#single bowl with offset drain

[druitts]

Kitchen - Great Room

Design ideas for a sizable, open-concept, transitional kitchen remodel with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, and gray countertops with a dark wood floor and brown walls.

[cosmysla]

Great Room - Kitchen Design ideas for a sizable, open-concept, transitional kitchen remodel with a drop-in sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island, and gray countertops with a dark wood floor and brown walls.

[passionoverfashion]

Dallas Kitchen

[bombshellbois]

Mommy Issues

@harringroveweekoflove

Harringrove Week of Love Day 4: School Dance

Rating: T

Words: 1633

Summary: Steve and Billy have a philosophical discussion that they're both way too sober to have.

“Are you a Mama Bird or a Mama Bear?”

The question comes way too early in the dance when the kids are only just barely beginning to cross party lines and venture into the neutral ground that is the dance floor. Steve has only had one cup of punch and he barely spiked it because he’s trying to make the flask in his jacket pocket last. So he still feels way too sober for this brand of bullshit. 

“Hargrove,” he sighs. “We’re the only people between the ages of 16 and 40 at this dance.” He doesn’t have a follow up for that. He could end it with ‘Could you not be a dick?’ but he’s honestly not sure that’s in the cards when it’s Billy. Sure, he’s trying to be ‘better’ in some vague and unidentified way, and he is here with Steve acting as emergency chaperones for the school dance since there’s a shortage of people willing to be out after dark in this town these days. He just still doesn’t do the ‘nice’ thing. Ever. So Steve just kind of leaves the sentiment hanging and hopes Billy takes something away from it. 

“Please. You’re a 40-year-old woman at heart,” Billy scoffs, pulling a cigarette from the packet in the breast pocket of his white dress shirt. Which looks annoyingly good on him. He even buttoned it all the way up. Steve isn’t sure if that’s because of the formal setting or the scar on his chest, but the end result is the same. Billy Hargrove can absolutely pull off shirts with high collars and Steve has to live with that knowledge. “So. Are you a Mama Bird or a Mama Bear?”

“Dude, I don’t even know what that means,” Steve groans. “I’m not a mom at all.” Glorified babysitter who doesn’t actually get paid and spends more time fighting monsters than trying to monitor who’s watching a scrambled porn channel, sure. Mom? No way. 

“I saw that dish towel over your shoulder at Byers’ place. You’re a mom.” Billy looks at his cigarette like he’s really contemplating lighting it. 

“You can’t smoke in here.” Steve realizes a moment too late how that sounded, and Billy is already grinning widely. No taking that back now. 

“Yes, Mama Steve,” he says, tucking the cigarette behind his ear. 

Steve downs the rest of his punch. He’s kind of surprised that Billy remembers he was wearing a towel over his shoulder almost a year ago when he’d be hard-pressed to remember a single thing Billy was wearing that night, much less some accessory. But then again, he’s pretty sure he got a concussion that night too so… that probably has something to do with it. 

Halfway through the night, Mike and El have ventured out onto the dance floor. They’re probably a little too warm and snuggly for Hopper’s preferences but he’s been remanded to staying home and watching The Magnificent Seven again. Steve has no doubt he’s watching the clock to get a head start on beating the traffic on that 9 pm pickup time. 

Dustin and Will are huddled in the safety of the boys’ side of the gymnasium, heads together like they’re forming some kind of strategy. Except they never actually make any attempt to move or anything. Steve isn’t even sure if Dustin has permission to dance at this thing. Long-distance relationships have too many nuances and kudos to Dustin for trying one right out the gate. He’s a brave kid. 

Max and Lewis are loitering by the punch bowl and every time Max makes a vague motion towards the dance floor, Lucas appears to look around and then decline. Steve pauses in his kid check to follow one of Lucas’s covert glances to where Billy is staring the kid down from across the room. Well, that’s probably something he’s gonna have to deal with because who else is going to? 

Steve comes back to stand beside Billy, pulling the flask from his pocket and offering it up. “So… what does that stuff mean?” he asks, because he has to make conversation about something, and what do he and Billy even have to talk about that’s not horrifying? 

Billy reluctantly pulls his eyes away from where he’s glaring at Lucas. “What?”

“Bears and birds. What was that about?”

Billy takes the flask, shakes it experimentally, and pours a large amount into his cup of punch. Steve’s hopes of even getting a mild buzz to offset the pain of this whole affair drain into Billy’s cup with too much of his stash. “Christ, Harrington, didn’t you even pass the animal chapter in biology?”

This is going great. “Pretend I slept through most of it.”

Billy rolls his eyes and takes a sip from his punch. Then he empties the flask into it entirely before handing it back to Steve. “You some kind of superhero or something?”

“Sorry?” Steve tucks the empty flask back away, making a mental note to never try and share with Billy again. 

“No parents, no sleeping, chasing monsters with a fucking bat…”

“I’ve got parents.”

Billy takes a longer sip from his punch and sighs out through his nose. “You’ve got landlords. That’s what you’ve got.”

Steve takes a breath. Counts to five. Reminds himself that dealt with a Russian interrogator for longer than he’s dealt with Billy so far, and if that didn’t kill him then neither will this. And he only has to deal with him for another 90 minutes. 

“What’s the difference between a Mama Bird and a Mama Bear?” he asks again. 

Billy looks him up and down, and for a second, Steve thinks he’s going to refuse. Make some snide comment and put them right back at the place they’ve been stuck for weeks and months now, with Billy hovering around the edges of Steve’s life while trying to re-integrate himself with Max. Seems like if anything, he’s at least realized that Max is something good in his life and that he’s a little short on good things so he should probably hold onto that. 

“It’s like… a mama bear is gonna protect her kid, right? Baby bears are all cute and hikers think they can just go pet it because it’s friendly and then the mom shows up and rips them apart,” Billy says. Steve is sure he notices that Max grabs Lucas’s hand and drags him onto the dance floor, but he doesn’t comment on it, and that’s some growth right there. 

“That’s horrifying,” Steve says in a conversational tone that implies he understands and Billy should continue. 

“Where the mama bird straight up shoves her kids out of the nest so they’ll learn to fly.”

“That’s… also horrifying,” Steve says, in a new tone that implies that… that’s horrifying. “Mama birds are assholes.”

“You gotta show the kids the door sometime, or they’ll sit in the nest forever and eventually starve when winter comes,” Billy says, like that somehow makes it less terrible. Send a kid plummeting towards the ground to teach them to leave home? Nest. Whatever. 

“Well, I wanna be the bear then.” 

Billy looks him over, a look on his face that Steve can’t for the life of him decipher. “Yeah. You are a Mama Bear, aren’t you? You chase all the monsters away.”

Steve shrugs. “I mean, I’m not gonna leave that up to Dustin. Have you ever seen him swing anything? That kid is a goalie at best.” And not a great goalie either. Passable, but he’s definitely not someone you trust with hitting anything. 

“What happens when the monsters come and Mama Steve left for college?” Billy presses. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Steve has a stack of college rejection letters that speak to that, but Billy doesn’t need to know that. But he’s also stopped applying because one, he’s not smart enough to get in. Obviously. And two, seriously, none of these kids can get any power behind a swing. Someone with a decent batting average has to be around. “You talk like you’d rather throw a kid off a ledge and hope for the best.”

“Yeah, because that’s how you find out if they’re gonna make it,” Billy says, taking another swig from his punch. 

Steve doesn’t think that’s remotely true. Billy is no bird, even if he’d like to be. He did a lot of damage overstepping every boundary ever while he was trying to keep an eye on Max, and maybe he’s scared of doing it again. Maybe. They don’t exactly talk about stuff like fear and emotions. Or much of anything unless they’re really bored and forced to make conversation because they’re stuck around a bunch of kids. Conversations like this feel like poking the surface of a lake with a stick and trying to guess where the deep parts are.

Steve kind of wants to ask if Billy was once the baby bird in this weird National Geographic metaphor they have going. He doesn’t because he thinks he knows the answer and he also thinks that Billy will probably take a swing at him if he pokes. They’re not there yet, and Steve hasn’t figured out if they’re heading there or not. 

“Well I know they’re gonna make it,” Steve says, taking Billy's cup of punch and draining it because he really needs at least a bare-bones burn down the back of his throat to finish this conversation. “Because I’m gonna be here.”

Billy eyes him, but he doesn’t argue. Eventually, he just scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Fine. Whatever. But I’m kicking all of these brats out of Hawkins when they go to college. We’re not staying in this hick monster town forever.” 

Now that is a level of Mama Bird that Steve can work with. “Deal.”

[mychemicalrachel]

Finally, Finally

Buck x Eddie.

My take on Abby coming back.

Part 2/3.

Part One here

Word count; 1653

Also on Ao3

Part Two: Buck

Buck is up to his elbows in green goo. It’s a mix of glue and some sort of solution and food coloring and he’s not even sure what else at this point. As he tries to pull away, it sucks him closer. Christopher laughs from where he’s sitting on the counter to Buck’s right.

They’d been attempting to make slime. It was a simple enough recipe Buck had found online and once they realized the bowl was too small, they’d plugged up the kitchen sink and… well from there, it had only grown and now Buck was in danger of being sucked right down the drain along with the slime if the stopper happened to come loose.

Of course, it was in the midst of this mess that a knock came from the door.

“Uhh…” Buck looked up at Chris, then over to Eddie, standing on his son’s other side, and grimaced. “Can you get that?”

Eddie was already pulling away from the counter, a fond smile on his face. “You better figure out how to get that junk off before it dries in your arm hair.”

This sets Christopher off into another set of giggles, dramatically leaning away when Buck reaches a slime covered hand toward him.

“Your hands should be in here, too,” Buck tells him. “Why am I the only one covered in slime?”

Christopher reaches out tentatively and presses a single finger into the slime before jerking it back.

“Here,” Buck motions for Chris’s hand with a wiggle of his own fingers. The slime makes a webbing like ducks feet, clinging to his skin. “Come here.”

A small open-palmed hand is outstretched to him and Buck carefully places a glob of the goo in the center. He watches as Christopher’s face scrunches up, his nose wrinkling and lips grinning, as he squishes it between little fingers.

“Gross, right?”

Christopher beams and repeats, “Gross.”

“Buck?”

He attempts to twist around, catching sight of Eddie standing there. And next to him, a startlingly familiar flash of pale red hair. His mouth goes dry and the smile slides like slime from his face, landing in the sink with his hands.

His mouth moves on its own accord, reacting on instinct before his brain has a chance to catch up. “Abby.”

Something like a smile twitches on her lips. Her hands wring together in front of her. She looks out of place, he realizes, in his new apartment; a piece of some other life slotted uncomfortably into this new one.

A second, or maybe minutes, hours, pass in silence. If Buck blinks he thinks maybe she’ll be gone. He closes and opens his eyes, but she’s still there.

Eddie steps forward, shoulder jostling Buck’s, like he’s waking him from a dream.

“How about we get you washed up?” But Eddie doesn’t wait for an answer as he swipes Christopher off the counter, setting him on the floor.

“Uh--” Buck says and raises his eyebrows at Eddie. It says a lot; please don’t. Help. Seriously, I’m glued to the kitchen sink. Don’t just leave me here.

Eddie flips on the water for him and offers nothing more than a quiet shrug and a half-hearted pat on the shoulder before following Christopher to the bathroom.

As he focuses on scrubbing the slime off his arms, he sees Abby from the corner of his eye moving a bit closer. She makes a wide arch around him like she’s cornering a frightened cat. He pretends not to notice.

“Here,” she says, and squeezes some Dawn into his open palm.

“Thanks,” he means to say, but instead says, “Why are you here?”

He focuses twice as hard on the slime. He watches as it dissolves and disappears in green swirls down the drain. His hands are clean but he keeps scrubbing so he has something to do.

“We should talk,” Abby says.

Buck snorts. “You broke up with me already.” He tries not to sound bitter and fails. As much as he thought-- knew-- he was over her, having Abby suddenly reappear in his life is offsetting. It puts her in control, and Buck hates the feeling of vulnerability that leaves him with.

Just barely loud enough to be heard over the running water, Abby sighs. He used to know that sound, inside and out. Her breathing was his own personal Ambu bag, giving him life when he felt like he was suffocating.

Now, the sound is just that; breathing. Empty air that dissipates around him.

“I’m getting married.”

Whatever he expected her to say, it wasn’t that.

From the look of surprise on her own face, he supposes that wasn’t quite what Abby expected to say either.

He turns off the water, wipes his hands on his jeans, and waits. For what, he isn’t sure.

More words, maybe. An explanation.

Or maybe he’s waiting for the feeling of betrayal, of anger or pain, to curl up in his stomach. But instead, there’s nothing.

“Hey, Buck?” Eddie has reappeared in the kitchen and just past him, he can see Christopher gathering his bag in the living room. “We’re gonna head out.”

Buck frowns. “What? No, I told Chris I’d order pizza tonight.”

Eddie nods slowly, his gaze sliding shamelessly to Abby for a second before once more settling on Buck. “Don’t worry about it. You can make it up to us tomorrow. You two probably want to talk.”

He wants to argue, but the look on Eddie’s face is set. Christopher comes into the room with his backpack slung over one shoulder. He hands it to his dad before moving to wrap his arms around Buck’s waist. “Bye Buck,” he says.

He brushes a hand through Christopher’s hair and sighs. “Bye, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” Chris echoes back.

Eddie offers a nod and a small wave before following Chris to the door. Just before they disappear, Christopher’s voice filters back to them. “Love you, Buck.”

Without a seconds thought, Buck calls, “Love you, too, Chris.”

The door closes and Buck has nowhere to look other than Abby.

“He’s cute,” she says.

Buck nods, deciding it’s the right thing to do. “Yeah. He’s a pretty great kid.”

Abby’s smile turns wry. “I meant the dad.”

He supposes that’s true, too. “He gets that a lot.”

This isn’t how it’s supposed to work, Buck thinks. He and Abby used to be perfect together, flawless, two pieces of a puzzle that fit together seamlessly. It’s not supposed to be awkward. And yet here they are, unable to look directly at each other without uncomfortably shifting their gaze away.

“I’m sorry to just show up like this.”

“You could have called,” Buck says, and then immediately flinches away from his own words. “Not that it isn’t great to see you. Just… a warning would have been nice, I guess.”

“You’re right,” Abby concedes. She can’t seem to find what to do with her hands. They flutter helplessly at her sides, butterflies held by strings to her arms. “I wanted to see you, though. It was probably selfish, but I didn’t know if you would want to see me.”

Buck laughs. “So you made sure I couldn’t say no.” He shakes his head. He tries to play the scenario out in his mind-- he imagines his phone ringing, seeing her name flash across the screen. It would have given him pause, he thinks, but he also thinks he would answer. It reminds him of the days before everything fell apart between them, when it was just two disconnected voices through a phone. It’s as honest as he can be when he says, “I would have said yes, Abby. It is good to see you again.”

She visibly deflates, as if Buck had just lifted a weight from her shoulders. “You have every right to be mad at me.”

It takes a moment for him to inventory his own feelings. The initial shock at seeing her has worn off, leaving in its place a sense of contentedness. If he feels deep enough, he can reach the points of entry. It’s a vague sort of happiness that he always felt around her, even when things between them had first started. But… different.

So in total honesty, Buck says, “I’m not mad. I never was.” He opens the fridge and pulls out two beers, popping one open and holding it out to Abby. A peace offering. She takes it. “I was sad,” he continues, gripping the neck of his own bottle. He doesn’t open it yet. “Alone, unsure. But never mad.”

“I never should have made you feel that way.” Abby stares into her beer for a long time. “I loved you, Buck. I really did. That was one thing I was never uncertain about. But I needed time, and space, to figure myself out.”

“Did you,” he asks, “figure yourself out?

Abby nods. “I did.”

“And you’re married?”

“Engaged,” she corrects, because the distinction is important. He notices that she’s not yet wearing a ring. “I needed to get closure with you before I can really move on and be happy. That’s why I’m here.”

Buck chuckles. “You want my blessing?”

Abby smiles. “I want your friendship.”

For a long time after Abby left, that’s the thing he missed most. Not the sex or the dates. Just being friends, knowing that she was always there for him. It took awhile before he filled that hole in himself, that gaping cavity that she once had her home in.

They didn’t fit the same, he thought, but other things melded together to fill that void. Having his sister back in his life. Spending time with Chris.

Eddie.

After nearly two years, Buck doesn’t feel that empty space anymore, not as much as he used to. Sometimes there’s a distant ache in his chest when he sees something and his first instinct is still to tell Abby about it, but it’s a dull sort of pain now. Something that resounds fondly instead of painfully.

Buck steps forward and sets his beer down on the counter. “We’ll always be friends, Abby.”

And as Abby sighs, it’s as if her relief fills the entire room. He breathes it in, letting it wash over and under his skin.

Closure, he thinks, is a hell of a drug.

[maedarakat]

Covered in Mud

——

The sky had been threatening to spill all day, all gray clouds offset by deep threatening purples. Nobody could predict when it would happen, but when it did, the clouds seemed to crack open like an egg, coating the Edge in a sudden shower of hailstones, rain, wild gusts of wind and crackling peals of thunder.

It was a truly impressive act of Thor, Astrid thought, drinking from her mug under the Clubhouse roof she had mended and patched herself before the rain season came. Not a drop so far. She was feeling a little smug, especially because Hiccup had waved away all her reminders to fix his own roof in a timely manner and was now grumpily carrying in an armload of drenched blueprints, notebooks and maps to dry out in front of the fire.

Toothless sneezed as he followed after, ears flat and drenched to his skin. More wet scrolls were sticking out of the saddle bags and Astrid came over to help unload them and spread them out.  

“No, no, I got this,” Hiccup sighed. “I brought it on myself, you were right. I should have fixed the roof.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Astrid said.

“You didn’t have to. I can tell you’re dying to say ‘I told you so’ because that’s the expression you always make when you’re about to.” Hiccup’s tone was playful but also not, and Astrid tried her best to navigate the tricky waters of what he really meant to say.

Passive-aggressiveness, Ruff had supplied once, when both of them were in their cups and Astrid had found herself venting. It was nice to have a word to it, but what an oddly perfect word for every situation with Hiccup she seemed to find herself in lately.

Right now he either wanted her to reassure him and apologize, or go back to her warm drink and leave him alone. Neither option seemed ideal, but she was saved from the guesswork by a frustrated groan from Snotlout who tossed some dry wood and a pile of bundled kindling out of his cloak onto the floor.

Lout was wet, but a few hours worth of firewood had been rescued thanks to his quick thinking and the sacrifice of his cloak. Grumbling, he started stacking it into a pile. Astrid gladly went to help with that chore instead, and Hiccup huffed. He’d wanted her to choose the first option apparently, but it was no good to backtrack now - no matter what she did, it would become an argument later that everyone would pretend they hadn’t heard. She didn’t engage, playing dumb to his irritated glances and once the wood was stacked, she checked on the stew.

He was having trouble keeping one of the maps from rolling back up instead of laying flat. Astrid knew better than to suggest getting small stones from the potted flowers outside to weigh down the corners. It would be insulting somehow.

“What did you make for dinner?” Hiccup asked, just giving up and holding down the corners with his hands. He was apparently going to stay like that for a while. 

Astrid sighed inwardly. “Yak stew.” Hiccup didn’t acknowledge the answer or look up at her, seemingly deep in thought and scowling.

“I’m tired of yak. When can we have boar or venison again?” Snotlout butted in and really, honestly, bless him. Astrid hadn’t wanted to hear Hiccup’s attempts to dodge out of eating any. He never seemed to be hungry on days when it was her turn to cook.

“When the rains let up, we can go hunting. But yak meat is what we have the most of.”

“Who first decided to eat a yak anyway?” Ruff asked, walking in with Fishlegs. “They’re like giant adorable sheepdogs with horns. That you can practice braiding on. They just stand there and let you. What ‘honorable viking’ decided to ‘hunt’ that?”

“Well, sometimes during famines when there’s not a lot of food to hunt -“ Fishlegs started, until Ruffnut gave him a withering look. “Oh you weren’t really asking, never mind.”

He was carrying a Maces and Talons board and the rule book. It had become necessary to have the rule book present; while playing, the twins liked to bend and tweak the boundaries of every single one. Astrid had to admit, it was thrilling to watch. Hiccup might even forget his bad mood and have a good time.

The only one missing now was Tuff.

When dinner was ready, and had been roasted thoroughly as well as stewed, Tuff had still not shown up.

Astrid left it up to the others to serve themselves and carried a covered bowl for Tuff toward his hut. It wasn’t like him to be late for dinner unless he was dramatically late. She relaxed when she saw a candle on in his window and the chimney putting out smoke.

“Hey, Tuff. Get attacked by a wolf or something?” Astrid asked automatically when he opened the door. She’d said it carelessly, an inside joke between all of them, but Tuff’s appearance took her aback.

He was a wall of mud with eyes and stiffening braids. He currently held a peeping ball of damp fluff in a towel draped over his hand - apparently trying to dry off the chicks before seeing to himself.

The storm had caught everyone at least a little off guard but ... “Why are you covered in mud?” Astrid asked.

If Tuff could have looked any angrier, the mud surely would have baked and fallen off him in crisp pieces.

“Because that ... that absolute waste of feathers-“ he started, absolutely fuming.

“Peep,” the chick helpfully interrupted.

“Excuse me - because your father,” Tuff said instead to the chick, voice dripping with scorn. “Would not come inside when he was directed to before the storm hit, oh no - Fustercluck knows best! Fustercluck thinks a rickety old toolshed is the best place to keep his chicks safe during a storm like this! And so he led me on a merry f-“

“Peep.”

“-cking chase around in the mud with half of you guys unhelpfully following him, until I finally grabbed him so you would follow us all inside.” Tuff sighed dramatically and Astrid shook her head, grinning. He was more a mother hen than Chicken. It was endearing.

“Imprinting’s a fine concept and all, really,” Tuff said, like he was letting her in on a secret. “Less fine when there’s a complete doorknob standing there on hatching day. Sorry, I won’t be hanging with you guys tonight, A. I gotta get them dried off so they don’t catch colds. I can’t come to dinner looking like this anyway.”

“So did you let your dumbass rooster inside or did you throw him back out to stay in his shed?”

“Oh I wanted to, believe me.” Tuff made a face and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. There, on a perch made for two, Fustercluck and Chicken were preening each other’s feathers and burbling lovingly. “She wouldn’t have it.”

And he wasn’t anywhere near that heartless. Astrid knew that better than he seemed to himself. She came in, set the bowl on the table and picked up a towel. “Tell you what. After we dry off the chicks, I’ll help you get all this mud off you.”

“Oh. Okay, thanks,” Tuff said, offering her a smile and a different wet chick.

They got them clean and fluffed up and Chicken accepted them into her nest for the night, preening them the rest of the way dry. Tuff closed them in and noticed the bowl on the table. “Could I have some of your soup if you aren’t going to eat it? It’s going to get cold.”

Astrid smiled. “It’s yours, I brought it for you. In case you were sick or reading or decided to paint a wall.”

“You did?” Tuff didn’t give her time to take the offer back, picking the bowl up and draining it.  He loved it when people cooked for him - Ruff had told her that.

She set a pot of water on his stove to heat up and looked for towels while he shed all but his leggings. He was trying to tie his hair back and out of the way but his braids were heavy and caked.

Astrid took over, making him sit in a chair and lean his hair back into a basin of clean warm water. Another pot of water was set to warm up on the fire. Poor Tuff would need more - probably most of it for his hair.

He sighed blissfully as the first soak drew the worst of the dirt and mud away, turning the basin water immediately opaque. “It feels like the fifty pound Night-terror napping on my head just woke up and flew away.”

“Yeah, I bet. This is mostly clay. You guys should put a potters wheel in your hut.”

“I’m not going to make anything resembling a normal piece of crockery,” he vowed.

“That’s alright. I’m sure Ruff won’t be making anything resembling a non-offensive piece of crockery,” Astrid said, and Tuff laughed.

He helped her change out the water to do his hair once more until it was closer to its normal golden color. A swim in the morning would help get the rest of it clear.

Astrid dabbed a towel into hot water and gently ran it over the patches of mud on his skin that had caked dry. When it was softened, she wiped the dirt away just as gently. Tuff followed her motions, getting his chest and arms and legs while she got his back.

Tuff sighed softly when they were finished, his exhaustion and relief tangible. “Thanks, A,” he said. “Did you have dinner yet?”

“No, but it’s fine. I’m sure there’s plenty of yak stew left over,” she said wryly.

“Stew would be cold by now. Here.” He got up, and headed to his pantry. He gifted her with a plate of cracked walnuts, dried apricot slices, goat cheese, and a few hard boiled eggs.

All put together, it looked like a feast for some warrior elf maiden traveling Midgard. Astrid smiled and cleaned her plate of everything that had been offered, eating slowly while Tuff - clean and in much better spirits - laughingly recounted his madcap adventure of chasing a very stubborn rooster all across a muddy, slippery, hole-filled yard. Barf and Belch had dug a man-sized pit earlier to hide their favorite bone and it had filled up quickly with a foamy slurry of mud and rainwater. Tuff had apparently forgotten this and went down with a splash.

Astrid couldn’t stop laughing - not at his story but at the way he told it. “I wish I could have seen that! You probably looked like some ravenous troll clawing its way out of Niflheim - no wonder the chickens freaked out and ran away! I would have run too, if you’d just popped out of the ground! And with all that lightning and thunder -“

“You would have run from a troll? You?” Tuff scoffed. “That poor thing would have been tied to a chair in an hour, begging you to call his mother to come pick him up.”

She cackled and rubbed at her cheeks, which were seriously aching by now. Astrid hadn’t laughed this hard in a while. It was definitely good for her.

They said their good nights a little while after Ruff came back to the hut, not drunk but definitely not sober. “You guy’s missed a really dumb boring match in which everyone followed the same dumb boring rules.” She stared at her brother, still casually shirtless, only wearing his leggings. “And apparently you guys played strip-poker instead. And my brother ... lost? Won? Who knows. Not asking ‘cause I’m gonna forget everything in the morning anyway!” Ruffnut stomped cheerfully up to the loft to pass out across her own bed.

Tuff still had his face in his hands by the time her snores drifted down and Astrid was beet red, snickering helplessly.

“On that note, we should probably get to bed too,” she finally managed, wiping her eyes.

Tuff nodded, getting up. “Yeah, I’ll walk you to the door. Thanks for everything. This was a good night.” He grinned at her, soft and hopeful and Astrid leaned in without thinking, and kissed the corner of his mouth.

She pulled back and they stared at each other, neither one wanting to blink first.

“Goodnight,” Astrid managed to squeak out finally, because her mom had told her that shield maidens never started what they couldn’t finish. “See you tomorrow?”

Tuff hand went up to touch where she had kissed him and then he seemed to remember himself and dropped his arm down. “Yeah. S-Swimming, right?” It was an offer to stay friends, if she thought she had made a mistake.

“Sure, I’ll dress for it. See you at dawn?”

“Yeah.” Tuff stared at her from the doorway and she really wanted to kiss him again. Astrid thought of Hiccup still trying to dry his papers and feeling slighted that she hadn’t stayed to help him. She weighed the pros and cons of tipping her boat over and refusing to navigate anymore of his confusing waters ever again.

Happily, Tuffnut leaned forward and caught her lips, solving the equation.

[trustprogram]

Sink grids by size

SINK GRIDS BY SIZE INSTALL

SINK GRIDS BY SIZE SERIES

Our wide array of options allow you to create a customized look as well as to select the ideal configuration for your cleaning and dishwashing preferences. Want to tailor the functionality of your sink to your kitchen needs? With a plethora of spacious single bowl and multi-functional double bowl models, you can do just that whether you prefer an oversized single basin, an efficient 50/50 double bowl split, or a highly functional offset basin. Want an even deeper clean? Check out our Cleaning & Care guide for tips, tricks, and products to keep in mind. Commercial-grade satin finish and gently rounded corners make maintaining the cleanliness and beauty of your Kraus sink as simple and easy as wiping the surface with a damp cloth. The naturally non-porous and antibacterial stainless steel surface is protected from rust and oxidation by a meticulous finishing process. Silence has never sounded so good! Easy Cleaning Each sink is additionally treated with protective undercoating, which reduces condensation and further dampens sound, for a pleasantly quiet experience in the kitchen whether you’re washing dishes or using the garbage disposal. You’ll be hard pressed to find a sound dampening system better than NoiseDefend™! All Kraus kitchen sinks are equipped with the best soundproofing on the market, including the thickest rubber dampening pads in the industry (5mm vs.

SINK GRIDS BY SIZE INSTALL

Whether you prefer sleek, seamless undermount installation with a granite countertop or an easy-to-install drop-in configuration that allows you to install with any type of kitchen counter material, Kraus has you covered! Silence Of the Sinks Impress Your Installerįrom stylish undermount models, to above-counter drop-ins, to versatile dualmount models, this collection has a variety of options to accommodate every mounting preference and allow you to create the exact look you want in your kitchen. To ensure a lifetime of worry-free use, Kraus uses the highest grade of steel, with most models constructed in extra-thick TRU16 real 16-gauge: the most durable gauge on the market, always 1.5mm thick. Gauge is an essential thing to consider when considering a stainless steel sink a good rule of thumb is the thicker the material, the better the sink. Premium MaterialĮxtremely durable, easy to clean, and strikingly modern, stainless steel is a great addition to any kitchen – no wonder these sinks are so popular among today’s homeowners! You’ll be happy to know that Kraus uses only the highest quality of steel, going above and beyond to ensure maximum durability and a long-lasting beautiful sheen. With many options in different shapes, sizes, and mounting types, the Kraus stainless steel collection is a great place to start. This sink strainer features solid stainless steel construction for durability and reliability, and the removable basket strainer has an open/close stopper that seals tightly.Selecting the right sink is an important decision for any home improvement project, whether renovating, refurbishing, or even doing a new construction. Due to its beautiful design if will work with any sink. This is the idea cutting board for you to prep entire meals or serves up a Thanksgiving turkey for an extended family. The legs on the back give you the option to use on top of the sink saving you space on the countertop.

Stainless Steel with Protective Bumpers and Feet.

Take advantage of these combinations to purchase all the accessories you’ll need to install, beautify, and protect your new sink. Grid combination packages include the grid or grids that match your sink, a strainer, and a bamboo cutting board, cleaning kit and drain cover. Our grid combo packages offer incredible value over standard retail pricing while getting you everything you’ll need for your new sink.

SINK GRIDS BY SIZE SERIES

Stainless Steel Sink Grid SERIES | Model: GR-2318 Combo

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[gallery] Size:30 Inch | Style:Undermount Workstation | Pattern Name:SinkDo more with Kore – The ultimate sink for the modern home chef. Inspired by professional kitchens, the Kore Workstation Series instantly transforms your kitchen sink into a full-service prep station designed for ultimate convenience and entertaining in style. Packed with premium accessories such as the multi-purpose dish drying rack and bamboo cutting board, the ultra-functional design of the integrated ledge system allows you to wash and dry, or chop and slice without losing an inch of counter space. For unbeatable value, the set includes a stainless steel bottom grid that protects the sink surface and keeps dishes elevated for optimal draining, a drain assembly, and a decorative drain cover that creates a clean seamless look. Made with real 16-gauge stainless steel, this kitchen workhorse is one of the toughest and most durable sinks on the market. Available in a range of sizes, from 17-inch bar sink to an oversized 45-inch workstation with an expanded range of accessories, Kore offers the perfect solution for any space. Take the functionality of your kitchen sink to a whole new level with the culinary-inspired design of the Kore Workstation Series, and experience the Kraus difference. For over a decade, Kraus has been on a mission to transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary kitchens and bathrooms. Inspired by the people and places around us, every innovative product is designed to support your lifestyle and bring quality and value into your home. We love what we do, and it translates every time you unbox a Kraus product. Our promise is to never compromise – all our kitchen and bath fixtures are crafted from the best materials sourced from around the globe at the best prices, ultimately giving you the best value for your money. Kraus products are built to last, but we are prepared for the unexpected, that is why we cover every fixture with a lifetime limited and have customer service professionals ready to tackle any issues you may encounter. We invite you to experience the difference that our commitment to quality makes: transform your kitchen and bath with Kraus, and Live Beautifully Make sure this fitsby entering your model number. WORKSTATION SINK with integrated ledge allows you to slide custom accessories across the sink to streamline meal prep and cleanup without losing space on the kitchen counter –  5-PIECE CHEF’S KIT INCLUDES: ROLL-UP DISH DRYING RACK perfect for rinsing produce, drying dishes, and protecting countertops from hot items; BAMBOO CUTTING BOARD won’t crack or warp, resists odors and ; DISH GRID, STRAINER and DRAIN COVER SPACIOUS SINGLE BOWL: Deep sink with tight-radius corners and offset drain creates an uninterrupted workspace for washing your largest cookware, like stock pots and baking sheets – UNDERMOUNT INSTALLATION creates a seamless transition from sink to countertop – SMART DESIGN adds valuable counter space by allowing you to work right over the sink, perfect for a kitchen of any size HEAVY-DUTY 16 GAUGE STEEL – Made with TRU16, the thickest stainless steel on the market, this workhorse of a sink is highly resistant to corrosion and dents – RUST-RESISTANT FINISH is easy to clean and will not dull from daily use – STAINLESS STEEL BOTTOM GRID protects sink surface and keep dishes elevated for optimal draining ENGINEERED FOR EASY DRAINING with off-set drain, gently sloped bottom, and channel grooves that prevent water from pooling in the sink – FULLY INSULATED with proprietary NOISEDEFEND SOUNDPROOFING, including extra-thick pads and protective undercoating that absorb noise and vibration when sink is in use DIMENSIONS: 30 in. L x 19 in. W x 10 in. D; Minimum Cabinet Size: 33 in. – LIFETIME LIMITED with top-rated customer service that puts you first – Explore the full suite of KORE SINK ACCESSORIES to maximize the functionality of your KORE Workstation sink [amz_corss_sell asin="B07RZ9KJM9"]

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How to Blanch and Freeze Peas Fresh from the Garden – GettyStewart.com@|how to freeze peas from the garden@|https://www.gettystewart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/gorgeous-peas-to-freeze-peas.jpg@|21

The straight up goods on how to freeze peas. You’ve worked hard to get those gorgeous shelled peas, so keep them tasting like they’re fresh out of the garden by freezing them properly.

Also Read: Guide to Blanching Vegetables , Cauliflower and Peas with Dill, Ham and Peas Mac and Cheese

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Please don’t be tricked into thinking you can freeze peas without blanching. They may be okay for the first two to three months, but after that they’ll start to taste starchy and bitter. Have you ever eaten peas from a big, fat bumpy pea pod, like in the photo below?

Overripe peas taste starchy and bitter.

Yuck, right? As peas age and become overripe, sugar turns to starch and they start to taste bitter.  They lose that sweet tender flavor we adore. That’s exactly what happens in the freezer if you don’t blanch them first. The aging enzyme continues to age the peas and even though they’re frozen, they turn starchy and bitter. You don’t want that.

So here’s what to do…

How to Freeze Peas to Capture Their Sweet Flavor

1.Harvest Time

Harvest peas when the peas inside the pod are a nice round form but aren’t so big that they’re crowding each other and straining the sides of the pea pod. When you’re checking your peas, compare the feel of a small, medium and large pea pod and then do a taste test to get a sense of the difference in flavor between the different sizes. If in doubt, err on the side of underripe rather than overripe. 

If you’re getting peas from a farmer’s market, have a good look at the pea shells and see what stage the peas are at. You want about 90% of them to be like the ones in the middle in the photo above. If there are a lot of shells that are tight and bumpy, leave them as they are overripe and will taste starchy not sweet. If there are too many that are too small, you’ll get good flavor, but you won’t get much volume – consider waiting until next week’s market.

In the photo below, notice how big the peas in the first pea pod are. Notice the color difference too, they’re a pale green compared to the juicy, sweet tender peas in the bottom pod. That top pod is overripe.

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2. Handling Time

Shell,  and freeze your peas as soon after picking or buying as possible. Peas will continue to age once picked. They’ll also start to lose moisture and get limp. Process them right away to capture that fresh sweet flavor. 

3. Proper Processing

I wish I could tell you that you don’t have to blanch peas. But you do. Even if you find tons of internet sites that say you don’t have to – you really do! I know this both from my schooling as a Professional Home Economist and from first hand experience. Yes, despite knowing better, I was lured by internet posts that promised I didn’t need to blanch peas. I got suckered into freezing several bags of peas without blanching.  BIG MISTAKE! When I took those peas out several months later, their color and flavor were not pleasant.  The peas tasted starchy and bitter.  Just like my profs said they would, the aging enzymes in the peas continued to age the peas, even in the freezer. So my young, tender peas tasted as bad as those big fat peas we hate.

So please, DO NOT freeze peas without blanching first – no matter what you might find on the internet!

To stop the aging enzymes and properly preserve flavor, color, texture and nutrient loss, you need to blanch veggies first.

If you choose not to blanch your peas, use them within two to three months before the effects of aging become noticeable and your peas start to taste off.

How to Blanch and Freeze Peas

Step 1 – Shell & Wash

Wash shelled peas in a big bowl of cold water.  Simply swish about and scoop out with your hands.

Wash peas.

Step 2 – Bring to Boil & Blanch

Bring a large pot of water to a hard boil.  Add peas to boiling water being sure not to overcrowd the pot.  There should be plenty of room for peas to move and the water should be able to come back to a boil within 1 minute.  If there are too many peas in the pot, some will get over-cooked and some will be under-cooked.

Blanch peas in a hard boil for 1 1/2 minutes.

Once the water and peas return to a hard boil, watch the timer carefully and boil (blanch) your peas for only 1 1/2 minutes.  That’s all you need for blanching, but only start the timer once the water has returned to a boil.

 Step 3 – Cool in Ice Water

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Immediately scoop out your peas and cool them instantly in an ice water bath. The ice water will help ensure the peas don’t continue to cook from their own heat. Overcooking the peas will leave them too mushy once you reheat them to serve later on. Once all the peas are cooled, drain the water well.

Step 4 – Freeze 

There are two options for how to freeze your peas – freeze as individual peas or freeze as a meal-sized bunch.

If you want to be able to open a bag and have individual peas roll out, you’ll need to freeze the peas individually by placing them in a single layer on a large tray. Place the tray in the freezer for 1-2 hours and then transfer frozen peas into a freezer bag or container.

Freeze peas on trays to avoid clumping.

If you have a lot of peas, lack of freezer space, want to finish the job quickly or like freezing meal sized quantities, skip freezing the peas on a tray and put peas directly into a freezer container. Because of the water on the peas, they will stick together, but once thawed it won’t make a difference.

Remove as much air from the freezer bag or container as possible. Use a straw to suck out air of freezer bags.

That’s it. You now have delicious peas that will last until next year’s pea crop!

What’s your favorite way of using your frozen peas? A pat of butter? A sauce? In soups?

We like putting frozen peas in hot chicken noodle soup. We don’t even thaw them, we just add them at the very end just before serving. By the time we get eating, the peas have heated up and the soup has cooled down just enough.

Sign up to get seasonal recipes, preserves and tips by Getty delivered to your inbox.  Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener. [external_footer]

source https://livingcorner.com.au/how-to-blanch-and-freeze-peas-fresh-from-the-garden-gettystewart-comhow-to-freeze-peas-from-the-gardenhttps-www-gettystewart-com-wp-content-uploads-2014-07-gorgeous-peas-to-freeze-peas-jp/

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How the Kohler Ironridge Farmhouse Kitchen Sink Upgrades Your Kitchen

The sink is one of the most frequently used and prominent kitchen fixtures. Homeowners often seek a good balance between design and utility in their sinks and they can have both with the Kohler Ironridge Farmhouse kitchen sink. An Ironridge sink will make your kitchen design more beautiful and refined with all the durability and utility that are a trademark of Kohler sinks.

How the Ironridge Farmhouse Kitchen Sink Enhances Kitchen Design

The Ironridge Farmhouse Kitchen Sink enhances your overall kitchen design, whether your style leans towards traditional or contemporary. Apron front sinks like the Ironridge are common in kitchens with more rustic or traditional designs and complement those styles. Kohler’s Ironridge farmhouse sink features a sleek, minimalist design, with simple lines outlining the apron-front. Thanks to the Ironridge’s design, the sink works as well in modern or contemporary styled kitchens as in traditional styled kitchens.

Other features of the sink ensure that your kitchen remains beautiful. For example, the Ironridge sink features an apron-front that overlaps cabinet faces, which hides any rough cuts made during installation. The overlapping design strikes that balance between utility (making installation easier) and design (looking beautiful and hiding imperfections in the cabinetry.) Many color options add strong or soft touches that highlight either the sink or other kitchen fixtures in addition to the design.

Durable Construction

The Kohler Ironridge Farmhouse Kitchen Sink excels in both design and durability. One of the significant reasons Ironridge sinks are so durable is because Kohler makes the sinks from enameled cast iron. Cast iron is already a highly durable material, and the enameled glaze further resists chipping, cracking, or burning. The finish is also resistant to acids, so staining and rusting is far less likely. Overall, the construction of Ironridge sinks reduce future maintenance and make cleaning them more manageable.

Improved Utility

Several features of the Ironridge sink make life in the kitchen much more comfortable and convenient.

The large single bowl is 9 inches deep and can accommodate large pots and pans, giving you more working space.

The sink bowl slopes 2 degrees towards the drain, which minimizes water pooling and allows for proper drainage.

The offset drain increases the sink workspace and storage space underneath, so you get more working space both in and below the sink.

In addition, you can get a bowl rack to help keep the drain clear of utensils or dishes. All of these features combine for dramatically increased utility and make working in and around your sink much easier.

Contact Weinstein Collegeville for Farmhouse Kitchen Sinks

If you want to upgrade your kitchen with the Kohler Ironridge Farmhouse Kitchen sink, contact Weinstein today. Our Collegeville bath and kitchen supply store highlights the finest bathroom and kitchen fixtures and brands. Weinstein has decades of experience helping homeowners choose the perfect kitchen sinks while offering expert consultation and guidance. We have an experienced, passionate team of showroom consultants who will work with you to make your dream kitchen a reality. For more information on our products and services, contact us today.

Blog is originally published at: https://www.betterbath-kitchens.com/how-the-kohler-ironridge-farmhouse-kitchen-sink-upgrades-your-kitchen/

It is republished with permission from the author.

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healthy desserts recipes

Do you remember when you were a kid and you sat down for a slice of pie or went to the movies and ate a whole bag of popcorn? It just seemed to taste better then, didn’t it? When you were younger you didn’t even know what a calorie was, and the last thing you worried about was a chocolate bar ruining your diet. Over the years, as our youthful metabolism fades and body-image becomes an issue, we begin to “watch” what we eat. Worrying about the repercussions of sweets and desserts takes out all the fun of these temporary indulgences. When was the last time you had chocolate or your favorite baked treat without worrying about what it might do to your body? It is time to finally remember that priceless taste of something sweet without it being ruined by the thought of “dietary-failure”! Let’s dive in, but let’s also set some rules of engagement before your sweet-tooth gets the best of you!

Recipe Rules of Engagement

Do follow the recipesto “Spec” I know you’re probably a great baker, but because of the alterations to some recipes, it’s very important to follow the ingredients, cook times and amounts very carefully. Don’t over Indulge Yes, you can get too much of a good thing! Don’t take advantage and have dessert every single night of the week. Make these treats when you feel you need them most, or are hosting a gathering etc. Do “make room”foryour desserts While it’s not necessary for every time you want to indulge, I want you to make some “caloric-room” for these desserts. Remember, at the end of the day, if you take in more calories than you need, you will not lose weight that day – you won’t gain weight, but you won’t lose any either. With that said, sometimes you might want to ensure that you do one of your “Movement Sequencing” workouts that day just to account for the extra calories.

Other than you are good to go! Preheat that oven and get ready to eat like nobody’s watching :)

healthy desserts recipes

1. Lemon Brownies 

healthy desserts recipes

The classic lemon bars get a Paleo-friendly makeover! They're sweet, bright and so easy with only 5 ingredients! You'd never know these are healthy!

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

1/4 Cup Honey

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil at room temperature - it should be the consistency of soft butter

1 pinch salt

1 Cup Coconut Flour sifted (95g)

For the lemon topping:

3 large Eggs

1/2 Cup Honey

2 tsps Lemon zest about 1 large lemon

2 tsps Coconut flour sifted

1/2 Cup Fresh* Lemon juice about 3 large lemons

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F and grease baking pan. Beat together honey, coconut oil and salt then slowly add coconut flour until a doughy consistency is formed.

Pour mixture into pan and bake 30 minutes. Then whisk together eggs, honey and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whish coconut flour into lemon juice 1 tsp at a time. Make sure you continually whisk. Pour lemon mixture into egg mixture while whisking.

Pour topping over top of cooled crust and bake until it sets. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

NOTES

Also try this 14 Simple Meal Plan to Lose Weight

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healthy desserts recipes

2. Sticky Strawberry Crumble

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

Filling Ingredients

4 cups strawberries

2 tsp tapioca starch

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp lemon juice

Topping Ingredients

1 cup almond flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 tbs coconut oil

3 tbs pure maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix filling ingredients and transfer to baking pan.

Then mix the topping ingredients and evenly spread over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Optional: Sprinkle unsweetened coconut flakes over the top.

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healthy desserts recipes

3. Chocolate Cake

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sesame flour or sesame meal

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup Splenda baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 tablespoons sunflower oil

1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia

1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Line an 8 by 8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together the first 7 dry ingredients.

Make 3 depressions in the dry mixture, 2 small and 1 large.

Pour the vinegar in a small depression, the vanilla  extract and chocolate stevia in the other small depression and the oil in the large depression.

Pour the water over the top and stir until smooth.

Spread the batter into the baking pan.

Place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove by holding the ends of the parchment paper.

Place onto a cutting board to frost then slice.

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healthy desserts recipes

4. Lemon Cashew Tarts

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked

1/4 cup filtered water

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon raw coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Juice form 1 lemon

Pinch Himalayan salt

Crust

1 cup almonds (or choice of nuts)

4 large dates, soaked

Pinch Himalayan salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the cashews in a bowl with lemon juice and soak overnight.

Drain and rinse with filtered water.

Process all cream ingredients in a food processor or mixer until smooth. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Mix all crust ingredients in a food processor until chunky. Remove and press into form of choice.

Pour cream on top of crust and garnish. Refrigerate for another two hours until firm.

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healthy desserts recipes

5. Raspberry and Coconut Glazed Donuts

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

Donut Base

12 pitted dates

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup coconut flakes

2 teaspoons stevia/Splenda baking “sugar”

1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract

3 tbsp liquid stevia

Pink Glaze

2/3 cup raspberries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract

1/3 cup coconut butter, softened

1/4 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons liquid stevia

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Coconut flakes, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Lightly grease a donut pan with coconut oil. Line a tray with parchment paper.

To make the donut base

Place the dates, almond flour, coconut flour, coconut flakes, stevia/Splenda baking “sugar” and vanilla bean powder in a food processor. Process until well combined. While the machine is running, pour the agave nectar in through the top, processing until the dough sticks together, approximately 15 seconds.

Divide the dough into 20 small pieces and firmly press

the pieces into the donut pan. If you don’t have a donut pan, shape the donuts and place them on the parchment-lined tray. Set in the refrigerator while you make the glaze.

To make the pink glaze

Place the raspberries, vanilla bean powder, coconut butter, coconut milk, agave nectar, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl.

To assemble

Remove the donuts from the pan by tracing the outside of the donuts with an offset spatula, gently lifting around the edges until they pop out. Working one at a time, place each donut in the glaze bowl so one side gets coated with glaze, then lift it from the bowl with a fork. Tap the fork against the rim of the bowl to allow excess glaze to drip off and place the donut, glaze side up, on the parchment-lined tray. Repeat until all the donuts are coated.

Sprinkle coconut flakes onto the wet donuts and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the glaze hardens. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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healthy desserts recipes

6. Raw Peppermint Oreos Dipped in Dark Chocolate

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookies

2/3 cup almonds

2/3 cup brazil nuts

1 cup dates

3 tablespoons carob powder

Pinch of sea salt

1-3 tablespoons water, if needed

For the Vanilla Creme

1 cup coconut chips

1 cup coconut shreds

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

1-3 drops of peppermint essential oil, as desired

For the Dark Chocolate

1/2 cup coconut nectar or date paste

3/4 cup cacao powder or carob powder

1 tbsp stevia or sweetener

1/3 cup coconut oil or cacao butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the cookies: grind the nuts into flour in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the water) to the nut flour in a food processor and process until it all sticks together in a ball. If it’s still too crumbly after a few minutes, add a little water. I did this and suddenly my very dry mixture became the perfect cookie dough consistency! Roll this dough out between two pieces of parchment paper then cut out cookies with a cookie cutter. Put them in the freezer until they are solid and can be handled without falling apart. If you have any extra dough, make a giant ‘ugly’ cookie and sprinkle it with some sea salt. No dough left behind.

To make the vanilla creme: blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender, adding the peppermint oil to taste (it’s very potent!) If your blender isn’t powerful enough to blend everything into a thick, coconut butter-like mixture, then add some more coconut oil, and perhaps a liquid sweetener or some dates and water.

Sandwich the coconut creme with cookies, making little dollops on each cookie then gently pressing down another cookie on top. Throw in the freezer for another 30 minutes or until they are solid and very cold.

Mix chocolate ingredients, then pour it into a tall, narrow bowl and dip in your frozen cookies. You will have to have 2-3 rounds of dipping, letting the chocolate on the cookies harden after each time.

Enjoy!

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healthy desserts recipes

7. Peanut Butter & Chocolate Buttercream Cups

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dates

3/4 cup water

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup cacao powder

2 tablespoon cashew butter

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 tablespoons liquid stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a Pinch of salt

For the Outside

3 tablespoons coconut oil

3 tablespoons peanut butter

3 tablespoons tahini

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Refrigerate overnight so it can develop those magical flavors, then spread evenly into your crust.

To Assemble

Stir the outside layer ingredients together in a bowl over steaming water until melted and combined.

Pour 1/3 of this into the bottoms of cupcake papers and try to get some around the sides.

Freeze until solid.

Pour a little more around the sides and freeze until solid again.

Fill with the butter cream then cover with the remaining nut/seed butter mixture.

Freeze for 10-30 minutes then GOBBLE

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healthy desserts recipes

8. Almond Butter Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas

1 can frozen coconut cream

1-2 heaping tablespoons almond butter

1 dash of almond or coconut milk

1 pinch cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

For the Magic Chocolate Sauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/4 cup cacao powder

1/8 to 1/4 cup preferred liquid sweetener

1 pinch of cinnamon

1 pinch of vanilla

1 pinch unrefined sea sal

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make the Magic Sauce

Blend all your ingredients together until well combined.

Drizzle on top of your smoothies, ice cream or other treats.

To Make the Soft Serve

Blend all ingredients for your ice cream into your high speed blender until well-combined.

Pour a bit of the softy in some cups. Then add a layer of chocolate sauce and keep repeating the same process until the cups are full.

Finish with a layer of chocolate sauce and top up with your favorite toppings.

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healthy desserts recipes

9. Chocolate Chip Cookies

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

3 tsp pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 80-100% dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl

Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl

Mix wet ingredients into dry

Form 1/2 inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes

Cool and serve

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healthy desserts recipes

10. Banana Cookie Dough Almond Bites

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 large ripe banana

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla essence

80-100% dark chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl mash the banana with a fork until smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until evenly combined and forms a dough.

Line a small baking tray with parchment or baking paper.

Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a small cookie shape. Flatten with the back of a tablespoon or bottom of a glass.

Decorate with sliced almonds or chopped walnuts.

Freeze for 15 minutes then keep in the fridge in an airtight container.

Will keep for 3-4 days depending on the ripeness of the banana used.

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healthy desserts recipes

11. Crunchy-Punch Bars

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almonds

1/2 cup peanuts

1/2 cup gluten-free brown rice (vegan, crisp cereal)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tsp pure maple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Add almonds, peanuts, cereal and salt to a large bowl. Stir until well mixed.

Pour maple syrup over this mixture. Fold until well incorporated.

Pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using a rubber spatula, smooth into a tightly packed, even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Bars must bake thoroughly, or they won’t hold together when cooled.

Allow to cool for 1 hour, or until completely cooled. Use a heatproof spatula to gently lift and loosen bars from parchment. Slice into 12 bars (6 rows by 2 columns).

Enjoy!

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healthy desserts recipes

12. Blueberry Chia Pudding

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup homemade almond milk

1/2 cup organic blueberries

2 tablespoons organic chia seeds

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder

Stevia or sweetener to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to a 16 ounce mason jar and seal it very tightly.

Shake it vigorously until everything is mixed well and put it in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until it thickens to your preference.

Stir it up before serving and add additional blueberries on top, if you prefer.

Enjoy!

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healthy desserts recipes

13. Strawberry Pie

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons coconut oil

1 1/2 cups almond flour

3/4 teaspoon stevia (for crust)

1 tbsp stevia (for filling)

3 pounds strawberries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons corn starch

INSTRUCTIONS

Crust

Heat oven to 350°. Put coconut oil in 8ʹ′ʹ′ pie pan and place in the oven while it is heating to melt the coconut oil. 

Once the oil is melted take the pan out of the oven and add the almond flour and stevia to the pan. 

Mix with a spoon until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Using the spoon (or your fingers) press the mixture down in the pan pushing some up along sides of pan.

Put in preheated oven and bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool before adding strawberry mixture.

Filling

Remove the hulls from all the strawberries and rinse well. 

Puree 1 ½ pounds of the strawberries in a food processor. 

Pour puree in a pan and begin to heat over medium heat. 

Take your stevia stevia, add it as well as the lemon juice, to the puree. Then add the cornstarch and stir to mix thoroughly. 

Continue to cook over medium heat while stirring for about 6-7 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. 

Let mixture cool for about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the remaining strawberries into bitesized pieces. 

Mix these in with the thickened strawberry puree. 

Spoon the strawberry/puree mix into the cooled pie crust.

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healthy desserts recipes

14. Animal Crackers

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup – sunflower seeds

1/4 cup – flaxseed, ground

1/4 cup – coconut flakes

½ cup baking splenda

1 tablespoon – honey

1/8 teaspoon – salt

1 /4 cup – water

INSTRUCTIONS

Place shelled sunflower seeds in a food processor or blender. 

Grind until it's the texture of coarse meal.

Place seed meal into a bowl and add remaining ingredients and stir with a spoon.

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Spoon batter onto wax paper. 

Cover with wax paper and roll out with rolling pin until 1/4-1/8th inch thick. Cut out shapes.

Place shapes on greased cookie sheet. 

Bake in 300 degrees oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Delicious served with sweetened yogurt.

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healthy desserts recipes

15. “Honey” Recipe

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup cold filtered water divided

⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum

6 tablespoons stevia (powdered)

⅛ teaspoon mineral salt

2 teaspoons honey flavoring, optional

5 drops (or more) yellow food coloring, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix ¼ cup cold water with xanthan gum.

Mix remaining water, sweetener, and salt together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

While whisking, mix in the xanthan gum water.

Stir constantly until it begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and add in honey flavoring and food coloring.

Mixture should thicken more as it cools.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

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healthy desserts recipes

16. “Maple-Syrup” Recipe

healthy desserts recipes

INGREDIENTS

3 cups Water

2 tsp Natural Maple Flavor

1¾ tsp liquid stevia

1 tsp Xanthan Gum

⅛ tsp Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large blender add the water, maple flavor, and stevia. 

Blend on low speed.

While the blender is running, remove the lid and slowly add the xanthan gum and salt. 

Once everything is incorporated and completely smooth, pour into pretty serving jars, tightly seal, and refrigerate overnight.

Ready to use the next day! Refrigerate to store and shake before using.

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healthy desserts recipes

[junker-town]

And just like that, the Jets are already unraveling

Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images

The Jets tried so hard not to be a mess. Yet, here they are.

Everything started out promisingly for New York.

The Jets led the Bills 16-0 late in the third quarter of their season opener. One prized offseason pickup, C.J. Mosley, had found the end zone after intercepting Josh Allen. The other, Le’Veon Bell, hit paydirt not long after, hauling in a 9-yard pass from rising second-year quarterback Sam Darnold. For three quarters, New York’s rebuild was right on schedule.

Then everything came crumbling down. And, like a poorly stacked Duplo mountain, continues to crumble down. The Jets fell apart over the final 20 minutes of Week 1 to allow Allen to start his season 1-0 despite committing four turnovers in the first half. And, somehow, things have gotten worse from there. Mosley, Bell, and Darnold could all miss extended time thanks to injuries and, uh, mononucleosis.

The Jets’ 2019 already feels distinctly snakebitten

Mosley, who left that opening day loss with a groin injury before the Bills could rack up 17 unanswered points, has yet to fully return to practice. Same with Quinnen Williams, the beefy defensive tackle who New York made the third overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He’s out with an ankle sprain.

Bell underwent an MRI Thursday to investigate the cause of a sore shoulder that played a role in a good, not great, debut and could derail his comeback effort. Quincy Enunwa, the team’s leading receiver three seasons ago, will miss the year with a neck injury.

These are all moderate, run-of-the-mill NFL maladies. And then there’s Darnold, who will miss Week 2 with mono. New York has no timetable for his return, presumably because this is the first time anyone on the training staff has thought about mono since high school. The team is taking drastic steps to ensure he’s the only one to deal with the energy-draining virus this fall.

Darnold will be "quarantined" at his apartment until Jets' medical staff feels it's safe to expose him to rest of team. He's already lost 5 lbs.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 12, 2019

Even the healthy performers have issues. Robby Anderson, who has led the Jets in receiving the past two seasons, was the object of head coach Adam Gase’s scorn following that Week 1 defeat. Gase specifically called out his lack of effort late in New York’s comeback effort, and he’s not completely wrong:

Sam Darnold had Robby Anderson twice on the Jets' last drive. First, Darnold underthrew off backpedal and Anderson waited instead of coming back to ball. Second, Darnold just missed on an overthrow. pic.twitter.com/MlBXAjsePW

— Dan Pizzuta (@DanPizzuta) September 9, 2019

New York only needed one week to swap out kickers, canning Kaare Vedvik after he missed a field goal and extra point in a one-point loss and signing Sam Ficken — who has six career field goal attempts to his name — in his place. He’s the fourth kicker to cycle through the team’s roster since August.

Oh, and defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd, a 2018 third-round pick, is serving a six-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs.

This puts a ton of pressure on New York’s healthy players in a pivotal stretch

Suddenly, the Jets could head into a Monday Night Football showcase against the Browns — a rematch of last year’s Victory Fridge game — with Trevor Siemian handing the ball to Ty Montgomery and throwing passes to a newly acquired Demaryius Thomas. While Thomas and Siemian have history together in Denver, it’s worth nothing that Thomas’ catch rate with Siemian in the lineup was approximately seven percent lower than his career average and his yards per target mark dropped from 8.6 to 7.1, which doesn’t bode well for New York. The former All-Pro wideout is also 31 years old, coming off a torn Achilles’ suffered in 2018, and dealing with a hamstring injury that limited his preseason performance and kept him out of practice throughout his first week with the team.

The defense will still be led by Jamal Adams, who has proven to be a complete wrecking ball in the secondary. His job will only get tougher with Mosley and Williams limited and a Darnold-less offense struggling to win the time of possession battle. That’s bad news with a downright brutal schedule looming early on the schedule. Over the next six weeks, he’ll stare down Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott, and Tom Brady (twice!) with a much-needed bye week awaiting at the end of September.

This is not what New York had planned for.

The Jets tried so hard to escape football purgatory the past two years

New York is trying. Over the past two seasons, the franchise has made major investments to rewrite the story of a team whose post-1960s glory days were a product of Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez. The question the Jets are facing now is whether those moves were the right ones.

They paid a massive price to draft Darnold, shipping three second-round picks to Indianapolis to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 in the 2018 draft and select the USC star. That gave the Jets their first first-round QB since Sanchez and showed the team had learned its lesson by trying to force later picks on half-formed passers like Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty. It also cleared the Colts to jump-start their own rebuild by gleaning players like Braden Smith, Quenton Nelson, Kemoko Turay, and Jordan Wilkins from the picks they received in that year’s draft, all of whom would have looked good in green and white.

The team offset that lack of draft capital by spending big in free agency last spring, but its two biggest signings, Bell and Mosley, lasted one week before showing up on the injury report. A third major target, Vikings four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr, agreed to terms in New York before ultimately reneging on the deal and staying in Minnesota.

Firing Todd Bowles after a 24-40 tenure appeared to be a smart move, but the club followed that up by hiring Gase, who had just been fired by a directionless Dolphins team. One of Gase’s first headlines as a Jet — at least one of the first not related to his eyes holding the intense gaze of a defeated Soviet diplomat — was to reportedly criticize the Bell signing. General manager Mike Maccagnan wasn’t around to defend it; he was fired in May, long after the draft and the league’s busiest portion of the free agent period had passed.

While Williams has been a hit both on and off the field, the rest of the Jets’ 2019 draft class has underwhelmed. Jachai Polite, who was selected in the third round, didn’t play a single game with Gang Green and racked up more than $100,000 in fines before earning his release. Only one other rookie — fifth-round linebacker Blake Cashman — made it into the box score in Week 1.

The Jets tried so hard to escape the fate they’d written themselves into throughout the 2010s, but the football gods have no interest in letting them escape their orbit of mediocrity. New York brought out its highest-caliber ammunition to shoot its shot the past two seasons, but the outcome on the field hasn’t changed.

Some of that can be traced back to questionable decisions and overspending to find the high-profile players Maccagnan wanted. Others, like a damn mononucleosis diagnosis, are a shakedown from an uncaring universe that’s made New York a prime target for its bullying. Well-constructed teams can break that cycle. That’s what the Jets want to be.

After Week 1’s come-from-ahead loss, they’re not there yet.

[madisonsclarks]

“Forgive me,” he whispers, and it’s as much a plea as it is a prayer.

The events of the final hours before Praimfiya and the following five years from Marcus Kane's perspective, and how they affect his relationship with Abby Griffin.

Preview below, and the rest is at the link above! :D 

It’s almost monotonous, he thinks, in the silent, pulsating pain of it all.

After all, it’s a system they’ve been employing for the past hour, a step-by-step process they devised to make sure every single member of their people gets an equal chance at surviving the death wave. They walk in, show him their name on the slip, he says a few words of affirmation that taste bitter on his lips. They leave. Again and again, they come, show him the paper, and leave.

Some are angered, some are shocked, some, just white-faced and trembling, disbelieving. But all of it ends the same way. He’s left with their lives on sheets of paper, heartbeats etched in names on scraps in a bowl.

It’s almost monotonous, and it damn well could be – if he were a different man, a man who ignores the pain of his people. But as it is now, he sits in his chair next to the bowl with his heart in his throat and his stomach lurching. The pin on his jacket means it’s his duty to save them, but why does it feel like he’s doing the opposite?

He’s meant to protect them, to ensure their survival, and by some twisted path of fate, that’ll mean hundreds of them must perish.

He can hardly look at the bowl itself, the weight of the task at hand pressing harder on his chest each time his eyes fall upon it. So he decides to do something else – to place his gaze elsewhere – somewhere safe, somewhere warm. The only place that can offset the ever-present pain of playing a paradoxical role: the Chancellor and the deliverer of death.

Abby Griffin stands in the corner of the room, both a few feet and an ocean away. She’d decided to be here with him instead of outside the room, accompanied him without a word exchanged. From the dull ache in her eyes, he knew she understood his pain – knew he’d need her here just as much as she needed him. Having her in the room, he thought, might just be the only thing keeping down the lump in his throat.

They don’t talk. And truly, what is there to say? He knows her pain, feels it as keenly as she does, although he reassured her she had no reason to feel it at all. Her choice was the right one, the best decision any of them could have made with the information they had at the time. The moment the hatch opened and Bellamy emerged…thinking back on it sent a low, simmering thrill through him, an instinctive rush at the realization of salvation.

Marcus Kane did not consider himself a selfish man, but the thought of seeing her again, holding her close, hearing her voice…she’d saved him in so many ways, and not just by opening the door.

After David Miller walked in, unfolded his paper, and demonstrated that he intended to sacrifice himself for a chance at Nathan’s survival, he felt her demeanor begin to shift. She’d been distant throughout the process, as he knew she would be. This was not the time for closeness, for them to hold each other and to revel in being together again. But this was something different, a final string cut in the fraying fabric of her composure, and he sensed it as soon as David spoke.

So after he David left, leaving in his wake an agony that couldn’t be dispersed, Marcus did the thing he thought he wouldn’t do: he requested a moment alone with the woman who kept him whole.

“Can we have a moment?” he asks the guards at the door, who respond with a nod and close the door behind them.

Even at the end of the world, with midnight fast approaching, the hierarchy of Ark laws is respected. As Chancellor, he is allowed to have this – to have a moment with her - and for perhaps the only time since the doomsday clock struck its final hour, he is thankful for the title he holds.

Standing from his chair, he closes the minimal distance between them in a few long strides. Being close to her now is a balm and an abrasion, a healing kind of sting.

Something is wrong.

Something is wrong with her, something that needs to be cured, and she won’t tell him what it is. Marcus has no doubt she has her reasons – Abby Griffin always does – but that doesn’t make it all hurt less, doesn’t still the lurch in his heart every time he thinks about that snippet of conversation that she made clear was never meant for his ears.

She looks at him with a gaze haunted, soil-brown eyes dark with regret and remorse. Even in her pain she’s beautiful, breathtaking even, but her agony is his own and he doesn’t have time to dwell on the way being close to her feels. God willing, he thinks, they might have time for that after the clock reaches zero.

He doesn’t want to think about what else that notion implies.

Marcus knows he’s not the only one who feels the wind knocked out of them when a slip is added to that bowl, he’s not the only one that feels those papers sanding down the edges of his heart. The difference is, she’s convinced she’s the only one to blame. It’s the farthest thing in the world from the truth – a lie her brain whispers to her and he’s done his best to erase – but he hasn’t worked hard enough, because he sees that untruth in her gaze when she looks up at him. It shatters something deep inside him, seeing her like this, chips away at him when he fails to put her back together.

So he says the only thing he can say.

“It’s not your fault.”

She doesn’t give him a moment to breathe, the sound of their people murmuring through the door all but muted by the certainty in her voice.

“Yes, it is,” she says, her words accompanied by a small nod, and he feels something deflate inside him. “I opened that door.”

“You did what you thought was right,” he says, following her lead, her sentiments finding no home with him. She had made a choice for their people – for him. That was the pattern of their lives, the fate they were forced to re-live over and over again until it wore them down, and she’d had only the best intentions in her heart.

“Was it, Marcus?” she says, a tremor at the end of her question that makes his stomach flip. He’s seen her like this before, in the ruins of TonDC, buried beneath a broken city. She was as shattered then as she is now, buried beneath the ruins of her own choices instead of a grounder city.

“Yes,” he says, determined. It’s an answer to her question and a prayer – please, Abby. You did the right thing.

“We do what’s right, and three hundred and sixty four of our people die,” she says. And it’s more apparent then than it’s been before, bleeding through in her posture and her barely audible words, a weariness that goes deeper than bone, a remorse that radiates from deep inside her. Seeing her like this, her confidence drained, her certainty evaporated and her gaze hollow…it’s almost enough to break him, too.

But he can’t break, he can’t bend, because what she needs right now is hope.

So he steps forward, closing the small gap that remains between them, places his hands on her shoulders and steadies his voice.

“You saved so many others,” he says, and she has to believe him, she has to, because it’s a fact and it’s the truth and it’s the essence of who she is: a doctor, a life-saver by nature. He can’t think too hard about what he’s considering saying next, or it’ll never reach his lips.

“You saved me,” he says, fighting to keep his voice steady, “and I don’t just mean by opening that door.”

A flicker then, something shimmering, something that, if only for a heartbeat, gives him hope before her lips tremble again, before she says the thing that rips his heart from his chest.

“I don’t know who I am anymore.”

And with that she walks away, crosses the room, leaving him with his own words echoing in his ears, a bitter accompaniment to her own.

First we survive, then we find our humanity again.

He, too, had been making choices with the only options he had available to him at the time, given advice with the best of intentions at heart. If the nightblood had worked, if they could have distributed it, if it had been the cure for the raging disease that was Praimfiya…

But it wasn’t.

And instead of healing Abby Griffin, his words had infected her.

A pang of guilt resonates throughout his body as he remembers their conversation, remembers her conflicted feelings on testing the nightblood. He had said it because it seemed like the right thing to say, it seemed like the thing she needed to hear, it seemed like it would comfort her and reassure her when her world had been thrown from its axis.

“The things that I let myself do, in that lab…”

First we survive, then we find our humanity again.

And hers was still intact, that much he knew. Abby Griffin was not a woman to lose the essence of herself to the rages of Primfiya, to the radiation-soaked world that had forced her hand.

But just because he believes it, doesn’t mean she does.

“I told you,” he whispers, having followed her to the other side of the room, reaches forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder again. Every tremble of her lips is a crack in his heart. “We will find our humanity again.”

She stares at him for what feels like an eternity, reaches up and strokes his cheek. It should feel good, he knows, should send a wave of warmth through him the way it did in Polis. But her gaze is laden with dread, her touch trembling, and he finds himself more afraid of the contact than relishing in it. Something is terribly wrong.

“I need you to pull eighty-one names from that bowl,” she says, and the world stops turning.

“Abby,” he says, barely whispering, not trusting his faulty vocal chords to support the weight of his full voice. And everything inside him is screaming, aching, crying for her to understand, for her to see herself the way he sees her – not only as essential personnel, but as a good person, a pure heart, a woman innocent of the crimes for which she is condemning herself.

“When that door closes today, I need to be on the other side,” she says. It’s a tone he’s never heard from her, a broken kind of clarity, as though she’s spent the duration of their time in this room making this decision. Perhaps he should feel betrayed, hurt, but all he feels is broken.

“Please,” he murmurs, his hands trailing down to rest on her hair, her jaw, her neck. He’ll beg her if he has to, plead on both knees, but the universe is cruel and heartless and will not give him more than this moment to change her mind. “I just got you back. Don’t say that.”

She looks at him, so small and powerful in his arms, a force of nature stronger than Praimfiya and as beautiful as it is horrid. Thinking of her on the other side of the door, living the horrible fate he thought he’d face…he can’t even stomach the thought.

“I love you, Marcus,” she says, healing him and fracturing him, putting him together and splitting him apart. Because those three words he’d convinced himself long ago he never deserved to hear, a sweet song not meant for his ears, a hymn meant for better angels, like Jake Griffin. He’d dreamt of it, of course, and when she came to him hours before his execution, she’d said as much without saying it at all – then, in Polis, said the same through her actions.

Hearing it like this brings a warmth that burns him.

“But I made my decision. My life isn’t worth more than theirs. I need you to pull eighty one names,” she finishes.

His lungs burn, as though the very air around them is radioactive. He can’t speak, but he can think – or at least, he can manage a few words that loop through the roar of nightmarish hell he’s living.

I can’t lose you, Abby. I can’t.

How, he wonders, could he go on without her? How can he find his way out of the darkness without her, his light, the continual flame that showed him the path to becoming the man he always wanted to be? If she left the bunker, he knew he might as well go with her, too: his heart would be in her hands, part of his soul extinguished when her own stopped beating.

I can’t lose you, Abby. I can’t.

If there’s one thing he knows about Abby Griffin, it’s that there’s no changing her mind. But that doesn’t mean he accepts this fate she’s chosen for herself, doesn’t mean because she’s given up on her humanity that he has, too. She’s made her choice, he thinks, but somehow, some way, perhaps he can convince her…

Abby lingers for a few moments longer, as if she expects him to say something, to get upset, to argue with her the way they’d done months ago across a Council table that’s now nothing more than melted metal. And perhaps the man he’d been when she looked at him in those meetings would have protested, would have blocked the door, would have debated with her and matched her logic and done his damnedest to rust her ironclad resolve.

But since she’s melted down that version of him and molded him into something new, something better, he keeps his lips closed.

She drops her hand from his chest slowly, as if relishing the feeling of him, and leaves without saying goodbye.

Read the rest on AO3 here! 

[coachdog96-blog]

Pesto Grilled Shrimp - easy to make ahead and serve hot, room temperature or cold

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Here's a yummy way to grill shrimp that couldn't be easier. It's as simple as mixing the shrimp with pesto, threading the shrimp onto skewers (or putting it in a grilling basket), and putting it on a hot grill for 4 minutes. Done!

Good at any temperature! This tasty shrimp is so versatile since it can be served hot, room temperature or cold. Serve it at room temperature for an appetizer, cold on a salad, or hot on top of rice for dinner.

Make ahead convenience. I'm a fan of recipes that can be made a day ahead to reduce last minute prep stress when I'm serving a meal. These shrimp skewers can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated. You can refrigerate them before or after grilling the assembled skewers. 

Step-by-step photos for making Pesto Grilled Shrimp

Step 1. Assemble the ingredients:

raw large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

pesto -- store bought or homemade (here's my recipe); pesto is all you need to add flavor to the shrimp, since it is already seasoned with basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, nuts, and parmesan cheese.

Step 2. If you're using wooden skewers, start soaking them in water. This will help keep them from getting too burned on the grill. I used 6" skewers--a good size for individual servings. 

Step 3. Rinse shrimp, drain, and pat dry with paper towels.

Step 4. Add shrimp and pesto to a large bowl and toss gently until shrimp is evenly coated. 

Step 5. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, piercing each shrimp through the head and tail. I alternated the direction of the tail as I threaded these--only because they look prettier that way.

Step 6. Put the skewers on a hot grill. Grill for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, just until they turn opaque.

It's important not to overcook the shrimp. It cooks very quickly and will turn tough and rubbery if you overdo it.

Eat now or make ahead. The shrimp can be eaten hot right away. Or, you can put it in a dish, cover, and refrigerate it. I made this shrimp a day ahead, and it was ready to serve the next day.

Another option: skip the skewers and grill the shrimp in a basket. If you'd prefer to grill the shrimp without making skewers, I recommend using a grill basket so you don't have to worry about the shrimp falling between the grill grates. Simply place the shrimp in a single layer in the basket and grill until it just turns opaque, then use tongs to flip and grill the other side. This is a fast and easy way to grill shrimp.

view on Amazon:  grill basket,  long grill tongs

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The basket-grilled shrimp can be served piled on a plate or in a bowl.

A great way to feed a crowd! I periodically make lunch for my sons' company Less Annoying CRM. Pesto shrimp skewers were part of a picnic-style Italian meal where everything on the menu could be served cold or at room temperature. That made it easy to prepare everything ahead at home and serve it when I arrived at their offices--no stressing about serving hot food. Also on the menu was my antipasto with creamy Italian dressing and no-cook cherry tomato sauce on pasta. Since no heating is required, this menu is great for outdoor picnics, too.

These yummy shrimp skewers are so easy to make. They can be an appetizer or a main course served over rice. I love them on salads, too!

Make it a Yummy day!

Pesto Grilled Shrimp Skewers

By Monica              Servings: 8-10 6" skewers

Ingredients

1 pound raw large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup pesto, store bought or homemade*

*To make your own pesto, here's the recipe: https://www.theyummylife.com/How_to_make_Pesto

If using wooden skewers, place in shallow container and cover with water. Let them soak for at least 30 min.

Rinse and drain shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Add shrimp and pesto to large bowl and gently toss until shrimp is uniformly coated.

Thread the shrimp onto skewers, piercing each shrimp through the head and tail. Alternate the direction of the tail as you thread them for an attractive presentation.

Preheat grill on high heat. Place shrimp skewers on hot grill and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on each side, just until opaque. Don't over cook. Grilled shrimp can be served right away or refrigerated and served the next day.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD: grill the shrimp in a basket. If you'd prefer to grill the shrimp without making skewers, use a grill basket so you don't have to worry about the shrimp falling between the grill grates. Place shrimp in a single layer in the basket and grill until it just turns opaque, use tongs to flip and grill the other side.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: --Cold with lightly dressed salad greens. --Hot as a main dish, served over rice. --Room temperature as an appetizer.

You might also like this similar recipe:

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Source: https://www.theyummylife.com/Pesto_Grilled_Shrimp

[fajar78]

Single Bowl Kitchen Sink

Single Bowl Kitchen Sink

I don’t affliction what any of my old attached told you: I actually like accomplishing dishes. I adulation the achievement I get from motoring through a big assemblage of anxiously aching and rinsed plates the morning afterwards a banquet party, or a bore abounding of identical abbreviate tumblers—that $.25 is like ASMR for me. Line ’em up, beating ’em down. Lather, rinse, repeat.

BUT, there…