#thankfully tomato Products seem fine

[bidokja]

the world is conspiring to turn me into kim dokja and it is not going to fucking win i swear to god

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: ‘BMO’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 1)

Airdate: June 25, 2020

Story by: Anthony Burch, Adam Muto, Hanna K. Nyström, Jack Pendarvis, and Kate Tsang

Storyboarded by: Hanna K Nyström, Iggy Craig, Laura Knetzger, Anna Syvertsson, & Adam Muto

Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

I just watched a new episode of Adventure Time...

That, dear readers, is a sentence that—after the airing of “Come Along with Me”—I never thought I’d get to write again! And believe me, it feels great to be proved wrong in this instance.

In October of last year, we were all treated to the news that four new Adventure Time specials—collectively identified as Distant Lands—would be airing in the next year or so. For months, the Adventure Time fandom has waited with bated breath for these specials to drop. Would these episodes be good? Would they live up to the series that came before? Would they undo the emotional satisfaction of the Adventure Time finale? These were the questions. And now, the first special—entitled “BMO”—is here. Does it live up to expectations, proving that Adventure Time always bounces back? Or is it toast-bread for sure? Read on to hear my thoughts!

Beginning in media res, "BMO" opens with the titular character on its way to Mars to terraform Mars. After running into an errant service droid named Olive, BMO is transported to a fantastical space station known as the "Drift." It is here that BMO becomes acquainted with a humanoid rabbit named Y5, and together, the two help reveal the insidious plotting of the station's capitalist overlord, Hugo, and his henchman Mr. M (who, it must be noted, is almost certainly Finn’s father, Martin, up to one of his many schemes). After much mayhem, hilarity, and poignancy, the special ends with BMO traveling back to Earth and meeting up with Finn and Jake for the first time—revealing that this entire special was a prequel to the main series, explaining how BMO first met up with his good friends in Ooo.

The first thing I'd like to comment on is the fact that many of the show's former crew members returned to work on this special. In addition to Adam Muto (Adventure Time's hard-working executive producer), this special saw the return of: storyboard artists Hanna K Nyström, Laura Knetzger, and Anna Syvertsson; storyline writer Jack Pendarvis; character designers Andy Ristaino and Benjamin Anders; art director Sandra Lee; and composer Tim Kiefer. I was actually quite surprised (and delighted!) that so many of the show's old guard returned to help out. And while this special also saw several new creative voices helping out (including folks like former OK KO! storyboard artist Iggy Craig, former Steven Universe board artist Miki Brewster, and writer Kate Tsang), the overall product was recognizably Adventure Time. I must admit, this was my biggest worry going into Distant Lands; without folks like Tom Herpich, Kent Osborne, or Cole Sanchez, would this feel like the show I know and love? I’m happy to say that the answer is yes!

BMO really is in fine form in this episode—from their singing the "Potatoes (More Exciting Than Tomatoes)" ditty in space all the way to their hitching a ride to Earth on a space lard. (Indeed, the sheer number of humorous remarks the little robot gets makes me think that many of the shows writers were saving up goofy one-liners following the show’s cancellation, just in case.) I’m quite pleased with how the episode handled the character, and, in truth, somewhat relieved. Initially, I was worried whether the character would be able to coherently anchor an hour long special, given BMO’s unpredictable and somewhat unreliable nature (see: “Ketchup”). Would 45 minutes of BMO’s seemingly boundless goofiness work? Thankfully, the other characters in this special do an excellent job counterpoising the lovable robot’s more, shall we say, unorthodox personality features (Y5 perhaps said it best when she noted that BMO tends to “expend energy for no apparent purpose”). The end result feels remarkably balanced, with BMO’s chaotic, goofball energy complimenting the very real plight of the Drift’s residents.

Speaking of other characters, Y5 served as a workable straight man, whose half-heartedly pragmatic personality contrasts nicely with BMO’s boundless and wacky optimism. I must give the writers and producers credit: it was extremely risky for them to feature a brand new character as one of the main players (rather than one of the show’s many beloved side characters), but for the most part, they stuck the landing. I think much of this success is due to Y5’s voice actress, Glory Curda, whose performance really breathes live into the character, giving her an earnest believability. That said, the fast-paced nature of this special precluded me from developing the strongest emotional connection to the character, and as such, Y5′s “my parents don’t appreciate me” subplot did not resonate with me as strongly as, say, “It Came from the Nightosphere” did. (But then again, not every character can be Marceline!)

Strictly in terms of story structure, "BMO" is not exactly groundbreaking, and the special follows the standard "buddy movie" formula fairly closely (You know, the structure that goes: "Two individuals from different walks of life are forced to work together. Despite a rocky start, they begin to function as a team. Alas, they are split up, but reunite just in the nick of time to save the world"). But unlike Grace Z. Li of Vulture, who wrote that the special plays out "expectedly" and as such "is simply unimaginative in its structure," I cannot say that the standard plot structure torpedoes "BMO"—it simply gives the special a solid story frame that supports the characters while also providing an opportunity for the show to drop some timely social commentary.

Adventure Time has never been one to shy away from such commentary, but I do not know if it has ever been more overt than in “BMO.” As Alexander Sowa of CBR puts it, Hugo—the alien-human overlord of the Drift—is a “futurist reminiscent of Steve Jobs or Elon Musk” who long ago used a spaceship to escape Earth during the final days of the Mushroom War. After “biohacking” his DNA with the genetic material of the grey aliens who flit around the Oooniverse’s infinite cosmos, Hugo and his ilk founded an Amazon-esque empire in the Drift, inculcating its inhabitants with a love for rampant commercialism. As a villain, Hugo really is the wombo combo: a selfish capitalist hell-bent on stealing riches, colonizing new lands, exploiting conquered peoples, and then leaving when the situation looks bleak. It is not hard to see Hugo and his followers as stand-ins for the leaders of today, who refuse to acknowledge the reality of thinks like climate change or income inequality—problems that, if left unchecked, will lead to cataclysmic societal collapse. It is a bleak topic for Adventure Time to meditate on, but at least the episode ends on a positive note, with BMO's actions proving that with the right leader(s) and enough people working together, otherwise powerless individuals can topple oppressive regimes and begin to right the wrongs that have been made by the bourgeoisie (if you’ll allow me to invoke the ol’ Marxist term). Now, "BMO" admits that such reformation is one that will require many sacrifices, but nevertheless, the special does emphatically assert that it is possible. And in the hellscape that is 2020, this is a message of hope that so many need to hear.

In addition to social depth, there's quite a bit of existential nuance to this episode, too. Perhaps the most striking scene in the entire special is the scene wherein BMO is torn apart and—for all intents and purposes—dies. It is a chilling scene made all the more haunting by the return of BMO's rainbow personae (last seen in season seven's "The More You Moe, the Moe You Know"), who urge BMO to accept death ("Now your job is to be dead") and recognize that the robot has failed in its mission to be a true hero. (As pointed out to me on Reddit, the scene stylistically echoes an eerie bit of dialogue from Portal 2, wherein GLaDOS tells you: “I have a sort of black-box quick-save feature: In the event of a catastrophic failure, the last two minutes of my life are preserved for analysis. I was ... forced ... to relive you killing me. Again and again. Forever." Talk about horrific!) Thankfully—in the spirit of the hero's journey—BMO bounces back from the brink of oblivion, proving that even in the bleakest of moments, all of us can be heroes.

Or something like that.

All in all, “BMO” was an enjoyable romp that dropped us back into a magical world we all love. While I wouldn’t say that the special was mind-blowing, it succeeded in its mission of telling a new story in a new place, while focusing on a character whom Adventure Time fans care deeply about.

Here’s looking to “Obsidian!”

Mushroom War Evidence: When it comes to the Mushroom War mythos, this episode was full of a lot of little details. CGO’s monologue reveals that, indeed, Earth was ravage by numerous nuclear weapons; what is more, it seems that some sort of doomsday weapon vaporized part of the Earth, leaving that gaping scar in the planet that has for so long fascinated the show’s mythology-junkies. It is also explicitly state that Hugo and his ilk were humans who fled Earth during the Mushroom War to escape certain destruction.

Final Grade:

Also, while I have your attention: Book update! As some of you might already know, over the last year and a half, I’ve been working on a book all about the history and production of Adventure Time! It’s been an absolute blast, and I’ve been lucky enough to talk to quite a few of the folks who worked on the show (including people like Tom Herpich, Jack Pendarvis, Pat McHale, and Rebecca Sugar). I’m in the final stages of type-setting, and should hopefully have the book ready to go within the next few weeks. Here’s a sneak peek of cover (please ignore the faint InDesign lines; they won’t be in the finished product):

Originally, I was going to publish this work through McFarland and Company, but then Cartoon Network got all pissy (long story short: I reached out to Rebecca Sugar and Adam Muto, got in contact with both of ‘em, and asked some questions about Bubbline. Rebecca responded and and confirmed that Bubbline was intended to be canon when she boarded “What Was Missing” but structural homophobia prevented it from being explicitly declared as such. This revelation made CN PR reeeeeaaally uncomfortable and they threatened to sic the lawyers), so I’m now going to be publishing through the University of Kansas Libraries. The good news is that the work will be free to download, and easily accessible! Yay! That said, if you want a hard copy of the book, I’ll post details about that in a bit. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled!

[imperium-romanum]

Welcome to 2019, everyone!

I spent the last week and a half at my family’s shack, enjoying the company of close family and friends, and Kali the #ClassicsCat, of course! I’m excited about the fresh start the New Year brings. 2018 was a difficult year for me personally. I haven’t talked about it on the blog because I prefer to focus on positives but as I prepare to face this New Year head on, I would like to reflect on some of the major hurdles that I had to overcome in 2018.

In January, my partner and I were forced to get a restraint order against my neighbour of six and a half years who became aggressive and threatening due to severe (suspected) drug-induced paranoia. We moved in with my parents while we went through the process to have the temporary restraint order confirmed. The restraint order was confirmed in February – a win – but we were not able to return to our unit. The local council, after 11 years of my parents owning the property, decided that our unit was not a legal dwelling. Bureaucracy at its finest.

During March and April, we fought the council for an explanation and started to try and resolve the problem. It seemed we were much more willing to work with them than they were to work with us, though. Shortly before the Easter break commenced my parents received a threatening letter from the council claiming that we were still living in the unit and that we would be fined approximately $20,000 AUD for the violation. This claim was blatantly false, but we still had to go through the process of overturning the impending fine.

We continued to try and solve the problem with our unit in May, but this was soon put on the back-burner when our cat, Kali, developed ketoacidosis due to undiagnosed diabetes. Within the space of 12 hours, she went from being her bright happy self to knocking on death’s door. She spent four days in constant care. I am forever grateful to my parents who paid for her care, which quickly tallied in the thousands. Without their compassion and love for her, we would have been forced to put her to sleep. I recieved many well-wishes during this time from followers, and I am thankful for the support and kindess you showed.

Left: Kali at AHVEC, weighing just 2.7kg. Right: Kali snuggling me and my fiance at a much healthier 4kg.

Kali's struggles weren't over, in June. She again visited the emergency vet hospital after getting into the bin, pulling out a wedged in chicken container, and eating the silicone absorbent pad while we were out for a half-hour at most. We still don’t know how she managed to do it! Thankfully it wasn’t serious in the end; she brought it all back up and suffered no consequences apart from all the dirty looks that my family gave her because of the panic she caused.

After a couple relatively quiet months, my fiancé’s family dog, Jess, also developed diabetes. She was not as lucky as Kali, however, and did not respond to treatment. Within weeks she went completely blind, among other problems. At only 9 years old, my fiancé’s parents were forced to make the difficult decision to put her to sleep. While I do not regret being there for them, it was the first time I had to deal with death in such a confronting way and it was a terrible reminder of how lucky Kali was to survive.

I hit perhaps my lowest ever point mental health-wise around this time. Although the semester was very rewarding, after such an intense period of balancing my personal life and commitments, PhD research, studying a language, and tutoring both academically and privately, I felt emotionally and mentally used up. The best way to describe how I functioned during this period is that I was on auto-pilot.

 Although 2018 was undeniably the most difficult year of my almost 26 years of life, there were plenty of positives too. In January I completed my Confirmation of Candidature, which involved presenting a 20-minute paper on my research topic. Then, in February, I was very lucky to upgrade my car by 12 years. Again, I am very grateful to my parents and very aware of how fortunate I am that they are willing and able to assist me financially, with work flexible enough to fit in with a PhD being so hard to come by.

I entered my second year of candidature in late February. It was a reasonably uneventful couple of months until, over two days, I gave two more presentations in May – one at Pint of History titled ‘Catastrophic Crassus: Parthia, #EpicFails, and the Death of Rome’s Richest Man’ and one at the Humanities Showcase at my university, titled ‘It Speaks! The Voice of the Door in the Roman Paraclausithyron’. 

I also secured a casual job at UConnect, UTAS’s student services. I had four weeks of nearly full-time work at the start of both semesters which allowed me to save enough money to get me through each semester.

In June, Kali’s glucose curve stabilised, much to ours and the vet’s relief; she has settled into diabetes life well ever since.

July was a month of firsts. I went to New Zealand for the first time and attended my first conference, Amphorae XII. At Amphorae XII, I presented my first conference paper, ‘Pompey’s Eastern Settlements: Considerations and Consequences’. I met some wonderful people, including some mutual followers! I also visited some of the sights, including the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Art Gallery, Hobbiton, and Hamilton Gardens.

When I returned from New Zealand, I enjoyed another four-week stint working for UConnect and, through the semester, I was also lucky to tutor the first years for HTC104: Introduction to Ancient Rome. This was my first time tutoring in an official capacity and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

When September came around, I received the good news that my abstract had been accepted for ASCS40. My fiancé and I were also finally able to move out of my parents’ house and back into a place of our own. The situation with our unit is still up in the air, unfortunately, but it is moving slowly forward. Still, it’s important to appreciate the small milestones, so to celebrate our return to relative independence we established a small succulent garden in the back area and grew far too many tomato plants.

In November, I reached a major milestone in my PhD journey by completing the necessary coursework element (what UTAS calls a Graduate Certificate in Research) of my degree. As a result, I now have the equivalent of a minor in Latin on top of the Certificate itself. Imperium Romanum also reached its first anniversary!

Finally, in December, my fiancé and I spent many weekends at the family shack enjoying the blessedly warm weather that usually skips Tasmania. Over the Christmas-New Year break, I went to the beach a record three days in a row. Sometimes, you just need to enjoy the simple things.

And so I must turn my attention to 2019. This, like the years before, will be another big one. I’m venturing into the third year of my PhD candidature in late February and, with the GCR finished, I’m looking forward to devoting my time to research. I’ll be attending not one but (hopefully) two conferences this year. The first is ASCS40, 4 to 7 February, at the University of New England in Armidale. It’s now only 33 days away – my funding was approved in December and I’ve booked my flights, accommodation, and hire car. As with Amphorae XII, I’ll be live tweeting the conference and blogging about my adventures in Armidale, which I have not visited before. I’m also hoping to attend Roman Memory: Pacific Rim Roman Literature Seminar 33 in July at the University of Newcastle – I’ll keep you posted on that one.

To finish up, I have a few New Year’s Goals that I would like to share with you. I won’t call them resolutions as I find that term comes with a lot of negative connotations; I’m not solving problems nor do I need to ‘better’ myself. Instead, I want to focus on enjoying all aspects of my life, from the private sphere to the academic. 

 1. Read more fiction. 

I love reading, yet, over the last few years, I’ve noticed that I do very little reading simply for the pleasure of it. Because the last six years of my life have been so academically focused – having gone straight from a Bachelor to Honours to a PhD – I’ve spent so much time reading for university subjects and research that the thought of doing more reading, even fiction, is exhausting. I could probably count the number of new books I’ve read (that haven’t been set for a class) on my fingers. I’ve set myself the goal of reading two to three new fiction books every month – if I can read more, great!

 2. Do more activities.

Last year, I went on a fantastic one-day road trip with two friends to Freycinet National Park on Tasmania’s east coast. Then, through December, I enjoyed many more small adventures with my fiancé. Even though I’ve never been particularly fit, I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors. Now that I’m equipped with some top quality hiking boots, I want to get out more – do more bushwalking, walk more rugged and rocky coastlines, and explore more of Tasmania’s wilderness.

I also want to spend less time playing computer games (much as I enjoy them), and more time making things. I’m no artist, but I still love to create things. I’m going to start off by making a pom pom rug in my Harry Potter house colours – Ravenclaw – to go under my desk. I won’t be posting my creations of Imperium Romanum, but I will be posting about them on Instagram and Twitter for those who are interested.

 3. Participate in a ‘100 Days of Productivity’ challenge.

While I have a reputation for being a productive student with good grades, the truth is that I am a chronic procrastinator who happens to be very good at whipping up strong assignments last minute. Even outside of the academic sphere, I’m somewhat of a procrastinator, thanks in part to anxiety. So, while I will continue to bring you the latest Classics news, there will be some changes coming to Imperium Romanum as I turn more attention to the everyday realities of studying Classics and my experiences as a student. Life can often be overwhelming, and acknowledging this and finding a better way to tackle the day-to-day burdens before the month-to-month or the year-to-year is going to be a major focus for me. I think that a productivity challenge is an excellent way to do this. Starting January 3, I’ll be documenting my productive efforts via Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. While I expect most of my days will be related to research, I have no doubt that the challenge will have a positive impact on my life outside of university.

  And with that, I’ll wrap up. To all my followers, old and new, I wish you a very happy and prosperous 2019. I hope you’ll share your adventures with me too, and I encourage you to share your New Years Goals – my ask box and submissions are always open!

~ Admin @sassy-cicero-says

[strangemaloney03-blog]

Seductive Sport clothes.

On a 500 calorie diet plan WHAT can you probably accomplish that might be taken into consideration workout?. Compared with males which shed exercise with getting older, those who maintained their exercise had a 30% lower threat of death; those which improved their exercise had a 40% lesser risk of fatality. fitnesswelt-de.com have an idea that this is your brain prepping you to seek food since you are actually primarily starving. Diet plan without physical exercise produces thin fat" people and workout without diet makes fit however body fat" people. Like others on listed below I am back on the 2 breast support option (one underwire a bit as well significant, one aged sports bra a bit also limited). The main reason why I am taking this up is since this whole showed me that the sport itself is actually not just what creates you lose the weight, yet the plain act of removaling and acting in conformance to just what your body system requirements from you to accomplish. Thus, merely move your way: dance, strolling, missing, or carrying out whatever you should do in a secure ay. Salute along with a little nut butter, a piece of entire fruit product, a glass from dairy, or a sport beverage may aid obtain you going as well as still be digested prior to you work out. Now where a bunch of these arguments seem to be to link is actually the activity of ice hockey, a game which, while certainly not played considerably down listed here in Australia, is actually the national sport of Canada. The dining establishments are actually constantly free as well as the all-you-can-eat smorgasbords urge sizable plates piled high with meals. Furthermore, some moms and dads from also more youthful gamers, worrying the prospective risk off scalp accidents, are maintaining their youngsters off participating in football, football, and other sports. Thankfully, you do not need to invest a fortune at the local area organic food retail store so as to modify to a healthy and balanced lifestyle. After lunch I was actually over my veggie quantity through 4.5 ounces. This's the tomatoes. Old practices slipped back in. Considerably resorted to meals to turn off coming from lousy feelings and also circumstances. I presume user-friendly eating is actually thus pleasing considering that it proposes a well-balanced, delighted relationship with meals. She efficiently exposes lots of health and nutrition myths, like 1) the should eat every 2-3 hours, 2) saturated fat is bad for your center as well as arteries, 3) eggs misbehave for you (excessive cholesterol levels, you understand), 4) surface items are actually important for health. As well as whatever sport children remain in if they're certainly not picked in staffs or even if they think that they haven't been actually sustained sufficient there will definitely always be some unhappiness. I have actually never gotten on a trip, yet I carried out visit an extensive hotel once for a full week and all the meals was actually included, so it was REALLY appealing to eat continuously, specifically given that you could possibly regularly get something. Make the effort to consume a balanced food or even treat a couple of hours before you start thus you possess opportunity to absorb the food. Ground corn, prepared right into tortillas, is still the shipment system from selection for just about any sort of filling up conceivable. So in fact our company are actually partaking a beautiful area backyard, a great deal from meals has actually been actually expanded below because of individuals collaborating, they all provide their downtime to functioning listed here, so a bunch of the fruit and vegetables are going to be directly coming from this landscape. This's in fact a great headline b/c that allowed's you recognize to expect each advantages and disadvantages from the sporting activity. Several talked about how colorful as well as excellent our meals appeared, compared with the icy lasagna they were actually providing. Esports is a million-dollar sector along with millions of singing fans around the world and is rapidly coming to be the most-viewed and also fastest-growing sport in the U.S. The goal can be elevating much heavier traits, competing longer, burning fat, dropping ache, or carrying out better in a sporting activity. The Great Guide () Established by Lecturer Dara 'Rourke from the University of California-Berkeley, this for-benefit" start-up delivers an individual guide to usual items, ranking each by wellness, influence on the setting, as well as impact on society. He became rather a prominent individual, if you like, in the texas hold'em arena and this delivered into concern his, ah, his history in sport betting and in gambling typically. One more great service the super-local headlines could offer is coordinating a household's timetable. They could go from sitting all day to boosting their position, leg durability and strength status up. Even merely varying between standing and also sitting could significantly increase their power, assist all of them burn added fats, healthy muscle mass, increase their metabolic rate consequently so much more. I also presume numbers 2 as well as 5 are rather big problems for a ton of individuals, however each one of these factors are very important, as well as just one being actually a complication is actually typically sufficient for an individual to 'stop working' at a diet. DTC genes firms should accurately explain the restrictions from health and fitness and nourishment genetic makeups as well as create no deceptive or even overstated claims regarding the potential advantages from their product. KERRY STAIGHT: North from Adelaide, capsicum farmer Andrew Braham is actually readying a brand-new garden greenhouse for planting, as well as some of the nutrients within this garden compost come from food items rubbish. If you remain in Bali and also a guide inquires if you wish to wish inside a temple DON" T DO IT. When you are actually not a member from a caste, the quick guide is actually often operating all together with the police and also can easily fine you for wishing. My lower leg cramps could be related to shortage from magnesium mineral, calcium mineral, or blood potassium. Store that there for 1-2 few seconds, at that point bring the best lower leg back down to fulfill the various other leg. Given that a sporting activity demands you to do something that over opportunity results in damage does not imply as a result that is actually wise, simply. Juice, sporting activities cocktails, as well as other beverages could help replenish the fluids and electrolytes that your child drops during a massive exercise.

[chrysaliseuro2018]

In Praise of the Malteser

A long held ambition for us is now being achieved. We have landed in Malta. This section will be a bit of a sum up as the hectic days and sociable pace of the first month of the trip has meant the blog has been somewhat tardy on the production front. Or perhaps we are just getting old. Some brevity and celerity is required. Neither being my long suits. Anyway we'll try. We had had an early start, 6.15am for the bus to pick us up and one of those round all the hotels jobs (we were the first ones on) followed by a flight from Cappadocia and then 6 hours or so at Istanbul airport. This meant that by the time we got to Valletta around 5.00pm we didn't fancy public transport. It must be said though that we were heavily saved by the Priority lounge at Istanbul which we were able to "lounge" around in (an Amex bonus) for at least 4 hours. A few nibblies, a couple of beers and a rose for Liz. Helps pass the time and coupled with wifi all you need really. Anyway we landed at Malta and the cab seemed the easiest option. Yet again we had a bit of a bizarre cab ride. It's a set fair so no prob on that front unlike Istanbul. However, the driver no sooner had we told him the address of our apartment started a loud (and I mean loud) phone conversation in what sounded like Arabic. He had the earplugs in so we could only hear one half of the conversation (that's actually 90% of the conversation as the yellee on the other end was not getting much of a word in). And so it proceeded for the 15 minutes of more drive in. There was no "where are you from?" no landmarks pointed out, just this raging cacophony. Obviously he was not happy with the person at the other end or Pharos that's normal discourse. Not the cabbie's job to be the face of the city but it's often the first face you really see or person that you have interaction with (let's forget customs) so perhaps municipalities need to put some work into schooling them. With our ears ringing we headed for our apartment which was just in the "restricted for vehicles" zone in Valletta. Keypad access to the apmt and we had the code, all worked well and it was great - bright, clean, virtually newly refurbished and very central. After settling in, we headed for a stroll around town. Plenty of English voices. Lovely 3/4 story older apartments with balconies, typically a sandstone colour but also painted in pastels. Not all in the best of nick but quite charming. We strolled around town for quite a while. It was pretty lively with restaurants opening onto the street. Many served fish but also basics such as pizzas and burgers. Catering very much for an English glut of visitors. We saw a restaurant that we quite liked the look of which served traditional Maltese dishes and breads but it was getting a little late to take full advantage of, so we booked for two days time and ate at a small bar opposite the restaurant sitting at a table in the street. It was very much a local bar with just a couple of tables outside and the small crowd there all seemed to be speaking Maltese. Owner was very friendly. Liz had a salad and me a sandwich so nothing too heavy but a nice rose for Liz and a couple of craft beers for me so all good. We went to bed pretty tired. Liz was not feeling 100% first thing the following day with a migraine so took a couple of tablets and I disappeared round town so she could sleep. Thankfully she felt better by late morning and in the afternoon we went to the national war museum which is in Fort St Elmo down by the harbour. Malta's history is fascinating. Founded by the Knights of St John it was laid siege to by the Turks in the 16th century - surviving that - just. Napoleon also decided to intervene there and famously it held out in the 2nd World War against blockades and air raids particularly by the Italians with the island eventually being awarded the George Cross medal for heroism by King George 6th. This museum, with the assistance of some very good graphics and videos, painted an interesting picture of the history of the island and its inhabitants. The difficulties of getting supplies through to the island in WW2 was a particularly gripping aspect with large naval escorts required for supply ships because German submarines were menacing and sinking many merchant ships. Naval vessels were also targeted by the submarines with many losses. The bravery of the merchant seaman and naval forces against an unseen but deadly enemy was inspiring. That night we ate at one of the many street cafes. A little draughty as the evening weather not quite as warm as we expected but comfortable enough to sit out. Liz had rabbit stew which was good and I had an octopus casserole which was very tasty. Service good and friendly and we did ask what the ingredients of the casserole were. Seemed to be a bit of everything on the herb front though tomato based. Must try to cook in Melbourne. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was watching the World Cup - Spain vs Portugal sitting on the steps outside a bar. Liz did very well as all seats were taken but she squeezed us onto a reserved table at which the reservers never turned up so we had a great view. 3-3 with Ronaldo scoring an equaliser around the 90 minute mark with a sensational free kick. Atmosphere was really good with supporters of both sides there but all really convivial. Next morning was admin with flights to be booked home. A painful process as we have changed our return date and options getting limited. We then headed off to the same bar as the previous night to watch the Socceroos play France in the World Cup. 2-1 loss unfortunately. Our admin as it turned out was poorly timed as the cathedral which we had planned to see that afternoon closed for the afternoon. We had also booked to see the Malta experience which is an IMAX type short movie with the background to Malta which also closed at 3.00pm so we missed that too. Ahh!! Traps for players and we kicked ourselves as we did want to see the Caravaggio in the Cathedral museum though we were able to just look in the door and see the wonderful interior of the cathedral itself. Malta still operates on British country town hours of the 1950s! It's basically closed for biz from pm Saturday through to Sunday, apart from restaurants and bars. We did though manage to go into the Grand Master's palace which until recently was the location of Malta's parliament. Specifically we visited 5 State Rooms which are still used for official purposes including greeting foreign ambassadors and delegations. Some wonderful and large tapestries hanging in one of the rooms picturing also sorts of exotic animals and scenes from Africa. The other rooms were pretty grand too. Touch of Windsor castle. The palace is still the official residence of the President of Malta. Also, by coincidence, the palace was hosting a small exhibition of Picasso drawings and Joan Miro paintings. Unusual stuff from Miro but worth a look. Pablo is, well, Pablo. I pressed on to look at the armoury (with the usual collection of arms and armour through the ages) while Liz went WINDOW SHOPPING. That night we dined in the restaurant we had spotted the first night which promised interesting local produce. Liz had a fish soup which was fine and I had the octopus casserole again which was not a patch on the previous night. Slow service too, so no tips handed out. C'est la vie, one of those days when not everything went right, especially the Socceroos losing!!, though the State Rooms were good. Last day in Valetta, tomorrow we take a car and head off around the island(s).

[the-expert-zone]

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Meal Plan + Recipes

For many people, living with inflammation is just a way of life. Though they hate the feeling they get after eating certain foods, they don’t know any other way of operating. They don’t realize that many health issues are closely connected to inflammation due to the consumption of certain foods. Thankfully, there’s a rise in the amount of information surrounding the impact inflammatory foods have on the body.

Furthermore, more people are opting to choose diets that are supportive of optimal health. Though this will require a shift in the way you operate, learn more about the ways you can effectively adopt an anti-inflammatory diet that’s both realistic and enjoyable.

1. Inflammatory Foods to Avoid

Since you’re looking to avoid the woes that are associated with inflammation (acne, weight gain, depression, etc.), there are foods you’ll want to work on avoiding. If some of these foods are deeply ingrained in your current diet, just focus on decreasing your intake first. As you get accustomed to less of these foods in your diet, work on developing recipes that eliminate them completely.

Meat

If you’re not currently a vegetarian or a vegan, the idea of not eating meat might be overwhelming. When it pertains to acidity, meats are pretty high on the spectrum. That’s why it’s best to lower your intake of foods like red meat, chicken and pork. As you gradually decrease your intake of meat, the inflammation in your body will decrease.

Dairy

Dairy products like whole milk and full-fat cheese are known to cause inflammation due to the amount of saturated fat in each serving. In order to transition away from dairy, start by using 2% milk or reduced-fat options. When it pertains to milk, there are tons of delicious plant-based kinds of milk to choose from.

Sugar

Sugar is the culprit for a lot of health issues. Sugar is also tricky because it’s often found in countless items on the grocery aisles. Pre-packaged items like tomato sauce, granola bars and oatmeal contain tons of unnecessary sugar. Knowing this, it’s best to make your own tomato sauce, granola bars and oatmeal. Enjoy natural sugars found in fruit, honey or maple syrup instead.

Caffeine

For anyone who loves their morning cup of coffee, it might seem impossible to live without it. There are natural ways to feel energized without inflaming your body with caffeine. Start by scaling back on the amounts of caffeine you consume from sources such as coffee and chocolate.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Foods to Consume

Fruits

If you have a sweet tooth, you can learn to love the natural sugars that come from fruit. Fruits like berries, cherries and grapes are excellent options for anyone who’s looking to consume an anti-inflammatory diet. After washing and freezing grapes, they’re an excellent snack to suck on until the next meal. A variety of berries are excellent to include in a fruit salad or a smoothie. Those fruits are filled with tons of vitamins and antioxidants.

Vegetables

Vegetables are low in calories. They’re filled with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. You really can’t go wrong with any vegetable. However, when you’re looking to get specific, strongly consider options such as kale, broccoli and peppers. Curly kale is easy to saute with onions and garlic. It also works in a creamy green smoothie for a breakfast meal replacement.

Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are wonderful yet simple ways to increase the nutritional value of your food. They’re also excellent for making food taste even better. For an anti-inflammatory diet, look no further than turmeric. Turmeric is amazing because it contains a compound called curcumin that’s naturally fighting inflammation. Use turmeric in a popular morning drink called a golden milk latte. You can also use it to season roasted vegetables, meat substitutes and more.

Beans and Seeds

Beans and seeds are naturally filling. They’re really easy to mold into various meals for meat substitution. If you love chilis, create a multi-bean chili instead of a ground turkey-based option. Chia seeds are filled with fiber, and they will help your digestive system run smoothly. Other great options to include in an anti-inflammatory diet include kidney beans, flax seeds, and pinto beans.

3. FAQs about an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Inflammation causes so many harmful effects. If you want to diminish the look for wrinkles and skin spots, adopt an anti-inflammatory diet. As your body ages, it’s harder to eat the same way without seeing it in the physical form. This means that it’ll be harder to lose weight and get rid of skin issues when you’re eating inflammatory foods.

Outside of your diet, inflammation can also happen because of the sun. The sun can actually do a ton of damage to the skin during the aging process. Even on a cloudy day, it’s really important to make sure you’re wearing sunscreen on a daily basis.

If you’re struggling with a lack of sleep, constantly-changing hormones or tons of stress, your lifestyle might play a role. However, inflammation from the wrong food can easily show up as the main culprit.

As you age, one of the most important ways to avoid the onset of fatal diseases is by improving your eating habits. Studies suggest that it is very difficult for diseases to develop in a body that’s completely alkaline. If you’re eating tons of inflammatory foods, you’ll consume a ton of acids. In order to manage your body’s pH balance, learn to develop a habit of consuming anti-inflammatory foods.

4. Meal Options

When many people think of diets, they focus on all of the foods they can’t eat. This is a debilitating way to live. It’s also a great way to fall off of the wagon. Instead, look at it from the perspective where you learn about all of the meals you can prepare that will empower your body to thrive in the long run.

a. Breakfast

While there are many experts who believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, that’s debatable. For some, a hearty breakfast isn’t realistic for their schedule. There are plenty of people who really aren’t very hungry in the early morning hours. As a result, they don’t have the true desire to eat much. A cup of coffee tends to be the perfect solution. Instead of drinking coffee, try a golden milk latte. It’ll provide the comforting warmth you love in the morning. It’s also filled with ingredients such as coconut milk, turmeric and honey. These options will support your efforts in an anti-inflammatory diet.

If you prefer a hearty breakfast, consider one of the most popular items in recent years: avocado toast. Avocados are filled with healthy fats. As a result, avocados are excellent for a satiated feeling until lunchtime. Instead of using white bread, use a sprouted bread option. Sprouted bread contains whole grains and seeds. Both are great for an anti-inflammatory diet. Add your fair share of greens, seasonings and spices to top your avocado toast with more flavor.

If you love an option like oatmeal, be sure to get an option like steel-cut oats. Add a plant-based milk such as almond milk to the mix. Add delicious spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for additional flavor. If you feel like you need a sweeter taste, consider making your own apple cinnamon oatmeal with fresh apples and maple syrup. You’ll be able to control the sweet flavor without spiking your blood sugar up.

b. Lunch

When you’re in the middle of a workday, it might not be wise to eat a hearty meal because you don’t want to fall asleep after it’s over. Besides, you still have a long way to go before the end of the day. Knowing this, it’s wise to eat foods that will empower your body to keep going.

A salad is one of the best options to consider when you’re looking to prepare an anti-inflammatory lunch option. Fill your salad up with tons of healthy greens such as kale and spinach. Add cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes to the mix. If you’d like to enjoy fish, fatty fish are your best bet.

Salmon, sardines, and herring are a few options to consider. You can always grill a great piece of salmon to add on the side of a salad. You can also enjoy options like anchovies in a homemade caesar salad dressing. Once you’ve added croutons, lettuce and other healthy toppings, your stomach will feel satiated. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about inflammation if you create a dairy-free salad dressing.

If you’re going out to eat with your co-workers, peruse the menu to look for options that will support your diet. If you’re not in the mood for a salad, that’s totally fine. However, if you want fries, you might want to make a slight consideration. Instead of ordering the standard fare of fries, ask the chef if there are sweet potato fries on the menu. If not, see if there’s a way to make it happen anyway. Sweet potatoes are incredibly nutritious, satiating and will serve the craving you have for fries.

c. Dinner

As the final meal of the day, it’s important to make sure it’s satiating yet enjoyable. Grains like millet, quinoa and brown rice go really well with a variety of options. The same is true for beans. If you love burgers or patties, consider making your own black bean burger from scratch. Add amazing seasonings such as turmeric, garlic and paprika. Once you’ve made the burger patties, you can either fry them in olive oil, bake them or enjoy them on the grill. Sautee vegetables, onions and other delicious options to go on top of the burger. Enjoy your choice of anti-inflammatory condiments such as mustard or dairy-free mayonnaise. Enjoy on a multi-grain bun for a well-rounded finish.

Honestly, beans and seeds are some of your best friends when you’re looking to create delicious meals for this diet. This is because they’re so versatile. Use northern beans to make a white-bean chili. Use chickpeas to create a delicious hummus spread for a platter. After sauteeing mushrooms, onions and spinach, create a bean filling for taco night. Top the tacos with salsa and homemade guacamole. Once your meals are seasoned correctly, it’ll be hard to miss dairy and meat. Plus, you’ll have glowing skin to show for your impeccably clean diet.

When you’re getting started on your anti-inflammatory food journey, it’s important to remain gentle with yourself. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’ll take time to try different recipes, experiment with various spices and develop a different palette. However, remain consistent in your efforts. As you work on changing your diet over a period of time, you’ll be able to see and feel the difference. Before long, you’ll look at certain foods and wonder how you were able ever to consistently consume them. Too often, people underestimate the power of healthy eating. When you eat the right foods, you can heal your body and mind. The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll be able to reap the amazing benefits.

See Also

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[weneedtherooks]

Gardening Affection

God alive this thing is so looooooooooooooong Standing at 4925 words, it’s the longest story I’ve written.

So, have a story about Friedrich’s oldest brother, Derrick, and his wife, Melanie!

Awful title included for my little plant children :D

Derrick Rosenthal woke up at 6am, like he always did. Going to the front yard, he began to pick what he could off of his vegetable plants, weeding and pruning them as he carefully set the produce inside a large basket. He grumbled to himself as he (once again) somehow forgot to take what he could of the herbs planted around them. It’s not like I planted those to use them...but that doesn’t mean I should waste them… Wandering back over to the porch, he took off the herbs he’d been previously drying, carefully setting them in a smaller, cloth lined basket. Maybe he’d be able to sell these; as much as he was fond of helping out the other people on his street, making an extra coin or two wouldn’t hurt. Hefting the small harvest, he pushed the front door open with his foot, making his way to the kitchen. His younger brother, Friedrich, was rubbing his eyes as he walked in. “Good morning, Fritzi.” “Mmph,” he grumbled, waving at his older brother. “You remember you’re coming with me to the fish market this afternoon, right?” The thirteen year old gave him a sleepy eyed stare. “No.” “Friedrich, you couldn’t have simply forgotten about that. I told you before you went to bed.” “Don’t wanna go.” Derrick sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face the sink. “Alright, fine,” he said over his shoulder as he began cleaning a tomato, “but that means you need to go do all the laundry first before you eat.” Friedrich nodded, shuffling to the front door to grab his shoes. “Am I washing anything?” “Yes, I put the basket next to the back door.” “If I do the dishes tonight, can I do my school work tomorrow?” Ooooo, this boy. Derrick turned to face the kitchen entrance, pointing a finger at Fritz. “You’re getting up when I do and doing double. Got it?” “Got it.” Derrick quietly chuckled to himself as Friedrich trotted away to do the laundry. With Armin in America, Friedrich had taken over most of the second Rosenthal boy’s chores, including going to the market with him. Which brought Derrick to the next problem: Erich. Generally, he tried to be a bit easier on his youngest brother, but if Friedrich wasn't going with him, he needed to bring someone. “Mornin’...” Erich mumbled around a yawn. Derrick smiled. “Hello, maus. Can you please start setting up for breakfast?” “Where’s Fritz…?” he asked, reaching for some plates in the hutch. “Doing laundry, since he’s not going out with me this afternoon.” “But I don’t wanna go get fish…” “It’s alright, I’ve already done it.” Both boys turned their heads to the kitchen entryway to see their mother walk in. Well, stepmother in Derrick’s case, but Mallory Rosenthal had been more of one then his own mother. “What are you doing home already, mama?” Derrick asked. She was usually gone during the mornings and afternoon, right? “You didn’t get sent home, did you?” “Derrick, if you’re implying that I was sacked, no. I simply finished what I needed much sooner than planned. I still need to go to my second job, but I have some free time until then. And I remember you mentioning that we needed to get some things from the fisherman, so I went ahead and did it.” She held up a handwritten note, stopping Derrick’s next question. “Oh. Um...thank you.” She nodded, looking around the kitchen. “We’re missing one?” “No, he’s doing laundry. Because he wasn’t going to come with me this afternoon. And I’m hard pressed to stop him at this point.” “No, let him do it. He hasn’t in a while. It’s about time he took a turn.” Derrick shrugged. They both knew the storm of complaints that would come the minute he walked into the house and saw the market run had already been done. “He is doing dishes tonight to skip school work today, however.” His mother groaned. “That boy…” Thank God I’m not alone with that sentiment. “He’s getting up with me in the morning to do it. Double.” “Thankfully he’s an efficient student.” Which was true, infuriating as it was. Fritz simply worked best when things were done that way; if it was able to be put off until the last moment, it was. “Erich, why don’t you go help your brother with laundry? I know there was quite a bit. And I’d like to speak with your brother alone.” Oh God. The youngest Rosenthal couldn’t have run off faster. Mallory laughed softly at him. “If only those two could take that energy and use it for something productive.” “In time, I’m sure.” “Oh, obviously,” she replied, finishing with retrieving the dishes to take to the dining room. “Of all the things your father couldn’t have passed on to all of you.” Sighing, she shook her head. “You and Armin just have everything in your heads straightened out and orderly. Fritz and Erich…” Derrick chuckled. “They have it straightened out. A bit cluttered, but straight.” They finished setting up breakfast in general silence when she finally spoke again. “Derrick, what are you doing?” Aaaaand there it is. “What are you talking about?” “Son, you’re seventeen years old. You should be out and about with your friends, flirting with people, seeing more of the world, something. And yet,” she gestured towards the backyard, “you’re setting up chores for your brothers and halfway running a household.” “Mama…” he sighed irritably. Oh, this was not a talk he was willing to have. “You’ve had to work two jobs since papa died. You needed the help. Hence my doing these things.” “Darling, I’m far from ungrateful for your help in all of this. In fact, I couldn’t be more proud of you.” She stood in front of him, placing her hands on his arms. “Derrick, you’ve spent the last nine years taking care of everyone but yourself. Why don’t you take some time to yourself? Perhaps France; put that second language of yours to good use!” His stepmother moved a hand to cup his cheek. “Your time is now, I can feel it. Now go do something wild, my son. Make this summer one to remember.” She pulled a train ticket from her skirt pocket, placing it in his hand. He looked down at it, his stomach fluttering nervously. “But…” “No. Not ‘but’s. Go.” Gently pushing him out of the kitchen, his mother urged him up the stairs. Maybe he had been a bit too occupied with everyone else for too long...perhaps this little holiday would be what he needed. Then he could come back home and put this whole, silly thing behind him. Halfway up, he looked back down at her. She gave him a hopeful smile. “It’s time.”

Melanie Labelle beamed at her roses as she finished clipping the last of the dead leaves off the bush. “There we are, mes amours! All better!” she chirped to the flowers with a bright smile. Collecting her gardening tools, she looked over the rose garden once more. She’d gotten quite lucky this year! She hadn’t expected her Madame Hardy roses to make a comeback after the fiasco with her older sister; the St. Nicholas’s certainly hadn’t. “Well, at least one of you made it out alive…” She dropped the tools back into their bucket, toting them to the small shed by her greenhouse. The Madame Hardy’s had always been her mother’s favorites, along with the York & Lancaster. Melanie was partial to her miniature roses, but when her father started to get rid of his late wife’s prized rose bushes, she didn’t allow him destroy her mother’s two favorites. He’d already purged the rest of the house of her...the least she could do was save her flowers. She was brushing her hands off on the skirt of her gardening dress when her aunt came out to greet her. “Playing in the dirt again, my dear?” How that woman managed to sound friendly and annoyed at the same time, Melanie would never know. “Just bringing some of the roses to the garden. I was able to save one of the bushes Clarisse destroyed, but I’m going to have to find someone with a good St. Nicholas; mine is unsalvageable. I’ve already sent out inquiries.” “And Angelina’s Queen Elizabeth?” “Doing quite well.” “So this is the fabled flower garden!” another voice called out. Melanie looked to see her father walking over with his new business partner, Richard Maxwell. Well, “new” wasn’t exactly correct; Richard had recently taken his late father’s place in the company. “Yes, as much as my Melanie knows it bothers me to have her digging about in the dirt. Her mother was the same way.” Melanie stifled the urge walk away. She hated when he started talking maman down; especially since she’d expressed her disapproval of it multiple times. “Oh, I think it’s a pleasant pastime,” he countered warmly. “There are, in fact, worse things to do than gardening.” He delicately took a rose in his hand, admiring that particular breed’s pale pink coloring. “What do you call this one?” “Catherine Mermet,” she answered proudly. He seemed impressed with her quick answer, moving to look at the other bushes nearby. “Perhaps we can move this conversation to the morning room?” her father suggested, motioning back to the house. “Oh, of course,” Melanie replied. “I should change my dress then; I wasn’t expecting company.” “That one will be just fine,” he answered quickly, offering an arm to escort her. Melanie took it, trying to snuff out the sudden flare of anxiety in her stomach. Upon arriving in the morning room, her father sat her down. “Melanie, I’ve arranged for you and Richard to be married. “You want me to...marry him?” Melanie asked, staring at her father in disbelief. She briefly looked at the man who was now her betrothed, hoping for a different answer. Instead, he simply smiled as he sat on the sofa oppose of her. Like he’d been doing since… Since he arrived. “I don’t see why not!” he aunt beamed, clearly not reading her niece’s sudden drop in mood. This was already planned out. “He’s very handsome, comes from a good family, and he’s also quite fond of you! It’s perfect!” “And no one thought to ask me about this first?” “I don’t see what all the fuss is about,” her father interjected. “By anyone's standards, he’s the very definition of perfect. And it’ll help bring money back in the family coffers. Unless you would rather be destitute?” Melanie sighed. “We’re nowhere near such a dire situation, papa. But this-” “Perhaps...if I could speak to my betrothed alone?” Richard inquired, giving her father a reassuring look. No, no, no! I don't want to talk to you! “Of course!” her aunt chimed, leaning close to Melanie to whisper a stern “behave!” in her ear. After her family left, her betrothed stood. He moved in front of her, crouching down to eye level. “What is the matter, my dear? After all, we've known each other a great many years, haven't we? Your hesitation seems almost out of character.” Melanie could admit to having had a certain childhood attraction to the man; he was a tad over six feet, caramel colored hair, with deep blue eyes that accented his features perfectly. They had in fact known each other since she was small...but that didn't excuse a damn thing. “I’m sorry,” she began carefully, “I don’t mean to seem ungrateful, but doesn’t this seem like a bit too much? We’ve hardly ever spoken in the years we’ve known each other, nevermind the fact that I barely know a thing about you. And any one of my other sisters would make a much better spouse for you, I’m certain.” “Hmm…” He put a finger to his chin, a look of deep contemplation on his face. “Okay. I’m Richard Maxwell, 24 years old, and I enjoy horseback riding. You?” Melanie blinked. What is he…? “I..I’m sorry, but forgive my confusion. I do know who you are and that you enjoy riding. That isn't-” “Alright then, my dear, I’ll be more frank,” he interrupted, his demeanor darkening. “I don’t really care for all this idle prattle. The simple fact is your family is losing money at an alarming rate, and marrying me will ensure them, and yourself, with financial security. And from what I’ve been told, you’re quite the self-sufficient young woman. Which suits me perfectly, since this is all just a matter of monetary gain, anyhow. So,” he leaned closer to her face, “we can be cordial about this, or you can keep making things difficult, Miss Labelle. The decision is yours, but I suggest the former...if you value your family’s comfort and stability, that is.” Melanie blanched, nodding stiffly. “Good,” he replied, the casual smile from before reappearing on his face. As he stood to retrieve her father and his sister, Melanie got up from her chair to go out the now open door. “Melanie? Where are you going?” “Out,” she answered tersely, plastering a perfect smile for her father. “I’m going to purchase a new dress my dear Richard will enjoy. And I wish to do so alone.” “Without a chaperone?” her aunt squeaked. “Out of the question!” Oh, for the love of all things holy. “I’m sure I’ll run into one of my friends on the way to town; there’s a new line of summer dresses being debuted.” Her aunt shook her head, sighing. “Oh, very well. But don’t keep Mr. Maxwell waiting long.” She made it to the front door when her father grabbed her by the arm. “Melanie, what do you think you’re doing?” She tried to pull away, but his grip on her grew tighter. “Let go of me this instant!” she growled through gritted teeth. “Of all the damned things in this world, you had to get that god-awful independent streak from your mother...if you weren’t the only child I could rely on for this…” Her eyes went wide. So that’s what this was. He simply didn’t trust his other unmarried children to simply say “yes”. “Well, maybe you should have thought this out better, then. I’m not an object for you to use.” “Oh, I beg to differ,” her father whispered darkly, suddenly releasing her arm. Jerking away, she was practically running from the house the moment she set foot out the door. How dare they do this to her? To marry her off to the first available gentleman for their own comfort! So they could look out their morning room window and pretend that the rest of the world is supposed to bow to them simply because they had money! What am I going to do…? She idly looked inside shop windows as she passed them, doing her absolute best to come up with a better solution than marrying Richard Maxwell while she attempted to calm herself down. Yes, she was normally willing to do almost anything for her family, but being made to be miserable her whole life? That was not one of those things. And that’s when she saw him. A few feet away, sitting alone at a cafe table, was a young man who looked to be about three or four years older than herself. His brunette hair had a slight wave to it, and it fell attractively against his forehead. A pair of handsome brown eyes were fixed on the book in front of him, occasionally breaking away to look at a cup of coffee in front of him. Or was it tea? It didn’t matter. What if…? She stormed up to his table. “Hey!” Not moving from his book, he looked up at her. “I need you to marry me.”

“Derrick, you’ve spent the last nine years taking care of everyone but yourself. Why don’t you take some time to yourself? Perhaps France; put that second language of yours to good use!” His stepmother moved a hand to cup his cheek. “Your time is now, I can feel it. Now go do something wild, my son. Make this summer one to remember.” Derrick looked around the old church he was currently standing in, mulling over the memory of his mother’s words as he waited for the pastor to arrive. I bet she didn’t see me getting MARRIED while I was here. That should be wild enough. Derrick turned back to face the petite blonde pacing by the shabby alter. He would consider it a solid miracle if they were the same age. He was pretty sure his 13 year old brother was taller than her, and that was saying something since Fritz was a tad shorter than most of his friends. Her once neat bun was beginning to come undone with each turn on her heel, which was also kicking up some dust off the floor and dirtying the hem of her already messy dress. The dirt on her face was somewhat amusing...for all her high-born looks, her dirt-stained appearance just threw it all to the wind. “What’s your name?” she asked briskly, not bothering to look in his direction for more than a moment. “You gonna tell me what’s going on first?” he retorted, folding his arms across his chest. She answered by stopping to put her hands on her dainty hips. “Tell me your name first.” “Derrick. Now answer.” She scoffed, sounding irritated with his curt reply. “Well, I’m not sure if I should give you one now, since you’re acting so rudely.” “I’m acting rudely?” Is she serious? “Forgive me for sounding like an ass then, but it was you who came stomping up to me shouting ‘You’re gonna marry me!’, so who’s really being rude here?” She opened her mouth, but snapped it shut. “Fine.” God, Friedrich is easier to deal with. Derrick sighed, doing his best to reign in his frustration. “Okay, I’m sorry. My name is Derrick Rosenthal. I’m seventeen, since you haven’t asked.” He held out his hand. “And you would be?” She looked at it skeptically. “Melanie,” she said, finally giving in. She extended her hand, shaking his. Or, it would have been a handshake if she weren’t so bloody dainty. Good grip, for what it was worth. “Are you honestly seventeen?” Derrick raised an eyebrow. “Yes…?” “You look...older.” “Yes, apparently that’s something of my father’s fault. A common piece of genetics in his family.” “Oh.” They stood in silence. Derrick turned to look at something by the pulpit. “Your accent is off.” My…? “I’m sorry?” “Your accent.” “That’s because I’m not French…” he answered slowly. Is this what Erich would be like if he was a girl? “I’m German.” “What?” Oh God have mercy. “German. As in from Germany? It’s a country-” “I know what it means!” “Then you have me at a loss.” “I’m sorry! It’s just...your French is quite good. Exceptional, even. For someone from outside the country.” “I...my mother told me I needed a hobby, so I picked up French. I’m not fluent quite yet, but it's getting there. I can speak English as well.” Her reply was a mousy little “huh” before she went back to stalking around the church; this time, she traveled up and down the main aisle, stopping in the center. “You wanted an answer.” “If that's acceptable.” “Okay,” she began, walking back and stopping a few inches away from him. “I don't want to get married to a man who's eight years my senior so my parents can have their precious money.” That..was not what I was expecting. “So...you ran away from an arranged marriage?” “More or less.” “Then, correct me if I’m wrong, you chose to escape this marriage by entering into another?” She nodded. “With a complete stranger?” Another nod. Oh boy. “So...how exactly would this help you?” Derrick leaned against the pulpit. “You don’t know a thing about me; for all you could know, I could be an even poorer choice than your current betrothed.” She looked him in the eye, pinning him with a hard stare. For the first time, he noticed her eyes looked like brandy. You could get drunk staring at those eyes... “You...don’t frighten me like he does.” Her words snapped him out of his odd reverie. “He scares you?” “I’m just an...object to him. I know that. The way I see it, I would be better off taking my chances with a total stranger I met twenty minutes ago than trying to live a lifetime with that as a husband.” At that moment, the pastor walked in, looking the two of them over with a pointed stare. “If you two are ready.” Melanie looked back at him, the expression in her eyes a hard plea. Well...this should be interesting, indeed. “Yes. We’re ready.”

Melanie tapped her fingers irritability on the dining room table. Something was damn well bothering her, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Derek had gone to the next town over to sell what little produce he had grown, as well as to purchase some nails and paint for the small coop he was building so they could purchase some chickens; he was doing everything he usually did on a Saturday, so why did today bug her so much? And why did all of this make her stomach do flips? He HAS been gone longer than normal...not to mention the odd distance he’s been putting between us...is he seeing someone while he's there? Melanie choked down the strange urge to cry. Why did that thought make her so upset? It’s like you have feelings for him or something. ... Oh Lord. I have feelings for him. I genuinely like him. “I’m home!” Derrick called from the front door. She jumped a bit, his voice breaking her internal discussion. “You were out late,” she replied, cursing herself a little at even asking the question. It’s not as if he’s never been out late before, Melanie! Pull yourself together! A short pause was followed by a curse in German. “Shiße, I didn't realize it was so late.” He walked into the dining room, setting down a cloth bag on the table. “I must have been talking with Phillipe longer than I thought.” “What were you trying to get from him?” “Chickens for the coop. The sooner we don't have to pay for eggs, the better.” He pulled out a fresh loaf of bread and some croissants, setting them down on top of the bag. “And Mrs. Bellmont sends her thanks for the Anne Harkness’s. She was absolutely smitten with them.” “Oh? She enjoyed them?” “I believe her exact words were ‘The perfect pinch of color my dingy home needs!’. Which is absurd, considering her garden is full of lavender.” Melanie nodded, giving him a weak smile...which earned her a raised brow. “What?” “Is everything okay? You seem distracted,” he asked, gentle concern touching his voice. “Please don’t act like my parent.” That’s it. Oh Lord. I have feelings for him. I genuinely like him. Her comment took him off guard, but he recovered quickly. “I didn’t intend-” I can’t do this. “Are you seeing someone in town?” Oh Lord, there it is. Vomited all over the dining table. His expression seemed...offended? “Why would-” “Why are you even here still?” she cut in again, ignoring his annoyed huff at being interrupted again. “We only got married because I forced you to so I could get out of an unsavory predicament. I expected you to leave the better of a year ago. Instead…” she rambled, stopping mid thought. She looked at his hands, folded patiently in front of him. She took his hand in hers, tracing over the calluses with feather-light touches. “You’ve given me so much more than I ever expected. I don’t understand.” Derrick was silent for a brief moment before moving his hand...to hold hers. “Do you have any siblings?” She looked up at him, wondering where the question came from. He was preoccupied with looking at her hand in his. “My mother left when I was two, and my father died when I was eight. In his passing, he left behind myself, my stepmother, and my three younger brothers.” “You have three younger brothers…?” And you haven’t seen them in two years. “Yes. Armin is 17, Friedrich is 15, and Erich is 13. If circumstance called for it, my mother worked anywhere from two to three jobs...I took it upon myself to be my brother’s caretaker. I’ve hardly known anything else outside of that role.” He played with her fingers a bit, smiling at the odd thorn scar here and there. “I was even schooling them. My brother Armin recently returned from the States. He’s a doctor now, you know?” “At seventeen?” His face was almost glowing with pride. “And Friedrich finished his schooling last year. Erich is close behind as well. But I’m ranting.” He squeezed her hand, taking a deep breath. “I haven’t left because it’s just in my nature to take care of people. Also I realized I felt something of an...attraction...to you.” “You were attracted to me…?” “I don’t have much knowledge in courting; I never bothered with such things since I had my brother’s to take care of. And you didn’t seem like the type that even wanted to be courted, so I simply didn’t try. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, I’m merely unsure of how to go about showing you without accidentally stifling you.” Melanie’s jaw clenched. So that’s why he’s been so distant lately...he’s been conflicted between his role as a protector...and his desire to initiate a relationship with me. “You can never learn balance unless you fall.” A hint of a smile crossed his face. “My mother told me something like that once.” She smiled at the thought that she reminded him of his mother. “I’m also one out of four children; the youngest, in this case. Harriet is 24, as is Clarisse, and Angelina is 20. I was...a favorite, of sorts. Especially to my mother.” Melanie’s voice began to waver. “She was my world. She taught me how to grow and care for roses and how to take care of myself.. She was the sun in my house, but when she got sick…” Derrick hesitantly wiped a stray tear off of her cheek. “My father emptied the entire house of her presence the day she died, then my aunt moved in to take her place as the matron of the household...suddenly, the only place I found solace was among my roses.” “I understand that,” Derrick muttered in agreeance. “I spent an ungodly amount of time with my plants; my younger brother was thoroughly convinced I was doing something nasty with a squash.” “Oh, that’s disgusting!” “Try having to convince someone that you aren’t!” Getting a laugh out of that, Melanie silently thanked the Lord for the much needed break in the somber mood. “What is it that you like so much about me…?” she inquired, her curiosity taking over. “You’re independent. I like that. I like that you don’t necessarily need me, but you want me. And that’s more than any other girl who’s ever looked my way can say. I never liked the thought of simply becoming some woman’s means to an end because she can’t handle herself.” He looked her square in the eye. “I’ve tended to others long enough; I want someone who can work beside me, and I beside them.” A smile touched his coffee brown eyes. “I never thought that someone would shove me into a church while I was on holiday, but I’ve been told that God works in mysterious ways.” “And here I thought you couldn’t flirt.” “Oh, I can flirt,” he countered, a smirk on his lips. “It’s courting I struggle with. So much damned etiquette and for what?” He shook his head. “All to tell a girl you’re interested in her. If you can’t tell her outright, then why bother with all the cat-and-mouse business?” “You know, I’ve heard that it’s supposed to be a way to make you seem more attractive in their eye, irresistible even, but in a civilized way. The more you play hard to get, the more we want to simply swoon into your arms and say ‘take me’ at the slightest hint of an offer of marriage.” Melanie gagged. “So pointless.” Derrick laughed. “Well thank God you aren’t like that.” “Thank God indeed!” Derrick continued to gaze at her face, his eyes moving to her lips briefly. “Melanie-” Leaning across the corner of the table, she placed her lips firmly against his, once again interrupting his words. He didn’t even flinch; instead, his lips molded to hers, matching her growing sense of urgency. Like they needed to be kissing each other or they’d simply expire. What a ridiculous feeling. She broke the kiss with a giggle at her own thoughts. She felt more than saw Derrick’s smile, sighing softly as he kissed her again. “I have a proposal for you.” “About two years late for that.” “Stuff it. Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to give this relationship a try? And do it for real, this time.” But I wouldn’t want this ridiculous feeling with anyone else. “I think that’s a marvelous idea.”

[thehungrykat1]

Experience the Deliciously Pure and Healthy Taste of San Miguel Del Mar Tuna

Everyone seems to have improved their home cooking skills during the community quarantine. You can easily see this with all the Instagram-worthy dishes being cooked up inside the kitchen. The lockdown has also reminded me that I need to pay extra attention to the ingredients I use. Healthier is always better, especially during these trying times. Thankfully, I discovered a new kitchen partner that gives lets me enjoy authentic and healthy tuna dishes without sacrificing on taste and quality.

San Miguel Foods, one of the leading food companies well-known in providing a diverse selection of food products defined by quality, taste, and safety, has just launched its newest offering perfect for those looking to make cleaner food choices, San Miguel Del Mar Tuna. The company’s first entry to the canned tuna category, San Miguel Del Mar stands out from other brands, as it is made from 100% pure tuna chunks, with no extenders and no preservatives. I received a special package from San Miguel Del Mar Tuna complete with helpful recipes to create the perfect quarantine dishes.

Available in two variants, Tuna Chunks in Vegetable Oil and Tuna Chunks in Water, San Miguel Del Mar Tuna is rich in Omega 3, which helps prevent and manage heart disease, and protein, which is crucial for our bodies to grow, repair tissue, create essential hormones and enzymes, and support our immune systems. Packed with all its natural ingredients, San Miguel Del Mar Tuna contains pure and meaty tuna chunks with no extenders and preservatives. It also comes in an easy-open-can to make your meal prep and midday snacks healthier and equally delicious.

I also received some exciting recipes from San Miguel Del Mar as they partnered with three personalities known for creating their own simply delicious recipes - established Chefs Ed Bugia and Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, plus writer and home cook Steph Zubiri. Using San Miguel Del Mar Tuna, each of them created dishes to give everyone an effortlessly nutritious meal, no matter the time of the day. Here are the dishes and recipes for you to try.

TUNA RILLETTE by Steph Zubiri

Ingredients

● 2 (185 g each) cans San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water, drained

● 1-1/2 cup mayonnaise

● 1 tsp Dijon mustard

● 1 tsp dill leaves

● 1 (50 g) pc red onion, minced

● freshly ground black pepper, lightly crushed

● pink peppercorns for garnish

● 2 sprigs fresh dill for garnish

● 1 loaf rye or sourdough bread, sliced and lightly toasted

Procedure

In a food processor, place tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, and dill. Pulse until smooth or pate-like consistency. Season with black pepper.

Transfer to a bowl and add minced onion and some chopped pink peppercorns.

Transfer mixture to a jar. Garnish with dill and pink peppercorns. Serve with toasted rye or sourdough bread or on crackers. Makes 6 servings.

TUNA ADLAI GRAIN BOWL by Chef Ed Bugia

Ingredients

Grain bowl:

● 1 (185 g) can San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Oil, drained

● 1 tbsp sriracha

● 2 tbsp low fat yogurt

● 150 g adlai, cooked according to package direction

● 60 g quinoa, cooked according to package direction

● 2 tsp pickled onion

● 2 tsp pickled Japanese cucumbers

● 2 tbsp cherry tomatoes, roasted

● 4 pc nori chips

● Salt & pepper to taste

Mango salsa:

● 20 g diced yellow mango

● 10 g chopped shallot

● 20 g diced tomato

● 1 tsp lemon juice

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 sprig cilantro, chopped

● ¼ tsp iodized fine salt

● 1/8 tsp pepper

Procedure

For the mango salsa:

Mix all ingredients for mango salsa in a bowl. Chill.

For the grain bowl:

Combine tuna, sriracha, and yogurt in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Arrange 2 bowls by first layering in the adlai and then the quinoa.

In a circular manner, top grains with tuna mixture, salsa, pickled onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

Top with crumbled nori chips.

TUNA CREPES WITH TRUFFLE MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE by Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu

Ingredients

Crepe:

● 1-1/2 cups Magnolia Fresh Milk

● 3 pc Magnolia Brown Eggs

● 5 tbsp Magnolia Nutri Oil Coconut Vegetable Oil

● 2 tsp sugar

● 1 tsp iodized fine salt

● 1 tsp vanilla extract

● Tuna Filling:

● 5 tbsp olive oil

● ¼ cup chopped garlic

● 1 cup fresh button mushrooms

● 1 (185 g) can San Miguel Del Mar Tuna Chunks in Water, drained

● ½ cup Magnolia All-Purpose Cream

● ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese

● iodized fine salt

● pepper

Sauce Topping:

● ¼ cup Magnolia Gold Butter Salted

● ¼ cup chopped garlic

● ½ cup Magnolia Quickmelt or mozzarella cheese

● 1 (250 mL) pack Magnolia All-Purpose Cream

● truffle oil to taste

Procedure

For the crepe:

In a bowl, mix milk, eggs & oil. Add flour, then salt and sugar. Continue to mix then strain to get a smoother batter. Add vanilla extract into the batter.

Pour batter into a non-stick flat pan until it forms a circle. Cook until edges start to dry and center is set. Turn and cook other side until light brown.

For the filling:

Saute garlic in olive oil, then add mushrooms and tuna. Add cream and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper then mix thoroughly. Set aside.

For sauce:

Melt butter & saute garlic. Add cream and cheese. Set aside.

To assemble:

Take one crepe pancake and place it on a plate. Take 2 spoon-full of tuna filling and spread it down the middle of the crepe pancake. Take one side of the crepe pancake and roll it over the filling, and keep rolling to form a log.

Pour the sauce over the crepes and drizzle with truffle oil.

You can also just have the San Miguel Del Mar Tuna simply topped on your rice, which is what I did right after opening the can. With San Miguel Del Mar’s 100% pure authentic tuna, healthy eating is now uncomplicated and equally tasty. San Miguel Del Mar Tuna is now available in all leading supermarkets, groceries and convenience stores, and is offered in an 185g easy-to-open can for only P61 SRP. For more details, visit https://www.sanmiguelfoods.com/.

[thenarcolepticone]

Would You Like Fries With That?

by TheNarcolepticOne

(AO3) (FF.net)

Summary: Without any other alternative for a lunch break, Arthur decides to settle for McDonald's; his least favourite establishment in proximity to work. But along the way, a rather odd foreigner decides to take some part of the stage too. Fate seems to always have it that way.

A/N: I’m going to try and transfer some of these fics to Tumblr. Maybe people can tell me later about some prompts they want me to try lol. Let me know! Warnings: Rated T, language, and sexual concepts. Nothing outta the ordinary gay fluff lmao

Arthur was late. He hated being late, and he hated leaving bad impressions on people. The concept of not knowing when he might arrive at a specific location at a specific time just bothered him enough to make his chest ache, and thus, his dislike for tardiness. But it couldn’t be helped. From the time that he had started on his paperwork last night, to the early morning memory of seeing the digital clock read 3:39AM before he dozed off; it made it an understandable mental mistake. But a mistake like that usually bargained his job, and his paycheck by extension. He might not be able to afford pressing down on the gas pedal to an almost horizontal position if he lost it today. Though, he believed it best not worry about it now.

The radio was off; it was a distraction to his focused driving. He honked a man for being unbelievably slow in accelerating after the light had turned green. He barely saw the hand of the man he passed (probably giving him the middle-finger) out his window before he overtook him. And a string of curses left his lips as he continued to tailgate another car, and promptly turning left so hard that his Alfasud nearly tilted on its side.

Arthur practically sped down the straight path leading to his building; able to maneuver the traffic with practiced skill (though it was more likely from experiencing lateness more than he’d like to admit). His car had barely fit between the two lines of space provided. Arthur wasted no energy wanting to fix it as he stumbled into the building with only four minutes to spare.

The next round of orders began to start up as Alfred adjusted the black hat with the famous M on his head, along with the headset for listening to the drive-in orders from outside. He sighed, getting to his station as he started to clean it up a bit. Another six hours of standing in one place and taking the same orders every time. Not that he really found it bothersome, however. He did get paid, and generously too. The manager seemed to have an interest in his rather peppy personality, to which he took as both a compliment and another reason why he was always asked to take longer shifts than his co-workers.

Days like this usually stacked on him, though. Homework and housework had to be put on hold for those six hours, and it usually didn’t mean any good news for him later when his mother came home with a tired look, but fuming rage. At least he was doing something productive, or else his (new) phone would get confiscated.

Alfred, despite being here for 2 months now, had just barely moved to England and was currently waiting for the start of the academic year to begin at the University of London. Getting into a foreign institution was difficult; what with the sudden separation of his parents and his mother’s hasty decision to return to where she was raised. But he was able to make it just fine, albeit being technically alone and friendless until then. It didn’t really let it get to him, and instead chose to think positive by smiling every day like the happy meals he was meant to advertise.

He was a little later than normal to come to work. The busy traffic and the rush of people trying to get to their offices by their strict time quota was a familiar battle he had to fight every day. The only difference was that by the time they got to work, the entire memory of the ordeal would go away instantly until the next rush hour for lunch and the third one on the way home.

Conversely for Alfred; it was an unending cycle of less than happy customers demanding specific orders from the menu all day every day. From the morning people who want to buy a quick breakfast at Mickey D’s, to the asswipes who yell at him because his co-worker forgot the mustard.

It was jumble for everyone on board.

The shift thankfully didn’t start until fifteen minutes later. His lunch break was only so short. Alfred propped his elbow on the counter, staring out through the small window with a strong sense of irritation.

Some shitty excuse for a driver wanted to ruin his morning by not even giving him a chance to move forward even an inch before the light switched. The American didn’t feel the need to dwell on those thoughts for long, but he often wanted to vent his stresses privately some of the time. His happy-go-lucky façade couldn’t always keep itself up.

Alfred knew afternoons weren’t always his favorite type of the day. But he would get off soon enough. The stench of burgers seemed to always fill his nose and he was, lord forbid it, actually getting tired of the stench.

Ugh. He probably needed to purge himself later by buying another Big Mac on the go.

“Are you doing okay, Alfred?”

The blonde’s head turned. Before him stood a kind man, gentle with the way he spoke but with a certain independence that was admirable even to Alfred. He didn’t speak much, but only if he was concerned for a friend.

“Yeah, Toris,” he sighed. “Just a bit tired. And a little bit of road rage left in me. Nothing bad, I swear.”

The other shifted in his step.

“Well…I suppose. You’re still getting used to it here, anyway. You mentioned you lived in rural area before coming here. It’s a big change. I thought m-maybe I might relate a little, being a foreigner too…”

Alfred rose his eyebrows. His smile went back to full blast as he pat Toris on the back. It was rough enough to make him stumble.

“Thanks for worrying about me, man. I feel fine. Don’t sweat it.”

With a final glance over in his station, he stood there, ready to take the orders. The monitor revealed a familiar looking car in the line, and Alfred turned the headset on.

Arthur yawned, staring ahead as he waited for the next car to finish their order. McDonald’s wasn’t a place that he would rather prefer to eat. His preferences usually consisted of sit in, full course dining restaurants with a little bit of class and some variation with the foods; not really some branch-extended business that was only there for the sake of profit. But alas, the other cafés were particularly full and this was the only option near enough to his workplace without much concern with the distance.

The car ahead finally moved forward, and he pushed down his parking brake and accelerated slightly to align himself with the large walkie. He rolled down his window with some effort before he leaned out enough for the man to hear him.

“Hi! Welcome to McDonald’s! What can I get started for you?”

Arthur took a moment to ponder the voice. American. He blinked, uneasy at the fact that he almost assumed that he was in the States for a few seconds.

“Uh, hello,” he greeted rather offhandedly. “I’d like a cheeseburger, please. No pickles or condiments. And a drink as well. Sweet iced tea, if you have it.”

There was a moment of silence as the order began to go through. But before the actual price was announced, a different response came out instead.

“Are you sure that’s it, sir?”

“I’m positive I know what I want, yes.”

“No…lettuce? Or tomatoes?”

“I probably would have mentioned that in my order, sir,” he said, getting slightly annoyed with the questions. Was this business really just bent on getting his money on basic vegetables? “Now may I please proceed?”

“Uh, sure,” he said awkwardly before stating the price. “I’ll be at the window.”

Without so much as a hasty ‘thank you’, he put his upper frame back inside his car and left his window open as he drove to the window.

By the time he got halfway there, he heard the same voice, asking the car behind him about his order. A fast worker, no doubt. He began to feel the weight of his exasperation lift by a fraction. Despite the man’s obvious rookie-like style of work, at least it was something. Arthur briefly wished he could go back on his years before attending London University and work like the cashier was doing instead of the relaxing he did back then.

He was a first-year graduate student now. There really wasn’t any need to dwindle on the past.

The windows realigned again, and Arthur yanked up the parking brake before looking to the employee.

And his heart thumped.

The individual in question wasn’t quite ready to talk to Arthur but was instead typing the orders onto a monitor. Arthur noticed the way his black polo seemed to hug his body in the right places, revealing to be what looked like a well-preserved athlete’s physique. It was hard to find those types in the autumn. Even his face appeared more foreign than he expected. Sure, the man was blonde like him. Except hearing his voice alongside actually looking at the physical body made it all the more different.

It screamed American.

And he swallowed.

What a bloke.

Eventually, the other got off of the headset and walked to the window, smiling as he leaned down (almost casually) to Arthur’s height.

His car wasn’t elevated, so it made some sense why he was doing it. Although he actually believed that his Alfasud was a piece of junk, perhaps it had some use after all.

He had a good view of his cashier.

“Hi,” the American greeted again. “Cash, credit or debit?”

Arthur cleared his throat, looking back to his empty seat and grabbing his wallet.

“Cash.”

For a moment, the stare of the attractive man was rather embarrassing as he sifted through his wallet. He pulled out two, five-pound notes and handed it to him. From this action, he was able to get a name from the name tag he wore.

Alfred F. Jones.

He couldn’t have gotten any more American than he already was.

Alfred took the money, putting it in the register before handing back the change.

“Alright. Excuse me a moment. I’ll be back with your order.”

Arthur put the extra change back in his wallet before sighing.

Christ. He thought his hormones were at a standstill after Francis. And it just resurfaced as quick as a rabbit’s birth.

Alfred returned soon enough, and with the paper bag. Arthur retrieved it, putting it into his lap and checking the food to make sure it was right. It was.

“Thank you,” said Arthur without looking at him. He feared if he did, he would be blushing a lot more obviously than he was now. Arthur set the food right next to his wallet on the empty seat. He was about to release the parking brake, but not before Alfred spoke up again.

“Would you like fries with that?”

The Englishman glanced up.

“…since you’re asking…but make it quick.”

Alfred looked as the man drove off while he waited for the next in line. Sometimes, people didn’t appreciate this establishment like they should. And Alfred wanted to get it a point to get as many snobby Englishmen to try and taste the burgers first before saying it stinks. He was glad he was able to convince the last customer otherwise.

Before he could even try and turn back to the monitor, he just caught the sight of the recent car driving away.

On its bumper was the coat of arms for the University of London. It made itself familiar in two ways. The first with its obvious relevance to him. The second being that it was the same asshole who decided to honk him.

The cutest asshole he had ever laid eyes on.

And he had just gotten him extra fries for being such an asshole.

It made him feel like an asshole.

…but fuck that.

He hoped he’d stick around longer tomorrow.

[philsdrill]

Chapter 24: A Little Support

Fic Summary: “Everyone had a link with their soulmates, some could hear some of their partners thoughts, some had a tattoo that would appear with their partners name; for me, I knew when they got sick.” For a while Phil has thought that his soulmate might have an eating disorder and doesn’t expect to meet him in the restaurant where he works.

Genre: a lot of fluff, recovery, really fucking domestic, waiter!Phil

Warnings: eating disorders, anorexia, bulimia, hospitals, panic attacks, references to past abuse, mentions of suicide, mentions of self-harm, a lot of awkwardness, small amounts of smut. This is potentially triggering so for your own sake, please think twice about reading if anything this might affect you.

Disclaimer: I don’t have personal experience with eating disorders, but have done some research. If I have anything about them wrong, feel free to send me an ask and I’ll sort it out.

Word Count (for this part): 9.3k

[Uploads will be approximately every couple of weeks! (hopefully)]

A/N: So this is the longest chapter yet... I did contemplate splitting it up, but there wasn’t really a sensible place to do so, so you guys are in for a long one here. Also, this is the fastest I’ve got a chapter done since last July (its under two weeks, what!?), so I’m pretty impressed with myself there. Hope you enjoy!

MASTERPOST

<= Previous Chapter

Dan’s POV:

Finally, I was feeling like myself again. It had been a little over a week since I’d had my medication dose upped and I was finally free of the side effects. I’d felt pretty terrible at first, with headaches and nausea as my body adjusted to it, but now I could see it was worth it. I wasn’t feeling anxious, like at all. I felt a little like all my emotions had dulled down a little, the highs and lows all being squashed closer to the zero line, but I could deal with that.

Phil had been leaving me home alone now I was feeling better. After the night I’d been ill, he’d made sure that at least Louise was with me if he couldn’t be. It was only once I was free from the debilitating nausea that he accepted I was fine to be left alone. For Phil and I, it was hard to be apart when one of us wasn’t feeling well. We relied on each other, and although Louise was good at looking after me, no one could quite compare to Phil. I felt a strong need for him when I was sick and I knew he felt as strong a need to be with me.

Tonight, Phil was on the earlier shift from four-thirty until nine. I preferred when he worked at this time, as it meant I actually got to spend some time with him in the evening, rather than him rushing off after an early dinner and heading straight to bed when he got home.

Our relationship was in no way defined by sex, but I’d learnt that sleeping would be the only thing happening in our bed after the late shift. It didn’t bother me too much, but there were days I was horny and struggled to get off without Phil’s help.

I was looking forward to tonight, as Phil and I had had a little chat earlier about how I was feeling and if I’d be up for something later. With how good I’d been feeling yesterday and today, I was more than up for it and I let Phil know I’d do a little preparation while he was out.

My little bit of preparation consisted of making sure everything was clean down there and having a little stretch as it had been a while; I didn’t want that stage to take too long later. Although it did turn me on a little, I’d learnt to do it in a controlled manner and save myself for Phil.

I’d thought about using a butt plug, I sometimes did, but I decided today wasn’t the day for that; it might turn me on a bit too much. Instead I would just put up with the empty feeling and deal with the fact I might tighten up a bit again before Phil got home. I still had two hours, more like two and a half as Phil had decided to walk to work today.

I was making myself dinner, some pasta in one pot and some sauce in another. I didn’t have Phil’s level of culinary genius, but I could make a handful of edible things. Phil probably wouldn’t entirely approve of my lame attempt at a sauce, tinned chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock, but it was food and that was what mattered.

As I sat alone, with my rather unremarkable plate of pasta in front of me, it crossed my mind that I could just not eat and Phil wouldn’t know. However, I wasn’t going to do that; I could, but I was better than that now. I didn’t mind eating these days; there were a few unhealthy things I couldn’t deal with, but I could keep myself nourished.

I think Phil’s cooking was one of the best things to ever happen to me, because in the early days, the fact it tasted so fucking amazing actually helped me to get through a plateful of food. I wish Phil got to cook more often, as it made him happy, but with his work shifts, dinner was always rather rushed for him. There were nights like tonight when he had a sandwich before he left and might have another when he came home, but that wasn’t dinner, not by Phil’s standards.

His current job wasn’t really what he wanted to do with his life, I knew that. Phil wanted to become a chef, and maybe open a restaurant someday. I knew he’d attended a number of cooking classes and had a couple of qualifications under his belt, but he needed to get back into cooking school if he wanted to achieve his dreams. His last set of cooking classes had been last spring. He’d never enrolled in any after the summer as I’d formed a bit of a roadblock in his life, but now I was ready to encourage him to get back to where he needed to be.

I made a note in my phone to mention that to Phil. Things might very well get steamy quickly when he got home, so the note would remind me tomorrow, or when it was a better time to bring it up. He could probably still apply for something in the coming academic year, starting in September. I could get a job to pay the pills and Phil could work on his dream. At the moment, that seemed like the best thing to do. I was still to find my dream and that would give me the time I needed to think about it. I’d said before that I had an interest in video production, so I would keep that in mind, maybe help Phil with his cooking channel a bit more, as he sometimes got a little bored of the editing.

When I’d finished my pasta, I helped myself to a biscuit from some baking that Phil had done earlier in the week. Phil sometimes worried that I didn’t eat enough sugar so he would make biscuits and encourage me to eat them. I didn’t feel too bad with it only being one biscuit and sometimes I noticed I felt a bit more alive after eating them. At the moment, they were round shortbread like things with a chocolate swirl through them. Phil liked to experiment and would make different things every time.

I took my dishes from the table and cleared up around the kitchen, loading everything into the dishwasher, apart from a couple of pots and a wooden spoon that I’d have to wash by hand. I was about to fill the sink when my phone started ringing, blaring out its ringtone over on our dining table.

Moving my hand away from where it hovered over the tap, I rushed to the other room to pick it up. I wondered who it would be, as Phil was working, he wouldn’t call unless something was wrong. I guessed it might be my mum, or maybe my brother.

I was fairly close with my guess of brother. It was Ethan, his soulmate. I grabbed the phone and answered it, pulling it to my ear. I wondered if something was wrong; we’d been keeping in contact periodically by text and he’d only ever phoned me after texting first to check I wasn’t busy.

“Hi, Ethan,” I greeted him, not saying much to give him have the chance to talk.

“Dan, I need your help,” Ethan said, his voice trembling a little.

Immediately filled with concern, I asked him what was up, “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“I accidentally outed myself to my dad, like he found out my soulmates a guy,” Ethan rushed, “I’ve been kinda avoiding the topic recently but he made me talk and a.. a ‘he’ slipped out and I couldn’t do anything about it. He beat me up for a while and then kicked me out of the house. I ran away; I’ve got as far as the park with the duck pond but everything hurts and I can’t go any further.”

“Okay, I’m going to come and get you,” I said, doing my best to sound calm for him, as he sounded rather panicky.

“Try and take some deep breaths, keep your breathing slow,” I advised him, “I’m on my way.”

I hurried to get ready, grabbing my coat, keys, medication, Phil’s car keys and putting on a pair of shoes.

I kept talking to Ethan while I did this, “Phil’s at work but he walked so thankfully I have the car. It’s a yellow Corsa. I’ll be like five minutes, ten tops.”

“Thanks,” Ethan said, mumbling a little.

“Okay, where are you in the park?” I asked him, as I shut the door to our flat and locked it.

“I’m by the railing on the high bit, where there’s the drop down to the pond,” he explained.

“Okay, d’you think you could move nearer the road or is that too much?” I asked, being careful as I didn’t want to ask him to do more than he was capable of.

“I don’t know if I can,” he said, groaning.

“Okay, don’t worry, I’ll come to you,” I told him, now halfway down the stairs.

“Thanks,” Ethan mumbled, “M so sorry…”

Ethan made a choking sound, cutting himself off. I couldn’t figure out what was happening for a second, until I heard some sniffling sounds. I think he was crying.

“I’m going to be with you really soon,” I said, leaving the apartment building and heading over to Phil’s car, “I’m outside heading to the car now.”

I unlocked the car and got in, dumping my coat on the passenger seat.

“Okay, I’m in the car, I’m going to have hang up now so I can drive, but I’ll see you in five,” I told him.

“Okay, see you soon,” Ethan choked out a reply, then hung up the phone.

I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat with my coat and started the engine, getting going as quickly as I could. I took the most direct route to the park, focusing on getting there quickly.

I parked outside the park in a layby, which at any other time of day would be full of cars. I pocketed my phone, put on my coat and got out of the car, locking it behind me. I hurried into the park, thankfully knowing where I was going. Phil and I had been here a handful of times on dates so I knew the place pretty well.

As I approached the area Ethan had described, I could see a figure sat, leaning against the railings. When I was a little bit closer and I could confirm it was him.

“Ethan,” I said, crouching down in front of him and starting to take in the various injuries he was sporting.

“Thanks for coming,” he said, weakly.

“It’s okay, honestly,” I said.

I could see very clearly that his left eye was a bit swollen and starting to develop a bruise. He was just in a t-shirt, with a number of bloody scratches on his arms and he was hunched up, looking in a lot of pain.

“Are your legs okay?” I asked, after taking in his other injuries.

Ethan nodded weakly, not making any effort to speak.

“If I give you a hand, d'you think you can walk back to the car with me?” I asked him, knowing that he didn’t feel up to walking that far five minutes ago.

Ethan nodded again, “Yeah… just chest, hurts to breathe.”

“Okay, keep doing your best, I won't make you talk too much,” I told him, “And we’ll go slowly.”

Realising how much he was shaking, I took off my coat and wrapped it around his shoulders, hoping that would block out some of the cold February air. I brought my hands under his arms and working with him, hoisted him to his feet. Once he was up, I brought my arm around him for a little support and we slowly starting heading in the direction of the car.

When we got there, I opened the passenger door and he got in with no problem. In the open doorway, I crouched next to him, deciding at this point, that I should check with him what all was hurting, in case it was the hospital we should be heading for instead of mine and Phil’s flat.

“Okay, is anything else hurt other than your face and your arms?” I asked.

“My chest… my dad punched me pretty hard there and then I ran and got really out of breath and…” he told me, pausing to cough.

“You don’t have asthma or anything, do you?” I asked, a bit concerned about his breathing.

“No,” he shook his head.

With him confirming that, I could put it down to panic over the situation as a whole, being kicked out his family home, “I think you're panicking a bit, yeah? That’s understandable.”

Ethan nodded, a few more tears leaking from his eyes.

I opened up the glove box in front of him and pulled out a packet of tissues. I made a quick trip to the boot, where we kept a packet of water bottles and grabbed him one.

Once he had dried his eyes a little with a tissue, I got him doing a basic breathing exercise to help him calm down a little. I encouraged him to take small sips of water if he felt like it, as that too might help him feel a little better.

After a couple of minutes, he was struggling less and I felt I could talk to him again, “So you probably have a bit of bruising on your chest?”

Ethan nodded, a little bit less weakly this time.

“It’s a five minute drive back to mine and Phil's place, you good to go?” I asked him.

“Okay,” he said, “Thank you.”

Closing the passenger door for Ethan, I made my way around to the other side and got in. I double-checked he was okay, and then set off.

On the one main road I took on the way home, we had a bit of a scare. A car speeded out of a side road and right across our path without looking. I had to slam the brakes on faster than I’d ever done in my life and let’s just say, thank fuck for the seatbelts.

Ethan cried out in pain, holding his hand to his chest. I felt panic rising in my throat instantly at what had been such a close call. I needed to pull over. Fifty metres ahead of us, there was a layby. I indicated and turned into it, so thankful there was somewhere we could stop.

“Are you okay?” I asked Ethan, the pain clear on his face.

“I’m fine, just the seatbelt tightened on my chest and it hurt a lot but it's okay now,” Ethan said, stumbling over his words a little.

“I am so glad you were wearing one; I never even thought to check,” I said, running my hand over my own chest and feeling my heart pounding beneath my skin.

“You don't mind if we stay here for a couple minutes?” I asked Ethan, pausing to take a couple of deep breaths, “I just… I feel a bit panicky and don't want to have a panic attack while driving.”

“That’s fine,” Ethan said, something I recognised as concern building on his face.

Focusing on my breathing for a minute, I managed to calm myself down a bit, but I could still feel my heart beating fast. I wasn’t quite having a panic attack, not with the tears and shaking, but I was close.

“Ethan, there’s a tub of pills in the left pocket of my coat, could you pass me them?” I asked, “And the bottle of water from the door pocket?”

Not asking any questions, Ethan passed me the tub of pills and my water. I downed my dose of pills quickly, knowing they would start working soon. I didn’t really give much thought to driving after taking them, but I knew it would be preferable to driving while having a panic attack.

I concentrated on my breathing for another minute and told myself that I’d done good, stopping so quickly. I managed to calm myself down pretty well and I could feel my medication working its magic on slowing down my heart rate. After a couple of minutes, I decided I was sufficiently calm to continue driving.

I started the car and checked all around me for cars coming from funny places, before setting off. I turned into a quieter road a minute later and took a different route home, avoiding the main road. A couple of minutes later, we turned into the flats’ car park and I let out a sigh of relief once I’d parked the car back in our space.

Apart from being a little shaken up, I felt okay, which was good as I needed to put my focus on looking after Ethan. I took the keys out the car, put them in my pocket and headed round to the other side. Ethan was already out, looking a little better than he had when we got in.

“I’m no longer out of breath from running,” he told me, “That was why I was struggling so much earlier.”

“Okay, I’m glad you’re feeling a little better,” I smiled, “Ready for four flights of stairs?”

Ethan didn’t look terribly enthused, but walked ahead of me anyway. I locked the car and caught up with him, wanting to stay by his side, even if he was okay to walk by himself now.

I made sure Ethan took the stairs slowly; I didn’t want him getting any more tired out. When we reached the second floor, I unlocked the door to our flat and encouraged him in ahead of me.

“Right, head for the sofa. I'm gonna grab our first aid stuff and I'll be with you in two minutes,” I told him, “Also, maybe send Adam a text and let him know you’re okay and that you’re with me. He’s probably in a lot of pain too and worried about you.”

I headed to the kitchen, where we kept most of the first aid stuff. Phil was a little accident prone and sometimes got his fingers by mistake instead of the carrots. I grabbed the plastic box that had a couple of varieties of plasters, some antiseptic stuff and a number of other things. I opened the freezer and took out the bag of frozen peas, a good ice pack that should help Ethan’s eye injury.

Thinking about Phil, I realised I should text him so he knew what was going on before he got home.

Ethan got beat up by his dad and kicked out. I have him home now and I’m about to help sort out his injuries. Nearly had a panic attack on the way back from getting him, but I’m okay - I’ll explain later

Returning my phone to my pocket, I wrapped the bag of peas in a tea towel and took it, with the first aid box, through to the living room, where Ethan was sat on a sofa, his phone in hand.

“I had three missed calls from Adam, but I’ve texted him now,” he said, “He’s not replied yet, should I be worried?”

“I’m sure our mum’ll be looking after him, but if he’s not replied in half an hour, I’ll call the home phone, okay,” I told him, nodding consolingly.

I sat down next to Ethan him and passed him the wrapped up bag of peas, “Frozen peas. Hold that to your eye and it’ll hopefully make the swelling less bad.”

Next, I got an antiseptic wipe and started to clean his arms. There were various scratches, but it looked less bad once I’d wiped the blood off. With the length of them, it would be difficult to put plasters on them, but they weren’t really too bad. My eyes moved over the scabs on his wrists, presumably those from a couple of weeks ago, before he met Adam. It struck me that they should probably have healed up by now, so maybe he was one for picking scabs.

I got Ethan to switch which arm he was holding the ice pack with so I could see his other wrist. Here I found another scratch from his Dad’s violence, which had flicked off parts of the scabs and left his wrist looking quite raw. This needed more attention.

I got a fresh wipe and cleaned it up. Ethan flinched when he realised where the scratch was and tried to pull his arm away.

“Ethan, I know about these, Adam was here when you made them,” I told him, “I’m not going to make you talk about it, but I’m going to make sure they’re all looked after.”

Rather disgruntled, Ethan gave me his arm back, refusing to meet my eye. I gently rubbed some antiseptic cream into this scratch, as it looked like it was maybe starting to septic. Ethan flinched again, but let me continue. I found a bandage to wrap around this wrist, as a plaster wouldn’t quite cut it.

“Ethan, I think we should maybe look at your chest,” I said to him, “Or at least you take at a look at it if you’d rather.”

“It’s fine, I don’t mind if you see too,” he said, “It’s probably better to have a second opinion.”

Laying the frozen peas to the side for a minute, Ethan took his shirt off and lay back on the sofa, his eyes widening at the bruises starting to form on his chest. So far, they were just reddening blotches, with darker patches clearly made by the knuckles of his dad’s fist. He slowly ran his fingers over the injured skin and winced as they skimmed over the bruising.

It looked really painful and I wondered whether his dad could’ve had the strength to break his ribs. Most likely they were just bruised, but even if they were broken, they should heal by themselves. We would see how things progress.

“I’m going to get something else out the freezer for you to put on that,” I told him, “And d’you want some paracetamol?”

“That would be good, thanks,” Ethan replied, staring dejectedly down at his chest.

“Okay,” I said, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

I pulled another bag of frozen veg out of the freezer and found another tea towel to wrap it in so the cold wasn’t directly on his skin. I filled a glass with water from the sink and grabbed the box of paracetamol from where they sat in a clump of assorted medicines on the counter. Only moments later, I returned to Ethan with them, laying the cold bundle down on the table while I handed him the box of water and the paracetamol.

Once he took the tablets, I took the box back from him, something in my mind telling me I should maybe be wary about leaving them around. I knew he’d overdosed on something before, but I had no idea if he was likely to try it again. I handed him the second bag of frozen veg and took the paracetamol back to the kitchen, putting all the medication away in a cupboard out of sight.

I knew that realistically, he would get cold eventually, so I just said to Ethan to keep the ice on his injuries until he felt he couldn’t take it any more. In the end, he lasted about fifteen minutes, before he started shivering. I took the frozen vegetables off him and returned them to the freezer; they probably wouldn’t have defrosted too much.

Ethan was still shirtless in the living room, looking at his shirt miserably. As I approached him, I realised what the problem was. There was a bit of blood from his arms on the shirt and he probably didn’t fancy putting it back on.

“D’you want to borrow a t-shirt?” I asked him.

“Yeah, that would be good,” he said, “This one’s a little bit gross now.”

“Actually, it's nearly nine, d'you want to borrow some pyjamas?” I suggested, thinking he might as well put on what he was going to sleep in.

“I can stay over?” Ethan asked surprised, surprised.

“Of course,” I said, firmly, “You’re staying here for as long as you need.”

“Thank you,” Ethan said, getting to his feet and hugging me, “So much… I don’t have anywhere else…”

Hearing from his voice that he was emotional, I hugged him for a little longer, letting him have the consolation he needed, “Okay, I’m going to get you some pyjamas and then I’ll phone my mum and see what’s happening with Adam.”

“Thanks,” he said, sniffling a little.

I left Ethan to find him some pyjamas, heading to mine and Phil’s room and rummaging around in my drawer. I had a particular pair in mind, which I think I’d only worn maybe once, but they didn’t fit me anymore. Ethan was a little smaller than me and I was guessing they would be about his size.

I took them to the lounge and handed them to Ethan, “These are pretty new, but they don’t fit me anymore. Phil and I’ll get you sorted out with a few things of your own in due course, but you’ll need to make do for tonight.”

“Thanks,” Ethan said, still a little tearful, “I basically have nothing at the moment so…”

“They’re officially yours if you want,” I told him, with a gentle smile.

I let Ethan know he could go and get changed in the bathroom. In the meantime, I went to check over our spare bedroom and make sure it was ready for a guest. It was more or less good to go; Phil and I had put the sheets back on the bed after we’d washed them from Adam being here, so it was all set up and ready to go.  All I needed to do was move a couple of things that Phil and I had dumped in there to get them out of the way. There was one of Phil’s coats that he didn’t wear much, some cardboard boxes and packaging that should really be in the recycling and the hoover. I moved them all to our office, which we didn’t really use much and functioned mainly as a storage room. The guest room was now ready to go.

Ethan was still in the bathroom, which thankfully Phil cleaned after I threw up. I was trying to think of what other essentials he would need… a toothbrush and toothpaste. I took to mine and Phil’s ensuite bathroom and had a rummage through the cupboard. I’d had a feeling that we had a new toothbrush and toothpaste in there as spares for when ours needed replaced. I took them through and was just past the bathroom door, when Ethan emerged, now dressed in pyjamas and a little damp in the face.

With that, I realised he would need a towel to dry his face on. I handed him the toiletries and headed for the cupboard we kept towels in, “These are for you; I’m just gonna grab you a towel.”

Ethan took the towel I gave him and gently patted his face cry, avoiding the bruised area around his eye. He let out a sigh and folded the towel up to put it on the towel rail.

“Tired?” I asked him.

Ethan nodded, “I know it’s early, but I’ve had all my energy beaten out of me, literally.”

“D’you want some tea or coffee or something before we phone Adam?” I asked him.

“Tea would be good,” he mumbled, picking up his clothes from the floor and flicking off the bathroom light.

“What kind?” I asked, so used to having different tea depending on how I was feeling.

“Uhh… normal?” Ethan replied, clearly unsure of the other options, “With milk and sugar.”

“Okay, sure, I’ll get the kettle on,” I told him, “D’you want me to wash your clothes?”

“Could you?” Ethan said, “That would be great.”

“Yeah, no problem,” I said, taking the pile of clothes he was holding, “You go and take a seat in the living room. I’ll be in two minutes.”

I dumped Ethan’s clothes in a pile in front of the washing machine and put the kettle on to boil. I sorted his clothes; his underwear jeans and socks were all dark so those could go in together. His t-shirt would need a little more attention. Thankfully, I’d actually figured out how the washing machine here worked, so I got it started in no time. We had a bucket we kept under the sink for the odd thing we had to hand wash, so I filled it with cold water and a little stain remover and left the t-shirt to soak in it. I didn’t know if it would work, but it was the best I could do.

“Dan, can I use this blanket?” Ethan called from the living room, holding one of the blankets that just seemed to live on our sofa now.

“Yeah, of course, that’s what it’s for,” I replied, glad he had asked rather than sitting there being cold.

The kettle had only just boiled, perfect timing to make the tea. I made a cup for both of us, deciding that I could have some myself while the water was hot. I carried the two cups of tea through to the living room and set them down on the coffee table.

“It might need to cool a little, but there you go,” I said, “D’you want anything to eat? A biscuit or something? Wait, have you had dinner?”

“I’ve had dinner, yeah,” Ethan confirmed, “Well most of it. It kinda got cut short though, so a biscuit or something would be good.”

“Okay,” I said, hurrying to the kitchen and grabbing the box of biscuits Phil had made, “Phil made these. They’re really good; help yourself.”

“When’s he home?” Ethan asked, glancing at the clock, which showed it was a couple of minutes to nine.

“We’ll he’ll be finishing his shift in the next couple of minutes, so probably about half nine, as he needs to get his stuff from the back room and then walk home,” I explained.

I had just brought my phone out of my pocket to call my family’s home phone, when the screen lit up with Phil calling.

“Oh, Phil’s calling. I texted him with what happened, so he’s probably wanting to hear more,” I told Ethan, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short so we can call my mum.”

I picked up the phone, “Hi Phil.”

“Dan. Right, I’ve just finished my shift; I’m through the back now getting my stuff and I’ll hurry home. Have you got everything under control? Have you been in contact with Adam?” Phil rushed, his speech a little unclear but I still got the message.

“Yeah, I’ve had the first aid kit and the frozen peas out and done what I can,” I explained, “I’ve given him some pyjamas, we’ve just sat down with some tea and we’re about to phone my parents. Adam hasn’t replied to the text Ethan sent him, but I’m sure I’ll be able to get through to my mum or dad.”

“Okay, well I won’t keep you,” Phil said, “I’ll see you soon… love you.”

“Love you Phil, bye,” I replied, pausing a second then ending the call.

As soon as I ended the call with Phil, I got started on the call home. I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear. It rang a number of times and I thought it was about to ring out, when my Dad picked up.

“Dan, son, this isn’t really the best time. Adam’s in a lot of pain from his soulmate and he tried to call him maybe like an hour ago and he wouldn’t pick up. He’s gotten so worried, he’s having some kind of breakdown,” my dad told me, “Mum’s with him; she’s doing her best, but there’s not really much she can do.”

“Dad, Ethan called me for help and I have him here with me now. He's got a few injuries but he's okay, he's conscious and drinking a mug of tea,” I told him, “Let Adam know he’s okay and maybe get him on the phone so they can speak.”

“Oh thank God,” my dad said, “Right I’m going to tell him.”

I heard the squeak of my parents bedroom door and a bit of scuffling. I heard the voices of my parents distantly, then some more scuffling as the phone was handed over.

Adam sound very rough as he picked up, “Dan? You've got Ethan there?”

“Yup, he's a bit beaten up as I'm sure you know, but I've done what I can with the first aid kit, some ice and some painkillers,” I explained.

“Thank you so much for taking care of him,” Adam choked, “Can I speak to him?”

“Of course, I’ll pass you over right now,” I said, handing the phone to Ethan.

I watched as Ethan explained all what happened to Adam, it tearing my heart out to hear some of the details he hadn’t told me. I wished this hadn’t happened to him, but something told me that life would get better for him from here on in.

He talked to Adam about it for a while, constantly on the verge of tears and having to pause occasionally to wipe his eyes on his sleeve. I’d asked him if he wanted me to leave to give him some privacy, but it seemed having me by his side was giving him some of the support he needed.

About twenty past nine, I heard the door open and turned around to see Phil taking his coat off. He was a little red in the face, but then he was home ten minutes earlier than I’d expected; he must have rushed. Phil came over to where I was sitting, leant over the back of the sofa and messed up my hair. I’d more or less given up on stopping him from doing that; it didn’t really matter as we were at home.

Phil bent down to whisper in my ear, “I’m going to grab a glass of water and I’ll be back.”

Phil had started to leave for the kitchen when I called him back, “Phil.”

“Yeah?” Phil murmured, back behind the sofa.

“Go and get changed or take a shower or whatever you feel you need to do,” I suggested, “We’re doing okay here.”

Phil left for our room, with the suggestion that Ethan and Adam could move their conversation to Skype so that they could see each other.

This idea seeming a good one, I butted to Ethan and Adam’s conversation, “Ethan, tell Adam to get mum to Skype me… then you can see each other.”

Ethan passed on the message and I grabbed my laptop from the coffee table, opening up the Skype application. It was a couple of minutes before my mum came online, so the boys kept to the phone in the meantime, but soon enough me and my mum were ready to pass the laptops over.

I took my phone back from Ethan and continued my conversation with my mum. We had a couple of things to talk about, the most urgent being Ethan and Adam’s current situation. I went away to the office with the phone, so there wasn’t interference with the Skype call going on in the living room.

“I don’t think they should be apart,” I told her, “Like, yes he’s only been here an hour, but I can see Ethan’s not good. He’s holding together at the moment, but he needs Adam. I know he can’t make everything better in an instant, but the support of his soulmate is really what Ethan needs.”

“I agree; they need to be together,” my mum said, thoughtfully, “Adam’s not been doing much better over the last two weeks, since he came home from you. Yes, things have been better now that he knows Ethan and can talk to him, but it’s hurting him to not be with him.”

“Could you and Dad bring Adam up here?” I asked, “Or are you too busy with work?”

“I’ll speak to Dad about it,” she said, “I don’t really want to shove him on a train up alone in this state. Plus, Dad and I haven’t seen where you’re living yet, so we could make a little trip out of it.”

“Yeah, if you can get the time off, that would be an idea,” I told her, “Though you and Dad’ll need to stay in a hotel because Phil and I only have one spare bed and it’s now Ethan’s.”

“What about Adam? Do we want him sharing with Ethan?” she asked, “They might… you know…”

“Have sex?” I finished, brashly, “You can’t really stop them as they’ll both be old enough in a few days. Whether they would or not, I don’t know, but I doubt you’ll be able to separate them easily.”

“Would you mind, if they like did it in your spare room?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said, pausing to think about it, “Like clearly there’s some logistics to think about, such as Phil and I making sure they have privacy, but I don’t have any problem with it. I’ll maybe have a little chat with Adam once he’s here, see what he’s thinking, if he’s ready, if he’s kitted out to be safe when they do.”

“Are you and Phil… ummm…?” she started, trailing off, clearly unsure how to ask her question.

“Sexually active? Yes,” I answered briskly, although a little embarrassed, ”Safe? Well we’re both tested so we’re good.”

I could almost feel my mum turning red at the other end of the phone. I stayed quiet, waiting for her to say something, to acknowledge what I’d said.

“Dan, the reason I never gave you a sex talk is because I don’t really know how it works between guys, so I’m glad you figured that out yourself,” she admitted, “I haven’t given Adam one either, d’you think he’ll figure it out? Ethan probably won’t know either because his family didn’t know he…”

“Mum, I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” I interrupted her ramblings, “But I’ll talk to Adam and see if he needs any advice.”

“Thank you,” she said, sounding a little tearful.

“You alright, Mum?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she paused, sniffing, “Just getting a little emotional about both my boys being grown up.”

“You’ve still got two years before Adam’s eighteen, I wouldn’t get too emotional,” I said, trying to make things better.

“I know,” she said, now putting on a cheery voice, “I’m going to go and talk to your dad about how soon we can bring Adam up; I’ll phone back in five-ten minutes.”

I returned to the living room, to find Phil having taken my earlier spot on the sofa next to Ethan. He’d clearly had a quick shower as he was now sitting in his pyjamas with wet hair. As I approached he moved over to give me my space back. I settled between him and Ethan, and looked over at the laptop, where I could see my brother’s face. Now Ethan had told him all what had happened, the conversation was more spread between us. I asked Adam how he was doing and if he’d been managing to get on track again with school over the last couple of weeks.

“I’m getting there,” he told me, “Like there are bits I’ve missed, so mum and dad are thinking about getting me tutors over Easter to help me figure out what I’ve missed.”

This sparked a thought in Ethan’s mind and he added to the conversation, “I don’t even know if I’m going to be sitting my exams. I don’t really know, but my mum told the school a bit of what happened and I’m off ill until further notice. They were sending bits of work for me but I never really got much done…”

At this moment, my mum burst into the room at Adam’s end, “Right, Adam, Dan… I’ve spoken with Dad. He has the day off tomorrow and I can phone in with a family emergency and we can be up there by lunchtime. How does that sound?”

“That’s fine,” I nodded, watching the happiness build on Adam and Ethan’s faces.

Adam turned away to talk to my mum and next to me Ethan was getting a little emotional, smiling, but tears starting to roll down his cheeks. I asked Phil to grab the tissues and passed him a couple, putting an arm around him and trying to give him a little emotional support.

This was clearly what he needed, as Ethan took this as an invite and curled up, leaning into me, seeking a hug. I brought my arms around him and held him steady as he was overcome by a bout of sobbing. I could see Adam on the laptop, trying to get Ethan’s attention, but it wasn’t really working.

“Ethan,” I mumbled, “Adam’s saying you need to take a couple of deep breaths and try to calm down a little.”

Ethan, nodded, shakily inhaling and exhaling. The tears were still leaking from his eyes, but he was trying to regain control.

“M sorry,” he mumbled, both to me and to the laptop, “I’m really tired and everything’s a bit much, but I’m glad I’ll see you tomorrow, Adam.”

I could see how tired Ethan was and half of his crying was from pure emotional exhaustion. I was worried about him; I knew he needed to get to bed.

“I think you two should finish up for the night,” I suggested, looking to Ethan and to Adam.

Ethan nodded, “Yeah, if you don’t mind Adam.”

“That’s fine, of course,” Adam said, “I’ll let you get some sleep. I wish I could give you a hug, but that’ll need to wait until tomorrow.”

“Thanks,” Ethan mumbled.

“Dan,” Adam started, “Thanks for taking care of him. Make sure he gets to sleep okay for me.”

“I will,” I nodded, not even needing to be told as some part of my family instinct was making sure I took care of Ethan; he was pretty much family after all.

Once the call had ended, I gave Ethan a couple of minutes to himself, then encouraged him up to go clean his teeth. I waited until he was in bed, then went to check up on him and ask if he needed anything.

“No, I'm good,” Ethan told me, but not sounding entirely convincing.

“Okay, goodnight then,” I said, slowly shutting the door; he probably just needed his space.

Only a moment after the door clicked shut, Ethan's voice sounded from inside, “Dan?”

“Yeah?” I asked, opening the door again.

“I'm scared,” Ethan admitted, his voice trembling a little.

“Of what…?” I asked gently, pulling the chair over neared the bed and taking a seat.

“My future,” Ethan told me, struggling a little to get the words out, “Because I've pretty much dropped out of school; I couldn't cope with it. I was in hospital at the start of the year and I haven't been back since. I'm pretty much off ill for mental health reasons until further notice, but I couldn't focus on any of the work that got sent home so I just gave up. I'm probably not going to sit my exams, 'cause if I did, I'd be bound to fail. So then what? I've got a handful of mediocre GSCE results under my belt that no one really wants. I'm not going to be able to go to uni, or get a job easily and I don't even have my family to support me. My thousand pounds in the bank isn't gonna get me far if I don’t even have my debit card.”

“Ethan, I know it's not the same as your parents, but you have Adam… and me and Phil, and my parents. We're your family too and we're all here to support you,” I said, resting my hand on the duvet that covered his back, “Clearly your situation with school is difficult, but we'll figure something out. We’ll talk about it with my parents, they'll know what to do.”

I sat with Ethan for a little bit to make sure he was okay. I knew Phil was waiting for me in the living room, but I knew he wouldn't mind. In fact, he'd probably insist one of us did exactly what I was doing.

I stayed until Ethan started to doze off, creeping quietly out the room. I'd done what I'd promised Adam and made sure he got to sleep okay. I'm sure everything would be better tomorrow once they were together.

--

I joined Phil in the living room and let him know that all was well. Clearly our plans for the evening had been thwarted a little, but there were no harsh feelings. Phil and I talked for a while about what all had happened, making sure he was fully informed about Ethan's injuries.

We gradually got ourselves ready for bed, it not really mattering if we were in bed early as we could just sit and chat comfortably.

Once we were in bed, I went over a few things with Phil. I told him about what happened earlier with the near miss with the car that sped out of a junction in front of us. At the time it had been terrifying, but with everything that had gone on since then, it was starting to fade into the back of my mind. Phil let me know how relieved he was that we were okay and congratulated me on handling my anxiety about the situation well.

“How are you feeling with what’s happened to Ethan? Seeing the outcome of another abusive relationship; is that affecting you at all?” Phil asked, a little cautiously.

“A little, yeah,” I nodded, “Like the bruises… I had bruises after… uhh… but I managed to focus on looking after him, but it’s reminding me of what happened to me and I don’t like it.”

Phil lifted me the short distance into his lap and made his arms a little more snug around me, “If it gets too much, let me know immediately. Though I suspect he’ll be looking more to Adam for support as of tomorrow.”

“I know,” I nodded, “It just hurts to see him this down and to know so well why he’s feeling that way.”

Phil nuzzled his face into his neck, “It might not be easy, but he’s going to be okay… and you’re going to be okay too.”

“We need to make sure he gets counselling or therapy or something soon,” I said, “Like we don’t know how much this is going to affect him in the long run.”

“I’ll make a note of that,” Phil said, grabbing his phone from the bedside table, “That’ll remind me to bring it up if we forget.”

“Good,” I smiled, resting my head on Phil’s shoulder.

I took a couple of deep breaths, inhaling some of Phil’s warmth. It was relaxing to be this close with him, but my body was still craving something more, a feeling of arousal still pooled silently in my abdomen from earlier in the afternoon. I wasn’t really sure what to do about it… could we still do something even though Ethan was here, or would that be too risky as he could overhear us? Not even realising, I let out a quiet groan, something Phil wouldn’t have heard if we hadn’t been so close.

“Dan?” Phil said softly, “You okay?”

Knowing I wouldn’t gain anything from keeping it from him, I let Phil know what the issue was, “I need to get off… or something.”

“Ahh,” Phil mumbled, “Did you stretch earlier ‘cause we were planning something?”

“Yeah,” I admitted, nodding, “Like I’ve been saving myself for you. I haven’t gotten off since we last did together.”

“Dan, that was over a week ago,” Phil said, shocked, “Even I’ve had a wank in the shower and I’m the old one here.”

“Yeah, well I wasn’t feeling up to it with all the medication side effects, but I’m good now,” I explained, “I did start a couple of times but got too tired before I could finish. Now I feel like I’m going to explode if I wait much longer.”

“You’re not going to explode,” Phil laughed, “We can still do something, but you’ll need to be fairly quiet. I’m thinking quite calm and not too rough; that’ll help you relax.”

“Sounds good,” I said, “How would you like me?”

“Stay where you are; this is good,” Phil told me, “I’m going to let you take a bit of control here and ride me. Does that sound okay?”

“Yup,” I nodded, starting to envisage how this was going to happen, “Good plan.”

Phil returned his head to the crook of my neck, nuzzling his face in again but this time starting with some kisses. By now, Phil knew exactly where my sensitive spots were, probably better than I did. Phil worked slowly from my neck to my jaw, then up to my mouth, meanwhile slipping his hand under the bottom of my t-shirt and caressing the skin of my lower back.

Kissing me deeply, Phil slipped his hand round to my chest, firmly rubbing over my nipple. Suddenly feeling the need for more, I brought my chest closer to Phil’s, craving that closeness. He put his hand out to stop me; for a moment I felt a sense of rejection, that was until he slid both hands under my shirt and lifted it over my head. Phil’s shirt followed and finally I got the closeness I desired.

The warm mass of Phil’s chest pressed up against mine made me feel all bubbly inside. I don’t know if that stemmed from it having been so long since we had this level of intimacy, or just the fact I was so turned on already, starting to feel myself growing hard.

Keeping one hand on my back to keep me close, Phil reached his other down between us and began to touch me through my boxers. It didn’t take long for me to be thrusting into Phil’s palm, fully hard and ready for more. He too had a tent growing in his pyjama bottoms. With both selfish desire and a wish to turn Phil on further, I shuffled forward a little and ground down against him. He had to bite his lip and breathe out loudly to suppress a moan.

--

Phil’s POV:

Dan was slowly killing me with the way he was moving and I was struggling to keep things together. There came a moment when Dan paused and I decided it was time to put the attention back on him. I helped him out of his boxers, licked a couple of my fingers and rubbed them gently over his entrance. I didn’t do it, not without lube, but I felt how easy it would be to just slip them in.

Getting Dan to lift himself up for a moment, I pulled my pyjama bottoms down to my knees and reached out for the lube. Moments later, he settled back on my lap, his length positioned perfectly to have a swordfight with mine. I lubed up my fingers and got started with a little stretching. I could tell Dan had done a lot himself earlier, but the last thing I wanted was to be rough on him when he was a little emotionally sensitive.

I had to shush Dan a couple of times when my fingers brushed his sweet spot. I decided to reduce the distance that had grown between our upper bodies, one for the change in angle, and two so I could capture his mouth in a kiss to keep him quiet. Dan’s moans now muffled themselves in my mouth, a great outcome meaning that I could hear him but we were still being quiet enough.

With Dan’s needy moans and my straining length, I decided it was time we actually got down to doing it. First coating myself in some lube, I lifted Dan up, hands gripping his bumcheeks, and helped him sink slowly onto me. Of course, we started slowly, but today we kept the speed a bit slower, more controlled.

I kept my hands on Dan, supporting some of his weight to make things easier for him, but still letting him have the majority of the control. The sensual experience of his pleasure and movements was doing it for me and Dan seemed to be getting just what he needed out of it. He was rolling his hips and moaning into my mouth and everything that was making him feel good was making me feel ecstatic also.

By no means did this turn out to be a quick fuck; it took us a while to reach a state of orgasm, but it was completely worth it.

“M close,” Dan mumbled me a warning, bouncing a little faster and working his hand up and down himself.

I let my hand join Dan’s for the final few strokes, giving him a little bit extra to help him get over the edge. Dan’s orgasm started with him tightening around me, then the spurts of white started to decorate our hands and chests.

Having Dan orgasm around me was enough to get me there too. We pretty much rode out our orgasms together, although Dan’s lasted longer and was a lot more intense, him trembling and shaking as he came, doing his best to stay quiet.

Despite starting to feel a little overstimulated, I let Dan continue to ride me until he was finished. Spent, he pulled himself off me and returned to just sitting on my thighs, my hands still on his bum to hold him as he came down from his intense high. He was still trembling slightly, letting out little pants and holding onto me tightly.

For a minute we just sat there, both of us needing the time to recover. Dan seemed a lot more drained of energy than I was; I couldn’t see him getting up to get himself cleaned up.

“I’m going to go grab a washcloth and I’ll help you get cleaned up,” I told him, forcing him to move a little so I could get out from underneath him.

I headed into our ensuite, grabbed a washcloth from the side of the bath - one that had likely been used for similar purposes before but washed since - and ran it under the hot tap. I waited until the water had made it pleasantly warm, before turning the tap off and wringing it out so it wouldn’t drip everywhere.

I gently wiped down where Dan had come on himself, not wanting him to be uncomfortably sticky in his sleep. Before getting into bed next to him, I wiped some similarly sticky areas on myself and tossed the cloth to the side of the room, into a pile of clothes for washing.

I put my pyjama bottoms back on so I wasn't completely naked and got into bed with Dan. I asked him if he wanted any of his pyjamas back on, but he just refused sleepily and cuddled up to my side. I made sure the duvet was covering him well, wished him goodnight and held him close as we both drifted off to sleep.

Next Chapter =>

[laurallama52-blog]

Weeknight Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti Bake

You’ll never even miss the traditional pasta with this amazingly delicious spaghetti squash spaghetti bake recipe! We fight over the leftovers, it’s so good.

I know using spaghetti squash in place of traditional pasta for good ol’ spaghetti is nothing new, but this spaghetti squash spaghetti bake (very redundant title alert) is extra delicious thanks to the fast and flavorful homemade sauce. I mean, the melty, glorious cheese on top doesn’t hurt anything, however that savory, delicious sauce is what steals the show.

I’ve been on the fence about whether I would ever post this recipe, but seriously, after making it at least five times since early January (and serving it to several sets of company with very high reviews including the phrase “Mel, this is probably the most delicious thing you’ve ever fed me”), I decided for my own personal recipe sake, I wanted this spaghetti squash spaghetti to have a placeholder here on the blog. 

I’ve long been a fan of spaghetti squash; I sometimes use it as a substitute for pasta or rice when I want a lower carb dinner. I cook it up and then ladle my portion of sauce/stroganoff/gravy over spaghetti squash while most of my family goes to town on the pasta or rice (except my vegetable loving 13-year old who gladly joins me in spaghetti squash land).

But for this recipe, I wanted to make an actual everyone-will-eat-this-together-or-else spaghetti bake that throws spaghetti squash into the forefront. And I don’t know why, but it’s just a million percent better mixed together and baked like this than spooning the same sauce over spaghetti squash has ever been.

The first time I made this, my 14-year old said, mid-bite, “wow, these noodles are so good,” and then surprisingly didn’t bat an eye when his younger sister destroyed his pasta hopes and dreams by excitedly telling him it was actually spaghetti squash. He just gave her a quick side eye (intuitively knowing she was trying to ruin his life) and dished up seconds. 

The components of the recipe are simple:

1) super quick weeknight homemade spaghetti sauce – not a whole lot more work than opening a jar of pasta sauce, this homemade version has incredible flavor. It’s so, so good and is what makes this spaghetti squash spaghetti bake really amazing, in my opinion.

2) spaghetti squash – if cooking it seems intimidating or foreign, never fear! I’m giving some tips below.

3) cheese – and lots of it. Or not. It’s your choice. Parmesan and mozzarella are both welcome here. 

There are two foolproof ways to cook spaghetti squash. First, in the Instant Pot. If you have one, it’s high time you threw some spaghetti squash in there. I have a post detailing how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot here, but in short, cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, pour in 1 cup of water to the IP, add the rack and the squash, and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Perfecto. 

The second way is to cook the squash in the oven. I use this method particularly if I’m cooking more squash than will fit in the IP. I cut the spaghetti squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet (no water needed) and bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until it is very tender. 

After scraping the strands out of the squash, I like to let them sit for 5-7 minutes. Excess liquid/water will pool at the bottom of the strands, and draining that off will help the spaghetti squash bake not be too liquidy. But it’s totally optional (and the spaghetti is delicious either way). 

   Anyway, there you have it. Spaghetti squash spaghetti bake. It’s so, so good. Just this weekend I made it for a family of seven visiting us (who incidentally are eating processed sugar- and gluten-free right now so it was the perfect meal; we subbed in honey for the brown sugar and coconut aminos for the soy sauce). I doubled it figuring we would have leftovers  coming out of our ears…but we all gobbled up every last bite. 

If you start with an oven safe pan (for making the sauce), you can toss the spaghetti squash in there and bake it in the same pan which will save you a dish to wash. Otherwise, you can transfer everything to a casserole/baking dish. I use an All-clad 4-quart cook/serve pan that was gifted to me years ago for everything (making the sauce and baking); this is the well-reviewed Cook’s Standard (much cheaper) alternative aff. link if you are looking for a similar pan.

I just used up the last of my spaghetti squash from my garden last summer (I kept it in a cool, dry spot in my pantry and it lasted forever); thankfully spaghetti squash is pretty easy to find in grocery stores even at this time of year so I can keep making this until my own garden pulls through for me later this year. 

One Year Ago: Pull-Apart Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders Two Years Ago: Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes 30-Minute Meal Three Years Ago: German Pancake Whole Grain Option with Butter Syrup Four Years Ago: Chocolate Covered Strawberries Tuxedo-Style Five Years Ago: Cinnamon and Sugar Breadstick Twists

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey - CAN LEAVE OUT FOR MEATLESS DISH

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

8-ounce can tomato sauce

1-2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

6 cups cooked spaghetti squash (24-25 ounces, about 2 small-medium squashes or 1 large) drained of any excess liquid/water (see note)

1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet (see note) over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks, until the meat is not longer pink. Drain any excess grease.

Stir in the tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until the mixture smells fragrant.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.

Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked spaghetti squash noodles to the skillet (if it's big enough; if not, transfer the sauce and spaghetti squash to a baking dish) and toss/stir to evenly combine. Pat the mixture into a somewhat even layer. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese and spaghetti are bubbling. Let rest for 10-15 minutes out of the oven before serving (the longer it rests, the less liquidy it will be).

Notes

This recipe calls for cooked spaghetti squash "noodles" - I usually use my Instant Pot for this following these instructions. You can also cook the spaghetti squash in the oven. Halve the spaghetti squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place the squash face down or up on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly before scraping up the strands of spaghetti squash.

A 12-inch skillet isn't large enough for the sauce and the spaghetti squash together, so you will need to transfer to an ovenproof baking dish to bake. If you have a larger skillet or a 3- or 4-inch deep pan that's ovenproof, make the sauce in that so you can use it in the oven, too (and save transferring to another dish).

This recipe feeds our family of seven (a few of the younger kids are small eaters) with a few servings of leftovers. The recipe can definitely be cut in half (if so, it will fit just fine in a 12-inch skillet, so if the skillet is ovenproof, you can save a dish and bake it in there, too). But, the leftovers are also AMAZING (and individual portions would probably freeze great) if you want to make the full recipe.

If you have a brand of pasta sauce you love and it comes in a 32-ounce jar, you could sub it in for the homemade sauce (and either leave the spaghetti squash amount the same or decrease slightly for a saucier dish).

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired from a recipe a MKC reader, Ashley, told me about – I used my weeknight spaghetti sauce with the spaghetti squash and nixed the eggs)

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Mel

Source: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/weeknight-spaghetti-squash-spaghetti-bake/

[lotus0kid]

I just love all of your Danny/Belle stories (well, all of your stories really), more would be amazing! I'm not great at prompts, but I was thinking maybe firsts? like first meeting, first date, first anything really. If the muse approves, of course. :) Thank you for all your wonderful contributions to Rumbelle and Anyelle!

OUaT/DF: Anniversary Fic the 13th

((Thank you for reading, enjoying, and prompting!  Have some fluff. :D))

At the end of his latest manhunt, Danny glances at the timeand scowls.  He was supposed to be backat the Parrot an hour ago, and then leave to meet Belle for supper at her flat fifteenminutes from now.  Fuck.  He takes out his mobile and rings her with noidea what he’s going to say.

“Hiya, Danny, I’m juston my way to the shop.”

Of course she is, because she doesn’t spend her days chasingdown low-life thieving pricks with a million rat holes to hide in.  “Hey, uh- I might be late.”

“Oh, okay.  How far out did you go this time?”

Thank God she sounds more amused than anything.  “I’m way the fuck over by Cavendish SquareGardens.”

“Really?  That’s, like, ten minutes from the Tesco I’m walkingto.  It’s right next to the University ofWestminster building, Cavendish campus. You, um…  Do you want to meet methere?  I wouldn’t mind loading my bagsinto the minibus.”

The simple invitation knocks Danny sideways.  He’s never done the shopping with… with agirl he’s seeing.  It’s about as fuckingdomestic as it gets, and he never had a reason to be that… involved.

He’s silent long enough for Belle to mumble, “I mean, if you have to get back to the club,I totally understand.  I’m not makinganything that can’t wait, don’t worry about it, just let me know when you’ll beby…”

“H-hang on,” he forces out, “Lemme phone the club, make surenothing’s actively on fire.  If it’s allokay, I’ll head for the shop.  See you inten or so.”

“Yeah, okay, sure.”  Belle sounds surprised, and pleased.

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

Danny’s stomach actually fucking flutters and he has toforce his scowl back on his face so that he doesn’t sound like a soppy idiotwhile he’s on with an assistant manager. He soon discovers that the Parrot will probably not collapse if he’sgone a little longer than scheduled. Therefore, he hangs up, tells himself it’s not any kind of big fuckingdeal it’s only shopping for Christ’s sake calm the fuck down, and heads northup Great Portland Street.

He comes across a miraculous parking spot less than a blockaway and hops out, paying the charge by phone while approaching the TescoExpress on the corner.  He lurks at theentrance for a bit, resisting the urge to ring Belle and make sure he’s in theright place.  Thankfully before realpanic sets in he spots her coming down the street, and manages to return afraction of her wide smile.

“Hey,” she says, slipping her arms around his waist for afirm hug.  His arms immediately fold incomfortable angles around her, and a nice chunk of his stress fades away.  She releases her hold and as he steps backshe slips a canvas sack off her wrist and loops it over his.  “Okay, in we go.”

The automatic door whooshes open, admitting them into thebrightly lit interior of the Tesco. Danny lets Belle lead him along the aisles of colorful packaging,wondering with a surprising amount of curiosity just what products she’llselect.

“So,” she says, “There weren’t any problems with the fires,I assume?”

“Yup, all on schedule and under control.”

She shakes her head with a smile, “I’m really not surewhat’s sexy about fire-eating, but far be it from me to question Mal’s art.”

“She makes it work,” Danny says with a half-shrug.

Belle drops two bottles of Lipton iced tea in Danny’s sack,soon followed by a carton of eggs and a pack of Maryland chocolate chipcookies.

They wander down the crisps aisle, and as Belle pauses andreaches out Danny mutters, “Don’t you dare.”

She turns to him and raises a brow, her arm stillextended.  “No?”

“Don’t do it.”

Without breaking eye-contact, Belle picks up a bag ofWalkers Prawn Cocktail crisps and slides it into her own canvas sack.

Danny groans, “Now I’ll never fucking respect you.”

“You never respect anyone, Danny,” Belle retorts.

“Yeah, but now I can’t even pretend.”

Belle snorts and links her arm with his to continue down theaisle.  “No worries, I’ll just crumblethem into your food until you like them.”

“You monster.”

Together they track down frozen chips, ground beef, lettuce,tomato, and burger buns, then venture to the registers.

“Let me guess what we’re having,” Danny says, “Uh, lasagna.”

“You’re exactly right!” Belle gasps, wide-eyed, “What anintellect.”

Danny preens with a grin, “I know, sometimes I scaremyself.”

Belle giggles all the way through check-out.  They load up the sacks again, and headoutside.  And just like that, they’vedone the shopping together.  Once at theminibus, they set the sacks in back and climb in front.

Belle lets out a sigh of relief as soon as she settles inthe passenger seat, “God it’s good to sit down. I was not looking forward tocarting all that back home by myself.” Danny grins and goes to turn the key, only to freeze when Belle startsand cries, “Oh bugger!  Shit.” Her next sigh is heavy with annoyance and exhaustion, “Oh well.”

Danny squints at her, “Forget something?”

“Yeah.  Whatever.  I’ll get it later.  It’s fine, probably.”

“I can go grab it. What do you need?”

She winces and shakes her head.  “Don’t worry, I’ll come back in the morning.”

“If it can’t even wait ‘til afternoon, might as well deal withit now, right?  I’ll go, just tell mewhat it is.”

Belle shifts uncomfortably in her seat, still wincing.  “It’s… Tampax Pearl.  Super. Look, I’ll come back, it’s-”

Danny waves a hand, “Got it, back in a flash.”  He climbs out of the bus and strides down theblock and into the shop.  It’s the workof five minutes to find the right aisle, the right brand, and the rightkind.  He grabs regulars too, just incase.  He’s paid and on his way to thebus in another two minutes.  He drops thesmall boxes in one of the sacks, then returns to the driver’s seat.  “There, all done.”

“Thanks,” Belle says, her voice small as Danny pulls awayfrom the curb.  “It’s pretty cool of youto be okay doing that.”

Danny shoots her a puzzled look.  “You needed ‘em, didn’t you?  No fucking special effort for me to get ‘em.”

Belle doesn’t roll her eyes but he well knows how it lookswhen people are resisting the urge. “It’s a special effort for a lot of guys.  If they’re aware of the existence ofmenstruation at all, it grosses them out and they panic at the sight of‘feminine products.’”  She growls thephrase like some kind of curse.

“Seems like it grosses out most women too,” Danny offers.

Belle lets out a tired laugh, “True enough.”

“Anyway, I’d have to be pretty fucking thick not to noticethat ‘round about the eleventh of every month, almost all my dancers suddenlyaren’t signing up to take their clothes off and spin on a pole.”  He ruminates on that briefly.  “I need more trans girls in the show, solvethat problem.”

He glances over to see Belle smiling with herchin tucked against her chest.  She turnsthat smile on him, and it warms him all the way through.  “Yeah, maybe,” she says.

[tripstations]

Trip Review: Alitalia 777 Business Class Rome To Los Angeles

Alitalia’s business class is a lie-flat product that isn’t very easy on the eyes. Though the product can be found on other airlines, Alitalia’s product is slightly better. At the end of the day, however, Alitalia’s product is not as innovative when it comes to the competitive transatlantic business class market.

A review of Alitalia Magnifica Class on a Boeing 777. Photo: Alitalia

Booking

This flight was a continuation of a $1,000 one-way fare I took out of Nairobi involving travel on both Etihad and Alitalia. This was the last leg of the trip.

Delta SkyMiles is one of the most accessible currencies when it comes to using miles for Alitalia bookings. If SkyMiles doesn’t offer much availability, booking this flight with cash can prove to be pricey. However, as part of a connecting itinerary, the cost of this flight can go down.

Airport experience

I only had about three hours in Rome. Since I was transiting from a non-Schengen flight to a non-Schengen flight, I was able to transit while only clearing transit security. Since my flight was departing from gate 38, I went to Alitalia’s lounge closest to the gate. This was one floor down from the departures level. The name: Casa Alitalia Piazza Del Popolo

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The lounge was not anything special and, if possible, I recommend visiting the better Casa Alitalia Piazza Del Spagna lounge. Since I was there just after the lounge opened, there wasn’t much special in the lounge and I just stuck to some fruit and a bottle of water.

The Spagna and Popolo lounges are the two main non-Schengen flight lounges. Photo: Alitalia

I left the lounge just before boarding started. As is the norm for widebody flights, there were plenty of people and, due to the smaller gate area, the lines were quite a jumble. Thanks to my business class ticket, I had access to the Sky Priority line and was one of the first passengers onboard.

Onboard

These seats are basically the same as Etihad’s business class seat. Although, Alitalia put their own color scheme in the cabin. Personally, I think Etihad’s seat has a better color scheme. In addition, Etihad’s seat is covered in cloth. Meanwhile, Alitalia went with leather upholstery.

Seat 1L on an Alitalia 777. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Compared to Etihad’s A330, these seats are wider. I definitely could feel the difference–especially when I went to sleep.

The footrest was enclosed, unlike my previous Etihad flight. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

At the bottom left of the casing next to the monitor, Alitalia offered passengers a USB power supply and international power outlet.

International power outlet and the USB port. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Separating me from the aisle was a table. Instead of a wall light and spotlight, Alitalia went with a “snake light”.

Snake light and literature pouch. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

One place where Alitalia had a leg up compared to Etihad was the remote control. The remote control felt oddly out of place as the most modern aspect of the seat. Just above the remote control were the seat controls.

The modern remote control and seat controls. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

In bed mode, the seat was comfortable and wide. Although, I personally would have preferred a mattress pad or some kind of covering. Sleeping on the leather surface was a little uncomfortable.

The seat in bed mode. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Amenities

Alitalia offered a pair of headphones. Although they weren’t the most effective noise-canceling headphones out there, they did the job fine for when I needed to use them. Granted, throughout the flight, there wasn’t much noise in the cabin.

Alitalia’s business class headphones. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

In addition, passengers received a Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit from flight attendants after settling in.

Alitalia business class amenity kit. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

The kit was stocked with the essentials, but nothing special aside from a little sample of perfume.

For bedding, passengers received a relatively thin pillow for a long-haul and a blanket that seemed a bit too thick for the warm cabin. I did, however, appreciate that Alitalia included slippers for passengers.

Inflight entertainment

Passengers had access to the inflight entertainment system. The screen was large, however, the selection was incredibly limited. Compared to Singapore, Etihad, Delta, or even KLM, this was a slim selection that could definitely be improved. There were only a handful of new releases, a few older selections, and TV series only contained anywhere from one to fewer than five episodes per season.

Alitalia’s inflight entertainment system was a weak point with limited content. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Thankfully, Alitalia offered wifi onboard. Moreover, business class passengers received 50 mb of free wifi. Alitalia does charge for wifi based on data usage instead of time.  The speed was fast enough so I could load messaging apps and stay connected.

Magnifica passengers received 50mb of free wifi. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Food and beverage

Service started on the ground with pre-departure service. It was early in the morning and I was feeling a bit sick so I went with a glass of still water. The other options were juice or champagne.

Pre-departure service. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

The next service occurred with the meal service. Alitalia offers a very drawn out lunch service on this departure.

This was the wine list for the flight:

Service started just over an hour after takeoff with the appetizer. I selected the Panzanella with anchovies and cereal bread.

Alitalia business class starter. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

I did not care much for the starter. The taste was overwhelming and I found the flavor to be too strong.

In continuing with the “healthy” options, I selected the pennette with pesto from trapani for my first course.

Alitalia first course. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

This was the best part of the meal. It tasted much better than it looked. There was just the right amount of sauce- which also wasn’t very runny. The pasta was not overcooked. Although, I suppose an Italian carrier would be the best airline when trying out pasta onboard.

Next up, the swordfish cube.

Alitalia second course. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

I sincerely would have liked more fish with the course. But, I wasn’t very impressed. The presentation left a bit to be desired. Furthermore, the dish needed more sauce. The cherry tomato sauce worked well with the fish and the rest of the sides, but there simply wasn’t enough.

The “healthy options” seemed to be a kind of set meal to go through. However, the courses did not seem to mesh together. There wasn’t much coherence in terms of flavor or texture throughout the selections. Furthermore, the taste clashed a bit from one course to the next. This was especially true when transitioning from the appetizer to the first course.

Then, for dessert, I went with the cannolo.

Alitalia cannolo. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

This was the highlight of the meal. I will admit, I have a sweet tooth and I usually like the desserts on planes. The cannolo was quite sweet and filling. The portion size was definitely enough for this meal.

After a few hours of sleep, I ordered some tea and nuts.

Herbal tea with a side of nuts. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

If only the nuts had been warm!

Before landing, all passengers were served a snack. It was not on the menu and I’m not entirely sure what was what. However, I didn’t really like any part of it. The flavors were either overwhelming or underwhelming. The consistencies and textures were different. I just wasn’t a fan.

Alitalia snack in business class before landing. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

To finish off the meal, I had another cup of tea with a serving of nuts.

Tea and nuts- the highlight of the snack. Photo: Jay Singh/Simple Flying

Cabin crew

The flight attendants working in business class were a mixed bag. One of the male flight attendants who did my meal service was warm and delightful. His English was not the best, but he approached his job with a warm smile.

The rest of the crew seemed a bit cold and focused on the job. Then again, I did not personally interact with them aside from receiving the amenity kit or a newspaper.

Overall

Alitalia does not have the most cutting-edge business class product. The soft product needs improvement and the hard product is outdated and uncomfortable. Then again, for the one-way price, I wasn’t expecting much.

Have you flown Alitalia’s business class? Let us know in the comments!

The post Trip Review: Alitalia 777 Business Class Rome To Los Angeles appeared first on Tripstations.

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If you are seeming like you require a little bit of a boost you need to increase your vitamin intake.

What You Didn't Find Out About Vitamins And Also Minerals

If you intend to be a healthier person then it is very crucial that you understand the power of taking nutrients. Not everyone knows what vitamins and minerals can do for them, but thankfully there are posts like the ones below that are here to give recommendations on this subject. Continue on if you would certainly like information on exactly how to end up being healthier by taking the best nutrients.

Vitamin C not just aids in eradicating infection, it likewise gives you added power by supplementing what you may be lacking. The main reason we really feel less than suitable is that we lack vitamins and minerals.

Having the ideal nutrients are important to optimizing your exercise initiatives. Adding minerals and vitamins to your diet will permit not only for faster healing times, but likewise the nutrition your body needs to build muscle and also shed fat.

Never ever disregard the item warnings on vitamin degrees. Vitamin and also supplements can have significant negative effects when taken with prescription as well as over-the-counter medicines. Ginseng can be very harmful if you have hypertension or take heart drugs. Lycopene can be deadly if you have a tomato allergic reaction. Always read the caution tags or ask your pharmacologist or physician before taking any vitamins or supplements.

You need to be ensuring your daily diet consists of the ideal nutrients and vitamins in order to remain healthy. In addition to saving cash by not needing to see your doctor as usually, they additionally will make you feel much better.

There are a lot of advantages for men to take vitamin E, but women need it as well. Vitamin E has anti-aging benefits and also will certainly help battle cell damages that belongs to aging. Vitamin E likewise can stop cataracts as well as heart disease. Almonds, hazelnuts, spinach as well as sunflower seeds are all rich in Vitamin E.

Vitamin C is among one of the most useful vitamins that you can take. It advertises cells development, lowers cancer threats, aids with blood cell formation and speeds up the healing process. Broccoli, peppers, oranges, tomatoes, and also a wide array of other foods are all abundant in vitamin C. You can likewise take a supplement which contains vitamin C.

Track the number of minerals and vitamins you take. If you're a person that takes a great deal of supplements, you can be obtaining too much of particular vitamins or minerals. This is normally the situation with fat-soluble vitamins like K, D, A, and E. If the risks stress you or if you take prescriptions, you should talk with a doctor.

See to it you choose your beverages intelligently. Try to prevent consuming a great deal of coffee, tea, or soft drink. These beverages all have caffeine, which can keep your body from taking in particular nutrients like iron. They can likewise cause you to enhance secretion of water-soluble vitamins in your urine.

Try making sure you obtain sufficient calcium in your diet regimen. It can help you maintain and construct strong teeth and also bones. It also increases muscle feature. You can find it in foods as well as beverages, such as broccoli, orange juice, tofu, milk products, and spinach. If you can not get sufficient calcium through food, there are additionally calcium supplements.

If you observe that you have been really feeling weird after taking specific nutrients, it would certainly be a great concept for you to leave them alone. Many individuals believe that vitamins have no adverse effects, yet this is not the reality. Instead of handling ill impacts, you must search for another means to obtain what you require.

If you are a female who menstruates, reduced iron may be leaving you feeling diminished. As many as 15% of females are low in iron many thanks to menstrual cycle. Make sure to speak with your family doctor about being examined to ensure your iron degrees are fine, as well as if they're not, get a supplement.

Are you conscious that clinical depression can be caused by low levels of omega-3 fats, magnesium as well as Vitamin D? You have possibly read about omega 3. It is preferred these days completely reason. It supports the healthy and balanced of the brain and various other points. Magnesium is one supplement that aids keep you calm.

When preparing your meals, prevent recipes that ask for baking soda and include fresh produce. Sodium bicarbonate ruins essential vitamins and minerals discovered in veggies, such as B vitamins as well as vitamin D. Cooking vegetables with cooking soda makes them less efficient at nurturing your body, so stay clear of recipes that ask for it.

Have you ever informed yourself you do not require minerals and vitamins because you never ever get sick? Well you really still need them as they not only assist combat infection, they also reduce signs of tension which all of us endure at some time. Vitamin C is the marvel vitamin as it assistants in not only health and also reducing stress and anxiety however also healthy eyes simply for an instance.

Concentrate on entire grain cereals for breakfast. Cereal is an excellent method to begin your day and the majority of have plenty of the nutrients your body needs. You will certainly not just begin your day with a wonderful supply, however also offer yourself a terrific energy increase. Avoid sweet cereals for finest impact.

See to it that you inspect the expiration day on any kind of vitamins you purchases, especially if you got them online. There are many individuals that market vitamins at an ultra reduced price because they are not expected to be cost all. Taking old supplements is bad because they will certainly not be as reliable as they need to be.

When you take minerals and vitamins you offer your body a great boost of energy. However very few individuals recognize the importance of giving their bodies these supplements. Now that you review this short article, you have excellent ideas concerning this topic that will surely assist you feel better as your body many thanks you for it.

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Keto friendly foods for body transformation

If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear of the ketogenic, or keto, diet.

That’s because the keto diet has become one of the most popular methods worldwide to shed excess weight and improve health. Research has demonstrated that adopting this low-carb, high-fat diet can promote fat loss and even improve certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline.

This article explains what to eat and avoid while following a keto diet and provides a one-week keto meal plan to get you started.

keto budget meal plan  

Ketogenic Diet Basics

The keto diet, as a rule, is very low in carbs, high in fat and moderate in protein.

When following a ketogenic diet, carbs are typically reduced to under 50 grams per day, though stricter and looser versions of the diet exist. Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 75% of your total calorie intake.

Proteins should account for around 20% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%.

This carb reduction forces your body to rely on fats for its main energy source instead of glucose — a process known as ketosis. While in ketosis, your body uses ketones — molecules produced in the liver from fats when glucose is limited — as an alternate fuel source. Though fat is often avoided for its high calorie content, research shows that ketogenic diets are significantly more effective at promoting weight loss than low-fat diets.

Keto Egg Recipes For Breakfast  

Plus, keto diets reduce hunger and increase satiety, which can be particularly helpful when trying to lose weight.

Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan

Switching over to a ketogenic diet can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks.

In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted.

While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating less than 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a much higher carb intake.

Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis.

This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.

Keto diet tips

Keto-Friendly Foods to Eat

When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods:

• Eggs: Pastured, organic whole eggs make the best choice. • Poultry: Chicken and turkey. • Fatty fish: Wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel. • Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats and bison. • Full-fat dairy: Yogurt, butter and cream. • Full- fat cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese and cream cheese. • Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts and flaxseeds. • Nut butter: Natural peanut, almond and cashew butters. • Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter and sesame oil. • Avocados: Whole avocados can be added to almost any meal or snack. • Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. • Condiments: Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices.

Foods to Avoid

Avoid foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet.

The following foods should be restricted: • Bread and baked goods: White bread, whole-wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts and rolls. • Sweets and sugary foods: Sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup and coconut sugar. • Sweetened beverages: Soda, juice, sweetened teas and sports drinks. • Pasta: Spaghetti and noodles. • Grains and grain products: Wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals and tortillas. • Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas and pumpkin. • Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans. • Fruit: Citrus, grapes, bananas and pineapple. • High-carb sauces: Barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings and dipping sauces. • Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer and sugary mixed drinks.

Though carbs should be restricted, low-glycemic fruits such as berries can be enjoyed in limited amounts as long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range.

Be sure to choose healthy food sources and steer clear of processed foods and unhealthy fats.

The following items should be avoided: • Unhealthy fats: Margarine, shortening and vegetable oils such as canola and corn oil. • Processed foods: Fast food, packaged foods and processed meats such as hot dogs and lunch meats. • Diet foods: Foods that contain artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners such as sugar alcohols and aspartame.

Keto Egg Recipes  

Keto-Friendly Beverages

Sugar can be found in a wide variety of beverages including juice, soda, iced tea and coffee drinks. While on a ketogenic diet, high-carb drinks must be avoided just like high-carb foods. It’s no small matter that sugary beverages have also been linked to various health issues — from obesity to an increased risk of diabetes. Thankfully, there are many tasty, sugar-free options for those on the keto diet.

Keto-friendly beverage choices include: • Water: Water is the best choice for hydration and should be consumed throughout the day. • Sparkling water: Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement. • Unsweetened coffee: Try heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of joe. • Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is delicious and provides many health benefits.

If you want to add some extra flavor to your water, try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavor combinations.

For example, tossing some fresh mint and lemon peel into your water bottle can make hydration a breeze.

Though alcohol should be restricted, enjoying a low-carb drink like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water is perfectly fine on occasion.

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Tuesday, 28th August/Friday, 31st August 2018 – Kiev, Chernihiv, Ukraine

For work I found myself this week in a country I’ve never been to before (though there is family history, and not happy family history with the country). I wasn’t going to let that trouble me mind, or at least I didn’t want to let it get in my way or prejudice me in dealing with the place, especially as I’ll be going back again in two and a half weeks. I did do some research ahead of the trip of course, digging around for guidebooks (I could only fine two, one of them a Lonely Planet specimen updated at the start of 2018, and a 30 page PDF from In Your Pocket). Anyway, I knew it was one of Europe’s largest countries by area, obviously that it’s in the grip of a war with Russia (but not, thankfully, in the part we were headed for) and that the language is hard to get to grips with for those of us who are used to western scripts and alphabets.

Anyway, we flew out as a large group on Tuesday morning, getting a “stupid o’clock” start in my case with an 05:00 alarm call and a need to be in the car by 05:20 to drive to Heathrow. On arrival at the other end at one of Kiev’s two airports (in this instance Boryspil) we were rounded up – after a certain amount of milling around – and decanted into a coach to be driven to our destination, a resort hotel near to Chernihiv, around 170km north of Kiev.

First impressions were that the roads are pretty poor out there, with very deep ruts in the Tarmac, and a fine collection of potholes. The bus driver took the approach as we trundled along the long straight road north of choosing whichever lane was less rutted and sitting in that. No one seemed to troubled and cars overtook on whichever side they liked. I wasn’t too disturbed by that though the driver’s tendency to use his mobile while driving was a little more worrying. We got there in one piece though!

Aside from that, having snagged a front seat, I was able to look out of the windows and watch the country slide by. Among the first things that was very noticeable was that this is sunflower growing country. The soil is very sandy, and for as far as the eye could see on either side of the road, there were sunflowers by the million. It came as no surprise afterwards to discover that Ukraine is the world’s largest producer of sunflower seeds (at around 25% of total production in the world), and not far behind in terms of the amount of sunflower oil they produce. They did seem to be absolutely everywhere. I think I only saw one field that wasn’t entirely given over to them, and that was a field of maize.

What else? Well, fences/walls are very much a thing. As we progressed along the road through many tiny villages, pretty much every house, no matter how ramshackle, or how well cared for, no matter how small, or how large, was walled in, often with a series of preformed cement panels, some patterned, some plain, many of them really not very attractive at all, but all solidly there, this being one of the better looking efforts. I’m not sure what this is about, and whether it’s a case of post-Communism “this belongs to me!” or something entirely different, but it intrigued me.

Here are a couple of other examples (please forgive the blurriness – it’s not easy getting a clear shot from the side window of a moving bus on a badly rutted road):

The other thing that was apparent early on was that in addition to many tiny supermarkets (супермаркет) along the way, pretty much anyone with any spare produce was selling it by the roadside, starting with a van parked up on a corner near the airport selling vast watermelons, to little old ladies on folding chairs, with buckets of plums, apples, tomatoes or any other spare fruit. I failed to get a clear picture, but there were surprising amounts of these. Also, anyone who wanted to buy would just stop on the side of the road, and – if necessary – run across 4 lanes of fast moving vehicles to get to them. Health and Safety has clearly not made it to Ukraine yet. Much the same applied with the multitude of coffee stops in tiny cafes (кафе). It was slightly alarming to us wussy westerners.

I should say there were also a lot of bus stops. On the way out I’d thought they looked somewhat neglected. Four days later as we headed back to the airport it seemed so did whoever was responsible for their upkeep, because most of them had been repainted, or were in the process of being done. The locals seem to have an optimistic if haphazard approach to catching a bus, and that is to stand wherever is suitably, not necessarily at any of the stops, and wave at any approaching bus. That included ours, with one elderly lady looking extremely cross when it became apparent that our driver was not about to stop!

Also much in evidence were chickens and other fowl, including geese and ducks, pecking away at whatever they could find by the roadside. I did watch on venture slightly too close and get blown backwards in the downdraft from a truck, it’s feathers demonstrating the airflow all too clearly. Presumably the prehistoric idiot won’t do that again for a while. Another near miss was between our bus and cyclist who had loaded carrier bags onto just about any horizontal part of the bike that was available, and who was wobbling her overloaded way down the road, one hand on the handlebars, the other operating her mobile phone!

Also much in evidence, though I didn’t in the end manage to get a decent shot, were storks’ nests at the top of numerous lampposts. Closer inspection revealed that they were built on man-made frames, deliberately put there. I didn’t see any of the birds, but some of the nests were massive. As it turns out, there is no surprise to the presence of these frames. Apparently “according to Ukrainian and other European folk belief the stork possesses magical powers to protect and help humans. A family with a stork’s nest on its farm will live in peace, prosperity, and good health. A village with many storks can count on a bountiful harvest. The bird is believed to be capable of predicting the weather: restless behavior indicates the approach of bad weather, standing on one leg, cold weather, and clacking of the beak, a sunny day. In folk tales and legends, the stork always plays the role of a helper of humans.”

Interestingly, there seemed to be wells in several places we passed through, often with fancy canopies over them. Every guide book I’d looked at suggested that it was not a good idea to drink the tap water in the Ukraine, but only one of them said that water from the wells would be fine, alongside the widely available option of bottled water (of which I got through prodigious quantities in my time in the country).

Travel 2018 – Ukraine Tuesday, 28th August/Friday, 31st August 2018 - Kiev, Chernihiv, Ukraine For work I found myself this week in a country I've never been to before (though there is family history, and not happy family history with the country).