie is huge, heavenly, and served with cinnamon sauce.

29. NEW HAMPSHIRE // CHEZ VACHON

Location: Manchester, New Hampshire

This superb restaurant serves heaping plates of poutine as well as a huge selection of fruit and cream pies. Highlights include the pistachio cream and cranberry walnut cheesecake pies.

30. NEW JERSEY // THE PIE STORE

Courtesy of The Pie Store

Location: Upper Montclair, New Jersey

Anglophiles love The Pie Store for its impressive selection of British groceries. You’ll find plenty of savory pies (shepherd’s pie, chicken and mushroom) as well as spectacular sweet pies, like their key lime. They make their fruit pies, like the cran-apple or raspberry-blackberry-apple, with a double crust, or stop in Saturday or Sunday to get the weekend-only coconut custard and chocolate mousse pies.

31. NEW MEXICO // TUNE-UP CAFE

Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico

The husband-wife team at Tune-Up Cafe serves an eclectic mix of tamales, pupusas, and homemade, gluten-free pies. Order the pie of the day a la mode for a taste of blueberry, maple pecan, or strawberry rhubarb pie with vanilla bean ice cream.

32. NEW YORK // PIED PIPER PIES

Courtesy of Pied Piper Pies

Location: Highland Falls, New York

At Pied Piper Pies, the crust is flaky and the filling is satisfying. Whether you sample a quiche, pot pie, or sweet pie, you’ll be able to taste the care and love that goes into each creation. Pro tip? Get the Samoa or Snickers pies for a sweet blast of nostalgia.

33. NORTH CAROLINA // THE PIE HOLE

Location: Durham, North Carolina

With locations in southern California, Tokyo, and Durham, The Pie Hole has perfected the art of making pie. Toasted marshmallow creme, dark chocolate mousse, and a graham cracker crust comprise the stellar s’mores pie.

34. NORTH DAKOTA // MEZZALUNA

Location: Fargo, North Dakota

This upscale restaurant behind the Fargo Theatre is known for its filet mignon and insanely decadent desserts. The caramel apple pie is served with vanilla bean ice cream, but it’s small, so you’ll want to savor every bite (or order two).

35. OHIO // MAMA JO HOMESTYLE PIES

Location: Amherst and Medina, Ohio

If you don’t appreciate lard’s essential role in making the perfect pie crust, stay away from Mama Jo Homestyle Pies. For everyone else, enjoy a slice of Buckeye cream pie, which contains silky layers of chocolate and peanut butter mousse.

36. OKLAHOMA // THE MERCANTILE

Courtesy of The Mercantile

Location: Pawhuska, Oklahoma

Hands down, the best pie in the Sooner State can be found at The Mercantile. This store and cafe owned by Food Network superstar Ree Drummond (a.k.a. the Pioneer Woman) serves exceptional pecan pie made with toasted Oklahoma pecans, brown sugar custard, and bourbon vanilla whipped cream.

37. OREGON // PETUNIA’S PIES AND PASTRIES

Location: Portland, Oregon

This charmingly alliterative bakery makes small batches of vegan, gluten-free pastries using a blend of millet flour, almond meal, and flaxseeds. It’s hard to pick favorites, but some of the best pies here are the lattice top sour cherry and double crust blackberry peach.

38. PENNSYLVANIA // OAKMONT BAKERY

Courtesy of Oakmont Bakery

Location: Oakmont, Pennsylvania

For 30 years, Oakmont Bakery has been famous for its Paczki (Polish stuffed doughnuts), but the homemade pies are in a league all their own. The Dutch apple seems like a must-order in Pennsylvania, but the spiky tufts on the coconut meringue are impossible to pass up.

39. RHODE ISLAND // THE WAYLAND BAKERY

Location: Providence, Rhode Island

Pies at The Wayland Bakery come in eight-, nine-, or 10-inch pans, but when it comes to this 90-year-old bakery’s pies, bigger is better. Standout flavors include sugar-free apple, coconut custard, and lemon meringue.

40. SOUTH CAROLINA // HAROLD’S CABIN

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

Located in a quiet residential neighborhood, Harold’s Cabin is a restaurant and corner store with a small rooftop garden. Head there on a Saturday or Sunday for breakfast and enjoy sitting with other people who won’t judge you for partaking in buttermilk or cranberry apple pie first thing in the morning.

41. SOUTH DAKOTA // THE PURPLE PIE PLACE

Courtesy of The Purple Pie Place

Location: Custer, South Dakota

The Black Hills region is famous for two attractions: Mount Rushmore National Memorial and The Purple Pie Place. Customers rave about the freshness of the blueberry pie and the creative mix of flavors in the raspberry rhubarb jalapeño pie.

42. TENNESSEE // PAULETTE’S RESTAURANT

Location: Memphis, Tennessee

For four decades, Paulette’s Restaurant has been a destination for fine dining and celebratory meals along the Mississippi River. Although the key lime pie is killer, get the Kahlua-mocha parfait pie. Nicknamed the K-pie, this extravagant dessert’s crust is made with pecans and coconut.

43. TEXAS // PIE IN THE SKY PIE CO.

Courtesy of Pie In The Sky Pie Co.

Location: Conroe, Texas

Drive 40 miles north of Houston, and you’ll find Pie In The Sky Pie Co., a cafe and bakery that churns out a large selection of carefully curated pies. If you can handle the heat, get a slice of red hot apple pie, made with Red Hots cinnamon candies.

44. UTAH // THE DODO

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Named after the extinct Mauritian bird, The Dodo serves humongous, heavenly slices of pie. Flavor options for the towering slices of pie include Toll House, banana cream cheese, and chocolate almond mousse.

45. VERMONT // THE HARTLAND DINER

Location: Hartland, Vermont

Located on Route 5, this neighborhood diner is the perfect spot for a cup of joe and a slice of maple cream or chocolate cream pie. The servings are generous, including the giant dollop of whipped cream that practically hides the delicious pie underneath.

46. VIRGINIA // THE HORSESHOE

Courtesy of The Horseshoe

Location: South Hill, Virginia

If you’re seeking the simple elegance of Depression Era pies—full recipes made with limited ingredients such as milk, sugar, eggs, and butter— head to this diner that has been open since the ’30s. The former blacksmith shop now serves timelessly delicious buttermilk, brown sugar, and lemon chess pies.

47. WASHINGTON // SIMPLY SOULFUL

Location: Seattle, Washington

A family recipe for sweet potato pie inspired a mother and daughter to open Simply Soulful, a soul food and pie joint in Madison Valley. Sip espresso as you dig in to a sweet potato, apple, or mixed berry pie.

48. WEST VIRGINIA // OLIVER’S PIES

Courtesy of Oliver’s Pies

Location: Wheeling, West Virginia

Run by the Oliver family, Oliver’s Pies makes handmade pies with the utmost care. The Dutch apple and peach pies are stuffed with fruit, and the chocolate peanut butter cream pie is rich and velvety.

49. WISCONSIN // STOCKHOLM PIE AND GENERAL STORE

Courtesy of Stockholm Pie and General Store

Location: Stockholm, Wisconsin

Head to Stockholm Pie and General Store for an espresso bar, Wisconsin cheese, and pies galore. After chowing down on chicken pot pie, try the caramel apple crunch pie, which contains hand peeled and sliced apples, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel sauce.

50. WYOMING // THE PIE TIN

Location: Wheatland, Wyoming

You’ll find cakes, cookies, and quick breads at this bakery and catering company, but the pies are truly special. The pumpkin and pecan pies are stellar, as are the more unusual butterscotch and sour cream raisin pies.

[andrewberkowitz]

Best Atlanta Restaurants of 2017

Ever since I moved to Atlanta from Pennsylvania in 2013, the city has continued to grow on me as my favorite city in the country. It’s not too big, not too small, accessible to all major cities, wildly diverse, highly livable, picturesque, and of course, home to some of the most delicious food in the US. Most recently, Atlanta’s food scene has blown up thanks to massive culinary names from Gillespie to Satterfield showing up and preforming extremely well, as well as restaurant groups The Fifth Group and Ford Fry continuing to deliver on their promise of delicious cuisine. Beyond fine-dining, Atlanta also has its fair share of hole-in-the-wall shacks from the now-deceased Ann’s Snack Bar to the cash-only Nick’s Food To Go gyro joint. Whether you’re looking to impress a first date or pig-out on your couch with your roommate, Atlanta has close to 100 fantastic options for you to satisfy your appetite. Unlike massive cities like LA and NYC, you actually can scratch the surface of all the great places in Atlanta, you just need to know where to go. Here’s my favorite restaurants of 2017 to give you a head start.

1. Rathbun’s Steak House – Inman Park (American Steakhouse) 

What To Get: The Cowboy Rib Eye. It is without a doubt, the best steak in the country (besides, maybe, Peter Lugar’s in NYC). It will run your wallet very thin, so save this meal for a very special occasion, like an anniversary, a job promotion, or maybe even a breakup. Just don’t cry into the black truffle butter. If you go, try to get Antoinette as your server - she’s the best. 

2. 246 - Decatur (Italian) 

What To Get: Bring 8-12 people and do the “Black Sheep Table.” It’s $50 per person and it’s pretty much an all you can eat tasting menu where the restaurant takes care of the ordering for you and you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Make sure you get the meatballs though - they are to die for.

3. Boccalupo – Old Fourth Ward (Italian) 

What To Get: The Tasting Menu or the Black Squid Ink Spaghetti. If you have the coin to spend, the tasting menu will give you the best of all worlds, an incredible antipasti, a few pastas to try, a nice meat-dish and lovely dessert, however, if you want to jump straight to the point, the black spaghetti is a must-have. Mixed with shrimp, chorizo, and jalapeño pesto, this pasta has a light spice but heavy flavor. You will not be disappointed. 

4. Staplehouse – Old Fourth Ward (New American) 

What To Get: Whatever is on the menu. Yes, this place lives up to the hype. I’ve been 4 times now and every time I’ve gone I’ve experienced a new food epiphany. Chef Ryan Smith is an artist with his creations, whether it’s with his succulent bay scallops or his savory chicken liver tart. Having trouble getting a reservation? Just show up 15 minutes before they open on a weeknight and grab a bar seat. Easy. 

5. Miller Union – West Midtown (New American) 

What To Get: Farm egg baked in celery cream. This James Beard award-winning farm-to-table restaurant on the Westside is an absolute treat of a meal, that even Anthony Bourdain has given the seal-of-approval to. Georgia-boy Steven Satterfield cooks delectable Southern classics from quail to okra in a style that will make you “weak in the knees,” according to the New York Times. 

6. Nick’s Food To Go – Downtown (Greek) 

What To Get: The Lamb Gyro, of course. This is the best gyro in the world, hands down. Run by Nick, his wife, and his daughter, every trip to Nick’s is an authentic, fun, and delicious experience. I would take a bath in his tzatziki sauce. 

 7. The General Muir – Dectaur (New American / Jewish Deli) 

What To Get: The Double Stack Burger.  While TGM is a great place to get some New York Jewish Deli foods like latkes, matzo ball soup, or corned beef, I’d actually recommend coming here for the burger, which is the only burger in Atlanta that gives Holeman & Finch a run for its money. With basic ingredients of American cheese and shaved onions, this juicy, succulent burger will leave you stuffed, but coming back very soon for more. 

8. Bread and Butterfly – Inman Park (French) 

What To Get: Avocado Toast. This tiny, unassuming Parisian-style bistro packs one of the most flavorful menus in all of Atlanta. From incredible coffee to savory pancakes, everything on the menu is going to wet your appetite. My favorite item though is the avocado toast, topped with poached egg, lime, sea salt, and chile. 

9. Community Q BBQ – Decatur (BBQ) 

What To Get: The Mac and Cheese. Seriously, you can even skip the BBQ here and go to Sweet Auburn, Daddy D’s or Fox, but do not pass up on the Mac and Cheese here which is the best I’ve ever had. Get an entire quart of it and don’t share with anyone!

10. Home Grown – Memorial (Brunch) 

What To Get: The Comfy Chicken Biscuit. Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Clinton, John Hamm, and just about every other celebrity has eaten as this loud and local brunch favorite in Atlanta. You really do have to get the Comfy Chicken Biscuit - it’s a staple - but maybe split it with someone else, because you won’t finish it and you’ll end up in a food coma by 11am. The fried green tomatoes are also amazing. Like most well-known brunch spots in Atlanta, be prepared to wait in line. 

Happy eating and sorry vegans!

[zillowcondo]

#175: 14 Ways to Eat Like the French — Savor It, Don’t Fear It

~The Simple Sophisticate, episode #175

~Subscribe to The Simple Sophisticate: iTunes | Stitcher | iHeartRadio

“How you eat, when you eat, for how long you eat, and with whom you eat might be more important than what you eat. Eating and enjoying real food is what matters, not tracking calories.” —Johnny Adamic

As reported by Time magazine last year, while the United States unfortunately has been found to describe  34% of its population as obese, France is ten percentage points fewer. The British Journal of Nutrition observed that a significant type of diet that was contributing to the obesity epidemic in the U.S. was what they coined as the “sweet and processed” diet, in other words foods such as “skim milk, fruit juice, breakfast cereal, chocolates . . .”

Much of how we approach food is based on the culture in which we were raised and most directly, the household habits in which we live as a child. However, the food producers and advertisers, especially in America (as you will see below) chose to exploit the health of their consumer in order to gain profits, and thus our parents or grandparents may have fell prey to welcoming into our childhood unhealthy food tastes. As shared in The Guardian, “All the foods that you regularly eat are ones you learned to eat” and the good news is since your choices were learned, you can learn new choices and unlearn the habits that do not suit a healthy body, mind and lifestyle.

I was recently speaking to a family who had just returned from a month long visit in Italy. Sitting down to listen to them share their experiences with regards to dining and the appreciation for food and the portions served reminded me of why I appreciate the French, and as evident in their anecdote, the Italian culture as well. Food is to be appreciated, embraced and seen as a component in how to live well. While food may not be the absolute centerpiece of our lives, it is indeed a crucial component and to ignore such an everyday avenue to experience pleasure in the short-term and a healthy long life throughout the duration of our long lives is to be ignorant of the gift food can bring.

Today I’d like to share with you 14 ways the French approach eating and welcoming food into their lives as a way to enrich each of our appreciation and experience with the daily detail we all balance, experience and need.

1. Step away from sugar at breakfast

As a child I can remember having boxes of cereal in one of our kitchen shelves; however, my mom was careful to limit us to Cheerios and Shredded Wheat. I quickly became aware of the more sugar laden options when staying at friends homes for sleep-overs and so when my mom would on special occasions let us purchase a sugary option, it was always Frosted Flakes. But I do applaud my mom for being cognizant of the sugar content in our morning routine. Since then, I eat the same breakfast nearly each morning as I shared in this post and the only sweet component is the local honey which is why I found it eye-opening that as shared in Michael Moss’s book Salt, Sugar, Fat  “the sweet breakfast was an invention of the cereal manufacturers in the middle of the last century”.

With each year I teach rhetoric to my high school juniors, the more and more parallels I see to not only determining the intention of writers, speakers, and advertisers, but in companies as well. In the case mentioned above, why are those breakfast cereal ads propositioning kids rather than parents? Perhaps because a savvy parent realizes what a child should be eating. My larger point is, rather than make choices of what advertisers would like to sell you or what is the trend in the food world, come to understand what your body needs. Healthy can absolutely make you happy, not artificially so as a sugary cereal will for a short moment and then leave you high and dry before the day has hardly begun.

2. Mind your portions

Recently I reviewed the newly established French Market here in Bend, and one of the reasons I enjoyed my experience as well as the owner and chef’s approach to food was the smaller portion sizes. Each time I have dined there, my plate has been cleaned as if the chef knew exactly how much I needed to satiate my palate due to the delectable flavors. Ironically, the local newspaper just shared their review of the restaurant and one of the negatives they shared in their commentary was the small portions. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly disagree.

Part of the reason portion sizes have grown in the United States is the food we eat doesn’t truly satiate our palate. If food is fresh, well-cooked, seasoned well with herbs and spices as well as salt and pepper (before, not after it is cooked), as well as not smothered in sugary sauces or tasty, yet teasing fried batter, we don’t need as much. And neither do we need doggie bags. Géraldine Lepere shared in her interview on the podcast (episode #169) that the need for a doggie bag is a poor reflection on the planning of the kitchen. In other words, when you come to a restaurant for dinner, you are coming for one meal, not dinner and lunch tomorrow, and so the goal is to give you what you need to feel satisfied and satiated in that moment, and no more. As well, the bottom-line of the restaurant is better able to invest in quality ingredients that will satiate their customer’s taste buds rather than in cheap processed ingredients.

3. Welcome traditions that work

While not all traditions are worth keeping (ahem, look to #1 – walk away from the sugary cereals), some most definitely are when it comes to food. For example tea and a small treat (savory or sweet) in the afternoon if you are in England, and eating a large lunch rather than a large dinner as is more commonly practiced in France. Why? In each scenario, the body’s needs are heeded without going to excess. As well, each tradition involves sitting down, savoring and fully experiencing the food and the company.

4. Mindfully eat

The habit of being aware of what you are eating, savoring the flavors and the preparation enables you to notice when food is indeed delicious and when it is not (stop eating in such cases). As well, being mindful helps to slow down the eating process and allow time for your physiology to recognize when the body is naturally full.

5. Food is the common denominator not the main attraction

“For France, a meal is a very particular moment, in which you share pleasure, the food as well as the conversation.” —nutritionist Dr Francoise L’Hermite

While indeed food is an art of its own in France, it is not the reason alone you sit down to enjoy the combination of flavors and seasonal ingredients. Rather the food enlivens the celebration and the moment of time spent with friends, family and even strangers depending upon the situation. In so many ways, food is the common ground regardless of culture, belief or age, and what a powerful common denominator to spark conversation and help recognize that we have more in common than not.

6. Select quality again and again and again

“They know that quality food means pleasure in the short-term and health in the long-term.” via Empowered Sustenance

Flavor matters. If you taste a fresh locally grown strawberry that has been sun kissed by the warm summer heat, you don’t gobble down the entire garden’s worth. Rather you share and perhaps make a tart or a short-cake or a parfait to heighten the appreciation and share with those around you.

When food is top quality, we don’t need much of it. And when the quality has been selected, we want to slow down and savor it, reminding our bodies to slow down as well.

7. Lose the negative descriptors of delicious food

Guilty pleasures, sinful bites, naughty concoctions. To label food in such a way is to lessen the moment of pleasure we can have when we take the first bite of dark chocolate mousse.

Last month I had the opportunity to have dinner at the French restaurant in Portland I have fallen in love with, Coquine. After a lovely, seasonally perfected three course meal, upon paying our bill and to be enjoyed as we returned to our Airbnb, we received a hot-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie with smoked almonds rolled in caramel and finished with sea salt (here’s the recipe). I did not feel once ounce of guilt. I ate that cookie so slowly, with eyes closed and chocolate melting on my fingers that in that moment great pleasure was indeed experienced.

The difference is quantity, and again, proportion plays a role. A savvy chef will make food for people, real humans who have a waistline and wish to keep it, but at the same time also want to taste delicious food. In other words, the piece of chocolate at night will not ruin your diet. In fact, if it is quality chocolate (preferably dark), with 60% or more cacao, it will help your overall health. Eat away (just one though, but that is all your tastebuds will want).

8. Take your time

Eating while you drive, while you walk, while you work, while you do anything else besides talking with your dinner companions prevents not only the opportunity to be mindful of what you are eating but also the ability for your body to recognize when it is full. Again food is a significant component in our lives as we cultivate a way of life that is full of quality and appreciation and beautiful moments. And while food isn’t the center, it shouldn’t be looked at as a boorish necessity to fuel us.

9. Prepare real food, eschew processed and invented foods

Another difference in the French approach to eating versus American and even English cultures is how often we cook our own meals. When we make our own meals, we are aware of what we are eating. And when we are aware of what we are eating, we can choose to cook with food that will heighten the quality of our life rather than inundate us with, for example, constant additions of sugar.

As my palette matures and I begin to seek out natural flavors and appreciation of seasonal produce, I find myself noticing sugar in food that has no need for it such as thus choosing to refrain from eating it or seeking out more healthy options (such as Portlandia Foods’ organic ketchup).

10. Make the visit to the market an enjoyable ritual

One of my bi-weekly routines is visiting the farmers market (when the seasons permit) and my favorite grocery stores (seen below is my visit last week to Trader Joe’s – flowers are always on my list). I truly enjoy bopping into the store with my canvas bag with my list in tow and being part of the community experience of choosing food to fuel my life and savor each day. Such a concept may at first sound frivolous, but we don’t enjoy our everyday routines, what are we enjoying? Life is made up of countless conscious and unconscious routines. Why not make as many as you can as enjoyable as you can?

11. Good fat is good for you

Yes, many have questioned the French Paradox (eat seemingly food such as cheese, chocolate and drink wine, yet still stay healthy and thin), but while their obesity rate has inched up due to outside influences (namely the United States’ marketing campaigns for processed foods), they continue to eat differently by and large. In fact, 89% of the 2600 French people studied in the British Journal of Nutrition reported eating full fat cheeses. Why? Satiation occurs and the boy seeks out less food to feel full. As shared by Lisa Sasson, a clinical assistant professor of nutrition at New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health and a registered dietitian, is “The magic of the French diet, for example, is they still eat whole foods and eat more vegetables than we do. Yes, real food. Not fat free cheese.”

12. Keep it simple and eat the basics, just keep it real

I was recently listening to an episode of Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Kitchen, and a great piece of advice was shared about how to learn how to cook well: Master 10-15 recipes you love and learn them by heart. I do agree with this piece of advice, and I also have found that if you master the basic concepts of fundamental recipes (how to create the aromatics for a savory dish, how to roast vegetables, how to make pesto, how to create a basic sauce, etc.) you can then play with these skills and use the ingredients you have on any given day.

Part of the reason I made this list for TSLL Épicerie (episode #109) was so long as you have these ingredients on hand at all times, you will be able to make any basic recipe at any given time, regardless of the season (all you have to do is add the freshest seasonal ingredients you find at the market). Knowing how to cook a simple chicken breast so that it is flavorful and moist is a dish you can make again and again and again, changing the flavors up each time and pairing with the freshest vegetable in season.

13. Enjoy wine as a partner to elevate the meal

14. Feeling hungry is not bad for you

Last but not least, the French do not snack (unless you are a child and then after school at around 3 or 4 the children enjoy their le gouter). Allowing yourself to feel hungry, not starving, not famished so as to be fatigued, but hungry is a good sign. In fact, when I wake up in the morning, I hope I do feel hungry as it means my body is ready to eat rather than just eat because it is time to enjoy petit déjeuner.

How can you ensure you won’t become hungry too soon? Eat well when you do sit down for your meals. Eat well-balanced, yet satiating food. Enjoy eating, take your time and be aware of what you are eating and let go of feeling guilting about eating.

An important part of the process of developing eating habits that work for us and feed our bodies well is to pay attention to how the food we eat makes us feel. Case in point, at Coquine, with a brioche shrimp toast as an appetizer, poached Monterey Bay squid and Black Cod (two dishes for two people) for the entrées and Benne Seed Pavlova for dessert, I wasn’t full, but I was absolutely satisfied (and the cookie to enjoy on the walk home, as mentioned above, added a sweet punctuation of deliciousness to finish the night). The flavors were thoughtful, and the evening was memorable due to the company, the ambiance of decor and fellow guests as well as the knowledgable the wait-staff.

~the entrées at Coquine, as described in the above text~

Fearing food is to fear life. Food is what gives us life or if thoughtlessly approached, is what can shorten our lives. Why not discover the basic tenets of good eating (see below for posts to get you started or to reaffirm what you already know) and come to understand the simply luxurious approach to food which is inspired by the French: quality over quantity and never deprivation, only moderation.

~SIMILAR POSTS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Why Not . . . Learn How to Cook?

~Why Not . . . Feed Your Body Well?

~Why Not . . . Keep It Simple in the Kitchen?

~10 Simple Ways to Live Healthier

  Petit Plaisir:

~The Earful Tower podcast

Subscribe on iTunes here

View my review of The Earful Tower podcast here

  ~Read or Listen to past French-Inspired podcast episodes of The Simple Sophisticate below:

~Episode #4 – 10 Ways to Unearth Your Inner Francophile

~Episode #32 – The Francophile’s Style Guide: The 14 Essentials

~Episode #144 – 20 Ways to Incorporate Your Love for the French Culture into Your Everyday Routine

~Episode #157 – Liz Burgerol of The Hot Sardines shares her thoughts on the differences between the French and American cultures

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#175: 14 Ways to Eat Like the French — Savor It, Don’t Fear It published first on http://ift.tt/2pewpEF

[stroud5aside]

Match Report - 8 September 2017

Everyone is talking about the FNL throughout the Five Valleys and the depth and breadth of the quality. Quite simply there are no easy games in all three divisions and the improvement in standard compared to last season is absolutely amazing! After just 3 weeks there is only one unbeaten team in the Premiership, ironically called Expected Toulouse, 2 unbeaten teams in Division One, Making Emile Of It and Slumdog Mignolet, and 2 unbeaten teams in Division Two, Grace Network and Hot Coles. It’s going to be a scintillating season!  

PREMIERSHIP

The headlines are that there were two 5-5 draws in the Premiership, whilst Expected Toulouse won the top of the table clash to become outright leaders.

Before kick off there were only two teams in the Premiership with 100% records in the form of Expected Toulouse and Lioncourt Veterans. Both of these teams met in an eagerly anticipated contest but the 'Frenchmen' proved to be too strong against a much changed 'Vets' team and ran out 12-3 winners. With man of the Match, Jack, in outstanding form, Expected Toulouse are looking stronger and stronger each week and deservedly sit proudly at the top of the FNL.

Another intriguing contest was between Always Passing Borussia Mönchengladbachwards and Randwick Warriors. The talented youngsters against their pertinacious seniors! In the end, apart from a few year’s seniority, there was nothing to choose between the teams, at the interval, or at the final whistle. There is so much to admire about Always Passing Borussia Mönchengladbachwards and their decisive direct football but Randwick put in a massive shift to claim a share of the spoils and to claim their first ever point in the Premiership. A delicious 5-5 draw was served up with Marcus quite rightly claiming man of the match.

Bright Sparks have had a mixed start to the season but with the core of their team - Josh, Brad and Jared - all available tonight there was a sense that they would prove to be too strong for Premiership newcomers, 9 Knees FC. Trouble is the youngest team in the league didn't read the script and came back in the second half to produce a second scrumptious 5-5 draw in the top league. Luke led his side to a notable draw against last season’s runners up with his goalkeeper Jay having another outstanding game, in another man of the match performance.

DIVISION ONE

Slumdog Mignolet were unplayable at times in the first half, with man of the match Harry hitting a hat trick in a few minutes to almost kill this game off. The flamboyant Slumdog possess such individual skill with flicks and outrageous tricks that when it all comes off their opponents are often left bewildered and unable to resist the inevitable. Tonight it was the turn of Fatdads, who played well enough but could not cope with the speed and skilfulness of the 'McDonalds' men who were delicious to watch! On this occasion, Slumdog won 6-2 but one thing about the ‘Fatties’ is that they will learn from this experience and I suspect the next match will prove to be a different outcome!

Hardly Athletic turned back the clock to their early form of last season with a fantastic 3-0 win over The Not So Bright Sparks. This really was a fantastic performance right throughout the team with Dean scoring twice, the second a stunning strike, and man of the match Tom claiming the other goal even though he needed a sick note part way through the game before getting the doctors all clear to return with a clean bill of health! What was so impressive about this overall performance was the way that Hardly Athletic attacked in formation and then defended in such numbers to deprive the ‘Sparkies’ of any space. They ‘plugged’ their defence to produce the only clean sheet of the night. Tremendous performance.

At times the tackles and challenges in the Making Emile Of It against Ebley Street Elite match were not for the feint hearted but both teams contributed to an outstandingly competitive match. Leading by 4-2 at half time, Making Emile If It hung on to win 5-4 although I suspect there will be a higher count regarding the bruises as well as a few limping players over the weekend!

DIVISION TWO

Grace Network are looking a different proposition this season and followed up last week’s impressive performance with another important victory against Odd Balls. The average age of the Odd Balls team was higher than I can count but they were worthy of their 2-1 interval lead. In the second half, however, Vinny and his team increased the tempo, and with the elders tiring, they turned the match around to win 6-3. Rees had another fine game for Grace Network with his tireless running and for Odd Balls it was particularly good to see the evergreen Lee Davis back in action. What a precocious talent he remains!

Spartans were in tremendous form tonight to claim a memorable scalp in defeating the fancied 3 Stripe. On this form, Spartans could well be amongst the honours this season but I still have a sneaky feeling that you have to finish above 3 Stripe to win the league. Whilst 3 Stripe have lost their first 2 games don’t bet against them bouncing back to win this very competitive league. You heard it here first!

Hot Coles claimed a 3-0 win and all three points against Renewables First.

So that’s the end of week three with a delectable combination of thoroughly entertaining and competitive matches.

As always I just can’t wait to get back into the action next week.