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edgewaterfarmcsa · 1 year

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CSA WEEK 1

p i c k l i s t

strawberries - rhubarb - cucumbers - celery - garlic scapes - mint - lemon balm - kale - basil

Enter June. A time when we start to eat the literal fruits of our labor. I am always so overwhelmed by the beauty of this month- the light in the sky, the buds on the flowers, the food emerging from the fields. June is a month of clean rows, freshly planted earth, quietly germinating seeds, perennial plant magic and easy cultivation. At this point in the early season, all appears tidy and weed free. Oh but get ready, it is a real illusion. Because while we are distracted keeping our butts in the air and our heads towards the ground over in the strawberry fields- the weeds are planning their mutiny. I am almost positive that they come together annually, have a team meeting marking their territory and by July 1, everyone from lambsquarter to crabgrass to nettles and beyond begin to form a brigade. But enough about the future weeds, and let us lean into this moment of real crop hope and early season field potential.

ALSO, and moreover, welcome back CSA season- for those who are keeping track- we are 15 years into this little food club that just won’t quit. Thanks for having us at your table!

PRO-TIPS

Full disclosure, I have not made this, but my bestie swears by it…

1/2 cup (125ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 small shallot (25g) peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon kosher or flaky sea salt

2 cups (25g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves

- Put the olive oil, vinegar, water, shallot, mustard, and salt in a blender. Coarsely chop the basil leaves and immediately put them in the blender.

- Cover the blender and mix on high-speed for 15 to 30 seconds until the vinaigrette is smooth. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little more water or olive oil to thin it out.

Notes: Serving and storage: The basil vinaigrette can be used right away or will keep for a week in the refrigerator. It’s best served at room temperature.

Yield:8 to 12 servings

2 cups sliced almonds

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)

Kosher salt

1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole

10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

Step 1: In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

Step 2: In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.

Step 3: Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)

Step 4:Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.

ALRIGHT LET’S GET INTO THOSE GARLIC SCAPES:

What are they? For you fresh CSA babes, the garlic scape might be a mystery crop, but let me tell you there is magic in those green twisty wands. Garlic scapes grow out of the garlic plant. They are the eventual flower that the garlic would naturally produce. However, we cut them back in order to make a more robust garlic bulb. Plants use a ton of energy to make flowers. When you cut back your flowers, or prune your trees, it might feel disheartening at first (if you know you know). For example, in my own garden, I go through each of the early blossoms and snip back the flowers. We try to do this in our cut flower field as well. This encourages all that good energy that goes into producing flowers to be redirected into the foliage of the plants and its roots, encouraging a stronger, more productive plant over the growing season. However, unlike pruning your tomato plants or apple trees, we get to eat the ‘cut back’ flower right now. For all you medicinal foodies, there are real benefits to eating garlic scapes: immune system support, reduce inflammation, vitamin C, antioxidant properties, etc. The garlic scape is a more mild garlic that can be chopped fresh, fried on the pan, grilled (SOOOOO GOOOQOOOOD YOU HAVE TO TRY IT) with olive oil & salt or pestoed. To move through and enjoy lots of garlic scapes all year long, make a ton of pesto, and freeze! Next week will include a pesto recipe to follow as I can assure, you will without a doubt be getting another bunch of garlic scapes.

(ANOTHER BESTY FAVORITE.)

Tart rhubarb is perfectly balanced with sugar in this sweet and moist rhubarb cake recipe with a streusel topping.

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sour cream

3 cups diced rhubarb

Streusel:

1 cup white sugar

¼ cup butter, softened

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Make cake: Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in eggs and sour cream until smooth, then fold in rhubarb. Pour into the prepared dish and spread evenly.

Make streusel: Stir together sugar and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in flour until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture on top of cake, then dust lightly with cinnamon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

LEMON BALM & MINT:

Fresh herbs for tea, cocktails, and salads! The basil and mint is obvious, you know what to do. lemon balm, I’m here to give you a heads up. Strip leaves, place in water, drink abundantly (because we all need to drink more water!)

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lemon (medium zested)

3 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon brown sugar

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper (to taste)

Salad

3 cucumbers (medium sliced (about 4 cups))

¼ cup chopped spearmint

Kosher or sea salt (if necessary)

Directions

In a bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Pat the cucumber slices dry between paper towels. Combine with the mint in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette and season with additional salt, if desired. Serve chilled.

Make Ahead

The vinaigrette can be prepared one to two days in advance.

Happy eating friends!

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dreamgrlarchive · 4 years

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Self Care 101 🦋

In this post I’ll be outlining my current routines as they relate to self care. I’ll cover everything from head to toe making sure not to skip your spirit. You cannot be a girl of ANYONE’S dreams if you aren’t taking care of the most important person in your world: you.

mornings:

wash face with gentle cleanser from curology, tone with organic Mamonde rose water and finish with rich moisturizer and spf30

brush teeth with activated charcoal toothpaste by Crest and baking soda for whitening and gum clarity

take vitamins : woman’s one a day, hair skin nails, biotin, vitamin c

drink glass of water then a cup of tea

black tea, raw cane sugar, a lemon slice, ginger

good for energy, immune function, and detox

showers:

this may sound so extra (😅), but depending on my hairstyle, I sometimes like to let the shower run for about five minutes with the door closed to create a sauna effect. this is especially if I have a mask on my hair.

my showers usually are about 20-30 minutes

I have a back brush, pink exfoliating gloves, a loofah, and tree hut body scrubs and I use them ALL.

I wash first with my dove beauty bar to assure clean skin before washing with EITHER my OGX Shea So Soft body wash or Dove Renewing Peony and Rose Oil body wash to add scent or silkiness to my skin.

hair removal:

I haven’t yet mastered the art of waxing myself so I’m still riding the shave wave. *when I do I’ll make a post 4 that*

I exfoliate throughly before AND after shaving

I shave my entire body using Tree Hut Shaving Oil and a nice conditioner I’m not using. This leaves my skin super soft and silky and helps the razor to glide without skipping. I use Gillette Venus. no less than five blades, anything less is ASKING for nicks and a hard time.

when I don’t feel like shaving, I use Nair. use at your own risk. yes, I Nair my ENTIRE BODY. only leaving it on for about 7 minutes I rinse in WARM (not hot) water and exfoliate afterwards. it is imperative to moisturize after to avoid irritation. however, Nair is much easier to do than shaving and seems to last an inkling longer.

after shaving, once a month, I pull out my KENZZI. it’s an IPL device and it has helped to slow the growth of my hair. it’s noticeable for us long, thick haired chicks. I use the second to lowest setting as a melanated babe, as the higher settings could burn me.

I know many endorse the hair on women movement and I can understand it. But I personally love my skin silky, hairless, and smooth.

nights:

after eating dinner, I wash my face and apply the tiniest bit of glycolic serum and my curology night cream. my skin has been the best it’s been in a few years. then I brush my teeth and rinse with peroxide.

every four days I give myself a facial

my favorite face masks:

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid mask

The Ordinary AHA + BHA mask

all Tony Moly sheet masks *luvvvvv those*

GLAMGLOW SUPERMUD clearing treatment *fav*

Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme mask

Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel mask

Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud mask

Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel mask

ORIGINS Clear Improvement mask

An at home honey and aloe mask

I apply a rich facial moisturizer and get to bed.

I then write in my planner my new plans and what I did that day if I hadn’t already. then after that I script and make mood boards in my diary. then I read a little. currently reading: Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin, and Live Like a hot Chick by Jodi Lipper.

emotions:

I talk to my grandmother about my feelings, she helps me sort things out. please try to find one person you trust to talk to, my messages are always open. 💓 I often overthink. I suffer from anxiety and clinical depression. sometimes these things make me FEEL limited. these experiences wax and wane. I remind myself that the darkness is temporary.

I write in my diary what I feel and track my emotions for potential patterns. I don’t manufacture or sugar coat my feelings, I just talk.

sometimes you need a good cry. let it out. clean your slate. you’ll always feel better, sometimes great after a hard, deep sobbing cry.

I try to get out of the house and get some sunlight. it helps brighten my mood sometimes.

baths:

LOVE taking baths I don’t care what the status quo is about dirt. just rinse off. I love wrapping my hair up and soaking in warm-hot water.

first I run the water. as it’s running I add my bubble bath, then body wash, then my Shea Moisture fragrant coconut oil. it smells soooo good, literally yummy. then I inevitably scream from dipping my toe in the hot water. finally I get in, scrub down my body, emphasis on feet. then I wash, and just relax. I’ve even fallen asleep in the tub once, I was so zen.

careful not to soak too long or overdo it with your products. synthetic materials lingering in your lady bits for too long cause cause infections like bv or uti

some women add tea tree oil, acv, or even Aztec clay to their baths for wellness purposes. I love adding essential oils to my baths to relax and the natural scent is just great 🥺

when I get out I always put something that feels lush and soft on. *invest in super soft, comfy bath towels, they’ll make you feel so luxurious and soft after a nice relaxing bath*

flower:

the yoni is something sensitive that needs to be taken care of thoroughly, and differently than the rest of your body. it’s not recommended to use soaps down there, it can unbalance things and make you itch. also make you prone to infection. this is why I use clear warm water to clean. if I use soap it’s a sensitive, gentle formula. don’t ever try to clean the cavity. she’s a self cleaning vessel.

to shave, I trim my hair down as close as possible and use a FIVE BLADE razor with conditioner and take my time. making sure not to pass a spot twice, I apply moderate pressure and move slowly. when finished I rinse and scrub gently. I PAT not rub dry. to finish off I apply TendSkin, and salicylic acid to avoid ingrowns. once that’s soaked in I apply shea butter. very soft and pretty 🌸

⚠️ DO NOT PUT ON TIGHT PANTIES OR RIGHT PANTS AFTER SHAVING. it restricts the hairs and causes irritation and ingrowns. throw on some comfy loose shorts for a while, let it breathe

dietary needs:

drink plenty of water

cranberry juice

vitamin c

minimal red meat

probiotics

at home vagacial for the high maintenance girlies:

*make any necessary extractions with pointed and slanted tweezers *

scrub:

brown sugar, tea tree oil, a little shea butter

exfoliating and anti inflammatory

mask:

baking soda, fresh lemon juice, vitamin e oil, papaya juice, gelatin

fixes discoloration and brightens the skin while softening

moisturize:

aloe vera gel, rose hip seed oil

smelling sweet:

ah yes, my favorite part. I love fragrance so much. I love to smell like you could literally break off a piece of me and eat it.

I find that using fragrant washes and oils make your scent more strong and help it linger. I already mentioned the body washes I use. the tree hut scrubs I use smell amazing also. I alike to add essential oils and man made scents like strawberry and chocolate to my Shea Moisture oil (so yummy).

I also use a fragrant lotion, eau de parfum, and fragrance mist.

here’s a list of some of my favorites:

perfumes:

jimmy choo fever

coach floral blush

yves saint laurent mon paris

victoria’s secret bombshell

victoria’s secret scandalous

valentino

fragrance mists:

victoria’s secret velvet petals, pure seduction, warm and cozy

bath and body works a thousand wishes, fiji pineapple palm, warm vanilla sugar, black raspberry vanilla

oils:

coconut

sweet almond

peppermint

chocolate scented essential oil

strawberry scented essential oil

orange

grapefruit

eucalyptus

sweetest combo ever:

vanilla extract, coconut oil, shea butter, and your favorite perfume. you’ll be smelling like a warm cupcake with extra sprinkles and icing 🧁

layering:

oil, lotion, eau de parfum, mist

pulse points:

inside elbows and knees, in between thighs, inner arms, behind ears, back of neck, ankles

hair:

it’s super important to keep your hair moisturized. quenched tresses move, grow, shine and bounce. dry hair is limp, lackluster, and extremely fragile

my fav diy deep conditioner:

a banana, half an avocado, three spoons of honey, an egg, a spoonful of mayo, a spoonful of coconut, olive, and castor oil each

strength from egg, avocado, mayo and olive oil

moisture from avocado and honey

cover damp CLEAN hair and scalp in mixture and cover with a plastic bag, then towel for an hour, rinse thoroughly, and seal in moisture

fav hair products:

castor oil

fusionplex conditioner and mask

Aussie conditioner

wella goji berry mask

coconut oil

style booster edge control

helpful tips:

when shampooing, concentrate on the scalp and wash thoroughly twice, as the suds will naturally cleanse your stands without drying and stripping them

rinse hair with apple cider vinegar every now and then. it restores your ph balance, smooths the cuticle, clarifies the strands, and adds shine

always add oil and leave ins to DAMP hair, never dry; this will ensure you’re sealing in moisture

try to use smooth fabrics to dry your hair, bath towels encourage frizz and breakage

hands and feet:

and last but not least, let’s cover manicuring and pedicuring.

it’s super important to make sure your nails are either DONE or filed, shaped, and smooth. at home maintenance is super easy. make a point to scrub your hands and feet well when bathing. make sure to stay on top of your cuticles by trimming or pushing them back. I like the look that pushing them gives. I use an orangewood stick, metal pusher and cuticle softener to make the process super easy and safe. after I’m done I add my pineapple scented cuticle oil. I do this on my fingers and toes.

invest in a rasp and pumice stone for your feet and use these gently every two weeks after soaking them in warm foot salts. rough usage can cause cuts and irritation. in between treatments keep your feet soft by slathering them in a moisturizing foot cream, cocoa/shea butter then oil to seal it all in. buy some soft thick aloe infused socks and wear them to sleep. you’ll thank me 😉

for info on how I do my nails click this

well, that’s all I’ve got. I truly hope you enjoyed my post! it’s always fun sharing my advice with you all. any feedback is appreciated and question is welcomed ♡

#my posts #self care #high maintenance #the prissy girl agenda #dream girl journey

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miss-dr-reid · 3 years

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Another Gubler Story... #3

Not too long later, we were on our way. The radio playing softly, provided background noise for our conversations. We spoke about our days of work, and I filled him in about how brutal customers can be sometimes.

"I'm sorry you had a bad day at work." he pouted, tapping his hand on my thigh before resting his elbow ion the center console, continuing to drive with one hand.

"It's okay! George brought doughnuts and then you called, and now here we are!" I cheered.

"Is George your secret boyfriend?" Matthew joked, bumping me with his hand, a smile across his lips.

And while, I wanted to answer, I knew there was no point, instead changing the subject. We ended up talking about old friends, family and childhood memories. Matthew was so easy to talk to. He was always listening to every word I spoke.

We finally arrived, pulling into the car park of a park/playground. and Matthew selected a park closer to the playground. I reached for my door handle, but Matthew's hand on my shoulder caught my attention. I looked over at him, and he shook his head at me, climbing out and opening the back door. He pulled out something, it looked like a picnic basket, stood back and closed both doors. He made his way around to my door, opening for it and standing back allowing me to get out.

Shutting the door and linking his arm with mine, we made our way over to an open area of grass where Matthew unlinked our arms. he put the basket on the ground, opening it and pulling out a blanket, spreading it over the ground. He sat down on the blanket, bringing the basket onto the end of it and looked up at me.

His eyes glistened behind his glasses which were lit up by some light posts surrounding the playground. The Spring breeze was soft, fresh and fragrant, blowing the loose curls of Matthew's hair. I took Matthew's hand as he held it out to me, helping me to the ground. The blanket was cool from the slowly dampening ground. The sun was almost setting, oranges and purples filling the sky. I sat down on a lean, sitting almost on my hip, facing Matthew who mirrored me.

He leaned over to the basket, where he pulled out a bottle of bubbly white and two glasses. Placing the glasses between us, he opened the bottle and poured some wine in each glass. He put the lid back on the bottle, laying it on the ground against the basket.

"To new beginnings and fun risks!" He toasted, lifting his glass up in the air. I returned the gesture, clinking our glasses together.

We each took sips of our drinks before placing them down onto the blanket in front of us. He went back for the basket, shifting himself into his knees. He pulled out a loaf of bread, setting it next to the bottle of wine. He then started pulling out small containers, placing them around the loaf of bread.

I sat up fully, curious to see what he was doing. I lifted one container, inspecting it to see what was inside, surprised to find sliced tomato. He continued to pull out a few other small containers and finally a plastic packet, which he handed to me seeing how intrigued I had become. A packet of sliced ham is what he gave me. I put it all together, seeing all the ingredients laid out and figured we'd be making our own sandwiches.

"I didn't know what you liked, so, I picked something that you could make your own!" Matthew said, finally sitting back, gesturing over the spread. He handed me a plastic plate, holding onto when I tried to take it. I looked up into his eyes, wondering why he didn't let go. He smiled at me softly as his eyes wandered my face before finally letting go.

"Help yourself and let me know if there's anything missing." He pointed to the food.

"Thank you, Matthew." I grinned before turning to the food. I laid my plate down, reaching for the bread, my eyes scanning over the now open containers, seeing what options I had.

On one slice of bread, I layered, ham, cucumber, lettuce, tomato and finally another slice of ham before another slice of bread.

I sat back, allowing Matthew to make his own. I watched him make his sandwich as I had felt him doing to me. He glanced back a few times, at my sandwich before adding another topping. I noted that he was copying the layers of my sandwich.

"Why?" I asked, cocking my head to the side slightly.

"Why what? Why the same layers? You looked like you knew what you were doing. I trust you." He said, answering his own question. The reply took me by surprise as he added the last slice of bread. He lifted his plate and sat back, facing me with his legs crossed. I laughed as he sat his plate in my lap, copying me.

I picked up my sandwich, securing the back of it. I took a big bite, bigger than I had intended, the smell of the salads caused me to realise how hungry I actually was. I hummed a moan at the flavour, and Matthew did, too. I could tell that he was genuinely enjoying the sandwich, and not just copying me anymore, the expression on his face as his eyes rolled back were all tell tale signs. We sat there, not saying a word, only eating our sandwiches. Small moans and the occasional sounds of chewing filling the air between us.

The sun setting, caused the whole scene to become even more romantic as the moon gently lit up our figures and glistened on the dewy ground. We both finished eating and Matthew collected our plates, stacking them to the side as he packed up the containers, putting them away into the basket, setting the stacked plates on top. He took my now empty glass and set it next to the wine bottle along with his own. He turned around, looking at me and stood up.

"Come." the word simple, effective, but gentle. His hands were pointed out toward me and I took them. My own hands becoming nearly entirely enveloped inside his.

His arms draped over my shoulders, his hands resting on my lower back, pulling me flush against him. My head resting on his chest, his heart beating in my ear. My own arms wrapped around his waist, my hands reaching as far around to the opposite sides as possible. I felt his chin rest on my head for a moment. He lifted his chine off, replacing it with a kiss, his heartbeat in my ear speeding up as he did so. I gave him a squeeze in response, the smile on my face growing bigger.

His arms lifted from me, his hands grabbing my shoulders as he pulled me back slightly. I looked up into his eyes, his glasses has fallen down slightly so I pushed them back up, allowing my fingers to trail gently over his lips and jaw before returning it back to it's spot around his waist. We stood there in silence for a moment, staring into each others eyes, smiling at each other.

Matthew finally pulled away, the warmth of hi body being replace by the cool night air and goosebumps formed over my skin. He had caught one of my hands in the midst of pulling away, leading me over to the playground. We walked to the swing set, where he released my hand and sat on one of the swings, an empty one next to him. I followed his actions, sitting on the free one, seeing how happy he was, swinging with anticipation.

We both started swinging, keeping in time for a bit until Matthew decided to go higher. I took that as a challenge, and tried to go even higher. Eventually, we were both swinging so high, the chains slacked as we reached our peak height before we were caught with a jolt at the bottom. We were both laughing from just how silly we were being, and soon I started to slow myself. I stopped swinging my legs and soon the swing calmed. I jumped off the swing, landing in on the barks chunks with a small 'crunch', I posed while saying "Ta-Da!".

I turned around to look at Matthew, who was mid-air jumping from his own swing. I started clapping, doing small jumps in excitement. My eyes closed for a brief moment, Matthew taking this opportunity to run to me. His footsteps quick, reaching me before I knew what was going on. My heart leapt from my chest as I was lifted into the air, holding on for dear life for a moment, my eyes squeezed shut, until Matthew said,

"You're beautiful." The words took me by surprise. I looked down at him from my place in his arms, the biggest goofiest smile on his lips.

"You are!" I replied, booping his nose with me own, pulling back to look at him. My face turned hot from the feelings rushing around inside me, butterflies in my stomach.

We were caught in that moment, staring into each others eyes. I couldn't help it when my eyes wandered onto his lips, my face being drawn towards his. Matthew had been glancing at my lips, too, licking his own lips once before his own face was drifting forward. With one final look at each other's lips we-

*FLASH*

We snapped away from each other, looking in the direction the flash had come from. Soon, there was another and Matthew put me down, telling me to stay put. He headed in the direction of the small group of trees where the flash had come from. The person who was hiding there ran off before Matthew had the chance to say anything and he headed back to me.

Reaching me, he cupped my face in his hands, looking deep into my eyes,

"Let's get out of here." was all he said. The words simple, but effective and we headed back to the picnic.

We packed up the rest of the picnic and I folded the blanket as neatly as possible. Matthew carried the basket and we walked to the car. We got in, throwing the stuff we were carrying into the back. The car started and Matthew drove out of the carpark without saying a word.

"Where are we going?" I asked him, breaking the silence.

"To my place." he said, and kept driving, his eyes on the road.

#mgg fanfiction #mgg fluff #mgg x reader

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tellmealovestory · 4 years

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That Summer (4/?)

Summary: You’ve spent every summer since you were a child in the idyllic beach town you call home three months out of the year. This summer should be no different except for the addition of Bucky Barnes. Sparks fly upon first meeting, but it’s only a summer fling, right? Modern AU.

Notes: Also posted on my ao3.

Warnings: A few lines of suggestiveness, angst if you squint

Series Masterlist

"How come you never cooked for us before?" Wanda asked.

"Last time she cooked she almost burned the kitchen down," Natasha added, laughing when Wanda's eyes grew wide with a mix of shock and worry.

Standing over the wooden cutting board you ignored them as you concentrated on slicing cucumbers and tomatoes for salad. "That's not completely true," you muttered under your breath. Wiping your hands on the red apron you had borrowed from Wanda you walked over to the stove checking on the potatoes.

"You never told me that."

"Because it was a long time ago," you started, opening the oven door to check on the chicken. "And I'm not going to burn down the kitchen so please stop looking so worried, Wanda."

A snort came from the other side of the room. "It was two years ago when she was dating that guy Eric."

"The musician?"

"Are we really doing this right now?" You groaned.

Ignoring you she continued, "That's the one. She tried making him a fancy dinner and when he got there how'd you say it happened again?" Smirking she snapped her fingers. "The lust overcame you and you guys went at it like rabbits."

"Okay, okay, first off," you started, raising your voice to be heard over their peals of laughter, "Natasha is lying I did not say anything like that! Although I might have gotten distracted when he came over and we might have had sex making me forget about dinner and there may have been a small fire in the kitchen, but it didn't burn down! And Wanda, please stop looking at me like that because I promise you that's not going to happen tonight!"

"Which part isn't happening tonight, Y/N?" Nat teased.

"I hate you." Untying the apron you focused on folding it into neat squares while trying to ignore Natasha's laughter and Wanda's growing nerves as she hovered around you, checking the boiling potatoes and chicken roasting in the oven. "Also, for the record it was different with Eric. Our whole relationship was about sex and with Bucky... it's deeper than that. I've never felt this way about someone else before and..." Letting your words trail off you stared down at the counter, your fingers running over the apron. "After the movie in the park and all the dates he's taken me on I wanted to do something nice for him so no, tonight is not going to be a repeat of the disaster with Eric and you guys have nothing to worry about. We're going to have a nice homemade dinner and that's it."

Greeted with silence you looked up to find Natasha scribbling down the number for the fire department and Wanda again hovering by the stove.

"You guys really have no faith in me," you sighed. "I made brownies this morning and you weren't worried."

"That was before," Wanda murmured, fingers turning down the burner of the stove.

"I promise you by the time you get home the kitchen will still be here, everything will be cleaned up and-"

"You and Bucky will be making out on the counter again?" Natasha added, deftly catching the apron you threw at her.

"Wanda!" You snapped. "You said you weren't going to tell her about that!"

"She went into some very graphic details about where she saw your hands disappearing."

"I hate both of you," you muttered. Heat burned your face and you couldn't tell if it was from the conversation, the oven being on during the heat of summer or the memories of that late night in the kitchen with Bucky kissing you until your lips were swollen, exploring his body with your fingers and hands until you swore you knew it as well as yours.

Ignoring their laughter and the way you could still feel your face burning you glanced over at the clock. "Shouldn't you guys be leaving?"

"Someone's eager for us to be gone."

"I'm not eager," you lied. "But you guys don't want to be late. You know traffic and parking and all that."

"Uh huh. I get it. I think she wants some alone time with Bucky. Come on, Wanda."

Peeking into the oven again Wanda fiddled with the knobs of the stove. "We could help you finish dinner first."

Exchanging a look with Nat across the kitchen you watched the way she went over to Wanda, slinging an arm around her shoulder and murmuring something you couldn't quite hear, but still she didn't budge.

"I promise that I'm not going to burn the kitchen down. Natasha exaggerated what happened with Eric. You guys have nothing to worry about. I've got this under control."

Twenty minutes later and you did not have it under control.

After darting upstairs to freshen up you had stepped out of the shower only to catch your first whiff of smoke. Thinking nothing of it you had taken your time in searching for something to wear. But as the minutes ticked by the ashen smell grew stronger until you couldn’t ignore it anymore and when the piercing screech of the smoke detector blared in your ears you had raced downstairs. Tugging your dress on only half aware it was on backwards you skidded to a stop at the edge of the kitchen.

The piercing screech was amplified downstairs as smoke filled the kitchen, billowing out into the living room. Acting on instinct you raced to the oven, flinging the doors open only to be met with more smoke. Coughing, eyes burning with tears you waved it away before reaching for a pair of oven mitts and pulling the pan out.

Burned beyond repair you slammed the pan onto the stove, the thunk reverberating throughout the kitchen. Hours of preparation for tonight ruined in a matter of minutes. Tossing the mitts onto the counter you ran a hand over your hair determined not to cry, but it was so hard when all you had wanted was tonight to be perfect, a small thank you for all the time and thought he had put into your dates and it was ruined.

Letting the screen door slam shut as you left behind the smoke filled house you inhaled the saltiness of the ocean and the sweetness of freshly cut grass. Sitting on the bottom step of the front porch, brain trying to come up with a plan b for tonights date, clean feet getting dirtier by the second as you ran them over small pebbles, loose piles of dirt, grass clippings from early this morning when you had cut it. In the distance you could hear the familiar rumbling of Bucky's motorcycle, the soundtrack to your summer.

Like a child eagerly waiting for the ice cream truck to drive down their block on those hot summer days you stood up, bouncing on the balls of your feet as you watched Bucky effortlessly maneuver the motorcycle to a stop in front of the house. No matter how many times you watched from the living room, peering through the curtains, or standing on the front porch watching him leave you would never get tired of the way he so easily climbed on and off as if the bike was part of him and in someways you supposed that was true. Meeting him halfway the sidewalk burned the bottoms of your feet, but you paid it little mind as you flung you arms around his shoulders, inhaling that familiar scent of exhaust and woods and him. The smells of your summer.

"Hi," you breathed, lips landing on the corner of his mouth as you struggled to break the news to him.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Eyebrows knitted together, callused hands resting on your shoulders before gliding down your arms, gaze scrutinizing your body looking for any sign of injury before briefly glancing to the house.

"I'm fin-,"

"You're not." Sliding his hands up to your face he cupped your still warm cheeks, striking eyes filling with a cloudiness, voice gruff. "Something happened, pretty girl."

Guilt pooled in the pit of your stomach for making him think the worst. "I'm fine."

"That why your dress is on backwards and you're out here waiting for me?"

"Maybe I missed you." Warmth found its way onto your face and though you wished you could blame it on the mugginess of the night you knew it had more to do with the current situation. "Okay, okay, there may have been a little accident in the kitchen, but I didn't burn anything this time. Technically I burned dinner and the kitchen is probably still filled with smoke, but other than that I'm fine."

"This time?" He laughed and like the waves washing away sand castles you could feel the guilt and the worry about trying to impress him tonight washing away.

"I tell you I burned dinner and I ruined our date and the only thing you take away is that I've done this before?" His laughter was infectious.

"You didn't ruin our date," he murmured, offended at the thought that you would ever think that. Dropping his hands from your face he rested them on your waist, tugging you closer to him. It was too hot to be held, but that didn't stop you from resting your head on the burning leather of his jacket or to let out a content sight when he kissed the top of your head.

"I did though." Voice muffled against his chest you pulled back enough to stare up into his eyes. "You've been planning all these amazing dates for us and I wanted to do something nice in return and instead I made a huge mess and dinner was gonna be good, like really good, Bucky. Better than your chocolate chip banana pancakes good."

"That so, pretty girl?"

"Mhm."

"Weren't you the one who said my pancakes were the best thing you ever ate?" Dipping his head down so his mouth was pressed against your ear he whispered, "Weren't you the one who moaned after the first bite? Said they were as good as that orgasm I gave you the night before?"

You swore the temperature rose a hundred degrees on that sidewalk and it had nothing to do with the night air. Opening and closing your mouth you were at a loss for words.

“Hm?”

“Brownies,” you blurted, a twinge of embarrassment working its way through you. “I made some brownies this morning which unlike dinner aren’t burned.”

“Brownies? You trying to distract me?”

Laughing you shrugged your shoulder. “Maybe,” you said, drawing the word out until he was laughing too, until he was leaning down and kissing you, until you momentarily forgot about dinner, until you were so happy you swore you would sink straight down into the cement. “Is it working?”

“Maybe.” Kissing you again, a little longer this time, one hand sliding to your lower back holding you close. “C’mon, I’ve got an idea.”

His idea turned out to be brownie sundaes shared on the patio, double scoops of vanilla ice cream dripping with extra whip cream and enough chocolate sauce to make your teeth ache. Watching as the sky turned from rosy pinks reminding you of the way he’d blush to deep purples that reminded you of the wildflowers that dotted the grassy fields on the drives he’d taken you on outside the city. And when the pinks and purples of the sky changed to deep blue to black, when the stars came out, when your stomach hurt from laughing too much and eating too many sweets you had grabbed his hand, leading him down the steps and onto the sandy beach.

Deserted, stars twinkling above, your bare feet sinking into the damp sand, cool ocean water running over your toes, holding hands, his rich laughter drifting outward when he teased you about Jaws getting you when you dared to wade a little further into the dark water.

Tugging you back to shore, your feet kicking up water, your own laughter joining his when you accidentally splashed him, soaking the bottoms of his jeans. Feet and legs wet, sand sticking to your skin like sugar on fried donuts you stumbled into his open arms deliriously happy.

“Careful there,” he laughed, so reminiscent of that first night you met.

“I’m always careful.”

“That why you burned dinner?”

“You’re never gonna let me live that down either are you?”

“Not a chance.” Pulling you close to his side he wrapped his arm around your waist, your feet sinking into the sand as you continued your lazy stroll along the beach.

Almost back to the house you paused your steps gaze swiveling to the patio where the light was still on illuminating the wicker furniture, the piles of fluffy blankets and oversized pillows you used during your girls nights, the same set that you used when it became too hot upstairs, the fans and open windows doing nothing to cool you off as you slinked down the stairs and settled in for a night sleeping out under the stars. The kitchen light was still off telling you that your friends weren't home yet. Except for the waves rolling against the shore it was quiet out. Down the beach you could see a bonfire, the orange flames dancing in the night as a small group of friends huddled around the warmth.

"Why were you so worried when you came over?" You hadn't meant to blurt it out, but since his arrival and the worry that had seeped from him even after you told him you were fine to the way he had been so tense in the kitchen watching those final curls of smoke float around the ceiling you could tell something had been bothering him.

"I told you," he murmured, voice a little gruff, arm tightening around your waist as he led you in the direction of the stairs.

Holding firm you dug your feet into the sand. "Come on I'm serious. You were weird. I've waited for you outside before and in the kitchen? You saw the smoke and you just shut down. I've never seen you act like that before so talk to me."

Dropping his arm from your waist he said, "'Bout two years before we moved here there was an accident." Silently climbing the stairs after him you shivered when he reached for your hand, pulling you down onto the lush pile of blankets and pillows.

"Got into some trouble with another biker group." Refusing to meet your eyes he stared out at the horizon. "Started off small with fights. Didn't take long for things to escalate. Sure you wanna hear the rest?"

"Nothing you say is going to make me think less of you, Bucky Barnes," you whispered. Lifting your hand to his face your thumb smoothing over his stubbled cheeks and jaw, tracing the plumpness of his lower lip, you smiled softly when he relaxed into your touch and met your eyes.

"They weren't good people, Y/N. It was a small town, they were ruining it by running drugs through. When we got word we tried to stop them and." A pause. A deep breath. A humorless chuckle. "We confronted them, got them to leave and thought that was the end. Couple months later our bar burned down."

Another pause. Another deep breath. Eyes turning downwards. "Nobody got hurt, but they burned it to the ground. Didn't take a genius to figure out who was behind it. After that we left town. Haven't seen 'em since, but tonight when I saw you sittin' on the porch, your dress on backwards the only thing I could think about was they were here and hurt you. Then in the kitchen when I saw the smoke, dunno, guess I went back to that night."

"Jesus," you breathed, at a loss for words. It was the deepest you had ever delved into your pasts and sitting next to him on a floral blanket, the patio light bathing him so that you could see the pain in his eyes, could see the way his shoulders were hunched as if by telling you he was still worried you'd think less of him. Seeing him so vulnerable next to you had your heart shattering. You had heard rumors around town about him and his friends, had seen the way the locals had pointed and stared, but you had never given it much thought when they had been nothing but kind and generous towards you. And when you had asked your friends about it they had simply shrugged their shoulders, murmuring offerings about how it was a small town and rumors spread like fire around here.

"Yeah."

"I meant what I said it doesn't change anything.” The thought of Bucky and his friends getting caught up in another round of fights, of their war escalating, bringing with it the possibility of casualties didn’t sit well with you. “You really think they’d come back after all this time?”

Gently removing your hand from his face he pressed a soft kiss to first your knuckles and then your palm in a gesture that was both calming and sensual. “No,” he finally said.

“But what about other groups coming after you or-“

“Hey, you got nothing to worry about, pretty girl. Haven’t been in trouble since and don’t plan on getting into more. ‘Sides, nothing interesting happens in this town anyway.”

“Really, Bucky?” You asked, trying and failing to hold back your growing smile. You didn’t understand how he could go from talking about something so serious and dangerous to making jokes, but a small part of you was thankful for the lighter conversation. “Nothing interesting has happened here? At all?”

“Well,” he smirked, “Guess one interesting thing.”

“What’s that?”

Your breath hitched when he leaned in closer, your eyes fluttering shut, heart picking up speed at the thought of feeling his lips on yours again. Warm breath against your mouth, fingertips dancing down your jaw and neck, but still, you didn’t feel his kiss. The growing impatience you felt turned to frustration.

“This patio. Most interesting one I’ve seen. Wanna tell me why you guys have so many pillows and blankets out here?”

“Seriously?”

“What?” He asked innocently with a shrug of his shoulders and an infuriating smirk. “Expecting a different answer?”

And this time when he leaned forward he gave you the answer you were looking for in a kiss that left you tasting brownies on his lips and tongue. Breathless when he pulled away you went back for seconds wanting him to kiss away your fears over his past, wanting to kiss away his worries of seeing you on the porch.

“How was that answer?”

“A lot better,” you breathed.

Stretching his body on the floral blanket he spread his arms, an invitation you accepted without hesitation as you curled into his side, feeling instantly safe and at home. Stroking his fingers down your back you let your eyes flutter shut as every beat of his heart and every roll of the ocean against the shore lulled you into a sense of peacefulness.

Your feet were still caked with sand, his jeans still a little wet and when you shivered against him he grabbed a light blanket, draping it over your body so delicately you were convinced it would take a week before your smile faded.

“Sometimes when I can’t sleep I come out here and look at the stars.”

“You ever gonna tell me what’s so special about those stars?”

“Jealous?” You teased.

“No,” he scoffed. “Already showed you I could make you feel better than the stars, pretty girl, don’t tell me you forgot already.”

There was no way you’d ever forget that night,. The way his body had pressed yours into the edge of the blanket and grass, the way he kept laughing, husky voiced reminding you to be quiet. The memories came rushing back and as you buried your head in his chest you now knew it’d take a month before your smile faded.

“I didn’t forget,” you mumbled, face burning as you left out the part about how’d you never forget. In a summer that was already filled to the brim with snapshots of your time together that one was on the top of the pile.

“I always tell people it started when we learned about them in school, but it started earlier than that. When I was a kid I always had trouble leaving at the end of summer. I used to throw tantrums and beg my parents to let me stay here year round and obviously that never worked out,” you laughed. “One year my mom told me that whenever I got lonely and missed the beach and my friends all I had to do was look at the stars and I wouldn’t be lonely because they’d be watching over everything I left behind. I know it sounds dumb, but I was a child and didn’t know any better. But as I got older it just became this sense of comfort, you know? I’d leave and even miles away from everyone I loved I took comfort knowing that no matter the distance we’d still have the stars watching over us.”

“You never thought about staying when you got older?”

“All the time. When I was a kid I used to picture myself moving here right after graduation and sharing a house with Wanda and Nat and sometimes when I’m having a bad day I dream about packing everything up and coming here, but I’ve got a life back home, a job. My mom is expecting me to take over the business one day. It’s not that simple.”

It was the closest you had come to talking about the end of summer and with a pang in your chest you realized for the first time just how hard it was going to be saying goodbye to him. Blinking back the tears you pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind, telling yourself you still had time with him even though it felt like every second was slipping through your fingers.

“That what you want?”

You wanted to tell him he was the first person who ever asked you that, wanted to tell him that before meeting him that was the plan, wanted to tell him that a part of you, a large, scary part of you that was reckless wanted to spend the rest of your life with him, wanted to tell him that even though you didn’t know each other well enough you wanted to settle down making a life with him here in this little slice of paradise. Even to your own mind you knew how ridiculous you sounded. But there was something about him, about the way he made you feel whole, the way you couldn’t get him off your mind no matter how hard you tried, the way those simple good morning texts sent your heart racing and your smile growing so large it hurt your face, the way you never slept so well as when you fell asleep next to him, the way you wanted to grow old with him by your side learning new things about him everyday, the way you were convinced you’d never feel this way about anyone else.

You couldn’t tell him that though. You hadn’t even told him that you thought you were falling in love with him. Instead you softly said, “What I want is to stay like this for a little longer.”

“He’s still here? That’s a good sign means she probably didn’t burn the kitchen down,” Wanda murmured as the headlights of Natasha’s car swept over Bucky’s motorcycle and the darkened front of the house.

“Or it could mean you’re about to walk in on them in the kitchen again,” Natasha retorted. “Or the living room.”

“Don’t remind me.”

Entering the house each of them made sure to make extra noise, stomping their feet, using their outdoor voices in a bid of warning. With each light that was flipped on to illuminate an empty room they became more confident.

“Maybe they’re upstairs,” Natasha said before getting shushed by Wanda.

Sliding the patio door open Wanda lightly stepped out being careful to avoid the creaky boards that would awaken you and Bucky. Slipping her phone out of her pocket she snapped a few pictures of you on your side fast asleep with Bucky holding you to his chest, arm wrapped protectively around your middle quietly snoring.

“Because that’s not creepy at all,” Natasha smirked.

“She’ll thank us for these later.”

Tags;

@nacho-bucky

@redhairedfeistynerd

@19mrs-rogers18

@ceeellewrites

@shawnie--jo

@breakfast-at-kelseys

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky x reader #my writing

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alolanrain · 4 years

Text

Have some more HC! Though these are more based around Gou, Chloe, and the Galar League experiencing AshTM at his fullest.

———

Gou, Chloe, and Professor Cerise watching Ash one morning having a full stilt conversation with Mr.Mimy and Pikachu, and I’m talking a full conversation one human would have with another.

Mimy makes an off handed comment when Ash avoids eating the small sun tomatoes that the Pokémon had set into his plate. Ash fires back with a tired “I do not!” And both Pikachu and Mimy shoot back absolutely gibberish at the other three humans stand point.

Everyone pauses because their kinda used to Ash generally understanding Pokémon better then they were but not at this extent. They watch as Mimy huffs and crosses his arms before glaring Ash into submission who wilts over his plate and stuffs one of those tomato’s into his mouth and glares at Pikachu was was snickering over his own cucumber slice.

———

Ash taking Gou, and Cerise forcing Chloe to go to because Sunlight is good for you Sweetheart, to Oaks lab and Ranch.

Chloe likes the country view, though she doesn’t like how early they had to get up, and makes small talk with Ash as they walk from Viridian through the forest. She keeps a tight and painful grip on Gou’s arm so the boy doesn’t dart off somewhere and the other two leave them behind.

Besides the grip on his arm Gou is excitedly yelling-talking about how amazing Oaks ranch is supposed to be and how all the super strong Pokémon are there as well. It’s during another reiteration when a loud cry echoes through the early morning fog and Ash, who was walking half dead on his feet, peeks up and skips ahead of the frozen pair.

Both Chloe and Gou go to warn him, or in Gou’s case pull him back, but their once more stun frozen when Ash opens his arm out and a giant Pidgeot comes drifting down from the tree canopy and perches itself onto Ash’s arm. The young adult/old teen easily holding the large bird Pokémon no problem on one arm.

“Everyone!” Ash turns to look at his two friends, “meet one of my first Pokémon! Pidgeot!”

Ash’s smile is tired and a bit strained, more so with his backpack filled to the brim with science paperwork from Cerise to Oak then the giant fucking bird perched on his arm, and he looks angelical and also strangely a bit scary with how the Golden morning rays splash down from between the trees.

It takes a few seconds for them to realize what happen before Gou goes into a MASSIVE freak out and starts asking Ash all these questions which he answers none to instead talk to Pidgeot. Having another full stilt conversation while Pikachu sleeps in his shoulder.

Pidgeot leaves after rubbing its beak against both sides of Ash’s head and tapping lightly against Pikachu’s. Immediately disappearing into the leaves. Gou jumps Ash again and Chloe has to drag him off the poor Pallet boy. The only explanation that Ash gives them is that Pidgeot is his and that they protect Viridian forest and all the other Pokémon in it.

“But there’s nothing to protect the forest from.” Gou points out.

“That’s what you think!” Ash covered a yawn before waving at the two. “We’ll be late at this point, come on.”

They make it to Oaks ranch. All the while Ash is eyeing any coffee shop or bakery that is, super sadly, not open yet because of how early it still is. Ash doesn’t even bother knocking. Flouncing in with Pikachu practically stumbling/melting off his shoulders down to the scuffed hardwood floors before moving upstairs.

Gou and Chloe hiss at him because it’s obvious that no one is home or no one is even up. Ash waves them off, stating that he’s been doing this since he was six years old, and moving to the kitchen after closing the door behind the two and towing off his shoes. Chloe and Gou following nervously after him and quietly hisses at Ash to stop being so loud, going clanking pots and pans, as Ash makes Arceus forsaken coffee in the professors house.

Ash continues to ignore them. Forcing them to sit in the kitchen table chairs, leaving the island open, and telling them if that they don’t want coffee then they can just not talk. Chloe gets huffy but she still ask’s for a cup, which Ash happily obliged after getting what she adds to her coffee, and Gou still starts to quietly rant about how they couldn’t be doing this at all but he still doesn’t get up from his seat that Ash forced him into.

Not long after the smell of, probably illegal coffee with how strong it smells, coffee drifted through the kitchen. Loud knocking sounds came from upstairs and a string of curseing soon follows as a door opens up.

“Good morning!” Ash does the unthinkable and bellows as loud as he could. Chloe and Gou finally stiff up to tell him to stfu and not anger the Professor when Professor Daisy walks in like a half alive zombie.

“You.” She points to a tired but insane grinning Ash. Shuffling forward and cupping both of the boys cheeks before swaying his head back and forth. “Are sunshine incarnation and, therefore, a bane to my existence.”

“But you love me.” Ash slurred with the way Daisy keeps squishing his cheeks.

“I do,” She mumbled and tugged him into a loose hug, “but fuck you at the same time.”

This sends Ash into giggles, because that’s just Daisy for you, which worsens when he sees Gou and Chloes shocked faces.

“Oaks are affectionate without their coffee in the morning-Argk!” Ash was cut off by a swift back of the head hit from Daisy who didn’t even tear her eyes away from the pot.

“Little fucking shit,” she growled, “That’s just Gary.”

“And Green!” Aah whined. Running his head.

“And Green.” She was quick to agree.

Soon Professor Oak actually comes up from his lab, sleeping down there AGAIN Professor?, and then Gary soon follows. Pressing himself up agains Ash’s back and starts to mutter how Ashy is a sunshine God and how he’s the only one who knows how to make good fucking strong coffee in this house hold. I’m talking about you Daisy-

“It’s because he stashed the illegal good shit somewhere away from us.” Daisy makes it out by taking a loud pointed sip and eyeing Ash, and by extension Gary who was pointing because the pot was tk far away from his position as a human Komala, then the cupboards.

“It’s not there.” Ash mumbled while setting the pile of paperwork on the table and stuffing the now empty bag off the chair so he could push Gary lightly into it to go make the brunettes cup.

Chloe at that moment decides to just... roll with the punches and just take the cup of coffee without complaint. It is in fact that good illegal shit and she made a zipping close motion over her mouth when Daisy sent a glare her way.

Gou is having his mind blown to smithereens for like the fifth time that day but he decides to keep quite so he can question Oak about a bunch of stuff like his last few research papers.

“Ash’s pokemon actually helped a lot with those papers.” Oak purposely chooses to ignore Ash’s clear facial expression of pure agony when Gou sent a wide eyed look at him.

Ash’s pokemon are mostly moved to his house by know besides Muk because he eats the Professors food recycling and compost so Gou and Chloe don’t get to see any of them besides what he has on hand and Muk.

“You should go and show Lance and Agatha what you caught.” Daisy makes the mistake this time because now Gou has, once more, descended upon him asking if he knows THE Champion Lance.

———

It happens in the same day. Chloe was supposed to be back in Viridian an hour ago for school but her dad called her out for the day saying something like, it’s more educational! And you get to see more of Kanto then you’ve ever had before!, which is whatever.

Gou is freaking out even more, like to the point of hyperventilating, as he reads off any facts that he can fine on the Kanto Champ and E-Four. Ash doesn’t even bother listening, to tired still because Daisy and Gary drained the entire fucking pot before Ash’s second cup, and he’s instead texting Lance to meet him behind a Denys so he can fist fight the man instead of their Dragonites.

Lance, being the League Dad that he is, decided to wait for Ash and His friends right out in front of the front door. Decked in his casual wear because he Dad.

Ash, on sight, gets the giant urge to punch Lance because he needs to just Stop but he settles for stomping on his feet when Lance pulls him into a hug and keeps an arm curled around him as he leads them through the castle to his office. Chloe and Gou don’t spot him because their both to preoccupied with freaking out about being in the Kanto/Johto League Castle to see Lance and Ash tripping each other up throughout the entire way.

———

Ash got the other Champions addicted to Boba. It got to the point that they always go out a get some after meetings or during their lunch breaks during those meetings.

Ash’s favorite is orange cream with mango jellies that fill the entire bottom of the cup.

———

Dawn has kind of become a sister between Ash and Gary, they form the Gremlin Trio, and this causes the adults such as Professor Oak and Delia to cring slightly because the trios dynamic reminds them of Red, Green, and Blue.

#wolfy talks #ash ketchum #champion lance #delia ketchum #professor oak #daisy oak #gary oak #gou #chloe

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theauthorstreehouse · 5 years

Text

Worldbuilding - Food and Recipes

*The chart above illustrated the dietary resources available to the majority of the nation.

Culture of Food

Food is a huge part of what makes a culture and Verdant is no exception to this. They pride themselves as a nation in which no one goes hungry. In a country where most of the land is desert, this is much more difficult to achieve than one might think. But thought centuries of trial and error they have not only learned to take advantage of the county which the land provided, but to cultivate their own food by utilizing the unique seasons to their advantage.

Verdant food is colorful, packed with flavor, and prepared with passion. The hearth is the center of the household and as such the kitchen and living area are usually inseparable in all but the most wealthy estates. Something is always cooking, and as such it is considered polite to offer an unexpected guest food and drink, and considered very impolite to refuse! If invited over, it is an absolute scandal not to bring something along, even if it's just goat cheese rolled in garlic and chives or a bottle of homemade wine.

Accessibility

When one looks at the scope of what the people of Verdant eat, it is important to remember the wide range of territory in which their nation covers. For instance in the capitol city which straddles the coastline, the bounty of the sea is plentiful. This means that people in the capitol can obtain fresh fish, seaweed and such for next to nothing. However in the further reaches, such as the Speckled Pond Oasis, their ability to serve food like swordfish or lobster is severely limited.

As in all countries, the wealthy always have access to more than those in lower classes. The more processed or refined something is the more likely you have to be wealthy in order to afford it. The more elaborate and time consuming it is to obtain and cook, the more likely you must have thralls or servants available in order to ensure it gets accomplished. Domestic pigs, for instance, do not do well in the Verdant heat and are difficult to keep content. So much so that pigs are considered to be a status symbol and kept like very spoiled pets by the super wealthy and socially elite. Goats and chickens on the other hand are a much more common source of sustenance and can be obtained by all but the most impoverished folk. Even then, foraging and trapping is a common chore given to children. Verdant has only a few laws regarding hunting practices, allowing for easier access to food sources.

Preservation

Food must be properly preserved to last as long as possible. With a flooding season and a sandstorm season to factor into the equation, Verdant folk must ensure their larder will hold for as long as possible. Most meat is cured in salt or smoked to prolong it's shelf life. Jerked meats are fairly common, especially among the working class. Packing in animal fat and storing it in a cool, dry place is an excellent method for ensuring the meat remains tender for months. Herbs are air dried and ground into powders,or drowned in oil or vinegar. Fruits and vegetables are often pickled or soaked in a sweet brine which is often then turned into alcohol. Waste is the enemy, and if anything can be used it will be used. Bone broths are immensely popular as a method for stripping the most nutrition out of an animal.

Household Staples

Some things are just a ubiquitous part of the culture, and Verdant is no exception. There are staples served on every table from rich to poor, though the amount and embellishments may differ. As a part of their initiative to ensure everyone is fed, monthly stipends of grain and rice are provided to the poorer districts, the amount depending upon the size of the family. These come from the silos kept by the Queen's government, which are filled through yearly taxes collected at harvest time. Each meal has rice with herbs, pickled vegetables, and flatbread lightly fried in oil. The most popular dish through out all the nation being a saffron crispy-rice cakes. They keep well and can be stored in cloth and reheated for meals or handed off to a worker to take with them for mid-day meals.

Saffron Crispy-rice Cake

Ingredients 2 cups basmati rice 3 ½ cups water 2 tablespoons kosher salt ¼ teaspoon crushed saffron threads 1 cup plain yogurt 3 eggs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ½ cup olive oil 1 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

Put your rice in a bowl with enough water to cover and let soak for about 30 mins. Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Place 3 ½ cups water into a large pot and add a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Bring to a boil and add the drained basmati rice. Bring to a boil and give it a stir. Reduce heat and let cook till tender. Sprinkle small amount of salt and saffron threads in mortar and crunch until powdered. Add 2 tbsp hot water and stir lightly. Let steep for about ten mins until deep reddish-orange color.

Mix 3 egg yolks, yogurt, ½ cup olive oil, and 2 tbsp salt into large bowl. Add saffron mix when steeping is done.

Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into skillet and heat. Fluff basmati rice mixture and test to see if fully cooked. Slowly integrate it into the saffron mixture until every grain is thoroughly coated. Don't skimp! You want it to be saturated with this mixture.

Once your oil is hot, put in a small bit of rice to test and see if it is ready. If it begins to bubble immediately, you are ready to proceed! Form the saffron and rice mixture into patties with you hands and carefully place in skillet, frying on each side until golden brown. Remove from skillet and place on rack to drain. Serve with choice of topping.

Note: I have personally made this recipe and let me tell you it packs a LOT of flavor. I've put a fried egg on top, mixed it with sweet coleslaw, tossed it with chicken and even put a thick slice of mozzarella on top and stuck it under a broiler until bubbling! It's addictive and it keeps in the fridge forever! The saffron threads are a little bit pricy, $7.99 for 1 tblsp where I got them. But since it made like five meals it was worth it.

Another staple of the Verdant meal is flatbread with garlic oil drizzled over it. The garlic oil is easy enough to make by chopping and frying large amounts of garlic in copious amounts of oil, then straining. The oil is useful for just about every dish in Verdant and is used liberally. The chips are kept and dried out, then ground as a topping or crusting for meals.

Garlic Flatbread

Ingredients ½ cup warm water 1 teaspoon sugar 1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4th tsp) ¼ cup plain yogurt 2 cups bread flour ¼cup garlic oil 2 tbsp crushed garlic chips 1 teaspoon kosher salt fresh parsley

Instructions

Dissolve sugar in ½ cup of warm water and add yeast to mixture. Leave for 10 mins until the yeast begins to foam.

Mix flour and salt together. Slowly incorporate yogurt until you have a loose, flaky dough.

Add yeast mixture and knead thoroughly until smooth. Place in a bowl and drizzle generously with garlic oil. Cover with a plate for about an hour or until doubled in size.

Lightly dust flat surface and pour dough onto surface. Gently shape into rectangle and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Arrange on plate and cover for another 15 – 20 mins.

Place skillet on stove top and add 4 tbsp olive oil to pan.

For larger flatbread, roll balls on floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. For smaller, cut each ball in half and roll till about the length and width of your hand. Add flatbread to hot skillet and fry on both sides. One side will puff up, creating bubbles of air. Once you flip, DO NOT PRESS FLAT! Cook until golden brown around bubble rings and transfer to rack. Once finished, arrange flatbread on plate and give a drizzle with garlic oil. Add sprinkling of salt, garlic chips and parsley and serve.

Note:These are spectacular on their own but tbh I love them with some goat cheese and some of the broken up saffron cakes above. You can also do them sans garlic/salt/parsley and heat one up in the oven before smearing it with blackberry preserves. It's chewy and lightly crispy and just so satisfying to eat.

The pickled vegetables may very day to day depending upon availability. Children are typically sent out as soon as they have eaten to go forage for wild edibles which can be added in to make for a more hearty fare. Knowing how to source edible plants from their environment is a necessity, as it may save their lives during the Trials needed to become a Citizen.

Sweet Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients 1 Eggplant 1 Cucumber 1 Carrots 1 Red Cabbage 1 Leek 1 Squash 1/4th tsp salt 1/4th tsp ground pepper 1/4th cup Olive oil 1 Red oranges 2 tbsp Brown sugar Optional: Pine nuts Goat cheese

Instructions

Turn oven on to 400°.

Slice your eggplants,squash, and leeks into widths about the size of your pinkie finger. Toss in drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and place on baking tray. Place in oven for 20 mins or until cooked through. Chop cucumbers, red cabbage and grate carrots into large bowl. Mix to combine.

Take 1/4th cup olive oil and add 2 tbs brown sugar. Juice one red orange and add juice to mixture. Stir to combine until sugar is dissolved.

Once roasted veggies are thoroughly cooked, turn on broiler and roast till lightly browned. Keep a close eye on them. Broilers work quicker than you think.

Once browned, remove from oven and allow to come to room temp. Mix in with rest of vegetables and drizzle the orange dressing over top. Mix generously.

Top with pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese for an extra burst of flavor.

Note: You can really serve this at room temp like a warm salad but it's just as good second day as like a slaw. I love to add it onto rice and chicken for a lunch bowl.

One of the easiest sources for protein across Verdant is the ocean and all the bounty it provides. Even if one doesn't have a boat, they can search along the rocky beaches for mussels and dig into the sand for cockles. Just about everyone has a trap for crabs or eels and takes advantage of this as they taste wonderful when grilled. Spearfishing and diving for urchins are popular methods for obtaining harder to catch food sources. However under Guild law, anything which requires a boat in order to catch requires a Guild permit.

Mussels with Leeks & Tomatos

Ingrdiants 1 lb mussels 1/4th cup olive oil 1 Leek 6 Garlic cloves 1 cup Multicolored cherry tomatoes ½ Red onion 1 tbsp Ginger 1 Lemon 1/4th tsp salt 1/4th tsp pepper ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

*Check your mussels thoroughly before use!

-rinse thoroughly

-trash any cracked or opened mussels

-if you find a 'thread' on the mussel, remove it

Take a deep saute pan and add in olive oil.

Thoroughly clean leeks between the leaves. They're noted for being dirty.

Chop leeks, red onion, garlic cloves and tomatoes. Add to hot olive oil and cook till lightly browned.

Add in your mussels and cover with lid. Steam for 10 – 15 min until all the mussels have opened up. Stir gently to combine.

Juice 1 lemon and grate 1 tsbp lemon. Stir together with cayenne, salt and pepper until combined.

Scoop mussels from pan into large bowl. Pour lemon juice onto mussels while stirring. Serve.

Note: Mussels are one of my favorite things to eat! There really is no end to the different things you can combine to them but sometimes the simplest is the best!

#verdant #worldbuilding #food #culture #tidbits

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squishymoth · 4 years

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Moth’s and Lorelei’s Veggie or Vegan Sandwich Tips:

To preface this I’m kind of a picky eater, especially about textures. Most delis in my area's offerings for vegetarians are made up of various roasted veggies, avocado and cucumber, resulting in a very GOOPY unappetizing sandwich.

I also don’t subscribe to the idea that vegetarians should only eat vegetables, and that fake meats are all flavorless and pointless. Most of the tastiest vegetarian sandwiches I’ve had include fake meats.

Nothing I’ve written here is crazy insightful or revolutionary but if anything here helps someone make a tasty vegetarian or vegan sammy I will be happy.

Additions specifically written by my lovely girlfriend Lorelei are marked (L) for Luigi.

Sandwich thoughts below the cut!

Fake Meat:

I will start with the cheaper, easier to find fake meats. Good vege sandwiches should be accessible IMO. I believe these brands will be more widely available and you won’t have to go to a specialty health food store to find em.

Morning Star Farms Bacon:

The MSF bacon is salty and savory and can be as crispy or chewy as you like. Just cook it a couple minutes on either side in a dry non-stick pan. I’m not sure that it tastes exactly like bacon, but it’s strong point is that it has a good flavor all on its own which is what I think defines any good vege meat.

Morning Star Chik Patties:

A great chik’n patty if you are looking for a crispy chicken sandwich, easy to cook in the skillet or the microwave (both ways come out tasty and crispy). Overall Morning Star has good stuff and is widely available.

Tofurkey:

really succeeds at a lunch meat texture and has a subtle savory flavor that allows it to support other sandwich ingredients.

Fancier Fake Meats:

Green Slice Meatless Deli Slices:

(WARNING not all of them are vegan some use egg white) I’ve often wondered why there was no vege ham alternative, on a recent grocery run I discovered there was one! Green Slice’s applewood smoked slice (I have only tried this flavor, but I’m sure the others are also good) these have a lovely very meat-like texture and flavor. My only quibble is that they are very small and there aren’t that many.

Sweet Earth Facon:

This bacon smells amazing and tastes very bacony. It is cooked in oil, make sure to use paper towel to blot off extra oil.

Light Life Smoky Tempeh Bacon:

Tempeh itself gets a bad rap (you have to cook it in a very specific way), but honestly for sandwiches tempeh is not worth using unless its smokey tempeh bacon. It has a lovely flavor, but it is a very different experience to the other two facons in this list. Imagine it as the contrast between your typical everyday bacon and a thick cut, pepper corn encrusted, artisanal bacon. It is thicker and chewier, but has a delicious smoky sweet flavor.

Tofu:

Pan Seared Tofu:

Ok if you’re really not into fake meats or you just like tasty tofu here is a home made, very tasty, and pretty all purpose recipe for a tofu sandwich filling. This recipe is from The Pho Cookbook by Andrea Nguyen. Best part about it, no need to press! Cooking it in the pan before adding oil drives off water super well, and gives a really unique tenderness. We eat this on it’s own, it’s that good!

Ingredients: firm tofu, 1 TBSP neutral oil, 1 TBSP soy sauce (optional in this case if it doesn’t fit the VIBE of your sandwich, if you leave out the soy sauce make sure to compensate with other umami ingredients in the sandwich)

Instruction: cut your tofu into desired shape (triangle or domino or whatever) put them in a DRY non stick pan, and drizzle with soy sauce on both sides (if desired, salt and pepper could also be used).

Cook on medium without disturbing the pieces for ~5 mins.

Drizzle with oil and then flip them, allow the second side to cook for ~5 mins.

To check if the second side is ready try shaking the pan a little, if the tofu moves you can flip. If they are not to your desired brownness flip again and allow to continue cooking until you are satisfied. You are looking for a mottled brown color.

Crispy Tofu:

If you are looking for a crispier tofu here is a homegrown method that I’ve learned through trial and error, also a great addition to spring rolls.

Ingredients: firm tofu, neutral oil, salt and pepper (any other seasoning you like). OPTIONAL: a sauce as in orange sauce, teriyaki, or even BBQ (never tried BBQ but it could work.)

Instructions:

Most important thing for crispy tofu is to drain and PRESS IT. I would press it for between 15-20 minutes. Either cut up your pieces to desired shape and size before pressing or press the whole block if you want to prepare a big portion.

After they are pressed and the moisture is removed, season your tofu. I’ve experimented with rolling tofu in cornstarch to add an extra crispiness but it should crisp up on its own. You may just sprinkle your desired seasoning on both sides as you like.

In a non stick pan fry tofu on both sides in oil (enough to coat your pan) on medium high heat until golden brown and crispy. When cooking tofu I’ve heard it’s good to leave it undisturbed before flipping to prevent bits sticking to the bottom and preserve inner softness. Try shaking the pan, if the tofu moves a bit it is not going to stick to the pan and lose it’s crispy outer layer. When they are finished cooking set the tofu on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

OPTIONAL: in the last minutes of cooking add a sauce of your choosing, flip the tofu to coat.

Fats:

Avocado:

Avocado is a great addition to almost any sandwich, especially if you are vegan or lactose intolerant. It can easily take the place of cheese or mayo in 99% of sandwiches.

Vegan Cheese:

My girlfriend has tried MANY vegan cheeses and has found all of them to be disappointing. So we have no recommendations for vegan cheese.

Garlic Butter:

A tasty spread to up your sandwiches flavor. we don’t have a recipe with EXACT measurements, this is all to taste. This can be applied to any sandwich for extra flavor and fat.

Ingredients:

A couple spoonfuls of Butter/Vegan butter

1 small garlic clove (or garlic powder)

Black pepper

Italian herb blend (or pretty much any green herb, fresh or dried [dried preferred] will be tasty)

Honey (if vegan just leave out the honey)

Instructions: In a small bowl grate your garlic clove into the butter, add all other seasonings and the optional honey, and mix. Make sure and taste, if you find it under flavored add more of the flavor stuff, if it is overpowering add more butter (this can keep in the fridge if you end up with too much). Then just spread the desired amount on your toasted bread.

(L) Mayonnaise:

Ok listen, it's stinky. But so is almost every cheese. It adds more of a feeling than a flavor, the fattiness can really uplift a lot of sandwiches, especially with tomato. But, if you are opposed to mayo for whatever reason, avocado, cheese, even olive oil, will fill this role. (not sure about vegan mayos but it can't be that hard to nail right? (Moth does not endorse this pro mayo stance)

(L) Vegan/Dairy freeRanch:

I don’t like ranch, but this homemade stuff really justifies it. I used normal mayo but it should work with vegan mayo. This is a very loose recipe, so tweak it to what works for you

½ cup mayonnaise (egg or plant based)

½ a lemons worth of juice

¼ cup oat milk (soy and almond milk don't play nice with savory flavor)

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp fine chopped fresh dill (or dried, or any green herb0

Whisk the mayo, milk, and lemon together. Add your herbs, and let it sit in the fridge overnight

This is the most important step, this time allows the garlic powder to rehydrate and the herbs to steep that give the ranch its signature flavor. Ranch is basically garlic powder sauce.

I have not tested this ratio much (ok fine at all), so trust your gut!

Also fun fact, juice of 1 lemon + 1 cup of oat milk + time = 1 cup of vegan buttermilk!

MISC:

Deli dressing:

You can buy this bottled in store or make your own at home easily. It will add that deli je ne sais quoi to a sandwich. Works best on a simple sandwich that might otherwise be lacking in flavor.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar (any vinegar should do TBH)

Italian seasoning (again some dried oregano or other similar dried herbs should be fine)

Salt and pepper

OPTIONAL: put some vinegar hot sauce (tapatio, cholula, taco bell packet, etc) in that bad boy.

Instructions: mix it UP. This is another recipe that I usually just measure out by eye and taste

Falafel: I am not very experienced in making falafel so I don’t have a recipe on hand, but they are yummy.

Sprouts: a welcome addition to almost any sandwich, earthy, light and crunchy. They are also really easy to grow in a jar at home.

Pickles: love these funny dudes, they don't play well with sweeter sandwiches though. Use your judgement.

Chips: put em in there, 12 year olds know what they're doing.

Dutch Crunch: objectively the best sandwich bread.

Coleslaw: if you dislike coleslaw maybe you’ve only had a mayo based one. The only good coleslaw is vinegar based. Thin sliced cabbage, olive oil, vinegar of choice, honey (or vegan alternative) a spoonful of grainy mustard and salt and pepper. Great on a chik’n based sandwich.

Vegetarian Sandwich Ideas:

I don’t really have anything ground breaking here but here are some of the tastiest sandwiches I’ve made. If for some reason you want to try making one of these you can add or leave off anything you like. Salt and pepper all your sandwiches. And add cheese to any if you eat cheese!

BLAT or BLA:

To start this off, I don’t like tomatoes in sandwiches, I know I’m not correct, but you can add tomatoes if you want.

Ingredients:

Garlic butter

iceberg lettuce (or any lettuce)

avocado

facon (my fav is morning star farms, a fancier facon such as smoky tempeh bacon is also good but has a completely different flavor and texture)

tomatoes (optional because I do not like them)

(L) TOMATO TIP: salt and pepper your tomatoes and let them sit a moment, also if its not tomato season cherry tomatoes are ur best bet for a decent tomato from the store.

Orange Tofu Sandwich:

A note: feel free to substitute a different sauce or to omit sauce entirely. The pan seared tofu makes a good sandwich filling without any extra sauce.

Ingredients: pan seared tofu, crispy tofu, or gardein orange chikn nuggets (these come with a packet of orange sauce)

Orange sauce

Iceberg lettuce (other lettuces or even finely chopped cabbage will be good as well)

Avocado

Thin sliced sweet or bell pepper

(L) Fancy “Ham” on Rye:

Ingredients:

Rye bread The rye bread adds a lovely funky herby note to the entire experience. Its what makes it fancy.

Green Slice applewood smoked(or any You could use tofurkey, but honestly if you find it/afford it green slice has an amazing texture and deep flavor that tofurkey doesn't. This is a simple fancy sandwich, splurging is gonna go a long way here.

Garlic Honey butter

Iceberg Lettuce (again or any other lettuce, or a mix with arugula and spinach)

Optional mayo: (L) i adore mayonnaise on this kind of sandwich, it really lets the other flavors shine. I havent tried it with avocado, my gut says it wouldnt work as good but I’m not a cop put some on there avocado is yummy.

Optional cheese a sharp cheddar or fancy gruyere.

Crispy Chik’n Sandwich:

Ingredients:

Morning Star Chik Patty (spicy one if ur spicy)

Facon (strong recommendation for morning star on this one)

Vinegary vegan coleslaw (or any lettuce iceberg is recommended and easier on the fly)

Dill pickles (pickles+crispy chicken very yummy, we specify it on this one because its almost necessary for a spicy sandwich.)

Condiments of choice (ketchup, BBQ, honey, hot sauce etc)

Deli Style Sandwich:

A really basic sandwich, add whatever other sandwich fixings you like.

Ingredients:

Tofurkey

Sprouts

Iceberg lettuce

Sandwich dressing

Avocado

Pickle or Cucumber

#vegetarian cooking #vegetarian sandwiches #vegan sandwich

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anxietygardening · 4 years

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A lot of Stellar Jays around lately. I also have Chickadees, Starlings, and Crows, with the occasional Robin of some kind, and a small assortment of other guests. My housemates claim they've seen hummingbirds but I think they are lying liars that lie.

Fortunately most of the birds like the suet feeder, 'cause the damn squirrel neighbor spilled the other bird feeder all over the place. Now no one gets the loose seed. RUINED IT FOR EVERYONE.

Strawberries coming along. Getting bushy and gettin' it on with the bumblebutts.

If all goes well, I shall have plenty of cherry tomatoes. Tomato-Cucumber-Avocado salad is in my future.

I hadn't intended this to be a place to put recipes, but seriously this is a great salad, so here you go, the rough instruction on how I do it.

Tomato-Cucumber-Avocado Salad

INGREDIENTS

- 1 diced cucumber (English is good because fewer seeds but I don't know that anyone has ever cared. You can always core a regular cucumber or two)

- 4 firm Roma tomatoes, diced, or equivalent grape tomatoes, halved, which I think is aesthetically pleasing

- 3 ripe avocados, skinned, cored, diced

- some people put diced/sliced onion, I don't, but just saying for transparency

- chopped up fresh cilantro, about 1/2 cups worth, or you can try parsley or Dill if you are the unfortunate bearer of the genetic intolerance to cilantro

- Juice of 1 lemon

- Salt and Pepper to taste

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, roughly 2-3 Tbsp

- (optional) crumbled feta is really nice if you happen to have it

DIRECTIONS

1. Toss that tasty shit together in a big bowl

2. Eat that tasty shit

3. Regret nothing

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somewhereawrite · 5 years

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Dinner’s Ready~

Maeko used to make six servings every time she prepared dinner. One for herself, one for her husband, one for her son, and three more for them to take for lunch the next day. After the ocean took Rui away, six servings became too much and she found herself throwing leftovers away, so she started to make only four.

The servings grew bigger as Sora grew older, but she kept making four even after Sora had gone missing. It was a habit, or maybe it was the motherly part of her that came to life when she first held Sora in her arms, moments after he was born. There was no telling when he’d come back, so she always wanted to have something ready for him to eat in case he blew in through the back door like he always did, a gale of sunshine and chaos, with no regard to the numerous patches she fixed where the doorknob hit the wall.

Then he came back, and everything was good, and he ate more than she remembered and she could barely keep enough food in the fridge for him and his friends to snack on whenever they dropped in. And then he was gone again, and now he was just gone, and the refrigerator was full and she couldn’t find it in herself to stop making four servings, so she brought the extra to work and she combed through at the end of the week to throw out the leftovers and she found herself in the kitchen late in the afternoon, making far too much food to ever be able to eat herself.

She placed two cups of rice in the rice cooker now, and flipped the switch on. It clicked softly, the screen moving from READY to COOK, and with that done, she glanced back at the stove to check on the soup. The soup pot’s glass lid was cloudy with steam, but the soup itself was not simmering just yet. She gave it a quick stir, then replaced the lid and returned her attention to the vegetables and fish.

It was simple dinner, maybe-- a quick one. One that she and Sora had eaten dozens of times since he was small, since it was something she cooked often enough that she could probably make it half-asleep. Comfort food.

She sliced the cucumbers quickly, paper-thin and in long, green ribbons and set them in a bowl with a bit of salt, then got to work on the rehydrated seaweed that was already in another bowl. Wringing out the excess water, she chopped them and stirred them into the dressing that was already waiting, letting the briny ocean scent and sour tang of vinegar meet and mellow each other into the familiar aroma of cucumber salad.

The house was quiet, except for the soft rustle of the breeze blowing through the curtains of the open window and the rice cooker chugging away beside her. Even the shadows were hushed and still, soft at the corners of the furniture and her feet.

She used to treasure little moments of silence, where the house was quiet and she was alone to breathe. Years ago, when Rui brought Sora, Riku, and Kairi to the tiny island just off their shore to play, she would stay home and relish the few moments of peace. It wasn’t until The Year that the quiet started to feel like a gaping hole in her life.

She’d continually found herself glancing out of the kitchen window at the play island that she could see in the distance, longing for something, or maybe waiting for it, but not sure what it was. Her tiny house had felt so huge and so stifling at once, and she’d often found herself standing in the doorway of the guest bedroom, puzzling over why it suddenly looked like the bedroom of a teenage boy. She’d walked in a couple of times intending to clean it out, but ended up touching the sea shells and shiny rocks scattered on the top of the dresser, stepping over the papers and books and toys scattered on the floor, staring at the messy, unmade bed, and finally sinking to the carpet with an armful of rumpled clothes that didn’t belong to her or anyone she knew. In the end, she never cleaned it out, because taking things out of the room felt like cutting out a piece of her heart.

“No one remembers him,” Kairi had said, after she’d turned up at Maeko’s doorstep one day, fidgeting restlessly as she asked Maeko about a boy named Sora. “I couldn’t remember him until yesterday. No one at school knows who he is, and Riku’s parents didn’t remember him at all. Or me, for that matter.”

Maeko’s heart hurt a little at that, remembering all of the snack times and beach days and playdates she’d hosted for Kairi and Riku (and the faceless third boy, her son, her Sora), how they had their own toys and shoes and spare swimsuits at her house, and their own seats at her table.

Kairi had curled her fingers into fists in her lap, looking at Maeko with eyes full of fire. “I’m going to find both of them and bring them home.”

And then she’d gone missing, too, and Maeko was left with another part of her heart shattered and no closer to finding her son, or his two best friends that she loved almost as her own children.

Maeko squeezed the extra liquid from the cucumbers and dumped them into the bowl with the seaweed, sprinkling sesame seeds over the top before mixing everything together into the vinegar dressing with a pair of chopsticks. Into the sink the two extra bowls went, yellow and sky blue stacked on top of each other. She set the bowl of cucumber salad aside and unwrapped the fish.

Sora had helped her cook, sometimes. He would throw his bag on the living room floor and stroll into the kitchen after getting back from school or wherever he’d been, snatching pieces of raw vegetable from under her knife and ducking away from her swat with a laugh as he snooped into whatever was cooking on the stove. She’d rope him into stirring something or breading something or chopping something, and he’d never quite get it right but one way or another, everything would end up cooked and they’d set the finished dishes on the table as the sun was sinking close to the horizon, painting the sky orange and purple and pink and blue. They’d settle in to eat at the closest corners of the table, sometimes with the TV playing a movie in the background, sometimes with the only sound being the clacking of their chopsticks and clink of glasses, their voices and laughter escaping in the breeze that blew through the ever open windows.

A sudden weight in Maeko’s chest stilled her hands and she let her chopsticks clatter to the counter as her throat seized in a sob. She raised a sleeve to swipe away the tears that were welling in her eyes and somehow ended up melting to the floor, knees pulled up to her chest and eyes streaming so furiously that she couldn’t see clearly anymore.

It was like this now. She’d be fine one moment and then something would happen-- a sound, a smell, the breeze coming in through the window, slices of cucumber in a bowl with salt-- and she was reduced to nothing again, just like she’d been on that first night alone for good. It was like the world hung very delicately around her, a glass charm affixed to a fraying thread. The wind would pass by and maybe it would drift and follow, or maybe it would crash to the ground and shatter into pieces.

“Mom, are you crying?” Sora edged around the counter, peering at Maeko suspiciously. Maeko kept her eyes trained down, focused on the pineapple she was slicing and not on her son’s face.

“No,” she said. She wasn’t crying, but he didn’t need to know how close she was, and besides, it was already almost too late for dessert so she needed to finish slicing and putting everything together. The fruits were a welcome distraction from those blue eyes, wide and earnest and so much like Rui’s, and she knew that if she made the mistake of looking at him, she wouldn’t be able to turn him away. He didn’t leave and wander back into the living room to watch the rest of the action movie that was still playing on the TV like she hoped, so she continued, “You know I don’t like it when you talk like that.”

She could see the tiny frown, the furrow of his brow as she made another cut with the knife. Instead of being discouraged, he dragged a chair from the table to the counter and plopped down on it, resting his arms on the counter and his chin on his hands.

Even like that, he was tall. When had he gotten that tall?

“Mom.”

She didn’t like that tone. She didn’t like this conversation, or any of the other ones he’d brought up before that were similar to this one. She didn’t like the way her stomach clenched in fear when he was looking at her like this, so much more grown up than he’d ever been before The Year.

Grown up, but still a child. Her child.

“I might have to. If everyone needs me, I can’t just stay here and not help.” He fingered a blue metal ring that he was always wearing, one that she had never seen before he left. It was loose enough that he could spin it in circles underneath his knuckle. “Right?”

Maeko didn’t answer. She scooped up the wedges of pineapple into a bowl on the counter that was already halfway filled with strawberries, pineapple juice running down her arms and dripping off her elbows and back onto the cutting board in little splashes.

“Never walk past if I can stop and help. If I can make something better, I should try. You told me that.”

There was a sour taste in Maeko’s mouth. Never had she ever thought she’d regret saying those words. Never had she ever imagined they would be so dangerous. “Stop it, Sora.”

“But Mom--”

“It isn’t your responsibility.”

“But it is my responsibility!”

“It shouldn’t be!” She said those words louder than she intended to and slapped the knife down onto the counter. Sora stopped, startled, and closed his mouth, staring at her. A pang of something stabbed through her as she met his eyes, saw the guarded look there. The determination mixed with caution, like the look he got when carrying something made of glass.

Whatever the pang was, it dissolved into anger. “It’s not your responsibility to go flying off, gods know where, to save the universe from what? Some lunatic? A bunch of monsters? I’m glad that you found people to help you when you were lost, but if they want you to go risking your life in some war we have nothing to do with, then they’re not your friends. They’re the monsters.”

“Mom, that’s--”

“No! You’re fifteen years old. Your responsibilities are your grades. Your summer job. Hanging out with your friends! Not this… thing, whatever this is!”

“It’s—”

She wasn’t done. She felt a fury in her, like fire, mixed with grief. The multiverse had taken her son from her for more than a year, and now it wanted him back? “I don’t want you to go rushing off after Riku either. I know he’s your friend, but you are my son. You’re my responsibility. I don’t want to hear about this again.”

Sora stood up from his chair and she half expected him to turn around and storm off. But he didn’t. He stood there, quietly watching her. When he finally spoke, his voice was soft. “I’m just trying to do the right thing,” he said. “Even if it’s hard.”

That pang, whatever it was, returned. Maeko clenched her hands into fists on the counter. “I know you are,” she whispered.

I don’t want you to, she almost said. I want you to be selfish and shallow and leave all that danger and darkness behind you. I want you to stay here where I know you’re safe and I can watch you finish growing up and try to make up for all the time I lost.

But she didn’t say it. She couldn’t.

“It’s okay to be scared, Mom,” Sora said. “I was scared a lot when I left the islands the first time. Everything was different, and hard, and it felt like nothing was ever going to be okay again. But then I remembered you. I remembered all the things you told me when I was little, and it made me feel stronger. And I wasn’t so scared anymore.”

A tear, unbidden, slipped from Maeko’s eye and joined the puddle of pineapple juice on the counter. Through the blur, she could see Sora rounding the counter, reaching for her, pulling her into a tight hug. “I love you, Mom,” she heard him say. As she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, something flooded through her, fierce and glowing and overshadowing the fear and rage.

She stepped back and grabbed his hands and looked him in the eye. “I’m so proud of you, Sora,” she said. “I love you. And I’ll always be here when you get back, no matter what.”

The smile that had appeared on his face in that moment was like the sun breaking through the clouds. He’d grabbed the ice cream from the freezer, and they’d eaten dessert and finished whatever movie he’d turned on, and then she’d gone to bed.

The next morning, the house was empty, and there was a note on the table in Sora’s messy handwriting, along with a pile of munny, and a purple hair ribbon she thought she’d lost. He’d sneaked out in the middle of the night. That was the last time she’d ever seen him.

The golden rays of the late afternoon sun were spilling onto her kitchen floor at an angle that suggested she’d been crying for longer than she’d thought. The rice cooker was burbling cheerfully on the counter above her, and she could hear the stove hissing as droplets of soup bubbled out from underneath the lid and dripped onto the burner. Maeko stood back up and wiped off her face, washing her hands at the sink before returning to the stove to check the pot with too much soup and turn down the burner.

It was late. At this rate, dinner would be ready far too close to the setting sun than she liked.

It doesn’t matter, a small voice inside her said. It wasn’t like there was anyone waiting for her to finish cooking anyways.

She set the wok on the stove and picked up the bottle of oil she’d set on the counter before, splashing a generous amount into it. It pooled at the bottom and she stood over it, staring at it until it started to glimmer with heat. She shook herself, picked up her chopsticks and dipped them into the wok, watching little bubbles begin to form on the submerged bamboo.

Into the pan went a handful of minced garlic and shredded ginger, a smattering of chopped chili peppers, and the fish, amidst a deafening hiss and sizzle and a spray of tiny oil droplets. She watched the oil dance in the wok for a moment, the garlic and ginger and pepper skittering around the edges of the fish, before setting down her chopsticks and turning to snatch dishes from the cupboard.

She grabbed a soup bowl and a rice bowl for herself, a spoon and napkin and chopsticks, and carried them all out to the living room, where she set them on the coffee table-- she’d been eating on the couch in front of the TV lately. It was easier to eat alone with background noise.

Once she’d plated everything and settled onto the couch, she looked over the spread with the sudden realization that she wasn’t very hungry. Sighing, she set down her chopsticks and glanced out the window, toward the setting sun. She could see the play island from where she was, backlit by the golden rays of the sunset over the glistening water. It was close enough to make out, but far enough that she couldn’t see if anyone was there, on the beach.

If she closed her eyes and forgot for a second, she could pretend Sora was late, throwing caution to the wind and rowing back as fast as the tide would let him.

A loud rap on her door startled her enough that she jumped. Glancing out through the other window, she saw two shadows hovering by the front door. Voices flitted through the window, and she recognized them instantly. She scrambled to her feet and headed for the door.

“Are you sure she’s here?”

“Where else should she be?”

“I dunno. Work?”

“Just knock again.”

There was another knock and a voice called out. “... hello? Mrs.--”

Maeko pulled open the door, and both Riku and Kairi jumped back in surprise. Riku was carrying a watermelon, and Kairi had a covered plate that looked something like cake in her hands.

Riku cleared his throat. “Um, sorry. We, um--”

Kairi elbowed him, and stepped forward. “We were wondering if you wanted some company for dinner.” She held out the plate. “I brought a cheesecake.”

Maeko’s vision blurred suddenly. Her voice felt froggy as she asked, “Do your parents know you’re here?”

Kairi nodded. “Yeah, we told them we were gonna miss dinner. We just-- we wanted to drop by, cause it’s been awhile since we had dinner out here.”

The weight in Maeko’s chest receded, just a little. She sniffed and blinked, her eyes on the verge of overflowing.

Never mind, there they went.

Riku hesitated. “Is that… is that okay?”

He sounded like he wanted to ask “are you okay?” but knowing the boy, it’d take three more hours before he was able to blurt out the question. She laughed, a shaky sort of sound, wiping the tears from her cheeks and pushing the door open all the way. “Of course it’s okay. You’ve always got a place here. Don’t you remember? Come in. Here--”

She snatched the cake from Kairi’s fingers and whisked it into the kitchen, beckoning them after her. “Set that watermelon down under the counter. We’ll get to it after dinner. Kairi--”

“I can get extra bowls and stuff!” Kairi hopped around the counter and opened the cabinet, calling back over her shoulder, “Should I set everything out in the living room?”

Maeko glanced at the coffee table, then at the dining room. “No, Set the table. We’ll eat there.”

Riku helped Maeko bring the dishes over to the table, and Kairi placed the extra bowls and napkins and chopsticks on the seat closest to the counter and the far seat, then added another place setting at Sora’s normal seat. She looked at Maeko before she arranged everything neatly. “If it’s okay?”

Maeko nodded, and something painful but warm swelled in her heart.

Kairi set the place delicately, carefully arranging everything at perfect angles, then sat down across from Maeko, smiling a little.

Maeko picked up her chopsticks, and smiled back at both of them. “Help yourself,” she said.

“Thank you for the food!” Kairi said.

“Thank you for the food,” Riku murmured, eyes fixed on Sora’s chair. He looked at Maeko, and for a second, he seemed lost.

In a single, flickering instant, she wanted to imagine her son was there with them, at his corner of the table, grinning cheekily at them over his bowl of rice. But he wasn’t there, and she knew the place would be empty when she looked. But Riku was there, and Kairi was there, and she could see by the looks in their eyes that that something was gone and everything hurt, and they didn’t want to be alone.

Sora had said something to her once, about hearts being connected. More hearts together being stronger than one.

She scooted her chair back and stood, reaching over to the soup tureen to ladle soup into Riku’s bowl, then Kairi’s bowl, then her own.

“How is school?” she asked, as she sat down.

Kairi rolled her eyes and set down her chopsticks. “Well, apparently learning a whole new form of fighting with a magical weapon doesn’t count towards my PE grade, so there’s that. And then there’s world history… Riku failed his quiz today because apparently one of the questions was factually incorrect.”

Riku groaned. “I thought we weren’t talking about that. I’m gonna read the chapter and retake it with the answers he wants.”

“What question?”

Riku looked at her hesitantly. He’d never been one to speak his mind, like Sora, who wore his heart on his sleeve. But he relaxed, and glanced over at Kairi with a shrug. “Well, it was an ancient history question, asking about the island formation.”

“Sounds intriguing.”

Maeko leaned in and listened as Riku scooped fish into his bowl and described what he knew from his travels and why the answer was wrong and what evidence he gave to support it.

The sun was sinking close to the horizon, painting the sky orange and purple and pink and blue. The only sound other than Riku’s increasingly passionate voice, her own hums of encouragement, and Kairi’s snickers was the clacking of their chopsticks and clink of glasses, voices and laughter escaping in the breeze that blew through the ever open windows.

Hearts connecting, Maeko thought. One voice was still missing, but when she was quiet, she could hear it in her memories, resonating with the beating of her heart.

#kingdom hearts #kh3 #sora #sora's mom #riku #kairi #kh3 spoilers #kingdom hearts fanfic

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eskitildim · 5 years

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25+ Food That Will Shred Weight Easily

you can surprise if it’s feasible to lose weight while no longer giving up snacks. If you pick healthful, complete-meals options with a number of protein and nutrients, snacks may be quintessential to weight loss. Some can even assist hold you full in the course of the day and limit your cravings for bad foods. Here are 29 healthful, weight reduction-friendly snacks to feature for your weight-reduction plan.

1. Combined nuts

nuts are a perfect nutritious snack. They're related to a discounted threat of heart disease and might assist prevent certain cancers, depression, and different illnesses (1trusted source, 2trusted supply). In spite of being fairly excessive in fat, they are very filling. Numerous research recommend that consuming nuts carefully will let you lose weight (3trusted supply, 4trusted supply, 5trusted supply). Nuts provide an appropriate stability of healthful fat, protein, and fiber. They comprise a hundred and eighty calories in a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving, on common. Because they do not require refrigeration, they’re ideal for taking over the pass. 2. Crimson bell pepper with guacamole purple bell peppers are extraordinarily wholesome. Although all bell peppers are nutritious, pink types are specially excessive in antioxidants like beta carotene, capsanthin, and quercetin (6trusted source). They're are also wealthy in vitamin c. In truth, 1 big purple bell pepper incorporates over 300% of the day by day cost (dv) for this nutrient (7). Pairing 1 large purple bell pepper with three oz (eighty five grams) of guacamole provides wholesome fats and fiber even as keeping this snack's calorie depend beneath two hundred. 3. Greek yogurt and blended berries simple greek yogurt and berries make a scrumptious, nutrient-dense snack. In addition to being a top notch supply of calcium and potassium, greek yogurt is likewise excessive in protein (eight). Berries are one of the nice assets of antioxidants round. Devour a mixture of in another way colored berries to get an array of those powerful compounds (9trusted supply). Combining 3. Five oz (a hundred grams) of plain, complete-fats greek yogurt with 1/2 cup (50 grams) of combined berries affords about 10 grams of protein and below 150 calories. Four. Apple slices with peanut butter apples and peanut butter taste splendid collectively. Apples are high in fiber and polyphenol antioxidants that improve gut fitness and reduce heart sickness risk (10trusted supply, 11trusted source). Peanut butter may additionally have extra blessings for heart health. It's been proven to boom hdl (accurate) ldl cholesterol and decrease ldl (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides (12trusted supply). That said, peanut butter is fairly excessive in calories. Even though it commonly hasn't been linked to weight advantage, it is quality consumed carefully. A medium apple with 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of herbal peanut butter presents a pleasant stability of sweet flavor with crisp and creamy textures at below 2 hundred energy. 5. Cottage cheese with flax seeds and cinnamon cottage cheese, flax seeds, and cinnamon each have remarkable fitness benefits. Together, they're pretty healthful. Cottage cheese is high in protein and very filling, and complete-fats types boast conjugated linoleic acid (cla), a fatty acid connected to fitness benefits (13trusted source, 14trusted source). Flax seeds are beneficial for weight loss and blood sugar manipulate. They will also lessen breast cancer hazard (15trusted supply, 16trusted source). Cinnamon allows decrease blood sugar and can enhance intestine fitness (17trusted supply, 18trusted supply). Here's an easy recipe that offers about 15 grams of protein with fewer than 150 calories:

cinnamon flax seed pudding for this recipe, mix the following components in a small bowl:

half cup (80 grams) of cottage cheese 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of floor flax seeds half teaspoon (five grams) of cinnamon a sprint of stevia or different sweetener, if desired

6. Celery sticks with cream cheese celery sticks with cream cheese are a classic low-carb, filling snack. Celery contains luteolin, an antioxidant that reduces infection and can assist prevent most cancers (19trusted source). Five small celery sticks with 2 oz. (60 grams) of cream cheese harbors fewer than 2 hundred calories. 7. Kale chips kale is especially healthy, because it’s loaded with fiber and antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol. Those compounds lower blood pressure and can lessen your risk of colon cancer (20trusted supply, 21trusted supply, 22trusted supply). A 1-cup (sixty seven-gram) serving of uncooked kale affords more than one hundred% of the dv for nutrients a, c, and k (23). This clean recipe for kale chips offers approximately a hundred and fifty calories:

kale chips substances:

1 cup (67 grams) of chunk-sized kale leaves 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil 1/four teaspoons (1. 5 grams) of salt guidelines:

blend all elements in a bowl. Vicinity kale portions on a parchment-coated baking sheet and bake at 350°f (175°c) for 10–15 minutes. Watch them carefully, as they can easily burn. Eight. Darkish chocolate and almonds darkish chocolate and almonds make a wealthy, pleasing, and portable snack. Darkish chocolate is loaded with flavanols which could lower blood stress and reduce heart sickness danger, supplied the chocolate consists of as a minimum 70% cocoa solids (24). Almonds are high in heart-healthful monounsaturated fats and have beneficial results on blood sugar manage. Research additionally display that they can lessen appetite and help you shed pounds (4trusted source, 25trusted source, 26trusted source). Both darkish chocolate and almonds are excessive in magnesium. One ounce (30 grams) of every gives approximately three hundred energy in general, depending on cocoa content material. Nine. Cucumber slices with hummus cucumber and hummus move well together. Cucumbers incorporate cucurbitacin e, a compound which can have anticancer consequences (27trusted source). Hummus is crafted from chickpeas, olive oil, and garlic, which lessen irritation and can enhance heart health (28trusted supply, 29trusted supply, 30trusted source). One cup (52 grams) of sliced cucumbers dipped in three. Five ounces (100 grams) of hummus has about a hundred and eighty calories. 10. A chunk of fruit healthful snacks do not want to be complicated. Just a single piece of fruit can be fairly pleasant. Transportable, easy-to-eat fruits encompass bananas, apples, pears, grapes, grapefruit, and oranges. 11. Cherry tomatoes with mozzarella tomatoes and mozzarella cheese are a taste fit made in heaven — and they may be healthful, too. Tomatoes are rich in diet c, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant which can reduce your risk of cancer and coronary heart sickness (31trusted supply, 32trusted supply). Mozzarella is high in protein, calcium and diet b12. It can additionally lower coronary heart disease threat with the aid of raising your stages of hdl (exact) cholesterol (33trusted source). One cup (149 grams) of cherry tomatoes paired with 2 oz. (60 grams) of mozzarella cheese has beneath 2 hundred energy. 12. Chia pudding chia seeds are loaded with fiber and may be covered in all varieties of diets, consisting of vegan and ketogenic diets. They're additionally excessive in antioxidants that assist lessen inflammation and enhance heart health (34trusted source, 35trusted source). Despite the fact that they do not have a whole lot flavor, chia seeds do tackle an thrilling, jelly-like consistency whilst soaked in liquid. This snack has fewer than two hundred energy:

chia seed pudding

elements:

1 tablespoon (15 grams) of chia seeds 1/three cup (80 ml) of water 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of cocoa powder 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of peanut butter a pinch of stevia or different sweetener, if preferred guidelines:

combine chia seeds and water in a small bowl. Cowl and refrigerate for as a minimum half-hour. Stir in cocoa powder, peanut butter, and sweetener. 13. Difficult-boiled eggs eggs are one of the healthiest and most weight loss-friendly foods you can devour. They % masses of protein, as well as vitamins k2 and b12. Eggs are notably filling and might lessen the variety of energy you eat for plenty hours, which ought to help you lose weight (36trusted source, 37trusted source). Although their excessive cholesterol content gave them a terrible recognition for years, more recent studies advocate that moderate egg intake doesn’t have any effect for your threat of heart ailment (38trusted source, 39trusted supply). Two big, tough-boiled eggs contain approximately one hundred forty energy and 13 grams of protein. 14. Baby carrots with blue cheese dressing carrots are some of the pleasant assets of carotenoids, which include beta carotene, which your body can convert into vitamin a. The carotenoids in carrots can also reduce your hazard of most cancers, heart ailment, and cataracts (40trusted source, 41trusted supply, 42trusted source). It's a very good idea to pair carrots with a creamy salad dressing or dip due to the fact fat will increase your absorption of carotenoids. A 3. 5-ounce (a hundred-gram) serving of baby carrots with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of blue cheese dressing affords about 2 hundred calories. Healthline resources take our unfastened three-query weight loss plan quiz our loose evaluation ranks the quality diets for you based totally for your answers to three short questions. 15. A chunk of cheese cheese is a delicious meals it's filling sufficient to be a snack on its very own. Even though cheese is high in saturated fat, its role in coronary heart disorder is doubtful. Some studies propose that saturated fats does not enhance your hazard of heart ailment (43trusted source, 44trusted source). Moreover, studies show that up to 2 servings of cheese consistent with day do not boost ldl (awful) cholesterol levels, even in human beings with improved degrees (45trusted source, 46trusted source). A 2-ounce (60-gram) serving of cheese provides about 14 grams of protein and two hundred energy. Sixteen. Healthful pork jerky or beef sticks beef jerky or beef sticks make remarkable high-protein, transportable snacks. That stated, it’s vital to select the proper kind. Some jerkies are loaded with sugar and preservatives. Red meat sticks generally don't comprise sugar, but many are made from low-best meat and incorporate other questionable elements. Look for jerky and red meat sticks made from grass-fed beef, with as few delivered ingredients as possible. Grass-fed pork contains more healthful omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef (47trusted supply). Most pork jerkies and sticks contain approximately 7 grams of protein according to ounce (28 grams). A wide variety is to be had online. 17. Whey protein shake a whey protein shake is a superb snack when you need something large till your next meal. Research display that whey protein allow you to benefit muscle, lose fats, and enhance body composition (48trusted source, 49trusted supply, 50trusted source, 51trusted supply). Many exquisite whey protein supplements are to be had on-line. Look for sorts without delivered sugar. Here's a recipe for a shake that contains about one hundred fifty–200 calories and 20–25 grams of protein, depending at the kind of protein powder used. Whey protein shake substances:

8 ounces (225 ml) of unsweetened almond milk 1 scoop (30 grams) of whey powder a pinch of stevia or other wholesome sweetener, if preferred half of cup (one hundred forty grams) of overwhelmed ice for this recipe, combine all substances in a blender and process till smooth. 18. Canned salmon or sardines canned fish is a great, healthy snack that calls for no refrigeration. Salmon and sardines are extremely excessive in omega-three fatty acids that decrease your chance of coronary heart disease and different health troubles (52trusted supply, 53trusted supply, 54trusted source). Fish is likewise a extraordinary source of weightloss-friendly protein, potassium, and diet b12. Many types of fish also are excessive in magnesium. A three. 5-ounce (a hundred-gram) serving of salmon or sardines consists of 17–23 grams of protein and a hundred thirty–one hundred eighty calories. 19. Edamame edamame is a dish of steamed unripened soybeans. It's a notable snack for vegetarians or every body who enjoys their precise taste and texture. Edamame is rich within the antioxidant kaempferol, which has been proven to reason weight reduction and decrease blood sugar in animal research (55trusted source, 56trusted source). It's also excessive in folate and numerous minerals, which includes iron, magnesium, and manganese. One cup (a hundred and fifty five grams) of edamame has around 17 grams of protein and a hundred and eighty energy. 20. Marinated artichoke hearts marinated artichoke hearts are scrumptious and nutrient-dense. They’re a good source of fiber, nutrition k1, and folate. Studies recommend that artichokes assist guard the cells lining your arteries and comprise prebiotic fibers that nourish the beneficial micro organism to your intestine (57trusted source, 58trusted source). A three. Five-ounce (a hundred-gram) serving of artichoke hearts marinated in olive oil consists of approximately one hundred ninety calories. 21. Pear slices with ricotta cheese pear slices and ricotta cheese make a satisfying snack with a candy taste and creamy texture. Pears, in particular the peels, comprise polyphenol antioxidants which have robust anti-inflammatory residences (59trusted source, 60trusted source). Ricotta cheese is rich in protein and calcium. In a 12-week examine, older adults who fed on 7 oz (210 grams) of ricotta cheese day by day skilled enhancements in muscles and electricity (61trusted supply). A three. 5-ounce (one hundred-gram) serving of ricotta cheese with 1 small, chopped pear presents about 12 grams of protein and 250 calories. 22. Dried unsweetened coconut dried coconut is tasty, filling, and transportable. It is excessive in fats, which includes medium-chain fat that could boom metabolism, promote weight loss, and enhance brain characteristic in humans with impaired reminiscence (62trusted supply, 63trusted supply, 64trusted supply). Ensure to get the unsweetened kind, because many packaged alternatives harbor sugar. Unsweetened dried coconut packs about 185 energy in 1 ounce (28 grams). A wide sort of dried, unsweetened coconut is available online. 23. Turkey roll-ups turkey roll-u. S. A. Are delicious and nutritious. Turkey incorporates splendid protein, which helps you experience happy, preserves muscle mass, and burns extra energy for the duration of digestion than fats or carbs (65trusted source, 66trusted source, 67trusted source). The recipe beneath boasts approximately 20 grams of protein and one hundred eighty calories:

turkey roll-ups substances:

four slices of turkey breast 4 teaspoons (20 grams) of cream cheese four pickles or cucumber strips directions:

area turkey breast slices on a huge plate. Unfold 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of cream cheese on every slice. Place a pickle or strip of cucumber on each turkey slice and roll up. 24. Olives olives are one of the nutritious staples of the mediterranean food regimen. They're very high in coronary heart-healthful monounsaturated fats and provide effective antioxidants like oleuropein. The plant compounds in olives may reduce inflammation, insulin resistance, and cancer danger (68trusted source, 69trusted source). Relying on their size, 25 inexperienced or black olives have one hundred–one hundred seventy five calories. 25. Highly spiced avocado avocados are the various maximum nutritious and gratifying ingredients on the earth. Studies display that they could help lower ldl (terrible) cholesterol, enhance signs and symptoms of arthritis, and protect your pores and skin from sun harm, (70trusted supply, 71trusted supply, 72trusted supply). What's more, avocados are high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and monounsaturated fats. Sprinkle half a medium avocado with salt and a sprint of cayenne pepper for a savory, filling snack with around one hundred thirty calories. 26. Ricotta cheese with cocoa powder ricotta cheese is as flexible as it's far healthful. It can be mixed with veggies and end result or baked into a casserole or cheesecake. It also works splendid on its very own, with only a touch of brought taste. Here is a short recipe for a fulfilling snack with 14 grams of protein and approximately 2 hundred calories:

ricotta cheese with cocoa

substances:

1/2 cup (125 grams) of full-fats ricotta cheese. 1 teaspoon (five grams) of unsweetened cocoa powder. A pinch of stevia or other sweetener, if preferred. Instructions:

vicinity ricotta cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and stevia. 27. Solar-dried tomatoes sun-dried tomatoes incorporate more lycopene than everyday tomatoes (seventy three). What's greater, they're usually packed in olive oil, which allows your body take in more of their lycopene (74trusted supply). A 3. 5-ounce (100-gram) serving of solar-dried tomatoes packed in oil offers 170% of the dv for diet c and simply over two hundred calories. 28. Cantaloupe slices wrapped in prosciutto cantaloupe is a nutritious, tasty fruit. It boasts powerful antioxidants that combat infection, keep your eyes healthy, and reduce your chance of ailment (75trusted source, 76trusted source). Very excessive in vitamins a and c, cantaloupe is likewise an excellent supply of potassium. Combining cantaloupe with prosciutto (dry-cured ham) creates a balanced, candy-and-salty snack for below two hundred energy. Try cutting 3. Five oz. (a hundred grams) of cantaloupe into wedges. Wrap each wedge with 1 slice of prosciutto. 29. Closing night's leftovers if you have leftovers from a nutritious lunch or dinner, you may consume them as a snack. Just make certain to save your leftovers within the refrigerator to maintain them from spoiling quickly. The lowest line whilst your subsequent craving hits, intention for whole foods instead of extraordinarily processed, fattening options. Having a few wholesome and nutritious options in attain can stave off your urge for food and assist raise weight reduction.

#food

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zacklover24 · 6 years

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Far cry pup and tea

Joseph was getting ready for his afternoon tea with charlie, when she comes home early and neither she or her father are happy. Part of ‘family is what you make of it.’ Joseph was tired, he been working nonstop on his latest chapter of his book and trying to ease tension between his flock and the people of hope county. It was not easy, but he knew that. He knew that the moment God spoke to him. Joseph however was in the mood for some tea, something with a large amount of caffeine. But as he looked at clock which read one, he knew charlie was going to be home at two-thirty on the dot. It was time to get there afternoon tea ready. Joseph looked over at the tea set that John had gotten for charlie.

The whole tea set was made out of white China, while the tea pot itself was painted with marigolds in a variety of colours inside the lid was a steeper. The tea cups, saucers, the creamer and sugar caddies were all painted with opals on them. The tray was made from red oak with brass handles, the handles had hand carved leaves on them while the tray itself had hand painted scene of a family of blue jays and there nest. Joseph knew that John spent a lot of money on the tea set, it was the type of gift that john had begged jacob to let him get it for charlie. Jacob had allowed it but, told him that was the only gift that he was going to get her for awhile, john had agreed. Both were rather shocked but john had learned that jacob had set boundaries with gifts for a reason, he didn’t want his pup to be spoiled. But, john didn’t want charlie to need or want for anything in her life which they all understood.

Joseph looked over the loose tea leaves trying to pick the right one for today he settled on honeybush vanilla it was a rich, warm dark sugar aroma of and comforting, caffeine free treat. With the tea pot filled with the tea leaves, he set up the kitchen table and got the snacks ready. He settled on putting out some tea cookies that he and charlie had made, some cookies made from one of the sisters, he then started on the cucumber sandwiches and apple slices. As much he knew that charlie loved her cookies she also loved cucumbers as long as they were in sandwich form for some reason. When the clock struck one-thirty the front door slammed open, he paused in getting the cups of peanut butter, carmel and honey ready,

“UNCLE JOSEPH!” Charlie yells as the five years rounded the corner, he had very little time to kneel down and catch the girl as she wrapped her arms around his neck and start to cry into his neck.

“Lamb, why are you home early?” He asks rubbing her back gently , as she crying into his neck. He heard the front door slam shut and in came jacob he looked mad.

“That school needs to hire better teachers.” Jacob grunts sitting down at the kitchen table with a huff.

Joseph gave him a confused look, “What?”

“Look at her face.” He grunts, joseph pulled charlie away from his neck to see the large bruise on her face.

“What happened to her face?” He asks seeing how new it looked.

“A boy in her class got mad at her, charlie being the good girl that she is didn’t fight back, he didn’t like that so he through a wooden block at her face.” Jacob explains to joseph.

“It hurt.” She whispers sniffling at him, while grabbing at his shirt.

“She’s fine but they it best she went home early, and she was crying and in pain. The boy got in trouble but.” He says with an eye roll. Joseph didn’t know what to say, as he set chairle down.

“Lamb why don’t you do clean up before we have tea?”

“Yes, uncle joseph.” As she went upstairs. Jacob and joseph shared a look.

“Seems the little brat’s mom isn’t our or I should say mine biggest fan. Hates that my little girl doesn’t have a mom, just a dad who had her out of wedlock and never got married.” Jacob explinas, “Seems the teachers aren’t our biggest friends either, they don’t like john or you, and there afraid of me.”

“Don’t tell john, he might just sue them.” Joseph softly mutters as he filled up the stepper with some more tea and put the kettle on. “I’m rather shocked charlie didn’t fight back.”

“Don't tempt me into telling him. She’s knows better, I have a feeling that she was tempted use her magic, but didn’t. Those damn teachers.” Jacob grunts, “I know what your going to say.”

“And what’s that?”

“That you warned me about this, that they were going to find out about her home life, she would get made of fun, etc.”

“I know, but she was smart and didn’t fight back. You should be proud of her.”

“I am. Did I do the right thing?” He asks Joseph as his brother set the tea treats onto the table.

“You did, you and John fought tooth and nail for her. You love her and she loves you. Your doing a good job.”

“Right now I don't feel it. What if she runs into more issues?” He asks him letting out a sigh.

“Then when we come to that bridge we will deal with it.” Joseph simply tells him as the tea kettle started to whistle as charlie came downstairs looking happy.

“Are you going to have tea with us papa?” She asks Jacob.

“Of course pup.” He smiles as Joseph poured the water into charlie teapot that was on the table. Charlie eyes light up in joy as she got her cushion for the chair. And sitting down.

“You two do this every day?” Jacob asks as she got ready for her tea.

“It helps her and me to relax from our day, and I get to learn what she did in day care.” Joseph tells him sitting down.

“Uncle joseph what is today tea?” Charlie asks getting some of the sandwiches for her plate.

“Honeybush vanilla rich, warm dark sugar aroma of and comforting, caffeine free treat.” He explains.

“Sound yummy.” As she licked her lips.

“Sounds interesting.” Jacob mutters as joseph poured them there tea, “Pup how was day care?”

“It was okay, we got some reading down, did some numbers and such. My writing is better, did some drawing.” Charlie tells him, “I’m getting better with my numbers but today was meh.”

“Tomorrow will be better lamb, hopefully the teacher is going talk boy about why throwing blocks is wrong.” Joseph tells her.

“Maybe.” Charlie agrees picking at her sandwich. Jacob and joseph looked at each other and quickly changed the topic. Joseph talked about how his day went, while jacob was talking about the new wolves that were being raised at that center. The wolves seemed to cheer her up, it was peaceful afternoon and soon that any stress that any of them had was soon gone.

End of line

#far cry 5 #far cry story #far cry #Joseph Seed #jacob seed #Deputy Charlie Seed #Family is what you make of it

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