#spicy onions but they’re sweet

[small-plants]

Soups and Goops are the best foods

Eating like Shin Tsukimi from hit game Your Turn to Die: Death Game By Majority has saved me. I might not have access to Kai’s mysterious nutrient goop, but I DO have access to cooked down Japanese curry.

[veinsfullofstars]

for your childhood friends au, do the kids have any favorite foods?

Ooooh, okay okay, so this is something I’ve actually given a fair bit of thought to (maybe too much thought given how long this thing got, haha). I love little details like this in character writing - it makes them feel so much more alive and well-rounded, y'know? The kiddos have preferences as varied as their personalities, and I’m just itching to get into it, so… let’s get into it! (Also, just to be clear, I did pull some of my food headcanons for MK and DDD specifically from source material and the wiki, but most of this kinda just comes right off the dome.)

When it comes to food, Para Dee is probably the most milquetoast of the bunch (though that’s hardly a bad thing). Neither a voracious eater like Dedede nor an avoidant one like Meta, he enjoys food about as much as the average Waddle Dee, more than fine with his three square meals a day (maybe a snack if he’s good). His tastes primarily lean towards savory or bitter flavors, anything from a warm bowl of stew to a nice crisp salad depending on his mood (meaning that, of the four of them, he’s the most likely to eat his veggies... and enjoy them). He’s not the biggest fan of sweets (probably due to that fact that his father is a baker and routinely saturates their home with the heavy scents of vanilla and mixed fruit), but he does have a soft spot floral teas and hot chocolate, especially during the colder seasons. He doesn’t mind sour flavors in small amounts (meaning if someone gets pickles with their meal, you know they’re going onto Para’s plate), but spicy foods? Forget about it. His poor little stomach has no tolerance for spice, to the point where even a little too much pepper has him breaking out in a sweat (something Bow teases him about mercilessly).

If you asked him what his absolute favorite food is, he’d have a hard time choosing... but he'd probably say his father’s caramelized onion soup, a much-beloved dish at their dinner table and a favorite at every community potluck. It’s never quite the same when Para makes it (many years into the future with a family of his own), but it still sparks warm memories of holidays and togetherness with each cheese-laden spoonful.

Then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Bow Dee, our tiny terror with a metabolism and appetite to rival those of her bigger buddies. If left alone and unoccupied for too long, she’s been known to sneak into locked pantries or climb high, off-limits shelves looking for any snacks she can get her grubby little mitts on (a habit she probably learned from watching Dedede). That said, she can be rather picky about which foods she’ll scarf down, especially in her youth when she would literally pick through her meals for the bits she liked and ignore the rest (much to her mothers’ chagrin).

If asked about her favorites, she’d say she likes protein-packed foods the most (omelets, jerky, trail mix, whatever will fuel those boundless energy reserves of hers in the saltiest, most flavorful manner possible) but refuses to touch veggies, pickles, and bitter flavors in general (at least in her childhood, growing a little more adventurous about food during their time overstars). She likes sweets as much as the average high-energy kid, partial to citrus fruits and sour candies especially (she likes how it stings a bit when you eat it, almost like it's fighting back). And, beyond all that, Bow loves spicy foods. Full stop. If it ain’t spicy - or spicy enough - she’ll find a way to make it so. Chili flakes, hot sauce, whole peppers, whatever she has on hand - it’s going in there, and Nova help anyone who tries to stop her. A bit ironic given her natural affinity for Water, though maybe that’s what gives her such a high tolerance for capsaicin. Or maybe she’s just that badass (as she likes to brag to her buddies, watching them steam out the ears from a single jalapeño while she’s already chomped down seven). And before you ask, yes, this has landed her in village clinic on more than one occasion. High tolerance or no, she definitely does not have Dedede’s cast-iron stomach… or Meta’s self-restraint. (We don’t talk about the Ghost Pepper Fiasco.)

Speaking of picky eaters, Meta has a… complicated relationship with food. He’s never had much of an appetite, often going (unsettlingly long) stretches of time without feeling the need to eat, only doing so if someone reminds him to (or if he gets too woozy, whichever comes first). He does need to eat, of course… just not nearly as often as everyone else does, it would seem (a byproduct of his peculiar biology, perhaps?). It’s an excuse he’s used often to get away with skipping meals, sometimes substituting in lighter foods like breakfast bars or Energy Drinks to keep his strength up (though this is hardly a long-term solution). He also finds certain textures and tastes difficult to deal with, even turning down entire meals if just one bite feels off. It makes eating with company - already an awkward experience thanks to his introversion - that much more uncomfortable, sitting there with a full plate while everyone else chews and chatters around him, wishing he could disappear as swiftly as his hunger (a habit that still crops up even in adulthood, though he has learned to push through it for the sake of politeness). Honestly, he could write a whole dissertation on how the act of consumption is a burden upon the living and no one should be subjected to it… and then he remembers chocolate exists and takes it all back for a while.

That’s really the one exception to his food trepidation: sweets. Perhaps it comes from living in Dream Land where sugary foods are so plentiful, the forests rich with apples and berries, the scent of pies and pastries wafting from windowsills, even the lands themselves named after foods of all sorts. Or perhaps it stems from his earliest memories, a helping hand and a bar of something indescribably sweet and rich, the first he’d ever tasted… Whatever the case, it’s stuck with him, a livelong love of sweets and sweet-adjacent foods, one that narrows, refines, and changes over time into preferences for chocolate, coffee, and other foods with light but flavorful consistencies. Not that this stops his friends (and later his crewmates) from hounding him into eating more nutritious meals once in a while, too. It's frustrating, but he knows they mean well, and he gets better about listening to their advice with time.

And finally, whipping to the other side of the scale once more, it’s Dedede, the penguin equivalent of a vacuum, willing to eat literally anything you put in front of him (including things you probably should not eat). He wouldn’t say he has many strong preferences - all food is good food in his eyes - though he does appreciate a good bone-in steak or similarly hearty dishes like seafood or pasta, and he could never pass up a nice rich dessert (especially cakes).

More than the taste, though, it’s really the act of eating - a pastime even more beloved than sparring or sleeping - that brings Dedede comfort, whether it’s through cozy communal meals with neighbors, the thrill of food-based competitions with friends (ones that will later inspire Dream Land’s famous Gourmet Races), or just to deal with the boredom (and loneliness) when he’s stuck on his own. It’s possible he gets this behavior from his mama, a little on the heavier side herself and known for her own cast-iron constitution back in her wrestling days (not to mention prone to spoiling her “darlin’ baby bird” and his friends with extra treats all the time). Meanwhile, his papa - a stickler for decency and discipline - is constantly reminding his son to slow down during meal times, wondering if he’s even tasting the food he’s shoving down his gullet (a blunt but well-intentioned criticism given the many, many tummy troubles Dedede suffers in his younger days). He never manages to fully tame his massive appetite (certainly not helped by the more decadent lifestyle he later adopts as a king), but he does at least refine it over time, learning from Para of all people about the joys of savoring meals rather than always inhaling them outright.

Phew, alright, I think that’s about it. Thanks for the question! Hopefully I didn't go too in-depth for such a simple one - I was having fun with it and might've gotten carried away again, haha. Well, at the very least, it'll give you guys some nuggets to chew on in the meantime (pun super not intended).

Sketches started 06/25/24, finished 06/27/24. | Childhood Friends AU Masterpost

[imomisoplays]

Nasi Goreng

Halo, tombler!

We are moving to a new household! Today we follow Stella, twin sister of Vienna and daughter of Aria and Kiyoshi Ito. Stella lives in a ranch house in Chestnut Ridge with her husband Kylo, daughter Leia and son Soleil (featured in the Ham Ramen post here). Stella's husband is indeed Kylo Ren -- I originally tried to match-make her with the game's Kylo when I played Journey to Batuu but long story short, I ended up just downloading a very handsome-looking Kylo Ren (based on the real-life actor Adam Driver) from the gallery. Let's try to not think about how Stella's babies are genetically Adam Driver's simchildren. 🥴

Anyway, more about Stella: She studied Education in college and is now a professor. Lately I just made her do the bare minimum at work while focusing on her side-gig as a nectar maker (said side-gig earned the family more than $200,000 already, so...). Stella's traits are snob, cheerful, and active -- which sure is a peculiar combination to work with. But since Kylo is also an active sim, the two of them really matched each other well.

The recipe we are trying today came from the country of Indonesia, but is also commonly found in other countries on the Malay archipelago. Nasi goreng (literal meaning: fried rice) is a popular dish enjoyed nation-wide, from a tin plate at a street-food stall, or on a fine china plate in five-star hotels. The recipe we’re making today is made by @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel (click here to download the recipe). You would also need Custom Food Interactions for the recipe to appear in your game. I would like to send @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel an extra gratitude for reposting the original post in her blog. I didn't keep the draft for this post and would lost it if not because of her reblog. 🥺

Regular Saturday morning in the Ren household is everyone gathering on the kitchen, whether helping in cooking or just doing their own thing. By "their own thing", this week they’re addicted to stitching. The BRAT t-shirt Leia is wearing is from the Apple Set by @serenity-cc.

Prepping the protein and the vegetables for the dish. Most Indonesian recipes don't usually includes onion, but garlic and shallot are usually the base for many Indonesian recipes. Matter fact, there is a folktale based on garlic ("bawang putih") and shallot ("bawang merah") which you can read more here.

Since the recipe has spread and evolved during years and years of traveling in-between cultures, I don't think there's strictly any ingredient that made it a 'nasi goreng' – each and every ingredient can be substituted and alternated with other ingredient depending on the cook's taste buds. But as a Javanese person (who tends to have a preference for sweeter food), the three elements essential for a nasi goreng for me are: kecap manis, or the Indonesian sweet soy sauce; terasi or shrimp paste, and a day-old rice or refrigerated rice that has less moisture.

I love this shot of the family just existing together.

First part is to pan-fry each ingredients by itself -- usually it includes the eggs, the protein, and the vegetable.

The use of pan here is sacrilegious (as Uncle Roger would say "Haiyah!") but I understand the limitation of animations. After each ingredient is pan-fried, starts by adding oil, chopped shallots, chopped garlic, and terasi in another pan -- ideally a wok -- and sauté until aromatic. Combine the ingredients you had pan-fried previously, and add kecap manis and sambal. Cook together until the rice is nicely coated and every grain is separated.

I have to give my regards for @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel for doing an amazing work with this recipe because the condiments looks very well-researched! As displayed in the dish above, nasi goreng is commonly served with acar or Indonesian pickled cucumber, kerupuk or crackers (commonly prawn crackers), sunny side-up eggs, and what I assume look like perkedel or mashed potato fritters.

The family enjoyed nasi goreng together. If you remember Vienna’s monochromatic kitchen and dining area, and you see Stella’s house, you understand why I had a whiplash, right?

The dining table has a window that gives unique sunlight that I definitely needs to show in this photo below. We’ll still be cooking another Southeast Asian food with Stella for the next post, so stay tuned and dag dag!

P.S. History of nasi goreng is taken from this Wikipedia page, while detailed recipe are based on my own experience.

Imomiso’s note: This post is originally posted on the now deleted blog. I was able to retrieve this post thanks to @icemunmun-spicy-scalpel reblogging the post on her Tumblr 🤍

[indnwitch]

Vegan/Vegetarian shopping list:

Pre Made salad bags (it’s a lot cheaper to just buy bagged salad and add to it, then buying a bunch of ingredients that will go bad if not used)

Make a list of fruits and vegetables that you like and get them (some times if you get the funky shaped ones you get a few cents off, even if you don’t that stops the funky shaped produce from being tossed)

Nut butters (most almond and peanut butters are vegan, jelly and Jams aren’t because they’re made with gelatin)

Bread, check the ingredients because a lot of breads are accidentally vegan/vegetarian ( Vegetarian/Vegan (link) Sandwiches will be your best friend)

Pasta (like bread a lot of pasta is accidentally vegan, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS)

Rice and beans are some of the cheapest things to buy, buy them dry and you can have them for a while in your pantry

Google vegan ramen, (if you’re like me and love spicy ramen then you’ll be happy to know Samyang 2x spicy hot chicken flavor Ramen in the red pack is VEGAN they use artificial chicken flavor rather then animal products. Vegan Kimchi regular and spicy is a lot easier to find then you may think just look for ones without fish sauce and shrimp)

Tofu (tofu is very versatile and it’s great source of vegan/vegetarian protein made from soy, it takes flavor beautifully and it’s relatively cheap firm/extra firm is best)

Cheese (there are so many vegan cheese options, for grated parmigiana follow your heart has both grated and shredded, Violife has a block. Violife has the best shredded substitutes, and singles. Daiya is a little weird in my opinion however they’re cheddar dairy free Mac and cheese is amazing (you just gotta use different pasta then it comes with)

Meat substitutes ( We’ve come a long way with decent vegan meat substitutes, beyond meat makes a whole variety of plant based meat substitutes that are very tasty especially if you’re still craving that meaty texture. Impossible meat substitutes also has amazing plant based meat substitutes, Impossible also has vegan chicken nuggets that tastes like McDonald’s and even have dino shaped ones. Light life has everything from vegan sausage crumbles to Bacon, the vegan bacon and hot dogs are amazing)

Eggs (just egg and simply egg are planted based substitutes for eggs, they’re liquid like an egg beater but can be used in place of eggs from a scramble to a baking ingredient)

Dairy (Vegan milk/coffee creamer you got options coconut, almond, soy, oat, pea protein. Pick what you like best. Personally California farms Oat milk in original and California farms oat vanilla creamer are my favorites. I’ll throw cream cheese and Yogurt in here as well Kite Hill regular and Strawberry cream cheese are my favorite, Kite Hill blue berry, and Strawberry vegan yogurt are my favorite. MIYOKO’S vegan butter)

Snacks (Lenny and Larry’s plant based chocolate chip cookies, Spudsy sweet potato puffs they have a million different flavors I like the hot fries. Vegan rob’s dragon puffs these are the vegan equivalent to hot Cheeto puffs but without the red dye 40. Vegan rob’s also has cheese puffs)

Sauces (Anne’s goddess dressing is very tangy, Diaya blue cheese and Caesar dressings are amazing, can be thick though, they also have ranch but I got a vegan homemade ranch recipe. Hot sauce, Franks, Cholula, Tabasco, and Tapatío are vegan. Ketchup& mustard are vegan. Hellmans and follow your heart have vegan mayonnaise,Sir Kingston’s and Follow your heart also have chipotle Mayo. Follow your heart also has vegan sour cream)

Seasonings (seasons you should have in your cabinet click here, the dollar tree sells all these for a dollar and most grocery stores sell adobo)

[alicenowonderland]

FOOD BLOG #24

Payapa Café: Serenity Meets Flavor in Fairview ☕🌿

(Rolex Street, West Fairview, Quezon City)

True to its name, Payapa Café offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. This outdoor café is perfect for those who love sipping their coffee or munching on comfort food while surrounded by natural vibes. Open daily from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, it’s a versatile spot for both midday bites and evening chill-outs.

Ambiance 🌳✨

The café’s open-air setup exudes calmness, aligning perfectly with its name, “Payapa” (which means peaceful in Tagalog). It’s an ideal nook for laid-back afternoons, casual conversations, or solo moments of relaxation. If you’re a fan of natural, outdoor aesthetics, this spot will win you over.

Menu Variety & Prices 💰🍽️

One of the best things about Payapa Café is its wide-ranging menu that spans from smoothies and coffee to burgers, wings, waffles, rice bowls, and more. Their offerings are affordable, making it a go-to for those who want great food without breaking the bank.

What We Tried 🍹🍴

Strawberry Tea 🍓 ⭐ 3/5 A sweet option for juice lovers, though it leaned a little too sugary for my taste. It’s like a strawberry juice rather than a tea, but still refreshing.

Café Latte ☕ ⭐ 4/5 This one was for Ate Cla, and as a former barista herself, she gave it her nod of approval. Creamy, smooth, and satisfying!

Onion Rings 🧅 ⭐ 5/5 A standout! The generous serving size, real onion rings, and perfect crispiness made this dish a favorite. Not oily or overly spicy—just the right balance.

Chicken Katsu 🍗 ⭐ 3/5 The flavor was okay, but the sauce was a bit overpowering, making it a little umay (too rich). The breading, while crispy, was slightly rough on the palate.

Pork Liempo 🥓 ⭐ 4/5 Tender and juicy! Ate Cla, being an HRM grad, appreciated the texture and taste. A classic done right.

Blue Lemonade (FREE!) 🍋 ⭐ +1 bonus star Each dish comes with a complimentary Blue Lemonade—a refreshing touch that adds value to your meal.

Final Thoughts 🌟

Payapa Café lives up to its name by offering a peaceful dining experience paired with a solid menu of affordable and delicious options. While a couple of dishes could use some tweaking, the overall quality, generous portions, and thoughtful touches (like free drinks!) make this café worth visiting.

Whether you're here for a quick coffee run, a relaxed meal, or a serene spot to unwind, Payapa Café delivers. Don’t skip the Onion Rings—they’re a must-try!

⭐️: 4/5

Know any other chill, outdoor cafés? Let us know so we can check them out! ✨

[virgobingo]

Hello, how are you? I saw your post talking about miles is Puerto Rican heritage. Could you do something with food like like certain foods I hope this sounds weird like how they taste and everything I feel like this is a weird question but yeah thank you

hi hi! i’m doing good. not a weird question at all. a lot of our main dishes have been described to me by friends that are not puerto rican as salty! when I think about it it’s true. a lot of our meats are seasoned with a lot of adobo which is essentially:

* Sea Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, White Pepper, Paprika, Cumin, Coriander, Dried Oregano, Turmeric

it’s probably why the meats are often paired with amarillos/sweet plantains, rice, or blander root vegetables such as ñame/yam that are doused in plain olive oil (bc otherwise they can be pretty dry). for the sake of balance.

i’ve said this before but we really don’t eat a lot of spicy stuff. if you see hot sauce (pique) on a table, that usually means drinks are involved. it usually goes into soups or frituras, which are essentially our version of street food. alcapurrias, empanadillas and rellenos de papas were my favorite frituras as a kid. they’re crunchy, savory and go really well with icees

our breakfast is very americanized atp so nothing too different there besides maybe corn meal porridge/harina de maiz, maizena/breakfast custard that are very smooth and sweet! cinnamon is often sprinkled on top

this website has some pretty accurate descriptions of other food we eat https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/guide-to-traditional-puerto-rican-food

[uptochxnce]

[ LEE DOHYUN, CIS MAN, HE/HIM] — i’m pretty sure that was just CHANCE CHOI of  THE RICH AND FAMOUS that just passed by. the TWENTY-SEVEN year old ACTOR has been a resident here in the upper east side for FIVE YEARS.  they’re known for being WITTY & DEBONAIR, but i overheard someone mention they’re also SLY & IMPULSIVE…considering they’re an SCORPIO i think there might be some truth to it. but maybe that’s just because they’re always worried someone might find out about REDACTED.  something about them has always reminded me of THE SMELL OF THE OCEAN, SUNLIGHT FLITERING THROUGH YOUR FINGERS, ICED COFFEE ON A HOT DAY  but maybe that’s just because they like to PAINT & DECORATE in their free time.

QUICK STATS

name: chance choi

nickname(s): n/a

gender: cis man

pronouns: he/him

age: 27 

dob: nov 15th 1996

pob: los angeles california

orientation: bi-sexual (closeted) 

social group: the rich and famous 

APPEARANCE

height: 5'10"

build: lean/muscular 

ethnicity: korean

eye colour: brown

hair colour: black

notable features: cute smile 

style: casual (but in designer clothes)

tattoos: n/a

piercings: n/a 

PERSONALITY

positive traits: witty, debonair, kind, charming, 

negative traits: sly, impulsive, selfish, needy, reckless 

likes: late night drives, italian food, hot baths, swimming, painting, decorating

dislikes: heatwaves, the smell of cooked onions, spicy food, ketchup 

CAREER & EDUCATION

current occupation: actor 

past occupation(s): n/a 

degree(s): n/a 

BIOGRAPHY

tw: sex, drugs  as the son of a famous hollywood director, no one was surprised when chance appeared in his first movie when he was barely three years old; doe-eyed and confused, his father feeding him every line with a proud smile on his face. yet somehow he thrived, many claiming it was because his mother had been a popular actress back in south korea so it must have run in his blood. by the time he turned 10 he’d been in more movies than he could possibly remember, he was hollywood’s favourite child star, a nepo baby beloved by the world for his adorable appearance and natural skill. it was only by luck (and perhaps good genetics) that he aged into an attractive young man, growing out of his boyish charms and showing the world he was destined to be a successful leading man. yet a chance grew up he lived a rather particular and unusual life. he never attended a real school, his classroom had been in a trailer on set alongside other child actors. the only prom he ever attended was in a movie, and he’d grown up put on a pedestal, his privacy non-existence, invaded by masses of fans and paparazzi trying to get the latest scoop on hollywood’s Golden Boy. but chance kept his good reputation despite that, he was known for being kind albeit a bit oblivious at times. yet as he began to get older, this pressure of perfection slowly began to weigh him down, leaving him confused as to if he really knew who he was, or if he’d just been conditioned into the person he was raised to be. this may have been how he slowly began to resent his perfect image, starting to allow his impulses to take control. pictures of him partying at clubs began to flood the tabloids, his arms wrapped around a new pretty girl every few months. it was like he wanted to show the world he wasn’t the golden child they wanted him to be, he was adult, he was messy, he was human just like them, he could make mistakes. and mistakes he certainly did make. being rich and famous meant the world was all but on a silver platter for him, his ‘friends’ encouraged his bad habits, from sex to drugs, he let himself go wild, ultimately ending up in more than one scandal, getting labelled as an ex-child star now acting out to seem mature. it took damage control from his PR team to clean up his reputation, though behind closed doors chance was still the same mess he’d grown to be. yet to the rest of the world, he was back on screen, starring in blockbusters and charming fans with his sweet smile.

HEADCANONS 

he is bisexual, with no lean in either direction. however, he’s never publicly been in a relationship with a man because he’s worried about his reputation as an actor.

as a child chance got his start acting because his father used to put him in his films, which eventually lead to him getting speaking roles

he’s acted in most genres as a teen/young adult he’s did a lot of YA franchises. but now as an adult he favours acting in action films and dramas. 

he has many accolades and has been nominated for several oscars, but only won once. 

WANTED CONNECTIONS

childhood friend: someone else who may have grown up in entertainment industry, they could have acted in the same film or just known each other by chance.

best friend: someone in around the same age as him that he trusts with the wold, and may be one of the few people who know his secret

celebrity status: another celebrity he may have worked with whether in a film, or as brand ambassadors for something 

old sweethearts: they have previous had a very public relationship, and while they dated they were beloved by the press. but may have broken up due to schedule or personal differences.

publicity stunt: someone he had a PR relationship with, which may have been beneficial to them both (brought them publicity for dating a celebrity, and may have been a cover for him from a recent scandal) 

[saintseed-family]

“Damn, I’m hungry,” Janus said as he looked around the marketplace.  “Can we stop and eat?”

“Of course, we’ve been shopping for awhile,” replied Thorn, “There’s plenty to choose from here, what do you want to get?”

Janus took in the various stalls that had been set up.  Summer market was always full of delicious smells and tastes, but today it seemed especially hard to decide on what to get.  Normally he’d settle for a fried kebab, or maybe something sweet, but everything looked good today.  While shopping, Thorn had already loaded up his basket with anything that Janus had asked for - leafy green vegetables and extremely sour fruits and his favorite kind of squash that got real buttery when it was baked, and yet none of those things really seemed like what he wanted to eat right now.  

He wasn’t fond of the phrase “eating for two,” he had always had a hearty appetite, but it was true that he was definitely putting that food to more use these days, and Thorn was more than happy to indulge in every request Janus had.

“Somethin’ fried… no… somethin’ spicy,” Janus said, glancing at all the food on display.  During the summer market they often got vendors from out of the village, bringing food they normally didn’t get to have, and the choices were overwhelming.  “No wait…  Sweet sounds good too…”

“We’re not on a budget darling, you can get more than one thing,” Thorn chuckled.

“Ah, I just can’t decide,” Janus laughed. “I’m used to thinkin’ with my stomach, but my belly is full of cub and they’re callin’ the shots.”

“Ah, so the cub is hungry then?” Thorn mused.  “What does the cub want?”

“A little of everything I think.”

“Well then I think we can make that happen,” he said with a smile.

“Alright then… Maybe… maybe some of that sweet fry bread from the bakery and… oh, egg sunny up sounds good… and maybe some of the Hazelbough’s hot sauce they put on their kebabs,” mused Janus.  “With green onions.”

“All at once?”

“Can I have it all at once?” Janus asked.

Thorn laughed, “You can have anything you want darling, I just worry the cub will be kicking you in protest!”

“It just all sounds really good,” admitted Janus with a shrug, “And I want all of it.”

“Then all of it you will have.”

They stopped at the bakery for the fry bread first, hot and dusted with sugar, then went to a street vender selling fried eggs.  The vendor gave Janus a strange look when he asked him to put the egg right on top of the sweet pastry, but didn’t say anything.  Finally they visited the Hazelbough’s stall for a sampling of their sauce and a handful of chopped onions.  Janus looked extremely pleased at his assembled treat and he smiled as he took a big bite.

“How is it?”

“I suspect I’ll hate it if I ever have it when I’m not pregnant,” Janus chuckled as he tried to politely cover his mouth.  “But right now it’s the best damn thing I’ve ever had.” 

[tmorriscode]

I have so many thoughts about pog soup.

cooking is a great way to experience culture and history of a place.

When I make gumbo, I think of the intersecting cultures that led to okra, dried sassafras leaves and roux all sharing a pot.

So when I see mention of food in something I’m reading or watching, I pay attention.

Bo shares a food she calls pog soup with Din Djarin. She also references the food’s cultural importance.

“You've never eaten pog soup?"
"No."
"Can you appreciate the irony? Any Mandalorian worth their armor was raised on this since they were his (Grogu’s) size.”

This is a nice bit of world building. We’ve seen in the show that the Mandalorians are a race that take their culture seriously. But they’re also a diaspora. One that has spent time in hiding after being persecuted by the imperial government.

In our real life diasporas, one of the things we try to hold onto are recipes. Items can be lost, but recipes can be recreated from memory and handed down. Consuming them puts us in mind of people and places we no longer have access to.

The Children Of The Watch have managed to hold on to what is culturally most important (their forge, their creed).

But along the way, they lost simpler pleasures, like comfort foods.

What is it about pog soup that makes it a cultural touchstone? It’s not listed in any Star Wars cookbook I own. The Galaxy’s Edge cookbook lists two Mandalorian foods - a spicy chicken stew and a sticky and spiced fruit and nut cake.

In the cookbook, the fictional author speculated that Mandalorian food is spicy because the warrior culture looked at it as a test of their bravery to eat.

There are supposedly four essentials of Mandalorian cooking, but the only one mentioned in canon is that the food must be portable.

It makes sense that the Mandalorian comfort food is soup. You can put it in a mug and drink it on the go. Especially if you are running to your next battle. And it’s probably spicy.

The Star Wars website helpfully provides a recipe that includes bell peppers, onions, assorted flavorful spices, a little heat from curry powder and sweetness from coconut milk.

It honestly looks delicious. Sweet, with complex notes from the spice blend. But not too hot for a child’s palette. The coconut milk would help cut down on the spice burn, and the natural sugar in the peppers and coconut milk would appeal to kids too.

I wonder about what we could infer about Mandalorian culture based on particular spices? Are they native to Mandalore? If they were one more thing lost in the purge (except in places like Bo Katan’s palace gardens ) that might explain why Din hadn’t heard of pog soup. Also, a covert on the run and hiding their numbers in sewers wouldn’t have access to spices. Not to grow and not to buy in quantity.

In a situation like that, they might hold all the tighter to their creed because that’s all they have of Mandalore.

Otoh, it also highlights the way the two characters are diametric opposites. For Din Djarin, adhering to the creed is what makes him Mandalorian. He tells Bo-Katan “If we don’t have the creed, what are we?”

Bo-Katan otoh, grew up with a pre-purge Mandalore. She had pog soup and the gardens in the domes. She took her creed at thirteen while standing in the living waters. Her followers left her in the same way that Din’s covert cast him out. But she doesn’t have to question if she’s Mandalorian. She has these experiences to shape her identity. Her self-doubt revolves around her leadership ability.

Bo-Katan sharing an experience over food with Din Djarin shows how the two characters who represent different types of Mandalorian are learning to see each other. It’s the first step in their quest.

That’s quite a lot of meaning to pack into a simple cup of soup.

I know that the episode that references pog soup has been out a little while, and I’m probably behind in posting my thoughts, but I just had to let this digest a bit.

. . . I’ll just see myself out.

[nycfoodieblog]

I planned on cooking today but ended up being too busy and didn’t get a chance to. However, I was able to put together a batch of my fire-roasted salsa that I posted about a year ago. It’s something that I have in the refrigerator almost all the time and I really think it has a better flavor than anything that you can purchase in the store.

I usually use an equal amount of Roma tomatoes and specifically red jalapeños as these intensify the heat index as well as the color of the salsa. Those two ingredients along with half of a yellow onion and about six cloves of garlic (skin on) are thrown under the broiler for a few minutes to get a very good char on all of them. They’re then tossed in the food processor with fresh lime juice, a splash of white vinegar, fresh cilantro, jalapeño salt, ground black pepper, a pinch of cumin and a few other “odds & ends” that make mine special. I’m sorry I don’t have exact measurements, I just blend it and taste it until it “feels” right.

Feel free to adjust the seasonings to it, and if you’re not a fan of spicy sauces, you can substitute green jalapeños for the red ones. Either way, I think it’ll be all eaten as fast as you can make it. 😂😂😂

Mood Music - “Sweet Distraction” by Sam Willis feat. Kofi Stone & Jake Milliner

[katsukiizmoon]

╰┈➤ ꒰🍓🪴🌱 ┊Katsuki Inspired Garden ꒱

『♡』 Do you want a garden? Do you also love Katsuki? This is a great way to have fun !! I really enjoy gardening n I think this would be a beautiful way to connect with my favorite boy.

🌶 Thai Chili Peppers

Hot hot hot! These are very spicy and I think that’s why it works so well for this garden. Much like his personality, these will burn. You can grind them into a paste, use them fresh, or make sauces and jams with them.

🌼 Pot Marigold

Often bright orange and red in color! Beautiful flowers that not only repel things like nematodes from your garden but they’re often used for herbal remedies. Some varieties of marigold are safe to eat. Big, bold beautiful flowers, just like ‘suki!

🌱Green Onion

Probably one of the easiest things in the world to do! Perfect to top most dishes. You can regrow these from scraps (3-4 yields) or you can grow from seed! I currently have like 10 green onions regrowing haha. I feel like these fit well with him, I’m sure tosses some onto his food for pizzazz.

🫐 Berries

Nitroglycerin tastes sweet. That’s the inspiration for this! I chose blackberries as I feel like they’re something Katsuki would enjoy. That being said you could always go for two blueberry plants, strawberries, and the like.

🌿 Herbs

Herbs are often fairly simple to grow and care for, unlike strawberry plants (mine still hasn’t given me a berry ugh). But they can be used for teas, tinctures, salves, and more. Some of the most common to grow are basil, mint, rosemary, and lemon balm ! You can also grow your own green tea !! Make lots of little salves to rub his shoulders and massage into his back after long days. Do not plant mint in the ground it’ll spread like crazy and never go away, use a pot.

🍠 Ginseng (if you’re brave)

Bare with me here.. couldn’t find a ginseng emoji. But yes, I think ginseng could be a beautiful addition to this garden. Here’s the one qualm: patience. Much like katsuki, you are going to have to be very patient with a ginseng plant. They grow very slowly, taking around a year or more just to germinate (yes, really). Ginseng is not for you if you aren’t ready to keep the plant for YEARS as it won’t be ready to harvest until then. You can find rootlets and seeds to make it easier but you will still need to be very patient.

🍵 Ginger

If you know that ginseng isn’t your thing, why don’t we try another root plant? Ginger! I can almost guarantee katsuki uses ginger often. You will still need lots of patience! These delicious roots take eight to ten months to grow. But that’s nothing compared to the 5+ YEARS for ginseng (unless you buy a root that’s already older haha).

[mariacallous]

Traditional latke accompaniments are applesauce and sour cream. But why not broaden your horizons? As potato pancakes, latkes lend themselves to both savory and sweet toppings. It’s fun to layer toppings too, such as lox, dill, red onion and more:

• Traditional Potato Latkes (recipe below) 

• Sour cream or crème fraîche 

• Lox 

• Fresh dill 

• Applesauce 

• Beet hummus 

• Red onion slices 

• Lemon slices 

• Cucumber slices 

• Capers 

• Spicy ketchup 

If you’ve never made latkes, the first thing you should know is that making them is a labor of love. While it’s not complicated, there’s a lot of hands-on work to make a delicious, crispy potato pancake. But they’re SO worth it! My mom was big on hand-grating the potatoes and the onion. Sure, you could put them in  a food processor — but when you do, the texture isn’t the same and they tend to become dense when cooked, not light and crisp. 

Notes: 

If you have sensitive eyes when you’re chopping onions, place the onion in the refrigerator or freezer for 15-20 minutes before handling. 

The latkes can be made a few hours in advance and reheated in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

[the-dining-diary]

Today I visited Underdog Sports Bar and Grill in Harrisburg, PA.

Here’s what I got!

First I started out with a raspberry iced tea.

I’m sometimes concerned when getting a fruity tea because oftentimes they’re much too sweet. This one tasted like it was most likely a fountain drink so it wasn’t too sweet and had an even flavor. I’ve definitely had this brand of raspberry tea at other restaurants. 8.5/10

Next, I had a tossed salad with ranch dressing and my mom got their chili loaded with all the fixin’s.

My salad was lovely. The ranch dressing was great: not too mayonnaise-y. It only came with one little slice of tomato(which was great for me because I despise tomatoes), so for all you tomato-enjoyers, it may have fallen a bit short, but it also came with cheese, red onion, and croutons. I really enjoyed the array and amount of toppings, however they were all just piled up in the middle and it was a bit difficult to evenly mix them together. 6.5/10

The chili was great! The toppings are an extra charge but we’re totally worth it. My mom thought it was too sweet for her taste, but I thought it was phenomenal. 7.5/10

For our main course we shared a basket of 12 wings. Half with the ‘Boom Boom’ sauce, and half mild.

This is where my experience really fell short. Let’s start with the sauce. The Boom sauce was great and the wings were evenly coated. They weren’t overly spicy but there was a bit of a kick to them. However, the Mild was… interesting. The spice level was, well, mild, and the sauce just generally tasted like your basic wing sauce. However, it was hard to get a proper read because there was no sauce on the wings! All of the sauce was pooled at the bottom of the basket. I don’t even know how this happened because clearly this was not the case with the six wings coated in the Boom sauce. The chicken itself was o.k. Underneath the skin, the meat was moist and flavorful, however the skin was unbelievably dry. I like a crispy wing, but when the “crispiness” makes it feel as though I’m chewing on tree bark, I’d classify it as simply being dry and poorly cooked. 3/10

Overall, I’d rate my food experience a 6/10. The salad and chili were enough to push it a bit above average. Of course, I don’t speak for all! So go check it out if you’re in the Harrisburg area and want to form your own opinion :)

[ddarker-dreams]

Awwwww you cooked lunch for your family that’s so sweet!! I’m tryna teach myself how to cook, and they’re sooooo many dishes I wanna try that I’m so excited for :D I kinda lack motivation and energy from other things unfortunately but I’m working on it, I will say tho, thinking of it as working on my wife material abilities helps a LOT.

I feel like this ask is kinda strange so far so I apologize, but I was wondering what your favourite dish to make or eat would be? It’s not cooking but for me, i LOVE making macarons (not much of a cook but I do bake:D)

i am the family chef™ 😌 i love cooking!!! i actually only got into it around three ish years ago, so i get what you mean hjtkmger the sheer magnitude of possibilities is overwhelming at first. NGL i think baking is harder so i have nothing but the utmost respect for you and anyone who bakes 😭 i can do it... it's just so much work. i get flour everywhere. i even got eggs on my socks once (i don't even know how). there's so much shame to be felt when wiping egg off your sock. i can't put the humiliation into words. i bake cakes as a gift on birthdays exclusively and that's it. my short-lived baking phase has formally Concluded.

macaroons are especially difficult good god. i thought about making them once . watched a youtube video showing how it's done. i then immediately stopped thinking about making them.

omg my favorite dish... i have a couple i'll share!! my ultimate, uncontested favorite is this mac and cheese though. it's divine. utter perfection. ambrosia from the gods. the recipe comes from everyplate, but they don't give measurements, so i'll go ahead and fill those in. you'll need a pan (or two) that can withstand being broiled in the oven for around a minute. this is gonna get lengthy so i'll put it beneath the cut htjgkrm

the measurements for the ingredients are as follows (this is enough to feed around four people):

one bunch of scallions

one long green pepper (i've used cubanelle pepper too)

two cloves of garlic

one cup of milk

one cup of shredded pepper jack cheese

one cup of shredded cheddar cheese

as for the panko and frank's seasoning blend mixture, i normally eyeball it so i don't actually know the measurements for it ... i guess it depends on how spicy you want it?

this breakfast square recipe is another one of my favorites, it reheats surprisingly well too!! i always make it before vacation and everyone just warms it up for breakfast for the days that follow. it's so yummy. i add a dash of italian seasoning to the hashbrown layer to give it more flavor. godspeed 🙏

finally, another big favorite of mine is beef fajitas. this consists of:

london broil (this cut of meat almost always seems to be on sale so that's nice)

beef consommé

two garlic cloves

two bell peppers

one yellow onion

two or three avocados

one lime

spanish rice

tortillas

salt/pepper/southwest seasoning/paprika

for the london broil: set oven to 250 fahrenheit. put the london broil in a deep dish baker, lightly salt and pepper, then add beef consommé until it almost (but not quite) submerges the meat. toss in garlic cloves (i use a garlic press so it distributes evenly across the meat). bake for around two and a half to three hours until tender.

sautéed veggies: slice or dice bell peppers/yellow onion depending on your preference. heat a pan with olive oil on medium heat. add veggies. add salt/pepper/southwest seasoning to veggies. cook until onions are translucent + bell peppers are slightly browned.

i just used boxed spanish rice and they have instructions on the back!! it's pretty simple but takes around 30-40 minutes to cook.

guacamole: cut into avocado, remove the core. i use a spoon to scoop out the insides and toss them into a bowl. sprinkle with lime juice. add salt, pepper, paprika. i like adding a dash of balsamic vinegar. mash and stir it up to desired consistency.

when everything is prepared, slap it onto your tortilla and behold the tastiest combination one could ever stumble across. it's so good. i almost want to cry just thinking about it.

[thecandywrites]

Monster March 2024- Day 21- Shapeshifter

A Mother's Hearth and Home

As always, huge thanks to @borealwrites for their amazing Monster March 2024 Prompt List.

Monster March 2024- Shapeshifter

Part 3 

Adorim came up the stairs to see both the kitchens of the shop full of others who were still in the middle of making a proper family meal while others were setting out every dish from both the shop and their own homes to set up the many tables around the shop, as many of the younger kids were helping set up sets of steel utensils, as he could see others peek in the cracks of the closed curtains and shutters of the storefront curiously. 

“What do you guys need?” Allura asked as she came around everyone who was cooking in the massive kitchen for the shop, clearly meant for a crew of cooks. 

“Taste this!” They all seemed to say as they each seemed to stop to offer her tastes of what they were working on as they were all practically shoulder to shoulder as she came down the line to taste them before she took their spoons and handed the rest to Adorim to taste. 

“Here, you taste, see if you like it.” She urged him. 

“Oh, I…my sense of taste isn’t that really refined…” He tried to slink back but Allura grabbed his arm to pull him forward again. 

“Come on, use that brutal honesty of yours.” Allura encouraged him in a light teasing tone before he took the small spoons and brought them up to his mouth to taste test them since he was a head and shoulders above them all.  

“Um, yeah, they’re good.” He answered as he handed it back. 

“That’s it? That’s all? Come on, you can do better than that. Come on. We may not have scales but our skin is thick enough to take it. Was it too sweet? To savory? Too spicy? Too rich? Too salty?” Allura asked. 

“Well, what were you going for?” He asked the young looking woman who handed it to Allura to begin with. 

“It’s supposed to be rich and savory with some good flavors and a hint of spice, but not hot enough to burn the mouths of the little ones.” She specified. 

“Oh, then you got it.” He insisted. 

“Could use a bit more garlic and green onion, maybe some shallot to cut through the richness of the bone marrow and bone broth you’ve used as the base.” Allura offered. 

“Green bird pepper.” Adorim suddenly blurted out as both Allura and this female relative seemed pleased with that as they both smiled happily up at him. 

“I should have some dried bird pepper in the pantry- it will be with the equator spices.” Allura urged before she left and got some before Adorim watched where she went- to see her step down into what looked like…a large food storage area, through a door, that he thought led to a broom closet or something. 

“See? That wasn’t so hard.” Allura practically cooed teasingly before she continued down the line as she gave her input fist before Adorim grew more and more comfortable with offering one or two more suggestions which were met with delight. 

“You like your spice.” Allura noted. 

“I do.” He nodded before they moved to where those making sweets and desserts were doing their best to make fillings while others were working dough to make pie crusts. 

“This flour could use some more grinding.” Allura noted as she reached out to touch and then rub the flour between her fingers. 

“Sorry, the boys are upstairs in your kitchen.” The girls offered. 

“Could I grind some flour for you then?” Adorim offered. 

“No you just came from a huge journey, you’re a guest.” One of them tried to dissuade him. 

“I don’t mind. I would like to help. And if you need finely ground flour, I can help grind it.” He offered before they all looked to Allura, since this was still, very much, her kitchen.

“Have you ever ground grains to make flour before?” Allura asked him thoughtfully. 

“I’ve sharpened more than my fair share of blades against the whetstone, I’m sure it can’t be too different.” Adorim offered with a small shrug as she gave him a thoughtful but still slightly weary look. 

“...ok. Well, I’ll show you how it’s done, then you just copy my movements.” She offered as she pulled up her sleeves to wash her hands before she handed him the bar of soap to wash his own hands as he did so, taking off his arm braces to reveal his forearms and washed up to his elbows, the same way she had. 

“Perfect.” She grinned once he was done before she showed him her millstones and the hole drilled in the top of them as she swept up the hastily ground flour and poured it back into the top and he could see that she had clearly done this for most of her life as her whole body seemed to take up a particular stance so that she used her own body weight and all her body’s strength to help get the stone moving and once it was moving, to keep up the momentum as Adorim watched her closely before she let go and he hastily grabbed the handle at the top to continue and keep up the speed and rhythm of the grinding. 

“Ok, ok, that’s enough. We don’t need any more flour.” Allura stopped him as she swept up the last of the fine flour into the sack until it nearly overflowed before she managed to use a needle and thread and sewed it up to keep it mostly fresh. 

“There, you’re a natural.” Allura smiled happily as she used a special brush to brush the now, much finer ground flour out and into a bowl before she gave some to each person at the counter who were all quick to use and incorporate it before she came back and put that bowl back to catch it before she got a scoop and scooped up a bigger heap of whole grains and matched her pouring of them into the millstone as he was grinding it away.

“You make that look practically effortless.” Another praised nearby with a pleasant smile as he returned the polite smile but focused on Allura and her movements as she seemed content to move around him and help feed the mill in between brushing the other flour into the bowl before refeeding the once ground flour back into it, so it was ground down twice into a very fine flour before giving it down the line of bakers, all the while, Adorim was happy to keep the movement the same, switching hands, to keep from one hand and arm from tiring out and kept at it until all the bakers not only had enough flour, but until Allurah refilled every bag of flour that she had emptied out. 

“Goodness. Your arms must be burning.” Allura noted as Adorim slowed the grind stone down before he lifted it off to make sure he got all the flour from between the top and bottom mill stones as Allurah simply grinned and helped get any chunks out and reveal the special grooves that were cut into the two ends so that the two stones ground the flour between them.

“Nope. They’re fine.” Adorim shook his head no.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” He asked before the girls behind Allura whispered something to Allura. 

“What was that?” He asked. 

“Well if you really wanted to, my grandma has cacao beans that need to be ground down. And maybe some coffee beans too?” One of them suggested hopefully as Allura gave her an unimpressed sidelong glance. 

“He’s done more than enough already, good grief, we are not here to take advantage.” Allura tried to dissuade them. 

“Everyone is working hard to provide food for all. All I wish to do is offer the same effort everyone else is putting forth. If I didn’t have the effort or strength to give, I would not offer.” Adorim stated resolutely. 

“Please?” The others pleaded to Allura. 

“Ok fine, cacao it is. But I’m doing the coffee.” Allura said as she huffed and Adorim walked with her into the storehouse to where she walked over to one of the many sacks that took up most of the floor space. 

“Wasn’t this empty?” He recalled when he had cast a glance into here earlier to see only a mop and a broom against an empty shelf. 

“It was. But thanks to that very overzealous restore blessing the Great Dragons gave us, it’s practically bursting at the seams. It’s been…psh…years since this store house was this full. It will take, at least a year or two to eat through it all, even if every night we cook and eat like we are about to- tonight- for every meal of every day from tonight onward. The Great Dragons just really want to make sure you guys want for nothing as far as food and drink goes. Even my wine and ale and mead jars are full and about to overflow.” Allura answered as she took a bowl and scooped up the cacao beans into it to measure out how much she would need before she seemed to grab just a half scoop more to make it a heaping bowl full. 

“You have wine and ale?” Adorim seemed to blink in surprise as the thought of ale made his mouth water. 

“Yeah, several varieties too, what do you like? Light ale, dark ale?” She asked as she walked over to the large casks that were partially in the room and partially sitting down and into the dining room so that they could be refilled from here, without the whole huge butte ton caskets wouldn’t need to be moved while huge wine jars were in a room just under this. 

“Dark.” He answered. 

“Ok.” She nodded with a giddy smile as she opened the cork and used a special cup on a ladle and pulled out some and used it to pour into a larger stein before she handed it to him. 

“Oooh, this is very good.” He praised once he began to drink it. This was, hands down, the best ale he had ever drank in his life.  

“Thanks. We call it a stout.” She grinned as he was quick to drink it up. 

“More?” She asked. 

“No, I just needed something to quench my thirst from making the flour.” He politely declined before he finished it off and left with the large bowl of cocoa seeds as she brought a small bag of green coffee beans and she set him up with the special grinder for the cacao and showed him how she ground them before he took her spot and continued to crack, break and grind down the cacao beans into a gritty paste before he took over from her. 

But he still lowkey watched Allura as she set to the green coffee beans and put the green coffee beans into a special roaster over the fire to “roast” the beans until the aroma seemed to fill the kitchen as they all seemed to pause to smell the heavenly aroma. 

“Almost done.” Allura said as she got into a special glass jars and dropped special drops onto the coffee beans and then mixed them by hand before roasting them just a little more as scents of caramel, and praline pecans and other nutty desserts and even the chocolate that Adorim was grinding bloomed before she pulled them off the fire and let them cool down in a special bowl before she used a special grinder to grind the coffee beans down before she brewed a pot of special coffee and poured tiny little shot glasses full and gave one to each person in the kitchen before others that came down from her upstairs kitchen came down to get some too. 

“What kind of coffee is this?” He asked, since it seemed to be especially intensely flavored. 

“Espresso.” She beamed happily before she helped him move the gritty paste from the rougher grinder to a marble one, so that the finer grit would be broken down before she added milk and sugar to help make it more refined and proper chocolate. 

“Ok, now, lets put these into molds.” Allura urged him before she brought out a special pan and they poured the chocolate into the special molds so that everyone could have some once they would harden before Allura was much more keen to lick the chocolate off her fingers before she would wash her hands as Adorim seemed just as keen as she was. He had not ever done anything like that. But yet, surrounded by others, all of them cooking various things, it seemed so…normal. The closest thing to normal since they had to flee from home. 

And Allura getting chocolate on her face was suddenly filling his mind with thoughts of licking it off of her face himself before he tried to bat those thoughts away as the younglings came down to check on her as the kids helped lick her face and her fingers clean while seeming to lick her grinding stones and tools down too before she urged them out of the kitchen and back upstairs so she could check on things up there where her sons, and grand sons and great grandsons were all cooking in this kitchen and just as eager to offer her tastes of what they were working. 

“Just like Papa used to make?” They all seemed to ask her eagerly and hopefully. Referring to her late mate- Luminaire. 

“Just like Papa made, if not better.” She praised each one as they were just as eager for her approval and constructive criticism while they seemed to make a polite inquiry to see what Adorim thought before Searsy seemed to pull her aside and tried to subtly slip a letter into her hands. 

“What’s this?” Allurah asked. 

“Dorierra’s favor in exchange for the tomb meat.” Searsy answered in marinai. 

“Do they know I have a prince? Or just refugees?” Allura asked him seriously.  

“The Great Dragons told me to tell them about the young prince, so that you would get loins and fat nodes and not just legs.” He answered as Allura just sighed heavily and didn’t bother opening it but slipped it into a pocket. 

“Who else knows about this matter?” Allura asked before Searsy answered her with the members of her family who had gone with him and gotten it in the first place. 

“Have any of you told anyone else?” Allura asked. 

“No.” He shook his head no. 

“Good, don’t. He is still a nursing babe. He should live as normal of a childhood as possible for as long as he can. When he is of adult age, and old enough and capable of making this decision for himself, we will bring it up with him then. But not a moment sooner.” Allura insisted as she eyed the node of fat and the loin of tomb meat hanging on her kitchen wall with weary suspicion now. 

“What’s going on?” Adorim asked as he took a step closer. 

“A family matter. Some of the items were bought with a price a little higher than I would have liked or wanted, that’s all.” Allura insisted before she moved to gather her dishes out of her cupboard and began to help the others set the many tables in the store part of the house where many long tables were set up as others were already using all of the business’ dishes and sets of eating utensils to set up places for everyone to sit and eat before others came and brought their dishes down to the buffet table as Allura called all the dragonborn to come and eat first. 

“You are the guests of honor, you need to eat first.” She urged them. 

“Only if you will get your own plate as well.” Adorim insisted. 

“Fine.” Allura caved as she got her plate and went down the buffet line with them, telling them about each dish as she only got a small spoonful of each one- and even then- by the time they got down the line, their plates were practically overflowing before they sat down at Allura’s favorite table in the restaurant before all the other kids then got in line behind them, then all the adults did after the kids did before everyone seemed to crowd around all the tables, all of them eagerly talking and complimenting each other on what dishes they cooked for the family feast as they giggled to see the dishes practically constantly refill themselves so that everyone would get to eat a bit of everything as Allurah urged them that they would all need to take portions of the food home with them after the feast as Adorim was given yet another stein of stout, this one, somehow, even more delicious than the first as he did not contest when he had barely had one before one of Allurah’s grandson’s offered to refill the stein for him when he would be refilling his grandma’s wine glass with her own sweet wine she had made the year before.  It wasn’t the prettiest food, but it was some of the most delicious food they had ever had other imperial feasts. And filled every notion they had ever had of being hungry on this trip as many were celebrating the new holiday this was for them. Yet one more Day of Safe Haven for the colony to celebrate Adorim’s group safely finding a haven here. 

But Adorim and his group were all profoundly touched that here, they were refugees and relative strangers to those around them, yet they were warmly invited, and cared for and welcome here along with Allurah’s family. 

Adorim however, tried to get used to how the women would openly nurse at the tables, often trading babies to whoever had milk to nurse, as many were passed to Allura to nurse as she ate one handed and held a babe in either arm as she nursed from either breast- as she sat kitty corner to him at the end of one of the tables as babes- rather instinctively began to cry in succession the moment their mothers passed her when one would be done before Allura readily took them to nurse so that their mothers would be able to eat, even though the mothers claimed many had already nursed and had been fine only moments ago. 

But Allurah didn’t seem to mind sharing her milk because the nursing ones that had come with Adorim were happy to eat solid food since they had nursed their fill from her before dinner and were happy to eat the meal- cut up into smaller, easier to eat pieces from the end of Allura’s knees as the little ones were happy to sit down the line from Allura across from Adorim since the other adults and subadults had been pulled to eat around the large feast hall as the fires blazed to keep everyone warm. Even the younglings would try to feed her every often which Allura appreciated so she could hold the babes at her breasts- with both arms, often trading off each babe and nursing until each babe seemed to drink their fill and then fall asleep before their mothers were sure to return to get their babies back with thanks before yet another would practically have her babe ready to go to Allura in it’s relative’s place as Allua seemed eager and happy to get these aches from her practically constantly overfull breasts to go down as she chided her own clothes for being too tight across her own heaving bosom.  

Adorim however, seemed to be plagued by thoughts and fantasies of what she would be like nursing his own dragonborn hatchlings and was chastizing himself for having such lewd and disrespectful thoughts. But with her other family members talking to others in his group- questions about such things, just trying to get to know more about them as individuals and as a peoples, usually such topics of conversation were seen as impolite to discuss so freely and in such candor and while he found that others were wanting to engage those in his group in conversation, he could little but simply overhear the conversation all around him as it was clear that only Allura felt truly comfortable to engage in casual conversation between talking to the others and of course to the various babes at her breasts as they were happy to nurse to fall to an early sleep for the night. 

Then once the feast had been eaten and all had gone home to get their own dishes to take heaping portions of all the foods made for the feast so that every single one would have more than enough food to last them practically for the rest of the week- the leftovers- which practically looked like fresh- never touched dishes- still full- were put into Allurah’s food storage room to eat for the next few days so she didn’t have to cook for them. 

Then she excused herself and their group for sleep, since she was feeling quite tired herself as her family readily assured her that they would wash her dishes and return the shop and her kitchen back to working order by morning, which brought a grateful smile to her face as she said her thanks and her goodnights and then picked up the babes in her arms and carried their now sleepy forms up the stairs from the shop and then up the floors of her home to the second floor while the other adults and subadults took to the third floor to the bedrooms there. 

But on the second floor was where her bedroom was as she was eager to keep all the youngest younglings with her- in her bedroom where she had a series of cribs for toddlers and babes around her room as the youngest were eager to wrap their legs and arms around her, not wanting to be separated from her as she had to brush her teeth one handed before she handed him a new toothbrush that had been made for him as he was ever so grateful to finally really get a chance to brush his own teeth, rather liking the sweet and minty and even slightly floral toothpaste they used.  He was happy to help her to help the youngest ones start to brush their teeth that were coming in before she got them changed for bed, grateful that they weren’t too big that her old baby and toddler sleeping gowns could still fit them as she offered that she would see to it that they had clothes that would fit them when they would get up in the morning. 

“Ugh, I need to brush my hair and braid it so it doesn’t tangle.” She offered to her tired reflection in the mirror of the bathroom sink once they had finished with brushing everyone’s teeth as her other family members were walking the other adults and subadults through how to work her bathrooms upstairs.  

“Could I do that for you?” Adorim found himself offering. 

“You know how to braid hair?” She asked. 

“I’ve been known to braid my horse’s hair.” He offered which got a sputtering snicker from her. 

“Well ok then. That’ll have to do.” She offered before she sat down at something of a vanity as he brushed her super fine, and silky hair, marveling that it was so blonde, practically white before he did his best to braid it as well as he could before he used a special tie to tie it off for her as she had kept her eyes closed, enjoying the experience of someone brushing and coming and braiding her hair for her. 

“Thank you.” She offered him a sweet smile through the mirror before she moved the now sleeping one in her arms with her into bed as it was clear she had raised dozens of kids to sleep right where she put them in the bed as Adorim was half tempted to crawl into the other side of the bed. 

“Goodnight Adorim.” She offered tiredly as she settled in bed and pulled the blankets up over her, Alami, Tolla, Kidane and Amare, with Alami and Amare under one arm and Tolla and Kidane under the other as she laid on her back, happy to have the four of them with her as Adorim simply tucked the five of them into the bed to make sure they would stay warm before putting on yet another few logs on the fire in her bedroom.

“Goodnight Allura. Should you need me, I’ll be through here, just call and I’ll answer.” He offered since he took the “weaning room” with the other little ones who were still being weaned and potty trained. 

“Ok, I will.” She smiled tiredly before she just graced the pillow that stayed beside her own- as if bidding goodnight to Luminare’s memory. 

What was Adorim thinking? She was a widow who had lived 5 whole lifetimes with her mate, and he had been an ungrateful bastard to her when she first answered his prayers. There was no way she would ever look at him with nothing but kindness and respect but never desire, the way he had started to look at her through this whole ordeal. 

He got into bed and for once, was practically flushed and overheated. He worried he had overdrank. And what was up with his scales suddenly getting itchy? Did he really eat so much he was going to shed again? That would be just…typical, finally get here and have to shed one’s scales immediately? Oh as if he needed any more pity. 

But all he could see when he closed his eyes was Allura’s face, and her body behind his eyelids as- for the first time in a long time- his cock rose from the blankets as he fisted his hands into the bedding to keep himself from touching himself. 

“This can’t be happening. She’s too old for you. And you’re too old for her. Too old for this shit.” He breathed to himself as the more he tried to ignore his need- the worse it got. He even tried to roll over and instead, all he could imagine was fucking her from behind as she would have those blessed babes asleep in front of her. Before he could stop himself he had taken his length into his fist and was pumping furiously against his own length as he had to use both hands to grab both the length and the bulbous knot at the base. She probably was small enough she couldn’t take all of him. But fuck he wanted to try anyway. He had been pubescent the last time his cock spurted this much precum. 

Just his imagination running wild with how heavenly she would sound, her sighs, her pants, her keens, her moans. Even if she called out Luminaire’s name instead of his own, he wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t matter to him. He just…he felt indebted by her kindness and generosity and even if all the thanks he could give her would be to give her- her overdue release? That would be enough. Even if all she would want- is to use him to just get off, that would be enough. Even if she took from him greedily- he wouldn’t care. He’d give until she would have no more want. 

He came in a growling grunt that he tried to hide in the pillow that had the audacity to smell like Allura, as if she was laying right next to him as he rubbed his face into it to accept the comfort her scent had began to give him. 

He really hated how much his hands were now covered in his own cum. He hated how he practically soiled his bedding. He hated how badly this had only seemed to fan the flames of his own desire for Allura. 

He could only peek his eyes open to see the weaning ones still sleeping blissfully away as he tried to contain the mess to only the upper sheet as he tried to clean himself up the best he could manage. 

What was his body doing to him? Shouldn’t he be at the age where sex was the last thing on his mind? Shouldn’t his cock stop working altogether? Shouldn’t his drive to breed have died off by now? He was behaving like a sex brained subadult. He had his chance to have kids of his own and had refused it. He had helped his brothers raise their sons. He had trained his own cadets the same way his father had trained him. He had already passed on all he needed to. He didn’t need…he didn’t need to continue his own legacy more than he already had. Besides, Allura had already insisted that she would lie with no other than her former mate. She had already told him that. And he had believed her. He had seen her with her own children, as moura as they were, granted her children and grandchildren had even chose to marry others that had found refuge here and their children had looked perfectly pleasant. And he had seen the pictures she had had of her family from all the rebirths. She had seen her bright, happy smiles in them. He had touched the very tiles she used the hand and feet of all of her children to tile her kitchen walls. He could feel the love and the pride she had in her family and in her remarkable home. 

And he had also seen her pain, her sorrow, her sadness, her loss right along with all of that. And had she not lost her mate, and instead kept him, she never probably would have bothered to scout and never would have been looking out for them and never would have…they wouldn’t be here and all that he was able to save of his empire- wouldn’t be alive now, if Luminare had been reborn with her. And he most likely would have died on that mountain. The Royal Litter still strapped to his chest and back.

And to see how bright her eyes and her smiles and to hear her laugh and tease and gently poke and prod and become more familiar with her adopted kids, was such a blessing in itself. Even if she had just been able to come, if he had just been able to see her for her. He probably would have handed her the Royal Litter and fought off their pursuers, just so that they would have been completely safe and sound and would have grown up here, even without him, even without the other guards, even without everything else. Even if they had to grow up, learning marinai instead of draconic. Even if they had to give up everything they were, to embrace a new life as anyone they wanted to be. That would have been enough. 

But instead, he could not go back and change his past mistakes. All he could do, was continue to support Allura, continue to try to teach the younglings. And try to reteach everything he had already taught to those who hadn’t survived with him. That would be more than enough. Even if, she never would look at him with any kind of desire, even if he would just have to continue to pleasure himself and only himself. That would be enough. There was roof over his head, clothes on his back, food in his belly and life in his chest. That was enough. 

Then his ear caught the sound of Allura sighing in contentment as he turned his head to see light shine under the door that separated her room from this one. 

He should get up and check on her. Make sure she didn’t need anything. But first, he needed to wash this mess off of him. 

But by the time he had done that, and peeked into the room. She was fast asleep as he mused he was just so tired he must have heard or seen things. Besides, tomorrow would be hopefully a new and better day, where he might be of some use- if he could get some sleep before he slipped back into bed and promptly fell fast asleep.

[burgerdudes]

🍔 Updated review ━ 📍 Krubb ★★★★☆ • Krubb opened their first restaurant in Stockholm back in 2016, and this is actually the third time we review them properly. Over the years they’ve both opened and closed various restaurants, and they’ve even sold several of them to competitors. Now they can be found in two places in the Swedish capital – in Telefonplan and in Sundbyberg. We visited the latter location recently and ordered two burgers – a Cheese with a 150-gram beef patty, cheese, cheese creme, caramelised onions, lettuce and burger sauce plus a Chili with a 150-gram beef patty, cheddar, pickled red onions, jalapeños, lettuce and burger sauce. They cost 165 SEK (16 USD) – or 119 SEK (11.5 USD) during lunch hours – including mixed fries and a dip. • Our burgers arrived and looked very neat, and the first thing we noticed was how soft they were – especially the bun that was almost too fluffy when we picked it up. The beef had a great crust, but would have preferred it if our Chili burger was covered with more cheese. But the meat flavour was all there, and we enjoyed both the juiciness and how it was seasoned. The Chili burger had a lot of spiciness and acidity which tasted great, but the flavours were a bit unbalanced. Our Cheese was more well-rounded, even though it was a tad too sweet. Their mixed fries were well-cooked and very tasty, and we liked the regular potato and sweet potato fries equally. But the included truffle dip tasted of too much truffle oil and was a disappointment. • Krubb still serve a very well-made craft burger, and it’s clear that they’ve thought through everything from the menu choices to their interiors. And even though they don’t bring that much that’s new to the table, we’re happy to see that they’re still doing their thing and improving upon Stockholm’s burger scene. ━ @krubbburgers #burger #burgerdudes #stockholm (at KRUBB Burgers) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoeN4Qmj17M/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=