#symbolically this is absolutely delicious Nat

[fleet-off]

YOU ARE WATCHING YELLIWJACKETS!! 😭😭😭 bestie I so would like to hear what you have to say even if it's only two lines! I am unhinged about it!!

Anon! Anon m'dear, thanks for checking in, I’m so enjoying this show! I’m love every single character??? They’re so crunchy and tangled in these deliciously carnivorous ways! It’s so perfectly encapsulated by all the antler symbolism—how antlers are connected to the leader of the pit ritual as predator, but also to the stag as prey (most directly with Travis during Doomcoming)…we get antlers as visual framing constantly, for both the hunter and the hunted. This cycling dynamic—predator and prey equated as sacrifice, its own sort of cannibalism, a motif that consumes itself…god that’s the juice.

(I’m not even getting into like. Antlers as primal weapon but also antlers as trophy? Antlers growing and falling away and being ‘reborn’ with each year? Or the doe as a symbol of innocence and girlhood, and its subversion in the image of the stag? hhhhhhhh.)

Also. Like I said, I adore all of them, these archetypes of ‘90s teenage girls and middle-aged women taken to their ugliest extremes. Shauna who never became and yet still is, all that potential and all that loss—stuck, still, with Jackie inside her. And Nat! Nat and Lottie and the ways they play up against and towards each other, it’s spectacular! Tai and Van break me every goddamn week. And then—Misty. Misty fucking Quigley.

Misty is the light of my fucking life. Her specific brand of fucked-up is my bread and butter. (We’re getting a full breakfast here, anon.) This absolute lonely/insecure drive for people to notice and like and need her, reflected in citizen detectiveship and musicals and the hunger for romance, manipulation and kidnapping and elder abuse and murder…I love her when she’s vindictive, and I love her when she’s charming, and I love her when she’s incredibly off-putting. I want to poke up inside her brain with sharp instruments. I want to stick her in a pool with no ladder and watch her swim in circles like a Sim or that rat she drowned all the way back in episode one. Dialing .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..- indeed, Misty.

Anyway, anon, hope you enjoyed my messy rave—feel free to drop by anytime with more questions or rambles! May we continue to be unhinged together. <3

#asks #yellowjackets #fleet answers

[fatehascalled]

Soulmate AU - The color of their eyes.

Eugene was very much enjoying the fact that he could now walk around Corona freely, a fact that he took shameless advantage of. Not for thievery, oh no, those days were far behind him. No, he took advantage of the fact that he could make eye contact with everyone he came across to try and up his chances of meeting his soulmate. When he had first met Rapunzel and seen her hair, he had hoped against hope for her to be his soulmate but alas, she wasn’t. She was practically his platonic soulmate though, especially after all their adventures. Which led him back to this moment. Where he was having no luck at all in finding his soulmate.

“Eugene, look at that bakery! You should take a break from searching and eat something.” The previously mentioned blonde shook him. “And I’m sure that if you stop looking so hard, it’ll just come to you. That works with my painting, anyways.” Yes, her tower had been bizzare, what with there being no colors except for a rather large amount of yellow.

“Alright, Blondie, but you’re paying.” He ruffled her hair and dodged the playful hit she directed towards him. Opening the bakery door, he followed her in and stepped in line, looking at the atmosphere in interest. It actually looked nice, even with him only able to see the occasional splash of yellow around.

It was a slower day so they quickly made it to the front of the line, a short girl with a beret at the register. “Hello, and what would you like to order?” She asked, giving them a mild smile. “What do you recommend?” Rapunzel asked, inspecting the display cases. “These all look so good...”

“Well, I personally enjoy the coffee cake, but Nats been looking for people to try out her new recipe. You know that the princess was found again recently? She managed to make a dessert in honor of her, even without being able to see yellow!” The girl was bouncing up and down on her feet.

“Well, a dessert in honor of Blondie has got to taste good!” Eugene nudged her, causing her to try (and fail) to scowl at him.

“Wait, you’re the princess?” The girls’ eyes widened. “I’m so sorry! I’ll go tell Nat what you’re ordering, please sit down!” She gestured at a clean table and disappeared into the back.

“Eugene, you scared her!” She scolded him as they sat down at the table. “I’m supposed to get to know the population of the kingdom, not scare them off!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault! I didn’t know that she would be scared of you!” He made some finger fangs. “I guess you’re scarier than we thought, huh?”

After about 15 minutes, a new woman exited the kitchen area, carrying two plates. “Tch, can’t believe she sent me out, she’s the waitress...” Could be heard as she weaved through the tables to reach the princess and Eugene. “You guys ordered the sunflower, right?” She asked, eyeballing them.

“That’s us! Thank you, it looks delicious!” The pastry had a breaded base, with lemony jelly on top. The top top was more bread, but in the shape of Corona’s sun symbol.

“Enjoy. Call out when you’re finished.” With that she turned away and left, seemingly not one for small talk.

“Friendly place.” Eugene deadpanned, even as he enjoyed the fact that he could actually see the flavoring.

“Eugene!” Rapunzel scolded him, even as she picked up her fork.

“I didn’t say it was bad!” He sulked slightly and picked up his own fork. “Bon appetit.”

After their meal was over, Eugene went up to the counter to pay (Hey, he wasn’t rude enough to always stick Rapunzel with the bill. Only sometimes.). “So, what do I owe ya, Ms. Nat?” He leaned over the counter. The original counter girl hadn’t come back yet, so the baker was there instead.

“Well—” She started, looking up to make eye contact.

The world flooded with color. He could suddenly see all the colors he’d heard so much about for himself, and it was absolutely beautiful. It paled in comparison to his soulmate, though. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

“Well,” Nat chuckled, recovering easily. “I think that being my soulmate gives you a 50% discount. And it’ll be free if you take me out on a date.” She leaned over the counter as well, hands supporting her head.

“It’s a deal.” He breathed, and turned to Rapunzel. “Hey, princess! I just met my soulmate; do you think you can make it back to the castle alright?”

She gasped in joy. “You found your soulmate?! That’s wonderful! I can go back alone. Have fun you guys!” Rapunzel exited the building after waving for nearly a minute.

“Ready for that date, madame?” He bowed and took her hand, kissing it.

Nat smiled. “Definately. Let me shut down the kitchen though, since I’m leaving early.” She pulled her hand away and left into the back again. Eugene leaned against the counter to wait.

The young girl from before walked up to him. “So you’re my big sisters soulmate?” She asked.

“If your sister is the baker, then yes I am.” He replied, amused.

She gave him a large smile. “Great!” Her face lost the smile and her tone became darker. “If you hurt her, no one will ever find your body.” With the message delivered, she gave him another look before walking away, almost tripping over a chair on the way.

“Did Kate give you a hard time?” Nat sounded amused. Eugene shook his head. “She tried, but I’ve heard worse. Are you ready, madame?” He offered his elbow.

“Hell yeah I’m ready, let’s go.” Nat took his hand and lead him out of the bakery, flipping the close sign before taking off.

‘I don’t know her well yet, but I can already tell that this’ll be an adventure.’ Eugene let her lead the way, content and satisfied that his lifes biggest dream had come true.

Written for @tangled-shit-postings ! She’s great guys, you should check her out!

#tangled the series #tangled #rapunzel #rapunzel tangled #eugene fitzherbert #romance #soulmate #soulmate au #interaction #nat and eugene #eugene and nat #kate and eugene #eugene and kate #eugene and rapunzel #rapunzel and eugene

[abiteofnat]

BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH THE CALCULATED FEASTING AT TASTE OF CHICAGO... 

Because when your goal is to eat as much as possible, it becomes a game of food Sudoko. You have to manage salty with sweet, not tire yourself out with only fried foods, make sure there’s some kind of green in there, and the most important part- finding never-been-tasted tastes! After going 2-3 times a year for the past four years, it’s become difficult to find booths with new options that are both vegetarian and something I actually want to spend my golden tickets on. 

In that case, you would think going to the Taste that much would get old! But it has remained so the opposite. I see it as my Six Flags, my Lollapalooza part 1, my... DARE I SAY... Hunger Games. (HA). It’s the one weekend every year that entirely dedicates itself to food with music on the side, instead of the other way around, and brings in thousands upon thousands of people. It’s kind of cool to see people of every part of Chicago together at this f r e e festival along Columbus, with restaurants from all over offering new cuisines and experiences for every attendee. People are gnawing into turkey legs, sticking forks into three different types of cheese fries at once, and just enjoying a day out with the fam in the middle of this amazing city. Pretty cool! Even when I’m sweating like a cold beer on a hot day and little children who are not mine and covered in ~sticky~ are stuck to my legs, it’s the best thing ever. I LOVE THE TASTE.  

As per usual I ate a large amount of things and could have easily eaten soooo much more, however it was pretty clear they boosted the # of tickets per item at each booth. Usually it’s about 3-5 tickets for a “taste” of something versus the full item, but this year it was 4-6 tickets. I call BS. But, that’s why it becomes a fun game of arcade-prize selecting with the tickets! Before we dig into the meat of this photo essay style post, I want to give a giant shoutout to my new DSLR camera that has revolutionized the way I take photos for this blog. While iPhones do a great job taking people photos, the iPhone 6 that I own has taken quite a beating in my possession and has become a grainy disaster when focusing on anything detailed. Taking photos for the-hungry-sloth has now become my absolute favorite thing in the world, and photographing food is seriously tooooooooooo much of a passion for me because I get a HIGH from the crumb details you’re about to witness. Like, seriously, get ready to lose your shit because of how high-def this food looks. (I am so late to the professional game, y’all). 

I didn’t post everything I ate, but these are the highlights! 

Stop #1: PUNKY’S Pizza & Pasta 

You know when you’re a kid and if you behave super well at the doctor’s office you get to choose a treat after? Like ice cream from your favorite place or McNuggets from McDonald’s? Fried ravioli at the Taste is my post-doctor treat. I wait for it, crave it, dream of it for 364 days and then the first morning of the Taste I wake up like it’s Christmas because I know it’s RAV DAY. I AM READY TO ZOOM ON THE BACK OF A PASSING PLANE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE HOT DAMN, THERE ARE TOASTY RAVIOLIS WAITING FOR ME. 

My dear friends were rearing to go see local band Twin Peaks at the bandshell area where you can bring a blanket and get real cozy under the sun and Chicago’s skyline, however I needed a carbo boost or else they would get “hangry” Nat and not “calmly enjoying the free music” Nat. Usually I get the toasted ravioli from Tuscany’s tent, however this year we past by a new, checkerboard-clad tent that caught my eye and the smell of marinara sauce overwhelmed me and before I could stop myself my hands were throwing tickets like confetti at the nice young man behind the counter and THEY WERE M I N E. 

These ravioli were breaded to perfection, fried evenly and not dried out at all, allowed the pasta to stay moist and not tough, and had the IDEAL cheese-pull once bitten into. The sauce was sweet, robust, but not too chunky and therefore got rid of the fear of dripping on my very ~girly~ skirt. I was in a cheese-y, saucy, fried-crumbs-errywhere blackout for a solid two minutes and then came back to earth a better person. Fried ravioli are always worth the ticket. 

All smiles on the lawn, patiently waiting for Twin Peaks to start and enjoying the shade this fence attempted to give us. That twinkle in my eye? The afterglow of fried cheese. 

Sorry, Tuscany tent, I’ll catch you next year. 

Stop #2: La Mexicana

These paletas are the ROCKSTAR of the Taste! It’s hard to pass by anyone not holding a brightly-colored fruity refreshment, flavors ranging from watermelon (my pick) to strawberry to lemon-lime. They offer a much needed pick me up amidst all the “real food” options, or are the best sweet treat to use your final 3 tickets on at the end! Made with real fruit and a lot of love, these tastes or full size paletas are not something to miss. And super fun to slurp, which will become necessary after they begin to melt. 

Stop #3: I’M THE WORST I DON’T REMEMBER?! If anyone knows where these tots were from, let me know! My friend got them had I h a d to photograph them, because if this isn’t #foodporn nothing is. Ugh. Tater heaven. 

Stop #4: Brightwok Kitchen 

I’m going to be honest, this did not initially catch my eye. As someone who uses the Taste to try a bunch of unhealthy food I would never order for a meal in real life, I avoid most healthy looking items. However, I am also so very anemic, and nothing there is protein/iron packed unless you eat copious amounts of meat... so I saw tofu and vegetarian friendly symbols and headed over. I was proved WRONG for being skeptical because this little bowl of goodness was sooo yummy! I got the taste of salad topped with tofu, edamame, carrots, sesame seeds, and a miso-ginger dressing that was surprisingly refreshing on a hot summer day. This place is located downtown by DePaul’s Loop campus, and I will for sure make a point to stop by there on my way to evening classes come the fall.

Stop #5: ONE OF THE SO MANY ITALIAN ICE BOOTHS. Can’t go wrong with a palate cleanser, and check out Ivana’s fantastic nails. She doesn’t even need a spoon to scoop some up! 

Stop #6: Star of Siam

My foodie partner Erin RAN to this booth the minute we got to the Taste, as these potstickers are her version of my fried ravioli. They are very full of meat so I did not eat them, however I was enamored by their smell and enjoyed the pad thai as per usual. Not pretty to photograph though, it literally just looks like noodles. 

Stop #6: Oak Street Beach Cafe 

THESE SHRIMP BLOW BY MIND EVERY TIME. The garlic potatoes? Unreal. They are literally halves of whole potatoes cooked so perfectly and saturated with garlic, butter, and toasted on the outside to a delicious french fry consistency. OH my LORD. Me and Erin shared this full ticket price plate of wonderful, and I am still thinking about it. 

Stop #7: O’Briens Restaurant and Pub 

OK so this corn was the surprise of my life. As someone with a messed up jaw and a terrible fear of biting into an earn of corn due to past trauma, I was weary of Ivana’s desperate search for the corn. It was late in the afternoon, we were all sweaty, and I was already dreaming up the double scoop of Elephant Tracks ice cream I would force my dad to drive me to once I got back to Linden. HOWEVER. I counted my tickets, 6 left exactly, and we found the corn at a busy intersection filled with buttery people eating bright yellow, shining corn that just called to me. I just knew it would be so juicy, so salty, so *scrumptious* that I ordered one as well and said “to heck with my jaw!” 

They pulled fresh ears, still in husks, out of the basket of corn carcass and then shucked them right there, revealing the most DANK ear of corn I’ve ever seen. Then, they were dunked in a vat of steaming butter, twisted with a napkin ‘round the bottom, and then handed over like a newborn baby. Y’all. We doused these things in salt like an arsonist and a very old wooden house, and they were FIRE. The corn was soft but ripe, sweet, so juicy, and literally- I’m so sorry for using this word- squirted when you bit into it. It was straight up porn. Right there in the streets of Chicago. 

I am still in awe.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CHECK OUT THIS FUNNEL CAKE. IT’S FROM THE FUNNEL CAKE PLACE, AND IT SMELLS LIKE ALL YOUR BEST MEMORIES PUT ON A PLATE. 

I am already counting down the days until the next Taste of Chicago (360 days) and hopefully will have more time, $100 dollars to spend, and couple new vegetarian options in the lineup! FOOD IS THE BEST. So are friends. This was a great marriage of the both. 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie 

#foodblog #chicago #tasteofchicago #tasteofchicago2017 #city #vegetarian #snacks #lunch #dinner #bites #foodporn #funnelcake #fried #lit #bloggers #fresh