#so everything bakes into a delectable pie of oh no.

[karahalloway]

(Un)Common Attraction: Chapter 23 - A Bitter Aftertaste

Series: TRR (following the events of Book 1, with some changes)

Pairing: Drake Walker x OC (Harper Gale)

Rights belong to Pixelberry, most characters and some dialogue belong to them.

Book Synopsis: Harper Gale is a small-town girl working as a waitress at a seedy New York dive bar. After a chance encounter with nobility sees her jetting halfway around the world to compete for the hand of the Prince of Cordonia, her dream of seeing the world starts to come true sooner than she expected. But as the completion heats up, Harper quickly learns that life at court is a lot more than just pretty dresses and fancy balls, and that the polished aristocratic smiles often hide deceit. Does she have what it takes to rise above the gossip and intrigue of the social season, and beat the nobles at their own games? And, more importantly, does she actually want to become the queen of a small European country? Or will her heart have other ideas?

Masterlist: (Un)Common Attraction

Chapter Summary: It’s the first day of the Apple Blossom Festival and Harper has some uncomfortable conversations... and makes a plan.

Word Count: 4,300

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing)

Please read: Author’s Note

Also available on Wattpad.

Chapter 23 - A Bitter Aftertaste

"Harper... Wake up!"

"...ngh..."

"We're here!"

Rousing myself with some difficulty from my nap, I squint blearily out the window of our customary limo.

The past week had been gruelling, and I had collapsed into bed after midnight each day, only be woken again at the crack of dawn the following morning to begin another seemingly never-ending round of lessons covering everything from the correct utensil to use during each course of a ten-course dinner to how to bake a delectable apple pie, Cordonian-style. To make matters worse, even though I ended up exhausted at the end of each day, both physically and mentally, I had still had trouble falling asleep, my mind running in circles about how to deal with Drake and Christian.

But as we draw up to where we would be spending the next couple of weeks, I cannot help but brighten slightly as I admire the romantic milieu of our surroundings. In contrast to the Royal Palace, which was stately and opulent, Applewood Manor was the definition of European country chic. The pale sandstone façade of the building was wreathed in climbing roses, curving elegantly around Tudor-style paned-glass windows. Manicured hedges lined the long gravel driveway, and on the hills overlooking the estate marched rows and rows of apple trees in perfectly straight lines.

"It's gorgeous..." I breathe as our car pulls to a stop. "This puts even Downton Abbey to shame."

"While I would not normally approve of references to tacky American television, I have looked into this Downton Abbey and I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised that you would choose to spend your time watching something so poignant and educational."

I scrape my jaw off the floor of the limo with some difficulty. "You...you do realise that it's just a story... not a documentary."

"Of course. But even fictional tales can serve as useful vehicles to convey important messages and information. Take the Greek myths, for instance. They teach us that you must respect your elders, control your emotions and do not try to escape your fate, all of which are valuable life-lessons."

"Now I know where you get your oh-so-modern value system from..." I mutter under my breath as I exit the limo.

"But enough chit-chat," declares Bertrand, stepping out of the vehicle as well. "The first event of the Apple Blossom Festival will start shortly, and we have preciously little time to get you settled in your room before making your presentable for the press. Do you have your outfit to hand?"

"Yes," I reply, grabbing my small wheely suitcase from the trunk. It held the clothes that I would be wearing for the day, together with a small bag of make-up essentials so I would not have to waste time rummaging through the entirety of my luggage when we arrived.

"In that case, you best hurry inside and get changed. Maxwell will escort you to the private part of the orchard for the apple tasting once you're ready. I will meet you there once all our belongings have been unloaded."

"Do we really need all this stuff?" I ask, watching a dozen valets hard at work carrying the million and one trunks and suitcases up to the manor house.

"As I said before, since we do not have the luxury of relying on the Palace boutique, or the well-stocked garment shops of the capital out here in the countryside, it is better that we come over-prepared than under."

"Yes, but did we really need to pack ten different ballgowns?" I insist. "When there is no actual ball planned?"

"It's always better to be safe than sorry..."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, I am making my way through in the Manor's private orchard, wearing the white off-the-shoulder sundress that I had picked up during my illicit outing with Drake a few weeks ago. Completing my country-inspired look were a pair of open-toed, caramel-coloured booties with a chunky heel and a wide leather belt with floral detailing which I had snagged from the boutique. I had also laid hands on a pair of dangly pearl earrings and a statement pendant necklace on a long chain.

"Hi, Harper," whispers Hana, as I join the other suitors, who are stood in the shade of an impressive apple tree. "I love your dress."

"Running unfashionably late, as always," snips Olivia by way of greeting.

"Hush!" warns Madeleine, silencing us with a wave of her hand.

Following her intent gaze, I spot the King and Queen making their way through the assembled crowd of nobles and journalists, each of them carrying a wicker-basket of shiny red apples.

"Welcome, one and all to the annual Apple Blossom Festival!" greets the King in his booming baritone. "I always enjoy our reprieve in Cordonia's beautiful countryside, and it seems that this year, especially, we will have a bumper crop of apples!"

His announcement is greeted with enthusiastic applause.

"And, as you very well know," adds the Queen, "in keeping with tradition, myself and the ladies of the court will sample the first apples of season. Ladies, if you'd please..."

We all reach into the baskets and select an apple while the press starts snapping photos. Turning it over in my hand, I can see that it is smaller than the apples that I am used to back in the States, but the skin is such a luscious shade of red that I actually rub my finger against it to see if it had been varnished.

"I get now why it's called the Cordonian Ruby," I remark quietly to Hana.

"They do look delicious," she agrees, lifting her apply up to her nose to give it a delicate sniff.

"Oh, they are..." confirms Olivia with a smirk. "I can't wait for you to both try it. The Ruby always leaves such a memorable aftertaste."

"Make sure you look this way, ladies!" calls one of the photographers. "We'd love to capture your reactions! It's something the public love seeing every year."

"Ladies..." indicates the Queen, lifting her own apple.

We all bite into our apples in unison and the cameras start flashing wildly.

"Oh!" exclaims Hana, covering her mouth with her hand as her eyes go wide in surprise.

"Mon dieu!" agrees Kiara, nearly dropping her apple.

"Delectable!" purrs Olivia, glancing at me slyly. "Don't you agree, Harper?"

"Definitely... memorable," I wheeze, forcing myself to swallow the nauseatingly acidic bite I had just taken, trying to fight back the tears that had formed in the corners of my eyes.

"How are you finding your Cordonian Ruby, Lady Harper?" calls a reporter.

"It certainly has...character!" I remark, drawing chuckles from the crowd.

"The first crop of the season always has a definite bite to it," smiles Madeleine. "I rather like the taste, personally," she adds, taking another bite, the cameras snapping eagerly.

"Well, it looks like our ladies enjoyed their applies," observes the King with a smile. "Before we all disperse, I'd like to extend a special thank you to our apple growers for preserving our venerable traditions, especially those who labour here on the Applewood estate. Your hard work and dedication helped put Cordonia on the apple farming map and I could not be more proud of your achievements this year!"

"And with that... Happy Apply Blossom Festival!" adds the Queen. "Please, feel free to pick as many apples as you would like. I can also heartily recommend a stroll through the Japanese gardens – the apple blossoms are truly magnificent this year."

The crowd starts to break up, but Olivia, Madeleine and I find ourselves surrounded by reporters, who want to know our thoughts about Applewood, the Cordonian Ruby and where we stand with Christian.

After what seems like an interminable length of time, during which the press corps seem more interested in my answers than those of the others, much to Olivia's and Madeleine's annoyance, the reporters finally disband.

"That was... certainly informative," muses Madeleine, studying me as we begin making our way across the orchard. "Lady Harper, for a commoner, you seem to have a real connection with the press."

"Oh," I blush, her comment catching me off-guard. "Thanks."

"I only hope you can keep it up without any mishaps," she replies with an angelic smile. "Some women simply can't handle the pressure of constantly keeping up appearances."

"Well, I certainly can," interjects Olivia imperiously. "So, I wouldn't get too comfortable, if I were you. The press can be so fickle in their affections, after all..."

"Oh, I agree," purrs Madeleine. "One's fortunes can change so quickly, especially given what's at stake. I just hope you can keep up, my dears."

She saunters off, leaving Olivia fuming.

"Bertrand was not kidding," I muse. "Angelic on the outside, Frank Underwood on the inside," referring to Kevin Spacey's character from House of Cards... not that Olivia probably had any idea of what I was talking about. These nobles were seriously missing out on some great TV, not to mention important pop-culture references...

"She has some nerve," she hisses. "Swanning in half-way through the season as if this competition was already decided in her favour. But if she thinks she can nab Christian from under my nose, she has another thing coming!"

"Does Christian even like her?" I ask. "I've only seen him talking to her once..."

Olivia scoffs. "Please... Madeleine is a cold, hard bitch."

"Whereas you're a warm and fuzzy one?"

"Let me put it this way," replies Olivia with a sly smile. "Christian likes women who have some passion... some fire to them, who challenge him. Madeleine is not his type, at all. He would not choose her in a million years."

"Then why are you so threatened by her?"

Olivia glares at me angrily. "Because she is a manipulative snake! She has been trying to get her grubby little hands onto the crown for years and she thought she had won when she was chosen at the end of last year's season. Oh, you should've seen the look on her face when Leo announced his abdication!"

"You have nothing to worry about then," I reply. "Christian told me that he was not interested in a marriage of convenience. He wants to spend his life with someone he actually cares about."

"He told you that, huh?" asks Olivia, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You two... talk a lot then?"

"Not recently," I admit. "You kind of monopolised him in Lythikos, and I haven't actually seen that much of him over the past couple of weeks. But if you are serious about him, then go for it. I'm not going to stand if your way. I care about Christian, but I don't want to be queen."

"Hah! That is the biggest load of horse shite I've ever heard! Who doesn't want to be queen?"

"Maybe someone who just wants to live a normal life without the constant posturing and manoeuvrings of court life," I retort.

"Have we been spending a bit too much time with Drake?" She laughs when she catches my glare. "Oh, please... the two of you have hardly been subtle, sneaking off every chance you get. If anything, you two deserve each other!"

"We're not—"

"But I'm warning you..." she hisses, leaning in close. "If I find out that the two of you are just pretending to be all baby-eyed for each other in some kind of tasteless commoner plot to make Christian fall into your arms out of jealousy, then I will come down on you with all the wrath of House Nevrakis!"

Eyes glinting dangerously, she turns on her heel and stomps off, leaving me staring at her retreating back with my mouth hanging open.

"Harper!" cries Maxwell from behind me. "Err... you okay?"

"Honestly? I have no idea... Had a very strange conversation with Olivia just now..."

"In my experience, every encounter with Olivia is a strange one," admits Maxwell. "Most of the time I am not sure whether I will make it to the end of a conversation alive and in full possession of all my body parts."

"HBO definitely missed a casting opportunity with her in Game of Thrones..." I remark. "She would've made a great Cersei."

"No kidding! Anyway, Bertrand gave me strict instructions to escort you to the Japanese gardens so you could nab some time with Christian."

"Of course he did..." I sigh. "Lead the way then."

As we make our way through the orchard, I catch the sound of raised voices. Pulling to a stop, I scan the immediate vicinity and spot Bertrand, face livid, arguing with one of the reporters a few trees away.

"Hey, isn't that Ana de Luca from Trend magazine?" I ask Maxwell, grabbing the sleeve of his jacket to catch his attention.

"I-I guess so. I don't know the reporters as well as you do."

"But that's my point! What is Bertrand doing talking to a reporter in the first place? That's normally my job..."

"No idea," shrugs Maxwell. "Bertrand doesn't let me get involved with House Beaumont stuff. He thinks I'd just screw it up."

I watch Bertrand jab his finger accusingly at the reporter before stomping off, while Ana pulls a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and lights one up.

"Looks like she's alone," I observe. "Let's go find out what all that was about."

I had a sneaking suspicion, but I wanted to be certain.

"I'm not sure Bertrand would appreciate us nosing around in his affairs."

"Hey," I reply, fixing him with a serious look. "You're part of House Beaumont too, aren't you?"

"Yeah..."

"And so am I, technically. I know Bertrand likes to keep a tight handle on things, but what if Ana has discovered something about your brother or House Beaumont that is potentially significant...and damaging? Wouldn't you want to know what it is? So, you can help your brother through it?"

That last part was not 100% genuine on my part, but I was not going to pass up on this opportunity to go snooping around Bertrand's dirty laundry, especially if it would provide a lead on who was behind the bachelor party photos.

Maxwell eyes me uncertainly before letting out an explosive sigh. "You're right... We should at least try to talk to the reporter lady."

"That's the spirit!"

We make our way over to where Ana's stood, taking a long draw on her cigarette.

Catching sight of us, her perfectly plucked eyebrows rise above the rim of her Versace sunglasses. "Lady Harper... and Lord Maxwell. What a pleasant surprise... Did you want to add to your earlier comments?

"Not exactly..." I reply. "We couldn't help but overhear you and Bertrand just now and we were hoping you could shed some light on what the two of you were discussing so... passionately."

Ana's lips curve into a thin smile. "Straight to the point, as always. I do like that about you, Lady Harper." Taking another long pull on her cigarette, she crosses her arms over her Chanel suit. "Let's just say that certain information has come to my attention concerning House Beaumont that the Duke does not want publicised."

"And what information would that be?"

Ana looks at us in surprise. "Do you really not know?"

"I have a couple of ideas," I reply. "But I would love to hear it from you."

"It concerns House Beaumont's finances," she replies, tapping her cigarette with a manicured finger.

Damn... I was really hoping it would be the photos.

"Since you are one of the Prince's favourites," she continues, "and could very well become our next queen, the people have the right to know that your sponsors are so heavily in debt that I am surprised that they still have a roof over their heads."

"You can't!" exclaims Maxwell. "It would ruin our house's reputation."

"Well, the Duke should have managed his finances better then, don't you think?" shrugs Ana. "And anyway... the people love a good riches-to-rags story even more than a rags-to-riches one. I cannot afford not to print this piece."

"So much for journalistic integrity," I mutter.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You just admitted that you would be willing to destroy one of Cordonia's noble houses for the sake of good story! You are no better than those desperate paparazzi who will do anything to get a sleazy front-page feature, without giving a moment's thought to how people are going to be affected by the fall-out. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Ana regards me for a long moment, her thoughts concealed behind her dark shades. "I suppose I can delay the piece until after the Prince has picked his bride."

Maxwell's eyes widen. "You... you mean it?"

"But you owe me one," she adds, finishing off her cigarette and extinguishing it on the trunk of a nearby tree.

"You can have an exclusive interview with me, if you want," I offer.

"I will consider it," she replies stiffly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a deadline to meet."

"Harper, I have no idea how to thank you!" gushes Maxwell as Ana saunters off.

He wraps me suddenly into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Can't...breathe..." I gasp.

"Oh... sorry," he says with an apologetic smile, loosening his hold on me. "But I really am grateful. I...I don't think I would've been able to do what you just did."

"Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Not sure," he admits. "Never had anyone do something like that for me before."

"Really?" I ask in surprise. "I find that hard to believe..."

"I'm not having a go at Christian or Drake," clarifies Maxwell. "They're good friends and all, but I just... normally try to sort everything out by myself."

"Well, you shouldn't have to," I reply, laying a hand on his arm. "Friendship is a two-way street, after all."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." He drops an arm around my shoulders and gives me an affectionate squeeze. "Now, let's get you to the gardens before Bertrand has my head!"

He leads me quickly through the rest of the orchard to a high stone wall. Opening the wooden gate, he ushers me inside, and I am transported to another world.

Someone had gone to great lengths (and expense!) to create an authentic-looking Japanese garden, complete with a dainty wooden bridge that spanned a bubbling brook.

"This... this is beautiful!" I breathe in wonder, watching the delicate apple blossoms sway in the breeze.

"I don't see Christian," notes Maxwell, scanning the procession of nobles who are making their leisurely way around the gardens.

"It's alright," I reply. "I'm sure he's just busy making his rounds."

"I'll take a look around."

As Maxwell walks off, I take the opportunity to explore the gardens on my own. Walking down one of the sunken stone paths that leads to an elegant gazebo, I close my eyes to breathe in the sweet scent of the thousands and thousands of apple blossoms and listen to the happy chirping of the birds as they hop from branch to branch.

Opening my eyes, I spot a familiar figure staring forlornly into the dark waters of a koi pond in the shadow of the gazebo.

I try to turn around without disturbing him, but he somehow senses my presence.

"Harper!" exclaims Christian, catching sight of me. "What a pleasant surprise! I thought I was quite alone here..."

"I... I didn't mean to disturb you," I reply, brushing my hair behind my ear. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"You could say that..." he sighs.

"The conversation with your dad didn't go so great?"

He smiles at me sadly. "It's not something I can talk about... at this time anyway. But trust me, if I could, you would be one of the first people I'd want to tell."

Taking a deep breath, I say, "Christian, there's someth—"

"Can I ask you something?" he asks suddenly, his green eyes intent.

"Err... sure."

"Do you... do you think you could handle being queen of Cordonia?"

I gulp. It's as if he had somehow read my mind... and it was a bit of a disturbing feeling.

"I need you to be honest with me."

"Are you sure you want to hear my answer?" I ask pointedly. "Because you are not going to like it."

"I'm sure."

I take a steadying breath. "Alright. In all honesty, I don't know... and this is something that I have been wrestling with since I joined this competition. On one hand, I agree with you that I probably have certain qualities that would make me a good queen. But, like I told you back in Lythikos, I am not sure whether I am cut out for life at court."

"But you've been performing so admirably!"

"That's exactly it!" I cry. "I'm performing! Constantly! For the Beaumonts, for the press, for the entire court. And honestly, it's exhausting... And I just know that it's only going to get worse once you become king. If I am chosen as your queen, I fear that I will cease to exist as a person... as an individual, and will simply become some kind of remote figurehead living in a lofty high castle."

"Harper," says Christian gently, closing the distance between us to take my hands in his. "I know you are a free spirit at heart – it's one of the things I love about you. And I appreciate that becoming queen would be a big change for you, especially since you didn't grow up in this life. But the very fact that you are an outsider is one of your strongest assets because it lets you see things that others do not – to think outside the box. I think Cordonia would be lucky to have you as their monarch... I would be lucky to have you."

"Thank you..." I mutter. "For having such unshakable faith in me. But I'm not sure I have that same faith in myself."

"I know you do... even if it may not feel like it now," he replies with a warm smile. "But I will not pressure you into a decision now. We agreed that we would wait until the end of the social season, and I will stand by our arrangement... in the unwavering hope that you may change your mind."

"I'm sorry..." I sigh. "I know this wasn't the answer you were hoping for."

His eyes search mine. "You know, I've been trying to make Drake into a duke... or at least a count since he got back from university. To give him some kind of official position at court and a seat on my Privy Council when I become King. But his answer has always been the same as yours. So even though I admit to feeling more than a bit disappointed, I cannot say that I am necessarily surprised. The two of you are more alike than you realise..."

"I—"

"And before you object," he continues with a wry smile, seeing the look on my face, "please know that I meant that last part as a compliment. There is no one I trust more than Drake, and your forthrightness is something that I treasure... given that many of my courtiers have a regrettable habit of being less than fully honest with me."

"Christian, I need to—"

"Harper!" cries Maxwell suddenly from behind me. "Hana said she saw you wander off this way... And I see you've found Christian!"

"I hope we didn't interrupt anything..." adds Hana, appearing behind Maxwell.

"Not at all," replies Christian with a gallant smile. "And in any case, I suppose we should head back to the main part of the garden. I've been hiding out here for too long and need to make my rounds before my next engagement."

"Oh? I didn't think anything else was happening after this," I say as we retrace our steps along the stone path. "But the Beaumonts do have an adorable habit of forgetting to tell me about the important things."

Maxwell has the good graces to blush as I fix him with a meaningful look.

"Don't worry, it's nothing official, but you're welcome to join me if you want. I'm meeting Drake after this for a drink... cheer him up a bit."

"Why? What's wrong with him?"

Christian glances around furtively, as if expecting his friend to jump out from behind one of the apple trees at any moment. "Please don't tell him that I told you – he'd never forgive me – but today is Drake's birthday."

"And he's... depressed about that?"

This was not the answer I was expecting, but I was not actually surprised that Drake would want to keep something like that a secret... Heck, he hadn't even wanted to tell me his surname!

"It's not something he particularly looks forward to. He usually spends the day hiding out in his room. If I'm lucky, I'm able to convince him to have a drink with me. But that's about as far as it goes."

"We tried throwing him a party once with cake, balloons, champagne tower, the whole shebang," adds Maxwell, "but that only made him grumpier."

"Well, I'm not surprised!" I exclaim. "Have you met the guy? What about him screams over-the-top birthday party?"

"Are you saying that you have a better idea?" asks Christian, raising a brow quizzically.

"Maybe," I reply, pulling out my phone and tapping on the internet browser icon. "He may not want a fancy party, but we cannot just let him mope around his room on his birthday, or drink alone. It's the one day of the year when everyone deserves to feel just a tiny bit special, so let's surprise him by doing something that he would actually enjoy."

"I'm all ears," grins Christian.

"You had me at 'surprise'" admits Maxwell.

"I'm in," nods Hana.

"Alright, here's the plan..."

The story continues in Chapter 24 - Cheap Tricks

Permatags (let me know if you want to be added!)

@twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @petiteboheme @aussiegurl1234 @queen-arabella-of-cordonia @tessa-liam @alyshak92 @secretaryunpaid @princessleac1 @walkerdrakewalker @choicesficwriterscreations @fictionloveevie

Photo by Julia Kirilova on Unsplash  

#uncommon attraction #harper gale #drake walker #drake x mc #maxwell beaumont #trr fanfic #the royal romance #choices fic writers creations

[blue-bird-kny]

Day 9: Peppermint Smooches

This was purely indulgent, I love peppermint flavored things and I love cooking/baking so enjoy this as you please~Amanda

P.S: For those who don’t know flan is a delicious dessert made of milk and caramel, my family is cuban and that is a staple dessert at parties.

Reblogs are always appreciated~

Warning: N/a unless you aren’t a fan of sweets, 

( 1.2k+ words)

↳{In which you spoil your boyfriend with various of your favorite holiday treats for almost an entire month}

The house smelled of candy and sweets, the overwhelming scent of baked goods pouring out of every crevice and window. You hummed happily in the kitchen wearing a matching mittens and apron set, both adorned with cheesy gingerbread men over white cloth complete with satin red ribbons to tie around your neck and waist.  You mixed together a sticky batter of cinnamon and sugar, tablespoons of spiced rums and vanilla’s all combined together to create a decadent toffee cake smothered in a bitter brandy sauce; your mouth watered and taste buds buzzed in anticipation of eating this dessert.

The holiday season was your playing field; starting December 1st all the way to the new year, you stuffed your friends with delectable sweets, everyday a different flavor and style, and this year you had another special someone to fatten up. Just as you set the pan on the counter to cool, faint footsteps could be heard waddling their way into your kitchen, “Why does it smell like Santa threw up” Giyuu’s nose crinkled as he appeared in the doorway, leaning lazily against the frame. “Well Sir, you’ve just entered a battle zone of my own creation. Pick your weapon, flour or milk?” you joked, setting the red mittens aside in favor of resting against your boyfriend, your arms wrapping around his waist. “Carrots” he randomly picks in an attempt to be funny, “What are you..? Never mind, come taste my cake” you ushered him in to the kitchen, carefully slicing the browned food, blowing on the piece before shoving it into Giyuu awaiting hole.

He chewed slowly as you anxiously awaited his reaction, “Too sweet or too bitter? I did go a little heavy on the liquor” you spireled nit-picking your own desert. Finally, Giyuu’s cool voice spoke “Nothing’s wrong with it, it's perfect. Could I have another piece?” he asked, mouth agape as a low ‘ahh’ sound traveled out. You giggled scooping another slice for him to try; Giyuu savored every bite you pushed his way, but oh how unaware he was of the tooth-rotting month he was about to partake in.

You made dishes of all sorts: gingerbread, strawberry, all sorts of chocolate and nutty arrangements, but nothing compared to the minty sweet that was peppermint. While children wait for gifts in December, you waited year-round to exploit the festive flavor, creating all sorts of pairings to try. You incorporate it into practically anything; topping your whipped creams with crushed bits or mixing them into batter and frosting, using larger pieces for brittle or to freeze with white chocolate, and not a morning passed when you didn’t melt the striped candy to add the extract to your coffee. It was an unhealthy holiday obsession you were far from ashamed of and, unfortunately for him, your Hashira boyfriend had to endure every bit of it.

You were well into three weeks of your cavity-ridden adventures when you found yourself putting together packages of sweets for your friends, each filled with tarts and truffles all wrapped in a hand-tied bow- and of course, this meant you had to include some peppermint treat as well. You browsed through dozens of cookbooks and tested numerous flavor profiles, until you settled with a classic chocolate-peppermint cookie- simple,sweet, and irresistible.

You got to work mixing the dry and wet ingredients, popping them into the fire quickly so as to keep the dark cookie dough at a proper temperature. You melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, mixing in cups of heavy cream to help keep the chocolate smooth and rich to create spread, finally crushing whole sticks of candy canes to garnish the treat. “All done” you sighed, pulling the final ribbon together in a taught knot, a line of baskets ready to be dropped off with your friends the next morning. Your face scrunched together in a loud yawn, the sun already setting outside, “guess I got a little carried away” you chuckled nervously, “You think? You were in there for five hours” a deep disembodied voice answered from behind you.

“Aww so are you saying you missed me, Yuu’” you teased, turning to face the man whose black hair tumbled around his shoulders in the perfect bedhead. He grunted as a response, effortlessly peering over your shorter stature into the kitchen. He was always amazed at your impressive cleanliness because no matter what you baked it always appeared as though a one-man baking championship had not just gone down in there. “What’s with all this?” he asked referring to your gifts, “Just some holiday cheer for our friends, I’ve barely given them any goods this year” you exaggerated as if you hadn’t made Giyuu deliver a plate of pecan pie and flan you’d learned from a foreign cook book to his last Hashira meeting like it was an office christmas party. He noticed the tags hanging on each bow, reading the first one he saw, “Sanemi-san” he grimaced, “Everyone gets one?” “Yes everyone gets one” you started, “and he happens to appreciate my cooking” you added already knowing that there was only one person who could warrant such response from the pillar.

A twinge of jealousy struck Giyuu as he imagine your bubbly self dropping of your hard work into the hands of that brute when you called for him rolling your eyes, “I saved the best one for you though” you held the cookie up to his lips, the oh-so familiar red and white sprinkled across the top. Without a moment's hesitation Giyuu took the desert into his mouth, the silky smooth cocoa cookie coating his taste buds. You watched in delight as the one you loved most enjoyed your favorite hobby when suddenly you noticed the smallest twitch in his eye, so miniscule you almost missed it. “What wrong? Yuu’, if you don’t like it, it's okay” you comforted, eyes softening as you peered up into his crystal orbs.

“This is it” Giyuu thought defeated and slightly upset that he slipped up, “I’m going to have to tell her” he took a deep breath, his confession coming out firm as he said “I hate peppermint”. You blinked in confusion, trying to piece together how he stomached practically every edible thing you pushed his way for the last month. “Wait, you mean the whole time you hated peppermint” you asked with furrowed brows, “yet still ate everything I made...why? I wouldn’t have been upset” Giyuu spoke as if his reasoning was the most obvious in the world, “It makes you happy and I didn’t want to take that away from you”

Butterflies fluttered in your chest at his words, so simple and genuine yet they made you feel like the luckiest person with the best boyfriend. “Giyuu you make me happy, with or without the peppermint” you jumped onto your tiptoes, leaning forward to press a long, passionate kiss on Giyuu surprised lips. He recovered quickly though, his arms slithered around your waist and into your hair, “You taste like peppermint” he stated after pulling away. “Sorry” you laughed embarrassingly, the pads of his finger brushing against the plush skin “From your lips, peppermint is my favorite flavor” he whispered, delving in to get another taste.

Holiday Event Masterlist

#fluffy feelings holiday event #demon slayer x reader #giyuu tomioka x reader #giyuu x reader #giyuu tomioka #giyuu fluff #Giyuu x reader fluff

[some-dr-writings]

Teruteru, Ryoma and Gundham cooking with their S/O

Teruteru Hanamura:

·       Ah, Teruteru, without a doubt the most famous chef in Japan, who hadn’t heard of him? His face was practically plastered on the front of every cooking magazine. And his cooking was incomparable, anyone would pay top dollar, hell even sell most of their belonging for even a chance to taste his delectable creations!

·       And you, his partner, wanted to cook for him. Sure, he had taught you some things, but oftentimes those lessons would dissolve into Teru pampering you and slipping you into a hot bubble bath while he cooked for you.

·       Not this time though! You see, Teru was out working so there was no way for him to take over the cooking! For all the times he had cooked and pampered you, you wanted to return the favor! Just at least once.

·       Teru always took such great joy in treating you like royalty, like you were the center of the universe! As nice as it was, a part of you felt some guilt, you wanted to show him just how much you love him too, not just the other way around. So, you were determined to have a nice hot meal ready for Teru when he arrived back home!

·       You had thought of this for a long time so, the moment Teru had left for work, you already knew what you would make, a chicken, broccoli and rice casserole!

·       Knowing it only took about an hour to make, you simply set up the ingredients so they’d be ready to go when it was closer to the time Teru would return.

·       As the time had arrived and you were whisking a handful of cheddar cheese into the simmering sauce, you heard the last thing you wanted too in that crucial moment. “Oh, Honey Dumplin’~ Guess who’s home early today!”

·       “Oh? What’s this now?” A sly smile crept on those lips as he mischievously eyed your frozen form surrounded by the ingredients. “Uhhh, this is not what it looks like?” In the moment it was the best excuse your mind could sputter out. “Not what it looks like, now is it?” “Y-yes. I’m… uh… making a witch’s brew! That’ll curse you to become a frog if you dare come into the kitchen, so shoo!” Your mind didn’t even have enough stability in the moment to even comprehend exactly the jumble of words you spit out as you raced to block Teru from the kitchen. “Hmm? A witch’s brew? Well, I must say the ingredients for this ‘witch’s brew’ look almost as ravishing as you, so much so, I don’t know if I can keep myself away!”

·       With his smaller stature Teru managed to slip past you and already took a quick taste of the sauce. “Ah~ Absolutely scrumptious!” “Really?” “Of course! I can taste the passion you’ve poured into this!” With a smile you quickly began to explain the techniques you were using.

·       Very soon Teru stood beside you acting as your assistant. At times he started to take over, but you suddenly came up with a plan. Taking several hairbands, you cuffed one of your hands to Teru’s making sure he couldn’t wander off and start cooking on his own.

·       When the meal was finished, standing side by side, you and Teru ate the casserole on a kitchen counter too excited to try it to bother taking it to the kitchen table. Both of you hummed an awed at every bite.

·       “Sweet pie, we should make this a tradition.” “Cooking together?” Teru lightly shook his head, then held up your still clasped hands that held one another. “No, cooking like this.” Suddenly jerking his hand back, you were suddenly pulled closer. “Cooking like this is so enticingly intimate, don’t you think?”

  Ryoma Hoshi:

·       Cooking had always been your go to thing when you were stressed. Something about the smells, and the delightful crunching sounds when chopping, and in the end having something to share with others had this way of placing your heart at ease like no other… The type of ease you wished you could give Ryoma.

·       You and Ryoma had been best friends for years before becoming a couple. Honestly becoming a couple just… sort of happened? It was just so natural over time neither of you noticed ‘till one day you both realized that you had both referred to the other as your partner for years. In that time, you got to learn about each other too the point at times it seemed you knew Ryoma better than he did himself or Ryoma knew you better than you did yourself.

·       So when Ryoma was having an especially bad day, the kind of day where everything that could go wrong did go wrong - the kind of day where his past seemed all consuming, clinging to his every thought with a death grip, sinking him deeper and deeper into that bleak madness - he didn’t question you when you asked him to cook with you.

·       You wanted to help him, but in your time together you knew that when Ryoma got like this there wasn’t much you could do other than tell him you were there for him. But maybe this time could be different? You cooked for him before, but never with him. Maybe at the very least this could distract him, even just a little.

·       “Say, Ryry, want to make… Oh, how about a meat pie! We can use up the left-over meat from the tacos last night!” “… sure.” From that hollow tone alone you could tell he wasn’t with you, he was back in that awful time.

·       “Ryry, here. Use this to mash the potatoes, would you?” “Yeah.” You made sure to not have Ryoma do any chopping in his zombie like state, fearing he’d accidently cut himself and not even realize it.

·       “Ryry, see the spices I placed on that counter?” “Yeah.” “Would you measure 1/8 teaspoon of each?” “Alright.” As Ryoma was measuring out the spices you found yourself getting lost in the sizzling sound of the ground beef and pork in the saucepan. The crisp pops and the gentle scrape of the spoon against the pan bottom was just so incredibly lovely.

·       “S/O?” Yes?” “Where do you want the spice to go?” “Right in this pan here.” “… Just toss it in?” “Just toss it right in!” Each time Ryoma tossed a spice into the pan you noticed how he’d linger longer and longer by your side. “Ryoma?” “… It smells good.” “I know, right!? Oh, hey! Why don’t you mix this with the mash potatoes while I set up the pie crust!” Your heart melted seeing a smile twitch onto his lips as he just looked at you for a moment. “Sounds good to me.”

·       It was plain to see the sheer joy radiating from you. You actually got him to engage in this! Even if it wasn’t much, it was SOMETHING! You actually helped him even on one of his worst days!

·       When the pie was done you ate, happily humming to yourself. “Hey, S/O.” “Yeah Ryry?” “Thank you… Mind having me as an assistant when you cook next?” “… Ryoma!” You launched at him, tackling the man into a hug almost knocking both of you onto the ground in the process.

·       From that day forward you always made sure to cook with Ryoma at least once a week. Quickly Ryoma even tried cooking on his own, and presented each of his dishes to you, asking for critique or advice on techniques. And each time you gave him advice or cooked with him, Ryoma always thanked you, for everything you had done for him.

  Gundham Tanaka:

·       “My Dark Emperor, I should have expected that one of your mighty caliber had the required unholy abilities to concoct the nourishment the Twelve Zodiac Generals so crave! My Emperor, I must make a humbling request as your soul’s mate, unlock the sleeping spells within myself to achieve such a feat!” A light laughter bubbled up from you seeing how Gundham was so excitedly feeding his generals the treats you had baked for them. This wasn’t the first time you had done a little cooking for Gundham’s beasts let alone for the Dark Devas and their offspring, but you seemed to finally get just the right combination of ingredients the hamsters just couldn’t get enough of.

·       Truthful you hadn’t been cooking for too long. You actually took it up because you had a crush on your now boyfriend and wanted to get his attention by making treats for his beloved companions. Eventually you began to cook food for yourself and for him. But now you finally achieved your goal of making something the Zodiac Generals loved! And seeing that sparkle in Gundham’s eye as he asked to cook with you made the moment even sweeter than you could have ever imagined.

·       After gathering the ingredients, you and Gundham practically raced to your kitchen. “Okay, first let’s wash our hands, that’s the first step to cooking anything!” As you took your own advice you noticed Gundham kind of just… stayed back? It was then from the corner of your eye, you saw he was unwrapping the bandage around his hand and arm. For a moment you froze. This was the first time you’d see him without it wrapped around his arm and hand. It wasn’t that big of a deal really, but… as odd as it may sound, it was strange realizing it wasn’t just a part of him. It was just always there…

·       Then seeing what was underneath. Absolutely riddled with scars new and old, each one seemed to be from a different creature. Except for the hamster bites, those were the only ones that seemed to repeat. “Taken interest in my battle scars I see.” “Oh, I was staring, wasn’t I? Sorry!” “There is no need to apologize, it’s… it’s only natural for one to examine their partner’s past injuries, they tell many a tale only the bearer would know.”

·       As you did some set up for the next step you asked Gundham to do some mixing. “Uh, Gundham, you need to fold over, here, just let me show you.” Momentarily taking the bowl and spoon you showed your Dark Lord the proper technique. Then you passed the bowl and spoon back. “… You’re still doing it wrong.” Just as you were reaching your hand out to take his own to help him through the motions you stopped yourself. Even after you had gotten together you only ever held Gundham’s bandaged hand… which was now not bandaged. Maybe an oven mitt would do? “… Perhaps… despite us being trapped within in the confines of these mortal coils, just as I am poisonous to the touch, as my eternal partner you… resist it… even without the protective cloth with it’s magical properties… you won’t get hurt.” Your heart pounded in your chest hearing those words and seeing that florescent blush burst on his cheeks. All you could do was nod. “… Are you sure? I can get a mitt if you’d be more comfortable.” “I’m sure, and should your body have an adverse reaction, the Twelve Zodiac Generals shall counteract the poison long enough for me to prepare a cure.” As gently as you could, you placed your hand atop his, and showed him how to properly fold over the mixture. Though both of you were distracted by the thudding of your own hearts, wondering if with how close you were, if the other could feel that racing beat.

·       When you had finally finished the Generals ran up to you and they tried getting to the small bag of treats. It was so fun seeing them race around in excitement and feel them rip the treat from your fingers. As you reached in to get another treat something flinched inside. Gundham had reached in his still unbandaged hand at the same time as you. “My Emperor, I-” “Hey, it’s okay. You took a big step today, and I’m proud of you. We don’t need to push you farther than you are comfortable with.” You then leaned your head onto his shoulder. “… I thank you for always being so understanding.”

·       It became a regular thing to bake treats for the Zodiac Generals and the other creatures under Gundham’s care. Once a week Gundham would visit you at your place to make more treats, much to the Devas’ and their children’s protest if it wasn’t for them. And each time, it seemed Gundham would mess up on something and need your hands-on assistance to get it right. And each time without fail you always found your heart racing in time with his.

#danganronpa #danganronpa imagine #danganronpa imagines #dr imagine #dr imagines #danganronpa 2 #danganronpa 2 imagine #danganronpa 2 imagines #dr 2 imagine #dr 2 imagines #danganronpa v3 #danganronpa v3 imagine #danganronpa v3 imagines #dr v3 imagine #dr v3 imagines #teruteru hanamura #ryoma hoshi #gundham tanaka #teruteru x reader #ryoma x reader #gundham x reader #mod gundham #danganronpav3 #new danganronpa v3 #teruteru hanamura x reader #ryoma hoshi x reader #gundham tanaka x reader

[ladyideal]

Peaches and Apples

Pairing: Leonard McCoy x Reader

Word Count: 1470

Warnings: Good ol’ cursing, mention of implied smut

Summary: You’ve made a bet with Jim, and now you’re paying the price of taking him on.

A/n: Hi everyone! Am new to pretty much everything, save for writing fan fiction. It has been something I’ve been doing for years, but recently picked up yet again that school and work aren’t drowning me. First fic, so go easy on me. Hope y’all still enjoy it. Masterlist is up!

It was merely a contest, something to pass the time and for you to do something other than constant work. Oh sure, being a Captain had its perks, but from time to time even you had to take breaks. After promising Leonard previously that you would get into less trouble down in the bowels of the ship, you had decided would be your endeavor. Peaches or apples, winner takes all. So this was how you ended up in the Chief Medical Officer’s office, waiting patiently for him to return from his rounds.

Shifting your weight from feet to feet, you pulled your PADD out, looking over at the recent votes. At the moment, the ship was divided between the two fruits. Coming from Georgia, you knew Leonard was going to vote for peaches. Hopefully with some bribery in the form of kisses, you were going to convince him to vote for the other.

Jolted out of your thoughts by the sudden sound of padded boots behind you, you crane your neck to look over your shoulder to see who it was with a cross look.

“Hi, Len,” You greeted, giving him a scowl for scaring you, even though this was his office where he was allowed to be in.

“Hello sweetheart,” Leonard brightened up at the sight of you, before a look of concern crossed his face, wondering why you would show up at his office so unannounced. “Not like I don’t like seeing you here, sugar, but what brings you in?”

“I can’t just come down here, and say hi to my loving boyfriend?” You pouted, flopping your PADD onto his nearby office couch and crossed your arms across your face.

Scrutinizing your face for hurt for another moment before sitting down in his chair, Leonard smirked up at you. “You can, but I’m smelling another ulterior motive behind all this.”

“What makes you think that?” You innocently smiled at him, striding over to plant a chaste kiss on his lips. “I’m on break, and you’ve been on my mind all day.”

“And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to seduce me,” He remarked, pulling you in closer for a deeper kiss.

“And if I am, Dr. McCoy?” You batted your eyelashes at him, sitting yourself on his lap.

“Then, you’re doing a poor job at doing so, sweetheart,” The doctor smirked. “I know why you’re here. I know of the stakes, your little vote.” He nipped at the outer shell of your ear. “Peaches will reign supreme.”

There was a pause as you absorbed the words.

“Goddammit Len,” You snarled, pushing yourself out of his embrace. “You’re supposed to support me, not vote for the other team.”

Snatching your PADD from the cushion, you stalked out of his office, grumbling under your breath as you went. Good naturedly, Leonard laughed at your retreating back. Angrily punching buttons on the screen, you watched surly as a vote was added for team peaches, making them take the lead. Not for long you hoped.

However, as Beta rolled into Gamma, and Gamma once again into Alpha the following day, you munched angrily on a slice of apple at the results.  

“Dammit Jim,” You grumbled irritably, swiveling around in your chair. Much to your dismay, the numbers for the offending team had steadily crept up by the hour. Yours, however, was less fortunate.  It was a simple deal, whomever loses, had to make dessert with the winning team’s fruit. “Why did I let you convince me to go through with this?”

That smug bastard.

Pulling yourself away, you slid away the count and focused back on your never-ending amount of reports. Perhaps working on your captain’s log and finishing up on some deliveries would keep your mind off of your upcoming defeat.

It did not.

Replicating a chicken parmesan for dinner, you meandered your way through the mess hall, and unhappily sat down beside Leonard.. The other senior officers acknowledged your presence with a nod of their own before resuming their conversation.

“So who won?” Nyota turned away from Spock, suddenly interested in the bet.

You groaned as a way of replying, angrily cutting away at the chicken.

“That bad huh?” The lieutenant warmly replied, looking back up as a shadow loomed over her.

Jim.

“Alrighty Jim,” you slide your PADD over to him so he could view the final count, as a way of greeting him. Leonard, on the other hand, rolled his eyes once more at his best friend.

“Bullshit,” Jim spoke, his widening at the screen. “I actually won?” He asked in mock disbelief.

It was your turn to roll your eyes this time, mimicking your boyfriend. Then stared in horror as Jim passed the doctor some chips.

“There you go, Bones,” Jim spoke. “A win is a win.”

Another silence.

“Honey, why did you win money?” You started dangerously, keeping your voice as light as possible.

Caught between his best friend and his girlfriend, Leonard only smirked.

“Face it, sweetheart, the crew would rather have a rich, peach cobbler and peach tea to go with it than having an apple pie,” He chuckled. You frowned at his words, but said nothing more on the topic.

Your frown only deepened as the night went on. Sensing your disgruntlement, the doctor had towed you down to the bar for a couple of drinks together.

“Is trying to get me drunk your way of saying ‘I’m sorry’?” You asked, watching the brandy swirl around in your glass.

“Sweetheart, relax,” He tried consoling you yet again. “Jim is just much more convincing than you are. Perhaps you can take a leaf out of his book one day.”

You snorted, and upended your drink in one go. “If you’re referring to his baby blue eyes, then I say no.”

Gently taking your other hand in his, Leonard quietly examined it before ever so slowly kissed your knuckles. With a gulp, you watched as he lavish loving attention on your skin, and lazily looking up at you beneath hooded eyelids.

Hot damn.

You choked on your spit, coughing as you tried to keep composure. “Leonard, we’re in public. Behave!” you hissed, infinitely glad that the bar’s blaring music covered the conversation.

“Or,” He pulled you in, brushing his lips over your ear. “We take this back to the bedroom, and I’ll show you how sorry I really am.”

You shivered at the meaning behind his words, and nodded. Draining his bourbon and paying for the drinks, he pulled you back into your shared quarters.

You had taken half of Alpha off to bake your desserts, and to give you time to cool off from your nighttime activities. The cobblers were of your mom’s recipe, and the jugs of peach tea were from a recipe of your own making. You had made cobblers for each of the department. Command had one, science had one, medical, engineering, security, communications, everyone had a slice. Soon, your quarter was heavenly filled with the lovely scent of peach desserts. Dropping them off at every department, you saved the last for medical.

Catching Christine’s curious glance as you entered the medbay, you gave her a sly grin back. Oh she knew.  Gently setting the cobbler down at the break room, you once again found yourself outside of Leonard’s office and knocked. Without waiting for a reply, you let yourself in.

“Chapel, I said not to-” Leonard scowled, pausing as he looked up. You visibly saw his 180, and for the first time today it seemed like, he smiled. “Sugar, what are you doing here?”

Understanding that he was, as always, grouchy, you mirrored his smile and approached him, letting the door shut behind you. You paid his grumpiness with a gentle kiss on his lips.

“I brought something,” You announced, revealing a warm, nicely browned covered pie from behind your back. “Just for the two of us.”

The doctor brightened up at the sight of your baking. “Oh darlin’,” He attempted, eyes glued to the pie.

“It’s my grandmother’s recipe,” Your comm beeped, and you sighed. “I’ve gotta get back to the bridge Len. Start without me, and I should be off duty in about one hour to join you.” Pressing your lips to his forehead, he nodded in understanding. You waved your fingers in goodbye as you departed his office once more.

Unable to resist himself, he cut himself a slice, delighting at the juices that pooled on his plate. With a fork, he brought a piece to eye level for further examination, and ever so gently, took a bite. As the distinct delectable notes hit his tongue, he stilled in surprise.

You grinned inwardly as you stepped out of the turbolift, and towards the bridge.

It was a bourbon peach and apple pie.

@cuddlememerrick @floreatetona @mapachefaerie (if you would like to be tagged, please let me know)

#leonard mccoy #leonard bones mccoy #bones mccoy #leonard mccoy x reader #bones x reader #dammit len you have so many nicknames #deb writes

[yespolkadotkitty]

New Traditions, pt 2/2

Part I here

This fic has been written with the ever fabulous @hopelessromanticspoonie​ A week later, most of the party planning had been done. For a bunch of legit superheroes, the residents of Stark Tower hadn’t been that much help.

Take for example, the cake. You were gonna push for chocolate, because everyone loved chocolate. A classic. But every-fucking-one was an expert.

Steve: “Those sure are a lotta e-numbers. Do they have those on Asgard?”

Tony: “You can’t beat pecan pie, Spoons. It’s the best. That’s all I’m saying. It’s a clear winner.” It was not, in fact, all he would say, by an awful long way.

Natasha: “I was too busy being trained to kill in my childhood for cake. Although if I had to choose now, I would definitely want lots of frosting.”

Bruce: “Baking is a science. You can’t rush it. You’ve got to make sure you have all the right ingredients first.” Which wasn’t exactly an opinion on what kind of cake to make, and he also didn’t help you run to the store.

Thor: “At what point do we sacrifice the animal?” You were pretty sure he was joking, but you also didn’t stick around to find out, rolling your eyes as you set off for the next Avenger.

Stephen Strange: “As a medical doctor, I can’t really condone cake. Bad for the arteries.” You would note later that this opinion didn’t stop him mainlining three slices.

Clint was the most helpful. As a Dad, he’d made - ”If by make, you mean mixed the contents of a box with eggs and oil, then yeah, sure, I’ve made a cake a bunch of times” - lots of birthday cakes. He agreed with you on chocolate. Simple, sugary, birthday perfection. “And balloons. You gotta have balloons at a party.”

So today was the day. You had filled the conference room with balloons. You’d baked a three tier cake - chocolate and loaded down with fresh buttercream frosting. You’d instructed everyone to be nice to Loki all day, or else you’d enact revenge. And you were the best IT tech Tony had, so he, and they, all knew you were smart enough to hack into their private laptops and expose whatever dirty secrets they might have. 

Although you really didn’t want to do that. Who knew what kind of porn superheroes were in to.

You changed into a sleek red party dress sprinkled with embroidered stars as the lift pinged loudly outside the conference room. You’d tasked Thor (and Jane, because she was the sensible one) with keeping Loki busy and distracted while you prepped the room. Nat and Clint had helped you hang banners and balloons. You’d tried to do it yourself, but Nat had threatened you with “actual dismemberment” if you stood on a chair. You really liked her, on the days when you weren’t terrified of her.

Thor appeared in the doorway, leading a blindfolded Loki. The birthday boy wore a white shirt, open at the neck, and jeans that hugged his lean hips and thighs. Just looking at him made your hormones sit up and your breath catch in your throat.

“Must I be blind for this birthday business?” he drawled to his brother.

“This is fun for the Midgardians!” Thor boomed. “Let your love do this for you, brother. Jane is always trying to surprise me.”

You glanced at Jane. The petite scientist rolled her eyes. “Well, I would surprise him, if he wasn’t like a kid at Christmas with everything. He’s so excited that I always end up giving in early.”

Thor cast her a look of pure adoration and you couldn’t help but grin.

Behind you, Clint lit the candles on the tower of chocolate as Thor steered Loki towards the cake.

“Three, two, one,” you counted down, then moved forward to stand before Loki.

“Ah, kitten.” He lowered his voice so his next, intimate words could only be heard by you. “I would know your scent anywhere.”

You smiled and brushed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Happy Birthday.” The blindfold was silky to the touch as you reached up to it. You reminded yourself to keep it for re-use another time. When you two were alone.

His eyes locked onto yours when they were revealed, full of adoration as he swiped the blindfold from your hands to tuck into his back pocket. He captured your lips in a deep, thorough kiss that stole your breath, his hands splaying across your back to hold you to him. You melted into him, your arms twining around his neck so your fingers could tangle in his sleek raven hair. Throats cleared around you, pulling you from the bliss of his lips on yours, and you tugged on his hair, pulling away with your cheeks flaming.

“Blow out the candles or get a room, Romeo!”

Loki cut a quick glare at Tony, shifting so that you were tucked against his side underneath his arm. Just as he was about to lean in, you patted your hand on his chest urgently, stopping him.

“Before you blow out the candles you have to make a wish! Birthday rules! And, you can’t tell us what it is.”

His brow furrowed, deep in thought as he looked down at you. So many emotions flickered through his gaze in that brief moment that you couldn’t pinpoint just one. He pressed a quick kiss to your forehead, inhaling deeply before turning and blowing out the candles on your culinary masterpiece.

It was a bit chaotic after that, the party goers swarming to grab a slice of the cake. Somehow, you and Loki both ended up with a glass of champagne in one hand and a plate of cake in the other. People spread out, congregating in small groups about the conference room and spilling out into the recreation room just outside the door. The faint sound of music could be heard in the lulls of conversations, ranging from thumping club music with bass that rattled your eardrums to lilting classical music that smoothed over the crowd. You guessed everyone was taking their turn at playing DJ. Honestly, sometimes it was like living with a bunch of overgrown teenagers.

Loki was off, talking to Dr. Strange. You caught a snippet of “Excuse me? No, you may not have my enchanted cloak as a birthday gift-” when you stepped outside for a breath of fresh air and a moment of peace. You had spent all day working hard to get the party ready for him, and your back was letting you know in no uncertain terms that you would be paying for it tomorrow. With a heavy sigh, you leaned against the sleek metal railing, staring out at the glittering New York City skyline. The never-ending din of the busy city couldn’t reach you up here, just the view of a community that never slept.

“Loki was wondering where you ran off to.”

You glanced over your shoulder, smiling softly at Jane. “He’ll find me soon enough. How’re you doing?”

She propped her elbows up on the railing, shivering slightly from the cool metal against her bare arms. The moonlight caught on the curling ends of her tumbled chocolate brown hair.  “Fine. I’m glad Thor convinced me to step back from work and come. It’s nice to see him and Loki getting along. Well, at least better than they used to.”

“They have thousands of years of history between them. I can’t imagine what that does to a relationship, how you manage that.”

Jane frowned, clasping her hands in front of her. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Dating a being that is, for all intents and purposes, immortal? At least compared to our lifespans? I just can’t fathom it, some days. In fact, any day,” she laughed.

You shifted to face her, cold seeping into your hip from where it was leaned against the railing, offering some relief to your aching body. “It is so weird. And can I be honest?”

Jane’s dark eyes darted around the balcony, reaffirming that the two of you were alone. “Of course.”

You blew a deep breath through your mouth, your cheeks inflated. “It just… It hurts my heart knowing that they’re going to have to watch us die. Loki always talks like I’m ‘it’ for him.”

An unreadable expression passed over Jane’s face, and she opened her mouth to reply when the doors to the balcony opened, Loki and Thor strolling through them to a backdrop of deep bass. They were nothing alike in appearance, one long and lean the other broad and golden, but they carried themselves with the same pride and strength. If nothing else, the matching smiles on their faces as they took in their partners spoke of their kinship. 

Loki’s arms wound around your waist. You caught Thor leading Jane back inside around his arm, the brunette genius dwarfed by the blond god.

“You are absolutely frozen, kitten. Come inside,” Loki beckoned you, tugging you into the warmth of his body, scented with spice and leather.

“Just a few minutes longer. It’s nice out here, peaceful. And I’ve got my champagne jacket on.”

He couldn’t deny you anything, and you both knew it. He rubbed his large hands over your arms, infusing some of his heat into your skin. His mouth anchored itself to the crown of your head, and you felt his smile against you. “As long as we can go inside soon. I would like one more piece of your delectable cake, and I vow I have never seen someone so small as Parker eat so much.”

You laughed, nuzzling your forehead into the hollow of his neck, staring out into the city that didn’t know, nor care, of the quiet moment you shared just then. “He’s a growing boy! That’s why I secreted away another cake in my apartment, just for us to share.”

“Oh, how I love you,” he replied, affection suffusing his low voice. “Thank you, for hosting this celebration in my honor. Aesir celebrations are ever entire family affairs, and so all this… for me - I find it...” A blush crept up his neck and it was just adorable. “Overwhelming.”

Your arms wrapped around his slender torso, squeezing him tightly to you. “And this is just for the first of many, for at least a little while. So get used to it, mister.”

You just barely caught the sadness at the edge of his gaze when he lifted your chin to him, but you didn’t have the chance to question him about it, as any and all thought was driven from your mind with light nip of his teeth on your bottom lip. For an old man, he sure could kiss, you thought, chuckling internally.

“Kitten.” Loki drew back and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “When we return home, I have a gift for you.”

You swatted him playfully. “Nuh uh. It’s your party.”

“Perhaps you will humour me?” he teased, holding you close.

The prosecco had clearly wound its way through your veins, because you stage whispered, “Is the gift your impressive dick?”

Loki laughed out loud. “You have either imbibed too much Midgardian alcohol or not enough. Let us remedy this. We shall talk of gifts in the morning.”

You let him lead you back inside to the cheering and laughing of the Avengers and their gathered friends. As you stepped through the doors, Steve started up a “Happy Birthday to you” chorus and you blinked back a tear as not a single person abstained. Today, at least, Loki would remember feeling special. Wanted. And so very loved.

Permanent taglist: @myoxisbroken​ @lotus-eyedindiangoddess​ @polireader​ @wiczer​ @just-the-hiddles​ @vodka-and-some-sass​ @brokenthelovely​ @nonsensicalobsessions​ @amarisyousei​ 

Please comment to be tagged in either author’s permanent tags OR in an As You Are story.

#loki fluff #avengers fluff #lokis birthday #loki x reader #imagine loki #imagine tom hiddleston

[rt8815]

Christmas 2020

This fills the “Fix a plothole” square on my CM Bingo card.

Again, no clever title

WC: 2,100

The first scene is mostly unnecessary, but ask me if I care. Spoiler alert: I don’t!

I couldn’t find a picture or GIF that fits, but this one is cute.

Out of all the reindeers, you know you’re the mastermind

Run, run Rudolph, Randolph ain’t too far behind

Run, run Rudolph, Santa’s gotta make it to town

Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down

Run, run Rudolph, ‘cause I’m reelin’ like a merry-go-round

McKinley sang along with Chuck Berry, pulling cookies from the oven.

“What would you like for your first Christmas, my littlest love?” she asked Sophie.

The five month old babbled at her mother, shaking her arms. If she weren’t too young for it, McKinley would’ve sworn she was dancing to the music.

“You’ll want for nothing, certainly! Aunt Penny alone will spoil you rotten, but that’s her job as your fairy godmother, I suppose.”

She smiled wistfully at the memory of Sophie’s birth, how Penny’s godmother-hood was assumed from the moment they announced Baby Reid’s impending arrival, and how utterly mortified Penny had been to learn, birth center bedside, that she would be co-godparenting with Luke.

McKinley considered him as her brother as much as she considered Penny to be her sister. Not only had the four hung out together from the start, Luke had also looked after her the month she and Spencer weren’t speaking to each other, and he was instrumental in getting them back together.

How do you not make such a man your child’s godfather?

Sophie began fussing to be nursed, so McKinley scooped her out of the highchair and carried her to the couch.

Buzz-buzz

A text came from Spencer, asking if she was free for a video chat. Once she powered up her laptop, she sent a quick ‘Yep.’

His face appeared, the picture slightly wobbly until he situated his phone on the kickstand.

“Hey there! How are my two favorite ladies?”

“We’re great,” she replied, turning Sophie in her lap to face the camera. Securing her with one hand on her torso, McKinley gently grasped Sophie’s arm to kiss her hand and wave it at Spencer.

“Who’s that, Sophie? Who’s that handsome devil?”

“Stop,” he mumbled, blushing at her suggestive tone.

“What?” she continued, ignoring his hands slashing across his neck. “You’re gorgeous...irresistible...delectable.”

Spencer’s face graduated to an even deeper pink. “Anyway, takeoff is in 20 minutes and I wanted to see you both before switching to airplane mode.”

“You’re on the jet?” she asked flatly. “Oh God, everyone heard that, didn’t they?”

“Hey, Twist ‘n’ Shout,” Luke winked as he slipped past Spencer to the bathroom.

McKinley facepalmed.

“I tried to warn you.”

“Hush.”

Spencer chuckled. “Is everything ready for tomorrow?”

“Yep,” she replied, grateful for the change of subject. “Just a few dishes left to cook in the morning. Y’all bringing your sides?”

“On it.”

“My pie ingredients are ready and waiting.”

“I’m baking my casserole tonight.”

McKinley sighed in relief. She and Spencer offered to host the family Christmas dinner this year, since Rossi had left to spend the holidays with Joy and Kai. It didn’t make the most sense because their house was rather small, but everyone got on board regardless. The others contributing to the meal eased her anxiety a bit.

They chatted a while longer, and everyone took turns fawning over Sophie, who really started demanding lunch.

“Guess I better go,” McKinley sighed.

Spencer nodded, blowing kisses to his girls.

“See you in a few hours. Love you.”

“We love you too. Say ‘Bye-bye, Daddy.’”

Sophie gurgled as the video chat ended.

…

The tree was lit, the house all decorated, and the smell of roasted meats and vegetables permeated the air.

Spencer eyed the mini doughnuts McKinley made just for him.

She nudged his hip. “Don’t you dare!”

“Awww.”

“Go on then, man-child,” she rolled her eyes. “It is the holidays, I suppose.”

His pout slid into a smirk, tongue darting between his lips. “Actually, I think I’ll wait for dessert until tonight.”

“Spencer, there’s a child present.”

Sophie gazed at them, absentmindedly gnawing on a teething ring.

Ding-dong!

“That’ll be Penny. I hope I did a good job on these vegetarian dishes!”

“I’m sure they’re delicious,” he said reassuringly as he walked to the door.

Penelope hobbled in, laden with gift bags and all decked out in her Christmas best.

She deposited the gifts under the tree, then gave Boogie a quick pat on her way to McKinley.

“Gimme gimme gimme,” Penny ordered, making grabby hands at Sophie.

“Hello, angel,” she cooed. “You know you’re not getting her back until bedtime, right?” Penny informed the couple as she left faint lipstick prints on Sophie’s cheeks and forehead.

“You know that means you’ll be changing any diapers, right?” Spencer replied.

“Small price to pay.”

Everyone trickled in over the next hour, Luke being the last. Penny handed over Sophie with only slight reluctance, perhaps because he seemed to be in a sour mood. 

His scowl dissolved when he held Sophie, breaking into a joyful grin.

“¡Feliz Navidad! ¿Cómo estás, Nena?”

She settled in her uncle’s arms, squeaking happily when he nuzzled her fine, curly hair and kissed her temple.

“Is Lisa driving separately?” McKinley asked, hoisting a massive plate of pheasant and quail off the island. Maybe she went a smidgen overboard.

Luke stiffened. “She's working another shift at the ER,” he replied, never looking away from Sophie. “Told me to tell you she's sorry she couldn't join us.”

Everyone else shared brief, tense glances.

“I'll put together a plate for you to take home for her. Let her know we missed her.”

“Sure.”

“Wine, anyone?” Spencer offered, breaking the awkward silence.

Most of the evening passed smoothly, with everyone sharing child-friendly stories of past Christmases (Henry and Michael were there, of course!), passing around and feeding Sophie, and reading a (sadly) abridged version of A Christmas Carol.

And then Luke felt the need to snidely comment on Penny’s boyfriend’s absence. It was a relatively new relationship and kind of soon to drag each other into their friend groups.

Spencer and McKinley alone heard him in the kitchen, since the rest of the group were chatting excitedly in the den, waiting to exchange presents.

McKinley wrenched open the back door, seizing Luke by the collar. “You, with me. Now.”

She steered a tipsy Luke onto the back porch, locking the door behind her.

“Are you insane? It’s 30 degrees out here!” he growled, swiping at her keys, but McKinley stuffed them down her bra.

“Good! We can make this quick, and maybe you’ll sober up as a bonus. Say it and we can go back inside.”

“Say what?”

“How much you hate that Penelope’s with someone else.”

Luke snorted, though he flushed with embarrassment. “That’s ridiculous. Why would I -?”

“Because she’s not with you!” she exclaimed, her voice shrill. “You have feelings for her and you are kicking yourself for not acting on them in the beginning.”

He laughed incredulously. “I do not have ‘feelings’ for Penelope.”

“Why else would you have discouraged Phil from pursuing her?”

“How the hell do you know that?” he asked, taking a step back.

McKinley threw up her arms. “I knew Phil and Lisa from volunteering in the rehab wing, remember? One morning the spring after he was murdered, I ran into her at a coffee shop following her shift in the ER. We talked about him, how much his death shook us, and then she said, ‘It’s sad he never had the chance to be with Penelope. They’d have been a cute couple.’”

Luke swallowed hard.

“And I found that interesting, since I distinctly recall you telling Penny that Phil hadn’t asked about her. Lisa told me you also said, ‘You’re no match for Penelope Garcia.’? Bro, you got it for her baaad.”

“Did you mention any of this to Lisa?”

“Don’t you think she’d have confronted you if I had?” McKinley countered, rubbing her arms for warmth. “You think Lisa hasn't noticed how frequently you hang out with me, Spencer, and Penny even when she’s not working? Do you think it’s a coincidence that she’s missing all these parties?”

His face hardened. “Are you suggesting that she’s -”

“Cheating? No! Miserable! You two are miserable - don’t deny it!” she warned when he started protesting.

“Luke, you won’t admit out loud that you’re unhappy with Lisa or that part of the reason you jumped into the relationship was to forget Penny. If you did? Well, then you’d be the most awful person on this porch.”

McKinley breathed in the frigid air before continuing. “So, I’m gonna give you an out.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

“By saying something that’s even more awful.” She stared pointedly at the falling snow, voice wavering.

“Like what?”

“Sometimes I hate being a wife and Mom,” she spat venomously. “Sometimes I wanna pack up my old tiny house, drive off and never look back.” She clamped her hands to her mouth, surprising even herself with her confession.

Luke gaped at her for the longest moment, lips parted in shock.

He slumped against the wall. “I shouldn’t be with Lisa, I should be with Penelope. I love her.”

McKinley threw her best ‘No shit, Sherlock’ face his way.

“You serious?”

“In my darkest hours, yes. I love Sophie and Spencer so much, but you remember how much I loved playing live music? I never see Taylor and the gang anymore since I quit The Five Doctors, and it’s been almost a year since I picked up my guitar.”

She leaned into her wall, raking through her hair. “Every day I scramble to meet deadlines at work, then here it’s cooking, cleaning, laundry, feeding and bedtime. I’m a single parent for weeks at a time. It never lets up. It’s really hard, Luke.”

“Have you talked to Spencer about -” he stopped short at the glare on her face.

“Right, that’s not fair of me.”

McKinley retrieved her keys. “Horror of horrors, we have to be adults about this. I need to adjust to my new normal and you need to talk to Lisa, because if you keep avoiding the subject, it’ll blow up in your faces.”

“And Penelope? I’m not sure what to say to her. I mean, does she even feel the same way about me?” He cringed at how junior high that sounded.

“Luke, if you wanna know how Penelope feels, you have to talk to her."

They discreetly returned to the kitchen, where Spencer was pouring cocoa for everyone.

“Presents, presents, presents!” Michael chanted.

Soon the den was drowning in a sea of wrapping paper. At some point, JJ switched her phone to video because the kids were putting on quite a show. Amid the excitement, Sophie squirmed in Penelope’s lap and stretched her arms in Spencer’s direction.

“Had enough Aunt Penny for tonight?” she asked, handing her over. “Okie-dokie. I’m marvelous but I’m not Mommy or Daddy.”

Sophie studied her father’s face intently, vocalizing softly. She suddenly reached up, patting his cheek.

“Dah-dah.”

The room fell silent.

McKinley gasped. “Did she just…?”

“She did,” Spencer whispered in awe. “Her first word. Yes, sweetheart, I’m your Daddy.”

Everyone watched the three huddled together in a private family moment, elated beyond description for their friend. He had waited years for this and he deserved every happiness.

…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Luke froze, hand hovering by the doorknob. “Uuum, home?”

“Four glasses of wine? You’re not safe to drive. You’re sleeping on our couch.”

“She’s right, Luke. Besides, the weather’s picking up.”

He couldn’t argue with that: the snowfall obscured the street, it was so thick. To be honest, he didn’t want to go home anyway.

McKinley carried Sophie to the nursery, pausing at the hall closet.

“Hmmm, why not?” she muttered to herself.

Once Spencer found blankets and pillows for Luke, he went to help tuck in Sophie. The sound of plucking and twanging caught his attention. Peering into the nursery, he was met with a precious scene.

McKinley stood by the crib, tuning her guitar. Spencer remained silent, not wanting to disrupt her. Slowly, she began softly playing “La Vie En Rose,” speaking the lyrics since she couldn’t actually sing.

...Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose

“It’s great hearing you play again.”

“I’m kinda rusty, ” she grinned sheepishly. 

“Nonsense,” he corrected, pulling her into one of those dizzying kisses.

Up close, Spencer could see the exhaustion in his wife’s eyes.

“You’ve done a lot today,” he noted as he rubbed her back. “Let me run you a bath, and then I can read you to sleep. How’s that sound?”

McKinley sighed contentedly. “Perfect.”

---

@illegalcerebral @dreatine @cynbx @cmbingo

#criminal minds #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fanfiction #spencer reid #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x oc

[booklover277]

Cravings: Hungry for More by: Chrissy Teigen

5 stars out of 5

After the extraordinary success of Cravings, Chrissy Teigen comes back with more of her signature wit and take-no-prisoners flavor bombs. Cravings: Hungry for More takes us further into Chrissy’s kitchen…and life. It’s a life of pancakes that remind you of blueberry pie, eating onion dip with your glam squad, banana bread that breaks the internet, and a little something called Pad Thai Carbonara. After two years of parenthood, falling in love with different flavors, and relearning the healing power of comfort food, this book is like Chrissy’s new edible diary: recipes for quick-as-a-snap meals; recipes for lighter, brighter, healthier-ish living; and recipes that, well, are gonna put you to bed, holding your belly. And it will have you hungry for more.

Release Date: September 18, 2018

Before I get started..I'd like to just inform you that this cookbook is outstanding. My expectations have been reached and then some. And I had very high expectations, btw. Chrissy Teigen remains the cooking goddess she is and this cookbook will become a kitchen staple for me, just like her first cookbook. I know I'll be using the recipes over and over. I cannot wait to keep the cooking going. So far..and this is since the release (which was last Tuesday)..I have made four recipes from this book. And all four were delicious. My sister made two others and they were also delicious. I'd say we're on a roll. And now what follows can probably be described as a rant of my love for Chrissy Teigen's cookbooks. I'll let you know which recipes I've made and how this book compares to the last one. Let's go!

Okay, so I've already written a raving review of her first cookbook, Cravings. It became my all-time favorite cookbook. I've never made so many recipes out of a single cookbook. I'm telling you..her tastebuds are in sync with mine or something. Or maybe I should stop thinking the world revolves around me and realize the book is called Cravings, so no shit is it going to be delicious to most people. I suppose I'll update that review eventually with the recipes I've made, but it'll get ridiculous because I've really worked my way through it.

I spent the entire time since the release of the first waiting for the release of her second. I'm one of those people who followed her blog before the cookbooks happened. After the blog stopped, I remember loving watching the process of Chrissy making her first cookbook. This time around..she didn't seem to document it nearly as much, which I found disappointing. I still need something to fulfill the void of waiting for Chrissy's blog posts because it took over 2 and a half years for this second cookbook to come out.

Now...it is a great cookbook. This time around..it is once again cravings, although because she is now a mom there are a few differences. She opted for "lighter food" this time around, which let's be real..there is still tons of cheese and bacon and all types of good stuff throughout. But compared to the first book, there are less of those foods that seem like straight indulgences. Still...very similar in ways too. Meaning..if you enjoyed the first book, you will definitely once again enjoy this one.

The other difference here is, once again because she is a mom, time has become an even more precious thing. So there are things that she takes shortcuts on, while also admitting it along the way. For her jerk lamb chops, she says to buy jerk seasoning ready from the store but notes that if this were her first cookbook, she would have given the recipe to make it yourself from scratch. This is true because there's a recipe in her first book involving cajun seasoning and sure enough, she gives you the recipe to make that from scratch. I'm torn on how to feel about this because yes, I am a major lover of saving time. I love getting the option of how to do things a little quicker when it doesn't make a difference in the finished product. However, I do like to get told how to do something, so I can make the decision myself if it was worth it. She could have included a brief put salt, pepper, this, this, and this and you'd have the seasoning. But it's fine. Not the biggest deal. And again, it's something I'm torn on.

This book has a couple sections that weren't in the first book, such as a dessert section. Chrissy isn't much of a sweet person, so it's not cakes, cookies & brownies. This one has a banana bread, soft pretzels, two-faced cobbler, mango sorbet, homemade magic shell, mousse, and skillet peanut butter chocolate chip blondies (UH...YES PLEASE).

Also, there is an entire sandwich section, which includes a couple grilled cheeses I need..the jalapeño-parmesan crusted grilled cheese and sweet & spice peach & brie grilled cheese. Oh and the philly french dip she makes with more of a cheese sauce au jus. There is just so much. I probably shouldn't just list every recipe in the book. Although, if you get a chance..it wouldn't hurt to check out the table of contents.

Plus...this time there is a potatoes & their friends section. POTATOES!! Yeah..my stomach is pleased. It has plenty of potato dishes among other veggie dishes. I made the Tators, Shrooms, & Peas with parmesan cream from this section. And it was SO GOOD!!! My husband and I were both in heaven. It was more filling than we expected, so next time it'll be a main and we'll add diced ham to it. The parmesan cream was so good that we'll definitely use it with other dishes. I'm thinking it'll be good with pasta.

This time around I didn't find the Thai Mom section quite so intimidating. It probably helped that I got blue apron for six weeks this summer when Chrissy had a partnership. A few of the dishes were from the thai section of the first book and they were absolutely delectable. I get why I was freaked out by ingredients like fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, sweet chili sauce, sambal oelek ..really just things I wasn't used to cooking with. Nor did I see how these ingredients would all mix together to become something heavenly. Garlic is also pretty common in the thai section. I love garlic, though. Anyway, this time around I found myself excited to make these authentic Thai dishes. Last night, we had the Thai soy-garlic fried ribs and OH BABY. Yes, they were ridiculously easy, but oh so tasty. I never knew ribs could be cooked so quickly and there was this nice crisp to them that ribs don't usually have, but I lived for it. Definitely making these again. I cannot believe Chrissy considered not including this one in the book because of how easy it is. It's a keeper. And not something you'd think to do yourself.

I also went into the breakfast section and made the Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake. So good!! It was kind of like a breakfast casserole, but there were chunks of bagel in it that didn't taste fully like bagel by the time they cooked and soaked in the egg mixture. They were much softer. And there were cream cheese bombs throughout. This was a good one for sure! I made mine with mushrooms instead of tomatoes because I'm not a tomato person. And I'll do it this same way again in the future when I want a breakfast casserole with everything bagel type flavoring. Yum!

I finally understand why people call Chrissy a soup master! I have been DYING to try her pot pie soup from the first book. Honestly, I only haven't made it yet because for the longest time I could not find heavy cream in the store. Finally this summer, I FOUND IT!! It's only at one grocery store in my area. So I will make that one in the next month. For now, I needed to make something from her new book. I opted for the French Onion Soup. I'll be honest..I'd never had french onion soup before. I really love onions, though. This one was a major winner. And I feel talented for being able to say I can make it. Not too difficult. Hardest part was getting through cutting all those onions without crying my eyes out. But this beautiful soup turned out sooo tasty. It was oh so cheesy and there were croissant croutons in it that became doughy and just OOOH! You know what I mean? Yeah..this is a major winner.

I guess it's good I've only made the four recipes so far because this review would go on and on. Luckily for you, I didn't have all the time in the world so I'll be making more this weekend.

There is also a salad section, snack section, and supper section which actually has mains & sides tacked on to several of the dishes giving us more side recipes than what is included in potatoes & their friends.

I will say that her introduction to the book and the intros to all the recipes have a great layer of humor. Her stories are fun and will make you laugh out loud. She also talks about how she went through postpartum between books (and babies) and how that affected her/this book. She reminds us she is only human, and a relatable one at that.

There are photos of almost every recipe, but a couple might be missing and that bothers me. I like to see what the outcome of what I'm making should look like at the end. Not to mention, you want to see how tasty a dish looks to decide if you want to make it. I'll still make everything in this book regardless.

So there you have it...delicious recipes from Chrissy Teigen. Food that will make you look like a pro in the kitchen when you have a dinner party. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a cookbook with food they actually want to eat.

goodreads

order on book depository

#chrissy teigen #cravings #cravings hungry for more #cravings: hungry for more #cookbook #food #cookbooks #review #reviews #booklr #bookblr #book #books #book blogs #book blog #booklrs #bookblrs #teigen #john legend #bookstagram #instabook #booklovers #booklover #bookworm #bibliophile #shelfie #library #book haul #book mail #book pile

[general-nion]

The General And Her Hostess

I wait a few moments after that woman, Geneva, left the room. A few cursory glances around the room I’m in give no signs of threat or ambush. If anything the entire place is sickeningly…home-y. The walls are painted an off white while similarly soft decor make up the majority of the room. The curtains to the window are lace and tied back with ribbons while one wall boasts a delicately designed golden filigree mounted to it.

Is this hell?

Throwing back the covers causes me to grimace at the stiffness in my right shoulder. Can’t be dead if I’m registering something so mundane.

Catching sight of a full length mirror helps me manage to force myself to my feet so I can finally get a better look at the full damage I’ve taken.

Three days. She said I had been unconscious for three days and It showed.

Stitches hold my skin together in a handful of places, but the most noticeable is a wound that stretches an honest 5 inches across my left hip- Wait a minute.

What in the hell am I wearing?

My reflection shows my clear disgust at the cotton shorts I’ve been dressed in that are patterned with, what? Are those cupcakes? Oh for the love of-! Even the tank top has a matching emblem across the chest.

All of this paired with my unruly hair being successfully brushed back into a ponytail causes me to appear almost adolescent. If it wasn’t for hard earned muscle definition and the multiple stitched and bandaged wounds I’m sure I could almost pass for some sort of civilian. Horrible.

Embarrassment fuels my speed so I can grab the door to open it. That woman had a lot of explaining to do! I led armies! Destroyed civilizations! I would not be dressed in such a manner-

My rage is silenced with a crack! As the door is ripped from its hinges and stands haphazardly from the grip I still have on its handle.

...gravity is also broken here. Terrific. I hate this planet.

“Sugar are you alright- What the hell have you done to my door?!”, the red head comes running around the corner but stops dead in her tracks to see the door in my grasp.

“What did I do?! What did you do?! Where is my armor? I demand you return it to me at once! I will not suffer another minute in this idiotic clothing!”, I toss the door to the side, not caring as it crashes halfway through the wall it collided with.

“Your armor, much like my door and now my wall, is a bunch of busted junk!”, she looks angry but then takes a deep breath and seems to visibly deflate, “Look, I couldn’t let ya lay around in that armor. Especially since most of what was missin’ from it was found IN ya when the Doc’s fixed ya up. If you don’t like the pajamas then I’m sure I can find you something else, but for now, Dinner is gonna get cold if you keep rippin’ doors off their hinges.”

“You should watch the way you speak to me, woman. For your own health.”, cupcakes be damned. I was not going to be talked to like a child!

“Did I miss somethin’? Cause I’m not the one who had to be dug outta crater or who cried in her sleep.”, her hands rest on her hips and she fixes me with an unimpressed look.

I just blink. She’s an idiot. She has to be. I don’t even need a scouter to tell she has next to no power level but even without any strength she should be able to tell that talking in such a way could warrant that I kill her.

“You should be a bit more grateful, Sugar. You could have died.”

“You should have let me.”, My tone causes a frown to fall on her face before she takes yet another very deep breath.

“Doubt that Frieza fellow would have appreciated that very much.”

“He- what?! What are you talking about?”, words fail me. Did I miss something? Is she actually a threat? Have I been lured into some kind of fake hospitality?

“Frieza? Odd name if ya ask me, but the way you kept sobbin’ like a baby and sayin’ his name I imagine whoever he is wouldn’t like it if I let you die.”

“You don’t know him. And you don’t know me.”

“Still helped ya, didn’t I?”

“...you mentioned dinner?”

Thankfully her whole face brightened and she turned to lead me toward where we would be eating. Last thing I wanted to do was rehash any of THAT with this odd woman.

And luckily she opted to remain quiet while we ate. Though I would grant her one impressive talent. She could cook. The last thing I expected was for such an extensive meal to be ready on the table.

Bowls filled with rice, varieties of meat stuffed dumplings, vegetables, and some kind of broth were all set across the table with an admirable eye to detail.

My mouth began to water and I was struck with how absolutely starved I was. I had forgotten to check the date when I was forced from Hypersleep so there was no telling how long the nutrients from the Cryopod had kept me sustained.

My face must have give away my eagerness because that woman just smiled and gestures toward the food, “Help yourself. If you’re still hungry after this I can always whip up some more!”

I barely spared her a glance before I dashed to a seat and started piling a plate high of food. Caution to the wind. She could be poisoning me right now, but my stomach and energy reserves couldn’t care less at the given moment.

It took no time on my part to clear the entire table, especially since halfway through it the woman brought out a plate of rolls that made it child’s play to eat every dripping.

My manners were probably absolute shit during this but it was mouth watering. All of it. Not a single thing was over done or underwhelming. Perhaps I was wrong. Perhaps that woman was some form of angel. Maybe I wasn’t sent to hell due to some ironic mix up that put me in Heaven.

I smacked my lips in satisfaction and leaned back in the seat, “Ah, my apologies. Did I eat everything?”

“Oh don’t you fret about it, doll! I had already eaten before you woke up.”, she smiles and my suspicions that she wasn’t an actual mortal were slowly being confirmed.

“Then what were you doing in the kitchen while I ate?”

A ding echoed from the kitchen the moment I finished that sentence and Geneva jumped to her feet in a graceful flourish, “You’ll see! Sit tight!”

Before I could even think to question her sudden rush she was to and back from the kitchen in the blink of an eye with something covered with a piece of cloth in both of her hands.

A delightfully sugary scent filled my nose and to my embarrassment I felt my nose actually twitching at the smell. On instinct and gluttonous instinct I began to rise my seat to get a better look at what she held.

“What in the world is that?”

“Figured you’d have room for dessert! So I went ahead and threw together a lil’ somethin’.”

The plate was set in front of me and I sat back down while she pulled the cloth off of whatever pastry she had made.

“Hope ya like cherry pie, doll!”

“...perhaps I won’t kill you in your sleep.”

That was the last she was able to get out of me before I ravenously dug into the Pie laid before me.

Heavenly. Delightful. Wonderful.

I’d always possessed a sweet tooth, but this? Oh this could easily spare the woman’s life.

Geneva seemed content to hum to herself while she worked around me to clear away the empty remains of dinner from the tabletop. I still questioned her full intent, but a lapse in suspicion could be allowed. Absolutely allowed.

My respite was short lived, however. The moment I finished that delectable pie she replaced it with some warm drink that smelled of cocoa and sat across from me.

“So I think we can both agree that ya owe me some sort of explanation. And, ya know, your name? I can’t keep subbing in pet names forever.”

I examined the way she sat for just a moment. She wasn’t tensed and she held no malice in her eyes. Just genuine concern mixed with curiosity.

“Nion. My name is Nion.”, I followed her lead and relaxed back against the chair, “I am a First Class Saiyan from the Planet Vegeta. I have been thrown from grace and had the misfortune to have the highest probability of survival to land on your property.”

Gold eyes blinked once. Twice. Three times.

“So...you’re like, an alien or somethin’? That’s what you’re tellin’ me?”

Ah, that’s right. This planet hasn’t had alien contact, has it?

“Exactly.”

“Saiyan...is that what your people are called?”

“Yes. We are a proud race of warriors that thrive in blood baths and domination. A glorious people that were granted the chance to expand amongst the stars.”, pride begins to swell in my chest as I become reminiscent. I’d had a handful of good friends amongst my people. Less than the enemies among them I had made though. Would I ever see them again, I wonder?

“Um...not to sound incredibly ignorant, but y’all ain’t comin’ to take over…here, are ya?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”, I scoff, “Your planet holds next to no value on the market. I am here because I had no other choice.”

Geneva sips from her drink and hums softly, “You ran away from something.”

“...you’re perceptive.”

“Oh don’t look so surprised! I’m not just a nice figure and a pretty face. I make a livin’ off of figuring’ out what makes people hurt on the inside.”, she tilts her head a bit and looks me over, “You’re heartbroken, alone, and scared. You did somethin’ you didn’t wanna, hurt someone you didn’t wanna, and now ya don’t have anyway to move on past it.”

I’m stunned to silence. And my mind is changed. Hell. I’m in hell and this Geneva who bakes pies and cares for others is an evil entity sent to personally torture me.

“Got it right on the head, didn’t I?”, her cup is set on the table with a soft clink, “I’m sorry you had to go through whatever you did, but I do want you to know you’re welcome to stay here if you’d like. Can’t imagine it’d be easy for a literal alien to be integrated into society without some kind of help.”

“I don’t need your help.”, I spit it out before I can think and my teeth bare in a snarl, “You’ve done all of this foolishness without anyone asking you too and you’ve stuck your nose into my business with absolutely no right to do so.”

“You didn’t have to ask me to help you, Nion.”, how dare she look so unaffected by my hostility, “If you don’t want my help you can dig through the clothes here till you find something you like and then you can up and leave. Stay the night if you feel the need.”

She shrugs so casually, “I can’t make ya do nothin’ ya don’t want to, Sugar. Someone else in your life can, and did, but I can’t and won’t. You make your own decisions and live your own life.”

Pushing her chair back she rises from the table and grabs her cup, “It’s late and I’ll be headin’ to bed. Stay, leave, destroy it all, it’s not my place to stop you. If ya need my help, though, all ya gotta do is ask.”

Geneva leaves me alone in the dining room with only the warm drink to sit with me. I would not be guilted into accepting her help. I wouldn’t.

Frustrated I kick my own chair back and pace over to the window that looks over the yard I crash landed in. The crater left from the impact was rather impressive, but it would seem I caused a lot of damage as well.

A roll of my right shoulder proved that it was nearly healed. My earlier discomfort must have been stiff muscles.

I had caused a lot of damage, hadn’t I?

It took no time to find some simple dark loose fitting pants and a jacket that would cover the atrocious top I was wearing and my bandaging. The back door makes no sound as I flick the lock and exit the house. Nothing stirs when I go soaring into the night air.

________________________________________

Geneva expected to woken up by her alarm clock. Not by whatever in God’s name that horrible noise was. It sounded like a lawnmower was directly outside her house. Which was impossible because she specifically paid her lawn maintenance workers to work when she WASN’T asleep.

She throws on a sheer house coat with fur trimmings before she leaves her room and follows the noise to her backyard.

“What the hell is goin’ on out...here…”, she falls silent in shock at the sight before her.

That crater that had been in her yard was now completely gone. As in, never happened gone. In its place was a lovely green lawn. Complete with a new flower bed that bordered around a walkway that led to a fully functioning three tiered fountain.

“I see you’ve finally chosen to wake up.”

Geneva jerks to the left to see me kneeling in front of the control panel to the fountain I had installed into the side of her home.

“What did- when did...what is this?”, her surprise is funny and I snicker before pushing myself to stand.

“It’s a thank you, and a sort of apology for destroying your yard.”, I notice her eyes dart back to the fountain and I huff, “The fountain was too much, wasn’t it? I thought it may be, but you have so much wasted space back here I figured it would be a nice place holder…”

Geneva gapes and doesn’t say anything and now I’m starting to feel ridiculous. “I should have left it at just filling the crater and laying the new sod. This is too much and you don’t like it. I can remove it if you don’t like it-“

“This is the bee’s knees!”, I’m nearly thrown off my feet when she throws her arms around me, but my surprise is short lived by the panicked Yelp she makes.

On reflex I must have wrenched her arms back behind her to subdue her attack...er…her gratitude.

I let go of her immediately and grimace as I try to right her housecoat, “That was stupid. I shouldn’t have...this is all stupid. I’ve made this worse haven’t I?”

To her credit she collects herself quickly and waved off my concern, “No no! Warrior race. I remember. Didn’t think it out too clearly.”

She smiles and turns back to the work I’ve done, “This is amazing, Nion! Absolutely amazing! You didn’t have to do any of this!”, her eyes twinkle in mirth, “Didn’t have to stay either.”

I clear my throat and reflexively square my posture, “I assure you it wasn’t any trouble. The least I could do for your help during my predicament. Though...you do like it?”

“Adore it. An amazing job!”, she giggles like a giddy child, “Now let’s go back inside! I’ll make some coffee an’ some breakfast! Then you can tell me where you got all of this stuff.”

“Ah, no need to wait that long. I took it.”, I grin cheekily at her shocked expression, “I did not steal anything. You humans seem unable to do many simple tasks. I was told that unloading approximately three tons of inventory takes hours for you people. Completing such a chore in half an hour is apparently rewarded with whatever I felt I needed for this endeavor.”

“Uh Huh…”, I follow behind her back into her home, “Welp! Then I guess you have my thanks, sugar! And I guess you’ll be stickin’ around a little longer?”

“I suppose. I’ve yet to find a better prospect.”

“Glad to hear it.”

#frieza #lord frieza #dbz #frieza fanfiction #dbz fanfiction

[subindex]

First Graze Box & Pumpkin Spice Flapjacks

I am a starving artist.

Literally, my belly is constricting in pain from the vapid emptiness that has been the past 10 foodless hours of my wakeful life. My roommate knocks on the door and passes me a slightly battered green box. “Oh my god, is that my Grave box?” A light of awareness beams into my eyes. The hunger I hadn’t noticed since getting out of bed was finally going to be sated. I turn the box over and it says GRAZE. “Your original misreading somewhat concerns me.” The roommate accompanies his statement with a squinted stare.

Sadly, I decided to save the box for another day and continued to starve myself for awhile in favor of getting some commissions done.

Finally, a couple days later, the time has come. I am starving once again, and have no patience to make food. A plastic ribbon wrapping the box is in my way. No wait. There’s two. I have no patience to find scissors, so I fiddle with the ribbons for about twice the time it would take me to walk ten steps over to the kitchen drawer, pull out the scissors, then take the ten steps back. First obstacle traversed.

I appreciate the 2x2 grid with which my snacks are presented to me. It pleases my eyes. It would be more pleasing if I knew what they were so I could pick one. Sounds like a job for the pair of glasses sitting across from me. I opt instead to pick up the box and move it closer to my face where it gets in the way of writing notes exactly like this sentence.

Top Left: Pumpkin Spice Flapjack--rustic rolled oat flapjack with pumpkin spice Top Right: Snickerdoodle Dip--with cinnamon pretzel sticks Bottom Left: Fantastic Forest Fruits--blueberries, lingonberries, soft apple pieces & cherry raisins Bottom Right: Thai Style Sweet Chili--honey chili peanuts, lemon & black pepper fava beans, garlic sesame sticks & edamame beans

There’s a second 2x2 grid of snacks that the first one flips open to. The first time I try to open it up, the prequel to a snackslide happens. I press the cover down against the top grid before I try again, and this time successfully gain access to the bottom grid without spilling anything.

Top Left: New York Everything Bagel--cheese cashews, poppyseed onion sesame sticks & roasted pumpkin seeds Top Right: Cherry, Pear + Walnut Anytime Energizer--Get a kick-start with this good source of copper & manganese for energy Bottom Left: Sweet & Spicy Beet Crunch--beet chips, jalapeno chickpeas & sunflower seeds Bottom Right: Jelly Doughnut--raspberry strings, vanilla cookie drops, raspberry cranberries & almonds

I’ve been pretty tired the past couple of days, which makes me wonder if my period is coming on. I might try the “Anytime Energizer” then. But for now, reading and writing all these snack names and their respective ingredients has made me so hungry that I now have no patience to eat anything less than a meal. Time to go ask the roommate what he wants for lunch.

Fast forward to a few days later. I begin my journey as a Grazer with the “Pumpkin Spice Flapjack” and some leftover Dunkin Donuts blueberry iced coffee. (Extra extra cream, no sugar, please.)

Graze snacks come in these shiny transparent plastic containers, ideal for a single serving. Intimate for a shared nibble with friends or significant others. Peeling the wrapper off the top is a firm but smooth engagement of crisp plastic pulling away from tight clinging seal, all with dignified silence. Classy, and satisfying, like closure when the protagonist of a rom-com walks up to her 2/3-of-the-movie-obsession and says “I liked you because the idea of you fulfilled something in my life, but I don’t need you anymore.” That wrapper is now gone, continuing its own journey through life, apart from me, in a Dunkin Donuts paper bag being saved for trash.

Unsealing the snack slowly allows the senses to be hit with the fragrance of freshly baked pumpkin pie seeping out into the yard through a crack in the window. It lifts my lungs into a long inhale through the nose and holds the breath there hoping to absorb its essence entirely before releasing it back into the world. What a precious, fleeting moment as the scent quickly loses its impact the longer the snack is exposed.

The flapjack is a sharp rectangular block roughly the size of a bar of soap. A quick inspection reveals incisions made halfway deep into the bar which permit the snack to spread apart into even bite-sized thirds. Even if bite-sized bits aren’t the desired size with which one would like to consume the delectable, taking it apart with your bare fingers incurs a quiet, spongy texture of the separation, felt viscerally through the fingertips and transferred further into the bones of your grip so that your hands become jailors, and the newly severed pieces lose any hope of ever seeing freedom.

The first bite is always skeptical--delicate with caution, but brimming with curiosity. As the miniaturized bar comes close, the tip of the tongue comes to meet with it first, ensuring that neither the taste nor texture will cause great harm to the senses. With safety determined, the bar is immediately cleared to land on the lower lip which not only provides support, but serves as an automated crumb pan. The teeth come to grips with their strange new passenger, easy to sever from itself like densely sponged cake, but chewy from the excess in grains. 

There is confidence in the thick mash of oats that slim down between the molars, like butter conforming to the pressured space between two slats. It is a full and wholesome body that knows how to twist in front of the camera and say, “And I’m lean, too”. But a figure of celebrity is never complete without a personal sense of fashion, and this particular flapjack likes its satin luster, defined by the slip of dried dates within the layers of chewing. Chomp the oats, slide the dates, chomp the oats, slide the dates. Their consistency takes on a creamier version of a jelly bean’s innards, sometimes ending in a lightly familiar crunch of sugars.

Despite the all too familiar mouthful of a soft granola bar, I keep thinking back to the pie. Every second of consumption lends me to craft a more vivid recipe of a liberally spiced pumpkin pie, with classy, moderated measurements of sugar and vanilla extract, an oat-filled crust, and dried dates chopped in half then laid out in circles as topping decoration. I take a slice for myself and a slice for my boyfriend. A slice for myself and a slice for my roommate. A slice for myself, and a slice for myself. And then a slice for myself. And then I scrape the pan. And then I lick the pan.

The tray is empty and Graze beckons me to grade the snacks I’ve tested. I’m not a fan of oats, so I think I’ll mark it a dislike and avoid it in the future.

#SubIndex #Subscribe.Indulge.Express #Subscribe Indulge Express #graze box #wrapper-kun #pumpkin spice flapjack

[cassxtrelawney]

food for thought [ Sirius Black x Hufflepuff!Reader ]

Part One | Part Two

Summary: This is it. If someone played Clue and tried to figure out who finally killed you, the answer would be Sirius Black, in the kitchens, with a wink.

For a moment, you wonder if the professors had chosen you to be Prefect because you’d immediately report anyone that was caught out of bed after hours in the kitchens.

Patrolling is one of your favorite things to do as a Prefect, yet for some reason, you’ve been finding yourself heading toward the kitchens sooner rather than later. To your benefit, ending patrols at the kitchens is convenient for you for more reasons than it being so close to your common room. The house elves -- amazing folk your Muggleborn mind absolutely could not comprehend -- always seemed to know exactly what was on your mind (or your stomach) whenever you sneaked in to say hello; one day, it would be pumpkin pie, another day, it would be an elegant tiramisu smothered with dark cocoa powder. In any event, the house elves are also excellent company, and they love to regale you with the new plants they harvested that day that they added to the dinner feast. Ugh. So great.

You tickle the pear, and almost instantly, your nose fills with the delectable smell of -- again, you don’t know how they know this -- melting chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. A smile spreads easily across your face as you step inside. “Guys, this is amazing.” You look at the ready-made hot chocolate in a large yellow cup and the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies next to it. Your mouth waters.

“Is what you want, right, miss?” one of the house elves squeaks. You nod, beaming at them. “Is fresh!”

“Patrolling does make you hungry,” you reply with a firm handshake. It takes everything for the house elf not to burst into tears, before it scurries away to continue cleaning. You sigh in satisfaction and hop onto a stool, and you help yourself to a cookie. Just as you bring the cookie to your lips, the door creaks open. Your eyes widen, and your ears perk up. Someone’s out of bed?

You whip your head, and your heart suddenly feels like it plummets deep into the bottomless pit that is your stomach.

Sirius Black.

The older Gryffindor saunters in, snapping his fingers and instructing the house elves to make him something. You frown. While you’ve heard nothing but nice things about him (and really, you’ve probably heard a little too much from the older Hufflepuffs), it irritates you slightly to see him talking to the house elves that way. And well -- you don’t like being irritated.

“Should you be out of bed?” The words slip out of your mouth quicker than your brain even thought it out, and you immediately slip your fingers over your lips to hush yourself. He turns to look at you, and your breath catches unnaturally in your throat. Deep brown eyes meet yours, curious and confused. Then, a slow grin crosses his face, an almost feral quality to them. 

“Should you?” he asks. His voice is deep, yet lightly amused. You wonder how he does that. It sounds smooth, like the hot chocolate that you hope isn’t cooling too fast. This might take a while.

“I -- I’m a Prefect,” you say in defense. “I just came from patrolling.”

“And eating is part of your Prefect duties?” he inquires. “If I knew that, I would’ve tried to become a Prefect ages ago. Damn that Lupin for not telling me.”

Your face flushes in embarrassment, and you turn away from him to look down at the food in front of you. Suddenly, your stomach feels empty. “Are you going to eat that?” Without waiting for an answer, Sirius climbs onto a stool and shoves a cookie into his mouth. You feel yourself cringe. That was your cookie. “So,” he says between chomps, “whahowseryain?”

“Sorry?”

He swallows. “What house are you in?” he says again. You raise an eyebrow, looking down at your jumper with the Hufflepuff crest embroidered over the left side of your chest. “Huh. Hufflepuff it is, then. No wonder I don’t know you.”

“Didn’t think you knew anybody outside your House,” you say cautiously. His brows furrow. “The sixth years think you don’t know they exist. Well,” you pause, “some of them.” 

Sirius pauses for a second, and then you see the recognition cross his face. He chortles and winks at you. “What have you heard?”

This is it. If someone played Clue and tried to figure out who finally killed you, the answer would be Sirius Black, in the kitchens, with a wink. You bite your lip and shrug, trying to play it cool. “You apparently have a nice bum?” Really. A nice bum? 

Sirius blinks, before letting out a loud laugh. It sounds more like a bark than a laugh, but it makes you smile slightly and chuckle alongside him. “You’d think they’d use better adjectives.” He shakes his head. “I do have a nice bum, though. You should check it out sometime.”

The back of your neck heats up. “Eh, it’s alright,” you answer. “I’ll, uh -- I’ll just take their word for it.”

Sirius grins lazily at you. “Your loss then, love.” He glances at my hot chocolate, before lifting the cup to his lips and taking a sip. He lets out a soft groan, and you ignore the goosebumps that pop along your skin. When did food become a borderline erotic experience, you’ll never know. Your fifteen-year-old self could barely handle it, much less from the heartthrob of Year Six.

“So, uh -- what are you doing out of bed?” You see Sirius freeze for a second. His face hardens.

“Can’t sleep.” It’s a short answer, and you’re not satisfied. Normally, in a different situation, you’d let it go. But, strangely -- not this time. Not with him. 

“Why not?” you press. “Sleep is a wonderful thing.”

“Not if you have nightmares,” he replies simply. You frown.

“About what?”

Sirius laughs once more, but this time, it’s a bit more menacing. “Don’t you know? I’m a Black.”

“I’ve known a couple of Blacks before,” you protest. “They’re not so different, except they’re Muggles.”

“Have you not heard of my family before?” Sirius retorts. At this point, you’re practically a tomato from how embarrassed you are. Of course he doesn’t know you’re a Muggleborn witch. Of course, he won’t ever speak to you again afterward because of it. It’s all going to be one ridiculous moment in time that you wish didn’t exist. When the Gryffindor finally recognizes that you don’t, his face softens.

“What?” you ask, crossing your arms over my chest. “Yes, I’m Muggleborn, and I’m proud of it. My -- my parents are so proud I’m a Prefect, and th-they won’t stand for me being bullied --”

“Calm down,” he says with a small smile, shaking his head at me. “You’re fine.”

“Oh.” You tug awkwardly at your jumper. “Sorry.”

He sighs. “Well, this isn’t news for others. My family -- my family isn’t great. All Slytherins, the lot of them. My parents especially are fucking awful. Bad wizards, y’know?” 

He takes another sip of the hot chocolate. “And sometimes, I have nightmares. I have nightmares that I’ll turn into them without a second thought. It runs in the family, they say.” He shrugs to ease the tension. “Maybe I am bad. Who knows.”

Your brows furrow deeply. “Sirius,” you murmur, instinctively reaching out to touch his arm, “just because your family is bad doesn’t mean you are. I mean, my family doesn’t have magic, and they had me.” He doesn’t respond, and you bite your lip lightly as you squeeze his arm. “And hey, you’re in Gryffindor, aren’t you? Isn’t that a start? Because it’s definitely far from the end.”

For a moment, no one says anything. Sirius stares broodily at the large hearth, and you sit there with your hand not leaving his arm. You don’t feel like it’s the right thing to do, and you’re wondering, who would’ve thought that I’d end up here, with Sirius Black of all people, having a moment?

You don’t remember how long you sit in silence, but that’s okay. Sirius finishes the dregs of your hot chocolate, and you realize you didn’t have any of it. You gently push the last of the cookies toward Sirius. “Have the last one. Consider it food for thought,” you joke, awkwardly laughing. Sirius tilts his head toward you, and your eyes meet once more. You take a deep breath, hating how it came out slightly shaky. A side of Sirius’s lips quirk upwards, and he reaches out to push strands of hair away from your cheek. 

“It’s getting late,” he says quietly. He slips off the bar stool and looms over your measly five-foot-four frame.

“Yup,” you squeak, your voice unnaturally high-pitched. “And to think I barely ate anything, too.”

Sirius chuckles and nudges you lightly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I share tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” You look at him in confusion.

“Yeah. Same time tomorrow. You are patrolling, aren’t you?” He winks at you once more, before gently leaning down to kiss your cheek. “Besides -- I might have more nightmares you need to remedy.”

Before you could say anything else, he slips easily out of the kitchens into the darkness. You can’t seem to move, and your stomach is filled with warmth -- despite the fact you didn’t have any of your hot chocolate.

#sirius black #the ultimate bae #sirius black imagine #harry potter #fanfiction #fanfic #hufflepuff reader #light and fluffy #food #food for thought

[diorco]

The Authentic La Vita Experience

The well-loved Vikings Group who introduced La Vita to us found a new home for their authentic Italian cuisine. La Vita Ristorante Italiano is now on a soft opening at The Podium Mall. 

I had the privilege to get invited by La Vita last weekend to try their finest antipasti, fresh pastas, and mouthwatering entrees with my husband and relatives, one of whom we thought is perfect for the dining experience as he is pescatarian. We scanned the menu and didn’t feel there’s a limitation on what we can have as there’s a whole lot of variety of delectable cheese dishes, flavorful salads and savory “carbs” for us to enjoy. 

The restaurant prides in sourcing their main ingredients, cheese, pasta and tomatoes, straight from Italy, making sure they serve their customers with 100% authentic Italian dishes. La Vita sources other food components such as seafood locally to guarantee its freshness.

Chef Maurizio Gibillini is the biggest factor, I would say, to keeping the restaurant authentically Italian. He fell in love with the Philippines in the 90′s and decided to stay to offer us a taste of what he had learned from his hometown Milan. He first established a restaurant in Boracay before moving to Manila to head La Vita.

He shared to us techniques on how to choose the right rice for a particular dish, different ways of cooking soup, and what dishes are okay to take home and reheat. His years of culinary experience from France, Germany, Austria and the Arab nations shows as he spoke to us about his passion for gastronomy. He roams around the restaurant, stopping by table to table to check on his guests and chatting with them casually. The stories he shared with us when he stopped by our table were so entertaining to hear, especially with his italian accent!

Here’s a run-down of the dishes we enjoyed for lunch.

Burrata con Pomodori e Arugula

Something so simple can be oh-so divine! It’s the first dish brought to us and little did I know that it’s going to be my favorite amongst everything we tried that day. Burrata, a soft creamy cheese imported straight from Italy, perched alongside leaves of fresh arugula and slices of tomatoes. Drizzled with olive oil, it was served with freshly baked bread that complemented the simple flavors of this dish. 

Caciucco alla Livornese

We ordered spicy tomato soup with seafood and had two orders split into four. This one was so full of flavors despite being a clear-based soup, which I’d say was because of the hefty amount of clams and mussels in our servings. One of our companions Michelle said, “I don’t normally like spicy food but I’m enduring the spiciness of this dish because it’s too good. I can’t stop myself!” And she said that while sniffling -- a testament to how worthy this dish is.

Pizza Quattro Formaggi

With four cheese lovers on the dining table, it was no surprise we chose a 12-inch four-cheese pizza to share. Our eyes lusted and mouths watered as oil dripped when we sliced and took our shares of the brick-oven pie. Pizza can get soggy quickly if you don’t consume it at once. So do as we did -- have it reheated in the brick oven the moment it gets cold to enjoy the warm dough and melted cheese again.

Spaghetti Al Nero di Sepia

Pitch black. That’s how I’d describe the beauty of the thick squid ink sauce on our al dente pasta. This is hands-down the best Al Nero pasta I’ve had, ever. Chef Gibillini didn’t scrimp on any ingredient in preparing this dish. The sun dried tomatoes added a bit of zest to combat “umay” or “suya”, as we’d Filipinos say, while the shrimps added a nice bite to the pasta.

Risotto con Porcini e Formaggio

The carnaroli rice’s texture attested to the kitchen skills of Chef Gibillini. Mixed with dry mushrooms and cheese, this risotto was light and pleasant, which was just what we needed to balance the tastiness of the other four dishes we filled ourselves with.

Since they were on a soft opening, the coffee machine still wasn’t ready so we opted to take our dessert someplace else. I’m kind of sad I didn’t get to try their famous panna cotta, but I thought I’d come back soon enough for that.

Those dishes we consumed was more than enough for four people. It was scrumptious and heavy. Needless to say, we were delighted with our experience at La Vita. My husband and I don’t usually dine in Italian restaurants anymore as it’s a cuisine we’ve learned to be good at cooking on our own. He jokingly (or maybe not) told me, “You better up your game, Dior. You have some serious competition!”

“The only thing that can make the experience more enjoyable would be a bottle of good wine to complement the beautiful flavors of our meal,” commented Brian, a wine connoisseur himself. We should have scheduled our dining for dinner instead of lunch!

In my next visit, I would definitely try their carpaccios, pappardelles and their meat entrees. I’m particularly eyeing the Tagliata Di Manzo Alla Roberspierre!

La Vita is located at the 3rd level of The Podium Mall in Ortigas. For reservations, you may call (02) 8-285-1486. 

Instagram: @lavita.ph | Facebook: @lavitaphilippines

#diorcobeyondbeauty diorco foodph lifestyleph lifestyle restaurantph @foodblog lifestyleblog

[sistercelluloid]

Seeing a pristine print of a favorite film on the big screen—and then listening to one of the stars reminisce about it afterward? Now that’s a Big Night.

Last night, RogerEbert.com editor-at-large Matt Zoller Seitz presented the 1996 classic as part of his fabulous “Movies with MZS series” at the IFC Center in New York’s West Village. Normally after seeing this film, audience members scramble into the streets, starving and salivating, to the nearest Italian restaurant, or even a pizzeria if that’s the only thing handy. But this time, as the closing credits rolled, Tony Shaloub and Seitz took the stage. And a great conversation made us forget how hungry we were.

Here are some of the many highlights:

In the original run-throughs, with just a script at hand but no financing, Shaloub played Pascal. But by the time they were ready to roll, they decided he and Tucci—who were good friends and close in age—should play the brothers, Primo and Secondo. Then Giancarlo Giannini was slated to play Pascal, but backed out at the last minute. (Kind of making him the real-life Louis Prima.) Far from having to settle, though, they snagged Ian Holm for the role. “I idolized him from the time I was an acting student,” Shaloub recalled, his voice breaking up. “He was just… so great.” (And now, could you picture anyone else playing Pascal?)

How did Big Night end up with two directors, Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott (who also played Bob, the cheerfully relentless car salesman)? Shaloub explained that because Tucci is in almost every shot, he wanted a second pair of eyes, and he and Scott had known each other since high school and had a great rhythm together. What was it like with two men behind the lens? “It was great,” said Shaloub. “I felt like I had twice the help, twice the input.”

Asked if it feels different to be guided by actors as opposed to full-time directors, Shaloub smiled and put his hands over his heart. “Oh yes. Oh yes. They know what you’re going through. You feel safe.” But, he added, they also nudge you to get out of your comfort zone, even as they protect you. Tucci and Scott also helped him work out Primo’s feelings toward Ann (Allison Janney): Did he really have a crush on her, or was he just doing what others expected of him? Turns out yeah, he was kinda crazy about her, as was Shaloub about his co-star: “Allison, she’s so open, she has such a big heart.”

Shaloub was surprised that a couple of bits of business he added on his own were kept in by Tucci, including one where the shy Primo—who, he said, “would really rather just stay in the kitchen”—climbs into the display case while picking out flowers with Ann. “Stanley said ‘That was a little cheap!’” he laughed. “But then used it!”

You know that awkward pause in the scene where Primo can’t understand why Secondo laughs when he says “It’s raining outside”? It was genuinely awkward. One of the actors—Shaloub couldn’t recall which—went up on his line, and you can actually see the discomfort on Tucci’s face as he looks from one co-star to the other. Holm finally broke the silence with “What the fuck?”

When it came time to master his Italian accent, Shaloub reminded Tucci that he had a bit of a head start after playing Antonio Scarpacci on Wings for five years. “No,” Tucci drolly shot back. “Not that accent.” He ultimately had two dialogue coaches to help him nail it. Tucci, on the other hand, speaks fluent Italian. “Sometimes [when we were going back and forth] he’d start to improvise,” Shaloub laughed. “And I’d be there like… I got nothin’.”

Shaloub also got some coaching with the cooking, working in restaurants on both coasts (and for years after, scoring scads of free meals from chefs who adored the film). Tucci, who wrote a family cookbook in 2012, already knew his way around the kitchen—as is clear in the film’s final, extraordinary scene, where the camera is a still, silent witness as Secondo, Cristiano (Marc Anthony) and Primo recover from the night before, and the brothers literally fall back on one another as the screen goes black. Because it’s all shot in one long take, the slightest misstep would have shattered everything. “I think we ended up getting it in about six takes,” said Shaloub. “And Stanley, flipping those eggs, got it right every time.”

Oh and no mention of Big Night would be complete without talking about the timpano.

In the New York Times review of the film, the dish got its own sidebar, with Frank Bruni calling it “an impressive, delectable mountain of perfectly cooked pasta, tender meatballs, egg and salami, swathed in a rich ragu and folded all together in a lissome dough. It is an excavation to eat this, and one to be undertaken slowly, carefully, so as to catch every prism of flavor. The vivid compliments given to this in the film Big Night are unrepeatable here, but we are sure you’ll find some choice adjectives of your own.”

We’ll leave you here with the recipe, which includes links to the meatballs and sauce in Tucci’s cookbook. Hope you weren’t planning on doing anything else this holiday season. Mangia!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

4 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3tablespoons olive oil, more for greasing pan

Butter

FOR THE FILLING

4 cups 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch Genoa salami pieces, cut 1/4-inch thick

4 cups sharp provolone cheese chunks, about 1/4 by 1/2 inch

12 hard-cooked eggs, shelled and quartered lengthwise, each quarter cut in half

4 cups small meatballs

7 ½ cups Tucci ragù sauce, meat removed and reserved for another use

3 pounds ziti, cooked very al dente (about half the time recommended on the package) and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano

6 large eggs, beaten

PREPARATION

Prepare the dough: Place flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (A large-capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (The dough may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before rolling out.)

Flatten dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust top with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16-inch thick and is the desired diameter. (To calculate the diameter for the dough round, add the diameter of the bottom of a heavy 6-quart baking pan, the diameter of the top of the pan and twice the height of the pan.) Grease the baking pan generously with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place in pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping extra dough over the sides. Set aside.

Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have salami, provolone, hard-cooked eggs, meatballs and ragù sauce at room temperature. Stir 1/2 cup water into sauce to thin it. Toss pasta with olive oil and allow to cool slightly before tossing with 2 cups sauce. Distribute 4 generous cups of pasta on bottom of timpano. Top with 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 3 eggs, 1 cup meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups sauce over ingredients. Repeat process to create additional layers until filling comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan, ending with 2 cups sauce. Pour beaten eggs over the filling. Fold pasta dough over filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough. Make sure timpano is tightly sealed. If you notice any small openings cut a piece of trimmed dough to fit over opening. Use a small amount of water to moisten these scraps of dough to ensure that a tight seal has been made.

Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees), about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes to allow timpano to cool and contract before attempting to remove from pan. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. To test, gently shake pan to the left and then to the right. It should slightly spin in the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife.

To remove timpano from pan, place a baking sheet or thin cutting board that covers the entire diameter on the pan on top of the timpano. Grasp the baking sheet or cutting board and the rim of the pan firmly and invert timpano. Remove pan and allow timpano to cool for 30 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces. The cut pieces should hold together, revealing built-up layers of great stuff.

You may assemble the timpano in the pan it will be baked in and freeze it. It will take three days to fully defrost in the refrigerator before it can be baked as directed.

Tony Shaloub Affectionately Recalls His BIG NIGHT Seeing a pristine print of a favorite film on the big screen—and then listening to one of the stars reminisce about it afterward?

#allison janney #big night #campbell scott #food movies #giancarlo giannini #ian holm #ifc center #italian cooking&039; #louis prima #stanley tucci #timpano #tony shaloub #wings

[derrickappleus]

26 Easy Desserts You Can Make in a Slow Cooker

Maybe it’s just me, but something about chilly weather makes me crave ultra-cozy desserts. I have a huge sweet tooth anyway, but it seems to get more intense as fall and winter roll around. I’m ready to curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea and just about any type of warm baked good! Of course, that also means I’m not very motivated to cook when I’m wrapped up in my blanket cocoon. That’s why these easy desserts you can make in a slow cooker are perfect: They’re made in the Crock Pot, so they’re all super easy!

Try one of these amazing 26 slow cooker desserts for a deliciously indulgent bite any day of the week. You’d be amazed what you can make in a Crock Pot, so we know you’ll find something you like on this list! Besides, sometimes you just need to have a cheat day, right?

1. Slow Cooker Low Carb Maple Custard

Create the ultimate creamy custard without all the hassle of the stovetop. You don’t have to worry about scalding or curdling the custard mixture thanks to the slow cooker keeping everything at the ideal temperature—low and slow is the way to go. Only five ingredients and bursting with rich, maple flavor!

2. Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

A delicious cold weather treat, apple crisp can easily be made in a Crock Pot. The topping becomes nice and crispy while the apples get super tender. Simply prepare the apples, top them with the crumble mixture, and let it all cook. It doesn’t get much easier than that, does it?

3. Crock Pot Apple Maple Pecan French Toast

If you can have dessert for breakfast, surely it’s okay to have breakfast for dessert! This indulgent treat is filled with fall flavors, including rich maple syrup, crunchy pecans, and sweet apples. This recipe is perfect for a chilly morning brunch or a late evening treat.

4. Slow Cooker Banana Bread

A tried an true classic, yes, but even banana bread can be made in the slow cooker! Is there anything this miracle appliance can’t do? This recipe is simple to assemble, and by cooking the bread at a low temperature, your loaf won’t dry out like it could in the oven. Serve it warm for an easy dessert!

5. Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

A sweet drink can definitely be a great dessert, and what better way to be festive around the holidays than with a spicy gingerbread latte? You can even line the mugs with caramel and top it all off with cookies for a festive touch. Making warm drinks in a big batch like this are perfect for parties—there’s plenty to go around, and it’s easy to keep warm!

6. Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler

This recipe reminds me of making cobbler in a cast iron skillet, but using the slow cooker is just as easy and delicious. Using a pre-made yellow cake mix makes this dessert even easier to assemble, and it’s perfect when you’re craving a weeknight treat. Plus, you can use frozen peaches, so you can enjoy this dessert all year long!

7. Slow Cooker Rocky Road Fondue

Fondue is usually seen as a difficult dessert not worth the trouble. By making it in a Crock Pot, fondue night can be whenever you want! With only five ingredients, this treat couldn’t be any easier. Feel free to get creative with the foods you dip into the chocolate! We love using fruits, marshmallows, and and graham crackers.

8. Crock Pot Pecan Pie

Yes, pie can be made in a slow cooker! Impress your guests this holiday season by telling them you made this delectable pie without even turning on your oven. By using a Crock Pot liner, you even cut down on the mess! You can even freeze the baked pie for later—perfect for when you’re busy during the holidays.

9. Easy Crock Pot Caramel Rolls

Commonly known as “monkey bread,” these caramel rolls are made with flavored refrigerated biscuit dough and topped with a deliciously sticky caramel glaze. Done in only one and a half hours, this delicious dessert can be made in a hurry. Drizzle with a bit of icing for a sweet, indulgent treat!

10. Peppermint Nut Clusters

Nothing is more synonymous with festive treats than peppermint, so make a big batch of these nut clusters to give as gifts during the holidays. With only three ingredients (Hershey’s Peppermint Kisses, peanuts, and candy canes), this delicious dessert mix is ultra crave-worthy!

11. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Cobbler

This cobbler recipe is a warm and delicious addition to your seasonal baking repertoire. It’s filled with all the flavors you love from pumpkin pie but with a fraction of the work. In fact, you get to toss it all into the slow cooker and walk away! After you top it off with the crunchy pecan topping, it’ll be completely irresistible.

12. Skinny Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Cider

This dessert drink is simple to assemble, and it’s even healthy! Plenty of apples, a bit of orange, and loads of cinnamon and other warming spices make this classic drink perfect for a chilly night in. We suggest starting it in the morning and letting it cook on low all day long. This allows all of the flavors to blend perfectly together!

13. Slow Cooker Cinnamon Almonds

Spiced nuts are always great to have on hand, whether it be for a snack or to give as an easy gift. These cinnamon almonds are the perfect blend of sugar and spice. Just make sure to stir them every 20 minutes so they don’t end up in big clumps. We guarantee you’ll be grabbing handful after handful!

14. Slow Cooker Applesauce with Cranberries

Apples are in peak season during the fall months, so put them to good use by making this tasty applesauce! Slow cooker applesauce has been popular for awhile now, but this recipe is a little different. By adding apple cider and cranberries, you get an extra apple-y taste, and a bright tart flavor. Perfect for a chilly night in.

15. Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate

What’s more festive for the holidays than hot chocolate? This recipe is silky smooth thanks to the addition of whole milk and condensed milk. The kids will love adding extra marshmallows and candy canes to their mugs, and they can even leave some out for Santa, too!

16. Slow Cooker Lemon Bars

Craving the bright flavors of summer during those bleak winter months? Grab a lemon bar! If you’ve never used the slow cooker to bake before, these sweet-tart bars will make you a true believer.

17. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Pumpkin Pie Bars

Get your pumpkin pie fix without all the work with this amazing pumpkin pie bar recipe. The crust is simple to make, and the filling is deliciously rich like a traditional pumpkin pie. Oh, and did we mention it’s only 76 calories per serving? Um, yes please!

18. Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole

This Thanksgiving staple can be made in a Crock Pot, freeing up some much-needed oven space. With a few pantry staples, this dessert casserole is perfect to make during the holidays. The marshmallows still get nice and toasty on the top, so make your Thanksgiving prep even easier this year!

19. Easy Pumpkin Butter

Perfect for holiday gifts, or just to keep for yourself, this pumpkin butter is smooth and delicious. Packed full of spices, the pumpkin butter becomes thick thanks to the steam generated in the slow cooker. Simply combine all the ingredients and cook it low and slow for optimal results.

20. Slow Cooker Triple Berry Crisp

Another healthy dessert, this berry crisp is perfect for those times you find yourself craving something sweet. Maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the dish, and the topping stays plenty crispy when cooked. Plus, you can use frozen berries, making it a year-round treat!

21. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Ooey and gooey, this molten lava cake is any chocolate-lover’s dream. The cake gets an extra hit of chocolate flavor thanks to the chocolate chips. Top it with a hearty dollop of whipped cream and you’re all set. It’s even gluten-free and only clocks in at 157 calories per serving!

22. Slow Cooker Brown Betty

Somewhat of a forgotten bake, the “brown betty” is a baked fruit pudding (traditionally made with apples) and topped with a crumb mixture. This dessert only takes 10 minutes to assemble, making it super easy to prepare. Warm and spicy, the apples become tender when cooked and take on plenty of cinnamon flavor.

23. Slow Cooker Fudge

Did you know you could make fudge in the slow cooker? I didn’t! This decadent, guilt-free fudge tastes absolutely amazing. Each bite contains only 114 calories, making it the perfect portion-sized treat when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

24. Crock Pot Apple Pear Cider

Of course everyone loves apple cider, but step up the traditional recipe by adding pears into the mix. The mixture of fruits and spices blend together perfectly, creating the ultimate autumn and winter drink. Maple syrup finishes it off with a natural sweetness—you’ll never buy cider again after you taste this!

25. Crock Pot Sugar-Free Dairy-Free Fudge

Fudge is known for being a finicky dessert, so make this fool-proof version in a slow cooker for optimal results. With only four ingredients, this fudge is slow delicious and creamy, you’ll never know it’s sugar-free and only 65 calories per serving! Bag it up for an easy gift to give during the holidays!

26. Slow Cooker Pumpkin Bread

Spice-filled pumpkin bread is crave-worthy during chillier months, and for good reason: it’s delicious! Studded with chocolate chips, this version is rich and moist thanks to the addition of cream cheese. The inside still stays soft and tender, so you’ll be going back for more slices in no time!

Is anyone else hungry after reading all of those recipes? I know I am! Plus, they’re all so easy to assemble, which means I can take a cozy nap while my Crock Pot does all the work for me. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? Pull out your slow cooker and get to baking!

Looking for more great SkinnyMs. content? Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for even more recipes and meal plans!

The post 26 Easy Desserts You Can Make in a Slow Cooker appeared first on Skinny Ms..

source https://skinnyms.com/easy-desserts-you-can-make-in-a-slow-cooker/ source https://skinnymscom.blogspot.com/2018/12/26-easy-desserts-you-can-make-in-slow.html

[dusudaunord]

The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Eating in Montréal

No meat? No problem! Montréal has got a burgeoning vegan game that’s growing strong reaaal fast. Sink your teeth into the many options that span both the city and the globe, culturally speaking – from luscious creamy pastas to middle-eastern treats and Vietnamese pho and cakes for dayyys.

Montréal’s vegan OG

Montréal’s original vegan success story serves hearty rice bowls and a killer brunch from its a sprawling spot on St-Laurent Boulevard. Reboot on the sunny terrasse with one of the famous Aux Vivres smoothies (the Creamsicle is decadently delish), or a slice of berry-topped cheesecake in one of the blonde-wood booths – you’ll swear you’re eating the real thing. Stop by the takeout shop on your way out for a hotel-room snack.

Live music and vegan snacks

This Mile End spot serves daily live jazz, world music or classical alongside its inexpensive pints and great vegan eats. Café Résonance’s maki bowl is a delicious deconstructed twist on the sushi classic, while the cashew-based grilled cheese is scrumptious, made on liberally (vegan) buttered bread from the nearby Boulangerie Guillaume. All the sweets are delicious too – some of the best cookies in town.

Who needs fish in sushi?

Pescatarians agree: some of Montréal’s very best, most creative sushi is served at this chic vegan enclave on the Plateau. Order Sushi Momo’s tasting menu for your size of group (it’s offered for parties of 2, 4, 6) for the full experience: from the crispy centred Dynamite roll to the spicy jackfruit sushi (their answer to spicy tuna), it’ll all leave your taste buds amazed. Reservations are necessary at this hot spot.

Une publication partagée par Restaurant & Boutique Yuan (@yuanvegetarian) le 25 Mars 2017 à 7h17 PDT

Lazy-man’s Chinese buffet

Get the buffet experience without leaving your table at this mock-meat palace on St-Denis. The General Tao at Yuan Végétarien is honestly tastier than the chicken version, while the sesame beef will have you wondering if you’re being punked and this is really meat. (You’re not.) Pay one flat rate at dinnertime and the waiter will bring you endless mini-plates of your dishes of choice. Recreate the experience at home thanks to the vast selection of mock meats in the store section near the exit.

Une publication partagée par Vegan Rapide (@veganrapide) le 17 Mars 2017 à 12h17 PDT

Pizza and burgers and ice cream, oh my

Satisfy your cravings at this little joint on Sherbrooke Street W. in NDG, where the all-vegan pizzas are served on shiny silver stands. Share a signature Vegan Rapide pie with friends at one of the outside picnic tables in the summer, or at the couple of seats indoors in the winter – though most people do take-out. The burgers, served on fluffy pitas and topped with signature sauce, are also a decadent delight – and don’t forget the vegan soft-serve for desert!

Healthy for the heart and soul

Head to Dollard-des-Ormeaux to refill on health-food ingredients and grab lunch at the lunch counter right at the heart of the store. The selection of sandwiches, salads and baked goods at Healthree is always mouth-watering, with the kale and quinoa salads at the top of their all-star list. While you’re there, peruse the large health-food store and its fridges packed with interesting nut cheeses and vegan sweets. The organic produce is also worth the trip.

Raw food reinvented

This local chain of raw food restaurants is so successful, it’s got 10 locations, its own cooking school and a widely-distributed product line. Crudessence is famous for its delish smoothies (the maca-caramel one is a winner), and its spring rolls or seaweed wraps make a nutritious, flavour-packed lunch. There are also meals of the day that astound with raw food’s creative capacities, and desserts like the raw chocolates and lime-avocado pie that are sure to please the palate.

Fully loaded falafels and cookies

Crunchy fried balls of goodness rule here, whether it’s the classic Israeli-style falafel, the nouveau falafel or the vegan twist on shish kebab. All the sandwiches at local chain Panthère Verte come on fluffy pitas, served in either half or full sized – and don’t forget to try the sweets! Some of the city’s most delicious vegan cookies live at Panthère Verte (the cherry-studded Cachewy is a knockout).

Une publication partagée par Falafel St. Jacques (@falafelstjacques) le 16 Févr. 2017 à 5h02 PST

Killer vegan shish taouk

This humble lunch counter in Lachine couldn’t be more authentically Israeli if it were on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. The most notable difference is that everything at Falafel St-Jacques is vegan (except for some package foods sold the spot that are vegetarian). Try the amazing, greasy, satisfying vegan shish taouk, or any of the other mock meat offerings (most are made with mushrooms), served pitas baked right on the spot. That said, the rainbow-coloured salad bar and the eponymous falafel are the real stars of the show.

Inventive vegan cuisine

Take your vegan game up a notch at this fancy spot in Mile End where invention is always on the menu. Invitation V is a good spot to impress a vegan date, or to brunch the next morning (wink-wink), especially for the vegan omelet stuffed with luscious hollandaise sauce and tons of veggies. The internationally-inspired cuisine here is always creative and responsive to themes, whether it’s Burger Week, Restaurant Week or sugaring-off season.

Une publication partagée par Matthieu Casanova (@mcsnv) le 30 Juil. 2016 à 20h51 PDT

Cozy spot + comfort food

A casual Mile End hole-in-the-wall with yummy soups and sandwiches that opened before vegan was chic. La Lumière du Mile End is a great spot to nosh on quesadillas and catch up with a friend over a nut-milk latte before shopping and exploring the neighbourhood, or to grab a sandwich to-go for a picnic later. Don’t expect the swiftest of service, but it’ll come with a smile and the taste of that burrito will be worth the wait.

Fast food done right!

This fast-food chain is spreading like wildfire, which is a great thing when you want an alternative to the golden arches. Because though the food is fast at Copper Branch, it’s all got a healthier twist. Dive guilt-free into the poutine made with oven-roasted fries, vegan cheese and a rich mushroom gravy – or choose from a whole whack of healthy rice bowls, and an impressive selection of burgers. The shiitake teriyaki is a fave.

Une publication partagée par Vegano (@veganomontreal) le 1 Janv. 2017 à 16h21 PST

Decadent, delicious pastas

The creamiest, cheesiest mac and cheese you’re ever likely to taste – we kid you not – lives at this Plateau restaurant. It just happens not to contain any actual cheese! The changing menu has a comfort-food bent with an Italian twinge at Vegano, but you’re just as likely to bite into a massive burger than a bright plate of puttanesca. One thing’s for sure: you’ll come out of there fully (and we mean full) satisfied.

Authentic (meat-free) Thai

Close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re eating actual crispy duck and this all-vegan Thai mainstay. ChuChai has graced the Plateau with its sophisticated cruelty-free cuisine since before Linda McCartney made vegan matter (or thereabouts). They keep the menu updated with dishes that are ever more delicious, including fan favourites like rich peanut dumplings, chewy pad Thai and decadent “beef” with eggplant and basil.

Une publication partagée par Beauty Lifestyle 〰 N A T 〰 (@natalielovesbeauty) le 18 Janv. 2017 à 18h01 PST

Vegan Vietnamese food?

Yes, son! Finally somewhere to enjoy this fresh and fragrant cuisine without the usual undesirables. Munch your way through Pho Da Son’s stupendous spring rolls free of fish sauce and other animal bits while you ponder the many options at the buffet-style counter. There are curries, mock-meat stir-fries and specialty dishes like stuffed crepes – everything we’ve tried has been aces!

Une publication partagée par Laura Louise Lynch (@lauralouiselynch) le 9 Avril 2017 à 12h35 PDT

Top notch nosh, day and night

A fun spot for a saucy date or a lazy brunch (all week, any time of the day) in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. Antidote offers exciting veganized comfort foods and a top-notch organic wine list. Dig in deep with menu stars like fried chicken and waffles, three-cheese mac’n’cheese, crunchy crusted seitan, pulled “pork” poutine and the vegan Big Mac – hey, we never said it was healthy.

Une publication partagée par Cafe Juicy Lotus Official (@cafejuicylotusofficial) le 4 Févr. 2017 à 19h48 PST

Vegan burgers, soups and basics

You’ll find no-nonsense world-type cuisine at this NDG spot, with lots of great to-go options for lunch in the nearby park. Satisfying pasta salads, rainbow-coloured soup jars, spicy samosas and high-stacked veggie burgers (plus a range of interesting products in the onsite shop) make Café Juicy Lotus a go-to resource for vegetarians (almost everything here is vegan, but a handful contain eggs or dairy) in the west end of the city.

Une publication partagée par Aïda’s Flaws & All (@aidasflaws) le 3 Févr. 2017 à 8h46 PST

Yoga + breakfast = heaven

Get your downward dog on before grabbing a bite at this Plateau yoga studio-slash-café. Gorgeous looking smoothie bowls are a specialty at Bélem, especially acai bowls packed with antioxidants – they were one of the first spots to offer them in Montréal. The oatmeal or homemade granola are delectable, as are the coconut-milk lattes and chai teas – truly comfort in a cup that’ll make any day start right.

Une publication partagée par Myriam (@mydery) le 10 Févr. 2017 à 9h25 PST

Plant-based shwarma, ho yeah   

This shwarma counter in Laval is well worth the drive up the 15 – vegan Mediterranean food at its best! The falafel are crunchy, large Lebanese-style patties of goodness, the seitan shwarma and shish taouk is packed with satisfying flavour and the creative specialties, like the sliders, the Philly cheese-steak or the ooey-gooey quesadillas, make 57Cals a new favourite in Greater Montréal. (For a really special treat, try the spicy-fries poutine – what a kick.)

The prettiest sweets of all

Gluten-free soy-intolerant nut-allergic vegans, you’ve died and gone to heaven at this chic Westmount bakery. Nestled on tawny Victoria, the ultra pretty white-and-pastel Petit Lapin makes glorious cakes, cake-pops, cream puffs, cookies, madeleines and more without a trace of common allergens. The cakes are true statement pieces (hello, blue ombré triple-decker chocolate!), so expect oohs and ahhs at the next birthday party you pick up for.

The top vegan desserts

Cupcakes with whipped butter(y) maple frosting, fudgy chocolate brownies, berry tarts with crunchy crumble topping… all the good things live here. Sophie Sucrée has been sweetening up Pine Avenue on the Plateau for years now, offering visitors a q2uaint spot to park it and sip tea in pretty floral cups. After you’ve tried a few things on the spot, pick a half-dozen cupcakes for your friend in the self-serve fridge – they’ll love you forever.

Wow-factor vegan cakes

You’d never have guessed raw vegan desserts could be so decadent – and did we mention gluten-free? Rawesome delivers their artfully attractive cakes throughout the city, perfect for your next hotel-room party. The lime-coconut “cheese” cake is something we personally just can’t get enough of – luscious, smooth and rich but without any of the heart-attack heaviness of the dairy version. Other favourites are the crème brûlée cake (mmm caramelly) and the lemon splash – just so darn pretty!

Une publication partagée par La Panthère Verte Restaurants (@lapanthereverte) le 24 Juin 2016 à 2h54 PDT

Want vegan goods on the move?

Don’t miss these vegan options among Montréal’s hot food truck scene!

La Panthère Mobile

Get your falafel fix and your salad satisfaction on the go at La Panthère Mobile’s window, part of the (growing) Panthère Verte empire.

La Wagonette

You’ll find a full, satisfying menu at La Wagonette food truck, including burritos, BTL wraps, veggie sushi, raw truffles and a breakfast parfait.

SmoothFruit

Think smooth at SmoothFruit food truck, where you can order fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, soups – basically fresh, vitamin-dense liquid nutrition.

Lab – Comptoir Roulant

If thirsty is what you are, look no further than this beverage-filled food truck, the mobile version of the popular bar Lab: specialties include teas, infusions and mocktails.

Like your vegan treats sweet?

Find our guide to satisfying your vegan sweet tooth riiiiiight here.

      The post The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Eating in Montréal appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

http://ift.tt/2oTccVy

#tourisme #montreal #france