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greenheartart · 4 years

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Monster Food Theories (part 2)

(A multi-part essay because I love world-building.)

In part 1 I discussed the theory that monster food is actually made from physical food that’s been infused with magic, and therefore monster food is limited to what can be farmed in the Underground.

In this next part, I’m going to springboard off that idea and talk about what foods exist in the Underground (and therefore what crops and livestock monsters likely have.)

The very first thing I want to look at is what food canonically exists in the game. I’m going to break this up into two sections...

1) Food We Interact With Directly (Healing items we can pick up and get information on.)

* Monster Candy - Has a distinct, non-licorice flavor. Heals 10 HP. * Spider Donut - A donut made with Spider Cider in the batter. Heals 12 HP. * Spider Cider - Made with whole spiders, not just the juice. Heals 24 HP. * Butterscotch Pie - Butterscotch-cinnamon pie, one slice. Heals ALL HP. * Snail Pie - Heals some HP. An acquired taste. Heals one less than max HP. * Nice Cream - Instead of a joke, the wrapper says something nice. Heals 15 HP. * Bisicle - It’s a two-pronged popsicle, so you can eat it twice. Heals 11 HP. * Unicicle - It’s a SINGLE-pronged popsicle. Wait that’s just normal... Heals 11 HP. * Cinnamon Bunny - A cinnamon roll in the shape of a bunny. Heals 22 HP. * Astronaut Food - For feeding a pet astronaut. Heals 21 HP. * Crab Apple - An aquatic fruit that resembles a crustacean. Heals 18 HP. * Sea Tea - Made from glowing marsh water. Increases SPEED for one battle. Heals 10 HP. * Abandoned Quiche - A psychologically damaged spinach egg pie. Heals 34 HP. * Temmie Flakes - It’s just torn up pieces of construction paper. Heals 2 HP. * Dog Salad - Recovers HP (Hit Poodles.) Heals 2/10/30/ALL HP. * Instant Noodles - Comes with everything you need for a quick meal! Heals 4/15/90 HP. * Hot Dog...? - The “meat” is made out of something called a “water sausage.” Heals 20 HP. * Hot Cat - Like a hot dog, but with little cat ears on the end. Heals 21 HP. * Junk Food - Food that was probably once thrown away. Heals 17 HP. * Starfait - A sweet treat made of sparkling stars. Heals 14 HP. * Glamburger - A hamburger made of edible glitter and sequins. Heals 27 HP. * Legendary Hero - Sandwich shaped like a sword. Increases ATTACK when eaten. Heals 40 HP. * Steak in the Shape of Mettaton’s Face - Huge steak in the shape of Mettaton’s face. You don’t feel like it’s made of real meat... Heals 60 HP. * Popato Chisps - Regular old popato chisps. Heals 13 HP. (Note: I’ve chosen to leave the Hush Puppy off of this list, as its description refers to it as a spell. I’m also excluding the foods that can only be found by digging around in the game files - Puppydough Ice Cream, Pumpkin Rings, Rock Candy, Croquet Roll, Ghost Fruit, and Stoic Onion.)

2) Food We Only See, or Hear About Through Character Dialogue (I did my best to be thorough here, but please let me know if I missed any and I’ll add them in!)

* Hamburger (For sale at Grillby’s) * Fries (For sale at Grillby’s) * Cheese Fries (Undyne likes them, for sale at Grillby’s) * Ketchup (Found at Grillby’s / Sans’ Hot Dog Stand) * Mustard (Found at Sans’ Hot Dog Stand) * Relish (Found at Sans’s Hot Dog Stand) * Spaghetti (Made by Papyrus and Undyne) * Lasagna/Ravioli/various other pastas (Mentioned by Papyrus) * Brewskis (aka Beer) (Mentioned in a prank call) * Sugar (In Undyne’s kitchen) * Soda (In Undyne’s kitchen / Alphys’ Lab) * Hot Chocolate (Mentioned by Undyne) * Marshmallows (Mentioned by Undyne) * Golden Flower Tea (In Undyne’s kitchen / Offered by Asgore) * Grapes (Undyne talks about Mettaton eating them) * Pizza (Undyne and Alphys both talk about ordering some) * Limes (Undyne mentions eating them whole) * Cucumbers (Come up when Undyne and Papyrus talk about spa treatments) * Carrots (Mentioned by Asgore on the tapes in the true lab) * Lollipops (Papyrus mentions getting them from the lady who runs the inn) * Ice cream (Mentioned multiple times by multiple characters) * Espresso (Mentioned by Red Bird at Grillby’s) * Cake (Mettaton specifically breaks the ingredients down into SUGAR, MILK, EGGS during his cooking segment) * Artificial Ingredients and Chemicals (Also mentioned by Mettaton)

(Note: I’m leaving edamame off the list because while Toriel mentions it, she does it as a joke because she’s after the pun. It’s possible that monsters have edamame, or it could just be something she’s aware exists in the world in general.)

So! Looking at this list, and cross referencing with recipes to find the most basic necessary ingredients to make everything, I can break things down more neatly into categories of available food:

STARCHES * Wheat * Potatoes * Barley

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES * Apples * Grapes * Limes * Tomatoes * Cucumbers * Spinach PROTEIN AND DAIRY * Snails * Water sausages * Eggs * Milk

HERBS AND SPICES * Cinnamon * Mustard Seed

MISC * Salt * Sugar * Oil * Coffee * Chocolate * Assorted artificial ingredients and chemicals * Golden flowers (unique to the Underground?) * Hops (only because of the mention of “brewskis”)

(Note: I’m excluding a few healing items from contributing to this list. The Astronaut Food’s origin is nebulous - it sounds like it could possibly be human food that fell from the surface and landed in the dump. Temmie Flakes are construction paper and not actually food, even if they are technically consumable. Dog Salad is clearly an outlier and should not be counted.)

When broken down to its base components, it’s a pretty small list. Monsters don’t seem to have a lot to work with.

A lot of their foods revolve around the same few staple ingredients: Flour, eggs, sugar, and milk products. From that we can take a guess that there are wheat fields somewhere in the Underground. Likewise, they likely keep chickens as well for eggs (though other birds like ducks might be a possibility too.) Sugar and milk have more options. Sugar might come from sugar cane or sugar beets, while milk could come from a variety of animals, but I think goats or sheep are more likely than cows for a variety of reasons (mainly that cows might be too much of a resource drain to support long term.)

Interestingly, we never get any indication that monsters eat animals besides snails. The information we get on the hot dogs and steak make it clear that they’re not made out of meat (and if the steaks aren’t meat, it feels reasonable that the hamburgers aren’t either.) This makes sense, since the Underground has limited space and resources and might not be able to support farms dedicated to raising animals for meat, and/or might not be able to meet the demands of a populace that wants to eat meat regularly. If it’s eaten at all, meat might be a rare treat. Otherwise, it looks like the monster population could be largely vegetarian.

With a basic list of crops, we can also make a guess at what sort of alcohols might be available in Grillby’s bar. Monsters have apples, grapes, potatoes, and sugar, so we can guess that in addition to beer (since it gets mentioned specifically), monsters could also have hard cider, wine, brandy, whisky, rum, vodka, and moonshine.

If we want to be a bit more generous and include possible foods and foods that didn’t quite make it officially into the game, we can add back in edamame, pumpkins, and onions.

And, just for fun and going off of nothing except the environment of the game, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think monsters might be able to round out their pantries with a few other foods that occur naturally in the caverns. Mushrooms show up in the damper areas of the game, so it’s not far fetched to think that there might be a few edible varieties available. Likewise, we see streams and marshes in Waterfall that support life. It’s possible that there are fish, crayfish, or shellfish living in there, or possibly other edible plants besides the water sausage.

This went a bit longer than I originally planned, so in the next part I’ll talk about what might make monster food inherently different from human food (even without monsters intentionally doing anything to it), and possibly theories about how and why monsters ended up with this specific, limited variety of foods they seem to be working off of.

#writing things #game theory #undertale #all of this because I got to wondering whether or not monsters would know about tequila or not in a story I'm writing #hahaha

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

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All in the Family

Chapter 46: The Marauder's Map

Warmth! The sensation after such harsh conditions was quite literally the best experience they'd had through all these trying times. Eyes still watering and adjusting to these new surroundings, none of them felt the need to stay so close and huddled together anymore as the rest of this place came into focus.

It was still too eerily quiet, save the wind howling outside which helped some. The place was so heavenly though, for once they didn't care about the outside world.

"Padfoot, I think we actually may have died during that last one," Remus stated as he spun slowly on the spot.

Sirius inhaled deeply, mouth already watering a bit, and feared answering for getting spittle on every surface. Not in Honeydukes of all places.

Shivers already slowing in such a homey environment, James quickly ruffled his hair back to normal. He swallowed, but not for their surroundings. As mad as he was at her, those last few moments had left him legitimately concerned about Evans, and spotting her now he realized he'd been right.

She was still crouched down on the floor in the far corner, her dark red hair plastered to her face but not quite hiding her red tinted eyes and sniffling noises that had nothing to do with being next to a barrel of All Icing For All Occasions, Flavors Include Strawberry, Dragon Breath, Chocolate and More! Frank and Alice had landed behind the register a bit away from her, so he still managed to get there first.

"All right Evans?" He couldn't help but ask, even as his innards clenched and he still felt like snapping at her for all she'd thrown at Sirius lately. It was the angriest he'd ever been at her, and still he couldn't think to do anything else but offer her a box he'd swiped on his way over. "Bean?"

Anyone hearing their last words could not be the most pleasant of things, let alone what she must have been suffering through. Maybe that was why she looked at him and said with the calmest, most indifferent expression ever, "no thanks."

Ignoring his outstretched hand still, she got herself shakily to her feet and murmured something about checking for the book upstairs, all the while James couldn't help but notice such an alteration in her personality. Somehow seeing her so subdued was even worse than her usual anger at him. He bit down on his lip and looked around with intent, there had to be something he could do.

The upstairs flat very quickly showed there was no book in sight, though that had been the least of her worries. Alice and Frank truly were very good friends, one look exchanged between them before she'd gone up these stairs had explained she hadn't wanted to be followed, she'd just wanted a moment alone.

Around her was a one bedroom, tightly packed but clearly very loved and lived in space. A small kitchenette sat in the far corner looking out into the alley way, a comfortable bed was all made up, and a door cracked open showed a closet charmed to hold the rest of their belongings. The only door closed she quickly rectified to find a bathroom.

The smell of the candies still managed to waft up here, but that wasn't why she took an uneasy breath. All her reservations were screaming at her for the invasion of privacy she was considering, but her hair was still dripping slightly on the floor, and she needed some way to chase away this cold that was still settled around her. The last time she'd had the privilege of a shower had been in the Gryffindor dormitory ages ago...

This was finally a decision she made for herself, no outside voices telling her what she should and shouldn't do, and she needed this for herself. Decided, she quickly set to work.

The tap was easy enough, and she set the spray as hot as it would go while she pursued the linen available. There weren't enough spares, so she gently took a rather threadbare butter yellow towel, and duplicated it eight times before putting the original back and leaving the rest on the sinks edge, shucked her wet clothes into the basin and finally managed to relax.

After she was done, a quick charm left her attire still grungy with use, but warm and dry once more as she made her way back downstairs, amazed to find no one had started the next part yet. Her answer came in the form of the Marauders, as usual.

If she hadn't known better, despite Harry's loss in the last chapter, Gryffindor would have just won another game. Potter and Pettigrew were juggling various sweets between them, while occasionally still managing to swipe a parcel into their mouth and continue their exuberant game. The elder Black was busy stacking various boxes of every candy available onto his younger brothers head, and it didn't even look like it was under duress. She couldn't imagine how he'd talked him into it, but he was smiling as much as the others. The only thing missing was the cheering crowd and the butterbeer for their usual antics. She found herself smiling and relaxing even more than the steaming hot water had provided.

"I've found it!" A voice cheered, from below her feet? Lily looked around and finally spotted a door behind the register she hadn't noticed before, and Lupin came charging out holding nothing apparently but he had a pleased enough smile on his face. He looked surprised to see her back and quickly went over to Potter and Pettigrew, sidling up like he was going to join the game.

The others seemed so busy they either didn't notice, or didn't care. She cleared her throat and polity informed, "err, I've found a shower up top, I'm sure they wouldn't mind, I mean I've tried to keep it as put together as I found it. So long as we all do-"

The older Black, Sirius she forced herself to distinguish, looked around at her, and before she was even done was sprinting towards the stairs.

"Oi!" His little brother spluttered, but too late, there was already a door slamming shut upstairs and the sound of running water again.

Potter fell to the floor laughing at the display, a pile of sweets quickly covering him. The others were all snickering as well, but Pettigrew came over and waved his wand to begin unpiling the makeshift, edible hat. The younger- err, Regulus finally took the base off his head, a whole box of licorice wands, and cracked it open to begin unwrapping one, offering Pettigrew another in thanks. "Black, red, green, brown, purple, blue, or the one that's all mixed together?"

"The rainbow one," he asked. He took a huge bite of the mixture, and his skin quickly took on the same tie-dye effect. Regulus snickered as he took a bite of the green one, his skin taking on a sickly hue but clearly enjoying the flavor anyways.

"Oi, Evans," Potter had suddenly popped up right beside her again, somehow unburying himself from his pile of sweets, but unsurprisingly still clutching some. "I found a chocolate ganache flavored pack of All-In-Rolls. Padfoot already ate the turkey one, and I may or may not have nibbled on the hash one. Had to pry this away from Remus and Peter nearly killing themselves for it, so I hope you enjoy such a sacrifice." He flashed her a winning smile and offered it to her with a slight bow even.

She couldn't help it, she snorted out a laugh. Through all of this madness and mayhem, something was finally normal again. She quickly regained herself back though, ignoring the bright twinkle in his eye, and told him sternly, "I'll not have it, and you shouldn't either! You can not tell me you've brought enough money to repay this shop all the madness you've already caused."

"Evans, you wound me!" He flashed her that smile again, clearly pleased as ever at the proceedings. "I've been keeping this business afloat for as long as we've been here, of course I'd never run them out without proper compensation now." He pulled a money bag, which she swore he hadn't had in their Potions class when all this started, and jangled it purposefully.

She let out a resigned sigh, but finally took the dinner bred flavored in her favorite dessert.

James smiled to himself as she turned away, towards Alice and Frank already levitating a few feet off the ground as they enjoyed their sherbet balls. Bless Moony for having the quick hands to pass him the gold without anyone noticing. He was patting his past self on the back for keeping a stash of galleons in the basement below right under the secret trap for just such occasions, it was quite lucky he had still managed to get in, even if he was sure had he traveled all the way back to the school that one would have been blocked.

There were alternately seven of them all enjoying themselves as one excused themselves to the bathroom, Remus going last because he just hadn't been able to bear putting down his salt water taffy until he'd finished it. The water was still as warm as ever, thank Merlin for magic.

In all the hubbub, Frank finally found the book behind a stack of Shock-O-Choc. They were all in such a relaxed and comfortable mood, everyone having savored a few chocolates first, that at first he almost glossed right over the chapter title.

"What map?" Alice asked in confusion, looking from the book to the suddenly shifty Marauders.

"No idea," Potter said with a completely straight face.

"Yeah, beyond us," his best friend nodded along.

"We're not the only Marauders on Earth," Lupin casually studied his fingers, picking fudge out from under his nails.

"Why would you assume otherwise?" Peter asked back innocently. He kept his hand in his pocket where said item currently was. They'd only finished it over Christmas break of this year, no way were they willing to show it to anyone else in this school! Not to mention, it wasn't really working anyways, the place would be more deserted than it ever had in its life. Even during holidays you could find some teachers who lived there about the school, now there wasn't even that.

The three exchanged a look of exasperation, but really they couldn't force another answer out of them, considering none believed this, so Frank just got started hoping for more answers from the book.

Regulus just kept eyeing Sirius, though he wasn't sure what for. He wasn't expecting some special treatment and an explanation, but he'd been well aware for ages his brother and friends got up to something around school. Even without Snape going on about it to anyone who would listen it was obvious enough, there just wasn't enough care from the general student populace to find out. Now here was an honest clue to it all, but what did a map help? By second year most students didn't need such a thing.

A kid voluntarily staying in the hospital wing for the weekend was quite the depressing way to get things started. It was nice his friends all came to visit him, Frank actually got a chuckle out of the fact that he didn't share his recent Grim sighting because he could accurately predict his friends reactions. There was irony abound in there.

Sirius didn't seem to find it as funny, blanching in unease and taking a step closer to Prongs at the reminder Harry had nearly died both times he'd caught sight of him. Was he really some omen? Twelve people had all died around him for some reason... "Oi Padfoot!" Remus cut in loudly. "Come here and play Exploding Bonbons with me."

"You two are so lame," Peter rolled his eyes as Sirius at once darted over. "Only couples do that sort of shite."

"Just because you caught Bertha Jorkins and Florence Jr. playing that last month doesn't change the fact that they've been doing this since third year," James rolled his eyes at him. "Now come here, I want a witness to see how many Pepper Imps I can fit in my mouth at once." Peter frowned in confusion at him why he hadn't instead made some joke towards Evans about trying the same, but willingly followed him over to the shelf where he could grab arm fulls of the little candies.

Alice was filling her pockets with plenty of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, while Frank was popping Crystallized Pineapple into his mouth every few sentences. Evans was now ignoring everything as much as she could as she dug into some No-Melt Ice-Cream Every Flavor, but she seemed to have a hard time swallowing it. He sighed and wished more than anything he could skip ahead, but the blasted book only let a few lines appear at a time. No one should have to listen to their final moments being lived through by their child. There wasn't any comfort they could give her for this.

Sirius nearly choked on his next bonbon when Ron threw a crocodile heart in Malfoy's face, spraying Dynamite Coconut all over Remus and neither of them caring as they knew they'd do just the same.

"I won that one," Moony smirked, wiping the crumbs free from his scruff, he needed a shave soon.

"Blast," he grumbled as he snatched up the next one blindly, and then scowled when it came up black.

Remus did so next, coming up with a red one. The two held each others gaze as they popped them in, but Sirius lost again this time because the little concoction exploded in his mouth faster, forcing him to quickly and visibly swallow. "How do you win at this every time?" He demanded as the prick still sat there smirking with his jaw firmly held around the candy even as Sirius blindly began choosing another. Luckily he came up with a white one this time, while the book turned to Professor Lupin's class.

"I've always been better at handling my sweets," he muttered for Sirius alone, nearly causing him to drop his candy. He grumbled and eyed the staircase, but didn't think the two of them could skip off without their friends noticing and coming along this time. Blast Wormtail putting the idea in his head, he'd been fighting back the urge to snog Remus for a whole minute now, the candies would have made such an experience even better.

They were interrupted anyways by the two joining them, smoke still pouring out of Prongs' nose and a very satisfied look on his face. "New record!" He crowed, collapsing on the ground beside Sirius and offering him a Jelly Slug.

"You really must make quite the good teacher Moony," Peter snickered. "All those kids complaining to you, and you taking it in stride like that."

"Least I managed to take your advice and keep my cool," he sighed, knowing full well he wouldn't be having any words with Snape. If he wasn't already avoiding him before, he would be now, even though the question of that mysterious potion was still on all their minds, Harry didn't seem to be picking up any more clues about it.

Lupin did call Harry back, and that following conversation was wrenching for them all. More talk of Azkaban and those dementors wasn't helping anyone's mood in here despite the warmth surrounding this room. No amount of Chocolate Flavored Pumpkin Pasties was going to make hearing of this better, but it was quite interesting to hear he promised Harry dementor lessons soon! The four exchanged almost excited looks for that promise, finally someone who was going out of there way to help Harry.

"Thanks, err, Remus."

Moony nearly startled to his feet, the only one who didn't seem surprised by Evans coming over was Prongs. He seemed determined to be unfazed by this, shifting through some Treacle Fudge with an absent expression.

"Oh, ah, you're welcome," he quickly smiled at her, meeting her expression openly. "I'd ah, do it for any student of course, but, well, I don't need to tell you I'd do anything for James' kid."

"Right," she said quietly, turning back away now that she'd said her peace, unable to shake the dark thought her friend had certainly never bothered to do the same. She held the two beside each other in her head, trying to age them up nineteen years, it was almost unfathomable. Her best friend had turned into some bitter tyrant of the school and here Potter's friend was, going out of his way to help Harry.

Of course this didn't explain Black on the loose, and Lupin just so happening to be at the school the same year. There was just no way that could be a coincidence, but would another of Potter's friends really be out to kill Harry?

Alice distracted her by offering her a Sugar Quill, gazing around at Honeydukes with a new eye and asking, "you know, I've just thought. Why would this place have any significance to Harry? He's not getting in here, and I wouldn't think his friends bringing him more sweets from this place would be so big a deal."

"Who cares," Frank managed around a mouth full of toffee. How he'd been getting the words from the book out with any semblance of intelligence was the real mystery today.

Regulus stopped sorting his beans into different colors and looked up with interest as the twins pulled Harry aside right before a Hogsmeade visit, instantly guessing what all this was about. He'd heard rumors from some of the older students the school had dozens of secret passages, and he'd certainly put money down those twins knew some of them. Then his eyes widened further as he turned to look at his brother, the four of them looking as if they were holding their breath in anticipation, all sweets forgotten and expressions locked in on Frank. A map of those secrets of the school would come in handy, and the Marauders were certainly more than capable of making such a thing; and then it somehow got even more fantastical!

The four of them had to scramble desperately to hide their sudden euphoria of Prongs kid of all people just stumbling across this! Instead they were forced to fix confused expressions in place, trying to make themselves look as intrigued and curious as anyone else should. It was like staring down Dumbledore!

"Wow, ah, what a marvel that thing is!" James began earnestly.

"My, my, we must be geniuses to figure this out, by our seventh year surely!" Sirius quickly agreed.

"If it's even ours," Peter quickly tacked in.

"Oh yes of course, how silly of us, or anyone to think we alone could engineer such a thing and-"

"Sign it with your bloody stupid nicknames you keep calling each other," Frank interrupted with an eye roll.

"You lot are the worst liars, really pathetic considering how often you try practicing at it," Alice snickered.

"Can't we see it," Regulus asked with such an excited little squeal to his voice, Sirius swore he was that ten year old again asking to see his big brothers wand.

Then James made the mistake of looking at Evans, five years of habit unbroken, and found her looking nothing but curious for this.

The two caved. Remus knew they'd lost. Peter pulled it out.

Sirius snatched it away, cleared his throat with far more importance than anyone really thought was necessary, and stated clearly, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Little ink lines began spreading about at once, and the other four crowded forward eagerly.

"Well I don't know what you were expecting," Remus couldn't help but say defensively into the silence. "You knew as well as us there's no one in the castle for it to be properly working right now!"

"Mrs. Norris is still there," Regulus noticed, prodding a corner that housed Filch's office.

"Huh, none of the other animals are," Alice said curiously.

"Or that basilisk," Frank shivered.

"We had to put a special charm in to track that cat," James shrugged, "doesn't work on all animals."

"And we don't have the Chamber on here, we never found it," Sirius sighed.

"I'm not particularly fond of the idea of adding it in," Remus agreed.

"How did you manage such a thing?" Evans asked, a wide-eyed student in class again. She held her hand out curiously, Sirius reluctantly let it go.

"Some modifications to the Homenum Revelio spell, had to transfigure a textbook on revealing charms," James quickly said with bursting pride. He was more than happy to brag about this to her now that it was out in the open, but Peter was still frowning at the four suspiciously.

"It's not exactly something we made overnight, took us ages to get it all-"

"Isn't Hogwarts unplottable though!" Frank interrupted. "How did you actually manage this?"

"Drew the whole thing myself," James crossed his arms with a smirk. "The magic didn't stop us from animating our own map, we just couldn't con one up from the school. Padfoot and Moony managed all the fancy wand-work, then Wormtail went around and marked all the details."

"I can't imagine this thing when the school's, well, normal," Alice giggled as she scanned every corridor. Even having lived there the past six years, she hadn't found half the places marked on this thing. "How can you make out anything with so many people about?"

"Practice," all four said at once.

"I want to know how the twins got a hold of it," Regulus took his turn holding it, Evans offering it without a second thought. He held it up to the light, then flipped it all around to get every angle, before finally folding it up again. "I can't imagine you lot letting this out of your sight much, let alone how it fell into the Weasley's possession."

"They said they swiped it from Filch," Peter recalled. "It wouldn't be too far fetched for him to confiscate it from us and for them to figure out how to get it working from there." Then he shifted uncomfortably and again tried to caution, "of course, the more people who know about it, the more likely-"

"You think Harry's going to get into Hogsmeade with this!" James suddenly shouted above everyone, snatching it away and quickly tracing his finger to the corridor Harry would be in.

Regulus gave Peter a sympathetic smile and whispered, "don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," Peter sighed back while Frank scrambled back to the book curiously. "I just hope those three will keep their mouths shut."

"It's hard to imagine Evans doing it," Regulus agreed. "She might lord this over you lot, threaten to turn it into a teacher once the novelty wears off."

"That might put Prongs off her once and for all," Peter couldn't help an ironic laugh.

James' prediction came true of course, and Harry was soon on his way to this very building. The other four of course went traipsing down the stairs as if to meet him, all of them crowding around the basement now looking for the secret hatch.

The Marauders stayed on the stairs with smirks in place, their eyes knowing just where to fall.

Frank tried to keep reading and get a clue, but despite Harry coming up and then above into the shop, he still couldn't spot it. Alice cast a few spells to reveal any such thing but nothing happened, while Lily was walking purposefully on the floor, clearly listening for something. Regulus was watching, and finally managed to follow Sirius' eyes, right to a square spot on the floor that had slightly less dust then everywhere else.

Alice yelped in excitement when he pulled it up, jumping down the hole with abandon.

"Bit of a squeeze down here, hard to imagine you four all scampering around in here," she called back.

"We manage," Sirius snorted.

It took a while for them to finally stop badgering questions, but the Marauders couldn't find it in them to be very upset at these four learning one of their secrets. Well, two, but plenty of students knew of the secret passages existences. They still had one secret that was just for them after all, and still no one had thought to ask them about their nicknames.

Harry was now able to explore Honeydukes, and eerily running right into his friends. They'd all had their fill of candy already and were more than happy to hear of Harry getting to explore even more of the village. James expected the chapter to be winding down soon so went wandering back upstairs to make sure and drop enough money in their till, Remus going with him to see if he couldn't stuff a few more sweets into his pockets for the continuing trip, who knew when they'd get food again. Regulus thought up a few more questions and managed a decent conversation with Peter and Sirius for a time, while Lily and Alice were discussing the merits of that kind of magic. Their thoughts of those boys being layabouts felt laughable now, how much research must have gone into that map?

Frank was as surprised as anyone when the kids reached the Three Broomsticks, got comfortable, and then choked on the words as teachers appeared.

"Blast it all, Harry can't have one decent thing!" Sirius scowled.

There was a thunk from upstairs, and they didn't have long to wonder what had been dropped in surprise as a cascade of Tooth-Splintering Strongmints came tumbling downstairs, James and Remus close behind.

"This is madness," Potter protested, skittering on the last few steps and nearly sliding into the entrance that had been left open.

"He didn't even bring the Invisibility Cloak," Remus sighed.

Hermione did some quick thinking and hid the kids from sight, but the relaxed tone couldn't quite come back.

"Has anyone tracked how long Hagrid's been in this place before?" Peter sighed. "I feel like Harry's going to miss curfew before he can slip past him."

"Have a bit more faith in the lad," Sirius tried to laugh off. "He's on the smaller side," sending a superior smirk at James, who in turn flipped him off. "He'll sneak out in no time."

Frank hoped they were right, he didn't particularly want to be the one to read about Harry's adventure getting ruined so thoroughly when he wasn't really doing anything that wrong. He'd expected the conversation wasn't much to listen to, but was quickly proven wrong when once again Black and the dementors were the topic. In all the excitement of this news he'd almost forgotten about Black's future misdeeds.

Judging from the mingled horror and resignation on his face, he might have as well. He shrunk back into the shadows with ease, nearly vanishing from sight and murmuring something for his friends ears alone.

"It's alright Pads," Remus caught him up in a reassuring embrace before he could slink too far away.

"Yeah, we still don't believe a word of it, no matter who says what," James stated in no uncertain terms.

"Even McGonagall of all people," Peter laughed awkwardly as their head of house even managed to share light on the tail. The four managed a pleasant smile for a moment as she reminisced about James and Sirius being as close as brothers, it was a wonder she didn't mention the other two, even a little offensive considering she now worked with one of them! Sirius' teeth sunk uncomfortably into his lower lip as he wondered at that, if he'd really done something to make her not associate Remus with him anymore.

Things weren't going that badly for a moment, James even perking up with interest at Sirius being his best man at his wedding to Evans. He glanced over and saw her scoffing, as usual, but even now he couldn't help but grin at the idea. She would look lovely in white. He turned away much quicker than usual though with an uneasy sigh, he wasn't sure how to look past her attitude towards his best friend. He'd named Sirius Harry's godfather for crying out loud, the news unsurprising to him. Shouldn't that be enough for anyone to know what kind of person Sirius was?

He missed Lily watching him out of the corner of her eye, her own mind a tumultuous mess of wondering at her future. A marriage to Potter of all people sounded ridiculous of course, but what would it have been like? His best friend had been there, had hers? Her sister? For just a moment, she could imagine it. Tired of feeling so alone, and the one person still trying to fight for her attention, she'd cave and possibly say something civil to him-

She'd missed some of it in her musings, Black being a Secret Keeper or something and the Marauders vehement protests something must have gone wrong with Dumbledore's spell before their mate had done anything against Potter. She wanted to scoff and laugh at their naivety in such a reckless friend, but stopped cold before she could even start, forcing herself to remember this time she once would have said the same about Sev- still would! Right?

Frank was growing increasingly uncomfortable the longer he had to keep going. Hagrid's shame at not stopping Black but instead accepting a gift from him like that bike was only making things worse. When he'd dismissed the Marauders as naive for thinking their friend couldn't do what the rest of the world said he'd done, they all must have been some level of crazy. It just kept getting worse, Black managed to kill Peter in that explosion?! It didn't seem real.

That arrogant pureblood stepping off and taking out a dozen muggles to prove himself had been perfectly in line with the character he knew, but taking out one of his own friends with it? After having just stabbed another in the back? It was hard to imagine any human with half the loyalty he'd witnessed in the past few days conceiving of such a thing.

Regulus had started to back away from his brother at the gore in this story, feeling like he was interrupting something private between the four even as he was forced to listen to the grisly tale. He stopped though when he realized what he wasn't seeing. The four just seemed frozen in place, expressions stuck on shock and nothing else. Regulus drew his wand and flexed his fingers, scenarios running through his mind of six of them turning on his brother. He didn't care what mother said, what anyone said, Sirius hadn't done anything yet to deserve this fate. Regulus still wasn't convinced this was the whole story, he wouldn't trust anything second hand now if details were already admitted to being covered up.

James unfroze first, stuffing his hands casually into his pockets, eyes flashing with fire about the room as he snarled what a horrible story that had been. Remus crossed his arms and put a calculating expression onto his pasty face, whispering to no one all the inconsistencies that could be had from this. Then Peter moved, Regulus raised his wand with a curse on his lips, but the guy merely launched himself into his friend, half shrieking, "glory Pads, to think what was going through your head finally wasn't your insanity! It's alright, whatever the hell that was, I know you'd never really!"

"I, wouldn't," he managed in half a sob, fingers trying to shake right out of socket as he patted him on the back, before crushing him in a life threatening hug. "Course I wouldn't," he repeated with a conviction no one would have believed moments ago. "I'd never."

Frank and Alice exchanged another of their unspoken looks. After such tenderness, watching their friendship in action, he found himself trying to guess what story in this future was missing a few holes, while watching those in front of him band around each other. Frank read the last few lines, Harry's shock at hearing all this as fresh as theirs, and begged of the new chapter to give some relief.

#Harry Potter #reading the books #fanfiction #Marauders #Wolfstar #Jilly #James Potter #PoA #Lily Evans #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #Peter Pettigrew #Frank Longbottom #Alice Smith #HP

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paladinwife · 4 years

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🕸️🎑and 🍫?

Any time I do Gebura, I have to do Binah too. It’s only fair.

🕸️ - What costumes do your ship or F/O wear, if you were costumes at all?

Why can I see Binah doing that one Wednesday Addams bit? “I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like anyone else.”

Anyhow, let’s give her an actual costume. I feel like she would look too perfect as either a vampire or a witch, and really I could see her leaning into the vampire thing.

🎑 - What is your and your F/Os favorite thing about Halloween?

I think she loves the general aesthetic of it all. She’s not much of a party person but she loves to lean into the creepy side of things, and I don’t think she’d ever mind an excuse for more morbid or otherwise spooky jokes.

🍫 - What candy is your ships or F/Os favorite?

She finds most candies too sweet and will hand them over to Mirabelle (who enjoys almost anything), but she does like dark chocolate a lot. The darker, the better. She might enjoy something like European-style salted licorice too.

#this is the second time i've made an addams family reference for her recently and i find that funny #pikespendragon67 #still falls the night (with binah)

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eldritchsurveys · 4 years

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1024.

Would you rather have your own personal chef or maid? >> I would definitely rather have the maid. While I just don’t really enjoy cooking, but I’ll still do it if I have to... cleaning is a completely different story and I would gladly pay someone to do things that trigger me but still need to get done.

Which do you prefer: M&M's, Skittles, or Reese's Pieces? >> None of the above.

If you could be the sidekick of a superhero which superhero would you pick? >> I don’t want to be a superhero’s sidekick, though.

If you could control the seasons, which season would you want it to be now? >> I don’t want to control the seasons. That is a grandiose level of anthropocentric meddling that I would never want to be on.

Where on your body would you never get a tattoo? >> My ass?

Who is the biggest drama queen or drama king in your life? >> ---

Do you think that you could ever win a food eating contest? >> No, because I am entirely uninterested in training my body to do something like that.

Have you ever snuck somebody into your house? >> No.

Have you ever been snuck into somebody else's house? >> Yes.

If you could merge 2 candy bars together, which 2 would you pick? >> I don’t care.

Honestly, have you ever thrown garbage out of the window of a car? >> Nope. I’m happy to hold onto my trash until I get to a bin.

What music artist do you wish would have a come-back? >> ---

What is the first song that comes to mind when I say: Michael Jackson? >> Billie Jean.

If you could have any animal in the world as a pet, which would you want? >> ---

What is your favorite flavor potato chip? >> Kettle brand salt and pepper.

Honestly, have you ever stuck gum under a table or desk? >> I don’t know, maybe.

Do you know how to French braid? >> I do not.

Which would you find more interesting: dinosaurs or dragons? >> Dragons!

Can you name 3 different kinds of dinosaurs? >> Brontosaurus, Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl. Yeah, I guess I can.

Can you say "Sally sells sea shells" fast without messing up? >> Once or twice, probably.

If your parents could read your thoughts, would you be in trouble? >> ---

If you could re-paint your bedroom any color, which color would you pick? >> If I was in a house of my own and could paint walls, I’d probably want a soft grey or dusky blue colour (or both).

Have you ever egged somebody's house or car? >> No.

Kool-Aid - yummy or nasty? >> I hate Kool-Aid.

Which of your friends is closest to you in age? >> ---

When was the last time you bought a new pair of shoes? >> Just under a year ago.

Can you say "hello" in another language? >> Yes.

Do you ever wish that you were a couple inches taller? >> No.

If somebody asked you to parallel park a car right now, could you do it? >> I can’t even drive, lmao.

Do you ever shove stuff under your bed when you "clean" your room? >> No, I never do that. Either I’m going to clean my room or I’m not, but I certainly don’t have to fake it.

Which are you better at: jump-roping or hula-hooping? >> Jumping rope.

Do you like Licorice? >> Yeah, black licorice.

Did anybody ever read bedtime stories to you when you were younger? >> No.

If eating chocolate was against the law, would you break it? >> No, because I don’t even care for chocolate.

Which natural disaster do you find the most terrifying? >> I’m not sure.

Do you have any bruises on your body right now? From what? >> No.

Do you have a favorite Johnny Depp movie? What is it? >> I guess Edward Scissorhands.

Do you hurt the people who you love the most? >> I mean... I don’t set out to do that...

Do you think you act younger or older than your age? >> ---

What was the last red thing you ate? >> I’m pretty sure a couple of the Trolli sour gummy worms I had were half-red.

If I gave you a Yo-Yo right now, could you do any tricks? >> No.

#surveys #survey #random survey #not for reblogging *glare*

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eastofthemoon · 7 years

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Midnight Ice Cream

Had to write something for @heithweek2017 so here’s something for today’s prompt Laughing/Crying.

Title: Midnight Ice Cream

Rating: G

Series: Voltron Legendary Defender

Characters/Ship: Hunk/Keith

Summary: Despite being tired, Hunk couldn’t sleep and he discovers neither can Keith.

Hunk yawned as he groggily left his room and made his way into the kitchen. It was late, and he knew with the training they had in the morning he should be asleep, but he couldn’t. Hunk would shut his eyes, only to find himself tossing and turning before opening them again.

He just couldn’t sleep. It felt everything from the last couple of weeks had decided to pile up upon him at once.

The fight with Zarkon. Shiro going missing. Keith taking over the Black Lion, while Allura took over the Red Lion. That Lotor creep now chasing after them. It felt like it had been years since Hunk could fully relax.

Having no other options than to stare at his ceiling, Hunk decided to get a snack. He did have some of those disastrous cookies he baked sill lying around. They would either help Hunk fall asleep, or he just continue to be awake and less hungry.

Hunk entered the kitchen, but stopped when he saw Keith sitting at the table. He barely seemed aware Hunk had entered as he stared into his steaming cup of tea. Hunk cleared his throat to avoid startling him, and Keith raised his head.

Keith blinked and leaned against his hand. “Can’t sleep?”

Hunk shook his head and leaned over the table. “Guessing you can’t either?”

Keith nodded as he wrapped his fingers around the cup. “Coran said this tea would help, but I don’t think it is.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Too many thoughts in my head.”

“Know the feeling,” Hunk said as folded his arms and tapped his fingers against his elbow. “Been meaning to ask, but..you doing okay?”

Shiro’s disappearance had hurt everyone, but Hunk knew it hit Keith the most. Bad enough Keith was missing the closest person he was with on the team, but then Keith having to take over the Black Lion only felt like it was adding salt to the wound.

They all tried to give Keith space when he clearly needed it, but Hunk couldn’t ignore the worry he felt in his gut whenever he saw him.

Keith forced a small smile. “I’m doing okay.”

Hunk frowned. No, it was clear as day he wasn’t. Bags under his eyes. The forced smiles he’d give them. The hesitation whenever Keith had to step into Black. Keith wasn’t okay. At the very least, he looked exhausted.

Problem was, Keith wouldn’t talk about that kind of stuff unless he felt like it. A person would have better luck getting Zarkon to laugh.

With a sigh, Hunk debated on what to do when his eyes landed upon the miniature freezer he and Pidge had built together. Oh, right, there was that.

Hunk looked back to Keith and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “You want some ice cream?”

For the first time in days, Keith raised his head with an expression of bafflement, and not one of grief or sadness. “You have ice cream?”

“Experimental ice cream,” Hunk said as he translated the reaction as a ‘yes’ and took out the container from the freezer. “I’ve been using the milk from Kaltenecker and trying to make a version of it with the other ingredients I’ve been gathering.”

He set the container between them on the table and rubbed his neck. “I haven’t told anyone else about it yet because I wanted to get the recipe right before letting them taste it.” He counted on his fingers. “First patch was too sweet, second too hard, and the third...well, it just didn’t taste good. This is my fourth batch and I haven’t tried it yet so-”

Keith reached out and grabbed his hands. “Hunk, it’s cool,” he said as he tried to show a genuine smile. “I’m happy to be a guinea pig for it, okay?”

Hunk gave a nod and went to fetch bowls, sporks and a large spork to dish it out. He got a couple of scoops for Keith and then some for himself. Hunk sat across from Keith with his bowl, but didn’t start to eat as he carefully watched Keith’s reaction.

The boy frowned as he saw the ice cream, dished up a sporkful and put it into his mouth. A look a pleasure spread across his face and Keith shut his eyes.

“I swear ice cream has never tasted good until this moment,” he stated.

Hunk chuckled. “You sure you aren’t just saying that because it’s been months since you’ve had ice cream?”

“Maybe,” Keith admitted as he eagerly took another mouthful, “but either way, it’s delicious.”

Hunk was doubtful until he took a bite. He let it linger on his tongue and nodded in approval. It was a tad sweeter than ice cream back home, but it was an improvement over his last attempts.

“It’s a good basic vanilla,” Hunk replied and sighed. “Now if only I could find something like strawberries.”

Keith gave a small smile as he stirred his spork in the dish. “Strawberry ice cream your favorite?”

“Yeah,” Hunk said as he took another mouthful. “Lance’s favorite is chocolate, and Pidge likes a chocolate and peanut butter combo.”

“Figures she would,” Keith said with a small chuckle.

Hunk swallowed his mouthful and tapped his spork against the bowl. “What’s your favorite?”

Keith looked up and rubbed his neck. “I’m..not that picky when it comes to ice cream.”

Hunk narrowed his eyes. “So..you don’t have a favorite flavor?”

Keith waved a hand side to side. “Well..technically I have two but that’s because one of them is harder to find.”

“Oh?” Hunk asked curiously. “What is it?”

Keith stirred is spork as he leaned back. “Well, one favorite is mint chocolate.”

Hunk gave an approving nod. “Yeah, I can see you liking that.” He tilted his head. “But I know that’s easy to find, what’s the other one?”

“Tiger tail,” Keith said as he sounded a little sheepish.

Hunk blinked and pointed his spork at him. “Tiger tail?”

“It’s hard to find,” Keith said as he ate another mouthful. “It’s orange ice cream with black licorice in it.”

He drew lines with the spork in the air like he was drawing them with invisible paint. “They’re done as black lines in the ice cream so it looks like tiger stripes.”

“Black licorice,” Hunk said slowly as he scratched his head and chuckled. “Sorry dude, but that does NOT sound appetizing to me.”

Keith shrugged. “Most people don’t, but I like it,” he said and then gave a small sad smile. “My last birthday, before Shiro went on the Kerberos mission, he actually found me a small tub of it.”

“Yeah?” Hunk said with a small smile. “What’s Shiro’s favorite flavor?”

Keith smirked a little. “Vanilla.”

Hunk’s jaw dropped. “Dude, no way. Just vanilla?”

“Yes,” Keith said and tossed his hands up in the air with the spork still in his hands. “I use to go to this ice cream parlor with him where they had 50 flavors and he choose vanilla. Everytime!” He shook his head as he crossed his arms. “Drove me crazy and I swear half the time he did it to tease me.”

Hunk pondered that and nodded. “Yeah, he would,” he said and looked to the container. “Guess I’ll make sure to save some of this for him then.”

Keith’s smile dropped and he leaned against his hand. “Yeah..if we can find him.”

Hunk’s eyes softened and he reached over to give Keith a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s not an ‘if’. We’re going to find him.”

Keith lowered his gaze as he stared into the bowl. “I know..it’s just,” he shook his head and his grip tightened on this spork. “I lost him once already, and Shiro’s...been the only real family I had for a long time.”

Keith raised his head, and wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand. “I..I can’t lose him again. I want to believe he’s okay, but..but..I can’t help-”

Hearing that, Hunk put down his spork, went around the table and engulfed Keith into a tight bearhug. He expected Keith to resist, but the boy leaned into him and wrapped his arms around him.

“Look, I don’t know when or how, but we will find him,” Hunk said as he rest his chin on Keith’s head. “And, if the worst happens and we don’t, you’re not alone. You got Allura, Coran, Pidge, Lance and me, okay? We would never abandoned you .”

Keith’s fingers gripped into his shirt and he felt him bury his face into his chest. They said nothing for several moments, until Keith released him.

“Thanks,” he whispered as he gave a shaky smile. “Sorry for..breaking down like that.”

“Hey, man, we all need to sometimes,” Hunk said as he sat next to him and reached for his bowl. “If it helps, if you ever need to talk or just..I don’t know need a hug, you can come to me.” He pointed his spork at him. “I promise I won’t ever judge you.”

Keith nodded and paused as he looked into his bowl. “Then..same to you,” he said with full sincerity. “I’m not good at comforting people, but if you just need an ear to listen to you I’m here.” He gave a small smirk. “And I’ll happily be your food guinea pig again.”

Hunk smiled back as he patted Keith’s back. “Thanks, and I’ll probably take you up on that offer.” He then looked back at the ice cream and sighed. “Man, I feel like this needs something.”

Keith stared at the bowl. “Like...sprinkles?”

“Yeah, but we don’t have any,” Hunk said mournfully.

“What about those cookies you baked the other day?” Keith said as he pointed to the leftovers in the corner. “They were good.”

Hunk snorted. “Also too crumbly,” he said with a wave of his hand. “They break apart as soon as you pick one up.”

They were a mess. Only reason Hunk didn’t throw them out was that everyone claimed they tasted great and shot dagger filled glares at him for even suggesting of tossing them out.

“Then aren’t they perfect to be ice cream toppings?” Keith offered. “You would want something that you can crumble and sprinkle over easily, right?”

Hunk paused, slowly turned to Keith and grinned as he pulled him into into a bear hug. “Keith, you’re a genius!” he declared as he then launched from his seat and went to get the cookies. “Let’s try it out, and if it’s a success I’ll serve this with dinner tomorrow for dessert.”

Keith gave a smile as he watched Hunk add the cookie topping, and that time Hunk could tell the smile wasn’t forced.

#heithweek2017 #heith #hunk #keith kogane #voltron #vld #space dork red #space dork yellow #fanfic #my writing

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charllieeldridge · 4 years

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21 Awesome Things To Do in Bogotá, Colombia

High up in the Andes Mountains, you’ll find Bogotá. The sprawling capital city of Colombia is home to over 8 million people, making it the 5th largest city in the Americas.

For many years, travellers avoided Bogotá (and Colombia at large) like the plague. While a certain TV show has glorified this dark time in Colombia’s past, the country has spent the last two decades trying to shed its negative reputation as a hotbed of drugs and violence.

These days, more and more curious travellers are heading to Colombia. While you may be tempted to simply breeze through the big city, there are lots of awesome things to do in Bogotá to warrant spending a few days there.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the top activities in Bogotá, from hiking in the mountains and taking in the amazing street art, to drinking beer and blowing stuff up!

1. Join a Free Walking Tour

When you’re new in a city, the best way to get your bearings is by joining a free walking tour. These seem to be everywhere these days, and Bogotá is no different.

The best walking tour of the city is run by the folks at Beyond Colombia. They actually run a few different free tours, but you’ll want to start out with their free walking tour of downtown Bogotá to get an introduction to the city.

Tours run every day at both 10:00am and 2:00pm and go for about three hours. It’s a really fun and informative tour, where you’ll learn about the city’s history, architecture, gastronomy, and more. They have excellent guides who really strive to show you the city from a local’s perspective. If you enjoy the tour (which I’m sure you will), be sure to tip your guide accordingly.

One thing I love about the free walking tours is getting recommendations from your guide on the best places to eat and drink in the city. It’s also a great way to make friends with fellow travellers. That’s why taking a free walking tour sits atop our list of the best things to do in Bogotá.

2. Explore La Candelaria

While the free walking tour covers some solid ground, you’ll still want to take some time to explore the city centre on your own. Known as La Candelaria, this area is home to an array of historical and cultural sights. If you’re not sure what to do in Bogotá, just head to La Candelaria and explore all that it has to offer.

This is where Bogotá was founded back in 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera. Much has changed in Bogotá since then, but this area has been very well-preserved.

Walking along the cobblestone streets past the many colonial buildings, you might think you stepped back in time. That is until you turn a corner and see the massive Colpatria Tower stretching up to the sky. Bogotá is a city that manages to hold on to its past while still moving full speed ahead into the future.

Some of the highlights of La Candeleria include the central Bolivar Square, which is surrounded by important landmarks like City Hall and the gorgeous Cathedral of Colombia. The area is also home to several museums, so there’s plenty to see and do here to keep you busy for a short stay.

3. Take In The Views From Cerro Monserrate

One of the most popular things to do in Bogotá is definitely heading to the top of Cerro Monserrate. From here, you’ll get some incredible panoramic views of the city. There’s also a church up here and a few restaurants, so you can take your time and really savor the fantastic view.

You have a few different options for getting to the top of Cerro Monserrate. If you’re feeling up for it, you can hike all the way there along a well-marked trail. While the hike isn’t too strenuous, the high altitude can definitely get to you. The church atop the hill sits at a whopping 3,150 meters!

If you want to hike up the hill, you’ll have to get to the trailhead before 1:00 pm, as that’s when they stop allowing people in. For coming down, they keep the trail open until 4:00 pm. The trail is closed on Tuesdays, so make sure you don’t come then if you’re really hoping to hike.

For those who would rather take the easy way out, you have two options. There’s both a funicular and a cable car running here now. A popular choice is taking one up and the other down.

Round-trip tickets to be used on either one cost 20,000 pesos (about $6.50). The price is cut to 11,000 ($3.50) on Sundays, which makes that a very popular and thus crowded day to visit. The cable car runs every day except for holidays that fall on Monday, and the funicular is always closed on Mondays. You can find the ticket office on the map here.

Another option is to join a half-day tour which takes in many sights in Bogotá, including Cerro Montserrate. Click here to learn more.

If you love being out in nature, be sure to read this guide on hiking the Valle de Cocora. It’s one of the best places to go hiking in all of Colombia, and this guide has all you need to plan a trip there.

4. Eat Like a Rolo

People from Bogotá are known as Rolos in Spanish. They’re different from those who live on the coast (Costeños) or those from Medellin (Paisas). Each region has its own unique culture and customs, especially when it comes to food. Trying different dishes and drinks is certainly one of the most delicious things to do in Bogotá.

Starting your day out like a Rolo means arepas and a tinto. Arepas are a staple dish all across Colombia. They’re made of ground maize dough or cooked flour, and can be found on just about every street corner in Bogotá. The best arepas in my humble opinion are the ones stuffed with gooey, melted cheese!

A tinto is the Colombian equivalent of a long black coffee. Forget spending $5 on a cup of coffee from a certain American chain, and instead grab one from a local street vendor for less than a buck.

When it’s time for lunch, order up a bowl of ajiaco. This Bogotá classic is a chicken soup with potatoes, corn, and herbs. It’s usually served with cream and avocado as well, making for a hearty and filling meal. Try it at La Puerta Falsa.

For when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, be sure to try a cup of chocolate caliente, Colombian style. It’s made by melting chocolate in a jar with milk. Once it’s ready, you then dunk some chunks of cheese into the hot chocolate. It sounds a bit weird, but it sure is tasty!

5. Visit the Gold Museum

There are plenty of museums in Bogotá, but the cream of the crop is definitely the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). It’s home to an astounding 55,000 pieces of gold and other pre-Columbian artifacts.

The Gold Museum has exhibits spread out over three floors. In addition to its massive collection of gold objects, there’s also plenty of pottery, stone, wood, and textile objects. One of the most famous items on display is the Muisca raft, which represents the ceremony of the legend of El Dorado.

The Gold Museum is open from Tuesday-Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm and Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm. Tickets cost 4,000 pesos ($1.25), and the museum is free on Sundays. You can also take a free one-hour tour of the museum from Tuesday to Saturday at either 11:00 am or 4:00 pm. You can find directions to the Gold Museum here.

For an interesting and fun walking tour of the La Candelaria neighbourhood and the Gold Museum, click here.

6. Hang Out in Chorro de Quevedo Plaza

If you go on the free walking tour, you’ll stroll up a colourful pedestrian street to reach toe Chorro de Quevedo Plaza. Since you don’t get to linger too much on the tour, it’s worth returning to this funky part of Bogotá on your own.

Carrera 2 is a cool street that’s full of shops, cafes, and bars. It’s also covered in some pretty awesome street art and a popular place for craft vendors to set up. Walking along this trendy street is definitely one of the most fun things to do in Bogotá.

At the end of the street, you run into the plaza. There’s a fountain in the middle and some colonial buildings that surround it. The plaza is a popular gathering place for young locals, especially at night and on the weekends. Be sure to come back here to hang out on at least one of your nights in Bogotá. You can find the plaza on the map here.

7. Sample Local Booze

When in Bogotá, you must sample the local hooch. That means trying both the traditional and modern-day favourites — chicha and aguardiente.

Chicha is a fermented corn drink with a unique and interesting flavour. There are many different recipes for chicha depending on the region, but in Bogotá it’s simple — cooked maize with sugar, fermented for six to eight days. It’s more popular in rural areas, but there are plenty of places in Bogotá that serve it.

The drink of choice for most Colombians these days, though, is definitely aguardiente. This Colombian firewater is made from sugarcane and flavoured with anise, giving it sort of a licorice taste. It’s usually 25-30% alcohol and is drank neat.

Due to its sugary content, this stuff can cause some brutal hangovers. Best to just have a shot and move on to something else…such as craft beer. That’s right, Bogotá is home to BBC (Bogotá Beer Company) and if you like artisanal brews, you won’t want to miss sampling a brew from BBC, or two.

8. Day Trip to the Salt Cathedral

One of the top things to do in Bogotá is taking a day trip out to the famous salt cathedral. It’s located in the town of Zipaquira, about an hour outside of the capital.

This Roman Catholic church was built in a salt mine, 200 meters underground. The miners had long had a sanctuary here, but the cathedral was officially inaugurated in 1954. It’s dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary, the patron saint of miners.

Due to safety concerns, the original cathedral was closed in 1992. A contest was held to choose a design for a new one, and it was opened a few years later in 1995.

A highlight of visiting the salt cathedral is seeing the three sections representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus. It’s a functioning church and a very popular place for pilgrims, drawing in thousands of people every Sunday. Since it doesn’t have a bishop, it actually does not have official status as a cathedral from the Vatican.

Entrance to the salt cathedral costs 50,000 pesos (about $16). While you can get here via a public bus, most travellers opt to join a tour instead. Some tours also include a stop at the scenic Lake Guatavita, meaning you can cross off two of the best things to do in Bogotá in one day. Click here to learn more about the popular, highly rated tours.

Visiting this cathedral is one of the top things to do in all of Colombia. Don’t miss it!

SEE ALSO: 15 Things to Do in San Gil – Colombia’s Adventure Capital

9. Join the Ciclovia Event

If you happen to be in Bogotá on a Sunday, you’ll definitely want to check out the Ciclovia event. Many of the city’s major roads are closed to motorized vehicles on Sunday mornings. Instead of the usual traffic jams, you’ll find joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers, and dog walkers.

Ciclovia started back in 1976 thanks to a peaceful protest from local students. They demanded more public spaces in the city to do things like ride bikes, and it paid off. The event brings one to four million people out every week to take back the city streets and enjoy some time outdoors.

There are plenty of places in Bogotá that rent bikes out. You can expect to pay about 40,000 pesos ($15) for half a day, or 80,000 ($30) for a full day. One reputable shop is Bogotravel Tours. You can find them on the map here.

10. See a Football Match

Football is basically a religion in Latin America. Seeing a game live is an amazing experience and is certainly one of the best things to do in Bogotá.

El Champin Stadium is the place to go for football in Bogotá. The stadium is home to the national team of Colombia as well as two different club teams – Milionarios FC and Independiente Santa Fe.

Ticket prices for the games range from 16,000 pesos ($5) for seats behind the goal up to 90,000 ($30) for some of the best seats in the main stands. It’s possible to buy tickets online or from a few different vendors, but you can usually just rock up on match day and easily find one from the box office.

While you can just head to the stadium and grab tickets on your own, you may want to consider signing up for the Bogotá Football Tour. You’ll meet up with the rest of the group for drinks beforehand, have the chance to pick up some merchandise, and then go into the game to cheer on the local heroes.

If you find yourself in Medellin, don’t miss watching a football match there as well!

11. Wine and Dine in Zona G

Whereas La Candelaria is home to most of the tourist attractions in Bogotá, it’s the Chapinero neighborhood where you’ll want to go for the best culinary and nightlife experiences. This vibrant area is just north of the historic centre, and it’s an increasingly popular choice among travellers.

I’m all about eating local food from street stalls and market vendors, but once in a while you’ve got to treat yourself to a nice meal. In Bogotá, the place to do that is Zona G (the G stands for Gourment) in Chapinero.

Zona G refers to the area between Calles 65 and 75 and Carreras 4 and 7. Within these few blocks, you’ll find cuisines from all over the world. Of course, there’s plenty of Colombian fare, but there’s also Italian, Peruvian, Chinese, French, Vietnamese — the list goes on and on.

If you’re looking for a fancy night out on the town in Bogotá, then Zona G is definitely the place to start. Some restaurants that come highly recommended in this area are Harry Sasson, Criterion, and Bistecca e Vino Da Trattoria.

SEE ALSO: 21 Things to Do in Cartagena

12. Take a Street Art Tour

If you’re into street art, then be sure to sign up for the incredible graffiti tour. You’ll surely notice that there’s street art around every corner here, so why not join a tour and learn more about the murals and the artists who created them?

In addition to seeing a bunch of amazing street art and learning about the artists themselves, you’ll also hear an interesting story about the turbulent history of graffiti in Bogotá and what Justin Bieber has to do with it. I won’t spoil it for you — you’ll just have to take the tour to find out for yourself!

The graffiti tours run every day at both 10AM and 2PM. The meeting point is at the Parque de los Periodistas. There’s no need to sign up in advance; just show up and find the guide with the blue umbrella. As with most free walking tours, this one is also donation based.

During our week-long stay in the Colombian capital, I’d have to say the graffiti tour was my favourite thing we did. It’s definitely one of the coolest things to do in Bogotá, so be sure to include it in your itinerary.

13. Play Tejo

Among the essential things to do in Bogotá is trying your hand at Colombia’s national sport of tejo. It’s a game that involves explosives and usually numerous beers as well. Sounds like a winning combination, doesn’t it?

All kidding aside, tejo is about much more than just gunpowder and alcohol (although those are definitely the key ingredients). Basically, you throw a metal puck (a tejo) across the room at small, triangle-shaped targets that are filled with gunpowder and buried in clay. If you hit one — BOOM! An explosion, cheers from your teammates, and the clinking of beer bottles.

Since tejo is a wildly popular game in Colombia, it’s not hard to find a place to play. One spot that comes recommended is Club de Tejo La 76, which can be found on the map here. It’s free to play so long as you buy a crate of beers, so definitely bring some friends along! Alternatively, you can sign up for a tour and have someone else figure out the logistics for you.

Playing tejo isn’t just one of the top things to do in Bogotá, it’s one of the best things to do in all of Colombia!

14. Visit the Botanical Gardens

When you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city, just head to the Bogotá Botanical Gardens. It’s the biggest botanical garden in Colombia and features plants from every altitude, climate, and region of the country.

There’s a lot to see in this sprawling green space. The park covers 20 acres and features a waterfall, sun clock, an impressive orchid collection, and so much more. Of course, there are also several greenhouses with a wide variety of flora.

The gardens are open every day of the week and cost less than a dollar to visit. They’re open from 8AM-5PM Monday to Friday and from 9-5 on the weekend. You can reach the gardens by bus or catch a cab/order an Uber. You can find the gardens on the map here.

15. Shop in Local Markets

Whether you’re looking to pick up some souvenirs or just enjoy a bit of window shopping, visiting some of the local markets is one of the top things to do in Bogotá. In this bustling capital city, you’ve got plenty of options for market hopping.

For food, a great choice is Paloquemao. This authentic market is full of fresh produce, spices, seafood, meat, and even some beautiful flowers. Come here in the morning and enjoy a cheap and local breakfast. You can check out the location of this market on the map here.

On Sundays, the place to be is the Usaquen Flea Market. Walk along the cobblestone streets and peruse the many colourful stalls selling a wide array of handicrafts. This is definitely the best place to pick up some unique items from Colombia to bring home.

The Usaquen Flea Market is open from about 10AM to 6PM, give or take an hour. Head there in the afternoon to find the market at its busiest. You can get directions to the market here.

16. Ride a Chiva Bus

Bogotá is a city that likes to have a good time, plain and simple. One of the quintessential nightlife experiences in the Colombian capital is taking a ride on a chiva bus.

Traditionally used to transport people in rural areas of Colombia, these colourful buses have been adapted in the cities to serve as rolling nightclubs. It’s a party bus, Colombia style!

Party time! | Photo by Sasha Savinov

On a chiva bus, you can expect an open bar (lots of shots of aguardiente), speakers blasting salsa and cumbia, and a hard-partying crowd ready for a wild night out.

If that all sounds like a good time to you, be sure to sign up for a Chivas Tour. Riding the chiva bus is not only a good time, but it’s a great chance to practice your Spanish and your salsa moves! Oh wait, you don’t have any? That brings us to the next item on our list.

17. Learn Salsa Dancing

Salsa dancing is a huge part of Colombian culture, so tearing up the dance floor definitely makes our list of the best things to do in Bogotá. If you’re like me and have two left feet, never fear! There are lots of places in Bogotá where you can sign up for salsa lessons.

One great option for learning a bit of salsa dancing is by contacting the fine folks at Salsa Classes Medellin. While they’re actually located in the Spring City, they also partner with independent local teachers in the capital. By cutting out the need for a studio, you pay less and the instructors earn more.

By the way, if you’re headed to the Spring City – and you should be! – don’t miss out on this post on the best things to do in Medellin.

If you’re not necessarily looking to take classes but still want to experience the phenomenon of salsa in Colombia, look no further than the Bogotá Salsa Tour. Their epic tours teach you the basics and also include visits to a few different clubs with drinks along the way. You might not be an expert salsa dancer by the end, but you’ll sure have an awesome night out!

18. Take a Bike Tour

For those who would rather explore a city on two wheels than two feet, a bike tour is one of the best things to do in Bogotá. It may not seem like it at first glance, but Bogotá is actually a great city for cycling.

The best option for seeing the Colombian capital by bike is on a tour with Bogotá Bike Tours. They run tours of La Candelaria every day at 10:30AM and 1:30PM for around $20 per person, which includes the bike and a helmet.

If you’d prefer to get out of the concrete jungle, they can also arrange one or multi-day mountain biking tours in the countryside. You’ll need to contact them in advance to schedule one of these tours.

Of course, you can always just rent your own bike and explore the city at your leisure. They rent bikes for 9,000 pesos ($3) per hour or 50,000 ($16) for a full day.

SEE ALSO: Ciudad Perdida, Colombia – The Ultimate Trekking Guide

19. Hang Out in Simon Bolivar Park

What Central Park is to New York, Simon Bolivar Park is to Bogotá. While it may not be quite as famous as its Big Apple counterpart, this park is actually just slightly bigger.

On a nice day in Bogotá, there’s no better place to be than Simon Bolivar Park. This green oasis in the urban sprawl is home to several walking and biking trails, a lake for boating, a children’s museum, an amusement park, and much more.

If you’re the type who enjoys some peace and quiet in the park, you may want to avoid it on the weekends, when it seems as if the entire city comes out. That is, of course, unless you happen to be around during the huge Rock al Parque festival that goes on here, which is totally free to attend.

20. Nightlife in Zona Rosa

If you go to Zona G to eat, then you should also go to Zona Rosa to party. This is the premier nightlife area in Bogotá and is home to several different bars, music venues, and nightclubs.

The central part of this area is also known as Zona T for the t-shaped intersection that is home to many restaurants and bars. This place is bumping every night of the week, but it is especially lively from Thursday to Saturday.

No matter what your tastes are, you can find something you’ll enjoy on a night out in Bogotá’s Zona Rosa. My personal recommendation goes to the Bogotá Beer Company, where you can try some tasty craft beers made right here in the Colombian capital and actually be able to converse without shouting.

21. Party Hard at Theatron

When you really want to turn it up to 11 and go wild, the best place to go in Bogotá is Theatron. Built in an old movie theatre, this massive complex has a whopping 13 different floors, each with its own musical theme and unique atmosphere.

Theatron is considered the biggest gay bar in all of Latin America and one of the biggest in the world. That being said, absolutely everyone is welcome here. The club welcomes in upwards of 5,000 people on Saturday nights from all walks of life and all corners of the world. Partying here is definitely one of the most fun things to do in Bogotá!

Theatron is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9PM to 3AM. Entrance is 45,000 pesos ($15) and includes access to all areas and an open bar until 2AM. It’s located in the Chapinero area, and you can find it on the map here.

Enjoy Bogotá!

I’m sure by this point in the guide, you’re ready to book that ticket to Bogotá to begin your Colombian adventure. Before you do that, be sure to read this guide on the ten things to know when planning a trip to Colombia.

On our recent 7-month trip as digital nomads in South America, Bogotá was one of our favourite cities. While the gloomy weather and congested streets don’t give the best first impression, there’s a lot to love about the vibrant capital of Colombia.

With just a few days in Bogotá, you can explore the historic centre, hike high above the city, take in some incredible street art, dive into Colombian culture, and party like a rock star. If that sounds good to you, then be sure to add Bogotá to your travel plans for this year!

The post 21 Awesome Things To Do in Bogotá, Colombia appeared first on Goats On The Road.

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surveyaddict817-blog · 6 years

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Survey #4

25 Randoms

1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?

Last time I dressed up for a costume party I was a cowgirl, so probably that again. I don't like costume parties though.

2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger? And do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling?

Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, fat free mayo, & ketchup. Charcoal please! 😊

3. You are chosen to have lunch with the President. The condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask?

I'd probably ask him for money. 😂😂😂 Not really. I don't know what I'd even say, there's so much going on in this country & so many people whining & complaining I wouldn't be able to choose just 1 question.

4. It's your first day of vacation, what are you doing?

Swimming & relaxing somewhere pool side, lake side, or beach side.

5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies?

Chocolate covered peanuts. 😍

6. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email?

Pop up ads. I don't ever check my email unless I legit have to.

7. What do you think Captain Hook's name was before he had a hook for a hand?

Captain Hand? Lol

8. Rock, paper, or scissors?

Paper.

9. How long was it from 'the first date' until the proposal of marriage? How long until the wedding?

Almost 2 years, & the wedding is still not actually set. Lol I'm horrible at planning & he just doesn't know the first thing about it.

10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet?

Too quiet.

11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?

Honesty. I don't care if it's brutal honesty, don't lead me to believe anything other than your honest to God opinions, facts, & actions.

12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter?

Salt water taffy, licorice, or peppermints.

13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?

Memorial Park.

14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other?

Politics & sports. I have my own beliefs when it comes to politics but I don't like to talk about them. & sports, I don't care at all.

15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test?

I haven't taken it because I seriously am the worst driver ever.

16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose?

Baked apples. 😍😍😍

17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life?

Pizza, chocolate, pasta, bread, & sweets.

18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second?

Take my chances. I'm already broke, I'd hate to keep the 50 if I can turn it into 500. & if I end up with an empty envelope, I was already broke to begin with lol.

19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: cable TV, or DSL/cable internet?

CableTV, I could just use firestick or Netflix. 😁😁

20. What is your highest level of education?

High school & some paraprofessional training & certification.

21. How much is a gallon of gas in your city? What was the highest it's been?

Like 3 something, I think jve seen it almost to 5 dollars a gallon before. It's ridiculous.

22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?

I never had one, I always just brought a lunchable in my backpack if I brought anything at all. I was mostly on regular school lunches though.

23. What would you rather have, a nanny, a housekeeper, a cook, or a chauffeur?

A housekeeper. For sure.

24. Would you rather be trapped in an elevator, or stuck in traffic?

Stuck in traffic. Elevators scare me.

25. Lets say a brick fell on your foot, and your kid is standing right next to you, what is your 'cleaned up' swear word?

I doubt I'd be able to clean it up at all lol, that sounds super painful.

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consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 6 years

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A Celiac's Favorite 13 Gluten Free Candy and Sweets for Valentine's Day

New blog post!

I received free samples of some of the gluten free candy and sweets listed below (Munk Pack, Welch's Fruit Snacks and products from the Lovely Candy Company). However, all views and opinions are my own - and I only feature products I really love!

Now that February is officially only a few days away, Valentine's Day finally seems close enough to talk about a true love that many of us actually share: the love of sweets, treats and candy, of course! To be honest, I'm picky when it comes to dessert. In fact, most nights, I'd honestly prefer a big batch of my homemade vegan granola over a scoop of ice cream. In the four+ years since my celiac diagnosis, though, I've gotten to taste a fair share of tasty gluten free desserts. And while I often enjoy baking my own gluten free treats, sometimes a girl just likes having some chocolate chip cookies or gluten free candy easily on hand.

So, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share 13 of my favorite gluten free candy, vegan dessert ideas and everything in between! Whether you are looking for a gluten free cookie that's free of the top eight allergens, want a paleo dessert that's just as delicious as it is primal-friendly or want to expand your vegan candy options, this gluten free candy round up will have you drooling... and ready to enjoy one extra sweet gluten free Valentine's Day.

1. Enjoy Life Foods Cookies and Protein Bites

When people ask me for an easy gluten free dessert that everyone will love, I often point them in the direction of Enjoy Life Foods. All of Enjoy Life Foods' products are free of gluten and 14 common allergens, but you'd never guess it. Enjoy Life Foods offer two kinds of cookies - crunchy and soft baked - and I'm personally partial to the crunchy side, which taste especially delicious when sprinkled on smoothie bowls or yogurt parfaits. If you want a secretly healthy dessert, I'd also suggest reaching into a bag of Enjoy Life's protein bites. These are similar to my homemade protein balls, and come in flavors like Sunseed Butter, Cinnamon Spice and Cranberry Orange. Traditional truffles ain't got anything on these healthier bliss balls!

2. Snackin' Free Paleo Graham Crackers

Craving a paleo dessert for Valentine's Day (or any other day of the year, of course)? Then you'll love Snackin' Free, a California-based paleo cafe. All of their foods are free of gluten, grains, dairy, soy and peanuts, and they also offer several vegan desserts and savory treats. I got the chance to try Snackin' Free a few years ago, and was blown away by how good their paleo products were, from grain free breads to paleo granola. My favorite paleo treat from Snackin' Free, though, would have to be their graham crackers. Crunchy, lightly sweetened but not sugary and delicious eaten alone, as mini s'mores or as toppings on smoothie bowls or yogurt. You could say that I fell in love at first bite.

3. Kalot Superfood Fruit and Cashew Butter

Okay, maybe this nut butter isn't technically a candy or a "sweet," but it is one of the tastiest dessert-flavored nut butters I've ever tasted. I've tried both the chocolate version (made with Chocolate Chips and Chia Seeds) and the white chocolate version (made with white chocolate, strawberries and chia seeds) of this cashew butter, and I was surprised to prefer the white chocolate flavor. However, both are equally creamy, dreamy and surprisingly healthy (featuring ingredients like cashews, dates, coconut oil and cacao butter). I've found these nut butters at my local Whole Foods Market and on Amazon. If you're significant other is a nut butter fanatic and hasn't tried this, well, your Valentine's Day gift shopping just got a lot easier!

4. Lovely Candy Company Licorice and Honey Truffles

Wondering what candy is gluten free? Two gluten free candy options are these goodies from the Lovely Candy Company! Although I'm not usually a huge candy person (shocking, I know), I couldn't turn down samples from the Lovely Candy Company after I saw that all of their candy is gluten free, kosher, and free of artificial flavors, colors and trans fats. Of the products I tried, their gluten free strawberry licorice was my number one favorite. I especially love that their vegan licorice is free of high fructose corn syrup, and that it is's chewy without sticking to your teeth and is sweet without tasting fake or sugary.

If you're looking for gluten free chocolate that everyone will love, though, you'll love my second favorite candy that I tried: Lovely Candy Company's Dark Chocolate Honey Truffles! The chocolate coating is rich and bitter, which pairs well with the sweet honey filling. As a bonus, these truffles only contain two simple ingredients (honey and chocolate liquor). Chocoholics rejoice!

5. So Delicious Cashew Milk Ice Cream

I've shared my love for So Delicious's cashew milk ice cream line before, but no gluten free dessert round up would be complete without mentioning them! So Delicious also offers coconut milk ice cream, but I think their vegan ice cream flavors made with cashew milk are even tastier. My favorite flavor is the Salted Caramel Cluster ('cause, I mean, what could be better than creamy vegan ice cream + salty clusters of caramel?!?), but their vegan vanilla ice cream is the perfect pairing for cookies or cake.

6. The Good Scone Cupcakes and Cookies

If you looked in my parent's pantry, you'd think we live off of the Good Scone's Vanilla Cake Mix...and you wouldn't be totally wrong. The Good Scone's cake mixes can be baked into a variety of gluten free and vegan desserts from cakes (of course), cupcakes and (my mom's favorite) cookies. In fact, we've whipped up gluten free sugar cookies using The Good Scone's cake mix for the past two Christmases, and even the gluten-eaters in our family dove right in. (As an FYI, I was an ambassador for The Good Scone back in 2016, but this review is as unbiased as a gluten free cookie lover can write it!).

Like this post? Then tweet me some love by clicking here: "Make your #ValentinesDay extra sweet with some of this #college #celiac's fave 13 #glutenfree (+ several #vegan & #paleo) candy and sweets! A sugar high has never been so #allergyfriendly - or delicious! http://bit.ly/2Gp2FgX"

7. Welch Fruit Snacks and Fruit Rolls

Another gluten free candy I've recently fallen in love with are Welch's Fruit Snacks and Fruit Rolls. When I'm craving something chewy but a little sweeter than my regular dried fruit, I've been reaching for either of these gluten free candies from Welch's. Both are gluten free, fat free and free of preservatives, and, in my opinion, the more fruity flavors are available to choose from, the better! These gluten free candy options are more sugary than some of the other gluten free desserts on this list, but these fruit snacks always make me smile and think of my childhood after-school treats.

8. Sejoyia Coco-roons

OMG. There are almost no words to explain how delicious these secretly healthy desserts actually taste. These superfood cookies are gluten free, vegan, paleo, organic and non-GMO thanks to a mix of ingredients like dried coconut, cashew flour, coconut nectar and maple syrup. So far, I've tried two of Coco-roon's many flavors (I was lucky enough to win some Coco-roons in an Instagram giveaway!), and Salted Caramel is my favorite. These paleo cookies are soft enough to crumble on your tongue and only taste lightly sweetened. If you're not a fan of coconut, these gluten free cookies might not be the right dessert for you since the coconut flavor is pretty prominent. If your taste buds are anything like mine, though, prepare to meet your new favorite cookies.

9. Pamela's Products Chocolate Cake

One of the first gluten free desserts that I made and my family liked was the chocolate cake from a Pamela's products mix...and, almost five years later, everyone (including my gluten-eating dad and sis) still requests the same cake for special occasions. Pamela's chocolate cake is rich, moist and deliciously fudgy, and you can bake it as a vegan cake as well. Usually we use Pamela's chocolate frosting mix, but this last Christmas, we used Pamela's salted caramel frosting mix instead. Let's just say that the cake didn't last long - and I ate my fair share of it, which is unusual for me!

10 Munk Pack Protein Cookies

Gluten free cookies just got upgrade! Thanks to ingredients like brown rice protein and gluten free oat flour and fiber, these thick gluten free cookies are packed with 18 grams of vegan protein and 6 grams of fiber. My favorite flavor is Coconut White Chip Macadamia. There's something magical about combining a soft, fluffy cookie with crunchy coconut flakes and vegan white chocolate chips. (Drooling yet? I know I am!)

11. Canyon Bakehouse Brownies Bites

If you need to eat a gluten free diet, you've probably stumbled upon the gluten free goodness that is Canyon Bakehouse (and if you haven't, you need to fix that ASAP). As delicious as their gluten free bread is, though, their brownie bites will always have a special place in my family's heart (and our stomachs!) Crunchy on top, chewy in the inside and packed with chocolate...what more could you want from a gluten free dessert?

12. Pascha Chocolate

You know that a gluten free chocolate is good when I eat it straight from the bag and not in my granola or baked goods like usual...and Pascha's new rice milk chocolate is that kind of good. Over Christmas break, mom and I whipped up five mini loafs of pumpkin bread (using this awesome gluten free and vegan pumpkin bread recipe) and topped them with Pascha's dark chocolate and white chocolate chips. Considering the fact that we devoured all five loafs in a little over a week, I'd say that this gluten free and vegan chocolate is a definite winner.

13. Cappello's Paleo Cookies

Would you believe that I'd never tasted gingersnap cookies until last Christmas? And I have Capello's to thank for making me addicted! Capello's offers a variety of paleo cookies, pasta and pizza, but so far, their paleo chocolate chip cookies and gingersnaps are my favorite. I mean, what's more heavenly than finding a paleo and vegan cookie that you can bake and devour in 20 minutes or less?

There's no bad day to enjoy a bar of gluten free chocolate or a decadent vegan dessert, but there's also no better time to show yourself some sweet love than Valentine's Day! Whether you're looking for a sweet paleo dessert for your partner in crime or allergy friendly candy that every child can enjoy, this gluten free candy round up hopefully pushed you in the right direction. Now for the hard part: deciding which sweet treat to try first! *I received free samples of Munk Pack, Welch's Fruit Snacks and products from the Lovely Candy Company in return for editorial consideration. However, all views, opinions and photographs are my own. Thank you for supporting what supports Casey the College Celiac!* What's your favorite kind of candy? Any Valentine's Day plans? via Blogger http://ift.tt/2rQiPwW

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

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