#my clams are so steamed I am so disappointed

[gottfrieds]

every new article I read about veilguard basically says "it's a great, snappy action-adventure game! not an rpg and not a dragon age game though" and what is the FUCKING point in that

[cuddletime-blog]

Lucien: A Special Dinner Date For Four

Lucien and I entered our house with several bags of groceries in our hands. I was planning on cooking a dinner as a double date together with my close friend Andrea and her husband Victor Li. I looked up into Lucien’s eyes and warned him firmly, “No funny business tonight, Lucien. I understand that you and Victor might have had an unhealthy and fierce rivalry in the past, but please be nice to my best friend and her husband at dinner. Andrea supported me through an especially difficult time when I was struggling with my work recently so I would like to have a pleasant dinner together to thank her properly.” Lucien grabbed the bottle of Sauvignon Blanc out from the grocery bag and smiled at me reassuringly saying, “Of course I know how important your friendship with Andrea is to you, Elise. You are overly concerned. I am being a good host to our special guests tonight and I am prepared to show them my good will. In fact, I have prepared a little gift for Victor to thank him specifically tonight.”

My expression softened somewhat, but I was curious as to why Lucien wanted to gift something to Victor. I looked up at Lucien in surprise and said, “That sounds good actually. I’m relieved if you are making an effort to make amends with Victor even though you don’t agree and get along with him most of the time. Let the past stay in the past and let’s just enjoy this double dinner date with our friends tonight, Luci. I am looking forward to learning from and trying Andrea’s Portuguese cooking for the first time.”

           I prepared a quinoa shrimp mango pomegranate spinach salad with white balsamic vinaigrette and sliced a loaf of bread. Lucien helped me open the wine to use for cooking and drinking and he set the table. Andrea told me that she planned to cook her special Bacalhau com natas or cream cod dish with potatoes and a second dish of steamed clams in garlic with chorizo, white wine, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. I requested that she make pastel de nata for dessert with me and next time, I would make cream puffs topped with chocolate and caramel sauce for her.

           Andrea and Victor arrived before dinner with their own separate groceries too and Lucien greeted them after opening the door to welcome them inside. I smiled, hugged Andrea, and showed her inside the kitchen where she could place the groceries so that we could begin cooking the steamed clams and cream cod. Lucien showed Victor to our greenhouse outside and there, they picked some herbs together. Then, Victor poured the wine into the glasses right before the food was served at the table. Dinner was splendid and we made pleasant conversation together despite some silence here and there from Victor. Lucien was just mostly observing and listening attentively or answering Andrea’s questions about the house and our neighborhood. We decided to play some card games after dinner, such as Crazy Eights and Slapjack. It was quite fun, but Victor and Lucien entered into their intensely competitive modes and started a game of chess with one another after the 4 of us finished playing our card games.

           Both men were stubborn and absolutely hated to lose. They were so lost in concentrating only on their chess game. Unable to convince them to snap out of it, Andrea and I decided to sit back and observe how the game progressed. I expected Lucien to win, but the game ended in a stalemate. Victor might have been slightly disappointed, but he looked calm enough. I was relieved that the evening was going so well without anyone getting angry or frustrated. I think Victor was in a rather good mood tonight. However, the rest of the evening took an interesting turn when Lucien presented Victor with a gift.

           The gift turned out to be a wine opener, but Lucien had also included a Batman keyring next to the wine opener. Victor stared at the gifts awkwardly and muttered a quick word of thanks. I blushed a bit in embarrassment and tried to restrain myself from bursting into laughter, suddenly remembering that I revealed to Lucien that Andrea told me about the one time she made a bet with Victor and got him to say, “I am Batman.” In return, Victor invited Lucien and me to tour his and Andrea’s vineyards in France and Portugal and also his villa and lake house in Italy. He said that on the Italian property, he kept a few swans and thought Lucien should get along fine with those swans. I knew what Victor was referring to in Lucien’s dark past, but Lucien replied saying, “I’m surprised there aren’t peacocks instead on your property.” Lucien had implied that Victor was being prideful and he knew that Victor had just poked an uncomfortable old wound or sore spot in his past. The situation was escalating quickly now between them with both men staring rather intensely at one another, waiting for the other to say the next triggering remark.

I attempted to defuse the situation and added, “Thank you for your incredibly kind offer, Victor. I love vineyards and have always wanted to travel someday to France, Italy, and Portugal. Andrea does like peacock feathers, such as the ones used in the designs of her favorite jewelry, but peacocks are rather noisy so I don’t think they would be good birds to keep around. I am comfortable with observing swans from a safe distance on the lake though. Geese frighten me more than swans. However, if you two don’t apologize to one another and make up right now, it would upset me greatly if I had to end our night here early and say good night to Andrea earlier than I planned without even having our dessert first. Let’s not end this evening on a sour note because mark my words, I would rather squeeze lemon juice all over both of your pastel de natas tonight or refuse to serve you any dessert altogether than have to continue watching the both of you bicker any longer like this…like 2 little boys instead of the 2 mature men that you should be!” I gave Lucien a stern look and he started his apology, saying that he didn’t mean for his joke gift to go this far, but he was sorry about his earlier remark about peacocks. Victor apologized too, saying that he too had provoked Lucien by bringing up the topic about swans.

           Victor looked over at Lucien and whispered quietly, “Your wife, Elise is scary when she makes threats about dessert.” Lucien replied, “She’s usually the sweetest person most people ever meet, but she gets very serious about eating dessert sometimes so I like it when she becomes so assertive and speaks her mind firmly in front of me.” Victor said with slight smirk on his face, “I think you made the right decision earlier. Otherwise, I would have been even more afraid if her threat to deny you dessert would be extended into the bedroom and you would be sleeping on the couch tonight after the little stunt you pulled with the joke gift earlier.” Lucien replied, “Touché. Perhaps my originally harmless little joke did cross the line tonight, but I couldn’t resist wanting to see the somewhat astonished look on your face when you saw what was in the box after opening my gift.” Victor said, “Let’s just consider it all even now and I’ll forget your Batman nonsense fiasco.” Lucien smiled and said, “Alright, deal. We’ll meet again in Europe in a few weeks. I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to try some good new wines from your properties and enjoy the milder weather there. In the meantime, I’ll try to get back on Elise’s good side again so it’s as they say, a happy wife makes for a happy life.” Victor said, ‘You finally said something I don’t disagree with so just do as you like. Andrea will be glad to show Elise around abroad and they can just enjoy themselves. I can see that Elise is a good person and a better influence or friend than you are, but I don’t mind enduring any minor hassles or challenges if it’s all for Andrea’s sake and future happiness.” Lucien simply commented, “Well said.”

[easyfoodnetwork]

The Irresistible Charm of Tiny Dollhouse Food

Teeny, tiny bibimbap | Etsy [Official]

You can’t eat it, but you can keep it forever and it won’t take up much space

As an only child I found many ways to entertain myself, but none were as soothing as making home goods for my dollhouse, as I did with a headboard recycled from an old yogurt lid or an apron with a ric-rac trim that I stapled — rather than sewed — together for my Madeline doll to wear around her kitchen. Though I am no longer a kid, I still love dollhouse miniatures, especially of the inedible food variety.

With so much of our life now confined to our homes, it can feel like we’re in an alternate reality where we are the playthings, forever trapped in a dollhouse. So while you’re at it, this might be the perfect time to invest in some charming miniatures to dress up your living arrangement.

With their budget-friendly prices and small footprint (great for small apartments!), fake food minis are a benign (and shelf-stable!) hobby to take on during the pandemic. Plus, mini meals have the ability to plunge us into a fantasy realm, a reminder of a bygone era when you could casually pop into a restaurant or host friends for a dinner party without worrying about catching (or spreading) a potentially-deadly virus. How quaint!

It seems I’m not the only one seeking out dollhouse miniatures right now. The New York Times recently ran an op-ed by Rebecca Ackermann, a designer who has turned to making tiny clay renditions of recipes — such as a Reem’s California falafel salad, Sohla El-Waylly’s miso clams, or key lime pie from Back in the Day Bakery — to quell pandemic-related anxiety. At the start of COVID-19, fashion designer Susan Alexandra raised money for the food justice non-profit No Kid Hungry by selling custom miniatures of meals; customers requested recreations from menus spanning NYC’s acclaimed Via Carota to the U.S.-based fast casual chain California Pizza Kitchen (the latter may become a collector’s item, as the company just filed for bankruptcy).

Etsy [Official]

Itty-bitty pani puri

But beyond the radical, outsized joy that mini meals bring me, they also provide me small reprieve from my disappointing life-size cooking. Throughout quarantine, I’ve watched as friends and colleagues made sourdough loaves, and, later, decadent, flaky pastries. As I scroll, I am impressed and jealous all at once. “Think. Of. All. The. Dishes,” my brain purrs at me.

While in many cases cooking can be a therapeutic way of winding down, the pandemic often leaves me struggling with culinary indecision. It’s resolved most typically by throwing together an effortless mix of fermented foods and rice, or something else of the like, that allows me to leave room for other, more pressing matters — like ordering tiny inedible meals off Etsy.

With perfectly-sculpted dollhouse miniatures of food you can live out your wildest recipe dreams and have them memorialized in your home, without having to exert any brain energy or fret if the pastry crust didn’t turn out as you’d planned. Why have disappointing-but-digestible baked goods when you could have a small and perfectly iced millefeuille in perpetuity? Prefer savory fake foods? Consider this cheese board or these adorable steamed pork dumplings nestled in a carefully woven petite basket. If you’re looking for a full meal, this little pani puri spread is for you. For those who want to go retro Americana with their miniature doll foods, here’s some colorful molded Jell-O.

Or maybe you don’t know what you want beyond, you want it to be cute, tiny, and meant for dolls. Here are some more suggestions for your mind’s menu. Bon ap-petite, but please don’t eat.

Emma Orlow is a writer for Eater, Grub Street, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and Bon Appétit (among others), where she covers the intersection of the food and design worlds.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2Y0The9 https://ift.tt/2E5F9ZJ

Teeny, tiny bibimbap | Etsy [Official]

You can’t eat it, but you can keep it forever and it won’t take up much space

As an only child I found many ways to entertain myself, but none were as soothing as making home goods for my dollhouse, as I did with a headboard recycled from an old yogurt lid or an apron with a ric-rac trim that I stapled — rather than sewed — together for my Madeline doll to wear around her kitchen. Though I am no longer a kid, I still love dollhouse miniatures, especially of the inedible food variety.

With so much of our life now confined to our homes, it can feel like we’re in an alternate reality where we are the playthings, forever trapped in a dollhouse. So while you’re at it, this might be the perfect time to invest in some charming miniatures to dress up your living arrangement.

With their budget-friendly prices and small footprint (great for small apartments!), fake food minis are a benign (and shelf-stable!) hobby to take on during the pandemic. Plus, mini meals have the ability to plunge us into a fantasy realm, a reminder of a bygone era when you could casually pop into a restaurant or host friends for a dinner party without worrying about catching (or spreading) a potentially-deadly virus. How quaint!

It seems I’m not the only one seeking out dollhouse miniatures right now. The New York Times recently ran an op-ed by Rebecca Ackermann, a designer who has turned to making tiny clay renditions of recipes — such as a Reem’s California falafel salad, Sohla El-Waylly’s miso clams, or key lime pie from Back in the Day Bakery — to quell pandemic-related anxiety. At the start of COVID-19, fashion designer Susan Alexandra raised money for the food justice non-profit No Kid Hungry by selling custom miniatures of meals; customers requested recreations from menus spanning NYC’s acclaimed Via Carota to the U.S.-based fast casual chain California Pizza Kitchen (the latter may become a collector’s item, as the company just filed for bankruptcy).

Etsy [Official]

Itty-bitty pani puri

But beyond the radical, outsized joy that mini meals bring me, they also provide me small reprieve from my disappointing life-size cooking. Throughout quarantine, I’ve watched as friends and colleagues made sourdough loaves, and, later, decadent, flaky pastries. As I scroll, I am impressed and jealous all at once. “Think. Of. All. The. Dishes,” my brain purrs at me.

While in many cases cooking can be a therapeutic way of winding down, the pandemic often leaves me struggling with culinary indecision. It’s resolved most typically by throwing together an effortless mix of fermented foods and rice, or something else of the like, that allows me to leave room for other, more pressing matters — like ordering tiny inedible meals off Etsy.

With perfectly-sculpted dollhouse miniatures of food you can live out your wildest recipe dreams and have them memorialized in your home, without having to exert any brain energy or fret if the pastry crust didn’t turn out as you’d planned. Why have disappointing-but-digestible baked goods when you could have a small and perfectly iced millefeuille in perpetuity? Prefer savory fake foods? Consider this cheese board or these adorable steamed pork dumplings nestled in a carefully woven petite basket. If you’re looking for a full meal, this little pani puri spread is for you. For those who want to go retro Americana with their miniature doll foods, here’s some colorful molded Jell-O.

Or maybe you don’t know what you want beyond, you want it to be cute, tiny, and meant for dolls. Here are some more suggestions for your mind’s menu. Bon ap-petite, but please don’t eat.

Emma Orlow is a writer for Eater, Grub Street, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and Bon Appétit (among others), where she covers the intersection of the food and design worlds.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2Y0The9 via Blogger https://ift.tt/2PSmAuJ

[no-ns-en-si-ca-l]

FORMAL EXERCISES IN THE RIGHT USE OF A GRAMMAR • Jamie Green

SCOTLAND

1. rare horrification by made a manichaean slip in the necropolis but quelled chance to scrawl a glasgow feel fleeting not shallow but digger slake of soil flim chaul charcoal flaking so un so coming on not stopping on a solar sex and quasi-scéance blank child. 

2. hail notes from a chime-ape drawn revelation of earth blood math but disappeared witness at grave moment and let the big hope perish by hoping way all wrong that no nerves splayed on the firmament, fits nicely a noose round the neck of a star; blindly river driver opens a fluid fix for toothless ether shawl spree wending currents and accounts accounts not an account story but story yes but always how; what is me and what is movie or salt; a hanger very much. 

3. gobs of help us want us to help gawks why not let’s us two; counting on meeting stuck pose: her posse such demanding such tightly stretched ugly incalculable clipping on and on okay up to the master wrecking; scores of night rattle assault stories whipping out of shape a clap on the heels stamped to be laid out in monstrous night fall upon an unwatered domestic flatness; no horseshoe a cost a capping ball sputtering face dethrone a trust the form of a core lacking now comes through the thick liquid gazing and fear of a smile or laughing through it; the smell and the smell and kissing furnished biproximate edge warp proxy of erotic steering someway named already to which degree is a voluble knot of bioenergetic parsimony. 

4. lazing chandelier, phallic shadow cast upon a sliver of wall paint adjoining windows on high, looking over the night of weiner strasse foibles, jacob is reminded of self. when the score is felt but isn’t known is that called body? is body the crystallizing of spirit snail’s vital juices? the once shimmering coat is dull but just because the words are sharp and bright; the odd cock with shrunken testes looks down from up some mild summer night. 

5. a boat, fluck and morris of owe one is (s)cotch: i’m fed and hall. i’m here to tell you a story. it’s about him, morris. morris ensouled a blackened victor but spinning and couldn’t manage him. an older or taller boy shamus telling a joke a tempest groin and slosh taste and morris’ fear came to the front. like a stack of weary flagstones morris’ block head cracked well and white tears owed out. the fissure was remember and a lot of dots of looking made it stick solid are you so scared yet he asked, and a stem more real grew from between the rainbow bands and a flower more real bloomed across the white wreckage of some very old ideas-field. 

BEFORE, THEN

1. a foal pecked. 

2. on a well-shared hand you’ll have a hoarding and by a sleepless steam-tumble train tracks sparking. there walls making a symbol split in odd manner real fire from five from three from two and such can be word making. a congeries puffs without stretching any container. any container it is is a temple and at a loss at least and at least silently observers sit and some more observe indecent humility and so more even only sits planted on the spot and when split into formal terms of underpowered amatory diction this becomes that rather concerned concern right up to wherein only the split-off part in the one hand striking as while hot opportunity bubbles up primarily as only coins can.     a congeries is but difficult to blame but why. a congeries is and difficult at home and that is why: the eyes agape means chance reception of a directed arrow then tremulous shackle-life then the pain of the lingual baptism which begins as a benign point of point and evolves furthermore as an interminably drawn and distended prescription c̄ point. the wonting subject’s already all pointed out and too fatigued to point whilst the point isn’t quite there too but certainly the wonting subject and the point are born of a single dreadful dimension after all and long before there were channels.     a flustering gust transmits a stupefaction called specialization why in wintry tome-forms we find entombed plant facts not leaning naturally but made to this wise by a manually rotated and widely trumpeted viewport.     now that there but me i also shape!                hand hands cup container     has and always has in the not-always been the just very same great-big disembodied hiding hands,                the invisible mother-fathering of incorrigibly truculent quanta. sway, saffron. sway and saffron.

[VERILY, I SAY...]

verily, i say: a cutting is a pairing.

subject and object are delusional language problems for the disillusioned, further confounded by eyesight.

for instance: these, lips, that, fish, the, flowers. these lips, that fish the flowers. these lips that, fish the flowers. these lips that fish, the flowers. these lips that fish the flowers. 

a brainless future. a featureless brain. so one day i can gaze at hole one while fucking hole two.

THIS THAT

this that: in a hallowed, fried world uncatched a whiff, small uh maybe a tattered rug, do a stamp across wafting up red rosies good perfume good for a whiff and straight back down into the fibers

this that: coquettish slack in a charm-wave of glances of exquisitely lyrical arms, unearthly bending doffed the shorts brown skin leg flux cast      into the atavistic eye spectacles fitted with lilac glass labor around in an oracular fabrication of a crystal vision of disappointed victory show us the clam

this that: chills, oh! the chills of rapt tossup in the breadbasket of hive life how can one dare to dream erstwhile flap covers one eye as a marlinspike     pierces the other... such stark hungriness could up and eat up the rosy cross if it were cooked to keep the hive happy this that: friends, fixety in all matters of leaning you couldn’t pry them open if you tried those awful shoes, anyway

this that: a change on wet collider can mean many more if the vim might catch and endorse the drift or sprinkle rabbits in my heart: to promise change always

this that: i cry lachrymony! the weight of the wind causes leaden shoulders to flex and panoptical concerns, a fluttering crystal wig someway winding by nervous tracts in wild wind

this that: flag of my saggy heart flap who mightn’t flag in this woolen, western wind i vie as a decaying tooth might but after all a tooth is a tooth and i 

FAERIE DWELLING

he's bled a tonic at discount jaws and whether porn is school underwater. off lug and want is not as lug of and in. hatch. awful gazelle chest pairing cut nut soporific dangling and is it calm in is. trident gauze alcohol hate for watches hate time and call me when it's gone a free house for now and semi circular aperture for dejected thinkables. am glued callous and turf fire crescent seashell blonde bat check for noise eyes.

as the sincerity of our promise to cultivate and charm fear increases, so do we traverse time to halt the punitive and portentous hand which oversees the garden.

[bardicphooka]

SinnerTale Chapter 11

You find a piece of paper next to Frisk. They sit there, hugging their knees. Not willing to move or read what you have found. Luckily the paper is face up. It reads, *Final Notes: Sans. “Chara! Chara!” Sans called excitedly, “Look what I found!” She turned to him to admire his small shellfish. A clam If she had to guess. He smiled at her through his mop of unkempt hair. Pail cheeks, rosie from the run. “COOL!” She shouted, “Can we eat it!” excitedly jumping up and down, she smiled. “No! Hes my pet. I will call him Rock.” Pulling rock away, Sans let it float behind him on a wave of blue magic. As a human child, Sans was quite bright. Gifted in magic as his father before him. A father I may add, that has recently come back from the dead. Back then, I was afraid to share this secret with my boys. It was never very easy. As I have said, Sans always was a bright child. “Hey, Dad. Can Chara come over for super?” Calling from the door, he ran with his new pet. Chara coming up on him fast, Jumping to catch the clam. “Sans! Come on! You know I love clams!” “Get your own clams! The beach is right back there!” Chuckling from the kitchen, I had already steamed some seafood. If my tongue had not been rotting, I would have called them to the table. Luckily for me, Papyrus was was also incredibly observant. “SUPPER’s READY!” His little voice squeaked at them, “ITs SPAGHETTI!” “You always say it spaghetti, Papyrus,” Chara teased, sitting next to Pap at the table. Such a sweet girl she was. Once. “Dad? Is your voice acting up again?” Suspicious. He always asked me that with suspicion in his eyes. Born of concern I would imagine. I could not answer him at the time. I doubt that helped things. ‘Yes, Sans. My throat is sore again.’ I signed to him, ‘Before supper, you should put your pour clam in some sea water. You don’t want him to die do you?’ “Oh! Yeah.” Stumbling to the door, he grabbed a bucket. Using his magic to scoop up water with it, faster than he could have physically, “There you go, Rock. Sorry about that. ’Good work Sans! Your magic is improving!’ Smiling at the complement he put the bucket down, “Come sit.” The three of them where inseparable. Playing games. Practicing magic. Though Chara could not use it herself, she loved to learn. Often playing the doge game,with the boy’s projected magic. Just to be clear, I did not approve of that game. To risky for my tastes. The grey hairs that game caused me alone! Not to mention many little heart attacks. I think thats why I lost most of my hair. The dead don’t usually shed their hair, but I digress. This next part I only know because of how we are. As the Revenant that ‘birthed’ my children. I was able to access their final moments while I resurrected them. Sans’s final moments break my heart to this day. I couldn’t have known what would come.* ‘I wouldn’t read those If I where you. They might be bad news.’ 1)Read anyway? *Continue Chapter 11* 2)........................ *Skip to Chapter 12* 1) Read anyway. Papyrus made little platforms of magic over the river water. Before he could even try to step on the fading platforms, Sans panicked. Whisking his brother up away from the water, hugging him tightly, “Pap! You know not to play in the water with out me!” “I wasnt in water, I was—” “It still counts. Ice counts, right?” Pouting, Papyrus sighed, “Neyh!” “Hello boys.” Snatching Papyrus from San’s arms, Throwing Sans’s to the ground; A tall Bearded man smirked, “ Mind If I hold him?” Struggling to his feet, Sans rushed forward. Covering his mouth was a large, filthy hand. Struggling further caused a crushing grip. “ So. You are the monster’s sons.” Cooed a feminine voice thick with dark satisfaction, “ You my dear boy, are just old enough. What timing.” Pushing a tuft of Sans’s hair out of his face, She sneered, “ What a fitting sacrifice.” Gasping, Chara Stood. Petrified. A loosening grip allowed Sans enough room to bite the hand. Mouth filling with blood, he heard Chara scream. Dropping Papyrus, The burly man went after Chara who promptly kicked him in the balls. Rushing to papyrus, Chara stopped briefly. Staring at Sans. He didn’t have to tell her to go get Gaster, With tears in her eyes, she picked Up Papyrus and Ran. A large smelly hand, cracked against his head until he let go. Spitting up the blood in his mouth her feel to the ground, “ You fucking brat.” Picking him up off the ground by his arm, The man felt San’s arm snap. Shooting through him like hot coals, the pain was unbearable. Screaming out he clutched at the dirt or his arm. The tears made it hard to see. “WHAT did you DO!” Cried the burly man, “We cant use him now!” “ I didn’t do that!” stammering the filthy one added, “ His arm just fucking snapped.” “ This sacrifice will not do. The monsters prefer cleanly killed meat.” Said the woman coldly, “ Kill him. We must find the other one. Herald, You come with me. There is more than one way to catch a rat.” The filthy one stayed behind and destroyed my son. Cracking his ribs with each kick. All while he begged the man to stop. Eventually the man did, and Sans thought perhaps he was to be spared. “ You know kid,” breathing a disappointed sigh, “ I have a little boy, just like you.” Shaking on the ground, Sans lifted his gaze to meet the mans cold eyes, “Please,” He coughed, “ Stop,” He struggled to breath through his own blood. It flowing down the back of his throat, it chocked my boy. His. Own. Blood. “ I just want you to understand. This here, it ain’t personal. I would do the same to anyone,” Chilling darkness crept through his smile while he snapped San’s neck. When Chara came running in with Papyrus, I was reading a book. A book. My boy was dead and I was reading a book. Papyrus crying loudly over her frantic voice. His face bruised and a little scrapped. All I could hear was, “ They are coming.” Taking my little papyrus, I could not sign at her. Summoning hands made of magic, I signed, ‘Slow down, Chara. I can’t understand you.’ “ They have Sans! They where chasing us and-” Wordlessly, I grabbed her hand and teleported as far away as I could, “ Chara, I need you to watch over Papyrus.” I croaked over my rotting tongue. She could barely hear me. so again I signed, ‘You will be safe here, where is sans.’ “ We where playing hide and seek by the river! I’m Scared.” Trembling, “ I don’t know if I can..I-” ‘Chara, I need you to watch Papyrus for me. I must get Sans. If I don’t come back, wait until dark and follow that one star I showed you. It will take you home.’ I barely waited long enough to see her nod. With in a moment I was following the river, Calling. I had 20 minutes of hope. 20 minutes to dare hope. As the 21st minute passed, I found him. The filthy one, standing over my son. “Sans!” I croaked out, taring the tissues in my throat. The tare rendering my verbal rage incomprehensible to the filthy one. Laughing while he turned to me. “Look at that kid? Your daddy’s upright.” Lenard. The Filthy one. My murder. In the face of my rage, even my son fell way. I summoned magical rotting bones from my soul. sharp and broken, as mine had been. Dripping over him with a grotesque black ooze. My foul decaying fluids. One by one they surrounded him. Cutting through his leg as it tripped him. I felt his flesh shred on my magic and I savored the feeling. My eyes glowing a threatening, life ending red. Flailing forth, he fell. Clutching his leg as he rolled in the dirt. Begging me for mercy. If I had known what I know now, I would not have given it to him. Severing his spine just right, I ended his suffering. The rage relinquishing its singular hold on me. Moments passed before I remembered what I was there for. Rushing in the distance I could hear the river. Pounding in my head was not the sound of my blood. It was the memory of Chara, Running into my parlor. for a moment all I could hear was the river. ‘where is Sans?’ When she saw me carrying his broken mangled body, Chara ran. Chosen as the next sacrifice, as I found out much later.* With a heavy sigh, Chara picks up the paper, “ I told you it was bad news. I will flip the page if you want to read the rest. ” 1) Nod yes.*Continue Chapter 11* 2) no thanks*Skip to Chapter 12* 1) Nod Yes. Sighing again, Chara reads the note to you. Allowing you sit beside her her to read along, she begins reading. Final notes: Papyrus. *Papyrus had been bitten by something near the river and had a terrible fever. In my grief, I made a tough call. Picking up Papyrus, I left Sans where he lay. Fleeing up the mountain where no one would follow. I found a place to hide away between some rocks. Built a shelter and boiled him some herbs. Though not Ideal, It helped him sleep. “Hello.” Jumping to my feet I went to cast magic. None came. “Relax, Mister. I am the one who brought you back.” she spoke softly, this scaled woman. Her tail long and yellow, “ I heard him crying earlier. Your son I presume. Do you mind if I ask his name?” ‘ His name is, Papyrus.’ “ Thats an unusual name.” ‘ Im a not great at names.’ “ You act like youve seen a monster before.” ‘Every day in the mirror,’ I shot back, “ Thanks to you.” “ I see.” calmly she replied, “ Its not a bad thing you know. You could already use magic. You may have had monster blood in your vein long before my experiment. I think thats why you came back.” ‘Could you do it again?’ I asked staring coldly. Far more coldly than I had ment. Far more coldly then I felt. My face incapable of displaying my cocktail of mixed emotions. Without hesitation she told me, “ I could. Why do you ask?” ‘They killed him.’ “Your son? No mister. He is here beside you. If you are having side effects, I should really take a better look at you in my lab.” ‘No. My eldest son....’ She helped me. Doctor, Jane Alphys. Helped me nurse my Papyrus back to health. Helped me carry my broken son up the mountain and taught me how to save him. However. “We need a human soul.” ‘Take mine.’ “I could, but your not human. We’ve discussed that. Besides, I dont want to lose my newest lab assistant.” She chuckled. I failed to see the humor in my offer, “ They can be hard to come by, What with the coming war and all.” “War?” “With the humans. The king is trying to negotiate but peace talks are breaking down,” “I have never heard of a coming war.” “Your community is quite far away from the capital, Im not surprised.” The war broke out within weeks of my son’s passing. Scouring the battle fields, we looked for human souls. Treating monsters who suffered. I found the ladder more pressing. Taking off on my own seemed the right thing to do, After all. What did I know about healing monsters. A good crack on the head set me straight. I barely remember killing the woman. After my skull cracked, I blacked out. Coming too with her blood on my hands. Years and my baby boy passed before we could find the first soul. “we have to remove his flesh Gaster.” ‘no.’ “Do you want him to experience the rotting you go through?” ‘NO.’ swinging my hands around wildly I signed to fast, ‘Thats sick! Hes a child! I cant—” Lets just say there was some profanity and leave it at that. In the end she benched me. Horrified and filled with regret, I waited. Waited for the time I was to act. To preform the ritual that would bring my son back a revenant. Awful though it was, My heart lept when my son opened his eyes and began to cry. I held my little Papyrus again like the day he was born. Before we could find another, we where banished form the surface. Jane Alphys, died aiding our escape. Helping move my boys to safety, one last time. For sans, I took a soul that had fallen into the underground. Doing what had to be done for my son’s sanity, on my own. Luckily the ritual mended his bones. However, His health has suffered form the damage regardless. After some testing, I have come to recognize the soul I used for Sans, To be Chara.* “Huh. Well. Im going to sleep.” Laying down to rest, Chara wipes a single tear form her eye. However, it could have been a tear of sleep from her mammoth sized yawn. You can not tell. In the distance you can see a skeleton, covered in dark black ooze. Faintly, you can smell the rancid reek of death. Sour and earthy with overtones of rotten meat. The figure appears to be watching you.

[photograpia]

What I Ate Wednesday: Ping Pong Diplomacy

I celebrated a milestone with someone special last week. Food is my love language- always has been, always will be- so I am glad to be with someone who understands that completely. Grateful also that we find can find joy in absolutely everything- from Jollibee Chickenjoy or KFC and Puto Bumbong from the palengke to wine and really good cuts of marbled or aged steak.

Cheese aside, when we were deciding where to eat last weekend, the one conclusion we both came to was that we wanted something light- small plates of really good food. Gone are the days for (or the youthful satiety that only came after) six or seven huge plates at a buffet. It was a blessing in disguise that our favorite tapas bar was closed, and we decided to look for something new of this nature to try. 

I had been seeing the reviews for Ping Pong Diplomacy on social media all week and we ultimately decided to head there instead. Again, am not a huge fan of fusion cuisine (PPD is American/eccentric Chinese food) but came in with an open mind and left extremely satisfied. PPD was conceptualized by the same great minds behind Le Petit Souffle, Fowlbread, and Scout’s Honor, so honestly also knew we probably wouldn’t be disappointed. These are some of the small plates we had: 

Prawn Scotch Egg. This is five minute egg, prawn, pork, and wasabi mayo. I’ve always liked the idea of Scotch Eggs- they’re protein-packed and when done well, can be swaddled in the best stuff. Traditionally these are done with sausages surrounding the egg and fried in a simple flour/batter, but PPD took theirs up a notch with the prawn (the meat is like biting into a really good siomai), rolled theirs in sesame seeds, and dunked it in wasabi mayo or Sriracha (to your liking). Even the garnish was good- the little fried seaweed in between we picked at in between bites of gooey egg. 

Crunchy Eggplant. I hate eggplant. It has no nutritional value, it tastes like nothing, and the very thought of it brings me back to my childhood of negotiating at the table to avoid the tortang talong with ketchup. Everyone I had spoken to who had gone to PPD insisted that we get this however- and to be fair, a few bites in, I became an eggplant convert. (I realize that doesn’t sound entirely too wholesome) As my dining companion remarked “It’s like eggplant tempura in a teriyaki sauce,” pretty straightforward but still addicting. 

Wagyu Beef Cheek Curry. I honestly don’t know how to begin describing this dish- it’s as though you took the insides out of a shepherd’s pie, mixed some curry and cheese into the mash, the topped it with peas. It was honestly so mushy but so oddly satisfying, and that wagyu beef cheek practically disintegrated between chopsticks. That tender. 

Fortune Balls. This is the dish that clearly screamed out Chef Miko Aspiras- and my favorite favorite thing at PPD. You’re given taro (read: ube), ginger, and sesame mochi atop the loveliest sesame crumble and pistachio cream. I couldn’t help myself- once the mochi had all been consumed, I looked up and said “Do you mind if I scrape all that off with a spoon?” and got a loving nod back. The best. 

The food at Ping Pong Diplomacy was everything we could have wanted. I can’t wait for my next visit (definitely dragging friends and family here). Looking forward to trying the Ping Pong Wings, Beer House Mussels and Clams (steamed in Tsingtao Beer!), Dan Dan CHICKEN SKIN Rice, and the Typhoon Shelter Grilled Prawns! 

Ping Pong Diplomacy is at 3F, SM Aura Premier, Mckinley Parkway, BGC. 

[modayzapatos-blog]

Travel Guide: Weekend on Catalina Island

First trip of 2017 under my belt and now I have wanderlust like whoah! Who am I kidding, I always have wanderlust. If you followed our trip on IG then you know we did ALL. THE. THINGS. As one person commented "you pretty much did everything but ride a bison!" which btw, you can't do! If you are interested in planning a trip to Catalina then you are in the right place. So happy to bring back my travel guides and this is probably the most comprehensive because, well, you'll see:

Last weekend was actually my 4th time visiting Catalina, however, this was my first time staying for a few days as an adult. It's truly the perfect weekend getaway, especially for those of you that live in LA. Can you believe it's only an hour boat ride away? Avalon is about 2.9 square miles; the community is very intimate but it has so much to offer in terms of food, activities, and fun. As long as you are staying somewhere near the main drag, Crescent Ave., you will have access to everything! It's all walking distance.  So how did we spend our 3 days in Catalina?

Day 1 Andy and I took the early boat out of San Pedro on my birthday (btw, the Catalina express is free on your birthday!) and arrived in Avalon around 10:15am. I was honestly so happy that the waters were calm because when I visited in high school almost my entire class got sick on the boat! Once we got there we checked our bags at the Aurora Hotel which to me is like a little modern B&B. We instantly became bff's with the front desk staff who were beyond helpful in giving us suggestions and tips for navigating the island. 

After we got settled we picked up a golf cart to explore the island. I really suggest doing this on day one so you have a grasp of how big yet small the island really is. It's built pretty far back in the mountains but it's mostly residents, a few hotels, and a golf course. A 2 hour rental is really all you need to get a lay of the land.  

For my birthday dinner we dined at Bluewater Grill which was sooo delicious. Andy is obsessed with crab cakes and we decided that Bluewater has the best crab cake we've ever tried. I got the prawn pasta which was very yummy; the portions are huge, so I got to take some home for a midday snack the next day.

Speaking of birthdays, aside from getting a free ride on Catalina Express everyone on the island treats you like a princess. There's a ton of great promos like free ice cream that make it such a special day!

Day 2

The island is pretty sleepy (at least it is in the winter time), so we ended up going to bed pretty early and getting up early to explore more. We grabbed a coffee and walked the via Casino; a beautiful beachside path that leads to Descanso beach. 

Descanso Beach Club is the sh**t - the weather wasn't so much in our favor last weekend but the two day trips I've taken to Catalina have all been to go lay on the beach at Descanso Beach Club. Think of it like any beach club: lounge chairs, cabanas, drinks, and good food. If you're going in the summer definitely reserve a chair or cabana ahead of time! 

After a little exploration we did the Taste of Catalina Food Tour which was incredible. I highly suggest the tour if you like food (everyone!) and are interested in learning more about the island. We went to 6 different restaurants and cafes and tried the best things on their menu (I'll list them at the end). We also got a serious history lesson on Catalina  - did you know Marilyn Monroe lived there before she was MM? 

I was really hoping to get some beach time, but since it was pretty chilly we decided to check out the Island Spa Catalina which feels like a tranquil Spanish paradise. The spa was the perfection solution to my "I just want to be in a bikini" because they have a pool and jacuzzi. A few glasses of champs and a steam room later... I was one happy girl. 

You'd think we couldn't eat anymore after our food tour but Luau Larry's was calling our name. I'd heard from many people that it was a fun spot to grab a drink and dinner and it didn't disappoint. The crowd was lively, music hopping, and the tiki drinks were DELICIOUS. Andy ended up moon walking for some older ladies at some point - it was hilarious! And that wasn't the craziest part. Our server was the SAME server from Bluewater Grill the night before. Yup, how nuts? That's how small of a town it is!

Day 3

I woke up Sunday feeling like I could stay in Catalina forever. Like any vacay, the only decisions to make are "what should we eat?" and "where should we play? " but there's also something about the island that's so peaceful. The only way I can describe it is simple. Life just seems simple there and in the most positive way. 

Anywho, on Sunday we were scheduled to go parasailing but it was pretty rainy and cold, so Andy and I chickened out. Instead we walked down Crescent Ave. to check out the little stores and boutiques. We found ourselves at the Catalina Museum which is a beautiful building with so much history inside. They've laid out the history of the island in really cool visual timeline that brings it to life. Honestly, from the museum and the food tour I now feel like a Catalina expert! 

To round out our trip, we joined a bunch of football goers to watch the Superbowl at a local bar. Followed by a 1 hour trip back to reality on the Catalina Express! {eats} Bluewater Grill - delicious seafood spot on the water. I would definitely consider it the fanciest eatery in town but keep in mind everything there has a very casual, island vibe. Get the clam chowder and crab cakes.  Mr. Ning's Chinese Garden - potentially the only Chinese food on the island and it's delicious. Get the crab and cream cheese dumpling. Maggie's Blue Rose - bomb margaritas and mexican food! Even though we just had a teaser of this on our food tour, I am craving it like no other. Get the coconut margarita and chicken quesadilla.  The Lobster Trap - yummy seafood lunch spot. They have some exclusive beers on tap that you can't get anywhere else and an awesome seafood selection. Get the yellowtail!  Luau Larry's - tiki bar vibes. All around fun place to get a little tipsy (or more)!  {play}

Descanso Beach Club  - beach day the fancy way! If the weather is nice, definitely plan to spend an afternoon a whole day vegging out at the beach club.

Island Spa - beautiful and peaceful spa. Definitely hit the spa up if you're there with your significant other. Ask about half day deals! 

Catalina Island Museum - super informational about the history of Catalina. It really provides perspective on the island that you can't get anywhere else. Also a great "rainy day" activity! 

Golf Cart Rental - it's a no brainer! The perfect and only way to fully explore the island. 

We had the most amazing time and now I'm dying to go back when the weather warms up a bit! I have a Catalina photo diary and some more info coming next week! Stay tuned. 

Wanderlust got your brain? Check out more of my travel guides: 

LA Westside | Eastern Caribbean Cruise | Weekend in Chicago | Big Sur | New Orleans 

http://www.pursuitofshoes.com/2017/02/travel-guide-weekend-on-catalina-island.html

[easyfoodnetwork]

Teeny, tiny bibimbap | Etsy [Official] You can’t eat it, but you can keep it forever and it won’t take up much space As an only child I found many ways to entertain myself, but none were as soothing as making home goods for my dollhouse, as I did with a headboard recycled from an old yogurt lid or an apron with a ric-rac trim that I stapled — rather than sewed — together for my Madeline doll to wear around her kitchen. Though I am no longer a kid, I still love dollhouse miniatures, especially of the inedible food variety. With so much of our life now confined to our homes, it can feel like we’re in an alternate reality where we are the playthings, forever trapped in a dollhouse. So while you’re at it, this might be the perfect time to invest in some charming miniatures to dress up your living arrangement. With their budget-friendly prices and small footprint (great for small apartments!), fake food minis are a benign (and shelf-stable!) hobby to take on during the pandemic. Plus, mini meals have the ability to plunge us into a fantasy realm, a reminder of a bygone era when you could casually pop into a restaurant or host friends for a dinner party without worrying about catching (or spreading) a potentially-deadly virus. How quaint! It seems I’m not the only one seeking out dollhouse miniatures right now. The New York Times recently ran an op-ed by Rebecca Ackermann, a designer who has turned to making tiny clay renditions of recipes — such as a Reem’s California falafel salad, Sohla El-Waylly’s miso clams, or key lime pie from Back in the Day Bakery — to quell pandemic-related anxiety. At the start of COVID-19, fashion designer Susan Alexandra raised money for the food justice non-profit No Kid Hungry by selling custom miniatures of meals; customers requested recreations from menus spanning NYC’s acclaimed Via Carota to the U.S.-based fast casual chain California Pizza Kitchen (the latter may become a collector’s item, as the company just filed for bankruptcy). Etsy [Official] Itty-bitty pani puri But beyond the radical, outsized joy that mini meals bring me, they also provide me small reprieve from my disappointing life-size cooking. Throughout quarantine, I’ve watched as friends and colleagues made sourdough loaves, and, later, decadent, flaky pastries. As I scroll, I am impressed and jealous all at once. “Think. Of. All. The. Dishes,” my brain purrs at me. While in many cases cooking can be a therapeutic way of winding down, the pandemic often leaves me struggling with culinary indecision. It’s resolved most typically by throwing together an effortless mix of fermented foods and rice, or something else of the like, that allows me to leave room for other, more pressing matters — like ordering tiny inedible meals off Etsy. With perfectly-sculpted dollhouse miniatures of food you can live out your wildest recipe dreams and have them memorialized in your home, without having to exert any brain energy or fret if the pastry crust didn’t turn out as you’d planned. Why have disappointing-but-digestible baked goods when you could have a small and perfectly iced millefeuille in perpetuity? Prefer savory fake foods? Consider this cheese board or these adorable steamed pork dumplings nestled in a carefully woven petite basket. If you’re looking for a full meal, this little pani puri spread is for you. For those who want to go retro Americana with their miniature doll foods, here’s some colorful molded Jell-O. Or maybe you don’t know what you want beyond, you want it to be cute, tiny, and meant for dolls. Here are some more suggestions for your mind’s menu. Bon ap-petite, but please don’t eat. Emma Orlow is a writer for Eater, Grub Street, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and Bon Appétit (among others), where she covers the intersection of the food and design worlds. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2Y0The9

http://easyfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-irresistible-charm-of-tiny.html