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the-fiction-witch · 3 years

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Control P13

TV SHOW THE QUEENS GAMBIT COUPLE: BENNY WATTS X READER RATING: SEXY

I sat on a little chair watching across the department store y/n walking around the baby department, I had given up hours ago and sat down where I could still see her. she walked around with her cart, "Y/n?" I called but nothing "Y/n? Little lady?"

"yes Benny?" she calls back as she had heard me that time

"Come here little lady," I told her so she smiled and came over with her little cart "what have you got?"

"Baby stuff"

"Yeah what you've been shopping for hours?"

"I got some tiny clothes, tiny shoes, little bottles and toys" she smiled

"Okay... why my darling is everything pink?"

"Because It's a pretty colour"

"What if it's a boy?"

"Then he will like pink" I said

"But he's a boy"

"Boy's can't like pink?"

"Yeah but... if he had only pink clothes and pink stuff it's gonna get annoying for him, and what if we do have a girl and she hates pink"

"Well. what do you suggest benny?" "I know a gender-neutral colour scheme"

"Do you?" "Black and white"

"You are not dressing our baby up like a chessboard?"

"why not? He'll match the apartment"

"Benny our baby doesn't need to match the aesthetic"

"Maybe not yours. I would like the baby to fit the... chess theme that we have in the apartment and in general when we go places"

"The baby doesn't need to fit the aesthetic benny" she laughs going back to her shopping

"So you're telling me? we go to the Us championship next year and you don't want the baby to have a little black stroller and white blankets while we walk around the hotel?" I smirked as I followed her "So people think your baby is cute?"

"People will think the baby is cute if it's dressed like a chessboard, or a bunny rabbit" she giggled showing a tiny rabbit onzie

"But... if it could be in a chess colour scheme"

"Benny you dress our baby like a chess piece I am letting it thrown up on you"

"Ohh it will. I know it will."

"fine then I will make you watch down there the whole time I am in labour"

"Fine. we should probably sort out the big stuff? like a crib. a high chair. a pram. whatever those bouncy things are"

"bouncy things?"

"those things" I said pointing to them

"That's a yoga ball benny. it's not for babies" "Then why is it in the baby section?"

"It's for pregnant ladies"

"Ooh. then what is that crazy looking thing?"

"That's for getting breast milk in bottles" she laughs

"Oh yeah, your gonna start having milk come out your boobs," I said absentmindedly and she glared at me "what? you are? Ohh does that mean I can't squeeze them anymore?" "Not very hard no"

"I best make use of my time" I smiled cuddling her and grabbing her boobs

"we are in a store!" she whines pushing me away "You want a job to do?"

"Yes."

"Go find toys"

"Toys?"

"Not plushie ones, toy ones. you're smart I want baby to be smart so go find things like what you plaid with as a child"

".... who do you think I was as a child?"

"Like the smarty child playing with the brain toys?"

"No. more the evil child that went around hitting other kids with a stick. and poking dead things

"I would have liked to have known that before you impregnated me benny"

"well now you know"

"That's the kinda stuff they send kids to doctors about?"

"Ohh they did. like four times. I would bite them"

"How old were you?"

"Like three"

"Just go look for toys benny"

"Fine." I sighed giving her a kiss and going to find the toy section "and buy more than a chessboard"

"The baby has to have a chessboard. from the moment it's born"

"Yeah but we own twenty-six of them"

".... fine! I can't choose its toys, I can't dress the baby. what exactly am I involved in?"

"you did your job, it's inside me now your jobs are building baby furniture and take care of me until such time as I birth a small human" she explained "Also we should hurry I really want a crumpet"

"The sex or the food?"

"... both"

"Five minutes little lady, then we shall go home and ... rest"

"good, Ohh I also need a new lipstick while were here" she says scampering off

"Great we'll be here another six hours" I sighed

"what was that?"

"Nothing darling"

I sat at the table going though my game, trying to get some work done, while Y/n was working on setting up the corner of our apartment. I had built the crib and a couple other bits we bought and she was setting it all up putting blankets and toys around in the little places all while she stroked her babybump, I couldnt help looking up often keeping an eye on her.

I smiled resting my chin on my hand and my elbow on the table watching her across the room, She stood sorting the babies stuff folding little blankets and hugging the plushies as she sorted it all out from the shopping bags, in her little fluffy slippers, her sweet white and blue stripped thigh high socks, her little light blue dress with buttons down her chest a couple of them undone, Her large baby bump sat so perfectly even if she often had to becareful not to bump it into things where she still wasn't use to it, her hair in the sweet intense curls fresh out of her rollers, Gently humming a little tune.

"what?" she asked as she spotted me looking at her and I just shrug "Ohh you don't have something to say?" she laughs

"You look pretty" I told her

"Sure I do" she sighed

"You do." I smiled "You look sexy preganant"

"I'm a boat"

"A pretty boat"

"Benny!"

"What?"

"You shouldn't make fun of me"

"I'm not making fun of you."

"How could I ever be sexy with this... thing"

"That thing is our child"

"Still. it's not sexy to look like your trying to steal a watermelon from a supermarket"

"I still think you look sexy" I told her "I still think your sexy. I would still go crazy if you wore that little lacy nightie"

"I can't benny it doesn't fit me anymore"

"I'm sure I can find one in your infinate wardrobe something you and baby can fit in"

"I highly doubt you will find me desireable with this" she says

"I think I will"

"I bet you won't"

"I bet I will"

"Will you now?"

"I know I will" I smirked

"Fine but if I'm right then you have to do the night feedings for three months when baby comes"

"Alright, but if I'm right, then I get to snuggle with you as much as I want. and You will make me victoria sponge cupcakes."

"alright" she nods "You can finish up, and I'll meet you in the bedroom" she smiled giving my head a kiss as she walked to the bathroom.

I sat reading my book but often getting distracted watching her walk around on her huge dress usually holding her hips or her bump. "Ooh bulbs gone" she says as she clicked the ceiling lights on

"Ahh, damn thing that's the fourth one that's gone in there. I think the fitting needs changing. Or I need to ring the landlord to come look at the electric box again" I explain

"Possibly" she says going to the kitchen draw

"What are you doing?"

"Changing the light bulb?" She shurgs

"Are you?" I laughed putting my book down watching her slowly walk over she put up her arm trying so hard to reach it but honestly I don't think she could reach it when she wasn't seven months pregnant, let alone now. I held back my laughs a little watching her try before got up and did it for her

"I was about to do it" she pouted

"Of course you where little lady" I smiled giving her head a kiss and pulling her into a cuddle resting my head on hers "y/n, you are seven months pregnant little lady. You can't do everything you use to"

"Who says I can't?"

"... The doctor"

"Well what does he know"

".... Uuuuuhh alot"

"I can do it Benny I'm not some damn invalid"

"I'm not saying you are. I'm saying you need to slow down a little be careful. Your growing a human inside you you should be resting and being careful. Don't want something bad to happy do we?"

"No. I just don't like sitting around not doing anything," she whines "I have things to do"

"I know you don't. But that's why I'm here I'll take care of my lovely lady, till baby comes Iam your salve darling I'll wait on you hand and foot if you'd want me too"

"Benny" she giggled

"No I mean it. You need to rest" I told her "now you sit down I'll make you some lunch"

"Thank you" she smiled

"Your welcome" I laughed going to the fridge taking the little list I stuck today the fridge off it was a page I ripped out one of her pregnancy books about what she can and can't eat looking in the fridge and at the list trying to think of what I could make her "now... would you like a salad?"

"No" she pouts as she sat on my chair

"Would you like... cereal?"

"No"

"Would you like... mac and cheese?" I asked before I remembered as she bolted for the bathroom and I could hear her throwing up "sorry hun I forgot" I told her "I'll make you some french toast okay? That'll settle baby down"

I went and began making her french toast the way she likes it and eventually she came back "hey, you okay now?"

"Don't mention that stuff"

"I know I'm sorry little lady, I forgot." I laughed giving her a kiss "ah... I uhhh y/n I love you And I don't wanna be rude but... I need to wash my mouth out now because, I can taste the morning sickness" I sighed quickly washing my mouth as I could taste it, it was horrible.

"Sorry Benny"

'ita fine I was dumb for giving you a kiss before you washed your mouth out"

"It's not morning sickness either it's like one pm"

"I class it as morning sickness as you only woke up like two hours ago"

"And morning sickness lasts all day," she says loitering over where I was cooking

"Then why not just call it pregnant sickness?"

"I don't know" she shurgs trying to steal the first finished bit

"Oi! No little lady its too hot you'll burn your pretty mouth"

"What do you care?"

"Well I might wanna use that pretty mouth later" I winked giving her butt a pinch

"Benny!" She whines

"What?"

"Dirty daddy"

"Well how can I not be when mummy's so sexy and beautiful" I cooed giving her a kiss on the head

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annakie · 3 years

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A Lot of Words about a Thing

This is a “I’m writing this out so next time someone asks I can just point them to this (or copy/paste) instead of having to type it again” thing.

I’ve been doing Hello Fresh for the last two or three months and I thought I’d talk about the ups and downs of it and if I’m going to keep doing it. This is not an endorsement (which will be clear when you get to the overall middling scoring), but I will put a link at the bottom so we can both get a deal if you want to try it.

---------------

So anyway, I had been thinking about doing a meal kit for a long time but pulled the trigger on it back in... like Mid-January, I guess?

the tl;dr of it all is that I like it and I’ll probably keep doing it for awhile, but it’s not for everyone, and is expensive for what it is, especially if you already know how to cook.

Before I started, I made myself sit down and write out a quick list of what I wanted to get out of trying a meal kit experience, so I’ll rate how successful or not each one of those things is.

First of all, I want to also say, I can already cook. I’m a pretty good cook. I can follow a recipe and improvise successfully when necessary usually. One reason why a lot of people do a meal kit is because they need to learn how to cook and that definitely wasn’t me.

Also, they offer a variety of number and portions on meals to try. I get three meals a week, with two portions a meal, which means I cook Hello Fresh for dinner one night, and usually the next night have the leftovers. Friday night is usually “Yay You Made It To The Weekend, You Get To Order Takeout” night. You can order for several more meals a week, and for up to four portions in each meal, if you want.

So on to the reasons why I decided to try HF, with a grading of how I feel about each one after trying.

Reason One: Try Something New

I was super excited at the beginning of the pandemic now working from home full time, because this was a great chance to really start trying some new recipes. I had fallen into a pretty bad rut for awhile of some of the same frozen type meals or just making super easy things for dinner and sandwiches for lunch pre-pandemic. Even though my commute was stupid easy I often felt too wiped at the end of the day to make like, real meals. So when the pandemic hit and I was Home All The Time, for the first couple of months I was buying interesting ingredients (what I could get my hands on at the time) and really digging into making new and interesting things. Even baking my own bread and bought some new kitchen gadgets like a pressure cooker to expand my repertoire.

By like... the end of summer... well the good news was that I was still cooking and hadn’t fallen back to a packaged-food routine most of the time (though still some frozen pizzas or bags of pre-made Asian or Italian food you cook on the stovetop mostly for lunch) but also I had more or less found The Ten Things I Make (like Spaghetti, a great chicken and rice dish that is so good and makes about 6 meals worth of leftovers) and I was real tired of like, recipe hunting. The most work I was then doing was finding new pressure cooker recipes and tbh almost all of what I was making was Chicken In Some Kind of Sauce Over Rice. I was burned out.

So Hello Fresh... has been great for that. I have only made the same thing a couple of times and those were only because i loved them so much the first time I wanted that thing again. For the most part, I have tried just a ton of new things, including some ingredients I’ve never worked with before or really thought I wouldn’t like! And I did! I feel like I am often trying something I have never made before.

Reason 1.5: Variety

OK this is hand-in-hand with Something New but also slightly different.

Try Something New would be rated like a 4.5 out of 5 stars.... but some stars are taken away though, because a lot of their recipes are very similar. For a protein, there’s like, chicken breasts, hamburger meat, pork chops, chicken sausage and pork sausage. Occasionally steak. Basically every meal will start with one of those things.... oh and I guess there’s like some fish choices, but I hate fish. There’s also vegetarian options, which I have only occasionally gotten. So within the variety, there’s a lot of similarities.

Also there are a lot of same ingredients in their recipes. I have grated a lot of lemons and limes. I have chopped up a lot of carrots, green onions, and potatoes (so many potatoes.) I have consumed more sour cream than I ever have. I have started looking for ways to add even a little more variety to the things that are often-repeats that they give you.

But part of that is my fault -- I am mostly selecting items that I know I will like, or can modify to how I like. There are a lot of veggie and fish-based choices I could pick up most weeks which I avoid.

And almost everything I’ve ever made... I’d make again. I save all the recipe cards so that someday when I don’t wanna do HF anymore, I will have all them all handy to make later. The HF Subreddit also has a lot of resources like how to do their custom spice mixes, very handy. There’s been maybe 3 things I’ve made which I’d say were Just Okay, but nothing I’d say that was bad. And some of the ideas in this paragraph I talk about more, further down.

But also on the topic of “Variety” -- since every meal I make has two portions (occasionally I will stretch something to three) -- points are given back because I’m not “Making a huge pot of spaghetti that I eat for five meals in a row.” So that’s good, even if it means more cooking overall.

So honestly, on Something New overall, I’ll give this like a 3.5 out of 5 stars, correcting up to 4 stars on a curve, since I strike entire categories of their offerings based on my own tastes. They offer a pretty good variety of meals to select, and part of the problem here is my fault for hating All Seafood and not being thrilled with the vegetarian options (I also don’t feel like I’m getting my money’s worth without a protein) so there are a lot of meals re-using similar ingredients. It slides back down to a 3.5 though when you factor in Reasons 3 & 4 below.

Reason Two: Kill Analysis Paralysis

A thing I found increasingly happening by the end of last year was analysis paralysis. Especially as I started a new job where I’m much, much busier (but happier) in October. I would find myself staring at the fact that I’d have to make the decision on What To Make For Dinner and dreading it more and more. It wasn’t really the cooking I hated, but the deciding what to cook, which got me into the lack of variety rut. More often than I’d like to admit I’d just make a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese or like... just... toast... for dinner because the decision-making part of my brain was tired... or out of spoons as the kids say these days.

This is maybe my favorite part of Hello Fresh overall. Once every week or two I log onto HF, pick what I’m going to eat like... 5 or 6 weeks in the future, which I can do at a time when I have that decision-making energy, and forget about it. Every Monday a box shows up on my doorstep, I see what nice things I picked out for myself several weeks ago, and the most I have to decide is which order I will make those things in.

So when it’s a “Make Dinner” day, I don’t have that “shit, I have to make a decision” feeling. I already know because I pre-planned it back when I wasn’t at the end of a long workday. It’s one of those small, dumb things that really really helps me mentally in an almost inexplicable way. And I can feel better about myself because I didn’t eat something dumb for dinner. And I still allow myself to make easy things for lunch, like a small frozen pizza, a sandwich and some chips, or hey, Kraft Dinner. And sometimes I do make a big pot of Spaghetti or something that I love and will just have that for lunch every day for a week, and so I don’t have to feel like I’m always cooking.

And on Eat HF Leftovers For Dinner nights, that’s even better, because I have a tasty meal and it just had to get reheated in the microwave or stovetop. Some meals are easy to half-prepare ahead of time on day one, and just do the last steps on leftover night the next night to have fresher dinner easily.

Just 5 out of 5 stars here. This is my favorite part.

Reason Three: Eat More Vegetables.

Uh, yeah, I’m terrible about eating veggies on my own. The best I can do usually is buy a bag of mixed greens and try to have a side salad with dinner, or buy bags of frozen foods and hope they come with veggies I’d eat.

So the good thing here, is that when HF sends me vegetables to make, if it’s a veggie I like, I’ll probably make it.

The big problem, though, is that there’s no substitutions. And I’m still not gonna eat brussell sprouts or, broccoli, or mushrooms. I was a sport and tried making them (except the mushrooms) the first time I got recipes that used them as sides. And nope... still cant.

But hey, I have done a lot better at eating more fresh green beans, and onions, and carrots, and peppers. Though sometimes I just snack on the bell pepper instead of cooking it. Still, I call it a win.

I really, really wish I could trade out the side-dish vegetables I know I won’t eat for like, a small side salad, an apple, or hey, even just... carrots! But nope, no substitutions. =\ I’d score this way better if we could do so.

Still, I’m doing better here, and overall, more vegetables are being eaten. So, 3 out of 5 stars.

Reason Four: Waste Less Food

The amount of fruit and vegetables I’ve ordered and thrown away over the last year make me cringe. I would order things with every intention of eating them and then just... not. Oh yeah I need two lemons, an orange and two limes in case I make ____ recipe! I need a new bag of baby carrots to snack on and make a side dish and cut into a salad!

And then I maybe... maybe use half of that before it goes bad.

Probably less. Because of the Analysis Paralysis and not trying new things. You run into that problem where you don’t have the ingredients on hand to make a new thing so you can’t make a new thing... but then you buy them but forgot (crucial thing) so the thing still doesn’t get made. Or you just... don’t plan when you’re gonna make the thing and by the time I’d be like “Oh yeah I should make something with those vegetables” they’d have already turned.

SO... I felt shitty throwing away so much produce, and loaves of bread, and other perishable food that got maybe half-eaten. So much, for so long. Yeah, I know I could do better with my meal planning, but it’s been one of those things I always vow to do, and then did not do that thing.

Doing HF has really made me re-evaluate what I buy as groceries, and I have cut way down on ordering unnecessary produce and perishables like bread. Because I don’t really have to worry about dinner and am allowing myself to do easy lunches that don’t require real “cooking.” So, overall I am definitely buying and tossing less food.

Also just as another quick note -- what also tends to get tossed out of my HF boxes is a “spicy ingredient” But in some ways, this works in HF’s favor. I don’t really like spicy foods. A small amount of spice is OK but I’d rather just do without it in most things, sorry I’m that white girl. Most “Spicy” HF meals get spicy by a spice blend, a packet of sriracha / hot sauce, or a jalapeno which they want you to cut up and include. So whenever I see something that looks good but listed as “spicy”, I can check the ingredient list first and see what makes it spicy, If I think the thing still sounds good without the spicy part, I can order it. So yeah, I’ll toss spicy ingredients, but that is 100% my choice and it makes things better because it gives me more variety to order those meals and still make it to my own taste.

Oh, and occasionally, the produce is just bad when you get it or not long after. I haven’t had this problem often, mostly with ginger and garlic. I do evaluate which meal has the most perishables when I get my box on Mondays and make those first. Apparently you can call customer service if this happens for a small credit, but I just use pre-diced garlic or powdered ginger when this has happened to me.

So, this would be a 4.5 out of 5 except for... as discussed above... I end up tossing out HF vegetables on occasion I know I hate and won’t eat, and they won’t let me make substitutions.

But also... cooking for myself... when I make a big batch of something that lasts 4 - 6 portions... more often than I’d like to admit, the last portion or two would never get eaten. Sometimes I’d TELL myself I’d eat them in a week or so and freeze them only to throw it all away months later.

So let’s call this a 4 out of 5. Overall, significantly less food waste with HF.

Reason Five: Save Time

I thought that doing HF would mean less prep-work and less time in the kitchen, especially with their easy-to-follow recipes and pre-measured ingredients.

So in that way, yes, time is saved, and it so again takes that mental load off in a lot of ways of not having to make all those pesky decisions. The materials you’re working with and what you need to do are all Right There for you. It’s really, nice.

As a side note, like I said I’m a good cook, and I haven’t had any problems following along anything I’ve made, but there were a few things I think are more of a moderate skill level and could be a little challenging for newcomers. But then, I see people on the HF subreddit all the time saying they learned to cook with no skill and they find the recipes easy so... we’re good there.

However, Saving Time loses points for two big reasons:

First, I’m only making two portions of each meal. Which, ok... this is my decision. I could order four portions per meal. But then... hey that’s taking big points away on the “variety” front.

The Vegetable Chopping / prep work on a lot of the recipes often takes 10 - 20 minutes, depending on the number of fruits and veggies. So yay for meeting Goal #3 (more veggies) even if it is balanced out by Goal #5.

And unfortunately, most meals end up taking up more dishes than I’d like to clean up (usually at least a pan and baking sheet, sometimes also a pot. Plus knife, cutting board, tongs, stirring spoon, maybe a zester, etc.) So no time is saved on cleanup, either.

Mostly where time is saved is having to pick out recipes and making sure you have/buy all the ingredients. Not much is saved in the actual cooking.

I do, however, enjoy the time I spent cooking and the knowledge that I’m gonna make something good, so we’ll give it a bit back, there.

As a time saver, I’d give HF a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Reason Six: Save Money

Y’all, Hello Fresh is expensive. Honestly the #1 reason I re-evaluate whether I want to keep going with it every few weeks is the cost. Even though I can afford it.

For basically six meals a week, I’m paying $63 for the food, plus $9 for the shipping.

Which means I’m paying $12 a meal. For food I make myself.

Not cheap. A luxury.

Where I don’t feel quite so bad about it is the fact that... for the most part, I am wasting a lot less food. Except, as mentioned, when I can’t swap out vegetables I hate for something I’d actually eat.

So that makes it irk me even more when I am throwing out vegetables I really hate, because they’re expensive vegetables.

Also that price tag is motivation to make and eat every meal.

Overall, my grocery bills have gone down... honestly pretty significantly. Because I’m not overbuying food! Now, they haven’t gone down enough to even out the cost for Hello Fresh... I’m still probably spending about 50% more overall for each dinner now than I was before.

This isn’t a cost savings. It’s an expense, but one I can afford. And part of writing out this post is to remind myself to decide when the experience is no longer worth the expense.

1 out of 5 stars.

Reason Seven: Eat Better

I would like to challenge myself to define “Better” because that’s all I wrote down when I made the list.

Healthier? Eeeehhhhhh.... maybe? But not much.

Hello Fresh does offer lighter choices, and sometimes I pick those because they look good and are filled with things I will eat!

But I’m just as likely to pick the most calor-ific things on the menu.

HF also adds a lot of Sour Cream to their recipes, and encourage you to salt and butter your food liberally. I try to cut down on some of this where I think it’s too much. But sometimes there’s not much to cut out and still have the meal you ordered.

But also I’m not eating any worse calorie-wise than I was before, probably. And overall I’m eating a lot more “real food” instead of “packaged food” and fast food than I was.... especially pre-pandemic. And again, I AM eating a lot more vegetables, so.... that’s... better?

If I define better as Tastier, yeah, I’m doing pretty good in that regard, haha.

So Better as in healthier: 2.5 of 5 stars.

Better as in tastier: 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall Scoring & Tips

Okay, overall that comes out to a 3.18 out of 5, which I’d round up to a 3.5... which is a pretty good score for how I feel about HF overall. My current plan is to keep doing it until I go back to working in the office again, and re-evaluate. For now, it works for me.

IF YOU WANT TO TRY IT, this is my referral link, you’ll get $70 off over a month’s worth of meals (so like, $20 or something off 3 boxes and $10 off the last one, something like that.

I also have four “Free box” codes to give out, PM me if you want one of those. I don’t think those are compatible with the $70 off link, but it might be a box of completely free food for you? I don’t know how it works, but this may be the better deal? PM me.

If you decide to go for it, here’s a few tips:

Every week or two, go in and choose your meals, don’t let HF choose for you unless you really don’t care.

Read the ingredient list and make sure there’s not too much stuff you don’t like coming in a meal.

The extras are pretty expensive and not really worth it.

Plan on each meal taking about 45 minutes to cook from start to finish including chopping vegetables. Another 10 - 20 with cleanup depending if you have to handwash dishes or not.

Look for ways to make the meal healthier, especially if it encourages you to add more butter and salt near the end. You probably do NOT need to do so.

Buy a decent pepper. I love McCormick’s Peppercorn Medley pepper grinder. Also sea salt grinder is my personal salt preference.

Add some of your own seasonings. I buy a jar of pre-diced garlic (yes yes I know the criticisms of the stuff but it’s easy) and throw in a half tablespoon or so of that into a lot of recipes. Also there are a lot of potatoes that they want you to just cook with olive oil, salt and pepper. Throw some garlic or onion salt on them, or some Lawry’s Seasoning Salt or steak salt of your choice for some variety.

Your basic 2 quart pot, 8 - 12″ frying pan and cookie sheet, plus a cutting board, decent veggie knife, and typical kitchen utensil set are all you need. However, a decent meat thermometer and a zester that collects the zest as you go are both highly recommended.

A sieve and very small rice cooker have also been a lifesaver for making good rice that doesn’t get overcooked.

#personal post tag thingy #hello fresh #food #meal kit #meal kits

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fangirlxwritesx67 · 4 years

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Make Me Wanna Kiss You

Dean x OFC Rhea, 1200 words, cute fluff and food

Written for my sweet @winchesterxfamilybusiness Make Me Swoon 250 Followers Challenge. Sabrina, it has been a delight to get to know you! I admire you as a person, a fangirl, and a friend. Hope this makes you swoon

Rhea sighed as she locked the door behind at the small family-owned restaurant where she worked. The last lunch customer had just left, and now she had only a couple of hours before the restaurant would reopen for dinner, and plenty of work to do in the meantime. She had to chop vegetables for salads, fruit for cocktail garnishes, and slice the bread that would go on the table with every meal. There was also cleaning to be done and silverware - always silverware to be rolled.

But first, her own lunch. One of the perks of this job was that the owners provided a meal between the seatings. Usually it was a burger, hot sandwich, or the daily special, whatever the kitchen needed to get rid of, but it was free and better than what she could cook on her own.

Lately, though, there was an added attraction to employee meal time: the handsome new line cook, Dean Winchester.

He had started a couple of months ago when the last line cook stormed out in a huff over food safety measures. Dean fit into the kitchen like he had always been there.

At first, Rhea had been attracted to him for his good looks. His handsome face, sprinkled with freckles, was all chiseled angles, except for his mouth that was ridiculously plush. His apple green eyes were bracketed by lines that deepened in the rare moments that he laughed.

He turned out to be a hard worker, steady and less temperamental than most of the kitchen staff she had worked with over the years. He moved from stove to line to fridge to broiler with grace and rhythm that reminded her of a dancer. And his hands, those broad knuckles, scarred and freckled - she had lost moments, sometimes, watching him work.

Dean didn’t talk a lot, but Rhea had managed to gather that he was new in town, that he had a younger brother, and that his pride and joy was his car, a ‘67 Chevy Impala he referred to lovingly as Baby. He smoked, of course, drank a little too hard, and was inked as far up his arms as she could see under his black chef’s jacket.

Lately, she had started to linger in the kitchen when he made her lunch, for no reason other than she wanted to be near him. Sometimes she felt like she was talking to a brick wall, but then occasionally he would chuckle or simply crack a smile so bright it made her blush.

“It’s sandwich day!” He greeted her with a wide grin. “The other waitress already got hers and went-” he gestured with a spatula at the door. “So pick what you want, whatever you want, that I can put between two piece of bread.”

Rhea paused, taken aback.

“But wait.” Dean continued. “Let me guess, BLT on wheat toast, extra crispy bacon, add cheddar and avocado, side of fries.”

“How- how did you know?”

“I pay attention. You like things a certain way. And I know you usually eat the veggies of the day, but I see you sneaking fries off the warmer.”

Rhea blushed, but it was true. “Okay, but I can’t eat a side of fries every day. Do you know how much fatter I’d be?”

Dean’s expression turned dead serious. “First of all, there is nothing fat about you. Second, who cares? Life is short. Eat the fries. I like to see a woman who enjoys her meals.” He turned away suddenly, as if afraid he had said too much.

He was silent while he made and plated not one BLT but two. He handed her both and took off his apron before he spoke again.

“C’mon, its a clear sunny fall day. Let’s eat outside.”

“Outside?” Rhea was confused. The restaurant didn’t have outdoor seating. But Dean held the back door to the kitchen open and she followed. Around the corner there was a messy pile of milk crates. He set three in a row against the side of the building and settled onto one.

Rhea set the plates on the center crate like it was a table before sitting down. The sun-warmed brick of the building felt good against her back. When she picked up her sandwich, it was perfect. For a few moments, they ate in comfortable silence.

A sudden gust of wind drove a shower of yellow and orange leaves in their direction, and she laughed as she tried to keep them off her food. Dean picked one up and looked at it almost solemnly.

“I guess if the leaves are falling, it’s time for me to cook fall food. What do you think of pumpkin soup?” He turned to her, as if her opinion mattered for the restaurant menu.

She shook her head, wrinkling her nose. “Eww, no. Everything is pumpkin this time of year. I like a good slice of pumpkin pie, but there can be too much of a good thing.”

Dean smirked as if there was something funny about that before he spoke again. “What do you suggest then?”

“Mac and cheese. Nothing like good old fashioned homemade cheesy pasta. And you can do so much with it, you can make it simple or fancy, you can add veggies, you can put bread crumbs on top, plus it’s not too expensive and everybody likes it.” Her voice trailed off.

“Great idea! See, I knew you were a lady who knew her food. Plus, my brother says I make the best mac and cheese in the world. Of course, he might be biased. When we were kids, we often didn’t have anything else. So I’d do my best to dress it up, add hot dogs, marshmallow fluff.”

Rhea laughed, but Dean was dead serious. “Well, it sounds like he thinks the world of you. I’m sure you are a great big brother, although now I have some doubts about your culinary ideas.”

Dean was the one who laughed then, head back, eyes crinkled. The thought crossed her mind that he looked younger when he was happy. When his eyes met hers again, they held a question she didn’t quite understand.

“But as long as you promise to keep it a little more traditional, I’ll try anything you want to make.”

“You gotta stop doing that.” Dean held out his hand unexpectedly over their empty plates on the milk crate table.

“What?” Rhea slipped her hand into his. His palm was warm and he curled his finger over hers.

“Saying things that make me want to kiss you.”

She searched his face for any sign that he was joking, but his eyes shone earnestly and his lips curled with hope.

“What makes you think I don’t want you to kiss me, Dean Winchester?” She answered at last.

Their first kiss tasted a little bit like bacon, and as Dean brought one hand up to caress her face, the wind blew another cascade of leaves down around them.

Rhea had things to do, food to prepare and silverware to roll. She had mac and cheese to taste in the future. But that afternoon, with the sun on her face and Dean’s lips on hers, there was nothing else she wanted.

*** SPN First Last and Always: @boondoctorwho @dawnie1988 @deanwanddamons @defenderrosetyler @divadinag @emoryhemsworth @fookinghelljensensthighs @idreamofplaid @kalesrebellion @kickingitwithkirk @maddiepants @magssteenkamp @onethirstyunicorn @there-must-be-a-lock @tloveswriting Dean Curious: @adoptdontshoppets @awesomesusiebstuff @deangirl7695 @deans-baby-momma @mrsjenniferwinchester @stoneyggirl @supersassyprobablysad @wayward-gypsy @winchesterxfamilybusiness Gay Screaming: @boondoctorwho, @cherry3point14 @cracksinthewalls, @fookinghelljensensthighs @itmighthavebeenintentional, @justcallmeasmodeus, @lastactiontricia @littlegreenplasticsoldier @mskathywriteswords, @rockhoochie, @there-must-be-a-lock, @thoughtslikeaminefield

#dean winchester fanfiction #dean winchester x ofc #make me swoon

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lovemesomesurveys · 4 years

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How many bank accounts do you have? One. Have you ever been falsely accused of starting drama? In like elementary school there was some BS with some “friends” and one thought I said something that I didn’t. How old are you? 30. Do you attend church regularly? Not at this time, but a local church uploads the sermon every week from that Sunday’s service. That is the church I will be attending. Have you ever found a song that describes your whole life? There’s definitely those songs that just hit right in the feels as though it were written especially for you.

What time did you wake up this morning? I haven’t gone to bed, yet, but lately I’ve been sleeping in until like 1 in the afternoon so I’m sure today will be no different. What time do you plan on waking up tomorrow morning? ^^^ What kind of car do you drive? I don’t drive. What kind of car would you like to have? Have you ever been to Dairy Queen? Yeah, but not since I was a kid. It’s so weird whenever I see a commercial for it cause I’m like, ‘wow, they’re still around and thriving. Huh.’ ha. It just doesn’t seem like a popular place. If so, what’s your favorite thing to eat from there? How old did you turn on your last birthday? 30. D: Ever felt like falling apart? Oh, I fell apart. Been trying to pick up the pieces for the last few years, but I’m like Humpty Dumpty and can’t seem to be put back together again. Have you ever been in an ambulance? Yes. Do you tend to worry a lot? All the time about everything. How old were you when you lost your first tooth? I think like maybe 6 or 7. Do you remember your first time on the internet? Yeah, I was 9 years old. I remember signing up with AOL and making my email and stuff. AOL had message boards and chatrooms for kids and teenagers, which I went on all the time. Which website do you email from? Yahoo. Do you enjoy receiving souvenirs? Sure. I’m the girl who buys like keychains, shirts, or hoodies from the touristy shops whenever I travel. Do you get angry with people easily? I'm more easily frustrated than angered. <<< That’s me, too. I’m also very irritable. Do a lot of people dislike you or is it the other way around? I’m just irrelevant. Have you ever had the flu? Yeah. The last time I had it was last year around this time. :X That, and bronchitis, knocked me down on my ass HARD. What about strep throat? Yeah. It’s been several years, though. I honestly can’t even recall the last time. Have you ever been to a psychologist? No, but I need to. What’s the worst part about school? I was always very easily overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out. Do you normally have a lot of homework, if you’re still in school? -- When was your last vacation? Last July for my birthday. Would you ever consider going on a cruise? No. The ocean terrifies me. <<< SAME. What did you last buy from the store? Food. Would you say you enjoy being single or in a relationship more? It’s best that I’m single for the time being and the foreseeable future. I really don’t have much relationship experience either. Do you try to stay busy a lot? I’m not busy by any means. I’m at home in bed majority of the time doing the same few things. What’s your favorite quote? “I don’t know.” --Me. Do you lie a lot? No. I downplay a lot, though. Do you still act childish most of the time? -- My behaviour is often childlike, but not childish. <--Same. <<< Yeah, I like that. Did you ever enjoy gym class? Nooo. What is your biggest insecurity? Oh ya know, just everything about me. Have you ever painted a room alone? I’ve never painted a room. Speaking of which, when did you last paint your room? I've never painted my room. What’s for dinner tonight? I have no idea, yet. It’s 5 in the morning. Do you ever drink alcohol? No. I haven’t had alcohol in almost 7 years now. Have you ever had a terrible hangover? Ugh, yes. Do you ever get migraines? No, but I get horrible tension headaches. I can’t take anything for headaches either D: Do you know how to garden? I’ve been interested in gardening. What was the last thing you plugged into an outlet? A wallflower thing from Bath & Body Works. Do people consider you to be a funny person? I have my funny moments once in awhile, ha. Do you have any bad habits? Yepppp. Do you like children? I don’t have an issue with children, I just personally don’t want to have any. If not, why is this? What is your favorite snack? Pasta salads. Do you own any gaming systems? Yeah, I have a Nintendo Switch. I also use my brother’s PS4 sometimes. How old were your parents when they had you? Early and mid 20s. Is there a big age difference between you and the person you like? I don’t like anyone in that way, currently. Do you trashtalk people a lot? No, but I can’t say that I never do. What is the most amusing thing on the internet, in your opinion? YouTube. Tumblr can be as well. Does the future excite you or scare you? Terrifies me. Do you try to spend a lot of time with family? Yes. How often do you shower? Every 1-2 days. What would you say is your favorite genre of music? I like variety. Do you need to clean your bedroom? Ugh, yes. D: It’s so cluttered right now. My room never used to be like this. It’s driving me insane, but I just don’t have the energy or motivation to do anything with it. I’ve been putting it off for a long time. What do you plan on doing with the rest of your life? Oh jeez, don’t even come at me with that. Do you enjoy Chinese food? It’s never something I crave, but yeah I like a few things. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve had Chinese food. What is your favorite movie from the nineties? Oooh, that’s tough. Which decade were you born in? The 80s. It was halfway through the last year of the decade, though. Are you good at giving advice to people? I used to be. I was the one friends would always come to for advice or just needed someone to talk to. I’m not that person anymore, though. :/ You don’t wanna come to me for advice. How many huge secrets do you have? It’s a secret. How many people know these secrets? How many times a day do you brush your teeth? At least once. Do you ever floss? Not regularly. Have you ever been in a long-term relationship? No. Ever considered suicide? Yes. If so, did you try to commit suicide? No. Is there anyone out there who makes you feel completely useless? No, but I do feel completely useless. Do you like texting or calling people more? Text, but I rarely even do that. Definitely that over calling, though. What’s your favorite band? You guys know me and favorites. Do you have a lot of friends? I have zero friends. I have my family, though, and that’s enough for me. Have you ever painted something and been impressed by it? No. Would you rather go out to eat or stay in? I like to get takeout and eat at home. When did you last babysit, if ever? Not since my brother and cousins were kids. They’re adults, now. My brother will be 21 next month. :O I’m so olddddd. Do you have any younger siblings? Yeah, my younger brother. ^^^ Have you ever thought of someone as useless? Myself. Have you ever considered bleaching your hair? I do. Only twice a year, though. In between that I just get the color touched up. Do you drink vitamin water? I haven’t in years. I was really into it at one point when I was younger. Are there any old movies you absolutely love? Yeah, several. Have you ever had a Big Mac before? Many times. Do you think you attract the opposite sex at a reasonable rate? Nope. I’m sure I never do. Where is your favorite place to travel? Beachy places. What is your goal for the next few months? I need to work on a lot of things. Can you count to ten in another language other than your own? Yeah, Spanish. Do you own a lot of shoes? No, just like 5 pairs. Have you ever played on a sports team before? No. If you have, what was that sport and when? -- Have you ever filed a lawsuit on someone? No. Do you think you’re a good singer? I’m not a good singer, but I still like to sing along to myself anyway. Would you rather wear jeans or sweatpants? Sweatpants out of the two, but I’m a leggings gal. Do you think you have a good sense of style? It’s good for me and that’s what matters. I like it. Do you enjoy reading often? I love to read, but it’s been too long since I last read. I really want to start up again. Have you ever had a deadly illness? No, thankfully. Ever had food-poisoning before? Yes. D: Where did you last eat dinner at? I get takeout pretty regularly, but the last restaurant I went to for dinner was IHOP last month. Have you ever shot a gun before? Once. I went to a shooting range with some friends years ago.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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papa-rhys · 6 years

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Rivals: Part 1 (AU Jacob Seed X f!Deputy)

Note: I fell in love with this Diner AU that @marymay-fairgrave came up with and I had to write something for it! Enjoy!

Summary: Rook - a retired cop on a quest to annoy the Seed family - thought it’d be fun to spend her extra retirement money on opening a sandwich shop to rival the Seeds’ bustling diner. Falling for the diner’s chef along the way was just an accident, though.

Word count: 1819

Warnings: Cuteness and a much happier Hope County

Joseph Seed may be a bit of an oddball, but there’s no denying that he runs a damn good diner.

The Garden of Eatin’ – an aptly named joint for a man of faith – is a quaint little place on the Holland Valley side of the Henbane river. It’s run by the Seed family; John Seed on greeting duty, with his pearly white smile and tendency to stare at customers a little too long; Jacob Seed in the kitchen, barbequing everything, including the salad; Faith Seed waitressing, batting those long eyelashes of hers and earning tips that border on extortion; and Joseph himself, running the operation from behind the scenes and lending his face to the posters and billboards that are plastered around the county. The business had been booming since the day it opened – with the beautiful surrounding scenery and the work ethic of the Seeds, they couldn’t have gone wrong. So when a retired deputy – nicknamed “Rook” by the locals – had the nerve to open a sandwich shop on the opposite side of the road, the Seeds were astonished.

The sandwich shop soon started raking in customers from all four corners of the county – including customers that held loyalty cards for The Garden of Eatin’. But if you’re feeling sorry for Joseph and his family of merry misfits, then don’t be. The residents of Hope County didn’t give up on the jolly little diner – to be quite honest, they couldn’t decide which they liked better, so instead of favouring one or the other, they alternated between the two and both businesses flourished in this quirky little county in Montana.

It’s 7 am – opening time for both the diner and the sandwich shop. Rook carries the sandwich board out into the street where it’ll sit for the remainder of the day, displaying the wide range of grub that’s on offer in her cute little shop. Placing it down on the pavement, Rook wipes the sweat from her brow and takes a step back to make sure the sandwich board is perfectly placed.

“You still selling those cheap-ass sandwiches?” Jacob Seed calls from the other side of the street; his jacket draped over one arm as he unlocks the door of the diner. He’s always first to arrive in the mornings and last to leave at night. Rook figures he’s more dependable than John or Faith, and Joseph must think so, too.

“You still burnin’ everything your customers order?” Rook asks in response, folding her arms across her chest.

Jacob gives her a wide grin. “You should visit my kitchen sometime. I’ll show ya how to fix up a real meal.”

“I’ll pass on that one, thanks,” Rook smiles. “I like my food without the metal tray stuck to the bottom of it.”

Jacob chuckles and shakes his head as Faith and John arrive from around the corner for the start of their shifts.

“Stop flirting,” Faith yells from a few metres down the sidewalk, earning a smile from John who walks beside her with his hands shoved into his pockets. As always, he looks like he just rolled out of bed – his hair tousled and his eyes complemented by circles in a lovely shade of purple underneath them. Rook knows two things about John Seed. Number one is that he’s fun to mess with, and number two is that he is not a morning person. Rook often wonders if Joseph opens the diner early purposely so that John has to get up at the crack of dawn. If her suspicions are correct, then Rook likes Joseph’s sense of humour.

“Pfft,” Jacob scoffs. “Who’s flirting?”

“You are,” Faith laughs, lightly smacking him on the shoulder as she and John reach the door. “Now go inside and get the grill on before I tell Joseph that you’re flirting with our business rival during work hours.”

Jacob turns a light shade of pink and Rook watches with a smile as he disappears into the diner. Faith steps aside to let John enter the building before giving Rook a friendly wave and heading inside.

Rook rolls up her sleeves and heads into the shop, turning the sign around to display “open” on her way past.

“Howdy, partner,” Nick Rye beams as he enters the sandwich shop; the bell tinkling above the door as he steps through it.

It’s lunchtime - usually the busiest time of the day for Rook, but things are going slower today, which Rook is thankful for after a late night of filling orders.

“Hey, Nick,” Rook smiles, wrapping up a BLT and handing it to Adelaide Drubman over the counter. Adelaide takes her sandwich with a smile and leaves the shop, winking at Nick on the way past. Nick watches her leave and looks at Rook to make sure she saw the not-so-subtle wink.

“What can I getcha?” Rook asks as Nick approaches the counter.

“I actually came in to ask ya somethin’ – nothin’ important, don’t worry – but I’ll take a pulled pork with a large side of fries when you’re ready.”

Rook nods. “So much for the diet,” she smiles, raising her eyebrow at Nick as he takes a seat next to the counter.

“What Kim don’t know won’t hurt her,” he says, picking up a menu and casually flicking through it whilst he waits.

“I dunno why you need to go on a diet anyway. You don’t look a pound over 250.”

“Har har,” Nick says, rolling his eyes. “I need to lose the extra weight I gained durin’ the pregnancy.”

“Nick, you know you weren’t the one that was pregnant, right?”

“I stress eat, okay? Expectin’ a baby is tough for dads, too.”

Rook shakes her head and chuckles, squeezing down his sandwich and cutting it into two halves. As she places it onto a plate and shovels a portion of fries onto the side, the bell above the door rings again. Sliding Nick’s plate over to him, Rook looks up to find Jacob wandering up to the counter with his signature swagger. She pulls her hair, tightening her ponytail. “What did you wanna ask me, Nick?” she asks, purposely ignoring Jacob as he comes to a stop on the other side of the counter.

“Huh?” Nick asks, tearing his eyes away from his food. “Oh, nothin’ that can’t wait. It looks like you’re busy now, anyways.” He gives Rook a smirk and tucks into his sandwich.

Rook turns to Jacob, who still towers over the counter despite it being raised from the shop floor.

“Can I help you, Jacob?” she asks. “I pin you as a sloppy joe kinda guy.”

“I’d rather eat my own toenails than eat any of these soggy abominations,” he says.

“Better than watery mac ‘n’ cheese,” Nick chimes in; his mouth full of fries.

“Don’t talk with your mouthful,” Rook tells him with a half-smile.

“Change the record, Rye,” Jacob says, rolling his eyes. “I notice you didn’t mention in that shitty little review of yours that you finished the entire plate.”

“I was hungry… that don’t mean the food was good.”

Jacob opens his mouth to speak, but Rook interjects. “Now, now, boys. Play nicely,” she smiles, turning to Jacob. “What brings you into my humble sandwich shop if not the sandwiches?”

“Ain’t it obvious?” Nick asks. “He clearly has a crush on –“ Rook shoots him a warning look and he swallows his mouthful of sandwich with a hard gulp. “I think I’ll, uh… I think I’ll go sit by the window,” Nick says, grabbing his plate and sliding out of his seat before making his way to a table next to the window.

“I just came in to see if you got any ketchup we could have,” Jacob says, choosing to ignore Nick’s comment. “We ran outta ours and we don’t got another delivery until Monday. We’ll pay ya for it, obviously.”

“Sure. I got some bottles in the back, I’ll go get ‘em for ya.”

“Thanks, darlin’.”

Rook smiles at the words, throwing her towel over her shoulder and heading into the storeroom. After a few moments of rummaging around amongst boxes of napkins and sandwich wrappers, Rook emerges from the room hauling a huge cardboard box filled with bottles of ketchup. She struggles to see over the top of it and Jacob opens the hatch of the counter and takes the box from her.

“Will that be enough?” Rook asks, straightening out her apron.

“Oh yeah, this’ll be more than enough,” he assures her. “There was another thing I wanted to ask ya,” he adds. Rook leans against the counter and waits for him to speak. “I was wonderin’ if you wanted to grab a drink sometime? Maybe even tonight, after you close up? The Spread Eagle are havin’ a discount night and I thought we could…”

“I’d love to,” Rook smiles, watching Nick smirk out of the corner of her eye.

“Great,” Jacob says, hitching up the box under his arm with the cutest grin Rook has ever seen on a guy of his size. “I’ll stop by after I lock up and we’ll head down there.”

“Sounds good.”

Jacob’s gaze lingers on Rook for a few moments before he snaps out of his trance. “Right, I better get goin’. I got food to cook.”

“If you could even call it “food”,” Rook teases.

“It’s a damn sight better than the wet bread you sell in here,” Jacob chuckles, making his way towards the door.

“At least wet bread is edible!” Rook calls after him as he steps out into the street, the door swinging shut behind him. As she watches him cross the road and disappear into the diner, Nick slides into her field of view.

“The ex-solider and the ex-cop, huh?” he says, watching the diner door close. “A match made in heaven.”

“Enjoy your meal?” Rook asks him, nodding towards a splodge of grease on his shirt.

“Oh yeah,” he says, rubbing at the stain. “Listen, I ain’t got any cash on me, so could ya put in on my tab?”

“Nick, your tab is as long as my leg. You’re gonna need to re-mortgage your house to pay it off.”

“Oh, c’mon, Rook. For me?” He gives her a cheesy smile and Rook blinks at him. “Fine,” he says, pulling a crumpled 10-dollar bill from the pocket of his jeans and flattening it out on the counter. “Keep the change, partner,” he says, stifling a burp. “I’ll see ya tomorrow. Enjoy your date with Mr Mac ‘n’ cheese Aficionado over there,” he says, heading for the door. He steps aside to let a customer through the door, tipping his hat to them before leaving the shop.

Rook steps back behind the counter and closes the hatch, taking the 10-dollar bill and sliding it into the register. “Howdy. What can I getcha?” she smiles as the next customer stands before her.

#im proud of this #Jacob seed #jacob seed x deputy #far cry 5 #far cry 5 au #garden of eatin' au #my writing #writing: Jacob seed

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xserpentlife · 5 years

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Fun

Tagged by @dainty-sweetpea @whenallsaidanddone @cherysbombshell I think that’s it but if I missed someone I’m sorry

rules– answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better

nickname(s): z (when I was in sports), lynz, Lynn once in a blue moon not many nicknames to be honest.

zodiac sign: Taurus Sun, Leo Moon and do you care a Scorpio Rising

height: 5’6

last movie I saw: Descendents 3 😂

last thing I googled: uh I think it was a song but I don’t remeber what song

favourite musician: truly don’t have just one I can name

song stuck in my head: not stuck but I always sing it toungue tied grouplove

other blogs: @bleedingkerosene (personal/aesthetic blog), @reblogseroent (reblog blog), @justasimslyfe (sims blog) @sweetpeasbabygirl (dirty blog), (one other I use but is a blog for youtubers it’s really a reblog blog) oh and @riverdalerecs ( fic rec blog I share with @wayward-river)

following: 578 granted half of them probably don’t post anymore and I’ve also had my tumblr for YEARS so it has accumulated

followers: eh you’ll see on my next follower special

do I get asks: not really unless it’s requests

amount of sleep: 6-8 usually depends

lucky numbers: 24

what I’m wearing: Huge baggy blue like cotton pants kinda like the shape of sweatpants if that makes sense, a black tank top, no shoes, my necklace that’s about it I’m dressed for bed

dream job: photographer

dream trip: ya girl wants to go to see the Aurura Borealis and the Black Sand Beaches so please send me to Iceland oh but I wanna stay in The igloos where you can see the the Aurura Borealis above you.

favourite food: anything in realtion to Ceaser salads 😂 also chicken, steak and Mac n cheese

instruments played: i played drums but not long enough to get super good.

languages: english very very little sign language

favourite songs: of all time; there are so many this is just s few

Fireflies // Owl City

Pour Some Sugar on Me // Def Leppard

Paradise City // Green Day (also American idiot and other Green Day songs)

im just gonna stop here cause I coukd go on forever if you want more just ask I’m always happy to share my playlists and talk music

random fact: sloths are actually great swimmers. (If you wanna know sloth facts HMU)

aesthetic: My aesthetic is very simple. It is comprised of a lot of black and purple sometimes blue mixed in. I love cameras old vintage ones and new ones. Im very much a tomboy in a sense but I have that girly side to me as well. I love concerts and festivals I love music. As far as fashion goes fishnets ripped jeans and flannels with t-shirts usually. I love combat boots and vans. For jewelry I love a large amount of rings and a few layered necknales I also love chains on my jeans even though I don’t do it often. For my dream room think tapestries hung everywhere that very bohemian vibe but also grunge added to it. I love the greens of nature as well and I can get down with some fairy lights too. I have a mix of bohemian with grunge styles. There isn’t much too me you could also say my aesthetic includes darker muted toned flowers from tattoos. My makeup is simple usually s purple shadow sometimes a shimmer and some light black making it have more depth. I tend to wear black or green eyeliner on my waterlike while putting s dark purple or red lip. I have a crescent moon tattoo and have always felt connected to the night sky and moons and things as well as crystals. My main aesthetic I would say is grunge. Dyed hair with a shaved side and black clothes are my go to.

#get to know me #ask lynzie #lynzie answers

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cosmosogler · 7 years

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hello! today i had very upsetting dreams. they were interrupted often by just random wake-ups and i had a lot of trouble falling asleep. i get the feeling i didn’t sleep well at all even when i was dozing.

it’s hard to say WHY they were upsetting. they weren’t particularly violent or gross. it was like... i was living by myself and then my family came into my house and threw out all my food and stocked my fridge with stuff i didn’t like and harassed my cat and then all the rooms were turned into one room with everyone making noise and also there was an elevator for some reason. and then there were monsters but all the walls of my house were knocked down so i didn’t have anywhere to hide?

i wasn’t scared of the monsters as much as i was angry about the fridge and the cat though.

i woke up at 7:30, turned on the snooze, and got up ten minutes later. i squirmed into a beat-up t-shirt and went downstairs and jumped on the bike in the gym for 25 minutes. then i showered and shot water into my ears with the syringe thing until i was dizzy. but now my ears are clean!

i gave the floors a quick sweep and had a snack and... did some other stuff i think? i pulled out all my old class notes to look over later (i didn’t look them over later, they are stacked next to my elbow), and i fiddled with my pokemon a bit. then i went out to the grocery store and got some lunch supplies for next week and a box of cat litter.

the 9-block walk home was actually kind of miserable with the box slipping out of my wet fingers constantly and the extra shopping bag whacking against my knee every step. when i got to the apartment building i took the elevator upstairs and dripped on the floor in the little compartment. when i got inside i turned on the ac and stood in front of my little table fan with my shirt off. it was still pretty warm though. i put my stuff in the freezer while i called mom to argue with her about the location of the grocery store for ten minutes.

i might need a few things as the week goes on depending on what happens but i think i can get most of it at the apartment convenience store. the cat litter took up all my carrying space this time.

i did get snoopy a whole bunch of new snacks to try out though and a giant plastic bucket full of one of the kinds she already likes. hope she doesn’t get tired of seafood medley!

then i made myself a nice lunch. i had one of my apricots (i think it was on its last day) and made my thing of tomato soup. i did a bunch of laundry and then i sat with snoop on the couch and we watched bolt. the disney movie. i was interested because it was compared to the truman show. i cried because there was a dog on the screen.

the movie was about the dog. so there was a dog on the screen a lot.

god dang it, the truman show is a jim carrey movie. i just looked that up.

after that i took care of a little more cleaning stuff, like taking out the trash, and then i made some dinner. snoopy seemed tired of all the touching from the movie so the brushing session was like five seconds long today. i wish she would clean herself even a little bit.

the mac and cheese flavor was new. it was “butter and parmesan.” it was pretty bland so i threw some sriracha in there and, well, at least it had a flavor after that. i also had my last plum, which was also on its last day. i haven’t checked out how the salad i made during the week is doing. i had most of it during my lunches though! i’ll clean out the bowl tomorrow.

after that i got settled in and listened to three episodes of taz. i hope that as the players get more resources for recaps and their own character details that they forgot to write down they will be able to tighten up the storytelling a little more. i mean, it’s hilarious to listen to them argue about whether or not merle has an ax periodically over two episodes, but after a while it gets hard for me to keep track of what they are actually carrying, and i get a little disappointed when they pick up really cool items and then completely forget about them.

i also raised all my new pokemon to about level 65. pretty bummed that i won’t get a chance to nickname a bunch of them since i’ve had some of the shinies i’m now training since gen 4 or 5. well, i guess it doesn’t matter THAT much, since with online battles you don’t see any nicknames anyway. i’m going to see about nagging suzanne or her fiance until they play pokemon with me though.

now it’s 10:40 again. i feel like i had tons and tons of time today. when i settled down to watch the movie after lunch i realized i had already been awake for seven hours. i guess i’m used to losing like 11 hours of my time to medication-induced half-hibernation. not sure what changed the side effects of my meds over time, or if the lack of side effects means i am also getting a lack of desired effects. i don’t really want to switch around my medication now though. whatever the meds are doing, right now staying on this schedule is helping a lot too, and if i change up my meds then i might have to change up the amount of time i allocate to sleep again too. that would be really frustrating.

i don’t wanna stop the meds because i’m not sure if they are working or not and don’t want to risk that they are, in fact, working and stopping them would lose that benefit. so i still gotta find a psychiatrist on monday. i need to make a lot of phone calls on monday and i am also expecting to hear back from a couple places. and my text books should be coming in too. i’m pretty glad that only one of my classes is meeting the first day. frees up a lot of time for establishing myself in the community. meeting new people is exhausting though. i don’t think i’ve made a single good first impression.

good as in, i felt like i was maybe giving off the general vibe that i am not, in fact, stupid, needy, and overwhelmingly full of information. i feel like i definitely gave off those vibes to every single person in the department that i have met so far.

i’m gonna go for the extra ~30 minutes of sleep again tonight and see how things go tomorrow. i finished basically all of my chores today- tomorrow i’ve just got to get to yoga at 11, i want to see how that goes- and tomorrow could MAYBE be full of both taz AND actually studying.

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sarahjane0886 · 7 years

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The Road to Us 20

Book 3 - Til the End of Time - Chapter 8 - Bringing It All Together

"Maksssss...." Peta called out in a half singsong voice and a half I need you voice. She was sitting on the couch while he was doing something in the office.

"Yes......" He said as he appeared in the living room.

"Are you almost done?" She said grinning at him.

"Almost, what's up pretty girl?" He asked as he leaned against the wall, knowing if he sat down next to her he was never getting back up.

"I'm bored. I want you back please." She said as she gave him a cheesy grin.

"I thought you were watching your show?" He said laughing.

"It's over." She shrugged.

"You had 4 episodes!"

"I'm over it." She said finally cracking up.

"Give me 15 minutes and I'll come back." He said moving over to kiss her before he went back to finish up the contracts he needed to do from the meeting he had went to last week.

"Okay, I'm back." He said appearing in the doorway again.

"Now what?" She said as she sat up and looked at him.

"You're the bored one pretty girl you tell me."

"I don't know, come sit with me pretty please?" She requested.

"That I can handle." He said as he sat down next to her on the couch and let her settle into him.

"Did you get all the paperwork done?"

"Basically. I need to sign a few more things before I throw it in the mail for Eugene tomorrow. So do you want to work on the wedding?"

"In a bit. I want a non-wedding moment. I feel like the wedding has consumed us. Which it needed/needs too but just a moment."

"I get it, it has been hectic. We can work on it later. We have food next huh?"

"Yeah, which I have an idea, but half an hourish...k?"

"Alright, so you want to just veg or talk or what do you want to do pretty girl?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. She literally was just bored.

"Well I believe we need to start talking about names for these two." Maks said as he rang his fingers across her bump.

"We do!" Peta said getting excited.

"Wanna do that?" He said laughing at her.

"Yes, but can I lay on you please? If I'm not too heavy?" She said softly.

"Babe?! You're.....I"m not even going there. I'll lose no matter what. Come here though, you'll never be too heavy for this, okay?" He said flipping them so he was laying on the couch and she was resting on him.

"Even when I'm 40 weeks and huge?"

"Even then, and you won't be huge, you'll be pregnant and carrying our babies and keeping them safe and healthy." He said as he moved a pillow to under his head before wrapping his arm around her.

"We'll see. But okay so these little ones need names. Any ideas?"

"I like classic or simple names. We are already going to kill our kids with our last name."

"We are, we can stay easy on them. What do you want to start with?"

"Let's do boy first. I like Liam, Matthew and Marcus." Maks said as he had already thought about this a few times. One of them being when he had been trapped on that damn plane.

"That was quick. Okay, I like those. Matthew is my favorite though and then I've always loved Joseph." She said as she began to play with his shirt.

"Joseph huh? I never thought of that one but I like it."

"Yeah, I mean as he grows he can be Joe or Joey. It gives him options, well Matthew does too."

"I know but I kinda like Joseph better, do you have a middle name?"

"Adam."

"Joseph Adam Chmerkovskiy, I like it." Maks said as he pressed a kiss to her head.

"Are you sure? I just took over that one." Peta asked as she snuggled into him a little more.

"I'm positive. I like it alot pretty girl."

"Okay, so Mr. Joseph's sister needs a name now." Peta said as her fingers ran along the side of her belly where their little girl lay.

"She does. I've always like Ella." Maks said softly thinking about a little girl that he had had in one of his first children's dance classes. She was a tiny little spitfire and she had captured his heart from the beginning.

"After the little girl in your dance class?" Peta said pressing a kiss to his chest.

"Yeah."

"Okay, Ella it is then." She said sweetly.

"But..."

"Nope, it's special to you which makes it special to me. Middle name?"

"Rose." He said.

"Ella Rose Chmerkovskiy." Peta said. "I love it handsome. It sounds very pretty."

"For a pretty little girl." Maks said as he pulled Peta into him a little more. They stayed there curled up for a while before Peta eventually drifted off to sleep. He knew her back was already starting to bother her with the babies growing and she wasn't sleeping that well. So he held her and actually closed his eyes himself. They both drifted off for an hour or so before Maks woke up to Peta shifting on him.

"I fell asleep." She said softly once she realized he was awake too.

"So did I." He said in his sleepy voice that she loved.

"I have to pee." She said as her stomach growled at the same time.

"And we need to feed you." He said looking at his watch realizing it was nearly dinner time.

"Yeah, your babies need foods."

"Little Ella and Joe." He said fondly.

"Yeah." She said and he could feel the smile on her face.

"Do they have any requests?"

"Mac and Cheese?" Peta said laughing.

"Seriously?" Maks said, not that he minded but it wasn't something she asked for often.

"Yes apparently that's what your babies want. Please?"

"You got it. You go pee and I'll go start." He said as he kissed her quick before helping her sit up.

"Okay, I'll come keep you company afterwards." They split up for a bit before Peta came and joined him in the kitchen so she could entertain him or well more so herself while he cooked. He finished up the mac and cheese pretty quickly and added a salad for them as well. They headed out on the patio to eat and enjoy the evening air. After eating they cleaned everything up before returning to the patio to work on the catering for the wedding. Peta rested with her back against the side of the swing and her legs over Maks's lap as he balanced his laptop on her legs.

"So do we know what we want?" Maks asked.

"Well, I was thinking..." Peta said.

"Dangerous but okay continue."

"Ohhhh shush. So we've got a lot of backgrounds coming together for this one, your Jewish and Russian, mine Australian, and what we both like now. What if rather than doing just one main course we did stations that represented each of our cultures and where we are now. Like we could have a Russian station with foods that are important to your culture, an Australian station with foods important to my culture, and then maybe we could have Yaron have Fratelli's do a station with some stuff we like now from him?"

"I like that a lot pretty girl. Now we just have to find caterers for that." He said laughing.

"Well Yaron will be easy. You can probably call him now." She said winking.

"I can, here hold the laptop babe." He said passing it over to her so he could call his friend. While he was on the phone she decided to take the opportunity to see if she could find either of the other two styles of food they were wanting. She started with Russian feeling like that was going to be the easier of the two and was quickly pleased with what she found.

"Sounds good man. I'll talk to P and we'll let you know exactly in the next few days." "We appreciate that a lot, thanks again." Maks said as he finally disconnected the call.

"How'd that go?" Peta asked as she looked up from her investigation.

"It went well. He said yes of course. He's going to send over the catering menu options. He said basically it's the store menu but there's different packaging and pricing. I explained to him what we are doing and he thought that was a great fun idea. And he also said if we have any issue finding a caterer specific to either of our cultures to let him know and he can see if he can figure out the dishes and help us with that as well."

"Oh my god, that's great. I think I got Russian covered while you were on the phone with him, and some of Australian but it doesn't have everything that I'd pick. Maybe we can look a little more but I can't even find anyone who has damper or grapefruit salad." She said with a look at which he cracked up at.

"Sorry babe, we'll keep looking. And if we don't find one we'll talk to Yaron about it. Ok?" He said as his phone went off with the email from Yaron.

"That was fast." She commented.

"Yeah, it was, he's on that. But okay, where did you find out for the Russian catering?" He asked.

"Traktir, it's in Hollywood and it has great reviews and a lot of traditional dishes. It says we can call and get more information."

"You want me to call and see what they'll tell me? Maybe they can do a catering menu like Yaron did and then we can at least figure out two of our options."

"If you don't mind, here let me see your phone." She said reaching for his phone so she could dial the number. She handed it back to him as he called the restaurant. His hand rested on her thigh as he played with the hem on her shorts. She looked a little bit more for Australian options but didn't have much luck so she resorted to listening to him enjoying his tone when he switched over to speaking in Russian to the person on the other end of the line. Eventually he hung and smiled at her.

"That went well I take it." She said smirking at him.

"It did, they are fans of the show so they'd be happy to help us out. They are sending over a menu with pricing as well as they are giving us a discount as their wedding gift to us."

"Maks! They don't even know us." Peta giggled.

"I know, I know. I argued with her. She insisted so I gave up. We'll just give them a big tip. Now did you have anymore luck with finding anything for yours?" He asked seeing the look on her face already.

"Negative. The only places here do meat pies basically and very little of anything else so it's kind of pointless. We can just ditch the Australian part." She said shrugged.

"No no no no no no. We aren't taking your part out. In all your family that's coming, none of them know a caterer? Could we fly someone out?"

"Handsome we can't do that, that's ridiculous." She said.

"It's not. Can you at least text your mom and ask? Yaron already said he'll help as much as possible so he'd be able to help with order ingredients and that and I'm sure if we paid him some extra he'd have some extra workers help this person."

"You're serious aren't you?" She said as she tried to take him in.

"Yes, I'm serious. Text your mom, see what she says. Please?" He asked reaching for her hand and squeezing it.

"Okay, I still say you're crazy but I'll text her." Peta said as she found her phone and sent her mom and text praying that it wouldn't wake her up at this hour. It was almost morning just not quite yet.

"Thank you." He winked at her. "You want to see what we think after looking at these two menus? Maybe we can get some sort of a game plan with them two?"

"Sure, here." She said handing him back the laptop so she could flip her body and lean against him so they could both see the screen. They went through each menu deciding what would be the best game plan for each station. After a lot of contemplation, they decided to pick two appetizers, one hot and one cold, two salads or soups, two entrees, and three side dishes from each piece. Fratelli's ended up being easy and they just took turns picking their favorite things to add. They then moved to the Russian section which took some extra time because Peta wasn't as familiar with all of it as Maks was. Finally they had both of those pieces figured out.

"What time is it in Perth?" Maks asked seeing Peta yawn.

"Umm, almost 10." She said as she nuzzled into his shoulder.

"So your mom would be at work now?

"Yeah, we aren't calling her though."

"Babe, I wasn't suggesting that." Maks said laughing.

"Sorry, I'm getting sleepy." She apologized.

"I know, I can feel you. I was just going to suggest maybe we should come up with a list that would fit for Austalian dishes like we did with the others. Then if she comes back and says yes then we can send her the list and she'll have a better way to talk to someone."

"I guess that is smart. Okay, start an Australian section." Peta said as she slipped her arm up through his and waited for him to do so. The next 20 minutes consisted on them picking the Australian stuff out as well as a couple other options to the list. Maks sent everything to himself so he could email everyone in the morning and then they headed in to get ready for bed. Maks let Peta get ready first as he locked up and everything before coming into the bedroom.

"You've got to be shitting me." Peta's voice echo'd through the bedroom.

"What?" Maks said heading in quickly. She very rarely swore.

"Mom texted back."

"And...."

"We have two caterers in the family, both on dad's side and sorta far out but dad still speaks to them. Mom said to give her more details and she'll have dad call them."

"Seeeeee." He said walking over to her and pulling her into him before kissing her softly.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for bed?" She teased him with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes peppermint breath. I'll be in with you in a moment. You can email your mom the list from my phone if you want." He said kissing her one last time. By the time he finished up and came back out she was laying his phone on the night stand and curling up under the covers.

"I explained everything to her, what we were aiming for and what we could help with and sent her the tentative menu. I sent her a text saying it was coming from your email too." She said as he crawled under the covers and pulled her into him.

"So kinda a half a step closer." He said softly.

"Yeah, a half a step and 6 more weeks." She said pressing a kiss to his collarbone.

"I can't wait. Love you pretty girl." He said pausing for her answer but was met with her soft deep breathing as she was already asleep. He pressed another kiss to her head before drifting off to dreamland himself.

**Okay, so I was completely and utterly stuck on the catering for this wedding and then a friend suggested this idea. Which I loved but then I was hit with the issue that no one serves authentic Australian food in the US which is quite sad cause some of it sounds delicious so while the flying in a family caterer is quite far fetched it's a pretend story so we'll go with it.

"Finally as always if there's anything that you'd like to see in the future either in this story or in another please feel free to let me know. Don't forget to like this one up and let me know what you thought in the comments. I love you all and thanks for reading!

#chmergatroyd #chmergatroyd fanfiction #chmergatroyd fanfics #chmergs #Maksim Chmerkovskiy #peta murgatroyd #maks and peta #the road to us

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getoutoftheweeds-blog · 7 years

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Soul Food - What is a Meal and How is it Different Than Just Eating?

It’s a fact: you must eat to live. Your body requires nutrients to run properly. Your body also needs fuel to keep all of the intricate biological subsystems operating. Food fills these needs for us. In fact, food is quantifiable. We can define it mathematically (calories) and calculate how much of it we need to operate our bodies optimally. We can further break this down into different nutrient varieties (fat, protein & carbohydrates) to further analyze bodily need and postulate certain outcomes, like building muscle or losing body fat. It is scientific, it is determinate, and it is simple.

Food defined. Good food does all these things. Plus, it has the added benefit of tastiness.

In my mind, however, there is a very distinct difference between eating food with someone at the same time and having a meal together.

Let’s start with a basic question: What is a meal?

Here is a definition from an online dictionary (it was the first thing that popped up on Google, not sure whom to credit):

Meal: noun

Any of the regular occasions in a day when a reasonably large amount of food is eaten, such as breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The food eaten on regular occasions.

Great. Meal defined, in a nutshell. What makes a meal so special?

The answer to this is something I have been trying to explain to my wife for a few years now. To me, a meal is an expression of relationship and value. I grew up in a large family and all of our get-togethers involved some sort of meal. It didn’t matter if we were celebrating or mourning, a meal was part of it. Also, I was a volunteer and co-op firefighter for a handful of years. Firefighters are known for cooking and good food. The departments I was on were no different. Everyone, both in the family and on the FD, brought something to the table in terms of specialties, technique and presentation of food. This is part of the reason why I love a good meal more than just good food. Meals carry a substance to them that has far more complexity and intangibility than simple nutrition. Nutrition feeds the body. Meals feed the body and soul.

It’s traditionally been hard for me to explain just what it is that makes a meal so special, but after jotting down some notes, I found myself circling back around to five points. While I have no formal training on human relationships, I do interact with humans every day and have had many meals that fed me more than just food. Maybe I’m not qualified to talk about parts of this, but I’m going to anyway. Consider yourself warned.

The five areas I see a meal filling more than just your belly are: Caring, Expression, Achievement, Bonding and Memories. Take a look at my notes below where I try to explain my intuition.

Caring – meeting a need. Making a meal for someone has long been looked at as a form of caring. Anytime you meet a person’s need, you are displaying a level of care. Right after my wife gave birth, we had people bringing us food over. When my grandfather died, people brought food over. When I get sick, my wife goes and gets food for me. There is something simple, yet profound, in this act. In one act, someone can bring you something that meets your current and future needs. When someone provides a meal, they are essentially allowing you to conserve your time and energy to address and stay focused on your issue without worrying about what you have to prepare next. They use their hard earned time and resources to ease someone else’s burden. I’m not suggesting food should be eaten to soothe pain. But, not having to worry about the next meal does lift a mental, and sometimes emotional, burden.

I have had this blow up in my face before, too. Word to the wise, be careful when you start a diet or change the way you eat. People may get offended. Some folks will simply just not know your specific diet. They will not understand if you wholesale reject their love offering because you are now a disciple of some trendy fad diet. After all, for them, mentally and emotionally, they spent their time and money to provide you with something that was supposed to meet a deep need. It is hard on folks to find out their help is unwanted and a hindrance. So tread lightly. In my world, I am thankful for the gesture and accept these gifts for what they are, signs of love, compassion and caring. I’ll even consume a small amount of it. This helps me to keep a clean conscience when (or if) they ask about it. That way I can honestly appreciate their offering and give them feedback about it. No one says you have to eat the whole tray of lasagna to get a taste for the time and effort that went into it.

Expression of personality – You know what, some folks are just good at stuff. For instance, my brother is amazing at smoking ribs. I don’t even try to duplicate it. Old Man up the holler has moonshine that is better than anyone else’s. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.) This even applies to foods that don’t make sense to me. I have an aunt who makes this crazy tomato, cheese, bread pudding stuff every year at our holiday celebrations. I don’t know anything about it, other than it tastes good and she makes it. It is not the signature part of the meal, but without it, it’s like she isn’t there. (Even though she would presumably still be there. We’re at her house, for crying out loud. She probably just made a different dish. But it’s not the one she is known for. So I have to look for her instead of assume she is here somewhere. Sheesh.)

Also, this is why everyone’s Momma or Grandma makes the greatest (fill in the blank). It is a unique thing that expresses culture and history. It is an expression of our culture, region and family sensitivities. It can tie us to our relatives, many generations back. It doesn’t matter if it is Bolognese, traditional German potato salad or mac & cheese with ketchup swirled on top, if it is unique to our family or traditions, we are proud of it. It is part of who we are and where we came from.

Achievement – This could be mastery of something (cooking skill, style or developing your own recipe). I think this is the reason most church ladies want you to try their casserole at the potluck dinner. They have a unique spin that sets them apart from the other wanna-be great casserole makers. I feel bad for the poor Preacher who has to gush about the nuances of three different styles of creamed corn while trying not to show any favoritism. Compare this to the competitive bar-b-que circuit. Those folks travel the country, spending a lot of money and time to be crowned Brisket Royalty. I appreciate that. It’s like art, in a way. These folks have mastered a medium, adding their own twists of personality and lay their wares out for all who come by to try out. Perhaps you have been to a chili cook-off. Generally speaking, I love these things. They are simple enough that anyone can enter, yet still provide a canvas for some wild creativity to be displayed. At a family chili cook-off I once sampled Bourbon Chili, Chili Pizza, Pumpkin Chili and Avocado Chili, just to name a few. A winner was crowned. The ceremony was a ton of fun.

Another aspect of achievement is celebration. How often do we have a meal as part of a festivity? Did your t-ball team win it all? There will be a banquet, small trophies and fizzy punch with tri-colored sherbet. Did that relative of yours finally graduate? Your Grandma is genuinely proud, and “you will be at that celebration meal.” Did you just manage the feat of turning one year older? Good on ya! There will definitely be food and everyone will sing. Did your kid just get circumcised? Neat-o! Please, don’t serve calamari at the reception. Did your cousin just get hitched? Yay! You get to dress up and have your choice of chicken, beef or vegetarian option. You did RSVP, right?

You get the drift.

These next two points are off-shoots of the first three. I alluded to these earlier, but I think they deserve to be called out on their own.

Bonding – The whole reason we get together in the first place is to either grow our bonds with each other, or to make new ones. The very first thing a mother does is to nurse (feed) her newborn child. It is built into our experience. There are some divine properties to a meal that bring us together. It has been studied and the evidence is clear; a meal together brings you close together. So turn your dang phone off and bond with your family tonight.

Hope – By this I mean, meals are where we publicly deal with past memories and future anticipation. In most religions, feasts are prescribed for certain times of the year. These are usually done in remembrance if certain important events. Christmas and Easter come to mind. We celebrate birthdays to honor someone’s expectation of what the next year holds. We get together at New Years in anticipation and resolution that the coming year will be better. We have a tendency to wrap both our past and future into a celebration in the present. These gatherings turn into rituals, which, when done correctly, encapsulate letting go of the past and hope of a better future.

Those are the reasons I think a meal is different than just consuming food together. Caring, Expressions, Achievement, Bonding, and Hope.

In conclusion, I have a question… Is there a difference between eating food at a prescribed time and a meal? I’m interested in what you have to say. We look forward to hearing from you.

#Food #family #contemplation #Meals

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