#the main things seem to be like bread and sauces/dressing and dessert foods

[naturenaruto]

lOoOOoOOok at my vegan nachos skdnskjsj lmao😍 tht vegan chimken and vegan cheeeese and an jalapeños and chiiiips !!!!!!!!1!1!1!1!1!1!1!

[misora-msby]

embarrassing moments with inarizaki

inarizaki always looks so cool but you know they’re actually dorks and i am here to provide you the content to show theyre clowns. enjoy the headcanons :)

Kita Shinsuke

firstly. kita shinsuke being embarrased? making a mistake? unheard of.

he’s a perfect man and we all know it.

anyways

you two were having a nice dinner out together. 

it was a pretty fancy place so you decided to dress in a different style today

but you were beginning to wonder if kita liked it or not because he seemed to keep looking past your shoulder instead of at you

he was an observant guy so you were wondering if something had happened behind you

but you couldn’t hear anything weird so you assumed not

you decided to just stay quiet about it at first but now it was beginning to become annoying! 

why wasn’t he looking you in the eye to speak?

midway through your dinner, kita finally spoke up tho

“y/n, your shirt is slipping... yer bra’s showing.”

oh.

right. you were wearing your off-shoulder top.

“o-oh. shin, it’s that kind of shirt, you know?” you had to explain your outfit to ur bf with a pink face.

“oh... that so... well it’s cold these days so if yer feelin’ cold lemme know. i’ll give ya my jacket.”

GOD HES SO PERFECT KITA SHINSUKE I HOPE U MARRY HIM???????

Ojiro Aran

another man with next to no flaws.

but nature says everyone has to make some mistake.

so it was a regular school day, our aran has just come to class from morning practice and there’s still some time left until class starts.

all the girls in class are gathered around a table

he’s not sure why, it’s probably watching an idol video

but ur man wants to be a little romantic!!

plus he just showered so he smells Great uwu

he goes over and hugs you from behind, placing his chin on ur head.

“hey, bb whatcha ya doin”

all the girls gasp.

he doesn’t get whats wrong, it’s not like it’s a secret y’all are dating

pda to this level aint bad either

especially compared to his teammate miya atsumu

“ojiro aran.”

why is your voice behind him

he looks down and nearly faints when he sees he hugged the wrong girl.

to be fair she looked a lot like you from behind, just maybe 1cm shorter.

“i’m so sorry!” he keeps apologising to literally everyone and all the class is giggling bc they never seen their school’s ace so red before.

“didn’t think i’d come back from the toilet and see my bf cheatin”

“IT WAS A MISTAKE! I’M SERIOUS! Y/N U KNOW I LOVE YA!” 

hes so funny i swear

the volleyball team hears of it and it gets even better 

Miya Atsumu

it’s not a secret that miya atsumu, setter of the inarizaki volleyball team and invited to national youth training camp, had a gf

he was very much in love with u 

the whole class knew it because he’d show it off whenever he could too

so here comes valentines day

last year he received like... 50 different gifts from girls and guys aiming to win his love.

you didnt even give him one lmAOOOOO 

but this year, he had been not so subtly trying to hint that “i better not receive any chocolates this year when i’ve got a gf!”

he reaches school and plops into his seat.

there’s an anonymous box of chocolates with “please accept my love, miya-kun! <3″ on it

“the hell’s this?!”

“oh? chocolates?” - osamu who just popped his head into the class to shove into his twin’s face how much chocolate he got.

especially since the blond was off limits, the grey-haired twin had a bigger following now.

“do they not know i have a girlfriend...”

“well, ya might as well eat it. ya dont know who to return it to.”

“that’s like receivin’ their love!”

“no it ain’t. it’s just food.”

atsumu couldn’t argue with that and popped a piece in.

it was very delicious. the chocolate practically melted on his tongue and was the perfect sweetness and was filled with a delicious ganache too.

it was perfect

but he couldn’t accept this!

“it ain’t even good. too sweet and the filling’s sticky.”

“ah. really? is that what you think, tsumu?” you ask from the door where you had been watching the exchange take place.

“y/n! look at this! some weirdo gave me some choco and like... samu said to test it but i’ll toss it out, promise.”

“tsumu, i made that... i wrote it anonymously because i thought you’d know it was me and i wanted to tease you a little.”

“huh.”

osamu: “yeah actually i went over to her place to teach her how to make it.”

atsumu: “you said you went to suna’s place?!”

osamu: “i went there later but i first went to help her.”

you: “anyways if it’s not good i don’t mind if you toss it out...”

tsumu: “NO NO BABE I PROMISE IT’S GOOD”

you: “you just said-”

“BABE I SWEAR IT’S GOOD I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO ACCEPT A STRANGER’S STUFF”

“you’re always so honest though... are you sure?” you were having your fun teasing him now.

“BB PLSSSSSS”

he still cringes at the memory 4 years into ur marriage

Miya Osamu

osamu would DEFINITELY make home made dinner dates a regular thing.

this alone shows he’s the better twin - miya atsumu stan

he loves cooking and eating with you so sometimes when he’s got a day off you guys’ll set aside the afternoon to make a real nice dinner

imagine candlelit dinner with miya dorito body osamu in a suit

of course some fun stuff happens after too ;)))

and today’s your third anniversary!!

so osamu adds lots of ‘natural aphrodisiacs’ to the meal

i’m talkin

garlic bread and soup for an appetiser, a nice juicy steak with garlic and red wine sauce for the main, and chocolate coated strawberries for dessert

mm yummy

you two cleaned your plates completely (it was very delicious) and as you were washing the dishes, osamu comes up behind and wraps his arms around your waist

“yes, ‘samu?” 

“i’ve already prepared us a nice bath with yer favourite scents.” he’s got his head resting on ur chin

“really? thank you~ i’ll be there in a bit”

but he doesn’t let go of you while you’re still scrubbing at the baking sheets.

“osamu, you can let go for now.”

“don’t feel like it.”

“i gotta wash the dishes since you did most of the cooking.”

“mmm, i’ll do it if ya gimme a kiss.”

you roll ur eyes bc what a cutie 

u turn ur head to give him a kiss but suddenly he 

he burps

that garlicy wine smell is just kinda there

“ew! ‘samu!!”

his face is real red but he’s also trying not to laugh because he’s still a dude and this is absolutely hilarious to him

“want another?” he starts teasing

“i’m not getting in the bath with you.”

“wait wait wait i’m sorry, i’ll go brush my teeth and give you a proper kiss”

Suna Rintarou

you two were taking the train home today

it was quite late due to practice going a little longer than usual, so he insisted he walked you back home today.

sunarin can be a good boyf sometimes ok

it was getting a little crowded on the train tho, since people were heading home or going out for dinner

luckily you had already grabbed seats so you were quite comfortable sitting side by side. 

you and suna have the type of relationship were you dont have to talk all the time

silence is v comfy.

he’s just scrolling through twitter on his phone while you’re looking around the car, lost in ur thoughts

suddenly you notice an old lady standing a little bit away from you and you stand up

“baa-san, please take my seat.” you whisper in the crowded carriage

“oh how kind of you. thank you, dearie.” she smiles and takes your seat while you stand in front of her and suna instead.

suna doesn’t realise this exchange has happened tho

(he’s on his phone as usual)

probably starting some fights on twitter

he decides to try to be a little romantic and pretends to stretch his arm around (who he thought was) you.

“rin.” 

why is your voice right in front of him?

“young man, i appreciate it but i’m married.”

suna jumps as he sees someone he did not recognise next to him.

he looks up and notices you had moved.

you’re giggling

the granny’s giggling

atsumu and osamu sitting opposite on the carriage look like they’re going to cry because they’re trying not to laugh

“i was just stretching. really.” he mumbles and crosses his arms, face red as a tomato

he’s so embarrassed.

Ginjima Hitoshi

sometimes the inarizaki vbc would go for an after practice snack at the nearby family mart

they were really hungry after an intense preparation for nationals which was in two weeks so kita insisted they all get something to fill them up on the way home

but lucky lucky ginjima hhehe

you (his classmate who he had a crush on) were working at the cash register today.

“welcome!” you greet everyone as they enter

he cant help but stiffen up a bit 

why are u so cute and cheery today

the 2nd years already know what to do.

“heyy, i think last week i bought ya that ramen right? ya owe me my konbini snacks today!” - atsumu

“yeah. you lost a bet to me last week so u gotta pay up. a pack of jelly fruit sticks please.” - suna

“forgot my money today, mind payin’ for my snacks too?” - osamu

“like hell i’m paying for all of you. especially you, osamu. you eat too much all the time.” 

aran’s noticed what’s going on,

“hey, if it’s just for today you can do it right? if ‘samu don’t pay ya back tomorrow i’ll nag him ‘til he does.” 

“fine...” his basket is full when he goes to the counter.

he’s trying his best not to have a red face while watching u scan the items, ur hair swaying slightly as u look back and forth between the objects and the screen.

“alright. 4,890 yen please!” GOD he hated how expensive it was, that’s almost all his weekly allowance but bc it’s u and ur voice saying it it’s kinda ok

“mm, ok.” he still has his eyes on you while he takes out his wallet and puts it on the counter.

yes

his wallet, not the money

“...” “...”

“excuse me, sir. this is...”

he almost slaps his face wtf he’s so embarrassed.

“s-sorry. just a little absent minded after practice.” he starts pulling out his cash.

“it’s fine! i know how hard you guys practice!” you smile while performing the rest of the transaction and pass him his big bag of goods. “good luck for nationals, ginjima-kun!”

he almost runs out of the store and is about to fight the rest of the 2nd years for watching and (suna) recording

[postalenha]

11. special

not really knowing what to wear, you decided to put on a beige sundress that goes below your knee, wishing that jay wouldn't bring you in a wall climbing type of place.

checking your reflection in the mirror, you fix a strand of hair that's sticking out and iron the dress with your hand, "perfect."

you smiled before hearing one to two honks of car. you decided to leave your apartment. outside, you see jay in his car, waving at you. you went straight to him saying, “good afternoon.”

he unbuckled his seatbelt and went out of his car, opening the car door to greet you, “good afternoon, lovely.” you smile before going inside.

his car smells like fresh flowers, which helps you calm down and not worry throughout the ride. once you've had enough courage to speak, you ask him “may i ask where we’re headed to?”

"i'm taking you to my favorite restaurant." he answered, "don't worry, i won't disappoint you."

you softly chuckle, "i'm looking forward to it."

the drive was smooth and quiet. you think if this was even a good idea because you remember telling yourself to never meet him again, let alone involve him in your life.

but you decided to give him a chance. it's not like you would lose anything. you would just hang out, that's all.

he stopped his car in front of a fancy building. he got out of his car and opened the door for you. he then offered his arm where you can cling your hand into. giving his car keys to the valet guy and you went straight inside.

immediately after a staff member had a glance of jay, she knew right away where to lead us. the two of you are now sitting at a table for two before the waitress hands you your menu.

you look over at jay, trying to get a recommendation from him while he's preoccupied, searching at his menu.

the waitress laughs a little before she pokes jay and points at you, jay widens his eyes. "oh no worries, i'll order for us." he smiled, "but you can order what you want too."

shaking your head no you tell him, "it's okay. you can order for us." he took that as a green light, so he ordered everything in the menu that he wanted you to have a taste of.

you weren't really listening to what he's saying, all you feel right now is admiration. you admired how well he can handle himself. he seems to know what he's doing, and looks like he's an expert with these types of situations.

waiting for the food to arrive, "i hope i lived upto your expectations." jay scratches the back of his nape, "i didn't tell you where we're going to keep the thrill."

you laughed at what he just said, "you made me anxious the whole ride just for you to experience some thrill?" you questioned him, he just smiled at you.

"the cold sweats were worth it. this place is magnificent." you commented, looking around and analyzing the place.

"it's elegant, very. yet cozy." you added, the structural design of the place was finely furnished. there are aerial plants hanging but the sight doesn't really make you suffocate, instead, they help make the surrounding more earthy.

"i know, that's why it's my favorite." he happily said, "and i'm glad you're liking it so far."

not long after, your food arrived. you couldn't tell if jay was very hungry or he just genuinely wanted you to try the food. seeing the number of plates on your table right now, it's enough to feed a whole six person family.

overwhelmed, you don't know where to start so you just stared at the food as they stare right back at you. jay sees your reaction and actually thinks it was cute.

while you're busy getting lost in your own thoughts, he started cutting the steak for you. it just went unnoticed until he switched your plate to his.

"why did you steal mine?" you asked him with full confusion painted on your face, he smirks. pointing at the plate in front of you, "they are the same thing. the only difference is; i already cut that for you."

after cutting his steak, he handed you a small cup with some kind of sauce inside. "try that with the flat bread like this." he showed you how to do it, and you just followed him, "then eat."

you both eat in usion before you hum in surprise, jay smiles for the nth time seeing you nod your head in approval. "that was actually good!" you said.

"it is. it makes a good appetizer." he told you, you both moved on and continued eating the main course. “i’m glad you agreed to see me.” he said.

you look at him, “i’m also glad you brought me to such a good place.” you said a while before taking a bite into your steak. tasting the savor of the meat as you chew it.

silence was the sound of the afternoon as you both ate in peace. he sometimes offers to help you with things like pouring your glass of wine, wiping the sauce from your lips but other than that, you both really didn’t interact that much.

jay had been thinking of what he should say, but he couldn't seem to find the right words or construct a good sentence to initiate a conversation. he only smiles at you whenever your eyes meet his.

but when dessert came, you grew tired of the silence that had been hurting your ears. so you decided to ask him, “how are your butterflies?” it’s funny to ask how his butterflies are.

because if he would ask you the same question, you would answer that yours are in your stomach as you speak. “they’re doing good.” he said, “i’m actually planning if i should free them or not.”

“why?” you ask him, jay looked at you. seeing your face, he knew that you actually cared because it is painted right all over your face. “i just think that i’m holding them back from the freedom that they deserve.”

“but what if their freedom is you?” you blurt out. “i mean- what if they feel like they have all the freedom in the world as long as you’re there by their side?” you panic while you blabber out the words without processing them in your head first.

“sorry, i wasn’t making sense.” you’re talking about butterflies for god’s sake. why would his butterflies even feel that way about him- well they can, but not certain.

jay thinks that it was fascinating that you said that. “no, you are making sense.” he reassured. he never once thought of how his butterflies would feel if he let go of them, he was busy thinking about what they feel in his perspective and never theirs.

instantly after you’re finished eating, you go out and wait for the valet driver to get the car. “we can sit there while we wait.” he pointed at the bench, you shake your head. “it’s fine, we can wait here.” you said, “unless you want to sit.”

he shook his head too and was also about to say something, “jongseong!” a woman shouts as she approaches you. you’re confused, there is no jongseong here. unless your name wasn’t y/n after all.

the woman stops in front of jay, “i didn’t expect to see you here!” she greets him with a hug. he’s jongseong?

you just stood there, quiet. even distanced yourself to give them some space. of course, just the right distance to hear what they’re talking about. “i most certainly didn't expect to see you either.” he said, the woman laughed and slaps his shoulder.

“we’re going to a pub, do you want to come?” she invited him. that is when jay- or jongseong- or whoever the hell he says he is; looks your way so you avoid his eyes, but on your peripheral vision you can see him walk to you.

feeling an arm on you shoulder, you look at his hand while you hear him say, “sorry. i’m with someone.” he said. you expected the girl to go with what he said but she just smiles. “come on! there would be a lot of people.”

she inserts herself in the middle of you two and clings her arm into yours, “she can find more friends there too!” you look away because you don’t know how to respond to her invitation, you barely even know her.

but that was hypocritical for you to say, because it wasn’t that much of a problem when you and jay spent the night at the pub. you were about to agree when something drawn on her arm caught your attention.

it’s the butterfly jay had drew on your arm when you two met at the bar, the same one. the only difference is that yours is already faded while hers is new and visible. you slowly remove her hand that was clinging on your arm.

“sorry, i’m really tired. i’ll be heading home, but jay can come if he wants to.” you told them. the girl lost her verbal ability and just looked at jay, “i’m going wherever she goes.. so, i’ll see you around.” he said.

the valet driver came right on time, jay was about to open the door for you but you opened it for yourself and just went inside his car not saying anything. jay doesn't really know what the big deal is, he certainly doesn’t get why you’re suddenly mad when you were so smiley earlier.

the car ride was silent too, it was awkward but you think that it’s better this way. but jay didn’t. he wanted the talkative y/n he met at the pub, you’re the same girl but why are you acting so cold all of a sudden?

once his car was parked in front of your apartment, you got out of his car and said “thank you.” and rushed inside. not letting him say any word. you throw yourself onto your bed, screaming.

you thought you were special. turns out jay’s just good at making individuals feel like they are, when in reality you are just like everyone else. a person who seeks the love they think they deserve and need.

PREV, MASTERLIST, NEXT,

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[peralta-guaranteed]

A five course meal anniversary dinner (idk 15th anniversary for May 15). What is each course? Could be either restaurant fancy or homemade intimate

to be honest homemade would just mean they make all or at least many of their favourites, which are relatively basic given that Jake learned to cook for kids most of all and Amy is never allowed in his kitchen when he can help it. So, like, fancy Mac&Cheese and some good Cuban grub recipe by Camila and a really nice cheesecake for dessert because Jake is a bit of a sugar king.

For the restaurant, though...

Jake

Jake would still stick to 'safer' foods, because he did broaden his palate a bit over the years but he's still a picky eater and most of the menu sounds weird to him so he picked the ones that seemed most familiar / traditional:

Amuse Bouche

(ignore that this is usually decided by the kitchen not the guest maybe they have like a veggie and non-veggie option):

- puffed wild rice chip with lentil foam and fried corn tossed in maple syrup (he's not a fan of lentils but fried corn was too interesting to see how it wouldn't turn into popcorn)

Soup

- heirloom tomato soup with reduced cream, aged cheddar and brioche croutons (so basically... grilled cheese and tomato soup)

Starter

- corn-fed chicken kebap with buttermilk breading, jalapeño-mayonaise, carrot and cabbage in buttermilk dressing (it's chicken nuggets and coleslaw, Ames, they just fancy it up)

Main

-Surf&Turf, house-style. Beef onglet with jus, Jumbo Tiger prawn with yuzu garlic sauce, pommes allumettes, spring vegetables with brown butter (the waitress assured him that despite the fancy sounding names, it was really like surf&turf with fries)

Dessert

- milk ice cream, grilled apricots in apple cider vinegar, honeycomb crumb, whiskey caramel (it's a hot milk with honey, and a shot, with fruit! but in cold! as ice cream! Amazing, Ames!)

Amy

Amy is obviously a bit more adventurous with her food. She loves spices, and after her two pregnancies has discovered a love for some rather unusual mixes, much to Charles’ pride.

Amuse Bouche

(she picked the meat option just for some variety to Jake)

- honey glazed chinese cabbage crisp, braised pork belly, miso and green apple (she loves the more fatty meats and chewy bits, and the cabbage that threw Jake off was actually delicious)

Soup

- chicken consommé with egg confit, garden herbs, hay-smoked garlic oil (she then argued quietly that you couldn't, technically, confit an egg but it was delicious so she's not gonna complain)

Starter

- fennel in 3 variations ~ fennel salad with habañero dressing, fennel-and-walnut filled dumpling, singed fennel stalks, mussel broth (it tastes like medicine and stinky fish Ames - Jake a dumpling is just a fancy pierogi)

Main

- grilled sturgeon with chili-molasses glace, barley risotto, preserved lemon chutney, snow peas and pickled radish (not a single thing on that plate sounds like it should be edible Amy - here look I googled sturgeon, look how funky it is as a living thing, you want to eat that?!)

Dessert

-basil sorbet, mint granité, mixed berries, balsamico-honey syrup, white chocolate ganache (that’s a salad, babe, you missed the dessert page)

[maggyme13]

Sugar (3/?)

AN: Here is my third chapter of my SugardaddyLoki AU:) I hope you like the Chapter for this week :)

Warnings: not really

Wordcount: around 1600

Masterlist

Sugar- Masterlist

Part 2

You had decided to bake some chocolate-apple-pie after your grandmothers recipe together with some Pasta and self made tomato-sauce, hoping the male would like the food.

The apartment had started to smell delicious, yourself nibbling on some bread Pietro had brought with him from his grocery shopping.

He had mentioned that Mr Laufeyson usually did not eat breakfast at the flat, but got something on his way. So you had needed to get your breakfast supplies, or your mornings would be hungry.

At least he had tea. A lot of tea and a lot of different kinds.

Now, the kitchen was stocked with every essential thing someone would need.

Food was finished around dinner time and you were just cleaning the kitchen of any evidence of your session, when the front-door opened.

You froze in anticipation and worry.

“Food is already here. Good. Please serve while I change into something different.”, the male called and not a second later you heard another door close.

Doing as asked, you plated your home-cooked meal and placed a dish where he had sat the day prior, you sitting down with your own serving in the same manor.

It did not take long for him to emerge again and join you at the large table.

“This looks quite good. Now it only has to taste as such.”, he mumbled, eyeing the food in front of him before taking a small bite.

You waited, anxious, for his reaction and could not suppress a smile when you saw him relax into the food.

He liked it.

“This – this is good. Where did you get it? I have to put it on Pietro´s list of shops to buy from.”, he asked you, already preparing the next bite.

“I made it.”, you whispered, awaiting his reaction.

You were not disappointed: His shewing stopped, his eyes wandering to look at you. He gulped the food he had in his mouth.

“You are telling me, that you cooked this meal yourself? How and Why?”

“I spoke with Pietro and he offered to get the ingredients, what he did. I found the utensils in the cupboards.”

“Well, that explains how, but not why.”

“I, I didn´t know what to get, and I like to cook. It is also cheaper-”, the last part was only a whisper, but he still heard it.

“I don´t think I need to have an eye on how much money I spend for food and take-outs.”

“I apologize Mr Laufeyson.”, you quickly added, averting your eyes.

“It is quite delicious.”, he continued, “Well done.”

Warmth spread through your veins upon hearing the males praise and you couldn´t suppress a shy smile.

“You may cook more often.  Now, if you would excuse me, I have an early meeting tomorrow and therefore will go to bed now.”, he declared, already standing up.

“I- there is dessert.”, you quickly stated, “I mean- if you want. I can but it in the fridge. The pie might not taste as good as now, but still good.”

“You made pie?”, he mused, sitting down again, “What kind of pie.”

“Apple chocolate after my grandma´s recipe.”, you whispered.

He stayed silent and you took it as a sign to serve the desert. Gathering the used dishes, you placed them aside and got the pie out of the oven to plate it with some powdered sugar.

Mr Laufeyson looked at for a few second, before taking a very small piece onto his fork and eating it.

His face kept neutral, though he ate it all.

“As I said. I will be retreating for the night. Tomorrow morning the cleaning service will come to clean the apartment. Just as a heads-up. Have a good night.”

And with that, the man retreated to his quarters.

Well, better get the kitchen cleaned and then to bed.

Thanks to the fact that you had already cleaned most of the things after using them, the kitchen was spotless within ten minutes with the leftovers secured within the fridge. Labeled with the date you had cooked them.

It was nearly enough to feed one more person.

Shutting off the light, within the main area, you stepped into your bedroom, only to stop short; on your bed were four black boxes with silver ribbons.

Presents.

When did he get them in here? What is in there?

Slowly you approached your bed, letting your fingers brush over the soft fabric of the ribbons, once you were able to.

The boxes had the Ásgard´-logo imprinted into the top.

More clothes? But-

With gentle hands, you opened the first bow and then box.

Is that Lingerie? What does this mean?

Shocked, you lifted the first pair of clothes out of the box. It wasn´t lingerie as you first thought, it was a nightdress.

Does he expect me to wear this?

Quickly you opened the other boxes as well, and the next two contained a similar kind  of clothing.

That was, until you opened the last box and a relieved sigh escaped your lungs. Your eyes fell onto some new shirts and boxer-shorts. First were made of extremely soft cotton, last were made of silk.

You just had to wear them, the leggings and shirt you had worn previously had been to warm for your liking and felt wrong to your skin beneath the covers.

Ready for bed, you placed the boxes into the walk-in. You would sort them away in the morning.

With your mobile phone charging and the alarm set for 6:30am, you closed your eyes to sleep.

You woke up with the alarm and decided it was a good day to start with a shower.

Dressed as casually as possible, you made your way to the kitchen area with still wet hair.

You were surprised to see Mr Laufeyson already sitting there. “Good morning.”, you mumbled.

“Good Morning. I did not thought I would see you this early.”, he greeted you in return, sipping on his tea.

“I am used to get up early to do work.”, you admitted, preparing your own breakfast with the stuff Pietro got you the day prior.

“I see. Pietro will drive me to work this morning. I have a conference call with some important people. After that he can drive you wherever you want. There is a credit card on the little table next to your door. It has an allowance of  10.000$ a week. I may allow you to use more, should I see it necessary and you ask me beforehand. You need to have your ID with you though. Otherwise the card will not be accepted.”

He spoke almost bored, like that sum of money were just peanuts.

“Ten-thousand a week?”,you stated with huge eyes.

“Not enough?”

“Too much. Tha- thats more than I made in four months working. Wha- what should I do with that much?”, you quickly explained.

“Buy what you want, as long as you don´t buy at the opponents shops. The cleaning crew will be working from 10 to 12am. See you sometime today.”, and with that, the sharp dressed man left.

Leaving you with no idea what you should do with your day.

Sighting, you grabbed the offered card and stared at it for a long time.

I could visit Bob and Monty,  maybe get them some food or things they need. And then buy stuff for the shelter. At least I would do good with all this money.

You still did not want pity money and felt dirty accepting it.

Using your new phone (because you couldn´t find a pen and some paper to make notes), you wrote stuff you though you should get to not accidentally forget something.

It got rather long, and you hoped you would be able to get all this without renting a truck.

“And I need some reeeeeaally simple stuff to wear.”, you mumbled.

The ringing of your phone caught your attention. Pietro was calling you.

“Good Morning. How can I help you?”, you greeted him politely, just like you had done with your customers just a few days ago.

“(y/n), It´s Pietro. Boss said to call you once I am free. Soooo, I am free. Any idea what you want to do? I can drive you wherever you want.”, the young man´s voice came out of the speaker.

“Thank you, that would be nice. I have a few stops I would like to make- if that is not too much trouble.”, you smiled into the phone.

“Not at all, I would just be earning my money. I will be at the tower in the next ten minutes. If you want, you can wait in the lobby. I will come and get you.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“No worries. See you in Ten.”, and with that the line went dead.

“Well .. then let´s get down there I guess.”, you mumbled, grabbing your phone and wallet, you got on your way  down to the lobby.

It was rustling with live and you searched for a calmer area to wait for the blond young men.

You felt out of place and feared they would kick you out any second now, but instead, your phone rang again and you accepted Pietro´s call.

“I am up front. Are you ready to go?”

“I am coming out, give me a second.”

“Sure, it´s the black Dodge SUV.”

“Got it.”

Part 4

AN2.0 Well, Loki seemed to like her food. What do you think she will do with all the money?

REBLOGS and comments are appreciated, though any request of a SUGARDADDY looking for a Baby will be deleted… just like the last 30 in the first two parts…..

Thank you very much.

~MaggY

Taglists:

Permanent:

@jadepc@pacifyhxlsey @thankyoukarenclifford

@thankyouforanonymity  @punkrockhufflefluff

@scarletraine @buckycaptspideypool  @markusstraya @graveyard-groupie @markusstrayya @randomgirlkensy @the-soulofdevil

MCU:

@yknott81    @banner-and-bucky-are-life @forext20 @dyanlzbb  @so-finster-die-nacht @emmii4 @bitchwhytho @ladyofmyst   @jilldsumner @momc95 @appreciating-fanfics

Sugar:

@bits-and-bobs-and-kawaii-stuffs @mimmie666   @fullranchwolfoperator

@cluelessnitwhit @youknowitsclouds @his-paradox @purplerainharry

@spootgaai2000 @iamsuperjenna @nikkipea   @alexakeyloveloki

I couldnt tag a few of you… sorry.

Want to get tagged as well? Comment, Reblog or send an ask to let me know.

[just-horrible-things]

[Warning - eye gore.]

Send a message, the letter reads, in the familiar elegant curls of his mother’s handwriting, to Inquisitor Bright. He has a location – not to find the Inquisitor herself, of course, but somewhere that her agents can be found. Return her acolyte – or what remains of her – with an apology. Remind her that misunderstandings are tragically easy, and that the affairs of Navigators are perilous.

Privately Tacitus thinks that it might be wiser to allow the Inquisitor’s minions their investigations. He has nothing to hide. If Cavarr have sins worthy of the Inquisition’s attention, Tacitus knows nothing of them and therefore cannot betray any secrets. Rebuffing them like this will surely just raise suspicions. Even Navigators aren’t entirely beyond the Inquisition’s reach.

But it isn’t Tacitus’ decision to make. And the House feels that the insult of such blatant snooping should not go unanswered.

“I will take dinner with the prisoner,” he informs his valet as he folds the letter carefully for storage. “See that she’s cleaned up, and find her something to wear, please. There’s no need to humiliate her. If she will wash herself, let her.” “What should she wear?” “Hm, I don’t know. Find her something respectable, would you? Black, I should think, the Inquisition always seem to be in black. I shall be informal.”

“Of course. Leave it to me.” “Thank you.”

They share a smile, then Tacitus turns back to his desk. He should write back to his mother, and while he won’t be able to finish the letter until after he has dealt with the Inquisitorial woman, he has plenty of other topics to cover.

---

The unfortunate throne agent is waiting for Tacitus when he enters the dining room. Not that she has a choice in the matter. She’s been dressed in a nice tunic with pleated patterns, and a decent jacket. Her hair is up like it was when he first met her. She sits with her spine straight, glaring sullenly at Tacitus as he walks in. There’s a slight flush in her cheeks and he wonders if bathing was a traumatic experience for her.

“Interrogator Ariadne Milonas,” he greets her with a thin smile. “Lord Cavarr.” She inclines her head, but her expression doesn’t warm. “I’d stand, but I don’t have that option.” Her left hand is cuffed to her chair, Tacitus has been informed. “You’re proved quite the enterprising opponent so far,” he observes. “Precautions seem… prudent.” “Are we enemies, Cavarr?” she demands. “We needn’t be. I am a loyal servant of the Throne. If you are as innocent as you say, we should not be enemies!” “Interrogator,” Tacitus chides mildly, one eyebrow quirked. “I haven’t even had a chance to sit down.”

She watches sourly as he sits down. But she doesn’t press the point, and she accepts his offer of amasec. Soup is brought in almost immediately, with bread pre-broken so that her single free hand isn’t an impediment. “If you think two loyal servants cannot be enemies,” Tacitus tells her, “You must be naive. And I find that difficult to believe of the Inquistion.” “Two loyal servants shouldn’t be enemies,” she argues. “We should all place cooperation in the name of Throne and Imperium above our differences of opinion. But yes, I’m well aware that pettty squabbles are commonplace, thank you.” Tacitus resists the urge to tell her she is welcome. He takes his soup thoughtfully, and lets her speak. “But my only loyalties are to the Holy Ordos. I have no stake in any political or economic disputes. I am not concerned with quibbles in the interpretation of the Creed. I don’t care about violations of the Lex. I care only for the good of the Imperium. There is no reason to consider me an enemy.”

Tacitus sighs softly. “Your loyalty may be owed directly to the Throne,” he allows, “But I am a Scion of House Cavarr, and I owe mine to my elders and my Novatora.” Milonas hesitates, but her voice is serious as she asks “Would you put that loyalty above your faith, and the good of mankind?” “Eat your soup, Interrogator. It will go cold.” She looks almost shocked at the rebuff. Insulted – as expected. And surprised. Tacitus expects her to argue. But she sullenly takes his advice. She hasn’t, he supposes, had hot food in at least twelve days.

She doesn’t let go of the topic, though. “You are more than just a tool of your family,” she tells him in low tones, while running bread round the bottom of her bowl. “You are an individual, in the eyes of the God-Emperor.” Tacitus chuckles. “That is so. But shall we not place faith in our superiors? Has not the Emperor placed them, in His wisdom, above us for good reason?” “That depends what those superiors are doing. You are not an idiot, I know that you would recognise heresy or treason if you saw it.” “Interrogator, I did not lie to you when I said that I have no reason to suspect any such thing of my relations. Of course you cannot take my word at face value, but I promise you – House Cavarr is loyal. There is no conflict between my loyalty to my House and my loyalty to the Throne.” She is visibly skeptical, but the main course is being brought in, and she does not press the point.

They eat seafood from the last world, grains from storage and greens from hydroponics, spiced and served in a rich sauce. Milonas maintains her composure, but she is quiet, and her concentration on the food betrays her hunger. Tacitus talks about the food idly, and she is polite enough to acknowledge it with terse compliments.

While they wait for dessert, Tacitus brings the conversation back to more serious matters. “You are mistaken in your belief that the Inquisition is an apolitical organisation,” he tells her. He can almost feel her attention sharpen to a narrow focus. “Many Inquisitors have a political agenda, and I doubt that Lady Bright is any exception.” He smiles at the flicker of surprise in her eyes. Yes, I know who you work for. “And even beyond that, the Inquisition as a whole has a vested interest in maintaining its own power. Which necessarily involves butting heads at times with other Imperial powers. Such as the Navis Nobilite.” “I don’t have any problem with the Navis Nobilite,” she responds. “There is a long-standing understanding,” he explains, “that the Inquisition does not pry into the affairs of the Nobilite. We police our own ranks for mutation and heresy. And naturally we take such matters very seriously. As a matter of faith, of course, but also because if we did not, then we would not long retain our privileged status.” “No one is beyond investigation by the Holy Ordos,” she protests with some indignation. Tacitus cannot suppress – or rather, chooses not to suppress – another chuckle. “You are wrong, Interrogator. On paper that may be so. But in practice… here we sit.” Milonas glowers at him.

“Inquisitor Bright will not take this lightly,” she says. Inwardly, Tacitus smiles. It is an admission of her own helplessness, whether she realises it or not. “I hope not,” he agrees mildly. “Truthfully this is larger than either of us. You have your Inquisitor to answer to, and I am still barely an adult in the eyes of my kin. We each do as we must. More amasec, Interrogator?” She nods and mutters a terse “Please.”

He would not describe the rest of the dinner as ‘pleasant’ per se. She is sullen company. But he thinks that he sees a fraction less hostility in her and a fraction more resignation. He cannot count it as a victory. He has her in the palm of his hand already, he doesn’t need to talk her around to his point of view. Very soon it will not matter.

He picks at his dessert with sombre spirit. Milonas is not exactly a charming conversational partner. She is a stone-cold killer and has been a difficult, violent prisoner. Her duties in the Inquisition are doubtless often unpleasant. But for all her personal flaws she seems sincere in her faith. It is a shame to break her. He hasn’t the stomach to do it with protracted violence. Who knows how long it would take? He doubts anyone rises to the rank of Interrogator without a certain strength of spirit. No, he’ll do this the quick way and be done with this unpleasant duty. Strong or not, she is only human.

Once the table is cleared and the staff have departed, Tacitus sighs. “I am sorry,” he tells the Interrogator, “that circumstance has made enemies of us.” She is watching him uneasily, clearly picking up on his tension. He is not trying particularly hard to hide it. “What happens next?” she asks quietly. “Next?” He offers her a wan smile. “Next I return you to Inquisitor Bright. It would not do to hold one of her agents hostage.” She starts to relax fractionally, but he is not finished. “Unfortunately now, before I do that, I must make sure the message sent is very clear.”

Her eyes narrow in suspicion, and then start to widen in shock as Tacitus reaches for the veil that covers his brow. Her free hand flies up to shield her eyes, but it will not help her. 

If she is strong she may survive this. If she is very strong she may even recover, in time.

He lifts the veil in a smooth, practised motion. His Eye snaps open. Warplight floods the room. His soul sings as he channels raw power.

The Interrogator screams. The hand that she clamps over her face is no defence. The Warplight shines straight through, like a knife. She sees what Tacitus Sees – the Warp, in all its senseless, unfettered splendour. The intensity of his Gaze burns.

She tries to stand, and falls back against the chair as the shackles on her wrist and ankles restrain her. Her scream pitches upwards through terror into raw agony. Her back arches and she throws her head back. Her fingers claw at her eyes, raking bloody paths through the bubbling flesh, pain insufficient to stop her from trying to rip out the visions of madness seared into her brain.

Tacitus screws his Eye shut, but the screaming does not stop. He feels queasy. He has only had to do this once before, and that was in defence of his own life.

The room stinks of burning flesh.

She screams and screams – a wild, wretched sound no living soul should ever have to make.

Tacitus scrambles round the table to her side, catching her wrist and trying to pull it away from her face to stop her doing herself any more damage. He shouldn’t care, but he can’t just watch. She struggles against his grip with shocking strength, and he finds himself shouting for assistance.

A minute or more passes in a whirling, nauseous blur. She stops struggling, at last, beneath the weight of hands pinning her against the chair. An aide holds her head still while another tries to fit a chilled dressing across the mask of charred and ruined flesh that is her upper face. She keeps making awful low moans, full of horror and pain. How much of her mind remains is impossible to tell.

Tacitus swallows grimly. He hopes that she is sufficiently destroyed. He hopes that he can send her back to Bright and let the Inquisition do what they will to save her. If she is still too much herself…

He does not want to have to do this again.

[venusloveslobotomies]

Pyromania (Bucky x Reader) 2

  Summary: (Winter Soldier-Endgame Insert) You’re an enhanced HYDRA agent who negotiated her way out of being a weapon. You’re now the nurse/ aid of the Winter Soldier. You end up escaping with him and follow him in and out of danger while slowly developing feelings for each other.

Words: 1850 (approx) Chapter: 2/? Part 1

  “Will you eat?” I huff after Soldat sits down and ignores the hot food, “It’ll go cold and honestly it’s not that bad,” Beef borscht, a mash of carrots, corn and potato, biscuits with cold gravy and something that looks like bird’s milk cake. It’s good food. We’re fed better than anyone else in this facility. However, he seems more interested in inspecting his metal arm and I sigh.

  I swear he’s hardly a soldier. I need to baby him half the time. Combing his hair, washing his arm, feeding him. So, I sit on the bed next to him and scoop up a spoonful of the borscht. He turns back towards me and enthusiastically allows me to spoon feed him through dinner. “The things I do for you…” I mumble and steal a bite of the cake. I was right. Bird’s milk. He seems strangely thoughtful as he eats.   It’s finally time to relax. I return the tray and dishes to the kitchen and when I come back, he’s reading a Korean children’s book aloud. I notice it’s in Hangul.    “That’s good, moya Soldat,” I know reading a new alphabet is difficult. He lays on his stomach on the bed and I help him through understanding the words.   I set about massaging his shoulders and back again. I can finally tell when his knots are gone because the strain leaves his voice and he seems sleepy. I put the book back on the shelf and glance at the clock. 23:07. He stretches out his muscles while I take clothes to the laundry and fix our beds. We stand in the small bathroom down the hall, brushing our teeth. I sit on the counter and Soldat makes faces with a mouthful of toothpaste for my amusement.   On our way back from brushing our teeth, I receive our packed bags for tomorrow morning. When we come back and put them down, he picks up his mask and studies it for a moment. He seems sad and distant. I know he hates the mask. It’s like a muzzle. I hate it possibly more than he does because I understand the implications behind the mask whereas he just sees it as a piece of restricting uniform. I place my hand on his back and rub gentle circles with my thumb. He drops it back into the bag and crawls into bed. It’s about to hit 00:00 so I kneel next to him, remind him to relax, and stroke his hair until he closes his eyes.   I leave and begin prep for the next morning. This, as usual, involves handing a receipt to a treasury official and receiving an envelope of money, which is US dollars this time, placing orders for rations for the designated travel time (4 days), receiving briefings for the mission and checking over our bags.   I finally get back to the room at about 2 in the morning, luckily we won’t be woken until 10 am. I can hear Soldat muttering in his sleep and immediately know he’s having a nightmare. I change into a nightgown and sit down next to him, stroking his hair until he seems to calm down.

 I wake up with a jolt as the alarm goes off. I reach over and turn it off before realising I’m in his bed. Still on top of the covers. Not unusual. I seem to always end up falling asleep after comforting him from a nightmare. He sits up and stretches. I hear knocking and get up to find that breakfast has arrived. I thank the kitchen girl and take the cart.   I dress in the basic white travel sweats for the day before taking my tray and settling on the floor. Soldat joins me in a matching outfit, but his is grey. His meal is very protein-heavy, butterbrot with ham, eggs, tvorog (like cottage cheese), kasha (a grain porridge), orange juice and coffee. Calorie dense and carb and protein based. Mine isn’t too different but I ended up with kasha, butterbrot with butter, one egg and coffee. He seems happy and digs in while talking animatedly about seeing things in Washington while I read through the logistics of the mission, where we’re based, who’s accompanying us, who the target is, when and where the mission is supposed to be carried out. I like traveling a lot and I know he enjoys it too.   I know we have to be at the hangar at 12:35 and wheels up at 12:45. So with nothing to do but relax, we talk for a while, joking and pretending that we’re not going on this trip to murder someone.   When I decide it’s time to go, we grab our bags and head up past the training center and arrive at the hangar early. We meet with the officials and are given orders to wait in the jet. It’s a big cargo-style jet with a large open space in the center and benches around the perimeter.   Throwing our bags down, he picks a spot towards the back and I join him. He lays down with his head in my lap and I pretend to be inspecting his face, putting more disinfectant on his already healed wounds from yesterday and checking his pupil dilation. Eventually he closes his eyes and tries to sleep. We have 10 and a half hours to wait until we arrive in DC.   The other guards file in, including Soldat’s handler, a huge Serbian guy who goes by Petrovic. They look confused at the sight of the Winter Soldier sleeping on his nurse’s lap but Petrovic and the two officials ignore it. They’re used to it by now.   The flight goes slowly with not much to do. There’s quiet chatter, soldiers sleeping on benches and the ground, a few are reading. I wake my soldier up at around 2:50 to eat something since food’s being handed out. We sit on the floor and eat. Beef with potatoes, hot shchi (a cabbage soup), black bread and coffee. Chocolate bars are offered around by one of the younger guards however that offer never gets to Soldat. I take one and thank him before breaking it in half to give to Soldat.   There’s some quiet socialising among the guards since the officials and pilots seem chatty and happy up front. Some of the men try to include me in the conversation but I’m fairly disinterested and direct the conversation to someone else before I have to talk for very long. After the food’s been finished it seems as though we go back to silence. I offer a game of 101 to Soldat with a pack of cards and we play quietly for an hour or so. More snacks and cups of kvass are once again passed around and after we finish, Soldat and I fall back asleep for a few hours.   Petrovic wakes us up when dinner is being served, around 7pm. The TV is turned on for the Washington DC news and everyone gathers on the floor again to eat. For dinner we’re given pork stewed in tomato sauce, a salad of pickled cabbage, cucumbers and carrots, more black bread, buckwheat porridge and a double shot of vodka is offered to everyone. I take mine but quickly pass it to Soldat since vodka’s strange attractiveness doesn’t make sense to me. For dessert we’re all given strange little tea cakes, apparently British, and kissel, a fruity jelly-like dessert.   Most of the guards get some sleep but a few figure since we’ll be landing in a few hours they may as well stay up. Soldat goes right back to sleep, this time leaning back on my chest with his head on my shoulder, but I keep a wary eye on a few of the younger guards who may not fully hold their alcohol too well. Kvass is offered around again at about 10 and I take the cup and read a book I bought on our last mission in Ukraine.

We finally land somewhere around 11:30 and I wake Soldat up. We pick up our bags and are directed to a truck with Petrovic.   Once we arrive at the base, Petrovic gets our keys and tells us to stay in the room. He disappears into the room next to us and I have to literally undress Soldat to get him into the shower. We both scrub down before climbing into the creaky double bed and knocking out completely.  When Petrovic comes in the next morning to brief us on the timeframe he admits that we could be here for up to two weeks. Soldat starts getting ready to leave. Since I’ll be on standby the first day, I end up alone in the base, writing up a medical report in case something happens.   The next night I am assigned my suit for a mission. I’m nothing but aid at this point but it’s best to be prepared if it comes to a fight. Soldat is given a sniping gun and our main goal is to just shoot and get out.  We end up on the roof across from an apartment building, aiming through a window. I sit impatiently. Whoever lives there crawls in through the window and we wait for the light to be turned on. A few minutes and the target stands up. Soldat gets a few good shots before he’s down. We watch as he gets dragged out of sight.    “Begat!” Run. We both spring up and sprint across the roof. We jump over a few alleyways before I see the end of our block, where a nondescript car is waiting for us. We land on an adjacent one before the man in pursuit of us smashes through a window and onto the same roof as us. I hear his shield coming towards us but Soldat turns and catches it easily. He throws it back at the man and we jump off the building, sprinting back to the car parked down the street. We drive off back to the base.   The moment we arrive and jump out of the car, Soldat starts pacing with nervous energy. I walk over to him. I can hear him getting worked up.    “I wouldn’t do that, Ms Kang,” His handler puts his hand out but I ignore it. I hear guns being cocked but I know they’re trained on Soldat, not me. I step in front of him and he stops abruptly.    “Stop it,” I place my hand on his chest and stare straight into his eyes, challenging him, “You’re acting like a child,” He stares back at me. As frustrated as he may be, he knows that I’ll knock him out if he doesn’t stop freaking out. He takes a big, huffy breath and kneels so that I can wipe the charcoal from around his eyes. The other soldiers relax their weapons and I can hear as they slowly resume their positions.    “Mianhae,” It doesn’t matter that he says it in Korean, it’s so quiet no one else could’ve possibly heard it.     “It’s ok. I know you’re stressed. You’re fine,” I tell him, patting his cheek as I finish up.

Part 3

[porkchop-ao3]

Park Chinois: PART 2/3

Part One - Part Three

The second part to I.C and reader’s date! SFW.

-

The singer, a woman dressed all in red, stepped down off the stage with mic in hand. She strutted down the middle of the room where the table layout created a sort of aisle for her, glancing from patron to patron as she went. Every now and then she'd sing a few lines to one of the tables before spinning around on her way to the next one. When she paused at our table she flashed us both a wink, then she was off. It was quite captivating really, being so involved in her performance. Rick and I watched her, completely entranced. Eventually though, she made her way back to the stage where she was joined by a pair of dancers.

“This wasn't at all what I expected, this is fun!” I told Rick, and he seemed pleased with my reaction.

“I had no idea about this either. It-it's certainly a surprise.” He snorted, though he didn't seem at all displeased by the way the night was turning out.

Our appetizers arrived shortly after that, carried over with grandiosity by the waiter and placed in front of each of us with a beaming smile and well wishes to enjoy our meal. I looked down at the plate in front of me and quickly realised just how stark the food to plate ratio was. Little portions of crab were elegantly stacked in the middle with a drizzle of chilli sauce and a few sprigs of some green stuff. It looked beautiful, but two mouthfuls and the whole thing would be gone. A glance at Rick's plate told me his was the same. On his plate sat a beautifully presented, yet singular dumpling. His face said it all.

“What's this shit?” He snorted.

“Oh, but it's just the appetizer, you wouldn't want anything huge…” I trailed off.

“Yeah but-” he jabbed his fork into his dumpling and held it up. His plate was pretty much empty already. I snorted, and quickly covered my mouth and flashed him an apologetic look. He couldn't help but become amused too, the edges of his mouth lifting despite his attempts at keeping a straight face. “Jesus.” He sighed, shaking his head.

Without further complaint, he stuffed the whole thing in his mouth in one go. I blinked in surprise, watching him chew the entire contents of his plate. He made a pleasant humming sound and shrugged.  

“Tastes alright.” He admitted.

“Well, at least there's that.” I laughed, picking up my knife and fork and cutting myself a small piece of crab, I intended to make mine go a little further than his. It was tasty, and I was sure to savour each bite, no matter how few there were. Rick was back to picking at the bread (which the waiter thankfully left for us), though that was dwindling too.

“Do you want the last piece?” He asked me, nodding towards the remaining slice of sourdough.

“You can have it. I don't want you starving to death, sweetie.” I teased. He rolled his eyes playfully and dipped the bread into some unidentifiable chutney, by the look on his face when he bit into it, he wasn't a fan. He finished the bread without any condiments.

Unsurprisingly it didn't take me long to finish my appetizer, and I couldn't help but wish there was at least a little more of it.

“How was yours? I'm sorry I didn't ask before you finished, I blinked while you were eating it.” He said. Some of Tailor's sarcasm seemed to be rubbing off on him and I snorted.

“It was delicious, thank you. Just enough to whet my appetite, and that's all an appetizer needs to be.” I gave him a grateful smile and sipped my orange juice for the first time that evening. “Holy shit.” I exclaimed, suddenly feeling glad for the loud music, which helped to stifle my curse.

“What?” He asked me, his face dropping, clearly thinking something was wrong.

“This orange juice is incredible, it's the best I've ever tasted. Have you had some?” I asked, taking another big sip. The flavour burst in my mouth like I'd just bitten into an actual orange. I didn't know what I was expecting from freshly squeezed orange juice, but it was clear I'd never actually had it before.

“Mm, yes, squeezed between the thighs of virgins.” He murmured haughtily, picking up his glass and swirling it's contents before taking a dainty sip, pinky out.

“I think you're getting it confused with Cuban cigars.” I laughed harder than I should've and he simply grinned at me. The waiter stopped by our table, noting the empty plates. They were really on it with the service in this place, that was for sure.

“Are you both finished with your appetizers?” He asked us, and Rick and I nodded. “Let me get those plates out of the way for you, did you enjoy your dishes?” He smiled, lifting the empty plates away one by one.

“Yes thank you.” I beamed.

“Absolutely, nothing like a nice, light bite to really make you work up an appetite.” Rick said with a smirk, and I resisted the urge to shake my head at him.

“Well I'm very pleased you enjoyed it! Your next course will be with you shortly, and I hope you're even happier with those.” He smiled widely at us both before adding. “Is there anything I can do for you both in the meantime?”

“No, we're good thank you.” The two of us agreed, and with a nod, the waiter left us.

The singer on stage was no longer singing, she had joined the two dancers in a routine, while the band continued to play instrumental music. Some of the dancers would occasionally step down off the stage and do part of the routine in the aisle, again bringing us into the performance.

“Do you think you'd come here again?” Rick asked me out of the blue, and I thought for a while as I looked at him.

“It's a little early to tell, we haven't had our main meals yet. But if you're trying to find out if I'm having a good time, I am.” I assured him.

“I'm glad. I'm just curious about h-how you're finding living the high life. Like, if this is the kind of thing we should do more often.” He murmured, resting his head on his fist as he watched the dancers.

“If you want my honest thoughts? This is nice and all, but I don't necessarily think we need to do this often. I like our dates, I like exploring new places and chatting with the owners of those small family run restaurants and feeling at home there. I like how sometimes we go to a place and the food is terrible, but it doesn't matter because it was dirt cheap and we can have a laugh about it later. But mostly I just like going to those places with you.” I watched a smile appear on his face as I continued, though he didn't look at me. “I said to Tailor earlier; you could've taken me to McDonald's tonight and I'd have been content cause what's important is we're celebrating together. The fact that you went to all this effort and wanted so badly to give me this experience is a huge bonus.” I explained, still waiting for him to look at me though I could always tell when he was listening carefully because he'd absentmindedly run the tip of his tongue back and forth across his bottom lip.

After a while, he finally turned to look me in the eye. He wordlessly leaned forward, lifting up off his seat just a little, so he could kiss my lips. The kiss was delicate, light, but full of tenderness and it made me forget everything but him. I couldn't care less that this perhaps wasn't the proper place for public displays of affection. I couldn't care less that people might be staring. Let them look! All I cared about was him. And when he finally broke away and realised his tie had been dipping in his drink the entire time, with a chuckle I thought to myself; this is who I am meant to spend the rest of my life with.

As Rick tutted and patted his tie with a napkin he muttered; “This is why I don't wear these things.” sending me into a fit of girlish giggles.

Our main courses arrived very quickly, just like the waiter had said they would. As the plate was lowered down in front of me, I could've laughed until I cried. I frankly didn't know how I kept a straight face. Especially when Rick's was placed in front of him; his face was a blank canvas as he blinked down at his food.

If you'd told me that this was an appetizer, I would've believed you.

My sea bass consisted of a small fillet in the center of the dish, scattered with thin slices of kumquat (which I learned was some kind of orange) and sauce, a sprinkling of herbs. That was about it. I'd maybe get five mouthfuls out of the whole thing if I were to eat ordinary sized bites. Rick's stir fry was presented in a narrow line across his plate, each element neatly and perfectly placed, like every slice of vegetable or chunk of beef had been placed individually by hand. I couldn't deny that the thing was pretty, both dishes were attractive and appetizing, but considering the price, the quantity was a bit of a joke. The more I thought about it, the less surprised I was; posh restaurants typically served small portions, though they were meant to be delicious enough to make up for it. And that was what we were yet to find out.

We both thanked the waiter and he walked away, and as soon as he was out of earshot Rick said;

“Thi-this looks lovely, but… I'm not used to these tiny portions. I'm gonna be starving after this. I'd consider getting dessert but I don't know if I can handle being served a teaspoon of ice cream with a sprig of mint on top.” He just sounded astounded at this point, not even angry or upset.

“I know what you mean, baby, but let's just give it a try, hm?” I said softly, patting the back of his hand before picking up my knife and fork. I gathered a piece of fish along with some of the sauce and kumquat, and Rick tucked in too with a soft sigh. I popped the fish into my mouth, chewed once, twice, and immediately realised; I did not like kumquat. At least not with fish. I didn't let my face betray this though, I smiled as I chewed, nodding my head appreciatively.

“Yep. I don't like ginger with meat.” Rick just came out and said it after swallowing his first bite, his lip turned a little in a grimace. “Th-this is the problem with posh places, they all have weird shit in the food and I think it only tastes good if you've got rich taste buds.”

I accidentally snorted, covering my mouth as I continued to chew through my amusement.

“How's yours?”

“It's good!” I told him, it was almost true. The fish was delicious and cooked perfectly, it was just the sauce it was slathered in I had the issue with.

“Good?” He cocked his brow at me.

“Yeah.” I smiled.

“You don't like it, do you?” He deadpanned.

“I do like it. It's interesting, I've never had anything like this before.” I said, averting my eyes as I went in for another bite.

“It's interesting, huh? You mean gross?” He smirked.

“Rick.” I sighed, feeling my cheeks flush. “It's not terrible, okay? The sauce is just a little weird for my not rich taste buds.”

“I thought so.” He chuckled. “Look, baby, don't eat it if you don't want it. I won't be angry.”

“I want to eat it, it's honestly not that bad if I just scrape off most of the sauce.” I assured him, he laughed again, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Jesus Christ.” He said under his breath through his laughter. “Le-let's just eat up and we can go somewhere else.” He added, spearing some veg and meat and stuffing it into his mouth unceremoniously.

“We don't have to go anywhere else, you've spent enough money.” I shook my head, beginning to feel incredibly guilty.

“Money doesn't matter, don't worry about it, seriously. Th-this is just… let's call it an unsuccessful experiment. It's just a bit of fun in the end.” He shrugged his shoulders. I watched him for a moment and he really did seem unphased by it. He had a soft amused smile lingering on his face, which made me feel a bit better.

I continued eating, getting more and more used to the flavour as I went. By the last few bites I no longer found it all that unpleasant, but it wasn't something I'd ever have again. After finishing I felt pleasantly satisfied. I wasn't particularly full up; I was comfortable, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I was getting peckish.

I drank some more of my orange juice and soon realised how little you actually got. Though the glass was tall, it was incredibly narrow towards the bottom, meaning as soon as you drank what was in the flared out top, the rest of the glass was barely a mouthful. Wow. They can't even be generous with the orange juice? I couldn't help but think the place was a total rip off.

“The thing is, I can tell this is decent food. Someone would like it. It's just not for me, you know?” Rick said as he wrapped up his meal, swigging the last of his drink too.

“I agree. It's high quality, cooked beautifully. It's just not to my taste.” I shrugged.

“I'd prefer going out for a proper steak somewhere. Give me some chunky oven chips like every other restaurant in this country has and I'm happy.” He grinned.

“Trust me, you get bored of those chips very quickly.” I rolled my eyes. They were served with almost every dish in every English pub, it was like there was an abundance of chips and they were just trying to get rid of them.

“I doubt it. A little salt? A little vinegar?” He kissed the tips of his fingers. “And that's coming from a dessert fanatic. Speaking of, d-do you want dessert?”

“Honestly I didn't see anything that caught my fancy when I looked. If we're having pudding I'd rather have something from your truck.” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders a little. The look on his face was a mixture of flattered and proud.

“That can be arranged.” He nodded thoughtfully.

“Of course, if you'd like dessert here, don't let me stop you.” I held my hands up, knowing what a sweet tooth he had.

“Nah, I can almost guarantee my ice cream will be better.” He said without a hint of a joke. I cocked a brow and grinned.

“Ooo, look at you! I like it. Confidence.”

“Hey, I put heart and soul into my ice cream. I-I-I don't just mix up stuff with fancy names, expecting everyone to love it, which I assume is what they'd do here.” He glanced down at his empty plate as if to prove his point.

“Oh, I agree. Yours definitely would be better.”

“Are you both finished?” The waiter appeared out of nowhere again. When we both agreed, he continued. “Could I get you any desserts?”

“Ahh, no thank you. Couldn't possibly eat another bite.” Rick said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach. My face must've betrayed my amusement.

“Are you sure? I can bring you the menus again and give you some recommendations, see if I can't tempt you?” He said with a bucket full of charm.

“No, we're good. We'll just have the bill, thanks.” He reiterated, and the waiter nodded.

“I'll just get that for you, sir. How will you be paying?”

“Cash.”

The waiter nodded again and off he went. Rick pulled his wallet out of his inside suit pocket and opened it up. My eyes widened at the thick wad inside.

“Place your bets, baby, how much'll it be?” He grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

“That's not a fun game, just don't tell me, okay?” I pleaded. He chuckled a little.

“I won't.”

The waiter brought over the bill inside a little leather bound book, he busied himself with checking up on the surrounding tables for a moment. I averted my eyes as Rick looked, and then filled it with the appropriate amount of cash.

“I have no fucking clue how much to tip.” He whispered to me.

“You're the American! I thought tipping was like… part of the culture.” I hissed back.

“Fuck it.” He sighed. Shoving an unknown (to me at least) amount of money into the booklet. He closed it and placed it down on the table and right on cue, the waiter turned back to us.

“Wonderful sir, I do hope everything was to your satisfaction.” He said, gathering up the check.

“Yeah it was all great.” Rick told him, already rising from his seat with a tight lipped smile. It wasn't as if he was trying to be convincing, but the waiter ate it up.

“I'm glad. We hope to see you again soon, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Thank you.” I nodded at him and rose to my feet too. Rick held his hand out to me and I took it, he led me through the restaurant back to the entrance, where the bathrooms just happened to be located. He knew me well enough that he automatically waited outside the ladies room for me without me having to ask, I always needed the bathroom before leaving a restaurant and this time was no different. Except part of the reason I wanted to go this time was to check if they had fancy hand lotion in there. They did.

Getting back into the familiarity of Rick's ice cream truck felt like a bit of a relief. It wasn't as though I hadn't enjoyed the evening, I absolutely had, I just felt a little out of place in places like that. It was nice to be able to lean back and feel comfortable away from the prying eyes of well off diners and overly attentive waitstaff. I reached over and touched Rick's knee once he'd climbed in, and he looked over at me.

“Thank you for tonight. I really do appreciate all the effort you went to, and I had a lovely time.” I smiled at him, stroking up and down his thigh just a little. He caught my hand, interlacing our fingers so he could lift it up to kiss the back of it.

“I know it's not been perfect but I'm glad you got something out of it. And we aren't done yet. W-w-we're gonna go to that planet you like and we're gonna fill up on ice cream.” He told me, placing my hand back down on his knee so he could start up the truck.

“The planet with all the stars?” I smiled brightly at him.

“That's the one.”

-

Sitting up on the hood of Rick's truck, indulging in a wafer cone filled with chocolate and caramel ice cream, enjoying the view; was perhaps the highlight of the evening. It was just quiet and calm, the air was warm and the two of us were bathed in light from the sky. Oh, the sky! It was the reason this particular planet was my favourite Rick had ever brought me to. It was night time all the time here, but the sky was lit up with billions and billions of bright stars. I could see the colours of the galaxy we were in swirling and blanketing the whole sky; rich pinks and purples and reds… it was the most breathtaking thing I had ever seen and every time we came here, my words failed me.

Rick was leaning up against the grill of the truck next to me, I could feel him pressed up against the side of my leg and he was staring up at the sky too as he licked his own ice cream. Neither of us had spoken for a long time and that was okay, we could enjoy the easy silence between us. Well, almost silence. Critters could be heard all around us, similar to crickets in that there was a constant harmony of sound from all directions, but here it was a deep bassy hum that I found extremely relaxing.

I'd licked down to the cone of my ice cream, and I crunched through the wafer, disrupting the hum. Rick wasn't far behind me though, so I didn't feel like a noisy nuisance for long, and we soon finished our ice creams. After having some of Rick's delicious ice cream, I was feeling much more full up; it was the perfect end to the evening. Rick eventually turned around, stepping closer to me so he was standing with his tummy against my knees. He brushed his hand across his mouth to remove the residual crumbs from the wafer, and licked his lips.

“Do you want to go back yet?” He asked me; I was quick to shake my head. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders I bent down to kiss his forehead, my lips lingering for a few seconds.

“I want to stay here for a bit, if that's okay.” I whispered, and he nodded.

“Anything you want, baby. I like it here anyway.” He smiled up at me, leaning his hands on the hood of the truck either side of me.

I tilted his chin so I could join our lips, giving him short, sweet kisses until he chased me, keeping our mouths connected for longer. He tilted his head, opening his mouth, he tasted sweet and his tongue was still a little cool from the ice cream. I parted my legs and wrapped them around his waist, perfectly content to stay locked with him like this until I could no longer breathe.

Tbc...

[hidayahroslinuznadia-blog]

TUTTONS COVENT GARDEN, LONDON

Now move wear some garments that are warm because you are going to brave the autumn water and provide your brolly and come have a dinner with me.

The place is Tuttons, which rests at a quite primary location, there in the east side of Covent Garden Square. We're planning to have conventional English food and consume, only stay back, relax, we are going to talk about nothing at all, laugh and eat more.

Search, how gleaming your bread strip is! Go right ahead and take a bite and enjoy it. You’ll hear the dulcet, breaking sound when you chew. And to help you let your palette fills with a meaty please slow-down, smokey flavor, so full of satisfaction it’s not greasy or extremely salty. I guarantee you’ll like it.

We are going to have ok, three classes? If you’re a little ambitious, I’ll enable you to get some Black Pudding Dumpling. I am a tad bit more particular, I want anything mild and zingy, but flavourful and creamy to start the morning, therefore I feel I’ll opt for the Croxton Way Goat’s Cheese Curd, which really is a plate of vegetables – pomegranate, asparagus, sunshine-blushed tomato with orange dressing and, obviously, morsels of goat cheese.

It surely looks balanced and relaxing, but I could do with a few stronger cheese plus a little less slices of fresh onion.

I’ve went pass Tuttons sufficient times, although not sure why I never headed in for tea or a chicken cutlet (at different times, not together). The inner is stylish, sensible and stately, while the feel exudes vivacity and casualness. It’s a restaurant where we are able to both need to look around from your part of our eyes once the machine brings us our next treat or wine or be confident that we’ll not have to worry about the noise of our cutlery. Using their food, individuals are pleased in Tuttons, so they concentrate more on themselves, instead of everyone around them.

Then comes the black pudding. I have never been a fan of black pudding until I experienced one from the Wolesley (we should keep this till another occasion so I don’t come across as someone also touristy in Birmingham, alright?) and today, here in Tuttons. I'm not sure whether it’s a food or even a selection of northern breakfast here in the UK (when you realize, please put a comment!). The style is quite the other as squeamish as it sounds. It's a consistency akin to sausages, fairly crumbly and is spiced up with pepper. It moves perfectly using the buttered cabbage provide it a try. A tenner that you’ll want it.

Currently let’s attract our beginning discs we’ll and clear call for the mains.

A comforting 8oz Beef Pizza foryou, with special - cured bacon and chips that are lean. So I bet you will also, I truly fancy the onion, there-in the middle.

As for me, I’ll possess the Dingley Dell Pork Cutlet that is smoked.

Look at this piece of meat! Aren’t you salivating at it already? It includes redwine sauce and mashed carrots. The crispy supplement at the top can be a sage on the pork, like frosting about the pastry, simply does it include the plate in general and things.

For desserts, I pick a Dark Chocolate Cherry Tart to share and Almond Tart, and a Hard Apple.

While the chocolate tart comes hand in hand with crème fraîche the apple and almond tart comes with a crumb of ginger Chantilly treatment. They seem running don’t they? Therefore please be generous and allow them dance the night away in your tongue.

I always appreciate sharing muffins since that’s the simplest way to try out more desserts without highlighting on guilt and discomfort or stuffing yourself towards the limit.

I am hoping you’ve loved the dinner sofar. I won’t say it’s the best restaurant around but it’s positively a worthy one enabling you to move by on an evening when your fridge runs from food. You’ll for your employees of Tuttons are often prepared to assist a soothing menu to warm up you on a damp autumn night take good arms, that’s for certain.

[debu-neko-kun]

Annual, Part 3

This is a huge male stuffing/weight gain commission for Doom7951 from over on DA. This chapter, the year wears on, and Dorian finds out Delta’s special (and filling) talent. Enjoy!

 January 2nd Dorian awoke, belly having calmed after the gentle dinner of the night before. A mint salad to cool his tum, a plate of thinly sliced fish, and a small portion of caramel-drizzled coffee cake. Delicious, and unexpected, considering the agonizing gauntlet just a few hours prior. “Morning, sweetness! Hope you don’t frighten easy, because there’s a load of crepes waiting for you down here!” Dorian couldn’t help but smile out of the corner of his mouth. He rolled out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom, yawning as he flicked on the light. In one corner was a simple yet spacious shower with a stainless-steel shower head. Besides the toilet and sink, the rest of the room was dominated by a massive bathtub which looked more like a small pool. It had four faucets for quick filling; it seemed perfectly usable for daily use, if not expensive and impractical with a shower so near. Dorian just shrugged it off as another fanciful amenity that may see some use for bubble baths and de-robed, climbing into the shower for a quick wash with the expensive gels provided. In a few minutes, he had toweled off, re-dressed, and had headed down to the first floor. His nostrils were filled with promises of sugary sweet treats waiting for him in the dining hall, readily confirmed by the assortment of plates that waited at the head of the table. Delta placed the last of the plates down as Dorian walked through the door. “Good morning! Sleep well?” the pink chef smiled, slithering over to him. “Definitely. The bed is super comfortable.” “Great, because there’s a big day ahead of us! I’ve sent for a gardener to harvest the orchard, though I’ve got to head back to the restaurant for a few hours before lunch. I hope you won’t be too lonely without me, darling.” Delta gave him a little pat on his back. “O-Oh, uh… I’ll be fine, I think.” Dorian reassured. “Good, good. Well, let’s not let the food get cold, shall we?” Delta led Dorian to the table and pulled the chair out for him. As soon as he sat down, he was scooted forward, getting a face full of delicious crepe steam. “It smells really good…” he salivated. He picked up the knife and fork and cut off a small slice drizzled in fresh strawberry sauce, and brought it to his mouth. His vision pulsed as the bite flooded his senses; it was bliss in crepe form. Dorian couldn’t help but cram the rest into his mouth, his cheeks puffing with food as he chewed. “I’ll just leave you to it~” Delta giggled, retreating back through the entrance. The next hour was bathed in warm, sweet flavors. Strawberry, chocolate, cinnamon, all graced his lips with their decadence one by one. And, in turn, his stomach was packed with six plates of thin pastry, turning his smooth, average belly into a tight basketball. He could barely finish the cider set out for him, yet the warm smoothness of it soothed the aching in his belly. After the last gulp, he let out a long sigh and rested back in the chair for a while, eyes closed. Ten minutes later, sufficiently recuperated, Dorian pushed himself back out of the chair and slowly roamed back into the main hall. With his hands in his pockets, he examined the portraits along the walls. The city’s history stared back at him, painters and architects, explorers and nobles. It was hard to ignore their sizes; soft rolls, prodigious bellies, arms like turgid pastry bags, chins and folds and dimples all carefully rendered on canvas by skilled hands. Dorian’s mind connected the theme to Delta’s love of cooking, but inevitably chalked it up to the fact that nearly all of the city’s famous contributors just happened to be big and left it at that as he moved on to the lounge. He was immediately drawn to the bookshelf. Recipe books and handwritten cooking guides lined the top, some embellished with fancy leather bindings and others just collections of notes tied together with cooking twine. Further down was a collection of classics; The Legend of Vander, Empire of Hunger, Claritser’s Guide to Magical Afflictions (and the sequel, Living with Transfigurative Curses: It’s Not so Bad, by Claritser.) The rest were combinations of easy-read adventure stories, amorous fireside romances, fantastical sci-fi tales, guides on proper self-care, and enthralling fantasies with beautiful covers. ‘Not a bad collection’, Dorian thought, and wandered past the tall shelves of films that comprised the less-literary library. He couldn’t help but stare at the twinkling, colorful bottles lining the back wall of the bar. On first glance, they just seemed to be liquors in overly fancy decanters, but on closer inspection Dorian found that most of them were simply fruit syrups and candy toppings. There were a few fine alcoholic beverages, yes, but the majority seemed to be sugary sweet dessert treats. Dorian spotted a dual-doored freezer below him and crouched down to open it, revealing dozens of ice creams, sorbets, and various other chilled treats. Dessert bar. Huh. He shut the fridge and meandered about for a while before finding a comprehensive bestiary from the library and a particularly cushy couch in the corner. Halfway between the human species listing, he fell asleep, the fire gently crackling away. February 1st A month into his vacation, he found himself building a daily rhythm. First, breakfast with Delta, then a trip to the library where he’d read for an hour, then off to the pool where he swam until his belly stopped hurting from the mass amounts of food he couldn’t help but stuff into himself. Then, he’d join Delta for lunch, and after that he’d take a book outside to the orchard and read in the chilly evening air, the scent of berries swirling around him. At the end of the night, a comparatively light dinner, thirty minutes of pushing piano keys, a cup of fresh red tea, and a shower. Dorian had yet to explore the rest of the spacious manor-nor had he even visited the greenhouse-but still felt in bliss. Nothing had changed particularly, but the relaxed familiarity was fine enough to live comfortably with. Nothing had changed. That is, until today. The sleepy boy finished toweling himself dry in the steamy bathroom and pulled on his underwear. However, where they usually hung around his posterior baggily, the fabric was pulled snug. Not enough to pinch, but unfamiliarly tight. “Hmm.” He frowned to himself, turning to look himself over in the mirror. His rather average physique had gotten decidedly more “average” in the past month, his whole body having attained a thin layer of pudge. He didn’t think he could call himself chubby yet, but if things kept progressing he was sure he could soon. “Maybe a little more time in the pool could help…” he shrugged to himself, and tossed on his shirt. “There’s certainly enough time for it.” Delta was waiting in his usual spot by the time Dorian arrived back in the dining hall. “Good morning, my adorable friend! How are you feeling today?” he spoke, putting a touch of sauce on the edge of the omelet plate. “I’m alright.” Dorian replied, and plopped down in the chair. “Well I hope you’re alright and hungry, because I made just a little too much this morning. I’m a little nervous about this to be quite honest, it’s a new recipe and I’d hate for it to go to waste…” Delta quickly unveiled the dish just beyond the omelet, a cloud of steam rushing out to the air. Sitting in a bed of powdered sugar sat a slab of French toast so large it looked more like a pillow than simple egg on bread. A light brown-sugar sauce was drizzled across, hints of maple wafting through the room. A single strawberry was perched atop. “Woah…” is all Dorian could think to say, awe-struck by the massive meal. “I’m so sorry it’s so large!” Delta clasped his gooey hands together, seeming more than a little distraught. “I’d hate to think I’d have created a meal that somebody couldn’t finish. Please, try your best for me!” “A-Alright! Let me just… finish these eggs first.” Dorian spoke, an uncertain grin wavering on his face. He shoveled in the thick warm omelet with his eyes focused on the main course, as though it would suddenly walk across the table and crush him at any moment. Eggs vanquished, he hesitantly pulled the large platter towards him, letting it rest in front of him. He had an urge to hug it in all of its soft, plush glory, but resisted and raised his knife. “I believe in you!” Delta cheered as Dorian cut off the first minuscule sliver which seemed like a meal in its own right. He brought it up and stuffed it into his mouth, syrup smearing across his lips. Ecstasy again, as to be expected from his cooking by now, but this felt… different. Like the winter season had divined it right there on the table, a warm, sweet shield against the frosty air outside. It was a sunny window, a close hug, a comfort. Simply put, it was the greatest breakfast Dorian had ever eaten. “W-Wow…” he gasped, forcing another large chunk into his mouth. Delta watched with glee, thick tail wiggling slowly behind him like a happy gummy worm. Dorian’s belly stretched into a now-familiar ball, yet not even half of the food was gone. Fifteen minutes later, he was no closer to being done, and felt more stuffed than a refurbished teddy bear. His jaw ached, and his resolution waned. “I-I… I don’t think I can finish this…” he groaned, sinking into his chair. Before Delta could even ask if he’d undone his belt, Dorian lifted his shirt gently to reveal that he hadn’t even worn one, and his tight-as-a-drum tum pushed the open flap of his pants out. “Are you sure? Maybe you just need some help…” Delta inquired, leaning forward to place a soft hand on his reddened belly. Dorian flinched, cheeks flushing. “H-Hey, wait- ahh…” he sighed, Delta’s fingers rubbing the intense aches into calm pulses. For as embarrassing as it was to have his host giving him post-meal massages, it undeniably felt fantastic. “Better?” he purred, kneading his belly like a cat on wool. Dorian nodded, leaning his head back. “Then… do you think you could finish it?” Dorian looked at the still-massive pile of syrup, sugar, and toast, then back to Delta. “I… don’t think so. I can’t keep chewing.” He rubbed his mouth gently for effect. “Oh, I can help with that! Here, watch this.” Delta picked up the platter and dumped it right onto his chest, the slime cleaning the platter into a shine, which was easily deposited out of his back and placed back on the table with his tail. The food swirled around within him like a small hurricane, quickly dissolving into his very core. He stifled a tiny slime belch, and raised his hand. “Open wide, please!” “Uh, okay…” Dorian opened his mouth hesitantly, and Delta pushed two fingers against his tongue. Dorian opened his eyes wide in stunned response (or lack thereof) as his hand melted into his cheeks, capturing the decadent flavors of the dish he’d consumed. It was like drinking warm chocolate: luxurious, flavorful, and comforting. He gulped the first mouthful of goo, and before he knew it another mouthful had taken its place. It didn’t take long to build a rhythm, cheeks refilled and quickly emptied down his throat one after the other. His belly grew ever larger, yet somehow felt no more irritated than before. It was practically a beachball in his lap before Delta withdrew his hand, rosy finger drawing down the center of his lip, leaving behind a pink trail. “Good, right?” Delta grinned a catlike smile, rubbing his belly in wide circles. At this size, small circles just wouldn’t do. Following on the thought of his size, Dorian looked down in drowsy awe to the tight orb of flesh in his lap. His shirt buttons had migrated upwards with the rest of the cloth, dangerously stressed and inches from snapping. He looked like he’d swallowed a great melon; however, he felt like he’d swallowed a whole patch. With hands splayed, he gripped both sides of his belly, and even with each finger stretching far apart, he could contain scarcely little of the turgid ball. Delta’s soft rubs kept it from aching terribly, and relieved him greatly; in fact, it almost seemed like his stomach was retreating ever so slowly. Was it?… His pants slowly filled out with plumping cheeks and thickening thighs, growing like a baking roll until it filled out his pants to skin-tight quality and pushed up ever further, giving him a muffin top just big enough to pinch and arms only slightly rounder. It felt inconsequential; just a small amount of fat here and there… nothing that wouldn’t come off with a bit of exercise. He felt like a blimp reveling in post meal rapture, as one does after an exceptionally large meal. It would be gone in the morning, he thought, but for now? He’d enjoy being round and warm. Delta leaned on his belly, holding himself up with one hand. “Why don’t I help you to the lounge so you can rest the rest of this off while I prepare lunch? Can’t have you too full for my special stew~” Dorian simply nodded his head, for as full as he was, a part of him looked forward to that stew.

[martflows]

what should we order healthy food at the restaurant?

Everybody know healthy food is a part of our life, We eat healthy food only our homes. Many people consider dining out one of the greatest pleasures in life. It is also a challenge to their healthy eating habits. healthy food is part of our life. It is essential to be educated about how to maintain a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying dining out.

Get your beverage order

If you want healthy food you should first step should is, when dining out, most people choose sodas. These are full of sugar and can lead to insulin resistance. A glass of soda contains approximately 40g of sugar.

It's not about the calories, it is how sugar affects your body. The soda raises insulin levels and moves all the sugar to your liver, where it is stored as glycogen and body fat. Although juices may seem healthier, they can also be loaded with sugar and cause the same reaction.

This is because soda can be consumed before meals, which makes it even more problematic. The bloodstream is not able to slow down the released sugar by consuming no fats or protein. Drinking a soda is an exception to the rule. You can eat something with it to help buffer the effects of sugar overload.

Another no-no is alcohol. It should be consumed only on very special occasions. Alcohol is considered poisonous by the body so it immediately sends it to the liver to begin detoxification. This means that alcohol should not be consumed if it isn't necessary. Your liver is busy metabolizing alcohol will slow down the processing of other nutrients. The idea is that if you have a large fatty meal with alcohol, it must be processed before the alcohol has been processed.

Alcohol is also more caloric than sugar. Sugars, proteins, and alcohol each have four calories per gram, these are not healthy foods,  while sugars and proteins have seven calories per gram. Alcohol, however, has seven calories per gram and no nutrition. Beer and pizza are two of the best ways to gain weight.

There are also delicious milkshakes. These items are high in fat and sugar, making them a complete meal. These food are damage our health, so use healthy food, These are foods I would avoid at all costs.

Avoid drinking alcohol: Alcohol, sodas and juices.

The best options: Water, tea without added sugar, sparkling mineral water with lemon and lime. These are simple but healthy food items

The arrival of the breadbasket

Bread, no matter how delicious it may be with whipped butter, should not be eaten. Bread is often loaded with sugar, which is why they are so popular. Made from refined white flour this, like soda, will increase your insulin levels and provide little nutritional value. White bread, regardless of whether you are gluten-intolerant or not, will make you feel bloated and gassy. This is not a great way to spend your night.

The best options:  Ask your server to move you from one table to another so that you aren't tempted.

Choose Your Appetizer

Starters are a great way to ruin your nutrition plan. Many options have high levels of fat such as cream spinach dips and onion rings, deep-fried buffalo wings, tater tots, and mini pizza squares loaded with cheese.

Choose the small platter that has some protein if you choose to have an appetizer grilled calamari, Japanese-style sliced tuna, antipasto (but don't use the bread), grilled chicken, vegetable skewers or oysters are some examples. You can also opt for cooked vegetables or a side dish with plenty of fresh greens. Make sure to ask for the dressing on the side so you can control how much you add to your salad.

Avoid startersAnything deep-fried, such as onion rings or tater tots. Creme-rich dips made with chips, mini pizzas and sliders.

The best options: Grilled calamari and Japanese-style fish dishes. Salads served with dressing, chopped vegetables and low-fat dips like salsa or hummus.

Select Your Side Dishes

Sides can be another way to dramatically exceed our daily food intake. Fries are a common side dish that is added to every sandwich or burger. Sweet potato fries are becoming more popular, but they are not as healthy as regular fries and are still fried.

Even though they aren't deep-fried, I wouldn't recommend baking potatoes. They often come with cheese, margarine/butter and salt. Creamed corn, onion rings and potato wedges are all sides you should avoid. They also contain a lot of added sugar so be careful with creamy soups such as chowders or baked beans.

Bread, bagels, or muffins are often accompanied by many meals. These should be avoided. Instead, ask for fruit, vegetables, or salad as a substitute. These are great options, and I often choose them when eating out.

Sides to AvoidAll deep-fried foods, including fries, onion rings, and potatoes wedges. Creamy soups and baked potatoes.

The best optionsSalads with dressing, steamed, or grilled vegetables, and fruits.

Choose Your Main Course

You can skip the section that lists burgers or club sandwiches when ordering mains from most restaurants. The bread is likely made from refined white flour, which has little to no nutritional value. These meals usually come with fries. You can eat your burger without the bun if you are absolutely desperate for one.

Pasta is another main course you should skip. Refined white flour is used in most pasta, just like bread. Pasta is high in carbohydrates and will store them as fat if they aren't used up. You're not using carbs if you eat out, watch a movie, then go to bed. If you don't plan on dancing for five hours after dinner, then pasta will only make it easier to gain weight.

Deep-fried fish meals, any "breaded" items, and creamy rice dishes like risotto are all things to avoid. None of these items is likely to provide much nutritional value.

When ordering mains, the best options are baked or grill fish, baked chicken or grilled chicken or a lean steak and vegetables. You should also avoid any sauces, as they can be full of sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Ask for more vegetables or a side dish instead of fries.

You can also order a large salad. Many restaurants offer many different salads that are packed with healthy vegetables. There are many salads, but not all salads are the same. Grilled chicken salad with plenty of greens, avocado slices, and olives is better than a buffalo-chicken salad with only a few leaves and lots of unhealthy ingredients like cheese, tortillas, croutons, and other cheeses.

Croutons should be avoided as a rule. Dairy can be problematic for many. However, if you want to indulge in a little cheese, then consider adding some goat cheese or feta. Avoid candied nuts that are sweetened with high fructose syrup or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Avoid salads with raw nuts and seeds. Also, be aware of the sugar content in dates, cranberries, and raisins.

Make sure to ask for the dressing side-by-side so that you can control how much dressing you put on your salad. Also, I recommend that you avoid creamy ranch-style dressings. Ask for a vinaigrette that uses olive oil. This is a healthier fat than the ones used in many dressings. You don't have to choose from the many options, so ask for olive oil or vinegar. Most restaurants will bring several bottles to your table, and you can make your dressing.

Avoid main sandwiches, burgers, and sandwiches on bread or buns. Deep-fried meals like fried fish, chicken, and fried calamari. Pasta in general, but particularly creamy pasta and rice dishes. Avoid deep-fried chicken salads and any extras like croutons, dried fruits, and candied nuts all are delicious but not healthy foods.

The best options: A lean source of protein such as baked, grilled seafood, baked, or grilled chicken or a lean steak and vegetables. Salad with the dressing.

Dessert is healthy food?

A dessert menu is almost always healthy-friendly. You should only eat rich and decadent chocolate cakes, pies or brownies on special occasions. For those who have a sweet tooth and want to end the night with something sweet, gelatos, mousses, or a variety of fruits are healthier choices.

When I order dessert, I share it with several people. Ask for enough spoons to serve everyone at your table if you order a piece. This will satisfy your cravings but not overpower your nutrition plan. Dessert is not healthy food. It can harmful to your health

Avoid desserts: All.

The best optionsGelatos or after-dinner mints, light mousse or a bowl full of fruit.

A Note on Serving Sizes

Let's face it, American restaurants serve huge portions. If I had a starter and an entree, along with a side dish and dessert, I'd feel like stuffed pork. I would be fortunate to be able to walk out of the restaurant.

It's not about picking the right dishes, but being aware of overeating when dining at restaurants. All my clients are advised to skip the starters and to eat the main meal with the side of healthy food. You can order two starters to replace the main meal if you don't want anything on the starter menu. This is something that I do quite often. I'll choose a salad with avocado, goat cheese, and grilled calamari. Or half a dozen oysters. That's all!

Avoid overeating by stopping eating once you feel satisfied. Ask for a to-go box and keep the rest for later. Drinking lots of water is a great way to avoid eating too much. I also try to eat small meals before I leave the house so that I don't feel hungry and tempted to order everything. Before you leave the house, eat some chopped fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Healthy food can still be fun

It's possible to enjoy a meal out, it can be a way to make friends, and it can often be the best way we celebrate special occasions. You don't have to eat out every night to break your healthy eating habits.

You can enjoy eating healthy foods out and still be mindful of your health. You'll feel great and look good by making the smarter decisions I have outlined. Avoid foods and drinks high in sugar and unhealthy fats. Try to use healthy foods everywhere. Share dessert with friends and family instead of eating it all by yourself. You can always eat what you want if you are full.

Moderation is key to a happy and fulfilled life. Do your research. Each week, do your research. You can plan and prepare most of your meals yourself you don't have to eat out every once in a while to make progress towards your goals.

[mariacallous]

Buffet Food (from Elizabeth David’s Summer Cooking)

A very understandable mistake often made at buffet luncheons and suppers is the over-complication of the food and the diversity of dishes offered. Several fine dishes of attractively prepared food look hospitable and tempting, but it is bewildering to be faced with too many choices, especially if some are hot and some cold. The taste of the food is lost when you find four or five different things all messed up on your plate at the same time; so have as the most important dish something simple which everyone will like, and provide variety with two or three salads, so long as they are easy ones to eat.

An excellent centerpiece for a party of this kind, particularly for those who haven’t time for cooking but do not want to resort to a professional caterer, would be a smoked turkey. Smoked turkey is not of course cheap, but all you have to do is unwrap the bird and put it on a dish; with its dark golden skin it makes a handsome appearance, carves easily into thin slices, there is no waste, and the brown and white meat are equally delicious. The salads to go with it should be rather mild, as any strong flavor will conflict with that of the turkey; the classic potato salad with a mayonnaise made with lemon juice instead of vinegar, raw sliced mushrooms with an oil and lemon dressing, cucumbers with a cream dressing, or cubes of crisp cold melon go well with smoked turkey.

If something soft and creamy, such as a chicken or ham mousse, is to be the main dish, have as a contrast crisp raw salad vegetables, cucumber, radishes, or fennel cooled in bowls of salted iced water and perhaps some hard-boiled eggs stuffed with a green or red mayonnaise; these are easy to eat and always popular.

For a less conventional supper party a roulade of beef or veal with a colourful stuffing of eggs and parsley and ham, or a look of cold roast pork well spiked with garlic and herds make fine dishes. The main thing is for the hostess not to wear herself out for days beforehand, fussing about with aspic, making patterns with mayonnaise and sticking little things on sticks. If time is limited, buy good-quality ham, plenty of it, and make it interesting by serving something unusual with it, such as a bowl of the beautiful Italian fruits in mustard syrup (to be bought in Soho shops) or pickled peaches, plums or cherries, or Cumberland sauce, or avocado sauce.

Start with a hot soup which can be served in cups (a walnut soup, or a white fish soup) accompanied by hot biscuits. (Romary’s celery or cheese sticks heated in the oven). As dessert, an iced, thick fruit fool which can be served in bowls is better than a fruit salad which has to be chased all over a plate balanced on your knees.

The presentation of party dishes, and of course of all food, is an important point. Cold food should certainly have a lavish and colorful appearance, but to varnish it with gummy gelatine or smother it with whirls of mayonnaise seems to me a misconception of what makes for an appetizing appearance. The effect needed is not of food tormented into irrelevant shapes but of fresh ingredients freshly cooked and not overhandled. The most elementary hors-d’œuvre such as a plate of red radishes with a few of their green leaves, a dish of green and black olives and another of hard-boiled eggs (not overcooked), with bread and butter on the table, is ten times more tempting than the same ingredients got up in a pattern all on one dish and garnished with strips of this and dabs of that. You are, after all, preparing a meal, not decorating the village hall.

As for hot food, if it has not acquired an appetizing look during the coming, a few blogs of cream or a border of mashed potatoes will do little to improve matters. There are of course ways of making good food look especially beautiful. The colour, size and shape of the serving dish is obviously important; food should never be crammed into too small a dish; serve rice and pilaffs on large shallow platters, not pressed into a deep glass casserole; for the serving of fish and of grilled chicken, which should be spread out rather than piled up, a long narrow dish is best.

See that the dishes are appropriate to the food. Peasant and country stews of beans or lentils, deep brown daubes of meat and game, onion and oil-flavoured ragoûts of pimentos or purple-skinned aubergines lose some of their particular charm (and also get cold) if transferred from the earthen pots in which they have cooked to a smart, silver entrèe dish, and all the delicious brown bits on the bottom and sides of the dish are lost. Dark glowing blue china, the dark brown glaze of slip ware pottery and plain white always make good backgrounds for food; it would be an admirable thing if contemporary porcelain and pottery designers would pay a little more attention to these matters; does it ever occur to them that fades greens or greys, pale blues, wash yellows and garish reds do nothing to enhance the food which is to be served upon and eaten off their plates and dishes?

[goodlawdmaude]

Colombia and Peru 2019

3/7 SAN FRANCISCO --> BOGOTA

3/7-3/8

J and I ubered from ASF to airport, got through security, grabbed a drink at the terminal, then waited at our gate to board. Alarmingly, we heard our names over the intercom, but we just had to show our passports at the desk - no problem. A flight attendant on our flight got sick, so the flight needed 9 volunteers to get off the plane. This delayed us, but we eventually got off the ground. Slept some on the flight, had to go through customs in Mexico City, then through security to our gate. It was around 6am and light outside. Jarod resolved to start the day, but I wanted to sleep more. I slept for 30 great minutes on the flight, then watched Bohemian Rhapsody. The third person in our aisle was sketchy: late, on the phone (free WhatsApp), and importing a lot (per his customs form). We got through customs pretty quickly, then grabbed a taxi and made it to our hostel around 3pm. We rested briefly, then went out for lunch—arepas, chaufa arroz con pollo, and a special combo with seafood and rice in a divine yellow sauce. Jarod was starting to feel the full effect of his cold, but we went for a brief walk anyway through the center of town and the Museo de Botero. Lots of street vendors with various crafts and snacks, some alpacas, police with dogs with muzzles, cobblestone roads, sanitation workers in blue jumpsuits, green mountains in the background. While driving, we saw stark constrasts between shoddy roadside structures and the grand skyscrapers just behind them. Roads were paved and nice. We walked back, buying water at a nearby market, then took naps, showered, and went to sleep very early (8pm). On two instances, we were awoken by rowdiness in the hostel. Overall, slept 11(!!) hours.

3/9 BOGOTA-->MEDELLIN

3/9 Bogota-->Medellin

After our long sleep, we ate breakfast (eggs, fruit, bread, homemade jam, pancakes, lots of fruit) at the hostel, then asked reception to call a taxi for us. We made it to the airport and ultimately made it to the gate smoothly (despite one snafu: struggling to follow arrows to find el bano). Flight was super quick, it was hot when we landed, and we grabbed a taxi from a line outside. The ride to El Poblado was pretty green and undeveloped. It reminded me of driving in Costa Rica (narrow, windy roads), but the roads were paved and in better shape. We tried to drop our bags at the airbnb but couldn’t. We grabbed lunch at El Florez a couple doors down—very yummy healthy food. We tried the airbnb again to no avail. We walked around to take in the town. It was very green, hot and trendy - peppered with new-looking bars, restaurants, and shops. Dying of heat, we stopped for lemonades at a restaurant by the airbnb then went to get our key. We got in and hung for a bit--the airbnb was plenty spacious but nothing super fancy. We grabbed a drink at El Jenun(??)--J built his own gin and tonic while i had a fancy cocktail. We walked for a while--through some slightly seedier roads--to a gypsy/fox-themed pizza place for dinner. Grabbed a beer at Medellin beer company and J accidentally ordered a pitcher. Waitresses were scantily clad and hot; there was an old weird white dude who knew them all far too well. We came home, showered, and went to bed around 11pm.

3/10

After sleeping in until 9am, I straightened my hair (big deal) and then we went to El Pergamino for coffee and breakfast. I had a milky delicious chai latte and eggs with tomato and pesto roasted in a little crepe brûlée pan. The coffee shop was super trendy and cute. From there we walked to the Poblado Metro station and found our way onto the metro. It was very hot and pretty crowded but a really nice system. We got off to transfer to a gondola which took us over a poorer area--tin roofs, lots of graffiti, kids and dogs running everywhere. Then we got on a second gondola which took us over a final stretch of town and over a few miles of forest. The view was unbelievable. We were squished in with a Spanish family of 6 who were talking about how hot it was here and elsewhere. We got off and started exploring El Parque Arvi. It took us a while to realize we couldn’t hike the trails without a guide, and we couldn’t get a guide without booking online. We walked around and down the road where there were lots of street vendors and a couple restaurants. We got overpriced mangos. We headed back and went to grab lunch before seeing the botanical garden. There was mostly fast food. We got two empanadas to go and sat by the main area of vendors and performers in front of the garden. We went in, admires the flora, saw some iguanas, then headed out. We intended to walk to Cerro el Volador, but then the area we were walking through got a little sketchy and we turned around. We went to Explora Park--walked through the aquarium, reptile exhibits, and a room dedicated to the mind. By the time we were ready to leave, it was pouring. We ran to a taxi, had some confusion with the address, but made it back. We rebounded out for dinner (kebab house - mediocre) nearby, then got dessert across the street and wine and waters at exxito 

3/11

Woke up *early* 720 to get ready for our free walking tour through Real City Tours. Jarod made breakfast (scrambled eggs and an arepa) while I got dressed. We left a few minutes later than hoped, but hustled down Calle 10 to the poblado metro station and made it with time to spare to meet our guide. He wore a hat and a red shirt and directed our flock of 23 gringo ducklings onto the metro (which Jarod and I had already mastered the previous day), and we took it three stops north to Alpujarra. We got off, regrouped, and headed off to start the tour. It began with a roughly 20min history of Medellin. Julio told us how a big alcohol tax led the entrepreneurial locals to find smuggling routes to bring it into Colombia and how coffee grew well in its fertile soil and was a major export that bolstered the economy. He talked about the rise of cocaine and Pablo Escobar--how he and those over 30 remembered the terror and the violence and danger, but that younger people thought he was good because he “gave houses to poor people.” He talked about how the metro system showed the people that things could be better, and Medellin started its resurrection. We saw the old train station, the main government offices, the plaza of light (which used to be a crime hotspot but is now beautiful, adjacent to a library and the center of education). We walked through El Hueco, taking in the vendors and street scene to a church, empanada (with orange juice), and the Botero museum and plaza. We learned of the Belgian architect who had left his project because of all the shit-talking of the local people; the Paisas said they would finish it themselves... and did so very abruptly without following his complex blueprints. At this point, 4 members of our tour got lost. We walked to the metro stop from whose stairway a grenade had been tossed into a crowd; Julio explained Colombians’ short term memory as a necessity of resilience--and that one grenade wasn’t so bad compared to the volcano that killed 20k the next day. We walked down Junin street (a popular date night spot) and to a plaza where Botero has two bird statues- one that was partially destroyed by dynamite detonated during a concert; the other new to represent triumphing over that evil. There were cool murals of African American faces--allegedly the first freed slave in Colombia who ran away and beat up everyone that came to catch him. This plaza--especially the birds--was really powerful. A strong symbol of all that Medellin went through and rose above. After the tour, we grabbed lunch in the palace in El Hueco (creamed corn soup, salad, pork, rice and juice for roughly $5). We took the metro home and did a Nike workout and I thought I would die. We showered, hung out, then went to El Chagra for a 6-course tasting menu (we actually went for a drink, but were surprised by and obligated to do the tasting). All the dishes were focused on Amazon themes and resources- specifically the giant fish, Arapaima. The first course was a smoking drink that tasted spicy and cinnamony--a bit like fireball. The second was a delicious soup that was creamy and cheesy with yucca crumbs. The third was a potato/fish ball eaten with our hands and dipped in a spicy fruit sauce. The fourth was fish and chaufa rice. The fifth was sausage with fruit preserves and cherry tomato. The sixth was dessert--a brownie-like thing and a fruity ice cream. The whole meal ran 300COP (with cocktails which had a dazzling presentation of liquid smoke and a sandbox.. and tip). Before the final course, a man dressed as an indigenous Amazonian came to our table chanting and we didn’t know what to do. He spoke some dialect and then Spanish and offered us to use his pastes to paint on ourselves. We respectfully declined and he moved on. We went to a restaurant down the street for a drink. Jarod got a shot of gin *sin huelo* loll. The restaurant was upscale with several birthdays happening. They gave us hand towels which they made expand amazingly by pouring hot water on them. We went home to bed.

3/12 MEDELLIN-->LIMA

3/12

We woke up around 730 and did a Nike work out at home. Jarod made breakfast of eggs and arepas, then our taxi came and took us to the airport. When we got there, we couldn’t check in at the kiosk--it said we were on standby. We waited in line and the woman seemed to have some issues, but eventually gave us our boarding passes. We got through security, grabbed El Pergamino coffee/chai, and waited at the gate. Jarod got us sandwiches, fruit, and a chocolate donut thing to eat. We were sitting apart during the 3h flight :(. I read the whole time. We were fed on the airplane and I ate the meal despite being full. We got through customs easily and got a taxi to our airbnb in Miraflores (45min away... And during rush hr). We got keys from our concierge and went out for dinner. We had to wait a bit, but the food was delicious. Jarod are a risotto in squids ink with seafood. I had a pumpkin soup with shrimp, corn, and yucca. I was so full afterward and felt kinda sick but not too bad. Being in Miraflores felt like being in Santa Monica--it was an upscale beachside community with a nice mall. We went to bed HOT and I woke up once with an upset stomach, though it wasn’t too bad.

3/13

7 YEARS!! We set alarms around 730am but didn’t get out of bed until 830 or so. We headed out for a work out- running through several beautiful green parks on the coastline, then plopping in the shade for a circuit. After the workout, we went to a beachside cafe and ordered a coffee and a nutella/banana crepe to share. We stopped at home, rinsed my sunscreeny body, then headed to the mall, Larcomar. We popped into a cafe for parfaits and quiche, then went to the bike rental stand upstairs and got two bikes for one hour. After we paid but before we left, the bike attendant crashed/fell off his bike nearby. The irony was overwhelming. We biked along the beautiful coast, to the Bridge of Sighs, then back up a city street of Barranco. The Barranco main square was beautiful, with statues and beautiful plants peppered throughout the plaza. We rode back, returned our bikes to the attendant who was squirting Purell on his scraped knee, and went home. We did laundry, showered, and got ready for our walking food tour. (Snacked on plaintain chips and beers from the market downstairs while we waited.) A driver with an unexplained passenger picked us up around 520pm. He was very kind and gave us two (hot) bottles of water. We drove through traffic into the historical center, where we met our guide Ximena. We walked to a churro place that had a long line, Ximena scurried to the front, then returned with two churros--one with caramel (apparently an ancient sweet in Lima) or a sweet cream. They were scalding hot. We took them to a nearby monastery, with a gated plaza full of pigeons. Ximena told us that the plaza used to be a common place to sell goods that the pigeons and vultures were brought by the Spanish, and that it was still an important place of worship although only 20ish ppl were a part of the monastery (friars?). We went inside and saw into catacombs full of skulls and big bones. There were no cemeteries, so if one had the money, one would pay to be buried in that sacred space. From there, we went to the center of literature (which used to be a big train station, but now only one train goes and it runs maybe 2x/month). Across the street was the oldest bar in Lima. We went in and ate ham sandwiches with onion (pan con chicharron con sarza) and purple juice (chicha morrada - corn juice with cloves and cinnamon). From there we walked to the main plaza. Xime told us about the history of the buildings--the bell towers of the old church had been destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt... the (some politician’s) mansion had been burned down (by ppl who wanted to scare him, but accidentally destroyed it) and rebuilt. It was a beautiful square full of light and life. From there, we walked to a nearby coffee shop where we talked with the brewer of Peru Uno, Oliver. He let us taste two of his beers--a Belgian trippel and an homage to Peru with chamomile and other local herbs/spices. With the beer we had fried bites called tequenos. Oliver was half Peruvian and have Belgian and very focused on sustainable business practices. He was super friendly and cool. From there, we walked a way to find a stop full of people--vendors with their carts as well as big mats on the ground for gambling and big circles around storytellers or dancers. We are mazamorra morada with rice pudding and another sweet rice that was brown from the sweetener. We then had the healing herbal drink emoliente and anticuchos. At each vendor, xime explained the prep in depth, asking the vendor details in Spanish then relaying the answers to us in English. From there we walked to an old bar for “supte artists” where we had papas a la huancaina, yucca rellena (my fave), and chilcano de pisco. People around us were getting TURNT--an old asian man could barely walk, a guy and girl had 8 beers (large) between them, 3 men had 14, and a table of three had a whole fifth of pisco (45% alcohol). Quite full, we struggled through our food. I finished my share, but J did not finish his! We then met our ride (after Xima first approached the wrong car), dropped Xime off, and made it home. During the tour, Xime said the most protested issue in Peru was gender ideology. We went to bed around 11.

3/14

We woke up around 730. I was feeling sicker than I had, but we set off for a workout anyway. We ran for 20min and did a 30min Nike training. We were dripping with sweat. We then headed down our street for breakfast. Jarod’s came with papaya juice and coffee and he got a water--so much liquid to go with his double decker grilled cheese (basically lol). We walked to Kennedy Park which was beautiful with lots of flowers and cats. We went to a supermarket nearby and bought waters, nuts, plaintain chips, and yogurt. We walked back to our place and chilled for a while. We snacked on yogurt and plantain chips during the afternoon, showered, took a nap, and enjoyed the beautiful patio of our airbnb. We watched a little bit of Coach Carter hehe. Then around 6 we set off for dinner at the ancient ruins Huelca Pucllana. It was a long walk during rush hour, but we made it (slightly sweaty) and were seated immediately (in the room not immediately adjacent to the ruins). We got Topeka? Appetizer—4 from the menu for two people--some delicious bread, and our meals (salmon and risotto for me; tuna and veggies and rice for J). We had pisco sours which were strong and delicious. We admired the ruins for a few minutes before walking back down a central strip of park-like walkway. We made it to park Kennedy and stopped for picarones-fried pumpkin and sweet potato dough. I thought we would get one donut, but we got 6, drizzled in syrup. We carried these home, smacked on a few, and packed up. We went to bed by 10pm in prep for our early travel day the next morning.

3/15 LIMA-->CUSCO

3/15

We woke up around 430 and started getting ready. We snacked on leftover picarone and banana, then went to head downstairs at 515. We were stopped by the man next door (Gerard?) who said he owned the building and worked at Cheesecake Factory in gheridelli square in SF and owned a house in Oakland. We talked for a few minutes and gave him the key (a relief to me; I was worried the doorman might not be there for a hand off). The doorman was there and called a taxi for us--though it took a while, our driver spoke some English and warned us (in spanish) about being robbed at gunpoint in Cusco. I slept during some of the ride and was very groggy when we arrived. We got through security and onto our plane smoothly. I slept against the window the entire flight, but felt super weird--and anxious about altitude sickness--when we arrived. We got off and found our way to a crowd of desperate taxi drivers, all in our face asking if we wanted to ride with them. We said no gracias to them all, then realized we did need one. Jarod was haggling with one guy for a 15s ride but he wouldn’t budge; another driver jumped in and said he would take us for 15s. We rode through more modern Cusco into the more ancient part where we were staying. We arrived at our hostel around 10 and sipped coca tea in the lobby while they prepared our room for us. (Very early but convenient!) our room was beautiful and spacious Jarod lay on the alpaca blanket at the foot of our king bed so as not to get it dirty. We hung for a bit, then went down the street for lunch, back home for the bathroom, then out again to the main plaza. A very friendly man outside a different restaurant said “ah hello guys, we have been waiting for you come on in.” We told him we had already eaten and pressed onward, making our way through people pushing massages, trinkets, and art prints at us. The main plaza was beautiful. Green and surrounded by old churches and hills. We went around the shops at the edge--with lots of aggressive vendors and high end alpaca clothing shops. We stopped to buy sunglasses, then went to the Inka museum. We learned about the pre-inkan people who used basic tools and made basic ceramics and relied heavily on llamas and alpacas. The Incas themselves didn’t develop until ~1100 AD (news to me). They too made lots of ceramics and basic tools as well as little sculptures of animals and foods to sacrifice to the gods. The section on Spanish conquest was unclear because all the signs were in Spanish. It seems they put into power lots of Incan leaders who were pro-Spain and then screwed them over. When we were finishing up, it started pouring rain. We waited briefly for it to let up, then hurried home in the rain. We were struggling to breathe pretty often (>11k feet). At home, we got snuggly and took a nap. We found a dinner spot and went there around 5pm lol. Jarod ate alpaca for the first time. The place was empty and the chef was very sweet and cute and fed us aguaymanto which were delicious. The food was really excellent. We did have some comedy with the light above us--she turned it off to set the mood, then a young girl Came in later and turned it on above us without saying anything... we turned it back off, then the chef asked if we wanted it or not. On the way out, she asked for a tripadvisor review which i will happily write. We went to scope out prices of (fake) alpaca products and desserts. We went to a few stores and saw small “alpaca” blankets ranging from 40s--35s. We will go back to buy one or two before we leave. We bought a brownie and slice of chocolate cake nearby, then took it back to our room to feast on in our king bed. We watched some Simpsons in spanish, then read for a while. We went to go to sleep around 10, but I couldn’t sleep. Felt like I didn’t sleep all night--was up thinking. Maybe too much coca tea (inulin is stimulatory).

3/16

We woke to our alarms around 630, but didn’t get out of bed cuz I felt like I hadn’t slept. Finally got up around 9 and got breakfast at our hotel, which was delicious-especially the cornbread. We chilled in our room and prepped for the day, then ventured out. First, we went to San Pedro market. The streets outside were overflowing with vendors selling hard boiled quail eggs and slices of various fruits. Inside the main market place was literally everything. There was a hot food area, a line of juice vendors, butchers bakers, herb-sellers, woven goods vendors, and more. On the far side, we walked down a street lined with shops selling whole chickens (their naked bodies and weird feet displayed prominently). We then found a second, less touristy market place with more hot food, some dye stands, and even a haircut shop. We walked back and stopped for tamales, but didn’t have small enough bills so the woman sent us away. We found our way back to the plaza des armes and sat down for lunch--Jarod got pizza and I got chicken. From there, we started walking (steeply up) to Sacsayhuaman. We found a nice church with a fabulous viewpoint, then continued along the road to the main gate. There was a guard who said the ticket office was closed and we had to buy tickets in the plaza des armes. We were not motivated enough to walk there and back (still constantly out of breath from the altitude), and it was starting to sprinkle, so we headed home. We hung around home until we had to go to our pre-trek meeting. There were two people missing at the start--who came in 20minutes late absolutely breathless. The guide went over the plan for the next couple days. Everyone was young and seemed outdoorsy and ready. This trio of Australians had bought a lot of the recommended items on the packing list. I felt anxious and a little intimidated. We went to inkazuela for dinner, where we are delicious stews and fresh baked bread. A group of maybe 20 annoying Americans came and sat down and were so loud as we were paying. Embarrassing. We went home and packed and tried to go to bed early because we were waking up at 330 for a 4am pick up to start the drive to start the hike for Salkantay!!

3/17 BEGIN SALKANTAY 

3/17 - Day 1 Salkantay 

We woke up at 330, finalized our packing, and waited in the lobby briefly before our guide, Erick, arrived to pick us up on foot. He lived nearby our hotel in San Blas. We waited with him for the van, which didn’t seem to be where it was supposed to be. We got everyone picked up (including 3 bonus ppl who were doing a separate one-day trip. They were Thai but our guide Erick had told us they were Chinese lol.) We drove for about 2h on a windy bumpy road, I tried to sleep, but it was fitfull. When we stopped for breakfast I felt like actual shit and was worried I was getting altitude sickness. Jarod didn’t feel well either. I looked at the trekking route and realized we wouldn’t be much higher than Cusco, and this relieved me. We had a big breakfast (eggs, bread, fruit and yogurt, juice, coca tea), and sat by ourselves while the rest of the group bonded. We both started to feel better with the food and fresh air. We got back in the vans and drove another hour before getting off, sunscreening up, officially doing intros with our hiking group, and hitting the trail. Jarod and I were at the front with the other Americans, Chris and Alex from Buffalo, New York. The Australians, Emma, Ben, and Nick, were in the middle, with the Austrians, Anna and Patrick at the end. The start of the hike required some elevation climb, but then it evened out and we walked along an aqueduct in the mountainside for the majority of the trek. I accidentally called Emma Anna when asking her to take a photo. We made it to camp around 12? We were assigned Sky camps, which were tiny but beautiful glass comes with little twin beds in them after a 3-4ft doorway. I read and fell asleep for 7min before it was time for lunch). Lunch was a huge feast--the food was good but a bit cold. We then rested for half an hour and then hiked up to the lake. It was a relatively short hike, but quite steep. I was very out of breath, but led the charge alongside Chris. Anna and Patrick were lagging so far behind, Erick told us to go ahead and then wait at the half way point. Chris and Jarod and I led, waited for the group, then went on some more. The field we were walking through was full of cows and horses grazing, flanked by giant hills on either side. We walked up and over the top and found ourselves at a stunning blue lake. It was breathtaking, with streams from a snowy mountain running into an aquamarine reservoir. We took some photos, then climbed up a ridge along the side, from which we could see the lake as well as the grassy valley we came up through. It started to rain and we saw a beautiful rainbow in the valley but also needed to hurry back down. Everyone put on our ponchos and took a picture. I got my walking sticks for the way down, and they helped on the muddy parts but made me very slow. Jarod and I lagged behind the group as we all charged down the hill. We made it back, met as a team for tea time at 530, then dinner at 630. They had given us snacks, but we didn’t really need them because we were fed so often and so well. (I still ate my cookies earlier.. because they were delicious hehe). We got ready for bed after dinner around 8. I had a swig if Nick’s pisco before bed, then crawled into my sleeping bag and tried (but struggled) to sleep. I got up at 1am because Jarod was getting up. I hissed after him that I wanted to come to the bathroom, but he didn’t hear me. When I stepped outside, he was standing there. (He has walked toward the bathroom and been startled by a cow and come back loll). After that, I had a very hard time sleeping.

3/18 - Day 2 Salkantay

Started to climb, through some grassy fields, up the “Gringo killer” and to Salkantay summit, where it started raining. Emma had to breathe from an oxygen tank at the top (she had had severe altitude sickness in previous visits), and the Austrian couple took horses to the top to save their legs. On the far side of the summit, our trek got truly miserable. Steep decline. Soaked head to toe. I remember thinking, “Wow, we paid to do this.” We got to our midway lunch spot, where I tried to dry my socks, and we commiserated with our group. Thankfully, the rain let up, and the rest of the hike descended into warmer, more tropical forests. For tea time, they made us a freaking cake. We paid to use a shower and went into our little thatched-roof huts, a tiny space with one large bed. I had a dream that I had no feet (likely brought on by the extreme pain I felt in all of my joints!).

3/19 -  Day 3 Salkantay

Started the trek with Erick painting our faces with berries. By this time, felt VERY bonded with the group. The hiking this day was much tamer, flatter roads, less extreme climbs/drops, and a fun little cart that we rode across a river. We stopped by a coffee plantation and had lunch there. We took a van some stretch of the drive to end up at the trailhead to Machu Picchu. We went out with our group for dinner, and I felt excited but also sad to be so close to the end of our time with them. 

3/20 - Day 4 Salkantay (Machu Picchu!!)

Got up to start the trek to Machu Picchu around 5am(?). It was pitch black, and we CHARGED up the mountain, often annoyed that the people in front of us were not immediately letting us pass them. By the time we arrived at the gate, there were maybe 20 people in line, and we were drenched in sweat but also STOKED to be there. It was pretty chilly and very misty, so we had a few minutes of great visibility, but lots of fog other than that. Erick gave us a tour and some history, then (VERY SADLY) left us. Our group was a little devastated. We explored on our own a little, then headed back down as droves and droves of tourists poured in. We took a bus back and ate lunch (and many beers/pisco sours) at a small cafe while waiting for our train back. We eventually got on a train, which took us to a bus, which took us back to Cusco. We had booked a nicer room so that we could soak up the luxury after some very tough days on the trail. We met the Australians and the Austrians for drinks, and ended up staying up pretty late playing games and chatting with them in a Cusco bar.

3/21 CUSCO-->BOGOTA

3/21

We were awoken at 8 by a mysterious knock. I had some stomach trouble, then came back to bed. We got up at 845 to get breakfast. We ate the hotel breakfast, then went to our room to pack. I was feeling very sad to be leaving, nostalgic for our time on the trail. We packed, left our bags at the front, and went to go buy some “alpaca” blankets. We got two bracelets for J, three small paintings, and two alpaca blankets. The lady told us they were 50s even though we had been to the store before and been told 40, and had seen them elsewhere for 35. Jarod got her down to 40 and we left with them. By now I was hungry and emotional and tired, so I started to tear up over indecision with where to eat. We sat at a cafe and had 11s sandwiches. We went back to the hotel and had them call a cab. We arrived at the airport and checked in, then strangely waited in a room before being allowed through security (not many intl flights out of cusco... seems to require its own protocol). We made it to our gate and onto the plane. I was happy to be sitting next to Jarod (he was K and I was E... but for whatever reason those two are adjacent...) we had steak and vino tinto on the flight ;). We took a taxi home - a man lifted our bags into the trunk then asked for a tip. When we got there, our hosts were nowhere to be found and it was pouring rain. A property manager came out and started talking at us in Spanish very quickly--I think saying that our hosts hadn’t told her anything. She somewhat angrily escorted us outside, and I thought we were going to have to wait there. She then showed us how to work all the locks on the door, then let us inside. We got wine and cheese at the grocery store and snacked on those for dinner

3/22

We woke up around 8 with plans to eat breakfast at home then head to la candelaria for a bike tour at 1030. All appliances rebelled against us. The eggs stuck to the bottom of the pan, and the eggs that didn’t stick barely cooked. I tried to put laundry in but the timer never went down; it just perpetually washed. The toaster oven was a mystery of its own. Regardless, we eventually dined on eggs and arepas, and Jarod got the washer to switch to rinse then dry. We called an uber and got dropped off by the bike shop. We waited in a plaza and chatted with some other travelers. We embarked as a large group and found our way to a plaza with a statue of Simon Bolivar... talked about journalism... then split into two groups and departed. We biked to “the time square of Bogota” and talked about Germans convincing Colombians to drink beer instead of chicha... saw street art and discussed the battle between more/less formal forms... we biked through a neighborhood of mixed architecture and talked about the identity crisis in bogota... we rode to a park and snacked on fruits, then admired a giant map of bogota before riding past more street art (Jarod got a flat as usual), and to a big memorial for those killed in the civil war- tears streaming down the side of a building into a pool of water. We went to a coffee shop and talked some with our guide, Mateo. He talked about working in social services in London and suggested those services weren’t helpful. He showed impatience with others’ inability to learn english. We talked about the education system a bit then started our coffee tour. We biked down a more colorful street--with gov-commissioned art on all the walls. We rode through the red light district to a market for fruit tasting. We then ran across the street and learned how to play Tejo. It was really absurd and fun even though I was bad at it. Then we went back to the bike shop and paid. We got what was supposed to be a light lunch of ajiaco and a tamale to share - it was heavy. We walked to the main plaza and Gabriel Garcia Marques cultural center. We tried to stand outside our lunch spot to get WiFi to order an uber. Instead we went to a cafe and bought banana bread to get  their code. We went home, hung out, then headed to el chato for dinner. The host asked if we had a reservation, which we had a hard time understanding. Eventually we were sat at the bar. We got cocktails, the best order of chips and guacamole ever, lamb (Jarod), and fish with mushrooms (me). When we finished dinner, we went to the grocery store to buy more coconut cookies and then we headed home. We went to bed around 11.

3/23

We were slow to start in the morning. We made breakfast and did some research on Monserrate before calling an uber to go there. The uber got lost in a nearby national park and asked several ppl for directions but apparently few of them were helpful. We finally made it to the trail head and hiked the (very tough) ascent of 2000m. It took us about 50min; we arrived around 12. The view was beautiful but there were lots of ppl- even a mass going on. There were lots of stands for foods and trinkets. On the way down we got queso fresco con fruta. We then walked all the way home, zagging through la candelaria, stopping for bunuelos and empanadas, and then by the park for fruit and carrot cake. There were countless street vendors with hot dogs, coconuts, fruits, cell phone minutes, dried food, etc. We got home, napped and snacked, then showered. We went to Bogota Brewing Company around the corner. The waitress talked to us a lot very quickly and we were totally lost. She then brought us four drinks to try -- we were worried we needed to say something about them but didn’t even really know what they were. We ordered beers and a pizza and reflected on the trip and plans for going home. We went to the store for more coconut cookies, then home. We sat and ate for a little, then packed up and went to bed around 10.

3/24 BOGOTA-->SAN FRANCISCO

3/24

345am wake up - was awoken a little early by drunks in the street. Got ready and Jarod called an uber. Rode to the airport, got through immigration and security, wanted crepes and waffles but couldn’t find them. Had to go to the desk to check in (after hearing our names over the speaker). Alarms were going off while we waited... no one seemed to care.

[calorieworkouts]

20 Secrets to Staying Slim

1. Portion sizes

Portion dimension is the main factor to getting weight so it makes good sense that it is additionally the major variable in assisting you to stay slim. What you consume is necessary but exactly how much you eat plays substantial element. Restaurants are significantly providing customers bigger parts than necessary as well as this can likewise cause misjudging a section size when cooking in your home. Learn more about section sizes and stick to them when you cook your own food and if you do eat out don't clear your plate, eat what you need for that dish. Your section sizes will vary depending on the amount of meals you have each day, some individuals have 3 others 5 or 6.

2. Drink from a small glass

Have you seen the sizes of glasses lately they have actually come to be bigger and also larger, I am certain you can fit half a container of a glass of wine into some of them these days. If you utilize smaller glasses you will certainly eat much less according to studies. This is likewise the same for plates, if you utilize big plates you are more likely to dish out a bigger part of food as a genuine part doesn't look much when on a large plate.

3. Walk, take the staircases or park more away

Being active does not need to simply entail mosting likely to the fitness center, people stay slim by being active throughout the day whenever they can. Take the staircases rather the lift or escalator. Park additionally away in the vehicle park and also stroll that extra range, it isn't also much if you consider it, plus your are more probable to discover a car park area better away from the door. Get of the bus one quit earlier than normal. Take a walk during your lunch or a fast walk around the block throughout a break. Go see a coworker rather than emailing or using the phone. Doing any one of these points or even all of them will build up throughout the day, daily as well as it wont seem like a massive quantity of effort either. Every little counts.

4. Don't miss a meal, fill up on fruits as well as vegetables

Skipping meals can make you put on weight as your body's metabolic process can reduce as a response to not obtaining enough food. It can likewise lead you to snacking on foods that have higher calories or even worse hydrogenated fats. If you are attempting to lower your calories to drop weight don't avoid a dish fill up rather on even more vegetables or fruit as they are lower in calories.

5. Have healthy protein breakfast keep you energised all day

Protein maintains you really feeling fuller for longer, it will certainly permit you to survive your early morning without feeling the requirement to grab a sugary snack to give you some energy. A good breakfast will certainly set you up for the day as well as maintain you energised.

6. Drink green tea

Drinking 2-3 Mugs each day can aid accelerate the price that your body burns mobile power by 40% according to a research reported in the American Journal of Medical Nutrition. Extra wellness benefits include: assists detox your body, enhances your resting metabolic rate, as well as aids deal with cancer and also heart disease.

7. Exercise

We all know that workout is one of the aspects that is necessary for you to shed weight, the other being diet, once you have lost the weight you will certainly need to preserve your weight by continuing to work out. It might not require to be as intensive or as usually yet you will certainly require to proceed to exercise in order to stay slim. If you simply quit you would certainly wind up putting the weight back on.

8. Drink liquids

Keep on your own hydrated and also you wont error your bodies signals, sometimes when we feel starving it is in reality because we are dried out. Also by drinking water during a dish you are most likely to consume less.

9. Enjoy and chew your food

Take time when eating to enjoy your dish, if you are hungry there is a threat of you gulping your food down without considering just how much you are eating and you wont allow your body enough time to register it is complete. Ever before had that sensation after a meal that you have overeaten and could rupture? This is due to the fact that you have not offered your body enough time for it to give you the indications of ending up being complete. If you consume slowly and chew your food you are much less likely to over eat.

10. Get enough sleep

A  study published in Sleep Journal which took a look at the weight and sleeping practices of doubles has actually reported that those who were sleeping longer had much more control over their weight and also were additionally lighter than their double that had less quantity of rest. To help you stay slim purpose for 9 hours per evening. Another study reported that those who rested less than 5 1/2 hrs per day charred less calories per day as a result of a 12% decrease in their metabolic rate.

11. Swap milk delicious chocolate or sweets for dark chocolate

Dark delicious chocolate contains better anti-oxidant buildings. You would certainly require to take in two times as much milk chocolate as dark delicious chocolate to acquire the very same quantity of anti-oxidants. Remember it is all regarding small amounts so if you do intend to opt for something wonderful miss the milk delicious chocolate or high calorie sugary foods with sweeteners as well as other unhealthy additives and have some dark chocolate.

12. Avoid processed food

Processed foods are most likely to create you to gain weight than remain slim. They are high in calories, saturated or trans fats as well as salt, by keeping away from these kinds of foods you will certainly be able to maintain your weight as well as if you consider calories it would certainly indicate you can eat even more of the healthy sort of foods as, if you are calorie checking, a refined dish can occupy a massive amount of your calories and also daily allowances for salt etc and also not leave you much for your various other meals.

13. Listen to your body

Your body gives signals for cravings, thirst and additionally for foods you need. If you are food craving chocolate your body wants something pleasant so have a piece of fruit as the natural sugars are better for your waist than something packed with male made components, sweeteners and also preservatives. Listen to your body consume when you are starving and quit when you are complete. Listen to how your body feels when you eat certain foods, consuming high quality foods will leave your body sensation much better after eating than those of a lower quality. Foods that leave you bloated, really feeling uneasy, gassy, gurgling stomach - these are indicators your body does not digest these foods really well so steer clear of from them in future.

14. Don't deny yourself

The much more you claim no the a lot more you will desire it and this might bring about over delighting so do not deny yourself the excellent things in life. If you desire some delicious chocolate or a dessert then have it, simply keep in mind that the secret is to have it in moderation. Have a biscuit or 2 however do not sit as well as eat the entire package in one go. Allow a cheat day in your diet.

15. Balance your blood sugar

By balancing your blood glucose you will have the ability to keep your weight stable and also decrease sugar yearnings. Blood sugar levels that go up as well as down advertise fat storage space. Pick low GI foods, that launch sugar right into the blood gradually, to assist stay slim so swap the white bread, rice, pasta etc for wholegrain and also consume even more vegetables, likewise beware of particular fruits and also fruit juices that are high in sugar.

16. Be consistent

You require to be able to stay with your exercise regular and also diet, don't select something that is so strict you wont have the ability to remain on it greater than a couple of weeks. The same with switching a diet plan every single time a brand-new craze appears, in order to remain slim you need to proceed the good habits also after you have actually shed the weight.

17. Take a jump rope with you on holiday

Holidays are for unwinding I understand, however don't end up being non-active, take a day-to-day swim or if you are more probable to just swim to cool down off then take a dive rope It does not take much space in your baggage and also you can add in a 10 min miss in the morning and night to aid you maintain slim and also acquire way too many extra pounds from consuming at buffets or dining establishments every day.

18. Ask for sauces on the side

Some dining establishments like to sink food in dressings and also sauces, request for yours on the side so you can manage just how much is included in your meal.

19. Go for steamed vegetables

The method foods are cooked modifications their dietary worth, so vapor vegetables as opposed to boiling to keep the dietary value high and get one of the most out of our veggies.

20. Balanced and Healthy Diet

Staying slim is about keeping the weight you are satisfied at. If you have actually altered your diet regimen to a healthy and balanced and also balanced diet regimen to assist drop weight after that it is simpler for you to maintain the excellent eating behaviors. If you have slimmed down by various other means after that it is very important that your diet plan comes to be well balanced as well as healthy and balanced to make sure that your body gets the necessary nutrients it requires. This is why it is necessary to begin off your weight reduction with a well balanced diet regimen to enable you to keep to it as well as proceed it as a lifestyle adjustment in order to maintain the weight off. Fad diet may show results initially however as quickly as your body realises it isn't getting enough of what it needs it will decrease and there is also the truth that as soon as you start consuming typically once more the weight will come right back in no time.

[eatvangelist]

Union - In New Hands

I first heard of Union because the (then) co-owner Chef Bruce Kalman was on Top Chef (season 15), but before I had a chance to visit, he already cut his ties to the restaurant.  A couple months ago, Chef Chris Keyser was named as the new executive chef there, though I believe he stepped in not long after Kalman’s departure.  I confess that Union dropped down my priority list of restaurants to try over the past year as I thought the restaurant would be in transition and might have some kinks to work out, but between yelp and some local reviews, it seems the staff didn’t miss a beat and carried on their consistency in delivering delicious food.  As such, Union jumped back up on my priority list, and I was fortunate enough to get to go earlier this week.

So my one word of warning about dining at Union is no matter how hungry you are, it is so very easy to over-order and over-eat here.  The menu was classic Italian comfort food though everything we ordered (and we did order a lot) had a bit of a California twist.  Pretty much everything at Union was farm to table and made in house.  We started off with three appetizers - bread and giardinere (their house “pickles”), burrata, and pork meatballs.  It should be expected that they pickle their own vegetables, but surprisingly accompanying the bread was also a pad of homemade cultured butter.  What I liked about this as an appetizer was that the vegetables did not taste sour and tart the way one would expect from bathing in vinegar, and there was a slight spiciness for additional depth.  While I appreciated the effort in the butter, my palate is not refined enough to taste a difference.  I’m a sucker for burrata, and while this was the star of the plate, it was served with crostini and a tomato and hazelnut pesto that complemented the cheese well.  The best of all the appetizers was the pork meatballs.  At first bite, it tasted just meatier and more flavorful than others I’ve had, and then there was a bit of heat as there were some chiles mixed in.  The only thing I wish we did differently was probably not eat so much bread, which came with all 3 appetizers.  The bread was good and needed to really enjoy the appetizers, but perhaps thinner slices or variants of bread would help.

What I knew Union to be most famous for - and what I noticed every single table ordered - was their homemade pasta.  Again, we tried three different ones - tonnarelli cacio e pepe, torchetti, and squid ink lumache.  My table had asked me what I thought about ordering tonnarelli cacio e pepe on the menu, and I responded that I was intrigued.  I took 5 years of Italian cooking classes, and my teacher did show us a quick and easy version of this dish but also explained that we wouldn’t see this at typical Italian restaurants, as it was really a homestyle dish, being simply pasta in cheese and black pepper.  I was curious to see how Union would dress this up, which they did by topping it with a 63°C egg yolk, turning this into a carbonara.  We immediately broke the yolk and mixed it into the cheese sauce giving it a much richer taste.  I also loved that Union used tonnarelli for this, which being thicker than spaghetti, allowed for us to really sop up the sauce with the pasta. 

The torchetti (think slightly twisted medium length pasta) is served in ragu sauce with ricotta.  Beyond the shape of the pasta, not a huge twist on this one, though they sprinkled some fried rosemary on top which added a gentle crisp for contrast in texture. This was good, but it didn’t blow my mind.  That honor went to the squid ink lumache, served with lobster, fennel, lemon, and truffle butter.  If you could only order one pasta from Union’s menu, this should be the one to get.  The lumache pasta was the perfect texture and the lines on them really helped to pick up the citrus sauce that paired so well with the sweetness of the lobster.  I could not really distinguish the flavor of the truffle, but the sauce was definitely buttery.  I didn’t miss the truffle though, as there was more than enough umami happening in this dish to satisfy my taste buds.

We probably would have been good calling it a night at this point already, but we still had the main course.  In Union’s defense, our server did warn us that he felt we ordered too much food.  We thought we could handle it though, and we were wrong.  The main course was the special of the night, a pork shank that had been slowly braised for nine hours in aromatics and topped with a gremoulade.  My photo does not do this dish justice, nor does it show its enormity.  Union gives diners the choice to eat family style or individualized orders, but this braised pork shank can not possibly be devoured by one person in a single sitting.  There were 4 of us at the table, and especially after all the food we had already enjoyed up to this point, we had little room left for the pork shank, but it was so good that we couldn’t resist bite after bite.  Despite our best efforts, we barely made a dent in this dish and had to ask for it to be packed up.  Truth be told, I’m still working on the leftovers, which is still good a couple days later.

We couldn’t leave without trying the dessert.  The olive oil cake was light and simple.  The budino (chocolate pudding) was much richer and sweeter.  While there as just garnish, the tartness of the blueberries helped cut through that.  While both were quite good, none of us loved the dessert offerings enough to finish them.  If we were not already so full, we may have enjoyed this course more.

Union is probably one of the better Italian restaurants I have had the pleasure to dine at in recent years.  While not everything I had was a hit, there were certainly no misses either.  You can get homemade pasta and some other items from their menu at other Italian restaurants, but Union manages to add their own spin on it.  In short, Union successfully married traditional homestyle recipes with modern Californian cuisine.  While the homestyle flavors do bring a sense of comfort, the restaurant itself is less so, being tightly packed with 50 seats in a small space. It can get loud and hard to hear people at your own table, and even just walking to the restroom may require some fancy footwork to navigate around tables and servers.  The food does justify the inconvenience and makes Union worthy of return visits.

Union 37 E Union St Pasadena, CA 91103  Phone: (626) 795-5841  Dinner service only

[jeepsister72-blog]

Avocado toast, nachos & vegan donuts Omaha

Avocado toast, nachos, and vegan donuts Omaha. How to not go hungry as a vegan in Nebraska. Donuts from Hello Sugar and Farine + Four, and nachos at Modern Love.

This past weekend David and I went to Omaha for a couple of days, because he was speaking at their local BritishFest about his work on Doctor Who: Shada. When we weren’t getting TARDIS flying lessons, we sampled the Omaha vegan food scene.

(For an extensive list of vegan options in Omaha, check out this post on vegan Omaha restaurants.)

Vegan donuts Omaha at Hello Sugar

Our first morning in Omaha while I was out getting coffee, Kayla, a person on Instagram who lives in the area, told me that I needed to pick up vegan donuts from Hello Sugar.

Hello Sugar sells doughnuts at a couple of different farmers markets. (Keep an eye on Hello Sugar’s Instagram for the menu, as well as locations & times.)

I happened to be fairly close to the farmers market at the time, and so I made a beeline there.

In addition to selling non-vegan doughnuts, Hello Sugar had several vegan doughnuts on offer including chocolate almond sea salt, raspberry jam filled, lemon pistachio, apple fritters, glazed with sprinkles, and triple berry.

David’s favorite doughnut is raspberry jam filled, and so that was a no brainer. I asked what the other big sellers were and was told that people always come back for the apple fritters and lemon pistachio. So I grabbed those as well.

The doughnuts were wonderfully fresh and full of bounce, light, and airy. For us, the big winner was the raspberry jam filled, but I’d happily eat any of them all over again.

Farine + Four

I visited the bakery Farine + Four for breakfast two mornings while we were there.

(The second day, we’d planned on going to Saddle Creek Breakfast Club, because they have an inviting vegan brunch menu, in addition to their standard menu. However, when we arrived, the area in front of the restaurant was positively packed with throngs of people waiting for a table. It looked like it would be a really long wait, so we skipped it. But I’d like to go another time!)

Farine + Four has a rotating menu. They handwrite the menu on the counter in front of the cash register. So if there’s a line, you can’t really see it until you place an order. It would be nice if they had a menu board higher up, where it could be seen from a distance.

I got a rosemary bagel with vegan cream cheese for me, and an everything bagel with vegan cream cheese to-go for David.

The bagels were wonderful – chewy on the outside and soft on the inside. As a rosemary fan, I was all over the plethora of dried rosemary on top.

But the cream cheese was a little perplexing. I’m still trying to figure it out. I wonder if they might have given me the wrong thing, because it looks like they actually ladled it on. Perhaps it was donut glaze by mistake? The flavor was sweet and pleasant, but it didn’t look like cream cheese in any way, and it made my bagel soggy.

Out of curiosity, I googled their vegan cream cheese after the fact, and in other pictures, it looks the way a person would expect cream cheese to look.

Inspired by this experience, I’ve decided to start a country band called Soggy Bagel Bottoms. Look for my record in stores.

The confusing cream cheese wasn’t enough to keep us from going again the next day, and I’m really glad we did.

This time they had vegan donut holes on the menu in three flavors – lemon & lavender, cardamom, and vanilla. (Because we hadn’t had enough donuts, right?) You can get just one flavor or a mixture of all three. I’m not really into lavender or cardamom, and so I went with vanilla alone.

They fry the donuts fresh when you order, and so they actually come hot to the table. They were coated in sugar and reminded me of churros in ball-form.

David ordered avocado toast, and it was topped with thinly sliced radishes & pea tendrils.

I ordered the zucchini avocado toast, which had loopy zucchini ribbons, marinated onions, and pea tendrils.

I have vegan avocado toast for breakfast probably 3 mornings a week, and it’s always delicious. But wow, they really took avocado toast to the next level.

First, instead of just toasting the bread in a toaster, it was oiled and toasted in a skillet. So it was really crunchy and crisp on the outside. Then the onions were pickled, and there was an extra savory richness to the toast that I couldn’t put my finger on. Some kind of flavored oil, perhaps?

Anyway, I can’t recommend their avocado toast highly enough. It might not seem like something a person needs to go out of their way for on a trip, but you really do.

While we were there, we also picked up a fresh loaf of sourdough bread to give the cat sitter (a.k.a. my parents) as a thank you gift, and it was exceptional.

Modern Love Omaha

Obviously, any trip to Omaha must involve at least one visit to Modern Love, if not more than that.

When we first rolled into town Friday night, we went straight to Modern Love for our 8 o’clock reservation. I’d seen on Facebook that they were offering their seitan reuben as a weekday-only special. So I knew this was my big chance to finally score my favorite sandwich from one of my favorite restaurants.

When we arrived, Isa, the owner of Modern Love & cookbook author extraordinaire, came out to say hi. She asked if I’d planned on ordering the reuben, and then gave me the bad news that they were out of them.

As luck would have it, though, they did have some stray ingredients laying around, and there was enough to put together a reuben amuse-bouche. So even though I was disappointed about missing the reuben, I was excited I’d get a taste at least.

We placed our orders, and I felt confident much deliciousness awaited us…

Once it was ready, Isa brought the reuben amuse-bouche to the table and laughed, “It’s not really an amuse-bouche.”

It was like a full-sized sandwich with two onion rings piled on top! The bread was nice and charred around the edges, and it was filled with seitan, sauerkraut, and thin slices of smoky beet. The cheesy layer had a nice pop of miso. So good!

David and I ordered a nacho platter appetizer as well.

This thing was positively massive with walnut chorizo, big dollops of guacamole, hot sauce, pico de gallo, and cashew-based queso. There wasn’t a dry chip in the bunch.

By the time my dinner order of mushroom stroganoff arrived, I immediately asked for a to-go box. That worked out well, though, because then lunch the next day was sorted.

For his main course, David had ordered the chickpea bacon ranch sandwich.

It was layered with chickpea cutlets, avocado, mushroom bacon, greens, tomato, and ranch dressing. On the side was purple potato salad.

Isa’s chickpea cutlets are a vegan classic. When I first went vegan, I made them all the time. They’re also a good & easy vegan Thanksgiving main dish option.

The chickpea cutlets at the restaurant were a little different than the ones in Veganomicon. The chickpeas themselves aren’t as prominent. They’re more blended into the cutlet. The cutlets are thin and uniform in a way that reminded me of Milanese.

David also had his sandwich for lunch the next day. That hadn’t been our initial plan, but it was super convenient!

Even though there are other vegan options to be had in Omaha, we couldn’t resist the opportunity of going back to Modern Love another time while we were there.

For my main dish, I got the kale Caesar salad, which was dressed with a tahini caper dressing. This super nooch-y salad was topped with smoked mushrooms, capers, pepita parmesan, and croutons. I also added cornmeal-crusted tofu.

David ordered the mushroom stroganoff I’d ordered the night before with added chickpea cutlets.

The thing I really love about this stroganoff is that they don’t skimp on mushrooms.

Sometimes you’ll order a pasta dish with mushrooms, and there will only be a handful of cremini mushrooms. But with this one, even after finishing the noodles, there were still loads of wild mushrooms at the bottom, including oyster mushrooms.

(By the way, she has a similar mushroom stroganoff recipe in Isa Does It, one of my favorite cookbooks.)

Choosing dessert was a real dilemma with strawberry shortcake, cheesecake, and an old school sundae all in the line-up. But ultimately, I had to go with the one that I never see anywhere else – peanut butter Snickers pie.

Look at that.

It really tasted like a Snickers bar with a thick layer of chocolate ganache, whole peanuts, a gooey peanut butter custard interior, salted maple caramel, and a big dollop of coconut whip to finish it off. Incredible.

I imagine by the next time we get to Omaha, Modern Love will be in their new, larger location, where the seitan reuben will be on the regular menu! (They’re just waiting on furniture now. So it shouldn’t be too long!) I’m excited to get back again, whenever that happens.

And that ends our excursion to Omaha! For more vegan options in Nebraska and beyond, check out my vegan travel page.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/2018/08/09/vegan_donuts_omaha/