#my abuelita's flan is >>>

[highsviolets]

the sweet secrets of loving

summary: Obi-wan returns from deployment with a sweet surprise

word count: 1.8k+ (what)

cw: brief mention of war/deployment 

A/N:  after discussing Obi-Wan’s culinary abilities with @thespareoom​ and @obitwo​, this little one-shot popped into my head last night and it wouldn’t leave me alone. this is so soft and i just -- if you need me i will be yearning // shout out to @afogocado for finding this gif (if it’s yours pls lmk so I can credit you!)

the sweet secrets of loving, a fic by corellians-only 

Silver keys seemed to dance in your hand as you fumbled with the lock, the metal glaring in your face as they reflected the merciless fluorescent lights bearing down on you with foreboding.

After several agonizing moments spent twisting the key, trying to locate the elusive sweet spot that would permit access to your apartment, the stubborn thing acquiesced and the door swung open.

He was already there. A feeling like a soft summer breeze swept over you at the sight his buzzed auburn hair, his pride and authority etched into his shoulders like the precise stitching of his combat uniform still clinging to his back. He was staring out the window, and you could tell from the way his thumb curled around the unit insignia on his left ring finger that he was anxious.

“Darling?” you called out, mustering the last dredges of your willpower to not sprint to his side.You simply waited by the door, setting down the cumbersome black box of files your boss had insisted you take home this evening, no, really, it would be most helpful if you could compare the spring and fall mockups tonight. The box of responsibility rebounded off the hardwood floor and skidded slightly, blending in with the muffled closing of the door behind you.

It was no matter, anyway. The box had barely escaped the protective gaze of your fingers when he was pulling you into him. His head bowed down to nestle in the crook of your neck and you laughed as his fine hair tickled your cheek. You pressed a kiss to his sheared locks. “Hello, Obi-Wan,” you whispered, as though speaking any louder would bring a curse upon you both, would take him away from you again.

At the sound of his name, Obi-Wan straightened and took your face in his hands. His thumb drew angels across your cheekbones. “Darling,” he breathed. Aquamarine eyes met yours. It felt like getting caught in the hail — confusion, wonder, a homecoming of understanding, a bite of pain.

When the two of you video chat during his deployments, his eyes are always darker. They’re steel and iron and the reflection of your keys in the hallway and the torment of a sea during the storm as it fights against the waves.

Every time he comes home, they change. They become lighter, the way his body does without the Kevlar bulletproof vest.

When he looks at you like that — like the world would burn and he would still go to war to fight for you alone — your resolve shatters, the way a window must when his bullet crashes through its pane, searching for the sniper.

Your fingers grasp his wrists and tug at the end of his sleeve. The pink of your painted nails contrasts horribly with his camouflage, and the absurd thought makes you laugh even as he dips his head in acquaintance to your nonverbal command.

The first kiss is simple, like the routine act of walking from the metro to you apartment. Routine, familiar, but not unexciting. A expression of the vibrancy of life. Your lips meet his, like an embrace, and stay there for several long moments.

A second kiss, the third, the fourth: these are more demanding. The way his hands slip under diaphanous emerald silk tells you that this is more like a carefully timed assault. His mouth is precise and exacting, his tongue pushes back against your claims to dominance, his fingers press into skin and yours clutch at the unforgiving fabric of his uniform.

You disconnect and he smiles, a steady, even thing that shows his teeth. Even so, it threatens to split his face in two, and the dust that seems to be shedding from his laugh lines makes you wonder the last time he was truly happy.

But you ascend to your tiptoes and kiss his cheek and banish all thoughts of his deployment, at least for tonight. “C’mon, Obi-Wan.” You take his hand and start dragging him to the kitchen. “Let’s eat.”

____

It is not until later that evening that you discover his secret. Padding into the kitchen, you open the fridge to retrieve a new bottle of sparkling water when something strange caught your eye.

“Obi?” you say. The hike in your tone matches the spike in your anxiety and unease. “You didn’t happen to pick up some tofu in miso when you went to store earlier, did you? There’s uh —“ you pause, staring at the blob in apprehension — “something…weird in the fridge.”

“Ah.” He follows your path into the kitchen and steps behind you to better see the object in question. “I see you’ve found dessert. I wondered how long it would take.” Amusement colors his tone, and you turn your head to see a smirk decorating his lips.

“Oh.” The unassuming expression is the only thing that enters your vacuous mind, consumed by the strangeness of the oval-shaped yellow-and-caramel colored mass. You run your fingers through your hair — now freed from its stuffy updo — in an attempt to wrest some meaning back into your existence. “What, um, what is it?”

Obi-Wan extends his arms and catches you in an embrace from behind. “It’s a flan, darling!” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Obi-Wan squeezes your waist in excitement and you lean back into his chest, comforted that its soft cotton of an old t-shirt that greets you, rather than his fatigues.

“Oh.” Emptiness returns, and now the exoticism of the strange food is coupled with curious revulsion that Obi-Wan is so interested in something that seems so…unappealing.

Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and gently scoots you out of his path and puts the platter on the counter. You watch him as he gathers plates, washes fresh utensils, and meticulously cuts the thing, taking care to add extra sauce to each slice. He thrusts a plate at you. “Try it,” he urges.

You don’t like dessert. Never have. You’d rather eat something savory than something sweet, and after years of failed attempts, Obi-Wan has largely given up. But here he is, staring at you with those aquamarine eyes, practically begging you to try this foreign sweet treat.

So you do. The custard is smooth, like the silk of your top, and flecked with spots of intense vanilla flavoring. Caramel oozes into every bite, rich in tone and balancing the tenderness of the egg and sugar.

“Oh my god.” You meet his eyes, and you can tell he’s valiantly staving off another grin. He never presses his lips together like that otherwise. “This is — Obi, this is amazing. Like, vintage Chanel kind of amazing.”

He laughs aloud at your comparison, taking the two plates and reassuming his previous position on the couch.

“I’m glad to hear you enjoy it, sweetheart.” He erupts into another round of chuckles when you moan around the next bite.

“What did you say this is?” you point to the concoction with you spoon.

“Flan, dearest,” he says mildly, taking a bite himself. “Ah, you’re right, it did turn out rather well today. My mother would be proud.”

The statement gives you pause, and you set down your spoon. “Your mother? Wait — did you make this?”

Obi-wan looks at you, surprise evident in his half-smile and narrowed eyes. “Of course I did! Where did you think I got it?”

“I didn’t know you could bake!” The statement is bald, and childish, but you don’t care.

“How did you think all the cookies and tray bakes appeared, then?” He raises an eyebrow mischievously. There’s nothing he loves more than poking holes in your logic, especially when you cling to it so resolutely.

“Oh, I don’t know!” you splutter. “I suppose I thought you bought them, or something!” You throw him a mock glare. “Not my fault you never told me that you bake.”

He launches himself forward and drops a conciliatory kiss to the tip of your nose. “I’m very sorry, darling,” he says seriously, but there’s a twinkle in his eye so you shove him away from you. The gesture is playful and wondrous in its innocence, and for a moment you feel as though you are in university again, staying up late in the student lounge talking, long before uniforms and obligations and separations. You want to say something but the words get caught in your throat as you remember your promise to leave the boots behind. At least this one night.

“What is flan, anyway? When did you learn to make it?” you say instead, forcing the words out and taking another bite. The sweetness caresses the bitterness lingering in your mind.

“It’s a long story,” he says, shifting his gaze to the window.

You place an hand on his bare arm. “I want to hear it,” you say, and you do.

So he tells you. He tells you of his French mother spending her childhood summers across the Pyrenees in Spain, learning dishes like arroz con pollo and tortilla española and flan. The family cook become a grandmother to her, he says, and again he plays with the unit insignia on his ring and you know he misses his mother more than ever.

Flan became his mother’s speciality, he explains. He points to the sheen on the custard and talks about how his mother learned how to perfectly beat the eggs and how she favored the caramel sauce against the hard caramel on her native country’s creme brûlée and how the family cook in Spain gifted her with her very own flan pan when she was eighteen years old.

You ask him how he came to bake such things. He smiles again and despite its joy, your heart aches because you never knew. While his father was deployed, he would bake with his mother to keep her company, and she taught him tarte tatin alongside flan and the Bakewell tarts his father so enjoyed.

“It was how she told people she loved them,” he says with a shrug, finishing his portion. “She would bake for the other women whose husbands were deployed, or for the family next door, or for my best friend’s cousin’s birthday, or if I had a bad day at school there would be something sweet waiting for before I went to bed.” Obi-wan rests his head on his hand, considering. “I guess I’m the same way. I came home and I wanted to do something nice for you, to tell you I love you.”

“That’s awfully sweet of you, Obi.” The pun is bad and you both know it, but he laughs and kisses you anyway. He knows what you’re trying to say.

“I love you too,” you murmur against his mouth. “Will you bake me something tomorrow?”

“Darling,” he presses a kiss to the edge of your lips. “I will bake you something every single day if that is what makes you happy.”

And you say you want him to, because you want him to love you forever.

[mochii-roll]

＊✿❀Obey me Side Characters x Hispanic MC Shenanigans❀✿＊pt 1 here

AN: About time I did this!So please, enjoy the hcs and have a wonderful rest of your day/night <3333

~Diavolo~

He finally got a new human exchange student! Oh?? And they're from a different cultural background? How wonderful!

He absolutely is smitten and fascinated by you even more now, you'll be respectfully bombarded with questions about your culture from him and you'll be more than happy to answer them

He will take your holidays seriously, like your independence day or Dia De Los Muertos (That one interests him the MOST). Will even help you set up your decorations or ofrenda anywhere you'd like to make you happy.

He will try his best to learn your language to the best of his ability! He will also appreciate little nicknames (Ex- I call him Diavolo el Pollo Loco for no reason)

~Barbatos~

Like Lucifer, he'll absolutely adore it when you make un cafecito for him with any sort of pan, it gets him going for the rest of the day

If your mom woke you up early in the morning para limpiar playing blasting her music from the kitchen or living room, Barbs will most likely do that to you too (And let you play whatever music to please you)

He'll let you teach him how to make flan, tres leches, and pan dulce! He thinks it's so fascinating and how wonderful it tastes.

Him + Abuelita Hot Chocolate in winter = Heaven. That's it. That's the headcannon.

~Simeon~

He is so kind an respectful when asking questions about your culture, not only will he educate himself on your culture, he will write small references of it in his TSL books.

While he's working, he'll let you play your corridos or something to pass the time. His heart will explode if you sing and dance to the music.

HIM DANCING TO CUMBIA OR BACHATA WITH YOU IS JUST HEAVENLY.

He's the type to get the Tias and your Abuelita swooning over him calling him mijito y todo eso

~Solomon~

You teach him the art of an egg cleansing your family did to you and any other protection charm (mal de ojos) and those red braclets you get at the pulga

He made you a dish of your culture just for you! Oh. He MADE it. You're quaking in your shoes. He's gonna make you eat it in front of him. Good luck.

When you too go to the human world, he will take you to the pulga to find some mal de ojos and other possible 'magic' relics.

Like Diavolo, your holidays are his biggest curiosity! Will peer over your shoulder when you place things carefully in the ofrenda and ask questions.

~Luke~

You don't call him a Chihuahua due to the fact that you know Chihuahuas are vicious and always named Princess or smth like that. But you do call him Firulais and he hasn't a clue what does it mean :)

Like Barbs, he'll help or watch you make traditional desserts! It gives him an excuse to spend time with him and to report things to Michael

You say that he reminds you of your little brother, primo or nephew and it makes him smile that you could consider him family

He is a victim of mordidas on his birthday, but it's more of a soft push into the cake for his sake.

Done with this one! Again sorry if its kinda short but I tried my best. Thank you for reading lovlies <333

[theonlinemuse]

And now it’s Yolanda’s turn to have a headcanon post! @freckledpianoman and me wanted to contribute more Yolanda Montez content to the tags now that the season finale has aired: 

Yolanda’s family follows Mexican naming conventions so her full name is Yolanda Pilar Montez Zurita. Montez is her father’s last name while Zurita is her mother’s maiden name. And yes, Zurita is for Juan Zurita

Nicknames are also a tradition in the Montez family. Yolanda’s parents called her mija and nena before their estrangement while her maternal grandmother and her little brother call her by her diminutive name, Yoyi 

Courtney’s absolutely delighted when she first hears Yolanda’s abuelita call her Yoyi. She thinks it’s adorable. Yolanda just fondly rolls her eyes when Court whisper yells Yoyi at her all starry eyed 

She’s third generation Mexican American. Her maternal grandparents, the Zuritas were originally from Puebla and they came to Blue Valley in the 1970s where their daughters, Maria and Mimi (Yolanda’s mom and aunt) were born and raised. Yolanda grew up speaking Spanish, but she’s not fluent like her parents. She sometimes blanks out trying to remember certain words 

“Man, I don’t even know how to begin explaining this in Spanish.”

Yolanda admits that she’s not much of a cook, but she grew up helping her abuelita make traditional dishes and as a result the only two dishes that Yolanda’s capable of making are mole poblano and chiles en nogada 

She shares these recipes with Beth and they eventually start cooking together in Beth’s kitchen while Chuck blares music requests in the background 

Yolanda usually wears her hair in double braids because her abuelito used to braid her hair in the morning before school. He always claimed that braids were the one style he could confidently do out of all the hairstyles that Yolanda’s abuelita taught him 

She does start branching out after Courtney and Beth start helping her experiment with different hairstyles. Yolanda does styles like half up or regular space buns, topknots, braided low ponytails, and she rarely wears her hair down 

Courtney once accidentally dyed Yolanda’s hair red when she was trying to give her highlights. Artemis helped fixed it (thanks to the time she accidentally went blonde for a month) but Yolanda ended up with ombre hair for a few weeks 

For her quinceañera, Yolanda took inspiration from old photos of her abuelita and silver screen bombshells from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema 

Yolanda started learned how to box from her abuelito when she was nine. He was a former lightweight boxing champion in Puebla and he taught boxing classes at a school that he founded with a fellow boxer (who Yolanda later discovers to be Henry Grant, the first Wildcat’s father) after he retired. It became their bonding time

He died when she was fourteen and she joined the Blue Valley High boxing team as a way to honour his memory. She even adopted his boxing nickname, The Mauler 

Boxing wasn’t the only sport that she did growing up. Yolanda’s mom signed her up for ballet classes when she was in kindergarten and she was good enough to attend summer classes at the American Ballet Academy during middle school, starring in a few small productions like Coppélia and The Taming of the Shrew 

She was forced to quit ballet after the fallout with Cindy leaking her pics and she was closed off for weeks because she missed dancing. After joining the JSA, Beth invited her to sit in on her ballroom dance lesson because “I know it’s not ballet exactly, but you get antsy if you don’t dance, I totally get that” 

Yolanda only intended to go to the one lesson, but after partnering up with Beth for a not-so-serious tango and laughing harder than she has for months, she went back to the next lesson. And the next one and by the time the fourth lesson rolls around, Yolanda decides to sign up for the same classes as Beth 

Yolanda can eat spicy food as long as there’s just ground spices in it, but she cannot handle chilies, much to her dismay. Every time she accidentally eats one, her eyes water and you can literally see her trying to hold in her reaction going, “nope, I’m not gonna do this, I’m not going to have my ancestors laugh their collective asses off just because I can’t handle a damn pepper” 

She eventually caves when Courtney and Beth offer her their chocolate milk 

Because she was raised Catholic, Yolanda has a habit of eating fish and shellfish instead of meat on Fridays. Fridays are when the JSA go out to eat instead of staying in the cafeteria and it’s Yolanda’s day to indulge in seafood. Courtney is still surprised how Yolanda can put away two giant king crabs like it’s no big deal, their bodies alone are bigger than Rick’s face 

Yolanda’s favourites are coconut curry steamed clams, grilled shrimp, and the crab boil, all washed down with a raspberry lemon agua fresca 

Her love for seafood has earned her an annoying, yet affectionate nickname from her cousins, “fish head”

“Mauler Montez, huh? You should’ve gone with El Mero, it’s much more on the nose.” 

Courtney and Beth are the only people that Yolanda will share her seafood feast with because a) she gets to feed Beth for once and b) she knows how much Courtney loves shrimp 

Rick can starve and Artemis keeps getting her hand smacked away every time she tries to sneak food 

“It was one freaking scallop!” “Aren’t you allergic? Do you want to break out into hives again?” 

When Beth first brought Artemis to sit at the loser’s table, Yolanda was a little wary of her because she’s known for tackling football players twice her height and she’s pretty sure her parents are Sportsmaster and Tigress. Now Yolanda and Artemis are snarky, overly competitive friends who arm wrestle and and have each others’ backs on the football team 

Artemis managed to convince Yolanda to join as an alternate member since football season is right after boxing season and the team could use more girls

Artemis is still trying to convince Beth and Courtney to join as well 

“You guys need something other than the JSA, you can get all your frustrations out in football.” 

Courtney and Beth drag Rick to games to cheer them on 

They both have huge sweet tooths and Artemis is constantly trying to steal the tres leches cake and chocolate flan that Yolanda brings to school. And it’s often a race to get the last one of whatever baked good Beth has brought with her that day 

And as huge tomboys as they are, Yolanda and Artemis are arguably the best at doing makeup out of all the girls. Artemis likes experimenting with eyeliner and smokey eyeshadows while Yolanda knows a lot about lip products thanks to her abuelita, who rocks red lipstick and berry flavoured lip gloss well into her seventies 

Yolanda means “violet” and she was named as such because her landscape architect mother was working on a Phillipine violet garden during her pregnancy and there was a pot of Persian violets in the OBGYN’s office the day the Montezes found out they were having a girl 

Even the earrings that her grandparents gave Yolanda for her first communion were a pair of violet shaped stud earrings 

Her abuelita even gave her a pressed violet pendant choker for her fifteenth birthday 

Yolanda is a huge horror movie fan. It was a tradition that she shared with her dad since no one else in the family can stand them. Now she keeps trying to get Beth to watch horror movies with her despite the “Halloween only tradition” because Beth’s the only other person who would survive a horror movie 

Beth spends half the time clinging to Yolanda when they’re not booing at horror cliches and trying to predict which character is dying next while berating fictional life choices 

Courtney and Rick are in the other room pouting, trying and failing to catch up on homework

On the flip side, Beth makes Yolanda watch cartoons with her after horror movies because between school and the JSA, they need other ways to relax and unwind. Yolanda ends up loving The Owl House 

“I started watching it because Luz looks like me. I kept watching because it’s so good.” “Yolanda! You did get hooked, you big nerd!” 

Beth also finds out that Yolanda is also really into She-Ra, which may or may not have to do with how Catra and Adora look like Yolanda and Courtney. Beth doesn’t stop grinning and nudging her for the rest of the night when she sees Yolanda blushing over Catra and Adora 

“You guys could dress up as them for Halloween!” 

Despite their different tastes, they both enjoy true crime and history shows. They’re both fans of Drunk History and the Drunk Mystery Halloween episodes 

And Beth is surprised to learn that Yolanda has a soft spot for period dramas as well. The both love Hidden Figures and The Personal History of David Copperfield 

Yolanda is what Artemis likes to refer to as a distinguished bi. She knew that she was bi since she was fourteen when her abuelito pointed out that the way she acted around the very pretty ballerina in her dance class was the exact same as the way she acted around the very charming baseball player 

“Abuelito, oh my god! Did anyone else notice?” “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, mija. You just have very good taste in people, just like your Tia Mimi.” “Tia Mimi likes girls too?” 

And thus, her abuelito technically became the first person she came out to 

She’s out to only two other people in her family, her little brother and her abuelita. It’s not like her parents would be disappointed in her for being bisexual (the congregation that the Montezes go to is fairly open) but Yolanda wasn’t able to talk with them about it because of her estrangement with them 

Whenever she gets a crush on someone, she does this little honking laugh that makes Rick look at her in a mix of horror and confusion

“What the hell, is that your laugh? Stop flirting and help me find Hootie before Beth finds out he’s missing.”

It’s what clues him in to Yolanda’s crush on Courtney 

Due to her estrangement from her parents, Yolanda didn’t think about having a quinceañera, but the JSA decides to throw her one with help from Yolanda’s abuelita, Socorro “Coco” Zurita, who’s played by Adriana Barraza. Aside from Tia Mimi who’s played by Marisa Ramirez and Yolanda’s cousins Josefa and Charo, played by Lee Rodriguez and Herizen Guardiola, Abuelita Coco is pretty much the only other family member besides Alex who still talks with her and she will make sure that her granddaughter has a wonderful quinces 

Yolanda was never really a big fan of big, poofy dresses because they remind her of the itchy netted dresses that she had to wear for her first communion and other big church events she had to go to as a kid. So Beth and abuelita Coco decide to surprise her by making a skirted jumpsuit instead 

And while she doesn't wear heels that often, joining Beth at her dance classes helps ensure that she rocks the Wildcat blue shoes that Courtney picks out for her 

Beth, Courtney, and Artemis all pitch in to get a cat eye necklace for Yolanda to wear at her quinces. Yolanda denies crying when they give it to her

“Are you crying?” “It’s my allergies acting up, no big deal.”

And instead of the father-daughter dance, the JSA just converges on Yolanda for one big slow group dance One Day at a Time style 

Yolanda and Courtney have more than a few slow dances together 

She has nicknames for everyone in the JSA. Courtney is Shooting Star, Beth is Sunshine, Artemis is Hawkeye, and Rick is John Bender 

“Seriously, Yolanda? You couldn’t have been more creative.” “Would you rather I call you One Minute Man?” “Ugh, just don’t say it in front of Beth.” 

Yolanda knows so many Selena songs by heart because abuelita Coco is a huge fan. She grew up singing along to Bidi Bidi Bom Bom and Como La Flor and it’s almost a Pavlovian response to sing along to a Selena song whenever she hears one on the radio during JSA car trips 

Courtney and Beth totally sing along with her while Artemis heckles them and Rick just groans and tells the girls to keep it down when he’s trying to drive 

Yolanda is the only JSA member that Beth’s goggles will work for, but she still can’t make the staff glow. However, she’s the only person (other than Courtney and Pat) who’s able to order it around 

“Wait, why is she able to order it around?” “Maybe because it knows Yolanda is a boss.” 

[imagineredwood]

Request: Can I have one where the reader is Puerto Rican and takes him with her to visit family where she shows him about their land and people to help him with his identity? Basically right it as if you were the reader

Pairing: Latin!reader (Puerto Rican) x Juice Ortiz 

Warnings: None 

Word count: 1.8K

“Come mas, mijo.”

Juice laughed as your Abuela motioned to Juice’s plate with a frown.

“I have enough Señora. Gracias.”

Your Abuela clicked her tongue and shook her head, grabbing the plat from in front of your Old Man and serving him another scoop of arroz con gandules. You both laughed together as she handed him back his plate with a smile before turning to go and say goodbye to your Tio that was leaving.

“I feel like I’m going to explode.”

You choked back a laugh as Juice tried to breathe deeply. Taking his plate, you went into the kitchen and quickly scraped the rice from his plate into an empty paper plate and wrapped it up before she came back to see. Placing the plate softly into a plastic bag, you tied it up and brought it back to the dinner table, putting it behind your purse as you leaned over to whisper to Juice.

“Tell her you enjoyed it when she comes back.”

Juice nodded in agreement and looked over as your grandmother came back, a warm smile on her face as she patted Juice on the shoulder.

“Ahí.”

Juice returned the smile, not knowing what the hell she had said and simply nodded as you softly tapped the table.

“Bueno Abuelita, we have to go. We have plans early tomorrow.”

You didn’t miss the frown that came back to her face and neither did Juice.

“She’s taking me to see El..El..uh…”

He looked back nervously at you as he struggled to remember the name of the place you were taking him to tomorrow. You filled in for him with a smile.

“El Faro.”

“Right, El Faro.”

“Ah.”

Abuela smiled and patted him once again.

“You will like it. Beautiful water.”

Juice grinned, unable to help the excitement he felt bubbling at being able to see a new landmark in a new place with his Old Lady. There were plenty of things that he had done with you, plenty of firsts and new experiences, but going somewhere to see and learn about his culture and people was something that he would always appreciate and he couldn’t wait for the rest of the week where the two of you had plans every day. He knew how excited you were to show him his land, to teach him about who he was. He knew how excited you were to do that for him and be a part of it. He would go anywhere you wanted to take him, as long as you were there by his side.

Standing, you both embraced your Abuela, Juice grabbing your purse and the plate of food for you. Looking down, your abuela noticed the bag in his hand and threw hers up, quickly shuffling to the kitchen.

“Wait! Take home some flan.”

You smiled as you glanced over at Juice as you drove. He sat in the passenger’s seat, gazing out the window as he had done practically the entire drive to Rincon. He was enamored by the canopy trees and water, mountainsides and valleys. Making a left, you pulled into the parking lot and smiled again as you heard Juice’s voice.

“Wow…”

Looking over, he had the exact childish face of wonder that you were expecting him to have as he looked up the length of the lighthouse. You reached over and ran your hand softly along the back of his head, his eyes turning to meet yours.

“It’s fucking huge.”

“I told you it was.”

“Yeah but shit!”

You laughed as he rushed to get out of the car, motioning to you to get out as well.

“Come on.”

Stepping out of the car, you watched as Juice kept his eyes trained upwards, looking from top to bottom and bottom to top, walking up closer until his neck was entirely craned backward. Looking over at you, he found you standing a good thirty feet away, camera in hand as you took pictures of him. You took a few more before bringing the camera down and walking over to him. He tossed his arm over your shoulders and walked with you slowly, eyes still focused on the lighthouse as you walked around. Juice stopped to read the plaque that was at the base of the lighthouse and you quietly took another picture as he did. Juice finished reading and then turned back to face you.

“I wanna see the beach you were talking about.”

With a nod, you reached out and took his hand in yours, walking with him further along the path until you got to the boardwalk. Juice could hear the crashing of the waves and looked along the edge as the water came into view. He placed his hand on the banister and looked over as the water crested and crashed along the jagged rocks that were stacked along the shore.

“It’s beautiful. Your Abuela wasn’t lying.”

With a small smile, you ran a hand along his back as you rested your chin on his shoulder, looking at the water along with him. He watched as surfers paddled out to past the bend and then took the waves as they came, smaller children along the shore on boogie boards. A group of teenagers was playing volleyball on the sand and Juice laughed as a toddler pushed his older brother into the water. The beach was quite busy, everyone enjoying the sunshine and warm water, and Juice turned around as he heard the sound of a bell being dinged in the distance. Looking over, he saw an elderly man slowly pushing a cart and ringing the bell as he did. Looked over at Juice, you smiled and motioned to the man.

“You want a piragua?”

Juice nodded with a goofy smile, walking over with you to the man and his cart, recalling memories.

“My mom always used to take me and my sister to get them in the summer back in Queens. I always got the cherry one. My sister used to get watermelon.”

You smiled as you listened to Juice talk, loving when he would become nostalgic, remembering and sharing stories from his childhood and upbringing with you. It was rare but always welcomed and as you both came up to the man, you ordered him a cherry piragua.

“What’s this place called again?”

You looked over towards Juice as he spoke, finding him fiddling with his hard hat trying to get it on right.

“Cueva Ventana. And ya know, for a dude that wears a helmet every day, you sure don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”

Both you and Juice laughed together as you fixed and fastened his crooked hard hat onto his head, switching on the red light that was at the top of it to test it before switching it back off.

“There.”

With a smile, Juice leaned down and pressed his lips to yours softly, both of you wincing as the plastic of the hats clanked together. You laughed together and then looked forward as the tour guide began speaking, gathering everyone together to begin the expedition. He gave a brief overview of the cave, of its history and how long it had been there as well as its cultural significance to the Boricua people over time. As the tour guide began moving, the group moved with it and Juice followed behind you, hands on your hips keeping you steady as you walked along the uneven path, the natural dirt and rocks making the ground uneven. Even in a new environment, exploring and having fun, your safety was still majorly important to Juice and you smiled at the notion. Both of you walking along down the path, you kept moving further down and down, the trees enclosing you as the air became more humid.

Both you and Juice continued walking down the path, watching your step as you climbed down the makeshift stairs that were leading into the beginning of the cave. Soon everything was dark and you reached over to turn on Juice’s overhead light, his hand reaching to turn on yours as well. As you walked, you could hear the sounds of water dripping from the cracks, splashing softly into the puddles that had formed on the floor, the flap of batwings as they flew around the ceiling of the cave.

“This is so fucking cool. You don’t see shit like this in Charming. Damn sure never saw it back in New York.”

Hand in hand, you continued to walk with your Old Man through the cave with the rest of the group, walking and walking until you turned a corner and began to see the light shining through. You kept walking going along the last turn until the opening of the cave came into view, a collective gasp coming from the group, both natives and tourists. Juice was no different, a soft gasp falling from his hung open mouth as he walked forward further, getting closer to the edge to get a better view of the valley and the river that laid ahead. The colors were nearly fluorescent, some of the brightest greens he had ever seen and he looked over at you to see if you were as astonished as he was, happy to see the same awe in your eyes. With a shrug of your shoulders you smiled.

“Seen it a couple times before. Doesn’t make it any less breathtaking though.”

Juice looked back at the window and shook his head, stepping forward a few more paces as you pulled out the camera again, snapping a few more pictures of him before walking up with him and taking pictures of the valley down below. Reaching over you grab you by the waist, Juice pulled you into him and pointed at the camera.

“Get one of us.”

You smiled softly and raised the camera up, snapping a picture of the two of you smiling, the breathtaking view making a background behind you. People stood around, doing the same thing and after putting the camera back into your backpack, Juice took you into his arms.

“Thank you for bringing me here. Really. I appreciate you doing this for me. Especially this.”

Juice motioned to the mouth of the cave, along the valley and you settled into his arms, letting your head rest back against his shoulder.

“Think about it. On your moms’ side, your ancestors could’ve stood right here. Right where we are, in this cave, looking into this same valley. Painting and etching into these same walls.”

You let your eyes trail back along his face, seeing a glossy look in his eyes as he looked down at you, listening to you.

“This is a part of you Juan. Of us.”

He nodded as he listened to your words and moved his head down to rest his cheek against yours, his hold on you tightening ever so slightly as you both stood eyes looking out of the cave that was once home to your people.

[echoes-of-realities]

I’ll bake me a door to help me get through (I learned that from you)

@you-will-be-my-squishy asked: Hey just read all of your prompts on AO3, they're amazing. I was wondering if you would take a prompt about Abuela's presence in Santana's life after the wedding and not missing out on all the important moments :)

Notes: I’m not all together happy with this, but I just wanted it to be done. This was weirdly emotional (which is why, I think, I wasn’t satisfied with this at all) since my own grandma died before I could come out to her and, even though I knew she wouldn’t have disowned me, she never would have been okay with it, so.

Title from “What Baking Can Do” from Waitress the Musical

Santana doesn’t really expect their first anniversary to be too extravagant because they both work all day; their plan is to make supper together and drink wine in the bathtub and make love until they remember they still have work in the morning, and Santana’s pretty sure it’ll be the best anniversary anyone could ever have (not that she’s biased or anything).

She’s expecting it to be special because it’s just the two of them, being together, as they’ve always been; she’s not expecting there to be some grand gesture, which is why, when she walks in the front door after work to be greeted, not by Tubbs, but by her abuela, she’s pretty sure she just stepped into an alternate universe.

Her abuela stands at the end of the short entrance hallway, an apron covering her dress and the scent of freshly baked empanadas drifting through the apartment. “Abuela!” Santana shouts, loud enough to scare Tubbs, based on the sound of claws scampering across the living room.

“Santana,” her abuela chides, “you are always too skinny. Come, eat,” she demands.

Santana doesn’t move, her purse hanging low to the ground and one shoe already off. “Abuela,” she says again.

“Yes, yes,” abuela tuts, ��we know each other’s names. Now come, I have been baking all day.”

Santana shakes her head, but can’t quite shake off her shocked stupor as she mechanically follows her abuela into her tiny apartment kitchen, kicking off her other shoe and hanging up her purse and coat on the coatrack as she passes it. Abuela wasn’t kidding; every inch of counter space is filled with cooling baking or rising dough or scattered ingredients or containers of pastries (Santana’s pretty sure her and Britt don’t even own that many containers). “Abuela,” Santana says blankly again.

Abuela stops in the kitchen and turns to survey her granddaughter with critical eyes. Santana fidgets under abuela’s stare, but then abeula’s face softens and she steps forward to take both of Santana’s hands. “You look happy,” she says, and Santana can’t help the smile that spreads. She’s definitely happier than she’s ever been before, which has a lot to do with being married to the most amazing woman in the world.

“I am,” she says simply instead of all the things she’s thinking about.

Abuela pulls her into a tight hug. “I am glad,” she whispers fiercely.

“So am I,” Santana agrees into abuela’s neck, “But, uh, what are you even doing here?”

Abuela pulls back and holds Santana at arms length. “It is your first anniversary—”

She’s interrupted by the door opening and Brittany calling “Honey? I’m home.”

Abuela pushes Santana towards the front door with a knowing nod and a fond smile; Santana doesn’t take much convincing to go greet her wife anyways. Brittany lights up as soon as she spots Santana, her coat caught around her elbows, and Santana feels all the stress of her shift at work drift away. “Hey wifey,” Santana murmurs.

Brittany’s smile widens and her eyes soften, sparkling in the single light in the hallway since they keep forgetting to change the one that burnt out a couple weeks ago. “Hey wifey,” she murmurs back, starting to reach for Santana before her coat restricts her. Santana giggles and crosses the hallway, helping Brittany out of her coat before letting herself be pulled into a warm embrace. Brittany’s lips are cold against hers, and Santana makes it her mission to warm them up; she kisses Brittany long and deep but remains mindful of her abuela just down the hall and slowly draws back before they get carried away.

“Hi,” Brittany whispers, brushing some stray hair away from Santana’s forehead.

Santana giggles. “Hi,” she whispers back, tightening her arms around Brittany’s waist.

“Did you get my gift?” Brittany asks quietly, and Santana’s smile widens and she nods. “Good,” Brittany says, leaning down to kiss Santana again. “Did you like it?”

“Of course I did,” Santana says in awe, “You brought my abuela here.”

“What?” Brittany says blankly.

“My abuela? She’s here and,” Santana trails off at the look of utter confusion on her wife’s face. “And you have no clue either,” she realizes.

Brittany shakes her head. “No clue,” she confirms. “When’d she get here?”

Santana shakes her head and leans her forehead against Brittany’s shoulder with a sigh. “She was here when I got home. I just assumed you flew her out here since I’ve been missing her so much lately.”

Abuela had a minor medical scare a couple months ago, one that scared Santana far more than it scared abuela, and ever since then Santana hasn’t been able to stop thinking about how old her abuela is getting, and how much time they’ve already lost. She knows Brittany’s noticed, because every time she talks to abuela on the phone, Brittany holds her tight and sprinkles kisses along her temple.

“I definitely didn’t. I mean, I was actually planning on flying her out for easter,” Brittany admits with a slight blush, chewing on her bottom lip, “But apparently abeula beat me to it.”

“I—” Santana trails off and shakes her head in disbelief, all her love for her wife bubbling up until she has to kiss her, soft and sweet. She pulls back and Brittany runs her thumb over Santana’s cheek. “I don’t know what she’s doing here,” Santana admits, “Or how she got here.”

Brittany starts to answer, but abuela calling both of their names from the kitchen cuts them off. Brittany shrugs and presses a quick kiss to Santana’s lips before they head back to the kitchen.

“As an aside,” Brittany whispers, “If you didn’t bring her here, and I didn’t, how’d she get in?”

Santana glances at her wife sharply, her eyes wide and her brow furrowed. “I don’t know,” she whispers back.

“We should probably deal with that later,” Brittany suggest mildly. “Because, like, locks and safety and stuff.”

“Probably,” Santana agrees.

When they enter the kitchen, Brittany’s eyes go wide at the spread of baking across their tiny counters, and Santana can practically see her drooling at all the homemade food.

“Brittany,” abuela greets, quickly crossing the kitchen to pull her into a hug almost as fierce as the one she gave Santana. “It is good to see you.”

Brittany can barely get out the “You too, abuela,” before abuela is scolding them for not eating enough and ushering them to the breakfast bar, placing a large plate of all the different food she’s cooked today.

Brittany grins at Santana as she bites into an empanada, groaning as she chews it gratefully. “This is delicious,” Brittany says as soon as she’s swallowed, and abuela lights up.

“Santana told me you love cinnamon, so I experimented a little bit with the filling and dough to make it more of a dessert empanada,” she explains with pleased delight.

“An amazingly successful experiment,” Brittany gushes.

“You must try some of the flan then, I found an old recipe of my mother’s while cleaning out my bookshelves.”

Santana melts as she listens to her wife and her abuela discuss baking techniques and stories of food gone wrong. She chews thoughtfully on her empanada, feeling a slight tug of nostalgic homesickness she hasn’t felt in years; but looking at how Brittany lights up when abuela takes her plate and piles more food on it, the homesickness fades and she knows that, no matter where they end up, Brittany will always make every place feel like home. She just sits, basking in how easy it feels for her wife and her abuela to talk; and knows she’ll never forget just how easily this day almost didn’t happen.

“So, do you two have any plans for tonight?” abuela asks, and Santana starts, glancing at Brittany.

“Um, not really abuelita,” Santana says slowly.

Abuela regards them with unreadable eyes. “You didn’t plan anything for your first wedding anniversary?” she asks slowly, making both girls squirm.

“We were just going to have a quiet night,” Santana says without meeting her abuela’s eyes. She’s overjoyed to have her abuela here, but she was also really looking forward to spending her evening with Brittany celebrating their first year of marriage. Abeula’s eyes narrow and before she realizes what’s happening, Santana is explaining the evening they had planned (leaving the sex part out, of course, because it’s her abuela and Santana always still feels like a little girl around her and that would be far too weird).

“You should not change your plans because of me,” abuela insists, staring them down until they each meet her eyes. “I am here for a week and a couple days, so we have lots of time to spend together and catch up.”

“Speaking of,” Santana says quickly, “Why did you come out here?”

“I told you I will not miss any more important days,” abuela says easily, and Santana’s chest clenches with something light and happy, “And there are fewer days more important than your anniversary.”

Santana can’t help but glance at Brittany, who’s already smiling back at her. She takes Santana’s hand under the breakfast bar counter, pulling it into her lap so she can play with her fingers, carefully and lovingly tracing the wedding band snug against her knuckle.

“I will leave you two,” abuela says with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“No, abuela,” Brittany starts.

“You should stay for supper,” Santana adds, but abuela just shakes her head.

“No, Santanita,” abuela says with a knowing smile, leaning forward to take the hand not occupied by Brittany. “You should spend the evening doting on your wife,” she says with a wink, and Santana feels like she might float away at her abuela’s acknowledgement.

“Oh, I definitely will,” Santana says before Brittany has a chance to argue that she should be doing the doting. “But hey, since you’ll be here for a while,” Santana starts with a grin, wide and uninhibited, “Britt and I will have to show you around the city.”

“I would really like that,” abuela says with a smile. “Except for tomorrow around lunch time,” abuela adds, “I am busy then.”

Santana frowns a little and glances at her wife. “Uh, okay? What do you have planned then?”

To Santana’s surprise, it’s Brittany who answers. “A new telenovela episode comes out tomorrow. You can’t miss it, Eva just found out about Rafael’s affair and the argument will be, just, impressively dramatic.”

Abuela laughs and squeezes Santana’s hand, who’s glancing between her wife and her abuela in confusion. “You should listen to your wife,” she says, and Santana has a feeling the thrill that goes through her every time her abuela says your wife will never go away, “she is very smart.”

Santana shakes her head and glances at Brittany, who’s watching her with steady, adoring eyes, a slight blush pinking her cheeks even after all these years of being acknowledged as one of the greatest mathematical minds of their generation. “You’re right abuela,” Santana murmurs, “she’s a genius.”

[desertwiind]

62: What makes you happy?

"Spending time with my family. The quiet time after spending time with my family. The quietness and stillness of the night. The sound of the ocean. Very long hugs. The feeling of my hand being held. Celebrating Día de Muertos and watching other people be happy celebrating too. Fresh, warm churros. The feeling of successfully recreating one of my abuelita's recipes by myself. A perfect-looking flan. Being told I'm smart and/or funny. There are a lot of things, really..."

[most-beautiful-red-rose]

She shook her head. “Not at all. I live alone anyway. I made too much. I already gave some to my family especially since it was my abuelita’s recipe I made sure I had taste testers to make sure I did her justice. I wouldn’t want her rolling in her grave if I butchered her flan recipe. I will go pack you some right now.” She got up and went back in the kitchen to pick the rest of the flan for him

@amayak19

Marina growled a bit as her sisters and friends forced her to get ready and go to an event featuring their favorite actor/model. “Why do I have to tag along?” Sandy laughed a bit as she put some lipstick on Marina. “Because you love me and your sisters besides maybe you will find someone. You need to get laid anyway” Marina pushed her best friend away as her face flushed. “So what if I am still a virgin and doubt it. Anyway how did you get vip tickets to this?” Sandy smirked and winked at Marina. “I have my ways darling. There now you will make guys stop dead in their tracks” She turned Marina around so she could see what she looked like. Her long hair was curled and down while she had a little blush and dark red lipstick on. “Now put this on” Ayleen handed Marina a short strapless dress in black. She sighed as she took the dress and put it on. “It is perfect it hugs your curves and pushes the girls up a bit.” Sandy smirked at Marina when she spoke

[cosmichealing]

i had such a shit day and i come home from work and my mom's like oh yeah abuelita brought your flan!!! Like whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[transwaterbender]

Get to know me!

tagged by the beautiful @sarah-brissa
Thank you hun!! ☺❤❤ Now let us commence! 

 1. Are you named after someone? - I believe my middle name came from my grandfather but other than that nope 

2. When was the last time you cried? - I think it was like a year or two ago when my family was warning me about taking hormones and how maybe I shouldn’t take them, I’m not entirely sure but I was devastated

3. Do you like your handwriting? - nope, always wished I had neater/cuter handwriting

4. What is your favourite lunch meat? - penis.. lol jk Idk beef? 

5. Do you have kids? - noooope, but maybe some day :p 

6.If you were another person, would you be friends with you? - hell yeah! 

7. Do you use sarcasm?- what me? Nah, never ;p 

8. Do you still have your tonsils? - yes, I believe so 

9.Would you bungee jump? - I’m scared of heights so probably not but who knows what the future holds lol 

10. What is your favourite kind of cereal? - maybe raisin bran? idk soy una abuelita lol 

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? - yes, though not always 

12. Do you think you’re a strong person? - Internally, yes but externally not really 

13. What is your favourite ice cream? - I am not sure. I enjoy lemon, and chocolate, and cookies and cream, and strawberry, and I don’t know I like many different flavors it’s hard to just pick one honestly :p 

14. What is the first thing you notice about people? - their eyes and maybe their confidence and fashion style as well

15.What is the least favourite physical thing you like about yourself? - I don’t really like much about my current body tbh so Idk what I would pick, maybe my butt? since that’t what I’ve been working to improve on lately 

16. What colour pants and shoes are you wearing now? - blue jeans and none :p

 17. What are you listening to right now? - that new Gorillaz song Saturn Barz :p

18. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? - uh idk like a cute little pink on top and a cute baby blue on the bottom. or OH OH! like a baby blue on the top and bottom but the cute pink is hidden by the wrapper or vice versa!!

19. Favourite smell? - I don’t have one? Idk haha

20.Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? - My friend Gabriel :p 

21. Favourite sport to watch? - none, I am not a huge sports fan tbh but the olympics are pretty cool when they come around!

22. Hair colour? - Blonde with my dark brown roots showing on the top 

23.Eye colour? - dark brown, boring I know 

24. Do you wear contacts? - nope. I do wear glasses though! 

25. Favourite food to eat? - I enjoy a good pizza, or hamburger, or flan or any awesome dessert really

26. Scary movies or comedy? - comedy, though some scary movies can end up being humorous haha 

27.Last movie you watched? - I watched bad moms with me mum :p 

28.What colour of shirt are you wearing? - dark blue, it’s a nirvana t-shirt

29. Summer or winter? - winter! I just love the cold! ugh! I wish it would snow here :/

30. Hugs or kisses? - hugs! I don’t really kiss much nowadays so there’s also that but at least hugs most people enjoy! :p

31.What book are you currently reading? - nothing, but I should continue the book my brother got me about organization soon…

32. Who do you miss right now? - two of my friends since I barely hang with them anymore :/

33. What is on your mouse pad? - nothing at all 

34. What is the last TV program you watched? - I watched a bit of stephen colbert in the morning if that counts, if not then I watched some of the office yesterday but I watch a lot of youtube as well tbh.

35. What is the best sound? - the sound of a really amazing song!! or a cat purring is pretty great too hehe

36. Rolling stones or The Beatles? - Beatles, though the Rolling Stones are pretty rad too :p 

37. What is the furthest you have ever traveled? - I went to Arizona once but usually it’s just Mexico and Miami for me

38. Do you have a special talent? - I love to be uber creative when possible, and I can sort of play the piano by ear sometimes

39. Where were you born? - Mexico, D.C. 

40. Who are you tagging? - Idk haha

@cl0thes0ff, @transgirlnextdoor, @gracehelbig, @iadorefashionn, @just-shower-thoughts, @kelsielynnmakeup, @markiplier, @mydrunkkitchen, @natalie-mars, @quotegrumps, @rebeccasugar, @xxfeelingnostalgicxx, @xgoldensoul, @yelyahwilliams, @z

[clarisaysblog]

Let’s go back to 2018. The moment I heard the news that a BENCH/ Cafe was opening their flagship store, I was so thrilled. But then I found out it was in Bonifacio High Street, I was devastated, especially when some of my friends who work in and near the area informed me how delicious their meals are.

I live and work on the North side of the Metro so travelling there would be difficult but not anymore! Fellow North peeps, BENCH/ Cafe just opened their fourth branch and it is located at the Triangle North of Manila or simply Trinoma. You can find them at the ground floor right across Landmark department store and beside Mister Donut.

The Cafe

While I was walking out of the new Landmark building, I saw a huge glass window giving me a glimpse of a restaurant. It looked really beautiful and calm that I couldn’t help but stare at the place. When I finally got out of that building, I turned left and realised that was actually BENCH/ Cafe.

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From the outside, you can already tell that BENCH/ Cafe has a relaxing atmosphere. When you enter, you will see their simple and bright interior – brown and white walls, black and white floors plus artificial greenery.

Take note, I was there for a blogger event (Thank you to my #WeLoveToEatPH peeps.) so don’t be surprised by the amount of food in this post.

Photo by Instagram: @johnbunag

The Food

First, let me share with you the dishes that were served.

Tinapa Cones (PHP129)

Binagoongan Caesar (PHP149)

Beef Tendon Pares *new

Pamilya Style

Good for 2-3 persons)

Dancing Fish (PHP350)

Fried Chicken (PHP460)Gising Gising (PHP195)

Sisig Skillet (PHP249)

All BENCH-TO

comes with vegetables, Bench salsa, atsara and steamed Ifugao rice.

Bagnet Kare-Kare (PHP399)

Inasal na Liempo (PHP269)

All Day Meryienda

Pork BBQ Skewer (PHP189)

Pancit Guisado (PHP219)

Dessert

Flan B (PHP155)

Banana Con Yelo (PHP109) | Mais Con Yelo (PHP100) | Ube Halo-Halo (PHP149) | White Halo-Halo (PHP119)

Turon Ala Mode (PHP89)

Muscuvado Milk Teas

The Verdict

My friends were right! BENCH/ Cafe does offer delicious food. If you haven’t been to this cafe, they offer local flavours. They upgraded Filipino classic dishes by fusing Filipino with Filipino. For me, that is so much better because our local flavours especially our traditional recipes are great.

Would you like to know what my favourite dishes from BENCH/ Cafe are? Take note, I enjoyed all but there are those that I would like to try again along with my family.

Because I’m the type of person who would eat dessert first, my top one is their Flan B. Chef Carlo Miguel, Corporate Executive Chef of Foodee Group Concepts said he used his grandmother’s leche flan recipe. Honestly, I believe him! When I tasted that Flan B, it does remind me of my Abuelita’s recipes – traditional and does not skrimp on ingredients nor taste.

Besides that, I also loved the flavours of their Tinapa Cones which is made of crispy lumpia cones filled with tinapa mousse. Yes, tinapa mousse. It’s not the sweet kinds but the savoury kind.

Next is the Beef Tendon Pares. What I love about this dish is it has a tender and smooth texture. It is served with rice and a sunny side-up egg on the side. It’s absolutely great for brunch, lunch and dinner.

And lastly, their Bagnet Kare-Kare which is so crispy complemented by their homemade peanut sauce is a must-try. What’s great about this dish is it’s under the All BENCH-TO menu. This means that it comes with vegetables, Bench salsa, atsara and steamed Ifugao rice.

And that’s it! But honestly, all that is listed in this blog post are delicious. If you prefer the ones I chose or the ones I didn’t, it is up to you.  All I know is people who love Filipino dishes should really try dining at BENCH/ Cafe. And if you have balikbayan friends or friends from other countries, I think BENCH/ Cafe is a good place to introduce them to Filipino food.

You can find BENCH/ Cafe on the ground floor of Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City right across Landmark department store and beside Mister Donut.

*Since I was there for a blog event, expect that I will return and update this blog post if needed.

Happy eating!

BENCH/ Cafe, TriNoma is Now Open! Let's go back to 2018. The moment I heard the news that a BENCH/ Cafe was opening their flagship store, I was so thrilled.

[sunshine-anderson]

Is it wrong to force my boyfriends to watch Sailor Moon with me and my Abuelita? She is bribing me with flan!! Help!!!!

[apsbicepstraining]

How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture

Growing up in a Dominican household, I was created devouring deep-fried plantains, fried cheese and mass and lots of beef.

A regular morning in the Dominican Republic consisted of a heavy breakfast known as Los Tres Golpes.

Los tres golpes consists of mangu served with fried eggs, salami and fried grey cheese. Its delicioso!

This heavy breakfast is a staple in the two countries that they are able to preserve you going all day.

In the Dominican Republic, nonetheless, because most of the people are out in the sun toil, the protein-rich food tend to even out.

In Caribbean countries, fresh fruit and vegetables are always available, so the nutrient is naturally healthier.

As a Dominican-American working in an office, I’ve had to reconsider my diet.

For a long time, I rarely feed Latino cuisine for fright of becoming an undesirable eater.

But, I had to face it: My psyche, organization and soul necessary the consolation food.

Here are four healthy Latino recipes along with some healthy tips-off that will leave you feeling closer to home, without putting a dent in your fitness goals.

Baked Plantains With Avocado Crema

This recipe is one of my favorites.

Rather than frying ripe plantains in heavy cook lubricant, they are baked.

Baking the plantains is the healthiest sort of cooking them, as it leaves the plantains crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

In this recipe, whole milk is amended by replacing almond milk and 0 percentage fat Greek yogurt.

Cooking oil is replaced with coconut oil, and table salt is replaced with sea salt.

The core parts( plantains and avocado) are still there, and trust me when I tell you that not one ounce of flavor is lost on this dish.

Slower Cooker Sofrito

Christmasis almost here.

Leftover turkey does not have to be subjected to turkey sandwiches, and bones do not have to be thrown out, all thanks to this slow cooker sofrito recipe.

This recipe was created by Irina Gonzalez, the founder of the blog Healthy Latin Food.

It’s the perfect space to not only use those leftovers, but also accompanied that Latin flavor to any dish.

This broth can be used on soup, fleshes and chili.

The best part about this sofrito is you can keep it in your freezer for months.

Very Berry “Mojito” Smoothie

Another great space to feed health without “losing ones” culture is by incorporating Latino flavors into your smoothies.

The Very Berry Mojito Smoothie does exactly that.

Sorry, “they dont have” alcohol in this recipe, but experience free to add rum if you wish.

Just be considered that health benefits primarily decrease when including alcohol.

This smoothie calls for the usual berries, and it’s topped off with coconut irrigate and chopped slew foliages to make it that mojito taste.

Latin American Empanadas

Much like the first recipe, these empanadas are broiled rather than fried.

Pumpkin seeds, floor cumin and reduced-sodium chicken broth are lent for flavor and nutrition.

Ground beef is kept in the food as the main ingredient, but lean beef is used rather than the traditional ground beef.

This is a perfect pre-workout meal, as it has just the right amount of carbs and protein to keep you going.

Aside from researching new recipes from Latino concocts and bloggers, reading how to represent the same foods our abuelitas constructed for us into healthy meals is a gradation well worth taking.

Creating the foods we grew up with healthier parts will help us retain our culture in our ever-changing lifestyles.

Here are some gratuities from “Cooking Healthy Latino Style” on how to reduce the calorie intake in our rich dinners TAGEND

1. When cooking beef and pork, trim all visible fat prior to prepare, and cut back on the amount of meat in the recipe by contributing or increasing the amount of beans.

Beans “re a big” generator of protein.

Mushrooms are also a great permutation to beef. When cooked shitake mushrooms have the same earthy, meaty flavor most Latino recipes crave.

2. Use 1 percent, low-fat, fat-free, coconut or soy milk in your dishes.

3. Reduce the amount of cheese in dishes by using a smaller quantity of cheese that is stronger in flavor, such as sharp-witted cheddar.

4. For creams and soups, puree some of the vegetables or beans after they have cooked, and include them back into the soup to thicken, instead of contributing cream.

5. Use pink Himalayan salt as a substitute for table salt, and use fresh herbs such as cilantro, lemon, parsley or rosemary to brighten flavors.

6. Replace heavy fix oil with extra innocent olive oil whenever possible.

We dont have to vacate our culture in order to eat healthy.

Lets remake abuelitas foods and to be maintained as part of our lifestyle.

We can have our flan and eat it, more!

The post How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

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[cosmichealing]

im about to CRY ya'll a few weeks ago i was with my grandma and i was showing her stuff from my phone and a recipe for a flan made with chocolate abuelita popped up and she was reading it and was like ohhh i wanna make it for you and i thot she had forgotten but she made it and brought it to my house and it's So GOOOOOD soooo delicious im crying she's amazing i love her

[apsbicepstraining]

How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture

Growing up in a Dominican household, I was created devouring deep-fried plantains, fried cheese and mass and lots of beef.

A regular morning in the Dominican Republic consisted of a heavy breakfast known as Los Tres Golpes.

Los tres golpes consists of mangu served with fried eggs, salami and fried grey cheese. Its delicioso!

This heavy breakfast is a staple in the two countries that they are able to preserve you going all day.

In the Dominican Republic, nonetheless, because most of the people are out in the sun toil, the protein-rich food tend to even out.

In Caribbean countries, fresh fruit and vegetables are always available, so the nutrient is naturally healthier.

As a Dominican-American working in an office, I’ve had to reconsider my diet.

For a long time, I rarely feed Latino cuisine for fright of becoming an undesirable eater.

But, I had to face it: My psyche, organization and soul necessary the consolation food.

Here are four healthy Latino recipes along with some healthy tips-off that will leave you feeling closer to home, without putting a dent in your fitness goals.

Baked Plantains With Avocado Crema

This recipe is one of my favorites.

Rather than frying ripe plantains in heavy cook lubricant, they are baked.

Baking the plantains is the healthiest sort of cooking them, as it leaves the plantains crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

In this recipe, whole milk is amended by replacing almond milk and 0 percentage fat Greek yogurt.

Cooking oil is replaced with coconut oil, and table salt is replaced with sea salt.

The core parts( plantains and avocado) are still there, and trust me when I tell you that not one ounce of flavor is lost on this dish.

Slower Cooker Sofrito

Christmasis almost here.

Leftover turkey does not have to be subjected to turkey sandwiches, and bones do not have to be thrown out, all thanks to this slow cooker sofrito recipe.

This recipe was created by Irina Gonzalez, the founder of the blog Healthy Latin Food.

It’s the perfect space to not only use those leftovers, but also accompanied that Latin flavor to any dish.

This broth can be used on soup, fleshes and chili.

The best part about this sofrito is you can keep it in your freezer for months.

Very Berry “Mojito” Smoothie

Another great space to feed health without “losing ones” culture is by incorporating Latino flavors into your smoothies.

The Very Berry Mojito Smoothie does exactly that.

Sorry, “they dont have” alcohol in this recipe, but experience free to add rum if you wish.

Just be considered that health benefits primarily decrease when including alcohol.

This smoothie calls for the usual berries, and it’s topped off with coconut irrigate and chopped slew foliages to make it that mojito taste.

Latin American Empanadas

Much like the first recipe, these empanadas are broiled rather than fried.

Pumpkin seeds, floor cumin and reduced-sodium chicken broth are lent for flavor and nutrition.

Ground beef is kept in the food as the main ingredient, but lean beef is used rather than the traditional ground beef.

This is a perfect pre-workout meal, as it has just the right amount of carbs and protein to keep you going.

Aside from researching new recipes from Latino concocts and bloggers, reading how to represent the same foods our abuelitas constructed for us into healthy meals is a gradation well worth taking.

Creating the foods we grew up with healthier parts will help us retain our culture in our ever-changing lifestyles.

Here are some gratuities from “Cooking Healthy Latino Style” on how to reduce the calorie intake in our rich dinners TAGEND

1. When cooking beef and pork, trim all visible fat prior to prepare, and cut back on the amount of meat in the recipe by contributing or increasing the amount of beans.

Beans “re a big” generator of protein.

Mushrooms are also a great permutation to beef. When cooked shitake mushrooms have the same earthy, meaty flavor most Latino recipes crave.

2. Use 1 percent, low-fat, fat-free, coconut or soy milk in your dishes.

3. Reduce the amount of cheese in dishes by using a smaller quantity of cheese that is stronger in flavor, such as sharp-witted cheddar.

4. For creams and soups, puree some of the vegetables or beans after they have cooked, and include them back into the soup to thicken, instead of contributing cream.

5. Use pink Himalayan salt as a substitute for table salt, and use fresh herbs such as cilantro, lemon, parsley or rosemary to brighten flavors.

6. Replace heavy fix oil with extra innocent olive oil whenever possible.

We dont have to vacate our culture in order to eat healthy.

Lets remake abuelitas foods and to be maintained as part of our lifestyle.

We can have our flan and eat it, more!

The post How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2tJr9tS via IFTTT

[apsbicepstraining]

How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture

Growing up in a Dominican household, I was created devouring deep-fried plantains, fried cheese and mass and lots of beef.

A regular morning in the Dominican Republic consisted of a heavy breakfast known as Los Tres Golpes.

Los tres golpes consists of mangu served with fried eggs, salami and fried grey cheese. Its delicioso!

This heavy breakfast is a staple in the two countries that they are able to preserve you going all day.

In the Dominican Republic, nonetheless, because most of the people are out in the sun toil, the protein-rich food tend to even out.

In Caribbean countries, fresh fruit and vegetables are always available, so the nutrient is naturally healthier.

As a Dominican-American working in an office, I’ve had to reconsider my diet.

For a long time, I rarely feed Latino cuisine for fright of becoming an undesirable eater.

But, I had to face it: My psyche, organization and soul necessary the consolation food.

Here are four healthy Latino recipes along with some healthy tips-off that will leave you feeling closer to home, without putting a dent in your fitness goals.

Baked Plantains With Avocado Crema

This recipe is one of my favorites.

Rather than frying ripe plantains in heavy cook lubricant, they are baked.

Baking the plantains is the healthiest sort of cooking them, as it leaves the plantains crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

In this recipe, whole milk is amended by replacing almond milk and 0 percentage fat Greek yogurt.

Cooking oil is replaced with coconut oil, and table salt is replaced with sea salt.

The core parts( plantains and avocado) are still there, and trust me when I tell you that not one ounce of flavor is lost on this dish.

Slower Cooker Sofrito

Christmasis almost here.

Leftover turkey does not have to be subjected to turkey sandwiches, and bones do not have to be thrown out, all thanks to this slow cooker sofrito recipe.

This recipe was created by Irina Gonzalez, the founder of the blog Healthy Latin Food.

It’s the perfect space to not only use those leftovers, but also accompanied that Latin flavor to any dish.

This broth can be used on soup, fleshes and chili.

The best part about this sofrito is you can keep it in your freezer for months.

Very Berry “Mojito” Smoothie

Another great space to feed health without “losing ones” culture is by incorporating Latino flavors into your smoothies.

The Very Berry Mojito Smoothie does exactly that.

Sorry, “they dont have” alcohol in this recipe, but experience free to add rum if you wish.

Just be considered that health benefits primarily decrease when including alcohol.

This smoothie calls for the usual berries, and it’s topped off with coconut irrigate and chopped slew foliages to make it that mojito taste.

Latin American Empanadas

Much like the first recipe, these empanadas are broiled rather than fried.

Pumpkin seeds, floor cumin and reduced-sodium chicken broth are lent for flavor and nutrition.

Ground beef is kept in the food as the main ingredient, but lean beef is used rather than the traditional ground beef.

This is a perfect pre-workout meal, as it has just the right amount of carbs and protein to keep you going.

Aside from researching new recipes from Latino concocts and bloggers, reading how to represent the same foods our abuelitas constructed for us into healthy meals is a gradation well worth taking.

Creating the foods we grew up with healthier parts will help us retain our culture in our ever-changing lifestyles.

Here are some gratuities from “Cooking Healthy Latino Style” on how to reduce the calorie intake in our rich dinners TAGEND

1. When cooking beef and pork, trim all visible fat prior to prepare, and cut back on the amount of meat in the recipe by contributing or increasing the amount of beans.

Beans “re a big” generator of protein.

Mushrooms are also a great permutation to beef. When cooked shitake mushrooms have the same earthy, meaty flavor most Latino recipes crave.

2. Use 1 percent, low-fat, fat-free, coconut or soy milk in your dishes.

3. Reduce the amount of cheese in dishes by using a smaller quantity of cheese that is stronger in flavor, such as sharp-witted cheddar.

4. For creams and soups, puree some of the vegetables or beans after they have cooked, and include them back into the soup to thicken, instead of contributing cream.

5. Use pink Himalayan salt as a substitute for table salt, and use fresh herbs such as cilantro, lemon, parsley or rosemary to brighten flavors.

6. Replace heavy fix oil with extra innocent olive oil whenever possible.

We dont have to vacate our culture in order to eat healthy.

Lets remake abuelitas foods and to be maintained as part of our lifestyle.

We can have our flan and eat it, more!

The post How To Lighten Up Latin Food Without Losing The Flavor Or Culture appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2tJr9tS via IFTTT