#when i write my own shit i don’t sprinkle in much italian but i had looked up how to say ‘my stars’ in italian a while back as like.

[gingergari]

le mie stelline

[chubbybuckydumpling]

Christmas Biscuits

words: 2287

warnings: swear words, a tiny bit of angst, mentions of death (this sounds kinda bad, but it’s actually really fluffy)

A/n: this is my first ever fic and I’m really insecure about my writing. Please be kind 🥺💖 (gif is not mine)

Writing challenge by @mypoisonedvine

“This one, daddy, this one!” Bucky chuckles as he looks towards his toddler, who sits on the kitchen isle in front of a box full of  biscuit cutters. The three year old holds up a huge reindeer cutter and smiles toothily at her father.

“Dude, it's way too big. We won't even be able to fit four of those on one baking tray. Why do we even have one this large?” The teenager stands to the left of her sister and looks at Bucky with a questioning gaze. Her hair is lazily put into a low bun and an ugly Christmas jumper adorns her body.

“Eileen, don't call your sister 'dude'”, the teen rolls her eyes and lets out an exasperated sigh, “Whatever” He makes his way towards the toddler and gently takes the reindeer out of her hands, while sending his oldest a warning look. “You heard your sister, baby. Let's choose some smaller ones” he explains and pulls the box towards himself.

His eyes fall on a Mickey Mouse biscuit cutter and a smile takes over his face. He grabs the desired object and places it on the isle, “When your sister was in kindergarten she made this all by herself. We use these every year. They are very special to me”. The little girl holds up the cutter to inspect it and then looks to Bucky. “Special?”, she asks.

He nods and watches as his youngest daughter holds the cutter towards her big sister. “We use this one, yes Isla?” Eileen smiles, accepts the object and places it on the counter next to the dough. She shakes her head lightly and grins at her father, “I can't believe you've kept this all these years”

Bucky shrugs and continues searching the box for appropriate biscuit cutters. “You gifted this to me, of course I kept it. You looked so proud when you brought this home, I'll never forget. Also, I'm pretty sure your father would have beheaded me if I even thought about throwing this away”, he pauses, just for some seconds, “We were probably as proud as you, if not more”. Bucky fetches a star and a smaller reindeer biscuit cutter out of the box and hands them to the toddler.

Eileen hums before turning towards her little sister, “Do you like ones dad chose, Sarah?”. She nods and holds her arms up, silently demanding to be carried. The older girl obliges and puts the toddler on her hip, so that they can add the new cutters to the counter.

Bucky joins his children with another biscuit cutter and the dough in his hands. He places both items down and grabs the rolling pin to flatten out the dough. “I remember how much papa loved baking biscuits. He'd always let me decorate them, even though he was so much better at it”, Eileen says while putting Sarah on the counter and holding her waist, in case she'll fall down. She eyes Bucky hesitantly.

He stops for a moment to collect himself and then forces a smile on his face, “He always loved everything you did. You were his little superstar. There wasn't a thing you could have done wrong. You've always been his pride and joy”. Bucky continues rolling the dough, “He always felt bad about actually eating them. He couldn't bear to destroy your art”

“That's what I've got you for though!”, his oldest giggles and gently pinches Bucky's tummy, which makes him release a high pitched shriek. Sarah begins to laugh loudly at her father's silliness and tries to tickle him as well. The man however grabs her hand and pulls her little body towards his chest. He quickly presses a kiss to her forehead.

“Alright, I think we can start cutting. Sarah, baby, do you want daddy to help you?” The young girl nods and claps her hands in an excited manner, “Please, daddy!” Bucky grins and encourages his youngest daughter to choose a cutter. Eileen quickly fishes for her Mickey Mouse one, a smile upon her lips. Sarah takes her time to think, before she carefully picks out the star shape. “Good choice, bug!”

The family spends some time on cutting and baking multiple batches of biscuits, laughing and smiling. After a couple minutes, Eileen starts to play a Christmas playlist to which they sing to. Time was flying and soon they found themselves ready to decorate their goodies.

Bucky forces Sarah to put on an apron and ties her dirty blond hair back into a ponytail. Eileen mixes different coloured icings and opens some sprinkles and edible glitter. Her father eyes the glitter and sighs, “This is going to end in a mess, right?” The older girl smiles sheepishly and her father accepts his defeat.

“Alright then girls, let's get going”. Eileen takes on the job of delicately dipping the biscuits into the icing while Bucky desperately tries to stop his toddler from pouring a whole bag of sprinkles over one single biscuit. And like anticipated, once Sarah finds the glitter, it's over. There's glitter everywhere. In his hair, in his children's hair, on the counter, the floor and of course, on the baked goods.

Once they finished all the biscuits and stored them, Bucky leans against the counter, utterly exhausted. His eyes drift to the clock. It's already 6 pm and he still needs to cook dinner. Upon seeing his father so tired, Eileen slides next to him and places a hand on his, “How about we order some food? We can even choose something healthy, if you want to” He raises his eyebrows, “Healthy you say?”. She nods and Bucky narrows his eyes, “Who are you and what have you done to my teen?”

His dramatic reaction causes her to snort and shake her head. “Well, do you want me to order something or not?”

———

After devouring some nice Italian cuisine and doing a whole lot of dishes, everyone is laying on the couch, tired, yet satisfied. “I'm glad baking biscuits is an annual occurrence. This shit is way to exhausting”, Eileen yawns out and cuddles up to her father, who lifts up an arm to pull her towards him. Sarah is already fast asleep on his belly.  Bucky gives his oldest a warning nudge for using a swear word, but quickly presses a kiss to her temple afterwards.

“Papa hated when I swore. And he always heard it too! I could have been on the moon for all I care and he would have still known”, she complains with a light smile on her face. Bucky chuckles and begins to play with her hair, “You could always hear him yell 'Language!' whenever someone used a bad word”. He sighs, “Your father was a good man. He only wished for the best for you and your sister”. Eileen remains silent.

“Are we going to visit papa tomorrow?”, she asks after a while. Bucky nods, “I was planning on doing so. Is that okay with you?”. The teenager mumbles a quiet 'yes' and yawns again. “Alright, my love. I think it's time for bed” She grumbles, but uses one of her hands to stroke some hair from her eyes. Sitting up, she yawns again and presses a kiss to her father's cheek, “Good night, dad. I love you”

“I love you too, dear. Sweet dreams”, he calls out to her retreating figure. The shine of the vanilla candles illuminates her form and Bucky can't help the warm feeling in his chest. Eileen grew up to be such a beautiful young woman and he realises again just how proud he is. Proud of her responsibility, her independence and her love for herself. It hasn't always been easy for her and she still pulled through to be her best self, which he can't help but admire.

Before he can get too emotional, Bucky gets up as well, careful to not disrupt his daughter's sleep. He blows out the candles, the smoke filling his nostrils with an overwhelming smell of vanilla. Steve always insisted on buying exactly these candles, for they calmed his mind enough to sketch a little, and really, how could Bucky ever deny his love? Now they are a reminder of him. His scent and laugh, the sound of his pencils scratching his paper, the feel of his lips on Bucky's own.

He shakes his head to rid himself of these thoughts and makes his way up the stairs into Sarah's room. He tucks her into the tiny bed and kisses her forehead, “Good night, baby. Sweet dreams. Daddy loves you”, he whispers.

On the wall across the door is the wall painting Steve made before their youngest daughter was born. He was so excited to meet her and made it his goal to create the most beautiful nursery for her. The underwater scene displays so much of Steve's character, from the way he carefully handled the brush to his determined, strong strokes. Bucky is happy that Sarah has this reminder of her papa, especially because she never had the chance to meet him.

He sneaks out of her room, switching on her night light on his way out. One of his hands rests on his soft belly and squeezes the fat that has collected there. A yawn ripples through him which makes him move to his own bedroom. There, the walls are shining in a light orange which creates an illusion of a  bigger room, or so Steve used to say.

Bucky unzips his jeans and throws them on the growing pile of dirty clothes on the floor. He'll have to do laundry soon. His soft jumper joins his trousers, leaving Bucky in some grey boxer briefs. Too tired to bother putting on pyjamas, Bucky lets himself fall into the king sized bed, which stretches under his weight. He turns to his night stand and reaches for the framed picture that rests upon it. His fingers run over the soft wood of the frame, a small smile on his lips.

“Oh, Steve”, he sighs. Suddenly, his strong exterior is quickly crumbling and Bucky's lips begin to tremble. He takes a deep breath. “I miss you so much”, his voice is shaky from his efforts to hold back the tears. “I wish you were still here: Oh god, Steve”. He begins to cry, sobs echoing off of the walls, tears rolling down his puffy cheeks. The picture slides out of his hands and falls onto the bed. Bucky covers his face and tries to muffle the sounds escaping.

It's been over three years since, but he can''t move on. He can't and he won't, wouldn't dare to. Bucky is exhausted, mentally and physically. He's trying to be strong, for Eileen, for Sarah, for Steve. These children are Steve's biggest treasure and Bucky is going to make sure they are happy and safe. It's what Steve would have wanted and he can't fail him.

He tries to wipe the tears away, but new ones follow immediately. “Fuck Steve, I'm so sorry. I wish I could have done more”, Bucky cries and pulls the framed photo to his chest, curling around it as if he were to protect it, “I wish it would have been me!”. Sobs continue to roll through his body. He tries to breathe through his nose, to be calm and controlled, but the piercing ache in his heart continues to make him cry out. His soft belly shakes with each agonized shudder and every heartbreaking sob.

Once he's finally calmed down, he dries his cheeks and presses his lips to Steve's picture. The cold glass a stark contrast to Bucky's warm lips. Immediately, it begins to fog up under the man's hot breath. His fingers find their wedding rings, which he is wearing on a chain around his neck, and play with them. The metallic sounds when they bump into each other fills the void room and aid Bucky into finally resting. Just before he falls asleep, the words “with you 'till the end of the line” fall from his lips.

———

The next day, the Rogers-Barnes family is bundled up in thick, fluffy coats, scarves and hats to fight against the biting cold. They are cuddled up on a picnic blanket and warm their hands with cups of hot chocolate. Their breath fogs up the icy air and the smell of biscuits is prominent. Bucky looks down to Eileen who is feeding Sarah a reindeer treat. He smiles.

“Do you like your biscuits, baby?”. The toddler nods enthusiastically and offers the rest of her half eaten goodie to her father, a big, toothy grin on her face. He grins mischievously  and eats the whole biscuit in one bite, which makes the younger girl gasps dramatically before bursting out in giggles, “Silly daddy!”

Eileen smirks and joins in, “Yes, silly daddy. He will never lose some pounds this way” Her hand pats his belly after she squeezes his admittedly pudgy cheeks, “but that's what we love you for, right Sarah?” The addressed girl nods, already on her next biscuit. Bucky smiles widely and throws an arm over his oldest and pulls her to his chest, “I know you're just jealous of my dad bod”, his hands stroke over his tummy in an appreciative manner. The teen hums an agreement and cuddles herself closer to her father.

“I guess your hugs have increased in efficiency”. The chubby man grins and kisses both of his daughters' heads. “Your papa loved it too. He'd always give me some nice belly rubs”, he tells her before looking over to the grave they are sitting next to,”isn't that right, Stevie?”

If you liked this or didn’t, please leave some feedback, it would mean the world to me 🥺

Be added to my tag list here :)

[abiteofnat]

AVOCADON’T EVEN TELL ME ABOUT WHERE THERE IS GOOD GUAC… 

Because last month in six days I ate Mexican food for dinner six times. That’s right, every single dinner somehow started with a big ole basket of tortilla chips and ended with greasy fingers and 3-6 tacos in my stomach.  I think at one point I just began to expect that my night would end in rice and corn tortillas, and then it just kept happening…

Is this anywhere near a complaint? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Mexican is in my top three favorite categories of food, the other two being Italian and Mediterranean (but bagels always, always coming in first above all), and so I tend to be a harsh critic. There’s also different types of Mexican food: the traditional, authentic type that’s hard to find but life changing when you do, the 3 a.m. places that are the real reason we even go out in the first place so we can end up in front of a chimichanga of shame after a somewhat irritating house party, and then the nearly authentic kind that has a dash of flair added. I LOVE ‘EM ALL. Most of these will be a mix of the first and last kind, as everyone who knows me knows the only 3 a.m. place I frequent is Allende Restaurant even though everyone else is a Taco Burrito Palace bitch. That Allende rice and white tile walls; nothing will comfort you and your premature hangover quite like it. When your friend is crying over that fuckboy and your friend’s friend drank about six beers too many? Take them to Allende! Can’t cry when you’re choking on horchata! 

I haven’t done a good taco roundup in a while and for a city that loovvesss margaritas as much as Chicago does it’s about time. How can I even write this after being up to my ears in salsa verde without wanting to throw up? IT WAS ALL JUST THAT GOOD. I’m living vicariously through my own memories from the past week and I am legitimately excited to write about these tacos.  

HERE WE GO. 

1. Adobo Grill 

On any given menu, there’s about 10% of things I have no interest in eating. Add on the 80% I can’t actually eat due to being vegetarian, and that leaves 10% of a menu that is up for grabs. The fact that the happy hour taco offered the night we went to Adobo Grill was one of the most astounding tacos I’ve ever had literally blows my mind- what! are! the! odds! For $2 a piece you could assume that it’s going to be chicken, beef, or some odd mixture because at Adobo the taco platters come in sets of three tacos with rice and beans for $15-19 so why would they give the good stuff for cheap… AND INSTEAD IT WAS A LUCIOUS FISH TACO, GRILLED TO GOLDEN PERFECTION. Topped with pico de gallo and spicy mayo sauce? Add in some of their fresh to death guac and a little spicy red salsa? It was almost tooooo good. The single corn tortilla held up beautifully against the moist, meaty fish and they did not skimp on anything even though it was 5:30 p.m. and happy hour drinks were flowing and the restaurant could have really taken advantage of that. These tacos have not left my mind, or my heart… 

Another thing so wonderful about this place: the patio! It’s open and covered in tasteful twinkle lights, with the giant mural (pictured) of a happy skeleton man a and some flowers that play off the orange and purple hues of the decor. To sit outside right across from Second City (great date night all in one city block!) and sip a Modelo pretty much means fucking euphoria, and then add in guac that actually tastes like guac and not avocado slime? KABOOM. As much as I want to say all guac is good guac Adobo puts a lot of places to shame (cough cough Chipotle how the frick is that shit celebrated so widely) and gives you a TON of incredible guac for $9. Chip score: 8/10. Guac score: 10/10. Vibes: 10/10. 

Insider scoop: Go for happy hour until 6 p.m., splurge for guac, add the salsa to everything, and order a side of plantains with sour cream. Never had plantains before? This is the perfect place to just trust the food blogger and go for it because you will DIE OVER THEM. 

2. Big Star

BIG STAR IS MY KING, QUEEN, AND THE ENTIRE KINGDOM. If you live in Chicago, and it is above freeze-my-nuts-off temperature, it is patio weather and any restaurant that puts 2 chairs and a table out front will be considered a patio destination. Like Adobo (but even better) Big Star goes above and beyond as it’s a mainly-patio restaurant, with bulb lights lights above every stainless steel table and the warmest, most inviting outdoor seating there is once the sun goes down. You can watch the people, see some street art, watch the Blue Line zoom by, and walk to Stan’s Donuts for a wide array of treats afterward (aka a blueberry cheese danish, YUMBO). 

Located in Wicker Park, a very artsy n’ cute section of Chicago that’s a bit more on the ~trendy~ side since lots of blogged about restaurants have opened up, Big Star offers tacos a la carte and the best chips and guacamole on that side of the highway. I have gone for the past two years close to my birthday to celebrate because the pitchers are insanely alcoholic and also delicious, serving about 6 glasses in each pitcher. With one marg being $9 and a pitcher being $36, it is an absolute steal and even if only two people are at the table it is worth the high price tag. Best part is that the pitcher comes with a wooden ladle which adds to the vibe of Big Star, but is also hilarious to stir your vat of tequila and juice with. Like witch’s potion, but probably even more dangerous! 

Once everyone is seated and with drink, it’s time for the poor waiter to scream over everyone to take the order. While Big Star is mostly outside, it’s verryyyyy loud due to the sheer amount of people and the music pumping from the inside section that leaves the doors/ windows wide open. We were seated near the window and with a group of ten, it was one of those nights that leaves your voice hoarse and your ears ringing but feeling like you had a good as heck time! My favorite vegetarian tacos are the:

- Taco de Zananhorias: try ordering that when you do not speak Spanish and are two margs deep! This taco is the best yet overlooked one on the menu, featuring spiced cooked carrots that are savory and still have a crunch to them, pumpkin seeds for flavor and texture, and an incredible spicy date & yogurt dressing that offers a chipotle kick to offset the sweetness of the carrots and the dates. Wrapped in a corn tortilla, this taco is actually a filling veggie taco that doesn’t just taste like red peppers topped in guac! Which is like 99% of most vegetarian tacos! The flavors in this are worth more than $2.50 a pop, which is what it will cost you. 

- Taco de Pescado: Your typical and delicious fried tilapia taco! Beer battered and with the expected crunch of cabbage, top with some line for a perfect fish taco. This is a good standby if you’re weary of the more creative ones. 

- THE WALKING TACO: Most of the table ordered this one! It’s a DAMN fever dream to eat! Let me preface by saying honey BBQ twist Fritos are my most coveted, most guilty snack that I find myself eating far too often and usually when I’m having a flip off the universe and treat yourself moment. So take the trusted, panty-dropping crunch of the Frito and then add buffalo sauce, beans, cheese, crema, and cilantro? STILL IN THE SNACK SIZE FRITO BAG? AND YOU EAT IT ALL WITH A FORK? FUCKIN NUTS GUYS. I know for a fact this stretches the authentic “Mexican food” title, but man that was a great business decision to include it. Once a year, as a birthday treat, the Walking Taco is my bitch. 

Shoutout to Big Star, the ideal location for any event that needs tequila. 

3. Garcia’s Restaurant 

Garcia’s feels like home due to the amount of times a meal there has included the same group of close friends, emotional conversations about sorority stuff, and late night escapes from boys that don’t understand when they’re ridiculous, we will go get mole and strawberry daiquiris instead of dealing with them. While I have no photos to share, I do have memories and the assurance that this place is truly authentic. From the large wooden chairs to the flags on the wall, atmosphere lacks but the food is absolutely incredible. I always order the Cheese Enchiladas with mole poblano on top, and it is the real mole that makes you warm from the inside out. It’s thick with notes of cocoa, spices, and not too sweet- almost bittersweet in fact, and with the pull of cheese inside chewy tortillas all rolled up underneath it is a rare find indeed. 

The chips & salsa take the cake in my book; they’re perfectly crispy and not greasy, and the salsa will make your eyes water but then before you know it your face is soaking wet because you ate ALL OF THE SALSA ANYWAY. Hurts so good, you know? 

And as mentioned the strawberry daiquiri is DOPE DOPE DOPE. Huge for the price, sweet and sugary with all the spicy food, and perfect for late night gossip. Or pregaming, either one. 

4. Taco Diablo 

An Evanston favorite! The OG Taco Diablo opened a few years ago and was an instant hit in the North Shore as it was a dark, intimate den of Mexican food, a place for casual drinks, and coated in sugar skull paintings and weird demonic creatures dancing around the bar area. Given the logo has little devils in it, it’s fitting that here they take a sultry, somewhat naughty approach to decor and food. We went once or twice a week and craved their guac that has a very specific lime & garlic undertone to it in the best way guac ever could, and the baskets of thin chips with rock salt sprinkled on the sides. 

No one was prepared for the morning we woke up and Beloved Taco Diablo had burned down, along with it’s neighboring restaurant Pine Yard. Needless to say, everyone was SHOOK and really genuinely upset that this tragedy struck such loved, run-by-good-people places. So then even more was no one prepared when the ashes were burried and from them rose A NEW TACO DIABO RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET! The owners of this cantina and the conjoining (long time closed) Asian-influence restaurant Lulu’s bought a double lot across the street and just went gung-ho on giving Evanston two of their favorite places back, which was like Christmas 100x over. The tacos from Taco Diablo AND the sesame peanut noodles from Lulu’s??? Next door??? HECKIN’ YES. I have literally downed a -very strong- marg with friends at Taco Diablo and then placed an order for the noodles to go to enjoy later in bed, and if that’s not employing DEMAND AND SUPPLY IDK WHAT IS. 

Go here for dinner with friends, a second date or a weekly drink date, and to sample every fucking thing on the menu. Especially the chilaquiles!!! 

5. Depot Nuevo

This one is hardest to type because we adore it, cherish it, crave it, owe many years of our lives to it way too much and in fact I will be here this week a couple times already. Depot graced our lives many moons ago in Wilmette and quickly became the neighborhood hub, as it’s downtown and in a real, separate house with a wraparound porch and the same smiling faces greeting you every single time. The menu offers your typical Mexican favorites such as tacos, fajitas, burritos + bowls, and of course guac and salsa, but with a slightly more upscale twist in a casual yet good-enough-for-a-life-event setting. The shrimp taco filled with crispy grilled shrimp, spicy crema, and actual slices of avocado are in my list of favorite foods in the entire world, but order the cheese quesadilla with a side of avocado and rice and holy frickle frackle you will never see quesadillas as a children’s food again. The cheese is juicy, chewy, stretchy, buttery, everything you could imagine and more. House-made corn tortillas and red salsa are impossible to describe, and the pomegranate margarita is the sweet n’ sour necessity to the meal that will linger in your mind for days afterward until you go back. 

Don’t brush it off because it’s in the quiet and sleepy suburbs. It is constantly busy, turnt, and I promise people in my friend group will be there heckling the staff and demanding elite service because we keep them in business. I THANK AND APPRECIATE YOUR WORK, DEPOT! 

That’s all I’ve got for you today friends, I hope this helps shape some weekend plans and gives you some new happy hour spots! What are your favorite Mexican restaurants?? Always looking for new places! 

-Natalie 

[spiritsdesire44-blog]

Favorites Survey

What is your favorite:

food - drunken noodle with tofu, tofu sushi, miso soup, Amy’s Vegan Pizza with roasted vegetables, vegan calzones, vegan beyond burgers..... anything hummus related....... anything yummy & vegan. 

meal of the day- lunch, probs. 

type of pasta- Angel hair with marinara 

desert- vegan ben and jerry’s peanut butter cookie 

type of meat- no!!!! no meat!! vegetable- zucchini, or carrots, or avocado, or tomato  fruit- grapes!! watermelon!!! passion fruit kind of salad- ginger salad kind of cookie- any vegan kind kind of pie- naaah, I don’t do pie pizza topping- Pineapple!! flavor- artifical waatermelon flavored things are so good ice cream flavor- cookie dough snack- hummus and carrots, veggie stix, grapes flavor potato chip- salt and vinegar drink- kombucha, water, or tea alcoholic drink- mojitos condiment (ketchup, mustard, etc.) - vegan honey mustard nationality of food (chinese, italian, etc.) - THAI, MEXICAN, OR ITALIAN restaurant- Infuzions in SRQ breakfast food- fruit or hashbrowns o_o or cereal with almond milk dinner food- hmmm anything from my favorite foods list salad dressing- balsamic or ginger way to eat a potato- FRIES!!! meal to cook- Noodles/stir fry flavor coffee- n/a i don’t drink coffee flavor tea- GREEN TEAAA WITH LEMMMOON candy bar- hmmm... n/a candy- sour patch kids snack at the movies- SOUR PATCH KIDS!! way to eat popcorn- NOOO BUTTERRRR ice cream topping- sprinkles :3 carnival/fair treat- I haven’t been to a carnival like ever, i assume cotton candy soft drink- sprite koolaid flavor- n/a ew thanksgiving food- a vegan roast with vegan MASHED potatoes  spice (salt, sugar, cinnamon, etc.) - pepper

Everyday stuff time to get up- Early like 5 am. I don’t mind tho if I’m up before 8 AM place to shop- thrift stores time of day- Morning/afternoon day of week- Saturday month- October, December, March holiday- Halloween, Christmas brand of toothpaste- Tom’s Flouride free brand of shampoo- Cantu type of makeup- cruelty free!! usually elf or wet and wild  place to be- Arizona, NY, Philadephia, my room, a peaceful yoga studio, or inside the labs at my school,  subject in school- in highshool art, science or english. In college, anything producing, or production design related, or any environmental sciences classes I’ve taken class - ^^^ teacher - many have inspired me but I don’t want to name names, I have like 3 or 4 favorite teacheres foreign language- French, Italian, German, Russian, Spanish historical event- o___o um never gave much thought to that city- NYC!! article of clothing - jeans item you own - my ukulele, bullet journal, a necklace that someone gave me, crystal collection, or my favorite book, or my stuffed animal of a pig pet- roxy!! my dog animal- Pigs or Bunnies color- Blue, Green, goldeny yellow season- Winter in Florida, or Spring everywhere else, also Autumn type of weather- 70s and sunny career- Writing, Directing, Creating extra curricular activity (dance, gymnastrics, etc.)- this doesn’t count but yoga sport- ehhh swimming? party game- screww that 

Dating & love

physical feature in the opposite sex- eyes, facial hair personality trait of the opposite sex- Humor place to go on a date- FOOD. Movies. A quiet place to chat and look at the stars.. thing to do on a date- talk and connect spiritually and laugh a lot gift to get from your date- something meaningful or relating to an inside joke flower- Sunflower or roses kind of kiss- Cute and small!! place to be kissed- my head!! place to kiss your date- on the dick (jk) topic of conversation with your date- hilariously funny or expanding my mind way to show affection- holding hands way for them to dress- doesn’t matter way to communicate with them (phone, email, etc.) phone or text

Music, Movies, etc. genre of music- indie, experimental, rock, ska, punk band- The bouncing souls, tigers jaw, vance joy, the beatles, less than jake, coldplay singer- chris martin, grace vanderwall, conor oberst,  radio station- doesn’t matter to me concert you've been to- Joyce Manor, All of FEST,  party music- idk romantic music- idk way to listen to music (CD, radio, etc.)- computer music to listen to when you're sad- Bright eyes, coldplay music to listen to when you're angry- Punk music song- Lately “I don’t know my name”, “Riptide” “yellow”  lyrics- idk album- jksdkgsiofgigf song that relates to your life- spirit desire, tigers jaw, and an original by Alexandria Morgan quote- “Lack of Passion is Fatal” “What you are reaching toward is also reaching out to you” “that which we do to one, we do to all”  joke - idk i just love anything that makes me laugh actor - hmm leo actress- hmmmmmmm angelina comedian- Amy schumer  TV show overall - ADVENTURE TIME reality show - n/a game show- n/a drama- idk sitcom- hmmm idk does the office count TV channel- i don’t watch TV, maybe the food network or cartoon network movie- Momento, cowspiracy, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Pan’s Labyrinth, Lord of the rings, the dark knight, pulp fiction, City of God, Donnie Darko, The Godfather, Spirited away. But then I like goofy things like harry potter and shrek and disney movies genre of movie- usually comedy or critically acclaimed or documentary  place to go to the movies- MY BED people to see a movie with- by myself type of movie to see in a theater- comedy

All About You

physical feature- idk not a good question when u h8 urself :\ personality trait- humor, creativity, sensitivity, care about/love everyone way to wear your hair- I always wear it down because I’m lazy, or in a braid way to wear your makeup- natural pair of shoes- black keds, but i don’t have them anymore outfit - jeans and my blue flannel  thing that makes you smile- old memories, adventure time, beautiful music, vegan pizza, my family,  person - hmmmm family member- i love all of them friend- my BFF in seattle room in your house- my room!! place to be alone- my room, or the labs at school, or in nature place to be with your friends- being obscene at any given diner at like 3 AM

The Internet website-youtube, tumblr email host - who cares IM service- FB emoticon - the piggy one online friend- my BFF blog site- tumblrrrr online game - NO IM/chat phrase- idk search engine- there’s one that plants trees with every search, that sounds pretty cool font- who cares lol

Travel & the world type of car - my jetta, or maybe a jeep form of transportation- car or bike, and the very few times I’ve been on a train state in the US - AZ, or NY place to vacation- well I’d love to go to hawaii one day ocean - hmmm country- idk maybe italy place to travel - AZ or Lido beach type of climate (arctic, desert, beach, etc.) - probably beach type of surroundings (city, country, etc.) - I like cities or to be out in nature natural disaster - lol WHAT natural wonder- do rainbows count lol body of water (lake, river, ocean, etc.) OCEAN

Childhood childhood toy- a doll i had childhood memory- disney childhood friend- madison elementary school activity- videogames lol place to play- my backyard game to play- hide and go seek birthday party (yours or a friend's)- i had a pizza party at kabooms once it was the shit food as a kid- pizza way to annoy your parents- by being a bitch way to get what you wanted- cry

what a waste of time

if you read the whole thing ur awesome!! 

[whambamthankyoubram]

ALL OF THEM IM A NOSEY BITCH

YOU ALWAYS DO THIS

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? MORE CEREAL THAN MILK OBVIOUSLY I’M NOT SATAN

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? No bc my cheeks are cold as hell and I need warmth

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? I fold the corners or put little mailings/postcards in them, whatever I have laying around!

4: how do you take your coffee/tea? Tea, nothing; coffee, milk only!

5: are you self-conscious of your smile? Yes :( There’s a gap in my teeth and I hate it. I wish my teeth were perfect.

6: do you keep plants? Nope.

7: do you name your plants? Can’t name the plants you don’t keep, my dude

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? Uhhhh...no?

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? YES all the time.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? Side!

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? 

12: what's your favorite planet? Pluto bc it is still a planet okay

13: what's something that made you smile today? My boyfriend’s Snapchats

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? Messy af

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! “In space, the skin on your feet peels off.” EW SPACE WTF

16: what's your favorite pasta dish? MMMMMM any pasta tbh I’m Italian I will eat anything

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? I love my hair color the way it is now!

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. My ex never let me forget the time I was passed out on his couch, and I woke up intermittently before falling back asleep. He was watching Rush Hour. I asked him, (HALF ASLEEP MIND YOU), Oh, is this the movie with Chris Rock and Bruce Lee? (I’m awful).

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? I write my thoughts and crazy paranoia in there boyyyyyeeeee

20: what's your favorite eye color? BROWN

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. Uhhhhh it’s a longchamp bc I’m a white girl

22: are you a morning person? Not really

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? SLEEP!

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? Not sure

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? I’ve never broken into anything omg

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? My Uggs, because I’m a white girl

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? Mint

28: sunrise or sunset? Sunset

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? My BFF giggles sometimes when she talks and idk it’s cute

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? Fuck yes, have you ever seen a spider? In your shower? Without your glasses on? 

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. I LOVE SOCKS! When I get socks for Christmas I get so excited. I can fall asleep with socks on, but at some point in the night, they’re coming off my feet lol.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. I ate pizza while I was drunk #wowimsocool

33: what's your fave pastry? Cinnamon buns, does that count?

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? Winnie the Motherfuckin Pooh. No :( He fell in the mud and I had to throw him out bc the washer couldn’t fix him

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? Fuck yeah I do!

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? Noooo clue tbh

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? Clean, but it’s always a mess

38: tell us about your pet peeves! I hate when the President sniffs into the microphone while he’s delivering some sort of address, blow ur nose next time or stop doing coke

39: what color do you wear the most? Black lol

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? Nose ring, no special meaning I just really like it

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? An Abundance of Katherines bc I fucking love the shit out of John Green

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! Not really tbh

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? Probably my bf

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? The other night, at the beach! So pretty :)

45: do you trust your instincts a lot? Yes

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. I couldn’t think of any, next question

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? Aerosol cheese

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? Bugs, yes, ew

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? Don’t remember!! I bought the first Glee soundtrack when it came out LOL

50: what's an odd thing you collect? Socks?

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? I associate “All Night” by Chance the Rapper w my bf

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? Salt bae for sure

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? Beetlejuice was the only one, I watched a little of Pulp Fiction - they were both ok

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? My friend :( she’s ok now but I saw her the other night and she was upset

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? Not sure 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people? Laughter and the way people get excited over things

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? It made me feel like I’ve been having too much sugar tonight tbh

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I’M THE WINE MOM!!!! I am the wine QUEEN ok that’s all I ever drink. My bff is the vodka aunt, but she lives miles apart from me so we rarely drink together nowadays 

59: what's your favorite myth? Dude? I don’t have one

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, T.S. Eliot. 

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? I got a really ugly hat once, and I gave a really ugly hat once, at the same Christmas exchange party 

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? Nope

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? Hell no I’m a living mess

64: what color is the sky where you are right now? Black

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? Yes, my bff 

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? Mad lilies! They’re my fav flower

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? Depressed and tired tbh

68: what's winter like where you live? Cold but not too cold bc you know global warming

69: what are your favorite board games? Scrabble!!

70: have you ever used a ouija board? Yes lol

71: what's your favorite kind of tea? ANY KIND! Right now I’m really feeling ginger turmeric from Trader Joe’s, though, soooo good

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? YES.

73: what are some of your worst habits? Uhhh not going to bed early enough lol

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. This person is a HUGE JARLEY FAN and super adorbs!!! Hates Mon-El and LOVES TO RANT ABOUT IT AND I LOVE THIS PERSON REGARDLESS 

75: tell us about your pets! So I have a dog, he’s almost 12 years old which is really depressing bc he’s probably going to pass on soon :( I’m obsessed with him and love him so much!!

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? Yeah, taking my bra off why am I still wearing it

77: pink or yellow lemonade? PINK, always

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? Hate club, get them the fuck away from me

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? One of my old boyfriends learned how to knit for me which I thought was very sweet

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? Aqua! Because I like it?

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. “Comets.”

82: are/were you good in school? Not really

83: what's some of your favorite album art? Ohhhh I know this, I love Californication’s album art so much

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? I have seven!!

85: do you read comics? what are your faves? No

86: do you like concept albums? which ones? Wat

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? The Lion King, BITCH

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? Not really

89: are you close to your parents? Yes

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. NEW YORRRRRK. Concrete jungle where dreams are destroyed you’ll never get anywhere go back to long island

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? Somewhere over the summer, not sure where yet tho

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? In the middle

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? Top knots bc I’m lazy

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? The Weeknd LOL

95: what are your plans for this weekend? Date night, then I’m not sure!

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? Ohhh I procrastinate so much

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? Not sure about the Myer-Briggs type, but I’m a scorpio + Ravenclaw

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? Yes! I think in November. It was chilly, but a lot of fun

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

One Headlight - The Wallflowers (listening now)

Home - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

Love Drought - Beyonce

Under the Bridge - RHCP

Strip My Mind - RHCP

Literally anything by RHCP

Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips (I cry literally every time I listen to it)

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? Neither, because I am choosing to live in the MOMENT :) 

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Smoothie Bowls and Meal Prep: A Brooklyn Nutritionist’s Money Diary

https://fashion-trendin.com/smoothie-bowls-and-meal-prep-a-brooklyn-nutritionists-money-diary/

Smoothie Bowls and Meal Prep: A Brooklyn Nutritionist’s Money Diary

In this edition of MR Money Diaries, Sydney, a registered dietitian and Brooklynite, documents her expenses for a week.

My dad didn’t believe in credit cards. He was a cash guy, always and forever. He traveled with dollar bills strapped to his ankles and stashed under his cowboy boots; this was his normal.

When I was a teenager, he made me keep $60 in my wallet at all times, “just in case.” On a few occasions, I spent said money on clothes (as any 16-year-old might) and he lectured me about the irresponsibility of not having cash on hand.

Fast-forward nine years and things have changed. My slim wallet currently contains 72 cents, a debit card and a credit card. Now I’m a registered dietitian who works at Middleberg Nutrition, a private practice in Manhattan on 56th Street between Park and Lexington Ave. Most of my money these days is spent on food. Though I like to look nice while discussing food, I’d rather put that $60 in cash toward organic produce than a fancy dress. I covet Vitamixes now, not trendy handbags.

I live with my dog, Charlie, and my partner, Jordan. I am the primary grocery store shopper in my household and 99% of my shopping is done at the Park Slope Food Coop. I guess you could say I’m one of those “crunchy granola Brooklynites.” Here’s a week of my receipts as proof:

This was a pretty standard shopping day for me. I go veggie-heavy when I’m grocery shopping and I look for products with minimal packaging. I also choose one to two proteins that can be stretched throughout the week (like ground turkey, chicken or eggs). 70% of the produce at the Coop is local and it all looked so good today.

Splitting groceries with my partner is very convenient and if you factor the total out over the week, it brings our meal totals to less than $15/day per person. A random Amazon purchase like today’s dog food and beeswax food savers usually gets made every week. Let’s hope this is the only one.

I didn’t spend a dime until 5:48 PM. I had overnight oats for breakfast and a big-ass homemade salad with Safe Catch Wild Tuna for lunch.

I used to go out to dinner all. of. the. time. NY Eater’s “Heat Maps” were my bible. When I was in college, I would drop money at Whole Foods and then barely use half of my groceries. (I will shamefully admit that I was a big food waster.)

These days, I save my dinners out for the weekend (or if my best friend is in town from LA, as was the case here). It’s rare that I don’t use all my groceries, and on the off chance I don’t use something, I save it to be composted. (I really am “crunchy granola.”) My $34.39 dinner could have been spent at a tastier spot, but tonight it was all about the company.

This is a pretty normal day for me. I ate a makeshift breakfast today. (It was a little bit of everything, including an almond breakfast cookies from Clean Eating Magazine, which was amazing. Here’s the recipe.)

I had to do some recipe testing at the office so I snacked for an hour, then came home and made a little salad for lunch. Dinner was organic chicken breast plus roasted asparagus and fennel. Here’s how to make it:

Marinate a chicken breast (or two to three chicken breasts if you want to have more for later) in balsamic vinegar, avocado oil, salt, pepper, Italian spices for at least 30 minutes. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway. Midway through the chicken’s cooking, put the veggies on a tray, spray them with avocado oil and sprinkle them with pepper. Let those roast for the next 12.5 minutes.

While the chicken and veggies were roasting, I meal-prepped some mini egg frittatas. (Whisk together six eggs, add in any veggies you have and then pour into muffin tins; this makes six muffins. Place them in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Store in tupperware for up to four days, and when you’re ready to eat, either microwave for one to two minutes, or reheat for five minutes in the toaster oven.) I will get three breakfasts out of this little recipe and each muffin costs about $2.00. I have early clients tomorrow and won’t have time to make a smoothie, so 25 minutes of my time to save myself $11.00 on a smoothie seems reasonable.

On a shittier note, my dog may or may not have fleas. 🤔😷🐶

I made coffee at home and brought breakfast (egg muffins) to the office. For lunch I ate leftover chicken and roasted veggies over spinach. For dinner I ate the rest of the leftover chicken and avocado in a Siete Tortilla with a side of — you guessed it — roasted veggies.

If you are wondering WTF a Siete Tortilla is, it is a grain-free, corn-free tortilla and it is delicious AF.

I don’t usually get massages midday on a Friday but I was feeling super sick today so I hit up one of Park Slope’s best-kept secrets: Sunshine Best Body Work. Their acupressure massages are cheap and more torture than luxury but I always walk out of there feeling like a new human.

For breakfast I ate another egg muffin and a homemade smoothie. Lunch was bone broth and avocado. For dinner: Turkey tacos. I also finished up the rest of those roasted veggies.

While waiting for the check at dinner I looked at my girlfriend and was like, Shit, I love this human; I am going to buy her dinner.

I ate breakfast and lunch at home and I made homemade chocolate bark today. Here’s how: Mix 1/4 cup melted coconut oil with 1/4 cup cacao powder. Add in dash of cinnamon and sprinkle of sea salt. (I added in crushed almonds for some crunch.) Then pour onto parchment paper and freeze.

I ate breakfast and dinner plus a snack (Wasa crackers and turmeric hummus) at home. My girlfriend paid for lunch. For dinner, I made a makeshift taco bowl (spinach on the bottom, roasted veggies, turkey meat, avocado, sauerkraut and salsa.

Today was another no-spend day! I made my own lunch (eggs and avocado) and dinner (a big salad). For breakfast, I made a smoothie bowl. This recipe serves two!

Smoothie Bowl: – 2.5 cups unsweetened almond milk (pour this in first) – 2 cups frozen kale – 1/2 frozen banana – 1/4 cup frozen blackberries – 1/2 cup frozen zucchini – Cinnamon – Optional: Protein powder (I added Vital Proteins) – 1 tbsp. Chia seeds. – Any other toppings (I added shaved coconut, sunflower seeds and almonds)

You may have to blend a few times to get to your desired consistency.

_______________________________________________________________

Keeping track of my spending while writing down my meals every day was definitely interesting. I ask all of my clients keep a food journal and then I review it in-between sessions so it was cool to be on the other side of journaling. I think 16-year-old me would balk at how I spend my money in NYC but adult me is pretty pleased with the total. My weekends are lamer than they once were but I’ll take a simple burger and a movie over standing on a couch at the club any day. And hey, if most of my money goes toward quality food that nourishes me and supports small farmers, I’ll take it.

My dad, who sadly passed away two years ago, used to mock me for going food shopping in my free time. I think he would be happy to know that not much has changed without him — and then he’d lecture me for this cashless life I have since adopted.

Photo by Madeline Montoya.