#where i got some good ass pulled pork nachos

[jacqcrisis]

Trip gets pushed back a day late cause of weather. Grandpa and grandma get sick with norovirus the day we get here so we have to stay at my dad’s coworkers spare house while here. Grandpa has to go to the ER and into isolation. We spend a lot of today talking about how aunt and uncle are going to get grandparents back home. Night ends with dad’s fiancee throwing up in the car on the ride to drop us off back at spare house. 

Still a better, more relaxing vacation than any I’ve had with my mom.

[sylvanfreckles]

Bedridden (Time for Whump, Boys #16)

Someone has a birthday!

This is for @angelfishofthelord, who not only has a birthday today but also keeps asking for stories in the AU where Ellen and Jo survived "Abandon All Hope" and adopt human!Cas in season 9

This is one of those stories

Summary: Castiel tries to comfort Jo when she's injured on a hunt...only to find himself the one comforted.

...

Castiel froze with a wince as a floorboard creaked beneath his feet, betraying his presence to the occupant of the room at the top of the stairs. It was ridiculous, anyway...he was here to deliver a meal to his bedridden friend, not to sneak past her.

“You might as well come in,” Jo called, her voice muffled through the solid wood of the door. “Not like I can get the door right now.”

Carefully, Castiel nudged the door open and wisely held the tray of food in front of him before entering Jo's room. “I brought nachos,” he offered.

“Oh my god,” Jo groaned. She dropped the paperback novel she'd been reading face down on her bedside table and held her hands out, making grasping motions with her fingers. “Quick, get in here before Mom sees.”

“It was suggested that you might like extra cheese and tomatoes,” Castiel said as he carefully unfolded the tray's legs so it could rest on the bed on either side of Jo's hips.

“Hey, I'll take pulled pork and sauerkraut as long as it's not more oatmeal and chicken broth,” Jo retorted. She was already levering up a chip to cram into her mouth, her other hand cupped close to her chest to catch the dripping cheese. “This is amazing,” she moaned around a mouthful of cheese.

Castiel couldn't help but smile as he gently straightened out the blankets across Jo's legs. Her right leg was wrapped in a heavy cast from just above her knee to the tip of her toes, and even her enthusiasticenjoyment of the nachos couldn't distract from the bandages around her wrists and throat.

Ellen said it was all right. Jo was hurt but they'd made it in time. She'd be okay. Life was all that mattered.

He knew this wouldn't have happened if he'd still been an angel.

“Hey,” Jo's voice pulled him out of his dark thoughts. She was staring at him, eyebrows raised until they all but vanished beneath her bangs. “You really making me eat this whole plate by myself?”

Castiel hesitated for a moment. He needed to eat now, of course—although it was growing tiresome. But there were plenty of simple, inexpensive foods in the kitchen downstairs...leftovers, even, that would go to waste. No use intruding on his friend's convalescence any further when he would be of no use to her.

“I mean it,” Jo said. Her gaze was intense, her eyes suddenly hard to meet. “Get your ass up here and eat some of these before Mom takes 'em away.”

Slowly, carefully, he sat on the very edge of the bed, head down to study his hands in his lap.

“Hey.”

He twisted to look at the young woman. Jo was holding out a nacho, the cheese threatening to overrun her fingers. “Eat it,” she insisted.

He took the chip from her and solemnly took a bite. She huffed out a laugh and returned to the plate. “Come on, man. I could really use the company.”

The nacho reminded him just a little of the Gas-N-Sip. Though the cheese Ellen kept in the kitchen was of a much higher quality than that in the gas station, there was still that combination of the crisp saltiness of the chip and the smoothness of the cheese that he remembered.

“How are these so good?” Jo demanded around another mouthful of cheese. “You have to tell me your secrets.”

Pleased, Castiel edged further back on the bed, until he was sitting against the headboard, bent knee rested on the bed to keep his shoes off the blankets. The least he could do was keep Jo company, after all. “You need to layer the chips and cheese,” he informed her. “Otherwise you end up with a hot mess on top and dry crumbs on the bottom.”

Jo let out an alarming snort and clamped one hand over her mouth. Castiel leaned close and rested a hand on her back. “Jo? Are you all right?”

She waved her free hand, coughing. “Promise me you'll never say that again.”

Castiel leaned back, frowning a little in confusion. “All right....” He'd only been repeating what Brandon had always said. The Gas-N-Sip night supervisor (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday—but not Friday because he was a freelance DJ) had always waxed eloquent on the best ways to prepare the leftover food. Nora didn't care if they ate it, since it had to be thrown out anyway, as long as everything was properly recorded.

“Hey,” Jo elbowed him in the arm and gestured at the two cans resting on the far side of the tray. “What's this?”

“This is, ah,” Castiel picked up one of the cans and held it between his hands, focusing on the label. “BuckSnort root beer.” He didn't need to look to know Jo was staring at him. When he glanced over she just looked from his face to the can of root beer and raised her eyebrows. Castiel sighed.

“You can only find it in Idaho. It's a small batch soda company. Nora bought...she got some for the store but couldn't make an arrangement to carry it, so she gave us the leftover stock.”

“So how does fancy, handmade root beer from Idaho make it all the way here?” Jo asked. She was licking nacho cheese off her fingers, despite the pile of napkins Castiel had left on the tray.

Castiel tried to pull himself out of his memories. His time at the Gas-N-Sip hadn't always been pleasant, but Nora had let him keep the leftover half of that case of root beer. Small kindnesses like that always left him in awe of humanity. “Ellen ordered it. I thought you might like the taste.”

“Oh, no,” Jo shook her head. “Mom must've ordered that for you. You keep it.”

He hesitated for a moment, then leaned over to pull another chip off of her plate. “Are you really making me drink that entire case by myself?”

Jo let out a laughed and picked up her own can. “Fine, you win. Fancy, handmade root beer for everyone!” She held her can out toward him, and he gently touched it with his own.

He popped the top on his can and waited while Jo tasted hers. She took a sip, held the can out at arm's length to study the label, then took a longer drink. “This is...”

“Wintergreen, sassafrass, and licorice,” Castiel explained before drinking from his own can. The carbonation fizzed at his nose and the inside of his mouth, but in an oddly refreshing way.

“It's incredible.” Jo set her can down on her tray and reached over to rest a hand on Castiel's knee. “Thanks, Cas. You have no idea how much I needed this.”

Embarrassment was...odd. It was almost like shame, but tinged with something close to pleasure. It made heat run up the back of his neck to his ears, and he suddenly found himself unwilling to look up from the soda can cradled between his hands.

Jo gave his knee a squeeze before she pulled away to cram another nacho in her mouth. “Oh! I know! It's Thursday, right?”

Castiel squinted up at her, but she was already turned away from him to rustle through the drawer of her bedside table. “That's important?”

She turned back, triumphant, brandishing a TV remote. “Thursday's my favorite day,” she explained with a wink.

The heat was spreading from his ears to his cheeks and he dropped his gaze. Jo let out a teasing laugh and tipped toward him until she could bump him with her shoulder. “The game show channel plays old Jeopardyepisodes all day on Thursdays.”

Castiel stared up at the TV mounted on the wall opposite Jo's bed. Two men and a woman were standing behind podiums, and a third man seemed to be asking them questions. Or answering them, maybe?

The woman's podium lit up. “Who is Babe Didrikson?”

The third man congratulated her on a correct answer...question...and told her to select again. “I don't understand,” Castiel murmured, shifting to get closer to Jo. “Are they answering questions or asking them?”

“It's backward,” Jo explained, mouth full of more nachos. The plate was more than half empty by now, and Castiel felt a spike of guilt when he noticed a smear of cheese on top of Jo's blanket. “The questions you get are more like statements, and you have to make your answer sound like a question.”

Castiel stared up at the TV. One of the men was giving a non-answer now. “Why is he asking what baseball is?”

“The question was about a book about baseball,” Jo gestured at the TV with one hand while she took a long drink from her root beer with the other. “I never got the whole answer-with-a-question thing either, but it's fun to try to play along. Oh, they're doing proverbs now, I bet you'd be good at that.”

“Do this 'in haste and repeat at leisure',” the host was saying.

Castiel frowned. “Marry?”

“You got it!” Jo cheered, elbowing his arm, while the host was explaining the answer. “Look, that Rick guy didn't know it.”

He studied the game again, barely noticing when Jo tried to shove a nacho into his face. “Feather by feather. The goose is plucked feather by feather.” He took the chip out of her hand and ate it solemnly as the contestant chose the next answer-question.

“In the rhyming proverb, 'what can't be' this 'must be endured'.”

“Cured!” Jo pointed at the TV. “Mom says that all the time. 'What can't be cured must be endured'. And I've got the cast to prove it.”

Almost unconsciously, Castiel glanced down at the hard lump that was Jo's broken leg. Close enough to touch...but he had no power to heal. Not anymore. “Jo, I...”

“Hey,” Jo interrupted, holding her can of root beer out toward him again. “To endurance.”

He let himself smile, tapping his own can against hers. The strength of Jo's spirit was almost magnetic, pulling him back out of his own self-doubts and despair. He'd set out to comfort her...but it seemed like he was the one being comforted.

“To endurance.”

...

(BuckSnort is an actual Idaho-only brand of root beer. I haven't tried it, I just googled it.)

(This is part of the Whumptober 2018 prompts, you can read them here)

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy

Summary: After the reader’s date doesn’t show up at a bar one night, she gets to know the man sitting at the other end...

Pairing: Cowboy!Jensen x reader

Square: Clothes Sharing

Word Count: 4,000ish

Warnings: Mature (language, smut)

A/N: Written for @spnkinkbingo . I left this one a bit opened ended on purpose to possibly return to... 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” you groaned at the bar, your friend Julie giggling in her seat beside you. “Online dating. I’m meeting I guy I met on an online dating site. Oh my God.”

“Hey. I met Barry through that site! Now we got the whole white picket fence and kid at home thing going on,” she said.

“The guy was supposed to be here like two hours ago,” you groaned. “He ditched. I can’t even get a date online. I’m hopeless.”

“Uh, bartender? Another shot of whiskey for my girl,” she said. You held up two fingers, Julie laughing. She frowned when her phone lit up, tilting her head back. “And the baby just went full mess mode, both ends.”

“Go save your husband,” you said. “This guy’s not gonna show.”

“Don’t drive home if you keep knocking them back like that,” she said.

“I won’t. See you at work Monday,” you said, giving her a wave as she stood up. “I’ll take another beer with those shots.”

“Vodka straight,” said a guy, sitting down right next to you an hour later. You looked around the bar top, mostly empty except for a guy in a cowboy hat nursing a bourbon around the bend. “You the internet chick? Hallie?”

“And this is as far as this goes,” you said. “Go away.”

“Come on, Heather. It’s-”

“You’re drunk and smell like you’ve already been on a date so I’m passing. Now leave me alone,” you said.

“You were-”

“Pal,” said the guy in the cowboy hat, tilting his head up so you could see a pair of dark green eyes looking over in your direction. “Every hear of the term no means no? The lady said to get so I’d get gone.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Sober enough to whoop your ass for starters,” he said. The internet guy stared for a moment before he waved off the bartender and left. You got a nod from the cowboy before he went back to his drink.

“I had it handled you know,” you said after a beat. He smiled and looked into his glass, sipping on it slowly.

“I’m sure you did,” he said. “Didn’t mean anything by it. Just trying to even out the douchebaggery of the world is all.”

“You talk weird,” you said. He chuckled, pointing for a refill.

“You talk weird. You got the accent around these parts, not me, honey,” he said. “That how they flirt wherever it is you’re from? Insult the man first?”

“I’m having a bad enough night without you getting on my back,” you said.

“Apologies,” he said as he got his drink. “I’ll take an order of your nacho fries for my friend here too. Put it on my tab.”

You raised an eyebrow at the guy, watching him give it right back.

“Well a thing like you need’s some food in there to soak up all those drinks before you head on back home for the night,” he said.

“I kind of want to be drunk right now, thanks,” you said.

“Great, you’re drunk. By the time you leave, you’ll be in a right state to now,” he said.

You blinked at him, opening your mouth to say more but nothing came out.

“Miss?”

“You know I’m not going home with you, don’t you?” you said.

“I’m not that kind of man. Not until the third date at least.”

Three Dates Later

“Fuck, Jensen,” you growled, ripping off his belt and feeling his hands all over your face as soft country rock played on the radio in his truck.

“Hey. I didn’t take you out for a picnic date under the stars for some front seat-” he said before you leaned back, blinking slowly at him. “It’s too small up here. Come on.”

He grabbed your hand and used one to hold his pants up, pulling you back outside and onto the blanket near the dwindling fire. You shoved off his flannel and Jensen lay back on the blanket, holding it up to you as you cocked your head.

“You got goosebumps, silly,” he said.

“Cowboys. You always gotta be so thoughtful,” you said, pulling it on before you resumed shoving off your shorts and underwear, climbing on top of his cock as Jensen sighed.

“You want to be cowgirl,” he teased.

“Oh my…” you groaned, Jensen chuckling as he rested his hands on your hips. “Isn’t it the cowboys that normally do the riding?”

“I much prefer this,” he said. “If only we had some Big & Rich on…”

“I bet you’ve never used that one before,” you said.

“Only on the girls I like,” he said, flashing you a wink. “Uh, Y/N?”

“This isn’t like your first time is it? That’s cool just...” you asked, Jensen shaking his head. “You don’t want to do this anymore?”

“No, I do. You look very beautiful right now is all,” he said. “Extremely beautiful.”

“You’re sweet,” you said, leaning down to kiss him, Jensen wrapping his arms around your back and slowly thrusting up into you. “You don’t do this often, do you.”

“Am I that bad?”

“No! No, you’re great. Please continue,” you said, Jensen rolling you to your back as he hovered over you, getting a better angle to pump his hips. “I meant...you’re a bit flirty and cocky but you’re a gentleman.”

“I’ve slept with a handful of women, all of them beautiful, all of them were my girlfriends when I did it too. Never had sex outside before though,” he chuckled. “You might be bringing out a side of me I didn’t know I had.”

“Anybody get your flannel?”

“Nope. Nobody got my flannel. That’s my favorite one too, you know,” he said.

“I must be special,” you said, fluttering your eyes closed when he fell into a nice deep rhythm. “Mmm.”

“Those little sounds are nice and all but no need to be shy. Where’s that girl that was in the truck tearing my clothes off?” he teased.

“She’s right here. We can do that on date four if you’d like,” you said.

“How do you know you’re getting another date, honey?” he asked, giving you a short kiss and his rocked his hips deep inside you.

“Just a feeling, cowboy,” you said, rolling your hips up to met his, his head dropping to your shoulder. “Don’t stop now. We’re just getting started.”

“Hey, honey,” said Jensen when you answered your phone the next day.

“Cowboy,” you said, smirking as you glanced at his flannel in your laundry basket.

“Listen. I apologize in advance but I’m gonna have to cancel our date tonight.”

“Oh,” you said. Shit, you’d probably been too forward the night before. He was a quieter guy and you’d probably scared him off.

“I know it’s last minute but could I take you out for lunch in about half an hour instead? We can postpone that other thing until another time,” he said. “If you’re busy that’s okay.”

“No. No. I just had chores planned. I’ll meet you there.”

“Hi, Jens,” you said, sliding into the chair across from him, Jensen leaning over to peck a kiss on your cheek. “Barbeque. You sure do know the way to a woman’s heart.”

“They got some tofu imitation stuff or something if you don’t eat meat,” he said. “You got the salad and pasta the other times we’ve got out so I wasn’t sure.”

“I like barbeque. But that’s very considerate of you,” you said, grabbing a menu.

“I’d much rather be going out tonight.”

“Jens, it’s cool, honestly. A lunch date is great.”

“We got a last minute rodeo tonight apparently,” he mumbled, eyes scanning over the plates on offer.

“A rodeo?” you asked. He smiled and nodded, returning his gaze to the laminated paper. “What kind of rodeo?”

“A few horses. That stuff is boring,” he said, taking off his sunglasses when the sun went behind some clouds. “You see anything that looks good?”

“I think I’ll get the number three platter,” you said.

“A woman after my own heart. I was thinking the same thing,” he said, putting the menu down.

A few minutes later your order was in and you were sharing a basket of fries, sipping on your iced tea.

“So you said you work on a ranch before. What’s that like?” you asked.

“Like you imagine I figure,” he said. “It ain’t all that interesting.”

“I work in an office. It’s way more interesting than what I do,” you said. He didn’t take the bite though and only hummed, munching on a fry. “So are you a ranch hand? That’s the right term, right?”

“Yeah. I’m not one of those though, not traditionally. The ranch I work on ain’t that large. I got my own house and all,” he said. “On the edge of town.”

“Nice. I’m still saving for one,” you said. “I’m not a huge fan of living in the city.”

“Really?” he asked. “You seem…”

“I seem what?”

“Like a city girl. Like you always get all prettied up for dates,” he said.

“...well it’s a date so I want to look nice,” you said, narrowing your eyes a split second.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Your food came out not too long after, the two of you making small talk for most of it, Jensen a bit stiff until you were heading out.

“Hey,” he said as you both paused to head back to your car. “I didn’t mean...we got two differents kinds of lives is all, Y/N.”

“If you want out, just say so,” you said.

“You’re kind of sensitive you know.”

“Back at ya,” you said, crossing your arms. “I didn’t realize you got a thing against someone putting on makeup and heels for a date.”

“I don’t.”

“Then what’s the problem.”

“I...don’t think we have that much in common,” he said.

“I’m starting to see how this works for you. After you get sex, you ditch the girl, hm?” you asked.

“I don’t think we’re compatible,” he said.

“Yeah. Me either. Thanks for lunch,” you said, taking off back to your car.

You finished up your chores when you got home and we’re just tossing the leftovers of a TV dinner in the trash when your phone rang.

You rolled your eyes but answered anyways.

“If you want your precious flannel back, text me an address and I’ll send it in the mail, okay?” you asked.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” said Jensen. “I...there’s stuff you don’t know, stuff that’s too soon to bring up. I’m sorry for how I acted. I mean, you put away a half slab of ribs and a plate of brisket and pulled pork...that’s an attractive woman on it’s own. I just...I screwed up. I keep screwing it up. But you’re the first woman that’s ever tried to learn more about me. Like you were trying to ask stuff about what I do and I brushed you off cause I’m not like the guys in suits walking around your fancy office building. I know what I am. I got scared and I’m sorry.”

“...I wouldn’t date you if I had an issue with you. I don’t care that you wear plaid and cowboy boots on every date. I dress up because that’s what I was taught. You do what you do because of how you were raised. The only problem I have is when someone tries to judge me for it,” you said.

“I understand,” he said, the phone quiet for a few seconds. “You can keep the flannel. It’s okay.”

“You’re not going to ask me out again?” you asked.

“I’d rather spare myself the humiliation if that’s alright with you.”

“Jensen. Ask me out again,” you said.

“Why?”

“Just do it,” you said.

“Want to come to the rodeo tonight?” he asked. “I won’t be able to hang out much since I’m working it.”

“Yeah,” you said, smiling as you walked into your bedroom and to the closet. “Anything I should know in particular?”

“I’d use the staff entrance so you get in for free. Other than that, I suppose not,” he said.

“I’ll see you soon then, cowboy,” you said. “And Jensen? There’s nothing wrong with getting scared you know.”

“I’ll see you soon, honey.”

You found a parking spot with only a little bit of trouble, feeling a little out of place as most people headed for the main entrance. You skirted around to the side, the guy at the door letting you in once you gave him your name.

The smell hit you first as you walked around on the hay covered floor, someone walking by with a horse. You could see a bunch of stalls, some filled with them, some empty, some with people inside too.

After walking back through them and only getting lost about three different times, you felt a tap on your finger.

“Your Ackles’ new girl right? I’m Jared. I own a few of the horses at the ranch he works at and he asked I take care of you tonight,” he said.

“And I thought Jensen was tall,” you laughed. “Yeah, I’m Y/N.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” said Jared with a big smile. “Come on. I’ll set you up.”

“Uh, not to show how little I know about this stuff but what is this exactly?” you asked.

“Tonight they’re doing an impromptu horse rodeo. It can differ depending on the animal and event but tonight it’s barrel racing up first, that’s what my horses are running in. That’s like young girls, normally teenagers, they got these barrels set up out in the arena and they have to get the horse out of the gate and then they sprint out around the barrels and come back in. Fastest wins. Then they got the classic saddle bronc event, you know, a horse with a saddle on and it tries to buck off the rider? They got that and then bareback which is the same thing mostly but no saddle. Jensen’s going to be helping with set up and the horses,” he said.

“So it’s like a sport kind of,” you said.

“Yeah. Not much different than a football game. Well, a little different but it’s the same idea,” said Jared. “Let’s go grab a snack, get into the fresh air for a minute.”

The fresh air smelled like dirt and beer to be honest but Jared got you each a beer and a box of popcorn for himself, nodding over to the bleachers. You followed him up, Jared settling down as he pointed across the way.

“There’s our boy,” he said as you spotted Jensen in his hat talking to a young girl. “That’s Zoe. She’s riding my biggest boy, Ape, tonight. First time in a competition. He’s probably giving her a pep talk.”

“So Jensen trains horses too?”

“No...sort of. He’s kind of...there when training happens. His job is to take care of the horses so wherever they go, he goes,” said Jared. “That’s only part of his job. He does other ends and ends. Most ranchers do.”

“He had a date tonight,” you said, Jared chuckling.

“Yeah. I found out after I told him about the rodeo. I told the dumbass to pick the girl over work next time,” said Jared. “Sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. I think some good came out of it. Cleared up some things,” you said.

“Good. I’m gonna go say hey to the riders. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

The rodeo had turned out to be more fun than it had any right to be and Jared kept you entertained and explained a few of the rules or points when you didn’t quite understand. You were a little grateful when Jensen didn’t participate in the rancher’s competition for a bit of prize money, especially when one guy got tossed nearly ten feet.

“Alright,” said Jared when you were back near the staff entrance, his hands finding someone in a cowboy hat and spinning him around. “Ackles, go hang out with this sweet girl. I got the horses for the night.”

“You sure?” asked Jensen.

“I’m sure. Go get her a drink,” said Jared. Jensen nodded and gave you a shy smile, showing you out of the building and into the night air.

“Sorry I was so busy tonight,” he said. “Jared said you had a good time.”

“I did,” you said, Jensen’s smiling growing as he looked you up and down. “I wore jeans and sneakers. No make up either. Must be the end times.”

“I deserve that,” he said.

“I’m all for not wearing heels,” you said. “Just don’t assume things about the kind of person I am, okay?”

“I got the message,” he said. “So can I get you that drink?”

“Jensen,” you said when you got out of your car, parked behind him in his driveway. “This is your house? Your house?”

“Uh, yes?” he laughed. “Come on. Oh, I do have a dog just a heads up.”

“What the…” you said, following him to the front door and inside. Somehow the house looked even bigger once you were in the foyer area, Jensen pulling off his boots and tucking them into a mudroom. You kicked off your sneakers, a small dog running over, sniffing and wagging his tail.

“Hi baby boy,” said Jensen all high pitched, the dog jumping up and Jensen catching him in his arms. He was blushing a little when he carried him over to you, holding the dog up. “Harrison, this is Y/N. Y/N, Harrison.”

“He’s adorable,” you said, the dog licking your nose, tail going a mile a minute. “Hi buddy.”

“Alright bud, why don’t you go on back to bed. It’s past your bedtime,” said Jensen. The dog snorted and took off down a hall, Jensen chuckling as he poked his head in and saw him tucked away in a bed in the laundry room. “He’s a goof.”

“I wonder where he gets it from,” you said, following Jensen into a large open kitchen. You raised an eyebrow as you looked around, Jensen grabbing a bottle of bourbon from the countertop. “I may have to get into the ranch business myself.”

“I’m the exception, not the standard,” he said, sliding over a glass. “I appreciate you going tonight and all.”

“I liked going tonight and all. You’re a hard nut to crack, Ackles,” you said.

“Want to drink out back?” he said. You followed him outside to a screened in patio area. It was beautiful out there, Jensen smirking when you kept looking around. “It’s nice out here.”

“Yeah it is,” you said.

“Jared tell you how we met?” he asked. You shook your head, Jensen nodding.

“You guys go to school or something?”

“No. No. We met in LA,” he said.

“LA? That’s different.”

“I grew up with ranching. I knew the ins and outs of it by the time I was in high school. One day, a got spotted by one of those agent people when I was hanging with a few buddies at the mall. I was like no way but I talked to my parents about it and it was legit and everything so I got into modeling. That turned into more modeling which turned into more modeling and you get the picture.”

“So you haven’t always been a rancher,” you said.

“No. I stopped for a few years there while I was in LA. I made a stupid amount of money and hung out with people I really didn’t like. Except for Jared. He was cool. It’s where I had those other relationships I was talking about. Get told you’re a dumb hick enough, you start to believe it,” he said.

“Anybody smart enough to leave that kind of environment isn’t an idiot,” you said.

“I’ve been back a few years. I never make it past a first date nowadays,” he said as he turned his head. “I’m gonna make more mistakes like I did today. Assume things. I can guarantee it.”

“Well no relationship is perfect. When you’re ready to tell me the rest of that story, you will. Until then, I will be extremely jealous of this kickass house,” you said.

“It’s actually a rental,” he said. “I’m looking to get a house built.”

“Got a builder lined up?” you asked.

“I have a piece of land but not a builder. I need one of those designers everyone I talk to tells me. I’m complicated apparently.”

“Nothing wrong with getting what you want. That girl that was at the bar with me the night we met, her husband is one of those. A designer,” you said.

“A dude designer?”

“Mhm. I can give you his number. He can definitely make it the feel you want without being too man cave,” you said.

“Maybe I will. I’ve been looking for a house for years though so I wouldn’t want to get his hopes up.”

“Looking to get back into the modeling game?” you asked.

“Never. I don’t see the sense of spending all that money to build a house and then have a lady come in someday and hate everything about it is all,” he said.

“That’s why you get a designer to help. Plus you don’t want to be with a chick like that, trust me,” you said, sipping on your drink.

“You look real beautiful like that,” he said after a beat.

“Oh yeah, I’m so hot,” you laughed, fixing your zip up around yourself.

“See when I tell you you’re beautiful and you’re all dressed up and covered your face in creams and blush and all that, you believe me. When you’re just you though, you don’t seem to believe that,” he said. “That’s kind of a real shame since I think I like this look on you even more.”

“You got your secrets, I got mine,” you said.

“Very true. You are beautiful though, honey,” he said.

“Thank you, Jensen,” you said quietly. “So beside dealing with horses, what other kind of stuff do you do on the ranch?”

“I’m going up to my parents tomorrow to help out with a few things. They’re out of town so no need to worry about bumping into them if you’d like to hang out,” he said.

“I’d love to.”

[flowerfan2]

Bound To Be Together - Chapter 13 (9.13)

McDanno, M, A03 A continuous story of Season 9 codas exploring the bond between Steve and Danny as they grow even closer.

Chapter 13 (9.13)

Steve’s still feeling a little shocky when he thinks about his team’s latest close call, even though Tani and Junior assure him that the only lasting effect from their sixteen hours in the hyperbaric chamber was an intense case of boredom.  Adam takes the day off, but the kids do seem fine, so much so that by the end of the day they’re demanding that everyone go out for drinks to celebrate a job well done.

Steve, however, is exhausted, and he still has a ton of paperwork to do.  He tells the team he’ll meet up with them in a little while, and gives himself a ten minute break to put his head down on his desk before he gets back to work.  It’s not something he’s accustomed to doing, but there’s no question that his crazy free dive yesterday has taken it out of him.

And if he’s honest with himself, he’s also avoiding Danny.  Danny’s given him time to figure his shit out, but in typical McGarrett fashion when it comes to relationships, he’s still procrastinating.  Although he thinks he made a little progress yesterday, finally asking Danny what was up with him and Rachel.  If only they had had a slightly longer walk before they found the body, he might have gotten more information.  But he’s pretty sure Danny told him there’s nothing going on.

Then Steve had to go and pull another of what Danny will likely call one of his stunts.  Danny had hardly protested; Steve can’t decide if Danny refrained because he’s just gotten tired of arguing with him, or if he realized that if Steve did nothing three of their closest friends (and all the scientists trapped on the underwater lab) would be dead.  The look on Danny’s face when he pulled Steve back up out of the water, the way Danny looked at him when Steve sat gasping for air… it was hard to decipher.  

Danny wasn’t angry at Steve, not like he was when Steve jumped into the stupid sand processing machine to catch a perp.  But he was holding something back.  Danny’s trying to give Steve his space, Steve thinks, and it turns out Steve doesn’t much like it.

 What he wants is his old Danny back, the one that says whatever’s on his mind, that will rant and wave his hands around, that isn’t afraid to raise his voice and argue with Steve. But Steve’s gone and made everything between them awkward, and Steve’s too much of a chicken to fix it.

 Even their time with Grace is weird these days.  Danny’s overprotective of her, with good reason, but while he’s happy to let Steve see her as well, he didn’t exactly invite him over for breakfast.  Danny wouldn’t even make Steve any pancakes.  He didn’t even laugh when Steve joked about it.

 Steve finally forces himself to pick his head up off his desk and stop sulking.  He’s got to actually do the paperwork he talked about, or when Monday comes everyone will know he was making excuses.

 An hour or so has gone by when his phone rings.  The governor wants a full down-run of the Nostromo situation, and then somehow the conversation turns to the governor’s friend’s nephew who wants to go to West Point and is looking for some advice on the application process and how to get a congressional nomination.  Steve doesn’t have a lot of recent information on the subject, but he’s got some friends that might be able to help, and he goes down a bit of a rabbit hole online to find the governor some information that might be useful.  

 It’s a good way to procrastinate some more.  With any luck, the team will finish up soon and he’ll be off the hook, free to go home and fall into bed without anyone having to witness how freaking tired he is.

 When he gets off with the governor, he turns back to his case report, and he’s just finessing the language about Junior’s clever use of the rescue beacon (which probably saved his life) when his phone rings again.

 “You’re not so old that you completely ignore all texts, are you?  Because I refuse to believe it, but I can be convinced.”  It’s Tani, sounding peeved.  There’s music in the background, and he can hear Junior enthusiastically butchering the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody.

 “Officer Rey, how can I help you?”  Steve says.

 “We’re still at Rumfire, bossman, waiting for you.”

 Steve glances at this watch. It’s after ten.  Oops.  “Um, Tani, I’m not sure-”

 “Don’t say it.  Do not say it.  Just get your ass over here.”

 “Really, I’m pretty tired-”

 There’s a deep sigh over the phone.  “You really haven’t read any of my texts tonight, have you?”

 He hasn’t.  And he has the feeling it’s too late.  “I’ve been on the phone with the governor.”  This is at least true, although definitely not the only reason he’s still at headquarters.

 “I’m sure that’s terribly important.  But your BFF is important too, right?”

 Steve’s stomach lurches. “What’s wrong with Danny?”

 Tani snorts.  “At least that got your attention.  He’s five sheets to the wind, as they probably say in the Navy, or at least they did back in the olden days.  And he won’t leave until you get here.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “He keeps saying he’s waiting for you.  ‘I’m waiting for that dumbass,’ are actually the words Danny used.  Multiple times.  Emphasis on ‘dumbass.’”

 Shit.  “But he’s okay?”

 Tani sighs, and mutters something that sounds very much like “you’re both dumbasses,” but Steve doesn’t call her on it.

 “Yes, Danny’s fine. But he’s totally wasted, and I think you should come get him.”

 Steve gets to the bar as quickly as he can, and tries to not wonder too much about what Danny really means when he says he’s “waiting” for Steve.  He’s pretty sure it’s not just Danny wanting Steve to come have mai tai’s (although they do make killer mai tai’s at Rumfire).

 The traffic is ridiculous in Waikiki, and the crowds of people along Kalakaua Avenue do nothing for Steve’s nerves.  He finally makes it through the Sheraton and into the bar.

 The place is packed, as it usually is on a Friday night, and it takes him a while to push through the sweaty crowds to find his team.  Junior and Lou are sitting at a table, the remains of what look like several orders of kalua pork nachos and shrimp bao in front of them.  Steve nods hello and grabs a handful of chip crumbs.  He scans the room quickly.  “Where’s everyone else?”

 Junior points towards the DJ, and Steve squints his eyes.  He really doesn’t want to get even closer to the pounding music, but it seems like he doesn’t have much choice.

 “Danny’s been asking about you,” Lou says, his face neutral, and Steve wants to kick himself.  Did he really think he could ignore Danny and his team wouldn’t notice?

 “I know,” Steve says. “I’ll go find him.”

 “Don’t forget to put on your dancing shoes,” Lou says, smirking, and Steve just sighs.

 When he finds Tani and Danny in the crowd, he can’t help but smile.  They’re dancing to that dumb song every beach-side resort in Oahu loves to play, Danny twirling Tani around and then jumping up and down as they cheer “cake by the ocean!”

 Danny spots Steve and his eyes light up.  He dances over, arms waving over his head like he’s at a middle school party.  He sings in Steve’s face, “You’re a real life fantasy, a real life fantasy!”

 “Hey, Danno,” Steve says. Danny’s dress shirt is rumpled, and his eyes are wide and bright.

 “Dance with me, Steve,” Danny says, shimmying up close and then grabbing Tani by the arm to bring her into the circle.  “Dance with us.”

 He can hardly say no, even though he can’t rival Danny and Tani’s excitement.  Steve grins at the two of them, and does his best to play along, letting the music take over and move his body.  

 Steve’s not sure how Danny knows all the words to the song.  He blames Grace.  But it’s surely not Grace’s fault that Danny keeps throwing flirty looks at Steve while he twists and turns, all head tilts and shoulder rolls.  “Let’s lose our minds and go fucking crazy, ah ya ya ya, I keep on hoping we’ll eat cake by the ocean.”

 Finally the song ends, and Steve swings an arm over Danny’s shoulders.  He’s sweaty and warm, and his thin shirt is damp.  Steve would really like to just hug him tight and breathe him in, but he can’t.  Not here, not now.

 “Time to go, partner,” Steve says, guiding Danny back towards their table.  Thankfully Lou and Junior are getting up, and Tani’s putting on her jacket, clearly indicating that the party is over.

 “I waited for you,” Danny says plaintively, and Steve allows himself a little half-hug with the arm he’s still got wrapped around Danny.  

 “I know, buddy.  I’ll drive you home.”

 Danny seems pleased with this, and practically giggles as Steve shuffles him out of the bar.  He’s really drunk, drunker than Steve has seen him in a long time, and is leaning heavily on Steve.

 Steve exchanges a look with Junior that he hopes communicates something along the lines of “how did you let this happen,” but Junior doesn’t seem to quite get it. Getting wasted in a very public, very tourist friendly bar isn’t really the right image for Five-0, and somebody should have done something about it… Steve pushes away the thought that the somebody in question was supposed to be him, and concentrates on making sure Danny doesn’t mow over any pedestrians as they make their way down the street.

 Steve is hoping Danny will sober up a little by the time they get back to his house, but he still seems pretty out of it as they go inside.  

 “You should go to sleep, Danny,” Steve says, as Danny pauses in the foyer.  “I’ll get you some water.  Sleep it off, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

 Danny gives Steve a challenging look and shakes his head.  “I’m not tired.  Let’s watch a movie.”

 “I don’t feel like a movie, and it’s late.”

 Danny pulls away from Steve and flops down on the couch, patting the spot next to him.  “I’m not asking you to hike the Himalayas, Steve. Just watch a movie with me.”  It’s the least you can do, Danny seems to be saying, after blowing me off tonight.  

 “Fine.”  Steve gets them each a glass of water first, and then joins Danny on the couch.  Danny’s got the remote in his hands, but he hasn’t even turned on the television.

 Steve’s about to take the remote and try to move things along, maybe rewatch a nice familiar Marvel movie,  when suddenly he’s got a lap full of drunk Danny.

 “I’m tired of waiting, Steve,” Danny says.  He’s straddling Steve, pushing him back against the couch.  His hand rove over Steve’s chest and shoulders, making his skin tingle.  “I’m tired of playing ball.”

 Danny leans in and kisses Steve, hard and desperate.  Steve can taste the liquor on his breath, and he moans as Danny thrusts firmly against his groin.

 “Danny,” Steve says, his mind spinning.  “Danny, no…”

 Danny sits up, still pressing down on Steve’s rapidly growing erection.  “No, what, exactly?”  Suddenly Danny doesn’t seem quite as drunk.  “No to us?  I asked you to think about it, Steve, I didn’t think you’d need to take a sabbatical to figure it out.”

 “No to…” Steve struggles to find a way to do this without pissing Danny off permanently.  “You’re drunk.”

 “And you know how I feel -  I’m not the one with a consent issue,” Danny replies bitingly.  “You’re sober as fuck.  So what’s it gonna be?”  

 “Danny…”  Steve wants to tell Danny how he feels, he really does, but the words just won’t come.

 Danny sighs, the fight going out of him.  “Give me something to work with here, Steve.  I miss you.  And I was so goddamned scared yesterday.  What you did… not many people can do that.  You’re not a kid, you don’t train for that now.  There was a good possibility you weren’t going to make it up, not alive. I couldn’t stop you, but, dammit, I was so scared.  When you finally broke the surface,” Danny swallows hard, and meets Steve’s eyes.  “I love you.  I don’t want to wait any longer to do something about it.”

 Danny’s voice cracks, and Steve can’t take it anymore. He lunges up and catches Danny’s mouth in a kiss, hands clutching at his shoulders.  Danny gets a hand in Steve’s hair and tugs, and then they’re frantically shedding their clothes and scrambling for a more comfortable position on the couch.

 “I wanna blow you,” Danny says, scooting down and nipping at Steve’s hip.  “Let me blow you.”

 Steve mumbles out his assent and then Danny’s mouth is on him, hot and wet and if he was a little younger, he’d be coming already.  But Danny slows down and takes his time, sucking the tip and then sinking down, doing something amazing with his tongue and then rising up and doing it over and over again.  

 “Fuck, Danny,” Steve groans, as the pressure intensifies.  “Danny, I’m…”

 Danny just looks up at him, eyes wide and mouth stretched, and Steve finally comes in a burst of pleasure that nearly whites him out.  When he recovers, he flips them over, nearly knocking them both to the floor, and gets his hand around Danny’s throbbing cock.  With his other hand he works over Danny’s nipples, kissing up and down his neck and collarbone.  

 Danny is letting loose a stream of profanities, his hands squeezing Steve’s ass as he writhes underneath him, hips thrusting and stuttering as he gets close.  When he finally comes with a low moan, he goes almost limp, except for one arm still wrapped tightly around Steve’s shoulders.

 Steve finally extracts himself and goes to the bathroom, returning with a wet towel to clean them up. But Danny is fast asleep, and no amount of cajoling will get him to move off the couch.  Steve covers him with a blanket and plants himself in the armchair for the night, not wanting to leave Danny alone.  

 He realizes, as he sits and waits for exhaustion to overtake him, that he’s still not really sure what’s up with Danny and Rachel.  Steve’s pretty sure that in this case, actions speak louder than words.  He just hopes he hasn’t made a mistake.

[greentreerealm]

The Chipotle Ordering Guide and Masterpost.

So. Throughout my 3 years working with this company, I’ve considered making this... and ya know what. I’m in a mood. And I’ve got the time. Let’s go. 

A. Line Etiquette 1 - Get off your phone. Period. 

2 - Use your words. We’re excellent point-guessers; but please, it’s much easier if you speak. Really. Because that millimeter difference on the other side of the glass means I’m gonna put the wrong thing in your food, and guess what, I’m not gonna be upset when you get mad about it. 

3 - Do. Not. Put. Your. Nasty. Ass. Hands. Over. The. Glass.

4 - Politeness. There is literally zero reason to be in-a-huff, or rude, or nasty, or unreasonable to any of the crew members. Zero. If you’re there for lunch, then most, if not all of those people have been there as early as 7am or 8am. If you’re there for dinner, those folks probably only arrived around 3pm or 4pm but they are also going to be there until 11pm at least. Be patient. 

5 - LISTEN. We literally have a basic “script” of the entire line that we are speaking to each and individual customer. So PAY. ATTENTION. When we ask if you want something, actually take the .0002 seconds to listen to what you’re being asked so we can make your order correctly. 97% of order mistakes/errors are because we ask if the customer wants something, they say one thing and mean something else. Or they’re not paying attention, chatting with the person next to them, on their phone, or just pointing. In all of those cases, the customer has 0 excuse for getting upset. 

6 - Know what you want. - You’ve spent how long in line? Your order should be ready to go by the time you get to the front. **DISCLAIMER** If you’re new, or an infrequent customer, please let the crew know, so we know to take our time and even help explain the menu to you. We’re here to try and make your experience as smooth as possible, and get you in and out quickly and efficiently. And if the line stresses you out, order online. There’s a separate section further down to cover the questions/concerns with that process.

7 - Portions -  Yes the standard portion sizes are the same for all entrees. Most items are offered at 4oz increments (exception being Queso and Vinaigrette). That’s the equivalent to one of those small plastic side-cups we have; or one average-sized spoonful. That’s it. Calm your sh*t. Anything can be double-portioned for free except for meat, queso, and guac. Technically, anything beyond two portions of any item will also cost a dollar for each additional serving. So for those of you who get 4 scoops of rice and 3 scoops of beans, be glad you’re not getting charged an additional $3. 

8 - Non-Entree Orders - If you’re just getting a drink, or chips n’ guac, you don’t need to wait in line. By all means, just go right up to the front and hop in-between orders! You really only need to wait in line if you’re getting an entree.

B. The Tortilla Station. 1 - Meal Options - We have: Burritos, Bowls, Salads, Tacos, Quesadillas, Kids Meals, Nachos, and Quesarritos. 1a - If you’re planning on getting a metric-f*ckton of food, either get a bowl or a double-wrap burrito. Otherwise, the tiny tortillas we have are going to tear. If not once, then 2 or 3 times.  1b - Salads are a bowl with lettuce on the bottom. That lettuce is supposed to replace the rice and beans in a bowl. So don’t be surprised or upset when you order a salad and we then go straight to meats. Also, just fyi, it is the exact. same. lettuce. at the end of the line, it is literally just cut into a different shape. 1c - Tacos come in a set of three, unless you specify a different number. That said, if you get tacos, that means each one gets 1/3 of a portion. Not a full portion of something in each taco.  1d - Quesadillas come as either just cheese, or a meat and a cheese. Some stores MIGHT let you put one more item in it. Most stores enforce the policy that “anything more than just meat and cheese, and you will be charged for a full burrito.” Additionally, we all highly recommend getting any cold or wet sides, on. the side. Otherwise, it is too messy and could literally damage our equipment if that moisture leaks onto the press. Please, just ask for it on the side. That said, most quesadillas with come with 1 or 2 complementary sides, like sour cream or hot salsa. Though, this is not universal. 1e - Kid’s meals are designed for children; but, anyone can order them. If you want something small and less expensive, that’s totally fine. BUT You need to respect and understand the limitations of this menu item. Kid’s meals come in 2 forms: small quesadilla which comes with a side of rice, and a side of beans (or two salsa sides); or build-your-own tacos which comes with 2 taco shells and 3 sides of. the. entire. line. So if you wasted all 3 sides on rice, beans, and meat, that’s it. It’ll be a dollar extra if you want anything from the cold side. Typically, it’s good to balance a meat, and two sides from the salsa side. Or even all 3 from the salsa/cold side. But just know, the kid’s meals do not come with more than that. They are, in fact, for children.  1f - Nachos are a fairly new secret menu item. Basically it’s similar to the way a salad works. Instead of rice and beans, you start with a bag of chips on the bottom of the bowl. You will still be charged for a bag of chips with your order. They’re just at the bottom of the bowl instead of in a bag. And yes, you’re supposed to skip rice and beans with these as well.  1g - If there’s a line, don’t get a f*cking quesarrito.

2 - Rices - We have White Rice and Brown Rice. They. Are. Both. Cilantro. Lime. I do understand our menu panels are not super helpful with that bit. The difference is white rice is cooked with more oil and prepared with more salt. Our brown rice, is a bit healthier. Also, it is not dirty rice. It is not fried rice. It is not refried rice. It is not yellow rice. We literally just asked you “White or brown?”

3 - Beans - We have Black Beans and Pinto Beans. Not Red Beans (Because in different places, “red beans” can be applied to both types). Not refried beans. Not indian beans. Not yellow beans. And no, neither beans have any meat in them, they are both totally veg. 

4 - Fajitas - Sauteed peppers and onions, seasoned with oregano and salt. Free with any entree. Please tell us you want them before we get to meat. And DEFINITELY before getting to salsa.

5 - The Meats - We have: Chicken, Steak, Barbacoa, Carnitas, and Sofritas. The Chorizo was discontinued after the release of Queso. You might find some stores still offering it, as they are trying to clear out what was stored at the distributors; though by now, it’s not likely.  5a - Say it with me slowly: Bar-Buh-Co-Uh. Not barbaCOLA, Not BarBOCA. The Barbacoa is shredded beef. The Carnitas is pulled/shredded pork. And our Sofritas is a brazed/shredded tofu.  5b - The order of least-spicy to most-spicy is as follows: Carnitas - No spice what-so-ever. Sofritas & Chicken - both have light-medium spice respectively. Barbacoa - pretty spicy. Steak - the spiciest meat, though still tamer than our hot salsa. 5c - Double meat costs extra. Corporate policy. And if that standard 4oz portion isn’t good enough for you, then don’t complain about the extra cost. Period. We literally don’t care if “another store gives you more.” Respect our policies, you are a guest. And no, contrary to popular belief, the customer is not always right. 5d - You can get half-n-half of two protein/meat options. But that means you will get 2oz of each. Not a full scoop. If you do this, you will get charged for the more expensive of the two choices. (ex: half-chicken, half-steak = price of a steak bowl).

6 - Queso - It’s new, it’s a bit weird. And quite honestly, when it was first released, they had not solidified the recipe. Stores were getting different variations of the same stuff on a semi-daily basis. Now though, things have seemed to calmed down and they’re sticking to something that actually works pretty well. It is a cheese sauce, with a sofritas base, and incorporates ingredients from our Medium Green and Hot tomatillo salsas. It does cost extra. All restaurants now have a little placard on their line explaining the new costs. Also, the extra costs are listed on a giant menu board above the line.  (personally, I feel the queso tastes best in an entree rather than just on the side)

C. The Salsa Station 1 - Mild, Medium, or Hot? - If you say “no thanks” then we are moving on to Sour Cream and Cheese. So please pay attention. Really. Cannot stress this enough. 1a - Mild is the tomato salsa. Yes, it’s a salsa. Yes there are (usually) some jalepenos in it, so there is still a small kick.  1b - Medium green and the Red hot are the two tomatillo salsas. Consequently, if you ask for the “red salsa” we assume the red hot tomatillo salsa. Do not say “red” if you mean the mild. Yes, it’s technically ‘red’ in color; but semantics is literally everything here.  1c - We technically have 4 salsas. (FOUR?! WHAT?!) Yes. The. Corn. Is. A. Salsa. It has a medium spice; therefore, when we ask “Mild, Medium, or Hot?” it is encompassed in that ‘Medium’ category. 

2 - Sour Cream or Cheese? - First of all, it’s sour cream. SOUR. CREAM. It is not: marshmallow, cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla, mayonnaise, nor cool whip. Like, where do you even think you are? 2b - It’s cheese. It’s just shredded cheese. It’s not noodles. We do not offer noodles at a Mexican Restaurant.  2c - As we do not have spoons for cheese, the standard portion size of 4oz is measured by a ‘three-finger pinch.’ If that’s not enough, please just ask; but understand, technically extra cheese beyond two portions should cost you an additional dollar.

3 - Guacamole / “Guac” - We no longer have to tell you it costs extra. This is because, similar to the Queso, there are now placards on the glass directly in front of you explaining the additional costs. So, the recurring theme: Pay. Attention.  3a - It comes in the same portion size as everything else. 4 ounces. If you want double, then you’re going to pay double. 3b - If you do not order a meat or sofritas, yes it is free. BUT If you order it on your entree and then again on the side, you will be charged for it. Also, while Sofritas is a vegan option, it is still one of our major proteins and does not constitute free guac.  3c - With the rollout of queso and our new “large” side-cups, you can technically order ‘large guac.’ You will then be charged for 2 sides of guac. BUT PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The “Large” side cup offers 6oz. A regular side cup is 4oz. Which means, it’s smarter to just order two sides of guac, and get a full 8oz instead of paying for the novelty of a large side-cup and only getting 6oz.  3d - In Chipotle’s effort to serve non-GMO, fresh, locally-sourced food, we often get cases of avocados that are either under-  or over-ripe. When this happens, the guacamole no longer keeps that bright lime-green color. Often, especially with over-ripe avocados, the inside of the avocados are yellow, or even slightly brown. Even if only a few avocados out of a case are in this condition, in can discolor the entire batch of guac. That said, the color does not affect the taste; nor is it any less fresh than any other day. All guac is made fresh every single morning. The slight browning after it’s been mashed is called “oxidization” it’s the same process that happens to the inside of an apple if it’s exposed to the air for longer than 5 minutes.   

4 - Lettuce - Many stores may not offer this to you directly. Why? Because that shredded lettuce is supposed to be saved for tacos only. That said, by all means, if you want it, order it. It also is served with a ‘three-finger-pinch’; so, don’t get upset if you’re not served an entire fistful of lettuce. And yes, all of it is cut fresh every single morning.  

D. The Cashier (and Their Expo) 1 - Expediter “Expo” - Typically seen during the two peak hours of the day (12pm-1pm and 6pm-7pm), this person stands between salsa and the cashier. Their main responsibility is to communicate your order to the cashier and package your order with all its parts. Their typical spiel is: “Any chips or drinks with your order?” Or "Anything to drink or chips with that today?” Or something similar. THIS. IS. YOUR. MOMENT. Like this is your exact chance to say any and all sides you want with your order. Nothing peeves us more than “No, but can I get a water cup?” or “No thanks, can I get chips and salsa?” Like. WHAT TF DID I JUST ASK YOU?! So again, in our running theme: PAY. ATTENTION.

2 - Chips - All chips are made fresh every morning. They literally go stale after a full day, if they seem “stale” then they were just under-cooked. We cannot/do not serve stale chips. We now have two sizes: Regular (4oz) the same we’ve always had, and Large (6oz). We cannot serve kid’s chips unless it is for a kid’s meal. If some stores do this, they will typically add a $1 charge for the additional side of kid’s chips. 

3 - Drinks - We have Fountain Sodas (Coke Products); bottled Nantucket Nectars, bottled water, and bottled Izze carbonated juices. Most stores offer the following flavors: Pomegranate Cherry, Apple, Pineapple Orange Banana, and Peach Orange Nantucket Nectars; and then Clementine, Blackberry, and Grapefruit Izze’s. Some stores may vary. 

4 - Kid’s Meal Sides - All kid’s meals come with a chips or fruit. The kid’s chips are 2oz. The fruit is typically one of three things: clementine oranges, grapes, or a packet of blueberries. The fruit options change as they become available. Other locations may offer different fruit options.  4b - All kid’s meals also come with one of the following drinks: white milk, chocolate milk, apple juice, or small cup for soda. *THIS IS THE ONLY INSTANCE A WATER CUP MAY BE USED FOR SODA.*

5 - Gift Cards - Yes, we offer gift cards. They’re particularly popular during the holiday season. If you purchase them with a credit/debit card, please confirm that they were fully paid for and activated. Too often, customers in a hurry will walk away before their credit card cleared our computer; and if that transaction declines, they gift an inactive card with $0 balance. Leading to a bad time for everyone. So please, when you purchase gift cards with a credit/debit card, make sure it clears before you leave. This issue doesn’t happen if the cards are paid for with cash. 

E. Dining Room Etiquette 1 - CLEAN. UP. AFTER. YOURSELF. - Pretty self-explanatory. But seriously people. Take your tabasco bottles back to the drink station. Throw your trash away. It’s common sense. Ya’ll people disgusting animals sometimes. 

2 - Tabasco Bottles - These are not available for sale; and, they are most certainly not available for theft!! The reason you can’t seem to find any, is because people decide to pocket them. Daily. Really folks? You’re better than that. 

3 - WATER CUPS - Most times, it’s grown-ass people trying to sneak this. Water cups are for water. only. If we catch you with soda, you can either throw it out and get water, or come up to the register and pay for a soda. If we catch you twice, you will be forced to either pay for a soda or leave the restaurant. If you are a constant repeat offender, we may reserve the right to not serve you. Yes. That’s right. At that point you are a thief; and, have lost the trust of the company. While it is a minor theft, it is stealing nonetheless.  *P.s. you ain’t slick tryna get lemonade in that either. We see you.

4 - Children - If they are well-behaved, beautiful. Wonderful. Enjoy that tiny quesadilla and apple juice box! HOWEVER. If they are screaming, please either tame or remove them. Additionally, our dining room is NOT a jungle-gym. Please keep your children from running all over the place, from climbing onto other guests’ chairs, and if-applicable, from climbing on the window ledges and getting their tiny sticky handprints all over our windows. Thank you.

F. Ordering Online or Via Mobile App 1 - Second Make-Line - Typically, for the lunch and dinner rushes, a separate make-line is opened up for take-out orders only. Though, in the early morning, midday, and after 8pm, this line is closed.

2 - Punctuality - Typically, orders are began roughly 15 minutes before their scheduled pickup time. That way, longer orders can be completed in time for their scheduled pickup time. That said, if you place an order at noon for a 12:15 pickup time, do not arrive at 12:05. Your order will not be ready. Consequently, do not pick it up at 12:45. Your order will be cold. In both situations, the customer does not have the right to complain. 

3 - Extras - Our online and mobile app does fairly well to include extras, half-portions, and any sides for your order. However, if there is something you want included in the order that isn’t listed, you can dedicate a portion of the “name” on the ticket to your extra note. Also, please make sure to include everything in your order so it can be ready. It is always a bit perturbing to make additional sides for orders that should already be completed and ready to hand out. 

4 - Payment - We do offer two options for payment. The more common option is to pre-pay via credit or debit card. There is a second option, to ‘pay-at-pickup’ however; this option is only available if you create an account on the website. So, if you don’t want to be forced to pre-pay with a card, take the extra 2 seconds to make a quick account. It is worth the hassle. 

5 - Phone Orders - We can no longer accept orders over the phone. We no longer receive the fax forms or other sheets to take orders over the phone. Additionally, it wastes too much of an employee’s time to answer the phone, find a spare sheet of paper and writing utensil, and sit down to listen to you scramble over yourself trying to place an order of questionable coherency. This is a fast-paced restaurant, and that person probably has 6 other online orders to make. Place it through the app or website like everyone else. And if you say ‘but i’m driving’ get off your phone. Like seriously. 

6 - Ordering for Multiple People - Do not place an online order for more than 4-6 people. Really. The ticket that prints out is ridiculous and orders can very easily fall prey to being incorrectly prepared. Additionally, if your order is deemed unreasonably long (Typically 20 or more orders) the restaurant has the right to call you and deny the order. At that point, it is considered a catering order and requires 24-hr notice. 

G. Catering Yes, we do it. It requires 24-hr notice. Do not call the store to coordinate it. Call 1.800.Chipotle and they will sort you out. (Also, yes, we know the ‘E’ in Chipotle is an extra digit, it’s no big deal). And please, let us handle everything. There is literally zero need to try and micro-manage your order. Furthermore, make sure that whoever is picking up the order has a large enough vehicle for transportation. The worst is when someone arrives in a 2-door, no-trunk, smartcar-lookin-thing to pick up a catering for 60 people.

So that’s it. Well... most of it anyway. I’m sure there’s more minutia that I didn’t cover; but, quite honestly, that’s just about everything. To my fellow chipotle crew, I salute you. And to all the customers: regulars, newbies, young and old, please, make all our lives easier and pay attention; be kind; and have a great day. 

[easyfoodnetwork]

Eater Staffers on the Kitchen Tools They Can’t Live Without

Shutterstock

These pots and pans, appliances, and utensils have made cooking in quarantine a little bit easier

As the weeks of social distancing and recommendations to stay home as much as possible stretch on, cooking has taken on both more urgency and more burden. Luckily, there are products that, whether by intention or not, can ease the load, making spending so much time cooking so much easier.

Below, a roundup of the tools and products that have made Eater editors’ kitchen lives better. And if you’re looking for more on what to cook with said tools, check out our guide for folks who literally never cook as well as our pantry-cooking guide.

Pots and Pans

Whirlpool nonstick griddle

“Maybe the best part of a recent move has been playing with the nonstick griddle that straddles two burners atop my new stove. I’ve used it to char tomatoes, peppers, and garlic cloves for salsa, revive leftover steak, toast slices of sourdough, and inflate Indian chapati to accompany this cilantro chutney chicken recipe. A quick wipe down keeps it clean, so that accounts for one less dish to wash while the sink piles up.” — Gabriel Hiatt, Eater DC editor

Cook N Home nonstick wok

“I never knew that I could fall in love with my wok, but here I am. This wok brings me so much joy when I’m cooking. It’s sturdy so it can hold a lot of stuff; it’s big enough to cook a family-sized portion. The pan’s marbling coat makes sure that nothing gets stuck on the bottom, from braising short ribs to frying eggs. I use this pan for everything from stews to fried rice; it’s incredibly versatile! I know it’s overwhelming to look through different wok options, but for home cooks who want to cook many different dishes without having to clean up any residuals, this is the one. The price is also extremely affordable, so what’s not to love?” — James Park, social media manager

Great Jones sheet pan

“This is the first ‘fancy’ sheet pan I’ve ever had, generally preferring basics from restaurant supply stores or else the cheapest available from retailers like Williams-Sonoma. Intrigued by the company’s promise that it doesn’t warp, I ordered one last year and have not been disappointed. Since shelter-in-place started, though, I’ve found myself reaching for it over my other sheet pans, and I’m 99 percent sure it’s because the vibrant color stands out among my pans and makes cooking feel that much more lively. I’ve used it to make cookies, nachos, and all sorts of roasted vegetables, but also as a Bananagrams board and a photo backdrop.” — Hillary Dixler Canavan, restaurant editor

Appliances

Panasonic toaster oven

“I grew up in a toaster oven family — even now, everyone in my immediate family has the same one — but even I, a super fan, did not fully appreciate the appliance until I moved in late March, just as the COVID-19 outbreak hit NYC, and found myself living in an apartment with no gas for about a week and a half. As a result, I spent a lot of time with my toaster oven, sometimes cooking three square meals a day in it. It’s fast and versatile, good for so many things: roasting vegetables, baking brownies and small cakes, and, of course, just toasting bread or bagels or nuts and spices.” — Sonia Chopra, director of editorial growth

Ninja Express Chop

“I never really thought I needed a food processor — big or small, really — until I got the Ninja Express Chop. I had somehow managed to avoid all recipes that required one, since it seemed so bulky to move and a pain to clean. Once I got the Ninja Express Chop, all that changed. It’s small and easy to fit in the cabinet; and it easily comes apart into four simple pieces, all of which fit in my sink or dishwasher, so I don’t mind cleaning it, even when it’s coated with oil from herby salad dressings or flecks of basil from my homemade pesto — all things I never would have made until I got it.” — Ellie Krupnick, managing editor

OXO tea kettle

“Weirdly enough, I have been relying heavily on a tea kettle. I’ve been using it every single day at various times to boil water. I start with it in the morning to make oatmeal for breakfast and continue throughout the day to make tea and repurpose hot tea for iced to switch it up. I am trying to stay as hydrated as possible while I am home.” — Stephen Pelletteri, executive producer

Anova sous vide machine

“We’ve been using the Anova to cook large portions of pork shoulder that we then eat for days and days in tacos, ramen, and more. It’s a multi-day process including a 24-hour sous vide, 24 hours in the fridge, and then oven-roasting before pulling — lots of time, but mostly hands-off. (Try J. Kenji López-Alt’s recipe to start, and then experiment with your own variations. We’ve enjoyed adding a molasses glaze before it goes in the oven.) Hint: Reserve the cooked pork juices after the sous vide process to use with ramen — boil with the water in a one-to-one ratio for the best fancied up packaged ramen you’ve had.” — Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston editor

Hamilton Beach panini press

“My cheap-ass panini maker is so much more than a device on which to make grilled cheese, even though that’s its most common use. It’s also a lovely way to make toast (that’s a grilled cheese sans cheese) or just warm up bread enough to apply butter. Going further off-label, I’ve been using it to cook up frozen hash brown patties (they’re done in a flash with a nice crispy crust, way better than the 20 minutes in the oven version) and grill baby asparagus (while full-sized asparagus is too girthy to cook completely, the babies do just fine). Is this why people bought George Foreman grills back in the day?” — Eve Batey, Eater San Francisco senior editor

Utensils

Sur La Table fish spatula

“I’m an evangelist for this tool even under normal circumstances, and have gifted it more times than I can count. One of its purposes is obvious from its name: it’s great for flipping fish without having it break apart or damaging the skin. But I find myself using it daily, whether it’s to remove my meatloaf from its loaf pan or lift up a focaccia to see if it’s browning underneath.” — Missy Frederick, cities director

McoMce plastic bench scraper

I’ve gotten really, really tired of cleaning my kitchen during shelter-in-place, but this plastic bench scraper is a life-saver. It’s good for pushing dough out of bowls or scraping stubborn bits out of pots and pans, but I mostly use it to clean my kitchen sink. It makes quick work of collecting food scraps without having to pile them all into my hand (yuck). Once I’m done cleaning, I rinse it with a bit of soap, so that it’s ready to cut cinnamon rolls, collect herbs on my cutting board, and clean the sink — again.” — Elazar Sontag, staff writer

Storage

Comfy Package plastic kitchen containers

“During this time where I’ve been cooking a lot and ordering a lot of food, plastic food storage containers have been my saviors. It’s a habit I picked up from my dad, who works at a New York City market. The multiple sizes, from the slim eight-ounce cups to the large 32-ounce containers, makes it easy to store anything, from leftover cream cheese to portioned-out frozen lentil soup. The sizes also make it easier to downsize leftovers in the fridge, thus clearing up space for more food.” — Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor

Ball glass jars

“Last summer we had a crazy infestation of pantry moths, so on the advice of our exterminator I started saving all of my glass jars to store flours and cereals and other moth-attracting ingredients in. Now that my pantry is more valuable than ever, I’m using these jars to keep all of my bulk staples like beans, grains, and pastas organized and easily visible. I use old peanut butter jars for the most part (my kids go through a jar a week), but I’d actually advise going a little bigger if you’re buying them new, with some wide-mouth half-gallon Ball jars or invest in some fancy straight-sided ones like these wood-topped ones from Target.” — Lesley Suter, travel editor

Other Stuff

Final Touch rocks glass with ice ball

“I wanted to up my Manhattan game during the coronavirus pandemic, and the only new tool I bought was this rocks glass that includes a silicone mold to make a round ice cube. The rocks glass has a glass cylinder at the bottom so the round ice cube will roll around the bottom of the glass. It feels sophisticated to drink out of this glass, almost like I’m at a restaurant instead of at home.” — Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor

Aerogarden countertop garden

“Two words: Breakfast salad. Yep, That’s been a thing in my life anytime I have my AeroGarden up and running and this quarantine called for it. Fresh herbs and lettuce in just a few weeks. I even threw some wild flowers in this time for some much needed cheer. Take that shallots-in-a-jar.” — Maureen Giannone Fitzgerald, production executive

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2zxaSRX https://ift.tt/3euFvpS

Shutterstock

These pots and pans, appliances, and utensils have made cooking in quarantine a little bit easier

As the weeks of social distancing and recommendations to stay home as much as possible stretch on, cooking has taken on both more urgency and more burden. Luckily, there are products that, whether by intention or not, can ease the load, making spending so much time cooking so much easier.

Below, a roundup of the tools and products that have made Eater editors’ kitchen lives better. And if you’re looking for more on what to cook with said tools, check out our guide for folks who literally never cook as well as our pantry-cooking guide.

Pots and Pans

Whirlpool nonstick griddle

“Maybe the best part of a recent move has been playing with the nonstick griddle that straddles two burners atop my new stove. I’ve used it to char tomatoes, peppers, and garlic cloves for salsa, revive leftover steak, toast slices of sourdough, and inflate Indian chapati to accompany this cilantro chutney chicken recipe. A quick wipe down keeps it clean, so that accounts for one less dish to wash while the sink piles up.” — Gabriel Hiatt, Eater DC editor

Cook N Home nonstick wok

“I never knew that I could fall in love with my wok, but here I am. This wok brings me so much joy when I’m cooking. It’s sturdy so it can hold a lot of stuff; it’s big enough to cook a family-sized portion. The pan’s marbling coat makes sure that nothing gets stuck on the bottom, from braising short ribs to frying eggs. I use this pan for everything from stews to fried rice; it’s incredibly versatile! I know it’s overwhelming to look through different wok options, but for home cooks who want to cook many different dishes without having to clean up any residuals, this is the one. The price is also extremely affordable, so what’s not to love?” — James Park, social media manager

Great Jones sheet pan

“This is the first ‘fancy’ sheet pan I’ve ever had, generally preferring basics from restaurant supply stores or else the cheapest available from retailers like Williams-Sonoma. Intrigued by the company’s promise that it doesn’t warp, I ordered one last year and have not been disappointed. Since shelter-in-place started, though, I’ve found myself reaching for it over my other sheet pans, and I’m 99 percent sure it’s because the vibrant color stands out among my pans and makes cooking feel that much more lively. I’ve used it to make cookies, nachos, and all sorts of roasted vegetables, but also as a Bananagrams board and a photo backdrop.” — Hillary Dixler Canavan, restaurant editor

Appliances

Panasonic toaster oven

“I grew up in a toaster oven family — even now, everyone in my immediate family has the same one — but even I, a super fan, did not fully appreciate the appliance until I moved in late March, just as the COVID-19 outbreak hit NYC, and found myself living in an apartment with no gas for about a week and a half. As a result, I spent a lot of time with my toaster oven, sometimes cooking three square meals a day in it. It’s fast and versatile, good for so many things: roasting vegetables, baking brownies and small cakes, and, of course, just toasting bread or bagels or nuts and spices.” — Sonia Chopra, director of editorial growth

Ninja Express Chop

“I never really thought I needed a food processor — big or small, really — until I got the Ninja Express Chop. I had somehow managed to avoid all recipes that required one, since it seemed so bulky to move and a pain to clean. Once I got the Ninja Express Chop, all that changed. It’s small and easy to fit in the cabinet; and it easily comes apart into four simple pieces, all of which fit in my sink or dishwasher, so I don’t mind cleaning it, even when it’s coated with oil from herby salad dressings or flecks of basil from my homemade pesto — all things I never would have made until I got it.” — Ellie Krupnick, managing editor

OXO tea kettle

“Weirdly enough, I have been relying heavily on a tea kettle. I’ve been using it every single day at various times to boil water. I start with it in the morning to make oatmeal for breakfast and continue throughout the day to make tea and repurpose hot tea for iced to switch it up. I am trying to stay as hydrated as possible while I am home.” — Stephen Pelletteri, executive producer

Anova sous vide machine

“We’ve been using the Anova to cook large portions of pork shoulder that we then eat for days and days in tacos, ramen, and more. It’s a multi-day process including a 24-hour sous vide, 24 hours in the fridge, and then oven-roasting before pulling — lots of time, but mostly hands-off. (Try J. Kenji López-Alt’s recipe to start, and then experiment with your own variations. We’ve enjoyed adding a molasses glaze before it goes in the oven.) Hint: Reserve the cooked pork juices after the sous vide process to use with ramen — boil with the water in a one-to-one ratio for the best fancied up packaged ramen you’ve had.” — Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston editor

Hamilton Beach panini press

“My cheap-ass panini maker is so much more than a device on which to make grilled cheese, even though that’s its most common use. It’s also a lovely way to make toast (that’s a grilled cheese sans cheese) or just warm up bread enough to apply butter. Going further off-label, I’ve been using it to cook up frozen hash brown patties (they’re done in a flash with a nice crispy crust, way better than the 20 minutes in the oven version) and grill baby asparagus (while full-sized asparagus is too girthy to cook completely, the babies do just fine). Is this why people bought George Foreman grills back in the day?” — Eve Batey, Eater San Francisco senior editor

Utensils

Sur La Table fish spatula

“I’m an evangelist for this tool even under normal circumstances, and have gifted it more times than I can count. One of its purposes is obvious from its name: it’s great for flipping fish without having it break apart or damaging the skin. But I find myself using it daily, whether it’s to remove my meatloaf from its loaf pan or lift up a focaccia to see if it’s browning underneath.” — Missy Frederick, cities director

McoMce plastic bench scraper

I’ve gotten really, really tired of cleaning my kitchen during shelter-in-place, but this plastic bench scraper is a life-saver. It’s good for pushing dough out of bowls or scraping stubborn bits out of pots and pans, but I mostly use it to clean my kitchen sink. It makes quick work of collecting food scraps without having to pile them all into my hand (yuck). Once I’m done cleaning, I rinse it with a bit of soap, so that it’s ready to cut cinnamon rolls, collect herbs on my cutting board, and clean the sink — again.” — Elazar Sontag, staff writer

Storage

Comfy Package plastic kitchen containers

“During this time where I’ve been cooking a lot and ordering a lot of food, plastic food storage containers have been my saviors. It’s a habit I picked up from my dad, who works at a New York City market. The multiple sizes, from the slim eight-ounce cups to the large 32-ounce containers, makes it easy to store anything, from leftover cream cheese to portioned-out frozen lentil soup. The sizes also make it easier to downsize leftovers in the fridge, thus clearing up space for more food.” — Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor

Ball glass jars

“Last summer we had a crazy infestation of pantry moths, so on the advice of our exterminator I started saving all of my glass jars to store flours and cereals and other moth-attracting ingredients in. Now that my pantry is more valuable than ever, I’m using these jars to keep all of my bulk staples like beans, grains, and pastas organized and easily visible. I use old peanut butter jars for the most part (my kids go through a jar a week), but I’d actually advise going a little bigger if you’re buying them new, with some wide-mouth half-gallon Ball jars or invest in some fancy straight-sided ones like these wood-topped ones from Target.” — Lesley Suter, travel editor

Other Stuff

Final Touch rocks glass with ice ball

“I wanted to up my Manhattan game during the coronavirus pandemic, and the only new tool I bought was this rocks glass that includes a silicone mold to make a round ice cube. The rocks glass has a glass cylinder at the bottom so the round ice cube will roll around the bottom of the glass. It feels sophisticated to drink out of this glass, almost like I’m at a restaurant instead of at home.” — Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor

Aerogarden countertop garden

“Two words: Breakfast salad. Yep, That’s been a thing in my life anytime I have my AeroGarden up and running and this quarantine called for it. Fresh herbs and lettuce in just a few weeks. I even threw some wild flowers in this time for some much needed cheer. Take that shallots-in-a-jar.” — Maureen Giannone Fitzgerald, production executive

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2zxaSRX via Blogger https://ift.tt/2Ajcw9F

[easyfoodnetwork]

Shutterstock These pots and pans, appliances, and utensils have made cooking in quarantine a little bit easier As the weeks of social distancing and recommendations to stay home as much as possible stretch on, cooking has taken on both more urgency and more burden. Luckily, there are products that, whether by intention or not, can ease the load, making spending so much time cooking so much easier. Below, a roundup of the tools and products that have made Eater editors’ kitchen lives better. And if you’re looking for more on what to cook with said tools, check out our guide for folks who literally never cook as well as our pantry-cooking guide. Pots and Pans Whirlpool nonstick griddle “Maybe the best part of a recent move has been playing with the nonstick griddle that straddles two burners atop my new stove. I’ve used it to char tomatoes, peppers, and garlic cloves for salsa, revive leftover steak, toast slices of sourdough, and inflate Indian chapati to accompany this cilantro chutney chicken recipe. A quick wipe down keeps it clean, so that accounts for one less dish to wash while the sink piles up.” — Gabriel Hiatt, Eater DC editor Cook N Home nonstick wok “I never knew that I could fall in love with my wok, but here I am. This wok brings me so much joy when I’m cooking. It’s sturdy so it can hold a lot of stuff; it’s big enough to cook a family-sized portion. The pan’s marbling coat makes sure that nothing gets stuck on the bottom, from braising short ribs to frying eggs. I use this pan for everything from stews to fried rice; it’s incredibly versatile! I know it’s overwhelming to look through different wok options, but for home cooks who want to cook many different dishes without having to clean up any residuals, this is the one. The price is also extremely affordable, so what’s not to love?” — James Park, social media manager Great Jones sheet pan “This is the first ‘fancy’ sheet pan I’ve ever had, generally preferring basics from restaurant supply stores or else the cheapest available from retailers like Williams-Sonoma. Intrigued by the company’s promise that it doesn’t warp, I ordered one last year and have not been disappointed. Since shelter-in-place started, though, I’ve found myself reaching for it over my other sheet pans, and I’m 99 percent sure it’s because the vibrant color stands out among my pans and makes cooking feel that much more lively. I’ve used it to make cookies, nachos, and all sorts of roasted vegetables, but also as a Bananagrams board and a photo backdrop.” — Hillary Dixler Canavan, restaurant editor Appliances Panasonic toaster oven “I grew up in a toaster oven family — even now, everyone in my immediate family has the same one — but even I, a super fan, did not fully appreciate the appliance until I moved in late March, just as the COVID-19 outbreak hit NYC, and found myself living in an apartment with no gas for about a week and a half. As a result, I spent a lot of time with my toaster oven, sometimes cooking three square meals a day in it. It’s fast and versatile, good for so many things: roasting vegetables, baking brownies and small cakes, and, of course, just toasting bread or bagels or nuts and spices.” — Sonia Chopra, director of editorial growth Ninja Express Chop “I never really thought I needed a food processor — big or small, really — until I got the Ninja Express Chop. I had somehow managed to avoid all recipes that required one, since it seemed so bulky to move and a pain to clean. Once I got the Ninja Express Chop, all that changed. It’s small and easy to fit in the cabinet; and it easily comes apart into four simple pieces, all of which fit in my sink or dishwasher, so I don’t mind cleaning it, even when it’s coated with oil from herby salad dressings or flecks of basil from my homemade pesto — all things I never would have made until I got it.” — Ellie Krupnick, managing editor OXO tea kettle “Weirdly enough, I have been relying heavily on a tea kettle. I’ve been using it every single day at various times to boil water. I start with it in the morning to make oatmeal for breakfast and continue throughout the day to make tea and repurpose hot tea for iced to switch it up. I am trying to stay as hydrated as possible while I am home.” — Stephen Pelletteri, executive producer Anova sous vide machine “We’ve been using the Anova to cook large portions of pork shoulder that we then eat for days and days in tacos, ramen, and more. It’s a multi-day process including a 24-hour sous vide, 24 hours in the fridge, and then oven-roasting before pulling — lots of time, but mostly hands-off. (Try J. Kenji López-Alt’s recipe to start, and then experiment with your own variations. We’ve enjoyed adding a molasses glaze before it goes in the oven.) Hint: Reserve the cooked pork juices after the sous vide process to use with ramen — boil with the water in a one-to-one ratio for the best fancied up packaged ramen you’ve had.” — Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston editor Hamilton Beach panini press “My cheap-ass panini maker is so much more than a device on which to make grilled cheese, even though that’s its most common use. It’s also a lovely way to make toast (that’s a grilled cheese sans cheese) or just warm up bread enough to apply butter. Going further off-label, I’ve been using it to cook up frozen hash brown patties (they’re done in a flash with a nice crispy crust, way better than the 20 minutes in the oven version) and grill baby asparagus (while full-sized asparagus is too girthy to cook completely, the babies do just fine). Is this why people bought George Foreman grills back in the day?” — Eve Batey, Eater San Francisco senior editor Utensils Sur La Table fish spatula “I’m an evangelist for this tool even under normal circumstances, and have gifted it more times than I can count. One of its purposes is obvious from its name: it’s great for flipping fish without having it break apart or damaging the skin. But I find myself using it daily, whether it’s to remove my meatloaf from its loaf pan or lift up a focaccia to see if it’s browning underneath.” — Missy Frederick, cities director McoMce plastic bench scraper I’ve gotten really, really tired of cleaning my kitchen during shelter-in-place, but this plastic bench scraper is a life-saver. It’s good for pushing dough out of bowls or scraping stubborn bits out of pots and pans, but I mostly use it to clean my kitchen sink. It makes quick work of collecting food scraps without having to pile them all into my hand (yuck). Once I’m done cleaning, I rinse it with a bit of soap, so that it’s ready to cut cinnamon rolls, collect herbs on my cutting board, and clean the sink — again.” — Elazar Sontag, staff writer Storage Comfy Package plastic kitchen containers “During this time where I’ve been cooking a lot and ordering a lot of food, plastic food storage containers have been my saviors. It’s a habit I picked up from my dad, who works at a New York City market. The multiple sizes, from the slim eight-ounce cups to the large 32-ounce containers, makes it easy to store anything, from leftover cream cheese to portioned-out frozen lentil soup. The sizes also make it easier to downsize leftovers in the fridge, thus clearing up space for more food.” — Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor Ball glass jars “Last summer we had a crazy infestation of pantry moths, so on the advice of our exterminator I started saving all of my glass jars to store flours and cereals and other moth-attracting ingredients in. Now that my pantry is more valuable than ever, I’m using these jars to keep all of my bulk staples like beans, grains, and pastas organized and easily visible. I use old peanut butter jars for the most part (my kids go through a jar a week), but I’d actually advise going a little bigger if you’re buying them new, with some wide-mouth half-gallon Ball jars or invest in some fancy straight-sided ones like these wood-topped ones from Target.” — Lesley Suter, travel editor Other Stuff Final Touch rocks glass with ice ball “I wanted to up my Manhattan game during the coronavirus pandemic, and the only new tool I bought was this rocks glass that includes a silicone mold to make a round ice cube. The rocks glass has a glass cylinder at the bottom so the round ice cube will roll around the bottom of the glass. It feels sophisticated to drink out of this glass, almost like I’m at a restaurant instead of at home.” — Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor Aerogarden countertop garden “Two words: Breakfast salad. Yep, That’s been a thing in my life anytime I have my AeroGarden up and running and this quarantine called for it. Fresh herbs and lettuce in just a few weeks. I even threw some wild flowers in this time for some much needed cheer. Take that shallots-in-a-jar.” — Maureen Giannone Fitzgerald, production executive from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2zxaSRX

http://easyfoodnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/05/eater-staffers-on-kitchen-tools-they.html