I love your Daryl x reader stories

I wanted to ask if you could write sth about Daryl x fempolish reader. Like maybe they meet in Alexandria and she made him some polish food he loved or just some love short story. I don't know it's up to you.

Have a great day

Just Try It | Daryl Dixon x Polish!Fem!Reader

*GIF and moodboard aren't mine.*

Summary: After finding all the ingredients needed to make one of your cultural dishes, you decide to make it when Carol invited you and Daryl over. However, you never suspected a man that ate snakes on the regular would be so skeptical when it came to food.

Genre: Fluff.

Era: The Commonwealth.

Warnings: Swearing.

Word count: 932.

A/n: Thank you so much for helping me with the translations @mawidixon! I hope you like this! (Translations will be at the bottom.)

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

“Nah, it looks weird as shit. Ain't gon' eat it.”

You rolled your eyes at him, huffing in frustration. “Kochanie, I've seen you eat a snake before. We've had to eat literal dog meat before. How the hell are you picky about this? It's just Pierogi. I've eaten this many times before the world ended. It won't kill you.”

Daryl peered over your shoulder, looking at the Pierogi that you were busy frying in a pan. His eyes were carefully following your movements, skeptical about the dish you were preparing. Carol had invited you and the kids over for dinner and had asked you to prepare Pierogi, and you had agreed rather ecstatically. It was rare for you to be able to make one of your traditional dishes, so you had jumped at the opportunity to do so.

“Why would ya boil it and then fry it? Seems fuckin' unnecessary if ya ask me,” Daryl replied skeptically, slightly scrunching his nose. “And the mashed potatoes? Why would ya wrap dough 'round it? Ya could jus' eat it as is. No need to go makin' dough outta flour and ruinin' mashed potatoes by wrappin' it 'round it. S'a waste of cheese, too, addin' it in.”

You clicked your tongue and carefully took the pan from the hot fire, and placed it onto a rag on the counter as to not burn the pristine laminate countertop. You turned to Daryl, your eyebrows raised questioningly. “Be honest with me right now, Dixon. Have you ever actually had Pierogi before?”

Daryl immediately shook his head. “Nah,” he told you, crossing his arms over his chest.

You hummed and nodded, turning to the bowl that had the Pierogi that you had made earlier. You grabbed the lukewarm Pierogi and extended it towards your partner, laughing at the face he made at it.

“Twój wyraz twarzy jest przeuroczy,” you mused, laughing harder at the confused face he made. “Before you ask what I said, it's not important. What is important, however, is you trying this. It's delicious and I can't have you thinking that eating squirrel meat is better than this.”

Daryl reluctantly took the dumpling, holding it gingerly between his fingers. “'Least m'familiar with squirrel meat. Know it ain't gon' taste any different each time.”

“Nie możesz zawsze jeść tylko wiewiórek,” you muttered under your breath, before shaking your head and sending Daryl an amused smile. “Daryl, stop being so stubborn. Po prostu spróbuj.”

Daryl grumbled something under his breath before looking at you again. “Nie chcę.”

“As impressed as I am that you understood me and that you managed to reply, saying something in my language won't sway me.”

Daryl shot you a small smirk. “Worth a shot,” he replied, before hesitantly taking a bite of the Pierogi.

You watched in amusement as a whirlwind of emotions played on his face. First skepticism, then surprise, and then he looked impressed. He practically devoured the rest of the dumpling in hungry bites, reaching for another one in the bowl, but you stopped him.

“Nope. I can't allow you to do that, misiu. The rest is for tonight,” you told him with a smile. “I can't disappoint Carol now, can I? She was eager about this the whole day. You only just came around about this. I'd rather give these to someone who's had faith in me from the start.”

“C'mon, tha' ain't fair,” Daryl groaned. “Merle once said tha' these things tasted like crap. Went into vivid detail 'bout how it tasted, too. Can't blame me fer not trustin' it.”

You giggled and shook your head. “You should've had more trust in me. I've been making these things since I was a kid. I'd never intentionally make you eat something bad,” you told him, before placing the lid onto the bowl and handing it to the archer. “Here, why don't you go ahead and take this to Carol? She's expecting us.”

Daryl took the bowl from you. “What about ya, robaczku? RJ and Judith are waitin' fer their auntie.”

You smiled at the nickname he had picked up from you, and motioned towards the dumplings still in the hot pan. “I'm just gonna wrap these up and put them away. I'll be right behind you.”

Daryl nodded and leaned forward to place a quick kiss to your lips. He soon pulled away and started walking away, calling to you over his shoulder. “Jus' so ya know, those are mine. Judith and RJ dun' need to know 'bout those.”

You laughed and called out to him. “So, are Pierogi's better than squirrel meat?”

Daryl paused at the doorway and contemplated on how to respond. He smirked to himself as he looked down at the bowl in his hand. “I'll let the kids decide tha', sunshine. I love ya.”

“I want an answer from you!”

The door shutting was the only response you got in return. You looked down at the pan and shook your head. There was never a dull moment with your beloved huntsman.

“Ja też cię kocham, you asshole,” you mused with a laugh.

➳༻❀✿❀༺➳

Translations:

Kochanie: Honey.

Twój wyraz twarzy jest przeuroczy: Your facial expression is adorable.

Nie możesz zawsze jeść tylko wiewiórek: You can't always only eat squirrels.

Po prostu spróbuj: Just try it.

Nie chcę: I don't want to.

misiu: teddy bear.

robaczku: love bug.

Ja też cię kocham: I love you too.

AITA for saying I don't give a shit about calorie counts?

Before I even start this, I'm going to say - if you actively have an eating disorder, please don't vote on this one. I used to have one and I know how badly ED screws with your reasoning regarding weight and food, even with other people. Onto the dilemma.

I (22M) and my friend (31F) are both on "diets" - in quotes because its a lifestyle change, but idk about her. I've drastically changed my diet, exercise, and general lifestyle for health reasons.

My friend also wanted to start dieting at the same time, and as far as I know, she just wants to lose weight. She has a healthy weight goal in mind and her methods of losing weight are healthy, basically the same as me - better foods and more exercise. Recently we talked about our goals because we both lost several pounds, and she asked me what my goal weight was. I told her I didn't have one, I might later but right now my only focus is making sure my body is in good health. She seemed to agree and the conversation moved on.

Another thing is, I recently learned that I LOVE to cook. I've been adding more veggies and spices into my diet as well - swapping french fries with marinated air-fried carrots, veggie dumplings, shredding cabbage for noodles, making my own stir fry sauce and blends, etc.

I cook for us sometimes, because I often make more than I need and I want to share my cooking with others. But she keeps asking my how many calories are in stuff. I tell her what's in the recipe and how it's made, but I honestly have no clue how many calories are in anything I make. I can tell her pretty much anything else, like it's rich in whatever vitamin, it's low cholesterol, it's a great source of iron, I used healthier alternative instead of whatever... but that's not the info she's looking for. And since a lot of my cooking is experimental, I can't look it up online. I've never noticed this to be an issue before, but I'm a bit clueless so it's possible she showed signs of being bothered by this and I just didn't notice.

It all came to a head the other day when we had dinner after our usual workout. I was charting the exercises I did that day. She asked me if I was tracking calories for the meal and started talking about her calorie tracker app. I listened to her spiel about empty calories and tracking food. When she asked if I was going to downloaded it, I laughed and said "I don't give two shits about counting calories. As long as the food is good for me I don't care." I said it light-hearted and joking bc I don't want her to think it's bad to count calories - it's just not what I'm going to do. But she got quiet and later texted me that it hurts. I explained that she can count calories if she wants, and I don't care if she does or doesn't, but it's not for me. She doesn't know about my eating disorder history and I'd rather not tell her, since that's another reason I don't count calories - I don't want to fall back on starving myself since I KNOW that's not healthy, so it's easier for me to just exclude calories from the picture entirely. Should I tell her why I don't count calories? Could I have told her that I don't care about calories in a nicer way? AITA?

Also, before anyone suggests it - she does NOT have an eating disorder. Idk why she counts calories, but she shares a lot about her life with me, and she eats plenty and eats well, and doesn't exercise excessively, just enough to stay healthy for what she wants to do.

What are these acronyms?

Hi!

Can I request a fic for Poe, where reader (gn or fem) reads one of his novels and gives it back to him. And they made a bunch of drawings of the characters and some of the scenes from the book and gave those to him as well, becouse they like to draw and just wanted to make him something, so they made him a bunch of fanarts. It can be before or in relationship, it's your choice.

If you don't want to write this, that's okay too, have a nice day!

(Also, I apologise, english is not my first language)

you visualized the story in eyes I couldnt

THANK YOU FOR THIS REQUEST!!!!

AM I STILL SICK???

WHY YES!

DOES THIS MAME ME HAPPY TO WRITE THESE THINGS

YES SOOOOO

HERE IT IS!

Because I've been to a boreding school I've read all of his books. So the one I'll be using is the Cask of Amontillado

FLUFF FLOOFY FLUFFYYY

Edger Allan Poe x reader

"Hey sweetheart can I read this?".

He said yes, and now I'm here drawing. His book to the side of me. Charcoal on my fingers. All over the desk. But God Damn this was looking good.

I mean even though the scene I was draw was a little dark. I liked it. A drunk Fortunato hung up while Montresor bricked him in behind the wall.

Now the fun part, show poe with out actually being there. (I mean I can relate). I folded up few papers, placed one in the book. And held the other ones as I wandered around our house hiding them in obvious places.

I went to the kitchen to prepare tea for him. I poured the tea and placed it on a small tray, and walked to his office. Then I went into poe's office to great him with some black tea and his book. I knocked on the door.

"I'm coming in darling.". I pushed opend the door.

"Oh come in sweetheart.". He smiled.

I walked over to him, handing him the tea. Then walking over to his bookshelf putting the book away.

"You enjoy the story darling?". He asked

"of course I did.". I opened the door to leave.

"I'm going out so I'll see you tonight.". I smiled and closed the door

•••time skip•••

I walked in to our house. I didn't buy much just some flowers. I walked to the kitchen and placed the flowers in a vase. Then bringing them to the dining room table.

I really know what to make for dinner so I made chicken and dumplings. Sometimes easy yet delicious. I set the dishes on the table, along with the meal.

"Darling! It ls time for dinner!". I yelled to him.

I heard him walking twords the dining room. He peers around the entrance with karl on his head.

"Seems like you had fun. You bought roses and calla Lillys.". He walked to the table and let karl jump off.

He grabbed his bowl and went to pour him some chicken and dumplings. And I did the same.

We then ate down across from each other.

"I liked your little drawings.". He said while eating.

My face went red.

"You found thoses...". I giggled nervously.

"Yes, they were amazing, you visualized the story in eyes I couldnt.".

A Redemption Earned Ch 7

Heather Dunbar x reader Warnings: language.

After a long day of work Heather finally found herself on the couch, small glass of wine poured as the evening air breezed in through the open windows. A full week had passed since her little sleepover at Becca’s and she still hadn’t managed to figure out how to approach you again. She wanted to come off as if she was asking you out, because she was, but she didn’t want to come on too strong. On the off chance she’d misread the signals she wasn’t opposed to having you just be a friend and she didn’t want to scare you off. Finally, after a series of text messages with Becca she figured out what she was going to say and opened up a message to you.

Then she stalled yet again.

How was she supposed to ask you to dinner if she didn’t know where she wanted to take you?

It was another near half hour as she searched her brain for her favourite places around Washington. It took a little bit of google-ing too, some of the places shut down, others under new management, others simply renovated terribly or missing the best menu items. She finally settled on Iron Gate, while it was a little on the pricey side she had plans to be settling the bill already, it may be more than coffee, but you had said the ‘next one was on her’ so it worked, right? It was fancy enough that a first date seemed fitting, but also not too fancy, that if this was just two friends navigating adulthood friendship and settling in to a new city there wouldn’t be a weird vibe because of the setting.

She caught herself picking at her nails as she stared at the phone screen, immediately stopping, preoccupying herself with a large sip of wine. She limited herself to one or two drinks nowadays but was finding that she still needed a bit of liquid courage to get through this, cursing herself out that she was struggling with something she used to complete easily and with such finesse. Reading back the words she had typed out she scoffed at herself, it sounded like she was setting up a business meeting. Shaking her head, she deleted the drafted message and finally used Becca’s suggestion of coming off super casual.

‘Happy Friday. If you’ve had the chance to try the dumplings I recommended, I’ve got another place in mind for a great dinner.’

She said a quick and silent prayer and hit send, immediately taking another sip of her wine to calm her nerves.

*

You were still in your classroom, marking a handful of spelling tests, it was later than usual, but you knew if you left the school on a Friday you would slip into weekend mode and leave everything to the last minute on Sunday, so, here you were. The faster you worked, the faster you could get home to a beer and relaxation. You only had about two left when your phone buzzed, vibrating against the desk and your head tilted, wondering who would be texting you right now as you picked it up.

You smiled at the message, a warmth soothing its way through your chest, knowing that Heather was thinking of you, and continually thinking of places to eat around the city.

‘You were right. Best dumplings I’ve ever had. What’ve you got in mind?’

*

Heather nearly jumped when her phone pinged, relieved that the reply had come in so quickly. She scooped up the device, holding her breath while she slid the notification open to reveal your message, letting it out as she read it.

‘I suppose it’s a little late to ask if you’re free sometime this weekend?’

‘Heather…’ you let out a little laugh, ‘I’m new to the city, remember? I have more friends that are under the age of ten than adults. And they’re not exactly allowed out past six.’

She laughed at the way you were nearly making fun of yourself, the smile remaining on her cheeks as she typed out her next message.

‘There’s a place called Iron Gate downtown, they’ve got a butternut squash lasagna that is just to die for.’

‘Intriguing. I’m down.’ Heather felt her heartrate pick up at the idea, laughing at herself for previously thinking this was going to be so hard. ‘Though probably not tonight, I’m still at work and I doubt a nice place like that would appreciate the amount of paint I’m covered in right now.’

‘Oh?’

‘Fingerpainting gone bad.’

‘Can’t say I miss those chaotic accidents.’

‘Tomorrow then? I’ve got a couple of things during the day so dinner would work best.’

‘How does seven sound?’

‘Perfect.’ You smiled at the screen as you waited for the next message to come in.

‘I guess I’ll see you then.’

‘I look forward to it.’ You added on a little smiley face at the end of the message that made Heather catch her breath in her throat, Becca had been right, there was definitely a flirting undertone to your words. It was perhaps that you were both on the same page, but not wanting to overstep if the other one wasn’t interested in something more. She figured she’d find that out tomorrow.

**

You were glad you’d looked up the restaurant online before getting ready, though you had a feeling if you were meeting Heather in person, it would be a fancier place than Dumplings. It was a cute, just a large enough bistro, but had a posh vibe going on. Originally you’d been in jeans, thinking a nicer shirt with hair and makeup done would be enough, but after your search you’d swapped out for a cute casual dress, and you felt a hell of a lot more comfortable stepping into the restaurant.

You spotted Heather chatting with the hostess, a polite smile on her face as she did so. Though the bell over the door pulled both of their attention to you and you let out a bright smile as she gazed over at you, feeling your cheeks heat at the way her eyes flicked down and up your form as you approached.

“Hey. Sorry if I’m late.” You greeted.

“Oh no, not at all.” Heather smiled warmly at you, “just doing a bit of catch up.” She stepped back from the hostess stand as they helped out another couple, “you look adorable.”

“Thank you.” This time you were sure your cheeks flushed, quickly dropping your gaze to try and compose yourself. Before you could speak again the hostess spoke,

“Ladies did we want inside or out?”

“Oh, uh..” you glanced between each other for a moment, “It is a nice day out.” You suggested and Heather nodded.

“I have been trapped inside all day.”

“Perfect. Right this way.”

The two of you were lead through the restaurant and out onto the cozy back patio. Small tables littered around it, half pre-set with glassware and napkins, lantern candles in the middle of all the tables and strings of fairy lights strung through the roof. You thanked the hostess after she ran through a couple of the drink specials with you after settling into your seats. A comfortable silence took over as you glanced through the drink menu,

“I have to admit I’m not the biggest wine snob, so this all means basically nothing.” You admitted with a small chuckle and Heather raised a brow.

“Please don’t tell me you drink boxed shit.”

“I said I wasn’t a snob, didn’t say I was an uncultured swine.” You teased with a laugh and Heather couldn’t help but let out a bark of a laugh.

“Do you prefer red or white?”

“Usually red. And I know it like, depends on what you end up ordering food wise or whatever, but I’ve just never really been that particular.”

“Stick with what you like.” She smiled gently, “well if you wanted to share a bottle I am more than happy to order for us, but feel free to have a cocktail or a beer instead.”

“Nah, I like the idea of sharing a bottle.”

When she glanced back over at you she felt a jolt run through her, your elbow was perched on the table, chin resting in your hand as you smiled softly over at her, a small grin on your cheeks and she had to do her best not to blush. You looked absolutely radiant in the glow of the setting sun and it was taking everything in her power to not admit that to you right then and there. Thankfully before she could start to process what to say next, you spoke again.

“This place is really cute. Menu looks really good too.”

“Yeah.” She let out a small hum, “Rob – my ex—and I used to come here pretty frequently.”

“Nice little date night spot.” You mused, and Heather was thankful for the pause in conversation as the server came over to introduce themselves and take drink orders, explaining how the chef’s family table menu worked and if you had any extra questions. Heather placed the order for a nice bottle of red, and upon first sip you were certain that you would always trust her recommendations when it came to wine from now on in.

“How was your first week back post spring break?” She asked, setting down her own wine glass and you hummed.

“A little chaotic. Moods anywhere between bummed to be there, tired to have to get up in the mornings again and the opposite end where they didn’t burn off all the energy and are way too excited to tell stories of what they got up to.”

“God to have that much energy again.”

“Right?” You laughed, “I’m amazed I can keep up with them most days.”

“How many kids are in your class?”

“It can range between nineteen to twenty five. It’s not too bad, I’ve heard of numbers reaching the thirties and that’s just completely unmanageable.”

“Jesus.” She muttered over the rim of her glass, “I could barely manage two and we had help.”

“Grandparents around a lot?” You asked and she shook her head.

“Nanny. And a housekeeper, well… a couple of them.” She felt her cheeks heat at the admission.

“Ahh…so little miss fancy pants lawyer was rich before she started practicing law.” You teased and she laughed.

“Ever heard of Dunbar cars?” She asked and suddenly your brow furrowed, your head titling as you realized something.

“Yeah actually… that was the company they used to shuttle us around in Japan.”

“Really?”

“I’m surprised I didn’t make any connection before.” You laughed, leaning forward against the table, “guess our paths crossing was meant to be.”

Heather was once again, caught at a loss for words, ever so thankful for the platter of appetizers arriving, plates filled with focaccia, doe run willow cheese, roasted dates, a mixed brassica salad and roasted baby beets. You followed her lead on what to try in what order and what to mix with each thing, dip the bread in and what to not miss out on even if it wasn’t your first pick. She had been here enough times before, and after the wine you were sure you would trust her judgement.

A few bites in your server came around to check how things were and to make the main course orders. The two of you had already discussed ordering both one of the Iron Gate Mixed Grill that came with a variety of meat protein, and the Grilled Seafood Kalamaki and sharing a few options off both since you couldn’t quite decide which route you’d wanted to go. Your server explained that the table would also get the ricotta gnocchi and a deluxe salad on the sides, and Heather spoke again,

“I know it’s not on the menu right now, but I did mention the butternut squash lasagna and she was eager to try it.” She gestured across to you, “I don’t suppose there’s any way we could maybe get a small side of that too?”

“For you, Ms. Dunbar? Of course.” The server smiled, giving both of you a quick nod before they headed off to ring everything in.

“What?” She sheepishly asked as she turned back to the table, taking in the expression on your face.

“Excellent restaurant choices, even better wine choices, and well connected and known by the staff? You are officially stuck with me.”

Heather let out a laugh, busying herself with a few bites of food while she tried to collect her thoughts.

“Believe me, well received does not apply to every place in the city.”

“Ex get custody of a few places in the divorce?” You half teased and she huffed.

“Can’t get too close to capitol hill without ruffling some feathers.”

“Okay but politicians can be a fucking drag, so you’re not missing out on much there.”

“You only say that because you’ve never been to Monocle.”

“That would be accurate.” You replied with a laugh, “do they do delivery?”

“Only pick up.”

“Guess you’re lucky I drive. I can be your personal delivery driver.”

“That would be nice.” She smiled, ducking her gaze to her food for a moment before you spoke again.

“You said you started in political law, right?” A small nod, “considering you were in D.C did you ever consider a career in the White House?”

“Yes.” She stated bluntly, figuring that one; being honest and upfront was a decent decision, and two; all it would take was a quick google of her name for you to know absolutely everything about her, “after a few years of political law, with the connections I actually ended up solicitor general.”

“I have literally no idea what that means.”  You replied and she laughed. It was so unusual to have someone in her life be so unaware of politics, especially someone who lived in Washington, she constantly had to remind herself that you lived very out of the country for a very long time.

“Basically I represented the federal government in the supreme court.”

“So like if there’s some scandal within the government, that’s like, something right up your alley.”

“Exactly.”

“That sounds like the biggest fucking headache in the world.”

“It really was.” She laughed, pulling a small one from you.

“I can see why you transferred out.”

“I did set my sights on other opportunities.”

“Well I’m glad that they ended up bringing you back to Washington… and into my classroom.” You murmured softly, risking the glance up at her and she smiled back at you.

“Likewise.”

You fell into a comfortable small talk as you finished up your appetizers, little stories here and there about your lives. Heather was particularly interested in your time overseas, especially Asia and having actually lived over there. She’d done the occasional Europe trip or cruise with family, but it was always the ritzy places or somewhere their family had timeshares. You’d backpacked your way through Europe and learnt far more about the culture and thus you had some of your best friends scattered all across the globe, which she thought was completely amazing. She was so intrigued by the fact that you’d managed to mix both career and personal travel so well, getting to explore both those parts of your life before settling down in Washington.

When your entrée’s arrived you easily split up the couple of pieces that you knew you wanted to share, digging into the delectable bites. You let out a soft groan over a bite, and one that Heather hadn’t mentioned wanting to try previously,

“Okay, I know you said you weren’t interested in the bison but you have got to try this.”

Heather expected you to slice off some onto a side plate, her eyes widening every so quickly when you simply stabbed into a small piece with your fork, lifting it across the table to her, your free hand curved underneath as to not drip onto the table cloth. She did her best not to be hesitant, lips wrapping around the meat and pulling it from the fork. She couldn’t help the groan that escaped her as the flavours burst over her tongue.

“Oh my god!” She mumbled.

“Right?” You laughed, “if you want more, help yourself cause it’s fucking delicious.”

“I will gladly trade you some extra scallop.”

“Deal.” You laughed, the two of you swiftly swapping over a bit more of the desired food. “You know…” you murmured over a bite, doing your best to finish it before you actually spoke, “you’ve got quite the incredible taste in food. I would not complain at all if this ended up being a weekly thing.”

“Just wait until you’ve tried my lobster risotto.” She smirked across the table, “that paired with a good lamb chop….”

“Stop!” You nearly groaned, “we’re out for dinner right now and you already have me drooling.”

“It’s my go to.” She simply shrugged and you laughed.

“Deluxe go to maybe.” You teased with a grin, “I take it you didn’t rely on a home chef too on top of all that help then?”

“From time to time.” She sighed, “I kind of found a bit of peace in the kitchen. It was nice to know I was actually doing something for myself for once. My parents did shit all while I was growing up, neither did Rob’s. I’ll admit it was much more for just the two of us once the kids were away at school, dishes that were outside of their palate. I couldn’t really be bothered with learning how to make mac and cheese the kid approved way, they always had something to complain about unless it came from a box.”

“Kids are like that.” You smiled, “would rather have chicken nuggets than anything else.”

“Not that there is anything wrong with a good chicken nugget.” Heather pointed out and you laughed.

“Good taste but also realizes the importance of comfort food. I’m liking you more and more.”

Heather chuckled, distracting herself with her food for another moment. Tonight truly was a whole world of difference for her, she was so used to plucking whomever her prey was from the crowd and settling in on them, making sure they were groomed exactly to her liking. Tonight was actually a date, on equal basis, something she hadn’t done in over thirty years, her last real first date was with Rob when they were still teenagers. She wasn’t entirely sure what the feeling in her stomach was, nor how to act toward everything. But she was certain of one thing, this was definitely a date, and you were more than ready and willing for a second one.

By the time dessert was finishing up she was actually a little bummed that it felt like barely any time had passed. She wanted nothing more than continue talking to you, getting to know more about the adventurous life you’d lived, and was more than willing to open up about little pieces of her own. So far, you’d been very accepting of the things she’d told you, and she felt like you were a safe person to slowly admit to about her past and that you wouldn’t judge her too harshly. Then again, maybe that was just the wine and the butterflies talking.

You only protested once about her settling the bill, considering your agreement was that it was her turn, even if yours had been only coffee. She smirked at the way you checked how much she tipped, making sure it was at least a solid twenty percent, nodding when you discovered it was well over that. You promised you would pick up the tab the next time you went out and she assured you that that was more than okay. Begrudgingly the two of you gathered your coats and purses, lingering probably longer than usual at the table before making your way out of the restaurant, thanking the host staff as you did so.

“Did you drive?” Heather asked, suddenly glancing up from her phone where she was summoning her car, “I can have you dropped off?”

“I did actually.” You smiled, nodding towards the parking lot, “but thank you.”

“Anytime.” She smiled and you laughed,

“Well I sure hope so from the woman who owns the world wide car company.” You teased, nudging her in the ribs. The way she nearly flinched at the contact didn’t escape your attention, nearly frowning at it, though maybe she just wasn’t expecting it.

“If you’re ever in the market for a new vehicle….”

“Honestly,” you glanced up at her, noting the gleam in her eyes as she looked at you, deciding to take the chance, you linked your arm in hers. Internally you frowned at the way she tensed ever so lightly before relaxing against you, “this bugger’s got me through a lot but I might need something now that I’m driving every day again.”

“Just let me know.” Heather smiled, letting you take the lead as you began the walk back to your car. You let out a small hum, smiling at her as you moved through the parking lot. You let the silence take over until you were at the trunk of your car, gesturing to it to let her know this was basically the end of the date.

“I had a wonderful time tonight.” You admitted, your voice softening as you leant back against your car, “I’m really glad you texted me.”

“So did I.” She smiled, her cheeks flushing, thankful that you probably couldn’t see that in the darkness of the lot, “I hope you mean it about taking me up on next time.”

“Oh believe me, I do.” You laughed, “I’ve got some lobster risotto to look forward to remember?”

You prodded at her side, the two of you laughing, Heather nearly rolling her eyes at your playfulness. Though she was about one minute away from caressing your cheek, running her thumb over your lips and kissing you senseless. Instead, she caught your hand as it hit her side, her fingers tangling with yours for a moment as you laughed, tracing the patterns on your palm. There was a soft moment of silence as you both felt your breath catch in your throats, eyes darting up at each other, Heather’s tongue slipping out to wet her lips. Just as you were about to step forward the car one over from yours burst out in alarm, causing the two of you to jump, wrenching away from each other in a panic. A loud swear and apology called out as the owner of the car called out from across the parking lot, jogging towards the vehicle to stop the alarm from inside before they jetted off. Right as you were about to continue your moment, Heather’s phone pinged, causing her to jump once again.

“Ah… my car’s here.”

“Okay.” You smiled up at her, “see you soon.”

“Yes.” She cast you a grin, “you get home safe, okay?”

“Promise.”

“Will you text me to let me know?”

“Of course.” You replied with a smile, moving towards the driver’s door.

“Goodnight.”

“Night.”

You gave her a small wave, watching as she crossed back through the parking lot, making sure she got into the SUV before you slipped into your own car.  

______________

@ms-calhoun @naturalxselection @yesterdaysgone @hbkpop @giftedchildturns40 @anya-casablanca @svulife-rl  @swimmingstudentchaos891 @alexusonfire @jamiethetrans @natasha-danvers @oliviaswifey @mysticfalls01 @cmmndrwidw @bumblebear30 @svushots @yourtaletotelll @cerberus-spectre @emskisworld @ex-uallyactive @addictedtodinosaurs @imaginaryoperagloves @multifandomlesbianic @annegilletteslostwh0r3 @bookpillows @drduckthief @whimsicallymad @mmmmokdok @ladysc @momlifebehard @mmemalwa @holycrapraewth @poisonedcrowns @wannabe-fic-reader @when-wolves-howl @dead-of-niight @fighterkimburgess @lannister-slings-and-arrows @borg-queer

(Pt 5 of Adoption AU)

Later in the evening the Bench Trio went to watch TV in the living room. It was a flat screen TV, with all sorts of channels and apps, such as Disney+, Netflix, YouTube, CrunchyRoll, and Hulu.

They were certainly watch The Office, Tubbo was in the middle, Ranboo on the right, and Tommy on the left. Jellie was laying in Ranboo’s lap. Tubbo seem to be loving it.

Meanwhile, Scar and Grian were already preparing dinner. They making pork and chicken soup dumplings, with chicken, sausage, and potatoe fresh made ramen, and crawfish and shrimp.

Before dinner, the three went to wash up, Grian had went to to the mall earlier, and so now they finally had some new clothes.

While eating, Grian began to make conversation.

“How you guys liking it here so far” he asked.

“Everything’s great, I’m really enjoying it here” Ranboo responded.

“That good, we wanted to make place seem like home to you three” Grian explained.

“Anyways, you three should probably know that we’ll be getting sheep, goats, and rams here soon, we’ll need help building up their pen” Scar said

“I’d love to help” Ranboo replied.

“Yeah same, I love rams” Tubbo followed.

“That’s good which why tomorrows we’ll be going to hardware store to pick some more nails, screws, and woods planks” Scar responded.

“Ok” the three said unison.

“What do you need, sheep, rams, and goat for any ways” Tommy asked.

“The sheep will be for wool, the goats will be for milk, and the rams will be for weed and poison ivy control” Scar explained.

“Alright” Tommy replied.

That night they all had a movie night/slumber party in the room, they a huge pillow and blanket fort, and a lot of popcorn and candy.

The farm life for them! Yeeeees

The Best Meals in a Jar Recipes

The Best Meals in a Jar Recipes

DIY Instant Rice

48 Ultralight Backpacking Recipe Ideas for Your Next Adventure | Backcountry Foodie

It's crunch time for the Foodie! T-minus 37 days until go time. In this post, I share quick tips for speeding up the meal prep process.

17 Simple Backpacking Meal Recipes with 4 Ingredients or Less

A full list of 17 simple backpacking meal recipes. Fast and easy meals requiring only 4 ingredients or less. Some non-cook meals, others just need to add hot water. You can find most ingredients at your average grocery store on the Appalachian Trail. Feel free to mix and match any ingredients and flavors as well.

What to eat when on a thru hike!

Backpacking Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

This dehydrated sweet potato peanut stew is loaded with a hearty mix of sweet potato, chickpeas, and kale.

Backpacking Food Ideas | Tasty, easy, and lightweight!

Planning your backpacking menu? Here are the best lightweight backpacking food ideas to help you enjoy simple and tasty backpacking meals on the trail!

Backpacking Food For 8 Days on the Pacific Crest Trail

Here's a complete list of all the backpacking food I brought with me for 8 days while section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

A Week of Lightweight, Nutritious Backpacking Food

8.5 lb Ultralight Backpacking Gear List for Thru-Hiking

An ultralight backpacking gear list and FAQs for the gram counters. 5 pound full comfort base weight and a 9.5 pound consumables for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail. Regular backpacking, lightweight backpacking, ultralight backpacking, hyperlight backpacking compared.

Backpacking Food Ideas: The Complete Guide on How to Plan Hiking Meals

What should I eat when hiking? This is one of the most common questions that rookie backpackers have. And it's warranted. Hiking is an energy intensive activity that requires you to be properly nourished. You don’t want to run out of food, neither do you want to carry too much. Hence this article. In this article we provide answers to the question of what to eat during a backpacking trip.

25 Best Backpacking Meals

Meal planning can make or break a backpacking trip. Here are the best backpacking meals, broken down by stove type, to ensure you eat well.

Beginner's Guide to Homemade Backpacking Meals

We’ve all been there, wandering through the dehydrated meal aisle in an outdoors store searching for something we’d actually want to eat on the trail. Why not try dehydrating your own backpacking meals? It might

33 DIY Backpacking Recipes

Learn how to make your own backpacking meals with these great recipes!

Alabama Style BBQ Spaghetti – Backpacking Meal or Tonight's Dinner

I'm getting ready guys. I'm just waiting for the weather to ease up a bit (it was 92 here yesterday and hot as the devil's balls), so I can head out in the woods for a week. While I'm waiting, I'm getting my food situation together. Nothing against store bought dehydrated meals. I'm a big fan of Heather's Choice for her delicious, nutritious meals. I love PackitGourmet - the chicken and dumplings and gumbo are seriously delicious. I'll even throw in a Mountain House meal every now and then. But it gets old. And unless it's Heather's Choice, after a few

Backpacking Fried Rice

Craving takeout on the trail? This easy Backpacking Fried Rice should do the trick!

How to Dehydrate Your Own Backpacking Food [Step-by-Step Guide] - Amanda Outside

Learn how to make your own backpacking food at home with a dehydrator! This is the complete guide to diy backpacking meals that are low cost, delicious, and fun to make.

11 One Pot Backpacking Meals to Make Trailside Cooking Easy

Planning your next backpacking trip? You need these EASY and delicious one pot backpacking meals ideas! These recipes are easy to prep and clean up.

Meals in Jar recipes are the perfect way to use your dehydrated foods, along with pantry staples, to create long-term food storage meals for your family. They also make great kits for easy meals for those weeknights when you don't have time to prep.Those nights when you are on a tight schedule from kids' school activities or you've had a really rough day are the nights when you tend to reach for the phone for take-out pizza or a drive-thru.Like creating freezer meals, meals in a jar are handy prepared meals you have in your pantry that can be thrown into a pot of water to cook, and save you a ton of time from meal prep.Benefits of Meals in a JarQuick easy meals that are ready for camping or busy weeknight meals. Easy way to store meals for long-term food storage without the need to constantly prep a meal. Create 'instant' meals to your tastes and nutritional levels and philosophies. Many of the instant meals from long-term food storage companies are high in salt and carbs - you can adjust any of these to meet your needs. Make use of your long-term food storage. Whether you've invested in freeze-dried products, or dehydrate your own, or stock dry goods, you can put them to use in ready-made meals. Perfect for emergencies. Whether natural disasters, power outages, earthquakes, or personal situations where health situations prohibit you from meal prep, these meals require less water and energy to prepare as opposed to many traditional recipes. Help friends and family. Give the gift of food storage to those who may be in need. Elderly friends and relatives who can't prep foods, those suffering from illnesses, neighbors in need, new and expectant parents, and families suffering loss are all prime examples of those who may need quick meals that need little prepping for comfort and nutrition. If you would like an ad-free, e-version of this post to keep on your desktop, phone, tablet, etc., you can purchase it in my shop.Best Meals in a Jar RecipesFor these recipes, we're going to be sticking to meals in a jar and side accompaniments that are primarily self-contained. There will be a few that need a couple of extra ingredients to finish.We will be staying away from meals in a jar that require a ton of dairy or other fresh ingredients that cannot be replicated with freeze-dried or dehydrated alternatives. We'll also stay away from dessert or salad in a jar things that should stay fresh.We also want to keep these mixes shelf-stable for long-term as much as possible, so things like granola won't be included.My hope is to give you viable, good, shelf-stable options for meals in a jar recipes at every one of these vetted links to help you build your pantry with long-term pantry storage.TIPS FOR SUBSTITUTION:Many of these recipes may contain products that are from a specific freeze-dried company. You do not have to use that ingredient from that company. You can use your own dehydrated foods, or a freeze-dried company of your choice. Quantities are equal, but some dehydrated foods take up more volume or space. But quantities aren't written in stone. You can change the mixes up easily to your preference. Give yourself a little extra time in rehydrating/cooking when using dehydrated vs freeze dried. It may take a little longer. Use a thermos to rehydrate/cook in if you are on the go If you need a truly instant-meal, precook all of your ingredients before dehydrating. LEARN MORE: 200+ Dehydrating RecipesWhile I do promote both Augason Farms and Thrive Life Foods, there are quite a few other companies that do sell freeze-dried foods that you can use if you don't want to use your own dehydrated or freeze-dried foods you make.Also, some of these jars will make enough to fill a quart sized mason jar. Some will be enough to fill a pint or pint and a half-sized jar. The latter can be doubled or tripled to go into a larger jar if desired. The smaller recipes are great for backpacking or individual meal sizes.For some of the recipes, you may have to scroll down the page to get to it.Breakfast Meals in a JarBreakfast OmeletCamper's Eggy DelightCaryn's Cheesy Sausage FritattaCherry Chocolate PancakesCinnamon PancakesCranberry Buttermilk Pancake MixHashbrowns and EggsHearty Pancake MixOatmealSweet and Savory CrepesMain Course Meals in a JarABC Sloppy JoesBaked ZitiBeans and Rice CasseroleBeefy Philly CheesesteakBeefy Spanish RiceBurrito Bowl Meal in a JarCheesy Sloppy Joe HotdishChicken AlfredoChicken and RiceChicken Broccoli CheeseChicken Broccoli Stir FryChicken ChiliChicken Noodle Skillet MealChicken Salad in a JarChiliChili MacCous Cous with Chicken and Vegetables (serves 1 - pint jar)Creamy Chicken Veggie CasseroleCreamy Tomato Pasta PrimaveraCurry Rice with Chicken and Cashews (for long-term storage, omit cashews or add at the last minute since nuts are best stored in the freezer for long-term) (serves 1 - pint jar)Double Cheeseburger Sauce MixFiesta Rice with Corn (serves 1 - pint jar)Francesca's Unstuffed PeppersHamburger StewHawaiin Style Teriyaki BeefHearty Beef and Bean ChiliHearty ChiliInstant Chicken SaladJambalayaKansas City Chicken BBQKicked Up Mac n CheeseMac and CheesePotato Cheese Sausage CasseroleQuicheRosemary Chicken and RiceSausage FrittataSausage LasagnaSloppy JoesSpaghetti Sauce with MeatStroganoff SkilletStuffed Chicken and GravyTaco Beef and Cheese Thai Chicken in Spicy Peanut SauceThree Bean ChiliTurkey Noodle CasseroleSoup Meals in a JarAsparagus SoupBean SoupBeef Barley SoupBeefy Bean SoupBeef StewBeef and Bean StewBeef and Zucchini QuicheBuffalo Chicken and RiceCaryn's Chicken Noodle SoupChicken and Rice SoupChicken Noodle Soup in a Jar (add freeze-dried chicken to make a complete shelf-stable meal)Chipotle Corn ChowderCream Soup MixCreamy Tomato SoupCreamy Wild Rice Mushroom SoupCurried Lentil SoupFriendship SoupGood Luck SoupHam Sausage and Bean SoupInstant Cheese Soup Instant Creamy Asparagus SoupItalian Wedding SoupLentil and Rice SoupLoaded Baked Potato Soup (recipe is in the description box of the video)Love SoupMinestrone Soup Nancy's Chicken Noodle SoupNoodle Soup in a JarPainted Desert Chili in a JarPalouse SoupPotato Sausage SoupPotato SoupPrairie Garden Vegetable SoupSoup StartersSplit Pea SoupTaco Soup Texas Two-Step SoupTortilla SoupTurkey and StuffingVegetable Quinoa Soup with LentilsZombie Soup MixThe following recipe for Sauce or Soup mix is used with permission from the Utah State University Extension List. Typically it is against copyright laws to take someone else's recipe and share it in full like this, but they have given permission to publish widely. To see more uses for this recipe, alternatives, etc., you can find the information in this handy guide.Anything Cream Soup Mix:Ingredients2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk ¾ cup cornstarch (I prefer to use arrowroot powder) ¼ cup instant chicken bouillon (regular or low sodium) 2 tablespoon dried onion flakes 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional) DirectionsCombine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container for a year+ YieldEqual to 9 (10.5 oz) cans of cream soup.To substitute for 1 can of cream soupCombine ⅓ cup of dry mix with 1 ¼ cups of cold water. Whisk untilwell blended. Cook and stir on stove top or in microwave until thickened. Add thickened mixture to casseroles as you would a can of soup. (This is used with permission from the USU Extension office) Sides in a JarCurried Rice MixCranberry Orange RiceCreamy Herbed Rice MixHerbed Rice MixLemon Dill RiceMac and Cheese (add a little freeze-dried beef or sausage and taco seasoning, and you've got a cheesy chili mac)Pot Roast Gravy over Mashed PotatoesRefried Beans (this is basically just dehydrated refried beans, but when all you have to do is add water, it makes a quick and easy side or protein replacement!)Chicken Flavored Rice MixScalloped Potatoes Spanish RiceYellow Rice MixMeals in a Jar Recipe BooksThere are so many free meals in a jar recipes all over the internet apart from the ones listed above. But I know it's so convenient to have something handy to have that isn't attached to your computer or tablet!So here are some recommended recipe books for making your own meals in a jar for your long-term storage.Meals in a Jar: Quick and easy, Just-Add-Water, Homemade Recipes by Julie Languille The Meals in a Jar Handbook: Gourmet Food Storage Made Easy by Stephanie Petersen Dinner is in the Jar: Quick and Easy Dinner Mixes in Mason Jars or Mylar Bags by Kathy Clark Quick and Easy Dehydrated Meals in a Bag by Tammy Gangloff (of The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook fame, which also has some meals in a bag options.) Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook by Tammy Gangloff Not only is this a great technique book on how to dehdyrate those products that can build your meals in a jar, she includes a lot of "just add water" meals, too! Do It Yourself Prep N Store by Janice Paveglio Gunther (I have not read this one or cooked from it, but I looked through the beginning information that was available and it looked like she had solid information) Look to Backpacking Recipe books for other meals that you can also put into your storage. They may not be 'in the jar' and are usually geared more towards single or double serving meals in a bag, but they can be used easily translated to your family serving size.A caveat to these kinds of recipes is that they may often use oils/fats while cooking and meats. For long-term storage, omit the oils and fats (they aren't usually needed), and look to freeze-dried meats for more optimal storage.The Dehydrator Cookbook for Outdoor Adventurers: Healthy, Delicious Recipes for Backpacking and Beyond by Julie Mosier Recipes for Adventure: Healthy, Hearty and Homemade Backpacking Recipes by Chef Glenn McAllister Cooking a Meal in a Jar in a Solar Oven Cook your "Meal in a Thermos" while you hike How to Store Meals in a JarYou can store meals in a jar mixes in variety of ways:Canning jars (also known as mason jars) Any airtight container - spaghetti jars, queso jars, or other glass containers that are airtight. Hard sided plastic containers (not the more pliable) will also work Mylar bags - these are reusable and great for camping and can be sealed with a simple heat seal with an iron or vacuum sealer, or vacuum sealed with an O2 absorber Vacuum-sealed plastic storage bags as is used with many vacuum sealers Zip-top bags for short-term storage (less than a week). LEARN MORE: Quick Guide to Vacuum SealingMeals in a jar recipes will last easily last a year or two, and you may get even longer - 5+ years, but the quality and texture may begin to decline at that point.Certain foods like tomatoes don't have as long of a shelf-life as other foods, and meats are better used freeze-dried than dehydrated for longer shelf-life goals.Proper storage is also necessary. Cool, dark, dry places are best for storage. If you have proteins, storing them in the freezer is optimal, and they can be pulled out at any time for a backpacking/hiking trip with no issues.Using Oxygen AbsorbersThese can be used in your jars to help control the shelf life of your meal in a jar recipe. They are not necessary but can be helpful. You can learn all about how they work and if you really need them (you really don't) with this handy guide on storing dehydrated foodsHelpful Tips for Creating Meals in a JarUse Instant Rice or Instant Beans. For those ingredients that take longer to prepare, using dehydrated rice or dehydrated beans can cut your time down. Mark your packages: Mark your bags or attach a recipe sheet to your jars. Having the correct directions on how to prepare or what more needs to be added. Mylar can be written on with sharpie markers. You can write on the lid of a jar, tape a recipe card to the outside, etc. Never assume you'll remember! Interchange recipes. You'll often find recipes online that are built from freeze-dried foods only. While a little adjustment in the time to rehydrate may be different, you can easily replace freeze-dried with dehydrated foods. Using dehydrated foods - consider cooking your vegetables fully then dehydrating to make the end product a little quicker to reconstitute. Preparing Meals in a Jar RecipesUsually simmering in enough water to replace the original water is enough, though I suggest a little extra to make up for loss in simmering and the extra sometimes needed to rehydrate. But follow the above recipe suggestions for best results as all will vary.Tools for rehydrating meals in a jarSaucepans Fondue pots -surprisingly, these are excellent in emergency situations as they require nothing but a candle or other fuel source that is easy to store, and can be used to simmer smaller meal portions during power outages. Look for older non-electric fondue pots in thrift stores for less expensive options. Thermoses Other Helpful Resources for Meals in a Jar RecipesRainy Day Food StorageTips to convert recipes:Many recipes you already cooked can be made into a meal in a jar recipe. Some helpful tips to covert recipes you already love are:Stock: Replace 1 quart of stock with 1 ½ tablespoons bouillion. Then use 1 quart water to make soup Vegetables: Use ⅓ cup of dehydrated or freeze dried vegetables to replace 1 cup of fresh. Remember that dehydrated vegetables may need a little extra time to rehydrate and cook, so meals that allow simmering work best. Milk: Use ⅓ cup milk powder to replace 1 cup milk (and ⅔ cup water) Ground Beef: 2 Cups freeze-dried ground beef for 1 pound of beef Chicken: 2 ½ Cups freeze-dried chicken for 1 pound of beef Meals in a Jar Frequently Asked Questions:How long do meals in a jar last?Typically, most meals in a jar will last a year to three years by the safest standards of the National Center for Home Food Preservation.However, using the proper storage standards listed above, you may get 5 or more years out of them. Just remember, things like tomatoes have a shorter long-term life and may begin to degrade a little faster than the rest of your dehydrated goods, so be sure to rotate often!Meats should also be freeze-dried as opposed to dehydrated for best storage results.Can I use freeze-dried foods?Yes! In fact, I recommend using freeze-dried meats for all of my long-term storage of dried foods. They are prepared in a different way than dehydrating and can be shelf-stable for up to 25 years (unopened) and then longer than typical dehydrated meats on the shelf opened.My favorite places to purchase freeze-dried foods are Thrive Life and Augason Farms, depending on who is running the better sale.However, if you are concerned about storing meats long-term from a dehydrated or already opened, freeze-dried state, you can always keep your meat in the freezer and just add it as you put the meal on the stovetop to cook.Can I replace freeze-dried with dehydrated food?Yes, they are usually interchangeable in any meal. Just remember dehydrated foods may take a little longer to reconstitute. And if they were not dehydrated from a fully cooked state, they will also need time to cook.Can I store salads in a jar on the shelf?Unfortunately, salads in a jar type recipes are still meant for safe refrigerated storage but can help extend the life of your greens when vacuum sealed. They are not safe for shelf-stable storage, which is why they are not included in this list.Do I have to use a mason jar to store meals in a jar recipes?Use mylar bags with or without oxygen absorbers, food storage bags, airtight containers, and commercial glass jars with airtight seals. Zip top bags are to be used for very short-term storage only (think a week or so).Can I do any meal and put into a jar?Unfortunately, just any meal doesn't dry and qualify for shelf-stable meal in a jar storage. Many foods are high in fats/oils, or aren't considered shelf-stable.So while you can do a bulk load of spaghetti sauce and noodles with meat, drying it once cooked is easy, but the meat may not be shelf-stable because of the fat content, and any oil used in the sauce can also create an issue.This is why freeze-dried proteins and non-fat dairy are suggested for storage.However, these meals would be fine for short-term backcountry/hiking meals, or can be stored in the freezer until needed.Do items need to be kept separate?With some mixes, the soups need different cooking times. A vegetable quinoa soup might need the quinoa cooked separately. Or in the case of a mac and cheese meal, the sauce components are bagged separately, then inserted into the top of the jar. Each recipe should notate if this might be necessary.Can I make my own freeze-dried foods?Yes! You can freeze-dry single ingredients or whole meals using a freeze-dryer. They usually have a longer shelf-life than dehydrated foods making your meals in a jar last much longer.The Harvest Right Freeze Dryer is the premiere home freeze-dryer on the market (much like Excalibur was 15 years ago). It is an investment, but for those serious about long-term food storage and control of your own food, it might be an investment worth making rather than purchasing from various companies.Conclusion:There are so many resources for meals in a jar on the internet. Some are great for long-term storage, and some are made more for the effect of storing in a jar but might be better used for short-term gift giving.Either way - play, explore, make up your own recipes! You'll love the benefit of having shelf-stable meals ready for your family for easy meals, emergency meals, and opportunities to serve other people who may be in need of a hot meal that you can help them store.Do you have a favorite you'd love to share with us?▢ 2 ½ cups quick cook elbow macaroni ▢ ½ cup freeze dried protein (beef crumbles, sausage or diced chicken) ▢ ⅔ cup cheese powder ▢ 3 tablespoons instant non-fat dry milk ▢ ¼ cup taco seasoning mix ▢ 1.5 tablespoons butter powder ▢ ½ teaspoon salt ▢ ¼ teaspoon white pepper ▢ ½ cup vegetable powder (optional) ▢ 2 ½ cups water Use only 2 cups if omitting vegetable powder ▢ 3 cups water Store Place pasta and protein into the bottom of a quart jar or mylar bag Place dry ingredients into a zip top bag and place on top of pasta mix Close the jar or bag as desired (vacuum seal, use an O2 absorber or simply close) Store for 2 years easily, up to 5 years in most cases Vacuum seal or use an O2 absorber for best results See Notes To Prepare Heat 3 cups of water to rehydrate the pasta and protein. Allow pasta to soak while preparing the sauce Add 2.5 cups of water to dry ingredients Mix thoroughly and allow to sit an rehydrate while pasta rehydrates Mix with pasta and serve. Notes: If using regular pasta, cook it first (you can rehydrate the protein in the same water), drain, then go into the next steps. You can use some of that pasta water to mix the dry ingredients to form your sauce. For ease, you can cook all the ingredients together. The sauce may clump and it may take more time to mix together, but given time, the ingredients will mix properly. Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to two years in a dark, cool, dry place.Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 1034mg | Potassium: 433mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1802IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mgNutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ¼ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ¼ dried. Tried this recipe?Mention @thepurposefulpantry or tag #thepurposefulpantry!©ThePurposefulPantry. Photographs and content are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe's link is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

December prompts: Dessert/Food

Growing up in the Queen household, the kids knew one thing about coming home for the holidays; don't bring home food. Any food you might think would be a great addition to whatever holiday you're celebrating, or casual family dinner you're attending, it has more than likely already been prepared and put in the freezer to be defrosted when everyone arrives. However, one of the kids refuse to accept this fate and instead chooses to bring food anyway.

Without fail, every single gathering, it's Bex.

Being at the Queen mansion almost every night from the ages between five months and sixteen years old, she was raised on Oliver's cooking. And now that she's older and is considered a part of the family on a more personal level than everyone else is, self titled, she decided that she would take all that she learned and make things for Oliver to thank him. It started with a plate of cookies when she was seventeen. They were dry, didn't last very long without going stale, and she could taste the extra salt she accidentally spilled into the batter while mixing, but it was the thought that counted.

She was older now, almost 25 and working a full time shift at the hospital while still attending school, other hobbies, and the night life that the family seems to adore more than any other career, but she still wanted to keep up the tradition. This year, she planned on making homemade dumplings. Not exactly the dessert she would always bring to the table, and not exactly fitting for a casual family dinner consisting of chicken and potatoes, but she was determined to make it work.

All week, she would come into work with a few samples to hand out to the nursing staff to get their opinions, promising that they weren't poisoned because if they were even slightly under cooked, she would throw them out before anyone could claim them as her creation. And for the first half of the week, she kept getting the same response about being too doughy. It was a fair judgement, but she couldn't find a way around it to save her own life. On Thursday, Q had suggested maybe not making the wrapping from scratch and just buying the box that was pre-made. As long as the filling was from her, then it could still be her creation. This comment made her more frustrated because she felt like he didn't believe in her ability to make the wrapping, which he didn't after watching her fail for a week, but it also filled her with the motivation she needed to get it right.

Friday morning she felt confident in the dumplings she had made and brought them to the family dinner later in the evening. The hardest part about Friday was making sure she made enough food for everyone, even though this was just a little side treat that maybe a handful of people would pay attention to. But she wanted to prove to Oliver, though he never openly doubted her, that she could handle the job just the same.

Once at the mansion, Bex stood proudly by the tray of food and tried to convince Ada to tell people to eat them.

"I worked on them all week, you can't sucker like four of your siblings into trying it?"

"I've already given Owen like six, he's gonna start questioning it," Ada told her with a slight laugh as she looked out to her family all circling a large table to find their appropriate seating. No one had assigned seats, but everyone had a preference of who they wouldn't mind eating right beside.

"Has he judged them at all?"

"Owen!" Ada called out, catching her younger brother's attention over the crowd every easily. He walked over shortly after. "Do you like the dumplings Bex made?"

Owen looked at the plate, then at Bex who was smiling up at him as if she was waiting for a high praise. "They're not bad."

Her face dropped to confusion. "Not bad? Not bad how?"

"They taste like normal dumplings?" He seemed afraid to go into detail, but it also seemed like he didn't have much to add to his statement.

"Like Dad would make?" Ada looked at him and elbowed his arm.

"Honestly, Dad never really got them down. I'd say these are better."

Bex's smile returned. "Thank you, I worked all week to get it right."

"She was dying for approval," Ada added.

"Why didn't you just give her approval?" Owen looked at his sister, she shrugged.

"I'm not a big dumpling girl," she said before walking towards the table to steal a seat next to Eliza before someone else could.

Storytime

Summary: After dinner, the kids are grumpy because they’re tired of the same old stories. Thiago video-calls Henderson, who helps Thiago tell the kids an original story.

Tags: @millythegoat, @alissonbecksfan234, @moomin279, @lfc-fanfiction

The next three days crept by as slowly as a snail. With most of their players either at the World Cup or at national friendlies, there were more staff than players at Kirkby at all times.

With less players in the Kirkby ground, Nemmer had decided to take a week-long break from cooking. This left Thiago as the head chef, something that everybody was currently divided on. The Spanish midfielder loved experimenting with his food, as his cinnamon-scallion fried chicken for Monday lunch could attest. But on Wednesday night, he gave everybody a pleasant surprise with his “Seafood Surprise” dumplings.

“This reminds me of my mother’s cooking,” said Kanchana, taking up another dumpling with her chopsticks. Even though she’d lived in Kirkby for a few months now, the Thai gardner still preferred to eat with chopsticks instead of a fork. “She’d make all kinds of dumplings, with all kinds of fillings. My favorites were the ones stuffed with shiitakes.”

“Shiitakes?” Klopp furrowed his brows. “What are shiitakes, Chan?”

Kanchana poured more sweet and sour sauce over her dumplings. “A kind of mushroom. And I remember once, we found jalapenos at the day market. Mother bought out the whole shop and made all those jalapenos into dumplings. They were so good, but now I don’t even like them. Lately all these spicy things are just blah to me.”

Florrie pushed away her plate and scrambled off her chair, running over to Thiago. “Thiagooo!”

“Yes, dulcita?” Thiago crooned, settling the young girl on his lap. “What is it?”

Florrie gazed at Thiago with large, glossy brown eyes. “Can you tell us a story please, Thiago?”

“Yes, please?” Kairo begged as well, clinging onto Thiago’s leg. “With sprinkles on top?”

One-year-olds Henrietta and Grace babbled as if in agreement, toddling to where Thiago sat and plopping down next to him.

Thiago hesitated, absentmindedly running his hands through Kairo’s curly hair. Of course he wanted to make the kids happy—and telling a story to them seemed a trifle considering some of the dares the fullbacks had challenged him to. There was one small issue, though.

Thiago Alcantara had never made up an original story. Not once in his entire life.

“Alright, alright…” Thiago wracked his brain for stories unrelated to his own reality. He found none. “Once upon a time, there lived three little pigs.”

“Heard that before,” Florrie muttered, pushing her hair out of her face.

Great, that’s the only one I know. Oh, I know another one! “Once upon a time, there lived twelve princesses.”

“That’s boring!” Kairo pouted, crossing his arms. “Tell us a new story, Thiago!”

Panicked, Thiago turned to Klopp. The German shrugged as if to say, you’re on your own, Thiago.

Thiago tried to persuade somebody else, anybody else, to tell the kids a story. But one by one, everybody left the table, leaving him alone with four toddlers under four years old.

“Thiagooo…” Florrie squirmed impatiently, tugging at his shirt.

Thiago groaned, digging in his pocket. “Alright, just one second dulcita.” 

Finally, he managed to find the object he was looking for. He took out his phone, and pressed a few buttons. Soon, a very familiar face appeared on the screen.

“Thiago! What are you doing, calling at this hour? It’s almost eleven.”

“Oh, sorry! I forgot the Qatar time zone.” Thiago’s voice dropped to a whisper as he bounced the kids on his legs. “Listen, Jordan, I need your help. I’m stuck with four kids, and I have to tell them an original story. But I have no idea how to tell a story.”

Thiago could hear Henderson’s eye-rolling all the way from Qatar. “That’s what you’re disturbing my sleep for, lad? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I know, I know. But please help me out. Flo’s giving me the sad eyes,” Thiago begged, turning the camera so Henderson could see Florrie’s expression.

Henderson sighed. “Okay, fine. But I’m only helping you, Thiago. I’m not telling the story for you.”

“Oh gracias, gracias a Dios!” Thiago set the phone on the table, lifting Henrietta and Grace onto his lap. “Look, kids! It’s Hendo!”

“Daddy!” Florrie cheered, smushing her nose to the phone screen. “Are you telling us a story?”

“Only helping your hopeless Tio Thiago here.” Henderson glared at the Spaniard, who just shrugged. And so the skipper began the story.

“Once upon a time there were three little—

“No!” Henrietta pouted, narrowing her little eyes into slits. Although she barely knew ten full words, “no” had been one of the earliest ones she’d learned to use.

“Oink, oink, oink.” Thiago tickled Henrietta’s nose to try and get her in the mood. “Oink, oink, oink.”

“NO!” Kairo groaned. He pried Thiago’s hand off Henrietta. “No pigs!”

“Ah, but these weren’t three little pigs,” said Henderson, raising an eyebrow. “They were three little…”

“Utensils!” Thiago held up some cutlery from the table.

“That’s right.” Henderson flashed Thiago a stealthy thumbs-up. “Three little utensils.”

“NO PIGGY!” Henrietta screamed for no reason whatsoever.

“Yes, no pigs.” Thiago made a mental note to ask Chelsea what crime pigs did to Henrietta before.

Henrietta sighed, and Thiago could only imagine how much she didn’t want to hear about pigs. He made a mental note to ask Salah if he’d been encouraging the toddler to observe Ramadan.

“Once upon a time, there lived a fork, a knife, and a spoon. Their names were Poker, Spear and Scooper. They lived in a flatware drawer with their friends. Every day they were taken out for meals, before getting a bath and returning to their drawer.

As you can imagine, they were all happy to be so useful. But there was one problem…Christmas dinner was coming up! And during Christmas dinner, Spear and Poker were always jealous of Scooper. Spear and Poker had to do a lot of cutting and poking and stabbing of hard things, like turkey and potatoes and fruitcake, while Scooper only had to do one thing: serve ice cream for the pie.”

Thiago took up the spoon as well as the fork and knife. Trying to hold all three at once, he resorted to putting the spoon on his nose while manipulating the other two like puppets.

“‘You always get easy stuff, Scooper!’ Spear complained one cold December’s day. ‘Like soup and pudding! All I have to do is cut, cut, cut!’

Poker said, ‘And all I have to do is poke, poke, poke!’

‘But you are Poker,’ Scooper argued. He glanced at his knife friend. ‘And you are Spear! We have to do our jobs, or the humans will have to eat Christmas dinner with their hands!’

But Spear didn’t like that. He groaned, saying, ‘Oh, how I wish I was a spoon so I wouldn’t have to work my butt off!’

‘But we don’t have butts!’ said Scooper. ‘We’re utensils!’

That made Poker sigh, leaning against a nut cup. ‘How I wish I was a human so I could get vacation!’

Florrie squinted in confusion, hair falling into her face. “Why weren’t there any other forks and knives? Then they could give Spear and Poker a break.”

Thiago sighed, ruffling Florrie’s hair. “I’ll explain.”

“Spear and Poker—especially Poker—were very disappointed. They couldn’t get a break, because their family liked using them as a Christmas tradition. This year would be the first time their baby ate from Poker, and Poker just knew the baby’s sharp little teeth would scratch his fine, lovely antique silver. Spear didn’t have it any better. The family would eat all kinds of foods: rosemary-roasted new potatoes, maple-glazed yams, fruitcakes with almonds and dried fruits stuffed in it, turkey, roast beef, ham—”

“NO PIGGY!” Henrietta screeched at the mention of ham.

Thiago almost choked on his beverage. How did one-year-old Henrietta know that ham came from pigs?

There was no doubting it. Salah had taught Henrietta about halal food, and Thiago was going to strangle him for causing all this trouble.

“--hamburgers, and shaved ice, which would be shaved at the table from a block of solid ice.

Spear and Poker shuddered at the thought of it all.

So they decided to leave. Not even stopping to pack a bag, they waited until they were in the sink, then jumped through the open window. They landed in the snow. It was freezing, but at least snow was soft, so their butts didn’t hurt.”

“I thought you said they didn’t have butts,” Kairo piped up from Thiago’s lap. “Either they have butts or not! GOOD ones!”

“PAPI!” Florrie yelled. “Thiago’s not letting Poker and Spear have good butts like yours!”

Milner came in, and Thiago wished the floor would open up into a sinkhole full of quicksand. The vice skipper only raised an eyebrow, leaving as soon as he’d came.

Thiago released a rush of air he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Let’s wrap this up already.”

“Unharmed, Poker and Spear tried to get out of the snow. But they were stuck! How would they get out?”

“No piggy!”

If Henrietta wasn’t a kid, Thiago would have slapped her already.

“YEAH, NO PIGGY MATE!” Robertson popped up from nowhere, munching a breakfast bagel.

Thiago wasted no time in slapping the Scot. “You’re eating a bacon and ham breakfast bagel!”

“Suddenly, they saw a silver shape in the moonlight. It was Scooper! She had seen them jumping out and had followed, ready to help!

With her spoon part, Scooper scooped the snow away from Poker and Spear. Then she carried them over the snow, through the bush and over the windowsill. Scooper was covered with frost and snow, nearly frozen by the time she dragged herself inside. She would have fell straight into the empty sink, if Poker and Spear hadn’t caught her with a napkin. From that day on, Poker and Spear never complained about their jobs again.

“So, kids!” Thiago grinned at the kids, trying to get them to smile, too. “What do you think?”

Kairo shook his head, facepalming. “Sorry, Thiago. It was horrible.”

Thiago flinched at the brutal honesty. He turned to Grace and Henrietta, hoping for a better review. No such luck—Henrietta wore a long frown, while Grace had long since fallen asleep.

“What do you think, Florrie?” Thiago silently begged for at least one good answer.

Florrie stared at Thiago as if he were crazy. “Don’t you see, Thiago”

Thiago shook his head. “No.”

Florrie dramatically sighed, pointing to his cell phone. “Daddy Hendo hung up on you since the beginning.”

11/15

It was a good day :) not too bad, at least. I went to the barn and had a great ride with my horse! It wasn’t perfect, but we’re making improvements and that’s what counts. Someone who’s never seen her before said she’s beautiful and has beautiful musculature and I was like YES!!!!!! punching the air!!!!

Literally I’ve been trying to get her to gain weight + build muscle since I first started working with her three years ago!! It’s always going to be a lifelong process with her, she’s always going to be in a state of “physical rehab” due to various medical issues, but I’m just so happy we’ve made it this far :,) I honestly can’t believe it. She looks and moves like a completely different horse now. I’ve legit been through hell and back with this horse and seeing her improve so much??? Literally over the moon.

Idk where this burst of energy has come from but I’ll take it <3

tw: wiaiad, cal log, ed after the cut

Breakfast

Celsius, dragonfruit like — 10

lightly salted rice cake w/ 1/2 tbsp of vegan butter & seasoned w/ tajin — 85 (Ummmmm let me tell you the gods fucking sang as soon as I tasted that butter, oh my god…. I think my body must really be craving fat 😅)

chocolate vegan protein shake — 110

Lunch

1 serving of nasoya vegan dumplings w/ one packet of soy sauce — 155 (these dumplings are SO good btw)

FOUR fucking double stuf Oreos lol rip — 280

Dinner

1 more serving of those vegan dumplings, but this time I put them in a mug of vegetable broth and made makeshift soup dumplings hehe — 165

lightly salted rice cake w/ 1/2 tbsp plant based butter and seasoned w/ tajin — 85 (see I told you I was having fat cravings lol. I want this again sooo bad. I guess today is the day of repeating food 😂)

2 tbsps white rice — 26

1/3 cup vegan locro — 62

Snacks

caramel rice cake w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter & 1 tbsp jelly — 190

1/2 peppermint stick — 25

ANOTHER Oreo Lmfao — 70

Exercise

100 squats — -32

Walked up and down stairs for 10 min — -86

Horse grooming + riding for today — -496

Total: 667! 😱

Honestly I’m shocked by this! I guess I must have gotten my impulses back under control since vacation last month :) I want to be strict + disciplined so that I can eat around thanksgiving w/o being a complete weirdo. And there are things I want to cook and bake!!! So I want to try to keep things as low as possible, but days I go to the barn I’m letting myself eat more. And if I have a super strong craving and I’m fighting with myself over it for several minutes… fuck it I’m just eating it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

finally got to have a beautiful trip back to Prague with me wife which happened to coincide with our anniversary of the day she moved in with me EIGHT YEARS AGOOO

I wanna commemorate the trip and a nyeuw extra special anniversary so here’s my many cute pics and a mini bio comic in a lengthy blog post I have to apparently divide into multiple reblogs because there's an image limit in text posts now.....

so the day of our moving in together anniversary (7th of june which is also Prince’s and Tom Jones’ birthday lol) was two days before our leave to Prague and started out mega chaotic

we walked for ages in the heat struggling to find the PCR testing station I wanted us to get tested at to be sure for grandma, dm’s card machines weren’t working and caused a queue throughout the entire store, Rewe had zero of the products we needed and then we hastily cleaned some more before a new petsitter came over for a meet&greet

after the meeting (which went great) we saw the restaurant we wanted to pick something up from was closed so we ended up deciding eating out at a chinese place we haven’t been to in a while which has lots of outdoor seating and likely wouldn’t have been so full

we got nice seats and though people ended up sitting closer to us than I liked our second eating out at a restaurant since the pandemic started was BEAUUUUUTIFUL and delicious. szechuan chili and dried chili peppers upon szechuan chili and dried chili peppers with a lovely view over the Spree

Then the next day it was time to pick up our rental, make a grocery store trip to get gifts for my family and then pick up a bunch of paintings from our old neighbors who let us store a few when we couldn’t manage to take more in last year's move

At home we finished up packing, received our negative test results, I finalised and printed the instructions for our petsitter and the next day we were ready for our trip

A loving goodbye to the cats and we started out, we stopped at Burger King halfway and spotted this gem out in the parking lot:

Apart from trucks clogging up the left lane by overtaking and wasting other people’s fuel the ride was a breeze and pure driving time was only around three hours

Having arrived in Prague we got a lovely sunset to admire from my family’s apartment

We decided to go out to pick up takeout from a restaurant we often pick up from and yellow roses were blooming at the nearby roundabout

Back at the apartment the wifey was greeted by a large nub tailed cat

Food was madly delicious and my wife got to enjoy plzeňský beer from the tap again which you can takeaway at that restaurant

(tripe soup, šopský salát, smoked pork belly with horseradish, mustard and bread and pork steak marinated in herbs with roast potatoes)

Friday was a free chillout day before going to grandma's cottage the next day, only thing we did was get takeout for dinner again, this time at a restaurant down by the forest in front of the apartment which has this cute old gate next to it. We got chicken schnitzel with mash potato and beef tartare with topinky (fried bread slices you rub a garlic clove on before adding the tartare)

On Saturday it was time for our date with grandma, my aunt and two cousins <333

Potato dumplings with broiled cumin pork and sweet cumin cabbage and gravy was waiting for us and it was of course mind blowingly delicious

We stayed at grandma's summer cottage/Chata/Datscha all day and to follow in the next cut are the most beautiful pics from the entire trip because my grandma's garden is a magical wonderland

Kyoto part 2: Nishiki Market Food and Drink, Liquor Museum (2/10 evening)

Nishiki Market is one our of first memories of Japan from our first trip in 2017. Similar to Tsukiji, it's a fish and produce market, but unlike Tsukiji, it's a long covered walkway of sellers and shops along the inside. Because it isn't exclusively considered a fish market, it's a good place to try out dishes and snack as you go, as well as pick up food for dinner.

We started with a quail egg stuffed baby octopus and a small beer, then grabbed a bottle of sake to bring home after tasting some local sake. We found a section that goes into the buildings on either side and has a bunch of smaller stalls with specific food and standing area for eating, and tried everything we thought might be nice. These pork gyoza (steamed or fried dumplings, in this case fried) are the best I have ever had. The stall also had great karaage (fried chicken). Another stall carried several different kinds of locally flavored beers and highballs using whisky and shochu. We tried matcha beer, which was very refreshing, and strawberry blended whisky highball. Also pictured but we did not try was beef sashimi and sushi and tempura.

We did, however, have turban in the shell and grilled tuna with garlic. Before we left, there was a stall probably geared to first time visitors who are unfamiliar with sake that had glasses of sake for 100 yen, around 75 cents. They were tasty, too.

I placed a lot of markers on our map from the last few years of watching videos and seeing posts about different bars and restaurants, not expecting to make it to all of them but considering stopping in if we were nearby. Near the market is a bar called Kyoto Liquor Museum, which is more of a top end Western style cocktail and whisky bar than an izakaya. When we got there, we were one of the only customers, and the bartender asked us to sit somewhere that we we would be close to him so we could chat. He was a recent resident of Kyoto, having moved for his new wife, and originally from Turkey. He was very knowledgeable, and a little opinionated, about whisky and that was helpful for discovering new whiskies. I tried several that would have put me into the easy $100+ bill situation in the US, but ours was around $50. One was specifically bottled for the bar.

We wanted to grab a real dinner, and there is a very well known omurice (omelette over rice) restaurant nearby, but it has been featured on some well knownYouTube channels, so it's now very popular, reservation only yadda yadda. We didn't plan ahead to get one, and that's ok. One of my takeaways from this trip is that if it's been talked about a bunch on the English speaking internet, it's going to be difficult to try. We came across a small shop that served an original version of okonomiyaki, a grilled savory pancake made from cabbage and batter than can include anything from bacon to seafood and cheese. This shop served negiyaki and used a lot of spring onion (negi = ねぎ = onion). It was delicious. The tofu steak was also really good, grilled tofu with sauce on top.

On the way home we passed a liquor store that carried large cans of the sake we drank when we got engaged and this giant bottle of Japanese whisky for somewhere between $6 to 7 dollars. I cannot explain her mischievous face. Miranda got the glass bottle of sake with the sakura flower in it, as expected, because it's cute.

To be clear, we did NOT buy that bottle of whisky.

--Charles

Jimmy Reed: Texting Drama Over A Mother's Neglect 2

Cynthia: Latasha! What time are you coming home tonight? Wanna go out? I found this amazing Italian restaurant the other day!

Latasha: Oh, sorry! I got work tonight! Why don't you ask Carmen, instead?

Cynthia: Oh, okay! Maybe some other time, then!

Latasha: You can go without me! It's okay, really! I'll join you guys, next time!

Cynthia: No... I wanna go there with you, Latasha! Not Carmen...

Latasha: Uh, okay, but... What's wrong with Carmen? She's gonna be busy next year with entrance exams, so... you should spend time with her while you can...

Cynthia: Oh, Latasha, don't worry about that! The thing is... I don't really wanna spend time with her. She's ugly, you know? I don't wanna be seen with her!

Latasha: What? Mom... How can you say that about your own daughter? You better not be saying things like that to her... she's just a kid...

Cynthia: I know... I know... Don't worry about that... But I'm just being honest, you know? You're the good-looking one in the family! Hey, I know! Wanna go shopping on Saturday? Let's go get you some nice clothes!

Latasha: Uh, okay... I think I'm free on Saturday...

Cynthia: Great! Can't wait!

Latasha: Can I invite Carmen?

Cynthia: Huh? No way!

Latasha: Why not?

Cynthia: She's dumb as a rock! She's not smart like you! She has to study! Forget her. It'll be just the two of us! Your shift is starting soon, right? Lemme know when you're done! I'll come pick you up!

*about an hour later*

Latasha: Dad? You got a minute?

Jimmy Reed: Hey, sweetheart! Aren't you at work, right now?

Latasha: Yeah, but... my shift got moved behind. I'm eating dinner, right now.

Jimmy Reed: Oh, okay. What's up, honey?

Latasha: It's about Mom!

Jimmy Reed: What about her?

Latasha: The way she treats Carmen... We gotta do something about that. She's being really mean to her, I think. I have a bad feeling about this...

Jimmy Reed: Really?

Latasha: Yeah, you don't think so? I know you're always busy with work and stuff, but...

Jimmy Reed: Well... Maybe you've got a point, but... I'm sure she loves you both very much. She might just be a bit under stress, lately. We all have those days, you know. I wouldn't worry about it so much, honey.

Latasha: You sure?

Jimmy Reed: Yeah. Hey, listen, I gotta go. The meeting is about to start.

Latasha: Oh, okay, sorry.

Jimmy Reed: No need to apologize, sweetie. I'll be home around eight or so. I'll probably be there when you get home. Want me to pick you up?

Latasha: It's okay. Mom's coming to pick me up.

Jimmy Reed: Oh, okay. Say, how about if I take Carmen out for some ice cream tonight?

Latasha: That would be awesome if you can, Dad. Just the two of you. That might cheer her up a little.

Jimmy Reed: Absolutely! Anything for my two precious dumplings!

*a few days later*

Latasha: Mom?! Where are you?!

Cynthia: What do you mean? I'm shopping! Wanna join me?

Latasha: What?! What's wrong with you? It's Parent's Day! You're supposed to be with Carmen!

Cynthia: Oh, that... Don't worry about it...

Latasha: Huh? What do you mean?

Cynthia: I said it's fine, okay? It's not mandatory or anything. It's fine!

Latasha: But... She's expecting you, isn't she?

Cynthia: Oh, no worries! I told her I couldn't make it... And it's kinda embarrassing, you know? Carmen's grades are terrible! If I go there, she'll probably just embarrass me.

Latasha: What? But... she gets better grades than me! And remember last year? The teacher asked me to answer a question, but I got it wrong!

Cynthia: Huh? Last year? Oh, that... That wasn't your fault, dear... the teacher should've phrased the question better. It wasn't your fault. Hey, your school trip is in a few days! Want me to buy you some new clothes?

Latasha: No... Listen. Mom, you gotta stop playing favourites! Carmen avoids me, you know that? It's your fault! She resents that you love me more than you love her! She even cried to Dad about that, the other day. You know, Dad's contemplating cutting back on his work - so that he can spend more time with Carmen. Show her the love and affection that you've been denying her lately! And I wanna be friends with Carmen. She's my little sister...

Cynthia: Latasha! I'm sorry, dear! I'll be careful from now on!

Latasha: I don't think it's ME you should be apologizing to, Mom! You should be apologizing to CARMEN! She's the one who's being wronged here!

Cynthia: Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, I'll try to spend more time with her - okay?

Latasha: You mean it?

Cynthia: Yeah... I know, maybe I'll take her to Sacramento or something. School can wait...

Latasha: Sacramento? Oh, you mean Grandma's house? Sounds fun!

Cynthia: Yeah... I'm sure we'll have lots of fun! Don't worry, okay? Enjoy your school trip!

Latasha: Okay! Sounds good. Thanks, Mom!

*School Trip*

Latasha: *missed call*

Jimmy Reed: Sorry I missed your call, honey. What's up?

Latasha: Dad! Where are you?

Jimmy Reed: Uh, at work... I'm eating lunch. Is everything okay?

Latasha: Dad! You gotta help Carmen!

Jimmy Reed: Huh? What happened?

Latasha: She's in Sacramento... All by herself!

Jimmy Reed: What? Uh, what is she doing there?!

Latasha: Mom took here there, yesterday! They were going to Grandma's house! But Grandma wasn't home for some reason. So Mom told Carmen to wait at the station.

Jimmy Reed: Your grandma wasn't home?

Latasha: No! The house was empty! Carmen's all alone! She called me from a payphone! She said she slept in a park last night! She hasn't eaten since yesterday morning!

Jimmy Reed: Good heavens! You're not kidding about any of this, right?

Latasha: I tried to tell her to go to the police or something, but... the line got disconnected. I can't call her back because it's a payphone... I couldn't alert Grandma, since she's not up-to-date on the technology... I dunno what to do!

Jimmy Reed: Okay, honey, I can't believe what I'm hearing... but I'll go pick her up right now. It was very careless for your mom to leave her alone in such a big city! I'm livid, right now!

Latasha: I'm sorry! I didn't wanna bother you at work, but...

Jimmy Reed: No need to apologize, honey. You did the right thing in telling me! So everything you said about your mom and her treatment of Carmen... God, I feel so bad that I didn't take it more seriously. Anyway, everything will be all right. Try not to worry...

Latasha: Thanks, Dad! You might not be perfect, but you are MUCH better than Mom! So, please, don't tell her... I don't trust her, anymore.

Jimmy Reed: I promise, honey. I don't trust her, myself.

Latasha: I'm gonna talk to my teacher about this. I'll talk to you, later.

Jimmy Reed: Sure thing! You take it easy, sweetheart!

*That Evening*

Cynthia: Latasha! How's the school trip? I'm out drinking with my old friends!

Latasha: Glad you're having fun! How's Carmen?

Cynthia: She's still at Grandma's. She told me she didn't wanna go home, lol! Maybe she'll move in with her! Haha! She might never come back, lol!

Latasha: Really? Carmen said that?

Cynthia: Yeah! I was pretty surprised too, lol!

Latasha: You're unbelievable, Mom! Carmen, she's right next to me! She's fast asleep. Dad and I found her!

Cynthia: What?

Latasha: We found her at a train station in Sacramento! She was there all by herself! You realize that?!

Cynthia: What? Wait, what are you talking about?

Latasha: Stop playing dumb with me! She almost had a heat stroke! Why did you leave her there?!

Cynthia: Wait! What about your school trip?

Latasha: What do you think?! I left early! My teacher drove me here! Dad came, too - even though he had work!

Cynthia: What? Why though, lol? Just leave her there! Grandma will be back soon, anyways! You two worry too much!

Latasha: What? Grandma, she's on vacation. She won't be back for two days. You know how she feels about the latest technology, so we had no way to contact her. Her neighbours told us where she went, though. Anyway, Carmen could've been seriously hurt! You realize that?!

Cynthia: Aren't you overreacting, a bit? Just come home, okay? We can talk about this.

Latasha: Huh? We're never going back!

Cynthia: What?!

Latasha: I know why you're like this to Carmen... I know everything! I'll never forgive you, Mom! I'm gonna take care of Carmen, from now on!

Cynthia: What?! You got this all wrong...

Latasha: You're dead to me! Go to hell, Mom!

Cynthia: What?! Latasha! *missed call* Latasha! Pick up!

*A Few Minutes Later*

Cynthia: Hey! Where are you?! Are you with Latasha?

Jimmy Reed: Yeah...

Cynthia: Can you talk to her for me? Tell her this is all a misunderstanding!

Jimmy Reed: Yeah, I don't think so! I should've known better! You're a terrible person, Cynthia! You done crossed a line! Multitudes of lines, in fact!

Cynthia: What? What are you saying? Why do you guys care about Carmen, anyway? She's dumb and ugly! We already got Latasha! Forget about Carmen! That's why I took her to Sacramento!

Jimmy Reed: What the bloody hell is wrong with you, Cynthia? She's your daughter, for God's sake! You're unbelievable! I can't believe that you're the woman that I chose to marry!

Cynthia: What? So this is my fault, now? Listen up. I'm the one that gave birth to them. I'm their mother! Their job is to make me proud! It's the least they can do! But Carmen...

Jimmy Reed: You've said enough! Stop talking! As a mother, you're supposed to love and support your children! Not treat them as if they were disposable property!

Cynthia: But think about it! What if Carmen was never born? That would've been so much better! Listen, let's just leave Carmen in Sacramento. What do you think?

Jimmy Reed: You disgust me! That is no way for a mother to regard her own daughter! No wonder she's been crying to me, so much! And to think that I've been giving her false reassurance about you loving her! Because I didn't want to think that my wife could feel differently about our own daughter!

Cynthia: Huh?

Jimmy Reed: All you care about is looks! So much so that you had the audacity to abandon our daughter alone in a big city... just because you think she doesn't look pretty! Not that our children are even under any obligation to make us proud - but, seeing as how that's so important to you, I have news for you! Carmen passed the Global Mathematics Certification.

Cynthia: Wait.. What?!

Jimmy Reed: Last week's parents' day... Latasha was there. They announced it in front of the whole class.

Cynthia: Seriously? I had no idea!

Jimmy Reed: The teacher said she was a genius. She said that she might win the Nobel prize someday.

Cynthia: Nobel prize?! That's amazing! I had no idea Carmen was so talented! When are you guys coming home?! We gotta celebrate!

Jimmy Reed: You're joking me, right? You were hellbent on writing off Carmen because you thought she wasn't pretty enough, you didn't even bother to pay any attention to her! What kind of a mother are you?! In fact, she was hoping that maybe... just maybe... you would one day show her the same love and affection that you show Latasha. That's why she wanted you to be there, in fact. She was trying to EARN your love. She was hoping that you would REWARD her by loving her. No kid should have to feel like they need to earn their parent's love, Cynthia! But you don't even care! You're deplorable!

Cynthia: Of course I care! And look whose talking! You're the one that's always working!

Jimmy Reed: Well, I will contend that I haven't been the epitome of an attentive parent. However, I also recognized the error of my ways - and I apologized to them with sincerity. From this day forward, I will work hard to make amends for having been a workaholic. As soon as Latasha expressed her concerns with me about your treatment of Carmen, I knew how much both of my girls meant to me. That's why I took Carmen out for ice cream, that night. To show her that she has at least one loving parent!

Cynthia: Fine, then! I'll apologize, too! Just come home already! How long are you guys gonna stay there?

Jimmy Reed: We're not coming home!

Cynthia: Huh?!

Jimmy Reed: I want a divorce! I'll send the papers over, tomorrow. It's over! What you did to Carmen is inexcusable and unforgivable! I might've made mistakes as a parent by putting too much focus into my job - but abandoning Carmen in Sacramento was no mistake! Apples and oranges.

Cynthia: What?! You can't do that! Go to hell! I'll never sign them!

Jimmy Reed: Fine, then! I guess we'll see you in court! I also plan to charge you with child abandonment and child endangerment!

Cynthia: Why? They're my daughters! I can do what I want with them! You can't take them away from me!

Jimmy Reed: Ugh! Listen, Cynthia! You abandoned Carmen. You left her in the streets all be herself! You're never seeing them, again! Deal with it! The last thing I want to happen is for you to abandon Carmen in Canada, next! Or Russia! I'm gonna take care of them from now on!

Cynthia: No! Wait! Hold on! You're not taking them away from me! They're my daughters! They'll never leave me like this!

Jimmy Reed: If you wanna talk to them yourself, fine - but... I think their minds are made up...

*Afterwards*

Latasha: She actually came to talk to us, after that. Did she really think we'd choose her over Dad? She wanted to take us on a vacation to "make it up" to us. Needless to say, we refused. She already bought tickets, so she asked her friends to go with her - but, they all said no with her. Anyways, when we told her that we never wanted to see her again... she flipped out. She started screaming like a lunatic. But then the neighbours called the cops on her. She ended up getting arrested. I guess she got what she deserved, lol. She's still trying to fight the divorce, but it wasn't looking good for her. It appears that she'll also have to pay us some compensation money for what did to Carmen. When Grandma returned from her vacation, we explained to her what had happened - and she was horrified! She ended up disowning Mom for that - and she let Dad, Carmen, and me stay with her for awhile. As we said before, she might be a bit old-fashioned - but her home and yard is very cozy and charming. She wonders where she went wrong as a parent and a person with raising Mom, but we all tell her not to be so hard on herself. Eventually, though, we plan to move out into a new house close to Grandma - so that we can continue to visit her regularly. It's a very exciting opportunity for us. I'm just glad Mom's out of our lives, now. Carmen finally made peace with knowing that Mom will never love her - but she doesn't want love from such a deplorable person, anyway! Neither do I! Time to move on!

Day Sixteen - Last Day in Tokyo and Home

22nd November 2022

Tokyo and Home

Our last day in Japan and we still have so much to do. We checked out of our accommodation and went straight for Akihabara and Tokyo Skytree.

Super Potato has all the best, nostalgic video games and memorabilia. It’s almost a museum at the same time it’s a shop, and on the top floor — a retro arcade with a snack shop. I could spend HOURS in there looking at all the second hand games for every console. I bought some Kirby stuff and candy. Then we made our way to the Skytree.

I managed to find another tomato ramen place but it wasn’t exactly the same - which makes me think it’s a franchise and they could all be different. Maybe we got lucky! It was still great though.

At sky tree we went up to the top to see all of Tokyo. Not only do they have another Pokémon centre there but also a Kirby cafe. I really wanted to go but they were booked out.

We had to bust it back to the airport for our flight and this is the worst part.

The airport closed all their shops and restaurants at 5pm and there was one open, but the line was too long for it to even be worthy. I wanted for 45 mins and got to the front to be told they were closing and my food will still be 30 mins and we might not make our flight… so I had to wait and have food from the plane. Horrible. Seriously. I hope they sorted that out now!!

Aside from some small things, which I’m sure they can fix soon.

TRAVEL IS BACK BABY IG post: "Last Day in Tokyo 😭🍜

Maybe I should just post all the food that I wanted to eat today because it turned out that we missed dinner because the airport closed all its restaurants before we got there. We lined up for the only place for almost half an hour and we’re told that most of the food was sold out, last order was in 4 minutes and it could take more than 30mins to make a hot dog.

I dunno man.

Anyway. Starbucks for breakfast. Then we found another Tomato Ramen (so gooood! I’m going to try and recreate it next week!) and had the cheesy dumplings again too. Ben had Orange Chicken so he was happy.

Then it was just plane food 🙃🙃

Until next time Japan. ✌️" "

After (more than) two weeks (not including travel days) abroad, today we make our way home. But first — back to Tokyo to do some things we didn’t get a chance to.

First up, Akihabara to go to Super Potato. A retro game store. 4 floors of nostalgia and video games. It’s so much fun to see!

Then we headed to Tokyo Skytree. The “second tallest building in the world”. Apparently. It’s pretty bloody tall, I’ll give them that! We had issues with the airport transfer… even though it said to buy tickets on the bus… we apparently needed to make a reservation more than a day in advance. So, we ended up having to catch a taxi to the airport … then when we got to Haneda airport. Nothing was open. No restaurants or shops. It was only 7pm. I was so confused and hungry.

I guess travel isn’t back to what it used to be, but it was still so good to be able to have an adventure again. ✈️"

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Honey-Truffle Brown Butter Recipe

If you're a fan of Italian cuisine and unique flavor combinations, you may have heard of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Honey-Truffle Brown Butter, a delicious and indulgent dish that combines the sweet flavor of sweet potato with the rich and earthy taste of truffle. Drawing from our experience, we can attest that Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Honey-Truffle Brown Butter is a unique and satisfying dish that's perfect for a special occasion or a cozy night in. The combination of pillowy soft gnocchi, sweet potato, and the rich and buttery sauce creates a unique and flavorful taste that's sure to impress any dinner guest. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner, there are plenty of Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Honey-Truffle Brown Butter recipes available that are easy to follow and use simple ingredients that can be found at most grocery stores. In this article, we'll take a closer look at Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Honey-Truffle Brown Butter, its variations, and some tips and tricks to help you create a perfect dish every time. More Delicious Recipes You Will Love: - Sticky Toffee Pudding – Rose And Crown Pub And Dining Room - Sweet Potato Pancakes Recipes – Boatwright Dining Hall - Maple Creme Brulee Cupcakes: A Disney-Inspired Recipe Sorry for the looooong abscence… I was certainly gone longer then I’d ever dreamed I would be.  Unfortunately, illness, website problems, a new job, and yes, even a Disney trip kept me pretty occupied. Of course the illness and website problems were kind of miserable, but I wish I could say that new jobs and Disney trips were my legitimate excuses for falling behind in life. Usually it’s a combination of children, an inability to be on time, and sheer laziness that present special challenges for me… But that’s a different topic for a different blog! While I was at Disney, not only did I have an utterly awesome, amazing time (people, the new Fantasyland looks awesome. Seriously.), but I came back with a new cookbook focused on Disney holidays and seasons. Turned out that was a better-than-anticipated addition to my library, as I also brought back a monstrous cold that, 10 days later, is still making me miserable. As a result of my cold and my longing for Disney, I seem to crave a steady supply of Disney-related, seasonably appropriate comfort food that requires little-to-no effort to prepare on my part, something this cookbook has in abundance. Ironically, the first recipe I pulled from this cookbook actually wasn’t all that easy to prepare (or should I say, it was easy, but it was time consuming), but because it has it’s roots in one of the best places to eat at Disney, Artist Point, I had to make it.  Sometimes nostalgia and an overwhelming desire to eat well trumps convenience. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve only had gnocchi once in my life, at Le Cellier actually, and while I liked it, I’m basically clueless on how to make it. I get the principle behind this potato-based dumpling, and I know it’s a favorite to prepare on shows like “Top Chef,” and I know it’s an “in” food right now, however, that food trend has yet to hit our area of New Hampshire. Such is the fate of those of us who live in an area where it’s Chilis, Applebees, Taco Bell, or bust.  Seeing as I wanted to try something different (and I over-bought on sweet potatoes), this recipe was a great fit, though not without it’s challenges. First, I’ll say that roasting the potato as opposed to boiling it was genius, as it both brought out the sweet, caramel-sugar taste of the potato, and it got me out of actually peeling a potato, my least favorite kitchen job. By roasting it, the skin was easier to peel than an orange. Already, huge win in my book. While I’m sure it’d have gone faster to peel, boil, and mash the potato, the taste was noticeably better after roasting and if cooking it for an hour gets me out of peeling, then I’ll do it with a big smile on my face. However, like most people I suspect, I don’t have a potato ricer… But I did have a large strainer and a spoon which I used instead (and when that didn’t go fast enough, an over-sized glass tumbler to mash it through the strainer). While it gave me the desired effect, it did take forever to do and, unfortunately, I think that simply mashing the potato wouldn’t give you the consistency needed for the dough. Next time, I’m using my Salad Shooter (yes, I own one…  Don’t judge) or a regular cheese grater since I realized that would be faster and as effective after it was too late for me to do anything about it. Second issue was that, after adding all of it together, I added either too much flour or used too little sweet potato. I added water to help get the dough to the right consistency, but in hindsight, I’ll probably go with more like 1.5 pounds of sweet potato as opposed to 1 pound. Sweet potato is easy to store and freeze and I think the flavor is only helped by adding more sweet potato instead of water. But that said, even with water added, the sweet potato flavor was very pronounced and utterly delicious. For those who don’t have truffle oil, simply use another infused oil that compliments sweet potatoes, olive oil, or just leave it out.  While the truffle oil does give a nice hint of flavor, it’s not something you need. I’d probably make it without next time. I also have to plead guilty to the fact that by the time I got to the 4th or 5th portion of the dough, I was tired (did I mention I’m still sick?) so my cutting of the gnocchi wasn’t as uniform as it could have been… It certainly didn’t look like Artist Point and it won’t go down as the prettiest dish I’ve ever made (I thought it looked like little orange scallops), but holy cow, did it taste awesome. I love the buttery sweetness of the drizzle and the sweet potato flavor, which I was worried would be lost behind the butter, was perfect. Maybe I’d add less butter next time, and I’d certainly try harder to make it look nicer, but other then that, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m even tempted to add this to my Thanksgiving dinner… And, a special note for my sister (and anybody else who cares)… This freezes beautifully. Freeze it in a boil-safe bag and then, when it’s time to eat, drop the bag in boiling water, make and add the butter when you’re ready to serve, and you’re done. In addition to the delicious food and recipes, Disney World is also known for its unique dining experiences, such as character dining and themed restaurants. Whether you want to have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, dine in a replica of a sci-fi drive-in theater at Hollywood Studios, or enjoy a meal with an ocean view at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot, there's something for everyone. And with the help of Recipes Today and the How to Make category, you can even recreate some of these magical dining experiences in your own home. So why not start planning your next Disney-inspired meal or dining experience today? Read the full article

Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Manila Offers Special Opening Promotion

The Westin brand is finally back in the Philippines with a spanking new hotel located in the bustling Ortigas business and commercial district. Filipinos fondly remember the Westin Philippine Plaza as one of the premiere hotels in the country until it changed names and management in 2006. Now, Westin is truly back for good as The Westin Manila opened its doors last month with an exciting opening promotion for its buffet lunch and dinners at Seasonal Tastes. Aside from the regular discount to be given to diners, followers and readers of The Hungry Kat can get a further 20% discount by using the special promo code KAT20! I’ll tell you more about this later on.

The Westin Manila is a 303-room wellness-inspired premium hotel with services and programs thoughtfully designed with each guest's well-being in mind. You can find it along San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Street, just walking distance to Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM Megamall. The Westin Manila offers a holistic approach to hospitality, with each of the six pillars of the Westin brand thoughtfully developed to help you Sleep Well, Eat Well, Feel Well, Move Well, Work Well, and Play Well.

The Hungry Kat was invited to experience Westin’s Eat Well program last Friday so it was a great opportunity to try the newest hotel buffet in the city. Seasonal Tastes is Westin Manila’s all-day dining restaurant on the hotel’s mezzanine floor.

The bright and spacious restaurant comes with plenty of seating options. You can sit near the windows facing the busy streets below, or choose one of the tables closer to the live interactive buffet kitchen serving signature global cuisines and local comforts. They also have a private dining room for those intimate occasions.

Helmed by Executive Chef Rej Casanova, Seasonal Tastes lets diners explore the different specialty dishes from East to West. As an opening promotion, Westin Manila is offering their daily Lunch Buffet at only P1,990 nett per person from its regular rate of P2,350 nett per person.

It’s Seafood Night at Seasonal Tastes on Friday and Saturday as they offer the Seafood Dinner Buffet at only P3,000 nett per person from its regular rate of P3,200 nett. But that’s not all, because The Hungry Kat is giving its readers a special 20% discount on top of the lunch and dinner promo rates just by mentioning the code KAT20 when you make your reservations. The same 20% discount can also be applied on a la carte orders. This special promotion is only available until June 30, 2023.

So what can you find at the Seafood Dinner Buffet? Let’s start at the Cheese and Charcuterie Station which offers a variety of hams and cheese cuts together with breads and dips.

The Make Your Own Salad Station offers a healthier way to start your journey. These leafy greens and vegetables come with several dressings to choose from.

There’s also a sushi and sashimi station nearby where you can grab a few slices of Tuna Sashimi paired with some maki rolls. Make sure to get some wasabi and light soy sauce for your plate.

Now let’s go to the main buffet table where our adventure truly begins. You can find assorted dimsum here including siopao, siomai, dumplings, and others.

There are several Asian Dishes on display here like the Sweet Chili Emperor Fish and the Seafood Hokkien Noodles. These Chinese cuisine seafood specialties will surely tickle your taste buds.

The local favorite Beef Caldereta is also featured at the Asian Station. Seafood Night brings out a lot more than just seafood as diners will really enjoy the exciting mix of dishes and cuisines.

For those who want rice to go with their dishes, you can choose from the Seafood Fried Rice or the Mixed Paella which both offer complete meals by themselves.

Another Japanese treat is also on display here as the Mixed Tempura comes with a combination of shrimp and vegetable tempura. I always look for tempura whenever I go to a hotel buffet and Seasonal Tastes does not disappoint with their crunchy ebi tempura.

From Asia, it’s now time to head West as we explore the different Western Dishes on the buffet table. The Baked Salmon is a very creamy seafood dish offering tender salmon cuts baked to cheesy perfection. Other seafood options include the Pollock on Cream Sauce and the Cioppino which is an Italian-American fish stew.

Popular meaty items such as the Beef Salisbury and the Herb Roasted Pork Belly create the perfect surf and turf combinations for your plate.

Over at the Carving Stations, the Baked Emperor Fish proudly sits on its throne as diners can enjoy all these beautiful seafood offerings.

The main attraction at the carving station is the Slow Roasted US Beef Short Plate. Ask the server for a slice or two and have it seared according to your preferred doneness. Add some roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes plus a touch of gravy to complete your plate of beefy goodness.

The highlight of the Seafood Dinner Buffet is, of course, the seafood! There are several Fresh Seafood Stations all throughout the buffet area where you can find the freshest crab legs, curacha, prawns, mussels, clams, squid, and more.

At the Asian station, you can ask the chefs to use these seafood ingredients for your Singaporean Laksa, Clear Chicken Soup, or Signature Biang Biang Nian noodles.

Better yet, simply fill your plate with all the seafood that you like and ask the chef to cook it in glorious garlic and butter. There are several other ways of enjoying your fresh seafood like having it cooked in chili garlic or simply having it grilled. There’s plenty of time to explore and enjoy all these possibilities during the Seafood Dinner Buffet.

Don’t forget about desserts because the Dessert Station comes with a lot of sweet and tempting items. Take a look at these mini cakes, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, leche flan, and S’mores Brownies topped with chocoalte “seafood.”

There’s also halo halo, ice cream, fruits, and a crepe station that prepares your freshly made crepes on the spot. Top it with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup to complete your adventure.

Executive Chef Rej Casanova also presented a sample of other specialty dishes which you can expect to find at Seasonal Tastes. He also explained Westin’s Eat Well program and how he and his team tries to make healthier versions of each dish with ingredients responsibly and sustainably sourced. The hotel’s Lobby Lounge actually has its own Eat Well menu. Chef Rej is the best man for the job as he recently won a plant-based dish competition held by the Marriott Group for Asia Pacific.

Seasonal Tastes at The Westin Manila is sure to be the next big hotel dining destination, especially for those living or working in the Ortigas area. Book your tables now while the hotel is not so full yet, and make sure to take advantage of  The Hungry Kat’s promotional code KAT20 to get an extra 20% discount at Seasonal Tastes. See you there!

The Westin Manila

San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Drive, Ortigas Center

8256-2020

www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mnlwp-the-westin-manila-sonata-place

www.facebook.com/westinmanilahotel