#and thus is a cranky muffin

[roseandbee]

* kisses forehead *

[casadepalermo]

Hi! Well I don't know how to begin or what to say. Aren't I awkward? But well I saw your post about being out of ideas. And as I know how awful writer's block is (I'm struggling with a fic rightnow, not to mention the number of published and unpublishe WIPs I have😅) I thought maybe then I'll try to help. But I don't know what to ask🤷🏻‍♀️. So here, give me your meta for Martín.

Hope this helps at least a little😊.

I’d be interested in hearing about them! Definitely shoot me a message! :) Is your ao3 name the same as this?

Martín has an addictive personality. He’s portrayed as an alcoholic. It’s most likely he has relapsed in his recovery in the past before he heard of Berlin’s death and reunited with Sergio. This means he not only has a dependence on alcohol but also a dependency on altering his state of mind when he feels out of control— this could extend beyond alcohol and into cautious or risky tries with other addictive substances. We know that Martín likes to drink socially based on flashbacks. I find it more likely that based on what we know, it would have been Martín and not Mónica who went straight for the drugs once things went bad in the heist. In fact I would not be surprised if Martín dipped into the governor of the banks stash.

We don’t see Martin drinking anything other than basically tea or milk besides alcohol. Those are drinks that people use sooth the stomach. My guess is Palermo loves sugar and sweets and this could be something he developed as a coping mechanism for while making the transition into sobriety. The damn man managed to find an entire tray of muffins and kept them all to himself! His tea is probably filled with too much sugar which defeats the purpose of tea soothing the stomach. He probably eats a lot of pastries and things which makes him feel sick— thus the glass of milk. He gets cranky when he doesn’t get his sugar fix.

Martín might cry but Palermo doesn’t. The only excuse is if someone is dying. Palermo has a hard exterior but it’s mostly an act. We see him function very differently as Martin or in the company of people who know him as ‘Martin’. The whole point of his “Boom boom ciao” speech was to drive a wedge between himself and the rest of the gang— Palermo acts like a misogynist in this scene, overly so. He’s trying to put the gang at length because the only person he loved as ‘Martín’ rejected him and left when Andrés chose Sergio’s plan over his. Palermo is telling the truth when he says he doesn’t love anyone. But ‘Palermo’ is also nothing more than desperate and defensive maneuver that functions as Martin’s alter ego— Martin loves deeply and very passionately whether romantic or platonic. We can see the ‘Palermo facade’ crumble and fall apart to reveal only Martin after Nairobi’s savage verbal showdown and then again when he hears/sees the shot ring out as Nairobi dies. Palermo doesn’t cry with heart wrenching sobs that leave him snotty and with a face of his own spit and drool; but Martín absolutely does.

In the same vein, ‘Palermo’ is strictly a top in bed. He says so, why would he lie? Power and control come into play when people have sex but that doesn’t necessitate this to be at odds with an individual’s personality. Under the facade of ‘Palermo’ Martin is controlling the entire narrative. If ‘Palermo’ is a defensive mechanism than so are Palermo’s actions— ie Palermo never bottoms because Martin most likely does from time to time and his insistence on the contrary seems to indicate some sort of shameful idea of self worth or image that he associates with the idea of “bottoming”. But as I mentioned, personality doesn’t change. Martin is an extremely smart engineer which means he has to have an open mind; I would use the word “versatile” for the real Martin because that curious nature is also a part of his personality that plays into being an engineer— he likes to use his brain and solve and discover things. If only for the satisfaction of personal knowledge of what being a bottom is and using that newfound knowledge to please his partner, I think Martin would definitely have tried both ways in bed. However Martín is quite multifaceted at times with his moods and with that as an integral part of his personality we see his need to feel as if he is in control. When he does bottom he is most likely considered very pushy or a power bottom, meaning he acts and behaves as a ‘top’ but is physically the bottom and controls the interaction between the two individuals

[diaryformytravels]

#27 Orlando (Day 1)

For the first time in Blog history, it’s both J-Dawg, and the M-inator writing the same blog!!! We thought if only one person wrote it, it would drive them mental and it the end product, would be very similar to Auschwitz!!!

The alarm was set for 5:50, thus we woke at the crack at of dawn. We got ready and ate breakfast and were ready to go at 6:15am as agreed the previous night. Of course at this time, nobody else was ready. Fun fact, they tease Morgs for eating chocolate all the time, yet they gave Max a large chocolate muffin for breakfast. So off we set at 6:25am to be there at 6:30am to beat some of the crowds. Last night we told them that when we looked it up, it said we needed to be there no later than 90 minutes before the park opens at 7am. Of course there was no way we were gonna be able to get MMM to Hollywood Studios at 5:30am, so we told them that that is what the site said, but let’s try aim for 6:30 instead. They agreed and said it wouldn’t be that busy. Come 6:38am when we get dropped off, its is absolutely packed. Cue shocked faces from the hitler crew. 

We rushed into the park, getting our bags checked and Disney cards loaded with our ID’s to get into the park. We then hastily made our way to the entrance of the new Galaxy’s Edge Star Wars World, along with the other 7000 people. We figured out you could join a virtual queue that places you in a group for one of the busier rides, Rise of the Resistance. The queue opened at 7am, so everyone was ready to pounce on their phones at 6:59. J was in charge of doing this and he secured us with group 18, it then said it would notify us when to go board the rides queue. (There were over 130 groups, so this was a score, yay me!). 

First ride we did was called The Hollywood Tower, and was eerily similar to Gold Coasts ‘Tower of Terror’, we were unsure what the ride had in store, but before joining the queue, the spooky look of the tower had Max almost in tears, after a tantrum. Also someone kept farting horribly in the line, disgusting. The ride was quite fun and bit creepy, with lots of jumps and falls, but with only a single seatbelt keeping us in our chair, we questioned the safety behind this ride. 6/10.

Ride number 2 was our first Star Wars ride. It was called ‘Star Tours’ and was a 4D ride. It was pretty cool and was based on the most recent Star Wars movie. We were lead on a wild goose choose, by C3-PO and he was actually there with us in person 😉. 6/10.

We got our notification for Rise of the Resistance, and head straight on over for our third ride of the day. We asked how long the queue was, but they refused to give an answer every time, Michelle did not like this at all and whined a lot. The Star Wars world itself was really care and you could tell Disney went all out, and we were thinking the queue would be really cool with lots of Star Wars references in it. For the first 20 minutes it was quite disappointing, with some more feral farts, but then suddenly we were captured by the First Order and it was really funny, because the employees were pretending to be mean and yelling at everyone and insulting everyone, eg. Someone was leaning on the wall in the line and one of the First Order Captains came over and stared at him 10cm away from his face and said “Do you own this wall?” the guy replied laughing, “No...”, the captain replied quickly, “Then why are you touching it?”. It was very funny and everyone couldn't stop laughing. Then the ride actually begun and it was so much fun, it was kind of like transformers, but without the the 3D glasses, the effects were phenomenal and there were no obvious tracks of where we were going. The ride was us escaping a Star Destroyer and away from Kylo Ren. 9/10.

Next was the ‘Rock’n’Roll’ coaster, but before, Morgs and I decided to get a cookie because we were a bit peckish (it’s now 10:30am). As we got to the front of the line and ordered our two cookies, Max suddenly appears, “I want a cookie too”. Too late bucko! Ride was fun, same as the Paris one. 7.5/10.

By this stage Michelle was getting cranky because she hadn't had her coffee yet, so she went and lined up at Starbucks, and sent us two with Max to get a hotdog. The funny thing is, the hot dog stand was where we bought the cookies, right next to the rollercoaster, that we just left. Fuckwit. I took Max and Morgs had a look in Pandora, and bought herself a new ring. 

Next was a show!! Beauty and the Beast live! This was fantastically hilarious because of how shocking it was. The only 3 people who had mics could not sing, it was so bizarre. And again! The farts were here again! Is there a pattern forming? Morgs says 0/10. Jasper says 10/10. 

Then we went to another show. The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. This was a bit of a yawn and a boy show, surrounded by noisy, crying children. Before the show even started, we could taste yet another fart! If you haven’t caught on, Max has been letting them rip all day. He is without a doubt, the most disgusting creature to ever plague this earth. The show had volunteers from the audience and one was a plant and he started doing stunts and Morgs was shocked, until she figured it out. 3/10. Would have been 1/10 if not for the plant. 

Next was lunch! We had booked an Italian restaurant and headed there right after Indiana Jones. The food was pretty good, but I think the highlight was a text that Michelle got, and showed us, when Max went to the toilet by himself. The message read as follows:  “Mum are you there? Can I do a number 2, the bathroom is very clean. Respond fast” 

Now in the rain we made our way to some shops and did some browsing, then went to Toy Story Land. Max cracked the shits because we didn't wait 35 minutes to go on the kids roller coaster. 

Next on the cards was the other new Star Wars ride, The Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Again we had no idea what we were going into, but it was a 55 minute wait, so it must have been good. Max of course hated this idea and threw yet another tantrum, but luckily no more farts. The ride ended up being an interactive almost video game like ride, but still like a 4D ride. It was something else. So much fun, Max and Michelle were piloting, Morgs and I were shooting, and two randoms were the engineers. 9/10. 

By this stage we were all shutting down (4pm now), did some more shopping and then Mikko came and collected us and took us home for a rest before dinner at Disney Springs. 

Dinner was at a Mexican restaurant which had fantastic guacamole that reminded us of Zambreros ❤️. We played uno and then did a recon at the big shops there for when we purchase on Saturday. 15 minutes into looking at shops, Max cracked it because Mum wasn't letting him buy a $300 replica lightsaber. Since Max cracked...so did Mikko and he decided it was time to leave because he was ready to go now. We took our time in that store, and then Michelle informed them we were still going to Kate Spade, cue angry Fins. 

Now back at home on our new couch bed living the high life. Should be better nights sleep on this than the single-double bed. 

God bless, and Godspeed. 

M&J

[rannadylin]

Hug prompts: #2. Sleepy hug for anyone

Sleepy sibling hug time! Also on AO3.

Bedtime Story

“...Three,four, five,” Audie counted heads as the younger Itzli girls scattered to theirbedrooms amidst groans of bedtime protest. She reached the end of her count atthe door to the hall, through which her oldest sister was just entering, “andVioletty makes...six?” She frowned. “Should be seven. Who’s missing?”

“Oh, dear,” Violet said, earslowered as she peeked back out into the hall. “I thought I sent them all upahead of me.”

A quick round of peeking into therooms clustered around the common room solved the mystery: Lottie’s tower roomwas empty, with no sign of her in bed or hiding behind bookcases, and noresponse when they hollered to see if she’d climbed up into the attic. Theolder sisters exchanged a calculating glance.

“I’ll check the attic,” Audievolunteered with a smirk. “Don’t want you getting all that dust in your hairnow that it’s growing back out finally.”

“It’s not too long to wash,you know,” Violet protested, but she accepted Audie’s division of labornonetheless and headed back downstairs to scour the manor for her missingsister.

Reading in the parlor? No, thatroom was empty. Still at the dining table, lost in the book she’d been readingthrough most of dinner? No sign there of Lottie or the book. Nor was she in thekitchen for a late-night snack. Violet made her way through the chapel, theschoolroom (where Lottie and her twin were now the eldest of the family-taughtItzlis, due to go off to calpulli school with their older siblings the nextseason), the library, but all was silent.

The hall ended at the door toPapa’s study. Violet hesitated. Her parents were away for the weekend -- thusher return from the temple housing to look after the younger children in theirabsence. She had envisioned a fun time, catching up with her siblings, savoringAudie’s cooking and maybe trying to throw together some of those berry muffinsthe cooks at the temple had been making lately. Misplacing a sister wasn’t inthe plans.

Papa’s study wasn’t reallyoff-limits, but the children seldom found reason to intrude there anyway.Still, she had to keep looking till every sibling was safely accounted for, soViolet quietly eased the door open.

Lottie had made a nest for herselfthere on the rug in front of the cold fireplace. Books surrounded her, more ofthem open than those that were closed and stacked up. Ink smudged her cheekwhere she had fallen asleep right on top of the parchment she was apparentlytaking notes on. Violet smiled and crept in, bending to scoop the little girlup as gently as she could.

Lottie awakened only enough tomurmur, “Mrrrnviiiioly?” or something to that effect as Violet eased a fragileold tome out of her small fist and tucked her sister against her shoulder.

“Yes, it’s Violy,” Violet whisperedback. “How long have you been in here? Goodness, Lottie, did you leave any ofPapa’s books on the shelves?”

Lottie’s reply was no morecomprehensible than her greeting, so Violet left the books where they were, aproblem for the morning, and headed back toward the stairs. Half-asleep, hersister continued mumbling, apparently a summary of her evening’s research, butViolet couldn’t make sense of the least part of it. So she made encouragingnoises in response till they reached the girls’ common room. Audie, combingcobwebs out of her hair, grinned to see the prodigal returned. “She forgotwhere she sleeps, huh?”

“Wore herself out over research,apparently,” Violet said. 

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I’m sure it won’t be the last.Just wait till she starts school.” 

She reached Lottie’s tower at lastand tucked her into bed. Stirred by the shift, Lottie blinked up at her for amoment and muttered something that definitely ended in “...book?”

“We’ll put them away in themorning,” Violet began, but Lottie looked so stricken, she glanced around theroom and grabbed the first book she saw -- a compendium of Aedyran fables,apparently. “Surely you’re too tired to read any more now, though,” she said,starting to worry she’d have a cranky, sleep-deprived sister to deal with atbreakfast. But Lottie, still more than half asleep, only snatched the book fromher with a smile, hugging it to her chest; and then she reached for Violet,pulling her into a hug as well, awkward with the book sandwiched between them.In a moment, she was asleep again, curled up around the book.

“Well,” came Audie’s voice softlyfrom the doorway. “Don’t think that’s how bedtime stories are supposed to work,but it’s good enough for me.”

[pengiesama]

A Reasonable Amount of Trouble (Fic, Sorey/Mikleo, Detective AU, Chapter 1/?)

Title: A Reasonable Amount of Trouble, Chapter 1/? Series: Tales of Zestiria Pairing: Sorey/Mikleo Summary: Sorey is an experienced member of the supernatural detective division, the Shepherds, but is a fresh face to the city squad when an unexpected transfer lands him in Lastonbell. Things tend to get complicated when you realize that hot hookup from the bar last night is now your new partner on the force. (Detective AU)

Link: AO3

This was a commission from @shamingcows, who requested fic from her fantastic Detective AU!

Check out my commission info here.

Read on Tumblr!

--

Lastonbell wasn’t a bad assignment.

A major metro center, it was a city known for the arts, theater, and music – and all the accompanying drama that came with it. A writer, wretched with rejection letters, going hellion in the streets; a seraph, strung out on the torrid emotions of starving artists, going missing and turning up a week later rampaging through the commercial district wearing scales. Organized crime rings, trafficking drugs and bodies both, occasionally facing off against each other in the streets.

Sure, it didn’t have the glitz and glamour of Pendrago. But Sorey had gotten too comfortable with the detective beat in Ladylake, and welcomed the change of scenery – but mostly he welcomed the change in local attractions and historical points of interest. When he wasn’t being wined and dined (more like boozed and burgered) by his local friends as part of his farewell festivities, he was scrolling through Lastonbell food and travel blogs and devouring every book about the city’s lengthy history he could get his hands on. These research efforts had a predictable effect on Sorey’s packing efforts, and on the eve of his big move, he had to sheepishly call in a favor to Rose to enlist her help in getting the remainder of his apartment into boxes.

(“I helped you and Alisha move into your place,” Sorey pointed out in response to Rose’s endless griping, over the sounds of packing tape and clattering plates.

“I bought you pizza and beer!” Rose countered. “That debt was paid in full! Man, how many books do you have!? You owe me a night bar-crawling in Lastonbell for this. While I wear a crown. And you’re carrying me on one of those fancy back carriage thingies.”

“Palanquin,” Sorey informed her.

“Gesundheit,” Rose blessed him.)

Now that he was in Lastonbell, there was the matter of getting his apartment out of the boxes. Sorey flopped down heavily on one of the few open spots on his couch, and brought out his phone. He’d had a long day, and maybe it was time for him to make use of his extensive city research to check out some of the local bars.

He scrolled through some of the blog posts he had bookmarked, and landed on a name – The Katz Pajamas. It looked way…louder than the bars he tended to frequent. And definitely had a certain vibe to it. A certain vibe that Sorey, stressed and lonely in this big new city, could maybe appreciate tonight.

 --

 Sorey didn’t usually go for casual encounters, much less one-night stands. Even if someone checked all his boxes for physical attraction, he just generally wasn’t interested in anonymous sex with someone he barely knew. There was also the matter of common ground – normal “pickup talk” conversation bored Sorey to tears, and he wasn’t naïve enough to think that most people (or even some people, or a few people) would be interested in what archaeology journals he was reading, or wanted to rant with him about that badly-researched documentary he caught on Netflix the night before.

But there was always an exception to be had, wasn’t there? Especially as a stranger in a strange land.

Which sums up how Sorey wound up with his cock buried hilt-deep inside a guy he picked up at the bar.

His name was Mikleo, and he was a regular at the club, had great taste in books, and was absolutely stunning. He was tall; almost a head taller than Sorey, who was no slouch himself. He had a slim build; light enough for Sorey to pick up and throw onto his bed with ease, with slender wrists just the right size for Sorey’s hands to wrap around. He had legs for days; they were previously showcased in a pair of tight jeans, and were currently wrapped around Sorey’s waist. His eyes were a deep and fascinating violet, his hair was long and wavy white, frosted with pale aquamarine streaks, and – Sorey noted, as he slid a hand through it, prompting Mikleo to damn near purr at the feeling – was just about the softest thing he’d ever felt. Sorey had never gotten with a seraph before, and with how this encounter was going, he wondered why the hell that was.

The second he stepped into the club and had his eyes adjust to the low light, he’d spotted Mikleo at the bar, chatting with the bartender like an old friend. Dumbstruck with how gorgeous he looked in the colored lights and running on fumes and exhausted idiot courage after his long day of moving, Sorey slid up to him in a neighboring seat, and struck up a conversation. About five minutes in, Mikleo was laughing at Sorey’s dumb pickup lines in Ancient Avarost and buying him a drink to welcome him to the city, and Sorey realized that this was the best decision he’d made all day. About ten minutes in, as they crowed together about shitty movie adaptations of the restoration period, Sorey realized this was the best decision he’d made all week. About an hour in, as they ground on each other in the back of a taxi making its way back to Sorey’s place, Sorey realized that he really should have tried harder to unpack, and was about to hook up with a beautiful stranger amidst a maze of cardboard boxes. For his part, Mikleo almost seemed charmed by it all – or at least was too polite to do more than laugh as Sorey scooped him up and carried him bravely through the debris and into his bedroom to ravish him.

Sorey hadn’t really gotten much action since his last relationship about six months back, but managed to last longer than he thought he would with such a mind-blowingly sexy partner. From the look on Mikleo’s face as Sorey carefully pulled out of him, he’d given Mikleo a great ride as well – which was good, as Sorey wanted to at least make Mikleo’s efforts in putting up with his cardboard kingdom worthwhile. Sorey removed his condom and wrapped it in a tissue, and leaned in to kiss Mikleo deeply before he got up to clean up in the bathroom. The smile Mikleo gave to him in return just about killed his desire to leave the bed. Sorey leaned back in for another kiss.

Then another.

Then another.

In the end, Sorey wound up climbing Mikleo like a tree one more time before they collapsed into unconsciousness. The next morning, he wished he had more to offer his houseguest hottie than coffee and a muffin from the chain across the street, but Mikleo took the gift with the same good grace that he put up with Sorey’s bad jokes last night. Sorey really, really wanted to ask him to hang around while he went off to check in at his new station, but couldn’t justify asking him to; not with his apartment…the way it was. Mikleo bid him good luck and farewell, sweeping that silky hair of his over one shoulder as he bent down for a last, long kiss. Belatedly, as he creaked his way out of the taxi and into the station, his whole body aching from moving strain and from screwing Mikleo like his life depended on it, he realized that he hadn’t asked for Mikleo’s number. Sorey’s heart twisted a bit with disappointment.

It was the appeal of one-night stands, he supposed. You meet a gorgeous, brilliant guy, hump his brains out, and then never see him again. No strings. No expectations. Nothing but fun, pleasure, and the lingering memory of Mikleo’s smile burning in his brain like embers.

Sorey hung around the station for a little while, getting his new hire paperwork and greetings out of the way – he had been hoping to meet his new partner, but had been told he was taking a long weekend and would probably be next in the coming week. Sorey supposed it was a blessing in disguise. He was still more than a little cranky from exhaustion, more than a little homesick for Ladylake, and more than a little hung up on a hookup that he had no right to be hung up on. He probably wasn’t in much of a state to be making good impressions on coworkers.

As he headed out for the day, his shoulder devil whispered to him to go back to The Katz Pajamas. Great plan, that – nurse drinks for a few hours, lurk like a creep, and skulk off into the night when Mikleo inevitably didn’t show. His shoulder angel told him to go to the grocery store, pick up some real food, and spend the night and the rest of the weekend unpacking. Sorey hung his head, listened to his shoulder angel’s admonitions, and went to pick up some kitchen supplies.

Well, the joke was on his shoulder angel, because he ran into Mikleo again at the store.

Sorey fell too hard, too fast in his relationships. Thus, he was so bad at one-night stands. So horribly bad. He saw this character flaw of his and tried to keep himself under control, but oh, his heart was singing as he saw Mikleo blinking at him across the freezer section. He looked just as beautiful under the florescent grocery store lights, dressed in a comfy oversized sweater over a button-up, as he did in the neon club dressed in skintight pants and a black choker.

What, exactly, was hookup etiquette in a situation such as this? Was it jogging over to where Mikleo was looking at ice cream bars, striking up a conversation with him, and after another half-hour of wonderful conversation, inviting him back to his cardboard kingdom? Was it popping a boner in the middle of the store like a teenager when Mikleo smirked at him and picked up a 24-pack of condoms from the shelf, and tossed it into his basket next to the ice cream?

This, in fact, was probably not hookup etiquette in any sense of the word. But it netted Sorey another night with Mikleo.

And then a whole day with him, lounging in bed, eating Mikleo’s ice cream bars as they watched documentaries together, idly discussing and debating, Sorey’s head in Mikleo’s lap, trying not to purr as Mikleo pet his hair.

They didn’t leave bed that whole weekend, and Sorey got zero unpacking done, and kind of felt like his dick was going to fall off from using it to nail Mikleo in every position he could. But by god, Sorey didn’t regret a single moment of any of it. As he and Mikleo finally said their farewells to each other early Monday morning, Sorey felt like he was walking on air. Mikleo still had to get back to his place, change, and head off to work, all with Sorey’s hickies marking up his neck, but Sorey now had his number tucked safely into his phone, and a sly little suggestion from Mikleo that they could meet up again sometime if Sorey ever got bored. Sorey dreamily stared at his contact in his phone as the subway rumbled toward the station, his thoughts full of the books he wanted to loan to him, the museums he wanted to visit with him, the things he wanted to keep doing to that firm, tight little ass of his.

The whole weekend combined made it really awkward when the station chief introduced Sorey to his partner on the Shepherd detective force, the seraph specialist Mikleo.

 --

 So, he had had a one-night stand, or rather a one-weekend ice cream-and-debauchery fest, with his now-coworker. Sorey knew that dating at work was bad news, and constantly had to overhear gossip on the latest drama about office hookups in the break room at his old station in Ladylake. He’d thought he was above it all, but alas – karma was a bitch, and it was paying him back by banishing him to the realm of sexual limbo. What had seemed like a sure thing, a great way to start off his life in a new city, now seemed too awkward to even consider as they rolled out in a squad car to investigate their first case.

Sorey couldn’t bear the silence any longer.

“Listen. I am so sorry I didn’t mention where I was going to be working, it’s just, some people get on edge when I say I’m on the force, so I didn’t really want to--”

“It’s fine,” Mikleo said, shortly. “Just – don’t worry about it.”

Sorey managed to stay silent for a few minutes. He did not manage to not worry about it.

“It’s just, we’re going to be working together now, and I had such a great time, I really did, and I don’t want to make things awkward between us--”

“We’re here,” Mikleo informed him. He threw the car into park and unbuckled himself, trying and failing not to look at the wretched look on Sorey’s face. “…listen. I had a great time too, and I don’t blame you for anything. But let’s just focus on the case for now, okay?”

“Yeah…yeah,” Sorey agreed.

The case itself was a pretty standard one. There had been a rash of hellionizations in the area, all producing a certain kind of hellion – goblins, who had an appetite for theft and property vandalism, and also illegal street racing. As was covered in basic Shepherd training, certain types of malevolence tended to create specific breeds of hellion. Goblin hellions grew from turbulent greed and raw gluttony, and the number of cases plus the profile of the area the cases were centered in pointed toward drug-related activity. Lastonbell was a big city, and big cities had drug trafficking problems. And drug trafficking problems led to goblin street races.

“We’ve been making some arrests in the area recently,” Mikleo explained. “All straightforward purify-and-process. Some have had intel on mob activity in the area, but nothing our undercover informants haven’t already gotten us. We’re closing in on the distributors who are likely operating in the area, but we’ll have to monitor to make sure more don’t move in when we take down the current big dogs.”

Nothing Sorey hadn’t already seen in Ladylake. He knew the ins and outs of Ladylake’s streets and back alleys better though, and that made it way easier to break up these goblin races when they went down. He also hadn’t fucked his investigative partner in Ladylake. Lots of new things to consider in his new home.

A commotion interrupted that line of thought – the telltale hooting, hollering, clattering wheels, and cannonball fire of a goblin street race. At the sight of the squad car, they abruptly changed routes down an alleyway. Mikleo smirked and jumped out of the car.

“Right on time,” he said. “Hope you’re up for a chase.”

“You’re on,” Sorey replied, giving him a cheeky little grin.

Mikleo took off like a shot, his long legs and knowledge of the area giving him a solid lead on Sorey. Sorey felt his heart flutter, and not just because of the thrill of the chase. He was so, so bad at hookups.

 --

 Well, the good news was that they caught the speed demons, and the purification process went smoothly. No surprises there – a bunch of petty street punks were no match for Sorey’s knack for purification; the silver flames leaping from his blade and streaking across the ground to burn the taint from their flesh, mind, and souls. He’d been informed his partner was the sharpest shot in the precinct, and he’d lived up to the reputation already; shooting out a wheel axel from one racer, sending him careening into another, setting off a panic among the riders that allowed Sorey to commandeer one of the perps’ carts and ride it, flaming sword held high, rattling and clattering through the streets, his own mighty chariot of justice.

It got results. A crew of beat cops was helping them load the purified perps into a transport car, and a tow truck was on its way to pick up the wrecked carts. That being said, it was clear Mikleo was furious with him about the whole chariot of justice thing, and he wouldn’t even look at Sorey as he read off his report over the radio.

“A half dozen gobblecarters in the slammer in one shot,” one of the beat cops said, admiring. He offered a paw to Sorey to shake. “Not bad for a rookie! Put ‘er there, champ.”

“Hey, I graduated academy five years ago. You’re looking at a seasoned pro, here,” Sorey said. However, he knelt to accept the handshake. “This isn’t even my biggest haul.”

“You tryin’ to impress me or your boyfriend there?” laughed the cop. Mikleo continued to ignore them both. “Don’t look like he’s swayed. Maybe bring in some werewolf pelts and he’ll let you take him out on the town.”

Sorey rumpled the cop’s beret until his paws came up to swipe at him.

“’ey! Knock that off or I’ll report you to HR. Don’t think you special ops bozos get the privilege to touch this fine headgear.”

Leaving the beat cops to coordinate cleanup and transport, Mikleo and Sorey began to make their way back to where they parked the car. Sorey scratched his neck, wincing at Mikleo’s silent treatment.

“…I’ll take care of the paperwork?” Sorey offered.

“I’m sure Captain Strelka will be ecstatic to read it,” Mikleo said dryly. “‘Dear Captain, today I nearly made my partner shoot me by bowling into his line of fire, riding atop essential evidence, streaking through the streets like a flaming comet.’”

“You’re a flaming comet,” retorted Sorey. Mikleo was confused into silence, mouth twisting into a pout, one eyebrow arching. It would be a problem if his partner was this cute, and this easy to rile up. It would be a big problem.

They slid into the squad car, and Sorey yawned and stretched, priding himself on his efforts to not flop one arm around Mikleo’s shoulders.

“But it’s not a bad haul for my first day, you’ve got to admit,” Sorey said. “Can I drive?”

“Not a chance,” Mikleo said, turning on the engine without missing a beat.

Sorey’s eyes were bright with exhilaration. “I think, as my senior, you’ve gotta take it upon yourself to familiarize me with the city. I need to get the lay of the land, you know? Why don’t we go out to the belltower tonight; I’ve always wanted to see it in person.”

Mikleo scoffed. “The belltower? Sure, if you want people to think you’re a tourist.”

“Well,” Sorey drawled. “Would a Lastonbell native instead prefer to be taken out to the exhibition on Avarost-era sculpture at the Historical Art Center?”

“No, a native would more prefer to hit the bar district and then heckle the pretentious performance artists in the college town. But I on the other hand have been meaning to see that exhibit anyway.” Mikleo got them on the road to the station. “As long as it’s not too late when you’re finished with your paperwork back at the station, you can tag along, I guess. And if you can pass a city map test.”

Sorey pumped his fist. Lucky for him, he’d always been good at geography.

[soupoctave1-blog]

Can We Stop Calling Cake "Bread" & Bread "Cake"?

Pop quiz: Which of the following does not belong in the group? Pumpkin bread, persimmon bread, banana bread, gingerbread, cornbread, rye bread, zucchini bread. (Hint: The correct answer has nothing to do with fruits and vegetables.)

I was all ready to say that the outlier on the list is rye bread—the only loaf leavened with yeast (rather than baking powder or baking soda). I was going to say that the rye is a true bread and the others are so called “quick breads”—most of which are actually cakes (with plenty of sugar, butter or other fats, and eggs) baked in loaf pans. For backup, I checked my 1990 edition of Joy of Cooking where you'll find a chapter called “Yeast Breads,” followed by another called “Quick Breads," to wit:

Quick breads are so called because they are quickly mixed and, with the absence of yeast, need no lengthy rising time before baking…These breads encompass not only sweet and savory loaves to serve as mealtime accompaniments or teatime temptations in lieu of yeasted breads, but also corn breads…, spoon breads, sweet morning coffee cakes, muffins, tender biscuits and…scones.

Based on this, I now see how one could argue that yeast breads and quick breads are simply different types of bread. And now, in the interests of transparency (and possible hilarity), I have to admit that I wrote this intro in the 1990 Joy of Cooking! In retrospect, I’m surprised (actually, annoyed) that I didn’t discuss the difference between bread and cake, and point out that many quick breads are really cakes in wolves' clothing.

So I went online, where confusion reigns. Some info is downright ridiculous, and sources tend to quote each other. One source explains that the difference between bread and cake is that cake is light and bread is dense—and this is why banana bread (dense) is bread while zucchini and carrot cakes (light) are cakes. Oy! This is an interesting observation about the textures of things that we bake in loaf pans, but it leads to a silly definition.

I see it from a baker’s point of view: Cakes vary in texture from dense and moist to light and airy, with all kinds of textures in between. Those with a tight crumb that bake nicely in a regular round or square cake pan often bake well (and make nice bread-shaped slices) in loaf pans. When we bake such a cake in a loaf pan, we sometimes call it bread (think banana bread, pumpkin bread). (By the way, loaf pans don’t work well for cakes with lighter and more delicate sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, etc.—so bakers don’t use them for these kinds of cakes.) But does the use of a loaf pan turn a cake into a bread? I don’t think so.

So what's the difference between bread versus cake?

For me, bread is predominantly flour and water and requires yeast and rising before baking. A few are sweet and/or rich (think brioche, Challah, panettone, stolen, babka), but most are not. As such, if you ask me, quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads (like those in the quiz above) are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

Honestly, I don’t care if you call a loaf-shaped cake a bread; I only hope you don’t actually think it is one. Here’s how the issue came up for me recently:

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped into Standard Fare Kitchen and Pantry, a West Berkeley gem where you can enjoy a perfect salad, main dish, or snack served on Heath pottery, and eat them on a sidewalk bench in an industrial (okay, lightly industrial) part of town. I was ordering turmeric tea for my throat and inspecting the baked goods on offer when I saw slices of something dark and moist and laced with tiny black seeds and labeled "Roasted Squash Bread."

"Is that really bread—or cake?" I inquired (because I didn’t have my glasses on).

The young server’s answer was super enthusiastic and (because I was sure she understood the existential nature of my question) almost triumphant. “Bread!” she sang out.

Bread or cake? Photo by James Ransom

I was curious. Expecting a hearty and interesting blend of whole-grain flours and what-have-you, I ordered a slice to share and settled on a bench with my pals. Well, of course it was cake. It was also loaded with garam masala and ginger and had a fine crunch from poppy and chia seeds. I enjoyed it immensely, but could not let go of the fact that the server did not know that the use of a loaf pan does not actually transform a cake into bread—and that the correct interpretation, thus the correct answer to my inquiry should have been "cake."

Quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

My daughter was not present, but she would have been proud of me for not going back into the cafe to lecture the server like a cranky old lady, or even in the nicest possible way. I didn’t. But I did spend a couple of hours creating my own version of roasted squash “bread” with a liberal lashing of garam masala, chia, and poppy seeds. The result is addictive. So here is my homage to Standard Fare’s roasted squash "bread." Mine includes buckwheat flour and is gluten-free and entirely whole-grain, if you choose brown rice flour instead of white rice flour along with the buckwheat flour therein.

Dark & Spicy Roasted Squash "Bread"

View Recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

What's the difference between cake and bread, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23682-difference-between-cake-and-bread

[iamkellyadams]

Natural Sleep Enhancers – When you can’t sleep!

“The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep.”

~ W.C. Fields

Ernestine, a mother of three, recently conquered her battle with sleeplessness.

She’d always had problems sleeping since she was in college. Back then, she worked a shift-based job to support herself.

So Ernestine had to pull “all-nighters” to catch up with her studies, and worked at odd hours.

“This went on for 5 years,” she says. “I’d be up and about when everyone else was asleep…and every day felt like a blur.”

When she got married and had kids, her sleep patterns didn’t improve. Between raising a family, working at the office and spending time with her husband, Ernestine had even less time sleeping.

She explains, “Now that my kids are all in college, I’ve had more time to myself. But all those years of poor sleep have made it hard for me to get a good night’s rest.”

Ernestine found herself tossing and turning in bed, no matter how hard she tried to relax. “I never really complained over the years about not getting enough sleep,” she shares.

“So it’s kind of weird that it’s only been now that I’ve been feeling cranky. It’s probably because I know I’ve got more time to sleep…but actually can’t.”

She tried some over the counter sleep aids to deal with her problem, but it didn’t really do the trick.

Ernestine grew more and more frustrated. She started to lose hope of being able to finally enjoy quality, uninterrupted sleep.

That was when she looked up a sleep specialist named Dr. Davidson. After several consultations, he and Ernestine mapped out some lifestyle and behavioral changes she could start doing.

The surprising part was that Dr. Davidson didn’t prescribe her any medication. Instead, he had her go on natural sleep remedies while sticking to the other new changes he recommended.

In about three months, Ernestine gradually turned the tide. With her new set of sleep-promoting habits and natural remedies, she was able to sleep 8-9 hours straight for the first time in a LONG time.

Sleep, The Natural Way

Getting good shut-eye at night is crucial for us to function properly. Rest gives us the chance to recover from a rough day.

The National Sleep Foundation says that adults need anywhere between 7-9 hours of sleep.

This baseline range gives your body time to repair itself. It also helps your brain to clear waste, as well as improve learning and memory-related functions.

But the reality is that, for one reason or another, millions of people like Ernestine are deprived of this basic need. This can wear down one’s health and create more significant problems later on.

In a study entitled “Drowsy Driving and Automobile Crashes,” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that millions of people fall asleep at the wheel, leading to fatal accidents.

As such, you should get enough quality sleep for your sake, and everyone else.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer any longer – it comes down to modifying your daily habits and using natural sleep methods.

This way, you can stay alert and energized throughout the day, ready to take on any challenge.

Here are some of the best ways to fall asleep without taking the pharmaceutical route:

#1: Scents for Slumber

Most people’s first response to sleeplessness is by washing down some pills. But our body has built-in mechanisms for falling asleep, and it’s just a matter of triggering them.

For instance, your sense of smell is a powerful tool that can help you fall asleep. We take for granted that the nose provides a direct route to the deepest parts of the brain.

In particular, your olfactory nerve is directly connected to limbic system and amygdala, which is in charge of emotional regulation and memory-related functions.

So, the right scents can trigger feelings or even serve as a catalyst for long-buried memories.

A whiff of a particular perfume might remind you of your significant other…

…and a batch of blueberry muffins will flood you with happy memories of baking them at home with your parents.

This fundamental principle is the basis of aromatherapy, a type of natural healing that offers many benefits.

Through essential oils, you can instantly snap out of a bad mood, unwind after a long day, deal with indigestion or get rid of a nasty cold much faster.

The great thing about this is that you won’t experience any of the adverse effects that come with sleeping pills. A study from the University of Minnesota didn’t find any side effects after administering essential oils (such as lavender in particular) to help the participants fall asleep.

Other essential oils suited for sleep include bergamot, eucalyptus, frankincense, clary sage, sandalwood and valerian root.

#2: Eat Tryptophan-Rich Foods

Tryptophan is a compound that can help you doze off because it acts as a building block for feel-good chemicals such as serotonin.

This neurotransmitter is a huge mood-booster and puts you in a relaxed state. Also, tryptophan is transformed into melatonin, a hormone critical for better sleep.

But here’s the thing – your body can’t create this amino acid on its own. Tryptophan needs to come from external sources, such as chicken (and other types of poultry like turkey), dairy (milk, cheese and yogurt), eggs and fish.

But it’s better to consume a minimal amount of carbohydrates along with foods that contain tryptophan. Your body has an easier time absorbing tryptophan when carbs are in your bloodstream as well.

#3: Take More Magnesium

Research from the University of Geneva found that this mineral provides many benefits, including sleeping better at night. Aside from that, magnesium also helps manage hormones, relaxes the brain and muscles, calms your nerves, promotes better digestion, and even protects your heart.

Like tryptophan, the best way to get your magnesium fix is through food. Asparagus, beet greens, cauliflower, garlic, bananas, almonds and oatmeal are excellent examples of magnesium-rich foods that can help you sleep.

Pumpkin seeds are particularly effective. Aside from magnesium, it also contains zinc which helps with emotional well-being and protects your cells.

#4: Teatime is Good for Bedtime

Drinking is also a form of aromatherapy, thanks to the ambient aroma from certain types. But of course, herbal teas also appeal to your sense of taste – and trigger your natural sleep mechanisms.

Like coffee, tea is a widely consumed beverage around the world. However, it has a lower caffeine content which makes it suitable to drink even during the late afternoon.

For those who want to sleep at night, there are certain types of tea designed for that. You can make a ritual out of this (also vital to good sleep, which we’ll discuss further in a bit) and use tea as a means of telling your body and mind to unwind.

Teas which contain the following ingredients seem to work the best, such as:

Arborvitae Seed

Ashwagandha

Blackberry leaves

Cardamom

Chamomile flowers

Fennel

Hawthorn

Hibiscus

Lavender flowers

Lemon balm

Lemongrass

Lemongrass

Nutmeg

Orange blossoms

Peppermint

Peppermint leaves

Poria Paradicis

Rose blossom

Rosebuds

Sage

Schizandra Fruit

Skullcap

Sour Date Seed

Spearmint leaves

Tilia flowers

Valerian root

#5: Clean Up Your Other Habits

It’s not just what you put in your body, but also what you do before bedtime.

Babies and smaller kids have cues before going to sleep, like turning off the lights and having a bottle. These make up rituals which signal their brain that it’s time to hit the sack.

As a grown-up, you should also have your own rituals to help you prepare for sleep. Plus, your environment needs to be conducive for rest.

Doing all of these sets the stage for better sleep. Here are some basic guidelines you can follow:

Do something relaxing, like listening to music. According to a study conducted in the U.K., reading is especially good at reducing stress and disengaging your mind from stressful thoughts.For maximum effect, it’s best to keep any activities not related to sleep outside the bedroom. This creates a stronger association in your mind that your bed is only for sleeping.

No electronics or screen time two hours before bedtime. Devices emit a blue light similar to sunlight which messes with your ability to produce melatonin. Humans operate on a circadian rhythm, and bright lights basically tell our bodies to stay awake.

Keep your bedroom nice and dark. Eliminate all sources of noise and other distractions. Make sure your bed is comfy, so get a good mattress, and pillows that adequately support your neck. Keep your room 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the ideal range for falling asleep.

Routine is essential! In the book, “Why We Sleep,” Dr. Mathew Walker says that our demanding lifestyle is the biggest disruption to our natural sleeping rhythms. And he states that this lack of sleep has “a catastrophic impact on our health, our life expectancy, our safety, our productivity, and the education of our children.” This is why you need to take back your sleep by establishing a fixed time to go to bed. Decide on a specific time you want to get up every day, then work your way backward about 8 hours to find your ideal bedtime. Sometimes, quality sleep is a matter of putting your foot down and giving yourself boundaries.

Although it will take some time and effort to adjust to a new sleep routine (and the habits that come with it), you’ll find that it’s worth it.

For one thing, your memory will be a lot better. Sleepless nights lead to drawing a blank during the day. Your brain needs enough time to organize, store and optimize memories that you accumulate over time.

Furthermore, you’ll be able to keep your weight under control. Good sleep promotes healthy hormone production – including the ones that regulate your appetite. Thus, you’re less likely to binge on unhealthy foods.

Speaking of which, a lot of people underestimate the kind of damage modern, processed food does to their bodies.

Most of us have an “out of sight, out of mind” approach when it comes to our food habits. We don’t pay it much attention now, but mindless eating has life-threatening implications.

In a recent study, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that about 75% of the people in the United States will be obese by 2020.

We can all agree that’s NOT good news.

And with obesity comes diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease and chronic inflammation.

(The rates of these illnesses are skyrocketing too, by the way.)

If you want to prevent these diseases or REVERSE them, it boils down to the right food…

…not to mention knowing about the biggest threats to your health.

This cutting-edge documentary series explores both of these…and MORE.

Watch it now: Food, Health and You

The post Natural Sleep Enhancers – When you can’t sleep! appeared first on Get Health Remedies.

[risevessel4-blog]

Can We Stop Calling Cake "Bread" & Bread "Cake"?

Pop quiz: Which of the following does not belong in the group? Pumpkin bread, persimmon bread, banana bread, gingerbread, cornbread, rye bread, zucchini bread. (Hint: The correct answer has nothing to do with fruits and vegetables.)

I was all ready to say that the outlier on the list is rye bread—the only loaf leavened with yeast (rather than baking powder or baking soda). I was going to say that the rye is a true bread and the others are so called “quick breads”—most of which are actually cakes (with plenty of sugar, butter or other fats, and eggs) baked in loaf pans. For backup, I checked my 1990 edition of Joy of Cooking where you'll find a chapter called “Yeast Breads,” followed by another called “Quick Breads," to wit:

Quick breads are so called because they are quickly mixed and, with the absence of yeast, need no lengthy rising time before baking…These breads encompass not only sweet and savory loaves to serve as mealtime accompaniments or teatime temptations in lieu of yeasted breads, but also corn breads…, spoon breads, sweet morning coffee cakes, muffins, tender biscuits and…scones.

Based on this, I now see how one could argue that yeast breads and quick breads are simply different types of bread. And now, in the interests of transparency (and possible hilarity), I have to admit that I wrote this intro in the 1990 Joy of Cooking! In retrospect, I’m surprised (actually, annoyed) that I didn’t discuss the difference between bread and cake, and point out that many quick breads are really cakes in wolves' clothing.

So I went online, where confusion reigns. Some info is downright ridiculous, and sources tend to quote each other. One source explains that the difference between bread and cake is that cake is light and bread is dense—and this is why banana bread (dense) is bread while zucchini and carrot cakes (light) are cakes. Oy! This is an interesting observation about the textures of things that we bake in loaf pans, but it leads to a silly definition.

I see it from a baker’s point of view: Cakes vary in texture from dense and moist to light and airy, with all kinds of textures in between. Those with a tight crumb that bake nicely in a regular round or square cake pan often bake well (and make nice bread-shaped slices) in loaf pans. When we bake such a cake in a loaf pan, we sometimes call it bread (think banana bread, pumpkin bread). (By the way, loaf pans don’t work well for cakes with lighter and more delicate sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, etc.—so bakers don’t use them for these kinds of cakes.) But does the use of a loaf pan turn a cake into a bread? I don’t think so.

So what's the difference between bread versus cake?

For me, bread is predominantly flour and water and requires yeast and rising before baking. A few are sweet and/or rich (think brioche, Challah, panettone, stolen, babka), but most are not. As such, if you ask me, quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads (like those in the quiz above) are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

Honestly, I don’t care if you call a loaf-shaped cake a bread; I only hope you don’t actually think it is one. Here’s how the issue came up for me recently:

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped into Standard Fare Kitchen and Pantry, a West Berkeley gem where you can enjoy a perfect salad, main dish, or snack served on Heath pottery, and eat them on a sidewalk bench in an industrial (okay, lightly industrial) part of town. I was ordering turmeric tea for my throat and inspecting the baked goods on offer when I saw slices of something dark and moist and laced with tiny black seeds and labeled "Roasted Squash Bread."

"Is that really bread—or cake?" I inquired (because I didn’t have my glasses on).

The young server’s answer was super enthusiastic and (because I was sure she understood the existential nature of my question) almost triumphant. “Bread!” she sang out.

Bread or cake? Photo by James Ransom

I was curious. Expecting a hearty and interesting blend of whole-grain flours and what-have-you, I ordered a slice to share and settled on a bench with my pals. Well, of course it was cake. It was also loaded with garam masala and ginger and had a fine crunch from poppy and chia seeds. I enjoyed it immensely, but could not let go of the fact that the server did not know that the use of a loaf pan does not actually transform a cake into bread—and that the correct interpretation, thus the correct answer to my inquiry should have been "cake."

Quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

My daughter was not present, but she would have been proud of me for not going back into the cafe to lecture the server like a cranky old lady, or even in the nicest possible way. I didn’t. But I did spend a couple of hours creating my own version of roasted squash “bread” with a liberal lashing of garam masala, chia, and poppy seeds. The result is addictive. So here is my homage to Standard Fare’s roasted squash "bread." Mine includes buckwheat flour and is gluten-free and entirely whole-grain, if you choose brown rice flour instead of white rice flour along with the buckwheat flour therein.

Dark & Spicy Roasted Squash "Bread"

View Recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

What's the difference between cake and bread, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23682-difference-between-cake-and-bread

[lilylink9-blog]

Can We Stop Calling Cake "Bread" & Bread "Cake"?

Pop quiz: Which of the following does not belong in the group? Pumpkin bread, persimmon bread, banana bread, gingerbread, cornbread, rye bread, zucchini bread. (Hint: The correct answer has nothing to do with fruits and vegetables.)

I was all ready to say that the outlier on the list is rye bread—the only loaf leavened with yeast (rather than baking powder or baking soda). I was going to say that the rye is a true bread and the others are so called “quick breads”—most of which are actually cakes (with plenty of sugar, butter or other fats, and eggs) baked in loaf pans. For backup, I checked my 1990 edition of Joy of Cooking where you'll find a chapter called “Yeast Breads,” followed by another called “Quick Breads," to wit:

Quick breads are so called because they are quickly mixed and, with the absence of yeast, need no lengthy rising time before baking…These breads encompass not only sweet and savory loaves to serve as mealtime accompaniments or teatime temptations in lieu of yeasted breads, but also corn breads…, spoon breads, sweet morning coffee cakes, muffins, tender biscuits and…scones.

Based on this, I now see how one could argue that yeast breads and quick breads are simply different types of bread. And now, in the interests of transparency (and possible hilarity), I have to admit that I wrote this intro in the 1990 Joy of Cooking! In retrospect, I’m surprised (actually, annoyed) that I didn’t discuss the difference between bread and cake, and point out that many quick breads are really cakes in wolves' clothing.

So I went online, where confusion reigns. Some info is downright ridiculous, and sources tend to quote each other. One source explains that the difference between bread and cake is that cake is light and bread is dense—and this is why banana bread (dense) is bread while zucchini and carrot cakes (light) are cakes. Oy! This is an interesting observation about the textures of things that we bake in loaf pans, but it leads to a silly definition.

I see it from a baker’s point of view: Cakes vary in texture from dense and moist to light and airy, with all kinds of textures in between. Those with a tight crumb that bake nicely in a regular round or square cake pan often bake well (and make nice bread-shaped slices) in loaf pans. When we bake such a cake in a loaf pan, we sometimes call it bread (think banana bread, pumpkin bread). (By the way, loaf pans don’t work well for cakes with lighter and more delicate sponge cakes, chiffon cakes, etc.—so bakers don’t use them for these kinds of cakes.) But does the use of a loaf pan turn a cake into a bread? I don’t think so.

So what's the difference between bread versus cake?

For me, bread is predominantly flour and water and requires yeast and rising before baking. A few are sweet and/or rich (think brioche, Challah, panettone, stolen, babka), but most are not. As such, if you ask me, quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads (like those in the quiz above) are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

Honestly, I don’t care if you call a loaf-shaped cake a bread; I only hope you don’t actually think it is one. Here’s how the issue came up for me recently:

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped into Standard Fare Kitchen and Pantry, a West Berkeley gem where you can enjoy a perfect salad, main dish, or snack served on Heath pottery, and eat them on a sidewalk bench in an industrial (okay, lightly industrial) part of town. I was ordering turmeric tea for my throat and inspecting the baked goods on offer when I saw slices of something dark and moist and laced with tiny black seeds and labeled "Roasted Squash Bread."

"Is that really bread—or cake?" I inquired (because I didn’t have my glasses on).

The young server’s answer was super enthusiastic and (because I was sure she understood the existential nature of my question) almost triumphant. “Bread!” she sang out.

Bread or cake? Photo by James Ransom

I was curious. Expecting a hearty and interesting blend of whole-grain flours and what-have-you, I ordered a slice to share and settled on a bench with my pals. Well, of course it was cake. It was also loaded with garam masala and ginger and had a fine crunch from poppy and chia seeds. I enjoyed it immensely, but could not let go of the fact that the server did not know that the use of a loaf pan does not actually transform a cake into bread—and that the correct interpretation, thus the correct answer to my inquiry should have been "cake."

Quick breads (even the ones that are savory or simply not sweet) are not true breads at all. And most of the sweet, rich loaves that we call breads are actually cakes baked in loaf pans.

My daughter was not present, but she would have been proud of me for not going back into the cafe to lecture the server like a cranky old lady, or even in the nicest possible way. I didn’t. But I did spend a couple of hours creating my own version of roasted squash “bread” with a liberal lashing of garam masala, chia, and poppy seeds. The result is addictive. So here is my homage to Standard Fare’s roasted squash "bread." Mine includes buckwheat flour and is gluten-free and entirely whole-grain, if you choose brown rice flour instead of white rice flour along with the buckwheat flour therein.

Dark & Spicy Roasted Squash "Bread"

View Recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

8 tablespoons (225 grams) unsalted butter, melted 1 cup (200 grams) sugar 2 large cold eggs 3/4 cup (120 grams) white or brown rice flour 1/3 cup (40 grams) buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground garam masala 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use fine sea salt) 2 tablespoons (17 grams) poppy seeds 1 tablespoon (10 grams) black chia seeds 3/4 cup (170 grams) roasted butternut squash, pureed or simply mashed until smooth (see Note)

What's the difference between cake and bread, in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: https://food52.com/blog/23682-difference-between-cake-and-bread

[theflorencefiles]

Day 0.5 - An Interlude

Before continuing I’d like to take a moment to do something that I was too exhausted and cranky to think of doing during the flight: describe the actual plane.

My first flight aboard one of Air Berlin’s finest was from San Francisco to Düsseldorf, with a connecting flight from there to Florence, where I am (as I type this) currently sitting and enjoying my year studying abroad.

The road to get here was long, full of stumbling blocks, missteps, and even (yes) dumb mistakes.

But that’s another post for another day.

While at the airport, I bought a hummus plate (having forgotten the leftover sushi I had planned to bring from home) which consisted of watery hummus, some decent pita bread, really dry falafel, and a weird cucumber salad which I tried to eat because it was healthy, but then gave up on after two bites because hey, it’s airline food – how healthy could it be?

My flight to Düsseldorf took off at 8:00 PM on August 28, 2017 California time, and I was allowed to board at 7:45 (the latest possible time). I hadn’t bothered to shell in for a better seat for the first half of the flight so I ended up in the middle row of seats near the center of the plane, and while I had an aisle seat, I still couldn’t see very well out of any of the windows.

Here’s a fun fact about Air Berlin: They filed for some form of bankruptcy (after a quick Google search I think it was “insolvency”) a mere thirteen days before the flight I’ve been planning, stressing, and waiting for for the last six months.

I was not told about this btw, my grandfather, who is a retired accountant, mentioned that he’d “heard about some European airline going bankrupt and was that my flight by any chance?” this happened I think three days before my flight. A quick Google search at the dinner table confirmed that this was, indeed, my airline. So the next day I called the customer service line and called to make sure that my flight hadn’t been cancelled, and it hadn’t so everything worked out fine but it was still a scare.

Anyways. Each seat (even us lowly economy-class passengers) was given a pillow and blanket for the night. So, like sweet. However, at my mom’s suggestion/urging I had managed to fit my pillow from home into my laptop bag (it should be noted for posterity’s sake that this was the only thing in that bag), and can I just say it was a godsend – the airline pillows were fucking tiny – thanks mom.

The plane was decently sized, crammed with passengers from all over Europe on their way home from vacation, and the occasional baffled American tourist just to keep things interesting.

For the record, I was one of those baffled Americans. While I am conversational in Spanish and well on my way there in Italian, I don’t speak a word of German, and it showed. However, Air Berlin was prepared for my ineptitude, or perhaps just for the diversity of languages in Europe, and had each of the touchscreens in the backs of the seats programmed for German, Spanish, French, and English – thank goodness.

The touchscreen program was actually really nice – it was all free of charge, and included movies, TV shows, information about the airline, in flight meal options (which we would have had to request before boarding – and paid extra for), as well as a few games like mahjong and solitaire. But my favorite feature was the flight tracker, which showed where we were as well as giving occasional updates on how long we had until landing, the outside temperature (usually below zero given that we were a few miles up), and air speed. I stared at that screen a lot – pretty much whenever I had the machine on.

The in-flight meal consisted of a choice between pasta or chicken, and the flight attendant serving us went down one aisle of the plane first, and then the other as those of us on the other side looked longingly at the food. They actually gave us a lot of food, and while I had technically eaten at the terminal, the food would have given me a purpose, and thus a means to alleviate the crushing boredom. We were given a roll, coleslaw, some sort of mystery desert, rice, butter, and a cup of water stored the same way you would apple sauce in a kids lunch.

Of course, by the time the flight attendant came up my side of the plane all of the pasta was gone as everyone had (wisely) chosen to skip the rather sketchy looking chicken. But I ate it all anyways. I'm so ashamed.

For breakfast there was only one option – orange juice (although the drinks cart offered coffee), a muffin, butter, jam, a warm roll, some nasty yogurt, a slice of brie, and some meat to put on the roll I think. That’s all I remember.

Also, there was almost no leg room.

So that pretty much sums up everything I remember about the flight over here.